Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. III.djvu/53

27 PARTITION OF NAPLES. 27 feuds with the Italian princes. In consequence of chapter these inducements, some of Gonsalvo's men were — — — found to desert every day ; while those who re- mained were becoming hourly more discontented, from the large arrears due from the government; for Ferdinand, as already remarked, conducted his operations with a stinted economy, very different from the prompt and liberal expenditure of the queen, always competent to its object.^^ A trivial incident, at this time, swelled the pop- Mmnncence ' _ ' ^ ^ ofGonsalve. ular discontent into mutiny. The French fleet, after the capture of Naples, was ordered to the Levant to assist the Venetians against the Turks. Ravenstein, ambitious of eclipsing the exploits of the Great Captain, turned his arms against Miti- lene, with the design of recovering it for the republic. He totally failed in the attack, and his fleet was soon after scattered by a tempest, and his own ship wrecked on the isle of Cerigo. He subsequently found his way, with several of his principal officers, to the shores of Calabria, where he landed in the most forlorn and desperate plight. Gonsalvo, touched with his misfortunes, no sooner learned his necessities, than he sent him abundant supplies of provisions, adding a service of plate, and a variety of elegant apparel for himself and followers ; consulting his own munificent spirit 37 Don Juan Manuel, the Span- from Spain, that it was as much ish minister at Vienna, seems to money as would suffice King Fer- have been fully sensible of this dinand for the conquest, not merely trait of his master. He told the of Italy, but Africa into the bar- emperor Maximilian, who had re- gain. Zurita, Hist, del Rey Her- quested the loan of 300,000 ducats nando, torn. i. lib. 3, cap. 42.