the downfall of the ottoman empire began at lepanto and its ruin followed. it is, however, certain that the immediate benefits of this triumph did not correspond either to the splendour of its glory or to the heroism of those who gained it.
the generals of the league were in a great hurry to separate; old veniero was anxious to find himself in venice to have the wound he had gained in the battle cared for; colonna wished to be back in rome to enjoy the merited honours of the triumph, and d. john of austria, shut up in messina by the definite orders of his brother philip ii, who had instructed him to retire there and not to move, or do anything without fresh orders from him, was consumed with impatience at seeing the opportunity of plucking the fruits of the battle of lepanto slip away, and, as a natural consequence, the fulfilment of the promise made by the pope at the investiture, of granting him the first kingdom gained from the turks.
a mysterious event, then very secret, but afterwards known by everyone, came to spur on in d. john his desire to continue the campaign according to the treaty of the league, and according to the continual demands of pius v, the only one who raised his voice, without worldly interests, in absolute and saintly independence. d. john had entered messina on all saints' day at the head of the venetian fleet, towing the innumerable captive galleys, with their standards lowered, their flags dragging through the water, their cannon and arms crossed, forming trophies of war. nothing seemed enough in messina with which to feast and welcome the hero of lepanto; the city, archbishop and clergy received him under a pall, and there on the mole they gave him the munificent present of 30,000 golden crowns, which d. john divided between the hospitals and the wounded soldiers of the fleet. in his honour they gave the name of austria to the magnificent doorway which they had constructed on the mole to receive him, and also to the street which ran from it. in the most prominent site of messina, in front of the palace and in the centre of the square of our lady del piller they erected, at that time, a colossal statue, the work of the renowned sculptor and architect andres calamech. this was (and is, for it still stands in the same place) of gilded bronze; the right hand holds the triple baton of the generalissimo of the league, and it is placed on a very high column also of bronze, on the pedestal of which are sculptured latin verses and allegories alluding to the short but glorious life of d. john of austria.
while the feastings and rejoicings which lasted many days were still going on, there glided one night, among the many boats in the harbour, a greek galley, of the kind which at that time brought the merchandise of the east to italy. it was there several days, without attracting anyone's attention, moored to the mole, unloading its cargo under the direction of the captain, a portly albanian, who was acquainted with the principal merchants of messina. but one night, after the curfew had sounded, three men secretly disembarked from the greek galley, and, guided by the captain himself, went through the deserted streets, shrouded in ample cloaks, with hoods that hid their faces, two of whom seemed to regulate their firm steps by those of the third man, who went slowly and with fatigue. they gained the square del piller, where was the statue of d. john; the great mole of the old castle stretched in front, constructed in the time of arcadio and renovated lately by d. garcia de toledo, and towards it the hooded men went, stopping at a little door, which opened in the side looking towards the old arsenal. they were, no doubt, expected, as at the sound of their steps the door opened, and d. john of austria's secretary appeared in person, lantern in hand. soto guided them, without a word, through dark and winding passages to a distant room, luxuriously furnished, in which he left them by themselves: the three mysterious visitors then took off their cloaks, and appeared in rich albanian dresses, embroidered with gold and silver, with jewels of precious stones. two of them were strong men in the prime of life, the third one was very old and bent, with a long white beard: the captain had remained respectfully behind at the entrance. d. john of austria appeared at once, followed by juan de soto, and the three albanians threw themselves at his feet, with marks of the greatest respect: the old man was unable to do this as quickly as he wished, and d. john was in time to prevent him.
photo brogi
statue of d. john of austria
by calamech at messina
the captain acted as interpreter when they presented their credentials and said who they were and where they came from. they were ambassadors from albania and morea and were come to offer d. john of austria the crown of those kingdoms oppressed by the turk, and to offer him their allegiance at once in the name of the albanian christians. the old man lifted up his voice and talked very quietly and with courtly ease, laying great stress on the points which might decide d. john to accept the offer, and insisting over and over again that it was necessary to take advantage of the panic and despair that the terrible defeat of lepanto had produced in constantinople and throughout the ottoman empire.
d. john was not in the least disturbed by the unexpected proposal which had come so suddenly to realise the brilliant dreams of his school-days. to conquer a kingdom for christ! was not the dream of his youthful imagination intensified by the reading of romances at alcalá, being realized? and the kingdom calling to him, opening its doors, and holding out its arms and offering sceptre and crown in exchange for the christian faith in albania and morea being safeguarded by the conquering sword of lepanto.
the temptation was great to a youth of twenty-four, greedy of glory and enthusiastic for his faith, spoiled by fortune and protected by the great power that the court of rome then was; but the knightly ambition of d. john, great and active as it was from his lineage and noble qualities, was always subordinate to the obedience and loyalty that he owed to philip ii as king and brother: so, without hesitating for a moment, he answered the ambassadors, thanking them and making much of the honour they were doing him, but frankly confessing that he could settle nothing which was not the will of the king his lord and brother, who was the master of his person and all his actions. that he would communicate with him to gain his consent, and that time would show what best to do, and our lord would dispose as was best, as he (d. john) placed the business in his hands.
the ambassadors retired in good heart, much pleased with d. john, who at once sent a courier to philip ii telling him of the circumstance. he did not have to wait long for the answer: d. philip neither accepted or refused the offer, which came at a bad time, he said, as his acceptance might displease the venetians: however, he advised d. john to keep up the hopes of the ambassadors, as the opportunity might come for him to gain his desires: and he reiterated his orders "that d. john was not to stir from messina."
vander hammen comments on this answer from the king and says, "d. philip meant to fan his brother's hopes, so that, by them, he should obtain greater things from his service; but never to let him be king." and a celebrated modern historian, sometimes unjust to philip, adds, "what was it that made philip ii act in this way, when previously he had shown his desire that d. john should hasten as quickly as possible on the enterprise, to gain all the fruits to be expected from a first victory? was it only the difficulties that france was making about the war in flanders? or was it fear that his brother should set too much sail, and obtain one of the sovereignties, with which his friends and even the pontiff himself seemed to kindle his youthful ambition?" to us it seems certain that philip ii did not wish d. john to rise above the sphere in which philip had placed him. philip had told his ministers in italy to honour and serve the lord d. john, but neither by word nor in writing to call him "highness," that "excellency" was the most they should call him, and philip ordered them not to say that they had received this order from him. the ambassadors of germany, france and england received the same instructions. and if he showed himself so jealous of the title of "highness" being given to his brother, it is evident that he would do his utmost to prevent him being decorated with that of "majesty."
but in our opinion it is not necessary to descend to such a base passion as envy to explain philip ii's conduct on this occasion. it was enough, and more than enough, that his brother's good or bad plans, lawful or unlawful ambitions, should hinder the progress of his complicated policy, for philip ii to bring the plans to naught and smother the ambitions without pity. if he had any jealousy of d. john at that time, it was without doubt owing to what the sly traitor antonio pérez was beginning cleverly to insinuate. he did not yet dare to attack the noble prince openly, and confined his shots to the secretary juan de soto, accusing him of inflating d. john's vanity by his flattery and advising philip to remove him from his brother's side.
on the 1st of may, 1572, pius v died, and was succeeded in the pontificate by gregory xiii,[14] who no sooner sat in the chair of st. peter, than he began to stir up the league, and stimulate d. john, with what he called "briefs of fire," that he should take the fleet to sea and pursue his victories. such were the confidence and estimation in which his person was held, that he publicly extolled him in the consistory, calling him a scipio for valour, a pompey for charm, an augustus for fortune; a new moses, a new gideon, a new samson, a new saul, and a new david without homicide or envy or the failings noted in the others. what was written privately to d. john was said and repeated three times publicly: that before he died, it was hoped, in god, to give him a king's crown.
and these three opposite influences embittered and shortened the remainder of the life of d. john of austria; the determination of the pontiff to give him a crown excited his always loyal, frank and noble ambition; d. philip's systematic policy of opposing and defeating these plans, and the unbridled envy of antonio pérez, poisoning with his calumnies and falsehoods the suspicious nature of the monarch and succeeding at last in making him detest his brother.
