The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1898-07-23

years OF age, was probably the most
beautiful and accomplished princess in
ChristendOm. Her father, the king Of
CASTLE, died when she was an infant
Her mother still lived to be her friend
and counselor. Her only brother,
Henry, a weak-minded man, entirely
devoted to his own selfish and sinful
qualifications, occupied the throne of
CASTLE. The wife of Henry was sister
of the king of Portual. She was very
beautiful woman, but, like her hus-
band, entirely devoid of principle and
devoted to pleasure. They had but one
child, a daughter, Joanna. The king
and queen were so unpopular that a
powerful party arose in the kingdom
in favor Of repudiating the claims of
Joanna and of placing Isabella upon
the throne
The mother of Isabella, who appears
to have been very judicious and sin
cerely pious woman, had educated her
daughter in the secluded rural town of
Aravela, far removed from the corrup-
tions of the court. At this time there
probably was not more unhappy per-
son in all Spain than the Princess Isa-
bella. She had sagacity enough to per-
ceive that her person was to be sacri-
hced to any matrimonial alliance which
would promote the ambition of the
mobiles. AS it was so probable that she
would succeed to the throne there
were suftors for her hand from nearly
all the courts of Europe. She was first
promised to Carlos heir to the throne
Of Aragon. He was so years of age,
bloated, and prematurely infrm from
a life Of profigacy. Isabella, when she
first saw him, was so shocked at the
thought of marriage with such a
wretch, that she declared she would die
before she would consent to the union.
Fortunately Carlos, by sudden sick
ness sank into the grave, and thus
Isabella escaped that woe.
The mobiles then pledged her to the
Grand Master of Calatrava, Spanish
noble of great wealth and power, but |
who was advanced in years, revolving |
in person and infamous in character. |
The anguish of Isabella was renewed, |
and it became so intense that she shut |
herself up in her apartment and wept |
almost necessarily day and night. Her |
prayers were so piteous that God would |
come to her relief and save her from |
the dishonor of such a marriage, by |
either taking away her life or that of |
the detested man to whose arms she |
was doomed, that one of her attendant |
ladies, Beatrice of Bobadilla, a high |
spirited woman, provided herself with |
a dagger, and vowed before God that |
If the Grand Master of Calatrava |
should dare to appear and claim Isa-
bella as his bride, she would plunge |
that dagger into his heart.
The Grand Master made the most
sumptuOus preparations for his we'd
ding; and, with very gorgeous retinue
of friends and vassals, set out from his
palace at Almagro, for Madrid, to re-
ceive his bride. At the close Of the
first days journey he reached the little
village of Villambia, where he passed
the night Here he was suddenly and
violently seized with an attack of quin-
sy, which, after a sickness of four
days, terminated his life. It is not to
be supposed that Isabella shed any
tears over his grave, and still not the
slightest shadow of suspicion rests up
on her as having been in any way ac-
cessOry to his death.
Isabella now withdrew to a convent
at Avila, where she pertinaciously re-
fused the entreaties of many of the
mobiles to allow herself to be proclaim
ed Queen of CASTLE in opposition to her
brother Henry. At length the mobiles,
who had been waging war against the
King came to compromise with him,
in which it was agreed that Isabella
should be recognized as heir to the
crown of CASTLE, and should be pro-
vided with a suitable revenue to main
tain the dignity of her rank It was
also agreed that she should not be
forced into any nuptial alliance, and
neither should she marry any one with
out her brothers consent.
The hand of Isabella was now In
greater demand than ever before. and
her modest court was crowded with
suitors Richard, Duke of Gloucester,
in the annals of crime,
brother of Henry " of England,
sought the ambitious alliance, but for
tunately in vain. The Duke of
Guienne, also brother of Louis XII of
France, and heir presumptive to the
French monarchy. was eager, by mar
riage with Isabella, to unite the crown
of CASTLE with that of France. But
this alliance, from political considera-
tons, was rejected. Isabella, notwith-
standing all these diplomatic schemes,
was quite disposed to consult her own
inolinations in the choice of a husband
Still she was exceedingly ambitious.