by Lew Wallace
CHAPTER IV
EUROPE ANSWERS THE CRY FOR HELP
A man in love, though the hero of many battles, shall be afraid in thepresence of his beloved, and it shall be easier for him to challenge anenemy than to ask her love in return.
Count Corti's eagerness to face the lion in the gallery of the Cynegionhad established his reputation in Constantinople for courage; hisrecent defence of the harvesters raised it yet higher; now his name wason every tongue.
His habit of going about in armor had in the first days of his comingsubjected him to criticism; for the eyes before which he passedbelonged for the most part to a generation more given to prospectingfor bezants in fields of peace than the pursuit of glory in theruggeder fields of war. But the custom was now accepted, and at sightof him, mounted and in glistening armor, even the critics smiled, andshowered his head with silent good wishes, or if they spoke it was tosay to each other: "Oh, that the Blessed Mother would send us more likehim!" And the Count knew he had the general favor. We somehow learnsuch things without their being told us.
Up in the empyrean courtly circles his relations were quite asgratifying. The Emperor made no concealment of his partiality, andagain insisted on bringing him to Blacherne.
"Your Majesty," the Count said one day, "I have no further need of mygalley and its crew. I beg you to do with them as you think best."
Constantine received the offer gratefully.
"The galley is a godsend. I will order payment for it. Duke Notaras,the Grand Admiral, will agree with you about the price."
"If Your Majesty will permit me to have my way," the Count rejoined,"you will order the vessel into the harbor with the fleet, and if theresult of the war is with Your Majesty, the Grand Admiral can arrangefor the payment; if otherwise"--he smiled at the alternative--"I thinkneither Your Majesty nor myself will have occasion for a ship."
The galley was transferred from the Bay of Julian to anchorage in theGolden Horn. That night, speaking of the tender, the Emperor said toPhranza: "Count Corti has cast his lot with us. As I interpret him, hedoes not mean to survive our defeat. See that he be charged to select abodyguard to accompany me in action."
"Is he to be Captain of the guard?"
"Yes."
The duty brought the Count to Blacherne. In a few days he had fiftymen, including his nine Berbers.
These circumstances made him happy. He found peace of mind also in hisrelease from Mahommed. Not an hour of the day passed without hissilently thanking the Sultan for his magnanimity.
But no matter for rejoicing came to him like the privilege of freelyattending the Princess Irene.
Not only was her reception-room open to him; whether she went toBlacherne or Sancta Sophia, he appeared in her train. Often when thehour of prayer arrived, she invited him as one of her household toaccompany her to the apartment she had set apart for chapel exercises;and at such times he strove to be devout, but in taking her for hispattern of conduct--as yet he hardly knew when to arise or kneel, orcross himself--if his thoughts wandered from the Madonna and Child toher, if sometimes he fell to making comparisons in which the Madonnasuffered as lacking beauty--nay, if not infrequently he caught himselfworshipping the living woman at the foot of the altar rather than thedivinity above it, few there were who would have been in haste tocondemn him even in that day. There is nothing modern in the world'slove of a lover.
By the treaty with Mahommed he was free to tell the Princess of hispassion; and there were moments in which it seemed he must cast himselfat her feet and speak; but then he would be seized with a trembling,his tongue would unaccountably refuse its office, and he would quiethimself with the weakling's plea--another time--to-morrow, to-morrow.And always upon the passing of the opportunity, the impulse being laidwith so many of its predecessors in the graveyard of brokenresolutions--every swain afraid keeps such a graveyard--always hesallied from her door eager for an enemy on whom to vent his vexation."Ah," he would say, with prolonged emphasis upon the exclamation--"ifMahommed were only at the gate! Is he never coming?"
One day he dismounted at the Princess' door, and was ushered into thereception-room by Lysander. "I bring you good news," he said, in courseof the conversation.
"What now?" she asked.
"Every sword counts. I am just from the Port of Blacherne, whither Iaccompanied the Grand Equerry to assist in receiving one John Grant,who has arrived with a following of Free Lances, mostly my owncountrymen."
"Who is John Grant?"
"A German old in Eastern service; more particularly an expert in makingand throwing hollow iron balls filled with inflammable liquid. Onstriking, the balls burst, after which the fire is unquenchable withwater."
"Oh! our Greek fire rediscovered!"
"So he declares. His Majesty has ordered him the materials he asks, andthat he go to work to-morrow getting a store of his missiles ready. Theman declares also, if His Holiness would only proclaim a crusadeagainst the Turks. Constantinople has not space on her walls to holdthe volunteers who would hasten to her defence. He says Genoa, Venice,all Italy, is aroused and waiting."
"John Grant is welcome," the Princess returned; "the more so that HisHoliness is slow."
Afterward, about the first of December, the Count again dismounted ather door with news.
"What is it now?" she inquired.
"Noble Princess, His Holiness has been heard from."
"At last?"
"A Legate will arrive to-morrow."
"Only a Legate! What is his name?"
"Isidore, Grand Metropolitan of Russia."
"Brings he a following?"
"No soldiers; only a suite of priests high and low."
"I see. He comes to negotiate. Alas!"
"Why alas?"
"Oh, the factions, the factions!" she exclaimed, disconsolately; then,seeing the Count still in wonder, she added: "Know you not thatIsidore, familiarly called the Cardinal, was appointed Metropolitan ofthe Russian Greek Church by the Pope, and, rejected by it, was drivento refuge in Poland? What welcome can we suppose he will receive here?"
"Is he not a Greek?"
"Yes, truly; but being a Latin Churchman, the Brotherhoods hold him anapostate. His first demand will be to celebrate mass in Sancta Sophia.If the world were about shaking itself to pieces, the commotion wouldbe but little greater than the breaking of things we will then hear.Oh, it is an ill wind which blows him to our gates!" Meantime theHippodrome had been converted into a Campus Martius, where at all hoursof the day the newly enlisted men were being drilled in the arms towhich they were assigned; now as archers, now as slingers; now withbalistas and catapults and arquebuses; now to the small artilleryespecially constructed for service on the walls. And as trade was at anend in the city, as in fact martial preparation occupied attention tothe exclusion of business in the commercial sense, the ancient site wasa centre of resort. Thither the Count hastened to work off thedisheartenment into which the comments of the Princess had thrown him.
That same week, however, he and the loyal population of Constantinoplein general, were cheered by a coming of real importance. Early onemorning some vessels of war hove in sight down the Marmora. Their flagsproclaimed them Christian. Simultaneously the lookouts at PointDemetrius reported a number of Turkish galleys plying to and fro up theBosphorus. It was concluded that a naval battle was imminent. The wallsin the vicinity of the Point were speedily crowded with spectators. Infact, the anxiety was great enough to draw the Emperor from his HighResidence. Not doubting the galleys were bringing him stores, possiblyreinforcements, he directed his small fleet in the Golden Horn to beready to go to their assistance. His conjecture was right; yet morehappily the Turks made no attempt upon them. Turning into the harbor,the strangers ran up the flags of Venice and Genoa, and never did theyappear so beautiful, seen by Byzantines--never were they more welcome.The decks were crowded with helmed men who responded vigorously to thecheering with which they were saluted.
Constantine in person received the newcomer
s at the Port of Blacherne.From the wall over the gate the Princess Irene, with an escort of nobleladies, witnessed the landing.
A knight of excellent presence stepped from a boat, and announcedhimself.
"I am John Justiniani of Genoa," he said, "come with two thousandcompanions in arms to the succor of the most Christian EmperorConstantine. Guide me to him, I pray."
"The Emperor is here--I am he."
Justiniani kissed the hand extended to him, and returned with fervor:
"Christ and the Mother be praised! Much have I been disquieted lest weshould be too late. Your Majesty, command me."
"Duke Notaras," said the Emperor, "assist this noble gentleman and hiscompanions. When they are disembarked, conduct them to me. For thepresent I will lodge them in my residence." Then he addressed theGenoese: "Duke Notaras, High Admiral of the Empire, will answer yourevery demand. In God's name, and for the imperilled religion of ourRedeeming Lord, I bid you welcome."
It seemed the waving of scarfs and white hands on the wall, and thenoisy salutations of the people present, were not agreeable to theDuke; although coldly polite, he impressed Justiniani as an ill secondto the stately but courteous Emperor.
At night there was an audience in the Very High Residence, andJustiniani assisted Phranza in the presentation of his companions; andthough the banquet which shortly succeeded the audience may not, in thecourses served or in its table splendors, have vied with those Alexisresorted to for the dazzlement of the chiefs of the first crusade, itwas not entirely wanting in such particulars; for it has oftenhappened, if the chronicles may be trusted, that the expiring light ofgreat countries has lingered longest in their festive halls, just asold families have been known to nurture their pride in sparklingheirlooms, all else having been swept away. The failings on thisoccasion, if any there were, Constantine more than amended by hisengaging demeanor. Soldier not less than Emperor, he knew to win thesympathy and devotion of soldiers. Of his foreign guests that eveningmany afterwards died hardly distinguishing between him and the HolyCause which led them to their fate.
The table was long, and without head or foot. On one side, in themiddle, the Emperor presided; opposite him sat the Princess Irene; andon their right and left, in gallant interspersion, other ladies, thewives and daughters of senators, nobles, and officials of the court,helped charm the Western chivalry.
And of the guests, the names of a few have been preserved by history,together with the commands to which they were assigned in the siege.
There was Andrew Dinia, under Duke Notaras, a captain of galleys.
There was the Venetian Contarino, intrusted with the defence of theGolden Grate.
There was Maurice Cataneo, a soldier of Genoa, commandant of the wallson the landward side between the Golden Gate and the Gate Selimbria.
There were two brothers, gentlemen of Genoa,
Paul Bochiardi and Antonin Troilus Bochiardi, defendants of theAdrianople Gate.
There was Jerome Minotte, Bayle of Venice, charged with safe keepingthe walls between the Adrianople Gate and the Cerco Portas.
There was the artillerist, German John Grant, who, with TheodoreCarystos, made sure of the Gate Charsias.
There was Leonardo de Langasco, another Genoese, keeper of the WoodGate.
There was Gabriel Travisan; with four hundred other Venetians, hemaintained the stretch of wall on the harbor front between PointDemetrius and the Port St. Peter.
There was Pedro Guiliani, the Spanish Consul, assigned to theguardianship of the wall on the sea side from Point Demetrius to thePort of Julian.
There also was stout Nicholas Gudelli; with the Emperor's brother, hecommanded the force in reserve.
Now these, or the major part of them, may have been Free Lances; yetthey did not await the motion of Nicholas, the dilatory Pope, and werefaithful, and to-day exemplify the saying:
"That men may rise on stepping-stones Of their dead selves to higher things."