The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-10-04
Tr1THR TIE HERMIT.

were erected on the most sacred sp0ts Of
Christian history; and heathenlsm TIL
umphed in the possession of the Holy City
of two religions. On the esta blishment OF
Christianity in the Roman Empire, by Con-
stantine, in the year 32l, this state OF things
was changed. Palestine and Jerusalem
became objects of interest to all Christians,
and crowds Of pilgrins went to visit the
localities celebrated by the Evangelists
Splendid churches were erected on the
ascertained by historical evidence, or
pointed ont by vague tradition, as the
scene of any of the memorable events IN
the life Of Christ and His apostles, was
marked by chapel or q house of prayer.
Jerusalem and the Holy Land became the
residing in the churches aud monasteries
which the piety of the wealthy had founded
for them made it their occupation to point
out to pilgrims the various localities which
they had come to see, and to exhibit molly
relics connected with the Saviour's lie and
sufferings,-.
The sufferings of the Christians Of Pales-
tine under the Fatimite caliphs were insig-
-nifcant, compared with those which they
endured after the invasion and conquest OF
Palestine by the Turkish hordes in lO65.
But recently converted to MOslemism, and,
therefore, more rude and faDatical than the
other Mohammedans, these Turks wreaked
their vengeance on all alike-Christians,
Jews. and even native Mahommedans. "No
description" says the Able VertOt, in his
F" History Of the knights of Malta, y !" can
give a conception of all the cruelties which
they committed" Numbers OF the CHRIS
tians were butchered; the Hospital of st.
John, founded for the relief Of pilgrims,
about seventeen years before, by some
pious Italian merchants, who had obtained
q piece of ground for the purpose, was
plnndered. And these barbarians would
have destroyed the Holy Scpulchre, had
not their avarice restrained them. The
fear of losing the revenues raised upon the
pilgrims of the West preserved the tomb
of our Saviour. OF the pilgrims, not one
out of three returned to recount his hard
ships, OF to thrill the hearts of his relatives
| and fellow villagers at home with descrip-
tions of Jerusalem and its environs-the
Mount of Olives, the Garden of Gethsemani,
the place of crucifxiOn, and the Holy Sc
| pulchre. ~ 5.;.tr... .e9 :,
Among those who undertook the pill
grimage to Jerusalem, when the dangers
attending it were greatest, was a native OF
! Amiens, in France, named Peter, OF whose
life, up to this period, all that we know is,
that he had served as a soldier in his youth;
had afterward married c lady of rank, but
poor and old /; and had finally abjured the
world from religious motives, and become
a monk and an ascetic, obtaining from
those who knew.Aim and his solitary man
To atone for some crime which haunted hi:
conscience, or for the sins Of his youth il
general, Peter resolved on pilgrimage tt
the Holy Land. Of the particulars of his
journey thither we have no record we
only know that lie arrived at Jerusalem il
o Christians eyes, His, however, was no
mind to be contented with the mere re
, !, fined enjoyment of having seen what other
had not seen-with the mere pleasure o
having walked in the streets and suburb
of Jerusalem. No! AS he walked alOnl
these streets and suburbs, gazing at thi
and that holy spot, insolent and contempt
uous Turks looking on and mocking, hi
. spirit burned and grew bitter within him
/ and his hand clenched itself convulsively
. as if longing for sword. At night, hi
discourse with the Latin Christian in who's
house he lodged was about Jerusalem
g ancient glory, its present degradation, tn
: hopes of its future restoration; and on tn
a same theme he descanted much wit
: Simeon, the pious Greek patriarch of Jeru
: salem, in whom, although heretical i
e many points which Peter, as Lati
Christian, deemed important, he found, i
: the main, a congenial spirit.
: Urban II, who was then Pope, was a
!, able and humane man, and both by natura
:, character and by education, as the pup
IL and protege of his predecessor, Gregor
!, VII, quite prepared to enter into schem
so IaVOraOle TO Gne uOninanCe u tne L app
power the CT usades. The state of Europe
: however, and of Italy in particular, wa
= such as to make it desirable that he shoul
Is sound the sentiments of Christendom wit
e regard to the enterprise before he actual
: appeared as it's head. In other words, !
e resolved that the Crusades should
g preached from the pulpits of the chure
before they were commanded by Pap
) bull. Calling the Hermit, therefore, |
N applauded his zeal, expressed his sympatf
ut with his views, and exhorted him to trav
If through Europe, and stir up the enthusias
of of the people in behalf OF the great ente
D. prise to which he had devoted himse
It, Thus encouraged, the Hermit departe
er going from town to town and from villa,
Cd e z.iIlano and in tie lannuane of III