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point at which he expected to find land. It prevented his mariners and companions from adding to their other complaints, reproaches for mistaken predictions, and reconciled them in some measure, to the distance they actually traversed. It was equally fortunate that, before he had sailed 1000 leagues, and before the seamen were aware that their progress had exceeded 700 leagues-for he was in the habit of deducting daily in the open journal of the voyage, some miles from the distance actually run-land, though at several thousand miles from the islands he was sanguinely expecting to reach, burst upon their anxious and almost agonizing gaze.

"It is singular how much the success of this great undertaking depended upon two happy errors, the imaginary extent of Asia to the east, and the supposed smallness of the earth-both errors of the most learned and profound philosophers; but, without which, Columbus would hardly have ventured upon his enterprise. As to the idea of finding land by sailing directly to the west, familiarity has rendered it so simple and obvious, as to diminish with some the merits of the first conception, and the hardihood of the first attempt. But in those days, as has well been observed, the circumference of the earth was yet unknown; no one could tell whether the ocean were not of immense extent, impossible to be traversed; nor were the laws of specific gravity and of central gravitation ascertained, by which, granting the rotundity of the earth, the possibility of making the tour of it would be manifest.* The practicability, therefore, of finding land by sailing to the west, was one of those mysteries of nature which are considered incredible while matters of mere speculation, but the simplest things imaginable when they have once been ascertained.

"When Columbus had formed his theory, it is singular the firmness with which it became fixed in his mind, and the effect it produced upon his character and conduct. He never spoke in doubt or hesitation, but with as much certainty as if his eyes had beheld the promised land. No trial nor disappointment could afterwards divert him from the steady pursuit of his object. A due religious sentiment mingled with his meditations, and gave them, at times, a tinge of superstition, but it was of a sublime and lofty kind. He looked upon himself as standing in the hand of Heaven, chosen from among men for the accomplishment of its high purpose. He read, as he supposed, his contemplated discovery foretold in holy writ, and shadowed forth darkly in the mystic revelations of the prophets. The ends of the earth were to be brought together, and all nations and tongues and languages united under the banners of the Redeemer. This was to be the triumphant consummation of his enterprise, bringing the remote and unknown regions of the earth into communion with Christian Europe; carrying the light of the true faith into benighted and Pagan lands, and gathering their countless nations under the holy dominion of the church.

* Malte-Brun Geographie Universelle

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"The enthusiastic nature of his conceptions gave an elevation to his spirit, and a dignity and loftiness to his whole demeanour. He conferred with sovereigns almost with a feeling of equality. His views were princely and unbounded; his proposed discovery was of empires; his conditions were proportionally magnificent; nor would he ever, even after long delays, repeated disappointments, and under the pressure of actual penury, abate what appeared to be extravagant demands for a mere possible discovery." pp. 38-39.

We have multiplied these extracts for the purpose of exhibiting the circumstances by which Columbus was gradually prepared for the great purpose which he finally accomplished. We could with pleasure extend our quotations, for this portion of his history is full of interest, but we must pass on to other

scenes.

When Columbus became fully persuaded of the practicability of reaching India by steering to the west, he made known his projects and offered his services to John II. King of Portugal, in whose dominions he had resided many years. The moment, however, was not favourable; the offer was coldly received, and when he discovered that a vessel, as we have already stated, had been privately despatched to ascertain the truth of his theory, furnished with the plans and documents which he himself had prepared for the information of the Court, he indignantly left the country.

It was at the close of the year 1484, that Columbus retired from Portugal, and no trace remains of his movements in the following year. It has been conjectured that he went to Genoa to visit his father who was still living, and to offer his services to his native city. Early in 1486, he is found at the convent of Santa Maria de Rabida, near Palos, and as it has been remarked, he who went about soliciting monarchs to accept from his hands a world, was obliged almost to beg for charity on his extraordinary pilgrimage. It should be added, that in the Prior of that Convent, to which he accidentally applied to obtain lodging and bread and water for his young son, he found one, who, in all the subsequent periods of his life, proved his most zealous and persevering friend.

From La Rabida, Columbus, bearing the strong recommendations of Fray Juan Perez, proceeded to Cordova, where the sovereigns of Spain were residing, intending to submit to them his plans and the proffer of his services. He found it difficult, however, to obtain a hearing. He followed the Court from the city to the camp, from province to province; he was referred, from time to time, to commissioners, to ministers, to councils, until the monarchs were gravely informed, "That the scheme

proposed was vain and impossible, and that it did not become such great princes to engage in an enterprise of the kind on such weak grounds as had been advanced."

From the interesting account given by Mr. Irving, of his appearance before the learned men assembled in the University of Salamanca, we can only give two brief extracts.

"Several of the objections opposed by this learned body, have been handed down to us, and have provoked many a sneer at the expense of the University of Salamanca, but they are proofs not so much of the peculiar deficiency of that institution, as of the imperfect state of science at the time, and the manner in which knowledge, though rapidly extending, was still impeded in its progress by monastic bigotry. All subjects were still contemplated through the obscure medium of those ages, when the lights of antiquity were trampled out, and faith was left to fill the place of inquiry. Bewildered in a maze of religious controversy, mankind had retraced their steps, and receded from the boundary line of ancient knowledge. Thus, at the very threshold of the discussion, instead of geographical objections, Columbus was assailed with citations from the Bible and the Testament, the book of Genesis, the psalms of David, the orations of the Prophets, the epistles of the Apostles, and the gospels of the Evangelists. To these were added, the expositions of the various Saints and reverend commentators, St. Chrysostom and St. Augustine, St. Jerome and St. Gregory, St. Basil and St. Ambrose, and Lactantius Firmianus, a redoubted champion of the faith. Doctrinal points were mixed up with philosophical discussions, and a mathematical demonstration was allowed no weight, if it appeared to clash with a text of scripture, or a commentary of one of the fathers. Thus, the possibility of antipodes, in the southern hemisphere, an opinion so generally maintained by the wisest of the ancients, as to be pronounced by Pliny, the great contest between the learned and the ignorant, became a stumbling block with some of the sages of Salamanca. Several of them stoutly contradicted this fundamental position of Columbus, supporting themselves by quotations from Lactantius and St. Augustine, who were considered in those days, as almost evangelical authority.* But though these writers were men of consummate erudition, and two of the greatest luminaries of what has been called the golden age of ecclesiastical learning, yet their writings were calculated to perpetuate darkness in respect to the sciences."

p. 75-76. "When Columbus took his stand before this learned body, he had appeared the plain and simple navigator, somewhat daunted, perhaps, by the greatness of his task and the august nature of his auditory. But he had a degree of superstitious feeling which gave him a confidence on the execution of what he considered his great errand, and he was of an ardent temperament which became heated in action by its own generous fires. Las Casas, and others of his contemporaries, have spo

The first book printed in Europe, contained the Divine Institutions of Lactantius Firmianus, and the book of the City of God, by the divine Doctor St. Augustine.-Hist. Pontif. 1. vi. c. 13.

ken of his commanding person, his elevated demeanour, his air of authority, his kindling eye, and the persuasive intonations of his voice. How must they have given majesty and force to his words, as, casting aside his maps and charts, and discarding for a time his practical and scientific lore, his visionary spirit took fire at the doctrinal objections of his opponents, and he met them upon their own ground, pouring forth those magnificent texts of scripture, and those mysterious predictions of the prophets, which, in his enthusiastic moments, he considered as types and annunciations of the sublime discovery which he proposed." pp. 79-80.

For seven years, the time, the patience, the talents of Columbus were wasted in these mortifying negotiations. It seems scarcely credible now, that two small vessels, and about three thousand crowns, were all that he required, and even of this small equipment, he offered himself to defray one eighth part of the expense.

Tired of so much delay and so many disappointments, he at last left the Court of Spain in disgust, and was actually on the road to France, when he was overtaken by a courier sent to inform him that Isabella, in her separate capacity, as Queen of Castile, had finally assented to his proposals.

The great obstacles were now surmounted-but difficulties still arose to retard the expedition. It was found at first almost impossible, even under the royal mandate, to procure men willing to embark in what seemed to the public generally, so mad and desperate an adventure. Some months were thus consumed, and it was to the family of Pinzon, in Palos, three of whom personally engaged in the voyage, that Columbus was in a great measure indebted for the means of preparing his armament.

It was on the 3d of August, 1492, that Columbus set sail on his first voyage of discovery, and it is difficult to find in romance a situation more novel or more full of deep and mysterious interest. Fortune, life and character were staked on the result. He touched at the Canary Islands to repair the damage that one of his vessels had sustained, and took his final passage from Gomera on the 6th of September. We must extract some passages from our author's account of this momentous voyage.

"Fortunately, a breeze sprang up with the sun, their flagging sails were once more filled, and in the course of the day the heights of Ferro gradually faded from the horizon.

"On losing sight of this last trace of land, the hearts of the crews failed them. They seemed literally to have taken leave of the world. Behind them was every thing dear to the heart of man; country, family, friends, life itself: before them every thing was chaos, mystery, and peril. In the perturbation of the moment, they despaired of ever more seeing their homes. Many of the rugged seamen shed tears, and some

broke into loud lamentations. The admiral tried in every way to soothe their distress, and to inspire them with his own glorious anticipations. He described to them the magnificent countries to which he was about to conduct them; the islands of the Indian seas teeming with gold and precious stones; the regions of Mangi and Cathay, with their cities of unrivalled wealth and splendour. He promised them land and riches, and every thing that could arouse their cupidity, or inflame their imaginations. Nor were these promises made for purposes of mere deception; Columbus certainly believed that he should realize them all." p. 125. Every thing seemed to alarm them in this untried navigation.

"Even the favourable wind, which seemed as if providentially sent to waft them to the new world, with such bland and gentle breezes, was now conjured by their ingenious fears into a singular cause of alarm; for they began to imagine that the wind, in those seas, always prevailed from the east, and if so, would never permit them to return to Spain." p. 132.

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Even calms filled them with anxiety.

-The crews, however, became uneasy at the calmness of the weather. They observed that the contrary winds which they experienced, were transient and unsteady, and so light as not to ruffle the surface of the sea, which maintained a sluggish calm like a lake of dead water. Every thing differed, they said, in these strange regions from the world to which they had been accustomed. The only winds which prevailed with any constancy and force, were from the east, and they had not power to disturb the torpid stillness of the ocean; there was a risk, therefore, either of perishing amidst stagnant and shoreless waters, or of being prevented by contrary winds from ever returning to their native country." p. 134.

"The situation of Columbus was daily becoming more and more critical. In proportion as he approached the regions where he expected to find land, the impatience of his crews augmented. The favourable signs which had increased his confidence, were now derided by them as delusive; and there was danger of their rebelling, and obliging him to turn back, when on the point of realizing the object of all his labours. They beheld themselves with dismay still wafted onward, over the boundless wastes of what appeared to them a mere watery desert, surrounding the habitable world. What was to become of them should their provisions fail? Their ships were too weak and defective even for the great voyage they had already made; but if they were still to press forward, adding at every moment to the immense expanse which already divided them from land, how should they ever be able to return, having no port where they might victual and refit." p. 136.

At length, after many discouragements and unceasing anxiety, Columbus, on the evening of the 11th October, saw a light, at first steady, afterwards at intervals, as if in the hands of persons moving along a shore, and concluded that he was approaching an inhabited coast.

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