When the counting was over, the king’s councilors, who had effected the counting, came to the king, and said that the Saracens would not deliver his brother until the money was actually in their possession. There were those of the council who thought that the king should not hand over the moneys until he had received his brother back. But the king replied that he would hand them over, seeing he had covenanted with the Saracens to do so, and as for the Saracens, if they wished to deal honestly, they would also hold to the terms of their covenant. Then my Lord Philip of Nemours told the king that they had miscounted, by a measure of ten thousand livres, to the prejudice of the Saracens.
Lord Philip
At this the king was very wroth, and said it was his will that the ten thousand limes should be restored, seeing he had covenanted to pay two hundred thousand livres before he left the river. Then I touched my Lord Philip with my foot, and told the king not to believe him, seeing that the Saracens were the wiliest reckoners in the whole world. And my Lord Philip said I was saying sooth, for he had only spoken in jest; and the king said such jests were unseemly and untoward. “ And I command you,” said the king to my Lord Philip, “ by the fealty that you owe to me as being my liegeman which you are that if these ten thousand livres have not been paid you will cause them to be paid without fail.”
Many people had advised the king to withdraw to his ship, which waited for him at sea, so as to be no longer in the hands of the Saracens. But he would never listen to them, saying he should not depart from the river, as he had covenanted, until such time as he had paid the two hundred thousand livres. So soon, however, as the payment had been made, the king, without being urged thereto, said that henceforth he was acquitted of his oaths, and that we should depart thence, and go to the ship that was on the sea.
Then our galley was set in motion, and we went a full great league before one spoke to another, because of the distress in which we were at leaving the Count of Poitiers in captivity. Then came my Lord Philip of Montfort in a galleon, and cried to the king: “ Sire, sire! speak to your brother, the Count of Poitiers, who is in this other ship! ” Then cried the king: “ Light up! light up! ” And they did so. Then was there such rejoicing among us that greater could not be. The king went to the count’s ship, and we went too. A poor fisherman went and told the Countess of Poitiers that he had seen the Count of Poitiers released, and she caused twenty livres paresis to be given to him.
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