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Isabella of Castile

daughter of John, 2d king of Castile; born in 1451.

John, 2d king of Castile; born in 1451.

By her marriage, in 1469, with Ferdiof Aragon, the two crowns were united.

The subsequent conquest of Granada, and expulsion of the Moors, left Ferdinand and Isabella the first sovereigns of united Spain. Isabella was a princess of remarkable abilities, and rare domestic virtues. It was through influence that Columbus obtained the small armament that enabled him to reach the New World.

In the old fortress of Simancas, where the archives of Castile are kept, have been found some letters in Isabella's own handwriting, wherein she boasts of establishing and upholding the tribunal of the Holy Inquisition; while other offithe fact that the estates of the unhappy victims who perished by the flames were wholly devoted to the queen's use . exoneration of the queen, that, in her to the queen's use. It must be said, in time, heresy was generally considered the greatest of crimes, and that the burning of heretics was held as legitimate a thing, as is, in our own time, the hanging of a murderer. She died in 1504.

ISABELLA II., Queen of Spain; born in Madrid, in 1830. The Salic law, which had previously been in force in Spain, was repealed by the Cortes, in order that the crown. The death of her father, in 1833, advanced Isabella, at the age of three years, to the throne.

Her uncle, Don Carlos, who in his own right, and that of his son, regarding the Salic law as a direct injustice and violation of their interests, refused to take the oaths of allegiance, ISAIAH and a large portion of the Spanish people, deeming it beneath their honor as men to be swayed by a woman, supported Don Carlos in his treason, and a civil war at once broke out; which, after nearly seven years, was finally terminated ally terminated in 1840, by the defeat of of their chiefs and leaders. At the age of 13 Isabella was declared of age, and at 16 was married to her cousin Don Francisco de Assisi; the realm being governed, during Christina, and Espartero, Duke of Vicher long minority, by her mother Dona tory, who were appointed severally to the by the revo- Spain, accompanied in her flight by the lution of September, 1868, Isabella left king-consort and her four younger children, and took refuge in France. After 1846, when she was married against her state, the private character of Isabella was exposed to considerable cen- She died in 1904. will to a man said to be unfit for the ISAIAH (i-zā'yä), one of the greatest of the Hebrew prophets. He was the supposed to be the prophet Amos, the son of Amos, whom some of the fathers names being identical in Greek; in Heprophet being Amos, and Isaiah's father brew, however, they are different, the Amots. As in the vision recorded in Isaiah vi, the prophet is represented as being in the court which none but the descendants of Aaron might enter, he probably between 783 and 788 B. C. He was perhaps a priest.

He was born married a woman to whom, as to him, prophetic gifts were given (Isa. viii: 3).

One of his sons was called Shear-jashub return (vii: 3); another Maher-shalal- = a remnant returns, or a remnant will hash-baz = hasten to the spoil, quickly carry off the prey. Isaiah exerted great Ahaz, and yet more under Hezekiah. influence at the court of Jerusalem under He was contemporary with Amos, Hosea, Micah, and perhaps with Joel. Besides his prophecies, he wrote also biographies or histories of Uzziah (II Chron. xxvi: 22), and Hezekiah (xxxii: 32). Tradiorder of King Manasseh, his tragic fate, tion says that he was sawn asunder by it is supposed, being alluded to in Heb. xi: 37.

The Prophecies of Isaiah, the first and It is headed "The vision of Isaiah, the most important of the prophetic books. son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Kings of Judah." If chapter vi is chronearliest of any, and describes his first call to the prophetic ISAR office, his utterances would commence in 758, 757, or 756 в. c. If the prophecies are arranged in the order of time, time, then chapters i-v would belong to an earlier period. Omitting these writings of uncertain date, the next utterances are in the reign of Ahaz, none apparently belonging to the 16 years of Jotham's reign. He continued at least till the fourth year of King Hezekiah, 712 в. c., a period of 44 to 46 years. This is the minimum span of his prophecies; the maximum is much greater. Viewed as a poetic composition the book of Isaiah exhibits genius of a very high order.