Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-11-06

inildellty dld much to unsettle her mind.
After ms death she used to travel
around with his corpse in her carriage,
ana IN 1854 retired to the convent Santa
CARA at 1ordes Has, near Valladolid,
where she died April II, 1856, aged sew
enty-siX. She kept her husbands body
in her cell beside her iron bed, and in
obedience to her will, both were laid in
the same tomb at Granada, where her
mother and father, the great Ferdinand
and lsabeila, are buried. There you can
see the travelling coffin, which she had
made especially to carry the corpse
about, ana in the royal stables at Ma
drid is her carriage made Of ebony, dead
black and beautifully carved. Even in
these days 1t is used for funeral pur-
poses Dy the royal family. The last
time they had it out was on the occa-
sion OF the funeral of Don Francisco,
husband OF ex-Queen Isabella, who died
near Paris in 1902, and whose body was
brought to the Escurial for interment.
Crazy Jane and the corpse of PHILIPPE
the Handsome are favorite subjects for
Spanish artists. In the modern gallery
at Madrid, is a striking picture repre-
senting her camp by the roadside, with
the coffin in the foreground.
Gil Bias practised medicine at Valla-
dolid, and Cardinal Torquemada, the
ferocious confessor of Isabella and Fer
dinand. was born here, and built a
splendid Dominican convent in 1853. He
was generous patron of art and liter
AZURE, although he had no mercy for
heretics, and thousands of innocent
people were burned to death by his or
ders, and often in his presence. Under
his direction autos-da-fe took place reg
ularly in the plaza Of Valladolid, when
the windows of the building which sur
rounded it We're sold at enormous prices
to spectators who came to see heretics
die for the faith, and when he died he
extorted promise from Queen Isabella
that she would devote her life to the OK
tirpation of heresy and burn the rest
Of the unbelievers in Spain. Torgue-
manada had splendid tomb in the con-
vent of San Pablo, which was almost
entirely dcfaced by the French soldiers
in the war of 1913.
Near by this convent is a curious old
house in which Philip IT, was born. He
was son of Charles ". Emperor of Ger
the Netherlands, and the grandson of
Crazy Jane. His birthplace is now the
proncrty and the residence Of the Marquis
de Pombo. At the windows of this house
on two occasions Philip H. sat for several
hours to witness autos-da-fe. at one of
which fourteen and at the other thirteen
I.uthcrans We're burned alive.
Philip went from here to build the Es-
cllrial, about thirty miles north of Mad
rid. in the mountains, where he remained
the rest of his awful life. We know 4
great deal about what occurred i'll those
days because of the busy and graphic pen
of Peter Martyr, who is often called the
father of American history" Like Co
lumbus and Americus Vespucius, he was
an Italian, born in 1459 and educated at
Rome.
He came to Spain in 1887, fought with
the Spanish army in the war against the
MoorS and was ordained priest in 149;
Shortly after he was made tutor to Crazy
Jane and other children of Ferdinand and
Isabella, and a chaplain at court, but he
seems to have paid more attention to
literature than to his scholastic or &C.
clesiaStical duties. He was quick of dis
cernment, great gossip and had a ready
aration of more than 500 long and eabo-
rate letters concerning events in Spain,
which We're addressed to various distin-
suished Individuals from Ass to 1926,
when he died. Most of them have been
published. During most of his time
Peter Martyr was the official chronicler
at court Which he followed from place to
place, and was a witness of the most in
tereSung scenes in that important epoch
of the worlds history. His relations with
Columbus were intimate, as they We're
with Amerlcus Vespucius and other ia
nous characters of his generation and
from him we learn more of personal in
tefcst concerning them than from any
other writer Martyr wrote in a careless,
gosspy way, resembling the present style
of journalism.
nf4 la 500
voted to a description of the last days of
Columbus. After returning from his last
voyage in 1905 Columbus wished to make Il
Journey to court to appeal once more to
hing Ferdinand, now that Isabella was
dead, for 9 fulhllment of their contract
with him. They had promised him every
thing. and had given him nothing, al
though he had been very persistent in his
the king pleading for justice. His reputa-
ton was such as to cause the court Jester
or Charles V. to say that he and Ptolemy
t ne Egyptian geographer, were twins in
porary wrote to friend:
GOD grant that Gutierrez may never
come short for paper for he writes more
than Ptolemy and more than Columbus,
who discovered the Indcs.'
Owing to the difficulty in securing ami
mails for the cavalry in Spain. an edict
had been published forbidding the use OF
mules and horses by people in travelling
~ >cluIlDuo WIott Ills SON Diego, VINO
was at court. asking him to petition the
king to let him ride a mule. The request
was granted i'll the following extraordi-
nary manner:
Decree granting to Don Christopher
Colon Permission to Ride a Mule SaddIed
and Bridled through any Parts OF these
Kingdoms:
by the King.
Being informed that you, Christopher
Colon. the Admiral, are in poor health,
and conceding your advanced age. T. by
these presents, grant You license TO ride
u mule, saddled and bridlcd through
whatever parts of these kingdoms YOU
wish and choose, and ] command all cit-
zens not to offer you any impeachment. OF
allow any to be offered to you, under pen
atty of ten thousand maravedi in behalf
OF the treasury to whoever does the CON
trary. Given in the City Of Toro. Feb
ruary %, 1505.'
notwithstanding this permit Columbus
was too ill to make the journey until
August. when, under the patient and af-
fectionate care of his brother Bartholo-
new, he reached Nalladolid: but his re-
ception by King Ferdinand was so cruel
and cold that it only increased his sick
ness and distress. His personal appeal
was quite as ineffective as his letters, and
he sank in despair. On the 18th Of August
he made his will very long and compre-
hensive document. and wrote n final APP
peal. not for himself, as he knew his days
were numbered. but in behalf of his son,
asking King Ferdinand to bestow upon
him the honorS which had been refused
The father, and to restore to him the
rights and privileges of which he had
1(..,