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　active　spies；　now　redoubled　his　watchfulness；　and　not　a　single　letter　entered　Epirus　without　being　opened　and　read　by　his　agents。　　As　an　extra　precaution；　the　guardians　of　the　passes　were　enjoined　to　slay　without　mercy　any　despatch…bearer　not　provided　with　an　order　signed　by　Ali　himself；　and　to　send　to　Janina　under　escort　any　travellers　wishing　to　enter　Epirus。　These　measures　were　specially　aimed　against　Suleyman　Pacha；　who　had　succeeded　Veli　in　the　government　of　Thessaly；　and　replaced　Ali　himself　in　the　office　of　Grand　Provost　of　the　Highways。　Suleyman's　secretary　was　a　Greek　called　Anagnorto；　a　native　of　Macedonia；　whose　estates　Ali　had　seized；　and　who　had　fled　with　his　family　to　escape　further　persecution。　　He　had　become　attached　to　the　court　party；　less　for　the　sake　of　vengeance　on　Ali　than　to　aid　the　cause　of　the　Greeks；　for　whose　freedom　he　worked　by　underhand　methods。　　He　persuaded　Suleyman　Pacha　that　the　Greeks　would　help　him　to　dethrone　Ali；　for　whom　they　cherished　the　deepest　hatred；　and　he　was　determined　that　they　should　learn　the　sentence　of　deprivation　and　excommunication　fulminated　against　the　rebel　pacha。　　He　introduced　into　the　Greek　translation　which　he　was　commissioned　to　make；　ambiguous　phrases　which　were　read　by　the　Christians　as　a　call　to　take　up　arms　in　the　cause　of　liberty。　　In　an　instant；　all　Hellas　was　up　in　arms。　　The　Mohammedans　were　alarmed；　but　the　Greeks　gave　out　that　it　was　in　order　to　protect　themselves　and　their　property　against　the　bands　of　brigands　which　had　appeared　on　all　sides。　　This　was　the　beginning　of　the　Greek　insurrection；　and　occurred　in　May　1820；　extending　from　Mount　Pindus　to　Thermopylae。　　However；　the　Greeks；　satisfied　with　having　vindicated　their　right　to　bear　arms　in　their　own　defence；　continued　to　pay　their　taxes；　and　abstained　from　all　hostility。

At　the　news　of　this　great　movement；　Ali's　friends　advised　him　to　turn　it　to　his　own　advantage。　　〃The　Greeks　in　arms；〃　said　they；　〃want　a　chief：　offer　yourself　as　their　leader。　　They　hate　you；　it　is　true；　but　this　feeling　may　change。　　It　is　only　necessary　to　make　them　believe；　which　is　easily　done；　that　if　they　will　support　your　cause　you　will　embrace　Christianity　and　give　them　freedom。〃

There　was　no　time　to　lose；　for　matters　became　daily　more　serious。　Ali　hastened　to　summon　what　he　called　a　Grand　Divan；　composed　of　the　chiefs　of　both　sects；　Mussulmans　and　Christians。　　There　were　assembled　men　of　widely　different　types；　much　astonished　at　finding　themselves　in　company：　the　venerable　Gabriel；　Archbishop　of　Janina；　and　uncle　of　the　unfortunate　Euphrosyne；　who　had　been　dragged　thither　by　force；　Abbas；　the　old　head　of　the　police；　who　had　presided　at　the　execution　of　the　Christian　martyr；　the　holy　bishop　of　Velas；　still　bearing　the　marks　of　the　chains　with　which　Ali　had　loaded　him；　and　Porphyro；　Archbishop　of　Arta；　to　whom　the　turban　would　have　been　more　becoming　than　the　mitre。

Ashamed　of　the　part　he　was　obliged　to　play；　Ali；　after　long　hesitation；　decided　on　speaking；　and；　addressing　the　Christians；　〃O　Greeks！〃　he　said；　〃examine　my　conduct　with　unprejudiced　minds；　and　you　will　see　manifest　proofs　of　the　confidence　and　consideration　which　I　have　ever　shown　you。　　What　pacha　has　ever　treated　you　as　I　have　done？　　Who　would　have　treated　your　priests　and　the　objects　of　your　worship　with　as　much　respect？　　Who　else　would　have　conceded　the　privileges　which　you　enjoy？　for　you　hold　rank　in　my　councils；　and　both　the　police　and　the　administration　of　my　States　are　in　your　hands。　　I　do　not；　however；　seek　to　deny　the　evils　with　which　I　have　afflicted　you；　but；　alas！　these　evils　have　been　the　result　of　my　enforced　obedience　to　the　cruel　and　perfidious　orders　of　the　Sublime　Porte。　　It　is　to　the　Porte　that　these　wrongs　must　be　attributed；　for　if　my　actions　be　attentively　regarded　it　will　be　seen　that　I　only　did　harm　when　compelled　thereto　by　the　course　of　events。　　Interrogate　my　actions；　they　will　speak　more　fully　than　a　detailed　apology。

〃My　position　with　regard　to　the　Suliotes　allowed　no　half…and…half　measures。　　Having　once　broken　with　them；　I　was　obliged　either　to　drive　them　from　my　country　or　to　exterminate　them。　　I　understood　the　political　hatred　of　the　Ottoman　Cabinet　too　well　not　to　know　that　it　would　declare　war　against　me　sooner　or　later；　and　I　knew　that　resistance　would　be　impossible；　if　on　one　side　I　had　to　repel　the　Ottoman　aggression；　and　on　the　other　to　fight　against　the　formidable　Suliotes。

〃I　might　say　the　same　of　the　Parganiotes。　　You　know　that　their　town　was　the　haunt　of　my　enemies；　and　each　time　that　I　appealed　to　them　to　change　their　ways　they　answered　only　with　insults　and　threats。　　They　constantly　aided　the　Suliotes　with　whom　I　was　at　war；　and　if　at　this　moment　they　still　were　occupying　Parga；　you　would　see　them　throw　open　the　gates　of　Epirus　to　the　forces　of　the　sultan。　　But　all　this　does　not　prevent　my　being　aware　that　my　enemies　blame　me　severely；　and　indeed　I　also　blame　myself；　and　deplore　the　faults　which　the　difficulty　of　my　position　has　entailed　upon　me。　　Strong　in　my　repentance；　I　do　not　hesitate　to　address　myself　to　those　whom　I　have　most　grievously　wounded。　　Thus　I　have　long　since　recalled　to　my　service　a　great　number　of　Suliotes；　and　those　who　have　responded　to　my　invitation　are　occupying　important　posts　near　my　person。　　To　complete　the　reconciliation；　I　have　written　to　those　who　are　still　in　exile；　desiring　them　to　return　fearlessly　to　their　country；　and　I　have　certain　information　that　this　proposal　has　been　everywhere　accepted　with　enthusiasm。　　The　Suliotes　will　soon　return　to　their　ancestral　houses；　and；　reunited　under　my　standard；　will　join　me　in　combating　the　Osmanlis；　our　common　enemies。

〃As　to　the　avarice　of　which　I　am　accused；　it　seems　easily　justified　by　the　constant　necessity　I　was　under　of　satisfying　the　inordinate　cupidity　of　the　Ottoman　ministry；　which　incessantly　made　me　pay　dearly　for　tranquillity。　　This　was　a　personal　affair；　I　acknowledge；　and　so　also　is　the　accumulation　of　treasure　made　in　order　to　support　the　war；　which　the　Divan　has　at　length　declared。〃

Here　Ali　ceased；　then　having　caused　a　barrel　full　of　gold　pieces　to　be　emptied　on　the　floor；　he　continued：

〃Behold　a　part　of　the　treasure　I　have　preserved　with　so　much　care；　and　which　has　been　specially　obtained　from　the　Turks；　our　common　enemies：　it　is　yours。　　I　am　now　more　than　ever　delighted　at　being　the　friend　of　the　Greeks。　　Their　bravery　is　a　sure　earnest　of　victory；　and　we　will　shortly　re…establish　the　Greek　Empire；　and　drive　the　Osmanlis　across　the　Bosphorus。　　O　bishops　and　priests　of　Issa　the　prophet！　bless　the　arms　of　the　Christians；　your　children。　　O　primates！　　I　call　upon　you　to　defend　your　rights；　and　to　rule　justly　the　brave　nation　associated　with　my　interests。〃

This　discourse　produced　very　different　impressions　on　the　Christian　priests　and　archons。　　Some　replied　only　by　raising　looks　of　despair　to　Heaven；　others　murmured　their　adhesion。　　A　great　number　remained　uncertain；　not　knowing　what　to　decide。　　The　Mirdite　chief；　he　who　had　refused　to　slaughter　the　Kardikiotes；　declared　that　neither　he　nor　any　Skipetar　of　the　Latin　communion　would　bear　arms　against　their　legitimate　sovereign　the　sultan。　　But　his　words　were　drowned　by　cries　of　〃Long　live　Ali　Pasha！　　Long　live　the　restorer　of　liberty！〃　uttered　by　some　chiefs　of　adventurers　and　brigands。




CHAPTER　IX

Yet　next　day；　May　24th；　1820；　Ali　addressed　a　；circular　letter　to　his　brothers　the　Christians；　announcing　that　in　future　he　would　consider　them　as　his　most　faithful　subjects；　and　that　henceforth　he　remitted　the　taxes　paid　to　his　own　family。　　He　wound　up　by　asking　for　soldiers；　but　the　Greeks　having　learnt　the　instability　of　his　promises；　remained　deaf　to　his　invitations。　　At　the　same　time　he　sent　messengers　to　the　Montenegrins　and　the　Servians；　inciting　them　to　revolt；　and　organised　insurrections　in　Wallachia　and　Moldavia　to　the　very　environs　of　Constantinople。

Whilst　the　Ottoman　vassals　assembled　only　in　small　numbers　and　very　slowly　under　their　respective　standards；　every　day　there　collected　round　the　castle　of　Janina　whole　companies　of　Toxidae；　of　Tapazetae；　and　of　Chamidae；　so　that　Ali；　knowing　that　Ismail　Pacho　Bey　had　boasted　that　he　could　arrive　in　sight　of　Janina　without　firing　a　gun；　said　in　his　turn　that　he　would　not　treat　with　the　Porte　until　he　and　his　troops　should　be　within　eight　leagues　of　Constantinople。

He　had　fortified　and　supplied　with　munitions　of　war　Ochrida；　Avlone；　Cannia；　Berat；　Cleisoura；　Premiti；　the　port　of　Panormus；　Santi…Quaranta；　Buthrotum；　Delvino；　Argyro…Castron；　Tepelen；　Parga；　Prevesa；　Sderli；　Paramythia；　Arta；　the　post　of　the　Five　Wells；　Janina　and　its　castles。　　These　places　contained　four　hundred　and　twenty　cannons　of　all　sizes；　for　the　most　part　in　bronze；　mounted　on　siege…carriages；　and　seventy　mortars。　　Besides　these；　there　were　in　the　castle　by　the　lake；　independently　of　the　guns　in　position；　forty　field…pieces；　sixty　mountain　guns；　a　number　of　Congreve　rockets；　formerly　given　him　by　the　English；　and　an　enormous　quantity　of　munitions　of　war。　　Finally；　he　endeavoured　to　establish　a　line　of　semaphores　between　Janina　and　Prevesa；　in　order　to　have　prompt　news　of　the　Turkish　fleet；　which　was　expected　to　appear　on　this　coast。