Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. I.djvu/135

cxvii II. ARAGON. cessors, and plainly told him, that he and his com- sectiox rades would never betray the liberties intrusted to them. Ferdinand, indignant at this language, or- dered the patriot to withdraw into another apart- ment, where he remained in much uncertainty as to the consequences of his temerity. But the king was dissuaded from violent measures, if he ever contemplated them, by the representation of his courtiers, who warned him not to reckon too much on the patience of the people, who bore small affec- tion to his person, from the little familiarity with which he had treated them in comparison with their preceding monarchs, and who were already in arms to protect their magistrate. In consequence of these suggestions, Ferdinand deemed it prudent to release the counsellor, and withdrew abruptly from the city on the ensuing day, disgusted at the ill success of his enterprise. ^^ The Aragonese monarchs well understood the value of their Catalan dominions, which sustained a proportion of the public burdens equal in amount to that of both the other states of the kingdom. ^^ Notwithstanding the mortifications, which they oc- casionally experienced from this quarter, therefore, they uniformly extended towards it the most liberal 82 Abarca, Reyes de Aragon, forathisdeath, which occurred very torn. ii. fol. 183. — Zurita, Anales, soon after, we find this citizen men- torn, iii. lib. 12, cap. 59. —The king- tioned as one of his executors. See turned his back on the magistrates, Capmany, Mem. de Barcelona, who came to pay their respects to tom. ii. Apend. 29. him, on learning his intention of 83 The taxes were assessed in quitting the city. He seems, how- the ratio of one sixth on Valencia, ever, to have had the magnanimity two sixths on Aragon, and three to forgive, perhaps to admire, the sixths on Catalonia. See Martel, independent conduct of Fiveller ; Forma de Celebrar Cortes, cap. 71.