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Do thou rule, kum, for seven years.
And on the eighth give over to my son Uroš."
Thus spake the Serbian Tsar Stepan,
Thus he spake being at the point of death,
And when he had thus spoken, he gave up the ghost.
*****
Sixteen years he ruled
And did so oppress the people
That what they had of fine raiment,
What they wore of silk apparel70
They must change for rough homespun.
When young Uroš of noble line was grown in stature and understanding,
He called his mother to him and said:
"Mother mine, Tsaritsa Roxanda,
Give me my portion of my father's substance[1]."
His mother answered him:
"Hearken, my son Uroš!
Substance there is, in sooth, but another hath it,
To wit, King Vukašin.
When thy father died,
On his death-bed he entrusted the Empire
Unto his kum, King Vukašin,
That he should rule for seven years
And on the eighth give over to thee the Empire;
And behold, he hath ruled sixteen years."
- ↑ Lit. "bread."
