The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-24

hsmi sbe hnss ~ iatR aEl puf auihoS
ooosilefs u duulfhH whsthef she UuuhP~vsR
aniny Tho PfHvehtsl fuWaNrrs which Wefseo
pofHilaF " hsf day Nv Amgoh We ats
toni that - pfayeS hUph n I-fs s,lil esisia
~ The n,sfsiR n which she hsi pslhieh
Scripture Subjects aml thsfp 10 no dus,ld
thai si- sss taught ai No nysieFiea ~
hhe hewilewufh sHl ~ delf ais embroidery
On eubl aui silver 10 her sNih 9Th lhs
hswlls thr siabutsir altar tiuihs atvi em'
hlssonssl l%aRnett presented W hef 10
many = church awl cijy ahi lear witRess
VIZ Haze pictures to hhnarlf The little
fair halfpi sifl letsiiNs uyer her enhfuti'
ery Trains whIlc sle lls'etel ~ the ee'
chanting leaeiuiRry 'alea ~ her " land
the hrrolc der,ia ~ IEfnarlu del tstpio,
~ u the ]splsndFl and we'll leloyei ca
of mayl~ even the story ~ Amadia ~ uaul
with ~ deilnea,ioh ~ the gallant knights
aud fair ladies' ~ distant lHtaln. Witch
hal beph recently translated into I aallliah,
and aeema ~ have lEen hanlei IN IN fnanh.
strip, fruin obe reasef 10 another A. her
father had becn on arlent collector Of
learbcl works, u IL probable enough that
the palace ~ Ateyalo was we'll stored with
manuscripts, and Isabel may thus have
hal access 10 the chronicles II her nations
history. In one respect, at all events
la "horsemAnahip alIe could rival the
contemporary prinCesses Of Italy. A out
door sports we're much cultivated at span.
ish courts, u II n fair inference that she
and her little brother Alfonso would learn
to rido from their earliest childhood. Fa-
miliarity with the saddle was, In fact, Q
necessity Of life in the days when every
journey had to I've performed on horseback.
They would also learn to 90 hunting and
hawking with a train OF attendants in the
style demanded by Castilian etiquette.
In 1882 an important change took place In
the life Of the Infanta Isabella, TO explain
which a word must be said about her half
brother King Enrique ~. He Ia portrayed
az large Of stature and stout OF limb, with
an aspect ferocious and like unto a lion.
whose gaze struck terror into those on whom
he looked" He had q fair skin and big blue
eyes set far apart; a mass OF red hair M q
long, untrimmed beard. This shaggy giant,
however, was by 40 means 80 formidable
as he appeared, for he never distinguished
himself in any successful war and in his
domestic affairs exposed himself to the con-
tempt Of his people, After twelve years
of wedlock, he obtained a divorce from his
wife, Blanche Of Portugal, on the ground
that there were no children, and in 1855 he
married another Portuguese princess, Juana,
a lady Of gay and light manners, whose
court became a scene Of wild extravaganza
and frivolity. Her intimacy with the Kings
chief favorite, Beltran de la Cueva, was
notorious, and the scandal came to a head
when In 1852 a daughter was born to Queen
Juana, and the Cortes Of CASTLE was sum-
moned to acknowledge the infant as heir to
the throne. At the same time the King
sent to Arevalo to secure the persons OF his
half brother, Alfonso, now a boy OF 0, and
his sister, the Infanta Isabella, in order that.
by having them under his care at the court
Of Madrid. he might prevent any rival claims
being set up on heir behalf.
The next four years witnessed the con-
vulsion of CASTLE by a civil war due to
the current belief that the infant daughter
Of Queen Juana, henceforth to be known
as the "Beltraneja," was illegitimate and
had no right to the succession. The re-
bellious mobiles proclaimed Isabella s brother.
the boy Alfonso, King in l465, and on his
death three year later proposed to trans
fer the throne to Isabella herself. With
q wisdom beyond her years, however,
she declined the tempting offer OF a crown
and q compromise was arranged by W hich
her half brother, Enrique ", was to re-
main King for life, but to acknowledge
Isabella as his la wful successor.
There was naturally no lack Of aspirants
for the hand Of the heiress Of CASTLE. At
the age of 9, indeed she had been betrothed
to Carlos, Prince of Viana eldest son Of Juan
II. OF Aragon and himself rightful King
of Navarro, which title he had inherited
from his mother. This first betrothal
was severed by the death Of Don Carlos
in l45i. Her half brother, Enrique ~,
had next tried to bring about a marriage
for her with Alfonso ", King Of Portugal.
but the girl, then but IL, objected to a BRIDE
groom far older than herself. Her half
brother next attempted to win over some
Of the rebellious mobiles by giving his sister
In marriage to one Of his most danger
GUS opponents, Don Pedro Giron, Grand
Master Of the Order Of Calatrava. An i'll
fate befell this sutton also. While riding
in state to his wedding in Madrid Don
Pedro was stricken by sudden illness and
died in a few days. A brother of Edward
". Of England, no other than the Duke Of
Gloucester. afterward Richard Ill, now
made an unavailing application for the hand
of Isabella and went SO far as to promise
that il the alliance should be brought about
he would leave his native land and take up
his abode in Cast lie. A fourth aspirant,
who seems to nave been considered seri-
ously, was a brot her Of King Louis XII.
of France, the Duke of Guienne, who was
at the time heir ~presumptive to the French
throne, for the future Charles VIII. was
not yet born. The proposal was ultimately
rejected on the ground that IL the Duke
failed to inherit his brothers. crown he
would not be a suitable match, while il
he did become ruler OF France there was
reason to fear that CASTLE would be abb
sorbed in the greater kingdom.
Lastly came forward the Prince destined
to win the favor of the Infanta. This was
the Younger brother Of 1sabel's first be-
trothed, the unfortunate Don Carlos, by
whose death Fernando had become heir
at the age of 10, not, indeed, to Ma
varre Though he was to gain possession
of it nearly half a century later, but to
the kingdom of Aragon. There was every
reason why an alliance between CASTLE
and Aragon should be desired by both
realms. The great maritime power Of
.-z, u,onll Ia ;ndiopapeah la IN Hoot;la