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

He concluded to marry Isabel to her
cousin, the Archduke Albert, and to send
them TO govern the Spanish Netherlands
II was, for him, a generous decision,
one meant to do her honor, but it laid
upon her shoulders an almost killing
burden o; work and sorrow. Nor was
| this to be lightened by any really sympa-
thetic cooperation on the part of the
Kings immediate successors. Philip III
and Philip " both could be magnifi-
Gently pig-headed
Nominally, the future of Isabel seemed
well assured Though her father died
before the marriage could take place, he
suffered no anxiety about it in his last
hours, for he knew that the infanta and
the archduke had been warm friends
since childhood. When, after inter
minable ceremonies and festivities, the
wedding had been solemnized and the
pair rode into Brussels upon two white
housekeeping thereby to fulfil an
ancient prophecy that the coming of two
proprietary lords thus mounted would
bring peace to the land-the new SOW
ereigns were sincerely happy in one an
other and in the prospect Of doing well
by their more than cordial subjects.
"She could be very human" says Miss
Klingensten of her devOut heroine; "she
knew how to win popularity" But she
was not long IN finding out that when
Philip II sought TO pacify his vassals in
the Low Countries by giving them a
quasi-independent government Of their
own he had resolved to eat his cake and
have It, too He would get all the credit
of making splendid gift and still keep
a string tied TO IT, Isabel thought she
was TO reign AS a matter of fact, she
merely governed what might have been
a corner Of Spain. The court at Brussels
was largely occupied in executing the
DEGREES issuing from the court Of Madrid,
10 which, moreover, a thousand matters
requiring prompt local action had al
ways TO be referred Isabel and her
good husband We're caught inextricably
in the web Of Philips system.
He had made fetch of Capitalization.
When once a territory had been made a
part Of his empire he hated to let go of
IT, and, no matter how distant it was
from the Escorial he insisted upon ruling
it as he ruled affairs directly under his
eyes 1T is unnecessary to traverse the
long story Of Isabel's difficulties. What
ever they were, political, military or
religious, she was handicapped by Span
ISL interference. When the Marquis OF
Aytona was trying to help her with
Philip w he wrote to the Kings power
ful minister. Oivares. saying: 1.-THE Ro-
mans, as your excellency knows never
gave any instructions to their generals
and governors. or, if ever they did, 1t
was in very special cases, and for under
takngs long premeditated." Unfortu-
nately, he was not talking To a Roman,
and the Netherlandish situation went
from bad to worse. Down TO the day Of
her death Isabel had fairly to slave in
order TO preserve the equilibrium Of her
state. When she was not lighting the
Dutch, the French or the English she
was at her wits ends to allay the re-
sentiments Of her own people against
Spanish meddling. TO note the sources
Of her success in this direction is 10 come
close TO the secret Of her character.
Miss Klingenstein has already given us
a clew TO it in the saying that she
could be very human" The infanta was
d woman of heart, of sympathies, Of en-