volume one

HISTORY OE THE CSUSADES. 353
an army, whether he could not endure the haughtiness of
the Trench, or that he dreaded their too just reproaches, he
sent back the few troops he had left, and returned to Constantinople,
where he was very well received, because he was
no longer to be feared.
The French army, in the mean time, pursued its march,
and, leaving Mount Olympus on its left, and Mount Ida on
its right, passed through ancient Phrygia. The French,
on their passage, passed Pergamus, Ephesus, and several
other celebrated cities, which the Grreeks had allowed to go
to ruin. Winter was coming on, and the abundant rains
and melted snows had swollen the rivers till they overflowed
the country, and made the roads impracticable. The inha-
bitants of the mountains, a savage, wild people, fled away at
the approach of the Christians, taking with them their
flocks, and all that they possessed. The inhabitants of the
cities shut their gates against the Crusaders, and refused
provisions to all who had not full value to give in return.
Whilst the French army was crossing Phrygia, Manuel sent
ambassadors to the king of France, to inform him that the
Turks were assembling in all parts for the purpose of impeding
his march. He ofifered the Crusaders an asylum in
the cities of the empire ; but this ofier, accompanied by
menaces, appeared to be only a snare, and Louis preferred
braving the enmity of the Turks to trusting to the promises
of the Grreeks. The Christian army pursuing its march
towards the frontiers of Phrygia, arrived at last at the banks
of the Meander, towards the embouchure of the Lycus.
The Tiu'ks, who had destroyed the army of the Grermans,
prepared to dispute the passage of the river with the French.
Some were encamped on the mountains, others on the banks ;
the rains had swollen the Meander, and the passage was
dif&cult and dangerous.
Animated by the speeches and the example of their king,
no obstacle could stop the French. In vain the Turks
showered their arroAvs upon them, or formed their battlearray
on the banks ; the French army crossed the river,
broke through the ranks of the barbarians, slaughtered
vast numbers of them, and pursued them to the foot of
the mountains. The two shores of the Meander were
covered with the bodies of the Turks ; the historian Nice-