They had no sooner
departed than the Turks, in revenge, nearly drove the Christians from
the Holy Land, and took all the strong towns which the Crusaders had
gained, excepting Tyre and Ptolemais. In 1199, a fleet was fitted out
at the instigation of Pope Innocent III. against the infidels. On this
occasion, the Christians, notwithstanding their strenuous exertions,
failed of taking Jerusalem, though several other important places were
delivered to them.
In the year 1228, Frederic, Emperor of Germany, set out from Brundusium
to Palestine, took Jerusalem, which the enemy had left in a desolate
condition, and caused himself to be proclaimed king. But, after this
conquest, he was obliged to return to his own country, where his
presence was required. The Turks immediately assembled a prodigious army
for regaining the Holy City, which they ultimately took, putting the
German garrison to the sword, in the year 1234; since which time, the
Christian powers, weary of these useless expeditions, have made no
considerable effort to possess it.
The Christians were entirely driven from Palestine and Syria in the year
1291, about one hundred and ninety-two years after the capture of
Jerusalem by Godfrey of Boulogne.
G.W.N.
[1] An account of the original _instigator_ of the Crusades
will be found in vol.
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