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THE 
 
 RECOVERY OF JERUSALEM: 
 
 /S\^^^^ /Jfl 
 
 OR 
 
 THE HISTOEY OF THE WAES 
 
 OF 
 
 THE CEUSADERS, 
 
 FOK 
 
 THE RECOVERY OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE 
 FROM THE SARACENS. 
 
 " In the year of grace a thousand and sixteen, 
 This great creyserie began, that long was i-seen. 
 Of so much folk nyme Ihe cross, ne to the holy land go, 
 Me ne see no time before, ne suth nathemo 
 For self women ne beleved, that they ne wend thither fast, 
 Ne young folk that feeble were, the while the voyage y-lasl." 
 
 Robert's Chronicle. 
 
 J^ 
 
 .^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 1* 
 
 '^H. 
 
 BY B.' K; P E I R C E. 
 
 WriiUn for the Massachusetts Sabbath School Society, and 
 approved by ike Committee of Publication. 
 
 BOSTON: 
 
 MASSACHUSETTS SABBATH SCHOOL SOCIETY, 
 Depository, No. 13 ComhiU. 
 
 1851. 
 
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1S51, 
 
 By CHKISTOPHER C. DEAN, 
 In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts. 
 
 y^n 
 
^rrfiite. 
 
 Among the most interesting members of the Sabbath 
 school, are the older scholars who have passed the 
 limits of childhood, and entered upon the important 
 and delicate period of youth. Many of these have en- 
 joyed the instruction of the best day schools, and their 
 minds have been so far quickened and strengthened, as 
 to enable them to appreciate and enjoy a higher class 
 of reading than the juvenile volumes of the S. S. Li- 
 brary. A large portion of these volumes are Biogra- 
 phies and " tales founded on fact," proper enough in 
 their place, but inducing in the youthful mind when 
 the only mental food, too great a fondness for desul- 
 tory, and a disrelish for more solid reading. 
 
 It is desirable that the young should form a taste 
 for historical reading, affording to them as this will, 
 in all time, both interest and instruction, and improv- 
 ing the mind and heart. To assist in cultivating such 
 a taste, as well as to illustrate an interesting period 
 in the history of the church, and of the Holy Land, 
 this little volume has been prepared. It aims to be 
 not only harmleBS, conveying no false impreseions of 
 
Vlll PREFACE. 
 
 life or nature, but wholesome, presenting important and 
 instructive lessons. 
 
 Many valuable thoughts will be suggested to any 
 young mind that will attentively peruse these pages. 
 It will be impossible to avoid comparing our superior op- 
 portunities, our higher civil, social, and religious privileges, 
 and our advances in all useful knowledge, with the 
 ages in which these remarkable events occurred. We 
 live in a blessed era in the history of the church and 
 of the world, and on this account share peculiar re- 
 sponsibilities. If the church should now feel as anx- 
 ious to convert the world as she was to regain the 
 Holy Sepulchre from the hands of the Turks ; and 
 if she would put forth as much effort, and as freely 
 offer her money and her life, it would not be long 
 before "Ethiopia would stretch out her hands unto 
 God," and every nation under heaven hear the glad 
 tidings of a Saviour's death and mediation. Think of 
 these things young readers, and nourish in your hearts 
 high purposes to glorify God, and in coming years to 
 labor for the benefit of your fellow men. 
 
 In preparing these pages we have consulted, Russell's 
 Modern Europe, Hallam's Middle Ages, James' History 
 of Chivalry, Ockly's History of the Saracens, William 
 of Malmesbury's English Chronicle, Chronicles of the 
 Crusades, and Chamber's Miscellany. 
 
I. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 EARLY PILGRIMAGES TO THE HOLY LAND. 
 
 Dispersion of the Jews. Fulfillment of Prophecy. State 
 of Palestine. Conversion of Constantine. Associations 
 connected witli the Holy Land. Empress Helena. Mis- 
 taken opinions and practices of the Church. Monks 
 and Pilgrims rush to Palestine. Relics. Finding of the 
 true cross 15 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 DIVISION OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE: RISE OF 
 MOHAMMED. 
 
 Building of Constantinople. Division of Empire. Dis- 
 solution of Western Empire. Modern European divi- 
 sions. Power of the Romish Church. Invasion of 
 Eastern Empire by the Persians. Mohammed invades 
 Syria. Abubeker. Omar. Conquest of Palestine. Pil- 
 grimages to Jerusalem. 27 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 THE SUFFERINGS OF THE PILGRIMS. 
 
 Cruelty of the Caliphs of Egypt. Invasion of the 
 Turkomen. Dreadful sufferings of the Christians. Of 
 the Pilgrims. Fear of the world's end, and its con- 
 sequences in the tenth century. Effect of these perse- 
 cutions upon Christendom. Pope Gregory VH. 35 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 PETER THE HERMIT. 
 
 Progress of the Turks. Peter the Hermit. His zeal 
 awakened by the insults of the Turks. Patriarch of 
 Jerusalem. Pope Urban II. Peter travels and preaches 
 the Crusade through Europe. The Councils of Pla- 
 centia and Clermont. Address of the Pope. . 43 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 CHIVALRY. 
 
 Origin of the Feudal system. Its evils. Chivalry. Its 
 benefits. Origin. The training of the Knight. His 
 investment with its honors, . . , <. 57 
 
CONTENTS. 21 
 
 CH APTEE VI. 
 THE FIRST CRUSADE. 
 
 Enthusiasm excited by Peter and the Pope. WiUiam 
 of Mahnesbury. Crowds begin to rush towards Jeru- 
 salem. All Classes. Robert the pennyless. Peter and 
 his company. Gottchalt and his banditti. Massacre of 
 the Jews. Destroyed by the Hungarians. Walter and 
 his army routed at Nice. Providence of God in this 
 great bloodshed. ,69 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 THE FIRST CRUSADE CONTINUED. 
 
 The real Crusade. Godfrey of BouUlon. Alexis. Delay 
 at Constantinople. Appearance of the army upon 
 the shores of the Hellespont. Peter the Hermit. The 
 route of the army. Siege and Conquest of Nice. Bat- 
 tle of Doryloeum. Improvidence of the Crusaders. 
 Siege of Antioch. Besieged in their turn by the Per- 
 sians. Awful suffering. Spear-head with which Christ 
 was crucified. Victory. Burning of Peter Bar- 
 
XU CONTENTS. 
 
 CH APTEE VIII. 
 THE SIEGE AND CAPTURE OP JERUSALEM. 
 
 The march to Jerusalem. Emotions excited. Tasso. 
 Siege of Jerusalem. Its capture. Butchery of the 
 Turks. Penitential visit to the Sepulchre. Godfrey 
 of Bouillon elected King of Jerusalem. Language and 
 government. . . . ... . 97 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 PALESTINE UNDER THE CRUSADERS: THE 
 
 SECOND CRUSADE. 
 
 Death of Godfrey. Baldwin II. Fulk of Anjpu., Bald- 
 win III. Extension of Kingdom. Immense number 
 of Pilgrims. Origin of the order of Hospitallers. Of 
 the Templars. Antioch. Edessa. Its Conquest by 
 the Emir of Aleppo. Cause of Second Crusade. 
 St. Bernard. Louis of France. Conrad of Germany. 
 Failure of the Crusade 104 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 SALADIN: RECONQUEST OF JERUSALEM. 
 
 Almeric, Noureddin. Rise of Saladin. Plots for the 
 Conquest of Syria and Palestine. Troubles in Jeru- 
 
CONTENTS. XIU 
 
 salem. Eaimond, Count of Tripoli. Guy de Lusig- 
 nan. Capture of Jerusalem and of the whole country. 
 Third Crusade. Archbishop of Tyre. Death of Urban. 
 Gregory Till. Frederick of Germany. Eichard of 
 England. Augustus of France. Death of Frederick. 
 Siege of Acre. Peace with Saladin. . . 115 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 TEE kemaini:n'g crusades. 
 
 The effect of the third Crusade. Struggles in the 
 East. Fourth Crusade. Innocent III. Conquest of 
 the Greek Empire by the Crusaders. Fifth Crusade. 
 Sixth Crusade. Capture of Louis of France. Seventh 
 Crusade. Conquest of Palestine by the Saracens. 
 'Its history to the present time. . . . 130 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 THE RESULTS OF THE CRUSADES. 
 
 Effect of the Crusades upon European politics. Upon 
 religion. Turkish power broken. Other political 
 blessings. Arts and Sciences obtained from Saracens. 
 Commerce, Poetr^'-. Modern languages and literature. 
 New world. Art of printing, Eeformatioa. , 137 
 
THE 
 
 WARS OF THE CRUSADERS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 EARLY PILGRIMAGES TO THE HOLY LAND. 
 
 Dispersion of the Jews. Fulfillment of prophecy. State 
 . of Palestine. Conversion of Constantino. Associations 
 
 connected with the Holy Land. Empress Helena. 
 
 Mistaken opinions and practices of the chnrch. Monks 
 
 and Pilgrims rush to Palestine. Relics. Finding of 
 
 the true cross. 
 
 Jerusalem, the metropolis of the Holy 
 Land, was destroyed in the year 70 of 
 the Christian era, by Titus the son of 
 the Roman Emperor Vespusian. From 
 this time the Jews have ceased to be 
 
16 EARLY PILGRIMAGES 
 
 known as a nation. Thousands of this 
 miserable people perished in the war 
 with the Romans, and tens of thousands 
 in the sacking of their city. More were 
 sold as slaves in different portions of 
 the Roman Empire; or, to avoid death 
 by sword or famine, went into volun- 
 tary exile from their native land, seek- 
 ing retreats in all parts of the world. 
 And thus was the Divine prophecy 
 written by the hand of Moses in refer- 
 ence to this nation fulfilled. "1 will 
 make 3^our cities waste and bring your 
 sanctuaries into desolation, and I will 
 not smell the savor of your sweet odors; 
 and your enemies which dwell therein 
 shall be astonished at it. And I will 
 scatter you among the heathen, and 
 will draw out a sword after you." 
 (Lev. 26: 31—33.) 
 
 From this period Palestine for more 
 
TO THE HOLY LAND. IT 
 
 than two centuries continued to be an 
 unimportant province of the great Ro- 
 man Empire, inhabited by a mixed pop- 
 ulation of Christians, Jews, and Pagans. 
 The pagan Roman Emperors in their 
 detestation of both the Jewish and 
 Christian rehgion, erected temples to 
 their idols over the foundation of the 
 Jewish temple upon Mount Zion, and 
 over the scene of the Crucifixion of the 
 Saviour of the world. The very name 
 of the city, so dear both to the Jew 
 and the Christian, was changed, and 
 the new city which he built on the 
 ruins of the old, was called by the 
 pagan Emperor Adrian, Mlia.. 
 
 In the year of our Lord 321, Con- 
 stantine, the Roman Emperor, became 
 a convert to the Christian religion ; 
 paganism was publicly renounced, and 
 
 2# 
 
18 EARLY PILGRIMAGES 
 
 the religion of Jesus Christ became the 
 established faith of the empire. 
 
 Palestine, and especially Jerusalenij 
 now became objects of interest to all 
 Christians. As the scene of the most 
 sublime events that the world had ever 
 witnessed, and hallowed by thrilling as- 
 sociations, every foot of its earth seemed 
 holy ground. Here transpired the prin- 
 cipal events recorded in the inspired 
 volume which contained all the revela- 
 tions of the Christian religion. Within 
 the limits of this province, the Patriarchs 
 journeyed and pitched their tents, and 
 these hills and valleys once echoed 
 with the son^s of David. But more 
 powerful ties than these drew hither 
 the wondering, weepmg, lovmg Pilgrims 
 from Christian lands. Here the ' High 
 Priest of their salvation ' was ' made per- 
 
TO THE HOLY LAND. 19 
 
 feet by suffering,' Here he lived, and 
 labored, preached and commissioned his 
 disciples ; suffered in submission, died 
 the crucified; arose the glorified, and 
 ascended into heaven, xllmost every 
 town, river and mountain had been 
 rendered sacred to the believer by his 
 presence and miracles ; but Jerusalem 
 above all, the scene of his tears, be- 
 trayal and death, was invested with an 
 interest that no other city in the world 
 could share. 
 
 The Empress Helena, the mother of 
 Constantino, at that time 80 years of 
 age, gave an example of zeal and per- 
 severance that was worthy of a better 
 cause. She left the royal palace, and 
 undertook at this advanced age a tour 
 over the Holy Land, and a thorough 
 examination of all the localities men- 
 tioned in the Evangelists. She caused, 
 
20 EARLY PILGRIMAGES 
 
 at a great expense, splendid churches 
 and monasteries to be erected over 
 many real, and many more fictitious 
 scenes of Scripture transactions. This 
 royal example found a crowd of imi- 
 tators. Thousands of all classes, the 
 rich and the poor, of the clergy and 
 the laity, undertook, at great sacrifices, 
 this sacred pilgrimage, hurrying, with 
 swelling hearts, to pray in Bethlehem and 
 Nazareth and to weep in Gethsemane 
 and upon Calvary. The knowledge 
 and piety of the church had not kept 
 pace with its growth and worldly re- 
 putation. Numerous heresies and super- 
 stitions had already crept into her fold, 
 and the errors that afterwards caused 
 her ruin began now to appear. Severe 
 bodily sufierings, seclusion from society, 
 exhausting fastings and vigils began 
 to be considered eminently meritorious 
 
TO THE HOLY LAND. 21 
 
 and conducive of growth in holiness. 
 Monasteries and communities of anchorites 
 or hermits became numerous. ., In the 
 deserts of southern Egypt and amid 
 the barren and solemn wastes around 
 Mount Sinai, and wherever a deep se- 
 clusion from active hfe could be secured, 
 there might a company of monks, or a 
 solitary hermit be found, attempting by 
 hard fare, bloody scourgings, unceasing 
 formal prayers, and pious meditations to 
 overcome the " world, the flesh, and the 
 devil/' How sadly had they overlooked 
 the only true means of sanctification — 
 faith in Christ, and a life of active con- 
 secration in his service. How unlike 
 the example of their Master, who loent 
 about doing good^ was their course. 
 '" Ye are m the world^^^ said our Lord 
 to his apostles in his valedictory dis- 
 course; and he intends that the Christian 
 
22 EAKLY PILGRIMAGES 
 
 should remain here, in the midst of his 
 fellow men, "diligent in business, hut fer- 
 vent in spirit," that the ''world through 
 him may be saved." 
 
 The sacred desolations of Palestine 
 offered an inviting field for the gratifi- 
 cation of this morbid and mistaken 
 piety. Thousands of Monks and Nuns 
 thronged the monasteries, and peopled 
 the mountains, tombs, and caves of the 
 Holy Land. 
 
 The Pilgrimage hither, itself, soon came 
 to be considered not only an expression 
 of devout reverence for the founder of 
 their religion, but as possessing a sanc- 
 tifying and saving power. 
 
 Men that had lived unholy lives, or 
 that had committed some fearful crime, 
 the weight of which pressed heavily 
 upon their souls, set out upon the long 
 journey to the Holy Sepulchre, confi- 
 
TO THE HOLY LAND. 23 
 
 dent that the prayers and penitence of- 
 fered over the place where Jesus was 
 crucified would secure the pardon of 
 the direst sins. A singular value, in 
 these times, began to be set upon the 
 relics of sacred places and persons; and 
 a miraculous power to heal diseases both 
 of the body and mind was attributed 
 to them. Multitudes hastened to the 
 distant shores of Syria to obtain por- 
 tions of the true cross, the bones of the 
 apostles, the garments of the holy Vir- 
 *gin Mary, and the remains of martyrs 
 and confessors who had died in defence 
 of the gospel. The art of designing 
 men and the credulity of the ignorant 
 crowds, afforded an ample supply of 
 these prized relics to meet the impor- 
 tunity of the innumerable Pilgrims. 
 The manner in which the true cross 
 
24 EARLY PILGRIMAGES 
 
 vms said to have been discovered will 
 show hov/ easily these relics could have 
 been multiplied. Q^ueen Helena ordered 
 workmen to dig in search after it, at 
 the supposed site of the crucifixion. 
 Between three and four hundred years 
 had passed since Jesus had hung upon 
 the cross. Nevertheless, after indefatiga- 
 ble labor three crosses were shown, 
 which were said to have been found 
 buried in the earth ! The pious, but 
 credulous and superstitious Queen was 
 satisfied that they were the crosses of 
 Christ and the two thieves ! But here 
 arose another difiiculty; on which of 
 the three was the Saviour crucified? 
 A sick man was found, and the crosses 
 were laid upon him, one after another. 
 The touch of the first two produced 
 no efiectj but when the third reached 
 
TO THE HOLT LA2sD. 25 
 
 the body of die sufferer he was, at once, 
 made whole; — this then must be the 
 true cross ! Every chapel, church, and 
 baronial hall in Europe became pos- 
 sessor of some memento of this descrip- 
 tion, and the true Cross became necessa- 
 rily multiplied into many thousand 
 times its first proportions to meet such 
 continued demands. To this very day 
 nearly every Roman Catholic church iii 
 Europe has its relic, which is made as 
 really an object of worship by the poor, 
 ignorant and deceived catholic, as the 
 idol of the Pagan. 
 
 Ail these things combined to crowd 
 the few ports of Palestine with voyagerSj 
 and to cover her barren wastes and 
 ruined towns v/ith ignorant but sincere 
 devotees. The wealthy expended their 
 fortunes in founding churches whicli 
 
26 EARLY PILGRIMAGES. 
 
 became the resort of numerous bodies 
 of clergy whose occupation was to 
 point out to the Pilgrims the various 
 localities which they had come to see, 
 and to exhibit the holy relics, into the 
 authenticity of which, the eager and 
 craving superstition of the Pilgrims did 
 not permit them to inquire. 
 
DIVISION OF THE EMPIRE. 27 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 DIVISION OF THE EOMAN EMPIRE : RISE OF 
 MOHAMMED. 
 
 Building of Constantinople. Division of Empire. Dis- 
 solution of Western Empire. Modem European divi- 
 sions. Power of the Romish church. Invasion of 
 Eastern Empire by the Persians. Mohammed invades 
 Syria. Abubeker. Omar. Conquest of Palestine. 
 ^ Pilgrimages to Jerusalem. 
 
 About the close of the fourth century 
 the vast Roman Empire became sun- 
 dered into two divisions. Constantine 
 had built for the empire a new capital 
 on the Bosphorus — which he called after 
 his own name, Constantinople, or the 
 city of Constantine, — and had removed 
 the seat of government from Rome 
 
28 DIVISION OF 
 
 thither. Under his successors this im- 
 mense realm became divided into the 
 Eastern or Greek, and Western or Latin 
 Empire, the capital of the former be- 
 ing Constantinople, of the latter Rome. 
 Syria, including Palestine, belonged to 
 the Eastern division. By the end of 
 the fifth century the Western Empire 
 had been dissolved. The numerous 
 European nations which the Roman 
 power had been able to hold in sub- 
 jection in the day of its strength, now 
 threw oil the yoke of servitude. In 
 powerful armies, they swept over Italy 
 and sacked the queen city of Rome 
 itself. Then besan the divisions of 
 Modern Europe to appear. The diifer-, 
 ent nations gradually arose — the ten 
 toes in the image of Daniel succeeding 
 the prophetic symbol of the Roman 
 power. 
 
THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 29 
 
 In the destruction of the Empire, 
 however, the Western Church lost none 
 of its power, but rather gained in 
 strength. The bishop of Rome began 
 to arrogate to himself the religious su- 
 premacy of the world, and under the 
 influence of the Roman faith all the 
 new governments were established. 
 
 The Eastern Empire preserved its in- 
 tegrity for a longer period, but the 
 hour of its dissolution was hastening 
 on. About the commencement of the 
 seventh century, the Persians under 
 their king Chosroes penetrated into 
 Syria, seized upon Jerusalem, butchered 
 thousands of the Monks and consecrated 
 virgins, tore down the celebrated Church 
 of the Sepulchre, and carried into cap- 
 tivity the Patriarch of Jerusalem and 
 multitudes of the inhabitants. 
 
 A more terrible enemy than the Per- 
 
 3* 
 
30 RISE OF MOHAMMED. 
 
 sians soon after began to make inroads 
 upon the more distant provinces of the 
 Empire. 
 
 In the year of the Christian era 571, 
 in the Arabian city of Mecca, the im- 
 poster Mohammed was born. The Arab 
 writers make him to be descended in a 
 right line from Ishmael, the son of 
 Abraham. When twenty-five years of 
 age he pretended to have received visits 
 from the angel Gabriel, who revealed 
 to him a new religion, and commissioned 
 him to become the apostle of God. It 
 was a long period before he could per- 
 suade even his own family, his wife 
 and nncle only excepted, to believe in 
 him as a prophet. 
 
 His life being often sought in his 
 native city, on account of his preten- 
 sions to a sacred character, he fled 
 with his small band of followers to the 
 
RISE OF MOHAMMED. 81 
 
 city of Medina, where he met with 
 greater success in propagating his faith. 
 He now asserted that he had received 
 a new commission from Gabriel, com- 
 manding him to go forth with the sword 
 and slay all that should refuse to ac- 
 knowledge him as a prophet, and the 
 Koran, his pretended revelations, as in- 
 spired. This religion was well calcu- 
 lated to meet the appetites of the Sara- 
 cenic or Arabian tribes, "whose hands," 
 according to the prophecy in reference 
 to Ishmael and his descendants, "had 
 ■been against every man." Two or three 
 victories established the supremacy of 
 the Mohammedan faith throughout Ara«= 
 bia, and a vast army gathered under 
 the crescent standard of the Imposter 
 ready to move in any direction at his 
 command, with the watchword upon 
 their lips, "God is great—there is but 
 
82 RISE OF MOHAMMED. 
 
 one God — Mohammed is his prophet." 
 In A. D. 630, he marched towards Sy- 
 ria with an army cf 30,000 men, and 
 having taken several towns from the 
 Christian Arabs, he returned to Medina. 
 Soon after this he died. He was suc- 
 ceeded by Abubeker, under the title of 
 Caliph, which signifies a successor or 
 vicar, under whom the invasion of Sy- 
 ria was vigorously pressed, the Grecian 
 army was routed, and the wealthy and 
 beautiful, Christian city of Damascus was 
 taken. Upon the death of Abubeker, 
 the celebrated Caliph Omar became the 
 head of the Mohammedans. He finished 
 the conquest of Syria, Palestine and 
 Egypt, annexing them to the great Ara- 
 bian Empire. Jerusalem now became a 
 Mohammedan city^ the temples of the 
 false prophet were reared by the side of 
 the Christian structures, and many of 
 
RISE OF MOHAMMED. 33 
 
 the chapels and churches were changed 
 into mosques. The early Saracenic Ca- 
 liphs, following the example of Omar, 
 treated the Christian inhabitants of Je- 
 rusalem with great leniency, permitting 
 them for a specified tribute to have 
 a patriarch, to retain some of their 
 churches, and to continue religious ser- 
 vices according to their own, forms. 
 
 Pilgrimages from the Western or Latin 
 church, which now embraced the dif- 
 ferent nations that had sprung from the 
 ruins of the Western portion of the 
 Roman Empire, began to revive with 
 new vigor. Every year, large numbers 
 of Pilgrims from Italy, and from the 
 Western provinces of Europe, passed 
 through Asia Minor and along the 
 snores of the Levant (the Eastern 
 shores of the Mediterranean Sea ;) or, 
 as was quite as common, combining 
 
34 RISE OF MOHAMMED. 
 
 the spirit of piety with that of com- 
 merce, they sailed in trading vessels 
 along the shores of the Mediterranean, 
 extending their voyage to the Holy 
 Land, to admit of their visiting the 
 sacred city, with its sepulchre and 
 cross. 
 
SUFFEKINGS OF PILGRIMS. 35 
 
 CHAPTEE III. 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS OF THE PILGRIMS. 
 
 Cruelty of the Caliphs of Egypt. Invasion of the Tur- 
 komen. Dreadful sufferings of the Christians. Of the 
 Pilgrims. Fear of the world's end, and its consequen- 
 ces in the Tenth century. Effect of these persecu- 
 tions upon Christendom. Pope Gregory VII. 
 
 In the changes transpiring in the dy- 
 nasties of the Mohammedan Cahphs, 
 the toleration granted to the Christians 
 in Palestine varied with the disposi- 
 tions of the reigning Cahph. 
 
 Under what were called the Fatimite 
 Caliphs of Egypt, who held possession 
 of Egypt about the year 980, the 
 Christian inhabitants of Palestine, and 
 the Pilgrims to the Holy Sepulchre 
 
38 SUFFERINGS OF 
 
 were treated with the utmost cruelty. 
 The Pilgrims were robbed, beaten, and 
 sometimes slain upon their journeys, 
 while heavy impositions were laid upon 
 the Christian residents and insults were 
 offered to their religious views and sa- 
 cred places. 
 
 But these sufferings were light com- 
 pared with those that followed. In 
 1065, the barbarous hordes of Turkomen, 
 (or Turks) from Central Asia came 
 pouring down upon Syria and Palestine, 
 making a thorough conquest of the 
 country. They had but recently em- 
 braced Moslemism, and therefore were 
 more fanatical and cruel than other 
 Mohammedans. These warlike and rude 
 Turks, turned their amis alike, against 
 Christians, Jews, and even the native 
 Mohammedans. '' No description," says 
 the Abbe Yertoi, in his History of the 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 3T 
 
 Knights of Malta, "can give a concep- 
 tion of all the cruelties which they 
 committed. Numbers of the Christians 
 were butchered ; the Hospital of St. 
 John, founded for the relief of Pilgrims 
 about seventeen years before by some 
 pious Italian merchants, who had ob- 
 tained a piece of ground for the pur- 
 pose, was plundered ; and these barba- 
 rians would have destroyed the Holy 
 Sepulchre, had not their avarice re- 
 strained them. The fear of losing the 
 revenues, raised upon the Pilgrims of 
 the west, preserved the tomb of our 
 Saviour. But, to gratify at once their 
 avarice and their hatred to all who 
 bore the name of Christians, they loaded 
 them with heavier tributes ; so that the 
 Pilgrims after having spent all their 
 money in the course of so long a 
 voyage, or having been stripped by 
 
38 SUFFERINGS OF 
 
 robbers J and worn out with hunger and 
 miseries of all sorts, at last, for want 
 of money to discharge such excessive 
 tributes, perished at the gates of Jeru- 
 salem, without being able to obtain the 
 consolation of seeing, before they died, 
 the Holy Sepulchre, the only object of 
 their vows, and the end of so tedious 
 a pilgrimage." 
 
 So imminent were the dangers at- 
 tending this sacred tour that one pious 
 Pilgrim, Bartholemeo George witz, who 
 published an account of his wanderings, 
 advised his brother Pilgrims before they 
 started upon their journey to make 
 their wills, " like one going not to the 
 earthly but to the heavenly Jerusalem." 
 
 These perils, however, by no means 
 hindered the tide of infatuated Pilgrims 
 that flowed towards Palestine. In the 
 tenth century an opinion, drawn from 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 89 
 
 the symbols of the book of Revelation, 
 (Chap. 20 : 2 — 4,) was widely prevalent, 
 that the end of the world was at hand, 
 and that the Second appearance of Christ 
 would soon occur. Worldly pleasures 
 and business lost their power over hearts 
 alive to such terrible convictions. The 
 precincts of the Holy Sepulchre was 
 esteemed the most desirable position in 
 which to meet the descending Saviour, 
 and a journey thither the most merito- 
 rious labor for the last hours of their 
 earthly probation. 
 
 • They journeyed towards Palestine at 
 this time, not singly merely, but in 
 great num.bers; princes with their re- 
 tinues and noble ladies disguising their 
 sex in male attire, disposing of their 
 earthly possessions, hastened to Jerusa- 
 lem to prepare to meet their Redeemer. 
 The time passed by without the ex= 
 
40 SUFFERINGS OF 
 
 pected event occurring, but the enthu- 
 siasm of the Pilgrims was not abated; 
 the Pilgrim's staff, still marked the Sy- 
 rian desert, and the Pilgrim's blood, 
 the gloomy way. 
 
 Those that survived the dangers of 
 this long and perilous journey, upon 
 their return related the dangers that 
 they had encountered and their cruel 
 and vexatious treatment at the hands 
 of the infidel Turks. These accounts 
 produced a deep sensation through- 
 out Christendom, both among the Latin 
 Christians, as those of the West were 
 called, and among the Greek Christians, 
 as the population of the Eastern or 
 Byzantine Empire were called. 
 
 The Greek Emperor and his people 
 had especial occasion for anxiety; for 
 from their geographical situation, if 
 the Turks were not checked, Constan- 
 
THE PILaHIMS. 41 
 
 tinople, the capital of their own Em- 
 pire, would soon share the fate of 
 Jerusalem J and the Eastern Empire be 
 entirely overrun by these merciless in- 
 vaders. 
 
 Manuel YII. the Greek emperor, in 
 1073, sent therefore, to supplicate the 
 assistance of Pope Gregory VII. against 
 the Turks. This request was cordially 
 received by the Pope, especially as it 
 was accompanied with expressions of 
 respect for his Holiness, and for the 
 Latin church. 
 
 A bitter controversy had been raging 
 until this time between the two church- 
 es, both considering each other as schis- 
 matics. The Greek church yielded spir- 
 itual obedience to their own Patriarch, 
 as the chief bishop of Constantinople 
 was called, and refused to acknowledge 
 the Pope of the Westj as the universal 
 
42 SUFFERINGS OF PILGRIMS. 
 
 head of the church — an authority which 
 the bishop of Rome had arrogantly as- 
 sumed for himself. 
 
 Pope Gregory, esteeming this a good 
 opportunity to secure the subjection of 
 the Greek church to his ecclesiastical 
 supremacy, resolved at first, to raise an 
 army in the West by his influence 
 over the different nations, and march at 
 their head, for the rescue of the Holy 
 Sepulchre from the hands of the Turks. 
 But this plan Gregory never executed, 
 and it was left to his successor to fol- 
 low up his intentions in this respect. 
 
PETER THE HERMIT. 43 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 PETER THE HERMIT. 
 
 Progress of the Turks. Peter the Hermit. His zeal 
 awakened by the insults of the Turks. Patriarch of 
 Jerusalem. Pope Urban H. Peter travels and preaches 
 the Crusade through Europe. The councils of Bla- 
 centia and Clermont. Address of the Pope. 
 
 The Turks still continued their inroads 
 •upon the Greek empire, and in 1081, 
 at the accession of Alexius Comnenus 
 to the Byzantine throne, the whole of 
 Asia Minor was in the possession of 
 the Turks. This added to the difficul- 
 ties and dangers of the Pilgrims, who 
 passed through Asia Minor on their 
 way to Jerusalem. Not one out of 
 three ever returned to relate his adven- 
 
44 PETER THE HERMIT. 
 
 tures to his friends or to thrill their 
 hearts with descriptions of the Holy 
 city, the Mount of Olives, the garden 
 of Gethsemane, Calvary, and the sa- 
 cred Sepulchre. 
 
 Among the thousands of excited Pil- 
 grims, who dared the perils of this 
 pious tour, was a native of the city of 
 Amiens in France, Peter by name. Of 
 his early history little is known. He 
 had been a soldier in his ^^-outh, after- 
 wards married a lady of rank, but 
 poor and old; and finally he had re- 
 nounced the world from religious con- 
 victions and had become a Monk of the 
 most rigorous class. From his seclusion 
 from the world and his ascetic habits, 
 he had received the title of Peter the 
 Hermit, 
 
 To relieve his conscience from the 
 
PETER THE HERMIT. 45 
 
 remorse of some crime, or to secure to 
 himself some spiritual gift, he under- 
 took the pilgrimage to the Holy Sepul- 
 chre. He succeeded in reaching Jeru- 
 salem, paid his fee for admittance into 
 the hands of the hated Turk, and then 
 prostrated himself upon the sacred places 
 of his religion, until his soul burned 
 with the fires of a fanatical piety. He 
 had witnessed the terrible persecutions 
 of his Christian brethren in their pas- 
 sage to this Holy Shrine; the sneering 
 insults of the Turks ; the groans and 
 dying struggles of the famishing ones 
 beneath the walls of the city, who had 
 not money to bribe the heartless keep- 
 ers of the gate, and the cruelties prac- 
 ticed upon the Christians in Jerusalem. 
 All this he had seen, and if there had 
 been nothing besides, the very presence 
 
46 PETER THE HERMIT. 
 
 of the Turk, and the site of his un- 
 holy temples within the precincts of 
 the sanctified environs of the Cross and 
 Sepulchre were enough to arouse his 
 heated passions, and induce the most de- 
 termined resolutions to move the Christ- 
 ian world to the rescue. Although in 
 his estimation the Greek Patriarch of 
 Jerusalem was a heretic, according to 
 the decision of Peter's church, their 
 common interests and sufferings des- 
 troyed for a time their theological dif- 
 ferences, and with this meek and pious 
 man, the Hermit held many long, and 
 affecting interviews. Simeon assured Pe- 
 ter that nothing could be expected from 
 the Greek empire in behalf of the Holy 
 Land ; that the court at Constantinople 
 was both weak and dissolute, and that 
 all hope of success against the Turks 
 
PETER THE HERMIT. 47 
 
 rested in a union of the Latin princes 
 for this grand object. 
 
 Peter embraced the idea, and ad- 
 dressed himself to this vast undertaking. 
 ''Write," he said to the Patriarch, "to 
 the Pope and to all the Latin Christians; 
 and seal your letters with the signet 
 of your office as Patriarch of Jerusalem. 
 As a penance for my sins, I will travel 
 over Europe; I will describe everywhere 
 the condition of the Holy City, and ex- 
 hort princes and people to wrest it 
 from the profane hands of the infidel." 
 . The hermit arrived in Italy, full of 
 his great object, and sought at once 
 the benediction and cooperation of the 
 pope. 
 
 Urban II., the pupil and successor of 
 Gregory YII., was an able and humane 
 man. He entered fully into the scheme 
 
48 PETER THE HERMIT. 
 
 of Peter, but first judged it best that 
 he should pass through the Cathohc 
 nations of Europe, fortified by a papal 
 bull, and rouse the sympathies of Christ- 
 endom by the relation of the harrowing 
 recitals which he had brought back 
 from the Holy Land. 
 
 Peter set forth at once upon his wel- 
 come mission. He rushed from province 
 to province, from city to city, traversing 
 all Europe in less than a year, bear- 
 ing a crucifix in his hand, relating 
 with flowing tears the sufierings of the 
 pious Pilgrims, and the desolations of 
 Jerusalem at the hands of the ruthless 
 infidels, — and urging upon princes and 
 people to undertake the rescue of the 
 city of the cross and of their perishing 
 brethren. Peter is said by his contem- 
 poraries to have been small in stature, 
 
PETER THE HERMIT. 49 
 
 but his eyes possessed a peculiar fire 
 and intelligence and his eloquence was 
 powerful and flowing. He wore a wool- 
 en tunic, with a brown mantle which 
 fell down to his heels. His arms and 
 his feet were bare, and he was abste- 
 mious in his diet. 
 
 " His strange and wild aspect, his 
 glittering eye, his shrill and unearthly 
 eloquence, his pathetic descriptions ot 
 the state of Jerusalem and the Christians 
 there, produced everywhere the most 
 extraordinary sensations." "When," says 
 Gibbon, "he painted the sufferings of 
 the natives and Pilgrims of Palestine, 
 every heart was melted to compassion ; 
 every breast glowed with indignation, 
 when he challenged the warriors of 
 the age to defend their brethren and 
 rescue their Saviour." 
 
 5 
 
50 PETER THE HERMIT. 
 
 Such was the enthusiasm roused by 
 the eloquence of the Hermit that the 
 Pope thought it advisable to call a 
 Council and discuss the proposed Cru- 
 sade ; for thus was this warfare called, 
 as it was undertaken under the banner 
 of the Cross and each warrior wore this 
 emblem upon his shoulder. The first 
 council was held at Placentia, in 1095, 
 where, so vast was the multitude, that 
 it was found necessary to hold it in 
 the open fields. It consisted of four 
 thousand ecclesiastics, and thirty thou- 
 sand of the laity, who all urged the 
 war against the infidels, and pledged 
 themselves to aid in it. A second 
 Council was soon after called at Cler- 
 mont in the province of Auvergne, in 
 France. Here again an immense mul- 
 titude assembled, and the Pope himself 
 
PETER THE HERMIT. 51 
 
 ascending the pulpit swayed the assembly 
 to and fro by his eloquence. William 
 of Malmesbury, author of the "English 
 Chronicle " was present and has pre- 
 served the speech. After speaking of 
 the sad divisions that then existed in 
 Christendom, the terrible crimes that 
 were prevalent, he exhorted them to 
 union, to repentance for their sins and 
 to undertake this holy struggle as a 
 meritorious penance for their guilt. "The 
 cause" said he, "of these labors, will 
 be charity ; if thus warned by the com- 
 mand of God, you lay down your lives 
 for the brethren: the wages of charity 
 will be the grace of God ; the grace of 
 God is followed by eternal life. Go 
 then prosperously ; go then with confi- 
 dence, to attack the enemies of God. 
 For they long since, oh, sad reproach 
 
52 PETER THE HERMIT. 
 
 to Christians ! have seized Syria, Arme- 
 nia, and lastly all Asia Minor. Nay, 
 they usurp even the Sepulchre of our 
 Lord, that singular assurance of our 
 faith; and sell to our Pilgrims admis- 
 sions to that city, which ought, had 
 they a trace of their ancient courage 
 left, to be open to Christians only. ^- * 
 Thus endued with skill and valor 
 you undertake a memorable expedition. 
 You will be extolled throughout all 
 ages, if you rescue your brethren from 
 danger. To those present, in God's 
 name I command this, to the absent 
 I enjoin it. Let such as are going to 
 fight for Christianity, put the form of 
 the Cross upon their garments, that 
 they may outwardly demonstrate the 
 love arising from their inward faith ; 
 enjoying by the gift of God, and the 
 
PETER THE HERMIT. 53 
 
 privilege of St. Peter, absolution from 
 all their crimes : let this in the mean- 
 time soothe the labor of their journey ; 
 satisfied that they shall obtain, after 
 death the advantages of a blessed martyr- 
 dom. ^ =^ * Remember the saying of God 
 — ' Narrow is the way which leadeth to 
 life!' Place before your imagination, if 
 you shall be made captive, tormeuts 
 and chains ; nay, every possible suffer- 
 ing that can be inflicted. Expect even 
 horrible punishments, that so, if it be 
 necessary, you may redeem your souls 
 at the expense of your bodies. Do you 
 fear death, ye men of courage? Know 
 you not that 'for men to live is wretch- 
 edness, and to die is gain?' Death sets 
 free from its filthy prison the human 
 soul, which then takes flight for the 
 mansions fitted for its virtues : death 
 
64 PETER THE HERMIT. 
 
 accelerates their country to the good; 
 death cuts short the wickedness of the 
 ungodly. By means of death, the soul, 
 made free, is either soothed with joy- 
 ful hope, or is punished without fur- 
 ther apprehension of worse." Thus and 
 more he spoke while the congregated 
 mass of human beings began to heave 
 to and fro below him like the waves 
 of the sea. At length as he urged them 
 forward in this glorious undertaking, 
 the pent up emotions of the crowd burst 
 forth. "God wills it! God wills it!" 
 rose simultaneously from every side. 
 "So dearest brethren," contirmed the 
 Pontiff, happily turning the enthusiasm of 
 the moment to his purpose, "the ful- 
 fillment of the Scriptural promise, that 
 wherever two or three are gathered to- 
 gether in the name of Christ, there he 
 
PETER THE HERMIT. 55 
 
 will be with them. The Spirit of God 
 alone can have caused this unanimity 
 of sentiment among you. Let the very 
 words then which his Spirit has dic- 
 tated to you, be your cry of war. 
 When you attack the enemy,- let the 
 words resound from every side. 'God 
 wills it ! God wills it ! ' The old, the 
 infirm, the weaker sex altogether, must 
 remain in Europe. They would be an 
 impediment, rather than an assistance. 
 In this holy undertaking the rich should 
 succor their poorer brethren, and equip 
 them for war. The Clergy must not 
 depart without the license of their 
 bishops; for, if they should their journey 
 would be fruitless. The people must 
 not go without a sacerdotal benediction. 
 Let every one mark, on his breast or 
 back, the sign of our Lord's CrosSj 
 
56 PETEU THE HERMIT. 
 
 that the saying may be fulfilled, * He 
 who takes np the Cross and follows 
 me, is worthy of me.' " 
 
 " Tears and groans and shouts were 
 the replies of the crowd. The whole 
 multitude knelt while one of the car- 
 dinals made confession to God of their 
 sins ; an(i when they rose, Crosses of 
 red cloth were to be seen on the shoul- 
 ders of many a priest and many a 
 warrior." 
 
CHIVALRY. 57 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 CHIVALRY. 
 
 Origin of the Feudal System. Its evils. Chivalry. Its 
 benefits. Origin. The training of the Knight. His 
 investment with its honors. 
 
 Before recounting the events of the 
 first Crusade, it will be profitable to 
 devote a few pages to an institution 
 upon which the church depended large- 
 ly for success in this mighty undertak- 
 ing, and from which all her noted 
 miUtary leaders were chosen. 
 
 When the Northmen, as they were 
 called, — the Goths, Yisgoths and Lom- 
 bards — pouring in irresistible hordes up- 
 on the plains of Italy, had sacked 
 
58 CHIVALRY. 
 
 Rome, and entirely subverted the West- 
 ern Roman Empire, they settled down 
 upon these rich and beautiful provinces, 
 dividing their splendid booty according 
 to their military rank. Each subordi- 
 nate officer as he received his allotted 
 portion tacitly bound himself to appear 
 against their common enemies at the 
 call of his superior. " It was in fact 
 one great military establishment, canton- 
 ed out in a subdued country, under its 
 commanders and appropriate officers." 
 This formed the feudal system. The 
 bond of union between these superior 
 and inferior lords was very slight, and 
 although it might shield them from 
 foreign invasion, it could not save them 
 from internal broils. The inequality of 
 the divisions gave the few principal 
 officers a dangerous power over the 
 
CHIVALRY. 59 
 
 mass. The King rewarding by lands, 
 obtained the fealty of the nobles and 
 barons ; and they, in their turn, with 
 their increased possessions were enabled 
 to construct massive castles, and to 
 surround themselves with such princely 
 retinues, and powerful forces, as in the 
 end to be able even to dispute the 
 claims of their lawful sovereigns, and 
 of the neighboring barons. Thus were 
 introduced the most bitter feuds. For 
 want of a strong central government to 
 administer justice, crime if clothed with 
 power, escaped punishment. The most 
 frightful atrocities were perpetrated in 
 broad day. Numerous banditti prowled 
 over the whole of France and Germany, 
 and the history of that age offers a 
 complete medley of massacre^ bloodshed, 
 torture, crime and misery. 
 
60 CHIVALEY. 
 
 In the midst of these brutal scenes, 
 made necessary by the evils of the 
 feudal system, came forth the institution 
 of Chivalry. Absurd and laughable as 
 were many of the details of this sys- 
 tem, and unjustifiable as were many of 
 its customs, yet on the whole, for this 
 dark age, it was a most astonishing 
 advance towards civilization, the purer 
 virtues of religion, and the milder gra- 
 ces of social life. Almost with the 
 suddenness of magic, this wonderful 
 change was produced ; and from being 
 the stage upon which the cruel and 
 remorseless passions of man acted out 
 their bloody tragedies, Europe became 
 the scene of the most romantic adven- 
 tures, the most disinterested generosity, 
 the most polished grace, and of the most 
 undaunted courage. Chivalry removed 
 
CHIVALRY. 61 
 
 from ancient wars some of their worst 
 characteristics. The conquered were no 
 longer inhumanly butchered or enslaved, 
 but were treated with the most mag- 
 nanimous generosity. Dark and re- 
 vengeful passions gave way to noble 
 and disinterested sacrifices. From being 
 a menial and a slave, woman became 
 the object of the most superlative at- 
 tention and respect; while on her part, 
 she was expected to exhibit correspond- 
 ing constancy. As Spencer sang in 
 stately verse, 
 
 "For he, me seems, most fit the fair to serve, 
 That can her best defend from villany ; 
 
 And she most fit his service doth deserve, 
 That fairest is, and from her faith will never swerve." 
 
 The most prominent moral rules of the 
 Christian religion were made the nec- 
 essary tests of Knightly bearing. The 
 
62 CHIVALRY. 
 
 protection of the lonely traveler from 
 the prowling bandit, and the defence of 
 exposed innocence, were the solemn and 
 sworn duties of the Knight, and were 
 discharged with the most eager and 
 romantic zeal. It mellowed the harsh- 
 ness of the feudal system, and opened 
 the way for a higher state of civil 
 union and power. The origin of this 
 system was very inconsiderable, and 
 has perplexed the minds of historians. 
 The most probable supposition is, that 
 it was called forth by the evils of the 
 feudal system. Some poor nobles, who 
 had, perhaps, suffered themselves from 
 the tyrannical oppression of more pow- 
 erful lords, and moved by the sad, 
 spectacle of suffering around them, 
 leagued themselves together, with the 
 holy purpose of redressing wrongs and 
 
CHIVALRY. 63 
 
 defending the weak. A cause so wor- 
 thy could not fail of obtaining the 
 sanction of the church, and it soon 
 came to be regarded as one of its 
 most powerful aids. 
 
 The respect and almost worship of 
 the populace was soon bestowed upon 
 its defenders, and thus just indignation 
 and a sense of wrong combined with 
 religious enthusiasm, expanded the sim- 
 ple union of these few nobles into a 
 vast and powerful institution. It now 
 became necessary that it should have 
 forms and laws and insignia; and thus 
 were introduced all the stately ceremo- 
 nies, the gorgeous array, and the glit- 
 tering spectacle. 
 
 The honor of Knighthood was eager- 
 ly sought. To be worthy of its privi- 
 leges the sons of princes and nobles, at 
 
64 CHIVALRY. 
 
 the age of seven, left the paternal halls 
 to serve as pages or x'arlets in the 
 family of some distinguished Knight. 
 To the noble ladies of the family, the 
 earliest education of the youth, was 
 committed, who faithfully instilled into 
 his mind the duty of love to God and 
 devotion to his chosen lady. " The 
 love of God and the ladies," says Hal- 
 lam, "was enjoined as a single duty. 
 He who was faithful and true to his 
 mistress, was held sure of his salvation 
 in the theology of the castles." Great 
 pains were also bestowed upon their 
 physical and mental training. They 
 were early accustomed to the most ath- 
 letic sports and gymnastic exercises. 
 They continually associated with the 
 noble guests of the castle, paying them 
 every attention and listening with the 
 
CHIVALRY. 65 
 
 Utmost respect to their discourse. By 
 these means they acquired that agility 
 and ease of motion, as well as that 
 peculiar grace and courtesy of speech, 
 which so remarkably distinguished this 
 order. At fourteen, after a benediction 
 and sage counsel from the priest, the 
 young page was invested with the 
 sword of the Esquire. 
 
 His exercises now became more se- 
 vere and fatiguing, strengthening him 
 to bear up under the immense weight 
 of armor with which he was to be 
 enclosed, and with it to leap upon his 
 prancing steed and fight all day in the 
 melting sun. 
 
 At twenty-one the preparatory educa- 
 tion ended. On this auspicious day the 
 Knights in the vicinity with the bishop 
 
 and clergy, the former in their glitter- 
 ed 
 
66 CHIVALRY. 
 
 ing armor, the latter in their robes, 
 assembled to conduct the young aspi- ] 
 rant to the appointed church. 
 
 High mass was then chanted and 
 the novice kneeling, humbly presented ; 
 his sword for the blessing of the church. I 
 When this had been consecrated to the ! 
 service of religion and humanity, and ! 
 the possessor solemnly sworn to defend | 
 with his life, his faith in the Catholic 
 church; to aid the fatherless and wid- 
 ow ; to protect the innocent and op- 
 pressed ; in all things to be harmless ; 
 to hold sacred the rights of the sover- 
 eign, and to live blameless before God 
 and man ; then his father or some 
 chosen Knight approaching, with the 
 naked blade of his sword administered 
 the accolade— a. blow over the shoulder 
 — and pronounced words similar to 
 
CHIVALRY. 67 
 
 thsse : " In the name of God, St. Mi- 
 chael and St. George, I make thee 
 Knight; he loyal, hold and true." 
 
 The nohle ladies present, or the at- 
 tending Knights, then encased him in 
 his ponderous armor, and he stood forth 
 the mailed defender of the weak, the 
 undaunted champion of his lady, the 
 model of polite generosity, and the iron 
 bulwark of the truth ; his soul burning 
 for an opportunity to display his virtue, 
 .coveting the greatest danger, and ready 
 for every peril. 
 
 Such was the preparation necessary, 
 in the ordinary course, to fit the noble 
 youth for the high rank of Knighthood. 
 Sometimes, noted acts of bravery or 
 magnanimity in humble life and in 
 serving-men were repaid by this honor. 
 So noble a prize filled the ambition of 
 
68 CHIVALRY. 
 
 all, and awakened a new ardor in the 
 pursuits of learning, and in the execu- 
 tion of noble deeds. 
 
 Composed largely of such forces 
 (Knights and their retainers) was the 
 vast array marshaled out under the 
 banners of the cross to perform a ser- 
 vice as unique in itself, as was the 
 instrumentality that was to accomplish 
 It. 
 
THE FIRST CRUSADE. 69 
 
 CHAPTER yi. 
 
 THE FIRST CRUSADE. 
 
 Enthusiasm excited by Peter and the Pope. WiUiam 
 of Malmesbury. Crowds begin to rush towards Jeru- 
 salem. All classes. Robert the pennyless. Peter and 
 his company. Gottchalt. Massacre of the Jews. De- 
 stroyed by Hungarians. Walter and his army routed 
 at Nice. Providence of God in this great bloodshed. 
 
 The effect of the preaching of the Pope 
 and the Hermit surpassed all descrip- 
 tion. Immediate preparations began to 
 he made in all parts of Europe. Says 
 William of Malmesbury, '' there was 
 no nation so remote, no people so re- 
 tired, as not to contribute its portion. 
 This ardent love not only inspired the 
 
70 THE FIRST CRUSADE. 
 
 continental provinces, but even all who 
 had heard the name of Christ, whether 
 in the most distant islands, or savage 
 countries. The Welshman left his hunt- 
 ing; the Scot his fellowship with ver- 
 min; the Dane his drinking party; the 
 Norwegian his raw fish. Lands were 
 deserted of their husbandmen; houses 
 of their inhabitants; even whole cities 
 migrated. There was no regard to re- 
 lationship ; affection to their country 
 was held in little esteem ; God alone 
 was placed before their eyes. Whatever 
 was stored in granaries, or hoarded in 
 chambers, to answer the hopes of the 
 avaricious husbandman, or the covetous- 
 ness of the miser, all, all, were desert- 
 ed; they hungered and thirsted after 
 Jerusalem alone. Joy attended such as 
 proceeded; while grief oppressed those 
 
THE FIRST CRUSADE. 71 
 
 that remained. But why do I say re- 
 mained? You might see the husband 
 departing with his wife, indeed, with 
 all his family ; you would smile to see 
 the whole household laden on a car- 
 riage, about to proceed on their jour- 
 ney. The road was too narrow for the 
 passengers, the path too confined for 
 the travelers, so thickly were they 
 thronged with endless multitudes. The 
 number surpassed all human imagina- 
 tion, though the itinerants were estima- 
 ted at six millions." The sound of the 
 smith's hammer was heard near every 
 castle, repairing armor, and through the 
 long winter evenings, the mothers, 
 wives, sisters and lovers were employed 
 in embroidering banners which their 
 dear ones were to carry into the holy 
 fields. "The poor themselves," says a 
 
72 THE FIRST CRUSADE. 
 
 contemporary, " canght the flame so 
 ardently, that no one paused to think 
 of the smallness of his wealth; but 
 each set about selling his property at 
 as low a price as if he had been held 
 in some horrible captivity, and sought 
 to pay his ransom without loss of 
 time. There v/as a general dearth at 
 this time ; but no sooner had Christ 
 inspired the multitudes of people to 
 seek a voluntary exile, than the money 
 which had been hoarded up was in- 
 stantly put in circulation, and articles 
 which had been horribly dear were, on 
 a sudden, sold for nothing. In the mean- 
 time, most of those who had not 
 determined to go on the journey them- 
 selves, were busy joking and laughing 
 at those who were thus selling their 
 goods at such a loss, and prophesied 
 
THE FIRST CRUSADE. 73 
 
 that the expedition would be disastrous, 
 and the return home worse. Such was 
 their language to-day; but on the mor- 
 row, lo ! seized with the same enthusi- 
 asm as the rest ; the mockers abandoned 
 all they had for a few crowns, and set 
 out with the very same persons that 
 they had laughed at. Who can count 
 the children and infirm that hastened 
 to the war? Who can count the old 
 men and young maidens that hastened 
 forward? " You warriors," they said, 
 " shall vanquish by the spear and the 
 sword; but let us at least conquer 
 for Christ by our sufferings." At the same 
 time one might see a thousand things 
 springing from the same spirit — some 
 astonishing, some laughable; the poor 
 shoeing their oxen as we shoe horses, 
 and harnessing them to two-wheeled 
 
74 THE FIRST CRUSADE. 
 
 carts, in which they placed their Httle 
 stock of provisions and their young 
 children, and proceeding onward, while 
 the babes, at every town and castle 
 they saw before them, demanded eagerly 
 if that was Jerusalem." 
 
 Long before the appointed time, the 
 undisciplined crowds began to march 
 towards Jerusalem. Men, women and 
 children from different nations, encum- 
 bered with baggage, and without a 
 definite plan to guide them, passed on 
 towards the East. Robbers, murderers, 
 and all sorts of criminals joined the 
 bands of Crusaders as tliey marched 
 along, resolved to purchase by their 
 services in the Holy Laud that salva- 
 tion which their crimes had made them 
 despair of till now. Europe was fairly 
 drained of its dregs — its most dissolute 
 
THE FIRST CRUSADE. 75 
 
 and unprincipled inhabitanis. A portion 
 of these ill-regulated hosts, under the 
 command of Walter the Pennyless — a 
 brave but indigent Knight, pressed on 
 through Germany and Hungary to 
 Constantinople, where, after having suf- 
 fered inconceivable misery, and being 
 greatly wasted by famine and the 
 sword they at length arrived. 
 
 The remainder — a still more motley 
 crowd, under the direction of Peter the 
 Hermit, followed on. Being under no 
 restraint, and having no provisions^ they 
 gave themselves up to indiscriminate 
 pillage, and to the exhibition of the 
 most brutal passions. Indignant at their 
 atrocities, the inhabitants of the coun- 
 tries they were wasting, attacked, rout- 
 ed them, and destroyed a vast multitude. 
 The remnant, after enduring great fa- 
 
76 THE FIRST CRUSADE. 
 
 tigue, at length joined the host under 
 Walter the Pennyless. 
 
 Gottchalt— a German priest — with his 
 banditti and another host from almost 
 every country in Europe, without order 
 and exhibiting continual evidences of 
 the most frightful depravity, followed 
 close after the Hermit. Being in a state 
 of absolute poverty, as they swept 
 through Germany, calling themselves 
 soldiers of Jesus Christ, and declaring 
 war against his enemies, they inhumanly 
 fell upon the defenceless Jews, and 
 perpetrated one of the most awful and 
 unprovoked butcheries that Europe ever 
 witnessed. In Bavaria alone, twelve 
 thousand Jews were massacred, and 
 many thousands in other provinces of 
 Germany. 
 
 Having suffered so much from the 
 
THE FIRST CRUSADE. 77 
 
 preceding crowds, the Hungarians de- 
 termined not to grant a passage to any 
 others through their country. They 
 therefore fell upon this undisciplined 
 herd at the river Danube, scattered and 
 destroyed them with merciless fury, un- 
 til the river flowed with blood, and its 
 waters were concealed by the mangled 
 corpses. 
 
 Walter would have remained at Con- 
 stantinople until the more disciplined 
 troops reached that city, but pressed on 
 by his half insane hosts, and by the 
 entreaties of the Emperor Alexis, who 
 was shocked by the riotous conduct of 
 his new allies, and accompanied by the 
 Hermit, he set out for Jerusalem. Not 
 far from Nice, the capital of Bythinia, 
 they were met by Soliman, the Turk- 
 ish sultan ; and^ after a fierce struggle, 
 
 7* 
 
78 THE FIRST CRUSADE. 
 
 the Christian forces were entirely rout- 
 ed. Walter fell mortally wounded, and 
 the Hermit escaped with but two or 
 three thousand of this immense host. 
 
 And thus probably, more than five 
 hundred thousand lives had been lost, 
 and no progress made towards the 
 subjugation of Palestine. Even amid 
 these dreadful scenes, the wisdom and 
 mercy of God is clearly exhibited. This 
 was one of the frightful explosions, that 
 the dark elements of the heart have 
 rendered necessary for the purification 
 of the moral atmosphere. 
 ' Europe, buried in its deep darkness, 
 was fast sinking into almost irremediable 
 wickedness, like the world before the 
 flood, or the dissolute inhabitants of the 
 *' cities of the plain.'' Their crimes 
 secured their own punishment. Under 
 
THE FIRST CRUSADE. 79 
 
 the overruling power of God, their in- 
 human lusts were made to work out 
 their own destruction. With rare ex- 
 ceptions this immense multitude was 
 composed of the most depraved and 
 vicious inhabitants of Europe, drawn to 
 this undertaking, either to expiate some 
 fearful guilt, or for the gratification of 
 the most unholy lusts. The gangrened 
 members were removed, and Europe 
 was measurably purified for the bright- 
 er and nobler events that were to 
 occur during the succeeding centuries. 
 
80 THE FIRST CRUSADE. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE FIRST CRUSADE CONTINUED. 
 
 The real Crusade. Godfrey of Bouillon. Alexis. Delay 
 at Constantinople. Appearance of the army on the 
 shores of the Hellespont. Peter the Hermit. The 
 route of the army. Siege and conquest of Nice. 
 Battle of Doryloeum. Improvidence of Crusaders. 
 Siege of Antioch. Besieged in their turn. Spear 
 with which Christ was crucified. Victory. Peter 
 Barthelmy. 
 
 All these previous movements had been 
 without order or concert, and had end- 
 ed in ruinous disasters. But now 
 commenced the real Crusade. The 
 choicest chivalry of Europe, commanded 
 by her most noble Knights, under per- 
 fect discipline, urged on by the purest 
 motives to engage in one of the most 
 
THE FIRST CRUSADE. 81 
 
 justifiable wars that had been fought 
 before their day — the relief of the de- 
 fenceless, and the rescue of Europe 
 from the advancing strides of the barbar- 
 ous Turks — was now ready to take the 
 field, their ranks unencumbered by the 
 frantic crowds that had preceded them. 
 Six noble chieftains, conducted as many 
 difi'erent divisions, by various routes, 
 to Constantinople, the appointed rendez- 
 vous. The mirror of chivalry, the most 
 distinguished man of his age, and the 
 master spirit of the first Crusade, was 
 Godfrey of Bouillon, who had risen 
 from his sick bed to join this host, 
 and had sold his lordship to raise the 
 necessary money. He is thus described 
 by Robert the monk, a contemporary ; 
 " He was beautiful in countenance, tall 
 in stature, agreeable in his discourse, 
 admirable in his morals; and at the 
 
82 THE FIRST CRUSADE. 
 
 same time so gentle, that he seemed 
 better fitted for the monk than for the 
 Knight ; but when his enemies appeared 
 before him and the combat approached, 
 his soul became filled with mighty 
 daring : like a lion he feared not for 
 his person, and what shield, what 
 buckler could resist the fall of his 
 sword." Such was the future King of 
 Jerusalem ; wise in counsel, mild in de- 
 portment, unsurpassed in all the exer- 
 cises of chivalry, undaunted in courage, 
 humane and noble in the use of his 
 victories, — when, with a large multitude 
 of Knights and barons, with their 
 hosts glittering in splendid armor, 
 mounted upon superbly caparisoned 
 steeds, he commenced his march to 
 join his compeers in the capital of the 
 Eastern Empire. 
 
 Alexis, the Emperor, had requested 
 
THE FIEST CRUSADE. 83 
 
 assistance against his Turkish foes from 
 his brethren of the West, but he was 
 unprepared for the undisciplined swarms, 
 and the multitudinous hosts that came 
 pouring into his capital from all parts 
 of Europe. His fear of the Turks was 
 lost in the terror excited by the vast 
 influx into his territories of his mailed 
 friends. Instead therefore of cooperating 
 with them according to his agreement, 
 his great object now was to rid him- 
 self of their presence, at any sacrifice 
 of principle or even of humanity. The 
 .delay at Constantinople, caused by the 
 temporizing character of the emperor, 
 was peculiarly unfavorable to the inter- 
 ests of the Crusaders. The leaders, 
 through the intrigues of the court, be- 
 came divided, and the soldiers were 
 corrupted by the seductions of the most 
 dissolute city in the world. 
 
84 THE FIRST CEUSADE. 
 
 At length, the immense army of the 
 cross, now numbering 600,000 fighting 
 men, of whom 100,000 were mounted 
 Knights, crossed the Hellespont and en- 
 camped on the Asiatic soil. "It was 
 literally a moving nation, in which all 
 languages were spoken, and all costumes 
 worn. There was the fair-haired son 
 of the north, with broad, open fore- 
 head, mild blue eyes, sanguine com- 
 plexion, and large frame; there the 
 dark-visaged southern, with his flashing 
 glance and fiery soul ; there was the 
 Knight in his armor, the priest in his 
 robes, the foot-soldier in his tough jer- 
 kin, the unkempt serf with his belt of 
 rope. There were pawing horses, swear- 
 ing grooms, carts full of provision 
 sacks, groups of gossiping women, and 
 crowds of merry children. Under the 
 bright sun of Asia all was gaudy and 
 
THE FIRST CRUSADE. 85 
 
 brilliant. Spear points glittered, breast- 
 plates and helmets gleamed ; thousands 
 of targets displayed their painted glo- 
 ries ; pennons of blue, purple and white, 
 streamed from every tent, while heavier 
 flags flapped their sullen folds ; and 
 everywhere, on shield, flag, helmet, tu- 
 nic, and coat of mail, was seen bla- 
 zoned the holy sign of the red cross. 
 Walking through all these, threading his 
 way through groups of soldiers, and 
 crowds of playing children, heedless of 
 the looks cast upon him, and hearing 
 not the oft-repeated bugle-blasts from all 
 parts of the camp, might be seen a 
 man of small stature, thin, emaciated, 
 coarsely clad, with downcast face, wild, 
 unsettled eye, and timid, nervous gait. 
 It was the man who had created it all 
 — Peter the Hermit. He had crossed 
 
86 THE FIRST CRUSADE. 
 
 from Constantinople with Godfrey of 
 Bouillon ; and now walking once more 
 upon the Asiatic soil, over the bones of 
 those whom he had already led to per- 
 ish there, he could look around and 
 see in the hundreds of thousands of 
 human beings who surrounded him, 
 the creatures and implements of his 
 own enthusiasm, the monster results of 
 that grief and rage of soul, which filled 
 him as, but a few short months before, 
 he found himself creeping along, a sol- 
 itary and derided pilgrim, in the streets 
 of Jerusalem. His revenge was near ! 
 He, a poor, and feeble monk, was 
 about to hurl such a thunderbolt 
 against the power of the Moslem as no 
 potentate on earth had ever handled; 
 these myriads of enthusiasts whom he 
 had brought from their homes he would 
 
THE FIRST CRUSADE. 87 
 
 dash against the walls of Jerusalem; 
 and every groan of his own spirit un- 
 der Turkish insult would be repaid by 
 the dying shrieks of a hundred infidels 
 — every Turkish laugh at the expense 
 of his religion by a huzza from the 
 Christian armies. On — on, then, to the 
 Holy City! 
 
 Alas ! the Holy City was yet far 
 distant. Not much more than half their 
 journey, in point of space, had been 
 accomplished; and in point of peril and 
 'difficulty, their march had little more 
 than begun ; for they had just entered 
 upon the countries inhabited by the in- 
 fidel. Months had to roll over, and 
 many a bloody field had to be fought, 
 ere the pinnacles of the Holy City 
 should greet their longing eyes. 
 
 They might have overrun all Asia 
 
88 THE FIRST CRUSADE. 
 
 with this large, well disciplined troop, 
 but with the greatest difficulty, they 
 accomplished the subjugation of Pales- 
 tine. Their route lay in a south-east- 
 erly direction through Asia Minor, and 
 then southward towards Jerusalem, along 
 the shores of the Levant. Their march 
 from Constantinople, until the time they 
 laid siege to Jerusalem occupied up- 
 wards of two years ; from A. D. 1097 
 to A. D. 1099. These were years of 
 toil and distress such as the imagina- 
 tion can hardly conceive. The first 
 point of attack was Nice, the seat of 
 Soliman the Turkish sultan. The siege 
 of this city lasted a month and a half 
 and was of the most desperate charac- 
 ter. " During these six weeks the 
 slaughter of Christians by the arrows 
 of the Turkish garrison, and the bolts 
 
THE FIRST CRUSADE. 89 
 
 and large stones which they discharged 
 from mangonels and catapults, was im- 
 mense. Nothing was to be seen on 
 the highways, in the woods and the 
 fields, but a crowd of tombs, where 
 the Christians lay buried." The city 
 at length was taken, and the army 
 wheeled on towards Antioch. Having 
 unfortunately, separated into two bands, 
 while the smaller division was passing 
 through Doryloeum, Soliman, with an 
 immense host was seen upon the neigh- 
 boring hills. As they hastily prepared 
 for defence, the whole body of 200,000 
 Turks, with their cimiters flashing in 
 the sun, raising a stunning shout, 
 rushed down upon them. For hours 
 the Christian hosts sustained the un- 
 equal contest — but oppressed with the 
 intense heat, and with burning thirst, 
 
 8* 
 
90 THE FIRST CRUSADE. 
 
 wounded with the arrows of the 
 Arabian bowmen, they were just ready 
 to despair, when a cloud of dust arose 
 upon the distant hills. Then appeared 
 the glittering helmets and floating pen- 
 nons of the Knights ; deliverance was 
 at hand. "God wills it!" shouted the 
 Crusaders as they came pouring down 
 the heights. "God wills it!" shouted 
 the despairing soldiers in the vale, and 
 returned again to the conflict. The 
 Turks were entirely routed, immense 
 numbers slain, and their rich camp 
 was taken. 
 
 Thoughtless of the future, the army 
 gave themselves up to the enjoyment 
 of the abundant booty, and foolishly 
 scattered provisions for which they 
 eventually suifered inconceivably. In 
 their march towards Antiochj they were 
 
THE FIRST CRUSADE. 91 
 
 preceded by bands of the enemy, who 
 destroyed every article of sustenance ; 
 and not being able to find water a 
 frightful famine occurred, carrying off 
 thousands of men and horses. After 
 intense sufferings and unfortunate divi- 
 sions the remainder of the army defiled 
 under the walls of Antioch, and com- 
 menced its siege. For seven months 
 they fought against this ancient city, 
 but its lofty walls and fortresses were 
 impregnable. At length through the 
 treachery of a renegade Armenian, they 
 •obtained an entrance, and devoted the 
 unfortunate inhabitants to an indiscrim- 
 inate massacre. Their rejoicing over 
 this conquest however, was but of 
 short duration. The King of Persia, at 
 the news of the progress of the crusa- 
 ders, raised an immense army to op» 
 
92 THE FIRST CRUSADE. 
 
 pose them. Three hundred thousand 
 men under the Emir of Mosul, a fa- 
 vorite of the Cahf, set down before 
 Antiochj and besieged the Christian 
 forces within its walls. No language 
 can describe the horrors that the army 
 of the cross suffered, while enclosed in 
 the walls of this city, almost destitute 
 of provisions. " The most noisome ani- 
 mals, the most unsavory herbs, became 
 dainties at the table of the great. All 
 sorts of vice became rife, and debauch- 
 ery grew the more horrid, from being 
 the debauchery of despair." At length 
 a "pious fraud," for which the Romish 
 Church is so celebrated, was made the 
 instrument of their deliverance from 
 this dreadful extremity. A priest pre- 
 tended to have received from St. An- 
 drew, in a vision, information that in a 
 
THE FIRST CRUSADE. 93 
 
 certain place in the Church of St. Peter 
 in Antioch, the spear-head, with which 
 the Saviour's side had been pierced, 
 would be found ; and that, with this, 
 the army might go forth against their 
 numerous foes with a certain assurance 
 of victory. 
 
 " There were various opinions as to 
 the propriety of believing in the priest's 
 story so far as to search for the lance; 
 at length however the sceptics, among 
 whom was Adhemar, bishop of Puy, 
 yielded to the general voice, and it was 
 jesolved to dig for the relic. Twelve 
 persons were chosen to conduct the 
 search within the chapel, while the 
 multitude remained anxiously without. 
 A whole day was spent in vain ; the 
 workmen were tired out, and still no 
 lance was found. It was evening, 
 
94 THE FIRST CRUSADE. 
 
 when Peter Barthelmy, the priest who 
 had seen the vision, descended into the 
 pit, and began to rake the loose earth. 
 Who so likely to discover the relic, as 
 the man who had dreamt of hi Still 
 Peter raked the earth at the bottom of 
 the pit, and the men who had for 
 some time hmig over to look down at 
 him, had lost all hope of his success, 
 and began to move away, when all at 
 once a cry of joy was heard, and 
 stretching himself to his full height, 
 Peter handed up into the eager fingers 
 of those above, an actual rusty lance- 
 head," 
 
 The enthusiasm of the superstitious, 
 half-famished multitude kindled anew. 
 Although but two hundred of the Knights 
 were regularly mounted^ and every sol- 
 dier was wasted to a shadow, still in- 
 
THE FIRST CRUSADE. 95 
 
 spired by this new spirit, all was life 
 and hope throughout the lately forlorn 
 ranks. 
 
 The gates were opened — out rushed 
 the Christian host, bearing aloft the 
 miraculous spear, against their invaders, 
 now swelled to six hundred thousand. 
 Nothing could stand against their fran- 
 tic courage. The Persians fought brave- 
 ly, but in vain. In the height of the 
 contest, before the heated imaginations 
 of the army, there seemed to appear 
 figures in white raiment, mounted upon 
 -milky steeds, hastening on from the 
 mountains to their aid. "God wills 
 it!" "God wills it!" again and again 
 they shouted, and pressed on with an 
 overpowering enthusiasm, until the Per- 
 sian ranks were broken, and they fled 
 in all directions, leaving their well- stored 
 
96 THE FIRST CRUSADE. 
 
 camp, a most acceptable prize, to their 
 starving conquerors. Poor Peter Barthel- 
 my now received a sad return for his 
 wonderful dream; for many of the cru- 
 saders beginning to call in question the 
 genuineness of the spear-head, he was 
 prevailed upon to test it, by passing 
 with it through the flames. A great 
 fire was kindled in the sight of the 
 army, and Peter, with the lance in his 
 hands, walked into the flames, when 
 becoming frightened, he was burnt to 
 death. This destroyed the credit of the 
 relic with all but the most super- 
 stitious. 
 
SIEGE OF JERUSALEM. 9T 
 
 CHAPTER YIII. 
 
 THE SIEGE AND CAPTURE OE JERUSALEM. 
 
 The march to Jerusalem. Emotions excited. Tasso. 
 Siege of Jerusalem. Its capture. Butchery of the 
 Turks. Penitential visit to the Sepulchre. Godfrey 
 of Bouillon elected Ejbag of Jerusalem. Language and 
 government. 
 
 Aftee a short delay in Antioch to re- 
 cruit their strength, they again com- 
 menced their march towards Jerusalem. 
 Each day as they drew nearer the ter- 
 mination of their long journey, some 
 new name connected with the history of 
 their religion served to increase the 
 emotion that v/as now becoming intense 
 in their hearts. The last night be- 
 fore reaching Jerusalem, the thought of 
 
98 SIEGE AND CAPTURE 
 
 being so near the scene of Christ's cru- 
 cifixion, prevented any sleep in the 
 camp. Before midnight they were on 
 the march ; and after wandering a while 
 in the dark, the sun rushed into the 
 sky with the glorious suddenness of an 
 Eastern dawn, and Jerusalem lay before 
 their eyes. The dangers of their long 
 march were forgotten, the bitter con- 
 flicts they had fought and were yet to 
 fight, their dreadful sufferings from fam- 
 ine and the plague were no longer in 
 their minds. There before them lay 
 the end of their hopes, the object of 
 their great exertion, the scene of most 
 that was dear and holy in their faith. 
 " The name was echoed by a thousand 
 tongues, Jerusalem ! Jerusalem ! Some 
 shouted to the sky; some knelt and 
 prayed; some wept in silence, and some 
 cast themselves down and kissed the 
 
OP JERUSALEM. 99 
 
 blessed earth. ' All had much ado,' 
 says Fuller, ' to manage so great glad- 
 ness.' " Thus, in living verse has the 
 poet Tasso portrayed the overwhelming 
 emotions of this hour : 
 
 " With holy zeal their swelling hearts ' abound, 
 
 And their winged-footsteps scarcely print the ground, 
 
 When now the sun ascends the etherial way, 
 
 And strikes the dusty field with warmer ray; 
 
 Behold, Jerusalem in prospect lies ! 
 
 Behold, Jerusalem salutes their eyes ! 
 
 At once a thousand tongues repeat the name, 
 
 . And hail Jerusalem with loud acclaim! 
 At first, transported with the pleasing sight, 
 
 . Each Christian bosom glowed with full delight; 
 But deep contrition soon their joy suppressed, 
 And holy sorrow saddened every breast ; 
 Scarce dare their eyes the city walls survey. 
 Where clothed in fiesh, their dear Redeemer lay, 
 Whose sacred earth did once their Lord enclose, 
 And where triumphant from the grave he rose ! 
 Each faltering tongue imperfect speech supplies ; 
 Each laboring bosom heaves with frequent sighs. 
 Each took the example as their Chieftain led, 
 
100 SIEGE AND CAPTURE 
 
 With naked feet the hallowed soil they tread: 
 Each throws his martial ornaments aside, 
 The crested helmets with their plumy pride: 
 To humble thoughts their lofty hearts they bend, 
 And down their cheeks the pious tears descend." 
 
 For two months the army of the Cross, 
 now attenuated to thirty-five thousand, 
 fought incessantly and in vain, beneath 
 the soUd castellated walls of Jerusalem. 
 
 Fearing that the anger of heaven might 
 be hanging over them on account of their 
 crimes, Chieftains, Soldiers, and Clergy, 
 with naked feet, bearing aloft the Cross, 
 marched in solemn procession around 
 the walls, like the priests and people 
 around ancient Jericho. And as they 
 marched, amid the scoffs of the Infidels, 
 they shouted forth their heart-inspiring 
 war-cry, " God wills it," and filled the 
 air with the melody of hymns and 
 psalms. On Olivet and Zion they humbly 
 
OF JERUSALEM. 101 
 
 kneeled and sought assistance for the 
 succeeding day's conflict. 
 
 At dawn the struggle commenced 
 anew, and at noon the fate of the day- 
 was still undecided; and when all was 
 considered lost, a single Knight was 
 seen upon Mount Olivet waving his 
 glittering spear, and bidding them on 
 again to the contest. On they rushed, 
 and in one hour the barbacan was 
 broken down, Godfrey's tower was 
 pressed against the inner wall, and at 
 three o'clock, the hour when the world's 
 Saviour was crucified, two soldiers, fol- 
 lowed by Godfrey, leaped upon the 
 fortifications. The hosts of the Cross 
 pressed on, while the wearied Turks 
 gave way. The city was theirs, and 
 the banner of the Cross floated out 
 from the battlements of Jerusalem, 
 
 Now commenced one of the most 
 
102 SIEGE AND CAPTURE 
 
 frightful butcheries that history has re- 
 corded. Blood poured in torrents down 
 the streets — the victors boasted, that in 
 the Mosque of Omar they rode in the 
 blood of Saracens up to their horses' 
 knees. Then washing off the gore of 
 battle, leaders and people, as if hav- 
 ing offered a meritorious sacrifice to 
 heaven, with naked feet and bended 
 knees, approached the Sepulchre of the 
 Prince of Peace ! sang anthems to that 
 Redeemer who had purchased their 
 salvation with his death; and, while 
 dead to the calamities of their fellow 
 men they were dissolved in tears at the 
 remembrance of the sufferings of the 
 Messiah ! 
 
 Eight days after the capture of the 
 city, the Latin Chiefs unanimously elected 
 Godfrey of Bouillon King of Jerusalem, 
 
OF JERUSALEM. 103 
 
 the army welcoming the announcement 
 with enthusiastic applause. 
 
 A new Christian state was thus founded 
 in Syria, consisting, at first, of little more 
 than Jerusalem ; but which, after sub- 
 sequent battles, embraced the whole of 
 Palestine. 
 
 The Norman French language was 
 spoken in the new Kingdom, and a 
 code of feudal laws was drawn up for 
 its government. 
 
 Jerusalem was erected into a Patri- 
 archate, and Bethlehem into a bishop- 
 ric, and thus the clergy obtained their 
 share of the conquest. 
 
 Thus ended the first Crusade, the 
 most important of all, crowned indeed 
 with success, but at what expense of 
 blood and suffering ! 
 
104 PALESTINE UNDER 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 PALESTINE UNDER THE CRUSADERS — THE 
 SECOND CRUSADE. 
 
 Palestine under the Crusaders. The second Crusade. 
 Death of Godfrey. Baldwin II. Fulk of Anjou. 
 Baldwin HI. Extension of Kingdom. Immense num- 
 ber of Pilgrims. Origin of the order of Hospitallers. 
 Of the Templars. Antioch. Edessa. Its Conquest by 
 the Emir of Aleppo. Cause of second Crusade. St. 
 Bernard. Louis of France and Conrad of Germany. 
 Failure of the Crusade. 
 
 Godfrey of Bouillon died in July 1100, 
 and was succeeded by his brother 
 Baldwin, who reigned eighteen years, 
 and was in turn, succeeded by Bald- 
 win II., also one of the original Cru- 
 saders. Fulk of Anjou became king in 
 
THE CRUSADERS. 105 
 
 1131, and was succeeded by his son, 
 Baldwin III., in 1148. 
 
 These kings were continually engaged 
 in conflicts with the Saracens, over 
 whom they gained repeated victories. 
 The Mohammedan towns and villages 
 throughout the Holy Land submitted, 
 one after another, purchasing the pro- 
 tection and toleration of the Latin sov- 
 ereigns by the payment of tribute. 
 
 Pilgrims by thousands now began to 
 pour in from Europe, affording aid and 
 securing stability to the new Kingdom. 
 .No fewer than 500,000 persons set out 
 from Europe to Syria, incited by the 
 news of the success of the first Cru- 
 sade; and year after year fresh ac- 
 cessions were made to the population of 
 Jerusalem, Antioch, and Edessa, by the ar- 
 rival of bands of soldiers, priests, and mer- 
 
106 PALESTINE UNDER 
 
 chants from the different countries of 
 Europe. These three cities were the 
 centres from which the Christian power 
 sought to spread itself throughout the 
 possessions of the Saracens, and these 
 cities soon became the capitals of dis- 
 tinct and independent principalities. 
 
 A hospital had been founded in Je- 
 rusalem for the relief of Pilgrims, to 
 which a monastery dedicated to St. 
 John had been attached, the monks of 
 which made it their business to attend 
 to poor and sick Pilgrims. This estab- 
 lishment had survived all the Turkish 
 persecutions, and became in those days 
 of suffering and persecution a most val- 
 uable institution for the Christians who 
 visited Jerusalem. On the advance of 
 the Crusading army, the monks of St. 
 John, along with the principal Christians 
 of the city, were thrown into prison. 
 
THE CRUSADERS. 107 
 
 Being released upon the capture of 
 Jerusalem, the monks rewarded their 
 benefactors by showing the utmost at- 
 tention to the wounded Crusaders. 
 
 For these pious services certain val- 
 uable endowments and immunities were 
 conferred upon them by Godfrey of 
 Bouillon. The Hospitallers of Jerusalem 
 (as they were afterwards called) there- 
 fore became rich and famous, and monas-= 
 tic institutions bearing their name were 
 founded in various cities of Europe. 
 "On the death of their Abbot, a French- 
 man named Gerard, in 1118, a Crusa- 
 der named Raimond Dupuy, who had 
 been wounded at the siege of Jerusa- 
 lem, and had experienced the benefits 
 of the hospital, was chosen his suc- 
 cessor. Raimond, continuing his old 
 profession of a soldier with his new 
 
108 PALESTINE UNDER 
 
 duties as head of an ecclesiastical cor- 
 poration, conceived the idea of chang- 
 ing the monks Hospitallers into a 
 military body. The order of the 
 Knights Hospitallers of St. John was 
 accordingly founded; the declared objects 
 of the institution being to make war 
 upon the infidels, and to afford relief and 
 comfort to Pilgrims to the Holy Land. 
 The origin of the Knights Templars 
 was not very dissimilar. Even after 
 the conquest of Palestine by the Cru- 
 saders, Pilgrims from Europe were fre- 
 quently plundered by the Turks, when 
 on their way to Jerusalem. To defend 
 travelers from the attacks of these roving 
 bands of Infidels, some French Knights 
 who had taken part in the first Crusade, 
 formed an Association of a religious 
 character, abjuring worldly possessions, 
 
THE CRUSADERS. 109 
 
 vowing implicit obedience to their 
 elected Chief, and renouncing every end 
 of life except the defence of the Christ- 
 ian faith against the Infidel. The 
 nine Knights who were the first mem- 
 bers of the Association had quarters 
 assigned them in Jerusalem near the 
 temple ; hence the name of the order." 
 
 Antioch in Syria, which was the first 
 city conquered by the Crusaders, had 
 been conferred upon Bohemond of Ta- 
 rentum; he was succeeded by Tancred, 
 the gentlest and most chivalrous of all 
 the Crusaders, who two years after was 
 removed by death. Eventually, the sov- 
 ereignty of Antioch came into the hands 
 of the Greek Emperor, John Comnenus, 
 who had succeeded Alexius. 
 
 Edessa was a city of Mesopotamia, 
 and upon its conquest by the Crusaders, 
 
 10 
 
110 THE SECOND CRUSADE. 
 
 it was given to Baldwin, the brother 
 of Godfrey of Bouillon; who being after- 
 wards transferred to the principality of 
 Jerusalem, left Edessa to Joscelyn de 
 Courtenay, a distinguished Crusader. 
 His son, however, lacked capacity to 
 sustain the honor that devolved upon 
 him at the death of his father. In 
 1144, the Emir of Aleppo and Mosul, 
 a brave and able Turk, who had al- 
 ready given proofs of his prowess, ad- 
 vanced against Edessa while its effemin- 
 ate prince was amusing himself on the 
 other side of the Euphrates, and, after 
 a siege of eighteen days, effected an 
 entrance, and made himself master of 
 the city with immense slaughter of the 
 inhabitants. 
 
 The capture of this city was the 
 cause of what was called the Second 
 
THE SECOND CRUSADE. Ill 
 
 Crusade. It had been fifty years since 
 the first Crusaders had entered Syria 
 and the heroes of those early con- 
 quests were now sleeping in their 
 tombs. 
 
 Persecution was no longer known. 
 An immense Christian population had 
 poured into Palestine, and settled down 
 quietly in her cities and villages ; and 
 the Mohammedan population were sub- 
 dued and harniless. The news of the 
 fall of Edessa by the Turks, therefore, 
 'fell upon the ears of the Christian world 
 like a clap of thunder. The petitions of 
 the people of Palestine addressed to 
 their brethren in Europe for aid against 
 the encroachments of the Turks, pro- 
 duced a great sensation especially in 
 France. Another priest, like the Hermit, 
 the famous St. Bernard, abbot of Clair- 
 
112 THE SECOND CRUSADE. 
 
 voux, in Champagne, being commis- 
 sioned by Pope Eugenius, traveled 
 throughout France and Germany, ex- 
 erting his remarkable powers of elo- 
 quence to raise another army of the 
 cross. 
 
 " The Chiefs of the Second Crusade 
 were two of the most powerful princes 
 of Europe — Louis VII., King of France; 
 and Conrad III., emperor of Germany. 
 Under their command upwards of 
 1,200,000 collected from all parts of 
 Europe, marched towards Palestine in 
 two great armies early in 1147. Not- 
 withstanding the vaslness of the pre- 
 parations, the expedition was a total 
 failure. The events of the last fifty 
 years had rendered the policy of the 
 Greek princes hostile to the Crusaders. 
 Manuel Comnenus, the grandson of 
 
THE SECOND CRUSADE. 113 
 
 Alexius, who now occupied the throne, 
 suffered both armies to pass into Asia 
 Minor, where purposely misled by the 
 Greek scouts, the army of Conrad was 
 all but destroyed by the Turks near 
 Iconium ; while the army of Louis, 
 after undergoing infinite hardships, was 
 wrecked in the defiles of the Pisidian 
 mountains. The relics of the two 
 armies uniting made their way to 
 Syria, where they cooperated with the 
 forces of the princes of Jerusalem and 
 Antioch, in laying siege to Damascus ; 
 but without effect, being compelled by 
 the activity of Saphaddin and Noured- 
 din, the two sons of the Emir Lenghi, 
 who had taken Edessa, to raise the 
 siege. In 1149 Conrad and Louis re- 
 turned to Europe and the Second Cru- 
 sade was at an end, having resulted 
 
 10* 
 
114 THE SECOND CEUSADE. 
 
 in nothing more then the useless ex- 
 penditure of more than a million lives. 
 Hundreds of poor Pilgrims, who had 
 accompanied the armies with the in- 
 tention of visiting the Holy Sepulchre, 
 were left to languish in Turkish cap- 
 tivity." 
 
SALADIN. 115 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 SALADIN— RECONQUEST OF JERUSALEM. 
 
 Almeric. Noureddin. Rise of Saladin. Plots for the 
 Conquest of Syria and Palestine. Troubles in Jeru- 
 salem. Raimond Count of Tripoli. Guy de Lusignan. 
 Saladin Conquers at Tiberias. Captures Jerusalem and 
 the whole Country. Third Crusade. Archbishop of 
 Tyre. Death of Urban. Gregory VIII. Frederick of 
 Germany. Richard of England. Augustus of France. 
 Death of Frederick. Siege of Acre. Peace concludes 
 
 ' with Saladin. 
 
 Forty years elapsed before another 
 Crusade was undertaken by Europe. 
 During this period the struggle between 
 the Christians and Turks went on with- 
 out intermission in Syria. At this time 
 (1162) Almeric succeed Baldwin III. as 
 king of Jerusalem. His chief opponent 
 
116 SALADIN. 
 
 and rival was Noureddin, the sultan of 
 Aleppo, a valiant and active Turk who 
 gave him no small trouble to preserve 
 the integrity of his principality. 
 
 At this time a new and remarkable 
 rival to both arose. Palestine, as we 
 have seen, had been conquered by the 
 Saracens of Egypt before the inroads 
 of the TurkS; and between the 
 latter and the Fatimites of Egypt, as 
 they were called, there had been con- 
 tinued struggles until the first Crusade 
 brought into Palestine an enemy to 
 both, and for the destruction of whom 
 both had united their forces. 
 
 For fifty years, however, the Christian 
 power had maintained and extended 
 itself at the expense both of the Turks 
 and the Fatimites. The Fatimite dy- 
 nasty of Egypt had long been showing 
 
SALADIN. 117 
 
 symptoms of decay, the Caliphs having 
 become mere tools in the hands of 
 their Viziers and high military officers. 
 In 1163, one of the viziers, named 
 Shawer, finding himself expelled from 
 his post by a rival, sought refuge at 
 the court of the sultan of Aleppo, from 
 whom he asked assistance. Noureddin 
 a Turk, and therefore, the hereditary 
 enemy of the Fatimites, eagerly em- 
 braced the opportunity of obtaining a 
 footing in Egypt, he therefore sent two 
 Curdish adventurers to assist in displac- 
 ing the rival vizier. The attempt suc- 
 ceeded; but Shawer, after recovering 
 his position, proving treacherous to his 
 new friends he paid the penalty of his 
 head, and Chyrkouh, the nephew of 
 Noureddin, who had been sent to the 
 assistance of the treacherous vizier, was 
 
118 SALADIN. 
 
 appointed to the same office, in reality 
 becoming a lieutenant of Noureddin. 
 Upon his death in 1169, his nephew 
 Saladin was appointed to the viziership; 
 the Egyptian Caliph imagining that 
 with such a vizier as the young and 
 pleasure-loving Chief he might again 
 have some power in his own domin- 
 ions. ''Saladin, however, was no or- 
 dinary character; his daring mind soon 
 gave him the supremacy; and instructed 
 by Noureddin, whose lieutenant he ac- 
 knowledged himself to be, he effected 
 a revolution in Egypt, declared the 
 Fatimite dynasty at an end, subjected 
 the country once more to the nominal 
 authority of the Caliph of Bagdad, the 
 head of the other division of the Mo- 
 hammedan power, and whom Noureddin 
 professed to reverence. Nor did he 
 
SALADIN. 119 
 
 Stop here. Once lord of Egypt, he 
 showed a disposition to shake off his 
 allegiance to Noureddin ; and the sultan 
 of Egypt was making preparations to 
 vindicate his authority, when he was 
 cut oiF by death in the year 1171." 
 
 No obstacle now appeared in the way 
 of the young and energetic conqueror. 
 The situation of the Christian power 
 at this time also favored the plans of 
 the Saracen. In 1173, Almeric died, 
 and was succeeded by his son Baldwin 
 IV., who was a leper, and reigned but 
 .a short time. His nephew who was 
 his successor being a minor, before his 
 death, Baldwin appointed his uncle 
 Raymond II. Count of Tripoli, to be 
 regent during his minority. 
 
 The youth dying soon after his uncle, 
 the utmost confusion followed. Guy de 
 
120 SALADIN. 
 
 Lusignan and his wife Sybilla, the 
 uncle and aunt of the deceased young 
 prince, usurped the throne with the 
 assistance of a large party, including 
 the patriarch of Jerusalem, the Grand 
 Master of the Templars, and other in- 
 fluential men; while, on the other hand, 
 their claims were disputed by another 
 strong party, at the head of which 
 were the Count of Tripoli and the 
 Grand-Master of the Hospitallers. This 
 was Saladin's opportunity; he had dis- 
 covered the contention in the court of 
 his Christian neighbors, and having 
 made himself master of Syria, he re- 
 solved upon the Conquest of Palestine. 
 " Brave, daring, experienced, and a 
 resolute enemy of the Christians, Mo- 
 hammedanism had as yet produced no 
 Chief so fitted to be its champion against 
 
SALADIN. 121 
 
 the chivalry of Christendom as Saladin 
 appeared to be. Accordingly, when in 
 the year 1187, it was known that he 
 was on his march against Jerusalem 
 with an army of 50,000 horse and a vast 
 multitude of foot, the Christian leaders 
 saw the necessity of abandoning their 
 dissensions, and uniting cordially against 
 the invader. 
 
 Their exertions, however, were in vain. 
 Assisted, it is said, by the treachery of 
 the Count of Tripoli, Saladin gained a 
 Victory over their army at Tiberias, 
 killing an immense number of the 
 Latins, and taking the king, the Grand- 
 Master of the Templars, and many 
 other persons of distinction, prisoners. 
 Town after town surrendered to the 
 victorious Saracen; and in October 1187, 
 Jerusalem itself, after fourteen days' 
 
122 SALADIN. 
 
 defence, was obliged to submit to his 
 mercy. The conduct of Saladin on this 
 occasion was more generous than might 
 have been expected. A moderate ran- 
 som was fixed for every individual in 
 the population, on the payment of 
 which, he should be at liberty to 
 remove with his goods to whatever 
 place he chose. To the prisoners of 
 rank, especially the Christian Ladies, 
 Saladin's conduct was courteous in the 
 extreme ; so that it became a remark 
 among the Latins of Palestine that 
 Saladin was a barbarian only in name. 
 
 Nevertheless the Moslems displayed 
 their sense of triumph in manifestations 
 which grieved and shocked the feelings 
 of the vanquished. 
 
 The great cross erected by the church 
 of the Holy Sepulchre was taken down^ 
 
RBCONQUEST OF JERUSALEM. 123 
 
 and dragged in contempt through the 
 streets; the bells of the churches were 
 melted ; and the mosque of Omar was 
 purified from the pollutions to which, in 
 the opinion of the Mohammedans, it had 
 been subjected, by copious sprinklings 
 of the walls and floor with the rose- 
 water of Damascus. Thus after ninety 
 years, was the Holy City again in- 
 habited by the infidel, and all .the 
 fruits of the first Crusade lost, as it 
 seemed, to the world. The title of 
 king of Jerusalem was solemnly abdi- 
 cated by Guy de Lusignan in favor of 
 the conqueror, who now possessed the 
 whole of Palestine, with the single ex- 
 ception of the city of Tyre, which 
 was gallantly defended by Conrad, 
 Marquis of Montferrat." 
 Appalling indeed was this intelligence 
 
124 RECONQUEST OF 
 
 to Christian Europe. The bearer of it, 
 and the moving spirit in the third Cru- 
 sade was William, archbishop of Tyre, 
 who with a heart full of grief, left his 
 see, and proceeded to Rome to seek aid 
 against the Saracen. The news of this 
 calamity is said to have caused the 
 death of Urban IV. His successor, 
 Gregory YIIL, gave all his influence at 
 once to the cause ; and to meet the ex- 
 penses of the enterprise he imposed a 
 tax on all classes, including even the 
 clergy, to the amount of one tenth of 
 their property, landed or personal. The 
 principal princes of Europe eagerly 
 rushed to the rescue, and Frederick I. 
 of Germany, Philip-Augustus of France, 
 and Richard I. of England immediately 
 announced their intention of leading ar- 
 mies to Palestine. Other lesser poten- 
 tates followed their example. 
 
JERUSALEM. 125 
 
 The German emperor was the first 
 in the field, and at the head of a 
 magnificent army in the spring of 1189 
 fought his way through the Greek do- 
 minion, (the emperor of which had be- 
 come inimical to these movements) and 
 entered Asia Minor. He was already 
 upon the borders of Palestine, when im- 
 prudently bathing in the river Orontes, 
 he was suddenly cut off in the seven- 
 tieth year of his age. His son, the 
 Duke of Suabia took the lead of the 
 army and although greatly harassed by 
 the Saracens, he succeeded in reaching 
 the Christian forces in Syria, where his 
 army afforded a powerful reinforcement. 
 The combined army of the cross, now 
 laid siege to Acre on the sea coast — 
 a town of so much importance that its 
 possession was considered equivalent to 
 
 being master of the whole country. 
 11* 
 
126 RECONQUEST OF 
 
 Here were now gathered all the re- 
 maming Christian forces of Palestine, 
 the German army and bodies of sol- 
 diers which had come from the West, 
 the English and French Kings not 
 having yet reached Syria, Guy de Lu- 
 signan was the leader of the forces and 
 for twenty-two months the siege was 
 closely followed, and many engagements 
 took place between Saladin, whose ar- 
 my hung around them, and the Christ- 
 ian army, without any visible advantage 
 on either side. 
 
 In the summer of 1191 the French 
 and English monarchs arrived with 
 their fleets. 
 
 "And now,'^ says Mr. James, "all 
 the chivalry of Europe were upon the 
 sandy plain between Acre and the 
 mountains of Carouba, the Templars, 
 
JERUSALEM. 127 
 
 the Hospitallers, the Knights of Francej 
 of England, of Germany, of Italy, of 
 Flanders, and of Burgundy. On the 
 inland hills lay the millions of Saladin, 
 with every accessory of eastern pomp 
 and luxury. 
 
 On the 12th of July 1191, Acre sur- 
 rendered, and, had the Christian hosts 
 been united they might have pressed 
 on, and conquered without doubt, the 
 whole of Palestine. The rivalry of the 
 French and English Kings however, 
 prevented this end, and not long after 
 the capture of Acre, PhiUp of France 
 returned to Europe. Richard, called 
 Coeur de Leon, then led the Christian 
 forces against Saladin, with great suc- 
 cess, earning for himself the reputation 
 of one of the most valiant Knights of 
 the age. A dispute arising between 
 
128 RECONQUEST OF 
 
 Richard and the other leaders, and his 
 presence becoming necessary in England, 
 he conckided an honorable peace with 
 Saladin. At a personal interview be- 
 tween Richard and Saladin the usual 
 oaths attending a treaty were omitted, 
 and both, as a pledge of fidelity, 
 grasped each other's hands. A truce 
 was agreed upon for three years and 
 eight months. Jaffa and Tyre, with 
 the country between them were surren- 
 dered to the Christians, and the people 
 of the west were permitted to make 
 pilgrimages to Jerusalem, exempt from 
 the taxes which the Saracen princes 
 had, in former times imposed. Estab- 
 lishments of priests were even admitted 
 in Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Nazareth. 
 And now, the crusading army re- 
 turned to Europe. Richard on his way 
 
JERUSALEM. 129 
 
 through the Austrian dominions, was 
 arrested by his enemy and former fel- 
 low Crusader, the Archduke, and im- 
 prisoned near Vienna, for several months. 
 He returned to England in March 
 1194, and died in 1199. His great an- 
 tagonist, Saladin, died in 1193, in the 
 fifty-seventh year of his age. 
 
130 REMAINING CRUSADES. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 THE REMAINING CRUSADES. 
 
 The effect of the third Crusade. Struggles in the East. 
 Fourth Crusade. Innocent III. Conquest of the Greek 
 empire by the Crusaders. Fifth Crusade. Sixth 
 Crusade. Capture of Louis of France. Seventh 
 Crusade. Conquest of Palestine by the Saracens. 
 Its history to the present time. 
 
 The third Crusade, although promising 
 much, as we have seen, accomplished 
 nothing. The Christian Kingdom in 
 Palestine now embraced but a narrow 
 strip of land on the Mediterranean 
 coast. The successor of Saladin com- 
 menced hostilities against the Christians 
 and they turned again to Europe for 
 assistance, and, although no general 
 
REMAINING CEUSADES. 131 
 
 movement was made, bodies of adven- 
 turers and single Knights were continu- 
 ally rushing to this sacred soil to 
 expiate their sins in fighting, as they 
 esteemed it, for their Saviour's sepul- 
 chre. 
 
 In 1203, the fourth Crusade, under 
 the auspices of Pope Innocent III. was 
 undertaken, the army being commanded, 
 by several of the most powerful nobles 
 in Italy and Prance. Instead of march- 
 ing at once against the Saracens, they 
 allowed themselves to be drawn into a 
 contest with the Greek empire. "The 
 Greek emperor, Imac Angelus, having 
 been deposed and deprived of his eyes 
 by his own brother, his son Alexius 
 fled to Europe, and petitioned for the 
 assistance of the Latin princes against 
 the usurper, promising in return to use 
 
132 KEMAINING CRUSADES. 
 
 his endeavors to promote an incorpora- 
 tion of the Greek with the Latin 
 church, and to employ all the resourc- 
 es of the Greek empire against the in- 
 fidels of Syria. The temptation of such 
 a prospect could not he resisted ; the 
 Crusaders marched into Greece, took 
 Constantinople, and established them- 
 selves so thoroughly in the empire, that 
 for fifty years it was ruled over by the 
 Franks. The whole force of the fourth 
 Crusade was therefore spent on an ob- 
 ject foreign to that for which it had 
 been levied." 
 
 The fifth Crusade began in 1228, and 
 was commanded by Frederick II. of 
 Germany. It resulted in an entire re- 
 lease of Palestine by the sultan of 
 Egypt, in return for the alliance and 
 friendship of the German monarch. 
 
REMAINING CRUSADES. 133 
 
 Frederick having been crowned King of 
 Jerusalem returned again to Europe. 
 
 In 1244, a new race of Turks 
 poured in upon the Holy Land, and 
 effected its conquest. The sixth Crusade 
 was undertaken by Louis IX. of France. 
 This terminated in the utter defeat of 
 the crusading army, and in the capture 
 of Louis himself by the sultan of 
 Egypt. By the payment of a large 
 ransom the French King obtained his 
 own release, and that of the other 
 prisoners, and returned to Europe re- 
 joicing that be had been accounted 
 worthy of suffering in so good a cause. 
 For his piety he was canonized, and 
 is styled by Catholic writers, St. Louis. 
 Sixteen years afterwards, he resolved 
 upon a second Crusade, and actually 
 set out for the Holy Land; but landing 
 
 12 
 
134 REMAiNma crusades. 
 
 in Africa, on his route, he died at 
 Tunis, in the year 1270. 
 
 The seventh and last general Crusade 
 was headed by Prince Edward of Eng- 
 land, grandson of Richard Coeur de 
 Leon, who afterwards ascended the 
 English throne, as Edward I. His 
 rank and reputation in arms gathered 
 around him all who were willing to 
 fight for the cross. Nothing of mo- 
 ment however, was accomplished in 
 Palestine, and he returned again to 
 Europe. " Acre, Antioch and Tripoli 
 still continued in the possession of the 
 Christians, and were defended some 
 time by the Templars and other mili- 
 tary Knights; but in 1291 Acre capitu- 
 lated, — the other towns soon followed 
 the example, and the Knights were 
 glad to quit the country and disperse 
 
REMAINING CRUSADES. 135 
 
 themselves over Europe, in quest of 
 new employment, leaving Palestine to 
 the undisturbed possession of the Sara- 
 cens. 
 
 For two centuries and a half after 
 the last Crusade, Palestine continued 
 with one or two interruptions to be 
 governed by the Mameluke sultans of 
 Egypt. Early in the sixteenth century, 
 however, it was recovered by the 
 Turkish sultan, Selim, under whose 
 successors it remained for three centu- 
 ries, divided like the other territories 
 into provinces, each governed by a 
 Pasha. In 1799 Palestine was invaded 
 by the French forces under Napoleon 
 Bonaparte; the famous Acre was again 
 besieged, but without effect, the French 
 troops being defeated by the British 
 and Turks under Sir Sydney Smith. 
 
136 REMAINING CRUSADES. 
 
 Syria and Palestine were wrested, in 
 1832, from the government of the 
 Grand Seignior by Ibrahim Pacha, the 
 son of Mehemet Ali, and the late 
 ruler of Egypt; but in 1840 the Eu- 
 ropean powers compelled their restora- 
 tion; and, at present the country, for 
 which the chivalry of Europe contended 
 for two centuries, has scarcely any 
 government at all." 
 
RESULTS OF CRUSADES. 137 
 
 CHAPTEE XII. 
 
 THE RESULTS OP THE CRUSADES. 
 
 Effects of the Crusades upon European politics. Upon 
 religion. Turkish power broken. Other political bless- 
 ings. Arts and sciences obtained from the Saracens. 
 Commerce, Poetry. Modern languages and literature. 
 New world. Art of printing. Reformation. 
 
 We have now given a rapid sketch of 
 an undertaking that exhausted for cen- 
 turies, the energies of Europe, and 
 ended apparently, in utter disaster. It 
 becomes a very interesting question : 
 has Europe — has the world received any 
 sufficient recompense for these enormous 
 sacrifices? Has modern society been in 
 any degree improved or benefited by 
 these vast movements. 
 
138 RESULTS OP 
 
 We are prepared to answer, all this 
 was not in vain. They sowed the 
 seed in blood, and we are the reapers 
 of the harvest. These sanguinary strug- 
 gles decided that momentous political 
 question, whether Europe should be 
 free or enslaved ; whether she should 
 writhe under the bloody despotism of 
 the Turk, or be permitted to rise under 
 happier auspices to her present . enlight- 
 ened state; whether her rich and fertile 
 vales, her thousand cities and villages 
 should be overwhelmed with the desola- 
 tions that marked the progress of the 
 Turkoman over Asia; whether the burn- 
 ing, the sacrilege and butchery exhibited 
 on the classic fields of Greece when the 
 crescent arose amid the flames of Scio, 
 and the curse of the Turk was ming- 
 led with the death-wails of age, youth 
 and infancy, should be enacted over 
 
THE CRUSADES. 139 
 
 again upon every fair scene in Europe. 
 A still greater question than this was 
 decided; and that was, whether the 
 Mohammedan crescent, or the Christian 
 cross should be the symbol of faith; 
 the Koran or the Bible, the guiding 
 star of a bewildered world, and the 
 cold, heartless and licentious fatality of 
 Mahomet, or the pure, generous, refin- 
 ing and divine principles of Christ, be- 
 come the hope and support of man. 
 
 Although we may never justify the 
 cruelty, and often the blood-thirsty ven- 
 geance of the crusaders, still we must 
 rejoice that the power of those almost 
 innumerable hosts of wild and merciless 
 men, (the Turkish hordes,) were crip- 
 pled, and their further progress hindered. 
 For the accomplishment of such ends, 
 no expense could be considered too 
 costly. Other great political blessings 
 
140 RESULTS OF 
 
 were also secured to Europe by these 
 sacred wars. While her armies were 
 strugghng to reUeve the oppressed in 
 Palestine, her own political chains were 
 snapt, and while fighting the Infidel, 
 she secured her own peace. As we 
 have seen, before the crusades, Europe 
 was wasted by the contests of the pow- 
 erful barons. Agriculture, the arts and 
 the humanizing occupations of peace had 
 no opportunity for development. The 
 clarion of the cross proclaimed at the 
 same time, vengeance upon the Turk 
 and the "truce of God" with each 
 other. Border hostilities were mutually 
 dropped ; one common feeling and im- 
 pulse cemented all hearts, and thus a 
 fraternity of interest was induced. The 
 nobles, in order to enable themselves to 
 fit out princely armaments for the Holy 
 Land, sold to the cities in their juris- 
 
THE CRUSADES. 141 
 
 diction, charters of liberty. These free 
 cities, from personal freedom, soon be- 
 gan to look forward to, and struggle 
 after civil and political liberty. 
 
 The inert lower class, long pressed 
 under the iron heel of tyranny, quick- 
 ened into life by the stirring spirit 
 everywhere felt, began to arouse them- 
 selves from their barbarous ignorance, 
 stupidity and tame obedience, and to 
 assert their rights as men. The univer- 
 sal soul, as well as universal man, 
 seemed to be pervaded with a new 
 life, and germ after germ of intelli- 
 gence sprung forth from a hitherto 
 barren soil. 
 
 Many useful arts and sciences, pre- 
 viously unknown, were obtained from 
 the Saracens and brought into Europe. 
 Commerce, one of the chief agents in 
 the work of civilization, was called 
 
142 RESULTS OF 
 
 into renewed being to bear the crusad- 
 ing armies to the Syrian ports. Return- 
 ng, they came loaded with the wealth 
 of the East. Rich and polished cities 
 soon arose as the result. Out of the 
 bosom of the ocean itself sprang forth 
 Yenice, in all her magnificence, filling 
 her broad gulf with her white sails. 
 Genoa and Pisa were her rivals, and 
 shared with her the rich spoils of the 
 sea. Poetry, long buried beneath the 
 desolations of Greece, or hidden in the 
 gloomy cloister of the monk, now came 
 forth to chant the praises of chivalric 
 daring. The songs of the troubadour 
 and trouveres in France, the minne- 
 singers in Germany, and the minstrels 
 in England, were heard in the baronial 
 halls, in the cottage and by the way- 
 side. Kings, warriors and noble ladies 
 began to cultivate the graceful art; and 
 
THE CRUSADES. 143 
 
 this was the origin of modern Uterature. 
 Before this, all learning and literature 
 were clothed in Latin, and thus placed 
 entirely out of the reach of the multi- 
 tude. Modern languages had been un- 
 settled and changing ; but these songs 
 were in the vernacular ; the ear of the 
 people was reached, and responded to 
 its power. These songs were followed 
 by graver works in the same homely 
 but eagerly received languages, and thus 
 national literature, languages and char- 
 acter were formed in the different 
 .kingdoms of modern Europe. Commerce, 
 inspired by the crusades, and aided by 
 the discovery of the mariner's compass, 
 soon opened a new world, under the 
 fearless piloting of the sailor of Genoa. 
 Literature advancing, formed the ne- 
 cessity which occasioned the invention 
 of the art of printing 5 and now the 
 
144 KESULTS OF CRUSADES. 
 
 world was prepared for a new revolu- 
 tion and a greater advance towards 
 Christian civilization. It came in the 
 form of the glorious Reformation of 
 the sixteenth century. Chivalry and 
 the Crusades had prepared men men- 
 tally, physically and civilly, and then 
 started a train whose explosion anni- 
 hilated the cause, and introduced our 
 own era, with its wonderful advances 
 in science, liberty and religion. 
 
 AAAAAAAAAAAA 
 
 THE END. 
 
 WXAAAAAAA/W 
 
 LRB S 76