The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-03-07
ply an AFFAIR II gallantry ana hint a

autobiographiCal in spirit, Wheticr II
is literally so or not; presumably
Tomas Rodaia stands. in his opinions
If not IN all his adventures, for Miguel
dc Ccrvantes. Tomas joined a COM
pany of soldiers bound for Cartagena,
where they embarked in four Neaopil-
tan galloys. aboard which tho insects
i'll treated, the convicts robbed, the
sailors disguised, the rats destroyed
and tho motion Of the sea fatigued.'
In the Gulf of Lyons they encountered
teinpests: one drove them back to Cor
sica. another tn Toulon. AT last they
landed at Genoa. Tomas admired 'the
fair trcsscs IF the Genocse ONE the
gent.litv and gallant disposition Of tn
men and the admit able beauty of the
city" From Genoa to Florence.
thence to Rome. lie saw Naples. Pal
ermo. Messina.
At Rome Cervantes was valet to the
Cardinal Acpuaviva for a few months,
then enlisted as a private In the com
pany commanded By Capt. Diego de
t'rbina. in Miguel do Moncada's ia
nous regiment. At this time Europe
was ruled by fear Of the Turk. ty-
press had fallen into his hands, and
the commercial republic of Venice.
chief sufferer. scnt an expedition for
the relief Of the island. in 1870, in
which Ccrvantcs probably served. \
league was formed with tho Holy See
and spain, and Don John OF Austria
G. mmanded its fleet. one of the YES
sells was the Marquesa. and on her
Cervantcs sailed. When the Turkish
.ta,, p.aa asfa,trnl In tta Cn1e nf
Iepanto, october :. 1870, he vas s.
sick with fever hat the captain adj
viscd him TO stay below, but he would
not. BETTER is it that I fight in tho
service Of God and the King. and die
for them. than keep una y cover All
the long afternoon they fought. and Ut
the end the Cross few ali v the Ores.
cent. Fifteen thousand Christian
slaves II the ottoman galleys were
freed. The Marques had grapplcd
with the flagship Of the A~leXandridn
Admiral. v%anquished her, Killed the
Turks aboard her and seized the royal
standard of Egypt. Tho valiant Miguel
got We gunshot wounds IN the chest
and had his left hand nearly taken off
10y an ar%quehus.
In 1872 he went on another cxpedi-
ton against the Turks, in Capt. Man
uel Ponce de Icons OF
Lopc de FiEucroa's regiment. His gal
lantry at Lepanto was recognized by a
raise OF three ducats a month in
his pay. In 1873 and 1914 he served
in north Africa and in 1873 Don John
sent him home with a letter request
ing his appointment 10 command OF a
company. But his galley was attacked
and captured by corsairs and Miguel
and his brother were carried c with
their comrades, to Algiers. Miguels
first master in hat hell hole of sla-
very was Dali Mani. az Albanian
renegade. Never losing courage amid
its horrors. he attempted to lead a
party of his fellow captives overland
to freedom, but the Moor he had en-
gagged as a guide deserted them and
they a to return. Cervantes was
condemned to close confinement and
heavier chains than before.
In tho spring NJ 1877 he managed
20 get a cave dug by some friends in
a garden near the coast, and four
teen Christian captives waited there
Ave months IN hope Of al by sea.
In August Rodrigo. brother Of Miguel.
was ransomed at tile price OF 800 god
crownl sent by the home folka Tne
ransom VAS meant for Miguel, hut
he was held al a higher figure. Rod
rigo promised TO send a bark from
Spain to take on tho refugees in the
cave. Miguel himself Joined them,
eight days before the bark arrived.
The boat was seer by Moors ashore
and had TO put back to sea; the cav
was discovered and surrounded by
armed men. Cervantes stepped out,
declared he alone "a "the author of
the affair" and At for punishment.
Tho Algerian ruler bought him from
"Limpy,' as Dali Mani was nick
named. and chained him fast. saying,
az the story goes: 80 long as I have
the manned Spaniard in my posses
sion. my Christians, ships, y the city
itself, is safe"
In '7s Cervantes tried TO organize an
uprising among the - 900 slaves. and
again in 70. Both attempts failed and
brought Upon him cruel punishment
Some ~renegades he tried 70 restore 10
the faith; he interceded for tho most
III treated OF the captives and seems
to have been esteemed by the tyrant-
for the very qualities that made him
dangerous TO them. In September OF
1850 he was in irons about TO be
shipped to Constantlnople when he
was ransomed. or the ransom OF SOC
crowns half was paid by his family
the rest by Spanish merchants in A.
g.ers.
Liberty. Sancho, is Of the mos,
precious gifts given OF the skies &c
men" Cervantes was nov out OF
slavery, but not "out Of the woods
The next twenty years brought such
a mingling of Joys and troubles as
true philosophy. not academic philos,
ophy, grows in. The left hand was
safe, at any rate. State and civic
records OF the time trace his history,
In 1851 he goes to Portugal on tho
Kings service; in 1882 he IL unheart
OF; by autumn OF 80 he is in Madrit
and finishes the "Galatea,' the
copyright Of which he sells in tho
neXt year for ! 1896 reals. lie marie.
Catalina de Salazar V Palacios al
Esquivias, a village a little to III,
north OF Toledo on the road to Ma.
drid. He is ~. she 10, She brings
dowry W fyc small, new planted vine
yards. eighty-three lots of household
furniture and an orchard. four hive
Of bees, forty-tive chickens, p crucihle
His father dies. Miguel writes for III,
stupas "I 40 uNrutou "a, Arunl' aoI uT