The leaders acted on the advice of the marquis. They went in a body to the valley in which the parliament of the malcontents was held, taking with them young Alexis and the bishops and abbots. When they arrived the opposition barons were on horseback, but, on seeing the leader of the expedition and the bishops approach unattended, dismounted and went to meet them. The barons fell at their feet, wept copiously, and declared they would not rise from their knees until the others promised that they would not leave the army.

Then, according to the melodramatic description of the A compromise Marshal of Champagne, there was a wonderful is effected. scene. Dandolo and Boniface and all with them wept. If Villehardouin is to be credited, there was never a greater flood of tears; those from Dandolo and the leaders being mostly of the crocodile sort. The opposition leaders were filled with pity, and wept sorely when they saw their lords, their relations, and their friends fallen at their feet. They withdrew, conferred together, and after some time returned with a proposal for a compromise. They would consent to remain with the army until Michaelmas Day, provided that the leaders would solemnly swear on relics that after that day they would provide them with a fleet, in good faith, at a fortnight's notice, with which they might go to Syria.

Immediately afterwards the convention of Zara

This proposal was accepted. The leaders swore to observe the conditions. Apparently, immediately afterwards the convention of Zara was adopted by the whole of the army. The authors of the " Continuation of William of Tyre" allege that, in addition to the terms accepted by Alexis at Corfu, there were secret conditions by which Boniface of Montferrat and Baldwin of Flanders were each to receive 100,000 marks, and others of the chief barons smaller sums.5 In other words, Villehardouin.

This statement is confirmed by the fact that in the they were bribed to divert the crusade to the support of the cause of Alexis. Henceforward some of the chief opponents became the firm supporters of Alexis. The pilgrim host had now been changed from a crusading army into a filibustering expedition, and its history in the future is that of their adventures in sacking the noblest and richest city of the Middle Ages.

As soon as the convention of Zara was ratified, the leaders lost no time in hurrying on the preparations for embarkation. The quicker the evil deed could be done the better.

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