the head and let him see.
He fell on knees, and made a cry--
'Lo, here the head! my Lord, mercy!'"

The cook had certainly some reason to fear that his master would be
struck with horror at the recollection of the dreadful banquet to which
he owed his recovery; but his fears were soon dissipated.

"The swarte vis [Black face] when the king seeth,
His black beard and white teeth,
How his lippes grinned wide,
'What devil is this?' the king cried,
And 'gan to laugh as he were wode.
'What! is Saracen's flesh thus good?
That never erst I nought wist!
By God's death and his uprist,
Shall we never die for default,
While we may in any assault,
Slee Saracens, the flesh may take,
And seethen and roasten and do hem bake,
[And] Gnawen her flesh to the bones!
Now I have it proved once,
For hunger ere I be wo,
I and my folk shall eat mo!"'

The besieged now offered to surrender, upon conditions of safety to the
inhabitants; while all the public treasure, military machines, and arms
were delivered to the victors, together with the further ransom of
one hundred thousand bezants. After this capitulation, the following
extraordinary scene took place. We shall give it in the words of the
humorous and amiable George Ellis, the collector and the editor of these
Romances:--

"Though the garrison had faithfully performed the other articles of
their contract, they were unable to restore the cross, which was not
in their possession, and were therefore treated by the Christians
with great cruelty. Daily reports of their sufferings were carried to
Saladin; and as many of them were persons of the highest distinction,
that monarch, at the solicitation of their friends, dispatched an
embassy to King Richard with magnificent presents, which he offered
for the ransom of the captives. The ambassadors were persons the most
respectable from their age, their rank, and their eloquence. They
delivered their message in terms of the utmost humility; and without
arraigning the justice of the conqueror in his severe treatment of their
countrymen, only solicited a period to that severity, laying at his feet
the treasures with which they were entrusted, and pledging themselves
and their master for the payment of any further sums which he might
demand as the price of mercy.

"King Richard spake with wordes mild.
'The gold to take, God me shield!