tin
found himself the happy possessor of no less than sixty-two relics,
including a piece of the Holy Cross, and drops of 'the blood shed for
man's redemption.' Martin wished to start immediately for Alsace, but
circumstances obliged him to remain in Constantinople for several
months. Thanks, however, to the priest of the Pantokrator, whom the
abbot had treated generously, Martin secured a small chapel where to
conceal his spoils until an opportunity to return home should occur. A
fellow-countryman, indeed, the only other person let into the secret,
advised him to secure by means of the relics an abbotship, if not a
bishopric, in the Holy Land. But Martin was above personal ambition, and
notwithstanding all the difficulties involved in the attempt to carry
the relics to the West, waited patiently till he could smuggle them out
of the city. At length his chance came; whereupon he embarked for
Venice, and after a hard and tedious journey of eight months reached
home safely. Again and again on the way he had narrowly escaped the loss
of his treasures at the hands of pirates on the sea and of brigands upon
land. But all toils and dangers were forgotten when, on the 24th of June
1205, at the head of the brotherhood of which he was the chief, Martin
placed the relics purloined from the Pantokrator of Constantinople upon
the high altar of the church of Parisis with a conqueror's pride and
joy, while the people shouted, 'Blessed be the Lord God, the God of
Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.' There is archaeology even in
morals.

[Illustration: PLATE LXI.
S. SAVIOUR PANTOKRATOR. INTERIOR OF THE SOUTH CHURCH,
LOOKING EAST.]

[Illustration: S. SAVIOUR PANTOKRATOR. THE SOUTHERN ARM OF THE SOUTH
CHURCH.]

_To face page 224._

[Illustration: FIG. 75.]

But while called thus to deplore the removal of many of its valued
relics, the Pantokrator came during the Latin period into possession of
a sacred object which compensated the house abundantly for all losses of
that kind. The church became the shrine of the eikon of the Theotokos
Hodegetria. No relic was held in higher estimation. It was considered
to be the portrait of the mother of our Lord painted by S. Luke, and was
brought from Jerusalem to Constantinople by the Empress Eudocia, wife of
Theodosius II., as a present to her sister-in-law Pulcheria. It led the
hosts of the Empire to victory, and shared the honours of their
triumphal entry into the capital.