ships.  He made a descent on the Barbary coast, captured Tunis, destroyed Biserta, and brought King Amidas and his two sons prisoners to Italy.  Ordered by Philip to dismantle the fortifications of Tunis, he replied by repairing them thoroughly, and by placing a strong garrison within the citadel.  Intoxicated with his glory, the young adventurer already demanded a crown, and the Pope was disposed to proclaim him King of Tunis, for the Queen of the Lybian seas was to be the capital of his Empire, the new Carthage which he already dreamed.

Philip thought it time to interfere, for he felt that his own crown might be insecure, with such a restless and ambitious spirit indulging in possible and impossible chimeras.  He removed John de Soto, who had been Don John’s chief councillor and emissary to the Pope, and substituted in his place the celebrated and ill-starred Escovedo.  The new secretary, however, entered as heartily but secretly into all these romantic schemes.  Disappointed of the Empire which he had contemplated on the edge of the African desert, the champion of the Cross turned to the cold islands of the northern seas.  There sighed, in captivity, the beauteous Mary of Scotland, victim of the heretic Elizabeth.  His susceptibility to the charms of beauty—­a characteristic as celebrated as his courage—­was excited, his chivalry aroused.  What holier triumph for the conqueror of the Saracens than the subjugation of these northern infidels?  He would dethrone the proud Elizabeth; he would liberate and espouse the Queen of Scots, and together they would reign over, the two united realms.  All that the Pope could do with bulls and blessings, letters of excommunication, and patents of investiture, he did with his whole heart.  Don John was at liberty to be King of England and Scotland as soon as he liked; all that was left to do was to conquer the kingdoms.

Meantime, while these schemes were flitting through his brain, and were yet kept comparatively secret by the Pope, Escovedo, and himself, the news reached him in Italy that he had been appointed Governor-General of the Netherlands.  Nothing could be more opportune.  In the provinces were ten thousand veteran Spaniards, ripe for adventure, hardened by years of warfare, greedy for gold, audacious almost beyond humanity, the very instruments for his scheme.  The times were critical in the Netherlands, it was true; yet he would soon pacify those paltry troubles, and then sweep forward to his prize.  Yet events were rushing forward with such feverish rapidity, that he might be too late for his adventure.  Many days were lost in the necessary journey from Italy into Spain to receive the final instructions of the King.  The news from the provinces, grew more and more threatening.  With the impetuosity and romance of his temperament, he selected his confidential friend Ottavio Gonzaga, six men-at-arms, and an adroit and well-experienced Swiss courier who knew every road of France.