assumed a certain
character, drew the attention of neighboring princes, who contended
with each other for the honor of her hand. She gave the preference to
Ferdinand of Arragon, and they were married in 1469. On the death of
Henry, in 1474, they were conjointly declared king and queen of
Castile. A party, however, existed in favor of Joanna, and Alfonso
IV., king of Portugal, entered Castile at the head of an army,
publicly espoused her, and assumed the regal title. His defeat at the
battle of Toro, in 1475, was fatal to his pretensions, and, by a peace
concluded in 1479, the right of Isabella and her husband was fully
acknowledged. In that year Ferdinand succeeded to the crown of
Arragon; and from that time the kingdoms of Castile and Arragon were
inseparably united, comprising the whole of Spain not possessed by the
Moors.

Isabella, who was high spirited and jealous of her authority, governed
Castile as the real sovereign, and her husband had the policy to
concur, with apparent cordiality, in her measures. In 1481,
hostilities were commenced against the Moors of Grenada; and, after a
war of ten years, that kingdom was subdued by the arms of Ferdinand
and Isabella. By this event the whole of Spain was restored to the
Christian dominion; and, in honor of an achievement so auspicious, the
two sovereigns received the distinguishing title of "the Catholic." In
this war Isabella engaged with all the ardor of religions zeal; and
though Ferdinand joined in her plans with perfect harmony, yet he
seems to have acted in a secondary capacity. Soon after this, the Jews
were expelled from Spain--an act of bigotry and injustice certainly
countenanced by Isabella, but owing chiefly to the frantic religious
zeal of the inquisitor-general, Torquemada, her confessor, who, while
the king and queen were deliberating on the acceptance of an offer of
thirty thousand ducats made by the Jews to avert the threatened edict
of expulsion, suddenly burst into their presence, and, drawing forth a
crucifix from beneath his mantle, held it up, exclaiming, "Judas
Iscariot sold his Master for thirty pieces of silver. Your highnesses
would sell him anew for thirty thousand. Here he is; take him, and
barter him away." So saying, he threw the crucifix on the table, and
left the apartment. This bold stroke of priestly impudence was
completely successful. The sovereigns were overawed, and the edict was
signed.

A deed more glorious to the memory of Isab