But to procéed. After the king had set the countrie of Cypres in good staie, [Sidenote: He arriued there on the saturdaie in Whitsunwéek, being the saturdaie also next before the feast of S. Barnabie. _Galfridus._ _Vinsant._] he deliuered the keeping thereof vnto Richard de Camuille and Robert de Turneham. This doone vpon the wednesdaie in the Whitsunwéeke he tooke the sea againe, and passed ouer to the citie of Acres, which as then was besieged by the christian armie, as ye may read in the description of the holie land, onelie giuing you to vnderstand, that such was the valiancie of king Richard shewed in manfull constreining of the citie, that his praise was greatlie bruted both amongst the christians and also the Saracens.
Howbeit the secret enimitie betwixt him and the French king eftsoones reuiued, by occasion of such discord as chanced betwixt Guido king of Jerusalem, and Conrade the marques of Tire, so that parties were taken, and whereas both the Pisans and Geneuois did offer their seruice vnto king Richard, yet bicause the Geneuois were confederat with the French king, who tooke part with the marques, he refused them, [Sidenote: Pisans and Geneuois.] and receiued the Pisans, ioining himselfe with king Guido to support him against his enimies.
Here is to be remembred, that before king Richard arriued at the siege, he incountred on the sea a mightie great ship called a Drommond, [Sidenote: _Matt. Paris._ _Nic. Triuet._ Saphaldine the brother of Saladine.] which one Saphaldine the brother of Saladine a prince of the Saracens had sent, to refresh them with vittels. This ship king Richard caused féercelie to be assailed with his gallies, and at length bowged hir with all the vittels and prouision within the same, as wild-fire, barels of firie serpents, armour and weapons of sundrie sorts, besides all the mariners and men of warre, except such as were taken to mercie and saued aliue, being about 200 in the whole, whereas there were aboord the same ship 500 men of warre, [Sidenote: _Matth. Paris._ _N. Triuet._] as some write, though other haue but 800.
¶ But now to other accidents that chanced this yere. On Midsummer eeue there was such an eclipse of the sunne, [Sidenote: An eclipse of the sunne.] the moone being the same time 27 daies old, that for the space of thrée houres (for so long it lasted) such darkness came ouer the face of the earth, [Sidenote: The seuenth houre of the daie saith _Matth. Paris._] that euen in the daie time (for this eclipse began about nine of the clocke in the morning) the stars appeared plainelie in the element.