CRUSADES
594
CRUSADES
A third expedition of a similar kind, composed of 15,000 Germans, led hy a priest named Gottschalk, was slaughtered or dispersed in Hungary, which also proved the grave of the fourih^ a terrible horde, con- sisting of about 200,000 ¥rretches from France, Eng- land, Flanders, and Lorraine, who had swept along through Germany, committing horrible ravages, espe- cially against the Jews, whom they murdered without mercy. Now, however, the real Crusaders made their appearance — ^the gentry, the yeomanry, and the serfs of feudal Europe, under chiefs of the first rank and re- nown. Six armies appeared in the field, marching separately, and at considerable intervals of time. Their respective leaders were Qo^ftej of Bouillon, duke of Lorraine ; Hugh the Great, count of Yerman- dois, and brother of Philippe, king of France ; Robert Cnrthose, duke of Normandy, the son of William the Ck)nqueror ; count Robert of Flanders ; Bohemond, prince ofTarentum, son of the famous Guiscard, un- der whom was Tancred, the favorite hero of all the historians of the Crusade ; and, lastly, count Raymond of Toulouse. The place of rendezvous was Constan- tinople. The Greek emperor, Alexius, afraid that so magnificent a host — ^there were in all not less than 600,000 men, exclusive of women and priests — might be induced to conquer lands for ihenuelvet^ cajoled all the leaders, excepting Tancred and count Raymond, into solemnly acknowledging themselves his lie^^emen. After some time spent in feasting, the Crusaders cross- ed into Asia Minor (accompanied by the unfortunate Peter the Hermit). Here their first step was the siege and capture of Nice, the capital of Sultan Soliman, June 24, 1097. This monarch was also defeated by Bohemond, Tancred, and Godfrey, at Dorylaeum. Baldwin, brother of Godfrey, now crossed into Meso- potamia, where he obtained the [Hrincipolity of Edessa. After some time the Crusaders reached S3Tia, and laid siege to Antioch. For seven months the city held out, and the ranks of the besiegers were fearfblly thin- ned by famine and disease. Many, even brave war- riors, lost heart, and began to desert. Melancholy to relate, among the list of cowards was the poor enthu- siast who had planned the enterprise. Peter was ac- tually several miles on his way home when he was overtaken by the soldiers of Tancred, and brought back to undergo a public reprimand. At length, on the 8d of June, 1098, Antioch was taken, and the inhabitants were massacred by the infuriated Crusaders, who were in their turn besieged by an army of 200,000 Moham- medans sent by the Persian sultan. Once more fam- ine and pestilence did their deadly work. Multitudes also deserted, and, escaping over the walls, carried the news of the sad condition of the Christians back to Europe. But again victory crowned the efforts of the besieged. On June 28, 1098, the Mohammedans were utterly routed, and the way to Jerusalem opened. It was on a bright summer morning (1099) that 40,000 Crusaders, the miserable remnant of that vast array which two years before had laid siege to Nice, obtain- ed their first glimpse of Jerusalem. On July 15, after a siege of rather more than five weeks, the grand ob- ject of the expedition was realized. Jerusalem was delivered from the hands of the infidel. Eight days after the capture of the city, Godfrey of Bouillon was unanimously elected king of Jerusalem.
Becond Crtuade, 1047.— In 1144 the principality of Edessa was conquered by the emir of Mosul, and the Christians slaughtered. His son Noureddin advanced to destroy the Latin kingdoms of Syria and Palestine. Europe once more trembled with excitement. A sec- ond crusade was preached by the £unous St. Bernard, abbot of Clairvaux, in Champagne ; and early in 1147 two enormous armies, under the command of Louis VII, king of France, and Conrad III, emperor of Ger- many, marched for the Holy Land. Their united numbers were estimated at 1,200,000 fighting-men. The expedition, nevertheless, proved a total failure.
The Greek empeioc» Manuel Comnenos, was and through the treachery of his emissaries tbs of Conrad was all but destroyed by the Toiki Iconium, while that of Louis was wreeked ia tbr files of the Pisidian Mountains. Ailer a Tain to reduce at first Damascus and aaboeqiieotlj Ion, the relics of this mighty host retamed to ~
Third Cnuade, 1189-1192.— The death-bkr t» kingdom of Jerusalem was given by Salak^(ifii commonly called Saladin, a young Kardkh chid had made himself sultan of Egypt, and who m^tdn the presidency of the Mohammedan world, in Oc@k 1187, Jerusalem itself capitulating after a aefiti fourteen days. The news of this led to a timt m sade, the chiefo of which were Frederick I (Btrba» sa), emperor of Germany, Philippe Aagnete, kngtf France, and Richard Caur-de-lim, king of Eacki Barbarossa took the field first in Uie spring of C* but accidentally lost hb life by fever caugbt be bathing in the Orontes. His army, much red&si joined the forces of the other two Daonarcfas bc&r Acre (or Ptolemais), which important city wai diately besieged, and after a beleagnering of tv^> three months surrendered. But the Cmsaikts «e» not united among themselves. Philippe sooc i^ returned to France ; and Richard, after accompEsha: prodigies of valor, which excited the admintba tf the Saracens, concluded a treaty with Saladiii, ^r which " the people of the West were to be at lr«t? to make pilgrimages to Jerusalem, exempt froa £» taxes which the Saracen princes had in former taa imposed." On October 25, 1192, Bichard srt id i: Europe.