Page:The invasion of the Crimea vol. 1.djvu/83

 BETWEEN THE CZAIt AND THE SULTAN. 41 flight, can. waft lum from lands far away till ho chap. • in lights upon the very path by the river's bank , which was blessed by her gracious step. Nay, distance will inflame his fancy ; for if he be cut off from the sacred ground by the breadth of the ocean, or by vast, endless, desolate tracts, he comes to know that deep in his bosom there lies a secret desire to journey and journey far, that he may touch with fond lips some mere ledge of rock where once he saw her foot resting. It seems that the impulse does not spring from any designed culture of sentiment, but from an honest earthly passion vouchsafed to the unlettered and the simple-hearted, and giving them strength to pass the mystic border which lies between love and worship. For men strongly moved by the Chris- tian faith it was natural to yearn after the scenes of the Gospel narrative. In old times this feeling had strength to impel the chivalry of Europe to undertake the conquest of a barren and distant land ; and although in later days the aggregate faith of the nations grew chill, and Christendom no longer claimed with the sword, still there were always many who were willing to brave toil and danger for the sake of attaining to the actual and visible Sion. These venturesome men came to be called Pelerins or Pilgrims. At first, as it would seem, they were impelled by deep feeling acting upon bold and resolute natures. Holding close to the faith that the Son of God, being also in mys- tic sense the great God Himself, had for our sakes and for our salvation become a babe, growing