THE rREPAKATIONS FOR A CKUSADE. 241 gain. Yilleliardonin, whoso narrative of the crusade has long been the chief authority on the subject, was himself the spokes- man of the delegates, and thanked the Venetians, on behalf of his bretliren, that they had taken pity on Jerusalem, which was in slavery to the Turks, and that they were ready to aid in avenging the shame of Jesus Christ. The contract was signed early in April, 1201, and was referred to the barons, and was ratified at Corbie in the middle of May. It had been decided from the first that the expedition should Destination, ^^ directed towards Egypt as the best base of opera- Egypt. tions against the Mahometans in the Holy Land, though the plans and contract signed by the Venetians and the delegates contained the statement simply that the destina- tion should be " for the deliverance of the Holy Land." The decision taken in the council was kept secret from the army, to whom it was simply announced that the Crusaders would go beyond the sea.' Charts of the route were prepared and sealed, and it was agreed that the Crusaders should be in Venice by St. John's Day, 1201. The doge and his council on the one side, and the delegates on the other, swore solemnly to observe the terms of the ar- rangements entered into. The contract was then sent to the pope, who approved it conditionally^ Innocent could not see without distrust the contract made Innocent ac- "^^'^^^^ thosc wlio had showu their readiness to serve rangemeiu' either Christians or Moslems, provided they paid, conditiouaiiy. jj^ y.Q^^^ ^r^yQ preferred that the Pisans or the Genoese had been selected, and it was only on finding that no such ari-auf^ement could be made that he consented to ac- cept the Venetians.^ The conditions upon which he insisted showed the distrust which he entertained. He stipulated that there should be no attack made against a Christian state, and that a legate should accompany the army and watch over the expedition, in order to see that this article was complied with.^ ' Villehardouin, c. 4. ^ a inno." Epist. ix. ^"Couvcntiones illas ita duceret confirmandas ut videlicet ipsi Cbrls- tianos non laidcrent, apostolicac sedis legati consilio accedente.'" — " Gesta Inno;' No. 84. 16
