He wants to joust against Saladin so bad it makes him look stupid

[cimorene]

“If not for Jerusalem, then,” said Richard, in the tone of one who would entreat a favour of an intimate friend, “yet, for the love of honour, let us run at least three courses with grinded lances?”


“Even this,” said Saladin, half smiling at Coeur de Lion's affectionate earnestness for the combat—“even this I may not lawfully do. The master places the shepherd over the flock not for the shepherd's own sake, but for the sake of the sheep. Had I a son to hold the sceptre when I fell, I might have had the liberty, as I have the will, to brave this bold encounter; but your own Scripture saith that when the herdsman is smitten, the sheep are scattered.”


“Thou hast had all the fortune,” said Richard, turning to the Earl of Huntingdon with a sigh. “I would have given the best year in my life for that one half hour beside the Diamond of the Desert!”

—Walter Scott, The Talisman

Comments

[vass]

You construct intricate rituals to allow you to grind your lances against those of other men.

[krait]

Had I a son to hold the sceptre when I fell, I might have had the liberty, as I have the will, to brave this bold encounter; but your own Scripture saith that when the herdsman is smitten, the sheep are scattered.”

This is even funnier considering that Richard "left my wife in another country, haven't seen her in years" Lionheart also does not have a son. So not only is Saladin quoting his enemy's scripture at him, he's declining for a reason that applies to his enemy, too.

[cimorene]

There's a strong recurring theme about how much more wise and kingly Saladin is than Richard in this book. In fact he starts out by explicitly talking about it in the introduction!