Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. I.djvu/347

203 ADMINISTRATION OF CASTILE. 20o VI. seems to have been partially adopted. It was de- ciiapti r cided, that all, whose pensions had been conferred without any corresponding services on their part, should forfeit them entirely ; that those, who had purchased annuities, should return their certificates on a reimbursement of the price paid for them ; and that the remaining creditors, who composed the largest class, should retain such a proportion only of their pensions, as might be judged commensurate with their services to the state. ^^ By this important reduction, the final adjustment and execution of which were intrusted to Fernando de Talavera, the queen's confessor, a man of aus- tere probity, the gross amount of thirty millions of maravedies, a sum equal to three fourths of the whole revenue on Isabella's accession, was annual- ly saved to the crown. The retrenchment was conducted with such strict impartiality, that the most confidential servants of the queen, and the relatives of her husband, were among those who suffered the most severely. ^'' It is worthy of re- mark that no diminution whatever was made of the stipends settled on literary and charitable establish- es Salazar de Mendoza, Cron. Duke of Medina Sidonia, 180,000. del Gran Cardenal, cap. 51. — — The loyal family of the Mendo- Mem. de la Acad, de Hist., torn, zas were also great losers, but none vi. Ilust. 5. — Pulgar, Reyes Ca- forfeited so much as the over- tolicos, part. 2, cap. 95. — Orde- grown favorite of Henry IV., Bel- nangas Reales, lib. 6, tit. 4, ley tran de la Cueva, duke of Al- 26 ; — incorporated also into the buquerque, who had uniformly Recopilacion of Philip H., lib. 5, supported the royal cause, and tit. 10, cap. 17. See also leyes 3 whose retrenchment amounted to and 15. 1,400,000 maravedies of yearly ^ Admiral Enriquez, for in- rent. See the scale of reduction stance, resigned 240,000 marave- given at length by Seiior Clemen- dies of his annual income; — the cin, in Mem. de la Acad., torn. Duke of Alva, 575,000 ; — the vi. loc. cit.