The emperor, with as many men as he possessed, had prepared to go to
Adrianople, when tidings came, very grievous, that Escurion, who was
admiral of the galleys of Theodore Lascaris, had entered with seventeen
galleys into the straits of Abydos, in the channel of St. George, and
come before Skiza, where Peter of Bracieux then was, and Payen of
Orléans; and that the said Escurion was besieging the city by sea,
while Theodore Lascaris was besieging it by land. Moreover, the people
of the land of Skiza had rebelled against Peter of Bracieux, as also
those of Marmora, and had wrought him great harm, and killed many of
his people.
When these tidings came to Constantinople, they were greatly dismayed.
Then did the Emperor Henry take council with his men, and his barons,
and the Venetians also; and they said that if they did not succour
Peter of Bracieux, and Payen of Orléans, they were but dead men, and
the land would be lost. So they armed fourteen galleys in all
diligence, and set in them the Venetians of most note, and all the
barons of the emperor.
In one galley entered Conon of Béthune and his people; in another
Geoffry of Villehardouin and his people; in the third Macaire of
Sainte-Menehould and his people; in the fourth Miles the Brabant in the
fifth Anscau of Cayeux; in the sixth Thierri of Loos, who was seneschal
of Roumania; m the seventh William of Perchoi; and in the eighth
Eustace the Emperor’s brother. Thus did the Emperor Henry put into all
these galleys the best people that he had; and when they left the port
of Constantinople, well did all say that never had galleys been better
armed, nor manned with better men. And thus, for this time, the march
on Adrianople was again put off.
Those who were in the galleys sailed down the straits, right towards
Skiza. How Escurion, the admiral of Theodore Lascaris’ galleys, heard
of it, I know not; but he abandoned Skiza, and went away, and fled down
the straits. And the others chased him two days and two nights, beyond
the straits of Abydos, forty miles. And when they saw they could not
come up with him, they turned back, and came to Skiza, and found there
Peter of Bracieux and Payen of Orléans; and Theodore Lascaris had
dislodged from before the city and repaired to his own land. Thus was
Skiza relieved, as you have just heard; and those in the galleys turned
back to Constantinople, and prepared once more to march on Adrianople.