ctive 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