figned his crown, inftigated Simon de Montford, at the head of a great army, to extirpate the Albigenfes who were ftigmatifed as heretics. He likewife excited Andrew King of Hungary, and John de Brienne, to make a crufade to Egypt, where their camp was inundated by the crafty Sultan; and they were happy to capitulate for a fecure, but difgraceful return to Europe, on condition of not invading Egypt for eight years.

The Sixth and Seventh Crufades, A.D. 1249 and 1270..

The two laft crufades were undertaken by Louis, the ninth King of France, commonly called St. Louis, as he was canonized after his death; he was a prince eminent for his love of juftice, and his ftri&t impartiality in adjufting the claims of the heighbouring ftates, who, from his well known honour, frequently appealed to his decifions. His virtues however were clouded by the fanatical fpirit of the times, and the ardour with which he twice encountered the infidels was by no means inferior to any of his predeceffors. With a fleet of 1800 fhips, and a well appointed army of 50,000 men, he made an expedition to the coaft of Egypt. At the fift affault he took Damietta, but this was the only trophy of his conqueft, for advancing along the banks of the Nile, his troops were haraffed by the Fgyptian gallies and the Arabs of the defert. They intercepted all provifions, and his army, re

duced

duced by ficknefs and famine, were obliged to furrender all who could not redeem their lives by fervice or ransom were inhumanly maffacred, and the walls of Cairo were covered with Chriftian heads. The King was loaded with chains; but the conqueror, a defcendant of Saladin, fent him a robe of honour, and ranfomed him and his nobles, on condition that Damietta fhould be restored, and a vaft fum of gold fhould be paid. The King of France, with the relics of his army, was permitted to embark for Palestine, where he paffed four years without being able to efface the impreffion of his military difgrace.

After a repose of fixteen years he undertook the laft of the crufades. He fteered for the coaft of Africa, accompanied by his three fons, his nephew, and the great lords of his court, either to punish the King of Tunis for interrupting the free paffage of the Mediterranean, or to convert him to the Christian faith. On the barren fands of Africa, his army, finking under the heat of a burning fun, was quickly reduced to fmall numbers, and the King expired in his tent. His brother the King of Sicily arrived foon after, and faved the relics of the gallant crufaders from deftruction. His fon Philip, named the Hardy, defeated the King of Tunis, and after making a truce, in which it was ftipulated that the Moors should pay a double tribute for fifteen years, and the Chriftian miffionaries should be allowed to preach in his dominions, I i

VOL. I.

which

which were conditions impofed to fave the honour of these crufaders, he returned to Europe.

That these wars were upon the whole difaftrous and unfortunate, can be no fubject of furprise, when we confider the manners and the difpofitions of those who engaged in them, and the great and numerous difficulties with which they were obliged to contend. Their plans were always uniform; and, in their projects for the future, they rarely profited by the failure of the past.

The remoteness of Palestine from Europe, and the nature of the climate, ought likewife not to be difregarded. The crufaders, whether they marched by way of Conftantinople, or embarked from the ports of Italy, if we confider their inexperience in remote expeditions, must have been greatly diminifhed in numbers, and weakened by fatigue, before they reached the field of action. The burning heat of Syria, the want of provifions, the fcarcity of water, and the confequent diseases must have deprived them of much of that energy and vigour, fo effentially neceffary to their fuccefs. They were oppofed by intrepid and active foes, as enthufiaftic in the caufe of their Prophet, as the Chriftians were in behalf of their Redeemer : acting in concert, fuperior in the various arts of war, fighting in their own country, and able to avail themfelves of all its refources.

The fe

Thefe wars difplay in the strongest light the influence of the Papal power. The Popes inftigated the princes of Europe to conquer new kingdoms, in order to enlarge the dominions of the holy fee, regulated even beyond the boundaries of the ocean the conduct of emperors and kings, and thus exercifed a fupreme and univerfal fovereignty.

If we endeavour to trace the various causes, which led to the crufades, we fhall find that the paffions and prejudices of the Europeans of the middle ages confpired to impel them to Palestine, without any confideration of the injuftice, rafhnefs, or impolicy of their conduct.

Vain would it have been for any enlightened Chriftian at that time to have urged, in order to prevent the effufion of blood, that the crufaders had no right to wreft Judea from the hands of its poffeffors; and that their zeal for the recovery of Bethlehem, the place where the Son of God was born, or Mount Calvary, where he was crucified, could not justify their violation of the moral precepts of his Gofpel. As vain would it have proved to represent the little advantage, or rather the certain lofs, which would accrue to the monarchs, who embarked in thefe expeditions, both by leaving their dominions expofed to the invafion of their infidious enemies, and by draining their dominions of the blood and treasure of their fubjects, which might have been profitably employed in the improvement of their native country. To fuch arIi 2

guments

guments as thefe the crufaders would not have liftened; the caufe was too deeply implicated with their darling paffions and prejudices, to be decided by an appeal to fober reafon, or the genuine dictates of Chriftianity.

Their religious enthufiafm was greatly augmented by their love of war. Commerce, manufactures, and arts, were at that time in a state of infancy, and the mafs of the people were deftitute of regular employments. They eagerly caught at any occafion, which relieved them from a ftate of inactivity, and afforded room for the indulgence of their favourite inclinations. In the time of the crufades, chivalry began to flourish; and thofe knights, who were impelled with a romantic defire to travel in queft of adventures, turned their eyes with eagerness to Afia, which promifed to open fuch new scenes of enterprize and glory, as could not be found in Europe. Perfons of every rank flattered themselves with the most fanguine expectations of conqueft, were confident that victory would attend their fteps, and that they fhould return home loaded with the gold and filver, the diamonds, filks, and other fpoils of the Eaft.

The great privileges granted to the crufaders may ferve to account for the long continuance of this fpirit of adventure. The Popes proclaimed a complete indulgence and pardon for crimes to every one who would take up arms in the cause. Of this offer the profligate took advantage, and

eagerly