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infidels. I doubt whether the minds of the people are quite prepared, but

I hear that there has been much preaching by friars and monks in some

parts, and that many are eager to join in the war."

"Think you that you will go to the war, Sir Walter?" Cuthbert asked.

"I know not as yet; it must much depend upon the king's mood. For

myself, I care not so greatly as some do about this question of the Holy

Land. There has been blood enough shed already to drown it, and we are no

nearer than when the first swarms of pilgrims made their way thither."

On Cuthbert's returning home and telling his mother all that had passed,

she shook her head, but said that she could not oppose his wishes to go

with the earl when the time should come, and that it was only right he

should follow in the footsteps of the good knight his father.

"I have heard much of these Crusades," he said; "canst tell me

about them?"

"In truth I know not much, my son; but Father Francis, I doubt not, can

tell you all the particulars anent the affair."

The next time that Father Francis, who was the special adviser of Dame

Editha, rode over from the convent on his ambling nag, Cuthbert eagerly

asked him if he would tell him what he knew of the Crusades.

"Hitherto, my son," he said, "the Crusades have, it must be owned,

brought many woes upon Europe. From the early times great swarms

of pilgrims were accustomed to go from all parts of Europe to the

holy shrines.

"When the followers of the evil prophet took possession of the land, they

laid grievous burdens upon the pilgrims, heavily they fined them,

persecuted them in every way, and treated them as if indeed they were but

the scum of the earth under their feet.

"So terrible were the tales that reached Europe that men came to think

that it would be a good deed truly, to wrest the sepulchre of the Lord

from the hands of these heathens. Pope Urban was the first to give

authority and strength to the movement, and at a vast meeting at

Claremont of 30,000 clergy and 4000 barons, it was decided that war must

be made against the infidel. From all parts of France men flocked to

hear Pope Urban preach there; and when he had finished his oration, the

vast multitude, carried away by enthusiasm, swore to win the holy

sepulchre or to die.

"Mighty was the throng that gathered for the First Crusade. Monks threw

aside their gowns and took to the sword and cuirass; even women and

children joined in the throng. What, my son, could be expected from a

great army so formed? Without leaders, without discipline, without

tactics, without means of getting food, they soon became a scourge of the

country through which they passed.

"Passing through Hungary, where they greatly ravaged the fields, they

came to Bulgaria. Here the people, struck with astonishment and dismay at

this great horde of hungry people who arrived among them like locusts,

fell upon them with the sword, and great numbers fell. The first band

that passed into that country perished miserably, and of all that huge

assembly, it may be said that, numbering, at the start, not less than

250,000 persons, only about 100,000 crossed into Asia Minor. The fate of

these was no better than that of those who had perished in Hungary and

Bulgaria. After grievous suffering and loss they at last reached Nicaea.

There they fell into an ambuscade; and out of the whole of the

undisciplined masses who had followed Peter the Hermit, it is doubtful

whether 10,000 ever returned home.

"This first attempt to rescue the holy sepulchre was followed by others

equally wild, misguided, and unfortunate. Some of them indeed began their

evil deeds as soon as they had left their home. The last of these bodies

fell upon the Jews, who are indeed enemies of the Christian faith, but

who have now, at least, nothing to do with the question of the holy

sepulchre. As soon as they entered into Germany the Crusaders put them to

death with horrible torture. Plunder and rapine indeed appeared to be the

object of the crusaders. On this as well as on most other preceding

bands, their misdeeds drew down the vengeance of the people. At an early

period of their march, and as soon as they reached Hungary, the people

fell upon them, and put the greater portion to the sword.

"Thus, in these irregular expeditions no less than 500,000 people are

supposed to have perished. Godfrey de Bouillon was the first who

undertook to lead a Crusade according to the military knowledge of the

day. With him were his brothers Eustace and Baldwin, the Counts of Anault

and St. Paul, and many other nobles and gentlemen, with their retainers,

well armed and under good order; and so firm was the discipline of Duke

Godfrey that they were allowed to pass freely, by the people of the

countries who had opposed the previous bands.

"Through Hungary, Bulgaria, and Thrace he made his way; and though he

met with many difficulties from Alexius, the crafty and treacherous

Emperor of the Greeks, he at last succeeded in crossing into Asia.

There he was joined by many from England, as well as from France and

other countries. Duke Robert, the son of our first William, led a

strong band of Normans to the war, as did the other great princes of

France and Spain.

"The army which crossed the narrow passage of the Hellespont is estimated

at no less than 700,000 fighting men. Of these 100,000 were knights clad

in complete armour, the remainder were men-at-arms and bowmen.

"Nicaea, the place which had been the scene of the massacre of Peter the

Hermit's hosts, was taken after a desperate conflict, lasting for many

weeks, and the crusaders afterwards defeated the Turks in a great battle

near the town of Doryleum. After these successes disputes arose among the

leaders, and Count Baldwin, brother of Duke Godfrey, left the main body

with about 1500 men, and founded a kingdom for himself in Mesopotamia.

"The main body, slowly and painfully, and suffering from disease, famine,

and the heat, made its way south. Antioch, a city of great strength and

importance, was besieged, but it proved so strong that it resisted for

many months, and was at last only taken by treachery.

"After the capture of this place the sufferings of the crusaders so far

from being diminished were redoubled. They themselves during the siege

had bought up all the food that could be brought from the surrounding

country, while the magazines of the town were found, when an entry was

effected, to be entirely deserted. The enemy, aided by a great Persian

host, came down, and those who had been the besiegers were now besieged.

However, when in the last strait the Christian army sallied out, and

inspired with supernatural strength, defeated the Turks and Persians,

with a slaughter of 100,000 men. Another slow movement to the south

brought them into the Holy Land, and pressing forward, they came at last

within sight of Jerusalem itself.

"So fearful had been the losses of the crusaders that of 700,000 who

crossed the Hellespont, not more than 40,000 reached the end of the

pilgrimage. This fragment of an army, which had appeared before a very

strongly fortified town, possessed no means of capturing the place--none

of the machines of war necessary for the purpose, no provisions or

munitions of any kind. Water was scarce also; and it appeared as if the

remnant of the great army of Godfrey de Bouillon had arrived before

Jerusalem only to perish there.

"Happily just at this time a further band of crusaders from Genoa, who

had reached Jaffa, made their appearance. They were provided with stores,

and had skilled workmen capable of making the machines for the siege. On

July 14th, 1099, the attack was made, and after resistance gallant and

desperate as the assault, the crusaders burst into the city, massacred

the whole of the defenders and inhabitants, calculated at 70,000 in

number, and so became masters of the holy sepulchre.

"The Sultan of Egypt was meanwhile advancing to the assistance of the

Mohammedans of Syria; but Godfrey, with 20,000 of his best men, advanced

to meet the vast host, and scattered them as if they had been sheep.

Godfrey was now chosen King of Jerusalem, and the rest of his army--save

300 knights and 200 soldiers, who agreed to remain with him--returned to

their home. The news of the victory led other armies of crusaders to

follow the example of that of Godfrey; but as these were almost as

completely without organization or leadership as those of Peter the

Hermit, they suffered miserably on their way, and few indeed ever

reached the Holy Land. Godfrey died in 1100, and his brother Baldwin

succeeded him.

"The history of the last 100 years has been full of fresh efforts to

crush the Moslem power, but hitherto it cannot be said that fortune has

attended the efforts of the Christians. Had it not been indeed for the

devotion of the Knights of St. John and of the Templars, two great

companies formed of men who devoted their lives to the holding of the

sepulchre against the infidel, our hold of the Holy Land would have

been lost.

"Gradually the Saracens have wrested post after post from our hands.

Edessa was taken in 1144, and the news of this event created an intense

excitement. The holy St. Bernard stirred up all France, and Louis VII.

himself took the vow and headed a noble army. The ways of God are not our

ways, and although the army of Germany joined that of France, but little

results came of this great effort. The Emperor Conrad, with the Germans,

was attacked by the Turk Saladin of Iconium, and was defeated with a loss

of 60,000 men. The King of France, with his army, was also attacked with

fury, and a large portion of his force were slaughtered. Nothing more

came of this great effort, and while the first Crusade seemed to show

that the men-at-arms of Europe were irresistible, the second on the

contrary gave proof that the Turks were equal to the Christian knights.

Gradually the Christian hold of the Holy Land was shaken. In 1187,

although fighting with extraordinary bravery, the small army of Christian

Knights of the Temple and of St. John were annihilated, the King of

Jerusalem was made prisoner, and the Christian power was crushed. Then

Saladin, who commanded the Turks, advanced against Jerusalem, and forced

it to capitulate.

"Such, my boy, is the last sad news which has reached us; and no wonder

that it has stirred the hearts of the monarchs of Europe, and that every

effort will be again made to recapture the holy sepulchre, and to avenge

our brethren who have been murdered by the infidels."

"But, Father Francis, from your story it would seem that Europe has

already sacrificed an enormous number of lives to take the holy

sepulchre, and that after all the fighting, when she has taken it, it is

only to lose it again."

"That is so, my son; but we will trust that in future things will be

better managed. The Templars and Hospitallers now number so vast a number

of the best lances in Europe, and are grown to be such great powers, that

we may believe that when we have again wrested the holy sepulchre from

the hands of the infidels they will be able to maintain it against all

assaults. Doubtless the great misfortunes which have fallen upon the

Christian armies have been a punishment from heaven, because they have

not gone to work in the right spirit. It is not enough to take up lance

and shield, and to place a red cross upon the shoulder. Those who desire

to fight the battle of the Lord must cleanse their hearts, and go forth

in the spirit of pilgrims rather than knights. I mean, not that they

should trust wholly to spiritual weapons--for in truth the infidel is a

foe not to be despised--but I mean, that they should lay aside all

thoughts of worldly glory, and rivalry one against another."

"And think you, Father, that such is the spirit with which King Richard

and the other kings and nobles now preparing to go to the Holy Land are

animated?"

Father Francis hesitated.

"It is not for me, my son, to judge motives, or to speak well or ill the

instruments who have been chosen for this great work. It is of all works

the most praiseworthy, most holy. It is horrible to think that the holy

shrines of Jerusalem should be in the hands of men who believe not in our

Redeemer; and I hold it to be the duty of every man who can bear arms, no

matter what his rank or his station, to don his armour and to go forth to

battle in the cause. Whether success will crown the effort, or whether

God wills it otherwise, it is not for man to discuss; it is enough that

the work is there, and it is our duty to do it."

"And think you, Father, that it will do good to England?"

"That do I, my son, whether we gain the Holy Land or no. Methinks that it

will do good service to the nation that Saxon and Norman should fight

together under the holy cross. Hitherto the races have stood far too

much apart. They have seen each other's bad qualities rather than good;

but methinks that when the Saxon and the Norman stand side by side on the

soil of the Holy Land, and shout together for England, it must needs bind

them together, and lead them to feel that they are no longer Normans and

Saxons, but Englishmen. I intend to preach on the village green at

Evesham next Sunday morning on this subject, and as I know you are in

communication with the forest men, I would, Cuthbert, that you would

persuade them to come in to hear me. You were wondering what could be

found for these vagrants. They have many of them long since lost the

habits of honest labour. Many of them are still serfs, although most have

been freed by the good earl and the knights his followers. Some of those

who would fain leave the life in the woods, still cling to it because

they think that it would be mean to desert their comrades, who being

serfs are still bound to lurk there; but methinks that this is a great

opportunity for them. They are valiant men, and the fact that they are