By consent of the other envoys,
Geoffry of Villehardouin, the Marshal of Champagne, acted as
spokesman, and he said to the Emperor Isaac: " Sire, thou seest the
service we have rendered to thy son, and how we have kept our
covenants with him. But he cannot come hither till he has given us
surety for the covenants he has made with us. And he asks of thee, as
thy son, to confirm those covenants in the same form, and the same
manner, that he has done." " What covenants are they? " said the
emperor. " They are such as we shall tell you," replied the envoys: "
In the first place to put the whole empire of Roumania in obedience to
Rome, from which it has been separated this long while; further to
give 200,000 marks of silver to those of the host, with food for one
year for small and great; to send 10,000 men, horse and foot - many on
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foot as we shall devise and as many mounted-in his own ships, and at
his own charges, to the land of Babylon, and keep them there for a
year; and during his lifetime to keep, at his own charges, five
hundred knights in the land overseass so that they may guard that
land. Such is the covenant that your son made with us, and it was
confirmed by oath, and charters with seals appended, and by King
Philip of Germany who has your daughter to wife. This covenant we
desire you to confirm."
Certes said the emperor, " this covenant is very onerous, and I do not
see how effect can be given to it; nevertheless, you have done us such
service, both to my son and to myself, that if we bestowed upon you
the whole empire, you would have deserved it well.
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