the princes of the empire, were accustomed under his reign to
obey. As soon as he lost sight of Philadelphia and Laodicea, the
last cities of the Greek frontier, he plunged into the salt and
barren desert, a land (says the historian) of horror and
tribulation. ^23 During twenty days, every step of his fainting
and sickly march was besieged by the innumerable hordes of
Turkmans, ^24 whose numbers and fury seemed after each defeat to
multiply and inflame. The emperor continued to struggle and to
suffer; and such was the measure of his calamities, that when he
reached the gates of Iconium, no more than one thousand knights
were able to serve on horseback. By a sudden and resolute
assault he defeated the guards, and stormed the capital of the
sultan, ^25 who humbly sued for pardon and peace. The road was
now open, and Frederic advanced in a career of triumph, till he
was unfortunately drowned in a petty torrent of Cilicia. ^26 The
remainder of his Germans was consumed by sickness and desertion:
and the emperor's son expired with the greatest part of his
Swabian vassals at the siege of Acre. Among the Latin heroes,
Godfrey of Bouillon and Frederic Barbarossa could alone achieve
the passage of the Lesser Asia; yet even their success was a
warning; and in the last and most experienced age of the
crusades, every nation preferred the sea to the toils and perils
of an inland expedition. ^27

[Footnote *: This was the design of the pilgrims under the
archbishop of Milan. See note, p. 102. - M.]

[Footnote !: Conrad had advanced with part of his army along a
central road, between that on the coast and that which led to
Iconium. He had been betrayed by the Greeks, his army destroyed