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then presiding. And entrusting it to a certain painter called Praepositus, he sent it to the Pope, having ordered him to tell no one the empress's secret. But he knew nothing more, except that he was being sent to the Pope. And Pope Clement, when he received the empress's letters, was overjoyed that the empress also chose their side, and that, if she should be rid of the wars, she would openly join them; he himself also wrote back, first praising her choice, because although tyrannized, she had not abandoned the correct doctrines, but agreed with the Roman church. Then he also taught that it is necessary always to hold to the same things, and to lead on the others who were deceived and had fallen from the truth. And finally he prayed, and suggested good hopes, that he would help in whatever way he could. When Praepositus brought these letters, he himself kept them in secret, and he intended that, if the empress would obey him in whatever he might demand, to stir up nothing, but if not, having read these letters in church, to incite the Byzantines against her and destroy her and her children; for he knew they would be very indignant at this and would very easily proceed against anyone whatsoever, if they learned she had chosen the side of the Latins; and thus he would have all the rule of Byzantium and the islands. But if it should not succeed, and the Byzantines should not be persuaded to destroy the empress and 2.541 her children, having already despaired of everything, either to shut himself up in the tower at Mangana, which was very strong and able to hold out against all the besieging Byzantines, or to withdraw by trireme to Epibatae, and there to live out the rest of his life, ruled by no one. πθʹ. Such things he was planning and he was already beginning them. And first he surrounded himself with an armed guard, which always accompanied him when he went out of his house, and no one else dared to come near, unless he were summoned by him. Then he also had a trireme prepared for this purpose all the time, anchored at the so-called Wooden Gate, where his house was also intentionally built. For he always took care to be near the walls, especially those by the sea, so that if any revolutionary plot should arise against him, he might easily slip away and save himself. And at that time he took the greatest care both for the guard around him and for his exit to be easy, if he should perceive any trouble. For he already saw everyone ill-disposed towards him, and hating his wickedness and the great destruction of the Romans, not only the outsiders, but also his own closest relatives; for two of his sons, having condemned his great awkwardness and wickedness of character, deserted to the emperor; so that he even said to some of his confidants, not 2.542 twice and thrice, but many times, "We now see Kantakouzenos grown very strong, and we fear that he may even master Byzantium; but if such a thing should happen, he will be master of only earth and sky, for he himself will destroy the rest by warring against him to the best of his ability, even if he himself is to be destroyed along with them." So he took great care of the guard around him, and was having the prison in the palace of Constantine built as he intended, having entrusted the work to certain craftsmen. And visiting frequently himself, he inspected the work and was forcing them to build it more quickly. But the prisoners, seeing the prison being built, so terrible and little short of a tomb, and not ignorant of his intention, planned to kill him when he came there, thinking his murder would be advantageous for them in either case. For if they should succeed, they would be rid of so great a terror and would live freely; and if they should be defeated, they would die and again be rid of being buried alive. Such things the prisoners planned and they watched for an opportunity in which they would attack and kill him. But the grand duke at other times, when he had to enter the palace of Constantine the Great, taking great care of himself, for he always had many of the armed bodyguards following, and sending the prisoners

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τότε προεστώς. καὶ ζωγράφῳ τινὶ Πραιποσίτῳ καλουμένῳ ἐγχειρίσας, ἐξέπεμπε πρὸς Πάπαν μηδενὶ ἐξειπεῖν κελεύσας τὸ ἀπόῤῥητον βασιλίδος. οὐδὲν δὲ ἐκεῖνος ᾔδει πλέον, εἰ μὴ ὅτι πέμποιτο πρὸς Πάπαν. Κλήμης δὲ ὁ Πάπας, ἐπεὶ δέξαιτο τὰ βασιλίδος γράμματα, ὑπερησθεὶς, ὅτι καὶ ἡ βασιλὶς αἱροῖτο τὰ ἐκείνων, καὶ ὡς, εἰ τῶν πολέμων ἀπαλλαγοίη, φανερῶς αὐτοῖς προσθήσεται, ἀντέγραφε καὶ αὐτὸς, πρῶτα μὲν ἐπαινῶν τῆς προαιρέσεως, ὅτι καίτοι τυραννουμένη τῶν ὀρθῶν δογμάτων οὐκ ἀπέστη, ἀλλὰ τῇ Ῥωμαίων ἐκκλησίᾳ συμφρονοίη. ἔπειτα καὶ ἐδίδασκεν, ὡς χρὴ τῶν ἴσων ἔχεσθαι ἀεὶ, καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἐνάγειν ἠπατημένους καὶ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐκπεσόντας. τελευταῖον δὲ ἐπηύχετο, καὶ χρηστὰς ὑπετίθει τὰς ἐλπίδας, ὡς βοηθήσων ὅ,τι ἂν δύναιτο. ταῦτα τὰ γράμματα ἐνεγκόντος Πραιποσίτου, ἐφύλαττεν αὐτὸς ἐν ἀποῤῥήτῳ, διενοεῖτό τε ὡς, εἰ μὲν πείθοιτο ἡ βασιλὶς αὐτῷ, ἐφ' οἷς ἂν ἀξιοίη, μηδὲν κινεῖν, εἰ δὲ μὴ, ταῦτα ἐπ' ἐκκλησίας ἀναγνόντα, Βυζαντίους ἐπ' αὐτὴν παρορμᾷν καὶ διαφθείρειν αὐτὴν καὶ παῖδας· ᾔδει γὰρ πρὸς τοῦτο πάνυ δυσανασχετοῦντας καὶ ῥᾷστα κατὰ παντὸς οὑτινοσοῦν χωρήσοντας, ἂν πύθωνται τὰ Λατίνων ᾑρημένην· καὶ οὕτω πᾶσαν αὐτὸν Βυζαντίου καὶ τῶν νήσων ἔχειν τὴν ἀρχήν. εἰ δὲ μὴ προχωροίη, μηδὲ πείθοιντο οἱ Βυζάντιοι βασιλίδα καὶ 2.541 τὰ τέκνα διαφθείρειν, πάντων ἤδη ἀπογνόντα, ἢ τῷ ἐν Μαγκάνοις πύργῳ κατακλείειν ἑαυτὸν, ὀχυρωτάτῳ ὄντι καὶ δυναμένῳ πρὸς πάντας Βυζαντίους ἀντέχειν πολιορκοῦντας, ἢ τριήρει πρὸς Ἐπιβάτας ἀναχωρεῖν, κἀκεῖ τὸν ἐπίλοιπον βίον διανύειν, ἀρχόμενον ὑπ' οὐδενός. πθʹ. Τοιαῦτα μὲν ἐκεῖνος διενοεῖτο καὶ ἤδη ἤρχετο αὐτῶν. καὶ πρῶτα μὲν περιέστησεν ἑαυτῷ φρουρὰν ὁπλιτικὴν, ἣ προϊόντι τῆς οἰκίας συνείπετο ἀεὶ, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐτόλμα τῶν ἄλλων ἐγγὺς ἐλθεῖν, εἰ μὴ ὑπ' ἐκείνου προσκληθείη. ἔπειτα καὶ τριήρη παρεσκευασμένην εἶχε πρὸς τοῦτο τὸν πάντα χρόνον ἐπὶ τῆς Ξυλίνης λεγομένης πύλης ἐφορμοῦσαν, ἔνθα ἦν αὐτῷ καὶ ἡ οἰκία ἐξεπίτηδες ἐκεῖ κατεσκευασμένη. ἀεὶ γὰρ ἐποιεῖτο πρόνοιαν ἐγγὺς εἶναι τῶν τειχῶν, μάλιστα τῶν πρὸς θάλασσαν, ἵν' εἴτι περὶ αὐτὸν νεωτερίζοιτο, ῥᾳδίως διεκπίπτῃ καὶ διασώζῃ ἑαυτόν. τότε δὲ μάλιστα σπουδὴν ἐποιεῖτο πλείστην εἴς τε τὴν περὶ αὐτὸν φρουρὰν καὶ πρὸς τὸ ἔξοδον αὐτῷ ῥᾳδίαν εἶναι, εἴ τινος αἴσθοιτο κακοῦ. ἑώρα γὰρ ἤδη πάντας πρὸς αὐτὸν κακῶς διακειμένους, καὶ μισοῦντας τῆς πονηρίας καὶ τῆς τοσαύτης τῶν Ῥωμαίων φθορᾶς, οὐ τοὺς ἔξωθεν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς οἰκειοτάτους αὐτούς· οἱ δύο γὰρ τῶν υἱῶν πολλὴν αὐτοῦ καταγνόντες σκαιότητα καὶ μοχθηρίαν τρόπων, ἀπέστησαν πρὸς βασιλέα· ὥστε καὶ πρός τινας αὐτῷ τῶν ἀποῤῥήτων κοινωνοῦντας λέγειν, οὐ 2.542 δὶς καὶ τρὶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλάκις, ὡς ὁρῶμεν ἤδη Καντακουζηνὸν ἰσχύοντα μεγάλα, καὶ δεδοίκαμεν μὴ καὶ Βυζαντίου περιγένηται· ἀλλ' εἴγε καὶ τοιοῦτο συμβαίη, γῆς μόνης κρατήσει καὶ οὐρανοῦ, τἄλλα δὲ αὐτὸς διαφθερεῖ πολεμῶν αὐτῷ μέχρι καὶ τοῦ δυνατοῦ, εἰ μέλλει καὶ αὐτὸς συνδιαφθείρεσθαι αὐτοῖς. τῆς τε οὖν φρουρᾶς τῆς περὶ ἑαυτὸν πολλὴν ἐποιεῖτο πρόνοιαν, καὶ τὸ ἐν βασιλείοις τοῖς Κωνσταντίνου δεσμωτήριον κατεσκεύαζεν ᾗ διενοεῖτο, δημιουργοῖς τισι τὸ ἔργον ἐπιτρέψας. συχνῶς δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπιφοιτῶν, ἐπεσκέπτετο τὸ ἔργον καὶ προσηνάγκαζε τάχιον κατασκευάζειν. οἱ δεσμῶται δὲ τό,τε δεσμωτήριον ὁρῶντες κατασκευαζόμενον, οὕτω δεινὸν καὶ ὀλίγα τάφων ἀποδέον, καὶ τὴν διάνοιαν οὐκ ἀγνοοῦντες, ἐσκέψαντο αὐτὸν ἀποκτείνειν, ὅταν γένηται ἐκεῖ, ἀμφοτέρωθεν αὐτοῖς οἰόμενοι τὸν ἐκείνου λυσιτελήσειν φόνον. ἄν τε γὰρ ἐπιτυγχάνωσιν, ἀπαλλάξεσθαι δεινοῦ τοσούτου καὶ ζήσειν ἐλευθέρως· ἄν τε ἡττῶνται, ἀποθνήσκειν καὶ αὖθις ἀπαλλάττεσθαι τοῦ ζῶντας κατορωρύχθαι. τοιαῦτα μὲν οἱ δεσμῶται ἐβουλεύσαντο καὶ παρετήρουν καιρὸν, ἐν ᾧ ἀποκτενοῦσιν ἐπιθέμενοι. δοὺξ δὲ ὁ μέγας τὸν ἄλλον χρόνον, ἡνίκα ἔδει πρὸς τὰ Κωνσταντίνου τοῦ μεγάλου βασίλεια εἰσέρχεσθαι, πολλὴν πρόνοιαν αὐτοῦ ποιούμενος, ἑπομένους τε γὰρ εἶχεν ἀεὶ τῶν δορυφόρων ὁπλιτῶν πολλοὺς, καὶ τοὺς δεσμώτας πέμπων