effect, and making military bridges. It is recorded of the leader that, seeing his men to be a good deal harassed by the fatigue of cutting and bringing up the brushwood which was required for the approaches, he set to work himself, and brought up his burdens like a common soldier.
With all his care, he did not take Galera at the first assault; and one reads with regret how, after failure, he announced that he would raze the place to the ground, sow the site with salt, and put every inhabitant to the sword. A ferocious announcement of this kind seems to have had the effect of stirring up the resolution of soldiers of those days. After much laborious engineering and severe fighting, the King's troops at last got the place. It is asserted by one historian that Don John kept his word to the letter, and commanded and superintended a most inhuman butchery. But there are other accounts which represent him as doing all he could to mitigate the fury of his soldiers, and these last testimonies are far more in consonance with his general sentiments and conduct.
He now attacked the fortress of Seron. The troops behaved badly, and the attack, for this time, failed. But Don John sustained a misfortune here greater than that of being foiled by infidel hands before a battered wall. A bullet, and an unskilful surgeon, deprived him of the stout soldier and courtier who had shown to him all that he ever knew of a father's care. Brave, faithful, sagacious Luis Quixada received his death-wound in front of Seron. The veteran was carried to Caniles, where he lingered under the torture of clumsy surgery for many days, during which
Dñna Magdalena was summoned to, and arrived at, his bedside, where she marked his last sigh and closed his eyes. The funeral was attended with great military pomp, and the Commander-in-Chief followed the body as chief mourner. Doña Magdalena left the camp afterwards, escorted by a squadron of cavalry, and attended for a long way by Don John, who rode beside her litter. It is most refreshing, among the instances of savagery and hardness of heart with which those days abounded, to read of the lamentation expressed by every one, from the King downwards, at the loss of Quixada, and of the tributes which were paid to his fidelity and other good qualities.
At this time King Philip thought it right to take his brother, Don John, to task for so freely confronting danger in his own person. The answer to this reproach was quite worthy of a good commander and soldier, and showed that the general, young as he was, had a sound knowledge of his duties and responsibilities; that he did not enter upon rash exploits to display his valour, but that where, for example or for guidance, the presence of the general was required, he could not for any consideration remain in the background.
The army was reinforced, and took Seron, Don John ordering the attack with much judgment. After that he took Tijola and then Purchena. His lieutenants were at work as well as himself: there were very many affairs besides those which have been mentioned here; and the royal armies, at length raised to becoming strength, acquired an ascendancy which was most discouraging to the rebel cause. The King's officers perceived this, and they issued proclamations
