Page:The history of medieval Europe.djvu/687

 RISE OF ABSOLUTISM 631 Isabella accomplished more than mere territorial union. They were both able organizers and greatly developed the central government and royal power. They made much use of central councils of state and finance, and selected lawyers rather than the nobles and higher clergy as their chief administrative officials. Private war was forbidden, castles could not be built without the monarch's consent, an ex- amination was made into the validity of the nobles' titles to their lands and considerable property was thus reclaimed for the Crown. Isabella revived an old institution by which armed brotherhoods in the Castilian towns had kept the peace in the localities, but she brought it under royal con- trol and used it for the ends of the central government. Ferdinand extended this institution of the Holy Herman- dad to Aragon. The two monarchs also revived the Holy Inquisition of the thirteenth century and had it transferred from papal to royal control in their territories. In fact the Spanish Church as a whole was brought under the control of the Crown, and, as we have seen, reformed. Isabella also had Ferdinand made Grand Master of the three great mili- tary orders as vacancies occurred, and thus brought those powerful organizations with their trained soldiery under direct royal control. The long struggle with the Moors for Granada during this reign also produced an efficient fight- ing force. The medieval army was modernized and the Spanish infantry were soon to eclipse the military reputa- tion even of the Swiss. An attempt was made to unify the laws of Castile which were published in eight books. Ferdinand and Isabella were not favorably inclined to- ward representative assemblies and parliamentary govern- ment, and once sixteen years went by without a P lar meeting of the Cortes of Castile. The monarchs liberties treated the towns in their dominions with con- an we sideration, however, as they wished their support, and both industry and agriculture were in a flourishing condition. They also looked after the social and economic welfare of their people and gave the peasants and lower classes better protection than was afforded by any other government of