ment of death, he favoured the tribunal of the Inquisition; and the same turn of thinking led him to ascribe merit to a war against infidels. His humane heart became a prey to the barbarous superstition of the times. When. a dangerous illness had deprived him of his senses, and almost of his life, his heated imagination took fire, and he thought he heard a voice commanding him to shed the blood of infidels! He accordingly made a vow that, as soon as he recovered, he would engage in a new Cru sade, and he immediately took the cross. Nor could any remonstrances induce him to forego his purpose; he considered his vow as a sacred and indissoluble obligation. A. D. 1244. But though not to be dissuaded from his Eastern expedition, Louis was in no haste to depart. Four years were spent in making preparations and settling the government of his kingdom, which he committed to the care of his mother; and at length, in 1248, he set sail for Cyprus, accompanied by his queen, his three brothers, and almost all the knights of France. Arriving at Cyprus, it was resolved to make a descent upon Egypt, as it was supposed that Jerusalem and the Holy Land could not be preserved while that country remained in the hands of the infidels. Louis and his army, therefore, landed on the Egyptian coast, near to the city of Damietta; which, contrary to all expectation, was abandoned to them. Here he received fresh succours from France; and found himself in the plains of Egypt at the head of sixty thousand men, the flower of his kingdom, by whom he was both obeyed and loved. Yet this Crusade, like all the rest, ended only in sorrow and disappointment. One half of these fine troops fell a prey to sickness and debauchery; the other part was defeated by the Sultan, at Massoura, where Louis beheld his brother Robert, count of Artois, killed by his side, and himself taken prisoner, SECT. IV.] General effects of the crusading Expeditions. 455 with his two other brothers, the counts of Anjou and Poutiers, and all his nobility. A. D. 1250. During the king's captivity, the queen mother granted permission to a fanatical monk to preach a new Crusade for her son's release; and this man, availing himself of the pastoral circumstances attending our Lord's nativity, assembled nearly a hundred thousand of the rabble, whom he denominated "shepherds." It soon appeared, however, that their more appropriate title would have been that of wolves; for, wherever they came, they robbed and pillaged without either regard to justice or mercy; so that it was at length found necessary to disperse them by force of arms; and even that was not effected without some difficulty. The death of the queen mother in the mean time, made it necessary for Louis to return to France; and to effect this, after a captivity of more than three years, he purchased his ransom, and that of his nobles, for a thousand pieces of gold; but he returned only to prepare for a new Crusade, so strongly had this mania infected his mind! A. D. 1254. But it is needless to prosecute this subject further in detail. Enough, and more than enough, has been said to convince the reader of the deplorable state of darkness and superstition which reigned throughout Europe, to say nothing of Asia and Africa, during this period. Yet these romantic expeditions, though barbarous and destructive in themselves, were not without some beneficial results to the state of society: they were rendered subservient to the welfare of the community, and of individuals. · The Crusades being conducted under the immediate protection of the Roman church, and its heaviest anathemas being denounced against all who should molest their persons or their property, private hostilities were for a time suspended or extinguished; the feudal sovereigns became more powerful, and their vassals less turbulent; a more steady administration of justice was introduced, and some advances were made towards regular government. Nor were the commercial effects of the Crusades less considerable than their political influence. Many ships were necessary to transport the prodigious armies which Europe poured forth, as well as to supply them with provisions. Those ships were principally furnished by the Venetians and Genoese, who thereby acquired immense sums of money, and at the same time opened to themselves a new source of wealth, by importing into Europe the commodities of Asia. The cities of Italy grew rich and powerful, and obtained extensive privileges; and some of them erected themselves into independent states, or communities, the establishment of which may be considered as the first grand step towards civilization in modern Europe.* * Hume's History of England, vol. i. ch.v. Robertson's Charles V. vol. i. APPENDIX. Russel's History of Modern Europe, vol, i. Lett. xxv, xxvii. xxx. xxxi. xxxii. xxxiv. E. W. MORRIS, Printer, END OF VOL. 1. ERRATA IN VOL. I. THE author's distance from the press not allowing him the opportunity of revising the proof sheets of this volume, he regrets that the carelessness of the printer should lay him under the necessity of requesting the Following corrections to be made with a pen. 167 2 autographs. for it is read is it. from the bottom, read he shed his blood. 307 3 of the NOTE, read Roman. 314.. 317. .84 for after read often. .40 320. .28 .... From page 321 to 329, 332. .25 411. 4 412. 1 423. .... 27 of the NOTE, for us in read us is. 444. ....16 for seige read siege. |