So they assembled all the galleys. The Doge of
Venice and the Marquis of Montferrat entered into one, and took with
them Alexius, the son of the Emperor Isaac; and into the other galleys
entered the knights and barons, as many as would.
They went thus quite close to the walls of Constantinople and showed
the youth to the people of the Greeks, and said,
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"Behold your natural lord; and be it known to you that we have not
come to do you harm, but have come to guard and defend you, if so be
that you return to your duty. For he whom you now obey as your lord
holds rule by wrong and wickedness, against God and reason. And you
know full well that he has dealt treasonably with him who is your lord
and his brother, that he has blinded his eyes and reft from him his
empire by wrong and wickedness. Now behold the rightful heir. If you
hold with him, you will be doing as you ought; and if not we will do
to you the very worst that we can." But for fear and terror of the
Emperor Alexius, not one person on the land or in the city made show
as if he held for the prince. So all went back to the host, and each
sought his quarters.
On the morrow, when they had heard mass, they assembled in parliament,
and the parliament was held on horseback in the midst of the fields.
There might you have seen many a fine war-horse, and many a good
knight thereon. And the council was held to discuss the order of the
battalions, how many they should have, and of what strength.
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