At Nissa the Duke of Bulgaria fortified himself, in fear of an
assault; but Peter, having learned a little wisdom from experience,
thought it best to avoid hostilities. He passed three nights in
quietness under the walls, and the duke, not wishing to exasperate
unnecessarily so fierce and rapacious a host, allowed the townspeople
to supply them with provisions. Peter took his departure peaceably on
the following morning, but some German vagabonds falling behind the
main body of the army, set fire to the mills and house of a Bulgarian,
with whom, it appears, they had had some dispute on the previous
evening. The citizens of Nissa, who had throughout mistrusted the
crusaders, and were prepared for the worst, sallied out immediately,
and took signal vengeance. The spoilers were cut to pieces, and the
townspeople pursuing the Hermit, captured all the women and children
who had lagged in the rear, and a great quantity of baggage. Peter
hereupon turned round and marched back to Nissa, to demand explanation
of the Duke of Bulgaria. The latter fairly stated the provocation
given, and the Hermit could urge nothing in palliation of so gross an
outrage. A negotiation was entered into which promised to be
successful, and the Bulgarians were about to deliver up the women and
children when a party of undisciplined crusaders, acting solely upon
their own suggestion, endeavoured to scale the walls and seize upon
the town. Peter in vain exerted his authority; the confusion became
general, and after a short but desperate battle, the crusaders threw
down their arms and fled in all directions. Their vast host was
completely routed, the slaughter being so great among them as to be
counted, not by hundreds, but by thousands.

It is said that the Hermit fled from this fatal field to a forest
a few miles from Nissa, abandoned by every human creature. It would be
curious to know whether, after so dire a reverse,