ple was so great that the cannon
were soon served against the palace, and their effects were speedily
remarked. The massy portal shook; a few blows of the battering ram, and
it fell. The Turks sallied forth, were received with a shower of Greek
fire, and driven in with agonising yells. Some endeavoured to escape
from the windows, and were speared or cut down; some appeared wringing
their hands in despair upon the terraced roof. Suddenly the palace was
announced to be on fire. A tall white-blueish flame darted up from a
cloud of smoke, and soon, as if by magic, the whole back of the building
was encompassed with rising tongues of red and raging light. Amid a
Babel of shrieks, and shouts, and cheers, and prayers, and curses,
the roof of the palace fell in with a crash, which produced amid the
besiegers an awful and momentary silence, but in an instant they started
from their strange inactivity, and rushing forward, leapt into the
smoking ruins, and at the same time completed the massacre and achieved
their freedom.

CHAPTER 7

At break of dawn Iskander sent couriers throughout all Epirus,
announcing the fall of Croia, and that he had raised the standard
of independence in his ancient country. He also despatched a trusty
messenger to Prince Nicaeus at Athens, and to the great Hunniades.
The people were so excited throughout all Epirus, at this great and
unthought-of intelligence, that they simultaneously rose in all the open
country, and massacred the Turks, and the towns were only restrained in
a forced submission to Amurath, by the strong garrisons of the Sultan.

Now Iskander was very anxious to effect the removal of these garrisons
without loss of time, in order that if Amurath sent a great power
against him, as he expected, the invading army might have nothing to
rely upon but its own force, and that his attention might not in any way
be diverted from effecting their overthrow. Therefore, as soon as his
troops had rested, and he had formed his new recruits into some order,
which, with their willing spirits, did not demand many days, Iskander
set out from Croia, at the head of twelve thousand men, and marched
against the strong city of Petrella, meeting in his way the remainder of
the garrison of Croia on their return, who surrendered themselves to him
at discretion. Petrella was only one day's march from Croia, and when
Iskander arrived there he requested a conference with the governor, and
told his tale so w