Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. I.djvu/214

70 70 CASTILE UNDER HENRY IV. PART articles of life were enhanced in value three, four, '■ and even six fold. Those who owed debts eagerly anticipated the season of payment ; and, as the creditors refused to accept it in the depreciated currency, it became a fruitful source of litigation and tumult, until the whole nation seemed on the verge of bankruptcy. In this general license, the right of the strongest was the only one which could make itself heard. The nobles, converting their castles into dens of robbers, plundered the property of the traveller, which was afterwards sold publicly in the cities. One of these robber chief- tains, who held an important command on the fron- tiers of Murcia, was in the habit of carrying on an infamous traffic with the Moors by selling to them as slaves the Christian prisoners of either sex, whom he had captured in his marauding expeditions. When subdued by Henry, after a sturdy resistance, he was again received into favor, and reinstated in his possessions. The pusillanimous monarch knew neither when to pardon, nor when to punish. ^ But no part of Henry's conduct gave such um- brage to his nobles, as the facility with which he resigned himself to the control of favorites, whom he had created as it were from nothing, and whom he advanced over the heads of the ancient aristoc- pacheco" °^ ^^^y ^^ ^^^ land. Among those especially disgust- viueila! ^'^ ^d by this proceeding, were Juan Pacheco, mar- quis of Villena, and Alfonso Carillo, archbishop of 9 Sacz, Monedas dc Enrique TV., de Palencia, Cor6nica, 1IS., cap. (Madrid, 1805,) pp. 2-5.— Alonso 36, 39.— Castillo, Cronica,cap. 19.