BERENGARIA OF NAVARRE, Queen of Richard the First. CHAPTER I. Berengaria's marriage with Richard the First negociated-Her descent-BirthRichard embarks on a crusade to the Holy Land-Joins the King of FranceArrives at Messina-Releases his sister Joanna from imprisonment-Vengeance on Tancred, King of Sicily-The King of France reaches Sicily-Proceeds on his voyage without Richard-Berengaria travels to Sicily with Queen Eleanora-Is welcomed by Richard and his sister Joanna-Eleanora goes to Rome-Proceeds to England-Berengaria embarks with Richard and Joanna for Palestine-The fleet driven by a storm to Cyprus-Richard takes the capital of Cyprus-Berengaria lands, and is married to Richard-The Princess and Emperor of Cyprus made prisoners-Cyprus conquered-Berengaria and Richard sail for the Holy LandRichard takes one of Saladin's ships-Berengaria and Joanna welcomed by King Philip, at Acre-Richard lands in Palestine-His deeds of valour there-The other Christians jealous of his success-His friendship for Saladin and Melech Adelus. O sooner had Richard the Count of Champagne, and their heirs wore the royal circlet of Navarre. the First encircled his brow with the diadem of England, than his fond mother Eleanora proceeded to Navarre, to claim for him the hand of the beautiful Berengaria, the eldest daughter of Sancho the Wise, King of Navarre, and his consort Featrice, whose father, Alphonso, was King of Castile. Although of Spanish descent, Berengaria of Navarre was a Provençal princess by birth and education. Sancho the Strong, her only brother, was a skilful poet and renowned warrior, and from his youth the sworn friend of Coeur de Lion. The Princess Blanche, her sister --she had but one-became the wife of History has not recorded when Berengaria entered the world, but it appears probable that Richard was captivated by her maidenly charms about the year 1177, when Henry the Second of England so justly arbitrated the differences between the Kings Sancho and Alphonso, respecting the marriage settlement of Beatrice, Sancho's Queen, as it was then that Richard first visited the court of Navarre. We, therefore, cannot much err in naming 1165 as the probable year of her birth. Whilst his mother was in Navarre successfully negociating his marriage, Richard set forth on that gigantic crusading expedition, which had so long and so fully occupied his mind, and to which he devoted all the treasure he could, by fair or foul means, possess himself of. With many fond adieus he and his gallant band quitted the cliffy coast of Dover, and, landing at Calais, joined the King of France, where, after arranging for the peace and safety of their kingdoms during their absence, the friendly monarchs mustered a host of mighty warriors, and proceeded to Palestine, with the inspiring purpose of wresting Jerusalem from the grasp of the illustrious Saladin, nephew of the Sultan of Egypt, who, in 1187, had taken the holy city, and made prisoner its sovereign, Guy of Lusignan. After several unavoidable delays, Richard and his mighty fleet reached Messina, in Sicily, the appointed rendezvous of the croises, on the twenty-third of September, 1190. His arrival and landing are thus described : "Oh, Holy Mary! No man ever saw Such galleys, such dromonds, What pinions and banners Across the deep sea, Hark, hark! to the voice Of their trumpets so clear, Never sailed on the sea, As this armament Anchored off fair Sicily. Amidst uproarious glee; On landing, Richard learned to his sorrow that immediately after the death of his brother-in-law, William the Good, Tancred had usurped the throne of Sicily, and thrown the widowed Sicilian Queen Joanna-Richard's sister-into prison. Coeur de Lion, who never threatened without a good purpose, sent messengers to Tancred, informing him that if Joanna was not instantly released, and her wrongs righted, the English would ravage the land with fire and sword. On receiving this message, Tancred prudently released the Dowager Queen, and restored to her all her costly furniture and equipage, and her forfeited dower land. But those concessions by no means satisfied the wounded pride of the high-spirited Joanna; and now that she was backed by the overwhelming forces of her lion-hearted brother, she determined to take signal vengeance on the author of the humiliating injuries she had so lately received. Accordingly, after Richard had forcibly possessed himself of Messina, he, by her connivance, demanded of Tancred certain legacies which it was pretended had been left him by the will of her late husband, William the Good. These presumed bequests, which Cœur de Lion had the audacity to claim from the astonished Tancred, were certainly neither few nor valueless. Amongst other articles, were enumerated a large table twelve feet long, of solid gold, and an armchair, and a number of footstools, vases, cups, and other articles of the same precious metal, also sixty thousand measures of corn, and the like quantity of barley and of wine, besides a tent capable of accommodating two hundred soldiers, made of the richest silk, and one hundred well-stored and appointed galleys of war. In vain did poor Tancred appeal against this extravagant demand, in vain did he announce the well-known fact that the late Sicilian Monarch had died without leaving a will. Richard would listen to no such reasoning; he possessed the might, and he determined to make that his right. However, after some delay in negociations, the matter was arranged by Tancred paying to Richard forty thousand ounces of gold, which so |