volume one

HISTORY OF THE CRUSADES. 24i9
shameful desertion, and his wife Adela reproached him with
having shrunk from the duties of religion and chivalry.
These unfortunate princes, and all who had deserted the
standards of the holy vrar, were obliged to quit Prance, and
again take the route for Asia.
Many of the princes and barons who had not partaken of
the enthusiasm of the first Crusaders, accused themselves of
culpable indifference, and were drawTi into the general movement.
Among these latter was William IX., count of Poictiers,
a relation of the emperor of Germany, and the most
powerful vassal of the king of Prance. An amiable and
intelligent prince, of not at all a warlike character, he left,
to take up the pilgrim's staff, a voluptuous and gallant court,
which he had often delighted with his songs. He took upon
him the cross at Limoges, and set out for the East, accompanied
by a great number of his vassals, among whom were
a vast many women and youug girls. ^ His example was
followed by William, count of Nevers, Orpin, count of
Bourges, and Eude, duke of Burgundy. This last prince,
perhaps, was influenced less by a desire of visitmg Jerusalem
than by his anxiety to recover the remains of his daughter
Plorine, who had been killed with Sweno in Asia Minor.
In Italy, Albert, count of Blandras, and Anselm, archbishop
of Milan, placed themselves at the head of a
countless multitude of pilgrims. Germany witnessed the
departure of Conrad, marshal of the emperor Henry, "VYolf
IX., duke of Bavaria, the princess Ida, margravine of Austria;
and a great number of lords and knights.
In this new expedition, as in the first, many of the Crusaders
were led away by a desire for seeking adventures and
visiting foreign countries. The brilliant success of Bald\vin,
Bohemond, and Godfrey aroused the ambition of the barons
who had remained in Europe. Humbert II., count of
* William IX. is the first troubadour known. He was a valorous and
courteous knight, but a great deceiver of ladies. He bade adieu in a
song to the Limousin, to Poitou, to chivalry, which he had loved so much,
and to mundane vanities, which he describes as coloured habits and
beautiful hose. On his return he sang the fatigues, the dangers, and the
misfortunes of this expedition, in a poem which is lost. His usual gaiety
pervaded it, according to Oderic Vital, in spite of the sadness of the sub
ject.— See the History of the Troubadours, by Millet, torn. 1.