Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. I.djvu/284

I. 140 ACCESSION OF FERDINAND AND ISABELLA. PART These are to be derived from the will of the nation as expressed by its representatives in cortes. The power of this body to interpret the laws regu- lating the succession, and to determine the succes- sion itself, in the most absolute manner, is incon- trovertible, having been established by repeated precedents from a very ancient period.^ In the present instance, the legislature, soon after the birth of Joanna, tendered the usual oaths of alle- giance to her as heir apparent to the monarchy. On a subsequent occasion, however, the cortes, for reasons deemed sufficient by itself, and under a conviction that its consent to the preceding measure had been obtained through an undue influence on the part of the crown, reversed its former acts, and did homage to Isabella as the only true and law- ful successor. ^ In this disposition the legislature ostentatious a manner as to excite almost every contemporary histo- general scandal, he was never rian, as well as of the official docu- known to have had issue by any raents of that day (see Marina, one of them. — To counterbalance Teoria, torn. iii. part. 2, num. the presumption afforded by these 11.), the stain has been too deeply facts, it should be stated, that fixed by the repeated testimony of Henry appears, to the day of his Castillo, the loyal adherent of her death, to have cherished the prin- own party, to be thus easily effaced, cess Joanna as his own offspring. It is said, however, that the and that Beltran de la Cueva, duke queen died in the odor of sanctity ; of Albuquerque, her reputed fa- and Ferdinand and Isabella caused ther, instead of supporting her her to be deposited in a rich mau- claims to the crown on the demise soleum, erected by the ambassador of Henry, as would have been to the court of the Great Tamer- natural had he been entitled to the lane for himself, but from which honors of paternity, attached him- his remains were somewhat un- self to the adverse faction of Isa- ceremoniously ejected, in order to bella. make room for those of his royal Queen Joanna survived her hus- mistress, band about six months only. Fa- 2 gee this subject discussed in ther Florez (Reynas Catholicas, extenso, by Marina, Teoria, part. torn. ii. pp. 760-786) has made 2, cap. I -10. — See, also, Introd. a flimsy attempt to wliitewash her Sect. . of this History, character ; but, to say nothing of 3 ggg Pajt , Chap. 3.