had recently conquered Portugal.

Among the many pretensions to that crown, those of Catherine de' Medici had been put forward, but had been little heeded.

The claim went back more than three hundred years, and to establish its validity would have been to convert the peaceable possession of a long line of sovereigns into usurpation.

To ascend to Alphonso III.

was like fetching, as it was said, a claim from Evander's grandmother.