The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1871-06-24
The Crusades of the "NeW InnOcents.o

One of the most remarkable episodes
which took place in the middle ages has
been neglected by the historians-Gibbon
and Milman not even mentioning it in their
pages. 1t was called the children's crusade,
and took place in the thirteenth century.
1t was made up of two separate movements,
one in France and the other in Germany,
originating from common impulse, but
differing in particulars. A peasant boy of
Cloyes, France, Stephen by name, and
twelve years old, in the year 1912, believed
himself commanded by vision of the
Saviour to preach crusade to the boys of
France, promising them, under divine
leadership, an assured triumph. A letter
was given him to the King of France,
Philip Augustus, ordering him to assist tho
novel enterprise. Stephen made his way to
Paris, preaching everywhere on tho road,
showed his letter to the King, and estab-
lshed himself at St. Denys. Crowds fol-
lowed him. His fame spread throughout
France. He worked miracles, or was sup
posed to, and was called the prophet
Mimic prophets-children like himself
were sent through the kingdom, preaching
from the text "Out of the mouths of
babes and stockings hast thou perfected
praise, because of thine enemies, that thou
mayest still the enemy and the avenger."
Children, including girls, marched through
the towns with banners and torches, sing
ing: "Lord, restore Christendom, restore
to US the true and holy cross" Thirty
thousand marched from Vendome in June,
of whom twenty thousand reached Mar
settles, three hundred miles distant. Here
they expected the sea to divide and make
a road for them, as it did for the Israelites
Of old, but it did not. Many were disap-
pointed and returned home. Two mer-
chants, however, offered to fit out ships for
them, and five thousand of the youthful
heroes waited and embarked for the Prom
ised Land.
While this was going on, boy, Nicho-
las, was preaching the crusade at Cologne.
He collected an army of children, like
those Of the French Stephen, but contain
ing greater proportion of children of
high birth, and of girls. They marched
seven hundred miles over Mount Gents to
Genoa, encountering on the way success
sion of hardships and cruelties. OF the
thirty thousand who set out with Nicholas,
only seven thousand reached Genoa. They
also looked for the sea to open to them, but
it did not. Some of them remained at
Genoa, and became the founders of fami-
lies there. Others reached Rome, and were
sent home by the Pope.
Still another band left Germany and
crossed the st. Gothard, after which they
were scattered. Nothing was heard of the
expedition that embarked from Marseiiles
for eighteen years. But in 1880 an aged
priest arrived in Europe, who said he had
been with the party, and had now returned
to tell of their unhappy fate. The day
after leaving port they had been assaulted
by violent storm, and two of the seven
ships dashed to pieces on the rocks Of st.
Pietro, a little island off the southeastern
coast of Sardinia, and sunk with all their
crews of at least one thousand children
The pretending merchants turned out to
be slave-dealers. who had bargained to sell
the deluded children to the Mohammedans
fer their vile purposes. They were divided
into three companies /; some were taken to
Bujeiah, town on the African coast, about
one hundred miles east of Algiers, some to
Alexandria, some to Bagdad. Not one of
them ever returned to Europe. Not ono,
SO far as the old priest knew, could ever
be tempted to apostasy. The priests at
the caliph's court had piled them assidu-
ously with threats and promises to induce
them to renounce their faith. They ono
and all refused, and eighteen were put to
death on the spot, some by drowning, some
nv arrows The rest were reserved for 4