Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. III.djvu/246

220 220 THE REGENCY OF FERDINAND. PART II. Coiicord of Salamanca their interests or independence. As for the arch- duke Philip, he could scarcely credit the possibility of this desperate act, which struck off at a blow so rich a portion of his inheritance. He soon received confirmation, however, of its truth, by a prohibi- tion from Louis the Twelfth, to attempt a passage through his dominions into Spain, until he should come to some amicable understanding with his father-in-law.^^ Philip, or rather Manuel, who exercised unbound- ed influence over his counsels, saw the necessity now of temporizing. The correspondence was re- sumed with Ferdinand, and an arrangement was at length concluded between the parties, known as the concord of Salamanca, November 24th, 1505. The substance of it was, that Castile should be governed in the joint names of Ferdinand, Philip, and Joanna, but that the first should be entitled, as his share, to one half of the public revenue. This treaty, executed in good faith by the Catholic king, was only intended by Philip to lull the suspicions of the former, until he could effect a landing in the 28 Abarca, Heyes de Aragon, torn. ii. rey 30, cap. 15, sec. 8. — Zurila, Anales, torn. vi. lib. 6, cap. 21. — Guicciardini, Istoria, lib. 7. He received much more une- quivocal intimation in a letter from Ferdinand, curious as showinjr that the latter sensil)ly fell the nature and extent of the sacrifices he was making. " You," says he to Philip, " by lendinp; voursclf to be the easy dupe of Vranre, have driven me most reluctantly into a second marriafie ; have stripped me of the fair fruits of my Neapoli- tan conquests," &c. He concludes with this appeal to him. " Sit satis, fili, pcrvagatum ; rcdi in te, si filius, non hosiis accesseris ; his non obstantibus,mi filius, amplcxa- berc. Magna est paterna; vis na- turae." Pliilip may have thouglit his fiithcr-in-lav"s late conduct an indillerent commentary on liie " pa- teruffi vis nature." See the king's letter ([uotcd by Peter Martyr in his correspondence with the count of Tendilla. Opus Episl., epist. 293.