Completely deceived, the townspeople allowed the landing of eight hundred
Janissaries. The tyrant, who was, as Barbarossa had told the Sultan, a
craven coward, waited for no further demonstration of force, but
incontinently fled into the interior with such valuables as he could carry.
As soon as this was reported to Barbarossa he landed in force and entered
the town, and then the townspeople noticed that the soldiers were all
shouting for Soliman and for Barbarossa. They then demanded that Raschid
should be produced according to promise, but naturally he was not
forthcoming. Those who had acclaimed the soldiers of Soliman as liberators
now began to arm against them, and they very shortly discovered, from some
Tunisians who had come in the fleet from Constantinople, that Raschid had
been left behind in that city.
CHAPTER IX
BARCELONA, MAY 1535; THE GATHERING OF THE CHRISTIAN HOSTS
Some idea of the terror inspired by the actions of the Sea-wolves at this
date is contained in the following extract from "The Golden Age of the
Renaissance," by Lanciani:
"The Bastione del Belvedere, which towers in frowning greatness at the
north-east end of the Vatican Garden and commands the approach to the
Borgo from the upper-end valley of the Tiber, was begun by Antonio de
Sangullo the younger, and finished by Michel Angelo after the death of
Antonio, which took place on September 30th, 1546.
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