irregularities, without being in a condition to stop them.

At length, on the 20th of November, 1249, after more than five months'
inactivity at Damietta, the crusaders put themselves once more in motion,
with the determination of marching upon Babylon, that outskirt of Cairo,
now called _Old Cairo,_ which the greater part of them, in their
ignorance, mistook for the real Babylon, and where they flattered
themselves they would find immense riches, and avenge the olden
sufferings of the Hebrew captives. The Mussulmans had found time to
recover from their first fright, and to organize, at all points, a
vigorous resistance. On the 8th of February, 1250, a battle took place
twenty leagues from Damietta, at Mansourah (the city of victory), on the
right bank of the Nile. The king's brother, Robert, Count of Artois,
marched with the vanguard, and obtained an early success; but William de
Sonnac, grand master of the Templars, and William Longsword, Earl of
Salisbury, leader of the English crusaders but lately arrived at
Damietta, insisted upon his waiting for the king before pushing the
victory to the uttermost. Robert taxed them, ironically, with caution.
"Count Robert," said William Longsword, "we shall be presently where
thou'lt not dare to come nigh the tail of my horse." There came a
message from the king ordering his brother to wait for him; but Robert
made no account of it." I have already put the Saracens to flight," said
he, "and I will wait for none to complete their defeat; "and he rushed
forward into Mansourah. All those who had dissuaded him followed after;
they found the Mussulmans numerous and perfectly rallied; in a few
moments the Count of Artois fell, pierced with wounds, and more than
three hundred knights of his train, the same number of English, together
with their leader, William Longsword, and two hundred and eighty
Templars, paid with their lives for the senseless ardor of the French
prince.