Alarm at French ill Bioii, in Italy 272 ITALIAN WARS. PART than the conquest of Granada ; and they doubted '■ — . some sinister motive, or deeper policy than appear- ed in the conduct of the French king. He was influenced, however, by no deeper policy than the cravings of a puerile ambition. ^^ |,'^e The preparations of Charles, in the mean while, excited general alarm throughout Italy. Ferdi- nand, the old king of Naples, who in vain endeav- oured to arrest them by negotiation, had died in the beginning of 1494. He was succeeded by his son Alfonso, a prince of bolder but less politic charac- ter, and equally odious, from the cruelty of his dis- position, with his father. He lost no time in put- ting his kingdom in a posture of defence ; but he wanted the best of all defences, the attachment of his subjects. His interests were supported by the Florentine republic and the pope, whose family had intermarried with the royal house of Naples. Venice stood aloof, secure in her remoteness, un- willing to compromise her interests by too precipi- tate a declaration in favor of either party. ispSi'y' The European powers regarded the expedition """ of Charles the Eighth with somewhat different feelings ; most of them were not unwilling to see so formidable a prince waste his resources in a re- mote and chimerical expedition ; Ferdinand, how- ever, contemplated with more anxiety an event, which might terminate in the subversion of the Neapolitan branch of his house, and bring a pow- erful and active neighbour in contact with his own ~i Zurita, Hist, del Rey Hernando, lib. 1, cap, IS. — Aharca, Reyos de Aragon, ubi supra.
