Godfreyagreedtomeethim,and,whethertoputanendtotheseuselessdissensions,orforsomeotherunexplainedreason,herenderedhomagetoAlexiusashisliegelord。Hewasthereuponloadedwithhonours,and,accordingtoasingularcustomofthatage,underwenttheceremonyofthe“adoptionofhonour,“assontotheEmperor。
Godfrey,andhisbrotherBaudouindeBouillon,conductedthemselveswithpropercourtesyonthisoccasion,butwerenotabletorestraintheinsolenceoftheirfollowers,whodidnotconceivethemselvesboundtokeepanytermswithamansoinsincereashehadshownhimself。Onebarbarouschieftain,CountRobertofParis,carriedhisinsolencesofarastoseathimselfuponthethrone,aninsultwhichAlexiusmerelyresentedwithasneer,butwhichdidnotinducehimtolookwithlessmistrustuponthehordesthatwerestilladvancing。
Itisimpossible,notwithstandinghistreachery,toavoidfeelingsomecompassionfortheEmperor,whoselifeatthistimewasrenderedonelongsceneofmiserybythepresumptionofthecrusaders,andhisnotaltogethergroundlessfearsoftheeviltheymightinflictuponhim,shouldanyuntowardcircumstanceforcethecurrentoftheirambitiontotheconquestofhisempire。Hisdaughter,AnnaComnena,feelinglydeploreshisstateoflifeatthistime,andalearnedGerman,[M。Wilken’sGeschichtederKreuzzuge。]inarecentwork,describesit,ontheauthorityofthePrincess,inthefollowingmanner:——
“ToavoidalloccasionofoffencetotheCrusaders,Alexiuscompliedwithalltheirwhims,andtheironmanyoccasions
unreasonabledemands,evenattheexpenseofgreatbodilyexertion,atatimewhenhewassufferingseverelyunderthegout,whicheventuallybroughthimtohisgrave。Nocrusaderwhodesiredaninterviewwithhimwasrefusedaccess:helistenedwiththeutmostpatiencetothelong-windedharangueswhichtheirloquacityorzealcontinuallyweariedhimwith:heendured,withoutexpressinganyimpatience,theunbecomingandhaughtylanguagewhichtheypermittedthemselvestoemploytowardshim,andseverelyreprimandedhisofficerswhentheyundertooktodefendthedignityoftheImperialstationfromtheserudeassaults;forhetrembledwithapprehensionattheslightestdisputes,lesttheymightbecometheoccasionofgreaterevil。ThoughtheCountsoftenappearedbeforehimwithtrainsaltogetherunsuitabletotheirdignityandtohis——sometimeswithanentiretroop,whichcompletelyfilledtheRoyalapartment——theEmperorheldhispeace。
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