ont is
estimated at no less than seven hundred thousand fighting men. Of these
one hundred thousand were knights clad in complete armor, the remainder
were men-at-arms and bowmen.

"Nicaea, the place which had been the scene of the massacre of Peter the
Hermit's hosts, was taken after a desperate conflict, lasting for many
weeks, and the Crusaders afterward defeated the Turks in a great battle
near the town of Doryleum. After these successes disputes arose among
the leaders, and Count Baldwin, brother of Duke Godfrey, left the main
body with about fifteen hundred men, and founded a kingdom for himself
in Mesopotamia.

"The main body, slowly and painfully, and suffering from disease,
famine, and the heat, made its way south. Antioch, a city of great
strength and importance, was besieged, but it proved so strong that it
resisted for many months, and was at last only taken by treachery.

"After the capture of this place the sufferings of the Crusaders so far
from being diminished were redoubled. They themselves during the siege
had bought up all the food that could be brought from the surrounding
country, while the magazines of the town were found, when an entry was
effected, to be entirely deserted. The enemy, aided by a great Persian
host, came down, and those who had been the besiegers were now besieged.
However, when in the last strait the Christian army sallied out, and
inspired with supernatural strength, defeated the Turks and Persians,
with a slaughter of one hundred thousand men. Another slow movement to
the south brought them into the Holy Land, and pressing forward, they
came at last within sight of Jerusalem itself.

"So fearful had been the losses of the Crusaders that of seven hundred
thousand who crossed the Hellespont, not more than forty thousand
reached the end of the pilgrimage. This fragment of an army, which had
appeared before a very strongly fortified town, possessed no means of
capturing the place--none of the machines of war necessary for the
purpose, no provisions or munitions of any kind. Water was scarce also;
and it appeared as if the remnant of the great army of Godfrey de
Bouillon had arrived before Jerusalem only to perish there.

"Happily just at this time a further band of Crusaders from Genoa, who
had reached Jaffa, made their appearance. They were provided with
stores, and had skilled workmen capable of making the machines for the
siege. On July 14, 1099, the attack was made, and af