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FERDINAND AND ISABELLA.

This is a translation of the account of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain in a history text that was used in the Skien Latin school at the time Ibsen was a student in another school in town.

From Hans A. Kofod. Nyere historie. Vol. 2. København., 1816, 321-4.

FERDINAND THE CATHOLIC AND ISABELLA

There arose immediately a slight disagreement between the two rulers over which of them was more nearly entitled to the throne of Castile; but it was settled in this manner, that each should rule in his (or her) realm, even though Ferdinand's name would stand first in all edicts. The struggle for succession with King Alphonse of Portugal was ended to Spain's advantage with the agreement in Alcantara. The situation at this time, especially in Castile, was not the best. Lawlessness and disorder upset the peace of the citizens; but Ferdinand's wisdom finally taught them order. At every opportunity he confiscated assigned crown lands, thereby increasing the royal income; also he gradually won grandmastership of Spain's three most important knightly orders, and acquired thereby significant influence on the aristocratic families. He established the Sacred Brotherhood, whose duty it was to guard strictly the observance of law and order. This certainly deserves great praise; but not the establishment of the frightening court of the Inquisition. To be sure, in the beginning it was dependent on the court, but it was not long before the court itself trembled at the name of the sacred executioners, who were thought to make anyone by whom they believed they had been insulted into a heretic, and from whose bloody hands no human power could rescue those unfortunate victims who had aroused the Inquisition's attention. Only a few of the persecuted were publicly martyred by the terrifying, the most barbaric wild dignified (værdige), human-sacrificing, autos-da-fé; far more persons, of whom one could not find the least criticism, pined away long years in underground prisons, without anyone knowing where they were or what crimes they had committed. What an outrageous misuse of the most gentle religion.

Until then the kingdom of Granada had survived more through internal disagreements among Christians than by its own power. The closer relationship between Castilians and Aragonians under Ferdinand and Isabella heralded its fall. Conflicts within the ruling family of Granada facilitated the ventures of these twin rulers against Granada, and also provided a pretext for the war by which to break a truce that had been formerly concluded, to take possession of Zehra and to refuse to pay the usual tribute. Ferdinand moved (an army) into Granada, where Abu Abdallah (Boabdil) had ejected his father from the throne, and fought against his uncle al Zagal, who desired to take advantage of the riots in order to mount (the throne) himself. Actually they divided the little realm among themselves, but Zagal, who did not see himself ready to defend his part against the Christians, sold his fortresses to Ferdinand and Isabella, who daily came closer to their goal. Soon the Moors held no more than Granada itself, and 60,000 Castilians and Aragonians moved against it, led by the greatest warrior of the time, one Ponce de Leon y Gonsalvo de Cordova, to whom his contemporaries unanimously ascribed the name the great commander-in-chief. In order to incite even swifter action, Isabella herself appeared in the camp, and in order to make the seige more comfortable, ordered the construction of a fortified city called Santa Fe in the vicinity of Granada. Famine, accidents of war and the doubt of support from Africa, ultimately persuaded the Moors to surrender. The city delivered itself to the Christian coalition, but the Moors were to keep their religion inviolate, and be governed according to their own laws. Thereupon Ferdinand and Isabella moved (their army) into the capital city, and the dominion of this people (i.e., the Moors) in Spain came to an end completely. The provisions, as they had understood them, were not kept by the treacherous Ferdinand. He tried to bring them to Christianity through violence and coercion; they rebelled, but Ferdinand went against them himself and forced them into submission. In return for payment they received permission to cross over to Africa; if they returned they would die. In Aragon the nobility opposed itself to this procedure against so many of its inhabitants, some of whom were important people, so Ferdinand had to allow them to remain there. Ferdinand dealt with the Jews in the same way as with the Moors, where after hard persecution a great many were compelled to leave the country. This zeal for the purity of the faith gained Ferdinand, so villainous and treacherous (as) he in fact was, the name of the Catholic.

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The materials on this website are © copyrighted, and are for the use of individuals and educational institutions only. Any commercial use requires the permission of the compiler & translator P.E. Larson.