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Ali　Pacha


By　Alexander　Dumas；　pere







CHAPTER　I


The　beginning　of　the　nineteenth　century　was　a　time　of　audacious　enterprises　and　strange　vicissitudes　of　fortune。　　Whilst　Western　Europe　in　turn　submitted　and　struggled　against　a　sub…lieutenant　who　made　himself　an　emperor；　who　at　his　pleasure　made　kings　and　destroyed　kingdoms；　the　ancient　eastern　part　of　the　Continent；　like　mummies　which　preserve　but　the　semblance　of　life；　was　gradually　tumbling　to　pieces；　and　getting　parcelled　out　amongst　bold　adventurers　who　skirmished　over　its　ruins。　　Without　mentioning　local　revolts　which　produced　only　short…lived　struggles　and　trifling　changes；　of　administration；　such　as　that　of　Djezzar　Pacha；　who　refused　to　pay　tribute　because　he　thought　himself　impregnable　in　his　citadel　of　Saint…Jean…d'Acre；　or　that　of　Passevend…Oglou　Pacha；　who　planted　himself　on　the　walls　of　Widdin　as　defender　of　the　Janissaries　against　the　institution　of　the　regular　militia　decreed　by　Sultan　Selim　at　Stamboul；　there　were　wider　spread　rebellions　which　attacked　the　constitution　of　the　Turkish　Empire　and　diminished　its　extent；　amongst　them　that　of　Czerni…Georges；　which　raised　Servia　to　the　position　of　a　free　state；　of　Mahomet　Ali；　who　made　his　pachalik　of　Egypt　into　a　kingdom；　and　finally　that　of　the　man　whose；　history　we　are　about　to　narrate；　Ali　Tepeleni；　Pacha　of　Janina；　whose　long　resistance　to　the　suzerain　power　preceded　and　brought　about　the　regeneration　of　Greece。

Ali's　own　will　counted　for　nothing　in　this　important　movement。　　He　foresaw　it；　but　without　ever　seeking　to　aid　it；　and　was　powerless　to　arrest　it。　　He　was　not　one　of　those　men　who　place　their　lives　and　services　at　the　disposal　of　any　cause　indiscriminately；　and　his　sole　aim　was　to　acquire　and　increase　a　power　of　which　he　was　both　the　guiding　influence；　and　the　end　and　object。　　His　nature　contained　the　seeds　of　every　human　passion；　and　he　devoted　all　his　long　life　to　their　development　and　gratification。　　This　explains　his　whole　temperament；　his　actions　were　merely　the　natural　outcome　of　his　character　confronted　with　circumstances。　　Few　men　have　understood　themselves　better　or　been　on　better　terms　with　the　orbit　of　their　existence；　and　as　the　personality　of　an　individual　is　all　the　more　striking；　in　proportion　as　it　reflects　the　manners　and　ideas　of　the　time　and　country　in　which　he　has　lived；　so　the　figure　of　Ali　Pacha　stands　out；　if　not　one　of　the　most　brilliant；　at　least　one　of　the　most　singular　in　contemporary　history。

》From　the　middle　of　the　eighteenth　century　Turkey　had　been　a　prey　to　the　political　gangrene　of　which　she　is　vainly　trying　to　cure　herself　to…day；　and　which；　before　long；　will　dismember　her　in　the　sight　of　all　Europe。　　Anarchy　and　disorder　reigned　from　one　end　of　the　empire　to　the　other。　　The　Osmanli　race；　bred　on　conquest　alone；　proved　good　for　nothing　when　conquest　failed。　　It　naturally　therefore　came　to　pass　when　Sobieski；　who　saved　Christianity　under　the　walls　of　Vienna；　as　before　his　time　Charles　Martel　had　saved　it　on　the　plains　of　Poitiers；　had　set　bounds　to　the　wave　of　Mussulman　westward　invasion；　and　definitely　fixed　a　limit　which　it　should　not　pass；　that　the　Osmanli　warlike　instincts　recoiled　upon　themselves。　　The　haughty　descendants　of　Ortogrul；　who　considered　themselves　born　to　command；　seeing　victory　forsake　them；　fell　back　upon　tyranny。　　Vainly　did　reason　expostulate　that　oppression　could　not　long　be　exercised　by　hands　which　had　lost　their　strength；　and　that　peace　imposed　new　and　different　labours　on　those　who　no　longer　triumphed　in　war；　they　would　listen　to　nothing；　and；　as　fatalistic　when　condemned　to　a　state　of　peace　as　when　they　marched　forth　conquering　and　to　conquer；　they　cowered　down　in　magnificent　listlessness；　leaving　the　whole　burden　of　their　support　on　conquered　peoples。　　Like　ignorant　farmers；　who　exhaust　fertile　fields　by　forcing　crops；　they　rapidly　ruined　their　vast　and　rich　empire　by　exorbitant　exactions。　　Inexorable　conquerors　and　insatiable　masters；　with　one　hand　they　flogged　their　slaves　and　with　the　other　plundered　them。　　Nothing　was　superior　to　their　insolence；　nothing　on　a　level　with　their　greed。　　They　were　never　glutted；　and　never　relaxed　their　extortions。　　But　in　proportion　as　their　needs　increased　on　the　one　hand；　so　did　their　resources　diminish　on　the　other。　　Their　oppressed　subjects　soon　found　that　they　must　escape　at　any　cost　from　oppressors　whom　they　could　neither　appease　nor　satisfy。　　Each　population　took　the　steps　best　suited　to　its　position　and　character；　some　chose　inertia；　others　violence。　　The　inhabitants　of　the　plains；　powerless　and　shelterless；　bent　like　reeds　before　the　storm　and　evaded　the　shock　against　which　they　were　unable　to　stand。　　The　mountaineers　planted　themselves　like　rocks　in　a　torrent；　and　dammed　its　course　with　all　their　might。　　On　both　sides　arose　a　determined　resistance；　different　in　method；　similar　in　result。　　In　the　case　of　the　peasants　labour　came　to　a　stand…still；　in　that　of　the　hill　folk　open　war　broke　out。　　The　grasping　exactions　of　the　tyrant　dominant　body　produced　nothing　from　waste　lands　and　armed　mountaineers；　destitution　and　revolt　were　equally　beyond　their　power　to　cope　with；　and　all　that　was　left　for　tyranny　to　govern　was　a　desert　enclosed　by　a　wall。

But；　all　the　same；　the　wants　of　a　magnificent　sultan；　descendant　of　the　Prophet　and　distributor　of　crowns；　must　be　supplied；　and　to　do　this；　the　Sublime　Porte　needed　money。　　Unconsciously　imitating　the　Roman　Senate；　the　Turkish　Divan　put　up　the　empire　for　sale　by　public　auction。　　All　employments　were　sold　to　the　highest　bidder；　pachas；　beys；　cadis；　ministers　of　every　rank；　and　clerks　of　every　class　had　to　buy　their　posts　from　their　sovereign　and　get　the　money　back　out　of　his　subjects。　　They　spent　their　money　in　the　capital；　and　recuperated　themselves　in　the　provinces。　　And　as　there　was　no　other　law　than　their　master's　pleasure；　so　there；　was　no　other　guarantee　than　his　caprice。　　They　had　therefore　to　set　quickly　to　work；　the　post　might　be　lost　before　its　cost　had　been　recovered。　　Thus　all　the　science　of　administration　resolved　itself　into　plundering　as　much　and　as　quickly　as　possible。　　To　this　end；　the　delegate　of　imperial　power　delegated　in　his　turn；　on　similar　conditions；　other　agents　to　seize　for　him　and　for　themselves　all　they　could　lay　their　hands　on；　so　that　the　inhabitants　of　the　empire　might　be　divided　into　three　classesthose　who　were　striving　to　seize　everything；　those　who　were　trying　to　save　a　little；　and　those　who；　having　nothing　and　hoping　for　nothing；　took　no　interest　in　affairs　at　all。

Albania　was　one　of　the　most　difficult　provinces　to　manage。　　Its　inhabitants　were　poor；　brave；　and；　the　nature　of　the　country　was　mountainous　and　inaccessible。　　The　pashas　had　great　difficulty　in　collecting　tribute；　because　the　people　were　given　to　fighting　for　their　bread。　　Whether　Mahomedans　or　Christians；　the　Albanians　were　above　all　soldiers。　　Descended　on　the　one　side　from　the　unconquerable　Scythians；　on　the　other　from　the　ancient　Macedonians；　not　long　since　masters　of　the　world；　crossed　with　Norman　adventurers　brought　eastwards　by　the　great　movement　of　the　Crusades；　they　felt　the　blood　of　warriors　flow　in　their　veins；　and　that　war　was　their　element。　Sometimes　at　feud　with　one　another；　canton　against　canton；　village　against　village；　often　even　house　against　house；　sometimes　rebelling　against　the　government　their　sanjaks；　sometimes　in　league　with　these　against　the　sultan；　they　never　rested　from　combat　except　in　an　armed　peace。　　Each　tribe　had　its　military　organisation；　each　family　its　fortified　stronghold；　each　man　his　gun　on　his　shoulder。　　When　they　had　nothing　better　to　do；　they　tilled　their　fields；　or　mowed　their　neighbours'；　carrying　off；　it　should　be　noted；　the　crop；　or　pastured　their；　flocks；　watching　the　opportunity　to　trespass　over　pasture　limits。　　This　was　the　normal　and　regular　life　of　the　population　of　Epirus；　Thesprotia；　Thessaly；　and　Upper　Albania。　　Lower　Albania；　less　strong；　was　also　less　active　and　bold；　and　there；　as　in　many　other　parts　of　Turkey；　the　dalesman　was　often　the　prey　of　the　mountaineer。　It　was　in　the　mountain　districts　where　were　preserved　the　recollections　of　Scander　Beg；　and　where　the　manners　of　ancient　Laconia　prevailed；　the　deeds　of　the　brave　soldier　were　sung　on　the　lyre；　and　the　skilful　robber　quoted　as　an　example　to　the　children　by　the　father　of　the　family。　　Village　feasts　were　held　on　the　booty　taken　from　strangers；　and　the　favourite　dish　was　always　a　stolen　sheep。　　Every　man　was　esteemed　in　proportion　to　his　skill　and　courage；　and　a　man's　chances　of　making　a　good　match　were　greatly　enhanced　when　he　acquired　the　reputation　of　being　an　agile　mountaineer　and　a　good　bandit。

The　Albanians　proudly　called　this　anarchy　liberty；　and　religiously　guarded　a　state　of　disorder　bequeathed　by　their　ancestors；　which　always　assured　the　first　place　to　the　most　valiant。

It　was　amidst　men　and　manners　such　as　these　that　Ali　Tepeleni　was　born。　　He　boasted　that　he　belonged　to　the　conquering　race；　and　that　he　descended　from　an　ancient　Anatolian　family　which　had　crossed　into　Albania　with　the　troops　of　Bajazet　Ilderim。　　But　it　is　made　certain　by　the　learned　researches　of　M。　de　Pouqueville　that　he　sprang　from　a　native　stock；