“Mighty was the throng that gathered for the First Crusade.  Monks threw aside their gowns and took to the sword and cuirass; even women and children joined in the throng.  What, my son, could be expected from a great army so formed?  Without leaders, without discipline, without tactics, without means of getting food, they soon became a scourge of the country through which they passed.

“Passing through Hungary, where they greatly ravaged the fields, they came to Bulgaria.  Here the people, struck with astonishment and dismay at this great horde of hungry people who arrived among them like locusts, fell upon them with the sword, and great numbers fell.  The first band that passed into that country perished miserably, and of all that huge assembly, it may be said that, numbering, at the start, not less than 250,000 persons, only about 100,000 crossed into Asia Minor.  The fate of these was no better than that of those who had perished in Hungary and Bulgaria.  After grievous suffering and loss they at last reached Nicaea.  There they fell into an ambuscade; and out of the whole of the undisciplined masses who had followed Peter the Hermit, it is doubtful whether 10,000 ever returned home.

“This first attempt to rescue the holy sepulchre was followed by others equally wild, misguided, and unfortunate.  Some of them indeed began their evil deeds as soon as they had left their home.  The last of these bodies fell upon the Jews, who are indeed enemies of the Christian faith, but who have now, at least, nothing to do with the question of the holy sepulchre.  As soon as they entered into Germany the Crusaders put them to death with horrible torture.  Plunder and rapine indeed appeared to be the object of the crusaders.  On this as well as on most other preceding bands, their misdeeds drew down the vengeance of the people.  At an early period of their march, and as soon as they reached Hungary, the people fell upon them, and put the greater portion to the sword.

“Thus, in these irregular expeditions no less than 500,000 people are supposed to have perished.  Godfrey de Bouillon was the first who undertook to lead a Crusade according to the military knowledge of the day.  With him were his brothers Eustace and Baldwin, the Counts of Anault and St. Paul, and many other nobles and gentlemen, with their retainers, well armed and under good order; and so firm was the discipline of Duke Godfrey that they were allowed to pass freely, by the people of the countries who had opposed the previous bands.

“Through Hungary, Bulgaria, and Thrace he made his way; and though he met with many difficulties from Alexius, the crafty and treacherous Emperor of the Greeks, he at last succeeded in crossing into Asia.  There he was joined by many from England, as well as from France and other countries.  Duke Robert, the son of our first William, led a strong band of Normans to the war, as did the other great princes of France and Spain.