Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. III.djvu/208

182 182 ILLNESS AND DEATH OF ISABELLA. 11. PART and devout Christian, she gently expired a little before noon, on Wednesday, November 26th, 1504, in the fifty-fourth year of her age, and thirtieth of 1504, Nov. 26. her reign. ^^ CO Granada. " My hand," says Peter Martyr, in a letter writ- ten on the same day to the archbishop of Granada, " falls powerless by my side, for very sorrow. The world has lost its noblest ornament ; a loss to be deplored not only by Spain, which she has so long carried forward in the career of glory, but by every nation in Christendom ; for she was the mirror of every virtue, the shield of the innocent, and an avenging sword to the wicked. I know none of her sex, in ancient or modern times, who in my judgment is at all worthy to be named with this incomparable woman." ^^ Her remains ]fo time was lost in making preparations for transported a r r transporting the queen's body unembalmed to Gra- nada, in strict conformity to her orders. It was escorted by a numerous cortege of cavaliers and ecclesiastics, among whom was the faithful Martyr. The procession began its mournful march the day following her death, taking the route through Are- valo, Toledo, and Jaen. Scarcely had it left Medina del Campo, when a tremendous tempest set in, which continued with little interruption during the whole journey. The roads were rendered nearly impassable ; the bridges swept away, the small streams swollen to the size of the Tagus, and the 17 Isabella was born April 22d, '8 Opus Epist., epist. 279. 1451, and ascended the throne De- cember 12th, 1474.