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a body's excellence and, as it were, fine proportion and strength, it would be too long to recount now. But since they say that testimonies from the enemies themselves become more trustworthy, the Illyrians would know and say these things, against whom this man has won great fame, and all the mainland and the Persians themselves, who, having attacked him many times, were clearly proven to be utterly inferior, as no others were. And what he bravely endured and suffered for my sake, the complete removal of his money and the confiscation of all his wealth, a multitude of servants, and the loss of all other things, by which we 2.319 see men overcome; and how he was exiled with me to the Triballi, and was ready to lay down his very life for me whenever it was needed, and how he became everything to me, and in what kinds and how many of my troubles he shared, I forbear to say, lest I should seem to be acting unworthily by narrating with pity through my own person, things which we then nobly bore with the help of the Almighty. I wish, then, to present his deeds in a longer narrative. But since whatever we might say will in any case be less than the truth, one can, from the very few things that have been said, as if in a brief survey, arrive at a deep comprehension of his actions. For let the greater part be left to those whose sole task is this, to deem these things worthy of writing and to honor them with words. But it will be our concern, before this, to reward with deeds themselves this most beloved brother of my majesty who, true to his name, abounds in graces. For it is most just for him to be benefited by us and deemed worthy of great rewards, not only because he is such as he has been shown to be and very gladly endured a mass of difficulties with us on our behalf; but because also through all that he has done he clearly promises to contribute whatever is best for the common good, and to win victories against the enemies who shamelessly ravage the lands of the Romans. For this very reason, therefore, my majesty, always wishing sufficient graces for this man, now also bestows and awards the present golden bull, by which it commands and decrees and ordains that the afore 2.320 mentioned most beloved brother of my majesty, the lord John Angelos, be head of the castles and lands of Vlachia for the term of his life, and that he should take care and be diligent and provident for their increase and improvement for the better, being obliged to keep unshaken also what he has promised under oath to my majesty; which, being declared in part, might perhaps seem superfluous and perhaps unbefitting to his character, since he is indeed good and most loyal to us. But since for many reasons it is a praiseworthy thing to travel a safe and smooth path having nothing standing in the way or, that is, threatening, let these things—which have been set forth by us and confirmed by oaths from him—be stated in part for the sake of greater security. And they are these. That the most beloved brother of my majesty, the lord John Angelos, be a friend of its friend, and an enemy of its enemy; that is, whatever person it may be, if my majesty has friendship and love with him, he too should have it so; but if not, he should be disposed towards him without doubt and without question, as is my majesty. That he should hold this headship of Vlachia for the entire term of his life, but he should not have permission to give this even to his child, unless my majesty should somehow order this and approve it, as from a new beginning. That he should owe such 2.321 servitude not only to my majesty, but also to the emperor lord John Palaiologos, if it should appoint him as successor to the empire; but if by God's concession the emperor Palaiologos should die, he should owe such submission to whomever my majesty, with God, should appoint as successor and heir of the rule of the Romans. And let there be acclaimed and commemorated in all the land of Vlachia both the Despoina Anna Palaiologina and the emperor her son according to the prevailing custom both in the God-guarded palace of my majesty and in that land itself. That there also, whether there be metropolises, or episcopates, or monasteries, or ecclesiastical rights, they be subject as from the beginning to the most holy

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σώματός τε εὐφυΐαν καὶ ὥσπερ εὐαρμοστίαν καὶ ῥώμην, μακρὸν ἂν εἴη τὰ νῦν διεξέρχεσθαι. ἐπεὶ δὲ τὰς παρ' αὐτῶν φασι τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἀξιοπιστοτέρας γίνεσθαι μαρτυρίας, εἰδεῖεν ἂν καὶ φαῖεν ταῦτα Ἰλλυριοί τε, καθ' ὧν οὑτοσὶ μέγα κεκλέϊσται, καὶ πᾶσα ἤπειρος καὶ αὐτοὶ Πέρσαι, οἳ πολλάκις τούτῳ προσβαλόντες παντελῶς ἥττους, ὡς μηδένες ἐναργῶς ἀπηλέγχθησαν. ἃ δ' ὑπήνεγκεν ἀνδρείως καὶ πέπονθεν ἐμὴν χάριν, χρημάτων ἀφαίρεσιν παντελῆ καὶ πλούτου παντὸς δήμευσιν, θεραπόντων πλῆθος, στέρησίν τε τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων, ὧν ἡττημένους ὁ 2.319 ρῶμεν ἀνθρώπους· ὅπως τέ μοι συνεξῴκισται ἐς Τριβαλοὺς, καὶ ψυχὴν αὐτὴν ἑτοίμως εἶχεν ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ θεῖναι ὁπότε ἔδει, καὶ ὅπως ἐγίνετό μοι ἀντὶ πάντων, ὁποίων τέ μοι καὶ ὁπόσων κεκοινώνηκε τῶν ἀνιαρῶν, ἐῶ λέγειν, ὡς μὴ ἀνάξια δόξω πράττων ἐκδιηγούμενος σὺν οἴκτῳ δι' ἐμαυτοῦ, ἃ τότε γενναίως ἠνέγκαμεν ἀρωγῇ τοῦ κρείττονος. βούλομαι μὲν οὖν μακροτέρᾳ διηγήσει δοῦναι τὰ τούτου. ἐπειδὴ δ' ἐλάττω τῆς ἀληθείας ἔσται πάντως ἅττ' ἂν εἴποιμεν, ἔχει τις ἐξ ὀλίγων πάνυ τῶν ῥηθέντων ὥσπερ ἐν ἐπιδρομῇ ἐς βαθεῖαν τοῦ αὐτοῦ πρακτέων ἐληλυθέναι κατάληψιν. παρείσθω γὰρ τὰ πλείω οἷς ἔργον αὐτὸ τοῦτο μόνον, τὸ γραφῆς ταῦτ' ἀξιοῦν καὶ λόγοις τιμᾷν. ἡμῖν δὲ πρὸ τούτου μελήσει καὶ αὐτοῖς ἔργοις ἀμείβεσθαι τουτονὶ τὸν περιπόθητον αὐτάδελφον τῆς βασιλείας μου τὸν φερωνύμως χάρισι βρύοντα. δικαιότατον γὰρ εὐεργετεῖσθαι παρ' ἡμῖν καὶ μεγάλων ἀμοιβῶν ἀξιοῦσθαι, οὐχ ὅτι μόνον ἐστὶν οἷος δέδεικται καὶ φορυτὸν δυσχερῶν σὺν ἡμῖν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν μάλα ἀσμένως ὑπήνεγκεν· ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ διὰ πάντων τῶν αὐτῷ πεπραγμένων τρανῶς ἐπαγγέλλεται συνοίσειν, ὅ,τι βέλτιον τῷ κοινῷ, καὶ νίκας ἄρασθαι κατ' ἐχθρῶν τὰ Ῥωμαίων νεμομένων ἀναίδην. διά τοι τοῦτο καὶ χάριτας ἀποχρώσας ἡ βασιλεία μου τῷδε βουλομένη ἀεὶ, ἐπιχορηγεῖ καὶ ἐπιβραβεύει νῦν καὶ τὸν παρόντα χρυσόβουλλον λόγον, δι' οὗ προστάσσει καὶ θεσπίζει καὶ διορίζεται εἶ 2.320 ναι τὸν διαληφθέντα περιπόθητον αὐτάδελφον τῆς βασιλείας μου κύριον Ἰωάννην τὸν Ἄγγελον εἰς κεφαλὴν τῶν κάστρων καὶ χωρῶν Βλαχίας ἐφ' ὅρῳ τῆς ζωῆς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπιμελεῖσθαι καὶ σπεύδειν καὶ φροντίζειν τῆς ἐπὶ τὸ κρεῖττον ἐπιδόσεως καὶ βελτιώσεως αὐτῶν, ὀφείλοντα διατηρεῖν ἀπαρασάλευτα καὶ ἅπερ ἐνόρκως ὑπεσχέθη τῇ βασιλείᾳ μου· ἃ περιττὸν μὲν ἴσως ἂν δόξειε κατὰ μέρος δηλούμενα καὶ ἀνοίκεια τάχα τῷ τούτου τρόπῳ ἀγαθῷ γε ὄντι καὶ περὶ ἡμᾶς εὐνουστάτῳ. ἐπεὶ δ' ἐπαινετόν τι χρῆμα πολλῶν ἕνεκα τὸ τρίβον ἀσφαλῆ καὶ λείαν πορεύεσθαι μηδὲν προσιστάμενον ἔχουσαν, ἤτοι γε ἀπειλοῦσαν τὰ παρ' ἡμῖν μὲν ἐκτεθέντα, ὅρκοις δὲ παρὰ τούτου βεβαιωθέντα, κατὰ μέρος ταῦτα καὶ λεχθήτω διὰ τὸ ἀσφαλέστερον. ἔστι δὲ τάδε. ἵνα ᾖ ὁ περιπόθητος αὐτάδελφος τῆς βασιλείας μου κύριος Ἰωάννης ὁ Ἄγγελος φίλος τοῦ φίλου αὐτῆς, καὶ τοῦ ἐχθροῦ αὐτῆς ἐχθρός· ἤγουν κἂν ὁποῖον ἄρα πρόσωπον εἴη, εἰ μὲν ἔχει φιλίαν καὶ ἀγάπην ἡ βασιλεία μου μετ' ἐκείνου, ἔχῃ καὶ αὐτὸς οὕτως· εἰ δ' οὖν, διατίθηται ἀναμφιβόλως καὶ ἀπολυπραγμονήτως εἰς αὐτὸ, ὡς καὶ ἡ βασιλεία μου. ἵνα μὲν τὸ τοιοῦτο τῆς Βλαχίας κεφαλαττίκιον ἐφ' ὅρῳ παντὶ τῆς ζωῆς αὐτοῦ ἔχῃ, οὐ μὴν δὲ ἔχῃ ἐπ' ἀδείας οὗτος τοῦτο δοῦναι καὶ πρὸς παιδίον αὐτοῦ, εἰ μή πως τάξῃ τοῦτο καὶ στέρξῃ ἡ βασιλεία μου, ὡς ἐξ ἄλλης ἀρχῆς. ἵνα οὐ μόνον χρεωστῇ τοι 2.321 αύτην δουλοσύνην εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν μου, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς τὸν βασιλέα κύριον Ἰωάννην τὸν Παλαιολόγον, ἐὰν καταστήσῃ αὐτὴ τοῦτον διάδοχον τῆς βασιλείας· ἐὰν δὲ παραχωρήσει θεοῦ ἀποθάνῃ ὁ βασιλεὺς ὁ Παλαιολόγος, χρεωστῇ τὴν τοιαύτην ὑποταγὴν εἰς ὃν ἂν καταστήσῃ ἡ βασιλεία μου σὺν θεῷ διάδοχον καὶ κληρονόμον τῆς τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῆς. φημίζηται δὲ καὶ μνημονεύηται ἐν πάσῃ τῇ χώρᾳ τῆς Βλαχίας καὶ ἡ δέσποινα Ἄννα ἡ Παλαιολογίνα καὶ βασιλεὺς ὁ υἱὸς αὐτῆς κατὰ τὴν ἐνεργουμένην συνήθειαν ἔν τε τῷ θεοφρουρήτῳ παλατίῳ τῆς βασιλείας μου καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ χώρᾳ. ἵνα καὶ ἐκεῖσε εἴτε μητροπόλεις εἶεν, εἴτε ἐπισκοπαὶ, εἴτε μοναστήρια, εἴτε ἐκκλησιαστικὰ δίκαια, ὦσιν ὑποκείμενα ὡς ἀρχῆθεν τῇ ἁγιωτάτῃ