Don John all through the Moorish and Italian gaged in these details, Antonio Perez, Philip's campaign, appears to have much encouraged Don confidential secretary, accidentally discovered from John in these ambitious aspirations. By allusions the pope's nuncio, who asked him if there was to the former pomp and splendor of ancient Car-about the court such a person as one Escovedo,* thage, Juan Soto inspired Don John with the idea that Don John's ambitious views were by no means of erecting Tunis into an independent kingdom; extinguished. As his brother's policy would not the pope even was induced to recommend this permit him to found a new empire at Tunis, the scheme to Philip II.'s favorable consideration. But pope, the Guises, and Don John had planned an the monarch had no wish to lose so able a general expedition for the conquest of England. Mary, as Don John, to whom he looked for the extension Queen of Scots, was to be released from prison; of the Spanish monarchy; still less could he think Elizabeth dethroned; England brought back to the of establishing a rival and independent kingdom at bosom of the Catholic church under the guidance Tunis. A despatch was therefore forwarded to of Mary, Queen of Scots, and her new husband, Don John, in which all the reasons for the dis- Don John of Austria-for this marriage formed mantling of Tunis were urgently put. But Don part of the project. Here was a scheme to capJohn disobeyed orders, and fortified the town, in tivate an ambitious, chivalrous young prince! The the vain hope of erecting Tunis into the capital of nuncio in answer told Perez that, in a despatch his future kingdom. Shortly afterwards, the town which he had received from Rome, he was infell again into the hands of the Turks. Juan Soto structed to interest Philip II. in this expedition, was shrewdly suspected at head-quarters of advis- and to request the Spanish monarch to aid Don ing this act of disobedience to royal orders. It John in this meditated attempt upon England. was therefore deemed expedient to remove the This was not quite new to Perez; some vague surscheming and dangerous secretary; but some pru-mises had already been excited against the doings dence was necessary lest Don John might see of Escovedo and Don John, by hints thrown out through the suspicions of the Spanish court. Juan by Don Juan de Zuniga, the Spanish minister in Soto was accordingly rewarded by promotion, and made proveedor-general of the armada. Juan Escovedo, a creature of Philip II., who, as we shall subsequently see, became far more dangerous than his predecessor in office, was placed about Don John as his secretary. Soto, however, was too useful to Don John to be so easily parted with, and we still find him acting, in conjunction with Escovedo, in the capacity of secretary, as late as 1577. Philip II. soon discovered to his cost that the change of secretaries brought no change of policy; nay, Escovedo proved a more willing tool, and inspired Don John with far loftier schemes of ambition than Soto, his predecessor in office, had ever conceived. Rome, whose suspicions had been excited by the frequent communications between Escovedo, the pope, and the Guises. Antonio Perez, now that he held the threads of the plot in his hand, instantly informed Philip of the whole project. At this inauspicious moment Don John himself, against Philip's peremptory orders to proceed direct to the Netherlands, reached Barcelona, with two fastsailing galleys, and hurried on to Madrid, where he found his brother Philip fully apprized of his scheme. But such was Don John's manly air, such the influence which his straight-forward conduct exercised over the suspicious nature of Philip II., that the Spanish monarch yielded a reluctant assent to his brother's plans of aggrandizement, and promised to allow him to make use of the Spanish veterans in aid of his expedition against England, after he had pacified the Low Countries. Perez says that Philip consented to this scheme with the view of encouraging Don John of Austria to use greater diligence in Flanders. Full, therefore, of this new government and his own ambitious projects, Don John left Spain; and on the 17th October, 1576, we find the following letter from him to his friend and adviser Don Garcia de Toledo, Marquis of Villa Franca, whose reputation as a general was founded upon the capture from the Moors of the impregnable fortress of El Peñon de Velez. In the year 1576 Philip II. thought fit to take Don John of Austria from the scenes of his triumph in the Mediterranean, and to remove him from his dreams of independent kingdoms at Tunis into the midst of European intrigues. Don John was sent to take command of the forces in the Low Countries, where the ferocious and iron rule of the Duke of Alva, and of his successor, Don Luis de Requesens, the commendador mayor of Castile, had plunged the Flemings deeper into rebellion, and had obliterated the little loyalty to the crown of Spain which still lingered in the Low Countries. Don John was selected for this post from his likeness to his father, the late Emperor Charles V., whose memory the Flemings still cherished, and 66 from his connection with the country, his supposed sire to say as much as the time will allow me, leavConcerning my own journey I demother belonging to one of the best families in ing to others to tell you more at length how I shall Flanders. For these reasons, this appointment go. I journey to Flanders in disguise through was held likely to be popular, and to lead to good results. Don John was ordered to proceed without delay to his new government; and his secretary, Escovedo, came to Madrid to procure money and other matters necessary for his master's new office. While Escovedo was in Madrid, apparently en France, and, next to God, the disguise will save me. I go, not a little contented to be able to do you some service;-(Don John had busied himself much in procuring for Don Garcia the promise of a grandee *Memorial de Antonio Perez del Hecho de su Caso, p. 300. ship of the first class ;)-desiring to encounter perils, | But since his Divine Majesty has permitted things and by no means fatiguing myself with these new to come to this pass, I trust that with time the labors which I have undertaken. Money is short, whole machine will come round to its proper place. and my present necessities great. In the end God The moment anything of consequence occurs I will hath to take up this his cause in every way, and to let you know; and I entreat of you to inform me of aid me individually with a miracle. You must let the state of your health, of which I have heard me know where I shall receive your letters, and I nothing since I reached Luxemburg, which is now will advise you, God willing, of my safe arrival: more than three months and a half. I know not and I beseech you to tell me alway of your health, how to account for this, as I do not hear that the and to advertise me, as is your habit, of your opin-passes are closed. * * Some of the conditions ion as to my doings; and to make use of me in all ways as a sincere friend, and as such I congratulate you on the marriage of Don Pedro, on the state in which the Señora Doña Elvira is; and may it all turn out as you may best desire. From the Pardo, the 17th October, 1576. At your service, Don JUAN."* We gather the particulars of his journey through France from Brantôme, who says that "Don John without any great suite, and in order to go with greater certainty, rode post with six companions only; having with him Señor Don Otavio Gon zagua as his confidant, and a French postilion, whom he found in Spain, as his guide; the latter was, moreover, an excellent companion, and knew every road, lane, and bye-path in France. This man led Don John across France in most dangerous and unquiet times: in Guyenne they were on the eve of a war, which indeed broke out some three months after. Don John arrived in Paris, and got off his horse at the hotel of the Spanish ambassador in the street of St. Anthoine." That same night he seems to have gone to a great ball at the Louvre, where he was much struck with the beauty of the Queen of Navarre, before whom he stood like one entranced. The following day, Don John, still full of Marguerite of Navarre, saw the palace and the other sights of Paris, and started again on his journey—no one having an idea, till he was gone, that he had been in Paris at all. He travelled again in disguise, and on horseback, to the Duchy of Luxemburg, and thence to Flanders, where he found that Antwerp had just been taken and sacked. Shortly after his arrival peace was concluded; one of the first conditions of which was the departure of all Spanish troops by land. We shall see that they were forced to go to Italy instead of by sea to England, and were said to be so charged with booty that they could scarce walk. We find Don John writing in the following terms to Don Garcia de Toledo, on the 21st February, 1577, after peace had been concluded. "Most illustrious Sir,-Not to tire you with a long letter, I will refer you to my secretary, Juan de Soto, who will inform you of the state in which things are here, and by the grace of God they are better than could be expected, as everything was, when I came, as bad as possible. To God be rendered thanks, in that he hath given me patience to suffer what it appeared impossible for any human creature to bear, before this blind people could be brought out of their passion, which kept their minds so hardened against their own peace and quiet. * Documentos ineditos para la Historia de España, vol. p. 178. iii., + Brantôme, Hommes Illustres. of this peace are hard, most hard; but necessary to save religion and to ensure obedience. Time will do something, and already much has been done by the grace of God. At your service, DON JUAN."* But now, when Don John fully expected to reap the benefit of peace, and to employ his Spanish veterans in the conquest of England, he saw all his hopes frustrated. The states of Flanders steadily refused to allow the Spanish troops to be embarked on board any vessels in their harbors, lest they should be used against Zealand and Holland, but demanded, in a peremptory tone, that the troops should be instantly despatched by land, according to the treaty. Moreover, Philip resisted the pressing appeal of the pope's nuncio to interfere in this matter. Thus was England saved from the horrors of an invasion-curious that for once in their lives Elizabeth of England and Philip of Spain should have similar interests at heart!† seek some means of acquiring an independent kingDon John's ambitious spirit still drove him to dom, either in the East, in England, France, or Spain. Much to Philip's disquiet, Don John now emissaries went to, and came frequently from, held constant communication with the Guises; Rome, without Don John ever acquainting his suspicious brother with his intrigues. Escovedo was exceedingly busy, and Perez was employed by Philip II. to worm out the secret, which he did by the most dishonorable artifices. He entered into blaming Don John's secretary for writing to the a secret correspondence with Escovedo, and, after pope without Philip's knowledge, Perez assured Escovedo that their correspondence should be kept profoundly secret from the king. All this time the wily secretary of state showed all the letters and` despatches to Philip, who frequently amended the drafts of the minutes with his own hand. Nay, to obviate suspicion, Perez put in some abuse of the monarch. Don John, in moments of disappointment, wrote to Perez-For the sake of his life, of his honor, of his soul, he must quit Flanders—he would leave his post when people least expected it-although this crime might be punished with blood. He talked of entering France became exceedingly bold, and said that, after con- " TO HIS MOST CHRISTIAN MAJESTY. "Your majesty will have heard, by letters from the Prince of Parma and from Prince Octavio Farnese, the trouble which it has pleased God to bring upon us by the death of Señor Don John of Austria; and to accomplish that which he has so many times commanded me to do, during his life, as well as somewhat to relieve the grief which I know will seize upon your majesty's royal heart, I will relate the prayer which Don John desired me to make to your majesty in his name, and with all humility, do dare to affirm, is now in the enjoyment of that for the repose of his soul, the which I believe, and crown of glory which all who sacrifice their life for the law and the gospels in the service of their king, are wont to receive as their reward. And no one went through greater or indeed equal labors and troubles than did this most Christian and obedient gentleman. "All the time, most powerful sir, that his highness Don John was in the castle of Namuror, at any rate, most of the time he passed in making his peace with God, and in ordering his worldly affairs. He manifested unto me many times his strong wishes therein, entreating me to beseech God, by the merits and zeal of the invincible emperor, his father and master, to employ his allow him to die before he should do, or suffer anyperson in the defence of the Catholic faith, and to thing to be done, which should offend God even in the smallest matter. He even said more; that he never could think of your majesty, his father and master, without ardently desiring to assist in the defence and spread of the holy Catholic faith, and hath told me an infinite number of times, was his in enforcing obedience to your majesty, who, he master, his father, his brother, and his whole wealth on this earth. first remember to have had the use of reason. This was the more easy for his highness, from the frequency with which he hath attended the holy thrice. Thus on that night, after having made a clean breast, and disposing of his affairs as if he were truly about to render an account unto God at that moment-as in fact he did in spirit-his highness, with an appearance of deep feeling and great humility said, as he walked up and down the room, The murder of Escovedo must have opened Don John's eyes, and shown him that Philip would never allow him to acquire a separate and independent kingdom. Don John's ambitious "Two days before the victory of Gemblours, Don spirit seems now to have preyed upon itself, and John sent for me and told me that, although he did his constitution to have suffered from this internal not then intend to engage the enemy, still considstruggle; he had frequent fits of melancholy, ac-ering the many chances of war, he desired to make companied by attacks of low fever; and occasion-a general confession from the time when he could ally expressed an earnest desire to leave a career for which he daily felt an increasing dislike, and to be allowed to retire into some monastery. This offices of the church since he hath been in these feeling was much aggravated by the failure of the parts; as rarely a month passed that he hath not negotiation in the Netherlands, and by the pros-communicated and confessed twice-nay, sometimes pect of a long and lingering war, in which none of those bold dashes and brilliant adventures, which formed so great an attraction to one of Don John's chivalrous and enthusiastic nature, were to be expected. At length, after several small successes, after a victory at Namur, Don John was seized with the putrid fever, of which he died on the 1st October, 1578, in the 33d year of his age, and with him perished all his ambitious designs. On opening the body, Don John's heart was found much diseased, and his skin was as if it had been burnt; many attributed his death to poison. His last dying request was to be buried in the Escurial, near the bones of his father, the Emperor Charles V. We cannot better close this slight sketch of one so early snatched from a career of glory, than by quoting an interesting and detailed account of his last hours, written by his confessor, an eye-witness of his death. Reverend father-in order that you may, once for all, know my last will and testament, and my lately discoursed while I was at your feet, and that I wish in other matters besides those of which I have you may never put to me any other questions, for I have nothing further to say-I beg you will observe these three matters:-1st, My soul I commend unto God, and to my father-2d, As to what regardeth my body, I well know how little it availeth where it lie until the day of judgment; but I wish you, in my name, to entreat his majesty the king, my master-looking to what the emperor my father requested of his majesty, as well as to the way in which I have served him-to grant me this favor-that my bones may rest somewhere near those of my father. In this guise my services will be amply satisfied and recompensed.-3d, As to these old rags which I have here, I know not how to dispose of them; but as I am the emperor's | lic church, and of your majesty, and for God's serson, and the emperor recommended me as such to vice; and that he wished to make the world underhis majesty, and as I die in his majesty's house, stand that, as during life he had been devoted to and in his service, let him, like a true father and the church, as had originally been his father's wish, master, dispose of my possessions—not only as if in death he wished to be so, in as much as dependthey belonged to his son, but to his servant and ed upon him. He besought his brother and master slave and I would do the same were the whole to remember him of his servants, to whom he owed world mine.' much for being good and faithful to God, to himself, and to your majesty and very many of them were poor, having served him by land and by sea; many of them, moreover, had been taken away from their homes, and he had not a maravedi wherewith to pay them their salaries, which had been owing to them for some time. Your majesty was also to remember his highness' mother, whom he regarded and loved as a mother, and a young brother, whom he knew to be such. He likewise mentioned other persons, whose names in due time I will make known unto your majesty. His highness concluded by saying, 'since on earth I do not possess an acre I might call my own, is it not just, reverend father, that I should desire some space in heaven?' His highness then desired that Otavio de Gonzagua should have the command, on account of the good will which he saw in him to your majesty's affairs, as well as to his highness. His highness ended by saying that, if he were not deserving of having his bones placed beside those of his lord and father, he desired to be buried at the church of our Lady of Monserrat, whom all his life through he held in particular affection. "Don John entreated me most fervently to beg your majesty, in consideration of this his expressed wish, to pardon him if at any time in Italy or elsewhere he hath used your majesty's moneys more than was fitting. He said very many other things to the same effect, the which, although I remember me of them, I will not write, in order not to wring your royal heart any further; and thus in that same night he repented him of his sins with as much fervency as if the last hour of his life had actually come, desiring to have some opportunity to receive the most holy sacrament on the following morning: this, however, was not possible until two days after that most famous and miraculous victory. The Saturday before the day of Pentecost, while we were before Philippeville-acting upon the leave which his highness had formerly given me, I did entreat him almost with reproaches not to place a life, so useful to the church and to his brethren, in such frequent and imminent danger, nor to take upon himself labors to which his bodily strength was unequal, whatever his wishes and courage were. His highness replied: Reverend father, this life and much besides I owe to God, and to the king my master, to whom, as I have oftentimes said and now repeat, I leave my bones and all I possess, should I die here in his territories.' "On the first of August-for I pass over many details in order not to weary your majesty-the night before his highness (who is in heaven) bestirred himself against the enemy before Malines, he made a general confession of his sins, placing himself in the hands of God, preparatory to receiving the most holy sacrament on the following day; confessing again afterwards, and saying that that was a good testament when a inan commended his soul to God, his body to the company which he loved best, namely, that of his father and master, and his property in the hands of him who knew better than he how to take the burden of it. And, in truth, his highness only used it in your majesty's service. "Finally, the second day on which he sickened, he said that although the physicians declared his malady not to be dangerous, he did, nevertheless, feel himself exceeding ill and worn. But what gave him infinite pleasure was to see that he was so poor that nothing on earth could prevent him from speedily being with God, more especially having his lord and father in heaven, and on earth your majesty as his lord and brother. And he was most confident that, if his affairs were left in your majesty's hands, they would have that end and success which was proper. This same day he did ask me many questions touching the virtue of martyrdom, desiring to have some share of its merits, giving signs of his having many times entreated God for martyrdom. "The following day, the 25th September, he confessed like one chosen of God, telling me that he knew his days to be numbered, and that his only regret was the little he had done for the service of God and of your majesty; but that he trusted in God and in the Virgin Mary, that they would take this death as for their glory, for that of the Catho “On the morning of Friday, 26th September, on my going to see him, Don John complained to me that the physicians had used force to compel him to drink a potion; this annoyed him much, as he thought it would interfere with his receiving the holy sacrament. On my telling Don John it was of no importance, he requested me to inquire of the physicians if he ran any risk should he put off communicating for another day, or if he left it even until the following Sunday, when he thought to gain the jubilee. The physicians told him that his illness was not so dangerous but what he might put off receiving the holy sacrament till then, or even later; and therefore, on Sunday, the 28th, he reconciled himself with God, with such fervor, that it much pained me to see the pain in which he was, knowing that it would add to his malady. And while I was performing mass in his room, he requested to be allowed to touch the face of his God, with an air of incredible devotion, saying, Bring unto me, most reverend father, the visage of my God;' and while he thus uttered words of such Christian import, he received the most holy sacrament. And on being asked if it were his pleasure to receive extreme unction, he requested it with much earnestness as a very precious gift and much to be desired. "The mass over, Don John named the Prince of Parma as his successor, until your majesty should be pleased to appoint some one else. Two hours afterwards delirium came on, and nothing that he said was clear save when he talked of God. The names of Jesus and of our Lady were mentioned; and when he was told to take or to do this in their name, he did it with much obedience and willingness. "Don John passed Monday and Tuesday in great trouble and pain, and he wandered in his mind, which ran upon ordering intrenchments to be thrown up, or cavalry and ammunition to be sent here and there, saying alway, in answer to every question, that thus it concerned the service of your majesty, "This same Tuesday night I inquired of him most excellent prince acted in such a manner, that, whether he wished to have the sacrament of ex-now when the soldiers see him dead, they cannot treme unction administered, and he answered as if he were suffering no pain whatever-Yea, father! Jesus! quick, reverend father!' and he received it with an appearance of praying, although we could not distinguish what he said, as he did not speak clearly. "Early in the morning of Wednesday, the 1st October, which was the day of his death, and about one hour and a half before his decease, I asked him if he wished to hear mass, and he made a sign with his head in the affirmative. When the corpus was raised, they who were standing at his bedside advised him of it; and although his eyes were shut, and we thought that his senses were wandering, his highness immediately clasped his hands together, and hastily tore off from his head some plasters and a cap, the better to adore with his heart that God and Saviour whom he could not see with his eyes. The rest of the time, until his decease, which took place at about one o'clock in the day, we passed in helping him to call upon the name of Jesus and of the Virgin Mary; and all who were present were filled with grief-although, on the other hand, they were rejoiced to see such manifest tokens of the glory to which he was fast attaining: and thus he departed from our hands without a sigh, like a bird on its way to heaven. 66 but believe that he had a spirit of prophecy touching his death. Nay, they do say that it does not appear to them as if his death were after the manner of men, but that he flew like an angel of heaven up to his God. "Otavio Gonzagua performs and has performed on his part whatsoever was ordered by the Señor Don John, taking advice in all matters of the Prince of Parma, and waiting like all of us to receive the commands of your majesty, whose royal person may our Lord guard and prosper for many years to come, as is most necessary for the church. "From Namur, this 3d October, 1578."* Don John died in the fortress commanding the town of Namur; and on the 3d October, his body, placed on a bier, covered with cloth of gold, was conveyed by several gentlemen to the cathedral. Don John was dressed in full armor, the order of the Golden Fleece was placed round his neck, and on his head was a plain cramoisy cap, over which was a crown of cloth of gold, covered with jewels; his fingers likewise were loaded with rings. In this guise the body was carried forth, escorted by all the clergy of the place, by several monks and their bishops. All the assembled crowd shed tears, and made loud lamentation as the cavalcade This, most powerful sir, was the end of the life of this son and servant of your majesty, as he was wont to call himself. And, as far as I can see, for passed. The bier was placed on a raised platform thirty and three years he hath performed the wish-in the church, and, after the service had been peres of the two fathers whom he had in this life-formed, the corpse was lowered into a vault near that is to say, of his lord and father the emperor, the high altar, where it remained until it was carand of your majesty, seeing that his highness hath ried into Spain in the following year. informed me that his majesty the emperor wished Don John's corpse was then cut into three him to be in holy orders, and your majesty desired him to be a soldier. But his highness, like an obe- pieces, and placed in three small chests lined with dient son, died as poor as a friar, and in an humble blue velvet, the better to enable it to pass secretly barrack like a soldier; for I promise your majesty through France. On the 18th March, 1579, the that the room wherein he died was a sort of garret cavalcade left Namur, and, passing by Meziers and over a stable, that in this he might imitate the pov- Paris, arrived at Nantes, where the whole party erty of Christ; and, without doubt, most Christian embarked, and reached Santander on the 6th May. sir, for four or five months before his death, he was On the 22d the funeral procession arrived at the constantly occupied in works of charity, piety, and humility. His whole pleasure consisted in visiting where it was met by Busto de Villegas, Bishop of monastery of Parreces, five leagues from Segovia, the sick-of which there were many in the campand in accompanying the holy sacrament, giving Avila, by Juan Gomez, the alcalde of the court, these wretched men charity with his own hand, re- accompanied by some alguazils, by twelve of the ceiving with the utmost compassion the poorest and royal chaplains, and other people belonging to the most wretched soldiers, until he could procure carts court. The three portions of Don John's body in which to convey them to the hospital; constantly were now joined together and placed in a coffin, urging me to see that in the hospitals nothing was covered with black velvet; on the outside was wanting, and particularly ordering me to see that the sacraments were duly administered to the sick, sewn a cross of cramoisy velvet, upon which were that none should die without this great comfort. emblazoned golden nails. The coffin was made He appointed a separate hospital for those who had to open at the side, in case any desire might be contagious disorders, and charged me to see that expressed to see the dead body within. none of those should die unaneled. And since his alcade swelled as it approached the monastery of holiness gave him authority to name some one as the Escurial, where it arrived on the evening of vicar-general, to have full power in all matters ecclesiastical whereof I understand his highness Sunday, the 24th May, 1579, accompanied by above hath informed your majesty by means of the Arch-four hundred men on horseback. bishop of Toledo-he determined to root out of the army all blasphemies, oaths, and evil doings, and in particular the sin of heresy, promising me that he would not favor any one, even if he were especially attached to his person; and he punished those who sinned in this manner in the army with such vigor, that, at the end of three months, the men, especially the Spaniards, were more like monks in a convent than like soldiers in a camp. And this The cav We will now follow an account given by Fray Juan de San Geronimo, a monk of the Escurial, of what happened on the occasion. It seems the monks came out to meet the procession "And because," says Fray Juan de San Geronimo, "the reverend prior was absent at the gen* Documentos, ineditos para la Historia de España vol. vii., pp. 247-257. |