Almost simultaneously, Ali’s sons, Mouktar and Veli, arrived at Janina.
Veli had been obliged, or thought himself obliged, to evacuate Lepanto
by superior forces, and brought only discouraging news, especially as to
the wavering fidelity of the Turks. Mouktar, on the contrary, who had
just made a tour of inspection in the Musache, had only noticed
favourable dispositions, and deluded himself with the idea that the
Chaonians, who had taken up arms, had done so in order to aid his
father. He was curiously mistaken, for these tribes hated Ali with a
hatred all the deeper for being compelled to conceal it, and were only
in arms in order to repel aggression.
The advice given by the sons to their father as to the manner of
treating the Mohammedans differed widely in accordance with their
respective opinions. Consequently a violent quarrel arose between them,
ostensibly on account of this dispute, but in reality on the subject of
their father’s inheritance, which both equally coveted. Ali had brought
all his treasure to Janina, and thenceforth neither son would leave the
neighbourhood of so excellent a father. They overwhelmed him with marks
of affection, and vowed that the one had left Lepanto, and the other
Berat, only in order to share his danger. Ali was by no means duped by
these protestations, of which he divined the motive only too well, and
though he had never loved his sons, he suffered cruelly in discovering
that he was not beloved by them.
Soon he had other troubles to endure. One of his gunners assassinated a
servant of Vela’s, and Ali ordered the murderer to be punished, but when
the sentence was to be carried out the whole corps of artillery
mutinied. In order to save appearances, the pacha was compelled to allow
them to ask for the pardon of the criminal whom he dared not punish.
This incident showed him that his authority was no longer paramount, and
he began to doubt the fidelity of his soldiers. The arrival of the
Ottoman fleet further enlightened him to his true position. Mussulman
and Christian alike, all the inhabitants of Northern Albania, who had
hitherto concealed their disaffection under an exaggerated semblance of
devotion, now hastened to make their submission to the sultan. The
Turks, continuing their success, laid siege to Parga, which was held by
Mehemet, Veli’s eldest son. He was prepared to make a good defence, but
was betrayed by his troops, who opened the gates of the town, and he was
compelled to surrender at discretion. He was handed over to the
commander of the naval forces, by whom he was well treated, being
assigned the best cabin in the admiral’s ship and given a brilliant
suite. He was assured that the sultan, whose only quarrel was with his
grandfather, would show him favour, and would even deal mercifully with
Ali, who, with his treasures, would merely be sent to an important
province in Asia Minor. He was induced to write in this strain to his
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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