start not less than two hundred and fifty thousand persons, only about one hundred thousand 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 ten thousand ever returned home.

“This first attempt to rescue the holy sepulcher 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 sepulcher.  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 five hundred thousand 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.

“The army which crossed the narrow passage of the Hellespont is estimated at no less than seven hundred thousand fighting men.  Of these one hundred thousand were knights clad in complete armor, the remainder were men-at-arms and bowmen.

“Nicaea, the place which had been the scene of the massacre of Peter the Hermit’s hosts, was taken after a desperate conflict, lasting for many weeks, and the Crusaders afterward defeated the Turks in a great battle near the town of Doryleum.  After these successes disputes arose among the leaders, and Count Baldwin, brother of Duke Godfrey, left the main body with about fifteen hundred men, and founded a kingdom for himself in Mesopotamia.

“The main body, slowly and painfully, and suffering from disease, famine, and the heat, made its way south.  Antioch, a city of great strength and importance, was besieged, but it proved so strong that it resisted for many months, and was at last only taken by treachery.