Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. I.djvu/101

ARAGON. Ixxxiii monarchies by which it was surrounded, had it not section . . II. extended its empire by a fortunate union with '. — Catalonia in the twelfth, and the conquest of Valencia in the thirteenth century. ^ These new territories were not only far more productive than its own, but, by their long line of coast and com- modious ports, enabled the Aragonese, hitherto pent up within their barren mountains, to open a communication with distant regions. The ancient county of Barcelona had reached a higher degree of civilization than Aragon, and w^as distinguished by institutions quite as liberal. The sea-board would seem to be the natural seat of liberty. There is something in the very presence, in the atmosphere of the ocean, which invigorates not only the physical, but the moral energies of man. The adventurous life of the mariner famil- iarizes him with dangers, and early accustoms him to independence. Intercourse with various climes opens new and more copious sources of knowledge ; and increased wealth brings with it an augmenta- tion of power and consequence. It was in the maritime cities scattered along the Mediterranean, that the seeds of liberty both in ancient and mod- ern times, were implanted and brought to maturity. During the Middle Ages, when the people of Eu- rope generally maintained a toilsome and infre- quent intercourse with each other, those situated on the margin of this inland ocean found an easy 1 Catalonia was united with Ar- gere, count of Barcelona, in 1150. agon by the marriage of queen Valencia was conquered from the Petronilla with Raymond Beren- Moors by James L, in 1238.