Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-11-06
THE STORY OF A JEWISH RENEGADE

The story of II Giudeo, the Jew, con.
tains some rare touches of humanity, and
the end of it is strangely pathetic. The
man was, as his name implies, Jewish
renegade. He was born at Smyrna, and
acquired great riches by his piracies. The
Arabs called him Sinam, the Turks Ciefut
Pasha, and the Italians ii Giudeo. After
the conquest of Rhodes the pirates infested
the Mediterranean like pack of hungry
wolves, and II Giudeo surpassed them all
in astuteness and in an intimate knowledge
of every creek and hiding place along the
coasts and among the islands. Monte
Argentaro, Elba, Ponza, he knew them
among them with his swift, treach.
erous galleys. He had fleet of thirty
four of them, and ravaged the coasts of
Sicily, Naples, and the Roman States. For
the most part he was successful and almost
unmolested in his marauding expeditions.
But once three ships belonging to the
knights of Rhodes, and commanded by
Captain Paolo Vettori, made raid upon
the robbers and captured some pirate gal
leys Oft Gianutri, tiny island of the Tus.
can Archipelago. But this was compare.
lively unimportant check to II Giudeo
None the less for it did he scour the Med
iterranean to his own great profit and the
terror of the littoral populations. In 1888
we find him triumphantly carrying off from
near Messina three vessels belonging to
Andrea Doria, laden with silk-a very
rich prize. IN 1885 he defended La Goletta
with body of 5000 picked Turkish
troops against the Christian armies COM
manded by Charles V. in person. The
Moslems made valorous defense, but were
overpowered and compelled to fly to Tunis,
where Barbarossa was then reigning, hav-
ing forcibly seized that kingdom from the
descendant of the ancient Berber dynasty
of the Hafsit. Within the city of Tunis
at that time were upward of 10000 Chris-
tian slaves taken by the pirates. These
were Spaniards, French, Germans, and,
more numerous than all, Italians; people
of both sexes and all ages and conditions
merchants, soldiers, knights, sailors,
priests. These lnfortunates, on the first
approach of the Christian army, had been
huddled into stme underground caverns
called the Gaaa, originally intended for
storing grain. I;arbarossa, seeing the for
tune of war go against him, absolutely pro-
posed to mas sacre all these HELPLESS
wretches, and was with difficulty dissuadei
from his atrocious intention. II Giudeo
chiefly opposed it, and it was mainly
owing to his int.rcession that the prisoners
lives were saved. This of La Goletta was
great victor,r for the Christian arms.
Besides putting the enemy to flight and
confusion, the Christians captured all the
Moslem ships, without losing one on their
side, Among the prisoners taken was II
Giudeo's favGsits child. a boy of 10 years
old, who is statd to have en serving as
sort of cabin hoy on board OF one of the
captured Moorish vessels. The child fell
to the share Of the Prince of Piombino,
who caused him to be baptized, had him
educated in all the accomplishments of a
gentleman OF that day, and brought him
up In his OWL house, "where he lived
honored and beloved by all. Meanwhile,
II Giudeo was advanced to even greater
honors by tue Sultan. Escaped from
the disaster of L. Goletta and of Tnnis.
he was nominated Admiral of the fleet
of the Red Sea, the principal scope
of which was to harass and oppose the
Portuguese, whose progress in the Indies
was giving umbrage to Soliman. II Giudeo's
headquarters were at Suez. He was enor-
mously wealthy, powerful. and honored-
But the terrible pirate had heart. 1t is
evident that his apostasy had not concealed
the strong parental affection go Characters
tic of the race and of the teachings of the
Hebrew religion, and he never ceased to
lament the loss of his son. Nearly ten
years after the disaster of Tunis, Barba-
rossa-another celebrated and especially
truculent Moslem pirate-attacked the
island OF Elba, which was a possession
of the Prince of Piombino. Barbarossa
threatened to ravase the island with fire
and sword if II Giudeo's son were not
given up to him. This act appears to
have been dictated less by friendship for
his comrade in piracy than by greed of
gain. There is little doubt that he expected
the Prince to pay heavy ransom for the
youth to whom he had become attached.
Only short time previous the republic
ofGenova had been compelled to the humi-
liation of buying him off from destroying
Savona. However, the young man at
once declared himself willing to 90 and
see his father, as was right and duti.
ful, but stipulated spontaneously that
the dominions of his benefactor, the Prince
of Piombino, should be respected. Ac-
cordingly, the baptized son of II Giudeo set
out for Egypt, where his father anxiously
awaited him. But when one day he ap-
peared before him, handsome, elegant
cavalier, richly attired. and surrounded by
train of servants and attendants, the old
man embraced his long.lost son in such
a paroxysm and transport of joy that " his
heart burst and he fell dead" The cir.
cumstaace is well attested by Bosio. Nam.
brine, Jovius, etc. And, as Padre Gugliel
motif remarks, II Giudeo was probably the
only one of the dreaded company of Moor
ish pirates to whom it could possibly have
happened. The Cornhill Magazine.