When they were healed of their sickness Matthew of
Montmorency came to rejoin the host at Zara; but Stephen of Perche
dealt less worthily, for he abandoned the host, and
20
went to sojourn in Apulia. With him went Rotrou of Montfort and Ives
of la jaille, and many others, who were much blamed therein; and they
journeyed to Syria in the following spring.*
[note: Literally, "in the passaae of March," i.e. among the pilgrims
who periodically started for the (,,y Land in March.]
THE INHABITANTS OF ZARA OFFER TO CAPITULATE, AND THEN DRAW BACK - ZARA IS
TAKEN
On the day following the feast of St. Martin, certain of the people of
Zara came forth, and spoke to the Doge of Venice, who was in his
pavilion, and said to him that they would yield up the city and all
their goods-their lives being spared-to his mercy. And the Doge
replied that he would not accept these conditions, nor any conditions,
save by consent of the counts and barons, with whom he would go and
confer.
While he went to confer with the counts and barons, that party, of
whom you have already heard, who wished to disperse the host, spoke to
the envoys and said, " Why should you surrender your city? The
pilgrims will not attack you -have no care of them. If you can defend
yourselves against the Venetians, you will be safe enough." And they
chose one of themselves, whose name was Robert of Boves, who went to
the walls of the city, and spoke the same words.
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