Page:The Fall of Constantinople.djvu/393

CHAPTER XYI. THE ELECTION OF A LATIN EMPEROR. Now that tlio city was captured, the great question was tlic The candi- election of a new emperor. The three chiefs of the dates. expedition, the three most prominent men, and therefore the candidates whose names rose first to each man's mind, were Boniface, Marquis of Montferrat ; Baldwin, Earl of Flanders and of Hainault; and Dandolo. There were others who hoped to be appointed, or, at least, to become can- didates, but none of them ever had the least chance of suc- cess.^ The great doge would not allow himself to be put for- ward as a candidate. Whatever his own wishes may have been, it was in the highest degree improbable that even his great influence with the republic could have persuaded it to allow any of its citizens to occup}'- so exalted a position as that of emperor. Yenice was fully alive to her own interest. To break the power of Constantinople, to weaken its influence over the territories adjacent to those of the republic, to take away its trade, to obtain a considerable portion of its territory — all these were advantages. But it was not to the interest of the republic to allow one of its citizens to occupy a throne which might render him or liis successor a dangerous rival. Venice was already in difficulties with the Elder Home, and had no wish to alienate Philip and every one else who claimed or hoped to be the ruler of the Xew Rome. Moreover, it was not probable that Dandolo would have stood a good chance of be- ing elected. A large portion of the Venetians themselves would have opposed his election, while the Crusaders would probably have, for the moment, put aside their jealousies in ' Clari, p. 73.