The Life and Deeds of the Ever-Remembered Despot Stefan

, him, passed by (Tamerlane), found him at Ankara and clashed with him. In (that) clash they trampled one another. The chosen Persian army separated itself and fell upon the ever-remembered (Despot Stefan), as had been determined even before word (spread); these (Persians), with a great outcry, attacked and were defeated and perished by the edge of the sword and the spears of the Serbian army. (Despot Stefan), seeing that the (Turkish) emperor was surrounded by thousands upon thousands (of soldiers), and wishing to free him, entered the battle even for the third time, cutting down (all) and prevailing. Seeing that the number of his army was (nevertheless) dwindling, he withdrew. For what could he do amid (those) thousands and tens of thousands without the will of God?! And (of) the greatness of his victory all spoke, and it was renowned. He returned, since the barbarians had spread out and poured forth from everywhere, (but) he overcame his pursuers one by one, his right hand stained with blood. And who shall tell what came to pass then, on that hard road? For when he wished to cross the aforesaid sea, which arises from the northern and the Hellespontine sea, in order to sail into the sea that stretches even to Kamaria, it was not easily possible, for the lands and the crossings and the harbors were Ishmaelite. Therefore he took refuge in Constantinople. Some of his soldiers separated themselves (from the rest of the army) and went off, having crossed the sea, and as they passed by the city of Hadrian⁶⁹ they were cut down by a certain Saraža,⁷⁰ who, they say, had captured the brave sufferer (Prince Lazar) and so nursed hatred toward his son as well. These soldiers were slain in the Črnomijan grove.

40. Earlier we related what (misfortunes) befell the eastern (peoples) at that time, unexpectedly. The aforesaid Tamerlane soon (went) toward the south and Egypt in order (to conquer) all of Hellas, but they told him of Jerusalem, and (he) was afraid and turned back. It is related that when he came to Damascus and destroyed its walls, wishing to go against Jerusalem, certain men told him that it had always (been so) that God punished all those who had offended Jerusalem. "Thou," (they said to him), "canst not pass by it without angering Him. Besides, the way to the Egyptian lands is by water, and thou hast for that neither an (equipped) army nor ships." Therefore he desisted from the attack on Jerusalem. He passed through the east, and who shall tell how much evil the inhabitants of these lands suffered: the cities that did not submit, together with the women and children, he buried in pits (or) cast them to the beasts, and many other merciless punishments and destructions (he devised). It is told that his grandees led him to see the children who lay (on the ground) and wept, in order to awaken mercy (and compassion) in him. He, however, seeing that multitude (of children), ordered that they be trampled by horses. He said on that occasion: "I have freed them from the afflictions and torments of this world." And much like unto this he did. Besides, he attacked many states and (practiced) many cunning devices. Of him they tell this too: envoys of a certain kingdom had come, traveling through exceedingly high mountains into that land, and (all was) impassable except for one path, on which a mighty tower had been built to guard that path. Tamerlane, having drunk blood, ordered that those envoys be brought, pretending to agree with them (in everything). At the same time he pretended to be very