Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. III.djvu/123

97 INVASION OF SPAIN. 97 the energies of her mind, or lessen the vigilance chapter . XIII with which she watched over the interests of her people. A remarkable proof of this was given in the autumn of the present year, 1503, when the country was menaced with an invasion from France. The whole French nation had shared the indig- nation of Louis the Twelfth, at the mortifying result of his enterprise against Naples ; and it an- swered his call for supplies so promptly and liberal- ly, that, in a few months after the defeat of Ceri- gnola, he was able to resume operations, on a more formidable scale than France had witnessed for centuries. Three large armies were raised, one to retrieve affairs in Italy, a second to penetrate into Spain, by the way of Fontarabia, and a third to cross into Roussillon, and get possession of the strong post of Salsas, the key of the mountain passes in that quarter. Two fleets were also equipped in the ports of Genoa and Marseilles, the latter of which was to support the invasion of Roussillon by a descent on the coast of Catalonia. These various corps were intended to act in con- cert, and thus, by one grand, simultaneous move- ment, Spain was to be assailed on three several points of her territory. The results did not corre- spond with the magnificence of the apparatus.*^ The army destined to march on Fontarabia was The French '' invade placed under the command of Alan d'Albret, father ^p^'"- 17 Gamier, Hist.de France, torn. 300, 301. — M6moires de La Tr6- V. pp. 405, 406. — Ferreras, Hist, moille, chap. 19, apud Petitot, d'Espagne, torn. viii. pp. 235-238. Collection des M6moires, torn. xiv. — Guicciardini, Istoria, torn. i. pp. VOL. III. 13 p