Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. III.djvu/298

272 272 FERDINAND'S RETURN AND REGENCY. ivvRT pressing their correspondence with the emperor '. — Maximilian, and urging his immediate presence in the kingdom. Spain. Others devised schemes for marrying the poor queen to the young duke of Calabria, or some other prince, whose years or incapacity might ena- ble them to act over again the farce of King Philip. To add to the troubles occasioned by this mesh of intrigue and faction, the country, which of late years had suffered from scarcity, was visited by a pestilence, that fell most heavily on the south. In Seville alone, Bernaldez reports the incredible number of thirty thousand persons to have fallen victims to it. ^ But, although the storm was thus darkening from every quarter, there was no general explosion, to shake the state to its foundations, as in the time of Henry the Fourth. Orderly habits, if not princi- ples, had been gradually formed under the long reign of Isabella. The great mass of the people had learned to respect the operation, and appreciate the benefits of law ; and notwithstanding the men- acing attitude, the bustle, and transitory ebullitions of the rival factions, there seemed a manifest reluc- tance to break up the established order of things, and, by deeds of violence and bloodshed, to renew the days of ancient anarchy. Much of this good result was undoubtedly to be 6 Reyes Catolicos, MS., cap. amount from liis own knowledge. 208. — Gomez, Dc Rebus Gestis, lie states, however, that 170 died, fol. 71. — Mariana, Hist, dc Es- out of his own little parish of 500 pafia, torn. ii. lib. 2), cap. 2. persons, and he narrowly escaped The wortliy (-urate of Los Pala- witii life himself, after a severe cios does not vouch for this exact attack. Ubi supra.