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 rejoiced in the public inconvenience, and
one d