volume one

HISTOET OF THE CRUSADES. 71
wretcTied creatures calling upon deatli as earnestly as otlicr
men ask for life. In the midst of these scenes of desolation,
history takes pleasure in doing justice to the enlightened
zeal of the bishops of Worms, Treves, Mayence, and Spiers,
who raised the voice of religion and humanit}^, and opened
their palaces as so many asylums for the Jews against the
pursuit of murderers and villains.
The soldiers of Emicio prided themselves upon their
exploits, and scenes of carnage filled them with exultation.
As proud as if they had conquered the Saracens, they set
out on their march, loaded with booty, invoking the heaven
they had so cruelly outraged. They were slaves to the most
brutal superstition, and caused themselves to be preceded by
a goat and a goose, to which they attributed something
divine.* These mean animals at the head of the battalions
were as their chiefs, and shared the respect and confidence
of the multitude, with all those who furnished examples of
the most horrible excesses. All people fled at the approach
of these dreaded champions of the cross. Christians who
met them on their route vfere forced to applaud their zeal,
whilst trembling for fear of becoming victims to it. This
unrestrained multitude, without being acquainted with the
people or the countries through which they had to pass,
ignorant even of the disasters of those who had preceded
them in this perilous career, advanced like a hurricane
towards the plains of Hungary. Mersbourg shut its gates
upon them, and refused them provisions. They were indignant
that so little respect should be shown to the soldiers of
Christ, and deemed it their duty to treat the Hungarians as
they had treated the Jews. Mersbourg,t situated on the
* Fuit et aliud scelus detestabile : in hdc congregatione pedestris
populi stulti, et vesance levitatis, anserem quemdam divino spiritu asserebant
afflatum, et capellam 7ion mimes eodem repletam, et has sibi duces
secundcB via fecerant in Jerusalem, quos et nimium venerebantur et
bestiali more his intendebant ex totd aninii intentione.—Alb. Aq. lib. i.
cap. 31.
t The Mersbourg of the Crusaders is now called Ovar ; in German
XJngarisch-Altenburgh ; in Sclavonic Stare-Hrady. It is situated in the
marshes that the Leytha forms on its embouchure into the Danube. Its
position is such that it is impossible to go from Austria into Hungary on
that side without passing by it. (See Busching, Geog.) The name of
Mersbourg, which Albert d'Ai.x gives to this place, is no longer in use
;