[RobbyS]

Today is the anniversary of the Battle of Lepanto, where in the greatest sea battle since that battle of Actium, Don John of Austria led the fleet of the Holy leagueto victory against a Turkish force that aimed to invade Italy. Chesterton's poemconcludes:

Vivat Hispania! Domino Gloria!

Don John of Austria Has set his people free!

Cervantes on his galley sets the sword back in the sheath

(Don John of Austria rides homeward with a wreath.)

And he sees across a weary land a straggling road in Spain,

Up which a lean and foolish knight for ever rides in vain,

And he smiles, but not as Sultans smile, and settles back the blade....

(But Don John of Austria rides home from the Crusade.)

What a price Spain paid for having saved Europe from Islam, and without as much as a thank you. Rather we have the Black Legend formented by England, which sat out this fight.                                              

[livius]

Absolutely. I agree, we do not know how much we owe to Spanish courage and persistence in that battle.

[Urbane_Guerilla]

What a price Spain paid for having saved Europe from Islam, and without as much as a thank you.

I would like to take this occasion to formally thank Spain for saving Europe from the despicable Islam. Let us pray that W (meaning Rice and Rumsfeld) has a broad enough view of history to repeat Spain'svictory. And as long as we are on the subject, I would like to thank Sobieski and I promise never to tell another Polish joke again.

[TimSkalaBim]

Additionally, I'd like to thank Ferdinand and Isabella (especially this Columbus Day weekend). They had the right idea.