beings, with mixed and varying motives, swayed by personal and political influences which must be taken into account in any attempt to appraise their characters or understand their actions. Several of the lives are here told in English for the first time by the light of modern research, and in cases where statements are at variance with usually accepted English teaching, references are given in footnotes to the contemporary source from which the statements are derived. The opening of the archives of several European countries, and the extensive reproduction in print of interesting historical texts in Spain of late years, provide much of the new material used in the present work; and the labours of recent English, French, and Spanish historians have naturally been placed under contribution for such fresh facts as they have adduced. Where this is the case, acknowledgment is made in the form of footnotes. MARTIN HUME. CONTENTS BOOK I PAGE ISABEL THE CATHOLIC 1 BOOK II JOAN THE MAD 139 BOOK III 1. MARY OF ENGLAND 207 2. ISABEL OF VALOIS 259 BOOK IV 1. ISABEL OF BOURBON 315 2. MARIANA OF AUSTRIA 359 BOOK V 1. MARIE LOUISE OF ORLEANS 411 2. MARIANA OF NEUBURG 485 EPILOGUE 529 INDEX 543 ILLUSTRATIONS MARY TUDOR, QUEEN OF ENGLAND AND SPAIN. After a Painting by ANTONIO MORE _Frontispiece_ ISABEL THE CATHOLIC AT THE SURRENDER OF GRANADA. After a _to face page_ Painting by PRADILLA 64 JOAN THE MAD AND THE BODY OF HER HUSBAND. After a Painting by PRADILLA „ „ 176 ISABEL OF VALOIS. After a Painting by PANTOJA DE LA CRUZ „ „ 288 ISABEL OF BOURBON. After a Painting by VELAZQUEZ „ „ 336 MARIANA OF AUSTRIA. After a Painting by VELAZQUEZ „ „ 368 ISABEL FARNESE. After a Painting by VAN LOO „ „ 536 _The above Illustrations are reproduced from Photographs by J. Lacoste, Madrid._