John, of Austria, 1547-1578; Spain -- History -- Philip II, 1556-1598
D. John of Austria's kind heart was full of compassion for the
misfortunes of the sons of Ali, and he ordered that, without being
separated from their tutor Alhamet or their five servants, they were to
be brought on board the "Real," that he might have them under his own
eye to protect and comfort them, which was the reason of an episode
which shows the noble, great, and compassionate character of the hero of
Lepanto.
The eldest of the sons of Ali, Ahmed Bey, was eighteen, handsome,
strong, manly and arrogant. He accepted his misfortune with dumb and
gloomy despair, which never lifted, but rather became stronger, making
him churlish, hard and irritable, with no other wish or idea than to
escape, like a wild bird shut up in a cage. The younger one, Mahomet
Bey, was, on the other hand, a child of thirteen, affectionate and
demonstrative, and without understanding the extent of his misfortunes,
his innocent eyes sought everywhere love and protection from anyone, and
finding both in D. John, he clung to him tenderly. This humbled the
pride of his brother, and seeing him one day playing on deck with D.
John's monkey, he tore the little animal violently from him, saying in
Turkish laconic words which may be translated, "The great infidel killed
our father."
The kindness of D. John and his great tact at last overcame the boy's
animosity and fierceness, and then desperation changed to profound
sadness, which seemed to undermine him and consume him, without any
illness. D. John was very much disturbed at the fate of these poor
children, and to give hope and pleasure, on arriving at Corfu, he at
once liberated their tutor Alhamet and sent him to Constantinople, to
give news of them to their family, and to say how impossible it was then
to give them their freedom, but that it was his wish and intention to
give it them later. The two orphans formed one prize of war, of which D.
John's share was only the tenth part, according to the articles of the
League, the remainder in equal parts belonged to the Pope, the King of
Spain, and the Signory of Venice.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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