volume one

BOOK 11.
A.D. 1096—1097.
The number of Christians who had taken the cross in the
greater part of the countries of Europe were quite sufficient
to form many large armies. As these armies might exhaust
the countries through which they had to pass, the princes
and captains who were to conduct them agreed among themselves
that they should not all set out at one time, but
should pursue different routes, and meet again at Constan-
tinople.
"Whilst they were engaged in preparations for departure,
the multitude who followed Peter the Hermit in his preachings,
became impatient to advance before the other Crusaders
; and being without a chief, they cast their eyes upon
him whom they considered as an envoy from heaven. They
chose Peter for their general ; the cenobite, deceived by the
excess of his zeal, believed that enthusiasm could alone
answer for all the successes of war, and that it woidd be
easy to conduct an undisciplined troop which had taken up
arms at the sound of his voice. He yielded to the prayers
of the multitude, and, clothed in his woollen mantle, a hood
over his head, sandals on his feet, and only mounted on the
mule upon which he had traversed Europe, he took upon
himself the command. His troop, which set out from the
banks of the Meuse and Moselle, proceeded towards G-ermany,
and was increased upon the road by a vast number of
pilgrims hastening from Cliamxpagne, Burgundy, and other
parts of Prance. Peter soon saw from eighty to a hundred
thousand men under his standard. These first Crusaders,
dragging in their train women, children, old men, and
numerous sick, began their march upon the faith of the
miraculous promises made them by their general ; in the
persuasion they were filled with, that God himself called
upon them to defend his cause, they hoped that rivers
would open before their battalions, and that manna would
fall from heaven to feed them. The army of Peter tlie
Hermit was divided into two bodies ;
the vanguard marched