stomach to defend themselves. And such guard was established that
those of the city lost not one stiver current.

They sojoumed there eight days to wait for the ships transports and
galleys that had not yet come up. And while they thus sojourned, they
took corn from the land, for it was the season of harvest, and great
was their need thereof, for before they had but little. And within
those eight days all the ships and barons had come up. God gave them
fair weather.

ARRIVAL AT ST. STEPHEN - DELIBERATION AS TO PLAN OF ATTACK

All started from the port of Abydos together. Then might you have seen
the Straits of St. George (as it were) in flower with ships and
galleys sailing upwards, and the beauty thereof was a great marvel to
behold. Thus they sailed up the Straits of St. George till they came,
on St. John the Baptist's Eve, in June (23rd June 1203) to St.
Stephen, an abbey that lay three leagues from Constantinople. There
had those on board the ships and galleys and transports full sight of
Constantinople; and they took port and anchored their vessels.

Now you may know that those who had never before seen Constantinople
looked upon it very earnestly, for they never thought there could be
in all the world so rich a city; and they marked the high walls and
strong towers that enclosed it round about, and the rich palaces, and
mighty churches of which there were so many that no one would have
believed it who had not seen it with his eyes-and the height and the
length of that city which above all others was sovereign. And be it
known to you, that no man there was of such hardihood but his flesh
trembled: and it was no wonder, for never was so great an enterprise