volume one

52 jiisTOUY or THE crusades.
children of Israel. AYear it upon your shoulders and upon
your breasts ; let it shine upon your arms and upon your
'standards ; it \\-ill be to yoii the surety of victory or the palm
of martyrdom ; it ^vill unceasingly remind you that Christ
died for* you, and that it is your duty to die for him."
"When Urban had ceased to speak, loud acclamations
burst from the multitude. Pity, indignation, despair, at the
same time agitated the tumultuous assembly of the faithful
some shed tears over Jerusalem and the fate of the Chris-
others swore to exterminate the race of the Mussul-
tians ;
mans ;
but, all at once, at a signal from the soyereign pontiff,
the most profound silence preyailed. Cardinal Grregory,
who afterwards occupied the chair of St. Peter under the
name of Innocent II., pronounced, in a loud voice, a form
of general confession, the assembly all fell upon their knees,
beat their breasts, and received absolution for their sins.
Adhemar de Monteil, bishop of Puy, demanded to be first
allowed to enter into the way of God, and took the cross
several other bishops following
from the hands of the pope ;
liis example. Raymond, count of Thoulouse, excused him-
self by his ambassadors for not being able to be present at
the council of Clermont ; he had already, he said, fought
against the Saracens in Spain, and he promised to go and
fight against tliem in Asia, followed by the bravest and most
faithful of his warriors. The barons and knights who had
heard the exhortations of Urban, all took a solemn oath to
revenge the cause of Jesus Christ ;
they forgot their private
quarrels, and even they who were at actual war had no
longer any enemies than the Mussulmans. All the faithful
promised "to respect the decrees of the council, and decorated
their garments ^yith a red cross. From that time, all who
engaged to combat the infidels were termed " Bearers of the
Gross,'"* and the holy war took the name of Grusade. The
* The cross which the faithful wore in this crusade was of cloth, and
sometimes even of red-coloured silk. Afterwards they wore crosses of different
colours. The cross, a little in relief, was sewed upon the right shoulder
of the coat or mantle, or else fastened on the front of the helmet, after
having been blessed by the pope or some bishop. The prayers and ceremonies
used on this occasion are still to be found in the Romish ritual.
On returning from the Holy Land, they removed this mark from the
shoulder and placed it on the back, or else wore it at the neck. (See Le Pere
MoNTFAUcoN, DucANGE, Mailly, and Le Pere d'Outremant.)
: