pilgrim host had now been changed from a crusading army into a filibustering expedition, and its history in the future is that of their adventures in sacking the noblest and richest city of the middle ages.

As soon as the convention of Zara was ratified, the leaders lost no time in hurrying on the preparations for embarkation. The quicker the evil deed could be done the better.

TION

CHAPTER XIII.

FROM CORFU TO CONSTANTINOPLE.

THE expedition left Corfu on the 23rd of May, Whitsun eve. Villehardouin is again in raptures at the beauty of the spectacle presented by the fleet. It looked, says he, like one which could conquer the world. The sails of the vessels dotted the ocean from the shore to the verge of the horizon, so that the hearts of men rejoiced within them. All went well as far as Negroponte and Andros, at which latter island the leaders with young Alexis landed and received the submission of the inhabitants. The Marquis of Montferrat everywhere presented young Alexis to the population, and did his best to make the journey an imperial progress. On arrival at the Dardanelles the leaders and those vessels which had arrived with them waited a week until the galleys and the transports came up. They occupied the time in plundering the neighbouring country and gathering in the harvest, their Expedition own stores having run short. Then they sailed again, and on fore Con- the 23rd of June anchored off the abbey of San Stefano, stantinople. about twelve miles to the south-west of Constantinople and

arrives be

on the Marmora. The domes and churches, the walls and towers of New Rome were at length in sight. The view from San Stefano is not the most picturesque which can be obtained of the imperial city, but even in these days it is sufficiently imposing. The Crusaders were amazed at the sight before them. They could not have imagined, says Villehardouin, that there could have been in the world a city so rich as that which the high walls and higher towers now before them girt entirely round. No one would have believed that there could have been so many rich palaces and lofty churches if he had not seen it with his own eyes. Nor would

he have credited that the city which was the sovereign among cities could have been so long or so broad. 'Be sure there was not a man who did not tremble, because never was so great an enterprise undertaken by so small a number of men.'

In the

The Doge and the leaders landed and held a parliament in the church of San Stefano. Dandolo advised that before any attack was made the fleet should sail some ten miles away to the Princes' Islands, and that a stock of provisions should be gathered from the neighbouring coast. The advice was accepted and the leaders embarked once more. morning, however, there was a southerly wind which made a journey to the islands dangerous, but which took them pleasantly right under the walls of Constantinople into the Bosphorus. The walls are built at the water's edge, and were crowded with spectators as the fleet passed. The ships anchored off Chalcedon, probably in front of the present English cemetery. The army disembarked, and formed an encampment upon the Asiatic shore, the city of Constantinople being in full view and only a mile distant. The harvest in the neighbouring country had been gathered in, and was at once seized by the Crusaders comme gens qui en avaient grand besoin.' The leaders took possession of a splendid palace belonging to the Emperor. On the third day the fleet went a mile further up the Bosphorus to Scutari and there anchored.

The Crusaders waited nine days in order to take in provisions and make their arrangements for an attack. During this time a skirmish took place on the Asiatic shore with a small body of imperial troops, who were completely routed, and the Crusaders obtained a considerable quantity of booty.

Meantime the Emperor was filled with alarm at the arrival of the Venetian fleet and the great Frank army. On the tenth day after their arrival he sent a messenger named

'This is usually spoken of as being at Scutari. It is, in fact, in a village between Scutari and Kadikeui, called Hyder Pasha, the latter being the name of a village, and not, as the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council stated recently, the name of a 'respectable Turkish gentleman.'

Embassy from Emperor.

Answer of the Crusaders.

Nicholas Roux, a native of Lombardy, across the Bosphorus
with letters of credence to the leaders. The barons met in
council. The messenger announced that he had been sent
by the Emperor to learn why they had come into his territory.
'You are Christians and he is a Christian. He knows well
that you are on your way to deliver the Holy Land.
If you
are poor and needy he will willingly give you provisions and
what he has, but on condition that you leave his territory.
He has no wish to do you any harm, though he can do it.'
The statement implies that he had no knowledge of their
intention. It may fairly be presumed that such knowledge
as he had was of a very vague character. He certainly had
officially no knowledge. It is possible, and indeed probable,
that spies or others had hastened on to Constantinople as
soon as the destination of the army had been made known at
Corfu. It is unlikely that more than a suspicion of what was
going on can have been communicated to him at any period
before the arrival of the army in that island.

Canon de Bethune replied to the imperial messenger on behalf of the Crusaders. He denied that they had come into the land of Alexis, because the occupant of the throne was not the rightful Emperor. The land belonged to his nephew, who was with them, the son of Isaac. The message he was to take back to his master was, that if Alexis would surrender his crown and Empire to his nephew, they, the Crusaders, would ask young Alexis to pardon him and to give him enough to live upon luxuriously. If the messenger did not return with an answer accepting these conditions, he had better not dare to return at all. The leaders seem to have been under the impression that there existed within the city a strong party in favour of Alexis. No doubt Philip, and possibly young Alexis himself, had done their best to persuade them that such was the case. The barons determined to give this party the opportunity to declare itself. The nephew of the Emperor should be shown to the people of Constantinople.

Accordingly they manned and armed all their galleys. Dandolo and the Marquis of Montferrat and young Alexis

Alexis is

shown to

the citizens.

went on board one of them, and a crowd of barons and Young knights into the others. The walls of Constantinople then, as now, came down to the water's edge through two-thirds of their extent. The tideless waters of the Marmora and the Golden Horn are deep enough within ten feet of the walls to float larger vessels than the great galleys of the Venetians. The procession crossed the Bosphorus. The walls were crowded with spectators. The boats went quite near and then stopped. 'Here,' proclaimed some one on board the galley containing Alexis, 'here is your rightful lord. We have not come to do you any harm. We will protect you if you do what you ought. He whom you obey rules you wrongfully against God and law. You know how disloyally he behaved to his lord and his brother, how he put out his eyes and usurped his Empire. Here is the real heir. If you do not acknowledge him we will do the worst we can against you.'

The proclamation was received with laughter. The only answer given, and that in derision, was, 'We know nothing about him. Who is he? '1

tions for an

attack.

The Crusaders returned to Scutari. Next day a parlia- Preparament was held to consider what steps should be taken for attacking the city. It was agreed that the army should be divided into seven parts. Baldwin of Flanders was appointed to lead the van, because of the great number of archers and crossbowmen who were under his command. The Marquis of Montferrat was to bring up the rear with the Lombards, Tuscans, Germans, and men from the country between Mont Cenis and Lyons.

There

The business in hand was felt to be a serious one. was apparently no longer any disaffection. The consciences of all had been quieted or their scruples overcome by the prospect of rich booty. All that remained was to fulfil their part of the contract and to receive their reward. But many a stout heart quailed at the prospect of the difficult undertaking before them. No Spaniards under a Cortez or a Pizarro ever had an apparently more hopeless task, and, to

1 Robert de Clari, xi.