volume one

HISTOIIT or THE CKUSA.DES. 251
forward on their marcli to Palestine, he was charged with
conducting them across Asia Minor.
Among this confused mass of pilgrims* was a crowd of
monks, old men, women, and young girls. They were with-
out discipline, and marched without either precaution or
order ; but they had such perfect confidence in their arms,
that they boasted, on leaving Constantinople, that they would
go to Bagdad, and wrest Asia from the hands of the infidels.
Their troop was divided into three bodies. At the head of
the first were the duke of Burgundy, the count of Chartres,
the archbishop of jNIilan, the
mond de St. Gilles. " The
count de Blandras, and Ray-
archbishop of Milan," says
Albert d'Aix, " had brought into Asia an arm of St. Ambrose,
with which he gave his benediction to the Crusaders.
Kaymond carried with him the lance that had been found at
Antioch, to which he looked for new miracles."
This first body, advancing towards Paphlagonia, took the
city of Ancyra by assault, and laid siege to the fortress of
G-angras. The garrison made a strong resistance, and forced
the Christians to retire. They were in want of provisions,
and entertained but little hopes of obtaining any in an
enemy's country ; and Avhilst sinking into despondency
they quite unexpectedly found themselves confronted by a
Turkish army.
Kilidge Arslan, who had retired to Iconium, wdiich became
the capital of his states, after the taking of Nice, had got
together the remains of his army, and recruited his strength.
The sultan of Mossoul, that same Kerbogha who, three years
before, had lost the battle of Antioch, had joined the son of
Soliman, and burned to meet the Christians again.
Although they both had a considerable number of troops,
they contented themselves, at first, with harassiug the Crusaders
in their march. Sometimes the infidels got before
the Christians, and ravaged the country and filled up the
wells and the cisterns ;
whilst at others, they laid ambushes
for them, and massacred all who strayed away from the main
body. The Christian army had suffered much in crossing the
* The details of this last expedition are found scattered in the works
of several historians. They who afford the most information are Albert
d'Aix, Oderic Vital, Foulcher de Chartres, Chronicon Uspergensis,
Alberici Chronicon, &c. &c.