The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1898-04-21
Here and There. No. B.


Could Spain have known what
tronblous times awaited her in the close
of the nineteenth century she would
have wished, nay implored the queen
of CASTLE, Isabella, to accept, for once
at least, Ferdipand's Judgment, dismiss
ing Columbus with a frown of deep dis
pleasure. But while the would-be dis
coyerer knelt before that proud throne,
how tactfully did the queen for the
second time in their successful reign,
urge her superior claim to decide inn
portant questions. All, we'll was it that
Columbus could not have forseen the in
gratitude of Ferdinand who, knowing
his deep Indebtedness to this truly
wonderful man, tried to pay it in the
costly monument which not long was
allowed the privilege of pointing to the
spot which really held the earthly re-
mains of the discoverer. Not so Isabella
whose help and sympathy never failed
him and must surely have frightened
each voyage. Sadly he missed the light
of her presence as weary and dis
heartened he mourned with the nation
the loss of their beloved queen.
How shall one rightly approach a
character at once so stern and so
affectionate, so regal and so practical, as
we know lsabella's to have been? The
same hand which, when encased in steel,
led on her troops to victory, was skillful
in fine embroidery which she greatly de-
lighted in and which served as gifts to
her friends There was disposition in
this wise queen to regard the formalitles
and elegance of adornment required in
the palace, though she cared little for
display and after short time would
make presents of her rich and beautiful
apparel to those who could not under
stand such generosity. In simple
dress it was her pleasure to attend upon
the sick, ministering to their needs, and
that her people loved her from the very
beginning of her reign to its sad close is
evident.
Superior in many qualities of head
and heart to her husband, as we'll as in
education, Isabella not only loved him
but was proud of his ability as to states
manship and his success on the field of
battle. What a picture is before us, yet
it belongs to the wondrous past OF
wonderful Spain, the scene at Segovia OF
Isabella quieting the mad citizens who
had risen against the queens alcayde
who was hated. While cries of "Attack
the Castle" resounded, the queen alone
advanced, ordering the gates to be open
ed and in the midst of an Infatuated
crowd, calmly demanded the insurgents
| 10 lafv nria
promising to depose the ruler and tell
ing them she would also send away the
various underlings she quelled what
would soon have become a fierce rebel.
lion.
Could one reconcile the atrociously
wicked acts that will always come to
mind in the history of this time, with
the known ability of Isabella and her
power over even her spiritual advisers,
it would only remain to declare Spain
queen guilty in marked degree.
Where can we find such high handed
wickedness as is shown in the tortures
of the Inquisition? The persecution of
the Jews was long continued but the
way IN which they were hunted from
place to place is inconceivable. ut was
considered good evidence of guilt, If the
accused wore better or cleaner clothes
on the Jewish Sabbath than on other
days of the week; if he had no fire in
his house the preceding evening" and
many other senseless SO called proofs
made sure of many victims. "Six
thousand were convicted annually dur
ing the eighteen years of Tarquemada's
ministry" Thousands also we're swept
from the country by a terrible plague
the very first year of the Inquisition.
1t truly seemed that they were church
and state mad and were being blindly
urged on by fiends in this wholesale
slaughter of the unoffending, industri-
Gus Jews.
Surely, it would seem strange that
Isabella with her interest in all that per-
tanned to the well being of the nation,
having greatly advanced the arts and
sciences even in the early days of her
reign, should have permitted this
wickedness 1t seemed to belong not to
Isabella but to the country itself, to be
in the very air which changed her
nature for the time.
The early part of the reign of Isabella
and Ferdinand was, as we shall see,
later on affected by the treacherous
spirit which seemed to have taken deep
root in Spain. Other countries we're
affected somewhat but under the fairest
and most prosperous skies the dark,
evil plant grew and poisoned even
the bright early days of the remarkable
and never forgotten Isabella. How
could even the strong, vigorous efforts
of the spirited queen build largely or
we'll when the cruel acts of her min
listers continually destroyed, not only
vast treasure, but what Is best of all and
the only real wealth of a nation. Not
merely in the time of the Inquisition
but later we shall see that even 1.-THE
tender mercies of the wicked are cruel"
EMMA M. SMITH.