1080.

A.D. then issued a bull of excommunication against him, and absolved every German from the oath of allegiance. The sentence of excommunication was at first little heeded by Henry; but when the German princes unanimously declared that so long as he remained under the ban they could regard him no longer as their king, he found himself under the necessity, 1077 A.D., of travelling through Burgundy and crossing the Alps, attended only by a few followers, to Italy, and being repeatedly in danger of his life. At Canosa, the strong and extensive fortress of the powerful Countess Matilda, he had an interview with the Pope, though at first his holiness refused altogether to see him. At Matilda's intercession, however, he was admitted into the outer court of the castle; and here was Henry, the emperor of Germany, obliged to wait three days and nights in the depth of winter, wrapped in a coarse woollen robe, and barefooted! It was on the fourth day that the Pope admitted him to his presence, but only consented to absolve him from the sentence of excommunication on condition that he should not again assume his royal authority till it had been decided in Germany whether he still was qualified to maintain it. In the meantime the Germans had elected Rudolf emperor with the consent of the Pope. Henry met Rudolf in the field of battle with desperate valour in Germany, in the year 1080 A.D., and was again excommunicated; but as Rudolf fell in a battle near

1100.

Meuseberg, Henry seized the opportunity of a D. marching into Italy, and in 1084 deposed the Pope, who died in the year 1085. Henry, however, was still compelled to contest his rights with many an enemy both in Germany and Italy. In the year 1097 A.D., his eldest son revolted against him; and after the death of that son his youngest son followed the same wicked example, took Henry prisoner, and thus obtained the crown, 1105 A.D. The unhappy Henry died in the year 1106 A.D., in a state of deep humiliation; his body was not allowed Christian burial till the Pope had absolved him from the ban, which happened in the year 1111 A.D.

CHAP. XLVI.

THE CRUSADERS.

1076.

As early as the reign of Constantine it had been A. D. the custom of Christendom to make pilgrimages to the holy sepulchre at Jerusalem; and when, in the seventh century, the Arabians conquered Palestine, they offered the Christians no hinderance in the performance of this act of devotion. But when, 1076 A.D., the Turks conquered the Holy Land, they not only profaned the places held most sacred, but also offered violence to the pil

1096.

A. D. grims; and the fame of this persecution caused intense excitement among the Christians of the western empire. At that time, in the year 1094 A.D., Peter of Amiens, called Peter the Hermit, returned from the holy sepulchre, and through his touching description of the sufferings of the Christians, he stirred up the Franks and Italians to such a pitch of enthusiasm that it was determined in the year 1095 A.D. to send an army against the infidels. The crusaders chose for their war-cry "God wills it," and for their badge of distinction a red cross, worn on the shoulder. In the spring of 1096 A.D., Peter marched from France with a band of followers wholly undisciplined; but his numbers increased wonderfully as he advanced. Germany was also fired with this same enthusiasm; so Peter was at length obliged to divide his numerous army into two parts; he himself taking the command of one division, while Walter of Huberichts led the other, and marched forward through Hungary and Servia. But every town and village they approached they pillaged like robbers; and the consequence was that many were killed long before they reached Constantinople. The Grecian emperor, in his eagerness to be rid of them, shipped them over with all haste to Asia, where the whole army was cut off almost to a man by the Turks, without having once set eyes on Jerusalem. In the autumn, Godfrey of Bouillon followed with well disciplined forces; and when all the other princes

1096.

engaged in the campaign had joined their army A.D. in Asia, they mustered a force of no less than 300,000 fighting men, 1097 A.D. The Turks were, however, a brave people; and when the Christian army had penetrated as far as Jerusalem scarcely 60,000 men survived. But these were so inspirited by the view of the holy city that, on the 14th of July, 1099 A.D., Jerusalem was conquered; and the victors are accused of exercising a degree of ruthless cruelty which the true spirit of the Gospel never fails to repress. Godfrey was proclaimed king of Jerusalem; and after his death, in the year 1100 A.D., he was succeeded by his brother Baldwin of Flanders. It was at Jerusalem that the order of the knights of St. John was founded, whose especial duty it was to fight with the infidels. Such pious Christians as were unable to serve in person against the Turks furnished these knights with funds and resources to maintain the holy cause in their stead. Thus the knights of St. John became a very wealthy order; and when driven out of Palestine they took refuge in Rhodes, and after Rhodes in Malta, and now the few remaining knights of the order are dispersed in different countries.

1147.

CHAP. XLVII.

THE CRUSADERS-RICHARD I.-COMMERCE.

A. D. MEANWHILE, those Christians who remained in Palestine were so continually attacked by the Turks, that they were obliged to seek assistance. In answer to their earnest solicitations, in the year 1147 A.D. Conrad the Third, emperor of Germany, and Lewis the Seventh, king of France, set out for their assistance, with a large army. This army,

however, on its march through Hungary, Servia, the Grecian territories, and Asia Minor, was so weakened and destroyed by attacks of enemies, hunger, and sickness, that both princes felt the mortification of being obliged to return without having effected anything; and for forty years after this, the defence of the holy sepulchre remained in abeyance. At length, Henry, surnamed the Lion of Saxony, in order to effect its conquest, endeavoured to convert to Christianity the Wenden and Slaven on the East Sea, and, with this view, founded many bishoprics, and among others the bishopric of Lubeck, in the year 1165 A.D. In the year 1187 A.D., the Turks, under Saladin, again conquered Jerusalem. Then Frederick the First, emperor of Germany, marched, 1188 A.D., to the assistance of the Christians. After incredible exertions he arrived in Asia Minor, by the usual