"You do not understand the race with which I have to deal. Were I to
hang a criminal on yonder tree, the sight would not deter even his own
brother from stealing in the crowd at its foot. If I had an old man
burnt alive, his son would steal the 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 pacha; 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.