contrées situées au delà de l'Oxus, i.e. Turkestan

Bokhara, and Afghanistan. The river O.xus, or Amu Daria, rising from the Pamir edges of the great central highland of Asia, flows into the Aral Lake.

4. Mahmoud was Sultan of Gazni A. D. 997-1032. The Gaznivide dynasty originated in 961, and conquered a région extending from the Ganges to the Tigins, and from the O.xus to the Indian Océan. It ended in 1133. In the period of its glory, Mahmud astonished ail Asia by his conquesls. After bis death the Gaznivides found that their new neighbours, the Seljukian Turks in Korassan, were a source of trouble. Mahmud's son sent troops against them, but was defeated.

,, 7. Féristha, an Indian historian of the seventeenth century. He wrote in Persian History of Hiiidoostau, from a.d. 975-1605.

9. avait dévoré les sentiers de la fuite, ' had fled in ail haste. ' Cf. —

dévorer l'espace-::^ le parcourir avec une extrême rapidité, br filer le pavé=- aller très vite.

,, 12. sur chacun de ces traits était écrit le nom : notice the inversion of subj. and verb. The sentence begins with a prepositional phrase ; the verb is placed first on account of the length}' subject, le nom — le guerrier.

,, 16. Togrul-Bel : after making themselves masters of Korassan, the Seljukian Turks elected Togrul Beg, or Bel, as their king. He was the grandson of Seljuk (after whom they were called Scljukians). He entered Bagdad in 1055, and extended his dominions greatl)\ He reigned from 1038-62.

,, 22. troublées : troubler does not often correspond with the Engl. ' to trouble,' but rather with ' to disturb,' ' to upset.' See p. 92, 1. 25, and p. 93, 1. 23. Cf. —

troubler V Etat. troubler U77e famille,

troubler un entretien. exciter des troubles.

Notes

log

Page LI^ 4. 23.

Bagdad, on the Tigris, founded by Mansur in the year 557. It attained g^eat renown ' in the golden prime of good Harouii Alraschid ' about A. u. 800. Afterwards, in the cahphate of Moktader A.D. 932, it fell before the Turks, and in 1055 the Caliph Cayen invited the assistance of Togrul Beg against the tyranny of the Buvide dynasty. N.B. — The revoit of the émirs had taken place earlier.

Malek-Scbah, the third Seljukian prince, A.D. 1072-92. Togi-ul Beg had been succeeded by AIp-Arslan, who ruled froni 1063-72. Under Malek-Schali pilgrims were subjected to a System of extortion and violent robbery. In 1076 his lieutenant Afsis took Jérusalem.

califes Fatimites : the Fatimites, or descendants of Mahomet's daughter Fatima, married to Ali, rose to power in A. u. 909. Obeidallah, the founder of the dynasty, assumed the title of Mahdi, the saviour foretold by Mahomet. Under the rule of El Hakem, the mad Fatimite caliph of Egj-pt, Jérusalem suffered greatly. Cairo was the résidence of thèse caliphs.

Abbassides, the name of the dynasty of Bagdad caliphs ; they were the descendants of Abbas, Mahomet's uncle, and rose to power about A.D. 750. The black flag of Cayen was hoisted on the walls of Jérusalem by Tutush, brother of Malek-Schah.

Ali, the descendants of Ali, caliph 656-661 ; the Alyites were the sworn enemies of the Abbassides.

Dieu avait livré . . : Jcr. xxi. 7.

les autels mêmes, or sur les auUls mente. redoublaient de . . , ' redoubled their . . ' de . ., ' to change,' + poss. adj., in Engl.

appartenait : ex|)lain this imperfect.

qui ne tenait sa mission que de son zèle : ' to dérive from . . ' ; also ' to take after . . , de son père, ' he t;ikes after his father. ' Cf. — je n'y tiens pas, ' I do not niind about it. ' il ne tient qu'à vous de . ., ' it oui)' dépends on yoii to . .' à quoi cela tient-il f ' what is the cause of it ? '

Pierre l'Ermite, born at Amiens, in Picardy, north-east of France, in 1050. Drawn by a gênerai alarm that the last day was approaching, he laid aside the sword which he wielded in the service of the Count of Boulogne, and hastencd with a grcat number of others to the Holy I^and. The state of things there, and the treatment endured by the pilgrims, so stirred his indignation that he returned to Europe and obtained leave from the Pope to preach the necessity of a

Cf. changer

tenir de . ., e. g. il tient

iio Histoire de la Première Croisade

Page i.iNE

crusacle throughout Christendom. The effect of his mission rcsultecl in the expédition which this bock recounts ; but before the régulai- army was ready, he started with a moiley multitude, nearly ail of which perished at Nicaea. Peter himself surviving, and remaining in Palestine, was présent at the siège of Antioch, whence he attempted to escape, but was brought back. He was sent as an envoy to Kerboga before the battle of Antioch, June 1098. He w'as présent at the siège of Jérusalem, where he displayed great bravery. On its capture he was treated by the Crusaders with great révérence and made vicar- gênerai. He died in the Abbey of Noirmoutier in 11 15.