Chapter I: Book XV: A.d. 1255-1270

EIGHTH CRUSADE.

Christian cities of Palestine fortified by Louis
IX.—Quarrels among the Crusaders—Divisions
among the Saracens—Aibek, sultan of Egypt,
assassinated—Chegger-Adour, the sultana,
assassinated—The Moguls, or Tartars, capture
Bagdad—Koutouz elected sultan of Egypt—The
Moguls capture the principal cities of Syria—The
general terror inspired among the Mussulmans and
Christians—Apprehensions of Bela IV., king of
Hungary—Assassination of Koutouz—The Mamelukes of
Egypt—Bibars proclaimed sultan of Egypt—Declares
war against the Christians of Palestine—The
Mamelukes defeat and expel the Tartars from
Palestine—Constantinople recaptured by the Greeks,
and the Latins expelled—The Christians defeated by
the Mamelukes, and Palestine laid waste—Cæsarea,
Arsouf, and Sefed besieged and captured—Slaughter
of the Christians—Mohammedanism not a religion of
the sword—Charlemagne’s career—Capture of Jaffa by
the sultan of Egypt—Bohemond forms a treaty with
Bibars—Antioch captured and destroyed, and the
inhabitants slaughtered—Quarrels of the popes with the
sovereigns of Europe—Royal family of Swabia—Charles,
count of Anjou, crowned by the pope as king of
Sicily—Mainfroy—Conraddin disputes the crown of
Sicily—Louis IX. determines upon a fresh crusade to
the Holy Land—The illustrious personages who take the
cross in his support—Joinville declines to accompany
him—Abaga, khan of the Tartars, sends ambassadors to
Rome—Pope Clement IV. supports the new crusade—The
clergy oppose the levying of contributions—A council
held at Northampton for aiding the crusade—James king
of Arragon, and Edward prince of England, engage in the
crusade—Death of Clement IV.—The Crusaders arrive
at Tunis—Historical notice of Tunis—The Mohammedans
resist the Crusaders—Sickness and mortality among
the Crusaders—Death of the duke de Nevers—Illness
and fervent devotion of Louis—His death—Charles
of Anjou lands at Tunis, and takes the command of
the Crusaders—Returns to France with the bodies of
his father, wife, and brother—The virtue? and piety
of Louis IX.—Prince Edward of England arrives in
Palestine—Nazareth captured by the Crusaders—Prince
Edward returns to England—Thibault elected pope,
under the title of Gregory X.—He convokes the council
of Lyons for reviving a new crusade—Curious document
issued by Humbert de Romanis—Three pretenders to
the throne of Jerusalem—The continued victories of
Bibars—His death and character—Death of Gregory
X.—Revolt in Sicily—The Sicilian vespers—Kealaoun,
the sultan of Egypt, concludes a treaty with the
Christians of Ptolemaïs, and enters into treaties
with European princes—Fort of Margat captured
by the Mussulmans—Sieur Barthélemi becomes a
Mohammedan renegade—Tripoli captured and destroyed,
and the Christians slaughtered—Description of
Ptolemaïs—Chalil elected sultan of Egypt—The
Mussulman sect of Chages—Ptolemaïs captured
and destroyed by Chalil—Virgins of St. Clair
self-mutilated and destroyed—Death of William de
Clermont—Devoted heroism of the Templars—Capture
and destruction of Tyre, Berytus, Sidon, and all the
Christian cities along the coast of Palestine pp. 1-91.