Page:Readings in European History Vol 1.djvu/371

The Crusades 335 to cause the lame to walk, to cure the paralytic, to make the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak. All these were restored to a perfection of health truly remarkable in view of that which they had previously enjoyed. The eastern church was not, it is true, granted the happi- ness of being delivered by the expedition of which we are speaking ; but at least the heavenly Church was filled there- by with pious souls and may therefore rightly rejoice. If, on this occasion, it pleased the Lord, instead of saving the bodies of the eastern people from the pagans, to snatch the souls of many of the western from sin, who shall say, " Wherefore, Lord, dost thou so ? " . . It happened that at the moment when the first news of St. Bernard the lamentable rout of the crusaders' army reached France kp 6 1 ****! a father came to present his blind son to the servant of blind child God, that the boy's sight might be restored. After he had as a proof succeeded, by many prayers, in overcoming the reluctance ** h ri et O f of Bernard, the saint, laying his hands upon the child, preaching addressed the Lord, saying that, if it were truly his word the crusade - that Bernard had spread abroad when he preached the cru- sade, and if the Holy Spirit had really inspired him when he preached, the Most High might deign to prove this by opening to the light the eyes of this blind child. While after this prayer they awaited the outcome, the child cried out, " And what shall I do now, for I can see ? " Immedi- ately a great stir arose among those present, including not only a great number of monks but secular persons also, who, realizing that the little child could see, were greatly consoled and rendered thanks to God. V. A HOLY PILGRIM Along with the soldiers whom Urban and St. Ber- nard urged to direct their warlike energies against the Mohammedans instead of making trouble at home, thousands of pious pilgrims were constantly seeking the Holy Land in a spirit of single-minded devotion. Such