Page:The Fall of Constantinople.djvu/400

 382 THE FALL OF CONSTANTINOPLE. Barbo, setting out the reasons why it would be dangerous to Venice that one of her citizens should be emperor, and insist- ing that Dandolo himself would feel bound to refuse such an offer. The author of the " Chronique de Romanie," writing about a century later, says that the deliberations of the twelve electors were very long and very stormy. He adds that the Doge of Venice was proposed, and that on hearing the news he went to the church where the electors were sitting, knocked at the door, and addressed them. The author professes to give the substance of Dandolo's speech. He thanked them for the intended honor, declared that personally he was un- worthy of it, asked them to withdraw his nomination, and prayed his friends to give their votes for Baldwin, whom the whole army judged to be worthy of the empire.^ The author of the " Chronique " is by no means a trustworthy guide as to details, but there can be little doubt that he represents fairly the substance of what was done. I am disposed to think that a declaration of the kind was made by Dandolo, but that it was made before the actual meeting in the palace chapel. Villehardouin represents the meeting as one held with closed doors, and leaves the impression that the electors were watched as carefully as the jury in the trial of the seven bishops. It is, however, clear that Dandolo's influence was thrown in favor of Baldwin. The deliberations were long, and lasted far into the night, Philip probn- ^"^ ^^"s fact suggests that the electors had not met biy proposed, ^lerely to register a foregone conclusion. Three out of the twelve are said, by a contemporary writer, to have been in favor of Boniface. We may fairly conjecture that after they found a decided majority against him they w^ould endeavor to carry a resolution in favor of the election of Philip, as Hurter asserts they did. Such a course would have doubtless been the most agreeable to Boniface once his own chances were lost; and such a course would have much to recommend it to the electors. ^ " Chronique de Romanic," from Buchon's '• Collection de Chroniques." Paris, 1875.