Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-06

of the Moorish city Of Grenada as de-
Jews also have been represented as
independent campaigns initiated and
carried TO their pathetic conclusion by
the Queen. But twentieth century his
torianS are apt to prefer the belief
that she was guided in these matters
by one or the other Of her several
confesSors One of these ghostly ad-
visers appears to have been a kindly
man, normally not given TO violent
measures. This was Fra Fernando
de Talavera, who became Archbishop
of Granada in 1892. He was priest
of sanity life and high humane ideals,
and If We are TO judge by his policy
toward the Moors he must have ben
guiltless of all instinct toward persecu-
ton. Another counselor was the IA
nous Cardinal Xirnenes de Cisneros.
originally a humble Franciscan monk
supposedly exempt from worldly ambi-
ton, but after 1895 Archbishop OF
Toledo. primate of Spain. chancellor
of CASTLE and grand inquisitor of Cas-
tile and Leon, man OF stern and
rigorous character. an aScetic, lawyer
and ruthless soldier who in pOliti-
cal matters was an infleXible dictator
and in religious affairs a radical fan
dLlC. IL ID " Illo IllCA A1ldN Vic
Queens cruel policy toward the con-
Quered Moors of Granada is in part
justly attributed. He was directly re-
Sponsible for long list Of executions.
Still q third adviser was Cardinal
Pedro Gonzalez de Mendoza, Ximenes'
predecessor as Archbishop of Toledo.
He was a middle-of- the-road man who
thought to accomplish the religious
RECOMMENDATION Of Spain by education.
Guided by Priests.
All of these and number of other
priests we're active at Isabella's court.
Her biographers frankly admit that
she was guided by them. In the err
rors of her reign they had some part.
OF that there can be no question.
But TO what degree she decided for
herself in the various problems with
which she had to deal it is almost i'm
possible to say. Whether they con-
trolled her government entirely or only
partly is a problem which simply can
not be solved. On the one extreme
Isabella was a dictator; on the other
she was a flgurehead: Probably she
was neither and yet both. 1t WOULD.
depend upon the circumstances of each
separate occasion. What is certain is
this: That $500 persons suffered death
at the stSke in Spain during Ter
reign. The conscience of mankind
hesitateS to hold her solely response
BILE for these rnartyrdoms. But the
alternative is to blame the church and
that, too. is a decision against which
human instinct revolts. Perhaps IL is
fair to say that it was system that
was operative in the case. not indi-
vidual or even institutional bigotry.
Did Not Pawn Jewels.
1t Is pleasant to turn to the story of
Columbus and the familiar anecdote of
the navigator's appeal to the Queen for
aid for his great expedition into the
unknown Ocean Sea. But even here
there are problems. According to the
legend of our school books, Isabella was
so enthusiastic for the enterprise pro-
posed by the Genoese that she pledged
first voyage. Unfortunately this is a
tradition that seems totally without
foundation in fact. The Queen did not
pawn her ornaments for Columbus.
That is positive. The actual source of
the money is still a subject of debate.
In the judgment of some writers it was
extorted from Jewish money-lenderS.
Others say it was provided by the town
of Palos, the community being COM
manded to furnish ships and men, as
we'll as supplies for the expedition, as
punishment for some unknown breach
of the law Still others hold that the
funds were furnished privately by the
Pinzon family, clan of hardy sailors,
several of whom accompanied Column
bus and later were defrauded by both
the admiral and the crown. The total
amount of money used for the initial
voyage was not much if any more than
$4,000. Not one penny came from 1sa-
bella personally.
Had Friends at Court.
But the Queen certainly gave her
sanction to the proposals submitted by
Columbus. In so doing she was guided
by several of those who were at the
time her official and unofficial coun-
sellers. She did not act alone. The
idea that the poor Genoese had no
powerful friends at her court is mis-
leading. On the contrary, historians
agree that he was aided by the most
important ecclesiastical and civil adj
visers who had access to the sovereigns.
These included Mendoza, the Duke of
Medina Cell, Luis de st. Angel, A!onzo
de Quintanilla, Alexandria and Antonio
Geraldini, Fray Juan Perez, the
Marchioness of Moya and others, all
valuable to the admiral as intercesSors
with the Queen.
When later Columbus lost favor at
court the fault was his own. He had
insisted on terms commonly considered
exorbitant and had made promises i'm
possible to fulfill. Nowhere does the
Queen appear to greater advantage
than in the story to the effect that she
indignantly protested against Column
bus scheme for enslaving the Indians
as means of paying the expenses Of
his explorations.
Private Life Sad.
The Queens private life was sad.
She came of unfortunate stock, and
through one generation after another
the same evil traits appear. She was
the mother of the sterile Queen Cath
crime, the unhappy first wife of King
Henry VIII of England. Another
daughter, Joan, heiress to her throne,
went insane. Her son John died in
his youth. Her granddaughter, Mary
Tudor, was the cruel Queen of England
whose death was greeted with hysterical
glee by the people to whom she was
bloody" tyrant Her grandson, Charles
". was a morbid bigot who left Spain