tomb they were bent on delivering, he wound up by saying, 'Those mosques, desecrated now by the worship of idolaters, shall ere long ring with the praises of our God!'

The Croisés, deeply touched after listening to such words, returned to their camp. It was evening; and as they marched back, they reverently gazed from that sacred mountain on David's tomb, passing, on their road, the Pool of Siloam, and other places dear to all Christian hearts; but their enemies never ceased to aim their darts at the little procession, and not a few of the pilgrims fell dead in the midst of the cavalcade, mortally wounded by the Saracens' poisoned arrows.

Amid showers of arrows and stones the work of the besiegers still went on, and at the end of three days, on the 14th of July 1099, the heralds announced, and the shrill blast of trumpets resounding through the Latin camp proclaimed, that by dint of energy, perseverance, and patience, their batteries were ready for the siege.

The enthusiasm of the army was unbounded; and the Duke of Lorraine finding it necessary to change the position of his camp, his soldiers transported all the machinery of war in a single night, Tancred remained to the north-west of the town, near the Bethlehem gate, and the other princes occupied stations partly surrounding the town.

Under an eastern sun, the Croisés fought like lions. All their batteries and towers were put in motion together, and heroes, risking death rather than defeat, planted ladders on the walls, though only protected by their shields and armour; while Godfrey, from whose tower shone a small gold cross, stood on its highest point, sending arrows among his enemies; and his brave example was followed by his soldiers and the princes.

In spite of such determined valour, night came, and yet the siege had made no progress. The Saracens had sallied out, and burning some of the machines, had carried disorder into the camp. After a battle lasting twelve hours, the pilgrims, disheartened, and believing that God did not yet deem them worthy to possess the Holy City, retreated to their camp. The weary pilgrims spent the whole of the night in expectation of an attack from their enemies; but morning came and found the Saracens still shut up in Jerusalem, occupied in repairing their walls; and again the Croisés advanced to the assault. Then ensued all the horrors of war. Godfrey, animating his men, exposed himself fearlessly to arrows that seemed to dart in clouds on his devoted troops; and although the Saracens defended the walls with bravery that equalled that of the pilgrims, a breach was made, and Jerusalem gained at last; the Infidels flying in every direction, followed by the

Crusaders, who filled the Holy City with cries of 'Jerusalem!' and 'Dieu le veut! Dieu le veut!'

The Emir of Jerusalem took refuge in the fortress of David; but victory did not make the Croisés merciful, and they seemed determined not to leave a single living Moslem in the Holy City, so universal was the carnage. The priests even joined in the slaughter. One of the incidents of the siege was said to be the presence of an armed warrior, who appeared on the Mount of Olives, waving his shield. to encourage the Croisés to enter Jerusalem, just as they had faltered for a time. It was asserted that the knight was St. George. Another fiction. alleged that those Crusaders who had died in the earlier part of the war reappeared alive, with the Bishop of Puy at their head, animating the Count of Toulouse and his troops, who experienced a great deal of resistance as they tried to enter the city, when the Moslem shrieks and the cries of the Crusaders told them that at last Jerusalem was delivered, and the banners of the Cross were planted by Godfrey de Bouillon on the towers of Jerusalem.

It was three o'clock on a Friday that Jerusalem passed into the Crusaders' victorious hands, and the priests exhorted them to recollect that it was the very day of the week and hour that our Saviour had been crucified; but the remembrance of that