and wise, and very eloquent, and he replied to the envoy: " Fair Sir,
you have told us that your lord marvels much why our signors and
barons should have entered into Ms kingdom and land. Into his land
they have not entered, for he holds this land wrongfully and wickedly,
and against God and against reason. It belongs to Ws nephew, who sits
upon a throne among us, and is the son of his brother, the Emperor
Isaac. But if he is willing to throw himself on the mercy of his
nephew, and to give Mm back his crown and empire, then we will pray
his nephew to forgive him, and bestow upon him as much as will enable
him to live wealthily. And if you come not as the bearer of such a
message, then be not so bold as to come here again." So the envoy
departed and went back to Constantinople, to the Emperor Alexius.

THE CRUSADERS SHOW THE YOUNG ALEXIUS TO THE PEOPLE OF CONSTANTINOPLE, AND
PREPARE FOR THE BATTLE

The barons consulted together on the morrow, and said that they would
show the young Alexius, the son of the Emperor of Constantinople, to
the people of the city. So they assembled all the galleys. The Doge of
Venice and the Marquis of Montferrat entered into one, and took with
them Alexius, the son of the Emperor Isaac; and into the other galleys
entered the knights and barons, as many as would.

They went thus quite close to the walls of Constantinople and showed
the youth to the people of the Greeks, and said,

36

"Behold your natural lord; and be it known to you that we have not
come to do you harm, but have come to guard and defend you, if so be