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would provide; so much was he struck by the threats and shaken in his mind. But the Grand Duke, when he learned that all the villainy had turned out according to his plan, returned from the Palace, and immediately arrived at the temple of the Wisdom of God, and finding the Grand Logothete dressed in monastic garments, he beat his breast greatly and lamented the widowhood of his daughter and grieved inconsolably. But the Grand Logothete consoled him with many words, saying that nothing new had happened, if he himself also had experienced human affairs which are always changing and unstable, now 2.498 for the better, now for the worse; and it seemed that he put aside the greater part of his grief because of his consolation. But a little later the Grand Logothete arrived at the monastery of the Pammakaristos, at the empress's command; but being caught as he was about to escape and to take off his monastic garments, he was thrown into prison. Thus, therefore, the Grand Duke disposed of this man also, who had contributed greatly to the war of the emperor Cantacuzenus, and had received worthy rewards from him, for the unspeakable destruction which the war brought upon the Romans. 81. But the emperor Cantacuzenus, learning that the empress was sending an embassy to Orchanes for an alliance, sent one himself and acted so that Orchanes might ally with him rather than with the Byzantines. And Orchanes chose the alliance with the emperor Cantacuzenus instead, and sending Khatzes the eunuch, he concluded the treaty. And since he was not far from him, but was ruler of the coast from Paphlagonia to Phrygia, the emperor Cantacuzenus easily summoned the allied force whenever it was needed; which especially harmed the affairs of the Romans. For for the most part, even when the emperor did not need them, the Persians, crossing over, harmed the cities that had not yet submitted to the emperor, as if they were enemies. Then, having an allied force from Orchanes' army, he campaigned against the cities towards the Pontus and took them all except Sozopolis. He also took the city on 2.499 Lake Derkos and another fortress not far from Byzantium, called Empurites; then he returned to his own land. About the same time, Manuel, the younger of the emperor's sons, while staying in Beroea, wrote that he had seen such a dream. He seemed to be standing on a couch; and the emperor his father, wearing a toga and a purple tunic and a golden priestly stole, came to him, and two others followed him on either side, one of whom was not recognizable, but he held the book of the prophet Isaiah open; and the second, Lantzarétos, held the emperor's sword in his hands. And the emperor, having provided him with wax and a seal, both red, said to his son, "Seal it." And when he had sealed it, a living lion was impressed on the wax, holding a most brilliant star in its right paw and having another small star engraved on its shoulder. And the emperor said, "Raise it up." And when the son raised it, the one holding the book of Isaiah said, "God led him out of Egypt, as the glory of a unicorn he shall eat the nations of his enemies, and with their arrows he will shoot them down and suck out the marrow of their fat ones. Lying down, he rested as a lion and as a lion's cub; who will rouse him? Those who bless you are blessed, and those who curse you are cursed." And these things he seemed to read as they were written in the book. And the emperor again ordered his son to 2.500 seal. And when he sealed, a living leopard came forth, and it held in one of its paws a paper on which was written, "Behold another beast, like a leopard, and authority was given to it." And when the emperor ordered the one holding the book to speak the prophecy of the beast, he said the same things. And the emperor for a third time ordered his son to seal; and when he sealed, a living weasel itself came forth, and with its tongue extended beyond its teeth, it seemed to be licking the ground. And as the emperor's son raised it on high, the weasel's tongue seemed to grow longer and to lick the ground all around in the same way. But the one holding the book, when the emperor ordered him to speak the prophecy, said: "Behold a beast"

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ἐκπορίσειν· τοσοῦτον ἐξεπέπληκτο ταῖς ἀπειλαῖς καὶ τὰς φρένας κατεσείσθη. ὁ μέγας δὲ δοὺξ ἐπεὶ πύθοιτο πᾶσαν κατὰ νοῦν τὴν κακουργίαν ἀποβᾶσαν, ἐκ τοῦ Ἱεροῦ ἐπανελθὼν, αὐτίκα πρὸς τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ Σοφίας τὸν νεὼν ἀφῖκτο, καὶ τὸν μέγαν λογοθέτην εὑρηκὼς τὰ μοναχῶν ἠμφιεσμένον, ἐκόπτετο πολλὰ καὶ τὴν χηρείαν ἀπωδύρετο τῆς θυγατρὸς καὶ ἀπαραμύθητα ἐπένθει. λογοθέτης δὲ ὁ μέγας πολλοῖς παρεμυθεῖτο λόγοις, οὐδὲν καινὸν συμβεβηκέναι φάσκων, εἰ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων ἀεὶ πραγμάτων ἄλλοτε ἄλλως φερομένων καὶ ἀστατούντων, νῦν 2.498 μὲν βελτιόνων, νῦν δὲ χειρόνων ἐπειράθη καὶ αὐτός· καὶ ἐδόκει τὸ πολὺ τῆς λύπης διὰ τὴν ἐκείνου παραμυθίαν ἀποτίθεσθαι. ὕστερον δὲ ὀλίγῳ πρὸς τὴν τῆς παμμακαρίστου μονὴν ὁ μέγας ἀφῖκτο λογοθέτης, τῆς βασιλίδος κελευούσης· φωραθεὶς δὲ διαδιδράσκειν μέλλων καὶ τὰ μοναχῶν ἀπαμφιέννυσθαι, εἰς δεσμωτήριον ἐνεβλήθη. οὕτω μὲν οὖν καὶ τοῦτον ἀπεσκευάσατο ὁ μέγας δοὺξ, μεγάλα μὲν πρὸς τὸν Καντακουζηνοῦ συναράμενον τοῦ βασιλέως πόλεμον, ἀξίων δὲ ἀπολελαυκότα παρ' ἐκείνου ἀμοιβῶν, ἧς ἐπήγαγεν ἀμυθήτου φθορᾶς ὁ πόλεμος Ῥωμαίοις. παʹ. Βασιλεὺς δὲ ὁ Καντακουζηνὸς πυθόμενος, ὡς βασιλὶς πρεσβείαν ποιοῖτο πρὸς Ὀρχάνην ἐπὶ συμμαχίᾳ, πέμψας καὶ αὐτὸς ἔπραττεν, ὅπως αὐτῷ μᾶλλον, καὶ μὴ Βυζαντίοις πρόσθοιτο. καὶ εἵλετο Ὀρχάνης τὴν πρὸς Καντακουζηνὸν τὸν βασιλέα μᾶλλον συμμαχίαν, καὶ πέμψας Χατζὴν τὸν εὐνοῦχον, ἐτέλει τὰς σπονδάς. ὄντος δὲ οὐ μακρὰν αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐκ Παφλαγονίας ἄχρι Φρυγίας παραλίου ἄρχοντος, ῥᾳδίως μετεπέμπετο Καντακουζηνὸς ὁ βασιλεὺς τὴν συμμαχίαν ἡνίκα ἔδει· ὃ καὶ μάλιστα ἐκάκωσε τὰ πράγματα Ῥωμαίων. ὡς ἐπιπλεῖον γὰρ, καὶ βασιλέως μὴ δεομένου, περαιούμενοι οἱ Πέρσαι τὰς μήπω βασιλεῖ προσχωρησάσας πόλεις ἐκάκουν ὡς πολεμίας. τότε δὲ ἐκ τῆς Ὀρχάνη στρατιᾶς ἔχων συμμαχίαν, ταῖς πρὸς τὸν Πόντον πόλεσιν ἐπεστράτευσε καὶ εἷλε πάσας πλὴν Σωζοπόλεως. εἷλε δὲ καὶ τὴν ἐν 2.499 τῇ ∆έρκῃ τῇ λίμνῃ πόλιν καὶ φρούριόν τι ἕτερον οὐ μακρὰν Βυζαντίου, Ἐμπυρίτην προσαγορευόμενον· εἶτα ἀνέστρεφεν εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν. ὑπὸ δὲ τοὺς αὐτοὺς χρόνους καὶ Μανουὴλ ὁ νεώτερος τῶν βασιλέως υἱῶν Βεῤῥοίᾳ ἐνδιατρίβων, ὄναρ ἔγραφεν ἰδεῖν τοιοῦτον. ἐδόκει ἐπὶ κλίνης αὐτὸς ἑστάναι· βασιλέα δὲ τὸν πατέρα τήβεννον ἔχοντα καὶ χιτῶνα περιπόρφυρα καὶ ἱερατικὸν ἐπιτραχήλιον χρυσοῦν, πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐλθεῖν, δύο δὲ ἑτέρους ἑκατέρωθεν αὐτῷ παρέπεσθαι, ὧν ἅτερος μὲν οὐ γνώριμος ἦν, εἶχε δὲ τὸ προφήτου Ἠσαΐου βιβλίον ἀνεῳγμένον· Λαντζαρέτος δὲ ὁ δεύτερος τὸ βασιλέως ξίφος εἶχεν ἐν χερσί. βασιλέα δὲ κηρὸν αὐτῷ παρεσχημένον καὶ σφραγῖδα, ἄμφω ἐρυθρὰ, «σφράγισον» πρὸς τὸν υἱὸν εἰπεῖν. τοῦ δὲ σφραγίσαντος, ζῶντα λέοντα ἐντυπωθῆναι τῷ κηρῷ, ἄστρον λαμπρότατον τῷ δεξιῷ κατέχοντα ποδὶ καὶ πρὸς τῷ ὤμῳ ἕτερον μικρὸν ἔχοντα ἐγκεκολαμμένον ἄστρον. βασιλέα δὲ εἰπεῖν «ἀνάστησον αὐτόν.» ἀναστήσαντος δὲ τοῦ υἱοῦ, τὸν τὸ βιβλίον Ἠσαΐου κατέχοντα εἰπεῖν, «ὁ θεὸς ὡδήγησεν αὐτὸν ἐξ Αἰγύπτου, ὡς δόξαν μονοκέρωτος αὐτοῦ ἔδεσθαι ἔθνη ἐχθρῶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ταῖς βολίσιν αὐτῶν κατατοξεύσει καὶ τὰ πάχη αὐτῶν ἐκμυελιεῖ. ἀνακλιθεὶς ἀνεπαύσατο ὡς λέων καὶ ὡς σκύμνος· τίς ἐγερεῖ αὐτόν; οἱ εὐλογοῦντές σε εὐλογημένοι, καὶ οἱ καταρώμενοί σε κεκατήρανται.» ταῦτα δὲ ἐδόκει τῷ βιβλίῳ ὄντα ἐγγεγραμμένα ἀναγινώσκειν. βασιλεὺς δὲ αὖθις τῷ υἱῷ προσ 2.500 έταττε σφραγῖσαι. σφραγίσαντος δὲ, πάρδαλις ἐξῆλθε ζῶσα, καὶ χάρτην εἶχε θατέρῳ τῶν ποδῶν, ᾧ ἐνεγέγραπτο, ἰδοὺ θηρίον ἕτερον ὡσεὶ πάρδαλις, καὶ ἐξουσία ἐδόθη αὐτῷ. κελεύσαντος δὲ βασιλέως τῷ κατέχοντι τὸ βιβλίον τοῦ θηρίου τὴν προφητείαν λέγειν, τὰ ἴσα εἶπε. βασιλεὺς δὲ καὶ τρίτον ἐκέλευε σφραγῖσαι τῷ υἱῷ· καὶ σφραγίσαντος, ἐξῆλθε γαλῆ ζῶσα καὶ αὐτὴ, τὴν γλῶτταν δὲ τῶν ὀδόντων προβεβλημένη, ἐδόκει λείχειν τὴν γῆν. τοῦ βασιλέως δὲ υἱοῦ εἰς ὕψος αἴροντος, ἡ γλῶσσα τῆς γαλῆς μηκύνεσθαι ἐδόκει καὶ τὴν γῆν ὡσαύτως περιλείχειν. ὁ τὸ βιβλίον δὲ κατέχων, βασιλέως κελεύοντος, τὴν προφητείαν λέγειν· «ἰδοὺ θηρίον»