Asitwereatenderchick，Toseehowtheotherswilllike。’
Thishorribleorderwaspunctuallyexecuted。Atnoontheguestsweresummonedtowashbythemusicofthewaits；thekingtookhisseat，attendedbytheprincipalofficersofhiscourt，atthehightable，andtherestofthecompanyweremarshalledatalongtablebelowhim。Ontheclothwereplacedportionsofsaltattheusualdistances，butneitherbread，wine，norwater。Theambassadors，rathersurprisedatthisomission，butstillfreefromapprehension，awaitedinsilencethearrivalofthedinner，whichwasannouncedbythesoundsofpipes，trumpets，andtabours；andbeheld，withhorroranddismay，theunnaturalbanquetintroducedbythestewardandhisofficers。Yettheirsentimentsofdisgustandabhorrence，andeventheirfears，wereforatimesuspendedbytheircuriosity。Theireyeswerefixedontheking，who，withouttheslightestchangeofcountenance，swallowedthemorselsasfastastheycouldbesuppliedbytheknightwhocarvedthem。
`Everymanthenpokedother；
Theysaid，`Thisisthedevil’sbrother，Thatslaysourmen，andthushemeats！’
Theirattentionwastheninvoluntarilyfixedonthesmokingheadsbeforethem；theytracedintheswollenanddistortedfeaturestheresemblanceofafriendornearrelation，andreceivedfromthefatalscrollwhichaccompaniedeachdishthesadassurancethatthisresemblancewasnotimaginary。Theysatintorpidsilence，anticipatingtheirownfateinthatoftheircountrymen，whiletheirferociousentertainer，withfuryinhiseyes，butwithcourtesyonhislips，insultedthembyfrequentinvitationstomerriment。Atlengththisfirstcoursewasremoved，anditsplacesuppliedbyvenison，cranes，andotherdainties，accompaniedbytherichestwines。
Thekingthenapologisedtothemforwhathadpassed，whichheattributedtohisignoranceoftheirtaste；andassuredthemofhisreligiousrespectfortheircharacterasambassadors，andofhisreadinesstograntthemasafe-conductfortheirreturn。Thisboonwasallthattheynowwishedtoclaim；andKingRichardspaketoanoldman，`WendeshometoyourSoudan！
Hismelancholythatyeabate；
Andsayesthatyecametoolate。
Tooslowlywasyourtimey-guessed；
Ereyecamethefleshwasdressed，Thatmenshouldenservewithme，Thusatnoon，andmymeynie。
Sayhim，itshallhimnoughtavail，Thoughhefor-barusourvitail，Bread，wine，fish，flesh，salmon，anconger；
Ofusnoneshalldiewithhunger，Whilewemaywendentofight，AndslaytheSaracensdownright，Washtheflesh，androastthehead。
Withoo<*>SaracenImaywellfeed*OneWellanineoratenOfmygoodChristianmen。
KingRichardshallwarrant，ThereisnofleshsonourissantUntoanEnglishman，Partridge，plover，heron，neswan，Cowneox，sheepneswine，AstheheadofaSarazyn。
Thereheisfat，andtheretotender，Andmymenbeleanandslender。
WhileanySaracenquickbe，LivandnowinthisSyrie，Formeatwillwenothingcare。
Aboutenfastweshallfare，AndeverydayweshalleatAllsomanyaswemayget。
ToEnglandwillwenoughtgon，Tilltheybeeateneveryone。’’’
Ellis’s_SpecimensofEarlyEnglishMetricalRomances，_vol。ii。p。236。
ThereadermaybecurioustoknowowingtowhatcircumstancessoextraordinaryaninventionasthatwhichimputedcannibalismtotheKingofEngland，shouldhavefounditswayintohishistory。Mr。James，towhomweowesomuchthatiscurious，seemstohavetracedtheoriginofthisextraordinaryrumour。
Withthearmyofthecrossalsowasamultitudeofmen，’’thesameauthordeclares，whomadeitaprofessiontobewithoutmoney；theywalkedbarefoot，carriednoarms，andevenprecededthebeastsofburdenintheirmarch，livinguponrootsandherbs，andpresentingaspectaclebothdisgustingandpitiable。
ANorman，who，accordingtoallaccounts，wasofnoblebirth，butwho，havinglosthishorse，continuedtofollowasafootsoldier，tookthestrangeresolutionofputtinghimselfattheheadofthisraceofvagabonds，whowillinglyreceivedhimastheirking。AmongsttheSaracensthesemenbecamewellknownunderthenameof_Thafurs_(whichGuiberttranslates_Trudentes_)，andwerebeheldwithgreathorror，fromthegeneralpersuasionthattheyfedonthedeadbodiesoftheirenemies；areportwhichwasoccasionallyjustified，andwhichtheKingoftheThafurstookcaretoencourage。
Thisrespectablemonarchwasfrequentlyinthehabitofstoppinghisfollowers，onebyone，inanarrowdefile，andofcausingthemtobesearchedcarefully，lestthepossessionoftheleastsumofmoneyshouldrenderthemunworthyofthenameofhissubjects。Ifeventwosouswerefounduponanyone，hewasinstantlyexpelledthesocietyofhistribe，thekingbiddinghimcontemptuouslybuyarmsandfight。
Thistroop，sofarfrombeingcumbersometothearmy，wasinfinitelyserviceable，carryingburdens，bringinginforage，provisions，andtribute；
workingthemachinesinthesieges，and，aboveall，spreadingconsternationamongtheTurks，whofeareddeathfromthelancesoftheknightslessthanthatfartherconsummationtheyheardofundertheteethoftheThafurs。’’<*>
*James’s_HistoryofChivalry，_p。178。
Itiseasytoconceive，thatanignorantminstrel，findingthetasteandferocityoftheThafurscommemoratedinthehistoricalaccountsoftheHolyWars，hasascribedtheirpracticesandpropensitiestotheMonarchofEngland，whoseferocitywasconsideredasanobjectofexaggerationaslegitimateashisvalour。
NoteA-LordofGilsland。
Hewasahistoricalhero，faithfullyattached，asishereexpressed，toKingRichard，andisnoticedwithdistinctionintheromancementionedintheIntroduction。Atthebeginningoftheromance，mentionismadeofatournament，inwhichthekingreturnsthreetimeswithafreshsuitofarmour，whichactedasadisguise；andateachappearance，someknightofgreatprowesshadasharpencounterwithhim。WhenRichardreturnedthesecondtime，thefollowingisMr。Ellis’saccountofhisproceedings:-
Henowmountedabayhorse，assumedasuitofarmourpaintedred，andahelmet，thecrestofwhichwasaredhound，withalongtailwhichreachedtotheearth；anemblemintendedtoconveyhisindignationagainsttheheathenhoundswhodefiledtheHolyLand，andhisdeterminationtoattempttheirdestruction。Havingsufficientlysignalisedhimselfinhisnewdisguise，herodeintotheranksforthepurposeofselectingamoreformidableadversary；and，deliveringhisspeartohissquire，tookhismace，andassaultedSirThomasdeMulton，aknightwhoseprowesswasdeservedlyheldinthehighestestimation。SirThomas，apparentlynotatalldisorderedbyablowwhichwouldhavefelledacommonadversary，calmlyadvisedhimtogoandamusehimselfelsewhere；butRichard，havingaimedathimasecondandmoreviolentstroke，bywhichhishelmetwasnearlycrushed，hereturneditwithsuchvigourthatthekinglosthisstirrups，and，recoveringhimselfwithsomedifficulty，rodeoffwithallspeedintotheforest。’’-Ellis’s_Specimens，_pp。193，194。
NoteB-DeathofGrandMasteroftheTemplars。
ThemannerofthedeathofthesupposedGrandMasteroftheTemplarswastakenfromtherealtragedyenactedbySaladin，uponthepersonofArnoldorReginalddeChatillon。Thisperson，asoldieroffortune，hadseizedacastleonthevergeofthedesert，fromwhencehemadeplunderingexcursions，andinsultedandabusedthepilgrimswhowereontheirjourneytoMecca。ItwaschieflyonhisaccountthatSaladindeclaredwaragainstGuydeLusignan，thelastLatinKingoftheHolyLand。TheChristianmonarchwasdefeatedbySaladinwiththelossofthirtythousandmen，andhavingbeenmadeprisoner，withChatillonandothers，wasconductedbeforetheSoldan。Thevictorpresentedtohisexhaustedcaptiveacupofsherbet，cooledinsnow。Lusignanhavingdrunk，wasabouttohandthecuptoChatillon，whentheSultaninterfered。Yourperson，’’hesaid，myroyalprisoner，issacred，butthecupofSaladinmustnotbeprofanedbyablasphemousrobberandruffian。’’Sosaying，heslewthecaptiveknightbyablowofhisscimitar-SeeGibbon’s_History。_
