The Doge's Vision

The French delegation arrived in Venice in the summer of 1201 and met with the Doge. They explained their plan to recruit a massive army, sail directly for Egypt and capture a port. When the Doge asked how many soldiers the Latins planned on recruiting, they responded between 30 and 40,000. But there's no evidence to back that up. His sight seems to have gone with old age, and his career suggests a man who made decisions coolly and carefully.