Page:The Fall of Constantinople.djvu/332

 314 THE TALL OF CONSTANTINOPLE. five towers were captured bj the Venetians before the Greeks could rally. The invaders pushed beyond the walls, but a new detachment of the imperial troops, consisting of AYarings and Pisans,' came up and drove them back to the towers, but from the latter even the Warins^s were not able to dislodsre them. In order to render their hold on the fortifications less liable to attack, or perhaps, as Yillehardoiiin asserts, in order to cover their retreat, the Yenetians set fire to the neighbor- ing buildings. The fire spread rapidly, and burned a large mass of buildings. While this fio^htino: about the seaward towers was o^oincr on, a sortie of the imperial troops took place from the gate of St. Ivomanos, at a considerable distance from the camp. The Crusaders immediately abandoned their attack, and drew themselves up behind their palisades. Yillehardouin alleges that against their six battalions the imperial troops were forty, and an even greater discrepancy is represented by Eobert de Clari.^ The former adds, however, that they could only be attacked in front. The tidings of this incident were at once conveyed to Dandolo, who immediately withdrew his forces from the towers and hastened with as many men as he could muster to help the Crusaders. The emperor brought his troops opposite to the pilgrims. Neither side dared to begin the at- tack. After considerable marching and countermarching the imperial troops commenced to retire. The Crusaders rode slowly after them, but no fighting took place.' This move- ment was watched by the ladies of the palace, who crowded the windows and walls. The results of the general attack had on the whole been in favor of the defenders. The army of the Crusaders had been beaten back. The Yenetians had indeed obtained possession of twenty-five towers, but they had not been able to hold them. The great loss to the citizens was occasioned by the fire lighted by their enemies. ' Nicctas, p. 720. 2 q ^liii. ' The account of this sortie given by Robert de Clari represents it as occupying a considerable time and engaging much more attention than the reader of Yillehardouin would suppose.