Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Chiyaley,
and Moravia , by above sixty other princes and great lords of the empire , and fifteen thousand knights , the flower of the Teutonic chivalry . Their mounted attendants swelled the total array of cavalry to sixty thousand ; and the infantry , exclusive of the unarmed pilgrims , numbered one hundred thousand men .
During their passage through the dominions of the Greek euiperor , the German forces had to encounter repeated acts of treacherous hostility , similar to those which , under the hollow semblance of amity , the Byzantine court and people had been guilty of in the previous crusades . Actual collision with the Greek ! troops was generally restrained by the magnanimous and prudent forbearance of Frederick ,
who , however , expressed his disgust at the perfidy of Isaac Angelus , the reigning Emperor of the East , by refusing to visit Constantinople as a guest . Continuing to preserve this pacific line of policy , he transported his formidable host across the Hellespont in perfect Safety , The subsequent passage through Asia Minor was a yet
severer trial of Frederick ' s patience and ability ; but his genius surmounted every obstacle of climate and hostile tribes , and the march of the imperial army was effected with far greater order , success , and reputation , than had distinguished preceding bodies of Crusaders .
The first crusade , conducted by Peter the Hermit and his lieutenant , Walter the Penniless , consisted of an undisciplined rabble , whose sufferings prior to their reaching Constantinople had not taught them prudence , and who could not on their departure from that city be restrained from committing all sorts of outrages on the people of Asia during their onward progress . Peter , finding that he
was unable to control them , availed himself of the first ulausible onporwas unable to control them , availed himself of the first plausible opportunity to leave them , and returned to Constantinople ; their march being continued under the guidance of Walter . Enraged by the excesses committed by the Christian army , the natives rose on all sides , and commenced to make reprisals . On their advancing further into the country , a considerable body of Turkish cavalry made a
sudden onset , which totally routed their disorderly array , and the brave Walter fell covered with wounds . The panic-stricken multitude of his followers was immediately overwhelmed and slaughtered , a remnant of about three thousand escaping by flight to the nearest Byzantine fortress . A huge mound , into which the savage victors piled the bodies of the slain , remained for many years as an ominous monument of disaster for the instruction of succeeding
Crusaders . These atrocities of their predecessors had not , of course , been forgotten by the Asiatics at the time of Frederick's arrival . Instead of aiding the march of this new army of Christians , the natives in
every way annoyed and repelled its movements . The sufferings of a route through burning and waterless deserts admitted , indeed , of little mitigation , and thousands of the Germans sank under fatigue , sickness , and thirst , while the perpetual assaults of the Turcoman hordes which hung upon their flanks and rear , incessantly cut off any
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Chiyaley,
and Moravia , by above sixty other princes and great lords of the empire , and fifteen thousand knights , the flower of the Teutonic chivalry . Their mounted attendants swelled the total array of cavalry to sixty thousand ; and the infantry , exclusive of the unarmed pilgrims , numbered one hundred thousand men .
During their passage through the dominions of the Greek euiperor , the German forces had to encounter repeated acts of treacherous hostility , similar to those which , under the hollow semblance of amity , the Byzantine court and people had been guilty of in the previous crusades . Actual collision with the Greek ! troops was generally restrained by the magnanimous and prudent forbearance of Frederick ,
who , however , expressed his disgust at the perfidy of Isaac Angelus , the reigning Emperor of the East , by refusing to visit Constantinople as a guest . Continuing to preserve this pacific line of policy , he transported his formidable host across the Hellespont in perfect Safety , The subsequent passage through Asia Minor was a yet
severer trial of Frederick ' s patience and ability ; but his genius surmounted every obstacle of climate and hostile tribes , and the march of the imperial army was effected with far greater order , success , and reputation , than had distinguished preceding bodies of Crusaders .
The first crusade , conducted by Peter the Hermit and his lieutenant , Walter the Penniless , consisted of an undisciplined rabble , whose sufferings prior to their reaching Constantinople had not taught them prudence , and who could not on their departure from that city be restrained from committing all sorts of outrages on the people of Asia during their onward progress . Peter , finding that he
was unable to control them , availed himself of the first ulausible onporwas unable to control them , availed himself of the first plausible opportunity to leave them , and returned to Constantinople ; their march being continued under the guidance of Walter . Enraged by the excesses committed by the Christian army , the natives rose on all sides , and commenced to make reprisals . On their advancing further into the country , a considerable body of Turkish cavalry made a
sudden onset , which totally routed their disorderly array , and the brave Walter fell covered with wounds . The panic-stricken multitude of his followers was immediately overwhelmed and slaughtered , a remnant of about three thousand escaping by flight to the nearest Byzantine fortress . A huge mound , into which the savage victors piled the bodies of the slain , remained for many years as an ominous monument of disaster for the instruction of succeeding
Crusaders . These atrocities of their predecessors had not , of course , been forgotten by the Asiatics at the time of Frederick's arrival . Instead of aiding the march of this new army of Christians , the natives in
every way annoyed and repelled its movements . The sufferings of a route through burning and waterless deserts admitted , indeed , of little mitigation , and thousands of the Germans sank under fatigue , sickness , and thirst , while the perpetual assaults of the Turcoman hordes which hung upon their flanks and rear , incessantly cut off any