died from his injuries. Barbara felt what deep pain this would cause her
distant son, and expressed her sympathy to him in a letter.

But the greatest happiness was still in store for her and for him. On
the 7th of October, 1571, the young hero, now twenty-four years old, as
commander of the united fleets of Spain, Venice, and the Pope, gained the
greatest victory which any Castilian force had ever won over the troops
of the infidels.

Instead of the name received at his baptism, and the one which he owed to
his brother, that of Victor of Lepanto now adorned him. Not one of all
the generals in the world received honours even distantly approaching
those lavished upon him. And besides the leonine courage and talent for
command which he had displayed, his noble nature was praised with ardent
enthusiasm. How he had showed it in the distribution of the booty to the
widow of the Turkish high admiral Ali Pasha! This renowned Moslem naval
commander had fallen in the battle, and his two sons had been delivered
to Don John as prisoners. When the unfortunate mother entreated him to
release the boys for a large ransom, he restored one to her love with the
companions for whose liberty he had interceded, with a letter containing
the words, "It does not beseem me to keep your presents, since my rank
and birth require me to give, not to receive."

These noble words were written by Barbara Blomberg's son, the boy to whom
she gave birth, and who had now become just what her lofty soul desired.

After the conquest of Cyprus, the Crescent had seriously threatened the
Cross in the Mediterranean, and it was Don John who had broken the power
of the Turks.