Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. I.djvu/245

101 MARRIAGE OF FERDINAND AND ISABELLA. 101 the treaty of Toros de Guisando, felt herself released chapter from her corresponding engagements, and deter- mined to conclude the negotiations relative to her marriage, without any further deference to his opinion. Before taking any decisive step, how- ever, she was desirous of obtaining the concurrence of the leading nobles of her party. This was effected without difficulty, through the intervention of the archbishop of Toledo, and of Don Frederic Henriquez, admiral of Castile, and the maternal grandfather of Ferdinand ; a person of high con- sideration, both from his rank and character, and connected by blood with the principal families in the kingdom. ^^ Fortified by their approbation, Isabella dismissed the Aragonese envoy with a favorable answer to his master's suit.^° Her reply was received with almost as much satisfaction by the old king of Aragon, John the Second, as by his son. This monarch, who was one of the shrewdest princes of his time, had always been deeply sensible of the importance of consolidat- ing the scattered monarchies of Spain under one head. He had solicited the hand of Isabella for his son, when she possessed only a contingent rever- sion of the crown. But, when her succession had been settled on a more secure basis, he lost no time in effecting this favorite object of his policy. With the consent of the states, he had transferred to his son the title of king of Sicily, and associated 49 Pulgar, Claros Varones, tit. 2. Palencia, Coronica, MS., part. 2, 50 L. Marineo, Cosas Memora- cap. 7. — Pulgar, Reyes Catoli- bles, fol. 154. — Zurita, Anales, cos, cap. 9. torn. iv. fol. 162. — Alonso de