always given her son, and the pleasure God took in seeing a son giving
heed to and believing his mother; and to hers she promised, that, if he
would remain, the Holy Land should not suffer, and that more troops
should be sent thither than he could lead thither himself. The king
listened attentively and with deep emotion. You say," he answered, "that
I was not in possession of my senses when I took the cross. Well, as you
wish it, I lay it aside; I give it back to you;" and raising his hand to
his shoulder, he undid the cross upon it, saying, "Here it is, my lord
bishop; I restore to you the cross I had put on." All present
congratulated themselves; but the king, with a sudden change of look and
intention, said to them, "My friends, now, assuredly, I lack not sense
and reason; I am neither weak nor wandering of mind; and I demand my
cross back again. He who knoweth all things knoweth that until it is
replaced upon my shoulder, no food shall enter my lips." At these words
all present declared that "herein was the finger of God, and none dared
to raise, in opposition to the king's saying, any objection."

In June, 1248, Louis, after having received at St. Denis, together with
the oriflamme, the scrip and staff of a pilgrim, took leave, at Corbeil
or Cluny, of his mother, Queen Blanche, whom he left regent during his
absence, with the fullest powers. "Most sweet fair son," said she,
embracing him; "fair tender son, I shall never see you more; full well my
heart assures me." He took with him Queen Marguerite of Provence, his
wife, who had declared that she would never part from him. On arriving,
in the early part of August, at Aigues-Mortes, he found assembled there a
fleet of thirty-eight vessels with a certain number of transport-ships
which he had hired from the republic of Genoa; and they were to convey to
the East the troops and personal retinue of the king himself. The number
of these vessels proves that Louis was far from bringing one of those
vast armies with which the first crusades had been familiar; it even