This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1912 edition. Excerpt: ... sole advantage remained with him. The Second Crusade therefore failed at all points, and left the power of the Atabegs still unchecked. The autumn and winter of 1148 and the spring of 1149 saw numbers of the greatest princes of the West returning home by sea. In September, Conrad left Acre, and landing at Thessalonica accepted Manuel's invitation to spend the winter at Constantinople. At the same time he received with anger the news of Roger's attack upon his ally, and the failure of the Crusade inclined him all the more to seek glory in Italy for his tarnished sword. He entered, therefore, into the most binding engagement with Manuel; the Sicilian was to be overwhelmed by a double attack, and envoys were despatched to win over Pisa and Venice. In February, 1149, Conrad departed for Germany, touching only for a moment upon Italian soil at Ancona. Manuel now came in person to press the siege of Corfu; the Greeks entered the fortress, but the Norman troops retired to the acropolis, which was of such a height that "the eye could scarcely measure it"; from here they poured down great stones and showers of darts "like fire showered from heaven." The Venetian fleet, spread around the promontory, cut off aid from the sea, and the Greek archers kept up a continuous fire, "aiming their arrows almost as it were against heaven or against the clouds."1 Louis meanwhile, having spent Easter in the Holy Land, set out homewards, full of anger against the Greeks and their ally Conrad. As the latter had avoided Roger, so Louis avoided the Greeks, and set his galleys towards Southern Italy. The French King's return revived Roger's hopes. At the moment George of Antioch was with sixty ships off Corfu attempting to raise the siege. He turned south apparently...