Some of their colleagues ventured to advise
Don John to retire while it was still in his power to do so. He refused
to discuss a question which had been decided at Corfu. "Gentlemen," he
said, "the time for counsel is past, and the time for fighting has
come," and with these words dismissed them to their ships.

While the galleys were taking up their positions, Don John of Austria,
in complete armor and attended by Don Luis de Cordoba and his secretary
Juan de Soto, transferred himself to a frigate remarkable for speed and
armed with a single German gun, and ran along the line to the right of
the flag-ship, embracing the whole extent of the right wing. As he
neared each galley he addressed a few words of encouragement to the
officers and men. He reminded the Venetians of the cruel outrages which
the Republic had lately received from the Turk in the Adriatic, Corfu,
and especially in Cyprus; and that now was the time to take signal
vengeance; and he therefore bid them use their weapons as these
recollections and the great opportunity required. To the Spaniards he
said: "My children, we are here to conquer or to die as Heaven may
determine. Do not let our impious foe ask us, 'Where is your God?' Fight
in his holy name, and in death or victory you will win immortality." His
words were eminently successful. They were in all cases received with
enthusiastic applause. The soldiers and sailors were delighted and
inspired by the gallant bearing and language of their young leader. As
he left them, shipmates who had quarrelled as only shipmates can, and
who had not spoken for weeks, embraced, and swore to conquer or to die
in the sacred cause of Christ.

As the two fleets approached--the Christians wafted gently onward by a
light breeze, the Ottomans plying their oars to the utmost--the Turkish
commander, who like Don John sailed in the centre of his line, fired a
gun. Don John acknowledged the challenge and returned the salute. A
second shot elicited a second reply. The two armaments had approached
near enough to enable each to distinguish the individual vessels of the
other and to scan their various banners and insignia. The Turks advanced
to battle shouting and screaming and making a great uproar with
ineffectual musketry. The Christians preserved complete silence. At a
certain signal a crucifix was raised aloft in every ship in the fleet.
Don John of Austria, sheathed in complete armor, and standing in a
conspicuous place on