200
THE MESTA
promptly brought to bear upon the deputies in the Cortes of 1386,
which, happily for the herdsmen, met at Segovia, one of the
four strongholds of the Mesta. A petition was introduced asking
that the flocks be excused not only from local but also from
royal dues along these emergency routes, so long as there was no
trespass upon cultivated enclosures.1 The willing sovereign
granted this without reservation, thus creating a valuable prec-
edent to which the Mesta recurred on several subsequent oc-
casions, notably during the Portuguese wars of 1640-41 and the
invasion of the eighteenth century.
The Mesta further improved its opportunities during this reign
by securing liberal renewals and confirmations of all of its preced-
ing privileges, particularly those of Alfonso X, Alfonso XI, and
Henry II which restricted sheep taxes.2 In a word, the feeble
policy of John I, because of his vacillating willingness and his
inability to resist the pressure brought to bear by the contending
parties, led to a marked increase in the decrees granted both to
the Mesta and to the towns. This was the cause of much sub-
sequent litigation and legislation which arose from the attempts to
enforce the numerous conflicting privileges.
John’s death in 1390 brought no relief, for the minority of
Henry III (1390-93) was but a continuation of the conditions
which have just been described. The Mesta renewed its activi-
ties, and, thanks to Gomez Carrillo, the entregador-in-chief, who
enjoyed high favor at court, all of its former royal charters were
renewed and amplified. This short period was noteworthy for
the fact that no less than six such confirmations were issued in
two years, a greater number than appeared during the whole of
any one reign previous to that of Ferdinand and Isabella.3 All
of these indorsed without reservation the most extreme of the
earlier claims of the Mesta regarding the restriction of local sheep
dues.
1 Cortes, Segovia, 1386, pet. 3; cf. Non. Recop., lib. 6, tit. 20, Ieyes 3-8.
2 Arch. Mesta1 Privs. Reales, leg. ɪ, no. 3; leg. 2, no. ɪ; leg. 4, no. ι. The last
was a sweeping confirmation of all royal privileges granted before the accession of
John (1379).
s Ibid., leg. ɪ, no. 3 (r392); leg. 2, no. 2 (1392) and no. 7 (1393); leg. 4, no. 2
(1392) and no. 3 (1393); leg. 5, no. 2 (1393).
TAXES DURING THE RISE OF THE MESTA
201
It can readily be understood that the substantiation of these
claims in the disordered years of the next century proved a diffi-
cult task. The Mesta enjoyed the advantage, however, of the pa-
tronage of two able rulers during the twenty years immediately
after this period. Henry III, in the years of his majority (1393-
1406), and his successor, the ‘ good regent ’ Ferdinand (1406-
12), saw the grave necessity of strongly centralized government
as the only salvation for the crown, and, indeed, for the country,
during the stormy conflicts between towns and nobles. One of
the obvious means of achieving this end was through the further
strengthening of the Mesta. That influential organization en-
joyed the support of certain nobles, who might be of much service
to the crown; and, furthermore, the aggressive campaigns of the
sheep owners clearly indicated how they might be used to curb
the growing independence of the towns. Even the royal revenue
officers, who had continued their abuses in spite of the mandate
of 1379/ were effectively brought to account by various stern
measures which the Mesta was now in a position to see enforced.2
The same policy was continued in the matter of restricting the
activities of the nobles in this field. The unhindered opportuni-
ties, which many of them had until now enjoyed, for the exaction
of tolls and dues under the guise of montazgos, were ended, for a
time at least, by the firm stand of the regent Ferdinand, who did
not hesitate to check the operations of even his own noble vassals
in this respect.3 This period was, then, a breathing space for the
Mesta in its st⅛ggle with the local or centrifugal forces over
the question of sheep taxes. The strong administrations of Henry
1 See above, p. 199.
2 These dignitaries had developed the lucrative practice of selling exemptions
from such royal imposts as the pecho, a form of poll tax. Alarmed by this evidence
of what might be a dangerous independence on the part of important fiscal agents,
the Mesta secured the promulgation of a decree in 1397 which limited the exemp-
tions from pechos to “ cavalleros, fijos dalgo, duenos, y donsellas.” A penalty of
two years in chains was specified for any local judge who ventured to extend this
list of favored classes by including local chùrch officers or townspeople of the better
class. Arch. Mesta, Provs., leg. ι, no. ɪ.
’ Arch. Mesta, M-2, Medellin, 1407 : a series of restrictions upon the montazgo
rights of nobles, fixing the rate at the ancient figure of two head per thousand on
each trip, or four for the year.