volume one

BOOK VII.
THIED CEUSADE.
A.D. 1148—1188.
"VVe cannot help being conyinced, whilst reading this his-
tory, that the religion of Mahomet, thoroughly warlike as
it is in principle, does not endue its disciples ^vith that
obstinate bravery, that boundless devotedness, of which the
Crusaders presented so many examples. The fanaticism of
the Mussulmans required victory to keep up its power or its
violence. Bred in a conviction of blind fatalism, they were
accustomed to consider successes or reverses as simple decrees
of Heaven ; victorious, they were ftdl of ardoui' and
confidence ; conquered, they were depressed, and without
shame succumbed to an enemy, whom they believed to be
the instrument of destiny. An ambition for renown seldom
excited their courage, and even in the excesses of their warlike
fervour, the fear of chastisements and punishments kept
their faces towards the
generous love of glory.
enemy more frequently than any
A chief, whom they themselves
dreaded, was the only captain that could lead them to victory
; and thus despotism became necessary' to their valom\
After the conquest of the Christians, the dynasties of the
Saracens and the Turks were dispersed and almost annihilated
; the Seljoucides themselves had fallen back to the
very extremities of Persia, and the people of S\Tia scarcely
knew the names of those princes whose ancestors had
reigned over Asia. Everything, even despotism, was destroyed
in the East. The ambition of the emirs took advantage
of the general disorder ; slaves shared the spoils of
their masters ; provdnces and cities became so many prmcipahties,
the uncertain and transient possession of Avhich
was a constant subject of dispute. The necessity for defending
the Mussuhnan religion, whilst threatened bv the
Christians, had alone preserved the credit of the rnbnhs of