Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. I.djvu/256

112 CASTILE UNDER HENRY IV. TART I. ensuing week was consumed in the usual festivities of this joyous season ; at the expiration of which, the new-married pair attended publicly the celebra- tion of mass, agreeably to the usage of the time, in the collegiate church of Sante Maria. ^ An embassy was despatched by Ferdinand and Isabella to Henry, to acquaint him with their pro- ceedings, and again request his approbation of them. They repeated their assurances of loyal submission, and accompanied the message with a copious extract from such of the articles of mar- riage, as, by their import, would be most likely to conciliate his favorable disposition. Henry coldly replied, that " he must advise with his ministers."'^ 70 Alonso de Palencia, Coronica, MS., part. 2, cap. 16. — A lively narrative of the adventures of Prince Ferdinand, detailed in this chapter, may be found in Cushing's Eeminiscences of Spain, (Boston, 1833,) vol. i. pp. 225-255. ■?! Castillo, Cronica, cap. 137. — Alonso de Palencia, Coronica, MS., part 2, cap. 16. Giiilncv- gtnas (if O 'ledo. Gonzalo Fernandez de Oviedo y Valdes, author of the " Quincua- genas " fre([ucntly cited in this His- tory, was born at Madrid, in 1478. He was of noble Asturian descent. Indeed, every peasant in the Astu- rias claims nobility as his birth- right. At the age of twelve he was introduced into the royal pal- ace, as one of the pages of Prince John. He continued with the court several years, and was pres- ent, though a boy, in the closing campaigns of the Moorisli war. In 1514, according to his own state- ment, he embarked for the Indies, where, altliougli he revisited liis native country several times, he continued during the remainder of his long life. The time of his death is uncertain. Oviedo occupied several impor- tant posts under the govenimcnt, and he was appointed to one of a literary nature, for which he was well qualified by his long residence abroad ; that of historiographer of the Indies. It was in this capacity that lie produced his principal work " Ilistoria General de las Indias,' in fifty books. Las Casas denoun- ces the book as a wholesale fabri- cation, " as full of lies, almost, as pages." (CEuTes, trad, de Llo-