ali pacha-第15部分

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nfidels　dared　to　set　foot　in　the　town　before　the　appointed　hour。　Xenocles；　the　last　of　the　Greek　poets；　inspired　by　this　sublime　manifestation　of　despair；　even　as　Jeremiah　by　the　fall　of　Jerusalem；　improvised　a　hymn　which　expresses　all　the　grief　of　the　exiles；　and　which　the　exiles　interrupted　by　their　tears　and　sobs。

A　messenger；　crossing　the　sea　in　all　haste；　informed　the　Lord　High　Commissioner　of　the　terrible　threat　of　the　Parganiotes。　　He　started　at　once；　accompanied　by　General　Sir　Frederic　Adams；　and　landed　at　Parga　by　the　light　of　the　funeral　pyre。　　He　was　received　with　ill…concealed　indignation；　and　with　assurances　that　the　sacrifice　would　be　at　once　consummated　unless　Ali's　troops　were　held　back。　　The　general　endeavoured　to　console　and　to　reassure　the　unhappy　people；　and　then　proceeded　to　the　outposts；　traversing　silent　streets　in　which　armed　men　stood　at　each　door　only　waiting　a　signal　before　slaying　their　families；　and　then　turning　their　weapons　against　the　English　and　themselves。　　He　implored　them　to　have　patience；　and　they　answered　by　pointing　to　the　approaching　Turkish　army　and　bidding　him　hasten。　　He　arrived　at　last　and　commenced　negotiations；　and　the　Turkish　officers；　no　less　uneasy　than　the　English　garrison；　promised　to　wait　till　the　appointed　hour。　　The　next　day　passed　in　mournful　silence；　quiet　as　death；　At　sunset　on　the　following　day；　May　9；　1819；　the　English　standard　on　the　castle　of　Parga　was　hauled　down；　and　after　a　night　spent　in　prayer　and　weeping；　the　Christians　demanded　the　signal　of　departure。

They　had　left　their　dwellings　at　break　of　day；　and　scattering　on　the　shore；　endeavoured　to　collect　some　relics　of　their　country。　　Some　filled　little　bags　with　ashes　withdrawn　from　the　funeral　pile；　others　took　handfuls　of　earth；　while　the　women　and　children　picked　up　pebbles　which　they　hid　in　their　clothing　and　pressed　to　their　bosoms；　as　if　fearing　to　be　deprived　of　them。　　Meanwhile；　the　ships　intended　to　transport　them　arrived；　and　armed　English　soldiers　superintended　the　embarkation；　which　the　Turks　hailed　from　afar　with；　ferocious　cries。　　The　Parganiotes　were　landed　in　Corfu；　where　they　suffered　yet　more　injustice。　　Under　various　pretexts　the　money　promised　them　was　reduced　and　withheld；　until　destitution　compelled　them　to　accept　the　little　that　was　offered。　　Thus　closed　one　of　the　most　odious　transactions　which　modern　history　has　been　compelled　to　record。

The　satrap　of　Janina　had　arrived　at　the　fulfilment　of　his　wishes。　　In　the　retirement　of　his　fairy…like　palace　by　the　lake　he　could　enjoy　voluptuous　pleasures　to　the　full。　　But　already　seventy…eight　years　had　passed　over　his　head；　and　old　age　had　laid　the　burden　of　infirmity　upon　him。　　His　dreams　were　dreams　of　blood；　and　vainly　he　sought　refuge　in　chambers　glittering　with　gold；　adorned　with　arabesques；　decorated　with　costly　armour　and　covered　with　the　richest　of　Oriental　carpets；　remorse　stood　ever　beside　him。　　Through　the　magnificence　which　surrounded　him　there　constantly　passed　the　gale　spectre　of　Emineh；　leading　onwards　a　vast　procession　of　mournful　phantoms；　and　the　guilty　pasha　buried　his　face　in　his　hands　and　shrieked　aloud　for　help。　　Sometimes；　ashamed　of　his　weakness；　he　endeavoured　to　defy　both　the　reproaches　of　his　conscience　and　the　opinion　of　the　multitude；　and　sought　to　encounter　criticism　with　bravado。　　If；　by　chance；　he　overheard　some　blind　singer　chanting　in　the　streets　the　satirical　verses　which；　faithful　to　the　poetical　and　mocking　genius　of　them　ancestors；　the　Greeks　frequently　composed　about　him；　he　would　order　the　singer　to　be　brought；　would　bid　him　repeat　his　verses；　and；　applauding　him；　would　relate　some　fresh　anecdote　of　cruelty；　saying；　〃Go；　add　that　to　thy　tale；　let　thy　hearers　know　what　I　can　do；　let　them　understand　that　I　stop　at　nothing　in　order　to　overcome　my　foes！　　If　I　reproach　myself　with　anything；　it　is　only　with　the　deeds　I　have　sometimes　failed　to　carry　out。〃

Sometimes　it　was　the　terrors　of　the　life　after　death　which　assailed　him。　　The　thought　of　eternity　brought　terrible　visions　in　its　train；　and　Ali　shuddered　at　the　prospect　of　Al…Sirat；　that　awful　bridge；　narrow　as　a　spider's　thread　and　hanging　over　the　furnaces　of　Hell；　which　a　Mussulman　must　cross　in　order　to　arrive　at　the　gate　of　Paradise。　　He　ceased　to　joke　about　Eblis；　the　Prince　of　Evil；　and　sank　by　degrees　into　profound　superstition。　　He　was　surrounded　by　magicians　and　soothsayers；　he　consulted　omens；　and　demanded　talismans　and　charms　from　the　dervishes；　which　he　had　either　sewn　into　his　garments；　or　suspended　in　the　most　secret　parts　of　his　palace；　in　order　to　avert　evil　influences。　　A　Koran　was　hung　about　his　neck　as　a　defence　against　the　evil　eye；　and　frequently　he　removed　it　and　knelt　before　it；　as　did　Louis　XI　before　the　leaden　figures　of　saints　which　adorned　his　hat。　　He　ordered　a　complete　chemical　laboratory　from　Venice；　and　engaged　alchemists　to　distill　the　water　of　immortality；　by　the　help　of　which　he　hoped　to　ascend　to　the　planets　and　discover　the　Philosopher's　Stone。　　Not　perceiving　any　practical　result　of　their　labours；　he　ordered；　the　laboratory　to　be　burnt　and　the　alchemists　to　be　hung。

Ali　hated　his　fellow…men。　　He　would　have　liked　to　leave　no　survivors；　and　often　regretted　his　inability　to　destroy　all　those　who　would　have　cause　to　rejoice　at　his　death；　Consequently　he　sought　to　accomplish　as　much　harm　as　he　could　during　the　time　which　remained　to　him；　and　for　no　possible　reason　but　that　of　hatred；　he　caused　the　arrest　of　both　Ibrahim　Pasha；　who　had　already　suffered　so　much　at　his　hands；　and　his　son；　and　confined　them　both　in　a　dungeon　purposely　constructed　under　the　grand　staircase　of　the　castle　by　the　lake；　in　order　that　he　might　have　the　pleasure　of　passing　over　their　heads　each　time　he　left　his　apartments　or　returned　to　them。

It　was　not　enough　for　Ali　merely　to　put　to　death　those　who　displeased　him；　the　form　of　punishment　must　be　constantly　varied　in　order　to　produce　a　fresh　mode　of　suffering；　therefore　new　tortures　had　to　be　constantly　invented。　　Now　it　was　a　servant；　guilty　of　absence　without　leave；　who　was　bound　to　a　stake　in　the　presence　of　his　sister；　and　destroyed　by　a　cannon　placed　six　paces　off；　but　only　loaded　with　powder；　in　order　to　prolong　the　agony；　now；　a　Christian　accused　of　having　tried　to　blow　up　Janina　by　introducing　mice　with　tinder　fastened　to　their　tails　into　the　powder　magazine；　who　was　shut　up　in　the　cage　of　Ali's　favourite　tiger　and　devoured　by　it。

The　pasha　despised　the　human　race　as　much　as　he　hated　it。　　A　European　having　reproached　him　with　the　cruelty　shown　to　his　subjects；　Ali　replied：

〃You　do　not　understand　the　race　with　which　I　have　to　deal。　　Were　I　to　hang　a　criminal　on　yonder　tree；　the　sight　would　not　deter　even　his　own　brother　from　stealing　in　the　crowd　at　its　foot。　　If　I　had　an　old　man　burnt　alive；　his　son　would　steal　the　ashes　and　sell　them。　　The　rabble　can　be　governed　by　fear　only；　and　I　am　the　one　man　who　does　it　successfully。〃

His　conduct　perfectly　corresponded　to　his　ideas。　　One　great　feast…day；　two　gipsies　devoted　their　lives　in　order　to　avert　the　evil　destiny　of　the　pasha；　and；　solemnly　convoking　on　their　own　heads　all　misfortunes　which　might　possibly　befall　him；　cast　themselves　down　from　the　palace　roof。　　One　arose　with　difficulty；　stunned　and　suffering；　the　other　remained　on　the　ground　with　a　broken　leg。　　Ali　gave　them　each　forty　francs　and　an　annuity　of　two　pounds　of　maize　daily；　and　considering　this　sufficient；　took　no　further　trouble　about　them。

Every　year；　at　Ramadan；　a　large　sum　was　distributed　in　alms　among　poor　women　without　distinction　of　sect。　　But　Ali　contrived　to　change　this　act　of　benevolence　into　a　barbarous　form　of　amusement。

As　he　possessed　several　palaces　in　Janina　at　a　considerable　distance　from　each　other；　the　one　at　which　a　distribution　was　to　take　place　was　each　day　publicly　announced；　and　when　the　women　had　waited　there　for　an　hour　or　two；　exposed　to　sun；　rain　or　cold；　as　the　case　might　be；　they　were　suddenly　informed　that　they　must　go　to　some　other　palace；　at　the　opposite　end　of　the　town。　　When　they　got　there；　they　usually　had　to　wait　for　another　hour；　fortunate　if　they　were　not　sent　off　to　a　third　place　of　meeting。　　When　the　time　at　length　arrived；　an　eunuch　appeared；　followed　by　Albanian　soldiers　armed　with　staves；　carrying　a　bag　of　money；　which　he　threw　by　handfuls　right　into　the　midst　of　the　assembly。　　Then　began　a　terrible　uproar。　　The　women　rushed　to　catch　it；　upsetting　each　other；　quarreling；　fighting；　and　uttering　cries　of　terror　and　pain；　while　the　Albanians；　pretending　to　enforce　order；　pushed　into　the　crowd；　striking　right　and　left　with　their　batons。　　The　pacha　meanwhile　sat　at　a　window　enjoying　the　spectacle；　and　impartially　applauding　all　well　delivered　blows；　no　matter　whence　they　came。　　During　these　distributions；　which　really　benefitted　no　one；　many　women　were　always　severely　hurt；　and　some　died　from　the　blows　they　had　received。

Ali　maintained　several　carriages　for　himself　and　his　family；　but　allowed　no　one　else　to　share　in　this　prerogative。　　To　avoid　being　jolted；　he　simply　took　up　the　pavement　in　Janina　and　the　neighbouring　towns；　with　the　result　that　in　summer　one　was　choked　by　dust；　and　in　winter　could　hardly　get　through　the　mud。　　He