San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-01-05
THE FIRST CRUSADE.
REMARKABLE ARMY THAT WENT
TO CAPTURE THE HOLY LAND.

Came-3Ien Who Led.
Peter the Hermit was monk of Pr
cardy, who had made pilgrimage to
Jerusalem. While there he had wit
messed the sufferings of those who tried
to preserve the true faith among the
hordes of barbarians who had swarmed
upon and now possessed the lands of
Asia Minor. He saw the shocking prof
anations IF the sacred places of the Holy
City, and his heart burned within him
to release it from its oppression. At
nighttime dreams came to him from
which it was pointed out to him that his
mission was to rouse the nations of Eu-
rope to holy war.
Fired with this ambition, he made his
way back to France. The reports of his
powerful preaching spread, and greater
numbers flock each day to hear him.
Finally, in November of 1895, such
company is gathered as probably has
never been seen together before.
ThS@iain of La Limagne, in Auvergne,
was covered with white tents, in which
We're lodged 10000 people, 1000 priests
and 400 bishops and abbots We're there,
while also there was there one man who
was mightier than all of them, Urban
Ii, pope of Rome, to whom all western
Europe did homage.
A lofty stand had been erected in the
open air, for no building would accom-
modate the throng. Upon this sat the
pope, and beside him stood the hermit,
holding aloft the cross. With burning
words and fearful eyes he described the
shameful sights he had witnessed in
Jerusalem. and called for volunteers to
90 with him to wrest the Holy City from
the infidel.
His appeal was seconded by Urban,
who promised all who fought that if
they won the land they conquered should
be theirs: while if they died place in
heaven should surely be their reward.
The cross was held out to them and they
We're invited to come forward and take
it to wear upon their persons as the badge
of their devotion.
Adhimar de Monteri, bishop of Puy,
was the first to come forward, and thou
sands poured after MIN.
The excitement spread and all Europe
resounded with the preparations for this
undertaking. Peter, with excess of zeal
and absolute lack of wisdom, gathered a
multitude of peasant men, women and
children. unarmed and unprovided with
the sustenance for the march which he
undertook to lead in person to Jerusa-
lem across the mountainous parts of
central Europe.
Extorting food from the people among
whom they passed, and set upon by
them in revenge, the pilgrims fell in
every road, cut down by sickness, star
walton and the sword. Others no doubt
ran back to their deserted homes, until
in Hungary Peter found himself alone.
Meanwhile very different army had
been gathering on all sides, made up of
the very flower of chivalry of all the
European nations.
Godfrey de Bouillon, duke of Lor-
raine. the Count of Toulaun, Barmond,
Tancred, Felei de la Flichs and many
another warrior whose name stands high
in history leu their armies to join the
host.
William Rufus was now king of Eng
land, a man so avaricious and unscrupu-
lous that he never hesitated to take by
force any possession of his mobiles that
was left unguarded. Under such a mas
ter it is not strange that the English no.
bles were loath to leave their castles for
so long a journey, and hence few Eng
lish names have figured in the first cru
SADIE.
Impetuous. improvident, trustful Rob
ert of Normandy, however, who never
could remember evil of his brother the
next day after he had most cruelty
abused him, now turns to William for
aid. His generous heart burning TO re-
lieve the sufferings of the Holy Land
leads him TO sacrifice every future pros
pect for the purpose of obtaining the
means of gratifying the present impulse.
He mortgages his duchy of Normandy
to his brother William Rufus, king of
England, and with his money thus OBJ
tanned fits out his portion OF the holy
army.
The science of navigation was in that
age too crude to be able to provide
means of transit for so large an army
by water, and the whole force, 5o0,OO
infantry and 100000 cavalry, marched
by land across central Europe and over
the Hellespont into Asia Minor.
The pitiless sun. the finty soil, q
strange climate, lack of food, want of
water, all fought on the side of the Turk
against the Crusaders, and the path of
the devoted army was marked by trail
of graves.
At Nicea. at Antioch, and in other
places the contending armies met. AS