And be it
known to you, that no man there was of such hardihood but his flesh
trembled: and it was no wonder, for never was so great an enterprise
undertaken by any people since the creation of the world.
Then landed the counts and barons and the Doge of Venice, and a
parliament was held in the church of St. -
32
Stephen. There were many opinions set forth, this way and that. All
the words then spoken shall not be recorded in this book; but in the
end the Doge rose on his feet and said: "Signors, I know the state of
this land better than you do, for I have been here erewhile. We have
undertaken the greatest enterprise, and the most perilous, that ever
people have undertaken. Therefore it behoves us to go to work warily.
Be it known to you that if we go on dry ground, the land is great and
large, and our people are poor and ill-provided. Thus they will
disperse to look for food; and the people of the land are in great
multitude, and we cannot keep such good watch but that some of ours
will be lost. Nor are we in case to lose any, for our people are but
few indeed for the work in hand.
"Now there are islands close by which you can see from here, and these
are inhabited, and produce corn, and food, and other things. Let us
take port there, and gather the corn and provisions of the land. And
when we have collected our supplies, let us go before the city, and do
as our Lord shall provide.
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