heraldryofyorkmi01custuoft

112 THE HERALDRY OF YORK MINSTER.
The season of Lent prevented the immediate marriage, and therefore
Richard embarked in his favourite galley, "Tranc-the-mer" ("cut the sea,")
attended by 150 ships and 50 galleys, filled with armed men and gallant
knights, to join Philip Augustus, who had already indolently commenced
the siege of Acre, the walls of which they had pledged themselves to scale.
Indeed, each man, in token thereof, wore on his left leg a blue band of
leather, and were termed " knights of the blue thong." Richard led the van,
bearing a huge lantern on the poop of his galley to rally the fleet in the
darkness of the night, and close to him sailed his sister Johanna and his
bride-elect, Berengaria, in one of the strongest ships, under the care of a
brave knight, Stephen de Turnham.
But the weather was not propitious, and Piers of Langtoft quaintly
describes the storm which arose and submerged the ship on board of which
was the Chancellor :
" Roger Mansel,
" Lady Johanna she
The Chancellor so hight,
The Lord Jesus besought,
His tide fell not well, In Cyprus she might be
A tempest on him light, To haven quickly brought
:
His ship was down borne,
The maid Berengare,
Himself there to die, She was soon afright,
The seal was lost That neither far nor near
With other galleys tway. Her king rode in sight."
This seems to have scattered the little fleet, and Queen Johanna's galley
found shelter in the harbour of Limoussa. Isaac (the Lord of Cyprus) sent
two boats, and demanded if the Queen would land, but she declined the
offer ;
upon which Isaac himself came on board with a great suite, and was
so much smitten with Berengaria, and so angry when he heard that she was
the affianced
bride of the King of England, that, as soon as he departed,
Stephen de Turnham, fearing for the safety of his charge, gave signal to
heave up the anchor, and the Queen's galley rowed with all speed into the
offing. Here the anxious Richard (who had been eagerly searching for the
vessel with her precious freight) found the galley tossing and labouring
heavily in the still rough sea, and great was his indignation when, with
some difficulty, getting on board, he learned that they had quitted the snug
harbour through fear of the Greek despot.
With his customary impetuosity, Richard, armed and battle-axe in
hand, proceeded to demand redress, and found the interesting monarch
busily engaged in plundering the wrecks of the English vessels. In reply
to Richard's remonstrance, he said that whatever goods the sea " threw on
" his island, he should take without asking leave of any one." Upon which
Richard exclaimed, "They shall be bought full dear, by Jesu, heaven's
"King"; and, leading his crusaders to the rescue, soon put the Emperor
and his Cypriots to flight into Limoussa. Johanna's
galley then entered, the