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 inde