392 HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 



had been long without hearing from Spain, he 

 thought good those messengers, when they had been 

 with the two queens, should likewise pass on to the 

 court of Ferdinando, and take a copy of the book 

 with them. The instructions touching the Queen 

 of Naples, were so curious and exquisite, being as 

 articles whereby to direct a survey, or framing a 

 particular of her person, for complexion, favour, 

 feature, stature, health, age, customs, behaviour, 

 conditions, and estate, as, if the king had been 

 young, a man would have judged him to be amorous : 

 but, being ancient, it ought to be interpreted, that 

 sure he was very chaste, for that he meant to find 

 all things in one woman, and so to settle his affec 

 tions without ranging. But in this match he was 

 soon cooled, when he heard from his ambassadors, 

 that this young queen had had a goodly jointure in 

 the realm of Naples, well answered during the time 

 of her uncle Frederick, yea and during the time of 

 Lewis the French king, in whose division her revenue 

 fell ; but since the time that the kingdom was in 

 Ferdinando s hands, all was assigned to the army 

 and garrisons there, and she received only a pension 

 or exhibition out of his coffers. 



The other part of the inquiry had a grave and 

 diligent return, informing the king at full of the 

 present state of King Ferdinando. By this report it 

 appeared to the king, that Ferdinando did continue 

 the government of Castile as administrator unto his 

 daughter Joan, by the title of Queen Isabella s will, 

 and partly by the custom of the kingdom, as he pre- 



