Philosophy .of Botany. 217 



public executions were great festivals for this noble nation 

 and were called "Auto da fe " — act of faith. 



Under the pressure of this fearful hierarchical demoraliza- 

 tion originated the frantic efforts for the conquest of the holy 

 land. With the sacrifice of millions of lives a momentary 

 success had been purchased, to end directly in a complete fa 1- 

 ure. The progress of the fourth crusade gives a vivid picture 

 of the state of barbarism in the Western States, and the char- 

 acter of the Roman Church at that time. The campaign was 

 ostensibly planned by Pope Innocence IV., but afterwards in- 

 sidiously diverted through t,he connivance of the Venetian 

 "Republic, and the Roman curia against Constantinople, the 

 seat of the Eastern Church, and the rival Byzantine Bishop or 

 Patriarch. 



The superior physical strength of only 20,000 attacking 

 Franks overwhelmed a city which at that time had yet 400,000 

 inhabitants. Few lives-only were lost by the combatants, bfft 

 the greatest part of the city was laid in ashes, and many of the 

 inhabitants afterwards slain or brutally mistreated, and the 

 devastation and ruin from the treatment of their Christian 

 combatants (1204) was in no degree less severe than what 

 happened two hundred and fifty years later, after the ultimate 

 downfall of the Byzantine empire and sack of Constantinople 

 by the Turks. 



Rome had accomplished its design. The Bishops of Rome 

 at last appointed the Bishop of Constantinople. The acknowl- 

 edgment of papal supremacy was complete. The holy relics 

 were carried away to raise to greater holiness the cathedrals 

 of the Western barbarians. 



An inventory of the spoils carried away by Abbott Martin 

 for his monastery in Elsace illustrates the low moral character 

 and superstition of the Christian world 'at that period. It enu- 

 merates the following priceless articles: (1) A spot of the 

 blood of our Savior, (2) a piece of the true cross, (3) the arm 

 of the apostle James, (4) part of the skeleton of John the 

 Baptist, and (5) a bottle of the milk of the mother of God. 

 Works of art in precious metals or bronze were melted into 

 coin and thousands of manuscripts were burned. From that 

 time the works of many ancient authors disappeared forever. 



