At Easter and
Whitsuntide many thousands of boys from Franconia and Teutonia, from six
years upwards, took the Cross without any external inducement or
preaching, and against the wish of their parents and relations, who
sought to restrain them. Some left the plough which they had been
guiding, others abandoned their flocks, or any other task which they had
been set to do, banded together, and with hoisted banner began to march
to Jerusalem, in batches of twenty, fifty and a hundred. Many people
enquired of them at whose counsel and admonishment they were undertaking
this journey, (for it was not many years ago that many kings, a great
number of princes and countless people had travelled to the Holy Land,
strongly armed, and had returned home without having accomplished their
desire,) telling them that in their tender years they had not yet
sufficient strength to achieve anything, and that therefore this thing
was foolish and undertaken without due consideration; the children
answered briefly that they were obeying God's will, and would willingly
and gladly suffer all the trials He would send them.
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