Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/60

38 The German emperor, Conrad III., was in no such pious mood, and it needed all the persuasion of Bernard's eloquence to induce him to join the enterprise. Bernard was, however, not to be denied, and at length Conrad consented to lead the crusaders of his empire. Before the end of the year 1147 an army of nearly 200,000 men, under the joint leadership of Louis and himself, was on its way to the East.

The usual delays, interruptions, and even treachery, awaited them at the hands of the Greek emperor, Manuel Comnenus, who viewed the incursion with great distaste. Although brother-in-law to Conrad he exerted all his powers of dissimulation to accomplish the destruction of these unwelcome visitors. It will not be necessary to enter into any detail as regards this ill-fated expedition. After having lost the greater part of their number in the mountain passes between Phrygia and Pisidia, the shattered remnants eventually reached Jerusalem.

It was here decided in council that it would prove more advantageous to the kingdom to capture Damascus than to regain the city of Edessa. That attempt was accordingly decided on, and after a short interval of time, devoted to recruiting their strength, the Christian army proceeded thither. A strong body of both Hospitallers and Templars accompanied the expedition, and, ranging themselves beneath the banner of Baldwin, nobly maintained their reputation for valour and discipline. They very nearly succeeded in taking the place, but all the advantages they had gained were lost by the jealousies of the other leaders. Instead of supporting and following up the successes gained by Baldwin and the military Orders, they had begun to dispute as to the division of that spoil which was never destined to fall within their grasp. Noureddin took advantage of the disunion too fatally apparent in the beleaguering army to throw reinforcements into the city; the opportunity for effecting its capture was lost, and at length the Christians were compelled to raise the siege, and to return discomfited to Jerusalem. Conrad and Louis shortly afterwards both left the Holy Land, and thus, in the year 1149, the unfortunate expedition was brought to a close, the lives of 150,000 men having been sacrificed without the slightest benefit to the Christian cause.