Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-10-21
TIE STORY OF INSZ DE CASTRO

~ '-"' "Fs'oiN Ia SohoNfIfoN.
The heightened and varied annals of the
Peninsula contain no episode more deeply
interesting than that which the reader
will find laid before him in the following
brief and unvarnished narrative. The
scene oi the story was Portugal, and the
time the middle Of the fourteenth century,
when Alrhonse ". sat upon the throne
of that country. This prince had been
distinguished in his youth for the display
Of almost every bad quality, having
r"belled more than once against his faith
e., and so emLroiled the kingdom in re-
rcated civil discords. When he ascended
the throne he exhibited that total disre-
gard lor his new duties which might have
been expected from his previous conduct,
until a solemn aud bold warning from
cne of his chief mobiles effected compul-
sorry reformation, rendered comparatively
durable by fears for his personal safety.
Ihe caution referred to was thus given.
The council Of state had long waited for
him one day, having affairs of consequence
to transact. Alpllonse had gone hunting
and when he appeared at length in coun-
Gil. it was only TO entertain the grave
statesmen and mobiles there assembled
with an account of his days sport.
O. Sire" said one of the connsellors.
we did not come here 20 listen to things
fitted for the ears CT huntsmen. If your
highness will attend to the necessities of
your subjects, YOU will have humble and
faithful vassals if not -
What them cried The king, angrily.
The minister calmly proceeded If
not, they will seek Gaoihcr hine !"
AlphonSe broke forth intoEa torrent of
invectives: but something in the manner
Of those around bin compelled him ulti-
mataly to moderate his passion, and to
promise that, from that time forward,
they would find in him, " not Alphonse
The hunter, bat AlphonSe the king"
To this seasonablc warning, history
tells us, the Portuguese people owed many
public benefits during the remainder of
Alphonse's reign: but the reformation
did not extend to the kings private con-
duct. His son and heir, Don Pedro, was
united i'll marriage TO Constance, the
daughter of powerful Castilian prince.
The affections Of the intanta, as the heir
apparent was called, We're not consulted
or engaged in the match. He was strong
ly attached, in fact, to another lady,
named lncz de Castro, the daughter of
noble CaStilian, who had sought refuge in
Portugal from Eerlls incurred in his ma
tive province. The attachment was mu-
tual, yet Pedro remained constant IN his
vows to Constance and lived in unbroken
harmony with her. 1t is admitted by all
arnalists that the yirtuOuS fidelity and
Selt-command exhibited by the Portuguese
prince, were as commendable as they
were rare instances like these at that
period of the worlds history. However,
King AlphOnSe was aware ofhis sons pas
sion for ineZ dc Castro and from fear
that circumstances might vet occur to
bring about match between them, which
he regarded as one unworthy OF the Royal
house Of Portugal, the king caused Donna
inez to stand godmother to one of the
infanta's children by Constance. thus
creating spiritual bar to the possibility
OF future wellock between the two par
ties.-The Church of Rome forbade the
union Of the sponsor of an infant with its
real parent.
Nevertheless, when Constance died, as
she did after being married but few
years, Don Pedros attachment set all
such obstacles at defiance. He obtained
papal dispensation, and married Inez
de Castro. At the same time. he conceal
cd bis f,,,,, b,o f,4ba, lo
public, the lady consenting rather to bear
the imputation of an illegal connection,
than to suffer the infantr to the risk of
Alphonse's anger. For some years. Inez
lived in great seclusion at Coimbra, where
she bore four children to her husband
namely, Alphonse, John, Dennis, and
Beatrice. UnacknOwledged as the union
was, the court, nevertheless, suspected
something of the kind. In his private
conduct, Pedro not only exhibited all the
affection and constancy of husband as
regarded lnez, but peremptorily refused
entering into any of the new matrimonial
engagements which his father was per-
petually proposing to him. Inez de Cas-
tro, therefore, could not but be an object
of suspicion to Alphonse and his conf
dants, and she unfortunately incurred,
through other circumstances, degree of
additional odium, which brought on the
crisis of her fate. The despotism of the
reigning sovereign of CASTLE caused many
of her countrymen to fly to Portugal for
protection and by gaining for them the
favor of her husband, the infanta, she
was able to place them in a position that
excited the envy of the native courtiers.
y strong party, was, by degrees, formed
against lnez, and to these persons it be-
came an object of Importance to dispose
of the unfortunate lady, ere the demise of
Alphonse called bis son to the throne,
and consolidated her power beyond all
possibility Of overthrow.