124
THE EMPEROR ATTACKS THE FLEET OF THEODORE LASCARIS, AND RESCUES CIBOTOS
Before this assault began, on the Saturday morning, there came a
messenger flying to Constantinople. He found the Emperor Henry in the
palace of Blachernae, sitting at meat, and spoke to him thus: "Sire,
be it known to you that those at Cibotos are being attacked by land
and sea; and if you do not speedily deliver them, they will be taken,
and but dead men."
With the emperor were Conon of B?thune, and Geoffry the Marshal of
Champagne, and Miles the Brabant, and but very few people. And they
held a council, and the council was but short, and the emperor went
down to the shore, and entered into a galleon; and each one was to
take ship such as he could find. And it was proclaimed throughout the
city that all were to follow the emperor in the utter need wherein he
stood, to go and rescue his men, seeing that without help they were
but lost. Then might you have seen the whole city of Constantinople
all a-swarrn with Venetians and Pisans and other seafaring folk,
running to their ships, helterskelter and pell-mell; and with them
entered into the ships the knights, fully armed; and whosoever was
first ready, he first left port to go after the emperor.
So they went rowing hard all the evening, as long as the light lasted,
and all through the night till the dawn of the following day. And the
emperor had used such diligence, that a little after sun-rising he
came in sight of Cibotos, and of the host surrounding it by sea and
land.
Pages:
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194