Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. I.djvu/219

MARRIAGE OF FERDINAND AND ISABELLA. 75 the truth of these imputations, that he dismissed chapter the obnoxious ministers from their employments. ^^ ^ — The disgraced nobles instantly set about the League of "-' "^ the nobles organization of one of those formidable confedera- cies, which had so often shaken the monarchs of Castile upon their throne, and which, although not authorized by positive law, as in Aragon, seem to have derived somewhat of a constitutional sanction from ancient usage. Some of the members of this coalition were doubtless influenced exclusively by personal jealousies ; but many others entered into it from disgust at the imbecile and arbitrary proceed- ings of the crown. In 1462, the queen had been delivered of a daughter, who was named like herself Joanna, but who, from her reputed father, Beltran de la Cueva, was better known in the progress of her unfor- tunate history by the cognomen of Beltraneja. Henry, however, had required the usual oath of allegiance to be tendered to her as presumptive heir to the crown. The confederates, assembled at Burgos, declared this oath of fealty a compulsory act, and that many of them had privately protested against it at the time, from a conviction of the ille- gitimacy of Joanna. In the bill of grievances, which they now presented to the monarch, they required that he should deliver his brother Alfonso 13 Ferreras, Hist. d'Espagne, quite as mich as his interest, torn. ii. p. 122. — Zurita, Anales, Ou one of his missions to her court, lib. 17, cap. 56. — Castillo, Cronica, she invited him to dine with her cap. 51, 52, 58. — The queen of ttte-a-Ute at her own table, while Aragon, who was as skilful a diplo- during the repast they were served matist as her husband, John I., by the ladies of the palace. Ibid., assailed the vanity of Villena, cap. 40.