CRUSADES is the name given to the religious wars carried on during the middle ages between the Christian natioas of the west and the Mohammedans. The first of these was undertaken simply to vindicate the right of Christian pilgrims to visit the holy sep ulchre. On the conquest of Palestine, however, the object of the C. changed, or at least enlarged, and the efforts of the subsequent crusaders were directed to the rescue of the whole land from the Saracens, who had repossessed themselves of it. From an early period in the history of the church, it was considered a pious act to make a pilgrimage to the holy sepulcher, and to visit the various spots which the Saviour had consecrated by his presence. When Palestine was conquered by the Arabs in the 7th c.. that fierce but generous people respected the religious spirit of the pilgrims, and allowed them to build a church and a hospital in Jerusalem. Under the Fatimides of Egypt, who con quered Syria about 980 A.D., the position both of the native Christian residents and of the pilgrims boeame less favorable; but the subjugation of the country, in 1065, by bru tal hordes of Seljuk Turks from the Caucasus rendered it intolerable. These barba rians, but recently converted to Mohammedanism, were nearly as ignorant of the Koran as of the Scriptures. They hardly knew their fellow-religionists, and are said to have wreaked their vengeance on the Mussulmans of Syria. as well as on the Christians. The news of their atrocities produced a deep sensation over the whole of Christendom. The first to take alarm were, naturally enough, the Byzantine monarchs. In 1073, theGreek emperor, Manuel VII., sent to supplicate the assistance of the great pope, Gregory VII., against the Turks, accompanying his petition with many expressions of profound respect for his holiness and the Latin church. Gregory—who beheld in the supplication of Manuel a grand opportunity for realizing the Catholic unity of Christendom—cordially responded; but circumstances prevented him from ever carrying the vast designs which he entertained into execution, and the idea of a crusade died gradually away. It was, however, revived by his successor, Urban II., an able and humane man, whose sympa thies were kindled by the burning zeal of Peter the hermit, a native of Amiens, in France, who had made a pilgrimage to the holy land, witnessed the cruelties perpetrated by the Turks, and was now traversing Europe, preaching everywhere to crowds in the open air, and producing the most extraordinary enthusiasm by his impassioned descrip tions of how pilgrims were murdered, robbed, or beaten; how shrines and holy places were desecrated; and how nothing but greed restrained the ruffian Turks (who made the Christians pay heavy taxes for their visits to Jerusalem) from destroying the holy sep ulcher, and extirpating every vestige of Christianity in the land. As soon as the feel ings of Europe had been sufficiently heated, Urban openly took up the question. Two councils were held in 1095. At the second, held at Clermont, in France, a crusade was definitely resolved on. The pope himself delivered a stirring address to a vast multitude of clergy and laymen, and as he proceeded, the pent-up emotions of the crowd burst forth, and cries of Deus cull (God wills it) rose simultaneously from the whole audience. These words, Deus suit, by the injunction of Urban, were made the war-cry of the enter prise, and every one that embarked in it wore, as a badge, the sign of the cross; hence the name crusade (Fr. croisade, from Lat. crux, a cross).
First all parts of Europe, thousands upon thousands hurried at the summons of the pope to engage in the holy war. " The most distant islands and sav age countries," says William of Mahnesbury, "were inspired with this ardent passion. The Welshman left his hunting, the Scotchman his fellowship with vermin, the Dane his drinking-party, the Norwegian his raw fish." It is said that in the spring of 1096, not less than 6,000,000 souls were in motion towards Palestine. This, however, must be a huge exaggeration. What we do know positively is, that previous to the setting out of the great hosts of European chivalry, 'four armies—if disorderly and =veld.: multitudes, the mere dregs and refuse of Christendom, deserve that name—amounting in all to 275,000 persons, had departed for Palestine. The first consisted of 20,000 foot, and was commanded by a Burgundian gentleman, Walter the penniless. It marched through Hungary, but was cut to pieces by the natives of Bulgaria, only a few, among whom was NY alter himself, escaping to Constantinople. The second, consisting of 40,000
men, women, and children, was la by Peter the hermit. It followed the same route as its predecessor, and reached Constantinople greatly reduced. Here the two united, crossed the Bosporus, and were utterly defeated by the Turks at Nice, the capital of Bithynia. A third expedition of a similar kind, composed of 15,000 Germans, led by a priest named Gottschalk, was slaughtered or dispersed in Hungary; which also proved the grave of the fourth, a terrible horde, consisting of about 200,000 wretches from France, England, Flanders, and Lorraine, who had swept along through Germany, committing horrible ravages, especially against the Jews, whom they murdered without mercy. Now, however, the real crusaders made their appearance: the gentry, the yeo manry, and the serfs of feudal Europe, under chiefs of the first rank and renown. Six armies appeared in the field, marching separately, and at considerable intervals of time. Their respective leaders were Godfrey of Bouillon, duke of Lorraine; Hugh the great, count of Vermandois, and brother of Philippe, king of France; Robert Curthose, duke of Normandy, the son of William the conqueror; count 'Robert of Flanders; Bohemond, prince of Tarentum, son of the famous Guiscard, under whom was Tanered, the favor ite hero of all the historians of the crusade; and lastly, count Raymond of Toulouse. The place of rendezvous was Constantinople. The Greek emperor, Alexius, afraid that so magnificent a host—there were in all not less than 000,000 men, exclusive of women and priests—might be induced to conquer lands for themselves, cajoled all the leaders, excepting Tancred and count Raymond—into solemnly acknowledging themselves his licgemen. After some time spent in feasting, the crusaders crossed 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, 24th June, 1007. This monarch was also defeated by Bohemond, Tancred, and Godfrey, at Dorylreum. Baldwin, brother of Godfrey, now crossed into Mesopotamia, where he obtained the principality of Edessa. After some time, the crusaders reached Syria, and laid siege to Antioch. For seven months the city held out, and the ranks of the besiegers were fearfully thinned by fam ine and disease. Many even brave warriors lost heart, and began to desert. Melancholy to relate, among the list of cowards was the poor enthusiast who had planned the enter prise. Peter was actually 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 3d 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 famine 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 the 28th June, 1003, 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, obtained their first glimpse of Jerusalem. The emotion was intense, the scene sublime. On the 15th of July, after a siege of rather more than five weeks, the grand object of the expedition was realized. Jerusalem was delivered from the hands of the inhdel. Eight days after the capture of the city, Godfrey of Bouillon was unani mously elected king of Jerusalem. Ills kingdom, at first comprising little more than the mere city of Jerusalem, was gradually extended by conquest until it included the whole of Palestine. A language resembling Norman French was established, a code of feudal laws drawn up—Jerusalem was erected into a patriarchate, and Bethlehem into a bishopric. The best part of Asia Minor was restored to the Greek empire, while Rohe mond became prince of Antioch. For nearly fifty years the three Latin principalities or kingdoms of the east—Edessa, Antioch, and Jerusalem—not only maintained them selves against the attacks of the Mohammedans of Egypt and Syria, but greatly increased in size, power, and wealth. At Jerusalem were founded the two famous orders of the Knights Hospitallers of St. John and the Knights Templars.