in my sleep, that I had reached the City and when I fell to kiss the emperor's feet, he did not permit me, but taking hold of me he kissed my eyes; and becoming awake I say to those sleeping around me: Such and such seemed to me now in my sleep, and remember the day. 31.10 My lord and emperor, knowing that I had not come, but [someone] from those with me, and he read the first letter, became very sad and was vexed and blamed my tardiness. But when on the morrow he read the other letter, behold, he remained satisfied, as if I had come too. And immediately having arranged for Manuel Palaiologos, the nephew of Kantakouzene the protostratorissa, he sent to Serbia and the matter was tested; and her parents heard the proposal gladly and were ready for the deed. 31.11 But it was found that the amir's wife had prayed to God and vowed that, if in some way He should free her from the house of her supposed husband, she would not take another husband for her whole life, but would remain free and, as far as possible, serving the one who had given her freedom. Therefore for this reason the matter remained inactive. 31.12 And in August of the same year the patriarch kyr Gregorios also departed from the City as a fugitive.

32.1 And I on the 14th of the month of September of the 60th year reached the City with the ship of the good Antonios Ritzos, who also later was martyred for his faith in Christ, having completed or rather more confirmed the marriage alliance of Iberia, knowing that the things of Trebizond were much less than those. 32.2 For the king of Iberia said to me, that with us this is not customary, that the women give money to their future husbands, but the men to the women, as you also would have learned here. For this reason we act with respect and without consultation from my people and I give my daughter, besides the garments and vessels for her service, 30 thousand florins, and she shall have also 3 thousand per year, so that she may give to the churches and to the poor and wherever it may seem good to her. 32.3 But you, I hear, have two children; and the male the emperor baptized and he is his, but the female shall be from this day my daughter's, and she shall be obliged to marry her off, to whomever you shall judge worthy and find with a livelihood of her own. 32.4 When, with God, you come to take her, you shall have from me four loads of silk; and it is raw and, as we have heard, a load is worth five hundred florins. 32.5 When therefore I had reported all the things concerning the ambassadorship in part, I also came to the matter of Serbia and asked to learn. And he designated for me thus: I owe you much for your love for me since childhood and faith and service; but this very thing of yours today concerning Serbia was a confirmation and a seal of your love and service to me, which I say also to myself, that I am obliged to repay. For you to toil so much and to suffer and to be away from your house for so long and to find what you found, and so many and such promises of benefactions and honors, if only you would accomplish their business, but for you to prefer what you understood to be more to my advantage, and to write to me and to advise me, which you wrote to me, this was a great testimony of your true love for me and service and faith. And be truly assured, that you will have also from me a worthy reward, if I am found among the living. 32.6 The matter therefore proceeded thus. When the amir died and the matter of the daughter of the despot of Serbia thus proceeded, the protostratorissa came and met with me about this and promised many gifts and promises useful for the future, which I too for many reasons considered to be many and good, true and advantageous. However, for this she wanted also the counsel and thought of others as to how it might happen to be done, in order that it might be done. 32.7 Whom therefore should I consult? My lady the despoina and she departed

ὕπνους, ὅτι ἔφθασα εἰς τὴν Πόλιν καὶ πεσόντος μου ἀσπάσασθαι τοὺς βασιλέως πόδας, οὐκ ἀφῆκέ με, ἀλλ' ἐπιλαβὼν ἐφίλησέ με τοὺς ὀφθαλ μούς· καὶ ἔξυπνος γενόμενος λέγω τοὺς περὶ ἐμὲ ὑπνοῦντας· Τὸ καὶ τὸ νῦν ἔδοξέ μοι καθ' ὕπνους καὶ ἐνθυμεῖσθε τὴν ἡμέραν. 31.10 Ὁ γοῦν αὐθέντης μου καὶ βασιλεὺς εἰδώς, ὅτι οὐκ ἦλθον ἐγώ, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῶν σὺν ἐμοί, καὶ τὴν πρώτην γραφὴν ἀνέγνωσε, περίλυπος ἐγένετο καὶ ἐδυσφόρει καὶ τὴν ἐμὴν κατηγόρει βραδύτηταν. Ὡς δ' ἐπὶ τὴν αὔριον τὴν ἄλλην γραφὴν ἀνέγνω, ἰδοὺ ἀπέμεινεν ἀρκετός, ὡς εἰ ἠρχόμην κἀγώ. Καὶ εὐθὺς οἰκονομήσας Μανουὴλ τὸν Παλαιολόγον, τὸν ἀνεψιὸν Καντακουζηνῆς τῆς πρωτοστρατορίσσας, ἔστειλεν εἰς τὴν Σερ βίαν καὶ ἐδοκιμάσθη τὸ περὶ τούτου· καὶ ἤκουσαν οἱ γονεῖς αὐτῆς ἡδέως τὸν λόγον καὶ ἑτοίμως εἶχον καὶ πρὸς τὸ ἔργον. 31.11 Ἀλλ' εὑρέθη, ὅτι ἡ ἀμήρισσα ἐδεήθη τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἔταξεν, ἵνα, εἰ διά τινος τρόπου ἐλευθερώσῃ αὐτὴν ἀπὸ τὸ ὁσπίτιον τοῦ τάχα ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς, ἄνδρα ἕτερον εἰς ὅλην αὑτῆς τὴν ζωὴν νὰ μηδὲ ἐπάρῃ, ἀλλὰ νὰ μένῃ ἐλευθέρα καὶ κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν θεραπεύουσα τὸν τὴν ἐλευθερίαν αὐτῇ δεδωκότα. Ἐναπέμεινεν οὖν διὰ ταύτην αἰτίαν τὸ περὶ τούτου ἀρ γόν. 31.12 Τὸν δ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἔτους Αὔγουστον διέβη ἀπὸ τῆς Πόλεως ὡς φυγὰς καὶ ὁ πατριάρχης κὺρ Γρηγόριος.

32.1 Καὶ ἐγὼ τῇ ιδ-ῃ τοῦ Σεπτεβρίου μηνὸς τοῦ ξ-ου ἔτους εἰς τὴν Πόλιν ἀπέσωσα μετὰ τοῦ καραβίου τοῦ καλοῦ Ἀντωνίου Ῥίτζου τοῦ καὶ ὕστερον μαρτυρήσαντος ὑπὲρ τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν πίστεως αὐτοῦ, τελέσας ἢ μᾶλλον πλέον βεβαιώσας τὸ τῆς Ἰβηρίας συνοικέσιον, εἰδὼς τὰ τῆς Τραπεζοῦντος ἐλάττονα πολλῷ πλέον ἐκείνων. 32.2 Εἶπέ μοι γὰρ ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς Ἰβηρίας, ὅτι ἐφ' ἡμῖν τοῦτο οὐκ ἔστι σύνηθες ὅτι νὰ δίδωσιν αἱ γυναῖκες χρήματα τοὺς μέλλοντας λα βεῖν ἄνδρας, ἀλλ' οἱ ἄνδρες τὰς γυναῖκας, ὡς καὶ σὺ μαθεῖν ἤθελες ἐν ταῦθα. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ποιοῦμεν μετ' αἰδοῦς καὶ ἀσυμβουλεύσεως ἀπὸ τοὺς ἐμοὺς καὶ δίδω τὴν θυγατέραν μου ἄνευ τῶν φορεμάτων καὶ σκευῶν τῶν εἰς ὑπηρεσίαν αὐτῆς φλωρία χιλιάδας λʹ καὶ νὰ ἔχῃ καὶ κατ' ἔτος χι λιάδας γʹ, διὰ τὸ νὰ δίδῃ εἰς τὰς ἐκκλησίας καὶ πτωχοῖς καὶ ὅπου ἂν φανῆται αὐτῇ. 32.3 Σὺ δὲ ἀκούω, ὅτι ἔχεις παιδία δύο· καὶ τὸ ἀρσενικὸν ἐβάπτισέν το ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ἔνι ἐκείνου, τὸ δὲ θηλυκὸν νὰ ἔνι ἀπὸ τὴν σήμερον τῆς θυγατρός μου καὶ νὰ ὀφείλῃ νὰ τὸ ὑπανδρεύσῃ, ὅπου ἂν σὺ κρίνῃς ἄξιον καὶ εὕρῃς μετὰ βίου ἰδικοῦ της. 32.4 Ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃς σὺν θεῷ νὰ τὴν ἐπάρῃς, νὰ ἔχῃς παρ' ἐμοῦ γο μάρια τέσσαρα μετάξεως· ἔνι δὲ ψιλὸν καί, ὡς ἠκούσαμεν, ἔχει τὸ γο μάρι φλωρία πεντακόσια. 32.5 Ὡς οὖν πάντα τὰ τοῦ ἀποκρισιαρίου ἀπὸ μέρους ἀνέφερα, ἦλθον καὶ εἰς τὸ τῆς Σερβίας καὶ ἠρώτησα μαθεῖν. Καὶ ὥρισέ μοι οὕτως· Ἐγὼ ὀφείλω σοι πολλὰ διὰ τὴν εἰς ἐμέ σου ἀγάπην παιδιόθεν καὶ πίστιν καὶ δουλοσύνην· ἀλλὰ τοῦτο δὴ τὸ σὸν σήμερον τὸ περὶ τῆς Σερβίας ἦν βεβαίωσις καὶ ἐκσφράγισμα τῆς εἰς ἐμέ σου ἀγάπης καὶ δουλοσύνης, ὁποῦ λέγω καὶ εἰς ἐμὲ τοῦ νὰ χρεωστῶ νὰ ἀνταμείβωμαι. Νὰ κοπιάσῃς γὰρ τοσαῦτα καὶ νὰ πασχήσῃς καὶ νὰ λίπῃς ἀπὸ τὸ ὀσπίτιόν σου τοσοῦ τον δὴ καιρὸν καὶ νὰ εὕρῃς, ὅσα εὗρες, καὶ τοσαύτας καὶ τοιαύτας ἐπαγ γελίας εὐεργεσιῶν καὶ τιμῶν, ἐὰν μόνον τὸ ἐκείνων τελέσῃς, σὺ δὲ νὰ προκρίνῃς, τὸ ἐνόησας διὰ συμφέρον πλέον ἐμόν, καὶ νά με γράψῃς καὶ νά με βουλεύσεσαι, ἅπερ μοι ἔγραψας, τοῦτο ἦν μέγα τι ἐκμαρτύριον τῆς ἀληθοῦς σου ἀγάπης εἰς ἐμὲ καὶ δουλοσύνης καὶ πίστεως. Καὶ πληροφο ρήθητι ἀληθῶς, ὅτι θέλεις ἕξειν καὶ παρ' ἐμοῦ ἀξίαν τὴν ἀντάμειψιν, εἴπερ ἐν τοῖς ζῶσιν εὑρίσκομαι. 32.6 Τὸ περὶ τούτου οὖν παρηκολούθησεν οὕτως. Ὡς ἀπέθανεν ὁ ἀμηρᾶς καὶ τὸ τῆς θυγατρὸς δεσπότου Σερβίας οὕτως παρηκολούθησεν, ἐλθοῦσα ἡ πρωτοστρατόρισσα συνέτυχέ μοι περὶ τούτου καὶ πολλὰς δό σεις καὶ ἐπαγγελίας εἰς τὸ μέλλον ὠφελίμους ἔταξεν, ἅπερ καὶ ἐγὼ ἀπὸ πολλῶν αἰτιῶν ἐνόμισα αὐτὰ καὶ πολλὰ καὶ καλὰ ἀληθῆ καὶ συμφέροντα. Ὅμως δὲ ἤθελε εἰς τοῦτο καὶ ἄλλων βουλὴν καὶ σκέψιν πῶς ἂν τυχένῃ νὰ γένηται, ἵνα καὶ γένηται. 32.7 Τίνα οὖν νὰ εὐβουλευόμην; Ἡ κυρά μου ἡ δέσποινα καὶ ἀπέ