Now let us for this present speak of them no further, but speak of the
pilgrims, of whom a great part had already come to Venice. Count
Baldwin of Flanders had already arrived there, and many others, and
thither were tidings brought to them that many of the pilgrims were
travelling by other ways, and from other ports. This troubled them
greatly, because they would thus be unable to fulfil the promise made
to the Venetians, and find the moneys that were due.
So they took counsel together, and agreed to send good envoys to meet
the pilgrims, and to meet Count Louis of Blois and Chartres, who had
not yet arrived, and to put them in good heart, and beseech them to
have pity of the Holy Land beyond the sea, and show them that no other
passage, save that from Venice, could be of profit.
For this embassy they made choice of Count Hugh of Saint-Paul and
Geoffry the Marshal of Champagne, and these rode till they came to
Pavia in Lombardy. There they found Count Louis with a great many
knights and men of note and worth; and by encouragements and prayers
prevailed on many to proceed to Venice who would otherwise have fared
from other ports, and by other ways.
Nevertheless from Placentia many men of note proceeded by other ways to
Apulia. Among them were Villain of Neuilly, who was one of the best
knights in the world, Henry of Arzilliéres, Renaud of Dampierre, Henry
of Longchamp, and Giles of Trasegnies, liegeman to Count Baldwin of
Flanders and Hainault, who had given him, out of his own purse, five
hundred _livres_ to accompany him on this journey. With these went a
great company of knights and sergeants, whose names are not recorded.
Thus was the host of those who went by Venice greatly weakened; and
much evil befell them therefrom, as you shall shortly hear.