The farmer and mechanic., 1915-09-07
FAMOUS WOMEN IN HISTORY
MARY HILLIARD HINTON.

mined that her happiness should not
be sacrificed for reasons of State. Her
insiStance that the old rule, The In
fantas of CASTLE could not be disposed
without the consent of the mobiles Of
the realm" alone saved her. When
Don Pedro de PachecO was selected
for a spouse, she waved a dagger de-
claring that she would stab him at
the altar rather than go through the
marriage ceremony. Fortunately, his
death prevented the consummatiOn Of
the nuptials. Then prince who later
became Richard III. Of England, |
sought her hand. followed by the Due |
de Guienne She showed her usual |
wisdom in choosing her own husband |
her first cousin, Ferdinand, afterwards |
King Of ArragOn, whom she married
without her brothers consent at VAL |
adolid. He was then brave, hand
some and accomplished and complete
ly Won the affection and respect OF
Isa bella. In after years selfshness
and other contemplate qualities de-
veloped that marred his character and
his long rein. AS he appeared IN
all the bloom and attractions Of his
youth at Valladolid there can be no
doubt that Isabella must have been
I, iastingly impressed with his charms.
| This alliance proved the best step she
could have taken for the good of
| Spain.
! In all the vast undertakings of 1sa
| bellas life, she was actuated by mo-
tives Of the deepest piety. Such was
the case in the ten years war with
Granada. To drive the infi0els from
their last foothold in Europe after
an occupancy of seven hundred and
seventy-eight years was her ambition
rather than the gain Of territory. She
was constantly in the field and her
nurseries were in the camps during
that decade. She had already proved
herself good general and recruiting
officer Immediately upon accession to
the throne, by galloping over Spain
on horseback in raising her mere
army in name Of five hundred sorry
troops to forty thousand we'll dis
)ciplined men, to meet the Portuguese
invasion. In this conflict with the
MoOrs her military fame suffered not.
AS an organizer she was unsurpassed.
, The same motive that conquered the
MOOrs Of Granada actuated her en-
bracing the Columbia vision-the
chance to Christianize savage hOrdes
J Of an unknown hemisphere. Strange
) to say the fair vale of Granada bios
| sOmed under the MOOrs but retro
, graded under Spanish control.
7 Columbus first appeared at the
= Spanish court gathered in all its
9 splendor at Cordova. In that brilliant
aSSeH1DldSe moved the queens init
J, mates, the MarchiOneSs of Cadiz high
: minded and noble. and the Marchio-
S ness Of Moya, as noted for her intel
Y lect as for her virtues; the Marquis OF
j Cadiz, called ''the mirror Of Andalu-
: sian Chivalry," to whom no injured
: woman ever appealed in vain for re.
:. dress; the valiant Count Of de Cabra
o the renowned Don Alonzo de Aguilar
= whose martial deeds are preserved IL
p song and history, and a host Of 9th
J. ers worthy and resplendent with all tn.
5, pomp and pageantry Of that lOrdl,
q age. To this concourse, assembled a
o COrdOva in 1886, was introduced th
n one man lowly in station and appear
st ance, destined.
- "To lift the bell that cover'd hal
e mankind"
h At Salamanca the vision Of tn
,r great Italian first received the consid
~ Grafton of council. Again at Sc
f. Vile a council rejected his demands
,e though Ferdinand and Isabella neve
If wholly dismissed the Genoese naviga
h tor, holding out the slender hope G
ar listening to his appeal when the wa
10 with Granada was at an end A
w Santa Fe Isabella dispatched a sum
If mons to Columbus to repair to cou1
rs for further considerations of his prC
ne posals, sending money to purchase
er mule for the journey and to defra
or the expenses Again the mind of til
I'd queen was influenced by her adviser
he chiefly the Archbishop of Granad
ii and Columbus, sad and disappointe,
r. saddled his mule and wended his wa
towards France. Scarcely had he d,
nv parted when two of his friends an
nd the Marchioness Of Moya presse
tie their arguments upon the queen ST
IS hesltated knowing the treasury w;
er empty and that King Ferdinand W;
go ooiueoly aVerse 10 the venture, b.
ng naiy acquiesceo' eXclalmlng:
n she be so, l will undertake the ente
lie prise for my own kingdom of Casti
u and will pledge my jewels for Il
or necessary sum- OF that nome
Ter when the course of the world w
to changed Columbus biographer wrot
,y- "do me pIouueSt moment In {
Hid hIe VI lSdOoIIa. II stamped her