LX.

73

CHAP. ill fupply the demands of regal luxury and foreign extortion: the Greeks refufed 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 seemed 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 visits to the city, they were scandalized by the aspect 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 most orthodox and innocent ftructures. During eight days and nights, the conflagration spread above a league in front, from the harbour to the Propontis, over the thickest and most populous regions of the city. It is not easy to count the stately churches and palaces that were reduced to a smoking ruin,.

μεταθέσιν τε και μεταποίησιν των παλαιων Ρωμαίοις εθων (p. 348.). Such was the fincere language of every Greek to the last gafp of the empire.

73 Nicetas (p. 355.) is pofitive in the charge, and specifies the Flemings (paves), though he is wrong in fuppofing it an an cient name. Villehardouin (N° 107.) exculpates the barons, and is ignorant (perhaps affectedly ignorant) of the names of the guilty.

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LX.

to value the merchandise that perished in the CHAP. trading streets, or to number the families that were involved in the common destruction. By this outrage, which the doge and the barons in vain affected to disclaim, the name of the Latins became ftill more unpopular; and the colony of that nation, above fifteen thousand perfons, confulted their safety in a hasty retreat from the city to the protection of their standard in the suburb of Pera. The emperor returned in triumph; but the firmest and most dextrous policy would have been infufficient to fteer him through the tempeft, which overwhelmed the person and go vernment of that unhappy youth. His own inclination, and his father's advice, attached him to his benefactors; but Alexius hesitated between gratitude and patriotism, between the fear of his fubjects and of his allies 7+. tuating conduct he loft the of both; and, while he invited the marquis of Montferrat to occupy the palace, he suffered the nobles to confpire, and the people to arm, for. the deliverance of their country. Regardless of his painful fituation, the Latin chiefs repeated their demands, refented his delays, fufpected his intentions, and exacted a decifiye anfwer of peace

or war.

By his feeble and fluc-
esteem and confidence

The haughty fummons was delivered by three French knights and three Venetian deputies, who girded their fwords, mounted their horfes,

74 Compare the suspicions and complaints of Nicetas (p. 359362.) with the blunt charges of Baldwin of Flanders (Gefta Innocent. III. c. 92. p. 534.), cum patriarcha et mole nobilium, nobis promiffis perjurus et mendax.

pierced

LX.

CHA P. pierced through the angry multitude, and entered with a fearlefs 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 juft claims were fully and immediately fatiffied, they fhould 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 astonished the ambassadors themselves; and their return to the camp was the fignal 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 ftrength, and their fanaticism 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 difdain; 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 weakness were the guardians of their loyalty. A phantom, who vanifhed in oblivion, was forcibly proclaimed by the crowd;

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75

CHA P.

LX.

trowd "; but the author of the tumult, and the
leader of the war, was a prince of the house of
Ducas; and his common appellation of Alexius
must be discriminated by the epithet of Mour-
zoufle", 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, opposed the Latins both in speech
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 buskins with the colours of royalty.
At the dead of night he rushed into the bed-
chamber 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 himfelf into the
arms of his enemy, who had contrived his escape
by a private staircase. But that staircase termi- Alexius
nated in a prison; Alexius was feized, ftripped, father de-
and oaded with chains; and, after tafting fome pofed by
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 (N° 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 coufin of young Alexius.

VOL. XI.

and

and his

Mour

zoufle,

LX.

CHA P. and Mourzoufle, perhaps, might fpare the fuperfluous crime of haftening the extinction of impotence and blindness.

Second

fiege, January April.

The death of the emperors, and the ufurpation of Mourzoufle, had changed the nature of the quarrel. It was no longer the disagreement of allies who over-valued their fervices, or neglected their obligations: the French and Venetians forgot their complaints against Alexius, dropt a tear on the untimely fate of their companion, and fwore revenge against the perfidious nation who had crowned his affaffin. Yet the prudent doge was still inclined to negociate; he asked as a debt, a fubfidy, or a fine, fifty thousand pounds of gold, about two millions fterling; nor would the conference have been abruptly broken, if the zeal, or policy, of Mourzoufle had not refufed to facrifice the Greek church to the fafety of the state ". Amidst the invective of his foreign and domeftic enemies, we may difcern, that he was not unworthy of the character which he had affumed, of the public champion: the fecond fiege of Conftantinople was far more laborious than the first; the treasury was replenished, and discipline was restored, by a fevere inquifition into the abuses of the former reign; and Mourzoufle, an iron mace in his hand, vifiting the pofts, and affecting the port and aspect of a warrior, was an object of terror to his foldiers, at leaft, and

77 This negociation, probable in itself, and attested by Nicetas (p. 365.), is omitted as fcandalous by the delicacy of Dandolo and Villehardouin.

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