Had it not been indeed for the devotion of the Knights of St.John and of the Templars, two great companies formed of men who devoted their lives to the holding of the sepulcher against the infidel, our hold of the Holy Land would have been lost.
"Gradually the Saracens have wrested post after post from our hands.
Edessa was taken in 1144, and the news of this event created an intense excitement.

The holy St.Bernard stirred up all France, and Louis VII.
himself took the vow and headed a noble army.

The ways of God are not our ways, and although the army of Germany joined that of France, but little results came of this great effort.
"The Emperor Conrad, with the Germans, was attacked by the Turk Saladin of Iconium, and was defeated with a loss of sixty thousand men.

The King of France, with his army, was also attacked with fury, and a large portion of his force were slaughtered.

Nothing more came of this great effort, and while the first Crusade seemed to show that the men-at-arms of Europe were irresistible, the second on the contrary gave proof that the Turks were equal to the Christian knights.