The Lion of Janina; Or The Last Days of the Janissaries: A Turkish Novel Read online

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  MAURUS JOKAI

  THE LION OF JANINAORTHE LAST DAYS OF THE JANISSARIES

  A Turkish Novel

  TRANSLATED BYR. NISBET BAIN

  HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERSNEW YORK AND LONDON1898

  BY THE SAME AUTHOR.

  THE GREEN BOOK; or, Freedom Under the Snow. A Novel. Translated by Mrs. Waugh. 16mo, Cloth, Ornamental, $1 50. (In "The Odd Number Series.")

  BLACK DIAMONDS. A Novel. Translated by Frances A. Gerard. With a Photogravure Portrait of the Author. 16mo, Cloth, Ornamental, $1 50. (In "The Odd Number Series.")

  HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK AND LONDON.

  Copyright, 1897, by Harper & Brothers.

  All rights reserved.

  THE LION OF JANINA

  PREFACE

  The first edition of _Janicsarok vegnapjai_ appeared forty-five yearsago. It was immediately preceded by the great historical romance,_Erdely aranykora_ (_The Golden Age of Transylvania_), and the stillmore famous novel of manners, _Egy Magyar Nabob_ (_A HungarianNabob_), which Hungarians regard as, indisputably, Jokai'smasterpiece, while only a few months separate it from _KarpathyZoltan_ (_Sultan Karpathy_), the brilliant sequel to the _Nabob_. Thusit belongs to the author's best literary period.

  It is also one of the most striking specimens of that peculiar groupof Turkish stories, such as _Toeroekvilag Magyarorszagon_ (_Turkey inHungary_) and _Toeroek mozgolmak_ (_Turkish Incursions_), _A ketszarvuember_ (_The Man with the Antlers_), and the extremely popular _Feherrozsa_ (_White Rose_), which form a genre apart of Jokai's owncreation, in which his exuberant imagination revels in the rich colorsof the gorgeous East, as in its proper element, while his ever alerthumor makes the most of the sharp and strange contrasts of Orientallife and society. The hero of the strange and terrible drama, or,rather, series of dramas, unfolded with such spirit, skill, andvividness in _Janicsarok vegnapjai_, is Ali Pasha of Janina,certainly one of the most brilliant, picturesque, and, it must beadded, capable ruffians that even Turkish history can produce.Manifold and monstrous as were Ali's crimes, his astonishing abilityand splendid courage lend a sort of savage sublimity even to hisblood-stained career, and, indeed, the dogged valor with which theoctogenarian warrior defended himself at the last in his strongholdagainst the whole might of the Ottoman Empire is almost without aparallel in history.

  With such a hero, it is evident that the book must abound in stirringand even tremendous scenes; but, though primarily a novel of incident,it contains not a few fine studies of Oriental character, both Turkishand Greek, by an absolutely impartial observer, who can detect theworth of the Osmanli in the midst of his apathy and brutality, andwho, although sympathetically inclined towards the Hellenes, is by nomeans blind to their craft and double-dealing, happily satirized inthe comic character of Leonidas Argyrocantharides.

  Finally, I have taken the liberty to alter the title of the story._Janicsarok vegnapjai_ (_The Last Days of the Janissaries_) is tooglaringly inapt to pass muster, inasmuch as the rebellion andannihilation of that dangerous corps is a mere inessential episode atthe end of the story. I have, therefore, given the place of honor onthe title-page to Ali Pasha--the Lion of Janina.

  I have added a glossary of the Turkish words used by the author inthese pages.

  R. NISBET BAIN.

  Contents

  Chapter Page I. THE CAVERNS OF SELEUCIA 1 II. EMINAH 19 III. A TURKISH PARADISE 45 IV. GASKHO BEY 62 V. A MAN IN THE MIDST OF DANGERS 72 VI. THE LION IN THE FOX'S SKIN 78 VII. THE ALBANIAN FAMILY 105 VIII. THE PEN OF MAHMOUD 110 IX. THE CIRCASSIAN AND HIS FAMILY 129 X. THE AVENGER 160 XI. THE FLOWERS OF THE GARDEN OF BEGTASH 187 XII. THE SHIPWRECK OF LEONIDAS 198 XIII. A BALL IN THE SERAGLIO 213 XIV. KURSHID PASHA 238 XV. CARETTO 244 XVI. EMINAH 252 XVII. THE SILVER PEDESTAL IN FRONT OF THE SERAGLIO 262 XVIII. THE BROKEN SWORDS 275 GLOSSARY OF TURKISH WORDS 293