Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. III.djvu/437

409 HIS DEATH AND CHARACTER. 409 of French ; and the cardinal followed up the blow chaptek XXV by demolishing the principal fortresses of the king- *— dom ; a precautionary measure, to which, in all probability, Spain owes the permanent preservation of her conquest. ^° The regent's eye penetrated to the farthest lim- its of the monarchy. He sent a commission to Hispaniola, to inquire into, and ameliorate, the condition of the natives. At the same time he earnestly opposed (though without success, be- ing overruled in this by the Flemish counsellors,) the introduction of negro slaves into the colonies, which, he predicted, from the character of the race, must ultimately result in a servile war. It is need- less to remark, how well the event has verified the prediction." It is with less satisfaction that we must con- template his policy in regard to the Inquisition. As head of that tribunal, he enforced its authority and pretensions to the utmost. He extended a branch of it to Oran, and also to the Canaries, and the New World. ^^ In 1512, the neiv Chris- tians had offered Ferdinand a large sum of money to carry on the Navarrese war, if he would cause 10 Carbajal, Anales, MS., ailo Ximenes's objection to have been, 1516, cap. 11. — Aleson, Annales the iniquity of reducing one set of de Navarra, torn. v. p. 327. — Pe- men to slavery, in order to liberate ter Martyr, Opus Epist., epist. 570. another. (History of America, — Quintanilla, Archetype, lib 4, vol. i. p. 285.) A very enlightened cap. 5. reason, for which, however, I find It Gomez, De Rebus Gestis, fol. not the least warrant in Herrera, 164, 165. — Herrera, Indias Occi- (the authority cited by the histo- dentales, torn. i. p. 278. — Las rian.) nor in Gomez, nor in any Casas, CEuvres, ed. de Llorente, other writer, torn. i. p. 239. 12 Llorente, Hist, de I'lnquisi- Robertson states the ground of tion, torn. i. chap. 10, art. 5. VOL. III. 52