Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. II.djvu/109

85 SURREJNDER OF THE CAPITAL. 35^ pope ill a case coming within its own exclusive chapter jurisdiction, the queen commanded Alonso de Val-. divieso, bishop of Leon, the president of the court, together with all the auditors, to be removed from their respective offices, which she delivered to a new board, having the bishop of Oviedo at its head. This is one among many examples of the con- stancy with which Isabella, notwithstanding her reverence for religion, and respect for its ministers, refused to compromise the national independence by recognising in any degree the usurpations of Rome. From this dignified attitude, so often aban- doned by her successors, she never swerved for a moment during the course of her long reign. ^ The winter of 1490 was busily occupied with Ferdinand -' •■• musters his preparations for the closing campaign against Gran- *^°™®^' ada. Ferdinand took command of the army in the month of April, 1491, with the purpose of sitting i49i. down before the Moorish capital, not to rise until its final surrender. The troops, which mustered in the Val de Velillos, are computed by most his- torians at fifty thousand horse and foot, although Martyr, who served as a volunteer, swells the num- ber to eighty thousand. They were drawn from the different cities, chiefly, as usual, from Andalusia, which had been stimulated to truly gigantic efforts throughout this protracted war,'^ and from the nobil- ity of every quarter, many of whom, wearied out 6 Carbajal, Anales, MS., aiio horse, who were recruited by fresh 1491. reinforcements no less than five 7 According to Zuniga, the quota times during the campaign. An- furnished by Seville this season nales de Sevilla, p. 406.— See also amounted to 6,000 foot and 500 Col. de Cedulas, torn. iii. no. 3.