Page:The Fall of Constantinople.djvu/376

 358 THE FALL OF CONSTANTINOPLE. in order to give them the appearance of being of the poorest class. As they reached the Golden Gate the daughter of a magistrate, who was one of the party, was suddenly seized and carried off by a Crusader. Her father, who was weak and old, and wearied with the long walk, fell, and was unable to do anything but cry for assistance. Nicetas followed and called the attention of certain soldiers who were passing, and after a long and piteous appeal, after reminding them of the proclamation w^hich had been made against the violation of women, he ultimately succeeded in saving the maiden. The entreaties would have been in vain if the leader of the party had not at length threatened to hang the offender. A few minutes later the fugitives had passed out of the city, and fell on their knees to thank God for his protection in having per- mitted them to escape with their lives. Then they set out on their weary way to Silivria. The road was covered with fel- low-sufferers. Before them was the patriarch himself, " with- out bag or money, or stick or shoes, with but one coat," says Nicetas, " like a true apostle, or rather like a true follower of Jesus Christ, in that he was seated on an ass, with the differ- ence that instead of entering the new Sion in triumph he was leaving it." A large part of the booty had been collected in the three Division of churches designated for that purpose. The mar- the spoil. gjj^i himself tells us that much was stolen which never came into the general mass. The stores which had been collected were, however, divided in accordance with the compact which had been made before the capture. The Ve- netians and the Crusaders each took half. Out of the moi- ety belonging to the army there was paid the fifty thousand silver marks due to the Venetians. Two foot-sergeants re- ceived as much as one horse-sergeant, and two of the latter sergeants received as much as a knight. Exclusive of what was stolen and of what was paid to the Venetians, there were distributed among the army 400,000 marks, or £800,000, and 10,000 suits of armor.' » Du Cange's version says chemucheures, or beasts of burden. I adopt that of M. Wail Iv.