At the time when the messengers arrived, there were in Constantinople
five ships of Venice, very large and very good, laden with pilgrims,
and knights and sergeants, who were leaving the land and returning to
their own countries. There were at least seven thousand men at arms in
the ships, and one was William the advocate of Béthune, and there were
besides Baldwin of Aubigny, and John of Virsin, who belonged to the
land of Count Louis, and was his liegeman, and at least one hundred
other knights, whom the book does not here name. Master Peter of Capua,
who was cardinal from the Pope of Rome, Innocent, and Conon of Béthune,
who commanded in Constantinople, and Miles the Brabant, and a great
number of other men of mark, went to the five ships, and prayed those
who were in them, with sighs and tears, to have mercy and pity upon
Christendom, and upon their liege lords who had been lost in battle,
and to remain for the love of God. But they would not listen to a
single word, and left the port. They spread their sails, and went their
way, as God ordained, in such sort that the wind took them to the port
of Rodosto; and this was on the day following that on which those who
had escaped from the discomfiture came thither.
The same prayers, with tears and weeping, that had been addressed to
them at Constantinople-those same prayers were now addressed to them at
Rodosto; and Geoffry the Marshal, and those who were with him, besought
them to have mercy and pity on the land, and remain, for never would
they be able to succour any land in such dire need. They replied that
they would consult together, and give an answer on the morrow.
And now listen to the adventure which befell that night in the city.
There was a knight from the land of Count Louis, called Peter of
Frouville, who was held in honour, and of great name. The same fled by
night, and left all his baggage and his people, and gat himself to the
ship of John of Virsin, who was from the land of Count Louis of Blois
and Chartres. And those on board the five ships, who in the morning
were to give their answer to Geoffry the Marshal and to the Doge of
Venice, so soon as they saw the day, they spread their sails, and went
their way without word said to any one. Much and great blame did they
receive, both in the land whither they went, and in the land they had
left; and he who received most blame of all was Peter of Frouville. For
well has it been said that he is but ill-advised who, through fear of
death, does what will be a reproach to him for ever.
MEETING OF MANY OF THE CRUSADERS—HENRY, THE BROTHER OF BALDWIN, IS MADE
REGENT
Now let us speak of these last no farther, but speak of Henry, brother
to the Emperor Baldwin of Constantinople, who had left Adramittium,
which he had conquered, and passed the straits at the city of Abydos,
and was coming towards Adrianople to succour the Emperor Baldwin, his
brother. And with him had come the Armenians of the land, who had
helped him against the Greeks—some twenty thousand with all their wives
and children—for they dared not remain behind.
Then came to him the news, by certain Greeks, who had escaped from the
discomfiture, that his brother the Emperor Baldwin was lost, and Count
Louis, and the other barons. Afterwards came the news of those who had
escaped and were at Rodosto; and these asked him to make all the haste
he could, and come to them. And because he wanted to hasten as much as
he could, and reach them earlier, he left behind the Armenians, who
travelled on foot, and had with them chariots, and their wives and
children; and inasmuch as these could not come on so fast, and he
thought they would travel safely and without hurt, he went forward and
encamped in a village called Cartopolis.
On that very day came thither the nephew of Geoffry the Marshal, Anseau
of Courcelles, whom Geoffry had summoned from the parts of Macre,
Trajanopolis, and the Baie, lands that had been bestowed upon him; and
with Anseau came the people from Philippopolis, who had left Renier of
Trit. This company held full a hundred good knights, and full five
hundred mounted sergeants, who all were on their way to Adrianople to
succour the Emperor Baldwin. But tidings had come to them, as to the
others, that the emperor had been defeated, so they turned to go to
Rodosto, and came to encamp at Cartopolis, the village where Henry, the
brother of the Emperor Baldwin, was then encamped. And when Baldwin’s
men saw them coming, they ran to arms, for they thought they were
Greeks, and the others thought the same of Baldwin’s men. And so they
advanced till they became known to one another, and each was right glad
of the other’s coming, and felt all the safer; and they quartered
themselves in the village that night until the morrow.
On the morrow they left, and rode straight towards Rodosto, and came
that night to the city; and there they found the Doge of Venice and
Geoffry the Marshal, and all who had escaped from the late
discomfiture; and right glad were these to see them. Then were many
tears shed for sorrow by those who had lost their friends. Ah, God!
what pity it was that those men now assembled had not been at
Adrianople with the Emperor Baldwin, for in that case would nothing
have been lost. But such was not God’s pleasure.
So they sojourned there on the following day, and the day after, and
arranged matters; and Henry, the brother of the Emperor Baldwin, was
received into lordship, as regent of the empire, in lieu of his
brother.
And then misfortune came upon the Armenians, who were coming after
Henry, the brother of the Emperor Baldwin, for the people of the land
gathered together and discomfited the Armenians, so that they were all
taken, killed or lost.
RETURN TO CONSTANTINOPLE—APPEALS FOR HELP SENT TO THE POPE, AND TO
FRANCE AND TO OTHER LANDS—DEATH OF THE DOGE
Johannizza, King of Wallachia and Bulgaria, had with him all his power,
and he occupied the whole land; and the country, and the cities, and
the castles held for him; and his Comans over-ran the land as far as
Constantinople. Henry the regent of the empire, and the Doge of Venice,
and Geoffry the Marshal, were still at Rodosto, which is a three days’
journey from Constantinople. And they took council, and the Doge of
Venice set a garrison of Venetians in Rodosto—for it was theirs. And on
the morrow they put their forces in array, and rode, day by day,
towards Constantinople.
When they reached Selymbria, a city which is two days’ journey from
Constantinople, and belonged to the Emperor Baldwin, Henry his brother
set there a garrison of his people, and they rode with the rest to
Constantinople, where they were received right willingly, for the
people were in great terror. Nor is that to be wondered at, for they
had lost so much of the country, that outside Constantinople they only
held Rodosto and Selymbria; the whole of the rest of the country being
held by Johannizza, King of Wallachia and Bulgaria. And on the other
side of the straits of St. George, they held no more than the castle of
Piga, while the rest of the land was in the hands of Theodore Lascaris.
Then the barons decided to send to the Apostle of Rome, Innocent, and
to France and Flanders, and to other lands, to ask for succour. And for
this purpose were chosen as envoys Nevelon, Bishop of Soissons, and
Nicholas of Mailly, and John Bliaud. The rest remained in
Constantinople, in great distress, as men who stood in fear of losing
the land. So they remained till Pentecost (29th May 1205). And within
this time a very great misfortune happened to the host, for Henry
Dandolo was taken sick; so he made an end and died, and was buried with
great honour in the church of St. Sophia.
When Pentecost had come, Johannizza, the King of Wallachia and
Bulgaria, had pretty well had his will of the land; and he could no
longer hold his Comans to-ether, because they were unable to keep the
field during the summer; so the Comans departed to their own country.
And he, with all his host of Bulgarians and Greeks, marched against the
marquis towards Salonika. And the marquis, who had heard the news of
the discomfiture of the Emperor Baldwin, raised the siege of Napoli,
and went to Salonika with as many men as he could collect, and
garrisoned it.