The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-09-04
THE NATIONAL ERA. WASHINGTON D. c. SEPTEMBER H. 1851

lance TO lance. But the excited nerves and
famished bodies Of the Crosses were no match
for the wel-fed enemy, and at length the
glimpses of the sacred relic, which Bishop Adj
hemar still contrived to bear aoft in the melee.
failed TO supply the necessary strength, and
they began TO contend not so much for victory
as safety.
But even this turn of affairs had been fore
seen, and preparations made to avoid the result.
by the polite chiefs and priests. A wellenact-
ed scheme once more revived the dropping
courage OF the troops, and turned the scale OF
victory in their favor. At the most perilous
crisis, several figures, mounted on white horses
and clothed in white armor, appeared on the
summit OF the neighboring hills. Bishop AID
hemar ran through the ranks, pointing TO the
spectacle, and crying, Behold, soldiers, the
promised aid from God! and the soldiers, believ-
ing that truly the martyred saints had come to
their AID. shouted again and again their battle
cry, ." Deus i'd vult! and, without waiting
Tor the cooperation OF their celestial allies, rush
ed upon their astonished foes with such rresst-
ible fury that they threw down their arms and
fed.
From that time the sacred lance became an
object OF supersutious reverence to the Crosses,
and even IFS keeper, the naughty Count Ray
mond, came In for share of this reverence
being considered, in virtue of his office, one
highly favored of God. But his treachery
to hls confederates, some time subsequent,
weakened this feeling, and the precedence that
he owed his followers, claimed on account of
their office, excited the envy and disgust of the
troops. AT length, Borhemond Of Tarentum,
the newly created Prince of Antioch, his an
Gent rival, openly ayowed his belief that the
lance was an imposition. His skepticism was
contagious, so much so that new revelations
from Heaven were published by Peter Barthel-
envy to establish It's authenticity. But these
did not produce conviction in the minds of the
doubters, who increased so rapidly that some
stringent measures were thought necessary to
punish their unbelief
Accordingly, Peter Barthelemy received
another revelation, requiring every one who
dared TO doubt that the lance was the identical
weapon that had pierced the side of Christ, to
be put to death. Several unfortunate persons
were executed for their want of faith, but their
death did not silence the doubts of the skepticS,
! among whom were several noble chiefs, and
the talented but profigate Arnold, chaplain of
the Duke of Normandy. So fierce did the con-
tention become at last, that the Lombard monk
offered TO prove his truth, and convince them
all that he was the accredited agent of Heaven,
by undergoing the fiery ordeal. This was a
s,rahge mode OF uiai, much practicedx t!k.,,-
days, in which an accused person proved his in
nocence by walking barefooted through an i'm
mense fire, which element was supposed TO be
the agent of God, and incapable of injurng any
but the guilty. A regular course of fasting and
prayer preceded the trial, and on the appointed
day the wretched fanatic. bearing the sacred
lance in his hand, rushed into the flames, which
soon completely enveloped and destroyed both
him and the fatal weapon