LITMIR.BIZ

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de Palencia, Corónica, MS., part. 2, cap. 4.—Castillo, Crónica, cap. 18.—Mariana, Hist. de España, tom. ii. pp. 461, 462.— Pulgar, Reyes Católicos, part. 1, cap. 2.—Castillo affirms that Henry, incensed by his sister's refusal of the king of Portugal, dissolved the cortes at Ocaña, before it had taken the oath of allegiance to her. (Crónica, cap. 127.) This assertion, however, is counterbalanced by the opposite one of Pulgar, a contemporary writer, like himself. (Reyes Católicos, cap. 5.) And as Ferdinand and Isabella, in a letter addressed, after their marriage, to Henry IV., transcribed also by Castillo, allude incidentally to such a recognition as to a well-known fact, the balance of testimony must be admitted to be in favor of it. See Castillo, Crónica, cap. 114.

      [42] Isabella, who in a letter to Henry IV., dated Oct. 12th, 1469, adverts to these proposals of the English prince, as being under consideration at the time of the convention of Toros de Guisando, does not specify which of the brothers of Edward IV. was intended. (Castillo, Crónica, cap. 136.)

      Mr. Turner, in his History of England during the Middle Ages, (London, 1825,) quotes part of the address delivered by the Spanish envoy to Richard III., in 1483, in which the orator speaks of "the unkindness, which his queen Isabella had conceived for Edward IV., for his refusal of her, and his taking instead to wife a widow of England." (Vol. iii. p. 274.) The old chronicler Hall, on the other hand, mentions, that it was currently reported, although he does not appear to credit it, that the earl of Warwick had been despatched into Spain in order to request the hand of the princess Isabella for his master Edward IV., in 1463. (See his Chronicle of England, (London, 1809,) pp. 263, 264.)—I find nothing in the Spanish accounts of that period, which throws any light on these obvious contradictions.

      [43] The territories of France and Castile touched, indeed, on one point (Guipuscoa), but were separated along the whole remaining line of frontier by the kingdoms of Aragon and Navarre.

      [44] Pulgar, Reyes Católicos, cap. 8.—Alonso de Palencia, Corónica, MS., part. 2, cap. 10.

      [45] Isabella, in order to acquaint herself more intimately with the personal qualities of her respective suitors, had privately despatched her confidential chaplain, Alonso de Coca, to the courts of France and of Aragon, and his report on his return was altogether favorable to Ferdinand. The duke of Guienne he represented as "a feeble, effeminate prince, with limbs so emaciated as to be almost deformed, and with eyes so weak and watery as to incapacitate him for the ordinary exercises of chivalry. While Ferdinand, on the other hand, was possessed of a comely, symmetrical figure, a graceful demeanor, and a spirit that was up to anything;" mui dispuesto para toda coga que hacer ginsiese. It is not improbable that the queen of Aragon condescended to practise some of those agreeable arts on the worthy chaplain, which made so sensible an impression on the marquis of Villena.

      [46] Alonso de Palencia, Corónica, MS., part. 2, cap. 5.

      [47] See ante, note 10.

      [48] Faria y Sousa, Europa Portuguesa, tom. ii. p. 391.—Castillo, Crónica, cap. 121, 127.—Alonso de Palencia, Corónica, MS., part. 2, cap. 7.—Lebrija, Rerum Gestarum Decad., lib. 1, cap. 7.

      [49] Bernaldez, Reyes Católicos, MS., cap. 7.—Alonso de Palencia, Corónica, MS., part. 2, cap. 7.

      [50] Pulgar, Claros Varones, tit. 2.

      [51] L. Marineo, Cosas Memorables, fol. 154.—Zurita, Anales, tom. iv. fol. 162.—Alonso de Palencia, Corónica, MS., part. 2, cap. 7.—Pulgar, Reyes Católicos, cap. 9.

      [52] Zurita, Anales, tom. iv. fol. 157, 163.

      [53] See the copy of the original marriage contract, as it exists in the archives of Simancas, extracted in tom. vi. of Memorias de la Acad. de Hist., Apend. no. 1.—Zurita, Anales, lib. 18, cap. 21.—Ferreras, Hist. d'Espagne, tom. vii. p. 236.

      [54] Alonso de Palencia, Corónica, MS., part. 2, cap. 12.—Castillo, Crónica, cap. 128, 131, 136.—Zurita, Anales, tom. iv. fol. 162.—Beatrice de Bobadilla and Mencia de la Torre, the two ladies most in her confidence, had escaped to the neighboring town of Coca.

      [55] Castillo, Crónica, cap. 136.—Alonso de Palencia, Corónica, MS., part. 2, cap. 12.—Carbajal, Anales, MS., año 69.

      [56] This cavalier, who was of an ancient and honorable family in Castile, was introduced to the princess's service by the archbishop of Toledo. He is represented by Gonzalo de Oviedo as a man of much sagacity and knowledge of the world, qualities with which he united a steady devotion to the interests of his mistress. Oviedo, Quincuagenas, MS., bat. 1, quinc. 2, dial. 1.

      [57] Alonso de Palencia, Corónica, MS., cap. 14.-The bishop told Palencia, that "if his own servants deserted him, he would oppose the entrance of Ferdinand into the kingdom."

      [58] Zurita, Anales, lib. 18, cap. 26.—The enrique was a gold coin, so denominated from Henry II.

      [59] Zurita, Anales, lib. 18, cap. 26.—Abarca, Reyes de Aragon, tom. ii. p. 273.

      [60] Mem. de la Acad. de Hist., tom. vi. p. 78, Ilust. 2.

      [61] Alonso de Palencia, Corónica, MS., part. 2, cap. 14.—Zurita, Anales, loc. cit.

      [62] This letter, dated October 12th, is cited at length by Castillo, Crónica, cap. 136.

      [63] Alonso de Palencia, Corónica, MS., part. 2, cap. 15.

      [64] Gutierre de Cardenas was the first who pointed him out to the princess, exclaiming at the same time, "Ese es, ese es," "This is he;" in commemoration of which he was permitted to place on his escutcheon the letters SS, whose pronunciation in Spanish resembles that of the exclamation which he had uttered. Ibid., part. 2, cap. 15.—Oviedo, Quincuagenas, MS., bat. 1, quinc. 2, dial. 1.

      [65] L. Marineo, Cosas Memorables, fol. 182.—Garibay, Compendio, lib. 18, cap. 1.—"Tan amigo de los negocios," says Mariana, "que parecia con el trabajo descansaba." Hist. de España, lib. 25, cap. 18.

      [66] "En hermosura, puestas delante S. A. todas las mugeres que yo he visto, ninguna vi tan graciosa, ni tanto de ver corao su persona, ni de tal manera e sanctidad honestísíma." Oviedo, Quincuagenas, MS.

      [67] Bernaldez, Reyes Católicos, MS., cap. 201.—Abarca, Reyes de Aragon, tom. ii. p. 362.—Garibay, Compendío, lib. 18, cap. 1.

      [68] Mariana, Hist. de España, tom. ii. p. 465.

      [69] Carbajal, Anales, MS., año 1469.—Alonso de Palencia, Corónica, MS., part. 2, cap. 16.—Zurita, Anales, lib. 18, cap. 26.—See a copy of the official record of the marriage, Mem. de la Acad., tom. vi. Apend. 4. See also the Ilust. 2.

      [70] The intricacies of this affair, at once the scandal and the stumbling-block of the Spanish historians, have been unravelled by Señor Clemencin, with his usual perspicuity. See Mem. de la Acad., tom. vi. pp. 105–116, Ilust. 2.

      [71] Alonso de Palencia, Corónica, MS., part. 2, cap. 16.—A lively narrative of the adventures of Prince Ferdinand, detailed in this chapter, may be found in Cushing's Reminiscences of Spain, (Boston, 1833,) vol. i. pp. 225–255.

      [72] Castillo, Crónica, cap. 137.—Alonso de Palencia, Corónica, MS., part. 2, cap. 16.

      CHAPTER IV.

      FACTIONS IN CASTILE.—WAR BETWEEN FRANCE AND ARAGON.—DEATH OF HENRY IV., OF CASTILE.

       Table of Contents

      1469–1474.

      Factions in Castile.—Ferdinand and Isabella.—Gallant Defence of Perpignan against the French.—Ferdinand Raises the Siege.—Isabella's Party gains Strength.—Interview between King Henry IV. and Isabella.—The French Invade Roussillon.—Ferdinand's Summary Justice.—Death of Henry IV., of Castile.—Influence of his Reign.

      The marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella disconcerted the operations of the marquis of Villena, or, as he should be styled, the grand

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