beseem lords and gentlemen, so that her house was reputed to be one of
the most honourable in all the Spains. She often went to Toledo, where
the King of Spain dwelt, and when she came to Saragossa, which was not
far from her house, she would remain a long while with the Queen and the
Court, by whom she was held in as high esteem as any lady could be.

2 Aranda, in the valley of the Duero, between Burgos
and Madrid, is one of the most ancient towns in Spain, but of
miserable aspect, although a large trade is carried on there
in cheap red wines. (Ferdinand and Isabella resided for some
time at Aranda.--Ed.)

Going one day, according to her custom, to visit the King, then at his
castle of La Jasserye, (3) at Saragossa, this lady passed through a
village belonging to the Viceroy of Catalonia, (4) who, by reason of the
great wars between the kings of France and Spain, had not been wont to
stir from the frontier at Perpignan. But for the time being there was
peace, so that the Viceroy and all his captains had come to do homage to
the King. The Viceroy, learning that the Countess of Aranda was passing
through his domain, went to meet her, not only for the sake of the
ancient friendship he bore her, but in order to do her honour as a
kinswoman of the King's.

3 This castle is called La Jafferie in Boaistuau's edition
of 1558, and several learned commentators have speculated as
to which is the correct spelling. Not one of them seems to
have been aware that in the immediate vicinity of Saragossa
there still stands an old castle called El Jaferia or
Aljaferia, which, after being the residence of the Moorish
sovereigns, became that of the Spanish kings of Aragon. It