Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. III.djvu/481

453 REVIEW OF THEIR ADMINISTRATION. 1.53 The great concerns of the empire were brought chapter under the control of a few departments, which ■ 1- looked to the crown as their common head. The chief stations were occupied bv lawyers, who were alone competent to the duties ; and the precincts of the court swarmed with a loyal militia, who, as they owed their elevation to its patronage, were not likely to interpret the law to the disparagement of prerogative. ^^ The greater portion of the laws of this reign character or o 1 o the laws. are directed, in some form or other, as might be expected, to commerce and domestic industry. Their very large number, however, implies an ex- traordinary expansion of the national energy and resources, as well as a most earnest disposition in the government to foster them. The wisdom of these efforts, at all times, is not equally certain. T will briefly enumerate a few of the most character- istic and important provisions. By a pragmatic of 1500, all persons, whether natives or foreigners, were prohibited from shipping goods in foreign bottoms, from a port where a Spanish ship could be obtained. ^^ Another prohib- ited the sale of vessels to foreigners. ^° Another offered a large premium on all vessels of a certain 58 " Pusieron los Reyes Catoli- ^9 Granada, September 3d. Prag- cos," says the penetrating Mendo- maticas del Reyno, fol. 135. — A za, "el govierno de la justicia, i pragmatic of similar import was cosas piiblicas en manos de Letra- issued by Henry III, Navarrete, dos, gente media entre los grandes Coleccion de Viages, torn. i. In- i pequeiios, sin ofensa de los unos trod. p. 46. ni de los otros. Cuya profesion so Granada, August 11th, 1501. eran letreis legales, comedimiento, Pragmaticas del Reyno, fol. 137. secreto, verdad, vida liana, i sin corrupcionde costumbres." Guerra de Granada, p. 15.