Page 206
Chap. 21.
The Pastorells killed in France; King Lewis re∣turned home.
GO we back to King Lewis, who all this while stayed in Pa∣lestine, busying himself partly in building and fencing of Si∣don and Cesarea, partly in composing discords betwixt the Pisans and Genoans, even proceeding to threaten them into agreement: But these armed men little cared for his naked me∣nacing. He being also an excellent religious Antiquary and Cri∣tick on holy monuments, much employed himself in redeeming of old sacred places from the tyranny of time and oblivion.
Mean time,* 1.1 in his Kingdome of France happened this strange accident; An* 1.2 Hungarian pesant, who is said to have been an apostate to Mahomet and well learned, gathered together many thousands of people, pretending they had intelligence from hea∣ven to march to the Holy land. These took on them the name and habit of Pastorelli, poore shepherds; in imitation belike (as the Devil is Gods ape) of those in the Gospel, who were warned by Angels in a vision to go to Bethlehem.
Being to shape their course into Palestine, they went into France; shewing they had a vertigo in their heads, mistaking the West for the East; or else, that like vagabonds they were never out of their way.
The Holy Lamb was their ensigne, but their actions neither holy nor lambe-like. They pillaged and killed the poor Jews as they went (an unhappy nation, whose heads lie pat for every ones hands to hit, and their legges so stand in mens way that few can go by them without spurning at them:) Where they wanted Jews, they made Jews of Christians, especially if they were rich, using them with all cruelty. But at last near Burdeaux threescore thousand of them were slain, and the rest dispersed. A rhymer of that age (or in courtesie call him a Poet) made this Epitaph on them;
* 1.3 M semel, & bis C, LI conjungere disce; Duxit Pastorum saeva Megaera chorum.
Learn to put together well, What M, C, C, L, I, do spell; When some devilish fiend in France Did teach the Shepherds how to dance.
* 1.4 By this time Lewis in Syria had stayed out the death and bu∣riall