Victims of the Spanish Inquisition
Cadiz, Spain, 16th century
These three young English sailors were part of a crew of an English privateer captured in an unsuccessful raid against a Spanish treasure ship returning to Spain from Mexico with a cargo of looted gold and silver.
English privateers were a constant thorn in the side of the Spanish who complained bitterly to Elizabeth1 about their predatory raids against Spanish shipping and the stealing of their treasures.
From expediency, the wily Elizabeth publicly condemned the privateers but, at the same time, she gave her tacit approval for their activities as long as she received her share of the looted Spanish treasure.
Sadly, for these young men - survivors of an unsuccessful attack on a Spanish treasure ship - they were taken to Cadiz and judged by the infamous Inquisition. Their offence - seen as an attack on the Spanish Crown - was regarded as a capital offence which carried the death penalty; usually burning at the stake.
However, during the interrogation of the three, the inquisitors noted their outstanding physiques and muscular bodies. In reaching a guilty verdict, they decided it would be "wasteful" to reduce such brute strength to ashes when it could be put to better use.
Accordingly, the three sailors were spared the death penalty. Instead, they were sentenced to the royal galleys for the term of their natural lives.
Here, we see them being taken from the Inquisition chamber to the galley harbour where they will be stripped naked, branded with the Spanish king's royal seal and then chained to an oar of one of his Most Catholic Majesty's royal galleys.
Within days, they will sweating and straining at the oars keeping time with the insistent beating of the drum as they are continually lashed by the cruel whips of their Spanish slave-drivers.
Artwork is one of Amalaric's earlier works which i have always admired. The text is mine.
The Spanish Holy Inquisition has all the right to sentence these three young English sailors to row on the Spanish Royal galleys for the rest of their miserable life ……… unluckily for them, a RATHER SHORT LIFE !, no more than 18 to 24 months, and just because these gorgeous youths are uncommonly healthy and muscular .
ReplyDeleteThis is the International RIGHT OF PEOPLES accepted by all civilized European Nations for the prisoners of war, especially when, like in this case, an action of war has some content of PIRACY.
Even His Excellency the magnificent Ambassador of H. M. Queen Elizabeth I to the Court of his Most Catholic Majesty the King of Spain Philip II has recognized the full right of the Supreme Spanish Ecclesiastical Court to sentence these three English sailors to death, or, in exchange, to a life rowing on the Spanish galleys. Moreover, talking very diplomatically with the Spanish Prime Minister, during a sumptuous party in the Royal Palace in Madrid, the English Ambassador has reassured the Spanish Government that the English Crown recognizes the full right of the Holy Inquisition in sentencing to the oars these three unlucky British sailors ….. and that he will never try to do anything for defending or protecting them from the right punishment of the Spanish Court.
Moreover these three young English sailors are even more indefensible in their fault, not only because of their attempted Piracy act ……. but also because, as members of the Anglican Church, these three young British sea-soldiers are –for the Holy Inquisition, not only pirates but also heretics !
They must consider themselves lucky that they avoided the stake !
Following this RIGHT OF PEOPLES, recognized and practiced both by the Spanish and English Crowns …… at the same time, many other young Spanish sailors, captured by British ships, are sentenced to row at the oars of English galleys, as pirates and as Catholic heretics, under the equally ruthless whips of English slave-drivers.
All civilized Nations agree in observing these international rules.
A much much worse could fate could have happened to these wretched young English sailors, if they would have been captured not by a Spanish ship …… but by a Muslim ship of North African Barbary Pirates from Morocco or Algeria !
Cadiz is just few miles away from the coasts of Morocco and from Tangiers, one of the main bases of the Barbary Pirates and one of the greatest Slave Markets in the Islamic world for selling herds of Christian slaves arriving from all Countries of Europe.
And the ferocious Moroccan Pirates are extremely active in attacking ships of all Christian nations, not differentiating between Spanish, or English, or French or Dutch etc. ships ……. and enslaving all their crews.
Perhaps just in a few months …… or even in a few weeks ……. the Spanish galley on which these three young and brawny English sailors are chained at the oars together with other Northern European “heretic” young men …… French, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish soldiers and sailors ……. will be attacked and conquered by a Moroccan Barbary ship.
And all of them, the previous “enemies” …….. both catholic and Protestant ones ……. will find themselves chained to the same oar, side by side, on an African galley lashed by the same ruthless whips of fierce Muslim slave-drivers …… al together toiling to the last drop of sweat for a pitiless and wild Arab Master !
Karel