326

CHARACTER OF VELY PASHA.

inordinate passions often urged him on to acts of the most rapacious injustice. He had a fine person, set off by the most engaging manners, with much natural sagacity and good sense: nor was he devoid of courage, or uninfluenced by the love of military glory. In his political career he had devoted himself constantly to the interests of his lawful sovereign, and probably there did not exist a more attached and faithful subject of the Porte. When he held the government of the Morea, he received a proposal from the inhabitants of the flourishing isles of Hydra, Spezie, and Poros, to place themselves under his protection, and pay the tribute to him instead of the Capudan Pasha. His father Ali would have gladly accepted such an offer, and fought with the Capudan Pasha for his acquisition ; but Vely, in a courteous and conciliatory manner declined it, and recommended the islanders to remain peaceable and submissive to lawful authority. He aspired to the highest post in the empire, but the Porte did not think proper to indulge him in his wishes; it preferred keeping him in the vicinity of his father, since it is thought that one of the Sultan's plans was to support him in his attempt to succeed Ali, in order, by his means, to recover a province which was in some measure disjointed from the Ottoman empire. In that event Vely would have abandoned all those foreign relations which were courted by his father, and would have owned implicit allegiance to the Sultan on this account there was a large party of Osmanli Turks who favoured his pretensions, and exulted secretly in the hope of recovering that power which they used formerly to exercise over their Christian slaves.

Salee Pasha, the vizir's youngest son, born of a Circassian slave, was about twenty-two years of age at his death. When we were introduced to him in his residence at Argyro-Castro, he appeared to be a youth of good un

CHARACTER OF SALEE PASHA.

327

derstanding and amiable disposition, but his character was not then developed: it is said that he possessed many of his father's good qualities and some of his vices. He had a fair complexion, with a pleasing countenance, very much resembling that of Ali in his youthful days. Those who were best acquainted with the vizir's character and sentiments, were decided in their opinion that he intended Salee for his successor, and that he always had an eye in his domestic and political arrangements to the accomplishment of this design. It is supposed that the great fortress of Argyro-Castro was built on purpose to give him that strong-hold as a residence amidst his father's faithful clan, and an opportunity of rendering himself his successor in their affections: the mode of his education, which improved his mind, and hardened his constitution, tended to qualify him for this undertaking. His food was plain, and his exercise regular: he was obliged even to carry bricks and stones, and submit to the same labour as the common workmen in the construction of the fortifications: moreover his tutors and the governor were enjoined to exact the most implicit deference to their commands. For many years all the landed property purchased by Ali was registered in the name of Salee Bey, whilst his immense stock of jewels and the contents of his treasuries were partly intended to support this son's pretensions after his own decease. With this view also he banished and put to death so many pashas and beys, and endeavoured to exterminate all those independent Albanian chiefs whose struggles to regain their power might have interfered with the interests of his heir; and had he lived much longer, the whole race would have been extinct. As these were nearly all Mahometans, the indignation of the Turks against Ali was far greater than that of any other class among his

328

STATE OF ALI AT HIS DEATH.

subjects; and they would have gladly joined any party to throw off his yoke.

The gradual and natural decay of Ali's powers seemed at one time to be the only remedy which the Porte could contemplate for those evils to which its unguarded policy gave rise this decay was for some time before his death perceptible, and though the faculties of his mind were in full vigour, his corporeal strength was daily yielding before the attacks of an incurable disease.

Such was the state of the vizir, his sons, his subjects, and his government: probably he found that the elevated station to which his talents, aided by his crimes, had raised him, was unable to secure for him so much happiness as falls to the lot of a humble and contented peasant upon his wild mountains; for if injustice is ever visited with punishment, or vices made their own ministers of vengeance in this world, it is when the infirmities of age creep slowly on a tyrant, when activity and bustle are no longer suited to his strength, and his habitual restlessness cannot be appeased; when a sense of approaching death excites a certain indescribable fear of retribution; and conscience holds a mirror to his view wherein every action is reflected that was instigated by the selfish and malevolent passions. I shall now proceed to detail a few circumstances respecting persons more immediately connected with the old vizir, and to add a slight sketch of that eventful revolution in which, at its commencement, he bore so important a part. This possibly may be expected from one who has traversed the scenes of action, known many of the actors concerned, felt the deepest interest in its success, and written in its cause.

ACCOUNT OF VASILIKEE.

329

CHAPTER X.

THE treasures of Ali, when they arrived at the Porte, fell so short of expectation, that this circumstance served afterwards as a pretext to take off his conqueror, whose head was soon sent to ornament that impartial Golgotha the Seraglio gate. In fact a large portion of them had been disposed of by the old vizir himself, as a resource in case of defeat or retirement to a foreign land; part also had been transmitted to the insurgent Greeks; part distributed among his troops; and some without doubt secreted at his death both by adherents and by captors. The pashalic of Ioannina and Arta was conferred, as the reward of treachery, upon Omer Bey Vrioni. Vasilikee, Ali's favourite wife, was placed in charge of the Greek patriarch, who was made responsible for her safe keeping : at his residences he was seen by Dr. Walsh, who describes her as a fine and elegant woman, about thirty-five years of age. "She never goes from her apartment," says that traveller, "except across the court, to the patriarchal church, which she constantly attends; and then she is close veiled. She is left in such a state of destitution, that a subscription was proposed for her support: her brother is at the same time confined in the prison of the Bos

330

FATE OF HALEB EFFENDI.

tangee Bashee, and in a still greater state of destitution: nor is this mentioned as a proof of her innocence; for the withholding a reward in Turkey, on such occasions, is no proof that it had not been promised and earned; but her character was, on all known occasions, just and amiable: she was a faithful companion to Ali, notwithstanding the disparity of their years, and had a powerful influence over him, which she always exerted for the service and benefit of other people."* Young Ismael Bey, the second son of Vely Pacha, who accompanied Vasilikee to Constantinople, a youth of great promise and of a most amiable disposition, was by strenuous exertions rescued from the Sultan's indignation, and is now an officer in his guards. Nor did a long time elapse before Ali's inveterate foe Haleb Effendi shared his fate. The Janissaries had taken mortal offence at the influence which he exercised over the Sultan, inasmuch as he was known to be a favourer of innovations: Mahmoud therefore, to please them, before the period arrived which had been fixed on for their extermination, exiled this powerful favourite to Konia on the Asiatic side of the channel, with the promise of a speedy recall, and a bouyourdee given under his own hand to guarantee his safety. On his journey however he was overtaken by a chaoush, who passed him on the road, entered a city named BolàVashi before him, and apprized the vaivode of the purport of his mission. Haleb was received by the governor with distinguished respect, and having been sumptuously entertained at dinner, was reclining with his host upon the sofa, and smoking his pipe, when the chaoush entered the apartment, made a profound reverence to the once-dreaded favourite, and courteously presented the firman which required his head. Haleb demurred to this demand, and