The great harm that the king would have done to the people in his ship may be plainly seen by what happened to Oliver of Termes, who was in the king's ship. Now he was one of the boldest men I have ever seen, and had so approved himself in the Holy Land; but he did not dare to stay with us for fear of drowning, and remained in Cyprus; and he was there so let and hindered that he did not return to the king for a year and a half; and yet he was a man of note, and a wealthy man, and could well pay for his passage. Now bethink you how the lesser folk would have reared who had not the wherewithal to pay for their passages, when such a man was so hindered and delayed!
STORM ON THE COAST OF CYPRUS VOW MADE BY THE QUEEN AND JOINVILLE
Out of this danger, from which God caused us to escape, we fell into another; for the wind, which had driven us on to the coast of Cyprus, where we had thought to drown, now arose, so strong and violent, that it beat us back upon the island once more. The mariners threw out their anchors against the wind, but were never able to stop the ship till they had thrown out five. It became necessary to take down the sides of the king's chamber;1 nor was there any one who ventured to remain therein, for fear lest the wind should carry him into the sea. At this moment the Con stable of France, my Lord Giles le Brun, and I were lying in the king's chamber, and the queen opened the door of the chamber, and thought to find the king there.
And I asked her what she came seeking. And she said she had come to speak to the king, to ask him to make promise to God, or to His saints, of some pilgrimage, so that God might deliver us from the peril in which we were; for the mariners had said we were like to drown. And I said: " Lady, promise to make a journey to the shrine of my Lord St. Nicholas of Varungeville, and I will be warrant for him that God will bring you back to France, you and the king, and your children." " Seneschal," she said, " I would do so right willingly; but the king is so strange that if he knew I had made this promise without his privity, he would never let me go bulgaria tour."
"At least," I said, " you will do one thing: If God brings you back to France, you will promise to give a ship of silver, worth five marks, for the king, for yourself, and for your three children; and I will be warrant that God will bring you back to France; for I made a vow to St. Nicholas that if he saved us from the peril in which we were last night, I should go from Joinville, on foot and unshod, to seek him at Varangeville." And she said that, as for the ship of silver, of the value of five marks, she promised it to St. Nicholas, and that I was to be his warrant; and I replied: " That shall I be right willingly." So she departed and stayed away but a little while; and then she came back to this and said to me: " St. Nicholas has saved us from this aril; for the wind has fallen."
When the queen whom God have in His mercy! was come back to France, she caused the ship of silver to be shined in Pans. And there were in the ship the king, the queen, and the three children, all in silver; and the mariners, he mast, the rudder, the cordage, all of silver; and the sails 1 rere all sewn with silver thread. And the queen told me . hat the fashioning of it had cost one hundred limes. When 1 he ship was made, the queen sent it to me at Joinville, so 1 hat I might cause it to be taken to St. Nicholas; which ! I so I did. And I saw it still at St. Nicholas when we con noted the king's sister1 to (be married to the son of) the ling of Germany, at Haguenau.
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