36 
from Venice, the brave and noble Thibaut was at the point of 
death, and although a successor was found in Boniface, Marquis 
of Montferrat, the loss sustained was irreparable. A fatal 
weakness of organization became apparent, and when the time 
of arrival at Venice came it was found that certain contingents 
of crusading troops were making for other ports. The republic 
had kept to the letter of the contract to provide ships, victuals, 
and forage for 30,000 men and 9,000 horses, in return for a 
payment of 85,000 marks; on the other hand the crusaders 
were only able to pay 50,000 marks. During the time 
when the progress of the crusading movement was arrested 
the courage and genius of the famous Doge Dandolo were 
clearly seen. At this time he was a very old man—according 
to one authority his age was 94—and almost totally blind, but 
in him qualities of self-reliance and shrewdness, so characteristic 
of Venetian policy, were incarnate. As a way out of the diffi- 
culty the Doge proposed that the 35,000 marks should stand 
over for a time on condition that the crusading host on 
its way down the Adriatic diverted its course upon Zara, a city 
revolted from Venice, and help to reduce it. Amid outbursts 
of wild enthusiasm this plan was adopted, and Dandolo himself 
knelt before the high altar of St. Mark’s to receive the holy 
cross. When Innocent heard of the diversion upon Zara, he 
waxed furious, and excommunicated the whole crusade, but in 
spite of his opposition a start was made from Venice, and the 
reduction of Zara speedily followed. At this point a new 
interest was brought before the eyes of the crusading counts and 
knights, who by this time had probably lost whatever pure 
enthusiasm they originally had, and were chiefly moved by 
motives of adventure or gain. Young Alexis, son of 
the deposed Byzantine emperor Isaac, sought the aid of the 
crusade in an attempt to recover the Imperial throne at Con- 
stantinople from his usurping uncle, also called Alexis. Upon 
the offer of substantial help both in money and kind to be sub- 
sequently given to the holy movement for the recovery of 
Christ’s tomb, the leaders of the crusade, doubtless inspired by 
Dandolo, decided to further delay the fulfilment of their vows 
in order to attempt the taking of Constantinople. For many 
years trading rights secured by Venice as a return for the service 
of ships and men had been lightly regarded by the Byzantine 
Emperors. The blindness of Dandolo was due to punishment 
inflicted upon him when sent as ambassador to the court at 
Constantinople ; therefore it is quite feasible that he would 
eagerly fall in with the wishes of young Alexis. An elabor- 
ate attempt has been recently made to prove that Dandolo was 
the paid instrument of Malek-Adel, and that he was bent on 
diverting the crusade from Alexandria, its first objective, at all 
