296 DESTRUCTION OP THE GEEEK EMPIEE Columbus, the sailors appear to have had a voice in deter- mining what their ship should do. Having completed their task and decided that it was useless to search any longer for Loredano, a proposal was made to return to Constantinople. To this some of the crew objected. They professed to believe, perhaps did believe, that the city, if not already captured, would be taken to a certainty before they could reach it. They had done their best ; why should they run the gauntlet again and return to the doomed city, since they could do no good ? The greater number, however, were true to their engagement, and their answer has the best quality of seaman- like loyalty about it : ' Whether the city be taken or not ; whether it is to life or to death, our duty is to return,' and in consequence the brigantine made sail once more for the Golden Horn. 1 Super-^ During these days — that is, somewhere between May 22 omens. and 26 — certain events occurred of which mention is made by several writers. Though we may regard the narrative of these events mainly as evidence of the superstition of the age, they have to be taken into account, inasmuch as they affected the spirit both of besiegers and besieged. The narratives are vague and not altogether reconcilable, but Critobulus, a man writing with exemplary carefulness long after the siege, probably gives the most accurate summary of what happened, though his account, like all others, is tinctured by the superstition of the time. He states that three or four days before the general assault, when all available citizens, men and women, were going in solemn procession through the city carrying with them a statue of the Virgin, the image fell from the hands of the bearers. It fell as if it had been lead. It was nearly impossible to raise it, and the task was only accomplished by the aid of the fervent prayers of priests and of all present. The fall itself created fear, and was taken to be an omen of the fall of the city. But this impression was deepened when, 1 The return, as mentioned, was on May 23, but is given by Barbaro under the 3rd. This is one of the passages which show that his diary was revised and added to after the siege.
