Dibër County

Visit SpinQuest.com for more details.

in the confusion of the turkish army skandbeg kept a vigilant eye upon the pasha's principal secretary whom during the flight he with his nephew amisa and other of his faithful friends closely followed when the opportunity presented itself he set upon the turks who accompanied the secretary and slew every one of them having fast bound the secretary he carried him to a place suitable for his purpose and there compelled him much against his will to write counterfeit letters as from the pasha his master to the governor of croia ordering him in the name of amurath to deliver forthwith the command of the city and of the garrison therein to scandabeg the newly appointed governor many things were artfully interwoven with the substance of those letters in order to give them the greater appearance of truth and probability as soon as they were written the secretary was also put to death together with as many more turks as came in scanderbeg's way that these transactions might be kept as long as possible from the knowledge of amurath who from hearing no news of scanderbeg would naturally conclude that he had perished in the general slaughter of the turks chapter one BOOK I PART II Skanderbeg arrived with wonderful celerity in the upper country of Dibra, or Dibria, in the borders of Epirus, about seventy miles from Croia, accompanied by three hundred Epirote soldiers gathered to him out of the battle.

The Dibrians were noted for their activity and valour, and much esteemed by Skanderbeg on account of their fidelity, and for the many services which they had rendered in the protection and defence of the state under John, his father, when molested by the Turks.

footnote dibra was the only town or fortress in the parts of epia towards macedonia with the exception of svetigrad the people of that portion of the kingdom being dispersed among the mountains and valleys without any walled enclosures protected themselves against the incursions of their enemies by favour of the natural defences of the country footnote skanderbeg had ordered his march so as to arrive at the town of dibra in the night he secretly sent for some of the principal people to come to him having made known his purpose he was greeted with the most unbounded demonstrations of joy and affection and every aid and service which could be rendered was proffered with utmost alacrity he remained but one day at dibre of the three hundred men who accompanied him out of the battle he selected a few whom he purposed to take with him to croix as though they belonged to his private service the remainder together with other three hundred select soldiers from he guided to go by secret ways under the direction of skilful guides through the woods and mountains and approach as near as was possible to croix without being discovered and there to wait until he should get into the town, and be able to admit them also, in order to oppress the Turkish garrison.

Those who had thus betrayed their commander, being afraid to expose themselves to the vengeance of Amorath, either remained with Skanderbeg and became Christians, or were provided for without a change of religion, or were well rewarded and suffered to depart where they would.

There remained yet the city of Svetigrad in the possession of the enemy, for the weaker Turkish garrisons in Epire, when they heard that the strongest places were recovered by the Epirots, soon delivered themselves up to Skanderbeg.

Svetigrad, which in the Scalavonian language means the holy city, is situated on the frontiers of Epire, in the upper country of Dibra, like an eagle's nest upon a high and steep hill.

to this city skanderbeg advanced with all his forces and having pitched his tents and arranged his camp he demanded a parley with the inhabitants of the town he endeavoured at first to gain the place by composition as he had done the rest and to that end directed his messenger to declare what had happened at croia petrella petra alba and stelusa especially to set forth his liberal treatment of the garrison of the last place and to say that the governor thereof who was in his hands should together with his partisans be executed in their sight unless they delivered up the city to this message the governor not being certain of the disposition of his men was doubtful what answer to return he therefore first received and entertained the herald with courtesy after which addressing himself to his soldiers and styling them valiant and faithful men he demanded of them what answer should be returned to their enemies whereupon one of the soldiers a rough bold fellow branching aloft his sword is reported