Of the effects of the Crusades I shall only mention those which are
directly illustrated by the story of Chartres. They rolled back the tide
of Mahometan conquest from Constantinople; they brought together East
and West, and led to the awakening of the human intellect which was to
put an end to the dark ages; they opened up new markets and stimulated
trade to a wonderful degree--these great results they had, but they only
affected Chartres indirectly. More directly we see the effect of them in
the relations between the powers that were. By weakening the resources
and influence of the barons they strengthened the authority of the Kings
acting in alliance with the citizens. And this alliance broke up the
feudal system, gradually abolished serfdom, and substituted the
authority of a common law for the unstable will of chiefs, whose
arbitrament was private war. Last and not least permanent of the effects
of the Crusades was the influence exercised by the East upon art. The
Porche Royal of the Cathedral, and the stained glass windows which are
the glory of Chartres, would not have been as they are had Peter the
Hermit never led his hundred thousand pilgrims to destruction, or if
Bohémond, Prince of Antioch, had not taken the Cross in the sanctuary of
Notre-Dame.
The foundation of the Abbey Josaphat-Lès-Chartres, which, like so many
other religious foundations rich in lands, in relics and in books, was
destroyed in 1789, affords another example of the indirect influence of
the Crusades upon the institutions of Chartres. This abbey[48] was
situated about two kilometres from Chartres, under the Hill of Lèves, on
a site which in its topographical relations resembled that Valley of
Jehosaphat to which its founder, Bishop Geoffrey, the successor of S.
Ives, had vowed to go, but came into the bishopric instead. Even so S.
Bernard recalled the town of Tyre to the memory of all Christians in the
name of Tyron, which he gave to the monastery which he founded in Le
Perche on lands given to him by S. Ives.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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