CHAPTER XVIII.

THE CRUSADES AND KING RICHARD.

AFTER the Normans, England was not troubled by any other invaders; and we will now leave that ancient history, and pass over nearly another hundred and fifty years, to the time of the crusades, and Richard Coeur de Lion, who is the only hero further whose story we can here relate.

The crusades were pilgrimages from all parts of Europe to the Holy Land, or to Jerusalem, for the purpose of warring against the Turks, who were Mahometans, and who had possession of the Holy Sepulchre, the place where our Saviour was laid. Christians did not think it proper for the Mahometans to be holding this, as they scarcely believed in the Saviour at all; and, besides, they had treated

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very cruelly and ignominiously the Christian pilgrims who had gone there to behold the place. all the Christian nations of Europe - all Christendom were roused to arms to try to obtain the sepulchre, and to rescue it from the hands of the unbelieving, or rather misbelieving Turks; as the Mahometans did believe somewhat in Jesus our Saviour, but only as a prophet, and as not equal to their prophet Mahomet.

There were several crusades, and they occupied a period of about two hundred years. Sometimes the city of Jerusalem was won by the crusaders, and then again it was lost to them. Altogether, there were about two millions of men who went from Europe to the East; and probably most of them died, or became lost or scattered, during the struggle. When these great armies left their homes, they had the emblem of the cross on their banners, and the men wore the badge of the cross on their dress. The emblem of the Moslems, as the Turks and Mahometans were called, was the crescent, or half

moon.

Princes and kings, nobles and knights, all took part in these holy wars; and peasants, and people of all descriptions, left their homes to join in the numerous armies. There were great hardships, and some terrible disasters occurred; and the crusaders scarcely accomplished the object for which they went, at least, not for any length of time; as at this very day the Holy Sepulchre still is, and and for nearly six hundred years has been, in the hands of the Mahometans. Nevertheless, the crusades did great good, as they opened the different parts of the world to each other, and made them acquainted; and this introduced trade and commerce. Among the chivalrous and renowned knights and princes who took part in the crusades, one of the most so was Richard I. of England, Cœur de Lion, the Lion-hearted. Indeed, he was called the Champion of Christendom, being full of zeal, ardor, and activity for the Holy Cause; and his career in pursuing this was full of romance, valor, and prowess. Yet we can sketch it but slightly as we go along.

Richard could not have had a happy youth, I think, as he engaged in a rebellion against his own father. This king (Henry II.), kind and noblehearted towards his sons, had the sorrow and affliction of having them conspire against him; but the eldest, Prince Henry, as he was about to die, repented in dust and ashes, and entreated his father's forgiveness. (It is said, that, in order to express his sorrow and humiliation, he requested to be laid on a bed of ashes; and there actually he died.) This example did not deter Richard, however, from again joining in another conspiracy with his youngest brother, John (these were the only two now left; the third brother, Geoffry, having also died). When the king, their indulgent father, knew of this, and that his youngest and most-loved son was in arms against him, he was overwhelmed with grief, and truly died of a broken heart. Then it was Richard's turn to be filled with sorrow and remorse; and, when he saw the pale face of his father lying still before him, he was overwhelmed with pain and agony for his undutiful behavior. From

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that time, he seemed to turn to better things, although he was often passionate and headstrong to the end of his life; but with these were mingled many generous, even magnanimous, qualities; and he was among the bravest of the brave. He soon gave all his time and attention for preparing a crusade to the Holy Land. He collected all the money and the means that he could. He, together with the King of France, raised an army of a hundred thousand men. It was already late in the season, and they stopped in the Island of Sicily to winter. There, too, the princess arrived to whom Richard was attached: but, it being Lent, they could not, according to their customs, be married; and he did. not wait, but set off for Palestine. The Princess Berengaria sailed also with another princess, the Queen of Sicily, who was Richard's sister, in a separate vessel; and a storm coming up on the passage, and the King of Cyprus, whose island they were passing, not allowing the vessel to come into his harbors, King Richard immediately laid siege to the island, and took possession of it. Then Richard