MENTAL AND MORAL HEREDITY IN ROYALTY. 171 



what happened is unusual in the story of families. Just at the time 

 when it is weakened by dilution it is again strengthened by the qualities 

 of a great man. The wife of Alfonso was the daughter of Eaymond 

 Berengaria III. (d. 1131), Count of Provence, a prudent sovereign 

 who extended his dominions by inheritance, marriage and victory, 

 ruled fifty years and actually carried his conquests across the sea to 

 the shores of Majorica and made successful wars against the Arabs. 



The product of this union was Ferdinand II. (1187) of Leon. He 

 was a very able general and had many estimable and generous personal 

 qualities. He made a marriage calculated to perpetuate the great 

 qualities of his stock, that with Urraca, daughter of Alfonso I., the 

 great founder of Portugal, who by consulting the Portugal chart 

 may be seen to be backed up by distinguished fathers and grandfathers 

 and to have himself derived in part his genius for war from the same 

 stock of Spain already discussed, namely, Alfonso VI. 'the Valiant.' 



However, Alfonso IX., his son, was without distinguished qualities 

 or virtues. Coming as he does at the union of greatness he must be 

 counted as an exception. Still the genius of the race does not die 

 here. His marriage was one of the very best. His wife, Berengaria, 

 was a famous heroine of Spanish history. She was a truly great and 

 noble woman. Not only in her own qualities, but by her ancestors 

 she must have brought into Spain one of the best strains that any royal 

 person at that time would have been likely to have represented. 



She was the daughter of Alfonso VIII. of Castile, rightly called 

 'the Noble,' whose reign was of great benefit to the country, himself 

 a son of a successful warrior during a short career and grandson of 

 Alfonso VII. already noted for his success. Her grandfather was 

 Henry II., one of England's most vigorous and able kings, according 

 to Hume 'the greatest prince of his time for wisdom, virtue and 

 abilities. ' 



After the death of Alfonso IX., the throne was taken up by 

 Ferdinand III. his son. 'He was a just, pious, able and paternal 

 ruler, as well as a valiant soldier. ' He triumped over the infidels and 

 considerably extended his domains. His wife was a daughter of the 

 Emperor Philip, a vigorous, warlike character, who, being assassinated 

 when only thirty years old, never had an opportunity to display his 

 real abilities. Philip was the son of Frederick Barbarosa, the greatest 

 man and greatest power of his day. Thus a certain amount of able 

 blood was here introduced. Still we see Isaac Angelus in the pedigree, 

 an abusive and incapable ruler. A little more than half of it all 

 was very beneficial, for Frederick was just and wise as well as ex- 

 tremely able, while the Emperor Philip was up to the standard 

 already established here in Spain. The power of the country was 

 considerablv increased under Ferdinand III. 



