The emperor of Constantinople died there. Some say that he was beheaded,--others, that he was squeezed to death by the crowd as he was attempting to escape by one of the gates: both may perchance be true,--as he may have been pressed to death, and the Turks may have cut off his head afterwards. This was a melancholy event for the Christians; for after the Turks had gained peaceable possession of the city, they entered the churches, more especially the cathedral of St Sophia, which is a very large and magnificent building,--and finding it full of ladies, damsels, and others of high rank, they ravished them all without any distinction, and in contempt of God our Creator and of the catholic faith. The Turk even violated the empress in this church, made her his concubine, and carried her with him when he departed from the city. His troops indulged themselves with impunity in every luxury and detestable vice. The large galleys of the Venetians, and from Trebisonde, waited until the middle of the ensuing day to save some of the Christians, and about four hundred embarked on board. In the number was Jacques Totaldi[173], who had been on guard at a part of the wall distant from where the Turks had entered: perceiving that all was lost, he made for the shore, and by swimming saved himself on board one of these galleys. Had the venetian fleet, under the command of John la Rendour[174], arrived the preceding day with his troops, most assuredly the city would have been relieved,--for it consisted of nine galleys and twenty other vessels. It arrived the day after the conquest at Negropont.