CALATRAVA
151
CALATRAVA
and contemplated marching, with his Spanish chiv-
alry, to restore the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem (1272).
Bui the Moors still held out in their little Kingdom
of Granada, which was to remain for two centuries
longer an open door, exposing Western Europe to the
constant danger of African invasion. For the per-
petuation of this menace, Christendom had to thank
its own dissensions — not only international, but
personal and dynastic. Into these factious quarrels
the Knights of Calatrava, like other knights of the
Cross, were unhappily drawn.
Calatrava, with its abundant resources of men and material wealth, had by this time become a power in the State. It had lands and castles scattered along the borders of Castile. It exercised feudal lordship over thousands of peasants and vassals. Thus, more than once, we see the order bringing to the field, as its individual contributions, 121)1) to 2000 knights, a considerable force in the Middle Ages. Moreover, it enjoyed autonomy, being by its constitutions in- dependent in temporal matters and acknowledging only spiritual superiors — the Abbot of Morimond and, in appeal, the pope. These authorities interfered, in consequence of a schism wdiich first broke out in 1296 through the simultaneous election of two grand masters, Garcia Lopez and Gautier Perez. Lopez, dispossessed a first time by a delegate of Morimond, appealed to Pope Boniface VIII, who quashed the sentence and referred the case to the general chapter at Citeaux, where Lopez was re-established in his dignity (1302). Dispossessed a second time, in con- sequence of a quarrel with his lieutenant. Juan Nunez, Lopez voluntarily resigned in favour of Nunez, who had taken his place (1328), on condition that he should keep the commandery of Zurita ; as this con- dition was violated, Lopez again, for the third time, took the title of Grand .Master in Aragon, where he died in 1336. — These facts sufficiently prove that after the fourteenth century the rigorous discipline and Ei rvent observance of the order's earlier times had, under the relaxing influence of prosperity, given place to a spiril of intrigue and ambition.
With the accession of Pedro the Cruel began a conflict between the Crown and the order. That prince caused three grand masters in succession to be put to death, as having incurred his suspicion: the first of these was beheaded (1355) on a charge of having entered into a league with the King of Aragon; the second, Estevafiez, having competed for the grand mastership with the king's candidate, Garcfa de Padilla, was murdered in the royal palace, by the king's own treacherous hand; lastly, Garcia de Padilla him- self, a brother of the royal mistress, fell into disgrace, upon deserting the king's party for that of his half brother, Henry the Bastard, and died in prison (1369). Amid all these troubles the war against the Moslem, which was the very reason of the order's existence, educed to a mere episode in its history. The greater part of its activities were employed in purely political conflicts, and its arms, consecrated to the defence of the Faith, were turned against Christians. An even more pitiable spectacle was that of the knights divided among themselves into rival and mutually hostile factions. At the same time began tli i ncroachments of royal authority in the election of the grand master, whose power was a check upon that of the king. For instance, in 1404, Henry of Villena was elected 24th grand master merely through
the favour of Henry III of Castile, although Villena
was married, a stranger to the order, and by papal dispensation entered upon his high functions without even the preliminary of a novitiate. A schism in the order ensued and was healed only after the king's death, in 14M. when a genera] chapter, held at
Citeaux, cancelled the election of Villena and ac- knowledged his competitor. Luis Guzman, as the only legitimate master. After the death of Guzman,
a new encroachment of King John II of Castile gave
rise to a new schism. lie had succ led in forcing
upon the electors his own candidate, Alfonso, a bas- tard, of the royal stock of Aragon (1443); but Alfonso having joined a party formed against him, the king sought to have him deposed by the chapter of the order. This time the electors divided, and a double election issued in not fewer than three grand masters: Pedro Giron, who took possession of Calatrava; Ramirez de Guzman, who occupied the castles of Andalusia; and the bastard Alfonso of Aragon. who continued to be recognized by the knights of the Aragonese branch. At last, through (he withdrawal of his rivals one after the other, Pedro Giron remained the only grand master (1457). Giron belonged to an eminent Castilian family; an ambitious intriguer, more anxious about his family interests than about those of his order, he played an important part as a leader in the factions which disturbed the wretched reigns of John II and Henry IV, the last two lamentably weak descendants of St. Ferdinand of Castile.
By turns, Giron sustained first Henry IV, in a war against his father, John II. then Alfonso, who pre- tended to the throne, against Henry IV. Such was Giron's importance that Henry IV, in order to attach him to his cause, offered him the hand of his own sister, the famous Isabella of Castile. Giron had already had his vow of celibacy annulled by the pope, and was on his way to the court, when he died, thus saving the future Queen of Castile from an unworthy consort (1466). The same pope, Pius II, granted to Pedro Giron the extravagant privilege of resigning his high dignity in favour of his bastard, Rodrigo Telles Giron, a child eight years old. Thus the grand mastership fell into the hands of guardians — an unheard of event. The Abbot of Morimond was called upon to devise a temporary administration, until Telles should reach his majority. The adminis- tration was entrusted to four knights elected by the chapter, and from this period date the definitive statutes of the order known as "Rules of A). Lot William III" (1467). These statutes recognized in the order seven high dignitaries: the grand master, tic rlnrero (guardian of the castle ami lieutenant of the grand master): two grand comendadores, one for Castile ami the other for Aragon: tin- grand prior, representing the Abbot of Morimond in the spiritual government; the snrrlslti (guardian of the relics); the obrero (supervisor of buildings).
The order, having reached its apogee of prosperity, now held sway over fifty-six commanderies ami six- teen priories, or cures, distributed between the! liocese
of Jaen and the Vicariate of Ciudad Real. Its lord- ships included sixty-four villages, with a population of 200.000 souls, and produced an annual income which may lie estimated at 50,000 ducats. The kings whose fortune the mismanagement of rile late reigns had depleted could not hut covet these riches, while such formidable military power tilled with dis- trust the monarchs who were obliged to tolerate the autonomous existence of the order. During the struggle between Alfonso Vol' Portugal and Ferdinand ill' \ragon for the right of succession to Henry IV of Castile, the last male of his house il (74 > mui pended upon the attitude of Calatrava. The knights were divided. While (he grand master. I;. Giron, supported Portugal, his lieutenant, Lopez de
Padilla, stood by Aragon. The battle of Ion, (1479),
where the pretensions of Portugal were annihilated,
ended this schism, the last in the history of the order. The grand master, reconciled with Ferdinand of Aragon. fell, during the war against the Moors, at the siege of Loja (1482), His lieutenant. Lop
Padilla. succeeded him and as the las! of the twenty seven independent grand mast' a, re-
vived for a Beason the heroic virtues of In- order's better days. A mortified monk in his cell, g fi
