Note 61 — Chapter II
Reading edition
Professor Ibarra y Rodriguez’s interesting study ‘Fernando el Catolico y el Descubrimiento’ (Madrid, 1892) makes this matter clear for the first time. The treasury of Castile was empty, but Ferdinand had plenty of money in Aragon. He was careful, however, not to allow the Castilians to know this, or they would have clamoured for some of it for their war against Granada, whilst he was hoarding it for his war against France. He therefore went through the comedy of causing Sant’angel to lend the million maravedis, apparently out of his own pocket, but the money was secretly advanced for the purpose to Sant’angel from the King’s Aragonese treasury, to which it was subsequently repaid through Sant’angel.