Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. III.djvu/97

71 VICTORY OF CERIGNOLA. 71 Indeed, the archduke's despatches arrived at chapter xn. the very time when the Spanish jjeneral, having ^ — • •^ . r O ' fe Marches out Strengthened himself bj a reinforcement from the ofsarieta. neighbouring garrison of Tarento under Pedro Na- varro, was prepared to sally forth, and try his for- tune in battle with the enemy. Without further delay, he put his purpose into execution, and on Friday the 28th of April, marched out with his 1503. whole army from the ancient walls of Barleta ; a spot ever memorable in history as the scene of the extraordinary sufferings, and indomitable constancy, of the Spanish soldier. The road lay across the field of Cannse, where, seventeen centuries before, the pride of Rome had been humbled by the victorious arms of Han- Louys XII., p. 171. — Buonaccor- si, Diario, p. 75. — D'Auton, Hist, de LouysXn., part. 2, chap. 32. According to the Aragonese his- torians, Ferdinand, on the arch- duke's departure, informed Gonsal- vo of the intended negotiations with France, cautioning the general at the same time not to heed any in- structions of the archduke till con- firmed by him. This circumstance the French writers regard as une- quivocal proof of the king's in- sincerity in entering into the nego- tiation. It wears this aspect at first, certainly ; but, on a nearer view, admits of a very different construc- tion. Ferdinand had no confidence in the discretion of his envoy, whom, if we are to believe the Spanish writers, he employed in the affair more from accident than choice; and, notwithstanding the full powers intrusted to him, he did not consider himself bound to re- cognise the validity of any treaty which the other should sign, until first ratified by himself. With these views, founded on principles now universally recognised in Eu- ropean diplomacy, it was natural to caution his general against any un- authorized interference on the part of his envoy, which the rash and presumptuous character of the lat- ter, acting, moreover, under an un- due influence of the French mon- arch, gave him good reason to fear. As to the Great Captain, who has borne a liberal share of censure on this occasion, it is not easy to see how he could have acted otherwise than he did, even in the event of no special instructions from Ferdi- nand. For he would scarcely have been justified in abandoning a sure prospect of advantage on the au- thority of one, the validity of whose powers he could not determine, and which, in fact, do not appear to have warranted such interference. The only authority he knew, was that from which he held his commission, and to which he was responsible for the faithful discharge of it.