Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. II.djvu/344

320 320 ITALIAN WARS. PART their streets, hastily seized their arms and made for ' the castle on the other side of the river. The pass, however, was occupied by the Spaniards ; and the Neapolitans and French, hemmed in on every side, began a desperate resistance, which terminated with the death of their chief, Americo San Severino, and the capture of such of his followers as did not fall in the melee. A rich booty fell into the hands of the victors. The most glorious prize, however, was the Angevin barons, twenty in number, whom Gon- salvo, after the action, sent prisoners to Naples. This decisive blow, whose tidings spread like wild- fire throughout the country, settled the fate of Cala- bria. It struck terror into the hearts of the French, and crippled them so far as to leave Gonsalvo little cause for anxiety during his proposed absence.^® fore Atenal The Spanish general lost no time in pressing for- ward on his march towards Atella. Before quitting Calabria he had received a reinforcement of five hundred soldiers from Spain, and his whole Spanish forces, according to Giovio, amounted to one hun- dred men-at-arms, five hundred light cavalry, and two thousand foot, picked men, and well schooled in the hardy service of the late campaign.^^ Al- though a great part of his march lay through a hos- tile country, he encountered little opposition ; for the terror of his name, says the writer last quoted, had everywhere gone before him. He arrived be- 26 Giovio, Vita Magni Gonsalvi, ciardini, Istoria, lib. 3, pp. 158 pp. 219, 220. — Chronica del Gran 159. — Mariana, Hist, de Espaiia, Capitan,cap.27. — Zurita, Hist. del torn. ii. lib. 26, cap. 12. Rey Hernando, torn. i. lib. 2, cap. 27 Giovio, Hist, del Rey Her- 26. — Quintana, Espaiioles C^le- nando, lib. 4, p. 132. bres, torn. i. pp. 227, 228. — Guic-