So he took a close friend, Brother Illuminato, with him and they
sailed away together over the seas. They sailed from Italy with Walter
of Brienne, with one of the Crusading contingents in many ships.
Southeast they voyaged over the blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea.
Francis talked with the Crusaders on board; and much that they said
and did made him very sad. They squabbled with one another.
The knights were arrogant and sneered at the foot soldiers; the
men-at-arms did not trust the knights. They had the Cross on their
armour; but few of them had in their hearts the spirit of Jesus who
was nailed to the Cross.
At last the long, yellow coast-line of Egypt was sighted. Behind it
lay the minarets and white roofs of a city. They were come to the
eastern mouth of the Nile, on which stood the proud city of Damietta.
The hot rays of the sun smote down upon the army of the Crusaders as
they landed. The sky and the sea were of an intense blue; the sand and
the sun glared at one another.
Francis would just be able to hear at dawn the cry of the muezzin from
the minarets of Damietta, "Come to prayer: there is no God but Allah
and Mahomet is his prophet. Come to prayer. Prayer is better than
sleep."
John of Brienne began to muster his men in battle array to attack the
Sultan of Egypt, Malek-Kamel, a name which means "the Perfect Prince.
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