ror of the day of judgment began to subside,
a few pilgrims ventured to return to Europe, their hearts big with
indignation at the insults they had suffered. Everywhere as they passed
they related to a sympathizing auditory the wrongs of Christendom.
Strange to say, even these recitals increased the mania for pilgrimage.
The greater the dangers of the way, the more chance that sins of deep
dye would be atoned for. Difficulty and suffering only heightened the
merit, and fresh hordes issued from every town and village, to win
favour in the sight of Heaven by a visit to the holy sepulchre. Thus
did things continue during the whole of the eleventh century.

The train that was to explode so fearfully was now laid, and there
wanted but the hand to apply the torch. At last the man appeared upon
the scene. Like all who have ever achieved so great an end, Peter the
hermit was exactly suited to the age; neither behind it, nor in advance
of it; but acute enough to penetrate its mystery ere it was discovered
by any other. Enthusiastic, chivalrous, bigoted, and, if not insane,
not far removed from insanity, he was the very prototype of the time.
True enthusiasm is always persevering and always eloquent, and these
two qualities were united in no common degree in the person of this
extraordinary preacher. He was a monk of Amiens, and ere he assumed the
hood had served as a soldier. He is represented as having been ill
favoured and low in stature, but with an eye of surpassing brightness
and intelligence. Having been seized with the mania of the age, he
visited Jerusalem, and remained there till his blood boiled to see the
cruel persecution heaped upon the devotees. On his return home he shook
the world by the eloquent story of their wrongs.

Before entering into any further details of the astounding results of
his preaching, it will be advisable to cast a glance at the state of
the mind of Europe, that we may understand all the better the causes of
his success. First of all, there was the priesthood, which, exercising
as it did the most conspicuous influence upon the fortunes of society,
claims the largest share of attention. Religion was the ruling idea of
that day, and the only civiliser capable of taming such wolves as then
constituted the flock of the faithful. The clergy were all in all; and
though they kept the popular mind in the most slavish subjection with
regard to religious matters, they furnished it with the means of
defe