The message may even have been given in the form in which the Russian monk reports it: "Give us Alexis, and we will depart and allow you to remain emperor. We have been forced to come here through necessity." The answer was that the application was too late. Alexis was dead.[1] It is impossible to tell what was the full signification of this message, but, read in the light of the surrounding circumstances, it appears to me to point to a distinct divergence between the Crusaders and the Venetians. Boniface and Dandolo found themselves forced to work together, but each distrusted the other, and was jealous of him. At this moment the great object of the first was to save the life of his pupil ; that of the second was to make an arrangement with Mourtzouphlos impossible. A mission had arrived from the Holy Land, with which was Abbot Martin, urging the Crusaders to lose no time in going to the aid of those who were fighting the Saracens. The old spirit of dissatisfaction was once more showing itself. Possibly already some news of the intention of the pope, as shown by a letter ordering them to leave for the business of the crusade, had reached them.[2]
The design of placing Alexis on the throne was at an end with the death of the young man, and even if Boniface had knowledge of the arrangement made between the Venetians and the Sultan of Egypt, he had no interest in prolonging the stay before Constantinople. The failure of the object of the expedition had added largely to the number of the malcontents, and it may well be that Boniface felt inclined to give way to them. If this were so we can well understand the jealousy which undoubtedly soon displayed itself towards Dandolo. But the latter was now master of the situation. The Crusaders were almost as much at the mercy of the Venetians as when they were on the Lido. Provisions were short. January and February are in Constantinople cold and stormy months. The Venetians could urge the necessity of waiting for fine weather before they embarked. Their money
