Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 62.djvu/174

168 at about this same time, who were exceedingly weak. These were John II. and Henry IV. They are not in the direct line under discussion at present, but it is interesting to see that John II. was a grandson of John I. just noted for his weaknesses and the causes of this temporary running out and subsequent rejuvenation in Ferdinand and Isabella will be discussed later.

During the early centuries of Christian Spain the conditions of the times were such that every sovereign was obliged to defend his right to the throne against the jealousies of his family, so that almost constant wars were being waged among the nearest kin and it was practically impossible that several generations of weak and incompetent kings should not have been wrested from the throne. This factor of natural selection undoubtedly did much to insure the strength of the stock.

The long minorities of the sovereigns of Castile and Aragon which occurred time and again during these centuries have always been considered by all historians as one of her greatest misfortunes, leading to intrigues, civil wars and disasters; affairs being put in a healthy condition again only when the king himself was old enough to take things in his own hands.

This and the fact that the country invariably gained ground under good rulers and just as certainly lost under weak ones make it evident how much more important the king was in those days and under those conditions than he has been in England, for instance, where the progress has been due to the people as a whole, especially her aristocracy and upper classes.

Such a long line of great rulers as this, such an almost unbroken repetition of great physical and mental strength is almost unparalleled, save by Portugal, in all history. If there is much in heredity it must certainly be necessary here to show that the dynasty was continually maintained by the introduction of just such great qualities either from the best part of its own stock or from outside families.

We can discuss twenty marriages in the direct line. The following fourteen can be seen to have introduced stock equally vigorous and able. These fourteen are those of Sancho II., Ferdinand I. of Leon, Alfonso VI., Ferdinand II., Alfonso IX., Ferdinand IV., Alfonso II., Henry III., Don John II. of Aragon, Ferdinand and Isabella, Johanna 'the Mad.' These were scattered along the course and sufficiently account for the perpetuation of the strain. Many of these unions were remarkably good, being well backed on all sides. Of the other six, four were 'obscure,' tending that much to dilute the distinguished qualities.