The age of the crusades . e contrasted the little band of lords and knightsreturning to their wasted estates with the splendidretinue that six years before had gone forth to con-quer a new empire for France and Christ. But onething comforted them as they contemplated the dis-aster—the piety of their monarch. This was themore marked as the age had lost much of its re-ligious zest. This crusade was very unlike the firstin that it was sustained by the new spirit of Chivalryrather than of mere sanctity. Cross-wearing was nolonger thought to be necessarily the emblazoning ofHeaven. The haughtiness,
The age of the crusades . e contrasted the little band of lords and knightsreturning to their wasted estates with the splendidretinue that six years before had gone forth to con-quer a new empire for France and Christ. But onething comforted them as they contemplated the dis-aster—the piety of their monarch. This was themore marked as the age had lost much of its re-ligious zest. This crusade was very unlike the firstin that it was sustained by the new spirit of Chivalryrather than of mere sanctity. Cross-wearing was nolonger thought to be necessarily the emblazoning ofHeaven. The haughtiness, the worldliness, not tosay the wickedness, of the popes, who should havebeen its spiritual leaders, but who were engrossed inthe gratification of their own jealousies, almost lostthe church the respect of the nations. The beautyof Louiss devotion, its unselfishness and spirituality,somewhat redeemed the character of the movementupon which Christ Himself seemed to frown throughHis adverse providence. THE EIGHTH CHAPTER XLIV. DEATH OF ST. LOUIS—FALL OF ACRE. OR sixteen years the crusading impulseseemed dead, under the general belief inthe hopelessness of further efforts. Thesongs of the Troubadours even wereturned to lamentations, and were burdenedwith the refrain that Christ had fallen asleep and nolonger regarded His people. In the meanwhile therewas rising in the East the new power of the Mame-lukes, which was destined to accomplish the fears ofChristendom. It will be recalled that Chegger-Eddour, the slaveSultana of Egypt, had continued her power bymarrying Aibek, the Mameluke, and thus installinghim as Sultan of Cairo. Whatever Aibeks abilityto rule men, he utterly failed to master a womansheart. Learning that he whom she had created herlord was proposing additional matrimonial alliance with a princess of Mosul, Chegger-Eddour stabbed 361 362 The Eighth Crusade. him to death. While his dead body was lying ather feet she sent for the emir Saif Eddin, and offere
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