CRUSADES, the name by which the wars or military expeditions were distin guished, that were carried on by the Christian nations of the West, from the end of the 11th to the en.1 of the 13th cen tury, for the conquest of Palestine. They were called crusades, because all the war riors fought under the bunter of the cross, and wore that emblem on their clothes. The Christians had long grieved that the Holy Land, where Jesus had live•I, taught, and died for mankind, where pious pil grims resorted to pour out their sorrows and ask for all from above at the tomb of their Saviour, should be in the power of unbelievers. The dawn of civilization and mental cultivation had just com menced. They were at that period in a state to receive to strong religious excite ment; tho spirit of adventure burned within them ; and their imaginations were also easily roused by the reports of the riches of the East. The Pope consid ered the invasion of Asia as the means of promoting Christianity amongst tho infi dels and of winning whole nations to the bosom of the church ; monarchs expected victory and increase of dominion ; and their subjects were easily persuaded to engage in the glorious cause ! Yet army atter army was destroyed ; and though some brilliant victories served to exhibit the soldiers of Christendom as heroes: of a valorous age, and the holy- city of Jeru salem was more than once under their dominion, the Christian empire on the continent of Asia was eventually over thrown, and the dominion of the ..)la me
lukes and Sultans established. But by means of these joint enterprises, the Eu ropean nations became more connected with each other ; feudal tyranny was weakened; a commercial intercourse took place throughout Europe, which greatly augmented the wealth of the cities ; the human mind expanded ; and a number of arts and sciences, till then unknown lur the western nations, were introduced. CRYPT, a subterranean chapel or ora tory ; or a vault under a church for the interment of bodies.