The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-06-25

over the Dutch Admiral, Adrieo VIGooiy
pater, OF the Argentine coast IA Hans-
cording to Spanish authorities nui ,t al
n l W i Oquenao successfully rith-
numbered the Spanish by five -a aSa OUT
one. This last may be an er aesseis 10
Spanish hyperbole, but it seems ",4hhple OF
the whole, Antonio de Oquendo onau, on
as Migue his father, and another Ne; wen
his son, was an eminently fine eya', r,g aels
the fighting Bieayan of his time u ol
popu ar hero to this day in the no-t ne Is d
spain, where popular fancy has Ynada
much of the tradition that three i iaau
tumors We're found on the point IL large
heart after his death, this phenonoao,liaoi1S,
being taken as q physical indication nt
OquenGO's greatness of soul. VI
Another Spanish vessel of tho so.a
class with the Vizcaya and the Oonen,dtioo
is the Cardinal Cisneros. ReaderS 1919 ~
Prescott and Washington Irving NAV ~ -.
may not recognize by thAs name ,Jimayy,a VI
de Cisneros, the oaarohIaan, who, under
Ferdinand and Isabella was both zealons
and successful in converting many of as
conquered Moors, though sometimes NV hu
means which will hardly bear scrutinv i; ~
the light of nineteenth century ideas
Whatever may be thought of his proseIvt.
izing methods, Jimenez was certainty a
practical statesman such as Spain coulS
profitably employ today If she could find
him.
But in all the humiliation that Spain
is now undergoing, no association of
names contains bitterer irony than that
Of her, theoretically most powerful shin
the Peayo. The name of Carlos v. is. If
true, overwhelmingly great in European
history, but Carlos V. was, in feeling and
in character, German rather than a
Spaniard. He robbed Aragon of her an
oient constitutional rights, ignored the
C Fueros'' of the North, and reduced call
insignificant satrapies. Millions Of
Spaniards think of Carries V. as a nation
al calamity. But among those VINO know
their own ancient traditions-and smost
OF the people do-not the Cid Rodrigo de
Bivar himself IS more glorious than
Pelayo. the first Don in history.
Peninsular tradition places the birth LOT
Don Pelayo, lei Restaurador, ''Eat the end
OF the seventh century. There are two
theories of his origin, one making him of
the indigenous Hispano Roman race, the
other Goth. Again on the Gothic side
OF the question tof his origin there is a
differnce of opinion as to his parentage.
but the account most generally accepted
among Spanish genealogists makes him
the son of Favila, by Favila's wife and
Cantabria. Modern historical criticism
IS sure in time to seize upon the facts
that Favila is Gothic for s'Flash,'' and
Luz means Light in Spanish, and then
Pelayo Will become mere solar myth.
Assuming him to have existed, how
ever, Peiayo returned from pilgrimage
to Jerusalem in the Sc cond decade Of the
eighth century, just In time to find Spain
gated by the Moors. At Covadonga in
Asturia, he inaugurated with miraoh-
lous victory the struggle. which ended
more than seven centuries later at Grana-
da. The Spanish poets, anticipating the
efforts Of their country's off cial bulletin
lists in these days, say that at Covadonga
Don Pelayo, with three score Christian
warriors saw himself surrounded BY
400, 600 dogs Of Mohammed. He routed
these dogs kof Mohammed, fand the
Gothic MOBILES elected him their King.
So Christian kingdom was restored in
Spain Eand Pelayo the Restorer was
"honored with the title Of Don, permitted
until then only to the saints The king
dom was that of Leon, and Don Pelayo
took the red lion for his armoriai device.
He married the Lady Gaudiosa-" Joyous"
became the ancestor of Alfonso XIII,
died in 737 and Is buried at Covadonga.
Lastly, there is one little torpedo boat
dest royer with name which might have
bean thought worthy Of more important
vessel. Perhaps court1y consideration for
the feelings of the present Queen Regent
forbade more con piouous use of the
name. Queens regent have figured argely
and sadly In Spanish history: Maria dc
Moline, mother Of the child King Ferdi-
nand, Of Castillo and Leon, is even more
strikingly romantic figure in medieval
history than Margaret OF Anjou, whose
story somewhat resembles hers. In 1889
she married her cousin-german, King
Sanoho against the Injunction of the
Pope, who considered the consa nguinity
OF the. parties a bar to matrimony. On
the death Of her husband she found her.
SIT Obliged to struggle for the inheritance
OF her son and her own good name
against Juan, Sanchos younger brother,
who was backed by q following of law
less barons as well as by the moral SUP.
port of the Papal authority In spite of
all this she never lost her grip of the
kingdom, conoiliated Juan and won the
Pope to decree her son legitimate, thus
annihilating his uncle's exotlse fop stirr-
ing up strife. But the most tragic part
of her story is the ingratitude of King
Juan to his mother. Maria de Molina,
however, seems to have overcome her
sons evil with the good of her own noble
character. She survived him and was
practically Queen Regent second time
during the minority of hep grandson,
though she tacfnlly shared her power with
her old adversary and brother-in-law,
Juan. With wider stage Maria de
Molina might have been as great in his.
tory as Isabella Of Spain or Elizabeth of
England.
AND so, thanks to the present Spanish
system of naval nomenclature, when the
American Navy shall have won it's final
the record of it's triurnphs will
help TO preserve what is, after all, the
most valuable part of the Spanish nation
its history.
SUNDAY SERVICES.