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


THE recently announced plan for
the erection in Washington of
a monument to the memory OF
Il Queen Isabella Of Spain, recalls
to public attention one OF the
most romantic and mysterious charac-
tiers m medieval history.
Certainly the most widely famous
Spanish woman who ever lived, 1sa-
bella was concerned IN series OF the
most draStically important events in
human annals.
AS the wife Of King Ferdinand Of
Aragon, she was one Of the founders
of the Spanish nation and one OF the
principal promoters Of Christian unity
in the Iberian peninsula. She was also
a prime mover in the long campaign to
eXpel the Moors from Europe. Again
she was one Of the forces which &C
complished the limitation Of the Refor-
nation, for her favor made possible
the establishment of the InquiSltlon
which had such profound effect on
the cultural progress of all the Span
ish-speaking peoples. Finally she is in
delibiy related to the legend of Chris
topher Columbus and the discovery OF
rediscovery Of the Western world.
Influence Long After Death.
she appeared al OIlc VI 6AOd1
psychological moments in human af-
fairs. and her influence, for good or i'll
was active long after her death. Many
events which at first glance seem to be
totally devoid of any connection with
her name really trace back to one or
other of the central motives OF hel
career
And yet-and it is here that the ele-
ment Of mystery appears in the case
it is only with the greatest difficulty
that historians are able to sift out from
the story of her time the words anc
deeds for which she and she alone wa;
responsible.
She was one Of a group OF persons
of superior ability who undertook 6
long series Of social reforms. 1t is not
easy to discover to what extent any
one of these schemes was her own per-
Sonal conception. She was, theoretical
". an independent sovereign, and some
writer's have presumed that all she die
and said originated in her own brain.
Husband Was Egotist.
But her husband was lone of the
most thorough cyclists that ever sat
upon a throne" a man who brooked
little opposition. and it seems likely
that Isabella deferred to him on occa-
sion and that in consequence she some
times found herself rather led than
leading For example. some historians
insist that the Inquisition was Ferdi-
hands idea. and that Isabella was re-
luctant1y persuaded to agree to its in
stitution, while other historians with
no less valid claims to authoritative
position contend that the suggestion
came in the first instance from Isabella
and that it was Ferdinand who was CO.
creed. Possibly it was neither the King
nor the Queen who originally raised
the issue, but rather the cruel Cardinal
Tomas de Torquemada, who certainly
was the first administrator of the hor-
rible engine of destruction when it was
organized and set in motion Q482-
1899. Or it may have been Pope
Sixtus w, who as early as 1478 au-
thorized the plan. There are those
who, believing the Inquisition benefi-
cent device, claim the credit for each
of the four. There are others who,
Just as ardently convinced of its tragic
failure, deny for each responsibility for
its crimes. 1t is exceedingly difficult to
know to what degree Isabella was to
blame for a decision which has inflicted
an eternal blemish on her record. For
the sake of womankind in general,
modern opinion would wish to acquit
her of participation in the horror.
The expulsion of the Moors and the
even more heartless persecution of the