volume one

HISTORY or THE CKIJSADES. 85
cubit that of the tallest man in his army ; his eyes were
blue, and appeared full of passion and haughty pride. His
presence, says Anna Comnena, was as astonishing to the
eyes as his reputation was to the mind. When he spoke, his
hearers believed that eloquence had been his only study ;
when he appeared under arms, he might be supposed to have
done nothiug but wield tlie lance and the sword. Brought
up in the school of the Norman heroes, he concealed the
combiuations of policy beneath an exterior of violence ; and
although of a proud and haughty character, he could put up
Avith an injury when vengeance would not have been profit-
able to him. Everything that could contribute to the success
of his designs appeared to him to be just. He had learnt
from his father to consider every man whose wealth or states
he coveted as his enemy ; he was neither restrained by the
fear of God, the opinion of men, nor his own oaths. He
liad followed Bobert in the Avar against the emperor Alexis,
and had distinguished himself in the battles of Durazzo and
Larissa ; but, disinherited by a will, he had nothing at his
father's death but the memory of his exploits, and the
example of his family. He had declared war against his
brother Boger, and had recently compelled him to cede to
him the principality of Tarentum, when the expedition to
the East began to be talked of in Europe. The deliverance
of the tomb of Christ was not the object that kindled his
zeal, or induced him to assume the cross. As he had sworn
an eternal hatred to the Greek emperors, he smiled at the
and,
idea of traversing their empne at the head of an army ;
fidl of confidence in his own fortunes, he hoped to win a
kingdom before he should arrive at Jerusalem.
The little principality of Tarentum coidd not supply him
with an army ; but in the name of religion, a leader had then
the power of raising troops in all the states. Enthusiasm
for the crusade soon seconded his projects, and brought a
great number of warriors to his standard.
He had accompanied his brother and his uncle Eoger to
the siege of Amalfi, a flourishing city which refused with
contempt the protection of the new masters of Apulia and
Sicily. Bohemond, who knew well how to speak in proper season
the language of enthusiasm, and to conceal his ambition
beneath the coloiu's of religious fanaticism, preached himself