172 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



Alfonso X., who was the son of Ferdinand III., had abilities and 

 ambition, but was not at all a man suited to the times. He was 

 weak and irresolute, not obeyed by his subordinates, and his reign 

 was far from successful. His time was devoted to learning and the 

 advancement of science, which alone prospered under his rule. He 

 showed a slight amount of cruelty, but this was not conspicuous 

 compared to others in this age and land. There is no question but 

 that Alfonso X. was a man of great intellect. 



His character forms an exception and is the only one of the sort 

 I have met with in this region. It is easily accounted for by a com- 

 bination of ancestral qualities, but such combinations are apparently 

 far from common. He was a poet, scientist and writer, and through 

 his influence learning was greatly advanced. He is said to have been 

 the first royal personage who was also a man of letters. The marriage 

 of Alfonso X. with Violanta undoubtedly served to a certain extent 

 to perpetuate the strength of the stock, for his wife was a daughter 

 of James, the Giant Conqueror of Aragon. Still James with his great 

 abilities as a warrior was violent, cruel, passionate and licentious, and 

 aside from James tbere is not much distinguished blood in the char- 

 acteristics of Violanta 's pedigree. 



We now come to a period of misfortune for christian Spain, and 

 it is interesting to note how closely the welfare of the country fol- 

 lows the character of the sovereigns, how great the impress of the 

 ruler was on his times in those early days in spite of the theoretical 

 representation of the people in the popular branch of the Cortes. 



During the reigns of the next two succeeding monarchs, Sancho 

 IV. and Ferdinand IV., the family feuds and lack of a strong and 

 wise ruler affected the country so disastrously that practically anarchy 

 may be said to have prevailed. 



Sancho IV. inherited the cruel, passionate disposition of his grand- 

 father, James of Aragon, witbout his wisdom. His character was 

 also warlike, vigorous and cruel and the only good fruits of his reign 

 were his conquests against the Moors, whom he defeated in Andalusia 

 and even carried his victories into Tarifa, a town in the very furthest 

 extremity of Spain. The marriage Sancho made, when considered 

 on the grounds of perpetuating greatness, may be considered half or 

 more than half good. His queen, Mary, can be seen on the chart to 

 be descended from largely 'obscure' stock, though she was the great- 

 granddaughter of the famous heroine, Berengaria, already mentioned. 

 She was her worthy descendant, for she repeated her character in 

 every particular. Resolute, calm and devoted, she was an astute 

 diplomatist and politician. Whatever successes there were were due 

 largely to her. 



