I
After the time of Barbarossa and Richard C[oe]ur de Lion lived
another great Crusading king. This was a grandson of Philip II,
named Louis IX, who became sovereign of France in 1226. He was
then only eleven years old, so for some years his mother ruled the
kingdom.
A few years after he had begun to reign Louis decided to make his
brother Alphonse the governor of a certain part of France. The
nobles of the region refused to have Alphonse as governor and invited
Henry III of England to help them in a revolt.
Henry crossed to France with an army to support the rebellious
nobles. He was duke of Aquitaine and Gascony; so that although he
was the king in England he had to do homage to the king of France
for his possessions in that country, and fight for him if called
upon to do so.
Louis gathered an army and hastened to meet the English troops.
He drove Henry from place to place, until at last he forced him
to make terms of peace. The rebellious nobles who had invited the
English king to France soon after swore allegiance to Louis and
afterwards he had little trouble in his kingdom.
[Illustration: THE CHILD KING, LOUIS THE NINTH, BESTOWING ALMS]
Once Louis was dangerously ill and his life was despaired of. Finally
he was believed to be dying and his wife and chief officials gathered
round his bed to await the end. Suddenly he roused himself and
said in a feeble voice, "The cross! The cross!"
They laid the cross upon his heart and he clasped it fervently.
For a while he slumbered. When he awoke he appeared much better.
In a day or two he was entirely well. He then made a solemn vow
that in thankfulness for his restoration he would go on a Crusade
to the Holy Land.
Louis lived at a time when everybody was full of the Crusading
spirit. A few years before he was born even the children in France
and Germany started out upon a Crusade of their own. It is called
in history the "Children's Crusade." Several thousand left their
homes and marched toward the Mediterranean. They thought that God
would open a pathway to the Holy Land for them through its waters.
A number of them died of cold and hunger when trying to cross the
Alps. Some reached Rome, and when the Pope saw them he told them
to return home and not think of going on a Crusade until they were
grown up.
[Illustration: THE CHILDREN'S CRUSADE]
It is easy to understand how in such an age people flocked to Louis'
banner when he asked for volunteers to go with him on another Crusade.
In a few months forty thousand Crusaders assembled at a French
port on the Mediterranean Sea. On a bright day in August, 1248,
they went on board the fleet which was ready to sail. The king
called to the Crusaders, "Sing in the name of God. Shout forth
his praises as we sail away." Then quickly, on ship after ship,
shouts of praise burst from the lips of thousands and amid the
grand chorus the fleet began its voyage.
The Crusaders went to Dam-i-et'ta, in Egypt. Louis was so eager to
land that he jumped into water up to his waist and waded ashore.
He captured the city without striking a blow.
He had resolved to make war on the Moslems in Egypt rather than
in the Holy Land, so when he left Damietta he marched southward.
He supposed there would be no strong force to stop his progress.
However, he was mistaken, for he had not marched forty miles toward
Cairo when he was attacked by a Moslem army led by the sultan of
Egypt.
A great battle was fought. The Crusaders were commanded by King
Louis and throughout the battle showed the utmost bravery, but they
were outnumbered. Thousands were slain and the survivors retreated
toward Damietta.
The Moslems pursued them and the Crusaders were obliged to surrender.
Out of the forty thousand men who had left France only about six
thousand now remained. Many had died of disease as well as in battle.
King Louis was among the prisoners, and the sultan of Egypt agreed
to release him only upon the payment of a large ransom.
When the ransom had been paid a truce was made for ten years between
Louis and the sultan, and the good king left Egypt. He then went
to the Holy Land, and for four years worked to deliver Crusaders
who were in Moslem prisons.