Murad also holds him to be a man of great valour; he believes him to be even more valorous than actually is. The
count of Lazar was advised that he should meet him, that he could rely on his safe conduct and that nothing would make him violate it.
'I can well believe it,' said the
count, 'but he will never meet me. What would I have gained if he had seen me and I him?'
The more the count excuses himself, the more
Murad desires to meet him. So
Murad Baqir remains on the borders of the kingdom of
Hungary and spends night and day devising ways in which he might be able to force entry, in order to subjugate the
king and the neighbouring lords, but he is wasting his time because the passes into
Hungary are too strong unless one approaches directly from
Constantinople, for the way in from that direction is not as challenging as that which runs through the tall forests, and if these tall forests of
Hungary were breached through good fortune, luck or for being poorly guarded, whoever achieved this would be lord of the greater part of the country of
Hungary."
SHF 3-64 syncThe
king of Armenia's words were heard with great eagerness, for it was all news to the lords to whom he spoke them. And it is ingrained in the very nature of man to listen out for new things. The
king of France and his council felt a deep compassion for him since he had come from such a distant land as
Greece in search of advice and comfort, and also because he was a king who had been driven out of his kingdom and who at present had nothing to support himself or maintain his state, as his grievances manifestly revealed.
So the
king of France, young as he was at that time, said,
"We wish the
king of Armenia, who has come to us in the expectation of kindness and aid, from a country as distant as
Greece, to receive as much assistance and support from us to maintain him in a state which befits him as king, just as we are ourselves. When we are able, we will provide him with men-at-arms and an expeditionary force to aid him in the recovery of his inheritance. We are all the more disposed to do this for being bound as we are to defend the Christian faith."
The speech made by the
king of France was heard attentively, and rightly so; none opposed it. Rather his
uncles and the king's council were eager to fulfil his wishes. Furthermore it was commanded that, in order to maintain his state, that the
king of Armenia be assigned a yearly allowance from the exchequer, to be paid month by month. The sum allotted to the
king of Armenia was six thousand francs per annum and he was given an advance of five thousand to provide him with lodging, tableware and other small necessaries, and assigned the
palace of Saint-Ouen near
Saint-Denis for his residence, together with his men, and to maintain his state. Such was the support the
king of Armenia received from the
king of France upon his arrival, and it went on increasing. It did not diminish but rather grew, and he spent much time with the king, particularly on important feast days.
SHF 3-65 sync
Third Book, Chapter 28 [1388-(1385)-1390]
How pope Clement and pope Urban were in disagreement with one another, and how the kings of Christendom have chosen different sides in the papal election, on account of the wars between them.
pb 256 v