Christian armament that had ever floated in the Mediterranean. Old Sebastian Veniero was Captain-General for Venice, with Quirini and Barbarigo as Commissaries.[1] Marc Antonio Colonna sailed as the Papal Admiral; Luis de Requesens, Grand Commander of Castile, had flying the flag of the highest Spanish leader; Giovanni Andrea Doria was over Philip's Sicilian contingent, and the Marquis of Santa Cruz brought a squadron from Naples. Upwards of three hundred ships and eighty thousand men were under the orders of Don John.
The Captain-General of the League was one of the last commanders to arrive at Messina. His progress thither was a series of magnificent receptions and spectacles, which seemed by anticipation to celebrate the great victory towards which he was bound. He travelled on horseback from Madrid to Barcelona with a great retinue, being received at every halting-place with distinguished honours; the cities illuminating, presenting addresses, displaying banners and all their bravery, and firing deafening peals of artillery. On the way he was met by a courier bearing an autograph letter from the Pope and despatches from many of his generals – the first signs of the new and important duties upon which he was entering. At Barcelona he began to hold conferences and to issue orders. He embarked in his flag-ship under great salutes, remained a day or two in harbour, and then sailed for Genoa, where he was received on the quay by the Doge and signiory. At a splendid entertainment here given to him by Doria were fifty-two ladies, all dressed in crimson and white satin, and sparkling with jewels; and at the ball with which it concluded, the dancing of Don John surprised and delighted everybody by its spirit and grace. From Genoa and Spezia he despatched gentlemen to pay his respects to the different Italian princes; then he proceeded to Naples, which, as one may be sure, outdid even the gorgeous pageantry which he had witnessed in other cities. Here he, dressed with great magnificence, received on his knees, in the church of Santa Chiara, from the hands of Cardinal Granvelle, his baton of command, and the banner of the Holy League, the gift of the Pope. The choir and the multitude echoed the "Amen" with which the young commander responded to the Cardinal's impressive blessing. A week after this he was at Messina. "The combined artillery of Messina and of Venice and the Holy See awoke the echoes of Scylla and Charybdis in honour of the long-looked-for flag of the commander-in-chief of the Holy League," and the fleets put to sea.
It is worth mentioning here that Don John, while he tarried at Genoa, seems to have been first impressed with an idea which was destined to be thereafter the great desire of his mind. The Pope, writing to exhort him to undying effort in his great undertaking, promised him the sovereignty of the first territory that he should wrest from the Turks. After that, the young hero never let go the belief that he was to win a kingdom – somewhere; which was quite in accordance with the suggestions of old romance.
Particulars, we suspect, are not forthcoming of the composition and
- ↑ The Commissary was a high officer, ranking immediately after the Commander. Barbarigo commanded Don John's left wing at Lepanto.
