Page:The Fall of Constantinople.djvu/280

262 Capture of Zara. It was captured in five days, namely, on the 24th of November, 1202. The pilgrims and the Venetians entered into it, and Zara was mercilessly plundered. Its churches were pillaged and many houses destroyed. The inhabitants were barbarously treated. Some were beheaded, others were banished, while a great number fled to the mountains to save their lives. Dandolo was not content with punishing the citizens of Zara. His intention was to bring it again under the rule of the republic, and for this purpose considerable time was necessary. Hence, shortly after the conquest, he proposed that the army should winter in Zara. "The winter," said he to the leaders, "is coming on. We cannot budge from here until Easter, because we shall not be able to find provisions in any other place. The city is rich and well supplied with everything. Let us divide it." The proposition was accepted ; the spoil was shared, and the Venetians and Crusaders took up their quarters for the winter in different portions of the city, the Venetians near the harbor, the Crusaders inland.

Dissatisfaction of the Crusadrs.

Meantime the dissatisfaction between the Venetians and the leaders on the one side and the great body of Crusaders on the other was daily increasing. The latter had persuaded themselves that when Zara was taken they would at once be permitted to go on their pilgrimage. They had violated their vow, and had fallen under the sentence of excommunication. The religious portion of the army in particular was greatly embittered against Dandolo and their own leaders. Within three days of the capture of the city the Venetians and the Crusaders were fighting against each other in a quarrel which lasted several hours, and in which a hundred persons were killed and many were wounded. There was not a street where the fight was not going on. As fast as the leaders stopped the fighting in one quarter their attention was called for in another. Everywhere the Venetians had the worst of it. All the authority