Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. III.djvu/138

112 12 ITALIAN WARS. states. PART created entirely new interests in Italy, which broke up the old political combinations. The conquest Views of the ■*• ■* ^ * If^l'i" of Milan enabled France to assume a decided con- trol over the affairs of the country. Her recent reverses in Naples, however, had greatly loosened this authority ; although Florence and other neigh- bouring states, which lay under her colossal shadow, still remained true to her. Venice, with her usual crafty policy, kept aloof, maintaining a position of neutrality between the belligerents, each of whom made the most pressing efforts to secure so formida- ble an ally. She had, however, long since enter- tained a deep distrust of her French neighbour ; and, although she would enter into no public engage- ments, she gave the Spanish minister every assur- ance of her friendly disposition towards his govern- ment.^ She intimated this still more unequivocally, by the supplies she had allowed her citizens to carry into Barleta during the late campaign, and by other indirect aid of a similar nature during the present ; 3 Lorenzo Suarez de la Vega inter ignaros literarum satis esse filled the post of minister at the re- gnarum, Re.K ipse mihi testatus public during the whole of the war. est. Cupissem tamen ego, quae His long continuance in the office dixi." (See the letter to the Cath- at so critical a period, under so olio queen, Opus Epist., epist. vigilant a sovereign as Ferdinand, 246.) The objections have weight is sufficient warrant for his ability, undoubtedly, the Latin being the Peter Martyr, while he admits his common medium of diplomatic in- talents, makes some o])jections to tercourse at that time. Martyr, his appointment, on the ground of who on his return through Venice his want of scholarship. " Nee from his Egyptian mission took placet quod hunc clegeritis hac charge for the time of the interests tempestate. Maluisscm namque of Spain, might probably have been virum, qui Latinam calleret, vel prevailed on to assume the difficul- saltem intelligeret, linguam ; hie ties of a diplomatic station there tantum suam patriam vornaculam himself. See also Part II., Chap- novit ; prudentem esse alias, atque ter II, note 7, of this History.