a fool, though Prescott calls him the imbecile grandson of Charles V. The melancholic tendency a]3peared in him, though not to the extent of insanity. Ireland sums the whole situation up thus: "Philip was a man of feeble and indolent character, governed by worthless favorites. The power of Spain declined as rapidly as it had risen."[1]
This is the same story over again in the history of Spain. We find the condition of the country reflecting the character and strength of the monarch. Many times through the course of the centuries she had been blessed apparently through heredity by great and able rulers and her course had been hampered only here and there by the presence of a weak one; but all this from the great Emperor Charles's day onward was to be just reversed by the same almost unerring law of descent. I do not mean that a weak monarch might not exceptionally, even in those early days, reign over a glorious period. The greatness of Portugal lasted through the reigns of two weak sovereigns, Emanuel I. and John III., though the germs of decay were clearly at work. Likewise Spain's glory had its greatest outward manifestation of splendor in the time of Philip II. whose acts were nearly all injudicious. The increment of one period made itself felt in a later. Still in general the countries prospered only under the great leaders.
Philip was not as bad as Carlos, nor was his pedigree quite as hopeless. The roots from which he sprung were practically all from the weak John II. of Castile and Isabella the insane. In this he is like Carlos. However, it is to be noted that three of his immediate ancestors were excellent characters, though not especially gifted. These are represented as such on the chart. Ferdinand I. and Maximillian II. will be taken up under Austria.
The marriage of Philip III. was no more fortunate. His queen was the daughter of Charles, Duke of Styria, who was evidently not the possessor of great talents, as I have never been able to find a reference to his character or achievements. He was the son of the same Ferdinand I. Charles's wife was of 'obscure' origin. Thus the neurosis was perpetuated and furthermore the genius was not maintained. However, very high ability still cropped out in two of Philip the Third's many children. These were Charles and Ferdinand, already treated. But unfortunately the crown did not fall to either of them, and so we have an artificial election of the worst. The reign of Philip IV., who became king, was a period of great misfortune. His only good qualities were his love of.art and literature, and perhaps his best bequests to the world are the famous portraits of himself and family painted by the great Velasquez.
Besides being weak and foolish he was 'far inferior to his prede-
- ↑ Ireland, 'Blot on the Brain,' p. 156.
