Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. II.djvu/386

362 362 THE ROYAL FAMILY. PART In answer to these objections, it was stated, that "• no exj)ress law existed in Aragon excluding females from the succession ; that an example had already occurred, as far back indeed as the twelfth century, of a queen who held the crown in her own right ; that the acknowledged power of females to trans- mit the right of succession necessarily inferred that right existing in themselves ; that the present mon- arch had doubtless as competent authority as his predecessors to regulate the law of inheritance, and that his act, supported by the supreme authority of cortes, might set aside any former disposition of the crown ; that this interference was called for by the present opportunity of maintaining the permanent union of Castile and Aragon ; without which they must otherwise return to their ancient divided state, and comparative insignificance.^^ Isabella dis- Thcsc arffumeuts, however cogent, were far from Pleased. to ' . being conclusive with the opposite party ; and the debate was protracted to such length, that Isabella, impatient of an opposition to what the practice in her own dominions had taught her to regard as the inalienable right of her daughter, inconsiderately exclaimed, " It would be better to reduce the coun- 31 Blancas, Commentarii, p. 273. which Edward III. set up his claim — Idem, Coronaciones, lib. 1, cap. to the throne of France, a princi- 18. — Mariana, Hist, de Espaila, pie too repugnant to the common- torn, ii. lib. 27. cap. 3. — Zurita, est rules of inheritance to obtain Hist, del Rey Hernando, torn. v. any countenance. The exclusion fol. .'jS, 5G. of females in Aratron could not It is remarkable that the Ara- pretend to be founded on any ex- gonese should so readily have ac- press law, as in France, but the quiesced in the right of females to practice, with the exception of a convey a title to the crown which single example three centuries old, they could not enjoy themselves, was quite as uniform. Tiiis was precisely the principle on