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rule; hut Isabella is remembered not only
for her purity and modesty, hut also as
being the noblest unci most illustrious per
son til tit ever graced the Spanish throne.
She came upon the stage of action, when
tile world was just emerging from barbar
ism. All Europe was a boiling seething
mass. Tribes and classes of all sorts were
roughly jostling each other in their des
perate attempt to extend their boundaries
and establish their governments In fact,
it was the time when the foundations
of all the great nations were being laid.
The Spanish peninsula was even in a
worse condition than other parts of Eu
rope, for here the Moois had (irmly estub
lished themselves, and had ruled the great
er portion of Spain for several centuries,
but now were giving way before superior
numbers and a higher degree of civiliza
tion. Uesidcs this trouble, there vas one of
still greater moment. Not only were the
dillercnt provinces at war with each other,
but also each division was convulsed by
internal strife. It could almost be said
that every man's baud was against his
neighbor's, or rather Dial noble was pitted
against noble. Everything was in a state
of chaos. Unity, without which a nation
can do nothing, was nowhere to be found
in the Spanish peninsula. Kings were
no more than figureheads of their respect
ive provinces, oft-times having less author,
ity than many of tl.i.ir nobles. It was
from such a state of things and from such
a people that Isabella was compelled to
draw forth the Spanish nation and place
it on a firm foundation for her successors,
and, we believe, had it not been for her
Spain would never have gained oven the
distinction she did. Prescott, in com par.
ing her with Elizabeth, her illustrious
namesake, well remarks, that when the
Virgin Queen took hold of English af.
fairs, she found the materials already sort
ed and sifted, and a good foundation upon
which to erect the Hritish government;
whereas Isabella was compelled to select
and gather together all the materials for I
her structure from the haughtiest and
most unmanageable) relics of the Feudal
System, which required vastly more labor,
a far milder and more winning dispo.
si'ion, yet as determined u character as
that of Elizabeth.
From this heterogeneous and discord
ant mass she, together with her illustrious
husband Ferdinand, soon collected a re
spectable army, and drove the Moor from
one stronghold to another until he took
refuge in the desert wastes of Africa,
The armies of Spain, under the guiding'
hand of Isabella, were everywhere victor,
ions. The whole peninsula was recov.
ered. Northern Africa and almost all
Italy were, brought under Spanish rule.
Isabella, while besieging the Moorish
stronghold, Granada, by a personal sacri
fice in pledging her jewels, raised the
means wheichy the American continent
was discovered, and from that day the
wealth of the new world began to How
into her coders. The Spanish nation ilm.i
reached its zenith. Willi a treasury full
to overliowing, a magnificent country, by
the discovery of Coiumbus an outlet for
her surplus population, and above all a
guiding hand at the helm which scarcely
ever erred, Spain was then in a more pros
perous condition than any other nation
of the world. Had the counsels of Isu
bulla been fallowed, and had good rulers
risen up, Spain to-day would probably be
leading the world, instead of being con
vulsnd by internal strife and scarcely able
10 maintain tier existence.
Isabella was looked upon by all her
subjects as almost divine. They would
brave any danger, even wado through
seas of blood, for the sake of their lovely
ruler, and indeed she well deserved all
the loyalty and resnect thev could lir.
She was not, as most rulers, unable to
place herself on a level with her subjects
and yet be absolute mistress. Onn 1.m.
she might be found encased in a coat of
arms, riding boldly at the head of lmr
troops, thus stimulating them to far great,
er exertion than they would otherwise