obedience which he owes to it, peace shall he made with him. He begs the Emperor to see that the Patriarch appears at the council thus disposed; and concludes this letter also with threats.
He did not carry them into execution, however; for he knew that to secure the success of the Crusade which was then organizing, he must keep on good terms with the Greek Emperor. He therefore wrote to the Crusaders who had just left Venice, and were on their way to Constantinople, "Let none among you flatter himself that he may be permitted to invade or pillage the land of the Greeks, under pretext that it is not sufficiently submissive to the Holy See, or that the Emperor is an usurper, having wrested the empire from his brother. What crimes he or his subjects may have committed, it is not for you to judge; and you have not taken the Cross to avenge that injury."
The Crusaders knew perfectly well that their success would insure their absolution. They had made a treaty at Venice, with the young Alexis, son of Isaac and nephew of the Emperor. This prince promised, that if the Crusaders should give him back the throne his uncle had usurped, he would subject the Greek Church to the Papal sovereignty, and join the Crusaders against the Mussulmans.
Upon reaching Constantinople, the Crusaders showed the young Alexis to the people, but soon perceived that they would excite no sympathy in this manner. They then determined to force him upon the city, which they took by assault. They sent news of this to the Pope by a letter in which they sought to excuse themselves for having attacked the Greeks.[1] "The cruel usurper of the empire (Alexis Angelus) had harangued the people and had persuaded them that the Latins were coming to
- ↑ See Villehardouin; see It. Godef. ad ann. 1203; Raynold. Annal.; Innocent III. Epist.
