Page:Readings in European History Vol 2.djvu/65

 Europe at the Opening of the Sixteenth Century 27 any other nation of Europe, for in the most ancient times Successive the peninsula was occupied in great part by the Gauls. . . . con q u ests of Then the Carthaginians took possession of much of it ; then peninsula. the Romans conquered it all several times. Later the Van- dals subjugated the region, and from them Andalusia took its name. Lastly the Moors from Africa conquered not only the southern regions, but extended their dominion into Aragon and Castile and even in some instances as far as the Pyrenees. Down to our own time they held Granada. Hence it may be said that Spain has been in a prolonged servitude and has enjoyed no dominion over others, the which cannot be said of Italy, or France, or of any other country of Christendom. Certainly this is a singular fact if we consider how devoted the country is to arms and how warlike it has always been, even from of old, as the ancient writers testify. . . . The reason for this may have been that Spain has always had better soldiers than leaders, and that her people have always been more skilled to fight than to govern or com- mand. Happening upon this matter one day with King Fer- dinand, he said to me that the nation was devoted to arms but unorganized, and that great results would be obtained should any one arise who could hold it well in hand. The ancient writers praise the nation more for a wild anxiety to rush to arms and keep up war than for any other virtue. Accordingly Livy speaks of the people as born to fight, and in another place he says they carry on war with more rash- ness than perseverance. Yet I do not know whether this is the true reason or not. BIBLIOGRAPHY Charles VIII's Italian Expedition : Johnson, Europe in the Six- teenth Century, pp. 4-25 ; Cambridge Modern History, Vol. I, pp. 104- 118 ; Dyer and Hassall, Modem History, Vol. I, pp. 214-231. Louis XII in Italy : Johnson, pp. 33-49- Alexander VI : Cambridge Modern History, Vol. I, pp. 225-242. League of Cambray : Johnson, pp. 57-78; Dyer and Hassall, Vol. I, pp. 260-286. A. Refer- ences.