volume one

162 HISTOET or THE CETJSADES.
Tvere suspended, and no priest or layman during many days
pronounced the name of Jesus Christ.
The emperor Alexius, who had advanced as far as Philomelium,
was so terrified hy all he heard, that he did not dare
to continue his march towards Antioch. He thought, says
Anna Comnena, it was rash to attempt to succour a city
whose fortifications had been ruined by a long siege, and
whose only defenders were soldiers reduced to the lowest
state of misery. Alexius further reflected, says the same
historian, upon the indiscretion and the inconstancy of the
Franks, upon their manner of making war Avithout art or
rules, and upon the imprudence with which, after having
conquered their enemies, they allowed themselves to be
surprised by the very same people whom they had conquered.
He likewise thought of .the difficulty he should
have in making his arrival known to the Crusaders, and of
the still greater difficulty of making their leaders agree
wii:h him upon the best means to save them. All these
motives appeared reasonable ; but it is easy to believe
that Alexius was not sorry to see a war going on which destroyed
at the same time both Turks and Latins. However it
may be, the resolution which he took of returning to Constantinople
threw all the Christians of Phrj'gia and Bithynia
into the greatest alarm. The report then current was (and
if we may believe Anna Comnena, it was from the insinua-
tions of Alexius) that the Mussulmans were approaching -with
numerous armies. They were constantly believed to be
coming, and the soldiers of the emperor themselves laid
waste all the country round Philomelium, which, they said,
the Saracens were about to invade. Women, children, all
the Christian families followed the arniy of Alexius, as it
returned to Constantinople. They bade an eternal adieu to
their native country, and deplored the loss of their property
of all kinds. Nothing was heard in the army but lamenta-
tions and groans ; but they who evinced the greatest grief
were the Latins, whose wishes.were all centred in Syria, and
who lost all hope of assisting their brethren besieged in the
city of Antioch.
When the news of this retreat reached Antioch, it greatly
augmented the depression of the Crusaders. jS'ot a hope
remained to them; famine carried off every day a great