that the fame Providence which had raised him CHA P. from the dungeon to the throne, would heal his gout, restore his fight, profperity of his reign. picious old man was and watch over the long Yet the mind of the fuftormented by the rifing glories of his fon; nor could his pride conceal from his envy, that, while his own name was pronounced in faint and reluctant acclamations, the royal youth was the theme of spontaneous and univerfal praise ". By the recent invafion, the Greeks were awakened from a dream of nine centuries; from the vain prefumption that the capital of the Roman empire was impregnable to foreign arms. The ftrangers of the Weft had violated the city, and bestowed the fceptre, of Constantine: their Imperial clients foon became as unpopular as themfelves: the well-known vices of Ifaac were rendered ftill more contemptible by his infirmities; and the young Alexius was hated as an apoftate, who had renounced the manners and religion of his country. His fecret covenant with the Latins was divulged or suspected; the people, and especially the clergy, were devoutly attached to their faith and fuperftition; and every convent, and every fhop, refounded with the danger of the church and the tyranny of the of the pope ". An empty treasury could ill 71 The reign of Alexius Comnenus occupies three books in Nicetas, p. 291-352. The thort restoration of Ifaac and his fun is difpatched in five chapters, p. 352–362. 72 When Nicetas reproaches Alexius for his impious league, he beftows the harfheft names on the pope's new religion Mov Xai παρεκτροπήν πίσεως . . . των το Παπα προνομίων και ισμού ... META ατοπώτατον ... LX. Quarrel of the Greeks and La tins.. LX. CHAP. ill fupply the demands of regal luxury and foreign extortion: the Greeks refused to avert, by a general tax, the impending evils of fervitude and pillage; the oppreffion of the rich excited a more dangerous and perfonal refentment; and if the emperor melted the plate, and defpoiled the images, of the fanctuary, he feemed to justify the complaints of herefy and facrilege. During the abfence of marquis Boniface and his Imperial pupil, Conftantinople was vifited with a calamity which might be justly imputed to the zeal and indifcretion of the Flemish pilgrims "3. In one of their vifits to the city, they were fcandalized by the afpect of a mofch or fynagogue, in which one God was worshipped, without a partner or a fon. Their effectual mode of controverfy was to attack the infidels with the fword, and their habitation with fire but the infidels, and fome Christian neighbours, prefumed to defend their lives and properties; and the flames which bigotry had kindled confumed the moft orthodox and innocent ftructures. During eight days and nights, the confiragation fpread above a league in front, from the harbour to the Propontis, over the thickeft and moft populous regions of the city. It is not eafy to count the stately churches and palaces that were reduced to a fimoking ruin, ... · · μεταθεσιν τε και μεταποίησιν των παλαιών Ρωμαίοις εθων (p. 348.). Such was the fincere language of every Greek to the last gasp of the empire. 73 Nicetas (p. 355.) is pofitive in the charge, and specifies the Flemings (Papuores), though he is wrong in fuppofing it an ancient name. Villehardouin (N° 107.) exculpates the barons, and is ignorant (perhaps affectedly ignorant) of the names of the guilty. to LX. to value the merchandise that perifhed in the CHAP. 74 Compare the fufpicions and complaints of Nicetas (p. 359- pierced CHAP. pierced through the angry multitude, and entered LX. with a fearless countenance the palace and prefence of the Greek emperor. In a peremptory tone, they recapitulated their fervices and his engagements; and boldly declared, that unless their just claims were fully and immediately fatiffied, they should no longer hold him either as a fovereign or a friend. After this defiance, the first that had ever wounded an Imperial ear, they departed without betraying any symptoms of fear; but their escape from a fervile palace and a furious city aftonifhed the ambaffadors themselves; and their return to the camp was the signal of mutual hoftility. The war renewed, A, D. 1204. Among the Greeks, all authority and wisdom were overborne by the impetuous multitude, who miftook their rage for valour, their numbers for strength, and their fanaticifm for the fupport and inspiration of Heaven. In the eyes of both nations Alexius was falfe and contemptible: the bafe and fpurious race of the Angeli was rejected with clamorous disdain; and the people of Conftantinople encompaffed the fenate, to demand at their hands a more worthy emperor. To every fenator, confpicuous by his birth or dignity, they fucceffively prefented the purple: by each fenator the deadly garment was repulfed the conteft lafted three days; and we may learn from the hiftorian Nicetas, one of the members of the affembly, that fear and weaknefs were the guardians of their loyalty. A phantom, who vanished in oblivion, was forcibly proclaimed by the crowd; 15 LX. crowd"; but the author of the tumult, and the CHAP. leader of the war, was a prince of the houfe of Ducas; and his common appellation of Alexius must be discriminated by the epithet of Mourzoufle ", which in the vulgar idiom expreffed the clofe junction of his black and fhaggy eye-brows. At once a patriot and a courtier, the perfidious Mourzoufle, who was not deftitute of cunning and courage, oppofed the Latins both in fpeech and action, inflamed the paffions and prejudices of the Greeks, and infinuated himself into the favour and confidence of Alexius, who trusted him with the office of great chamberlain, and tinged his bufkins with the colours of royalty. At the dead of night he rushed into the bedchamber with an affrighted afpect, exclaiming, that the palace was attacked by the people and betrayed by the guards. Starting from his couch, the unfufpecting prince threw himself into the arms of his enemy, who had contrived his efcape by a private staircafe. But that staircase termi- Alexius nated in a prifon; Alexius was feized, ftripped, and loaded with chains; and, after tafting fome days the bitterness of death, he was poifoned, or ftrangled, or beaten with clubs, at the command, and in the prefence, of the tyrant. The emperor Ifaac Angelus foon followed his fon to the grave, 75 His name was Nicholas Canabus; he deserved the praise of Nicetas and the vengeance of Mourzoufle (p. 362.). 76 Villehardouin (No 116.) fpeaks of him as a favourite, without knowing that he was a prince of the blood, Angelus and Ducas. Ducange, who pries into every corner believes him to be the fon of Ifaac Ducas Sebaftocrator, and fecond cousin of young Alexius. VOL. XI. and and his father depofed by zoufle, Mour Feb. 8. |