The effect of the entrance into Messina of the three united fleets cannot be described. From the most saintly Christian20 hope to the most animal instinct of self-preservation, all passions, ideas and sentiments of which human nature is capable, joyfully21 united to bless and welcome the realisation of their hopes and the overcoming of their fears, represented at that moment by the Generalissimo D. John of Austria.
He entered Messina by the Royal Gate, under a triumphal arch which ran out to the sea, and was twenty-five poles in length; there were three stories and three arches on each front, and 128 columns, which divided the niches22, pedestals and divisions of the endless statues, emblems23, inscriptions24 and couplets which adorned25 them, this great fabric26 ending in a colossal27 figure of D. John of Austria, with the vanquished28 Moors29 of Granada at his feet. Perhaps what was greatest and strongest among all this magnificence was the quiet nature of the youth of twenty-four, who, far from being made vainglorious30 by all this adulation, said humbly31 to his lieutenant32, the Knight33 Commander: "They give me this in advance; I trust to God that I shall pay the debt."
D. John assembled all the leaders and generals at once, more to greet them than to hold a Council, as he fancied some of them were vacillating from fear, and he preferred to await the arrival of the fresh Nuncio, whom the Pope was sending to uphold his valorous designs. The Nuncio, Mons. Odescalchi, Bishop34 of Penna, came with a great following of Capuchins, Dominicans, Jesuits and Franciscans, whom the Pope sent to serve the galleys; he also brought letters for D. John and Marco Antonio Colonna, exhorting35 them without hesitation36 to give battle to the Turk, as in God's name he assured them of victory. D. John did not require such advice, and had, with much prudence37 and cleverness, been meanwhile preparing the Council, according to what the great Duque de Alba indicates in the following letter: "Before proposing the matter at a Council," wrote the Duke from Brussels to D. John, "it would be well to talk familiarly with each of the Councillors, commending them to secrecy38, and in this way learning their opinion, which is a very good thing to do; as the person to whom Y.E. thus talks will feel very much honoured and will be grateful to Y.E. for the confidence placed in him; and will tell Y.E. freely what he thinks. Because it often happens in the Council that the soldiers wish to get the best of each other, but having already told Y.E. their opinion, they will not fall into this error, or contradict those to whom they owe a grudge39 for the sake of contradicting, which is a common habit. And Y.E. having heard all, will have time to think over the pros40 and cons4 which each one has put forward; and when you go to the Council you will have made up your mind. Because while hearing and questioning each one, Y.E. must never tell anyone your own opinion, except to those whom H.M. has ordered you, or it is Y.E.'s pleasure to consult. In Council do not allow them to be obstinate41; it is well to discuss matters, but private obstinacy42 Y.E. must never allow, as it will lower your authority. And Y.E. will be bound, and it will be a very good thing sometimes, to summon to a great Council the field-marshals, and some colonels and captains, and those who can be called to such councils, to give them a taste of public business, because it will give much satisfaction to people a grade lower than those summoned."
In this way D. John more or less knew the opinions of all the Council when he convoked43 it for nine o'clock on the morning of the 10th of September. There assembled that day on board the galley "Real" seventy persons, among whom were thirty officers; it was presided over by the Nuncio Odescalchi, the honour being conceded to him by D. John, out of respect for the Pontiff. The Nuncio spoke44 first in the name of the Pope, and in a brave speech, full of faith and enthusiasm, exhorted45 them to set out without losing time to seek the Turk, and to offer him battle without hesitation; such was the wish of the Pope, and, in the name of God, he promised them victory. Then the old Conde de Priego rose, who had just been able to appreciate for himself the holiness of Pius V, and without more words or arguments, said that if the Pope desired fighting and promised them victory in the name of God, it was impiety46 and madness to shut their ears and fail in the enterprise. All the captains were fervent47 Catholics and friends of the Pope, but most of them did not equal D. John of Austria's old steward48 in faith and enthusiasm. One of them, a long, thin man, with a pointed49 head, sunken eyes and a flat nose, who looked more like a Barbary corsair than an Italian prince, slowly rose, and with much pompousness50 and dignity said, "That he thought it rash to provoke the Turk so late in the season in those seas, and it was, in his opinion, safer to concentrate all the forces of the Holy League against Tunis, than to expose themselves to a defeat from such a formidable sea power as Selim II, up to then invincible51." The proposal pleased many, because the courage of the man who made it was above suspicion; he was none other than Gian Andrea Doria, one of the most experienced mariners52 and bravest captains of his day. However, Marco Antonio Colonna openly contradicted him, proposing a prompt and decisive battle, according to the wish of the Pope, and turning to D. John, whose desire to fight he knew, repeated in public what he had said in private:
"Etiamsi oportet me mori, non te negabo."
Sebastian Veniero upheld Colonna with great vehemence53, and the two Venetian commissaries Barbarigo and Quirini, and then D. John breathed freely, because once the two other Generals of the League were agreed, he, as Generalissimo, only had to make up the quarrel. He, however, allowed all to talk who wished to do so, some for and some against, and when they had finished, he contented54 himself with saying, "Enough, gentlemen; all that remains55 to be done is to hasten the departure and set out in search of victory."
Very simple words certainly, but they were undoubtedly56 the most heroic in all the story of Lepanto, because it required superhuman courage to undertake the responsibility of an enterprise so dangerous, that men of the stamp of Gian Andrea Doria recoiled57 before it.
D. John began his preparations for his departure by visiting all the forts and the vessels59 anchored in the port, which amounted to 200 galleys, fifty-six ships, six formidable galliasses, and more than 80,000 soldiers, counting mercenaries and volunteers. D. John found all the fleet well supplied and prepared, except the Venetian galleys, which were very short of soldiers; this the Generalissimo remedied by dividing among them four Spanish regiments60, two of veterans and two of recruits, which wounded the pride of the Venetians, and was the cause of the trouble and danger we shall hear of later. In the galley "Marchesa," of the Pontifical fleet, D. John passed an obscure soldier, whom he did not particularly notice, but whose fame, nevertheless, was to compete with his own in the coming ages; he was Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. So it happens sometimes in life; two geniuses brush against each other without knowing it, separate personages to whom Providence61 allots62 similar destinies. D. John distributed the monks63 sent by the Pope among the various galleys, the Capuchins to the Pontifical ships, the Franciscans to those of Genoa, Venice and Savoy, and the Jesuits to the Spanish ones. On board the "Real" was the Franciscan Fr. Miguel Servia, confessor to D. John, and two other Jesuits, H. Briones and Father Cristobal Rodriguez, a man of great learning and virtue64, who had been a prisoner of the Turk. Pius V much esteemed65 Father Cristobal Rodriguez, and entrusted66 him to tell D. John very privately67 and with great insistency68 what he had conveyed to him by other channels: not to hesitate to give battle, as, in the name of God, he promised victory. He also conveyed from the Pope a piece of the True Cross, an inch long and half an inch wide, in a clumsy reliquary of silver with two angels at the sides: it was the wish of the Pontiff that D. John should wear it on his breast during the battle.
Meanwhile Mons. Odescalchi promulgated69 a plenary jubilee70 which the Pope had granted to all on board the armada who had confessed, communicated, and prayed to God for victory against the Turk.
The forces all fasted for three days to prepare themselves to gain these spiritual graces, and there was not a soldier, sailor or galley slave who did not confess and communicate, and receive from the hands of the Nuncio a wax Agnus Dei blessed by the Pope, the Generalissimo D. John of Austria setting the example with all the leaders and officers. Then they organised a solemn procession of rogation and the Pontifical Nuncio, wearing vestments, conceded from the high altar to all those who were to fight the same graces that the Church had granted to the conquerors71 of the Holy Sepulchre. On the 16th of September the fleet at last left Messina for Corfu, and the Nuncio, in a small vessel58 at the entrance of the port, blessed the galleys and smaller vessels, one by one, as they passed.
点击收听单词发音
1 pontifical | |
adj.自以为是的,武断的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2 vehement | |
adj.感情强烈的;热烈的;(人)有强烈感情的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3 fiery | |
adj.燃烧着的,火红的;暴躁的;激烈的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
4 cons | |
n.欺骗,骗局( con的名词复数 )v.诈骗,哄骗( con的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
5 impatience | |
n.不耐烦,急躁 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
6 supreme | |
adj.极度的,最重要的;至高的,最高的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
7 omen | |
n.征兆,预兆;vt.预示 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
8 plunged | |
v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 );暴跌;骤降;突降 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
9 retired | |
adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
10 galley | |
n.(飞机或船上的)厨房单层甲板大帆船;军舰舰长用的大划艇; | |
参考例句: |
|
|
11 galleys | |
n.平底大船,战舰( galley的名词复数 );(船上或航空器上的)厨房 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
12 sinister | |
adj.不吉利的,凶恶的,左边的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
13 rumours | |
n.传闻( rumour的名词复数 );风闻;谣言;谣传 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
14 pillage | |
v.抢劫;掠夺;n.抢劫,掠夺;掠夺物 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
15 superstitious | |
adj.迷信的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
16 fanatic | |
n.狂热者,入迷者;adj.狂热入迷的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
17 sumptuous | |
adj.豪华的,奢侈的,华丽的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
18 dreaded | |
adj.令人畏惧的;害怕的v.害怕,恐惧,担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
19 afflicted | |
使受痛苦,折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
20 Christian | |
adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
21 joyfully | |
adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
22 niches | |
壁龛( niche的名词复数 ); 合适的位置[工作等]; (产品的)商机; 生态位(一个生物所占据的生境的最小单位) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
23 emblems | |
n.象征,标记( emblem的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
24 inscriptions | |
(作者)题词( inscription的名词复数 ); 献词; 碑文; 证劵持有人的登记 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
25 adorned | |
[计]被修饰的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
26 fabric | |
n.织物,织品,布;构造,结构,组织 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
27 colossal | |
adj.异常的,庞大的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
28 vanquished | |
v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 );战胜;克服;抑制 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
29 moors | |
v.停泊,系泊(船只)( moor的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
30 vainglorious | |
adj.自负的;夸大的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
31 humbly | |
adv. 恭顺地,谦卑地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
32 lieutenant | |
n.陆军中尉,海军上尉;代理官员,副职官员 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
33 knight | |
n.骑士,武士;爵士 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
34 bishop | |
n.主教,(国际象棋)象 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
35 exhorting | |
v.劝告,劝说( exhort的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
36 hesitation | |
n.犹豫,踌躇 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
37 prudence | |
n.谨慎,精明,节俭 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
38 secrecy | |
n.秘密,保密,隐蔽 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
39 grudge | |
n.不满,怨恨,妒嫉;vt.勉强给,不情愿做 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
40 pros | |
abbr.prosecuting 起诉;prosecutor 起诉人;professionals 自由职业者;proscenium (舞台)前部n.赞成的意见( pro的名词复数 );赞成的理由;抵偿物;交换物 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
41 obstinate | |
adj.顽固的,倔强的,不易屈服的,较难治愈的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
42 obstinacy | |
n.顽固;(病痛等)难治 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
43 convoked | |
v.召集,召开(会议)( convoke的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
44 spoke | |
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
45 exhorted | |
v.劝告,劝说( exhort的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
46 impiety | |
n.不敬;不孝 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
47 fervent | |
adj.热的,热烈的,热情的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
48 steward | |
n.乘务员,服务员;看管人;膳食管理员 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
49 pointed | |
adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
50 pompousness | |
豪华;傲慢 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
51 invincible | |
adj.不可征服的,难以制服的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
52 mariners | |
海员,水手(mariner的复数形式) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
53 vehemence | |
n.热切;激烈;愤怒 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
54 contented | |
adj.满意的,安心的,知足的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
55 remains | |
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
56 undoubtedly | |
adv.确实地,无疑地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
57 recoiled | |
v.畏缩( recoil的过去式和过去分词 );退缩;报应;返回 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
58 vessel | |
n.船舶;容器,器皿;管,导管,血管 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
59 vessels | |
n.血管( vessel的名词复数 );船;容器;(具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的)人 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
60 regiments | |
(军队的)团( regiment的名词复数 ); 大量的人或物 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
61 providence | |
n.深谋远虑,天道,天意;远见;节约;上帝 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
62 allots | |
分配,拨给,摊派( allot的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
63 monks | |
n.修道士,僧侣( monk的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
64 virtue | |
n.德行,美德;贞操;优点;功效,效力 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
65 esteemed | |
adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 );敬重;认为;以为 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
66 entrusted | |
v.委托,托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
67 privately | |
adv.以私人的身份,悄悄地,私下地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
68 insistency | |
强迫,坚决要求 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
69 promulgated | |
v.宣扬(某事物)( promulgate的过去式和过去分词 );传播;公布;颁布(法令、新法律等) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
70 jubilee | |
n.周年纪念;欢乐 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
71 conquerors | |
征服者,占领者( conqueror的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
欢迎访问英文小说网 |