THE PLOT. 289 because they were departing from the holy purpose to which they had pledged themselves. I give the answer of the Vene- tian party in Villehardouin's own words: "Beaux seigneurs, you can do nothing in Syria, and you can see that by those who have left us and gone to other ports. Eemeraber that it is either by the land of Babylon or by Greece that the Holy Land will be recovered if it ever be recovered. And if we refuse this proposal we shall be disgraced forever." Feeling ran high. As I have already said, the Cistercians or White Friars were themselves divided. The Abbot of Loos and others spoke in favor of accepting the agreement in order to keep the army together, and as a means by which the ex- pedition might best succeed in obtaining its object. The Proposals are ^bbot of Yaux replied that all this was wrong, accepted. Whether they succeeded or not, they w^ere at least bound to do w^hat was right. Boniface, Baldwin of Flanders, and others, declared that they would be ashamed to reject the offer. Their influence overwhelmed all opposition, and the result was that the agreement was accepted upon the conditions already mentioned.* The two leaders mentioned, together with the Earl of St. Paul, swore to observe the treaty, and did their best to induce the French barons to do the same. Only eight, however, con- sented to sign. Among the whole of the leaders only the seals of sixteen could be obtained.^ Upon the signature of this agreement the messengers from Philip left Zara. They were accompanied on their journey homewards by two Crusaders, who were to bring young Alexis to the camp. Part of the arrangement was that the pretender should join the crusading army within a fortnight after Easter, that is, not later than the 20th of April. The news of this arrangement could not be altogether con- cealed from the Crusaders, and increased the dissatisfaction already felt. Only the barons, however, had any definite knowledge of the agreement. The project, which had been approved in principle at Yenice by the leaders, had now been 1 Villehardouin, c. 19 and 20. 2 Ibid. 19
