Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. I.djvu/242

98 CASTILE UNDER HENRY IV, i^AHT female heart. Ferdinand was then in the bloom '- — of life, and distinguished for the comeliness of his person. In the busy scenes, in which he had been engaged from his boyhood, he had displayed a chiv- alrous valor, combined with maturity of judgment far above his years. Indeed, he was decidedly su- perior to his rivals in personal merit and attrac- tions.^* But, while private inclinations thus happi- ly coincided with considerations of expediency for inclining her to prefer the Aragonese match, a scheme was devised in another quarter for the ex- press purpose of defeating it. SMppori of A fraction of the royal party, with the family of Joanna Bel- J I J ^ J traiieja. Mcudoza at thcir head, had retired in disgust with the convention of Toros de Guisando, and openly espoused the cause of the princess Joanna. They even instructed her to institute an appeal before the tribunal of the supreme pontiff, and caused a pla- card, exhibiting a protest against the validity of the late proceedings, to be nailed secretly in the night to the gate of Isabella's mansion.*^ Thus were sown the seeds of new dissensions, before the old 44 Isabella, in order to acquaint Ferdinand, on the other hand, was herself more intimately with tiie possessed of a comely, symmetri- personal qualities of her respective cal figure, a graceful demeanor, suitors, had privately despatched and a spirit that was up to any herconfidentinl chaplain, Alonso de thing-;" mxn dispiics/o para toda Coca, to the courts of France and cosa (pie hacer (/uisiese. It is not of Aragon, and his report on his improbable that the queen of Ara- return was altogether favorable to gon condescended to practise some Ferdinand. The duke of Gnicnne of tiiose agreeable arts on ihe he represented as " a feeble, efleni- worthy chajjlain, which made so inate prince, with limbs so emacia- sensible an imj)rcssion on the mar- ted as to be almost deformed, and quis of Villena. with eyes so weak and watery as 45 Alonso de Palencia, Cor6nica . to incapacitate him for the ordina- MS., part. 2, cap. 5. ry exercises of chivalry. While