Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1869-01-20
STARTLING HISTORICAL REVELA.
TI0N.
The True Story Of the Mother Of
Charles T--Her Insanity Political
Fiction.

Recent investigations among the
manuscripts in the Spanish archives
of Simancas have developed startling
facts, which will render necessary a
change of opinion on the part of those
who, having read Robertson's Charles
V, and PrescOtt's Ferdinand and Isa-
bella, think they are well acquainted
with Spanish history. Ferdinand,
King of Aragon by his marriage with
Isabella, Queen of CASTLE, put an end
to the long civil wars between small
rival kingdoms which for long time
had desolated the peninsula. The off.
spring of their marriage were a short
lived son, named Juan, and two daugh-
ters, the younger of whom, Catharine,
became the wife of Henry Will, of
England, and the elder, Juana, heir
eSs apparent, was married to Philip
of Burgundy, son of the German En-
peror Macmillan, and the mother of
Charles V. As has been generally be-
lieved, Juana became crazy, and after
her husbands death persisted in carry
ing the loathsome corpse wherever
she went. SOall the historians affirm,
but there now appears to be abundant
evidence that they were fearfully mis-
taken.
Mr.. Bergenroth, learned German,
has been employed for some years
past in gathering from the archives of
Simancas, materials for an English
history which Lord Romilly has in
preparation. In the course of bis in
vestigatiOns, Mr.. Bergenroth has
found hundreds of letters from Juana,
her mother, her son, and from priests
and jailers, which he has printed in
full, and which reveal the following
astounding facts. The crafty Ferdi-
nand, or Fernando, as his name is in
Spanish, foreseeing his wife's death,
and realizing that if Juana succeeded
her as Queen of CASTLE, while he still
reigned over Aragon, Spain would run
the risk of being again divided into
two hostile kingdoms, saw only one
way of peace, namely, by sacrificing
his daughter. To insure his objects,
he first charged her with heresy, and
next with insanity. From girlhood,
says the London Atheneum, from
which we condense these facts, Juana
had been pious, but her piety was not
of the fashion most liked in Spain.
She was neither gloomy nor slavish
in mind; she had no love for her
inquisitOrs; nay, she refused
to confess her girlish thoughts TO men
who came into her presence reeking
from Acts of Faith. For these offenses
she had suffered much. Her mother
had given her over to the friars, who
notOnly put her under severe restraint,
but had actually stretched her by the
cord. The fact is now proved, though |
it seems incredible. The Marquis of /
Denia states it, not as charge against |
Isabel, but as an ordinary thing-en- !
tirely to her credit as a Christian |
Queen.
After Juana's marriage with Philip, !
of Austria, she was accused |
by her family of leaning toward the |
new learning. They advised her to 1
take a Spanish monk into her conf (
dence. She knew that such a Father 1
would be spy, and she declined their l
gift. They said, and truly, that she 1
was growing to be rather French in 1
her religious sentiment; and it was |
repeated to her disparagement that /
she preferred a doctor from Paris 1
rather than a friar from Valladolid /
about her court. Juana met these |
charges with a patient smile. She /
had nothing to say in answer. She
neither defended her conduct nor
changed her confesSor. Philip was
not much of bigot he seems to have
and even to have loved, his
wife; but he was poor in purse, fond
Of show, devoted to pleasure, and
longing to thrust mis- hands into the
Golfers of CASTLE. In Philips
poverty and splendor Fernando found
allies against his wife.
When Isabel died, Fernando seized
the reins in CASTLE, asserting that his
the new Queen, was inca
pable ofgOverning her State, and that
the late Queen had willed him to con
tinue the government as before.
Fernando spread report that Juana
was not only insane, but that she was
kept close prisoner by her husband
In the Low Countries. Philip pro-
tested against these calumnies, both
Of which he charged upon Fernando /
in person, not without cause and to
Justify himself by facts, set out for
CASTLE in company with his lovely
and spirited wife. At first Fernando
threatened TO resist his entry into
Spain; and when Philip refused to
stand back, he prpposed to rush at
him, like a CastiIian bravo, with |
cdpd g spddd-with cloak and sword.
On seeing with how much enthusi-
asm his daughter was received by her
people, a new idea struck him. Juana
was popular; Philip was not popular.
In such a fact he saw his chance.
Philip was not only a stranger, wish
ing to put his hands into Spanish
Golfers, but was suspected by many
people on account of those rumors,
false in the main, of his having ILL
used their Queen. Now, Fernando
sought an ally in Philip against Juana.
Such a combination was not hard to
bring about, for Philip, aman OF coarse
.nsta. .--oad.- 81 s.a;r, ON, l.i4i....- a.. .