The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1898-07-09

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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, q daughter. Joanna. The kiRg
and queen were so unpopular that q
powerful party arose in the kingdcm
In favor Of regulating the claims of
Joanna and Of placing Isabella up5n
the throne.
The mother Of Isabella, who appears
TO have been a very iudicious and stu
cerely pious woman, had educated her
daughter in the secluded rural town Of
Aravela, far removed from the corrup-
tioas of the court. At this time thSre
probably was not more unhappy per
son In all Spain than the Princess Isa-
bella. She had sagacity enough to per
eeive that her person was to be sacIi-
feed to any matrimonial alliance which
would promote the ambition Of tae
mobiles. As it was so probable that she
would succeed to the throne, there
were suitors 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 profiigacy. Isabella, when she
first saw him, was so shocked at the
thought of marriage with such q
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 1t 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
. dagger, and vowed before God that
II 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 a very gorgeous retinue
Of friends and vassals. set out from his
palace at Almagro, for Madrid. to re-
eeive 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 q sickness Of four
days, terminated his life. 1t 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 &C
eessory to his death.
Isabella now withdrew to a convent
ut 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 q compromise with him,
In which II was agreed that Isabella
should be recognized as heir 20 the
crown of CASTLE, and should be pro-
vided with q 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.
renowned 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 rresumptive to the
French monarchy, was eager, by mar
riaee with Isabella, to unite the crown
of Castle with that Of France. But
this alliance, from political considera-
lions, vas rejected. Isabella. notwith-
standing all these diplomatic schemes.
was quite disposed to consult her own
fncHnafions In the choice Of husband.
sim she was exceedingly ambitious,
and was as desIrous as any Of her no
bles Of advancing her interests by the
alliance she should form. The king
Of Aragon, a contiguous realm. had a
SON, Ferdinand. Is years Of age, Isabel
Ia being now 10. The youthful heir
to the throne Of Aragon was q very
splendid young man. tall. handsome.
Of noble bearing. and celebrated for
the chivalrous courage he had display
a A., MANY n haffla Rv marrying Far