esults of his
preaching. Hereafter we shall see him as a preacher chiefly or in
kindred work. Others supply true leadership.

[Sidenote: _Later Leadership Wiser_]

Those who lingered at home, when the armies of Peter the Hermit and
Walter the Penniless started for Jerusalem, may have been of the wiser
sort, and certainly seemed to have profited by the calamities of their
brethren, both in the matter of preparation and in the treatment of the
nations through which they passed. The first army was led by enthusiasm
almost wholly. The second had true military leadership.

[Sidenote: _Christianity Coalesces With Military Spirit_]

[Sidenote: _Defects of Crusading Christianity_]

[Sidenote: _Europe Callous as to Losses_]

It is interesting to observe how the two great dominant forces,
Christianity and the military spirit, co-operated, and even coalesced,
yet allowed neither to govern in its proper sphere. The early Crusaders
had piety enough to hold them to the march, notwithstanding the awful
trail of death. They did not have enough to prevent their behaving on
the way more like devils than Christians. They had sufficient military
spirit to make them willing to fight, but not enough to make adequate
preparation. The Christianity of that time had devotional but not
humanizing power. It carried along faith, obedience to ceremonial,
abundant prayers, personal humility; but it had little restraint for
passion whether corporal or revengeful. Its hand was powerless to
restrain fury or prevent or relieve misery "The knight before the battle
was as devout as the bishop; the bishop in the battle as ferocious as
the knight."[5] Little better fate availed the women when Christians
prevailed than when Turks won the day. Whatever mourning there was for
individuals, the failure to win the Holy City appears to have given more
sorrow to Europe than the death of three hundred thousand men.

[Sidenote: _Peter Ceases to be General_]

One might gather up at this point the remaining appearances of Peter,
and call his work done. But while he ceased to be a military leader, his
work continued, his spiritual influence remained. We shall see him at
one time arguing with Turks, and at another praying for victory over
them. His strength and his weakness can only be brought out by briefly
sketching some of the men who took up leadership after his failure, and
with whose victories he was identified as priest, prophet, and
participant.

[Siden