ALPHONSO X. the Wise, king of Leon and Castile, succeeded his father Ferdinand in the year 1252. He obtained the appellation of wise, not for his political knowledge as a king, but his erudition as a philosopher. In consequence of the general opinion of his princely qualities, and his uncommon generosity, he ascended the throne with universal approbation. The ill-concerted projects of his ambition, however, disturbed the prosperity of his reign. Pretending a better right than Henry III. of England to that territory, he directed his first attempt against Gaicony. The arms of England, however, proved too formidable; and he was compelled to renounce his claim, on condition that Henry's son, afterwards King Edward I. should marry his sister Eleonora. At an expence which drained his treasures, and obliged him to debase his coin, he prepared for an expedition against the Moors in Barbary: but his maternal right to the duchy of Swabia, which he was called to defend, diverted him from it. Thus he formed a connection with the German princes; and became a competitor, with Richard earl of Cornwall, for the imperial crown, in quest of which they both expended immense sums of money. The claims of several of the princes of the blood, gave exercise to his military talents; and he was successful both in opposing and defeating them. He formed the romantic design of visiting Italy in the year 1268; but the states firmly remonstrating, he was obliged to relinquish it. But, although he abandoned the design, yet it produced such discontents both among the common people and conspiracy among the nobles, that it required considerable exertion before the king could allay the ferment. Alphonso, still anxious of ascending the imperial throne, attempted it after the death of Richard earl of Cornwall, and even after Rodolph of Hapsburg was actually elected emperor of Germany, and for that purpose took a journey to Beaucaire to obtain an interview with the pope, in order to prevent him from confirming the election. The Moors, ever ready to draw the sword against him, took this opportunity of entering his dominions for the purpose of ravaging them. This ambitious journey, undertaken at so vast an expence, and productive of so much confusion in his kingdom, proved unsuccessful; for the pope would not realize his claim, or alter the former election. But his excessive ambition was soon punished by domestic calamity; for his eldest son died in the interval, and his second son Don Sanchez, having obtained great reputation in opposing the infidels, to the prejudice of his brother's children, laid claim to the crown. This claim was admitted by the states of the kingdom; but Philip king of France, supporting the cause of the children, whose mother was his sister Blanche of France, involved Alphonso in a war; and it occasioned the retreat of his own queen Yolande or Violante to the court of her father, the king of Arragon. While thus harassed with dissensions, he proclaimed war against France, and by the authority of the pope he renewed the war with the Moors, which proved so unfortunate, that he reluctantly concluded a truce with them, and engaged in a contest with
Alphonso. with the king of Granada. These various measures exhausted his treasure; taxes were multiplied, and the affairs of the kingdom were in such confusion, that he was under the disagreeable necessity of calling an assembly of the states, which was held at Seville in the year 1281, where, on the king's proposal, the states consented to give a currency to copper money. In consequence of the intrigues of Don Sanchez his son, another assembly of the states was held at Valladolid, A. D. 1282, which deprived Alphonso of the regal dignity, and appointed Sanchez regent. Reduced to almost insurmountable difficulties, Alphonso solemnly cursed and disinherited his son, and by his last will, in the year 1283, confirmed the act of exclusion, and appointed, for the succession, the infants de la Cerda, and upon the failure of their heirs the kings of France; and at the same time supplicated the assistance of the king of Morocco against the power of his son. At the commencement of the next year, when Alphonso received information from Salamanca, that Sanchez was dangerously ill, his heart relented. He pardoned his son, revoked his curses, and then died, on the 4th of April 1284, in the 81st year of his age. His remains were interred in the cathedral of Seville; and he left behind him the character of a learned man, but a weak king. Alphonso has been charged with irreligion and impiety, chiefly on account of a well-known saying of his, viz. "if he had been of God's privy-council when he created the world, he could have advised him better." The various contrary accounts, given by different writers, render the truth of this doubtful; but if ever such a horrible saying dropped from his lips, it must unquestionably be declared inconsistent with the character of an enlightened philosopher, and that reverence of the Creator which an enlarged contemplation of his works naturally inspires.
"An indeyout astronomer is mad." YOUNG.
He was an eminent proficient in science, and a patron of literature. He concluded that book of laws, known by the title of Las Partides, which his father had begun; and in that work displayed the abilities of a politician as well as those of a legislator. By obliging his subjects to use their own language, he redressed the confusion in law proceedings occasioned by intermixing Latin with the vulgar tongue. Under his patronage a general history of Spain was composed, which he took great pains in polishing; he also corrected many errors in the statutes of the university of Salamanca. Astronomy being his favourite study, he chiefly directed his attention to the improvement of that science; so that, even during the life of his father, he assembled at Toledo, a number of the most celebrated astronomers of his time, Christians, Jews, and Arabians, from all parts of Europe, for the purpose of examining the astronomical tables of Ptolemy, and correcting their errors. The completion of these tables employed them about four years, and in 1252, the first year of Alphonso's reign, they were completed; and they were called Alphonine Tables, from the name of this prince, who encouraged the construction of them by his unbounded liberality. It is reported that 400,000 ducats were expended on them, or, according to others, 40,000. Some have ascribed the principal management of this work to the Jewish Rabbi Isaac
Aben-Said; others, pretending to derive information from the MSS. of Alphonso, refer it to Aben-Ragec and Alcabitus. The other astronomers who were employed on this occasion were Aben-Mula Mohammed, Joseph Ben-Ali, and Jacob Abuena, Arabians: if there were any Christians, their names are unknown. The 30th of May 1252, which was the day of his accession to the throne, was fixed as the epoch of these tables. A book, entitled "The Treasure," is also ascribed to him, containing treatises of rational philosophy, physics, and ethics. He is likewise said to have been well acquainted with astrology and chemistry; in which last science, he is said to have compiled two volumes in cipher, which are extant, and to be found still in his Catholic majesty's library. But this work must be more curious than useful, if we consider the state of this science at that period. (Gen. Biog.)