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he seized against his will and violated and held her, and he had her in his bedchamber and on his little bed, and no one dared to mock him or to say anything to him. But rather the amir and brother of the girl said: "The intercourse of the patriarch, the relative of Mohammed, has sanctified this one, and let the one born from her be holy as from the blood of Mohammed according to the law and sanctification of Rasul Mahomet." And he, the greatest and much-esteemed among them, the noble patriarch, whom they held to be a seer and a prophet, named Mirsaites in the Persian dialect, sent envoys from Prusa where he was dwelling to the despot of the Turks, and said: "See that you do not join battle with the Romans and lose the army and the tribes of the Muslims, until I arrive and declare the hour of the battle's engagement, as the great prophet Rasul teaches us. And I know this as a seer and a prophet." And having heard these things, the despot of the Turks acted as he was ordered, and awaited the false prophet. And after a few days he arrived.

11. Mirsaites, the patriarch of the Turks, came with five hundred Turkish monks, seated upon a mule, and most solemn in appearance and most imposing in majesty. And the multitudes of the Muslims ran out to meet him, and the foolishly-marveling tribes of the Turks received him as an angel descended from heaven, and not only did they kiss his feet and hands, but also the reins and the feet of the mule on which he was riding. Likewise also the despot of the Turks received him servilely. But he was seen by all as solemn and greatly magnificent. But puffed up and exultant, as both high and great and as a descendant of Mohammed, he barely deigned, and uttered these things: "Know, Muslims, and you yourself, the despot of all these. I have been sent by the great prophet Rasul Mahomet, so that I may tell you the hour of the war, as a seer and a prophet, so that we may enslave the Romans and capture the city. Prepare yourselves for this until the hour arrives, which I know." And having said these things he dismounted from the mule on which he was riding, and entered the tent made of patchwork, and began to read the books of Mohammed and to perform the Ramplia. But he did these things with hypocrisy, so that the Turks might be deceived and worship and glorify him as a prophet, just as both the despot of the Turks and all the Muslims hold all things spoken by him to be true and certain, and all awaited his command, so that he might order the hour of the war and all might run and seize the city and take all the Romans captive.

12. This empty and vain hope then filled the Turks with great insolence and boldness and gladness, and from this they rejoiced and were profligate. But also by day and by night they clapped their hands, and they awaited the voice of Mirsaites as of a most true angel, so that they might take the Romans captive. But also by day and by night and by hour they sharpened their tongue against us like a two-edged sword and they spoke savage and untamed words shamelessly and insolently. Not only did they send up most shameful cries against patriarchs and emperors, but also boldly reproaching and shamelessly blaspheming against our faith, they said: "Where is your God, O benighted Romans? Where is your Christ? Where are your saints to help you? Tomorrow we take the city, and we have you as captives and slaves, and we will dishonor your wives and your children before you, and marry your nuns to our Turkish monks. By our faith, truly our prophet says so." These things

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οὖσαν ἥρπαξε παρὰ γνώμην ἐκείνου καὶ ἔφθειρε καὶ ἐκράτησε, καὶ ἔσχεν ἐκείνην ἐν τῷ κοιτῶνι καὶ τῷ κλινιδίῳ ἐκείνου, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐτόλμησεν αὐτὸν σκῶψαι ἤ τι εἰπεῖν πρὸς ἐκεῖνον. Ἀλλὰ καὶ μᾶλλον ὁ ἀμηρᾶς καὶ ἀδελφὸς ὁ τῆς κόρης εἶπεν· «Ἡγίασε ταύτην ἡ συνουσία τοῦ πατριάρχου τοῦ συγγενοῦς τοῦ Μωάμεθ, καὶ τὸ γεννηθὲν ἐξ ἐκείνης ἅγιον ἔστω ὡς ἐξ αἵματος τοῦ Μωάμεθ κατὰ τὸν νόμον καὶ ἁγιασμὸν τοῦ Ῥασοὺλ Μαχουμέτη». Αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ μέγιστος καὶ πολὺς παρ' ἐκείνοις ὁ εὐγενὴς πατριάρχης, ὃν εἶχον προορατικὸν καὶ προφήτην, τοὔνομα Μηρσαΐτης τῇ Περσικῇ διαλέκτῳ ἀπέστειλεν ἀποκρισιαρίους ἀπὸ τῆς Προύσης ἧς ἐκατοί κει πρὸς τὸν δεσπότην τῶν Τούρκων, καὶ εἶπεν· «Ὅρα μήπως συνάψῃς πόλεμον μετὰ τῶν Ῥωμαίων καὶ τὸν στρατὸν ἀπολέσῃς καὶ τὰ γένη τῶν Μουσουλμάνων, ἕως ὅτε ἐγὼ νὰ φθάσω καὶ δηλώσω τὴν ὥραν τῆς συμπλοκῆς τοῦ πολέμου, ὡς ὁ μέγας ἡμῖν διδάσκει Ῥασοὺλ ὁ προφήτης. Καὶ γινώσκω δὲ τοῦτο ὡς προορατικὸς καὶ προφήτης». Ταῦτα δὲ ἀκούσας τῶν Τούρκων ὁ δεσπότης ἔπραξεν ὡς ὡρίσθην, καὶ ἀνέμενε τὸν ψευδοπροφήτην. Καὶ μεθ' ἡμέρας ὀλίγας ἔφθασεν.

11. Ἦλθεν ὁ Μηρσαΐτης καὶ πατριάρχης τῶν Τούρκων μετὰ πεντακοσίους Τουρκοκαλογέρους, ἐπὶ ἡμιόνου καθήμενος, καὶ τῷ σχήματι σοβαρώτατος καὶ τὸ μεγαλεῖον δεινότατος. Τὰ δὲ πλήθη τῶν Μουσουλμάνων εἰς ὑπαπαντὴν ἐξέδραμον τὴν ἐκείνου, καὶ ὡς ἄγγελον ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβάντα τὰ μωροθαύμαστα γένη τῶν Τούρκων ὑπεδέξαντο τοῦτον, καὶ μὴ μόνον τοὺς πόδας ἐκείνου ἠσπάζοντο καὶ τὰς χεῖρας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ ἡμιόνου τοὺς χαλινοὺς καὶ τοὺς πόδας οὗ ἐποχεῖτο. Ὁμοίως καὶ ὁ δεσπότης τῶν Τούρκων δουλοπρεπῶς ὑπεδέξατο τοῦτον. Αὐτὸς δὲ σοβαρὸς καὶ μεγαλουπέροχος ἑωρᾶτο τοῖς πᾶσιν. Πλὴν δὲ ἐπηρμένος καὶ γεγαυριωμένος ὡς ὑψηλός τε καὶ μέγας καὶ ὡς ἀπόγονος τοῦ Μωάμεθ ἐκατεδέξατο μόλις, καὶ ἐφθέγξατο ταῦτα· «Γινώσκετε, Μουσουλμάνοι, καὶ σὺ αὐτὸς ὁ πάντων τούτων δεσπότης. Ἐγὼ μὲν ἀπεστάλην παρὰ τοῦ μεγάλου προφήτου Ῥασοὺλ Μαχουμέτη, ἵνα ὑμῖν εἴπω τοῦ πολέμου τὴν ὥραν, ὡς προορατικὸς καὶ προφήτης, ὅπως δουλώσωμεν τοὺς Ῥωμαίους καὶ αἰχμαλωτίσωμεν καὶ τὴν πόλιν. Ἑτοιμάζεσθε δὲ πρὸς τοῦτο ἕως ὅτου νὰ φθάσει ἡ ὥρα, ὁποίαν ἐγὼ γινώσκω». Καὶ ταῦτα εἰπόντος ἀπέβη τοῦ ἡμιόνου οὗ ἐποχεῖτο, καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὴν τένταν τὴν ἱσταμένην ἀπὸ κεντούκλου, καὶ ἤρξατο ἀναγινώσκειν τὰς βίβλους τοῦ Μωάμεθ καὶ τὰ Ῥάμπλια πράττειν. Μετὰ ὑποκρίσεως δὲ ταῦτα ἐποίει, ὡς ἵνα ἀπατῶνται οἱ Τοῦρκοι καὶ προσκυνοῦν καὶ δοξάζουν ὡς προφήτην ἐκεῖνον, καθὰ καὶ ὁ δεσπότης τῶν Τούρκων καὶ πάντες οἱ Μουσουλμάνοι ἀληθῆ καὶ βέβαια κρατοῦσιν πάντα τὰ λαληθέντα ἐκ τούτου, καὶ πάντες τὴν κέλευσιν ἔμενον τὴν ἐκείνου, ἵνα προστάξει τοῦ πολέμου τὴν ὥραν καὶ δράμωσι πάντες καὶ κρατήσουν τὴν πόλιν καὶ τοὺς Ῥωμαίους αἰχμαλωτίσωσι πάντας.

12. Ταύτη δὴ ἡ κενὴ καὶ ματαία ἐλπὶς μέγα θράσος καὶ τόλμην καὶ εὐφροσύνην τοῖς Τούρκοις ἐνέπλησε τότε, καὶ ἀπὸ τούτου ἔχαιρον καὶ ἐσπατάλουν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ καθ' ἡμέραν καὶ νύκτα τὰς παλάμας ἐκρότουν, καὶ τοῦ Μηρσαΐτη τὴν φωνὴν ἀνέμενον ὡς ἀγγέλου ἀληθεστάτου, ὡς ἵνα αἰχμαλωτίσουσι τοὺς Ῥωμαίους. Ἀλλὰ καὶ καθ' ἡμέραν καὶ νύκταν καὶ ὥραν τὴν γλῶσσαν αὐτῶν καθ' ἡμῶν ὡς δίστομον ξίφος ἠκόνισαν καὶ φωνὰς ἀγρίους καὶ ἀνημέρους ἔλεγον ἀναι δῶς καὶ ὑβριστικῶς. Μὴ μόνον κατὰ πατριαρχῶν τε καὶ βασιλέων αἰσχροτάτας φωνὰς ἀνέπεμπον, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ τῆς πίστεως ἡμῶν τολμηρῶς ὀνειδίζοντες καὶ ἀναιδῶς βλασφημοῦντες ἔλεγον· «Ποῦ ὁ Θεός σας ὦ σκοτεινοὶ Ῥωμαῖοι; ποῦ ὁ Χριστός σας; ποῦ εἶναι οἱ ἅγιοί σας νὰ σὰς βοηθήσουν; Αὔριον τὴν πόλιν ἐπέρνομεν, καὶ ἐσᾶς αἰχμαλώτους καὶ σκλάβους ἔχομεν, καὶ τὰς γυναῖκάς σας καὶ τὰ παιδία σας ἔμπροσθεν ὑμῶν ἀτιμάσομεν, καὶ τὰς καλογραίας σας μὲ τοὺς Τουρκοκαλογέρους μας νὰ παντρέψομεν. Μὰ τὴν πίστιν μας ἀλήθεια ὁ προφήτης μας ἔτζη λέγει». Ταῦτα