381 THE FALL OF CONSTANTINOPLE. would tend to justify tbem to Innocent), applied also, though not to the same degree, to the union of Europe under one temporal head. It must be remembered also that the modern conception of a distinction between Church and State, bo- tween things temporal and things spiritual, hardly existed at the opening of the thirteenth century. The imperial power in the West was to a certain extent in commission; but the power of coesar had by no means passed away, and the elec- tors in the Chapel of Bucoleon, bound by their oaths to select the best man in the interests of Christendom, may well have seriously discussed the proposal to name Philip. The last crusade had been largely hindered because of the hostility which had been shown by the people under the rule of Con- stantinople. Were Philip emperor, then not only could his troops pass in safety through Romania, but a large force could be selected from the Greeks themselves who would join the Crusaders. If any other were elected, then the old hos- tility would be shown, and though for a time Baldwin, or whoever else might be selected, would be friendly to the sol- diers of the West who were fighting the battles of Christen- dom, yet every year would tend to make the interest of the Eastern csesar opposed to that of his Western rival. TJie remedy was to name Philip. The reply of course was that Pliilip was King of Swabia, and, though he claimed to be emperor, was opposed by Otho and disclaimed by the pope. Still it may well be that Philip, as Hurter states, was proposed, that he was supported by the partisans of Boniface, and that the Venetians themselves may have hesitated over the rejection of such a proposal. When, after the long deliberations, it became clear that Baldwin was the candidate of the majority, some further time was probably lost in determining that he should be the can- didate named by all. It was evident that, in presence of the divisions among the Crusaders, it was in the common interest that the candidate selected should have, as far as possible, unanimous support. A resolution, therefore, bj^ which he should be selected by all commended itself to all, and at length was carried.
