Then the barons spoke together and said that they would send to Rome,
to the Pope, because he had taken the capture of Zara in evil part. And
they chose as envoys such as they knew were fitted for this office, two
knights, and two clerks. Of the two clerks one was Nevelon, Bishop of
Soissons, and the other Master John of Noyon, who was chancellor to
Count Baldwin of Flanders; and of the knights one was John of Friaize,
the other Robert of Boves. These swore on holy relics that they would
perform their embassy loyally and in good faith, and that they would
come back to the host.
Three kept their oath right well, and the fourth evilly, and this one
was Robert of Boves. For he executed his office as badly as he could,
and perjured himself, and went away to Syria as others had done. But
the remaining three executed their office right well, and delivered
their message as the barons had directed, and said to the Pope: “The
barons cry mercy to you for the capture of Zara, for they acted as
people who could do no better, owing to the default of those who had
gone to other ports, and because, had they not acted as they did, they
could not have held the host together. And as to this they refer
themselves to you, as to their good Father, that you should tell them
what are your commands, which they are ready to perform.”
And the Pope said to the envoys that he knew full well that it was
through the default of others that the host had been impelled to do
this great mischief, and that he had them in great pity. And then he
notified to the barons and pilgrims that he sent them his blessing, and
absolved them as his sons, and commanded and besought them to hold the
host together, inasmuch as he well knew that without that host God’s
service could not be done. And he gave full powers to Nevelon, Bishop
of Soissons, and Master John of Noyon, to bind and to unloose the
pilgrims until the cardinal joined the host.
DEPARTURE OF THE CRUSADERS FOR CORFU—ARRIVAL OF THE YOUNG
ALEXIUS—CAPTURE OF DURAS
So much time had passed that it was now Lent, and the host prepared
their fleet to sail at Easter. When the ships were laden on the day
after Easter (7th April 1203), the pilgrims encamped by the port, and
the Venetians destroyed the city, and the walls and the towers.
Then there befell an adventure which weighed heavily upon the host; for
one of the great barons of the host, by name Simon of Montfort, had
made private covenant with the King of Hungary, who was at enmity with
those of the host, and went to him, abandoning the host. With him went
Guy of Montfort his brother, Simon of Nauphle and Robert Mauvoisin, and
Dreux of Cressonsacq, and the abbot of Vaux, who was a monk of the
order of the Cistercians, and many others. And not long after another
great lord of the host, called Enguerrand of Boves, joined the King of
Hungary, together with Hugh, Enguerrand’s brother, and such of the
other people of their country as they could lead away.
These left the host, as you have just heard; and this was a great
misfortune to the host, and to such as left it a great disgrace.
Then the ships and transports began to depart; and it was settled that
they should take port at Corfu, an island of Roumania, and that the
first to arrive should wait for the last; and so it was done.
Before the Doge, the Marquis, and the galleys left Zara, Alexius, the
son of the Emperor Isaac of Constantinople, had arrived together. He
was sent by the King Philip of Germany, and received with great joy and
great honour; and the Doge gave Mm as many galleys and ships as he
required. So they left the port of Zara, and had a fair wind, and
sailed onwards till they took port at Duras. And those of the land,
when they saw their lord, yielded up the city right willingly and sware
fealty to him.
And they departed thence and came to Corfu, and found there the host
encamped before the city; and those of the host had spread their tents
and pavilions, and taken the horses out of the transports for ease and
refreshment. When they heard that the son of the Emperor of
Constantinople had arrived in the port, then might you have seen many a
good knight and many a good sergeant leading many a good war-horse and
going to meet him. Thus they received him with very great joy, and much
high honour. And he had his tent pitched in the midst of the host; and
quite near was pitched the tent of the Marquis of Montferrat, to whose
ward he had been commended by King Philip, who had his sister to wife.
HOW THE CHIEFS OF THE CRUSADERS HELD BACK THOSE WHO WANTED TO ABANDON
THE HOST
The host sojourned thus for three weeks in that island, which was very
rich and plenteous. And while they sojourned, there happened a
misadventure fell and grievous. For a great part of those who wished to
break up the host, and had aforetime been hostile to it, spoke together
and said that the adventure to be undertaken seemed very long and very
perilous, and that they, for their part, would remain in the island,
suffering the host to depart, and that—when the host had so
departed—they would, through the people of Corfu, send to Count Walter
of Brienne, who then held Brandis, so that he might send ships to take
them thither.
I cannot tell you the names of all those who wrought in this matter,
but I will name some among the most notable of the chiefs, viz., Odo of
Champlitte, of Champagne, James of Avesnes, Peter of Amiens, Guy the
Castellan of Coucy, Oger of Saint-Chéron, Guy of Chappes and Clerembaud
his nephew, William of Aunoi, Peter Coiseau, Guy of Pesmes and Edmund
his brother, Guy of Conflans, Richard of Dampierre, Odo his brother,
and many more who had promised privily to be of their party, but who
dared not for shame openly so to avow themselves; in such sort that the
book testifies that more than half the host were in this mind.
And when the Marquis of Montferrat heard thereof, and Count Baldwin of
Flanders, and Count Louis, and the Count of St. Paul, and the barons
who held with them, they were greatly troubled, and said: “Lords, we
are in evil case. If these people depart from us, after so many who
have departed from us aforetime, our host is doomed, and we shall make
no conquests. Let us then go to them, and fall at their feet, and cry
to them for mercy, and for God’s sake to have compassion upon
themselves and upon us, and not to dishonour themselves, and ravish
from us the deliverance of the land oversea.”
Thus did the council decide; and they went, all together, to a valley
where those of the other part were holding their parliament; and they
took with them the son of the Emperor of Constantinople, and all the
bishops and all the abbots of the host. And when they had come to the
place they dismounted and went forward, and the barons fell at the feet
of those of the other part, greatly weeping, and said they would not
stir till those of the other part had promised not to depart from them.
And when those of the other part saw this, they were filled with very
great compassion; and they wept very bitterly at seeing their lords,
and their kinsmen, and their friends, thus lying at their feet. So they
said they would consult together, and drew somewhat apart, and there
communed. And the sum of their communing was this: that they would
remain with the host till Michaelmas, on condition that the other part
would swear, loyally, on holy relics, that from that day and
thenceforward, at whatever hour they might be summoned to do so, they
would in all good faith, and without guile, within fifteen days,
furnish ships wherein the non-contents might betake themselves to
Syria.
Thus was covenant made and sworn to; and then was there great joy
throughout all the host. And all gat themselves to the ships, and the
horses were put into the transports.