John, of Austria, 1547-1578; Spain -- History -- Philip II, 1556-1598
Three days later he wrote a letter to his brother, of which Lorenzo
Vander-Hammen makes a precis thus:
"That he was not to be anxious about his person or promotion, as he
would see to that as of one so near to him, but that this was not the
time until it was seen what would be the result of the past expedition,
nor could it be of use or value, but rather a great vexation and care to
all; that he would consider the matter well as the case demanded, and if
it were advisable he would be the first to assist in its execution, as
he desired it."
CHAPTER VII
Philip II was much annoyed at the result of his interview with the
Nuncio Ormanetto, because he saw that the Pope was seriously thinking of
raising D. John from his dependent position by giving him a crown, and
that D. John, on his part, would go as far as his chivalrous loyalty
permitted. Antonio Pérez confirmed the King's fears, making him see that
the preservation of the forts of Tunis contrary to D. Philip's opinion,
and Juan de Soto's secret journey to Rome, were acts of real
independence; and, although he did not dare to accuse D. John openly, he
threw the blame on the secretary Soto, attributing everything to his
influence and intrigues, and again insisted on the necessity of
separating D. John from such a dangerous adviser, and of substituting
for him an energetic, temperate man, who would know how to moderate
these fiery ambitions. This temperate, energetic man whom Pérez now
ventured to propose was Juan de Escovedo, a former retainer of the
Prince of Évoli and completely his creature, who was then secretary of
the King at the Treasury.
All this irritated and perplexed D. Philip. He did not wish to vex the
Pope, whose disinterestedness and holy aims he well knew; nor did he
wish either to deprive his brother of all hope, because, although he did
not doubt D. John's loyalty, he was afraid, having become suspicious, of
subjecting it to undue proof.
In this difficulty he judged very wisely that the danger would cease
with the opportunity, and he resolved to get rid, as far as possible, of
"_this care and worry of Tunis_," and in this sense wrote to D. John the
letter which we have already quoted. He also decided to follow the
advice of Antonio Pérez, appointing Juan de Escovedo as secretary to D.
John; and as his natural prudence and judgment saw no reason for
injuring Juan de Soto, or motive for depriving himself of Soto's useful
services elsewhere, he confirmed him in the appointment of Commissary of
the Fleet in Italy, which was both an honourable and lucrative post.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account