volume one

HISTORY OF TITE CRUSADES. 49
Tlie sovereign pontiff* addressed himself to all tlie nations
that were represented at the council, and particularly
to the French, who formed the majority :— " Nation beloved
by God," said he, " it is in your coui^age that the Christian
church has placed its hope ; it is because I am well
acquainted with your piety and yoiu* bravery, that I have
crossed the Alps, and am come to preach the word of
God in these countries. You have not forgotten that the
land you inhabit has been invaded by the Saracens, and that
but for the exploits of Charles IMartel and Charlemagne,
Prance would have received the laws of Mahomet. Eecall,
Avithout ceasing, to your minds the danger and the glory of
your fathers ; led by heroes whose names should never die,
they delivered your countr^^, they saved the AVest from
shameful slavery,
the guidance of
Europe and Asia ;
jNIore noble triumphs await you, under
the God of armies you will deliver
;
you will save the city of Jesus Christ,
that Jerusalem which was chosen by the Lord, and from
whence the law is come to us."
As Urban proceeded, the sentiments by which he was
animated penetrated to the very souls of his auditors. When
he spoke of the captivity and the misfortunes of Jerusalem,
the whole assembly was dissolved in tears ; when he
described the tyranny and the perfidy of the
warriors who listened to him clutched their
infidels,
swords,
the
and
swore in their hearts to avenge the cause of the Christians.
Urban redoubled their enthusiasm by announcing
that God had chosen them to accomplish his designs, and
exhorted them to turn those arms against the Mussulmans
which they now bore in conflict against their brothers. They
* We have at command several historians who report the speech of
Urban ; they are agreed as to the principal points, but differ in the
details. The- monk Robert, who was present at the council, says : Hcec
et id genus plurima ubi Papa Urbanus urhano sermone peroravit.
Baldric or Boudri expresses himself thus : His vel hujuscemodi aliis, &c.
Everything leads ns to believe that the pope pronounced his discourse in
the language of the country. That which renders this opinion more probable,
is that Urban was a Frenchman, and that otherwise it was of consequence
to make himself well understood by the barons and the knights,
who were not acquainted with Latin. If he had not pronounced his
discourse in the vulgar tongue, he would not have produced that extraordinary
enthusiasm which contemporary history says so much of.
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