Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. III.djvu/426

398 398 DEATH OF GONSALVO. PART II. Contrast with Isa- bella. Ferdinand's connexion with Isabella, while it re- flected infinite glory on his reign, suggests a con- trast most unfavorable to his character. Hers was all magnanimity, disinterestedness, and deep devo- tion to the interests of her people. His was the spirit of egotism. The circle of his views might be more or less expanded, but self was the steady, unchangeable centre. Her heart beat with the generous sympathies of friendship, and the purest constancy to the first, the only object of her love. We have seen the measure of his sensibilities in other relations. They were not more refined in this ; and he proved himself unworthy of the admi- rable woman with whom his destinies were united, by indulging in those vicious gallantries, too gene- rally sanctioned by the age. ^^ Ferdinand, in fine, a shrewd and politic prince, " surpassing," as a French writer, not his friend, has remarked, " all the statesmen of his time in the science of the cabi- net," ^^ may be taken as the representative of the 66 Ferdinand left four natural children, one son and tliree daugh- ters. The former, Don Alonso de Araffon, was born of the viscountess of Eboli, a Catalan lady. He was made archbishop of Saragossa when only six years old. There was lit- tle of the religious profession, how- ever, in his life. He took an active part in the political and military movements of the period, and seems to have been even less scrupulous in his gallantries than his father. His manners in private life were attractive, and his public conduct discreet. His father always re- garded him with peculiar affection, and intrusted him with the regency of Aragon, as we have seen, at his death. Ferdinand had three daughters, also, by three different ladies, one of them a noble Portuguese. The eldest child was named DoHa Juana, and married the grand constable of Castile. The others, each named Maria, embraced the religious pro- fession in a convent in Madrigal. L. Marineo, Cosas Memorables, fol. 188. — Salazar de Mendoza, Monarqula, torn. i. p. 410. 67 " Enfin il surpassa tons les Princes de son siecle en la science du Cabinet, et c'est a lui qu'on doit attribuer le premier et le sou- verain usage de la politique mo