The next day after, the Emperor Alexius sent an envoy with letters to
the counts and to the barons. This envoy was called Nicholas Roux, and
he was a native of Lombardy. He found the barons in the rich palace of
Scutari, where they were holding council and he saluted them on the
part of the Emperor Alexius of Constantinople, and tendered his letters
to the Marquis of Montferrat-who received them. And the letters were
read before all the barons; and there were in them words, written after
various manners, which the book does not (here) relate, and at the end
of the other words so written, came words of credit, accrediting the
bearer of the letters, whose name was Nicholas Roux.
“Fair Sir,” said the barons, “we have seen your letters, and they tell
us that we are to give credit to what you say, and we credit you right
well. Now speak as it pleases you.”
And the envoy was standing before the barons, and spoke thus: “Lords,”
said he, “the Emperor Alexius would have you know that he is well aware
that you are the best people uncrowned, and come from the best land on
earth. And he marvels much why, and for what purpose, you have come
into his land and kingdom. For you are Christians, and he is a
Christian, and well he knows that you are on your way to deliver the
Holy Land overseass and the Holy Cross, and the Sepulchre. If you are
poor and in want, he will right willingly give you of his food and
substance, provided you depart out of his land. Neither would he
otherwise wish to do you any hurt, though he has full power therein,
seeing that if you were twenty times as numerous as you are, you would
not be able to get away without utter discomfiture if so be that he
wished to harm you.”
By agreement and desire of the other barons, and of the Doge of Venice,
then rose to his feet Conon of Béthune, who was a good knight, and
wise, and very eloquent, and he replied to the envoy: “Fair Sir, you
have told us that your lord marvels much why our signors and barons
should have entered into his kingdom and land. Into his land they have
not entered, for he holds this land wrongfully and wickedly, and
against God and against reason. It belongs to Ws nephew, who sits upon
a throne among us, and is the son of his brother, the Emperor Isaac.
But if he is willing to throw himself on the mercy of his nephew, and
to give him back his crown and empire, then we will pray his nephew to
forgive him, and bestow upon him as much as will enable him to live
wealthily. And if you come not as the bearer of such a message, then be
not so bold as to come here again.” So the envoy departed and went back
to Constantinople, to the Emperor Alexius.
THE CRUSADERS SHOW THE YOUNG ALEXIUS TO THE PEOPLE OF CONSTANTINOPLE,
AND PREPARE FOR THE BATTLE
The barons consulted together on the morrow, and said that they would
show the young Alexius, the son of the Emperor of Constantinople, to
the people of the city. So they assembled all the galleys. The Doge of
Venice and the Marquis of Montferrat entered into one, and took with
them Alexius, the son of the Emperor Isaac; and into the other galleys
entered the knights and barons, as many as would.
They went thus quite close to the walls of Constantinople and showed
the youth to the people of the Greeks, and said, “Behold your natural
lord; and be it known to you that we have not come to do you harm, but
have come to guard and defend you, if so be that you return to your
duty. For he whom you now obey as your lord holds rule by wrong and
wickedness, against God and reason. And you know full well that he has
dealt treasonably with him who is your lord and his brother, that he
has blinded his eyes and reft from him his empire by wrong and
wickedness. Now behold the rightful heir. If you hold with him, you
will be doing as you ought; and if not we will do to you the very worst
that we can.” But for fear and terror of the Emperor Alexius, not one
person on the land or in the city made show as if he held for the
prince. So all went back to the host, and each sought his quarters.
On the morrow, when they had heard mass, they assembled in parliament,
and the parliament was held on horseback in the midst of the fields.
There might you have seen many a fine war-horse, and many a good knight
thereon. And the council was held to discuss the order of the
battalions, how many they should have, and of what strength. Many were
the words said on one side and the other. But in the end it was settled
that the advanced guard should be given to Baldwin of Flanders, because
he had a very great number of good men, and archers and crossbowmen,
more than any other chief that was in the host.
And after, it was settled that Henry his brother, and Matthew of
Wallincourt, and Baldwin of Beauvoir, and many other good knights of
their land and country, should form the second division.
The third division was formed by Count Hugh of St. Paul, Peter of
Amiens his nephew, Eustace of Canteleu, Anseau of Cayeux, and many good
knights of their land and country.
The fourth division was formed by Count Louis of Blois and Chartres,
and was very numerous and rich and redoubtable; for he had placed
therein a great number of good knights and men of worth.
The fifth division was formed by Matthew of Montmorency and the men of
Champagne. Geoffry the Marshal of Champagne formed part of it, and Oger
of Saint-Chéron, Manasses of l’Isle, Miles the Brabant, Macaire of
Sainte-Menehould, John Foisnous, Guy of Chappes, Clerembaud his nephew,
Robert of Ronsoi; all these people formed part of the fifth division.
Be it known to you that there was many a good knight therein.
The sixth division was formed by the people of Burgundy. In this
division were Odo the Champenois of Champlitte, William his brother,
Guy of Pesmes, Edmund his brother, Otho of la Roche, Richard of
Dampierre, Odo his brother, Guy of Conflans, and the people of their
land and country.
The seventh division, which was very large, was under the command of
the Marquis of Montferrat. In it were the Lombards and Tuscans and the
Germans, and all the people who were from beyond Mont Cenis to Lyons on
the Rhone. All these formed part of the division under the marquis, and
it was settled that they should form the rearguard.