We extract now a curious occurrence of this period of his life: –
"On the 15th November he revisited, as a prince, the village of Getafe, where he had formerly been at school as a nameless peasant boy. It was on occasion of the arrival there of the holy corpse of St Eugenius, which was being transported from its long repose at St Denis, to the cathedral where the saint had once reigned as primate, at Toledo. Philip II. had purchased the precious bones from Charles IX. at the moderate price of the skull of St Quintin, of which he had despoiled the town so called, after his victory in 1557. An infinity of documents and seals recorded and ratified the bargain; and a deputation of French nobles and prelates placed the remains of the Toledan saint in the hands of a similar embassy from Spain at Bordeaux. They were thence conveyed with almost royal pomp to Toledo, receiving at each halting-place the adoration of the faithful. Getafe being only two leagues from Madrid, it was there that Queen Isabella and the devout Infanta Juana, attended by Don John, went to pay their homage. Three days afterwards the venerable skeleton made its entry into the old archiepiscopal city, the King and Don Carlos kneeling in the wayside dust to do it honour."
At the age of twenty-one, Don John, erewhile the nameless peasant boy Jerome, was appointed General of the Sea, an appointment equivalent to that of Lord High Admiral. He embarked and hoisted his flag with due ceremony, and made several small voyages, in the course of which some minor operations of war were undertaken. His expeditions were not historically important, neither did they bring much glory to himself. It was, however, remarked that he got through this his novitiate in command with a degree of credit which could hardly have been predicted for one so young. His temper and bearing were most favourably remarked upon; and he, no doubt, used this opportunity for acquiring a knowledge of the duties of command on that element whereon he was destined to win an imperishable fame. While he was in active command, his nephew and old associate Don Carlos came to his sad and somewhat mysterious end.
Having brought his cruise to a close, the Lord Admiral repaired to Court, and was well received. Only a short time after his arrival there, all were plunged into grief by the death of the beautiful young Queen. The King, in his bereavement, treated his half-brother with the utmost affection and confidence. But, at the funeral ceremonies, Don John was offended at some slight which he imagined to be put upon him with regard to precedence – a most weighty matter at that Court in those days; and he withdrew in dudgeon to the country, passing his time at religious houses or with his "aunt" Doña Magdalena. It was not likely that one of so ardent a nature as his would bear to be long in shadow, and accordingly we find him, after two months or so of retirement, availing himself of the Morisco rebellion, which had now broken out, to solicit employment. It appears that there was then no inconsistency in employing the General of the Sea in command of land forces.
After the rule of the Moors had been utterly suppressed in the Peninsula, this people, remaining in the southern province under Spanish government, were known as Moriscoes. They had treaty rights, of which the dearest to them was the right of remaining Mohammedans, and of practising the rites of their religion. It was hoped, perhaps, by the Spanish priesthood and people, that infidels who had consented to live under
