The Life and Deeds of the Ever-Remembered Despot Stefan

for he wished to go to the regions of Serres,¹¹⁵ but could not cross the (river) Maritsa. Sultan Musa put to death, as punishment, certain chiefs of those places, because they had hidden and had not reported (Mehmed's) campaign. Pursuing him, he turned back and came to Adrianople.

72. When he armed himself against the Despot, he waged war upon war; (it was) like the onrushes of the northern sea, which raise up a tempest and seek out the depths of the sea, filling the air with dust and the earth with the slaughter of men and with blood. And such was (his) manner of making war. He had two armies - the one he called the raiding army, and the other the knightly; they went before him, leading excellent horses with them. When he was to strike at someone, he first sent the raiding army to go both by night and by day, to attack suddenly and to engage in battle. When (that army) withdrew, the knightly one advanced and fought until he arrived with all (his) might; when some horse grew weary, (the horseman) would dismount from it and mount another of those (horses) they led with them. When anyone showed some valor, it was recorded, that he might be rewarded according to his merit. (When he found himself) beneath cities (which he besieged), he issued orders concerning them as well. And likewise (he appointed) punishments for deserters. When winter came - for at that time he was wont to attack the Serbs - because of the eastern (sultan) and because at that time there was no great army (of his), he entered Novo Brdo¹¹⁶ with all (his) army; and he entered thus. Having drawn near, he waited in Sredec¹¹⁷ to celebrate the feast of his great day; and when all the preparations for the celebration of the feast had been made, he mounted his horse and said: "Thus will I spend the feast of the great day." Suddenly he set out from Sofia, crossed the mountain named Čemernik, and halted nowhere until Vranje,¹¹⁸ where the caesar (Uglješa) resided; him he very nearly caught, plundered Vranje of (all) that was found, and set out for Novo Brdo; (however), he had rushed too far ahead and accomplished nothing of it. And he had heard that Despot Stefan was coming (with the intention) of attacking suddenly. Like him /the Despot/ he too went out to meet him to make a surprise attack. When the Despot saw that he had few soldiers, he took refuge in the great city (Novo Brdo). Musa withdrew and entered the Albanian land, where he heard, having passed through some parts of it, that Orhan, son of Sultan Süleyman, was arriving by sea at Thessalonica, and from Thessalonica had (entered) his lands. He went in pursuit, overtook (him), (but to him, i.e., Orhan) many of (Musa's) foot soldiers defected, so that he was very nearly defeated after he had overtaken him. Yet, however, they betrayed the child (Orhan); he seized him, blinded him and put to death there many chosen (men of Orhan). (Some) obtained by entreaty that he pardon the (deserting) foot soldiers.

73. Like Phocas,¹¹⁹ that warrior of old, he set out again against Thessalonica and destroyed the city called