volume one

HISTORY OF TUE CKUSADES. 65
bodies carried down Ly the river bore the tidings of tliis
horrible victory as far as Belgrade.
At this intelligence the Bulgarians and Hungarians were
seized with grief and indignation, and in all parts flew to
arms. The Crusaders still remained in Semlin, and were
glorifying themselves upon their triumph, when all at once
an army, assembled in haste by Coloman, king of Hungary,
presented itself to their view. Peter had nothing to oppose
to his enemies but tlie soldiers whose bliad fury he had
himself excited, and with whom it was impossible to make
any military disposition. He did not dare to wait for the
army of Coloman, and hastened to cross the Morava.
On gaiuing the territories of the Bulgarians, the Crusaders
found the villages and cities abandoned ; even Bel-
grade, the capital, was without inhabitants ; they had fled
into the forests and mountains. Peter's soldiers, after a
painful march, in want of pro\dsions, and "v^'ith difficulty
finding guides to conduct them, arrived at last at the gates
of Nissa, a place sufficiently well fortified to be seciu-e from
a first attack. The Bulgarians showing themselves upon
their ramparts, and the Crusaders leaning on their arms,
inspired each other with a mutual fear. This fear at first
prevented hostilities ; but harmony could not last long
between an army without discipline and a people that had
been irritated by Adolence.
The pilgrims, after having obtained provisions, had just
set forward on their march, when a quarrel between the
inhabitants and some of the soldiers caused war to break
forth with inveteracv.* A hundred German Crusaders,
whom William of Tyre styles cliildren of JBelial, and who
fancied they had cause of complaint agamst some merchants,
wishing to avenge themselves, set fire to seven mills placed
upon the Nissava. At the sight of this fire, the inhabitants
of Nissa rushed from their ramparts, and falling upon Peter's
rear-guard, massacred all who fell in their way, bore ofi" two
thousand carriages, and made a great number of prisoners.
Peter, who had already quitted the territory of Nissa, warned
of the disaster of his companions, returned immediately
* Consult William of Tyre, or still better, Albert d'Aix, who, of all
the historians of the crusades, enlarges most upon these first expeditions.