Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. III.djvu/291

265 FERDINAND VISITS NAPLES. 265 trust. With all his impatience, therefore, he was chapter not disposed to rebuke this spirit, by abridging the '- season of hilarity. But, after allowing sufficient scope for its indulgence, he devoted himself assid- uously to the great purposes of his visit. He summoned a parliament general of the king- dom, where, after his own recognition, oaths of allegiance were tendered to his daughter Joanna and her posterity, as his successors, without any allusion being made to the rights of his wife. This was a clear evasion of the treaty with France. But Ferdinand, though late, was too sensible of the folly of that stipulation which secured the re- version of his wife's dower to the latter crown, to allow it to receive any sanction from the Nea- politans.^^ Another, and scarcely less disastrous provision of Restores tu- •^ J- Aiigevins. the treaty he complied with in better faith. This was the reestablishment of the Angevin proprietors in their ancient estates ; the greater part of which, as already noticed, had been parcelled out among his own followers, both Spaniards and Italians. It was, of course, a work of extraordinary difficulty and vexation. When any flaw or impediment could be raised in the Angevin title, the transfer was evaded. When it could not, a grant of other land or money was substituted, if possible. More frequently, however, the equivalent, which proba- bly was not very scrupulously meted out, was obliged to be taken by the Aragonese proprietor. 33 Zurita, Anales, ubi supra. — Guicciardini, Istoria, torn. iv. pp. 72, 73. VOL. III. 34