SolittlefavourhadtheCrusadefoundinEngland，thateventheexertionsoftheheirtothethronehadonlycollectedasmallforceoffifteenhundredmen。WiththesefewPrinceEdwardsailedfromDovertoBourdeaux，intheexpectationthathewouldfindtheFrenchKinginthatcity。St。Louis，however，hadleftafewweekspreviously；uponwhichEdwardfollowedhimtoSardinia，andafterwardstoTunis。BeforehisarrivalinAfrica，St。Louiswasnomore，andpeacehadbeenconcludedbetweenFranceandTunis。Hedetermined，however，nottorelinquishtheCrusade。ReturningtoSicily，hepassedthewinterinthatcountry，andendeavouredtoaugmenthislittlearmy。InthespringhesetsailforPalestine，andarrivedinsafetyatAcre。TheChristiansweretorn，asusual，bymutualjealousiesandanimosities。
Thetwogreatmilitaryorderswereasvirulentandasintractableasever；opposedtoeachother，andtoalltheworld。ThearrivalofEdwardhadtheeffectofcausingthemtolayasidetheirunworthycontention，andofunitinghearttoheart，inonelasteffortforthedeliveranceoftheiradoptedcountry。AforceofsixthousandeffectivewarriorswassoonformedtojointhoseoftheEnglishprince，andpreparationsweremadefortherenewalofhostilities。TheSultan，BibarsorBendocdar，[Mills，inhishistory，givesthenameofthischiefasAlMalekalDhakerRokneddinAbulfethBibarsalAlialBundokdarialSalehi。“]afierceMamluke，whohadbeenplacedonthethronebyabloodyrevolution，wasatwarwithallhisneighbours，andunable，forthatreason，toconcentratehiswholestrengthagainstthem。Edwardtookadvantageofthis；andmarchingboldlyforwardtoNazareth，defeatedtheTurksandgainedpossessionofthatcity。Thiswasthewholeamountofhissuccesses。Thehotweatherengendereddiseaseamonghistroops，andhehimself，thelifeandsouloftheexpedition，fellsickamongthefirst。Hehadbeenillforsometime，andwasslowlyrecovering，whenamessengerdesiredtospeakwithhimonimportantmatters，andtodeliversomedespatchesintohisownhand。WhilethePrincewasoccupiedinexaminingthem，thetraitorousmessengerdrewadaggerfromhisbelt，andstabbedhiminthebreast。
Thewoundfortunatelywasnotdeep，andEdwardhadgainedaportionofhisstrength。Hestruggledwiththeassassin，andputhimtodeathwithhisowndagger，atthesametimecallingloudlyforassistance。
[ThereaderwillrecognisetheincidentwhichSirWalterScotthasintroducedintohisbeautifulromance，“TheTalisman，“andwhich，withthelicenceclaimedbypoetsandromancers，herepresentsashavingbefallenKingRichardI。]Hisattendantscameathiscall，andfoundhimbleedingprofusely，andascertainedoninspectionthatthedaggerwaspoisoned。Meanswereinstantlytakentopurifythewound；andanantidotewassentbytheGrandMasteroftheTemplarswhichremovedalldangerfromtheeffectsofthepoison。Camden，inhishistory，hasadoptedthemorepopular，andcertainlymorebeautiful，versionofthisstory，whichsaysthatthePrincessEleonora，inherloveforhergallanthusband，suckedthepoisonfromhiswoundattheriskofherownlife:tousethewordsofoldFuller，“Itisapitysoprettyastoryshouldnotbetrue；andthatsosovereignaremedyasawoman’stongue，anointedwiththevirtueoflovingaffection，“shouldnothaveperformedthegooddeed。
Edwardsuspected，anddoubtlessnotwithoutreason，thattheassassinwasemployedbytheSultanofEgypt。Butitamountedtosuspiciononly；andbythesuddendeathoftheassassin，theprincipalcluetothediscoveryofthetruthwaslostforever。Edward，onhisrecovery，preparedtoresumetheoffensive；buttheSultan，embarrassedbythedefenceofinterestswhich，forthetimebeing，heconsideredofmoreimportance，madeoffersofpeacetothecrusaders。