32 ITALIAN WARS. PART The national writers have made many awkward ' attempts to varnish over this atrocious act of per- (joMsaho. fidy in their favorite hero. Zurita vindicates it by a letter from the Neapolitan prince to Gonsalvo, requesting the latter to take this step, since he pre- ferred a residence in Spain to one in France, but could not with decency appear to act in opposition to his father's wishes on the subject. If such a I letter, however, were really obtained from the prince, his tender years would entitle it to little weight, and of course it would afford no substantial ground for justification. Another explanation is offered by Paolo Giovio, who states that the Great Captain, undetermined what course to adopt, took the opinion of certain learned jurists. This sage body decided, that Gonsalvo was not bound by his oath, since it was repugnant to his paramount obli- gations to his master ; and that the latter was not bound by it, since it was made without his priv- ity ! ^^ The man who trusts his honor to the tam- pering of casuists, has parted with it already.'*^ prediction of his friend Sannazaro; ^^ In Gonsalvo's correspondence "Nam mihi, nam lempus veniet, cum red- is a letter to the sovereigns written dita sceptra Soon after the occupation of 1 aren- Parihenopes, fraciosque tul sub cuspide j^^ jj^ ^vhich he mentions his efforts Ipse canlm." lo secure the duke of Calabria in Opera Latina, Ecloga 4. the Spanish interests. The com- 44 Zurita, Hist, del Rey Hernan- munication is too brief to clear up do, lib. 4, cap. 58. — Giovio, Vitas the difficulties in this dark transac- Illust. Virorum, lib. 1, p. 234. tion. As coming from Gonsalvo Mariana coolly disposes of Gon- himself, it has great interest, and I salvo's treachery with the remark, will give it to the reader in the cu- '* No parece se le guardo lo que te- rious orthography of the original. nian asentado. En la guerra quien " Asi en la plalica que estava con hay que de todo punto lo guarde ?" el duque don fernando de ponerse (Hist, de Espana, tom. ii. p. 675.) al servicio y amparo de vuestras al- „„ , .. • • , . tecas svn otro partido ny ofrecimi- "Dolua an virtus, quis in hoste re- * ,-' j ' .■£ i quirai?" ento demas de certificarle que en
