Were we required to select any individual out of the whole fraternity of ascetics and recluses, who had in fluenced, in any remarkable degree, the opinions and the conduct of men, we could not fail to make choice or Peter the Hermit. And should we be asked to spe cify any one of the religious societies, whose principles and zealous activity have produced the most striking effects, we should be constrained to give, as our example, the society of the Jesuits. Let us now, there fore, introduce a short account of the extraordinary indi vidual whose name we have mentioned, and of this no table society.
Peter, commonly called the Ilermit, was born at Amiens in Picardy. In his youth he had been a soldier, and had served with reputation under the Counts of Bou logne. It is not, however, in his military capacity, that we are at present to view him. In truth, he very soon re linquished the sword, and all worldly employments along with it. He made a tedious and painful pilgrimage to Jerusalem ; and during his residence in that city and in Palestine, he beheld, with inexpressible concern, the suf ferings which the ChristianS endured, from the tyranny and insolence of the Saracens. Immediately upon his return, he conceived the design of arming the sovereigns, and the people of Europe, in order to rescue the holy sepulchre from the pollution of the infidels. For this purpose he travelled from kingdom to kingdom, repre senting the sufferings of the pilgrims, and calling aloud for vengeance. He declared that he was willing to lead the armies himself, if no better general could be found : lie spoke with confidence of special revelations, and pre ternatural assurances of success.
As he travelled from place to place, the hermit exhi bited, in his own per son, the most complete specimen of monkish abstemiousness and frantic enthusiasm. His body, which was covered with a coarse garment, seemed wasted with fasting; his head was bare, his feet naked ; he bore aloft in his hand a large and weighty crucifix; and his prayers were frequent, lung, and loud. Ile ac costed every person whom he nut ; and entered, without hesitation, both the palaces of the great and wealthy, and the cottages of the pour. If the power of eloquence is to be estimated by the effects which it produces,, it cer tainly did not expire with Demosthenes and Cicero. The exhortations of the Hermit to repentance and to arms, roused the people from their lethargy : he painted the sufR rings of the pilgrims in such glowing colours, that every heart was melted into compassion ; and touch ing, with the hand of a master, the chivalrous spirit of the age, he challenged the brave to rescue their bre thren from oppression, and to protect the holy earth in which their Saviour had been interred. Every eye kin dled with indignation as he spoke, and the sword was already drawn to carry into effect the purpose of Ven geance. Nor were these the only arts which were practised by this enthusiastic preacher. We have al ready hinted, that he built his hopes of success upon the assurances of heaven. He affirmed that Jesus Christ, and the holy Virgin his mother, had both appeared to him ; and he mentioned the names of many saints with whom he had personally conversed. lie even produced a letter, which he assured the people was written in heaven : it was addressed, he said, to all true Christians residing upon the earth ; and its only object was to rouse their courage, and to animate their zeal, in the great and pious work which he urged them to undertake. This letter, we presume, was not too curiously inspect ed. It was, perhaps, deemed unnecessary to examine it ; and sonic who might wish to satisfy themselves, might be unable, through the ignorance which prevailed, to decypher its contents.
In consequence of the zeal and the labours of the Hermit, a very considerable sensation was produced in many parts of Europe. It seemed to be just and rea sonable that the pilgrims should be relieved ; and it was acknowledged as the will of heaven, that holy se pulchre should no longer be defiled. Urban 11. the reigning Pope, availed himself of the predominating feeling. lie assembled a council at Clermont, in Au vergne. The prelates, great lords, and princes of Eu rope, with their numerous retainers, hastily obeyed the summons. No house could be found large enough to receive the multitude that were met together, and Cie deliberations took place in the open air. The pope himself, the head of all the churches, and represema live of thc true God, addressed the council : he made a powerful and deep impression upon the audience, es pecially the French who were present, and whose Ilia racier, naturally susceptible and impetuous, rendered them the most proper subjects for the papal oratory The hermit in his turn was not deficient. Plenary in dulgence, and full absolution, were proclaimed to all who should devote themselves to the service of the cross. And such was the effect, that the whole as sembly, as if moved by sonic divine impulse, cried ot.t one voice, " It is the will of God ! it is the will of God I" Nor were these, by any means, words without import or consequence. An incredible number en listed themselves in the sacred cause : peasants and ar tisans, nobles with extensive domains, and sovereign; renowned for their romantic valour, eagerly pressed forward, and requested permission to fight under 'h., consecrated banner. Early in the year 1096, no fewer than 500,000 men, under the orders of l'etcr the Her mit, and Gautier or Walter the i\loueylcss, set out from the confines of France and Lorraine, and marched through Hungary and Bulgaria, to the capital of the Grecian empire. These, however, were an undisci plined rabble ; labourers, indolent tradesmen, malefac tors let loose from prison, monks and slaves; all, in short, to whom warfare was an amusement, or plunder was desirable. Many of them were partially armed, others were latterly unprovided with any military Wea pon. Behind this promiscuous and noisy assemblage, more like the collected banditti of Europe than a con stituted soldiery, the regular troops advanced. These were men properly trained and appointed ; conducted by the leaders of their respective nations or provinces, eager for the combat, as well as experienced in the field. By universal consent, the supreme command was conferred on the illustrious Godfrey of Bouillon, duke of Lorraine. He was supported by Baldevin his brother; Robert, duke of Normandy ; Hugh, count of Vermaindois; Raymond, count of Tholouse; and Ste phen, count of Blois. When the troops were numbered on the plains of Asia, they amounted to 700,000 fight ing men. The fortune or the crusaders was various. Many of the soldiers died in battle, or perished through fatigue, and the diseases incident to the climate. In the end, however, the holy city was taken, and puri fied from infidel pollution ; and Godfrey was saluted " King of Jerusalem" by all the troops under his com mand. The expedition itself has formed the subject of the well known epic poem of Tasso, a work inferior only to that or Milton, in modern times, if it be at all inferior; and ever to be named with those of Homer and Virgil, among the ancients, when we are verifying, by examples, the extent of the human genius.