[called The Master]. French religious fanatic who played an important part in French history during the seventh crusade. Upon hearing of the surrender of St. Louis in Egypt, the “Master of Hungary” commenced preaching throughout the provinces of France a crusade for the liberation of the king. He soon gathered about him in Flanders some 30,000 peasants and shepherds called pastourels, and at their head started for Paris. The mob obtained arms and recruits at Amiens, and had increased to 100,000 when it arrived before Paris. As soon as the mob got within the walls of the city it began to commit depredations and to murder the monks, while Jacob himself assumed priestly functions. He divided his followers into several bands, and sent them by different routes toward the Holy Land. At Orleans they massacred the monks, and at Bourges the Jews. Owing to these excesses, Jacob was killed by the Queen’s orders; and his followers, left thus without a leader, were dispersed quickly.
