John, of Austria, 1547-1578; Spain -- History -- Philip II, 1556-1598
With a great tumult of groans and tears they all ran to the square of
Bib-el-Bonut, to the residence of the Jesuits, and, giving mournful
cries, called for Father Juan de Albotodo, a Moor by origin, who was so
often their protector, helper, and also their dupe. The Father appeared
at a window, without cap or cloak, as he was in the house, and heard the
cries of these shameless ones, who already did not dare to demand
justice, but only craved for mercy from the King, and charity and help
to save their lives from the Father. Albotodo was truly a saint, a man
of about forty, worn in body and face, very sunburnt and with such black
eyes and hair that they proclaimed his Arab origin at once.
Albotodo descended to the square, and these wretched people did and said
such things that they touched the Jesuit's very tender heart, and he ran
off to the Audiencia without stopping to get hat or cloak, hoping to
soften President Deza's heart, or, if necessary, D. John of Austria's.
All the people followed him with groans to the entrance of the Albaicin,
but no one dared to descend the hill, as the danger and their bad
consciences had made cowards of them, as always happens to criminals.
Breathless the Jesuit arrived at the Audiencia, and the President
received him as if he saw an angel coming down from heaven. Nothing
could have been more opportune than his intervention, because no one
could quiet the Moors as he could, and convince them that their lives
were not in danger. In such good faith did D. Pedro Deza act, that he
spontaneously offered to give a paper, signed with his name, to the
Jesuit, assuring their lives to the Moors. The Father accepted his word:
and wrote the document himself, which D. Pedro Deza signed, and the
Jesuit, satisfied with this, ran back to the Albaicin, waving the
parchment above his head, as if to quicken the hopes of the unhappy men
he detested as criminals, but whom he cordially pitied as brothers and
doomed men.
Father Albotodo read the parchment from the window: they believing it as
he was a priest, says a chronicler, decided to go to their parish
churches, depressed, gloomy and suspicious, because as soon as their
hopes for their lives were confirmed, their anger and spite were
rekindled, which only death could extinguish.
D. John ordered the parish churches to be guarded with several companies
of infantry, and, having managed to establish order as regarded the
Moors, he anticipated any trouble on the part of the Christians by
issuing a proclamation, in the name of the King, to the effect that the
confined Moors were under the royal protection and care, and had been
promised that no harm should befall them, and that they were being taken
from Granada out of danger from the soldiers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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