John, of Austria, 1547-1578; Spain -- History -- Philip II, 1556-1598
D. John of Austria waited in his tent, attended by all the captains and
gentlemen of the army; he was in full armour, one page held his helmet,
and another, on his left hand, the standard of the Generalissimo. The
Habaqui alighted in front of the tent and went straight to throw himself
at the feet of D. John, exclaiming, "Mercy, my lord, may your Highness
grant us mercy in the King's name, and pardon for our sins, which we
know have been great," and taking off the sword with which he was
girded, he placed it in D. John's hand, saying, "These arms and flag I
give up to His Majesty in the name of Aben Aboo and of all the rebels
for whom I am empowered to act." And at that moment Juan de Soto threw
down the kinglet's banner at D. John's feet.
D. John listened to him and looked at him with such quiet and peaceful
dignity that he well represented the justice and mercy of which he was
the guardian. He ordered the Habaqui to rise, and giving him back his
sword, told him to keep it, and with it to serve His Majesty. D. John
afterwards loaded him with favours, and ordered his gentlemen to do the
same: that day the Habaqui dined in the tent of D. Francisco de Córdoba,
and the following one in that of the Bishop of Guadix, who was in the
camp.
The next day the festival of Corpus Christi was celebrated in the camp,
with all the pomp and solemnity possible in such an out-of-the-way
place, and with the joy natural to those who believed that the
disastrous war was ended. By cartloads and armfuls the soldiers brought
flowers and herbs, so plentiful in May in that fertile country, to adorn
the altar and the road by which the Holy Sacrament was to go. They hung
with fair and fragrant garlands the tent in which Mass was said, and
which stood, raised, in a sort of square in the centre of the camp, and
around it they planted green groves and arches of foliage, with flags
and streamers. The soldiers had made it a point of honour to adorn their
tents, and there was not one which was not beautified with wreaths,
flags, and little altars of different kinds; many of them were
ornamented with rich cloths and other precious things, the booty of war.
The Host was carried by the Bishop of Guadix, under a brocaded canopy,
held up by D. John of Austria, the Knight Commander of Castille D.
Francisco de Córdoba, and the Licentiate Simon de Salazar, Alcaide of
the King's Court and household; in front, two by two, went all the
friars and clergy of the camp, who were numerous, and the knights,
captains, and gentlemen, with torches and tapers of wax, lighted, in
their hands. From one end of the camp to the other the infantry and
horsemen had formed up with their flags flying, and as the Blessed
Sacrament passed, they knelt down, lowering their arms, standards and
banners, kissing the dust; the bands played martial hymns, and through
the air thundered salvos of arquebuses, which did not cease for at least
a quarter of an hour. "A friar of St. Francis preached that day," says
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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