volume one

—
HISTORY OF THE CErSADES. 135
the Holy Land. Some sought refuge from misery in Mesopotamia,
now governed by Baldwin ; whilst others repaired
to the cities of Cilicia which had fallen into the hands of the
Christians.
The duke of Normandy withdrew to Laodicea, and did
not return until he had received three summonses from the
army in the name of religion and of Jesus Clu-ist. Tatius,
the general of Alexius, quitted the camp of the Crusaders
with the troops he commanded, promising to return with
reinforcements and provisions. His departure caused little
regret, and his promises, in which they had no confidence,
did not at all alle\date the despair of the sufferers. This
despair was carried to its height among the defenders of the
cross Avhen thev saw those who ouofht to have set them an
example of patience and courage desert them. William,
viscount de Melun, whose extraordinary exploits with the
battle-axe had procured him the name of the Carpenter,
could not support the miseries of the siege, and deserted the
standard of Christ,* Tlie preacher of the crusade, Peter
the Hermit, whom the Christians, doubtless, blamed for all
the miseries of the siege, was unable to bear their complaints
or share their misfortunes ; and despairing of the success of
the expedition, he fled secretly from the camp.f His desertion
caused a great scandal among the pilgrims, " and did
not astonish them less," says Abbot Gruibert, "than if the
stars had fallen from the heavens." Pursued and overtaken
by Tancred, he and William the Carpenter were brought
back disgraced to the camp. The army reproached Peter
with his base desertion, and made him sM'ear upon the Scriptures
that he would never again abandon a cause which he
had preached. They threatened with the punishment usually
inflicted upon homicides all M'ho should follow the example
he had given to his companions and brothers.
But in the midst of the corruption which reigned in the
Christian army, ^drtue itself might have thought of flight,
and have excused desertion. If contemporary accounts are
* Sed non hoc metu prseliorum, ut speramus, fecerat ; sed tantum famis
injuriam pati nunquam didicerat. Rob. Mon. lib. iv.
•f This great faster, says IMaimbourg, who by a voluntary austerity
which had acquired him such a great reputation of sanctity, made profession
to eat neither bread nor meat, could not endure a necessary fast.