Philip II. was the son of the Emperor Charles V. and the Empress
Isabella, whose portrait we have seen. He had therefore, like most
princes, a union of several nationalities in his lineage. Upon his birth
in 1527, all Spain rejoiced that there was now an heir to the throne.
Charles himself counted eagerly upon the help his son would give him in
the administration of his vast dominions.
From the first Philip was a grave and thoughtful child, pursuing his
studies first with his mother and then with a tutor. When he was twelve
years old his mother died; and two years later his father, who had
scarcely seen the boy, returned to Spain, and devoted himself for a
while to teaching him the principles of government. Philip was an apt
pupil, and showed great fondness for statesmanship.
At the age of sixteen a great responsibility fell upon the young prince.
Charles was called to Germany and left Philip as regent of Spain. A
marriage had already been arranged between the youth and his cousin Mary
of Portugal, and this took place soon after the Emperor's departure.
Philip's regency was eminently successful, and he won the lasting
affection and loyalty of the Spanish people.
The Emperor now planned that the prince should make a journey through
the empire to become acquainted with his future subjects. The Spanish
parted with him reluctantly, and he set forth accompanied by a great
train of courtiers. Six months he was on his way, everywhere greeted by
festivals, banquets and tourneys. Philip, being of a reticent and sombre
nature, had little taste for these festivities, but having political
ambition, submitted as gracefully as possible. At length he made a state
entry into Brussels. This was in 1548; and in the two years that
followed, the emperor and prince were together, planning their future
policy of government. The lessons which Charles most deeply impressed
upon Philip were those of self-repression, patience and distrust. The
leading element in his policy was to be absolute ruler.
It was at the close of these two years, that is, in 1550, that the
emperor, attending a diet in Augsburg, summoned thither Titian to paint
the portrait of Philip. The prince was now in his twenty-fourth year,
and stood, as it were, on the threshold of his great career. There could
scarcely be a more unattractive subject for a portrait. Philip had a
poor figure, with narrow chest and large ungainly feet, and his features
were exceedingly ill-formed. His eyes were large and bulging, he had a
projecting jaw and full fleshy lips which his scanty beard could not
conceal. Titian, however, had the great artist's gift of making the most
of a subject. We forget all Philip's defects when we look at this
magnificent portrait.
[Illustration: Picture from Carbon Print by Braun, Clément & Co.
John Andrew & Son, Sc.