ENTRY OF THE CRUSADERS INTO CONSTANTINOPLE - CORONATION OF THE YOUNG ALEXIUS

Then did the barons mount their horses, and led the young man, with
great rejoicings, into the city, to his father; and the Greeks opened
the gate to him, and received him with very much rejoicing and great
feasting. The joy of the father and of the son was very great, because
of a long time they had not seen one another, and because, by God's
help and that of the pilgrims, they had passed from so great poverty
and ruin to such high estate. Therefore the joy was great inside
Constantinople; and also without, among the host of the pilgrims,
because of the honour and victory that God had given them.

And on the morrow the emperor and his son also besought the counts and
the barons, for God's sake, to go and quarter themselves on the other
side of the straits, toward Estanor and Galata; for, if they quartered
themselves in the city, it was to be feared that quarrels would ensue
between them and the Greeks, and it might well chance that the city
would be destroyed. And the counts and barons said that they had

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already served him in so many ways that they would not now refuse any
request of his. So they went and quartered themselves on the other
side, and sojoumed there in peace and quiet, and with great store of
good provisions.

Now you must know that many of those in the host went to see
Constantinople, and the rich palaces and great churches, of which
there were many, and all the great wealth of the city-for never was