THE FOURTH CRUSADE
35
conquest of Jerusalem; and the Pope, Innocent III., at once entered a protest. But the fleet set sail on October the 8th, 1202. Never had the Adriatic seen a finer sight. The three great galleys Aquila, Pelegrina and Paradiso led the armada of more than three hundred vessels. On November the 10th it was before Zara, whose massive walls and soaring towers inspired the French knights with admiration, and doubts whether anything short of a miracle would enable them to capture the city. The Doge challenged Zara to surrender; receiving no reply, the Venetians rammed and broke the chain which closed the mouth of the harbour and, landing on the farther side, opposite the town, now known as Barcagno, set themselves down to besiege the place. The townsfolk were disposed to surrender, but the dissident French knights, led by Guy de Vaux, who had, from the first, opposed the attack on ■¿ara, now encouraged the citizens to further resistance, assuring them that in face of the Papal Bull, condemning the diversion of the Crusade, no
I1	renchman would join in the assault. The Doge, however, carried the majority with him. The assault was delivered, and on the fifth day Zara fell. The inhabitants fled, many of them to