Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. III.djvu/209

183 HER CHARACTER. 183 level country buried under a deluge of water. Nei- chapter ther sun nor stars were seen during their whole ^^^' progress. The horses and mules were borne down by the torrents, and the riders in several instances perished with them. " Never," exclaims Martyr, " did I encounter such perils, in the whole of my hazardous pilgrimage to Egypt." ^^ At leno;th, on the 18th of December, the melan- i'?i'^"|.""" choly and way-worn cavalcade reached the place of its destination ; and, amidst the wild strife of the elements, the peaceful remains of Isabella were laid, with simple solemnities, in the Franciscan monas- tery of the Alhambra. Here, under the shadow of those venerable Moslem towers, and in the heart of the capital, which her noble constancy had recov- ered for her country, they continued to repose till after the death of Ferdinand, when they were re- moved to be laid by his side, in the stately mauso- leum of the cathedral church of Granada. ^"^ I shall defer the review of Queen Isabella's ad- ministration, until it can be done in conjunction with that of Ferdinand ; and shall confine myself at present to such considerations on the prominent traits of her character, as have been suggested by the preceding history of her life. Her person, as mentioned in the early part of the laabeiia* person. narrative, was of the middle height, and well pro- WOpusEpist.,epist. 280. — The MS., aiio 1504.— Garibay, Com- text does not exa<Tgerate the Ian- pendio, torn. ii. lib. 19, cap. 16. — guage of the epistle. Zurita, torn. v. lib. 5, cap. 84. — 20 Bernaldcz, Reyes Catolicos, Navagiero, Viaggio, fol. 23. MS., cap. 201. — Carbajal, Anales,