the towns from which they came, were I not constrained by my close
friendship with some members of their family to limit my remarks,
thereby protecting them from shame. A certain Guido Trossellus, well
known for his power and influence in cities across the Seine, and who
was considered remarkable by the whole race of Franks, was the
standard-bearer for the escape. There were other deserters from the
holy army also, who, when they came back to their native land, were
held in contempt and denounced as infamous everywhere. Some of them
we do not know; others we know very well, but we prefer not to
humiliate them.

They came to the port which is called the gate of Saint Simeon, where
they found boats and sailors, and they asked the sailors, "Why are
you waiting here, unhappy men? You should know that all those to
whom you customarily bring food are about to die, for the city and
those within it are besieged by an army of Turks, and we scarcely
escaped from their onslaught with our naked bodies." Stung by the
dire news, they hesitated, stunned for a long time, and then placed
all their hope in flight.

They got into the ships and sought the depths of the sea.[176]

Almost immediately afterwards, as their prows began to move through
the waves, the Turks arrived, killed everyone they found there,
burned the ships they found riding at anchor, and despoiled the
bodies of those whom they had killed. After those base men, fleeing
from divine assistance, had escaped through the foul places we have
mentioned, those who had chosen to remain were no longer able to
withstand the enemies' weapons or onslaughts. Therefore they built a
wall between themselves and their enemies, which they patrolled night