The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-31

only the laws dictated by nature her
self Life to one Is a task, a solemn
duty. To the other II Is q banquet, or
else a sacrifice"
Considering that Philippa's father
time honored Lancaster himself, kept
his wife and his mistress under the
same roof this seems q rather rash
generalization about "the Saxons." But
perhaps II Us only a high toned way of
saying that Philip1a was a terror, as
she professionally was. Naturally the
children OF such a mother went in awe
OF her. like everybody else. perhaps
more than anybody else, but there was
real reverence in their awe. The ac-
count Of her death shows her In the
character we are more apt to describe
as that of Roman than OF a saxon
matron." II was on the eve Of the de-
parture OF the expedition destined for
the capture OF Ceuta, in July. i+l5.
This adventure into Africa had been
much and long debated. Philppa's
adhesion to 1t was gained. presumably,
by the advantages offered for the con-
version. by determination or otherwise.
OF the Moors. The expedition had been
decided and the ships made ready when
the Queen suddenly sickened Of the
plague. She had ordered three swords,
no doubt duly blessed, for her three
sons. who were to depart for the sake
OF Portugal and the Cross. and she was
waiting for the sons and the swords,
of which none had as yet come, to en-
able her to depart in peace. Even
across all these centuries the reader is
relieved to learn that her last wish vas
fulfilled. and that she was able to give
each son his weapon with his particular
injunction from her dying lips.
There was a mixture OF motives to
the capture OF Ceuta, which from Moor
ish became Portuguese then Moorish
again. and then Spanish. That OF
gaining African and transafrican
trade was one. that OF spreading
Christianity was undoubtedly another;
but perhaps the decisive element was
the desire for a shining feat OF arms.
The attack succeeded with almost RI
diculous ease. But the Portuguese OF
the fifteenth century found, like other
Powers in the twentieth, that n lodg-
ment on the African coast does no.
even necessarily mean the trade OF the
Immediate "hinterland." 1t never paid
Portugal. though she kept Il as n tro-
ply until she was compelled TO relin-
quish 1t by the bloody failure of her
attempt upon Tangier, the GROWING
mistake and disaster Of Prince Henry's
career, and one from which no adven-
turer of less tough fibre would ever
have recovered He had been one Of the
foremost advocates of the descent upon
an African port when the question had
been what direction should the MILL
tary ambition OF Portugal take. After
the capture OF Ceuta his lifelong am
bition was defined. II was to control
the trade of Africa, and through Africa
OF India, in favor OF Portugal. He built
himself an eyrie, a hermitage. an OBJ
servatory or a naval academy. for IL
had some Of the characteristics of all
four, at the furthest point OF the Ibe-
rlan Peninsula, the sacred promontory,"
the port whose conservation Is denoted
by its name Of Sagres. that which
throughout history up to his time had
been known as the limit of the habi-
table world. II was no longer so. Ma
delra and even the Azores were dis
covered, or rediscovered, in his time,
and even before Columbus. But Prin Q
Henry's ambitions did not take him
westward. They were kept within the
bounds TO be afterward laid down by
the Pope. His real ambition was to
become another Sclpio Africanus. To
get a still firmer foothold on the Afri-
can continent than Ceuta had given
him. and to explore the African coast
southwark in quest OF what 1t might
yield. whether of valuable products or
OF still more valuable geographical
knowledge, were the means to his emo.
And his end he unfiin hingly prose-
cuted in spite of all the disasters that
befell him abroad or afflicted his coun-
try at home.
The most grievous OF these. so FAR
as his ambitions are concerned, was
the failure of the attack on Tangier IN
1896, Immediately upon the death or MS
father, John OF Aviz, and the accession
Of his elder brother. Duarte (Edward).
Henry had gone to court to plead Tor
the attempt. He had done his utmost
with the conscientious but slow and
pedantic King; he had enlisted the
Queen; he had procured the calling OF
a family council. at which two OF his
brothers were with him, but the elder
and wiser against HIN, along with
still older stepbrother. The chief OBJ
lection was that Portugal could not
afford the expedition. But this was
secuted by the enthusiastic Naviga-
tor: 1.-THE kingdom Is small and poor
is II? Well, then. make It bigger and
richer" Finally It was resolved ia
refer the matter to the Pope and to
| inquire whether an expedition against
the kingdom Of Fee would meet his
Holiness's views OF a crusade, for which
he had Just been calling. The reply
was lukewarm and noncommittal
While It was undoubtedly a Christian
duty to rescue lands which had once
been Christian from tho infldel and tc
restore to their proper use churches
which had been desecrated into
mosques. tho case was not so clear
about lands which had never beer
Christianized. On tho other hand, II
they were inhabited by "idolaters'' they
should be punished, for in that case
they were shining against nature. which
commands men to worship but one
| God. This did not help King Duartt
out Of his perplexity. But Prince
Henry's vehemence carried the day
The attack was decided on and made
The ease with which Ceuta had beer
| captured emboldened the Portuguese
commander to attempt Tangter witt
an inadequate force. Six Thousand
men only were allowed Prince Henry
instead OF the $4,000 for which he hat