J44 JETER THE HERMIT. OS:. 5, 



•with the lefs reluftance, from her bed to a convent, 

 and at length to an hermitage. In this auftere folitude 

 his body was emaciated, his fancy was inflamed ; what- 

 ever he wiftied he believed ; whatever he believed, he 

 fatu in dreams and revelations. From JeruHUem the 

 pilgrim retmned an accomplifhed fanatick ; but as he 

 excelled in the popular madnefs of the times, pope Ur- 

 ban II. received him as a prophet, applauded his glori- 

 ous defign, promifed to fupport it in a general council, 

 and encouraged him to procfeim the deliverance of the 

 Holy Land. Invigorated by the approbation of the pon- 

 tiff, his zealous miiTionary traverfed with fpeed and fuc- 



cefs the provinces of Italy and France His diet 



was abltemious, his prayers long and fervent, and 

 the aims which he received with one hand he dirtri- 

 buted with the other : his head was bare, his feet 

 naked, his meagre body was wrapt in a coarfe gar- 

 ment -, he bore and difplayed a weighty crucifix, and 

 the afs on which he rode was fanitified in the public 

 eye by the fervice of the man of God. He preached 

 to innumerable crowds in the churches, the fireets, and 

 the highways : the hermit entered with equal confi- 

 dence the palace and the cottage ; and the people, for 

 all was people, was impetuotifly moved by his call to 

 repentance and arms. When he painted the iufferings 

 of the natives and pilgrims of Paleftine, every heart 

 was melted to compaffion ; jevery breafl glowed with 

 indignation when he challenged the warriors of the 

 age to defend their brethren and refcue their Saviour : 

 his ignorance of art and language was compenfated by 

 fighs, and tears, and ejaculations ; and Peter fup- 

 piied the deficiency of reafon by loud and frequent 

 appeals to Chriil and his mother, to the faints and 

 angels of paradife, with whom he had perfonally con- 

 verfed. The moft perfe£l orator of Athens might have 

 envi;;d the fuccefs of his eloquence : The rullic enthu- 

 fiaft iafpired the paffions which he felt, and Chriften- 

 dom expefted with impatience tlie counfels and de- 

 cree j of the fupreme pontiff. 



