CHAP. IT.]

ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM.

99

Altogether this division comprised at least a hun-dred thousand men, followed by a long train of rudevehicles, women, children, and the old, sick, ordecrepid, or valetudinarians; all relying on themiraculous promises of their more than Moses. Fortheir holy Peter needed but to tread where he hadtrod already. They expected that the rivers wouldopen to let them pass, manna fall from Heaven tofeed them.

The commanders were as miserable as theirsoldiers. To the East asking alms! And as longas they were in France or Germany, they were notwrong in their expectations ; for they were fed bythe charitable. Not so in Hungary ; although itsking had been known to the hermit on his wayhome from Jerusalem, when that new convert hadheard with sympathy of the poor palmer’s suffer-ings. But his Majesty was now dead; nor did hissuccessor, though a recent Christian also, and incorrespondence Avith the Pope, look with a kindlyeye on these laAvless crusaders ; nor the Bulgarians,though Christians likewise, would recognise the des-perate fellows as their brethren, but treated themAvorse than they had ever treated former pilgrims.

Cold charity was quickly over; so the crusaders,not contented with stealing, or with the stronghand seizing, the cattle, and driving them off

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