Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1913 edition. Excerpt: ...of poverty had been completely forgotten; and she had enriched herself by every means in her power, until she had come into possession of one seventh of all the landed property in Europe. Her moral and spiritual degeneracy had become so flagrant that she no longer commanded the confidence or respect of thoughtful and decent people; yet her possession of so much property gave her tremendous political importance. Founded on the principle of nonresistance, the church had become a military power. Her bishops and abbots mingled the accoutrements of war indiscriminately with the vestments of their holy office, and in this guise led their armies to battle. And it was fortunate for Europe that, in the eleventh century, there was a western power which possessed an international organization, which could appeal to the universal motive of superstitious fanaticism, and which could call to arms the men of Europe, of high and low degree. For there was a western migration of Saracen tribes, from central Asia, on. They had conquered the Arabs, taken possession of Jerusalem, and threatened the European emperor of Constantinople. Likewise they insulted the Christians doing homage at the holy sepulchre in Jerusalem. If they had been permitted they would probably have streamed westward into Europe, and the struggle between Saracen and Caucasian for the possession of the continent would have taken place on European soil. The insults to the Christians, however, and the danger to the throne of the catholic emperor of the east, forestalled this dire event. The pope issued a call to arms. Peter the Hermit, and many other pious men, preached a crusade throughout Europe; and the result was a general outpouring of the hermits, the robberknights, and all the...
