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the emperor concerning peace, which seemed to him the most terrible of dangers, he considered how to destroy him also in a certain way; and he sent some of those privy to his secrets to report to the grand logothete, supposedly out of goodwill, that the empress was especially angry with him, but that they did not know the reason. who, by reporting such things, were 2.495 frightening him. Then they also asked for oaths, supposedly, not to reveal to anyone those who had reported the secrets. So in this way they were maliciously contriving the fabricated report of the secrets; But Gabalas, thinking that what was said was true, was buffeted from all sides and swamped by his thoughts, and he appeared thoughtful and pale and worn out by his worries. But the megas doux, pretending ignorance of what was being done, asked the reason for his pensiveness and his pallor. And he, suspecting nothing evil about him, as one would to a kinsman by marriage who would grieve for him, revealed the whole secret and begged to receive some assistance and for him to suggest a plan, by using which he would be out of danger. For there was no interval then between being suspected and being destroyed. The megas doux said that he himself had heard such things about him, but considered them not to be true; nevertheless, he suggested that he deposit his property with his friends. For he said that everyone whatsoever must guard against the sycophancy and slander now prevailing among the Romans. For he himself, though in charge of all public affairs and enjoying the highest honor and prosperity among the Romans, did not particularly trust in them, but kept the greater and more valuable part of his possessions both in the fortress at Epibatai and at the tower in Mangana. But he, since he did not happen to have any fortress which he could use for such changes of fortune, should take care of his property in some other way, 2.496 so that if anything difficult should happen—for he was not suspected by the empress for nothing—he might at least have his property and not be deprived of both, of his property and at the same time his control of affairs. So he advised such things. But the grand logothete, not perceiving the plot, was persuaded and deposited his possessions with his friends. And he immediately sent men to report to the empress what was being done, as if he himself were not aware of it. And the messengers advised not to overlook such things; for it was for no good purpose that the grand logothete was depositing his property, but he was either planning to start a revolt in order to receive Kantakouzenos as emperor, or was intending to defect to him. And the empress, investigating what was said about the grand logothete, when she learned from many that it was true—for the secret was secretly spread to many by the conspirators, the megas doux having so contrived it—was indignant and thought the matter was clearly a defection, and was deliberating what should be done with the grand logothete. And when the plot was now reaching its end, and the grand logothete, having deposited all his property, was sitting waiting for prison, and the empress was enraged at the defection, the megas doux, feigning some public business, sailed away on a trireme to Hieron at the mouth of the Pontus, and he left behind those who had first reported the empress' supposed anger to the grand logothete to put the final touch to the plot; for they, approaching again, tearful 2.497 and downcast, reported that on that night he would come to the ultimate danger, since the empress was thoroughly enraged, and they bade him to take some thought for himself. And at the same hour they also prepared others by prearrangement, to come to his house and ask anonymously if he himself were there, as if the question signified something terrible. For the Romans were not accustomed to approach him in this way before, but offered much attendance and flattery. But Gabalas, now inferring his destruction from everything and fearing that he might even be killed by some enemies who might attack, trembling and very frightened, went into the church of God's Wisdom; but even so was not convinced he would be saved, but, clinging greatly to life, took off his clothes and put on the habit of a monk, thus thinking he might with difficulty secure salvation for himself

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τὸν βασιλέα περὶ εἰρήνης, ὃ τῶν κινδύνων αὐτῷ ὁ φοβερώτατος ἐδόκει, ἐσκέψατο τρόπῳ δή τινι διαφθείρειν καὶ αὐτόν· καὶ τῶν συνειδότων τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα αὐτῷ τινας προσέπεμπε μηνύοντας δι' εὔνοιαν δῆθεν τῷ μεγάλῳ λογοθέτῃ, ὅτι βασιλὶς μάλιστα ὀργίζοιτο αὐτῷ, τὴν δὲ αἰτίαν ἀγνοεῖν. οἳ καὶ τοιαῦτα προσαγγέλλοντες ἐξε 2.495 φόβουν. ἔπειτα καὶ ὅρκους ᾐτοῦντο δῆθεν ὑπὲρ τοῦ μηθενὶ καταδήλους ποιεῖν τοὺς τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα μηνύσαντας. οὕτω μὲν οὖν ἐκεῖνοι ἐκακούργουν τὴν πεπλασμένην δήλωσιν τῶν ἀποῤῥήτων· Γαβαλᾶς δὲ οἰόμενος εἶναι ἀληθῆ τὰ εἰρημένα, πανταχόθεν ἐκυμαίνετο καὶ περιηντλεῖτο λογισμοῖς, καὶ σύννους καὶ ὠχρὸς ἐφαίνετο καὶ ταῖς φροντίσι συντετηκώς. δοὺξ δὲ ὁ μέγας, τῶν πραττομένων ἄγνοιαν ὑποκρινόμενος, ἠρώτα τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς συννοίας καὶ τῆς ὠχριάσεως. ὁ δὲ οὐδὲν ὑπωπτευκὼς περὶ ἐκείνου φαῦλον, οἷα δὴ κηδεστῇ καὶ ἀλγήσοντι ὑπὲρ ἐκείνου, πᾶν τὸ ἀπόῤῥητον ἐξέφαινε καὶ ἐπικουρίας τυχεῖν τινος ἐδεῖτο καὶ γνώμην εἰσηγεῖσθαι, ᾗ χρησάμενος ἔξω ἔσται τῶν κινδύνων. οὐδὲν γὰρ ἦν τὸ μέσον τοῦ ὑποπτευθῆναι τότε καὶ διαφθαρῆναι. δοὺξ δὲ ὁ μέγας ἔφασκε μὲν τοιαῦτα καὶ αὐτὸς ἀκηκοέναι περὶ αὐτοῦ, ἡγεῖσθαι δὲ μὴ ἀληθῆ, ὅμως ὑπετίθει τὴν οὐσίαν παρὰ τοῖς φίλοις ἐκτιθέναι. τὴν γὰρ πολιτευομένην νυνὶ παρὰ Ῥωμαίοις ἔφασκε συκοφαντίαν καὶ διαβολὴν πάντα ὁντινοῦν φυλάττεσθαι χρεών. καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς τῶν κοινῶν ἁπάντων ἄρχων καὶ τῆς πρώτης παρὰ Ῥωμαίοις ἀπολαύων τιμῆς καὶ εὐπραγίας οὐ μάλιστα αὐτοῖς θαῤῥεῖν, ἀλλὰ τὰ πλείω καὶ πολυτελέστερα τῶν ὄντων, ἔν τε Ἐπιβάταις τῷ φρουρίῳ καὶ πρὸς τῷ ἐν Μαγκάνοις πύργῳ ἔχειν. αὐτὸν δὲ ἐπεὶ μὴ συμβαίη φρούριόν τι ἔχειν, ᾧ χρήσαιτο πρὸς τοιαύτας τῶν πραγμάτων μεταβολὰς, ἑτέρῳ τρόπῳ τινὶ τῆς οὐσίας προνο 2.496 εῖν, ἵν' εἴ τι συμβαίη δυσχερὲς, οὐ γὰρ μάτην παρὰ βασιλίδος ὑποπτεύεσθαι, τὴν γοῦν οὐσίαν ἔχῃ καὶ μὴ ἀμφοτέρων, οὐσίας τε ἅμα καὶ ἀρχῆς τῶν πραγμάτων, ἀποστερηθῇ. ὁ μὲν οὖν τοιαῦτα συνεβούλευε. λογοθέτης δὲ ὁ μέγας τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν μὴ συνιδὼν ἐπείθετό τε καὶ τὰ ὄντα πρὸς τοὺς φίλους ἐξετίθει. ὁ δ' αὐτίκα προσέπεμπε τοὺς βασιλίδι τὰ πραττόμενα μηνύσοντας, ὡς αὐτοῦ μὴ συνειδότος. παρῄνουν τε οἱ προσαγγέλλοντες, μὴ τοιαῦτα περιορᾷν· οὐ γὰρ ἐπ' ἀγαθῷ τὴν οὐσίαν τὸν μέγαν λογοθέτην ἐκτιθέναι, ἀλλ' ἢ στάσιν βουλεύεσθαι ποιεῖν ἐπὶ τῷ Καντακουζηνὸν βασιλέα δέχεσθαι, ἢ ἀφίστασθαι διανοεῖσθαι πρὸς ἐκεῖνον. ἡ βασιλὶς δὲ τὰ περὶ μεγάλου λογοθέτου εἰρημένα ἐξετάζουσα, ὡς ἐπυνθάνετο παρὰ πολλῶν εἶναι ἀληθῆ, κρύφα γὰρ παρὰ τῶν συνειδότων πρὸς πολλοὺς διεδόθη τὸ ἀπόῤῥητον, τοῦ μεγάλου δουκὸς οὕτω συσκευάσαντος, ἠγανάκτει καὶ ἀποστασίαν εἶναι ᾤετο τὸ πρᾶγμα φανερῶς, καὶ ἐβουλεύετο ὅ,τι δέοι χρῆσθαι τῷ μεγάλῳ λογοθέτῃ. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἤδη πέρας εἶχεν ἡ ἐπιβουλὴ, καὶ λογοθέτης τε ὁ μέγας πᾶσαν ἐκθέμενος τὴν οὐσίαν ἐκάθητο δεσμωτήριον περιμένων, καὶ ἡ βασιλὶς ὠργίζετο πρὸς τὴν ἀποστασίαν, πλασάμενος ὁ μέγας δούξ τινα τῶν δημοσίων χρείαν, εἰς Ἱερὸν τὸ πρὸς ἐμβολὰς τοῦ Πόντου ἀπέπλεε τριήρει, τοὺς δὲ πρῶτον τὴν βασιλίδος δῆθεν ὀργὴν μηνύσαντας τῷ μεγάλῳ λογοθέτῃ κατέλιπεν ἐπιθεῖναι τέλος τῇ ἐπιβουλῇ· προσελθόντες γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι αὖθις δεδα 2.497 κρυμένοι καὶ κατηφεῖς, ἐμήνυον ὡς ἐκείνῃ τῇ νυκτὶ πρὸς ἔσχατον κινδύνου ἥξει, βασιλίδος μάλιστα ἐξωργισμένης, καὶ πρόνοιάν τινα αὑτοῦ ἐκέλευον ποιεῖσθαι. τῆς αὐτῆς δὲ ὥρας καὶ ἑτέρους ἐκ συνθήματος παρεσκεύαζον, ἀφικνουμένους παρὰ τὴν οἰκίαν τὴν ἐκείνου, ἀνωνύμως οὕτως εἰ αὐτὸς αὐτόθι εἴη ἐρωτᾷν, ὥς τι δεινὸν τοῦ λόγου προσημαίνοντος. οὐ γὰρ εἰώθεσαν ἐκείνῳ πρότερον οὕτω προσφέρεσθαι Ῥωμαῖοι, ἀλλὰ πολλὴν τὴν θεραπείαν προσῆγον καὶ τὴν κολακείαν. Γαβαλᾶς δὲ ἤδη τὸν ὄλεθρον ἐκ πάντων τεκμαιρόμενος καὶ δείσας, μὴ καὶ παραπόλοιτο, τινῶν πρὸς ἔχθραν ἐπελθόντων, ὑπότρομος καὶ περιδεὴς εἰς τὸν τῆς θεοῦ Σοφίας γενόμενος νεὼν, οὐδ' οὕτω σώζεσθαι ἐπείθετο, ἀλλὰ φιλοψυχῶν πολλὰ, τὴν ἐσθῆτα ἀποδὺς, σχῆμα μοναχῶν περιεβάλετο, οὕτως οἰόμενος μόλις ἑαυτῷ τὴν σωτηρίαν