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 2S0 THE FALL OF CONSTANTINOPLE. end of the year, and where he probably found young Alexis. It is in the highest degree probable that he had taken this long journey on the invitation of Philip, and it is equally probable that the object of Philip was to urge him to make use of the crusade to restore the Emperor Isaac, or to place his son Alexis on the throne. It is, however, impossible to do more than surmise what passed during the weeks which Boni- face spent at the court of Philip. The " Gesta" of Innocent the Third state that a treaty was concluded between them by which the crusading army was bound to place young Alexis on the throne at Constantinople.^ The existence of such a treaty is not improbable, but as no mention is made of it by other contemporary writers, such an agreement either never existed or was kept secret, or, what is more probable, was merely an understanding which it was unnecessary and un- desirable either to disclose or to reduce to defnite form in writing. While there is nothing in the subsequent story of the crusade to indicate that Philip and Boniface had not a complete understanding, there is a large amount of evidence to suggest that they had. It is especially notewortliy that several contemporary writers speak of Philip having as- sumed the direction of the expedition from the time he was visited by Boniface. The struggle between the pope and Philip in regard to the Yonnjr Alexis ^^^^ ^^ ^^ made of the fourth crusade began with visits Rome, ^he Opening of the year 1202. Well knowing that the object dearest to the heart of Innocent after the success of the expedition was the union of the Eastern and Western churches, Philip sent Alexis to Eome ^ to ask for aid, and to put this union now, as ahvays in these and all subsequent ne- gotiations, in the front as the chief advantage to be gained in return for such aid. In January or February, 1202, Boniface himself left the court of Philip with an embassy for Eome. His mission from the King of the Pomans was twofold, to urge the pope to assist Alexis and to present the protest of the German no- » " Gcsta Inno. m." No. 83. « " Cbron. di Morca."