Then did Henry take council with his barons, and their decision was
that they would go to the city of Bizye, which was a fair city, and
strong. So they did as they had devised, and came to Bizye, and
encamped before the city on the eve of the feast of our Lord St. John
the Baptist, in June (23rd June 1206). And on the day that they so
encamped came messengers from Adrianople, and said to Henry, the
brother of the Emperor Baldwin: “Sire, be it known to thee that if thou
dost not relieve the city of Demotica, it cannot hold out more than
eight days, for Johannizza’s petraries have breached the walls in four
places, and his men have twice got on to the walls.”
Then he asked for counsel as to what he should do. Many were the words
spoken, to and fro; but in the end they said: “Lord, we have come so
far that we shall be for ever shamed if we do not succour Demotica. Let
every man now confess and receive the communion; and then let us set
our forces in array.” And it was reckoned that they had with them about
four hundred knights, and of a certainty no more. So they summoned the
messengers who had come from Adrianople, and asked them how matters
stood, and what number of men Johannizza had with him. And the
messengers answered that he had with him at least forty thousand
men-at-arms, not reckoning those on foot, of whom they had no count.
Ah God! what a perilous battle—so few against so many! In the morning,
on the day of the feast of our Lord St. John the Baptist, all confessed
and received the communion, and on the following day they marched
forward. The van was commanded by Geoffry, the Marshal of Roumania and
Champagne, and with him was Macaire of Sainte-Menehould. The second
division was under Conon of Béthune and Miles the Brabant; the third
under Payen of Orléans and Peter of Bracieux; the fourth was under
Anseau of Cayeux; the fifth under Baldwin of Beauvoir; the sixth under
Hugh of Beaumetz; the seventh under Henry, brother of the Emperor
Baldwin; the eighth, with the Flemings, under Walter of Escornai;
Thierri of Loos, who was seneschal, commanded the rear-guard.
So they rode for three days, all in order; nor did any host ever
advance seeking battle so perilously. For they were in peril on two
accounts; first because they were so few, and those they were about to
attack so many; and secondly, because they did not believe the Greeks,
with whom they had just made peace, would help them heartily. For they
stood in fear lest, when need arose, the Greeks would go over to
Johannizza, who, as you have already heard, had been so near to taking
Demotica.