New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-27

peace she drove at tile 'ic"'ioh VI
sort of living tie between herself and her
subjects. Here is picture Of her at
review OF departing troops;
The Infanta. "a second Agrippina, thrill
ing with the prospect Of battle. rode IRON
troop TO troop. striving TO anlmate nes
men by rousinG harangue. She declared
that no army ever had a tuster cause anu
assured them that oeyonfda Inn .nv for the
service TO God, a great reward aWalted
them from herself, the archduke and from
the King of Spain. She urged them 10 teei
no fears about their pay. declaring that II
rather than that they would sufer loss
When the siege of Ostend heightened
out dt lasted three years. she made
VOW that she would not change her hheh
until the capture of the city. In the
campaign against Breda she Is repre-
sented by one English observer as WISH
ing herself of the masculine seXe tor
some monethes. to performe some mem
orable exploit upon the HolianderS'
Naturally. all this endeared her TO hlgh
and low among her people, and she gave
the last touch to her popularity when'
from time to time, she stepped uo"h
from her throne and mingled with the
crowd. The fraternity Of cross bowmen
were wont to choose for their heine
papegay" the markswoman who coulo
shoot the bird they affixed to the spire
of the Sablon church. Before lsaoels
time the royal winners of the prize had
tha IF a 0pnlltV.
The infanta shot 1t for herself. and the
town went mad for JOY. we see her'
after this feat, decorated with baidrlck
and conducted to the altar of the church,
going thence to the market place amid
the plaudits of thousands. and then rails
ing a foaming bumper to the prosperity
of the fraternity. We see her, in short,
leading the life of a born ruler, knowing
precisely how to win and hold the af-
fections of the Netheranders. To that
extent we know that she was indeed the
Great Infanta." one of the truly con-
structive figures in European history.
Her instincts were sound. She saw what
her state needed and was eager to act
Justly sums up the matter when she says
that Notwithstanding the troubles
which so frequently beset it, the Nether-
landers have always regarded the rule or
Isabel as one of the few bright passages
in their sad history" But she was
chained to the Spanish juggernaut 1t
swept ruthlessly over her country and 1t
wore her down. That she never gave up
the fight until death came is her title to
rank among the heroines of romance.
One easily dispenses with the "love mo-
tive" in the rich narrative of her career.
Without it she still remains a noble and
intensely interesting woman.
The princess OF the Italian Renais-
sance whose misfortunes are set forth in
the latest volume by that industrious
lady, christopher Hare" commands our
pity, but is not otherwise a type to re-
pay the biographer in any serious meas
ure. Isabella Of Milan" is one of those
books which do well enough for lazy
hour. but if left Unwritten never would
be missed. When the daughter of Al
fonso of Naples first laid eyes upon her
future husband she saw "A small, insig-
ni1cant figure. with a pinched, sallow
face Of sickly appearance and sulky
mouth" If the fine feathers he sported
helped her to form a tolerably favorable
impression of the young Duke Clan Gale
azzo, she was soon TO learn how little
they really counted. Morally as we'll as
physically he was a weak vessel. 1sa-
bella's whole melancholy history is con-
centrated in a passage from one Of the
supposititious letters in this book, a
passage which also hints at the ambi-
ton which was her most salient trait
It is more than can bear I have tried
in vain TO rouse my husband to a sense
Of his proper position. He. who Is the real
Duke OF Milan, is quite content to be
mere cipher and TO leave everything in the
hands Of his uncle. Lodovico. who treats
him like a child. : II Is the LORD
Lodovico who makes all the plans, who
gives all the orders. who is consulted about
everything, and whose slightest word Is
law We are mere pasteboard figures
dressed up for show
Clan Galeazzo died without having
llfted nnReT 10 assert HIS lISHtS' anu
though he left an heir, the breath was
scarcely out Of his body before II Moro
had himself proclaimed duke. Isa-
bella still hoped. Milan was a storm
centre on the political map, and despite
one humiliation after another she chung
to the scene of her brief married life,
believing that her son Francesca would
one day triumph there. But when the
French King entered Milan and gave