Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. II.djvu/355

331 GONSALVO SUCCOURS THE POPE. 331 a single foray, and ravaging the country as far as chapter Carcassona and Narbonne. ^ The French, who had — ^ concentrated a considerable force in the south, re- taliated by similar inroads, in one of which they succeeded in surprising the fortified town of Salsas. The works, however, were in so dilapidated a state, that the place was scarcely tenable, and it was abandoned on the approach of the Spanish army. A truce soon followed, which put an end to further operations in that quarter. ^ The submission of Calabria seemed to leave no further occupation for the arms of the Great Cap- tain in Italy. Before quitting that country, howev- er, he engaged in an adventure, which, as narrated by his biographers, forms a brilliant episode to his regular campaigns. Ostia, the seaport of Rome, was, among the places in the papal territory, forci- bly occupied by Charles the Eighth, and on his retreat had been left to a French garrison under the command of a Biscayan adventurer named Me- naldo Guerri. The place was so situated as entire- ly to command the mouth of the Tiber, enabling the piratical horde who garrisoned it almost wholly to destroy the commerce of Rome, and even to reduce the city to great distress for want of provis- iZurita, Hist, del Rey Hernan- posse intelligeret." Hist. suiTem- do, lib. 2, cap. 12 - 14, 16, 24. poris, p. 140. Giovio says, in allusion to King- ^ Zurita, Hist, del Rey Hernan- Ferdinand's show of preparation on do, lib. 2, cap. 35,36. — Abarca, the frontier, " Ferdinandus, maxi- Reyes de Araoron, rey 30, cap. 9. me cautus et pecuniae tenax, spe- — Garibay, Compendio, torn. ii. clem ingentis coacti exercitus ad lib. 19, cap. 5. — Comines, Me- deterrendos hostes praebere, quam moires, liv. 8, chap. 23. — Peter helium gerere mallet, quum id sine Martyr, Opus Epist., epist 169. ingenti pecunia administrari non