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History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella, the Catholic, of Spain
History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic of Spain Author:William Hickling Prescott Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER XIII. NEGOTIATIONS WITH FRANCE.—UNSUCCESSFUL INVASION OF SPAIN. —TRUCE. 1503. Ferdinand's Policy examined. — First Symptoms of Joanna's Insanity... more » — Isabella's Distress and Fortitude. — Efforts of France. — Siege of Salsas. — Isabella's Levies. — Ferdinand's Successes. — Reflections on the Campaign. The events noticed in the preceding chapter glided away as rapidly as the flitting phantoms of a drearn. Scarcely had Louis the Twelfth received the unweleome intelligence of Gonsalvo de Cordova's refusal to obey the mandate of the archduke Philip, before he was astounded with the tidings of the victory of Cerignola, the march on Naples, and the surrender of that capital, as well as of the greater part of the kingdom, following one another in breathless succession. It seemed as if the very means, on which the French king had so confidently relied for calming the tempest, had been the signal for awakening all its fury, and bringing it on his devoted head. Mortified and incensed at being made the dupe of what he deemed a perfidious policy, he demanded an explanation of the archduke, who was still in France. The latter, vehemently protesting his own innocence, felt, or affected to feel so sensibly the ridiculous and, as it appeared, dishonorable part played by him in the transaction, that he was thrown into a severe illness, which confined him to his bed lor several days.1 Without delay, he wrote to the Spanish court in terms of bitter expostulation, urging the immediate ratification of the treaty made pursuant to its orders, and an indemnification to France for its subsequent violation. Such is the account given by the French historians. The Spanish writers, on the other hand, say, that, before the news of Gonsalvo's successes reached Spain, King Ferdinand refused...« less