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IV. The Emperor's Crusade, 1227-1229
- University of Pennsylvania Press
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IV. The Emperor's Crusade, 1. The Crusade of Frederick 11: From the Chronicle of Roger of Wendover After twelve years of delays, Frederick II embarked from Italy in 1227, only to put back to port because plague had stricken his army. Pope Gregory IX, however, exasperated by Frederick's procrastination, summarily excommunicated the emperor. The crusade began without the emperor, but by 1228 Frederick, in spite of the ban of the Church, sailed for Cyprus and Jerusalem. His adventures were variously interpreted , favorably by some, very unfavorably by others. The following selections offer an alternation of views, two from chronicles, two from letters. How a Great Stir Was Made at This Time to Assist in the Crusade, 1227 In the same year at the end of June, a great stir was made to aid the cross by all the crusaders throughout the world, who were so numerous, that from the kingdom of England alone forty thousand tried men were said to have marched, besides women and old men. This was declared by master Hubert, one of the preachers in England, who asserted that he had in fact set down as many as that in his roll. All these, and especially the poor, on whom the divine pleasure generally rests, entered upon the crusade with such devotion that they, without doubt, obtained favour with the Almighty, as was shown by manifest indications; for on the night of the nativity of St. John the Baptist, the Lord showed himself in the sky as when crucified; for on a most shining cross there THE CRUSADE OF FREDERICK I1 147 appeared the body of our Lord pierced with nails and with a lance, and sprinkled with blood, so that the Saviour of the world by this showed his faithful followers in the world that he was appeased by the devotion of his people. This vision was seen by numbers, and amongst others by a trader, who was carrying fish for sale near the town of Uxbridge; being struck with astonishment at the strange apparition, and awed by the brightness of it, he was, as it were, lost in ecstasy and stood in amaze, not knowing what to do. His son, however, who was his only companion, comforted his father, and asked him to stop his cart and give praise to God for having condescended to show them such a vision. On the next day, and indeed every day after, wherever he exposed his fish for sale, he publicly told every one of the heavenly vision he had seen, and added his son's evidence to his own; many put faith in their story, but some disbelieved it, till they were induced to believe it by the number of visions which appeared about the same time to many in various places; and in these the crucified One himself deigned to open the heavens and to show to the incredulous his wonderful glory with immense splendour . Amongst others who went from England to join in the crusade were the bishops Peter, of Winchester, and William of Exeter, who had now fulfilled their vow of pilgrimage for nearly five years. Of the Progress of the Crusade at This Time How the business of the cross prospered in this crusade will plainly appear by the following letter which pope Gregory sent to all the faithful followers of Christ; "Gregory, bishop, servant of the servants of God, to all faithful Christians, greeting , &c. Be it known to the whole community of you that we have received letters from the country beyond sea to the following purport:-Gerald, by the divine mercy, patriarch of Jerusalem, P. archbishop of Caesarea, the humble and unworthy legate of the apostolic see, and N. archbishop of Narbonne, P. bishop of Winchester, and W. bishop of Exeter, the masters of the hospitallers, of the knights of the temple, and of the Teutonic order of hospitallers, to all to whom these [35.168.113.248] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 07:54 GMT) 148 THE EMPEROR'S CRUSADE, 1227-1229 letters may come, health in our Lord Jesus Christ. We are compelled to inform the whole community of you of our most urgent necessities, and of our progress in the cause of Jesus Christ, who shed his blood for all of the true faith. It is with much fervour of mind and shedding of tears, that his serene highness the emperor did not, as we all hoped, come into Syria in the month of August last past...