Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. III.djvu/211

185 HER CHARACTER. 185 hardships of war. During the reforms introduced chapter into the religious houses, she visited the nunneries 1 — in person, taking her needle-work with her, and passing the day in the society of the inmates. When travelling in Galicia, she attired herself in the costume of the country, borrowing for that pur- pose the jewels and other ornaments of the ladies there, and returning them with liberal additions. ^^ By this condescending and captivating deportment, as well as by her higher qualities, she gained an ascendency over her turbulent subjects, which no king of Spain could ever boast. She spoke the Castilian with much elegance and correctness. She had an easy fluency of discourse, which, though generally of a serious complexion, was occasionally seasoned with agreeable sallies, some of which have passed into proverbs. ^^ She was temperate even to abstemiousness in her diet, seldom or never tasting wine;^^ and so frugal in her table, that the daily expenses for herself and family did not exceed the moderate sum of forty ducats.^' She was equally simple and economical in her apparel. On all public occasions, indeed, she displayed a royal magnificence ; ^^ but she had ^ Mem. de la Acad, de Hist., monial of the baptism and presenta- ^ torn. vi. Ilust. 8. tion of prince John at Seville, 1478, 23 Ibid, ubi supra. as related by the good Curate of 24 L. Marineo, Cosas Memora- Los Palacios. (Reyes Catolicos, bles,fol. 182. — Pulgar, Reyes Ca- MS., cap. 32, 33.) "Isabella was tolicos, part. I, cap. 4. surrounded and served," says Pul- 25 Mem. de la Acad, de Hist., gar, " by grandees and lords of the torn. vi. p. 323. highest rank, so that it was said she 2u Such occasions have rare maintained too great pomp ; pompa charms, of course, for the gossiping demasiada." Reyes Catolicos, part, chroniclers of the period. See, 1, cap. 4. among others, the gorgeous cere- voL. III. 24