THE FIFTH CRUSADE.

48. In the year 1203 a new crusade was set on foot, commanded by
several of the most powerful nobles of Italy and France. Instead of
marching at once against the infidels, the crusaders suffered
themselves to be drawn into a contest with the Greek empire. Just at
this time the emperor of the Greeks had been deposed and deprived of
his eyes by his own brother. His son, Alexius, fled to Europe, and
petitioned the assistance of the Latin princes against the usurper,
promising in return to use his efforts to bring about a union of the
Greek with the Latin church, and to employ all the resources of his
kingdom against the infidels of Syria. The temptation of such a
prospect could not be resisted; the crusaders marched into Greece,
laid siege to Constantinople, and took the city by storm A. D. 1204,
thereby establishing Latin Christianity in the eastern metropolis, but
at what a cost. Neither the works of God nor man were respected by the
invaders; they vented their brutal ferocity upon the one, and
satisfied their avarice upon the other. "In St. Sophia, the silver was
stripped from the pulpit, an exquisite and highly-prized table of
oblation was broken in pieces, the sacred chalices were turned into
drinking-cups, the gold fringe was ripped off the veil of the
sanctuary. Asses and horses were led into the churches to carry off
the spoil.

49. "Many beautiful bronze pieces, above all price as works of art,
were broken into pieces to be sold as old metal. The finely chiseled
marble was also destroyed by the same spirit of vandalism. Two
thousand people were put to the sword; had there been less plunder,
the slaughter would in all probability have been much greater."