Nothing daunted by their failure, the believers in the claims of the
so-called Sebastian endeavoured to enlist the sympathy of the foreign
potentates on behalf of one of their own order who was unjustly
incarcerated and deprived of his rights. In this they failed; but at
last the government of Holland, which had no love for Philip, espoused
the cause of his rival, and despatched an officer to Venice to see
that justice was done. A day was appointed for the trial, and the
prisoner being brought before the senate, presented his claims in
writing. Witnesses came forward who swore that the person before them
was indeed Sebastian, although he had changed greatly in the course of
twenty years. Several scars, malformed teeth, moles, and other
peculiarities which were known to be possessed by the king, were
pointed out on the person of the pretender, and the evidence was
decidedly favourable to his claims; when, on the fifth day of the
investigation, a courier arrived from Spain, and presented a private
message from King Philip. The proceedings were at once brought to a
close; and, without further examination, the prisoner was liberated,
and ordered to quit the Venetian territory in three days. He
proceeded to Florence, where he was again arrested by command of the
Grand Duke of Tuscany. The reason for this harsh treatment is not very
clearly apparent, but it was probably instigated by the Spanish
representative at the Florentine court; for no sooner did the news
that he was in confinement reach Philip, than he demanded the delivery
of the prisoner to his agents. The duke at first refused to comply
with this request, but a threatened invasion of his dominions led him
to reconsider his decision, and the unfortunate aspirant to the
Portuguese sceptre was handed over to the Spanish officials. He was
hurried to Naples, then an appanage of the Spanish crown, and was
there offered his liberty if he would renounce his pretensions; but