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
On May 12th arrived Don Alvaro de Bazan, General of the Galleys of
Spain. This magnificent caballero made an entrance in much the same
state and circumstance as did Doria, and during the remainder of the
stay of the armada in Barcelona there was much banqueting and feasting
and drinking of healths to the Emperor and confusion to the Moslem foe.
It was once again as it had been in those days in which Ferdinand and
Isabella had descended upon the doomed city of Granada, and had built,
in full sight of its defenders, the town which they called Santa Fe (or
the Holy Faith) as an earnest that they would never leave until that
symbol of their faith had triumphed. To witness this victory the best
blood of Europe had flocked, and now, forty-three years later, when
the audacious Moslem had raised his head once more, the descendant of
the warriors who had followed “Los Reyes Católicos” rallied to that
standard which Carlos Quinto, their grandson, had set up on the
shores of Catalonia. Sandoval devotes pages of his work to the names,
styles, and titles of the noble caballeros who joined the army for the
destruction of Barbarossa.
On May 16th Charles embarked in the _Galera Capitana_ of Andrea Doria,
accompanied by many grandees and caballeros of the Court, as well as
illustrious foreigners like Prince Luis of Portugal, and held a review
of the armada. There was much expenditure of powder in salutes to the
Emperor, and all vied with one another in shouting themselves hoarse
in honour of the great monarch who deigned to lead in person the hosts
of Christendom against the infidel, who had defied his might and dared
to offer him battle. On May 28th the Emperor travelled some leagues
inland, starting before dawn, to visit the Monastery of Nuestra Señora
de Monferrato, in which was kept a singularly holy image of the Virgin.
Here he confessed and received the sacrament, and then returned to
Barcelona.
[Illustration: THE EMPEROR CHARLES V.]
On May 30th he embarked in the Royal Galley, the _Galera Bastarda_,
which had been prepared for him by Andrea Doria, his Captain-General
of the Galleys. This vessel seems to have somewhat resembled the barge
of Cleopatra in the magnificence of its appointments, as its interior
was gilded, and it was fitted up with all the luxury that could be
devised at this period. Silken carpets and golden drinking-vessels,
stores of the most delicate food and of the rarest wines, were embarked
to mitigate, as far as possible, the inevitable hardships of a
sea-passage, and there were not lacking instruments of music wherewith
to beguile the Cæesar with concord of sweet sounds. Perhaps that
which strikes the modern seaman most in this recital of all the useless
matters with which the vessels of the great were burdened at this
period is the extraordinary number of flags and banners with which they
went to sea.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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