ButI，faircomrade，wellIwotAnancientsaw，ofpregnantwit，Dothbiduskeepwhatwehavegot，AndtrothImeantofollowit。“
Thisbeingthegeneralfeeling，itisnottobewonderedatthatLouisIX。wasoccupiedfullythreeyearsinorganizinghisforces，andinmakingthenecessarypreparationsforhisdeparture。WhenallwasreadyhesetsailforCyprus，accompaniedbyhisQueen，histwobrothers，theCountsd’Anjouandd’Artois，andalongtrainofthenoblestchivalryofFrance。Histhirdbrother，theCountdePoitiers，remainedbehindtocollectanothercorpsofcrusaders，andfollowedhiminafewmonthsafterwards。ThearmyunitedatCyprus，andamountedtofiftythousandmen，exclusiveoftheEnglishcrusadersunderWilliamLongsword。Again，apestilentialdiseasemadeitsappearance，towhichmanyhundredsfellvictims。ItwasinconsequencefoundnecessarytoremaininCyprusuntilthespring。LouisthenembarkedforEgyptwithhiswholehost；butaviolenttempestseparatedhisfleet，andhearrivedbeforeDamiettawithonlyafewthousandmen。Theywere，however，impetuousandfullofhope；andalthoughtheSultanMelickShahwasdrawnupontheshorewithaforceinfinitelysuperior，itwasresolvedtoattemptalandingwithoutwaitingthearrivaloftherestofthearmy。Louishimselfinwildimpatiencesprangfromhisboat，andwadedonshore；whilehisarmy，inspiredbyhisenthusiasticbravery，followed，shoutingtheoldwar-cryofthefirstcrusaders，Dieuleveut！Dieuleveut！ApanicseizedtheTurks。Abodyoftheircavalryattemptedtobeardownuponthecrusaders，buttheknightsfixedtheirlargeshieldsdeepinthesandsoftheshore。andrestedtheirlancesuponthem，sothattheyprojectedabove，andformedabarriersoimposing，thattheTurks，afraidtobreastit，turnedroundandfairlytooktoflight。Atthemomentofthispanic，afalsereportwasspreadintheSaracenhost，thattheSultanhadbeenslain。Theconfusionimmediatelybecamegeneral——thederoutewascomplete:Damiettaitselfwasabandoned，andthesamenightthevictoriouscrusadersfixedtheirheadquartersinthatcity。Thesoldierswhohadbeenseparatedfromtheirchiefbythetempest，arrivedshortlyafterwards；andLouiswasinapositiontojustifythehope，notonlyoftheconquestofPalestine，butofEgyptitself。
Buttoomuchconfidenceprovedthebaneofhisarmy。Theythought，astheyhadaccomplishedsomuch，thatnothingmoreremainedtobedone，andgavethemselvesuptoeaseandluxury。When，bythecommandofLouis，theymarchedtowardsCairo，theywerenolongerthesamemen；success，insteadofinspiring，hadunnervedthem；debaucheryhadbroughtondisease，anddiseasewasaggravatedbytheheatofaclimatetowhichnoneofthemwereaccustomed。TheirprogresstowardsMassoura，ontheroadtoCairo，wascheckedbytheThanisiancanal，onthebanksofwhichtheSaracensweredrawnuptodisputethepassage。
Louisgaveordersthatabridgeshouldbethrownacross；andtheoperationscommencedundercoveroftwocat-castles，orhighmoveabletowers。TheSaracenssoondestroyedthembythrowingquantitiesofGreekfire，theartilleryofthatday，uponthem，andLouiswasforcedtothinkofsomeothermeansofeffectinghisdesign。Apeasantagreed，foraconsiderablebribe，topointoutafordwherethearmymightwadeacross，andtheCountd’Artoiswasdespatchedwithfourteenhundredmentoattemptit，whileLouisremainedtofacetheSaracenswiththemainbodyofthearmy。TheCountd’Artoisgotsafelyover，anddefeatedthedetachmentthathadbeensenttoopposehislanding。
Flushedwiththevictory，thebraveCountforgottheinferiorityofhisnumbers，andpursuedthepanic-strickenenemyintoMassoura。Hewasnowcompletelycutofffromtheaidofhisbrother-crusaders，whichtheMoslemsperceiving，tookcourageandreturneduponhim，withaforceswollenbythegarrisonofMassoura，andbyreinforcementsfromthesurroundingdistricts。Thebattlenowbecamehandtohand。