volume one

HISTORY OF THE CRUSADES. 441
shortly after died of grief, leaving his maledictions to !Richard,
who had made open war against him, and to his youngest
son, who had engaged in a conspirac}'' against him.
Hichard accused himself of the death of his father, and,
pressed by repentance, he remembered the vow he had made
in the sacred field. Now become king of England, he began
seriously his preparations for the holy expedition. He repaired
to his kingdom, and convoked, near Northampton, an
assembly of the barons and prelates, in which Baldwin, archbishop
of Canterbury, preached the crusade. The preacher
of the holy war then Avent through the provmces of England
to raise the zeal and emulation of the faithful.* Miraculous
adventures attested the sanctity of his mission, and brought
under the banners of the cross the wild and credulous inhabitants
of Wales, and several other countries where the mis-
fortunes of Jerusalem had never been heard of.
The enthusiasm of the English for this crusade, manifested
itself at first by a violent persecution of the Jews,
great Qumbers of whom were massacred in the cities of
London and York. A vast many of these unfortunate
people found no means of escape from their persecutors but
in a self-inflicted death. These horrible scenes were renewed
every crusade. AYhen money was required for the holy ex-
pedition, it was perceived that the Jews were the depositaries
of the general wealth ; and the knowledge of the treasures
accumulated in their hands, seemed to lead the people to
remember that it was they who had crucified their Grod.
E-ichard did not take much pains to repress the misguided
multitude, but availed himself of the persecution of the
Jews to increase his own treasures. But neither the spoils
of the Jews, nor the produce of the Saladin tithe, for the
non-payment of which the English were threatened with
imprisonment, at all satisfied the king of England. Richard
* There is extant in Latin an account of the journey of Archbishop
Baldwin through the country of Wales, entitled Itinerarium Cambrice,
drawn up by Barry, who accompanied the preacher of the crusade. This
journey is curious, from the singular prodigies and miracles which are
related in it. If this relation may be credited, Archbishop Baldwin
neglected no means to induce the people to take the cross ; he enrolled
one day, says Barry, a great number of men who came to him in a state
of nudity, their clothes being secreted by their wives and friends, who
wishad to prevent their going.