96 the HISTORY OF THE ORDER OF [book i.

gratis to the few who were so unhappy as to beobliged to remain at home. Domains worth littleor nothing, are donations that can be accepted byeven a king, so as they contribute to assuage hispoignant and most reasonable grief—wretchedlords—pitiable indeed their lot! The terrifiedGreeks, who had been sent ambassadors tothe Council of Claremont, had no use fortheir fine harangues, but obtained a great dealmore than they asked or desired. A small aid of tenthousand men or so, was all they thought of, andthey beheld with perhaps some dismay, that wholenations were to flock through their country.

The first squad to whom I will not do Cromwell’swildest, the injustice to compare them (for thoseEnglish fanatics were sedate prudent old gentlementothosewhounderthe hermit himself and his worthyassociate, Sansavoir—without a penny or penny-worth—pushed off on their march in one vast irre-gular multitude, men and women) nearly all ofthe lowest classes—chiefly beggars, and knaves, andcut-throats, and virulent democrats, fanaticalrevellers and hypocrites, without food or money,or honesty or common sense, and imperfectly armedwith long rusty knives and ancient scabbardlessswoi’ds, more like saws, and greasy monks the bestof them, and sturdy clowns and peasant girls, and