Memoirs or Chronicle of the Fourth Crusade and the Conquest of Constantinople eBook

[note:  Boniface, Marquis of Montferrat, was one of the most accomplished men of the time, and an approved soldier.  His little court at Montferrat was the resort of artist and troubadour.  His family was a family of Crusaders.  The father, William of Montferrat, had gone overseass and fought valiantly against the infidel.  Boniface’s eldest brother, William of the Long Sword, married a daughter of the titular King of Jerusalem, and their son became titular king in turn.  Another brother, Conrad, starting for the Holy Land, stopped at Constantinople, and did there such good service that the Greek emperor gave his sister to him in marriage; but afterwards fearing the perfidy of his brother-in-law, Conrad fled to Syria, and there battled against Saladin.  Yet another brother, Renier, also served in the Greek Empire, married an Emperor’s daughter, and received for guerdon of his deeds the kingdom of Salonika.  Boniface himself had fought valiantly against Saladin, been made prisoner, and afterwards liberated on exchange.  It was no mean and nameless knight that Villehardouin was proposing as chief to the assembled Crusaders, but a princely noble, the patron of poets, verrsed in state affairs, and possessing personal experience of Eastern warfare.  I extract these details from M. Bouchet’s Notice].

Many were the words spoken for and against; but in the end all agreed, both small and great.  So were letters written, and envoys chosen, and the marquis was sent for.  And he came, on the day appointed, through Champagne and the Isle-de-France, where he received much honour, and specially from the King of France, who was his cousin.

Boniface, marquis of Montferrat, becomes chief of the crusade — new
crusaders — death of Geoffry count of Perche

So he came to a parliament assembled at Soissons; and the main part of the counts and barons and of the other Crusaders were there assembled.  When they heard that the marquis was coming, they went out to meet him, and did him much honour.  In the morning the parliament was held in an orchard belonging to the abbey of our Lady of Soissons.  There they besought the marquis to do as they had desired of him, and prayed him, for the love of God, to take the cross, and accept the leadership of the host, and stand in the place of Thibaut Count of Champagne, and accept of his money

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and of his men.  And they fell at his feet, with many tears; and he, on his part, fell at their feet, and said he would do it right willingly.

Thus did the marquis consent to their prayers, and receive the lordship of the host.  Whereupon the Bishop of Soissons, and Master Fulk, the holy man, and two white monks whom the marquis had brought with him from Ws own land, led him into the Church of Notre Dame, and attached the cross to his shoulder.  Thus ended this parliament, and the next day he took leave to return to his own land and settle his own affairs-telling them all to settle their own affairs likewise, for that he would meet them at Venice.