considerable part of the revenues belonging to the See of Canterbury." In vain the gentle and pious Archbishop Anselm attempted to restrain the monarch from the repeated acts of simony and robbery which daily threatened to draw upon him the excommunication which his conduct deserved. "In order to animate the faithful to assist in this undertaking, Urban granted a plenary indulgence," and the apostolic blessing to all who should take part in it. "God wills it," was the cry, and the enthusiasm thus created by the Crusaders spread like wildfire throughout every Court in Europe. In a short time the volunteers numbered three hundred thousand, or, according to a modern historian,2 six hundred thousand men, the first division of which was drawn from the provinces of the Rhine. "The crusaders, under the military conduct of Godfrey of Bouillon, consisted of the very choicest troops, and were led by the most distinguished champions of Christendom." It was at the Pope's personal request that the knight had been chosen to lead this religious expedition. He was at this time in his thirty-fifth year, and his portrait is thus described: "He himself was a tall, strong man, arrived at that period of life when men are supposed to have lost none of their resolution while they have acquired a wisdom and circumspection unknown in their earlier years. The countenance of Godfrey bespoke both prudence and boldness, and resembled his hair, where a few threads of silver were already mingled with his raven locks." "Godfrey, the model of Christian heroes," says his biographer, " united to a penetrating and solid judgment the most intrepid courage and extraordinary strength of mind and body." He had, on Henry's 1" Here is," continues the Chevalier D'Artaud, "a new proof of Luther's error," which denied the existence of indulgences in the earlier ages of the Church's history. 2 Sir Walter Scott. 3 Sir Walter Scott. A Worthy Knight investment of Rome during the Pontificate of Gregory, been one of the first to enter the Capitol. The idea that he had thereby "violated the City of Saint Peter sat heavily on his soul." Being shortly afterwards stricken by a fever, he vowed that in the event of his recovery he would go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The Crusade, therefore, presented to him an opportunity not only of fulfilling his promise but also of devoting his life to the service of the Lord, against whose Vicar on earth he had formerly taken arms. CHAPTER XIII "Dost thou not see upon my breast The Golden Legend. BEFORE returning to Rome, Urban made an exhaustive tour throughout France. "This French Pope," quaintly remarks the historian, "felt great joy in thus travelling in his native country." Everywhere he held Councils in which questions relative to Church organisation were discussed, and received his final judgment. Discipline was enforced in the case of King Philip, who had divorced his wife and taken in her place Bertrade, the beautiful Countess of Anjou. It was only after Philip "had sworn upon the Gospels never to repeat the offence," that the excommunication was removed, after it had been twice inflicted upon the amorous monarch. Bitterly did Bertrade repent of her fault, and "renouncing the world of which she had been so long the idol she took the religious veil at Fontevraud," in one of the strictest orders of the time. At Tours the Pontiff was received by the afflicted husband, and rewarded him for his exemplary life and his services to the Church by the presentation of the Golden Rose. This is probably the first instance on record of a custom which has since prevailed, in which the devotion of Rulers to the Holy See and their example of a moral life were publicly recognised by a gift from the Church. The title of "Rose Sunday" was afterwards given to the fourth Sunday in Lent. On that day it was usual for the reigning Pontiff " to ride in state on horseback, wearing his mitre and Matilda Alone bearing the flower in his hand, to assist at the mass in Santa Croce" the church endowed by the Empress Helena. In later times the gift took the form of an ornament, consisting of a single red flower of wrought gold, the petals of which were adorned with rubies, and which, after lying on the altar during mass, was sent to the person for whom it was intended. His tour of inspection completed, Urban took leave of his countrymen and reached Rome in time for the Christmas festivities. His "home-coming was celebrated by the citizens as a day of joy." "He himself was happy in the thought that he had realised the wishes of Gregory, who had especially encouraged the idea of that Holy War." The Eternal City, under Urban's enlightened rule and undisturbed by Henry's emissaries, soon resumed its former customs, and the Pontiff, having arranged his affairs, repaired to Lucca to pay his longpromised visit to Matilda. The Countess was at that time alone, her husband having permanently returned to his Duchy of Bavaria. During the first years of his married life, Welf, who had not yet attained his twenty-sixth year, spent a good deal of time in his wife's society. He took no part in the government of her estates, nor did he make any protest against her well-known intention of bequeathing them to the Church at her death. But although the prince was a kind and considerate husband, he was far from happy in the refinement and tranquillity in which his days were passed. To one of his active temperament the tedium was almost repulsive. He had but little sympathy with Matilda's studies, and the strict ceremonial observed at her Court chafed him beyond endurance. From childhood he had been accustomed to the variety and excitement of the camp, and had been early trained to arms. Young as he was when he quitted Germany, he had already acquired no mean reputation for his skill in the military exercises in which the nobles of the time were wont to compete. Withdrawn from the favourite pursuits into which he was accustomed to throw his whole heart and soul, and pining for some outlet for his pent-up energies, no wonder Welf was unhappy. Matilda's patriotism made allowances for the prince's evident yearning for home, and when, after little more than five years of matrimonial life, he proposed returning to his native land she raised no obstacle to his plans. There were several reasons which urged him to bring matters to this crisis. His affairs were sadly in need of his superintendence, and though probably he would have deferred his final separation from his wife to a more remote period, events had happened which demanded his immediate presence in Bavaria. Henry, the reigning Duke, weary of the world into which his son was so eager to enter, "longed to exchange his robes for the cowl and serge, and the tapestried chamber and bed of down for the pallet, and the dark and lonely cell for the sounds of joy and laughter." He thereupon resigned his duchy in favour of his son Welf, who naturally became anxious to secure his patrimony. The Duke, after vainly imploring his wife to accompany him to share his life and his home, reluctantly bade her an affectionate farewell. He assembled his followers, and to their ill-concealed delight quitted the Italian shores for scenes of greater enterprise and change. A few months after he had parted from Matilda, Urban arrived to pay his long-deferred visit. Had the impatient Welf tarried a while longer he would have formed part of that renowned band of heroes whose exploits have made their names famous throughout the civilised world. The Pontiff was met at Lucca by a body of Crusaders, whose love of adventure made them impatient to start on the perilous enterprise which had received the special sanction of the Church. Matilda and her maidens had embroidered a number of red badges to be worn on the arms of the fiery young warriors. Many a prayer for their safe home-coming was woven with the insignia of their faith by those whose |