chap. II.] ST. JOHN OK JERUSALEM. 103

liad the hardihood to be its captain. These des-peradoes scorned every obedience, civil, military,ecclesiastical—all to them a grievous yoke. Andthey Avould have none, but would live and die asfree as born. What property does a baby carryinto the world? or a corpse out of it ? What lawgivershave they? Choosing to believe that the crusadewashed away all sins, they committed the mostheinous crimes with the utmost indifference and asafe conscience. With a fanatical pride—or theyfeigned it—they despised and assaulted every onewho did not join their march. Not all the richeson earth were sufficient to recompense their self-devotedness; let God and the Church know that—in whose service they are—the only service theyacknowledge. They declared themselves the Volun-teers of Heaven , and would not hear of any mixtureof what is human. All that should fall into theirhands was rightfully their own, and but a smallpart of what was due to them; an anticipatedquota of the arrears of their pay, so much takenfrom the heathen. Of the lands they were travers-ing, they were themselves the true owners. Theproprietors should thank them, if they left anything,and were in reality their debtors.

From such principles, you may imagine whatfollowed. This furious troop moved disorderly;