The cost of each man's passage was now levied throughout the host; and
there were people enough who said they could not pay for their
passage, and the barons took from them such moneys as they had. So
each man paid what he could. When the barons had thus claimed the cost
of the passages, and when the payments had been collected, the moneys
came to less than the sum due-yea, by more than one half.
Then the barons met together and said: "Lords, the Venetians have well
fulfilled all their undertakings, and above measure. But we cannot
fulfil ours in paying for our passages, seeing we are too few in
number; and this is the fault of those who have journeyed by other
ports. For God's sake therefore let each contribute all that he has,
so that we may fulfil our covenant; for better is it that we should
give all that we have, than lose what we have already paid, and prove
false to our covenants; for if this host remains here, the rescue of
the land overseas comes to naught."
Great was then the dissension among the main part of the barons and
the other folk, and they said: " We have paid for our passages, and if
they will take us, we shall go willingly; but if not, we shall inquire
and look for other means of passage." And they spoke thus because they
wished that the host should fall to pieces and each return to his own
land. But the other party said, " Much rather would we give all that
we have and go penniless with the host, than that the host should fall
to pieces and fail; for God will doubtless repay us when it so pleases
Him.
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