erard was released from his dungeon, and the banner of
the cross superseded that of the crescent in the province of Judaea. One
of the great epochs of history at the close of the tenth century was
when Godefroi was proclaimed first Christian king of Jerusalem.

Nearly eight hundred years have passed away since this interesting era
of the world's progress, and one pauses reflectively to realize and to
moralize over the fact that the "Holy Land" is still Mohammedan. It is
the crescent, not the cross, which floats to-day upon the breezes of
Palestine. No Peter the Hermit preaches a new Crusade in this nineteenth
century, to recover possession of the Holy Sepulchre.

We are writing of a period when personal prowess was considered the
great essential of true manhood. Learning and the sciences were left to
monks and the cloister. The profession of arms, therefore, attracted all
noble and ambitious youths,--it was in fact the only path open to
chivalric purposes, and which led to high preferment. The spirit of the
age was one of superstition and veneration combined, so that it was easy
to raise a host of brave followers for the purpose of fighting the
Moslems, and of rescuing Jerusalem from their possession. A belief that
the shedding of one's blood in such a cause not only purchased
forgiveness for all sins, but also insured to the soldiers of the cross
the future joys of heaven, prevailed in those days among high and low,
throughout Europe. Recruits for the ranks of the Crusaders required no
urging. They marched at first, like an impetuous mob, in myriads toward
the East, and were defeated, as a matter of course; but learning wisdom
by experience, they duly organized themselves, and victory followed.

Though the avowed purpose of the brotherhood of whom we write was one of
charity, peace, and good-will toward men, of self-abnegation and
devotion to good works, especially embracing the idea of nursing the
sick, still, owing to the exigencies of the situation, as we have shown,
the organization gradually developed into a complete military order, and
presently came to be known the world over as the Knights of St. John;
the significant and at first strictly appropriate title of Hospitallers
was over-shadowed by the more soldierly one of Knights. Their first
military duty was that of escorting pilgrims to and from the coast,
guarding them from the frequently fatal violence of the natives. The
field of their operation became rapi