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Children's Crusade
Children's Crusade
- 1212
The so-called Children's Crusade illustrates at once the religious
enthusiasm and misdirected zeal which marked the whole crusading
movement. During the interval between the Fourth and the Fifth Crusade,
the epidemical fanaticism that had so long agitated Europe seized upon
the children, resulting in what is known as Children's Crusade.
Children's Crusade
- Stephen of Cloyes
The preacher of Children's Crusade was a child about
twelve years of age, a French peasant lad, named Stephen of Cloyes, who became
persuaded that Jesus Christ had commanded him to lead a crusade of
children to the rescue of the Holy Sepulchre. The children became wild
with excitement, and flocked in vast crowds to the places appointed for
rendezvous. Nothing could restrain them or thwart their purpose. "Even
bolts and bars," says an old chronicler, "could not hold them." The
movement excited the most diverse views. Some declared that it was
inspired by the Holy Spirit, and quoted such Scriptural texts as these
to justify the enthusiasm: "A child shall lead them;" "Out of the mouth
of babes and sucklings thou hast ordained praise." Others, however, were
quite as confident that the whole thing was the work of the Devil. The
great majority of those who collected at the rallying places were boys
under twelve years of age, but there were also many girls.
The French Children's Crusade
During the year 1212 A.D. about 30,000 French children
assembled in bands and marched through the towns and villages, carrying
banners, candles, and crosses and singing, "Lord God, exalt
Christianity. Lord God, restore to us the true cross." The
French children, set out from the place of
rendezvous for Marseilles. Those that sailed from that port were
betrayed, and sold as slaves in Alexandria and other Mohammedan slave
markets. The children
could not be restrained at first, but finally hunger compelled them to
return home.
The German Children's Crusade
In Germany, during the same year, a lad named Nicholas
really did succeed in launching a crusade. He led a mixed multitude of
men and women, boys and girls totalling 50,000 in number,over the Alps into Italy, where they
expected to take ship for Palestine. From Brundusium 2000 or 3000 of the little crusaders
sailed away into oblivion. Not a word ever came back from them. Many
other children perished of hardships,
many were sold into slavery, and only a few ever saw their homes again.
"These children," Pope Innocent III declared, "put us to shame; while we
sleep they rush to recover the Holy Land."
Children's Crusade
marked the decline of the Crusades
This remarkable spectacle of Children's Crusade affords the
most striking exhibition possible of the ignorance, superstition, and
fanaticism that characterized the period. Yet we cannot but reverence
the holy enthusiasm of an age that could make such sacrifices of
innocence and helplessness in obedience to what was believed to be the
will of God. The children's expedition marked at once the culmination
and the decline of the crusading movement. The fanatic zeal that
inspired the first crusaders was already dying out. "These children,"
said the Pope, referring to the young crusaders, "reproach us with
having fallen asleep, whilst they were flying to the assistance of the
Holy Land."
Children's Crusade
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