Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. II.djvu/175

151 EXPULSION OF THE JEWS. 151 those times, to find it in perfect accordance with chapter • XVII their spirit, at least in Spain. It is indeed incredi- '— ble, that persons possessing the political sagacity of Ferdinand and Isabella could indulge a temporary cupidity, at the sacrifice of the most important and permanent interests, converting their wealthiest districts into a wilderness, and dispeopling them of a class of citizens, who contributed beyond all others, not only to the general resources, but the direct revenues of the crown ; a measure so manifestly unsound, as to lead even a barbarian monarch of that day to exclaim, " Do they call this Ferdinand a politic prince, who can thus impoverish his own kingdom and enrich ours!"^^ It would seem, in- deed, when the measure had been determined on, that the Aragonese monarch was willing, by his expedient of sequestration, to control its opera- tion in such a manner as to secure to his own subjects the full pecuniary benefit of it.^'^ No im- putation of this kind attaches to Castile. The clause of the ordinance, which might imply such a design, by interdicting the exportation of gold and silver, was only enforcing a law, which had been already twice enacted by cortes in the present reign, and which was deemed of such moment, that the offence was made capital. ^^ We need look no further for the principle of comempo- ■^ rary judg- ments. ^6 Bajazet. See Abarca, Reyes Christian, making the interests of de Aragon, torn. ii. p. 310. — Pa- church and state mutually subser- ramo, De Origine Inquisitionis, p. vient to each other " ! Reyes de 168. Aragon, tom. ii. fol. 310. 17 "In truth," father Abar- 18 Qnce at Toledo, 1480, and at ca somewhat innocently remarks, Murcia, 1488. See Recop. de las "King Ferdinand was a politic Leyes, lib. 6, tit. 18, ley 1.