Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. II.djvu/390

366 366 THE ROYAL FAMILY. II. PART protestation, that it should not be construed into a precedent for exacting such an oath hereafter dur- ing the minority of the heir apparent. With such watchful attention to constitutional forms of pro- cedure, did the people of Aragon endeavour to secure their liberties ; forms, which continued to be observed in later times, long after those liberties had been swept awaj.^^ In the month of January, of the ensuing year, the young prince's succession was duly confirmed by the cortes of Castile, and, in the following March, by that of Portugal. Thus, for once, the crowns of the three monarchies of Castile, Aragon, and Portugal were suspended over one head. The Portuguese, retaining the bitterness of ancient ri- valry, looked with distrust at the prospect of a union, fearing, with some reascii, that the impor- tance of the lesser state would be wholly merged in that of the greater. But the untimely death of the destined heir of these honors, which took place before he had completed his second year, removed the causes of jealousy, and defeated the only chance, which had ever occurred, of bringing under the same rule three independent nations, which, 35 Blancas, Coronaciones, ubi duly qualified to hold a cortes in supra. — Idem, Commentarii, pp. the absence of the king- her hus- 510, 511. band, who, by the ancient laws of The reverence of the Aragonese the land, was required to preside for their in.stitutions is siiown in over it in person, it was deemed their observance of the most insig- necessary to obtain a formal act of nificant ceremonies. A remarkable the legislature, for opening the instance of tiiis occurred in the door for her admission. See Blan- year 1481, at Saragossa, when the cas, Modo de Proccder en Cortes queen having been constituted Ucu- de Aragon, (Zaragoza, 1641,) fol. tenant general of the kingdom, and 82, 83.