LIX. his commands; and in his own kingdom, the CHAP. 1 LIX. ୨୦ CHAP. and preach in the mosch of the temple "°, from whence the prophet undertook his nocturnal journey to heaven. The clergy deplored this fcandalous toleration; and the weaker Moflems were gradually expelled; but every rational object of the crufades was accomplished without bloodshed; the churches were restored, the monafteries were replenished; and, in the space of fifteen years, the Latins of Jerufalem exceeded the number of fix thoufand. This peace and profperity, for which they were ungrateful to their benefactor, was terminated by the irruption of the Invafion of ftrange and favage hords of Carizmians". Flying the Cariz- from the arms of the Moguls, thofe fhepherds of the Cafpian rolled headlong on Syria; and the union of the Franks with the fultans of Aleppo, Hems, and Damafcus, was infufficient to ftem the violence of the torrent. Whatever flood against them, was cut off by the fword, or dragged into captivity; the military orders were almost exterminated in a fingle battle; and in the pillage of the city, in the profanation of the holy fepulchre, the Latins confefs and regret the modesty and difcipline of the Turks and Saracens. mians, A. D. 3243. St. Louis, and the fixth crufade, Of the feven crufades, the two laft were undertaken by Louis the ninth, king of France; who loft his liberty in Egypt, and his life on the coast 90 The clergy artfully confounded the mofch or church of the temple with the holy fepulchre, and their wilful error has deceived both Vertot and Muratori. 91 The irruption of the Carizmians, or Corafmins, is related by Matthew Paris (p. 546, 547.), and by Joinville, Nangis, and the Arabians (p. 111, 112. 191, 192. 528. 530.) of LIX. A. D. 12481254. of Africa. Twenty-eight years after his death, CHAP. he was canonized at Rome; and fixty-five miracles were readily found, and folemnly attested, to justify the claim of the royal faint "2. The voice of history renders a more honourable teftimony, that he united the virtues of a king, an hero, and a man; that his martial fpirit was tempered by the love of private and public juftice; and that Louis was the father of his people, the friend of his neighbours, and the terror of the infidels. Superftition alone, in all the extent of her baleful influence", corrupted his understanding and his heart; his devotion ftooped to admire and imitate the begging friars of Francis and Dominic; he pursued with blind and cruel zeal the enemies of the faith; and the beft of kings twice defcended from his throne to feek the adventures of a spiritual knight-errant. A monkish hiftorian would have been content to applaud the most despicable part of his character; but the noble and gallant Joinville, who fhared the friend 92 Read, if you can, the life and miracles of St. Louis, by the *confeffor of queen Margaret (p. 291-523. Joinville, du Louvre). 93 He believed all that mother church taught (Joinville, p. 1o.), but he cautioned Joinville against difputing with infidels. "L'omme lay (faid he in his old language) quand il ot medire de "la loy Chreftienne, ne doit pas deffendre la loy Creftienne ne "mais que de l'espée, dequoi il doit donner parmi le ventre de"dens, tant comme elle y peut entrer" (p. 12.). 94 I have two editions of Joinville, the one (Paris, 1668) most valuable for the Obfervations of Ducange; the other (Paris au Louvre, 1761.) most precious for the pure and authentic text, a MS. of which has been recently difcovered. The laft editor proves, that the hiftory of St. Louis was finished A. D. 1309, without explaining, or even admiring, the age of the author, which must LIX. CHIA P. friendship and captivity of Louis, has traced with the pencil of nature the free portrait of his virtues as well as of his failings. From this intimate knowledge, we may learn to fufpect the political views of depreffing their great vassals, which are fo often imputed to the royal authors of the crufades. Above all the princes of the middle ages, Louis the ninth fuccefsfully laboured to reftore the prerogatives of the crown; but it was at home, and not in the Eaft, that he acquired for himself and his pofterity; his vow was the refult of enthufiafm and ficknefs; and if he were the promoter, he was likewife the victim, of this holy madnefs. For the invafion of Egypt, France was exhaufted of her troops and treafures; he covered the fea of Cyprus with eighteen hundred fails; the most modeft enumeration amounts to fifty thousand men; and, if we might trust his own confeffion, as it is reported by Oriental vanity, he difembarked nine thoufand five hundred horfe, and one hundred and thirty thoufand foot, who performed their pilgrimage under the shadow of his power ". He takes A. D. 1249. In complete armour, the oriflamme waving beDamietta, fore him, Louis leaped foremost on the beach; and the strong city of Damietta, which had coft his predeceffors a fiege of fixteen months, was abandoned on the firft affault by the trembling Moflems. But Damietta was the first and the last of his conquests; and in the fifth and fixth cru have exceeded ninety years (Preface, p.xi. Observations de Ducange, p. 17.). 95 Joinville, p. 32. Arabic Extracts, p. 549. fades, fades, the fame causes, almost on the fame ground, CH A P. ruinous delay, which introduced into the camp 96 The last editors have enriched their Joinville with large and curious extracts from the Arabic hiftorians, Macrizi, Abulfeda, &c. See likewife Abulpharagius (Dynaft. p. 322-325.), who calls him by the corrupt name of Redefrans. Matthew Paris (p. 683, 684.) has described the rival folly of the French and English who fought and fell at Maffoura. VOL. XI. M by LIX. |