assembled all the principal barons of England, together with a great
number of the nobles of Cyprus.

Certainly no better matched pair ever stood at the altar together, for
as King Richard was one of the strongest and bravest men of his own or
any other time, so Berengaria is admitted to have been one of the
loveliest maidens.

The air was rent with the acclamations of the assembled English host
and of the numerous inhabitants of Limasol as they emerged from the
cathedral. For a fortnight the town was given up to festivity;
tournaments, joustings, banquets succeeded each other day after day,
and the islanders, who were fond of pleasure, and indeed very wealthy,
vied with the English in the entertainments which they gave in honour
of the occasion.

The festivities over, the king gave the welcome order to proceed on their
voyage. They had now been joined by all the vessels left behind at
Rhodes, and it was found that only a few were missing, and that the great
storm, terrible as it had been, had inflicted less damage upon the fleet
than was at first feared.

Two days' sail brought them within sight of the white walls of Acre, and
it was on the 8th of June, 1191, that the fleet sailed into the port of
that town. Tremendous acclamations greeted the arrival of the English
army by the host assembled on the shores.

Acre had been besieged for two years, but in vain; and even the arrival
of the French army under Phillip Augustus had failed to turn the scale.
The inhabitants defended themselves with desperate bravery; every assault