and therefore they thought he would have more influence than any
other. And he, because of their prayers, and of their great need, said
he would go willingly; and he took with him Manasses of l'Isle, who
was one of the good knights of the host, and one of the most honoured.

75

So they departed from Constantinople, and rode day by day till they
came to Adrianople, where the siege was going on. And when the marquis
heard thereof, he came out of the camp and went to meet them. With him
came James of Avesnes, and William of Champlitte, and Hugh of Colemi,
and Otho of la Roche, who were the chief counsellors of the marquis.
And when he saw the envoys, he did them much honour and showed them
much fair seeming.

Geoffry the Marshal, with whom he was on very good terms, spoke to him
very sharply, reproaching him with the fashion in which he had taken
the land of the emperor and besieged the emperor's people in
Adrianople, and that without apprising those in Constantinople, who
surely would have obtained such redress as was due if the emperor had
done him any wrong. And the marquis disculpated himself much, and said
it was because of the wrong the emperor had done him that he had acted
in such sort.

So wrought Geoffry, the Marshal of Champagne, with the help of God,
and of the barons who were in the confidence of the marquis, and who
loved the said Geoffry well, that the marquis assured him he would
leave the matter in the hands of the Doge of Venice, and of Count
Louis of Blois and Chartres, and of Conon of Béthune, and of Geoffry
of Villehardouin, the Marshal-all of whom well knew what was the