Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. III.djvu/217

191 HER CHARACTER. ]91 and the greater part of the seventeenth century, chapter was the principle of persecution abandoned by the — '- — ^— dominant party, whether Catholic or Protestant ? And where that of toleration asserted, except by the weaker ? It is true, to borrow Isabella's own expression, in her letter to Talavera, the prevalence of a bad custom cannot constitute its apology. But it should serve much to mitigate our condem- nation of the queen, that she fell into no greater error, in the imperfect light in which she lived, than was common to the greatest minds in a later and far riper period. ^^ Isabella's actions, indeed, were habitually based Her strength ' ' J c( principle. on principle. Whatever errors of judgment be im- puted to her, she most anxiously sought in all situ- ations to discern and discharge her duty. Faithful in the dispensation of justice, no bribe was large enough to ward off the execution of the law.^^ No motive, not even conjugal affection, could induce her to make an unsuitable appointment to public of examination adopted in certain tained in the latter half of the sev- cases by the High Commission enteenth century, by one of those court, does not hesitate to say, the gifted minds, whose extraordinary interrogatories were " so curiously elevation enabled it to catch and penned, so full of branches and cir- reflect back the coming light of cumstances, as he thought the in- knowledge, long before it had fall- quisitors of Spain used not so many en on the rest of mankind, questions to comprehend and to '^^ The most remarkable exam- trap their preys." Ibid., chap. 4. pie of this, perhaps, occurred in 42 Even Milton, in his essay on the case of the wealthy Galician the " Liberty of Unlicensed Print- knight, Yafiez de Lugo, who en- ing," the most splendid argument, deavoured to purchase a pardon of perhaps, the world had then wit- the queen by the enormous bribe nessed in behalf of intellectual lib- of 40,000 doblas of gold. The at- erty, would exclude Popyy from tempt failed, though warmly sup- the benefits of toleration, as a re- ported by some of the royal coun- ligion which the public good re- sellers. The story is well vouched, quired at all events to be extir- Pulgar, Reyes Catolicos, part. 2, pated. Such were the crude views cap. 97. — L. Marineo, Cosas Me- of the rights of conscience enter- morables, fol. 180.