The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-05-16

Rev. John ]. Loughran, of this city,
delivered a most able illustrated lee
ture last night in st. Thomas College
hall on "The Crusaders" 1t was the
second lecture in the series being given
for the benefit of the Catholic Young
Women's club, and was very largely
attended.
Father Loughran's lecture revealed
him as a most earnest and intelligent
student of history, and in the two
hours during which he spoke, he gave
a comprehensive survey of the eight
cruasdes undertaken in the Middle
Ages.
He pointed out in beginning that the
crusades, taken as a whole, form the
most important wars in the history of
the Middle Ages. Not only were the
nations of Europe arrayed against one
another, but two religions, the Chris
tian and the Mohammedan, were con-
tending for supremacy. "It is esti-,
mated" said Father Loughran, that
over 5000, 900 lives were lost in the cru
sades, and it is very doubtful If the
good that accrued from them is com
mensurate with this frightful mortal
ity."
PILGRIMAGES TO PALESTINE.
From the very earliest centuries of
the Christian era, he explained, Chris
tians had been in the habit of making
pilgrimages to. Palestine and Jerusa-
lem, and had been unmolested and al
lowed to pass in peace until the tenth
century, when they began to be perse-
cuted by the Mussulmans. The tales
told by some of them on their return
from the Holy Land aroused strong
desire in many hearts throughout Eu-
rope to wrest the city of Jerusalem
from the Moslems.
Peter, the Hermit, of Amieras France,
a monk, became inspired with a desire
to free Jerusalem in the latter part of
the eleventh century, having made a
pilgrimage and seen with his own eyes
the terrible prosecutions of Christians
in Asia. He secured the sanction Of
Pope Urban II. and journeyed over the
| larger part of Europe, arousing the
people to take up arms and fight to
| wrest the Holy Land from the hands of
| the Mohammetans.
His success was magical, and in the
| spring of 1896 there gathered on the
western frontiers of France over 250000
men, women and children. This was
| before the time chosen by Peter, and
| before the forces could be properly Or
| ganized they surged over into Hun
gary, committing the most dreadful de-
| vastations. They were almost eXter-
minated in a few months by the Hun
| garian peasantry.
In the meantime the barons and no.
| bility had gathered in Constantinople
| an army of 100000, representing the
| flower of European chivalry. This
| force met with such terrible disaster,
well equipped and provisioned as it
was at first, that when Jerusalem was
| reached in June, 1898, there were only
| 1900 cavalry, 10000 foot soldiers and
as many pilgrims left of the immense
| army of over half a million. Jerusa-
lem was taken on June l. 1899, and for
fifty years was held under Christian
| rule.
SECOND CRUSADE.
The lecturer then told of the Sec
ond crusade, which was preached by
ST. Bernard, and to which King Louis
| VII, of France, and King Conrad III,
of Germany, lent their support, This
crusade was more successful, and
Jerusalem was reached and retaken in
1149. The third crusade, in which
Richard the Hearted, of England,
Philip, of France, and Frederick, of
| Germany, Joined hands was next
spoken of. During this crusade the
most terrible battle of all history was
fought, the battle of Arsur in which
tens of thousands of men were slain
The Fourth crusade was nothing
more than a pilgrimage, he said
as the crusaders never reached
the Holy Land. The fifth crusade was
inaugurated through the efforts OF
Pope Innocent III. and was essential
ly a French crusade, though the Vene-
tians assisted to a certain extent. En-
thusiasm for the sixth crusade was
aroused by an army of 10000 children
who marched through Europe singing
Lord Jesus, restore to us youl
precious cross"
Father Loughran dwelt briefly upor
the seventh and eighth crusades
which were the two last. In both ot
these King Louis TX, of France, VIII,
has since been canonzed as a saint
was the leader. He lost his life il
the last crusade. After this eight
crusade the enthusiasm for this kinC
of warfare gradually decreased, anC
men sptnt their lives trying to arous
it, hut to no avail
The lecturers descriptions were mos
vivid, and he did not hesitate to sa!
that many, many times the crusader
We're so led away by their enthusiastic
zeal that they committed the mos
horrible indiscretions, after massacre
ing thCI sands of men. women ant
children at a time. The lecture wa
illustrated throughout with a serie
m a m N IN Au .1n AUR~