Part 6 (1/2)

Pluto! if this be hell I look upon, Close shaates; my shade shall seek for none!

The Acheron, which they crossed in this route, is now called the Kalae as the Avon at Bath but towards the evening they had soinal horror; for a dreadful thunderstores of rain, which e and horses Byron himself does not notice this incident in Childe Harold, nor even the adventure more terrific which he ht before their arrival at Zitza, when his guides lost their way in the defiles of the reeable in the advent, but full of poesy in the re Zitza, was at the little village of Mosure, where they were lodged in a miserable cabin, the residence of a poor priest, who treated them with all the kindness his humblethrough a wild and savage country, interspersed with vineyards, to Delvinaki, where it would seeenuine Greek wine, that is, wine ht at the first taste than any drug the apothecary ory entered into the coy, it is probable that in representing the infant Bacchus holding a pine, the ancient sculptors intended an i employed to preserve neine

The travellers were now in Albania, the native region of Ali Pasha, who the town, they were informed that he was further up the country at Tepellene, or Tepalen, his native place In their route from Libokavo to Tepalen they yro-castro, which they saw soe city, supposed to contain about twenty thousand inhabitants, chiefly Turks When they reached Cezarades, a distance of not more than nine reeably accoe; and the Albanian landlord, in whose de, downcast, sinister look which raded Greek, received the they resuhtwhich they antly constructed after the Ger four-in-hand, and two Albanian soldiers standing on the footboard behind They were floundering on at a trot through er; but it seelish eyes of the travellers impossible that such a vehicle should ever be able to reach Libokavo, to which it was bound In due time they crossed the river Laos, or Voioutza, which was then full, and appeared both to Byron and his friend as broad as the Thae, they caht of Tepellene, when

The sun had sunk behind vast To by; The shades of wonted night were gathering yet, When down the steep banks, winding warily, Childe Harold saw, likeminarets of Tepalen, Whose walls o'erlook the streah, He heard the busy hu the lengthening glen

On their arrival, they proceeded at once to the residence of Ali Pasha, an extensive rude pile, where they witnessed a scene, not dissiht, perhaps, have beheld soreat feudal baron

Soldiers, with their arainst the wall, were assembled in different parts of the court, several horses, co under the hands of the grooht, ar kids and sheep The scene is described with the poet's liveliest pencil

Richly caparison'd a ready row Of armed horse, andcourt below; Above, strange groups adorn'd the corridor, And ofttih-capp'd Tartar spurr'd his steed away

The Turk, the Greek, the Albanian, and the Moor Here led in their many-hued array, While the deep war-druroups, Scanning the rave Moslem to devotion stoops, And some that smoke, and some that play, are found

Here the Albanian proudly treads the ground Half-whispering, there the Greek is heard to prate

Hark! frohtly solemn sound; The Muezzin's call doth shake the minaret

”There is no God but God!--to prayer--lo, God is great!”

The peculiar quietness and ease hich the Mahommedans say their prayers, struck the travellers as one of the most peculiar characteristics which they had yet witnessed of that people Soan their devotions in the places where they were sitting, undisturbed and unnoticed by those around theed The prayers last about ten enerally in a low voice, sometimes with only a motion of the lips; and, whether performed in the public street or in a room, attract no attention frouards in the gallery of the Vizier's mansion at Tepellene, not more than five or six were seen at prayers The Albanians are not reckoned strict Mahoious himself, ever disturbs the devotion of others

It was then the fast of Raht, were annoyed with the perpetual noise of the carousal kept up in the gallery, and by the drum, and the occasional voice of the Muezzin

Just at this season, Ra day its penance did ht hour was past, Revel and feast assuain

Now all was bustle, and the menial train Prepared and spread the plenteous board within; The vacant gallery now see din, And page and slave, anon, were passing out and in

CHAPTER XII

Audience appointed with Ali Pasha--Description of the Vizier's Person--An Audience of the Vizier of the Morea

The progress of no other poet's mind can be to clearly traced to personal experience as that of Byron's The e of Childe Harold are the observations of an actual traveller Had they been given in prose, they could not have been less imbued with fiction From this fidelity they possess a value equal to the excellence of the poetry, and ensure for the as it is intense When the ed by time and the vicissitudes of society, the scenery and the mountains will bear testimony to the accuracy of Lord Byron's descriptions

The day after the travellers' arrival at Tepellene was fixed by the Vizier for their first audience; and about noon, the time appointed, an officer of the palace with a white wand announced to thely they proceeded from their own apartment, accompanied by the secretary of the Vizier, and attended by their own dragoman The usher of the white rod led the way, and conducted theh a suite of meanly-furnished apartments to the presence cha, a courtesy of marked distinction from a Turk As they advanced towards him, he seated himself, and requested them to sit near him The room was spacious and handsomely fitted up, surrounded by that species of continued sofa which the upholsterers call a divan, covered with richly-ee

Inwater fro, And soft voluptuous couches breathed repose, ALI reclined; a man of war and woes

Yet in his lineaments ye cannot trace, While Gentleness her ed, venerable face, The deeds that lurk beneath and stain hithening beard, Ill suits the passions that belong to youth; Love conquers age--so Hafiz hath averr'd: So sings the Teian, and he sings in sooth-- But cri all er's tooth; Blood follows blood, and through their mortal span, In bloodier acts conclude those ith blood began