214 ST. MARK’S REST

from his ships’ masts, and the rudders from their sterns,* and brought sails, rudders, and tackle ashore, and into the French camp, adding to these, for his pledge, “grave words.”

The French knights, in shame of their miscreance, bade him refit his ships. The Count of Tripoli and William of Bari were sent to make head against the Damascenes; and the Doge, leaving ships enough to blockade the port, sailed himself, with what could be spared, to find the Egyptian fleet. He sailed to Alexandria, showed his sails along the coast in defiance, and returned.

Meantime his coin for payment of his mariners was spent. He did not care to depend on remittances. He struck a coinage of leather, with St. Mark’s and his own shield on it, promising his soldiers that for every leathern rag, so signed, at Venice, there should be given a golden zecchin. And his word was taken; and his word was kept.

10. So the steady siege went on, till the Tyrians lost hope, and asked terms of surrender.

They obtained security of person and property, to the indignation of the Christian soldiery, who had expected the sack of Tyre. The city was divided into three parts, of which two were given to the King of Jerusalem, the third to the Venetians.

How Baldwin governed his two-thirds, I do not know, nor what capacity there was in the Tyrians of being

* By doing this he left his fleet helpless before an enemy, for naval warfare at this time depended wholly on the fine steering of the ships at the moment of onset. But for all ordinary manœuvres necessary for the safety of the fleet in harbour, their oars were enough. Andrea Dandolo says he took a plank (“tabula”) out of each ship,-a more fatal injury. I suspect the truth to have been that he simply unshipped the rudders, and brought them into camp; a grave speechless symbol, earnest enough; but not costly of useless labour.¹

¹ [See Sanuto, pp. 183, 187. The editor of the Italian translation cites the inscription on the bust of the Doge Michiel in the Ducal Palace: “Domenico Michiel, Doge,-nello assedio di Tiro-col gittare nel campo alleato-gli attrezzi delle proprie galee-della veneta costanza e fede-i Crocesignati-assicurava-II Commune di Venezia pose-1861.”]

[Version 0.04: March 2008]