The Marquis Boniface of Montferrat rode all along the shore to the
palace of Bucoleon, and when he arrived there it surrendered, on
condition that the lives of all therein should be spared. At Bucoleon
were found the larger number of the great ladies who had fled to the
castle, for there were found the sister* of the King of France, who had
been empress, and the sister** of the King of Hungary, who had also
been empress, and other ladies very many. Of the treasure that was
found in that palace I cannot well speak, for there was so much that it
was beyond end or counting.
[* Agnes, sister of Philip Augustus, married successively to Alexius
II., to Andronicus, and to Theodore Branas]
[** Margaret, sister of Emeric, King of Hungary, married to the Emperor
Isaac, and afterwards to the Marquis of Montferrat.]
At the same time that this palace was surrendered to the Marquis
Boniface of Montferrat, did the palace of Blachernæ surrender to Henry,
the brother of Count Baldwin of Flanders, on condition that no hurt
should be done to the bodies of those who were therein. There too was
found much treasure, not less than in the palace of Bucoleon. Each
garrisoned with his own people the castle that had been surrendered to
him, and set a guard over the treasure. And the other people, spread
abroad throughout the city, also gained much booty. The booty gained
was so great that none could tell you the end of it: gold and silver,
and vessels and precious stones, and samite, and cloth of silk, and
robes vair and grey, and ermine, and every choicest thing found upon
the earth. And well does Geoffry of Villehardouin the Marshal of
Champagne, bear witness, that never, since the world was created, had
so much booty been won in any city.
Every one took quarters where he pleased and of lodgings there was no
stint. So the host of the pilgrims and of the Venetians found quarters,
and greatly did they rejoice and give thanks because of the victory God
had vouchsafed to them—for those who before had been poor were now in
wealth and luxury. Thus they celebrated Palm Sunday and the Easter Day
following (25th April 1204) in the joy and honour that God had bestowed
upon them. And well might they praise our Lord, since in all the host
there were no more than twenty thousand armed men, one with another,
and with the help of God they had conquered four hundred thousand men,
or more, and in the strongest city in all the world—yea, a great
city—and very well fortified.