But Dragut was not yet at the end of his resources; he was rich, and he
spent money freely in order to gain over to his side those men of
importance by whom such a question as this was bound to be decided. By rich
presents and other blandishments he succeeded in securing the friendship of
one Ibrahim Amburac, who was not only a leader among the inhabitants, but
also governor of one of the towers by which the city was surrounded.
Through him he approached the Council by which the town was ruled, only to
receive a very decided negative: the Council observed the outward forms of
politeness to this formidable person who was speaking them so fair: in
reality, they hated and feared the corsairs only one degree less than they
did Andrea Doria and his Christians. To admit the one was to bring upon
themselves the vengeance of the other; therefore if they could keep them
both out they intended so to do. The ill-omened courtesy of the corsair
filled their hearts with apprehension, and they viewed his immediate
departure, after the refusal of the council had been conveyed to him, with
undisguised relief. Had they but known their man a little better, their
uneasiness would have been far greater than their joy at his temporary
absence. Those things desired by Dragut which he could not obtain by fair
means he usually seized by the strong hand; and when he left so hurriedly,
and at the same time so unostentatiously, he had already entered into a
plot with Ibrahim Amburac.
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