one goodlier or finer; as well galleys

15

as transports, and sufficient for at least three times as many men as
were in the host.

Ah ! the grievous harm and loss when those who should have come
thither sailed instead from other ports! Right well if they had kept
their tryst, would Christendom have been exalted, and the land of the
Turks abased! The Venetians had fulfilled all their undertakings, and
above measure, and they now summoned the barons and counts to fulfil
theirs and make payment, since they were ready to start.

The cost of each man's passage was now levied throughout the host; and
there were people enough who said they could not pay for their
passage, and the barons took from them such moneys as they had. So
each man paid what he could. When the barons had thus claimed the cost
of the passages, and when the payments had been collected, the moneys
came to less than the sum due-yea, by more than one half.

Then the barons met together and said: "Lords, the Venetians have well
fulfilled all their undertakings, and above measure. But we cannot
fulfil ours in paying for our passages, seeing we are too few in
number; and this is the fault of those who have journeyed by other
ports. For God's sake therefore let each contribute all that he has,
so that we may fulfil our covenant; for better is it that we should
give all that we have, than lose what we have already paid, and prove
false to our covenants; for if this host remains here, the rescue of
the land overseas comes to naught."