286 ITALIAN WARS. II PART the church ; and finallj the enterprise against Na- ples, the claims to which as a papal fief, could of right be determined in no other way than by the arbitration of the pontiff himself. Should King Charles consent to accept this arbitration, they ten- dered the good offices of their master as mediator between the parties ; should he decline it, howev- er, the king of Spain stood absolved from all fur- ther obligations of amity with him, by the terms of the treaty of Barcelona, which expressly recognised his right to interfere in defence of the church. ^^ Charles, who could not dissemble his indignation during this discourse, retorted with great acrimony, when it was concluded, on the conduct of Ferdi- nand, which he stigmatized as perfidious, accusing him, at the same time, of a deliberate design to circumvent him, by introducing into their treaty the clause respecting the pope. As to the expe- dition against Naples, he had now gone too far to recede ; and it would be soon enough to canvass the question of right, when he had got possession of it. His courtiers, at the same time, with the impetuosity of their nation, heightened by the inso- lence of success, told the envoys, that they knew well enough how to defend their rights with their arms, and that King Ferdinand would find the French chivalry enemies of quite another sort from the holiday tilters of Granada. These taunts led to mutual recrimination, until 41 IJcrnaldcz, Reyes Cat61icos, 192 - 194. — Garibay, Compendio, MS., cap. 138. — Bismondi, lie- lib. 19, cap. 4. publiqucs Italienncs, torn. xii. pp.
