influenced only by pious wishes and zeal for the service of God.  As for Suger, ever far-seeing and only too well able to read the future, not only did he not suggest to the monarch any such design, but he disapproved of it so soon as it was mentioned to him.  The truth of it is, that, after having vainly striven to nip it in the bud, and being unable to put a check upon the king’s zeal, he thought it wise, either for fear of wounding the king’s piety, or of uselessly incurring the wrath of the partisans of the enterprise, to yield to the times.”  As for St. Bernard, at the first of the three assemblies, viz., at Bourges, whether it were that his mind was not yet made up or that he desired to cover himself with greater glory, he advised the king to undertake nothing without having previously consulted the Holy See; but when Pope Eugenius iii., so far from hesitating, had warmly solicited the aid of the Christians against the infidels, St. Bernard, at the second assembly, viz., at Vezelai, gave free vent to his feelings and his eloquence.  After having read the pope’s letters, “If ye were told,” said he, “that an enemy had attacked your castles, your cities, and your lands, had ravished your wives and your daughters, and had profaned your temples, which of you would not fly to arms?  Well, all those evils, and evils still greater, have come upon your brethren, upon the family of Christ, which is your own.  Why tarry ye, then, to repair so many wrongs, to avenge so many insults?  Christian warriors, He who gave His life for you to-day demandeth yours; illustrious knights, noble defenders of the cross, call to mind the example of your fathers, who conquered Jerusalem, and whose names are written in heaven!  The living God hath charged me to tell unto you that He will punish those who shall not have defended Him against His enemies.  Fly to arms, and let Christendom re-echo with the words of the prophet, ‘Woe to him who dyeth not his sword with blood!’ “At this fervent address the assembly rang with the shout of the first crusade, ‘God willeth it!  God willeth it!’ The king, kneeling before St. Bernard, received from his hands the cross; the queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, assumed it, like her husband; nearly all the barons present followed their example; St. Bernard tore up his garments into crosses for distribution, and, on leaving the assembly, he scoured the country places, everywhere preaching and persuading the people.  The villages and castles are deserted,” he wrote to the pope; “there is none to be seen save widows and orphans whose husbands and fathers are alive.”  Nor did he confine himself to France; he crossed into Germany, and preached the crusade all along the Rhine.  The emperor, Conrad iii., showed great hesitation; the empire was sorely troubled, he said, and had need of its head.  “Be of good cheer,” replied St. Bernard “so long as you defend His heritage, God himself will take the burden of defending yours.”