h the paying of tithes towards it."

But it was not England only that was "troubled" by the tax. The people
of France also looked upon it with no pleasant feelings, and appear
from that time forth to have changed their indifference for the Crusade
into aversion. Even the clergy, who were exceedingly willing that other
people should contribute half, or even all their goods in furtherance
of their favourite scheme, were not at all anxious to contribute a
single sous themselves. Millot ["Elemens de l'Histoire de France."]
relates that several of them cried out against the impost. Among the
rest the clergy of Rheims were called upon to pay their quota, but sent
a deputation to the King, begging him to be contented with the aid of
their prayers, as they were too poor to contribute in any other shape.
Philip Augustus knew better, and by way of giving them a lesson,
employed three nobles of the vicinity to lay waste the church lands.
The clergy, informed of the outrage, applied to the King for redress.
"I will aid you with my prayers," said the Monarch condescendingly,
"and will intreat those gentlemen to let the church alone." He did as
he had promised, but in such a manner, that the nobles, who appreciated
the joke, continued their devastations as before. Again the clergy
applied to the King. "What would you have of me?" he replied, in answer
to their remonstrances: "You gave me your prayers in my necessity, and
I have given you mine in yours." The clergy understood the argument,
and thought it the wiser course to pay their quota of Saladin's tithe
without further parley.

This anecdote shows the unpopularity of the Crusade. If the clergy
disliked to contribute, it is no wonder that the people felt still
greater antipathy. But the chivalry of Europe was eager for the affray:
the tithe was rigorously collected, and armies from England, France,
Burgundy, Italy, Flanders, and Germany, were soon in the field; The two
kings who were to have led it, were, however, drawn into broils by an
aggression of Richard; Duke of Guienne, better known as Richard Coeur
de Lion, upon the territory of the Count of Toulouse, and the proposed
journey to Palestine was delayed. War continued to rage between France
and England, and with so little probability of a speedy termination,
that many of the nobles, bound to the Crusade, left the two Monarchs to
settle their differences at their leisure, and proceeded to Palestine
without them.

Death at