Page:The Fall of Constantinople.djvu/271

 ARRIVAL IN VENICE. 253 one made in July for the payment out of the proceeds of lawful spoil, and a subsequent one, made some weeks later, for payment out of the spoil to be taken at Zara ; or that, if the proposal to attack Zara were made in July, it was made onl}^ to the leaders, and was carefully concealed at first from the mass of the Crusaders. Robert de Clari's account points to the existence of two proposals. After speaking of the illumi- nations on the Lido when the doge's first proposal was made and accepted, he states that the doge afterwards went to the camp and declared that the winter w^as lost, and that it was too late to go to Outre-mer. Then the secret was let out. "Let us do the next best thing. There is a city near here called Zara, which has often defied ns, and which we are going to punish if we can. If you will listen to me we will pass the winter there until Easter, and then we will go to Outre-mer at Lady Day. Zara is full of provisions and riches." Then this author adds : "The barons and leaders of the Crusaders assented to the doge's proposal. But this pro- posal was not known to all the army.^ Robert probably be- lieved that there were two proposals, and that even the last was kept secret from the host. The account of Robert is borne out by the evidence to which I have already called attention. Assuming that the portion of the proposal made during the last week of July, referring to an attack on Zara, was kept secret, as to which there can be little doubt if it be admitted that Zara was mentioned in July, the next month was spent in negotiations. Opposition to There was a party opposed to its acceptance as soon to^iiaack^^^^ as the attack was mentioned. Here again we are ^'*"- on solid ground. Yillehardouin tells us that discord sprang up as soon as the Yenetians refused to carry them be- yond sea until they paid. lie says that those who declared they wanted to leave Venice to go to other ports did so be- cause in reality they desired that the army should break up, and therefore struggled against the acceptance of the proposi- tion. The unofficial writers tells us wdiy they did so. "In 1 Robert de Clari, c. 13.