Great Men and Famous Women. Vol. 5: A series of pen and pencil sketches of the lives of more than 200 of the most prominent personages in History
History
Great Men and Famous Women. Vol. 5: A series of pen and pencil sketches of the lives of more than 200 of the most prominent personages in History
Biography
The fanaticism of a Turkish prisoner, who, acting as guide, wilfully
sacrificed his life in order to mislead Frederick's army, involved the
Germans in almost endless troubles by taking them amidst pathless
mountains, where the horrors of starvation and the entire lack of water
added yet more miseries to their condition. Brave where all were
despairing, encouraging his men with cheering words and hopeful looks,
their gallant old leader rode on, and footsore, half-starved, thirsty,
and wretched as they were, the men tried, though tears of agony filled
their eyes, to raise the notes of their Swabian war-song to please him.
Frederick, Duke of Swabia, hastened forward with half the remaining
army, and gaining a victory over a body of Turks, pushed on till he came
to the town of Iconium; when, scattering the enemy before him, he put
the inhabitants to the sword, gained a great booty, and, more than all,
food, drink, and rest for his weary men.
A body of Turks had meanwhile crept round the town, and surrounded the
columns which were advancing under Barbarossa; worn out with sorrow,
hunger, and thirst, even his courage gave way for one moment, as he
thought that this band of Turks had only, in all probability, reached
him by passing over the dead bodies of his brave son and the gallant
Swabians; the aged monarch bowed his head, and the scorching tears of
rage ran down his cheeks; then dashing his hand across his eyes, he
cried: "Christ still lives! Christ conquers!" and shouting to his
followers, they fell on the Turks like lions; Barbarossa with his own
hand sending many a one to his last sleep. Then they marched forward to
Iconium, where rest and plenty awaited them, and where the old emperor
doubtless found much cause for thankfulness when he threw himself into
the arms of his brave son.
At Iconium the army stayed for some time, the soldiers being in sad need
of repose; and then starting afresh, continued as far as the little
river Saleph; when, the road being encumbered with cattle, and the
emperor impatient of delay, he commanded his men to cross the stream and
plunged into the water. Here this hero of many combats, this brave and
wise king, was destined to end his long life in an obscure river, of
which he had probably never heard; the current was too strong for his
horse, and, nobly as the animal battled against it, both rider and steed
were drowned.
The Germans, almost frantic with grief and dismay, made frenzied efforts
to regain the body of their leader; and, when at last they succeeded,
they conveyed it with much loving care to Antioch, where it was buried
in St. Peter's Church.
With the history of the crusade after the death of our hero, we have
nothing to do further than to say that his son, Frederick, took the
chief command and led the brave followers of his gallant father until a
pestilence occasioned his death at Acre, in the following year, when the
remnant of the once formidable army returned to Germany.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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