The History of the Holy War, Book 4 · Chapter 27 – Chapter 28
Chap. 27. King Lewis besiegeth the city of Tunis; His death and commendation.
1270LEwis now having hoised up sail, it was concluded by the generall consent of his Counsel, That to secure and clear the Christians passage to Palestine from pirates, they should first take the city of Carthage in Africa by the way.
This Carthage long wrestled with Rome for the sovereignty, and gave as many foils as she took, till Scipio at last crushed out her bowels with one deadly fall. Yet long after the citie stood before wholly demolished, to be a spurre to put metall into the Romanes, and to be a forrein mark for their arrows, lest otherwise they should shoot against themselves. At last by the counsel of Cato it was quite destroyed: who alledged, That it was not safe to have a knife so neare their throat; and though good use might be made of an enemy at arms end, yet it was dangerous to have him too close to ones side; as Carthage was within a dayes sail from Rome.
Out of the ruines of this famous citie, Tunis arose; as often a stinking elder groweth out of the place where an oak hath been felled. Theeving was their trading: but then as yet they were Apprentises to piracie, whereof at this day they are grown Masters. Yea, not considerable was Tunis then in bignesse, great onelyonly in mischief. But as a small scratch just upon the turning of a joynt is more troublesome then a bigger sore in another place; so this paltry town (the refuge of rogues, and wanderers home) seated in the passage betwixt Europe, Asia, and Africa, was a worse annoyance to Christian traffick then a whole countrey of Saracens elsewhere. Wherefore both to revenge the bloud of many Christians, who passing this way to Palestine were either killed or taken captive, as also to secure the way for the time to come, Lewis with his whole fleet (augmented with the navy of Charles King of Sicilie and Jerusalem, his brother) bent his course to besiege it.
It was concluded both unnecessary and unfitting, first in a fair way to summon the city; because like pernicious vermine they were to be rooted out of the world by any means: nor was it meet to lavish the solemn ceremonies of warre on a company of theeves and murderers.
The siege was no sooner begun but the plague seised on the Christian armie: whereof thousands died; amongst others, Tristram King Lewis his sonne: And he himself of a flux followed after. This Lewis was the French Josiah, both for the piety of his life and wofulnesse of his death, ingaging himself in a needlesse warre. Many good laws he made for his Kingdome: that not the worst, He first *Sr Walter Ralegh, hist. part. 1. lib. 5. cap. 3.retrenched his Barons power to suffer parties to trie their intricate titles to land by duells. He severely punished blasphemers, *Alfonso Villeg in the life of S. Lewis.searing their lips with an hot iron. And because by his command it was executed upon a great rich citizen of Paris, some said he was a tyrant: He hearing it, said before many, I would to God that with searing my own lips I could banish out of my realm all abuse of oathes. He loved more to heare Sermons then to be present at Masse: whereas on the contrary our*Con…inuat. Matth. Paris. in anno 1273. Henry the third said, he had rather see his God then heare another speak of him though never so well. His body was carried into France there to be buried, and was most miserably tossed; it being observed, that the sea cannot digest the crudity of a dead corpse, being a due debt to be interred where it dieth; and a ship cannot abide to be made a bier of. He was Sainted after his death by Boniface the eighth, and the five and twentieth day of August (on which day in his first voyage to Palestine he went on shipboard) is consecrated to his memory. Herein he had better luck then as good a man, I mean our Henry the sixth, who could not be canonized without a mighty summe of money; belike Angels making Saints at Rome.
Chap. 28. Tunis taken; The French return home, whilest our Edward valiantly setteth forward for Palestine.
1271BY this time Tunis was brought to great distresse, and at last on these conditions surrendred: That it should pay yearly to Charles King of Sicily and Jerusalem fourty thousand crowns; That it should receive Christian Ministers, freely to exercise their religion; If any Saracen would be baptized, he should be suffered; That all Christian captives should be set free; That they should pay back so much money as should defray the Christians charges in this voyage. Our Edward would needs have had the town beaten down, and all put to the sword; thinking the foulest quarter too fair for them. Their goods (because got by robbery) he would have sacrificed as an anathema to God, and burnt to ashes: His own share he execrated, and caused it to be burnt, forbidding the English to save any thing of it; because that coals stolen out of that fire, would sooner burn their houses then warm their hands. It troubled not the consciences of other Princes to enrich themselves herewith, but they glutted themselves with the stolen hony which they found in this hive of drones: And which was worse, now their bellies were full they would go to bed, return home, and go no further. Yea, the young King of France, called Philip the Bold, was fearfull to prosecute his journey to Palestine; whereas Prince Edward struck his breast, and swore, That though all his friends forsook him, yet he would enter Ptolemais, though but onelyonly with Fowin his horse-keeper. By which speech he incensed the English to go on with him.
The rest pleading the distemperature of the weather, went to Sicily, in hope with change of aire to recover their health: Where many of them found what they sought to avoid, death: amongst other, Theobald King of Navarre, and Isabell his wife, and William Earl of Flandres, who ended their dayes at Drepanum. Besides, their navie was pursuivanted after with a horrible tempest, and a curse (entailed either on their ill-gotten goods, or deserting Gods cause, or both) arrested them in their return: so that of this great wealth little was landed in Europe, their ships being wracked, & the goods therein cast into the sea; with which the waves played a little, and then chopped them up at a morsel. Whilest the weather frowning on them, smiled on the English, Prince Edward no whit damnified either in his men or ships, with Elenor his tender consort then young with child, safely arrived at Ptolemais, to the great solace and comfort of the Christians there being in great distresse.