The Tale Of Dracula

THE TALE OF DRACULA
In the land of Muntania there was a Christian prince of the Greek faith, by the name of Dracula in Wallachian, and the Devil in ours. His way of life was as evil as his name.

On one occasion there came to him ambassadors sent by the Turkish ruler. Entering and bowing according to their custom, they did not take their hats off their heads. So he asked them: ‘Why do youbehave thus, you have come to a great ruler and yet you show me such dishonour?’ And they replied: ‘That is our custom, Sire, and it is observed in our land’. And he said to them: ‘I want to confirm your custom, so that you keep to it resolutely’. And he ordered that their hats should be nailed to their heads with small iron nails. Then he let them go, saying: ‘Go and tell your ruler that he may beused to such dishonour from you, but we are not used to it, so he should not spread such a custom among other kings, who do not want to observe it. Instead let him keep to it at home’.
And the Emperor was made very angry by this and rose with his armies against Dracula, and he came to his land with many men. And Dracula, collecting what armies he had, attacked the Turks at night and killed many ofthem. But he was unable to win against such great army with such a small number of men, so he turned back.

And he inspected those soldiers who came back with him from the battle. Those who were wounded from the front received great honour and were made knights, but those who had had been wounded from the back were impaled on a stake through their back passage with Dracula saying thus: ‘youare not a man but a woman’. And whenever he went against the Turks he spoke to his armies thus: ‘He who wants to think of death should not come with me, but remain here’. And when the Emperor heard this he went away with great dishonour, having destroyed numerous armies but fearing to go against Dracula.
And the Emperor sent an Ambassador to Dracula asking for tribute. Dracula received him withgreat honour and showed him all his wealth and said: ‘Not only do I want to give tribute to the Emperor, but I want to go into his service with all my armies and my treasury, and I will serve him, obeying all his orders. Tell your Tsar that when I come to him he should order everyone throughout his land not to harm me or my people; I will want to enter into your Tsar’s service soon, and will myselfbring the tribute and come to him.’. And when the Tsar heard from his Ambassador that Dracula wants to enter his service he honoured his ambassador and gave him many gifts. And he was very pleased for he was then at war with Easterners. And he sent out throughout his cities and his lands that when Dracula should come no one should do any evil to Dracula and should give him honour. And Dracula wentgathering all his armies and members of the imperial guard accompanied him and gave him much honour. And he spent 5 days travelling in the land and suddenly went back and started to assault cities and villages and he captured and killed many men and other Turks he impaled and others he cut in half and burnt, even including suckling babes. And he didn’t leave anyone. He laid waste the whole landand those who were Christians he brought to his land and settled them there and he took much booty and having returned he honoured the imperial guard and let them go saying: ‘Go and tell your Tsar what you saw. I served him as well as I could and should he want my service again I will want to serve him in the same way to the best of my abilities.’ And the Tsar could do nothing but was conquered withdishonour.


And he so hated evil in his land, that whenever someone did evil, a crime or robbery, or lied, or was guilty of an injustice, then he was not allowed to live. Neither great boiars or priests or monks or ordinary people or those owning great wealth could save themselves from death with money, and that is how fearful he was. He had a water source and a well in a certain place...