sea, and the barons and those of the host by land.

They sojourned thus for four days. On the fifth day, the whole host
were armed, and the divisions advanced on horseback, each in the order
appointed, along the harbour, till they came to the palace of
Blachernae; and the ships drew inside the harbour till they came over
against the self-same place, and this was near to the end of the
harbour. And there is at that place a river that flows into the sea,
and can only be passed by a bridge of stone. The Greeks had broken
down the bridge, and the barons caused the host to labour all that day
and all that night in repairing the bridge. Thus was the bridge
repaired, and in the morning the divisions were armed, and rode one
after the other in the order appointed, and came before the city. And
no one came out from the city against them; and this was a great
marvel, seeing that for every man that was in the host there were over
two hundred men in the city.

Then did the barons decide that they should quarter them-

40

selves between the palace of Blachernae and the castle of Boemond,
which was an abbey enclosed with walls. So the tents and pavilions
were pitched-which was a right proud thing to look upon; for of
Constantinople, which had three leagues of front towards the land, the
whole host could attack no more than one of the gates. And the
Venetians lay on the sea, in ships and vessels, and raised their
ladders, and mangonels, and petraries, and made order for their
assault right well. And the barons for their part made ready their
petraries and mangonels on land.