The Story of Don John of Austria

by Luis Coloma

The king-at-arms left, and then the licentiate Menchaca, the oldest councillor of the Chamber, mounted and read from the same Gospel side the form of the oath, which was very long and dull. Then the Conde de Oropesa went to Princess Juana, and informed her that she would be called on first to swear. The Princess rose at once, and, accompanied beyond the canopy by the King and Prince, went and knelt before the Cardinal, who asked her, "Will your Highness, as Infanta of Castille, swear to guard and fulfil all that is contained in the writing of the oath just read?"

The Princess, placing her hands on the Gospels and the Cross, replied, "I swear."

And the Cardinal answered, "So help you God and the Holy Gospels."

Then the Princess went to kneel before the King to do homage, and placed her joined hands between those of the King, who asked her, "Will you do homage once, twice, and three times; once, twice, and three times; once, twice, and three times; and will you promise and plight your word and faith that you will perform all that which the writing of the oath, which you have heard read, contains?"

"Thus I promise," responded the Princess.

And she then wished to kneel before the Prince to kiss his hand; but he, standing up hurriedly, prevented her, and embraced her tenderly. Princess Juana returned to her seat under the canopy, and as there was no other prince to swear, the king-at-arms advanced again and cried, turning towards the seat of the Grandees, "Marqués de Mondejar! mount up and take the oath of homage." Then the Marqués de Mondejar mounted the platform, and placed himself standing at the Cardinal's left, and behind him three councillors of the Royal Council of Castille, and four of that of Aragón, to serve as witnesses.

Then the secretary, Francisco de Eraso, came forward and said to the King, according to the record of these courts, "That it is known that the Illustrious D. John of Austria has not completed his fourteenth year; but, as he wished it to be known that he has discretion, ability, and understanding already in great abundance, H.M. supplies the defect, so that he may be able to take the oath and do homage, in case it should be necessary, and H.M. having specially heard, in intelligible voice answered and said that such was his will, notwithstanding the law of these realms. When the Most Illustrious D. John of Austria heard this he rose from the chair where he was and went before the Most Reverend Cardinal, and took the same oath as the Princess had taken, and, this done, he rose and went to the said Marqués de Mondejar, who was standing in front of H.M., and, putting his hands between those of the said Marqués, did the homage contained in the said writing of the oath and homage, which he did in sign of obedience, subjection, and vassalage, and fidelity due to the Very Serene Prince D. Carlos, and knelt down on the ground and kissed his hand, and then went back to sit in the chair where he was before, as has been said."

After D. John of Austria, the Prelates, Grandees, and nobles of Castille took the oath, the members of the Cortes, D. Garcia de Toledo, tutor to the Prince, the Conde de Oropesa, the Marqués de Mondejar and the Stewards of the King next swearing. The last to swear was the Duque de Alba, who as Lord Steward of the King had directed the ceremony, staff in hand; but being absent-minded, after making his homage, he forgot to kiss the Prince's hand, who gave him such a look of anger and rancour, that no historian has forgotten to note and comment on it.

The Duke remembered himself, and went at once to make his excuses to the Prince, who then gave his hand to be kissed, but never forgot this trifling inattention, which he took for an affront. The Cardinal of Burgos afterwards took the oath at the hands of the Archbishop of Seville, and finally Prince Carlos wound up by doing so at the hands of D. John of Austria, "To guard the statutes and laws of these kingdoms, maintaining them in peace and justice, and to defend the Catholic faith with his person and property and all his might."

This ended the ceremony, and the Court returned to the royal castle to the music of minstrels, trumpets and drums.