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of your majesty with the ancestors of my Sultanic authority, and as the desire of the kings, the ancestors 3.95 of your majesty, was fulfilled by our authority, and they were always grateful to us, and they sent to our sanctified court, and they would meet with us, so again may the love of your majesty be benefited, and may its desire be fulfilled by our authority. and because that custom was cut off and distanced, this letter was sent from us to be read before the great king, in praise of the former friendship and for the promotion of the matters, that they may always be fulfilled with joy, and that more may be done, and what came from you to the expanse of our sweetest goodness, we shall receive it with goodwill, as we have received them, and now well from the hands of the emissary of your majesty, the archon Manuel, and we received them in peace, and we have understood what was written inside. It was requested that there be love and friendship, which was between my father the great Sultan—may God the highest sanctify his soul—and the king of the Romans, the brother of your majesty, as they had the custom, as you say, that the two houses be one, and emissaries came from him here, and from here again to him, and you wish this to happen. And that they should go and come according to the former custom. Again, he asked concerning those churches of the Romans which are in the 3.96 holy Jerusalem, and we have taken note of this also. And we have ordered that they attend to the churches about which you sent word, and that which you requested, that we should hear the word of the archon, the emissary Manuel, and that we should respond to him, and fulfill his services, we have fulfilled his wish, and we have ordered that his word be heard. Again, the emissary asked, that there was a ruin of an old church in the neighborhood of the Romans, Saint George, that we should order it to be rebuilt, and we have heard his word, and we have fulfilled it for him. Again, this man asked for our holy command to go to the Holy Resurrection, that he might venerate, both he and those with him from your majesty, and we have approved what you asked, and we have fulfilled it, and an order was written for whatever the emissary requested of us to be fulfilled at the Holy Resurrection. And as he requested to go, we gave an archon with him, and he escorted him there, and he venerated as he wished, and he returned with thanks. Again, the emissary asked that our high command be issued, that the Christians who are in the most holy place of Jerusalem be protected, and the monasteries, and the churches, and that they may have love and defense from the emir who is there, and not only the local people, but also those who come from time to time for the veneration of the Holy Resurrection, and the Muslim servants who are from time to time at the Holy Resurrection, should 3.97 not be allowed to scorn, and to beat, and to harass those who come from time to time to the same holy pilgrimage, or the local people; but rather to honor, and to receive, and to govern them. And we have ordered and a most high command has been fulfilled for these matters in that place. Again, concerning what your great majesty mentioned about the case of the patriarch Lazaros, that the sanctified Sultan, Melik Nasar, had sent him. May God forgive his sins in his holy days. The emissary is to show and inform your great majesty about this case, how it happened, and it was fulfilled on behalf of this patriarch, for a high command was issued to the holy Jerusalem, that they should accept the patriarch Lazaros, and guard him well, as also the former patriarchs. And we have ordered and the establishment of this patriarch has taken place, and he himself has been sent to the holy

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βασιλείας σου μετὰ τῶν προγόνων τῆς Σουλτανικῆς ἐξουσίας μου, καὶ καθὼς ἐπληροῦτο ἡ ὄρεξις τῶν βασιλέων τῶν προγόνων 3.95 τῆς βασιλείας σου ἀπὸ τῆς αὐθεντίας μας, καὶ ηὐχαρίστουν μας πάντοτε ἐκεῖνοι, καὶ ἔπεμπαν εἰς τὴν ἡγιασμένην αὐλήν μας, καὶ συνετύγχαινάν μας, οὕτως πάλιν νὰ εὐεργετῆται ἡ ἀγάπη τῆς βασιλείας σου, καὶ νὰ πληροῦται ἡ ὄρεξις αὐτῆς ἀπὸ τῆς αὐθεντίας μας. καὶ διότι ἀπεκόπη καὶ ἐμάκρυνεν ἡ συνήθεια ἐκείνη, ἀπεστάλη ἡ γραφὴ αὕτη ἀπ' ἐμᾶς νὰ ἀναγνωσθῇ ἔμπροσθεν εἰς τὸν μέγαν βασιλέα, εἰς ἔπαινον τῆς προτέρας φιλίας καὶ εἰς παρακίνησιν τῶν ζητημάτων, ὅτι πάντοτε μετὰ χαρᾶς νὰ ἔναι πεπληρωμένα, καὶ περισσότερα νὰ γίνωνται, καὶ τὸ ἦλθεν ἀπ' ἐσᾶς εἰς τὸν πλατυσμὸν τῆς καλοσύνης μας τὸν γλυκύτατον, νὰ τὸ δεχώμεθά με τὴν καλογνωμίαν, καθὼς τὰ ἐδεξάμεθα, καὶ τῶρα καλὰ ἀπὸ τὰ χέρια τοῦ ἀποκρισιαρίου τῆς βασιλείας σου τοῦ ἄρχοντος τοῦ Μανουὴλ, καὶ παρελάβομεν αὐτὰ μετὰ εἰρήνης, καὶ ἐγνωρίσαμεν τὸ ἔγραφεν ἀπέσω. ἐκεῖνο τὸ ἐζήτει, ὅτι νὰ ἔναι ἀγάπη καὶ φιλία τὸ ἦτον μέσον εἰς τὸν πατέρα μου τὸν Σουλτάνον τὸν μέγαν, ὁ θεὸς ὁ ὑψηλὸς νὰ ἁγιάσῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ, καὶ εἰς τὸν βασιλέα τῶν Ῥωμαίων τὸν ἀδελφὸν τῆς βασιλείας σου, ὡς εἶχον συνήθειαν, καθὼς λέγεις, νὰ ἔναι τὰ δύο ὀσπήτια ἓν, καὶ ἤρχοντο ἀπ' αὐτοῦ ἐδὼ ἀποκρισιάριοι, καὶ ἀπ' ἐδὼ πάλιν αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸ θέλεις νὰ γίνεται. καὶ νὰ ὑπαγαίνουν, καὶ νὰ ἔρχωνται κατὰ τὴν πρώτην συνήθειαν. πάλιν ἐζήτησε διὰ τὰς ἐκκλησίας τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἐκείνας ὅπου ἔναι εἰς τὰ 3.96 Ἱεροσόλυμα τὰ ἅγια, καὶ ἐγνωρίσαμεν καὶ αὐτό. καὶ ὡρίσαμεν νὰ προσέξουν τὰς ἐκκλησίας, δι' ἃς ἐμηνύσατε, καὶ ἐκεῖνο τὸ ἐζητήσατε νὰ ἀκούσωμεν τὸν λόγον τοῦ ἄρχοντος τοῦ ἀποκρισιαρίου τοῦ Μανουὴλ, καὶ νὰ τὸν ἀπολογηθῶμεν, καὶ νὰ πληρώσωμεν τὰς δουλείας του, ἐπληρώσαμεν τὸ ἤθελεν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὡρίσαμεν ἵνα ἀκουσθῇ ὁ λόγος του. πάλιν ἐζήτησεν ὁ ἀποκρισιάριος, ὅτι χάλασμα ἦν παλαιᾶς ἐκκλησίας εἰς τὴν γειτονίαν τῶν Ῥωμαίων ὁ ἅγιος Γεώργιος, νὰ ὁρίσωμεν νὰ κτισθῇ, καὶ ἠκούσαμεν τὸν λόγον του, καὶ ἐπληρώσαμέν τον. πάλιν ἐζήτησεν οὗτος τὸν ὁρισμόν μας τὸν ἅγιον νὰ ὑπάγῃ εἰς τὴν ἁγίαν ἀνάστασιν, νὰ προσκυνήσῃ καὶ ἐκεῖνος, καὶ οἱ εὑρισκόμενοι μετ' ἐκείνου ἀπὸ τῆς βασιλείας σου, καὶ ἠγαπήσαμεν εἴ τι ἐζήτησες, καὶ ἐπληρώσαμέν το, καὶ ἐγράφη ὁρισμὸς εἴ τί μας παρεκάλεσεν ὁ ἀποκρισιάριος νὰ πληρωθῇ εἰς τὴν ἁγίαν ἀνάστασιν. καὶ ὡς ἐζήτησεν νὰ ὑπάγῃ, ἐδώκαμεν ἄρχοντα μετ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀπέσωσέν τον ἐκεῖ, καὶ προσεκύνησεν ὡς ἤθελε, καὶ ἐγύρισε μετ' εὐχαριστίας. πάλιν ἐζήτησεν ὁ ἀποκρισιάριος νὰ γένηται ὁρισμός μας ὑψηλὸς, νὰ φυλάσσωνται οἱ εὑρισκόμενοι Χριστιανοὶ εἰς τὸν ἁγιώτατον τόπον τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων, καὶ τὰ μοναστήρια, καὶ αἱ ἐκκλησίαι, καὶ νὰ ἔχωσιν ἀγάπην, καὶ δεφένδευσιν ἀπὸ τὸν ἀμηρᾶν τὸν εὑρισκόμενον ἐκεῖ, καὶ οὐ μόνον οἱ τοπικοὶ, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ κατὰ καιροὺς ἐρχόμενοι εἰς τὴν προσκύνησιν τῆς ἁγίας ἀναστάσεως, καὶ οἱ κατὰ καιροὺς εὑρισκόμενοι δουλευταὶ Μουσουλμάνοι εἰς τὴν ἁγίαν ἀνάστασιν, νὰ 3.97 μηδὲν ἀφήνουν, νὰ καταφρονοῦν, καὶ νὰ δέρνουν, καὶ νὰ ὀχλῶσι τοὺς κατὰ καιρὸν ἐρχομένους εἰς τὸ αὐτὸ ἅγιον προσκύνημα, ἢ εἰς τοὺς τοπικούς· ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον νὰ τιμῶσι, καὶ νὰ ἀναδέχωνται, καὶ νὰ κυβερνῶσιν αὐτούς. καὶ ὡρίσαμεν καὶ ἐπληρώθη ὑψηλότατος ὁρισμὸς διὰ τὰ ζητήματα αὐτὰ εἰς τὸν τόπον ἐκεῖνον. πάλιν εἰς τὸ ἐνεθύμιζεν ἡ βασιλεία σου ἡ μεγάλη διὰ τὴν ὑπόθεσιν τοῦ πατριάρχου τοῦ Λαζάρου ὅτι εἶχεν ἀποστείλειν αὐτὸν ὁ ἡγιασμένος Σουλτὰν ὁ Μελὴκ Νάσαρ. ὁ θεὸς συγχωρήσοι τὰ κρίματά του εἰς τὰς ἡμέρας τὰς ἁγίας αὐτοῦ. ὁ ἀποκρισιάριος νὰ δείξῃ, καὶ νὰ πληροφορήσῃ τὴν μεγάλην βασιλείαν σου διὰ τὴν τοιαύτην ὑπόθεσιν ὅπως ἐγένετο, καὶ ἀπεπληρώθη ἕνεκεν τοῦ τοιούτου πατριάρχου, ἀπελύθη γοῦν ὁρισμὸς ὑψηλὸς εἰς τὰ ἅγια Ἱεροσόλυμα, νὰ στέργωσι τὸν πατριάρχην τὸν Λάζαρον, καὶ νὰ τὸν φυλάσσωσι καλὰ, καθὼς καὶ τοὺς πρώην πατριάρχας. καὶ ὡρίσαμεν καὶ ἐγένετο ἡ κατάστασις τοῦ τοιούτου πατριάρχου, καὶ ἀπεστάλη καὶ αὐτὸς εἰς τὰ ἅγια