Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. III.djvu/240

214 THE REGENCY OF FERDINAND. PART fronlier.^^ Such violent measures, however, were '- — repugnant to his habitual policy, temperate and cautious. He shrunk from a contest, in which even success must bring unspeakable calamities on the country; '^ and, if he ever seriously entertained such views,^° he abandoned them, and employed his levies on another destination in Africa. ^^ His situation, however, grew every hour more critical. Alarmed by rumors of Louis's military preparations, for which liberal supplies were voted by the states general ; trembling for the fate of his Italian pos- sessions ; deserted and betrayed by the great nobil- ity at home ; there seemed now no alternative left for him but to maintain his ground by force, or to resign at once, as required by Philip, and retire into Aragon. This latter course appears never to have been contemplated by him. He resolved at all hazards to keep the reins in his own grasp, in- fluenced in part, probably, by the consciousness of his rights, as well as by a sense of duty, which for- 18 Zurita, Analcs, torn, vi.lib. 6, afford the sliphtest pround for it." cap. 5, 15. — Lanuza, Historias, (Vol. ii. p. 280, note.) Neverthe- tom. i. lib. 1, cap. 18. less, this is so stated by Ferreras, 19 Peter Martyr, Opus Epist., (Hist.d'Espa£riie,tom. viii. p. 282,) epist. 291. who is supported by Mariana, 20 Robertson speaks with confi- (Hist, de Espana, torn. ii. lib. 28, dence of Ferdinand's intention to cap. 16,) and, in the most nnequiv- " o])pose Philip's landings by force ocal manner, by Zurita, (Analcs, of arms," (History of Charles V., torn. vi. lib. 6, onp. 21,) a much vol. ii. ]). 13,) an imputation, which higher authority than either. Mar- has brought a heavy judgment on tyr, it is true, whom Dr. Dunham the historian's head from the clever does not appear to have consulted autiior of the " History of Spain on this occasion, declares that the and Portugal." (Lardner's Cabinet king had no design of resorting to Cyclopedia.) " All this," says force. See Opus Epist., epist. the latter, " is at variance with 291, 305. both truth and probability ; nor '^' Hernaldcz, Reyes Calolicos, does Ferreras, the only authority MS., cap. 202. — Carbajal, Anales, cited for tliis unjust declamation, MS., ailo 1505.