Towards the end of the 11th century, Eu rope's population was immense. The emigra tion of the barbarians, like so many torrents, had inundated France, Spain, Italy, and Germany. The greatest part of the monasteries were so destitute of funds, that the monks were obliged to work for their living; the people were plunged in horrid disorders; and the holy land was in the hands of the infidels. In order to thin the population, enrich the monks, reform the morals, and recover Jerusalem, God sent forth a glorious Hermit, whose name was Peter, who preached the crusade in God's name, and enjoined it on all the faithful, promising in the name of the Pope, a full indulgence of all sins, to any who would aid the sacred undertaking with their lives or fortunes.

Two such powerful motives could not fail in producing their effect. Upwards of eighty thousand croises leave France and Germany, under the care of the Hermit. The van guard, com. manded by Gautier Sans-argent, i. e. Gautier Pennyless, displayed their courage on their route, by massacreing in cool blood full one half the nation of the Bulgars. The general follows his Lieutenant,and on his being refused provisions for his army in Hungary, he takes Mallavilla by storm, and put its citizens to the sword: a severity justly inflicted on that obdu rate people who refused to co-operate in the holy expedition!

Fifteen thousand Germans, headed by the famous preacher Godeschal, follow the Hermit's army; but at the approach of the new apostles,

the Hungarians are alarmed, and fearing new disasters, they fall on the preacher and exterminate his fifteen thousand men.. Two hundred thousand croises soon follow that handful, put to the sword every Jew they can take, and drive the rest to such stress of despair, that having ripped open their wives and children they put an end to their deplorable existence.. Such christian like actions,are soon rewarded with the crown of martyrdom, which they share, with three quarters of those who had preceded them, being slaughtered to a man..

The Hermit and Gautier arrive before Constantinople with the rest of their troops; and to convince the incredulous, that God often makes use of the unworthy, and even of the wicked to accomplish his unfathomable purposes, a troop of banditti join themselves to the soldiers of Christ; they plunder together the country near the town, cross the Bosophorus ; every thing gives away before them; but the devil, jealous of their exploits, awakes the tyrant of Bithinia who routs them entirely.

Seven hundred thousand more croises penetrate into Asia, their chief repairs the Hermit's fortunes; he takes Nice, Antioche, Edesse, Jerusalem; and makes such massacre of the heathen, that the most obdurate soldiers, in his army, would have beheld the carnage with horror, had it not been made for God's greatest glory.

The glorious news had no sooner reached the European shores than two hundred thousand recruits assemble to prosecute the grand design

of the crusades. Hugh of France returns Europe, and takes them under his command part of them are destroyed in Greece, Solima falling on the rest, cuts them to pieces, and the chief dies abandoned in Asia." So true is i that insurmountable obstacles are often throw in the way to frustrate the accomplishment o a desirable and laudable event!

The European christians weakened by the victories, attenuated by sickness and the cli mate; the division of their conquests, the mis understanding that existed between their chiefs and the loss of Edesse, solicit another crusade

St. Bernard preaches the new undertaking with that enthusiasm which characterises him he rends his clothes, works miracles, prophecies absolves; and the apostolic zeal electerises a gain the imflamable French, and the phlegmati Germans. The emperor Conradus, flies, plun dering as he goes, and finally falls in the snare of the tyrant of Iconia, who annihilates hi whole army-Young Louis is beaten at Laodi cea, and dishonoured by his wife at Antioche hunger and misery drives what croises survive to Europe. Saladin beats the christians of A sia at Tyberiad, takes Guy of Lusignas, the true cross, and Jerusalem. All was lost! i (by a wonderful protection from above) that Sal adin had not neglected avenging the blood of the infidels, which the christians had not spared on a similar occasion, eighty eight years be

fore.

This disaster plunged Europe in the deepest consternation. Barbarousse, the emperor

swears he will avenge christendom. He sets. out for Asia, beats the enemy twice, takes Iconia by storm, and would have accomplished no. less than the complete conquest of the holy land, when, horrid to tell! he is accidentally drowned in the river Cydenus, and leaves only behind him seven or eight thousand men, which his son rallies, to join them to the broken remains of Lusigan's army.

Meanwhile Philip Augustus, and Richard, arrive in Syria: they find themselves at the head of an army of three hundred thousand fighting men. They take Ptolemais, and plan: to push their conquest farther. But the devil, who has an interest in ruining the best undertakings, excited a jealousy between the two. princes, and Philip returns to France. Richard defeats Saladin at Cesarea; Saladin finally ruins Richard's army, this last being obliged to return to England, falls into the hands of the emperor, Henry VIth, his mortal enemy.

The ardor of the crusades was not yet checked, a multitude of new heroes embark at Ve.. nice for Dalmatia; They take Zara at their land-. ing instead of making for the holy land, Constantinople, which had probably incurred the wrath of Heaven, becomes now the object of their zeal. They escalade, ransack, pillage and burn, that superb city. They blasphisme, rav ish and lay waste all they meet, destroy the churches, dash the altars and images to shivers, dance in the Sanctum Sanctorum of St. Sophia, and precipitate the emperor Mirzuflos from the top of a high column. To crown the work

Baudoin of Flanders usurps the crown of the murdered emperor; but the Bulgars having taken the new sovereign, cut off his legs and arms, and exposed his mangled trunk, to the wild beasts. I

}

Asia is not the only stage where the valour of the croises is diplayed. Two large bodies of men are raised against the Albigenses and Moors. One of these armies takes Bezeirs, and exterminates all its inhabitants; ruins those of Carcassona,seizes on Lavaur,murders eighty knights, together with the lord of that city, drowns the daughter of the last in a well, and burn to death round her remains, three hundred of the citizens, to complete the groupe. The other ransacks the whole country through which they pass; kills one hundred thousand of the Moors in the plains of Tolosa, puts in irons three hundred thousand more of those infidels, and returns home, giving thanks to the almighty for the success of so glorious an expedition.

The pious ardour for the crusades does not abate even children burn with a desire of signalizing their zeal for the recovery of the holy land; a multitude of school boys set out under care of some monks their school masters; but the devil tempted their conductors, who sold one half of them to the Turks, and the rest perished with misery on the route,

Mean while the croises of Asia take Damiet ta, and become able to push their conquest in Egypt. At this juncture a dominican friar disputes the command of the army with the king of Jerusalem.--God's ambassador makes