volume one

HISTOET OF THE CEI'SADES. 75
army against a general wliom they accused of want of
coiu'ao;e, because he foresaw reverses. From murmurs they
passed to revolt, and the order for departure and attack was
forced from him by violence. AValter, groaning, followed a
headstrong multitude, who marched in disorder towards
jSTicea, and whom the Tui^ks would soon punish for the
contempt ^vith which they had treated the advice of their
leaders.
The sultan of Nicea, foreseeing their imprudence, had
concealed a part of his army in a forest, and waited for them
with the rest of his troops in a plain at the foot of the
mountain. After a march of some hours, in a country
which was unloiown to them, the Christians were unexpectedly
attacked by the Turks, whom they beheved to be
in Hight. They formed in haste, and at first defended themselves
vahantly. But the enemy had the advantages of
position and numbers, and they were soon surrounded on all
sides, and completely routed. The carnage was horrible
Walter, who was worthy of commanding better soldiers, fell
pierced by seven arrows. With the exception of three
thousand men, who took refuge in a castle close to the sea,
the whole army perished in a single battle, and there soon
remained no more of them than a confused heap of bones,
piled up in the plains of Xieea, as a deplorable monmnent
to poiut out to other Crusaders the road to the Holy Land.
Such was the fate of that multitude of pilgiims who
threatened Asia, and yet never beheld the places they went
to conquer. By their excesses they had prejudiced the
whole of Grreece against the enterprize of the crusades, and
by their manner of fighting had taught the Turks to despise
the arms of the Christians of the West.
Peter, who had i^turned to Constantinople before the
battle, and who had long lost all authority among the Cru-
saders, declaimed against their indocihty and their pride,
and beheld in them nothing but brigands,* whom Grod had
deemed unworthy to contemplate or adore the tomb of hia
* Instead of acknowledging his fault, says Anna Comneua, he laid it
upon those who had disobeyed his orders and insisted upon doing as they
pleased, calling them robbers and brigands, whom God had deemed
unworthy of seeing and adoring the tomb of his Son.—Alexiad, lib. x.
ch. 8.
;