The Life and Deeds of the Ever-Remembered Despot Stefan

(Hellenes) to touch upon the truth in part. For Thucydides²¹ said: "One is in the trinity, and the trinity is incorporeal." Represented figuratively - (this is the Holy) Trinity. And Aristotle²² (said) that the nature of the being of God is eternal, that it has no beginning, that from it the mightiest Word²³ comes to be. And Hermes Trismegistus (says): "I adjure thee, O heaven, work of the great God, I adjure thee by the voice of the Father which sent forth tidings beforehand, before He established the whole world, I adjure thee by His only-begotten Word and Spirit." And Staikos²⁴ exclaimed: "Let us honor Mary as her who well concealed the mystery and from whom Christ shall be born." And Theodoulos said: "First God, then the Word and the Spirit with Him." Plato and Orpheus (say) the same, (as do) the others. We, however, must speak of earthly (things). Thus far is the ten-chaptered section, and from here on is the acrostic²⁵ concerning what follows.

1. This one (the Despot), then, shone forth from Dalmatia-Dacia, (the land) of the present-day Serbs, where many have flourished in recent times, of whom there will be word in the genealogy. And this (land) not only flows with honey and milk, like the promised one, but (it seems) as though it had received into itself and bound together the four seasons and the air, and gives (them) forth from itself to the others. For in the whole inhabited world no land can be found that would contain within itself all good things gathered into one, and that (everywhere), on all sides - some (good things are found) in part and (only) in certain places, in the east or in the west, in the north or in the south, as the dwellers upon the earth have said and (as we) have seen. This one, (however), (the Serbian land) is full of all good things, and, according to the description in (certain) geographies, it sends air to the west and to the Hellespont: for here the day has 15 hours, and of that number, what is left over goes off to the north, to the east and to the south, to the regions where the days are short, and likewise to certain parts where it is desirable that good things should sprout, but they are not there. This is lacking in the lands of the south, where at harvest time there are 40 days and nights of darkness, or (those) of the north, where, as is told, there are 40 days and nights of light, or (where) (some) lands are snowbound, and others waterless or, according to Job,²⁶ uninhabited. There is, therefore, no doubt that (this land) has a mild air and harmony in all things. Since the tree is known by its fruit,²⁷ and man by his deeds - (we shall describe) this land (both) by its fruit (and) by its deeds. First of all, one must speak of what is most needful, that is, of gold, and together with it of silver; their springs (that is, mines) are rich and fruitful, and the more is dug from them, the more fruitful they become, as (also) springs, from which, the more (water) is drawn, the sweeter they become. And where in the east or the west can such wealth be found?! Truly nowhere. And so as not to weary