Andrew Dickson White - The Most Bitter Foe of Nations, and the Way to Its Permanent Overthrow

To one not acquainted with previous history, but looking thoughtfully at the fifteenth century, it must seem strange that just at that time—as by a simultaneous and spontaneous movement—almost every nation in Europe consolidated power in the hands of a monarch. In France, in England, in Italy, as well as in Spain, you see institutions, liberties, franchises, boundaries sacrificed freely to establish despotism. You see Henry VII. in England, Louis XI. in France, Charles V., a little later, in Germany and Italy, Ferdinand and Isabella in Spain—almost all utterly unlovely and unloved—allowed to build up despotisms in all cases severe, and in most cases cruel. Why? Because the serf-owning caste had become utterly unbearable; because one tyrant is better than a thousand.

Then the Spanish nobility went into the next phase. Ferdinand, Charles the Fifth, Philip the Second—three of the harshest tyrants known to history,—having crushed out the boldness and enterprise of the aristocracy it passed from what I have called the Vitriolic into what might be called the Narcotic period

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History of Civilization in Europe. Third Lecture.

Sempere, Histoire des Cortes d'Espagne , Chap. 6.

Prescott's Ferdinand and Isabella. Introduction, p. 48.

Hallam's Hist. of Middle Ages, Vol. 2, p. 30.

Robertson's Introduction to Life of Charles V., Section 3d; also Prescott.

What an effect this early liberty had in stimulating thought can be seen in a few moments by glancing over the pages of Ticknor's History of Spanish Literature.

For some statements as to hardy characteristics of Spanish peasantry, see Doblado's Letters from Spain. Letter 2.

Sempere, p. 205.

Mariana Hist. of Spain.

Mariana, History of Spain.

Mariana, History of Spain, XIII., 11.