12.0 HISTORY AND ETHNOLOGY. 



the contest but for the aid thev received from the clerical orders 

 of knights then growing into importance, and from new arrivals of 

 crusaders. 



In 1147 a new crusade, composed entirely of Germans, marched under 

 Conrad III., and was strengthened by other accessions under Louis VII. 

 of France. Reports had reached Europe that Odessa was lost, and 46,000 

 inhabitants put to death : and Bernard, abbot of Clairvaux, engaged in the 

 work of arousing the powers of the west to a renewed effort in behalf of 

 the suffering Christians in the East. Conrad advanced with his gallant 

 'followers, but the Greek emperor, Emanuel Comnenus, who had several 

 times behaved perfidiously towards the Christians, prepared their ruin by 

 treachery and intrigue. When they had crossed to Asia, he caused them 

 to be led by false guides into barren wilds, where they were abandoned 

 and left to perish, partly by the terrors of the desert and partly by the 

 sword of the enemy. Conrad commenced his retreat upon Constantinople 

 with but few of his men. On the way he fell in with the French crusaders 

 tinder Louis. They, too, had to endure the same calamities as his own 

 forces. The relics of both armies now combined in the siege of Damascus, 

 ,but discord and want of unity in the command prevented a successful issue. 

 The sie2:e had to be raised, and in 1149 the French and Germans, under their 

 respective kings, returned to Europe, leaving their project of subjugating the 

 East unaccomplished. ^ 



Notwithstanding these failures, the brave Baldwin III. did not despair. 

 He occasionally received assistance from the Knights of St. John and the 

 Templars, but their own dissensions finally deprived him of the assistance 

 which he so greatly needed. In the midst of severe trials, he died in 1150. 

 Almeric succeeded him until 1152, when Baldwin IV. obtained the throne : 

 both kept up a continual contest with the Saracens. Baldwin's successor, 

 Baldwin V., accomplished nothing of importance, and was followed by 

 Guido of Lusignon, who closed the dynasty of the Christian kings of 

 Jerusalem. Guido suffered a terrible defeat at the battle of Tiberias, in 

 1187, and with the Grand Master of the Templars, and the flower of 

 his army, was taken prisoner. The Saracenic governor of Egypt, Sultan 

 Saladin (Selaheddin of Kurdistan), not satisfied with the victory, advanced 

 to the city of Jerusalem, and captured it, October 3d, 1187. This sultan, 

 a son of Ejub, and commonly known by the surname. Lion of Kurdistan, 

 is one of the noblest and most splendid characters in Oriental history. 

 Nothing so much adorns his reputation as his general clemency to the Chris- 

 tians, most of whom he liberated from confinement, and then facilitated their 

 return to Europe. 



When the news of the fall of Jerusalem spread through Europe, it served 

 as a signal for the organization of a third crusade. In Germany the aged 

 Frederic I. devoted the resources of his empire to the cause ; and the kings 

 of France and England, Philip Augustus and Henry II., placed themselves 

 at the head of the army. Henry died before accomplishing his vow, and 

 his son, Richard the lion-hearted, succeeded him in command. The 

 venerable Frederic, too, died before reaching the Holy Land. The remain- 



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