The Story of the Barbary CorsairsLane-Poole, Stanley
History
The Story of the Barbary Corsairs
Lane-Poole, Stanley
Africa, North -- History -- 1517-1882; Pirates
The dwellers on the coasts of Italy soon discovered the new spirit in
the Turkish fleet; they had now to dread Corsairs on both hands, east
as well as west. In the summer of 1534 Kheyr-ed-dīn led his new
fleet of eighty-four galleys forth from the Golden Horn, to flesh
their appetite on a grand quest of prey. Entering the Straits of
Messina, he surprised Reggio, and carried off ships and slaves;
stormed and burnt the castle of S. Lucida next day, and took eight
hundred prisoners; seized eighteen galleys at Cetraro; put Sperlonga
to the sword and brand, and loaded his ships with wives and maidens. A
stealthy inland march brought the Corsairs to Fondi, where lay Giulia
Gonzaga, the young and beautiful widow of Vespasio Colonna, Duchess of
Trajetto and Countess of Fondi. She was sister to the "heavenly Joanna
of Aragon," on whose loveliness two hundred and eighty Italian poets
and rimesters in vain exhausted the resources of several languages;--a
loveliness shared by the sister whose device was the "Flower of Love"
amaranth blazoned on her shield. This beauty Kheyr-ed-dīn destined
for the Sultan's harem, and so secret were the Corsairs' movements
that he almost surprised the fair Giulia in her bed. She had barely
time to mount a horse in her shift and fly with a single
attendant,--whom she afterwards condemned to death, perhaps because
the beauty revealed that night had made him overbold.[29] Enraged at
her escape the pirates made short work of Fondi; the church was
wrecked, and the plundering went on for four terrible hours, never to
be forgotten by the inhabitants.
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.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account