In one of the addresses delivered at the time ofPadre Coloma's admission to the Real AcademiaEspañola there is a reference to Jeromín, as thisStory of Don John of Austria is called in Spanish,which says that it awakes great interest in the reader byinaugurating a new type of book, half novel and halfhistory. This seems too true a description of it not to bequoted here.
In his preface the author states that he does not proposeto delve into any deep problems, or to put forwardunknown facts about personages already judged at the barof history. All the same, I think that much in this bookwill be fresh to English readers, notably, perhaps, the factthat an "auto da fe" consisted in hearing the sentencespronounced on the prisoners of the Inquisition, not inwitnessing their execution, and that in most cases thecondemned were garrotted before being burnt.
Many of the illustrations will also be new to mostpeople. Through the kindness of the Duke of Berwickand Alba the two pictures of the "Gran Duque" in hispalace at Madrid are reproduced with their history. I amindebted to Colonel Coloma for the picture of AntonioPérez and the one of Luis Quijada, photographed speciallyfor this book. Señor de Osma was good enough tosend me the autograph of Don John's mother, whichproves her to have been a woman of at least some education.From him, too, comes a most interesting specimenof Don John's writing—the postscript to the dispatchannouncing the battle of Lepanto.
Of the more familiar illustrations it can surely weary noone to be reminded of how Jeromín pictured his father tohimself, or how Philip II, "Reyna Ysovel," Prince Carlos,and others appeared to the blue eyes of the hero ofLepanto.
I disclaim all responsibility for the views, historicalor otherwise, expressed in this book, but if I have failedto reproduce a vivid picture of life in old Spain, it is solelythe fault of my prentice hand.
As on the walls of some tapestried chamber the authordisplays the Story of Don John of Austria from hisengaging childhood to his saintly death. The light as itshines on this Prince Charming, also falls on those greatones of his time who were his friends or foes, and on themulti