eagerly embraced a profeffion, which placed war, plunder, and conqueft, in the lift of duties. If they fucceeded in this undertaking, they were affured that abundant riches would enable them to live happily on earth; and if they fell victims to a fervice fo meritorious, they were perfuaded that the gates of heaven would be open to them, and that they should obtain the crown of martyrdom.

There was another motive, which operated as a ftrong inducement to the multitudes who affumed the badge of the Crofs. At the clofe of the tenth, and the beginning of the eleventh century, it was the prevailing opinion, that the world would shortly come to an end, and that the Saviour of mankind would make his fecond appearance on mount Calvary. This was the fubject of extenfive aların and anxious expectation; and the pilgrims to the Holy Land fet out from Europe, with a determination to die there, or to wait the advent of the Lord.

When we confider thefe various caufes, we fhall be lefs furprifed at the vaft multitudes who reforted to the ftandard of the Crofs, erected in the firft crufade by Urban the fecond, or who afterwards, regardless of the defeats and loffes of their predeceffors, trod in their fteps to meet the fame fate.

Various advantages, moft of which were neither foreseen nor expected by the agents themselves, i3

were

were derived from the holy wars. Rude and ignorant as the crufaders were, they could not travel through and continue in fo many interefting countries with indifference; or behold their various customs and inftitutions, without acquiring information and improvement. Among the Greeks they furveyed the productions of the fine arts, and the precious remains of antiquity, the magnificence of the eastern court, and the models of extensive and curious manufactories. In Afia they beheld the traces of the knowledge and arts, which the patronage of the Caliphs had diffufed through their empire. Every object which struck their attention pointed out a far higher ftate of improvement than their own countries had reached; every object, therefore, while it produced the wonder of them all, could not fail to excite a fpirit of imitation among those who were active and ingenious, As these new scenes prefented themselves, their eyes were gradually opened to a more extensive profpect of the world, and they acquired new modes of thinking, felt a fenfe of new wants, and a tafte for new gratifications.

It is a remark juftified by the experience of ages, that the inhabitants of the western world are diftinguished by peculiar acutenefs of mind, and an active and imitative fpirit. In the courfe of their expeditions, they acquired a tafte for the arts and sciences; and the example of the Arabian and Syrian merchants taught them the value of trade, and the ufe of feveral manufactures. In

the

the fuperior refinements of Cairo and Conftantinople, they difcovered various commodities worth importing into Europe. From this period may be dated the introduction of filk and fugar, which were conveyed into Italy from Greece and Egypt; and the advantages which refulted from a more enlarged and adventurous traffic to the Pifans, the Genoefe, and the Venetians, who laid the foundation of the modern commercial fyftem. The crufaders began that intercourfe with the Eaft, which under the pacific forms of commerce has continued with little interruption ever fince. On their return to Europe, they introduced a new tafte in buildings, a more fuperb difplay of magnificence on public occafions, the rich manufactures of Afia, and the firft improvements in learning and fcience.

The moft beneficial effects of the crufades were visible in the alteration, which they occationed in the state of property, by the emancipation of vaffals from the tyranny of their lords, and by increafing the independence of the feudal tenants. Many of the great barons, unable to fupport the expences incurred by their expeditions to Paleftine, fold their lands. The monarchs of different countries embraced thefe opportunities to annex confiderable territories to their own domains, and purchased them at a small expence. The fiefs likewife of thofe barons, who died in the holy wars without heirs, reverted to their respective fovereigns; and by thefe poffeffions being taken from one fcale,

and thrown into the other, the regal power increafed in proportion as that of the nobility declined. The great cities of Italy, which had begun to turn their attention towards commerce, were impatient to shake off the yoke of their lords, and to establish such a government, as would make property secure, and the exercife of industry safe and eafy. They purchafed or extorted large immunities and grants from the emperors of Germany; and the fovereigns of other countries, particularly of France, followed their example. The great barons were eager to lay hold of this new expedient for raising money by the fales of charters of independence and enfranchisement to the towns within their domains. Thus commenced the privileges granted to corporations, and the rights acquired by communities of citizens. The benefits, which accrued to the public at large by thefe conceffions, were of the highest importance, as they were favourable to regularity and good order, to the extenfion of freedom, the exertions of diligence, and a more exact and uniform administration of juftice. Thus we may obferve the beneficial effects of the crufades, in producing a new order of things, and erecting the firft ftrong and durable barrier against the tyranny of the Feudal Syftem.

III. The Inftitution of Chivalry.

Although the extravagancies of knight-errantry, and the marvellous and incredible ftories related in

the

the old romances of the Seven Champions of Chriftendom, Amadis de Gaul, King Arthur, and Sir Launcelot and the other noble Knights of the Round Table, who went forth in fearch of adventures into all parts of the world, have been made the entertaining fabjects of burlefque defcription, particularly in the well-known work of Cervantes; yet we muft not mistake imaginary for real chivalry. The former exifted only in the old romances, and as fuch was the object at which many writers aimed their ridicule and fatire: but we fhall find, on examining the origin and progrefs of the latter, that it was a noble and a beneficial inftitution, the refult of an enlightened policy, confidering the times in which it was established; it increased the glory of the nations in which it flourished: enabled the nobility and gentry of Europe, by the military ardour which it infpired, to refift the arms of the Saracens and Turks; and had a very powerful effect in alleviating the evils of the feudal fyftem, and refining the manners of the higher ranks of fociety. In times when robbery, oppreffion, barbarity, and licentioufnefs, prevailed in most countries of Europe, it fupplied in many inftances, although imperfectly, the place of law; and in the hands of valour, was the inftrument of humanity and juftice.

This chapter is chiefly taken from Memoires fur l'ancienne Chevalerie par de la Carne de St. Palaye, Academ. des Infcriptions, tom. xx. p. 597, &c., Lord Lyttelton's Henry II, and Robertfon's Charles V.