Sea-Wolves of the Mediterranean: The grand period of the Moslem corsairsCurrey, E. Hamilton (Edward Hamilton)
History
Sea-Wolves of the Mediterranean: The grand period of the Moslem corsairs
Currey, E. Hamilton (Edward Hamilton)
Africa, North -- History; Pirates
It may have been that the Emperor was displeased with this excess of
zeal on the part of his army; but, if it were so, the chroniclers are
silent concerning the matter, being far too busy singing the praises
of the Cæsar to think of such a trifle as the massacre of most of
the persons whom he had come to deliver. The wretched inhabitants of
Tunis must have found it somewhat difficult to distinguish between the
corsair, who killed three thousand of their fellow townsmen, and the
Christian Emperor, who had massacred ten times that number. Charles,
however, reaped great glory from an expedition which had but one good
result, which was, that he succeeded in rescuing twenty thousand
captives; these men, very naturally, on their return to their homes
in every corner of Europe, magnified the wonderful deeds of that prince
who had been instrumental in securing their release, and the massacre
of the Tunisians was conveniently ignored. Charles had defeated
Barbarossa and expelled him from Tunis; he had now displayed his
magnanimity and altruism by the terms which he imposed on the miserable
Muley Hassan. As far as that individual was concerned, he certainly
deserved nothing better; but, as a _finale_ to an expedition blessed by
the Pope, and looked upon almost in the light of a modern crusade, it
certainly displays a remarkably keen eye for the main chance.
The preamble of the treaty runs as follows:
“That the King of Tunis, recognising that he had been
expelled from his kingdom by Barbarossa, and that the
Emperor in person, with a powerful armada, had come
and expelled this tyrant, taking from him the fortress
and town of Tunis and restoring them to the King
Muley Hassan: that this monarch is most grateful for
so magnificent a service, and in recognition thereof
contracts to liberate all Christian captives who may be
in his realm, to give them a free passage to their homes,
and from this time forward binds himself to extend to all
Christians kind and generous treatment.”
There can be no exception taken to this, which was the least which the
Emperor had the right to expect; but this was only, as we have said,
the preamble.
Muley Hassan was further made to contract to hold his kingdom in fee to
the Spanish Crown, to covenant that no corsair should use his ports
for any purpose whatsoever, that the Emperor should not only retain
the Goletta but that all other fortified seaports should be put into
his hands, that the King of Tunis should in future pay twelve thousand
crowns per annum ‘for the subsistence of the Spanish garrison of the
Goletta, that he should enter into no alliance with the enemies of
the Emperor, and should annually present, as an acknowledgment of his
vassalage, six Moorish horses and six hawks.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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