De sa ferme creance

The Foundation of Faith

Saint Louis built his life upon the firm foundation of Christian faith, evidenced by his personal devotion and his efforts to bring others to baptism.

Faith, which is the one foundation of those who believe in God, which grasps the things one cannot see, taking in human reason, going beyond nature's sight and the limits of experience, grasping still what the senses do not know and experiment does not find, reaching the things the senses cannot reach and taking hold of what we cannot know by the senses, and grasping great things, reaching the very last things, enclosing all eternity in its holy keeping—holy, true, living, and firm, without wavering—was in the blessed Saint Louis, and on that faith he built edifices of virtue.^✦¹ And it is not only plain that the blessed Saint Louis held the Christian faith most firmly, most lastingly, and most vividly through many good works he did—works one cannot easily count, some of which are described above and some still to be described hereafter, works proven of him that he did—but it is also plain from certain special works that follow here.² At the end of the teaching he left to my lord Philip, king of France, his son of blessed memory, written in his own hand, he confesses the faith of the Holy Trinity most devoutly as to the persons and of unity as to the divinity, when he says these words: "Glory and honor and praise be to him who is one God with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, without beginning and without end.³ Amen.⁴ Along with this, the blessed king already named also brought to baptism and had baptized, in the castle of Beaumont-sur-Oise, a Jewish woman and her three sons and a daughter of that same Jewish woman; and that same blessed king, with his mother and his brothers, stood as godparents for the said Jewish woman and her children at the time of their baptism.⁵ Later, after he was released from prison by the Saracens and remained overseas, more than forty Saracens—including several emirs and high-ranking men—came to him; he had them instructed in the faith and baptized by the Friars Preachers and others he had appointed for that purpose.⁶

Trials and Divine Purpose

Through illness and the hardships of the crusade, Louis remained steadfast, viewing his trials as opportunities to serve God and gain merit.

He supported those men with wages and provided enough for them to live on, even after bringing them to France with him.⁷ And along with this he made rich many of the Saracens he had had baptized, and he joined them in marriage with Christian women.⁸ And when the said blessed king, in the time of his youth, was sick at Pontoise with a double tertian fever so severe that he thought he would die of that illness, he called all his household and thanked them for the good service they had done him; and he urged them to serve God, and had a great and profitable sermon preached to them, and in that illness he settled his affairs and did everything a good Christian ought to do.⁹ And then he was so severely ill that people despaired of his life, and it is believed that Our Lord prolonged his life by a miracle so that he might have time to carry out his good purpose in works and his good will—which will he had conceived to serve God and to exalt His glorious name with all his power—and so that he might gain greater merit before God, and also so that he might give a good example to Christendom and draw the other princes to do well.¹⁰ And then, when the blessed king was thus ill in that place, they could not withstand the strength of the Christian army, so they were driven into shameful flight.¹¹ Our men then came down from the ships and captured a renowned city once called Memphis, now known as Damietta.¹² But after a short time, by the righteous and hidden judgment of Our Lord, the army was struck by all kinds of sickness and death, affecting the great, the middling, and the lowly alike. They lost so many men that, out of thirty-two thousand, only six thousand remained.¹³ And then the Father of mercies, who wished to show himself in his holy wonder, delivered the blessed king Saint Louis into the hands of the wicked Saracens.¹⁴

Steadfastness in Captivity

Even when imprisoned and threatened with death, the King refused to compromise his faith or renounce his Lord, choosing honor over safety.

After he, his two brothers, many barons, and a great throng of people were captured—for his third brother, my lord Robert, Count of Artois, had been killed for the exaltation of the faith of Jesus Christ—a treaty was negotiated with the Saracens for the release of the blessed Saint Louis and his fellow prisoners, and the terms were agreed upon by both sides.¹⁵ And it came about that, to confirm those terms by oath, the pagans wanted to put in their oath that they would renounce Mohammed if they did not keep the covenants, and they demanded that the blessed king put in his oath that he would renounce God and be outside the faith of Jesus Christ if he did not keep the covenants. The blessed king, steadfast and firm, was horrified at this; he refused several times, with great disdain, to put that condition in, and said: "Certainly that will never come out of my mouth!"¹⁶ And he left that out for reverence of Jesus Christ and of the Christian faith, even though he fully meant to keep those covenants, as he said. Although it would not have been a sin to put that addition in the oath, he would in no way add that point to it—even though my lord Charles, his brother, and the others of his council who were with him advised him to, and even though he saw the danger of death hanging over him, his brothers, and the others taken with him.¹⁷ What is more, those covenants were made with men who had just killed the sultan and made themselves lords, and who were still bloodied with the blood of that sultan and of the others killed with him. They put on a great show of being stirred and angry when they had first given the oath that was, as it happened, for keeping the covenants, and they told him he had to grant those words and ratify them. And yet the blessed king, after all their agitation and all their anger and after all their words, would not put that in his oath.¹⁸ And when a pagan emir said to the blessed king, "You are our captive and our slave, and you are in our prison—and yet you speak so boldly!" "Either you'll do what we want, or you and yours will be crucified"—yet despite this, the blessed king remained unmoved; he replied that even if they killed the body, they still wouldn't have his soul.¹⁹ What follows is truly remarkable: while the blessed king was a prisoner, as mentioned earlier, the admiral who had just killed the sultan—so he claimed—stood before the blessed king with his sword drawn and bloody, himself stained with blood, and brandished the sword as if he intended to strike him. The admiral declared that he could kill the blessed king if he wanted, or set him free, and that he would release him if the king made him a knight—which some prominent Christians around the blessed king advised him to do. The blessed king responded that he would not make any unbeliever a knight; however, if the man wanted to become a Christian, he would take him to France, grant him great lands there, make him a knight, and honor him highly.²⁰ But the Saracen refused to agree. Even more astonishing is this: despite suffering many losses overseas and enduring numerous insults, he who always moved from good to better became more devout and steadfast in the faith of Jesus Christ; at times, he would express, as if burning with great fervor for the Christian faith, that knights must never dispute about the faith—when they clearly recognize an unbeliever, they should kill him with their own sword.²¹²² And along with this, when the blessed Saint Louis would sometimes recall how he had been taken prisoner and the insults and outrages he had received overseas, and those who heard him would tell him he should not recount such things that reflected on his disgrace, he would answer that every Christian should count as an honor any blame he may suffer for the honor of Our Lord Jesus Christ.^✦²³ In the teaching he left to my lord Philip, his son of blessed memory, who reigned as king after him—which teaching was written in his own hand—there was a clause that runs as follows: "Do all in your power to drive the heretics and other wicked people from your kingdom, so that your land may be well purged of them, according as you understand by the counsel of good people that this is to be done."²⁴²⁵ »

Zeal for the Honor of God

Louis actively defended the faith by fortifying Christian lands and strictly punishing blasphemy to uphold the honor of God's name.

And on his first crusade, after he had been freed from the prison of the Saracens, he had a city named Caesarea fortified at his own expense for the defense of the Christians and for the safeguarding and honor of the Christian faith, with walls so high and so wide that one could drive a cart along the top of them; and he had the walls built with towers and with wooden galleries, defenses that were very thick.²⁶ He also had the cities of Jaffa and Sidon fortified, along with the castle of Haifa and a section of Acre known as Montmusard.²⁷ The following instruction was also part of the guidance he left for his son: "Never tolerate any word spoken in contempt of Our Lord, Our Lady, or His saints without taking vengeance—unless the offender is a cleric or someone of such high standing that you shouldn't punish them yourself. In that case, report them to the person who has the authority to punish them."²⁸ The blessed king made an ordinance and had it published throughout his kingdom that no one should dare to speak any blasphemy or vile word against God, or against the blessed Virgin Mary, or against His saints, or against their members, or to swear such oaths.²⁹ At times, he would have those who violated this law³⁰ seared or branded on the lips with a hot, burning iron, specifically designed for this purpose with a small rod in the center.³¹ And at times he had them set in the pillory before the people, with animal guts full of filth hung around their necks—and he commanded that pillories be set up in the good towns in a public place, on which such blasphemers of God should be put and bound as a mark of scorn for that sin.³² And he had spies set against those who might accuse them, and the ladders were specially ordered for this purpose in the cities and in the solemn public places by the command of the blessed king.³³ It happened that a man³⁴ made such an oath forbidden by God. Word of it came to the king, and though the king wanted to have him punished, and many of the king's council—even some of the barons—spoke for him before the king and defended him as hard as they could, saying he did not deserve to be punished in that way, still the blessed king, out of his great jealousy for the honor of God, as is firmly believed, would hear none of them, but ordered that the hot iron be put to the mouth of that swearer and blasphemer of God.³⁵³⁶ Afterward, when at the time of the second crossing the blessed king had landed in the region of Tunis and wanted the ban proclaimed, he ordered, for the honor of God, with his own mouth, and told Master Pierre de Coudé to write it thus: "I proclaim to you the ban of Our Lord Jesus Christ and of his servant Louis, king of France," and the other things that are to be cried in a ban.³⁷ The people who heard this gained great confidence in the blessed Saint Louis because he named Jesus Christ, affirming that the ban being proclaimed was that of Our Lord God, Jesus Christ.³⁸

A Life Given to the Cross

The King's commitment to the faith culminated in his two crusades, ultimately leading to his holy death in the lands overseas.

Nor should this be left out, especially since it is a well-known fact that the said blessed king crossed the sea twice for the advancement of the Christian faith with a very great host and at great expense.³⁹ The first time, he took his wife, Queen Margaret, with him, and all his brothers crossed as well.⁴⁰ The second time, he took all his brothers with him; in addition, he brought three of his four sons—the eldest ones—along with his dear daughter, the queen of Navarre.⁴¹ During that second crossing, while continuing his voyage and working to advance the Christian faith, he passed away in a blessed and holy manner in the land overseas.⁴²

Read the original Latin

Foi qui est un seul fondement de cels qui en Dieu croient, qui comprent les choses que l'en ne puet veoir, comprenanz reson humainne, ti-espassanz veue de natuie et fin de expérience, comprenant encore ce que sens ne set ne experiment ne trueve, ateignant les choses a (juoi sens ne puet ateindre et prenanzce que nos ne poons connoistre par sens et comprenanz les choses granz, ateignanz les choses très derreaines, encloanz toute éternité en son hu-'e sain', vraie, vive et ferme /// sanz chanceler el benoiet saint Lovs sus iaquele il edefia édifices vertueux. Et n'apert pas tant seulenienl <{tie li hcnoiez sainz Loys eust la foi creslienne trcs (crmomcnl et tres' parmenablement et très vivement par plnsenrs bonnes oevres (jne il fist que l'en ne puci pas l)ien iioiiibrer — des q ;elcs oevres aucunes sont descriptes ça desns et aucunes sont a descrire ci après, lesqueles sont de lui prouvées que il fisf", — aitiçois apert avecques ce par aucunes especiaus oevres qui ci ensivent. En la fin/ de la doctrine que il lessa a mon seigneur Phelipe', roy de France', son fiuz de bonne mémoire, escripte de sa propre main, il confesse la foi de sainte Trinité très dévotement quant as persones et- de unité (juant a divinité, quant il dit ces paroles : « Gloire et honeur (( et loenge soit a celui qui est un Dieu avec le Père et le « Fill et le Saint Esperit sanz commencement et sanz « fin. Amen K ». Avecques ce encores /i heneoiz rois datant diz amena a baptesme et fist baptizier el chastel de Biaumont seur Aise une juive et ses iij fiuz et une fille de celé'" meesmes juyve ; et cil meesmes benoiez rois et sa mère et ses frères les devant" diz juyve et ses enfanz levèrent de fonz eu tens de leur baptesme-. Et en après ', comme li benoiez rois fust délivre/, de la ehartre des Sariazins et demorast encore es parties d'outremer, mont de Sarrazins, c'est à savoir xl ou " plus, des quels aucuns estoient amirauz et hauz hommes entre les Sarrazins, vindrenta lui, les quex il fist baptizieret les fesoit enseigniei' en la foi pai Frères Preecheeurs et par autres que li benoiez rois avoit a ce ordenez.

Ef norrissoit iceus et sostenoit en"' donnant oaoes, et leur donna " dont il pooient vivre soufisaminent, neis puis que il les ot amenez en France avec soi'. Et avecques ce il l'esoit riches mont de Sarrazins que il avoit fet baptizier et les assembloit par mariages avecques crestiennes. Et comme h diz benoiez rois eu tens de sa jeunece (nst a Pontaise malade de tiercaine double ', si fort que il 0' cuidoit morir de celé ' maladie, il apela touz ses iamiliers et les niercia de leur bon service que il li avoient fet; et les amonestoit que il servissent Dieu et leur fist dire un grant sermon et proufitable, et ordena en celé maladie sa chose et fist tout ce que bon crestien doit fere. Et adonques ' il fu si forment malade que l'en se désespéra de sa vie, et croit l'en que Nostre Sires li aloigna sa vie par miracle pour ce que ileust espace de poursivie son bon propos par oevre et sa bonne volenté ; la quele volenté il avoit conceue de servir Dieu et de son glorieus non essaucier a tout son pooir, et pour ce que il aqueist greigneur mérite envers Dieu, et avecques ce pour ce que il donast bon essample a '" crestienté et atresist' les autres princes a bien f'eré\. Et adonques" quant li benoiez rois fu einsi malades eu lieu mes il ne poreiit soufrir la vertu de l'ost des crestiens, si lurent lors chaciez en fuie honleusenient. Et adonques les iioz descendirent des nés et pristrent une cité renommée qui jadis estoit apelee Memphyos, or est apelée Damiete.

Mes après un pou de lens, par le jugement de Nostre Seio-neur droiturier et secré, Tost qui lu féru de mainte manière de maladie et de moût de manieies de mort des iireioncurs, des moiens et des mendres, en lurent tant morz que de xxxij mile persones par nombre, l'ost vint a vj mile '. Et adonques li Pères de miséricorde, qui se volt mostrer en son saint merveilleus ■", bailla le benoiet rov saint Loys en la main des félons Sarrazins. Et com il fussent pris des Sarrazins, il et ses ij frères et moût de barons et grant pueple, — car li tierz frère estoit ocis', c'est a savoir mon seigneur Robert conte d'Artois pour la foi de Jhesu Crist essauciei-, — et tretié fust fet as " Sarrazins de la délivrance du benoiet saint Loys et des prisonniers qui estoient avec lui et les convenances fussent ordenées entre les parties par acort. Et fust einsi que, pour les dites covenances afermer par serement, les païens vodrent mètre en leur serement que il renoieroientMaliomet se ces covenancesilne tenoient, etrequistrent C|ue li benoiez rois meist en son serement que il renoieroit Dieu et que il seroit hors de la foi de Jhesu Crist se il ne oardoit les convenances/, li benoiez rois estables et fermes" ot horreur de ce , refusa par pluseurs foiz ' mètre ceste condicion en grant d('sd(n'/)i; et dist : « Certes ce n'islr;i ji> de ma bouche! », ol ce lessoit-il pour la révérence de Jhesii Crist et de la foi crestieniie, tout fust il einsi que il eusl l)ien propos de garder les dites eoiivenances, si coin il disoil ; ja soit ce que ce ne fust pas pechié de mètre ceste addition el " serement, ne en nule manière ce point il n'i volt ajouster, combien que il li fust loé de mon seigneur (Iballes, son Irere, ne des autres de son conseil qui avec lui estoient , ne combien que il veist a lui aparoir le perill de la mort ne a ses frères ne as aiities qui estoient avec lui pris. Mesmement, comme ces convenances fussent fêtes a cens qui tantost avoient le sondant ocis et s'estoient (et seigneur, qui estoient encore ensanglentez du sanc dudit Soudan et des autres ocis avec lui; et li moslrcrent mont srant semblant de estre meuz etcorouciez comme il eussent premièrement donné le serement qui estoit par aventure ' pour les covenances garder, et li distrent que il convenoit que il otroiast ' ces paroles et enterinast ; et nonporquant le benoiet roi -f , après tôt leur mouvement et toute leur ire et après toutes leur paroles, il ne volt mètre ce en son serement. Et com un paien qui estoit amiral deist au benoiet roi : « Vos estes nostre chetiz et nostre esclave et en nostre « chartre, si parlez si hardiement!

Ou vos ferez ce que nos « vodron, ou vos serez crucefiez vos et les voz, » onqnes pour ce li benoiezo rois ne fu meu ; ainçois respondi que se il avoient ocis le cors, il n'auroient pas toutevoies 1 ame de lui '-. Merveille est mont ce qui s'ensuit ' : comme li benoiet rois fust pris, si com il est dit desus-/, et ci/ a/fiiraiiz qui le sodant avoit ocis maintenant, si com il disoit, fust devant le benoiet roi " l'espée trete et ensanglentée et il ensanglentë du sane, et branlât '" l'espée ausi comme se il le vousist lerir de l'espée, et deist li dit amiral' que il pooit ' ocirre le benoiet roi se il vouloit, ou que il le pooit/ délivrer, et que il le deliverroit se il le voloit fere chevalier ; la quele chose aucuns granzcrestiens conseillèrent au - benoiet roi qui estoient entoiir lui que il le feist; li benoiez rois respondi que en nule manière il ne feroit chevalier nul mescreanf; mes se il vouloit estre fet' crestien, il le menroit en France et li donroit ilecques grant terre et le feroit chevalier et moût l'ennoreroit. Mes li Sarrazins ne le volt consentir. Moût merveilleuse chose encores est que, ja soit ce que il eust soufert moult de damaoes outre mer et moût de o reproches, ciW qui aloit toiizjors de bien en n/ieiiz , estoit plus dévot et plus estables en la foi de Jhesu Crist ; dont aucune loiz il disoit, comme embrasez de errant ferveur de la foi creslienne, que chevaliers ne doivent en nule manière desputer de la foi, puis que il connoissent bien aucun mescreant, il le doivent ocirie de leur propre espée'. Et avecques ce, comme le benoiet saint Lovs rccoidast aucune foiz comment il avoit esté pris et les vitupères "' et les laidures que il avoit receues outremer, et cil qui l'ooient li deissent que il ne deust pas teles choses recorder qui retornoient en sa vilanie, il respondoit " que chascun crestien doit tenir a enneur quelque blâme que il puisse soufrir pour l'enneur de Nostre Seigneur Jhesu Crist. En la doctrine que il lessa a mon seigneur p Phelipe, son fiuz, de bon mémoire qui après lui regrta comme roi, — la quele doctrine estolt escripte de sa propi'e main, — il y avoit une clause contenue (ui est tele : « Fai a ton pooir « les bougres et les autres maies genzchacier de ton roiaume, « si que ta terre soltde ce bienpurgiée, si comme tu enten« dras par le conseil de bones genz que ce soit a ferc '. »

Et en son premier passage, puis que il ("u délivrez de la prison des Sarrasins, il fisf' pour la défense des Cresticns et pour la garde et pour l'enneur de la (oi crestienne , fermer a ses propres despens une cité qui a non Cesaire a murs si hauz et si lez que l'en/ peust par desus mener un char; et fist fere les murs a tors et a breteches", défenses mout" espesses'-. Et ausi il fist fermer une cité qui a non Jopen •, et Sydoine ' et le chastel de Cavphas et une partie de la cité de Acre qui est apelée communément Montmusart . Et encore sont ces paroles ci après conienues en la doctrine de son fiuz ' : « Ne soustien en nule manière nule « parole qui soit dite en despit de Nostre Seigneur ou de « Nostre Dame ou de ses sainz que tu ne preingnes de ce (( venjance, se ce n'estoit clerc ou si grant persone que tu « ne la deusses pas justicier, et' li fai dire par celui qui (( le porra justicier. » Le benoiet roi fist establissement et fist publier par tout son roiaume que nul n'osast dire aucun" blaphemc ne parole vilaine de Dieu ne de la beiioiete viroe Marie ne de ses sainz ne de leur membres 1ère lez seremenz '. Et fesoit aucune foiz cens qui encontre lesoient. cuire ou seionier es lèvres d'un 1er chaut et aidant, roont qui avoit une vergeté par mi et estoit especiaumcnt fet a ce-. Et a la foiz, il les fesoit estre en Teschiele devant le pueple, boiaus de beste pleins d'ordure penduz a leur cous - et romanda que l'en meist eschieles es bonnes viles en lieu commun, seur les queles tex blaphemeurs de Dieu fussent mis et liez en despit de cel pechié.

Et fist mètre espies contre tex qui les acusassent% et estoient les eschieles a ce especiaument ordenées es citez êtes liex soUempnez par le commandement du benoiet roi. Et/ avint que un.' fist tel serement devéé de Dieu ; la nouvelle en vint au roi, et comme li rois le vosist fere punir et moult de cens du conseil le roi, neis des barons, proposassent pour lui devant le roi et le défendissent quant que il peussent que il n'estoit pas digne d'estre en tele manière puni', nonpourquant li benoiez rois, pour la grant jalousie de Teneur/ de Dieu, si comme l'en croit fermement, ne volt nus oir, ainçois commanda que le fer chaut fust mis a la bouche de ce jureeur et blaphemeeur ' de Dieu •'. Apt-i-s coin el " tens du secont passage, li benoicz rolz fiist clesccncluz a terre es parties de Thunes, et vosist fere le bau criei', il coninianda, a Teneur de Dieu, de sa propre bouehe et dist a mestre Pierres de Coudé que il eserisist einsi : « Je vous di le ban de Nostre Seigneur Jhesu Crist « et de son soroant Lovs, roi de France » et les auti'es choses que l'en doit crier en ban'. En la quele chose le pueple qui ce oy, cueilli grant foy du benoiet saint Lovs en ce que il nomma Jhesu Crist, afermant «pie le ban que l'en devoit crier, estoit de Nostre Sire Dieu, Jhesu Crist. Ne ce ne doit pas estre delessié '", meesmement comme ce soit chose notoire, que li diz/ benoiez rois passa deux fois la mer pour l'avancement de la foi crestienne a très grant ost et a granz despenz. A la première loiz, il mena avecques lui la roiné ma dame" Marguerite, sa feme, et si passèrent touz ses frères.

Et a la seconde foiz, il mena la avecques lui touz les frères que il avoit adonques et avecques ce ' de quatre fiuz que il avoit, il ' mena avec(ues lui les trois ainznez - et sa très chiere fdle la roine de Navarre . En la quele seconde foiz, en poursuivant son passage et en l'avancement de la fov crestienne, il fma beneuréement et saintement ses jours en la terre d'outremei".

Scripture echoes

↩Heb.11.1 — Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
↩Acts.5.41;1Pet.4.14-1Pet.4.16 — So they went away from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they had been counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name. 1Pet.4.14 — If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 1Pet.4.15 — For let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evildoer, or as a meddler in others' affairs. 1Pet.4.16 — But if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this name.

Notes

1 ↩Heavy OCR damage restored as: ti-espassanz→trespassanz; natuie→nature; a (juoi→a quoi; prenanzce→prenanz ce; hu-'e sain'→huis/huche sainte (holy keeping/compass); Lovs→Loys; iaquele→laquele. Adjectives sainte, vraie, vive et ferme modify foi; sanz chanceler qualifies that firm faith in Louis.
2 ↩Restored: seulenienl→seulement; que li benoiez; creslienne→crestienne; trcs (crmomcnl→tres fermement; plnsenrs→pluseurs; nonmbrer→nonmbrer; ça desns→ça desus; aitiçois→ainçois; fisf→fist.
3 ↩Restored: fin/→fin; Phelipe→Philippe; (juant→quant; Fill→Filz. The quotation continues into the next sentence (Amen).
4 ↩Source 'Amen K ».'—stray K treated as OCR noise; closing guillemet closes the doxology begun in s3.
5 ↩Restored: /i heneoiz rois datant diz→li benoiez rois devant diz; Biaumont seur Aise→Beaumont-sur-Oise; levèrent de fonz=raised from the font (served as godparents).
6 ↩Restored: délivre/→délivré; ehartre→chartre (prison); Sariazins→Sarrazins; vindrenta lui→vindrent a lui; baptizieret→baptizier et; enseigniei→enseignier; pai→par; Frères Preecheeurs=Dominicans (Friars Preachers); xl=40.
7 ↩Reading corrupted Ef as Et; oaoes as gages (wages/stipends); soufisaminent as soufisamment. iceus refers to the baptized Saracens of the previous section.
8 ↩Reading il l'esoit riches as il fesoit riches (he made rich), the most plausible restoration of the damaged verb.
9 ↩Restorations: h diz → li diz; (nst → fust; iamiliers → familiers; niercia → mercia. tiercaine double = double tertian fever (a recurrent intermittent fever).
10 ↩Restorations: ileust → il eust; poursivie → poursuivre; atresist → atraisist; bien f'eré → bien fere. aloigna sa vie = prolonged/lengthened his life.
11 ↩Heavily damaged clause. Reading poreiit as pooient (pl.), lurent as furent, honleusenient as honteusement. Subject of ne pooient is understood as the enemy (Saracens), inferred from context and the following capture of Damietta.
12 ↩Reading les iioz as les noz (our men). Memphyos = Memphis (medieval identification); Damiete = Damietta.
13 ↩Normalized heavily damaged fro: 'un pou de lens'→'un pou de tens'; 'Tost qui lu féru'→'l'ost qui fu féru'; 'iireioncurs…moiens…mendres'→'greigneurs…moiens…mendres'; 'xxxij mile'/'vj mile' = 32,000 / 6,000.
14 ↩Reading 'rov' as 'roy'; 'saint merveilleus' as God's holy/miraculous working. 'Pères de miséricorde' kept as the traditional biblical title.
15 ↩'pour la foi de Jhesu Crist essaucier' rendered as dying 'for the exaltation of the faith of Jesus Christ' (Robert of Artois at Mansourah).
16 ↩Restored: 'renoieroient Mahomet se ces covenances il ne tenoient'; 'se il ne gardoit les convenances'; 'en grant desdaing'; quoted refusal 'Certes ce n'istra ja de ma bouche!' from heavily garbled OCR.
17 ↩Opening '», ol ce lessoit-il' read as continuation 'et ce lessoit-il'. 'mon seigneur Charles, son frere' for garbled '(Iballes, son Irere'.
18 ↩Reading 'sondant/Soudan' as sultan; 's'estoient fet seigneur' for '(et seigneur'; 'mostrerent mont grant semblant' for 'moslrcrent mont srant semblant'; 'nonporquant' as 'and yet/nonetheless'.
19 ↩Normalized OCR noise (onqnes→onques, benoiezo→benoiez, '1 ame'→l'ame) for the reading translated.
20 ↩Reconstructed garbled forms (e.g. a/fiiraiiz→amirauz, lerir→ferir, mescreanf→mescreant, entoiir→entour) for the reading translated.
21 ↩Normalized many corrupt forms (damaoes→damages, ciW→cil, toiizjors→touzjors, n/ieiiz→mieuz, loiz→foiz, errant→grant, ocirie→ocirre) for the reading translated.
22 ↩The clause after 'desputer de la foi' is compressed in the source; rendered as the familiar counsel that knights should not argue the faith with unbelievers but answer with the sword, without softening the violence of the OF.
23 ↩Normalized Lovs→Loys, rccoidast→recordast for the reading translated.
24 ↩Normalized regrta→regna, estolt→estoit, propi'e→propre, bougres et les autres maies genzchacier→bougres et les autres males genz chacier, soltde ce bienpurgiée→soit de ce bien purgiée, a ferc→a fere.
25 ↩OF 'bougres' rendered as 'heretics' (medieval use for Bogomils/Cathars and, by extension, heretics generally), not as a modern pejorative.
26 ↩Reading corrupt OCR as: puis que il fu délivrez; il fist; Crestiens; l'enneur de la foi crestienne; peust; breteches; mout espesses.
27 ↩Jopen = Jaffa/Joppa; Sydoine = Sidon; Cavphas = Cayphas/Haifa; Montmusart = Montmusard (Acre suburb).
28 ↩Reading conienues as contenues; venjance as vengeance. OF 'ne soustien... que tu ne preingnes' = do not tolerate without taking vengeance.
29 ↩Reading blaphemc as blaspheme; beiioiete viroe as benoiete virge; '1ère lez seremenz' as 'ne fere lez seremenz' (nor swear such oaths). 'leurs membres' = body-parts invoked in blasphemous oaths.
30 ↩Reading 'cens qui encontre lesoient' as 'ceus qui encontre fesoient' (those who acted against it). Sentence continues into s6.
31 ↩Reading 'cuire ou seionier es lèvres d'un 1er chaut et aidant, roont...' as 'cuire ou seignier es lèvres d'un fer chaut et ardant, roont...' (sear or brand the lips with a hot burning round iron).
32 ↩Reading Teschiele as l'eschiele (pillory/ladder-scaffold); romanda as commanda. eschiele = public pillory structure.
33 ↩Normalized corruptions: mètre→metre (mettre); êtes liex soUempnez→et es liex solempnez; acusassent%→acusassent.
34 ↩Sentence is a fragment broken mid-clause (Et avint que un.); sense continues in s3 (fist tel serement...).
35 ↩Reconstructed Teneur de Dieu as l'honneur de Dieu; serement devéé as forbidden/forbidden-by-God oath; jureeur/blaphemeeur retained as swearer and blasphemer.
36 ↩jalousie de l'honneur de Dieu rendered as 'jealousy for the honor of God' (zealous protectiveness of God's honor), not modern personal envy.
37 ↩Heavy corruption normalized: Apt-i-s coin el tens→Après comme el tens; clesccncluz a terre→descenduz a terre; bau criei→ban crier; Teneur→l'honneur; bouehe→bouche; soroant Lovs→serjant Loys (servant Louis).
38 ↩«pie normalized to que; cueilli grant foy rendered as 'took great confidence/faith' (trust inspired in the people).
39 ↩delessié read as delaissié (omitted/left aside); meesmement as mesmement (especially).
40 ↩loiz→foiz; roiné→roine; ma dame Marguerite retained as my lady Margaret.
41 ↩Normalized OCR noise: 'fdle' read as 'fille'; 'ainznez' as 'aînés'; 'avec(ues' as 'avecques'. 'la' after 'mena' taken as adverbial 'là' (there) or residual noise; sense is that he brought these kin with him on the second crusade.
42 ↩Normalized OCR: 'fma' as 'fina' (ended); 'fov' as 'foi'; 'outremei' as 'outremer'. 'beneuréement' rendered as 'blessedly' (OF bienheureusement).

Vie et miracles de saint Louis by Guillaume de Saint-Pathus companion

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