De la Conquête de Constantinople
A common technique in his work is to narrate a battle or episode along subjective and even militaristic guidelines, and follow this with his personal and religious explanation of what the results were.
His Crusade is more than just a Holy War, it is an event of such great magnitude that he must recapture it within his work in lengthy detail and describe the actors.
Villehardouin describes the Doge of Venice (Enrico Dandolo) as a blind man who valiantly leads his men into battle.
When Villehardouin describes how Count Louis refuses to leave the field, there is a clear reference to the functions of Roland's climax in his epic.
A misleading portion of the book is Villehardouin's treatment of the envoy and negotiations that lead to Venice being the central port for the Fourth Crusade.
Many historians have described the calculation by Villehardouin on the number of men and horses needed as chivalrous enthusiasm combined with Christian idealism.
Villehardouin captures the Council at Zara with specific detail, and so creates a negative view of this portion of the Crusade.
Sachiez que la renommée de cil saint home alla tant qu’elle vint a l'apostoille de Rome, Innocent; et l’apostoille envoya en France et manda al prod'ome que il empreschast des croiz par s’autorité.
Et après y envoia un suen cardonal , maistre Perron de Chappes, croisié, et manda par luy le pardon tel come vos dirai: Tuit cil qui se croisieroient et feroient le service Dieu un an en l’ost, seroient quittes de toz les péchiez que il avoient faiz, dont il seroient confés.
in translation:[5] Be it known to you that eleven hundred and ninety-seven years after the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the time of Innocent Pope of Rome, and Philip King of France, and Richard King of England, there was in France a holy man named Fulk of Neuilly - which Neuilly is between Lagni-sur-Marne and Paris - and he was a priest and held the cure of the village.
