Stothard, Charles Alfred; Kempe, Alfred John: The monumental effigies of Great Britain: selected from our cathedrals and churches ; for the purpose of bringing together, and preserving correct representations of the best historical illustrations extant, from the Norman conquest to the reign of Henry the Eight (London, 1817)

Richard espoused his queen Berengaria. In the beginning of April 1191 Richard pro-
ceeded to the relief of the Christian army encamped before Acre. In his voyage he fell
in with a Saracen dromond, or huge argosie, sent by Saladin, the brother of Saladin the
Soldan of Babylon, laden with immense treasure, military stores, and provisions, and
fifteen hundred warriors, for the succour of the Infidels besieged in Acre. Among the
articles for offensive warfare were a quantity of the celebrated Greek fire, and vessels full
of venomous serpents. This unwieldy vessel was promptly assailed on all sides by the
King's light galleys ; her bottom was pierced with holes by the augers of certain dextrous
divers, and she was soon filled with water to her upper works. Thirteen hundred
of her crew were consigned by the King's order to the waves; two hundred remained
his prisoners. Richard arrived at Acre in the middle of June, with his gallant fleet of
two hundred and fifty ships and sixty galleys, and aided so vigorously the combined
forces of Christendom in the prosecution of the siege, that on the twelfth of the follow-
ing July the city surrendered. The defection of Philip King of France did not damp
the ardour of Richard: he marched against Jerusalem, and in sight of that city attacked
and overthrew the caravan of Saladin, which came laden from Babylon, under an escort of
ten thousand men. A truce being concluded with Saladin, Richard bent his steps
homeward, to regulate the domestic concerns of his Realm, and to procure reinforcement
for his crusading host. In his way he was shipwrecked near Aquileia, hut getting
safely to land he disguised himself as a merchant, and assuming the name of Hus,h, was
making his way through the Austrian dominions, when he was discovered and made
prisoner by Leopold Duke of Austria, who owed him an old grudge for an indignity
offered to his banner at Acre. Richard was given up by him to the Emperor of Ger-
many, of whom he was obliged to purchase his liberty by a heavy ransom, 130,000 marks
of silver. The old disagreement between Richard and Philip of France continuing
unallayed, a war between them was the consequence, and Richard gave him a signal
overthrow at the famous battle of Gisors, in Normandy, where the French king narrowly
escaped with his life. The lion-hearted Richard on this occasion eminently displayed
his intrepid character, and exclaimed after the held was won, " Not we but ' God and our
Right' have vanquished France at Gisors the same emphatic words were by one of his
successors coupled with the armorial ensigns of the British Crown.
Shortly after it was Richard's fate to lose his life in a petty feud. The Count of Li-
moges, a dependant on the Dukes of Aquitaine, having found a treasure on his land,
Richard, as lord paramount, laid claim to the whole, and to enforce his right, besieged
the Castle of Chaluz, where it was supposed the treasure was deposited. He was wounded
bv a quarrel, from the steelbow of an arbalister on the ramparts of the Castle. Hear-
ing the twang of the implement, he stooped forward to avoid the shot, and in conse-
guence of that movement received it in his left shoulder. The barbed head of the arrow
remained in the wound, the severity of which was much increased by the attempts of an
unskilful surgeon to cut it out. The Castle being taken, and the archer brought
before the King, he justified the deed, by saying that Richard with his own hand had
killed his father and his two brothers. The King, with a true magnanimity, commanded
him to be set at liberty with a reward of a hundred shillings; an order basely disre-
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