Page:The Fall of Constantinople.djvu/357

Rh able, that he would have saved it. The writers on the side of the Crusaders and Yenetians speak of the new emperor in a manner which shows that they believed they had now a much more formidable opponent to deal with. His great ob- ject was to save time. The enemy also saw, however, that in their interest no time should be given him.

Effect of revolution upon invaders.

The deposition of Isaac and Alexis gave Boniface and Dandolo the excuse they wanted. So long as the "right heir" and his father were reigning within the city, the only pretext which the leaders could put forward for remaining before it was the merely mercenary one that they were waiting to be paid. Now, however, that they were deposed, that Isaac was dead, and Alexis, their late guest, a prisoner, and now murdered, as they believed, the leaders could again pose as the defenders of the right, as the avengers of the injured. "Never," says Villehardouin, "was so horrible a treason committed by any persons as the deposition and imprisonment of young Alexis." All agreed, he adds, that the murderer had no right to reign, and that all who had consented to the deposition were accomplices in the murder. The clergy once more used their influence at the bidding of Boniface, and preached to the Crusaders that war in such a case was lawful and right ; and added that if they intended to conquer the land and place it in obedience to the pope, they would have the pontiffs indulgence. Crusaders and Venetians alike appear to have been content with this assurance. We shall see presently that, while some were ap- pealed to on the ground that it was their duty to punish murderers, a more substantial inducement was held out to all by the prospect of a rich harvest of plunder.

The city was divided. To understand its division it must be remembered that the citizens knew little or nothing of the plans of the enemy. Boniface appears, on the death of young Alexis, to have been regarded in the city as a candidate for the imperial throne which his ward had lost. The death of the latter would probably increase the resentment of his friends; and the nobles, who formed the bulk of his party in the city, never worked heartily for Mourtzouphlos. This was,