Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. III.djvu/322

296 CHAPTER XXI. XIMENES. — COiXQUESTS IN AFRICA.— UNIVERSITY OF ALCALA. — POLYGLOT BIBLE. 1508 — 1510. Enthusiasm of Ximenes. — His warlike Preparations. — He sends an Army to Africa. — Storms Oran. — His triumphant Entry. — The King's Distrust of Him. — He returns to Spain. — Navarro's African Conquests. — Magnificent Endowments of Ximenes. — University of Alcala. — Complatensian Polyglot. PART The high-handed measures of Ferdinand, in re- gard to the marquis of Priego and some other nobles, II Policy of Ferdinand's oxcited gcncral disgust among the jealous aristocra- cy of Castile. But thej appear to have found more favor with the commons, who were probably not unwilling to see that haughty body humbled, which had so often trampled on the rights of its inferiors.^ As a matter of policy, however, even with the no- bles, this course does not seem to have been miscal- culated ; since it showed, that the king, whose tal- ents they had always respected, was now possessed 1 On his return from Cordova, which the whole procession moved he experienced a most loyal and under tiiirteen liiumplial arches, enthusiastic reception from the an- each inscribed with the name of cient capital of Andalusia. The one of his victories. Foradescrip- most interesting part of the pageant tion of these civic honors, see Ber- was the troops of cliildron, gayly naldez, Reyes (Jatolicos, MS., cap. dressed, who came out to meet 210, and Zuniga, Annales de Se- him, presenting the keys of the villa, afio 1508. city and an imperial crown, after