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 uppoed preently to have met armed troops to withtand them, but contrary to their expectation, they find both cities, towns and villages uninhabited: the terror of their coming triking uch an amazement to the inhabitants, that they hid themelves in the mot obcure places they could find: wherefore they marched to king Ptolemy's court, intending firt to burn that, and then afterwards the ret of the city into cinders. But whilt they were in thee thoughts, and being come near thereto, they were met by Ptolemy and his chiefet Peers, all in mourning, bearing broken weapons, hivered lances, and torn ancients, with many thouands of women and children wearing cypres leaves about their heads, all with one voice crying for mercy, and to pare their country from utter ruin, king Ptolemy the foremot of them all, addreing himelf to the Chritian Champions, in thee words:

"Mot noble Knights and renowned Champions, whoe names are enrolled in the book of fame, let my grey hairs move you to pity, and my bended knees that never bowed to any till now, caue compaion in you: but if no mercy be reerved for me, let me plead for pity for my poor commons, who are altogether ignorant of the injuries offered to the Englih champion, occaioned by the treachery of that wicked Almidor working upon my eay nature: O let me fall a acrifice for their afety, and tain not your hands in their guiltles blood, but pare them and us, and we hall not only become your ervants, but forake the belief of our fale prophets, and henceforth believe in the Chritians'God."

This orrowful lamentation and requet of king Ptolemy, made the heart of the Englih Champion to relent, o that he not only granted mercy to the whole land, but alo life to king Ptolemy upon the conditions before promied; which gracious grant was o welcome both to king and commons, that all on a udden the people returned from their lurking places to their former habitations. Bone-fires were made in every place,