g, insisted so strenuously on being
allowed to marry Alice of France, he had only sought a pretence for
quarrelling, and never meant to take to his bed a princess suspected
of a criminal amour with his own father. After he became master, he
no longer spake of that alliance: he even took measures for espousing
Berengaria, daughter of Sanchez, king of Navarre, with whom he had
become enamored during his abode in Guienne.[*] Queen Eleanor was daily
expected with that princess at Messina;[**] and when Philip renewed to
him his applications for espousing his sister Alice, Richard was obliged
to give him an absolute refusal. It is pretended by Hoveden and other
historians,[***] that he was able to produce such convincing proofs of
Alice's infidelity, and even of her having borne a child to Henry, that
her brother desisted from his applications, and chose to wrap up the
dishonor of his family in silence and oblivion. It is certain, from the
treaty itself which remains,[****] that, whatever were his motives, he
permitted Richard to give his hand to Berengaria; and having settled all
other controversies with that prince, he immediately set sail for the
Holy Land. Richard awaited some time the arrival of his mother and
bride, and when they joined him, he separated his fleet into two
squadrons, and set forward on his enterprise. Queen Eleanor returned to
England; but Berengaria, and the queen dowager of Sicily, his sister,
attended him on the expedition.[*****]

[* Vinisauf, p. 316.]

[** M. Paris, p. 112. Trivet, p. 102. W. Heming.
p. 519.]

[*** Hoveden, p. 688.]

[**** Bymer, vol. i. p. 69. Chron. Dunst. p. 44.]

[***** Benedict. Abbas, p. 644.]

The English fleet, on leaving the port of Messina, met with a furious
tempest; and the squadron on which the two princesses were embarked was
driven on the coast of Cyprus, and some of the vessels were wrecked
near Limisso, in that island. Isaac, prince of Cyprus, who assumed the
magnificent title of emperor, pillaged the ships that were stranded,
brew the seamen and passengers into prison, and even refused to the
princesses liberty, in their dangerous situation, of entering the harbor
of Limisso. But Richard, who arrived soon after, took ample vengeance on
him for the injury. He disembarked his troops; defeated the tyrant, who
opposed his landing; entered Limisso by storm; gained next day a second
victory; obliged Isaac to surrender at discretion;