Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. III.djvu/473

445 REVIEW OF THEIR ADMINISTRATION. 445 ment," which formed a discreditable, and, it must be chapter admitted, rare exception to the usual tenor of his ". administration. Indeed, the most honorable testi- mony is borne to its general equity and patriotism, by a cortes convened soon after the queen's death, when the tribute, as far as she was concerned, still more unequivocally, must have been sincere. ^^ A similar testimony is afforded by the panegyrics and the practice of the more liberal Castilian writers, who freely resort to this reign, as the great fountain of constitutional precedent. ^^ The commons gained political consideration, no Advance- , _ ment of pre- doubt, by the depression of the nobles ; but their rogat'^e- chief gain lay in the inestimable blessings of domes- tic tranquillity, and the security of private rights. The crown absorbed the power, in whatever form, retrieved from the privileged orders ; the pensions and large domains, the numerous fortified places, the rights of seigniorial jurisdiction, the command of the military orders, and the like. Other circum- stances conspired to raise the regal authority still istering an oath of secrecy to the pie," &c. (Leyes deToro, fol. 2.) deputies, as to the proceedings of What could John II., or any despot the session; a serious wound to of the Austrian line, claim more! popular representation. (Marina, ^a See the address of the cortes, Teoria, tom. i. p. 273.) Capma- in Marina, Teoria, torn. i. p. 282. ny (Practica y Estilo, p. 232,) 39 Among the writers repeatedly errs in describing this as " un arte- cited by me, it is enough to point ficio Maquiavelico inventado por out the citizen Marina, who has la politica Alemana.^'' The Ger- derived more illustrations of his man Machiavelism has quite sins liberal theory of the constitution enough in this way to answer for. from the reign of Ferdinand and 37 The introductory law to the Isabella than from any other ; and " Leyes de Toro " holds this who loses no opportunity of pane- strange language; "Y porque al gyric on their "paternal govem- rey pertenesce y hapoder de hazer ment," and of contrasting it with fueros y leyes, y de las interpretar the tyrannical policy of later times, y emendar donde vieren que cum-