ali pacha-第18部分

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rates；　coiners；　renegades；　assassins；　whom　he　kept　in　his　pay　and　regarded　as　his　best　support。　These　he　sought　to　attach　to　his　person　as　men　who　might　some　day　be　found　useful；　for　he　did　not　allow　the　many　favours　of　fortune　to　blind　him　to　the　real　danger　of　his　position。　　A　vizier；〃　he　was　answered；　〃resembles　a　man　wrapped　in　costly　furs；　but　he　sits　on　a　barrel　of　powder；　which　only　requires　a　spark　to　explode　it。〃　　The　Divan　granted　all　the　concessions　which　Ali　demanded；　affecting　ignorance　of　his　projects　of　revolt　and　his　intelligence　with　the　enemies　of　the　State；　but　then　apparent　weakness　was　merely　prudent　temporising。　It　was　considered　that　Ali；　already　advanced　in　years；　could　not　live　much　longer；　and　it　was　hoped　that；　at　his　death；　Continental　Greece；　now　in　some　measure　detached　from　the　Ottoman　rule；　would　again　fall　under　the　sultan's　sway。

Meanwhile；　Pacho　Bey；　bent　on　silently　undermining　Ali's　influence；　had　established　himself　as　an　intermediary　for　all　those　who　came　to　demand　justice　on　account　of　the　pacha's　exactions；　and　he　contrived　that　both　his　own　complaints　and　those　of　his　clients；　should　penetrate　to　the　ears　of　the　sultan；　who；　pitying　his　misfortunes；　made　him　a　kapidgi…bachi；　as　a　commencement　of　better　things。　　About　this　time　the　sultan　also　admitted　to　the　Council　a　certain　Abdi　Effendi　of　Larissa；　one　of　the　richest　nobles　of　Thessaly；　who　had　been　compelled　by　the　tyranny　of　Veli　Pacha　to　fly　from　his　country。　The　two　new　dignitaries；　having　secured　Khalid　Effendi　as　a　partisan；　resolved　to　profit　by　his　influence　to　carry　out　their　plans　of　vengeance　on　the　Tepelenian　family。　　The　news　of　Pacho　Bey's　promotion　roused　Ali　from　the　security　in　which　he　was　plunged；　and　he　fell　a　prey　to　the　most　lively　anxiety。　　Comprehending　at　once　the　evil　which　this　man；trained　in　his　own　school；　might　cause　him；　he　exclaimed；　〃　Ah！　if　Heaven　would　only　restore　me　the　strength　of　my　youth；　I　would　plunge　my　sword　into　his　heart　even　in　the　midst　of　the　Divan。〃

It　was　not　long　before　Ali's　enemies　found　an　extremely　suitable　opportunity　for　opening　their　attack。　　Veli　Pacha；　who　had　for　his　own　profit　increased　the　Thessalian　taxation　fivefold；　had　in　doing　so　caused　so　much　oppression　that　many　of　the　inhabitants　preferred　the　griefs　and　dangers　of　emigration　rather　than　remain　under　so　tyrannical　a　rule。　　A　great　number　of　Greeks　sought　refuge　at　Odessa；　and　the　great　Turkish　families　assembled　round　Pacho　Bey　and　Abdi　Effendi　at　Constantinople；　who　lost　no　opportunity　of　interceding　in　their　favour。　　The　sultan；　who　as　yet　did　not　dare　to　act　openly　against　the　Tepelenian　family；　was　at　least　able　to　relegate　Veli　to　the　obscure　post　of　Lepanto；　and　Veli；　much　disgusted；　was　obliged　to　obey。　　He　quitted　the　new　palace　he　had　just　built　at　Rapehani；　and　betook　himself　to　the　place　of　exile；　accompanied　by　actors；　Bohemian　dancers；　bear　leaders；　and　a　crowd　of　prostitutes。

Thus　attacked　in　the　person　of　his　most　powerful　son；　Ali　thought　to　terrify　his　enemies　by　a　daring　blow。　　He　sent　three　Albanians　to　Constantinople　to　assassinate　Pacho　Bey。　　They　fell　upon　him　as　he　was　proceeding　to　the　Mosque　of　Saint…Sophia；　on　the　day　on　which　the　sultan　also　went　in　order　to　be　present　at　the　Friday　ceremonial　prayer；　and　fired　several　shots　at　him。　　He　was　wounded；　but　not　mortally。

The　assassins；　caught　red…handed；　were　hung　at　the　gate　of　the　Imperial　Seraglio；　but　not　before　confessing　that　they　were　sent　by　the　Pacha　of　Janina。　　The　Divan；　comprehending　at　last　that　so　dangerous　a　man　must　be　dealt　with　at　any　cost；　recapitulated　all　Ali's　crimes；　and　pronounced　a　sentence　against　him　which　was　confirmed　by　a　decree　of　the　Grand　Mufti。　　It　set　forth　that　Ali　Tepelen；　having　many　times　obtained　pardon　for　his　crimes；　was　now　guilty　of　high　treason　in　the　first　degree；　and　that　he　would；　as　recalcitrant；　be　placed　under　the　ban　of　the　Empire　if　he　did　not　within　forty　days　appear　at　the　Gilded　Threshold　of　the　Felicitous　Gate　of　the　Monarch　who　dispenses　crowns　to　the　princes　who　reign　in　this　world；　in　order　to　justify　himself。　　As　may　be　supposed；　submission　to　such　an　order　was　about　the　last　thing　Ali　contemplated。　　As　he　failed　to　appear；　the　Divan　caused　the　Grand　Mufti　to　launch　the　thunder　of　excommunication　against　him。

Ali　had　just　arrived　at　Parga；　which　he　now　saw　for　the　third　time　since　he　had　obtained　it；　when　his　secretaries　informed　him　that　only　the　rod　of　Moses　could　save　him　from　the　anger　of　Pharaoha　figurative　mode　of　warning　him　that　he　had　nothing　to　hope　for。　　But　Ali；　counting　on　his　usual　luck；　persisted　in　imagining　that　he　could；　once　again；　escape　from　his　difficulty　by　the　help　of　gold　and　intrigue。　　Without　discontinuing　the　pleasures　in　which　he　was　immersed；　he　contented　himself　with　sending　presents　and　humble　petitions　to　Constantinople。　　But　both　were　alike　useless；　for　no　one　even　ventured　to　transmit　them　to　the　sultan；　who　had　sworn　to　cut　off　the　head　of　anyone　who　dared　mention　the　name　of　Ali　Tepelen　in　his　presence。

Receiving　no　answer　to　his　overtures；　Ali　became　a　prey　to　terrible　anxiety。　　As　he　one　day　opened　the　Koran　to　consult　it　as　to　his　future；　his　divining　rod　stopped　at　verse　82；　chap。　xix。；　which　says；　〃He　doth　flatter　himself　in　vain。　　He　shall　appear　before　our　tribunal　naked　and　bare。〃　　Ali　closed　the　book　and　spat　three　times　into　his　bosom。　　He　was　yielding　to　the　most　dire　presentiments；　when　a　courier；　arriving　from　the　capital；　informed　him　that　all　hope　of　pardon　was　lost。

He　ordered　his　galley　to　be　immediately　prepared；　and　left　his　seraglio；　casting　a　look　of　sadness　on　the　beautiful　gardens　where　only　yesterday　he　had　received　the　homage　of　his　prostrate　slaves。　He　bade　farewell　to　his　wives；　saying　that　he　hoped　soon　to　return；　and　descended　to　the　shore；　where　the　rowers　received　him　with　acclamations。　　The　sail　was　set　to　a　favourable　breeze；　and　Ali；　leaving　the　shore　he　was　never　to　see　again；　sailed　towards　Erevesa；　where　he　hoped　to　meet　the　Lord　High　Commissioner　Maitland。　　But　the　time　of　prosperity　had　gone　by；　and　the　regard　which　had　once　been　shown　him　changed　with　his　fortunes。　　The　interview　he　sought　was　not　granted。

The　sultan　now　ordered　a　fleet　to　be　equipped；　which；　after　Ramadan；　was　to　disembark　troops　on　the　coast　of　Epirus；　while　all　the　neighbouring　pashas　received　orders　to　hold　themselves　in　readiness　to　march　with　all　the　troops　of　their　respective　Governments　against　Ali；　whose　name　was　struck　out　of　the　list　of　viziers。　　Pacho　Bey　was　named　Pasha　of　Janina　and　Delvino　on　condition　of　subduing　them；　and　was　placed　in　command　of　the　whole　expedition。

However；　notwithstanding　these　orders；　there　was　not　at　the　beginning　of　April；　two　months　after　the　attempted　assassination　of　Pacho　Bey；　a　single　soldier　ready　to　march　on　Albania。　　Ramadan；　that　year；　did　not　close　until　the　new　moon　of　July。　　Had　Ali　put　himself　boldly　at　the　head　of　the　movement　which　was　beginning　to　stir　throughout　Greece；　he　might　have　baffled　these　vacillating　projects；　and　possibly　dealt　a　fatal　blow　to　the　Ottoman　Empire。　　As　far　back　as　1808；　the　Hydriotes　had　offered　to　recognise　his　son　Veli；　then　Vizier　of　the　Morea；　as　their　Prince；　and　to　support　him　in　every　way；　if　he　would　proclaim　the　independence　pf　the　Archipelago。　　The　Moreans　bore　him　no　enmity　until　he　refused　to　help　them　to　freedom；　and　would　have　returned　to　him　had　he　consented。

On　the　other　side；　the　sultan；　though　anxious　for　war；　would　not　spend　a　penny　in　order　to　wage　it；　and　it　was　not　easy　to　corrupt　some　of　the　great　vassals　ordered　to　march　at　their　own　expense　against　a　man　in　whose　downfall　they　had　no　special　interest。　　Nor　were　the　means　of　seduction　wanting　to　Ali；　whose　wealth　was　enormous；　but　he　preferred　to　keep　it　in　order　to　carry　on　the　war　which　he　thought　he　could　no　longer　escape。　　He　made；　therefore；　a　general　appeal　to　all　Albanian　warriors；　whatever　their　religion。　Mussulmans　and　Christians；　alike　attracted　by　the　prospect　of　booty　and　good　pay；　flocked　to　his　standard　in　crowds。

He　organised　all　these　adventurers　on　the　plan　of　the　Armatous；　by　companies；　placing　a　captain　of　his　own　choice　at　the　head　of　each；　and　giving　each　company　a　special　post　to　defend。　　Of　all　possible　plans　this　was　the　best　adapted　to　his　country；　where　only　a　guerilla　warfare　can　be　carried　on；　and　where　a　large　army　could　not　subsist。

In　repairing　to　the　posts　assigned　to　them；　these　troops　committed　such　terrible　depredations　that　the　provinces　sent　to　Constantinople　demanding　their　suppression。　　The　Divan　answered　the　petitioners　that　it　was　their　own　business　to　suppress　these　disorders；　and　to　induce　the　Klephotes　to　turn　their　arms　against　Ali；　who　had　nothing　to　hope　from　the　clemency　of　the　Grand　Seigneur。　　At　the　same　time　circular　letters　were　addressed　to　the　Epirotes；　warning　them　to　abandon　the　cause　of　a　rebel；　and　to　consider　the　best　means　of　freeing　themselves　from　a　traitor；　who；　having　long　oppressed　them；　now　sought　to　draw　down　on　their　country　all　the　terrors　of　war。　　Ali；　who　every　where　maintained　numerous　and　active　spies；　now　redoubled　his　watchfulness；　and　not　a　single　letter　entered　Epirus　without　being