volume one

252 HISTOIIT OF THE CBUSADES.
defiles of Paphlagonia ; and fatigue, hunger, and thirst had
greatly weakened the strength of the pilgrims, when the
sultans of Mossoul and Icouium determined upon giving
them battle on the banks of the Halys.
Eavmoud, before the eno:a2:ement, caused the miraculous
lance to be carried through the Christian ranks ; whilst the
archbishop of Milan, followed by his clergy, exhibited the
arm of St. Ambrose, and oftered up prayers for victory ;
neither the prayers of the clergy, nor the sight
but
of the holy
lance, nor even the prodigies of valour displayed by the
Crusaders, could secure them a triumph. After a sanguinary
conflict, they retired to their camp in great disorder.
The Tui'ks, who had met with a determined resistance, did
not at first dare to follow up their victory, and satisfied
themselves with remaining masters of the field of battle, and
plundering the dead. During the night the Crusaders became
aware of the extent of their loss. Raymond and the other
terrified leaders sought safety in flight. As soon as their
absence was discovered, terror and despair pervaded the
camp of the Christians ; every one attempted to fly, abandoning
the baggage, the sick and the wounded. The roads
were soon covered with soldiers, women, and children, who
embarrassed each other in their confusion, and were ignorant
where they might meet vdth the enemy, or where they
should look for the Christian army. The Turks, rendered
aware of their victory by the cries and groans which resounded
from the neighbouring mountains, hastened to the
camp of the Crusaders, massacring or making prisoners all
they met. They then hotly pursued the fugitives, slaughterino:
them without mercy. The darkness of the night
added to the horrors of this scene of carnage. The pilgrims
lost themselves in their confusion, and seemed to se^
the swords they wished to avoid; others stopped exhausted
by fatigue, and awaited death as an end of their
calamities.
When day appeared, the country was covered with the
bloody, plundered bodies of the Christians. Eaymond de
St. Gilles, the duke of Burgundy, the count of Chartres,
the count of Biandras, and some other leaders who had fled
by difi*erent routes, met at Sinope, where they could scarcely
gather around them a few thousand men, the remains of au