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FROM ZARA TO CORFU. 299 pope. Others had been wiser than they. Many Crusaders, as we have seen, had taken ship at Marseilles rather than trust themselves to the Venetians and to Boniface. Some of their German fellow-pilgrims had refused to leave home, or had returned, because they foresaw that antagonism between Phil- ip and the pope was certain from the moment that Alexis was in Lombardy and Boniface in command. They recalled the treatment of the army while on the Lido, by which they were duped into consenting to fight for Yenice; the constant and ever-increasing rumor of an expedition into Komania, which was to be for the profit of the leaders and of Philip ; the de- struction of Zara ; the fight between the Venetians and the Crusaders after the city was captured ; the pope's censures, which could not be altogether unknown; his absolution, strictly conditional upon their not repeating the offence ; the opposition of Simon de Montfort and so many of the army, who were determined to find their way to the Holy Land by other routes, because they were convinced that Boniface and Dandolo had no intention of carrying out the great plan which Innocent had approved. All their recollections showed them how completely they had been deceived, increased the discon- tent, and caused it now to culminate when all disguise was abandoned, and it became known to everybody that a conven- tion had been entered into, by which, in spite of the pope's express command, their destination had been changed from Egypt or Syria to Constantinople. In the short time which passed between the arrival of Alexis with Boniface and Dandolo in Corfu and the agree- preat opposi- mcnt subscqueutly arrived at, probably many meet- ings and much discussion took place. The doge insisted much upon the necessity of obtaining the help which Alexis had promised, and pointed out that they had now a lawful excuse, a raisnaicvle acoisonj to go to Constantino- ple, because they had the rightful heir. The leaders of the opposition, however, took the view they had adopted from the beginning. " Bah !" said they, ^' what have we to do in Con- stantinople? We have to make our pilgrimage, and purpose to go to Babylon or Alexandria. Our transports are only