294 THE FALL OF CONSTANTINOPLE. would no doubt be aware of what the pope had written. It would no longer be possible to conceal from the army the de- cision of the pope, nor from the pope the fact that his former letter had not been published. The barons had argued, no doubt, that to have published it would have greatly strength- ened the malcontents; that with daily desertions, with a de- sire openly expressed by many to break up the expedition, with the bitter feelings existing between the pilgrims and the Venetians, a statement of the pope's solemn and formal con- demnation would have put an end to the expedition. In the communication which Boniface and the other leaders sent to Eome they urged, by way of excuse, that everything had been done with the object of still carrying out the lawful designs of a crusade, and they protested that it was their intention to be obedient in the future to the pontifical orders. When this communication reached Eome the pope knew Innocent's ^^^^ particulars of the plan to divert the crusade into decision. ^^ expedition against the ISTew Eome. He knew that vouno; Alexis had been sent for, and that his bull of ex- communication had been intercepted. Instead of the deeds under seal he had asked for, he received but vague promises. For the moment he was bewildered.^ Both he and his council saw the danger in which the cru- sade was placed of failing altogether.'^ The hesitation of Innocent was, however, of sliort duration. He declared that the Crusaders had no right to interfere in the internal affairs of Constantinople.^ He warned them once more against being induced to attack Eomania on the pretence of necessity." The messengers from the army were sent back ^ '• Coepit vehementissime dubitare quid in tanto ncgotio csset agen- dum."—" Gesta Inno/' p. 93. ^ " Dominus papa cum omni clcro suo, nunciisquc nostris, aliisque quamplurimis, veliementer expavit, metuens ne maligni hostis invidia, liac occasione, vel totius nostri cxercitus machinarctur interitum, vcl sal- tern crucis negotium impediret." — Guntlier, viii. ' " Vos nullam in Gra^cos jurisdictionem habeutes." — "Epist." viii.
- " Cessantibus potius occasionibus frivolis et necessitatibus simulatis."
—"Epist." vi.
