“Chrome,” North corrected. “Chrome plating. Mostly from automobile bumpers, I believe.”
“From what?”
“Never mind. And how long will the lantern stay aloft?”
“Longer than we need. Now, what can you see through those double-telescopes of yours?”
“Well,” said North, raising his binoculars to fix upon the trailing Spanish ship, “I’ll tell you in just a moment.”
* * *
Captain Villarda y Ruiz sighed when his sharpest-eyed sailor shrugged uncertainty. “They are gaining on us again.”
Don Alfonso scowled. “Even with that balloon in tow?”
“Yes, even so. Check on the other boats; are they catching up, at all?”
Alfonso turned around and was silent for a second. “Sir, they are veering off!”
“Both of them?”
“Yes!” The young man turned back, fury in his face. “Sir, what could it mean? Are they such cowards that—?”
Villarda y Ruiz shook his head. “No, no—it would not be that. I am concerned that they saw another boat and have given chase, presuming that they could be of no use to us, since if we slowed down to let them catch up, our prey would slip away.”
“But how can we tell if that is what occurred?”
Villarda y Ruis smiled. “We would need one of the wonderful telescopes you have spoken about, Alfonso—like the one you peered through when you visited your uncle’s galleon.” The lack of a telescope—or simple spyglass, for that matter—had already become a bitter point in their pursuit of the enemy ship. When they spotted the balloon in the sky next to it, shortly before dawn, it would have been helpful to have been able to better discern the range of the ship, the balloon, the distance between them. That would have made it unnecessary to indulge in broad guesses as to their size and configuration. And now, as they drew further away, and the light increased, the ability to discern details diminished further: at greater range, and without the same clear contrast against the dark, the balloon was no more than a winking speck in the sky.
Don Alfonso was, obviously, equally distressed by the lack of necessary equipment, and a great deal more vocal about it. “We must have a telescope! How can you go to sea without one?”
Villarda y Ruiz had expected some such outburst and was thus able to conceal his smile. The young intendant of the Spanish Empire, a hidalgo’s presumptuous scion, Alfonso’s sparse experience with ships had been of precisely the wrong sort: he had lived in close concert with excellent maps, up-to-date sextants, recently acquired up-time charts, and sherry in the great cabin with the captain and officers. And, of course, telescopes. But again, Villarda y Ruiz kept these sardonic observations to himself. “We do not have such expensive instruments on a working ship such as this one, Lieutenant,” the captain replied, emphasizing the word “working” as he did so. If the boy had ever had any hope of becoming a genuine seaman, the aristocratic insistence of familiarizing him—first and foremost—with so-called ‘great ships’ had clearly ruined him. Those great looming hulks of galleons—barges with square rigged sails—were hardly ships at all: more like floating treasure houses with thick sides and cannons to complete the comparison.
And now he was in a genuine naval chase and could not read the unfolding signs—signs as clear to a thirteen-year-old ship’s boy as his letters and sums. Clearer, probably, given the low quality of itinerant tutoring afforded students of such humble means. “Reason it out, Alfonso: you remember how our look-out thought he saw sails to the south, as well.”
“Yes, but he was not sure.”
“”True, but that does not mean he was mistaken. It could simply mean that the ship there was hovering at the edge of visibility.”
“Why?”
“So that later—as we see now—he could edge in closer, and show his sheets to the vessels coming after us. And, thereby, draw them off after him.”
“But to what purpose?”
God help the poor crew who winds up serving under this imbecile. “To split us up. Consider: the attackers knew Palma, evidently knew the Castell de Bellver. They probably also knew the approximate number and kind of pursuit ships we had ready in the bay. And so now, they present us with numerous hulls and all on different headings. So we must choose: follow all and spread ourselves too thin, or choose one and hope that we have luckily chosen the right one. And at our current range, we have no way to signal to the ships following us: their masters are making their own decisions, and so we have no way to tell them that we are following the ship with the balloon.”
Alfonso’s brows lowered and what he said made Villarda y Ruiz decide that he would pay any price to get the young aristocrat off his boat: “It’s just not fair,” announced Don Alfonso.
* * *
The sun had just passed the high noon point when the lookout in the bow of the Petrel called attention to something floating in the water, less than half a mile to starboard. Captain Bernardo Villarda y Ruiz ordered the steersman to bring her over two points and squinted into the spray.
Minutes later, he clearly saw what it was in the water: a strange hybrid between a balloon and a paper lantern. He had heard of such things from sailors who had served on the galleons that traded east beyond India, all the way to the Philippines, but had attributed it to the tall tales of professional seamen—seamen who spent much of their shore liberty drunk on whatever local spirits came to hand. Evidently, there had been some truth in those tales after all, which he conceded he now had learned the hard way.
“We have been chasing a…a toy?” Don Alfonso nearly screamed.
“For the last hour, yes. I conjecture that when they had opened the range between us to that point when they could no longer see our sail, they rightly reasoned that, reciprocally, we could no longer see theirs. At that time, they cut this ‘balloon-lantern’ free”—he pointed to the fine silken thread in the water—“and let it follow the wind. Then they turned at right angles to that heading, and so are gone. Quite gone. It would be sheer luck for us to find them again.”
Villarda-Ruiz stared down at the shiny lacquered surfaces of the ruined lamp. Its light, and its reflective sheet, had fixed their attention just as intended, particularly with sun dancing in and out of the scattered clouds, sending flashes off the lantern’s sides like taunting beacons. And while they had played hide and seek with this lure, the real balloon and escapees were—
—Where? He turned in a full circle, staring at the surrounding horizon: 360 degrees of flat, empty dark blue capped by feather-clouded light blue. The real culprits could be anywhere, by now.
Naturally, he and the other captains would all give up the chase, returning to report the ruse with all possible dispatch. A tongue-lashing would be meted out, new orders would be given, and the search radius expanded, to the extent that wind conditions and prevailing currents would permit. But the odds of catching the assassins were now slim, at best. And if they had had the foresight to have had yet another fast ship in readiness, which set out on a course entirely different from those he and his colleagues had been led along, the odds of intercept became negligible.
Like he, the other captains would realize this even as they went out from Palma Bay on their second, futile sweep. But they would continue to search, of course: to do any less would be to invite greater wrath from already displeased superiors. Because although failure was bad, and incompetence worse, any sign of lethargy meant not merely dereliction of duty, but a diminished fear of the disapproval of one’s betters. And in Imperial Spain, that was the sin that could not be tolerated, for its rule—from august monarch down to humblest hidalgo—was informed by the same notions of statecraft that had been articulated by Nicolo Machiavelli but a century before: it was better to be respected than loved. But it was better to be feared that respected.
Much, much better.
Hungary and Transylvania, Part 3: Cities and Castles by Gábor Szántai
Here is a list of the cities and frontier castles in Ro
yal Hungary, Transylvania, and the occupied lands:
The cities and castles of the Trans-Danubian Region and Upper Hungary—the Hungarian Highland—are listed here. They were either in Habsburg hands or taken by Prince Rákóczi I in the 1630s. Some of them were captured by the Turks, but during this time period the borders were fluid.
Upper Hungary
Castle of Érsekújvár (Nove Zámky)
https://www.google.hu/maps/place/%C3%89rsek%C3%BAjv%C3%A1r,+Szlov%C3%A1kia/@47.9929511,18.0611358,33315m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x476b014e1d001c71:0x34e9b20e19515def
It was Péter Pázmány who had the archbishop's palace built here in 1620 in order to fight Protestantism. He consecrated its Franciscan church and monastery in 1631. Érsekújvár had a well-fortified and modern castle, and thus was considered a strategic place near the Bohemian border.
Castle of Drégely
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiASKDGvQTU
https://www.google.hu/maps/place/Dr%C3%A9gely+v%C3%A1ra/@47.9827432,18.8378311,66643m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x476a99f9e81ef111:0x21ec2a078634fd65
Drégely became a frontier castle in 1544, and it was the gate to the mining towns of Upper Hungary. This small castle deservedly became as famous as Kőszeg or Szigetvár in the Turkish wars. The fort was in a rather poor condition in 1549 because a lightning bolt exploded its gunpowder storage. It was defended by György Szondy and his one hundred forty-six men in 1552 when Pasha Ali besieged him with twelve to fourteen thousand soldiers. They were able to resist the Turks for only four days, but those few days are legendary in Hungarian history.
Pasha Ali ordered Szondy to surrender the castle, and after his refusal he had the outer palisade set on fire. Szondy had to withdraw into the inner castle, behind old-fashioned stone walls. The pasha had an earthen rampart built and placed his cannons there. After two days of bombardment the castle and its high gate-tower were in ruins. Pasha Ali was not a bloodthirsty man, and he sent in the local priest, Márton, to negotiate. Szondy refused to yield the castle and sent two of his high-born Turkish captives, dressed in expensive clothes, to Ali, along with his two favorite young pages. He asked Ali to give a good education to the lads because he wouldn't surrender the castle alive. He asked for a proper burial for himself, too. Meanwhile, Szondy had all his valuables—clothing and other treasures—piled up on the castle yard and burnt them. Also, he had his horses and captives killed at the same time. Shortly after this the Turks launched the final attack and Szondy was shot twice—first in the knee and then ino the heart. All of his men fought to the end. Upon their victory, Pasha Ali made a laudatory speech over Szondy's body then had him buried decently as agreed. Later the Turks didn't renovate the old castle, but they built a strong palisade in 1575 around the church of the village that could take in 2000 riders. This New-Drégely-Palisade (Újdrégelypalánk) became the base for raids against Upper Hungary. This new castle was taken back by General Pálffy in 1593, and Ferenc Nagy was left in charge of the fort, as vice-general. The place became the target of constant Turkish attacks which were beaten back strongly. Due to the lack of payment, the defenders' number decreased to 10 soldiers by December, 1595. They couldn't protect the surrounding villages so the settlements fell into the Turks' hands. The garrison's number was increased next year, and they withstood the renewed Turkish attacks. The Diet of 1604 ordered the reinforcement and renovation of the castle, but in vain. It was somewhat repaired in 1615, though. Prince Bethlen camped his army next to the castle in 1626 while waiting to fight Wallenstein.
Castle of Fülek (Filakovo)
https://www.google.hu/maps/place/986+01+F%C3%BClek,+Szlov%C3%A1kia/@48.2694568,19.8065713,4142m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x47400a183f02cd49:0x400f7d1c6971220
It had a strategic location, and its famous captains were the Wesselényi and the Bosnyák family members. It was the Bosnyák family's property in 1630. Fülek was the center of Nógrád county, and these decades were its heydays.
The story of a warrior from Fülek castle is worth the telling. His name was Benedek Balogh, and he was the leader of the Hungarian raiders of Fülek. The Hungarian raiders had been constant visitors of the Turkish-occupied lands to the south, near Szeged and on the Great Hungarian Plains during the 1610s and 1620s. Sometimes they posed a threat against the Hungarian cities and villages as well, not just to the spahi-lands. Balogh happened to be from Szeged and knew the Turks very well. When he was informed that a high-ranking Turkish officer would travel to muster the Turkish castles of the area, Balogh and his people ambushed him and cut him down along with his men. Then they dressed in their clothes and entered the Castle of Szeged, showing the guards the officer's credentials. The Bey of Szeged received them and gave them some soldiers to guard them on their way back. When they were far enough from the castle of Szeged, Balogh's men attacked their escort and slaughtered them.
Castle of Esztergom
https://www.google.hu/maps/place/Esztergom/@47.7575547,18.6288861,33466m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x476a6227b1317923:0xbe2a180c05793793
This ancient Hungarian castle, the old headquarters of Hungarian kings, is located in the Bend of the Danube. It was in the enemy's hands, and the Hungarians had attempted to take it by siege many times. The greatest warrior poet of the period, Bálint Balassi, lost his life in 1594 during the attack against the castle built on the top of formidable cliffs. A so-called bearded cannon's bullet shot off both of his legs. He left behind the most beautiful poems and songs that a noble warrior could write; his songs were known and sung by everybody in the 1630s. The recapture of Esztergom, a great military deed at that time, took place the next year in 1595. Its capture cut the logistic lines of the Turks toward Győr and was an excellent basis for further attacks against Buda. After Esztergom, the nearby castle of Vác, Visegrád, and Zsámbék fell more easily into Christian hands. The news of Esztergom's capture was celebrated throughout Europe; even the Pope held a mass to give thanks for it.
The combined troops of Miklós Pálffy and Alfred Schwarzenberg, along with the army of Vincenzo Gonzaga, Prince of Mantova, laid a long siege against Esztergom. The Italian Claudio Monteverdi was present, entertaining his lord; he played his music piece "Vespro" in the camp. It is thought that here he composed one of his madrigals called "The Contest of Tankred and Klorinda." It is recorded, that during the pauses of the siege, the Turks up in the castle were listening with utter amusement to the music from the camp of the "Italian Pasha of Montava." The eight hundred twenty-three Turkish defenders were fighting heroically but many of them were injured, and they lost their strength because of the long siege. By September they had run out of food and water and had just enough gunpowder for one more day. The forces sent from Buda to help were defeated, and they had no more hope left. They didn't want to endanger their women and children's lives so they surrendered. They were free to take their leave to Buda, unhurt. Esztergom Castle was taken by the Turks in 1605, and the young Wallenstein was present as a junior officer, so he had to have gained first-hand experience with Turks and Hungarians at that time.
Castle of Eger
https://www.google.hu/maps/place/Eger/@47.9290968,20.2513255,33356m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x47408d7894b04023:0x63adb259948d1c24
This castle was blocking the roads towards the mining cities of Upper Hungary as well as the road to Kassa (Kosice), another key city on the east. The 1552 siege of Eger is important not only because of its successful resistance but also because it was the first real triumph over the Turks after the Defeat of Mohács in 1526. It broke the invincible reputation of the Turks and gave tremendous moral encouragement to continue the struggle against the Muslim invaders. It happened during the dual kingship, when Hungary was torn apart by the usurper Habsburgs' claim for the throne. They didn't care that Hungary had an elected national king at that time, King János II, who was also the first Prince of Transylvania. So Eger had frequently changed lords before the Turks arrived, and the castle was in a quite neglected state. Fortunately, the castle was given to the car
e of István (Stephen) Dobó who, when young, had been the bodyguard of the last Hungarian medieval king, King Lajos II, and fought alongside with him in the Battle of Mohács in 1526.
In the autumn of 1552, Captain István Dobó and his two thousand soldiers were successful in defending the fortress and northern Hungary from the expanding Ottoman Empire. The women of Eger had also been doing a sizable part of the fighting on the walls, and their heroism became legendary, which was all the more humiliating for the Muslims.
In spite of the fact that Captain István Dobó and his soldiers successfully defended the fortress, it was destroyed during the siege so it was essential to completely rebuild it. The reconstruction process of the fortress took place between 1553 and 1596, and Italian artificer officers planned the renovations. Captain Dobó was accused of treason in 1569 because he was told to have conspired with the Turks(!). Emperor Miksa II had him imprisoned for three years. Eger was also the garrison of the most famous Hungarian warrior poet, Bálint Balassi, for a few years beginning in 1578.
The second siege of Eger was a rather shameful one, taking place in 1596. Its captain was Pál Nyáry, and initially he was commanding 500 Hungarian and 500 German soldiers. When the Habsburg general Miksa learned that the sultan's aim was not Vienna but Eger, he sent a last-minute reinforcement of twenty-four hundred more German, Walloon, Czech, and Italian mercenaries. When the Turks besieged the castle, two hundred fifty mostly Italian soldiers sneaked out of the castle during the night and swore fealty to the Turks, changing their religion at the same time. The next day, this caused great confusion among the other mercenaries in the castle, and they started negotiations with the enemy. Soon, everybody left the castle, trusting to the safe conduct of the Turks. Despite that, the Sultan gave order to kill all the foreign mercenaries, except for the Hungarian ones. Instead, the Hungarians were just enslaved and sold accordingly. This was the beginning of the ninety-one-year-long Turkish rule in Eger. The minaret, which is the northernmost minaret in the Ottoman Empire, preserves the memory of this period. During the Turkish occupation Eger became the seat of an elayet which is a Turkish domain consisting of several sanjaks. As elsewhere, churches were converted into mosques, the castle rebuilt, and other structures erected, including public baths. Turkish rule came to an end when Eger was starved into surrender by the Christian army led by Charles Lorraine in 1687, after the castle of Buda had been retaken in 1686. The town was in a very poor state. According to the records there were only four hundred thirteen houses in the area within the town walls which were habitable and most of these were occupied by leftover Turkish families.
Grantville Gazette, Volume 69 Page 15
