“Gradually the Saracens have wrested post after post from our hands.  Edessa was taken in 1144, and the news of this event created an intense excitement.  The holy St. Bernard stirred up all France, and Louis VII. himself took the vow and headed a noble army.  The ways of God are not our ways, and although the army of Germany joined that of France, but little results came of this great effort.

“The Emperor Conrad, with the Germans, was attacked by the Turk Saladin of Iconium, and was defeated with a loss of sixty thousand men.  The King of France, with his army, was also attacked with fury, and a large portion of his force were slaughtered.  Nothing more came of this great effort, and while the first Crusade seemed to show that the men-at-arms of Europe were irresistible, the second on the contrary gave proof that the Turks were equal to the Christian knights.  Gradually the Christian hold of the Holy Land was shaken.  In 1187, although fighting with extraordinary bravery, the small army of Christian Knights of the Temple and of St. John were annihilated, the King of Jerusalem was made prisoner, and the Christian power was crushed.  Then Saladin, who commanded the Turks, advanced against Jerusalem, and forced it to capitulate.

“Such, my boy, is the last sad news which has reached us; and no wonder that it has stirred the hearts of the monarchs of Europe, and that every effort will be again made to recapture the holy sepulcher, and to avenge our brethren who have been murdered by the infidels.”

“But, Father Francis, from your story it would seem that Europe has already sacrificed an enormous number of lives to take the holy sepulcher, and that after all the fighting, when she has taken it, it is only to lose it again.”

“That is so, my son; but we will trust that in future things will be better managed.  The Templars and Hospitalers now number so vast a number of the best lances in Europe, and are grown to be such great powers, that we may believe that when we have again wrested the holy sepulcher from the hands of the infidels they will be able to maintain it against all assaults.  Doubtless the great misfortunes which have fallen upon the Christian armies have been a punishment from heaven, because they have not gone to work in the right spirit.  It is not enough to take up lance and shield, and to place a red cross upon the shoulder.  Those who desire to fight the battle of the Lord must cleanse their hearts, and go forth in the spirit of pilgrims rather than knights.  I mean not that they should trust wholly to spiritual weapons—­for in truth the infidel is a foe not to be despised—­but I mean that they should lay aside all thoughts of worldly glory and rivalry one against another.”

“And think you, Father, that such is the spirit with which King Richard and the other kings and nobles now preparing to go to the Holy Land are animated?”

Father Francis hesitated.