The Mining Law of Despot Stefan

Great Sebasteia, to the great emir Bayezid, who ruled over the eastern parts and the western.

And by the help of God and of the most pure Mother of God, and by the prayers of Saint Simeon and Sava and of my father of holy repose, Prince Lazar, I freed this land and the cities of my fatherland from the great emir Bayezid. And I returned to my land, and came to my city of Novo Brdo, and the whole assembly of the city gathered, and they asked of my lordship that I make for them the Mining Law which they had had under the first lords and under my lord and father of holy repose, Prince Lazar. And my lordship took counsel with the nobles, and I commanded that 24 good men be found from other places that have ore, - that I might make for them the Law as it had been before -, men skilled in mining, and that whatever they should draw up they should bring to my lordship, so that my lordship might confirm it for them, that it be kept henceforth. And so they found the aforesaid men, 24 (...)

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[Preface of Emperor Stefan]

All this written above concerning the laws of Novo Brdo, my lordship, having found with certainty what was before me, under the former holy lords and kings of the Serbs, and also during the life of my lordship and of my father, Saint Prince Lazar, my lordship has been pleased thus to renew and confirm, that it be firm and unshakable all the days of my life and unalterable for my lordship, according to the commandment of God.

I beseech him who, if God so wills, shall be heir after us to the throne of my lordship, that this my golden-sealed charter remain unchanged, just as I did not change but rather confirmed the writs and ordinances of the emperors and lords who were before me. For this reason I have strengthened these writings with this golden-sealed charter of my lordship, for their confirmation.

In the place of Nekudim.

In the year 6920 (1412), indiction 13, on the 29th of the month of Genuary (January).

Translation into modern Serbian after: Milica Grković (ed.), Writings on Kosovo: The Nun Jefimija, Prince Lazar, Princess Milica, Vuk Branković, Unknown Monks of Ravanica, David, Jelena Balšić, Andonije Rafail Epaktit, Despot Stefan Lazarević, The Oldest Serbian Records on Kosovo (Spisi o Kosovu: Monahinja Jefimija, Knez Lazar, Kneginja Milica, Vuk Branković, Nepoznati ravanički monasi, David, Jelena Balšić, Andonije Rafail Epaktit, Despot Stefan Lazarević, Najstariji srpski zapisi o Kosovu), translations into the modern literary language by Đorđe Sp. Radojičić, Dimitrije Bogdanović, Radmila Marinković, Đorđe