Weak and near to death, and the kingdom and its affairs i have given to you and do as you wish.
On the 28th he died and was buried in the monastery of the holy apostles jason and sosipater.
Having died, he rejoices in the heavens, but has left us grieving his loss.
before them, when talk fell upon the council: My son, we know for certain and truly from the very heart of the infidels, that they are very much afraid lest we should agree and unite with the Franks; for they hold it, that if this should happen, some great evil will befall them from the Christians of the West on our account. 23.6 Therefore, as for the council, consider it and stir it up, and especially when you have some need to frighten the infidels; but as for holding it, do not attempt it at all, because I do not see that our people are fit to find any way of union and peace and concord, but rather that they would turn them back to being as we were from the beginning. And since this is almost impossible, I fear lest an even worse schism may occur; and behold, we have been exposed to the infidels. 23.7 But the emperor, as it seemed, not accepting his father's words, said nothing, rose, and departed. And his late and memorable father, becoming a little gloomy, looked at me and declared: The emperor my son is indeed fit for an emperor, but not for the present time. For he sees and thinks great things, such as the times of our ancestors' prosperity required; but today, as matters stand with us, our state needs not an emperor, but a steward; and I fear lest from his thoughts and undertakings the ruin of this house may come about. For I foresaw both his intentions and what he thought to achieve with Mustafa, and I saw also the results of those achievements, into what danger they brought us. 23.8 Another thing confirms the former counsel of his memorable father. When it was decided that he should go to the council, Andronikos Iagros was sent as an envoy to the emir, to declare this to him as to a supposed friend and brother. And he replied that it does not seem good to me for him to go and labor so much and spend so much, and what would he gain? Behold, I, if he has need of money for expenditure and income and anything else for his service, I am ready to serve him. And there was much discussion and deliberation whether to do the emir's bidding, or to go to the council. And it happened as the emperor wished, or rather, as ill fortune would have it. 23.9 So when the emperor had departed from the city and was on his way, the emir planned to make war on the City and to send an army against it; not so much to take it, but to make the emperor return. 23.10 And this was confirmed and agreed upon by all his men except for Halil Pasha alone, who opposed it, saying, that rather, then, there will be cause, if you make war on the City, for the emperor to say to the Franks out of necessity, "whatever you say, I accept." And behold, what we feared has happened; but let it be and see what he will do. And if they should agree, you have friendship and oaths with them; in the future again, as you see fit, you shall act. But if rather they do not agree at all, then your calculation has come true and with more courage do what you wish. And this counsel hindered the emir from his purpose. 23.11 But before Halil Pasha gave his counsel, when we had time to learn of the others' counsel, my lord the despot and the archons sent forth Thomas Palaiologos and dispatched him to the emperor. And the greatest possible anxiety and turmoil fell upon those in the City, until we learned again of the prevailing counsel of Halil Pasha. 23.12 And behold the testimony that the council ought not to have taken place. For I omit the other things that followed from this.
24.1 In the same 40th year, on the 20th of the month of January, I was blessed in marriage with Helen, the daughter of the keeper of the imperial inkstand, Alexios Palaiologos Tzamplakon. 24.2 And on May 1st of the 47th year, my son John was born to me, whom also the emperor my lord, kyr Constantine, regenerated through holy baptism, he who had also crowned us before. 24.3 And on December 17th of the 48th
ἔμπρο σθεν αὐτῶν, ἐμπεσόντος λόγου περὶ τῆς συνόδου· Υἱέ μου, βεβαίως καὶ ἀληθῶς ἐπιστάμεθα ἐκ μέσης τῆς καρδίας δὴ τῶν ἀσεβῶν, ὅτι πολλὰ τοὺς φοβεῖ, μὴ συμφωνήσωμεν καὶ ἑνωθῶμεν μὲ τοὺς Φράγκους· ἔχουν το γάρ, ὅτι, ἂν τοῦτο γένηται, θέλει γενεῖν μέγα τι κακὸν εἰς αὐτοὺς παρὰ τῶν τῆς ∆ύσεως Χριστιανῶν δι' ἡμᾶς. 23.6 Λοιπὸν τὸ περὶ τῆς συνόδου, μελέτα μὲν αὐτὸ καὶ ἀνακάτωνε, καὶ μάλισθ' ὅταν ἔχῃς χρείαν τινα φοβῆσαι τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς· τὸ δὲ νὰ ποιή σῃς, αὐτήν, μηδὲν ἐπιχειρισθῇς αὐτό, διότι οὐδὲν βλέπω τοὺς ἡμετέρους, ὅτι εἰσὶν ἁρμόδιοι πρὸς τὸ εὑρεῖν τινα τρόπον ἑνώσεως καὶ εἰρήνης καὶ ὁμονοίας, ἀλλ' ὅτι νὰ τοὺς ἐπιστρέψουν εἰς τὸ νά ἐσμεν ὡς ἀρχῆθεν. Τούτου δὲ ἀδύνατον ὄντος σχεδόν, φοβοῦμαι μὴ καὶ χεῖρον σχίσμα γέ νηται· καὶ ἰδοὺ ἀπεσκεπάσθημεν εἰς τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς. 23.7 Τοῦ δὲ βασιλέως, ὡς ἔδοξε, μὴ δεξαμένου τὸν λόγον τοῦ πατρὸς αὑτοῦ, μηδὲν εἰπών, ἀναστὰς ἀπῆλθε. Καὶ μικρὸν σύννους γεγονὼς ὁ μακαρίτης καὶ ἀοίδιμος πατὴρ αὐτοῦ, ἐμβλέψας πρὸς ἐμὲ ὁρίζει· Ὁ βα σιλεὺς ὁ υἱός μου ἔνι μὲν ἁρμοδίως βασιλεῖ, οὐ τοῦ παρόντος δὲ καιροῦ. Βλέπει γὰρ καὶ φρονεῖ μεγάλα καὶ τοιαῦτα, οἷα οἱ καιροὶ ἔχρῃζον τῆς εὐημερίας τῶν προγόνων ἡμῶν· ἄμη σήμερον, ὡσὰν παρακολουθοῦσιν εἰς ἡμᾶς τὰ πράγματα, οὐ βασιλέα θέλει ἡ ἡμῶν ἀρχή, ἀλλ' οἰκονόμον· καὶ φοβοῦμαι, μήποτε ἐκ τῶν ἐνθυμημάτων καὶ ἐπιχειρημάτων αὐτοῦ γέ νηται χαλασμὸς τοῦ ὁσπιτίου τούτου. Προεῖδον γὰρ καὶ τὰς ἐνθυμή σεις αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ ἐδόξαζε κατορθῶσαι μὲ τὸν Μουσταφᾶν, καὶ εἶδον καὶ τὰ τέλη τῶν κατορθωμάτων, εἰς τι κίνδυνον μᾶς ἔφερον. 23.8 Ἕτερον βεβαιοῦν τήν ποτε βουλὴν τοῦ ἀοιδίμου πατρὸς αὐτοῦ. Ὡς ἐστάθη, ἵνα ἀπέλθῃ εἰς τὴν σύνοδον, ἐστάλη εἰς τὸν ἀμηρᾶν ἀπο κρισιάρης Ἀνδρόνικος ὁ Ἴαγρος, δηλῶσαι τοῦτο πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ὡς τάχα φίλον καὶ ἀδελφόν. Κἀκεῖνος ἀπελογήσατο, ὅτι οὐδέν μοι φαίνεται κα λὸν νὰ ὑπάγῃ νὰ κοπιάσῃ τοσοῦτον καὶ νὰ ἐξοδιάσῃ καὶ τὶ νὰ κερδί σῃ; Ἰδοὺ ἐγώ, καὶ ἐὰν ἔχῃ χρείαν καὶ ἄσπρων δι' ἔξοδον καὶ εἰσόδημα καὶ ἄλλο τι πρὸς θεραπείαν αὐτοῦ, ἕτοιμός εἰμι νὰ τὸν θεραπεύσω. Καὶ ἐγένετο πολὺς λόγος καὶ βουλή, πότερον νὰ γένηται τὸ τοῦ ἀμηρᾶ, ἢ νὰ ἀπέλθωσιν εἰς τὴν σύνοδον. Καὶ ἐγένετο, ὅπερ ἤθελεν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἢ μᾶλλον ἡ κακὴ τύχη. 23.9 Ἐξελθόντος οὖν τοῦ βασιλέως ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως καὶ ἀπερχομέ νου, ἐβουλεύσατο ὁ ἀμηρᾶς, ὅτι νὰ ποιήσῃ μάχην τὴν Πόλιν καὶ νὰ πέμψῃ φωσάτον κατ' αὐτῆς· οὐ τοσοῦτον, ὅτι νὰ ἐπάρῃ αὐτήν, ὅσον ἵνα ποιήσῃ τὸν βασιλέα νὰ ἐπιστρέψῃ. 23.10 Καὶ τοῦτο ἐβεβαιώθη καὶ ἐστάθη παρὰ πάντων τῶν αὐτοῦ ἄνευ μόνου τοῦ Χαλὶλ πασία, ὅστις ἀντέστη λέγων, ὅτι μᾶλλον μὲν οὖν αἴτιον θέλει εἶσθεν, ἐὰν ποιήσῃς μάχην τὴν Πόλιν, ἵνα ὁ βασιλεὺς εἴπῃ τοὺς Φράγκους ἀπὸ ἀνάγκης, ὅτι ὅπερ λέγετε, στέργω το. Καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐγένετο, ὅπερ φοβούμεθα· ἀμὴ ἄφες το καὶ ἰδὲ τὸ τὶ θέλει πράξειν. Καὶ εἰ μὲν ὁμονοήσουν, σὺ ἀγάπην ἔχεις μετ' ἐκείνους καὶ ὅρκους· εἰς τὸ ἔμπροσθεν πάλιν, ὡς ἂν βλέπῃς, θέλεις πράττειν. Εἰ δὲ μᾶλλον οὐδὲν ὁμονοήσουν, τότε μᾶλλον ἐξέβη ὁ λογισμὸς καὶ μὲ πλέον θάῤῥος ποίη σον τὸ θέλεις. Καὶ αὕτη ἡ βουλὴ τὸν μὲν ἀμηρᾶν τοῦ σκοποῦ ἐκώλυσεν. 23.11 Πρὸ δὲ τοῦ Χαλὶλ πασία τὴν βουλὴν δόντος τοῦ καιροῦ μαθεῖν ἡμᾶς, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἄλλων, ὁ αὐθέντης μου ὁ δεσπότης καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες ἐξώρ θωσαν τὸν Παλαιολόγον Θωμᾶν καὶ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα ἀπέστειλαν. Καὶ λογισμὸς καὶ τρικυμία τοῖς ἐν τῇ Πόλει περιέπεσεν ὅτι πλείστη, ἕως οὗ πάλιν ἐμάθομεν τὴν ἰσχύσασαν βουλὴν τοῦ Χαλὶλ πασία. 23.12 Καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐκμαρτυρία τοῦ ὡς μὴ ὤφελε γενέσθαι τὴν σύνοδον. Ἀφίημι γὰρ τὰ ἀλλά, ἃ παρηκολούθησαν ἀπὸ τούτου.
24.1 Τοῦ δὲ αὐτοῦ μ-ου ἔτους τῇ κ-ῃ τοῦ Ἰαννουαρίου μη νὸς εὐλογήθην ἐγὼ Ἑλένην, τὴν θυγατέραν τοῦ ἐπὶ κανικλείου Ἀλεξίου Παλαιολόγου τοῦ Τζαμπλάκωνος. 24.2 Καὶ Μαΐῳ α-ῃ τοῦ μζ-ου ἔτους ἐγεννήθη μοι ὁ υἱὸς Ἰωάννης, ὃν καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ὁ αὐθέντης μου κὺρ Κωνσταντῖνος ἀνεγέννησε διὰ τοῦ θείου βαπτίσματος, ὁ καὶ πρὸ τοῦ ἡμᾶς στεφανώσας. 24.3 Καὶ ∆εκεμβρίῳ ιζ-ῃ τοῦ μη-ου