The Life and Deeds of the Ever-Remembered Despot Stefan

(saying): "Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars,"¹⁴³ although, according to (the words) of Nebuchadnezzar, there was no eagle either, which Ezekiel foretold there: "...a great eagle with great wings, longwinged... came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar"¹⁴⁴. To us who were there at that time, it was as in Jerusalem when the news came to the house of David (and) how Ephraim and Pekah the son of Remaliah¹⁴⁵ had directed a crafty counsel against him, and of the great eagle from the east - such did he appear to us, and everything came to pass (so). And in other (things) one could, together with Jeremiah, bewail the desolation of the new Zion as he (bewailed) then. And truly, where did all (that was) bright and beautiful, within and without, suddenly vanish?! Where are the many dancers (in the round dance), where (is) the gathering of the church? Where are the festal assemblies and the (carrying of) processions through the surrounding (places)? Suddenly abomination (and) desolation reigned, everything was overturned, everything became as though there were nothing, everything was filled with bitterness; the hills crumbled and were consumed by fire; people were (now) driven out, (now again) settled. Often new and unpleasant (things) befell those who rule, and that was seen which had earlier been foretold in dreams: as though from the west an old eagle with drenched feathers (were flying in), flying across and seizing tower after tower. And another sign also came to pass. Deep night had fallen, we were not asleep, (and) there was heard from the west, from beyond the river Sava, (we swear) by the true Christ, something like the moaning of a trumpet; (the sound) grew little by little and seemed to be in the middle of the Sava, then (to be) before the tower, and then throughout the whole city, (it was heard) from door to door. This lasted a long time, two or three hours, so that it seemed as though the glorious (Despot Stefan) were coming - had (the sound) not been coming from the west - or (as though) it were some army, and we went out to see what was happening and lit a fire. This vision too came to pass: in the great church of the city the venerable icons rose up into the air and, behold, as in the order that will come to pass at the second coming (of Christ): the Queen, namely, and Lady, and John the Forerunner on either side of the image of the Savior;¹⁴⁶ and the icons of the twelve apostles - six on each side, as is fitting - which we thought was for the glory of the city and (for its) protection. But this was at the hour of death, alas! Before the repose of the (Despot) of the same name, on the 17th day of that month, this (too) came to pass: from the air, from the sky, something like sparks fell upon the city, which kindled fire, and then were extinguished. And before this - a whirling tempest (rose up) and tore the roofs off the city churches, cast (them) to the ground, destroyed many houses, (and among them) the house of the Despot's sister (Olivera). After Easter the Hungarian priests from the far side (of the Sava and the Danube) came with the people, according to their orders, by deceit, at the time (of the holding) of the feasts in the churches, and carried (their) icons through the city. With them the most pious (Despot) was angered, for they were his servants; (their) icons were of the western type, painted on paper, as though on