Thus they celebrated Palm Sunday and
the Easter Day following (25th April 1204) in the joy and honour that
God had bestowed upon them. And well miaht they praise our Lord, since
in all the host there were no more than twenty thousand armed men, one
with another, and with the help of God they had conquered four hundred
thousand men, or more, and in the strongest city in all the world -
yea, a great city - and very well fortified.
DIVISION OF THE SPOIL
Then was it proclaimed throughout the host by the Marquis Boniface of
Montferrat, who was lord of the host, and by the barons, and by the
Doge of Venice, that all the booty should be collected and brou-ht
together, as had been covenanted under oath and pain of
excommunication. Three churches were appointed for the receiving of
the
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spoils, and guards were set to have them in charge, both Franks and
Venetians, the most upright that could be found.
Then each began to bring in such booty as he had taken, and to collect
it together. And some brought in loyally, and some in evil sort,
because covetousness, which is the root of all evil, let and hindered
them. So from that time forth the covetous began to keep things back,
and our Lord began to love them less. Ah God! how loyally they had
borne themselves up to now! And well had the Lord God shown them that
in all things He was ready to honour and exalt them above all people.
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