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Villehardouin, Geoffroi de, 1150-1213

"Memoirs or Chronicle of the Fourth Crusade and the Conquest of Constantinople"

And he rode forth with all his force at full speed,
and in full array, to meet the fugitives, and the fugitives all
rallied round him. And Manasses of l'Isle followed as soon as he was
able, with his men, and joined himself to him, so that together they
formed a very strong body; and all those who came out of the rout, and
whom they could stop, were taken into their ranks.
The rout was thus stayed between Nones and Vespers. But the most part
of the fugitives were so afeared that they fled right before them till
they came to the tents and quarters. Thus was the rout stayed, as you
have heard; and the Comans, with the Wallachians and Greeks, who were
in full chace, ceased their pursuit. But these still galled our force
with their bows and arrows, and the men of our force kept still with
their faces turned towards them. Thus did both sides remain till
nightfall, when the Comans and Wallachians began to retire.
Then did Geoffry of Villehardouin, the Marshal of Champagne and
Roumania, summon to the camp the Doge of Venice, who was an old man
and saw naught, but very wise and brave and vigorous; and he asked the
Doge to come to him there where he stood with his men, holding the
field; and the Doge did so. And when the Marshal saw him, he called
him into council, aside, all alone, and said to him: "Lord, you see
the misadventure that has befallen us. We have lost the Emperor
Baldwin and Count Louis, and the larger part of our people, and of the
best.


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