The Life and Deeds of the Ever-Remembered Despot Stefan

of divine or of human wisdom - whatever he touched, he soon showed himself better than his teacher. Whether it was a matter of martial questions, of the art of war or of craft, which for many is not simple, he was first in everything and instructed others in it. In all things he was perfect. In beauty and strength of body he was like the sun among the stars; he arranged hunts better than (his) predecessors. And as Solomon said: "(Better) than all they that were before me in Jerusalem."⁵⁹ (Such was he) in all that he did and that he said, and by which much is more often won without the shedding of blood. (There) where often armies, despite (great) toil, did not succeed, nor did armed fleets, (there) only shrewdness (and wisdom) succeeded. Everywhere we have examples of this, (for instance), the capture of great and wondrous cities (such as) Babylon and Troy; (or) when Cyrus suddenly fell upon the Assyrians and the Hellenes; when for the sake of Helen, the wife of Menelaus,⁶⁰ they destroyed Troy; and when Themistocles⁶¹ with his ships defeated the Persians and drove Xerxes to flight - the gnat (overcame) that fierce lion. And much like unto this can be found. For purity, (which) cleanses the soul, and (together with it) valor, (which is) rightly joined with good learning - when this is fused into one, it can no longer be separated; it ever strives toward flight, and that is, so to speak, in its nature. All this came together (in Stefan) as purity and (as) a gathering of virtues. So much for his early youth.

28. When he came of age, he consigned to oblivion what had been, adding to great (deeds) still greater ones; had anyone else attained something (of this), he would, out of human weakness, have pretended to be wise. (The Despot) not only had no faults, but in such great (his) royal grandeur he overlooked nothing that was useful; he remained steadfast, shunning what is contrary to God, what does not befit rulers, so that even the angels marveled (at him). He did not turn aside from any right and royal path.

29. At the beginning of his reign he clothed himself with his mother's prayers and inherited his father's dignity, appearing as the most radiant of all. But not all was so perfect, for the devil, who sows tares, incited to a great revolt certain nobles whom his father (Prince Lazar) had subdued under his feet - they tried to make themselves equal to him /Stefan/ and to slip out from under his hands; they devised many grave charges against him and brought them before (Sultan) Amurat - some said that he was raising the Hungarians against him (the sultan), and others asserted: "We are independent lords and wish to serve thy empire." And they sent envoys (to the sultan); there was one of them (of the nobility), noble and ever faithful (to Stefan), by the name of Mihailo, who came face to face with those who were slandering (the Despot) and stirring up revolt. (The rebels) were: Nikola Zojić and Novak Belocrkvić, with certain others. (The Despot) summoned Novak (to himself), and he came, not knowing that his misdeeds had become known. Him they executed in justice. Nikola fled to the fortified city of Ostrovica, but seeing that he could not escape from the hands of his lords, he was tonsured and became a monk together with his wife and his four daughters. Taking pity, the most pious /Despot/ and his mother /Milica/ spared their lives.