CHA P. letting down the draw-bridges of the palanders, led LX. the horses to the fhore. Before the fquadrons could 62 It is needlefs to obferve, that on the subject of Galata, the chain, &c. Ducange is accurate and full. Confult likewise the proper chapters of the C. P. Christiana of the fame author. The inhabitants of Galata were fo vain and ignorant, that they applied to themselves St. Paul's Epistle to the Galatians. 63 The veffel that broke the chain was named the Eagle, Aquila (Dandol. Chronicon. p. 322.), which Blondus (de Geflis Venet.) has changed into Aquilo the north-wind. Ducange, Obfervations, N° 83. maintains the latter reading; but he had not feen the refpe&table text of Dandolo, nor did he enough confider the topography of the harbour. The fouth-east would have been a more effectual wind. remnant LX. remnant of twenty thousand Latins folicited the CHA P. licence of befieging a capital which contained above four hundred thousand inhabitants **, able, though not willing, to bear arms in the defence of their country. Such an account would indeed fuppofe a population of near two millions; but whatever abatement may be required in the numbers of the Greeks, the belief of those numbers will equally exalt the fearless spirit of their affailants. queft of nople by In the choice of the attack, the French and Ve- First fiege netians were divided by their habits of life and and conwarfare. The former affirmed with truth, that ConftantiConftantinople was most acceffible on the fide of the Latins, the fea and the harbour. The latter might affert July 7-18. with honour, that they had long enough trusted their lives and fortunes to a frail bark and a precarious element, and loudly demanded a trial of knighthood, a firm ground, and a close onfet, either on foot or horfeback. After a prudent compromife, of employing the two nations by fea and land, in the fervice best suited to their character, the fleet covering the army, they both proceeded from the entrance to the extremity of the harbour: the ftone bridge of the river was haftily repaired; and the fix battles of the French formed their encampment against the front of the 64 Quatre cens mil homes ou plus (Villehardouin, No 134.), must be understood of men of a military age. Le Beau (Hift. du Bas Empire, tom. xx. p. 417) allows Conftantinople a million of inhabitants, of whom 60,000 horse, and an infinite number of foot foldiers. In its prefent decay, the capital of the Ottoman empire may contain 400,000 fouls (Bell's Travels, vol. ii, p. 401, 402.); but as the Turks keep no registers, and as circumstances are fallacious, it is impoffible to afcertain (Niebuhr, Voyage en Arabie, tom. i. p. 18, 19.) the real populonfnefs of their cities. LX. On CHA P. capital, the basis of the triangle which runs about four miles from the port to the Propontis". the edge of a broad ditch, at the foot of a lofty rampart, they had leisure to contemplate the difficulties of their enterprise. The gates to the right and left of their narrow camp poured forth frequent fallies of cavalry and light-infantry, which cut off their ftragglers, swept the country of provifions, founded the alarm five or fix times in the courfe of each day, and compelled them to plant a pallifade, and fink an entrenchment, for their immediate fafety, In the fupplies and convoys the Venetians had been too sparing, or the Franks too voracious: the ufual complaints of hunger and scarcity were heard, and perhaps felt: their ftock of flour would be exhausted in three weeks ;* and their disgust of falt meat tempted them to taste the flesh of their horses. The trembling ufurper was fupported by Theodore Lafcaris, his fon-in-law, a valiant youth, who aspired to fave and to rule his country; the Greeks, regardless of that country, were awakened to the defence of their religion; but their firmest hope was in the ftrength and spirit of the Varangian guards, of the Danes and English, as they are named in the writers of the times 66. After ten days inceffant 1 65 On the most correct plans of Conftantinople, I know not how to measure more than 4000 paces. Yet Villehardouin computes the space at three leagues (N° 86.). If his eye were not deceived, he muft reckon by the old Gallic league of 1500 paces, which might still be used in Champagne, 66 The guards, the Varangi, are styled by Villehardouin (N° 89. 95, &c.), Englois et Danois avec leurs haches. Whatever had been their origin, a French pilgrim could not be mistaken in the aations of which they were at that time compofed, labour, LX. labour, the ground was levelled, the ditch filled, CHAP. the approaches of the befiegers were regularly made, and two hundred and fifty engines of affault exercised their various powers to clear the rampart, to batter the walls, and to fap the foundations. On the first appearance of a breach, the scaling ladders were applied: the numbers that defended the vantage ground repulfed and oppreffed the adventurous Latins; but they admired the refolution of fifteen knights and ferjeants, who had gained the afcent, and maintained their perilous ftation till they were precipitated or made prifoners by the Imperial guards. On the fide of the harbour the naval attack was more fuccessfully conducted by the Venetians; and that industrious people employed every resource that was known and practised before the invention of gunpowder. A double line, three bow-fhots in front, was formed by the gallies and fhips; and the swift motion of the former was fupported by the weight and loftinefs of the latter, whofe decks, and poops, and turret, were the platforms of military engines, that discharged their fhot over the heads of the first line. The foldiers, who leaped from the gallies on fhore, immediately planted and afcended their fcalingladders, while the large fhips, advancing more flowly into the intervals, and lowering a drawbridge, opened a way through the air from their mafts to the rampart. In the midst of the conflict, the doge, a venerable and confpicuous form, ftood aloft in complete armour on the P 4 prow CHAP. prow of his galley. The great ftandard of St. LX. Mark was displayed before him; his threats, pro mifes, and exhortations, urged the diligence of the rowers; his veffel was the first that ftruck; and Dandolo was the firft warrior on the fhore. The nations admired the magnanimity of the blind old man, without reflecting that his age and infirmities diminished the price of life, and enhanced the value of immortal glory, On a fudden, by an invifible hand (for the ftandardbearer was probably flain), the banner of the republic was fixed on the rampart: twenty-five towers were rapidly occupied; and, by the cruel expedient of fire, the Greeks were driven from the adjacent quarter. The doge had dispatched the intelligence of his fuccefs, when he was checked by the danger of his confederates. Nobly declaring that he would rather die with the pilgrims than gain a victory by their destruction, Dandolo relinquished his advantage, recalled his troops, and hastened to the scene of action. Hẹ found the fix weary diminutive battles of the French encompaffed by fixty fquadrons of the Greek cavalry, the leaft of which was more numerous than the largest of their divifions. Shame and despair had provoked Alexius to the last effort of a general fally; but he was awed by the firm order and manly afpect of the Latins; and, after fkirmishing at a distance, withdrew his troops in the close of the evening. The filence or tumult of the night exafperated his fears; and the timid ufurper, collecting a treafure of ten thoufand pounds |