erests for
the national defence, while the conflicting interests with regard to the
succession within the country were at the same time pressing for
settlement and producing a state of strife and contention which was
little short of civil war. In the midst of it all, Urraca continued to
play the wanton, and soon so disgusted the Count of Portugal that he
deserted her standard. This he did on the eve of the great battle of
Espina, in the year 1112. Urraca still counted upon the devotion of her
nobles, but Lara fled from the field, the prime favorite Candespina was
killed, and the revengeful husband gained another victory. It was soon
evident, however, that Alfonso of Aragon could never meet with complete
success in his attempt to subdue Castile, and he wisely gave up the
struggle after a few more years of desultory fighting. Urraca was now in
a tight place, and in spite of all her arts and wiles she was unable to
gather about her again a party strong enough to command respect.
Candespina and Lara were no longer by her side, the other nobles had
lost patience with her constant intriguing, and the popular party,
backed by the towns, soon gained the ascendency, and Urraca was
compelled to resign in favor of her son. From this moment she sinks into
obscurity, and little more is known of her unhappy and profligate career
besides the fact that she came to her end, unregretted, in 1126.
According to the ancient _Laws of Manu_, "it is in the nature of the
feminine sex to seek here below, to corrupt men," and Menander has said,
sententiously, "where women are, are all kinds of mischief." While no
one at the present time, unless he be some confirmed woman-hater, will
be so ungallant as to attempt to maintain the truth of these sweeping
statements, there must have been, at various times and places in the
world, women of the kind indicated, as Queen Urraca of Castile, for
example, or these things would never have been said.

The great-grandson of Urraca, Alfonso III. of Castile, received as his
heritage the usual complement of strife and warfare which belonged to
almost all of the little Spanish monarchies throughout the greater part
of the twelfth century; but in the year 1170, arriving at his majority,
he entered into a friendly treaty of peace with Aragon, and in that same
fortunate year he married the Princess Eleanor, daughter of the English
king, Henry II. Apropos of this marriage and its general effect upon the
fortunes of Ca