By God's help the Emperor Mourzuphles was discomfited, and came near
to being taken captive; and he lost his imperial banner and an Eikon
that was home before him, in which he and the other Greeks had great
confidence-it was an ikon that figured our Lady-and he lost at least
twenty knights of the best people that he had. Thus was discomfited
the Emperor Mourzuphles, as you have just heard and fiercely did the
war rage between him and the Franks; and by this time a great part of
the winter had already passed, and it was near Candlemas (2nd February
1204), and Lent was approaching.

OF THE PILGRIMS WHO HAD GONE TO SYRIA

Now we will leave off speaking of the host before Constantinople, and
speak of those who sailed from other ports than Venice, and of the
ships of Flanders that had sojoumed during the winter at Marseilles,
and had all gone over in the summer to the land of Syria; and these
were far more in number than the host before Constantinople. Listen
now, and you shall hear what a great mischance it was that they

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had not joined themselves to the host, for in that case would
Christendom have been for ever exalted. But because of their sins, God
would not so have it, for some died of the sickness of the land, and
some turned back to their own homes. Nor did they perform any great
deeds, or achieve aught of good, in the land overseass

And there started also a company of very good men to go to Antioch, to
join Boemond, prince of Antioch and Count of Tripoli, who was at war
with King Leon, the lord of the Armenians. This company was going to