They endured thus in labour and anguish till daylight; but by God's
help those on our side lost nothing, save a Pisan ship, which was full
of merchandise, and was burned with fire. Deadly was the peril in
which we stood that night, for if the fleet had been consumed, all
would have been lost, and we should never have been able to get away
by land or sea. Such was the guerdon which the Emperor Alexius would
have bestowed upon us in return for our services.
MOURZUPHLES USURPS THE EMPIRE - ISAAC DIES, AND THE YOUNG ALEXIUS IS
STRANGLED
Then the Greeks, being thus embroiled with the Franks, saw that there
was no hope of peace; so they privily took counsel together to betray
their lord. Now there was a Greek who stood higher in his favour than
all others, and had done more to make him embroil himself with the
Franks than any other. This Greek was named Mourzuphles.
With the advice and consent of the others, one night towards midnight,
when the Emperor Alexius was asleep in his chamber, those who ought to
have been guarding him and specially Mourzuphles-took him in his bed
and threw him into a dungeon in prison. Then Mourzuphles assumed
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the scarlet buskins with the help and by the counsel of the other
Greeks (January 1204). So he made himself emperor. Afterwards they
crowned him at St. Sophia. Now see if. ever people were guilty of such
horrible treachery!
When the Emperor Isaac heard that his son was taken and Mourzuphles
crowned, great fear came upon him, and he fell into a sickness that
lasted no long time.
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