andalongcaptivityamongtheinfidelsmightshedsomesuspiciononthefragmentsthatwereproducedintheEastandWest。ButanotherrelicofthePassionwaspreservedintheImperialchapelofConstantinople；andthecrownofthornswhichhadbeenplacedontheheadofChristwasequallypreciousandauthentic。IthadformerlybeenthepracticeoftheEgyptiandebtorstodeposit，asasecurity，themummiesoftheirparents；andboththeirhonorandreligionwereboundfortheredemptionofthepledge。Inthesamemanner，andintheabsenceoftheemperor，thebaronsofRomaniaborrowedthesumofthirteenthousandonehundredandthirty—fourpiecesofgold^50onthecreditoftheholycrown:
theyfailedintheperformanceoftheircontract；andarichVenetian，NicholasQuerini，undertooktosatisfytheirimpatientcreditors，onconditionthattherelicshouldbelodgedatVenice，tobecomehisabsoluteproperty，ifitwerenotredeemedwithinashortanddefiniteterm。Thebaronsapprisedtheirsovereignofthehardtreatyandimpendinglossandastheempirecouldnotaffordaransomofseventhousandpoundssterling，BaldwinwasanxioustosnatchtheprizefromtheVenetians，andtovestitwithmorehonorandemolumentinthehandsofthemostChristianking。^51Yetthenegotiationwasattendedwithsomedelicacy。Inthepurchaseofrelics，thesaintwouldhavestartedattheguiltofsimony；butifthemodeofexpressionwerechanged，hemightlawfullyrepaythedebt，acceptthegift，andacknowledgetheobligation。Hisambassadors，twoDominicans，weredespatchedtoVenicetoredeemandreceivetheholycrownwhichhadescapedthedangersoftheseaandthegalleysofVataces。Onopeningawoodenbox，theyrecognizedthesealsofthedogeandbarons，whichwereappliedonashrineofsilver；
andwithinthisshrinethemonumentofthePassionwasenclosedinagoldenvase。ThereluctantVenetiansyieldedtojusticeandpower:theemperorFredericgrantedafreeandhonorablepassage；
thecourtofFranceadvancedasfarasTroyesinChampagne，tomeetwithdevotionthisinestimablerelic:itwasborneintriumphthroughParisbythekinghimself，barefoot，andinhisshirt；andafreegiftoftenthousandmarksofsilverreconciledBaldwintohisloss。ThesuccessofthistransactiontemptedtheLatinemperortoofferwiththesamegenerositytheremainingfurnitureofhischapel；^52alargeandauthenticportionofthetruecross；thebaby—linenoftheSonofGod，thelance，thesponge，andthechain，ofhisPassion；therodofMoses，andpartoftheskullofSt。JohntheBaptist。Forthereceptionofthesespiritualtreasures，twentythousandmarkswereexpendedbySt。
Louisonastatelyfoundation，theholychapelofParis，onwhichthemuseofBoileauhasbestowedacomicimmortality。Thetruthofsuchremoteandancientrelics，whichcannotbeprovedbyanyhumantestimony，mustbeadmittedbythosewhobelieveinthemiracleswhichtheyhaveperformed。Aboutthemiddleofthelastage，aninveterateulcerwastouchedandcuredbyaholyprickleoftheholycrown:^53theprodigyisattestedbythemostpiousandenlightenedChristiansofFrance；norwillthefactbeeasilydisproved，exceptbythosewhoarearmedwithageneralantidoteagainstreligiouscredulity。^54