Counsellors of the Soldan

Him.” Then he went away, and all the young men with him; whereat I was greatly rejoiced, for I thought most certainly that they had come to cut off our heads. And it was not long afterwards that the Soldan’s people came and told us that the king had procured our deliverance.

After the aged man who had given us comfort, was gone away, the counsellors of the Soldan came back to us, and told us that the king had procured our deliverance, and that we must send four of our people to hear what he had done. We sent my Lord John of Valery, the right worthy man, my Lord Philip of Montfort, my Lord Baldwin of Ibelin, Senes chalk of Cyprus, and my Lord Guy of Ibelin, Constable of Cyprus, one of the most accomplished knights I have ever seen, and one who most loved the people of that land. These four brought back to us word after what manner the king had procured our deliverance.

ST. LEWIS THREATENED WITH TORTURE HE NEGOTIATES WITH THE SARACENS

The counsellors of the Soldan had tried the king in the same manner that they had tried us, in order to see if the kins: would promise to deliver over to them any of the castles of the Temple or the Hospital, or any of the castles belonging to the barons of the land; and, as God so willed, the king had answered after the very same manner that we had answered. And they threatened him, and told him that as he would not do as they wished, they would cause him to be put in the bertiicles. Now the bernicles are the most cruel torture that any one can suffer.

They are made of two pieces of wood, pliable, and notched at the ends with teeth that enter the one into the other; and the pieces of wood are bound together at the end with strong straps of ox-hide; and when they want to set people therein, they lay them on their side, and put their legs between the teeth; and then they cause a man to sit on the pieces of wood. Hence it happens that, not half a foot of bone remains uncrushed, And to do the worst they can, at the end of three days, when the legs are swollen, they replace the swollen legs in the bernicles, and crush them all once more. To these threats the Icing replied that he was their prisoner, and that they could do with him according to their will.