volume one

68 HISTOET or THE CBUSADES.
placencY the ^an-iors of the "West covered v,it\i the rags of
iudigence. The emperor was desirous of seeing the extraordinarv
man who had roused the western world bt liis
eloquence, and Peter was admitted to an audience of Alexis.
In the presence of all his court, the emperor extolled the
zeal of the preacher of the crusade ; and as he had nothing
to fear from the ambition of a hermit, he loaded him with
presents, caused arms, money, and provisions to be distributed
amons: his armv, and advised him to defer the comraencement
of the war to the amval of the princes and
illustrious captains who had assumed the cross.
This advice was salutarv. but the most renowned heroes
of the crusade were not yet ready to leave Europe ; they
were to be preceded by fresh troops of Crusaders, who,
marching without forethought and without discipline in the
steps of tlie army of Peter, should commit the same excesses,
and be exposed to the same reverses. A priest of the Palatinate
had preached the crusade in several pro^'inces of
G-ennany. At his voice fifteen or twenty thousand men had
taken the oath to fight the infidels, and had assembled in an
armed body. As the preachers of the holy war passed for
men inspired by God. the people believed they were obeying
the will of heaven in taking them for chiefs of the crusade.
G-otschalk obtained the same honour that had been conferred
on Peter the Hermit, and was elected general by the men
he had prevailed upon to take arms. This army arrived
in Hungary towards the end of siunmer. The harvest, which
was abundant, furnished the G-ermans with a ready opportimity
of giving themselves up to intemperance. In the
enjoyment of tumultuous scenes of debauchery, they forgot
Constantinople. Jerusalem, and Christ himself whose worship
and laws they were marching to defend. Pillage, violarion,
and murder were evervwhere left as the traces of their
passage. Coloman assembled troops to chastise their license,
and to recall them to a sense of the maxims of justice and
the laws of hospitahty. The soldiers of Grotschalk were full
of courage, and, at first, defended themselves with advantage.
Their resistance even inspired serious alarm among the
Hungarians, who resolved to employ stratagem to reduce
them. The o:eneral of Coloman feimed to be desirous of
peace. The chiefs of the Hungarians presented themselves