operations, for carrying on the war against the Mahometans. There were present, besides the princes and nobles of France, two legates of the pope; one of whom had attended the camp of the emperor, and the other that of Louis; Henry duke of Auftria, the emperor's brother; Frederick duke of Suabia, his nephew; with many other nobles of Germany and of Italy; the young king of Jerufalem; and all the principal lords of his kingdom. After fome deliberation, they unanimously refolved to lay fiege to Damafcus. Their forces united were fufficient to take that city, and they began very happily: but (as if a fpirit of infatuation had feized all those who engaged in this war) they changed their attack, when it was just on the point of being successful, and deprived themselves of the benefit of provifions and water, which they had been plentifully fupplied with, in their former fituation, but found no poffibility of procuring on the fide which they had removed to. Nor could they return, when they discovered the ill confequences of what they had done; because all the approaches were seized by the enemy, and strengthened with barricades, and other defences, which had been wanting before. It is faid, that this error in their conduct was owing to treacheFous counfels, given by the nobles of Paleftine; who, having notice of an intention, in the chiefs of the crufade, to deliver the city, when taken, to the earl of Flanders, as a ftate Book I. Book I. ftate independent on the kingdom of Jerufa lem, were fo much offended, that they rather wished to have it continue under the power of the Turks. Another reafon affigned for it is, that they were influenced by the prince of Antioch to defeat this undertaking, because he maliciously defired to difgrace the French king. And a strong suspicion prevailed of their having been bribed by the Turks of Damafcus. But these reports were all uncertain; nor (even admitting the truth of them) do they much serve to difculpate the emperor and his royal confederate, who certainly should not have altered the plan of their fiege, without a more careful attention to what might enfue from it, in deference to any opinions or counfels. 57, 94,96. Geft. Lud. vii. C. 27. The ill fuccess of this enterprize, and the jealoufy, which very naturally arose from thence, in the minds of the crufaders, that they were betrayed even by those they came V. Suger ep. to affift, made them unwilling to undertake any other. The emperor firft departed, and returned home by fea, without any further Villefore vie difafter; and after him most of the Germans and the French; but Louis, defiring to do fome act, which might ferve the Chriftian cause in those parts of the world, lingered in Palestine as long as he could; till the feditious cabals of the earl of Dreux, his brother, against him, in France, and the presfing inftances of abbot Suger, obliged him de Bernard. to Book I. to return to his kingdom. He failed to Calabria, and from thence went to Rome, where he very eagerly propofed to Eugenius the Third, who was ftill in that fee, the fending of Bernard to preach another crufade, in which he declared himself willing and ready to join. This appears almoft incredible: but the firmness of a hero is not fo invincible as the obstinacy of a bigot. Louis had a mixture of both in his mind, especially of the latter, and imagined that the blood of his innocent fubjects, fhed by him at Vitry, would be washed off from his foul by that of the Infidels. Even the shame of having failed in this expedition impelled him to another, wherein, by pursuing a different plan of conduct, he hoped to recover the honor he had loft. But other princes were far from being in the fame difpofition. All Europe was full of loud complaints against Bernard. Two hundred thoufand men had miferably perished in this crufade, which he had encouraged with prophecies of the most happy fuccefs: nor had one foot of land been gained from the Infidels, or the leaft fervice done to the Chriftians in Afia, for whofe benefit it was undertaken. One cannot therefore wonder, that the public refentment fhould fall very heavy on the chief author of fuch a fatal delufion. The apology, which he made for himself in v. Bernard de a letter to Eugenius the Third, was by no confideratione means fufficient. He pleaded there, that he had only preached the crufade in obedience VOL: II. K to ad Eugenium pap. 1. n. Book I. to the orders received from that pope. But he did more than preach; he prophefied, and pretended to miracles. The pope did not command him to take on himself the character of a person inspired by God, nor to draw in the people by falfe predictions, to which he gained credit by an appearance of miracles equally falfe. For, to fuppofe that true miracles were really done by him, in confirmation of his having received revelations from God, which the event proved to be false, is fuch an abfurdity, and fuch an impiety, as one would think fuperftition itself should reject. His plea, that the vices of those who had engaged in this expedition offended God and thereby changed the fuccefs which he had predicted, is frivolous. For (as the juht. de l'ordre dicious hiftorian, Vertot, well obferves) if be had been endowed with the gift of prophecy upon this occafion, he ought, by that fupernatural light, to have known, that they would offend God, and therefore would be punished by all the misfortunes, with which they actually were overwhelmed, instead of thofe victories, which be, as God's minifter, had made them expect. It does not even appear from the evidence of any one contemporary author, that, during the course of this holy war, the enormities of the Germans and the French were fo great as to deserve so grievous a punishment. The piety of Louis was moft fincere; nor is he accused of any vice: and Conrade behaved himself, in every refpect, like a good and See Vertot de Malte, l. i. P. 101. re religious prince; which is the character gi- Book I. ven of him by every hiftorian who has treated y. Gul. Tyr, this fubject. Their armies were kept by them 1. xvii. c. § in at least as good order, and practifed all duties of morality or religion, with at least as much strictnefs, as thofe of the firft crufade, which had been more fuccefsful. But even allowing the fact, that thefe were more vicious, the confequences drawn from it in juftification of Bernard cannot be admitted. His predictions were pofitive, and under no referves or conditions. Upon the whole, he had no excufe, but that, according to the general faith of those times, he thought it expedient and lawful to ufe pious frauds, for the advancement of a good and holy defign, fuch as he took this to be. It was very natural, therefore, that the many fufferers by this fraud fhould be extremely incensed a gainst the impoftor, and against the pope himfelf, for the fhare he had in that ruinous enterprise, which had almost depopulated the best part of Europe. Eugenius, knowing this, contented himself with admiring and praising the zeal of Louis, and the ardor which he expreft for another crufade: but no other was formed till after Jerusalem had been conquered by Saladin, when that monarch again took the crofs, with Henry the Second, king of England, the emperor Frederick Barbaroffa, and many other princes, as will be fhewn in the latter part of this V. Suger hiftory. He and the queen of France arri K 2 ved epift. 199 |