Then did Henry, the Regent of the empire, take council with the barons
that were with him; and they decided to ride forward. So they rode
forward for two days, and encamped in a very fair valley, near a castle
called Moniac. The castle yielded itself to them, and they remained
there five days; and then said they would go and relieve Renier of
Trit, who was besieged in Stanimac, and had been shut up therein for
thirteen months. So Henry the Regent of the empire, remained in the
camp, with a great part of the host, and the remainder went forward to
relieve Renier of Trit at Stanimac.
And you must know that those who went forward went in very great peril,
and that any rescue so full of danger has but seldom been undertaken,
seeing that they rode for three days through the land of their enemies.
In this rescue took part Conon of Béthune, and Geoffry of
Villehardouin, Marshal of Roumania and Champagne, and Macaire of
Sainte-Menehould, and Miles the Brabant, and Peter of Bracieux, and
Payen of Orléans, and Anseau of Cayeux, and Thierri of Loos, and
William of Perchoi, and a body of Venetians under command of Andrew
Valère. So they rode forward till they came to the castle of Stanimac,
and approached so near that they could now see it.
Renier of Trit was on the walls, and he perceived the advanced guard,
which was under Geoffry the Marshal, and the other battalions,
approaching in very good order; and he knew not what people they might
be. And no wonder that he was in doubt, for of a long time he had heard
no tidings of us; and he thought we were Greeks coming to besiege him.
Geoffry the Marshal of Roumania and Champagne took certain Turcoples*
and mounted cross-bowmen and sent them forward to see if they could
learn the condition of the castle; for they knew not if those within it
were alive or dead, seeing that of a long time they had heard no
tidings of them. And when these came before the castle, Renier of Trit
and his men knew them; and you may well think what joy they had! They
issued forth and came to meet their friends, and all made great joy of
each other.
[Note: soldiers born of a Turkish father and a Greek mother]
The barons quartered themselves in a very good city that lay at the
foot of the castle, and had aforetime besieged the castle. Then said
the barons that they had often heard tell that the Emperor Baldwin had
died in Johannizza’s prison, but that they did not believe it. Renier
of Trit, however, told them of a truth that the emperor was dead, and
then they believed it. Greatly did many then grieve; alas I if only
their grief had not been beyond remedy I
So they lay that night in the city; and on the morrow they departed,
and abandoned Stanimac. They rode for two days., and on the third they
came to the camp, below the castle of Moniac, that lies on the river
Arta, where Henry, the Emperor’s brother, was waiting for them. Greatly
did those of the host rejoice over Renier of Trit, who had thus been
rescued from durance, and great was the credit given to those who had
brought him back, for they had gone for him in great peril.
HENRY CROWNED EMPEROR—JOHANNIZZA RAVAGES THE COUNTRY AGAIN—THE EMPEROR
MARCHES AGAINST HIM
The barons now resolved that they would go to Constantinople, and crown
Henry, the brother of the Emperor Baldwin as emperor, and leave in the
country Vemas, and all the Greeks of the land, together with forty
knights, whom Henry, the Regent of the empire, would leave with him. So
Henry, the Regent of the empire, and the other barons, went towards
Constantinople, and they rode from day to day till they came thither,
and right well were they received. They crowned Henry as emperor with
great joy and great honour in the church of St. Sophia, on the Sunday
(20th August) after the festival of our Lady St. Mary, in August. And
this was in the year of the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ twelve
hundred and six.
Now when Johannizza, the King of Wallachia and Bulgaria, heard that the
emperor had been crowned in Constantinople, and that Vemas had remained
in the land of Adrianople and Demotica, he collected together as large
a force as he could. And Vemas had not rebuilt the walls of Demotica
where they had been breached by Johannizza with his petraries and
mangonels, and he had set but a weak garrison therein. So Johannizza
marched on Demotica, and took it, and destroyed it, and rased the walls
to the ground, and overran the whole country, and took men, women, and
children for a prey, and wrought devastation. Then did those in
Adrianople beseech the Emperor Henry to succour them, seeing that
Demotica had been lost in such cruel sort.
Then did the Emperor Henry summon as many people as he could, and
issued from Constantinople, and rode day by day towards Adrianople,
with all his forces in order. And Johannizza, the King of Wallachia,
who was in the land, when he heard that the emperor was coming, drew
back into his own land. And the Emperor Henry rode forward till he came
to Adrianople, and he encamped outside the city in a meadow.
Then came the Greeks of the land, and told him that Johannizza, the
King of Wallachia, was carrying off men and women and cattle, and that
he had destroyed Demotica, and wasted the country round; and that he
was still within a day’s march. The emperor settled that he would
follow after, and do battle-if so be that Johannizza would abide his
coming—and deliver the men and women who were being led away captive.
So he rode after Johannizza, and Johannizza retired as the emperor
advanced, and the emperor followed him for four days. Then they came to
a city called Veroi.
When those who were in the city saw the host of the Emperor Henry
approaching, they fled into the mountains and abandoned the city. And
the emperor came with all his host, and encamped before the city, and
found it well furnished with corn and meat, and such other things as
were needful. So they sojourned there for two days, and the emperor
caused his men to overrun the surrounding country, and they obtained a
large booty in beeves and cows and buffaloes, and otl-ler beasts in
very great plenty. Then he departed from Veroi with all his booty, and
rode to another city, a day’s journey distant, called Blisnon. And as
the other Greeks had abandoned Veroi, so did the dwellers in Blisnon
abandon their city; and he found it furnished with all things
necessary, and quartered himself there.