of
Europe, appealing far less, however, to the cupidity of the individual
than to his desire for something strange, new and incredible. It was
impossible to foresee the result of the first Crusade; the crusader went
to a strange land in order to fight--the return was in God's hand. There
have been at all times men coveting wealth, but to make such men the
instigators and organisers of the Crusades is a deliberate attempt to
represent a characteristic and unique event in the history of the world
in the light of a commonplace and every-day occurrence. In the first
enchanted wood a man might chance upon a beautiful princess sitting
beside a fountain, nude and weeping; but it was equally possible that a
giant would rush upon the Christian knight, break his shield and exact
heavy penalties. It was possible to win the kingdom of a sultan or
emir--it could be achieved by bravery and in a duel--and become a great
king, for a king in those days was no more than a large landed
proprietor. Such dreams were actually fulfilled in the most
extraordinary way. Gottfried of Bouillon, a poor Alsatian knight, might
have become King of Jerusalem, had he not refused to wear a crown of
gold in a land where his Saviour had worn a crown of thorns, and
contented himself with the title of "Protector of the Holy Land."

The embattled citadel of Jerusalem, like the Holy Grail, was pictured as
being situated outside the world. _There_ the longing which had become
so vast that it had outgrown the earth, would be stilled. A direct way
must lead from Jerusalem, the centre of the earth--it still takes this
position in Dante's _Divine Comedy_--to Paradise. Was it not the spot
where the Cross of the Saviour had been raised? Had not once before
heaven opened above the city to receive His risen body? Was it not the
scene of countless miracles in the past? Why should it be different now?
Men knew practically nothing of Palestine; they had in their minds a
fantastic picture tallying, in every respect, with Biblical accounts;
doubtless, the footprints of the Redeemer could easily be traced
everywhere; the possession of the country promised the fulfilment of
transcendental dreams.

The impulse and the strength necessary for the organisation of the
Crusades were spiritual phenomena inherently foreign and even hostile to
the Church; but thanks to the mental superiority of the popes of that
period, and the overpowering conception of a divine kingdom, they becam