Thus were divided the spoils of Constantinople, as you
have heard.
67
BALDWIN, COUNT OF FLANDERS, ELECTED EMPEROR
Then a parliament assembled, and the commons of the host declared that
an emperor must be elected, as had been settled aforetime. And they
parliamented so long that the matter was adjourned to another day, and
on that day would they choose the twelve electors who were to make the
election. Nor was it possible that there should be lack of candidates,
or of men covetous, seeing that so great an honour was in question as
the imperial throne of Constantinople. But the greatest discord that
arose was the discord concerning Count Baldwin of Flanders and
Hainault and the Marquis Boniface of Montferrat; for all the people
said that either of those two should be elected.
And when the chief men of the host saw that all held either for Count
Baldwin or for the Marquis of Montferrat, they conferred together and
said: " Lords, if we elect one of these two great men, the other will
be so filled with envy that he will take away with him all his people.
And then the land that we have won may be lost, just as the land of
Jerusalem came nigh to be lost when, after it had been conquered,
Godfrey of Bouillon was elected king, and the Count of St. Giles
became so fulfilled with envy that he enticed the other barons, and
whomsoever he could, to abandon the host. Then did many people depart,
and there remained so few that, if God had not sustained them, the
land of Jerusalem wouldhavebeenlost.
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