Boemond was far surpassed by his relation Tancred nor 'mongst them all was one a prince of greater might; With majesty his noble countenance shone; High were his thoughts, his heart was bold in fight; HUGH the GREAT, count of Vermandois, was brother of Philip, king of France. His valour, the dignity of his mien, and the elegance of his person, have all been celebrated as worthy of the royal race from which he sprang. He headed one of the largest divisions of the crusading army, and was the first to commence the march. Stephen of Blois, who eventually joined him, is said to have been master of as many cities as there are days in the year.† But the most renowned of all the great leaders in the First Crusade was GODFREY of BOUILLON. He was son of Eustace, count of Bouillon, but more ennobled maternally, having descended by that line from Charlemagne, and inheriting much of the character of his imperial ancestor, both in body and in mind. Like him also he was celebrated for his love of letters, a taste which he probably derived from his mother Ida, daughter of the ancient Godfrey, duke of Lorraine. All the historians of the Crusades unite in pronouncing upon him the * Tasso's Jerusalem Delivered, book i. Guibertus, lib. iii. cap. i. Robertus Monachus, lib. ii. Albertus, lib. ii. cap. xviii. William of Malmesbury, p. 417. Robertus Monachus, lib. ii. Guibertus, lib. ii. caps. xiv. xv. highest eulogiums. According to Robert the Monk, he was beautiful in countenance, tall in stature, pleasant in discourse, and withal so gentle in disposition, that he appeared more of the monk than the soldier. But in battle his soul became filled with mighty daring, like a lion he rushed to the encounter, and what shield or buckler could sustain the fall of his sword? William of Malmesbury declares him to be second to none in military virtue, and speaks of him as that brilliant mirror of Christian nobility, in which, as in a splendid ceiling, the lustre of every virtue was reflected.* The most distinguished leader of the Crusades, Godfrey, is the hero of Tasso's Jerusalem Delivered. But even the eulogium of the poet does not surpass that of the olden chroniclers. Trained from boyhood to bear arms, he early dedicated his service to the emperor, Henry iv., whom he supported in his quarrels with the pope; and in the siege of Rome he was the first to effect a breach in part of the wall which was assigned for his attack, thus facilitating the entrance of the besiegers. Here he was seized with fever, from which he was never free, until hearing the report of the expedition to Jerusalem, he made a vow to go thither, if God would graciously restore his health. The moment, says William of Malmesbury, this vow was made, the strength of the duke revived, so that, recovering apace, he shook disease from his limbs, and rising with * In allusion to the custom of painting and gilding the ceiling. expanded breast, as it were from years of decrepitude, shone with renovated youth. The expedition was only the realization of a longcherished desire. Years before the Crusade had been preached, he had been heard to express his ardent wish to go on pilgrimage to the holy city, not as other pilgrims went, but at the head of a powerful army. Associated with Godfrey were Baldwin his brother, Baldwin of the mountains, Hugh, count of St. Paul, the count of Gray, Renardus, count of Tullensis, and other distinguished nobles, who cheerfully ranged themselves and their retainers under the banner of so illustrious a commander.* The great leaders pursued respectively their own route, nor was it till they reached the plains of Bithynia that they and their followers formed into one vast armament. The march was commenced on the 15th of August, 1096, and was prosecuted with as much regularity and order as belonged to any military expeditions of the times. In this respect it presented a pleasing contrast to the wild excesses of the frantic multitudes who had gone before. Nothing of any moment transpired, till the forces of Godfrey reached the territories of the king of Hungary. Here the sight of the unburied corpses of the fanatic crowds, who had • Gulielmus Tyrii, lib. ii. cap. i. Guibertus, lib. ii. cap. xii. Robertus Monachus, lib. 1. William of Malmesbury, book iv. pp. 417, 444, 447. Tasso's Jerusalem Delivered, book i. 8. book iii. 59. been slain near Mersburg-an appalling spectacle—arrested their attention. Godfrey calmly proceeded to investigate the matter, and instantly dispatched messengers to the monarch, demanding an explanation. The king of Hungary was assured, that if the punishment inflicted was deserved, it should be patiently endured without resentment, but if, on the other hand, it should appear that the innocent had been delivered up to death without cause, the Crusaders would not suffer it to pass unnoticed, but would at once avenge the blood of their brethren. The explanations of Carloman satisfied the soldiers of the cross, and after mutual expressions of confidence between them and the Hungarian sovereign, they proceeded peacefully on their way.* * The Greek emperors were never cordially affected towards the Crusade. They had, indeed, craved the assistance of the west against their common enemies the Turks, but they had no idea of all Europe being aroused to arms in the contest; and when they beheld the magnitude of the movement, and the vast armies which passed through their territories, they began to fear their Christian allies as much as they had their Mohammedan invaders. To adopt the plain-spoken and descriptive words of Fuller, "They suspected that these western Christians made a false blow at Jerusalem, and meant to hit Constantinople."† Alexius, there* Gulielmus Tyrii, lib. ii. cap. i. + Fuller's Historie of the Holy Warre, book i. cap. xv. fore, felt that he had a double policy to pursue. The Crusades must be received and welcomed on the one hand, while on the other, pledges of attachment and fidelity to his government must be extorted from them. They must be encouraged to prosecute their enterprise, and yet thwarted as much as possible in its execution. The emperor must appear to aid them, and at the same time do all in his power to hinder them. Hence, to quote again the old English ecclesiastical historian, 66 Though he had a storm in his heart, he made all fair weather in his face, and finding his guests so strong that they could command their welcome, he entertained them rather from fear than from love. e."** The first to experience the effects of this policy was Hugh the Great, he being the first to reach the eastern empire. He had taken the road through Italy, and crossing the Adriatic sea, landed at Durazzo, with only a few of his troops, to wait the arrival of those who were to follow him. Here he remained for some little time in confident security. Alexius-thinking that if he could secure the allegiance of the first of the great military leaders who had entered his dominions, and he one of the most distinguished for rank and influence, the allegiance of the rest would be certain ordered the person of the count to be seized, and he was accordingly conveyed as a prisoner to Constantinople, some say in chains, but others, with * William of Malmesbury, book iv. cap. ii. p. 418. |