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Show ; 1 Magazme Featar Sedttam 1 I THF WOSMK fWIOTFCT fIPWFiFO)C I Peter of Castile and Leon, the "Pedro the Cruel" of romance, the frightful historical bogey whose name has sent shudders down the Bpiucs of successive susceptible generations, was primarilj a murderer. mur-derer. Killing was his chief occupation. occu-pation. When he was not engaged in slaughter of the nobility of his realm, King Peter was a fairly able 4 monarch He -was a friend of the t common people, a trait most uncommon un-common in the monarchs of the fourteenth century, especially those of the Spanish peninsula. When Peter Pe-ter could find a little leisure he loved to go about among his humbler hum-bler subjects after the delightful manner of the Caliph Haroun of Bagdad. But most of the time he epent in killing. Perhaps his love of lesser humanity le Indicated by the fact that nearly all of Peter's innumerable victims were members of the nobility or even of ro)al blood. At the unripe age of 16 Peter succeeded suc-ceeded to the throne on the death of his father. Alphonso XI., in 1350. He found his capital in possession of a swarm of illegitimate brothers and sisters, the progeny of Leonora Guzman. Guz-man. Alphonsos mistress. Leonora he killed, and he swept her brood out of the palace and away from his capital. The eldest brother. Henry of Trastamara. Peter neglected neglect-ed to assassinate. This, as will j.resentlv be seen, was the most serious omission of Peter s life. But he was only 1C years old. and had not yet got under full headway. The voung king soon gave evidence evi-dence of that tremendous QOrvoUl force that carried him headlong 1 through his troubled life. He got rid of palace favorites and wise advisers, and declared himself sole and untrammeled monarch. Within a vear after his accession he summoned sum-moned to his presence at Burgos GarcHaso de la Vega the highest dignitarv of the kingdom, had Ins brains bealen out, and supervised the hurling of the gory corpse out of a palace window to the square beneath, where a bullfight and other festivities in honor of the visit of the young soverign were in progress Thus he told the people of Burgos and of all Castile and Leon that he nad no need of "high dignltar ies. A "high dignitary" was l'etcr a Vd Hiirfest abhorrence. T The callous brutality of Peter's treatment of women is J noteworthy I" " a&c of chil?I then knights and princes were Sound by extravagant oblations to the services of the weaker be. Peer Pe-er saw in womankind nothing wor-hy wor-hy of admiration or devotion. He prevailed upon the king of France to permit his marriage to t: French king's kinswoman. Blanche of Bourbon. Blanche was I waucui. . D t a creature of r u ,b' unaoimoM tertlmow of cod- temporary chroniclers is to be credited. cred-ited. Peter wearied of her after just three days. Without taking the trouble to trump up any charge against her, without even entering any complaint against her conduct, or character, Peter ordered her under un-der close imprisonment in a castle. For ten years the unhappy girl endured en-dured this living death, till Peter came to the conclusion that she had lived long enough, and ordered her to be murdered. While Blanche still lived Peter was seized by a fleeting passion for the lovely Juana de Castro. The miserable woman was dragged into ,the tyrants presence, and a ceremony cere-mony of mock marriage performed by two impious bishops, creatures of Peter. The king's love for Juana was shorter lived than his fancy for Queen Blanche Juana was cast aside after two days of alleged wedlock. wed-lock. At this time Peter was actually wedded to three wives His imprisoned impris-oned queen and the discarded Juana de Castro were visible to all the world; but In addition Peter was married in secret to Juana de Pa-dlla, Pa-dlla, as is proved by confessions made by ecclesiastics after Peter s death. The chivalry of Castile was sufficiently suffi-ciently outraged at the king's Inhuman Inhu-man conduct toward Queen Blanche, but the frightful treatment of Juana de Castro, brought about an indignant indig-nant uprising of the people that almost al-most rid the world of the tyrant. The rebellion was instigated and led by the brothers of Juana. They defeated defeat-ed the royal army, captured the king, and held him a prisoner at Toro. While the victorious rebels were debating what to do with the fallen king. Peter's treasurer, Samuel Sam-uel Levi, a Jew, contrived by the exercise ex-ercise of superhuman ingenuity to effect the escape of his master. Peter Pe-ter at once put himself at the head of a new army, routed the rebels, killed all who fell into his power, and drove many beyond the borders of his kingdom. Some years later a number of rebellious re-bellious Portuguese knights sought refuge In Peter's dominions. Peter arrested them all, and sent word to his namesake, Peter of Portugal, that he would surrender them In re-dearest re-dearest enemy. Peter rushed into had been concerned in the revolt agaiust him. The Portuguese ling assented to the bargain, and the x-change x-change was effected. The Castlllan nobles were brought to Seville and bore for days Peter supervised thetr tortures. Every hideous device of medieval ingenuity was employed to prolong their sufferings. Few remained re-mained alive for the ministration of the public executioner. In 1356 Peter proceeded to Toro, w here he had been held prisoner, and put to death, without exception, every nobleman of the city. The king's mother and her women were compelled to witness the executions. Before the slaughter was finished these royal ladies stood ankle deep In human blood. This is no exag- this action of du Guesclin, a JZSsKfflil ( 1 man whom poets and romancers I flSgfePy' . -J I; loved to di ph i as an ideal horo, was H m Y 3u JrN I as contemptibly treacberouB as any- M V VrfcNjffi I j IVlPv thing in the career of Peter himself. 8M wi i lri iKiilil ' '"' Dro,ers were brought face to IK-; TKlr j I h3 2L iace in du Guesclin's tent. Henry E jifrjyflpUsff &f I 3 jf&9sRk rebuked Peter aa a murderer and p I . m 1 i mB!S perjurer. Peter scornfully replied C ( jks J&zZS&Pj witn a rcicrenc0 10 th0 illegitimate je I Bj Tlwi yj&g birth of henry. Henry, drawing his K. r l2rJ' VjKBSsV ur dagger, sprang at the king Peter, lb J jjMostif unarmed, grappled with his autag- B. n. J OlPJr onist. and Du Guesclin's French R JrTJ knights, forming a circle- about the g I combatants, called for fair play. B, I eralion of romance, but well attested attest-ed historical fact. The same year Peter caused every Jew of the important city of Toledo Tole-do to be massacred in punishment for a fancied affront offered by one of them About this time Peter Inveigled into his power Fadrtque, one of his young half-brothers. The king ;n-vited ;n-vited Fadrique to a banquet, and stabbed him to death with his own hand. With the corpse lying at his very feet Peter continued the repast re-past to the end. Thereafter he sent couriers to all parts of his kingdom to put to death every man suspected of partisanship of Fadrique of the Guzman family These emissaries, obeying explicit orders, rode forth north, east, south and west Within a week or two they returned to Seville, and each of them carried, tied to his saddle oovr. a human head or several human heads. After the murder of Fadrique, Peter Pe-ter glanced about his kingdom and found that the wife of one of his young half-brothers had tarried within his reach Ho seized her at ouce and cut off her head. Tho cul-mluutiug cul-mluutiug act of cruelly against his own blood was consummated in 1 3 r 9 , when the youngest of the sons of Leonora Guzman, scarcely 11 years old. who, becauso of his tender years had not lied from Castile, was put to death. A few examples will Rufflce to Indicate In-dicate how completely ihe sense of gratitude was lacking In the makeup make-up of Poter. Because of his crimes, because of his debauching of the Castlllan church, and because of his friendly dealings with the Mohammedan Moors. Peter was in constant difficulties diffi-culties with the pope. Gulier Fernandez, Fer-nandez, bis ambassador at Rome, worked earnestly ;tnd faithfully in his master's behalf For some failure fail-ure this efficient servant w'as recalled re-called to Seville and executed. Don Gomez Carlllo, governor of Algeclras, was one of Peter's ablest lieutenants A passing suspicion of disloyally was his death warrant. Abu Said, the Moorish king of Granada, was a stanch and unwavering unwav-ering ally of the Castllian. Fearing his defection, Peter deliberately ac-( ac-( umplished his murder. Blackest of all was the execution Ol Samuel Levi, the royal treasurer. But for Levi's devotion and ingenuity ingenui-ty Peter would surely have perished perish-ed after he was captured by the rebels reb-els at Toro This service counted for nothing when the royal wrath was aroused, and Levi, as he was led to execution, doubtless regretted the fidelity that had moved him to preserve the life of so barbarous a master. Meanwhile Henry of Trastamara, eldest of Peter's illegitimate brokers, brok-ers, had been constantly plotting against the tyrant and pationtly awaiting an opportunity to strike. A cessation of war between England and France enabled Henry to enlist In his cause the "free companies" of both nations. The English contingent, contin-gent, known as the "White Company," Com-pany," has been made familiar to tho present generation by Conan Doyle 's widely read romance These Englishmen Eng-lishmen placed themselves under tho command of their late enemy, du Guesolin, and Knglish and French together marched south to punish the cruel Peter and place Henry of Trastamara on the throne. T'etor saw the hopelessness of combatting the force that was coming com-ing agalu6t him He fled from his kingdom, and Henry was proclaimed king. Peler made his way north to the English possessions in France, and persuaded the Black Prince, son of the English king Edward III., to conclude an alliance with him. The Cnstilian must havo been possessed of immense powers of persuasion, for a stranger alliance than that pi the chivalrous Black Prince and the monstrous Castilian tyrant has Beldom been accomplished. The Black Prince promised Peter 600.-oim'i 600.-oim'i goldeu florins, and to make good his promise he was compelled to melt his private plate. He recalled from Henry's service the Englishmen English-men who were fighting under du Guesi lin and attached them to his own army Then, accompanied Dy the fugitive king, the Black Princo advanced beyond the Pyrenees. Henry, with his forces aOly led by du Guesclin. met the English in the battle of Navarrelo on the ihlrd day of April Zf"t . The field was bitterly bit-terly contested, but in the end the English arms were victorious. Henry Hen-ry rode for his life, and manage to escape into Languedoc. After the battle, won in his be-helf be-helf by English valor, Peter dashed wildly about the field of contest, seeking his brother and shouting like a raving maniac for the death of Henry. Completely beside himself him-self with rage ut tho escape of his dearest enemy, Poter rushed into the tent of the Black Prluee, and finding there a noble cuptive from the vanquished army, killed him in the presonco of the English commander com-mander The vile and treacherous act so incensed the Black Prince that Peter's own safety was endangered, en-dangered, but the Castilian managed to cxcubo or condone his deed, and even succeeded in persuading tne merciful Englishman to mm over to him three other Castilian nobles, who had, according to his representations, represen-tations, been guilty of acts of personal per-sonal treachery toward his royal person All Three of these hopeless captives Peter killed with his own hand. But the slaughter of prisoners pris-oners went no further. To Peter's rage and chagrin ih' Black Prince offered ample protection to the1 leaders lead-ers and soldiers of du Gueclin's army, and allowed them to escape beyond the Castilian frontier. Peter left the camp of his benefactor bene-factor and proceeded south ward through his recovered kingdom, spreadiug death and havoc At Seville Se-ville be arranged a gala day to cele brate his homecoming. The great spectacle of the occasion was the burning alive on the ramparts of Dona Urraca de Osorio. a scion of one of Seville's noblest families Nothing was alleged against this unhappy woman except her kinship to a man who was one of the objects ob-jects of the king's malignant hatred and who had been permitted by the Black Prince to escape his clutches. While these fiery festivities were marking tho king's advent to Seville Se-ville the Black Prince and his army-were army-were left deserted in the north. No attempt was made to repay the generous gen-erous advances made by the misguided mis-guided Englishman. More than one-half one-half of the English army actually died of famine. An emissary of Peter's Pe-ter's found his way into the English camp and endeavored to poison the prince. Cheated, robbed, almost murdered by the man wnom he na restored to a throne, tho Black Prince was compelled to retire', with the wretched remnant of his army, a greatly disillusioned man This final act of unbelievable ingratitude in-gratitude proved the undoing or Peter No sooner had the English departed than the patient du Guesclin Gues-clin smarting under the shame of his defeat at Navarrctc. hd Henry of Trnstamara's forces back Into Castile, rity after city, fortress after fortress yielded to the invader. Peter's own men-at-arms deserted desert-ed to the banner of du Guesclin. In August, 1269, the king, with a devoted devot-ed few, was e'ooped up in tin oastie of MonUcl. all That remained to him of his great kingdom. SuiTOiiuded on every side, with no faintest nope of escape, Peter resorted to bribery, and offered du Guesclin 200, doubloons as compensation for treacher The castle of Montlel seemed difficult of assault, and du Guesclin preiended to accept tho bribe. lie arranged n meeting with Peter, and then conducted him. a captive, to the presence Of Henry of Trastamara It Is well to pause here to note Back and forth the nrotners strug- k-gled k-gled in deadly embrace, Henry's E dagger seeking Peter's heart. As k tbo fight waxed fiercer the French. E though they were Henry's allies, m were moved to admiration of the 1 prowess of the king, who not only K- I kept Henry's dagger from bis breast B. but gradually forced his antagonist W; backward and downward. Finally Br ibe brothers fell, and Peter was K ' astride the breast of Henry. Pant- K " 1 ing. groaning for breath, writhing 1$ -in the agony of what each knew to E-r be his death struggle, they sprawled K.: and twisted on the ground. Little by ' little Henry's dagger arm was forced R. I downward and Inward. Little by By little it became apparent to the to' French knights that the man for W?: whom they had fought, the man for K I whom they had won a kingdom, fc. ' must inevitably perish. Still they called for fair play, still they stood B I aloof, willing to see Henry die in B his brother's grasp rather than lend Br1 a hand Ip his behalf. W$t'k Henry was tiring. His bloody Hv I eyes protruded, above him glowered Br;, . tpe grinning mask of Peter, merei' less as death. His grasp on the dag- mta ger loosened. The weapon fell A Berpentlike twist, a sudden turn, and V the Implement of murder was in the pfr Q hand of Peter. H I The French still held aloof, with V bated breath Chivalry demanded Wk, I that they keep hands off. Chivalry Krv. demanded that the detestable despot Hm' against whom they had risked their Bit" livt B and won their victorfes be giv- Wh''t en his chance of life HFcjKfO Bur among the onlookers was a RW Castilian knight, a man whose fam- Br I ily had suffered desperate wrong K.- ;;, al th hands of Peter, and whoso life IR - hop WS( centered in die restoration R'"T ol Henrv to the throne. As the dag- B. ger descended slowly but inevitably B lownrd Henry's breast this man B . . '' Isaped forward, fell upon ihe cam- Wk ' ' batants, wrenched the weapon from BiV Petera hand and drove its point BV into Peter's heart. Hemy, thus preserved, ascended Bfefe.'- the throne amids" ah.: if .'stations of Br i'1 universal joy, and was a good king Bys |
