ifty
armed galleys without hire, for the love of God _and_ on the terms of
half-conquests; the death of the Count of Champagne (much wept by
Geoffroy his marshal); and the substitution after difficulties of
Boniface, Marquis of Montserrat;--these things form the prologue. When
the army is actually got together the transport-money is unfortunately
lacking, and the Venetians, still with the main chance steadily before
them, propose that the crusaders shall recover for them, from the King
of Hungary, Zara, "Jadres en Esclavonie, qui est une des plus forz
citez du monde." Then we are told how Dandolo and his host take the
cross; how Alexius Comnenus, the younger son of Isaac, arrives and
begs aid; how the fleet set out ("Ha! Dex, tant bon destrier i ot
mis!"); how Zara is besieged and taken; of the pact made with Alexius
to divert the host to Constantinople; of the voyage thither after the
Pope's absolution for the slightly piratical and not in the least
crusading _prise de Jadres_ has been obtained; of the dissensions and
desertions at Corfu, and the arrival at the "Bras St Georges," the Sea
of Marmora. This is what may be called the second part.

The third part opens with debates at San Stefano as to the conduct of
the attack. The emperor sends soft words to "la meillor gens qui soent
sanz corone" (this is the description of the chiefs), but they reject
them, arrange themselves in seven battles, storm the port, take the
castle of Galata, and then assault the city itself. The fighting
having gone wholly against him, the emperor retires by the open side
of the city, and the Latins triumph. Some show is made of resuming, or
rather beginning, a real crusade; but the young Emperor Alexius, to
whom his blind father Isaac has handed over the throne, bids them
stay, and they do so. Soon dissensions arise, war breaks out, a
conspiracy is formed against Isaac and his son by Mourzufle, "et
Murchufles chauca les houses vermoilles," quickly putting the former
owners of the scarlet boots to death. A second siege and capture of
the city follows, and Baldwin of Flanders is crowned emperor, while
Boniface marries the widow of Isaac, and receives the kingdom of
Salonica.

It has seemed worth while to give this abstract of the book up to a
certain point (there is a good deal more of confused fighting in
"Romanie" before, at the death of Boniface, Villehardouin gives up
the pen to Henri of Valenciennes), because even such a bare argument