第51章
加入书架 A- A+

  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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