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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Mercedes of Castile, by J. Fenimore Cooper
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Mercedes of Castile
+       The Voyage to Cathay
+
+Author: J. Fenimore Cooper
+
+Illustrator: F. O. C. Darley
+
+Release Date: June 13, 2011 [EBook #36406]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MERCEDES OF CASTILE ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by David Edwards, Mary Meehan and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This
+book was produced from scanned images of public domain
+material from the Google Print project.)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+                          MERCEDES OF CASTILE;
+
+                                   OR,
+
+                          THE VOYAGE TO CATHAY.
+
+                          BY J. FENIMORE COOPER.
+
+
+    "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone,
+    A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon;
+    To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given
+    A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
+
+    PINKNEY.
+
+
+    ILLUSTRATED FROM DRAWINGS BY
+    F.O.C. Darley.
+
+    NEW YORK:
+    W. A. TOWNSEND AND COMPANY.
+    1861.
+
+    Entered, according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1861, by
+    W. A. TOWNSEND AND COMPANY,
+    In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Southern
+    District of New York.
+
+    G. A. ALVORD, STEREOTYPER & PRINTER, NEW YORK.
+
+
+
+
+List of Illustrations
+
+
+"Columbus kneeled on the sands, and received the benediction."
+
+"In vain Luis endeavored to persuade the devoted girl to withdraw."
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE.
+
+
+So much has been written of late years, touching the discovery of
+America, that it would not be at all surprising should there exist a
+disposition in a certain class of readers to deny the accuracy of all
+the statements in this work. Some may refer to history, with a view to
+prove that there never were such persons as our hero and heroine, and
+fancy that by establishing these facts, they completely destroy the
+authenticity of the whole book. In answer to this anticipated objection,
+we will state, that after carefully perusing several of the Spanish
+writers--from Cervantes to the translator of the journal of Columbus,
+the Alpha and Omega of peninsular literature--and after having read both
+Irving and Prescott from beginning to end, we do not find a syllable in
+either of them, that we understand to be conclusive evidence, or indeed
+to be any evidence at all, on the portions of our subject that are
+likely to be disputed. Until some solid affirmative proof, therefore,
+can be produced against us, we shall hold our case to be made out, and
+rest our claims to be believed on the authority of our own statements.
+Nor do we think there is any thing either unreasonable or unusual in
+this course, as perhaps the greater portion of that which is daily and
+hourly offered to the credence of the American public, rests on the same
+species of testimony--with the trifling difference that we state truths,
+with a profession of fiction, while the great moral caterers of the age
+state fiction with the profession of truth. If any advantage can be
+fairly obtained over us, in consequence of this trifling discrepancy, we
+must submit.
+
+There is one point, notwithstanding, concerning which it may be well to
+be frank at once. The narrative of the "Voyage to Cathay," has been
+written with the journal of the Admiral before us; or, rather, with all
+of that journal that has been given to the world through the agency of a
+very incompetent and meagre editor. Nothing is plainer than the general
+fact that this person did not always understand his author, and in one
+particular circumstance he has written so obscurely, as not a little to
+embarrass even a novelist, whose functions naturally include an entire
+familiarity with the thoughts, emotions, characters, and, occasionally,
+with the unknown fates of the subjects of his pen. The nautical day
+formerly commenced at meridian, and, with all our native ingenuity and
+high professional prerogatives, we have not been able to discover
+whether the editor of the journal has adopted that mode of counting
+time, or whether he has condescended to use the more vulgar and
+irrational practice of landsmen. It is our opinion, however, that in the
+spirit of impartiality which becomes an historian, he has adopted both.
+This little peculiarity might possibly embarrass a superficial critic;
+but accurate critics being so very common, we feel no concern on this
+head, well knowing that they will be much more apt to wink at these
+minor inconsistencies, than to pass over an error of the press, or a
+comma with a broken tail. As we wish to live on good terms with this
+useful class of our fellow-creatures, we have directed the printers to
+mis-spell some eight or ten words for their convenience, and to save
+them from headaches, have honestly stated this principal difficulty
+ourselves.
+
+Should the publicity which is now given to the consequences of
+commencing a day in the middle have the effect to induce the government
+to order that it shall, in future, with all American seamen, commence at
+one of its ends, something will be gained in the way of simplicity, and
+the writing of novels will, in-so-much, be rendered easier and more
+agreeable.
+
+As respects the minor characters of this work, very little need be said.
+Every one knows that Columbus had seamen in his vessels, and that he
+brought some of the natives of the islands he had discovered, back with
+him to Spain. The reader is now made much more intimately acquainted
+with certain of these individuals, we will venture to say, than he can
+be possibly by the perusal of any work previously written. As for the
+subordinate incidents connected with the more familiar events of the
+age, it is hoped they will be found so completely to fill up this branch
+of the subject, as to render future investigations unnecessary.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+MERCEDES OF CASTILE.
+
+
+[Illustration: "In vain Luis endeavored to persuade the devoted girl to
+withdraw."]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I.
+
+    "There was knocking that shook the marble floor,
+      And a voice at the gate, which said--
+    'That the Cid Ruy Diez, the Campeador,
+      Was there in his arms array'd.'"----
+
+    Mrs. Hemans.
+
+
+Whether we take the pictures of the inimitable Cervantes, or of that
+scarcely less meritorious author from whom Le Sage has borrowed his
+immortal tale, for our guides; whether we confide in the graver legends
+of history, or put our trust in the accounts of modern travellers, the
+time has scarcely ever existed when the inns of Spain were good, or the
+roads safe. These are two of the blessings of civilization which the
+people of the peninsula would really seem destined never to attain; for,
+in all ages, we hear, or have heard, of wrongs done the traveller
+equally by the robber and the host. If such are the facts to-day, such
+also were the facts in the middle of the fifteenth century, the period
+to which we desire to carry back the reader in imagination.
+
+At the commencement of the month of October, in the year of our Lord
+1469, John of Trastamara reigned in Aragon, holding his court at a place
+called Zaragosa, a town lying on the Ebro, the name of which is supposed
+to be a corruption of Cæsar Augustus, and a city that has become
+celebrated in our own times, under the more Anglicised term of
+Saragossa, for its deeds in arms. John of Trastamara, or, as it was more
+usual to style him, agreeably to the nomenclature of kings, John II.,
+was one of the most sagacious monarchs of his age; but he had become
+impoverished by many conflicts with the turbulent, or, as it may be more
+courtly to say, the liberty-loving Catalonians; had frequently enough to
+do to maintain his seat on the throne; possessed a party-colored empire
+that included within its sway, besides his native Aragon with its
+dependencies of Valencia and Catalonia, Sicily and the Balearic Islands,
+with some very questionable rights in Navarre. By the will of his elder
+brother and predecessor, the crown of Naples had descended to an
+illegitimate son of the latter, else would that kingdom have been added
+to the list. The King of Aragon had seen a long and troubled reign, and,
+at this very moment, his treasury was nearly exhausted by his efforts to
+subdue the truculent Catalans, though he was nearer a triumph than he
+could then foresee, his competitor, the Duke of Lorraine, dying
+suddenly, only two short months after the precise period chosen for the
+commencement of our tale. But it is denied to man to look into the
+future, and on the 9th of the month just mentioned, the ingenuity of the
+royal treasurer was most sorely taxed, there having arisen an unexpected
+demand for a considerable sum of money, at the very moment that the army
+was about to disband itself for the want of pay, and the public coffers
+contained only the very moderate sum of three hundred _Enriques_, or
+Henrys--a gold coin named after a previous monarch, and which had a
+value not far from that of the modern ducat, or our own quarter eagle.
+The matter, however, was too pressing to be deferred, and even the
+objects of the war were considered as secondary to those connected with
+this suddenly-conceived, and more private enterprise. Councils were
+held, money-dealers were cajoled or frightened, and the confidants of
+the court were very manifestly in a state of great and earnest
+excitement. At length, the time of preparation appeared to be passed and
+the instant of action arrived. Curiosity was relieved, and the citizens
+of Saragossa were permitted to know that their sovereign was about to
+send a solemn embassy, on matters of high moment, to his neighbor,
+kinsman, and ally, the monarch of Castile. In 1469, Henry, also of
+Trastamara, sat upon the throne of the adjoining kingdom, under the
+title of Henry IV. He was the grandson, in the male line, of the brother
+of John II.'s father, and, consequently, a first-cousin once removed, of
+the monarch of Aragon. Notwithstanding this affinity, and the strong
+family interests that might be supposed to unite them, it required many
+friendly embassies to preserve the peace between the two monarchs; and
+the announcement of that which was about to depart, produced more
+satisfaction than wonder in the streets of the town.
+
+Henry of Castile, though he reigned over broader and richer peninsular
+territories than his relative of Aragon, had his cares and troubles,
+also. He had been twice married, having repudiated his first consort,
+Blanche of Aragon, to wed Joanna of Portugal, a princess of a levity of
+character so marked, as not only to bring great scandal on the court
+generally, but to throw so much distrust on the birth of her only child,
+a daughter, as to push discontent to disaffection, and eventually to
+deprive the infant itself of the rights of royalty. Henry's father, like
+himself, had been twice married, and the issue of the second union was a
+son and a daughter, Alfonso and Isabella; the latter becoming
+subsequently illustrious, under the double titles of the Queen of
+Castile, and of the Catholic. The luxurious impotency of Henry, as a
+monarch, had driven a portion of his subjects into open rebellion. Three
+years preceding that selected for our opening, his brother Alfonso had
+been proclaimed king in his stead, and a civil war had raged throughout
+his provinces. This war had been recently terminated by the death of
+Alfonso, when the peace of the kingdom was temporarily restored by a
+treaty, in which Henry consented to the setting aside of his own
+daughter--or rather of the daughter of Joanna of Portugal--and to the
+recognition of his half-sister Isabella, as the rightful heiress of the
+throne. The last concession was the result of dire necessity, and, as
+might have been expected, it led to many secret and violent measures,
+with a view to defeat its objects. Among the other expedients adopted by
+the king--or, it might be better to say, by his favorites, the inaction
+and indolence of the self-indulgent but kind-hearted prince being
+proverbial--with a view to counteract the probable consequences of the
+expected accession of Isabella, were various schemes to control her
+will, and guide her policy, by giving her hand, first to a subject, with
+a view to reduce her power, and subsequently to various foreign princes,
+who were thought to be more or less suited to the furtherance of such
+schemes. Just at this moment, indeed, the marriage of the princess was
+one of the greatest objects of Spanish prudence. The son of the King of
+Aragon was one of the suitors for the hand of Isabella, and most of
+those who heard of the intended departure of the embassy, naturally
+enough believed that the mission had some connection with that great
+stroke of Aragonese policy.
+
+Isabella had the reputation of learning, modesty, discretion, piety, and
+beauty, besides being the acknowledged heiress of so enviable a crown;
+and there were many competitors for her hand. Among them were to be
+ranked French, English, and Portuguese princes, besides him of Aragon to
+whom we have already alluded. Different favorites supported different
+pretenders, struggling to effect their several purposes by the usual
+intrigues of courtiers and partisans; while the royal maiden, herself,
+who was the object of so much competition and rivalry, observed a
+discreet and womanly decorum, even while firmly bent on indulging her
+most womanly and dearest sentiments. Her brother, the king, was in the
+south, pursuing his pleasures, and, long accustomed to dwell in
+comparative solitude, the princess was earnestly occupied in arranging
+her own affairs, in a way that she believed would most conduce to her
+own happiness. After several attempts to entrap her person, from which
+she had only escaped by the prompt succor of the forces of her friends,
+she had taken refuge in Leon, in the capital of which province, or
+kingdom as it was sometimes called, Valladolid, she temporarily took up
+her abode. As Henry, however, still remained in the vicinity of Granada,
+it is in that direction we must look for the route taken by the embassy.
+
+The cortège left Saragossa, by one of the southern gates, early in the
+morning of a glorious autumnal day. There was the usual escort of
+lances, for this the troubled state of the country demanded; bearded
+nobles well mailed--for few, who offered an inducement to the plunderer,
+ventured on the highway without this precaution; a long train of sumpter
+mules, and a host of those who, by their guise, were half menials and
+half soldiers. The gallant display drew crowds after the horses' heels,
+and, together with some prayers for success, a vast deal of crude and
+shallow conjecture, as is still the practice with the uninstructed and
+gossiping, was lavished on the probable objects and results of the
+journey. But curiosity has its limits, and even the gossip occasionally
+grows weary; and by the time the sun was setting, most of the multitude
+had already forgotten to think and speak of the parade of the morning.
+As the night drew on, however, the late pageant was still the subject of
+discourse between two soldiers, who belonged to the guard of the western
+gate, or that which opened on the road to the province of Burgos. These
+worthies were loitering away the hours, in the listless manner common to
+men on watch, and the spirit of discussion and of critical censure had
+survived the thoughts and bustle of the day.
+
+"If Don Alonso de Carbajal thinketh to ride far in that guise," observed
+the elder of the two idlers, "he would do well to look sharp to his
+followers, for the army of Aragon never sent forth a more
+scurvily-appointed guard than that he hath this day led through the
+southern gate, notwithstanding the glitter of housings, and the clangor
+of trumpets. We could have furnished lances from Valencia more befitting
+a king's embassy, I tell thee, Diego; ay, and worthier knights to lead
+them, than these of Aragon. But if the king is content, it ill becomes
+soldiers, like thee and me, to be dissatisfied."
+
+"There are many who think, Roderique, that it had been better to spare
+the money lavished in this courtly letter-writing, to pay the brave men
+who so freely shed their blood in order to subdue the rebellious
+Barcelans."
+
+"This is always the way, boy, between debtor and creditor. Don John owes
+you a few maravedis, and you grudge him every Enrique he spends on his
+necessities. I am an older soldier, and have learned the art of paying
+myself, when the treasury is too poor to save me the trouble."
+
+"That might do in a foreign war, when one is battling against the Moor,
+for instance; but, after all, these Catalans are as good Christians as
+we are ourselves; some of them are as good subjects; and it is not as
+easy to plunder a countryman as to plunder an Infidel."
+
+"Easier by twenty fold; for the one expects it, and, like all in that
+unhappy condition, seldom has any thing worth taking, while the other
+opens his stores to you as freely as he does his heart--but who are
+these, setting forth on the highway, at this late hour?"
+
+"Fellows that pretend to wealth, by affecting to conceal it. I'll
+warrant you, now, Roderique, that there is not money enough among all
+those varlets to pay the laquais that shall serve them their boiled
+eggs, to-night."
+
+"By St. Iago, my blessed patron!" whispered one of the leaders of a
+small cavalcade, who, with a single companion, rode a little in advance
+of the others, as if not particularly anxious to be too familiar with
+the rest, and laughing, lightly, as he spoke: "Yonder vagabond is nearer
+the truth than is comfortable! We may have sufficient among us all to
+pay for an olla-podrida and its service, but I much doubt whether there
+will be a dobla left, when the journey shall be once ended."
+
+A low, but grave rebuke, checked this inconsiderate mirth; and the
+party, which consisted of merchants, or traders, mounted on mules, as
+was evident by their appearance, for in that age the different classes
+were easily recognized by their attire, halted at the gate. The
+permission to quit the town was regular, and the drowsy and consequently
+surly gate-keeper slowly undid his bars, in order that the travellers
+might pass.
+
+While these necessary movements were going on, the two soldiers stood a
+little on one side, coolly scanning the group, though Spanish gravity
+prevented them from indulging openly in an expression of the scorn that
+they actually felt for two or three Jews who were among the traders. The
+merchants, moreover, were of a better class, as was evident by a
+follower or two, who rode in their train, in the garbs of menials, and
+who kept at a respectful distance while their masters paid the light fee
+that it was customary to give on passing the gates after nightfall. One
+of these menials, capitally mounted on a tall, spirited mule, happened
+to place himself so near Diego, during this little ceremony, that the
+latter, who was talkative by nature, could not refrain from having his
+say.
+
+"Prithee, Pepe," commenced the soldier, "how many hundred doblas a year
+do they pay, in that service of thine, and how often do they renew that
+fine leathern doublet?"
+
+The varlet, or follower of the merchant, who was still a youth, though
+his vigorous frame and embrowned cheek denoted equally severe exercise
+and rude exposure, started and reddened at this free inquiry, which was
+enforced by a hand slapped familiarly on his knee, and such a squeeze of
+the leg as denoted the freedom of the camp. The laugh of Diego probably
+suppressed a sudden outbreak of anger, for the soldier was one whose
+manner indicated too much good-humor easily to excite resentment.
+
+"Thy gripe is friendly, but somewhat close, comrade," the young domestic
+mildly observed; "and if thou wilt take a friend's counsel, it will be,
+never to indulge in too great familiarity, lest some day it lead to a
+broken pate."
+
+"By holy San Pedro!--I should relish--"
+
+It was too late, however; for his master having proceeded, the youth
+pushed a powerful rowel into the flank of his mule, and the vigorous
+animal dashed ahead, nearly upsetting Diego, who was pressing hard on
+the pommel of the saddle, by the movement.
+
+"There is mettle in that boy," exclaimed the good-natured soldier, as he
+recovered his feet. "I thought, for one moment, he was about to favor me
+with a visitation of his hand."
+
+"Thou art wrong--and too much accustomed to be heedless, Diego,"
+answered his comrade; "and it had been no wonder had that youth struck
+thee to the earth, for the indignity thou putt'st upon him."
+
+"Ha! a hireling follower of some cringing Hebrew! He dare to strike a
+blow at a soldier of the king!"
+
+"He may have been a soldier of the king himself, in his day. These are
+times when most of his frame and muscle are called on to go in harness.
+I think I have seen that face before; ay, and that, too, where none of
+craven hearts would be apt to go."
+
+"The fellow is a mere varlet, and a younker that has just escaped from
+the hands of the women."
+
+"I'll answer for it, that he hath faced both the Catalan and the Moor in
+his time, young as he may seem. Thou knowest that the nobles are wont to
+carry their sons, as children, early into the fight, that they may learn
+the deeds of chivalry betimes."
+
+"The nobles!" repeated Diego, laughing. "In the name of all the devils,
+Roderique, of what art thou thinking, that thou likenest this knave to a
+young noble? Dost fancy him a Guzman, or a Mendoza, in disguise, that
+thou speakest thus of chivalry?"
+
+"True--it doth, indeed, seem silly--and yet have I before met that frown
+in battle, and heard that sharp, quick voice, in a rally. By St. Iago de
+Compostello! I have it! Harkee, Diego!--a word in thy ear."
+
+The veteran now led his more youthful comrade aside, although there was
+no one near to listen to what he said; and looking carefully round, to
+make certain that his words would not be overheard, he whispered, for a
+moment, in Diego's ear.
+
+"Holy Mother of God!" exclaimed the latter, recoiling quite three paces,
+in surprise and awe. "Thou canst not be right, Roderique!"
+
+"I will place my soul's welfare on it," returned the other, positively.
+"Have I not often seen him with his visor up, and followed him, time and
+again, to the charge?"
+
+"And he setting forth as a trader's varlet! Nay, I know not, but as the
+servitor of a Jew!"
+
+"Our business, Diego, is to strike without looking into the quarrel; to
+look without seeing, and to listen without hearing. Although his coffers
+are low, Don John is a good master, and our anointed king; and so we
+will prove ourselves discreet soldiers."
+
+"But he will never forgive me that gripe of the knee, and my foolish
+tongue. I shall never dare meet him again."
+
+"Humph!--It is not probable thou ever wilt meet him at the table of the
+king, and, as for the field, as he is wont to go first, there will not
+be much temptation for him to turn back in order to look at thee."
+
+"Thou thinkest, then, he will not be apt to know me again?"
+
+"If it should prove so, boy, thou need'st not take it in ill part; as
+such as he have more demands on their memories than they can always
+meet."
+
+"The Blessed Maria make thee a true prophet!--else would I never dare
+again to appear in the ranks. Were it a favor I conferred, I might hope
+it would be forgotten; but an indignity sticks long in the memory."
+
+Here the two soldiers moved away, continuing the discourse from time to
+time, although the elder frequently admonished his loquacious companion
+of the virtue of discretion.
+
+In the mean time, the travellers pursued their way, with a diligence
+that denoted great distrust of the roads, and as great a desire to get
+on. They journeyed throughout the night, nor did there occur any
+relaxation in their speed, until the return of the sun exposed them
+again to the observations of the curious, among whom were thought to be
+many emissaries of Henry of Castile, whose agents were known to be
+particularly on the alert, along all the roads that communicated between
+the capital of Aragon and Valladolid, the city in which his royal sister
+had then, quite recently, taken refuge. Nothing remarkable occurred,
+however, to distinguish this journey from any other of the period. There
+was nothing about the appearance of the travellers--who soon entered the
+territory of Soria, a province of Old Castile, where armed parties of
+the monarch were active in watching the passes--to attract the attention
+of Henry's soldiers; and as for the more vulgar robber, he was
+temporarily driven from the highways by the presence of those who acted
+in the name of the prince. As respects the youth who had given rise to
+the discourse between the two soldiers, he rode diligently in the rear
+of his master, so long as it pleased the latter to remain in the saddle;
+and during the few and brief pauses that occurred in the travelling, he
+busied himself, like the other menials, in the duties of his proper
+vocation. On the evening of the second day, however, about an hour after
+the party had left a hostelry, where it had solaced itself with an
+olla-podrida and some sour wine, the merry young man who has already
+been mentioned, and who still kept his place by the side of his graver
+and more aged companion in the van, suddenly burst into a fit of loud
+laughter, and, reining in his mule he allowed the whole train to pass
+him, until he found himself by the side of the young menial already so
+particularly named. The latter cast a severe and rebuking glance at his
+reputed master, as he dropped in by his side, and said, with a sternness
+that ill comported with their apparent relations to each other--
+
+"How now, Master Nuñez! what hath called thee from thy position in the
+van, to this unseemly familiarity with the varlets in the rear?"
+
+"I crave ten thousand pardons, honest Juan," returned the master, still
+laughing, though he evidently struggled to repress his mirth, out of
+respect to the other; "but here is a calamity befallen us, that outdoes
+those of the fables and legends of necromancy and knight-errantry. The
+worthy Master Ferreras, yonder, who is so skilful in handling gold,
+having passed his whole life in buying and selling barley and oats, hath
+actually mislaid the purse, which it would seem he hath forgotten at the
+inn we have quitted, in payment of some very stale bread and rancid oil.
+I doubt if there are twenty reals left in the whole party!"
+
+"And is it a matter of jest, Master Nuñez," returned the servant, though
+a slight smile struggled about his mouth, as if ready to join in his
+companion's merriment; "that we are penniless? Thank Heaven! the Burgo
+of Osma cannot be very distant; and we may have less occasion for gold.
+And now, master of mine, let me command thee to keep thy proper place in
+this cavalcade, and not to forget thyself by such undue familiarity with
+thy inferiors. I have no farther need of thee, and therefore hasten back
+to Master Ferreras and acquaint him with my sympathy and grief."
+
+The young man smiled, though the eye of the pretended servant was
+averted, as if he cared to respect his own admonitions; while the other
+evidently sought a look of recognition and favor. In another minute, the
+usual order of the journey was resumed.
+
+As the night advanced, and the hour arrived when man and beast usually
+betray fatigue, these travellers pushed their mules the hardest; and
+about midnight, by dint of hard pricking, they came under the principal
+gate of a small walled town, called Osma, that stood not far from the
+boundary of the province of Burgos, though still in that of Soria. No
+sooner was his mule near enough to the gate to allow of the freedom,
+than the young merchant in advance dealt sundry blows on it with his
+staff, effectually apprising those within of his presence. It required
+no strong pull of the reins to stop the mules of those behind; but the
+pretended varlet now pushed ahead, and was about to assume his place
+among the principal personages near the gate, when a heavy stone, hurled
+from the battlements, passed so close to his head, as vividly to remind
+him how near he might be to making a hasty journey to another world. A
+cry arose in the whole party, at this narrow escape; nor were loud
+imprecations on the hand that had cast the missile spared. The youth,
+himself, seemed the least disturbed of them all; and though his voice
+was sharp and authoritative, as he raised it in remonstrance, it was
+neither angry nor alarmed.
+
+"How now!" he said; "is this the way you treat peaceful travellers;
+merchants, who come to ask hospitality and a night's repose at your
+hands?"
+
+"Merchants and travellers!" growled a voice from above--"say, rather,
+spies and agents of King Henry. Who are ye? Speak promptly, or ye may
+expect something sharper than stones, at the next visit."
+
+"Tell me," answered the youth, as if disdaining to be questioned
+himself--"who holds this borough? Is it not the noble Count of Treviño?"
+
+"The very same, Señor," answered he above, with a mollified tone: "but
+what can a set of travelling traders know of His Excellency? and who art
+thou, that speakest up as sharply and as proudly as if thou wert a
+grandee?"
+
+"I am Ferdinand of Trastamara--the Prince of Aragon--the King of Sicily.
+Go! bid thy master hasten to the gate."
+
+This sudden announcement, which was made in the lofty manner of one
+accustomed to implicit obedience, produced a marked change in the state
+of affairs. The party at the gate so far altered their several
+positions, that the two superior nobles who had ridden in front, gave
+place to the youthful king; while the group of knights made such
+arrangements as showed that disguise was dropped, and each man was now
+expected to appear in his proper character. It might have amused a close
+and philosophical observer to note the promptitude with which the young
+cavaliers, in particular, rose in their saddles, as if casting aside the
+lounging mien of grovelling traders, in order to appear what they really
+were, men accustomed to the tourney and the field. On the ramparts the
+change was equally sudden and great. All appearance of drowsiness
+vanished; the soldiers spoke to each other in suppressed but hurried
+voices; and the distant tramp of feet announced that messengers were
+dispatched in various directions. Some ten minutes elapsed in this
+manner, during which an inferior officer showed himself on the ramparts,
+and apologized for a delay that arose altogether from the force of
+discipline, and on no account from any want of respect. At length a
+bustle on the wall, with the light of many lanterns, betrayed the
+approach of the governor of the town; and the impatience of the young
+men below, that had begun to manifest itself in half-uttered
+execrations, was put under a more decent restraint for the occasion.
+
+"Are the joyful tidings that my people bring me true?" cried one from
+the battlements; while a lantern was lowered from the wall, as if to
+make a closer inspection of the party at the gate: "Am I really so
+honored, as to receive a summons from Don Ferdinand of Aragon, at this
+unusual hour?"
+
+"Cause thy fellow to turn his lantern more closely on my countenance,"
+answered the king, "that thou may'st make thyself sure. I will
+cheerfully overlook the disrespect, Count of Treviño, for the advantage
+of a more speedy admission."
+
+"'Tis he!" exclaimed the noble: "I know those royal features, which bear
+the lineaments of a long race of kings, and that voice have I heard,
+often, rallying the squadrons of Aragon, in their onsets against the
+Moor. Let the trumpets speak up, and proclaim this happy arrival; and
+open wide our gates, without delay."
+
+This order was promptly obeyed, and the youthful king entered Osma, by
+sound of trumpet, encircled by a strong party of men-at-arms, and with
+half of the awakened and astonished population at his heels.
+
+"It is lucky, my Lord King," said Don Andres de Cabrera, the young noble
+already mentioned, as he rode familiarly at the side of Don Ferdinand,
+"that we have found these good lodgings without cost; it being a
+melancholy truth, that Master Ferreras hath, negligently enough, mislaid
+the only purse there was among us. In such a strait, it would not have
+been easy to keep up the character of thrifty traders much longer; for,
+while the knaves higgle at the price of every thing, they are fond of
+letting their gold be seen."
+
+"Now that we are in thine own Castile, Don Andres," returned the king,
+smiling, "we shall throw ourselves gladly on thy hospitality, well
+knowing that thou hast two most beautiful diamonds always at thy
+command."
+
+"I, Sir King! Your Highness is pleased to be merry at my expense,
+although I believe it is, just now, the only gratification I can pay
+for. My attachment for the Princess Isabella hath driven me from my
+lands; and even the humblest cavalier in the Aragonese army is not, just
+now, poorer than I. What diamonds, therefore, can I command?"
+
+"Report speaketh favorably of the two brilliants that are set in the
+face of the Doña Beatriz de Bobadilla; and I hear they are altogether at
+thy disposal, or as much so as a noble maiden's inclinations can leave
+them with a loyal knight."
+
+"Ah! my Lord King! if indeed this adventure end as happily as it
+commenceth, I may, indeed, look to your royal favor, for some aid in
+that matter."
+
+The king smiled, in his own sedate manner; but the Count de Treviño
+pressing nearer to his side at that moment, the discourse was changed.
+That night Ferdinand of Aragon slept soundly; but with the dawn, he and
+his followers were again in the saddle. The party quitted Osma, however,
+in a manner very different from that in which it had approached its
+gate. Ferdinand now appeared as a knight, mounted on a noble Andalusian
+charger; and all his followers had still more openly assumed their
+proper characters. A strong body of lancers, led by the Count of Treviño
+in person, composed the escort; and on the 9th of the month, the whole
+cavalcade reached Dueñas, in Leon, a place quite near to Valladolid. The
+disaffected nobles crowded about the prince to pay their court, and he
+was received as became his high rank and still higher destinies.
+
+Here the more luxurious Castilians had an opportunity of observing the
+severe personal discipline by which Don Ferdinand, at the immature years
+of eighteen, for he was scarcely older, had succeeded in hardening his
+body and in stringing his nerves, so as to be equal to any deeds in
+arms. His delight was found in the rudest military exercises; and no
+knight of Aragon could better direct his steed in the tourney or in the
+field. Like most of the royal races of that period, and indeed of this,
+in despite of the burning sun under which he dwelt, his native
+complexion was brilliant, though it had already become embrowned by
+exposure in the chase, and in the martial occupations of his boyhood.
+Temperate as a Mussulman, his active and well-proportioned frame seemed
+to be early indurating, as if Providence held him in reserve for some of
+its own dispensations, that called for great bodily vigor as well as for
+deep forethought and a vigilant sagacity. During the four or five days
+that followed, the noble Castilians who listened to his discourse, knew
+not of which most to approve, his fluent eloquence, or a wariness of
+thought and expression, which, while they might have been deemed
+prematurely worldly and cold-blooded, were believed to be particular
+merits in one destined to control the jarring passions, deep deceptions,
+and selfish devices of men.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II.
+
+    "Leave to the nightingale her shady wood:
+      A privacy of glorious light is thine;
+    Whence thou dost pour upon the world a flood
+      Of harmony, with rapture more divine;
+    Type of the wise, who soar, but never roam;
+    True to the kindred points of Heaven and Home."
+
+    Wordsworth.
+
+
+While John of Aragon had recourse to such means to enable his son to
+escape the vigilant and vindictive emissaries of the King of Castile,
+there were anxious hearts in Valladolid, awaiting the result with the
+impatience and doubt that ever attend the execution of hazardous
+enterprises. Among others who felt this deep interest in the movements
+of Ferdinand of Aragon and his companions, were a few whom it has now
+become necessary to introduce to the reader.
+
+Although Valladolid had not then reached the magnificence it
+subsequently acquired as the capital of Charles V., it was an ancient,
+and, for the age, a magnificent and luxurious town, possessing its
+palaces, as well as its more inferior abodes. To the principal of the
+former, the residence of John de Vivero--a distinguished noble of the
+kingdom--we must repair in imagination; where companions more agreeable
+than those we have just quitted, await us, and who were then themselves
+awaiting, with deep anxiety, the arrival of a messenger with tidings
+from Dueñas. The particular apartment that it will be necessary to
+imagine, had much of the rude splendor of the period, united to that air
+of comfort and fitness that woman seldom fails to impart to the portion
+of any edifice that comes directly under her control. In the year 1469,
+Spain was fast approaching the termination of that great struggle which
+had already endured seven centuries, and in which the Christian and the
+Mussulman contended for the mastery of the peninsula. The latter had
+long held sway in the southern parts of Leon, and had left behind him,
+in the palaces of this town, some of the traces of his barbaric
+magnificence. The lofty and fretted ceilings were not as glorious as
+those to be found further south, it is true; still, the Moor had been
+here, and the name of Veled Vlid--since changed to Valladolid--denotes
+its Arabic connection. In the room just mentioned, and in the principal
+palace of this ancient town--that of John de Vivero--were two females,
+in earnest and engrossing discourse. Both were young, and, though in
+very different styles, both would have been deemed beautiful in any age
+or region of the earth. One, indeed, was surpassingly lovely. She had
+just reached her nineteenth year--an age when the female form has
+received its full development in that generous climate; and the most
+imaginative poet of Spain--a country so renowned for beauty of form in
+the sex--could not have conceived of a person more symmetrical. The
+hands, feet, bust, and all the outlines, were those of feminine
+loveliness; while the stature, without rising to a height to suggest the
+idea of any thing masculine, was sufficient to ennoble an air of quiet
+dignity. The beholder, at first, was a little at a loss to know whether
+the influence to which he submitted, proceeded most from the perfection
+of the body itself, or from the expression that the soul within imparted
+to the almost faultless exterior. The face was, in all respects, worthy
+of the form. Although born beneath the sun of Spain, her lineage carried
+her back, through a long line of kings, to the Gothic sovereigns; and
+its frequent intermarriages with foreign princesses, had produced in her
+countenance that intermixture of the brilliancy of the north with the
+witchery of the south, that probably is nearest to the perfection of
+feminine loveliness.
+
+Her complexion was fair, and her rich locks had that tint of the auburn
+which approaches as near as possible to the more marked color that gives
+it warmth, without attaining any of the latter's distinctive hue. "Her
+mild blue eyes," says an eminent historian, "beamed with intelligence
+and sensibility." In these indexes to the soul, indeed, were to be found
+her highest claims to loveliness, for they bespoke no less the beauty
+within, than the beauty without; imparting to features of exquisite
+delicacy and symmetry, a serene expression of dignity and moral
+excellence, that was remarkably softened by a modesty that seemed as
+much allied to the sensibilities of a woman, as to the purity of an
+angel. To add to all these charms, though of royal blood, and educated
+in a court, an earnest, but meek sincerity presided over every look and
+thought--as thought was betrayed in the countenance--adding the
+illumination of truth to the lustre of youth and beauty.
+
+The attire of this princess was simple, for, happily, the taste of the
+age enabled those who worked for the toilet to consult the proportions
+of nature; though the materials were rich, and such as became her high
+rank. A single cross of diamonds sparkled on a neck of snow, to which it
+was attached by a short string of pearls; and a few rings, decked with
+stones of price, rather cumbered than adorned hands that needed no
+ornaments to rivet the gaze. Such was Isabella of Castile, in her days
+of maiden retirement and maiden pride--while waiting the issues of those
+changes that were about to put their seal on her own future fortunes, as
+well as on those of posterity even to our own times.
+
+Her companion was Beatriz de Bobadilla, the friend of her childhood and
+infancy, and who continued, to the last, the friend of her prime, and of
+her death-bed. This lady, a little older than the princess, was of more
+decided Spanish mien, for, though of an ancient and illustrious house,
+policy and necessity had not caused so many foreign intermarriages in
+her race, as had been required in that of her royal mistress. Her eyes
+were black and sparkling, bespeaking a generous soul, and a resolution
+so high that some commentators have termed it valor; while her hair was
+dark as the raven's wing. Like that of her royal mistress, her form
+exhibited the grace and loveliness of young womanhood, developed by the
+generous warmth of Spain; though her stature was, in a slight degree,
+less noble, and the outlines of her figure, in about an equal
+proportion, less perfect. In short, nature had drawn some such
+distinction between the exceeding grace and high moral charms that
+encircled the beauty of the princess, and those which belonged to her
+noble friend, as the notions of men had established between their
+respective conditions; though, considered singly, as women, either would
+have been deemed pre-eminently winning and attractive.
+
+At the moment we have selected for the opening of the scene that is to
+follow, Isabella, fresh from the morning toilet, was seated in a chair,
+leaning lightly on one of its arms, in an attitude that interest in the
+subject she was discussing, and confidence in her companion, had
+naturally produced; while Beatriz de Bobadilla occupied a low stool at
+her feet, bending her body in respectful affection so far forward, as to
+allow the fairer hair of the princess to mingle with her own dark curls,
+while the face of the latter appeared to repose on the head of her
+friend. As no one else was present, the reader will at once infer, from
+the entire absence of Castilian etiquette and Spanish reserve, that the
+dialogue they held was strictly confidential, and that it was governed
+more by the feelings of nature, than by the artificial rules that
+usually regulate the intercourse of courts.
+
+"I have prayed, Beatriz, that God would direct my judgment in this
+weighty concern," said the princess, in continuation of some previous
+observation; "and I hope I have as much kept in view the happiness of my
+future subjects, in the choice I have made, as my own."
+
+"None shall presume to question it," said Beatriz de Bobadilla; "for had
+it pleased you to wed the Grand Turk, the Castilians would not gainsay
+your wish, such is their love!"
+
+"Say, rather, such is thy love for me, my good Beatriz, that thou
+fanciest this," returned Isabella, smiling, and raising her face from
+the other's head. "Our Castilians might overlook such a sin, but I could
+not pardon myself for forgetting that I am a Christian. Beatriz, I have
+been sorely tried, in this matter!"
+
+"But the hour of trial is nearly passed. Holy Maria! what lightness of
+reflection, and vanity, and misjudging of self, must exist in man, to
+embolden some who have dared to aspire to become your husband! You were
+yet a child when they betrothed you to Don Carlos, a prince old enough
+to be your father; and then, as if that were not sufficient to warm
+Castilian blood, they chose the King of Portugal for you, and he might
+well have passed for a generation still more remote! Much as I love you,
+Doña Isabella, and my own soul is scarce dearer to me than your person
+and mind, for nought do I respect you more, than for the noble and
+princely resolution, child as you then were, with which you denied the
+king, in his wicked wish to make you Queen of Portugal."
+
+"Don Enriquez is my brother, Beatriz; and thine and my royal master."
+
+"Ah! bravely did you tell them all," continued Beatriz de Bobadilla,
+with sparkling eyes, and a feeling of exultation that caused her to
+overlook the quiet rebuke of her mistress; "and worthy was it of a
+princess of the royal house of Castile! 'The Infantas of Castile,' you
+said, 'could not be disposed of, in marriage, without the consent of the
+nobles of the realm;' and with that fit reply they were glad to be
+content."
+
+"And yet, Beatriz, am I about to dispose of an Infanta of Castile,
+without even consulting its nobles."
+
+"Say not that, my excellent mistress. There is not a loyal and gallant
+cavalier between the Pyrenees and the sea, who will not, in his heart,
+approve of your choice. The character, and age, and other qualities of
+the suitor, make a sensible difference in these concerns. But unfit as
+Don Alfonso of Portugal was, and is, to be the wedded husband of Doña
+Isabella of Castile, what shall we say to the next suitor who appeared
+as a pretender to your royal hand--Don Pedro Giron, the Master of
+Calatrava! truly a most worthy lord for a maiden of the royal house! Out
+upon him! A Pachecho might think himself full honorably mated, could he
+have found a damsel of Bobadilla to elevate his race!"
+
+"That ill-assorted union was imposed upon my brother by unworthy
+favorites; and God, in his holy providence, saw fit to defeat their
+wishes, by hurrying their intended bridegroom to an unexpected grave!"
+
+"Ay! had it not pleased his blessed will so to dispose of Don Pedro,
+other means would not have been wanting!"
+
+"This little hand of thine, Beatriz," returned the princess, gravely,
+though she smiled affectionately on her friend as she took the hand in
+question, "was not made for the deed its owner menaced."
+
+"That which its owner menaced," replied Beatriz, with eyes flashing
+fire, "this hand would have executed, before Isabella of Castile should
+be the doomed bride of the Grand Master of Calatrava. What! was the
+purest, loveliest virgin of Castile, and she of royal birth--nay, the
+rightful heiress of the crown--to be sacrificed to a lawless libertine,
+because it had pleased Don Henry to forget his station and duties, and
+make a favorite of a craven miscreant!"
+
+"Thou always forgettest, Beatriz, that Don Enriquez is our lord the
+king, and my royal brother."
+
+"I do not forget, Señora, that you are the royal sister of our lord the
+king, and that Pedro de Giron, or Pachecho, whichever it might suit the
+ancient Portuguese page to style him, was altogether unworthy to sit in
+your presence, much less to become your wedded husband. Oh! what days of
+anguish were those, my gracious lady, when your knees ached with bending
+in prayer, that this might not be! But God would not permit it--neither
+would I! That dagger should have pierced his heart, before ear of his
+should have heard the vows of Isabella of Castile!"
+
+"Speak no more of this, good Beatriz, I pray thee," said the princess,
+shuddering, and crossing herself; "they were, in sooth, days of anguish;
+but what were they in comparison with the passion of the Son of God, who
+gave himself a sacrifice for our sins! Name it not, then; it was good
+for my soul to be thus tried; and thou knowest that the evil was turned
+from me--more, I doubt not, by the efficacy of our prayers, than by that
+of thy dagger. If thou wilt speak of my suitors, surely there are others
+better worthy of the trouble."
+
+A light gleamed about the dark eye of Beatriz, and a smile struggled
+toward her pretty mouth; for well did she understand that the royal, but
+bashful maiden, would gladly hear something of him on whom her choice
+had finally fallen. Although ever disposed to do that which was grateful
+to her mistress, with a woman's coquetry, Beatriz determined to approach
+the more pleasing part of the subject coyly, and by a regular gradation
+of events, in the order in which they had actually occurred.
+
+"Then, there was Monsieur de Guienne, the brother of King Louis of
+France," she resumed, affecting contempt in her manner; "_he_ would fain
+become the husband of the future Queen of Castile! But even our most
+unworthy Castilians soon saw the unfitness of that union. Their pride
+was unwilling to run the chance of becoming a fief of France."
+
+"That misfortune could never have befallen our beloved Castile,"
+interrupted Isabella with dignity; "had I espoused the King of France
+himself, he would have learned to respect me as the Queen Proprietor of
+this ancient realm, and not have looked upon me as a subject."
+
+"Then, Señora," continued Beatriz, looking up into Isabella's face, and
+laughing--"was your own royal kinsman, Don Ricardo of Gloucester; he
+that they say was born with teeth, and who carries already a burthen so
+heavy on his back, that he may well thank his patron saint that he is
+not also to be loaded with the affairs of Castile."[1]
+
+[Footnote 1: NOTE--The authorities differ as to which of the English
+princes was the suitor of Isabella; Edward IV. himself, Clarence, or
+Richard. Isabella was the grand-daughter of Catherine of Lancaster, who
+was a daughter of John of Gaunt.]
+
+"Thy tongue runneth riot, Beatriz. They tell me that Don Ricardo is a
+noble and aspiring prince; that he is, one day, likely to wed some
+princess, whose merit may well console him for his failure in Castile.
+But what more hast thou to offer concerning my suitors?"
+
+"Nay, what more can I say, my beloved mistress? We have now reached Don
+Fernando, literally the first, as he proveth to be the last, and as we
+know him to be, the best of them all."
+
+"I think I have been guided by the motives that become my birth and
+future hopes, in choosing Don Ferdinand," said Isabella, meekly, though
+she was uneasy in spite of her royal views of matrimony; "since nothing
+can so much tend to the peace of our dear kingdom, and to the success of
+the great cause of Christianity, as to unite Castile and Aragon under
+one crown."
+
+"By uniting their sovereigns in holy wedlock," returned Beatriz, with
+respectful gravity, though a smile again struggled around her pouting
+lips. "What if Don Fernando is the most youthful, the handsomest, the
+most valiant, and the most agreeable prince in Christendom, it is no
+fault of yours, since you did not make him, but have only accepted him
+for a husband!"
+
+"Nay, this exceedeth discretion and respect, my good Beatriz," returned
+Isabella, affecting to frown, even while she blushed deeply at her own
+emotions, and looked gratified at the praises of her betrothed. "Thou
+knowest that I have never beheld my cousin, the King of Sicily."
+
+"Very true, Señora; but Father Alonso de Coca hath--and a surer eye, or
+truer tongue than his, do not exist in Castile."
+
+"Beatriz, I pardon thy license, however unjust and unseemly, because I
+know thou lovest me, and lookest rather at mine own happiness, than at
+that of my people," said the princess, the effect of whose gravity now
+was not diminished by any betrayal of natural feminine weakness--for she
+felt slightly offended. "Thou knowest, or ought'st to know, that a
+maiden of royal birth is bound principally to consult the interests of
+the state, in bestowing her hand, and that the idle fancies of village
+girls have little in common with her duties. Nay, what virgin of noble
+extraction, like thyself, even, would dream of aught else than of
+submitting to the counsel of her family, in taking a husband? If I have
+selected Don Fernando of Aragon, from among many princes, it is,
+doubtless, because the alliance is more suited to the interests of
+Castile, than any other that hath offered. Thou seest, Beatriz, that the
+Castilians and the Aragonese spring from the same source, and have the
+same habits and prejudices. They speak the same language"--
+
+"Nay, dearest lady, do not confound the pure Castilian with the dialect
+of the mountains!"
+
+"Well, have thy fling, wayward one, if thou wilt; but we can easier
+teach the nobles of Aragon our purer Spanish, than we can teach it to
+the Gaul. Then, Don Fernando is of my own race; the House of Trastamara
+cometh of Castile and her monarchs, and we may at least hope that the
+King of Sicily will be able to make himself understood."
+
+"If he could not, he were no true knight! The man whose tongue should
+fail him, when the stake was a royal maiden of a beauty surpassing that
+of the dawn--of an excellence that already touches on heaven--of a
+crown"--
+
+"Girl, girl, thy tongue is getting the mastery of thee--such discourse
+ill befitteth thee and me."
+
+"And yet, Doña Ysabel, my tongue is close bound to my heart."
+
+"I do believe thee, my good Beatriz; but we should bethink us both of
+our last shrivings, and of the ghostly counsel that we then received.
+Such nattering discourse seemeth light, when we remember our manifold
+transgressions, and our many occasions for forgiveness. As for this
+marriage, I would have thee think that it has been contracted on my
+part, with the considerations and motives of a princess, and not through
+any light indulgence of my fancies. Thou knowest that I have never
+beheld Don Fernando, and that he hath never even looked upon me."
+
+"Assuredly, dearest lady and honored mistress, all this I know, and see,
+and believe; and I also agree that it were unseemly and little befitting
+her birth, for even a noble maiden to contract the all-important
+obligations of marriage, with no better motive than the light impulses
+of a country wench. Nothing is more just than that we are alike bound to
+consult our own dignity, and the wishes of kinsmen and friends; and that
+our duty, and the habits of piety and submission in which we have been
+reared, are better pledges for our connubial affection than any caprices
+of a girlish imagination. Still, my honored lady, it is most fortunate
+that your high obligations point to one as youthful, brave, noble, and
+chivalrous, as is the King of Sicily, as we well know, by Father
+Alonso's representations, to be the fact; and that all my friends unite
+in saying that Don Andres de Cabrera, madcap and silly as he is, will
+make an exceedingly excellent husband for Beatriz de Bobadilla!"
+
+Isabella, habitually dignified and reserved as she was, had her
+confidants and her moments for unbending; and Beatriz was the principal
+among the former, while the present instant was one of the latter. She
+smiled, therefore, at this sally; and parting, with her own fair hand,
+the dark locks on the brow of her friend, she regarded her much as the
+mother regards her child, when sudden passages of tenderness come over
+the heart.
+
+"If madcap should wed madcap, _thy_ friends, at least, have judged
+rightly," answered the princess. Then, pausing an instant, as if in deep
+thought, she continued in a graver manner, though modesty shone in her
+tell-tale complexion, and the sensibility that beamed in her eyes
+betrayed that she now felt more as a woman than as a future queen bent
+only on the happiness of her people: "As this interview draweth near, I
+suffer an embarrassment I had not thought it easy to inflict on an
+Infanta of Castile. To thee, my faithful Beatriz, I will acknowledge,
+that were the King of Sicily as old as Don Alfonso of Portugal, or were
+he as effeminate and unmanly as Monsieur of Guienne; were he, in sooth,
+less engaging and young, I should feel less embarrassment in meeting
+him, than I now experience."
+
+"This is passing strange, Señora! Now, I will confess that I would not
+willingly abate in Don Andres, one hour of his life, which has been
+sufficiently long as it is; one grace of his person, if indeed the
+honest cavalier hath any to boast of; or one single perfection of either
+body or mind."
+
+"Thy case is not mine, Beatriz. Thou knowest the Marquis of Moya; hast
+listened to his discourse, and art accustomed to his praises and his
+admiration."
+
+"Holy St. Iago of Spain! Do not distrust any thing, Señora, on account
+of unfamiliarity with such matters--for, of all learning, it is easiest
+to learn to relish praise and admiration!"
+
+"True, daughter"--(for so Isabella often termed her friend, though her
+junior: in later life, and after the princess had become a queen, this,
+indeed, was her usual term of endearment)--"true, daughter, when praise
+and admiration are freely given and fairly merited. But I distrust,
+myself, my claims to be thus viewed, and the feelings with which Don
+Fernando may first behold me. I know--nay, I _feel_ him to be graceful,
+and noble, and valiant, and generous, and good; comely to the eye, and
+strict of duty to our holy religion; as illustrious in qualities as in
+birth; and I tremble to think of my own unsuitableness to be his bride
+and queen."
+
+"God's Justice!--I should like to meet the impudent Aragonese noble that
+would dare to hint as much as this! If Don Fernando is noble, are you
+not nobler, Señora, as coming of the senior branch of the same house; if
+he is young, are you not equally so; if he is wise, are you not wiser;
+if he is comely, are you not more of an angel than a woman; if he is
+valiant, are you not virtuous; if he is graceful, are you not grace
+itself; if he is generous, are you not good, and what is more, are you
+not the very soul of generosity; if he is strict of duty in matters of
+our holy religion, are you not an angel?"
+
+"Good sooth--good sooth--Beatriz, thou art a comforter! I could reprove
+thee for this idle tongue, but I know thee honest."
+
+"This is no more than that deep modesty, honored mistress, which ever
+maketh you quicker to see the merits of others, than to perceive your
+own. Let Don Fernando look to it! Though he come in all the pomp and
+glory of his many crowns, I warrant you we find him a royal maiden in
+Castile, who shall abash him and rebuke his vanity, even while she
+appears before him in the sweet guise of her own meek nature!"
+
+"I have said naught of Don Fernando's vanity, Beatriz--nor do I esteem
+him in the least inclined to so weak a feeling; and as for pomp, we well
+know that gold no more abounds at Zaragosa than at Valladolid, albeit he
+hath many crowns, in possession, and in reserve. Notwithstanding all thy
+foolish but friendly tongue hath uttered, I distrust myself, and not the
+King of Sicily. Methinks I could meet any other prince in Christendom
+with indifference--or, at least, as becometh my rank and sex; but I
+confess, I tremble at the thought of encountering the eyes and opinions
+of my noble cousin."
+
+Beatriz listened with interest; and when her royal mistress ceased
+speaking, she kissed her hand affectionately, and then pressed it to her
+heart.
+
+"Let Don Fernando tremble, rather, Señora, at encountering yours," she
+answered.
+
+"Nay, Beatriz, we know that he hath nothing to dread, for report
+speaketh but too favorably of him. But, why linger here in doubt and
+apprehension, when the staff on which it is my duty to lean, is ready to
+receive its burthen: Father Alonso doubtless waiteth for us, and we will
+now join him."
+
+The princess and her friend now repaired to the chapel of the palace,
+where her confessor celebrated the daily mass. The self-distrust which
+disturbed the feelings of the modest Isabella was appeased by the holy
+rites, or, rather, it took refuge on that rock where she was accustomed
+to place all her troubles, with her sins. As the little assemblage left
+the chapel, one, hot with haste, arrived with the expected, but still
+doubted tidings, that the King of Sicily had reached Dueñas in safety,
+and that, as he was now in the very centre of his supporters, there
+could no longer be any reasonable distrust of the speedy celebration of
+the contemplated marriage.
+
+Isabella was much overcome with this news, and required more than usual
+of the care of Beatriz de Bobadilla, to restore her to that sweet
+serenity of mind and air, which ordinarily rendered her presence as
+attractive as it was commanding. An hour or two spent in meditation and
+prayer, however, finally produced a gentle calm in her feelings, and
+these two friends were again alone, in the very apartment where we first
+introduced them to the reader.
+
+"Hast thou seen Don Andres de Cabrera?" demanded the princess, taking a
+hand from a brow which had been often pressed in a sort of bewildered
+recollection.
+
+Beatriz de Bobadilla blushed--and then she laughed outright, with a
+freedom that the long-established affection of her mistress did not
+rebuke.
+
+"For a youth of thirty, and a cavalier well hacked in the wars of the
+Moors, Don Andres hath a nimble foot," she answered. "He brought hither
+the tidings of the arrival; and with it he brought his own delightful
+person, to show it was no lie. For one so experienced, he hath a strong
+propensity to talk; and so, in sooth, while you, my honored mistress,
+would be in your closet alone, I could but listen to all the marvels of
+the journey. It seems, Señora, that they did not reach Dueñas any too
+soon; for the only purse among them was mislaid, or blown away by the
+wind on account of its lightness."
+
+"I trust this accident hath been repaired. Few of the house of
+Trastamara have much gold at this trying moment, and yet none are wont
+to be entirely without it."
+
+"Don Andres is neither beggar nor miser. He is now in our Castile, where
+I doubt not he is familiar with the Jews and money-lenders; as these
+last must know the full value of his lands, the King of Sicily will not
+want. I hear, too, that the Count of Treviño hath conducted nobly with
+him."
+
+"It shall be well for the Count of Treviño that he hath had this
+liberality. But, Beatriz, bring forth the writing materials; it is meet
+that I, at once, acquaint Don Enriquez with this event, and with my
+purpose of marriage."
+
+"Nay, dearest mistress, this is out of all rule. When a maiden, gentle
+or simple, intendeth marriage against her kinsmen's wishes, it is the
+way to wed first, and to write the letter and ask the blessing when the
+evil is done."
+
+"Go to, light-of-speech! Thou hast spoken; now bring the pens and paper.
+The king is not only my lord and sovereign, but he is my nearest of kin,
+and should be my father."
+
+"And Doña Joanna of Portugal, his royal consort, and our illustrious
+queen, should be your mother; and a fitting guide would she be to any
+modest virgin! No--no--my beloved mistress; your royal mother was the
+Doña Isabella of Portugal--and a very different princess was she from
+this, her wanton niece."
+
+"Thou givest thyself too much license, Doña Beatriz, and forgettest my
+request. I desire to write to my brother the king."
+
+It was so seldom that Isabella spoke sternly, that her friend started,
+and the tears rushed to her eyes at this rebuke; but she procured the
+writing materials, before she presumed to look into Isabella's face, in
+order to ascertain if she were really angered. There all was beautiful
+serenity again; and the Lady of Bobadilla, perceiving that her
+mistress's mind was altogether occupied with the matter before her, and
+that she had already forgotten her displeasure, chose to make no further
+allusion to the subject.
+
+Isabella now wrote her celebrated letter, in which she appeared to
+forget all her natural timidity, and to speak solely as a princess. By
+the treaty of Toros de Guisando, in which, setting aside the claims of
+Joanna of Portugal's daughter, she had been recognized as the heiress of
+the throne, it had been stipulated that she should not marry without the
+king's consent; and she now apologized for the step she was about to
+take, on the substantial plea that her enemies had disregarded the
+solemn compact entered into not to urge her into any union that was
+unsuitable or disagreeable to herself. She then alluded to the political
+advantages that would follow the union of the crowns of Castile and
+Aragon, and solicited the king's approbation of the step she was about
+to take. This letter, after having been submitted to John de Vivero, and
+others of her council, was dispatched by a special messenger--after
+which act the arrangements necessary as preliminaries to a meeting
+between the betrothed were entered into. Castilian etiquette was
+proverbial, even in that age; and the discussion led to a proposal that
+Isabella rejected with her usual modesty and discretion.
+
+"It seemeth to me," said John de Vivero, "that this alliance should not
+take place without some admission, on the part of Don Fernando, of the
+inferiority of Aragon to our own Castile. The house of the latter
+kingdom is but a junior branch of the reigning House of Castile, and the
+former territory of old was admitted to have a dependency on the
+latter."
+
+This proposition was much applauded, until the beautiful and natural
+sentiments of the princess, herself, interposed to expose its weakness
+and its deformities.
+
+"It is doubtless true," she said, "that Don Juan of Aragon is the son of
+the younger brother of my royal grandfather; but he is none the less a
+king. Nay, besides his crown of Aragon--a country, if thou wilt, which
+is inferior to Castile--he hath those of Naples and Sicily; not to speak
+of Navarre, over which he ruleth, although it may not be with too much
+right. Don Fernando even weareth the crown of Sicily, by the
+renunciation of Don Juan; and shall he, a crowned sovereign, make
+concessions to one who is barely a princess, and whom it may never
+please God to conduct to a throne? Moreover, Don John of Vivero, I
+beseech thee to remember the errand that bringeth the King of Sicily to
+Valladolid. Both he and I have two parts to perform, and two characters
+to maintain--those of prince and princess, and those of Christians
+wedded and bound by holy marriage ties. It would ill become one that is
+about to take on herself the duties and obligations of a wife, to begin
+the intercourse with exactions that should be humiliating to the pride
+and self-respect of her lord. Aragon may truly be an inferior realm to
+Castile--but Ferdinand of Aragon is even now every way the equal of
+Isabella of Castile; and when he shall receive my vows, and, with them,
+my duty and my affections"--Isabella's color deepened, and her mild eye
+lighted with a sort of holy enthusiasm--"as befitteth a woman, though an
+infidel, he would become, in some particulars, my superior. Let me,
+then, hear no more of this; for it could not nearly as much pain Don
+Fernando to make the concessions ye require, as it paineth me to hear of
+them."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III.
+
+     "Nice customs curt'sy to great kings. Dear Kate, you and I
+     cannot be confined within the weak list of a country's fashion.
+     We are the makers of manners; and the liberty that follows our
+     places, stops the mouths of all fault-finders."--Henry V.
+
+
+Notwithstanding her high resolution, habitual firmness, and a serenity
+of mind, that seemed to pervade the moral system of Isabella, like a
+deep, quiet current of enthusiasm, but which it were truer to assign to
+the high and fixed principles that guided all her actions, her heart
+beat tumultuously, and her native reserve, which almost amounted to
+shyness, troubled her sorely, as the hour arrived when she was first to
+behold the prince she had accepted for a husband. Castilian etiquette,
+no less than the magnitude of the political interests involved in the
+intended union, had drawn out the preliminary negotiations several days;
+the bridegroom being left, all that time, to curb his impatience to
+behold the princess, as best he might.
+
+On the evening of the 15th of October, 1469, however, every obstacle
+being at length removed, Don Fernando threw himself into the saddle,
+and, accompanied by only four attendants, among whom was Andres de
+Cabrera, he quietly took his way, without any of the usual
+accompaniments of his high rank, toward the palace of John of Vivero, in
+the city of Valladolid. The Archbishop of Toledo was of the faction of
+the princess, and this prelate, a warlike and active partisan, was in
+readiness to receive the accepted suitor, and to conduct him to the
+presence of his mistress.
+
+Isabella, attended only by Beatriz de Bobadilla, was in waiting for the
+interview, in the apartment already mentioned; and by one of those
+mighty efforts that even the most retiring of the sex can make, on great
+occasions, she received her future husband with quite as much of the
+dignity of a princess as of the timidity of a woman. Ferdinand of Aragon
+had been prepared to meet one of singular grace and beauty; but the
+mixture of angelic modesty with a loveliness that almost surpassed that
+of her sex, produced a picture approaching so much nearer to heaven than
+to earth, that, though one of circumspect behavior, and much accustomed
+to suppress emotion, he actually started, and his feet were momentarily
+riveted to the floor, when the glorious vision first met his eye. Then,
+recovering himself, he advanced eagerly, and taking the little hand
+which neither met nor repulsed the attempt, he pressed it to his lips
+with a warmth that seldom accompanies the first interviews of those
+whose passions are usually so factitious.
+
+"This happy moment hath at length arrived, my illustrious and beautiful
+cousin!" he said, with a truth of feeling that went directly to the pure
+and tender heart of Isabella; for no skill in courtly phrases can ever
+give to the accents of deceit, the point and emphasis that belong to
+sincerity. "I have thought it would never arrive; but this blessed
+moment--thanks to our own St. Iago, whom I have not ceased to implore
+with intercessions--more than rewards me for all anxieties."
+
+"I thank my Lord the Prince, and bid him right welcome," modestly
+returned Isabella. "The difficulties that have been overcome, in order
+to effect this meeting, are but types of the difficulties we shall have
+to conquer as we advance through life."
+
+Then followed a few courteous expressions concerning the hopes of the
+princess that her cousin had wanted for nothing, since his arrival in
+Castile, with suitable answers; when Don Ferdinand led her to an
+armed-chair, assuming himself the stool on which Beatriz de Bobadilla
+was wont to be seated, in her familiar intercourse with her royal
+mistress. Isabella, however, sensitively alive to the pretensions of the
+Castilians, who were fond of asserting the superiority of their own
+country over that of Aragon, would not quietly submit to this
+arrangement, but declined to be seated, unless her suitor would take the
+chair prepared for him also, saying--
+
+"It ill befitteth one who hath little more than some royalty of blood,
+and her dependence on God, to be thus placed, while the King of Sicily
+is so unworthily bestowed."
+
+"Let me entreat that it may be so," returned the king. "All
+considerations of earthly rank vanish in this presence; view me as a
+knight, ready and desirous of proving his fealty in any court or field
+of Christendom, and treat me as such."
+
+Isabella, who had that high tact which teaches the precise point where
+breeding becomes neuter and airs commence, blushed and smiled, but no
+longer declined to be seated. It was not so much the mere words of her
+cousin that went to her heart, as the undisguised admiration of his
+looks, the animation of his eye, and the frank sincerity of his manner.
+With a woman's instinct she perceived that the impression she had made
+was favorable, and, with a woman's sensibility, her heart was ready,
+under the circumstances, to dissolve in tenderness at the discovery.
+This mutual satisfaction soon opened the way to a freer conversation;
+and, ere half an hour was passed, the archbishop--who, though officially
+ignorant of the language and wishes of lovers, was practically
+sufficiently familiar with both--contrived to draw the two or three
+courtiers who were present, into an adjoining room, where, though the
+door continued open, he placed them with so much discretion that neither
+eye nor ear could be any restraint on what was passing. As for Beatriz
+de Bobadilla, whom female etiquette required should remain in the same
+room with her royal mistress, she was so much engaged with Andres de
+Cabrera, that half a dozen thrones might have been disposed of between
+the royal pair, and she none the wiser.
+
+Although Isabella did not lose that mild reserve and feminine modesty
+that threw so winning a grace around her person, even to the day of her
+death, she gradually grew more calm as the discourse proceeded; and,
+falling back on her self-respect, womanly dignity, and, not a little, on
+those stores of knowledge that she had been diligently collecting, while
+others similarly situated had wasted their time in the vanities of
+courts, she was quickly at her ease, if not wholly in that tranquil
+state of mind to which she had been accustomed.
+
+"I trust there can now be no longer any delay to the celebration of our
+union by holy church," observed the king, in continuation of the
+subject. "All that can be required of us both, as those entrusted with
+the cares and interests of realms, hath been observed, and I may have a
+claim to look to my own happiness. We are not strangers to each other,
+Doña Isabella; for our grandfathers were brothers, and from infancy up,
+have I been taught to reverence thy virtues, and to strive to emulate
+thy holy duty to God."
+
+"I have not betrothed myself lightly, Don Fernando," returned the
+princess, blushing, even while she assumed the majesty of a queen; "and
+with the subject so fully discussed, the wisdom of the union so fully
+established, and the necessity of promptness so apparent, no idle delays
+shall proceed from me. I had thought that the ceremony might be had on
+the fourth day from this, which will give us both time to prepare for an
+occasion so solemn, by suitable attention to the offices of the church."
+
+"It must be as thou wiliest," said the king, respectfully bowing; "and
+now there remaineth but a few preparations, and we shall have no
+reproaches of forgetfulness. Thou knowest, Doña Isabella, how sorely my
+father is beset by his enemies, and I need scarce tell thee that his
+coffers are empty. In good sooth, my fair cousin, nothing but my earnest
+desire to possess myself, at as early a day as possible, of the precious
+boon that Providence and thy goodness"--
+
+"Mingle not, Don Fernando, any of the acts of God and his providence,
+with the wisdom and petty expedients of his creatures," said Isabella,
+earnestly.
+
+"To seize upon the precious boon, then, that Providence appeared willing
+to bestow," rejoined the king, crossing himself, while he bowed his
+head, as much, perhaps, in deference to the pious feelings of his
+affianced wife, as in deference to a higher Power--"would not admit of
+delay, and we quitted Zaragosa better provided with hearts loyal toward
+the treasures we were to find in Valladolid, than with gold. Even that
+we had, by a mischance, hath gone to enrich some lucky varlet in an
+inn."
+
+"Doña Beatriz de Bobadilla hath acquainted me with the mishap," said
+Isabella, smiling; "and truly we shall commence our married lives with
+but few of the goods of the world in present possession. I have little
+more to offer thee, Fernando, than a true heart, and a spirit that I
+think may be trusted for its fidelity."
+
+"In obtaining thee, my excellent cousin, I obtain sufficient to satisfy
+the desires of any reasonable man. Still, something is due to our rank
+and future prospects, and it shall not be said that thy nuptials passed
+like those of a common subject."
+
+"Under ordinary circumstances it might not appear seemly for one of my
+sex to furnish the means for her own bridal," answered the princess, the
+blood stealing to her face until it crimsoned even her brow and temples;
+maintaining, otherwise, that beautiful tranquillity of mien which marked
+her ordinary manner--"but the well-being of two states depending on our
+union, vain emotions must be suppressed. I am not without jewels, and
+Valladolid hath many Hebrews: thou wilt permit me to part with the
+baubles for such an object."
+
+"So that thou preservest for me the jewel in which that pure mind is
+encased," said the King of Sicily, gallantly, "I care not if I never see
+another. But there will not be this need; for our friends, who have more
+generous souls than well-filled coffers too, can give such warranty to
+the lenders as will procure the means. I charge myself with this duty,
+for henceforth, my cousin--may I not say my betrothed!"--
+
+"The term is even dearer than any that belongeth to blood, Fernando,"
+answered the princess, with a simple sincerity of manner that set at
+nought the ordinary affectations and artificial feelings of her sex,
+while it left the deepest reverence for her modesty--"and we might be
+excused for using it. I trust God will bless our union, not only to our
+own happiness, but to that of our people."
+
+"Then, my betrothed, henceforth we have but a common fortune, and thou
+wilt trust in me for the provision for thy wants."
+
+"Nay, Fernando," answered Isabella, smiling, "imagine what we will, we
+cannot imagine ourselves the children of two hidalgos about to set forth
+in the world with humble dowries. Thou art a king, even now; and by the
+treaty of Toros de Guisando, I am solemnly recognized as the heiress of
+Castile. We must, therefore, have our separate means, as well as our
+separate duties, though I trust hardly our separate interests."
+
+"Thou wilt never find me failing in that respect which is due to thy
+rank, or in that duty which it befitteth me to render thee, as the head
+of our ancient House, next to thy royal brother, the king."
+
+"Thou hast well considered, Don Fernando, the treaty of marriage, and
+accepted cheerfully, I trust, all of its several conditions?"
+
+"As becometh the importance of the measures, and the magnitude of the
+benefit I was to receive."
+
+"I would have them acceptable to thee, as well as expedient; for, though
+so soon to become thy wife, I can never cease to remember that I shall
+be Queen of this country."
+
+"Thou mayest be assured, my beautiful betrothed, that Ferdinand of
+Aragon will be the last to deem thee aught else."
+
+"I look on my duties as coming from God, and on myself as one rigidly
+accountable to him for their faithful discharge. Sceptres may not be
+treated as toys, Fernando, to be trifled with; for man beareth no
+heavier burden, than when he beareth a crown."
+
+"The maxims of our House have not been forgotten in Aragon, my
+betrothed--and I rejoice to find that they are the same in both
+kingdoms."
+
+"We are not to think principally of ourselves in entering upon this
+engagement," continued Isabella, earnestly--"for that would be
+supplanting the duties of princes by the feelings of the lover. Thou
+hast frequently perused, and sufficiently conned the marriage articles,
+I trust?"
+
+"There hath been sufficient leisure for that, my cousin, as they have
+now been signed these nine months."
+
+"If I may have seemed to thee exacting in some particulars," continued
+Isabella, with the same earnest and beautiful simplicity as usually
+marked her deportment in all the relations of life--"it is because the
+duties of a sovereign may not be overlooked. Thou knowest, moreover,
+Fernando, the influence that the husband is wont to acquire over the
+wife, and wilt feel the necessity of my protecting my Castilians, in the
+fullest manner, against my own weaknesses."
+
+"If thy Castilians do not suffer until they suffer from that cause, Doña
+Isabella, their lot will indeed be blessed."
+
+"These are words of gallantry, and I must reprove their use on an
+occasion so serious, Fernando. I am a few months thy senior, and shall
+assume an elder sister's rights, until they are lost in the obligations
+of a wife. Thou hast seen in those articles, how anxiously I would
+protect my Castilians against any supremacy of the stranger. Thou
+knowest that many of the greatest of this realm are opposed to our
+union, through apprehension of Aragonese sway, and wilt observe how
+studiously we have striven to appease their jealousies."
+
+"Thy motives, Doña Isabella, have been understood, and thy wishes in
+this and all other particulars shall be respected."
+
+"I would be thy faithful and submissive wife," returned the princess,
+with an earnest but gentle look at her betrothed; "but I would also that
+Castile should preserve her rights and her independence. What will be
+thy influence, the maiden that freely bestoweth her hand, need hardly
+say; but we must preserve the appearance of separate states."
+
+"Confide in me, my cousin. They who live fifty years hence will say that
+Don Fernando knew how to respect his obligations and to discharge his
+duty."
+
+"There is the stipulation, too, to war upon the Moor. I shall never feel
+that the Christians of Spain have been true to the faith, while the
+follower of the arch-imposter of Mecca remaineth in the peninsula."
+
+"Thou and thy archbishop could not have imposed a more agreeable duty,
+than to place my lance in rest against the infidels. My spurs have been
+gained in those wars, already; and no sooner shall we be crowned, than
+thou wilt see my perfect willingness to aid in driving back the
+miscreants to their original sands."
+
+"There remaineth but one thing more upon my mind, gentle cousin. Thou
+knowest the evil influence that besets my brother, and that it hath
+disaffected a large portion of his nobles as well as of his cities. We
+shall both be sorely tempted to wage war upon him, and to assume the
+sceptre before it pleaseth God to accord it to us, in the course of
+nature. I would have thee respect Don Enriquez, not only as the head of
+our royal house, but as my brother and anointed master. Should evil
+counsellors press him to attempt aught against our persons or rights, it
+will be lawful to resist; but I pray thee, Fernando, on no excuse seek
+to raise thy hand in rebellion against my rightful sovereign."
+
+"Let Don Enriquez, then, be chary of his Beltraneja!" answered the
+prince with warmth. "By St. Peter! I have rights of mine own that come
+before those of that ill-gotten mongrel! The whole House of Trastamara
+hath an interest in stifling that spurious scion which hath been so
+fraudulently engrafted on its princely stock!"
+
+"Thou art warm, Don Fernando, and even the eye of Beatriz de Bobadilla
+reproveth thy heat. The unfortunate Joanna never can impair our rights
+to the throne, for there are few nobles in Castile so unworthy as to
+wish to see the crown bestowed where it is believed the blood of Pelayo
+doth not flow."
+
+"Don Enriquez hath not kept faith with thee, Isabella, since the treaty
+of Toros de Guisando!"
+
+"My brother is surrounded by wicked counsellors--and then,
+Fernando,"--the princess blushed crimson as she spoke--"neither have we
+been able rigidly to adhere to that convention, since one of its
+conditions was that my hand should not be bestowed without the consent
+of the king."
+
+"He hath driven us into this measure, and hath only to reproach himself
+with our failure on this point."
+
+"I endeavor so to view it, though many have been my prayers for
+forgiveness of this seeming breach of faith. I am not superstitious,
+Fernando, else might I think God would frown on a union that is
+contracted in the face of pledges like these. But, it is well to
+distinguish between motives, and we have a right to believe that He who
+readeth the heart, will not judge the well-intentioned severely. Had not
+Don Enriquez attempted to seize my person, with the plain purpose of
+forcing me to a marriage against my will, this decisive step could not
+have been necessary, and would not have been taken."
+
+"I have reason to thank my patron saint, beautiful cousin, that thy will
+was less compliant than thy tyrants had believed."
+
+"I could not plight my troth to the King of Portugal, or to Monsieur de
+Guienne, or to any that they proposed to me, for my future lord,"
+answered Isabella, ingenuously. "It ill befitted royal or noble maidens
+to set up their own inexperienced caprices in opposition to the wisdom
+of their friends, and the task is not difficult for a virtuous wife to
+learn to love her husband, when nature and opinion are not too openly
+violated in the choice; but I have had too much thought for my soul to
+wish to expose it to so severe a trial, in contracting the marriage
+duties."
+
+"I feel that I am only too unworthy of thee, Isabella--but thou must
+train me to be that thou wouldst wish; I can only promise thee a most
+willing and attentive scholar."
+
+The discourse now became more general, Isabella indulging her natural
+curiosity and affectionate nature, by making many inquiries concerning
+her different relatives in Aragon. After the interview had lasted two
+hours or more, the King of Sicily returned to Dueñas, with the same
+privacy as he had observed in entering the town. The royal pair parted
+with feelings of increased esteem and respect, Isabella indulging in
+those gentle anticipations of domestic happiness that more properly
+belong to the tender nature of woman.
+
+The marriage took place, with suitable pomp, on the morning of the 19th
+October, 1469, in the chapel of John de Vivero's palace; no less than
+two thousand persons, principally of condition, witnessing the ceremony.
+Just as the officiating priest was about to commence the offices, the
+eye of Isabella betrayed uneasiness, and turning to the Archbishop of
+Toledo, she said--
+
+"Your grace hath promised that there should be nothing wanting to the
+consent of the church on this solemn occasion. It is known that Don
+Fernando of Aragon and I stand within the prohibited degrees."
+
+"Most true, my Lady Isabella," returned the prelate, with a composed
+mien and a paternal smile. "Happily, our Holy Father Pius hath removed
+this impediment, and the church smileth on this blessed union in every
+particular."
+
+The archbishop then took out of his pocket a dispensation, which he
+read, in a clear, sonorous, steady voice; when every shade disappeared
+from the serene brow of Isabella, and the ceremony proceeded. Years
+elapsed before this pious and submissive Christian princess discovered
+that she had been imposed on, the bull that was then read having been an
+invention of the old King of Aragon and the prelate, not without
+suspicions of a connivance on the part of the bridegroom. This deception
+had been practised from a perfect conviction that the sovereign pontiff
+was too much under the influence of the King of Castile, to consent to
+bestow the boon in opposition to that monarch's wishes. It was several
+years before Sixtus IV. repaired this wrong, by granting a more genuine
+authority.
+
+Nevertheless, Ferdinand and Isabella became man and wife. What followed
+in the next twenty years must be rather glanced at than related. Henry
+IV. resented the step, and vain attempts were made to substitute his
+supposititious child, La Beltraneja, in the place of his sister, as
+successor to the throne. A civil war ensued, during which Isabella
+steadily refused to assume the crown, though often entreated; limiting
+her efforts to the maintenance of her rights as heiress presumptive. In
+1474, or five years after her marriage, Don Henry died, and she then
+became Queen of Castile, though her spurious niece was also proclaimed
+by a small party among her subjects. The war of the succession, as it
+was called, lasted five years longer, when Joanna, or La Beltraneja,
+assumed the veil, and the rights of Isabella were generally
+acknowledged. About the same time, died Don John II., when Ferdinand
+mounted the throne of Aragon. These events virtually reduced the
+sovereignties of the peninsula, which had so long been cut up into petty
+states, to four, viz., the possessions of Ferdinand and Isabella, which
+included Castile, Leon, Aragon, Valencia, and many other of the finest
+provinces of Spain; Navarre, an insignificant kingdom in the Pyrenees;
+Portugal, much as it exists to-day; and Granada, the last abiding-place
+of the Moor, north of the strait of Gibraltar.
+
+Neither Ferdinand, nor his royal consort, was forgetful of that clause
+in their marriage contract, which bound the former to undertake a war
+for the destruction of the Moorish power. The course of events, however,
+caused a delay of many years, in putting this long-projected plan in
+execution; but when the time finally arrived, that Providence which
+seemed disposed to conduct the pious Isabella, through a train of
+important incidents, from the reduced condition in which we have just
+described her to have been, to the summit of human power, did not desert
+its favorite. Success succeeded success--and victory, victory; until the
+Moor had lost fortress after fortress, town after town, and was finally
+besieged in his very capital--his last hold in the peninsula. As the
+reduction of Granada was an event that, in Christian eyes, was to be
+ranked second only to the rescuing of the holy sepulchre from the hands
+of the Infidels, so was it distinguished by some features of
+singularity, that have probably never before marked the course of a
+siege. The place submitted on the 25th November, 1491--twenty-two years
+after the date of the marriage just mentioned, and, it may not be amiss
+to observe, on the very day of the year that has become memorable in the
+annals of this country, as that on which the English, three centuries
+later, reluctantly yielded their last foothold on the coast of the
+republic.
+
+In the course of the preceding summer, while the Spanish forces lay
+before the town, and Isabella, with her children, were anxious witnesses
+of the progress of events, an accident occurred that had well nigh
+proved fatal to the royal family, and brought destruction on the
+Christian arms. The pavillion of the queen took fire, and was consumed,
+placing the whole encampment in the utmost jeopardy. Many of the tents
+of the nobles were also destroyed, and much treasure, in the shape of
+jewelry and plate, was lost, though the injury went no further. In order
+to guard against the recurrence of such an accident, and probably
+viewing the subjection of Granada as the great act of their mutual
+reign--for, as yet, Time threw his veil around the future, and but one
+human eye foresaw the greatest of all the events of the period, which
+was still in reserve--the sovereigns resolved on attempting a work that,
+of itself, would render this siege memorable. The plan of a regular town
+was made, and laborers set about the construction of good substantial
+edifices, in which to lodge the army; thus converting the warfare into
+that of something like city against city. In three months this
+stupendous work was completed, with its avenues, streets, and squares,
+and received the name of Santa Fé, or Holy Faith--an appellation quite
+as well suited to the zeal which could achieve such a work, in the heat
+of a campaign, as to that general reliance on the providence of God
+which animated the Christians in carrying on the war. The construction
+of this place struck terror into the hearts of the Moors, for they
+considered it a proof that their enemies intended to give up the
+conflict only with their lives; and it is highly probable that it had a
+direct and immediate influence on the submission of Boabdil, the King of
+Granada, who yielded the Alhambra a few weeks after the Spaniards had
+taken possession of their new abodes.
+
+Santa Fé still exists, and is visited by the traveller as a place of
+curious origin; while it is rendered remarkable by the fact--real or
+assumed--that it is the only town of any size in Spain, that has never
+been under Moorish sway.
+
+The main incidents of our tale will now transport us to this era, and to
+this scene; all that has been related as yet, being merely introductory
+matter, to prepare the reader for the events that are to follow.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV.
+
+    "What thing a right line is,--the learned know;
+      But how availes that him, who in the right
+    Of life and manners doth desire to grow?
+      What then are all these humane arts, and lights,
+    But seas of errors? In whose depths who sound,
+    Of truth finde only shadowes, and no ground."
+
+    Human Learning.
+
+
+The morning of the 2d of January, 1492, was ushered in with a solemnity
+and pomp that were unusual even in a court and camp as much addicted to
+religious observances and royal magnificence, as that of Ferdinand and
+Isabella. The sun had scarce appeared, when all in the extraordinary
+little city of Santa Fé were afoot, and elate with triumph. The
+negotiations for the surrender of Granada, which had been going on
+secretly for weeks, were terminated; the army and nation had been
+formally apprised of their results, and this was the day set for the
+entry of the conquerors.
+
+The court had been in mourning for Don Alonso of Portugal, the husband
+of the Princess Royal of Castile, who had died a bridegroom; but on this
+joyous occasion the trappings of woe were cast aside, and all appeared
+in their gayest and most magnificent apparel. At an hour that was still
+early, the Grand Cardinal moved forward, ascending what is called the
+Hill of Martyrs, at the head of a strong body of troops, with a view to
+take possession. While making the ascent, a party of Moorish cavaliers
+was met; and at their head rode one in whom, by the dignity of his mien
+and the anguish of his countenance, it was easy to recognize the mental
+suffering of Boabdil, or Abdallah, the deposed monarch. The cardinal
+pointed out the position occupied by Ferdinand, who, with that admixture
+of piety and worldly policy which were so closely interwoven in his
+character, had refused to enter within the walls of the conquered city,
+until the symbol of Christ had superseded the banners of Mahomet; and
+who had taken his station at some distance from the gates, with a
+purpose and display of humility that were suited to the particular
+fanaticism of the period. As the interview that occurred has often been
+related, and twice quite recently by distinguished writers of our own
+country, it is unnecessary to dwell on it here. Abdallah next sought the
+presence of the purer-minded and gentle Isabella, where his reception,
+with less affection of the character, had more of the real charity and
+compassion of the Christian; when he went his way toward that pass in
+the mountains that has ever since been celebrated as the point where he
+took his last view of the palaces and towers of his fathers, from which
+it has obtained the poetical and touching name of El Ultimo Suspiro Del
+Moro.
+
+Although the passage of the last King of Granada, from his palace to the
+hills, was in no manner delayed, as it was grave and conducted with
+dignity, it consequently occupied some time. These were hours in which
+the multitude covered the highways, and the adjacent fields were
+garnished with a living throng, all of whom kept their eyes riveted on
+the towers of the Alhambra, where the signs of possession were anxiously
+looked for by every good Catholic who witnessed the triumph of his
+religion.
+
+Isabella, who had made this conquest a condition in the articles of
+marriage--whose victory in truth it was--abstained, with her native
+modesty, from pressing forward on this occasion. She had placed herself
+at some distance in the rear of the position of Ferdinand.
+Still--unless, indeed, we except the long-coveted towers of the
+Alhambra--she was the centre of attraction. She appeared in royal
+magnificence, as due to the glory of the occasion; her beauty always
+rendered her an object of admiration; her mildness, inflexible justice,
+and unyielding truth, had won all hearts; and she was really the person
+who was most to profit by the victory, Granada being attached to her own
+crown of Castile, and not to that of Aragon, a country that possessed
+little or no contiguous territory.
+
+Previously to the appearance of Abdallah, the crowd moved freely, in all
+directions; multitudes of civilians having flocked to the camp to
+witness the entry. Among others were many friars, priests, and
+monks--the war, indeed, having the character of a crusade. The throng of
+the curious was densest near the person of the queen, where, in truth,
+the magnificence of the court was the most imposing. Around this spot,
+in particular, congregated most of the religious, for they felt that the
+pious mind of Isabella created a sort of moral atmosphere in and near
+her presence, that was peculiarly suited to their habits, and favorable
+to their consideration. Among others, was a friar of prepossessing mien,
+and, in fact, of noble birth, who had been respectfully addressed as
+Father Pedro, by several grandees, as he made his way from the immediate
+presence of the queen, to a spot where the circulation was easier. He
+was accompanied by a youth of an air so much superior to that of most of
+those who did not appear that day in the saddle, that he attracted
+general attention. Although not more than twenty, it was evident, from
+his muscular frame, and embrowned but florid cheeks, that he was
+acquainted with exposure; and by his bearing, many thought,
+notwithstanding he did not appear in armor on an occasion so peculiarly
+military, that both his mien and his frame had been improved by
+familiarity with war. His attire was simple, as if he rather avoided
+than sought observation, but it was, nevertheless, such as was worn by
+none but the noble. Several of those who watched this youth, as he
+reached the less confined portions of the crowd, had seen him received
+graciously by Isabella, whose hand he had even been permitted to kiss, a
+favor that the formal and fastidious court of Castile seldom bestowed
+except on the worthy, or on those, at least, who were unusually
+illustrious from their birth. Some whispered that he was a Guzman, a
+family that was almost royal; while others thought that he might be a
+Ponce, a name that had got to be one of the first in Spain, through the
+deeds of the renowned Marquis-Duke of Cadiz, in this very war; while
+others, again, affected to discern in his lofty brow, firm step, and
+animated eye, the port and countenance of a Mendoza.
+
+It was evident that the subject of all these commentaries was
+unconscious of the notice that was attracted by his vigorous form,
+handsome face, and elastic, lofty tread; for, like one accustomed to be
+observed by inferiors, his attention was confined to such objects as
+amused his eye, or pleased his fancy, while he lent a willing ear to the
+remarks that, from time to time, fell from the lips of his reverend
+companion.
+
+"This is a most blessed and glorious day for Christianity!" observed the
+friar, after a pause a little longer than common. "An impious reign of
+seven hundred years hath expired, and the Moor is at length lowered from
+his pride; while the cross is elevated above the banners of the false
+prophet. Thou hast had ancestors, my son, who might almost arise from
+their tombs, and walk the earth in exultation, if the tidings of these
+changes were permitted to reach the souls of Christians long since
+departed."
+
+"The Blessed Maria intercede for them, father, that they may not be
+disturbed, even to see the Moor unhoused; for I doubt much, agreeable as
+the Infidel hath made it, if they find Granada as pleasant as Paradise."
+
+"Son Don Luis, thou hast got much levity of speech, in thy late
+journeyings; and I doubt if thou art as mindful of thy paters and
+confessions, as when under the care of thy excellent mother, of sainted
+memory!"
+
+This was not only said reprovingly, but with a warmth that amounted
+nearly to anger.
+
+"Chide me not so warmly, father, for a lightness of speech that cometh
+of youthful levity, rather than of disrespect for holy church. Nay, thou
+rebukest warmly, and then, as I come like a penitent to lay my
+transgressions before thee, and to seek absolution, thou fastenest thine
+eye on vacancy, and gazest as if one of the spirits of which thou so
+lately spokest actually had arisen and come to see the Moor crack his
+heart strings at quitting his beloved Alhambra!"
+
+"Dost see that man, Luis!" demanded the friar, still gazing in a fixed
+direction, though he made no gesture to indicate to which particular
+individual of the many who were passing in all directions, he especially
+alluded.
+
+"By my veracity, I see a thousand, father, though not one to fasten the
+eye as if he were fresh from Paradise. Would it be exceeding discretion
+to ask who or what hath thus riveted thy gaze?"
+
+"Dost see yonder person of high and commanding stature, and in whom
+gravity and dignity are so singularly mingled with an air of poverty;
+or, if not absolutely of poverty--for he is better clad, and, seemingly,
+in more prosperity now, than I remember ever to have seen him--still,
+evidently not of the rich and noble; while his bearing and carriage
+would seem to bespeak him at least a monarch?"
+
+"I think I now perceive him thou meanest, father; a man of very grave
+and reverend appearance, though of simple deportment. I see nothing
+extravagant, or ill-placed, either in his attire, or in his bearing."
+
+"I mean not that; but there is a loftiness in his dignified countenance
+that one is not accustomed to meet in those who are unused to power."
+
+"To me, he hath the air and dress of a superior navigator, or pilot--of
+a man accustomed to the seas--ay, he hath sundry symbols about him that
+bespeak such a pursuit."
+
+"Thou art right, Don Luis, for such is his calling. He cometh of Genoa,
+and his name is Christoval Colon; or, as they term it in Italy,
+Christoforo Colombo."
+
+"I remember to have heard of an admiral of that name, who did good
+service in the wars of the south, and who formerly led a fleet into the
+far east."
+
+"This is not he, but one of humbler habits, though possibly of the same
+blood, seeing that both are derived from the identical place. This is no
+admiral, though he would fain become one--ay, even a king!"
+
+"The man is, then, either of a weak mind, or of a light ambition."
+
+"He is neither. In mind, he hath outdone many of our most learned
+churchmen; and it is due to his piety to say that a more devout
+Christian doth not exist in Spain. It is plain, son, that thou hast been
+much abroad, and little at court, or thou wouldst have known the history
+of this extraordinary being, at the mention of his name, which has been
+the source of merriment for the frivolous and gay this many a year, and
+which has thrown the thoughtful and prudent into more doubts than many a
+fierce and baneful heresy."
+
+"Thou stirrest my curiosity, father, by such language. Who and what is
+the man?"
+
+"An enigma, that neither prayers to the Virgin, the learning of the
+cloisters, nor a zealous wish to reach the truth, hath enabled me to
+read. Come hither, Luis, to this bit of rock, where we can be seated,
+and I will relate to thee the opinions that render this being so
+extraordinary. Thou must know, son, it is now seven years since this man
+first appeared among us. He sought employment as a discoverer,
+pretending that, by steering out into the ocean, on a western course,
+for a great and unheard-of distance, he could reach the farther Indies,
+with the rich island of Cipango, and the kingdom of Cathay, of which one
+Marco Polo hath left us some most extraordinary legends!"
+
+"By St. James of blessed memory! the man must be short of his wits!"
+interrupted Don Luis, laughing. "In what way could this thing be, unless
+the earth were round--the Indies lying east, and not west of us?"
+
+"That hath been often objected to his notions; but the man hath ready
+answers to much weightier arguments."
+
+"What weightier than this can be found? Our own eyes tell us that the
+earth is flat."
+
+"Therein he differeth from most men--and to own the truth, son Luis, not
+without some show of reason. He is a navigator, as thou wilt understand,
+and he replies that, on the ocean, when a ship is seen from afar, her
+upper sails are first perceived, and that as she draweth nearer, her
+lower sails, and finally her hull cometh into view. But thou hast been
+over sea, and may have observed something of this?"
+
+"Truly have I, father. While mounting the English sea, we met a gallant
+cruiser of the king's, and, as thou said'st, we first perceived her
+upper sail, a white speck upon the water; then followed sail after sail,
+until we came nigh and saw her gigantic hull, with a very goodly show of
+bombards and cannon--some twenty at least, in all."
+
+"Then thou agreest with this Colon, and thinkest the earth round?"
+
+"By St. George of England! not I. I have seen too much of the world, to
+traduce its fair surface in so heedless a manner. England, France,
+Burgundy, Germany, and all those distant countries of the north, are
+just as level and flat as our own Castile."
+
+"Why, then, didst thou see the upper sails of the Englishman first?"
+
+"Why, father--why--because they were first visible. Yes, because they
+came first into view."
+
+"Do the English put the largest of their sails uppermost on the masts?"
+
+"They would be fools if they did. Though no great navigators--our
+neighbors the Portuguese, and the people of Genoa, exceeding all others
+in that craft--though no great navigators, the English are not so
+surpassingly stupid. Thou wilt remember the force of the winds, and
+understand that the larger the sail the lower should be its position."
+
+"Then how happened it that thou sawest the smaller object before the
+larger?"
+
+"Truly, excellent Fray Pedro, thou hast not conversed with this
+Christoforo for nothing! A question is not a reason."
+
+"Socrates was fond of questions, son; but _he_ expected answers."
+
+"_Peste!_ as they say at the court of King Louis. I am not Socrates, my
+good father, but thy old pupil and kinsman, Luis de Bobadilla, the
+truant nephew of the queen's favorite, the Marchioness of Moya, and as
+well-born a cavalier as there is in Spain--though somewhat given to
+roving, if my enemies are to be believed."
+
+"Neither thy pedigree, thy character, nor thy vagaries, need be given to
+me, Don Luis de Bobadilla, since I have known thee and thy career from
+childhood. Thou hast one merit that none will deny thee, and that is, a
+respect for truth; and never hast thou more completely vindicated thy
+character, in this particular, than when thou saidst thou were not
+Socrates."
+
+The worthy friar's good-natured smile, as he made this sally, took off
+some of its edge; and the young man laughed, as if too conscious of his
+own youthful follies to resent what he heard.
+
+"But, dear Fray Pedro, lay aside thy government, for once, and stoop to
+a rational discourse with me on this extraordinary subject. _Thou_,
+surely, wilt not pretend that the earth is round?"
+
+"I do not go as far as some, on this point, Luis, for I see difficulties
+with Holy Writ, by the admission. Still, this matter of the sails much
+puzzleth me, and I have often felt a desire to go from one port to
+another, by sea, in order to witness it. Were it not for the exceeding
+nausea that I ever feel in a boat, I might attempt the experiment."
+
+"That would be a worthy consummation of all thy wisdom!" exclaimed the
+young man, laughing. "Fray Pedro de Carrascal turned rover, like his old
+pupil, and that, too, astride a vagary! But set thy heart at rest, my
+honored kinsman and excellent instructor, for I can save thee the
+trouble. In all my journeyings, by sea and by land--and thou knowest
+that, for my years, they have been many--I have ever found the earth
+flat, and the ocean the flattest portion of it, always excepting a few
+turbulent and uneasy waves."
+
+"No doubt it so seemeth to the eye; but this Colon, who hath voyaged far
+more than thou, thinketh otherwise. He contendeth that the earth is a
+sphere, and that, by sailing west, he can reach points that have been
+already attained by journeying east."
+
+"By San Lorenzo! but the idea is a bold one! Doth the man really propose
+to venture out into the broad Atlantic, and even to cross it to some
+distant and unknown land?"
+
+"That is his very idea; and for seven weary years hath he solicited the
+court to furnish him with the means. Nay, as I hear, he hath passed much
+more time--other seven years, perhaps--in urging his suit in different
+lands."
+
+"If the earth be round," continued Don Luis, with a musing air, "what
+preventeth all the water from flowing to the lower parts of it? How is
+it, that we have any seas at all? and if, as thou hast hinted, he
+deemeth the Indies on the other side, how is it that their people stand
+erect?--it cannot be done without placing the feet uppermost."
+
+"That difficulty hath been presented to Colon, but he treateth it
+lightly. Indeed, most of our churchmen are getting to believe that there
+is no up, or down, except as it relateth to the surface of the earth; so
+that no great obstacle existeth in that point."
+
+"Thou would'st not have me understand, father, that a man can walk on
+his head--and that, too, with the noble member in the air? By San
+Francisco! thy men of Cathay must have talons like a cat, or they would
+be falling, quickly!"
+
+"Whither, Luis?"
+
+"Whither, Fray Pedro?--to Tophet, or the bottomless pit. It can never be
+that men walk on their heads, heels uppermost, with no better foundation
+than the atmosphere. The caravels, too, must sail on their masts--and
+that would be rare navigation! What would prevent the sea from tumbling
+out of its bed, and falling on the Devil's fires and extinguishing
+them?"
+
+"Son Luis," interrupted the monk, gravely, "thy lightness of speech is
+carried too far. But, if thou so much deridest the opinion of this
+Colon, what are thine own notions of the formation of this earth, that
+God hath so honored with his spirit and his presence?"
+
+"That it is as flat as the buckler of the Moor I slew in the last
+sortie, which is as flat as steel can hammer iron."
+
+"Dost thou think it hath limits?"
+
+"That do I--and please heaven, and Doña Mercedes de Valverde, I will see
+them before I die!"
+
+"Then thou fanciest there is an edge, or precipice, at the four sides of
+the world, which men may reach, and where they can stand and look off,
+as from an exceeding high platform?"
+
+"The picture doth not lose, father, for the touch of thy pencil! I have
+never bethought me of this before; and yet some such spot there must be,
+one would think. By San Fernando, himself! that would be a place to try
+the metal of even Don Alonso de Ojeda, who might stand on the margin of
+the earth, put his foot on a cloud, and cast an orange to the moon!"
+
+"Thou hast bethought thee little of any thing serious, I fear, Luis; but
+to me, this opinion and this project of Colon are not without merit. I
+see but two serious objections to them, one of which is, the difficulty
+connected with Holy Writ; and the other, the vast and incomprehensible,
+nay, useless, extent of the ocean that must necessarily separate us from
+Cathay; else should we long since have heard from that quarter of the
+world."
+
+"Do the learned favor the man's notions?"
+
+"The matter hath been seriously argued before a council held at
+Salamanca, where men were much divided upon it. One serious obstacle is
+the apprehension that should the world prove to be round, and could a
+ship even succeed in getting to Cathay by the west, there would be great
+difficulty in her ever returning, since there must be, in some manner,
+an ascent and a descent. I must say that most men deride this Colon; and
+I fear he will never reach his island of Cipango, as he doth not seem in
+the way even to set forth on the journey. I marvel that he should now be
+here, it having been said he had taken his final departure for
+Portugal."
+
+"Dost thou say, father, that the man hath long been in Spain?" demanded
+Don Luis, gravely, with his eye riveted on the dignified form of
+Columbus, who stood calmly regarding the gorgeous spectacle of the
+triumph, at no great distance from the rock where the two had taken
+their seats.
+
+"Seven weary years hath he been soliciting the rich and the great to
+furnish him with the means of undertaking his favorite voyage."
+
+"Hath he the gold to prefer so long a suit?"
+
+"By his appearance, I should think him poor--nay, I know that he hath
+toiled for bread, at the occupation of a map-maker. One hour he hath
+passed in arguing with philosophers and in soliciting princes, while the
+next hath been occupied in laboring for the food that he hath taken for
+sustenance."
+
+"Thy description, father, hath whetted curiosity to so keen an edge,
+that I would fain speak with this Colon. I see he remaineth yonder, in
+the crowd, and will go and tell him that I, too, am somewhat of a
+navigator, and will extract from him a few of his peculiar ideas."
+
+"And in what manner wilt thou open the acquaintance, son?"
+
+"By telling him that I am Don Luis de Bobadilla, the nephew of the Doña
+Beatriz of Moya, and a noble of one of the best houses of Castile."
+
+"And this, thou thinkest, will suffice for thy purpose, Luis!" returned
+the friar, smiling. "No--no--my son; this may do with most map-sellers,
+but it will not effect thy wishes with yonder Christoval Colon. That man
+is so filled with the vastness of his purposes; is so much raised up
+with the magnitude of the results that his mind intently contemplateth,
+day and night; seemeth so conscious of his own powers, that even kings
+and princes can, in no manner, lessen his dignity. That which thou
+proposest, Don Fernando, our honored master, might scarcely attempt, and
+hope to escape without some rebuke of manner, if not of tongue."
+
+"By all the blessed saints! Fray Pedro, thou givest an extraordinary
+account of this man, and only increasest the desire to know him. Wilt
+thou charge thyself with the introduction?"
+
+"Most willingly, for I wish to inquire what hath brought him back to
+court, whence, I had understood, he lately went, with the intent to go
+elsewhere with his projects. Leave the mode in my hands, son Luis, and
+we will see what can be accomplished."
+
+The friar and his mercurial young companion now arose from their seats
+on the rock, and threaded the throng, taking the direction necessary to
+approach the man who had been the subject of their discourse, and still
+remained that of their thoughts. When near enough to speak, Fray Pedro
+stopped, and stood patiently waiting for a moment when he might catch
+the navigator's eye. This did not occur for several minutes, the looks
+of Colon being riveted on the towers of the Alhambra, where, at each
+instant, the signal of possession was expected to appear; and Luis de
+Bobadilla, who, truant, and errant, and volatile, and difficult to curb,
+as he had proved himself to be, never forgot his illustrious birth and
+the conventional distinctions attached to personal rank, began to
+manifest his impatience at being kept so long dancing attendance on a
+mere map-seller and a pilot. He in vain urged his companion to advance,
+however; but one of his own hurried movements at length drew aside the
+look of Columbus, when the eyes of the latter and of the friar met, and
+being old acquaintances, they saluted in the courteous manner of the
+age.
+
+"I felicitate you, Señor Colon, on the glorious termination of this
+siege, and rejoice that you are here to witness it, as I had heard
+affairs of magnitude had called you to another country."
+
+"The hand of God, father, is to be traced in all things. You perceive in
+this success the victory of the cross; but to me it conveyeth a lesson
+of perseverance, and sayeth as plainly as events can speak, that what
+God hath decreed, must come to pass."
+
+"I like your application, Señor; as, indeed, I do most of your thoughts
+on our holy religion. Perseverance is truly necessary to salvation; and
+I doubt not that a fitting symbol to the same may be found in the manner
+in which our pious sovereigns have conducted this war, as well as in its
+glorious termination."
+
+"True, father; and also doth it furnish a symbol to the fortunes of all
+enterprises that have the glory of God and the welfare of the church in
+view," answered Colon, or Columbus, as the name has been Latinized; his
+eye kindling with that latent fire which seems so deeply seated in the
+visionary and the enthusiast. "It may seem out of reason to you, to make
+such applications of these great events; but the triumph of their
+Highnesses this day, marvellously encourageth me to persevere, and not
+to faint, in my own weary pilgrimage, both leading to triumphs of the
+cross."
+
+"Since you are pleased to speak of your own schemes, Señor Colon,"
+returned the friar, ingenuously, "I am not sorry that the matter hath
+come up between us; for here is a youthful kinsman of mine, who hath
+been somewhat of a rover, himself, in the indulgence of a youthful
+fancy, that neither friends nor yet love could restrain; and having
+heard of your noble projects, he is burning with a desire to learn more
+of them from your own mouth, should it suit your condescension so to
+indulge him."
+
+"I am always happy to yield to the praiseworthy wishes of the young and
+adventurous, and shall cheerfully communicate to your young friend all
+he may desire to know," answered Columbus, with a simplicity and dignity
+that at once put to flight all the notions of superiority and affability
+with which Don Luis had intended to carry on the conversation, and which
+had the immediate effect to satisfy the young man that he was to be the
+obliged and honored party, in the intercourse that was to follow. "But,
+Señor, you have forgotten to give me the name of the cavalier."
+
+"It is Don Luis de Bobadilla, a youth whose best claims to your notice,
+perhaps, are, a most adventurous and roving spirit, and the fact that he
+may call your honored friend, the Marchioness of Moya, his aunt."
+
+"Either would be sufficient, father. I love the spirit of adventure in
+the youthful; for it is implanted, no doubt, by God, in order that they
+may serve his all-wise and beneficent designs; and it is of such as
+these that my own chief worldly stay and support must be found. Then,
+next to Father Juan Perez de Marchena and Señor Alonzo de Quintanilla,
+do I esteem Doña Beatriz, among my fastest friends; her kinsman,
+therefore, will be certain of my esteem and respect."
+
+All this sounded extraordinary to Don Luis; for, though the dress and
+appearance of this unknown stranger, who even spoke the Castilian with a
+foreign accent, were respectable, he had been told he was merely a
+pilot, or navigator, who earned his bread by toil; and it was not usual
+for the noblest of Castile to be thus regarded, as it might be, with a
+condescending favor, by any inferior to those who could claim the blood
+and lineage of princes. At first he was disposed to resent the words of
+the stranger; then to laugh in his face; but, observing that the friar
+treated him with great deference, and secretly awed by the air of the
+reputed projector, he was not only successful in maintaining a suitable
+deportment, but he made a proper and courteous reply, such as became his
+name and breeding. The three then retired together, a little aloof from
+the thickest of the throng, and found seats, also, on one of the rocks,
+of which so many were scattered about the place.
+
+"Don Luis hath visited foreign lands, you say, father," said Columbus,
+who did not fail to lead the discourse, like one entitled to it by rank,
+or personal claims, "and hath a craving for the wonders and dangers of
+the ocean?"
+
+"Such hath been either his merit or his fault, Señor; had he listened to
+the wishes of Doña Beatriz, or to my advice, he would not have thrown
+aside his knightly career for one so little in unison with his training
+and birth."
+
+"Nay, father, you treat the youth with unmerited severity; he who
+passeth a life on the ocean, cannot be said to pass it in either an
+ignoble or a useless manner. God separated different countries by vast
+bodies of water, not with any intent to render their people strangers to
+each other, but, doubtless, that they might meet amid the wonders with
+which he hath adorned the ocean, and glorify his name and power so much
+the more. We all have our moments of thoughtlessness in youth--a period
+when we yield to our impulses rather than to our reason; and as I
+confess to mine, I am little disposed to bear too hard on Señor Don
+Luis, that he hath had his."
+
+"You have probably battled with the Infidel, by sea, Señor Colon,"
+observed the young man, not a little embarrassed as to the manner in
+which he should introduce the subject he most desired.
+
+"Ay, and by land, too, son"--the familiarity startled the young noble,
+though he could not take offence at it--"and by land, too. The time hath
+been, when I had a pleasure in relating my perils and escapes, which
+have been numerous, both from war and tempests; but, since the power of
+God hath awakened my spirit to mightier things, that his will may be
+done, and his word spread throughout the whole earth, my memory ceaseth
+to dwell on them." Fray Pedro crossed himself, and Don Luis smiled and
+shrugged his shoulders, as one is apt to do when he listens to any thing
+extravagant; but the navigator proceeded in the earnest, grave manner
+that appeared to belong to his character. "It is now very many years
+since I was engaged in that remarkable combat between the forces of my
+kinsman and namesake, the younger Colombo, as he was called, to
+distinguish him from his uncle, the ancient admiral of the same name,
+which took place not far north from Cape St. Vincent. On that bloody
+day, we contended with the foe--Venetians, richly laden--from morn till
+even, and yet the Lord carried me through the hot contest unharmed. On
+another occasion, the galley in which I fought was consumed by fire, and
+I had to find my way to land--no trifling distance--by the aid of an
+oar. To me, it seemeth that the hand of God was in this, and that he
+would not have taken so signal and tender a care of one of his
+insignificant creatures, unless to use him largely for his own honor and
+glory."
+
+Although the eye of the navigator grew brighter as he uttered this, and
+his cheek flushed with a species of holy enthusiasm, it was impossible
+to confound one so grave, so dignified, so measured even in his
+exaggerations (if such they were), with the idle and light-minded, who
+mistake momentary impulses for indelible impressions, and passing
+vanities for the convictions that temper character. Fray Pedro, instead
+of smiling, or in any manner betraying that he regarded the other's
+opinions lightly, devoutly crossed himself again, and showed by the
+sympathy expressed in his countenance, how much he entered into the
+profound religious faith of the speaker.
+
+"The ways of God are often mysterious to his creatures," said the friar;
+"but we are taught that they all lead to the exaltation of his name and
+to the glory of his attributes."
+
+"It is so that I consider it, father; and with such views have I always
+regarded my own humble efforts to honor him. We are but instruments, and
+useless instruments, too, when we look at how little proceedeth from our
+own spirits and power."
+
+"There cometh the blessed symbol that is our salvation and guide!"
+exclaimed the friar, holding out both arms eagerly, as if to embrace
+some distant object in the heavens, immediately falling to his knees,
+and bowing his shaven and naked head, in deep humility, to the earth.
+
+Columbus turned his eyes in the direction indicated by his companion's
+gestures, and he beheld the large silver cross that the sovereigns had
+carried with them throughout the late war, as a pledge of its objects,
+glittering on the principal tower of the Alhambra. At the next instant,
+the banners of Castile and of St. James were unfolded from other
+elevated places. Then came the song of triumph, mingled with the chants
+of the church. Te Deum was sung, and the choirs of the royal chapel
+chanted in the open fields the praises of the Lord of Hosts. A scene of
+magnificent religious pomp, mingled with martial array, followed, that
+belongs rather to general history than to the particular and private
+incidents of our tale.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V.
+
+    "Who hath not proved how feebly words essay
+    To fix one spark of beauty's heavenly ray?
+    Who doth not feel, until his failing sight
+    Faints into dimness with its own delight,
+    His changing cheek, his sinking heart confess
+    The might--the majesty of loveliness!"
+
+    Byron.
+
+
+That night the court of Castile and Aragon slept in the palace of the
+Alhambra. As soon as the religious ceremony alluded to in the last
+chapter had terminated, the crowd rushed into the place, and the princes
+followed, with a dignity and state better suited to their high
+character. The young Christian nobles, accompanied by their wives and
+sisters--for the presence of Isabella, and the delay that attended the
+surrender, had drawn together a vast many of the gentler sex, in
+addition to those whose duty it was to accompany their royal
+mistress--hurried eagerly through the celebrated courts and fretted
+apartments of this remarkable residence; nor was curiosity appeased even
+when night came to place a temporary stay to its indulgence. The Court
+of the Lions in particular, a place still renowned throughout
+Christendom for its remains of oriental beauty, had been left by Boabdil
+in the best condition; and, although it was midwinter, by the aid of
+human art it was even then gay with flowers; while the adjacent halls,
+those of the Two Sisters and of Abencerrages, were brilliant with light,
+and alive with warriors and courtiers, dignified priests and luxuriant
+beauty.
+
+Although no Spanish eye could be otherwise than familiar with the light
+peculiar graces of Moorish architecture, these of the Alhambra so much
+surpassed those of any other palace which had been erected by the
+Mussulman dynasties of that part of the world, that their glories struck
+the beholders with the freshness of novelty, as well as with the
+magnificence of royalty. The rich conceits in stucco, an art of eastern
+origin then little understood in Christendom; the graceful and fanciful
+arabesques--which, improved on by the fancies of some of the greatest
+geniuses the world ever saw, have descended to our own times, and got to
+be so familiar in Europe, though little known on this side of the
+Atlantic--decorated the walls, while brilliant fountains cast their
+waters into the air, and fell in glittering spray, resembling diamonds.
+
+Among the throng that moved through this scene of almost magical beauty,
+was Beatriz de Bobadilla, who had long been the wife of Don Andres de
+Cabrera, and was now generally known as the Marchioness of Moya; the
+constant, near, and confidential friend of the queen, a character she
+retained until her royal mistress was numbered with the dead. On her arm
+leaned lightly a youthful female, of an appearance so remarkable, that
+few strangers would have passed her without turning to take a second
+look at features and a countenance that were seldom seen and forgotten.
+This was Doña Mercedes de Valverde, one of the noblest and richest
+heiresses of Castile; the relative, ward, and adopted daughter of the
+queen's friend--favorite being hardly the term one would apply to the
+relation in which Doña Beatriz stood toward Isabella. It was not the
+particular beauty of Doña Mercedes, however, that rendered her
+appearance so remarkable and attractive; for, though feminine, graceful,
+of exquisite form, and even of pleasing features, there were many in
+that brilliant court who would generally be deemed fairer. But no other
+maiden of Castile had a countenance so illuminated by the soul within,
+or no other female face habitually wore so deep an impression of
+sentiment and sensibility; and the professed physiognomist would have
+delighted to trace the evidences of a deeply-seated, earnest, but
+unobtrusive enthusiasm, which even cast a shade of melancholy over a
+face that fortune and the heart had equally intended should be sunny and
+serene. Serene it was, notwithstanding; the shadow that rested on it
+seeming to soften and render interesting its expression, rather than to
+disturb its tranquillity or to cloud its loveliness.
+
+On the other side of the noble matron walked Luis de Bobadilla, keeping
+a little in advance of his aunt, in a way to permit his own dark,
+flashing looks to meet, whenever feeling and modesty would allow it, the
+fine, expressive blue eyes of Mercedes. The three conversed freely, for
+the royal personages had retired to their private apartments, and each
+group of passengers was so much entranced with the novelty of its
+situation and its own conversation, as to disregard the remarks of
+others.
+
+"This is a marvel, Luis," observed Doña Beatriz, in continuation of a
+subject that evidently much interested them all, "that thou, a truant
+and a rover thyself, should now have heard for the first time of this
+Colon! It is many years since he has been soliciting their Highnesses
+for their royal aid in effecting his purposes. The matter of his schemes
+was solemnly debated before a council at Salamanca; and he hath not been
+without believers at the Court itself."
+
+"Among whom is to be classed Doña Beatriz de Cabrera," said Mercedes,
+with that melancholy smile that had the effect to bring out glimpses of
+all the deep but latent feeling that lay concealed beneath the surface:
+"I have often heard Her Highness declare that Colon hath no truer friend
+in Castile."
+
+"Her Highness is seldom mistaken, child--and never in my heart. I do
+uphold the man; for to me he seemeth one fitted for some great and
+honorable undertaking; and surely none greater hath ever been proposed
+or imagined by human mind, than this he urgeth. Think of our becoming
+acquainted with the nations of the other side of the earth, and of
+finding easy and direct means of communicating with them, and of
+imparting to them the consolations of Holy Church!"
+
+"Ay, Señora my aunt," cried Luis, laughing, "and of walking in their
+delightful company with all our heels in the air, and our heads
+downward! I hope this Colon hath not neglected to practice a little in
+the art, for it will need some time to gain a sure foot, in such
+circumstances. He might commence on the sides of these mountains, by way
+of a horn-book, throwing the head boldly off at a right-angle; after
+which, the walls and towers of this Alhambra would make a very pretty
+grammar, or stepping-stone to new progress."
+
+Mercedes had unconsciously but fervently pressed the arm of her
+guardian, as Doña Beatriz admitted her interest in the success of the
+great project; but at this sally of Don Luis, she looked serious, and
+threw a glance at him, that he himself felt to be reproachful. To win
+the love of his aunt's ward was the young man's most ardent wish; and a
+look of dissatisfaction could at any moment repress that exuberance of
+spirits which often led him into an appearance of levity that did
+injustice to the really sterling qualities of both his heart and mind.
+Under the influence of that look, then, he was not slow to repair the
+wrong he had done himself, by adding almost as soon as he had ceased to
+speak--
+
+"The Doña Mercedes is of the discovering party, too, I see; this Colon
+appeareth to have had more success with the dames of Castile than with
+her nobles"--
+
+"Is it extraordinary, Don Luis," interrupted the pensive-looking girl,
+"that women should have more confidence in merit, more generous
+impulses, more zeal for God, than men?"
+
+"It must be even so, since you and my aunt, Doña Beatriz, side with the
+navigator. But I am not always to be understood in the light I express
+myself;" Mercedes now smiled, but this time it was archly--"I have never
+studied with the minstrels, nor, sooth to say, deeply with the
+churchmen. To be honest with you, I have been much struck with this
+noble idea; and if Señor Colon doth, in reality, sail in quest of Cathay
+and the Indies, I shall pray their Highnesses to let me be one of the
+party, for, now that the Moor is subdued, there remaineth little for a
+noble to do in Spain."
+
+"If thou should'st really go on this expedition," said Doña Beatriz,
+with grave irony, "there will, at least, be one human being topsy-turvy,
+in the event of thy reaching Cathay. But yonder is an attendant of the
+court; I doubt if Her Highness doth not desire my presence."
+
+The Lady of Moya was right--the messenger coming to announce to her that
+the queen required her attendance. The manners of the day and country
+rendered it unseemly that Doña Mercedes should continue her promenade
+accompanied only by Don Luis, and the marchioness led the way to her own
+apartments, where a saloon suitable to her rank and to her favor with
+the queen, had been selected for her from among the numberless gorgeous
+rooms of the Moorish kings. Even here, the marchioness paused a moment,
+in thought, before she would leave her errant nephew alone with her
+ward.
+
+"Though a rover, he is no troubadour, and cannot charm thy ear with
+false rhymes. It were better, perhaps, that I sent him beneath thy
+balcony, with his guitar; but knowing so well his dulness, I will
+confide in it, and leave him with thee, for the few minutes that I shall
+be absent. A cavalier who hath so strong a dislike to reversing the
+order of nature, will not surely condescend to go on his knees, even
+though it be to win a smile from the sweetest maiden in all Castile."
+
+Don Luis laughed; Doña Beatriz smiled, as she kissed her ward, and left
+the room; while Doña Mercedes blushed, and riveted her gaze on the
+floor. Luis de Bobadilla was the declared suitor and sworn knight of
+Mercedes de Valverde; but, though so much favored by birth, fortune,
+affinity, and figure, there existed some serious impediments to his
+success. In all that was connected with the considerations that usually
+decide such things, the union was desirable; but there existed,
+nevertheless, a strong influence to overcome, in the scruples of Doña
+Beatriz, herself. High-principled, accustomed to the just-minded views
+of her royal mistress, and too proud to do an unworthy act, the very
+advantages that a marriage with her ward offered to her nephew, had
+caused the marchioness to hesitate. Don Luis had little of the Castilian
+gravity of character--and, by many, his animal spirits were mistaken for
+lightness of disposition and levity of thought. His mother was a woman
+of a very illustrious French family; and national pride had induced most
+observers to fancy that the son inherited a constitutional disposition
+to frivolity, that was to be traced to the besetting weakness of a whole
+people. A consciousness of his being so viewed at home, had, indeed,
+driven the youth abroad; and as, like all observant travellers, he was
+made doubly sensible of the defects of his own state of society on his
+return, a species of estrangement had grown up between him and his
+natural associates that had urged the young man, again and again, to
+wander into foreign lands. Nothing, indeed, but his early and constantly
+increasing passion for Mercedes had induced him to return; a step that,
+fortunately for himself, he had last taken in time to assist in the
+reduction of Granada. Notwithstanding these traits, which, in a country
+like Castile, might be properly enough termed peculiarities, Don Luis de
+Bobadilla was a knight worthy of his lineage and name. His prowess in
+the field and in the tourney, indeed, was so very marked as to give him
+a high military character, in despite of what were deemed his failings;
+and he passed rather as an inconsiderate and unsafe young man, than as
+one who was either debased or wicked. Martial qualities, in that age in
+particular, redeemed a thousand faults; and Don Luis had even been known
+to unhorse, in the tourney, Alonzo de Ojeda, then the most expert lance
+in Spain. Such a man could not be despised, though he might be
+distrusted. But the feeling which governed his aunt, referred quite as
+much to her own character as to his. Deeply conscientious, while she
+understood her nephew's real qualities much better than mere superficial
+observers, she had her doubts about the propriety of giving the rich
+heiress who was entrusted to her care, to so near a relative, when all
+could not applaud the act. She feared, too, that her own partiality
+might deceive her, and that Luis might in truth be the light and
+frivolous being he sometimes appeared to be in Castilian eyes, and that
+the happiness of her ward would prove the sacrifice of the indiscretion.
+With these doubts, then, while she secretly desired the union, she had
+in public looked coldly on her nephew's suit; and, though unable,
+without a harshness that circumstances would not warrant, to prevent all
+intercourse, she had not only taken frequent occasions to let Mercedes
+understand her distrust, but she had observed the precaution not to
+leave so handsome a suitor, notwithstanding he was often domiciliated in
+her own house, much alone with her ward.
+
+The state of Mercedes' feelings was known only to herself. She was
+beautiful, of an honorable family, and an heiress; and as human
+infirmities were as besetting beneath the stately mien of the fifteenth
+century as they are to-day, she had often heard the supposed faults of
+Don Luis' character sneered at, by those who felt distrustful of his
+good looks and his opportunities. Few young females would have had the
+courage to betray any marked preference under such circumstances, until
+prepared to avow their choice, and to take sides with its subject
+against the world; and the quiet but deep enthusiasm that prevailed in
+the moral system of the fair young Castilian, was tempered by a prudence
+that prevented her from running into most of its lighter excesses. The
+forms and observances that usually surround young women of rank, came in
+aid of this native prudence; and even Don Luis himself, though he had
+watched the countenance and emotions of her to whom he had so long urged
+his suit, with a lover's jealousy and a lover's instincts, was greatly
+in doubt whether he had succeeded in the least in touching her heart. By
+one of those unlooked-for concurrences of circumstances that so often
+decide the fortunes of men, whether as lovers or in more worldly-minded
+pursuits, these doubts were now about to be unexpectedly and suddenly
+removed.
+
+The triumph of the Christian arms, the novelty of her situation, and the
+excitement of the whole scene, had aroused the feelings of Mercedes from
+that coy concealment in which they usually lay smothered beneath the
+covering of maiden diffidence; and throughout the evening her smile had
+been more open, her eye brighter, and her cheeks more deeply flushed,
+than was usual even with one whose smiles were always sweet, whose eyes
+were never dull, and whose cheeks answered so sensitively to the varying
+impulses within.
+
+As his aunt quitted the room, leaving him alone with Mercedes for the
+first time since his return from his last ramble, Don Luis eagerly threw
+himself on a stool that stood near the feet of his adored, who placed
+herself on a sumptuous couch, that, twenty-four hours before, had held
+the person of a princess of Abdallah's family.
+
+"Much as I honor and reverence Her Highness," the young man hurriedly
+commenced, "my respect and veneration are now increased ten-fold! Would
+that she might send for my beloved aunt thrice where she now wants her
+services only once! and may her presence become so necessary to her
+sovereign that the affairs of Castile cannot go on without her counsel,
+if so blessed an opportunity as this, to tell you all I feel, Doña
+Mercedes, is to follow her obedience!"
+
+"It is not they who are most fluent of speech, or the most vehement, who
+always feel the deepest, Don Luis de Bobadilla."
+
+"Nor do they feel the least. Mercedes, thou canst not doubt my love! It
+hath grown with my growth--increased with each increase of my
+ideas--until it hath got to be so interwoven with my mind itself, that I
+can scarce use a faculty that thy dear image doth not mingle with it. In
+all that is beautiful, I behold thee; if I listen to the song of a bird,
+it is thy carol to the lute; or if I feel the gentle south wind from the
+fragrant isles fanning my cheek, I would fain think it thy sigh."
+
+"You have dwelt so much among the light conceits of the French court,
+Don Luis, you appear to have forgotten that the heart of a Castilian
+girl is too true, and too sincere, to meet such rhapsodies with favor."
+
+Had Don Luis been older, or more experienced in the sex, he would have
+been flattered by this rebuke--for he would have detected in the
+speaker's manner, both feeling of a gentler nature than her words
+expressed, and a tender regret.
+
+"If thou ascribest to me rhapsodies, thou dost me great injustice. I may
+not do credit to my own thoughts and feelings; but never hath my tongue
+uttered aught to thee, Mercedes, that the heart hath not honestly urged.
+Have I not loved thee since thou and I were children? Did I ever fail to
+show my preference for thee when we were boy and girl, in all the sports
+and light-hearted enjoyments of that guileless period?"
+
+"Guileless, truly," answered Mercedes, her look brightening as it might
+be with agreeable fancies and a flood of pleasant recollections--doing
+more, in a single instant, to break down the barriers of her reserve,
+than years of schooling had effected toward building them up. "Thou wert
+then, at least, sincere, Luis, and I placed full faith in thy
+friendship, and in thy desire to please."
+
+"Bless thee, bless thee, for these precious words, Mercedes! for the
+first time in two years, hast thou spoken to me as thou wert wont to do,
+and called me Luis without that courtly, accursed, Don."
+
+"A noble Castilian should never regard his honors lightly, and he oweth
+it to his rank to see that others respect them, too;" answered our
+heroine, looking down, as if she already half repented of the
+familiarity. "You are quick to remind me of my forgetfulness, Don Luis
+de Bobadilla."
+
+"This unlucky tongue of mine can never follow the path that its owner
+wisheth! Hast thou not seen in all my looks--all my acts--all my
+motives--a desire to please thee, and thee alone, lovely Mercedes? When
+Her Highness gave her royal approbation of my success, in the last
+tourney, did I not seek thine eye, in order to ask if thou notedst it?
+Hast thou ever expressed a wish, that I have not proved an eager desire
+to see it accomplished?"
+
+"Nay, now, Luis, thou emboldenest me to remind thee that I expressed a
+wish that thou wouldst not go on thy last voyage to the north, and yet
+thou didst depart! I felt that it would displease Doña Beatriz; thy
+truant disposition having made her uneasy lest thou shouldst get
+altogether into the habits of a rover, and into disfavor with the
+queen."
+
+"It was for this that thou madst the request, and it wounded my pride to
+think that Mercedes de Valverde should so little understand my
+character, as to believe it possible a noble of my name and lineage
+could so far forget his duties as to sink into the mere associate of
+pilots and adventurers."
+
+"Thou didst not know that I believed this of thee."
+
+"Hadst thou asked of me, Mercedes, to remain for thy sake--nay, hadst
+thou imposed the heaviest services on me, as thy knight, or as one who
+enjoyed the smallest degree of thy favor--I would have parted with life
+sooner than I would have parted from Castile. But not even a look of
+kindness could I obtain, in reward for all the pain I had felt on thy
+account"--
+
+"Pain, Luis!"
+
+"Is it not pain to love to the degree that one might kiss the earth that
+received the foot-print of its object--and yet to meet with no
+encouragement from fair words, no friendly glance of the eye, nor any
+sign or symbol to betoken that the being one hath enshrined in his
+heart's core, ever thinketh of her suitor except as a reckless rover and
+a hair-brained adventurer?"
+
+"Luis de Bobadilla, no one that really knoweth thy character, can ever
+truly think thus of thee."
+
+"A million of thanks for these few words, beloved girl, and ten millions
+for the gentle smile that hath accompanied them! Thou mightst mould me
+to all thy wishes"--
+
+"My wishes, Don Luis?"
+
+"To all thy severe opinions of sobriety and dignity of conduct, wouldst
+thou but feel sufficient interest in me to let me know that my acts can
+give thee either pain or pleasure."
+
+"Can it be otherwise? Could'st thou, Luis, see with indifference the
+proceedings of one thou hast known from childhood, and esteemed as a
+friend?"
+
+"Esteem! Blessed Mercedes! dost thou own even that little in my favor?"
+
+"It is not little, Luis, to esteem--but much. They who prize virtue
+never esteem the unworthy; and it is not possible to know thy excellent
+heart and manly nature, without esteeming thee. Surely I have never
+_concealed_ my _esteem_ from thee or from any one else."
+
+"Hast thou _concealed_ aught? Ah! Mercedes, complete this heavenly
+condescension, and admit that one--as lightly as thou wilt--but that one
+soft sentiment hath, at times, mingled with this esteem."
+
+Mercedes blushed brightly, but she would not make the often-solicited
+acknowledgment. It was some little time before she answered at all. When
+she did speak, it was hesitatingly, and with frequent pauses, as if she
+distrusted the propriety or the discretion of that which she was about
+to utter.
+
+"Thou hast travelled much and far, Luis," she said; "and hast lost some
+favor on account of thy roving propensities; why not regain the
+confidence of thy aunt by the very means through which it has been
+lost?"
+
+"I do not comprehend thee. This is singular counsel to come from one
+like thee, who art prudence itself!"
+
+"The prudent and discreet think well of their acts and words, and are
+the more to be confided in. Thou seemest to have been struck with these
+bold opinions of the Señor Colon; and while thou hast derided them, I
+can see that they have great weight on thy mind."
+
+"I shall, henceforth, regard thee with ten-fold respect, Mercedes; for
+thou hast penetrated deeper than my foolish affectation of contempt, and
+all my light language, and discovered the real feeling that lieth
+underneath. Ever since I have heard of this vast project, it hath,
+indeed, haunted my imagination; and the image of the Genoese hath
+constantly stood beside thine, dearest girl, before my eyes, if not in
+my heart. I doubt if there be not some truth in his opinions; so noble
+an idea cannot be wholly false!"
+
+The fine, full eye of Mercedes was fastened intently on the countenance
+of Don Luis; and its brilliancy increased as some of that latent
+enthusiasm which dwelt within, kindled and began to glow at this outlet
+of the feelings of the soul.
+
+"There _is_," she answered, solemnly--"there _must_ be truth in it! The
+Genoese hath been inspired of Heaven, with his sublime thoughts, and he
+will live, sooner or later, to prove their truth. Imagine this earth
+fairly encircled by a ship; the farthest east, the land of the heathen,
+brought in close communion with ourselves, and the cross casting its
+shadows under the burning sun of Cathay! These are glorious, heavenly
+anticipations, Luis, and would it not be an imperishable renown, to
+share in the honor of having aided in bringing about so great a
+discovery?"
+
+"By Heaven! I will see the Genoese as soon as the morrow's sun shall
+appear, and offer to make one in his enterprise. He shall not need for
+gold, if that be his only want."
+
+"Thou speakest like a generous, noble-minded, fearless young Castilian,
+as thou art!" said Mercedes, with an enthusiasm that set at naught the
+usual guards of her discretion and her habits, "and as becometh Luis de
+Bobadilla. But gold is not plenty with any of us at this moment, and it
+will surpass the power of an ordinary subject to furnish that which will
+be necessary. Nor is it meet than any but sovereigns should send forth
+such an expedition, as there may be vast territories to govern and
+dispose of, should Colon succeed. My powerful kinsman--the Duke of
+Medina Celi--hath had this matter in close deliberation, and he viewed
+it favorably, as is shown by his letters to Her Highness; but even he
+conceived it a matter too weighty to be attempted by aught but a crowned
+head, and he hath used much influence with our mistress, to gain her
+over to the opinion of the Genoese's sagacity. It is idle to think,
+therefore, of aiding effectually in this noble enterprise, unless it be
+through their Highnesses."
+
+"Thou knowest, Mercedes, that I can do naught for Colon, with the court.
+The king is the enemy of all who are not as wary, cold, and as much
+given to artifice as himself"--
+
+"Luis! thou art in his palace--beneath his roof, enjoying his
+hospitality and protection, at this very moment!"
+
+"Not I," answered the young man, with warmth--"this is the abode of my
+royal mistress, Doña Isabella; Granada being a conquest of Castile, and
+not of Aragon. Touching the queen, Mercedes, thou shalt never hear
+disrespectful word from me, for, like thyself, she is all that is
+virtuous, gentle, and kind in woman; but the king hath many of the
+faults of us corrupt and mercenary men. Thou canst not tell me of a
+young, generous, warm-blooded cavalier, even among his own Aragonese,
+who truly and confidingly loveth Don Fernando; whilst all of Castile
+adore the Doña Isabella."
+
+"This may be true in part, Luis, but it is altogether imprudent. Don
+Fernando is a king, and I fear me, from the little I have seen while
+dwelling in a court, that they who manage the affairs of mortals must
+make large concessions to their failings, or human depravity will thwart
+the wisest measures that can be devised. Moreover, can one truly love
+the wife and not esteem the husband? To me it seemeth that the tie is so
+near and dear as to leave the virtues and the characters of a common
+identity."
+
+"Surely, thou dost not mean to compare the modest piety, the holy truth,
+the sincere virtue, of our royal mistress, with the cautious, wily
+policy of our scheming master!"
+
+"I desire not to make comparisons between them, Luis. We are bound to
+honor and obey both; and if Doña Isabella hath more of the confiding
+truth and pure-heartedness of her sex, than His Highness, is it not ever
+so as between man and woman?"
+
+"If I could really think that thou likenest me, in any way, with that
+managing and false-faced King of Aragon, much as I love thee, Mercedes,
+I would withdraw, forever, in pure shame."
+
+"No one will liken thee, Luis, to the false-tongued or the double-faced;
+for it is thy failing to speak truth when it might be better to say
+nothing, as witness the present discourse, and to look at those who
+displease thee, as if ever ready to point thy lance and spur thy charger
+in their very teeth."
+
+"My looks have been most unfortunate, fair Mercedes, if they have left
+such memories in thee!" answered the youth, reproachfully.
+
+"I speak not in any manner touching myself, for to me, Luis, thou hast
+ever been gentle and kind," interrupted the young Castilian girl, with a
+haste and earnestness that hurried the blood to her cheeks a moment
+afterward; "but solely that thou mayst be more guarded in thy remarks on
+the king."
+
+"Thou beganst by saying that I was a rover"--
+
+"Nay, I have used no such term of reproach, Don Luis; thy aunt may have
+said this, but it could have been with no intent to wound. I said that
+thou hadst travelled _far_ and _much_."
+
+"Well--well--I merit the title, and shall not complain of my honors.
+Thou saidst that I had travelled _far_ and _much_, and thou spokest
+approvingly of the project of this Genoese. Am I to understand,
+Mercedes, it is thy wish that I should make one of the adventurers?"
+
+"Such was my meaning, Luis, for I have thought it an emprise fitting thy
+daring mind and willing sword; and the glory of success would atone for
+a thousand trifling errors, committed under the heat and inconsideration
+of youth."
+
+Don Luis regarded the flushed cheek and brightened eyes of the beautiful
+enthusiast nearly a minute, in silent but intense observation; for the
+tooth of doubt and jealousy had fastened on him, and, with the
+self-distrust of true affection, he questioned how far he was worthy to
+interest so fair a being, and had misgivings concerning the motive that
+induced her to wish him to depart.
+
+"I wish I could read thy heart, Doña Mercedes," he at length resumed;
+"for, while the witching modesty and coy reserve of thy sex, serve but
+to bind us so much the closer in thy chains, they puzzle the
+understanding of men more accustomed to rude encounters in the field
+than to the mazes of their ingenuity. Dost thou desire me to embark in
+an adventure that most men, the wise and prudent Don Fernando at their
+head--he whom thou so much esteemest, too--look upon as the project of a
+visionary, and as leading to certain destruction? Did I think this, I
+would depart to-morrow, if it were only that my hated presence should
+never more disturb thy happiness."
+
+"Don Luis, you have no justification for this cruel suspicion," said
+Mercedes, endeavoring to punish her lover's distrust by an affectation
+of resentment, though the tears struggled through her pride, and fell
+from her reproachful eyes. "You know that no one, here or elsewhere,
+hateth you; you know that you are a general favorite, though Castilian
+prudence and Castilian reserve may not always view your wandering life
+with the same applause as they give to the more attentive courtier and
+rigidly observant knight."
+
+"Pardon me, dearest, most beloved Mercedes; thy coldness and aversion
+sometime madden me."
+
+"Coldness! aversion! Luis de Bobadilla! When hath Mercedes de Valverde
+ever shown either, to _thee_?"
+
+"I fear that Doña Mercedes de Valverde is, even now, putting me to some
+such proof."
+
+"Then thou little knowest her motives, and ill appreciatest her heart.
+No, Luis, I am not averse, and would not appear cold, to _thee_. If thy
+wayward feelings get so much the mastery, and pain thee thus, I will
+strive to be more plain. Yes! rather than thou shouldst carry away with
+thee the false notion, and perhaps plunge, again, into some unthinking
+sea-adventure, I will subdue my maiden pride, and forget the reserve and
+caution that best become my sex and rank, to relieve thy mind. In
+advising thee to attach thyself to this Colon, and to enter freely into
+his noble schemes, I had thine own happiness in view, as thou hast, time
+and again, sworn to me, thy happiness _could_ only be secured"--
+
+"Mercedes! what meanest thou? My happiness can only be secured by a
+union with thee!"
+
+"And thy union with me can only be secured by thy ennobling that
+besetting propensity to roving, by some act of worthy renown, that shall
+justify Doña Beatriz in bestowing her ward on a truant nephew, and gain
+the favor of Doña Isabella."
+
+"And thou!--would this adventure win thee, too, to view me with
+kindness?"
+
+"Luis, if thou _wilt_ know all, I am won already--nay--restrain this
+impetuosity, and hear all I have to say. Even while I confess so much
+more than is seemly in a maiden, thou art not to suppose I can further
+forget myself. Without the cheerful consent of my guardian, and the
+gracious approbation of Her Highness, I will wed no man--no, not even
+_thee_, Luis de Bobadilla, dear as I acknowledge thee to be to my
+heart"--the ungovernable emotions of female tenderness caused the words
+to be nearly smothered in tears--"would I wed, without the smiles and
+congratulations of all who have a right to smile, or weep, for any of
+the house of Valverde. Thou and I cannot marry like a village hind and
+village girl; it is suitable that we stand before a prelate, with a
+large circle of approving friends to grace our union. Ah! Luis, thou
+hast reproached me with coldness and indifference to thee"--sobs nearly
+stifled the generous girl--"but others have not been so blind--nay,
+speak not, but suffer me, now that my heart is overflowing, to unburden
+myself to thee, entirely, for I fear that shame and regret will come
+soon enough to cause repentance for what I now confess--but all have not
+been blind as thou. Our gracious queen well understandeth the female
+heart, and that thou hast been so slow to discover, she hath long seen;
+and her quickness of eye and thought hath alone prevented me from saying
+to thee, earlier, a part at least of that which I now reluctantly
+confess"--
+
+"How! Is Doña Isabella, too, my enemy? Have I Her Highness' scruples to
+overcome, as well as those of my cold-hearted and prudish aunt?"
+
+"Luis, thy intemperance causeth thee to be unjust. Doña Beatriz of Moya
+is neither cold-hearted nor prudish, but all that is the reverse. A more
+generous or truer spirit never sacrificed self to friendship, and her
+very nature is frankness and simplicity. Much of that I so love in thee,
+cometh of her family, and _thou_ shouldst not reproach her for it. As
+for Her Highness, certes, it is not needed that I should proclaim her
+qualities. Thou knowest that she is deemed the mother of her people;
+that she regardeth the interests of all equally, or so far as her
+knowledge will allow; and that what she doth for any, is ever done with
+true affection, and a prudence that I have heard the cardinal say,
+seemeth to be inspired by infinite wisdom."
+
+"Ay, it is not difficult, Mercedes, to seem prudent, and benevolent, and
+inspired, with Castile for a throne, and Leon, with other rich
+provinces, for a footstool!"
+
+"Don Luis, if you would retain my esteem," answered the single-minded
+girl, with a gravity that had none of her sex's weakness in it, though
+much of her sex's truth--"speak not lightly of my royal mistress.
+Whatever she may have done in this matter, hath been done with a
+mother's feelings and a mother's kindness--thy injustice maketh me
+almost to apprehend, with a mother's wisdom."
+
+"Forgive me, adored, beloved Mercedes! a thousand times more adored and
+loved than ever, now that thou hast been so generous and confiding. But
+I cannot rest in peace until I know what the queen hath said and done,
+in any thing that toucheth thee and me."
+
+"Thou knowest how kind and gracious the queen hath ever been to me,
+Luis, and how much I have reason to be grateful for her many
+condescensions and favors. I know not how it is, but, while thy aunt
+hath never seemed to detect my feelings, and all those related to me by
+blood have appeared to be in the same darkness, the royal eye hath
+penetrated a mystery that, at the moment, I do think, was even concealed
+from myself. Thou rememberest the tourney that took place just before
+thou left us on thy last mad expedition?"
+
+"Do I not? Was it not thy coldness after my success in that tourney, and
+when I even wore thy favors, that not only drove me out of Spain, but
+almost drove me out of the world?"
+
+"If the world could impute thy acts to such a cause, all obstacles would
+at once be removed, and we might be happy without further efforts. But,"
+and Mercedes smiled, archly, though with great tenderness in her voice
+and looks, as she added, "I fear thou art much addicted to these fits of
+madness, and that thou wilt never cease to wish to be driven to the
+uttermost limits of the world, if not fairly out of it."
+
+"It is in thy power to make me as stationary as the towers of this
+Alhambra. One such smile, daily, would chain me like a captive Moor at
+thy feet, and take away all desire to look at other objects than thy
+beauty. But Her Highness--thou hast forgotten to add what Her Highness
+hath said and done."
+
+"In that tourney thou wert conqueror, Luis! The whole chivalry of
+Castile was in the saddle, that glorious day, and yet none could cope
+with thee! Even Alonzo de Ojeda was unhorsed by thy lance, and all
+mouths were filled with thy praises; all memories--perhaps, it would be
+better to say that all memories but one--forgot thy failings."
+
+"And that one was thine, cruel Mercedes."
+
+"Thou knowest better, unkind Luis! That day I remembered nothing but thy
+noble, generous heart, manly bearing in the tilt-yard, and excellent
+qualities. The more mindful memory was the queen's, who sent for me, to
+her closet, when the festivities were over, and caused me to pass an
+hour with her, in gentle, affectionate discourse, before she touched at
+all on the real object of her command. She spoke to me, Luis, of our
+duties as Christians, of our duties as females, and, most of all, of the
+solemn obligations that we contract in wedlock, and of the many pains
+that, at best, attend that honored condition. When she had melted me to
+tears, by an affection that equalled a mother's love, she made me
+promise--and I confirmed it with a respectful vow--that I would never
+appear at the altar, while she lived, without her being present to
+approve of my nuptials; or, if prevented by disease or duty, at least
+not without a consent given under her royal signature."
+
+"By St. Denis of Paris! Her Highness endeavored to influence thy
+generous and pure mind against me!"
+
+"Thy name was not even mentioned, Luis, nor would it have been in any
+way concerned in the discourse, had not my unbidden thoughts turned
+anxiously toward thee. What Her Highness meditated, I do not even now
+know, but it was the manner in which my own sensitive feelings brought
+up thy image, that hath made me, perhaps idly, fancy the effect might be
+to prevent me from wedding thee, without Doña Isabella's consent. But,
+knowing, as I well do, her maternal heart and gentle affections, how can
+I doubt that she will yield to my wishes, when she knoweth that my
+choice is not really unworthy, though it may seem to the severely
+prudent in some measure indiscreet."
+
+"But thou thinkest--thou feelest, Mercedes, that it was in fear of me
+that Her Highness extorted the vow?"
+
+"I apprehended it, as I have confessed, with more readiness than became
+a maiden's pride, because thou wert uppermost in my mind. Then thy
+triumphs throughout the day, and the manner in which thy name was in all
+men's mouths, might well tempt the thoughts to dwell on thy person."
+
+"Mercedes, thou canst not deny that thou believest Her Highness extorted
+that vow in dread of me?"
+
+"I wish to deny nothing that is true, Don Luis; and you are early
+teaching me to repent of the indiscreet avowal I have made. That it was
+in _dread_ of you that Her Highness spoke, I do deny; for I cannot think
+she has any such feelings toward _you_. She was full of maternal
+affection for _me_, and I think, for I will conceal naught that I truly
+believe, that apprehension of thy powers to please, Luis, may have
+induced her to apprehend that an orphan girl, like myself, might
+possibly consult her fancy more than her prudence, and wed one who
+seemed to love the uttermost limits of the earth so much better than his
+own noble castles and his proper home."
+
+"And thou meanest to respect this vow!"
+
+"Luis! thou scarce reflectest on thy words, or a question so sinful
+would not be put to me! What Christian maiden ever forgets her vows,
+whether of pilgrimage, penitence, or performance--and why should I be
+the first to incur this disgraceful guilt? Besides, had I not vowed, the
+simple wish of the queen, expressed in her own royal person, would have
+been enough to deter me from wedding any. She is my sovereign, mistress,
+and, I might almost say, mother; Doña Beatriz herself scarce manifesting
+greater interest in my welfare. Now, Luis, thou must listen to my suit,
+although I see thou art ready to exclaim, and protest, and invoke; but I
+have heard thee patiently some years, and it is now my turn to speak and
+thine to listen. I do not think the queen had thee in her mind on the
+occasion of that vow, which was _offered_ freely by me, rather than
+_extorted_, as thou seemest to think, by Her Highness. I _do_, then,
+believe that Doña Isabella supposed there might be a danger of my
+yielding to thy suit, and that she had apprehensions that one so much
+given to roving, might not bring, or keep, happiness in the bosom of a
+family. But, Luis, if Her Highness hath not done thy noble, generous
+heart, justice; if she hath been deceived by appearances, like most of
+those around her; if she hath not known thee, in short, is it not thine
+own fault? Hast thou not been a frequent truant from Castile; and, even
+when present, hast thou been as attentive and assiduous in thy duties at
+court, as becometh thy high birth and admitted claims? It is true, Her
+Highness, and all others who were present, witnessed thy skill in the
+tourney, and in these wars thy name hath had frequent and honorable
+mention for prowess against the Moor; but while the female imagination
+yields ready homage to this manliness, the female heart yearneth for
+other, and gentler, and steadier virtues, at the fireside and in the
+circle within. This, Doña Isabella hath seen, and felt, and knoweth,
+happy as hath been her own marriage with the King of Aragon; and is it
+surprising that she hath felt this concern for me? No, Luis; feeling
+hath made thee unjust to our royal mistress, whom it is now manifestly
+thy interest to propitiate, if thou art sincere in thy avowed desire to
+obtain my hand."
+
+"And how is this to be done, Mercedes? The Moor is conquered, and I know
+not that any knight would meet me to do battle for thy favor."
+
+"The queen wisheth nothing of this sort--neither do I. We both know thee
+as an accomplished Christian knight already, and, as thou hast just
+said, there is no one to meet thy lance, for no one hath met with the
+encouragement to justify the folly. It is through this Colon that thou
+art to win the royal consent."
+
+"I believe I have, in part, conceived thy meaning; but would fain hear
+thee speak more plainly."
+
+"Then I will tell thee in words as distinct as my tongue can utter
+them," rejoined the ardent girl, the tint of tenderness gradually
+deepening on her cheek to the flush of a holy enthusiasm, as she
+proceeded: "Thou knowest already the general opinions of the Señor
+Colon, and the mode in which he proposeth to effect his ends. I was
+still a child when he first appeared in Castile, to urge the court to
+embark in this great enterprise, and I can see that Her Highness hath
+often been disposed to yield her aid, when the coldness of Don Fernando,
+or the narrowness of her ministers, hath diverted her mind from the
+object. I think she yet regardeth the scheme with favor; for it is quite
+lately that Colon, who had taken leave of us all, with the intent to
+quit Spain and seek elsewhere for means, was summoned to return, through
+the influence of Fray Juan Perez, the ancient confessor of Her Highness.
+He is now here, as thou hast seen, waiting impatiently for an audience,
+and it needeth only to quicken the queen's memory, to obtain for him
+that favor. Should he get the caravels he asketh, no doubt many of the
+nobles will feel a desire to share in an enterprise that will confer
+lasting honor on all concerned, if successful; and thou mightst make
+one."
+
+"I know not how to regard this solicitude, Mercedes, for it seemeth
+strange to wish to urge those we affect to value, to enter on an
+expedition whence they may never return."
+
+"God will protect thee!" answered the girl, her face glowing with pious
+ardour: "the enterprise will be undertaken for his glory, and his
+powerful hand will guide and shield the caravels."
+
+Don Luis de Bobadilla smiled, having far less religious faith and more
+knowledge of physical obstacles than his mistress. He did full justice
+to her motives, notwithstanding his hastily expressed doubts; and the
+adventure was of a nature to arouse his constitutional love of roving,
+and his desire for encountering dangers. Both he and Mercedes well knew
+that he had fairly earned no small part of that distrust of his
+character, which alone thwarted their wishes; and, quick of intellect,
+he well understood the means and manner by which he was to gain Doña
+Isabella's consent. The few doubts that he really entertained were
+revealed by the question that succeeded.
+
+"If Her Highness is disposed to favor this Colon," he asked, "why hath
+the measure been so long delayed?"
+
+"This Moorish war, an empty treasury, and the wary coldness of the king,
+have prevented it."
+
+"Might not Her Highness look upon all the followers of the man, as so
+many vain schemers, should we return without success, as will most
+likely be the case--if, indeed, we ever return?"
+
+"Such is not Doña Isabella's character. She will enter into this
+project, in honor of God, if she entereth into it at all; and she will
+regard all who accompany Colon voluntarily, as so many crusaders, well
+entitled to her esteem. Thou wilt not return unsuccessful, Luis; but
+with such credit as will cause thy wife to glory in her choice, and to
+be proud of thy name."
+
+"Thou art a most dear enthusiast, beloved girl! If I could take thee
+with me, I would embark in the adventure, with no other companion."
+
+A fitting reply was made to this gallant, and, at the moment, certainly
+sincere speech, after which the matter was discussed between the two,
+with greater calmness and far more intelligibly. Don Luis succeeded in
+restraining his impatience; and the generous confidence with which
+Mercedes gradually got to betray her interest in him, and the sweet,
+holy earnestness with which she urged the probability of success,
+brought him at length to view the enterprise as one of lofty objects,
+rather than as a scheme which flattered his love of adventure.
+
+Doña Beatriz left the lovers alone for quite two hours, the queen
+requiring her presence all that time; and soon after she returned, her
+reckless, roving, indiscreet, but noble-hearted and manly nephew, took
+his leave. Mercedes and her guardian, however, did not retire until
+midnight; the former laying open her whole heart to the marchioness, and
+explaining all her hopes as they were connected with the enterprise of
+Colon. Doña Beatriz was both gratified and pained by this confession,
+while she smiled at the ingenuity of love, in coupling the great designs
+of the Genoese with the gratification of its own wishes. Still she was
+not displeased. Luis de Bobadilla was the son of an only and
+much-beloved brother, and she had transferred to her nephew most of the
+affection she had felt for the father. All who knew him, indeed, were
+fond of the handsome and gallant young cavalier, though the prudent felt
+compelled to frown on his indiscretions; and he might have chosen a
+wife, at will, from among the fair and high-born of Castile, with the
+few occasional exceptions that denote the circumspection and reserve of
+higher principles than common, and a forethought that extends beyond the
+usual considerations of marriage. The marchioness, therefore, was not an
+unwilling listener to her ward; and ere they separated for the night,
+the ingenuous but modest confessions, the earnest eloquence, and the
+tender ingenuity, of Mercedes, had almost made a convert of Doña
+Beatriz.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI.
+
+    "Looke back, who list, unto the former ages,
+      And call to count, what is of them become,
+    Where be those learned wits and antique sages,
+      Which of all wisdom knew the perfect somme?
+      Where those great warriors which did overcome
+    The world with conquest of their might and maine,
+    And made one meare of th'earth and of their raigne."
+
+    Ruins of Time.
+
+
+Two or three days had passed before the Christians began to feel at home
+in the ancient seat of Mahommedan power. By that time, however, the
+Alhambra and the town got to be more regulated than they were during the
+hurry, delight, and grief, of taking possession and departing; and as
+the politic and far from ill-disposed Ferdinand had issued strict orders
+that the Moors should not only be treated with kindness, but with
+delicacy, the place gradually settled down into tranquillity, and men
+began to fall into their ancient habits and to interest themselves in
+their customary pursuits.
+
+Don Fernando was much occupied with new cares, as a matter of course;
+but his illustrious consort, who reserved herself for great occasions,
+exercising her ordinary powers in the quiet, gentle manner that became
+her sex and native disposition, her truth and piety, had already
+withdrawn, as far as her high rank and substantial authority would
+allow, from the pageantry and martial scenes of a warlike court, and was
+seeking, with her wonted readiness, the haunts of private affection, and
+that intercourse which is most congenial to the softer affections of a
+woman. Her surviving children were with her, and they occupied much of
+her maternal care; but she had also many hours for friendship, and for
+the indulgence of an affection that appeared to include all her subjects
+within the ties of family.
+
+On the morning of the third day that succeeded the evening of the
+interview related in the preceding chapter, Doña Isabella had collected
+about her person a few of those privileged individuals who might be said
+to have the entrée to her more private hours; for while that of Castile
+was renowned among Christian courts for etiquette, habits that it had
+probably derived from the stately oriental usages of its Mahommedan
+neighbors, the affectionate nature of the queen had cast a halo around
+her own private circle, that at once rendered it graceful as well as
+delightful to all who enjoyed the high honor of entering it. At that
+day, churchmen enjoyed a species of exclusive favor, mingling with all
+the concerns of life, and not unfrequently controlling them. While we
+are quick to detect blemishes of this sort among foreign nations, and
+are particularly prone to point out the evils that have flowed from the
+meddling of the Romish divines, we verify the truth of the venerable
+axiom that teaches us how much easier it is to see the faults of others
+than to discover our own; for no people afford stronger evidences of the
+existence of this control, than the people of the United States, more
+especially that portion of them who dwell in places that were originally
+settled by religionists, and which still continue under the influence of
+the particular sects that first prevailed; and perhaps the strongest
+national trait that exists among us at this moment--that of a
+disposition to extend the control of society beyond the limits set by
+the institutions and the laws, under the taking and plausible
+appellation of Public Opinion--has its origin in the polity of churches
+of a democratic character, that have aspired to be an _imperium in
+imperio_, confirmed and strengthened by their modes of government and by
+provincial habits. Be the fact as it may among ourselves, there is no
+question of the ascendency of the Catholic priesthood throughout
+Christendom, previously to the reformation; and Isabella was too
+sincerely devout, too unostentatiously pious, not to allow them every
+indulgence that comported with her own sense of right, and among others,
+that of a free access to her presence, and an influence on all her
+measures.
+
+On the occasion just named, among others who were present was Fernando
+de Talavera, a prelate of high station, who had just been named to the
+new dignity of Archbishop of Granada, and the Fray Pedro de Carrascal,
+the former teacher of Luis de Bobadilla, an unbeneficed divine, who owed
+his favor to great simplicity of character, aided by his high birth.
+Isabella, herself, was seated at a little table, where she was employed
+with her needle, the subject of her toil being a task as homely as a
+shirt for the king, it being a part of her womanly propensities to
+acquit herself of this humble duty, as scrupulously as if she had been
+the wife of a common tradesman of her own capital. This was one of the
+habits of the age, however, if not a part of the policy of princes; for
+most travellers have seen the celebrated saddle of the Queen of
+Burgundy, with a place arranged for the distaff, that, when its owner
+rode forth, she might set an example of thrift to her admiring subjects;
+and with our own eyes, in these luxurious times, when few private ladies
+even condescend to touch any thing as useful as the garment that
+occupied the needle of Isabella of Castile, we have seen a queen, seated
+amid her royal daughters, as diligently employed with the needle as if
+her livelihood depended on her industry. But Doña Isabella had no
+affectations. In feelings, speech, nature, and acts, she was truth
+itself; and matrimonial tenderness gave her a deeply felt pleasure in
+thus being occupied for a husband whom she tenderly loved as a man,
+while it was impossible she could entirely conceal from herself all his
+faults as a monarch. Near her sat the companion of her girlish days, the
+long-tried and devoted Beatriz de Cabrera. Mercedes occupied a stool, at
+the feet of the Infanta Isabella, while one or two other ladies of the
+household were placed at hand, with such slight distinctions of rank as
+denoted the presence of royalty, but with a domestic freedom that made
+these observances graceful without rendering them fatiguing. The king
+himself was writing at a table, in a distant corner of the vast
+apartment; and no one, the newly-created archbishop not excepted,
+presumed to approach that side of the room. The discourse was conducted
+in a tone a little lower than common; even the queen, whose voice was
+always melody, modulating its tones in a way not to interfere with the
+train of thought into which her illustrious consort appeared to be
+profoundly plunged. But, at the precise moment that we now desire to
+present to the reader, Isabella had been deeply lost in reflection for
+some time, and a general silence prevailed in the female circle around
+the little work-tables.
+
+"Daughter-Marchioness"--for so the queen usually addressed her
+friend--"Daughter-Marchioness," said Isabella, arousing herself from the
+long silence, "hath aught been seen or heard of late of the Señor Colon,
+the pilot who hath so long urged us on the subject of this western
+voyage?"
+
+The quick, hurried glance of intelligence and gratification, that passed
+between Mercedes and her guardian, betrayed the interest they felt in
+this question, while the latter answered, as became her duty and her
+respect for her mistress--
+
+"You remember, Señora, that he was written for, by Fray Juan Perez, Your
+Highness' ancient confessor, who journeyed all the way from his convent
+of Santa Maria de Rabida, in Andalusia, to intercede in his behalf, that
+his great designs might not be lost to Castile."
+
+"Thou thinkest his designs, then, great, Daughter-Marchioness?"
+
+"Can any think them otherwise, Señora? They seem reasonable and natural,
+and if just, is it not a great and laudable undertaking to extend the
+bounds of the church, and to confer honor and wealth on one's own
+country? My enthusiastic ward, Mercedes de Valverde, is so zealous in
+behalf of this navigator's great project, that, next to her duty to her
+God, and her duty to her sovereigns, it seemeth to make the great
+concern of her life."
+
+The queen turned a smiling face toward the blushing girl who was the
+subject of this remark, and she gazed at her, for an instant, with the
+expression of affection that was so wont to illuminate her lovely
+countenance when dwelling on the features of her own daughters.
+
+"Dost thou acknowledge this, Doña Mercedes?" she said; "hath Colon so
+convinced thee, that thou art thus zealous in his behalf?"
+
+Mercedes arose, respectfully, when addressed by the queen, and she
+advanced a step or two nearer to the royal person before she made any
+reply.
+
+"It becometh me to speak modestly, in this presence," said the beautiful
+girl; "but I shall not deny that I feel deep concern for the success of
+the Señor Colon. The thought is so noble, Señora, that it were a pity it
+should not be just."
+
+"This is the reasoning of the young and generous-minded; and I confess
+myself, Beatrice, almost as childish as any, on this matter, at
+times--Colon, out of question, is still here?"
+
+"Indeed he is, Señora," answered Mercedes, eagerly, and with a haste she
+immediately repented, for the inquiry was not made directly to herself;
+"I know of one who hath seen him as lately as the day the troops took
+possession of the town."
+
+"Who is that person?" asked the queen, steadily, but not severely, her
+eye having turned again to the face of the girl, with an interest that
+continued to increase as she gazed.
+
+Mercedes now bitterly regretted her indiscretion, and, in spite of a
+mighty effort to repress her feelings, the tell-tale blood mounted to
+her temples, ere she could find resolution to reply.
+
+"Don Luis de Bobadilla, Señora, the nephew of my guardian, Doña
+Beatriz," she at length answered; for the love of truth was stronger in
+this pure-hearted young creature, even, than the dread of shame.
+
+"Thou art particular, Señorita," Isabella observed calmly, severity
+seldom entering into her communication with the just-minded and good;
+"Don Luis cometh of too illustrious a house to need a herald to proclaim
+his alliances. It is only the obscure that the world doth not trouble
+itself about. Daughter-Marchioness," relieving Mercedes from a state
+scarcely less painful than the rack, by turning her eyes toward her
+friend, "this nephew of thine is a confirmed rover--but I doubt if he
+could be prevailed on to undertake an expedition like this of Colon's,
+that hath in view the glory of God and the benefit of the realm."
+
+"Indeed, Señora"--Mercedes repressed her zeal by a sudden and triumphant
+effort.
+
+"Thou wert about to speak, Doña Mercedes," gravely observed the queen.
+
+"I crave Your Highness' forgiveness. It was improperly, as your own
+words were not addressed to me."
+
+"This is not the court of the Queen of Castile, daughter, but the
+private room of Isabella de Trastamara," said the queen, willing to
+lessen the effect of what had already passed. "Thou hast the blood of
+the Admiral of Castile in thy veins, and art even akin to our Lord the
+King. Speak freely, then."
+
+"I know your gracious goodness to me, Señora, and had nearly forgotten
+myself, under its influence. All I had to say was, that Don Luis de
+Bobadilla desireth exceedingly that the Señor Colon might get the
+caravels he seeketh, and that he himself might obtain the royal
+permission to make one among the adventurers."
+
+"Can this be so, Beatriz?"
+
+"Luis is a truant, Señora, beyond a question, but it is not with ignoble
+motives. I have heard him ardently express his desire to be one of
+Colon's followers, should that person be sent by Your Highness in search
+of the land of Cathay."
+
+Isabella made no reply, but she laid her homely work in her lap, and sat
+musing, in pensive silence, for several minutes. During this interval,
+none near her presumed to speak, and Mercedes retired, stealthily, to
+her stool, at the feet of the Infanta. At length the queen arose, and,
+crossing the room, she approached the table where Don Fernando was still
+busily engaged with the pen. Here she paused a moment, as if unwilling
+to disturb him; but soon, laying a hand kindly on his shoulder, she drew
+his attention to herself. The king, as if conscious whence such
+familiarity could alone proceed, looked around immediately, and, rising
+from his chair, he was the first to speak.
+
+"These Moriscoes need looking to," he said, betraying the direction that
+his thoughts had so early taken toward the increase of his power--"I
+find we have left Abdallah many strongholds in the Apulxarras, that may
+make him a troublesome neighbor, unless we can push him across the
+Mediterranean"--
+
+"Of this, Fernando, we will converse on some other opportunity,"
+interrupted the queen, whose pure mind disliked every thing that even
+had an approach to a breach of faith. "It is hard enough for those who
+control the affairs of men, always to obey God and their own
+consciences, without seeking occasions to violate their faith. I have
+come to thee, on another matter. The hurry of the times, and the
+magnitude of our affairs, have caused us to overlook the promise given
+to Colon, the navigator"--
+
+"Still busied with thy needle, Isabella, and for my comfort," observed
+the king, playing with the shirt that his royal consort had
+unconsciously brought in her hand; "few subjects have wives as
+considerate and kind as thou!"
+
+"Thy comfort and happiness stand next to my duty to God and the care of
+my people," returned Isabella, gratified at the notice the King of
+Aragon had taken of this little homage of her sex, even while she
+suspected that it came from a wish to parry the subject that was then
+uppermost in her thoughts. "I would do naught in this important concern,
+without thy fullest approbation, if that may be had; and I think it
+toucheth our royal words to delay no longer. Seven years are a most
+cruel probation, and, unless we are active, we shall have some of the
+hot-blooded young nobles of the kingdom undertaking the matter, as their
+holiday sports."
+
+"Thou say'st true, Señora, and we will refer the subject, at once, to
+Fernando de Talavera, yonder, who is of approved discretion, and one to
+be relied on." As the king spoke, he beckoned to the individual named,
+who immediately approached the royal pair. "Archbishop of Granada,"
+continued the wily king, who had as many politic arts as a modern
+patriot intently bent on his own advancement--"Archbishop of Granada,
+our royal consort hath a desire that this affair of Colon should be
+immediately inquired into, and reported on to ourselves. It is our joint
+command that you, and others, take the matter, before the next
+twenty-four hours shall pass, into mature consideration and inquiry, and
+that you lay the result before ourselves. The names of your associates
+shall be given to you in the course of the day."
+
+While the tongue of Ferdinand was thus instructing the prelate, the
+latter read in the expression of the monarch's eye, and in the coldness
+of his countenance, a meaning that his quick and practiced wits were not
+slow in interpreting. He signified his dutiful assent, however; received
+the names of his associates in the commission, of whom Isabella pointed
+out one or two, and then waited to join in the discourse.
+
+"This project of Colon's is worthy of being more seriously inquired
+into," resumed the king, when these preliminaries were settled, "and it
+shall be our care to see that he hath all consideration. They tell me
+the honest navigator is a good Christian."
+
+"I think him devotedly so, Don Fernando. He hath a purpose, should God
+prosper his present undertaking, to join in a new effort to regain the
+holy sepulchre."
+
+"Umph! Such designs may be meritorious, but ours is the true way to
+advance the faith--this conquest of our own. We have raised the cross,
+my wife, where the ensigns of infidelity were lately seen, and Granada
+is so near Castile that it will not be difficult to maintain our altars.
+Such, at least, are the opinions of a layman--holy prelate--on these
+matters."
+
+"And most just and wise opinions are they, Señor," returned the
+archbishop. "That which can be retained, it is wisest to seek, for we
+lose our labors in gaining things that Providence hath placed so far
+beyond our control, that they do not seem designed for our purposes."
+
+"There are those, my Lord Archbishop," observed the queen, "who might
+argue against all attempts to recover the holy sepulchre, hearing
+opinions like these, from so high authority!"
+
+"Then, Señora, they would misconceive that authority," the politic
+prelate hurriedly replied. "It is well for all Christendom, to drive the
+Infidels from the Holy Land; but for Castile it is better to dispossess
+them of Granada. The distinction is a very plain one, as every sound
+casuist must admit."
+
+"This truth is as evident to our reason," added Ferdinand, casting a
+look of calm exultation out at a window, "as that yonder towers were
+once Abdallah's, and that they are now our own!"
+
+"Better for Castile!" repeated Isabella, in the tones of one who mused.
+"For her worldly power better, perhaps, but not better for the souls of
+those who achieve the deed--surely, not better for the glory of God!"
+
+"My much-honored wife, and beloved consort"--said the king.
+
+"Señora"--added the prelate.
+
+But Isabella walked slowly away, pondering on principles, while the eyes
+of the two worldings she left behind her, met, with the sort of
+free-masonry that is in much request among those who are too apt to
+substitute the expedient for the right. The queen did not return to her
+seat, but she walked up and down that part of the room which the
+archbishop had left vacant when he approached herself and her husband.
+Here she remained alone for several minutes, even Ferdinand holding her
+in too much reverence to presume to disturb her meditations, uninvited.
+The queen several times cast glances at Mercedes, and, at length, she
+commanded her to draw near.
+
+"Daughter," said Isabella, who frequently addressed those she loved by
+this endearing term, "thou hast not forgotten thy freely-offered vow?"
+
+"Next to my duty to God, Señora, I most consider my duty to my
+sovereign."
+
+Mercedes spoke firmly, and in those tones that seldom deceive. Isabella
+riveted her eyes on the pale features of the beautiful girl, and when
+the words just quoted were uttered, a tender mother could not have
+regarded a beloved child with stronger proofs of affection.
+
+"Thy duty to God overshadoweth all other feelings, daughter, as is
+just," answered the queen; "thy duty to me is secondary and inferior.
+Still, thou and all others, owe a solemn duty to your sovereign, and I
+should be unfit for the high trust that I have received from Providence,
+did I permit any of these obligations to lessen. It is not I that reign
+in Castile, but Providence, through its humble and unworthy instrument.
+My people are my children, and I often pray that I may have heart enough
+to hold them all. If princes are sometimes obliged to frown on the
+unworthy, it is but in humble and distant imitation of that Power which
+cannot smile on evil."
+
+"I hope, Señora," said the girl, timidly, observing that the queen
+paused, "I have not been so unfortunate as to displease you; a frown
+from Your Highness would indeed be a calamity!"
+
+"Thou? No, daughter; I would that all the maidens of Castile, noble and
+simple, were of thy truth, and modesty, and obedience. But we cannot
+permit thee to become the victim of the senses. Thou art too well
+taught, Doña Mercedes, not to distinguish between that which is
+brilliant and that which is truly virtuous"--
+
+"Señora!" cried Mercedes, eagerly--then checking herself, immediately,
+for she felt it was a disrespect to interrupt her sovereign.
+
+"I listen to what thou wouldst say, daughter," Isabella answered, after
+pausing for the frightened girl to continue. "Speak freely; thou
+addressest a parent."
+
+"I was about to say, Señora, that if all that is brilliant is not
+virtuous, neither is all that is unpleasant to the sight, or what
+prudence might condemn, actually vicious."
+
+"I understand thee, Señorita, and the remark hath truth in it. Now, let
+us speak of other things. Thou appearest to be friendly to the designs
+of this navigator, Colon?"
+
+"The opinion of one untaught and youthful as I, can have little weight
+with the Queen of Castile, who can ask counsel of prelates and learned
+churchmen, besides consulting her own wisdom;" Mercedes modestly
+answered.
+
+"But thou thinkest well of his project; or have I mistaken thy meaning?"
+
+"No, Señora, I _do_ think well of Colon's scheme; for to me it seemeth
+of that nobleness and grandeur that Providence would favor, for the good
+of man and the advancement of the church."
+
+"And thou believest that nobles and cavaliers can be found willing to
+embark with this obscure Genoese, in his bold undertaking?"
+
+The queen felt the hand that she affectionately held in both her own,
+tremble, and when she looked at her companion she perceived that her
+face was crimsoned and her eyes lowered. But the generous girl thought
+the moment critical for the fortunes of her lover, and she rallied all
+her energies in order to serve his interests.
+
+"Señora, I do," she answered, with a steadiness that both surprised and
+pleased the queen, who entered into and appreciated all her feelings; "I
+think Don Luis de Bobadilla will embark with him; since his aunt hath
+conversed freely with him on the nature and magnitude of the enterprise,
+his mind dwelleth on little else. He would be willing to furnish gold
+for the occasion, could his guardians be made to consent."
+
+"Which any guardian would be very wrong to do. We may deal freely with
+our own, but it is forbidden to jeopard the goods of another. If Don
+Luis de Bobadilla persevere in this intention, and act up to his
+professions, I shall think more favorably of his character than
+circumstances have hitherto led me to do."
+
+"Señora!"
+
+"Hear me, daughter; we cannot now converse longer on this point, the
+council waiting my presence, and the king having already left us. Thy
+guardian and I will confer together, and thou shalt not be kept in undue
+suspense; but Mercedes de Valverde"--
+
+"My Lady the Queen"--
+
+"Remember thy vow, daughter. It was freely given, and must not be
+hastily forgotten."
+
+Isabella now kissed the pale cheek of the girl and withdrew, followed by
+all the ladies; leaving the half-pleased and yet half-terrified Mercedes
+standing in the centre of the vast apartment, resembling a beautiful
+statue of Doubt.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII.
+
+    "He that of such a height hath built his mind,
+    And reared the dwelling of his thoughts so strong
+    As neither fear nor hope can shake the frame
+    Of his resolved powers."
+
+    Daniel.
+
+
+The following day the Alhambra was crowded with courtiers as usual;
+applicants for favors, those who sought their own, and those who
+solicited the redress of imaginary wrongs. The ante-chambers were
+thronged, and the different individuals in waiting jealously eyed each
+other, as if to inquire how far their neighbors would be likely to
+thwart their several views or to advance their wishes. Men bowed, in
+general, coldly and with distrust; and the few that did directly pass
+their greetings, met with the elaborated civility that commonly
+characterizes the intercourse of palaces.
+
+While curiosity was active in guessing at the business of the different
+individuals present, and whispers, nods, shrugs of the shoulders, and
+meaning glances, passed among the old stagers, as they communicated to
+each other the little they knew, or thought they knew, on different
+subjects, there stood in the corner of the principal apartment, one in
+particular, who might be distinguished from all around him, by his
+stature, the gravity and dignity of his air, and the peculiar sort of
+notice that he attracted. Few approached him, and they that did, as they
+turned their backs, cast those glances of self-sufficiency and ridicule
+about them, that characterize the vulgar-minded when they fancy that
+they are deriding or sneering in consonance with popular opinion. This
+was Columbus, who was very generally regarded by the multitude as a
+visionary schemer, and who necessarily shared in that sort of
+contemptuous obloquy that attaches itself to the character. But even the
+wit and jokes of the crowd had been expended upon this subject, and the
+patience of those who danced attendance was getting to be exhausted,
+when a little stir at the door announced the approach of some new
+courtier. The manner in which the throng quickly gave way, denoted the
+presence of some one of high rank, and presently Don Luis de Bobadilla
+stood in the centre of the room.
+
+"It is the nephew of Her Highness' favorite," whispered one.
+
+"A noble of one of the most illustrious families of Castile," said
+another; "but a fitting associate of this Colon, as neither the
+authority of his guardians, the wishes of the queen, nor his high
+station, can keep him from the life of a vagabond."
+
+"One of the best lances in Spain, if he had the prudence and wisdom to
+turn his skill to profit," observed a third.
+
+"That is the youthful knight who hath so well deported himself in this
+last campaign," growled an inferior officer of the infantry, "and who
+unhorsed Don Alonso de Ojeda in the tourney; but his lance is as
+unsteady in its aim, as it is good in the rest. They tell me he is a
+rover."
+
+As if purposely to justify this character, Luis looked about him
+anxiously a moment, and then made his way directly to the side of Colon.
+The smiles, nods, shrugs, and half-suppressed whispers that followed,
+betrayed the common feeling; but a door on the side of the closet
+opening, all eyes were immediately bent in that direction, and the
+little interruption just mentioned was as soon forgotten.
+
+"I greet you, Señor," said Luis, bowing respectfully to Columbus. "Since
+our discourse of last evening I have thought of little besides its
+subject, and have come hither to renew it."
+
+That Columbus was pleased by this homage, appeared in his eye, his
+smile, and the manner in which he raised his body, as if full of the
+grandeur of his own designs; but he was compelled to defer the pleasure
+that it always gave him to dilate on his enterprise.
+
+"I am commanded hither, noble Señor," he answered, cordially, "by the
+holy Archbishop of Granada, who, it seemeth, hath it in charge from
+their Highnesses, to bring my affair to a speedy issue, and who hath
+named this very morning for that purpose. We touch upon the verge of
+great events: the day is not distant, when this conquest of Granada will
+be forgotten, in the greater importance of the mighty things that God
+hath held in reserve!"
+
+"By San Pedro, my new patron! I do believe you, Señor. Cathay must lie
+at or near the spot you have named, and your own eyes shall not see it,
+and its gorgeous stories of wealth, sooner than mine. Remember Pedro de
+Muños, I pray you, Señor Colon."
+
+"He shall not be forgotten, I promise you, young lord; and all the great
+deeds of your ancestors will be eclipsed by the glory achieved by their
+son. But I hear my name called; we will talk of this anon."
+
+"El Señor Christoval Colon!" was called by one of the pages, in a loud
+authoritative voice, and the navigator hurried forward, buoyed up with
+hope and joy.
+
+The manner in which one so generally regarded with indifference, if not
+with contempt, had been selected from all that crowd of courtiers,
+excited some surprise; but as the ordinary business of the antechamber
+went on, and the subordinates of office soon appeared in the rooms, to
+hear solicitations and answer questions, the affair was quickly
+forgotten. Luis withdrew disappointed, for he had hoped to enjoy another
+long discourse with Columbus, on a subject which, as it was connected
+with his dearest hopes, now occupied most of his thoughts. We shall
+leave him, however, and all in the ante-chambers, to follow the great
+navigator further into the depths of the palace.
+
+Fernando de Talavera had not been unmindful of his orders. Instead,
+however, of associating with this prelate, men known to be well disposed
+to listen to the propositions of Columbus, the king and queen had made
+the mistake of choosing some six or eight of their courtiers, persons of
+probity and of good general characters, but who were too little
+accustomed to learned research, properly to appreciate the magnitude of
+the proposed discoveries. Into the presence of these distinguished
+nobles and churchmen was Columbus now ushered, and among them is the
+reader to suppose him seated. We pass over the customary ceremonies of
+the introduction, and proceed at once to the material part of the
+narrative. The Archbishop of Granada was the principal speaker on the
+part of the commissioners.
+
+"We understand, Señor Colon," continued the prelate, "should you be
+favored by their Highnesses' power and authority, that you propose to
+undertake a voyage into the unknown Atlantic, in quest of the land of
+Cathay and the celebrated island of Cipango?"
+
+"That is my design, holy and illustrious prelate. The matter hath been
+so often up between the agents of the two sovereigns and myself, that
+there is little occasion to enlarge on my views."
+
+"These were fully discussed at Salamanca, of a verity, where many
+learned churchmen were of your way of thinking, Señor, though more were
+against it. Our Lord the King, and our Lady the Queen, however, are
+disposed to view the matter favorably, and this commission hath been
+commanded that we might arrange all previous principles, and determine
+the rights of the respective parties. What force in vessels and
+equipments do you demand, in order to achieve the great objects you
+expect, under the blessing of God, to accomplish?"
+
+"You have well spoken, Lord Archbishop; it will be by the blessing of
+God, and under his especial care, that all will be done, for his glory
+and worship are involved in the success. With so good an ally on my
+side, little worldly means will be necessary. Two caravels of light
+burden are all I ask, with the flag of the sovereigns, and a sufficiency
+of mariners."
+
+The commissioners turned toward each other in surprise, and while some
+saw in the moderate request the enthusiastic heedlessness of a
+visionary, others detected the steady reliance of faith.
+
+"That is not asking much, truly," observed the prelate, who was among
+the first; "and, though these wars have left us of Castile with an
+exhausted treasury, we could compass that little without the aid of a
+miracle. The caravels might be found, and the mariners levied, but there
+are weighty points to determine before we reach that concession. You
+expect, Señor, to be intrusted with the command of the expedition, in
+your own person?"
+
+"Without that confidence I could not be answerable for success. I ask
+the full and complete authority of an admiral, or a sea-commander, of
+their Highnesses. The force employed will be trifling in appearance, but
+the risks will be great, and the power of the two crowns must completely
+sustain that of him on whose shoulders will rest the entire weight of
+the responsibility."
+
+"This is but just, and none will gainsay it. But, Señor, have you
+thought maturely on the advantages that are to accrue to the sovereigns,
+should they sustain you in this undertaking?"
+
+"Lord Archbishop, for eighteen years hath this subject occupied my
+thoughts, and employed my studies, both by day and by night. In the
+whole of that long period have I done little that hath not had a direct
+bearing on the success of this mighty enterprise. The advantages to all
+concerned, that will flow from it, have, therefore, scarce been
+forgotten."
+
+"Name them, Señor."
+
+"First, then, as is due to his all-seeing and omnipotent protection,
+glory will be given to the Almighty, by the spreading of his church and
+the increase of his worshippers." Fernando de Talavera and all the
+churchmen present piously crossed themselves, an act in which Columbus
+himself joined. "Their Highnesses, as is meet, will reap the next
+advantages, in the extension of their empire and in the increase of
+their subjects. Wealth will flow in upon Castile and Aragon, in a rapid
+stream, His Holiness freely granting to Christian monarchs the thrones
+and territories of all infidel princes whose possessions may be
+discovered, or people converted to the faith, through their means."
+
+"This is plausible, Señor," returned the prelate, "and founded on just
+principles. His Holiness certainly is entrusted with that power, and
+hath been known to use it, for the glory of God. You doubtless know,
+Señor Colon, that Don John of Portugal hath paid great attention to
+these matters already, and that he and his predecessors have probably
+pushed discovery to the verge of its final limits. His enterprise hath
+also obtained from Rome certain privileges that may not be meddled
+with."
+
+"I am not ignorant of the Portuguese enterprise, holy prelate, nor of
+the spirit with which Don John hath exercised his power. His vessels
+voyage along the western shore of Africa, and in a direction altogether
+different from that I propose to take. My purpose is to launch forth, at
+once, into the broad Atlantic, and by following the sun toward his place
+of evening retirement, reach the eastern bounds of the Indies, by a road
+that will lessen the journey many months."
+
+Although the archbishop and most of his coadjutors belonged to the
+numerous class of those who regarded Columbus as a brain-heated
+visionary, the earnest, but lofty dignity, with which he thus simply
+touched upon his projects; the manner in which he quietly smoothed down
+his white locks, when he had spoken; and the enthusiasm that never
+failed to kindle in his eye, as he dwelt on his noble designs, produced
+a deep impression on all present, and there was a moment when the
+general feeling was to aid him to the extent of the common means. It was
+a singular and peculiar proof of the existence of this transient feeling
+that one of the commissioners immediately inquired--
+
+"Do you propose, Señor Colon, to seek the court of Prestor John?"
+
+"I know not, noble Señor, that such a potentate hath even an existence,"
+answered Columbus, whose notions had got the fixed and philosophical
+bias that is derived from science, and who entered little into the
+popular fallacies of the day, though necessarily subject to much of the
+ignorance of the age; "I find nothing to establish the truth of there
+being such a monarch at all, or such territories."
+
+This admission did not help the navigator's cause; for to affirm that
+the earth was a sphere, and that Prestor John was a creature of the
+imagination, was abandoning the marvellous to fall back on demonstration
+and probabilities--a course that the human mind, in its uncultivated
+condition, is not fond of taking.
+
+"There are men who will be willing to put faith in the truth of Prestor
+John's power and territories," interrupted one of the commissioners, who
+was indebted to his present situation purely to King Ferdinand's policy,
+"who will flatly deny that the earth is round; since we all know that
+there are kings, and territories, and Christians, while we see that the
+earth and the ocean are plains."
+
+This opinion was received with an assenting smile by most present,
+though Fernando de Talavera had doubts of its justice.
+
+"Señor," answered Columbus, mildly, "if all in this world was in truth
+what it seemeth, confessions would be little needed, and penance would
+be much lighter."
+
+"I esteem you a good Christian, Señor Colon," observed the archbishop,
+sharply.
+
+"I am such as the grace of God and a weak nature have made me, Lord
+Archbishop; though I humbly trust that when I shall have achieved this
+great end, that I may be deemed more worthy of the divine protection, as
+well as of the divine favor."
+
+"It hath been said that thou deemest thyself especially set apart by
+Providence for this work."
+
+"I feel that within me, holy prelate, that encourageth such a hope; but
+I build naught on mysteries that exceed my comprehension."
+
+It would be difficult to say whether Columbus lost or gained in the
+opinions of his auditors, by this answer. The religious feeling of the
+age was in perfect consonance with the sentiment; but, to the churchmen
+present, it seemed arrogant in a humble and unknown layman, even to
+believe it possible that he could be the chosen vessel, when so many who
+appeared to have higher claims were rejected. Still no expression of
+this feeling was permitted, for it was then, as it is now--he who seemed
+to rely on the power of God, carrying with him a weight and an influence
+that ordinarily checked rebukes.
+
+"You propose to endeavor to reach Cathay by means of sailing forth into
+the broad Atlantic," resumed the archbishop, "and yet you deny the
+existence of Prestor John."
+
+"Your pardon, holy prelate--I do propose to reach Cathay and Cipango in
+the mode you mention, but I do not absolutely deny the existence of the
+monarch you have named. For the probability of the success of my
+enterprise, I have already produced my proofs and reasons, which have
+satisfied many learned churchmen; but evidence is wanting to establish
+the last."
+
+"And yet Giovanni di Montecorvino, a pious bishop of our holy church, is
+said to have converted such a prince to the true faith, nearly two
+centuries since."
+
+"The power of God can do any thing, Lord Archbishop, and I am not one to
+question the merits of his chosen ministers. All I can answer on this
+point is, to say that I find no scientific or plausible reasons to
+justify me in pursuing what may prove to be as deceptive as the light
+which recedes before the hand that would touch it. As for Cathay and its
+position and its wonders, we have the better established evidence of the
+renowned Venetians, Marco and Nicolo Polo, who not only travelled in
+those territories, but sojourned years at the court of their monarch.
+But, noble gentlemen, whether there is a Prestor John, or a Cathay,
+there is certainly a limit to the western side of the Atlantic, and that
+limit I am ready to seek."
+
+The archbishop betrayed his incredulity in the upward turn of his eyes;
+but having his commands from those who were accustomed to be obeyed, and
+knowing that the theory of Columbus had been gravely heard and reported
+on, years before, at Salamanca, he determined prudently to keep within
+his proper sphere, and to proceed at once to that into which it was his
+duty to inquire.
+
+"You have set forth the advantages that you think may be derived to the
+sovereigns, should your project succeed, Señor," he said, "and truly
+they are not light, if all your brilliant hopes may be realized; but it
+now remaineth to know what conditions you reserve for yourself, as the
+reward of all your risks and many years of anxious labor."
+
+"All that hath been duly considered, illustrious archbishop, and you
+will find the substance of my wishes set forth in this paper, though
+many of the smaller provisions will remain to be enumerated."
+
+As Columbus spoke he handed the paper in question to Ferdinand of
+Talavera. The prelate ran his eyes over it hastily at first, but a
+second time with more deliberation, and it would be difficult to say
+whether ridicule or indignation was most strongly expressed in his
+countenance, as he deridingly threw the document on a table. When this
+act of contempt was performed, he turned toward Columbus, as if to
+satisfy himself that the navigator was not mad.
+
+"Art thou serious in demanding these terms, Señor?" he asked sternly,
+and with a look that would have caused most men, in the humble station
+of the applicant, to swerve from their purpose.
+
+"Lord Archbishop," answered Columbus, with a dignity that was not easily
+disturbed, "this matter hath now occupied my mind quite eighteen years.
+During the whole of this long period I have thought seriously of little
+else, and it may be said to have engaged my mind sleeping and waking. I
+saw the truth early and intensely, but every day seems to bring it
+brighter and brighter before my eyes. I feel a reliance on success, that
+cometh from dependence on God. I think myself an agent, chosen for the
+accomplishment of great ends, and ends that will not be decided by the
+success of this one enterprise. There is more beyond, and I must retain
+the dignity and the means necessary to accomplish it. I cannot abate, in
+the smallest degree, the nature or the amount of these conditions."
+
+Although the manner in which these words were uttered lent them weight,
+the prelate fancied that the mind of the navigator had got to be
+unsettled by his long contemplation of a single subject. The only things
+that left any doubt concerning the accuracy of this opinion, were the
+method and science with which he had often maintained, even in his own
+presence, the reasonableness of his geographical suppositions; arguments
+which, though they had failed to convince one bent on believing the
+projector a visionary, had, nevertheless, greatly puzzled the listener.
+Still, the demands he had just read seemed so extravagant, that, for a
+single instant, a sentiment of pity repressed the burst of indignation
+to which he felt disposed to give vent.
+
+"How like ye, noble lords," he cried, sarcastically, turning to two or
+three of his fellow-commissioners, who had eagerly seized the paper and
+were endeavoring to read it, and all at the same moment, "the moderate
+and modest demands of the Señor Christoval Colon, the celebrated
+navigator who confounded the Council of Salamanca! Are they not such as
+becometh their Highnesses to accept on bended knees, and with many
+thanks?"
+
+"Read them, Lord Archbishop," exclaimed several in a breath. "Let us
+first know their nature."
+
+"There are many minor conditions that might be granted, as unworthy of
+discussion," resumed the prelate, taking the paper; "but here are two
+that must give the sovereigns infinite satisfaction. The Señor Colon
+actually satisfieth himself with the rank of Admiral and Viceroy over
+all the countries he may discover; and as for gains, one-tenth--the
+church's share, my brethren--yea, even one-tenth, one _humble_ tenth of
+the proceeds and customs, will content him!"
+
+The general murmur that passed among the commissioners, denoted a common
+dissatisfaction, and at that instant Columbus had not a true supporter
+in the room.
+
+"Nor is this all, illustrious nobles, and holy priests," continued the
+archbishop, following up his advantage as soon as he believed his
+auditors ready to hear him--"nor is this all; lest these high dignities
+should weary their Highnesses' shoulders, and those of their royal
+progeny, the liberal Genoese actually consenteth to transmit them to his
+own posterity, in all time to come; converting the kingdom of Cathay
+into a realm for the uses of the house of Colon, to maintain the dignity
+of which, the tenth of all the benefits are to be consigned to its
+especial care!"
+
+There would have been an open laugh at this sally, had not the noble
+bearing of Columbus checked its indulgence; and even Ferdinand of
+Talavera, under the stern rebuke of an eye and mien that carried with
+them a grave authority, began to think he had gone too far.
+
+"Your pardon, Señor Colon," he immediately and more courteously added;
+"but your conditions sounded so lofty that they have quite taken me by
+surprise. You cannot seriously mean to maintain them?"
+
+"Not one jot will I abate, Lord Priest: that much will be my due; and he
+that consenteth to less than he deserveth, becometh an instrument of his
+own humiliation. I shall give to the sovereigns an empire that will far
+exceed in value all their other possessions, and I claim my reward. I
+tell you, moreover, reverend prelate, that there is much in reserve, and
+that these conditions will be needed to fulfil the future."
+
+"These are truly modest proposals for a nameless Genoese!" exclaimed one
+of the courtiers, who had been gradually swelling with disgust and
+contempt. "The Señor Colon will be certain of commanding in the service
+of their Highnesses, and if nothing is done he will have that high honor
+without cost; whereas, should this most improbable scheme lead to any
+benefits, he will become a vice-king, humbly contenting himself with the
+church's revenue!"
+
+This remark appeared to determine the wavering, and the commissioners
+rose, in a body, as if the matter were thought to be unworthy of further
+discussion. With the view to preserve at least the appearance of
+impartiality and discretion, however, the archbishop turned once more
+toward Columbus, and now, certain of obtaining his ends, he spoke to him
+in milder tones.
+
+"For the last time, Señor," he said, "I ask if you still insist on these
+unheard-of terms?"
+
+"On them, and on no other," said Columbus, firmly. "I know the magnitude
+of the services I shall perform, and will not degrade them--will in no
+manner lessen their dignity, by accepting aught else. But, Lord
+Archbishop, and you, too, noble Señor, that treateth my claims so
+lightly, I am ready to add to the risk of person, life, and name, that
+of gold. I will furnish one-eighth of the needful sums, if ye will
+increase my benefits in that proportion."
+
+"Enough, enough," returned the prelate, preparing to quit the room; "we
+will make our report to the sovereigns, this instant, and thou shalt
+speedily know their pleasure."
+
+Thus terminated the conference. The courtiers left the room, conversing
+earnestly among themselves, like men who did not care to repress their
+indignation; while Columbus, filled with the noble character of his own
+designs, disappeared in another direction, with the bearing of one whose
+self-respect was not to be lessened by clamor, and who appreciated
+ignorance and narrowness of views too justly to suffer them to change
+his own high purposes.
+
+Ferdinand of Talavera was as good as his word. He was the queen's
+confessor, and, in virtue of that holy office, had at all times access
+to her presence. Full of the subject of the late interview, he took his
+way directly to the private apartments of the queen, and, as a matter of
+course, was at once admitted. Isabella heard his representations with
+mortification and regret, for she had begun to set her heart on the
+sailing of this extraordinary expedition. But the influence of the
+archbishop was very great, for his royal penitent knew the sincerity and
+devotedness of his heart.
+
+"This carrieth presumption to insolence, Señora," continued the
+irritated churchman; "have we not here a mendicant adventurer demanding
+honors and authority that belong only to God and his anointed, the
+princes of the earth? Who is this Colon?--a nameless Genoese, without
+rank, services, or modesty, and yet doth he carry his pretensions to a
+height that might cause even a Guzman to hesitate."
+
+"He is a good Christian, holy prelate," Isabella meekly answered, "and
+seemeth to delight in the service and glory of God, and to wish to favor
+the extension of his visible and Catholic church."
+
+"True, Señora, and yet may there be deceit in this"--
+
+"Nay, Lord Archbishop, I do not think that deceit is the man's failing,
+for franker speech and more manly bearing it is not usual to see, even
+in the most powerful. He hath solicited us for years, and yet no act of
+meanness may be fairly laid to his charge."
+
+"I shall not judge the heart of this man harshly, Doña Isabella, but we
+may judge of his actions and his pretensions, and how far they may be
+suitable to the dignity of the two crowns, freely and without censure. I
+confess him grave, and plausible, and light of neither discourse nor
+manner, virtues certainly, as the world moveth in courts"--Isabella
+smiled, but she said nothing, for her ghostly counsellor was wont to
+rebuke with freedom, and she to listen with humility--"where the age is
+not exhibiting its purest models of sobriety of thought and devotion,
+but even these may exist without the spirit that shall be fitted for
+heaven. But what are gravity and decorum, if sustained by an inflated
+pride and inordinate rapacity? ambition being a term too lofty for such
+a craving. Reflect, Señora, on the full nature of these demands. This
+Colon requireth to be established, forever, in the high state of a
+substitute for a king, not only for his own person, but for those of his
+descendants throughout all time, with the title and authority of Admiral
+over all adjacent seas, should he discover any of the lands he so much
+exalts, before he will consent to enter into the command of certain of
+Your Highnesses' vessels, a station of itself only too honorable for one
+of so little note! Should his most extravagant pretensions be
+realized--and the probabilities are that they will entirely fail--his
+demands would exceed his services; whereas, in the case of failure, the
+Castilian and Aragonese names would be covered with ridicule, and a sore
+disrespect would befal the royal dignity for having been thus duped by
+an adventurer. Much of the glory of this late conquest would be
+tarnished, by a mistake so unfortunate."
+
+"Daughter-Marchioness," observed the queen, turning toward the faithful,
+and long-tried friend who was occupied with her needle near her own
+side--"these conditions of Colon do, truly, seem to exceed the bounds of
+reason."
+
+"The enterprise also exceedeth all the usual bounds of risks and
+adventures, Señora," was the steady reply of Doña Beatriz, as she
+glanced toward the countenance of Mercedes. "Noble efforts deserve noble
+rewards."
+
+The eye of Isabella followed the glance of her friend, and it remained
+fixed for some time on the pale, anxious features of her favorite's
+ward. The beautiful girl herself was unconscious of the attention she
+excited; but one who knew her secret might easily detect the intense
+feeling with which she awaited the issue. The opinions of her confessor
+had seemed so reasonable, that Isabella was on the point of assenting to
+the report of the commissioners, and of abandoning altogether the secret
+hopes and expectations she had begun to couple with the success of the
+navigator's schemes, when a gentler feeling, one that belonged
+peculiarly to her own feminine heart, interposed to give the mariner
+another chance. It is seldom that woman is dead to the sympathies
+connected with the affections, and the wishes that sprang from the love
+of Mercedes de Valverde were the active cause of the decision that the
+Queen of Castile came to at that critical moment.
+
+"We must be neither harsh nor hasty with this Genoese, Lord Archbishop,"
+she said, turning again to the prelate. "He hath the virtues of
+devoutness and fair-dealing, and these are qualities that sovereigns
+learn to prize. His demands no doubt have become somewhat exaggerated by
+long brooding, in his thoughts, on a favorite and great scheme; but kind
+words and reason may yet lead him to more moderation. Let him, then, be
+tried with propositions of our own, and doubtless, his necessities, if
+not a sense of justice, will cause him to accept them. The viceroyalty
+doth, indeed, exceed the usual policy of princes, and, as you say, holy
+prelate, the tenth is the church's share; but the admiral's rank may be
+fairly claimed. Meet him, then, with these moderated proposals, and
+substitute a fifteenth for a tenth; let him be a viceroy in his own
+person, during the pleasure of Don Fernando and myself, but let him
+relinquish the claim for his posterity."
+
+Fernando de Talavera thought even these concessions too considerable,
+but, while he exercised his sacred office with a high authority, he too
+well knew the character of Isabella to presume to dispute an order she
+had once issued, although it was in her own mild and feminine manner.
+After receiving a few more instructions, therefore, and obtaining the
+counsel of the king, who was at work in an adjoining cabinet, the
+prelate went to execute this new commission.
+
+Two or three days now passed before the subject was finally disposed of,
+and Isabella was again seated in the domestic circle, when admission was
+once more demanded in behalf of her confessor. The archbishop entered
+with a flushed face, and his whole appearance was so disturbed that it
+must have been observed by the most indifferent person.
+
+"How now, holy archbishop,"--demanded Isabella--"doth thy new flock vex
+thy spirit, and is it so very hard to deal with an infidel?"
+
+"'Tis naught of that, Señora--'tis naught relating to my new people. I
+find even the followers of the false prophet more reasonable than some
+who exult in Christ's name and favor. This Colon is a madman, and better
+fitted to become a saint in Mussulmans' eyes, than even a pilot in Your
+Highness' service."
+
+At this burst of indignation, the queen, the Marchioness of Moya, and
+Doña Mercedes de Valverde, simultaneously dropped their needle-work, and
+sat looking at the prelate, with a common concern. They had all hoped
+that the difficulties which stood in the way of a favorable termination
+to the negotiation would be removed, and that the time was at hand, when
+the being who, in spite of the boldness and unusual character of his
+projects, had succeeded in so signally commanding their respect, and in
+interesting their feelings, was about to depart, and to furnish a
+practical solution to problems that had as much puzzled their reasons as
+they had excited their curiosity. But here was something like a sudden
+and unlooked-for termination to all their expectations; and while
+Mercedes felt something like despair chilling her heart, the queen and
+Doña Beatriz were both displeased.
+
+"Didst thou duly explain to Señor Colon, the nature of our proposals,
+Lord Archbishop?" the former asked, with more severity of manner than
+she was accustomed to betray; "and doth he still insist on the
+pretensions to a vice-regal power, and on the offensive condition in
+behalf of his posterity?"
+
+"Even so, Your Highness; were it Isabella of Castile treating with Henry
+of England or Louis of France, the starving Genoese could not hold
+higher terms or more inflexible conditions. He abateth nothing. The man
+deemeth himself chosen of God, to answer certain ends, and his language
+and conditions are such as one who felt a holy impulse to his course,
+could scarcely feel warranted in assuming."
+
+"This constancy hath its merit," observed the queen; "but there is a
+limit to concession. I shall urge no more in the navigator's favor, but
+leave him to the fortune that naturally followeth self-exaltation and
+all extravagance of demand."
+
+This speech apparently sealed the fate of Columbus in Castile. The
+archbishop was appeased, and, first holding a short private conference
+with his royal penitent, he left the room. Shortly after, Christoval
+Colon, as he was called by the Spaniards--Columbus, as he styled himself
+in later life--received, for a definite answer, the information that his
+conditions were rejected, and that the negotiation for the projected
+voyage to the Indies was finally at an end.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+
+    "Oh! ever thus, from childhood's hour,
+      I've seen my fondest hopes decay;
+    I never loved a tree or flower,
+      But 'twas the first to fade away."
+
+    Lalla Rookh.
+
+
+The season had now advanced to the first days of February, and, in that
+low latitude, the weather was becoming genial and spring-like. On the
+morning succeeding that of the interview just related, some six or eight
+individuals, attracted by the loveliness of the day, and induced morally
+by a higher motive, were assembled before the door of one of those low
+dwellings of Santa Fé that had been erected for the accommodation of the
+conquering army. Most of these persons were grave Spaniards of a certain
+age, though young Luis de Bobadilla was also there, and the tall,
+dignified form of Columbus was in the group. The latter was equipped for
+the road, and a stout, serviceable Andalusian mule stood ready to
+receive its burden, near at hand. A charger was by the side of the mule,
+showing that the rider of the last was about to have company. Among the
+Spaniards were Alonzo de Quintanilla, the accountant-general of Castile,
+a firm friend of the navigator, and Luis de St. Angel, the receiver of
+the ecclesiastical revenues of Aragon, who was one of the firmest
+converts that Columbus had made to the philosophical accuracy of his
+opinions and to the truth of his vast conceptions.
+
+The two last had been in earnest discourse with the navigator, but the
+discussion had closed, and Señor de St. Angel, a man of generous
+feelings and ardent imagination, was just expressing himself warmly, in
+the following words--
+
+"By the lustre of the two crowns!" he cried, "this ought not to come to
+pass. But, adieu, Señor Colon--God have you in his holy keeping, and
+send you wiser and less prejudiced judges, hereafter. The past can only
+cause us shame and grief, while the future is in the womb of time."
+
+The whole party, with the exception of Luis de Bobadilla, then took
+their leave. As soon as the place was clear, Columbus mounted, and
+passed through the thronged streets, attended by the young noble on his
+charger. Not a syllable was uttered by either, until they were fairly on
+the plain, though Columbus often sighed like a man oppressed with grief.
+Still, his mien was calm, his bearing dignified, and his eye lighted
+with that unquenchable fire which finds its fuel in the soul within.
+
+When fairly without the gates, Columbus turned courteously to his young
+companion and thanked him for his escort; but, with a consideration for
+the other that was creditable to his heart, he added--
+
+"While I am so grateful for this honor, coming from one so noble and
+full of hopes, I must not forget your own character. Didst thou not
+remark, friend Luis, as we passed through the streets, that divers
+Spaniards pointed at me, as the object of scorn?"
+
+"I did, Señor," answered Luis, his cheek glowing with indignation, "and
+had it not been that I dreaded your displeasure, I would have trodden
+the vagabonds beneath my horse's feet, failing of a lance to spit them
+on!"
+
+"Thou hast acted most wisely in showing forbearance. But these are men,
+and their common judgment maketh public opinion; nor do I perceive that
+the birth, or the opportunities, causeth material distinctions between
+them, though the manner of expression vary. There are vulgar among the
+noble, and noble among the lowly. This very act of kindness of thine,
+will find its deriders and contemners in the court of the two
+sovereigns."
+
+"Let him look to it, who presumeth to speak lightly of you, Señor, to
+Luis de Bobadilla! We are not a patient race, and Castilian blood is apt
+to be hot blood."
+
+"I should be sorry that any man but myself should draw in my quarrel.
+But, if we take offence at all who think and speak folly, we may pass
+our days in harness. Let the young nobles have their jest, if it give
+them pleasure--but do not let me regret my friendship for thee."
+
+Luis promised fairly, and then, as if his truant thoughts would revert
+to the subject unbidden, he hastily resumed--
+
+"You speak of the noble as of a class different from your own--surely,
+Señor Colon, thou art noble?"
+
+"Would it make aught different in thy opinions and feelings, young man,
+were I to answer no?"
+
+The cheek of Don Luis flushed, and, for an instant, he repented of his
+remark; but falling back on his own frank and generous nature, he
+answered immediately, without reservation or duplicity--
+
+"By San Pedro, my new patron! I could wish you were noble, Señor, if it
+were merely for the honor of the class. There are so many among us who
+do no credit to their spurs, that we might gladly receive such an
+acquisition."
+
+"This world is made up of changes, young Señor," returned Columbus,
+smiling. "The seasons undergo their changes; night follows day; comets
+come and go; monarchs become subjects, and subjects monarchs; nobles
+lose the knowledge of their descent, and plebeians rise to the rank of
+nobles. There is a tradition among us, that we were formerly of the
+privileged class; but time and our unlucky fortune have brought us down
+to humble employments. Am I to lose the honor of Don Luis de Bobadilla's
+company in the great voyage, should I be more fortunate in France than I
+have been in Castile, because his commander happeneth to have lost the
+evidences of his nobility?"
+
+"That would be a most unworthy motive, Señor, and I hasten to correct
+your mistake. As we are now about to part for some time, I ask
+permission to lay bare my whole soul to you. I confess that when first I
+heard of this voyage, it struck me as a madman's scheme"--
+
+"Ah! friend Luis," interrupted Columbus, with a melancholy shake of the
+head, "this is the opinion of but too many! I fear Don Ferdinand of
+Aragon, as well as that stern prelate, his namesake, who hath lately
+disposed of the question, thinketh in the same manner."
+
+"I crave your pardon, Señor Colon, if I have uttered aught to give you
+pain; but if I have once done you injustice, I am ready enough to
+expiate the wrong, as you will quickly see. Thinking thus, I entered
+into discourse with you, with a view to amuse myself with fancied
+ravings; but, though no immediate change of opinion followed as to the
+truth of the theory, I soon perceived that a great philosopher and
+profound reasoner had the matter in hand. Here my judgment might have
+rested, and my opinion been satisfied, but for a circumstance of deep
+moment to myself. You must know, Señor, though come of the oldest blood
+of Spain, and not without fair possessions, that I may not always have
+answered the hopes of those who have been charged with the care of my
+youth"--
+
+"This is unnecessary, noble sir"--
+
+"Nay, by St. Luke! it shall be said. Now, I have two great and
+engrossing passions, that sometimes interfere with each other. The one
+is a love for rambling--a burning desire to see foreign lands, and this,
+too, in a free and roving fashion--with a disposition for the sea and
+the doings of havens; and the other is a love for Mercedes de Valverde,
+the fairest, gentlest, most affectionate, warmest-hearted, and truest
+maiden of Castile!"
+
+"Noble, withal," put in Columbus, smiling.
+
+"Señor," answered Luis, gravely, "I jest not concerning my guardian
+angel. She is not only noble, and every way fitted to honor my name, but
+she hath the blood of the Guzmans, themselves, in her veins. But I have
+lost favor with others, if not with my lovely mistress, in yielding to
+this rambling inclination; and even my own aunt, who is her guardian,
+hath not looked smilingly on my suit. Doña Isabella, whose word is law
+among all the noble virgins of the court, hath also her prejudices, and
+it hath become necessary to regain her good opinion, to win the Doña
+Mercedes. It struck me"--Luis was too manly to betray his mistress by
+confessing that the thought was hers--"it struck me, that if my rambling
+tastes took the direction of some noble enterprise, like this you urge,
+that what hath been a demerit might be deemed a merit in the royal eyes,
+which would be certain soon to draw all other eyes after them. With this
+hope, then, I first entered into the present intercourse, until the
+force of your arguments hath completed my conversion, and now no
+churchman hath more faith in the head of his religion, than I have that
+the shortest road to Cathay is athwart the broad Atlantic; or no Lombard
+is more persuaded that his Lombardy is flat, than I feel convinced that
+this good earth of ours is a sphere."
+
+"Speak reverently of the ministers of the altar, young Señor," said
+Columbus, crossing himself, "for no levity should be used in connection
+with their holy office. It seemeth, then," he added, smiling, "I owe my
+disciple to the two potent agents of love and reason; the former, as
+most potent, overcoming the first obstacles, and the latter getting
+uppermost at the close of the affair, as is wont to happen--love,
+generally, triumphing in the onset, and reason, last."
+
+"I'll not deny the potency of the power, Señor, for I feel it too deeply
+to rebel against it. You now know my secret, and when I have made you
+acquainted with my intentions, all will be laid bare. I here solemnly
+vow"--Don Luis lifted his cap and looked to heaven, as he spoke--"to
+join you in this voyage, on due notice, sail from whence you may, in
+whatever bark you shall choose, and whenever you please. In doing this,
+I trust, first to serve God and his church; secondly, to visit Cathay
+and those distant and wonderful lands; and lastly, to win Doña Mercedes
+de Valverde."
+
+"I accept the pledge, young sir," rejoined Columbus, struck by his
+earnestness, and pleased with his sincerity--"though it might have been
+a more faithful representation of your thoughts had the order of the
+motives been reversed."
+
+"In a few months I shall be master of my own means," continued the
+youth, too intent on his own purposes to heed what the navigator had
+said--"and then, nothing but the solemn command of Doña Isabella,
+herself, shall prevent our having one caravel, at least; and the coffers
+of Bobadilla must have been foully dealt by, during their master's
+childhood, if they do not afford two. I am no subject of Don Fernando's,
+but a servant of the elder branch of the House of Trastamara; and the
+cold judgment of the king, even, shall not prevent it."
+
+"This soundeth generously, and thy sentiments are such as become a
+youthful and enterprising noble; but the offer cannot be accepted. It
+would not become Columbus to use gold that came from so confiding a
+spirit and so inexperienced a head; and there are still greater
+obstacles than this. My enterprise must rest on the support of some
+powerful prince. Even the Guzman hath not deemed himself of sufficient
+authority to uphold a scheme so large. Did we make the discoveries
+without that sanction, we should be toiling for others, without security
+for ourselves, since the Portuguese or some other monarch would wrong us
+of our reward. That I am destined to effect this great work, I feel, and
+it must be done in a manner suited to the majesty of the thought and to
+the magnitude of the subject. And, here, Don Luis, we must part. Should
+my suit be successful at the court of France, thou shalt hear from me,
+for I ask no better than to be sustained by hearts and hands like thine.
+Still, thou must not mar thy fortunes unheedingly, and I am now a fallen
+man in Castile. It may not serve thee a good turn, to be known to
+frequent my company any longer--and I again say, here we must part."
+
+Luis de Bobadilla protested his indifference to what others might think;
+but the more experienced Columbus, who rose so high above popular clamor
+in matters that affected himself, felt a generous reluctance to permit
+this confiding youth to sacrifice his hopes, to any friendly impressions
+in his own favor. The leave-taking was warm, and the navigator felt a
+glow at his heart, as he witnessed the sincere and honest emotions that
+the young man could not repress at parting. They separated, however,
+about half a league from the town, and each bent his way in his own
+direction; Don Luis de Bobadilla's heart swelling with indignation at
+the unworthy treatment that there was, in sooth, so much reason for
+thinking his new friend had received.
+
+Columbus journeyed on, with very different emotions. Seven weary years
+had he been soliciting the monarchs and nobles of Spain to aid him in
+his enterprise. In that long period, how much of poverty, contempt,
+ridicule, and even odium, had he not patiently encountered, rather than
+abandon the slight hold that he had obtained on a few of the more
+liberal and enlightened minds of the nation! He had toiled for bread
+while soliciting the great to aid themselves in becoming still more
+powerful; and each ray of hope, however feeble, had been eagerly caught
+at with joy, each disappointment borne with a constancy that none but
+the most exalted spirit could sustain. But he was now required to endure
+the most grievous of all his pains. The recall of Isabella had awakened
+within him a confidence to which he had long been a stranger; and he
+awaited the termination of the siege with the calm dignity that became
+his purpose, no less than his lofty philosophy. The hour of leisure had
+come, and it produced a fatal destruction to all his buoyant hopes. He
+had thought his motives understood, his character appreciated, and his
+high objects felt; but he now found himself still regarded as a
+visionary projector, his intentions distrusted, and his promised
+services despised. In a word, the bright expectations that had cheered
+his toil for years, had vanished in a day, and the disappointment was
+all the greater for the brief, but delusive hopes produced by his recent
+favor.
+
+It is not surprising, therefore, that, when left alone on the highway,
+even the spirit of this extraordinary man grew faint within him, and he
+had to look to the highest power for succor. His head dropped upon his
+breast, and one of those bitter moments occurred, in which the past and
+the future, crowd the mind, painfully as to sufferings endured,
+cheerlessly as to hope. The time wasted in Spain seemed a blot in his
+existence, and then came the probability of another long and exhausting
+probation, that, like this, might lead to nothing. He had already
+reached the lustrum that would fill his threescore years, and life
+seemed slipping from beneath him, while its great object remained
+unachieved. Still the high resolution of the man sustained him. Not once
+did he think of a compromise of what he felt to be his rights--not once
+did he doubt of the practicability of accomplishing the great enterprise
+that others derided. His heart was full of courage, even while his bosom
+was full of grief. "There is a wise, a merciful, and omnipotent God!" he
+exclaimed, raising his eyes to heaven. "He knoweth what is meet for his
+own glory, and in him do I put my trust." There was a pause, and the
+eyes kindled, while a scarcely perceptible smile lighted the grave face,
+and then were murmured the words--"Yea, he taketh his time, but the
+Infidel shall be enlightened, and the blessed sepulchre redeemed!"
+
+After this burst of feeling, the grave-looking man, whose hairs had
+already become whitened to the color of snow, by cares, and toils, and
+exposures, pursued his way, with the quiet dignity of one who believed
+that he was not created for naught, and who trusted in God for the
+fulfilment of his destiny. If quivering sighs occasionally broke out of
+his breast, they did not disturb the placidity of his venerable
+countenance; if grief and disappointment still lay heavy on his heart,
+they rested on a base that was able to support them. Leaving Columbus to
+follow the common mule-track across the Vega, we will now return to
+Santa Fé, where Ferdinand and Isabella had re-established their court,
+after the few first days that succeeded the possession of their new
+conquest.
+
+Luis de St. Angel was a man of ardent feelings and generous impulses. He
+was one of those few spirits who live in advance of their age, and who
+permitted his reason to be enlightened and cheered by his imagination,
+though it was never dazzled by it. As he and his friend Alonzo de
+Quintanilla, after quitting Columbus as already related, walked toward
+the royal pavillion, they conversed freely together concerning the man,
+his vast conceptions, the treatment he had received, and the shame that
+would alight on Spain in consequence, were he suffered thus to depart
+forever. Blunt of speech, the receiver of the ecclesiastical revenues
+did not measure his terms, every syllable of which found an echo in the
+heart of the accountant-general, who was an old and fast friend of the
+navigator. In short, by the time they reached the pavilion, they had
+come to the resolution to make one manly effort to induce the queen to
+yield to Columbus' terms and to recall him to her presence.
+
+Isabella was always easy of access to such of her servants as she knew
+to be honest and zealous. The age was one of formality, and, in many
+respects, of exaggeration, while the court was renowned for ceremony;
+but the pure spirit of the queen threw a truth and a natural grace
+around all that depended on her, which rendered mere forms, except as
+they were connected with delicacy and propriety, useless, and indeed
+impracticable. Both the applicants for the interview enjoyed her favor,
+and the request was granted with that simple directness that this
+estimable woman loved to manifest, whenever she thought she was about to
+oblige any whom she esteemed.
+
+The queen was surrounded by the few ladies among whom she lived in
+private, as Luis de St. Angel and Alonzo de Quintanilla entered. Among
+them, of course, were the Marchioness of Moya and Doña Mercedes de
+Valverde. The king, on this occasion, was in an adjoining closet, at
+work, as usual, with his calculations and orders. Official labor was
+Ferdinand's relaxation, and he seldom manifested more happiness than
+when clearing off a press of affairs that most men would have found to
+the last degree burdensome. He was a hero in the saddle, a warrior at
+the head of armies, a sage in council, and respectable, if not great, in
+all things but motives.
+
+"What has brought the Señor St. Angel and the Señor Quintanilla, as
+suitors, so early to my presence?" asked Isabella, smiling in a way to
+assure both that the boon would be asked of a partial mistress. "Ye are
+not wont to be beggars, and the hour is somewhat unusual."
+
+"All hours are suitable, gracious lady, when one cometh to _confer_ and
+not to _seek_ favor," returned Luis de St. Angel, bluntly. "We are not
+here to solicit for ourselves, but to show Your Highness the manner in
+which the crown of Castile may be garnished with brighter jewels than
+any it now possesseth."
+
+Isabella looked surprised, both at the words of the speaker, and at his
+hurried earnestness, as well as his freedom of speech. Accustomed,
+however, to something of the last, her own calm manner was not
+disturbed, nor did she even seem displeased.
+
+"Hath the Moor another kingdom of which to be despoiled," she asked; "or
+would the receiver of the church's revenues have us war upon the Holy
+See?"
+
+"I would have Your Highness accept the boons that come from God, with
+alacrity and gratitude, and not reject them unthankfully," returned de
+St. Angel, kissing the queen's offered hand with a respect and affection
+that neutralized the freedom of his words. "Do you know, my gracious
+mistress, that the Señor Christoval Colon, he from whose high projects
+we Spaniards have hoped so much, hath actually taken mule and quitted
+Santa Fé?"
+
+"I expected as much, Señor, though I was not apprized that it had
+actually come to pass. The king and I put the matter into the hands of
+the Archbishop of Granada, with other trusty counsellors, and they have
+found the terms of the Genoese arrogant; so full of exceeding and
+unreasonable extravagance, that it ill befitted our dignity, and our
+duty to ourselves, to grant them. One who hath a scheme of such doubtful
+results, ought to manifest moderation in his preliminaries. Many even
+believe the man a visionary."
+
+"It is unlike an unworthy pretender, Señora, to abandon his hopes before
+he will yield his dignity. This Colon feeleth that he is treating for
+empires, and he negotiates like one full of the importance of his
+subject."
+
+"He that lightly valueth himself, in matters of gravity, hath need to
+expect that he will not stand high in the estimation of others," put in
+Alonzo de Quintanilla.
+
+"And, moreover, my gracious and beloved mistress," added de St. Angel,
+without permitting Isabella even to answer, "the character of the man,
+and the value of his intentions, may be appreciated by the price he
+setteth on his own services. If he succeed, will not the discovery
+eclipse all others that have been made since the creation of the world?
+Is it nothing to circle the earth, to prove the wisdom of God by actual
+experiment, to follow the sun in its daily track, and imitate the
+motions of that glorious moving mass? And then the benefits that will
+flow on Castile and Aragon--are they not incalculable? I marvel that a
+princess who hath shown so high and rare a spirit on all other
+occasions, should shrink from so grand an enterprise as this!"
+
+"Thou art earnest, my good de St. Angel," returned Isabella, with a
+smile that betrayed no anger; "and when there is much earnestness there
+is sometimes much forgetfulness. If there were honor and profit in
+success, what would there be in failure? Should the king and myself send
+out this Colon, with a commission to be our viceroy, forever, over
+undiscovered lands, and no lands be discovered, the wisdom of our
+councils might be called in question, and the dignity of the two crowns
+would be fruitlessly and yet deeply committed."
+
+"The hand of the Lord Archbishop is in this! This prelate hath never
+been a believer in the justice of the navigator's theories, and it is
+easy to raise objections when the feelings lean against an enterprise.
+No glory is obtained without risk. Look, Your Highness, at our
+neighbors, the Portuguese--how much have discoveries done for that
+kingdom, and how much more may it do for us! We know, my honored
+mistress, that the earth is round"--
+
+"Are we quite certain of that important fact, Señor," asked the king,
+who, attracted by the animated and unusual tones of the speaker, had
+left his closet, and approached unseen. "Is that truth established? Our
+doctors at Salamanca were divided on that great question, and, by St.
+James! I do not see that it is so very clear."
+
+"If not round, my Lord the King," answered de St. Angel, turning quickly
+to face this new opponent, like a well-drilled corps wheeling into a new
+front, "of what form _can_ it be? Will any doctor, come he of Salamanca,
+or come he from elsewhere, pretend that the earth is a plain, and that
+it hath limits, and that one may stand on these limits and jump down
+upon the sun as he passeth beneath at night--is this reasonable, honored
+Señor, or is it in conformity with scripture?"
+
+"Will any one, doctor of Salamanca, or elsewhere," rejoined the king,
+gravely, though it was evident his feelings were little interested in
+the discussion, "allege that there are nations who forever walk with
+their heads downward, where the rain falleth upward, and where the sea
+remaineth in its bed, though its support cometh from above, and is not
+placed beneath?"
+
+"It is to explain these great mysteries, Señor Don Fernando, my gracious
+master, that I would have this Colon at once go forth. We may see, nay,
+we have demonstration, that the earth is a sphere, and yet we do not see
+that the waters fall from its surface any where. The hull of a ship is
+larger than her top-masts, and yet the last are first visible on the
+ocean, which proveth that the body of the vessel is concealed by the
+form of the water. This being so, and all who have voyaged on the ocean
+know it to be thus, why doth not the water flow into a level, here, on
+our own shores? If the earth be round, there must be means to encircle
+it by water, as well as by land--to complete the entire journey, as well
+as to perform a part. Colon proposeth to open the way to this exploit,
+and the monarch that shall furnish the means will live in the memories
+of our descendants, as one far greater than a conqueror. Remember,
+illustrious Señor, that all the east is peopled with Infidels, and that
+the head of the church freely bestoweth their lands on any Christian
+monarch that may drag them from their benighted condition, into the
+light of God's favor. Believe me, Doña Isabella, should another
+sovereign grant the terms Colon requireth, and reap the advantages that
+are likely to flow from such discoveries, the enemies of Spain would
+make the world ring with their songs of triumph, while the whole
+peninsula would mourn over this unhappy decision."
+
+"Whither hath the Señor Colon sped?" demanded the king, quickly; all his
+political jealousies being momentarily aroused by the remarks of his
+receiver-general: "He hath not gone again to Don John of Portugal?"
+
+"No, Señor, my master, but to King Louis of France, a sovereign whose
+love for Aragon amounteth to a proverb."
+
+The king muttered a few words between his teeth, and he paced the
+apartment, to and fro, with a disturbed manner; for, while no man living
+cared less to hazard his means, without the prospect of a certain
+return, the idea of another's reaping an advantage that had been
+neglected by himself, brought him at once under the control of those
+feelings that always influenced his cold and calculating policy. With
+Isabella the case was different. Her pious wishes had ever leaned toward
+the accomplishment of Columbus' great project, and her generous nature
+had sympathized deeply with the noble conception, vast moral results,
+and the glory of the enterprise. Nothing but the manner in which her
+mind, as well as her religious aspirations, had been occupied by the war
+in Granada, had prevented her from entering earlier into a full
+examination of the navigator's views; and she had yielded to the counsel
+of her confessor, in denying the terms demanded by Columbus, with a
+reluctance it had not been easy to overcome. Then the gentler feelings
+of her sex had their influence, for, while she too reflected on what had
+just been urged, her eye glanced around the room and rested on the
+beautiful face of Mercedes, who sat silent from diffidence, but whose
+pale, eloquent countenance betrayed all the pleadings of the pure,
+enthusiastic love of woman.
+
+"Daughter-Marchioness," asked the queen, turning as usual to her tried
+friend, in her doubts, "what thinkest thou of this weighty matter? Ought
+we so to humble ourselves as to recal this haughty Genoese?"
+
+"Say not haughty, Señora, for to me he seemeth much superior to any such
+feeling; but rather regard him as one that hath a just appreciation of
+that he hath in view. I agree fully with the receiver-general in
+thinking that Castile will be much discredited, if, in sooth, a new
+world should be discovered, and they who favored the enterprise could
+point to this court and remind it that the glory of the event was in its
+grasp, and that it threw it away, heedlessly"--
+
+"And this, too, on a mere point of dignity, Señora," put in St.
+Angel--"on a question of parchment and of sound."
+
+"Nay, nay"--retorted the queen--"there are those who think the honors
+claimed by Colon would far exceed the service, even should the latter
+equal all the representations of the Genoese himself."
+
+"Then, my honored mistress, they know not at what the Genoese aims.
+Reflect, Señora, that it will not be an every-day deed to prove that
+this earth is a sphere, by actual measurement, whatever we may know in
+theories. Then cometh the wealth and benefits of those eastern
+possessions, a quarter of the world whence all riches flow--spices,
+pearls, silks, and the most precious metals. After these, again, cometh
+the great glory of God, which crowneth and exceedeth all."
+
+Isabella crossed herself, her cheek flushed, her eye kindled, and her
+matronly but fine form seemed to tower with the majesty of the feelings
+that these pictures created.
+
+"I do fear, Don Fernando," she said, "that our advisers have been
+precipitate, and that the magnitude of this project may justify more
+than common conditions!"
+
+But the king entered little into the generous emotions of his royal
+consort; feeling far more keenly the stings of political jealousy, than
+any promptings of a liberal zeal for either the church or science. He
+was generally esteemed a wise prince, a title that would seem to infer
+neither a generous nor a very just one. He smiled at the kindling
+enthusiasm of his wife, but continued to peruse a paper that had just
+been handed to him by a secretary.
+
+"Your Highness feels as Doña Isabella of Castile ought to feel when the
+glory of God and the honor of her crown are in question," added Beatriz
+de Cabrera, using that freedom of speech that her royal mistress much
+encouraged in their more private intercourse. "I would rather hear you
+utter the words of recall to this Colon, than again listen to the shouts
+of our late triumph over the Moor."
+
+"I know that thou lovest me, Beatriz!" exclaimed the queen: "if there is
+not a true heart in that breast of thine, the fallen condition of man
+does not suffer the gem to exist!"
+
+"We all love and reverence Your Highness," continued de St. Angel, "and
+we wish naught but your glory. Fancy, Señora, the page of history open,
+and this great exploit of the reduction of the Moor succeeded by the
+still greater deed of a discovery of an easy and swift communication
+with the Indies, the spread of the church, and the flow of inexhaustible
+wealth into Spain! This Colon cannot be supported by the colder and more
+selfish calculations of man, but his very enterprise seeks the more
+generous support of her who can risk much for God's glory and the good
+of the church."
+
+"Nay, Señor de St. Angel, thou flatterest and offendest in the same
+breath."
+
+"It is an honest nature pouring out its disappointment, my beloved
+mistress, and a tongue that hath become bold through much zeal for Your
+Highnesses' fame. Alas! alas! should King Louis grant the terms we have
+declined, poor Spain will never lift her head again for very shame!"
+
+"Art certain, St. Angel, that the Genoese hath gone for France?"
+suddenly demanded the king, in his sharp, authoritative voice.
+
+"I have it, Your Highness, from his own mouth. Yes, yes, he is at this
+moment striving to forget our Castilian dialect, and endeavoring to suit
+his tongue to the language of the Frenchman. They are bigots and
+unreflecting disciples of musty prejudices, Señora, that deny the
+theories of Colon. The old philosophers have reasoned in the same
+manner; and though it may seem to the timid an audacious and even a
+heedless adventure to sail out into the broad Atlantic, had not the
+Portuguese done it he would never have found his islands. God's truth!
+it maketh my blood boil, when I bethink me of what these Lusitanians
+have done, while we of Aragon and Castile have been tilting with the
+Infidels for a few valleys and mountains, and contending for a capital!"
+
+"Señor, you are forgetful of the honor of the sovereigns, as well as of
+the service of God," interrupted the Marchioness of Moya, who had the
+tact to perceive that the receiver-general was losing sight of his
+discretion, in the magnitude of his zeal. "This conquest is one of the
+victories of the church, and will add lustre to the two crowns in all
+future ages. The head of the church, himself, hath so recognized it, and
+all good Christians should acknowledge its character."
+
+"It is not that I undervalue this success, but that I consider the
+conquest that Colon is likely to achieve over so many millions, that I
+have thus spoken, Doña Beatriz."
+
+The marchioness, whose spirit was as marked as her love for the queen,
+made a sharp reply, and, for a few minutes, she and Luis de St. Angel,
+with Alonzo de Quintanilla, maintained the discussion by themselves,
+while Isabella conversed apart, with her husband, no one presuming to
+meddle with their private conference. The queen was earnest, and
+evidently much excited, but Ferdinand maintained his customary coolness
+and caution, though his manner was marked with that profound respect
+which the character of Isabella had early inspired, and which she
+succeeded in maintaining throughout her married life. This was a picture
+familiar to the courtiers, one of the sovereigns being as remarkable for
+his wily prudence, as was the other for her generous and sincere ardor,
+whenever impelled by a good motive. This divided discourse lasted half
+an hour, the queen occasionally pausing to listen to what was passing in
+the other group, and then recurring to her own arguments with her
+husband.
+
+At length Isabella left the side of Ferdinand, who coldly resumed the
+perusal of a paper, and she moved slowly toward the excited party, that
+was now unanimous and rather loud in the expression of its regrets--loud
+for even the indulgence of so gentle a mistress. Her intention to
+repress this ardor by her own presence, however, was momentarily
+diverted from its object by a glimpse of the face of Mercedes, who sat
+alone, her work lying neglected in her lap, listening anxiously to the
+opinions that had drawn all her companions to the general circle.
+
+"Thou takest no part in this warm discussion, child," observed the
+queen, stopping before the chair of our heroine, and gazing an instant
+into her eloquently expressive face. "Hast thou lost all interest in
+Colon?"
+
+"I speak not, Señora, because it becometh youth and ignorance to be
+modest; but though silent, I _feel_ none the less."
+
+"And what are thy feelings, daughter? Dost thou, too, think the services
+of the Genoese cannot be bought at too high a price?"
+
+"Since Your Highness doth me this honor," answered the lovely girl, the
+blood gradually flushing her pale face, as she warmed with the
+subject--"I will not hesitate to speak. I do believe this great
+enterprise hath been offered to the sovereigns, as a reward for all that
+they have done and endured for religion and the church. I do think that
+Colon hath been guided to this court by a divine hand, and by a divine
+hand hath he been kept here, enduring the long servitude of seven years,
+rather than abandon his object; and I do think that this late appeal in
+his favor cometh of a power and spirit that should prevail."
+
+"Thou art an enthusiast, daughter, more especially in this cause,"
+returned the queen, smiling kindly on the blushing Mercedes. "I am
+greatly moved by thy wishes to aid in this enterprise!"
+
+Thus spoke Isabella, at a moment when she had neither the leisure nor
+the thought to analyze her own feelings, which were influenced by a
+variety of motives, rather than by any single consideration. Even this
+passing touch of woman's affections, however, contributed to give her
+mind a new bias, and she joined the group, which respectfully opened as
+she advanced, greatly disposed to yield to de St. Angel's well-meant
+though somewhat intemperate entreaties. Still she hesitated, for her
+wary husband had just been reminding her of the exhausted state of the
+two treasuries, and the impoverished condition in which both crowns had
+been left by the late war.
+
+"Daughter-Marchioness," said Isabella, slightly answering the reverences
+of the circle, "dost thou still think this Colon expressly called of
+God, for the high purposes to which he pretendeth?"
+
+"Señora, I say not exactly that, though I believe the Genoese hath some
+such opinion of himself. But this much I do think--that Heaven beareth
+in mind its faithful servitors, and when there is need of important
+actions, suitable agents are chosen for the work. Now, we do know that
+the church, at some day, is to prevail throughout the whole world; and
+why may not this be the allotted time, as well as another? God ordereth
+mysteriously, and the very adventure that so many of the learned have
+scoffed at, may be intended to hasten the victory of the church. We
+should remember, Your Highness, the humility with which this church
+commenced; how few of the seemingly wise lent it their aid; and the high
+pass of glory to which it hath reached. This conquest of the Moor
+savoreth of a fulfilment of time, and his reign of seven centuries
+terminated, may merely be an opening for a more glorious future."
+
+Isabella smiled upon her friend, for this was reasoning after her own
+secret thoughts; but her greater acquirements rendered her more
+discriminating in her zeal, than was the case with the warm-hearted and
+ardent Marchioness.
+
+"It is not safe to affix the seal of Providence to this or that
+enterprise, Daughter-Marchioness"--she answered--"and the church alone
+may say what are intended for miracles, and what is left for human
+agencies. What sum doth Colon need, Señor de St. Angel, to carry on the
+adventure in a manner that will content him?"
+
+"He asketh but two light caravels, my honored mistress, and three
+thousand crowns--a sum that many a young spendthrift would waste on his
+pleasures, in a few short weeks."
+
+"It is not much, truly," observed Isabella, who had been gradually
+kindling with the thoughts of the nobleness of the adventure; "but,
+small as it is, my Lord the King doubteth if our joint coffers can, at
+this moment, well bear the drain."
+
+"Oh! it were a pity that such an occasion to serve God, such an
+opportunity to increase the Christian sway, and to add to the glory of
+Spain, should be lost for this trifle of gold!" exclaimed Doña Beatriz.
+
+"It would be, truly," rejoined the queen, whose cheek now glowed with an
+enthusiasm little less obvious than that which shone so brightly in the
+countenance of the ardent Mercedes. "Señor de St. Angel, the king cannot
+be prevailed on to enter into this affair, in behalf of Aragon; but I
+take it on myself, as Queen of Castile, and, so far as it may properly
+advance human interests, for the benefit of my own much-beloved people.
+If the royal treasury be drained, my private jewels should suffice for
+that small sum, and I will freely pledge them as surety for the gold,
+rather than let this Colon depart without putting the truth of his
+theories to the proof. The result, truly, is of too great magnitude, to
+admit of further discussion."
+
+An exclamation of admiration and delight escaped those present, for it
+was not a usual thing for a princess to deprive herself of personal
+ornaments in order to advance either the interests of the church or
+those of her subjects. The receiver-general, however, soon removed all
+difficulties on the score of money, by saying that his coffers could
+advance the required sum, on the guarantee of the crown of Castile, and
+that the jewels so freely offered, might remain in the keeping of their
+royal owner.
+
+"And now to recall Colon," observed the queen, as soon as these
+preliminaries had been discussed. "He hath already departed, you say,
+and no time should be lost in acquainting him with this new resolution."
+
+"Your Highness hath here a willing courier, and one already equipped for
+the road, in the person of Don Luis de Bobadilla," cried Alonzo de
+Quintanilla, whose eye had been drawn to a window by the trampling of a
+horse's foot; "and the man who will more joyfully bear these tidings to
+the Genoese cannot be found in Santa Fé."
+
+"'Tis scarce a service suited to one of his high station," answered
+Isabella, doubtingly; "and yet we should consider every moment of delay
+a wrong to Colon"--
+
+"Nay, Señora, spare not my nephew," eagerly interposed Doña Beatriz; "he
+is only too happy at being employed in doing Your Highness' pleasure."
+
+"Let him, then, be summoned to our presence without another instant's
+delay. I scarce seem to have decided, while the principal personage of
+the great adventure is journeying from the court."
+
+A page was immediately despatched in quest of the young noble, and in a
+few minutes the footsteps of the latter were heard in the antechamber.
+Luis entered the presence, flushed, excited, and with feelings not a
+little angered, at the compelled departure of his new friend. He did not
+fail to impute the blame of this occurrence to those who had the power
+to prevent it; and when his dark, expressive eye met the countenance of
+his sovereign, had it been in her power to read its meaning, she would
+have understood that he viewed her as a person who had thwarted his
+hopes on more than one occasion. Nevertheless, the influence of Doña
+Isabella's pure character and gentle manners was seldom forgotten by any
+who were permitted to approach her person; and his address was
+respectful, if not warm.
+
+"It is Your Highness' pleasure to command my presence," said the young
+man, as soon as he made his reverences to the queen.
+
+"I thank you for this promptitude, Don Luis, having some need of your
+services. Can you tell us what hath befel the Señor Christoval Colon,
+the Genoese navigator, with whom, they inform me, you have some
+intimacy?"
+
+"Forgive me, Señora, if aught unbecoming escape me; but a full heart
+must be opened lest it break. The Genoese is about to shake the dust of
+Spain from his shoes, and, at this moment, is on his journey to another
+court, to proffer those services that this should never have rejected."
+
+"It is plain, Don Luis, that all thy leisure time hath not been passed
+in courts," returned the queen, smiling; "but we have now service for
+thy roving propensities. Mount thy steed, and pursue the Señor Colon,
+with the tidings that his conditions will be granted, and a request that
+he will forthwith return. I pledge my royal word, to send him forth on
+this enterprise, with as little delay as the necessary preparations and
+a suitable prudence will allow."
+
+"Señora! Doña Isabella! My gracious queen! Do I hear aright?"
+
+"As a sign of the fidelity of thy senses, Don Luis, here is the pledge
+of my hand."
+
+This was said kindly, and the gracious manner in which the hand was
+offered, brought a gleam of hope to the mind of the lover, which it had
+not felt since he had been apprized that the queen's good opinion was
+necessary to secure his happiness. Kneeling respectfully, he kissed the
+hand of his sovereign, after which, without changing his attitude, he
+desired to know if he should that instant depart on the duty she had
+named.
+
+"Rise, Don Luis, and lose not a moment to relieve the loaded heart of
+the Genoese--I might almost say, to relieve ours, also; for,
+Daughter-Marchioness, since this holy enterprise hath broken on my mind
+with a sudden and almost miraculous light, it seemeth that a mountain
+must lie on my breast until the Señor Christoval shall learn the truth!"
+
+Luis de Bobadilla did not wait a second bidding, but hurried from the
+presence, as fast as etiquette would allow, and the next minute he was
+in the saddle. At his appearance, Mercedes had shrunk into the recess of
+a window, where she now, luckily, commanded a view of the court. As her
+lover gained his seat, he caught a glimpse of her form; and though the
+spurs were already in his charger's flanks, the rein tightened, and the
+snorting steed was thrown suddenly on his haunches. So elastic are the
+feelings of youth, so deceptive and flattering the hopes of those who
+love, that the glances which were exchanged were those of mutual
+delight. Neither thought of all the desperate chances of the
+contemplated voyage; of the probability of its want of success; or of
+the many motives which might still induce the queen to withhold her
+consent. Mercedes awoke first from the short trance that succeeded, for,
+taking the alarm at Luis' indiscreet delay, she motioned him hurriedly
+to proceed. Again the rowels were buried in the flanks of the noble
+animal; fire flashed beneath his armed heels, and, at the next minute,
+Don Luis de Bobadilla had disappeared.
+
+In the mean time Columbus had pursued his melancholy journey across the
+Vega. He travelled slowly, and several times, even after his companion
+had left him, did he check his mule, and sit, with his head dropped upon
+his breast, lost in thought, the very picture of woe. The noble
+resignation that he manifested in public, nearly gave way in private,
+and he felt, indeed, how hard his disappointments were to be borne. In
+this desultory manner of travelling he had reached the celebrated pass
+of the Bridge of Piños, the scene of many a sanguinary combat, when the
+sound of a horse's hoofs first overtook his ear. Turning his head, he
+recognized Luis de Bobadilla in hot pursuit, with the flanks of his
+horse dyed in blood, and his breast white with foam.
+
+"Joy! joy! a thousand times, joy, Señor Colon," shouted the eager youth,
+even before he was near enough to be distinctly heard. "Blessed Maria be
+praised! Joy! Señor, joy! and naught but joy!"
+
+"This is unexpected, Don Luis," exclaimed the navigator, "What meaneth
+thy return!"
+
+Luis now attempted to explain his errand, but eagerness and the want of
+breath rendered his ideas confused and his utterance broken and
+imperfect.
+
+"And why should I return to a hesitating, cold, and undecided court?"
+demanded Columbus. "Have I not wasted years in striving to urge it to
+its own good? Look at these hairs, young Señor, and remember that I have
+lost a time that nearly equals all thy days, in striving uselessly to
+convince the rulers of this peninsula that my project is founded on
+truth."
+
+"At length you have succeeded. Isabella, the true-hearted and
+never-deceiving Queen of Castile, herself hath awoke to the importance
+of thy scheme, and pledges her royal word to favor it."
+
+"Is this true? _Can_ this be true, Don Luis?"
+
+"I am sent to you express, Señor, to urge your immediate return."
+
+"By whom, young Lord?"
+
+"By Doña Isabella, my gracious mistress, through her own personal
+commands."
+
+"I cannot forego a single condition already offered."
+
+"It is not expected, Señor. Our excellent and generous mistress granteth
+all you ask, and hath nobly offered, as I learn, to pledge her private
+jewels, rather than that the enterprise fail."
+
+Columbus was deeply touched with this information, and, removing his
+cap, he concealed his face with it for a moment, as if ashamed to betray
+the weakness that came over him. When he uncovered his face it was
+radiant with happiness, and every doubt appeared to have vanished. Years
+of suffering were forgotten in that moment of joy, and he immediately
+signified his readiness to accompany the youth back to Santa Fé.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX.
+
+    "How beautiful is genius when combined
+    With holiness! Oh! how divinely sweet
+    The tones of earthly harp, whose cords are touch'd
+    By the soft hand of Piety, and hung
+    Upon Religion's shrine, there vibrating
+    With solemn music in the air of God!"
+
+    John Wilson.
+
+
+Columbus was received by his friends, Luis de St. Angel and Alonzo de
+Quintanilla, with a gratification they found it difficult to express.
+They were loud in their eulogiums on Isabella, and added to the
+assurances of Don Luis, such proofs of the seriousness of the queen's
+intentions, as to remove all doubts from the mind of the navigator. He
+was then, without further delay, conducted to the presence.
+
+"Señor Colon," said Isabella, as the Genoese advanced and knelt at her
+feet, "you are welcome back again. All our misunderstandings are finally
+removed, and henceforth, I trust that we shall act cheerfully and
+unitedly to produce the same great end. Rise, Señor, and receive this as
+a gage of my support and friendship."
+
+Columbus saluted the offered hand, and arose from his knees. At that
+instant, there was probably no one present whose feelings were not
+raised to the buoyancy of hope; for it was a peculiarity connected with
+the origin and execution of this great enterprise, that, after having
+been urged for so long a period, amid sneers, and doubts, and ridicule,
+it was at first adopted with something very like enthusiasm.
+
+"Señora," returned Columbus, whose grave aspect and noble mien
+contributed not a little to the advancement of his views--"Señora, my
+heart thanks you for this kindness--so welcome because so little hoped
+for this morning--and God will reward it. We have great things in
+reserve, and I devoutly wish we may all be found equal to our several
+duties. I hope my Lord the King will not withhold from my undertaking
+the light of his gracious countenance."
+
+"You are a servitor of Castile, Señor Colon, though little is attempted
+for even this kingdom, without the approbation and consent of the King
+of Aragon. Don Fernando hath been gained over to our side, though his
+greater caution and superior wisdom have not as easily fallen into the
+measure, as woman's faith and woman's hopes."
+
+"I ask no higher wisdom, no truer faith than those of Isabella's," said
+the navigator, with a grave dignity that rendered the compliment so much
+the more acceptable, by giving it every appearance of sincerity. "Her
+known prudence shall turn from me the derision of the light-minded and
+idle, and on her royal word I place all my hopes. Henceforth, and I
+trust forever, I am Your Highness' subject and servant."
+
+The queen was deeply impressed with the air of lofty truth that elevated
+the thoughts and manners of the speaker. Hitherto she had seen but
+little of the navigator, and never before under circumstances that
+enabled her so thoroughly to feel the influence of his air and
+deportment. Columbus had not the finish of manner that it is fancied
+courts only can bestow, and which it would be more just to refer to
+lives devoted to habits of pleasing; but the character of the man shone
+through the exterior, and, in his case, all that artificial training
+could supply fell short of the noble aspect of nature, sustained by high
+aspirations. To a commanding person, and a gravity that was heightened
+by the loftiness of his purposes, Columbus added the sober earnestness
+of a deeply-seated and an all-pervading enthusiasm, which threw the
+grace of truth and probity on what he said and did. No quality of his
+mind was more apparent than its sense of right, as right was then
+considered in connection with the opinions of the age; and it is a
+singular circumstance that the greatest adventure of modern times was
+thus confided by Providence, as it might be with especial objects, to
+the care of a sovereign and to the hands of an executive leader, who
+were equally distinguished by the possession of so rare a
+characteristic.
+
+"I thank you, Señor, for this proof of confidence," returned the queen,
+both surprised and gratified; "and so long as God giveth me power to
+direct, and knowledge to decide, your interests as well as those of this
+long-cherished scheme, shall be looked to. But we are not to exclude the
+king from our confederacy, since he hath been finally gained to our
+opinions, and no doubt now as anxiously looketh forward to success as we
+do ourselves."
+
+Columbus bowed his acquiescence, and the conjugal affection of Isabella
+was satisfied with this concession to her husband's character and
+motives; for, while it was impossible that one so pure and ardent in the
+cause of virtue, and as disinterested as the queen, should not detect
+some of the selfishness of Ferdinand's cautious policy, the feelings of
+a wife so far prevailed in her breast over the sagacity of the
+sovereign, as to leave her blind to faults that the enemies of Aragon
+were fond of dwelling on. All admitted the truth of Isabella, but
+Ferdinand had far less credit with his contemporaries, either on the
+score of faith or on that of motives. Still he might have been ranked
+among the most upright of the reigning princes of Europe, his faults
+being rendered more conspicuous, perhaps, from being necessarily placed
+in such close connection with, and in such vivid contrast to, the truer
+virtues of the queen. In short, these two sovereigns, so intimately
+united by personal and political interests, merely exhibited on their
+thrones a picture that may be seen, at any moment, in all the inferior
+gradations of the social scale, in which the worldly views and
+meretricious motives of man serve as foils to the truer heart, sincerer
+character, and more chastened conduct of woman.
+
+Don Fernando now appeared, and he joined in the discourse in a manner to
+show that he considered himself fully committed to redeem the pledges
+given by his wife. The historians have told us that he had been won over
+by the intercessions of a favorite, though the better opinion would seem
+to be that deference for Isabella, whose pure earnestness in the cause
+of virtue often led him from his more selfish policy, lay at the bottom
+of his compliance. Whatever may have been the motive, however, it is
+certain that the king never entered into the undertaking with the
+ardent, zealous endeavors to insure success, which from that moment
+distinguished the conduct of his royal consort.
+
+"We have recovered our truant," said Isabella, as her husband
+approached, her eyes lighting and her cheeks flushed with a pious
+enthusiasm, like those of Mercedes de Valverde, who was an entranced
+witness of all that was passing. "We have recovered our truant, and
+there is not a moment of unnecessary delay to be permitted, until he
+shall be sent forth on this great voyage. Should he truly attain Cathay
+and the Indies, it will be a triumph to the church even exceeding this
+conquest of the territories of the Moor."
+
+"I am pleased to see the Señor Colon at Santa Fé, again," courteously
+returned the king, "and if he but do the half of that thou seemest to
+expect, we shall have reason to rejoice that our countenance hath not
+been withheld. He may not render the crown of Castile still more
+powerful, but he may so far enrich himself that, as a subject, he will
+have difficulty in finding the proper uses for his gold."
+
+"There will always be a use for the gold of a Christian," answered the
+navigator, "while the Infidel remaineth the master of the Holy
+Sepulchre."
+
+"How is this!" exclaimed Ferdinand, in his quick, sharp voice: "dost
+thou think, Señor, of a crusade, as well as of discovering new regions?"
+
+"Such, Your Highness, it hath long been my hope, would be the first
+appropriation of the wealth that will, out of question, flow from the
+discovery of a new and near route to the Indies. Is it not a blot on
+Christendom that the Mussulman should be permitted to raise his profane
+altars on the spot that Christ visited on earth; where, indeed he was
+born, and where his holy remains lay until his glorious resurrection?
+This foul disgrace there are hearts and swords enough ready to wipe out;
+all that is wanted is gold. If the first desire of my heart be to become
+the instrument of leading the way to the East, by a western and direct
+passage, the second is, to see the riches that will certainly follow
+such a discovery, devoted to the service of God, by rearing anew his
+altars and reviving his worship, in the land where he endured his agony
+and gave up the ghost for the sins of men."
+
+Isabella smiled at the navigator's enthusiasm, though, sooth to say, the
+sentiment found something of an echo in her pious bosom; albeit the age
+of crusades appeared to have gone by. Not so exactly with Ferdinand. He
+smiled also, but no answering sentiment of holy zeal was awakened within
+him. He felt, on the contrary, a strong distrust of the wisdom of
+committing the care of even two insignificant caravels, and the fate of
+a sum as small as three thousand crowns, to a visionary, who had
+scarcely made a commencement in one extremely equivocal enterprise,
+before his thoughts were running on the execution of another, that had
+baffled the united efforts and pious constancy of all Europe. To him,
+the discovery of a western passage to the Indies, and the repossession
+of the holy sepulchre, were results that were equally problematical, and
+it would have been quite sufficient to incur his distrust, to believe in
+the practicability of either. Here, however, was a man who was about to
+embark in an attempt to execute the first, holding in reserve the last,
+as a consequence of success in the undertaking in which he was already
+engaged.
+
+There were a few minutes, during which Ferdinand seriously contemplated
+the defeat of the Genoese's schemes, and had the discourse terminated
+here, it is uncertain how far his cool and calculating policy might have
+prevailed over the good faith, sincere integrity, and newly awakened
+enthusiasm of his wife. Fortunately, the conversation had gone on while
+he was meditating on this subject, and when he rejoined the circle he
+found the queen and the navigator pursuing the subject with an
+earnestness that had entirely overlooked his momentary absence.
+
+"I shall show Your Highness all that she demandeth," continued Columbus,
+in answer to a question of the queen's. "It is my expectation to reach
+the territories of the Great Khan, the descendant of the monarch who was
+visited by the Polos, a century since; at which time a strong desire to
+embrace the religion of Christ was manifested by many in that gorgeous
+court, the sovereign included. We are told in the sacred books of
+prophecy, that the day is to arrive when the whole earth will worship
+the true and living God; and that time, it would seem, from many signs
+and tokens that are visible to those who seek them, draweth near, and is
+full of hope to such as honor God and seek his glory. To bring all those
+vast regions in subjection to the church, needeth but a constant faith,
+sustained by the delegated agencies of the priesthood, and the
+protecting hands of princes."
+
+"This hath a seeming probability," observed the queen, "and Providence
+so guide us in this mighty undertaking, that it may come to pass! Were
+those Polos pious missionaries, Señor?"
+
+"They were but travellers; men who sought their own advantage, while
+they were not altogether unmindful of the duties of religion. It may be
+well, Señora, first to plant the cross in the islands, and thence to
+spread the truth over the main land. Cipango, in particular, is a
+promising region for the commencement of the glorious work, which, no
+doubt, will proceed with all the swiftness of a miracle."
+
+"Is this Cipango known to produce spices, or aught that may serve to
+uphold a sinking treasury, and repay us for so much cost and risk?"
+asked the king, a little inopportunely for the zeal of the two other
+interlocutors.
+
+Isabella looked pained, the prevailing trait in Ferdinand's character
+often causing her to feel as affectionate wives are wont to feel when
+their husbands forget to think, act, or speak up to the level of their
+own warm-hearted and virtuous propensities; but she suffered no other
+sign of the passing emotions to escape her.
+
+"According to the accounts of Marco Polo, Your Highness," answered
+Columbus, "earth hath no richer island. It aboundeth especially in gold;
+nor are pearls and precious stones at all rare. But all that region is a
+quarter of infinite wealth and benighted infidelity. Providence seemeth
+to have united the first with the last, as a reward to the Christian
+monarch who shall use his power to extend the sway of the church. The
+sea, thereabouts, is covered with smaller islands, Marco telling us that
+no less than seven thousand four hundred and forty have been enumerated,
+not one of all which doth not produce some odoriferous tree, or plant of
+delicious perfume. It is then, thither, gracious Lord and Lady, my
+honored sovereigns, that I propose to proceed at once, leaving all
+meaner objects, to exalt the two kingdoms and to serve the church.
+Should we reach Cipango in safety, as, by the blessing of God, acting on
+a zeal and faith that are not easily shaken, I trust we shall be able to
+do, in the course of two months' diligent navigation, it will be my next
+purpose to pass over to the continent, and seek the Khan himself, in his
+kingdom of Cathay. The day that my foot touches the land of Asia will be
+a glorious day for Spain, and for all who have had a part in the
+accomplishment of so great an enterprise!"
+
+Ferdinand's keen eyes were riveted on the navigator, as he thus betrayed
+his hopes with the quiet but earnest manner of deep enthusiasm, and he
+might have been at a loss, himself, just at that moment, to have
+analyzed his own feelings. The picture of wealth that Columbus had
+conjured to his imagination, was as enticing, as his cold and
+calculating habits of distrust and caution rendered it questionable.
+Isabella heard only, or thought only, of the pious longings of her pure
+spirit for the conversion and salvation of the Infidels, and thus each
+of the two sovereigns had a favorite impulse to bind him, or her, to the
+prosecution of the voyage.
+
+After this, the conversation entered more into details, and the heads of
+the terms demanded by Columbus were gone over again, and approved of by
+those who were most interested in the matter. All thought of the
+archbishop and his objections was momentarily lost, and had the Genoese
+been a monarch, treating with monarchs, he could not have had more
+reason to be satisfied with the respectful manner in which his terms
+were heard. Even his proposal to receive one-eighth of the profits of
+this, and all future expeditions to the places he might discover, on
+condition of his advancing an equal proportion of the outfits, was
+cheerfully acceded to; making him, at once, a partner with the crown, in
+the risks and benefits of the many undertakings that it was hoped would
+follow from the success of this.
+
+Luis de St. Angel and Alonzo de Quintanilla quitted the royal presence,
+in company with Columbus. They saw him to his lodgings, and left him
+with a respect and cordiality of manner, that cheered a heart which had
+lately been so bruised and disappointed. As they walked away in company,
+the former, who, notwithstanding the liberality of his views and his
+strong support of the navigator, was not apt to suppress his thoughts,
+opened a dialogue in the following manner.
+
+"By all the saints! friend Alonzo," he exclaimed, "but this Colon
+carrieth it with a high hand among us, and in a way, sometimes, to make
+me doubt the prudence of our interference. He hath treated with the two
+sovereigns like a monarch, and like a monarch hath he carried his
+point!"
+
+"Who hath aided him more than thyself, friend Luis?" returned
+
+Alonzo de Quintanilla; "for, without thy bold assault on Doña Isabella's
+patience, the matter had been decided against this voyage, and the
+Genoese would still be on his way to the court of King Louis."
+
+"I regret it not; the chance of keeping the Frenchman within modest
+bounds being worth a harder effort. Her Highness--Heaven and all the
+saints unite to bless her for her upright intentions and generous
+thoughts--will never regret the trifling cost, even though bootless,
+with so great an aim in view. But now the thing is done, I marvel,
+myself, that a Queen of Castile and a King of Aragon should grant such
+conditions to an unknown and nameless sea-farer; one that hath neither
+services, family, nor gold, to recommend him!"
+
+"Hath he not had Luis de St. Angel of his side?"
+
+"That hath he," returned the receiver-general, "and that right stoutly,
+too; and for good and sufficient cause. I only marvel at our success,
+and at the manner in which this Colon hath borne himself in the affair.
+I much feared that the high price he set upon his services might ruin
+all our hopes."
+
+"And yet thou didst reason with the queen, as if thou thoughtst it
+insignificant, compared with the good that would come of the voyage."
+
+"Is there aught wonderful in this, my worthy friend? We consume our
+means in efforts to obtain our ends, and, while suffering under the
+exhaustion, begin first to see the other side of the question. I am
+chiefly surprised at mine own success! As for this Genoese, he is,
+truly, a most wonderful man, and, in my heart, I think him right in
+demanding such high conditions. If he succeed, who so great as he? and,
+if he fail, the conditions will do him no good, and Castile little
+harm."
+
+"I have remarked, Señor de St Angel, that when grave men set a light
+value on themselves, the world is apt to take them at their word, though
+willing enough to laugh at the pretensions of triflers. After all, the
+high demands of Colon may have done him much service, since their
+Highnesses could not but feel that they were negotiating with one who
+had faith in his own projects."
+
+"It is much as thou sayest, Alonzo; men often prizing us as we seem to
+prize ourselves, so long as we act at all up to the level of our
+pretensions. But there is sterling merit in this Colon to sustain him in
+all that he sayeth and doth; wisdom of speech, dignity and gravity of
+mien, and nobleness of feeling and sentiment. Truly, I have listened to
+the man when he hath seemed inspired!"
+
+"Well, he hath now good occasion to manifest whether this inspiration be
+of the true quality or not," returned the other. "Of a verity, I often
+distrust the wisdom of our own conclusions."
+
+In this manner did even these two zealous friends of Columbus discuss
+his character and chances of success; for, while they were among the
+most decided of his supporters, and had discovered the utmost readiness
+to uphold him when his cause seemed hopeless, now that the means were
+likely to be afforded to allow him to demonstrate the justice of his
+opinions, doubts and misgivings beset their minds. Such is human nature.
+Opposition awakens our zeal, quickens our apprehension, stimulates our
+reason, and emboldens our opinions; while, thrown back upon ourselves
+for the proofs of what we have been long stoutly maintaining under the
+pressure of resistance, we begin to distrust the truth of our own
+theories and to dread the demonstrations of a failure. Even the first
+disciples of the Son of God faltered most in their faith as his
+predictions were being realized; and most reformers are never so
+dogmatical and certain as when battling for their principles, or so
+timid and wavering as when they are about to put their own
+long-cherished plans in execution. In all this we might see a wise
+provision of Providence, which gives us zeal to overcome difficulties,
+and prudence when caution and moderation become virtues rather than
+faults.
+
+Although Luis de St. Angel and his friend conversed thus freely
+together, however, they did not the less continue true to their original
+feelings. Their doubts were transient and of little account; and it was
+remarked of them, whenever they were in the presence of Columbus
+himself, that the calm, steady, but deeply seated enthusiasm of that
+extraordinary man, did not fail to carry with him the opinions, not only
+of these steady supporters, but those of most other listeners.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X.
+
+                  --"Song is on thy hills:
+    Oh, sweet and mournful melodies of Spain,
+    That lull'd my boyhood, how your memory thrills
+    The exile's heart with sudden-wakening pain."
+
+    The Forest Sanctuary.
+
+
+From the moment that Isabella pledged her royal word to support Columbus
+in his great design, all reasonable doubts of the sailing of the
+expedition ceased, though few anticipated any results of importance. Of
+so much greater magnitude, indeed, did the conquest of the kingdom of
+Granada appear, at that instant, than any probable consequences which
+could follow from this novel enterprise, that the latter was almost
+overlooked in the all-absorbing interest that was connected with the
+former.
+
+There was one youthful and generous heart, however, all of whose hopes
+were concentrated in the success of the great voyage. It is scarcely
+necessary to add, we mean that of Mercedes de Valverde. She had watched
+the recent events as they occurred, with an intensity of expectation
+that perhaps none but the youthful, fervent, inexperienced, and
+uncorrupted, can feel: and now that all her hopes were about to be
+realized, a tender and generous joy diffused itself over her whole moral
+system, in a way to render her happiness, for the time, even blissful.
+Although she loved so truly and with so much feminine devotedness,
+nature had endowed this warm-hearted young creature with a sagacity and
+readiness of apprehension, which, when quickened by the sentiments that
+are so apt to concentrate all the energies of her sex, showed her the
+propriety of the distrust of the queen and her guardian, and fully
+justified their hesitation in her eyes, which were rather charmed than
+blinded by the ascendency of her passion. She knew too well what was due
+to her virgin fame, her high expectations, her great name, and her
+elevated position near the person, and in the immediate confidence of
+Isabella, even to wish her hand unworthily bestowed; and while she
+deferred, with the dignity and discretion of birth and female decorum,
+to all that opinion and prudence could have a right to ask of a noble
+maiden, she confided in her lover's power to justify her choice, with
+the boundless confidence of a woman. Her aunt had taught her to believe
+that this voyage of the Genoese was likely to lead to great events, and
+her religious enthusiasm, like that of the queen's, led her to expect
+most of that which she so fervently wished.
+
+During the time it was known to those near the person of Isabella, that
+the conditions between the sovereigns and the navigators were being
+reduced to writing and were receiving the necessary forms, Luis neither
+sought an interview with his mistress, nor was accidentally favored in
+that way; but, no sooner was it understood Columbus had effected all
+that he deemed necessary in this particular, and had quitted the court
+for the coast, than the young man threw himself, at once, on the
+generosity of his aunt, beseeching her to favor his views now that he
+was about to leave Spain on an adventure that most regarded as
+desperate. All he asked was a pledge of being well received by his
+mistress and her friends, on his return successful.
+
+"I see that thou hast taken a lesson from this new master of thine,"
+answered the high-souled but kind-hearted Beatriz, smiling--"and would
+fain have thy terms also. But thou knowest, Luis, that Mercedes de
+Valverde is no peasant's child to be lightly cared for, but that she
+cometh of the noblest blood of Spain, having had a Guzman for a mother,
+and Mendozas out of number among her kinsmen. She is, moreover, one of
+the richest heiresses of Castile; and it would ill become her guardian
+to forget her watchfulness, under such circumstances, in behalf of one
+of the idle wanderers of Christendom, simply because he happeneth to be
+her own beloved brother's son."
+
+"And if the Doña Mercedes be all thou sayest, Señora--and thou hast not
+even touched upon her highest claims to merit, her heart, her beauty,
+her truth, and her thousand virtues--but if she be all that thou sayest,
+Doña Beatriz, is a Bobadilla unworthy of her?"
+
+"How! if she be, moreover, all _thou_ sayest too, Don Luis! The heart,
+the truth, and the thousand virtues! Methinks a shorter catalogue might
+content one who is himself so great a rover, lest some of these
+qualities be lost in his many journeys!"
+
+Luis laughed, in spite of himself, at the affected seriousness of his
+aunt; and then successfully endeavoring to repress a little resentment
+that her language awakened, he answered in a way to do no discredit to a
+well-established reputation for good-nature.
+
+"I cannot call thee 'Daughter-Marchioness,' in imitation of Her
+Highness," he answered, with a coaxing smile, so like that her deceased
+brother was wont to use when disposed to wheedle her out of some
+concession, that it fairly caused Doña Beatriz to start--"but I can say
+with more truth, 'Aunt-Marchioness,'--and a very dear aunt, too--wilt
+thou visit a little youthful indiscretion so severely? I had hoped, now
+Colon was about to set forth, that all was forgotten in the noble and
+common end we have in view."
+
+"Luis," returned the aunt, regarding her nephew with the severe
+resolution that was so often exhibited in her acts as well as in her
+words, "dost think that a mere display of courage will prove sufficient
+to win Mercedes from me? to put to sleep the vigilance of her friends?
+to gain the approbation of her guardian? Learn, too confident boy, that
+Mercedes de Guzman was the companion of my childhood; my warmest,
+dearest friend, next to Her Highness; and that she put all faith in my
+disposition to do full justice by her child. She died by slow degrees,
+and the fate of the orphan was often discussed between us. That she
+could ever become the wife of any but a Christian noble, neither of us
+imagined possible; but there are so many different characters under the
+same outward professions, that names deceived us not. I do believe that
+poor woman bethought her more of her child's future worldly fortunes
+than of her own sins, and that she prayed oftener for the happy
+conclusion of the first than for the pardon of the last! Thou knowest
+little of the strength of a mother's love, Luis, and canst not
+understand all the doubts that beset the heart, when the parent is
+compelled to leave a tender plant, like Mercedes, to the cold nursing of
+a selfish and unfeeling world."
+
+"I can readily fancy the mother of my love fitted for heaven without the
+usual interpositions of masses and paters, Doña Beatriz; but have aunts
+no consideration for nephews, as well as mothers for children?"
+
+"The tie is close and strong, my child, and yet is it not parental; nor
+art thou a sensitive, true-hearted, enthusiastic girl, filled with the
+confidence of thy purity, and overflowing with the affections that, in
+the end, make mothers what they are."
+
+"By San Iago! and am I not the very youth to render such a creature
+happy? I, too, am sensitive--too much so, in sooth, for my own peace; I,
+too, am true-hearted, as is seen by my having had but this one love,
+when I might have had fifty; and if I am not exactly overflowing with
+the confidence of purity, I have the confidence of youth, health,
+strength, and courage, which is quite as useful for a cavalier; and I
+have abundance of the affection that makes good fathers, which is all
+that can reasonably be asked of a man."
+
+"Thou, then, thinkest thyself, truant, every way worthy to be the
+husband of Mercedes de Valverde?"
+
+"Nay, aunt of mine, thou hast a searching way with thy questions! Who
+is, or can be, exactly worthy of so much excellence? I may not be
+altogether _deserving_ of her, but then again, I am not altogether
+_undeserving_ of her. I am quite as noble, nearly as well endowed with
+estates, of suitable years, of fitting address as a knight, and love her
+better than I love my own soul. Methinks the last should count for
+something, since he that loveth devotedly, will surely strive to render
+its object happy."
+
+"Thou art a silly, inexperienced boy, with a most excellent heart, a
+happy, careless disposition, and a head that was made to hold better
+thoughts than commonly reside there!" exclaimed the aunt, giving way to
+an impulse of natural feeling, even while she frowned on her nephew's
+folly. "But, hear me, and for once think gravely, and reflect on what I
+say. I have told thee of the mother of Mercedes, of her dying doubts,
+her anxiety, and of her confidence in me. Her Highness and I were alone
+with her, the morning of the day that her spirit took its flight to
+heaven; and then she poured out all her feelings, in a way that has left
+on us both an impression that can never cease, while aught can be done
+by either for the security of the daughter's happiness. Thou hast
+thought the queen unkind. I know not but, in thy intemperate speech,
+thou hast dared to charge Her Highness with carrying her care for her
+subjects' well-being beyond a sovereign's rights"--
+
+"Nay, Doña Beatriz," hastily interrupted Luis, "herein thou dost me
+great injustice. I may have felt--no doubt I have keenly, bitterly, felt
+the consequences of Doña Isabella's distrust of my constancy; but never
+has rebel thought of mine even presumed to doubt her right to command
+all our services, as well as all our lives. This is due to her sacred
+authority from all; but we, who so well know the heart and motives of
+the queen, also know that she doth naught from caprice or a desire to
+rule; while she doth so much from affection to her people."
+
+As Don Luis uttered this with an earnest look, and features flushed with
+sincerity, it was impossible not to see that he meant as much as he
+said. If men considered the consequences that often attend their
+lightest words, less levity of speech would be used, and the office of
+tale-bearer, the meanest station in the whole catalogue of social rank,
+would become extinct for want of occupation. Few cared less, or thought
+less, about the consequences of what they uttered, than Luis de
+Bobadilla; and yet this hasty but sincere reply did him good service
+with more than one of those who exercised a material influence over his
+fortunes. The honest praise of the queen went directly to the heart of
+the Marchioness, who rather idolized than loved her royal mistress, the
+long and close intimacy that had existed between them having made her
+thoroughly acquainted with the pure and almost holy character of
+Isabella; and when she repeated the words of her nephew to the latter,
+her own well-established reputation for truth caused them to be
+implicitly believed. Whatever may be the correctness of our views in
+general, one of the most certain ways to the feelings is the assurance
+of being respected and esteemed; while, of all the divine mandates, the
+most difficult to find obedience is that which tells us to "love those
+who hate" us. Isabella, notwithstanding her high destiny and lofty
+qualities, was thoroughly a woman; and when she discovered that, in
+spite of her own coldness to the youth, he really entertained so much
+profound deference for her character, and appreciated her feelings and
+motives in a way that conscience told her she merited, she was much
+better disposed to look at his peculiar faults with indulgence, and to
+ascribe that to mere animal spirits, which, under less favorable
+auspices, might possibly have been mistaken for ignoble propensities.
+
+But this is a little anticipating events. The first consequence of Luis'
+speech was a milder expression in the countenance of his aunt, and a
+disposition to consider his entreaties to be admitted to a private
+interview with Mercedes, with more indulgence.
+
+"I may have done thee injustice in this, Luis," resumed Doña Beatriz,
+betraying in her manner the sudden change of feeling mentioned; "for I
+do think thee conscious of thy duty to Her Highness, and of the almost
+heavenly sense of justice that reigneth in her heart, and through that
+heart, in Castile. Thou hast not lost in my esteem by thus exhibiting
+thy respect and love for the queen, for it is impossible to have any
+regard for female virtue, and not to manifest it to its best
+representative."
+
+"Do I not, also, dear aunt, in my attachment to thy ward? Is not my very
+choice, in some sort, a pledge of the truth and justice of my feelings
+in these particulars?"
+
+"Ah! Luis de Bobadilla, it is not difficult to teach the heart to lean
+toward the richest and the noblest, when she happeneth also to be the
+fairest, maiden of Spain!"
+
+"And am I a hypocrite, Marchioness? Dost thou accuse the son of thy
+brother of being a feigner of that which he doth not feel?--one
+influenced by so mean a passion as the love of gold and of lands?"
+
+"Foreign lands, heedless boy," returned the aunt, smiling, "but not of
+others' lands. No, Luis, none that know thee will accuse thee of
+hypocrisy. We believe in the truth and ardor of thy attachment, and it
+is for that very cause that we most distrust thy passion."
+
+"How! Are feigned feelings of more repute with the queen and thyself,
+than real feelings? A spurious and fancied love, than the honest,
+downright, manly passion."
+
+"It is this genuine feeling, this honest, downright, manly passion, as
+thou termest it, which is most apt to awaken sympathy in the tender
+bosom of a young girl. There is no truer touch-stone, by which to try
+the faithfulness of feelings, than the heart, when the head is not
+turned by vanity; and the more unquestionable the passion, the easier is
+it for its subject to make the discovery. Two drops of water do not
+glide together more naturally than two hearts, nephew, when there is a
+strong affinity between them. Didst thou not really love Mercedes, as my
+near and dear relative, thou mightst laugh and sing in her company at
+all times that should be suitable for the dignity of a maiden, and it
+would not cause me an uneasy moment."
+
+"I am thy near and dear relative, aunt of mine, with a miracle! and yet
+it is more difficult for me to get a sight of thy ward"--
+
+"Who is the especial care of the Queen of Castile."
+
+"Well, be it so; and why should a Bobadilla be proscribed by even a
+Queen of Castile?"
+
+Luis then had recourse to his most persuasive powers, and, improving the
+little advantage he had gained, by dint of coaxing and teasing he so far
+prevailed on Doña Beatriz as to obtain a promise that she would apply to
+the queen for permission to grant him one private interview with
+Mercedes. We say the queen, since Isabella, distrusting the influence of
+blood, had cautioned the Marchioness on this subject; and the prudence
+of letting the young people see each other as little as possible, had
+been fully settled between them. It was in redeeming this promise, that
+the aunt related the substance of the conversation that has just been
+given, and mentioned to her royal mistress the state of her nephew's
+feelings as respected herself. The effect of such information was
+necessarily favorable to the young man's views, and one of its first
+fruits was the desired permission to have the interview he sought.
+
+"They are not sovereigns," remarked the queen, with a smile that the
+favorite could see was melancholy, though it surpassed her means of
+penetration to say whether it proceeded from a really saddened feeling,
+or whether it were merely the manner in which the mind is apt to glance
+backward at emotions that it is known can never be again awakened in our
+bosoms;--"they are not sovereigns, Daughter-Marchioness, to woo by
+proxy, and wed as strangers. It may not be wise to suffer the
+intercourse to become too common, but it were cruel to deny the youth,
+as he is about to depart on an enterprise of so doubtful issue, one
+opportunity to declare his passion and to make his protestations of
+constancy. If thy ward hath, in truth, any tenderness for him, the
+recollection of this interview will soothe many a weary hour while Don
+Luis is away."
+
+"And add fuel to the flame," returned Doña Beatriz, pointedly.
+
+"We know not that, my good Beatriz, since, the heart being softened by
+the power of God to a sense of its religious duties, may not the same
+kind hand direct it and shield it in the indulgence of its more worldly
+feelings? Mercedes will never forget her duty, and, the imagination
+feeding itself, it may not be the wisest course to leave that of an
+enthusiast like our young charge, so entirely to its own pictures.
+Realities are often less hazardous than the creatures of the fancy.
+Then, thy nephew will not be a loser by the occasion, for, by keeping
+constantly in view the object he now seemeth to pursue so earnestly, he
+will the more endeavor to deserve success."
+
+"I much fear, Señora, that the best conclusions are not to be depended
+on in an affair that touches the waywardness of the feelings."
+
+"Perhaps not, Beatriz; and yet I do not see that we can well deny this
+interview, now that Don Luis is so near departure. Tell him I accord him
+that which he so desireth, and let him bear in mind that a grandee
+should never quit Castile without presenting himself before his
+sovereign."
+
+"I fear, Your Highness," returned the Marchioness, laughing, "that Don
+Luis will feel this last command, however gracious and kind in fact, as
+a strong rebuke, since he hath more than once done this already, without
+even presenting himself before his own aunt!"
+
+"On those occasions he went idly, and without consideration; but he is
+now engaged in an honorable and noble enterprise, and we will make it
+apparent to him that all feel the difference."
+
+The conversation now changed, it being understood that the request of
+the young man was to be granted. Isabella had, in this instance,
+departed from a law she had laid down for her own government, under the
+influence of her womanly feelings, which often caused her to forget that
+she was a queen, when no very grave duties existed to keep alive the
+recollection; for it would have been difficult to decide in which light
+this pure-minded and excellent female most merited the esteem of
+mankind--in her high character as a just and conscientious sovereign, or
+when she acted more directly under the gentler impulses of her sex. As
+for her friend, she was perhaps more tenacious of doing what she
+conceived to be her duty, by her ward, than the queen herself; since,
+with a greater responsibility, she was exposed to the suspicion of
+acting with a design to increase the wealth and to strengthen the
+connections of her own family. Still, the wishes of Isabella were laws
+to the Marchioness of Moya, and she sought an early opportunity to
+acquaint her ward with her intention to allow Don Luis, for once, to
+plead his own cause with his mistress, before he departed on his
+perilous and mysterious enterprise.
+
+Our heroine received this intelligence with the mingled sensations of
+apprehension, delight, misgivings, and joy, that are so apt to beset the
+female heart, in the freshness of its affections, when once brought in
+subjection to the master-passion. She had never thought it possible Luis
+would sail on an expedition like that in which he was engaged, without
+endeavoring to see her alone; but, now she was assured that both the
+queen and her guardian acquiesced in his being admitted, she almost
+regretted their compliance. These contradictory emotions, however, soon
+subsided in the tender melancholy that gradually drew around her manner,
+as the hour for the departure approached. Nor were her feelings on the
+subject of Luis' ready enlistment in the expedition, more consistent. At
+times she exulted in her lover's resolution, and in his manly devotion
+to glory and the good of the church; remembering with pride that, of all
+the high nobility of Castile, he alone ventured life and credit with the
+Genoese; and then, again, tormenting doubts came over her, as she feared
+that the love of roving, and of adventure, was quite as active in his
+heart, as love of herself. But in all this there was nothing new. The
+more pure and ingenuous the feelings of those who truly submit to the
+influence of this passion, the more keenly alive are their distrusts apt
+to be, and the more tormenting their misgivings of themselves.
+
+Her mind made up, Doña Beatriz acted fairly by the young people. As soon
+as Luis was admitted to her own presence, on the appointed morning, she
+told him that he was expected by Mercedes, who was waiting his
+appearance in the usual reception-room. Scarce giving himself time to
+kiss the hand of his aunt, and to make those other demonstrations of
+respect that the customs of the age required from the young to their
+seniors--more especially when there existed between them a tie of blood
+as close as that which united the Marchioness of Moya with the Conde de
+Llera--the young man bounded away, and was soon in the presence of his
+mistress. As Mercedes was prepared for the interview, she betrayed the
+feeling of the moment merely by a heightened color, and the greater
+lustre of eyes that were always bright, though often so soft and
+melancholy.
+
+"Luis!" escaped from her, and then, as if ashamed of the emotion
+betrayed in the very tones of her voice, she withdrew the foot that had
+involuntarily advanced to meet him, even while she kept a hand extended
+in friendly confidence.
+
+"Mercedes!" and the hand was withdrawn to put a stop to the kisses with
+which it was covered. "Thou art harder to be seen, of late, than it will
+be to discover this Cathay of the Genoese; for, between the Doña
+Isabella and Doña Beatriz, never was paradise watched more closely by
+guardian angels, than thy person is watched by thy protectors."
+
+"And can it be necessary, Luis, when thou art the danger apprehended?"
+
+"Do they think I shall carry thee off, like some Moorish girl borne away
+on the crupper of a Christian knight's saddle, and place thee in the
+caravel of Colon, that we may go in search of Prestor John and the Great
+Khan, in company?"
+
+"They may think _thee_ capable of this act of madness, dear Luis, but
+they will hardly suspect _me_."
+
+"No, thou art truly a model of prudence in all matters that require
+feeling for thy lover."
+
+"Luis!" exclaimed the girl, again; and this time unbidden tears started
+to her eyes.
+
+"Forgive me, Mercedes--dearest, dearest Mercedes; but this delay and all
+these coldly cruel precautions make me forget myself. Am I a needy and
+unknown adventurer, that they treat me thus, instead of being a noble
+Castilian knight!"
+
+"Thou forgettest, Luis, that noble Castilian maidens are not wont to see
+even noble Castilian cavaliers alone, and, but for the gracious
+condescension of Her Highness, and the indulgence of my guardian, who
+happeneth to be thy aunt, this interview could not take place."
+
+"Alone! And dost thou call this being alone, or any excessive favor, on
+the part of Her Highness, when thou seest that we are watched by the
+eye, if not by the ear! I fear to speak above my breath, lest the sounds
+should disturb that venerable lady's meditations!"
+
+As Luis de Bobadilla uttered this, he glanced his eye at the figure of
+the dueña of his mistress, whose person was visible through an open
+door, in an adjoining room, where the good woman sat, intently occupied
+in reading certain homilies.
+
+"Dost mean my poor Pepita," answered Mercedes, laughing; for the
+presence of her attendant, to whom she had been accustomed from infancy,
+was no more restraint on her own innocent thoughts and words, than would
+have proved a reduplication of herself, had such a thing been possible.
+"Many have been her protestations against this meeting, which she
+insists is contrary to all rule among noble ladies, and which, she says,
+would never have been accorded by my poor, sainted mother, were she
+still living."
+
+"Ay, she hath a look that is sufficient of itself to set every generous
+mind a-tilting with her. One can see envy of thy beauty and youth, in
+every wrinkle of her unamiable face."
+
+"Then little dost thou know my excellent Pepita, who envieth nothing,
+and who hath but one marked weakness, and that is, too much affection,
+and too much indulgence, for myself."
+
+"I detest a dueña; ay, as I detest an Infidel!"
+
+"Señor," said Pepita, whose vigilant ears, notwithstanding her book and
+the homilies, heard all that passed, "this is a common feeling among
+youthful cavaliers, I fear; but they tell me that the very dueña who is
+so displeasing to the lover, getteth to be a grateful object, in time,
+with the husband. As my features and wrinkles, however, are so
+disagreeable to you, and no doubt cause you pain, by closing this door
+the sight will be shut out, as, indeed, will be the sound of my
+unpleasant cough, and of your own protestations of love, Señor Knight."
+
+This was said in much better language than was commonly used by women of
+the dueña's class, and with a good-nature that seemed indomitable, it
+being completely undisturbed by Luis' petulant remarks.
+
+"Thou shalt not close the door, Pepita," cried Mercedes, blushing rosy
+red, and springing forward to interpose her own hand against the act.
+"What is there that the Conde de Llera can have to say to one like me,
+that _thou_ mayest not hear?"
+
+"Nay, dear child, the noble cavalier is about to talk of love!"
+
+"And is it thou, with whom the language of affection is so uncommon,
+that it frighteneth thee! Hath thy discourse been of aught but love,
+since thou hast known and cared for me?"
+
+"It augureth badly for thy suit, Señor," said Pepita, smiling, while she
+suspended the movement of the hand that was about to close the door, "if
+Doña Mercedes thinketh of your love as she thinketh of mine. Surely,
+child, thou dost not fancy me a gay, gallant young noble, come to pour
+out his soul at thy feet, and mistakest my simple words of affection for
+such as will be likely to flow from the honeyed tongue of a Bobadilla,
+bent on gaining his suit with the fairest maiden of Castile?"
+
+Mercedes shrunk back, for, though innocent as purity itself, her heart
+taught her the difference between the language of her lover and the
+language of her nurse, even when each most expressed affection. Her hand
+released its hold of the wood, and unconsciously was laid, with its
+pretty fellow, on her crimsoned face. Pepita profited by her advantage,
+and closed the door. A smile of triumph gleamed on the handsome features
+of Luis, and, after he had forced his mistress, by a gentle compulsion,
+to resume the seat from which she had risen to meet him, he threw
+himself on a stool at her feet, and stretching out his well-turned limbs
+in an easy attitude, so as to allow himself to gaze into the beautiful
+face that he had set up, like an idol, before him, he renewed the
+discourse.
+
+"This is a paragon of dueñas," he cried, "and I might have known that
+none of the ill-tempered, unreasonable school of such beings, would be
+tolerated near thy person. This Pepita is a jewel, and she may consider
+herself established in her office for life, if, by the cunning of this
+Genoese, mine own resolution, the queen's repentance, and thy gentle
+favor, I ever prove so lucky as to become thy husband."
+
+"Thou forgettest, Luis," answered Mercedes, trembling even while she
+laughed at her own conceit, "that if the husband esteemeth the dueña the
+lover could not endure, that the lover may esteem the dueña that the
+husband may be unwilling to abide."
+
+"_Peste!_ these are crooked matters, and ill-suited to the
+straight-forward philosophy of Luis de Bobadilla. There is one thing
+only, which I can, or do, pretend to know, out of any controversy, and
+that I am ready to maintain in the face of all the doctors of Salamanca,
+or all the chivalry of Christendom, that of the Infidel included; which
+is, that thou art the fairest, sweetest, best, most virtuous, and in all
+things the most winning maiden of Spain, and that no other living knight
+so loveth and honoreth his mistress as I love and honor thee!"
+
+The language of admiration is ever soothing to female ears, and
+Mercedes, giving to the words of the youth an impression of sincerity
+that his manner fully warranted, forgot the dueña and her little
+interruption, in the delight of listening to declarations that were so
+grateful to her affections. Still, the coyness of her sex, and the
+recent date of their mutual confidence, rendered her answer less open
+than it might otherwise have been.
+
+"I am told,", she said, "that you young cavaliers, who pant for
+occasions to show your skill and courage with the lance and in the
+tourney, are ever making some such protestations in favor of this or
+that noble maiden, in order to provoke others like themselves to make
+counter assertions, that they may show their prowess as knights, and
+gain high names for gallantry."
+
+"This cometh of being so much shut up in Doña Beatriz's private rooms,
+lest some bold Spanish eyes should look profanely on thy beauty,
+Mercedes. We are not in the age of the errants and the troubadours, when
+men committed a thousand follies that they might be thought weaker even
+than nature had made them. In that age, your knights _discoursed_
+largely of love, but in our own they _feel_ it. In sooth, I think this
+savoreth of some of the profound morality of Pepita!"
+
+"Say naught against Pepita, Luis, who hath much befriended thee to-day,
+else would thy tongue, and thine eyes too, be under the restraint of her
+presence. But that which thou termest the morality of the good dueña,
+is, in truth, the morality of the excellent and most noble Doña Beatriz
+de Cabrera, Marchioness of Moya, who was born a lady of the House of
+Bobadilla, I believe."
+
+"Well, well, I dare to say there is no great difference between the
+lessons of a duchess and the lessons of a dueña in the privacy of the
+closet, when there is one like thee, beautiful, and rich, and virtuous,
+to guard. They say you young maidens are told that we cavaliers are so
+many ogres, and that the only way to reach paradise is to think naught
+of us but evil, and then, when some suitable marriage hath been decided
+on, the poor young creature is suddenly alarmed by an order to come
+forth and be wedded to one of these very monsters."
+
+"And, in this mode, hast thou been treated! It would seem that much
+pains are taken to make the young of the two sexes think ill of each
+other. But, Luis, this is pure idleness, and we waste in it most
+precious moments; moments that may never return. How go matters with
+Colon--and when is he like to quit the court?"
+
+"He hath already departed; for, having obtained all he hath sought of
+the queen, he quitted Santa Fé, with the royal authority to sustain him
+in the fullest manner. If thou hearest aught of one Pedro de Muños, or
+Pero Gutierrez, at the court of Cathay, thou wilt know on whose
+shoulders to lay his follies."
+
+"I would rather that thou shouldst undertake this voyage in thine own
+name, Luis, than under a feigned appellation. Concealments of this
+nature are seldom wise, and surely thou dost not undertake the
+enterprise"--the tell-tale blood stole to the cheeks of Mercedes as she
+proceeded--"with a motive that need bring shame."
+
+"'Tis the wish of my aunt; as for myself, I would put thy favor in my
+casque, thy emblem on my shield, and let it be known, far and near, that
+Luis of Llera sought the court of Cathay, with the intent to defy its
+chivalry to produce as fair or as virtuous a maiden as thyself."
+
+"We are not in the age of errants, sir knight, but in one of reason and
+truth," returned Mercedes, laughing, though every syllable that proved
+the earnest and entire devotion of the young man went directly to her
+heart, strengthening his hold on it, and increasing the flame that burnt
+within, by adding the fuel that was most adapted to that purpose--"we
+are not in the age of knights-errant, Don Luis de Bobadilla, as thou
+thyself hast just affirmed; but one in which even the lover is
+reflecting, and as apt to discover the faults of his lady-love as to
+dwell upon her perfections. I look for better things from thee, than to
+hear that thou hast ridden through the highways of Cathay, defying to
+combat and seeking giants, in order to exalt my beauty, and tempting
+others to decry it, if it were only out of pure opposition to thy idle
+boastings. Ah! Luis, thou art now engaged in a most truly noble
+enterprise, one that will join thy name to those of the applauded of
+men, and which will form thy pride and exultation in after-life, when
+the eyes of us both shall be dimmed by age, and we shall look back with
+longings to discover aught of which to be proud."
+
+It was thrice, pleasant to the youth to hear his mistress, in the
+innocence of her heart, and in the fulness of her feelings, thus uniting
+his fate with her own; and when she ceased speaking, all unconscious how
+much might be indirectly implied from her words, he still listened
+intently, as if he would fain hear the sounds after they had died on his
+ear.
+
+"What enterprise can be nobler, more worthy to awaken all my resolution,
+than to win thy hand!" he exclaimed, after a short pause. "I follow
+Colon with no other object; share his chances, to remove the objections
+of Doña Isabella; and will accompany him to the earth's end, rather than
+that thy choice should be dishonored. _Thou_ art _my_ Great Khan,
+beloved Mercedes, and thy smiles and affection are the only Cathay I
+seek."
+
+"Say not so, dear Luis, for thou knowest not the nobility of thine own
+soul, nor the generosity of thine own intentions. This is a stupendous
+project of Colon's, and much as I rejoice that he hath had the
+imagination to conceive it, and the heart to undertake it in his own
+person, on account of the good it must produce to the heathen, and the
+manner in which it will necessarily redound to the glory of God, still I
+fear that I am equally gladdened with the recollection that thy name
+will be forever associated with the great achievement, and thy
+detractors put to shame with the resolution and spirit with which so
+noble an end will have been attained."
+
+"This is nothing but truth, Mercedes, should we reach the Indies; but,
+should the saints desert us, and our project fail, I fear that even thou
+wouldst be ashamed to confess an interest in an unfortunate adventurer
+who hath returned without success, and thereby made himself the subject
+of sneers and derision, instead of wearing the honorable distinction
+that thou seemest so confidently to expect."
+
+"Then, Luis de Bobadilla, thou knowest me not," answered Mercedes,
+hastily, and speaking with a tender earnestness that brought the blood
+into her cheeks, gradually brightening the brilliancy of her eyes, until
+they shone with a lustre that seemed almost supernatural--"then, Luis de
+Bobadilla, thou knowest me not. I wish thee to share in the glory of
+this enterprise, because calumny and censure have not been altogether
+idle with thy youth, and because I feel that Her Highness' favor is most
+easily obtained by it; but, if thou believest that the spirit to engage
+with Colon was necessary to incline me to think kindly of my guardian's
+nephew, thou neither understandest the sentiments that draw me toward
+thee, nor hast a just appreciation of the hours of sorrow I have
+suffered on thy account."
+
+"Dearest, most generous, noble-hearted girl, I am unworthy of thy truth,
+of thy pure sincerity, and of all thy devoted feelings! Drive me from
+thee at once, that I may ne'er again cause thee a moment's grief."
+
+"Nay, Luis, thy remedy, I fear me, would prove worse than the disease
+that thou wouldst cure," returned the beautiful girl, smiling and
+blushing as she spoke, and turning her eloquent eyes on the youth in a
+way to avow volumes of tenderness. "With thee must I be happy, or
+unhappy, as Providence may will it; or miserable without thee."
+
+The conversation now took that unconnected, and yet comprehensive cast,
+which is apt to characterize the discourse of those who feel as much as
+they reason, and it covered more interests, sentiments, and events, than
+our limits will allow us to record. As usual, Luis was inconsistent,
+jealous, repentant, full of passion and protestations, fancying a
+thousand evils at one instant, and figuring in his imagination a
+terrestrial paradise at the next; while Mercedes was enthusiastic,
+generous, devoted, and yet high-principled, self-denying, and womanly;
+meeting her ardent suitor's vows with a tenderness that seemed to lose
+all other considerations in her love, and repelling with maiden coyness,
+and with the dignity of her sex, his rhapsodies, whenever they touched
+upon the exaggerated and indiscreet.
+
+The interview lasted an hour, and it is scarce necessary to say that
+vows of constancy, and pledges never to marry another, were given, again
+and again. As the time for separating approached, Mercedes opened a
+small casket that contained her jewels, and drew forth one which she
+offered to her lover as a gage of her truth.
+
+"I will not give thee a glove to wear in thy casque at tourneys, Luis,"
+she said, "but I offer this holy symbol, which may remind thee, at the
+same moment, of the great pursuit thou hast before thee, and of her who
+will wait its issue with doubts and fears little less active than those
+of Colon himself. Thou needst no other crucifix to say thy paters
+before, and these stones are sapphires, which thou knowest are the
+tokens of fidelity--a feeling that thou mayst encourage as respects thy
+lasting welfare, and which it would not grieve me to know thou kept'st
+ever active in thy bosom when thinking of the unworthy giver of the
+trifle."
+
+This was said half in melancholy, and half in lightness of heart, for
+Mercedes felt, at parting, both a weight of sorrow that was hard to be
+borne, and a buoyancy of the very feeling to which she had just alluded,
+that much disposed her to smile; and it was said with those winning
+accents with which the youthful and tender avow their emotions, when the
+heart is subdued by the thoughts of absence and dangers. The gift was a
+small cross, formed of the stones she had named, and of great intrinsic
+value, as well as precious from the motives and character of her who
+offered it.
+
+"Thou hast had a care of my soul, in this, Mercedes," said Luis,
+smiling, when he had kissed the jewelled cross again and again--"and art
+resolved if the sovereign of Cathay should refuse to be converted to our
+faith, that we shall not be converted to his. I fear that my offering
+will appear tame and valueless in thine eyes, after so precious a boon."
+
+"One lock of thy hair, Luis, is all I desire. Thou knowest that I have
+no need of jewels."
+
+"If I thought the sight of my bushy head would give thee pleasure, every
+hair should quit it, and I would sail from Spain with a poll as naked as
+a priest's, or even an Infidel's; but the Bobadillas have their jewels,
+and a Bobadilla's bride shall wear them: this necklace was my mother's,
+Mercedes; it is said to have once been the property of a queen, though
+none have ever worn it who will so honor it as thou."
+
+"I take it, Luis, for it is thy offering and may not be refused; and yet
+I take it tremblingly, for I see signs of our different natures in these
+gifts. Thou hast chosen the gorgeous and the brilliant, which pall in
+time, and seldom lead to contentment; while my woman's heart hath led me
+to constancy. I fear some brilliant beauty of the East would better gain
+thy lasting admiration than a poor Castilian maid who hath little but
+her faith and love to recommend her!"
+
+Protestations on the part of the young man followed, and Mercedes
+permitted one fond and long embrace ere they separated. She wept on the
+bosom of Don Luis, and at the final moment of parting, as ever happens
+with woman, feeling got the better of form, and her whole soul confessed
+its weakness. At length Luis tore himself away from her presence, and
+that night he was on his way to the coast, under an assumed name, and in
+simple guise; whither Columbus had already preceded.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI.
+
+    "But where is Harold? Shall I then forget
+    To urge the gloomy wanderer o'er the wave?
+    Little reck'd he of all that men regret;
+    No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave;
+    No friend the parting hand extended gave
+    Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."
+
+    Byron.
+
+
+The reader is not to suppose that the eyes of Europe were on our
+adventurers. Truth and falsehood, inseparable companions, it would seem,
+throughout all time, were not then diffused over the land by means of
+newspapers, with mercenary diligence; and it was only the favored few
+who got early intelligence of enterprises like that in which Columbus
+was engaged. Luis de Bobadilla had, therefore, stolen from court
+unnoticed, and they who came in time to miss his presence, either
+supposed him to be on a visit to one of his castles, or to have gone
+forth on another of those wandering tours which were supposed to be
+blemishes on his chivalry and unworthy of his birth. As for the Genoese
+himself, his absence was scarcely heeded, though it was understood among
+the courtiers generally that Isabella had entered into some arrangement
+with him, which gave the adventurer higher rank and greater advantages
+than his future services would probably ever justify. The other
+principal adventurers were too insignificant to attract much attention,
+and they had severally departed for the coast without the knowledge of
+their movements extending far beyond the narrow circles of their own
+acquaintances. Neither was this expedition, so bold in its conception
+and so momentous in its consequences, destined to sail from one of the
+more important ports of Spain; but orders to furnish the necessary means
+had been sent to a haven of altogether inferior rank, and which would
+seem to have possessed no other recommendations for this particular
+service, than hardy mariners, and a position without the pass of
+Gibraltar, which was sometimes rendered hazardous by the rovers of
+Africa. The order, however, is said to have been issued to the place
+selected, in consequence of its having incurred some legal penalty, by
+which it had been condemned to serve the crown for a twelvemonth with
+two armed caravels. Such punishments, it would seem, were part of the
+policy of an age in which navies were little more than levies on
+sea-ports, and when fleets were usually manned by soldiers from the
+land.
+
+Palos de Moguer, the place ordered to pay this tribute for its
+transgression, was a town of little importance, even at the close of the
+fifteenth century, and it has since dwindled to an insignificant fishing
+village. Like most places that are little favored by nature, its
+population was hardy and adventurous, as adventure was then limited by
+ignorance. It possessed no stately caracks, its business and want of
+opulence confining all its efforts to the lighter caravel and the still
+more diminutive felucca. All the succor, indeed, that Columbus had been
+able to procure from the two crowns, by his protracted solicitations,
+was the order for the equipment of the two caravels mentioned, with the
+additional officers and men that always accompanied a royal expedition.
+The reader, however, is not to infer from this fact any niggardliness of
+spirit, or any want of faith, on the part of Isabella. It was partly
+owing to the exhausted condition of her treasury, a consequence of the
+late war with the Moor, and more, perhaps, to the experience and
+discretion of the great navigator himself, who well understood that, for
+the purposes of discovery, vessels of this size would be more useful and
+secure than those that were larger.
+
+On a rocky promontory, at a distance of less than a league from the
+village of Palos, stood the convent of La Rabida, since rendered so
+celebrated by its hospitality to Columbus. At the gate of this building,
+seven years before, the navigator, leading his youthful son by the hand,
+had presented himself, a solicitor for food in behalf of the wearied
+boy. The story is too well known to need repetition here, and we will
+merely add that his long residence in this convent, and the firm friends
+he had made of the holy Franciscans who occupied it, as well as among
+others in their vicinity, were also probably motives that influenced him
+in directing the choice of the crown to this particular place. Columbus
+had not only circulated his opinions with the monks, but with the more
+intelligent of the neighborhood, and the first converts he made in Spain
+were at this place.
+
+Notwithstanding all the circumstances named, the order of the crown to
+prepare the caravels in question, spread consternation among the
+mariners of Palos. In that age, it was thought a wonderful achievement
+to follow the land, along the coast of Africa, and to approach the
+equator. The vaguest notions existed in the popular mind, concerning
+those unknown regions, and many even believed that by journeying south
+it was possible to reach a portion of the earth where animal and
+vegetable life must cease on account of the intense heat of the sun. The
+revolution of the planets, the diurnal motion of the earth, and the
+causes of the changes in the seasons, were then profound mysteries even
+to the learned; or, if glimmerings of the truth did exist, they existed
+as the first rays of the dawn dimly and hesitatingly announce the
+approach of day. It is not surprising, therefore, that the simple-minded
+and unlettered mariners of Palos viewed the order of the crown as a
+sentence of destruction on all who might be fated to obey it. The ocean,
+when certain limits were passed, was thought to be, like the firmament,
+a sort of chaotic void; and the imaginations of the ignorant had
+conjured up currents and whirlpools that were believed to lead to fiery
+climates and frightful scenes of natural destruction. Some even fancied
+it possible to reach the uttermost boundaries of the earth, and to slide
+off into vacuum, by means of swift but imperceptible currents.
+
+Such was the state of things, in the middle of the month of July.
+Columbus was still in the convent of Rabida, in the company of his
+constant friend and adherent, Fray Juan Perez, when a lay brother came
+to announce that a stranger had arrived at the gate, asking earnestly
+for the Señor Christoval Colon.
+
+"Hath he the aspect of a messenger from the court?" demanded the
+navigator; "for, since the failure of the mission of Juan de Peñalosa,
+there is need of further orders from their Highnesses to enforce their
+gracious intentions."
+
+"I think not, Señor," answered the lay brother; "these hard-riding
+couriers of the queen generally appearing with their steeds in a foam,
+and with hurried air and blustering voices; whereas this young cavalier
+behaveth modestly, and rideth a stout Andalusian mule."
+
+"Did he give thee his name, good Sancho?"
+
+"He gave me two, Señor, styling himself Pedro de Muños, or Pedro
+Gutierrez, without the Don."
+
+"This is well," exclaimed Columbus, turning a little quickly toward the
+door, but otherwise maintaining a perfect self-command; "I expect the
+youth, and he is right welcome. Let him come in at once, good Sancho,
+and that without any useless ceremony."
+
+"An acquaintance of the court, Señor?" observed the prior, in the way
+one indirectly asks a question.
+
+"A youth that hath the spirit, father, to adventure life and character
+for the glory of God, through the advancement of his church, by
+embarking in our enterprise. He cometh of a reputable lineage, and is
+not without the gifts of fortune. But for the care of guardians, and his
+own youth, gold would not have been wanting in our need. As it is, he
+ventureth his own person, if one can be said to risk aught in an
+expedition that seemeth truly to set even the orders of their Highnesses
+at defiance."
+
+As Columbus ceased speaking, the door opened and Luis de Bobadilla
+entered. The young grandee had laid aside all the outward evidences of
+his high rank, and now appeared in the modest guise of a traveller
+belonging to a class more likely to furnish a recruit for the voyage,
+than one of the rank he really was. Saluting Columbus with cordial and
+sincere respect, and the Franciscan with humble deference, the first at
+once perceived that this gallant and reckless spirit had truly engaged
+in the enterprise with a determination to use all the means that would
+enable him to go through with it.
+
+"Thou art welcome, Pedro," Columbus observed, as soon as Luis had made
+his salutations; "thou hast reached the coast at a moment when thy
+presence and support may be exceedingly useful. The first order of Her
+Highness, by which I should have received the services of the two
+caravels to which the state is entitled, hath been utterly disregarded;
+and a second mandate, empowering me to seize upon any vessel that may
+suit our necessities, hath fared but little better, notwithstanding the
+Señor de Peñalosa was sent directly from court to enforce its
+conditions, under a penalty, to the port, of paying a daily tax of two
+hundred maravedis, until the order should be fulfilled. The idiots have
+conjured all sorts of ills with which to terrify themselves and their
+neighbors, and I seem to be as far from the completion of my hopes as I
+was before I procured the friendship of this holy friar and the royal
+protection of Doña Isabella. It is a weary thing, my good Pedro, to
+waste a life in hopes defeated, with such an object in view as the
+spread of knowledge and the extension of the church!"
+
+"I am the bearer of good tidings, Señor," answered the young noble. "In
+coming hither from the town of Moguer, I journeyed with one Martin
+Alonzo Pinzon, a mariner with whom I have formerly voyaged, and we have
+had much discourse concerning your commission and difficulties. He tells
+me that he is known to you, Señor Colon, and I should judge from his
+discourse that he thinketh favorably of the chances."
+
+"He doth--he doth, indeed, good Pedro, and hath often listened to my
+reasoning like a discreet and skilful navigator, as I make no question
+he really is. But didst thou say that thou wast _known_ to him?"
+
+"Señor, I did. We have voyaged together as far as Cyprus, on one
+occasion, and, again, to the island of the English. In such long
+voyages, men get to some knowledge of each other's temperament and
+disposition, and, of a sooth, I think well of both, in this Señor
+Pinzon."
+
+"Thou art young to pass an opinion on a mariner of Martin Alonzo's years
+and experience, son," put in the friar; "a man of much repute in this
+vicinity, and of no little wealth. Nevertheless, I am rejoiced to hear
+that he continueth of the same mind as formerly, in relation to the
+great voyage; for, of late, I did think even he had begun to waver."
+
+Don Luis had expressed himself of the great man of the vicinity, more
+like a Bobadilla than became his assumed name of Muños, and a glance
+from the eye of Columbus told him to forget his rank and to remember the
+disguise he had assumed.
+
+"This is truly encouraging," observed the navigator, "and openeth a
+brighter view of Cathay. Thou wast journeying between Moguer and Palos,
+I think thou saidst, when this discourse was had with our acquaintance,
+the good Martin Alonzo?"
+
+"I was, Señor, and it was he who sent me hither in quest of the admiral.
+He gave you the title that the queen's favor hath bestowed, and I
+consider that no small sign of friendship, as most others with whom I
+have conversed in this vicinity seem disposed to call you by any other
+name."
+
+"None need embark in this enterprise," returned the navigator, gravely,
+as if he would admonish the youth that this was an occasion on which he
+might withdraw from the adventure, if he saw fit, "who feel disposed to
+act differently, or who distrust my knowledge."
+
+"By San Pedro, my patron! they tell another tale at Palos, and at
+Moguer, Señor Amirale," returned Luis, laughing; "at which places, I
+hear, that no man whose skin hath been a little warmed by the sun of the
+ocean, dare show himself in the highways, lest he be sent to Cathay by a
+road that no one ever yet travelled, except in fancy! There is,
+notwithstanding, one free and willing volunteer, Señor Colon, who is
+disposed to follow you to the edge of the earth, if it be flat, and to
+follow you quite around it, should it prove to be a sphere; and that is
+one Pedro de Muños, who engageth with you from no sordid love of gold,
+or love of aught else that men usually prize; but from the pure love of
+adventure, somewhat excited and magnified, perhaps, by love of the
+purest and fairest maid of Castile."
+
+Fray Juan Perez gazed at the speaker, whose free manner and open speech
+a good deal surprised him; for Columbus had succeeded in awakening so
+much respect that few presumed to use any levity in his presence, even
+before he was dignified by the high rank so recently conferred by the
+commission of Isabella. Little did the good monk suspect that one of a
+still higher personal rank, though entirely without official station,
+stood before him, in the guise of Pedro de Muños; and he could not
+refrain from again expressing the little relish he felt for such freedom
+of speech and deportment toward those whom he himself habitually
+regarded with so much respect.
+
+"It would seem, Señor Pedro de Muños," he said, "if that be thy
+name--though duke, or marquis, or count, would be a title better
+becoming thy bearing--that thou treatest His Excellency the Admiral with
+quite as much freedom of thought, at least, as thou treatest the worthy
+Martin Alonzo of our own neighborhood; a follower should be more humble,
+and not pass his jokes on the opinions of his leader, in this loose
+style of expression."
+
+"I crave your pardon, holy father, and that of the admiral, too, who
+better understandeth me I trust, if there be any just grounds of
+offence. All I wish to express is, that I know this Martin Alonzo of
+your neighborhood, as an old fellow-voyager; that we have ridden some
+leagues in company this very day, and that, after close discourse, he
+hath manifested a friendly desire to put his shoulder to the wheel, in
+order to lift the expedition, if not from a slough of mud, at least from
+the sands of the river; and that he hath promised to come also to this
+good convent of La Rabida, for that same purpose and no other. As for
+myself, I can only add, that here I am, ready to follow wheresoever the
+honorable Señor Colon may see fit to lead."
+
+"Tis well, good Pedro--'tis well," rejoined the admiral. "I give thee
+full credit for sincerity and spirit, and that must content thee until
+an opportunity offereth to convince others. I like these tidings
+concerning Martin Alonzo, father, since he might truly do us much good
+service, and his zeal had assuredly begun to flag."
+
+"That might he, and that will he, if he engageth seriously in the
+affair. Martin is the greatest navigator on all this coast, for, though
+I did not know that he had ever been even to Cyprus, as would appear by
+the account of this youth, I was well aware that he had frequently
+sailed as far north as France, and as far south as the Canaries. Dost
+think Cathay much more remote than Cyprus, Señor Almirante?"
+
+Columbus smiled at this question, and shook his head in the manner of
+one who would prepare a friend for some sore disappointment.
+
+"Although Cyprus be not distant from the Holy Land and the seat of the
+Infidel's power," he answered, "Cathay must lie much more remote. I
+flatter not myself, nor those who are disposed to follow me, with the
+hope of reaching the Indies short of a voyage that shall extend to some
+eight hundred or a thousand leagues."
+
+"'Tis a fearful and a weary distance!" exclaimed the Franciscan; while
+Luis stood in smiling unconcern, equally indifferent whether he had to
+traverse one-thousand or ten thousand leagues of ocean, so that the
+journey led to Mercedes and was productive of adventure. "A fearful and
+weary distance, and yet I doubt not, Señor Almirante, that you are the
+very man designed by Providence to overcome it, and to open the way for
+those who will succeed you, bearing on high the cross of Christ and the
+promises of his redemption!"
+
+"Let us hope this," returned Columbus, reverently making the usual sign
+of the sacred emblem to which his friend alluded; "as a proof that we
+have some worldly foundation for the expectation, here cometh the Señor
+Pinzon himself, apparently hot with haste to see us."
+
+Martin Alonzo Pinzon, whose name is so familiar to the reader, as one
+who greatly aided the Genoese in his vast undertaking, now entered the
+room, seemingly earnest and bent on some fixed purpose, as Columbus'
+observant eye had instantly detected. Fray Juan Perez was not a little
+surprised to see that the first salutation of Martin Alonzo, the great
+man of the neighborhood, was directed to Pedro, the second to the
+admiral, and the third to himself. There was not time, however, for the
+worthy Franciscan, who was a little apt to rebuke any dereliction of
+decency on the spot, to express what he felt on this occasion, ere
+Martin Alonzo opened his errand with an eagerness that showed he had not
+come on a mere visit of friendship, or of ceremony.
+
+"I am sorely vexed, Señor Almirante," he commenced, "at learning the
+obstinacy, and the disobedience to the orders of the queen, that have
+been shown among our mariners of Palos. Although a dweller of the port
+itself, and one who hath always viewed your opinions of this western
+voyage with respect, if not with absolute faith, I did not know the full
+extent of this insubordination until I met, by accident, an old
+acquaintance on the highway, in the person of Don Pedro--I ought to say
+the _Señor_ Pedro de Muños, here, who, coming from a distance as he
+doth, hath discovered more of our backslidings than I had learned
+myself, on the spot. But, Señor, you are not now to hear for the first
+time, of what sort of stuff men are made. They are reasoning beings, we
+are told; notwithstanding which undeniable truth, as there is not one in
+a hundred who is at the trouble to do his own thinking, means may be
+found to change the opinions of a sufficient number for all your wants,
+without their even suspecting it."
+
+"This is very true, neighbor Martin Alonzo," put in the friar--"so true,
+that it might go into a homily and do no disservice to religion. Man
+_is_ a rational animal, and an accountable animal, but it is not meet
+that he should be a _thinking_ animal. In matters of the church, now,
+its interests being entrusted to a ministry, what have the unlearned and
+ignorant to say of its affairs? In matters of navigation, it doth,
+indeed, seem as if one steersman were better than a hundred! Although
+man be a reasoning animal, there are quite as many occasions when he is
+bound to obey without reasoning, and few when he should be permitted to
+reason without obeying."
+
+"All true, holy friar and most excellent neighbor; so true that you will
+find no one in Palos to deny that, at least. And now we are on the
+subject, I may as well add that it is the church that hath thrown more
+obstacles in the way of the Señor Almirante's success, than any other
+cause. All the old women of the port declare that the notion of the
+earth's being round is a heresy, and contrary to the Bible; and, if the
+truth must be said, there are not a few underlings of this very convent,
+who uphold them in the opinion. It doth appear unnatural to tell one who
+hath never quitted the land, and who seeth himself much oftener in a
+valley than on an eminence, that the globe is round, and, though I have
+had many occasions to see the ocean, it would not easily find credit
+with me, were it not for the fact that we see the upper and smaller
+sails of a ship first, when approaching her, as well as the vanes and
+crosses of towns, albeit they are the smaller objects about vessels and
+churches. We mariners have one way to inspirit our followers, and you
+churchmen have another; and, now that I intend to use my means to put
+wiser thoughts into the heads of the seamen of Palos, reverend friar, I
+look to you to set the church's engines at work, so as to silence the
+women, and to quell the doubts of the most zealous among your own
+brotherhood."
+
+"Am I to understand by this, Señor Pinzon," demanded Columbus, "that you
+intend to take a direct and more earnest interest than before in the
+success of my enterprise?"
+
+"Señor, you may. That is my intention, if we can come to as favorable an
+understanding about the terms, as your worship would seem to have
+entered into with our most honored mistress, Doña Isabella de
+Trastamara. I have had some discourse with Señor Don--I would say with
+the Señor Pedro de Muños, here--odd's folly, an excess of courtesy is
+getting to be a vice with me of late--but as he is a youth of prudence,
+and manifests a desire to embark with you, it hath stirred my fancy so
+far, that I would gladly be of the party. Señor de Muños and I have
+voyaged so much together, that I would fain see his worthy countenance
+once more upon the ocean."
+
+"These are cheerful tidings, Martin Alonzo"--eagerly put in the friar,
+"and thy soul, and the souls of all who belong to you, will reap the
+benefits of this manly and pious resolution. It is one thing, Señor
+Almirante, to have their Highnesses of your side, in a place like Palos,
+and another to have our worthy neighbor Pinzon, here; for, if they are
+sovereigns in law, he is an emperor in opinion. I doubt not that the
+caravels will now be speedily forthcoming."
+
+"Since thou seemest to have truly resolved to enter into our enterprise,
+Señor Martin Alonzo," added Columbus, with his dignified gravity, "out
+of doubt, thou hast well bethought thee of the conditions, and art come
+prepared to let them be known. Do they savor of the terms that have
+already been in discussion between us?"
+
+"Señor Admiral, they do; though gold is not, just now, as abundant in
+our purses, as when we last discoursed on this subject. On that head,
+some obstacles may exist, but on all others, I doubt not, a brief
+explanation between us will leave the matter free from doubt."
+
+"As to the eighth, for which I stand committed with their Highnesses,
+Señor Pinzon, there will be less reason, now, to raise that point
+between us, than when we last met, as other means may offer to redeem
+that pledge"--as Columbus spoke, his eyes involuntarily turned toward
+the pretended Pedro, whither those of Martin Alonzo Pinzon significantly
+followed; "but there will be many difficulties to overcome with these
+terrified and silly mariners, which may yield to thy influence. If thou
+wilt come with me into this chamber, we will at once discuss the heads
+of our treaty, leaving this youth, the while, to the hospitality of our
+reverend friend."
+
+The prior raising no objection to this proposition, it was immediately
+put in execution, Columbus and Pinzon withdrawing to a more private
+apartment, leaving Fray Juan Perez alone with our hero.
+
+"Then thou thinkest seriously, son, of making one in this great
+enterprise of the admiral's," said the Franciscan, as soon as the door
+was closed on those who had just left them, eyeing Luis, for the first
+time, with a more strict scrutiny than hitherto he had leisure to
+exercise. "Thou carriest thyself much like the young lords of the court,
+and wilt have occasion to acquire a less towering air in the narrow
+limits of one of our Palos caravels."
+
+"I am no stranger to Nao, Carraca, Fusta, Pinaza, Carabelon, or Felucca,
+holy prior, and shall carry myself with the admiral, as I should carry
+myself before Don Fernando of Aragon, were he my fellow-voyager, or in
+the presence of Boabdil of Grenada, were that unhappy monarch again
+seated on the throne from which he hath been so lately hurled, urging
+his chivalry to charge the knights of Christian Spain."
+
+"These are fine words, son, ay, and uttered with a tilting air, if truth
+must be said; but they will avail thee nothing with this Genoese, who
+hath that in him, that would leave him unabashed even in the presence of
+our gracious lady, Doña Isabella, herself."
+
+"Thou knowest the queen, holy monk?" inquired Luis, forgetting his
+assumed character, in the freedom of his address.
+
+"I ought to know her inmost heart, son, for often have I listened to her
+pure and meek spirit, in the secrets of the confessional. Much as she is
+beloved by us Castilians, no one can know the true, spiritual elevation
+of that pious princess, and most excellent woman, but they who have had
+occasion to shrive her."
+
+Don Luis hemmed, played with the handle of his rapier, and then gave
+utterance to the uppermost thought, as usual.
+
+"Didst thou, by any chance of thy priestly office, father, ever find it
+necessary to confess a maiden of the court, who is much esteemed by the
+queen?" he inquired, "and whose spirit, I'll answer for it, is as pure
+as that of Doña Isabella's itself."
+
+"Son, thy question denoteth greater necessity for repairing to
+Salamanca, in order to be instructed in the history, and practices, and
+faith of the church, than to be entering into an enterprise, even as
+commendable as this of Colon's! Dost thou not know that we churchmen are
+not permitted to betray the secrets of the confessional, or to draw
+comparisons between penitents? and, moreover, that we do not take even
+Doña Isabella, the blessed Maria keep her ever in mind, as the standard
+of holiness to which all Christians are expected to aim? The maiden of
+whom thou speakest may be virtuous, according to worldly notions, and
+yet a grievous sinner in the eyes of mother church."
+
+"I should like, before I quit Spain, to hear a Mendoza, or a Guzman, who
+hath not a shaven crown, venture to hint as much, most reverend prior!"
+
+"Thou art hot and restive, and talkest idly, son; what would one like
+thee find to say to a Guzman, or a Mendoza, or a Bobadilla, even, did he
+affirm what thou wishest? But, who is the maid, in whom thy feelings
+seem to take so deep, although I question if it be not an unrequited,
+interest?"
+
+"Nay, I did but speak in idleness. Our stations have made such a chasm
+between us, that it is little likely we should ever come to speech; nor
+is my merit such as would be apt to cause her to forget her high
+advantages."
+
+"Still, she hath a name?"
+
+"She hath, truly, prior, and a right noble one it is. I had the Doña
+Maria de las Mercedes de Valverde in my thoughts, when the light remark
+found utterance. Haply, thou may'st know that illustrious heiress?"
+
+Fray Juan Perez, a truly guileless priest, started at the name; then he
+gazed intently, and with a sort of pity, at the youth; after which he
+bent his head toward the tiles beneath his feet, smiled, and shook his
+head like one whose thoughts were very active.
+
+"I do, indeed, know the lady," he said, "and even when last at court, on
+this errand of Colon's, their own confessor being ill, I shrived her, as
+well as my royal mistress. That she is worthy of Doña Isabella's esteem
+is true; but thy admiration for this noble maiden, which must be
+something like the distant reverence we feel for the clouds that sail
+above our heads, can scarce be founded on any rational hopes."
+
+"Thou canst not know that, father. If this expedition end as we trust,
+all who engage in it will be honored and advanced; and why not I, as
+well as another?"
+
+"In this, thou may'st utter truth, but as for the Doña--" The Franciscan
+checked himself, for he was about to betray the secret of the
+confessional. He had, in truth, listened to the contrition of Mercedes,
+of which her passion for Luis was the principal cause; and it was he
+who, with a species of pious fraud of which he was himself unconscious,
+had first pointed out the means by which the truant noble might be made
+to turn his propensity to rove to the profit of his love; and his mind
+was full of her beautiful exhibition of purity and natural feeling,
+nearly even to overflowing. But habit and duty interfered in time, and
+he did not utter the name that had been trembling on his lips. Still,
+his thoughts continued in this current, and his tongue gave utterance to
+that portion of them which he believed to be harmless. "Thou hast been
+much about the world, it would seem, by Master Alonzo's greeting," he
+continued, after a short pause; "didst ever meet, son, with a certain
+cavalier of Castile, named Don Luis de Bobadilla--a grandee, who also
+bears the title of Conde de Llera?"
+
+"I know little of his hopes, and care less for his titles," returned
+Luis, calmly, who thought he would manifest a magnanimous indifference
+to the Franciscan's opinions--"but I have seen the cavalier, and a
+roving, mad-brained, graceless youth it is, of whom no good can be
+expected."
+
+"I fear this is but too true," rejoined Fray Juan Perez, shaking his
+head in a melancholy manner--"and yet they say he is a gallant knight,
+and the very best lance in all Spain."
+
+"Ay, he may be that," answered Luis, hemming a little louder than was
+decorous, for his throat began to grow husky--"Ay, he may be that; but
+of what avail is a good lance without a good character. I hear little
+commendable of this young Conde de Llera."
+
+"I trust he is not the man he generally passeth for,"--answered the
+simple-hearted monk, without in the least suspecting his companion's
+disguise; "and I do know that there are some who think well of him--nay,
+whose existence, I might say whose very souls, are wrapped up in him!"
+
+"Holy Franciscan!--why wilt thou not mention the names of one or two of
+these?" demanded Luis, with an impetuosity that caused the prior to
+start.
+
+"And why should I give this information to thee, young man, more than to
+another?"
+
+"Why, father--why, for several most excellent and unanswerable reasons.
+In the first place, I am a youth myself, as thou seest; and example,
+they say, is better than precept. Then, too, _I_ am somewhat given to
+roving, and it may profit me to know how others of the same propensity
+have sped. Moreover, it would gladden my inmost heart to hear that--but
+two sufficient reasons are better than three, and thou hast the first
+number already."
+
+Fray Juan Perez, a devout Christian, a learned churchman, and a liberal
+scholar, was as simple as a child in matters that related to the world
+and its passions. Nevertheless, he was not so dull as to overlook the
+strange deportment and stranger language of his companion. A direction
+had been given to his thoughts by the mention of the name of our
+heroine; and, as he himself had devised the very course taken by our
+hero, the truth began to dawn on his imagination.
+
+"Young cavalier," he exclaimed, "thou art Don Luis de Bobadilla!"
+
+"I shall never deny the prophetic knowledge of a churchman, worthy
+father, after this detection! I _am_ he thou sayest, entered on this
+expedition to win the love of Mercedes de Valverde."
+
+"'Tis as I thought--and yet, Señor, you might have taken our poor
+convent less at an advantage. Suffer that I command the lay brothers to
+place refreshments before you!"
+
+"Thy pardon, excellent prior--Pedro de Muños, or even Pero Gutierrez,
+hath no need of food; but, now that thou knowest me, there can be less
+reason for not conversing of the Doña Mercedes?"
+
+"Now that I know thee, Señor Conde, there is greater reason for silence
+on that head," returned Fray Juan Perez, smiling. "Thine aunt, the most
+esteemed and virtuous lady of Moya, can give thee all occasion to urge
+thy suit with this charming maiden, and it would ill become a churchman
+to temper her prudence by any indiscreet interference."
+
+This explanation was the commencement of a long and confidential
+dialogue, in which the worthy prior, now that he was on his guard,
+succeeded in preserving his main secret, though he much encouraged the
+young man in the leading hope of his existence, as well as in his
+project to adhere to the fortunes of Columbus. In the mean while, the
+great navigator himself continued closeted with his new counsellor; and
+when the two reappeared, it was announced to those without that the
+latter had engaged in the enterprise with so much zeal, that he actually
+entertained the intention of embarking on board of one of the caravels
+in person.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII.
+
+    "Yet he to whom each danger hath become
+    A dark delight, and every wild a home,
+    Still urges onward--undismayed to tread
+    Where life's fond lovers would recoil with dread."
+
+    The Abencerrage.
+
+
+The intelligence that Martin Alonzo Pinzon was to make one of the
+followers of Colon, spread through the village of Palos like wild-fire.
+Volunteers were no longer wanting; the example of one known and
+respected in the vicinity, operating far more efficiently on the minds
+of the mariners, than the orders of the queen or the philosophy of
+Columbus. Martin Alonzo they knew; they were accustomed to submit to his
+influence; they could follow in his footsteps, and had confidence in his
+judgment; whereas, the naked orders of an unseen sovereign, however much
+beloved, had more of the character of a severe judgment than of a
+generous enterprise; and as for Columbus, though most men were awed by
+his dignified appearance and grave manner, when out of sight he was as
+much regarded as an adventurer at Palos, as he had been at Santa Fé.
+
+The Pinzons set about their share of the expedition after the manner of
+those who were more accustomed to execute than to plan. Several of the
+family entered cordially into the work; and a brother of Martin
+Alonzo's, whose name was Vincente Yañez, also a mariner by profession,
+joined the adventurers as commander of one of the vessels, while another
+took service as a pilot. In short, the month that succeeded the
+incidents just mentioned, was actively employed, and more was done in
+that short space of time toward bringing about a solution of the great
+problem of Columbus, than had been accomplished, in a practical way,
+during the seventeen long years that the subject had occupied his time
+and engrossed his thoughts.
+
+Notwithstanding the local influence of the Pinzons, a vigorous
+opposition to the project still existed in the heart of the little
+community that had been chosen for the place of equipment of the
+different vessels required. This family had its enemies as well as its
+friends, and, as is usual with most human undertakings, two parties
+sprang up, one of which was quite as busily occupied in thwarting the
+plans of the navigator, as the other was engaged in promoting them. One
+vessel had been seized for the service, under the order of the court,
+and her owners became leaders of the dissatisfied faction. Many seamen,
+according to the usage of that day, had been impressed for duty on this
+extraordinary and mysterious voyage; and, as a matter of course, they
+and their friends were not slow to join the ranks of the disaffected.
+Much of the necessary work was found to be imperfectly done; and when
+the mechanics were called on to repair these omissions, they absconded
+in a body. As the time for sailing approached, the contention grew more
+and more violent, and even the Pinzons had the mortification of
+discovering that many of those who had volunteered to follow their
+fortunes, began to waver, and that some had unequivocally deserted.
+
+Such was the state of things, toward the close of the month of July,
+when Martin Alonzo Pinzon again repaired to the convent of Santa Maria
+de Rabida, where Columbus continued to pass most of the time that was
+not given to a direct personal superintendence of the preparations, and
+where Luis de Bobadilla, who was altogether useless in the actual
+condition of affairs, also passed many a weary hour, chafing for active
+duty, and musing on the loveliness, truth, and virtues of Mercedes de
+Valverde. Fray Juan Perez was earnest in his endeavors to facilitate the
+execution of the objects of his friends, and he had actually succeeded,
+if not in absolutely suppressing the expression of all injurious opinion
+on the part of the less enlightened of the brotherhood, at least in
+rendering the promulgation of them more cautious and private.
+
+When Columbus and the prior were told that the Señor Pinzon sought an
+interview, neither was slow in granting the favor. As the hour of
+departure drew nigh, the importance of this man's exertions became more
+and more apparent, and both well knew that the royal protection of
+Isabella herself, just at that moment and in that place, was of less
+account than that of this active mariner. The Señor Pinzon, therefore,
+had not long to wait for his audience, having been ushered into the room
+that was commonly occupied by the zealous Franciscan, almost as soon as
+his request was preferred.
+
+"Thou art right welcome, worthy Martin Alonzo!" exclaimed the prior, the
+moment he caught a glimpse of the features of his old acquaintance--"How
+get on matters at Palos, and when shall we have this holy undertaking in
+a fair direction for success?"
+
+"By San Francisco, reverend prior, that is more than it will be safe for
+any man to answer. I have thought we were in a fair way to make sail, a
+score of times, when some unforeseen difficulty hath arisen. The Santa
+Maria, on board which the admiral and the Señor Gutierrez, or de Muños,
+if he will have it so, will embark, is already fitted. She may be set
+down as a tight craft, and somewhat exceedeth a hundred tons in burthen,
+so that I trust his excellency, and all the gallant cavaliers who may
+accompany him, will be as comfortable as the holy monks of Rabida--more
+especially as the good caravel hath a deck."
+
+"These are, truly, glad tidings," returned the prior, rubbing his hands
+with delight--"and the excellent craft hath really a deck! Señor
+Almirante, thou mayst not be in a vessel that is altogether worthy of
+thy high aim, but, on the whole, thou wilt be both safe and comfortable,
+keeping in view, in particular, this convenient and sheltering deck."
+
+"Neither my safety nor my convenience is a consideration to be
+mentioned, friend Juan Perez, when there is question of so much graver
+matters. I rejoice that thou hast come to the convent this morning,
+Señor Martin Alonzo, as, being about to address letters to the court, by
+means of an especial courier, I desire to know the actual condition of
+things. Thou thinkest the Santa Maria will be in a state for service by
+the end of the month?"
+
+"Señor, I do. The ship hath been prepared with due diligence, and will
+conveniently hold some three score, should the panic that hath seized on
+so many of the besotted fools of Palos, leave us that number, who may
+still be disposed to embark. I trust that the saints look upon our many
+efforts, and will remember our zeal when we shall come to a joint
+division of the benefits of this undertaking, which hath had no equal in
+the history of navigation!"
+
+"The benefits, honest Martin Alonzo, will be found in the spread of the
+church's dominion, and the increased glory of God!" put in the prior,
+significantly.
+
+"Out of all question, holy Fray Juan Perez--this is the common aim;
+though I trust it is permitted to a pains-taking mariner to bethink him
+of his wife and children, in discreet subordination to those greater
+ends. I have much mistaken the Señor Colon, if he do not look for some
+little advantage, in the way of gold, from this visit to Cathay."
+
+"Thou hast not mistaken me, honest Martin Alonzo," returned Columbus,
+gravely. "I do, indeed, expect to see the wealth of the Indies pouring
+into the coffers of Castile, in consequence of this voyage. In sooth,
+excellent prior, in my view, the recovery of the holy sepulchre is
+dependent mainly on the success of our present undertaking, in the way
+of a substantial worldly success."
+
+"This is well, Señor Admiral," put in Martin Alonzo, a little hastily,
+"and ought to gain us great favor in the eyes of all good
+Christians--more especially with the monks of la Rabida. But it is hard
+enough to persuade the mariners of the port to obey the queen, in this
+matter, and to fulfil their engagements with ourselves, without
+preaching a crusade, as the best means of throwing away the few
+maravedis they may happen to gain by their hardships and courage. The
+worthy pilots, Francisco Martin Pinzon, mine own brother, Sancho Ruiz,
+Pedro Alonzo Niño, and Bartolemeo Roldan, are all now firmly tied to us
+by the ropes of the law; but should they happen to find a crusade at
+their end, all the saints in the calendar would scarce have influence to
+make them hesitate about loosening themselves from the agreement."
+
+"I hold no one but myself bound to this object," returned Columbus,
+calmly. "Each man, friend Martin Alonzo, will be judged by his own
+deeds, and called on to fulfil his own vows. Of those who pledge naught,
+naught will be exacted, and naught given at the great final account of
+the human race. But what are the tidings of the Pinta, thine own vessel?
+Hath she been finally put into a condition to buffet the Atlantic?"
+
+"As ever happeneth with a vessel pressed into the royal service, Señor,
+work hath gone on heavily, and things in general have not borne that
+merry activity which accompanieth the labor of those who toil of a free
+will, and for their own benefit."
+
+"The silly mariners have toiled in their own behalf, without knowing
+it," observed Columbus. "It is the duty of the ignorant to submit to be
+led by the more enlightened, and to be grateful for the advantages they
+derive from a borrowed knowledge, albeit it is obtained contrary to
+their own wishes."
+
+"That is it, truly," added the prior; "else would the office of us
+churchmen be reduced to very narrow limits. Faith--faith in the
+church--is the Christian's earliest and latest duty."
+
+"This seemeth reasonable, excellent sirs," returned Master Alonzo,
+"though the ignorant find it difficult to comprehend matters that they
+do not understand. When a man fancieth himself condemned to an
+unheard-of death, he is little apt to see the benefit that lieth beyond
+the grave. Nevertheless, the Pinta is more nearly ready for the voyage,
+than any other of our craft, and hath her crew engaged to a man, and
+that under contracts that will not permit much dispute before a notary."
+
+"There remaineth only the Niña, then," added Columbus; "with her
+prepared, and our religious duties observed, we may hope finally to
+commence the enterprise!"
+
+"Señor, you may. My brother, Vicente Yañez, hath finally consented to
+take charge of this little craft; and that which a Pinzon promiseth, a
+Pinzon performeth. She will be ready to depart with the Santa Maria and
+the Pinta, and Cathay must be distant, indeed, if we do not reach it
+with one or the other of our vessels."
+
+"This is right encouraging, neighbor Martin Alonzo," returned the friar,
+rubbing his hands with delight; "and I make no question all will come
+round in the end. What say the crones and loose talkers of Moguer, and
+of the other ports, touching the shape of the earth, and the chances of
+the admiral's reaching the Indies, now-a-days?"
+
+"They discourse much as they did, Fray Juan Perez, idly and without
+knowledge. Although there is not a mariner in any of the havens who doth
+not admit that the upper sails, though so much the smallest, are the
+first seen on the ocean, yet do they deny that this cometh of the shape
+of the earth, but, as they affirm, of the movements of the waters."
+
+"Have none of them ever observed the shadows cast by the earth, in the
+eclipses of the moon?" asked Columbus, in his calm manner, though he
+smiled, even in putting the question, as one smiles who, having dipped
+deeply into a natural problem himself, carelessly lays one of its more
+popular proofs before those who are less disposed to go beneath the
+surface. "Do they not see that these shadows are round, and do they not
+know that a shadow which is round can only be cast by a body that is
+round?"
+
+"This is conclusive, good Martin Alonzo," put in the prior, "and it
+ought to remove the doubts of the silliest gossip on the coast. Tell
+them to encircle their dwellings, beginning to the right, and see if, by
+following the walls, they do not return to the spot from which they
+started, coming in from the left."
+
+"Ay, reverend prior, if we could bring our distant voyage down to these
+familiar examples, there is not a crone in Moguer, or a courtier at
+Seville, that might not be made to comprehend the mystery. But it is one
+thing to state a problem fairly, and another to find those who can
+understand it. Now, I did give some such reasoning to the Alguiazil, in
+Palos here, and the worthy Señor asked me if I expected to return from
+this voyage by the way of the lately captured town of Granada. I fancy
+that the easiest method of persuading these good people to believe that
+Cathay can be reached by the western voyage, will be by going there and
+returning."
+
+"Which we will shortly do, Master Martin Alonzo," observed Columbus,
+cheerfully--"But the time of our departure draweth near, and it is meet
+that none of us neglect the duties of religion. I commend thee to thy
+confessor, Señor Pinzon, and expect that all who sail with me, in this
+great enterprise, will receive the holy communion in my company, before
+we quit the haven. This excellent prior will shrive Pedro de Muños and
+myself, and let each man seek such other holy counsellor and monitor as
+hath been his practice."
+
+With this intimation of his intention to pay a due regard to the rites
+of the church before he departed--rites that were seldom neglected in
+that day--the conversation turned, for the moment, on the details of the
+preparations. After this the parties separated, and a few more days
+passed away in active exertions.
+
+On the morning of Thursday, August the second, 1492, Columbus entered
+the private apartment of Fray Juan Perez, habited like a penitent, and
+with an air so devout, and yet so calm, that it was evident his thoughts
+were altogether bent on his own transgressions and on the goodness of
+God. The zealous priest was in waiting, and the great navigator knelt at
+the feet of him, before whom Isabella had often knelt, in the fulfilment
+of the same solemnity. The religion of this extraordinary man was
+colored by the habits and opinions of his age, as, indeed, in a greater
+or less degree, must be the religion of every man; his confession,
+consequently, had that admixture of deep piety with inconsistent error,
+that so often meets the moralist in his investigations into the
+philosophy of the human mind. The truth of this peculiarity will be
+seen, by adverting to one or two of the admissions of the great
+navigator, as he laid before his ghostly counsellor the catalogue of his
+sins.
+
+"Then, I fear, holy father," Columbus continued, after having made most
+of the usual confessions touching the more familiar weaknesses of the
+human race, "that my mind hath become too much exalted in this matter of
+the voyage, and that I may have thought myself more directly set apart
+by God, for some good end, than it might please his infinite knowledge
+and wisdom to grant."
+
+"That would be a dangerous error, my son, and I carefully admonish thee
+against the evils of self-righteousness. That God selecteth his agents,
+is beyond dispute; but it is a fearful error to mistake the impulses of
+self-love, for the movements of his Divine Spirit! It is hardly safe for
+any who have not received the church's ordination, to deem themselves
+chosen vessels."
+
+"I endeavor so to consider it, holy friar," answered Columbus, meekly;
+"and, yet, there is that within, which constantly urgeth to this belief,
+be it a delusion, or come it directly from heaven. I strive, father, to
+keep the feeling in subjection, and most of all do I endeavor to see
+that it taketh a direction that may glorify the name of God and serve
+the interests of his visible church."
+
+"This is well, and yet do I feel it a duty to admonish thee against too
+much credence in these inward impulses. So long as they tend, solely, to
+increase thy love for the Supreme Father of all, to magnify his
+holiness, and glorify his nature, thou may'st be certain it is the
+offspring of good; but when self-exaltation seemeth to be its aim,
+beware the impulse, as thou wouldst eschew the dictation of the great
+father of evil!"
+
+"I so consider it; and now having truly and sincerely disburdened my
+conscience, father, so far as in me lieth, may I hope for the church's
+consolation, with its absolution?"
+
+"Canst thou think of naught else, son, that should not lie hid from
+before the keeper of all consciences?"
+
+"My sins are many, holy prior, and cannot be too often or too keenly
+rebuked; but I do think that they may be fairly included in the general
+heads that I have endeavored to recall."
+
+"Hast thou nothing to charge thyself with, in connection with that sex
+that the devil as often useth as his tempters to evil, as the angels
+would fain employ them as the ministers of grace?"
+
+"I have erred as a man, father; but do not my confessions already meet
+those sins?"
+
+"Hast thou bethought thee of Doña Beatriz Enriquez? of thy son Fernando,
+who tarrieth, at this moment, in our convent of la Rabida?"
+
+Columbus bowed his head in submission, and the heavy sigh, amounting
+almost to a groan, that broke out of his bosom, betrayed the weight of
+his momentary contrition.
+
+"Thou say'st true, father; that is an offence which should never be
+forgotten, though so often shrived since its commission. Heap on me the
+penance that I feel is due, and thou shalt see how a Christian can bend
+and kiss the rod that he is conscious of having merited."
+
+"The spirit thus to do is all that the church requireth; and thou art
+now bent on a service too important to her interests to be drawn aside
+from thy great intentions, for any minor considerations. Still may not a
+minister of the altar overlook the offence. Thou wilt say a pater,
+daily, on account of this great sin, for the next twenty days, all of
+which will be for the good of thy soul; after which the church releaseth
+thee from this especial duty, as thou wilt, then, be drawing near to the
+land of Cathay, and may have occasion for all thy thoughts and efforts
+to effect thy object."
+
+The worthy prior then proceeded to prescribe several light penances,
+most of which were confined to moderate increases of the daily duties of
+religion; after which he shrived the navigator. The turn of Luis came
+next, and more than once the prior smiled involuntarily, as he listened
+to this hot-blooded and impetuous youth, whose language irresistibly
+carried back his thoughts to the more meek, natural, and the more gentle
+admissions of the pure-minded Mercedes. The penance prescribed to Luis
+was not entirely free from severity, though, on the whole, the young
+man, who was not much addicted to the duties of the confessional,
+fancied himself well quit of the affair, considering the length of the
+account he was obliged to render, and the weight of the balance against
+him.
+
+These duties performed in the persons of the two principal adventurers,
+Martin Alonzo Pinzon and the ruder mariners of the expedition appeared
+before different priests and gave in the usual reckoning of their sins.
+After this came a scene that was strictly characteristic of the age, and
+which would be impressive and proper, in all times and seasons, for men
+about to embark in an undertaking of a result so questionable.
+
+High mass was said in the chapel of the convent, and Columbus received
+the consecrated bread from the hands of Fray Juan Perez, in humble
+reliance on the all-seeing providence of God, and with a devout
+dependence on his fostering protection. All who were about to embark
+with the admiral imitated his example, communing in his company; for
+that was a period when the wire-drawn conclusions of man had not yet
+begun so far to supplant the faith and practices of the earlier church
+as to consider its rites as the end of religion, but he was still
+content to regard them as its means. Many a rude sailor, whose ordinary
+life might not have been either saintly or even free from severe
+censure, knelt that day at the altar, in devout dependence on God, with
+feelings, for the moment, that at least placed him on the highway to
+grace; and it would be presumptuous to suppose that the omniscient Being
+to whom his offerings were made, did not regard his ignorance with
+commiseration, and even look upon his superstition with pity. We scoff
+at the prayers of those who are in danger, without reflecting that they
+are a homage to the power of God, and are apt to fancy that these
+passages in devotion are mere mockery, because the daily mind and the
+ordinary life are not always elevated to the same standard of godliness
+and purity. It would be more humble to remember the general infirmities
+of the race; to recollect, that as none are perfect, the question is
+reduced to one of degree; and to bear in mind, that the Being who reads
+the heart, may accept of any devout petitions, even though they come
+from those who are not disposed habitually to walk in his laws. These
+passing but pious emotions are the workings of the Spirit, since good
+can come from no other source; and it is as unreasonable as it is
+irreverent to imagine that the Deity will disregard, altogether, the
+effects of his own grace, however humble.
+
+Whatever may have been the general disposition of most of the
+communicants on this occasion, there is little doubt that there knelt at
+the altar of la Rabida, that day, one in the person of the great
+navigator himself, who, as far as the eye could perceive, lived
+habitually in profound deference to the dogmas of religion, and who paid
+an undeviating respect to all its rites. Columbus was not strictly a
+devotee; but a quiet, deeply seated enthusiasm, which had taken the
+direction of Christianity, pervaded his moral system, and at all times
+disposed him to look up to the protecting hand of the Deity and to
+expect its aid. The high aims that he entertained for the future have
+already been mentioned, and there is little doubt of his having
+persuaded himself that he had been set apart by Providence as the
+instrument it designed to employ in making the great discovery on which
+his mind was so intently engaged, as well as in accomplishing other and
+ulterior purposes. If, indeed, an overruling Power directs all the
+events of this world, who will presume to say that this conviction of
+Columbus was erroneous, now that it has been justified by the result?
+That he felt this sentiment sustaining his courage and constantly urging
+him onward, is so much additional evidence in favor of his impression,
+since, under such circumstances, nothing is more probable than that an
+earnest belief in his destiny would be one of the means most likely to
+be employed by a supernatural power in inducing its human agent to
+accomplish the work for which he had actually been selected.
+
+Let this be as it might, there is no doubt that Colon observed the rites
+of the church, on the occasion named, with a most devout reliance on the
+truth of his mission, and with the brightest hopes as to its successful
+termination. Not so, however, with all of his intended followers. Their
+minds had wavered, from time to time, as the preparations advanced; and
+the last month had seen them eager to depart, and dejected with
+misgivings and doubts. Although there were days of hope and brightness,
+despondency perhaps prevailed, and this so much the more because the
+apprehensions of mothers, wives, and of those who felt an equally tender
+interest in the mariners, though less inclined to avow it openly, were
+thrown into the scale by the side of their own distrust. Gold,
+unquestionably, was the great aim of their wishes, and there were
+moments when visions of inexhaustible mines and of oriental treasures
+floated before their imaginations; at which times none could be more
+eager to engage in the mysterious undertaking, or more ready to risk
+their lives and hopes on its success. But these were fleeting
+impressions, and, as has just been said, despondency was the prevalent
+feeling among those who were about to embark. It heightened the devotion
+of the communicants, and threw a gloom over the chastened sobriety of
+the altar, that weighed heavily on the hearts of most assembled there.
+
+"Our people seem none of the most cheerful, Señor Almirante," said Luis,
+as they left the convent-chapel in company; "and, if truth must be
+spoken, one could wish to set forth on an expedition of this magnitude,
+better sustained by merry hearts and smiling countenances."
+
+"Dost thou imagine, young count, that he hath the firmest mind who
+weareth the most smiling visage, or that the heart is weak because the
+countenance is sobered? These honest mariners bethink them of their
+sins, and no doubt are desirous that so holy an enterprise be not
+tainted by the corruption of their own hearts, but rather purified and
+rendered fitting, by their longings to obey the will of God. I trust,
+Luis"--intercourse had given Columbus a sort of paternal interest in the
+welfare of the young grandee, that lessened the distance made by rank
+between them--"I trust, Luis, thou art not, altogether, without these
+pious longings in thine own person."
+
+"By San Pedro, my new patron! Señor Almirante, I think more of Mercedes
+de Valverde, than of aught else, in this great affair. She is my polar
+star, my religion, my Cathay. Go on, in Heaven's name, and discover what
+thou wilt, whether it be Cipango or the furthest Indies; beard the great
+Khan on his throne, and I will follow in thy train, with a poor lance
+and an indifferent sword, swearing that the maid of Castile hath no
+equal, and ransacking the east, merely to prove in the face of the
+universe that she is peerless, let her rivals come from what part of the
+earth they may."
+
+Although Columbus permitted his grave countenance slightly to relax at
+this rhapsody, he did not the less deem it prudent to rebuke the spirit
+in which it was uttered.
+
+"I grieve, my young friend," he said, "to find that thou hast not the
+feelings proper for one who is engaged, as it might be, in a work of
+Heaven's own ordering. Canst thou not foresee the long train of mighty
+and wonderful events that are likely to follow from this voyage--the
+spread of religion, through the holy church; the conquest of distant
+empires, with their submission to the sway of Castile; the settling of
+disputed points in science and philosophy, and the attainment of
+inexhaustible wealth; with the last and most honorable consequence of
+all, the recovery of the sepulchre of the Son of God, from the hands of
+the Infidels!"
+
+"No doubt, Señor Colon--no doubt, I see them all, but I see the Doña
+Mercedes at their end. What care I for gold, who already possess--or
+shall so soon possess--more than I need? what is the extension of the
+sway of Castile to me, who can never be its king? and as for the Holy
+Sepulchre, give me but Mercedes, and, like my ancestors that are gone, I
+am ready to break a lance with the stoutest Infidel who ever wore a
+turban, be it in that, or in any other quarrel. In short, Señor
+Almirante, lead on; and though we go forth with different objects and
+different hopes, doubt not that they will lead us to the same goal. I
+feel that you ought to be supported in this great and noble design, and
+it matters not what may bring me in your train."
+
+"Thou art a mad-brained youth, Luis, and must be humored, if it were
+only for the sake of the sweet and pious young maiden who seemeth to
+engross all thy thoughts."
+
+"You have seen her, Señor, and can say whether she be not worthy to
+occupy the minds of all the youth of Spain?"
+
+"She is fair, and virtuous, and noble, and a zealous friend of the
+voyage. These are all rare merits, and thou may'st be pardoned for thy
+enthusiasm in her behalf. But forget not, that, to win her, thou must
+first win a sight of Cathay."
+
+"In the reality, you must mean, Señor Almirante; for, with the mind's
+eye, I see it keenly, constantly, and see little else, with Mercedes
+standing on its shores, smiling a welcome, and, by St. Paul! sometimes
+beckoning me on, with that smile that fires the soul with its witchery,
+even while it subdues the temper with its modesty. The blessed Maria
+send us a wind, right speedily, that we may quit this irksome river and
+wearying convent!"
+
+Columbus made no answer; for, while he had all consideration for a
+lover's impatience, his thoughts turned to subjects too grave, to be
+long amused even by a lover's follies.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII.
+
+    "Nor Zayda weeps him only,
+    But all that dwell between
+    The great Alhambra's palace walls
+    And springs of Albalein."
+
+    Bryant's Translations.
+
+
+The instant of departure at length arrived. The moment so long desired
+by the Genoese was at hand, and years of poverty, neglect, and of
+procrastination, were all forgotten at that blessed hour; or, if they
+returned in any manner to the constant memory, it was no longer with the
+bitterness of hope deferred. The navigator, at last, saw himself in the
+possession of the means of achieving the first great object for which he
+had lived the last fifteen years, with the hope, in perspective, of
+making the success of his present adventure the stepping-stone toward
+effecting the conquest of the Holy Sepulchre. While those around him
+were looking with astonishment at the limited means with which ends so
+great were to be attained, or were struck aghast at the apparent
+temerity of an undertaking that seemed to defy the laws of nature, and
+to set at naught the rules of Providence, he had grown more tranquil as
+the time for sailing drew nearer, and his mind was oppressed merely by a
+feeling of intense, but of sobered, delight. Fray Juan Perez whispered
+to Luis, that he could best liken the joy of the admiral to the
+chastened rapture of a Christian who was about to quit a world of woe,
+to enter on the untasted, but certain, fruition of blessed immortality.
+
+This, however, was far from being the state of mind of all in Palos. The
+embarkation took place in the course of the afternoon of the 2d of
+August, it being the intention of the pilots to carry the vessels that
+day to a point off the town of Huelvas, where the position was more
+favorable to making sail than when anchored in front of Palos. The
+distance was trifling, but it was the commencement of the voyage, and,
+to many, it was like snapping the cords of life, to make even this brief
+movement. Columbus, himself, was one of the last to embark, having a
+letter to send to the court, and other important duties to discharge. At
+length he quitted the convent, and, accompanied by Luis and the prior,
+he, too, took his way to the beach. The short journey was silent, for
+each of the party was deeply plunged in meditation. Never before this
+hour, did the enterprise seem so perilous and uncertain to the excellent
+Franciscan. Columbus was carefully recalling the details of his
+preparations, while Luis was thinking of the maid of Castile, as he was
+wont to term Mercedes, and of the many weary days that must elapse
+before he could hope to see her again.
+
+The party stopped on the shore, in waiting for a boat to arrive, at a
+place where they were removed from any houses. There Fray Juan Perez
+took his leave of the two adventurers. The long silence that all three
+had maintained, was more impressive than any ordinary discourse could
+have been; but it was now necessary to break it. The prior was deeply
+affected, and it was some little time before he could even trust his
+voice to speak.
+
+"Señor Christoval," he at length commenced, "it is now many years since
+thou first appeared at the gate of Santa Maria de Rabida--years of
+friendship and pleasure have they proved to me."
+
+"It is full seven, Fray Juan Perez," returned Columbus--"seven weary
+years have they proved to me, as a solicitor for employment--years of
+satisfaction, father, in all that concerneth thee. Think not that I can
+ever forget the hour, when, leading Diego, houseless, impoverished,
+wanderers, journeying on foot, I stopped to tax the convent's charity
+for refreshment! The future is in the hands of God, but the past is
+imprinted here"--laying his hand on his heart--"and can never be
+forgotten. Thou hast been my constant friend, holy prior, and that, too,
+when it was no credit to favor the nameless Genoese. Should my
+estimation ever change in men's opinions"--
+
+"Nay, Señor Almirante, it hath changed already," eagerly interrupted the
+prior. "Hast thou not the commission of the queen--the support of Don
+Fernando--the presence of this young noble, though still as an
+incognito--the wishes of all the learned? Dost thou not go forth, on
+this great voyage, carrying with thee more of our hopes than of our
+fears?"
+
+"So far as thou art concerned, dear Juan Perez, this may be so. I feel
+that I have all thy best wishes for success; I know that I shall have
+thy prayers. Few in Spain, notwithstanding, will think of Colon with
+respect, or hope, while we are wandering on the great desert of the
+ocean, beyond a very narrow circle. I fear me, that, even at this
+moment, when the means of learning the truth of our theories is in
+actual possession--when we stand, as it might be, on the very threshold
+of the great portal which opens upon the Indies--that few believe in our
+chances of success."
+
+"Thou hast Doña Isabella of thy side, Señor!"
+
+"And Doña Mercedes!" put in Luis; "not to speak of my decided and
+true-hearted aunt!"
+
+"I ask but a few brief months, Señores," returned Columbus, his face
+turned to heaven with uncovered head, his gray hair floating in the
+wind, and his eye kindling with the light of enthusiasm--"a few short
+months, that will pass away untold with the happy--that even the
+miserable may find supportable, but which to us will seem ages, must now
+dispose of this question. Prior, I have often quitted the shore feeling
+that I carried my life in my hand, conscious of all the dangers of the
+ocean, and as much expecting death as a happy return; but at this
+glorious moment no doubts beset me; as for life, I know it is in the
+keeping of God's care; as for success, I feel it is in God's wisdom!"
+
+"These are comfortable sentiments, at so serious a moment, Señor, and I
+devoutly hope the end will justify them. But, yonder is thy boat, and we
+must now part. Señor, my son, thou knowest that my spirit will be with
+thee in this mighty undertaking."
+
+"Holy prior, remember me in thy prayers. I am weak, and have need of
+this support. I trust much to the efficacy of thy intercessions, aided
+by those of thy pious brotherhood. Thou wilt bestow on us a few masses?"
+
+"Doubt us not, my friend; all that la Rabida can do with the blessed
+Virgin, or the saints, shall be exercised, without ceasing, in thy
+behalf. It is not given to man to foresee the events that are controlled
+by Providence; and, though we deem this enterprise of thine so certain,
+and so reasonable, it may nevertheless fail."
+
+"It may _not_ fail, father; God hath thus far directed it, and he will
+not permit it to fail."
+
+"We know not, Señor Colon; our wisdom is but as a grain of mustard seed
+among the sands of this shore, as compared with his inscrutable designs.
+I was about to say, as it is possible thou may'st return a disappointed,
+a defeated man, that thou wilt still find the gate of Santa Maria open
+to thee; since, in our eyes, it is as meritorious to attempt nobly, as
+it is often, in the eyes of others, to achieve successfully."
+
+"I understand thee, holy prior; and the cup and the morsel bestowed on
+the young Diego, were not more grateful than this proof of thy
+friendship! I would not depart without thy blessing."
+
+"Kneel, then, Señor; for, in this act it will not be Juan Perez de
+Marchena that will speak, and pronounce, but the minister of God and the
+church. Even these sands will be no unworthy spot to receive such an
+advantage."
+
+The eyes of both Columbus and the prior were suffused with tears, for at
+that moment the heart of each was touched with the emotions natural to a
+moment so solemn. The first loved the last, because he had proved
+himself a friend when friends were few and timid; and the worthy monk
+had some such attachment for the great navigator as men are apt to feel
+for those they have cherished. Each, also, respected and appreciated the
+other's motives, and there was a bond of union in their common reverence
+for the Christian religion. Columbus kneeled on the sands, and received
+the benediction of his friend, with the meek submission of faith, and
+with some such feelings of reverence as those with which a pious son
+would have listened to a blessing pronounced by a natural father.
+
+[Illustration: "Columbus kneeled on the sands, and received the
+benediction."]
+
+"And thou, young lord," resumed Fray Juan Perez, with a husky
+voice--"thou, too, wilt be none the worse for the prayers of an aged
+churchman."
+
+Like most of that age, Luis, in the midst of his impetuous feelings, and
+youthful propensities, had enshrined in his heart an image of the Son of
+God, and entertained an habitual respect for holy things. He knelt
+without hesitation, and listened to the trembling words of the priest
+with thankfulness and respect.
+
+"Adieu, holy prior," said Columbus, squeezing his friend's hand. "Thou
+hast befriended me when others held aloof; but I trust in God that the
+day is not now distant, when those who have ever shown confidence in my
+predictions will cease to feel uneasiness at the mention of my name.
+Forget us in all things but thy prayers, for a few short months, and
+then expect tidings that, of a verity, shall exalt Castile to a point of
+renown which will render this Conquest of Granada but an incident of
+passing interest amid the glory of the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella!"
+
+This was not said boastfully, but with the quiet earnestness of one who
+saw a truth that was concealed from most eyes, and this with an
+intensity so great, that the effect on his moral vision produced a
+confidence equalling that which is the fruit of the evidence of the
+senses in ordinary men. The prior understood him, and the assurance thus
+given cheered the mind of the worthy Franciscan long after the departure
+of his friend. They embraced and separated.
+
+By this time the boat of Columbus had reached the shore. As the
+navigator moved slowly toward it, a youthful female rushed wildly past
+him and Luis, and, regardless of their presence, she threw her arms
+around a young mariner who had quitted the boat to meet her, and sobbed
+for a minute on his bosom, in uncontrollable agony, or as women weep in
+the first outbreak of their emotions.
+
+"Come, then, Pepe," the young wife at length said, hurriedly, and with
+low earnestness, as one speaks who would fain persuade herself that
+denial was impossible--"come, Pepe; thy boy hath wept for thee, and thou
+hast pushed this matter, already, much too far."
+
+"Nay, Monica," returned the husband, glancing his eye at Columbus, who
+was already near enough to hear his words--"thou knowest it is by no
+wish of mine that I am to sail on this unknown voyage. Gladly would I
+abandon it, but the orders of the queen are too strong for a poor
+mariner like me, and they must be obeyed."
+
+"This is foolish, Pepe," returned the woman, pulling at her husband's
+doublet to drag him from the water-side--"I have had enough of this;
+sufficient to break my heart. Come, then, and look again upon thy boy."
+
+"Thou dost not see that the admiral is near, Monica, and we are showing
+him disrespect."
+
+The habitual deference that was paid by the low to the high, induced the
+woman, for a moment, to pause. She looked imploringly at Columbus, her
+fine dark eyes became eloquent with the feelings of a wife and mother,
+and then she addressed the great navigator, himself.
+
+"Señor," she said, eagerly, "you can have no further need of Pepe. He
+hath helped to carry your vessels to Huelva, and now his wife and boy
+call for him at home."
+
+Columbus was touched with the manner of the woman, which was not
+entirely without a show of that wavering of reason which is apt to
+accompany excessive grief, and he answered her less strongly than, at a
+moment so critical, he might otherwise have been disposed to do to one
+who was inciting to disobedience.
+
+"Thy husband is honored in being chosen to be my companion in the great
+voyage," he said. "Instead of bewailing his fate, thou wouldst act more
+like a brave mariner's wife, in exulting in his good fortune."
+
+"Believe him not, Pepe. He speaketh under the Evil One's advice to tempt
+thee to destruction. He hath talked blasphemy, and belied the word of
+God, by saying that the world is round, and that one may sail east by
+steering west, that he might ruin thee and others, by tempting ye all to
+follow him!"
+
+"And why should I do this, good woman?" demanded the admiral. "What have
+I to gain by the destruction of thy husband, or by the destruction of
+any of his comrades?"
+
+"I know not--I care not--Pepe is all to me, and he shall not go with you
+on this mad and wicked voyage. No good can come of a journey that is
+begun by belying the truths of God!"
+
+"And what particular evil dost thou dread, in this, more than in another
+voyage, that thou thus hang'st upon thy husband, and usest such
+discourse to one who beareth their Highnesses' authority for that he
+doeth? Thou knewest he was a mariner when thou wert wedded, and yet thou
+wouldst fain prevent him from serving the queen, as becometh his station
+and duty."
+
+"He may go against the Moor, or the Portuguese, or the people of
+Inghleterra, but I would not that he voyage in the service of the Prince
+of Darkness. Why tell us that the earth is round, Señor, when our eyes
+show that it is flat? And if round, how can a vessel that hath descended
+the side of the earth for days, ever return? The sea doth not flow
+upward, neither can a caravel mount the waterfall. And when thou hast
+wandered about for months in the vacant ocean, in what manner wilt thou,
+and those with thee, ever discover the direction that must be taken to
+return whence ye all sailed? Oh! Señor, Palos is but a little town, and
+once lost sight of in such a confusion of ideas, it will never be
+regained."
+
+"Idle and childish as this may seem," observed Columbus, turning quietly
+to Luis, "it is as reasonable as much that I have been doomed to hear
+from the learned, during the last sixteen years. When the night of
+ignorance obscures the mind, the thoughts conjure arguments a thousand
+times more vain and frivolous than the phenomena of nature that it
+fancies so unreasonable. I will try the effect of religion on this
+woman, converting her present feelings on that head, from an enemy into
+an ally. Monica," calling her kindly and familiarly by name, "art thou a
+Christian?"
+
+"Blessed Maria! Señor Almirante, what else should I be? Dost think Pepe
+would have married a Moorish girl?"
+
+"Listen, then, to me, and learn how unlike a believer thou conductest.
+The Moor is not the only infidel, but this earth groaneth with the
+burden of their numbers, and of their sins. The sands on this shore are
+not as numerous as the unbelievers in the single kingdom of Cathay; for,
+as yet, God hath allotted but a small portion of the earth to those who
+have faith in the mediation of his Son. Even the sepulchre of Christ is
+yet retained by infidel hands."
+
+"This have I heard, Señor; and 'tis a thousand pities the faith is so
+weak in those who have vowed to obey the law, that so crying an evil
+hath never been cured!"
+
+"Hast thou not been told that such is to be the fate of the world, for a
+time, but that light will dawn when the word shall pass, like the sound
+of trumpets, into the ears of infidels, and when the earth, itself,
+shall be but one vast temple, filled with the praises of God, the love
+of his name, and obedience to his will?"
+
+"Señor, the good fathers of la Rabida, and our own parish priests, often
+comfort us with these hopes."
+
+"And hast thou seen naught of late to encourage that hope--to cause thee
+to think that God is mindful of his people, and that new light is
+beginning to burst on the darkness of Spain?"
+
+"Pepe, his excellency must mean the late miracle at the convent, where
+they say that real tears were seen to fall from the eyes of the image of
+the holy Maria, as she gazed at the child that lay on her bosom."
+
+"I mean not that," interrupted Columbus, a little sternly, though he
+crossed himself, even while he betrayed dissatisfaction at the allusion
+to a miracle that was much too vulgar for his manly understanding--"I
+mean no such questionable wonder, which it is permitted us to believe,
+or not, as it may be supported by the church's authority. Can thy faith
+and zeal point to no success of the two sovereigns, in which the power
+of God, as exercised to the advancement of the faith, hath been made
+signally apparent to believers?"
+
+"He meaneth the expulsion of the Moor, Pepe!" the woman exclaimed,
+glancing quickly toward her husband, with a look of pleasure, "that hath
+happened of late, they say, by conquering the city of Granada; into
+which place, they tell me, Doña Isabella hath marched in triumph."
+
+"In that conquest, thou seest the commencement of the great acts of our
+time. Granada hath now its churches; and the distant land of Cathay will
+shortly follow her example. These are the doings of the Lord, foolish
+woman; and in holding back thy husband from this great undertaking, thou
+hinderest him from purchasing a signal reward in heaven, and may
+unwittingly be the instrument of casting a curse, instead of a blessing,
+on that very boy, whose image now filleth thy thoughts more than that of
+his Maker and Redeemer."
+
+The woman appeared bewildered, first looking at the admiral, and then at
+her husband, after which she bowed her head low, and devoutly crossed
+herself. Recovering from this self-abasement, she again turned toward
+Columbus, demanding earnestly--
+
+"And you, Señor--do you sail with the wish and hope of serving God?"
+
+"Such is my principal aim, good woman. I call on Heaven itself, to
+witness the truth of what I say. May my voyage prosper, only, as I tell
+thee naught but truth!"
+
+"And you, too, Señor?" turning quickly to Luis de Bobadilla; "is it to
+serve God that you also go on this unusual voyage?"
+
+"If not at the orders of God, himself, my good woman, it is, at least,
+at the bidding of an angel!"
+
+"Dost thou think it is so, Pepe? Have we been thus deceived, and has so
+much evil been said of the admiral and his motives, wrongfully?"
+
+"What hath been said?" quietly demanded Columbus. "Speak freely; thou
+hast naught to dread from my displeasure."
+
+"Señor, you have your enemies, as well as another, and the wives, and
+mothers, and the betrothed of Palos, have not been slow to give vent to
+their feelings. In the first place, they say that you are poor."
+
+"That is so true and manifest, good woman, it would be idle to deny it.
+Is poverty a crime at Palos?"
+
+"The poor are little respected, Señor, in all this region. I know not
+why, for to me we seem to be as the rest, but few respect us. Then they
+say, Señor, that you are not a Castilian, but a Genoese."
+
+"This is also true; is that, too, a crime among the mariners of Moguer,
+who ought to prize a people as much renowned for their deeds on the sea,
+as those of the superb republic?"
+
+"I know not, Señor; but many hold it to be a disadvantage not to belong
+to Spain, and particularly to Castile, which is the country of Doña
+Isabella, herself; and how can it be as honorable to be a Genoese as to
+be a Spaniard? I should like it better were Pepe to sail with one who is
+a Spaniard, and that, too, of Palos or Moguer."
+
+"Thy argument is ingenious, if not conclusive," returned Columbus,
+smiling, the only outward exhibition of feeling he betrayed--"but cannot
+one who is both poor and a Genoese serve God?"
+
+"No doubt, Señor; and I think better of this voyage since I know your
+motive, and since I have seen you and spoken with you. Still, it is a
+great sacrifice for a young wife to let her husband sail on an
+expedition so distrusted, and he the father of her only boy!"
+
+"Here is a young noble, an only son, a lover, and that, too, of
+impetuous feelings, an only child withal, rich, honored, and able to go
+whither he will, who not only embarketh with me, but embarketh by the
+consent--nay, I had better say, by the orders of his mistress!"
+
+"Is this so, Señor?" the wife asked, eagerly.
+
+"So true, my good woman, that my greatest hopes depend on this voyage.
+Did I not tell thee that I went at the bidding of an angel?"
+
+"Ah! these young lords have seductive tongues! But, Señor Almirante,
+since such is your quality, they say, moreover, that to you this voyage
+can only bring honors and good, while it may bring misery and death on
+your followers. Poor and unknown, it maketh you a high officer of the
+queen; and some think that the Venetian galleys will be none the more
+heavily freighted, should you need them on the high seas."
+
+"And in what can all this harm thy husband? I go whithersoever he goeth,
+share his dangers, and expose life for life with him. If there is gold
+gained by the adventure, he will not be forgotten; and if heaven is made
+any nearer to us, by our dangers and hardships, Pepe will not be a
+loser. At the last great reckoning, woman, we shall not be asked who is
+poor, or who is a Genoese."
+
+"This is true, Señor; and yet it is hard for a young wife to part from
+her husband. Dost thou wish, in truth, to sail with the admiral, Pepe?"
+
+"It matters little with me, Monica; I am commanded to serve the queen,
+and we mariners have no right to question her authority. Now I have
+heard his excellency's discourse, I think less of the affair than
+before."
+
+"If God is really to be served in this voyage," continued the woman,
+with dignity, "thou shouldst not be backward, more than another, my
+husband. Señor, will you suffer Pepe to pass the night with his family,
+on condition that he goeth on board the Santa Maria in the morning?"
+
+"What certainty have I that this condition will be respected?"
+
+"Señor, we are both Christians, and serve the same God--have been
+redeemed by the same Saviour."
+
+"This is true, and I will confide in it. Pepe, thou canst remain until
+the morning, when I shall expect thee at thy station. There will be
+oarsmen enough, without thee."
+
+The woman looked her thanks, and Columbus thought he read an assurance
+of good faith in her noble Spanish manner, and lofty look. As some
+trifling preparations were to be made before the boat could quit the
+shore, the admiral and Luis paced the sands the while, engaged in deep
+discourse.
+
+"This hath been a specimen of what I have had to overcome and endure, in
+order to obtain even yonder humble means for effecting the good designs
+of Providence," observed Columbus, mournfully, though he spoke without
+acrimony. "It is a crime to be poor--to be a Genoese--to be aught else
+than the very thing that one's judges and masters fancy themselves to
+be! The day will come, Conde de Llera, when Genoa shall think herself in
+no manner disgraced, in having given birth to Christofero Colombo, and
+when your proud Castile will be willing to share with her in the
+dishonor! Thou little know'st, young lord, how far thou art on the road
+to renown, and toward high deeds, in having been born noble, and the
+master of large possessions. Thou seest me, here, a man already stricken
+in years, with a head whitened by time and sufferings, and yet am I only
+on the threshold of the undertaking that is to give my name a place
+among those of the men who have served God, and advanced the welfare of
+their fellow-creatures."
+
+"Is not this the course of things, Señor, throughout the earth? Do not
+those who find themselves placed beneath the level of their merits,
+struggle to rise to the condition to which nature intended them to
+belong, while those whom fortune hath favored through their ancestors,
+are too often content to live on honors that they have not themselves
+won? I see naught in this but the nature of man, and the course of the
+world."
+
+"Thou art right, Luis, but philosophy and fact are different matters. We
+may reason calmly on principles, when their application in practice
+causeth much pain. Thou hast a frank and manly nature, young man; one
+that dreadeth neither the gibe of the Christian, nor the lance of the
+Moor, and wilt answer to any, in fearlessness and truth. A Castilian
+thyself, dost _thou_, too, really think one of thy kingdom better than
+one of Genoa?"
+
+"Not when he of Genoa is Christoval Colon, Señor, and he of Castile is
+only Luis de Bobadilla," answered the young man, laughing.
+
+"Nay, I will not be denied--hast thou any such notion as this, which the
+wife of Pepe hath so plainly avowed?"
+
+"What will you, Señor Christoval? Man is the same in Spain, that he is
+among the Italians, or the English. Is it not his besetting sin to think
+good of himself, and evil of his neighbor?"
+
+"A plain question that is loyally put, may not be answered with a
+truism, Luis."
+
+"Nor a civil, honest reply confounded with one that is evasive. We of
+Castile are humble and most devout Christians, by the same reason that
+we think ourselves faultless, and the rest of mankind notable sinners.
+By San Iago, of blessed faith and holy memory! it is enough to make a
+people vain, to have produced such a queen as Doña Isabella, and such a
+maiden as Mercedes de Valverde!"
+
+"This is double loyalty, for it is being true to the queen and to thy
+mistress. With this must I satisfy myself, even though it be no answer.
+But, Castilian though I am not, even the Guzmans have not ventured on
+the voyage to Cathay, and the House of Trastamara may yet be glad to
+acknowledge its indebtedness to a Genoese. God hath no respect to
+worldly condition, or worldly boundaries, in choosing his agents, for
+most of the saints were despised Hebrews, while Jesus, himself, came of
+Nazareth. We shall see, we shall see, young lord, what three months will
+reveal to the admiration of mankind."
+
+"Señor Almirante, I hope and pray it may be the island of Cipango and
+the realms of the great Khan; should it not be so, we are men who can
+not only bear our toils, but who can bear our disappointments."
+
+"Of disappointments in this matter, Don Luis, I look for none--now that
+I have the royal faith of Isabella, and these good caravels to back me;
+the drudge who saileth from Madeira to Lisbon, is not more certain of
+gaining his port than I am certain of gaining Cathay."
+
+"No doubt, Señor Colon, that what any navigator can do, you can do and
+will perform; nevertheless, disappointment would seem to be the lot of
+man, and it might be well for all of us to be prepared to meet it."
+
+"The sun that is just sinking beyond yon hill, Luis, is not plainer
+before my eyes than this route to the Indies. I have seen it, these
+seventeen years, distinct as the vessels in the river, bright as the
+polar star, and, I make little doubt, as faithfully. It is well to talk
+of disappointments, since they are the lot of man; and who can know this
+better than one that hath been led on by false hopes during all the
+better years of his life; now encouraged by princes, statesmen, and
+churchmen; and now derided and scoffed at as a vain projector, that hath
+neither reason nor fact to sustain him!"
+
+"By my new patron, San Pedro! Señor Almirante, but you have led a most
+grievous life, for this last age, or so. The next three months will,
+indeed, be months of moment to you."
+
+"Thou little know'st the calmness of conviction and confidence, Luis,"
+returned Columbus, "if thou fanciest any doubts beset me as the hour of
+trial approacheth. This day is the happiest I have known, for many a
+weary year; for, though the preparations are not great, and our barks
+are but slight and of trifling bulk, yonder lie the means through which
+a light, that hath long been hid, is about to break upon the world, and
+to raise Castile to an elevation surpassing that of any other Christian
+nation."
+
+"Thou must regret, Señor Colon, that it hath not been Genoa, thy native
+land, that is now about to receive this great boon, after having merited
+it by generous and free gifts, in behalf of this great voyage."
+
+"This hath not been the least of my sorrows, Luis. It is hard to desert
+one's own country, and to seek new connections, as life draweth to a
+close, though we mariners, perhaps, feel the tie less than those who
+never quit the land. But Genoa would have none of me; and if the child
+is bound to love and honor the parent, so is the parent equally bound to
+protect and foster the child. When the last forgets its duty, the first
+is not to be blamed if it seek support wherever it may be found. There
+are limits to every human duty; those we owe to God alone, never ceasing
+to require their fulfilment, and our unceasing attention. Genoa hath
+proved but a stern mother to me; and though naught could induce me to
+raise a hand against her, she hath no longer any claims on my service.
+Besides, when the object in view is the service of God, it mattereth
+little with which of his creatures we league as instruments. One cannot
+easily hate the land of his birth, but injustice may lead him to cease
+to love it. The tie is mutual, and when the country ceaseth to protect
+person, character, property, or rights, the subject is liberated from
+all his duties. If allegiance goeth with protection, so should
+protection go with allegiance. Doña Isabella is now my mistress, and,
+next to God, her will I serve, and serve only. Castile is henceforth my
+country."
+
+At this moment it was announced that the pinnace waited, and the two
+adventurers immediately embarked.
+
+It must have required all the deep and fixed convictions of an ardent
+temperament, to induce Columbus to rejoice that he had, at length,
+obtained the means of satisfying his longings for discovery, when he
+came coolly to consider what those means were. The names of his vessels,
+the Santa Maria, the Pinta, and the Niña, have already been mentioned,
+and some allusions have been made to their size and construction. Still,
+it may aid the reader in forming his opinions of the character of this
+great enterprise, if we give a short sketch of the vessels, more
+especially that in which Columbus and Luis de Bobadilla were now
+received. She was, of course, the Santa Maria, a ship of nearly twice
+the burden of the craft next her in size. This vessel had been prepared
+with more care than the others, and some attention had been paid to the
+dignity and comfort of the Admiral she was destined to carry. Not only
+was she decked in, but a poop, or round-house, was constructed on her
+quarter-deck, in which he had his berth. No proper notion can be
+obtained of the appearance of the Santa Maria, from the taunt-rigged,
+symmetrical, and low-sterned ships of the present time; for, though the
+Santa Maria had both a poop and top-gallant-forecastle, as they would be
+termed to-day, neither was constructed in the snug and unobtrusive
+manner that is now used. The poop, or round-house, was called
+a castle, to which it had some fancied resemblance, while the
+top-gallant-forecastle, in which most of the people lived, was out of
+proportion large, rose like a separate structure on the bows of the
+vessel, and occupied about a third of the deck, from forward aft. To
+those who never saw the shipping that was used throughout Europe, a
+century since, it will not be very obvious how vessels so small could
+rise so far above the water, in safety; but this difficulty may be
+explained; many very old ships, that had some of the peculiarities of
+this construction, existing within the memory of man, and a few having
+fallen under our own immediate inspection. The bearings of these vessels
+were at the loaded water-lines, or very little above them, and they
+tumbled home, in a way to reduce their beams on their poop decks nearly,
+if not quite, a fourth. By these precautions, their great height out of
+the water was less dangerous than might otherwise have been the case;
+and as they were uniformly short ships, possessing the advantages of
+lifting easily forward, and were, moreover, low-waisted, they might be
+considered safe in a sea, rather than the reverse. Being so short, too,
+they had great beam for their tonnage, which, if not an element of
+speed, was at least one of security. Although termed ships, these
+vessels were not rigged in the manner of the ships of the present day,
+their standing spars being relatively longer than those now in use,
+while their upper, or shifting spars, were much less numerous, and much
+less important than those which now point upward, like needles, toward
+the clouds. Neither had a ship necessarily the same number of spars, in
+the fifteenth century, as belong to a ship in the nineteenth. The term
+itself, as it was used in all the southern countries of Europe, being
+directly derived from the Latin word _navis_, was applied rather as a
+generic than as a distinctive term, and by no means inferred any
+particular construction, or particular rig. The caravel was a ship, in
+this sense, though not strictly so, perhaps, when we descend to the more
+minute classification of seamen.
+
+Much stress has been justly laid on the fact, that two of the vessels in
+this extraordinary enterprise were undecked. In that day, when most sea
+voyages were made in a direction parallel to the main coasts, and when
+even those that extended to the islands occupied but a very few days,
+vessels were seldom far from the land; and it was the custom of the
+mariners, a practice that has extended to our own times, in the southern
+seas of Europe, to seek a port at the approach of bad weather. Under
+such circumstances, decks were by no means as essential, either for the
+security of the craft, the protection of the cargo, or the comfort of
+the people, as in those cases in which the full fury of the elements
+must be encountered. Nevertheless, the reader is not to suppose a vessel
+entirely without any upper covering, because she was not classed among
+those that were decked; even such caravels, when used on the high seas,
+usually possessing quarter-decks and forecastles, with connecting
+gangways; depending on tarpaulings, and other similar preventives, to
+exclude the wash of the sea from injuring their cargoes.
+
+After all these explanations, however, it must be conceded, that the
+preparations for the great undertaking of Columbus, while the
+imaginations of landsmen probably aggravate their incompleteness, strike
+the experienced seaman as altogether inadequate to its magnitude and
+risks. That the mariners of the day deemed them positively insufficient
+is improbable, for men as accustomed to the ocean as the Pinzons, would
+not have volunteered to risk their vessel, their money, and their
+persons, in an expedition that did not possess the ordinary means of
+security.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV.
+
+    "O'er the glad waters of the dark blue sea,
+    Our thoughts as boundless, and our souls as free,
+    Far as the breeze can bear, the billows foam,
+    Survey our empire, and behold our home."
+
+    Byron.
+
+
+As Columbus sought his apartment, soon after he reached the deck of the
+Holy Maria, Luis had no farther opportunity to converse with him that
+night. He occupied a part of the same room, it is true, under the
+assumed appellation of the admiral's secretary; but the great navigator
+was so much engaged with duties necessary to be discharged previously to
+sailing, that he could not be interrupted, and the young man paced the
+narrow limits of the deck until near midnight, thinking, as usual, of
+Mercedes, and of his return, when, seeking his mattress, he found
+Columbus already buried in a deep sleep.
+
+The following day was Friday; and it is worthy of remark, that the
+greatest and most successful voyage that has ever occurred on this
+globe, was commenced on a day of the week that seamen have long deemed
+to be so inauspicious to nautical enterprises, that they have often
+deferred sailing, in order to avoid the unknown, but dreaded
+consequences. Luis was among the first who appeared again on deck, and
+casting his eyes upward, he perceived that the admiral was already
+afoot, and in possession of the summit of the high poop, or castle,
+whose narrow limits, indeed, were deemed sacred to the uses of the
+privileged, answering, in this particular, to the more extended
+promenade of the modern quarter-deck. Here it was that he who directed
+the movements of a squadron, overlooked its evolutions, threw out his
+signals, made his astronomical observations, and sought his recreation
+in the open air. The whole space on board the Santa Maria might have
+been some fifteen feet in one direction, and not quite as much in the
+other, making a convenient look-out, more from its exclusion and
+retirement, than from its dimensions.
+
+As soon as the admiral--or Don Christoval, as he was now termed by the
+Spaniards, since his appointment to his present high rank, which gave
+him the rights and condition of a noble--as soon as Don Christoval
+caught a glance of Luis' eye, he made a sign for the young man to ascend
+and take a position at his side. Although the expedition was so
+insignificant in numbers and force, not equalling, in the latter
+particular, the power of a single modern sloop of war, the authority of
+the queen, the gravity and mien of Columbus himself, and, most of all,
+its own mysterious and unwonted object, had, from the first, thrown
+around it a dignity that was disproportioned to its visible means.
+Accustomed to control the passions of turbulent men, and aware of the
+great importance of impressing his followers with a sense of his high
+station and influence with the court, Columbus had kept much aloof from
+familiar intercourse with his subordinates, acting principally through
+the Pinzons and the other commanders, lest he might lose some portion of
+that respect which he foresaw would be necessary to his objects. It
+needed not his long experience to warn him that men, crowded together in
+so small a space, could only be kept in their social and professional
+stations, by the most rigid observance of forms and decorum, and he had
+observed a due attention to these great requisites, in prescribing the
+manner in which his own personal service should be attended to, and his
+personal dignity supported. This is one of the great secrets of the
+discipline of a ship, for they who are incapable of reasoning, can be
+made to feel, and no man is apt to despise him who is well entrenched
+behind the usages of deference and reserve. We see, daily, the influence
+of an appellation, or a commission, even the turbulent submitting to its
+authority, when they might resist the same lawful commands issuing from
+an apparently less elevated source.
+
+"Thou wilt keep much near my person, Señor Gutierrez," said the admiral,
+using the feigned name which Luis affected to conceal under that of
+Pedro de Muños, as he knew a ship was never safe from eaves-droppers,
+and was willing that the young noble should pass as the gentleman of the
+king's bedchamber, "this is our station, and here we must remain much of
+our time, until God, in his holy and wise providence, shall have opened
+the way for us to Cathay, and brought us near the throne of the Great
+Khan. Here is our course, and along this track of pathless ocean it is
+my intention to steer."
+
+As Columbus spoke, he pointed to a chart that lay spread before him on
+an arm-chest, passing a finger calmly along the line he intended to
+pursue. The coast of Europe, in its general outlines, was laid down on
+this chart, with as much accuracy as the geographical knowledge of the
+day would furnish, and a range of land extended southward as far as
+Guinea, all beyond which region was _terra incognita_ to the learned
+world at that time. The Canaries and the Azores, which had been
+discovered some generations earlier, occupied their proper places, while
+the western side of the Atlantic was bounded by a fancied delineation of
+the eastern coast of India, or of Cathay, buttressed by the island of
+Cipango, or Japan, and an Archipelago, that had been represented
+principally after the accounts of Marco Polo and his relatives. By a
+fortunate misconception, Cipango had been placed in a longitude that
+corresponded very nearly with that of Washington, or some two thousand
+leagues east of the position in which it is actually to be found. This
+error of Columbus, in relation to the extent of the circumference of the
+globe, in the end, most probably saved his hardy enterprise from
+becoming a failure.
+
+Luis, for the first time since he had been engaged in the expedition,
+cast his eyes over this chart, with some curiosity, and he felt a noble
+desire to solve the great problem rising within him, as he thus saw, at
+a glance, all the vast results, as well as the interesting natural
+phenomena, that were dependent on the issue.
+
+"By San Gennaro of Napoli!" he exclaimed--The only affectation the young
+noble had, was a habit of invoking the saints of the different countries
+he had visited, and of using the little oaths and exclamations of
+distant lands, a summary mode of both letting the world know how far he
+had journeyed, as well as a portion of the improvement he had derived
+from his travels--"By San Gennaro, Señor Don Christoval, but this voyage
+will be one of exceeding merit, if we ever find our way across this
+great belt of water; and greater still, should we ever manage to
+return!"
+
+"The last difficulty is the one, at this moment, uppermost in the minds
+of most in this vessel," answered Columbus. "Dost thou not perceive, Don
+Luis, the grave and dejected countenances of the mariners, and hearest
+thou the wailings that are rising from the shore?"
+
+This remark caused the young man to raise his eyes from the chart, and
+to take a survey of the scene around him. The Niña, a light felucca, in
+fact, was already under way, and brushing past them under a latine
+foresail, her sides thronged with boats filled with people, no small
+portion of whom were females and children, and most of whom were
+wringing their hands and raising piteous cries of despair. The Pinta was
+in the act of being cast; and, although the authority of Martin Alonzo
+Pinzon had the effect to render their grief less clamorous, her sides
+were surrounded by a similar crowd, while numberless boats plied around
+the Santa Maria herself; the authority and dignity of the admiral alone
+keeping them at a distance. It was evident that most of those who
+remained, fancied that they now saw their departing relations for the
+last time, while no small portion of those who were on the eve of
+sailing, believed they were on the point of quitting Spain forever.
+
+"Hast looked for Pepe, this morning, among our people?" demanded
+Columbus, the incident of the young sailor recurring to his thoughts,
+for the first time that morning; "if he prove false to his word, we may
+regard it as an evil omen, and have an eye on all our followers, while
+there is a chance of escape."
+
+"If his absence would be an omen of evil, Señor Almirante, his presence
+ought to be received as an omen of good. The noble fellow is on this
+yard, above our heads, loosening the sail."
+
+Columbus turned his eyes upward, and there, indeed, was the young
+mariner in question, poised on the extreme and attenuated end of the
+latine yard, that ships even then carried on their after-masts, swinging
+in the wind while he loosened the gasket that kept the canvas in its
+folds. Occasionally he looked beneath him, anxious to discover if his
+return had been noted; and, once or twice, his hands, usually so nimble,
+lingered in their employment, as he cast glances over the stern of the
+vessel, as if one also drew his attention in that quarter. Columbus made
+a sign of recognition to the gratified young mariner, who instantly
+permitted the canvas to fall; and then he walked to the taffrail,
+accompanied by Luis, in order to ascertain if any boat was near the
+ship. There, indeed, close to the vessel, lay a skiff, rowed by Monica
+alone, and which had been permitted to approach so near on account of
+the sex of its occupant. The moment the wife of Pepe observed the form
+of the admiral, she arose from her seat, and clasped her hands toward
+him, desirous, but afraid, to speak. Perceiving that the woman was awed
+by the bustle, the crowd of persons, and the appearance of the ship,
+which she was almost near enough to touch with her hand, Columbus
+addressed her. He spoke mildly, and his looks, usually so grave, and
+sometimes even stern, were softened to an expression of gentleness that
+Luis had never before witnessed.
+
+"I see that thy husband hath been true to his promise, good woman," he
+said; "and I doubt not that thou hast told him it is wiser and better
+manfully to serve the queen, than to live under the disgrace of a
+runaway."
+
+"Señor, I have. I give Doña Isabella my husband, without a murmur, if
+not cheerfully, now I know that you go forth to serve God. I see the
+wickedness of my repinings, and shall pray that he may be foremost, on
+all occasions, until the ears of the Infidel shall be opened to the
+words of the true faith."
+
+"This is said like a Spanish wife, and a Christian woman! Our lives are
+in the care of Providence, and doubt not of seeing Pepe, in health and
+safety, after he hath visited Cathay, and done his share in its
+discovery."
+
+"Ah! Señor--when?" exclaimed the wife, unable, in spite of her assumed
+fortitude, and the strong feelings of religious duty, to suppress the
+impulses of a woman.
+
+"In God's time, my good--how art thou named?"
+
+"Monica, Señor Almirante, and my husband is called Pepe; and the boy,
+the poor, fatherless child, hath been christened Juan. We have no
+Moorish blood, but are pure Spaniards, and I pray your Excellency to
+remember it, on such occasions as may call for more dangerous duty than
+common."
+
+"Thou may'st depend on my care of the father of Juan," returned the
+admiral, smiling, though a tear glistened in his eye. "I, too, leave
+behind those that are dear to me as my own soul, and among others a
+motherless son. Should aught serious befall our vessel, Diego would be
+an orphan; whereas thy Juan would at least enjoy the care and affection
+of her who brought him into the world."
+
+"Señor, a thousand pardons!" said the woman, much touched by the feeling
+that was betrayed by the admiral in his voice. "We are selfish, and
+forget that others have sorrows, when we feel our own too keenly. Go
+forth, in God's name, and do his holy will--take my husband with you; I
+only wish that little Juan was old enough to be his companion."
+
+Monica could utter no more, but dashing the tears from her eyes, she
+resumed the oars, and pulled the little skiff slowly, as if the
+inanimate machine felt the reluctance of the hands that propelled it,
+toward the land. The short dialogue just related, had been carried on in
+voices so loud as to be heard by all near the speakers; and when
+Columbus turned from the boat, he saw that many of his crew had been
+hanging suspended in the rigging, or on the yards, eagerly listening to
+what had been said. At this precise instant the anchor of the Santa
+Maria was raised from the bottom, and the ship's head began to incline
+from the direction of the wind. At the next moment, the flap of the
+large square foresail that crafts of her rig then carried, was heard,
+and in the course of the next five minutes, the three vessels were
+standing slowly but steadily down the current of the Odiel, in one of
+the arms of which river they had been anchored, holding their course
+toward a bar near its mouth. The sun had not yet risen, or rather it
+rose over the hills of Spain, a fiery ball, just as the sails were set,
+gilding with a melancholy glory, a coast that not a few in the different
+vessels apprehended they were looking upon for the last time. Many of
+the boats clung to the two smaller craft until they reached the bar of
+Saltes, an hour or two later, and some still persevered until they began
+to toss in the long waves of the breathing ocean, when, the wind being
+fresh at the west, they reluctantly cast off, one by one, amid sighs and
+groans. The liberated ships, in the meanwhile, moved steadily into the
+blue waters of the shoreless Atlantic, like human beings silently
+impelled by their destinies toward fates that they can neither foresee,
+control, nor avoid.
+
+The day was fine, and the wind both brisk and fair. Thus far the omens
+were propitious; but the unknown future threw a cloud over the feelings
+of a large portion of those who were thus quitting, in gloomy
+uncertainty, all that was most dear to them. It was known that the
+admiral intended making the best of his way toward the Canaries, thence
+to enter on the unknown and hitherto untrodden paths of the desert ocean
+that lay beyond. Those who doubted, therefore, fixed upon those islands
+as the points where their real dangers were to commence, and already
+looked forward to their appearance in the horizon, with feelings akin to
+those with which the guilty regard the day of trial, the condemned the
+morning of execution, or the sinner the bed of death. Many, however,
+were superior to this weakness, having steeled their nerves and prepared
+their minds for any hazards, though the feelings of nearly all
+fluctuated; there being hours when hope, and anticipations of success,
+seemed to cheer the entire crews; and then, moments would occur, in
+which the disposition was to common doubts, and a despondency that was
+nearly general.
+
+A voyage to the Canaries or the Azores, in that age, was most probably
+to be classed among the hardiest exploits of seamen. The distance was
+not as great, certainly, as many of their more ordinary excursions, for
+vessels frequently went, even in the same direction, as far as the Cape
+de Verdes; but all the other European passages lay along the land, and
+in the Mediterranean the seaman felt that he was navigating within known
+limits, and was apt to consider himself as embayed within the boundaries
+of human knowledge. On the contrary, while sailing on the broad
+Atlantic, he was, in some respects, placed in a situation resembling
+that of the æronaut, who, while floating in the higher currents of the
+atmosphere, sees beneath him the earth as his only alighting place, the
+blue void of untravelled space stretching in all other directions about
+him.
+
+The Canary Isles were known to the ancients. Juba, the king of
+Mauritania, who was a contemporary of Cæsar, is said to have described
+them with tolerable accuracy, under the general name of the Fortunate
+Isles. The work itself has been lost, but the fact is known through the
+evidence of other writers; and by the same means it is known that they
+possessed, even in that remote age, a population that had made some
+respectable advances toward civilization. But in the process of time,
+and during the dark period that succeeded the brightness of the Roman
+sway, even the position of these islands was lost to the Europeans; nor
+was it again ascertained until the first half of the fourteenth century,
+when they were discovered by certain fugitive Spaniards who were hard
+pressed by the Moors. After this, the Portuguese, then the most hardy
+navigators of the known world, got possession of one or two of them, and
+made them the starting points for their voyages of discovery along the
+coast of Guinea. As the Spaniards reduced the power of the Mussulmans,
+and regained their ancient sway in the peninsula, they once more turned
+their attention in this direction, conquering the natives of several of
+the other islands, the group belonging equally to those two Christian
+nations, at the time of our narrative.
+
+Luis de Bobadilla, who had navigated extensively in the more northern
+seas, and who had passed and repassed the Mediterranean in various
+directions, knew nothing of these islands except by report; and as they
+stood on the poop, Columbus pointed out to him their position, and
+explained their different characters; relating his intentions in
+connection with them, dwelling on the supplies they afforded, and on
+their facilities as a point of departure.
+
+"The Portuguese have profited much by their use of these islands," said
+Columbus, "as a place for victualling, and wooding, and watering, and I
+see no reason why Castile may not, now, imitate their example, and
+receive her share of the benefits. Thou seest how far south our
+neighbors have penetrated, and what a trade and how much riches are
+flowing into Lisbon through these noble enterprises, which,
+notwithstanding, are but as a bucket of water in the ocean, when
+compared with the wealth of Cathay and all the mighty consequences that
+are to follow from this western voyage of ours."
+
+"Dost thou expect to reach the territories of the Great Khan, Don
+Christoval," demanded Luis, "within a distance as small as that to which
+the Portuguese hath gone southwardly?"
+
+The navigator looked warily around, to ascertain who might hear his
+words, and finding that no one was within reach of the sound of his
+voice while he used a proper caution, he lowered its tones, and answered
+in a manner which greatly flattered his young companion, as it proved
+that the admiral was disposed to treat him with the frankness and
+confidence of a friend.
+
+"Thou know'st, Don Luis," the navigator resumed, "the nature of the
+spirits with whom we have to deal. I shall not even be certain of their
+services, so long as we continue near the coast of Europe; for naught is
+easier than for one of yonder craft to abandon me in the night, and to
+seek a haven on some known coast, seeking his justification in some
+fancied necessity."
+
+"Martin Alonzo is not a man to do that ignoble and unworthy act!"
+interrupted Luis.
+
+"He is not, my young friend, for a motive as base as fear," returned
+Columbus, with a sort of thoughtful smile, which showed how truly and
+early he had dived into the real characters of those with whom he was
+associated. "Martin Alonzo is a bold and intelligent navigator, and we
+may look for good service at his hands, in all that toucheth resolution
+and perseverance. But the eyes of the Pinzons cannot be always open, and
+the knowledge of all the philosophers of the earth could make no
+resistance against the headlong impetuosity of a crew of alarmed
+mutineers. I do not feel certain of our own people while there is a hope
+of easy return; much less of men who are not directly under my own eye
+and command. The question thou hast asked, Luis, may not, therefore, be
+publicly answered, since the distance we are about to sail over would
+frighten our easily alarmed mariners. Thou art a cavalier; a knight of
+known courage, and may be depended on; and I may tell thee, without fear
+of arousing any unworthy feeling, that the voyage on which we are now
+fairly embarked, hath never had a precedent on this earth, for its
+length, or for the loneliness of its way."
+
+"And yet, Señor, thou enterest on it with the confidence of a man
+certain of reaching his haven?"
+
+"Luis, thou hast well judged my feelings. As to all those common dreads
+of descents, and ascents, of the difficulties of a return, and of
+reaching the margin of the world, whence we may glide off into space,
+neither thou, nor I, shall be much subjected."
+
+"By San Iago! Señor Don Christoval, I have no very settled notions about
+these things. I have never known of any one who hath slidden off the
+earth into the air, it is true, nor do I much think that such a slide is
+likely to befall us and our good ships; but, on the other hand, we have
+as yet only doctrine to prove that the earth is round, and that it is
+possible to journey east, by sailing west. On these subjects, then, I
+hold myself neuter; while, at the same time, thou may'st steer direct
+for the moon, and Luis de Bobadilla will be found at thy side."
+
+"Thou makest thyself less expert in science, mad-brained young noble,
+than is either true or necessary; but we will say no more of this, at
+present. There will be sufficient leisure to make thee familiar with all
+my intricate reasons and familiar motives. And is not this, Don Luis, a
+most heavenly sight? Here am I in the open ocean, honored by the two
+sovereigns with the dignity of their viceroy and admiral; with a fleet
+that is commissioned by their Highnesses to carry the knowledge of their
+power and authority to the uttermost parts of the earth; and, most of
+all, to raise the cross of our blessed Redeemer before the eyes of
+Infidels, who have never yet even heard his name, or, if they have,
+reverence it as little as a Christian would reverence the idols of the
+heathens!"
+
+This was said with the calm but deep enthusiasm that colored the entire
+character of the great navigator, rendering him, at times, equally the
+subject of distrust and of profound respect. On Luis, as, indeed, on
+most others who lived in sufficient familiarity with the man to enable
+them to appreciate his motives, and to judge correctly of the
+uprightness of his views, the effect, however, was always favorable, and
+probably would have been so had Mercedes never existed. The young man,
+himself, was not entirely without a tinge of enthusiasm, and, as is ever
+the case with the single-minded and generous, he best knew how to regard
+the impulses of those who were influenced by similar qualities. This
+answer was consequently in accordance with the feelings of the admiral,
+and they remained on the poop several hours, discoursing of the future,
+with the ardor of those who hoped for every thing, but in a manner too
+discursive and general to render a record of the dialogue easy or
+necessary.
+
+It was eight o'clock in the morning when the vessels passed the bar of
+Saltes, and the day had far advanced before the navigators had lost
+sight of the familiar eminences that lay around Palos, and the other
+well-known land-marks of the coast. The course was due south, and, as
+the vessels of that day were lightly sparred, and spread comparatively
+very little canvas, when considered in connection with the more dashing
+navigation of our own times, the rate of sailing was slow, and far from
+promising a speedy termination to a voyage that all knew must be long
+without a precedent, and which so many feared could never have an end.
+Two marine leagues, of three English miles, an hour, was good progress
+for a vessel at that day, even with a fresh and favorable wind; though
+there are a few memorable days' works set down by Columbus himself,
+which approach to a hundred and sixty miles in the twenty-four hours,
+and which are evidently noted as a speed of which a mariner might well
+be proud. In these days of locomotion and travelling, it is scarcely
+necessary to tell the intelligent reader this is but a little more than
+half the distance that is sailed over by a fast ship, under similar
+circumstances, and in our own time.
+
+Thus the sun set upon the adventurers, in this celebrated voyage, when
+they had sailed with a strong breeze, to use the words of Columbus' own
+record, some eleven hours, after quitting the bar. By this time, they
+had made good less than fifty miles, in a due south course from the
+place of their departure. The land in the neighborhood of Palos had
+entirely sunk behind the watery margin of the ocean, in that direction,
+and the coast trending eastward, it was only here and there that the
+misty summits of a few of the mountains of Seville could just be
+discovered by the experienced eyes of the older mariners, as the glowing
+ball of the sun sunk into the watery bed of the western horizon, and
+disappeared from view. At this precise moment, Columbus and Luis were
+again on the poop, watching, with melancholy interest, the last shadows
+cast by Spanish land, while two seamen were at work near them, splicing
+a rope that had been chafed asunder. The latter were seated on the deck,
+and as, out of respect to the admiral, they had taken their places a
+little on one side, their presence was not at first noted.
+
+"There setteth the sun beneath the waves of the wide Atlantic, Señor
+Gutierrez," observed the admiral, who was ever cautious to use one or
+the other of Luis' feigned appellations, whenever any person was near.
+"There the sun quitteth us, Pero, and in his daily course I see a proof
+of the globular form of the earth; and of the truth of a theory which
+teacheth us that Cathay may be reached by the western voyage."
+
+"I am ever ready to admit the wisdom of all your plans, expectations,
+and thoughts, Señor Don Christoval," returned the young man,
+punctiliously observant of respect, both in speech and manner; "but I
+confess I cannot see what the daily course of the sun has to do with the
+position of Cathay, or with the road that leads to it. We know that the
+great luminary travelleth the heavens without ceasing, that it cometh up
+out of the sea in the morning, and goeth down to its watery bed at
+night; but this it doth on the coast of Castile, as well as on that of
+Cathay; and, therefore, to me it doth appear, that no particular
+inference, for or against our success, is to be drawn from the
+circumstance."
+
+As this was said, the two sailors ceased working, looking curiously up
+into the face of the admiral, anxious to hear his reply. By this
+movement Luis perceived that one was Pepe, to whom he gave a nod of
+recognition, while the other was a stranger. The last had every
+appearance of a thorough-bred seaman of that period, or of being, what
+would have been termed in English, and the more northern languages of
+Europe, a regular "sea-dog;" a term that expresses the idea of a man so
+completely identified with the ocean by habit, as to have had his
+exterior, his thoughts, his language, and even his morality, colored by
+the association. This sailor was approaching fifty, was short, square,
+athletic, and still active, but there was a mixture of the animal with
+the intellectual creature about his coarse, heavy features, that is very
+usual in the countenances of men of native humor and strong sense, whose
+habits have been coarse and sensual. That he was a prime seaman,
+Columbus knew at a glance, not only from his general appearance, but
+from his occupation, which was such as only fell to the lot of the most
+skilful men of every crew.
+
+"I reason after this fashion, Señor," answered the admiral, as soon as
+his eye turned from the glance that he, too, had thrown upon the men;
+"the sun is not made to journey thus around the earth without a
+sufficient motive, the providence of God being ruled by infinite wisdom.
+It is not probable that a luminary so generous and useful should be
+intended to waste any of its benefits; and we are certain already that
+day and night journey westward over this earth as far as it is known to
+us, whence I infer that the system is harmonious, and the benefits of
+the great orb are unceasingly bestowed on man, reaching one spot on the
+earth as it quits another. The sun that hath just left us is still
+visible in the Azores, and will be seen again at Smyrna, and among the
+Grecian Islands, an hour, or more, before it again meets our eyes.
+Nature hath designed naught for uselessness; and I believe that Cathay
+will be enlightened by that ball which hath just left us, while we shall
+be in the deepest hour of the night, to return by its eastern path,
+across the great continent of Asia, and to greet us again in the
+morning. In a word, friend Pedro, that which Sol is now doing with such
+nimble speed in the heavens, we are more humbly imitating in our own
+caravels; give us sufficient time, and we, too, might traverse the
+earth, coming in from our journey by the land of the Tartars and the
+Persians."
+
+"From all of which you infer that the world is round, wherein we are to
+find the certainty of our success?"
+
+"This is so true, Señor de Muños, that I should be sorry to think any
+man who now saileth under my command did not admit it. Here are two
+seamen who have been listening to our discourse, and we will question
+them, that we may know the opinions of men accustomed to the ocean. Thou
+art the husband with whom I held discourse on the sands, the past
+evening, and thy name is Pepe?"
+
+"Señor Almirante, your Excellency's memory doth me too much honor, in
+not forgetting a face that is altogether unworthy of being noticed and
+remembered."
+
+"It is an honest face, friend, and no doubt speaketh for a true heart. I
+shall count on thee as a sure support, let things go as they may."
+
+"His Excellency hath not only a right to command me, as her Highness'
+admiral, but he hath now the good-will of Monica, and that is much the
+same as having gained her husband."
+
+"I thank thee, honest Pepe, and shall count on thee, with certainty, in
+future," answered Columbus, turning toward the other seaman--"And thou,
+shipmate--thou hast the air of one that the sight of troubled water will
+not alarm--thou hast a name?"
+
+"That I have, noble admiral," returned the fellow, looking up with a
+freedom that denoted one used to have his say; "though it hath neither a
+Don, nor a Señor, to take it in tow. My intimates commonly call out
+Sancho, when pressed for time, and when civility gets the better of
+haste, they add Mundo, making Sancho Mundo for the whole name of a very
+poor man."
+
+"Mundo is a large name for so small a person," said the admiral,
+smiling, for he foresaw the expediency of having friends among his crew,
+and knew men sufficiently to understand that, while undue familiarity
+undermined respect, a little unbending had a tendency to win hearts. "I
+wonder that thou shouldst venture to wear a sound so lofty!"
+
+"I tell my fellows, your Excellency, that Mundo is my title, and not my
+name; but that I am greater than kings, even, who are content to take
+their titles from a part of that, of which I bear all."
+
+"And were thy father and thy mother called Mundo, also? Or, is this name
+taken in order to give thee an occasion to show thy smartness, when
+questioned by thy officers?"
+
+"As for the good people you deign to mention, Señor Don Almirante, I
+shall leave them to answer for themselves, and that for the simple
+reason that I do not know how they were called, or whether they had any
+names at all. They tell me I was found, when a few hours old, under a
+worn-out basket at the ship-yard gate of old"--
+
+"Never mind the precise spot, friend Sancho--thou wert found with a
+basket for a cradle, and that maketh a volume in thy history, at once."
+
+"Nay, Excellency, I would not leave the spot a place of dispute
+hereafter--but it shall be as you please. They say no one here knoweth
+exactly where we are going, and it will be more suitable that the like
+ignorance should rest over the places whence we came. But having the
+world before me, they that christened me gave me as much of it as was to
+be got by a name."
+
+"Thou hast been long a mariner, Sancho Mundo--if Mundo thou wilt be."
+
+"So long, Señor, that it sickeneth me, and taketh away the appetite to
+walk on solid ground. Being so near the gate, it was no great matter to
+put me into the ship-yard, and I was launched one day in a caravel, and
+got to sea in her, no one knows how. From that time I have submitted to
+fate, and go out again, as soon as possible, after I come into port."
+
+"And by what lucky chance have I obtained thy services, good Sancho, in
+this great expedition?"
+
+"The authorities of Moguer took me under the queen's order, your
+Excellency, thinking that this Voyage would be more to my mind than
+another, as it was likely never to have an end."
+
+"Art thou a compelled adventurer, on this service?"
+
+"Not I, Señor Don Almirante, although they who sent me here fancy as
+much. It is natural for a man to wish to see his estates, once in his
+life, and I am told that we are bound on a voyage to the other side of
+the world. God forbid that I should hold aloof, on such an occasion."
+
+"Thou art a Christian, Sancho, and hast a desire to aid in carrying the
+cross among the heathen?"
+
+"Señor, your Excellency, Don Almirante, it matters little to Sancho with
+what the barque is laden, so that she do not need much pumping, and that
+the garlic is good. If I am not a very devout Christian, it is the fault
+of them that found me near the ship-yard gate, since the church and the
+font are both within call from that very spot. I know that Pepe, here,
+is a Christian, Señor, for I saw him in the arms of the priest, and I
+doubt not that there are old men at Moguer who can testify to as much in
+my behalf. At all hazards, noble Admiral, I will take on myself to say
+that I am neither Jew, nor Mussulman."
+
+"Sancho, thou hast that about thee, that bespeakest a skilful and bold
+mariner."
+
+"For both of these qualities, Señor Don Colon, let others speak. When
+the gale cometh, your own eyes may judge of the first; and when the
+caravel shall reach the edge of the earth, whither some think it is
+bound, there will be a good occasion to see who can, and who cannot,
+look off without trembling."
+
+"It is enough: I count both thee and Pepe as among my truest followers."
+As Columbus said this, he walked away, resuming the dignified gravity
+that usually was seated in his countenance, and which so much aided his
+authority, by impressing the minds of others with respect. In a few
+minutes he and Luis descended to their cabin.
+
+"I marvel, Sancho," said Pepe, as soon as he and his messmate were left
+alone on the poop, "that thou wilt venture to use thy tongue so freely,
+even in the presence of one that beareth about with him the queen's
+authority! Dost thou not fear to offend the admiral?"
+
+"So much for having a wife and a child! Canst thou not make any
+difference between them that have had ancestors and who have
+descendants, and one that hath no other tie in the world than his name?
+The Señor Don Almirante is either an exceeding great man, and chosen by
+Providence to open the way into the unknown seas of which he speaketh;
+or he is but a hungry Genoese, that is leading us he knoweth not
+whither, that he may eat, and drink, and sleep, in honor, while we are
+toiling at his heels, like patient mules dragging the load that the
+horse despiseth. In the one case, he is too great and exalted to heed
+idle words; and in the other, what is there too bad for a Castilian to
+tell him?"
+
+"Ay, thou art fond of calling thyself a Castilian, in spite of the
+ship-yard and the basket, and notwithstanding Moguer is in Seville."
+
+"Harkee, Pepe; is not the queen of Castile our mistress? And are not
+subjects--true and lawful subjects, I mean, like thee and me--are not
+such subjects worthy of being the queen's countrymen? Never disparage
+thyself, good Pepe, for thou wilt ever find the world ready enough to do
+that favor for thee. As to this Genoese, he shall be either friend or
+enemy to Sancho; if the first, I expect much consolation from it; if the
+last, let him hunt for his Cathay till doomsday, he shall be never the
+wiser."
+
+"Well, Sancho, if words can mar a voyage, or make a voyage, thou art a
+ready mariner; none know how to discourse better than thou."
+
+Here the men both rose, having completed their work, and they left the
+poop, descending among the rest of the crew. Columbus had not
+miscalculated his aim, his words and condescension having produced a
+most favorable effect on the mind of Sancho Mundo, for so the man was
+actually called; and in gaining one of as ready a wit and loose a tongue
+for a friend, he obtained an ally who was not to be despised. Of such
+materials, and with the support of such instruments as this, is success
+too often composed; it being possible for the discovery of a world,
+even, to depend on the good word of one less qualified to influence
+opinions than Sancho Mundo.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV.
+
+    "While you here do snoring lie,
+    Open-ey'd conspiracy
+      His time doth take:
+    If of life you keep a care,
+    Shake off slumber, and beware;
+      Awake! Awake!"
+
+    Ariel.
+
+
+The wind continuing fair, the three vessels made good progress in the
+direction of the Canaries; Sunday, in particular, proving a propitious
+day, the expedition making more than one hundred and twenty miles in the
+course of the twenty-four hours. The wind still continued favorable, and
+on the morning of Monday, the 6th of August, Columbus was cheerfully
+conversing with Luis, and one or two other companions who were standing
+near him on the poop, when the Pinta was seen suddenly to take in her
+forward sails, and to come up briskly, not to say awkwardly, to the
+wind. This manoeuvre denoted some accident, and the Santa Maria
+fortunately having the advantage of the wind, immediately edged away to
+speak her consort.
+
+"How now, Señor Martin Alonzo," hailed the admiral, as the two caravels
+came near enough together to speak each other. "For what reason hast
+thou so suddenly paused in thy course?"
+
+"Fortune would have it so, Señor Don Christoval, seeing that the rudder
+of the good caravel hath broken loose, and we must fain secure it ere we
+may again trust ourselves to the breeze."
+
+A severe frown came over the grave countenance of the great navigator,
+and after bidding Martin Alonzo do his best to repair the damage, he
+paced the deck, greatly disturbed, for several minutes. Observing how
+much the admiral took this accident to heart, the rest descended to the
+deck below, leaving Columbus alone with the pretended groom of the
+king's chamber.
+
+"I trust, Señor, this is no serious injury, or one in any way likely to
+retard our advance," said Luis, after manifesting that respect which all
+near him felt for the admiral, by a pause. "I know honest Martin Alonzo
+to be a ready seaman, and should think his expedients might easily serve
+to get us as far as the Canaries, where greater damages can meet with
+their remedies."
+
+"Thou say'st true, Luis, and we will hope for the best. I feel regret
+the sea is so high that we can offer no assistance to the Pinta, but
+Martin Alonzo is, indeed, an expert mariner, and on his ingenuity we
+must rely. My concern, however, hath another and a deeper source than
+the unloosing of this rudder, serious as such an injury ever is to a
+vessel at sea. Thou know'st that the Pinta hath been furnished to the
+service of the queen, under the order claiming the forfeited duty from
+the delinquents of Palos, and sorely against the will of the caravel's
+owners hath the vessel been taken. Now these persons, Gomez Rascon and
+Christoval Quintero, are on board her, and, I question not, have
+designed this accident. Their artifices were practised long, to our
+delay, before quitting the haven, and, it would seem, are to be
+continued to our prejudice here on the open ocean."
+
+"By the allegiance I owe the Doña Isabella! Señor Don Christoval, but I
+would find a speedy cure for such a treason, if the office of punishment
+rested with me. Let me jump into the skiff and repair to the Pinta,
+where I will tell these Masters Rascon and Quintero, that should their
+rudder ever dare to break loose again, or should any other similar and
+untoward accident chance to arrive, the first shall be hanged at the
+yard of his own caravel, and the last be cast into the sea to examine
+into the state of her bottom, the rudder included."
+
+"We may not practice such high authority without great occasion and
+perfect certainty of guilt. I hold it to be wiser to seek another
+caravel at the Canaries, for, by this accident, I well see we shall not
+be rid of the artifices of the two owners, until we are rid of their
+vessel. It will be hazardous to launch the skiff in this sea, or I would
+proceed to the Pinta myself; but as it is, let us have confidence in
+Martin Alonzo and his skill."
+
+Columbus thus encouraged the people of the Pinta to exert themselves,
+and in about an hour or two, the three vessels were again making the
+best of their way toward the Canaries. Notwithstanding the delay, nearly
+ninety miles were made good in the course of the day and night. But the
+following morning the rudder again broke loose, and, as the damage was
+more serious than in the former instance, it was still more difficult to
+repair. These repeated accidents gave the admiral great concern, for he
+took them to be so many indications of the disaffection of his
+followers. He fully determined, in consequence, to get rid of the Pinta,
+if it were possible to find another suitable vessel among the islands.
+As the progress of the vessels was much retarded by the accident,
+although the wind continued favorable, the expedition only got some
+sixty miles, this day, nearer to its place of destination.
+
+On the following morning, the three vessels came within hail of each
+other; and a comparison of the nautical skill of the different
+navigators, or pilots, as it was then the custom to style them, took
+place, each offering his opinion as to the position of the vessels.
+
+It was not the least of the merits of Columbus, that he succeeded in his
+great experiment with the imperfect aid of the instruments then in use.
+The mariner's compass, it is true, had been in common service quite a
+century, if not longer, though its variations--a knowledge of which is
+scarcely less important in long voyages than a knowledge of the
+instrument itself--were then unknown to seamen, who seldom ventured far
+enough from the land to note these mysteries of nature, and who, as a
+class, still relied almost as much on the ordinary position of the
+heavenly bodies to ascertain their routes, as on the nicer results of
+calculation. Columbus, however, was a striking exception to this
+little-instructed class, having made himself thoroughly acquainted with
+all the learning of the period that could be applied in his profession,
+or which might aid him in effecting the great purpose for which alone he
+now seemed to live.
+
+As might be expected, the comparison resulted altogether in the
+admiral's favor, the pilots in general being soon convinced that he
+alone knew the true position of the vessels, a fact that was soon
+unanswerably determined by the appearance of the summits of the
+Canaries, which hove up out of the ocean, in a south-easterly direction,
+resembling well-defined dark clouds clustering in the horizon. As
+objects like these are seen at a great distance at sea, more especially
+in a transparent atmosphere, and the wind became light and variable, the
+vessels, notwithstanding, were unable to reach Grand Canary until
+Thursday, the 8th of August, or nearly a week after they had left Palos.
+There they all ran in, and anchored in the usual haven. Columbus
+immediately set about making an inquiry for another caravel, but,
+proving unsuccessful, he sailed for Gomera, where he believed it might
+be easier to obtain the craft he wanted. While the admiral was thus
+employed with the Santa Maria and the Niña, Martin Alonzo remained in
+port, being unable to keep company in the crippled condition of the
+Pinta. But no suitable vessel being found, Columbus reluctantly returned
+to Grand Canary, and, after repairing the Pinta, which vessel was badly
+caulked, among the other devices that had been adopted to get her freed
+from the service, he sailed again for Gomera, from which island he was
+to take his final departure.
+
+During these several changes, a brooding discontent began to increase
+among most of the common mariners, while some even of a higher class,
+were not altogether free from the most melancholy apprehensions for the
+future. While passing from Grand Canary to Gomera, with all his vessels,
+Columbus was again at his post, with Luis and his usual companions near
+him, when the admiral's attention was drawn to a conversation that took
+place between a group of the men, who had collected near the main-mast.
+It was night, and there being little wind, the voices of the excited
+disputants reached further than they themselves were aware.
+
+"I tell thee, Pepe," said the most vociferous and most earnest of the
+speakers, "that the night is not darker than the future of this crew.
+Look to the west, and what dost see there? Who hath ever heard of land,
+after he hath quitted the Azores; and who is so ignorant as not to know
+that Providence hath placed water around all the continents, with a few
+islands as stopping-places for mariners, and spread the broad ocean
+beyond, with an intention to rebuke an over-eager curiosity to pry into
+matters that savor more of miracles than of common worldly things?"
+
+"This is well, Pero," answered Pepe; "but I know that Monica thinks the
+admiral is sent of God, and that we may look forward to great
+discoveries, through his means; and most especially to the spreading of
+religion among the heathens."
+
+"Ay, thy Monica should have been in Doña Isabella's seat, so learned and
+positive is she in all matters, whether touching her own woman's duties,
+or thine own. She is _thy_ queen, Pepe, as all in Moguer will swear; and
+there are some who say she would gladly govern the port, as she
+governeth thee."
+
+"Say naught against the mother of my child, Pero," interrupted Pepe,
+angrily. "I can bear thy idle words against myself, but he that speaketh
+ill of Monica will have a dangerous enemy."
+
+"Thou art bold of speech, Pero, when away a hundred leagues from thine
+own better nine-tenths," put in a voice that Columbus and Luis both
+knew, on the instant, to belong to Sancho Mundo, "and art bold enough to
+jeer Pepe touching Monica, when we all well know who commandeth in a
+certain cabin, where thou art as meek as a hooked dolphin, whatever thou
+may'st be here. But, enough of thy folly about women; let us reason upon
+our knowledge as mariners, if thou wilt; instead of asking questions of
+one like Pepe, who is too young to have had much experience, I offer
+myself as thy catechist."
+
+"What hast _thou_, then, to say about this unknown land that lieth
+beyond the great ocean, where man hath never been, or is at all likely
+to go, with followers such as these?"
+
+"I have this to say, silly and idle-tongued Pero--that the time was when
+even the Canaries were unknown; when mariners did not dare to pass the
+straits, and when the Portuguese knew nothing of their mines and Guinea,
+lands that I myself have visited, and where the noble Don Christoval
+hath also been, as I know on the testimony of mine own eyes."
+
+"And what hath Guinea, or what have the mines of the Portuguese to do
+with this western voyage? All know that there is a country called
+Africa; and what is there surprising that mariners should reach a land
+that is known to exist; but who knoweth that the ocean hath other
+continents, any more than that the heavens have other earths?"
+
+"This is well, Pero," observed an attentive by-stander; "and Sancho will
+have to drain his wits to answer it."
+
+"It is well for those who wag their tongues, like women, without thought
+of what they say," coolly returned Sancho, "but will have little weight
+with Doña Isabella, or Don Almirante. Harkee, Pero, thou art like one
+that hath trodden the path between Palos and Moguer so often, that thou
+fanciest there is no road to Seville or Granada. There must be a
+beginning to all things; and this voyage is, out of doubt, the beginning
+of voyages to Cathay. We go west, instead of east, because it is the
+shorter way; and because, moreover, it is the _only_ way for a caravel.
+Now, answer me, messmate; is it possible for a craft, let her size or
+rig be what it may, to pass over the hills and valleys of a continent--I
+mean under her canvas, and by fair sailing?"
+
+Sancho waited for a reply, and received a common and complete admission
+of the impossibility of the thing.
+
+"Then cast your eyes at the admiral's chart, in the morning, as he
+keepeth it spread before him on the poop, yonder, and you will see that
+there is land from one pole to the other, on each side of the Atlantic,
+thereby rendering navigation impossible, in any other direction than
+this we are now taking. The notion of Pero, therefore, runs in the teeth
+of nature."
+
+"This is so true, Pero," exclaimed another, the rest assenting, "that
+thy mouth ought to be shut."
+
+But Pero had a mouth that was not very easily closed; and it is probable
+that his answer would have been to the full as acute and irrefutable as
+that of Sancho, had not a common exclamation of alarm and horror burst
+from all around him. The night was sufficiently clear to permit the
+gloomy outlines of the Peak of Teneriffe to be distinctly visible, even
+at some distance; and, just at that moment, flashes of flame shot upward
+from its pointed summit, illuminating, at instants, the huge pile, and
+then leaving it in shadowy darkness, an object of mystery and terror.
+Many of the seamen dropped on their knees and began to tell their beads,
+while all, as it might be instinctively, crossed themselves. Next arose
+a general murmur; and in a few minutes, the men who slept were awoke,
+and appeared among their fellows, awe-struck and astounded spectators of
+the phenomenon. It was soon settled that the attention of the admiral
+should be drawn to this strange event, and Pero was selected for the
+spokesman.
+
+All this time, Columbus and his companions remained on the poop, and, as
+might have been expected, this unlooked-for change in the appearance of
+the Peak had not escaped their attention. Too enlightened to be alarmed
+by it, they were watching the workings of the mountain, when Pero,
+accompanied by nearly every sailor in the vessel, appeared on the
+quarter-deck. Silence having been obtained, Pero opened the subject of
+his mission with a zeal that was not a little stimulated by his fears.
+
+"Señor Almirante," he commenced, "we have come to pray your Excellency
+to look at the summit of the Island of Teneriffe, where we all think we
+see a solemn warning against persevering in sailing into the unknown
+Atlantic. It is truly time for men to remember their weakness, and how
+much they owe to the goodness of God, when even the mountains vomit
+flames and smoke!"
+
+"Have any here ever navigated the Mediterranean, or visited the island
+of which Don Ferdinand, the honored consort of our lady the queen, is
+master?" demanded Columbus, calmly.
+
+"Señor Don Almirante," hastily answered Sancho, "I have done so,
+unworthy as I may seem to have enjoyed that advantage. And I have seen
+Cyprus, and Alexandria, and even Stamboul, the residence of the Great
+Turk."
+
+"Well, then, thou may'st have also seen Ætna, another mountain which
+continueth to throw up those flames, in the midst of a nature and a
+scene on which Providence would seem to have smiled with unusual
+benignity, instead of angrily frowning, as ye seem to imagine."
+
+Columbus then proceeded to give his people an explanation of the causes
+of volcanoes, referring to the gentlemen around him to corroborate the
+fidelity of his statements. He told them that he looked upon this little
+eruption as merely a natural occurrence; or, if he saw any omen at all
+in the event, it was propitious rather than otherwise; Providence
+seeming disposed to light them on their way. Luis and the rest next
+descended among the crew, where they used their reasoning powers in
+quieting an alarm that, at first, had threatened to be serious. For the
+moment they were successful, or perhaps it would be better to say that
+they succeeded completely, so far as the phenomenon of the volcano was
+concerned, and this less by the arguments of the more intelligent of the
+officers, than by means of the testimony of Sancho, and one or two
+others of the common men, who had seen similar scenes elsewhere. With
+difficulties like these had the great navigator to contend, even after
+he had passed years in solicitations to obtain the limited means which
+had been finally granted, in order to effect one of the sublimest
+achievements that had yet crowned the enterprise of man!
+
+The vessels reached Gomera on the 2d of September, where they remained
+several days, in order to complete their repairs, and to finish taking
+in their supplies, ere they finally left the civilized abodes of man,
+and what might then be deemed the limits of the known earth. The arrival
+of such an expedition, in an age when the means of communication were so
+few that events were generally their own announcers, had produced a
+strong sensation among the inhabitants of the different islands visited
+by the adventurers. Columbus was held in high honor among them, not only
+on account of the commission he had received from the two sovereigns,
+but on account of the magnitude and the romantic character of his
+undertaking.
+
+There existed a common belief among all the adjacent islands, including
+Madeira, the Azores, and the Canaries, that land lay to the westward;
+their inhabitants living under a singular delusion in this particular,
+which the admiral had an occasion to detect, during his second visit to
+Gomera. Among the most distinguished persons who were then on the
+island, was Doña Inez Peraza, the mother of the Count of Gomera. She was
+attended by a crowd of persons, not only belonging to her own, but who
+had come from other islands to do her honor. She entertained the admiral
+in a manner suited to his high rank, admitting to her society such of
+the adventurers as Columbus saw fit to point out as worthy of the honor.
+Of course the pretended Pedro de Muños, or Pero Gutierrez, as he was now
+indifferently termed, was of the number; as, indeed, were most of those
+who might be deemed any way suited to so high and polished a society.
+
+"I rejoice, Don Christopher," said Doña Inez Peraza, on this occasion,
+"that their Highnesses have at length yielded to your desire to solve
+this great problem, not only on account of our Holy Church, which, as
+you say, hath so deep an interest in your success, and the honor of the
+two sovereigns, and the welfare of Spain, and all the other great
+considerations that we have so freely touched upon in our discourse
+already, but on account of the worthy inhabitants of the Fortunate
+Islands, who have not only many traditions touching land in the west,
+but most of whom believe that they have more than once seen it, in that
+quarter, in the course of their lives."
+
+"I have heard of this, noble lady, and would be grateful to have the
+account from the mouths of eye-witnesses, now we are here, together,
+conversing freely concerning that which is of so much interest to us
+all."
+
+"Then, Señor, I will entreat this worthy cavalier, who is every way
+capable of doing the subject justice, to be spokesman for us, and to let
+you know what we all believe in these islands, and what so many of us
+fancy we have seen. Acquaint the admiral, Señor Dama, I pray thee, of
+the singular yearly view that we get of unknown land lying afar off, in
+the Atlantic."
+
+"Most readily, Doña Inez, and all the more so at your gracious bidding,"
+returned the person addressed, who disposed himself to tell the story,
+with a readiness that the lovers of the wonderful are apt to betray when
+a fitting opportunity offers to indulge a favorite propensity. "The
+illustrious admiral hath probably heard of the island of St. Brandan,
+that lieth some eighty or a hundred leagues to the westward of Ferro,
+and which hath been so often seen, but which no navigator hath yet been
+able to reach, in our days at least?"
+
+"I have often heard of this fabled spot, Señor," the admiral gravely
+replied; "but pardon me if I say that the land never yet existed, which
+a mariner hath seen and yet a mariner hath not reached."
+
+"Nay, noble admiral," interrupted a dozen eager voices, among which that
+of the lady, herself, was very distinctly audible, "that it hath been
+seen most here know; and that it hath never been reached, is a fact to
+which more than one disappointed pilot can testify."
+
+"That which we have seen, we know; and that which we know, we can
+describe," returned Columbus, steadily. "Let any man tell me in what
+meridian, or on what parallel this St. Brandan, or St. Barandon, lieth,
+and a week shall make _me_ also certain of its existence."
+
+"I know little of meridians or parallels, Don Christopher," said the
+Señor Dama, "but I have some ideas of visible things. This island have I
+often seen, more or less plainly at different times; and that, too,
+under the serenest skies, and at occasions when it was not possible
+greatly to mistake either its form or its dimensions. Once I remember to
+have seen the sun set behind one of its heights."
+
+"This is plain evidence, and such as a navigator should respect; and yet
+do I take what you imagine yourself to have seen, Señor, to be some
+illusion of the atmosphere."
+
+"Impossible!--impossible!" was said, or echoed, by a dozen voices.
+"Hundreds yearly witness the appearance of St. Brandan, and its equally
+sudden and mysterious disappearance."
+
+"Therein, noble lady and generous cavalier, lieth the error into which
+ye have fallen. Ye see the Peak the year round; and he who will cruise a
+hundred miles, north or south, east or west, of it, will continue to see
+it, the year round, except on such days as the state of the atmosphere
+may forbid. The land which God hath created stationary, will be certain
+to remain stationary, until disturbed by some great convulsion that
+cometh equally of his providence and his laws."
+
+"All this may be true, Señor; doubtless it _is_ true; but every rule
+hath its exceptions. You will not deny that God ruleth the world
+mysteriously, and that his ends are not always visible to human eyes.
+Else, why hath the Moor so long been permitted to rule in Spain? why
+hath the Infidel, at this moment, possession of the Holy Sepulchre? why
+have the sovereigns been so long deaf to your own well-grounded wishes
+and entreaties to be permitted to carry their banners, in company with
+the cross, to Cathay, whither you are now bound? Who knoweth that these
+appearances of St. Brandan may not be given as signs to encourage one
+like yourself, bent on still greater ends than even reaching its
+shores?"
+
+Columbus was an enthusiast; but his was an enthusiasm that was seated in
+his reverence for the acknowledged mysteries of religion, which sought
+no other support from things incomprehensible, than might reasonably be
+thought to belong to the exercise of infallible wisdom, and which
+manifested a proper reverence for a Divine Power. Like most of that
+period, he believed in modern miracles; and his dependence on the direct
+worldly efficacy of votive offerings, penances, and prayers, was such as
+marked the age in general, and his calling in particular. Still, his
+masculine understanding rejected the belief of vulgar prodigies; and
+while he implicitly thought himself set apart and selected for the great
+work before him, he was not disposed to credit that an airy exhibition
+of an island was placed in the west to tempt mariners to follow its
+shadowy outline to the more distant regions of Cathay.
+
+"That I feel the assurance of the Providence of God having selected me
+as the humble instrument of connecting Europe with Asia, by means of a
+direct voyage by sea, is certain," returned the navigator, gravely,
+though his eye lighted with its latent enthusiasm; "but I am far from
+indulging in the weakness of thinking that direct miraculous agencies
+are to be used to guide me on my way. It is more in conformity to the
+practice of divine wisdom, and certainly more grateful to my own
+self-love, that the means employed are such as a discreet pilot, and the
+most experienced philosophers, might feel proud in finding themselves
+selected to display. My thoughts have first been turned to the
+contemplation of this subject; then hath my reason been enlightened by a
+due course of study and reflection, and science hath aided in producing
+the conviction necessary to impel myself to proceed, and to enable me to
+induce others to join in this enterprise."
+
+"And do all your followers, noble admiral, act under the same guidance?"
+demanded the Doña Inez, glancing at Luis, whose manly graces, and
+martial aspect, had found favor in the eyes of most of the ladies of the
+island. "Is the Señor Gutierrez equally enlightened in this manner? and
+hath he, too, devoted his nights to study, in order that the cross may
+be carried to the heathen, and Castile and Cathay may be more closely
+united?"
+
+"The Señor Gutierrez is a willing adventurer, Señora, but he must be the
+expounder of his own motives."
+
+"Then we will call on the cavalier, himself, for an answer. These ladies
+feel a desire to know what may have impelled one who would be certain to
+succeed at the court of Doña Isabella, and in the Moorish wars, to join
+in such an expedition."
+
+"The Moorish wars are ended, Señora," replied Luis, smiling; "and Doña
+Isabella, and all the ladies of her court, most favor the youths who
+show a manly disposition to serve the interests, and to advance the
+honor of Castile. I know very little of philosophy, and have still
+smaller pretensions to the learning of churchmen; but I think I see
+Cathay before me, shining like a brilliant star in the heavens, and am
+willing to adventure body and soul in its search."
+
+Many pretty exclamations of admiration broke from the circle of fair
+listeners; it being most easy for spirit to gain applause, when it is
+recommended by high personal advantages, and comes from the young and
+favored. That Columbus, a weather-worn veteran of the ocean, should see
+fit to risk a life that was already drawing near its close, in a rash
+attempt to pry into the mysteries of the Atlantic, seemed neither so
+commendable, nor so daring, but many discovered high qualities in the
+character of one who was just entering on his career, and that under
+auspices apparently so flattering, and who threw all his hopes on the
+uncertain chances of success in a scheme so unusual. Luis was human, and
+he was in the full enjoyment of the admiration his enterprise had
+evidently awakened among so many sensitive young creatures, when Doña
+Inez most inopportunely interposed to interrupt his happiness, and to
+wound his self-esteem.
+
+"This is having more honorable views than my letters from Seville
+attribute to one youth, who belongeth to the proudest of our Castilian
+houses, and whose titles alone should invite him to add new lustre to a
+name that hath so long been the Spanish boast," resumed the Señora
+Peraza. "The reports speak of his desire to rove, but in a manner
+unworthy of his rank; and that, too, in a way to serve neither the
+sovereigns, his country, nor himself."
+
+"And who may this misguided youth be, Señora?" eagerly inquired Luis,
+too much elated by the admiration he had just excited to anticipate the
+answer. "A cavalier thus spoken of, needeth to be warned of his
+reputation, that he may be stimulated to attempt better things."
+
+"His name is no secret, since the court speaketh openly of his singular
+and ill-judged career; and it is said that even his love hath been
+thwarted in consequence. I mean a cavalier of no less lineage and name
+than Don Luis de Bobadilla, the Count of Llera."
+
+It is said that listeners seldom hear good of themselves, and Luis was
+now fated to verify the truth of the axiom. He felt the blood rushing to
+his face, and it required a strong effort at self-command to prevent him
+from breaking out in exclamations, that would probably have contained
+invocations of half the patron saints he had ever heard of, had he not
+happily succeeded in controlling the sudden impulse. Gulping the words
+he had been on the point of uttering, he looked round, with an air of
+defiance, as if seeking the countenance of some man who might dare even
+to smile at what had been said. Luckily, at that moment, Columbus had
+drawn all of the males present around himself, in warm discussion of the
+probable existence of the island of St. Brandan; and Luis nowhere met a
+smile, with which he could conveniently quarrel, that had a setting of
+beard to render it hostile. Fortunately, the gentle impulses that are
+apt to influence a youthful female, induced one of Doña Inez's fair
+companions to speak, and that in a way greatly to relieve the feelings
+of our hero.
+
+"True, Señora," rejoined the pretty young advocate, the first tones of
+whose voice had an effect to calm the tempest that was rising in the
+bosom of the young man; "true Señora, it is said that Don Luis is a
+wanderer, and one of unsettled tastes and habits, but it is also said he
+hath a most excellent heart, is generous as the dews of heaven
+themselves, and carrieth the very best lance of Castile, as he is also
+like to carry off the fairest maiden."
+
+"It is vain, Señor de Muños, for churchmen to preach, and parents to
+frown," said Doña Inez, smiling, "while the beautiful and young will
+prize courage, and deeds in arms, and an open hand, before the more
+homely virtues commended by our holy religion, and so zealously
+inculcated by its servants. The unhorsing of a knight or two in the
+tourneys, and the rallying a broken squadron under a charge of the
+Infidel, counteth far more than years of sobriety, and weeks of penance
+and prayer."
+
+"How know we that the cavalier you mention, Señora, may not have his
+weeks of penance and his hours of prayer?" answered Luis, who had now
+found his voice. "Should he be so fortunate as to enjoy a conscientious
+religious adviser, he can scarce escape both, prayer being so often
+ordered in the way of penance. He seemeth, indeed, to be a miserable
+dog, and I wonder not that his mistress holdeth him cheap. Is the name
+of the lady, also, given in your letter?"
+
+"It is. She is the Doña Maria de las Mercedes de Valverde, nearly allied
+to the Guzmans and the other great houses, and one of the fairest
+maidens of Spain."
+
+"That is she!" exclaimed Luis; "and one of the most virtuous, as well as
+fair, and wise as virtuous!"
+
+"How now, Señor, is it possible that you can have sufficient knowledge
+of one so situated, as to speak thus positively of her qualities, as
+well as of her appearance?"
+
+"Her beauty I have seen, and of her excellence one may speak by report.
+But doth your correspondent, Señora, say aught of what hath become of
+the graceless lover?"
+
+"It is rumored that he hath again quitted Spain, and, as is supposed,
+under the grave displeasure of the sovereigns, since it hath been
+remarked that the queen now never nameth him. None know the road he hath
+taken, but there is little doubt that he is again roaming the seas, as
+usual, in quest of low adventures among the ports of the east."
+
+The conversation now changed, and soon after the admiral and his
+attendants repaired to their different vessels.
+
+"Of a verity, Señor Don Christoval," said Luis, as he walked alone with
+the great navigator toward the shore, "one little knoweth when he is
+acquiring fame, and when not. Though but an indifferent mariner, and no
+pilot, I find my exploits on the ocean are well bruited abroad! If your
+Excellency but gain half the reputation I already enjoy, by this present
+expedition, you will have reason to believe that your name will not be
+forgotten by posterity."
+
+"It is a tribute the great pay for their elevation, Luis," returned the
+admiral, "that all their acts are commented on, and that they can do
+little that may be concealed from observation, or escape remarks."
+
+"It would be as well, Señor Almirante, to throw into the scales, at
+once, calumnies, and lies, and uncharitableness, for all these are to be
+added to the list. Is it not wonderful, that a young man cannot visit a
+few foreign lands, in order to increase his knowledge and improve his
+parts, but all the gossips of Castile should fill their letters to the
+gossips of the Canaries, with passages touching his movements and
+demerits? By the Martyrs of the East! if I were Queen of Castile, there
+should be a law against writing of others' movements, and I do not know,
+but a law against women's writing letters at all!"
+
+"In which case, Señor de Muños, thou wouldst never possess the
+satisfaction of receiving a missive from the fairest hand in Castile."
+
+"I mean a woman's writing to a woman, Don Christopher. As to letters
+from noble maidens intended to cheer the hearts and animate the deeds of
+cavaliers who adore them, they are useful, out of doubt, and the saints
+be deaf to the miscreant who would forbid or intercept them! No, Señor,
+I trust that travelling hath at least made me liberal, by raising me
+above the narrow prejudices of provinces and cities, and I am far from
+wishing to put an end to letters from mistresses to their knights, or
+from parents to their children, or even from wives to their husbands;
+but, as for the letters of a gossip to a gossip, by your leave, Señor
+Almirante, I detest them just as much as the Father of Sin detests this
+expedition of ours!"
+
+"An expedition, certainly, that he hath no great reason to love,"
+answered Columbus, smiling; "since it will be followed by the light of
+revelation and the triumph of the cross. But what is thy will, friend,
+that thou seemest in waiting for me, to disburden thyself of something?
+Thy name is Sancho Mundo, if I remember thy countenance?"
+
+"Señor Don Almirante, your memory hath not mistaken," returned the
+person addressed; "I am Sancho Mundo, as your Excellency saith,
+sometimes called Sancho of the Ship-Yard Gate. I desire to say a few
+words concerning the fate of our voyage, whenever it shall suit you,
+noble Señor, to hear me where there are no ears present that you
+distrust."
+
+"Thou may'st speak freely now; this cavalier being my confidant and
+secretary."
+
+"It is not necessary that I should tell a great pilot, like your
+Excellency, who is King of Portugal, or what the mariners of Lisbon have
+been about these many years, since you know all better than myself.
+Therefore I will just add, that they are discovering all the unknown
+lands they can, for themselves, and preventing others, as much as in
+them lies, from doing the same thing."
+
+"Don John of Portugal is an enlightened prince, fellow, and thou wouldst
+do well to respect his character and rank. His Highness is a liberal
+sovereign, and hath sent many noble expeditions forth from his harbor."
+
+"That he hath, Señor, and this last is not the least in its designs and
+intentions," answered Sancho, turning a look of irony toward the
+admiral, that showed the fellow had more in reserve than he cared to
+divulge without some wheedling. "No one doubts Don John's willingness to
+send forth expeditions."
+
+"Thou hast heard some intelligence, Sancho, that it is proper I should
+know! Speak freely, and rely on my repaying any service of this sort to
+the full extent of its deservings."
+
+"If your Excellency will have patience to hear me, I will give the whole
+story, with all minuteness and particularity, and that in a way to leave
+no part untold, and all parts to be as easily understood as heart can
+wish, or a priest in the confessional could desire."
+
+"Speak; no one will interrupt thee. As thou art frank, so will be thy
+reward."
+
+"Well, then, Señor Don Almirante, you must know that about eleven years
+since, I made a voyage from Palos to Sicily, in a caravel belonging to
+the Pinzons, here; not to Martin Alonzo, who commandeth the Pinta, under
+your Excellency's order, but to a kinsman of his late father's, who
+caused better craft to be constructed than we are apt to get in these
+days of hurry, and rotten cordage, and careless caulking, to say nothing
+of the manner in which the canvas is"--
+
+"Nay, good Sancho," interrupted the impatient Luis, who was yet smarting
+under the remarks of Doña Inez's correspondent--"thou forgettest night
+is near, and that the boat is waiting for the admiral."
+
+"How should I forget that, Señor, when I can see the sun just dipping
+into the water, and I belong to the boat myself, having left it in order
+to tell the noble admiral what I have to say?"
+
+"Permit the man to relate his story in his own manner, Señor Pedro, I
+pray thee," put in Columbus. "Naught is gained by putting a seamen out
+in his reckoning."
+
+"No, your Excellency, or in kicking with a mule. And so, as I was
+saying, I went that voyage to Sicily, and had for a messmate one José
+Gordo, a Portuguese by birth, but a man who liked the wines of Spain
+better than the puckering liquors of his own country, and so sailed much
+in Spanish craft. I never well knew, notwithstanding, whether José was,
+in heart, most of a Portuguese, or a Spaniard, though he was certainly
+but an indifferent Christian."
+
+"It is to be hoped that his character hath improved," said Columbus,
+calmly. "As I foresee that something is to follow on the testimony of
+this José, you will let me say, that an indifferent Christian is but an
+indifferent witness. Tell me, at once, therefore, what he hath
+communicated, that I may judge for myself of the value of his words."
+
+"Now, he that doubteth your Excellency will not discover Cathay is a
+heretic, seeing that you have discovered my secret without having heard
+it! José has just arrived, in the felucca that is riding near the Santa
+Maria, and hearing that we were an expedition that had one Sancho Mundo
+engaged in it, he came speedily on board of us to see his old shipmate."
+
+"All that is so plain, that I wonder thou thinkest it worthy of
+relating, Sancho; but, now we have him safe on board the good ship, we
+can come at once to the subject of his communication."
+
+"That may we, Señor; and so, without any unnecessary delay, I will
+state, that the subject was touching Don Juan of Portugal, Don Ferdinand
+of Aragon, Doña Isabella of Castile, your Excellency, Señor Don
+Almirante, the Señor de Muños here, and myself."
+
+"This is a strange company!" exclaimed Luis, laughing, while he slipped
+a piece of eight into the hand of the sailor; "perhaps that may aid thee
+in shortening the story of the singular conjunction."
+
+"Another, Señor, would bring the tale to an end at once. To own the
+truth, José is behind that wall, and as he told me he thought his news
+worth a dobla, he will be greatly displeased at finding I have received
+my half of it, while his half still remaineth unpaid."
+
+"This, then, will set his mind at rest," said Columbus, placing an
+entire dobla in the hand of the cunning fellow, for the admiral
+perceived by his manner that Sancho had really something of importance
+to communicate. "Thou canst summon José to thy aid, and deliver thyself,
+at once, of thy burden."
+
+Sancho did as directed, and in a minute José had appeared, had received
+the dobla, weighed it deliberately on his finger, pocketed it, and
+commenced his tale. Unlike the artful Sancho, he told his story at once,
+beginning at the right end, and ceasing to speak as soon as he had no
+more to communicate. The substance of the tale is soon related. José had
+come from Ferro, and had seen three armed caravels, wearing the flag of
+Portugal, cruising among the islands, under circumstances that left
+little doubt their object was to intercept the Castilian expedition. As
+the man referred to a passenger or two, who had landed within the hour,
+to corroborate his statement, Columbus and Luis immediately sought the
+lodgings of these persons, in order to hear their report of the matter.
+The result proved the sailor had stated nothing but what was true.
+
+"Of all our difficulties and embarrassments, Luis," resumed the admiral,
+as the two finally proceeded to the shore, "this is much the most
+serious! We may be detained altogether by these treacherous Portuguese,
+or we may be followed in our voyage, and have our fair laurels seized
+upon by others, and all the benefits so justly due for our toil and risk
+usurped, or at least disputed, by men who had not the enterprise and
+knowledge to accept the boon, when fairly offered to them."
+
+"Don John of Portugal must have sent far better knights than the Moors
+of Granada to do the feat," answered Luis, who had a Spaniard's distaste
+for his peninsular neighbors; "he is a bold and learned prince, they
+say, but the commission and ensigns of the sovereign of Castile are not
+to be disregarded, and that, too, in the midst of her own islands,
+here."
+
+"We have no force fit to contend with that which hath most probably been
+sent against us. The number and size of our vessels are known, and the
+Portuguese, questionless, have resorted to the means necessary to effect
+their purposes, whatever those purposes may be. Alas! Luis, my lot hath
+been hard, though I humbly trust that the end will repay me for all!
+Years did I sue the Portuguese to enter fairly into this voyage, and to
+endeavor to do that, in all honor, which our gracious mistress, Doña
+Isabella, hath now so creditably commenced; he listened to my reasons
+and entreaties with cold ears--nay, repelled them, with ridicule and
+disdain; and yet, here am I scarce fairly embarked in the execution of
+schemes that they have so often derided, than they endeavor to defeat me
+by violence and treachery."
+
+"Noble Don Christoval, we will die to a Castilian, ere this shall come
+to pass!"
+
+"Our only hope is in speedy departure. Thanks to the industry and zeal
+of Martin Alonzo, the Pinta is ready, and we may quit Gomera with the
+morning's sun. I doubt if they will have the hardihood to follow us into
+the trackless and unknown Atlantic, without any other guides than their
+own feeble knowledge; and we will depart with the return of the sun. All
+now dependeth on quitting the Canaries unseen."
+
+As this was said they reached the boat, and were quickly pulled on board
+the Santa Maria. By this time the peaks of the islands were towering
+like gloomy shadows in the atmosphere, and, soon after, the caravels
+resembled dark, shapeless specks, on the unquiet element that washed
+their hulls.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI.
+
+    "They little thought how pure a light,
+    With years, should gather round that day;
+    How love should keep their memories bright--
+    How wide a realm their sons should sway."
+
+    Bryant.
+
+
+The night that succeeded was one of very varied feelings among the
+adventurers. As soon as Sancho secured the reward, he had no further
+scruples about communicating all he knew, to any who were disposed to
+listen; and long ere Columbus returned on board the vessel, the
+intelligence had spread from mouth to mouth, until all in the little
+squadron were apprised of the intentions of the Portuguese. Many hoped
+that it was true, and that their pursuers might be successful; any fate
+being preferable, in their eyes, to that which the voyage promised; but,
+such is the effect of strife, much the larger portion of the crew were
+impatient to lift the anchors and to make sail, if it were only to get
+the mastery in the race. Columbus, himself, experienced the deepest
+concern, for it really seemed as if a hard fortune was about to snatch
+the cup from his lips, just as it had been raised there, after all his
+cruel sufferings and delays. He consequently passed a night of deep
+anxiety, and was the first to rise in the morning.
+
+Every one was on the alert with the dawn; and as the preparations had
+been completed the previous night, by the time the sun had risen, the
+three vessels were under way, the Pinta leading, as usual. The wind was
+light, and the squadron could barely gather steerage way; but as every
+moment was deemed precious, the vessels' heads were kept to the
+westward. When a short time out, a caravel came flapping past them,
+after having been several hours in sight, and the admiral spoke her. She
+proved to be from Ferro, the most southern and western island of the
+group, and had come nearly on the route the expedition intended to
+steer, until they quitted the known seas.
+
+"Dost thou bring any tidings from Ferro?" inquired Columbus, as the
+strange ship drifted slowly past the Santa Maria; the progress of each
+vessel being little more than a mile in the hour. "Is there aught of
+interest in that quarter?"
+
+"Did I know whether, or not, I am speaking to Don Christopher Columbus,
+the Genoese that their Highnesses have honored with so important a
+commission, I should feel more warranty to answer what I have both heard
+and seen, Señor," was the reply.
+
+"I am Don Christopher himself, their Highnesses' admiral and viceroy,
+for all seas and lands that we may discover, and, as thou hast said, a
+Genoese in birth, though a Castilian by duty, and in love to the queen."
+
+"Then, noble admiral, I may tell you that the Portuguese are active,
+three of their caravels being off Ferro, at this moment, with the hope
+of intercepting your expedition."
+
+"How is this known, friend, and what reason have I for supposing that
+the Portuguese will dare to send forth caravels, with orders to molest
+those who sail as the officers of Isabella the Catholic? They must know
+that the Holy Father hath lately conferred this title on the two
+sovereigns, in acknowledgment of their great services in expelling the
+Moor from Christendom."
+
+"Señor, there hath been a rumor of that among the islands, but little
+will the Portuguese care for aught of that nature, when he deemeth his
+gold in danger. As I quitted Ferro, I spoke the caravels, and have good
+reason to think that rumor doth them no injustice."
+
+"Did they seem warlike, and made they any pretensions to a right to
+interrupt our voyage?"
+
+"To us they said naught of this sort, except to inquire, tauntingly, if
+the illustrious Don Christoval Colon, the great viceroy of the east,
+sailed on board us. As for preparation, Señor, they had many lombardas,
+and a multitude of men in breast-plates and casques. I doubt if soldiers
+are as numerous at the Azores, as when they sailed."
+
+"Keep they close in with the island, or stretch they off to seaward?"
+
+"Mostly the latter, Señor, standing far toward the west in the morning,
+and beating up toward the land as the day closeth. Take the word of an
+old pilot, Don Christopher, the mongrels are there for no good."
+
+This was barely audible, for, by this time, the caravels had drifted
+past each other, and were soon altogether beyond the reach of the voice.
+
+"Do you believe that the Castilian name standeth so low, Don
+Christopher," demanded Luis, "that these dogs of Portuguese dare do this
+wrong to the flag of the queen?"
+
+"I dread naught from force, beyond detention and frauds, certainly; but
+these, to me, at this moment, would be little less painful than death.
+Most do I apprehend that these caravels, under the pretence of
+protecting the rights of Don John, are directed to follow us to Cathay,
+in which case we should have a disputed discovery, and divided honors.
+We must avoid the Portuguese, if possible; to effect which purpose, I
+intend to pass to the westward, without nearing the island of Ferro, any
+closer than may be rendered absolutely indispensable."
+
+Notwithstanding a burning impatience now beset the admiral, and most
+with him, the elements seemed opposed to his passage from among the
+Canaries, into the open ocean. The wind gradually failed, until it
+became so calm that the sails were hauled up, and the three vessels lay,
+now laying their sides with the brine, and now rising to the summit of
+the ground-swell, resembling huge animals that were lazily reposing,
+under the heats of summer, in drowsy indolence.
+
+Many was the secret _pater_, or _ave_, that was mumbled by the mariners,
+and not a few vows of future prayers were made, in the hope of obtaining
+a breeze. Occasionally it seemed as if Providence listened to these
+petitions, for the air would fan the cheek, and the sails would fall, in
+the vain expectation of getting ahead; but disappointment as often
+followed, until all on board felt that they were fated to linger under
+the visitations of a calm. Just at nightfall, however, a light air
+arose, and, for a few hours, the wash of the parted waters was audible
+under the bows of the vessels, though their way was barely sufficient to
+keep them under the command of their helms. About midnight, however,
+even this scarcely perceptible motion was lost, and the craft were again
+lazily wallowing in the ground-swells that the gales had sent in from
+the vast expanse of the Western Ocean.
+
+When the light reappeared, the admiral found himself between Gomera and
+Teneriffe, the lofty peak of the latter casting its pointed shadow, like
+that thrown by a planet, far upon the water, until its sharp apex was
+renewed, in faint mimicry, along the glassy surface of the ocean.
+Columbus was now fearful that the Portuguese might employ their boats,
+or impel some light felucca by her sweeps, in order to find out his
+position; and he wisely directed the sails to be furled, in order to
+conceal his vessels, as far as possible, from any prying eyes. The
+season had advanced to the 7th of September, and such was the situation
+of this renowned expedition, exactly five weeks after it had left Spain;
+for this inauspicious calm occurred on a Friday, or on that day of the
+week on which it had originally sailed.
+
+All practice shows that there is no refuge from a calm at sea, except in
+patience. Columbus was much too experienced a navigator, not to feel
+this truth, and, after using the precaution mentioned, he, and the
+pilots under him, turned their attention to the arrangements required to
+render the future voyage safe and certain. The few mathematical
+instruments known to the age, were got up, corrected, and exhibited,
+with the double intention of ascertaining their state, and of making a
+display before the common men, that would heighten their respect for
+their leaders, by adding to their confidence in their skill. The
+admiral, himself, had already obtained a high reputation as a navigator,
+among his followers, in consequence of his reckonings having proved so
+much more accurate than those of the pilots, in approaching the
+Canaries; and as he now exhibited the instruments then used as a
+quadrant, and examined his compasses, every movement he made was watched
+by the seamen, with either secret admiration, or jealous vigilance; some
+openly expressing their confidence in his ability to proceed wherever he
+wished to go, and others covertly betraying just that degree of critical
+knowledge which ordinarily accompanies prejudice, ignorance, and malice.
+
+Luis had never been able to comprehend the mysteries of navigation, his
+noble head appearing to repudiate learning, as a species of
+accomplishment but little in accordance with its wants or its tastes.
+Still, he was intelligent; and within the range of knowledge that it was
+usual for laymen of his rank to attain, few of his age did themselves
+more credit in the circles of the court. Fortunately, he had the most
+perfect reliance on the means of the admiral; and being almost totally
+without personal apprehensions, Columbus had not a more submissive or
+blind follower, than the young grandee, under his command.
+
+Man, with all his boasted philosophy, intelligence, and reason, exists
+the dupe of his own imagination and blindness, as much as of the
+artifices and designs of others. Even while he fancies himself the most
+vigilant and cautious, he is as often misled by appearances as governed
+by facts and judgment; and perhaps half of those who were spectators of
+this calculated care in Columbus, believed that they felt, in their
+renewed confidence, the assurances of science and logical deductions,
+when in truth their senses were impressed, without, in the slightest
+degree, enlightening their understandings.
+
+Thus passed the day of the 7th September, the night arriving and still
+finding the little squadron, or fleet, as it was termed in the lofty
+language of the day, floating helplessly between Teneriffe and Gomera.
+Nor did the ensuing morning bring a change, for a burning sun beat,
+unrelieved by a breath of air, on the surface of a sea that was
+glittering like molten silver. When the admiral was certain, however, by
+having sent men aloft to examine the horizon, that the Portuguese were
+not in sight, he felt infinitely relieved, little doubting that his
+pursuers still lay, as inactive as himself, to the westward of Ferro.
+
+"By the seamen's hopes! Señor Don Christopher," said Luis, as he reached
+the poop, where Columbus had kept an untiring watch for hours, he
+himself having just risen from a siesta, "the fiends seem to be leagued
+against us! Here are we in the third day of our calm, with the Peak of
+Teneriffe as stationary as if it were a mile-stone, set to tell the
+porpoises and dolphins the rate at which they swim. If one believed in
+omens, he might fancy that the saints were unwilling to see us depart,
+even though it be on their own errand."
+
+"We _may not_ believe in omens, when they are no more than the fruits of
+natural laws," gravely returned the admiral. "There will shortly be an
+end of this calm, for a haze is gathering in the atmosphere that
+promises air from the east, and the motion of the ship will tell thee,
+that the winds have been busy far to the westward. Master Pilot,"
+addressing the officer of that title, who had charge of the deck at the
+moment, "thou wilt do well to unfurl thy canvas, and prepare for a
+favoring breeze, as we shall soon be overtaken by wind from the
+north-east."
+
+This prediction was verified about an hour later, when all three of the
+vessels began, again, to part the waters with their sterns. But the
+breeze, if any thing, proved more tantalizing to the impatient mariners
+than the calm itself had been; for a strong head sea had got up, and the
+air proving light, the different craft struggled with difficulty toward
+the west.
+
+All this time, a most anxious look-out was kept for the Portuguese
+caravels, the appearance of which, however, was less dreaded than it had
+been, as they were now supposed to be a considerable distance to
+leeward. Columbus, and his skilful assistants, Martin Alonzo and Vicente
+Yañez, or the brothers Pinzon, who commanded the Pinta and the Niña,
+practised all the means that their experience could suggest to get
+ahead. Their progress, however, was not only slow but painful, as every
+fresh impulse given by the breeze, served to plunge the bows of the
+vessels into the sea with a violence that threatened injuries to the
+spars and rigging. So trifling, indeed, was their rate of sailing, that
+it required all the judgment of Columbus to note the nearly
+imperceptible manner in which the tall, cone-like summit of the Peak of
+Teneriffe lowered, as it might be, inch by inch. The superstitious
+feelings of the common men being more active than usual, even, some
+among them began to whisper that the elements were admonishing them
+against proceeding, and that tardy as it might seem, the admiral would
+do well to attend to omens and signs that nature seldom gave without
+sufficient reason. These opinions, however, were cautiously uttered--the
+grave, earnest manner of Columbus having created so much respect, as to
+suppress them in his presence; and the mariners of the other vessels
+still followed the movements of their admiral with that species of blind
+dependence which marks the submission of the inferior to the superior,
+under such circumstances.
+
+When Columbus retired to his cabin for the night, Luis observed that his
+countenance was unusually grave, as he ended his calculations of the
+days' work.
+
+"I trust all goes to your wishes, Don Christopher," the young man gaily
+observed. "We are now fairly on our journey, and, to my eyes, Cathay is
+already in sight."
+
+"Thou hast that within thee, Don Luis," returned the admiral, "which
+rendereth what thou wishest to see distinct, and maketh all colors gay.
+With me it is a duty to see things as they _are_, and, although Cathay
+lieth plainly before the vision of my mind--thou, Lord, who hast
+implanted, for thine own great ends, the desire to reach that distant
+land, only know'st how plainly!--although Cathay is thus plain to my
+moral view, I am bound to heed the physical obstacles that may exist to
+our reaching it."
+
+"And are these obstacles getting to be more serious than we could hope,
+Señor?"
+
+"My trust is still in God--look here, young lord," laying his finger on
+the chart; "at this point were we in the morning, and to this point have
+we advanced by means of all the toil of the day, down to this portion of
+the night. Thou seest that a line of paper marketh the whole of our
+progress; and, here again, thou seest that we have to cross this vast
+desert of ocean, ere we may even hope to draw near the end of our
+journey. By my calculation, with all our exertions, and at this critical
+moment--critical not only as regardeth the Portuguese, but critical as
+regardeth our own people--we have made but nine leagues, which are a
+small portion of the thousand that lie before us. At this rate we may
+dread a failure of our provisions and water."
+
+"I have all confidence in your resources, Don Christopher, and in your
+knowledge and experience."
+
+"And I have all confidence in the protection of God; trusting that he
+will not desert his servant in the moment that he most needeth his
+support."
+
+Here Columbus prepared himself to catch a few hours' sleep, though it
+was in his clothes, the interest he felt in the position of his vessels
+forbidding him to undress. This celebrated man lived in an age when a
+spurious philosophy, and a pretending but insufficient exercise of
+reason, placed few, even in appearance, above the frank admission of
+their constant reliance on a divine power. We say in appearance, as no
+man, whatever may be the extent of his delusions on this subject, really
+believes that he is altogether sufficient for his own protection. This
+absolute self-reliance is forbidden by a law of nature, each carrying in
+his own breast a monitor to teach him his real insignificance,
+demonstrating daily, hourly, at each minute even, that he is but a
+diminutive agent used by a superior power in carrying out its own great
+and mysterious ends, for the sublime and beneficent purposes for which
+the world and all it contains has been created. In compliance with the
+usage of the times, Columbus knelt, and prayed fervently, ere he slept;
+nor did Luis de Bobadilla hesitate about imitating an example that few,
+in that day, thought beneath their intelligence or their manhood. If
+religion had the taint of superstition in the fifteenth century, and men
+confided too much in the efficacy of momentary and transient impulses,
+it is certain that it also possessed an exterior of graceful meekness
+and submission to God, in losing which, it may be well questioned if the
+world has been the gainer.
+
+The first appearance of light brought the admiral and Luis to the deck.
+They both knelt again on the poop, and repeated their paters; and then,
+yielding to the feelings natural to their situation, they arose, eager
+to watch for what might be revealed by the lifting of the curtain of
+day. The approach of dawn, and the rising of the sun at sea, have been
+so often described, that the repetition here might be superfluous; but
+we shall state that Luis watched the play of colors that adorned the
+eastern sky, with a lover's refinement of feeling, fancying that he
+traced a resemblance to the passage of emotions across the tell-tale
+countenance of Mercedes, in the soft and transient hues that are known
+to precede a fine morning in September, more especially in a low
+latitude. As for the admiral, his more practical gaze was turned in the
+direction in which the island of Ferro lay, awaiting the increase of the
+light in order to ascertain what changes had been wrought during the
+hours he had slept. Several minutes passed in profound attention, when
+the navigator beckoned Luis to his side.
+
+"Seest thou that dark, gloomy pile, which is heaving up out of the
+darkness, here at the south and west of us?" he said--"it gaineth form
+and distinctness at each instant, though distant some eight or ten
+leagues; that is Ferro, and the Portuguese are there, without question,
+anxiously expecting our appearance. In this calm, neither can approach
+the other, and thus far we are safe. It is now necessary to ascertain if
+the pursuing caravels are between us and the land, or not; after which,
+should it prove otherwise, we shall be reasonably safe, if we approach
+no nearer to the island, and we can maintain, as yesterday, the
+advantage of the wind. Seest thou any sail, Luis, in that quarter of the
+ocean?"
+
+"None, Señor; and the light is already of sufficient strength to expose
+the white canvas of a vessel, were any there."
+
+Columbus made an ejaculation of thankfulness, and immediately ordered
+the look-out aloft to examine the entire horizon. The report was
+favorable; the dreaded Portuguese caravels being nowhere visible. As the
+sun arose, however, a breeze sprung up at the southward and westward,
+bringing Ferro, and consequently any vessels that might be cruising in
+that quarter, directly to windward of the fleet. Sail was made without
+the loss of a moment; and the admiral stood to the northward and
+westward, trusting that his pursuers were looking out for him on the
+south side of the island, which was the ground where those who did not
+thoroughly understand his aim, would be most likely to expect him. By
+this time the westerly swell had, in a great measure, gone down; and
+though the progress of the vessels was far from rapid, it was steady,
+and seemed likely to last. The hours went slowly by, and as the day
+advanced, objects became less and less distinct on the sides of Ferro.
+Its entire surface next took the hazy appearance of a dim and
+ill-defined cloud; and then it began slowly to sink into the water. Its
+summit was still visible, as the admiral, with the more privileged of
+his companions, assembled on the poop, to take a survey of the ocean and
+of the weather. The most indifferent observer might now have noted the
+marked difference in the state of feeling which existed among the
+adventurers on board the Santa Maria. On the poop, all was cheerfulness
+and hope, the present escape having induced even the distrustful,
+momentarily, to forget the uncertain future; the pilots, as usual, were
+occupied and sustained by a species of marine stoicism; while a
+melancholy had settled on the crew that was as apparent as if they were
+crowding around the dead. Nearly every man in the ship was in some one
+of the groups that had assembled on deck; and every eye seemed riveted,
+as it might be by enchantment, on the fading and falling heights of
+Ferro. While things were in this state, Columbus approached Luis, and
+aroused him from a sort of trance, by laying a finger lightly on his
+shoulder.
+
+"It cannot be that the Señor de Muños is affected by the feelings of the
+common men," observed the admiral, with a slight mixture of surprise and
+reproach; "this, too, at a moment that all of an intelligence sufficient
+to foresee the glorious consequences, are rejoicing that a heaven-sent
+breeze is carrying us to a safe distance from the pursuing and envious
+caravels! Why dost thou thus regard the people beneath, with a steady
+eye and unwavering look? Is it that thou repentest embarking, or dost
+thou merely muse on the charms of thy mistress?"
+
+"By San Iago! Don Christopher, this time your sagacity is at fault. I
+neither repent, nor muse as you would imply; but I gaze at yonder poor
+fellows with pity for their apprehensions."
+
+"Ignorance is a hard master, Señor Pedro, and one that is now exercising
+his power over the imaginations of the seamen, with the ruthlessness of
+a tyrant. They dread the worst merely because they have not the
+knowledge to foresee the best. Fear is a stronger passion than hope, and
+is ever the near ally of ignorance. In vulgar eyes that which hath not
+yet been--nay, which hath not, in some measure, become familiar by
+use--is deemed impossible; men reasoning in a circle that is abridged by
+their information. Those fellows are gazing at the island, as it
+disappears, like men taking a last look at the things of life. Indeed,
+this concern exceedeth even what I could have anticipated."
+
+"It lieth deep, Señor, and yet it riseth to the eyes; for I have seen
+tears on cheeks that I could never have supposed wetted in any manner
+but by the spray of the ocean!"
+
+"There are our two acquaintances, Sancho and Pepe, neither of whom
+seemeth particularly distressed, though the last hath a cast of
+melancholy in his face. As for the first, the knave showeth the
+indifference of a true mariner--one who is never so happy as when
+furthest from the dangers of rocks and shoals: to such a man, the
+disappearance of one island, and the appearance of another, are alike
+matters of indifference. He seeth but the visible horizon around him,
+and considereth the rest of the world, temporarily, as a blank. I look
+for loyal service in that Sancho, in despite of his knavery, and count
+upon him as one of the truest of my followers."
+
+Here the admiral was interrupted by a cry from the deck beneath him,
+and, looking round, his practised and quick eye was not slow in
+discovering that the horizon to the southward presented the usual watery
+blank of the open ocean. Ferro had, in fact, altogether disappeared,
+some of the most sanguine of the seamen having fancied that they beheld
+it, even after it had finally sunk behind the barrier of waves. As the
+circumstance became more and more certain, the lamentations among the
+people grew less and less equivocal and louder, tears flowed without
+shame or concealment, hands were wrung in a sort of a senseless despair,
+and a scene of such clamor ensued, as threatened some serious danger to
+the expedition from this new quarter. Under such circumstances, Columbus
+had all the people collected beneath the break of the poop, and standing
+on the latter, where he could examine every countenance for himself, he
+addressed them on the subject of their grief. On this occasion the
+manner of the great navigator was earnest and sincere, leaving no doubt
+that he fully believed in the truth of his own arguments, and that he
+uttered nothing with the hope to delude or to mislead.
+
+"When Don Ferdinand and Doña Isabella, our respected and beloved
+sovereigns, honored me with the commission of admiral and viceroy, in
+those secret seas toward which we are now steering," he said, "I
+considered it as the most glorious and joyful event of my life, as I now
+consider this moment, that seemeth to some among you so painful, as
+second to it in hope and cause for felicitation. In the disappearance of
+Ferro, I see also the disappearance of the Portuguese; for, now that we
+are in the open ocean, without the limits of any known land, I trust
+that Providence hath placed us beyond the reach and machinations of all
+our enemies. While we prove true to ourselves, and to the great objects
+that are before us, there is no longer cause for fear. If any person
+among you hath a mind to disburden himself, in this matter, let him
+speak freely; we being much too strong in argument to wish to silence
+doubts by authority."
+
+"Then, Señor Don Almirante," put in Sancho, whose tongue was ever ready
+to wag, as occasion offered, "it is just that which maketh your
+Excellency so joyful that maketh these honest people so sad. Could they
+always keep the island of Ferro in sight, or any other known land, they
+would follow you to Cathay with as gentle a pull as the launch followeth
+the caravel in a light breeze and smooth water; but it is this leaving
+all behind, as it might be, earth as well as wives and children, that
+saddens their hearts, and uncorks their tears."
+
+"And thou, Sancho, an old mariner that wast born at sea"--
+
+"Nay, your Excellency, illustrious Señor Don Almirante," interrupted
+Sancho, looking up with pretended simplicity, "not exactly at sea,
+though within the scent of its odor; since, having been found at the
+shipwright's gate, it is not probable they would have made a haven just
+to land so small a part of the freight."
+
+"Well, born _near_ the sea, if thou wilt--but from thee I expect better
+things than unmanly lamentations because an island hath sunk below the
+horizon."
+
+"Excellency, you may; it mattereth little to Sancho, if half the islands
+in the sea were sunk a good deal lower. There are the Cape de Verdes,
+now, which I never wish to look upon again, and Lampidosa, besides
+Stromboli and others in that quarter, would be better out of the way,
+than where they are, as for any good they do us seamen. But, if your
+Excellency will condescend to tell these honest people whither it is
+that we are bound, and what you expect to find in port, and, more
+especially, when we are to come back, it would comfort them in an
+unspeakable degree."
+
+"As I hold it to be the proper office of men in authority to let their
+motives be known, when no evil followeth the disclosure, this will I
+most cheerfully do, requiring the attention of all near me, and chiefly
+of those who are most uneasy concerning our present position and future
+movements. The end of our voyage is Cathay, a country that is known to
+lie in the uttermost eastern extremity of Asia, whither it hath been
+more than once reached by Christian travellers; and its difference from
+all other voyages, or journeys, that may have been attempted in order to
+reach the same country, is in the circumstance that we go west, while
+former travellers have proceeded east. But this is effecting our
+purposes by means that belong only to stout-hearted mariners, since none
+but those who are familiar with the ocean, skilful pilots, and obedient
+and ready seamen, can traverse the waters, without better guides than
+the knowledge of the stars, currents, winds, and other phenomena of the
+Atlantic, and such aids as may be gleaned from science. The reason on
+which I act, is a conviction that the earth is round, whence it
+followeth that the Atlantic, which we know to possess an eastern
+boundary of land, must also have a western; and from certain
+calculations that leave it almost certain, that this continent, which I
+hold will prove to be India, cannot lie more than some twenty-five or
+thirty days' sailing, if as many, from our own Europe. Having thus told
+when and where I expect to find the country we seek, I will now touch a
+little on the advantages that we may all expect to derive from the
+discovery. According to the accounts of a certain Marco Polo, and his
+relatives, gentlemen of Venice, and men of fair credit and good
+reputations, the kingdom of Cathay is not only one of the most extensive
+known, but one that most aboundeth in gold and silver, together with the
+other metals of value, and precious stones. Of the advantages of the
+discovery of such a land to yourselves, ye may judge by its advantages
+to me. Their Highnesses have dignified me with the rank of admiral and
+viceroy, in anticipation of our success, and, persevering to a
+successful termination of your efforts, the humblest man among ye may
+look with confidence to some signal mark of their favor. Rewards will
+doubtless be rendered in proportion to your merits; he that deserveth
+much, receiving more than he who hath deserved less. Still will there be
+sufficient for all. Marco Polo and his relatives dwelt seventeen years
+in the court of the Great Khan, and were every way qualified to give a
+true account of the riches and resources of those regions; and well were
+they--simple Venetian gentlemen, without any other means than could be
+transported on the backs of beasts of burden--rewarded for their toils
+and courage. The jewels alone, with which they returned, served long to
+enrich their race, renovating a decayed but honorable family, while they
+did their enterprise and veracity credit in the eyes of men.
+
+"As the ocean, for a long distance this side of the continent of Asia
+and the kingdom of Cathay, is known to abound with islands, we may
+expect first to meet with them, where, it would be doing nature herself
+injustice, did we not anticipate fragrant freights of balmy spices, and
+other valuable commodities with which that favored quarter of the earth,
+it is certain, is enriched. Indeed, it is scarce possible for the
+imagination to conceive of the magnitude of the results that await our
+success, while naught but ridicule and contempt could attend a hasty and
+inconsiderate return. Going not as invaders, but as Christians and
+friends, we have no reason to expect other than the most friendly
+reception; and, no doubt, the presents and gifts, alone, that will
+naturally be offered to strangers who have come so far, and by a road
+that hath hitherto been untravelled, will forty-fold repay you for all
+your toils and troubles.
+
+"I say nothing of the honor of being among those who have first carried
+the cross to the heathen world," continued the admiral, uncovering
+himself, and looking around him with solemn gravity; "though our fathers
+believed it to be no little distinction to have been one in the armies
+that contended for the possession of the sepulchre. But neither the
+church, nor its great master, forgetteth the servitor that advanceth its
+interests, and we may all look for blessings, both here and hereafter."
+
+As he concluded, Columbus devoutly crossed himself, and withdrew from
+the sight of his people among those who were on the poop. The effect of
+this address was, for the moment, very salutary, and the men saw the
+clouds that hung over the land disappear, like the land itself, with
+less feeling than they had previously manifested. Nevertheless, they
+remained distrustful and sad, some dreaming that night of the pictures
+that Columbus had drawn of the glories of the East, and others fancying,
+in their sleep, that demons were luring them into unknown seas, where
+they were doomed to wander forever, as a punishment for their sins;
+conscience asserting its power in all situations, and most vividly in
+those of distrust and uncertainty.
+
+Shortly before sunset, the admiral caused the three vessels to heave-to,
+and the two Pinzons to repair on board his own ship. Here he laid before
+these persons his orders and plans for their government, in the event of
+a separation.
+
+"Thus you will understand me, Señores," he concluded, after having
+explained at length his views: "Your first and gravest duty will be to
+keep near the admiral, in all weather, and under every circumstance, so
+long as it may be possible; but, failing of the possibility, you will
+make your way due westward, on this parallel of latitude, until you have
+gone seven hundred leagues from the Canaries; after which, you are to
+lie-to at night, as, by that time, it is probable you will be among the
+islands of Asia; and it will be both prudent, and necessary to our
+objects, to be more on the alert for discoveries, from that moment.
+Still, you will proceed westward, relying on seeing me at the court of
+the Great Khan, should Providence deny us an earlier meeting."
+
+"This is well, Señor Almirante," returned Martin Alonzo, raising his
+eyes, which had long been riveted on the chart, "but it will be far
+better for all to keep together, and chiefly so to us, who are little
+used to the habits of princes, if we wait for your Excellency's
+protection before we rush unheedingly into the presence of a sovereign
+as potent as the Grand Khan."
+
+"Thou showest thy usual prudence, good Martin Alonzo, and I much commend
+thee for it. It were, indeed, better that thou shouldst wait my arrival,
+since that eastern potentate may conceive himself better treated by
+receiving the first visit from the viceroy of the sovereigns, who is the
+bearer of letters directly from his own royal master and mistress, than
+by receiving it from one of inferior rank. Look thou well to the islands
+and their products, Señor Pinzon, shouldst thou first gain those seas,
+and await my appearance, before thou proceedest to aught else. How stand
+thy people affected on taking leave of the land?"
+
+"Ill enough, Señor; so much so, indeed, as to put me in fear of a
+mutiny. There are those in the Pinta who need to stand in wholesome
+dread of the anger of their Highnesses, to prevent their making a sudden
+and violent return to Palos."
+
+"Thou wouldst do well to look sharply to this spirit, that it may be
+kept under. Deal kindly and gently with these disaffected spirits as
+long as may be, encouraging them by all fair and reasonable promises;
+but beware that the distemper get not the mastery of thy authority. And
+now, Señores, as the night approacheth, take boat and return to your
+vessels, that we may profit by the breeze."
+
+When Columbus was again alone with Luis, he sat in his little cabin,
+with a hand supporting his head, musing like one lost in reflection.
+
+"Thou hast long known this Martin Alonzo, Don Luis de Bobadilla?" he at
+length asked, betraying the current of his thoughts, by the nature of
+the question.
+
+"Long, Señor, as youths count time; though it would seem but a day in
+the calculations of aged men."
+
+"Much dependeth on him; I hope he may prove honest; as yet he hath shown
+himself liberal, enterprising, and manly."
+
+"He is human, Don Christopher, and therefore liable to err. Yet as men
+go, I esteem Martin Alonzo far from being among the worst of his race.
+He hath not embarked in this enterprise under knightly vows, nor with
+any churchman's zeal; but give him the chance of a fair return for his
+risks, and you will find him as true as interest ever leaveth a man,
+when there is any occasion to try his selfishness."
+
+"Then thou, only, will I trust with my secret. Look at this paper, Luis.
+Here thou seest that I have been calculating our progress since morning,
+and I find that we have come full nineteen leagues, though it be not in
+a direct westerly line. Should I let the people know how far we may have
+truly come, at the end of some great distance, there being no land
+visible, fear will get the mastery over them, and no man can foresee the
+consequences. I shall write down publicly, therefore, but fifteen
+leagues, keeping the true reckoning sacred for thine eye and mine. God
+will forgive me this deception, in consideration that it is practised in
+the interest of his own church. By making these small deductions daily,
+it will enable us to advance a thousand leagues, without awakening alarm
+sufficient for more than seven or eight hundred."
+
+"This is reducing courage to a scale I little dreamt of, Señor,"
+returned Luis, laughing. "By San Luis, my true patron! we should think
+ill of the knight who found it necessary to uphold his heart by a
+measurement of leagues."
+
+"All unknown evils are dreaded evils. Distance hath its terrors for the
+ignorant, and it may justly have its terrors for the wise, young noble,
+when it is measured on a trackless ocean; and there ariseth another
+question touching those great staples of life, food and water."
+
+With this slight reproof of the levity of his young friend, the admiral
+prepared himself for his hammock by kneeling and repeating the prayers
+of the hour.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII.
+
+    "Whither, 'midst falling dew,
+      While glow the heavens with the last steps of day,
+    Far, through their rosy depths, dost thou pursue
+      Thy solitary way?"
+
+    Bryant.
+
+
+The slumbers of Columbus were of short duration. While his sleep lasted
+it was profound, like that of a man who has so much control over his
+will as to have reduced the animal functions to its domination, for he
+awoke regularly at short intervals, in order that his watchful eye might
+take a survey of the state of the weather, and of the condition of his
+vessels. On this occasion, the admiral was on deck again, a little after
+one, where he found all things seemingly in that quiet and inspiring
+calm that ordinarily marks, in fine weather, a middle watch at sea. The
+men on deck mostly slumbered; the drowsy pilot, and the steersman, with
+a look-out or two, alone remaining erect and awake. The wind had
+freshened, and the caravel was ploughing her way ahead, with an untiring
+industry, leaving Ferro and its dangers, at each instant, more and more
+remote. The only noises that were audible, were the gentle sighing of
+the wind among the cordage, the wash of the water, and the occasional
+creaking of a yard, as the breeze forced it, with a firmer pressure, to
+distend its tackle and to strain its fittings.
+
+The night was dark, and it required a moment to accustom the eye to
+objects by a light so feeble: when this was done, however, the admiral
+discovered that the ship was not close by the wind, as he had ordered
+that she should be kept. Walking to the helm, he perceived that it was
+so far borne up, as to cause her head to fall off toward the north-east,
+which was, in fact, in the direction to Spain.
+
+"Art thou a seaman, and disregardest thy course, in this heedless
+manner?" sternly demanded the admiral; "or art thou only a muleteer, who
+fancieth he is merely winding his way along a path of the mountains. Thy
+heart is in Spain, and thou thinkest that a vain wish to return may meet
+with some relief in this idle artifice!"
+
+"Alas, Señor Almirante! your Excellency hath judged rightly in believing
+that my heart is in Spain, where it ought to be, moreover, as I have
+left behind me at Moguer seven motherless children."
+
+"Dost thou not know, fellow, that I, too, am a father, and that the
+dearest objects of a father's hopes are left behind me, also? In what,
+then, dost thou differ from me, my son being also without a mother's
+care?"
+
+"Excellency, he hath an admiral for a father, while my boys have only a
+helmsman!"
+
+"And what will it matter to Don Diego"--Columbus was fond of dwelling on
+the honors he had received from the sovereigns, even though it were a
+little irregularly--"what will it matter to Don Diego, my son, that his
+parent perished an admiral, if he perish at all; and in what will he
+profit more than your children, when he findeth himself altogether
+without a parent?"
+
+"Señor, it will profit him to be cherished by the king and queen, to be
+honored as your child, and to be fostered and fed as the offspring of a
+viceroy, instead of being cast aside as the issue of a nameless
+mariner."
+
+"Friend, thou hast some reason in this, and in-so-much I respect thy
+feelings," answered Columbus, who, like our own Washington, appears to
+have always submitted to a lofty and pure sense of justice; "but thou
+wouldst do well to remember the influence that thy manly and successful
+perseverance in this voyage may produce on the welfare of thy children,
+instead of thus dwelling on weak forebodings of ills that are little
+likely to come to pass. Neither of us hath much to expect, should we
+fail of our discoveries, while both may hope every thing should we
+succeed. Can I trust thee now, to keep the ship on her course, or must I
+send for another mariner to relieve the helm?"
+
+"It may be better, noble admiral, to do the last. I will bethink me of
+thy counsel, and strive with my longings for home; but it would be safer
+to seek another for this day, while we are so near to Spain."
+
+"Dost thou know one Sancho Mundo, a common seaman of this crew?"
+
+"Señor, we all know him; he hath the name of the most skilful of our
+craft, of all in Moguer."
+
+"Is he of thy watch, or sleepeth he with his fellows of the relief
+below?"
+
+"Señor, he is of our watch; and sleepeth not with his fellows below, for
+the reason that he sleepeth on deck. No care, or danger, can unsettle
+the confidence of Sancho! To him the sight of land is so far an evil,
+that I doubt if he rejoice should we ever reach those distant countries
+that your Excellency seemeth to expect we may."
+
+"Go find this Sancho, and bid him come hither; I will discharge thy
+office the while."
+
+Columbus now took the helm with his own hands, and with a light play of
+the tiller brought the ship immediately up as near the wind as she would
+lie. The effect was felt in more quick and sudden plunges into the sea,
+a deeper heel to leeward, and a fresh creaking aloft, that denoted a
+renewed and increased strain on all the spars and their tackle. In the
+course of a few minutes, however, Sancho appeared, rubbing his eyes, and
+yawning.
+
+"Take thou this duty," said the admiral, as soon as the man was near
+him, "and discharge it faithfully. Those who have been here already,
+have proved unfaithful, suffering the vessel to fall off, in the
+direction of Spain; I expect better things of thee. I think, friend
+Sancho, I may count on thee as a true and faithful follower, even in
+extremity?"
+
+"Señor Don Almirante," said Sancho, who took the helm, giving it a
+little play to feel his command of it, as a skilful coachman brings his
+team in subjection on first assuming the reins, "I am a servant of the
+crown's, and your inferior and subordinate; such duty as becometh me, I
+am ready to discharge."
+
+"Thou hast no fear of this voyage--no childish forebodings of becoming
+an endless wanderer in an unknown sea, without hope of ever seeing wife
+or child again?"
+
+"Señor, you seem to know our hearts as well as if your Excellency had
+made them with your own hands, and then put them into our miserable
+bodies!"
+
+"Thou hast, then, none of these unsuitable and unseamanlike
+apprehensions?"
+
+"Not as much, Excellency, as would raise an ave in a parish priest, or a
+sigh in an old woman. I may have my misgivings, for we all have
+weaknesses, but none of them incline to any dread of sailing about the
+ocean, since that is my happiness; nor to any concern about wife and
+children, not having the first, and wishing not to think I have the
+last."
+
+"If thou hast misgivings, name them. I could wish to make one firm as
+thou, wholly my friend."
+
+"I doubt not, Señor, that we shall reach Cathay, or whatever country
+your Excellency may choose to seek; I make no question of your ability
+to beard the Great Khan, and, at need, to strip the very jewels from his
+turban--as turban he must have, being an Infidel; nor do I feel any
+misgivings about the magnitude and richness of our discoveries and
+freights, since I believe, Señor Don Almirante, you are skilful enough
+to take the caravels in at one end of the earth and out at the other;
+or, even to load them with carbuncles, should diamonds be wanting."
+
+"If thou hast this faith in thy leader, what other distrust can give
+thee concern?"
+
+"I distrust the value of the share, whether of honor or of jewels, that
+will fall to the lot of one Sancho Mundo, a poor, unknown, almost
+shirtless mariner, that hath more need of both than hath ever crossed
+the mind of our gracious lady, Doña Isabella, or of her royal consort."
+
+"Sancho, thou art a proof that no man is without his failings, and I
+fear thou art mercenary. They say all men have their prices; thou
+seemest clearly to have thine."
+
+"Your Excellency hath not been sailing about the world for nothing, or
+you could not tell every man his inclinations so easily. I have ever
+suspected I was mercenary, and so have accepted all sorts of presents to
+keep the feeling down. Nothing appeases a mercenary longing like gifts
+and rewards; and as for price, I strive hard to keep mine as high as
+possible, lest it should bring me into discredit for a mean and
+grovelling spirit. Give me a high price, and plenty of gifts, and I can
+be as disinterested as a mendicant friar."
+
+"I understand thee, Sancho; thou art to be bought, but not to be
+frightened. In thy opinion a single dobla is too little to be divided
+between thee and thy friend, the Portuguese. I will make a league with
+thee on thine own terms; here is another piece of gold; see that thou
+remainest true to me throughout the voyage."
+
+"Count on me, without scruple, Señor Don Almirante, and with scruples,
+too, should they interfere. Your Excellency hath not a more
+disinterested friend in the fleet. I only hope that when the share-list
+shall be written out, the name of Sancho Mundo may have an honorable
+place, as will become his fidelity. And now, your Excellency, go sleep
+in peace; the Santa Maria shall lie as near to the route to Cathay, as
+this south-westerly breeze will suffer."
+
+Columbus complied, though he rose once or twice more, during the night,
+to ascertain the state of the weather, and that the men did their
+duties. So long as Sancho remained at the helm, he continued faithful to
+his compact; but, as he went below with his watch, at the usual hour,
+successors were put in his place, who betrayed the original treachery of
+the other helmsman. When Luis left his hammock, Columbus was already at
+work, ascertaining the distance that had been run in the course of the
+night. Catching the inquiring glance of the young man, the admiral
+observed, gravely, and not altogether without melancholy in his manner--
+
+"We have had a good run, though it hath been more northerly than I could
+have desired. I find that the vessels are thirty leagues further from
+Ferro than when the sun set, and thou seest, here, that I have written
+four-and-twenty in the reckoning, that is intended for the eyes of the
+people. But there hath been great weakness at work this night among the
+steersmen, if not treachery: they have kept the ship away in a manner to
+cause her to run a part of the time in a direction nearly parallel to
+the coast of Europe, so that they have been endeavoring to deceive me,
+on the deck, while I have thought it necessary to attempt deceiving them
+in the cabin. It is painful, Don Luis, to find such deceptions resorted
+to, or such deceptions necessary, when one is engaged in an enterprise
+that surpasseth all others ever yet attempted by man, and that, too,
+with a view to the glory of God, the advantage of the human race, and
+the especial interests of Spain."
+
+"The holy churchmen, themselves, Don Christopher, are obliged to submit
+to this evil," answered the careless Luis; "and it does not become us
+laymen to repine at what they endure. I am told that half the miracles
+they perform are, in truth, miracles of but a very indifferent quality;
+the doubts and want of faith of us hardened sinners rendering such
+little inventions necessary for the good of our souls."
+
+"That there are false-minded and treacherous churchmen, as well as
+false-minded and treacherous laymen, Luis, I little doubt," answered the
+admiral; "but this cometh of the fall of man, and of his evil nature.
+There are also righteous and true miracles, that come of the power of
+God, and which are intended to uphold the faith, and to encourage those
+who love and honor his holy name. I do not esteem any thing that hath
+yet befallen us to belong very distinctly to this class; nor do I
+venture to hope that we are to be favored in this manner by an especial
+intervention in our behalf; but it exceedeth all the machinations of the
+devils to persuade me that we shall be deserted while bent on so
+glorious a design, or that we are not, indirectly and secretly, led, in
+our voyage, by a spirit and knowledge that both come of Divine grace and
+infinite wisdom."
+
+"This may be so, Don Christopher, so far as you are concerned; though,
+for myself, I claim no higher a guide than an angel. An angel's purity,
+and, I hope I may add, an angel's love, lead me, in my blind path across
+the ocean!"
+
+"So it seemeth to thee, Luis; but thou canst not know that a higher
+power doth not use the Doña Mercedes as an instrument in this matter.
+Although no miracle rendereth it apparent to the vulgar, a spirit is
+placed in my breast, in conducting this enterprise, that I should deem
+it blasphemy to resist. God be praised, my boy, we are at last quit of
+the Portuguese, and are fairly on our road! At present all our obstacles
+must arise from the elements, or from our own fears. It gladdeneth my
+heart to find that the two Pinzons remain true, and that they keep their
+caravels close to the Santa Maria, like men bent on maintaining their
+faith, and seeing an end of the adventure."
+
+As Luis was now ready, he and the admiral left the cabin together. The
+sun had risen, and the broad expanse of the ocean was glittering with
+his rays. The wind had freshened, and was gradually getting further to
+the south, so that the vessels headed up nearly to their course; and,
+there being but little sea, the progress of the fleet was, in
+proportion, considerable. Every thing appeared propitious; and the first
+burst of grief, on losing sight of known land, having subsided, the
+crews were more tranquil, though dread of the future was smothered, like
+the latent fires of a volcano, rather than extinguished. The aspect of
+the sea was favorable, offering nothing to view that was unusual to
+mariners; and, as there is always something grateful in a lively breeze,
+when unaccompanied with danger, the men were probably encouraged by a
+state of things to which they were accustomed, and which brought with it
+cheerfulness and hope. In the course of the day and night, the vessels
+ran a hundred and eighty miles still further into the trackless waste of
+the ocean, without awakening half the apprehensions in the bosoms of the
+mariners that they had experienced on losing sight of land. Columbus,
+however, acting on the cautious principle he had adopted, when he laid
+before his people the result of the twenty-four hours' work, reduced the
+distance to about one hundred and fifty.
+
+Tuesday, the 10th of September, brought a still more favorable change of
+wind. This day, for the first time since quitting the Canaries, the
+heads of the vessels were laid fairly to the west; and, with the old
+world directly behind them, and the unknown ocean in their front, the
+adventurers proceeded onward with a breeze at south-east. The rate of
+sailing was about five miles in the hour; compensating for the want of
+speed, by the steadiness of their progress, and by the directness of
+their course.
+
+The observations that are usually made at sea, when the sun is in the
+zenith, were over, and Columbus had just announced to his anxious
+companions that the vessels were gradually setting south, owing to the
+drift of some invisible current, when a cry from the mast-head announced
+the proximity of a whale. As the appearance of one of these monsters of
+the deep breaks the monotony of a sea life, every one was instantly on
+the look-out, some leaping into the rigging and others upon the rails,
+in order to catch a glimpse of his gambols.
+
+"Dost thou see him, Sancho?" demanded the admiral of Mundo, the latter
+being near him at the moment. "To me the water hath no appearance of any
+such animals being at hand."
+
+"Your Excellency's eye, Señor Don Almirante, is far truer than that of
+the babbler's aloft. Sure as this is the Atlantic, and yonder is the
+foam of the crests of the waves, there is no whale."
+
+"The flukes!--the flukes!" shouted a dozen voices at once, pointing to a
+spot where a dark object arose above the froth of the sea, showing a
+pointed summit, with short arms extended on each side. "He playeth with
+his head beneath the water, and the tail uppermost!"
+
+"Alas!--alas!" exclaimed the practised Sancho, with the melancholy of a
+true seaman, "what these inexperienced and hasty brawlers call the fluke
+of a whale, is naught but the mast of some unhappy ship, that hath left
+her bones, with her freight and her people, in the depths of the ocean!"
+
+"Thou art right, Sancho," returned the admiral. "I now see that thou
+meanest: it is truly a spar, and doubtless betokeneth a shipwreck."
+
+This fact passed swiftly from mouth to mouth, and the sadness that ever
+accompanies the evidences of such a disaster, settled on the faces of
+all the beholders. The pilots alone showed indifference, and they
+consulted on the expediency of endeavoring to secure the spar, as a
+resource in time of need; but they abandoned the attempt on acccount of
+the agitation of the water, and of the fairness of the wind, the latter
+being an advantage a true mariner seldom likes to lose.
+
+"There is a warning to us!" exclaimed one of the disaffected, as the
+Santa Maria sailed past the waving summit of the spar; "God hath sent
+this sign to warn us not to venture where he never intended navigators
+to go!"
+
+"Say, rather," put in Sancho, who, having taken the fee, had ever since
+proved a willing advocate, "it is an omen of encouragement sent from
+heaven. Dost thou not see that the part of the mast that is visible
+resembleth a cross, which holy sign is intended to lead us on, filled
+with hopes of success?"
+
+"This is true, Sancho," interrupted Columbus. "A cross hath been reared
+for our edification, as it might be, in the midst of the ocean, and we
+are to regard it as a proof that Providence is with us, in our attempt
+to carry its blessings to the aid and consolation of the heathen of
+Asia."
+
+As the resemblance to the holy symbol was far from fanciful, this happy
+hit of Sancho's was not without its effect. The reader will understand
+the likeness all the better, when he is told that the upper end of a
+mast has much the appearance of a cross, by means of the trussel-trees;
+and, as often happens, this particular spar was floating nearly
+perpendicular, owing to some heavy object being fast to its heel,
+leaving the summit raised some fifteen or twenty feet above the surface
+of the sea. In a quarter of an hour this last relic of Europe and of
+civilization disappeared in the wake of the vessels, gradually
+diminishing in size and settling toward the water, until its faint
+outlines vanished in threads, still wearing the well-known shape of the
+revered symbol of Christianity.
+
+After this little incident, the progress of the vessels was
+uninterrupted by any event worthy of notice for two days and nights. All
+this time the wind was favorable, and the adventurers proceeded due
+west, by compass, which was, in fact, however, going a little north of
+the real point--a truth that the knowledge of the period had not yet
+mastered. Between the morning of the 10th September, and the evening of
+the 13th, the fleet had passed over near ninety leagues of ocean,
+holding its way in a line but a little deviating from a direct one
+athwart the great waste of water, and having consequently reached a
+point as far, if not further west than the position of the Azores, then
+the most westerly land known to European navigators. On the 13th, the
+currents proved to be adverse, and, having a south-easterly set, they
+had a tendency to cause the ships to sheer southwardly, bringing them,
+each hour, nearer to the northern margin of the trades.
+
+The admiral and Luis were at their customary post, on the evening of the
+13th--the day last mentioned--as Sancho left the helm, his tour of duty
+having just ended. Instead of going forward, as usual, among the people,
+the fellow hesitated, surveyed the poop with a longing eye, and, finding
+it occupied only by the admiral and his constant companion, he ascended
+the ladder, as if desirous of making some communication.
+
+"Wouldst thou aught with me, Sancho?" demanded the admiral, waiting for
+the man to make certain that no one else was on the narrow deck. "Speak
+freely: thou hast my confidence."
+
+"Señor Don Almirante, your Excellency well knoweth that I am no
+fresh-water fish, to be frightened at the sight of a shark or a whale,
+or one that is terrified because a ship headeth west, instead of east;
+and yet I do come to say that this voyage is not altogether without
+certain signs and marvels, that it may be well for a mariner to respect,
+as unusual, if not ominous."
+
+"As thou sayest, Sancho, thou art no driveller to be terrified by the
+flight of a bird, or at the presage of a drifting spar, and thou
+awakenest my curiosity to know more. The Señor de Muños is my
+confidential secretary, and nothing need be hid from him. Speak freely,
+then, and without further delay. If gold is thy aim, be certain thou
+shalt have it."
+
+"No, Señor, my news is not worth a maravedi, or it is far beyond the
+price of gold; such as it is, your Excellency can take it, and think no
+more of my reward. You know, Señor, that we old mariners will have our
+thoughts as we stand at the helm, sometimes fancying the smiles and good
+looks of some hussy ashore, sometimes remembering the flavor of rich
+fruits and well-savored mutton; and then, again, for a wonder,
+bethinking us of our sins."
+
+"Fellow, all this I well know; but it is not matter for an admiral's
+ear."
+
+"I know not that, Señor; I have known admirals who have relished mutton
+after a long cruise; ay, and who have bethought them, too, of smiling
+faces and bright eyes, and who, if they did not, at times, bethink them
+of their sins, have done what was much worse, help to add to the great
+account that was heaping up against them. Now, there was"--
+
+"Let me toss this vagabond into the sea, at once, Don Christopher,"
+interrupted the impatient Luis, making a forward movement as if to
+execute the threat, an act which the hand of Columbus arrested; "we
+shall never hear a tale the right end first, as long as he remaineth in
+the ship."
+
+"I thank you, my young Lord of Llera," answered Sancho, with an ironical
+smile; "if you are as ready at drowning seamen, as you are at unhorsing
+Christian knights in the tourney, and Infidels in the fray, I would
+rather that another should be master of my baths."
+
+"Thou know'st me, knave? Thou hast seen me on some earlier voyage."
+
+"A cat may look at a king, Señor Conde; and why not a mariner on his
+passenger? But spare your threats, and your secret is in safe hands. If
+we reach Cathay, no one will be ashamed of having made the voyage; and
+if we miss it, it is little likely that any will go back to relate the
+precise manner in which your Excellency was drowned, or starved to
+death, or in what other manner you became a saint in Abraham's bosom."
+
+"Enough of this!" said Columbus, sternly; "relate what thou hast to say,
+and see that thou art discreet touching this young noble."
+
+"Señor, your word is law. Well, Don Christopher, it is one of the tricks
+of us mariners, at night, to be watching an old and constant friend, the
+north star; and while thus occupied an hour since, I noted that this
+faithful guide and the compass by which I was steering, told different
+tales."
+
+"Art certain of this?" demanded the admiral, with a quickness and
+emphasis that betrayed the interest he felt in the communication.
+
+"As certain, Señor, as fifty years' looking at the star, and forty
+years' watching of the compass can make a man. But there is no occasion,
+your Excellency, to depend on my ignorance, since the star is still
+where God placed it; and there is your private compass at your
+elbow--one may be compared with the other."
+
+Columbus had already bethought him of making this comparison; and by the
+time Sancho ceased speaking, he and Luis were examining the instrument
+with eager curiosity. The first, and the most natural, impression, was a
+belief that the needle of the instrument below was defective, or, at
+least, influenced by some foreign cause; but an attentive observation
+soon convinced the navigator that the remark of Sancho was true. He was
+both astonished and concerned to find that the habitual care, and
+professional eye of the fellow had been active, and quick to note a
+change as unusual as this. It was, indeed, so common with mariners to
+compare their compasses with the north star--a luminary that was
+supposed never to vary its position in the heavens, as that position
+related to man--that no experienced seaman, who happened to be at the
+helm at nightfall, could well overlook the phenomenon.
+
+After repeated observations with his own compasses, of which he kept
+two--one on the poop, and another in the cabin; and having recourse also
+to the two instruments in the binnacle, Columbus was compelled to admit
+to himself that all four varied, alike, from their usual direction,
+nearly six degrees. Instead of pointing due north, or, at least, in a
+direct line toward a point on the horizon immediately beneath the star,
+they pointed some five or six degrees to the westward of it. This was
+both a novel and an astounding departure from the laws of nature, as
+they were then understood, and threatened to render the desired results
+of the voyage so much the more difficult of attainment, as it at once
+deprived the adventurers of a sure reliance on the mariner's principal
+guide, and would render it difficult to sail, with any feeling of
+certainty as to the course, in cloudy weather, or dark nights. The first
+thought of the admiral, on this occasion, however, was to prevent the
+effect which such a discovery would be likely to produce on men already
+disposed to anticipate the worst.
+
+"Thou wilt say nothing of this, Sancho?" he observed to the man. "Here
+is another dobla to add to thy store."
+
+"Excellency, pardon a humble seaman's disobedience, if my hand refuse to
+open to your gift. This matter toucheth of supernatural means; and, as
+the devil may have an agency in the miracle, in order to prevent our
+converting them heathen, of whom you so often speak, I prefer to keep my
+soul as pure as may be, in the matter, since no one knoweth what weapons
+we may be driven to use, should we come to real blows with the Father of
+Sin."
+
+"Thou wilt, at least, prove discreet?"
+
+"Trust me for that, Señor Don Almirante; not a word shall pass my lips
+about this matter, until I have your Excellency's permission to speak."
+
+Columbus dismissed the man, and then he turned toward Luis, who had been
+a silent but attentive listener to what had passed.
+
+"You seem disturbed at this departure from the usual laws of the
+compass, Don Christopher," observed the young man, gaily. "To me it
+would seem better to rely altogether on Providence, which would scarcely
+lead us out here, into the wide Atlantic, on its own errand, and desert
+us when we most need its aid."
+
+"God implants in the bosom of his servants a desire to advance his ends,
+but human agents are compelled to employ natural means, and, in order to
+use such means advantageously, it is necessary to understand them. I
+look upon this phenomenon as a proof that our voyage is to result in
+discoveries of unknown magnitude, among which, perhaps, are to be
+numbered some clue to the mysteries of the needle. The mineral riches of
+Spain differ, in certain particulars, from the mineral riches of France;
+for, though some things are common to all lands, others are peculiar to
+particular countries. We may find regions where the loadstone abounds,
+or may, even now, be in the neighborhood of some island that hath an
+influence on our compasses that we cannot explain."
+
+"Is it known that islands have ever produced this effect on the needle?"
+
+"It is not--nor do I deem such a circumstance very probable, though all
+things are possible. We will wait patiently for further proofs that this
+phenomenon is real and permanent, ere we reason further on a matter that
+is so difficult to be understood."
+
+The subject was now dropped, though the unusual incident gave the great
+navigator an uneasy and thoughtful night. He slept little, and often was
+his eye fastened on the compass that was suspended in his cabin as a
+"tell-tale," for so seamen term the instrument by which the officer
+overlooks the course that is steered by the helmsman, even when the
+latter least suspects his supervision. Columbus arose sufficiently early
+to get a view of the star before its brightness was dimmed by the return
+of light, and made another deliberate comparison of the position of this
+familiar heavenly body with the direction of the needles. The
+examination proved a slight increase of the variation, and tended to
+corroborate the observations of the previous night. The result of the
+reckoning showed that the vessels had run nearly a hundred miles in the
+course of the last twenty-four hours, and Columbus now believed himself
+to be about six times that distance west of Ferro, though even the
+pilots fancied themselves by no means as far.
+
+As Sancho kept his secret, and no other eye among the helmsmen was as
+vigilant, the important circumstance, as yet, escaped general attention.
+It was only at night, indeed, that the variation could be observed by
+means of the polar star, and it was yet so slight that no one but a very
+experienced and quick-eyed mariner would be apt to note it. The whole of
+the day and night of the 14th consequently passed without the crew's
+taking the alarm, and this so much the more as the wind had fallen, and
+the vessels were only some sixty miles further west than when they
+commenced. Still, Columbus noted the difference, slight as was the
+change, ascertaining, with the precision of an experienced and able
+navigator, that the needle was gradually varying more and more to the
+westward, though it was by steps that were nearly imperceptible.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII.
+
+        "On thy unaltering blaze
+      The half-wrecked mariner, his compass lost,
+        Fixes his steady gaze,
+      And steers, undoubting, to the friendly coast;
+    And they who stray in perilous wastes, by night,
+    Are glad when thou dost shine to guide their footsteps right."
+
+    Hymn to the North Star.
+
+
+The following day was Saturday, the 15th, when the little fleet was ten
+days from Gomera; or it was the sixth morning since the adventurers had
+lost sight of the land. The last week had been one of melancholy
+forebodings, though habit was beginning to assert its influence, and the
+men manifested openly less uneasiness than they had done in the three or
+four previous days. Their apprehensions were getting to be dormant for
+want of any exciting and apparent stimulus, though they existed as
+latent impulses, in readiness to be roused at the occurrence of any
+untoward event. The wind continued fair, though light--the whole
+twenty-four hours' work showing considerably less than a hundred miles,
+as the true progress west. All this time Columbus kept his attention
+fastened on the needles, and he perceived that as the vessels slowly
+made their westing, the magnets pointed more and more, though by
+scarcely palpable changes, in the same direction.
+
+The admiral and Luis, by this time, had fallen into such habits of close
+communication, that they usually rose and slept at the same time. Though
+far too ignorant of the hazards he ran to feel uneasiness, and
+constitutionally, as well as morally, superior to idle alarms, the young
+man had got to feel a sort of sportsman's excitement in the result; and,
+by this time, had not Mercedes existed, he would have been as reluctant
+to return without seeing Cathay, as Columbus himself. They conversed
+together of their progress and their hopes, without ceasing, and Luis
+took so much interest in his situation as to begin to learn how to
+discriminate in matters that might be supposed to affect its duration
+and ends.
+
+On the night of the Saturday just mentioned, Columbus and his reputed
+secretary were alone on the poop, conversing, as usual, on the signs of
+the times, and of the events of the day.
+
+"The Niña had something to say to you, last evening, Don Christopher,"
+observed the young man; "I was occupied in the cabin, with my journal,
+and had no opportunity of knowing what passed."
+
+"Her people had seen a bird or two, that are thought never to go far
+from the land. It is possible that islands are at no great distance, for
+man hath nowhere passed over any very great extent of sea without
+meeting with them. We cannot, however, waste the time necessary for a
+search, since the glory and profit of ascertaining the situation of a
+group of islands would be but a poor compensation for the loss of a
+continent."
+
+"Do you still remark those unaccountable changes in the needles, Señor?"
+
+"In this respect there is no change, except that which goeth to
+corroborate the phenomenon. My chief apprehension is of the effect on
+the people, when the circumstance shall be known."
+
+"Are there no means to persuade them that the needle pointeth thus west,
+as a sign Providence willeth they should pursue that course, by
+persevering in the voyage?"
+
+"This might do, Luis," answered the admiral, smiling, "had not fear so
+sharpened their wits, that their first question would be an inquiry why
+Providence should deprive us of the means of knowing whither we are
+travelling, when it so much wisheth us to go in any particular
+direction."
+
+A cry from the watch on deck arrested the discourse, while a sudden
+brightness broke on the night, illuminating the vessels and the ocean,
+as if a thousand lamps were shedding their brilliancy upon the
+surrounding portion of the sphere. A ball of fire was glancing athwart
+the heavens, and seemed to fall into the sea, at the distance of a few
+leagues, or at the limits of the visible horizon. Its disappearance was
+followed by a gloom as profound as the extraordinary and fleeting light
+had been brilliant. This was only the passage of a meteor; but it was
+such a meteor as men do not see more than once in their lives--if it is
+seen as often; and the superstitious mariners did not fail to note the
+incident among the extraordinary omens that accompanied the voyage; some
+auguring good, and others evil, from the event.
+
+"By St. Iago!" exclaimed Luis, as soon as the light had vanished, "Señor
+Don Christopher, this voyage of ours doth not seem fated to pass away
+unheeded by the elements and other notable powers! Whether these
+portents speak in our favor, or not, they speak us any thing but men
+engaged in an every-day occupation."
+
+"Thus it is with the human mind!" returned Columbus. "Let but its owner
+pass beyond the limits of his ordinary habits and duties, and he sees
+marvels in the most simple changes of the weather--in a flash of
+lightning--a blast of air--or the passage of a meteor; little heeding
+that these miracles exist in his own consciousness, and have no
+connection with the every-day laws of nature. These sights are by no
+means uncommon, especially in low latitudes; and they augur neither for
+nor against our enterprise."
+
+"Except, Señor Almirante, as they may beset the spirits and haunt the
+imaginations of the men. Sancho telleth me, that a brooding discontent
+is growing among them; and that, while they seem so tranquil, their
+disrelish of the voyage is hourly getting to be more and more decided."
+
+Notwithstanding this opinion of the admiral, and some pains that he
+afterward took to explain the phenomenon to the people on deck, the
+passage of the meteor had, indeed, not only produced a deep impression
+on them, but its history went from watch to watch, and was the subject
+of earnest discourse throughout the night. But the incident produced no
+open manifestation of discontent; a few deeming it a propitious omen,
+though most secretly considered it an admonition from heaven against any
+impious attempts to pry into those mysteries of nature that, according
+to their notions, God, in his providence, had not seen fit to reveal to
+man.
+
+All this time the vessels were making a steady progress toward the west.
+The wind had often varied, both in force and direction, but never in a
+manner to compel the ships to shorten sail, or to deviate from what the
+admiral believed to be the proper course. They supposed themselves to be
+steering due west, but, owing to the variation, were in fact now holding
+a west-and-by-south course, and were gradually getting nearer to the
+trades; a movement in which they had also been materially aided by the
+force of the currents. In the course of the 15th and 16th of the month,
+the fleet had got about two hundred miles further from Europe, Columbus
+taking the usual precaution to lessen the distance in the public
+reckoning. The latter day was a Sunday; and the religious offices, which
+were then seldom neglected in a Christian ship, produced a deep and
+sublime effect on the feelings of the adventurers. Hitherto the weather
+had partaken of the usual character of the season, and a few clouds,
+with a slight drizzling rain, had relieved the heat; but these soon
+passed away, and were succeeded by a soft south-east wind, that seemed
+to come charged with the fragrance of the land. The men united in the
+evening chants, under these propitious circumstances; the vessels
+drawing near each other, as if it might be to form one temple in honor
+of God, amid the vast solitudes of an ocean that had seldom, if ever,
+been whitened by a sail. Cheerfulness and hope succeeded to this act of
+devotion, and both were speedily heightened by a cry from the look-out
+aloft, who pointed ahead and to leeward, as if he beheld some object of
+peculiar interest in that quarter. The helms were varied a little; and
+in a few minutes the vessels entered into a field of sea-weed, that
+covered the ocean for miles. This sign of the vicinity of land was
+received by the mariners with a shout; and the very beings who had so
+shortly before been balancing on the verge of despair, now became elate
+with joy.
+
+These weeds were indeed of a character to awaken hope in the bosom of
+the most experienced mariner. Although some had lost their freshness, a
+great proportion of them were still green, and had the appearance of
+having been quite recently separated from their parent rocks, or the
+earth that had nourished them. No doubt was now entertained, even by the
+pilots, of the vicinity of land. Tunny-fish were also seen in numbers,
+and the people of the Niña were sufficiently fortunate to strike one.
+The seamen embraced each other, with tears in their eyes, and many a
+hand was squeezed in friendly congratulation, that the previous day
+would have been withheld in surly misanthropy.
+
+"And do you partake of all this hope, Don Christopher?" demanded Luis;
+"are we really to expect the Indies as a consequence of these marine
+plants, or is the expectation idle?"
+
+"The people deceive themselves in supposing our voyage near an end.
+Cathay must yet be very distant from us. We have come but three hundred
+and sixty leagues since losing sight of Ferro, which, according to my
+computations, cannot be much more than a third of our journey. Aristotle
+mentioned that certain vessels of Cadiz were forced westward by heavy
+gales, until they reached a sea covered with weeds, a spot where the
+tunny-fish abounded. This is the fish, thou must know, Luis, that the
+ancients fancied could see better with the right eye than with the left,
+because it hath been noted that, in passing the Bosphorus, they ever
+take the right shore in proceeding toward the Euxine, and the left in
+returning"--
+
+"By St. Francis! there can be no wonder if creatures so one-sided in
+their vision, should have strayed thus far from home," interrupted the
+light-hearted Luis, laughing. "Doth Aristotle, or the other ancients,
+tell us how they regarded beauty; or whether their notions of justice
+were like those of the magistrate who hath been fed by both parties?"
+
+"Aristotle speaketh only of the presence of the fish in the weedy ocean,
+as we see them before us. The mariners of Cadiz fancied themselves in
+the neighborhood of sunken islands, and, the wind permitting, made the
+best of their way back to their own shores. Thia place, in my judgment,
+we have now reached; but I expect to meet with no land, unless, indeed,
+we may happen to fall in with some island that lieth off here in the
+ocean, as a sort of beacon between the shore of Europe and that of Asia.
+Doubtless land is not distant, whence these weeds have drifted, but I
+attach little importance to its sight, or discovery. Cathay is my aim,
+Don Luis, and I am a searcher for continents, not islands."
+
+It is now known that while Columbus was right in his expectations of not
+finding a continent so early, he was mistaken in supposing land to lie
+any where in that vicinity. Whether these weeds are collected by the
+course of the currents, or whether they rise from the bottom, torn from
+their beds by the action of the water, is not yet absolutely
+ascertained, though the latter is the most common opinion, extensive
+shoals existing in this quarter of the ocean. Under the latter
+supposition, the mariners of Cadiz were nearer the truth than is first
+apparent, a sunken island having all the characteristics of a shoal, but
+those which may be supposed to be connected with the mode of formation.
+
+No land was seen. The vessels continued their progress at a rate but
+little varying from five miles the hour, shoving aside the weeds, which
+at times accumulated in masses, under their bows, but which could offer
+no serious obstacle to their progress. As for the admiral, so lofty were
+his views, so steady his opinions concerning the great geographical
+problem he was about to solve, and so determined his resolution to
+persevere to the end, that he rather hoped to miss than to fall in with
+the islands, that he fancied could be at no great distance. The day and
+night carried the vessels rather more than one hundred miles to the
+westward, placing the fleet not far from midway between the meridians
+that bounded the extreme western and eastern margins of the two
+continents, though still much nearer to Africa than to America,
+following the parallel of latitude on which it was sailing. As the wind
+continued steady, and the sea was as smooth as a river, the three
+vessels kept close together, the Pinta, the swiftest craft, reducing her
+canvas for that purpose. During the afternoon's watch of the day that
+succeeded that of the meeting with the weeds, which was Monday, the 17th
+September, or the eighth day after losing sight of Ferro, Martin Alonzo
+Pinzon hailed the Santa Maria, and acquainted the pilot on deck of his
+intention to get the amplitude of the sun, as soon as the luminary
+should be low enough, with a view to ascertain how far his needles
+retained their virtue. This observation, one of no unusual occurrence
+among mariners, it was thought had better be made in all the caravels
+simultaneously, that any error of one might be corrected by the greater
+accuracy of the rest.
+
+Columbus and Luis were in a profound sleep in their cots, taking their
+siestas, when the former was awakened by such a shake of the shoulder as
+seamen are wont to give, and are content to receive. It never required
+more than a minute to arouse the great navigator from his deepest
+slumbers to the fullest possession of his faculties, and he was awake in
+an instant.
+
+"Señor Don Almirante," said Sancho, who was the intruder, "it is time to
+be stirring: all the pilots are on deck in readiness to measure the
+amplitude of the sun, as soon as the heavenly bodies are in their right
+places. The west is already beginning to look like a dying dolphin, and
+ere many minutes it will be gilded like the helmet of a Moorish Sultan."
+
+"An amplitude measured!" exclaimed Columbus, quitting his cot on the
+instant. "This is news, indeed! Now we may look for such a stir among
+the people, as hath not been witnessed since we left Cadiz!"
+
+"So it hath appeared to me, your Excellency, for the mariner hath some
+such faith in the needle as the churchman bestoweth on the goodness of
+the Son of God. The people are in a happy humor at this moment, but the
+saints only know what is to come!"
+
+The admiral awoke Luis, and in five minutes both were at their customary
+station on the poop. Columbus had gained so high a reputation for skill
+in navigation, his judgment invariably proving right, even when opposed
+to those of all the pilots in the fleet, that the latter were not sorry
+to perceive he had no intention to take an instrument in hand, but
+seemed disposed to leave the issue to their own skill and practice. The
+sun slowly settled, the proper time was watched, and then these rude
+mariners set about their task, in the mode that was practised in their
+time. Martin Alonzo Pinzon, the most ready and best taught of them all,
+was soonest through with his task. From his lofty stand, the admiral
+could overlook the deck of the Pinta, which vessel was sailing but a few
+hundred yards from the Santa Maria, and it was not long before he
+observed her commander moving from one compass to another, in the manner
+of a man who was disturbed. Another minute or two elapsed, when the
+skiff of the caravel was launched; a sign was made for the admiral's
+vessel to shorten sail, and Martin Alonzo was soon forcing his way
+through the weeds that still covered the surface of the ocean, toward
+the Santa Maria. As he gained the deck of the latter ship, on one of her
+sides, his kinsman, Vicente Yañez, the commander of the Niña, did the
+same thing on the other. In the next instant both were at the side of
+the great navigator, on the poop, whither they had been followed by
+Sancho Ruiz and Bartolemeo Roldan, the two pilots of the admiral.
+
+"What meaneth this haste, good Martin Alonzo?" calmly asked Columbus:
+"thou and thy brother, Vicente Yañez, and these honest pilots, hurry
+toward me as if ye had cheering tidings from Cathay."
+
+"God only knoweth, Señor Almirante, if any of us are ever to be
+permitted to see that distant land, or any shore that is only to be
+reached by mariners through the aid of a needle," answered the elder
+Pinzon, with a haste that almost rendered him breathless. "Here have we
+all been at the comparison of the instruments, and we find them, without
+a single exception, varying from the true north, by, at least, a full
+point!"
+
+"That would be a marvel, truly! Ye have made some oversight in your
+observations, or have been heedless in the estimates."
+
+"Not so, noble admiral," put in Vicente Yañez, to sustain his brother.
+"Even the magnets are becoming false to us; and as I mentioned the
+circumstance to the oldest steersman of my craft, he assures me that the
+north star did not tally with his instrument throughout the night!"
+
+"Others say the same, here," added Ruiz--"nay, some are ready to swear
+that the wonder hath been noted ever since we entered the sea of weeds!"
+
+"This may be so, Señores," answered Columbus, with an undisturbed mien,
+"and yet no evil follow. We all know that the heavenly bodies have their
+revolutions, some of which no doubt are irregular, while others are more
+in conformity with certain settled rules. Thus it is with the sun
+himself, which passeth once around the earth in the short space of
+twenty-four hours, while no doubt he hath other, and more subtile
+movements, that are unknown to us, on account of the exceeding distance
+at which he is placed in the heavens. Many astronomers have thought that
+they have been able to detect these variations, spots having been seen
+on the disc of the orb at times, which have disappeared, as if hid
+behind the body of the luminary. I think it will be found that the north
+star hath made some slight deviation in its position, and that it will
+continue thus to move for some short period, after which, no doubt, it
+will be found returning to its customary position, when it will be seen
+that its temporary eccentricity hath in no manner disturbed its usual
+harmony with the needles. Note the star well throughout the night, and
+in the morning let the amplitude be again taken, when I think the truth
+of my conjecture will be proved by the regularity of the movement of the
+heavenly body. So far from being discouraged by this sign, we ought
+rather to rejoice that we have made a discovery, which, of itself, will
+entitle the expedition to the credit of having added materially to the
+stores of science!"
+
+The pilots were fain to be satisfied with this solution of their doubts,
+in the absence of any other means of accounting for them. They remained
+long on the poop discoursing of the strange occurrence; and as men, even
+in their blindest moods, usually reason themselves into either
+tranquillity or apprehension, they fortunately succeeded in doing the
+first on this occasion. With the men there was more difficulty, for when
+it became known to the crews of the three vessels that the needles had
+begun to deviate from their usual direction, a feeling akin to despair
+seized on them, almost without exception. Here Sancho was of material
+service. When the panic was at its height, and the people were on the
+point of presenting themselves to the admiral, with a demand that the
+heads of the caravels should be immediately turned toward the
+north-east, he interposed with his knowledge and influence to calm the
+tumult. The first means this trusty follower had recourse to, in order
+to bring his shipmates back to reason, was to swear, without
+reservation, that he had frequently known the needle and the north star
+to vary, having witnessed the fact with his own eyes on twenty previous
+occasions, and no harm to come of it. He invited the elder and more
+experienced seamen to make an accurate observation of the difference
+which already existed, which was quite a point of the compass, and then
+to see, in the morning, if this difference had not increased in the same
+direction.
+
+"This," he continued, "will be a certain sign, my friends, that the star
+is in motion, since we can all see that the compasses are just where
+they have been ever since we left Palos de Moguer. When one of two
+things is in motion, and it is certain which stands still, there can be
+no great difficulty in saying which is the uneasy one. Now, look thou
+here, Martin Martinez," who was one of the most factious of the
+disaffected; "words are of little use when men can prove their meaning
+by experiments like this. Thou seest two balls of spun-yarn on this
+windlass; well, it is wanted to be known which of them remains there,
+and which is taken away. I remove the smallest ball, thou perceivest,
+and the largest remains; from which it followeth, as only one can
+remain, and that one is the larger ball, why the smaller must be taken
+away. I hold no man fit to steer a caravel, by needle or by star, who
+will deny a thing that is proven as plainly and as simply as this!"
+
+Martin Martinez, though a singularly disaffected man, was no logician;
+and, Sancho's oaths backing his demonstrations to the letter, his party
+soon became the most numerous. As there is nothing so encouraging to the
+dull-minded and discontented mutineer, as to perceive that he is of the
+strongest side, so is there nothing so discouraging as to find himself
+in the minority; and Sancho so far prevailed as to bring most of his
+fellows round to a belief in the expediency of waiting to ascertain the
+state of things in the morning, before they committed themselves by any
+act of rashness.
+
+"Thou hast done well, Sancho," said Columbus, an hour later, when the
+mariner came secretly to make his nightly report of the state of feeling
+among the people. "Thou hast done well in all but these oaths, taken to
+prove that thou hast witnessed this phenomenon before. Much as I have
+navigated the earth, and careful as have been my observations, and ample
+as have been my means, never before have I known the needle to vary from
+its direction toward the north star: and I think that which hath escaped
+my notice would not be apt to attract thine."
+
+"You do me injustice, Señor Don Almirante, and have inflicted a wound
+touching my honesty, that a dobla only can cure"--
+
+"Thou knowest, Sancho, that no one felt more alarm when the deviation of
+the needle was first noted, than thyself. So great, in sooth, was thy
+apprehension, that thou even refused to receive gold, a weakness of
+which thou art usually exceedingly innocent."
+
+"When the deviation was first noted, your Excellency, this was true
+enough; for, not to attempt to mislead one who hath more penetration
+than befalleth ordinary men, I did fancy that our hopes of ever seeing
+Spain or St. Clara de Moguer again, were so trifling as to make it of no
+great consequence who was admiral, and who a simple helmsman."
+
+"And yet thou wouldst now brazen it out, and deny thy terror! Didst thou
+not swear to thy fellows, that thou hadst often seen this deviation
+before; ay, even on as many as twenty occasions?"
+
+"Well, Excellency, this is a proof that a cavalier may make a very
+capital viceroy and admiral, and know all about Cathay, without having
+the clearest notions of history! I told my shipmates, Don Christopher,
+that I had noted these changes before this night, and if tied to the
+stake to be burnt as a martyr, as I sometimes think will one day be the
+fate of all of us superfluously honest men, I would call on yourself,
+Señor Almirante, as the witness of the truth of what I had sworn to."
+
+"Thou wouldst, then, summon a most unfortunate witness, Sancho, since I
+neither practise false oaths myself, nor encourage their use in others."
+
+"Don Luis de Bobadilla y Pedro de Muños, here, would then be my
+reliance," said the imperturbable Sancho; "for proof a man hath a right
+to, when wrongfully accused, and proof I will have. Your Excellency will
+please to remember that it was on the night of Saturday, the 15th, that
+I first notified your worship of this very change, and that we are now
+at the night of Monday, the 17th. I swore to twenty times noting this
+phenomenon, as it is called, in those eight-and-forty hours, when it
+would have been nearer the truth had I said two hundred times. Santa
+Maria! I did nothing but note it for the first few hours!"
+
+"Go to, Sancho; thy conscience hath its latitude as well as its
+longitude; but thou hast thy uses. Now, that thou understandest the
+reason of the variation, however, thou wilt encourage thy fellows, as
+well as keep up thy spirits."
+
+"I make no question that it is all as your Excellency sayeth about the
+star's travelling," returned Sancho; "and it hath crossed my mind that
+it is possible we are nearer Cathay than we have thought; this movement
+being made by some evil-disposed spirits on purpose to make us lose the
+way."
+
+"Go to thy hammock, knave, and bethink thee of thy sins; leaving the
+reasons of these mysteries to those who are better taught. There is thy
+dobla, and see that thou art discreet."
+
+In the morning every being in the three caravels waited impatiently for
+the results of the new observations. As the wind continued favorable,
+though far from fresh, and a current was found setting to the westward,
+the vessels had made, in the course of twenty-four hours, more than a
+hundred and fifty miles, which rendered the increase in the variation
+perceptible, thus corroborating a prophecy of Columbus, that had been
+ventured on previous observation. So easily are the ignorant the dupes
+of the plausible, that this solution temporarily satisfied all doubts,
+and it was generally believed that the star had moved, while the needle
+remained true.
+
+How far Columbus was misled by his own logic in this affair, is still a
+matter of doubt. That he resorted to deceptions which might be
+considered innocent, in order to keep up the courage of his companions,
+is seen in the fact of the false, or public reckoning; but there is no
+proof that this was one of the instances in which he had recourse to
+such means. No person of any science believed, even when the variation
+of the compass was unknown, that the needle pointed necessarily to the
+polar star; the coincidence in the direction of the magnetic needle and
+the position of the heavenly body, being thought accidental; and there
+is nothing extravagant in supposing that the admiral--who had the
+instrument in his possession, and was able to ascertain that none of its
+virtue was visibly lost, while he could only reason from supposed
+analogy concerning the evolutions of the star--should imagine that a
+friend he had ever found so faithful, had now deserted him, leaving him
+disposed to throw the whole mystery of the phenomenon on the more
+distant dwellers in space. Two opinions have been ventured concerning
+the belief of the celebrated navigator, in the theory he advanced on
+this occasion; the one affirming, and the other denying his good faith
+in urging the doctrine he had laid down. Those who assert the latter,
+however, would seem to reason a little loosely themselves, their
+argument mainly resting on the improbability of a man like Columbus
+uttering so gross a scientific error, at a time when science itself knew
+no more of the existence of the phenomenon, than is known to-day of its
+cause. Still it is possible that the admiral may not have had any
+settled notions on the subject, even while he was half inclined to hope
+his explanation was correct; for it is certain that, in the midst of the
+astronomical and geographical ignorance of his age, this extraordinary
+man had many accurate and sublime glimpses of truths that were still in
+embryo as respected their development and demonstration by the lights of
+precise and inductive reasoning.
+
+Fortunately, if the light brought with it the means of ascertaining with
+certainty the variation of the needle, it also brought the means of
+perceiving that the sea was still covered with weeds, and other signs
+that were thought to be encouraging, as connected with the vicinity of
+land. The current being now in the same direction as the wind, the
+surface of the ocean was literally as smooth as that of an inland sheet
+of water, and the vessels were enabled to sail, without danger, within a
+few fathoms of each other.
+
+"This weed, Señor Almirante," called out the elder Pinzon, "hath the
+appearance of that which groweth on the banks of streams, and I doubt
+that we are near to the mouth of some exceeding great river!"
+
+"This may be so," returned Columbus; "than which there can be no more
+certain sign than may be found in the taste of the water. Let a bucket
+be drawn, that we may know."
+
+While Pepe was busied in executing this order, waiting until the vessel
+had passed through a large body of weeds for that purpose, the quick eye
+of the admiral detected a crab struggling on the surface of the
+fresh-looking plants, and he called to the helmsman in sufficient
+season, to enable him so far to vary his course, as to allow the animal
+to be taken.
+
+"Here is a most precious prize, good Martin Alonzo," said Columbus,
+holding the crab between a finger and thumb, that the other might see
+it. "These animals are never known to go further than some eighty
+leagues from the land; and see, Señor, yonder is one of the white tropic
+birds, which, it is said, never sleep on the water! Truly, God favoreth
+us; and what rendereth all these tokens more grateful, is the
+circumstance of their coming from the west--the hidden, unknown,
+mysterious west!"
+
+A common shout burst from the crews at the appearance of these signs,
+and again the beings who lately had been on the verge of despair, were
+buoyed up with hope, and ready to see propitious omens in even the most
+common occurrences of the ocean. All the vessels had hauled up buckets
+of water, and fifty mouths were immediately wet with the brine; and so
+general was the infatuation, that every man declared the sea far less
+salt than usual. So complete, indeed, was the delusion created by these
+cheerful expectations, and so thoroughly had all concern in connection
+with the moving star been removed by the sophism of Sancho, that even
+Columbus, habitually so wary, so reasoning, so calm, amid his loftiest
+views, yielded to his native enthusiasm, and fancied that he was about
+to discover some vast island, placed midway between Asia and Europe; an
+honor not to be despised, though it fell so far short of his higher
+expectations.
+
+"Truly, friend Martin Alonzo," he said, "this water seemeth to have less
+of the savor of the sea, than is customary at a distance from the outlet
+of large rivers!"
+
+"My palate telleth the same tale, Señor Almirante. As a further sign,
+the Niña hath struck another tunny, and her people are at this moment
+hoisting it in."
+
+Shout succeeded shout, as each new encouraging proof appeared; and the
+admiral, yielding to the ardor of the crews, ordered sail to be pressed
+on all the vessels, that each might endeavor to outstrip the others, in
+the hope of being the first to discover the expected island. This strife
+soon separated the caravels, the Pinta easily outsailing the other two,
+while the Santa Maria and the Niña came on more slowly, in her rear. All
+was gaiety and mirth, the livelong day, on board those isolated vessels,
+that, unknown to those they held, were navigating the middle of the
+Atlantic, with horizon extending beyond horizon, without change in the
+watery boundary, as circle would form without circle, on the same
+element, were a vast mass of solid matter suddenly dropped into the sea.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX.
+
+      "The sails were filled, and fair the light winds blew,
+      As glad to waft him from his native home;
+      And fast the white rocks faded from his view,
+      And soon were lost in circumambient foam:
+      And then, it may be, of his wish to roam
+      Repented he, but in his bosom slept
+      The silent thought, nor from his lips did come
+      One word of wail, whilst others sate and wept,
+    And to the reckless gales unmanly moaning kept."
+
+    Childe Harold's Pilgrimage.
+
+
+As night drew near, the Pinta shortened sail, permitting her consorts to
+close. All eyes now turned anxiously to the west, where it was hoped
+that land might at any moment appear. The last tint, however, vanished
+from the horizon, and darkness enveloped the ocean without bringing any
+material change. The wind still blew a pleasant breeze from the
+south-east, and the surface of the ocean offered little more inequality
+than is usually met on the bosoms of large rivers. The compasses showed
+a slightly increasing deviation from their old coincidence with the
+polar star, and no one doubted, any longer, that the fault was in the
+heavenly body. All this time the vessels were getting to the southward,
+steering, in fact, west and by south, when they thought they were
+steering west--a circumstance that alone prevented Columbus from first
+reaching the coast of Georgia, or that of the Carolinas, since, had he
+missed the Bermudas, the current of the Gulf Stream meeting him on his
+weather bow, he would have infallibly been set well to the northward, as
+he neared the continent.
+
+The night passed as usual, and at noon of the 17th, or at the
+termination of the nautical day, the fleet had left another long track
+of ocean between it and the old world. The weeds were disappearing, and
+with them the tunny fish, which were, in truth, feeding on the products
+of shoals that mounted several thousands of feet nearer to the surface
+of the water, than was the case with the general bed of the Atlantic.
+The vessels usually kept near each other at noon, in order to compare
+their observations; but the Pinta, which, like a swift steed, was with
+difficulty restrained, shot ahead, until the middle of the afternoon,
+when, as usual, she lay-by for the admiral to close. As the Santa Maria
+came sweeping on, the elder Pinzon stood, cap in hand, ready to speak
+her, waiting only for her to come within sound of his voice.
+
+"God increaseth the signs of land, and the motives of encouragement,
+Señor Don Christopher," he called out, cheerfully, while the Pinta
+filled her sails in order to keep way with the admiral. "We have seen
+large flights of birds ahead, and the clouds at the north look heavy and
+dense, as if hovering over some island, or continent, in that quarter."
+
+"Thou art a welcome messenger, worthy Martin Alonzo; though I wish thee
+to remember, that the most I expect to meet with in this longitude is
+some cluster of pleasant islands, Asia being yet several days' sail more
+distant. As the night approacheth, thou wilt see thy clouds take still
+more of the form of the land, and I doubt that groups may be found on
+each side of us; but our high destination is Cathay, and men with such
+an object before them, may not turn aside for any lesser errand."
+
+"Have I your leave, noble admiral, to push ahead in the Pinta, that our
+eyes may first be greeted with the grateful sight of Asia? I nothing
+doubt of seeing it ere morning."
+
+"Go, of God's sake, good pilot, if thou thinkest this; though I warn
+thee that no continent can yet meet thine eyes. Nevertheless, as any
+land in these distant and unknown seas must be a discovery, and bring
+credit on Castile, as well as on ourselves, he who first perceiveth it
+will merit the reward. Thou, or any one else, hath my full permission to
+discover islands, or continents, in thousands."
+
+The people laughed at this sally, for the light-hearted are easily
+excited to mirth; and then the Pinta shot ahead. As the sun set, she was
+seen again lying-to for her companions--a dark speck on the rainbow
+colors of the glorious sky. The horizon at the north presented masses of
+clouds, in which it was not difficult to fancy the summits of ragged
+mountains, receding valleys, with headlands, and promontories,
+foreshortened by distance.
+
+The following day the wind baffled, for the first time since
+encountering the trades; and the clouds collected over-head, dispersing
+drizzling showers on the navigators. The vessels now lay near each
+other, and conversation flew from one to the other--boats passing and
+repassing, constantly.
+
+"I have come, Señor Almirante," said the elder Pinzon, as he reached the
+deck of the Santa Maria, "at the united request of my people, to beg
+that we may steer to the north, in quest of land, islands and continent,
+that no doubt lie there, and thus crown this great enterprise with the
+glory that is due to our illustrious sovereigns, and your own
+forethought."
+
+"The wish is just, good Martin Alonzo, and fairly expressed, but it may
+not be granted. That we should make creditable discoveries, by thus
+steering, is highly probable, but in so doing we should fall far short
+of our aim. Cathay and the Great Khan still lie west; and we are here,
+not to add another group, like the Canaries, or the Azores, to the
+knowledge of man, but to complete the circle of the earth, and to open
+the way for the setting up of the cross in the regions that have so long
+been the property of infidels."
+
+"Hast thou nothing to say, Señor de Muños, in support of our petition?
+Thou hast favor with his Excellency, and may prevail on him to grant us
+this small behest!"
+
+"To tell thee the truth, good Martin Alonzo," answered Luis, with more
+of the indifference of manner that might have been expected from the
+grandee to the pilot, than the respect that would become the secretary
+to the second person of the expedition--"to tell thee the truth good
+Martin Alonzo, my heart is so set on the conversion of the Great Khan,
+that I wish not to turn either to the right or left, until that glorious
+achievement be sufficiently secure. I have observed that Satan effecteth
+little against those who keep in the direct path, while his success with
+those who turn aside is so material, as to people his dominions with
+errants."
+
+"Is there no hope, noble admiral? and must we quit all these cheering
+signs, without endeavoring to trace them to some advantageous
+conclusion?"
+
+"I see no better course, worthy friend. This rain indicateth land; also
+this calm; and here is a visitor that denoteth more than either--yonder,
+in the direction of thy Pinta, where it seemeth disposed to rest its
+wings."
+
+Pinzon, and all near him, turned, and, to their common delight and
+astonishment, they saw a pelican, with extended wings that spread for
+ten feet, sailing a few fathoms above the sea, and apparently aiming at
+the vessel named. The adventurous bird, however, as if disdaining to
+visit one of inferior rank, passed the Pinta, and, sweeping up grandly
+toward the admiral, alighted on a yard of the Santa Maria.
+
+"If this be not a certain sign of the vicinity of land," said Columbus
+gravely, "it is what is far better, a sure omen that God is with us. He
+is sending these encouraging calls to confirm us in our intention to
+serve him, and to persevere to the end. Never before, Martin Alonzo,
+have I seen a bird of this species a day's sail from the shore!"
+
+"Such is my experience, too, noble admiral; and, with you, I look upon
+this visit as a most propitious omen. May it not be a hint to turn
+aside, and to look further in this quarter?"
+
+"I accept it not as such, but rather as a motive to proceed. At our
+return from the Indies, we may examine this part of the ocean with
+greater security, though I shall think naught accomplished until India
+be fairly reached, and India is still hundreds of leagues distant. As
+the time is favorable, however, we will call together our pilots, and
+see how each man placeth his vessel on the chart."
+
+At this suggestion, all the navigators assembled on board the Santa
+Maria, and each man made his calculations, sticking a pin in the rude
+chart--rude as to accuracy, but beautiful as to execution--that the
+admiral, with the lights he then possessed, had made of the Atlantic
+ocean. Vicente Yañez, and his companions of the Niña, placed their pin
+most in advance, after measuring off four hundred and forty marine
+leagues from Gomera. Martin Alonzo varied a little from this, setting
+his pin some twenty leagues farther east. When it was the turn of
+Columbus, he stuck a pin twenty leagues still short of that of Martin
+Alonzo, his companions having, to all appearance, like less skilful
+calculators, thus much advanced ahead of their true distance. It was
+then determined what was to be stated to the crews, and the pilots
+returned to their respective vessels.
+
+It would seem that Columbus really believed he was then passing between
+islands, and his historian, Las Casas, affirms that he was actually
+right in his conjecture; but if islands ever existed in that part of the
+ocean, they have long since disappeared; a phenomenon which, while it is
+not impossible, can scarcely be deemed probable. It is said that
+breakers have been seen, even within the present century, in this
+vicinity, and it is not unlikely that extensive banks do exist, though
+Columbus found no bottom with two hundred fathoms of line. The great
+collection of weeds, is a fact authenticated by some of the oldest
+records of human investigations, and is most probably owing to some
+effect of the currents which has a tendency to bring about such an end;
+while the birds must be considered as stragglers lured from their usual
+haunts by the food that would be apt to be collected by the union of
+weeds and fish. Aquatic birds can always rest on the water, and the
+animal that can wing its way through the air at the rate of thirty, or
+even fifty miles the hour, needs only sufficient strength, to cross the
+entire Atlantic in four days and nights.
+
+Notwithstanding all these cheering signs, the different crews soon began
+to feel again the weight of a renewed despondency. Sancho, who was in
+constant but secret communication with the admiral, kept the latter
+properly advised of the state of the people, and reported that more
+murmurs than usual prevailed, the men having passed again, by the
+suddenness of the reaction, from the most elastic hope, nearly to the
+verge of despair. This fact was told Columbus just at sunset on the
+evening of the 20th, or on that of the eleventh day after the fleet lost
+sight of land, and while the seaman was affecting to be busy on the
+poop, where he made most of his communications.
+
+"They complain, your Excellency," continued Sancho, "of the smoothness
+of the water; and they say that when the winds blow at all, in these
+seas, they come only from the eastward, having no power to blow from any
+other quarter. The calms, they think, prove that we are getting into a
+part of the ocean where there is no wind; and the east winds, they
+fancy, are sent by Providence to drive those there who have displeased
+Heaven by a curiosity that it was never intended that any who wear
+beards should possess."
+
+"Do thou encourage them, Sancho, by reminding the poor fellows that
+calms prevail, at times, in all seas; and, as for the east winds, is it
+not well known that they blow from off the African shores, in low
+latitudes, at all seasons of the year, following the sun in his daily
+track around the earth? I trust thou hast none of this silly
+apprehension?"
+
+"I endeavor to keep a stout heart, Señor Don Almirante, having no one
+before me to disgrace, and leaving no one behind me to mourn over my
+loss. Still, I should like to hear a little about the riches of those
+distant lands, as I find the thoughts of their gold and precious stones
+have a sort of religious charm over my weakness, when I begin to muse
+upon Moguer and its good cheer."
+
+"Go to, knave; thy appetite for money is insatiable; take yet another
+dobla, and as thou gazest on it thou mayst fancy what thou wilt of the
+coin of the Great Khan; resting certain that so great a monarch is not
+without gold, any more than he is probably without the disposition to
+part with it, when there is occasion."
+
+Sancho received his fee, and left the poop to Columbus and our hero.
+
+"These ups and downs among the knaves," said Luis, impatiently, "were
+best quelled, Señor, by an application of the flat of the sword, or, at
+need, of its edge."
+
+"This may not be, my young friend, without, at least, far more occasion
+than yet existeth for the severity. Think not that I have passed so many
+years of my life in soliciting the means to effect so great a purpose,
+and have got thus far on my way, in unknown seas, with a disposition to
+be easily turned aside from my purpose. But God hath not created all
+alike; neither hath he afforded equal chances for knowledge to the
+peasant and the noble. I have vexed my spirit too often, with arguments
+on this very subject, with the great and learned, not to bear a little
+with the ignorance of the vulgar. Fancy how much fear would have
+quickened the wits of the sages of Salamanca, had our discussion been
+held in the middle of the Atlantic, where man never had been, and whence
+no eyes but those of logic and science could discover a safe passage."
+
+"This is most true, Señor Almirante; and yet, methinks the knights that
+were of your antagonists should not have been wholly unmanned by fear.
+What danger have we here? this is the wide ocean, it is true, and we are
+no doubt distant some hundreds of leagues from the known islands, but,
+we are not the less safe. By San Pedro! I have seen more lives lost in a
+single onset of the Moors, than these caravels could hold in bodies, and
+blood enough spilt to float them!"
+
+"The dangers our people dread may be less turbulent than those of a
+Moorish fray, Don Luis, but they are not the less terrible. Where is the
+spring that is to furnish water to the parched lip, when our stores
+shall fail; and where the field to give us its bread and nourishment? It
+is a fearful thing to be brought down to the dregs of life, by the
+failure of food and water, on the surface of the wide ocean, dying by
+inches, often without the consolations of the church, and ever without
+Christian sepulture. These are the fancies of the seaman, and he is only
+to be driven from them violently when duty demands extreme remedies for
+his disease."
+
+"To me it seemeth, Don Christopher, that it will be time to reason thus,
+when our casks are drained, and the last biscuit is broken. Until then,
+I ask leave of your Excellency to apply the necessary logic to the
+_outside_ of the heads of these varlets, instead of their insides, of
+which I much question the capacity to hold any good."
+
+Columbus too well understood the hot nature of the young noble to make a
+serious reply; and they both stood some time leaning against the
+mizen-mast, watching the scene before them, and musing on the chances of
+their situation. It was night, and the figures of the watch, on the deck
+beneath, were visible only by a light that rendered it difficult to
+distinguish countenances. The men were grouped; and it was evident by
+the low but eager tones in which they conversed, that they discussed
+matters connected with the calm, and the risks they ran. The outlines of
+the Pinta and Niña were visible, beneath a firmament that was studded
+with brilliants, their lazy sails hanging in festoons, like the drapery
+of curtains, and their black hulls were as stationary as if they both
+lay moored in one of the rivers of Spain. It was a bland and gentle
+night, but the immensity of the solitude, the deep calm of the
+slumbering ocean, and even the occasional creaking of a spar, by
+recalling to the mind the actual presence of vessels so situated,
+rendered the scene solemn, almost to sublimity.
+
+"Dost thou detect aught fluttering in the rigging, Luis?" the admiral
+cautiously inquired. "My ear deceiveth me, or I hear something on the
+wing. The sounds, moreover, are quick and slight, like those produced by
+birds of indifferent size."
+
+"Don Christopher, you are right. There are little creatures perched on
+the upper yards, and that of a size like the smaller songsters of the
+land."
+
+"Hark!" interrupted the admiral. "That is a joyous note, and of such a
+melody as might be met in one of the orange groves of Seville, itself!
+God be praised for this sign of the extent and unity of his kingdom,
+since land cannot well be distant, when creatures, gentle and frail as
+these, have so lately taken their flight from it!"
+
+The presence of these birds soon became known to all on deck, and their
+songs brought more comfort than the most able mathematical
+demonstration, even though founded on modern learning, could have
+produced on the sensitive feelings of the common men.
+
+"I told thee land was near," cried Sancho, turning with exultation to
+Martin Martinez, his constant disputant; "here thou hast the proof of
+it, in a manner that none but the traitor will deny. Thou hearest the
+songs of orchard birds--notes that would never come from the throats of
+the tired; and which sound as gaily as if the dear little feathered
+rogues were pecking at a fig or a grape in a field of Spain."
+
+"Sancho is right!" exclaimed the seamen. "The air savors of land, too;
+and the sea hath a look of the land; and God is with us--blessed be his
+Holy name--and honor to our lord the king, and to our gracious mistress,
+Doña Isabella!"
+
+From this moment concern seemed to leave the vessel, again. It was
+thought, even by the admiral himself, that the presence of birds so
+small, and which were judged to be so feeble of wing, was an unerring
+evidence that land was nigh; and land, too, of generous productions, and
+a mild, gentle climate; for these warblers, like the softer sex of the
+human family, best love scenes that most favor their gentle propensities
+and delicate habits.
+
+Investigation has since proved that, in this particular, however
+plausible the grounds of error, Columbus was deceived. Men often mistake
+the powers of the inferior animals of creation, and at other times they
+overrate the extent of their instinct. In point of fact, a bird of light
+weight would be less liable to perish on the ocean, and in that low
+latitude, than a bird of more size, neither being aquatic. The sea-weed
+itself would furnish resting-places without number for the smaller
+animals, and, in some instances, it would probably furnish food. That
+birds, purely of the land, should take long flights at sea, is certainly
+improbable; but, apart from the consequence of gales, which often force
+even that heavy-winged animal the owl, hundreds of miles from the land,
+instinct is not infallible; whales being frequently found embayed in
+shallow waters, and birds sailing beyond the just limits of their
+habits. Whatever may have been the cause of the opportune appearance of
+these little inhabitants of the orchard on the spars of the Santa Maria,
+the effect was of the most auspicious kind on the spirits of the men. As
+long as they sang, no amateurs ever listened to the most brilliant
+passages from the orchestra with greater delight than those rude seamen
+listened to their warbling; and while they slept, it was with a security
+that had its existence in veneration and gratitude. The songs were
+renewed with the dawn, shortly after which the whole went off in a body,
+taking their flight toward the south-west. The next day brought a calm,
+and then an air so light, that the vessels could with difficulty make
+their way through the dense masses of weeds, that actually gave the
+ocean the appearance of vast inundated meadows. The current was now
+found to be from the west, and shortly after daylight a new source of
+alarm was reported by Sancho.
+
+"The people have got a notion in their heads, Señor Almirante, which
+partaketh so much of the marvellous, that it findeth exceeding favor
+with such as love miracles more than they love God. Martin Martinez, who
+is a philosopher in the way of terror, maintaineth that this sea, into
+which we seem to be entering deeper and deeper, lieth over sunken
+islands, and that the weeds, which it would be idle to deny grow more
+abundant as we proceed, will shortly get to be so plentiful on the
+surface of the water, that the caravels will become unable to advance or
+to retreat."
+
+"Doth Martin find any to believe this silly notion?"
+
+"Señor Don Almirante, he doth; and for the plain reason that it is
+easier to find those who are ready to believe an absurdity, than to find
+those who will only believe truth. But the man is backed by some unlucky
+chances, that must come of the Powers of Darkness, more particularly as
+they can have no great wish to see your Excellency reach Cathay, with
+the intention of making a Christian of the Great Khan, and of planting
+the tree of the cross in his dominions. This calm sorely troubleth many,
+moreover, and the birds are beginning to be looked upon as creatures
+sent by Satan himself, to lead us whither we can never return. Some even
+believe we shall tread on shoals, and lie forever stranded wrecks in the
+midst of the wide ocean!"
+
+"Go, bid the men prepare to sound; I will show them the folly of this
+idea, at least; and see that all are summoned to witness the
+experiment."
+
+Columbus now repeated this order to the pilots, and the deep-sea was let
+go in the usual manner. Fathom after fathom of the line glided over the
+rail, the lead taking its unerring way toward the bottom, until so
+little was left as to compel the downward course to be arrested.
+
+"Ye see, my friends, that we are yet full two hundred fathoms from the
+shoals ye so much dread, and as much more as the sea is deeper than our
+measurement. Lo! yonder, too, is a whale, spouting the water before
+him--a creature never seen except on the coasts of large islands or
+continents."
+
+This appeal of Columbus, which was in conformity with the notions of the
+day, had its weight--his crew being naturally most under the influence
+of notions that were popular. It is now known, however, that whales
+frequent those parts of the ocean where their food is most abundant, and
+one of the best grounds for taking them, of late years, has been what is
+called the False Brazil Banks, which lie near the centre of the ocean.
+In a word, all those signs, that were connected with the movements of
+birds and fishes, and which appear to have had so much effect, not only
+on the common men of this great enterprise, but on Columbus himself,
+were of far less real importance than was then believed; navigators
+being so little accustomed to venture far from the land themselves, that
+they were not duly acquainted with the mysteries of the open ocean.
+
+Notwithstanding the moments of cheerfulness and hope that intervened,
+distrust and apprehension were fast getting to be again the prevailing
+feelings among the mariners. Those who had been most disaffected from
+the first, seized every occasion to increase these apprehensions; and
+when the sun rose, Saturday, September 22d, on a calm sea, there were
+not a few in the vessels who were disposed to unite in making another
+demand on the admiral to turn the heads of the caravels toward the east.
+
+"We have come some hundreds of leagues before a fair wind, into a sea
+that is entirely unknown to man, until we have reached a part of the
+ocean where the wind seems altogether to fail us, and where there is
+danger of our being bound up in immovable weeds, or stranded on sunken
+islands, without the means of procuring food or water!"
+
+Arguments like these were suited to an age in which even the most
+learned were obliged to grope their way to accurate knowledge, through
+the mists of superstition and ignorance, and in which it was a
+prevailing weakness to put faith, on the one hand, in visible proofs of
+the miraculous power of God, and, on the other, in substantial evidences
+of the ascendency of evil spirits, as they were permitted to affect the
+temporal affairs of those they persecuted.
+
+It was, therefore, most fortunate for the success of the expedition,
+that a light breeze sprang up from southward and westward, in the early
+part of the day just mentioned, enabling the vessels to gather way, and
+to move beyond the vast fields of weeds, that equally obstructed the
+progress of the caravels, and awakened the fears of their people. As it
+was an object to get clear of the floating obstacles that surrounded the
+vessels, the first large opening that offered was entered, and then the
+fleet was brought close upon a wind, heading as near as possible to the
+desired course. Columbus now believed himself to be steering
+west-north-west, when, in fact, he was sailing in a direction far nearer
+to his true course, than when his ships headed west by compass; the
+departure from the desired line of sailing, being owing to the variation
+in the needle. This circumstance alone, would seem to establish the
+fact, that Columbus believed in his own theory of the moving star, since
+he would hardly have steered west-and-by-south-half-south, with a fair
+wind, for many days in succession, as he is known to have done, when it
+was his strongest wish to proceed directly west. He was now heading up,
+within half a point of the latter course, though he and all with him,
+fancied they were running off nearly two points to leeward of the so
+much desired direction.
+
+But these little variations were trifles as compared with the advantage
+that the admiral obtained over the fears of his followers by the shift
+of the wind, and the liberation from the weeds. By the first, the men
+saw a proof that the breezes did not always blow from the same quarter;
+and by the last, they ascertained that they had not actually reached a
+point where the ocean had become impassable. Although the wind was now
+favorable to return to the Canaries, no one any longer demanded that
+such a course should be adopted, so apt are we all to desire that which
+appears to be denied to us, and so ready to despise that which lies
+perfectly at our disposal.
+
+This, indeed, was a moment when the feelings of the people
+appeared to be as variable as the light and baffling winds themselves.
+The Saturday passed away in the manner just mentioned, the vessels once
+more entering into large fields of weeds, just as the sun set. When the
+light returned, the airs headed them off to north-west and
+north-west-by-north, by compass, which was, in truth, steering
+north-west-by-west-half-west, and north-west-half-west. Birds abounded
+again, among which was a turtle-dove, and many living crabs were seen
+crawling among the weeds. All these signs would have encouraged the
+common men, had they not already so often proved deceptive.
+
+"Señor," said Martin Martinez, to the admiral, when Columbus went among
+the crew to raise their drooping spirits, "we know not what to think!
+For days did the wind blow in the same direction, leading us on, as it
+might be, to our ruin; and then it hath deserted us in such a sea as
+mariners in the Santa Maria never before saw. A sea, looking like
+meadows on a river side, and which wanteth only kine and cow-herds, to
+be mistaken for fields a little overflowed by a rise of the water, is a
+fearful thing!"
+
+"Thy meadows are the weeds of the ocean, and prove the richness of the
+nature that hath produced them; while thy breezes from the east, are
+what all who have ever made the Guinea voyage, well know to exist in
+latitudes so low. I see naught in either to alarm a bold seaman; and as
+for the bottom, we all know it hath not yet been found by many a long
+and weary fathom of line. Pepe, thou hast none of these weaknesses; but
+hast set thy heart on Cathay and a sight of the Great Khan?"
+
+"Señor Almirante, as I swore to Monica, so do I swear to your
+Excellency; and that is to be true and obedient. If the cross is to be
+raised among the Infidels, my hand shall not be backward in doing its
+share toward the holy act. Still, Señor, none of us like this long
+unnatural calm. Here is an ocean that hath no waves, but a surface so
+smooth that we much distrust whether the waters obey the same laws, as
+they are known to do near Spain; for never before have I beheld a sea
+that hath so much the air of the dead! May it not be, Señor, that God
+hath placed a belt of this calm and stagnant water around the outer
+edges of the earth, in order to prevent the unheedy from looking into
+some of his sacred secrets?"
+
+"Thy reasoning hath, at least, a savor of religion; and, though faulty,
+can scarce be condemned. God hath placed man on this earth, Pepe, to be
+its master, and to serve him by extending the dominion of his church, as
+well as by turning to the best account all the numberless blessings that
+accompany the great gift. As to the limits, of which thou speakest, they
+exist only in idea, the earth being a sphere, or a ball, to which there
+are no other edges than those thou seest everywhere on its surface."
+
+"And as for what Martin saith," put in Sancho, who was never at fault
+for a fact, or for a reason, "concerning the winds, and the weeds, and
+the calms, I can only wonder where a seaman of his years hath been
+navigating so long, that these things should be novelties. To me, all
+this is as common as dish-water at Moguer, and so much a matter of
+course, that I should not have remarked it, but for the whinings of
+Martin and his fellows. When the Santa Catalina made the voyage to that
+far-off region, Ireland, we landed on the sea-weed, a distance of half a
+league or so from the coast; and as for the wind, it blew regularly four
+weeks from one quarter, and four weeks from the other; after which the
+people of the country said it would blow four weeks each way,
+transversely; but we did not remain long enough in those seas to enable
+me to swear to the two last facts."
+
+"Hast thou not heard of shoals so wide that a caravel could never find
+its way out of them, if it once entered?" demanded Martinez, fiercely,
+for, much addicted to gross exaggerations himself, he little liked to be
+outdone; "and do not these weeds bespeak our near approach to such a
+danger, when the weeds themselves often are so closely packed as to come
+near to stop the ship?"
+
+"Enough of this," said the admiral: "at times we have weeds, and then we
+are altogether free from them; these changes are owing to the currents;
+no doubt as soon as we have passed this meridian, we shall come to clear
+water again."
+
+"But the calm, Señor Almirante," exclaimed a dozen voices. "This
+unnatural smoothness of the ocean frighteneth us! Never before did we
+see water so stagnant and immovable!"
+
+"Call ye this stagnant and immovable?" exclaimed the admiral. "Nature
+herself arises to reproach your senseless fears, and to contradict your
+mistaken reasoning, by her own signs and portents!"
+
+This was said as the Santa Maria's bows rose on a long low swell, every
+spar creaking at the motion, and the whole hull heaving and setting as
+the billow passed beneath it, washing the sides of the ship from the
+water line to its channels. At this moment there was not even a breath
+of air, and the seamen gazed about them with an astonishment that was
+increased and rendered extreme by dread. The ship had scarcely settled
+heavily into the long trough when a second wave lifted her again
+forward, and billow succeeded billow, each successive wave increasing in
+height, until the entire ocean was undulating, though only marked at
+distant intervals, and that slightly, by the foam of crests or combing
+seas. It took half an hour to bring this phenomenon up to its height,
+when all three vessels were wallowing in the seas, as mariners term it,
+their hulls falling off helplessly into the troughs, until the water
+fairly spouted from their low scuppers, as each rose by her buoyancy
+from some roll deeper than common. Fancying that this occurrence
+promised to be either a source of new alarm, or a means of appeasing the
+old one, Columbus took early measures to turn it to account, in the
+latter mode. Causing all the crew to assemble at the break of the poop,
+he addressed them, briefly, in the following words:
+
+"Ye see, men, that your late fears about the stagnant ocean are rebuked,
+in this sudden manner, as it might be, by the hand of God himself,
+proving, beyond dispute, that no danger is to be apprehended from that
+source. I might impose on your ignorance, and insist that this sudden
+rising of the sea is a miracle wrought to sustain me against your
+rebellious repinings and unthinking alarms; but the cause in which I am
+engaged needs no support of this nature, that doth not truly come from
+heaven. The calms, and the smoothness of the water, and even the weeds
+of which ye complain, come from the vicinity of some great body of land;
+I think not a continent, as that must lie still further west, but of
+islands, either so large or so numerous, as to make a far-extended lee;
+while these swells are probably the evidence of wind at a distance,
+which hath driven up the ocean into mountainous waves, such as we often
+see them, and which send out their dying efforts, even beyond the limits
+of the gale. I do not say that this intervention, to appease your fears,
+doth not come of God, in whose hands I am; for this last do I fully
+believe, and for it am I fully grateful; but it cometh through the
+agencies of nature, and can in no sense be deemed providential, except
+as it demonstrateth the continuance of the divine care, as well as its
+surpassing goodness. Go, then, and be tranquil. Remember, if Spain be
+far behind ye, that Cathay now lieth at no great distance before ye;
+that each hour shorteneth that distance, as well as the time necessary
+to reach our goal. He that remaineth true and faithful, shall not repent
+his confidence; while he who unnecessarily disturbeth either himself or
+others, with silly doubts, may look forward to an exercise of authority
+that shall maintain the rights of their Highnesses to the duty of all
+their servants."
+
+We record this speech of the great navigator with so much the more
+pleasure, as it goes fully to establish the fact that he did not believe
+the sudden rising of the seas, on this occasion, was owing to a direct
+miracle, as some of the historians and biographers seem inclined to
+believe; but rather to a providential interference of Divine Power,
+through natural means, in order to protect him against the consequences
+of the blind apprehensions of his followers. It is not easy, indeed, to
+suppose that a seaman as experienced as Columbus, could be ignorant of
+the natural cause of a circumstance so very common on the ocean, that
+those who dwell on its coast have frequent occasion to witness its
+occurrence.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX.
+
+    "'_Ora pro nobis, Mater!_'--what a spell
+    Was in those notes, with day's last glory dying
+    On the flush'd waters--seemed they not to swell
+    From the far dust, wherein my sires were lying
+    With crucifix and sword?--Oh! yet how clear
+    Comes their reproachful sweetness to my ear!
+    '_Ora_'--with all the purple waves replying,
+    All my youth's visions rising in the strain--
+    And I had thought it much to bear the rack and chain!"
+
+    The Forest Sanctuary.
+
+
+It may now be well to recapitulate, and to let the reader distinctly
+know how far the adventurers had actually advanced into the unknown
+waters of the Atlantic; what was their real, and what their supposed
+position. As has been seen, from the time of quitting Gomera, the
+admiral kept two reckonings, one intended for his own government, which
+came as near the truth as the imperfect means of the science of
+navigation that were then in use would allow, and another that was
+freely exhibited to the crew, and was purposely miscalculated in order
+to prevent alarm, on account of the distance that had been passed. As
+Columbus believed himself to be employed in the service of God, this act
+of deception would be thought a species of pious fraud, in that devout
+age; and it is by no means probable that it gave the conscience of the
+navigator any trouble, since churchmen, even, did not hesitate always
+about buttressing the walls of faith by means still less justifiable.
+
+The long calms and light head-winds had prevented the vessels from
+making much progress for the few last days; and, by estimating the
+distance that was subsequently run in a course but a little south of
+west, it appears, notwithstanding all the encouraging signs of birds,
+fishes, calms, and smooth water, that on the morning of Monday,
+September 24th, or that of the fifteenth day after losing sight of
+Ferro, the expedition was about half-way across the Atlantic, counting
+from continent to continent, on the parallel of about 31 or 32 degrees
+of north latitude. The circumstance of the vessels being so far north of
+the Canaries, when it is known that they had been running most of the
+time west, a little southerly, must be imputed to the course steered in
+the scant winds, and perhaps to the general set of the currents. With
+this brief explanation, we return to the daily progress of the ships.
+
+The influence of the trades was once more felt, though in a very slight
+degree, in the course of the twenty-four hours that succeeded the day of
+the "miraculous seas," and the vessels again headed west by compass.
+Birds were seen as usual, among which was a pelican. The whole progress
+of the vessels was less than fifty miles, a distance that was lessened,
+as usual, in the public reckoning.
+
+The morning of the 25th was calm, but the wind returned, a steady,
+gentle breeze from the south-east, when the day was far advanced, the
+caravels passing most of the hours of light floating near each other in
+a lazy indolence, or barely stirring the water with their stems, at a
+rate little, if any, exceeding that of a mile an hour.
+
+The Pinta kept near the Santa Maria, and the officers and crews of the
+two vessels conversed freely with each other concerning their hopes and
+situation. Columbus listened to these dialogues for a long time,
+endeavoring to collect the predominant feeling from the more guarded
+expressions that were thus publicly delivered, and watching each turn of
+the expressions with jealous vigilance. At length it struck him that the
+occasion was favorable to producing a good effect on the spirits of his
+followers.
+
+"What hast thou thought of the chart I sent thee three days since, good
+Martin Alonzo?" called out the admiral. "Dost thou see in it aught to
+satisfy thee that we are approaching the Indies, and that our time of
+trial draweth rapidly to an end?"
+
+At the first sound of the admiral's voice, every syllable was hushed
+among the people; for, in spite of their discontent, and their
+disposition even to rise against him, in their extremity, Columbus had
+succeeded in creating a profound respect for his judgment and his person
+among all his followers.
+
+"'Tis a rare and well-designed chart, Señor Don Christopher," answered
+the master of the Pinta, "and doth a fair credit to him who hath copied
+and enlarged, as well as to him who first projected it. I doubt that it
+is the work of some learned scholar, that hath united the opinions of
+all the greater navigators in his map."
+
+"The original came from one Paul Toscanelli, a learned Tuscan, who
+dwelleth at Firenze in that country; a man of exceeding knowledge, and
+of an industry in investigation that putteth idleness to shame.
+Accompanying the chart he sent a missive that hath much profound and
+learned matter on the subject of the Indies, and touching those islands
+that thou seest laid down with so much particularity. In that letter he
+speaketh of divers places, as being so many wonderful exemplars of the
+power of man; more especially of the port of Zaiton, which sendeth forth
+no less than a hundred ships yearly, loaded with the single product of
+the pepper-tree. He saith, moreover, that an ambassador came to the Holy
+Father, in the time of Eugenius IV., of blessed memory, to express the
+desire of the Great Khan, which meaneth King of Kings, in the dialect of
+those regions, to be on friendly terms with the Christians of the west,
+as we were then termed; but of the east, as will shortly be our
+designation in that part of the world."
+
+"This is surprising, Señor!" exclaimed Pinzon: "how is it known, or is
+it known at all, of a certainty?"
+
+"Beyond a question; since Paul stateth, in his missive, that he saw much
+of this same ambassador, living greatly in his society, Eugenius
+deceasing as lately as 1477. From the ambassador, no doubt a wise and
+grave personage, since no other would have been sent so far on a mission
+to the Head of the Church; from this discreet person, then, did
+Toscanelli gain much pleasant information concerning the populousness
+and vast extent of those distant countries, the gorgeousness of the
+palaces, and the glorious beauty of the cities. He spoke of one town, in
+particular, that surpasseth all others of the known world; and of a
+single river that hath two hundred noble cities on its own banks, with
+marble bridges spanning the stream. The chart before thee, Martin
+Alonzo, showeth that the exact distance from Lisbon to the city of
+Quisay is just three thousand nine hundred miles of Italy, or about a
+thousand leagues, steering always in a due-west direction."[2]
+
+[Footnote 2: NOTE.--It is worthy of remark that the city of Philadelphia
+stands, as near as may be, in the position that the honest Paul
+Toscanelli supposed to have been occupied by "the famous city of
+Quisay."]
+
+"And doth the learned Tuscan say aught of the riches of those
+countries?" demanded Master Alonzo--a question that caused all within
+hearing to prick up their ears, afresh.
+
+"That doth he, and in these precise and impressive words--'This is a
+noble country,' observed the learned Paul, in his missive, 'and ought to
+be explored by us, on account of its great riches, and the quantity of
+gold, silver, and precious stones, which might be obtained there.' He
+moreover described Quisay as being five-and-thirty leagues in circuit,
+and addeth that its name in the Castilian, is 'the City of Heaven.'"
+
+"In which case," muttered Sancho, though in a tone so low that no one
+but Pepe heard him, "there is little need of our bearing thither the
+cross, which was intended for the benefit of man, and not of paradise."
+
+"I see here two large islands, Señor Almirante," continued Pinzon,
+keeping his eyes on the chart, "one of which is called Antilla, and the
+other is the Cipango of which your Excellency so often speaketh."
+
+"Even so, good Martin Alonzo, and thou also seest that they are laid
+down with a precision that must prevent any experienced navigator from
+missing his way, when in pursuit of them. These islands lie just two
+hundred and twenty-five leagues asunder."
+
+"According to our reckoning, here, in the Pinta, noble Admiral, we
+cannot, then, be far from Cipango at this very moment."
+
+"It would so seem by the reckonings, though I somewhat doubt their
+justness. It is a common error of pilots to run ahead of their
+reckonings, but in this instance, apprehension hath brought ye behind
+them. Cipango lieth many days' sail from the continent of Asia, and
+cannot, therefore, be far from this spot; still the currents have been
+adverse, and I doubt that it will be found that we are as near this
+island, good Martin Alonzo, as thou and thy companions imagine. Let the
+chart be returned, and I will trace our actual position on it, that all
+may see what reason there is to despond, and what reason to rejoice."
+
+Pinzon now took the chart, rolled it together carefully, attached a
+light weight, and securing the whole with the end of a log-line, he hove
+it on board the Santa Maria, as a seaman makes a cast with the lead. So
+near were the vessels at the moment, that this communication was made
+without any difficulty; after which, the Pinta, letting fall an
+additional sail or two, flapped slowly ahead, her superiority,
+particularly in light winds, being at all times apparent.
+
+Columbus now caused the chart to be spread over a table on the poop, and
+invited all who chose to draw near, in order that they might, with their
+own eyes, see the precise spot on the ocean where the admiral supposed
+the vessels to be. As each day's work was accurately laid down, and
+measured on the chart, by one as expert as the great navigator himself,
+there is little question that he succeeded in showing his people, as
+near as might be, and subject to the deduction in distance that was
+intentionally made, the longitude and latitude to which the expedition
+had then reached; and as this brought them quite near those islands
+which were believed to lie east of the continent of Asia, this tangible
+proof of their progress had far more effect than any demonstration that
+depended on abstract reasoning, even when grounded on premises that were
+true; most men submitting sooner to the authority of the senses, than to
+the influence of the mere mind. The seamen did not stop to inquire how
+it was settled that Cipango lay in the precise place where it had been
+projected on this famous chart, but, seeing it there, in black and
+white, they were disposed to believe it was really in the spot it
+appeared to be; and, as Columbus' reputation for keeping a ship's
+reckoning far surpassed that of any other navigator in the fleet, the
+facts were held to be established. Great was the joy, in consequence;
+and the minds of the people again passed from the verge of despair to an
+excess and illusion of hope, that was raised only to be disappointed.
+
+That Columbus was sincere in all that related to this new delusion, with
+the exception of the calculated reduction of the true distance, is
+beyond a doubt. In common with the cosmographers of the age, he believed
+the circumference of the earth much less than actual measurement has
+since shown it to be; striking out of the calculation, at once, nearly
+the whole breadth of the Pacific Ocean. That this conclusion was very
+natural, will be seen by glancing at the geographical facts that the
+learned then possessed, as data for their theories.
+
+It was known that the continent of Asia was bounded on the east by a
+vast ocean, and that a similar body of water bounded Europe on the west,
+leaving the plausible inference, on the supposition that the earth was a
+sphere, that nothing but islands existed between these two great
+boundaries of land. Less than half of the real circumference of the
+globe is to be found between the western and eastern verges of the old
+continent, as they were then known; but it was too bold an effort of the
+mind, to conceive that startling fact, in the condition of human
+knowledge at the close of the fifteenth century. The theories were
+consequently content with drawing the limits of the east and the west
+into a much narrower circle, finding no data for any freer speculation;
+and believing it a sufficient act of boldness to maintain the spherical
+formation of the earth at all. It is true, that the latter theory was as
+old as Ptolemy, and quite probably much older; but even the antiquity of
+a system begins to be an argument against it, in the minds of the
+vulgar, when centuries elapse, and it receives no confirmation from
+actual experiment. Columbus supposed his island of Cipango, or Japan, to
+lie about one hundred and forty degrees of longitude east of its actual
+position; and, as a degree of longitude in the latitude of Japan, or 35°
+north, supposing the surface of the earth to be perfectly spherical, is
+about fifty-six statute miles, it follows that Columbus had advanced
+this island, on his chart, more than seven thousand English miles toward
+the eastward, or a distance materially exceeding two thousand marine
+leagues.
+
+All this, however, was not only hidden in mystery as regards the common
+men of the expedition, but it far out-stripped the boldest conceptions
+of the great navigator himself. Facts of this nature, notwithstanding,
+are far from detracting from the glory of the vast discoveries that were
+subsequently made, since they prove under what moral disadvantages the
+expedition was conceived, and under what a limited degree of knowledge
+it finally triumphed.
+
+While Columbus was thus employed with the chart, it was a curious thing
+to witness the manner in which the seamen watched his smallest movement,
+studied the expression of his grave and composed countenance, and sought
+to read their fate in the contraction, or dilation, of his eyes. The
+gentlemen of the Santa Maria, and the pilots, stood at his elbow, and
+here and there some old mariner ventured to take his post at hand, where
+he could follow the slow progress of the pen, or note the explanation of
+a figure. Among these was Sancho, who was generally admitted to be one
+of the most expert seamen in the little fleet--in all things, at least,
+that did not require the knowledge of the schools. Columbus even turned
+to these men, and spoke to them kindly, endeavoring to make them
+comprehend a part of their calling, which they saw practised daily,
+without ever succeeding in acquiring a practical acquaintance with it,
+pointing out particularly the distance come, and that which yet remained
+before them. Others, again, the less experienced, but not the less
+interested among the crew, hung about the rigging, whence they could
+overlook the scene, and fancy they beheld demonstrations that came of
+theories which it as much exceeded their reasoning powers to understand,
+as it exceeded their physical vision to behold the desired Indies
+themselves. As men become intellectual, they entertain abstractions,
+leaving the dominion of the senses to take refuge in that of thought.
+Until this change arrives, however, we are all singularly influenced by
+a parade of positive things. Words spoken seldom produce the effect of
+words written; and the praise or censure that would enter lightly and
+unheeded into the ear, might even change our estimates of character,
+when received into the mind through the medium of the eye. Thus, the
+very seamen, who could not comprehend the reasoning of Columbus, fancied
+they understood his chart, and willingly enough believed that islands
+and continents must exist in the precise places where they saw them so
+plainly delineated.
+
+After this exhibition, cheerfulness resumed its sway over the crew of
+the Santa Maria; and Sancho, who was generally considered as of the
+party of the admiral, was eagerly appealed to by his fellows, for many
+of the little circumstances that were thought to explain the features of
+the chart.
+
+"Dost think, Sancho, that Cipango is as large as the admiral hath got
+the island on the chart?" asked one who had passed from the verge of
+despair to the other extreme; "that it lieth fairly, any eye may see,
+since its look is as natural as that of Ferro or Madeira."
+
+"That hath he," answered Sancho, positively, "as one may see by its
+shape. Didst not notice the capes, and bays, and headlands, all laid
+down as plainly as on any other well-known coast? Ah! these Genoese are
+skilful navigators; and Señor Colon, our noble admiral, hath not come
+all this distance without having some notion in what roadstead he is to
+anchor."
+
+In such conclusive arguments, the dullest minds of the crew found
+exceeding consolation; while among all the common people of the ship,
+there was not one who did not feel more confidence in the happy
+termination of the voyage, since he had this seeming ocular proof of the
+existence of land in the part of the ocean they were in.
+
+When the discourse between the admiral and Pinzon ceased, the latter
+made sail on the Pinta, which vessel had slowly passed the Santa Maria,
+and was now a hundred yards, or more, ahead of her; neither going
+through the water at a rate exceeding a knot an hour. At the moment just
+mentioned, or while the men were conversing of their newly awakened
+hopes, a shout drew all eyes toward their consort, where Pinzon was seen
+on the poop, waving his cap in exultation, and giving the usual proofs
+of extravagant delight.
+
+"Land!--Land! Señor!" he shouted. "I claim my reward! Land! Land!"
+
+"In what direction, good Martin Alonzo?" asked Columbus, so eagerly that
+his voice fairly trembled. "In which quarter dost thou perceive this
+welcome neighbor?"
+
+"Here, to the south-west," pointing in that direction--"a range of dim
+but noble mountains, and such as promise to satisfy the pious longings
+of the Holy Father himself!"
+
+Every eye turned toward the south-west, and there, indeed, they fancied
+they beheld the long-sought proofs of their success. A faint, hazy mass
+was visible in the horizon, broken in outline, more distinctly marked
+than clouds usually are, and yet so obscure as to require a practised
+eye to draw it out of the obscurity of the void. This is the manner in
+which land often appears to seamen, in peculiar conditions of the
+atmosphere; others, under such circumstances, being seldom able to
+distinguish it at all. Columbus was so practised in all the phenomena of
+the ocean, that the face of every man in the Santa Maria was turned
+toward his, in breathless expectation of the result, as soon as the
+first glance had been given toward the point of the compass mentioned.
+It was impossible to mistake the expression of the admiral's
+countenance, which immediately became radiant with delight and pious
+exultation. Uncovering himself, he cast a look upward in unbounded
+gratitude, and then fell on his knees, to return open thanks to God.
+This was the signal of triumph, and yet, in their desolate situation,
+exultation was not the prevalent feeling of the moment. Like Columbus,
+the men felt their absolute dependence on God; and a sense of humble and
+rebuked gratitude came over every spirit, as it might be simultaneously.
+Kneeling, the entire crews of the three vessels simultaneously commenced
+the chant of "Gloria in excelsis Deo!" lifting the voice of praise, for
+the first time since the foundations of the earth were laid, in that
+deep solitude of the ocean. Matins and vespers, it is true, were then
+habitually repeated in most Christian ships; but this sublime chant was
+now uttered to waves that had been praising their Maker, in their might
+and in their calm, for so many thousand years, for the first time in the
+voice of man.
+
+"_Glory be to God on high!_" sang these rude mariners, with hearts
+softened by their escapes, dangers, and success, speaking as one man,
+though modulating their tones to the solemn harmony of a religious
+rite--"_and on earth peace, good will toward men. We praise thee, we
+bless thee, we worship thee, we glorify thee, we give thanks to thee for
+thy great glory! O Lord God! Heavenly King! God the Father Almighty!"
+&c., &c._
+
+In this noble chant, which would seem to approach as near to the praises
+of angels as human powers can ever hope to rise, the voice of the
+admiral was distinct, and deep, but trembling with emotion.
+
+When this act of pious gratitude was performed, the men ascended the
+rigging to make more certain of their success. All agreed in pronouncing
+the faintly delineated mass to be land, and the first sudden transport
+of unexpected joy was succeeded by the more regulated feelings of
+confirmed security. The sun set a little north of the dim mountains,
+and night closed around the scene, shadowing the ocean with as much
+gloom as is ever to be found beneath a tropical and cloudless sky. As
+the first watch was set, Columbus, who, whenever the winds would
+allow, had persevered in steering what he fancied to be a due-west
+course, to satisfy the longings of his people, ordered the vessels to
+haul up to south-west by compass, which was, in fact, heading
+south-west-by-south-southerly. The wind increased, and, as the admiral
+had supposed the land to be distant about twenty-five leagues, when last
+seen, all in the little fleet confidently relied on obtaining a full and
+complete view of it in the morning. Columbus himself entertained this
+hope, though he varied his course reluctantly, feeling certain that the
+continent would be met by sailing west, or what he thought to be west,
+though he could have no similar confidence as to making any island.
+
+Few slept soundly that night--visions of oriental riches, and of the
+wonders of the East, crowding on the minds of even the least
+imaginative, converting their slumbers into dreams rendered uneasy by
+longings for gold, and anticipations of the wonders of the unknown East.
+The men left their hammocks, from hour to hour, to stand in the rigging,
+watching for some new proofs of their proximity to the much-desired
+islands, and straining their eyes in vain, in the hope of looking deeper
+into the obscurity in quest of objects that fancy had already begun to
+invest with forms. In the course of the night, the vessels ran in a
+direct line toward the south-west, seventeen of the twenty-five leagues
+that Columbus had supposed alone separated him from this new discovery;
+and just before the light dawned, every soul in the three vessels was
+stirring, in the eager hope of having the panorama of day open on such a
+sight, as they felt it to be but a slight grievance to have come so far,
+and to have risked so much, to behold.
+
+"Yonder is a streak of light, glimmering in the east," cried Luis, in a
+cheerful voice; "and now, Señor Almirante, we may unite in terming you
+the honored of the earth!"
+
+"All rests with God, my young friend," returned Columbus; "whether land
+is near us or not, it boundeth the western ocean, and to that boundary
+we must proceed. Thou art right, truly, friend Gutierrez; the light is
+beginning to shed itself along the eastern margin of the sea, and even
+to rise in an arch into the vault above it."
+
+"Would that the sun rose, for this one day, in the west, that we might
+catch the first glimpse of our new possessions in that radiant field of
+heaven, which his coming rays are so gloriously illuminating above the
+track we have just passed!"
+
+"That will not happen, Master Pedro, since Sol hath journeyed daily
+round this planet of ours, from east to west, since time began, and will
+so continue to journey until time shall cease. This _is_ a fact on which
+our senses may be trusted, though they mislead us in so many other
+things."
+
+So reasoned Columbus, a man whose mind had out-stripped the age, in his
+favorite study, and who was usually so calm and philosophical; simply
+because he reasoned in the fetters of habit and prejudice. The
+celebrated system of Ptolemy, that strange compound of truth and error,
+was the favorite astronomical law of the day. Copernicus, who was then
+but a mere youth, did not reduce the just conception of Pythagoras--just
+in outline, though fanciful in its connection with both cause and
+effect--to the precision of science for many years after the discovery
+of America; and it is a strong proof of the dangers which attended the
+advancement of thought, that he was rewarded for this vast effort of
+human reason, by excommunication from the church, the maledictions of
+which actually rested on his soul, if not on his body, until within a
+few years of the present moment! This single circumstance will show the
+reader how much our navigator had to overcome in achieving the great
+office he had assumed.
+
+But all this time, the day is dawning, and the light is beginning to
+diffuse itself over the entire panorama of ocean and sky. As means were
+afforded, each look eagerly took in the whole range of the western
+horizon, and a chill of disappointment settled on every heart, as
+suspicion gradually became confirmation, that no land was visible. The
+vessels had passed, in the night, those bounds of the visible horizon,
+where masses of clouds had settled; and no one could any longer doubt
+that his senses had been deceived by some accidental peculiarity in the
+atmosphere. All eyes now turned again to the admiral, who, while he felt
+the disappointment in his inmost heart, maintained a dignified calm that
+it was not easy to disturb.
+
+"These signs are not infrequent at sea, Señor," he said to those near
+him, speaking loud enough, nevertheless, to be heard by most of the
+crew, "though seldom as treacherous as they have now proved to be. All
+accustomed to the ocean have doubtless seen them often; and as physical
+facts, they must be taken as counting neither for nor against us. As
+omens, each person will consider them as he putteth his trust in God,
+whose grace and mercy to us all, is yet, by a million of times,
+unrequited, and still would be, were we to sing _Glory in excelsis_,
+from morn till night, as long as breath lasted for the sacred office."
+
+"Still, our hope was so very strong, Don Christopher," observed one of
+the gentlemen, "that we find the disappointment hard to be borne. You
+speak of omens, Señor; are there any physical signs of our being near
+the land of Cathay?"
+
+"Omens come of God, if they come at all. They are a species of miracles
+preceding natural events, as real miracles surpass them. I think this
+expedition cometh of God; and I see no irreverence in supposing that
+this late appearance of land may have been heaped along the horizon for
+an encouraging sign to persevere, and as a proof that our labors will be
+rewarded in the end. I cannot say, nevertheless, that any but natural
+means were used, for these deceptions are familiar to us mariners."
+
+"I shall endeavor so to consider it, Señor Almirante," gravely returned
+the other, and the conversation dropped.
+
+The non-appearance of the land, which had been so confidently hoped for,
+produced a deep gloom in the vessels, notwithstanding; again changing
+the joy of their people into despondency. Columbus continued to steer
+due west by compass, or west-by-south-southerly, in reality, until
+meridian, when, yielding to the burning wishes of those around him, he
+again altered his course to the south-west. This course was followed
+until the ships had gone far enough in that direction to leave no doubt
+that the people had been misled by clouds, the preceding evening. At
+night, when not the faintest hope remained, the vessels kept away due
+west again, running, in the course of the twenty-four hours, quite
+thirty-one leagues, which were recorded before the crew as twenty-four.
+
+For several succeeding days no material changes occurred. The wind
+continued favorable, though frequently so light as to urge the vessels
+very slowly ahead, reducing the day's progress sometimes to little more
+than fifty of our English miles. The sea was calm, and weeds were again
+met, though in much smaller quantities than before. September 29th, or
+the fourth day after Pinzon had called out "land," another frigate-bird
+was seen; and as it was the prevalent notion among seamen that this bird
+never flew far from the shore, some faint hopes were momentarily revived
+by his passage. Two pelicans also appeared, and the air was so soft and
+balmy that Columbus declared nothing but nightingales were wanting, to
+render the nights as delicious as those of Andalusia.
+
+In this manner did birds come and go, exciting hopes that were doomed to
+be disappointed; sometimes flying in numbers that would seem to forbid
+the idea that they could be straying on the waste of waters, without the
+certainty of their position. Again, too, the attention of the admiral
+and of the people, was drawn to the variation of the needle, all uniting
+in the opinion that the phenomenon was only to be explained by the
+movements of the star. At length the first day of October arrived, and
+the pilots of the admiral's vessel seriously set to work to ascertain
+the distance they had come. They had been misled, as well as the rest,
+by the management of Columbus, and they now approached the latter, as he
+stood at his usual post on the poop, in order to give the result of
+their calculations, with countenances that were faithful indexes of the
+concern they felt.
+
+"We are not less than five hundred and seventy-eight leagues west of
+Ferro, Señor Almirante," commenced one of the two; "a fearful distance
+to venture into the bosom of an unknown ocean!"
+
+"Thou say'st true, honest Bartolemeo," returned Columbus, calmly;
+"though the further we venture, the greater will be the honor. Thy
+reckoning is even short of the truth, since this of mine, which is no
+secret from our people, giveth even five hundred and eighty-four
+leagues, fully six more than thine. But, after all, this scarce
+equalleth a voyage from Lisbon to Guinea, and we are not men to be
+outdone by the seamen of Don John!"
+
+"Ah! Señor Almirante, the Portuguese have their islands by the way, and
+the old world at their elbows; while we, should this earth prove not to
+be really a sphere, are hourly sailing toward its verge, and are running
+into untried dangers!"
+
+"Go to, Bartolemeo! thou talkest like a river-man who hath been blown
+outside his bar by a strong breeze from the land, and who fancieth his
+risks greater than man ever yet endured, because the water that wetteth
+his tongue is salt. Let the men see this reckoning, fearlessly; and
+strive to be of cheer, lest we remember thy misgivings beneath the
+groves of Cathay."
+
+"The man is sorely beset with dread," coolly observed Luis, as the
+pilots descended from the poop with a lingering step and a heavy heart.
+"Even your six short leagues added to the weight on his spirit. Five
+hundred and seventy-eight were frightful, but five hundred and
+eighty-four became burdensome to his soul!"
+
+"What would he then have thought had he known the truth, of which, young
+count, even thou art ignorant?"
+
+"I hope you do not distrust my nerves, Don Christopher, that this matter
+is kept a secret from me?"
+
+"I ought not, I do believe, Señor de Llera; and yet one gets to be
+distrustful even of himself, when weighty concerns hang by a thread.
+Hast thou any real idea of the length of the road we have come?"
+
+"Not I, by St. Iago! Señor. It is enough for me that we are far from the
+Doña Mercedes, and a league more or less counts but little. Should your
+theory be true, and the earth prove to be round, I have the consolation
+of knowing that we shall get back to Spain, in time, even by chasing the
+sun."
+
+"Still thou hast some general notion of our true distance from Ferro,
+knowing that each day it is lessened before the people."
+
+"To tell you the truth, Don Christopher, arithmetic and I have little
+feeling for each other. For the life of me, I never could tell the exact
+amount of my own revenues, in figures, though it might not be so
+difficult to come at their results, in another sense. If truth were
+said, however, I should think your five hundred and eighty leagues might
+fairly be set down at some six hundred and ten or twenty."
+
+"Add yet another hundred and thou wilt not be far from the fact. We are,
+at this moment, seven hundred and seven leagues from Ferro, and fast
+drawing near to the meridian of Cipango. In another glorious week, or
+ten days at most, I shall begin seriously to expect to see the continent
+of Asia!"
+
+"This is travelling faster than I had thought, Señor," answered Luis,
+carelessly; "but journey on; one of your followers will not complain,
+though we circle the earth itself."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXI.
+
+    "Pronounce what sea, what shore is this?
+    The gulf, the rock of Salamis?"
+
+    Byron.
+
+
+The adventurers had now been twenty-three days out of sight of land, all
+of which time, with the exception of a few very immaterial changes in
+the wind, and a day or two of calms, they had been steadily advancing
+toward the west, with a southern variation that ranged between a fourth
+of a point and a point and a quarter, though the latter fact was unknown
+to them. Their hopes had been so often raised to be disappointed, that a
+sort of settled gloom now began to prevail among the common men, which
+was only relieved by irregular and uncertain cries of "land," as the
+clouds produced their usual deceptions in the horizon. Still their
+feelings were in that feverish state which admits of any sudden change;
+and as the sea continued smooth as a river, the air balmy, and the skies
+most genial, they were prevented from falling into despair. Sancho
+reasoned, as usual, among his fellows, resisting ignorance and folly,
+with impudence and dogmatism; while Luis unconsciously produced an
+effect on the spirits of his associates by his cheerfulness and
+confidence. Columbus, himself, remained calm, dignified, and reserved,
+relying on the justice of his theories, and continuing resolute to
+attain his object. The wind remained fair, as before, and in the course
+of the night and day of the 2d of October, the vessels sailed more than
+a hundred miles still further into that unknown and mysterious sea. The
+weeds now drifted westerly, which was a material change, the currents
+previously setting, in the main, in an opposite direction. The 3d proved
+even a still more favorable day, the distance made reaching to
+forty-seven leagues. The admiral now began to think seriously that he
+had passed the islands laid down in his chart, and, with the high
+resolution of one sustained by grand conceptions, he decided to stand on
+west, with the intention of reaching the shores of the Indies, at once.
+The 4th was a better day than either, the little fleet passing steadily
+ahead, without deviating from its course, until it had fairly made one
+hundred and eighty-nine miles, much the greatest day's work it had yet
+achieved. This distance, so formidable to men who began to count each
+hour and each league with uneasiness, was reckoned to all on board, but
+Luis, as only one hundred and thirty-eight miles.
+
+Friday, October 5th, commenced even more favorably, Columbus finding his
+ship gliding though the water--there being no sea to cause her to reel
+and stagger--at the rate of about eight miles the hour, which was almost
+as fast as she had ever been known to go, and which would have caused
+this day's work to exceed the last, had not the wind failed in the
+night. As it was, however, fifty-seven more leagues were placed between
+Ferro and the position of the vessel; a distance that was reduced to
+forty-five, with the crew. The following day brought no material change,
+Providence appearing to urge them on at a speed that must soon solve the
+great problem which the admiral had been so long discussing with the
+learned. It was already dark, when the Pinta came sheering down upon the
+quarter of the Santa Maria, until she had got so near that her commander
+hailed without the aid of a trumpet.
+
+"Is Señor Don Christopher at his post, as usual?" hurriedly demanded
+Pinzon, speaking like one who felt he had matter of weight upon his
+mind: "I see persons on the poop; but know not if his Excellency be
+among them."
+
+"What wouldst thou, good Martin Alonzo?" answered the admiral: "I am
+here, watching for the shores of Cipango, or Cathay, whichever God, in
+his goodness, may be pleased first to give us."
+
+"I see so many reasons, noble admiral, for changing our course more to
+the south, that I could not resist the desire to come down and say as
+much. Most of the late discoveries have been made in the southern
+latitudes, and we might do well to get more southing."
+
+"Have we gained aught by changing our course in this direction? Thy
+heart seemeth bent on more southern climes, worthy friend; while to my
+feelings we are now in the very paradise of sweets, land only excepted.
+Islands _may_ lie south, or even north of us; but a continent _must_ lie
+west. Why abandon a certainty for an uncertainty? the greater for the
+less? Cipango, or Cathay, for some pleasant spot, fragrant with spices
+no doubt, but without a name, and which can never equal the glories of
+Asia, either as a discovery or as a conquest?"
+
+"I would, Señor, I might prevail on you to steer more to the south!"
+
+"Go to, Martin Alonzo, and forget thy cravings. My heart is in the west,
+and thither reason teacheth me to follow it. First hear my orders, and
+then go seek the Niña, that thy brother, the worthy Vicente Yañez, may
+obey them also. Should aught separate us in the night, it shall be the
+duty of all to stand manfully toward the west, striving to find our
+company; for it would be a sad, as well as a useless thing, to be
+wandering alone in this unknown ocean."
+
+Pinzon, though evidently much displeased, was fain to obey, and after a
+short but a sharp and loud altercation with the admiral, the commander
+of the Pinta caused her to sheer toward the felucca to execute the
+order.
+
+"Martin Alonzo beginneth to waver," Columbus observed to Luis. "He is a
+bold and exceeding skilful mariner, but steadiness of object is not his
+greatest quality. He must be restrained from following the impulses of
+his weakness, by the higher hand of authority. Cathay!--Cathay is my
+aim!"
+
+After midnight the wind increased, and for two hours the caravels
+glanced through the smooth ocean at their greatest speed, which equalled
+nine English miles the hour. Few now undressed, except to change their
+clothes; and Columbus slumbered on the poop that night, using an old
+sail for his couch. Luis was his companion, and both were up and on the
+deck with the first appearance of dawn. A common feeling seemed to exist
+among all, that land was near, and that a great discovery was about to
+be made. An annuity of ten thousand maravedis had been promised by the
+sovereigns to him who should first descry land, and every eye was on the
+gaze, whenever opportunity permitted, to gain the prize.
+
+As the light diffused itself downward toward the margin of the ocean, in
+the western horizon, all thought there was the appearance of land, and
+sail was eagerly crowded on the different vessels, in order to press
+forward as fast as possible, that their respective crews might enjoy the
+earliest and the best chances of obtaining the first view. In this
+respect, circumstances singularly balanced the advantages and
+disadvantages between the competitors. The Niña was the fastest vessel
+in light airs and smooth water, but she was also the smallest. The Pinta
+came next in general speed, holding a middle place in size, and beating
+her consorts with a fresh breeze; while the Santa Maria, the last in
+point of sailing, had the highest masts, and consequently swept the
+widest range of horizon.
+
+"There is a good feeling uppermost to-day, Señor Don Christopher," said
+Luis, as he stood at the admiral's side, watching the advance of the
+light; "and if eyes can do it, we may hope for the discovery of land.
+The late run hath awakened all our hopes, and land we must have, even if
+we raise it from the bottom of the ocean."
+
+"Yonder is Pepe, the dutiful husband of Monica, perched on our highest
+yard, straining his eyes toward the west, in the hope of gaining the
+reward!" said Columbus, smiling. "Ten thousand maravedis, yearly, would,
+in sooth, be some atonement to carry back to the grieved mother and the
+deserted boy!"
+
+"Martin Alonzo is in earnest, also, Señor. See how he presseth forward
+in the Pinta; but Vicente Yañez hath the heels of him, and is determined
+to make his salutations first to the Great Khan, neglectful of the elder
+brother's rights."
+
+"Señor!--Señores!" shouted Sancho from the spar on which he was seated
+as composedly as a modern lady would recline on her ottoman--"the
+felucca is speaking in signals."
+
+"This is true," cried Columbus--"Vicente Yañez showeth the colors of the
+queen, and there goeth a lombarda to announce some great event!"
+
+As these were the signals directed in the event that either vessel
+should discover land before her consorts, little doubt was entertained
+that the leading caravel had, at last, really announced the final
+success of the expedition. Still the recent and grave disappointment was
+remembered, and, though all devoutly poured out their gratitude in
+mental offerings, their lips were sealed until the result should show
+the truth. Every rag of canvas was set, however, and the vessels seemed
+to hasten their speed toward the west, like birds tired with an unusual
+flight, which make new efforts with their wearied wings as the prospect
+of alighting suddenly breaks on their keen vision and active instincts.
+
+Hour passed after hour, however, and brought no confirmation of the
+blessed tidings. The western horizon looked heavy and clouded throughout
+the morning, it is true, often deceiving even the most practised eyes;
+but as the day advanced, and the vessels had passed more than fifty
+miles further toward the west, it became impossible to ascribe the hopes
+of the morning to another optical illusion. The depression of spirits
+that succeeded this new disappointment was greater than any that had
+before existed, and the murmurs that arose were neither equivocal nor
+suppressed. It was urged that some malign influence was leading the
+adventurers on, finally to abandon them to despair and destruction, in a
+wilderness of waters. This is the moment when, it has been said,
+Columbus was compelled to make conditions with his followers,
+stipulating to abandon the enterprise altogether, should it fail of
+success in a given number of days. But this weakness has been falsely
+ascribed to the great navigator, who never lost the fullest exercise of
+his authority, even in the darkest moments of doubt; maintaining his
+purpose, and asserting his power, with the same steadiness and calmness,
+in what some thought this distant verge of the earth, as he had done in
+the rivers of Spain. Prudence and policy at last dictated a change of
+course, however, which he was neither too obstinate nor too proud to
+submit to, and he accordingly adopted it of his own accord.
+
+"We are now quite a thousand leagues from Ferro, by my private
+reckoning, friend Luis," said Columbus to his young companion, in one of
+their private conferences, which took place after nightfall, "and it is
+really time to expect the continent of Asia. Hitherto I have looked for
+naught but islands, and not with much expectation of seeing even them,
+though Martin Alonzo and the pilots have been so sanguine in their
+hopes. The large flocks of birds, however, that have appeared to-day,
+would seem to invite us to follow their flights--land, out of doubt,
+being their aim. I shall accordingly change our course more to the
+south, though not as far as Pinzon desireth, Cathay being still my
+goal."
+
+Columbus gave the necessary orders, and the two other caravels were
+brought within hail of the Santa Maria, when their commanders were
+directed to steer west-south-west. The reason for this change was the
+fact that so many birds had been seen flying in that direction. The
+intention of the admiral was to pursue this course for two days.
+Notwithstanding this alteration, no land was visible in the morning;
+but, as the wind was light, and the vessels had only made five leagues
+since the course was changed, the disappointment produced less
+despondency than usual. In spite of their uncertainty, all in the
+vessels now rioted in the balmy softness of the atmosphere, which was
+found so fragrant that it was delicious to breathe it. The weeds, too,
+became more plenty, and many of them were as fresh as if torn from their
+native rocks only a day or two previously. Birds, that unequivocally
+belonged to the land, were also seen in considerable numbers, one of
+which was actually taken; while ducks abounded, and another pelican was
+met. Thus passed the 8th of October, the adventurers filled with hope,
+though the vessels only increased their distance from Europe some forty
+miles in the course of the twenty-four hours. The succeeding day brought
+no other material change than a shift of wind, which compelled the
+admiral to alter his course to west-by-north, for a few hours. This
+caused him some uneasiness, for it was his wish to proceed due west, or
+west-southerly; though it afforded considerable relief to many among his
+people, who had been terrified by the prevalence of the winds in one
+direction. Had the variation still existed, this would have been, in
+fact, steering the very course the admiral desired to go; but by this
+time, the vessels were in a latitude and longitude where the needle
+resumed its powers and became faithful to its direction. In the course
+of the night, the trades also resumed their influence; and early on the
+morning of the 10th, the vessels again headed toward the
+west-south-west, by compass, which was, in truth, the real course, or as
+near to it as might be.
+
+Such was the state of things when the sun rose on the morning of the
+10th October, 1492. The wind had freshened, and all three of the vessels
+were running free the whole day, at a rate varying from five knots to
+nine. The signs of the proximity of land had been so very numerous of
+late, that, at every league of ocean they passed over, the adventurers
+had the strongest expectations of discovering it, and nearly every eye
+in all three of the ships was kept constantly bent on the western
+horizon, in the hope of its owner's being the first to make the joyful
+announcement of its appearance. The cry of "land" had been so frequent
+of late, however, that Columbus caused it to be made known that he who
+again uttered it causelessly, should lose the reward promised by the
+sovereigns, even should he happen to be successful in the end. This
+information induced more caution, and not a tongue betrayed its master's
+eagerness on this all-engrossing subject, throughout the anxious and
+exciting days of the 8th, 9th, and 10th October. But, their progress in
+the course of the 10th exceeding that made in the course of both the
+other days, the evening sky was watched with a vigilance even surpassing
+that which had attended any previous sunset. This was the moment most
+favorable for examining the western horizon, the receding light
+illuminating the whole watery expanse in that direction, in a way to
+give up all its secrets to the eye.
+
+"Is that a hummock of land?" asked Pepe of Sancho, in a low voice, as
+they lay together on a yard, watching the upper limb of the sun, as it
+settled, like a glimmering star, beneath the margin of the ocean; "or is
+it some of this misguiding vapor that hath so often misled us of late?"
+
+"'Tis neither, Pepe," returned the more cool and experienced Sancho;
+"but a rise of the sea, which is ever thus tossing itself upward on the
+margin of the ocean. Didst ever see a calm so profound, that the water
+left a straight circle on the horizon? No--no--there is no land to be
+seen in the west to-night; the ocean, in that quarter, looking as blank
+as if we stood on the western shore of Ferro, and gazed outward into the
+broad fields of the Atlantic. Our noble admiral may have the truth of
+his side, Pepe; but, as yet, he hath no other evidence of it than is to
+be found in his reasons."
+
+"And dost thou, too, take sides against him, Sancho, and say that he is
+a madman who is willing to lead others to destruction, as well as
+himself, so that he die an admiral in fact, and a viceroy in fancy?"
+
+"I take sides against no man whose doblas take sides with me, Pepe; for
+that would be quarrelling with the best friend that both the rich and
+poor can make, which is gold. Don Christopher is doubtless very learned,
+and one thing hath he settled to my satisfaction, even though neither he
+nor any of us ever see a single jewel of Cathay, or pluck a hair from
+the beard of the Great Khan, and that is, that this world is round; had
+it been a plain, all this water would not be placed at the outer side,
+since it would clearly run off, unless dammed up by land. Thou canst
+conceive that, Pepe?"
+
+"That do I; it is reasonable and according to every man's experience.
+Monica thinketh the Genoese a saint!"
+
+"Harkee, Pepe; thy Monica is no doubt an uncommonly sensible woman, else
+would she never have taken thee for a husband, when she might have
+chosen among a dozen of thy fellows. I once thought of the girl myself,
+and might have told her so, had she seen fit to call me a saint, too,
+which she did not, seeing that she used a very different epithet. But,
+admitting the Señor Colon to be a saint, he would be none the better
+admired for it, inasmuch as I never yet met with a saint, or even with a
+virgin, that could understand the bearings and distances of a run as
+short as that from Cadiz to Barcelona."
+
+"Thou speakest irreverently, Sancho, of virgins and saints, seeing that
+they know every thing"--
+
+"Ay, every thing but that. Our Lady of Rabida does not
+know south-east-and-by-southe-half-southe, from
+north-west-and-by-noathe-half-noathe. I have tried her, in this matter,
+and I tell thee she is as ignorant of it as thy Monica is ignorant of
+the manner in which the Duchess of Medina Sidonia saluteth the noble
+duke, her husband, when he returneth from hawking."
+
+"I dare say the duchess would not know, either, what to say, were she in
+Monica's place, and were she called on to receive me, as Monica will be,
+when we return from this great expedition. If I have never hawked,
+neither hath the duke ever sailed for two-and-thirty days, in a west
+course from Ferro, and this, too, without once seeing land!"
+
+"Thou say'st true, Pepe; nor hast thou ever yet done this and returned
+to Palos. But what meaneth all this movement on deck? Our people seem to
+be much moved by some feeling, while I can swear it is not from having
+discovered Cathay, or from having seen the Great Khan, shining like a
+carbuncle, on his throne of diamonds."
+
+"It is rather that they do not see him thus, that the men are moved.
+Dost not hear angry and threatening words from the mouths of the
+troublesome ones?"
+
+"By San Iago! were I Don Christopher, but I would deduct a dobla from
+the wages of each of the rascals, and give the gold to such peaceable
+men as you and me, Pepe, who are willing to starve to death, ere we will
+go back without a sight of Asia."
+
+"'Tis something of this sort, of a truth, Sancho. Let us descend, that
+his Excellency may see that he hath some friends among the crew."
+
+As Sancho assented to this proposition, he and Pepe stood on the deck in
+the next minute. Here, indeed, the people were found in a more mutinous
+state than they had been since the fleet left Spain. The long
+continuation of fair winds, and pleasant weather, had given them so much
+reason to expect a speedy termination of their voyage, that nearly the
+whole crew were now of opinion it was due to themselves to insist on the
+abandonment of an expedition that seemed destined to lead to nothing but
+destruction. The discussion was loud and angry, even one or two of the
+pilots inclining to think, with their inferiors, that further
+perseverance would certainly be useless, and might be fatal. When Sancho
+and Pepe joined the crowd, it had just been determined to go in a body
+to Columbus, and to demand, in terms that could not be misconceived, the
+immediate return of the ships to Spain. In order that this might be done
+with method, Pedro Alonzo Niño, one of the pilots, and an aged seaman
+called Juan Martin, were selected as spokesmen. At this critical moment,
+too, the admiral and Luis were seen descending from the poop, with an
+intent to retire to their cabin, when a rush was made aft, by all on
+deck, and twenty voices were heard simultaneously crying--
+
+"Señor--Don Christopher--Your Excellency--Señor Almirante!"
+
+Columbus stopped, and faced the people with a calmness and dignity that
+caused the heart of Niño to leap toward his mouth, and which materially
+checked the ardor of most of his followers.
+
+"What would ye?" demanded the admiral, sternly. "Speak! Ye address a
+friend."
+
+"We come to ask our precious lives, Señor," answered Juan Martin, who
+thought his insignificance might prove a shield--"nay, what is more, the
+means of putting bread into the mouths of our wives and children. All
+here are weary of this profitless voyage, and most think if it last any
+longer than shall be necessary to return, it will be the means of our
+perishing of want."
+
+"Know ye the distance that lieth between us and Ferro, that ye come to
+me with this blind and foolish request? Speak, Niño; I see that thou art
+also of their number, notwithstanding thy hesitation."
+
+"Señor," returned the pilot, "we are all of a mind. To go further into
+this blank and unknown ocean, is tempting God to destroy us, for our
+wilfulness. It is vain to suppose that this broad belt of water hath
+been placed by Providence around the habitable earth for any other
+purpose than to rebuke those who audaciously seek to be admitted to
+mysteries beyond their understanding. Do not all the churchmen,
+Señor--the pious prior of Santa Maria de Rabida, your own particular
+friend, included--tell us constantly of the necessity of submitting to a
+knowledge we can never equal, and to believe without striving to lift a
+veil that covers incomprehensible things?"
+
+"I might retort on thee, honest Niño, with thine own words," answered
+Columbus, "and bid thee confide in those whose knowledge thou canst
+never equal, and to follow submissively where thou art totally unfitted
+to lead. Go to; withdraw with thy fellows, and let me hear no more of
+this."
+
+"Nay, Señor," cried two or three in a breath, "we cannot perish without
+making our complaints heard. We have followed too far already, and, even
+now, may have gone beyond the means of a safe return. Let us, then, turn
+the heads of the caravels toward Spain, this night, lest we never live
+to see that blessed country again."
+
+"This toucheth on revolt! Who among ye dare use language so bold, to
+your admiral?"
+
+"All of us, Señor," answered twenty voices together. "Men need be bold,
+when their lives would be forfeited by silence."
+
+"Sancho, art thou, too, of the party of these mutineers? Dost thou
+confess thy heart to be Spain-sick, and thy unmanly fears to be stronger
+than thy hopes of imperishable glory and thy longings for the riches and
+pleasures of Cathay?"
+
+"If I do, Señor Don Almirante, set me to greasing masts, and take me
+from the helm, forever, as one unfit to watch the whirlings of the north
+star. Sail with the caravels, into the hall of the Great Khan, and make
+fast to his throne, and you will find Sancho at his post, whether it be
+at the helm or at the lead. He was born in a ship-yard, and hath a
+natural desire to know what a ship can do."
+
+"And thou, Pepe? Hast thou so forgotten thy duty as to come with this
+language to thy commander? to the admiral and viceroy of thy sovereign,
+the Doña Isabella?"
+
+"Viceroy over what?" exclaimed a voice from the crowd, without
+permitting Pepe to answer. "A viceroy over sea-weed, and one that hath
+tunny-fish, and whales, and pelicans, for subjects! We tell you, Señor
+Colon, that this is no treatment for Castilians, who require more
+substantial discoveries than fields of weeds, and islands of clouds!"
+
+"Home!--Home!--Spain!--Spain!--Palos!--Palos!" cried nearly all
+together, Sancho and Pepe having quitted the throng and ranged
+themselves at the side of Columbus. "We will no further west, which is
+tempting God; but demand to be carried back whence we came, if, indeed,
+it be not already too late for so happy a deliverance."
+
+"To whom speak ye in this shameless manner, graceless knaves?" exclaimed
+Luis, unconsciously laying a hand where it had been his practice to
+carry a rapier. "Get ye gone, or"--
+
+"Be tranquil, friend Pedro, and leave this matter with me," interrupted
+the admiral, whose composure had scarce been deranged by the violent
+conduct of his subordinates. "Listen to what I have to say, ye rude and
+rebellious men, and let it be received as my final answer to any and all
+such demands as ye have just dared to make. This expedition hath been
+sent forth by the two sovereigns, your royal master and mistress, with
+the express design of crossing the entire breadth of the vast Atlantic,
+until it might reach the shores of India. Now, let what will happen,
+these high expectations shall not be disappointed; but westward we sail,
+until stopped by the land. For this determination, my life shall answer.
+Look to it, that none of yours be endangered by resistance to the royal
+orders, or by disrespect and disobedience to their appointed substitute;
+for, another murmur, and I mark the man that uttereth it, for signal
+punishment. In this ye have my full determination, and beware of
+encountering the anger of those whose displeasure may prove more fatal
+than these fancied dangers of the ocean.
+
+"Look at what ye have before you, in the way of fear, and then at what
+ye have before ye, in the way of hope. In the first case, ye have every
+thing to dread from the sovereigns' anger, should ye proceed to a
+violent resistance of their authority; or, what is as bad, something
+like a certainty of your being unable to reach Spain, for want of food
+and water, should ye revolt against your lawful leaders and endeavor to
+return. For this, it is now too late. The voyage east must, as regards
+time, be double that we have just made, and the caravels are beginning
+to be lightened in their casks. Land, and land in this region, hath
+become necessary to us. Now look at the other side of the picture.
+Before ye, lieth Cathay, with all its riches, its novelties, and its
+glories! A region more wonderful than any that hath yet been inhabited
+by man, and occupied by a race as gentle as they are hospitable and
+just. To this must be added the approbation of the sovereigns, and the
+credit that will belong to the meanest mariner that hath manfully stood
+by his commander in achieving so great an end."
+
+"If we will obey three days longer, Señor, will you then turn toward
+Spain, should no land be seen?" cried a voice from the crowd.
+
+"Never," returned Columbus, firmly. "To India am I bound, and for India
+will I steer, though another month be needed to complete the journey.
+Go, then, to your posts or your hammocks, and let me hear no more of
+this."
+
+There was so much natural dignity in the manner of Columbus, and when he
+spoke in anger, his voice carried so much of rebuke with it, that it
+exceeded the daring of ordinary men to presume to answer when he
+commanded silence. The people sullenly dispersed, therefore, though the
+disaffection was by no means appeased. Had there been only a single
+vessel in the expedition, it is quite probable that they would have
+proceeded to some act of violence; but, uncertain of the state of
+feeling in the Pinta and the Niña, and holding Martin Alonzo Pinzon in
+as much habitual respect as they stood in awe of Columbus, the boldest
+among them were, for the present, fain to give vent to their
+dissatisfaction in murmurs, though they secretly meditated decided
+measures, as soon as an opportunity for consultation and concert with
+the crews of the other vessels might offer.
+
+"This looketh serious, Señor," said Luis, as soon as he and the admiral
+were alone again in their little cabin, "and, by St. Luke! it might cool
+the ardor of these knaves, did your Excellency suffer me to cast two or
+three of the most insolent of the vagabonds into the sea."
+
+"Which is a favor that some among them have actually contemplated
+conferring upon thee and me," answered Columbus.
+
+"Sancho keepeth me well informed of the feeling among the people, and it
+is now many days since he hath let me know this fact. We will proceed
+peaceably, if possible, Señor Gutierrez, or de Muños, whichever name
+thou most affectest, as long as we can; but should there truly arise an
+occasion to resort to force, thou wilt find that Christofero Colombo
+knoweth how to wield a sword as well as he knoweth how to use his
+instruments of science."
+
+"How far do you really think us from land, Señor Almirante? I ask from
+curiosity, and not from dread; for though the ship floated on the very
+verge of the earth, ready to fall off into vacuum, you should hear no
+murmur from me."
+
+"I am well assured of this, young noble," returned Columbus,
+affectionately squeezing the hand of Luis, "else wouldst thou not be
+here. I make our distance from Ferro exceed a thousand marine leagues;
+this is about the same as that at which I have supposed Cathay to lie
+from Europe, and it is, out of question, sufficiently far to meet with
+many of the islands that are known to abound in the seas of Asia. The
+public reckoning maketh the distance a little more than eight hundred
+leagues; but, in consequence of the favorable currents of which we have
+lately had so much, I doubt if we are not fully eleven hundred from the
+Canaries, at this moment, if not even further. We are doubtless a trifle
+nearer to the Azores, which are situated further west, though in a
+higher latitude."
+
+"Then you think, Señor, that we may really expect land, ere many days?"
+
+"So certain do I feel of this, Luis, that I should have little
+apprehension of complying with the terms of these audacious men, but for
+the humiliation. Ptolemy divided the earth into twenty-four hours, of
+fifteen degrees each, and I place but some five or six of these hours in
+the Atlantic. Thirteen hundred leagues, I feel persuaded, will bring us
+to the shores of Asia, and eleven of these thirteen hundred leagues do I
+believe we have come."
+
+"To-morrow may then prove an eventful day, Señor Almirante; and now to
+our cots, where I shall dream of a fairer land than Christian eye ever
+yet looked upon, with the fairest maiden of Spain--nay, by San Pedro! of
+Europe--beckoning me on!"
+
+Columbus and Luis now sought their rest. In the morning, it was evident
+by the surly looks of the people, that feelings like a suppressed
+volcano were burning in their bosoms, and that any untoward accident
+might produce an eruption. Fortunately, however, signs, of a nature so
+novel, soon appeared, as to draw off the attention of the most
+disaffected from their melancholy broodings. The wind was fresh, as
+usual fair, and, what was really a novelty since quitting Ferro, the sea
+had got up, and the vessels were riding over waves which removed that
+appearance of an unnatural calm that had hitherto alarmed the men with
+its long continuance. Columbus had not been on deck five minutes, when a
+joyful cry from Pepe drew all eyes toward the yard on which he was at
+work. The seaman was pointing eagerly at some object in the water, and
+rushing to the side of the vessel, all saw the welcome sign that had
+caught his gaze. As the ship lifted on a sea, and shot ahead, a rush of
+a bright fresh green was passed, and the men gave a loud shout, for all
+well knew that this plant certainly came from some shore, and that it
+could not have been long torn from the spot of its growth.
+
+"This is truly a blessed omen!" said Columbus; "rushes cannot grow
+without the light of heaven, whatever may be the case with weeds."
+
+This little occurrence changed, or at least checked, the feelings of the
+disaffected. Hope once more resumed its sway, and all who could,
+ascended the rigging to watch the western horizon. The rapid motion of
+the vessels, too, added to this buoyancy of feeling, the Pinta and Niña
+passing and repassing the admiral, as it might be in pure wantonness. A
+few hours later, fresh weeds were met, and about noon Sancho announced
+confidently that he had seen a fish which is known to live in the
+vicinity of rocks. An hour later, the Niña came sheering up toward the
+admiral, with her commander in the rigging, evidently desirous of
+communicating some tidings of moment.
+
+"What now, good Vicente Yañez?" called out Columbus; "thou seemest the
+messenger of welcome news!"
+
+"I think myself such, Don Christopher," answered the other. "We have
+just passed a bush bearing roseberries, quite newly torn from the tree!
+This is a sign that cannot deceive us."
+
+"Thou say'st true, my friend. To the west!--to the west! Happy will he
+be whose eyes first behold the wonders of the Indies!"
+
+It would not be easy to describe the degree of hope and exultation that
+now began to show itself among the people. Good-natured jests flew about
+the decks, and the laugh was easily raised where so lately all had been
+despondency and gloom. The minutes flew swiftly by, and every man had
+ceased to think of Spain, bending his thoughts again on the as yet
+unseen west.
+
+A little later, a cry of exultation was heard from the Pinta, which was
+a short distance to windward and ahead of the admiral. As this vessel
+shortened sail and hove-to, lowering a boat, and then immediately kept
+away, the Santa Maria soon came foaming up under her quarter, and spoke
+her.
+
+"What now, Martin Alonzo?" asked Columbus, suppressing his anxiety in an
+appearance of calmness and dignity. "Thou and thy people seem in an
+ecstasy!"
+
+"Well may we be so! About an hour since, we passed a piece of the
+cane-plant, of the sort of which sugar is made in the East, as
+travellers say, and such as we often see in our own ports. But this is a
+trifling symptom of land compared to the trunk of a tree that we have
+also passed. As if Providence had not yet dealt with us with sufficient
+kindness, all these articles were met floating near each other; and we
+have thought them of sufficient value to lower a boat, that we might
+possess them."
+
+"Lay thy sails to the mast, good Martin Alonzo, and send thy prizes
+hither, that I may judge of their value."
+
+Pinzon complied, and the Santa Maria being hove-to, at the same time,
+the boat soon touched her side. Martin Alonzo made but one bound from
+the thwart to the gunwale of the ship, and was soon on the deck of the
+admiral. Here he eagerly displayed the different articles that his men
+tossed after him, all of which had been taken out of the sea, not an
+hour before.
+
+"See, noble Señores," said Martin Alonzo, almost breathless with haste
+to display his treasures--"this is a sort of board, though of unknown
+wood, and fashioned with exceeding care: here is also another piece of
+cane: this is a plant that surely cometh from the land; and most of all,
+this is a walking-stick, fashioned by the hand of man, and that, too,
+with exceeding care!"
+
+"All this is true," said Columbus, examining the different articles, one
+by one; "God, in his might and power, be praised for these comfortable
+evidences of our near approach to a new world! None but a malignant
+Infidel can now doubt of our final success."
+
+"These things have questionless come from some boat that hath been
+upset, which will account for their being so near each other in the
+water," said Martin Alonzo, willing to sustain his physical proofs by a
+plausible theory. "It would not be wonderful were drowned bodies near."
+
+"Let us hope not, Martin Alonzo," answered the admiral; "let us fancy
+naught so melancholy. A thousand accidents may have thrown these
+articles together, into the sea; and once there, they would float in
+company for a twelvemonth, unless violently separated. But come they
+whence they may, to us, they are infallible proofs that not only land is
+near, but land which is the abiding-place of men."
+
+It is not easy to describe the enthusiasm that now prevailed in all the
+vessels. Hitherto they had met with only birds, and fishes, and weeds,
+signs that are often precarious; but here was such proof of their being
+in the neighborhood of their fellow-creatures, as it was not easy to
+withstand. It was true, articles of this nature might drift, in time,
+even across the vast distance they had come; but it was not probable
+that they would drift so far in company. Then, the berries were fresh,
+the board was of an unknown wood, and the walking-stick, in particular,
+if such indeed was its use, was carved in a manner that was never
+practised in Europe. The different articles passed from hand to hand,
+until all in the ship had examined them; and every thing like doubt
+vanished before this unlooked-for confirmation of the admiral's
+predictions. Pinzon returned to his vessel, sail was again made, and the
+fleet continued to steer to the west-south-west, until the hour of
+sunset.
+
+Something like a chill of disappointment again came over the more
+faint-hearted of the people, however, as they once more, or for the
+thirty-fourth time since quitting Gomera, saw the sun sink behind a
+watery horizon. More than a hundred vigilant eyes watched the glowing
+margin of the ocean, at this interesting moment, and though the heavens
+were cloudless, naught was visible but the gloriously tinted vault, and
+the outline of water, broken into the usual ragged forms of the unquiet
+element.
+
+The wind freshened as evening closed, and Columbus having called his
+vessels together, as was usual with him at that hour, he issued new
+orders concerning the course. For the last two or three days they had
+been steering materially to the southward of west, and Columbus, who
+felt persuaded that his most certain and his nearest direction from land
+to land, was to traverse the ocean, if possible, on a single parallel of
+latitude, was anxious to resume his favorite course, which was what he
+fancied to be due west. Just as night drew around the mariners,
+accordingly, the ships edged away to the required course, and ran off at
+the rate of nine miles the hour, following the orb of day as if resolute
+to penetrate into the mysteries of his nightly retreat, until some great
+discovery should reward the effort.
+
+Immediately after this change in the course, the people sang the vesper
+hymn, as usual, which, in that mild sea, they often deferred until the
+hour when the watch below sought their hammocks. That night, however,
+none felt disposed to sleep; and it was late when the chant of the
+seamen commenced, with the words of "_Salve fac Regina_." It was a
+solemn thing to hear the songs of religious praise mingling with the
+sighings of the breeze and the wash of the waters, in that ocean
+solitude; and the solemnity was increased by the expectations of the
+adventurers and the mysteries that lay behind the curtain they believed
+themselves about to raise. Never before had this hymn sounded so sweetly
+in the ears of Columbus, and Luis found his eyes suffusing with tears,
+as he recalled the soft thrilling notes of Mercedes' voice, in her holy
+breathings of praise at this hour. When the office ended, the admiral
+called the crew to the quarter-deck, and addressed them earnestly from
+his station on the poop.
+
+"I rejoice, my friends," he said, "that you have had the grace to chant
+the vesper hymn in so devout a spirit, at a moment when there is so much
+reason to be grateful to God for his goodness to us throughout this
+voyage. Look back at the past and see if one of you, the oldest sailor
+of your number, can recall any passage at sea, I will not say of equal
+length, for that no one here hath ever before made, but any equal number
+of days at sea, in which the winds have been as fair, the weather as
+propitious, or the ocean as calm, as on this occasion. Then what
+cheering signs have encouraged us to persevere! God is in the midst of
+the ocean, my friends, as well as in his sanctuaries of the land. Step
+by step, as it were, hath he led us on, now filling the air with birds,
+now causing the sea to abound with unusual fishes, and then spreading
+before us fields of plants, such as are seldom met far from the rocks
+where they grew. The last and best of his signs hath he given us this
+day. My own calculations are in unison with these proofs, and I deem it
+probable that we reach the land this very night. In a few hours, or when
+we shall have run the distance commanded by the eye, as the light left
+us, I shall deem it prudent to shorten sail; and I call on all of you to
+be watchful, lest we unwittingly throw ourselves on the strange shores.
+Ye know that the sovereigns have graciously promised ten thousand
+maravedis, yearly, and for life, to him who shall first discover land:
+to this rich reward I will add a doublet of velvet, such as it would
+befit a grandee to wear. Sleep not, then; but, at the turn of the night,
+be all vigilance and watchfulness. I am now most serious with ye, and
+look for land this very blessed night."
+
+These encouraging words produced their full effect, the men scattering
+themselves in the ship, each taking the best position he could, to earn
+the coveted prizes. Deep expectation is always a quiet feeling, the
+jealous senses seeming to require silence and intensity of
+concentration, in order to give them their full exercise. Columbus
+remained on the poop, while Luis, less interested, threw himself on a
+sail, and passed the time in musing on Mercedes, and in picturing to
+himself the joyful moment when he might meet her again, a triumphant and
+successful adventurer.
+
+The death-like silence that prevailed in the ship, added to the
+absorbing interest of that important night. At the distance of a mile
+was the little Niña, gliding on her course with a full sail; while half
+a league still further in advance, was to be seen the shadowy outline of
+the Pinta, which preceded her consorts, as the swiftest sailer with a
+fresh breeze. Sancho had been round to every sheet and brace, in person,
+and never before had the admiral's ship held as good way with her
+consorts as on that night, all three of the vessels appearing to have
+caught the eager spirit of those they contained, and to be anxious to
+outdo themselves. At moments the men started, while the wind murmured
+through the cordage, as if they heard unknown and strange voices from a
+mysterious world; and fifty times, when the waves combed upon the sides
+of the ship, did they turn their heads, expecting to see a crowd of
+unknown beings, fresh from the eastern world, pouring in upon their
+decks.
+
+As for Columbus, he sighed often; for minutes at a time would he stand
+looking intently toward the west, like one who strove to penetrate the
+gloom of night, with organs exceeding human powers. At length he bent
+his body forward, gazed intently over the weather railing of the ship,
+and then, lifting his cap, he seemed to be offering up his spirit in
+thanksgiving or prayer. All this Luis witnessed where he lay: at the
+next instant he heard himself called.
+
+"Pero Gutierrez--Pedro de Muños--Luis--whatever thou art termed," said
+Columbus, his fine masculine voice trembling with eagerness--"come
+hither, son; tell me if thine eyes accord with mine. Look in this
+direction--here, more on the vessel's beam; seest thou aught uncommon?"
+
+"I saw a light, Señor; one that resembled a candle, being neither larger
+nor more brilliant; and to me it appeared to move, as if carried in the
+hand, or tossed by waves."
+
+"Thy eyes did not deceive thee; thou seest it doth not come of either of
+our consorts, both of which are here on the bow."
+
+"What do you, then, take this light to signify, Don Christopher?"
+
+"Land! It is either on the land itself, rendered small by distance, or
+it cometh of some vessel that is a stranger to us, and which belongeth
+to the Indies. There is Rodrigo Sanchez of Segovia, the comptroller of
+the fleet, beneath us; descend, and bid him come hither."
+
+Luis did as required, and presently the comptroller was also at the
+admiral's side. Half an hour passed, and the light was not seen again;
+then it gleamed upward once or twice, like a torch, and finally
+disappeared. This circumstance was soon known to all in the ship, though
+few attached the same importance to it as Columbus himself.
+
+"This is land," quietly observed the admiral, to those near his person:
+"ere many hours we may expect to behold it. Now ye may pour out your
+souls in gratitude and confidence, for in such a sign there can be no
+deception. No phenomenon of the ocean resembleth that light; and my
+reckoning placeth us in a quarter of the world where land _must_ exist,
+else is the earth no sphere."
+
+Notwithstanding this great confidence on the part of the admiral, most
+of those in the ship did not yet feel the same certainty in the result,
+although all felt the strongest hopes of falling in with land next day.
+Columbus saying no more on the subject, the former silence was soon
+resumed, and, in a few minutes, every eye was again turned toward the
+west, in anxious watchfulness. In this manner the time passed away, the
+ships driving ahead with a speed much exceeding that of their ordinary
+rate of sailing, until the night had turned, when its darkness was
+suddenly illuminated by a blaze of light, and the report of a gun from
+the Pinta came struggling up against the fresh breeze of the trades.
+
+"There speaketh Martin Alonzo!" exclaimed the admiral; "and we may be
+certain that he hath not given the signal idly. Who sitteth on the
+top-gallant yard, there, on watch for wonders ahead?"
+
+"Señor Don Almirante, it is I," answered Sancho. "I have been here since
+we sang the vesper hymn."
+
+"Seest thou aught unusual, westward? Look vigilantly, for we touch on
+mighty things!"
+
+"Naught, Señor, unless it be that the Pinta is lessening her canvas, and
+the Niña is already closing with our fleet consort--nay, I now see the
+latter shortening sail also!"
+
+"For these great tidings, all honor and praise be to God! These are
+proofs that no false cry hath this time misled their judgments. We will
+join our consorts, good Bartolemeo, ere we take in a single inch of
+canvas."
+
+Every thing was now in motion on board the Santa Maria, which went
+dashing ahead for another half hour, when she came up with the two other
+caravels, both of which had hauled by the wind, under short canvas, and
+were forging slowly through the water, on different tacks, like coursers
+cooling themselves after having terminated a severe struggle by reaching
+the goal.
+
+"Come hither, Luis," said Columbus, "and feast thine eyes with a sight
+that doth not often meet the gaze of the best of Christians."
+
+The night was far from dark, a tropical sky glittering with a thousand
+stars, and even the ocean itself appearing to emit a sombre, melancholy
+light. By the aid of such assistants it was possible to see several
+miles, and more especially to note objects on the margin of the ocean.
+When the young man cast his eyes to leeward, as directed by Columbus, he
+very plainly perceived a point where the blue of the sky ceased, and a
+dark mound rose from the water, stretching for a few leagues southward,
+and then terminated, as it had commenced, by a union between the watery
+margin of the ocean and the void of heaven. The intermediate space had
+the defined outline, the density, and the hue of land, as seen at
+midnight.
+
+"Behold the Indies!" said Columbus; "the mighty problem is solved! This
+is doubtless an island, but a continent is near. Laud be to God!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXII.
+
+    "There is a Power, whose care
+      Teaches thy way along that pathless coast--
+    The desert and illimitable air--
+      Lone wandering, but not lost."
+
+    Bryant.
+
+
+The two or three hours that succeeded, were hours of an extraordinary
+and intense interest. The three vessels stood hovering off the dusky
+shore, barely keeping at a safe distance, stripped of most of their
+canvas, resembling craft that cruised leisurely at a given point,
+indifferent to haste or speed. As they occasionally and slowly passed
+each other, words of heart-felt congratulation were exchanged; but no
+noisy or intemperate exultation was heard on that all-important night.
+The sensations excited in the adventurers, by their success, were too
+deep and solemn for any such vulgar exhibition of joy; and perhaps there
+was not one among them all who did not, at that moment, inwardly confess
+his profound submission to, and absolute dependence on a Divine
+Providence.
+
+Columbus was silent. Emotions like his seldom find vent in words; but
+his heart was overflowing with gratitude and love. He believed himself
+to be in the further east, and to have reached that part of the world by
+sailing west; and it is natural to suppose that he expected the curtain
+of day would rise on some of those scenes of oriental magnificence which
+had been so eloquently described by the Polos and other travellers in
+those remote and little-known regions. That this or other islands were
+inhabited, the little he had seen sufficiently proved; but, as yet, all
+the rest was conjecture of the wildest and most uncertain character. The
+fragrance of the land, however, was very perceptible in the vessels,
+thus affording an opportunity to two of the senses to unite in
+establishing their success.
+
+At length the long wished-for day approached, and the eastern sky began
+to assume the tints that precede the appearance of the sun. As the light
+diffused itself athwart the dark blue ocean, and reached the island, the
+outlines of the latter became more and more distinct; then objects
+became visible on its surface, trees, glades, rocks, and irregularities,
+starting out of the gloom, until the whole picture was drawn in the
+gray, solemn colors of morning. Presently the direct rays of the sun
+touched it, gilding its prominent points, and throwing others into
+shadow. It then became apparent that the discovery was that of an island
+of no great extent, well wooded, and of a verdant and pleasant aspect.
+The land was low, but possessed an outline sufficiently graceful to
+cause it to seem a paradise in the eyes of men who had seriously doubted
+whether they were ever to look on solid ground again. The view of his
+mother earth is always pleasant to the mariner who has long gazed on
+nothing but water and sky; but thrice beautiful did it now seem to men
+who not only saw in it their despair cured, but their most brilliant
+hopes revived. From the position of the land near him, Columbus did not
+doubt that he had passed another island, on which the light had been
+seen, and, from his known course, this conjecture has since been
+rendered almost certain.
+
+The sun had scarcely risen, when living beings were seen rushing out of
+the woods, to gaze in astonishment at the sudden appearance of machines,
+that were at first mistaken by the untutored islanders, for messengers
+from heaven. Shortly after, Columbus anchored his little fleet, and
+landed to take possession in the name of the two sovereigns.
+
+As much state was observed on this occasion as the limited means of the
+adventurers would allow. Each vessel sent a boat, with her commander.
+The admiral, attired in scarlet, and carrying the royal standard,
+proceeded in advance, while Martin Alonzo, and Vicente Yañez Pinzon,
+followed, holding banners bearing crosses, the symbol of the expedition,
+with letters representing the initials of the two sovereigns, or F. and
+Y., for Fernando and Ysabel.
+
+The forms usual to such occasions were observed on reaching the shore.
+Columbus took possession, rendered thanks to God for the success of the
+expedition, and then began to look about him in order to form some
+estimate of the value of his discovery.[3]
+
+[Footnote 3: It is a singular fact that the position and name of the
+precise island that was first fallen in with, on this celebrated voyage,
+remain to this day, if not a matter of doubt, at least a matter of
+discussion. By most persons, some of the best authorities included, it
+is believed that the adventurers made Cat Island, as the place is now
+called, though the admiral gave it the appellation of San Salvador;
+while others contend for what is now termed Turk's Island. The reason
+given for the latter opinion is the position of the island, and the
+course subsequently steered in order to reach Cuba. Muñoz is of opinion
+that it was Watling's Island, which lies due east of Cat Island, at the
+distance of a degree of longitude, or a few hours' run. As respects
+Turk's Island, the facts do not sustain the theory. The course steered,
+after quitting the island, was not west, but south-west; and we find
+Columbus anxious to get south to reach the island of Cuba, which was
+described to him by the natives, and which he believed to be Cipango. No
+reason is given by Muñoz for his opinion; but Watling's Island does not
+answer the description of the great navigator, while it is so placed as
+to have lain quite near his course, and was doubtless passed unseen in
+the darkness. It is thought the light so often observed by Columbus was
+on this island.]
+
+No sooner were the ceremonies observed, than the people crowded round
+the admiral, and began to pour out their congratulations for his
+success, with their contrition for their own distrust and disaffection.
+The scene has often been described as a proof of the waywardness and
+inconstancy of human judgments; the being who had so lately been scowled
+on as a reckless and selfish adventurer, being now regarded as little
+less than a God. The admiral was no more elated by this adulation, than
+he had been intimidated by the previous dissatisfaction, maintaining his
+calmness of exterior and gravity of demeanor, with those who pressed
+around him, though a close observer might have detected the gleaming of
+triumph in his eye, and the glow of inward rapture on his cheek.
+
+"These honest people are as inconstant in their apprehensions, as they
+are extreme in their rejoicings," said Columbus to Luis, when liberated
+a little from the throng; "yesterday they would have cast me into the
+sea, and to-day they are much disposed to forget God, himself, in his
+unworthy creature. Dost not see, that the men who gave us most concern,
+on account of their discontent, are now the loudest in their applause?"
+
+"This is but nature, Señor; fear flying from panic to exultation. These
+knaves fancy they are praising you, when they are, in truth, rejoicing
+in their own escape from some unknown but dreaded evil. Our friends
+Sancho and Pepe seem not to be thus overwhelmed, for while the last is
+gathering flowers from this shore of India, the first seems to be
+looking about him with commendable coolness, as if he might be
+calculating the latitude and longitude of the Great Khan's doblas."
+
+Columbus smiled, and, accompanied by Luis, he drew nearer to the two men
+mentioned, who were a little apart from the rest of the group. Sancho
+was standing with his hands thrust into the bosom of his doublet,
+regarding the scene with the coolness of a philosopher, and toward him
+the admiral first directed his steps.
+
+"How is this, Sancho of the ship-yard-gate?" said the great navigator;
+"thou lookest on this glorious scene as coolly as thou wouldst regard a
+street in Moguer, or a field in Andalusia?"
+
+"Señor Don Almirante, the same hand made both. This is not the first
+island on which I have landed; nor are yonder naked savages the first
+men I have seen who were not dressed in scarlet doublets."
+
+"But hast thou no feeling for success--no gratitude to God for this vast
+discovery? Reflect, my friend, we are on the confines of Asia, and yet
+have we come here by holding a western course."
+
+"That the last is true, Señor, I will swear myself, having held the
+tiller in mine own hands no small part of the way. Do you think, Señor
+Don Almirante, that we have come far enough in this direction to have
+got to the back side of the earth, or to stand, as it might be, under
+the very feet of Spain?"
+
+"By no means. The realms of the Great Khan will scarcely occupy the
+position you mean."
+
+"Then, Señor, what will there be to prevent the doblas of that country
+from falling off into the air, leaving us our journey for our pains?"
+
+"The same power that will prevent our caravels from dropping out of the
+sea, and the water itself from following. These things depend on natural
+laws, my friend, and nature is a legislator that will be respected."
+
+"It is all Moorish to me," returned Sancho, rubbing his eye-brows. "Here
+we are, of a verity, if not actually beneath the feet of Spain,
+standing, as it might be, on the side of the house; and yet I find no
+more difficulty in keeping on an even keel, than I did in Moguer--by
+Santa Clara! less, in some particulars, good solid Xeres wine being far
+less plenty here than there."
+
+"Thou art no Moor, Sancho, although thy father's name be a secret. And
+thou, Pepe, what dost thou find in those flowers to draw thy attention
+so early from all these wonders?"
+
+"Señor, I gather them for Monica. A female hath a more delicate feeling
+than a man, and she will be glad to see with what sort of ornaments God
+hath adorned the Indies."
+
+"Dost thou fancy, Pepe, that thy love can keep those flowers in bloom,
+until the good caravel shall recross the Atlantic?" demanded Luis,
+laughing.
+
+"Who knoweth, Señor Gutierrez? A warm heart maketh a thriving nursery.
+You would do well, too, if you prefer any Castilian lady to all others,
+to bethink you of her beauty, and gather some of these rare plants to
+deck her hair."
+
+Columbus now turned away, the natives seeming disposed to approach the
+strangers, while Luis remained near the young sailor, who still
+continued to collect the plants of the tropics. In a minute our hero was
+similarly employed; and long ere the admiral and the wondering islanders
+had commenced their first parley, he had arranged a gorgeous _bouquet_,
+which he already fancied in the glossy dark hair of Mercedes.
+
+The events of a public nature that followed, are too familiar to every
+intelligent reader to need repetition here. After passing a short time
+at San Salvador, Columbus proceeded to other islands, led on by
+curiosity, and guided by real or fancied reports of the natives, until
+the 28th, when he reached that of Cuba. Here he imagined, for a time,
+that he had found the continent, and he continued coasting it, first in
+a north-westerly, and then in a south-easterly direction, for near a
+month. Familiarity with the novel scenes that offered soon lessened
+their influence, and the inbred feelings of avarice and ambition began
+to resume their sway in the bosoms of several of those who had been
+foremost in manifesting their submission to the admiral, when the
+discovery of land so triumphantly proved the justice of his theories,
+and the weakness of their own misgivings. Among others who thus came
+under the influence of their nature, was Martin Alonzo Pinzon, who,
+finding himself almost entirely excluded from the society of the young
+Count of Llera, in whose eyes he perceived he filled but a very
+subordinate place, fell back on his own local importance, and began to
+envy Columbus a glory that he now fancied he might have secured for
+himself. Hot words had passed between the admiral and himself, on more
+than one occasion, before the land was made, and every day something new
+occurred to increase the coldness between them.
+
+It forms no part of this work to dwell on the events that followed, as
+the adventurers proceeded from island to island, port to port, and river
+to river. It was soon apparent that very important discoveries had been
+made; and the adventurers were led on day by day, pursuing their
+investigations, and following directions that were ill comprehended, but
+which, it was fancied, pointed to mines of gold. Everywhere they met
+with a gorgeous and bountiful nature, scenery that fascinated the eye,
+and a climate that soothed the senses; but, as yet, man was found living
+in the simplest condition of the savage state. The delusion of being in
+the Indies was general, and every intimation that fell from those
+untutored beings, whether by word or sign, was supposed to have some
+reference to the riches of the east. All believed that, if not
+absolutely within the kingdom of the Great Khan, they were at least on
+its confines. Under such circumstances, when each day actually produced
+new scenes, promising still greater novelties, few bethought them of
+Spain, unless it were in connection with the glory of returning to her,
+successful and triumphant. Even Luis dwelt less intently in his thoughts
+on Mercedes, suffering her image, beautiful as it was, to be momentarily
+supplanted by the unusual spectacles that arose before his physical
+sight in such constant and unwearied succession. Little substantial,
+beyond the fertile soil and genial climate, offered, it is true, in the
+way of realizing all the bright expectations of the adventurers in
+connection with pecuniary advantages; but each moment was fraught with
+hope, and no one knew what a day would bring forth.
+
+Two agents were at length sent into the interior to make discoveries,
+and Columbus profited by the occasion to careen his vessels. About the
+time this mission was expected to return, Luis sallied forth with a
+party of armed men to meet it, Sancho making one of his escort. The
+ambassadors were met on their way back at a short day's march from the
+vessels, accompanied by a few of the natives, who were following with
+intense curiosity, expecting at each moment to see their unknown
+visitors take their flight toward heaven. A short halt was made for the
+purpose of refreshing themselves, after the two parties had joined; and
+Sancho, as reckless of danger on the land as on the ocean, stalked into
+a village that lay near the halting place. Here he endeavored to make
+himself as agreeable to the inhabitants as one of his appearance very
+well could, by means of signs. Sancho figured in this little hamlet
+under some such advantages as those that are enjoyed in the country by a
+great man from town; the spectators not being, as yet, sufficiently
+sophisticated to distinguish between the cut of a doublet and the manner
+of wearing it, as between a clown and a noble. He had not been many
+minutes playing the grandee among these simple beings, when they seemed
+desirous of offering to him some mark of particular distinction.
+Presently, a man appeared, holding certain dark-looking and dried
+leaves, which he held out to the hero of the moment in a deferential
+manner, as a Turk would offer his dried sweet-meats, or an American his
+cake. Sancho was about to accept the present, though he would greatly
+have preferred a dobla, of which he had not seen any since the last
+received from the admiral, when a forward movement was made by most of
+the Cubans, who humbly, and with emphasis, uttered the word
+"tobacco"--"tobacco." On this hint, the person who held forth the
+offering drew back, repeated the same word in an apologizing manner, and
+set about making what, it was now plain was termed a "tobacco," in the
+language of that country. This was soon effected, by rolling up the
+leaves in the form of a rude segar, when a "tobacco," duly manufactured,
+was offered to the seaman. Sancho took the present, nodded his head
+condescendingly, repeated the words himself, in the best manner he
+could, and thrust the "tobacco" into his pocket. This movement evidently
+excited some surprise among the spectators, but, after a little
+consultation, one of them lighted an end of a roll, applied the other to
+his mouth, and began to puff forth volumes of a fragrant light smoke,
+not only to his own infinite satisfaction, but seemingly to that of all
+around him. Sancho attempted an imitation, which resulted, as is common
+with the tyro in this accomplishment, in his reeling back to his party
+with the pallid countenance of an opium-chewer, and a nausea that he had
+not experienced since the day he first ventured beyond the bar of
+Saltes, to issue on the troubled surface of the Atlantic.
+
+This little scene might be termed the introduction of the well-known
+American weed into civilized society, the misapprehension of the
+Spaniards, touching the appellation, transferring the name of the roll
+to the plant itself. Thus did Sancho, of the ship-yard-gate, become the
+first Christian tobacco smoker, an accomplishment in which he was so
+soon afterward rivalled by some of the greatest men of his age, and
+which has extended down to our own times.
+
+On the return of his agents, Columbus again sailed, pushing his way
+along the north shore of Cuba. While struggling against the trades, with
+a view to get to the eastward, he found the wind too fresh, and
+determined to bear up for a favorite haven in the island of Cuba, that
+he had named Puerto del Principe. With this view a signal was made to
+call the Pinta down, that vessel being far to windward; and, as night
+was near, lights were carried in order to enable Martin Alonzo to close
+with his commander. The next morning, at the dawn of day, when Columbus
+came on deck, he cast a glance around him, and beheld the Niña, hove-to
+under his lee, but no signs of the other caravel.
+
+"Have none seen the Pinta?" demanded the admiral, hastily, of Sancho,
+who stood at the helm.
+
+"Señor, _I_ did, as long as eyes could see a vessel that was striving to
+get out of view. Master Martin Alonzo hath disappeared in the eastern
+board, while we have been lying-to, here, in waiting for him to come
+down."
+
+Columbus now perceived that he was deserted by the very man who had once
+shown so much zeal in his behalf, and who had given, in the act, new
+proof of the manner in which friendship vanishes before self-interest
+and cupidity. There had been among the adventurers many reports of the
+existence of gold mines, obtained from the descriptions of the natives;
+and the admiral made no doubt that his insubordinate follower had
+profited by the superior sailing of his caravel, to keep the wind, in
+the expectation to be the first to reach the Eldorado of their wishes.
+As the weather still continued unfavorable, however, the Santa Maria and
+the Niña returned to port, where they waited for a change. This
+separation occurred on the 21st of November, at which moment the
+expedition had not advanced beyond the north coast of Cuba.
+
+From this time until the sixth of the following month, Columbus
+continued his examination of this noble island, when he crossed what has
+since been termed the "windward passage," and first touched on the
+shores of Hayti. All this time, there had been as much communication as
+circumstances would allow, with the aborigines, the Spaniards making
+friends wherever they went, as a consequence of the humane and prudent
+measures of the admiral. It is true that violence had been done, in a
+few instances, by seizing half a dozen individuals in order to carry
+them to Spain, as offerings to Doña Isabella; but this act was easily
+reconcilable to usage in that age, equally on account of the deference
+that was paid to the kingly authority, and on the ground that the
+seizures were for the good of the captives' souls.
+
+The adventurers were more delighted with the bold, and yet winning
+aspect of Hayti, than they had been with even the adjacent island of
+Cuba. The inhabitants were found to be handsomer and more civilized than
+any they had yet seen, while they retained the gentleness and docility
+that had proved so pleasing to the admiral. Gold, also, was seen among
+them in considerable quantities; and the Spaniards set on foot a trade
+of some extent, in which the usual incentive of civilized man was the
+great aim of one side, and hawk's-bells appear to have been the
+principal desideratum with the other.
+
+In this manner, and in making hazardous advances along the coast, the
+admiral was occupied until the 20th of the month, when he reached a
+point that was said to be in the vicinity of the residence of the Great
+Cacique of all that portion of the island. This prince, whose name, as
+spelt by the Spaniards, was Guacanagari, had many tributary caciques,
+and was understood, from the half-intelligible descriptions of his
+subjects, to be a monarch that was much beloved. On the 22d, while still
+lying in the Bay of Acúl, where the vessels had anchored two days
+previously, a large canoe was seen entering the haven. It was shortly
+after announced to the admiral that this boat contained an ambassador
+from the Great Cacique, who brought presents from his master, with a
+request that the vessels would move a league or two further east, and
+anchor off the town inhabited by the prince himself. The wind preventing
+an immediate compliance, a messenger was despatched with a suitable
+answer, and the ambassador returned. Fatigued with idleness, anxious to
+see more of the interior, and impelled by a constitutional love of
+adventure, Luis, who had struck up a hasty friendship with a young man
+called Mattinao, who attended the ambassador, asked permission to
+accompany him, taking his passage in the canoe. Columbus gave his
+consent to this proposal with a good deal of reluctance, the rank and
+importance of our hero inducing him to avoid the consequences of any
+treachery or accident. The importunity of Luis finally prevailed,
+however, and he departed with many injunctions to be discreet, being
+frequently admonished of the censure that would await the admiral in the
+event of any thing serious occurring. As a precaution, too, Sancho Mundo
+was directed to accompany the young man, in this chivalrous adventure,
+in the capacity of an esquire.
+
+No weapon more formidable than a blunt arrow having yet been seen in the
+hands of the natives, the young Count de Llera declined taking his mail,
+going armed only with a trusty sword, the temper of which had been tried
+on many a Moorish corslet and helm, in his foot encounters, and
+protected by a light buckler. An arquebuse had been put into his hand,
+but he refused it, as a weapon unsuited to knightly hands, and as
+betraying a distrust that was not merited by the previous conduct of the
+natives. Sancho, however, was less scrupulous, and accepted the weapon.
+In order, moreover, to divert the attention of his followers from a
+concession that the admiral felt to be a departure from his own rigid
+laws, Luis and his companions landed, and entered the canoe at a point
+concealed from the vessels, in order that their absence might not be
+known. It is owing to these circumstances, as well as to the general
+mystery that was thrown about the connection of the young grandee with
+the expedition, that the occurrences we are about to relate were never
+entered by the admiral in his journal, and have consequently escaped the
+prying eyes of the various historians who have subsequently collected so
+much from that pregnant document.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIII.
+
+    "Thou seemest to fancy's eye
+      An animated blossom born in air;
+    Which breathes and bourgeons in the golden sky,
+      And sheds its odors there."
+
+    Sutermeister.
+
+
+Notwithstanding his native resolution, and an indifference to danger
+that amounted to recklessness, Luis did not find himself alone with the
+Haytians without, at least, a lively consciousness of the novelty of his
+situation. Still, nothing occurred to excite uneasiness, and he
+continued his imperfect communications with his new friends,
+occasionally throwing in a remark to Sancho, in Spanish, who merely
+wanted encouragement to discourse by the hour. Instead of following the
+boat of the Santa Maria, on board which the ambassador had embarked, the
+canoe pushed on several leagues further east, it being understood that
+Luis was not to present himself in the town of Guacanagari, until after
+the arrival of the ships, when he was to rejoin his comrades stealthily,
+or in a way not to attract attention.
+
+Our hero would not have been a true lover, had he remained indifferent
+to the glories of the natural scenery that lay spread before his eyes,
+as he thus coasted the shores of Española. The boldness of the
+landscape, as in the Mediterranean, was relieved by the softness of a
+low latitude, which throws some such witchery around rocks and
+promontories, as a sunny smile lends to female beauty. More than once
+did he burst out into exclamations of delight, and as often did Sancho
+respond in the same temper, if not exactly in the same language; the
+latter conceiving it to be a sort of duty to echo all that the young
+noble said, in the way of poetry.
+
+"I take it, Señor Conde," observed the seaman, when they had reached a
+spot several leagues beyond that where the launch of the ship had put to
+shore; "I take it for granted, Señor Conde, that your Excellency knoweth
+whither these naked gentry are paddling, all this time. They seem in a
+hurry, and have a port in their minds, if it be not in view."
+
+"Art thou uneasy, friend Sancho, that thou puttest thy question thus
+earnestly?"
+
+"If I am, Don Luis, it is altogether on account of the family of
+Bobadilla, which would lose its head, did any mishap befall your
+Excellency. What is it to Sancho, of the ship-yard-gate, whether he is
+married to some princess in Cipango, and gets to be adopted by the Great
+Khan, or whether he is an indifferent mariner out of Moguer? It is very
+much as if one should offer him the choice between wearing a doublet and
+eating garlic, and going naked on sweet fruits and a full stomach. I
+take it, Señor, your Excellency would not willingly exchange the castle
+of Llera for the palace of this Great Cacique?"
+
+"Thou art right, Sancho; even rank must depend on the state of society
+in which we live. A Castilian noble cannot envy a Haytian sovereign."
+
+"More especially, since my lord, the Señor Don Almirante, hath publicly
+proclaimed that our gracious lady, the Doña Isabella, is henceforth and
+forever to be queen over him," returned Sancho, with a knowing glance of
+the eye. "Little do these worthy people understand the honor that is in
+store for them, and least of all, his Highness, King Guacanagari!"
+
+"Hush, Sancho, and keep thy unpleasant intimations in thine own breast.
+Our friends turn the head of the canoe toward yonder river's mouth, and
+seem bent on landing."
+
+By this time, indeed, the natives had coasted as far as they intended,
+and were turning in toward the entrance of a small stream, which, taking
+its rise among the noble mountains that were grouped inland, found its
+way through a smiling valley to the ocean. This stream was neither broad
+nor deep, but it contained far more than water sufficient for any craft
+used by the natives. Its banks were fringed with bushes; and as they
+glided up it, Luis saw fifty sites where he thought he could be content
+to pass his life, provided, always, that it might possess the advantage
+of Mercedes' presence. It is scarcely necessary to add, too, that in all
+these scenes he fancied his mistress attired in the velvets and laces
+that were then so much used by high-born dames, and that he saw her
+natural grace, embellished by the courtly ease and polished accessories
+of one who lived daily, if not hourly, in the presence of her royal
+mistress.
+
+As the canoe shut in the coast, by entering between the two points that
+formed the river's mouth, Sancho pointed out to the young noble a small
+fleet of canoes, that was coming down before the wind from the eastward,
+apparently bound, like so many more they had seen that day, to the Bay
+of Acúl, on a visit to the wonderful strangers. The natives in the canoe
+also beheld this little flotilla, which was driving before the wind
+under cotton sails, and by their smiles and signs showed that they gave
+it the same destination. About this time, too, or just as they entered
+the mouth of the stream, Mattinao drew from under a light cotton robe,
+that he occasionally wore, a thin circlet of pure gold, which he placed
+upon his head, in the manner of a coronet. This, Luis knew, was a token
+that he was a cacique, one of those who were tributary to Guacanagari,
+and he arose to salute him at this evidence of his rank, an act that was
+imitated by all of the Haytians also. From this assumption of state,
+Luis rightly imagined that Mattinao had now entered within the limits of
+a territory that acknowledged his will. From the moment that the young
+cacique threw aside his incognito, he ceased to paddle, but, assuming an
+air of authority and dignity, he attempted to converse with his guest in
+the best manner their imperfect means of communication would allow. He
+often pronounced the word, Ozema, and Luis inferred from the manner in
+which he used it, that it was the name of a favorite wife, it having
+been already ascertained by the Spaniards, or at least it was thought to
+be ascertained, that the caciques indulged in polygamy, while they
+rigidly restricted their subjects to one wife.
+
+The canoe ascended the river several miles, until it reached one of
+those tropical valleys in which nature seems to expend her means of
+rendering this earth inviting. While the scenery had much of the freedom
+of a wilderness, the presence of man for centuries had deprived it of
+all its ruder and more savage features. Like those who tenanted it, the
+spot possessed the perfection of native grace, unfettered and uninvaded
+by any of the more elaborate devices of human expedients. The dwellings
+were not without beauty, though simple as the wants of their owners; the
+flowers bloomed in midwinter, and the generous branches still groaned
+with the weight of their nutritious and palatable fruits.
+
+Mattinao was received by his people with an eager curiosity, blended
+with profound respect. His mild subjects crowded around Luis and Sancho,
+with some such wonder as a civilized man would gaze at one of the
+prophets, were he to return to earth in the flesh. They had heard of the
+arrival of the ships, but they did not the less regard their inmates as
+visitors from heaven. This, probably, was not the opinion of the more
+elevated in rank, for, even in the savage state, the vulgar mind is far
+from being that of the favored few. Whether it was owing to this greater
+facility of character, and to habits that more easily adapted themselves
+to the untutored notions of the Indians, or to their sense of propriety,
+Sancho soon became the favorite with the multitude; leaving the Count of
+Llera more especially to the care of Mattinao, and the principal men of
+his tribe. Owing to this circumstance, the two Spaniards were soon
+separated, Sancho being led away by the _oi polloi_ to a sort of square
+in the centre of the village, leaving Don Luis in the habitation of the
+cacique.
+
+No sooner did Mattinao find himself in the company of our hero, and that
+of two of his confidential chiefs, than the name of Ozema was repeated
+eagerly among the Indians. A rapid conversation followed, a messenger
+was despatched, Luis knew not whither, and then the chiefs took their
+departure, leaving the young Castilian alone with the cacique. Laying
+aside his golden band, and placing a cotton robe about his person, which
+had hitherto been nearly naked, Mattinao made a sign for his companion
+to follow him, and left the building. Throwing the buckler over his
+shoulder, and adjusting the belt of his sword in a way that the weapon
+should not incommode him in walking, Luis obeyed with as much confidence
+as he would have followed a friend along the streets of Seville.
+
+Mattinao led the way through a wilderness of sweets, where tropical
+plants luxuriated beneath the branches of trees loaded with luscious
+fruits, holding his course by a foot-path which lay on the banks of a
+torrent that flowed from a ravine, and poured its waters into the river
+below. The distance he went might have been half a mile. Here he reached
+a cluster of rustic dwellings that occupied a lovely terrace on a
+hill-side, where they overlooked the larger town below the river, and
+commanded a view of the distant ocean. Luis saw at a glance that this
+sweet retreat was devoted to the uses of the gentler sex, and he doubted
+not that it formed a species of seraglio, set apart for the wives of the
+young cacique. He was led into one of the principal dwellings, where the
+simple but grateful refreshments used by the natives, were again offered
+to him.
+
+The intercourse of a month had not sufficed to render either party very
+familiar with the language of the other. A few of the commoner words of
+the Indians had been caught by the Spaniards, and perhaps Luis was one
+of the most ready in their use; still, it is highly probable, he was
+oftener wrong than right, even when he felt the most confident of his
+success. But the language of friendship is not easily mistaken, and our
+hero had not entertained a feeling of distrust from the time he left the
+ships, down to the present moment.
+
+Mattinao had despatched a messenger to an adjacent dwelling when he
+entered that in which Luis was now entertained, and when sufficient time
+had been given for the last to refresh himself, the cacique arose, and
+by a courteous gesture, such as might have become a master of ceremonies
+in the court of Isabella, he again invited the young grandee to follow.
+They took their way along the terrace, to a house larger than common,
+and which evidently contained several subdivisions, as they entered into
+a sort of anteroom. Here they remained but a minute; the cacique, after
+a short parley with a female, removing a curtain ingeniously made of
+sea-weed, and leading the way to an inner apartment. It had but a single
+occupant, whose character Luis fancied to be announced in the use of the
+single word "Ozema," that the cacique uttered in a low, affectionate
+tone, as they entered. Luis bowed to this Indian beauty, as profoundly
+as he could have made his reverence to a high-born damsel of Spain;
+then, recovering himself, he fastened one long, steady look of
+admiration on the face of the curious but half-frightened young creature
+who stood before him, and exclaimed, in such tones as only indicate
+rapture, admiration, and astonishment mingled--
+
+"Mercedes!"
+
+The young cacique repeated this name in the best manner he could,
+evidently mistaking it for a Spanish term to express admiration, or
+satisfaction; while the trembling young thing, who was the subject of
+all this wonder, shrunk back a step, blushed, laughed, and muttered in
+her soft, low, musical voice, "Mercedes," as the innocent take up and
+renew any source of their harmless pleasures. She then stood, with her
+arms folded meekly on her bosom, resembling a statue of wonder. But it
+may be necessary to explain why, at a moment so peculiar, the thoughts
+and tongue of Luis had so suddenly resorted to his mistress. In order to
+do this, we shall first attempt a short description of the person and
+appearance of Ozema, as was, in fact, the name of the Indian beauty.
+
+All the accounts agree in describing the aborigines of the West Indies
+as being singularly well formed, and of a natural grace in their
+movements, that extorted a common admiration among the Spaniards. Their
+color was not unpleasant, and the inhabitants of Hayti, in particular,
+were said to be very little darker than the people of Spain. Those who
+were but little exposed to the bright sun of that climate, and who dwelt
+habitually beneath the shades of groves, or in the retirement of their
+dwellings, like persons of similar habits in Europe, might, by
+comparison, have even been termed fair. Such was the fact with Ozema,
+who, instead of being the wife of the young cacique, was his only
+sister. According to the laws of Hayti, the authority of a cacique was
+transmitted through females, and a son of Ozema was looked forward to,
+as the heir of his uncle. Owing to this fact, and to the circumstance
+that the true royal line, if a term so dignified can be applied to a
+state of society so simple, was reduced to these two individuals, Ozema
+had been more than usually fostered by the tribe, leaving her free from
+care, and as little exposed to hardships, as at all comported with the
+condition of her people. She had reached her eighteenth year, without
+having experienced any of those troubles and exposures which are more or
+less the inevitable companions of savage life; though it was remarked by
+the Spaniards, that all the Indians they had yet seen seemed more than
+usually free from evils of this character. They owed this exception to
+the generous quality of the soil, the genial warmth of the climate, and
+the salubrity of the air. In a word, Ozema, in her person, possessed
+just those advantages that freedom from restraint, native graces, and
+wild luxuriance, might be supposed to lend the female form, under the
+advantages of a mild climate, a healthful and simple diet, and perfect
+exemption from exposure, care, or toil. It would not have been difficult
+to fancy Eve such a creature, when she first appeared to Adam, fresh
+from the hands of her divine Creator, modest, artless, timid, and
+perfect.
+
+The Haytians used a scanty dress, though it shocked none of their
+opinions to go forth in the garb of nature. Still, few of rank were seen
+without some pretensions to attire, which was worn rather as an
+ornament, or a mark of distinction, than as necessary either to usage or
+comfort. Ozema, herself, formed no exception to the general rule. A
+cincture of Indian cloth, woven in gay colors, circled her slender
+waist, and fell nearly as low as her knees; a robe of spotless cotton,
+inartificially made, but white as the driven snow, and of a texture so
+fine that it might have shamed many of the manufactures of our own days,
+fell like a scarf across a shoulder, and was loosely united at the
+opposite side, dropping in folds nearly to the ground. Sandals, of great
+ingenuity and beauty, protected the soles of feet that a queen might
+have envied; and a large plate of pure gold, rudely wrought, was
+suspended from her neck by a string of small, but gorgeous shells.
+Bracelets of the latter were on her pretty wrists, and two light bands
+of gold encircled ankles that were as faultless as those of the Venus of
+Naples. In that region, the fineness of the hair was thought the test of
+birth, with better reason than many imagine the feet and hands to be, in
+civilized life. As power and rank had passed from female to female in
+her family, for several centuries, the hair of Ozema was silken, soft,
+waving, exuberant, and black as jet. It covered her shoulders, like a
+glorious mantle, and fell as low as her simple cincture. So light and
+silken was this natural veil, that its ends waved in the gentle current
+of air that was rather breathing than blowing through the apartment.
+
+Although this extraordinary creature was much the loveliest specimen of
+young-womanhood that Luis had seen among the wild beauties of the
+islands, it was not so much her graceful and well-rounded form, or even
+the charms of face and expression, that surprised him, as a decided and
+accidental resemblance to the being he had left in Spain, and who had so
+long been the idol of his heart. This resemblance alone had caused him
+to utter the name of his mistress, in the manner related. Could the two
+have been placed together, it would have been easy to detect marked
+points of difference between them, without being reduced to compare the
+intellectual and thoughtful expression of our heroine's countenance,
+with the wondering, doubting, half-startled look of Ozema: but still the
+general likeness was so strong, that no person who was familiar with the
+face of one could fail to note it on meeting with the other. Side by
+side, it would have been discovered that the face of Mercedes had the
+advantage in finesse and delicacy; that her features and brow were
+nobler; her eye more illuminated by the intelligence within; her smile
+more radiant with thought and the feelings of a cultivated woman; her
+blush more sensitive, betraying most of the consciousness of
+conventional habits; and that the expression generally was much more
+highly cultivated, than that which sprung from the artless impulses and
+limited ideas of the young Haytian. Nevertheless, in mere beauty, in
+youth, and tint, and outline, the disparity was scarcely perceptible,
+while the resemblance was striking; and, on the score of animation,
+native frankness, ingenuousness, and all that witchery which ardent and
+undisguised feeling lends to woman, many might have preferred the
+confiding _abandon_ of the beautiful young Indian, to the more trained
+and dignified reserve of the Castilian heiress. What in the latter was
+earnest, high-souled, native, but religious enthusiasm, in the other was
+merely the outpourings of unguided impulses, which, however feminine in
+their origin, were but little regulated in their indulgence.
+
+"Mercedes!" exclaimed our hero, when this vision of Indian loveliness
+unexpectedly broke on his sight. "Mercedes!" repeated Mattinao;
+"Mercedes!" murmured Ozema, recoiling a step, blushing, laughing, and
+then resuming her innocent confidence, as she several times uttered the
+same word, which she also mistook for an expression of admiration, in
+her own low, melodious voice.
+
+Conversation being out of the question, there remained nothing for the
+parties but to express their feelings by signs and acts of amity. Luis
+had not come on his little expedition unprovided with presents.
+Anticipating an interview with the wife of the cacique, he had brought
+up from the village below, several articles that he supposed might suit
+her untutored fancy. But the moment he beheld the vision that actually
+stood before him, they all seemed unworthy of such a being. In one of
+his onsets against the Moors, he had brought off a turban of rich but
+light cloth, and he had kept it as a trophy, occasionally wearing it, in
+his visits to the shore, out of pure caprice, and as a sort of ornament
+that might well impose on the simple-minded natives. These vagaries
+excited no remarks, as mariners are apt to indulge their whims in this
+manner, when far from the observations of those to whom they habitually
+defer. This turban was on his head at the moment he entered the
+apartment of Ozema, and, overcome with the delight of finding so
+unexpected a resemblance, and, possibly, excited by so unlooked-for an
+exhibition of feminine loveliness, he gallantly unrolled it, threw out
+the folds of rich cloth, and cast it over the shoulders of the beautiful
+Ozema as a mantle.
+
+The expressions of gratitude and delight that escaped this
+unsophisticated young creature, were warm, sincere, and undisguised. She
+cast the ample robe on the ground before her, repeated the word
+"Mercedes," again and again, and manifested her pleasure with all the
+warmth of a generous and ingenuous nature. If we were to say that this
+display of Ozema was altogether free from the child-like rapture that
+was, perhaps, inseparable from her ignorance, it would be attributing to
+her benighted condition the experience and regulated feelings of
+advanced civilization; but, notwithstanding the guileless simplicity
+with which she betrayed her emotions, her delight was not without much
+of the dignity and tone that usually mark the conduct of the superior
+classes all over the world. Luis fancied it as graceful as it was
+_naive_ and charming. He endeavored to imagine the manner in which the
+Lady of Valverde might receive an offering of precious stones from the
+gracious hands of Doña Isabella, and he even thought it very possible
+that the artless grace of Ozema was not far behind what he knew would be
+the meek self-respect, mingled with grateful pleasure, that Mercedes
+could not fail to exhibit.
+
+While thoughts like these were passing through his mind, the Indian girl
+laid aside her own less enticing robe, without a thought of shame, and
+then she folded her faultless form in the cloth of the turban. This was
+no sooner done, with a grace and freedom peculiar to her unfettered
+mind, than she drew the necklace of shells from her person, and,
+advancing a step or two toward our hero, extended the offering with a
+half-averted face, though the laughing and willing eyes more than
+supplied the place of language. Luis accepted the gift with suitable
+eagerness, nor did he refrain from using the Castilian gallantry of
+kissing the pretty hand from which he took the bauble.
+
+The cacique, who had been a pleased spectator of all that passed, now
+signed for the count to follow him, leading the way toward another
+dwelling. Here Don Luis was introduced to other young females, and to
+two or three children, the former of whom, he soon discovered, were the
+wives of Mattinao, and the latter his offspring. By dint of gestures, a
+few words, and such other means of explanation as were resorted to
+between the Spaniards and the natives, he now succeeded in ascertaining
+the real affinity which existed between the cacique and Ozema. Our hero
+felt a sensation like pleasure when he discovered that the Indian beauty
+was not married; and he was fain to refer the feeling, perhaps justly,
+to a sort of jealous sensitiveness that grew out of her resemblance to
+Mercedes.
+
+The remainder of that, and the whole of the three following days, were
+passed by Luis with his friend, the cacique, in this, the favorite and
+sacred residence of the latter. Of course our hero was, if any thing, a
+subject of greater interest to all his hosts, than they could possibly
+be to him. They took a thousand innocent liberties with his person:
+examining his dress, and the ornaments he wore, not failing to compare
+the whiteness of his skin with the redder tint of that of Mattinao. On
+these occasions Ozema was the most reserved and shy, though her look
+followed every movement, and her pleased countenance denoted the
+interest she felt in all that concerned the stranger. Hours at a time,
+did Luis lie stretched on fragrant mats near this artless and lovely
+creature, studying the wayward expression of her features, in the fond
+hope of seeing stronger and stronger resemblances to Mercedes, and
+sometimes losing himself in that which was peculiarly her own. In the
+course of the time passed in these dwellings, efforts were made by the
+count to obtain some useful information of the island; and whether it
+was owing to her superior rank, or to a native superiority of mind, or
+to a charm of manner, he soon fancied that the cacique's beautiful
+sister succeeded better in making him understand her meaning, than
+either of the wives of Mattinao, or the cacique himself. To Ozema, then,
+Luis put most of his questions; and ere the day had passed, this
+quick-witted and attentive girl had made greater progress in opening an
+intelligible understanding between the adventurers and her countrymen,
+than had been accomplished by the communications of the two previous
+months. She caught the Spanish words with a readiness that seemed
+instinctive, pronouncing them with an accent that only rendered them
+prettier and softer to the ear.
+
+Luis de Bobadilla was just as good a Catholic as a rigid education, a
+wandering life, and the habits of the camp would be apt to make one of
+his rank, years, and temperament. Still, that was an age in which most
+laymen had a deep reverence for religion; whether they actually
+submitted to its purifying influence or not. If there were any
+free-thinkers, at all, they existed principally among those who passed
+their lives in their closets, or were to be found among the churchmen,
+themselves; who often used the cowl as a hood to conceal their
+infidelity. His close association with Columbus, too, had contributed to
+strengthen our hero's tendency to believe in the constant supervision of
+Providence; and he now felt a strong inclination to fancy that this
+extraordinary facility of Ozema's in acquiring languages, was one of its
+semi-miraculous provisions, made with a view to further the introduction
+of the religion of the cross among her people. Often did he flatter
+himself, as he sat gazing into the sparkling, and yet mild eyes of the
+girl, listening to her earnest efforts to make him comprehend her
+meaning, that he was to be the instrument of bringing about this great
+good, through so young and charming an agent. The admiral had also
+enjoined on him the importance of ascertaining, if possible, the
+position of the mines, and he had actually succeeded in making Ozema
+comprehend his questions on a subject that was all-engrossing with most
+of the Spaniards. Her answers were less intelligible, but Luis thought
+they never could be sufficiently full; flattering himself, the whole
+time, that he was only laboring to comply with the wishes of Columbus.
+
+The day after his arrival, our hero was treated to an exhibition of some
+of the Indian games. These sports have been too often described to need
+repetition here; but, in all their movements and exercises, which were
+altogether pacific, the young princess was conspicuous for grace and
+skill. Luis, too, was required to show his powers, and being exceedingly
+athletic and active, he easily bore away the palm from his friend
+Mattinao. The young cacique manifested neither jealousy nor
+disappointment at this result, while his sister laughed and clapped her
+hands with delight, when he was outdone, even at his own sports, by the
+greater strength or greater efforts of his guest. More than once, the
+wives of Mattinao seemed to utter gentle reproaches at this exuberance
+of feeling, but Ozema answered with smiling taunts, and Luis thought
+her, at such moments, more beautiful than even imagination could draw,
+and perhaps with justice; for her cheeks were flushed, her eyes became
+as brilliant as ornaments of jet, and the teeth that were visible
+between lips like cherries, resembled rows of ivory. We have said that
+the eyes of Ozema were black, differing, in this particular, from the
+deep-blue, melancholy orbs of the enthusiastic Mercedes; but still they
+were alike, so often uttering the same feelings, more especially
+touching matters in which Luis was concerned. More than once, during the
+trial of strength, did the young man fancy that the expression of the
+rapture which fairly danced in the eyes of Ozema, was the very
+counterpart of that of the deep-seated delight which had so often beamed
+on him, from the glances of Mercedes, in the tourney; and, at such
+times, it struck him that the resemblance between the two was so strong
+as, after some allowance had been made for dress, and other sufficiently
+striking circumstances, to render them almost identical.
+
+The reader is not to suppose from this, that our hero was actually
+inconstant to big ancient love. Far from it. Mercedes was too deeply
+enshrined in his heart--and Luis, with all his faults, was as
+warm-hearted and true-hearted a cavalier as breathed--to be so easily
+dispossessed. But he was young, distant from her he had so long adored,
+and was, withal, not altogether insensible to admiration so artlessly
+and winningly betrayed by the Indian girl. Had there been the least
+immodest glance, any proof that art or design lay at the bottom of
+Ozema's conduct, he would at once have taken the alarm, and been
+completely disenthralled from his temporary delusion; but, on the
+contrary, all was so frank and natural with this artless girl; when she
+most betrayed the hold he had taken of her imagination, it was done with
+a simplicity so obvious, a _naïveté_ so irrepressible, and an
+ingenuousness so clearly the fruit of innocence, that it was impossible
+to suspect artifice. In a word, our hero merely showed that he was
+human, by yielding in a certain degree to a fascination that, under the
+circumstances, might well have made deeper inroads on the faith even of
+men who enjoyed much better reputations for stability of purpose.
+
+In situations of so much novelty, time flies swiftly, and Luis himself
+was astonished when, on looking back, he remembered that he had now been
+several days with Mattinao, most of which period had actually been
+passed in what might not inaptly be termed the seraglio of the cacique.
+Sancho of the ship-yard-gate had not been in the least neglected all
+this time. He had been a hero, in his own circle, as well as the young
+noble, nor had he been at all forgetful of his duty on the subject of
+searching for gold. Though he had neither acquired a single word of the
+Haytian language, nor taught a syllable of Spanish to even one of the
+laughing nymphs who surrounded him, he had decorated the persons of many
+of them with hawk's-bells, and had contrived to abstract from them, in
+return, every ornament that resembled the precious metal, which they
+possessed. This transfer, no doubt, was honestly effected, however,
+having been made on that favorite principle of the free trade theorists,
+which maintains that trade is merely an exchange of equivalents;
+overlooking all the adverse circumstances which may happen, just at the
+moment, to determine the standard of value. Sancho had his notions of
+commerce as well as the modern philosophers, and, as he and Luis
+occasionally met during their sojourn with Mattinao, he revealed a few
+of his opinions on this interesting subject, in one of their interviews.
+
+"I perceive thou hast not forgotten thy passion for doblas, friend
+Sancho," said Luis, laughing, as the old seaman exhibited the store of
+dust and golden plates he had collected; "there is sufficient of the
+metal in thy sack to coin a score of them, each having the royal
+countenances of our lord the King, and our lady the Queen!"
+
+"Double that, Señor Conde; just double that; and all for the price of
+some seventeen hawk's-bells, that cost but a handful of maravedis. By
+the mass! this is a most just and holy trade, and such as it becomes us
+Christians to carry on. Here are these savages, they think no more of
+gold than your Excellency thinks of a dead Moor, and to be revenged on
+them, I hold a hawk's-bell just as cheap. Let them think as poorly as
+they please of their ornaments and yellow dust, they will find me just
+as willing to part with the twenty hawk's-bells that remain. Let them
+barter away, they will find me as ready as they possibly can be, to give
+nothing for nothing."
+
+"Is this quite honest, Sancho, to rob an Indian of his gold, in exchange
+for a bauble that copper so easily purchaseth? Remember thou art a
+Castilian, and henceforth give _two_ hawk's-bells, where thou hast
+hitherto given but _one_."
+
+"I never forget my birth, Señor, for happily the ship-yard of Moguer is
+in old Spain. Is not the value of a thing to be settled by what it will
+bring in the market? ask any of our traders and they will tell you this,
+which is clear as the sun in the heavens. When the Venetians lay before
+Candia, grapes, and figs, and Greek wine, could be had for the asking in
+that island, while western articles commanded any price. Oh, nothing is
+plainer than the fact that every thing hath its price, and it is real
+trade to give one worthless commodity for another."
+
+"If it be honest to profit by the ignorance of another," answered Luis,
+who had a nobleman's contempt for commerce, "then it is just to deceive
+the child and the idiot."
+
+"God forbid, and especially St. Andrew, my patron, that I should do any
+thing so wicked. Hawk's-bells are of more account than gold, in Hayti,
+Señor, and happening to know it, I am willing to part with the precious
+things for the dross. You see I am generous instead of being avaricious,
+for all parties are in Hayti, where the value of, the articles must be
+settled. It is true, that after running great risks at sea, and
+undergoing great pains and chances, by carrying this gold to Spain, I
+may be requited for my trouble, and get enough benefit to make an honest
+livelihood. I hope Doña Isabella will have so much feeling for these,
+her new subjects, as to prevent their ever going into the shipping
+business--a most laborious and dangerous calling, as we both well know."
+
+"And why art thou so particular in desiring this favor in behalf of
+these poor islanders, and that, too, Sancho, at the expense of thine own
+bones?"
+
+"Simply, Señor," answered the knave, with a cunning leer, "lest it
+unsettle trade, which ought to be as free and unencumbered as possible.
+Here, now, if we Spaniards come to Hayti, we sell-one hawk's-bell for a
+dobla in gold; whereas, were we to give these savages the trouble to
+come to Spain, a dobla of their gold would buy a hundred hawk's-bells!
+No--no--it is right as it is; and may a double allowance of purgatory be
+the lot of him who wishes to throw any difficulties in the way of a
+good, honest, free, and civilizing trade, say I."
+
+Sancho was thus occupied in explaining his notions of free trade--the
+great mystification of modern philanthropists--when there arose such a
+cry in the village of Mattinao, as is only heard in moments of extreme
+jeopardy and sudden terror. The conversation took place in the grove,
+about midway between the town and the private dwellings of the cacique;
+and so implicit had become the confidence the two Spaniards reposed in
+their friends, that neither had any other arms about his person, than
+those furnished by nature. Luis had left both sword and buckler, half an
+hour earlier, at the feet of Ozetna, who had been enacting a mimic hero,
+with his weapons, for their mutual diversion; while Sancho had found the
+arquebuse much too heavy to be carried about for a plaything. The last
+was deposited in the room where he had taken up his comfortable
+quarters.
+
+"Can this mean treachery, Señor?" exclaimed Sancho. "Have these
+blackguards found out the true value of hawk's-bells, after all, and do
+they mean to demand the balance due them?"
+
+"My life on it, Mattinao and all his people are true, Sancho. This
+uproar hath a different meaning--hark! is not that the cry of
+'Caonabo!'"
+
+"The very same, Señor! That is the name of the Carib cacique, who is the
+terror of all these tribes."
+
+"Thy arquebuse, Sancho, if possible; then join me at the dwellings
+above. Ozema and the wives of our good friend must be defended, at every
+hazard!"
+
+Luis had no sooner given these orders, than he and Sancho separated, the
+latter running toward the town, which, by this time, was a scene of wild
+tumult, while our hero, slowly and sullenly, retired toward the private
+dwellings of the cacique, occasionally looking back, as if he longed to
+plunge into the thickest of the fray. Twenty times did he wish for his
+favorite charger and a stout lance, when, indeed, it would not have been
+an extraordinary feat for a knight of his prowess to put to flight a
+thousand enemies like those who now menaced him. Often had he singly
+broken whole ranks of Christian foot-soldiers, and it is well known that
+solitary individuals, when mounted, subsequently drove hundreds of the
+natives before them.
+
+The alarm reached the dwelling of Mattinao before our hero. When he
+entered the house of Ozema, he found its mistress surrounded by fifty
+females, some of whom had already ascended from the town below, each of
+whom was eagerly uttering the terrible name of "Caonabo." Ozema herself
+was the most collected of them all, though it was apparent that, from
+some cause, she was an object of particular solicitude from those around
+her. As Luis entered the apartment, the wives of Mattinao were pressing
+around the princess; and he soon gathered from their words and
+entreaties, that they urged her to fly, lest she should fall into the
+hands of the Carib chief. He even fancied, and he fancied it justly,
+that the rest of the females supposed the seizure of the cacique's
+beautiful sister to be the real object of the sudden attack. This
+conjecture in no manner lessened Luis' ardor in the defence. The moment
+Ozema caught sight of him, she flew to his side, clasping her hands, and
+uttering the name of "Caonabo," in a tone that would have melted a heart
+of stone. At the same time, her eyes spoke a language of hope,
+confidence, and petition that was not necessary to enlist our hero's
+resolution on her side. In a moment, the sword of the young cavalier was
+in his hand, and the buckler on his arm. He then assured the princess of
+his zeal, in the best manner he could, by placing the buckler before her
+throbbing breast, and waving the sword, as in defiance of her enemies:
+no sooner was this pledge given, than every other female disappeared,
+some flying to the rescue of their children, and all endeavoring to find
+places of concealment. By this singular and unexpected desertion, Luis
+found himself, for the first time since they had met, alone with Ozema.
+
+To remain in the house would be to suffer the enemy to approach unseen,
+and the shrieks and cries sufficiently announced that, each moment, the
+danger grew nearer. Luis accordingly made a sign for the girl to follow
+him, first rolling the turban into a bundle and placing it on her arm,
+that it might serve her, at need, as a species of shield against the
+hostile arrows. While he was thus employed, Ozema's head fell upon his
+breast, and the excited girl burst into tears. This display of weakness,
+however, lasted but a moment, when she aroused herself, smiled through
+her tears, pressed the arm of Luis convulsively, and became the Indian
+heroine again. They then left the building together.
+
+Luis soon perceived that his retreat from the house had not been made a
+moment too soon. The family of Mattinao had already disappeared, and a
+strong party of the invaders was in full view, rushing madly up the
+grove, silent, but evidently bent on seizing their prey. He felt Ozema,
+who clung to his arm, tremble violently, and then he heard her
+murmuring--
+
+"Caonabo--no--no--no!"
+
+The young Indian princess had caught the Spanish monosyllable of
+dissent, and Luis understood this exclamation to express her strong
+disinclination to become a wife of the Carib chief. His resolution to
+protect her or to die, was in no manner lessened by this involuntary
+betrayal of her feelings, which he could not but think might have some
+connection with himself; for, while our hero was both honorable and
+generous, he was human, and, consequently, well disposed to take a
+favorable view of his own powers of pleasing. It was only in connection
+with Mercedes, that Luis de Bobadilla was humble.
+
+A soldier almost from childhood, the young count looked hastily around
+him for a position that would favor his means of defence, and which
+would render his arms the most available. Luckily, one offered so near
+him, that it required but a minute to occupy it. The terrace lay against
+a precipice of rocks, and a hundred feet from the house, was a spot
+where the face of this precipice was angular, throwing forward a wall on
+each side to some distance, while the cliff above overhung the base
+sufficiently to remove all danger from falling stones. In the angle were
+several large fragments of rock that would afford shelter against
+arrows, and, there being a sufficient space of greensward before them,
+on which a knight might well display his prowess when in possession of
+this position, our hero felt himself strong, if not impregnable, since
+he could be assailed only in front. Ozema was stationed behind one of
+the fragments of the fallen rocks, her person only half concealed,
+however, concern for Luis, and curiosity as related to her enemies,
+equally inducing her to expose her head and beautiful bust.
+
+Luis was scarcely in possession of this post, ere a dozen Indians were
+drawn up in a line at the distance of fifty yards in his front. They
+were armed with bows, war-clubs, and spears. Being without other
+defensive armor than his buckler, the young man would have thought his
+situation sufficiently critical, did he not know that the archery of the
+natives was any thing but formidable. Their arrows would kill,
+certainly, when shot at short distances, and against the naked skin, but
+it might be questioned if they would penetrate the stout velvet in which
+Luis was encased, and fifty yards was not near enough to excite undue
+alarm. The young man did not dare to retreat to the rocks, as a clear
+space was indispensable for the free use of his good sword, and to that
+weapon alone he looked for his eventual triumph.
+
+It was, perhaps, fortunate for our hero that Caonabo himself was not
+with the party which beleaguered him. That redoubtable chieftain, who
+had been led to a distance in pursuit of the flying females, under a
+belief that she he sought was among them, would doubtless have brought
+the matter to an immediate issue by a desperate charge, when numbers
+might have prevailed against courage and skill. The actual assailants
+chose a different course, and began to poise their bows. One of the most
+skilful among them drew an arrow to the head, and let it fly. The
+missile glanced from the buckler of the knight, and struck the hill
+behind him, as lightly as if the parties had been at their idle sports.
+Another followed, and Luis turned it aside with his sword, disdaining to
+raise his shield against such a trifle. This cool manner of receiving
+their assaults caused the Indians to raise a shout, whether in
+admiration or rage, Luis could not tell.
+
+The next attack was more judicious, being made on a principle that
+Napoleon is said to have adopted in directing discharges of his
+artillery. All those who had bows, some six or eight, drew their arrows
+together, and the weapons came rattling on the buckler of the assailed
+in a single flight. It was not easy to escape altogether from such a
+combined assault, and our hero received one or two bruises from glancing
+arrows, though no blood followed the blows. A second attempt of the same
+nature was about to be made, when the alarmed girl rushed from her place
+of concealment, and, like the Pocahontas of our own history, threw
+herself before Luis, with her arms meekly placed on her bosom. As soon
+as she appeared, there was a cry of "Ozema"--"Ozema," among the
+assailants, who were not Caribs, as all will understand who are familiar
+with the island history, but milder Haytians, governed by a Carib chief.
+
+In vain Luis endeavored to persuade the devoted girl to withdraw. She
+thought his life in danger, and no language, had he been able to exert
+his eloquence on the occasion, could have induced her to leave him
+exposed to such a danger. As the Indians were endeavoring to obtain
+chances at the person of Luis without killing the princess, he saw there
+remained no alternative but a retreat behind the fragment of rock. Just
+as he obtained this temporary security, a fierce-looking warrior joined
+the assailants, who immediately commenced a vociferous explanation of
+the actual state of the attack.
+
+"Caonabo?" demanded Luis, of Ozema, pointing toward the new-comer.
+
+The girl shook her head, after taking an anxious look at the stranger's
+face, at the same time clinging to our hero's arm, with seductive
+dependence.
+
+"No--no--no--" she said, eagerly. "No Caonabo--no--no--no."
+
+Luis understood the first part of this answer to mean that the stranger
+was not the Carib chief; and the last to signify Ozema's strong and
+settled aversion to becoming his wife.
+
+The consultation among the assailants was soon ended. Six of them then
+poised their war-clubs and spears, and made a rush for the citadel of
+the besieged. When they were within twenty feet of his cover, our hero
+sprang lightly forward on the sward to meet his foes. Two of the spears
+he received on his buckler, severing both shafts with a single blow of
+his keen and highly-tempered sword. As he recovered from the effort,
+with an upward cut he met the raised arm of the club-man most in
+advance. Hand and club fell at his feet with the skilful touch. Making a
+sweep with the weapon in his front, its point seamed the breasts of the
+two astonished spears-men, whose distance alone saved them from more
+serious injuries.
+
+This rapid and unlooked-for execution struck the assailants with awe and
+dread. Never before had they witnessed the power of metal as used in
+war; and the sudden amputation of the arm struck them as something
+miraculous. Even the ferocious Carib fell back in dismay, and Luis felt
+hopes of victory. This was the first occasion on which the Spaniards had
+come to blows with the mild inhabitants of the islands they had
+discovered, though it is usual with the historians to refer to an
+incident of still latter occurrence, as the commencement of strife, the
+severe privacy which has ever been thrown over the connection of Don
+Luis with the expedition, having completely baffled their slight and
+superficial researches. Of course, the efficiency of a weapon like that
+used by our hero, was as novel to the Haytians as it was terrific.
+
+At this instant a shout among the assailants, and the appearance of a
+fresh body of the invaders, with a tall and commanding chief at their
+head, announced the arrival of Caonabo in person. This warlike cacique
+was soon made acquainted with the state of affairs, and it was evident
+that the prowess of our hero struck him as much with admiration as with
+wonder. After a few minutes, he directed his followers to fall back to a
+greater distance, and, laying aside his club, he advanced fearlessly
+toward Luis, making signs of amity.
+
+When the two adversaries met, it was with mutual respect and confidence.
+The Carib made a short and vehement speech, in which the only word that
+was intelligible to our hero, was the name of the beautiful young
+Indian. By this time Ozema had also advanced, as if eager to speak, and
+her rude suitor turned to her, with an appeal that was passionate, if
+not eloquent. He laid his hand frequently on his heart, and his voice
+became soft and persuasive. Ozema replied earnestly, and in the quick
+manner of one whose resolution was settled. At the close of her speech,
+the color mounted to the temples of the ardent girl, and, as if
+purposely to make her meaning understood by our hero, she ended by
+saying, in Spanish--
+
+"Caonabo--no--no--no!--Luis--Luis!"
+
+The aspect of the hurricane of the tropics is not darker, or more
+menacing, than the scowl with which the Carib chief heard this
+unequivocal rejection of his suit, accompanied, as it was, by so plain a
+demonstration in favor of the stranger. Waving his hand in defiance, he
+strode back to his people, and issued orders for a fresh assault.
+
+This time, a tempest of arrows preceded the rush, and Luis was fain to
+seek his former cover behind the rocks. Indeed, this was the only manner
+in which he could save the life of Ozema; the devoted girl resolutely
+persevering in standing before his body, in the hope it would shield him
+from his enemies. There had been some words of reproach from Caonabo to
+the Carib chief who had retreated from the first attack, and the air was
+yet filled with arrows, as this man rushed forward, singly, to redeem
+his name. Luis met him, firm as the rock behind him. The shock was
+violent, and the blow that fell on the buckler would have crushed an arm
+less inured to such rude encounters; but it glanced obliquely from the
+shield, and the club struck the earth with the weight of a beetle. Our
+hero saw that all now depended on a deep impression. His sword flashed
+in the bright sun, and the head of the Carib tumbled by the side of his
+club, actually leaving the body erect for an instant, so keen was the
+weapon, and so dexterous had been the blow.
+
+Twenty savages were on the spring, but they stopped like men transfixed,
+at this unexpected sight. Caonabo, however, undaunted even when most
+surprised, roared out his orders like a maddened bull, and the wavering
+crowd was again about to advance, when the loud report of an arquebuse
+was heard, followed by the whistling of its deadly missives. A second
+Haytian fell dead in his tracks. It exceeded the powers of savage
+endurance to resist this assault, which, to their uninstructed minds,
+appeared to come from heaven. In two minutes, neither Caonabo nor any of
+his followers were visible. As they rushed down the hill, Sancho
+appeared from a cover, carrying the arquebuse, which he had taken the
+precaution to reload.
+
+The circumstances did not admit of delay. Not a being of Mattinao's
+tribe was to be seen in any direction; and Luis made no doubt that they
+had all fled. Determined to save Ozema at every hazard, he now took his
+way to the river, in order to escape in one of the canoes. In passing
+through the town, it was seen that not a house had been plundered; and
+the circumstance was commented on by the Spaniards, Luis pointing it out
+to his companion.
+
+"Caonabo--no--no--no--Ozema!--Ozema!" was the answer of the girl, who
+well knew the real object of the inroad.
+
+A dozen canoes lay at the landing, and five minutes sufficed for the
+fugitives to enter one and to commence their retreat. The current flowed
+toward the sea, and in a couple of hours they were on the ocean. As the
+wind blew constantly from the eastward, Sancho soon rigged an apology
+for a sail, and an hour before the sun set, the party landed on a point
+that concealed them from the bay; Luis being mindful of the admiral's
+injunction, to conceal his excursion, lest others might claim a similar
+favor.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIV.
+
+    "Three score and ten I can remember well,
+    Within the volume of which time I have seen
+    Hours dreadful, and things strange, but this sore sight
+    Hath trifled former knowings."
+
+    Macbeth.
+
+
+A sight that struck our hero with a terror and awe, almost as great as
+those experienced by the ignorant Haytians at the report and effect of
+the arquebuse, awaited him, as he came in view of the anchorage. The
+Santa Maria, that vessel of the admiral, which he had left only four
+days before in her gallant array and pride, lay a stranded wreck on the
+sands, with fallen masts, broken sides, and all the other signs of
+nautical destruction. The Niña was anchored in safety, it is true, at no
+great distance, but a sense of loneliness and desertion came over the
+young man, as he gazed at this small craft, which was little more than a
+felucca, raised to the rank of a ship for the purposes of the voyage.
+The beach was covered with stores, and it was evident that the Spaniards
+and the people of Guacanagari toiled in company, at the construction of
+a sort of fortress; an omen that some great change had come over the
+expedition. Ozema was immediately left in the house of a native, and the
+two adventurers hurried forward to join their friends, and to ask an
+explanation of what they had seen.
+
+Columbus received his young friend kindly, but in deep affliction. The
+manner in which the ship was lost has been often told, and Luis learned
+that the Niña being too small to carry all away, a colony was to be left
+in the fortress, while the remainder of the adventurers hastened back to
+Spain. Guacanagari had shown himself full of sympathy, and was kindness
+itself, while every one had been too much occupied with the shipwreck to
+miss our hero, or to hearken to rumors of an event as common as an
+inroad from a Carib chief, to carry off an Indian beauty. Perhaps, the
+latter event was still too recent to have reached the shores.
+
+The week that succeeded the return of Luis was one of active exertion.
+The Santa Maria was wrecked on the morning of Christmas day, 1492, and
+on that of the 4th of January following, the Niña was ready to depart on
+her return voyage. During this interval, Luis had seen Ozema but once,
+and then he had found her sorrowing, mute, and resembling a withered
+flower, that retained its beauty even while it drooped. On the evening
+of the third, however, while lingering near the new-finished fortress,
+he was summoned by Sancho to another interview. To the surprise of our
+hero, he found the young cacique with his sister.
+
+Although language was wanting, on this occasion, the parties easily
+understood each other. Ozema was no longer sorrowful, and borne down
+with grief: the smile and the laugh came easily from her young and
+buoyant spirits, and Luis thought he had never seen her so winning and
+lovely. She had arranged her scanty toilet with Indian coquetry, and the
+bright, warm color of her cheeks added new lustre to her brilliant eyes.
+Her light, agile form, a model of artless grace, seemed so ethereal as
+scarce to touch the earth. The secret of this sudden change was not long
+hid from Luis. The brother and sister, after discussing all their
+dangers and escapes, and passing in review the character and known
+determination of Caonabo, had come to the conclusion that there was no
+refuge for Ozema but in flight. What most determined the brother to
+consent that his sister should accompany the strangers to their distant
+home, it would be useless to inquire; but the motive of Ozema herself,
+can be no secret to the reader. It was known that the admiral was
+desirous of carrying to Spain a party of natives; and three females, one
+of whom was of Ozema's rank, had already consented to go. This
+chieftain's wife was not only known to Ozema, but she was a kinswoman.
+Every thing seemed propitious to the undertaking; and as a voyage to
+Spain was still a mystery to the natives, who regarded it as something
+like an extended passage from one of their islands to another, no
+formidable difficulties presented themselves to the imagination of
+either the cacique or his sister.
+
+This proposition took our hero by surprise. He was both flattered and
+pleased at the self-devotion of Ozema, even while it troubled him.
+Perhaps there were moments when he a little distrusted himself. Still
+Mercedes reigned in his heart, and he shook off the feeling as a
+suspicion that a true knight could not entertain without offering an
+insult to his own honor. On second thoughts, there were fewer objections
+to the scheme than he at first fancied; and, after an hour's discussion,
+he left the place to go and consult the admiral.
+
+Columbus was still at the fortress, and he heard our hero gravely and
+with interest. Once or twice Luis' eyes dropped under the searching
+glance of his superior; but, on the whole, he acquitted himself of the
+task he had undertaken, with credit.
+
+"The sister of a cacique, thou say'st, Don Luis," returned the admiral,
+thoughtfully. "The virgin sister of a cacique!"
+
+"Even so, Don Christopher; and of a grace, birth, and beauty, that will
+give our Lady, the Queen, a most exalted idea of the merits of our
+discovery."
+
+"Thou wilt remember, Señor Conde, that naught but purity may be offered
+to purity. Doña Isabella is a model for all queens, and mothers, and
+wives; and I trust nothing to offend her angelic mind can ever come from
+her favored servants. There has been no deception practised on this wild
+girl, to lead her into sin and misery?"
+
+"Don Christopher, you can scarce think this of me. Doña Mercedes herself
+is not more innocent than the girl I mean, nor could her brother feel
+more solicitude in her fortunes, than I feel. When the king and queen
+have satisfied their curiosity, and dismissed her, I propose to place
+her under the care of the Lady of Valverde."
+
+"The rarer the specimens that we take, the better, Luis. This will
+gratify the sovereigns, and cause them to think favorably of our
+discoveries, as thou say'st. It might be done without inconvenience. The
+Niña is small, of a verity, but we gain much in leaving this large party
+behind us. I have given up the principal cabin to the other females,
+since thou and I can fare rudely for a few weeks. Let the girl come, and
+see thou to her comfort and convenience."
+
+This settled the matter. Early next morning Ozema embarked, carrying
+with her the simple wealth of an Indian princess, among which the turban
+was carefully preserved. Her relative had an attendant, who sufficed for
+both. Luis paid great attention to the accommodations, in which both
+comfort and privacy were duly respected. The parting with Mattinao was
+touchingly tender, for the domestic affections appear to have been much
+cultivated among these simple-minded and gentle people; but the
+separation, it was supposed, would be short, and Ozema had, again and
+again, assured her brother that her repugnance to Caonabo, powerful
+cacique as he might be, was unconquerable. Each hour increased it,
+strengthening her resolution never to become his wife. The alternative
+was to secrete herself in the island, or to make this voyage to Spain;
+and there was glory as well as security in the latter. With this
+consolation, the brother and sister parted.
+
+Columbus had intended to push his discoveries much further, before he
+returned to Europe; but the loss of the Santa Maria, and the desertion
+of the Pinta, reduced him to the necessity of bringing the expedition to
+a close, lest, by some untoward accident, all that had actually been
+achieved should be forever lost to the world. Accordingly, in the course
+of the 4th of January, 1493, he made sail to the eastward, holding his
+course along the shores of Hayti. His great object now was to get back
+to Spain before his remaining little bark should fail him, when his own
+name would perish with the knowledge of his discoveries. Fortunately,
+however, on the 6th, the Pinta was seen coming down before the wind,
+Martin Alonzo Pinzon having effected one of the purposes for which he
+had parted company, that of securing a quantity of gold, but failed in
+discovering any mines, which is believed to have been his principal
+motive.
+
+It is not important to the narrative to relate the details of the
+meeting that followed. Columbus received the offending Pinzon with
+prudent reserve, and, hearing his explanations, he directed him to
+prepare the Pinta for the return passage. After wooding and watering
+accordingly, in a bay favorable to such objects, the two vessels
+proceeded to the eastward in company; still following the north shore of
+Hayti, Española, or Little Spain, as the island had been named by
+Columbus.[4]
+
+[Footnote 4: The fortunes of this beautiful island furnish a remarkable
+proof of the manner in which abusse are made, by the providence of God,
+to produce their own punishments. This island, which is about two-thirds
+the size of the state of New York, was the seat of Spanish authority, in
+the New World, for many years. The mild aborigines, who were numerous
+and happy when discovered, were literally exterminated by the cruelties
+of their new masters; and it was found necessary to import negroes from
+Africa, to toil in the cane-fields. Toward the middle of the sixteenth
+century, it is said that two hundred of the aborigines were not to be
+found in the island, although Ovando had decoyed no less than forty
+thousand from the Bahamas, to supply the places of the dead, as early as
+1518! At a later day, Española passed into the hands of the French, and
+all know the terrible events by which it has gone into the exclusive
+possession of the descendants of the children of Africa. All that has
+been said of the influence of the white population of this country, as
+connected with our own Indians, sinks into insignificance, as compared
+with these astounding facts.]
+
+It was the 16th of the month, ere the adventurers finally took their
+leave of this beautiful spot. They had scarcely got clear of the land,
+steering a north-easterly course, when the favorable winds deserted
+them, and they were again met by the trades. The weather was moderate,
+however, and by keeping the two vessels on the best tack, by the 10th of
+February, the admiral, making sundry deviations from a straight course,
+however, had stretched across the track of ocean in which these constant
+breezes prevailed, and reached a parallel of latitude as high as Palos,
+his port. In making this long slant, the Niña, contrary to former
+experience, was much detained by the dull sailing of the Pinta, which
+vessel, having sprung her after-mast, was unable to bear a press of
+sail. The light breeze also favored the first, which had ever been
+deemed a fast craft in smooth water and gentle gales.
+
+Most of the phenomena of the outward passage were observed on the
+homeward; but the tunny-fish no longer excited hopes, nor did the
+sea-weed awaken fears. These familiar objects were successfully, but
+slowly passed, and the variable winds were happily struck again in the
+first fortnight. Here the traverses necessarily became more and more
+complicated, until the pilots, unused to so long and difficult a
+navigation, in which they received no aids from either land or water,
+got confused in their reckonings, disputing hotly among themselves
+concerning their true position.
+
+"Thou hast heard to-day, Luis," said the admiral, smiling, in one of his
+renewed conferences with our hero, "the contentions of Vicente Yañez,
+with his brother, Martin Alonzo, and the other pilots, touching our
+distance from Spain. These constant shifts of wind have perplexed the
+honest mariners, and they fancy themselves in any part of the Atlantic,
+but that in which they really are!"
+
+"Much depends on you, Señor; not only our safety, but the knowledge of
+our great discoveries."
+
+"Thou say'st true, Don Luis. Vicente Yañez, Sancho Ruiz, Pedro Alonzo
+Niño, and Bartolemeo Roldan, to say nothing of the profound calculators
+in the Pinta, place the vessels in the neighborhood of Madeira, which is
+nearer to Spain, by a hundred and fifty leagues, than the truth would
+show. These honest people have followed their wishes, rather than their
+knowledge of the ocean and the heavens."
+
+"And you, Don Christopher, where do you place the caravels, since there
+is no motive to conceal the truth?"
+
+"We are south of Flores, young Count, fully twelve degrees west of the
+Canaries, and in the latitude of Nafé, in Africa. But I would that they
+should be bewildered, until the right of possession to our discoveries
+be made a matter of certainty. Not one of these men now doubts his
+ability to do all I have done, and yet neither is able to grope his way
+back again, after crossing this track of water to Asia!"
+
+Luis understood the admiral, and the size of the vessels rendering the
+communication of secrets hazardous, the conversation changed.
+
+Up to this time, though the winds were often variable, the weather had
+been good. A few squalls had occurred, as commonly happens at sea, but
+they had proved to be neither long nor severe. All this was extremely
+grateful to Columbus, who, now he had effected the great purpose for
+which he might have been said to live, felt some such concern lest the
+important secret should be lost to the rest of mankind, as one who
+carries a precious object through scenes of danger experiences for the
+safety of his charge. A change, however, was at hand, and at the very
+moment when the great navigator began to hope the best, he was fated to
+experience the severest of all his trials.
+
+As the vessels advanced north, the weather became cooler, as a matter of
+course, and the winds stronger. During the night of the 11th of
+February, the caravels made a great run on their course, gaining more
+than a hundred miles between sunset and sunrise. The next morning many
+birds were in sight, from which fact Columbus believed himself quite
+near the Azores, while the pilots fancied they were in the immediate
+vicinity of Madeira. The following day the wind was less favorable,
+though strong, and a heavy sea had got up. The properties of the little
+Niña now showed themselves to advantage, for, ere the turn of the day,
+she had to contend with such a struggle of the elements, as few in her
+had ever before witnessed. Fortunately, all that consummate seamanship
+could devise to render her safe and comfortable had been done, and she
+was in as perfect a state of preparation for a tempest, as circumstances
+would allow. The only essential defect was her unusual lightness, since,
+most of her stores as well as her water being nearly exhausted, her
+draught of water was materially less than it should have been. The
+caravel was so small, that this circumstance, which is of little
+consequence to the safety of large vessels, got to be one of
+consideration in a craft whose means of endurance did not place her
+above the perils of squalls. The reader will understand the distinction
+better when he is told that ships of size can only lose their spars by
+sudden gusts of wind, seldom being thrown on their beam ends, as it is
+termed, unless by the power of the waves; whereas, smaller craft incur
+the risk of being capsized, when the spread of their canvas is
+disproportioned to their stability. Although the seamen of the Niña
+perceived this defect in their caravel, which, in a great measure,
+proceeded from the consumption of the fresh water, they hoped so soon to
+gain a haven, that no means had been taken to remedy the evil.
+
+Such was the state of things, as the sun set on the night of the 12th of
+February, 1493. As usual, Columbus was on the poop, vessels of all sizes
+then carrying these clumsy excrescences, though this of the Niña was so
+small as scarcely to deserve the name. Luis was at his side, and both
+watched the aspect of the heavens and the ocean in grave silence. Never
+before had our hero seen the elements in so great commotion, and the
+admiral had just remarked that even he had not viewed many nights as
+threatening. There is a solemnity about a sunset at sea, when the clouds
+appear threatening, and the omens of a storm are brooding, that is never
+to be met with on the land. The loneliness of a ship, struggling through
+a waste of dreary-looking water, contributes to the influence of the
+feelings that are awakened, as there appears to be but one object on
+which the wild efforts of the storm can expend themselves. All else seem
+to be in unison to aid the general strife; ocean, heavens, and the air,
+being alike accessories in the murky picture. When the wintry frowns of
+February are thrown around all, the gloomy hues of the scene are
+deepened to their darkest tints.
+
+"This is a brooding nightfall, Don Luis," Columbus remarked, just as the
+last rays that the sun cast upward on the stormy-looking clouds
+disappeared from their ragged outlines--"I have rarely seen another as
+menacing."
+
+"One has a double confidence in the care of God, while sailing under
+your guidance, Señor; first in his goodness, and next in the knowledge
+of his agent's skilfulness."
+
+"The power of the Almighty is sufficient to endue the feeblest mortal
+with all fitting skill, when it is his divine will to spare; or to rob
+the most experienced of their knowledge, when his anger can only be
+appeased by the worldly destruction of his creatures."
+
+"You look upon the night as portentous, Don Christopher!"
+
+"I _have_ seen omens as ill, though very seldom. Had not the caravel
+this burdensome freight, I might view our situation less anxiously."
+
+"You surprise me, sir Admiral! the pilots have regretted that our bark
+is so light."
+
+"True, as to material substance; but it beareth a cargo of knowledge,
+Luis, that it would be grievous to see wasted on these vacant waters.
+Dost thou not perceive how fast and gloomily the curtain of night
+gathereth about us, and the manner in which the Niña is rapidly getting
+to be our whole world? Even the Pinta is barely distinguishable, like a
+shapeless shadow on the foaming billows, serving rather as a beacon to
+warn us of our own desolation, than as a consort to cheer us with her
+presence and companionship."
+
+"I have never known you thus moody, excellent Señor, on account of the
+aspect of the weather!"
+
+"'Tis not usual with me, young lord; but my heart is loaded with its
+glorious secret. Behold!--dost thou remark that further sign of the
+warring of the elements?"
+
+The admiral, as he spoke, was standing with his face toward Spain, while
+his companion's gaze was fastened on the portentous-looking horizon of
+the west, around which still lingered sufficient light to render its
+frowns as chilling as they were visible. He had not seen the change that
+drew the remark from Columbus, but, turning quickly, he asked an
+explanation. Notwithstanding the season, the horizon at the north-east
+had been suddenly illuminated by a flash of lightning, and even while
+the admiral was relating the fact, and pointing out the quarter of the
+heavens in which the phenomenon had appeared, two more flashes followed
+each other in quick succession.
+
+"Señor Vicente"--called out Columbus, leaning forward in a way to
+overlook a group of dusky figures that was collected on the half-deck
+beneath him--"Is Señor Vicente Yañez of your number?"
+
+"I am here, Don Christopher, and note the omen. It is the sign of even
+more wind."
+
+"We shall be visited with a tempest, worthy Vicente; and it will come
+from that quarter of the heavens, or its opposite. Have we made all sure
+in the caravel?"
+
+"I know not what else is to be done, Señor Almirante. Our canvas is at
+the lowest, every thing is well lashed, and we carry as little aloft as
+can be spared. Sancho Ruiz, look you to the tarpaulings, lest we ship
+more water than will be safe."
+
+"Look well to our light, too, that our consort may not part from us in
+the darkness. This is no time for sleep, Vicente--place your most trusty
+men at the tiller."
+
+"Señor, they are selected with care. Sancho Mundo, and young Pepe of
+Moguer, do that duty, at present; others as skilled await to relieve
+them, when their watch ends."
+
+"'Tis well, good Pinzon--neither you nor I can close an eye to-night."
+
+The precautions of Columbus were not uncalled-for. About an hour after
+the unnatural flashes of lightning had been seen, the wind rose from the
+south-west, favorably as to direction, but fearfully as to force.
+Notwithstanding his strong desire to reach port, the admiral found it
+prudent to order the solitary sail that was set, to be taken in; and
+most of the night the two caravels drove before the gale, under bare
+poles, heading to the north-east. We say both, for Martin Alonzo,
+practised as he was in stormy seas, and disposed as he was to act only
+for himself, now the great problem was solved, kept the Pinta so near
+the Niña, that few minutes passed without her being seen careering on
+the summit of a foaming sea, or settling bodily into the troughs, as she
+drove headlong before the tempest; keeping side by side with her
+consort, however, as man clings to man in moments of dependency and
+peril.
+
+Thus passed the night of the 13th, the day bringing with it a more vivid
+picture of the whole scene, though it was thought that the wind somewhat
+abated in its force as the sun arose. Perhaps this change existed only
+in the imaginations of the mariners, the light usually lessening the
+appearance of danger, by enabling men to face it. Each caravel, however,
+set a little canvas, and both went foaming ahead, hurrying toward Spain
+with their unlooked-for tidings. As the day advanced, the fury of the
+gale sensibly lessened; but as night drew on again, it returned with
+renewed force, more adverse, and compelling the adventurers to take in
+every rag of sail they had ventured to spread. Nor was this the worst.
+The caravels, by this time, had driven up into a tract of ocean where a
+heavy cross-sea was raging, the effects of some other gale that had
+recently blown from a different quarter. Both vessels struggled manfully
+to lay up to their course, under these adverse circumstances; but they
+began to labor in a way to excite uneasiness in those who comprehended
+the fullest powers of the machines, and who knew whence the real sources
+of danger were derived. As night approached, Columbus perceived that the
+Pinta could not maintain her ground, the strain on her after-mast
+proving too severe to be borne, even without an inch of canvas spread.
+Reluctantly did he order the Niña to edge away toward her consort,
+separation, at such a moment, being the evil next to positive
+destruction.
+
+In this manner the night of the 14th drew around our lone and sea-girt
+adventurers. What had been merely menace and omens the previous night,
+were now a dread reality. Columbus, himself, declared he had never known
+a bark to buffet a more furious tempest, nor did he affect to conceal
+from Luis the extent of his apprehensions. With the pilots, and before
+the crew, he was serene, and even cheerful; but when alone with our
+hero, he became frank and humble. Still was the celebrated navigator
+always calm and firm. No unmanly complaint escaped him, though his very
+soul was saddened at the danger his great discoveries ran of being
+forever lost.
+
+Such was the state of feeling that prevailed with the admiral, as he sat
+in his narrow cabin, in the first hours of that appalling night,
+watching for any change, relieving or disastrous, that might occur. The
+howling of the winds, which fairly scooped up, from the surface of the
+raging Atlantic, the brine in sheets, was barely audible amid the roar
+and rush of the waters. At times, indeed, when the caravel sunk
+helplessly between two huge waves, the fragment of sail she still
+carried would flap, and the air seemed hushed and still; and then,
+again, as the buoyant machine struggled upward, like a drowning man who
+gains the surface by frantic efforts, it would seem as if the columns of
+air were about to bear her off before them, as lightly as the driving
+spray. Even Luis, albeit little apt to take alarm, felt that their
+situation was critical, and his constitutional buoyancy of spirits had
+settled down in a thoughtful gravity, that was unusual with him. Had a
+column of a thousand hostile Moors stood before our hero, he would have
+thought rather of the means of overturning it than of escape; but this
+warring of the elements admitted of no such relief. It appeared actually
+like contending with the Almighty. In such scenes, indeed, the bravest
+find no means of falling back on their resolution and intrepidity; for
+the efforts of man seem insignificant and bootless as opposed to the
+will and power of God.
+
+"'Tis a wild night, Señor," our hero observed calmly, preserving an
+exterior of more unconcern than he really felt. "To me this surpasseth
+all I have yet witnessed of the fury of a tempest."
+
+Columbus sighed heavily; then he removed his hands from his face, and
+glanced about him, as if in search of the implements he wanted.
+
+"Count of Llera," he answered, with dignity, "there remaineth a solemn
+duty to perform. There is parchment in the draw on your side of this
+table, and here are the instruments for writing. Let us acquit ourselves
+of this important trust while time is yet mercifully given us, God alone
+knowing how long we have to live."
+
+Luis did not blanch at these portentous words, but he looked earnest and
+grave. Opening the draw, he took out the parchment and laid it upon the
+table. The admiral now seized a pen, beckoning to his companion to take
+another, and both commenced writing as well as the incessant motion of
+the light caravel would allow. The task was arduous, but it was clearly
+executed. As Columbus wrote a sentence, he repeated it to Luis, who
+copied it word for word, on his own piece of parchment. The substance of
+this record was the fact of the discoveries made, the latitude and
+longitude of Española, with the relative positions of the other islands,
+and a brief account of what he had seen. The letter was directed to
+Ferdinand and Isabella. As soon as each had completed his account, the
+admiral carefully enveloped his missive in a covering of waxed cloth,
+Luis imitating him in all things. Each then took a large cake of wax,
+and scooping a hole in it, the packet was carefully secured in the
+interior, when it was covered with the substance that had been removed.
+Columbus now sent for the cooper of the vessel, who was directed to
+inclose each cake in a separate barrel. These vessels abound in ships;
+and, ere many minutes, the two letters were securely inclosed in the
+empty casks. Each taking a barrel, the admiral and our hero now appeared
+again on the half-deck. So terrific was the night that no one slept, and
+most of the people of the Niña, men as well as officers, were crowded
+together on the gratings near the main-mast, where alone, with the
+exception of the still more privileged places, they considered
+themselves safe from being swept overboard. Indeed, even here they were
+constantly covered with the wash of the sea, the poop itself not being
+protected from rude visits of this nature.
+
+As soon as the admiral was seen again, his followers crowded round him,
+solicitous to hear his opinion, and anxious to learn his present object.
+To have told the truth would have been to introduce despair where hope
+had already nearly ceased; and, merely intimating that he performed a
+religious vow, Columbus, with his own hands, cast his barrel into the
+hissing ocean. That of Luis was placed upon the poop, in the expectation
+that it would float, should the caravel sink.
+
+Three centuries and a half have rolled by since Columbus took this wise
+precaution, and no tidings have ever been obtained of that cask. Its
+buoyancy was such that it might continue to float for ages. Covered with
+barnacles, it may still be drifting about the waste of waters, pregnant
+with its mighty revelations. It is possible, it may have been repeatedly
+rolled upon some sandy beach, and as frequently swept off again; and it
+may have been passed unheeded on a thousand occasions, by different
+vessels, confounded with its vulgar fellows that are so often seen
+drifting about the ocean. Had it been found, it would have been opened;
+and had it been opened by any civilized man, it is next to impossible
+that an occurrence of so much interest should have been totally lost.
+
+This duty discharged, the admiral had leisure to look about him. The
+darkness was now so great, that, but for the little light that was
+disengaged from the troubled water, it would have been difficult to
+distinguish objects at the length of the caravel. No one, who has merely
+been at sea in a tall ship, can form any just idea of the situation of
+the Niña. This vessel, little more than a large felucca, had actually
+sailed from Spain with the latine rig, that is so common to the light
+coasters of southern Europe; a rig that had only been altered in the
+Canaries. As she floated in a bay, or a river, her height above the
+water could not have exceeded four or five feet, and now that she was
+struggling with a tempest, in a cross sea, and precisely in that part of
+the Atlantic where the rake of the winds is the widest, and the tumult
+of the waters the greatest, it seemed as if she were merely some aquatic
+animal, that occasionally rose to the surface to breathe. There were
+moments when the caravel appeared to be irretrievably sinking into the
+abyss of the ocean; huge black mounds of water rising around her in all
+directions, the confusion in the waves having destroyed all the ordinary
+symmetry of the rolling billows. Although so much figurative language
+has been used, in speaking of mountainous waves, it would not be
+exceeding the literal truth to add, that the Niña's yards were often
+below the summits of the adjacent seas, which were tossed upward in so
+precipitous a manner, as to create a constant apprehension of their
+falling in cataracts on her gratings; for mid-ship-deck, strictly
+speaking, she had none. This, indeed, formed the great source of danger;
+since one falling wave might have filled the little vessel, and carried
+her, with all in her, hopelessly to the bottom. As it was, the crests of
+seas were constantly tumbling inboard, or shooting athwart the hull of
+the caravel, in sheets of glittering foam, though happily, never with
+sufficient power to overwhelm the buoyant fabric. At such perilous
+instants, the safety of the craft depended on the frail tarpaulings. Had
+these light coverings given way, two or three successive waves would
+infallibly have so far filled the hold, as to render the hull
+water-logged; when the loss of the vessel would have followed as an
+inevitable consequence.
+
+The admiral had ordered Vicente Yañez to carry the foresail close
+reefed, in the hope of dragging the caravel through this chaos of
+waters, to a part of the ocean where the waves ran more regularly. The
+general direction of the seas, too, so far as they could be said to have
+a general direction at all, had been respected, and the Niña had
+struggled onward--it might be better to say, waded onward--some five or
+six leagues, since the disappearance of the day, and found no change. It
+was getting to be near midnight, and still the surface of the ocean
+presented the same wild aspect of chaotic confusion. Vicente Yañez
+approached the admiral, and declared that the bark could no longer bear
+the rag of sail she carried.
+
+"The jerk, as we rise on the sea, goes near to pull the stern out of the
+craft," he said; "and the backward flap, as we settle into the troughs,
+is almost as menacing. The Niña will bear the canvas no longer, with
+safety."
+
+"Who has seen aught of Martin Alonzo within the hour?" demanded
+Columbus, looking anxiously in the direction in which the Pinta ought to
+be visible. "Thou hast lowered the lantern, Vicente Yañez."
+
+"It would stand the hurricane no longer. From time to time it hath been
+shown, and each signal hath been answered by my brother."
+
+"Let it be shown once more. This is a moment when the presence of a
+friend gladdens the soul, even though he be helpless as ourselves."
+
+The lantern was hoisted, and, after a steady gaze, a faint and distant
+light was seen glimmering in the rack of the tempest. The experiment was
+repeated, at short intervals, and as often was the signal answered, at
+increasing distances, until the light of their consort was finally lost
+altogether.
+
+"The Pinta's mast is too feeble to bear even its gear, in such a gale,"
+observed Vicente Yañez; "and my brother hath found it impossible to keep
+as near the wind as we have done. He goes off more to leeward."
+
+"Let the foresail be secured," answered Columbus, "as thou say'st. Our
+feeble craft can no longer bear these violent surges."
+
+Vicente Yañez now mustered a few of his ablest men, and went forward
+himself to see this order executed. At the same moment the helm was
+righted, and the caravel slowly fell off, until she got dead before the
+gale. The task of gathering in the canvas was comparatively easy, the
+yard being but a few feet above the deck, and little besides the clews
+being exposed. Still it required men of the firmest nerve and the
+readiest hands to venture aloft at such an instant. Sancho took one side
+of the mast and Pepe the other, both manifesting such qualities as mark
+the perfect seaman only.
+
+The caravel was now drifting at the mercy of the winds and waves, the
+term scudding being scarcely applicable to the motion of a vessel so
+low, and which was so perfectly sheltered from the action of the wind by
+the height of the billows. Had the latter possessed their ordinary
+regularity, the low vessel must have been pooped; but, in a measure, her
+exemption from this calamity was owing to an irregularity that was only
+the source of a new danger. Still, the Niña drove ahead, and that
+swiftly, though not with the velocity necessary to outstrip the chasing
+water, had the waves followed with their customary order and regularity.
+The cross seas defeated this; wave meeting wave, actually sending those
+crests, which otherwise would have rolled over in combing foam, upward
+in terrific _jets d'eau_.
+
+This was the crisis of the danger. There was an hour when the caravel
+careered amid the chaotic darkness with a sort of headlong fury, not
+unfrequently dashing forward with her broadside to the sea, as if the
+impatient stern was bent on overtaking the stem, and exposing all to the
+extreme jeopardy of receiving a flood of water on the beam. This
+imminent risk was only averted by the activity of the man at the helm,
+where Sancho toiled with all his skill and energy, until the sweat
+rolled from his brow, as if exposed again to the sun of the tropics. At
+length the alarm became so great and general, that a common demand was
+made to the admiral to promise the customary religious oblations. For
+this purpose, all but the men at the helm assembled aft, and
+preparations were made to cast lots for the penance.
+
+"Ye are in the hands of God, my friends," said Columbus, "and it is meet
+that ye all confess your dependence on his goodness, placing your
+security on his blessings and favor alone. In this cap which ye see in
+the hands of the Señor de Muños, are the same number of peas that we are
+of persons. One of these peas bears the mark of the Holy Cross, and he
+who shall draw forth this blessed emblem, stands pledged to make a
+pilgrimage to Santa Maria de Guadalupe, bearing a waxen taper of five
+pounds weight. As the chiefest sinner among you, no less than as your
+admiral, the first trial shall be mine."
+
+Here Columbus put his hand into the cap, and on drawing forth a pea, and
+holding it to the lantern, it was found to bear on its surface the mark
+he had mentioned.
+
+"This is well, Señor," said one of the pilots; "but replace the pea, and
+let the chance be renewed for a still heavier penance, and that at a
+shrine which is most in request with all good Christians; I mean that of
+our Lady of Loretto. One pilgrimage to that shrine is worth two to any
+other."
+
+In moments of emergency, the religious sentiment is apt to be strong;
+and this proposition was seconded with warmth. The admiral cheerfully
+consented; and when all had drawn, the marked pea was found in the hands
+of a common seaman, of the name of Pedro de Villa; one who bore no very
+good name for either piety or knowledge.
+
+"'Tis a weary and costly journey," grumbled the chosen penitent, "and
+cannot cheaply be made."
+
+"Heed it not, friend Pedro," answered Columbus; "the bodily pains shall
+limit thy sufferings, for the cost of the journey shall be mine. This
+night groweth more and more terrific, good Bartolemeo Roldan."
+
+"That doth it, Señor Admiral, and I am little content with such a
+pilgrim as Pedro here, although it may seem as if heaven itself directed
+the choice. A mass in Santa Clara de Moguer, with a watcher all night in
+that chapel, will be of more account than your distant journeys made by
+such an one as he."
+
+This opinion wanted not for supporters among the seamen of Moguer, and a
+third trial was made to determine the person. Again the pea was
+withdrawn from the cap by the admiral. Still the danger did not
+diminish, the caravel actually threatening to roll over amid the
+turbulence of the waves.
+
+"We are too light, Vicente Yañez," said Columbus, "and, desperate as the
+undertaking seemeth, we must make an effort to fill our empty casks with
+sea-water. Let hose be carefully introduced beneath the tarpaulings, and
+send careful hands below to make sure that the water does not get into
+the hold instead of the casks."
+
+This order was obeyed, and several hours passed in efforts to execute
+this duty. The great difficulty was in protecting the men who raised the
+water from the sea, for, while the whole element was raging in such
+confusion around them, it was no easy matter to secure a single drop in
+a useful manner. Patience and perseverance, however, prevailed in the
+end, and, ere the light returned, so many empty casks had been filled,
+as evidently to aid the steadiness of the vessel. Toward morning it
+rained in torrents, and the wind shifted from south to west, losing but
+little of its force, however. At this juncture the foresail was again
+got on the bark, and she was dragged by it, through a tremendous sea, a
+few miles to the eastward.
+
+When the day dawned, the scene was changed for the better. The Pinta was
+nowhere to be seen, and most in the Niña believed she had gone to the
+bottom. But the clouds had opened a little, and a sort of mystical
+brightness rested on the ocean, which was white with foam, and still
+hissing with fury. The waves, however, were gradually getting to be more
+regular, and the seamen no longer found it necessary to lash themselves
+to the vessel, in order to prevent being washed overboard. Additional
+sail was got on the caravel, and, as her motion ahead increased, she
+became steadier, and more certain in all her movements.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXV.
+
+    "For now, from sight of land diverted clear,
+    They drove uncertain o'er the pathless deep;
+    Nor gave the adverse gale due course to steer,
+    Nor durst they the design'd direction keep:
+    The gathering tempest quickly raged so high,
+    The wave-encompass'd boat but faintly reach'd my eye."
+
+    Vision of Patience.
+
+
+Such was the state of things on the morning of the 15th, and shortly
+after the sun arose, the joyful cry of land was heard from aloft. It is
+worthy of being mentioned that this land was made directly ahead, so
+accurate were all the admiral's calculations, and so certain did he feel
+of his position on the chart. A dozen opinions, however, prevailed among
+the pilots and people concerning this welcome sight; some fancying it
+the continent of Europe, while others believed it to be Madeira.
+Columbus, himself, publicly announced it to be one of the Azores.
+
+Each hour was lessening the distance between this welcome spot of earth
+and the adventurers, when the gale chopped directly round, bringing the
+island dead to windward. Throughout a long and weary day the little bark
+kept turning up against the storm, in order to reach this much-desired
+haven, but the heaviness of the swell and the foul wind made their
+progress both slow and painful. The sun set in wintry gloom, again, and
+the land still lay in the wrong quarter, and apparently at a distance
+that was unattainable. Hour after hour passed, and still, in the
+darkness, the Niña was struggling to get nearer to the spot where the
+land had been seen. Columbus never left his post throughout all these
+anxious scenes, for to him it seemed as if the fortunes of his
+discoveries were now suspended, as it might be, by a hair. Our hero was
+less watchful, but even he began to feel more anxiety in the result, as
+the moment approached when the fate of the expedition was to be decided.
+
+As the sun arose, every eye turned inquiringly around the watery view,
+and, to the common disappointment, no land was visible. Some fancied all
+had been illusion, but the admiral believed they had passed the island
+in the darkness, and he hove about, with a view to stand further south.
+This change in the course had not been made more than an hour or two,
+when land was again dimly seen astern, and in a quarter where it could
+not have been previously perceived. For this island the caravel tacked,
+and until dark she was beating up for it, against a strong gale and a
+heavy sea. Night again drew around her, and the land once more vanished
+in the gloom.
+
+At the usual hour of the previous night, the people of the Niña had
+assembled to chant the _salve fac_, _regina_, or the evening hymn to the
+Virgin, for it is one of the touching incidents of this extraordinary
+voyage, that these rude sailors first carried with them into the unknown
+wastes of the Atlantic the songs of their religion, and the Christian's
+prayers. While thus employed, a light had been made to leeward, which
+was supposed to be on the island first seen, thus encouraging the
+admiral in his belief that he was in the centre of a group, and that by
+keeping well to windward, he would certainly find himself in a situation
+to reach a port in the morning. That morning, however, had produced no
+other change than the one noted, and he was now preparing to pass
+another night, or that of the 17th, in uncertainty, when the cry of land
+ahead suddenly cheered the spirits of all in the vessel.
+
+The Niña stood boldly in, and before midnight she was near enough to the
+shore to let go an anchor; so heavy were both wind and sea, however,
+that the cable parted, thus rejecting them, as it were, from the regions
+to which they properly belonged. Sail was made, and the effort to get to
+windward renewed, and by daylight the caravel was enabled to run in and
+get an anchorage on the north side of the island. Here the wearied and
+almost exhausted mariners learned that Columbus was right, as usual, and
+that they had reached the island of St. Mary, one of the Azores.
+
+It does not belong to this tale to record all the incidents that
+occurred while the Niña lay at this port. They embraced an attempt to
+seize the caravel, on the part of the Portuguese, who, as they had been
+the last to harass the admiral on his departure from the old world, were
+the first to beset him on his return. All their machinations failed,
+however, and after having the best portion of his crew in their power,
+and actually having once sailed from the island without the men, the
+admiral finally arranged the matter, and took his departure for Spain,
+with all his people on board, on the 24th of the month.
+
+Providence seemed to favor the passage of the adventurers, for the first
+few days; the wind being favorable and the sea smooth. Between the
+morning of the 24th and the evening of the 26th, the caravel had made
+nearly a hundred leagues directly on her course to Palos, when she was
+met by a foul wind and another heavy sea. The gale now became violent
+again, though sufficiently favorable to allow them to steer east, a
+little northerly, occasionally hauling more ahead. The weather was
+rough, but as the admiral knew he was drawing in with the continent of
+Europe, he did not complain, cheering his people with the hopes of a
+speedy arrival. In this manner the time passed until the turn of the
+day, Saturday, March 2d, when Columbus believed himself to be within a
+hundred miles of the coast of Portugal, the long continuance of the
+scant southerly winds having set him thus far north.
+
+The night commenced favorably, the caravel struggling ahead through a
+tremendous sea that was sweeping down from the south, having the wind
+abeam, blowing so fresh as to cause the sails to be reduced within
+manageable size. The Niña was an excellent craft, as had been thoroughly
+proved, and she was now steadier than when first assailed by the
+tempests, her pilots having filled still more of the casks than they had
+been able to do during the late storm.
+
+"Thou hast lived at the helm, Sancho Mundo, since the late gales
+commenced," said the admiral, cheerfully, as, about the last hour of the
+first watch, he passed near the post of the old mariner. "It is no small
+honor to hold that station in the cruel gales we have been fated to
+endure."
+
+"I so consider it, Señor Don Almirante; and I hope their illustrious and
+most excellent Highnesses, the two sovereigns, will look upon it with
+the same eyes, so far as the weight of the duty is concerned."
+
+"And why not as respects the honor, friend Sancho?" put in Luis, who had
+become a sworn friend of the seaman, since the rescue of the rocks.
+
+"Honor, Señor Master Pedro, is cold food, and sits ill on a poor man's
+stomach. One dobla is worth two dukedoms to such a man as I am, since
+the dobla would help to gain me respect, whereas the dukedoms would only
+draw down ridicule upon my head. No, no--Master Pedro, your worship,
+give me a pocket full of gold, and leave honors to such as have a fancy
+for them. If a man must be raised in the world, begin at the beginning,
+or lay a solid foundation; after which he may be made a knight of St.
+James, if the sovereigns have need of his name to make out their list."
+
+"Thou art too garrulous for a helmsman, Sancho, though so excellent
+otherwise," observed the admiral, gravely. "Look to thy course; doblas
+will not be wanting, when the voyage is ended."
+
+"Many thanks, Señor Almirante; and, as a proof that my eyes are not
+shut, even though the tongue wags, I will just desire your Excellency,
+and the pilots, to study that rag of a cloud that is gathering up here,
+at the south-west, and ask yourselves if it means evil or good."
+
+"By the mass! the man is right, Don Christopher!" exclaimed Bartolemeo
+Roldan, who was standing near; "that is a most sinister-looking cloud,
+and is not unlike those that give birth to the white squalls of Africa."
+
+"See to it--see to it--good Bartolemeo," returned Columbus, hastily. "We
+have, indeed, counted too much on our good fortune, and have culpably
+overlooked the aspect of the heavens. Let Vicente Yañez and all our
+people be called; we may have need of them."
+
+Columbus now ascended to the poop, where he got a wider and a better
+view of the ocean and the skies. The signs were, indeed, as portentous
+as they had been sudden in their appearance. The atmosphere was filled
+with a white mist, that resembled a light smoke, and the admiral had
+barely time to look about him, when a roar that resembled the trampling
+of a thousand horses passing a bridge at full speed, came rushing down
+with the wind. The ocean was heard hissing, as is usual at such moments,
+and the tempest burst upon the little bark, as if envious demons were
+determined she should never reach Spain with the glorious tidings she
+bore.
+
+A report like that of a heavy discharge of musketry, was the first
+signal that the squall had struck the Niña. It came from the rent
+canvas, every sail having given way at the same instant. The caravel
+heeled until the water reached her masts, and there was a breathless
+instant, when the oldest seaman feared that she would be forced over
+entirely upon her side. Had not the sails split, this calamity might
+truly have occurred. Sancho, too, had borne the tiller up in season, and
+when the Niña recovered from the shock, she almost flew out of the water
+as she drove before the blast.
+
+This was the commencement of a new gale, which even surpassed in
+violence that from which they had so recently escaped. For the first
+hour, awe and disappointment almost paralyzed the crew, as nothing was
+or could be done to relieve them from the peril they were in. The vessel
+was already scudding--the last resource of seamen--and even the rags of
+the canvas were torn, piece by piece, from the spars, sparing the men
+the efforts that would have been necessary to secure them. In this
+crisis, again the penitent people resorted to their religious rites; and
+again it fell to the lot of the admiral to make a visit to some favorite
+shrine. In addition, the whole crew made a vow to fast on bread and
+water, the first Saturday after they should arrive.
+
+"It is remarkable, Don Christopher," said Luis, when the two were again
+alone on the poop; "it is remarkable that these lots should fall so
+often on you. Thrice have you been selected by Providence to be an
+instrument of thankfulness and penitence. This cometh of your exceeding
+faith!"
+
+"Say, rather, Luis, that it cometh of my exceeding sins. My pride,
+alone, should draw down upon me stronger rebukes than these. I fear me,
+I had forgotten that I was merely an agent chosen by God, to work his
+own great ends, and was falling into the snares of Satan, by fancying
+that I, of my own wisdom and philosophy, had done this great exploit,
+which cometh so truly of God."
+
+"Do you believe us in danger, Señor?"
+
+"Greater hazard besets us now, Don Luis, than hath befallen us since we
+left Palos. We are driving toward the continent, which cannot be thirty
+leagues distant; and, as thou seest, the ocean is becoming more troubled
+every hour. Happily, the night is far advanced, and with the light we
+may find the means of safety."
+
+The day did reappear as usual; for whatever disturbances occur on its
+surface, the earth continues its daily revolutions in the sublimity of
+its vastness, affording, at each change, to the mites on its surface,
+the indubitable proofs that an omnipotent power reigns over all its
+movements. The light, however, brought no change in the aspects of the
+ocean and sky. The wind blew furiously, and the Niña struggled along
+amid the chaos of waters, driving nearer and nearer to the continent
+that lay before her.
+
+About the middle of the afternoon, signs of land became quite apparent,
+and no one doubted the vicinity of the vessel to the shores of Europe.
+Nevertheless, naught was visible but the raging ocean, the murky sky,
+and the sort of supernatural light with which the atmosphere is so often
+charged in a tempest. The spot where the sun set, though known by means
+of the compass, could not be traced by the eye; and again night closed
+on the wild, wintry scene, as if the little caravel was abandoned by
+hope as well as by day. To add to the apprehensions of the people, a
+high cross sea was running; and, as ever happens with vessels so small,
+in such circumstances, tons' weight of water were constantly falling
+inboard, threatening destruction to the gratings and their frail
+coverings of tarred cloth.
+
+"This is the most terrible night of all, son Luis," said Columbus, about
+an hour after the darkness had drawn around them. "If we escape this
+night, well may we deem ourselves favored of God!"
+
+"And yet you speak calmly, Señor; as calmly as if your heart was filled
+with hope."
+
+"The seaman that cannot command his nerves and voice, even in the utmost
+peril, hath mistaken his calling. But I _feel_ calm, Luis, as well as
+_seem_ calm. God hath us in his keeping, and will do that which most
+advanceth his own holy will. My boys--my two poor boys trouble me
+sorely; but even the fatherless are not forgotten!"
+
+"If we perish, Señor, the Portuguese will remain masters of our secret:
+to them only is it now known, ourselves excepted, since, for Martin
+Alonzo, I should think, there is little hope."
+
+"This is another source of grief; yet have I taken such steps as will
+probably put their Highnesses on the maintenance of their rights. The
+rest must be trusted to heaven."
+
+At that moment was heard the startling cry of "land." This word, which
+so lately would have been the cause of sudden bursts of joy, was now the
+source of new uneasiness. Although the night was dark, there were
+moments when the gloom opened, as it might be, for a mile or two around
+the vessel, and when objects as prominent as a coast could be seen with
+sufficient distinctness. Both Columbus and our hero hastened to the
+forward part of the caravel, at this cry, though even this common
+movement was perilous, in order to obtain the best possible view of the
+shore. It was, indeed, so near, that all on board heard, or fancied they
+heard, the roar of the surf against the rocks. That it was Portugal,
+none doubted, and to stand on in the present uncertainty of their
+precise position, or without a haven to enter, would be inevitable
+destruction. There remained only the alternative to ware with the
+caravel's head off shore, and endeavor to keep an offing until morning.
+Columbus had no sooner mentioned this necessity, than Vicente Yañez set
+about its execution in the best manner circumstances would allow.
+
+Hitherto the wind had been kept a little on the starboard quarter, the
+caravel steering east, a point or two north, and it was now the aim to
+lay her head so far round as to permit her to steer north, a point or
+two west. By the manner in which the coast appeared to trend, it was
+thought that this variation in the direction might keep them, for a few
+hours, at a sufficient distance from the shore. But this manoeuvre
+could not be effected without the aid of canvas, and an order was issued
+to set the foresail. The first flap of the canvas, as it was loosened to
+the gale, was tremendous, the jerk threatening to tear the fore-mast
+from its step, and then all was still as death forward, the hull sinking
+so low behind a barrier of water, as actually to becalm the sail. Sancho
+and his associate seized the favorable moment to secure the clews, and,
+as the little bark struggled upward again, the canvas filled with some
+such shock as is felt at the sudden checking of a cable. From this
+moment the Niña drew slowly off to sea again, though her path lay
+through such a scene of turbulent water, as threatened, at each instant,
+to overwhelm her.
+
+"Luis!" said a soft voice, at our hero's elbow, as the latter stood
+clinging to the side of the door of the cabin appropriated to the
+females--"Luis--Hayti better--Mattinao better--much bad, Luis!"
+
+It was Ozema, who had risen from her pallet to look out upon the
+appalling view of the ocean. During the mild weather of the first part
+of the passage, the intercourse between Luis and the natives on board
+had been constant and cheerful. Though slightly incommoded by her
+situation, Ozema had always received his visits with guileless delight,
+and her progress in Spanish had been such as to astonish even her
+teacher. Nor were the means of communication confined altogether to the
+advance of Ozema, since Luis, in his endeavors to instruct her, had
+acquired nearly as many words of her native tongue, as he had taught her
+of his own. In this manner they conversed, resorting to both dialects
+for terms, as necessity dictated. We shall give a free translation of
+what was said, endeavoring, at the same time, to render the dialogue
+characteristic and graphic.
+
+"Poor Ozema!" returned our hero, drawing her gently to a position where
+he could support her against the effects of the violent motion of the
+caravel--"thou must regret Hayti, indeed, and the peaceful security of
+thy groves!"
+
+"Caonabo there, Luis."
+
+"True, innocent girl; but even Caonabo is not as terrible as this anger
+of the elements."
+
+"No--no--no--Caonabo much bad. Break Ozema's heart. No Caonabo--no
+Hayti."
+
+"Thy dread of the Carib chief, dear Ozema, hath upset thy reason, in
+part. Thou hast a God, as well as we Christians, and, like us, must put
+thy trust in him; he alone can now protect thee."
+
+"What protect?"
+
+"Care for thee, Ozema. See that thou dost not come to harm. Look to thy
+safety and welfare."
+
+"Luis protect Ozema. So promise Mattinao--so promise Ozema--so promise
+heart."
+
+"Dear girl, so will I, to the extent of my means. But what can I do
+against this tempest?"
+
+"What Luis do against Caonabo?--Kill him--cut Indians--make him run
+away!"
+
+"This was easy to a Christian knight, who carried a good sword and
+buckler, but it is impossible against a tempest. We have only one hope,
+and that is to trust in the Spaniard's God."
+
+"Spaniards great--have great God."
+
+"There is but one God, Ozema, and he ruleth all, whether in Hayti or in
+Spain. Thou rememberest what I have told thee of his love, and of the
+manner of his death, that we might all be saved, and thou didst then
+promise to worship him, and to be baptized when we should reach my
+country."
+
+"God!--Ozema do, what Ozema say. Love Luis' God already."
+
+"Thou hast seen the holy cross, Ozema, and hast promised me to kiss it,
+and bless it."
+
+"Where cross? See no cross--up in heaven?--or where? Show Ozema cross,
+now--Luis' cross--cross Luis love."
+
+The young man wore the parting gift of Mercedes near his heart, and
+raising a hand he withdrew the small jewel, pressed it to his own lips
+with pious fervor, and then offered it to the Indian girl.
+
+"See"--he said--"this is a cross; we Spaniards revere and bless it. It
+is our pledge of happiness."
+
+"That Luis' God?" enquired Ozema, in a little surprise.
+
+"Not so, my poor benighted girl"--
+
+"What benighted?" interrupted the quick-witted Haytian, eagerly, for no
+term that the young man could or did apply to her, fell unheeded on her
+vigilant and attentive ear.
+
+"Benighted means those who have never heard of the cross, or of its
+endless mercies."
+
+"Ozema no benighted now," exclaimed the other, pressing the bauble to
+her bosom. "Got cross--keep cross--no benighted again, never. Cross,
+Mercedes"--for, by one of those mistakes that are not unfrequent in the
+commencement of all communications between those who speak different
+tongues, the young Indian had caught the notion, from many of Luis'
+involuntary exclamations, that "Mercedes" meant all that was excellent.
+
+"I would, indeed, that she of whom thou speakest had thee in her gentle
+care, that she might lead thy pure soul to a just knowledge of thy
+Creator! That cross cometh of Mercedes, if it be not Mercedes herself,
+and thou dost well in loving it, and in blessing it. Place the chain
+around thy neck, Ozema, for the precious emblem may help in preserving
+thee, should the gale throw us on the coast, ere morning. _That cross is
+a sign of undying love._"
+
+The girl understood enough of this, especially as the direction was
+seconded by a little gentle aid, on the part of our hero, to comply, and
+the chain was soon thrown around her neck, with the holy emblem resting
+on her bosom. The change in the temperature, as well as a sense of
+propriety, had induced the admiral to cause ample robes of cotton to be
+furnished all the females, and Ozema's beautiful form was now closely
+enveloped in one, and beneath its folds she had hidden the jewel, which
+she fondly hugged to her heart, as a gift of Luis. Not so did the young
+man himself view the matter. He had merely meant to lend, in a moment of
+extreme peril, that which the superstitious feeling of the age seriously
+induced him to fancy might prove a substantial safeguard. As Ozema was
+by no means expert in managing the encumbrance of a dress to which she
+was unaccustomed, even while native taste had taught her to throw it
+around her person gracefully, the young man had half unconsciously
+assisted in placing the cross in its new position, when a violent roll
+of the vessel compelled him to sustain the girl by encircling her waist
+with an arm. Partly yielding to the motion of the caravel, which was
+constantly jerking even the mariners from their feet, and probably as
+much seduced by the tenderness of her own heart, Ozema did not rebuke
+this liberty--the first our hero had ever offered, but stood, in
+confiding innocence, upheld by the arm that, of all others, it was most
+grateful to her feelings to believe destined to perform that office for
+life. In another moment, her head rested on his bosom, and her face was
+turned upward, with the eyes fastened on the countenance of the young
+noble.
+
+"Thou art less alarmed at this terrific storm, Ozema, than I could have
+hoped. Apprehension for thee has made me more miserable than I could
+have thought possible, and yet thou seemest not to be disturbed."
+
+"Ozema no unhappy--no want Hayti--no want Mattinao--no want any
+thing--Ozema happy now. Got cross."
+
+"Sweet, guileless innocent, may'st thou never know any other
+feelings!--confide in thy cross."
+
+"Cross, Mercedes--Luis, Mercedes. Luis and Ozema keep cross forever."
+
+It was, perhaps, fortunate for this high-prized happiness of the girl,
+that the Niña now took a plunge that unavoidably compelled our hero to
+release his hold of her person, or to drag her with him headlong toward
+the place where Columbus stood, sheltering his weather-beaten form from
+a portion of the violence of the tempest. When he recovered his feet, he
+perceived that the door of the cabin was closed, and that Ozema was no
+longer to be seen.
+
+"Dost thou find our female friends terrified by this appalling scene,
+son Luis?" Columbus quietly demanded, for, though his own thoughts had
+been much occupied by the situation of the caravel, he had noted all
+that had just passed so near him. "They are stout of heart, but even an
+amazon might quail at this tempest."
+
+"They heed it not, Señor, for I think they understand it not. The
+civilized man is so much their superior, that both men and women appear
+to have every confidence in our means of safety. I have just given Ozema
+a cross, and bade her place her greatest reliance on that."
+
+"Thou hast done well; it is now the surest protector of us all. Keep the
+head of the caravel as near to the wind as may be, Sancho, when it
+lulls, every inch off shore being so much gained in the way of
+security."
+
+The usual reply was made, and then the conversation ceased; the raging
+of the elements, and the fearful manner in which the Niña was compelled
+to struggle literally to keep on the surface of the ocean, affording
+ample matter for the reflections of all who witnessed the scene.
+
+In this manner passed the night. When the day broke, it opened on a
+scene of wintry violence. The sun was not visible that day, the dark
+vapor driving so low before the tempest, as to lessen the apparent
+altitude of the vault of heaven one-half, but the ocean was an
+undulating sheet of foam. High land soon became visible nearly abeam of
+the caravel, and all the elder mariners immediately pronounced it to be
+the rock of Lisbon. As soon as this important fact was ascertained, the
+admiral wore with the head of the caravel in-shore, and laid his course
+for the mouth of the Tagus. The distance was not great, some twenty
+miles perhaps; but the necessity of facing the tempest, and of making
+sail, on a wind, in such a storm, rendered the situation of the caravel
+more critical than it had been in all her previous trials. At that
+moment, the policy of the Portuguese was forgotten, or held to be
+entirely a secondary consideration, a port or shipwreck appearing to be
+the alternative. Every inch of their weatherly position became of
+importance to the navigators, and Vicente Yañez placed himself near the
+helm to watch its play with the vigilance of experience and authority.
+No sail but the lowest could be carried, and these were reefed as
+closely as their construction would allow.
+
+In this manner the tempest-tossed little bark struggled forward, now
+sinking so low in the troughs that land, ocean, and all but the frowning
+billows, with the clouds above their heads, were lost to view; and now
+rising, as it might be, from the calm of a sombre cavern, into the
+roaring, hissing, and turbulence of a tempest. These latter moments were
+the most critical. When the light hull reached the summit of a wave,
+falling over to windward by the yielding of the element beneath her, it
+seemed as if the next billow must inevitably overwhelm her; and yet, so
+vigilant was the eye of Vicente Yañez, and so ready the hand of Sancho,
+that she ever escaped the calamity. To keep the wash of the sea entirely
+out, was, however, impossible; and it often swept athwart the deck,
+forward, like the sheets of a cataract, that part of the vessel being
+completely abandoned by the crew.
+
+"All now depends on our canvas," said the admiral, with a sigh; "if that
+stand, we are safer than when scudding, and I think God is with us. To
+me it seemeth as if the wind was a little less violent than in the
+night."
+
+"Perhaps it is, Señor. I believe we gain on the place you pointed out to
+me."
+
+"It is yon rocky point. _That_ weathered, and we are safe. That not
+weathered, and we see our common grave."
+
+"The caravel behaveth nobly, and I will still hope."
+
+An hour later, and the land was so near that human beings were seen
+moving on it. There are moments when life and death may be said to be
+equally presented to the seaman's sight. On one side is destruction; on
+the other security. As the vessel drew slowly in toward the shore, not
+only was the thunder of the surf upon the rocks audible, but the
+frightful manner in which the water was tossed upward in spray, gave
+additional horrors to the view. On such occasions, it is no uncommon
+thing to see _jets d'eau_ hundreds of feet in height, and the driving
+spray is often carried to a great distance inland, before the wind.
+Lisbon has the whole rake of the Atlantic before it, unbroken by island
+or headland; and the entire coast of Portugal is one of the most exposed
+of Europe. The south-west gales, in particular, drive across twelve
+hundred leagues of ocean, and the billows they send in upon its shores,
+are truly appalling. Nor was the storm we are endeavoring to describe,
+one of common occurrence. The season had been tempestuous, seldom
+leaving the Atlantic any peace; and the surges produced by one gale had
+not time to subside, ere another drove up the water in a new direction,
+giving rise to that irregularity of motion which most distresses a
+vessel, and which is particularly hazardous to small ones.
+
+"She looks up better, Don Christopher!" exclaimed Luis, as they got
+within musket-shot of the desired point; "another ten minutes of as
+favorable a slant, and we do it!"
+
+"Thou art right, son," answered the admiral, calmly. "Were any calamity
+to throw us ashore on yonder rocks, two planks of the Niña would not
+hold together five minutes. Ease her--good Vicente Yañez--ease her,
+quite a point, and let her go through the water. All depends on the
+canvas, and we can spare that point. She moves, Luis! Regard the land,
+and thou wilt now see our motion."
+
+"True, Señor, but the caravel is drawing frightfully near the point!"
+
+"Fear not; a bold course is often the safest. It is a deep shore, and we
+need but little water."
+
+No one now spoke. The caravel was dashing in toward the point with
+appalling speed, and every minute brought her perceptibly nearer to the
+cauldron of water that was foaming around it. Without absolutely
+entering within this vortex, the Niña flew along its edge, and, in five
+minutes more, she had a direct course up the Tagus open before her. The
+mainsail was now taken in, and the mariners stood fearlessly on, certain
+of a haven and security.
+
+Thus, virtually, ended the greatest marine exploit the world has ever
+witnessed. It is true that a run round to Palos was subsequently made,
+but it was insignificant in distance, and not fruitful in incidents.
+Columbus had effected his vast purpose, and his success was no longer a
+secret. His reception in Portugal is known, as well as all the leading
+occurrences that took place at Lisbon. He anchored in the Tagus on the
+4th of March, and left it again on the 13th. On the morning of the 14th,
+the Niña was off Cape St. Vincent, when she hauled in to the eastward,
+with a light air from the north. At sunrise on the 15th she was again
+off the bar of Saltes, after an absence of only two hundred and
+twenty-four days.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVI.
+
+    "One evening-tide, as with her crones she sate,
+    Making sweet solace of some scandal new,
+    A boisterous noise came thund'ring at the gate,
+    And soon a sturdie boy approached in view;
+    With gold far glitter and were his vestments blue,
+    And pye-shaped hat, and of the silver sheen
+    An huge broad buckle glaunst in either shoe,
+    And round his necke an Indian kerchiefe clean,
+    And in his hand a switch;--a jolly wight I ween."
+
+    Mickle.
+
+
+Notwithstanding the noble conceptions that lay at the bottom of the
+voyage we have just related, the perseverance and self-devotion that
+were necessary to its accomplishment, and the magnificence of the
+consequences that were dependent on its success, it attracted very
+little attention, amid the stirring incidents and active selfishness of
+the age, until the result was known. Only a month before the arrangement
+was made with Columbus, the memorable edict of the two sovereigns, for
+the expulsion of the Jews, had been signed; and this uprooting of so
+large a portion of the Spanish nation was, of itself, an event likely to
+draw off the eyes of the people from an enterprise deemed as doubtful,
+and which was sustained by means so insignificant, as that of the great
+navigator. The close of the month of July had been set as the latest
+period for the departure of these persecuted religionists; and thus, at
+the very time, almost on the very day, when Columbus sailed from Palos,
+was the attention of the nation directed toward what might be termed a
+great national calamity. The departure was like the setting forth from
+Egypt, the highways being thronged with the moving masses, many of which
+were wandering they knew not whither.
+
+The king and queen had left Granada in May, and after remaining two
+months in Castile, they passed into Aragon, about the commencement of
+August, in which kingdom they happened to be when the expedition sailed.
+Here they remained throughout the rest of the season, settling affairs
+of importance, and, quite probably, disposed to avoid the spectacle of
+the misery their Jewish edict had inflicted, Castile having contained
+much the greater portion of that class of their subjects. In October, a
+visit was paid to the turbulent Catalans; the court passing the entire
+winter in Barcelona. Nor did momentous events cease to occupy them while
+in this part of their territories. On the 7th of December an attempt was
+made on the life of Ferdinand; the assassin inflicting a severe, though
+not a fatal wound, by a blow on the neck. During the critical weeks in
+which the life of the king was deemed to be in danger, Isabella watched
+at his bed-side, with the untiring affection of a devoted wife; and her
+thoughts dwelt more on her affections than on any worldly
+aggrandisement. Then followed the investigation into the motives of the
+criminal; conspiracies ever being distrusted in such cases, although
+history would probably show that much the greater part of these wicked
+attempts on the lives of sovereigns, are more the results of individual
+fanaticism, than of any combined plans to destroy.
+
+Isabella, whose gentle spirit grieved over the misery her religious
+submission had induced her to inflict on the Jews, was spared the
+additional sorrow of mourning for a husband, taken away by means so
+violent. Ferdinand gradually recovered. All these occurrences, together
+with the general cares of the state, had served to divide the thoughts
+of even the queen from the voyage; while the politic Ferdinand, in his
+mind, had long since set down the gold expended in the outfit as so much
+money lost.
+
+The balmy spring of the south opened as usual, and the fertile province
+of Catalonia had already become delightful with the fresh verdure of the
+close of March. The king had, for some weeks, resumed his usual
+occupations, and Isabella, relieved from her conjugal fears, had again
+fallen into the quiet current of her duties and her usual acts of
+beneficence. Indisposed to the gorgeousness of her station by the recent
+events, and ever pining for the indulgence of the domestic affections,
+this estimable woman, notwithstanding the strong natural disposition she
+had always felt for that sort of life, had lived more among her children
+and confidants, of late, than had been even her wont. Her earliest
+friend, the Marchioness of Moya, as a matter of course, was ever near
+her person, and Mercedes passed most of her time either in the immediate
+presence of her royal mistress, or in that of her children.
+
+There had been a small reception one evening, near the close of the
+month; and Isabella, glad to escape from such scenes, had withdrawn to
+her private apartments, to indulge in conversation in the circle she so
+much loved. It was near the hour of midnight, the king being at work, as
+usual, in an adjoining closet. There were present, besides the members
+of the royal family and Doña Beatriz with her lovely niece, the
+Archbishop of Granada, Luis de St. Angel, and Alonzo de Quintanilla, the
+two last of whom had been summoned by the prelate, to discuss some
+question of clerical finance before their illustrious mistress. All
+business, however, was over, and Isabella was rendering the circle
+agreeable, with the condescension of a princess and the gentle grace of
+a woman.
+
+"Are there fresh tidings from the unfortunate and deluded Hebrews, Lord
+Archbishop?" demanded Isabella, whose kind feelings ever led her to
+regret the severity which religious dependence on her confessors had
+induced her to sanction. "Our prayers should surely attend them,
+notwithstanding our policy and duty have demanded their expulsion."
+
+"Señora," answered Fernando de Talavera, "they are doubtless serving
+Mammon among the Moors and Turks, as they served him in Spain. Let not
+your Highness' gracious mind be disturbed on account of these
+descendants of the enemies and crucifiers of Christ, who, if they suffer
+at all, do but suffer justly, for the unutterable sin of their
+forefathers. Let us rather inquire, my gracious mistress, of the Señores
+St. Angel and Quintanilla here, what hath become of their favorite
+Colon, the Genoese; and when they look for his return, dragging the
+Great Khan, a captive, by the beard!"
+
+"We know naught of him, holy prelate," put in de St. Angel, briskly,
+"since his departure from the Canaries."
+
+"The Canaries!" interrupted the queen, in a little surprise. "Hath aught
+been received, that cometh from that quarter?"
+
+"By report only, Señora. Letters have not reached any in Spain, that I
+can learn, but there is a rumor from Portugal, that the admiral touched
+at Gomera and the Grand Canary, where it would seem he had his
+difficulties, and whence he shortly after departed, holding a western
+course; since which time no tidings have been received from either of
+the caravels."
+
+"By which fact, Lord Archbishop," added Quintanilla, "we can perceive
+that trifles are not likely to turn the adventurers back."
+
+"I'll warrant ye, Señores, that a Genoese adventurer who holdeth their
+Highnesses' commission as an admiral, will be in no unseemly haste to
+get rid of the dignity!" rejoined the prelate, laughing, without much
+deference to his mistress' concessions in Columbus' favor. "One does not
+see rank, authority, and emolument, carelessly thrown aside, when they
+may be retained by keeping aloof from the power whence they spring."
+
+"Thou art unjust to the Genoese, holy sir, and judgest him harshly,"
+observed the queen. "Truly, I did not know of these tidings from the
+Canaries, and I rejoice to hear that Colon hath got thus far in safety.
+Hath not the past been esteemed a most boisterous winter among mariners,
+Señor de St. Angel?"
+
+"So much so, your Highness, that I have heard the seamen here, in
+Barcelona, swear that, within the memory of man, there hath not been
+another like it. Should ill-luck wait upon Colon, I trust this
+circumstance may be remembered as his excuse; though I doubt if he be
+very near any of our tempests and storms."
+
+"Not he!" exclaimed the bishop, triumphantly. "It will be seen that he
+hath been safely harbored in some river of Africa; and we shall have
+some question yet to settle about him with Don John of Portugal."
+
+"Here is the king to give us his opinion," interposed Isabella. "It is
+long since I have heard him mention the name of Colon. Have you entirely
+forgotten our Genoese admiral, Don Fernando?"
+
+"Before I am questioned on subjects so remote," returned the king,
+smiling, "let me inquire into matters nearer home. How long is it that
+your Highness holdeth court, and giveth receptions, past the hour of
+midnight?"
+
+"Call you this a court, Señor? Here are but our own dear children,
+Beatriz and her niece, with the good archbishop, and those two faithful
+servants of your own."
+
+"True; but you overlook the ante-chambers, and those who await your
+pleasure without."
+
+"None can await without at this unusual hour; surely you jest, my lord."
+
+"Then your own page, Diego de Ballesteros, hath reported falsely.
+Unwilling to disturb your privacy, at this unseasonable hour, he hath
+come to me, saying that one of strange conduct and guise is in the
+palace, insisting on an interview with the queen, let it be late or
+early. The accounts of this man's deportment are so singular, that I
+have ordered him to be admitted, and have come myself to witness the
+interview. The page telleth me that he swears all hours are alike, and
+that night and day are equally made for our uses."
+
+"Dearest Don Fernando, there may be treason in this!"
+
+"Fear not, Isabella; assassins are not so bold, and the trusty rapiers
+of these gentlemen will prove sufficient for our protection--Hist! there
+are footsteps, and we must appear calm, even though we apprehend a
+tumult."
+
+The door opened, and Sancho Mundo stood in the royal presence. The air
+and appearance of so singular a being excited both astonishment and
+amusement, and every eye was fastened on him in wonder; and this so much
+the more, because he had decked his person with sundry ornaments from
+the imaginary Indies, among which were one or two bands of gold.
+Mercedes alone detected his profession by his air and attire, and she
+rose involuntarily, clasping her hands with energy, and suffering a
+slight exclamation to escape her. The queen perceived this little
+pantomime, and it at once gave a right direction to her own thoughts.
+
+"I am Isabella, the queen," she said, prising, without any further
+suspicion of danger; "and thou art a messenger from Colon, the Genoese?"
+
+Sancho, who had found great difficulty in gaining admittance, now that
+his end was obtained, took matters with his native coolness. His first
+act was to fall on his knees, as he had been particularly enjoined by
+Columbus to do. He had caught the habit of using the weed of Hayti and
+Cuba, from the natives, and was, in fact, the first seaman who ever
+chewed tobacco. The practice had already got to be confirmed with him,
+and before he answered, or as soon as he had taken this, for him, novel
+position, he saw fit to fill a corner of his mouth with the attractive
+plant. Then, giving his wardrobe a shake, for all the decent clothes he
+owned were on his person, he disposed himself to make a suitable reply.
+
+"Señora--Doña--your Highness," he answered, "any one might have seen
+that at a glance. I am Sancho Mundo, of the ship-yard-gate; one of your
+Highness' Excellency's most faithful subjects and mariners, being a
+native and resident of Moguer."
+
+"Thou comest from Colon, I say?"
+
+"Señora, I do; many thanks to your Royal Grace for the information. Don
+Christopher hath sent me across the country from Lisbon, seeing that the
+wily Portuguese would be less likely to distrust a simple mariner, like
+myself, than one of your every-day-booted couriers. 'Tis a weary road,
+and there is not a mule between the stables of Lisbon and the palace of
+Barcelona, fit for a Christian to bestride."
+
+"Then, hast thou letters? One like thee can scarcely bear aught else."
+
+"Therein, your Grace's Highness, Doña Reyña, is mistaken; though I am
+far from bearing half the number of doblas I had at starting. Mass! the
+innkeepers took me for a grandee, by the manner in which they charged!"
+
+"Give the man gold, good Alonzo--he is one that liketh his reward ere he
+will speak."
+
+Sancho coolly counted the pieces that were put into his hand, and,
+finding them greatly to exceed his hopes, he had no longer any motive
+for prevarication.
+
+"Speak, fellow!" cried the king. "Thou triflest where thou owest thy
+duty and obedience."
+
+The sharp, quick voice of Ferdinand had much more effect on the ear of
+Sancho, than the gentler tones of Isabella, notwithstanding his rude
+nature had been impressed with the matronly beauty and grace of the
+latter.
+
+"If your Highness would condescend to let me know what you wish to hear,
+I will speak in all gladness."
+
+"Where is Colon?" demanded the queen.
+
+"At Lisbon, lately, Señora, though I think now at Palos de Moguer, or in
+that neighborhood."
+
+"Whither hath he been?"
+
+"To Cipango, and the territories of the Great Khan; forty days' sail
+from Gomera, and a country of marvellous beauty and excellence!"
+
+"Thou canst not--darest not trifle with me! Can we put credit in thy
+words?"
+
+"If your Highness only knew Sancho Mundo, you would not feel this doubt.
+I tell you, Señora, and all these noble cavaliers and dames, that Don
+Christopher Colon hath discovered the other side of the earth, which we
+now know to be round, by having circled it; and that he hath found out
+that the north star journeyeth about in the heavens, like a gossip
+spreading her news; and that he hath taken possession of islands as
+large as Spain, in which gold groweth, and where the holy church may
+employ itself in making Christians to the end of time."
+
+"The letter--Sancho--give me the letter. Colon would scarce send thee as
+a verbal expositor."
+
+The fellow now undid sundry coverings of cloth and paper, until he
+reached the missive of Columbus, when, without rising from his knees, he
+held it out toward the queen, giving her the trouble to move forward
+several paces to receive it. So unexpected and astounding were the
+tidings, and so novel the whole scene, that no one interfered, leaving
+Isabella to be the sole actor, as she was, virtually, the sole speaker.
+Sancho having thus successfully acquitted himself of a task that had
+been expressly confided to him on account of his character and
+appearance, which, it was thought, would prove his security from arrest
+and plunder, settled down quietly on his heels, for he had been directed
+not to rise until ordered; and drawing forth the gold he had received,
+he began coolly to count it anew. So absorbing was the attention all
+gave to the queen, that no one heeded the mariner or his movements.
+Isabella opened the letter, which her looks devoured, as they followed
+line after line. As was usual with Columbus, the missive was long, and
+it required many minutes to read it. All this time not an individual
+moved, every eye being fastened on the speaking countenance of the
+queen. There, were seen the heightening flush of pleasure and surprise,
+the glow of delight and wonder, and the look of holy rapture. When the
+letter was ended, Isabella turned her eyes upward to heaven, clasped her
+hands with energy, and exclaimed--
+
+"Not unto us, O Lord, but to Thee, be all the honor of this wonderful
+discovery, all the benefits of this great proof of thy goodness and
+power!"
+
+Thus saying, she sunk into a seat and dissolved in tears. Ferdinand
+uttered a slight ejaculation at the words of his royal consort; and then
+he gently took the letter from her unresisting hand, and read it with
+great deliberation and care. It was not often that the wary King of
+Aragon was as much affected, in appearance at least, as on this
+occasion. The expression of his face, at first, was that of wonder;
+eagerness, not to say avidity, followed; and when he had finished
+reading, his grave countenance was unequivocally illuminated by
+exultation and joy.
+
+"Good Luis de St. Angel!" he cried, "and thou, honest Alonzo de
+Quintanilla, these must be grateful tidings to you both. Even thou, holy
+prelate, wilt rejoice that the church is like to have acquisitions so
+glorious--albeit no favorer of the Genoese of old. Far more than all our
+expectations are realized, for Colon hath truly discovered the Indies;
+increasing our dominions, and otherwise advancing our authority in a
+most unheard-of manner."
+
+It was unusual to see Don Ferdinand so excited, and he seemed conscious
+himself that he was making an extraordinary exhibition, for he
+immediately advanced to the queen, and, taking her hand, he led her
+toward his own cabinet. In passing out of the saloon, he indicated to
+the three nobles that they might follow to the council. The king made
+this sudden movement more from habitual wariness than any settled
+object, his mind being disturbed in a way to which he was unaccustomed,
+while caution formed a part of his religion, as well as of his policy.
+It is not surprising, therefore, that when he and the party he invited
+to follow him had left the room, there remained only the princesses, the
+Marchioness of Moya, and Mercedes. No sooner had the king and queen
+disappeared, than the royal children retired to their own apartments,
+leaving our heroine, her guardian, and Sancho, the sole occupants of the
+saloon. The latter still remained on his knees, scarce heeding what had
+passed, so intently was he occupied with his own situation, and his own
+particular sources of satisfaction.
+
+"Thou canst rise, friend," observed Doña Beatriz; "their Highnesses are
+no longer present."
+
+At this intelligence, Sancho quitted his humble posture, brushed his
+knees with some care, and looked about him with the composure that he
+was wont to exhibit in studying the heavens at sea.
+
+"Thou wert of Colon's company, friend, by the manner in which thou hast
+spoken, and the circumstance that the admiral hath employed thee as his
+courier?"
+
+"You may well believe that, Señora, your Excellency, for most of my time
+was passed at the helm, which was within three fathoms of the very spot
+that Don Christopher and the Señor de Muños loved so well that they
+never quitted it, except to sleep, and not always then."
+
+"Hadst thou a Señor de Muños of thy party?" resumed the Marchioness,
+making a sign to her ward to control her feelings.
+
+"That had we, Señora, and a Señor Gutierrez, and a certain Don Somebody
+Else, and they all three did not occupy more room than one common man.
+Prithee, honorable and agreeable Señora, is there one Doña Beatriz de
+Cabrera, the Marchioness of Moya, a lady of the illustrious house of
+Bobadilla, anywhere about the court of our gracious queen?"
+
+"I am she, and thou hast a message for me, from this very Señor de
+Muños, of whom thou hast spoken."
+
+"I no longer wonder that there are great lords with their beautiful
+ladies, and poor sailors with wives that no one envies! Scarce can I
+open my mouth, but it is known what I wish to say, which is knowledge to
+make one party great and the other party little! Mass!--Don Christopher,
+himself, will need all his wit, if he journeyeth as far as Barcelona!"
+
+"Tell us of this Pedro de Muños; for thy message is to me."
+
+"Then, Señora, I will tell you of your own brave nephew, the Conde de
+Llera, who goeth by two other names in the caravel, one of which is
+supposed to be a sham, while the other is still the greatest deception
+of the two."
+
+"Is it, then, known who my nephew really is? Are many persons acquainted
+with his secret?"
+
+"Certainly, Señora; it is known, firstly, to himself; secondly, to Don
+Christopher; thirdly, to me; fourthly, to Master Alonzo Pinzon, if he be
+still in the flesh, as most probably he is not. Then it is known to your
+ladyship; and this beautiful Señorita must have some suspicions of the
+matter."
+
+"Enough--I see the secret is not public; though, how one of thy class
+came to be of it, I cannot explain. Tell me of my nephew:--did he, too,
+write? if so, let me, at once, peruse his letter."
+
+"Señora, my departure took Don Luis by surprise, and he had no time to
+write. The admiral had given the princes and princesses, that we brought
+from Española, in charge to the Conde, and he had too much to do to be
+scribbling letters, else would he have written sheets to an aunt as
+respectable as yourself."
+
+"Princes and princesses!--What mean you, friend, by such high-sounding
+terms?"
+
+"Only that we have brought several of these great personages to Spain,
+to pay their respects to their Highnesses. We deal with none of the
+common fry, Señora, but with the loftiest princes, and the most
+beautiful princesses of the east."
+
+"And dost thou really mean that persons of this high rank have returned
+with the admiral?"
+
+"Out of all question, lady, and one of a beauty so rare, that the
+fairest dames of Castile need look to it, if they wish not to be
+outdone. She, in particular, is Don Luis' friend and favorite."
+
+"Of whom speakest thou?" demanded Doña Beatriz, in the lofty manner in
+which she was wont to insist on being answered directly. "What is the
+name of this princess, and whence doth she come?"
+
+"Her name, your Excellency, is Doña Ozema de Hayti, of a part of which
+country her brother, Don Mattinao, is cacique or king, Señora Ozema
+being the heiress, or next of kin. Don Luis and your humble servant paid
+that court a visit"--
+
+"Thy tale is most improbable, fellow--art thou one whom Don Luis would
+be likely to select as a companion on such an occasion?"
+
+"Look at it as you will, Señora, it is as true as that this is the court
+of Don Ferdinand and Doña Isabella. You must know, illustrious
+Marchioness, that the young count is a little given to roving about
+among us sailors, and on one occasion, a certain Sancho Mundo, of
+Moguer, happened to be of the same voyage; and thus we became known to
+each other. I kept the noble's secret, and he got to be Sancho's friend.
+When Don Luis went to pay a visit to Don Mattinao, the cacique, which
+word meaneth 'your Highness,' in the eastern tongue, Sancho must go with
+him, and Sancho went. When King Caonabo came down from the mountains to
+carry off the Princess Doña Ozema for a wife, and the princess was
+unwilling to go, why there remained nothing to be done, but for the
+Conde de Llera and his friend Sancho of the ship-yard-gate, to fight the
+whole army in her defence, which we did, gaining as great a victory as
+Don Fernando, our sovereign master, ever gained over the Moors."
+
+"Carrying off the princess yourselves, as would seem! Friend Sancho, of
+the ship-yard-gate, if that be thy appellation, this tale of thine is
+ingenious, but it lacketh probability. Were I to deal justly by thee,
+honest Sancho, it would be to order thee the stripes thou merietst so
+well, as a reward for this trifling."
+
+"The man speaketh as he hath been taught," observed Mercedes, in a low,
+unsteady voice; "I fear, Señora, there is too much truth in his tale!"
+
+"You need fear nothing, beautiful Señorita," put in Sancho, altogether
+unmoved at the menace implied by the words of the Marchioness, "since
+the battle hath been fought, the victory hath been gained, and both the
+heroes escaped uninjured. This illustrious Señora, to whom I can forgive
+any thing, as the aunt of the best friend I have on earth--any thing
+_spoken_, I mean--will remember that the Haytians know nothing of
+arquebuses, by means of which we defeated Caonabo, and also, that many
+is the column of Moors that Don Luis hath broken singly, and by means of
+his own good lance."
+
+"Ay, fellow," answered Doña Beatriz, "but that hath been in the saddle,
+behind plaits of steel, and with a weapon that hath overturned even
+Alonzo de Ojeda!"
+
+"Hast thou truly brought away with thee the princess thou hast named?"
+asked Mercedes, earnestly.
+
+"I swear to it, Señora and Señorita, illustrious ladies both, by the
+holy mass, and all the saints in the calendar! A princess, moreover,
+surpassing in beauty the daughters of our own blessed queen, if the fair
+ladies who passed out of this room, even now, are they, as I suspect."
+
+"Out upon thee, knave!" cried the indignant Beatriz--"I will no more of
+this, and marvel that my nephew should have employed one of so loose a
+tongue, on any of his errands. Go to, and learn discretion ere the
+morning, or the favor of even thy admiral will not save thy bones.
+Mercedes, we will seek our rest--the hour is late."
+
+Sancho was immediately left alone, and in a minute a page appeared to
+show him to the place where he was to pass the night. The old mariner
+had grumbled a little to himself, concerning the spirit of Don Luis'
+aunt, counted anew his gold, and was about to take possession of his
+pallet, when the same page reappeared to summon him to another
+interview. Sancho, who knew little distinction between night and day,
+made no objections, especially when he was told that his presence was
+required by the lovely Señorita, whose gentle, tremulous voice had so
+much interested him, in the late interview. Mercedes received her rude
+guest in a small saloon of her own, after having parted from her
+guardian for the night. As he entered, her face was flushed, her eye
+bright, and her whole demeanor, to one more expert in detecting female
+emotions, would have betrayed intense anxiety.
+
+"Thou hast had a long and weary journey, Sancho," said our heroine, when
+alone with the seaman, "and, I pray thee, accept this gold, as a small
+proof of the interest with which I have heard the great tidings of which
+thou hast been the bearer."
+
+"Señorita!" exclaimed Sancho, affecting indifference to the doblas that
+fell into his hand--"I hope you do not think me mercenary! the honor of
+being the messenger, and of being admitted to converse with such
+illustrious ladies, more than pays me for any thing I could do."
+
+"Still, thou may'st need money for thy wants, and wilt not refuse that
+which a lady offereth."
+
+"On that ground, I would accept it, Doña Señorita, even were it twice as
+much."
+
+So saying, Sancho placed the money, with a suitable resignation, by the
+side of that which he had previously received by order of the queen.
+Mercedes now found herself in the situation that they who task their
+powers too much, are often fated to endure; in other words, now she had
+at command the means of satisfying her own doubts, she hesitated about
+using them.
+
+"Sancho," Mercedes at length commenced, "thou hast been with the Señor
+Colon, throughout this great and extraordinary voyage, and must know
+much that it will be curious for us, who have lived quietly in Spain, to
+hear. Is all thou hast said about the princes and princesses true?"
+
+"As true, Señorita, as such things need be for a history. Mass!--Any one
+who hath been in a battle, or seen any other great adventure, and then
+cometh to hear it read of, afterward, will soon learn to understand the
+difference between the thing itself, and the history that may be given
+of it. Now, I was"--
+
+"Never mind thy other adventures, good Sancho; tell me only of this. Are
+there really a Prince Mattinao, and a Princess Ozema his sister, and
+have both accompanied the admiral to Spain?"
+
+"I said not that, beautiful Señorita, for Don Mattinao remained behind
+to rule his people. It is only his handsome sister, who hath followed
+Don Christopher and Don Luis to Palos."
+
+"Followed!--Do the admiral and the Conde de Llera possess such influence
+over royal ladies, as to induce them to abandon their native country and
+to _follow_ them to a foreign land?"
+
+"Ay, Señorita, that might seem out of rule in Castile, or Portugal, or
+even in France. But Hayti is not yet a Christian country, and a princess
+there may not be more than a noble lady in Castile, and, in the way of
+wardrobe, perhaps, not even as much. Still, a princess is a princess,
+and a handsome princess is a handsome princess. Doña Ozema, here, is a
+wonderful creature, and beginneth already to prattle your pure
+Castilian, and she had been brought up at Toledo, or Burgos. But Don
+Luis is a most encouraging master, and no doubt made great head-way,
+during the time he was living in her palace, as it might be alone with
+her, before that incarnate devil Don Caonabo came down with his
+followers to seize the lady."
+
+"Is this lady a Christian princess, Sancho?"
+
+"Heaven bless your own pure soul, Doña Señorita, she can boast of but
+little in that way; still, she hath made something of a beginning, as I
+see she now weareth a cross--one small in size, it is true, but precious
+in material, as, indeed it ought to be, seeing that it is a present from
+one as noble and rich as the Count of Llera."
+
+"A cross, say'st thou, Sancho!" interrupted Mercedes, almost gasping for
+breath, yet so far subduing her feelings as to prevent the old seaman
+from detecting them; "hath Don Luis succeeded in inducing her to accept
+of a cross?"
+
+"That hath he, Señorita--one of precious stones, that he once wore at
+his own neck."
+
+"Knowest thou the stones?--was it of turquoise, embellished with the
+finest gold?"
+
+"For the gold I can answer, lady, though my learning hath never reached
+as high as the precious stones. The heavens of Hayti, however, are not
+bluer than the stones of that cross. Doña Ozema calls it 'Mercedes,' by
+which I understand that she looketh for the mercies of the crucifixion
+to help her benighted soul."
+
+"Is this cross, then, held so common, that it hath gotten to be the
+subject of discourse even for men of thy class?"
+
+"Hearkee, Señorita; a man like me is more valued, on board a caravel, in
+a tossing sea, than he is likely to be here, in Barcelona, on solid
+ground. We went to Cipango to set up crosses, and to make Christians; so
+that all hath been in character. As for the Lady Ozema, she taketh more
+notice of me than of another, as I was in the battle that rescued her
+from Caonabo, and so she showed me the cross the day we anchored in the
+Tagus, or just before the admiral ordered me to bring his letter to her
+Highness. Then it was that she kissed the cross, and held it to her
+heart, and said it was 'Mercedes.'"
+
+"This is most strange, Sancho! Hath this princess attendants befitting
+her rank and dignity?"
+
+"You forget, Señorita, that the Niña is but a small craft, as her name
+signifieth, and there would be no room for a large train of lords and
+ladies. Don Christopher and Don Luis are honorable enough to attend on
+any princess; and for the rest, the Doña Ozema must wait until our
+gracious queen can command her a retinue befitting her birth. Besides,
+my lady, these Haytian dames are simpler than our Spanish nobles, half
+of them thinking clothes of no great use in that mild climate."
+
+Mercedes looked offended and incredulous; but her curiosity and interest
+were too active, to permit her to send the man away without further
+question.
+
+"And Don Luis de Bobadilla was ever with the admiral?" she said; "ever
+ready to support him, and foremost in all hazards?"
+
+"Señorita, you describe the count as faithfully as if you had been
+present from first to last. Had you but seen him dealing out his blows
+upon Caonabo's followers, and the manner in which he kept them all at
+bay, with the Doña Ozema near him, behind the rocks, it would have drawn
+tears of admiration from your own lovely eyes."
+
+"The Doña Ozema near him--behind rocks--and assailants held at bay!"
+
+"Si, Señora; you repeat it all like a book. It was much as you say,
+though the Lady Ozema did not content herself with being behind the
+rocks, for, when the arrows came thickest, she rushed before the count,
+compelling the enemy to withhold, lest they should slay the very prize
+they were battling for; thereby saving the life of her knight."
+
+"Saving his life!--the life of Luis--of Don Luis de Bobadilla--an Indian
+princess?"
+
+"It is just as you say, and a most noble girl she is, asking pardon for
+speaking so light of one of her high rank. Time and again, since that
+day, hath the young count told me, that the arrows came in such clouds,
+that his honor might have been tarnished by a retreat, or his life been
+lost, but for the timely resolution of the Doña Ozema. She is a rare
+creature, Señorita, and you will love her as a sister, when you come to
+see and know her."
+
+"Sancho," said our heroine, blushing like the dawn, "thou saidst that
+the Conde de Llera bade thee speak of him to his aunt; did he mention no
+one else?"
+
+"No one, Señorita."
+
+"Art certain, Sancho? Bethink thee well--did he mention no other name to
+thee?"
+
+"Not that I can swear. It is true, that either he or old Diego, the
+helmsman, spoke of one Clara that keepeth an _hosteria_, here in
+Barcelona, as a place famous for its wine; but I think it more likely to
+have been Diego than the count, as one thinketh much of these matters,
+and the other would not be apt to know aught of Clara."
+
+"Thou canst retire, Sancho," said Mercedes, in a faint voice. "We will
+say more to thee in the morning."
+
+Sancho was not sorry to be dismissed, and he gladly returned to his
+pallet, little dreaming of the mischief he had done by the mixture of
+truth and exaggeration that he had been recounting.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVII.
+
+    "Mac-Homer, too, in prose or song,
+    By the state-papers of Buffon,
+      To deep researches led;
+    A Gallo-Celtic scheme may botch,
+    To prove the Ourang race were Scotch,
+      Who from the Highlands fled."
+
+    Lord John Townshend.
+
+
+The intelligence of the return of Columbus, and of the important
+discoveries he had made, spread through Europe like wild-fire. It soon
+got to be, in the general estimation, the great event of the age. For
+several years afterward, or until the discovery of the Pacific by
+Balboa, it was believed that the Indies had been reached by the western
+passage; and, of course, the problem of the earth's spherical shape was
+held to be solved by actual experiment. The transactions of the voyage,
+the wonders seen, the fertility of the soil of the east, the softness of
+its climate, its treasures in gold, spices, and pearls, and the curious
+things that the admiral had brought as proofs of his success, were all
+the themes of the hour. Men never wearied in discussing the subjects.
+For many centuries had the Spaniards been endeavoring to expel the Moors
+from the peninsula; but as that much-desired event had been the result
+of time and a protracted struggle, even its complete success seemed tame
+and insignificant compared with the sudden brilliancy that shone around
+the western discoveries. In a word, the pious rejoiced in the hope of
+spreading the gospel; the avaricious feasted their imaginations on
+untold hoards of gold; the politic calculated the increase of the power
+of Spain; the scientific exulted in the triumph of mind over prejudice
+and ignorance, while they hoped for still greater accessions of
+knowledge; and the enemies of Spain wondered, and deferred, even while
+they envied.
+
+The first few days that succeeded the arrival of Columbus' courier, were
+days of delight and curiosity. Answers were sent soliciting his early
+presence, high honors were proffered to him, and his name filled all
+mouths, as his glory was in the heart of every true Spaniard. Orders
+were issued to make the necessary outfits for a new voyage, and little
+was talked of but the discovery and its consequences. In this manner
+passed a month, when the admiral arrived at Barcelona, attended by most
+of the Indians he had brought with him from the islands. His honors were
+of the noblest kind, the sovereigns receiving him on a throne placed in
+a public hall, rising at his approach, and insisting on his being seated
+himself, a distinction of the highest nature, and usually granted only
+to princes of royal blood. Here the admiral related the history of his
+voyage, exhibited the curiosities he had brought with him, and dwelt on
+his hopes of future benefits. When the tale was told, all present knelt,
+and _Te Deum_ was chanted by the usual choir of the court; even
+Ferdinand's stern nature dissolving into tears of grateful joy, at this
+unlooked-for and magnificent behest of heaven.
+
+For a long time, Columbus was the mark of every eye; nor did his honors
+and consideration cease untill he left Spain, in command of the second
+expedition to the east, as the voyage was then termed.
+
+A few days previously to the arrival of the admiral at court, Don Luis
+de Bobadilla suddenly appeared in Barcelona. On ordinary occasions, the
+movements of one of the rank and peculiarities of the young grandee
+would have afforded a topic for the courtiers, that would not soon have
+been exhausted, but the all-engrossing theme of the great voyage
+afforded him a screen. His presence, however, could not escape notice;
+and it was whispered, with the usual smiles and shrugs, that he had
+entered the port in a caravel, coming from the Levant; and it was one of
+the received pleasantries of the hour to say, in an undertone, that the
+young Conde de Llera had also made the _eastern_ voyage. All this gave
+our hero little concern, and he was soon pursuing his ordinary life,
+when near the persons of the sovereigns. The day that Columbus was
+received in state, he was present in the hall, attired in the richest
+vestments, and no noble of Spain did more credit to his lineage, or his
+condition, than Don Luis, by his mien and carriage. It was remarked that
+Isabella smiled on him, during the pageant; but the head of more than
+one wary observer was shaken, as its owner remarked how grave the
+queen's favorite appeared, for an occasion so joyous; a fact that was
+attributed to the unworthy pursuits of her truant nephew. No one, that
+day, gazed at Luis with more delight than Sancho, who lingered at
+Barcelona to share in the honors of his chief, and who, in virtue of his
+services, was permitted to take his place among the courtiers
+themselves. Not a little admiration was excited by the manner in which
+he used the novel weed, called tobacco; and some fifteen or twenty of
+his neighbors were nauseated by their efforts to emulate his indulgence
+and satisfaction. One of his exploits was of a character so unusual, and
+so well illustrates the feeling of the hour, that it may be well to
+record it in detail.
+
+The reception was over, and Sancho was quitting the hall with the rest
+of the crowd, when he was accosted by a man apparently of forty, well
+attired, and of agreeable manner, who desired the honor of his presence
+at a slight entertainment, of which several had been prepared for the
+admiral and his friends. Sancho, nothing loth, the delights of
+distinction being yet so novel, cheerfully complied, and he was quickly
+led to a room of the palace, where he found a party of some twenty young
+nobles assembled to do him honor; for happy was he that day in Barcelona
+who could get even one of the meanest of Columbus' followers to accept
+of his homage. No sooner did the two enter the room, than the young
+Castilian lords crowded around them, covering Sancho with protestations
+of admiration, and addressing eager questions, a dozen at a time, to his
+companion, whom they styled "Señor Pedro," "Señor Matir," and
+occasionally "Señor Pedro Matir." It is scarcely necessary to add, that
+this person was the historian who has become known to us of these latter
+days as "Peter Martyr," an Italian, to whose care and instruction
+Isabella had entrusted most of the young nobles of the court. The
+present interview had been got up to indulge the natural curiosity of
+the youthful lords, and Sancho had been chosen for the occasion, on the
+principle that when the best is denied us, we must be content to accept
+information of an inferior quality.
+
+"Congratulate me, Señores," cried Peter Martyr, as soon as he could find
+an opportunity to speak, "since my success surpasseth our own hopes. As
+for the Liguirian, himself, and all of high condition about him, they
+are in the hands of the most illustrious of Spain, for this day; but
+here is a most worthy pilot, no doubt the second in authority on board
+one of the caravels, who consenteth to do us honor, and to partake of
+our homely cheer. I drew him from a crowd of applicants, and have not
+yet had an opportunity to inquire his name, which he is about to give us
+of his own accord."
+
+Sancho never wanted for self-possession, and had far too much mother-wit
+to be either clownish or offensively vulgar, though the reader is not
+now to be told that he was neither qualified to be an academician, nor
+had the most profound notions of natural philosophy. He assumed an air
+of suitable dignity, therefore, and, somewhat practised in his new
+vocation by the thousand interrogatories he had answered in the last
+month, he disposed himself to do credit to the information of a man who
+had visited the Indies.
+
+"I am called Sancho Mundo, Señores, at your service--sometimes Sancho of
+the ship-yard-gate, though I would prefer now to be called Sancho of the
+Indies, unless, indeed, it should suit his Excellency Don Christopher to
+take that appellation--his claim being somewhat better than mine."
+
+Here several protested that his claims were of the highest order; and
+then followed sundry introductions to Sancho of the ship-yard-gate, of
+several young men of the first families in Castile; for, though the
+Spaniards have not the same mania for this species of politeness as the
+Americans, the occasion was one in which native feeling got the
+ascendency of conventional reserve. After this ceremony, and the
+Mendozas, Guzmans, Cerdas, and Toledos, present, felt honored in knowing
+this humble seaman, the whole party repaired to the banqueting-room,
+where a table was spread that did credit to the cooks of Barcelona.
+During the repast, although the curiosity of the young men made some
+inroads on their breeding in this particular, no question could induce
+Sancho to break in upon the duty of the moment, for which he entertained
+a sort of religious veneration. Once, when pushed a little more closely
+than common, he laid down his knife and fork, and made the following
+solemn reply:
+
+"Señores," he said, "I look upon food as a gift from God to man, and
+hold it to be irreverent to converse much, when the bounties of the
+table invite us to do homage to this great dispenser. Don Christopher is
+of this way of thinking, I know, and all his followers imitate their
+beloved and venerated chief. As soon as I am ready to converse, Señores
+Don Hidalgos, you shall be told of it, and then God help the ignorant
+and silly!"
+
+After this admonition, there remained nothing to be said until Sancho's
+appetite was satisfied, when he drew a little back from the table, and
+announced his readiness to proceed.
+
+"I profess to very little learning, Señor Pedro Martir," he said; "but
+what I have seen I have seen, and that which is known, is as well known
+by a mariner, as by a doctor of Salamanca. Ask your questions, then, o'
+heaven's sake, and expect such answers as a poor but honest man can
+give."
+
+The learned Peter Martyr was fain to make the best of his subject, for
+at that moment, any information that came from what might be termed
+first hands, was greedily received; he proceeded, therefore, to his
+inquiries, as simply and as directly as he had been invited to do.
+
+"Well, Señor," commenced the man of learning, "we are willing to obtain
+knowledge on any terms. Prithee, tell us, at once, which of all the
+wonderful things that you witnessed on this voyage, hath made the
+deepest impression on your mind, and striketh you as the most
+remarkable!"
+
+"I know nothing to compare with the whiffling of the north star," said
+Sancho, promptly. "That star hath always been esteemed among us seamen,
+as being immovable as the cathedral of Seville; but, in this voyage, it
+hath been seen to change its place, with the inconstancy of the winds."
+
+"That is, indeed, miraculous!" exclaimed Peter Martyr, who scarcely knew
+how to take the intelligence; "perhaps there is some mistake, Master
+Sancho, and you are not accustomed to sidereal investigations."
+
+"Ask Don Christopher; when the phernomerthon, as the admiral called it,
+was first observed, we talked the matter over together, and came to the
+conclusion, that nothing in this world was as permanent as it seemed to
+be. Depend on it, Señor Don Pedro, the north star flits about like a
+weathercock."
+
+"I shall inquire into this of the illustrious admiral; but, next to this
+star, Master Sancho, what deem you most worthy of observation? I speak
+now of ordinary things, leaving science to future discussion."
+
+This was too grave a question to be lightly answered, and while Sancho
+was cogitating the matter, the door opened, and Luis de Bobadilla
+entered the room, in a blaze of manly grace and rich attire. A dozen
+voices uttered his name, and Peter Martyr rose to receive him, with a
+manner in which kindness of feeling was blended with reproof.
+
+"I asked this honor, Señor Conde," he said, "though you have now been
+beyond my counsel and control some time, for it appeared to me that one
+fond of voyages as yourself, might find a useful lesson, as well as
+enjoy a high satisfaction, in listening to the wonders of an expedition
+as glorious as this of Colon's. This worthy seaman, a pilot, no doubt,
+much confided in by the admiral, hath consented to share in our poor
+hospitalities on this memorable day, and is about to give us many
+interesting facts and incidents of the great adventure. Master Sancho
+Mundo, this is Don Luis de Bobadilla, Conde de Llera, a grandee of high
+lineage, and one that is not unknown to the seas, having often traversed
+them in his own person."
+
+"It is quite unnecessary to tell me that, Señor Pedro," answered Sancho,
+returning Luis' gay and graceful salutation, with profound, but awkward
+respect, "since I see it at a glance. His Excellency hath been in the
+east, as well as Don Christopher and myself, though we went different
+ways, and neither party went as far as Cathay. I am honored in your
+acquaintance, Don Luis, and shall just say that the noble admiral will
+bring navigation more in fashion than it hath been of late years. If you
+travel in the neighborhood of Moguer, I beg you will not pass the door
+of Sancho Mundo without stopping to inquire if he be within."
+
+"That I most cheerfully promise, worthy master," said Luis, laughing,
+and taking a seat, "even though it lead me to the ship-yard-gate. And
+now, Señor Pedro, let me not interrupt the discourse, which I discovered
+was most interesting as I entered."
+
+"I have been thinking of this matter, Señores," resumed Sancho, gravely,
+"and the fact that appears most curious to me, next to the whiffling of
+the north star, is the circumstance that there are no doblas in Cipango.
+Gold is not wanting, and it seemeth passing singular that a people
+should possess gold, and not bethink them of the convenience of striking
+doblas, or some similar coin."
+
+Peter Martyr and his young pupils laughed at this sally, and then the
+subject was pushed in another form.
+
+"Passing by this question, which belongeth rather to the policy of
+states than to natural phenomena," continued Peter Martyr, "what most
+struck you as remarkable, in the way of human nature?"
+
+"In that particular, Señor, I think the island of the women may be set
+down as the most extraordinary of all the phernomerthons we fell in
+with. I have known women shut themselves up in convents; and men, too;
+but never did I hear, before this voyage, of either shutting themselves
+up in islands!"
+
+"And is this true?" inquired a dozen voices--"did you really meet with
+such an island, Señor!"
+
+"I believe we saw it at a distance, Señores; and I hold it to be lucky
+that we went no nearer, for I find the gossips of Moguer troublesome
+enough, without meeting a whole island of them. Then there is the bread
+that grows like a root--what think _you_ of that, Señor Don Luis? Is it
+not a most curious dish to taste of?"
+
+"Nay, Master Sancho, that is a question of your own putting, and it must
+be one of your own answering. What know I of the wonders of Cipango,
+since Candia lieth in an opposite course? Answer these matters for
+thyself, friend."
+
+"True, illustrious Conde, and I humbly crave your pardon. It is, indeed,
+the duty of him that seeth to relate, as it is the duty of him that
+seeth not to believe. I hope all here will perform their several
+duties."
+
+"Do these Indians eat flesh as remarkable as their bread?" inquired a
+Cerda.
+
+"That do they, noble sir, seeing that they eat each other. Neither I nor
+Don Christopher was invited to any of their feasts of this sort; for, I
+suppose, they were well convinced we would not go; but we had much
+information touching them, and by the nearest calculation I could make,
+the consumption of men in the island of Bohio must be about equal to
+that of beeves in Spain."
+
+The speaker was interrupted by twenty exclamations of disgust, and Peter
+Martyr shook his head like one who distrusted the truth of the account.
+Still, as he had not expected any very profound philosophy or deep
+learning in one of Sancho's character, he pursued the conversation.
+
+"Know you any thing of the rare birds the admiral exhibited to their
+Highnesses to-day?" he asked.
+
+"Señor, I am well acquainted with several, more particularly with the
+parrots. They are sensible birds, and, I doubt not, might answer some of
+the questions that are put to me by many here, in Barcelona, to their
+perfect satisfaction."
+
+"Thou art a wag, I see, Señor Sancho, and lovest thy joke," answered the
+man of learning, with a smile. "Give way to thy fancy, and if thou canst
+not improve us with thy science, at least amuse us with thy conceits."
+
+"San Pedro knows that I would do any thing to oblige you, Señores; but I
+was born with such a love of truth in my heart, that I know not how to
+embellish. What I see I believe, and having been in the Indies, I cannot
+shut my eyes to their wonders. There was the sea of weeds, which was no
+every-day miracle, since I make no doubt that the devils piled all these
+plants on the water to prevent us from carrying the cross to the poor
+heathens who dwell on the other side of them. We got through that sea
+more by our prayers, than by means of the winds."
+
+The young men looked at Peter Martyr, to ascertain how he received this
+theory, and Peter Martyr, if tinctured with the superstition of the age,
+was not disposed to swallow all that it pleased Sancho to assert, even
+though the latter had made a voyage to the Indies.
+
+"Since you manifest so much curiosity, Señores, on the subject of Colon,
+now Admiral of the Ocean Sea, by their Highnesses' honorable
+appointment, I will, in a measure, relieve your minds on the subject, by
+recounting what I know," said Luis, speaking calmly, but with dignity.
+"Ye know that I was much with Don Christopher before he sailed, and that
+I had some little connection with bringing him back to Santa Fé, even
+when he had left the place, as was supposed for the last time. This
+intimacy hath been renewed since the arrival of the great Genoese at
+Barcelona, and hours have we passed together in private, discoursing on
+the events of the last few months. What I have thus learned I am ready
+to impart, if ye will do me the grace to listen."
+
+The whole company giving an eager assent, Luis now commenced a general
+narrative of the voyage, detailing all the leading circumstances of
+interest, and giving the reasons that were most in favor at the time,
+concerning the different phenomena that had perplexed the adventurers.
+He spoke more than an hour; proceeding consecutively from island to
+island, and dilating on their productions, imaginary and real. Much that
+he related, proceeded from the misconceptions of the admiral, and
+misinterpretations of the signs and language of the Indians, as a matter
+of course; but it was all told clearly, in elegant, if not in eloquent
+language, and with a singular air of truth. In short, our hero palmed
+upon his audience the results of his own observation, as the narrative
+of the admiral, and more than once was he interrupted by bursts of
+admiration at the vividness and graphic beauties of his descriptions.
+Even Sancho listened with delight, and when the young man concluded, he
+rose from his chair, and exclaimed heartily--
+
+"Señores, you may take all this as so much gospel! Had the noble Señor
+witnessed, himself, that which he hath so well described, it could not
+have been truer, and I look on myself to be particularly fortunate to
+have heard this history of the voyage, which henceforth shall be my
+history, word for word; for as my patron saint shall remember me, naught
+else will I tell to the gossips of Moguer, when I get back to that
+blessed town of my childhood."
+
+Sancho's influence was much impaired by the effects of Luis' narrative,
+which Peter Martyr pronounced to be one that would have done credit to a
+scholar who had accompanied the expedition. A few appeals were made to
+the old seaman, to see if he would corroborate the statements he had
+just heard, but his protestations became so much the louder in behalf of
+the accuracy of the account.
+
+It was wonderful how much reputation the Conde de Llera obtained by this
+little deception. To be able to repeat, with accuracy and effect,
+language that was supposed to have fallen from the lips of Columbus, was
+a sort of illustration; and Peter Martyr, who justly enjoyed a high
+reputation for intelligence, was heard sounding the praises of our hero
+in all places, his young pupils echoing his words with the ardor and
+imitation of youth! Such, indeed, was the vast reputation obtained by
+the Genoese, that one gained a species of reflected renown by being
+thought to live in his confidence, and a thousand follies of the Count
+of Llera, real or imaginary, were forgotten in the fact that the admiral
+had deemed him worthy of being the repository of facts and feelings such
+as he had related. As Luis, moreover, was seen to be much in the company
+of Don Christopher, the world was very willing to give the young man
+credit for qualities, that, by some unexplained circumstance, had
+hitherto escaped its notice. In this manner did Luis de Bobadilla reap
+some advantages, of a public character, from his resolution and
+enterprise, although vastly less than would have attended an open
+admission of all that occurred. How far, and in what manner, these
+qualities availed him in his suit with Mercedes, will appear in our
+subsequent pages.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVIII.
+
+    "Each look, each motion, waked a new-born grace,
+      That o'er her form its transient glory cast:
+    Some lovelier wonder soon usurp'd the place,
+      Chased by a charm still lovelier than the last."
+
+    Mason.
+
+
+The day of the reception of Columbus at Barcelona, had been one of
+tumultuous feelings and of sincere delight, with the ingenuous and
+pure-minded Queen of Castile. She had been the moving spirit of the
+enterprise, as it was connected with authority and means, and never was
+a sovereign more amply rewarded, by a consciousness of the magnitude of
+the results that followed her well-meant and zealous efforts.
+
+When the excitement and bustle of the day were over, Isabella retired to
+her closet, and there, as was usual with her on all great occasions, she
+poured out her thankfulness on her knees, entreating the Divine
+Providence to sustain her under the new responsibilities she felt, and
+to direct her steps aright, equally as a sovereign and as a Christian
+woman. She had left the attitude of prayer but a few minutes, and was
+seated with her head leaning on her hand, in deep meditation, when a
+slight knock at the door called her attention. There was but one person
+in Spain who would be likely to take even this liberty, guarded and
+modest as was the tap; rising, she turned the key and admitted the king.
+
+Isabella was still beautiful. Her form, always of admirable perfection,
+still retained its grace. Her eyes had lost but little of their lustre,
+and her smile, ever sweet and beneficent, failed not to reflect the pure
+and womanly impulses of her heart. In a word, her youthful beauty had
+been but little impaired by the usual transition to the matronly
+attractions of a wife and a mother; but this night, all her youthful
+charms seemed to be suddenly renewed. Her cheek was flushed with holy
+enthusiasm; her figure dilated with the sublimity of the thoughts in
+which she had been indulging; and her eyes beamed with the ennobling
+hopes of religious enthusiasm. Ferdinand was struck with this little
+change, and he stood admiring her, for a minute, in silence, after he
+had closed the door.
+
+"Is not this a most wonderful reward, for efforts so small, my husband
+and love?" exclaimed the queen, who fancied the king's thoughts similar
+to her own; "a new empire thus cheaply purchased, with riches that the
+imagination cannot tell, and millions of souls to be redeemed from
+eternal woe, by means of a grace that must be as unexpected to
+themselves, as the knowledge of their existence hath been to us!"
+
+"Ever thinking, Isabella, of the welfare of souls! But thou art right;
+for what are the pomps and glories of the world to the hopes of
+salvation, and the delights of heaven! I confess Colon hath much
+exceeded all my hopes, and raised such a future for Spain, that the mind
+scarce knoweth where to place the limits to its pictures."
+
+"Think of the millions of poor Indians that may live to bless our sway,
+and to feel the influence and consolations of holy church!"
+
+"I trust that our kinsman and neighbor, Dom Joao, will not give us
+trouble in this matter. Your Portuguese have so keen an appetite for
+discoveries, that they little relish the success of other powers; and,
+it is said, many dangerous and wicked proposals were made to the king,
+even while our caravels lay in the Tagus."
+
+"Colon assureth me, Fernando, that he doubteth if these Indians have now
+any religious creed, so that our ministers will have no prejudices to
+encounter, in presenting to their simple minds the sublime truths of the
+gospel!"
+
+"No doubt the admiral hath fully weighed these matters. It is his
+opinion, that the island he hath called Española wanteth but little of
+being of the full dimensions of Castile, Leon, Aragon, Granada, and,
+indeed, of all our possessions within the peninsula!"
+
+"Didst thou attend to what he said, touching the gentleness and mildness
+of the inhabitants? And wert thou not struck with the simple, confiding
+aspects of those he hath brought with him? Such a people may readily be
+brought, first, as is due, to worship the one true and living God, and
+next, to regard their sovereigns as kind and benignant parents."
+
+"Authority can ever make itself respected; and Don Christopher hath
+assured me, in a private conference, that a thousand tried lances would
+overrun all that eastern region. We must make early application to the
+Holy Father to settle such limits between us and Don John, as may
+prevent disputes, hereafter, touching our several interests. I have
+already spoken to the cardinal on this subject, and he flattereth me
+with the hope of having the ear of Alexander."
+
+"I trust that the means of disseminating the faith of the cross will not
+be overlooked in the negotiation; for it paineth me to find churchmen
+treating of worldly things, to the utter neglect of those of their Great
+Master."
+
+Don Ferdinand regarded his wife intently for an instant, without making
+any reply. He perceived, as often happened in questions of policy, that
+their feelings were not exactly attuned, and he had recourse to an
+allusion that seldom failed to draw the thoughts of Isabella from their
+loftier aspirations to considerations more worldly, when rightly
+applied.
+
+"Thy children, Doña Isabella, will reap a goodly heritage by the success
+of this, our latest and greatest stroke of policy! Thy dominions and
+mine will henceforth descend in common to the same heir; then this
+marriage in Portugal may open the way to new accessions of territory;
+Granada is already secured to thine, by our united arms; and here hath
+Providence opened the way to an empire in the east, that promiseth to
+outdo all that hath yet been performed in Europe."
+
+"Are not my children thine, Fernando? Can good happen to one, without
+its equally befalling the other? I trust they will learn to understand
+why so many new subjects and such wide territories are added to their
+possessions, and will ever remain true to their highest and first duty,
+that of spreading the gospel, that the sway of the one Catholic church
+may the more speedily be accomplished."
+
+"Still it may be necessary to secure advantages that are offered in a
+worldly shape, by worldly means."
+
+"Thou say'st true, my lord; and it is the proper care of loving parents
+to look well to the interest of their offspring in this, as in all other
+particulars."
+
+Isabella now lent a more willing ear to the politic suggestions of her
+consort, and they passed an hour in discussing some of the important
+measures that it was thought their joint interests required should be
+immediately attended to. After this, Ferdinand saluted his wife
+affectionately, and withdrew to his own cabinet, to labor, as usual,
+until his frame demanded rest.
+
+Isabella sat musing for a few minutes after the king had retired, and
+then she took a light and proceeded through certain private passages,
+with which she was familiar, to the apartment of her daughters. Here she
+spent an hour, indulging in the affections and discharging the duties of
+a careful mother, when, embracing each in turn, she gave her blessings,
+and left the place in the same simple manner as she had entered.
+Instead, however, of returning to her own part of the palace, she
+pursued her way in an opposite direction, until, reaching a private
+door, she gently tapped. A voice within bade her enter, and complying,
+the Queen of Castile found herself alone with her old and tried friend,
+the Marchioness of Moya. A quiet gesture forbade all the usual
+testimonials of respect, and knowing her mistress' wishes in this
+particular, the hostess received her illustrious guest, much as she
+would have received an intimate of her own rank in life.
+
+"We have had so busy and joyful a day, Daughter-Marchioness," the queen
+commenced, quietly setting down the little silver lamp she carried,
+"that I had near forgotten a duty which ought not to be overlooked. Thy
+nephew, the Count de Llera, hath returned to court, bearing himself as
+modestly and as prudently, as if he had no share in the glory of this
+great success of Colon's!"
+
+"Señora, Luis is here, but whether prudent or modest, I leave for
+others, who may be less partial, to say."
+
+"To me such seemeth to be his deportment, and a young mind might be
+pardoned some exultation at such a result. But I have come to speak of
+Don Luis and thy ward. Now that thy nephew hath given me this high proof
+of his perseverance and courage, there can remain no longer any reason
+for forbidding their union. Thou know'st that I hold the pledged word of
+Doña Mercedes, not to marry without my consent, and this night will I
+make her happy as I feel myself, by leaving her mistress of her own
+wishes; nay, by letting her know that I desire to see her Countess of
+Llera, and that right speedily."
+
+"Your Highness is all goodness to me and mine," returned the
+Marchioness, coldly. "Mercedes ought to feel deeply grateful that her
+royal mistress hath a thought for her welfare, when her mind hath so
+many greater concerns to occupy it."
+
+"It is that, my friend, that hath brought me hither at this late hour.
+My soul is truly burdened with gratitude, and ere I sleep, were it
+possible, I would fain make all as blessed as I feel myself. Where is
+thy ward?"
+
+"She left me for the night, but as your Highness entered. I will summon
+her to hear your pleasure."
+
+"We will go to her, Beatriz; tidings such as I bring, should not linger
+on weary feet."
+
+"It is her duty, and it would be her pleasure to pay all respect,
+Señora."
+
+"I know that well, Marchioness, but it is my pleasure to bear this news
+myself," interrupted the queen, leading the way to the door. "Show thou
+the way, which is better known to thee than to another. We go with
+little state and ceremony, as thou seest, like Colon going forth to
+explore his unknown seas, and we go bearers of tidings as grateful to
+thy ward, as those the Genoese bore to the benighted natives of Cipango.
+These corridors are our trackless seas, and all these intricate
+passages, the hidden ways we are to explore."
+
+"Heaven grant your Highness make not some discovery as astounding as
+that which the Genoese hath just divulged. For myself, I scarce know
+whether to believe all things, or to grant faith to none."
+
+"I wonder not at thy surprise; it is a feeling that hath overcome all
+others, through the late extraordinary events," answered the queen,
+evidently misconceiving the meaning of her friend's words. "But we have
+still another pleasure in store: that of witnessing the joy of a pure
+female heart which hath had its trials, and which hath borne them as
+became a Christian maiden."
+
+Doña Beatriz sighed heavily, but she made no answer. By this time they
+were crossing the little saloon in which Mercedes was permitted to
+receive her female acquaintances, and were near the door of her chamber.
+Here they met a maid, who hastened onward to inform her mistress of the
+visit she was about to receive. Isabella was accustomed to use a
+mother's liberties with those she loved, and, opening the door, without
+ceremony, she stood before our heroine, ere the latter could advance to
+meet her.
+
+"Daughter," commenced the queen, seating herself, and smiling
+benignantly on the startled girl, "I have come to discharge a solemn
+duty. Kneel thou here, at my feet, and listen to thy sovereign as thou
+wouldst listen to a mother."
+
+Mercedes gladly obeyed, for, at that moment, any thing was preferable to
+being required to speak. When she had knelt, the queen passed an arm
+affectionately round her neck, and drew her closer to her person, until,
+by a little gentle violence, the face of Mercedes was hid in the folds
+of Isabella's robe.
+
+"I have all reason to extol thy faith and duty, child," said the queen,
+as soon as this little arrangement to favor the feelings of Mercedes,
+had been considerately made; "thou hast not forgotten thy promise, in
+aught; and my object, now, is to leave thee mistress of thine own
+inclinations, and to remove all impediments to their exercise. Thou hast
+no longer any pledge with thy sovereign; for one who hath manifested so
+much discretion and delicacy, may be surely trusted with her own
+happiness."
+
+Mercedes continued silent, though Isabella fancied that she felt a
+slight shudder passing convulsively through her delicate frame.
+
+"No answer, daughter? Is it more preferable to leave another arbitress
+of thy fate, than to exercise that office for thyself? Well, then, as
+thy sovereign and parent, I will substitute command for consent, and
+tell thee it is my wish and desire that thou becomest, as speedily as
+shall comport with propriety and thy high station, the wedded wife of
+Don Luis de Bobadilla, Conde de Llera."
+
+"No--no--no--Señora--never--never"--murmured Mercedes, her voice equally
+stifled by her emotions, and by the manner in which she had buried her
+face in the dress of the queen.
+
+Isabella looked at the Marchioness of Moya in wonder. Her countenance
+did not express either displeasure or resentment, for she too well knew
+the character of our heroine to suspect caprice, or any weak
+prevarication in a matter that so deeply touched the feelings; and the
+concern she felt was merely overshadowed at the suddenness of the
+intelligence, by a feeling of ungovernable surprise.
+
+"Canst thou explain this, Beatriz?" the queen at length inquired. "Have
+I done harm, where I most intended good? I am truly unfortunate, for I
+appear to have deeply wounded the heart of this child, at the very
+moment I fancied I was conferring supreme happiness!"
+
+"No--no--no--Señora," again murmured Mercedes, clinging convulsively to
+the queen's knees. "Your Highness hath wounded no one--_would_ wound no
+one--_can_ wound no one--you are all gracious goodness and
+thoughtfulness."
+
+"Beatriz, I look to thee for the explanation! Hath aught justifiable
+occurred to warrant this change of feeling?"
+
+"I fear, dearest Señora, that the feelings continue too much as
+formerly, and that the change is not in this young and unpractised
+heart, but in the fickle inclinations of man."
+
+A flash of womanly indignation darted from the usually serene eyes of
+the queen, and her form assumed all of its native majesty.
+
+"Can this be true?" she exclaimed. "Would a subject of Castile _dare_
+thus to trifle with his sovereign--thus to trifle with one sweet and
+pure as this girl--thus to trifle with his faith with God! If the
+reckless Conde thinketh to do these acts of wrongfulness with impunity,
+let him look to it! Shall I punish him that merely depriveth his
+neighbor of some paltry piece of silver, and let him escape who woundeth
+the soul? I wonder at thy calmness, Daughter-Marchioness; thou, who art
+so wont to let an honest indignation speak out in the just language of a
+fearless and honest spirit!"
+
+"Alas! Señora, my beloved mistress, my feelings have had vent already,
+and nature will no more. This boy, moreover, is my brother's son, and
+when I would fain arouse a resentment against him, such as befitteth his
+offence, the image of that dear brother, whose very picture he is, hath
+arisen to my mind in a way to weaken all its energy."
+
+"This is most unusual! A creature so fair--so young--so noble--so
+rich--every way so excellent, to be so soon forgotten! Canst thou
+account for it by any wandering inclination, Lady of Moya?"
+
+Isabella spoke musingly, and, as one of her high rank is apt to overlook
+minor considerations, when the feelings are strongly excited, she did
+not remember that Mercedes was a listener. The convulsive shudder that
+again shook the frame of our heroine, however, did not fail to remind
+her of this fact, and the queen could not have pressed the Princess
+Juana more fondly to her heart, than she now drew the yielding form of
+our heroine.
+
+"What would you, Señora?" returned the marchioness, bitterly. "Luis,
+thoughtless and unprincipled boy as he is, hath induced a youthful
+Indian princess to abandon home and friends, under the pretence of
+swelling the triumph of the admiral, but really, in obedience to a
+wandering fancy, and in submission to those evil caprices, that make men
+what, in sooth, they are, and which so often render unhappy women their
+dupes and their victims."
+
+"An Indian princess, say'st thou? The admiral made one of that rank
+known to us, but she was already a wife, and far from being one to rival
+Doña Mercedes of Valverde."
+
+"Ah! dearest Señora, she of whom you speak will not compare with her I
+mean--Ozema--for so is the Indian lady called--Ozema is a different
+being, and is not without high claims to personal beauty. Could mere
+personal appearances justify the conduct of the boy, he would not be
+altogether without excuse."
+
+"How know'st thou this, Beatriz?"
+
+"Because, your Highness, Luis hath brought her to the palace, and she
+is, at this moment, in these very apartments. Mercedes hath received her
+like a sister, even while the stranger hath unconsciously crashed her
+heart."
+
+"_Here_, say'st thou, Marchioness? Then can there be no vicious union
+between the thoughtless young man and the stranger. Thy nephew would not
+thus presume to offend virtue and innocence."
+
+"Of that we complain not, Señora. 'Tis the boyish inconstancy and
+thoughtless cruelty of the count, that hath awakened my feelings against
+him. Never have I endeavored to influence my ward to favor his suit, for
+I would not that they should have it in their power to say I sought a
+union so honorable and advantageous to our house; but now do I most
+earnestly desire her to steel her noble heart to his unworthiness."
+
+"Ah! Señora--my guardian," murmured Mercedes, "Luis is not so _very_
+culpable. Ozema's beauty, and my own want of the means to keep him true,
+are alone to blame."
+
+"Ozema's beauty!" slowly repeated the queen. "Is this young Indian,
+then, so very perfect, Beatriz, that thy ward need fear or envy her? I
+did not think that such a being lived!"
+
+"Your Highness knoweth how it is with men. They love novelties, and are
+most captivated with the freshest faces. San Iago!--Andres de Cabrera
+hath caused me to know this, though it were a crime to suppose any could
+teach this hard lesson to Isabella of Trastamara."
+
+"Restrain thy strong and impetuous feelings, Daughter-Marchioness,"
+returned the queen, glancing her eye at the bowed form of Mercedes,
+whose head was now buried in her lap; "truth seldom asserts its fullest
+power when the heart is overflowing with feeling. Don Andres hath been a
+loyal subject, and doth justice to thy merit; and, as to my lord the
+king, he is the father of my children, as well as thy sovereign. But,
+touching this Ozema--can I see her, Beatriz?"
+
+"You have only to command, Señora, to see whom you please. But Ozema is,
+no doubt, at hand, and can be brought into your presence as soon as it
+may please your Highness to order it done."
+
+"Nay, Beatriz, if she be a princess, and a stranger in the kingdom,
+there is a consideration due to her rank and to her position. Let Doña
+Mercedes go and prepare her to receive us; I will visit her in her own
+apartment. The hour is late, but she will overlook the want of ceremony
+in the desire to do her service."
+
+Mercedes did not wait a second bidding, but, rising from her knees, she
+hastened to do as the queen had suggested. Isabella and the marchioness
+were silent some little time, when left to themselves; then the former,
+as became her rank, opened the discourse.
+
+"It is remarkable, Beatriz, that Colon should not have spoken to me of
+this princess!" she said. "One of her condition ought not to have
+entered Spain with so little ceremony."
+
+"The admiral hath deemed her the chosen subject of Luis' care, and hath
+left her to be presented to your Highness by my recreant nephew. Ah,
+Señora! is it not wonderful, that one like Mercedes could be so soon
+supplanted by a half-naked, unbaptized, benighted being, on whom the
+church hath never yet smiled, and whose very soul may be said to be in
+jeopardy of instantaneous condemnation?"
+
+"That soul must be cared for, Beatriz, and that right quickly. Is the
+princess really of sufficient beauty to supplant a creature as lovely as
+the Doña Mercedes?"
+
+"It is not that, Señora--it is not that. But men are fickle--and they so
+love novelties! Then is the modest restraint of cultivated manners less
+winning to them, than the freedom of those who deem even clothes
+superfluous. I mean not to question the modesty of Ozema; for, according
+to her habits, she seemeth irreproachable in this respect; but the
+ill-regulated fancy of a thoughtless boy may find a momentary attraction
+in her unfettered conduct and half-attired person, that is wanting to
+the air and manners of a high-born Spanish damsel, who hath been taught
+rigidly to respect herself and her sex."
+
+"This may be true, as toucheth the vulgar, Beatriz, but such unworthy
+motives can never influence the Conde de Llera. If thy nephew hath
+really proved the recreant thou supposest, this Indian princess must be
+of more excellence than we have thought."
+
+"Of that, Señora, you can soon judge for yourself; here is the maiden of
+Mercedes to inform us that the Indian is ready to receive the honor that
+your Highness intendeth."
+
+Our heroine had prepared Ozema to meet the queen. By this time, the
+young Haytian had caught so many Spanish words, that verbal
+communication with her was far from difficult, though she still spoke in
+the disconnected and abrupt manner of one to whom the language was new.
+She understood perfectly that she was to meet that beloved sovereign, of
+whom Luis and Mercedes had so often spoken with reverence; and
+accustomed, herself, to look up to caciques greater than her brother,
+there was no difficulty in making her understand that the person she was
+now about to receive was the first of her sex in Spain. The only
+misconception which existed, arose from the circumstance that Ozema
+believed Isabella to be the queen of all the Christian world, instead of
+being the queen of a particular country; for, in her imagination, both
+Luis and Mercedes were persons of royal station.
+
+Although Isabella was prepared to see a being of surprising perfection
+of form, she started with surprise, as her eye first fell on Ozema. It
+was not so much the beauty of the young Indian that astonished her, as
+the native grace of her movements, the bright and happy expression of
+her countenance, and the perfect self-possession of her mien and
+deportment. Ozema had got accustomed to a degree of dress that she would
+have found oppressive at Hayti; the sensitiveness of Mercedes, on the
+subject of female propriety, having induced her to lavish on her new
+friend many rich articles of attire, that singularly, though wildly,
+contributed to aid her charms. Still the gift of Luis was thrown over
+one shoulder, as the highest-prized part of her wardrobe, and the cross
+of Mercedes rested on her bosom, the most precious of all her ornaments.
+
+"This is wonderful, Beatriz!" exclaimed the queen, as she stood at one
+side of the room, while Ozema bowed her body in graceful reverence on
+the other; "can this rare being really have a soul that knoweth naught
+of its God and Redeemer! But let her spirit be benighted as it may,
+there is no vice in that simple mind, or deceit in that pure heart."
+
+"Señora, all this is true. Spite of our causes of dissatisfaction, my
+ward and I both love her already, and could take her to our hearts
+forever; one as a friend, and the other as a parent."
+
+"Princess," said the queen, advancing with quiet dignity to the spot
+where Ozema stood, with downcast eyes and bended body, waiting her
+pleasure, "thou art welcome to our dominions. The admiral hath done well
+in not classing one of thy evident claims and station among those whom
+he hath exhibited to vulgar eyes. In this he hath shown his customary
+judgment, no less than his deep respect for the sacred office of
+sovereigns."
+
+"Almirante!" exclaimed Ozema, her looks brightening with intelligence,
+for she had long known how to pronounce the well-earned title of
+Columbus; "Almirante, Mercedes--Isabella, Mercedes--Luis, Mercedes,
+Señora Reyña."
+
+"Beatriz, what meaneth this? Why doth the princess couple the name of
+thy ward with that of Colon, with mine, and even with that of the young
+Count of Llera?"
+
+"Señora, by some strange delusion, she hath got to think that Mercedes
+is the Spanish term for every thing that is excellent or perfect, and
+thus doth she couple it with all that she most desireth to praise. Your
+Highness must observe that she even united Luis and Mercedes, a union
+that we once fondly hoped might happen, but which now would seem to be
+impossible; and which she herself must be the last really to wish."
+
+"Strange delusion!" repeated the queen; "the idea hath had its birth in
+some particular cause, for things like this come not of accidents; who
+but thy nephew, Beatriz, would know aught of thy ward, or who but he
+would have taught the princess to deem her very name a sign of
+excellence?"
+
+"Señora!" exclaimed Mercedes, the color mounting to her pale cheek, and
+joy momentarily flashing in her eyes, "can this be so?"
+
+"Why not, daughter? We may have been too hasty in this matter, and
+mistaken what are truly signs of devotion to thee, for proofs of
+fickleness and inconstancy."
+
+"Ah! Señora! but this can never be, else would not Ozema so love him."
+
+"How know'st thou, child, that the princess hath any other feeling for
+the count than that which properly belongeth to one who is grateful for
+his care, and for the inexpressible service of being made acquainted
+with the virtues of the cross? Here is some rash error, Beatriz."
+
+"I fear not, your Highness. Touching the nature of Ozema's feelings,
+there can be no misconception, since the innocent and unpractised
+creature hath not art sufficient to conceal them. That her heart is all
+Luis', we discovered in the first few hours of our intercourse; and it
+is too pure, unsought, to be won. The feeling of the Indian is not
+merely admiration, but it is such a passionate devotion, as partaketh of
+the warmth of that sun, which, we are told, glows with a heat so genial
+in her native clime."
+
+"_Could_ one see so much of Don Luis, Señora," added Mercedes, "under
+circumstances to try his martial virtues, and so long daily be in
+communion with his excellent heart, and not come to view him as far
+above all others?"
+
+"Martial virtues--excellent heart!"--slowly repeated the queen, "and yet
+so regardless of the wrong he doeth! He is neither knight nor cavalier
+worthy of the sex, if what thou thinkest be true, child."
+
+"Nay, Señora," earnestly resumed the girl, whose diffidence was yielding
+to the wish to vindicate our hero, "the princess hath told us of the
+manner in which he rescued her from her greatest enemy and persecutor,
+Caonabo, a headstrong and tyrannical sovereign of her island, and of his
+generous self-devotion in her behalf."
+
+"Daughter, do thou withdraw, and, first calling on Holy Maria to
+intercede for thee, seek the calm of religious peace and submission, on
+thy pillow. Beatriz, I will question the princess alone."
+
+The marchioness and Mercedes immediately withdrew, leaving Isabella with
+Ozema, in possession of the room. The interview that followed lasted
+more than an hour, that time being necessary to enable the queen to form
+an opinion of the stranger's explanations, with the imperfect means of
+communication she possessed. That Ozema's whole heart was Luis',
+Isabella could not doubt. Unaccustomed to conceal her preferences, the
+Indian girl was too unpractised to succeed in such a design, had she
+even felt the desire to attempt it; but, in addition to her native
+ingenuousness, Ozema believed that duty required her to have no
+concealments from the sovereign of Luis, and she laid bare her whole
+soul in the simplest and least disguised manner.
+
+"Princess," said the queen, after the conversation had lasted some time,
+and Isabella believed herself to be in possession of the means of
+comprehending her companion, "I now understand your tale. Caonabo is the
+chief, or, if thou wilt, the king of a country adjoining thine own; he
+sought thee for a wife, but being already married to more than one
+princess, thou didst very properly reject his unholy proposals. He then
+attempted to seize thee by violence. The Conde de Llera was on a visit
+to thy brother at the time"--
+
+"Luis--Luis"--the girl impatiently interrupted, in her sweet, soft
+voice--"Luis no Conde--Luis."
+
+"True, princess, but the Conde de Llera and Luis de Bobadilla are one
+and the same person. Luis, then, if thou wilt, was present in thy
+palace, and he beat back the presumptuous cacique, who, not satisfied
+with fulfilling the law of God by the possession of one wife, impiously
+sought, in thy person, a second, or a third, and brought thee off in
+triumph. Thy brother, next, requested thee to take shelter, for a time,
+in Spain, and Don Luis, becoming thy guardian and protector, hath
+brought thee hither to the care of his aunt?"
+
+Ozema bowed her head in acknowledgment of the truth of this statement,
+most of which she had no difficulty in understanding, the subject
+having, of late, occupied so much of her thoughts.
+
+"And, now, princess," continued Isabella, "I must speak to thee with
+maternal frankness, for I deem all of thy birth my children while they
+dwell in my realms, and have a right to look to me for advice and
+protection. Hast thou any such love for Don Luis as would induce thee to
+forget thine own country, and to adopt his in its stead?"
+
+"Ozema don't know what 'adopt his,' means," observed the puzzled girl.
+
+"I wish to inquire if thou wouldst consent to become the wife of Don
+Luis de Bobadilla?"
+
+"Wife" and "husband" were words of which the Indian girl had early
+learned the signification, and she smiled guilelessly, even while she
+blushed, and nodded her assent.
+
+"I am, then, to understand that thou expectest to marry the count, for
+no modest young female like, thee, would so cheerfully avow her
+preference, without having that hope ripened in her heart, to something
+like a certainty."
+
+"Si, Señora--Ozema, Luis' wife."
+
+"Thou meanest, princess, that Ozema expecteth shortly to wed the
+count--shortly to become his wife!"
+
+"No--no--no--Ozema _now_ Luis' wife. Luis marry Ozema, already."
+
+"Can this be so?" exclaimed the queen, looking steadily into the face of
+the beautiful Indian to ascertain if the whole were not an artful
+deception. But the open and innocent face betrayed no guilt, and
+Isabella felt compelled to believe what she had heard. In order,
+however, to make certain of the fact, she questioned and
+cross-questioned Ozema, for near half an hour longer, and always with
+the same result.
+
+When the queen arose to withdraw, she kissed the princess, for so she
+deemed this wild creature of an unknown and novel state of society, and
+whispered a devout prayer for the enlightenment of her mind, and for her
+future peace. On reaching her own apartment, she found the Marchioness
+of Moya in attendance, that tried friend being unable to sleep until she
+had learned the impressions of her royal mistress.
+
+"'Tis even worse than we had imagined, Beatriz," said Isabella, as the
+other closed the door behind her. "Thine heartless, inconstant nephew
+hath already wedded the Indian, and she is, at this moment, his lawful
+wife."
+
+"Señora, there must be some mistake in this! The rash boy would hardly
+dare to practise this imposition on me, and that in the very presence of
+Mercedes."
+
+"He would sooner place his wife in thy care, Daughter-Marchioness, than
+make the same disposition of one who had fewer claims on him. But there
+can be no mistake. I have questioned the princess closely, and no doubt
+remaineth in my mind, that the nuptials have been solemnized by
+religious rites. It is not easy to understand all she would wish to say,
+but that much she often and distinctly hath affirmed."
+
+"Your Highness--can a Christian contract marriage with one that is yet
+unbaptized?"
+
+"Certainly not, in the eye of the church, which is the eye of God. But I
+rather think Ozema hath received this holy rite, for she often pointed
+to the cross she weareth, when speaking of the union with thy nephew.
+Indeed, from her allusions, I understood her to say that she became a
+Christian, ere she became a wife."
+
+"And that blessed cross, Señora, was a gift of Mercedes to the reckless,
+fickle-minded boy; a parting gift in which the holy symbol was intended
+to remind him of constancy and faith!"
+
+"The world maketh so many inroads into the hearts of men, Beatriz, that
+they know not woman's reliance and woman's fidelity. But to thy knees,
+and bethink thee of asking for grace to sustain thy ward, in this cruel,
+but unavoidable extremity."
+
+Isabella now turned to her friend, who advanced and raised the hand of
+her royal mistress to her lips. The queen, however, was not content with
+this salutation, warm as it was; passing an arm around the neck of Doña
+Beatriz, she drew her to her person, and imprinted a kiss on her
+forehead.
+
+"Adieu, Beatriz--true friend as thou art!" she said. "If constancy hath
+deserted all others, it hath still an abode in thy faithful heart."
+
+With these words the queen and the marchioness separated, each to find
+her pillow, if not her repose.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIX.
+
+    "Now, Gondarino, what can you put on now
+    That may deceive us?
+    Have ye more strange illusions, yet more mists,
+    Through which the weak eye may be led to error?
+    What can ye say that may do satisfaction
+    Both for her wronged honor and your ill?"
+
+    Beaumont and Fletcher.
+
+
+The day which succeeded the interview related in the preceding chapter,
+was that which Cardinal Mendoza had selected for the celebrated banquet
+given to Columbus. On this occasion, most of the high nobility of the
+court were assembled in honor of the admiral, who was received with a
+distinction which fell little short of that usually devoted to crowned
+heads. The Genoese bore himself modestly, though nobly, in all these
+ceremonies; and, for the hour, all appeared to delight in doing justice
+to his great exploits, and to sympathize in a success so much surpassing
+the general expectation. Every eye seemed riveted on his person, every
+ear listened eagerly to the syllables as they fell from his lips, every
+voice was loud and willing in his praise.
+
+As a matter of course, on such an occasion, Columbus was expected to
+give some account of his voyage and adventures. This was not an easy
+task, since it was virtually asserting how much his own perseverance and
+spirit, his sagacity and skill, were superior to the knowledge and
+enterprise of the age. Still, the admiral acquitted himself with
+dexterity and credit, touching principally on those heads which most
+redounded to the glory of Spain, and the lustre of the two crowns.
+
+Among the guests was Luis de Bobadilla. The young man had been invited
+on account of his high rank, and in consideration of the confidence and
+familiarity with which he was evidently treated by the admiral. The
+friendship of Columbus was more than sufficient to erase the slightly
+unfavorable impressions that had been produced by Luis' early levities,
+and men quietly submitted to the influence of the great man's example,
+without stopping to question the motive or the end. The consciousness of
+having done that which few of his station and hopes would ever dream of
+attempting, gave to the proud mien and handsome countenance of Luis, a
+seriousness and elevation that had not always been seated there, and
+helped to sustain him in the good opinion that he had otherwise so
+cheaply purchased. The manner in which he had related to Peter Martyr
+and his companions the events of the expedition, was also remembered,
+and, without understanding exactly why, the world was beginning to
+associate him, in some mysterious manner, with the great western voyage.
+Owing to these accidental circumstances, our hero was actually reaping
+some few of the advantages of his spirit, though in a way he had never
+anticipated; a result by no means extraordinary, men as often receiving
+applause, or reprobation, for acts that were never meditated, as for
+those for which reason and justice would hold them rigidly responsible.
+
+"Here is a health to my lord, their Highnesses' Admiral of the Ocean
+Sea," cried Luis de St. Angel, raising his cup so that all at the board
+might witness the act. "Spain oweth him her gratitude for the boldest
+and most beneficial enterprise of the age, and no good subject of the
+two sovereigns will hesitate to do him honor for his services."
+
+The bumper was drunk, and the meek acknowledgments of Columbus listened
+to in respectful silence.
+
+"Lord Cardinal," resumed the free-speaking accountant of the church's
+revenues, "I look upon the church's cure as doubled by these
+discoveries, and esteem the number of souls that will be rescued from
+perdition by the means that will now be employed to save them, as
+forming no small part of the lustre of the exploit, and a thing not
+likely to be forgotten at Rome."
+
+"Thou say'st well, good de St. Angel," returned the cardinal, "and the
+Holy Father will not overlook God's agent, or his assistants. Knowledge
+came from the east, and we have long looked forward to the time when,
+purified by revelation and the high commission that we hold direct from
+the source of all power, it would be rolled backward to its place of
+beginning; but we now see that its course is still to be westward,
+reaching Asia by a path that, until this great discovery, was hid from
+human eyes."
+
+Although so much apparent sympathy ruled at the festival, the human
+heart was at work, and envy, the basest, and perhaps the most common of
+our passions, was fast swelling in more than one breath. The remark of
+the cardinal produced an exhibition of the influence of this unworthy
+feeling that might otherwise have been smothered. Among the guests was a
+noble of the name of Juan de Orbitello, and he could listen no longer,
+in silence, to the praises of those whose breath he had been accustomed
+to consider fame.
+
+"Is it so certain, holy sir," he said, addressing his host, "that God
+would not have directed other means to be employed, to effect this end,
+had these of Don Christopher failed? Or, are we to look upon this voyage
+as the only known way in which all these heathen could be rescued from
+perdition?"
+
+"No one may presume, Señor, to limit the agencies of heaven," returned
+the cardinal, gravely; "nor is it the office of man to question the
+means employed, or to doubt the power to create others, as wisdom may
+dictate. Least of all, should laymen call in question aught that the
+church sanctioneth."
+
+"This I admit, Lord Cardinal," answered the Señor de Orbitello, a little
+embarrassed, and somewhat vexed at the implied rebuke of the churchman's
+remarks, "and it was the least of my intentions to do so. But you, Señor
+Don Christopher, did you deem yourself an agent of heaven in this
+expedition?"
+
+"I have always considered myself a most unworthy instrument, set apart
+for this great end, Señor," returned the admiral, with a grave solemnity
+that was well suited to impose on the spectators. "From the first, I
+have felt this impulse, as being of divine origin, and I humbly trust
+heaven is not displeased with the creature it hath employed."
+
+"Do you then imagine, Señor Almirante, that Spain could not produce
+another, fitted equally with yourself, to execute this great enterprise,
+had any accident prevented either your sailing or your success?"
+
+The boldness, as well as the singularity of this question, produced a
+general pause in the conversation, and every head was bent a little
+forward in expectation of the reply. Columbus sat silent for more than a
+minute; then, reaching forward, he took an egg, and holding it up to
+view, he spoke mildly, but with great gravity and earnestness of manner.
+
+"Señores," he said, "is there one here of sufficient expertness to cause
+this egg to stand on its end? If such a man be present, I challenge him
+to give us an exhibition of his skill."
+
+The request produced a good deal of surprise; but a dozen immediately
+attempted the exploit, amid much laughter and many words. More than
+once, some young noble thought he had succeeded, but the instant his
+fingers quitted the egg, it rolled upon the table, as if in mockery of
+his awkwardness.
+
+"By Saint Luke, Señor Almirante, but this notable achievement surpasseth
+our skill," cried Juan de Orbitello. "Here is the Conde de Llera, who
+hath slain so many Moors, and who hath even unhorsed Alonzo de Ojeda, in
+a tourney, can make nothing of his egg, in the way you mention."
+
+"And yet it will no longer be difficult to him, or even to you, Señor,
+when the art shall be exposed."
+
+Saying thus, Columbus tapped the smaller end of his egg lightly on the
+table, when, the shell being forced in, it possessed a base on which it
+stood firmly and without tremor. A murmur of applause followed this
+rebuke, and the Lord of Orbitello was fain to shrink back into an
+insignificance, from which it would have been better for him never to
+have emerged. At this precise instant a royal page spoke to the admiral,
+and then passed on to the seat of Don Luis de Bobadilla.
+
+"I am summoned hastily to the presence of the queen, Lord Cardinal,"
+observed the admiral, "and look to your grace for an apology for my
+withdrawing. The business is of weight, by the manner of the message,
+and you will pardon my now quitting the board, though it seem early."
+
+The usual reply was made; and, bowed to the door by his host and all
+present, Columbus quitted the room. Almost at the same instant, he was
+followed by the Conde de Llera.
+
+"Whither goest thou, in this hurry, Don Luis?" demanded the admiral, as
+the other joined him. "Art thou in so great haste to quit a banquet such
+as Spain hath not often seen, except in the palaces of her kings?"
+
+"By San Iago! nor there, neither, Señor," answered the young man, gaily,
+"if King Ferdinand's board be taken as the sample. But I quit this
+goodly company in obedience to an order of Doña Isabella, who hath
+suddenly summoned me to her royal presence."
+
+"Then, Señor Conde, we go together, and are like to meet on the same
+errand. I, too, am hastening to the apartments of the queen."
+
+"It gladdens my heart to hear this, Señor, as I know of but one subject
+on which a common summons should be sent to us. This affair toucheth on
+my suit, and, doubtless, you will be required to speak of my bearing in
+the voyage."
+
+"My mind and my time have been so much occupied, of late, with public
+cares, Luis, that I have not had an occasion to question you of this.
+How fareth the Lady of Valverde, and when will she deign to reward thy
+constancy and love?"
+
+"Señor, I would I could answer the last of these questions with greater
+certainty, and the first with a lighter heart. Since my return I have
+seen Doña Mercedes but thrice; and though she was all gentleness and
+truth, my suit for the consummation of my happiness hath been coldly and
+evasively answered by my aunt. Her Highness is to be consulted, it would
+seem; and the tumult produced by the success of the voyage hath so much
+occupied her, that there hath been no leisure to wait on trifles such as
+those that lead to the felicity of a wanderer like myself."
+
+"Then is it like, Luis, that we are indeed summoned on this very affair;
+else, why should thou and I be brought together in a manner so unusual
+and so sudden."
+
+Our hero was not displeased to fancy this, and he entered the apartments
+of the queen with a step as elastic, and a mien as bright, as if he had
+come to wed his love. The Admiral of the Ocean Sea, as Columbus was now
+publicly called, had not long to wait in ante-chambers, and, ere many
+minutes, he and his companion were ushered into the presence.
+
+Isabella received her guests in private, there being no one in
+attendance but the Marchioness of Moya, Mercedes, and Ozema. The first
+glances of their eyes told Columbus and Luis that all was not right.
+Every countenance denoted that its owner was endeavoring to maintain a
+calmness that was assumed. The queen herself was serene and dignified,
+it is true, but her brow was thoughtful, her eye melancholy, and her
+cheek slightly flushed. As for Doña Beatriz, sorrow and indignation
+struggled in her expressive face, and Luis saw, with concern, that her
+look was averted from him in a way she always adopted when he had
+seriously incurred her displeasure. Mercedes' lips were pale as death,
+though a bright spot, like vermilion, was stationary on each cheek; her
+eyes were downcast, and all her mien was humbled and timid. Ozema alone
+seemed perfectly natural; still, her glances were quick and anxious,
+though a gleam of joy danced in her eyes, and even a slight exclamation
+of delight escaped her, as she beheld Luis, whom she had seen but once
+since her arrival in Barcelona, already near a month.
+
+Isabella advanced a step or two, to meet the admiral, and when the last
+would have kneeled, she hurriedly prevented the act by giving him her
+hand to kiss.
+
+"Not so--not so--Lord Admiral," exclaimed the queen; "this is homage
+unsuited to thy high rank and eminent services. If we are thy
+sovereigns, so are we also thy friends. I fear my lord cardinal will
+scarce pardon the orders I sent him, seeing that it hath deprived him of
+thy society somewhat sooner than he may have expected."
+
+"His Eminence, and all his goodly company, have that to muse on, Señora,
+that may yet occupy them some time," returned Columbus, smiling in his
+grave manner; "doubtless, they will less miss me than at an ordinary
+time. Were it otherwise, both I, and this young count, would not scruple
+to quit even a richer banquet, to obey the summons of your Highness."
+
+"I doubt it not, Señor, but I have desired to see thee, this night, on a
+matter of private, rather than of public concernment. Doña Beatriz,
+here, hath made known to me the presence at court, as well as the
+history of this fair being, who giveth one an idea so much more exalted
+of thy vast discoveries that I marvel she should ever have been
+concealed. Know'st thou her rank, Don Christopher, and the circumstances
+that have brought her to Spain?"
+
+"Señora, I do; in part through my own observation, and in part from the
+statements of Don Luis de Bobadilla. I consider the rank of the Lady
+Ozema to be less than royal, and more than noble, if our opinions will
+allow us to imagine a condition between the two; though it must always
+be remembered that Hayti is not Castile; the one being benighted under
+the cloud of heathenism, and the other existing in the sunshine of the
+church and civilization."
+
+"Nevertheless, Don Christopher, station is station, and the rights of
+birth are not impaired by the condition of a country. Although it hath
+pleased him already, and will still further please the head of the
+church, to give us rights, in our characters of Christian princes, over
+these caciques of India, there is nothing unusual or novel in the fact.
+The relation between the suzerain and the lieges is ancient and well
+established; and instances are not wanting, in which powerful monarchs
+have held certain of their states by this tenure, while others have come
+direct from God. In this view, I feel disposed to consider the Indian
+lady as more than noble, and have directed her to be treated
+accordingly. There remaineth only to relate the circumstances that have
+brought her to Spain."
+
+"These can better come from Don Luis than from me, Señora; he being most
+familiar with the events."
+
+"Nay, Señor, I would hear them from thine own lips. I am already
+possessed of the substance of the Conde de Llera's story."
+
+Columbus looked both surprised and pained, but he did not hesitate about
+complying with the queen's request.
+
+"Hayti hath its greater and its lesser princes, or caciques, your
+Highness," he added; "the last paying a species of homage, and owing a
+certain allegiance to the first, as hath been said"--
+
+"Thou seest, Daughter-Marchioness, this is but a natural order of
+government, prevailing equally in the east and in the west!"
+
+"Of the first of these was Guacanagari, of whom I have already related
+so much to your Highness," continued Columbus; "and of the last,
+Mattinao, the brother of this lady. Don Luis visited the Cacique
+Mattinao, and was present at an inroad of Caonabo, a celebrated Carib
+chief, who would fain have made a wife of her who now stands in this
+illustrious presence. The conde conducted himself like a gallant
+Castilian cavalier, routed the foe, saved the lady, and brought her in
+triumph to the ships. Here it was determined she should visit Spain,
+both as a means of throwing more lustre on the two crowns, and of
+removing her, for a season, from the attempts of the Carib, who is too
+powerful and warlike to be withstood by a race as gentle as that of
+Mattinao's."
+
+"This is well, Señor, and what I have already heard; but how happeneth
+it, that Ozema did not appear with the rest of thy train, in the public
+reception of the town?"
+
+"It was the wish of Don Luis it should be otherwise, and I consented
+that he and his charge should sail privately from Palos, with the
+expectation of meeting me in Barcelona. We both thought the Lady Ozema
+too superior to her companions, to be exhibited to rude eyes as a
+spectacle."
+
+"There was delicacy, if there were not prudence in the arrangement," the
+queen observed, a little drily. "Then, the Lady Ozema hath been some
+weeks solely in the care of the Conde de Llera."
+
+"I so esteem it, your Highness, except as she hath been placed under the
+guardianship of the Marchioness of Moya."
+
+"Was this altogether discreet, Don Christopher, or as one prudent as
+thou shouldst have consented to?"
+
+"Señora!" exclaimed Luis, unable to restrain his feelings longer.
+
+"Forbear, young sir," commanded the queen. "I shall have occasion to
+question thee presently, when thou may'st have a need for all thy
+readiness, to give the fitting answers. Doth not thy discretion rebuke
+thy indiscretion in this matter, Lord Admiral?"
+
+"Señora, the question, like its motive, is altogether new to me; I have
+the utmost reliance on the honor of the count, and then did I know that
+his heart hath long been given to the fairest and worthiest damsel of
+Spain; besides, my mind hath been so much occupied with the grave
+subjects of your Highness' interests, that it hath had but little
+opportunity to dwell on minor things."
+
+"I believe thee, Señor, and thy pardon is secure. Still, for one so
+experienced, it was a sore indiscretion to trust to the constancy of a
+fickle heart, when placed in the body of a light-minded and truant boy.
+And, now, Conde de Llera, I have that to say to thee, which thou may'st
+find it difficult to answer. Thou assentest to all that hath hitherto
+been said?"
+
+"Certainly, Señora. Don Christopher can have no motive to misstate, even
+were he capable of the meanness. I trust our house hath not been
+remarkable in Spain, for recreant and false cavaliers."
+
+"In that I fully agree. If thy house hath had the misfortune to produce
+one untrue and recreant heart, it hath the glory"--glancing at her
+friend--"of producing others that might equal the constancy of the most
+heroic minds of antiquity. The lustre of the name of Bobadilla doth not
+altogether depend on the fidelity and truth of its head--nay, hear me,
+sir, and speak only when thou art ready to answer my questions. Thy
+thoughts, of late, have been bent on matrimony?"
+
+"Señora, I confess it. Is it an offence to dream of the honorable
+termination of a suit that hath been long urged, and which I had dared
+to hope was finally about to receive your own royal approbation?"
+
+"It is, then, as I feared, Beatriz!" exclaimed the queen; "and this
+benighted but lovely being hath been deceived by the mockery of a
+marriage; for no subject of Castile would dare thus to speak of wedlock,
+in my presence, with the consciousness that his vows had actually and
+lawfully been given to another. Both the church and the prince would not
+be thus braved, by even the greatest profligate of Spain!"
+
+"Señora, your Highness speaketh most cruelly, even while you speak in
+riddles!" cried Luis. "May I presume to ask if I am meant in these
+severe remarks?"
+
+"Of whom else should we be speaking, or to whom else allude? Thou must
+have the inward consciousness, unprincipled boy, of all thy
+unworthiness; and yet thou darest thus to brave thy sovereign--nay, to
+brave that suffering and angelic girl, with a mien as bold as if
+sustained by the purest innocence!"
+
+"Señora, I am no angel, myself, however willing to admit Doña Mercedes
+to be one; neither am I a saint of perfect purity, perhaps--in a word, I
+am Luis de Bobadilla--but as far from deserving these reproaches, as
+from deserving the crown of martyrdom. Let me humbly demand my offence?"
+
+"Simply that thou hast either cruelly deceived, by a feigned marriage,
+this uninstructed and confiding Indian princess, or hast insolently
+braved thy sovereign with the professions of a desire to wed another,
+with thy faith actually plighted at the altar, to another. Of which of
+these crimes thou art guilty, thou know'st best, thyself."
+
+"And thou, my aunt--thou, Mercedes--dost thou, too, believe me capable
+of this?"
+
+"I fear it is but too true," returned the marchioness, coldly; "the
+proof is such that none but an Infidel could deny belief."
+
+"Mercedes?"
+
+"No, Luis," answered the generous girl, with a warmth and feeling that
+broke down the barriers of all conventional restraint--"I do not think
+thee base as this--I do not think thee base at all; merely unable to
+restrain thy wandering inclinations. I know thy heart too well, and
+thine honor too well, to suppose aught more than a weakness that thou
+wouldst fain subdue, but canst not."
+
+"God and the Holy Virgin be blessed for this!" cried the count, who had
+scarcely breathed while his mistress was speaking. "Any thing but thy
+entertaining so low an opinion of me, may be borne!"
+
+"There must be an end of this, Beatriz; and I see no surer means, than
+by proceeding at once to the facts," said the queen. "Come hither,
+Ozema, and let thy testimony set this matter at rest, forever."
+
+The young Indian, who comprehended Spanish much better than she
+expressed herself in the language, although far from having even a
+correct understanding of all that was said, immediately complied, her
+whole soul being engrossed with what was passing, while her intelligence
+was baffled in its attempts thoroughly to comprehend it. Mercedes alone
+had noted the workings of her countenance, as Isabella reproved, or Luis
+made his protestations, and they were such as completely denoted the
+interest she felt in our hero.
+
+"Ozema," resumed the queen, speaking slowly, and with deliberate
+distinctness, in order that the other might get the meaning of her words
+as she proceeded. "Speak--art thou wedded to Luis de Bobadilla, or not?"
+
+"Ozema, Luis' wife," answered the girl, laughing and blushing. "Luis,
+Ozema's husband."
+
+"This is plain as words can make it, Don Christopher, and is no more
+than she hath already often affirmed, on my anxious and repeated
+inquiries. How and when did Luis wed thee, Ozema?"
+
+"Luis wed Ozema with religion--with Spaniard's religion. Ozema wed Luis
+with love and duty--with Hayti manner."
+
+"This is extraordinary, Señora," observed the admiral, "and I would
+gladly look into it. Have I your Highness' permission to inquire into
+the affair, myself?"
+
+"Do as thou wilt, Señor," returned the queen, coldly. "My own mind is
+satisfied, and it behoveth my justice to act speedily."
+
+"Conde de Llera, dost thou admit, or dost thou deny, that thou art the
+husband of the Lady Ozema?" demanded Columbus, gravely.
+
+"Lord Admiral, I deny it altogether. Neither have I wedded her, nor hath
+the thought of so doing, with any but Mercedes, ever crossed my mind."
+
+This was said firmly, and with the open frankness that formed a
+principal charm in the young man's manner.
+
+"Hast thou, then, wronged her, and given her a right to think that thou
+didst mean wedlock?"
+
+"I have not. Mine own sister would not have been more respected than
+hath Ozema been respected by me, as is shown by the fact that I have
+hastened to place her in the care of my dear aunt, and in the company of
+Doña Mercedes."
+
+"This seemeth reasonable, Señora; for man hath ever that much respect
+for virtue in your sex, that he hesitateth to offend it even in his
+levities."
+
+"In opposition to all these protestations, and to so much fine virtue,
+Señor Colon, we have the simple declaration of one untutored in
+deception--a mind too simple to deceive, and of a rank and hopes that
+would render such a fraud as unnecessary as it would be unworthy.
+Beatriz, thou dost agree with me, and it cannot find an apology for this
+recreant knight, even though he were once the pride of thy house?"
+
+"Señora, I know not. Whatever may have been the failings and weaknesses
+of the boy--and heaven it knows that they have been many--deception and
+untruth have never made a part. I have even ascribed the manner in which
+he hath placed the princess in my immediate care, to the impulses of a
+heart that did not wish to conceal the errors of the head, and to the
+expectation that her presence in my family might sooner bring me to a
+knowledge of the truth. I could wish that the Lady Ozema might be
+questioned more closely, in order that we make certain of not being
+under the delusion of some strange error."
+
+"This is right," observed Isabella, whose sense of justice ever inclined
+her to make the closest examination into the merits of every case that
+required her decision. "The fortune of a grandee depends on the result,
+and it is meet he enjoy all fair means of vindicating himself from so
+heinous an offence. Sir Count, thou canst, therefore, question her, in
+our presence, touching all proper grounds of inquiry."
+
+"Señora, it would ill become a knight to put himself in array against a
+lady, and she, too, of the character and habits of this stranger,"
+answered Luis, proudly; coloring as he spoke, with the consciousness
+that Ozema was utterly unable to conceal her predilection in his favor.
+"If such an office is, indeed, necessary, its functions would better
+become another."
+
+"As the stern duty of punishing must fall on me," the queen calmly
+observed, "I will then assume this unpleasant office. Señor Almirante,
+we may not shrink from any obligation that brings us nearer to the
+greatest attribute of God, his justice. Princess, thou hast said that
+Don Luis hath wedded thee, and that thou considerest thyself his wife.
+When and where didst thou meet him before a priest?"
+
+So many attempts had been made to convert Ozema to Christianity, that
+she was more familiar with the terms connected with religion than with
+any other part of the language, though her mind was a confused picture
+of imaginary obligations, and of mystical qualities. Like all who are
+not addicted to abstractions, her piety was more connected with forms
+than with principles, and she was better disposed to admit the virtue of
+the ceremonies of the church than the importance of its faith. The
+question of the queen was understood, and, therefore, it was answered
+without guile, or a desire to deceive.
+
+"Luis wed Ozema with Christian's cross," she said, pressing to her heart
+the holy emblem that the young man had given to her in a moment of great
+peril, and in a manner the reader already knows. "Luis think he about to
+die--Ozema think she about to die--both wish to die man and wife, and
+Luis wed with the cross, like good Spanish Christian. Ozema wed Luis in
+her heart, like Hayti lady, in her own country."
+
+"Here is some mistake--some sad mistake, growing out of the difference
+of language and customs," observed the admiral. "Don Luis hath not been
+guilty of this deception. I witnessed the offering of that cross, which
+was made at sea, during a tempest, and in a way to impress me favorably
+with the count's zeal in behalf of a benighted soul. There was no
+wedlock there; nor could any, but one who hath confounded our usages,
+through ignorance, imagine more than the bestowal of a simple emblem,
+that it was hoped might be useful, in extremity, to one that had not
+enjoyed the advantages of baptism and the church's offices."
+
+"Don Luis, dost thou confirm this statement, and also assert that thy
+gift was made solely with this object?" asked the queen.
+
+"Señora, it is most true. Death was staring us in the face; and I felt
+that this poor wanderer, who had trusted herself to our care, with the
+simple confidence of a child, needed some consolation; none seemed so
+meet, at the moment, as that memorial of our blessed Redeemer, and of
+our own redemption. To me it seemed the preservative next to baptism."
+
+"Hast thou never stood before a priest with her, nor in any manner
+abused her guileless simplicity?"
+
+"Señora, it is not my nature to deceive, and every weakness of which I
+have been guilty in connexion with Ozema shall be revealed. Her beauty
+and her winning manners speak for themselves, as doth her resemblance to
+Doña Mercedes. The last greatly inclined me to her, and, had not my
+heart been altogether another's, it would have been my pride to make the
+princess my wife. But we met too late for that; and even the resemblance
+led to comparisons, in which one, educated in infidelity and ignorance,
+must necessarily suffer. That I have had moments of tenderness for
+Ozema, I will own; but that they ever supplanted, or came near
+supplanting, my love for Mercedes, I do deny. If I have any fault to
+answer for, to the Lady Ozema, it is because I have not always been able
+to suppress the feelings that her likeness to the Doña Mercedes, and her
+own ingenuous simplicity--chiefly the former--have induced. Never
+otherwise, in speech or act, have I offended against her."
+
+"This soundeth upright and true, Beatriz. Thou know'st the count better
+than I, and can easier say how far we ought to confide in these
+explanations."
+
+"My life on their truth, my beloved mistress! Luis is no hypocrite, and
+I rejoice!--oh! how exultingly do I rejoice!--at finding him able to
+give this fair vindication of his conduct. Ozema, who hath heard of our
+form of wedlock, and hath seen our devotion to the cross, hath mistaken
+her position, as she hath my nephew's feelings, and supposed herself a
+wife, when a Christian girl would not have been so cruelly deceived."
+
+"This really hath a seeming probability, Señores," continued the queen,
+with her sex's sensitiveness to her sex's delicacy of sentiment, not to
+say to her sex's rights--"This toucheth of a lady's--nay, of a princess'
+feelings, and must not be treated of openly. It is proper that any
+further explanations should be made only among females, and I trust to
+your honor, as cavaliers and nobles, that what hath this night been
+said, will never be spoken of amid the revels of men. The Lady Ozema
+shall be my care; and, Count of Llera, thou shalt know my final decision
+to-morrow, concerning Doña Mercedes and thyself."
+
+As this was said with a royal, as well as with a womanly dignity, no one
+presumed to demur, but, making the customary reverences, Columbus and
+our hero left the presence. It was late before the queen quitted Ozema,
+but what passed in this interview will better appear in the scenes that
+are still to be given.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXX.
+
+    "When sinking low the sufferer wan
+    Beholds no arm outstretch'd to save,
+    Fair, as the bosom of the swan
+    That rises graceful o'er the wave,
+    I've seen your breast with pity heave,
+    And _therefore_ love you, sweet Genevieve!"
+
+    Coleridge.
+
+
+When Isabella found herself alone with Ozema and Mercedes (for she chose
+that the last should be present), she entered on the subject of the
+marriage with the tenderness of a sensitive and delicate mind, but with
+a sincerity that rendered further error impossible. The result showed
+how naturally and cruelly the young Indian beauty had deceived herself.
+Ardent, confiding, and accustomed to be considered the object of general
+admiration among her own people, Ozema had fancied that her own
+inclinations had been fully answered by the young man. From the first
+moment they met, with the instinctive quickness of a woman, she
+perceived that she was admired, and, as she gave way to the excess of
+her own feelings, it was almost a necessary consequence of the
+communications she held with Luis, that she should think they were
+reciprocated. The very want of language in words, by compelling a
+substitution of one in looks and acts, contributed to the mistake; and
+it will be remembered that, if Luis' constancy did not actually waver,
+it had been sorely tried. The false signification she attached to the
+word "Mercedes," largely aided in the delusion, and it was completed by
+the manly tenderness and care with which our hero treated her on all
+occasions. Even the rigid decorum that Luis invariably observed, and the
+severe personal respect which he maintained toward his charge, had their
+effect on her feelings; for, wild and unsophisticated as had been her
+training, the deep and unerring instinct of the feeble, told her the
+nature of the power she was wielding over the strong.
+
+Then came the efforts to give her some ideas of religion, and the deep
+and lamentable mistakes which imperfectly explained, and worse
+understood subtleties, left on her plastic mind. Ozema believed that the
+Spaniards worshipped the cross. She saw it put foremost in all public
+ceremonies, knelt to, and apparently appealed to, on every occasion that
+called for an engagement more solemn than usual. Whenever a knight made
+a vow, he kissed the cross of his sword-hilt. The mariners regarded it
+with reverence, and even the admiral had caused one to be erected as a
+sign of his right to the territory that had been ceded to him by
+Guacanagari. In a word, to her uninstructed imagination, it seemed as if
+the cross were used as a pledge for the fidelity of all engagements.
+Often had she beheld and admired the beautiful emblem worn by our hero;
+and, as the habits of her own people required the exchange of pledges of
+value as a proof of wedlock, she fancied, when she received this
+much-valued jewel, that she received the sign that our hero took her for
+a wife, at a moment when death was about to part them forever. Further
+than this, her simplicity and affections did not induce her to reason or
+to believe.
+
+It was an hour before Isabella elicited all these facts and feelings
+from Ozema, though the latter clearly wished to conceal nothing; in
+truth, had nothing to conceal. The painful part of the duty remained to
+be discharged. It was to undeceive the confiding girl, and to teach her
+the hard lesson of bitterness that followed. This was done, however, and
+the queen, believing it best to remove all delusion on the subject,
+finally succeeded in causing her to understand that, before the count
+had ever seen herself, his affections were given to Mercedes, who was,
+in truth, his betrothed wife. Nothing could have been gentler, or more
+femininely tender, than the manner in which the queen made her
+communication; but the blow struck home, and Isabella, herself, trembled
+at the consequences of her own act. Never before had she witnessed the
+outbreaking of feeling in a mind so entirely unsophisticated, and the
+images of what she then saw, haunted her troubled slumbers for many
+succeeding nights.
+
+As for Columbus and our hero, they were left mainly in the dark, as to
+what had occurred, for the following week. It is true, Luis received a
+kind and encouraging note from his aunt, the succeeding day, and a page
+of Mercedes' silently placed in his hand the cross that he had so long
+worn; but, beyond this, he was left to his own conjectures. The moment
+for explanation, however, arrived, and the young man received a summons
+to the apartment of the marchioness.
+
+Luis did not, as he expected, meet his aunt on reaching the saloon,
+which he found empty. Questioning the page who had been his usher, he
+was desired to wait for the appearance of some one to receive him.
+Patience was not a conspicuous virtue in our hero's character, and he
+excited himself by pacing the room, for near half an hour, ere he
+discovered a single sign that his visit was remembered. Just as he was
+about to summon an attendant, however, again to announce his presence, a
+door was slowly opened, and Mercedes stood before him.
+
+The first glance that the young man cast upon his betrothed, told him
+that she was suffering under deep mental anxiety. The hand which he
+eagerly raised to his lips trembled, and the color came and went on her
+cheeks, in a way to show that she was nearly overcome. Still she
+rejected the glass of water that he offered, putting it aside with a
+faint smile, and motioning her lover to take a chair, while she calmly
+placed herself on a _tabouret_--one of the humble seats she was
+accustomed to occupy in the presence of the queen.
+
+"I have asked for this interview, Don Luis," Mercedes commenced, as soon
+as she had given herself time to command her feelings, "in order that
+there may no longer be any reasons for mistaking our feelings and
+wishes. You have been suspected of having married the Lady Ozema; and
+there was a moment when you stood on the verge of destruction, through
+the displeasure of Doña Isabella."
+
+"But, blessed Mercedes, _you_ never imputed to me this act of deception
+and unfaithfulness?"
+
+"I told you truth, Señor--for that I knew you too well. I felt certain
+that, whenever Luis de Bobadilla had made up his mind to the commission
+of such a step, he would also have the manliness and courage to avow it.
+_I_ never, for an instant, believed that you had wedded the princess."
+
+"Why, then, those cold and averted looks?--eyes that sought the floor,
+rather than the meeting of glances that love delights in; and a manner
+which, if it hath not absolutely displayed aversion, hath at least
+manifested a reserve and distance that I had never expected to witness
+from thee to me?"
+
+Mercedes' color changed, and she made no answer for a minute, during
+which little interval she had doubts of her ability to carry out her own
+purpose. Rallying her courage, however, the discourse was continued in
+the same manner as before.
+
+"Hear me, Don Luis," she resumed, "for my history will not be long. When
+you left Spain, at my suggestion, to enter on this great voyage, you
+loved _me_--of that grateful recollection no earthly power can deprive
+me! Yes, you then loved _me_, and me _only_. We parted, with our troth
+plighted to each other; and not a day went by, during your absence, that
+I did not pass hours on my knees, beseeching heaven in behalf of the
+admiral and his followers."
+
+"Beloved Mercedes! It is not surprising that success crowned our
+efforts; such an intercessor could not fail to be heard!"
+
+"I entreat you, sir, to hear me. Until the eventful day which brought
+the tidings of your return, no Spanish wife could have felt more concern
+for him on whom she had placed all her hopes, than I felt for you. To
+me, the future was bright and filled with hope, if the present was
+loaded with fear and doubt. The messenger who reached the court, first
+opened my eyes to the sad realities of the world, and taught me the hard
+lesson the young are ever slow to learn--that of disappointment. It was
+then I first heard of Ozema--of your admiration of her beauty--your
+readiness to sacrifice your life in her behalf!"
+
+"Holy Luke! Did that vagabond, Sancho, dare to wound thy ear, Mercedes,
+with an insinuation that touched the strength or the constancy of my
+love for thee?"
+
+"He related naught but the truth, Luis, and blame him not. I was
+prepared for some calamity by his report, and I bless God that it came
+on me by such slow degrees, and with the means of preparation to bear
+it. When I beheld Ozema, I no longer wondered at thy change of
+feeling--scarce blamed it. Her beauty, I do think, thou might'st have
+withstood; but her unfeigned devotion to thyself, her innocence, her
+winning simplicity, and her modest joyousness and nature, are sufficient
+to win a lover from any Spanish maiden"--
+
+"Mercedes!"
+
+"Nay, Luis, I have told thee that I blame thee not. It is better that
+the blow come now, than later, when I should not be able to bear it.
+There is something which tells me that, as a wife, I should sink beneath
+the weight of blighted affections; but, now, there are open to me the
+convent and the espousals of the Son of God. Do not interrupt me, Luis,"
+she added, smiling sweetly, but with an effort that denoted how
+difficult it was to seem easy. "I have to struggle severely to speak at
+all, and to an argument I am altogether unequal. Thou hast not been able
+to control thy affections; and to the strange novelties that have
+surrounded Ozema, as well as to her winning ingenuousness, I owe my
+loss, and she oweth her gain. It is the will of Heaven, and I strive to
+think it is to my everlasting advantage. Had I really wedded thee, the
+tenderness that is even now swelling in my heart--I wish not to conceal
+it--might have grown to such a strength as to supplant the love I owe to
+God; it is, therefore, doubtless, better as it is. If happiness on earth
+is not to be my lot, I shall secure happiness hereafter. Nay, all
+happiness here will not be lost; I can still pray for thee, as well as
+for myself--and thou and Ozema, of all earthly beings, will ever be
+uppermost in my thoughts."
+
+"This is so wonderful, Mercedes--so cruel--so unreasonable--and so
+unjust, that I cannot credit my ears!"
+
+"I have said that I blame thee not. The beauty and frankness of Ozema
+are more than sufficient to justify thee, for men yield to the senses,
+rather than to the heart, in bestowing their love. Then"--Mercedes
+blushed crimson as she continued--"a Haytian maid may innocently use a
+power, that it would ill become a Christian damsel to employ. And, now,
+we will come to facts that press for a decision. Ozema hath been ill--is
+still ill--dangerously so, as her Highness and my guardian believe--even
+as the physicians say--but it is in thy power, Luis, to raise her, as it
+might be, from the grave. See her--say but the word that will confer
+happiness--tell her, if thou hast not yet wedded her after the manner of
+Spain, that thou wilt--nay, let one of the holy priests, who are in
+constant attendance on her, to prepare the way for baptism, perform the
+ceremony this very morning, and we shall presently see the princess,
+again, the smiling, radiant, joyous creature she was, when thou first
+placed her in our care."
+
+"And this thou say'st to me, Mercedes, calmly and deliberately, as if
+thy words express thy very wishes and feelings!"
+
+"Calmly I may _seem_ to say it, Luis," answered our heroine, in a
+smothered tone, "and deliberately I _do_ say it. Marry me, loving
+another better, thou canst not; and why not, then, follow whither thy
+heart leadeth. The dowry of the princess shall not be small, for the
+convent recluse hath little need of gold, and none of lands."
+
+Luis gazed earnestly at the enthusiastic girl, who in his eyes never
+appeared more lovely; then, rising, he paced the room for three or four
+minutes, like one who wished to keep down mental agony by physical
+action. When he had obtained a proper command of himself, he returned to
+his seat, and taking the unresisting hand of Mercedes, he replied to her
+extraordinary proposal.
+
+"Watching over the sick couch of thy friend, and too much brooding on
+this subject, love, hath impaired thy judgment. Ozema hath no hold on my
+heart, in the way thou fanciest--never had, beyond a passing and truant
+inclination"--
+
+"Ah! Luis, those 'passing and truant inclinations.' None such"--pressing
+both her hands on her own heart--"have ever found a place here!"
+
+"Thy education and mine, Mercedes--thy habits and mine--nay, thy nature
+and the ruder elements of mine, are not, _cannot_ be the same. Were they
+so, I should not worship thee as I now do. But didst thou not exist, the
+certainty that I should wed Ozema would not give me happiness--but thou
+existing, and beloved as thou art, it would entail on me a misery that
+even my buoyant nature could not endure. In no case can I ever be the
+husband of the Indian."
+
+Although a gleam of happiness illumined the face of Mercedes for a
+moment, her high principles and pure intentions soon suppressed the
+momentary and unbidden triumph, and, even with a reproving manner, she
+made her answer.
+
+"Is this just to Ozema? Hath not her simplicity been deluded by those
+'passing and truant inclinations,' and doth not honor require that thy
+acts now redeem the pledges that have been given by, at least, thy
+manner?"
+
+"Mercedes--beloved girl, hearken to me. Thou must know that, with all my
+levities and backslidings, I am no coxcomb. Never hath my manner said
+aught that the heart did not confirm, and never hath the heart been
+drawn toward any but thee. In this, is the great distinction that I make
+between thee and all others of thy sex. Ozema's is not the only form,
+her's are not the only charms that may have caught a truant glance from
+my eyes, or extorted some unmeaning and bootless admiration, but thou,
+love, art enshrined here, and seemest already a part of myself. Didst
+thou know how often thy image hath proved a monitor stronger than
+conscience; on how many occasions the remembrance of thy virtues and thy
+affections hath prevailed, when even duty, and religion, and early
+lessons would have been forgotten, thou wouldst understand the
+difference between the love I bear _thee_, and what thou hast so
+tauntingly repeated as truant and passing inclinations."
+
+"Luis, I ought not to listen to these alluring words, which come from a
+goodness of heart that would spare me present pain, only to make my
+misery in the end the deeper. If thou hast never felt otherwise, why was
+the cross that I gave thee at parting, bestowed on another?"
+
+"Mercedes, thou know'st not the fearful circumstances under which I
+parted with that cross. Death was staring us in the face, and I gave it
+as a symbol that might aid a heathen soul in its extremity. That the
+gift, or rather that the thing I lent, was mistaken for a pledge of
+matrimony, is an unhappy misconception, that your own knowledge of
+Christian usages will tell you I could not foresee; otherwise I might
+now claim thee for my wife, in consequence of having first bestowed it
+on me."
+
+"Ah! Luis; when I gave thee that cross, I did wish to be understood as
+plighting my faith to thee forever!"
+
+"And when thou didst send it back to me, now within the week, how was it
+thy wish to be understood?"
+
+"I sent it to thee, Luis, in a moment of reviving hope, and by the order
+of the queen. Her Highness is now firmly thy friend, and would fain see
+us united, but for the melancholy condition of Ozema, to whom all has
+been explained--all, as I fear, except the real state of thy feelings
+toward us both."
+
+"Cruel girl! Am I, then, never to be believed--never again to be happy?
+I swear to thee, dearest Mercedes, that thou alone hast my whole
+heart--that with thee, I could be contented in a hovel, and that without
+thee I should be miserable on a throne. Thou wilt believe this, when
+thou see'st me a wretch, wandering the earth, reckless alike of hopes
+and objects, perhaps of character, because thou alone canst make me, and
+keep me the man I ought to be. Bethink thee, Mercedes, of the influence
+thou canst have--must have--_wilt_ have on one of my temperament and
+passions. I have long looked upon thee as my guardian angel, one that
+can mould me to thy will, and rule me when all others fail. With
+thee--the impatience produced by thy doubts excepted--am I not ever
+tractable and gentle? Hath Doña Beatriz ever exercised a tithe of thy
+power over me, and hast thou ever failed to tame even my wildest and
+rashest humors?"
+
+"Luis--Luis--no one that knew it, ever doubted of thy heart!" Mercedes
+paused, and the working of her countenance proved that the earnest
+sincerity of her lover had already shaken her doubts of his constancy.
+Still, her mind reverted to the scenes of the voyage, and her
+imagination portrayed the couch of the stricken Ozema. After a minute's
+delay, she proceeded, in a low, humbled tone--"I will not deny that it
+is soothing to my heart to hear this language, to which, I fear, I
+listen too readily," she said. "Still, I find it difficult to believe
+that thou canst ever forget one who hath even braved the chances of
+death, in order to shelter thy body from the arrows of thy foes."
+
+"Believe not this, beloved girl; thou wouldst have done that thyself, in
+Ozema's place, and so I shall ever consider it."
+
+"I should have the wish, Luis," Mercedes continued, her eyes suffused
+with tears, "but I might not have the power!"
+
+"Thou wouldst--thou wouldst--I know thee too well to doubt it."
+
+"I could envy Ozema the occasion, were it not sinful! I fear thou wilt
+think of this, when thy mind shall have tired with attractions that have
+lost their novelty."
+
+"Thou wouldst not only have done it, but thou wouldst have done it far
+better. Ozema, moreover, was exposed in her own quarrel, whilst thou
+wouldst have exposed thyself in mine."
+
+Mercedes again paused, and appeared to muse deeply. Her eyes had
+brightened under the soothing asseverations of her lover, and, spite of
+the generous self-devotion with which she had determined to sacrifice
+all her own hopes to what she had imagined would make her lover happy,
+the seductive influence of requited affection was fast resuming its
+power.
+
+"Come with me, then, Luis, and behold Ozema," she at length continued.
+"When thou see'st her, in her present state, thou wilt better understand
+thine own intentions. I ought not to have suffered thee thus to revive
+thy ancient feelings in a private interview, Ozema not being present; it
+is like forming a judgment on the hearing of only one side. And,
+Luis"--her heightened color, the effect of feeling, not of shame,
+rendered the girl surpassingly beautiful--"and, Luis, if thou shouldst
+find reason to change thy language after visiting the princess, however
+hard I may find it to be borne, thou wilt be certain of my forgiveness
+for all that hath passed, and of my prayers"--
+
+Sobs interrupted Mercedes, and she stopped an instant to wipe away her
+tears, rejecting Luis' attempt to fold her in his arms, in order to
+console her, with a sensitive jealousy of the result; a feeling,
+however, in which delicacy had more weight than resentment. When she had
+dried her eyes, and otherwise removed the traces of her agitation, she
+led the way to the apartment of Ozema, where the presence of the young
+man was expected.
+
+Luis started on entering the room; a little on perceiving that the queen
+and the admiral were present, and more at observing the inroads that
+disappointment had made on the appearance of Ozema. The color of the
+latter was gone, leaving a deadly paleness in its place; her eyes
+possessed a brightness that seemed supernatural, and yet her weakness
+was so evident as to render it necessary to support her, in a
+half-recumbent posture, on pillows. An exclamation of unfeigned delight
+escaped her when she beheld our hero, and then she covered her face with
+both her hands, in childish confusion, as if ashamed at betraying the
+pleasure she felt. Luis behaved with manly propriety, for, though his
+conscience did not altogether escape a few twinges, at the recollection
+of the hours he had wasted in Ozema's society, and at the manner in
+which he had momentarily submitted to the influence of her beauty and
+seductive simplicity, on the whole he stood self-acquitted of any thing
+that might fairly be urged as a fault, and most of all, of any thought
+of being unfaithful to his first love, or of any design to deceive. He
+took the hand of the young Indian respectfully, and he kissed it with an
+openness and warmth that denoted brotherly tenderness and regard, rather
+than passion, or the emotion of a lover. Mercedes did not dare to watch
+his movements, but she observed the approving glance that the queen
+threw at her guardian, when he had approached the couch on which Ozema
+lay. This glance she interpreted into a sign that the count had
+acquitted himself in a manner favorable to her own interests.
+
+"Thou findest the Lady Ozema weak and changed," observed the queen, who
+alone would presume to break a silence that was already awkward. "We
+have been endeavoring to enlighten her simple mind on the subject of
+religion, and she hath, at length, consented to receive the holy
+sacrament of baptism. The lord archbishop is even now preparing for the
+ceremony in my oratory, and we have the blessed prospect of rescuing
+this one precious soul from perdition."
+
+"Your Highness hath ever the good of all your people at heart," said
+Luis, bowing low to conceal the tears that the condition of Ozema had
+drawn from his eyes. "I fear this climate of ours ill agrees with the
+poor Haytians, generally, for I hear that the sick among them, at
+Seville and Palos, offer but little hope of recovery."
+
+"Is this so, Don Christopher?"
+
+"Señora, I believe it is only too true. Care hath been had, however, to
+their souls, as well as to their bodies, and Ozema is the last of her
+people, now in Spain, to receive the holy rite of Christian baptism."
+
+"Señora," said the marchioness, coming from the couch, with surprise and
+concern in her countenance, "I fear our hopes are to be defeated after
+all! The Lady Ozema hath just whispered me, that Luis and Mercedes must
+first be married in her presence, ere she will consent to be admitted
+within the pale of the church herself."
+
+"This doth not denote the right spirit, Beatriz--and, yet, what can be
+done with a mind so little illuminated with the light from above. 'Tis
+merely a passing caprice, and will be forgotten when the archbishop
+shall be ready."
+
+"I think not, Señora. Never have I seen her so decided and clear. In
+common, we find her gentle and tractable, but this hath she thrice said,
+in a way to cause the belief of her perfect seriousness."
+
+Isabella now advanced to the couch, and spoke long and soothingly to the
+invalid. In the meantime, the admiral conversed with the marchioness,
+and Luis again approached our heroine. The evidences of emotion were
+plain in both, and Mercedes scarce breathed, not knowing what to expect.
+But a few low words soon brought an assurance that could not fail to
+bring happiness, spite of her generous efforts to feel for Ozema--that
+the heart of our hero was all her own. From this moment Mercedes
+dismissed every doubt, and she regarded Luis as had so long been her
+wont.
+
+As is usual in the presence of royalty, the conversation was carried on
+in a low tone; and a quarter of an hour elapsed before a page announced
+that the oratory, or little chapel, was ready, opening a door that
+communicated directly with it, as he entered.
+
+"This wilful girl persisteth, Daughter-Marchioness," said the queen,
+advancing from the side of the couch, "and I know not what to answer. It
+is cruel to deny her the offered means of grace, and yet it is a sudden
+and unseemly request to make of thy nephew and thy ward!"
+
+"As for the first, dearest Señora, never distrust his forgiveness;
+though I much doubt the possibility of prevailing on Mercedes. Her very
+nature is made up of religion and female decorum."
+
+"It is, indeed, scarce right to think of it. A Christian maiden should
+have time to prepare her spirit for the holy sacrament of marriage, by
+prayer."
+
+"And yet, Señora, many wed without it! The time hath been when Don
+Ferdinand of Aragon and Doña Isabella might not have hesitated for such
+a purpose."
+
+"That time never was, Beatriz. Thou hast a habit of making me look back
+to our days of trial and youth, whenever thou wouldst urge on me some
+favorite but ill-considered wish of thine own. Dost really think thy
+ward would overlook the want of preparation and time?"
+
+"I know not what she might feel disposed to overlook, Señora; but I do
+know that if there be one woman in Spain who is at all times ready in
+_spirit_, for the most sacred rites of the church, it is your Highness;
+and, if there be another, it is my ward."
+
+"Go to--go to--good Beatriz; flattery sitteth ill on thee. None are
+always ready, and all have an unceasing need for watchfulness. Bid Doña
+Mercedes follow to my closet; I will converse with her on this subject.
+At least, there shall be no unfeminine and unseemly surprise."
+
+So saying, the queen withdrew. She had hardly reached her closet, before
+our heroine entered, with a doubtful and timid step. As soon as her eyes
+met those of her sovereign, Mercedes burst into tears, and falling on
+her knees, she again buried her face in the robe of Doña Isabella. This
+outbreak of feeling was soon subdued, however, and then the girl stood
+erect, waiting her sovereign's pleasure.
+
+"Daughter," commenced the queen, "I trust there is no longer any
+misapprehension between thee and the Conde de Llera. Thou know'st the
+views of thy guardian and myself, and may'st, in a matter like this,
+with safety defer to our cooler heads and greater experience. Don Luis
+loveth thee, and hath never loved the princess, though it would not be
+out of character did an impetuous young man, who hath been much exposed
+to temptation, betray some transient and passing feeling toward one of
+so much nature and beauty."
+
+"Luis hath admitted all, Señora; inconstant he hath never been, though
+he may have had his weaknesses."
+
+"'Tis a hard lesson to learn, child, even in this stage of thy life,"
+said the queen, gravely; "but it would have been harder were it deferred
+until the nearer tenderness of a wife had superseded the impulses of the
+girl. Thou hast heard the opinions of the learned; there is little hope
+that the Princess Ozema can long survive."
+
+"Ah! Señora, 'tis a cruel fate! To die among strangers, in the flower of
+her beauty, and with a heart crushed by the weight of unrequited love!"
+
+"And yet, Mercedes, if heaven open on her awaking eyes, when the last
+earthly scene is over, the transition will be most blessed; and they who
+mourn her loss, would do wiser to rejoice. One so youthful and so
+innocent; whose pure mind hath been laid bare to us, as it might be, and
+which we have found wanting in nothing beside the fruits of a pious
+instruction, can have little to apprehend on the score of personal
+errors. All that is required for such a being, is to place her within
+the covenant of God's grace, by obtaining the rite of baptism, and there
+is not a bishop of the church that could depart with brighter hopes for
+the future."
+
+"That holy office is my lord archbishop about to administer, as I hear,
+Señora."
+
+"_That_ somewhat dependeth on thee, daughter. Listen, and be not hasty
+in thy decision, which may touch on the security of a human soul."
+
+The queen now related to Mercedes the romantic request of Ozema, placing
+it before her listener in terms so winning and gentle, that it produced
+less surprise and alarm than she herself had anticipated.
+
+"Doña Beatriz hath a proposal that may, at first, appear plausible, but
+which reflection will not sanction. Her design was to cause the count
+actually to wed Ozema"--Mercedes started, and turned pale--"in order
+that the last hours of the young stranger might be soothed by the
+consciousness of being the wife of the man she idolized; but I have
+found serious objections to the scheme. What is thy opinion, daughter?"
+
+"Señora, could I believe--as lately I did, but now do not--that Luis had
+such a preference for the princess as might lead him, in the end, to the
+happiness of that mutual affection without which wedlock must be a curse
+instead of a blessing, I would be the last to object; nay, I think I
+could even beg the boon of your Highness on my knees, for she who so
+truly loveth can only seek the felicity of its object. But I am assured
+the count hath not the affection for the Lady Ozema that is necessary to
+this end; and would it not be profane, Señora, to receive the church's
+sacraments under vows that the heart not only does not answer to, but
+against which it is actually struggling?"
+
+"Excellent girl! These are precisely my own views, and in this manner
+have I answered the marchioness. The rites of the church may not be
+trifled with, and we are bound to submit to sorrows that may be
+inflicted, after all, for our eternal good; though it be harder to bear
+those of others than to bear our own. It remaineth only to decide on
+this whim of Ozema's, and to say if thou wilt now be married, in order
+that she may be baptized."
+
+Notwithstanding the devotedness of feeling with which our heroine loved
+Luis, it required a strong struggle with her habits and her sense of
+propriety to take this great step so suddenly, and with so little
+preparation. The wishes of the queen, however, prevailed; for Isabella
+felt a deep responsibility on her own soul, in letting the stranger
+depart without being brought within the pale of the church. When
+Mercedes consented, she despatched a messenger to the marchioness, and
+then she and her companion both knelt, and passed near an hour together,
+in the spiritual exercises that were usual to the occasion. In this
+mood, did these pure-minded females, without a thought to the vanities
+of the toilet, but with every attention to the mental preparations of
+which the case admitted, present themselves at the door of the royal
+chapel, through which Ozema had just been carried, still stretched on
+her couch. The marchioness had caused a white veil to be thrown over the
+head of Mercedes, and a few proper but slight alterations had been made
+in her attire, out of habitual deference to the altar and its ministers.
+
+About a dozen persons, deemed worthy of confidence, were present,
+already; and just as the bride and bridegroom were about to take their
+places, Don Ferdinand hastily entered, carrying in his hand some papers
+which he had been obliged to cease examining, in order to comply with
+the wishes of his royal consort. The king was a dignified prince; and
+when it suited him, no sovereign enacted his part more gracefully or in
+better taste. Motioning the archbishop to pause, he directed Luis to
+kneel. Throwing over the shoulder of the young man the collar of one of
+his own orders, he said--
+
+"Now, arise, noble sir, and ever do thy duty to thy Heavenly Master, as
+thou hast of late discharged it toward us."
+
+Isabella rewarded her husband for this act of grace by an approving
+smile, and the ceremony immediately proceeded. In the usual time, our
+hero and heroine were pronounced man and wife, and the solemn rites were
+ended. Mercedes felt, in the warm pressure with which Luis held her to
+his heart, that she now understood him; and, for a blissful instant,
+Ozema was forgotten, in the fulness of her own happiness. Columbus had
+given away the bride--an office that the king had assigned to him,
+though he stood at the bridegroom's side himself, with a view to do him
+honor, and even so far condescended as to touch the canopy that was held
+above the heads of the new-married couple. But Isabella kept aloof,
+placing herself near the couch of Ozema, whose features she watched
+throughout the ceremony. She had felt no occasion for public
+manifestations of interest in the bride, their feelings having so lately
+been poured out together in dear and private communion. The
+congratulations were soon over, and then Don Ferdinand, and all but
+those who were in the secret of Ozema's history, withdrew.
+
+The queen had not desired her husband, and the other attendants, to
+remain and witness the baptism of Ozema, out of a delicate feeling for
+the condition of a female stranger, whom her habits and opinions had
+invested with a portion of the sacred rights of royalty. She had noted
+the intensity of feeling with which the half-enlightened girl watched
+the movements of the archbishop and the parties, and the tears had
+forced themselves from her own eyes, at witnessing the struggle between
+love and friendship, that was portrayed in every lineament of her pale,
+but still lovely countenance.
+
+"Where cross?" Ozema eagerly demanded, as Mercedes stooped to fold the
+wasted form of the young Indian in her arms, and to kiss her cheek.
+"Give cross--Luis no marry with cross--give Ozema cross."
+
+Mercedes, herself, took the cross from the bosom of her husband, where
+it had lain near his heart, since it had been returned to him, and put
+it in the hands of the princess.
+
+"No marry with cross, then," murmured the girl, the tears suffusing her
+eyes, so as nearly to prevent her gazing at the much-prized bauble.
+"Now, quick, Señora, and make Ozema Christian."
+
+The scene was getting to be too solemn and touching for many words, and
+the archbishop, at a sign from the queen, commenced the ceremony. It was
+of short duration; and Isabella's kind nature was soon quieted with the
+assurance that the stranger, whom she deemed the subject of her especial
+care, was put within the covenant for salvation that had been made with
+the visible church.
+
+"Is Ozema Christian now?" demanded the girl, with a suddenness and
+simplicity, that caused all present to look at each other with pain and
+surprise.
+
+"Thou hast, now, the assurance that God's grace will be offered to thy
+prayers, daughter," answered the prelate. "Seek it with thy heart, and
+thy end, which is at hand, will be more blessed."
+
+"Christian no marry heathen?--Christian marry Christian?"
+
+"This hast thou been often told, my poor Ozema," returned the queen;
+"the rite could not be duly solemnized between Christian and heathen."
+
+"Christian marry first lady he love best?"
+
+"Certainly. To do otherwise would be a violation of his vow, and a
+mockery of God."
+
+"So Ozema think--but he can marry second wife--inferior wife--lady he
+love next. Luis marry Mercedes, first wife, because he love best--then
+he marry Ozema, second wife--lower wife--because he love next
+best--Ozema Christian, now, and no harm. Come, archbishop; make Ozema
+Luis' second wife."
+
+Isabella groaned aloud, and walked to a distant part of the chapel,
+while Mercedes burst into tears, and sinking on her knees, she buried
+her face in the cloth of the couch, and prayed fervently for the
+enlightening of the soul of the princess. The churchman did not receive
+this proof of ignorance in his penitent, and of her unfitness for the
+rite he had just administered, with the same pity and indulgence.
+
+"The holy baptism thou hast just received, benighted woman," he said,
+sternly, "is healthful, or not, as it is improved. Thou hast just made
+such a demand, as already loadeth thy soul with a fresh load of sin, and
+the time for repentance is short. No Christian can have two wives at the
+same time, and God knoweth no higher or lower, no first or last, between
+those whom his church hath united. Thou canst not be a second wife, the
+first still living."
+
+"No would be to Caonabo--to Luis, yes. Fifty, hundred wife to dear Luis!
+No possible?"
+
+"Self-deluded and miserable girl, I tell thee no.
+No--no--no--never--never--never. There is such a taint of sin in the
+very question, as profaneth this holy chapel, and the symbols of
+religion by which it is filled. Ay, kiss and embrace thy cross, and bow
+down thy very soul in despair, for"--
+
+"Lord Archbishop," interrupted the Marchioness of Moya, with a sharpness
+of manner that denoted how much her ancient spirit was aroused, "there
+is enough of this. The ear thou wouldst wound, at such a moment, is
+already deaf, and the pure spirit hath gone to the tribunal of another,
+and, as I trust, a milder judge. Ozema is dead!"
+
+It was, indeed, true. Startled by the manner of the prelate--bewildered
+with the confusion of ideas that had grown up between the dogmas that
+had been crowded on her mind, of late, and those in which she had been
+early taught; and physically paralyzed by the certainty that her last
+hope of a union with Luis was gone, the spirit of the Indian girl had
+deserted its beautiful tenement, leaving on the countenance of the
+corpse a lovely impression of the emotions that had prevailed during the
+last moments of its earthly residence.
+
+Thus fled the first of those souls that the great discovery was to
+rescue from the perdition of the heathen. Casuists may refine, the
+learned dilate, and the pious ponder, on its probable fate in the
+unknown existence that awaited it: but the meek and submissive will hope
+all from the beneficence of a merciful God. As for Isabella, she
+received a shock from the blow that temporarily checked her triumph at
+the success of her zeal and efforts. Little, however, did she foresee,
+that the event was but a type of the manner in which the religion of the
+cross was to be abused and misunderstood; a sort of practical prognostic
+of the defeat of most of her own pious and gentle hopes and wishes.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXI.
+
+    "A perfect woman, nobly planned
+    To warn, to comfort, and command;
+    And yet a spirit still, and bright,
+    With something of an angel light."
+
+    Wordsworth.
+
+
+The lustre that was thrown around the voyage of Columbus, brought the
+seas into favor. It was no longer deemed an inferior occupation, or
+unsuited to nobles to engage in enterprises on its bosom; and that very
+propensity of our hero, which had so often been mentioned to his
+prejudice in former years, was now frequently named to his credit.
+Though his real connection with Columbus is published, for the first
+time, in these pages, the circumstance having escaped the superficial
+investigations of the historians, it was an advantage to him to be known
+as having manifested what might be termed a maritime disposition, in an
+age when most of his rank and expectations were satisfied with the
+adventures of the land. A sort of fashion was got up on behalf of the
+ocean; and the cavalier who had gazed upon its vast and unbroken
+expanse, beyond the view of his mother earth, regarded him who had not,
+much as he who had won his spurs looked down upon him who had suffered
+the proper period of life to pass without making the effort. Many of the
+nobles whose estates touched the Mediterranean or the Atlantic, fitted
+out small coasters--the yachts of the fifteenth century--and were met
+following the sinuosities of the glorious coasts of that part of the
+world, endeavoring to derive a satisfaction from a pursuit that it
+seemed meritorious to emulate. That all succeeded who attempted thus to
+transfer the habits of courts and castles to the narrow limits of xebecs
+and feluccas, it would be hazarding too much to assert; but there is
+little doubt that the spirit of the period was sustained by the
+experiments, and that men were ashamed to condemn that, which it was
+equally the policy and the affectation of the day to extol. The rivalry
+between Spain and Portugal, too, contributed to the feeling of the
+times; and there was soon greater danger of the youth who had never
+quitted his native shores, being pointed out for his want of spirit,
+than that the adventurer should be marked for his eccentric and vagrant
+instability.
+
+In the meanwhile, the seasons advanced, and events followed, in their
+usual course, from cause to effect. About the close of the month of
+September, the ocean, just without that narrow and romantic pass that
+separates Europe from Africa, while it connects the transcendent
+Mediterranean with the broader wastes of the Atlantic, was glittering
+with the rays of the rising sun, which, at the same time, was gilding
+the objects that rose above the surface of the blue waters. The latter
+were not numerous, though a dozen different sails were moving slowly on
+their several courses, impelled by the soft breezes of the season. Of
+these, our business is with one alone, which it may be well to describe
+in a few general terms.
+
+The rig of the vessel in question was latine, perhaps the most
+picturesque of all that the ingenuity of man has invented as the
+accessory of a view, whether given to the eye by means of the canvas, or
+in its real dimensions and substance. Its position, too, was precisely
+that which a painter would have chosen as the most favorable to his
+pencil, the little felucca running before the wind, with one of its high
+pointed sails extended on each side, resembling the pinions of some
+enormous bird that was contracting its wings as it settled toward its
+nest. Unusual symmetry was apparent in the spars and rigging; while the
+hull, which was distinguished by lines of the fairest proportions, had a
+neatness and finish that denoted the yacht of a noble.
+
+The name of this vessel was the "Ozema," and she carried the Count of
+Llera with his youthful bride. Luis, who had acquired much of the
+mariner's skill, in his many voyages, directed the movements in person,
+though Sancho Mundo strutted around her decks with an air of authority,
+being the titular, if not the real patron of the craft.
+
+"Ay--ay--good Bartolemeo, lash that anchor well," said the last, as he
+inspected the forecastle, in his hourly rounds; "for fair as may be the
+breezes, and mild as is the season, no one can know what humor the
+Atlantic may be in, when it fairly waketh up. In the great voyage to
+Cathay, nothing could have been more propitious than our outward
+passage, and nothing savor more of devils incarnate, than the homeward.
+Doña Mercedes maketh an excellent sailor, as ye all may see; and no one
+can tell which way, or how far, the humor of the conde may carry him,
+when he hath once taken his departure. I tell ye, fellows, that glory
+and gold may alight upon ye all, any minute, in the service of such a
+noble; and I hope none of ye have forgotten to come provided with
+hawk's-bells, which are as remarkable for assembling doblas, as the
+bells of the Seville cathedral are for assembling Christians."
+
+"Master Mundo," called out our hero, from the quarter-deck, "let there
+be a man sent to the extremity of the fore-yard, and bid him look along
+the sea to the north and east of us."
+
+This command interrupted one of Sancho's self-glorifying discourses, and
+compelled him to see the order executed. When the seaman who was sent
+aloft, had "shinned" his way to the airy and seemingly perilous position
+he had been told to occupy, an inquiry went up from the deck, to demand
+what he beheld.
+
+"Señor Conde," answered the fellow, "the ocean is studded with sails, in
+the quarter your Excellency hath named, looking like the mouth of the
+Tagus, at the first of a westerly wind."
+
+"Canst thou tell them, and let me know their numbers?" called out Luis.
+
+"By the mass, Señor," returned the man, after taking time to make his
+count, "I see no less than sixteen--nay, now I see another, a smaller
+just opening from behind a carrack of size--seventeen, I make them in
+all."
+
+"Then are we in season, love!" exclaimed Luis, turning toward Mercedes
+with delight--"once more shall I grasp the hand of the admiral, ere he
+quitteth us again for Cathay. Thou seemest glad as myself, that our
+effort hath not failed."
+
+"That which gladdeneth thee, Luis, is sure to gladden me," returned the
+bride; "where there is but one interest, there ought to be but one
+wish."
+
+"Beloved--beloved Mercedes--thou wilt make me every thing thou canst
+desire. This heavenly disposition of thine, and this ready consenting to
+voyage with me, will be sure to mould me in such a way that I shall be
+less myself than thee."
+
+"As yet, Luis," returned the young wife, smiling, "the change promiseth
+to be the other way, since thou art much likelier to make me a rover,
+than I to make thee a fixture of the castle of Llera."
+
+"Thou comest not out upon the sea, Mercedes, contrary to thine own
+wishes?" demanded Luis, with the earnest quickness of one who was
+fearful he might unconsciously have done an act of indiscretion.
+
+"No, dearest Luis; so far from it, that I have come with satisfaction,
+apart from the pleasure I have had in obliging thee. Fortunately, I feel
+no indisposition from the motion of the felucca, and the novelty is of
+the most agreeable and exciting kind."
+
+To say that Luis rejoiced to hear this on more accounts than one, is but
+to add that he still found a pleasure in the scenes of the ocean.
+
+In half an hour the vessel of the admiral was visible from the Ozema's
+deck, and ere the sun had reached the meridian, the little felucca was
+gliding into the centre of the fleet, holding her course toward the
+carrack of Columbus. The usual hailing passed, when, apprised of the
+presence of Mercedes, the admiral gallantly repaired on board the Ozema,
+to pay his respects in person. The scenes through which they had passed
+together, had created in Columbus a species of paternal regard for Luis,
+in which Mercedes shared, through the influence of her noble conduct
+during the events that occurred at Barcelona. He met the happy pair,
+therefore, with dignified affection, and his reception partook of the
+feelings that the count and countess so fully reciprocated.
+
+Nothing could be more striking to one who had an opportunity of
+witnessing both, than the contrast between the means with which the
+Genoese sailed on this, and on his former voyage. Then he had set forth
+neglected, almost forgotten, in three vessels, ill-found, and worse
+manned, while now, the ocean was whitened with his canvas, and he was
+surrounded by no inconsiderable portion of the chivalry of Spain. As
+soon as it was known that the Countess of Llera was in the felucca that
+had stopped the fleet, boats put off from most of the vessels, and
+Mercedes held a sort of court on the broad Atlantic; her own female
+attendants, among whom were two or three of the rank of ladies,
+assisting her in doing proper honor to the cavaliers who thronged the
+deck. The balmy influence of the pure air of the ocean, contributed to
+the happiness of the moment; and, for an hour, the Ozema presented a
+scene of gaiety and splendor, such as had never before been witnessed by
+any person present.
+
+"Beautiful Countess," cried one, who had been a rejected suitor of our
+heroine, "you see to what acts of desperation your cruelty hath driven
+me, who am going forth on an adventure to the furthest east. It is well
+for Don Luis that I did not make this venture before he won your favor;
+as no damsel in Spain is expected, henceforth, to withstand the suit of
+one of the admiral's followers."
+
+"It may be as you say, Señor," returned Mercedes, her heart swelling
+with the consciousness that he whom she had chosen had made this same
+boasted adventure, while others shrunk from its hazard, and when its
+result was still a mystery in the unknown future--"It may be as you say;
+but one of moderate wishes, like myself, must be content with these
+unambitious voyages along the coast, in which, happily, a wife may be
+her husband's companion."
+
+"Lady," cried the gallant and reckless Alonzo de Ojeda, in his turn,
+"Don Luis caused me to roll upon the earth, in the tourney, by a fair
+and manly effort, that hath left no rancor behind it; but I shall outdo
+him now, since he is content to keep the shores of Spain in view,
+leaving to us the glory of seeking the Indies, and of reducing the
+Infidels to the sway of the two sovereigns!"
+
+"It is a sufficient honor to my husband, Señor, that he can boast of the
+success you name, and he must rest satisfied with the reputation
+acquired in that one deed."
+
+"Countess, a year hence you would love him better, did he come forth
+with us, and show his spirit among the people of the Grand Khan!"
+
+"Thou see'st, Don Alonzo, that the illustrious admiral doth not
+altogether despise him as it is. They seek a private interview in my
+cabin together; an attention Don Christopher would not be apt to pay a
+recreant, or a laggard."
+
+"'Tis surprising!" resumed the rejected suitor; "the favor of the conde
+with our noble admiral hath surprised us all, at Barcelona. Can it be,
+de Ojeda, that they have met in some of their earlier nautical
+wanderings?"
+
+"By the mass! Señor," cried Alonzo, laughing, "if Don Luis ever met the
+admiral, as he met me in the lists, I should think one interview would
+answer for the rest of their days!"
+
+In this manner did the discourse proceed, some speaking in levity, some
+in more sober mood, and all in amity. While this was passing on deck,
+Columbus had, indeed, retired to a cabin with our hero.
+
+"Don Luis," said the admiral, when they were seated near each other, and
+alone, "thou know'st the regard I bear thee, and I feel certain that
+thou returnest it with an equal degree of esteem. I now go forth from
+Spain, on a far more perilous adventure than that in which thou wert my
+companion. Then I sailed concealed in contempt, and veiled from human
+eyes by ignorance and pity; now, have I left the old world, followed by
+malignancy and envy. These facts am I too old not to have seen, and
+foreseen. In my absence, many will be busy with my name. Even they who
+now shout at my heels will become my calumniators, revenging themselves
+for past adulation by present detraction. The sovereigns will be beset
+with lies, and any disappointment in the degree of success will be
+distorted into crimes. I leave friends behind me, too--friends, such as
+Juan Perez, de St. Angel, Quintanilla, and thyself. On ye, then, do I
+greatly rely, not for favors, but for the interest of truth and
+justice."
+
+"Señor, you may count upon my small influence under all circumstances. I
+have seen you in the day of trial, and it exceedeth ordinary
+misrepresentations to weaken my faith in you."
+
+"This did I believe, Luis, even before it was so warmly and sincerely
+said," returned the admiral, squeezing the young man's hand with fervor.
+"I doubt if Fonseca, who hath now so much power in the affairs of India,
+is truly my friend. Then, there is one of thy blood and name, who hath
+already regarded me with unfavorable eyes, and whom I distrust
+exceedingly, should an occasion offer in which he might do me injury."
+
+"I know him well, Don Christopher, and account him as doing no credit to
+the house of Bobadilla."
+
+"He hath credit, nevertheless, with the king, which is of more
+importance, just now!"
+
+"Ah! Señor, to that wily and double-faced monarch, you must look for
+nothing generous. So long as Doña Isabella's ear can be kept open to the
+truth, there is nothing to fear, but Don Ferdinand groweth each day more
+worldly and temporizing. Mass!--that one who, in youth, was so bold and
+manly a knight, should in his age betray so many of the meannesses that
+would disgrace a Moor! My noble aunt, however, is a host in herself, and
+will ever remain true to you, as she commenced."
+
+"God overruleth all, and it were sinful to distrust either his wisdom or
+justice. And now, Luis, one word touching thyself. Providence hath made
+thee the guardian of the happiness of such a being as is seldom found
+this side the gates of heaven. The man who is blessed with a virtuous
+and amiable wife, like her thou hast wedded, should erect an altar in
+his heart, on which he ought to make daily, nay, hourly sacrifices of
+gratitude to God for the boon; since of all earthly blessings, he
+enjoyeth the richest, the purest, and the most lasting, should he not be
+unmindful of his own riches. But a woman like Doña Mercedes is a
+creature as delicate as she is rare. Let her equanimity check thy
+impetuosity; her purity rebuke the less refined elements of thy
+composition; her virtue stimulate thine own; her love keep thine in an
+unceasing flame, and her tenderness be a constant appeal to thy manly
+indulgence and protection. Fulfil all thy duties as a Spanish grandee,
+son, and seek felicity in the partner of thy bosom, and in love to God."
+
+The admiral now gave Luis his blessing, and, taking leave of Mercedes in
+the same solemn manner, he hastened to his carrack. Boat after boat
+quitted the felucca, many calling out their leave-takings even after
+they were at a distance. In a few minutes, the heavy yards swung around,
+and the fleet was again sweeping off toward the south-west, holding its
+way, as was then fancied, toward the distant shores of India. For an
+hour the Ozema lay where she had been left by Columbus, as if gazing at
+her retiring friends; then her canvas filled, and she hauled up toward
+that bight of the coast, at the bottom of which lay the port of Palos de
+Moguer.
+
+The afternoon was deliciously balmy, and when the felucca drew in with
+the land, the surface of the sea was as smooth as that of an inland
+lake. There was just wind enough to cool the air, and to propel the
+little vessel three or four knots through the water. The day apartment
+occupied by our hero and heroine, was on the quarter-deck. It was
+formed, on the exterior, by a tarpauling, bent like the tilt of a wagon,
+while the interior was embellished with a lining of precious stuffs that
+converted it into a beautiful little saloon. In front, a canvas bulkhead
+protected it from the gaze of the crew; and, toward the stearn a rich
+curtain fell, when it became necessary to shut out the view. The latter
+was now carelessly festooned, permitting the eye to range over a broad
+expanse of the ocean, and to watch the glories of the setting sun.
+
+Mercedes reclined on a luxurious couch, gazing on the ocean, and Luis
+touched a guitar, seated on a stool at her feet. He had just played a
+favorite national air, which he had accompanied with his voice, and had
+laid aside the instrument, when he perceived that his young wife did not
+listen, with her usual fondness and admiration, to his music.
+
+"Thou art thoughtful, Mercedes," he said, leaning forward to read the
+melancholy expression of those eyes that were so often glowing with
+enthusiasm.
+
+"The sun is setting in the direction of the land of poor Ozema, Luis,"
+Mercedes answered, a slight tremor pervading her voice; "the
+circumstance, in connection with the sight of this boundless ocean, that
+so much resembleth eternity, hath led me to think of her end.
+Surely--surely--a creature so innocent can never be consigned to eternal
+misery, because her unenlightened mind and impassioned feelings were
+unable to comprehend all the church's mysteries!"
+
+"I would that thou thought'st less on this subject, love; thy prayers,
+and the masses that have been said for her soul, should content thee;
+or, if thou wilt, the last can be repeated, again and again."
+
+"We will offer still more," returned the young wife, scarce speaking
+above her breath, while the tears fell down her cheeks. "The best of us
+will need masses, and _we_ owe this to poor Ozema. Didst thou bethink
+thee, to intercede again with the admiral, to do all service to
+Mattinao, on reaching Española?"
+
+"That hath been attended to, and so dismiss the subject from thy mind.
+The monument is already erected at Llera, and we may feel regret for the
+loss of the sweet girl, but can scarce mourn for her. Were I not Luis de
+Bobadilla, thy husband, dearest, I could think her the subject of envy,
+rather than of pity."
+
+"Ah! Luis, thy flattery is too pleasing to bring reproof, but it is
+scarce seemly. Even the happiness I feel, in being assured of thy
+love--that our fortunes, fate, name, interests are one--is, in truth,
+but misery, compared with the seraphic joys of the blessed; and to such
+joys I could wish Ozema's spirit might be elevated."
+
+"Doubt it not, Mercedes; she hath all that her goodness and innocence
+can claim. Mass! If she even have half that I feel, in holding thee thus
+to my heart, she is no subject for grief, and thou say'st she hath, or
+wilt have, ten-fold more."
+
+"Luis--Luis--speak not thus! We will have other masses said at Seville,
+as well as at Burgos and Salamanca."
+
+"As thou wilt, love. Let them be said yearly, monthly, weekly, forever,
+or as long as the churchmen think they may have virtue."
+
+Mercedes smiled her gratitude, and the conversation became less painful,
+though it continued to be melancholy. An hour passed in this manner,
+during which, the communion was of the sweet character that pervades the
+intercourse of those who love tenderly. Mercedes had already acquired a
+powerful command over the headlong propensities and impetuous feelings
+of her husband, and was gradually moulding him, unknown to herself, to
+be the man that was necessary to her own feelings. In this change, which
+was the result of influence, and not of calculation or design, she was
+aided by the manly qualities of our hero, which were secretly persuading
+him that he had now the happiness of another in his keeping, as well as
+his own. This is an appeal that a really generous mind seldom
+withstands, and far oftener produces the correction of minor faults,
+than any direct management, or open rebukes. Perhaps Mercedes' strongest
+arm, however, was her own implicit confidence in her husband's
+excellence, Luis feeling a desire to be that which she so evidently
+thought him; an opinion that his own conscience did not, in the fullest
+extent, corroborate.
+
+Just as the sun had set, Sancho came to announce that he had let go the
+anchor.
+
+"Here we are, Señor Conde--here we are, at last, Señora Doña Mercedes,
+lying off the town of Palos, and within a hundred yards of the very spot
+where Don Christopher and his gallant companions departed for the
+discovery of the Indies--God bless him a hundred-fold, and all who went
+with him. The boat is ready to take you to the shore, Señora; and there,
+if you do not find Seville, or Barcelona, cathedrals and palaces, you
+will find Palos, and Santa Clara, and the ship-yard-gate--three places
+that are, henceforth, to be more renowned than either: Palos, as having
+sent forth the expedition; Santa Clara, as having saved it from
+destruction, by vows fulfilled at its altars; and the gate, for having
+had the ship of the admiral built within it."
+
+"And other great events, good Sancho!" put in the count.
+
+"Just so, your Excellency; and for other great events. Am I to land you,
+lady?"
+
+Mercedes assented, and in ten minutes she and her husband were walking
+on the beach, within ten yards of the very spot where Columbus and Luis
+had embarked the previous year. The firm sands were now covered with
+people, walking in the cool of the evening. Most of them were of the
+humbler classes, this being the only land, we believe, in which the
+population of countries that possess a favorable climate, do not thus
+mingle in their public promenades, at that witching hour.
+
+Luis and his beautiful wife had landed merely for exercise and
+relaxation, well knowing that the felucca possessed better
+accommodations than any hosteria of Palos; and they fell into the
+current of the walkers. Before them was a group of young matrons, who
+were conversing eagerly, and sufficiently loud to be overheard. Our hero
+and heroine instantly ceased their own discourse, when they found that
+the subject was the voyage to Cathay.
+
+"This day," said one of the party, in a tone of authority, "did Don
+Christopher sail from Cadiz; the sovereigns deeming Palos too small a
+port for the equipment of so great an enterprise. You may depend on what
+I tell ye, good neighbors; my husband, as you all well know, holding an
+appointment in the admiral's own ship."
+
+"You are to be envied, neighbor, that he is in so good repute with so
+great a man!"
+
+"How could he be otherwise, seeing that he was with him before, when few
+had courage to be his companions, and was ever faithful to his orders.
+'Monica'--nay, it was '_good_ Monica'--said the admiral to me, with his
+own mouth, 'thy Pepe is a true-hearted mariner, and hath conducted to my
+entire satisfaction. He shall be made the boatswain of my own carrack,
+and thou, and thy posterity, to the latest antiquity, may boast that you
+belong to so good a man.' These were his words; and what he said, he
+did--Pepe being now a boatswain. But the _paters_ and _aves_ that I said
+to reach this good fortune, would pave this beach!"
+
+Luis now stepped forward and saluted the party, making curiosity to know
+the particulars of the first departure, his excuse. As he expected,
+Monica did not recognize him in his present rich attire, and she
+willingly related all she knew, and not a little more. The interview
+showed how completely this woman had passed from despair to exultation,
+reducing the general and more public change of sentiment, down to the
+individual example of a particular case.
+
+"I have heard much of one Pinzon," added Luis, "who went forth as pilot
+of a caravel in the voyage; what hath become of him?"
+
+"Señor, he is dead!" answered a dozen voices, Monica's, however, so far
+getting the ascendency, as to tell the story. "He was once a great man
+in this quarter; but now his name is lost, like his life. He was untrue,
+and died of grief, it is said, when he found the Niña lying in the
+river, when he expected to have had all the glory to himself."
+
+Luis had been too much engrossed with his own feelings to have heard
+this news before, and he continued his walk, musing and sad.
+
+"So much for unlawful hopes, and designs that God doth not favor!" he
+exclaimed, when they had walked a considerable distance. "Providence
+hath, I think, been of the admiral's side; and certainly, my love, it
+hath been of mine."
+
+"This is Santa Clara," observed Mercedes. "Luis, I would enter, and
+return a thanksgiving at its altars for thy safety and return, and offer
+a prayer for the future success of Don Christopher."
+
+They both entered the church, and they knelt together at the principal
+altar; for, in that age, the bravest warriors were not as much ashamed,
+as in our own times, of publicly acknowledging their gratitude to, and
+their dependence on God. This duty performed, the happy pair returned
+silently to the beach, and went off to the felucca.
+
+Early in the morning, the Ozema sailed for Malaga again, Luis being
+fearful he might be recognized if he continued at Palos. Their port was
+reached in safety; and shortly after the party arrived at Valverde, the
+principal estate of Mercedes, where we shall leave our hero and heroine
+in the enjoyment of a felicity that was as great as could be produced by
+the connection between manly tenderness on one side, and purity of
+feeling and disinterested womanly love on the other.
+
+At a late day, there were other Luis de Bobadillas in Spain, among her
+gallant and noble, and other Mercedes', to cause the hearts of the gay
+and aspiring to ache; but there was only one Ozema. She appeared at
+court, in the succeeding reign, and, for a time, blazed like a star that
+had just risen in a pure atmosphere. Her career, however, was short,
+dying young and lamented; since which time, the name itself has
+perished. It is, in part, owing to these circumstances, that we have
+been obliged to drag so much of our legend from the lost records of that
+eventful period.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Mercedes of Castile, by J. Fenimore Cooper
+
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+<pre>
+
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Mercedes of Castile, by J. Fenimore Cooper
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Mercedes of Castile
+       The Voyage to Cathay
+
+Author: J. Fenimore Cooper
+
+Illustrator: F. O. C. Darley
+
+Release Date: June 13, 2011 [EBook #36406]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MERCEDES OF CASTILE ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by David Edwards, Mary Meehan and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This
+book was produced from scanned images of public domain
+material from the Google Print project.)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+
+
+
+<h1>MERCEDES OF CASTILE;</h1>
+
+<h3>OR,</h3>
+
+<h1>THE VOYAGE TO CATHAY.</h1>
+
+<h2>BY J. FENIMORE COOPER.</h2>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">Pinkney.</span><br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+<h3>ILLUSTRATED FROM DRAWINGS BY<br />
+F.O.C. Darley.</h3>
+
+<h3>NEW YORK:<br />
+W. A. TOWNSEND AND COMPANY.<br />
+1861.</h3>
+
+<h3>Entered, according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1861, by
+W. A. TOWNSEND AND COMPANY,
+In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Southern District
+of New York.</h3>
+
+<h3>G. A. ALVORD, STEREOTYPER &amp; PRINTER, NEW YORK.</h3>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CONTENTS</h2>
+
+<!-- Autogenerated TOC. Modify or delete as required. -->
+<p>
+<a href="#CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I.</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II.</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III.</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV.</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V.</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI.</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII.</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII.</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX.</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X.</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI.</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII.</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII.</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV.</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XV">CHAPTER XV.</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XVI">CHAPTER XVI.</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XVII">CHAPTER XVII.</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XVIII">CHAPTER XVIII.</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XIX">CHAPTER XIX.</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XX">CHAPTER XX.</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XXI">CHAPTER XXI.</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XXII">CHAPTER XXII.</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XXIII">CHAPTER XXIII.</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XXIV">CHAPTER XXIV.</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XXV">CHAPTER XXV.</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XXVI">CHAPTER XXVI.</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XXVII">CHAPTER XXVII.</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XXVIII">CHAPTER XXVIII.</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XXIX">CHAPTER XXIX.</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XXX">CHAPTER XXX.</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XXXI">CHAPTER XXXI.</a><br />
+</p>
+<!-- End Autogenerated TOC. -->
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>List of Illustrations</h2>
+
+
+<p><a href="#i004">"Columbus kneeled on the sands, and received the benediction."</a></p>
+
+<p><a href="#i005">"In vain Luis endeavored to persuade the devoted girl to withdraw."</a></p>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/i009.jpg" alt=""/>
+</div>
+
+<h2>PREFACE.</h2>
+
+
+<p>So much has been written of late years, touching the discovery of
+America, that it would not be at all surprising should there exist a
+disposition in a certain class of readers to deny the accuracy of all
+the statements in this work. Some may refer to history, with a view to
+prove that there never were such persons as our hero and heroine, and
+fancy that by establishing these facts, they completely destroy the
+authenticity of the whole book. In answer to this anticipated objection,
+we will state, that after carefully perusing several of the Spanish
+writers&mdash;from Cervantes to the translator of the journal of Columbus,
+the Alpha and Omega of peninsular literature&mdash;and after having read both
+Irving and Prescott from beginning to end, we do not find a syllable in
+either of them, that we understand to be conclusive evidence, or indeed
+to be any evidence at all, on the portions of our subject that are
+likely to be disputed. Until some solid affirmative proof, therefore,
+can be produced against us, we shall hold our case to be made out, and
+rest our claims to be believed on the authority of our own statements.
+Nor do we think there is any thing either unreasonable or unusual in
+this course, as perhaps the greater portion of that which is daily and
+hourly offered to the credence of the American public, rests on the same
+species of testimony&mdash;with the trifling difference that we state truths,
+with a profession of fiction, while the great moral caterers of the age
+state fiction with the profession of truth. If any advantage can be
+fairly obtained over us, in consequence of this trifling discrepancy, we
+must submit.</p>
+
+<p>There is one point, notwithstanding, concerning which it may be well to
+be frank at once. The narrative of the "Voyage to Cathay," has been
+written with the journal of the Admiral before us; or, rather, with all
+of that journal that has been given to the world through the agency of a
+very incompetent and meagre editor. Nothing is plainer than the general
+fact that this person did not always understand his author, and in one
+particular circumstance he has written so obscurely, as not a little to
+embarrass even a novelist, whose functions naturally include an entire
+familiarity with the thoughts, emotions, characters, and, occasionally,
+with the unknown fates of the subjects of his pen. The nautical day
+formerly commenced at meridian, and, with all our native ingenuity and
+high professional prerogatives, we have not been able to discover
+whether the editor of the journal has adopted that mode of counting
+time, or whether he has condescended to use the more vulgar and
+irrational practice of landsmen. It is our opinion, however, that in the
+spirit of impartiality which becomes an historian, he has adopted both.
+This little peculiarity might possibly embarrass a superficial critic;
+but accurate critics being so very common, we feel no concern on this
+head, well knowing that they will be much more apt to wink at these
+minor inconsistencies, than to pass over an error of the press, or a
+comma with a broken tail. As we wish to live on good terms with this
+useful class of our fellow-creatures, we have directed the printers to
+mis-spell some eight or ten words for their convenience, and to save
+them from headaches, have honestly stated this principal difficulty
+ourselves.</p>
+
+<p>Should the publicity which is now given to the consequences of
+commencing a day in the middle have the effect to induce the government
+to order that it shall, in future, with all American seamen, commence at
+one of its ends, something will be gained in the way of simplicity, and
+the writing of novels will, in-so-much, be rendered easier and more
+agreeable.</p>
+
+<p>As respects the minor characters of this work, very little need be said.
+Every one knows that Columbus had seamen in his vessels, and that he
+brought some of the natives of the islands he had discovered, back with
+him to Spain. The reader is now made much more intimately acquainted
+with certain of these individuals, we will venture to say, than he can
+be possibly by the perusal of any work previously written. As for the
+subordinate incidents connected with the more familiar events of the
+age, it is hoped they will be found so completely to fill up this branch
+of the subject, as to render future investigations unnecessary.</p>
+
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/i012.jpg" alt=""/>
+</div>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>MERCEDES OF CASTILE.</h2>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<div class="figcenter">
+<a name="i005" id="i005"></a>
+<img src="images/i005.jpg" alt=""/>
+</div>
+
+<h3>"In vain Luis endeavored to persuade the devoted girl to
+withdraw."</h3>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I"></a>CHAPTER I.</h2>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"There was knocking that shook the marble floor,<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">And a voice at the gate, which said&mdash;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">'That the Cid Ruy Diez, the Campeador,<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">Was there in his arms array'd.'"&mdash;&mdash;<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">Mrs. Hemans.</span><br /></span>
+</div></div>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p>Whether we take the pictures of the inimitable Cervantes, or of that
+scarcely less meritorious author from whom Le Sage has borrowed his
+immortal tale, for our guides; whether we confide in the graver legends
+of history, or put our trust in the accounts of modern travellers, the
+time has scarcely ever existed when the inns of Spain were good, or the
+roads safe. These are two of the blessings of civilization which the
+people of the peninsula would really seem destined never to attain; for,
+in all ages, we hear, or have heard, of wrongs done the traveller
+equally by the robber and the host. If such are the facts to-day, such
+also were the facts in the middle of the fifteenth century, the period
+to which we desire to carry back the reader in imagination.</p>
+
+<p>At the commencement of the month of October, in the year of our Lord
+1469, John of Trastamara reigned in Aragon, holding his court at a place
+called Zaragosa, a town lying on the Ebro, the name of which is supposed
+to be a corruption of Cæsar Augustus, and a city that has become
+celebrated in our own times, under the more Anglicised term of
+Saragossa, for its deeds in arms. John of Trastamara, or, as it was more
+usual to style him, agreeably to the nomenclature of kings, John II.,
+was one of the most sagacious monarchs of his age; but he had become
+impoverished by many conflicts with the turbulent, or, as it may be more
+courtly to say, the liberty-loving Catalonians; had frequently enough to
+do to maintain his seat on the throne; possessed a party-colored empire
+that included within its sway, besides his native Aragon with its
+dependencies of Valencia and Catalonia, Sicily and the Balearic Islands,
+with some very questionable rights in Navarre. By the will of his elder
+brother and predecessor, the crown of Naples had descended to an
+illegitimate son of the latter, else would that kingdom have been added
+to the list. The King of Aragon had seen a long and troubled reign, and,
+at this very moment, his treasury was nearly exhausted by his efforts to
+subdue the truculent Catalans, though he was nearer a triumph than he
+could then foresee, his competitor, the Duke of Lorraine, dying
+suddenly, only two short months after the precise period chosen for the
+commencement of our tale. But it is denied to man to look into the
+future, and on the 9th of the month just mentioned, the ingenuity of the
+royal treasurer was most sorely taxed, there having arisen an unexpected
+demand for a considerable sum of money, at the very moment that the army
+was about to disband itself for the want of pay, and the public coffers
+contained only the very moderate sum of three hundred <i>Enriques</i>, or
+Henrys&mdash;a gold coin named after a previous monarch, and which had a
+value not far from that of the modern ducat, or our own quarter eagle.
+The matter, however, was too pressing to be deferred, and even the
+objects of the war were considered as secondary to those connected with
+this suddenly-conceived, and more private enterprise. Councils were
+held, money-dealers were cajoled or frightened, and the confidants of
+the court were very manifestly in a state of great and earnest
+excitement. At length, the time of preparation appeared to be passed and
+the instant of action arrived. Curiosity was relieved, and the citizens
+of Saragossa were permitted to know that their sovereign was about to
+send a solemn embassy, on matters of high moment, to his neighbor,
+kinsman, and ally, the monarch of Castile. In 1469, Henry, also of
+Trastamara, sat upon the throne of the adjoining kingdom, under the
+title of Henry IV. He was the grandson, in the male line, of the brother
+of John II.'s father, and, consequently, a first-cousin once removed, of
+the monarch of Aragon. Notwithstanding this affinity, and the strong
+family interests that might be supposed to unite them, it required many
+friendly embassies to preserve the peace between the two monarchs; and
+the announcement of that which was about to depart, produced more
+satisfaction than wonder in the streets of the town.</p>
+
+<p>Henry of Castile, though he reigned over broader and richer peninsular
+territories than his relative of Aragon, had his cares and troubles,
+also. He had been twice married, having repudiated his first consort,
+Blanche of Aragon, to wed Joanna of Portugal, a princess of a levity of
+character so marked, as not only to bring great scandal on the court
+generally, but to throw so much distrust on the birth of her only child,
+a daughter, as to push discontent to disaffection, and eventually to
+deprive the infant itself of the rights of royalty. Henry's father, like
+himself, had been twice married, and the issue of the second union was a
+son and a daughter, Alfonso and Isabella; the latter becoming
+subsequently illustrious, under the double titles of the Queen of
+Castile, and of the Catholic. The luxurious impotency of Henry, as a
+monarch, had driven a portion of his subjects into open rebellion. Three
+years preceding that selected for our opening, his brother Alfonso had
+been proclaimed king in his stead, and a civil war had raged throughout
+his provinces. This war had been recently terminated by the death of
+Alfonso, when the peace of the kingdom was temporarily restored by a
+treaty, in which Henry consented to the setting aside of his own
+daughter&mdash;or rather of the daughter of Joanna of Portugal&mdash;and to the
+recognition of his half-sister Isabella, as the rightful heiress of the
+throne. The last concession was the result of dire necessity, and, as
+might have been expected, it led to many secret and violent measures,
+with a view to defeat its objects. Among the other expedients adopted by
+the king&mdash;or, it might be better to say, by his favorites, the inaction
+and indolence of the self-indulgent but kind-hearted prince being
+proverbial&mdash;with a view to counteract the probable consequences of the
+expected accession of Isabella, were various schemes to control her
+will, and guide her policy, by giving her hand, first to a subject, with
+a view to reduce her power, and subsequently to various foreign princes,
+who were thought to be more or less suited to the furtherance of such
+schemes. Just at this moment, indeed, the marriage of the princess was
+one of the greatest objects of Spanish prudence. The son of the King of
+Aragon was one of the suitors for the hand of Isabella, and most of
+those who heard of the intended departure of the embassy, naturally
+enough believed that the mission had some connection with that great
+stroke of Aragonese policy.</p>
+
+<p>Isabella had the reputation of learning, modesty, discretion, piety, and
+beauty, besides being the acknowledged heiress of so enviable a crown;
+and there were many competitors for her hand. Among them were to be
+ranked French, English, and Portuguese princes, besides him of Aragon to
+whom we have already alluded. Different favorites supported different
+pretenders, struggling to effect their several purposes by the usual
+intrigues of courtiers and partisans; while the royal maiden, herself,
+who was the object of so much competition and rivalry, observed a
+discreet and womanly decorum, even while firmly bent on indulging her
+most womanly and dearest sentiments. Her brother, the king, was in the
+south, pursuing his pleasures, and, long accustomed to dwell in
+comparative solitude, the princess was earnestly occupied in arranging
+her own affairs, in a way that she believed would most conduce to her
+own happiness. After several attempts to entrap her person, from which
+she had only escaped by the prompt succor of the forces of her friends,
+she had taken refuge in Leon, in the capital of which province, or
+kingdom as it was sometimes called, Valladolid, she temporarily took up
+her abode. As Henry, however, still remained in the vicinity of Granada,
+it is in that direction we must look for the route taken by the embassy.</p>
+
+<p>The cortège left Saragossa, by one of the southern gates, early in the
+morning of a glorious autumnal day. There was the usual escort of
+lances, for this the troubled state of the country demanded; bearded
+nobles well mailed&mdash;for few, who offered an inducement to the plunderer,
+ventured on the highway without this precaution; a long train of sumpter
+mules, and a host of those who, by their guise, were half menials and
+half soldiers. The gallant display drew crowds after the horses' heels,
+and, together with some prayers for success, a vast deal of crude and
+shallow conjecture, as is still the practice with the uninstructed and
+gossiping, was lavished on the probable objects and results of the
+journey. But curiosity has its limits, and even the gossip occasionally
+grows weary; and by the time the sun was setting, most of the multitude
+had already forgotten to think and speak of the parade of the morning.
+As the night drew on, however, the late pageant was still the subject of
+discourse between two soldiers, who belonged to the guard of the western
+gate, or that which opened on the road to the province of Burgos. These
+worthies were loitering away the hours, in the listless manner common to
+men on watch, and the spirit of discussion and of critical censure had
+survived the thoughts and bustle of the day.</p>
+
+<p>"If Don Alonso de Carbajal thinketh to ride far in that guise," observed
+the elder of the two idlers, "he would do well to look sharp to his
+followers, for the army of Aragon never sent forth a more
+scurvily-appointed guard than that he hath this day led through the
+southern gate, notwithstanding the glitter of housings, and the clangor
+of trumpets. We could have furnished lances from Valencia more befitting
+a king's embassy, I tell thee, Diego; ay, and worthier knights to lead
+them, than these of Aragon. But if the king is content, it ill becomes
+soldiers, like thee and me, to be dissatisfied."</p>
+
+<p>"There are many who think, Roderique, that it had been better to spare
+the money lavished in this courtly letter-writing, to pay the brave men
+who so freely shed their blood in order to subdue the rebellious
+Barcelans."</p>
+
+<p>"This is always the way, boy, between debtor and creditor. Don John owes
+you a few maravedis, and you grudge him every Enrique he spends on his
+necessities. I am an older soldier, and have learned the art of paying
+myself, when the treasury is too poor to save me the trouble."</p>
+
+<p>"That might do in a foreign war, when one is battling against the Moor,
+for instance; but, after all, these Catalans are as good Christians as
+we are ourselves; some of them are as good subjects; and it is not as
+easy to plunder a countryman as to plunder an Infidel."</p>
+
+<p>"Easier by twenty fold; for the one expects it, and, like all in that
+unhappy condition, seldom has any thing worth taking, while the other
+opens his stores to you as freely as he does his heart&mdash;but who are
+these, setting forth on the highway, at this late hour?"</p>
+
+<p>"Fellows that pretend to wealth, by affecting to conceal it. I'll
+warrant you, now, Roderique, that there is not money enough among all
+those varlets to pay the laquais that shall serve them their boiled
+eggs, to-night."</p>
+
+<p>"By St. Iago, my blessed patron!" whispered one of the leaders of a
+small cavalcade, who, with a single companion, rode a little in advance
+of the others, as if not particularly anxious to be too familiar with
+the rest, and laughing, lightly, as he spoke: "Yonder vagabond is nearer
+the truth than is comfortable! We may have sufficient among us all to
+pay for an olla-podrida and its service, but I much doubt whether there
+will be a dobla left, when the journey shall be once ended."</p>
+
+<p>A low, but grave rebuke, checked this inconsiderate mirth; and the
+party, which consisted of merchants, or traders, mounted on mules, as
+was evident by their appearance, for in that age the different classes
+were easily recognized by their attire, halted at the gate. The
+permission to quit the town was regular, and the drowsy and consequently
+surly gate-keeper slowly undid his bars, in order that the travellers
+might pass.</p>
+
+<p>While these necessary movements were going on, the two soldiers stood a
+little on one side, coolly scanning the group, though Spanish gravity
+prevented them from indulging openly in an expression of the scorn that
+they actually felt for two or three Jews who were among the traders. The
+merchants, moreover, were of a better class, as was evident by a
+follower or two, who rode in their train, in the garbs of menials, and
+who kept at a respectful distance while their masters paid the light fee
+that it was customary to give on passing the gates after nightfall. One
+of these menials, capitally mounted on a tall, spirited mule, happened
+to place himself so near Diego, during this little ceremony, that the
+latter, who was talkative by nature, could not refrain from having his
+say.</p>
+
+<p>"Prithee, Pepe," commenced the soldier, "how many hundred doblas a year
+do they pay, in that service of thine, and how often do they renew that
+fine leathern doublet?"</p>
+
+<p>The varlet, or follower of the merchant, who was still a youth, though
+his vigorous frame and embrowned cheek denoted equally severe exercise
+and rude exposure, started and reddened at this free inquiry, which was
+enforced by a hand slapped familiarly on his knee, and such a squeeze of
+the leg as denoted the freedom of the camp. The laugh of Diego probably
+suppressed a sudden outbreak of anger, for the soldier was one whose
+manner indicated too much good-humor easily to excite resentment.</p>
+
+<p>"Thy gripe is friendly, but somewhat close, comrade," the young domestic
+mildly observed; "and if thou wilt take a friend's counsel, it will be,
+never to indulge in too great familiarity, lest some day it lead to a
+broken pate."</p>
+
+<p>"By holy San Pedro!&mdash;I should relish&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>It was too late, however; for his master having proceeded, the youth
+pushed a powerful rowel into the flank of his mule, and the vigorous
+animal dashed ahead, nearly upsetting Diego, who was pressing hard on
+the pommel of the saddle, by the movement.</p>
+
+<p>"There is mettle in that boy," exclaimed the good-natured soldier, as he
+recovered his feet. "I thought, for one moment, he was about to favor me
+with a visitation of his hand."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou art wrong&mdash;and too much accustomed to be heedless, Diego,"
+answered his comrade; "and it had been no wonder had that youth struck
+thee to the earth, for the indignity thou putt'st upon him."</p>
+
+<p>"Ha! a hireling follower of some cringing Hebrew! He dare to strike a
+blow at a soldier of the king!"</p>
+
+<p>"He may have been a soldier of the king himself, in his day. These are
+times when most of his frame and muscle are called on to go in harness.
+I think I have seen that face before; ay, and that, too, where none of
+craven hearts would be apt to go."</p>
+
+<p>"The fellow is a mere varlet, and a younker that has just escaped from
+the hands of the women."</p>
+
+<p>"I'll answer for it, that he hath faced both the Catalan and the Moor in
+his time, young as he may seem. Thou knowest that the nobles are wont to
+carry their sons, as children, early into the fight, that they may learn
+the deeds of chivalry betimes."</p>
+
+<p>"The nobles!" repeated Diego, laughing. "In the name of all the devils,
+Roderique, of what art thou thinking, that thou likenest this knave to a
+young noble? Dost fancy him a Guzman, or a Mendoza, in disguise, that
+thou speakest thus of chivalry?"</p>
+
+<p>"True&mdash;it doth, indeed, seem silly&mdash;and yet have I before met that frown
+in battle, and heard that sharp, quick voice, in a rally. By St. Iago de
+Compostello! I have it! Harkee, Diego!&mdash;a word in thy ear."</p>
+
+<p>The veteran now led his more youthful comrade aside, although there was
+no one near to listen to what he said; and looking carefully round, to
+make certain that his words would not be overheard, he whispered, for a
+moment, in Diego's ear.</p>
+
+<p>"Holy Mother of God!" exclaimed the latter, recoiling quite three paces,
+in surprise and awe. "Thou canst not be right, Roderique!"</p>
+
+<p>"I will place my soul's welfare on it," returned the other, positively.
+"Have I not often seen him with his visor up, and followed him, time and
+again, to the charge?"</p>
+
+<p>"And he setting forth as a trader's varlet! Nay, I know not, but as the
+servitor of a Jew!"</p>
+
+<p>"Our business, Diego, is to strike without looking into the quarrel; to
+look without seeing, and to listen without hearing. Although his coffers
+are low, Don John is a good master, and our anointed king; and so we
+will prove ourselves discreet soldiers."</p>
+
+<p>"But he will never forgive me that gripe of the knee, and my foolish
+tongue. I shall never dare meet him again."</p>
+
+<p>"Humph!&mdash;It is not probable thou ever wilt meet him at the table of the
+king, and, as for the field, as he is wont to go first, there will not
+be much temptation for him to turn back in order to look at thee."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou thinkest, then, he will not be apt to know me again?"</p>
+
+<p>"If it should prove so, boy, thou need'st not take it in ill part; as
+such as he have more demands on their memories than they can always
+meet."</p>
+
+<p>"The Blessed Maria make thee a true prophet!&mdash;else would I never dare
+again to appear in the ranks. Were it a favor I conferred, I might hope
+it would be forgotten; but an indignity sticks long in the memory."</p>
+
+<p>Here the two soldiers moved away, continuing the discourse from time to
+time, although the elder frequently admonished his loquacious companion
+of the virtue of discretion.</p>
+
+<p>In the mean time, the travellers pursued their way, with a diligence
+that denoted great distrust of the roads, and as great a desire to get
+on. They journeyed throughout the night, nor did there occur any
+relaxation in their speed, until the return of the sun exposed them
+again to the observations of the curious, among whom were thought to be
+many emissaries of Henry of Castile, whose agents were known to be
+particularly on the alert, along all the roads that communicated between
+the capital of Aragon and Valladolid, the city in which his royal sister
+had then, quite recently, taken refuge. Nothing remarkable occurred,
+however, to distinguish this journey from any other of the period. There
+was nothing about the appearance of the travellers&mdash;who soon entered the
+territory of Soria, a province of Old Castile, where armed parties of
+the monarch were active in watching the passes&mdash;to attract the attention
+of Henry's soldiers; and as for the more vulgar robber, he was
+temporarily driven from the highways by the presence of those who acted
+in the name of the prince. As respects the youth who had given rise to
+the discourse between the two soldiers, he rode diligently in the rear
+of his master, so long as it pleased the latter to remain in the saddle;
+and during the few and brief pauses that occurred in the travelling, he
+busied himself, like the other menials, in the duties of his proper
+vocation. On the evening of the second day, however, about an hour after
+the party had left a hostelry, where it had solaced itself with an
+olla-podrida and some sour wine, the merry young man who has already
+been mentioned, and who still kept his place by the side of his graver
+and more aged companion in the van, suddenly burst into a fit of loud
+laughter, and, reining in his mule he allowed the whole train to pass
+him, until he found himself by the side of the young menial already so
+particularly named. The latter cast a severe and rebuking glance at his
+reputed master, as he dropped in by his side, and said, with a sternness
+that ill comported with their apparent relations to each other&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"How now, Master Nuñez! what hath called thee from thy position in the
+van, to this unseemly familiarity with the varlets in the rear?"</p>
+
+<p>"I crave ten thousand pardons, honest Juan," returned the master, still
+laughing, though he evidently struggled to repress his mirth, out of
+respect to the other; "but here is a calamity befallen us, that outdoes
+those of the fables and legends of necromancy and knight-errantry. The
+worthy Master Ferreras, yonder, who is so skilful in handling gold,
+having passed his whole life in buying and selling barley and oats, hath
+actually mislaid the purse, which it would seem he hath forgotten at the
+inn we have quitted, in payment of some very stale bread and rancid oil.
+I doubt if there are twenty reals left in the whole party!"</p>
+
+<p>"And is it a matter of jest, Master Nuñez," returned the servant, though
+a slight smile struggled about his mouth, as if ready to join in his
+companion's merriment; "that we are penniless? Thank Heaven! the Burgo
+of Osma cannot be very distant; and we may have less occasion for gold.
+And now, master of mine, let me command thee to keep thy proper place in
+this cavalcade, and not to forget thyself by such undue familiarity with
+thy inferiors. I have no farther need of thee, and therefore hasten back
+to Master Ferreras and acquaint him with my sympathy and grief."</p>
+
+<p>The young man smiled, though the eye of the pretended servant was
+averted, as if he cared to respect his own admonitions; while the other
+evidently sought a look of recognition and favor. In another minute, the
+usual order of the journey was resumed.</p>
+
+<p>As the night advanced, and the hour arrived when man and beast usually
+betray fatigue, these travellers pushed their mules the hardest; and
+about midnight, by dint of hard pricking, they came under the principal
+gate of a small walled town, called Osma, that stood not far from the
+boundary of the province of Burgos, though still in that of Soria. No
+sooner was his mule near enough to the gate to allow of the freedom,
+than the young merchant in advance dealt sundry blows on it with his
+staff, effectually apprising those within of his presence. It required
+no strong pull of the reins to stop the mules of those behind; but the
+pretended varlet now pushed ahead, and was about to assume his place
+among the principal personages near the gate, when a heavy stone, hurled
+from the battlements, passed so close to his head, as vividly to remind
+him how near he might be to making a hasty journey to another world. A
+cry arose in the whole party, at this narrow escape; nor were loud
+imprecations on the hand that had cast the missile spared. The youth,
+himself, seemed the least disturbed of them all; and though his voice
+was sharp and authoritative, as he raised it in remonstrance, it was
+neither angry nor alarmed.</p>
+
+<p>"How now!" he said; "is this the way you treat peaceful travellers;
+merchants, who come to ask hospitality and a night's repose at your
+hands?"</p>
+
+<p>"Merchants and travellers!" growled a voice from above&mdash;"say, rather,
+spies and agents of King Henry. Who are ye? Speak promptly, or ye may
+expect something sharper than stones, at the next visit."</p>
+
+<p>"Tell me," answered the youth, as if disdaining to be questioned
+himself&mdash;"who holds this borough? Is it not the noble Count of Treviño?"</p>
+
+<p>"The very same, Señor," answered he above, with a mollified tone: "but
+what can a set of travelling traders know of His Excellency? and who art
+thou, that speakest up as sharply and as proudly as if thou wert a
+grandee?"</p>
+
+<p>"I am Ferdinand of Trastamara&mdash;the Prince of Aragon&mdash;the King of Sicily.
+Go! bid thy master hasten to the gate."</p>
+
+<p>This sudden announcement, which was made in the lofty manner of one
+accustomed to implicit obedience, produced a marked change in the state
+of affairs. The party at the gate so far altered their several
+positions, that the two superior nobles who had ridden in front, gave
+place to the youthful king; while the group of knights made such
+arrangements as showed that disguise was dropped, and each man was now
+expected to appear in his proper character. It might have amused a close
+and philosophical observer to note the promptitude with which the young
+cavaliers, in particular, rose in their saddles, as if casting aside the
+lounging mien of grovelling traders, in order to appear what they really
+were, men accustomed to the tourney and the field. On the ramparts the
+change was equally sudden and great. All appearance of drowsiness
+vanished; the soldiers spoke to each other in suppressed but hurried
+voices; and the distant tramp of feet announced that messengers were
+dispatched in various directions. Some ten minutes elapsed in this
+manner, during which an inferior officer showed himself on the ramparts,
+and apologized for a delay that arose altogether from the force of
+discipline, and on no account from any want of respect. At length a
+bustle on the wall, with the light of many lanterns, betrayed the
+approach of the governor of the town; and the impatience of the young
+men below, that had begun to manifest itself in half-uttered
+execrations, was put under a more decent restraint for the occasion.</p>
+
+<p>"Are the joyful tidings that my people bring me true?" cried one from
+the battlements; while a lantern was lowered from the wall, as if to
+make a closer inspection of the party at the gate: "Am I really so
+honored, as to receive a summons from Don Ferdinand of Aragon, at this
+unusual hour?"</p>
+
+<p>"Cause thy fellow to turn his lantern more closely on my countenance,"
+answered the king, "that thou may'st make thyself sure. I will
+cheerfully overlook the disrespect, Count of Treviño, for the advantage
+of a more speedy admission."</p>
+
+<p>"'Tis he!" exclaimed the noble: "I know those royal features, which bear
+the lineaments of a long race of kings, and that voice have I heard,
+often, rallying the squadrons of Aragon, in their onsets against the
+Moor. Let the trumpets speak up, and proclaim this happy arrival; and
+open wide our gates, without delay."</p>
+
+<p>This order was promptly obeyed, and the youthful king entered Osma, by
+sound of trumpet, encircled by a strong party of men-at-arms, and with
+half of the awakened and astonished population at his heels.</p>
+
+<p>"It is lucky, my Lord King," said Don Andres de Cabrera, the young noble
+already mentioned, as he rode familiarly at the side of Don Ferdinand,
+"that we have found these good lodgings without cost; it being a
+melancholy truth, that Master Ferreras hath, negligently enough, mislaid
+the only purse there was among us. In such a strait, it would not have
+been easy to keep up the character of thrifty traders much longer; for,
+while the knaves higgle at the price of every thing, they are fond of
+letting their gold be seen."</p>
+
+<p>"Now that we are in thine own Castile, Don Andres," returned the king,
+smiling, "we shall throw ourselves gladly on thy hospitality, well
+knowing that thou hast two most beautiful diamonds always at thy
+command."</p>
+
+<p>"I, Sir King! Your Highness is pleased to be merry at my expense,
+although I believe it is, just now, the only gratification I can pay
+for. My attachment for the Princess Isabella hath driven me from my
+lands; and even the humblest cavalier in the Aragonese army is not, just
+now, poorer than I. What diamonds, therefore, can I command?"</p>
+
+<p>"Report speaketh favorably of the two brilliants that are set in the
+face of the Doña Beatriz de Bobadilla; and I hear they are altogether at
+thy disposal, or as much so as a noble maiden's inclinations can leave
+them with a loyal knight."</p>
+
+<p>"Ah! my Lord King! if indeed this adventure end as happily as it
+commenceth, I may, indeed, look to your royal favor, for some aid in
+that matter."</p>
+
+<p>The king smiled, in his own sedate manner; but the Count de Treviño
+pressing nearer to his side at that moment, the discourse was changed.
+That night Ferdinand of Aragon slept soundly; but with the dawn, he and
+his followers were again in the saddle. The party quitted Osma, however,
+in a manner very different from that in which it had approached its
+gate. Ferdinand now appeared as a knight, mounted on a noble Andalusian
+charger; and all his followers had still more openly assumed their
+proper characters. A strong body of lancers, led by the Count of Treviño
+in person, composed the escort; and on the 9th of the month, the whole
+cavalcade reached Dueñas, in Leon, a place quite near to Valladolid. The
+disaffected nobles crowded about the prince to pay their court, and he
+was received as became his high rank and still higher destinies.</p>
+
+<p>Here the more luxurious Castilians had an opportunity of observing the
+severe personal discipline by which Don Ferdinand, at the immature years
+of eighteen, for he was scarcely older, had succeeded in hardening his
+body and in stringing his nerves, so as to be equal to any deeds in
+arms. His delight was found in the rudest military exercises; and no
+knight of Aragon could better direct his steed in the tourney or in the
+field. Like most of the royal races of that period, and indeed of this,
+in despite of the burning sun under which he dwelt, his native
+complexion was brilliant, though it had already become embrowned by
+exposure in the chase, and in the martial occupations of his boyhood.
+Temperate as a Mussulman, his active and well-proportioned frame seemed
+to be early indurating, as if Providence held him in reserve for some of
+its own dispensations, that called for great bodily vigor as well as for
+deep forethought and a vigilant sagacity. During the four or five days
+that followed, the noble Castilians who listened to his discourse, knew
+not of which most to approve, his fluent eloquence, or a wariness of
+thought and expression, which, while they might have been deemed
+prematurely worldly and cold-blooded, were believed to be particular
+merits in one destined to control the jarring passions, deep deceptions,
+and selfish devices of men.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II"></a>CHAPTER II.</h2>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"Leave to the nightingale her shady wood:<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">A privacy of glorious light is thine;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Whence thou dost pour upon the world a flood<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">Of harmony, with rapture more divine;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Type of the wise, who soar, but never roam;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">True to the kindred points of Heaven and Home."<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">Wordsworth.</span><br /></span>
+</div></div>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p>While John of Aragon had recourse to such means to enable his son to
+escape the vigilant and vindictive emissaries of the King of Castile,
+there were anxious hearts in Valladolid, awaiting the result with the
+impatience and doubt that ever attend the execution of hazardous
+enterprises. Among others who felt this deep interest in the movements
+of Ferdinand of Aragon and his companions, were a few whom it has now
+become necessary to introduce to the reader.</p>
+
+<p>Although Valladolid had not then reached the magnificence it
+subsequently acquired as the capital of Charles V., it was an ancient,
+and, for the age, a magnificent and luxurious town, possessing its
+palaces, as well as its more inferior abodes. To the principal of the
+former, the residence of John de Vivero&mdash;a distinguished noble of the
+kingdom&mdash;we must repair in imagination; where companions more agreeable
+than those we have just quitted, await us, and who were then themselves
+awaiting, with deep anxiety, the arrival of a messenger with tidings
+from Dueñas. The particular apartment that it will be necessary to
+imagine, had much of the rude splendor of the period, united to that air
+of comfort and fitness that woman seldom fails to impart to the portion
+of any edifice that comes directly under her control. In the year 1469,
+Spain was fast approaching the termination of that great struggle which
+had already endured seven centuries, and in which the Christian and the
+Mussulman contended for the mastery of the peninsula. The latter had
+long held sway in the southern parts of Leon, and had left behind him,
+in the palaces of this town, some of the traces of his barbaric
+magnificence. The lofty and fretted ceilings were not as glorious as
+those to be found further south, it is true; still, the Moor had been
+here, and the name of Veled Vlid&mdash;since changed to Valladolid&mdash;denotes
+its Arabic connection. In the room just mentioned, and in the principal
+palace of this ancient town&mdash;that of John de Vivero&mdash;were two females,
+in earnest and engrossing discourse. Both were young, and, though in
+very different styles, both would have been deemed beautiful in any age
+or region of the earth. One, indeed, was surpassingly lovely. She had
+just reached her nineteenth year&mdash;an age when the female form has
+received its full development in that generous climate; and the most
+imaginative poet of Spain&mdash;a country so renowned for beauty of form in
+the sex&mdash;could not have conceived of a person more symmetrical. The
+hands, feet, bust, and all the outlines, were those of feminine
+loveliness; while the stature, without rising to a height to suggest the
+idea of any thing masculine, was sufficient to ennoble an air of quiet
+dignity. The beholder, at first, was a little at a loss to know whether
+the influence to which he submitted, proceeded most from the perfection
+of the body itself, or from the expression that the soul within imparted
+to the almost faultless exterior. The face was, in all respects, worthy
+of the form. Although born beneath the sun of Spain, her lineage carried
+her back, through a long line of kings, to the Gothic sovereigns; and
+its frequent intermarriages with foreign princesses, had produced in her
+countenance that intermixture of the brilliancy of the north with the
+witchery of the south, that probably is nearest to the perfection of
+feminine loveliness.</p>
+
+<p>Her complexion was fair, and her rich locks had that tint of the auburn
+which approaches as near as possible to the more marked color that gives
+it warmth, without attaining any of the latter's distinctive hue. "Her
+mild blue eyes," says an eminent historian, "beamed with intelligence
+and sensibility." In these indexes to the soul, indeed, were to be found
+her highest claims to loveliness, for they bespoke no less the beauty
+within, than the beauty without; imparting to features of exquisite
+delicacy and symmetry, a serene expression of dignity and moral
+excellence, that was remarkably softened by a modesty that seemed as
+much allied to the sensibilities of a woman, as to the purity of an
+angel. To add to all these charms, though of royal blood, and educated
+in a court, an earnest, but meek sincerity presided over every look and
+thought&mdash;as thought was betrayed in the countenance&mdash;adding the
+illumination of truth to the lustre of youth and beauty.</p>
+
+<p>The attire of this princess was simple, for, happily, the taste of the
+age enabled those who worked for the toilet to consult the proportions
+of nature; though the materials were rich, and such as became her high
+rank. A single cross of diamonds sparkled on a neck of snow, to which it
+was attached by a short string of pearls; and a few rings, decked with
+stones of price, rather cumbered than adorned hands that needed no
+ornaments to rivet the gaze. Such was Isabella of Castile, in her days
+of maiden retirement and maiden pride&mdash;while waiting the issues of those
+changes that were about to put their seal on her own future fortunes, as
+well as on those of posterity even to our own times.</p>
+
+<p>Her companion was Beatriz de Bobadilla, the friend of her childhood and
+infancy, and who continued, to the last, the friend of her prime, and of
+her death-bed. This lady, a little older than the princess, was of more
+decided Spanish mien, for, though of an ancient and illustrious house,
+policy and necessity had not caused so many foreign intermarriages in
+her race, as had been required in that of her royal mistress. Her eyes
+were black and sparkling, bespeaking a generous soul, and a resolution
+so high that some commentators have termed it valor; while her hair was
+dark as the raven's wing. Like that of her royal mistress, her form
+exhibited the grace and loveliness of young womanhood, developed by the
+generous warmth of Spain; though her stature was, in a slight degree,
+less noble, and the outlines of her figure, in about an equal
+proportion, less perfect. In short, nature had drawn some such
+distinction between the exceeding grace and high moral charms that
+encircled the beauty of the princess, and those which belonged to her
+noble friend, as the notions of men had established between their
+respective conditions; though, considered singly, as women, either would
+have been deemed pre-eminently winning and attractive.</p>
+
+<p>At the moment we have selected for the opening of the scene that is to
+follow, Isabella, fresh from the morning toilet, was seated in a chair,
+leaning lightly on one of its arms, in an attitude that interest in the
+subject she was discussing, and confidence in her companion, had
+naturally produced; while Beatriz de Bobadilla occupied a low stool at
+her feet, bending her body in respectful affection so far forward, as to
+allow the fairer hair of the princess to mingle with her own dark curls,
+while the face of the latter appeared to repose on the head of her
+friend. As no one else was present, the reader will at once infer, from
+the entire absence of Castilian etiquette and Spanish reserve, that the
+dialogue they held was strictly confidential, and that it was governed
+more by the feelings of nature, than by the artificial rules that
+usually regulate the intercourse of courts.</p>
+
+<p>"I have prayed, Beatriz, that God would direct my judgment in this
+weighty concern," said the princess, in continuation of some previous
+observation; "and I hope I have as much kept in view the happiness of my
+future subjects, in the choice I have made, as my own."</p>
+
+<p>"None shall presume to question it," said Beatriz de Bobadilla; "for had
+it pleased you to wed the Grand Turk, the Castilians would not gainsay
+your wish, such is their love!"</p>
+
+<p>"Say, rather, such is thy love for me, my good Beatriz, that thou
+fanciest this," returned Isabella, smiling, and raising her face from
+the other's head. "Our Castilians might overlook such a sin, but I could
+not pardon myself for forgetting that I am a Christian. Beatriz, I have
+been sorely tried, in this matter!"</p>
+
+<p>"But the hour of trial is nearly passed. Holy Maria! what lightness of
+reflection, and vanity, and misjudging of self, must exist in man, to
+embolden some who have dared to aspire to become your husband! You were
+yet a child when they betrothed you to Don Carlos, a prince old enough
+to be your father; and then, as if that were not sufficient to warm
+Castilian blood, they chose the King of Portugal for you, and he might
+well have passed for a generation still more remote! Much as I love you,
+Doña Isabella, and my own soul is scarce dearer to me than your person
+and mind, for nought do I respect you more, than for the noble and
+princely resolution, child as you then were, with which you denied the
+king, in his wicked wish to make you Queen of Portugal."</p>
+
+<p>"Don Enriquez is my brother, Beatriz; and thine and my royal master."</p>
+
+<p>"Ah! bravely did you tell them all," continued Beatriz de Bobadilla,
+with sparkling eyes, and a feeling of exultation that caused her to
+overlook the quiet rebuke of her mistress; "and worthy was it of a
+princess of the royal house of Castile! 'The Infantas of Castile,' you
+said, 'could not be disposed of, in marriage, without the consent of the
+nobles of the realm;' and with that fit reply they were glad to be
+content."</p>
+
+<p>"And yet, Beatriz, am I about to dispose of an Infanta of Castile,
+without even consulting its nobles."</p>
+
+<p>"Say not that, my excellent mistress. There is not a loyal and gallant
+cavalier between the Pyrenees and the sea, who will not, in his heart,
+approve of your choice. The character, and age, and other qualities of
+the suitor, make a sensible difference in these concerns. But unfit as
+Don Alfonso of Portugal was, and is, to be the wedded husband of Doña
+Isabella of Castile, what shall we say to the next suitor who appeared
+as a pretender to your royal hand&mdash;Don Pedro Giron, the Master of
+Calatrava! truly a most worthy lord for a maiden of the royal house! Out
+upon him! A Pachecho might think himself full honorably mated, could he
+have found a damsel of Bobadilla to elevate his race!"</p>
+
+<p>"That ill-assorted union was imposed upon my brother by unworthy
+favorites; and God, in his holy providence, saw fit to defeat their
+wishes, by hurrying their intended bridegroom to an unexpected grave!"</p>
+
+<p>"Ay! had it not pleased his blessed will so to dispose of Don Pedro,
+other means would not have been wanting!"</p>
+
+<p>"This little hand of thine, Beatriz," returned the princess, gravely,
+though she smiled affectionately on her friend as she took the hand in
+question, "was not made for the deed its owner menaced."</p>
+
+<p>"That which its owner menaced," replied Beatriz, with eyes flashing
+fire, "this hand would have executed, before Isabella of Castile should
+be the doomed bride of the Grand Master of Calatrava. What! was the
+purest, loveliest virgin of Castile, and she of royal birth&mdash;nay, the
+rightful heiress of the crown&mdash;to be sacrificed to a lawless libertine,
+because it had pleased Don Henry to forget his station and duties, and
+make a favorite of a craven miscreant!"</p>
+
+<p>"Thou always forgettest, Beatriz, that Don Enriquez is our lord the
+king, and my royal brother."</p>
+
+<p>"I do not forget, Señora, that you are the royal sister of our lord the
+king, and that Pedro de Giron, or Pachecho, whichever it might suit the
+ancient Portuguese page to style him, was altogether unworthy to sit in
+your presence, much less to become your wedded husband. Oh! what days of
+anguish were those, my gracious lady, when your knees ached with bending
+in prayer, that this might not be! But God would not permit it&mdash;neither
+would I! That dagger should have pierced his heart, before ear of his
+should have heard the vows of Isabella of Castile!"</p>
+
+<p>"Speak no more of this, good Beatriz, I pray thee," said the princess,
+shuddering, and crossing herself; "they were, in sooth, days of anguish;
+but what were they in comparison with the passion of the Son of God, who
+gave himself a sacrifice for our sins! Name it not, then; it was good
+for my soul to be thus tried; and thou knowest that the evil was turned
+from me&mdash;more, I doubt not, by the efficacy of our prayers, than by that
+of thy dagger. If thou wilt speak of my suitors, surely there are others
+better worthy of the trouble."</p>
+
+<p>A light gleamed about the dark eye of Beatriz, and a smile struggled
+toward her pretty mouth; for well did she understand that the royal, but
+bashful maiden, would gladly hear something of him on whom her choice
+had finally fallen. Although ever disposed to do that which was grateful
+to her mistress, with a woman's coquetry, Beatriz determined to approach
+the more pleasing part of the subject coyly, and by a regular gradation
+of events, in the order in which they had actually occurred.</p>
+
+<p>"Then, there was Monsieur de Guienne, the brother of King Louis of
+France," she resumed, affecting contempt in her manner; "<i>he</i> would fain
+become the husband of the future Queen of Castile! But even our most
+unworthy Castilians soon saw the unfitness of that union. Their pride
+was unwilling to run the chance of becoming a fief of France."</p>
+
+<p>"That misfortune could never have befallen our beloved Castile,"
+interrupted Isabella with dignity; "had I espoused the King of France
+himself, he would have learned to respect me as the Queen Proprietor of
+this ancient realm, and not have looked upon me as a subject."</p>
+
+<p>"Then, Señora," continued Beatriz, looking up into Isabella's face, and
+laughing&mdash;"was your own royal kinsman, Don Ricardo of Gloucester; he
+that they say was born with teeth, and who carries already a burthen so
+heavy on his back, that he may well thank his patron saint that he is
+not also to be loaded with the affairs of Castile."<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a></p>
+
+<p>"Thy tongue runneth riot, Beatriz. They tell me that Don Ricardo is a
+noble and aspiring prince; that he is, one day, likely to wed some
+princess, whose merit may well console him for his failure in Castile.
+But what more hast thou to offer concerning my suitors?"</p>
+
+<p>"Nay, what more can I say, my beloved mistress? We have now reached Don
+Fernando, literally the first, as he proveth to be the last, and as we
+know him to be, the best of them all."</p>
+
+<p>"I think I have been guided by the motives that become my birth and
+future hopes, in choosing Don Ferdinand," said Isabella, meekly, though
+she was uneasy in spite of her royal views of matrimony; "since nothing
+can so much tend to the peace of our dear kingdom, and to the success of
+the great cause of Christianity, as to unite Castile and Aragon under
+one crown."</p>
+
+<p>"By uniting their sovereigns in holy wedlock," returned Beatriz, with
+respectful gravity, though a smile again struggled around her pouting
+lips. "What if Don Fernando is the most youthful, the handsomest, the
+most valiant, and the most agreeable prince in Christendom, it is no
+fault of yours, since you did not make him, but have only accepted him
+for a husband!"</p>
+
+<p>"Nay, this exceedeth discretion and respect, my good Beatriz," returned
+Isabella, affecting to frown, even while she blushed deeply at her own
+emotions, and looked gratified at the praises of her betrothed. "Thou
+knowest that I have never beheld my cousin, the King of Sicily."</p>
+
+<p>"Very true, Señora; but Father Alonso de Coca hath&mdash;and a surer eye, or
+truer tongue than his, do not exist in Castile."</p>
+
+<p>"Beatriz, I pardon thy license, however unjust and unseemly, because I
+know thou lovest me, and lookest rather at mine own happiness, than at
+that of my people," said the princess, the effect of whose gravity now
+was not diminished by any betrayal of natural feminine weakness&mdash;for she
+felt slightly offended. "Thou knowest, or ought'st to know, that a
+maiden of royal birth is bound principally to consult the interests of
+the state, in bestowing her hand, and that the idle fancies of village
+girls have little in common with her duties. Nay, what virgin of noble
+extraction, like thyself, even, would dream of aught else than of
+submitting to the counsel of her family, in taking a husband? If I have
+selected Don Fernando of Aragon, from among many princes, it is,
+doubtless, because the alliance is more suited to the interests of
+Castile, than any other that hath offered. Thou seest, Beatriz, that the
+Castilians and the Aragonese spring from the same source, and have the
+same habits and prejudices. They speak the same language"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Nay, dearest lady, do not confound the pure Castilian with the dialect
+of the mountains!"</p>
+
+<p>"Well, have thy fling, wayward one, if thou wilt; but we can easier
+teach the nobles of Aragon our purer Spanish, than we can teach it to
+the Gaul. Then, Don Fernando is of my own race; the House of Trastamara
+cometh of Castile and her monarchs, and we may at least hope that the
+King of Sicily will be able to make himself understood."</p>
+
+<p>"If he could not, he were no true knight! The man whose tongue should
+fail him, when the stake was a royal maiden of a beauty surpassing that
+of the dawn&mdash;of an excellence that already touches on heaven&mdash;of a
+crown"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Girl, girl, thy tongue is getting the mastery of thee&mdash;such discourse
+ill befitteth thee and me."</p>
+
+<p>"And yet, Doña Ysabel, my tongue is close bound to my heart."</p>
+
+<p>"I do believe thee, my good Beatriz; but we should bethink us both of
+our last shrivings, and of the ghostly counsel that we then received.
+Such nattering discourse seemeth light, when we remember our manifold
+transgressions, and our many occasions for forgiveness. As for this
+marriage, I would have thee think that it has been contracted on my
+part, with the considerations and motives of a princess, and not through
+any light indulgence of my fancies. Thou knowest that I have never
+beheld Don Fernando, and that he hath never even looked upon me."</p>
+
+<p>"Assuredly, dearest lady and honored mistress, all this I know, and see,
+and believe; and I also agree that it were unseemly and little befitting
+her birth, for even a noble maiden to contract the all-important
+obligations of marriage, with no better motive than the light impulses
+of a country wench. Nothing is more just than that we are alike bound to
+consult our own dignity, and the wishes of kinsmen and friends; and that
+our duty, and the habits of piety and submission in which we have been
+reared, are better pledges for our connubial affection than any caprices
+of a girlish imagination. Still, my honored lady, it is most fortunate
+that your high obligations point to one as youthful, brave, noble, and
+chivalrous, as is the King of Sicily, as we well know, by Father
+Alonso's representations, to be the fact; and that all my friends unite
+in saying that Don Andres de Cabrera, madcap and silly as he is, will
+make an exceedingly excellent husband for Beatriz de Bobadilla!"</p>
+
+<p>Isabella, habitually dignified and reserved as she was, had her
+confidants and her moments for unbending; and Beatriz was the principal
+among the former, while the present instant was one of the latter. She
+smiled, therefore, at this sally; and parting, with her own fair hand,
+the dark locks on the brow of her friend, she regarded her much as the
+mother regards her child, when sudden passages of tenderness come over
+the heart.</p>
+
+<p>"If madcap should wed madcap, <i>thy</i> friends, at least, have judged
+rightly," answered the princess. Then, pausing an instant, as if in deep
+thought, she continued in a graver manner, though modesty shone in her
+tell-tale complexion, and the sensibility that beamed in her eyes
+betrayed that she now felt more as a woman than as a future queen bent
+only on the happiness of her people: "As this interview draweth near, I
+suffer an embarrassment I had not thought it easy to inflict on an
+Infanta of Castile. To thee, my faithful Beatriz, I will acknowledge,
+that were the King of Sicily as old as Don Alfonso of Portugal, or were
+he as effeminate and unmanly as Monsieur of Guienne; were he, in sooth,
+less engaging and young, I should feel less embarrassment in meeting
+him, than I now experience."</p>
+
+<p>"This is passing strange, Señora! Now, I will confess that I would not
+willingly abate in Don Andres, one hour of his life, which has been
+sufficiently long as it is; one grace of his person, if indeed the
+honest cavalier hath any to boast of; or one single perfection of either
+body or mind."</p>
+
+<p>"Thy case is not mine, Beatriz. Thou knowest the Marquis of Moya; hast
+listened to his discourse, and art accustomed to his praises and his
+admiration."</p>
+
+<p>"Holy St. Iago of Spain! Do not distrust any thing, Señora, on account
+of unfamiliarity with such matters&mdash;for, of all learning, it is easiest
+to learn to relish praise and admiration!"</p>
+
+<p>"True, daughter"&mdash;(for so Isabella often termed her friend, though her
+junior: in later life, and after the princess had become a queen, this,
+indeed, was her usual term of endearment)&mdash;"true, daughter, when praise
+and admiration are freely given and fairly merited. But I distrust,
+myself, my claims to be thus viewed, and the feelings with which Don
+Fernando may first behold me. I know&mdash;nay, I <i>feel</i> him to be graceful,
+and noble, and valiant, and generous, and good; comely to the eye, and
+strict of duty to our holy religion; as illustrious in qualities as in
+birth; and I tremble to think of my own unsuitableness to be his bride
+and queen."</p>
+
+<p>"God's Justice!&mdash;I should like to meet the impudent Aragonese noble that
+would dare to hint as much as this! If Don Fernando is noble, are you
+not nobler, Señora, as coming of the senior branch of the same house; if
+he is young, are you not equally so; if he is wise, are you not wiser;
+if he is comely, are you not more of an angel than a woman; if he is
+valiant, are you not virtuous; if he is graceful, are you not grace
+itself; if he is generous, are you not good, and what is more, are you
+not the very soul of generosity; if he is strict of duty in matters of
+our holy religion, are you not an angel?"</p>
+
+<p>"Good sooth&mdash;good sooth&mdash;Beatriz, thou art a comforter! I could reprove
+thee for this idle tongue, but I know thee honest."</p>
+
+<p>"This is no more than that deep modesty, honored mistress, which ever
+maketh you quicker to see the merits of others, than to perceive your
+own. Let Don Fernando look to it! Though he come in all the pomp and
+glory of his many crowns, I warrant you we find him a royal maiden in
+Castile, who shall abash him and rebuke his vanity, even while she
+appears before him in the sweet guise of her own meek nature!"</p>
+
+<p>"I have said naught of Don Fernando's vanity, Beatriz&mdash;nor do I esteem
+him in the least inclined to so weak a feeling; and as for pomp, we well
+know that gold no more abounds at Zaragosa than at Valladolid, albeit he
+hath many crowns, in possession, and in reserve. Notwithstanding all thy
+foolish but friendly tongue hath uttered, I distrust myself, and not the
+King of Sicily. Methinks I could meet any other prince in Christendom
+with indifference&mdash;or, at least, as becometh my rank and sex; but I
+confess, I tremble at the thought of encountering the eyes and opinions
+of my noble cousin."</p>
+
+<p>Beatriz listened with interest; and when her royal mistress ceased
+speaking, she kissed her hand affectionately, and then pressed it to her
+heart.</p>
+
+<p>"Let Don Fernando tremble, rather, Señora, at encountering yours," she
+answered.</p>
+
+<p>"Nay, Beatriz, we know that he hath nothing to dread, for report
+speaketh but too favorably of him. But, why linger here in doubt and
+apprehension, when the staff on which it is my duty to lean, is ready to
+receive its burthen: Father Alonso doubtless waiteth for us, and we will
+now join him."</p>
+
+<p>The princess and her friend now repaired to the chapel of the palace,
+where her confessor celebrated the daily mass. The self-distrust which
+disturbed the feelings of the modest Isabella was appeased by the holy
+rites, or, rather, it took refuge on that rock where she was accustomed
+to place all her troubles, with her sins. As the little assemblage left
+the chapel, one, hot with haste, arrived with the expected, but still
+doubted tidings, that the King of Sicily had reached Dueñas in safety,
+and that, as he was now in the very centre of his supporters, there
+could no longer be any reasonable distrust of the speedy celebration of
+the contemplated marriage.</p>
+
+<p>Isabella was much overcome with this news, and required more than usual
+of the care of Beatriz de Bobadilla, to restore her to that sweet
+serenity of mind and air, which ordinarily rendered her presence as
+attractive as it was commanding. An hour or two spent in meditation and
+prayer, however, finally produced a gentle calm in her feelings, and
+these two friends were again alone, in the very apartment where we first
+introduced them to the reader.</p>
+
+<p>"Hast thou seen Don Andres de Cabrera?" demanded the princess, taking a
+hand from a brow which had been often pressed in a sort of bewildered
+recollection.</p>
+
+<p>Beatriz de Bobadilla blushed&mdash;and then she laughed outright, with a
+freedom that the long-established affection of her mistress did not
+rebuke.</p>
+
+<p>"For a youth of thirty, and a cavalier well hacked in the wars of the
+Moors, Don Andres hath a nimble foot," she answered. "He brought hither
+the tidings of the arrival; and with it he brought his own delightful
+person, to show it was no lie. For one so experienced, he hath a strong
+propensity to talk; and so, in sooth, while you, my honored mistress,
+would be in your closet alone, I could but listen to all the marvels of
+the journey. It seems, Señora, that they did not reach Dueñas any too
+soon; for the only purse among them was mislaid, or blown away by the
+wind on account of its lightness."</p>
+
+<p>"I trust this accident hath been repaired. Few of the house of
+Trastamara have much gold at this trying moment, and yet none are wont
+to be entirely without it."</p>
+
+<p>"Don Andres is neither beggar nor miser. He is now in our Castile, where
+I doubt not he is familiar with the Jews and money-lenders; as these
+last must know the full value of his lands, the King of Sicily will not
+want. I hear, too, that the Count of Treviño hath conducted nobly with
+him."</p>
+
+<p>"It shall be well for the Count of Treviño that he hath had this
+liberality. But, Beatriz, bring forth the writing materials; it is meet
+that I, at once, acquaint Don Enriquez with this event, and with my
+purpose of marriage."</p>
+
+<p>"Nay, dearest mistress, this is out of all rule. When a maiden, gentle
+or simple, intendeth marriage against her kinsmen's wishes, it is the
+way to wed first, and to write the letter and ask the blessing when the
+evil is done."</p>
+
+<p>"Go to, light-of-speech! Thou hast spoken; now bring the pens and paper.
+The king is not only my lord and sovereign, but he is my nearest of kin,
+and should be my father."</p>
+
+<p>"And Doña Joanna of Portugal, his royal consort, and our illustrious
+queen, should be your mother; and a fitting guide would she be to any
+modest virgin! No&mdash;no&mdash;my beloved mistress; your royal mother was the
+Doña Isabella of Portugal&mdash;and a very different princess was she from
+this, her wanton niece."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou givest thyself too much license, Doña Beatriz, and forgettest my
+request. I desire to write to my brother the king."</p>
+
+<p>It was so seldom that Isabella spoke sternly, that her friend started,
+and the tears rushed to her eyes at this rebuke; but she procured the
+writing materials, before she presumed to look into Isabella's face, in
+order to ascertain if she were really angered. There all was beautiful
+serenity again; and the Lady of Bobadilla, perceiving that her
+mistress's mind was altogether occupied with the matter before her, and
+that she had already forgotten her displeasure, chose to make no further
+allusion to the subject.</p>
+
+<p>Isabella now wrote her celebrated letter, in which she appeared to
+forget all her natural timidity, and to speak solely as a princess. By
+the treaty of Toros de Guisando, in which, setting aside the claims of
+Joanna of Portugal's daughter, she had been recognized as the heiress of
+the throne, it had been stipulated that she should not marry without the
+king's consent; and she now apologized for the step she was about to
+take, on the substantial plea that her enemies had disregarded the
+solemn compact entered into not to urge her into any union that was
+unsuitable or disagreeable to herself. She then alluded to the political
+advantages that would follow the union of the crowns of Castile and
+Aragon, and solicited the king's approbation of the step she was about
+to take. This letter, after having been submitted to John de Vivero, and
+others of her council, was dispatched by a special messenger&mdash;after
+which act the arrangements necessary as preliminaries to a meeting
+between the betrothed were entered into. Castilian etiquette was
+proverbial, even in that age; and the discussion led to a proposal that
+Isabella rejected with her usual modesty and discretion.</p>
+
+<p>"It seemeth to me," said John de Vivero, "that this alliance should not
+take place without some admission, on the part of Don Fernando, of the
+inferiority of Aragon to our own Castile. The house of the latter
+kingdom is but a junior branch of the reigning House of Castile, and the
+former territory of old was admitted to have a dependency on the
+latter."</p>
+
+<p>This proposition was much applauded, until the beautiful and natural
+sentiments of the princess, herself, interposed to expose its weakness
+and its deformities.</p>
+
+<p>"It is doubtless true," she said, "that Don Juan of Aragon is the son of
+the younger brother of my royal grandfather; but he is none the less a
+king. Nay, besides his crown of Aragon&mdash;a country, if thou wilt, which
+is inferior to Castile&mdash;he hath those of Naples and Sicily; not to speak
+of Navarre, over which he ruleth, although it may not be with too much
+right. Don Fernando even weareth the crown of Sicily, by the
+renunciation of Don Juan; and shall he, a crowned sovereign, make
+concessions to one who is barely a princess, and whom it may never
+please God to conduct to a throne? Moreover, Don John of Vivero, I
+beseech thee to remember the errand that bringeth the King of Sicily to
+Valladolid. Both he and I have two parts to perform, and two characters
+to maintain&mdash;those of prince and princess, and those of Christians
+wedded and bound by holy marriage ties. It would ill become one that is
+about to take on herself the duties and obligations of a wife, to begin
+the intercourse with exactions that should be humiliating to the pride
+and self-respect of her lord. Aragon may truly be an inferior realm to
+Castile&mdash;but Ferdinand of Aragon is even now every way the equal of
+Isabella of Castile; and when he shall receive my vows, and, with them,
+my duty and my affections"&mdash;Isabella's color deepened, and her mild eye
+lighted with a sort of holy enthusiasm&mdash;"as befitteth a woman, though an
+infidel, he would become, in some particulars, my superior. Let me,
+then, hear no more of this; for it could not nearly as much pain Don
+Fernando to make the concessions ye require, as it paineth me to hear of
+them."</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III"></a>CHAPTER III.</h2>
+
+<blockquote><p>"Nice customs curt'sy to great kings. Dear Kate, you and I
+cannot be confined within the weak list of a country's fashion.
+We are the makers of manners; and the liberty that follows our
+places, stops the mouths of all fault-finders."&mdash;<span class="smcap">Henry V.</span></p></blockquote>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p>Notwithstanding her high resolution, habitual firmness, and a serenity
+of mind, that seemed to pervade the moral system of Isabella, like a
+deep, quiet current of enthusiasm, but which it were truer to assign to
+the high and fixed principles that guided all her actions, her heart
+beat tumultuously, and her native reserve, which almost amounted to
+shyness, troubled her sorely, as the hour arrived when she was first to
+behold the prince she had accepted for a husband. Castilian etiquette,
+no less than the magnitude of the political interests involved in the
+intended union, had drawn out the preliminary negotiations several days;
+the bridegroom being left, all that time, to curb his impatience to
+behold the princess, as best he might.</p>
+
+<p>On the evening of the 15th of October, 1469, however, every obstacle
+being at length removed, Don Fernando threw himself into the saddle,
+and, accompanied by only four attendants, among whom was Andres de
+Cabrera, he quietly took his way, without any of the usual
+accompaniments of his high rank, toward the palace of John of Vivero, in
+the city of Valladolid. The Archbishop of Toledo was of the faction of
+the princess, and this prelate, a warlike and active partisan, was in
+readiness to receive the accepted suitor, and to conduct him to the
+presence of his mistress.</p>
+
+<p>Isabella, attended only by Beatriz de Bobadilla, was in waiting for the
+interview, in the apartment already mentioned; and by one of those
+mighty efforts that even the most retiring of the sex can make, on great
+occasions, she received her future husband with quite as much of the
+dignity of a princess as of the timidity of a woman. Ferdinand of Aragon
+had been prepared to meet one of singular grace and beauty; but the
+mixture of angelic modesty with a loveliness that almost surpassed that
+of her sex, produced a picture approaching so much nearer to heaven than
+to earth, that, though one of circumspect behavior, and much accustomed
+to suppress emotion, he actually started, and his feet were momentarily
+riveted to the floor, when the glorious vision first met his eye. Then,
+recovering himself, he advanced eagerly, and taking the little hand
+which neither met nor repulsed the attempt, he pressed it to his lips
+with a warmth that seldom accompanies the first interviews of those
+whose passions are usually so factitious.</p>
+
+<p>"This happy moment hath at length arrived, my illustrious and beautiful
+cousin!" he said, with a truth of feeling that went directly to the pure
+and tender heart of Isabella; for no skill in courtly phrases can ever
+give to the accents of deceit, the point and emphasis that belong to
+sincerity. "I have thought it would never arrive; but this blessed
+moment&mdash;thanks to our own St. Iago, whom I have not ceased to implore
+with intercessions&mdash;more than rewards me for all anxieties."</p>
+
+<p>"I thank my Lord the Prince, and bid him right welcome," modestly
+returned Isabella. "The difficulties that have been overcome, in order
+to effect this meeting, are but types of the difficulties we shall have
+to conquer as we advance through life."</p>
+
+<p>Then followed a few courteous expressions concerning the hopes of the
+princess that her cousin had wanted for nothing, since his arrival in
+Castile, with suitable answers; when Don Ferdinand led her to an
+armed-chair, assuming himself the stool on which Beatriz de Bobadilla
+was wont to be seated, in her familiar intercourse with her royal
+mistress. Isabella, however, sensitively alive to the pretensions of the
+Castilians, who were fond of asserting the superiority of their own
+country over that of Aragon, would not quietly submit to this
+arrangement, but declined to be seated, unless her suitor would take the
+chair prepared for him also, saying&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"It ill befitteth one who hath little more than some royalty of blood,
+and her dependence on God, to be thus placed, while the King of Sicily
+is so unworthily bestowed."</p>
+
+<p>"Let me entreat that it may be so," returned the king. "All
+considerations of earthly rank vanish in this presence; view me as a
+knight, ready and desirous of proving his fealty in any court or field
+of Christendom, and treat me as such."</p>
+
+<p>Isabella, who had that high tact which teaches the precise point where
+breeding becomes neuter and airs commence, blushed and smiled, but no
+longer declined to be seated. It was not so much the mere words of her
+cousin that went to her heart, as the undisguised admiration of his
+looks, the animation of his eye, and the frank sincerity of his manner.
+With a woman's instinct she perceived that the impression she had made
+was favorable, and, with a woman's sensibility, her heart was ready,
+under the circumstances, to dissolve in tenderness at the discovery.
+This mutual satisfaction soon opened the way to a freer conversation;
+and, ere half an hour was passed, the archbishop&mdash;who, though officially
+ignorant of the language and wishes of lovers, was practically
+sufficiently familiar with both&mdash;contrived to draw the two or three
+courtiers who were present, into an adjoining room, where, though the
+door continued open, he placed them with so much discretion that neither
+eye nor ear could be any restraint on what was passing. As for Beatriz
+de Bobadilla, whom female etiquette required should remain in the same
+room with her royal mistress, she was so much engaged with Andres de
+Cabrera, that half a dozen thrones might have been disposed of between
+the royal pair, and she none the wiser.</p>
+
+<p>Although Isabella did not lose that mild reserve and feminine modesty
+that threw so winning a grace around her person, even to the day of her
+death, she gradually grew more calm as the discourse proceeded; and,
+falling back on her self-respect, womanly dignity, and, not a little, on
+those stores of knowledge that she had been diligently collecting, while
+others similarly situated had wasted their time in the vanities of
+courts, she was quickly at her ease, if not wholly in that tranquil
+state of mind to which she had been accustomed.</p>
+
+<p>"I trust there can now be no longer any delay to the celebration of our
+union by holy church," observed the king, in continuation of the
+subject. "All that can be required of us both, as those entrusted with
+the cares and interests of realms, hath been observed, and I may have a
+claim to look to my own happiness. We are not strangers to each other,
+Doña Isabella; for our grandfathers were brothers, and from infancy up,
+have I been taught to reverence thy virtues, and to strive to emulate
+thy holy duty to God."</p>
+
+<p>"I have not betrothed myself lightly, Don Fernando," returned the
+princess, blushing, even while she assumed the majesty of a queen; "and
+with the subject so fully discussed, the wisdom of the union so fully
+established, and the necessity of promptness so apparent, no idle delays
+shall proceed from me. I had thought that the ceremony might be had on
+the fourth day from this, which will give us both time to prepare for an
+occasion so solemn, by suitable attention to the offices of the church."</p>
+
+<p>"It must be as thou wiliest," said the king, respectfully bowing; "and
+now there remaineth but a few preparations, and we shall have no
+reproaches of forgetfulness. Thou knowest, Doña Isabella, how sorely my
+father is beset by his enemies, and I need scarce tell thee that his
+coffers are empty. In good sooth, my fair cousin, nothing but my earnest
+desire to possess myself, at as early a day as possible, of the precious
+boon that Providence and thy goodness"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Mingle not, Don Fernando, any of the acts of God and his providence,
+with the wisdom and petty expedients of his creatures," said Isabella,
+earnestly.</p>
+
+<p>"To seize upon the precious boon, then, that Providence appeared willing
+to bestow," rejoined the king, crossing himself, while he bowed his
+head, as much, perhaps, in deference to the pious feelings of his
+affianced wife, as in deference to a higher Power&mdash;"would not admit of
+delay, and we quitted Zaragosa better provided with hearts loyal toward
+the treasures we were to find in Valladolid, than with gold. Even that
+we had, by a mischance, hath gone to enrich some lucky varlet in an
+inn."</p>
+
+<p>"Doña Beatriz de Bobadilla hath acquainted me with the mishap," said
+Isabella, smiling; "and truly we shall commence our married lives with
+but few of the goods of the world in present possession. I have little
+more to offer thee, Fernando, than a true heart, and a spirit that I
+think may be trusted for its fidelity."</p>
+
+<p>"In obtaining thee, my excellent cousin, I obtain sufficient to satisfy
+the desires of any reasonable man. Still, something is due to our rank
+and future prospects, and it shall not be said that thy nuptials passed
+like those of a common subject."</p>
+
+<p>"Under ordinary circumstances it might not appear seemly for one of my
+sex to furnish the means for her own bridal," answered the princess, the
+blood stealing to her face until it crimsoned even her brow and temples;
+maintaining, otherwise, that beautiful tranquillity of mien which marked
+her ordinary manner&mdash;"but the well-being of two states depending on our
+union, vain emotions must be suppressed. I am not without jewels, and
+Valladolid hath many Hebrews: thou wilt permit me to part with the
+baubles for such an object."</p>
+
+<p>"So that thou preservest for me the jewel in which that pure mind is
+encased," said the King of Sicily, gallantly, "I care not if I never see
+another. But there will not be this need; for our friends, who have more
+generous souls than well-filled coffers too, can give such warranty to
+the lenders as will procure the means. I charge myself with this duty,
+for henceforth, my cousin&mdash;may I not say my betrothed!"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"The term is even dearer than any that belongeth to blood, Fernando,"
+answered the princess, with a simple sincerity of manner that set at
+nought the ordinary affectations and artificial feelings of her sex,
+while it left the deepest reverence for her modesty&mdash;"and we might be
+excused for using it. I trust God will bless our union, not only to our
+own happiness, but to that of our people."</p>
+
+<p>"Then, my betrothed, henceforth we have but a common fortune, and thou
+wilt trust in me for the provision for thy wants."</p>
+
+<p>"Nay, Fernando," answered Isabella, smiling, "imagine what we will, we
+cannot imagine ourselves the children of two hidalgos about to set forth
+in the world with humble dowries. Thou art a king, even now; and by the
+treaty of Toros de Guisando, I am solemnly recognized as the heiress of
+Castile. We must, therefore, have our separate means, as well as our
+separate duties, though I trust hardly our separate interests."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou wilt never find me failing in that respect which is due to thy
+rank, or in that duty which it befitteth me to render thee, as the head
+of our ancient House, next to thy royal brother, the king."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou hast well considered, Don Fernando, the treaty of marriage, and
+accepted cheerfully, I trust, all of its several conditions?"</p>
+
+<p>"As becometh the importance of the measures, and the magnitude of the
+benefit I was to receive."</p>
+
+<p>"I would have them acceptable to thee, as well as expedient; for, though
+so soon to become thy wife, I can never cease to remember that I shall
+be Queen of this country."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou mayest be assured, my beautiful betrothed, that Ferdinand of
+Aragon will be the last to deem thee aught else."</p>
+
+<p>"I look on my duties as coming from God, and on myself as one rigidly
+accountable to him for their faithful discharge. Sceptres may not be
+treated as toys, Fernando, to be trifled with; for man beareth no
+heavier burden, than when he beareth a crown."</p>
+
+<p>"The maxims of our House have not been forgotten in Aragon, my
+betrothed&mdash;and I rejoice to find that they are the same in both
+kingdoms."</p>
+
+<p>"We are not to think principally of ourselves in entering upon this
+engagement," continued Isabella, earnestly&mdash;"for that would be
+supplanting the duties of princes by the feelings of the lover. Thou
+hast frequently perused, and sufficiently conned the marriage articles,
+I trust?"</p>
+
+<p>"There hath been sufficient leisure for that, my cousin, as they have
+now been signed these nine months."</p>
+
+<p>"If I may have seemed to thee exacting in some particulars," continued
+Isabella, with the same earnest and beautiful simplicity as usually
+marked her deportment in all the relations of life&mdash;"it is because the
+duties of a sovereign may not be overlooked. Thou knowest, moreover,
+Fernando, the influence that the husband is wont to acquire over the
+wife, and wilt feel the necessity of my protecting my Castilians, in the
+fullest manner, against my own weaknesses."</p>
+
+<p>"If thy Castilians do not suffer until they suffer from that cause, Doña
+Isabella, their lot will indeed be blessed."</p>
+
+<p>"These are words of gallantry, and I must reprove their use on an
+occasion so serious, Fernando. I am a few months thy senior, and shall
+assume an elder sister's rights, until they are lost in the obligations
+of a wife. Thou hast seen in those articles, how anxiously I would
+protect my Castilians against any supremacy of the stranger. Thou
+knowest that many of the greatest of this realm are opposed to our
+union, through apprehension of Aragonese sway, and wilt observe how
+studiously we have striven to appease their jealousies."</p>
+
+<p>"Thy motives, Doña Isabella, have been understood, and thy wishes in
+this and all other particulars shall be respected."</p>
+
+<p>"I would be thy faithful and submissive wife," returned the princess,
+with an earnest but gentle look at her betrothed; "but I would also that
+Castile should preserve her rights and her independence. What will be
+thy influence, the maiden that freely bestoweth her hand, need hardly
+say; but we must preserve the appearance of separate states."</p>
+
+<p>"Confide in me, my cousin. They who live fifty years hence will say that
+Don Fernando knew how to respect his obligations and to discharge his
+duty."</p>
+
+<p>"There is the stipulation, too, to war upon the Moor. I shall never feel
+that the Christians of Spain have been true to the faith, while the
+follower of the arch-imposter of Mecca remaineth in the peninsula."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou and thy archbishop could not have imposed a more agreeable duty,
+than to place my lance in rest against the infidels. My spurs have been
+gained in those wars, already; and no sooner shall we be crowned, than
+thou wilt see my perfect willingness to aid in driving back the
+miscreants to their original sands."</p>
+
+<p>"There remaineth but one thing more upon my mind, gentle cousin. Thou
+knowest the evil influence that besets my brother, and that it hath
+disaffected a large portion of his nobles as well as of his cities. We
+shall both be sorely tempted to wage war upon him, and to assume the
+sceptre before it pleaseth God to accord it to us, in the course of
+nature. I would have thee respect Don Enriquez, not only as the head of
+our royal house, but as my brother and anointed master. Should evil
+counsellors press him to attempt aught against our persons or rights, it
+will be lawful to resist; but I pray thee, Fernando, on no excuse seek
+to raise thy hand in rebellion against my rightful sovereign."</p>
+
+<p>"Let Don Enriquez, then, be chary of his Beltraneja!" answered the
+prince with warmth. "By St. Peter! I have rights of mine own that come
+before those of that ill-gotten mongrel! The whole House of Trastamara
+hath an interest in stifling that spurious scion which hath been so
+fraudulently engrafted on its princely stock!"</p>
+
+<p>"Thou art warm, Don Fernando, and even the eye of Beatriz de Bobadilla
+reproveth thy heat. The unfortunate Joanna never can impair our rights
+to the throne, for there are few nobles in Castile so unworthy as to
+wish to see the crown bestowed where it is believed the blood of Pelayo
+doth not flow."</p>
+
+<p>"Don Enriquez hath not kept faith with thee, Isabella, since the treaty
+of Toros de Guisando!"</p>
+
+<p>"My brother is surrounded by wicked counsellors&mdash;and then,
+Fernando,"&mdash;the princess blushed crimson as she spoke&mdash;"neither have we
+been able rigidly to adhere to that convention, since one of its
+conditions was that my hand should not be bestowed without the consent
+of the king."</p>
+
+<p>"He hath driven us into this measure, and hath only to reproach himself
+with our failure on this point."</p>
+
+<p>"I endeavor so to view it, though many have been my prayers for
+forgiveness of this seeming breach of faith. I am not superstitious,
+Fernando, else might I think God would frown on a union that is
+contracted in the face of pledges like these. But, it is well to
+distinguish between motives, and we have a right to believe that He who
+readeth the heart, will not judge the well-intentioned severely. Had not
+Don Enriquez attempted to seize my person, with the plain purpose of
+forcing me to a marriage against my will, this decisive step could not
+have been necessary, and would not have been taken."</p>
+
+<p>"I have reason to thank my patron saint, beautiful cousin, that thy will
+was less compliant than thy tyrants had believed."</p>
+
+<p>"I could not plight my troth to the King of Portugal, or to Monsieur de
+Guienne, or to any that they proposed to me, for my future lord,"
+answered Isabella, ingenuously. "It ill befitted royal or noble maidens
+to set up their own inexperienced caprices in opposition to the wisdom
+of their friends, and the task is not difficult for a virtuous wife to
+learn to love her husband, when nature and opinion are not too openly
+violated in the choice; but I have had too much thought for my soul to
+wish to expose it to so severe a trial, in contracting the marriage
+duties."</p>
+
+<p>"I feel that I am only too unworthy of thee, Isabella&mdash;but thou must
+train me to be that thou wouldst wish; I can only promise thee a most
+willing and attentive scholar."</p>
+
+<p>The discourse now became more general, Isabella indulging her natural
+curiosity and affectionate nature, by making many inquiries concerning
+her different relatives in Aragon. After the interview had lasted two
+hours or more, the King of Sicily returned to Dueñas, with the same
+privacy as he had observed in entering the town. The royal pair parted
+with feelings of increased esteem and respect, Isabella indulging in
+those gentle anticipations of domestic happiness that more properly
+belong to the tender nature of woman.</p>
+
+<p>The marriage took place, with suitable pomp, on the morning of the 19th
+October, 1469, in the chapel of John de Vivero's palace; no less than
+two thousand persons, principally of condition, witnessing the ceremony.
+Just as the officiating priest was about to commence the offices, the
+eye of Isabella betrayed uneasiness, and turning to the Archbishop of
+Toledo, she said&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Your grace hath promised that there should be nothing wanting to the
+consent of the church on this solemn occasion. It is known that Don
+Fernando of Aragon and I stand within the prohibited degrees."</p>
+
+<p>"Most true, my Lady Isabella," returned the prelate, with a composed
+mien and a paternal smile. "Happily, our Holy Father Pius hath removed
+this impediment, and the church smileth on this blessed union in every
+particular."</p>
+
+<p>The archbishop then took out of his pocket a dispensation, which he
+read, in a clear, sonorous, steady voice; when every shade disappeared
+from the serene brow of Isabella, and the ceremony proceeded. Years
+elapsed before this pious and submissive Christian princess discovered
+that she had been imposed on, the bull that was then read having been an
+invention of the old King of Aragon and the prelate, not without
+suspicions of a connivance on the part of the bridegroom. This deception
+had been practised from a perfect conviction that the sovereign pontiff
+was too much under the influence of the King of Castile, to consent to
+bestow the boon in opposition to that monarch's wishes. It was several
+years before Sixtus IV. repaired this wrong, by granting a more genuine
+authority.</p>
+
+<p>Nevertheless, Ferdinand and Isabella became man and wife. What followed
+in the next twenty years must be rather glanced at than related. Henry
+IV. resented the step, and vain attempts were made to substitute his
+supposititious child, La Beltraneja, in the place of his sister, as
+successor to the throne. A civil war ensued, during which Isabella
+steadily refused to assume the crown, though often entreated; limiting
+her efforts to the maintenance of her rights as heiress presumptive. In
+1474, or five years after her marriage, Don Henry died, and she then
+became Queen of Castile, though her spurious niece was also proclaimed
+by a small party among her subjects. The war of the succession, as it
+was called, lasted five years longer, when Joanna, or La Beltraneja,
+assumed the veil, and the rights of Isabella were generally
+acknowledged. About the same time, died Don John II., when Ferdinand
+mounted the throne of Aragon. These events virtually reduced the
+sovereignties of the peninsula, which had so long been cut up into petty
+states, to four, viz., the possessions of Ferdinand and Isabella, which
+included Castile, Leon, Aragon, Valencia, and many other of the finest
+provinces of Spain; Navarre, an insignificant kingdom in the Pyrenees;
+Portugal, much as it exists to-day; and Granada, the last abiding-place
+of the Moor, north of the strait of Gibraltar.</p>
+
+<p>Neither Ferdinand, nor his royal consort, was forgetful of that clause
+in their marriage contract, which bound the former to undertake a war
+for the destruction of the Moorish power. The course of events, however,
+caused a delay of many years, in putting this long-projected plan in
+execution; but when the time finally arrived, that Providence which
+seemed disposed to conduct the pious Isabella, through a train of
+important incidents, from the reduced condition in which we have just
+described her to have been, to the summit of human power, did not desert
+its favorite. Success succeeded success&mdash;and victory, victory; until the
+Moor had lost fortress after fortress, town after town, and was finally
+besieged in his very capital&mdash;his last hold in the peninsula. As the
+reduction of Granada was an event that, in Christian eyes, was to be
+ranked second only to the rescuing of the holy sepulchre from the hands
+of the Infidels, so was it distinguished by some features of
+singularity, that have probably never before marked the course of a
+siege. The place submitted on the 25th November, 1491&mdash;twenty-two years
+after the date of the marriage just mentioned, and, it may not be amiss
+to observe, on the very day of the year that has become memorable in the
+annals of this country, as that on which the English, three centuries
+later, reluctantly yielded their last foothold on the coast of the
+republic.</p>
+
+<p>In the course of the preceding summer, while the Spanish forces lay
+before the town, and Isabella, with her children, were anxious witnesses
+of the progress of events, an accident occurred that had well nigh
+proved fatal to the royal family, and brought destruction on the
+Christian arms. The pavillion of the queen took fire, and was consumed,
+placing the whole encampment in the utmost jeopardy. Many of the tents
+of the nobles were also destroyed, and much treasure, in the shape of
+jewelry and plate, was lost, though the injury went no further. In order
+to guard against the recurrence of such an accident, and probably
+viewing the subjection of Granada as the great act of their mutual
+reign&mdash;for, as yet, Time threw his veil around the future, and but one
+human eye foresaw the greatest of all the events of the period, which
+was still in reserve&mdash;the sovereigns resolved on attempting a work that,
+of itself, would render this siege memorable. The plan of a regular town
+was made, and laborers set about the construction of good substantial
+edifices, in which to lodge the army; thus converting the warfare into
+that of something like city against city. In three months this
+stupendous work was completed, with its avenues, streets, and squares,
+and received the name of Santa Fé, or Holy Faith&mdash;an appellation quite
+as well suited to the zeal which could achieve such a work, in the heat
+of a campaign, as to that general reliance on the providence of God
+which animated the Christians in carrying on the war. The construction
+of this place struck terror into the hearts of the Moors, for they
+considered it a proof that their enemies intended to give up the
+conflict only with their lives; and it is highly probable that it had a
+direct and immediate influence on the submission of Boabdil, the King of
+Granada, who yielded the Alhambra a few weeks after the Spaniards had
+taken possession of their new abodes.</p>
+
+<p>Santa Fé still exists, and is visited by the traveller as a place of
+curious origin; while it is rendered remarkable by the fact&mdash;real or
+assumed&mdash;that it is the only town of any size in Spain, that has never
+been under Moorish sway.</p>
+
+<p>The main incidents of our tale will now transport us to this era, and to
+this scene; all that has been related as yet, being merely introductory
+matter, to prepare the reader for the events that are to follow.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/i056.jpg" alt=""/>
+</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV"></a>CHAPTER IV.</h2>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"What thing a right line is,&mdash;the learned know;<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">But how availes that him, who in the right<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Of life and manners doth desire to grow?<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">What then are all these humane arts, and lights,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">But seas of errors? In whose depths who sound,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Of truth finde only shadowes, and no ground."<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">Human Learning.</span><br /></span>
+</div></div>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p>The morning of the 2d of January, 1492, was ushered in with a solemnity
+and pomp that were unusual even in a court and camp as much addicted to
+religious observances and royal magnificence, as that of Ferdinand and
+Isabella. The sun had scarce appeared, when all in the extraordinary
+little city of Santa Fé were afoot, and elate with triumph. The
+negotiations for the surrender of Granada, which had been going on
+secretly for weeks, were terminated; the army and nation had been
+formally apprised of their results, and this was the day set for the
+entry of the conquerors.</p>
+
+<p>The court had been in mourning for Don Alonso of Portugal, the husband
+of the Princess Royal of Castile, who had died a bridegroom; but on this
+joyous occasion the trappings of woe were cast aside, and all appeared
+in their gayest and most magnificent apparel. At an hour that was still
+early, the Grand Cardinal moved forward, ascending what is called the
+Hill of Martyrs, at the head of a strong body of troops, with a view to
+take possession. While making the ascent, a party of Moorish cavaliers
+was met; and at their head rode one in whom, by the dignity of his mien
+and the anguish of his countenance, it was easy to recognize the mental
+suffering of Boabdil, or Abdallah, the deposed monarch. The cardinal
+pointed out the position occupied by Ferdinand, who, with that admixture
+of piety and worldly policy which were so closely interwoven in his
+character, had refused to enter within the walls of the conquered city,
+until the symbol of Christ had superseded the banners of Mahomet; and
+who had taken his station at some distance from the gates, with a
+purpose and display of humility that were suited to the particular
+fanaticism of the period. As the interview that occurred has often been
+related, and twice quite recently by distinguished writers of our own
+country, it is unnecessary to dwell on it here. Abdallah next sought the
+presence of the purer-minded and gentle Isabella, where his reception,
+with less affection of the character, had more of the real charity and
+compassion of the Christian; when he went his way toward that pass in
+the mountains that has ever since been celebrated as the point where he
+took his last view of the palaces and towers of his fathers, from which
+it has obtained the poetical and touching name of El Ultimo Suspiro Del
+Moro.</p>
+
+<p>Although the passage of the last King of Granada, from his palace to the
+hills, was in no manner delayed, as it was grave and conducted with
+dignity, it consequently occupied some time. These were hours in which
+the multitude covered the highways, and the adjacent fields were
+garnished with a living throng, all of whom kept their eyes riveted on
+the towers of the Alhambra, where the signs of possession were anxiously
+looked for by every good Catholic who witnessed the triumph of his
+religion.</p>
+
+<p>Isabella, who had made this conquest a condition in the articles of
+marriage&mdash;whose victory in truth it was&mdash;abstained, with her native
+modesty, from pressing forward on this occasion. She had placed herself
+at some distance in the rear of the position of Ferdinand.
+Still&mdash;unless, indeed, we except the long-coveted towers of the
+Alhambra&mdash;she was the centre of attraction. She appeared in royal
+magnificence, as due to the glory of the occasion; her beauty always
+rendered her an object of admiration; her mildness, inflexible justice,
+and unyielding truth, had won all hearts; and she was really the person
+who was most to profit by the victory, Granada being attached to her own
+crown of Castile, and not to that of Aragon, a country that possessed
+little or no contiguous territory.</p>
+
+<p>Previously to the appearance of Abdallah, the crowd moved freely, in all
+directions; multitudes of civilians having flocked to the camp to
+witness the entry. Among others were many friars, priests, and
+monks&mdash;the war, indeed, having the character of a crusade. The throng of
+the curious was densest near the person of the queen, where, in truth,
+the magnificence of the court was the most imposing. Around this spot,
+in particular, congregated most of the religious, for they felt that the
+pious mind of Isabella created a sort of moral atmosphere in and near
+her presence, that was peculiarly suited to their habits, and favorable
+to their consideration. Among others, was a friar of prepossessing mien,
+and, in fact, of noble birth, who had been respectfully addressed as
+Father Pedro, by several grandees, as he made his way from the immediate
+presence of the queen, to a spot where the circulation was easier. He
+was accompanied by a youth of an air so much superior to that of most of
+those who did not appear that day in the saddle, that he attracted
+general attention. Although not more than twenty, it was evident, from
+his muscular frame, and embrowned but florid cheeks, that he was
+acquainted with exposure; and by his bearing, many thought,
+notwithstanding he did not appear in armor on an occasion so peculiarly
+military, that both his mien and his frame had been improved by
+familiarity with war. His attire was simple, as if he rather avoided
+than sought observation, but it was, nevertheless, such as was worn by
+none but the noble. Several of those who watched this youth, as he
+reached the less confined portions of the crowd, had seen him received
+graciously by Isabella, whose hand he had even been permitted to kiss, a
+favor that the formal and fastidious court of Castile seldom bestowed
+except on the worthy, or on those, at least, who were unusually
+illustrious from their birth. Some whispered that he was a Guzman, a
+family that was almost royal; while others thought that he might be a
+Ponce, a name that had got to be one of the first in Spain, through the
+deeds of the renowned Marquis-Duke of Cadiz, in this very war; while
+others, again, affected to discern in his lofty brow, firm step, and
+animated eye, the port and countenance of a Mendoza.</p>
+
+<p>It was evident that the subject of all these commentaries was
+unconscious of the notice that was attracted by his vigorous form,
+handsome face, and elastic, lofty tread; for, like one accustomed to be
+observed by inferiors, his attention was confined to such objects as
+amused his eye, or pleased his fancy, while he lent a willing ear to the
+remarks that, from time to time, fell from the lips of his reverend
+companion.</p>
+
+<p>"This is a most blessed and glorious day for Christianity!" observed the
+friar, after a pause a little longer than common. "An impious reign of
+seven hundred years hath expired, and the Moor is at length lowered from
+his pride; while the cross is elevated above the banners of the false
+prophet. Thou hast had ancestors, my son, who might almost arise from
+their tombs, and walk the earth in exultation, if the tidings of these
+changes were permitted to reach the souls of Christians long since
+departed."</p>
+
+<p>"The Blessed Maria intercede for them, father, that they may not be
+disturbed, even to see the Moor unhoused; for I doubt much, agreeable as
+the Infidel hath made it, if they find Granada as pleasant as Paradise."</p>
+
+<p>"Son Don Luis, thou hast got much levity of speech, in thy late
+journeyings; and I doubt if thou art as mindful of thy paters and
+confessions, as when under the care of thy excellent mother, of sainted
+memory!"</p>
+
+<p>This was not only said reprovingly, but with a warmth that amounted
+nearly to anger.</p>
+
+<p>"Chide me not so warmly, father, for a lightness of speech that cometh
+of youthful levity, rather than of disrespect for holy church. Nay, thou
+rebukest warmly, and then, as I come like a penitent to lay my
+transgressions before thee, and to seek absolution, thou fastenest thine
+eye on vacancy, and gazest as if one of the spirits of which thou so
+lately spokest actually had arisen and come to see the Moor crack his
+heart strings at quitting his beloved Alhambra!"</p>
+
+<p>"Dost see that man, Luis!" demanded the friar, still gazing in a fixed
+direction, though he made no gesture to indicate to which particular
+individual of the many who were passing in all directions, he especially
+alluded.</p>
+
+<p>"By my veracity, I see a thousand, father, though not one to fasten the
+eye as if he were fresh from Paradise. Would it be exceeding discretion
+to ask who or what hath thus riveted thy gaze?"</p>
+
+<p>"Dost see yonder person of high and commanding stature, and in whom
+gravity and dignity are so singularly mingled with an air of poverty;
+or, if not absolutely of poverty&mdash;for he is better clad, and, seemingly,
+in more prosperity now, than I remember ever to have seen him&mdash;still,
+evidently not of the rich and noble; while his bearing and carriage
+would seem to bespeak him at least a monarch?"</p>
+
+<p>"I think I now perceive him thou meanest, father; a man of very grave
+and reverend appearance, though of simple deportment. I see nothing
+extravagant, or ill-placed, either in his attire, or in his bearing."</p>
+
+<p>"I mean not that; but there is a loftiness in his dignified countenance
+that one is not accustomed to meet in those who are unused to power."</p>
+
+<p>"To me, he hath the air and dress of a superior navigator, or pilot&mdash;of
+a man accustomed to the seas&mdash;ay, he hath sundry symbols about him that
+bespeak such a pursuit."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou art right, Don Luis, for such is his calling. He cometh of Genoa,
+and his name is Christoval Colon; or, as they term it in Italy,
+Christoforo Colombo."</p>
+
+<p>"I remember to have heard of an admiral of that name, who did good
+service in the wars of the south, and who formerly led a fleet into the
+far east."</p>
+
+<p>"This is not he, but one of humbler habits, though possibly of the same
+blood, seeing that both are derived from the identical place. This is no
+admiral, though he would fain become one&mdash;ay, even a king!"</p>
+
+<p>"The man is, then, either of a weak mind, or of a light ambition."</p>
+
+<p>"He is neither. In mind, he hath outdone many of our most learned
+churchmen; and it is due to his piety to say that a more devout
+Christian doth not exist in Spain. It is plain, son, that thou hast been
+much abroad, and little at court, or thou wouldst have known the history
+of this extraordinary being, at the mention of his name, which has been
+the source of merriment for the frivolous and gay this many a year, and
+which has thrown the thoughtful and prudent into more doubts than many a
+fierce and baneful heresy."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou stirrest my curiosity, father, by such language. Who and what is
+the man?"</p>
+
+<p>"An enigma, that neither prayers to the Virgin, the learning of the
+cloisters, nor a zealous wish to reach the truth, hath enabled me to
+read. Come hither, Luis, to this bit of rock, where we can be seated,
+and I will relate to thee the opinions that render this being so
+extraordinary. Thou must know, son, it is now seven years since this man
+first appeared among us. He sought employment as a discoverer,
+pretending that, by steering out into the ocean, on a western course,
+for a great and unheard-of distance, he could reach the farther Indies,
+with the rich island of Cipango, and the kingdom of Cathay, of which one
+Marco Polo hath left us some most extraordinary legends!"</p>
+
+<p>"By St. James of blessed memory! the man must be short of his wits!"
+interrupted Don Luis, laughing. "In what way could this thing be, unless
+the earth were round&mdash;the Indies lying east, and not west of us?"</p>
+
+<p>"That hath been often objected to his notions; but the man hath ready
+answers to much weightier arguments."</p>
+
+<p>"What weightier than this can be found? Our own eyes tell us that the
+earth is flat."</p>
+
+<p>"Therein he differeth from most men&mdash;and to own the truth, son Luis, not
+without some show of reason. He is a navigator, as thou wilt understand,
+and he replies that, on the ocean, when a ship is seen from afar, her
+upper sails are first perceived, and that as she draweth nearer, her
+lower sails, and finally her hull cometh into view. But thou hast been
+over sea, and may have observed something of this?"</p>
+
+<p>"Truly have I, father. While mounting the English sea, we met a gallant
+cruiser of the king's, and, as thou said'st, we first perceived her
+upper sail, a white speck upon the water; then followed sail after sail,
+until we came nigh and saw her gigantic hull, with a very goodly show of
+bombards and cannon&mdash;some twenty at least, in all."</p>
+
+<p>"Then thou agreest with this Colon, and thinkest the earth round?"</p>
+
+<p>"By St. George of England! not I. I have seen too much of the world, to
+traduce its fair surface in so heedless a manner. England, France,
+Burgundy, Germany, and all those distant countries of the north, are
+just as level and flat as our own Castile."</p>
+
+<p>"Why, then, didst thou see the upper sails of the Englishman first?"</p>
+
+<p>"Why, father&mdash;why&mdash;because they were first visible. Yes, because they
+came first into view."</p>
+
+<p>"Do the English put the largest of their sails uppermost on the masts?"</p>
+
+<p>"They would be fools if they did. Though no great navigators&mdash;our
+neighbors the Portuguese, and the people of Genoa, exceeding all others
+in that craft&mdash;though no great navigators, the English are not so
+surpassingly stupid. Thou wilt remember the force of the winds, and
+understand that the larger the sail the lower should be its position."</p>
+
+<p>"Then how happened it that thou sawest the smaller object before the
+larger?"</p>
+
+<p>"Truly, excellent Fray Pedro, thou hast not conversed with this
+Christoforo for nothing! A question is not a reason."</p>
+
+<p>"Socrates was fond of questions, son; but <i>he</i> expected answers."</p>
+
+<p>"<i>Peste!</i> as they say at the court of King Louis. I am not Socrates, my
+good father, but thy old pupil and kinsman, Luis de Bobadilla, the
+truant nephew of the queen's favorite, the Marchioness of Moya, and as
+well-born a cavalier as there is in Spain&mdash;though somewhat given to
+roving, if my enemies are to be believed."</p>
+
+<p>"Neither thy pedigree, thy character, nor thy vagaries, need be given to
+me, Don Luis de Bobadilla, since I have known thee and thy career from
+childhood. Thou hast one merit that none will deny thee, and that is, a
+respect for truth; and never hast thou more completely vindicated thy
+character, in this particular, than when thou saidst thou were not
+Socrates."</p>
+
+<p>The worthy friar's good-natured smile, as he made this sally, took off
+some of its edge; and the young man laughed, as if too conscious of his
+own youthful follies to resent what he heard.</p>
+
+<p>"But, dear Fray Pedro, lay aside thy government, for once, and stoop to
+a rational discourse with me on this extraordinary subject. <i>Thou</i>,
+surely, wilt not pretend that the earth is round?"</p>
+
+<p>"I do not go as far as some, on this point, Luis, for I see difficulties
+with Holy Writ, by the admission. Still, this matter of the sails much
+puzzleth me, and I have often felt a desire to go from one port to
+another, by sea, in order to witness it. Were it not for the exceeding
+nausea that I ever feel in a boat, I might attempt the experiment."</p>
+
+<p>"That would be a worthy consummation of all thy wisdom!" exclaimed the
+young man, laughing. "Fray Pedro de Carrascal turned rover, like his old
+pupil, and that, too, astride a vagary! But set thy heart at rest, my
+honored kinsman and excellent instructor, for I can save thee the
+trouble. In all my journeyings, by sea and by land&mdash;and thou knowest
+that, for my years, they have been many&mdash;I have ever found the earth
+flat, and the ocean the flattest portion of it, always excepting a few
+turbulent and uneasy waves."</p>
+
+<p>"No doubt it so seemeth to the eye; but this Colon, who hath voyaged far
+more than thou, thinketh otherwise. He contendeth that the earth is a
+sphere, and that, by sailing west, he can reach points that have been
+already attained by journeying east."</p>
+
+<p>"By San Lorenzo! but the idea is a bold one! Doth the man really propose
+to venture out into the broad Atlantic, and even to cross it to some
+distant and unknown land?"</p>
+
+<p>"That is his very idea; and for seven weary years hath he solicited the
+court to furnish him with the means. Nay, as I hear, he hath passed much
+more time&mdash;other seven years, perhaps&mdash;in urging his suit in different
+lands."</p>
+
+<p>"If the earth be round," continued Don Luis, with a musing air, "what
+preventeth all the water from flowing to the lower parts of it? How is
+it, that we have any seas at all? and if, as thou hast hinted, he
+deemeth the Indies on the other side, how is it that their people stand
+erect?&mdash;it cannot be done without placing the feet uppermost."</p>
+
+<p>"That difficulty hath been presented to Colon, but he treateth it
+lightly. Indeed, most of our churchmen are getting to believe that there
+is no up, or down, except as it relateth to the surface of the earth; so
+that no great obstacle existeth in that point."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou would'st not have me understand, father, that a man can walk on
+his head&mdash;and that, too, with the noble member in the air? By San
+Francisco! thy men of Cathay must have talons like a cat, or they would
+be falling, quickly!"</p>
+
+<p>"Whither, Luis?"</p>
+
+<p>"Whither, Fray Pedro?&mdash;to Tophet, or the bottomless pit. It can never be
+that men walk on their heads, heels uppermost, with no better foundation
+than the atmosphere. The caravels, too, must sail on their masts&mdash;and
+that would be rare navigation! What would prevent the sea from tumbling
+out of its bed, and falling on the Devil's fires and extinguishing
+them?"</p>
+
+<p>"Son Luis," interrupted the monk, gravely, "thy lightness of speech is
+carried too far. But, if thou so much deridest the opinion of this
+Colon, what are thine own notions of the formation of this earth, that
+God hath so honored with his spirit and his presence?"</p>
+
+<p>"That it is as flat as the buckler of the Moor I slew in the last
+sortie, which is as flat as steel can hammer iron."</p>
+
+<p>"Dost thou think it hath limits?"</p>
+
+<p>"That do I&mdash;and please heaven, and Doña Mercedes de Valverde, I will see
+them before I die!"</p>
+
+<p>"Then thou fanciest there is an edge, or precipice, at the four sides of
+the world, which men may reach, and where they can stand and look off,
+as from an exceeding high platform?"</p>
+
+<p>"The picture doth not lose, father, for the touch of thy pencil! I have
+never bethought me of this before; and yet some such spot there must be,
+one would think. By San Fernando, himself! that would be a place to try
+the metal of even Don Alonso de Ojeda, who might stand on the margin of
+the earth, put his foot on a cloud, and cast an orange to the moon!"</p>
+
+<p>"Thou hast bethought thee little of any thing serious, I fear, Luis; but
+to me, this opinion and this project of Colon are not without merit. I
+see but two serious objections to them, one of which is, the difficulty
+connected with Holy Writ; and the other, the vast and incomprehensible,
+nay, useless, extent of the ocean that must necessarily separate us from
+Cathay; else should we long since have heard from that quarter of the
+world."</p>
+
+<p>"Do the learned favor the man's notions?"</p>
+
+<p>"The matter hath been seriously argued before a council held at
+Salamanca, where men were much divided upon it. One serious obstacle is
+the apprehension that should the world prove to be round, and could a
+ship even succeed in getting to Cathay by the west, there would be great
+difficulty in her ever returning, since there must be, in some manner,
+an ascent and a descent. I must say that most men deride this Colon; and
+I fear he will never reach his island of Cipango, as he doth not seem in
+the way even to set forth on the journey. I marvel that he should now be
+here, it having been said he had taken his final departure for
+Portugal."</p>
+
+<p>"Dost thou say, father, that the man hath long been in Spain?" demanded
+Don Luis, gravely, with his eye riveted on the dignified form of
+Columbus, who stood calmly regarding the gorgeous spectacle of the
+triumph, at no great distance from the rock where the two had taken
+their seats.</p>
+
+<p>"Seven weary years hath he been soliciting the rich and the great to
+furnish him with the means of undertaking his favorite voyage."</p>
+
+<p>"Hath he the gold to prefer so long a suit?"</p>
+
+<p>"By his appearance, I should think him poor&mdash;nay, I know that he hath
+toiled for bread, at the occupation of a map-maker. One hour he hath
+passed in arguing with philosophers and in soliciting princes, while the
+next hath been occupied in laboring for the food that he hath taken for
+sustenance."</p>
+
+<p>"Thy description, father, hath whetted curiosity to so keen an edge,
+that I would fain speak with this Colon. I see he remaineth yonder, in
+the crowd, and will go and tell him that I, too, am somewhat of a
+navigator, and will extract from him a few of his peculiar ideas."</p>
+
+<p>"And in what manner wilt thou open the acquaintance, son?"</p>
+
+<p>"By telling him that I am Don Luis de Bobadilla, the nephew of the Doña
+Beatriz of Moya, and a noble of one of the best houses of Castile."</p>
+
+<p>"And this, thou thinkest, will suffice for thy purpose, Luis!" returned
+the friar, smiling. "No&mdash;no&mdash;my son; this may do with most map-sellers,
+but it will not effect thy wishes with yonder Christoval Colon. That man
+is so filled with the vastness of his purposes; is so much raised up
+with the magnitude of the results that his mind intently contemplateth,
+day and night; seemeth so conscious of his own powers, that even kings
+and princes can, in no manner, lessen his dignity. That which thou
+proposest, Don Fernando, our honored master, might scarcely attempt, and
+hope to escape without some rebuke of manner, if not of tongue."</p>
+
+<p>"By all the blessed saints! Fray Pedro, thou givest an extraordinary
+account of this man, and only increasest the desire to know him. Wilt
+thou charge thyself with the introduction?"</p>
+
+<p>"Most willingly, for I wish to inquire what hath brought him back to
+court, whence, I had understood, he lately went, with the intent to go
+elsewhere with his projects. Leave the mode in my hands, son Luis, and
+we will see what can be accomplished."</p>
+
+<p>The friar and his mercurial young companion now arose from their seats
+on the rock, and threaded the throng, taking the direction necessary to
+approach the man who had been the subject of their discourse, and still
+remained that of their thoughts. When near enough to speak, Fray Pedro
+stopped, and stood patiently waiting for a moment when he might catch
+the navigator's eye. This did not occur for several minutes, the looks
+of Colon being riveted on the towers of the Alhambra, where, at each
+instant, the signal of possession was expected to appear; and Luis de
+Bobadilla, who, truant, and errant, and volatile, and difficult to curb,
+as he had proved himself to be, never forgot his illustrious birth and
+the conventional distinctions attached to personal rank, began to
+manifest his impatience at being kept so long dancing attendance on a
+mere map-seller and a pilot. He in vain urged his companion to advance,
+however; but one of his own hurried movements at length drew aside the
+look of Columbus, when the eyes of the latter and of the friar met, and
+being old acquaintances, they saluted in the courteous manner of the
+age.</p>
+
+<p>"I felicitate you, Señor Colon, on the glorious termination of this
+siege, and rejoice that you are here to witness it, as I had heard
+affairs of magnitude had called you to another country."</p>
+
+<p>"The hand of God, father, is to be traced in all things. You perceive in
+this success the victory of the cross; but to me it conveyeth a lesson
+of perseverance, and sayeth as plainly as events can speak, that what
+God hath decreed, must come to pass."</p>
+
+<p>"I like your application, Señor; as, indeed, I do most of your thoughts
+on our holy religion. Perseverance is truly necessary to salvation; and
+I doubt not that a fitting symbol to the same may be found in the manner
+in which our pious sovereigns have conducted this war, as well as in its
+glorious termination."</p>
+
+<p>"True, father; and also doth it furnish a symbol to the fortunes of all
+enterprises that have the glory of God and the welfare of the church in
+view," answered Colon, or Columbus, as the name has been Latinized; his
+eye kindling with that latent fire which seems so deeply seated in the
+visionary and the enthusiast. "It may seem out of reason to you, to make
+such applications of these great events; but the triumph of their
+Highnesses this day, marvellously encourageth me to persevere, and not
+to faint, in my own weary pilgrimage, both leading to triumphs of the
+cross."</p>
+
+<p>"Since you are pleased to speak of your own schemes, Señor Colon,"
+returned the friar, ingenuously, "I am not sorry that the matter hath
+come up between us; for here is a youthful kinsman of mine, who hath
+been somewhat of a rover, himself, in the indulgence of a youthful
+fancy, that neither friends nor yet love could restrain; and having
+heard of your noble projects, he is burning with a desire to learn more
+of them from your own mouth, should it suit your condescension so to
+indulge him."</p>
+
+<p>"I am always happy to yield to the praiseworthy wishes of the young and
+adventurous, and shall cheerfully communicate to your young friend all
+he may desire to know," answered Columbus, with a simplicity and dignity
+that at once put to flight all the notions of superiority and affability
+with which Don Luis had intended to carry on the conversation, and which
+had the immediate effect to satisfy the young man that he was to be the
+obliged and honored party, in the intercourse that was to follow. "But,
+Señor, you have forgotten to give me the name of the cavalier."</p>
+
+<p>"It is Don Luis de Bobadilla, a youth whose best claims to your notice,
+perhaps, are, a most adventurous and roving spirit, and the fact that he
+may call your honored friend, the Marchioness of Moya, his aunt."</p>
+
+<p>"Either would be sufficient, father. I love the spirit of adventure in
+the youthful; for it is implanted, no doubt, by God, in order that they
+may serve his all-wise and beneficent designs; and it is of such as
+these that my own chief worldly stay and support must be found. Then,
+next to Father Juan Perez de Marchena and Señor Alonzo de Quintanilla,
+do I esteem Doña Beatriz, among my fastest friends; her kinsman,
+therefore, will be certain of my esteem and respect."</p>
+
+<p>All this sounded extraordinary to Don Luis; for, though the dress and
+appearance of this unknown stranger, who even spoke the Castilian with a
+foreign accent, were respectable, he had been told he was merely a
+pilot, or navigator, who earned his bread by toil; and it was not usual
+for the noblest of Castile to be thus regarded, as it might be, with a
+condescending favor, by any inferior to those who could claim the blood
+and lineage of princes. At first he was disposed to resent the words of
+the stranger; then to laugh in his face; but, observing that the friar
+treated him with great deference, and secretly awed by the air of the
+reputed projector, he was not only successful in maintaining a suitable
+deportment, but he made a proper and courteous reply, such as became his
+name and breeding. The three then retired together, a little aloof from
+the thickest of the throng, and found seats, also, on one of the rocks,
+of which so many were scattered about the place.</p>
+
+<p>"Don Luis hath visited foreign lands, you say, father," said Columbus,
+who did not fail to lead the discourse, like one entitled to it by rank,
+or personal claims, "and hath a craving for the wonders and dangers of
+the ocean?"</p>
+
+<p>"Such hath been either his merit or his fault, Señor; had he listened to
+the wishes of Doña Beatriz, or to my advice, he would not have thrown
+aside his knightly career for one so little in unison with his training
+and birth."</p>
+
+<p>"Nay, father, you treat the youth with unmerited severity; he who
+passeth a life on the ocean, cannot be said to pass it in either an
+ignoble or a useless manner. God separated different countries by vast
+bodies of water, not with any intent to render their people strangers to
+each other, but, doubtless, that they might meet amid the wonders with
+which he hath adorned the ocean, and glorify his name and power so much
+the more. We all have our moments of thoughtlessness in youth&mdash;a period
+when we yield to our impulses rather than to our reason; and as I
+confess to mine, I am little disposed to bear too hard on Señor Don
+Luis, that he hath had his."</p>
+
+<p>"You have probably battled with the Infidel, by sea, Señor Colon,"
+observed the young man, not a little embarrassed as to the manner in
+which he should introduce the subject he most desired.</p>
+
+<p>"Ay, and by land, too, son"&mdash;the familiarity startled the young noble,
+though he could not take offence at it&mdash;"and by land, too. The time hath
+been, when I had a pleasure in relating my perils and escapes, which
+have been numerous, both from war and tempests; but, since the power of
+God hath awakened my spirit to mightier things, that his will may be
+done, and his word spread throughout the whole earth, my memory ceaseth
+to dwell on them." Fray Pedro crossed himself, and Don Luis smiled and
+shrugged his shoulders, as one is apt to do when he listens to any thing
+extravagant; but the navigator proceeded in the earnest, grave manner
+that appeared to belong to his character. "It is now very many years
+since I was engaged in that remarkable combat between the forces of my
+kinsman and namesake, the younger Colombo, as he was called, to
+distinguish him from his uncle, the ancient admiral of the same name,
+which took place not far north from Cape St. Vincent. On that bloody
+day, we contended with the foe&mdash;Venetians, richly laden&mdash;from morn till
+even, and yet the Lord carried me through the hot contest unharmed. On
+another occasion, the galley in which I fought was consumed by fire, and
+I had to find my way to land&mdash;no trifling distance&mdash;by the aid of an
+oar. To me, it seemeth that the hand of God was in this, and that he
+would not have taken so signal and tender a care of one of his
+insignificant creatures, unless to use him largely for his own honor and
+glory."</p>
+
+<p>Although the eye of the navigator grew brighter as he uttered this, and
+his cheek flushed with a species of holy enthusiasm, it was impossible
+to confound one so grave, so dignified, so measured even in his
+exaggerations (if such they were), with the idle and light-minded, who
+mistake momentary impulses for indelible impressions, and passing
+vanities for the convictions that temper character. Fray Pedro, instead
+of smiling, or in any manner betraying that he regarded the other's
+opinions lightly, devoutly crossed himself again, and showed by the
+sympathy expressed in his countenance, how much he entered into the
+profound religious faith of the speaker.</p>
+
+<p>"The ways of God are often mysterious to his creatures," said the friar;
+"but we are taught that they all lead to the exaltation of his name and
+to the glory of his attributes."</p>
+
+<p>"It is so that I consider it, father; and with such views have I always
+regarded my own humble efforts to honor him. We are but instruments, and
+useless instruments, too, when we look at how little proceedeth from our
+own spirits and power."</p>
+
+<p>"There cometh the blessed symbol that is our salvation and guide!"
+exclaimed the friar, holding out both arms eagerly, as if to embrace
+some distant object in the heavens, immediately falling to his knees,
+and bowing his shaven and naked head, in deep humility, to the earth.</p>
+
+<p>Columbus turned his eyes in the direction indicated by his companion's
+gestures, and he beheld the large silver cross that the sovereigns had
+carried with them throughout the late war, as a pledge of its objects,
+glittering on the principal tower of the Alhambra. At the next instant,
+the banners of Castile and of St. James were unfolded from other
+elevated places. Then came the song of triumph, mingled with the chants
+of the church. Te Deum was sung, and the choirs of the royal chapel
+chanted in the open fields the praises of the Lord of Hosts. A scene of
+magnificent religious pomp, mingled with martial array, followed, that
+belongs rather to general history than to the particular and private
+incidents of our tale.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V"></a>CHAPTER V.</h2>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"Who hath not proved how feebly words essay<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">To fix one spark of beauty's heavenly ray?<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Who doth not feel, until his failing sight<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Faints into dimness with its own delight,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">His changing cheek, his sinking heart confess<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">The might&mdash;the majesty of loveliness!"<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">Byron.</span><br /></span>
+</div></div>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p>That night the court of Castile and Aragon slept in the palace of the
+Alhambra. As soon as the religious ceremony alluded to in the last
+chapter had terminated, the crowd rushed into the place, and the princes
+followed, with a dignity and state better suited to their high
+character. The young Christian nobles, accompanied by their wives and
+sisters&mdash;for the presence of Isabella, and the delay that attended the
+surrender, had drawn together a vast many of the gentler sex, in
+addition to those whose duty it was to accompany their royal
+mistress&mdash;hurried eagerly through the celebrated courts and fretted
+apartments of this remarkable residence; nor was curiosity appeased even
+when night came to place a temporary stay to its indulgence. The Court
+of the Lions in particular, a place still renowned throughout
+Christendom for its remains of oriental beauty, had been left by Boabdil
+in the best condition; and, although it was midwinter, by the aid of
+human art it was even then gay with flowers; while the adjacent halls,
+those of the Two Sisters and of Abencerrages, were brilliant with light,
+and alive with warriors and courtiers, dignified priests and luxuriant
+beauty.</p>
+
+<p>Although no Spanish eye could be otherwise than familiar with the light
+peculiar graces of Moorish architecture, these of the Alhambra so much
+surpassed those of any other palace which had been erected by the
+Mussulman dynasties of that part of the world, that their glories struck
+the beholders with the freshness of novelty, as well as with the
+magnificence of royalty. The rich conceits in stucco, an art of eastern
+origin then little understood in Christendom; the graceful and fanciful
+arabesques&mdash;which, improved on by the fancies of some of the greatest
+geniuses the world ever saw, have descended to our own times, and got to
+be so familiar in Europe, though little known on this side of the
+Atlantic&mdash;decorated the walls, while brilliant fountains cast their
+waters into the air, and fell in glittering spray, resembling diamonds.</p>
+
+<p>Among the throng that moved through this scene of almost magical beauty,
+was Beatriz de Bobadilla, who had long been the wife of Don Andres de
+Cabrera, and was now generally known as the Marchioness of Moya; the
+constant, near, and confidential friend of the queen, a character she
+retained until her royal mistress was numbered with the dead. On her arm
+leaned lightly a youthful female, of an appearance so remarkable, that
+few strangers would have passed her without turning to take a second
+look at features and a countenance that were seldom seen and forgotten.
+This was Doña Mercedes de Valverde, one of the noblest and richest
+heiresses of Castile; the relative, ward, and adopted daughter of the
+queen's friend&mdash;favorite being hardly the term one would apply to the
+relation in which Doña Beatriz stood toward Isabella. It was not the
+particular beauty of Doña Mercedes, however, that rendered her
+appearance so remarkable and attractive; for, though feminine, graceful,
+of exquisite form, and even of pleasing features, there were many in
+that brilliant court who would generally be deemed fairer. But no other
+maiden of Castile had a countenance so illuminated by the soul within,
+or no other female face habitually wore so deep an impression of
+sentiment and sensibility; and the professed physiognomist would have
+delighted to trace the evidences of a deeply-seated, earnest, but
+unobtrusive enthusiasm, which even cast a shade of melancholy over a
+face that fortune and the heart had equally intended should be sunny and
+serene. Serene it was, notwithstanding; the shadow that rested on it
+seeming to soften and render interesting its expression, rather than to
+disturb its tranquillity or to cloud its loveliness.</p>
+
+<p>On the other side of the noble matron walked Luis de Bobadilla, keeping
+a little in advance of his aunt, in a way to permit his own dark,
+flashing looks to meet, whenever feeling and modesty would allow it, the
+fine, expressive blue eyes of Mercedes. The three conversed freely, for
+the royal personages had retired to their private apartments, and each
+group of passengers was so much entranced with the novelty of its
+situation and its own conversation, as to disregard the remarks of
+others.</p>
+
+<p>"This is a marvel, Luis," observed Doña Beatriz, in continuation of a
+subject that evidently much interested them all, "that thou, a truant
+and a rover thyself, should now have heard for the first time of this
+Colon! It is many years since he has been soliciting their Highnesses
+for their royal aid in effecting his purposes. The matter of his schemes
+was solemnly debated before a council at Salamanca; and he hath not been
+without believers at the Court itself."</p>
+
+<p>"Among whom is to be classed Doña Beatriz de Cabrera," said Mercedes,
+with that melancholy smile that had the effect to bring out glimpses of
+all the deep but latent feeling that lay concealed beneath the surface:
+"I have often heard Her Highness declare that Colon hath no truer friend
+in Castile."</p>
+
+<p>"Her Highness is seldom mistaken, child&mdash;and never in my heart. I do
+uphold the man; for to me he seemeth one fitted for some great and
+honorable undertaking; and surely none greater hath ever been proposed
+or imagined by human mind, than this he urgeth. Think of our becoming
+acquainted with the nations of the other side of the earth, and of
+finding easy and direct means of communicating with them, and of
+imparting to them the consolations of Holy Church!"</p>
+
+<p>"Ay, Señora my aunt," cried Luis, laughing, "and of walking in their
+delightful company with all our heels in the air, and our heads
+downward! I hope this Colon hath not neglected to practice a little in
+the art, for it will need some time to gain a sure foot, in such
+circumstances. He might commence on the sides of these mountains, by way
+of a horn-book, throwing the head boldly off at a right-angle; after
+which, the walls and towers of this Alhambra would make a very pretty
+grammar, or stepping-stone to new progress."</p>
+
+<p>Mercedes had unconsciously but fervently pressed the arm of her
+guardian, as Doña Beatriz admitted her interest in the success of the
+great project; but at this sally of Don Luis, she looked serious, and
+threw a glance at him, that he himself felt to be reproachful. To win
+the love of his aunt's ward was the young man's most ardent wish; and a
+look of dissatisfaction could at any moment repress that exuberance of
+spirits which often led him into an appearance of levity that did
+injustice to the really sterling qualities of both his heart and mind.
+Under the influence of that look, then, he was not slow to repair the
+wrong he had done himself, by adding almost as soon as he had ceased to
+speak&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"The Doña Mercedes is of the discovering party, too, I see; this Colon
+appeareth to have had more success with the dames of Castile than with
+her nobles"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Is it extraordinary, Don Luis," interrupted the pensive-looking girl,
+"that women should have more confidence in merit, more generous
+impulses, more zeal for God, than men?"</p>
+
+<p>"It must be even so, since you and my aunt, Doña Beatriz, side with the
+navigator. But I am not always to be understood in the light I express
+myself;" Mercedes now smiled, but this time it was archly&mdash;"I have never
+studied with the minstrels, nor, sooth to say, deeply with the
+churchmen. To be honest with you, I have been much struck with this
+noble idea; and if Señor Colon doth, in reality, sail in quest of Cathay
+and the Indies, I shall pray their Highnesses to let me be one of the
+party, for, now that the Moor is subdued, there remaineth little for a
+noble to do in Spain."</p>
+
+<p>"If thou should'st really go on this expedition," said Doña Beatriz,
+with grave irony, "there will, at least, be one human being topsy-turvy,
+in the event of thy reaching Cathay. But yonder is an attendant of the
+court; I doubt if Her Highness doth not desire my presence."</p>
+
+<p>The Lady of Moya was right&mdash;the messenger coming to announce to her that
+the queen required her attendance. The manners of the day and country
+rendered it unseemly that Doña Mercedes should continue her promenade
+accompanied only by Don Luis, and the marchioness led the way to her own
+apartments, where a saloon suitable to her rank and to her favor with
+the queen, had been selected for her from among the numberless gorgeous
+rooms of the Moorish kings. Even here, the marchioness paused a moment,
+in thought, before she would leave her errant nephew alone with her
+ward.</p>
+
+<p>"Though a rover, he is no troubadour, and cannot charm thy ear with
+false rhymes. It were better, perhaps, that I sent him beneath thy
+balcony, with his guitar; but knowing so well his dulness, I will
+confide in it, and leave him with thee, for the few minutes that I shall
+be absent. A cavalier who hath so strong a dislike to reversing the
+order of nature, will not surely condescend to go on his knees, even
+though it be to win a smile from the sweetest maiden in all Castile."</p>
+
+<p>Don Luis laughed; Doña Beatriz smiled, as she kissed her ward, and left
+the room; while Doña Mercedes blushed, and riveted her gaze on the
+floor. Luis de Bobadilla was the declared suitor and sworn knight of
+Mercedes de Valverde; but, though so much favored by birth, fortune,
+affinity, and figure, there existed some serious impediments to his
+success. In all that was connected with the considerations that usually
+decide such things, the union was desirable; but there existed,
+nevertheless, a strong influence to overcome, in the scruples of Doña
+Beatriz, herself. High-principled, accustomed to the just-minded views
+of her royal mistress, and too proud to do an unworthy act, the very
+advantages that a marriage with her ward offered to her nephew, had
+caused the marchioness to hesitate. Don Luis had little of the Castilian
+gravity of character&mdash;and, by many, his animal spirits were mistaken for
+lightness of disposition and levity of thought. His mother was a woman
+of a very illustrious French family; and national pride had induced most
+observers to fancy that the son inherited a constitutional disposition
+to frivolity, that was to be traced to the besetting weakness of a whole
+people. A consciousness of his being so viewed at home, had, indeed,
+driven the youth abroad; and as, like all observant travellers, he was
+made doubly sensible of the defects of his own state of society on his
+return, a species of estrangement had grown up between him and his
+natural associates that had urged the young man, again and again, to
+wander into foreign lands. Nothing, indeed, but his early and constantly
+increasing passion for Mercedes had induced him to return; a step that,
+fortunately for himself, he had last taken in time to assist in the
+reduction of Granada. Notwithstanding these traits, which, in a country
+like Castile, might be properly enough termed peculiarities, Don Luis de
+Bobadilla was a knight worthy of his lineage and name. His prowess in
+the field and in the tourney, indeed, was so very marked as to give him
+a high military character, in despite of what were deemed his failings;
+and he passed rather as an inconsiderate and unsafe young man, than as
+one who was either debased or wicked. Martial qualities, in that age in
+particular, redeemed a thousand faults; and Don Luis had even been known
+to unhorse, in the tourney, Alonzo de Ojeda, then the most expert lance
+in Spain. Such a man could not be despised, though he might be
+distrusted. But the feeling which governed his aunt, referred quite as
+much to her own character as to his. Deeply conscientious, while she
+understood her nephew's real qualities much better than mere superficial
+observers, she had her doubts about the propriety of giving the rich
+heiress who was entrusted to her care, to so near a relative, when all
+could not applaud the act. She feared, too, that her own partiality
+might deceive her, and that Luis might in truth be the light and
+frivolous being he sometimes appeared to be in Castilian eyes, and that
+the happiness of her ward would prove the sacrifice of the indiscretion.
+With these doubts, then, while she secretly desired the union, she had
+in public looked coldly on her nephew's suit; and, though unable,
+without a harshness that circumstances would not warrant, to prevent all
+intercourse, she had not only taken frequent occasions to let Mercedes
+understand her distrust, but she had observed the precaution not to
+leave so handsome a suitor, notwithstanding he was often domiciliated in
+her own house, much alone with her ward.</p>
+
+<p>The state of Mercedes' feelings was known only to herself. She was
+beautiful, of an honorable family, and an heiress; and as human
+infirmities were as besetting beneath the stately mien of the fifteenth
+century as they are to-day, she had often heard the supposed faults of
+Don Luis' character sneered at, by those who felt distrustful of his
+good looks and his opportunities. Few young females would have had the
+courage to betray any marked preference under such circumstances, until
+prepared to avow their choice, and to take sides with its subject
+against the world; and the quiet but deep enthusiasm that prevailed in
+the moral system of the fair young Castilian, was tempered by a prudence
+that prevented her from running into most of its lighter excesses. The
+forms and observances that usually surround young women of rank, came in
+aid of this native prudence; and even Don Luis himself, though he had
+watched the countenance and emotions of her to whom he had so long urged
+his suit, with a lover's jealousy and a lover's instincts, was greatly
+in doubt whether he had succeeded in the least in touching her heart. By
+one of those unlooked-for concurrences of circumstances that so often
+decide the fortunes of men, whether as lovers or in more worldly-minded
+pursuits, these doubts were now about to be unexpectedly and suddenly
+removed.</p>
+
+<p>The triumph of the Christian arms, the novelty of her situation, and the
+excitement of the whole scene, had aroused the feelings of Mercedes from
+that coy concealment in which they usually lay smothered beneath the
+covering of maiden diffidence; and throughout the evening her smile had
+been more open, her eye brighter, and her cheeks more deeply flushed,
+than was usual even with one whose smiles were always sweet, whose eyes
+were never dull, and whose cheeks answered so sensitively to the varying
+impulses within.</p>
+
+<p>As his aunt quitted the room, leaving him alone with Mercedes for the
+first time since his return from his last ramble, Don Luis eagerly threw
+himself on a stool that stood near the feet of his adored, who placed
+herself on a sumptuous couch, that, twenty-four hours before, had held
+the person of a princess of Abdallah's family.</p>
+
+<p>"Much as I honor and reverence Her Highness," the young man hurriedly
+commenced, "my respect and veneration are now increased ten-fold! Would
+that she might send for my beloved aunt thrice where she now wants her
+services only once! and may her presence become so necessary to her
+sovereign that the affairs of Castile cannot go on without her counsel,
+if so blessed an opportunity as this, to tell you all I feel, Doña
+Mercedes, is to follow her obedience!"</p>
+
+<p>"It is not they who are most fluent of speech, or the most vehement, who
+always feel the deepest, Don Luis de Bobadilla."</p>
+
+<p>"Nor do they feel the least. Mercedes, thou canst not doubt my love! It
+hath grown with my growth&mdash;increased with each increase of my
+ideas&mdash;until it hath got to be so interwoven with my mind itself, that I
+can scarce use a faculty that thy dear image doth not mingle with it. In
+all that is beautiful, I behold thee; if I listen to the song of a bird,
+it is thy carol to the lute; or if I feel the gentle south wind from the
+fragrant isles fanning my cheek, I would fain think it thy sigh."</p>
+
+<p>"You have dwelt so much among the light conceits of the French court,
+Don Luis, you appear to have forgotten that the heart of a Castilian
+girl is too true, and too sincere, to meet such rhapsodies with favor."</p>
+
+<p>Had Don Luis been older, or more experienced in the sex, he would have
+been flattered by this rebuke&mdash;for he would have detected in the
+speaker's manner, both feeling of a gentler nature than her words
+expressed, and a tender regret.</p>
+
+<p>"If thou ascribest to me rhapsodies, thou dost me great injustice. I may
+not do credit to my own thoughts and feelings; but never hath my tongue
+uttered aught to thee, Mercedes, that the heart hath not honestly urged.
+Have I not loved thee since thou and I were children? Did I ever fail to
+show my preference for thee when we were boy and girl, in all the sports
+and light-hearted enjoyments of that guileless period?"</p>
+
+<p>"Guileless, truly," answered Mercedes, her look brightening as it might
+be with agreeable fancies and a flood of pleasant recollections&mdash;doing
+more, in a single instant, to break down the barriers of her reserve,
+than years of schooling had effected toward building them up. "Thou wert
+then, at least, sincere, Luis, and I placed full faith in thy
+friendship, and in thy desire to please."</p>
+
+<p>"Bless thee, bless thee, for these precious words, Mercedes! for the
+first time in two years, hast thou spoken to me as thou wert wont to do,
+and called me Luis without that courtly, accursed, Don."</p>
+
+<p>"A noble Castilian should never regard his honors lightly, and he oweth
+it to his rank to see that others respect them, too;" answered our
+heroine, looking down, as if she already half repented of the
+familiarity. "You are quick to remind me of my forgetfulness, Don Luis
+de Bobadilla."</p>
+
+<p>"This unlucky tongue of mine can never follow the path that its owner
+wisheth! Hast thou not seen in all my looks&mdash;all my acts&mdash;all my
+motives&mdash;a desire to please thee, and thee alone, lovely Mercedes? When
+Her Highness gave her royal approbation of my success, in the last
+tourney, did I not seek thine eye, in order to ask if thou notedst it?
+Hast thou ever expressed a wish, that I have not proved an eager desire
+to see it accomplished?"</p>
+
+<p>"Nay, now, Luis, thou emboldenest me to remind thee that I expressed a
+wish that thou wouldst not go on thy last voyage to the north, and yet
+thou didst depart! I felt that it would displease Doña Beatriz; thy
+truant disposition having made her uneasy lest thou shouldst get
+altogether into the habits of a rover, and into disfavor with the
+queen."</p>
+
+<p>"It was for this that thou madst the request, and it wounded my pride to
+think that Mercedes de Valverde should so little understand my
+character, as to believe it possible a noble of my name and lineage
+could so far forget his duties as to sink into the mere associate of
+pilots and adventurers."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou didst not know that I believed this of thee."</p>
+
+<p>"Hadst thou asked of me, Mercedes, to remain for thy sake&mdash;nay, hadst
+thou imposed the heaviest services on me, as thy knight, or as one who
+enjoyed the smallest degree of thy favor&mdash;I would have parted with life
+sooner than I would have parted from Castile. But not even a look of
+kindness could I obtain, in reward for all the pain I had felt on thy
+account"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Pain, Luis!"</p>
+
+<p>"Is it not pain to love to the degree that one might kiss the earth that
+received the foot-print of its object&mdash;and yet to meet with no
+encouragement from fair words, no friendly glance of the eye, nor any
+sign or symbol to betoken that the being one hath enshrined in his
+heart's core, ever thinketh of her suitor except as a reckless rover and
+a hair-brained adventurer?"</p>
+
+<p>"Luis de Bobadilla, no one that really knoweth thy character, can ever
+truly think thus of thee."</p>
+
+<p>"A million of thanks for these few words, beloved girl, and ten millions
+for the gentle smile that hath accompanied them! Thou mightst mould me
+to all thy wishes"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"My wishes, Don Luis?"</p>
+
+<p>"To all thy severe opinions of sobriety and dignity of conduct, wouldst
+thou but feel sufficient interest in me to let me know that my acts can
+give thee either pain or pleasure."</p>
+
+<p>"Can it be otherwise? Could'st thou, Luis, see with indifference the
+proceedings of one thou hast known from childhood, and esteemed as a
+friend?"</p>
+
+<p>"Esteem! Blessed Mercedes! dost thou own even that little in my favor?"</p>
+
+<p>"It is not little, Luis, to esteem&mdash;but much. They who prize virtue
+never esteem the unworthy; and it is not possible to know thy excellent
+heart and manly nature, without esteeming thee. Surely I have never
+<i>concealed</i> my <i>esteem</i> from thee or from any one else."</p>
+
+<p>"Hast thou <i>concealed</i> aught? Ah! Mercedes, complete this heavenly
+condescension, and admit that one&mdash;as lightly as thou wilt&mdash;but that one
+soft sentiment hath, at times, mingled with this esteem."</p>
+
+<p>Mercedes blushed brightly, but she would not make the often-solicited
+acknowledgment. It was some little time before she answered at all. When
+she did speak, it was hesitatingly, and with frequent pauses, as if she
+distrusted the propriety or the discretion of that which she was about
+to utter.</p>
+
+<p>"Thou hast travelled much and far, Luis," she said; "and hast lost some
+favor on account of thy roving propensities; why not regain the
+confidence of thy aunt by the very means through which it has been
+lost?"</p>
+
+<p>"I do not comprehend thee. This is singular counsel to come from one
+like thee, who art prudence itself!"</p>
+
+<p>"The prudent and discreet think well of their acts and words, and are
+the more to be confided in. Thou seemest to have been struck with these
+bold opinions of the Señor Colon; and while thou hast derided them, I
+can see that they have great weight on thy mind."</p>
+
+<p>"I shall, henceforth, regard thee with ten-fold respect, Mercedes; for
+thou hast penetrated deeper than my foolish affectation of contempt, and
+all my light language, and discovered the real feeling that lieth
+underneath. Ever since I have heard of this vast project, it hath,
+indeed, haunted my imagination; and the image of the Genoese hath
+constantly stood beside thine, dearest girl, before my eyes, if not in
+my heart. I doubt if there be not some truth in his opinions; so noble
+an idea cannot be wholly false!"</p>
+
+<p>The fine, full eye of Mercedes was fastened intently on the countenance
+of Don Luis; and its brilliancy increased as some of that latent
+enthusiasm which dwelt within, kindled and began to glow at this outlet
+of the feelings of the soul.</p>
+
+<p>"There <i>is</i>," she answered, solemnly&mdash;"there <i>must</i> be truth in it! The
+Genoese hath been inspired of Heaven, with his sublime thoughts, and he
+will live, sooner or later, to prove their truth. Imagine this earth
+fairly encircled by a ship; the farthest east, the land of the heathen,
+brought in close communion with ourselves, and the cross casting its
+shadows under the burning sun of Cathay! These are glorious, heavenly
+anticipations, Luis, and would it not be an imperishable renown, to
+share in the honor of having aided in bringing about so great a
+discovery?"</p>
+
+<p>"By Heaven! I will see the Genoese as soon as the morrow's sun shall
+appear, and offer to make one in his enterprise. He shall not need for
+gold, if that be his only want."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou speakest like a generous, noble-minded, fearless young Castilian,
+as thou art!" said Mercedes, with an enthusiasm that set at naught the
+usual guards of her discretion and her habits, "and as becometh Luis de
+Bobadilla. But gold is not plenty with any of us at this moment, and it
+will surpass the power of an ordinary subject to furnish that which will
+be necessary. Nor is it meet than any but sovereigns should send forth
+such an expedition, as there may be vast territories to govern and
+dispose of, should Colon succeed. My powerful kinsman&mdash;the Duke of
+Medina Celi&mdash;hath had this matter in close deliberation, and he viewed
+it favorably, as is shown by his letters to Her Highness; but even he
+conceived it a matter too weighty to be attempted by aught but a crowned
+head, and he hath used much influence with our mistress, to gain her
+over to the opinion of the Genoese's sagacity. It is idle to think,
+therefore, of aiding effectually in this noble enterprise, unless it be
+through their Highnesses."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou knowest, Mercedes, that I can do naught for Colon, with the court.
+The king is the enemy of all who are not as wary, cold, and as much
+given to artifice as himself"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Luis! thou art in his palace&mdash;beneath his roof, enjoying his
+hospitality and protection, at this very moment!"</p>
+
+<p>"Not I," answered the young man, with warmth&mdash;"this is the abode of my
+royal mistress, Doña Isabella; Granada being a conquest of Castile, and
+not of Aragon. Touching the queen, Mercedes, thou shalt never hear
+disrespectful word from me, for, like thyself, she is all that is
+virtuous, gentle, and kind in woman; but the king hath many of the
+faults of us corrupt and mercenary men. Thou canst not tell me of a
+young, generous, warm-blooded cavalier, even among his own Aragonese,
+who truly and confidingly loveth Don Fernando; whilst all of Castile
+adore the Doña Isabella."</p>
+
+<p>"This may be true in part, Luis, but it is altogether imprudent. Don
+Fernando is a king, and I fear me, from the little I have seen while
+dwelling in a court, that they who manage the affairs of mortals must
+make large concessions to their failings, or human depravity will thwart
+the wisest measures that can be devised. Moreover, can one truly love
+the wife and not esteem the husband? To me it seemeth that the tie is so
+near and dear as to leave the virtues and the characters of a common
+identity."</p>
+
+<p>"Surely, thou dost not mean to compare the modest piety, the holy truth,
+the sincere virtue, of our royal mistress, with the cautious, wily
+policy of our scheming master!"</p>
+
+<p>"I desire not to make comparisons between them, Luis. We are bound to
+honor and obey both; and if Doña Isabella hath more of the confiding
+truth and pure-heartedness of her sex, than His Highness, is it not ever
+so as between man and woman?"</p>
+
+<p>"If I could really think that thou likenest me, in any way, with that
+managing and false-faced King of Aragon, much as I love thee, Mercedes,
+I would withdraw, forever, in pure shame."</p>
+
+<p>"No one will liken thee, Luis, to the false-tongued or the double-faced;
+for it is thy failing to speak truth when it might be better to say
+nothing, as witness the present discourse, and to look at those who
+displease thee, as if ever ready to point thy lance and spur thy charger
+in their very teeth."</p>
+
+<p>"My looks have been most unfortunate, fair Mercedes, if they have left
+such memories in thee!" answered the youth, reproachfully.</p>
+
+<p>"I speak not in any manner touching myself, for to me, Luis, thou hast
+ever been gentle and kind," interrupted the young Castilian girl, with a
+haste and earnestness that hurried the blood to her cheeks a moment
+afterward; "but solely that thou mayst be more guarded in thy remarks on
+the king."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou beganst by saying that I was a rover"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Nay, I have used no such term of reproach, Don Luis; thy aunt may have
+said this, but it could have been with no intent to wound. I said that
+thou hadst travelled <i>far</i> and <i>much</i>."</p>
+
+<p>"Well&mdash;well&mdash;I merit the title, and shall not complain of my honors.
+Thou saidst that I had travelled <i>far</i> and <i>much</i>, and thou spokest
+approvingly of the project of this Genoese. Am I to understand,
+Mercedes, it is thy wish that I should make one of the adventurers?"</p>
+
+<p>"Such was my meaning, Luis, for I have thought it an emprise fitting thy
+daring mind and willing sword; and the glory of success would atone for
+a thousand trifling errors, committed under the heat and inconsideration
+of youth."</p>
+
+<p>Don Luis regarded the flushed cheek and brightened eyes of the beautiful
+enthusiast nearly a minute, in silent but intense observation; for the
+tooth of doubt and jealousy had fastened on him, and, with the
+self-distrust of true affection, he questioned how far he was worthy to
+interest so fair a being, and had misgivings concerning the motive that
+induced her to wish him to depart.</p>
+
+<p>"I wish I could read thy heart, Doña Mercedes," he at length resumed;
+"for, while the witching modesty and coy reserve of thy sex, serve but
+to bind us so much the closer in thy chains, they puzzle the
+understanding of men more accustomed to rude encounters in the field
+than to the mazes of their ingenuity. Dost thou desire me to embark in
+an adventure that most men, the wise and prudent Don Fernando at their
+head&mdash;he whom thou so much esteemest, too&mdash;look upon as the project of a
+visionary, and as leading to certain destruction? Did I think this, I
+would depart to-morrow, if it were only that my hated presence should
+never more disturb thy happiness."</p>
+
+<p>"Don Luis, you have no justification for this cruel suspicion," said
+Mercedes, endeavoring to punish her lover's distrust by an affectation
+of resentment, though the tears struggled through her pride, and fell
+from her reproachful eyes. "You know that no one, here or elsewhere,
+hateth you; you know that you are a general favorite, though Castilian
+prudence and Castilian reserve may not always view your wandering life
+with the same applause as they give to the more attentive courtier and
+rigidly observant knight."</p>
+
+<p>"Pardon me, dearest, most beloved Mercedes; thy coldness and aversion
+sometime madden me."</p>
+
+<p>"Coldness! aversion! Luis de Bobadilla! When hath Mercedes de Valverde
+ever shown either, to <i>thee</i>?"</p>
+
+<p>"I fear that Doña Mercedes de Valverde is, even now, putting me to some
+such proof."</p>
+
+<p>"Then thou little knowest her motives, and ill appreciatest her heart.
+No, Luis, I am not averse, and would not appear cold, to <i>thee</i>. If thy
+wayward feelings get so much the mastery, and pain thee thus, I will
+strive to be more plain. Yes! rather than thou shouldst carry away with
+thee the false notion, and perhaps plunge, again, into some unthinking
+sea-adventure, I will subdue my maiden pride, and forget the reserve and
+caution that best become my sex and rank, to relieve thy mind. In
+advising thee to attach thyself to this Colon, and to enter freely into
+his noble schemes, I had thine own happiness in view, as thou hast, time
+and again, sworn to me, thy happiness <i>could</i> only be secured"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Mercedes! what meanest thou? My happiness can only be secured by a
+union with thee!"</p>
+
+<p>"And thy union with me can only be secured by thy ennobling that
+besetting propensity to roving, by some act of worthy renown, that shall
+justify Doña Beatriz in bestowing her ward on a truant nephew, and gain
+the favor of Doña Isabella."</p>
+
+<p>"And thou!&mdash;would this adventure win thee, too, to view me with
+kindness?"</p>
+
+<p>"Luis, if thou <i>wilt</i> know all, I am won already&mdash;nay&mdash;restrain this
+impetuosity, and hear all I have to say. Even while I confess so much
+more than is seemly in a maiden, thou art not to suppose I can further
+forget myself. Without the cheerful consent of my guardian, and the
+gracious approbation of Her Highness, I will wed no man&mdash;no, not even
+<i>thee</i>, Luis de Bobadilla, dear as I acknowledge thee to be to my
+heart"&mdash;the ungovernable emotions of female tenderness caused the words
+to be nearly smothered in tears&mdash;"would I wed, without the smiles and
+congratulations of all who have a right to smile, or weep, for any of
+the house of Valverde. Thou and I cannot marry like a village hind and
+village girl; it is suitable that we stand before a prelate, with a
+large circle of approving friends to grace our union. Ah! Luis, thou
+hast reproached me with coldness and indifference to thee"&mdash;sobs nearly
+stifled the generous girl&mdash;"but others have not been so blind&mdash;nay,
+speak not, but suffer me, now that my heart is overflowing, to unburden
+myself to thee, entirely, for I fear that shame and regret will come
+soon enough to cause repentance for what I now confess&mdash;but all have not
+been blind as thou. Our gracious queen well understandeth the female
+heart, and that thou hast been so slow to discover, she hath long seen;
+and her quickness of eye and thought hath alone prevented me from saying
+to thee, earlier, a part at least of that which I now reluctantly
+confess"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"How! Is Doña Isabella, too, my enemy? Have I Her Highness' scruples to
+overcome, as well as those of my cold-hearted and prudish aunt?"</p>
+
+<p>"Luis, thy intemperance causeth thee to be unjust. Doña Beatriz of Moya
+is neither cold-hearted nor prudish, but all that is the reverse. A more
+generous or truer spirit never sacrificed self to friendship, and her
+very nature is frankness and simplicity. Much of that I so love in thee,
+cometh of her family, and <i>thou</i> shouldst not reproach her for it. As
+for Her Highness, certes, it is not needed that I should proclaim her
+qualities. Thou knowest that she is deemed the mother of her people;
+that she regardeth the interests of all equally, or so far as her
+knowledge will allow; and that what she doth for any, is ever done with
+true affection, and a prudence that I have heard the cardinal say,
+seemeth to be inspired by infinite wisdom."</p>
+
+<p>"Ay, it is not difficult, Mercedes, to seem prudent, and benevolent, and
+inspired, with Castile for a throne, and Leon, with other rich
+provinces, for a footstool!"</p>
+
+<p>"Don Luis, if you would retain my esteem," answered the single-minded
+girl, with a gravity that had none of her sex's weakness in it, though
+much of her sex's truth&mdash;"speak not lightly of my royal mistress.
+Whatever she may have done in this matter, hath been done with a
+mother's feelings and a mother's kindness&mdash;thy injustice maketh me
+almost to apprehend, with a mother's wisdom."</p>
+
+<p>"Forgive me, adored, beloved Mercedes! a thousand times more adored and
+loved than ever, now that thou hast been so generous and confiding. But
+I cannot rest in peace until I know what the queen hath said and done,
+in any thing that toucheth thee and me."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou knowest how kind and gracious the queen hath ever been to me,
+Luis, and how much I have reason to be grateful for her many
+condescensions and favors. I know not how it is, but, while thy aunt
+hath never seemed to detect my feelings, and all those related to me by
+blood have appeared to be in the same darkness, the royal eye hath
+penetrated a mystery that, at the moment, I do think, was even concealed
+from myself. Thou rememberest the tourney that took place just before
+thou left us on thy last mad expedition?"</p>
+
+<p>"Do I not? Was it not thy coldness after my success in that tourney, and
+when I even wore thy favors, that not only drove me out of Spain, but
+almost drove me out of the world?"</p>
+
+<p>"If the world could impute thy acts to such a cause, all obstacles would
+at once be removed, and we might be happy without further efforts. But,"
+and Mercedes smiled, archly, though with great tenderness in her voice
+and looks, as she added, "I fear thou art much addicted to these fits of
+madness, and that thou wilt never cease to wish to be driven to the
+uttermost limits of the world, if not fairly out of it."</p>
+
+<p>"It is in thy power to make me as stationary as the towers of this
+Alhambra. One such smile, daily, would chain me like a captive Moor at
+thy feet, and take away all desire to look at other objects than thy
+beauty. But Her Highness&mdash;thou hast forgotten to add what Her Highness
+hath said and done."</p>
+
+<p>"In that tourney thou wert conqueror, Luis! The whole chivalry of
+Castile was in the saddle, that glorious day, and yet none could cope
+with thee! Even Alonzo de Ojeda was unhorsed by thy lance, and all
+mouths were filled with thy praises; all memories&mdash;perhaps, it would be
+better to say that all memories but one&mdash;forgot thy failings."</p>
+
+<p>"And that one was thine, cruel Mercedes."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou knowest better, unkind Luis! That day I remembered nothing but thy
+noble, generous heart, manly bearing in the tilt-yard, and excellent
+qualities. The more mindful memory was the queen's, who sent for me, to
+her closet, when the festivities were over, and caused me to pass an
+hour with her, in gentle, affectionate discourse, before she touched at
+all on the real object of her command. She spoke to me, Luis, of our
+duties as Christians, of our duties as females, and, most of all, of the
+solemn obligations that we contract in wedlock, and of the many pains
+that, at best, attend that honored condition. When she had melted me to
+tears, by an affection that equalled a mother's love, she made me
+promise&mdash;and I confirmed it with a respectful vow&mdash;that I would never
+appear at the altar, while she lived, without her being present to
+approve of my nuptials; or, if prevented by disease or duty, at least
+not without a consent given under her royal signature."</p>
+
+<p>"By St. Denis of Paris! Her Highness endeavored to influence thy
+generous and pure mind against me!"</p>
+
+<p>"Thy name was not even mentioned, Luis, nor would it have been in any
+way concerned in the discourse, had not my unbidden thoughts turned
+anxiously toward thee. What Her Highness meditated, I do not even now
+know, but it was the manner in which my own sensitive feelings brought
+up thy image, that hath made me, perhaps idly, fancy the effect might be
+to prevent me from wedding thee, without Doña Isabella's consent. But,
+knowing, as I well do, her maternal heart and gentle affections, how can
+I doubt that she will yield to my wishes, when she knoweth that my
+choice is not really unworthy, though it may seem to the severely
+prudent in some measure indiscreet."</p>
+
+<p>"But thou thinkest&mdash;thou feelest, Mercedes, that it was in fear of me
+that Her Highness extorted the vow?"</p>
+
+<p>"I apprehended it, as I have confessed, with more readiness than became
+a maiden's pride, because thou wert uppermost in my mind. Then thy
+triumphs throughout the day, and the manner in which thy name was in all
+men's mouths, might well tempt the thoughts to dwell on thy person."</p>
+
+<p>"Mercedes, thou canst not deny that thou believest Her Highness extorted
+that vow in dread of me?"</p>
+
+<p>"I wish to deny nothing that is true, Don Luis; and you are early
+teaching me to repent of the indiscreet avowal I have made. That it was
+in <i>dread</i> of you that Her Highness spoke, I do deny; for I cannot think
+she has any such feelings toward <i>you</i>. She was full of maternal
+affection for <i>me</i>, and I think, for I will conceal naught that I truly
+believe, that apprehension of thy powers to please, Luis, may have
+induced her to apprehend that an orphan girl, like myself, might
+possibly consult her fancy more than her prudence, and wed one who
+seemed to love the uttermost limits of the earth so much better than his
+own noble castles and his proper home."</p>
+
+<p>"And thou meanest to respect this vow!"</p>
+
+<p>"Luis! thou scarce reflectest on thy words, or a question so sinful
+would not be put to me! What Christian maiden ever forgets her vows,
+whether of pilgrimage, penitence, or performance&mdash;and why should I be
+the first to incur this disgraceful guilt? Besides, had I not vowed, the
+simple wish of the queen, expressed in her own royal person, would have
+been enough to deter me from wedding any. She is my sovereign, mistress,
+and, I might almost say, mother; Doña Beatriz herself scarce manifesting
+greater interest in my welfare. Now, Luis, thou must listen to my suit,
+although I see thou art ready to exclaim, and protest, and invoke; but I
+have heard thee patiently some years, and it is now my turn to speak and
+thine to listen. I do not think the queen had thee in her mind on the
+occasion of that vow, which was <i>offered</i> freely by me, rather than
+<i>extorted</i>, as thou seemest to think, by Her Highness. I <i>do</i>, then,
+believe that Doña Isabella supposed there might be a danger of my
+yielding to thy suit, and that she had apprehensions that one so much
+given to roving, might not bring, or keep, happiness in the bosom of a
+family. But, Luis, if Her Highness hath not done thy noble, generous
+heart, justice; if she hath been deceived by appearances, like most of
+those around her; if she hath not known thee, in short, is it not thine
+own fault? Hast thou not been a frequent truant from Castile; and, even
+when present, hast thou been as attentive and assiduous in thy duties at
+court, as becometh thy high birth and admitted claims? It is true, Her
+Highness, and all others who were present, witnessed thy skill in the
+tourney, and in these wars thy name hath had frequent and honorable
+mention for prowess against the Moor; but while the female imagination
+yields ready homage to this manliness, the female heart yearneth for
+other, and gentler, and steadier virtues, at the fireside and in the
+circle within. This, Doña Isabella hath seen, and felt, and knoweth,
+happy as hath been her own marriage with the King of Aragon; and is it
+surprising that she hath felt this concern for me? No, Luis; feeling
+hath made thee unjust to our royal mistress, whom it is now manifestly
+thy interest to propitiate, if thou art sincere in thy avowed desire to
+obtain my hand."</p>
+
+<p>"And how is this to be done, Mercedes? The Moor is conquered, and I know
+not that any knight would meet me to do battle for thy favor."</p>
+
+<p>"The queen wisheth nothing of this sort&mdash;neither do I. We both know thee
+as an accomplished Christian knight already, and, as thou hast just
+said, there is no one to meet thy lance, for no one hath met with the
+encouragement to justify the folly. It is through this Colon that thou
+art to win the royal consent."</p>
+
+<p>"I believe I have, in part, conceived thy meaning; but would fain hear
+thee speak more plainly."</p>
+
+<p>"Then I will tell thee in words as distinct as my tongue can utter
+them," rejoined the ardent girl, the tint of tenderness gradually
+deepening on her cheek to the flush of a holy enthusiasm, as she
+proceeded: "Thou knowest already the general opinions of the Señor
+Colon, and the mode in which he proposeth to effect his ends. I was
+still a child when he first appeared in Castile, to urge the court to
+embark in this great enterprise, and I can see that Her Highness hath
+often been disposed to yield her aid, when the coldness of Don Fernando,
+or the narrowness of her ministers, hath diverted her mind from the
+object. I think she yet regardeth the scheme with favor; for it is quite
+lately that Colon, who had taken leave of us all, with the intent to
+quit Spain and seek elsewhere for means, was summoned to return, through
+the influence of Fray Juan Perez, the ancient confessor of Her Highness.
+He is now here, as thou hast seen, waiting impatiently for an audience,
+and it needeth only to quicken the queen's memory, to obtain for him
+that favor. Should he get the caravels he asketh, no doubt many of the
+nobles will feel a desire to share in an enterprise that will confer
+lasting honor on all concerned, if successful; and thou mightst make
+one."</p>
+
+<p>"I know not how to regard this solicitude, Mercedes, for it seemeth
+strange to wish to urge those we affect to value, to enter on an
+expedition whence they may never return."</p>
+
+<p>"God will protect thee!" answered the girl, her face glowing with pious
+ardour: "the enterprise will be undertaken for his glory, and his
+powerful hand will guide and shield the caravels."</p>
+
+<p>Don Luis de Bobadilla smiled, having far less religious faith and more
+knowledge of physical obstacles than his mistress. He did full justice
+to her motives, notwithstanding his hastily expressed doubts; and the
+adventure was of a nature to arouse his constitutional love of roving,
+and his desire for encountering dangers. Both he and Mercedes well knew
+that he had fairly earned no small part of that distrust of his
+character, which alone thwarted their wishes; and, quick of intellect,
+he well understood the means and manner by which he was to gain Doña
+Isabella's consent. The few doubts that he really entertained were
+revealed by the question that succeeded.</p>
+
+<p>"If Her Highness is disposed to favor this Colon," he asked, "why hath
+the measure been so long delayed?"</p>
+
+<p>"This Moorish war, an empty treasury, and the wary coldness of the king,
+have prevented it."</p>
+
+<p>"Might not Her Highness look upon all the followers of the man, as so
+many vain schemers, should we return without success, as will most
+likely be the case&mdash;if, indeed, we ever return?"</p>
+
+<p>"Such is not Doña Isabella's character. She will enter into this
+project, in honor of God, if she entereth into it at all; and she will
+regard all who accompany Colon voluntarily, as so many crusaders, well
+entitled to her esteem. Thou wilt not return unsuccessful, Luis; but
+with such credit as will cause thy wife to glory in her choice, and to
+be proud of thy name."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou art a most dear enthusiast, beloved girl! If I could take thee
+with me, I would embark in the adventure, with no other companion."</p>
+
+<p>A fitting reply was made to this gallant, and, at the moment, certainly
+sincere speech, after which the matter was discussed between the two,
+with greater calmness and far more intelligibly. Don Luis succeeded in
+restraining his impatience; and the generous confidence with which
+Mercedes gradually got to betray her interest in him, and the sweet,
+holy earnestness with which she urged the probability of success,
+brought him at length to view the enterprise as one of lofty objects,
+rather than as a scheme which flattered his love of adventure.</p>
+
+<p>Doña Beatriz left the lovers alone for quite two hours, the queen
+requiring her presence all that time; and soon after she returned, her
+reckless, roving, indiscreet, but noble-hearted and manly nephew, took
+his leave. Mercedes and her guardian, however, did not retire until
+midnight; the former laying open her whole heart to the marchioness, and
+explaining all her hopes as they were connected with the enterprise of
+Colon. Doña Beatriz was both gratified and pained by this confession,
+while she smiled at the ingenuity of love, in coupling the great designs
+of the Genoese with the gratification of its own wishes. Still she was
+not displeased. Luis de Bobadilla was the son of an only and
+much-beloved brother, and she had transferred to her nephew most of the
+affection she had felt for the father. All who knew him, indeed, were
+fond of the handsome and gallant young cavalier, though the prudent felt
+compelled to frown on his indiscretions; and he might have chosen a
+wife, at will, from among the fair and high-born of Castile, with the
+few occasional exceptions that denote the circumspection and reserve of
+higher principles than common, and a forethought that extends beyond the
+usual considerations of marriage. The marchioness, therefore, was not an
+unwilling listener to her ward; and ere they separated for the night,
+the ingenuous but modest confessions, the earnest eloquence, and the
+tender ingenuity, of Mercedes, had almost made a convert of Doña
+Beatriz.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI"></a>CHAPTER VI.</h2>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"Looke back, who list, unto the former ages,<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">And call to count, what is of them become,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Where be those learned wits and antique sages,<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">Which of all wisdom knew the perfect somme?<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">Where those great warriors which did overcome<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">The world with conquest of their might and maine,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">And made one meare of th'earth and of their raigne."<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">Ruins of Time.</span><br /></span>
+</div></div>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p>Two or three days had passed before the Christians began to feel at home
+in the ancient seat of Mahommedan power. By that time, however, the
+Alhambra and the town got to be more regulated than they were during the
+hurry, delight, and grief, of taking possession and departing; and as
+the politic and far from ill-disposed Ferdinand had issued strict orders
+that the Moors should not only be treated with kindness, but with
+delicacy, the place gradually settled down into tranquillity, and men
+began to fall into their ancient habits and to interest themselves in
+their customary pursuits.</p>
+
+<p>Don Fernando was much occupied with new cares, as a matter of course;
+but his illustrious consort, who reserved herself for great occasions,
+exercising her ordinary powers in the quiet, gentle manner that became
+her sex and native disposition, her truth and piety, had already
+withdrawn, as far as her high rank and substantial authority would
+allow, from the pageantry and martial scenes of a warlike court, and was
+seeking, with her wonted readiness, the haunts of private affection, and
+that intercourse which is most congenial to the softer affections of a
+woman. Her surviving children were with her, and they occupied much of
+her maternal care; but she had also many hours for friendship, and for
+the indulgence of an affection that appeared to include all her subjects
+within the ties of family.</p>
+
+<p>On the morning of the third day that succeeded the evening of the
+interview related in the preceding chapter, Doña Isabella had collected
+about her person a few of those privileged individuals who might be said
+to have the entrée to her more private hours; for while that of Castile
+was renowned among Christian courts for etiquette, habits that it had
+probably derived from the stately oriental usages of its Mahommedan
+neighbors, the affectionate nature of the queen had cast a halo around
+her own private circle, that at once rendered it graceful as well as
+delightful to all who enjoyed the high honor of entering it. At that
+day, churchmen enjoyed a species of exclusive favor, mingling with all
+the concerns of life, and not unfrequently controlling them. While we
+are quick to detect blemishes of this sort among foreign nations, and
+are particularly prone to point out the evils that have flowed from the
+meddling of the Romish divines, we verify the truth of the venerable
+axiom that teaches us how much easier it is to see the faults of others
+than to discover our own; for no people afford stronger evidences of the
+existence of this control, than the people of the United States, more
+especially that portion of them who dwell in places that were originally
+settled by religionists, and which still continue under the influence of
+the particular sects that first prevailed; and perhaps the strongest
+national trait that exists among us at this moment&mdash;that of a
+disposition to extend the control of society beyond the limits set by
+the institutions and the laws, under the taking and plausible
+appellation of Public Opinion&mdash;has its origin in the polity of churches
+of a democratic character, that have aspired to be an <i>imperium in
+imperio</i>, confirmed and strengthened by their modes of government and by
+provincial habits. Be the fact as it may among ourselves, there is no
+question of the ascendency of the Catholic priesthood throughout
+Christendom, previously to the reformation; and Isabella was too
+sincerely devout, too unostentatiously pious, not to allow them every
+indulgence that comported with her own sense of right, and among others,
+that of a free access to her presence, and an influence on all her
+measures.</p>
+
+<p>On the occasion just named, among others who were present was Fernando
+de Talavera, a prelate of high station, who had just been named to the
+new dignity of Archbishop of Granada, and the Fray Pedro de Carrascal,
+the former teacher of Luis de Bobadilla, an unbeneficed divine, who owed
+his favor to great simplicity of character, aided by his high birth.
+Isabella, herself, was seated at a little table, where she was employed
+with her needle, the subject of her toil being a task as homely as a
+shirt for the king, it being a part of her womanly propensities to
+acquit herself of this humble duty, as scrupulously as if she had been
+the wife of a common tradesman of her own capital. This was one of the
+habits of the age, however, if not a part of the policy of princes; for
+most travellers have seen the celebrated saddle of the Queen of
+Burgundy, with a place arranged for the distaff, that, when its owner
+rode forth, she might set an example of thrift to her admiring subjects;
+and with our own eyes, in these luxurious times, when few private ladies
+even condescend to touch any thing as useful as the garment that
+occupied the needle of Isabella of Castile, we have seen a queen, seated
+amid her royal daughters, as diligently employed with the needle as if
+her livelihood depended on her industry. But Doña Isabella had no
+affectations. In feelings, speech, nature, and acts, she was truth
+itself; and matrimonial tenderness gave her a deeply felt pleasure in
+thus being occupied for a husband whom she tenderly loved as a man,
+while it was impossible she could entirely conceal from herself all his
+faults as a monarch. Near her sat the companion of her girlish days, the
+long-tried and devoted Beatriz de Cabrera. Mercedes occupied a stool, at
+the feet of the Infanta Isabella, while one or two other ladies of the
+household were placed at hand, with such slight distinctions of rank as
+denoted the presence of royalty, but with a domestic freedom that made
+these observances graceful without rendering them fatiguing. The king
+himself was writing at a table, in a distant corner of the vast
+apartment; and no one, the newly-created archbishop not excepted,
+presumed to approach that side of the room. The discourse was conducted
+in a tone a little lower than common; even the queen, whose voice was
+always melody, modulating its tones in a way not to interfere with the
+train of thought into which her illustrious consort appeared to be
+profoundly plunged. But, at the precise moment that we now desire to
+present to the reader, Isabella had been deeply lost in reflection for
+some time, and a general silence prevailed in the female circle around
+the little work-tables.</p>
+
+<p>"Daughter-Marchioness"&mdash;for so the queen usually addressed her
+friend&mdash;"Daughter-Marchioness," said Isabella, arousing herself from the
+long silence, "hath aught been seen or heard of late of the Señor Colon,
+the pilot who hath so long urged us on the subject of this western
+voyage?"</p>
+
+<p>The quick, hurried glance of intelligence and gratification, that passed
+between Mercedes and her guardian, betrayed the interest they felt in
+this question, while the latter answered, as became her duty and her
+respect for her mistress&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"You remember, Señora, that he was written for, by Fray Juan Perez, Your
+Highness' ancient confessor, who journeyed all the way from his convent
+of Santa Maria de Rabida, in Andalusia, to intercede in his behalf, that
+his great designs might not be lost to Castile."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou thinkest his designs, then, great, Daughter-Marchioness?"</p>
+
+<p>"Can any think them otherwise, Señora? They seem reasonable and natural,
+and if just, is it not a great and laudable undertaking to extend the
+bounds of the church, and to confer honor and wealth on one's own
+country? My enthusiastic ward, Mercedes de Valverde, is so zealous in
+behalf of this navigator's great project, that, next to her duty to her
+God, and her duty to her sovereigns, it seemeth to make the great
+concern of her life."</p>
+
+<p>The queen turned a smiling face toward the blushing girl who was the
+subject of this remark, and she gazed at her, for an instant, with the
+expression of affection that was so wont to illuminate her lovely
+countenance when dwelling on the features of her own daughters.</p>
+
+<p>"Dost thou acknowledge this, Doña Mercedes?" she said; "hath Colon so
+convinced thee, that thou art thus zealous in his behalf?"</p>
+
+<p>Mercedes arose, respectfully, when addressed by the queen, and she
+advanced a step or two nearer to the royal person before she made any
+reply.</p>
+
+<p>"It becometh me to speak modestly, in this presence," said the beautiful
+girl; "but I shall not deny that I feel deep concern for the success of
+the Señor Colon. The thought is so noble, Señora, that it were a pity it
+should not be just."</p>
+
+<p>"This is the reasoning of the young and generous-minded; and I confess
+myself, Beatrice, almost as childish as any, on this matter, at
+times&mdash;Colon, out of question, is still here?"</p>
+
+<p>"Indeed he is, Señora," answered Mercedes, eagerly, and with a haste she
+immediately repented, for the inquiry was not made directly to herself;
+"I know of one who hath seen him as lately as the day the troops took
+possession of the town."</p>
+
+<p>"Who is that person?" asked the queen, steadily, but not severely, her
+eye having turned again to the face of the girl, with an interest that
+continued to increase as she gazed.</p>
+
+<p>Mercedes now bitterly regretted her indiscretion, and, in spite of a
+mighty effort to repress her feelings, the tell-tale blood mounted to
+her temples, ere she could find resolution to reply.</p>
+
+<p>"Don Luis de Bobadilla, Señora, the nephew of my guardian, Doña
+Beatriz," she at length answered; for the love of truth was stronger in
+this pure-hearted young creature, even, than the dread of shame.</p>
+
+<p>"Thou art particular, Señorita," Isabella observed calmly, severity
+seldom entering into her communication with the just-minded and good;
+"Don Luis cometh of too illustrious a house to need a herald to proclaim
+his alliances. It is only the obscure that the world doth not trouble
+itself about. Daughter-Marchioness," relieving Mercedes from a state
+scarcely less painful than the rack, by turning her eyes toward her
+friend, "this nephew of thine is a confirmed rover&mdash;but I doubt if he
+could be prevailed on to undertake an expedition like this of Colon's,
+that hath in view the glory of God and the benefit of the realm."</p>
+
+<p>"Indeed, Señora"&mdash;Mercedes repressed her zeal by a sudden and triumphant
+effort.</p>
+
+<p>"Thou wert about to speak, Doña Mercedes," gravely observed the queen.</p>
+
+<p>"I crave Your Highness' forgiveness. It was improperly, as your own
+words were not addressed to me."</p>
+
+<p>"This is not the court of the Queen of Castile, daughter, but the
+private room of Isabella de Trastamara," said the queen, willing to
+lessen the effect of what had already passed. "Thou hast the blood of
+the Admiral of Castile in thy veins, and art even akin to our Lord the
+King. Speak freely, then."</p>
+
+<p>"I know your gracious goodness to me, Señora, and had nearly forgotten
+myself, under its influence. All I had to say was, that Don Luis de
+Bobadilla desireth exceedingly that the Señor Colon might get the
+caravels he seeketh, and that he himself might obtain the royal
+permission to make one among the adventurers."</p>
+
+<p>"Can this be so, Beatriz?"</p>
+
+<p>"Luis is a truant, Señora, beyond a question, but it is not with ignoble
+motives. I have heard him ardently express his desire to be one of
+Colon's followers, should that person be sent by Your Highness in search
+of the land of Cathay."</p>
+
+<p>Isabella made no reply, but she laid her homely work in her lap, and sat
+musing, in pensive silence, for several minutes. During this interval,
+none near her presumed to speak, and Mercedes retired, stealthily, to
+her stool, at the feet of the Infanta. At length the queen arose, and,
+crossing the room, she approached the table where Don Fernando was still
+busily engaged with the pen. Here she paused a moment, as if unwilling
+to disturb him; but soon, laying a hand kindly on his shoulder, she drew
+his attention to herself. The king, as if conscious whence such
+familiarity could alone proceed, looked around immediately, and, rising
+from his chair, he was the first to speak.</p>
+
+<p>"These Moriscoes need looking to," he said, betraying the direction that
+his thoughts had so early taken toward the increase of his power&mdash;"I
+find we have left Abdallah many strongholds in the Apulxarras, that may
+make him a troublesome neighbor, unless we can push him across the
+Mediterranean"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Of this, Fernando, we will converse on some other opportunity,"
+interrupted the queen, whose pure mind disliked every thing that even
+had an approach to a breach of faith. "It is hard enough for those who
+control the affairs of men, always to obey God and their own
+consciences, without seeking occasions to violate their faith. I have
+come to thee, on another matter. The hurry of the times, and the
+magnitude of our affairs, have caused us to overlook the promise given
+to Colon, the navigator"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Still busied with thy needle, Isabella, and for my comfort," observed
+the king, playing with the shirt that his royal consort had
+unconsciously brought in her hand; "few subjects have wives as
+considerate and kind as thou!"</p>
+
+<p>"Thy comfort and happiness stand next to my duty to God and the care of
+my people," returned Isabella, gratified at the notice the King of
+Aragon had taken of this little homage of her sex, even while she
+suspected that it came from a wish to parry the subject that was then
+uppermost in her thoughts. "I would do naught in this important concern,
+without thy fullest approbation, if that may be had; and I think it
+toucheth our royal words to delay no longer. Seven years are a most
+cruel probation, and, unless we are active, we shall have some of the
+hot-blooded young nobles of the kingdom undertaking the matter, as their
+holiday sports."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou say'st true, Señora, and we will refer the subject, at once, to
+Fernando de Talavera, yonder, who is of approved discretion, and one to
+be relied on." As the king spoke, he beckoned to the individual named,
+who immediately approached the royal pair. "Archbishop of Granada,"
+continued the wily king, who had as many politic arts as a modern
+patriot intently bent on his own advancement&mdash;"Archbishop of Granada,
+our royal consort hath a desire that this affair of Colon should be
+immediately inquired into, and reported on to ourselves. It is our joint
+command that you, and others, take the matter, before the next
+twenty-four hours shall pass, into mature consideration and inquiry, and
+that you lay the result before ourselves. The names of your associates
+shall be given to you in the course of the day."</p>
+
+<p>While the tongue of Ferdinand was thus instructing the prelate, the
+latter read in the expression of the monarch's eye, and in the coldness
+of his countenance, a meaning that his quick and practiced wits were not
+slow in interpreting. He signified his dutiful assent, however; received
+the names of his associates in the commission, of whom Isabella pointed
+out one or two, and then waited to join in the discourse.</p>
+
+<p>"This project of Colon's is worthy of being more seriously inquired
+into," resumed the king, when these preliminaries were settled, "and it
+shall be our care to see that he hath all consideration. They tell me
+the honest navigator is a good Christian."</p>
+
+<p>"I think him devotedly so, Don Fernando. He hath a purpose, should God
+prosper his present undertaking, to join in a new effort to regain the
+holy sepulchre."</p>
+
+<p>"Umph! Such designs may be meritorious, but ours is the true way to
+advance the faith&mdash;this conquest of our own. We have raised the cross,
+my wife, where the ensigns of infidelity were lately seen, and Granada
+is so near Castile that it will not be difficult to maintain our altars.
+Such, at least, are the opinions of a layman&mdash;holy prelate&mdash;on these
+matters."</p>
+
+<p>"And most just and wise opinions are they, Señor," returned the
+archbishop. "That which can be retained, it is wisest to seek, for we
+lose our labors in gaining things that Providence hath placed so far
+beyond our control, that they do not seem designed for our purposes."</p>
+
+<p>"There are those, my Lord Archbishop," observed the queen, "who might
+argue against all attempts to recover the holy sepulchre, hearing
+opinions like these, from so high authority!"</p>
+
+<p>"Then, Señora, they would misconceive that authority," the politic
+prelate hurriedly replied. "It is well for all Christendom, to drive the
+Infidels from the Holy Land; but for Castile it is better to dispossess
+them of Granada. The distinction is a very plain one, as every sound
+casuist must admit."</p>
+
+<p>"This truth is as evident to our reason," added Ferdinand, casting a
+look of calm exultation out at a window, "as that yonder towers were
+once Abdallah's, and that they are now our own!"</p>
+
+<p>"Better for Castile!" repeated Isabella, in the tones of one who mused.
+"For her worldly power better, perhaps, but not better for the souls of
+those who achieve the deed&mdash;surely, not better for the glory of God!"</p>
+
+<p>"My much-honored wife, and beloved consort"&mdash;said the king.</p>
+
+<p>"Señora"&mdash;added the prelate.</p>
+
+<p>But Isabella walked slowly away, pondering on principles, while the eyes
+of the two worldings she left behind her, met, with the sort of
+free-masonry that is in much request among those who are too apt to
+substitute the expedient for the right. The queen did not return to her
+seat, but she walked up and down that part of the room which the
+archbishop had left vacant when he approached herself and her husband.
+Here she remained alone for several minutes, even Ferdinand holding her
+in too much reverence to presume to disturb her meditations, uninvited.
+The queen several times cast glances at Mercedes, and, at length, she
+commanded her to draw near.</p>
+
+<p>"Daughter," said Isabella, who frequently addressed those she loved by
+this endearing term, "thou hast not forgotten thy freely-offered vow?"</p>
+
+<p>"Next to my duty to God, Señora, I most consider my duty to my
+sovereign."</p>
+
+<p>Mercedes spoke firmly, and in those tones that seldom deceive. Isabella
+riveted her eyes on the pale features of the beautiful girl, and when
+the words just quoted were uttered, a tender mother could not have
+regarded a beloved child with stronger proofs of affection.</p>
+
+<p>"Thy duty to God overshadoweth all other feelings, daughter, as is
+just," answered the queen; "thy duty to me is secondary and inferior.
+Still, thou and all others, owe a solemn duty to your sovereign, and I
+should be unfit for the high trust that I have received from Providence,
+did I permit any of these obligations to lessen. It is not I that reign
+in Castile, but Providence, through its humble and unworthy instrument.
+My people are my children, and I often pray that I may have heart enough
+to hold them all. If princes are sometimes obliged to frown on the
+unworthy, it is but in humble and distant imitation of that Power which
+cannot smile on evil."</p>
+
+<p>"I hope, Señora," said the girl, timidly, observing that the queen
+paused, "I have not been so unfortunate as to displease you; a frown
+from Your Highness would indeed be a calamity!"</p>
+
+<p>"Thou? No, daughter; I would that all the maidens of Castile, noble and
+simple, were of thy truth, and modesty, and obedience. But we cannot
+permit thee to become the victim of the senses. Thou art too well
+taught, Doña Mercedes, not to distinguish between that which is
+brilliant and that which is truly virtuous"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Señora!" cried Mercedes, eagerly&mdash;then checking herself, immediately,
+for she felt it was a disrespect to interrupt her sovereign.</p>
+
+<p>"I listen to what thou wouldst say, daughter," Isabella answered, after
+pausing for the frightened girl to continue. "Speak freely; thou
+addressest a parent."</p>
+
+<p>"I was about to say, Señora, that if all that is brilliant is not
+virtuous, neither is all that is unpleasant to the sight, or what
+prudence might condemn, actually vicious."</p>
+
+<p>"I understand thee, Señorita, and the remark hath truth in it. Now, let
+us speak of other things. Thou appearest to be friendly to the designs
+of this navigator, Colon?"</p>
+
+<p>"The opinion of one untaught and youthful as I, can have little weight
+with the Queen of Castile, who can ask counsel of prelates and learned
+churchmen, besides consulting her own wisdom;" Mercedes modestly
+answered.</p>
+
+<p>"But thou thinkest well of his project; or have I mistaken thy meaning?"</p>
+
+<p>"No, Señora, I <i>do</i> think well of Colon's scheme; for to me it seemeth
+of that nobleness and grandeur that Providence would favor, for the good
+of man and the advancement of the church."</p>
+
+<p>"And thou believest that nobles and cavaliers can be found willing to
+embark with this obscure Genoese, in his bold undertaking?"</p>
+
+<p>The queen felt the hand that she affectionately held in both her own,
+tremble, and when she looked at her companion she perceived that her
+face was crimsoned and her eyes lowered. But the generous girl thought
+the moment critical for the fortunes of her lover, and she rallied all
+her energies in order to serve his interests.</p>
+
+<p>"Señora, I do," she answered, with a steadiness that both surprised and
+pleased the queen, who entered into and appreciated all her feelings; "I
+think Don Luis de Bobadilla will embark with him; since his aunt hath
+conversed freely with him on the nature and magnitude of the enterprise,
+his mind dwelleth on little else. He would be willing to furnish gold
+for the occasion, could his guardians be made to consent."</p>
+
+<p>"Which any guardian would be very wrong to do. We may deal freely with
+our own, but it is forbidden to jeopard the goods of another. If Don
+Luis de Bobadilla persevere in this intention, and act up to his
+professions, I shall think more favorably of his character than
+circumstances have hitherto led me to do."</p>
+
+<p>"Señora!"</p>
+
+<p>"Hear me, daughter; we cannot now converse longer on this point, the
+council waiting my presence, and the king having already left us. Thy
+guardian and I will confer together, and thou shalt not be kept in undue
+suspense; but Mercedes de Valverde"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"My Lady the Queen"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Remember thy vow, daughter. It was freely given, and must not be
+hastily forgotten."</p>
+
+<p>Isabella now kissed the pale cheek of the girl and withdrew, followed by
+all the ladies; leaving the half-pleased and yet half-terrified Mercedes
+standing in the centre of the vast apartment, resembling a beautiful
+statue of Doubt.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/i107.jpg" alt=""/>
+</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII"></a>CHAPTER VII.</h2>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"He that of such a height hath built his mind,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">And reared the dwelling of his thoughts so strong<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">As neither fear nor hope can shake the frame<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Of his resolved powers."<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">Daniel.</span><br /></span>
+</div></div>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p>The following day the Alhambra was crowded with courtiers as usual;
+applicants for favors, those who sought their own, and those who
+solicited the redress of imaginary wrongs. The ante-chambers were
+thronged, and the different individuals in waiting jealously eyed each
+other, as if to inquire how far their neighbors would be likely to
+thwart their several views or to advance their wishes. Men bowed, in
+general, coldly and with distrust; and the few that did directly pass
+their greetings, met with the elaborated civility that commonly
+characterizes the intercourse of palaces.</p>
+
+<p>While curiosity was active in guessing at the business of the different
+individuals present, and whispers, nods, shrugs of the shoulders, and
+meaning glances, passed among the old stagers, as they communicated to
+each other the little they knew, or thought they knew, on different
+subjects, there stood in the corner of the principal apartment, one in
+particular, who might be distinguished from all around him, by his
+stature, the gravity and dignity of his air, and the peculiar sort of
+notice that he attracted. Few approached him, and they that did, as they
+turned their backs, cast those glances of self-sufficiency and ridicule
+about them, that characterize the vulgar-minded when they fancy that
+they are deriding or sneering in consonance with popular opinion. This
+was Columbus, who was very generally regarded by the multitude as a
+visionary schemer, and who necessarily shared in that sort of
+contemptuous obloquy that attaches itself to the character. But even the
+wit and jokes of the crowd had been expended upon this subject, and the
+patience of those who danced attendance was getting to be exhausted,
+when a little stir at the door announced the approach of some new
+courtier. The manner in which the throng quickly gave way, denoted the
+presence of some one of high rank, and presently Don Luis de Bobadilla
+stood in the centre of the room.</p>
+
+<p>"It is the nephew of Her Highness' favorite," whispered one.</p>
+
+<p>"A noble of one of the most illustrious families of Castile," said
+another; "but a fitting associate of this Colon, as neither the
+authority of his guardians, the wishes of the queen, nor his high
+station, can keep him from the life of a vagabond."</p>
+
+<p>"One of the best lances in Spain, if he had the prudence and wisdom to
+turn his skill to profit," observed a third.</p>
+
+<p>"That is the youthful knight who hath so well deported himself in this
+last campaign," growled an inferior officer of the infantry, "and who
+unhorsed Don Alonso de Ojeda in the tourney; but his lance is as
+unsteady in its aim, as it is good in the rest. They tell me he is a
+rover."</p>
+
+<p>As if purposely to justify this character, Luis looked about him
+anxiously a moment, and then made his way directly to the side of Colon.
+The smiles, nods, shrugs, and half-suppressed whispers that followed,
+betrayed the common feeling; but a door on the side of the closet
+opening, all eyes were immediately bent in that direction, and the
+little interruption just mentioned was as soon forgotten.</p>
+
+<p>"I greet you, Señor," said Luis, bowing respectfully to Columbus. "Since
+our discourse of last evening I have thought of little besides its
+subject, and have come hither to renew it."</p>
+
+<p>That Columbus was pleased by this homage, appeared in his eye, his
+smile, and the manner in which he raised his body, as if full of the
+grandeur of his own designs; but he was compelled to defer the pleasure
+that it always gave him to dilate on his enterprise.</p>
+
+<p>"I am commanded hither, noble Señor," he answered, cordially, "by the
+holy Archbishop of Granada, who, it seemeth, hath it in charge from
+their Highnesses, to bring my affair to a speedy issue, and who hath
+named this very morning for that purpose. We touch upon the verge of
+great events: the day is not distant, when this conquest of Granada will
+be forgotten, in the greater importance of the mighty things that God
+hath held in reserve!"</p>
+
+<p>"By San Pedro, my new patron! I do believe you, Señor. Cathay must lie
+at or near the spot you have named, and your own eyes shall not see it,
+and its gorgeous stories of wealth, sooner than mine. Remember Pedro de
+Muños, I pray you, Señor Colon."</p>
+
+<p>"He shall not be forgotten, I promise you, young lord; and all the great
+deeds of your ancestors will be eclipsed by the glory achieved by their
+son. But I hear my name called; we will talk of this anon."</p>
+
+<p>"El Señor Christoval Colon!" was called by one of the pages, in a loud
+authoritative voice, and the navigator hurried forward, buoyed up with
+hope and joy.</p>
+
+<p>The manner in which one so generally regarded with indifference, if not
+with contempt, had been selected from all that crowd of courtiers,
+excited some surprise; but as the ordinary business of the antechamber
+went on, and the subordinates of office soon appeared in the rooms, to
+hear solicitations and answer questions, the affair was quickly
+forgotten. Luis withdrew disappointed, for he had hoped to enjoy another
+long discourse with Columbus, on a subject which, as it was connected
+with his dearest hopes, now occupied most of his thoughts. We shall
+leave him, however, and all in the ante-chambers, to follow the great
+navigator further into the depths of the palace.</p>
+
+<p>Fernando de Talavera had not been unmindful of his orders. Instead,
+however, of associating with this prelate, men known to be well disposed
+to listen to the propositions of Columbus, the king and queen had made
+the mistake of choosing some six or eight of their courtiers, persons of
+probity and of good general characters, but who were too little
+accustomed to learned research, properly to appreciate the magnitude of
+the proposed discoveries. Into the presence of these distinguished
+nobles and churchmen was Columbus now ushered, and among them is the
+reader to suppose him seated. We pass over the customary ceremonies of
+the introduction, and proceed at once to the material part of the
+narrative. The Archbishop of Granada was the principal speaker on the
+part of the commissioners.</p>
+
+<p>"We understand, Señor Colon," continued the prelate, "should you be
+favored by their Highnesses' power and authority, that you propose to
+undertake a voyage into the unknown Atlantic, in quest of the land of
+Cathay and the celebrated island of Cipango?"</p>
+
+<p>"That is my design, holy and illustrious prelate. The matter hath been
+so often up between the agents of the two sovereigns and myself, that
+there is little occasion to enlarge on my views."</p>
+
+<p>"These were fully discussed at Salamanca, of a verity, where many
+learned churchmen were of your way of thinking, Señor, though more were
+against it. Our Lord the King, and our Lady the Queen, however, are
+disposed to view the matter favorably, and this commission hath been
+commanded that we might arrange all previous principles, and determine
+the rights of the respective parties. What force in vessels and
+equipments do you demand, in order to achieve the great objects you
+expect, under the blessing of God, to accomplish?"</p>
+
+<p>"You have well spoken, Lord Archbishop; it will be by the blessing of
+God, and under his especial care, that all will be done, for his glory
+and worship are involved in the success. With so good an ally on my
+side, little worldly means will be necessary. Two caravels of light
+burden are all I ask, with the flag of the sovereigns, and a sufficiency
+of mariners."</p>
+
+<p>The commissioners turned toward each other in surprise, and while some
+saw in the moderate request the enthusiastic heedlessness of a
+visionary, others detected the steady reliance of faith.</p>
+
+<p>"That is not asking much, truly," observed the prelate, who was among
+the first; "and, though these wars have left us of Castile with an
+exhausted treasury, we could compass that little without the aid of a
+miracle. The caravels might be found, and the mariners levied, but there
+are weighty points to determine before we reach that concession. You
+expect, Señor, to be intrusted with the command of the expedition, in
+your own person?"</p>
+
+<p>"Without that confidence I could not be answerable for success. I ask
+the full and complete authority of an admiral, or a sea-commander, of
+their Highnesses. The force employed will be trifling in appearance, but
+the risks will be great, and the power of the two crowns must completely
+sustain that of him on whose shoulders will rest the entire weight of
+the responsibility."</p>
+
+<p>"This is but just, and none will gainsay it. But, Señor, have you
+thought maturely on the advantages that are to accrue to the sovereigns,
+should they sustain you in this undertaking?"</p>
+
+<p>"Lord Archbishop, for eighteen years hath this subject occupied my
+thoughts, and employed my studies, both by day and by night. In the
+whole of that long period have I done little that hath not had a direct
+bearing on the success of this mighty enterprise. The advantages to all
+concerned, that will flow from it, have, therefore, scarce been
+forgotten."</p>
+
+<p>"Name them, Señor."</p>
+
+<p>"First, then, as is due to his all-seeing and omnipotent protection,
+glory will be given to the Almighty, by the spreading of his church and
+the increase of his worshippers." Fernando de Talavera and all the
+churchmen present piously crossed themselves, an act in which Columbus
+himself joined. "Their Highnesses, as is meet, will reap the next
+advantages, in the extension of their empire and in the increase of
+their subjects. Wealth will flow in upon Castile and Aragon, in a rapid
+stream, His Holiness freely granting to Christian monarchs the thrones
+and territories of all infidel princes whose possessions may be
+discovered, or people converted to the faith, through their means."</p>
+
+<p>"This is plausible, Señor," returned the prelate, "and founded on just
+principles. His Holiness certainly is entrusted with that power, and
+hath been known to use it, for the glory of God. You doubtless know,
+Señor Colon, that Don John of Portugal hath paid great attention to
+these matters already, and that he and his predecessors have probably
+pushed discovery to the verge of its final limits. His enterprise hath
+also obtained from Rome certain privileges that may not be meddled
+with."</p>
+
+<p>"I am not ignorant of the Portuguese enterprise, holy prelate, nor of
+the spirit with which Don John hath exercised his power. His vessels
+voyage along the western shore of Africa, and in a direction altogether
+different from that I propose to take. My purpose is to launch forth, at
+once, into the broad Atlantic, and by following the sun toward his place
+of evening retirement, reach the eastern bounds of the Indies, by a road
+that will lessen the journey many months."</p>
+
+<p>Although the archbishop and most of his coadjutors belonged to the
+numerous class of those who regarded Columbus as a brain-heated
+visionary, the earnest, but lofty dignity, with which he thus simply
+touched upon his projects; the manner in which he quietly smoothed down
+his white locks, when he had spoken; and the enthusiasm that never
+failed to kindle in his eye, as he dwelt on his noble designs, produced
+a deep impression on all present, and there was a moment when the
+general feeling was to aid him to the extent of the common means. It was
+a singular and peculiar proof of the existence of this transient feeling
+that one of the commissioners immediately inquired&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Do you propose, Señor Colon, to seek the court of Prestor John?"</p>
+
+<p>"I know not, noble Señor, that such a potentate hath even an existence,"
+answered Columbus, whose notions had got the fixed and philosophical
+bias that is derived from science, and who entered little into the
+popular fallacies of the day, though necessarily subject to much of the
+ignorance of the age; "I find nothing to establish the truth of there
+being such a monarch at all, or such territories."</p>
+
+<p>This admission did not help the navigator's cause; for to affirm that
+the earth was a sphere, and that Prestor John was a creature of the
+imagination, was abandoning the marvellous to fall back on demonstration
+and probabilities&mdash;a course that the human mind, in its uncultivated
+condition, is not fond of taking.</p>
+
+<p>"There are men who will be willing to put faith in the truth of Prestor
+John's power and territories," interrupted one of the commissioners, who
+was indebted to his present situation purely to King Ferdinand's policy,
+"who will flatly deny that the earth is round; since we all know that
+there are kings, and territories, and Christians, while we see that the
+earth and the ocean are plains."</p>
+
+<p>This opinion was received with an assenting smile by most present,
+though Fernando de Talavera had doubts of its justice.</p>
+
+<p>"Señor," answered Columbus, mildly, "if all in this world was in truth
+what it seemeth, confessions would be little needed, and penance would
+be much lighter."</p>
+
+<p>"I esteem you a good Christian, Señor Colon," observed the archbishop,
+sharply.</p>
+
+<p>"I am such as the grace of God and a weak nature have made me, Lord
+Archbishop; though I humbly trust that when I shall have achieved this
+great end, that I may be deemed more worthy of the divine protection, as
+well as of the divine favor."</p>
+
+<p>"It hath been said that thou deemest thyself especially set apart by
+Providence for this work."</p>
+
+<p>"I feel that within me, holy prelate, that encourageth such a hope; but
+I build naught on mysteries that exceed my comprehension."</p>
+
+<p>It would be difficult to say whether Columbus lost or gained in the
+opinions of his auditors, by this answer. The religious feeling of the
+age was in perfect consonance with the sentiment; but, to the churchmen
+present, it seemed arrogant in a humble and unknown layman, even to
+believe it possible that he could be the chosen vessel, when so many who
+appeared to have higher claims were rejected. Still no expression of
+this feeling was permitted, for it was then, as it is now&mdash;he who seemed
+to rely on the power of God, carrying with him a weight and an influence
+that ordinarily checked rebukes.</p>
+
+<p>"You propose to endeavor to reach Cathay by means of sailing forth into
+the broad Atlantic," resumed the archbishop, "and yet you deny the
+existence of Prestor John."</p>
+
+<p>"Your pardon, holy prelate&mdash;I do propose to reach Cathay and Cipango in
+the mode you mention, but I do not absolutely deny the existence of the
+monarch you have named. For the probability of the success of my
+enterprise, I have already produced my proofs and reasons, which have
+satisfied many learned churchmen; but evidence is wanting to establish
+the last."</p>
+
+<p>"And yet Giovanni di Montecorvino, a pious bishop of our holy church, is
+said to have converted such a prince to the true faith, nearly two
+centuries since."</p>
+
+<p>"The power of God can do any thing, Lord Archbishop, and I am not one to
+question the merits of his chosen ministers. All I can answer on this
+point is, to say that I find no scientific or plausible reasons to
+justify me in pursuing what may prove to be as deceptive as the light
+which recedes before the hand that would touch it. As for Cathay and its
+position and its wonders, we have the better established evidence of the
+renowned Venetians, Marco and Nicolo Polo, who not only travelled in
+those territories, but sojourned years at the court of their monarch.
+But, noble gentlemen, whether there is a Prestor John, or a Cathay,
+there is certainly a limit to the western side of the Atlantic, and that
+limit I am ready to seek."</p>
+
+<p>The archbishop betrayed his incredulity in the upward turn of his eyes;
+but having his commands from those who were accustomed to be obeyed, and
+knowing that the theory of Columbus had been gravely heard and reported
+on, years before, at Salamanca, he determined prudently to keep within
+his proper sphere, and to proceed at once to that into which it was his
+duty to inquire.</p>
+
+<p>"You have set forth the advantages that you think may be derived to the
+sovereigns, should your project succeed, Señor," he said, "and truly
+they are not light, if all your brilliant hopes may be realized; but it
+now remaineth to know what conditions you reserve for yourself, as the
+reward of all your risks and many years of anxious labor."</p>
+
+<p>"All that hath been duly considered, illustrious archbishop, and you
+will find the substance of my wishes set forth in this paper, though
+many of the smaller provisions will remain to be enumerated."</p>
+
+<p>As Columbus spoke he handed the paper in question to Ferdinand of
+Talavera. The prelate ran his eyes over it hastily at first, but a
+second time with more deliberation, and it would be difficult to say
+whether ridicule or indignation was most strongly expressed in his
+countenance, as he deridingly threw the document on a table. When this
+act of contempt was performed, he turned toward Columbus, as if to
+satisfy himself that the navigator was not mad.</p>
+
+<p>"Art thou serious in demanding these terms, Señor?" he asked sternly,
+and with a look that would have caused most men, in the humble station
+of the applicant, to swerve from their purpose.</p>
+
+<p>"Lord Archbishop," answered Columbus, with a dignity that was not easily
+disturbed, "this matter hath now occupied my mind quite eighteen years.
+During the whole of this long period I have thought seriously of little
+else, and it may be said to have engaged my mind sleeping and waking. I
+saw the truth early and intensely, but every day seems to bring it
+brighter and brighter before my eyes. I feel a reliance on success, that
+cometh from dependence on God. I think myself an agent, chosen for the
+accomplishment of great ends, and ends that will not be decided by the
+success of this one enterprise. There is more beyond, and I must retain
+the dignity and the means necessary to accomplish it. I cannot abate, in
+the smallest degree, the nature or the amount of these conditions."</p>
+
+<p>Although the manner in which these words were uttered lent them weight,
+the prelate fancied that the mind of the navigator had got to be
+unsettled by his long contemplation of a single subject. The only things
+that left any doubt concerning the accuracy of this opinion, were the
+method and science with which he had often maintained, even in his own
+presence, the reasonableness of his geographical suppositions; arguments
+which, though they had failed to convince one bent on believing the
+projector a visionary, had, nevertheless, greatly puzzled the listener.
+Still, the demands he had just read seemed so extravagant, that, for a
+single instant, a sentiment of pity repressed the burst of indignation
+to which he felt disposed to give vent.</p>
+
+<p>"How like ye, noble lords," he cried, sarcastically, turning to two or
+three of his fellow-commissioners, who had eagerly seized the paper and
+were endeavoring to read it, and all at the same moment, "the moderate
+and modest demands of the Señor Christoval Colon, the celebrated
+navigator who confounded the Council of Salamanca! Are they not such as
+becometh their Highnesses to accept on bended knees, and with many
+thanks?"</p>
+
+<p>"Read them, Lord Archbishop," exclaimed several in a breath. "Let us
+first know their nature."</p>
+
+<p>"There are many minor conditions that might be granted, as unworthy of
+discussion," resumed the prelate, taking the paper; "but here are two
+that must give the sovereigns infinite satisfaction. The Señor Colon
+actually satisfieth himself with the rank of Admiral and Viceroy over
+all the countries he may discover; and as for gains, one-tenth&mdash;the
+church's share, my brethren&mdash;yea, even one-tenth, one <i>humble</i> tenth of
+the proceeds and customs, will content him!"</p>
+
+<p>The general murmur that passed among the commissioners, denoted a common
+dissatisfaction, and at that instant Columbus had not a true supporter
+in the room.</p>
+
+<p>"Nor is this all, illustrious nobles, and holy priests," continued the
+archbishop, following up his advantage as soon as he believed his
+auditors ready to hear him&mdash;"nor is this all; lest these high dignities
+should weary their Highnesses' shoulders, and those of their royal
+progeny, the liberal Genoese actually consenteth to transmit them to his
+own posterity, in all time to come; converting the kingdom of Cathay
+into a realm for the uses of the house of Colon, to maintain the dignity
+of which, the tenth of all the benefits are to be consigned to its
+especial care!"</p>
+
+<p>There would have been an open laugh at this sally, had not the noble
+bearing of Columbus checked its indulgence; and even Ferdinand of
+Talavera, under the stern rebuke of an eye and mien that carried with
+them a grave authority, began to think he had gone too far.</p>
+
+<p>"Your pardon, Señor Colon," he immediately and more courteously added;
+"but your conditions sounded so lofty that they have quite taken me by
+surprise. You cannot seriously mean to maintain them?"</p>
+
+<p>"Not one jot will I abate, Lord Priest: that much will be my due; and he
+that consenteth to less than he deserveth, becometh an instrument of his
+own humiliation. I shall give to the sovereigns an empire that will far
+exceed in value all their other possessions, and I claim my reward. I
+tell you, moreover, reverend prelate, that there is much in reserve, and
+that these conditions will be needed to fulfil the future."</p>
+
+<p>"These are truly modest proposals for a nameless Genoese!" exclaimed one
+of the courtiers, who had been gradually swelling with disgust and
+contempt. "The Señor Colon will be certain of commanding in the service
+of their Highnesses, and if nothing is done he will have that high honor
+without cost; whereas, should this most improbable scheme lead to any
+benefits, he will become a vice-king, humbly contenting himself with the
+church's revenue!"</p>
+
+<p>This remark appeared to determine the wavering, and the commissioners
+rose, in a body, as if the matter were thought to be unworthy of further
+discussion. With the view to preserve at least the appearance of
+impartiality and discretion, however, the archbishop turned once more
+toward Columbus, and now, certain of obtaining his ends, he spoke to him
+in milder tones.</p>
+
+<p>"For the last time, Señor," he said, "I ask if you still insist on these
+unheard-of terms?"</p>
+
+<p>"On them, and on no other," said Columbus, firmly. "I know the magnitude
+of the services I shall perform, and will not degrade them&mdash;will in no
+manner lessen their dignity, by accepting aught else. But, Lord
+Archbishop, and you, too, noble Señor, that treateth my claims so
+lightly, I am ready to add to the risk of person, life, and name, that
+of gold. I will furnish one-eighth of the needful sums, if ye will
+increase my benefits in that proportion."</p>
+
+<p>"Enough, enough," returned the prelate, preparing to quit the room; "we
+will make our report to the sovereigns, this instant, and thou shalt
+speedily know their pleasure."</p>
+
+<p>Thus terminated the conference. The courtiers left the room, conversing
+earnestly among themselves, like men who did not care to repress their
+indignation; while Columbus, filled with the noble character of his own
+designs, disappeared in another direction, with the bearing of one whose
+self-respect was not to be lessened by clamor, and who appreciated
+ignorance and narrowness of views too justly to suffer them to change
+his own high purposes.</p>
+
+<p>Ferdinand of Talavera was as good as his word. He was the queen's
+confessor, and, in virtue of that holy office, had at all times access
+to her presence. Full of the subject of the late interview, he took his
+way directly to the private apartments of the queen, and, as a matter of
+course, was at once admitted. Isabella heard his representations with
+mortification and regret, for she had begun to set her heart on the
+sailing of this extraordinary expedition. But the influence of the
+archbishop was very great, for his royal penitent knew the sincerity and
+devotedness of his heart.</p>
+
+<p>"This carrieth presumption to insolence, Señora," continued the
+irritated churchman; "have we not here a mendicant adventurer demanding
+honors and authority that belong only to God and his anointed, the
+princes of the earth? Who is this Colon?&mdash;a nameless Genoese, without
+rank, services, or modesty, and yet doth he carry his pretensions to a
+height that might cause even a Guzman to hesitate."</p>
+
+<p>"He is a good Christian, holy prelate," Isabella meekly answered, "and
+seemeth to delight in the service and glory of God, and to wish to favor
+the extension of his visible and Catholic church."</p>
+
+<p>"True, Señora, and yet may there be deceit in this"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Nay, Lord Archbishop, I do not think that deceit is the man's failing,
+for franker speech and more manly bearing it is not usual to see, even
+in the most powerful. He hath solicited us for years, and yet no act of
+meanness may be fairly laid to his charge."</p>
+
+<p>"I shall not judge the heart of this man harshly, Doña Isabella, but we
+may judge of his actions and his pretensions, and how far they may be
+suitable to the dignity of the two crowns, freely and without censure. I
+confess him grave, and plausible, and light of neither discourse nor
+manner, virtues certainly, as the world moveth in courts"&mdash;Isabella
+smiled, but she said nothing, for her ghostly counsellor was wont to
+rebuke with freedom, and she to listen with humility&mdash;"where the age is
+not exhibiting its purest models of sobriety of thought and devotion,
+but even these may exist without the spirit that shall be fitted for
+heaven. But what are gravity and decorum, if sustained by an inflated
+pride and inordinate rapacity? ambition being a term too lofty for such
+a craving. Reflect, Señora, on the full nature of these demands. This
+Colon requireth to be established, forever, in the high state of a
+substitute for a king, not only for his own person, but for those of his
+descendants throughout all time, with the title and authority of Admiral
+over all adjacent seas, should he discover any of the lands he so much
+exalts, before he will consent to enter into the command of certain of
+Your Highnesses' vessels, a station of itself only too honorable for one
+of so little note! Should his most extravagant pretensions be
+realized&mdash;and the probabilities are that they will entirely fail&mdash;his
+demands would exceed his services; whereas, in the case of failure, the
+Castilian and Aragonese names would be covered with ridicule, and a sore
+disrespect would befal the royal dignity for having been thus duped by
+an adventurer. Much of the glory of this late conquest would be
+tarnished, by a mistake so unfortunate."</p>
+
+<p>"Daughter-Marchioness," observed the queen, turning toward the faithful,
+and long-tried friend who was occupied with her needle near her own
+side&mdash;"these conditions of Colon do, truly, seem to exceed the bounds of
+reason."</p>
+
+<p>"The enterprise also exceedeth all the usual bounds of risks and
+adventures, Señora," was the steady reply of Doña Beatriz, as she
+glanced toward the countenance of Mercedes. "Noble efforts deserve noble
+rewards."</p>
+
+<p>The eye of Isabella followed the glance of her friend, and it remained
+fixed for some time on the pale, anxious features of her favorite's
+ward. The beautiful girl herself was unconscious of the attention she
+excited; but one who knew her secret might easily detect the intense
+feeling with which she awaited the issue. The opinions of her confessor
+had seemed so reasonable, that Isabella was on the point of assenting to
+the report of the commissioners, and of abandoning altogether the secret
+hopes and expectations she had begun to couple with the success of the
+navigator's schemes, when a gentler feeling, one that belonged
+peculiarly to her own feminine heart, interposed to give the mariner
+another chance. It is seldom that woman is dead to the sympathies
+connected with the affections, and the wishes that sprang from the love
+of Mercedes de Valverde were the active cause of the decision that the
+Queen of Castile came to at that critical moment.</p>
+
+<p>"We must be neither harsh nor hasty with this Genoese, Lord Archbishop,"
+she said, turning again to the prelate. "He hath the virtues of
+devoutness and fair-dealing, and these are qualities that sovereigns
+learn to prize. His demands no doubt have become somewhat exaggerated by
+long brooding, in his thoughts, on a favorite and great scheme; but kind
+words and reason may yet lead him to more moderation. Let him, then, be
+tried with propositions of our own, and doubtless, his necessities, if
+not a sense of justice, will cause him to accept them. The viceroyalty
+doth, indeed, exceed the usual policy of princes, and, as you say, holy
+prelate, the tenth is the church's share; but the admiral's rank may be
+fairly claimed. Meet him, then, with these moderated proposals, and
+substitute a fifteenth for a tenth; let him be a viceroy in his own
+person, during the pleasure of Don Fernando and myself, but let him
+relinquish the claim for his posterity."</p>
+
+<p>Fernando de Talavera thought even these concessions too considerable,
+but, while he exercised his sacred office with a high authority, he too
+well knew the character of Isabella to presume to dispute an order she
+had once issued, although it was in her own mild and feminine manner.
+After receiving a few more instructions, therefore, and obtaining the
+counsel of the king, who was at work in an adjoining cabinet, the
+prelate went to execute this new commission.</p>
+
+<p>Two or three days now passed before the subject was finally disposed of,
+and Isabella was again seated in the domestic circle, when admission was
+once more demanded in behalf of her confessor. The archbishop entered
+with a flushed face, and his whole appearance was so disturbed that it
+must have been observed by the most indifferent person.</p>
+
+<p>"How now, holy archbishop,"&mdash;demanded Isabella&mdash;"doth thy new flock vex
+thy spirit, and is it so very hard to deal with an infidel?"</p>
+
+<p>"'Tis naught of that, Señora&mdash;'tis naught relating to my new people. I
+find even the followers of the false prophet more reasonable than some
+who exult in Christ's name and favor. This Colon is a madman, and better
+fitted to become a saint in Mussulmans' eyes, than even a pilot in Your
+Highness' service."</p>
+
+<p>At this burst of indignation, the queen, the Marchioness of Moya, and
+Doña Mercedes de Valverde, simultaneously dropped their needle-work, and
+sat looking at the prelate, with a common concern. They had all hoped
+that the difficulties which stood in the way of a favorable termination
+to the negotiation would be removed, and that the time was at hand, when
+the being who, in spite of the boldness and unusual character of his
+projects, had succeeded in so signally commanding their respect, and in
+interesting their feelings, was about to depart, and to furnish a
+practical solution to problems that had as much puzzled their reasons as
+they had excited their curiosity. But here was something like a sudden
+and unlooked-for termination to all their expectations; and while
+Mercedes felt something like despair chilling her heart, the queen and
+Doña Beatriz were both displeased.</p>
+
+<p>"Didst thou duly explain to Señor Colon, the nature of our proposals,
+Lord Archbishop?" the former asked, with more severity of manner than
+she was accustomed to betray; "and doth he still insist on the
+pretensions to a vice-regal power, and on the offensive condition in
+behalf of his posterity?"</p>
+
+<p>"Even so, Your Highness; were it Isabella of Castile treating with Henry
+of England or Louis of France, the starving Genoese could not hold
+higher terms or more inflexible conditions. He abateth nothing. The man
+deemeth himself chosen of God, to answer certain ends, and his language
+and conditions are such as one who felt a holy impulse to his course,
+could scarcely feel warranted in assuming."</p>
+
+<p>"This constancy hath its merit," observed the queen; "but there is a
+limit to concession. I shall urge no more in the navigator's favor, but
+leave him to the fortune that naturally followeth self-exaltation and
+all extravagance of demand."</p>
+
+<p>This speech apparently sealed the fate of Columbus in Castile. The
+archbishop was appeased, and, first holding a short private conference
+with his royal penitent, he left the room. Shortly after, Christoval
+Colon, as he was called by the Spaniards&mdash;Columbus, as he styled himself
+in later life&mdash;received, for a definite answer, the information that his
+conditions were rejected, and that the negotiation for the projected
+voyage to the Indies was finally at an end.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/i124.jpg" alt=""/>
+</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII"></a>CHAPTER VIII.</h2>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"Oh! ever thus, from childhood's hour,<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">I've seen my fondest hopes decay;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">I never loved a tree or flower,<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">But 'twas the first to fade away."<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">Lalla Rookh.</span><br /></span>
+</div></div>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p>The season had now advanced to the first days of February, and, in that
+low latitude, the weather was becoming genial and spring-like. On the
+morning succeeding that of the interview just related, some six or eight
+individuals, attracted by the loveliness of the day, and induced morally
+by a higher motive, were assembled before the door of one of those low
+dwellings of Santa Fé that had been erected for the accommodation of the
+conquering army. Most of these persons were grave Spaniards of a certain
+age, though young Luis de Bobadilla was also there, and the tall,
+dignified form of Columbus was in the group. The latter was equipped for
+the road, and a stout, serviceable Andalusian mule stood ready to
+receive its burden, near at hand. A charger was by the side of the mule,
+showing that the rider of the last was about to have company. Among the
+Spaniards were Alonzo de Quintanilla, the accountant-general of Castile,
+a firm friend of the navigator, and Luis de St. Angel, the receiver of
+the ecclesiastical revenues of Aragon, who was one of the firmest
+converts that Columbus had made to the philosophical accuracy of his
+opinions and to the truth of his vast conceptions.</p>
+
+<p>The two last had been in earnest discourse with the navigator, but the
+discussion had closed, and Señor de St. Angel, a man of generous
+feelings and ardent imagination, was just expressing himself warmly, in
+the following words&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"By the lustre of the two crowns!" he cried, "this ought not to come to
+pass. But, adieu, Señor Colon&mdash;God have you in his holy keeping, and
+send you wiser and less prejudiced judges, hereafter. The past can only
+cause us shame and grief, while the future is in the womb of time."</p>
+
+<p>The whole party, with the exception of Luis de Bobadilla, then took
+their leave. As soon as the place was clear, Columbus mounted, and
+passed through the thronged streets, attended by the young noble on his
+charger. Not a syllable was uttered by either, until they were fairly on
+the plain, though Columbus often sighed like a man oppressed with grief.
+Still, his mien was calm, his bearing dignified, and his eye lighted
+with that unquenchable fire which finds its fuel in the soul within.</p>
+
+<p>When fairly without the gates, Columbus turned courteously to his young
+companion and thanked him for his escort; but, with a consideration for
+the other that was creditable to his heart, he added&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"While I am so grateful for this honor, coming from one so noble and
+full of hopes, I must not forget your own character. Didst thou not
+remark, friend Luis, as we passed through the streets, that divers
+Spaniards pointed at me, as the object of scorn?"</p>
+
+<p>"I did, Señor," answered Luis, his cheek glowing with indignation, "and
+had it not been that I dreaded your displeasure, I would have trodden
+the vagabonds beneath my horse's feet, failing of a lance to spit them
+on!"</p>
+
+<p>"Thou hast acted most wisely in showing forbearance. But these are men,
+and their common judgment maketh public opinion; nor do I perceive that
+the birth, or the opportunities, causeth material distinctions between
+them, though the manner of expression vary. There are vulgar among the
+noble, and noble among the lowly. This very act of kindness of thine,
+will find its deriders and contemners in the court of the two
+sovereigns."</p>
+
+<p>"Let him look to it, who presumeth to speak lightly of you, Señor, to
+Luis de Bobadilla! We are not a patient race, and Castilian blood is apt
+to be hot blood."</p>
+
+<p>"I should be sorry that any man but myself should draw in my quarrel.
+But, if we take offence at all who think and speak folly, we may pass
+our days in harness. Let the young nobles have their jest, if it give
+them pleasure&mdash;but do not let me regret my friendship for thee."</p>
+
+<p>Luis promised fairly, and then, as if his truant thoughts would revert
+to the subject unbidden, he hastily resumed&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"You speak of the noble as of a class different from your own&mdash;surely,
+Señor Colon, thou art noble?"</p>
+
+<p>"Would it make aught different in thy opinions and feelings, young man,
+were I to answer no?"</p>
+
+<p>The cheek of Don Luis flushed, and, for an instant, he repented of his
+remark; but falling back on his own frank and generous nature, he
+answered immediately, without reservation or duplicity&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"By San Pedro, my new patron! I could wish you were noble, Señor, if it
+were merely for the honor of the class. There are so many among us who
+do no credit to their spurs, that we might gladly receive such an
+acquisition."</p>
+
+<p>"This world is made up of changes, young Señor," returned Columbus,
+smiling. "The seasons undergo their changes; night follows day; comets
+come and go; monarchs become subjects, and subjects monarchs; nobles
+lose the knowledge of their descent, and plebeians rise to the rank of
+nobles. There is a tradition among us, that we were formerly of the
+privileged class; but time and our unlucky fortune have brought us down
+to humble employments. Am I to lose the honor of Don Luis de Bobadilla's
+company in the great voyage, should I be more fortunate in France than I
+have been in Castile, because his commander happeneth to have lost the
+evidences of his nobility?"</p>
+
+<p>"That would be a most unworthy motive, Señor, and I hasten to correct
+your mistake. As we are now about to part for some time, I ask
+permission to lay bare my whole soul to you. I confess that when first I
+heard of this voyage, it struck me as a madman's scheme"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Ah! friend Luis," interrupted Columbus, with a melancholy shake of the
+head, "this is the opinion of but too many! I fear Don Ferdinand of
+Aragon, as well as that stern prelate, his namesake, who hath lately
+disposed of the question, thinketh in the same manner."</p>
+
+<p>"I crave your pardon, Señor Colon, if I have uttered aught to give you
+pain; but if I have once done you injustice, I am ready enough to
+expiate the wrong, as you will quickly see. Thinking thus, I entered
+into discourse with you, with a view to amuse myself with fancied
+ravings; but, though no immediate change of opinion followed as to the
+truth of the theory, I soon perceived that a great philosopher and
+profound reasoner had the matter in hand. Here my judgment might have
+rested, and my opinion been satisfied, but for a circumstance of deep
+moment to myself. You must know, Señor, though come of the oldest blood
+of Spain, and not without fair possessions, that I may not always have
+answered the hopes of those who have been charged with the care of my
+youth"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"This is unnecessary, noble sir"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Nay, by St. Luke! it shall be said. Now, I have two great and
+engrossing passions, that sometimes interfere with each other. The one
+is a love for rambling&mdash;a burning desire to see foreign lands, and this,
+too, in a free and roving fashion&mdash;with a disposition for the sea and
+the doings of havens; and the other is a love for Mercedes de Valverde,
+the fairest, gentlest, most affectionate, warmest-hearted, and truest
+maiden of Castile!"</p>
+
+<p>"Noble, withal," put in Columbus, smiling.</p>
+
+<p>"Señor," answered Luis, gravely, "I jest not concerning my guardian
+angel. She is not only noble, and every way fitted to honor my name, but
+she hath the blood of the Guzmans, themselves, in her veins. But I have
+lost favor with others, if not with my lovely mistress, in yielding to
+this rambling inclination; and even my own aunt, who is her guardian,
+hath not looked smilingly on my suit. Doña Isabella, whose word is law
+among all the noble virgins of the court, hath also her prejudices, and
+it hath become necessary to regain her good opinion, to win the Doña
+Mercedes. It struck me"&mdash;Luis was too manly to betray his mistress by
+confessing that the thought was hers&mdash;"it struck me, that if my rambling
+tastes took the direction of some noble enterprise, like this you urge,
+that what hath been a demerit might be deemed a merit in the royal eyes,
+which would be certain soon to draw all other eyes after them. With this
+hope, then, I first entered into the present intercourse, until the
+force of your arguments hath completed my conversion, and now no
+churchman hath more faith in the head of his religion, than I have that
+the shortest road to Cathay is athwart the broad Atlantic; or no Lombard
+is more persuaded that his Lombardy is flat, than I feel convinced that
+this good earth of ours is a sphere."</p>
+
+<p>"Speak reverently of the ministers of the altar, young Señor," said
+Columbus, crossing himself, "for no levity should be used in connection
+with their holy office. It seemeth, then," he added, smiling, "I owe my
+disciple to the two potent agents of love and reason; the former, as
+most potent, overcoming the first obstacles, and the latter getting
+uppermost at the close of the affair, as is wont to happen&mdash;love,
+generally, triumphing in the onset, and reason, last."</p>
+
+<p>"I'll not deny the potency of the power, Señor, for I feel it too deeply
+to rebel against it. You now know my secret, and when I have made you
+acquainted with my intentions, all will be laid bare. I here solemnly
+vow"&mdash;Don Luis lifted his cap and looked to heaven, as he spoke&mdash;"to
+join you in this voyage, on due notice, sail from whence you may, in
+whatever bark you shall choose, and whenever you please. In doing this,
+I trust, first to serve God and his church; secondly, to visit Cathay
+and those distant and wonderful lands; and lastly, to win Doña Mercedes
+de Valverde."</p>
+
+<p>"I accept the pledge, young sir," rejoined Columbus, struck by his
+earnestness, and pleased with his sincerity&mdash;"though it might have been
+a more faithful representation of your thoughts had the order of the
+motives been reversed."</p>
+
+<p>"In a few months I shall be master of my own means," continued the
+youth, too intent on his own purposes to heed what the navigator had
+said&mdash;"and then, nothing but the solemn command of Doña Isabella,
+herself, shall prevent our having one caravel, at least; and the coffers
+of Bobadilla must have been foully dealt by, during their master's
+childhood, if they do not afford two. I am no subject of Don Fernando's,
+but a servant of the elder branch of the House of Trastamara; and the
+cold judgment of the king, even, shall not prevent it."</p>
+
+<p>"This soundeth generously, and thy sentiments are such as become a
+youthful and enterprising noble; but the offer cannot be accepted. It
+would not become Columbus to use gold that came from so confiding a
+spirit and so inexperienced a head; and there are still greater
+obstacles than this. My enterprise must rest on the support of some
+powerful prince. Even the Guzman hath not deemed himself of sufficient
+authority to uphold a scheme so large. Did we make the discoveries
+without that sanction, we should be toiling for others, without security
+for ourselves, since the Portuguese or some other monarch would wrong us
+of our reward. That I am destined to effect this great work, I feel, and
+it must be done in a manner suited to the majesty of the thought and to
+the magnitude of the subject. And, here, Don Luis, we must part. Should
+my suit be successful at the court of France, thou shalt hear from me,
+for I ask no better than to be sustained by hearts and hands like thine.
+Still, thou must not mar thy fortunes unheedingly, and I am now a fallen
+man in Castile. It may not serve thee a good turn, to be known to
+frequent my company any longer&mdash;and I again say, here we must part."</p>
+
+<p>Luis de Bobadilla protested his indifference to what others might think;
+but the more experienced Columbus, who rose so high above popular clamor
+in matters that affected himself, felt a generous reluctance to permit
+this confiding youth to sacrifice his hopes, to any friendly impressions
+in his own favor. The leave-taking was warm, and the navigator felt a
+glow at his heart, as he witnessed the sincere and honest emotions that
+the young man could not repress at parting. They separated, however,
+about half a league from the town, and each bent his way in his own
+direction; Don Luis de Bobadilla's heart swelling with indignation at
+the unworthy treatment that there was, in sooth, so much reason for
+thinking his new friend had received.</p>
+
+<p>Columbus journeyed on, with very different emotions. Seven weary years
+had he been soliciting the monarchs and nobles of Spain to aid him in
+his enterprise. In that long period, how much of poverty, contempt,
+ridicule, and even odium, had he not patiently encountered, rather than
+abandon the slight hold that he had obtained on a few of the more
+liberal and enlightened minds of the nation! He had toiled for bread
+while soliciting the great to aid themselves in becoming still more
+powerful; and each ray of hope, however feeble, had been eagerly caught
+at with joy, each disappointment borne with a constancy that none but
+the most exalted spirit could sustain. But he was now required to endure
+the most grievous of all his pains. The recall of Isabella had awakened
+within him a confidence to which he had long been a stranger; and he
+awaited the termination of the siege with the calm dignity that became
+his purpose, no less than his lofty philosophy. The hour of leisure had
+come, and it produced a fatal destruction to all his buoyant hopes. He
+had thought his motives understood, his character appreciated, and his
+high objects felt; but he now found himself still regarded as a
+visionary projector, his intentions distrusted, and his promised
+services despised. In a word, the bright expectations that had cheered
+his toil for years, had vanished in a day, and the disappointment was
+all the greater for the brief, but delusive hopes produced by his recent
+favor.</p>
+
+<p>It is not surprising, therefore, that, when left alone on the highway,
+even the spirit of this extraordinary man grew faint within him, and he
+had to look to the highest power for succor. His head dropped upon his
+breast, and one of those bitter moments occurred, in which the past and
+the future, crowd the mind, painfully as to sufferings endured,
+cheerlessly as to hope. The time wasted in Spain seemed a blot in his
+existence, and then came the probability of another long and exhausting
+probation, that, like this, might lead to nothing. He had already
+reached the lustrum that would fill his threescore years, and life
+seemed slipping from beneath him, while its great object remained
+unachieved. Still the high resolution of the man sustained him. Not once
+did he think of a compromise of what he felt to be his rights&mdash;not once
+did he doubt of the practicability of accomplishing the great enterprise
+that others derided. His heart was full of courage, even while his bosom
+was full of grief. "There is a wise, a merciful, and omnipotent God!" he
+exclaimed, raising his eyes to heaven. "He knoweth what is meet for his
+own glory, and in him do I put my trust." There was a pause, and the
+eyes kindled, while a scarcely perceptible smile lighted the grave face,
+and then were murmured the words&mdash;"Yea, he taketh his time, but the
+Infidel shall be enlightened, and the blessed sepulchre redeemed!"</p>
+
+<p>After this burst of feeling, the grave-looking man, whose hairs had
+already become whitened to the color of snow, by cares, and toils, and
+exposures, pursued his way, with the quiet dignity of one who believed
+that he was not created for naught, and who trusted in God for the
+fulfilment of his destiny. If quivering sighs occasionally broke out of
+his breast, they did not disturb the placidity of his venerable
+countenance; if grief and disappointment still lay heavy on his heart,
+they rested on a base that was able to support them. Leaving Columbus to
+follow the common mule-track across the Vega, we will now return to
+Santa Fé, where Ferdinand and Isabella had re-established their court,
+after the few first days that succeeded the possession of their new
+conquest.</p>
+
+<p>Luis de St. Angel was a man of ardent feelings and generous impulses. He
+was one of those few spirits who live in advance of their age, and who
+permitted his reason to be enlightened and cheered by his imagination,
+though it was never dazzled by it. As he and his friend Alonzo de
+Quintanilla, after quitting Columbus as already related, walked toward
+the royal pavillion, they conversed freely together concerning the man,
+his vast conceptions, the treatment he had received, and the shame that
+would alight on Spain in consequence, were he suffered thus to depart
+forever. Blunt of speech, the receiver of the ecclesiastical revenues
+did not measure his terms, every syllable of which found an echo in the
+heart of the accountant-general, who was an old and fast friend of the
+navigator. In short, by the time they reached the pavilion, they had
+come to the resolution to make one manly effort to induce the queen to
+yield to Columbus' terms and to recall him to her presence.</p>
+
+<p>Isabella was always easy of access to such of her servants as she knew
+to be honest and zealous. The age was one of formality, and, in many
+respects, of exaggeration, while the court was renowned for ceremony;
+but the pure spirit of the queen threw a truth and a natural grace
+around all that depended on her, which rendered mere forms, except as
+they were connected with delicacy and propriety, useless, and indeed
+impracticable. Both the applicants for the interview enjoyed her favor,
+and the request was granted with that simple directness that this
+estimable woman loved to manifest, whenever she thought she was about to
+oblige any whom she esteemed.</p>
+
+<p>The queen was surrounded by the few ladies among whom she lived in
+private, as Luis de St. Angel and Alonzo de Quintanilla entered. Among
+them, of course, were the Marchioness of Moya and Doña Mercedes de
+Valverde. The king, on this occasion, was in an adjoining closet, at
+work, as usual, with his calculations and orders. Official labor was
+Ferdinand's relaxation, and he seldom manifested more happiness than
+when clearing off a press of affairs that most men would have found to
+the last degree burdensome. He was a hero in the saddle, a warrior at
+the head of armies, a sage in council, and respectable, if not great, in
+all things but motives.</p>
+
+<p>"What has brought the Señor St. Angel and the Señor Quintanilla, as
+suitors, so early to my presence?" asked Isabella, smiling in a way to
+assure both that the boon would be asked of a partial mistress. "Ye are
+not wont to be beggars, and the hour is somewhat unusual."</p>
+
+<p>"All hours are suitable, gracious lady, when one cometh to <i>confer</i> and
+not to <i>seek</i> favor," returned Luis de St. Angel, bluntly. "We are not
+here to solicit for ourselves, but to show Your Highness the manner in
+which the crown of Castile may be garnished with brighter jewels than
+any it now possesseth."</p>
+
+<p>Isabella looked surprised, both at the words of the speaker, and at his
+hurried earnestness, as well as his freedom of speech. Accustomed,
+however, to something of the last, her own calm manner was not
+disturbed, nor did she even seem displeased.</p>
+
+<p>"Hath the Moor another kingdom of which to be despoiled," she asked; "or
+would the receiver of the church's revenues have us war upon the Holy
+See?"</p>
+
+<p>"I would have Your Highness accept the boons that come from God, with
+alacrity and gratitude, and not reject them unthankfully," returned de
+St. Angel, kissing the queen's offered hand with a respect and affection
+that neutralized the freedom of his words. "Do you know, my gracious
+mistress, that the Señor Christoval Colon, he from whose high projects
+we Spaniards have hoped so much, hath actually taken mule and quitted
+Santa Fé?"</p>
+
+<p>"I expected as much, Señor, though I was not apprized that it had
+actually come to pass. The king and I put the matter into the hands of
+the Archbishop of Granada, with other trusty counsellors, and they have
+found the terms of the Genoese arrogant; so full of exceeding and
+unreasonable extravagance, that it ill befitted our dignity, and our
+duty to ourselves, to grant them. One who hath a scheme of such doubtful
+results, ought to manifest moderation in his preliminaries. Many even
+believe the man a visionary."</p>
+
+<p>"It is unlike an unworthy pretender, Señora, to abandon his hopes before
+he will yield his dignity. This Colon feeleth that he is treating for
+empires, and he negotiates like one full of the importance of his
+subject."</p>
+
+<p>"He that lightly valueth himself, in matters of gravity, hath need to
+expect that he will not stand high in the estimation of others," put in
+Alonzo de Quintanilla.</p>
+
+<p>"And, moreover, my gracious and beloved mistress," added de St. Angel,
+without permitting Isabella even to answer, "the character of the man,
+and the value of his intentions, may be appreciated by the price he
+setteth on his own services. If he succeed, will not the discovery
+eclipse all others that have been made since the creation of the world?
+Is it nothing to circle the earth, to prove the wisdom of God by actual
+experiment, to follow the sun in its daily track, and imitate the
+motions of that glorious moving mass? And then the benefits that will
+flow on Castile and Aragon&mdash;are they not incalculable? I marvel that a
+princess who hath shown so high and rare a spirit on all other
+occasions, should shrink from so grand an enterprise as this!"</p>
+
+<p>"Thou art earnest, my good de St. Angel," returned Isabella, with a
+smile that betrayed no anger; "and when there is much earnestness there
+is sometimes much forgetfulness. If there were honor and profit in
+success, what would there be in failure? Should the king and myself send
+out this Colon, with a commission to be our viceroy, forever, over
+undiscovered lands, and no lands be discovered, the wisdom of our
+councils might be called in question, and the dignity of the two crowns
+would be fruitlessly and yet deeply committed."</p>
+
+<p>"The hand of the Lord Archbishop is in this! This prelate hath never
+been a believer in the justice of the navigator's theories, and it is
+easy to raise objections when the feelings lean against an enterprise.
+No glory is obtained without risk. Look, Your Highness, at our
+neighbors, the Portuguese&mdash;how much have discoveries done for that
+kingdom, and how much more may it do for us! We know, my honored
+mistress, that the earth is round"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Are we quite certain of that important fact, Señor," asked the king,
+who, attracted by the animated and unusual tones of the speaker, had
+left his closet, and approached unseen. "Is that truth established? Our
+doctors at Salamanca were divided on that great question, and, by St.
+James! I do not see that it is so very clear."</p>
+
+<p>"If not round, my Lord the King," answered de St. Angel, turning quickly
+to face this new opponent, like a well-drilled corps wheeling into a new
+front, "of what form <i>can</i> it be? Will any doctor, come he of Salamanca,
+or come he from elsewhere, pretend that the earth is a plain, and that
+it hath limits, and that one may stand on these limits and jump down
+upon the sun as he passeth beneath at night&mdash;is this reasonable, honored
+Señor, or is it in conformity with scripture?"</p>
+
+<p>"Will any one, doctor of Salamanca, or elsewhere," rejoined the king,
+gravely, though it was evident his feelings were little interested in
+the discussion, "allege that there are nations who forever walk with
+their heads downward, where the rain falleth upward, and where the sea
+remaineth in its bed, though its support cometh from above, and is not
+placed beneath?"</p>
+
+<p>"It is to explain these great mysteries, Señor Don Fernando, my gracious
+master, that I would have this Colon at once go forth. We may see, nay,
+we have demonstration, that the earth is a sphere, and yet we do not see
+that the waters fall from its surface any where. The hull of a ship is
+larger than her top-masts, and yet the last are first visible on the
+ocean, which proveth that the body of the vessel is concealed by the
+form of the water. This being so, and all who have voyaged on the ocean
+know it to be thus, why doth not the water flow into a level, here, on
+our own shores? If the earth be round, there must be means to encircle
+it by water, as well as by land&mdash;to complete the entire journey, as well
+as to perform a part. Colon proposeth to open the way to this exploit,
+and the monarch that shall furnish the means will live in the memories
+of our descendants, as one far greater than a conqueror. Remember,
+illustrious Señor, that all the east is peopled with Infidels, and that
+the head of the church freely bestoweth their lands on any Christian
+monarch that may drag them from their benighted condition, into the
+light of God's favor. Believe me, Doña Isabella, should another
+sovereign grant the terms Colon requireth, and reap the advantages that
+are likely to flow from such discoveries, the enemies of Spain would
+make the world ring with their songs of triumph, while the whole
+peninsula would mourn over this unhappy decision."</p>
+
+<p>"Whither hath the Señor Colon sped?" demanded the king, quickly; all his
+political jealousies being momentarily aroused by the remarks of his
+receiver-general: "He hath not gone again to Don John of Portugal?"</p>
+
+<p>"No, Señor, my master, but to King Louis of France, a sovereign whose
+love for Aragon amounteth to a proverb."</p>
+
+<p>The king muttered a few words between his teeth, and he paced the
+apartment, to and fro, with a disturbed manner; for, while no man living
+cared less to hazard his means, without the prospect of a certain
+return, the idea of another's reaping an advantage that had been
+neglected by himself, brought him at once under the control of those
+feelings that always influenced his cold and calculating policy. With
+Isabella the case was different. Her pious wishes had ever leaned toward
+the accomplishment of Columbus' great project, and her generous nature
+had sympathized deeply with the noble conception, vast moral results,
+and the glory of the enterprise. Nothing but the manner in which her
+mind, as well as her religious aspirations, had been occupied by the war
+in Granada, had prevented her from entering earlier into a full
+examination of the navigator's views; and she had yielded to the counsel
+of her confessor, in denying the terms demanded by Columbus, with a
+reluctance it had not been easy to overcome. Then the gentler feelings
+of her sex had their influence, for, while she too reflected on what had
+just been urged, her eye glanced around the room and rested on the
+beautiful face of Mercedes, who sat silent from diffidence, but whose
+pale, eloquent countenance betrayed all the pleadings of the pure,
+enthusiastic love of woman.</p>
+
+<p>"Daughter-Marchioness," asked the queen, turning as usual to her tried
+friend, in her doubts, "what thinkest thou of this weighty matter? Ought
+we so to humble ourselves as to recal this haughty Genoese?"</p>
+
+<p>"Say not haughty, Señora, for to me he seemeth much superior to any such
+feeling; but rather regard him as one that hath a just appreciation of
+that he hath in view. I agree fully with the receiver-general in
+thinking that Castile will be much discredited, if, in sooth, a new
+world should be discovered, and they who favored the enterprise could
+point to this court and remind it that the glory of the event was in its
+grasp, and that it threw it away, heedlessly"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"And this, too, on a mere point of dignity, Señora," put in St.
+Angel&mdash;"on a question of parchment and of sound."</p>
+
+<p>"Nay, nay"&mdash;retorted the queen&mdash;"there are those who think the honors
+claimed by Colon would far exceed the service, even should the latter
+equal all the representations of the Genoese himself."</p>
+
+<p>"Then, my honored mistress, they know not at what the Genoese aims.
+Reflect, Señora, that it will not be an every-day deed to prove that
+this earth is a sphere, by actual measurement, whatever we may know in
+theories. Then cometh the wealth and benefits of those eastern
+possessions, a quarter of the world whence all riches flow&mdash;spices,
+pearls, silks, and the most precious metals. After these, again, cometh
+the great glory of God, which crowneth and exceedeth all."</p>
+
+<p>Isabella crossed herself, her cheek flushed, her eye kindled, and her
+matronly but fine form seemed to tower with the majesty of the feelings
+that these pictures created.</p>
+
+<p>"I do fear, Don Fernando," she said, "that our advisers have been
+precipitate, and that the magnitude of this project may justify more
+than common conditions!"</p>
+
+<p>But the king entered little into the generous emotions of his royal
+consort; feeling far more keenly the stings of political jealousy, than
+any promptings of a liberal zeal for either the church or science. He
+was generally esteemed a wise prince, a title that would seem to infer
+neither a generous nor a very just one. He smiled at the kindling
+enthusiasm of his wife, but continued to peruse a paper that had just
+been handed to him by a secretary.</p>
+
+<p>"Your Highness feels as Doña Isabella of Castile ought to feel when the
+glory of God and the honor of her crown are in question," added Beatriz
+de Cabrera, using that freedom of speech that her royal mistress much
+encouraged in their more private intercourse. "I would rather hear you
+utter the words of recall to this Colon, than again listen to the shouts
+of our late triumph over the Moor."</p>
+
+<p>"I know that thou lovest me, Beatriz!" exclaimed the queen: "if there is
+not a true heart in that breast of thine, the fallen condition of man
+does not suffer the gem to exist!"</p>
+
+<p>"We all love and reverence Your Highness," continued de St. Angel, "and
+we wish naught but your glory. Fancy, Señora, the page of history open,
+and this great exploit of the reduction of the Moor succeeded by the
+still greater deed of a discovery of an easy and swift communication
+with the Indies, the spread of the church, and the flow of inexhaustible
+wealth into Spain! This Colon cannot be supported by the colder and more
+selfish calculations of man, but his very enterprise seeks the more
+generous support of her who can risk much for God's glory and the good
+of the church."</p>
+
+<p>"Nay, Señor de St. Angel, thou flatterest and offendest in the same
+breath."</p>
+
+<p>"It is an honest nature pouring out its disappointment, my beloved
+mistress, and a tongue that hath become bold through much zeal for Your
+Highnesses' fame. Alas! alas! should King Louis grant the terms we have
+declined, poor Spain will never lift her head again for very shame!"</p>
+
+<p>"Art certain, St. Angel, that the Genoese hath gone for France?"
+suddenly demanded the king, in his sharp, authoritative voice.</p>
+
+<p>"I have it, Your Highness, from his own mouth. Yes, yes, he is at this
+moment striving to forget our Castilian dialect, and endeavoring to suit
+his tongue to the language of the Frenchman. They are bigots and
+unreflecting disciples of musty prejudices, Señora, that deny the
+theories of Colon. The old philosophers have reasoned in the same
+manner; and though it may seem to the timid an audacious and even a
+heedless adventure to sail out into the broad Atlantic, had not the
+Portuguese done it he would never have found his islands. God's truth!
+it maketh my blood boil, when I bethink me of what these Lusitanians
+have done, while we of Aragon and Castile have been tilting with the
+Infidels for a few valleys and mountains, and contending for a capital!"</p>
+
+<p>"Señor, you are forgetful of the honor of the sovereigns, as well as of
+the service of God," interrupted the Marchioness of Moya, who had the
+tact to perceive that the receiver-general was losing sight of his
+discretion, in the magnitude of his zeal. "This conquest is one of the
+victories of the church, and will add lustre to the two crowns in all
+future ages. The head of the church, himself, hath so recognized it, and
+all good Christians should acknowledge its character."</p>
+
+<p>"It is not that I undervalue this success, but that I consider the
+conquest that Colon is likely to achieve over so many millions, that I
+have thus spoken, Doña Beatriz."</p>
+
+<p>The marchioness, whose spirit was as marked as her love for the queen,
+made a sharp reply, and, for a few minutes, she and Luis de St. Angel,
+with Alonzo de Quintanilla, maintained the discussion by themselves,
+while Isabella conversed apart, with her husband, no one presuming to
+meddle with their private conference. The queen was earnest, and
+evidently much excited, but Ferdinand maintained his customary coolness
+and caution, though his manner was marked with that profound respect
+which the character of Isabella had early inspired, and which she
+succeeded in maintaining throughout her married life. This was a picture
+familiar to the courtiers, one of the sovereigns being as remarkable for
+his wily prudence, as was the other for her generous and sincere ardor,
+whenever impelled by a good motive. This divided discourse lasted half
+an hour, the queen occasionally pausing to listen to what was passing in
+the other group, and then recurring to her own arguments with her
+husband.</p>
+
+<p>At length Isabella left the side of Ferdinand, who coldly resumed the
+perusal of a paper, and she moved slowly toward the excited party, that
+was now unanimous and rather loud in the expression of its regrets&mdash;loud
+for even the indulgence of so gentle a mistress. Her intention to
+repress this ardor by her own presence, however, was momentarily
+diverted from its object by a glimpse of the face of Mercedes, who sat
+alone, her work lying neglected in her lap, listening anxiously to the
+opinions that had drawn all her companions to the general circle.</p>
+
+<p>"Thou takest no part in this warm discussion, child," observed the
+queen, stopping before the chair of our heroine, and gazing an instant
+into her eloquently expressive face. "Hast thou lost all interest in
+Colon?"</p>
+
+<p>"I speak not, Señora, because it becometh youth and ignorance to be
+modest; but though silent, I <i>feel</i> none the less."</p>
+
+<p>"And what are thy feelings, daughter? Dost thou, too, think the services
+of the Genoese cannot be bought at too high a price?"</p>
+
+<p>"Since Your Highness doth me this honor," answered the lovely girl, the
+blood gradually flushing her pale face, as she warmed with the
+subject&mdash;"I will not hesitate to speak. I do believe this great
+enterprise hath been offered to the sovereigns, as a reward for all that
+they have done and endured for religion and the church. I do think that
+Colon hath been guided to this court by a divine hand, and by a divine
+hand hath he been kept here, enduring the long servitude of seven years,
+rather than abandon his object; and I do think that this late appeal in
+his favor cometh of a power and spirit that should prevail."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou art an enthusiast, daughter, more especially in this cause,"
+returned the queen, smiling kindly on the blushing Mercedes. "I am
+greatly moved by thy wishes to aid in this enterprise!"</p>
+
+<p>Thus spoke Isabella, at a moment when she had neither the leisure nor
+the thought to analyze her own feelings, which were influenced by a
+variety of motives, rather than by any single consideration. Even this
+passing touch of woman's affections, however, contributed to give her
+mind a new bias, and she joined the group, which respectfully opened as
+she advanced, greatly disposed to yield to de St. Angel's well-meant
+though somewhat intemperate entreaties. Still she hesitated, for her
+wary husband had just been reminding her of the exhausted state of the
+two treasuries, and the impoverished condition in which both crowns had
+been left by the late war.</p>
+
+<p>"Daughter-Marchioness," said Isabella, slightly answering the reverences
+of the circle, "dost thou still think this Colon expressly called of
+God, for the high purposes to which he pretendeth?"</p>
+
+<p>"Señora, I say not exactly that, though I believe the Genoese hath some
+such opinion of himself. But this much I do think&mdash;that Heaven beareth
+in mind its faithful servitors, and when there is need of important
+actions, suitable agents are chosen for the work. Now, we do know that
+the church, at some day, is to prevail throughout the whole world; and
+why may not this be the allotted time, as well as another? God ordereth
+mysteriously, and the very adventure that so many of the learned have
+scoffed at, may be intended to hasten the victory of the church. We
+should remember, Your Highness, the humility with which this church
+commenced; how few of the seemingly wise lent it their aid; and the high
+pass of glory to which it hath reached. This conquest of the Moor
+savoreth of a fulfilment of time, and his reign of seven centuries
+terminated, may merely be an opening for a more glorious future."</p>
+
+<p>Isabella smiled upon her friend, for this was reasoning after her own
+secret thoughts; but her greater acquirements rendered her more
+discriminating in her zeal, than was the case with the warm-hearted and
+ardent Marchioness.</p>
+
+<p>"It is not safe to affix the seal of Providence to this or that
+enterprise, Daughter-Marchioness"&mdash;she answered&mdash;"and the church alone
+may say what are intended for miracles, and what is left for human
+agencies. What sum doth Colon need, Señor de St. Angel, to carry on the
+adventure in a manner that will content him?"</p>
+
+<p>"He asketh but two light caravels, my honored mistress, and three
+thousand crowns&mdash;a sum that many a young spendthrift would waste on his
+pleasures, in a few short weeks."</p>
+
+<p>"It is not much, truly," observed Isabella, who had been gradually
+kindling with the thoughts of the nobleness of the adventure; "but,
+small as it is, my Lord the King doubteth if our joint coffers can, at
+this moment, well bear the drain."</p>
+
+<p>"Oh! it were a pity that such an occasion to serve God, such an
+opportunity to increase the Christian sway, and to add to the glory of
+Spain, should be lost for this trifle of gold!" exclaimed Doña Beatriz.</p>
+
+<p>"It would be, truly," rejoined the queen, whose cheek now glowed with an
+enthusiasm little less obvious than that which shone so brightly in the
+countenance of the ardent Mercedes. "Señor de St. Angel, the king cannot
+be prevailed on to enter into this affair, in behalf of Aragon; but I
+take it on myself, as Queen of Castile, and, so far as it may properly
+advance human interests, for the benefit of my own much-beloved people.
+If the royal treasury be drained, my private jewels should suffice for
+that small sum, and I will freely pledge them as surety for the gold,
+rather than let this Colon depart without putting the truth of his
+theories to the proof. The result, truly, is of too great magnitude, to
+admit of further discussion."</p>
+
+<p>An exclamation of admiration and delight escaped those present, for it
+was not a usual thing for a princess to deprive herself of personal
+ornaments in order to advance either the interests of the church or
+those of her subjects. The receiver-general, however, soon removed all
+difficulties on the score of money, by saying that his coffers could
+advance the required sum, on the guarantee of the crown of Castile, and
+that the jewels so freely offered, might remain in the keeping of their
+royal owner.</p>
+
+<p>"And now to recall Colon," observed the queen, as soon as these
+preliminaries had been discussed. "He hath already departed, you say,
+and no time should be lost in acquainting him with this new resolution."</p>
+
+<p>"Your Highness hath here a willing courier, and one already equipped for
+the road, in the person of Don Luis de Bobadilla," cried Alonzo de
+Quintanilla, whose eye had been drawn to a window by the trampling of a
+horse's foot; "and the man who will more joyfully bear these tidings to
+the Genoese cannot be found in Santa Fé."</p>
+
+<p>"'Tis scarce a service suited to one of his high station," answered
+Isabella, doubtingly; "and yet we should consider every moment of delay
+a wrong to Colon"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Nay, Señora, spare not my nephew," eagerly interposed Doña Beatriz; "he
+is only too happy at being employed in doing Your Highness' pleasure."</p>
+
+<p>"Let him, then, be summoned to our presence without another instant's
+delay. I scarce seem to have decided, while the principal personage of
+the great adventure is journeying from the court."</p>
+
+<p>A page was immediately despatched in quest of the young noble, and in a
+few minutes the footsteps of the latter were heard in the antechamber.
+Luis entered the presence, flushed, excited, and with feelings not a
+little angered, at the compelled departure of his new friend. He did not
+fail to impute the blame of this occurrence to those who had the power
+to prevent it; and when his dark, expressive eye met the countenance of
+his sovereign, had it been in her power to read its meaning, she would
+have understood that he viewed her as a person who had thwarted his
+hopes on more than one occasion. Nevertheless, the influence of Doña
+Isabella's pure character and gentle manners was seldom forgotten by any
+who were permitted to approach her person; and his address was
+respectful, if not warm.</p>
+
+<p>"It is Your Highness' pleasure to command my presence," said the young
+man, as soon as he made his reverences to the queen.</p>
+
+<p>"I thank you for this promptitude, Don Luis, having some need of your
+services. Can you tell us what hath befel the Señor Christoval Colon,
+the Genoese navigator, with whom, they inform me, you have some
+intimacy?"</p>
+
+<p>"Forgive me, Señora, if aught unbecoming escape me; but a full heart
+must be opened lest it break. The Genoese is about to shake the dust of
+Spain from his shoes, and, at this moment, is on his journey to another
+court, to proffer those services that this should never have rejected."</p>
+
+<p>"It is plain, Don Luis, that all thy leisure time hath not been passed
+in courts," returned the queen, smiling; "but we have now service for
+thy roving propensities. Mount thy steed, and pursue the Señor Colon,
+with the tidings that his conditions will be granted, and a request that
+he will forthwith return. I pledge my royal word, to send him forth on
+this enterprise, with as little delay as the necessary preparations and
+a suitable prudence will allow."</p>
+
+<p>"Señora! Doña Isabella! My gracious queen! Do I hear aright?"</p>
+
+<p>"As a sign of the fidelity of thy senses, Don Luis, here is the pledge
+of my hand."</p>
+
+<p>This was said kindly, and the gracious manner in which the hand was
+offered, brought a gleam of hope to the mind of the lover, which it had
+not felt since he had been apprized that the queen's good opinion was
+necessary to secure his happiness. Kneeling respectfully, he kissed the
+hand of his sovereign, after which, without changing his attitude, he
+desired to know if he should that instant depart on the duty she had
+named.</p>
+
+<p>"Rise, Don Luis, and lose not a moment to relieve the loaded heart of
+the Genoese&mdash;I might almost say, to relieve ours, also; for,
+Daughter-Marchioness, since this holy enterprise hath broken on my mind
+with a sudden and almost miraculous light, it seemeth that a mountain
+must lie on my breast until the Señor Christoval shall learn the truth!"</p>
+
+<p>Luis de Bobadilla did not wait a second bidding, but hurried from the
+presence, as fast as etiquette would allow, and the next minute he was
+in the saddle. At his appearance, Mercedes had shrunk into the recess of
+a window, where she now, luckily, commanded a view of the court. As her
+lover gained his seat, he caught a glimpse of her form; and though the
+spurs were already in his charger's flanks, the rein tightened, and the
+snorting steed was thrown suddenly on his haunches. So elastic are the
+feelings of youth, so deceptive and flattering the hopes of those who
+love, that the glances which were exchanged were those of mutual
+delight. Neither thought of all the desperate chances of the
+contemplated voyage; of the probability of its want of success; or of
+the many motives which might still induce the queen to withhold her
+consent. Mercedes awoke first from the short trance that succeeded, for,
+taking the alarm at Luis' indiscreet delay, she motioned him hurriedly
+to proceed. Again the rowels were buried in the flanks of the noble
+animal; fire flashed beneath his armed heels, and, at the next minute,
+Don Luis de Bobadilla had disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>In the mean time Columbus had pursued his melancholy journey across the
+Vega. He travelled slowly, and several times, even after his companion
+had left him, did he check his mule, and sit, with his head dropped upon
+his breast, lost in thought, the very picture of woe. The noble
+resignation that he manifested in public, nearly gave way in private,
+and he felt, indeed, how hard his disappointments were to be borne. In
+this desultory manner of travelling he had reached the celebrated pass
+of the Bridge of Piños, the scene of many a sanguinary combat, when the
+sound of a horse's hoofs first overtook his ear. Turning his head, he
+recognized Luis de Bobadilla in hot pursuit, with the flanks of his
+horse dyed in blood, and his breast white with foam.</p>
+
+<p>"Joy! joy! a thousand times, joy, Señor Colon," shouted the eager youth,
+even before he was near enough to be distinctly heard. "Blessed Maria be
+praised! Joy! Señor, joy! and naught but joy!"</p>
+
+<p>"This is unexpected, Don Luis," exclaimed the navigator, "What meaneth
+thy return!"</p>
+
+<p>Luis now attempted to explain his errand, but eagerness and the want of
+breath rendered his ideas confused and his utterance broken and
+imperfect.</p>
+
+<p>"And why should I return to a hesitating, cold, and undecided court?"
+demanded Columbus. "Have I not wasted years in striving to urge it to
+its own good? Look at these hairs, young Señor, and remember that I have
+lost a time that nearly equals all thy days, in striving uselessly to
+convince the rulers of this peninsula that my project is founded on
+truth."</p>
+
+<p>"At length you have succeeded. Isabella, the true-hearted and
+never-deceiving Queen of Castile, herself hath awoke to the importance
+of thy scheme, and pledges her royal word to favor it."</p>
+
+<p>"Is this true? <i>Can</i> this be true, Don Luis?"</p>
+
+<p>"I am sent to you express, Señor, to urge your immediate return."</p>
+
+<p>"By whom, young Lord?"</p>
+
+<p>"By Doña Isabella, my gracious mistress, through her own personal
+commands."</p>
+
+<p>"I cannot forego a single condition already offered."</p>
+
+<p>"It is not expected, Señor. Our excellent and generous mistress granteth
+all you ask, and hath nobly offered, as I learn, to pledge her private
+jewels, rather than that the enterprise fail."</p>
+
+<p>Columbus was deeply touched with this information, and, removing his
+cap, he concealed his face with it for a moment, as if ashamed to betray
+the weakness that came over him. When he uncovered his face it was
+radiant with happiness, and every doubt appeared to have vanished. Years
+of suffering were forgotten in that moment of joy, and he immediately
+signified his readiness to accompany the youth back to Santa Fé.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IX" id="CHAPTER_IX"></a>CHAPTER IX.</h2>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"How beautiful is genius when combined<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">With holiness! Oh! how divinely sweet<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">The tones of earthly harp, whose cords are touch'd<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">By the soft hand of Piety, and hung<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Upon Religion's shrine, there vibrating<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">With solemn music in the air of God!"<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">John Wilson.</span><br /></span>
+</div></div>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p>Columbus was received by his friends, Luis de St. Angel and Alonzo de
+Quintanilla, with a gratification they found it difficult to express.
+They were loud in their eulogiums on Isabella, and added to the
+assurances of Don Luis, such proofs of the seriousness of the queen's
+intentions, as to remove all doubts from the mind of the navigator. He
+was then, without further delay, conducted to the presence.</p>
+
+<p>"Señor Colon," said Isabella, as the Genoese advanced and knelt at her
+feet, "you are welcome back again. All our misunderstandings are finally
+removed, and henceforth, I trust that we shall act cheerfully and
+unitedly to produce the same great end. Rise, Señor, and receive this as
+a gage of my support and friendship."</p>
+
+<p>Columbus saluted the offered hand, and arose from his knees. At that
+instant, there was probably no one present whose feelings were not
+raised to the buoyancy of hope; for it was a peculiarity connected with
+the origin and execution of this great enterprise, that, after having
+been urged for so long a period, amid sneers, and doubts, and ridicule,
+it was at first adopted with something very like enthusiasm.</p>
+
+<p>"Señora," returned Columbus, whose grave aspect and noble mien
+contributed not a little to the advancement of his views&mdash;"Señora, my
+heart thanks you for this kindness&mdash;so welcome because so little hoped
+for this morning&mdash;and God will reward it. We have great things in
+reserve, and I devoutly wish we may all be found equal to our several
+duties. I hope my Lord the King will not withhold from my undertaking
+the light of his gracious countenance."</p>
+
+<p>"You are a servitor of Castile, Señor Colon, though little is attempted
+for even this kingdom, without the approbation and consent of the King
+of Aragon. Don Fernando hath been gained over to our side, though his
+greater caution and superior wisdom have not as easily fallen into the
+measure, as woman's faith and woman's hopes."</p>
+
+<p>"I ask no higher wisdom, no truer faith than those of Isabella's," said
+the navigator, with a grave dignity that rendered the compliment so much
+the more acceptable, by giving it every appearance of sincerity. "Her
+known prudence shall turn from me the derision of the light-minded and
+idle, and on her royal word I place all my hopes. Henceforth, and I
+trust forever, I am Your Highness' subject and servant."</p>
+
+<p>The queen was deeply impressed with the air of lofty truth that elevated
+the thoughts and manners of the speaker. Hitherto she had seen but
+little of the navigator, and never before under circumstances that
+enabled her so thoroughly to feel the influence of his air and
+deportment. Columbus had not the finish of manner that it is fancied
+courts only can bestow, and which it would be more just to refer to
+lives devoted to habits of pleasing; but the character of the man shone
+through the exterior, and, in his case, all that artificial training
+could supply fell short of the noble aspect of nature, sustained by high
+aspirations. To a commanding person, and a gravity that was heightened
+by the loftiness of his purposes, Columbus added the sober earnestness
+of a deeply-seated and an all-pervading enthusiasm, which threw the
+grace of truth and probity on what he said and did. No quality of his
+mind was more apparent than its sense of right, as right was then
+considered in connection with the opinions of the age; and it is a
+singular circumstance that the greatest adventure of modern times was
+thus confided by Providence, as it might be with especial objects, to
+the care of a sovereign and to the hands of an executive leader, who
+were equally distinguished by the possession of so rare a
+characteristic.</p>
+
+<p>"I thank you, Señor, for this proof of confidence," returned the queen,
+both surprised and gratified; "and so long as God giveth me power to
+direct, and knowledge to decide, your interests as well as those of this
+long-cherished scheme, shall be looked to. But we are not to exclude the
+king from our confederacy, since he hath been finally gained to our
+opinions, and no doubt now as anxiously looketh forward to success as we
+do ourselves."</p>
+
+<p>Columbus bowed his acquiescence, and the conjugal affection of Isabella
+was satisfied with this concession to her husband's character and
+motives; for, while it was impossible that one so pure and ardent in the
+cause of virtue, and as disinterested as the queen, should not detect
+some of the selfishness of Ferdinand's cautious policy, the feelings of
+a wife so far prevailed in her breast over the sagacity of the
+sovereign, as to leave her blind to faults that the enemies of Aragon
+were fond of dwelling on. All admitted the truth of Isabella, but
+Ferdinand had far less credit with his contemporaries, either on the
+score of faith or on that of motives. Still he might have been ranked
+among the most upright of the reigning princes of Europe, his faults
+being rendered more conspicuous, perhaps, from being necessarily placed
+in such close connection with, and in such vivid contrast to, the truer
+virtues of the queen. In short, these two sovereigns, so intimately
+united by personal and political interests, merely exhibited on their
+thrones a picture that may be seen, at any moment, in all the inferior
+gradations of the social scale, in which the worldly views and
+meretricious motives of man serve as foils to the truer heart, sincerer
+character, and more chastened conduct of woman.</p>
+
+<p>Don Fernando now appeared, and he joined in the discourse in a manner to
+show that he considered himself fully committed to redeem the pledges
+given by his wife. The historians have told us that he had been won over
+by the intercessions of a favorite, though the better opinion would seem
+to be that deference for Isabella, whose pure earnestness in the cause
+of virtue often led him from his more selfish policy, lay at the bottom
+of his compliance. Whatever may have been the motive, however, it is
+certain that the king never entered into the undertaking with the
+ardent, zealous endeavors to insure success, which from that moment
+distinguished the conduct of his royal consort.</p>
+
+<p>"We have recovered our truant," said Isabella, as her husband
+approached, her eyes lighting and her cheeks flushed with a pious
+enthusiasm, like those of Mercedes de Valverde, who was an entranced
+witness of all that was passing. "We have recovered our truant, and
+there is not a moment of unnecessary delay to be permitted, until he
+shall be sent forth on this great voyage. Should he truly attain Cathay
+and the Indies, it will be a triumph to the church even exceeding this
+conquest of the territories of the Moor."</p>
+
+<p>"I am pleased to see the Señor Colon at Santa Fé, again," courteously
+returned the king, "and if he but do the half of that thou seemest to
+expect, we shall have reason to rejoice that our countenance hath not
+been withheld. He may not render the crown of Castile still more
+powerful, but he may so far enrich himself that, as a subject, he will
+have difficulty in finding the proper uses for his gold."</p>
+
+<p>"There will always be a use for the gold of a Christian," answered the
+navigator, "while the Infidel remaineth the master of the Holy
+Sepulchre."</p>
+
+<p>"How is this!" exclaimed Ferdinand, in his quick, sharp voice: "dost
+thou think, Señor, of a crusade, as well as of discovering new regions?"</p>
+
+<p>"Such, Your Highness, it hath long been my hope, would be the first
+appropriation of the wealth that will, out of question, flow from the
+discovery of a new and near route to the Indies. Is it not a blot on
+Christendom that the Mussulman should be permitted to raise his profane
+altars on the spot that Christ visited on earth; where, indeed he was
+born, and where his holy remains lay until his glorious resurrection?
+This foul disgrace there are hearts and swords enough ready to wipe out;
+all that is wanted is gold. If the first desire of my heart be to become
+the instrument of leading the way to the East, by a western and direct
+passage, the second is, to see the riches that will certainly follow
+such a discovery, devoted to the service of God, by rearing anew his
+altars and reviving his worship, in the land where he endured his agony
+and gave up the ghost for the sins of men."</p>
+
+<p>Isabella smiled at the navigator's enthusiasm, though, sooth to say, the
+sentiment found something of an echo in her pious bosom; albeit the age
+of crusades appeared to have gone by. Not so exactly with Ferdinand. He
+smiled also, but no answering sentiment of holy zeal was awakened within
+him. He felt, on the contrary, a strong distrust of the wisdom of
+committing the care of even two insignificant caravels, and the fate of
+a sum as small as three thousand crowns, to a visionary, who had
+scarcely made a commencement in one extremely equivocal enterprise,
+before his thoughts were running on the execution of another, that had
+baffled the united efforts and pious constancy of all Europe. To him,
+the discovery of a western passage to the Indies, and the repossession
+of the holy sepulchre, were results that were equally problematical, and
+it would have been quite sufficient to incur his distrust, to believe in
+the practicability of either. Here, however, was a man who was about to
+embark in an attempt to execute the first, holding in reserve the last,
+as a consequence of success in the undertaking in which he was already
+engaged.</p>
+
+<p>There were a few minutes, during which Ferdinand seriously contemplated
+the defeat of the Genoese's schemes, and had the discourse terminated
+here, it is uncertain how far his cool and calculating policy might have
+prevailed over the good faith, sincere integrity, and newly awakened
+enthusiasm of his wife. Fortunately, the conversation had gone on while
+he was meditating on this subject, and when he rejoined the circle he
+found the queen and the navigator pursuing the subject with an
+earnestness that had entirely overlooked his momentary absence.</p>
+
+<p>"I shall show Your Highness all that she demandeth," continued Columbus,
+in answer to a question of the queen's. "It is my expectation to reach
+the territories of the Great Khan, the descendant of the monarch who was
+visited by the Polos, a century since; at which time a strong desire to
+embrace the religion of Christ was manifested by many in that gorgeous
+court, the sovereign included. We are told in the sacred books of
+prophecy, that the day is to arrive when the whole earth will worship
+the true and living God; and that time, it would seem, from many signs
+and tokens that are visible to those who seek them, draweth near, and is
+full of hope to such as honor God and seek his glory. To bring all those
+vast regions in subjection to the church, needeth but a constant faith,
+sustained by the delegated agencies of the priesthood, and the
+protecting hands of princes."</p>
+
+<p>"This hath a seeming probability," observed the queen, "and Providence
+so guide us in this mighty undertaking, that it may come to pass! Were
+those Polos pious missionaries, Señor?"</p>
+
+<p>"They were but travellers; men who sought their own advantage, while
+they were not altogether unmindful of the duties of religion. It may be
+well, Señora, first to plant the cross in the islands, and thence to
+spread the truth over the main land. Cipango, in particular, is a
+promising region for the commencement of the glorious work, which, no
+doubt, will proceed with all the swiftness of a miracle."</p>
+
+<p>"Is this Cipango known to produce spices, or aught that may serve to
+uphold a sinking treasury, and repay us for so much cost and risk?"
+asked the king, a little inopportunely for the zeal of the two other
+interlocutors.</p>
+
+<p>Isabella looked pained, the prevailing trait in Ferdinand's character
+often causing her to feel as affectionate wives are wont to feel when
+their husbands forget to think, act, or speak up to the level of their
+own warm-hearted and virtuous propensities; but she suffered no other
+sign of the passing emotions to escape her.</p>
+
+<p>"According to the accounts of Marco Polo, Your Highness," answered
+Columbus, "earth hath no richer island. It aboundeth especially in gold;
+nor are pearls and precious stones at all rare. But all that region is a
+quarter of infinite wealth and benighted infidelity. Providence seemeth
+to have united the first with the last, as a reward to the Christian
+monarch who shall use his power to extend the sway of the church. The
+sea, thereabouts, is covered with smaller islands, Marco telling us that
+no less than seven thousand four hundred and forty have been enumerated,
+not one of all which doth not produce some odoriferous tree, or plant of
+delicious perfume. It is then, thither, gracious Lord and Lady, my
+honored sovereigns, that I propose to proceed at once, leaving all
+meaner objects, to exalt the two kingdoms and to serve the church.
+Should we reach Cipango in safety, as, by the blessing of God, acting on
+a zeal and faith that are not easily shaken, I trust we shall be able to
+do, in the course of two months' diligent navigation, it will be my next
+purpose to pass over to the continent, and seek the Khan himself, in his
+kingdom of Cathay. The day that my foot touches the land of Asia will be
+a glorious day for Spain, and for all who have had a part in the
+accomplishment of so great an enterprise!"</p>
+
+<p>Ferdinand's keen eyes were riveted on the navigator, as he thus betrayed
+his hopes with the quiet but earnest manner of deep enthusiasm, and he
+might have been at a loss, himself, just at that moment, to have
+analyzed his own feelings. The picture of wealth that Columbus had
+conjured to his imagination, was as enticing, as his cold and
+calculating habits of distrust and caution rendered it questionable.
+Isabella heard only, or thought only, of the pious longings of her pure
+spirit for the conversion and salvation of the Infidels, and thus each
+of the two sovereigns had a favorite impulse to bind him, or her, to the
+prosecution of the voyage.</p>
+
+<p>After this, the conversation entered more into details, and the heads of
+the terms demanded by Columbus were gone over again, and approved of by
+those who were most interested in the matter. All thought of the
+archbishop and his objections was momentarily lost, and had the Genoese
+been a monarch, treating with monarchs, he could not have had more
+reason to be satisfied with the respectful manner in which his terms
+were heard. Even his proposal to receive one-eighth of the profits of
+this, and all future expeditions to the places he might discover, on
+condition of his advancing an equal proportion of the outfits, was
+cheerfully acceded to; making him, at once, a partner with the crown, in
+the risks and benefits of the many undertakings that it was hoped would
+follow from the success of this.</p>
+
+<p>Luis de St. Angel and Alonzo de Quintanilla quitted the royal presence,
+in company with Columbus. They saw him to his lodgings, and left him
+with a respect and cordiality of manner, that cheered a heart which had
+lately been so bruised and disappointed. As they walked away in company,
+the former, who, notwithstanding the liberality of his views and his
+strong support of the navigator, was not apt to suppress his thoughts,
+opened a dialogue in the following manner.</p>
+
+<p>"By all the saints! friend Alonzo," he exclaimed, "but this Colon
+carrieth it with a high hand among us, and in a way, sometimes, to make
+me doubt the prudence of our interference. He hath treated with the two
+sovereigns like a monarch, and like a monarch hath he carried his
+point!"</p>
+
+<p>"Who hath aided him more than thyself, friend Luis?" returned</p>
+
+<p>Alonzo de Quintanilla; "for, without thy bold assault on Doña Isabella's
+patience, the matter had been decided against this voyage, and the
+Genoese would still be on his way to the court of King Louis."</p>
+
+<p>"I regret it not; the chance of keeping the Frenchman within modest
+bounds being worth a harder effort. Her Highness&mdash;Heaven and all the
+saints unite to bless her for her upright intentions and generous
+thoughts&mdash;will never regret the trifling cost, even though bootless,
+with so great an aim in view. But now the thing is done, I marvel,
+myself, that a Queen of Castile and a King of Aragon should grant such
+conditions to an unknown and nameless sea-farer; one that hath neither
+services, family, nor gold, to recommend him!"</p>
+
+<p>"Hath he not had Luis de St. Angel of his side?"</p>
+
+<p>"That hath he," returned the receiver-general, "and that right stoutly,
+too; and for good and sufficient cause. I only marvel at our success,
+and at the manner in which this Colon hath borne himself in the affair.
+I much feared that the high price he set upon his services might ruin
+all our hopes."</p>
+
+<p>"And yet thou didst reason with the queen, as if thou thoughtst it
+insignificant, compared with the good that would come of the voyage."</p>
+
+<p>"Is there aught wonderful in this, my worthy friend? We consume our
+means in efforts to obtain our ends, and, while suffering under the
+exhaustion, begin first to see the other side of the question. I am
+chiefly surprised at mine own success! As for this Genoese, he is,
+truly, a most wonderful man, and, in my heart, I think him right in
+demanding such high conditions. If he succeed, who so great as he? and,
+if he fail, the conditions will do him no good, and Castile little
+harm."</p>
+
+<p>"I have remarked, Señor de St Angel, that when grave men set a light
+value on themselves, the world is apt to take them at their word, though
+willing enough to laugh at the pretensions of triflers. After all, the
+high demands of Colon may have done him much service, since their
+Highnesses could not but feel that they were negotiating with one who
+had faith in his own projects."</p>
+
+<p>"It is much as thou sayest, Alonzo; men often prizing us as we seem to
+prize ourselves, so long as we act at all up to the level of our
+pretensions. But there is sterling merit in this Colon to sustain him in
+all that he sayeth and doth; wisdom of speech, dignity and gravity of
+mien, and nobleness of feeling and sentiment. Truly, I have listened to
+the man when he hath seemed inspired!"</p>
+
+<p>"Well, he hath now good occasion to manifest whether this inspiration be
+of the true quality or not," returned the other. "Of a verity, I often
+distrust the wisdom of our own conclusions."</p>
+
+<p>In this manner did even these two zealous friends of Columbus discuss
+his character and chances of success; for, while they were among the
+most decided of his supporters, and had discovered the utmost readiness
+to uphold him when his cause seemed hopeless, now that the means were
+likely to be afforded to allow him to demonstrate the justice of his
+opinions, doubts and misgivings beset their minds. Such is human nature.
+Opposition awakens our zeal, quickens our apprehension, stimulates our
+reason, and emboldens our opinions; while, thrown back upon ourselves
+for the proofs of what we have been long stoutly maintaining under the
+pressure of resistance, we begin to distrust the truth of our own
+theories and to dread the demonstrations of a failure. Even the first
+disciples of the Son of God faltered most in their faith as his
+predictions were being realized; and most reformers are never so
+dogmatical and certain as when battling for their principles, or so
+timid and wavering as when they are about to put their own
+long-cherished plans in execution. In all this we might see a wise
+provision of Providence, which gives us zeal to overcome difficulties,
+and prudence when caution and moderation become virtues rather than
+faults.</p>
+
+<p>Although Luis de St. Angel and his friend conversed thus freely
+together, however, they did not the less continue true to their original
+feelings. Their doubts were transient and of little account; and it was
+remarked of them, whenever they were in the presence of Columbus
+himself, that the calm, steady, but deeply seated enthusiasm of that
+extraordinary man, did not fail to carry with him the opinions, not only
+of these steady supporters, but those of most other listeners.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_X" id="CHAPTER_X"></a>CHAPTER X.</h2>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i14">&mdash;"Song is on thy hills:<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Oh, sweet and mournful melodies of Spain,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">That lull'd my boyhood, how your memory thrills<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">The exile's heart with sudden-wakening pain."<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">The Forest Sanctuary.</span><br /></span>
+</div></div>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p>From the moment that Isabella pledged her royal word to support Columbus
+in his great design, all reasonable doubts of the sailing of the
+expedition ceased, though few anticipated any results of importance. Of
+so much greater magnitude, indeed, did the conquest of the kingdom of
+Granada appear, at that instant, than any probable consequences which
+could follow from this novel enterprise, that the latter was almost
+overlooked in the all-absorbing interest that was connected with the
+former.</p>
+
+<p>There was one youthful and generous heart, however, all of whose hopes
+were concentrated in the success of the great voyage. It is scarcely
+necessary to add, we mean that of Mercedes de Valverde. She had watched
+the recent events as they occurred, with an intensity of expectation
+that perhaps none but the youthful, fervent, inexperienced, and
+uncorrupted, can feel: and now that all her hopes were about to be
+realized, a tender and generous joy diffused itself over her whole moral
+system, in a way to render her happiness, for the time, even blissful.
+Although she loved so truly and with so much feminine devotedness,
+nature had endowed this warm-hearted young creature with a sagacity and
+readiness of apprehension, which, when quickened by the sentiments that
+are so apt to concentrate all the energies of her sex, showed her the
+propriety of the distrust of the queen and her guardian, and fully
+justified their hesitation in her eyes, which were rather charmed than
+blinded by the ascendency of her passion. She knew too well what was due
+to her virgin fame, her high expectations, her great name, and her
+elevated position near the person, and in the immediate confidence of
+Isabella, even to wish her hand unworthily bestowed; and while she
+deferred, with the dignity and discretion of birth and female decorum,
+to all that opinion and prudence could have a right to ask of a noble
+maiden, she confided in her lover's power to justify her choice, with
+the boundless confidence of a woman. Her aunt had taught her to believe
+that this voyage of the Genoese was likely to lead to great events, and
+her religious enthusiasm, like that of the queen's, led her to expect
+most of that which she so fervently wished.</p>
+
+<p>During the time it was known to those near the person of Isabella, that
+the conditions between the sovereigns and the navigators were being
+reduced to writing and were receiving the necessary forms, Luis neither
+sought an interview with his mistress, nor was accidentally favored in
+that way; but, no sooner was it understood Columbus had effected all
+that he deemed necessary in this particular, and had quitted the court
+for the coast, than the young man threw himself, at once, on the
+generosity of his aunt, beseeching her to favor his views now that he
+was about to leave Spain on an adventure that most regarded as
+desperate. All he asked was a pledge of being well received by his
+mistress and her friends, on his return successful.</p>
+
+<p>"I see that thou hast taken a lesson from this new master of thine,"
+answered the high-souled but kind-hearted Beatriz, smiling&mdash;"and would
+fain have thy terms also. But thou knowest, Luis, that Mercedes de
+Valverde is no peasant's child to be lightly cared for, but that she
+cometh of the noblest blood of Spain, having had a Guzman for a mother,
+and Mendozas out of number among her kinsmen. She is, moreover, one of
+the richest heiresses of Castile; and it would ill become her guardian
+to forget her watchfulness, under such circumstances, in behalf of one
+of the idle wanderers of Christendom, simply because he happeneth to be
+her own beloved brother's son."</p>
+
+<p>"And if the Doña Mercedes be all thou sayest, Señora&mdash;and thou hast not
+even touched upon her highest claims to merit, her heart, her beauty,
+her truth, and her thousand virtues&mdash;but if she be all that thou sayest,
+Doña Beatriz, is a Bobadilla unworthy of her?"</p>
+
+<p>"How! if she be, moreover, all <i>thou</i> sayest too, Don Luis! The heart,
+the truth, and the thousand virtues! Methinks a shorter catalogue might
+content one who is himself so great a rover, lest some of these
+qualities be lost in his many journeys!"</p>
+
+<p>Luis laughed, in spite of himself, at the affected seriousness of his
+aunt; and then successfully endeavoring to repress a little resentment
+that her language awakened, he answered in a way to do no discredit to a
+well-established reputation for good-nature.</p>
+
+<p>"I cannot call thee 'Daughter-Marchioness,' in imitation of Her
+Highness," he answered, with a coaxing smile, so like that her deceased
+brother was wont to use when disposed to wheedle her out of some
+concession, that it fairly caused Doña Beatriz to start&mdash;"but I can say
+with more truth, 'Aunt-Marchioness,'&mdash;and a very dear aunt, too&mdash;wilt
+thou visit a little youthful indiscretion so severely? I had hoped, now
+Colon was about to set forth, that all was forgotten in the noble and
+common end we have in view."</p>
+
+<p>"Luis," returned the aunt, regarding her nephew with the severe
+resolution that was so often exhibited in her acts as well as in her
+words, "dost think that a mere display of courage will prove sufficient
+to win Mercedes from me? to put to sleep the vigilance of her friends?
+to gain the approbation of her guardian? Learn, too confident boy, that
+Mercedes de Guzman was the companion of my childhood; my warmest,
+dearest friend, next to Her Highness; and that she put all faith in my
+disposition to do full justice by her child. She died by slow degrees,
+and the fate of the orphan was often discussed between us. That she
+could ever become the wife of any but a Christian noble, neither of us
+imagined possible; but there are so many different characters under the
+same outward professions, that names deceived us not. I do believe that
+poor woman bethought her more of her child's future worldly fortunes
+than of her own sins, and that she prayed oftener for the happy
+conclusion of the first than for the pardon of the last! Thou knowest
+little of the strength of a mother's love, Luis, and canst not
+understand all the doubts that beset the heart, when the parent is
+compelled to leave a tender plant, like Mercedes, to the cold nursing of
+a selfish and unfeeling world."</p>
+
+<p>"I can readily fancy the mother of my love fitted for heaven without the
+usual interpositions of masses and paters, Doña Beatriz; but have aunts
+no consideration for nephews, as well as mothers for children?"</p>
+
+<p>"The tie is close and strong, my child, and yet is it not parental; nor
+art thou a sensitive, true-hearted, enthusiastic girl, filled with the
+confidence of thy purity, and overflowing with the affections that, in
+the end, make mothers what they are."</p>
+
+<p>"By San Iago! and am I not the very youth to render such a creature
+happy? I, too, am sensitive&mdash;too much so, in sooth, for my own peace; I,
+too, am true-hearted, as is seen by my having had but this one love,
+when I might have had fifty; and if I am not exactly overflowing with
+the confidence of purity, I have the confidence of youth, health,
+strength, and courage, which is quite as useful for a cavalier; and I
+have abundance of the affection that makes good fathers, which is all
+that can reasonably be asked of a man."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou, then, thinkest thyself, truant, every way worthy to be the
+husband of Mercedes de Valverde?"</p>
+
+<p>"Nay, aunt of mine, thou hast a searching way with thy questions! Who
+is, or can be, exactly worthy of so much excellence? I may not be
+altogether <i>deserving</i> of her, but then again, I am not altogether
+<i>undeserving</i> of her. I am quite as noble, nearly as well endowed with
+estates, of suitable years, of fitting address as a knight, and love her
+better than I love my own soul. Methinks the last should count for
+something, since he that loveth devotedly, will surely strive to render
+its object happy."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou art a silly, inexperienced boy, with a most excellent heart, a
+happy, careless disposition, and a head that was made to hold better
+thoughts than commonly reside there!" exclaimed the aunt, giving way to
+an impulse of natural feeling, even while she frowned on her nephew's
+folly. "But, hear me, and for once think gravely, and reflect on what I
+say. I have told thee of the mother of Mercedes, of her dying doubts,
+her anxiety, and of her confidence in me. Her Highness and I were alone
+with her, the morning of the day that her spirit took its flight to
+heaven; and then she poured out all her feelings, in a way that has left
+on us both an impression that can never cease, while aught can be done
+by either for the security of the daughter's happiness. Thou hast
+thought the queen unkind. I know not but, in thy intemperate speech,
+thou hast dared to charge Her Highness with carrying her care for her
+subjects' well-being beyond a sovereign's rights"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Nay, Doña Beatriz," hastily interrupted Luis, "herein thou dost me
+great injustice. I may have felt&mdash;no doubt I have keenly, bitterly, felt
+the consequences of Doña Isabella's distrust of my constancy; but never
+has rebel thought of mine even presumed to doubt her right to command
+all our services, as well as all our lives. This is due to her sacred
+authority from all; but we, who so well know the heart and motives of
+the queen, also know that she doth naught from caprice or a desire to
+rule; while she doth so much from affection to her people."</p>
+
+<p>As Don Luis uttered this with an earnest look, and features flushed with
+sincerity, it was impossible not to see that he meant as much as he
+said. If men considered the consequences that often attend their
+lightest words, less levity of speech would be used, and the office of
+tale-bearer, the meanest station in the whole catalogue of social rank,
+would become extinct for want of occupation. Few cared less, or thought
+less, about the consequences of what they uttered, than Luis de
+Bobadilla; and yet this hasty but sincere reply did him good service
+with more than one of those who exercised a material influence over his
+fortunes. The honest praise of the queen went directly to the heart of
+the Marchioness, who rather idolized than loved her royal mistress, the
+long and close intimacy that had existed between them having made her
+thoroughly acquainted with the pure and almost holy character of
+Isabella; and when she repeated the words of her nephew to the latter,
+her own well-established reputation for truth caused them to be
+implicitly believed. Whatever may be the correctness of our views in
+general, one of the most certain ways to the feelings is the assurance
+of being respected and esteemed; while, of all the divine mandates, the
+most difficult to find obedience is that which tells us to "love those
+who hate" us. Isabella, notwithstanding her high destiny and lofty
+qualities, was thoroughly a woman; and when she discovered that, in
+spite of her own coldness to the youth, he really entertained so much
+profound deference for her character, and appreciated her feelings and
+motives in a way that conscience told her she merited, she was much
+better disposed to look at his peculiar faults with indulgence, and to
+ascribe that to mere animal spirits, which, under less favorable
+auspices, might possibly have been mistaken for ignoble propensities.</p>
+
+<p>But this is a little anticipating events. The first consequence of Luis'
+speech was a milder expression in the countenance of his aunt, and a
+disposition to consider his entreaties to be admitted to a private
+interview with Mercedes, with more indulgence.</p>
+
+<p>"I may have done thee injustice in this, Luis," resumed Doña Beatriz,
+betraying in her manner the sudden change of feeling mentioned; "for I
+do think thee conscious of thy duty to Her Highness, and of the almost
+heavenly sense of justice that reigneth in her heart, and through that
+heart, in Castile. Thou hast not lost in my esteem by thus exhibiting
+thy respect and love for the queen, for it is impossible to have any
+regard for female virtue, and not to manifest it to its best
+representative."</p>
+
+<p>"Do I not, also, dear aunt, in my attachment to thy ward? Is not my very
+choice, in some sort, a pledge of the truth and justice of my feelings
+in these particulars?"</p>
+
+<p>"Ah! Luis de Bobadilla, it is not difficult to teach the heart to lean
+toward the richest and the noblest, when she happeneth also to be the
+fairest, maiden of Spain!"</p>
+
+<p>"And am I a hypocrite, Marchioness? Dost thou accuse the son of thy
+brother of being a feigner of that which he doth not feel?&mdash;one
+influenced by so mean a passion as the love of gold and of lands?"</p>
+
+<p>"Foreign lands, heedless boy," returned the aunt, smiling, "but not of
+others' lands. No, Luis, none that know thee will accuse thee of
+hypocrisy. We believe in the truth and ardor of thy attachment, and it
+is for that very cause that we most distrust thy passion."</p>
+
+<p>"How! Are feigned feelings of more repute with the queen and thyself,
+than real feelings? A spurious and fancied love, than the honest,
+downright, manly passion."</p>
+
+<p>"It is this genuine feeling, this honest, downright, manly passion, as
+thou termest it, which is most apt to awaken sympathy in the tender
+bosom of a young girl. There is no truer touch-stone, by which to try
+the faithfulness of feelings, than the heart, when the head is not
+turned by vanity; and the more unquestionable the passion, the easier is
+it for its subject to make the discovery. Two drops of water do not
+glide together more naturally than two hearts, nephew, when there is a
+strong affinity between them. Didst thou not really love Mercedes, as my
+near and dear relative, thou mightst laugh and sing in her company at
+all times that should be suitable for the dignity of a maiden, and it
+would not cause me an uneasy moment."</p>
+
+<p>"I am thy near and dear relative, aunt of mine, with a miracle! and yet
+it is more difficult for me to get a sight of thy ward"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Who is the especial care of the Queen of Castile."</p>
+
+<p>"Well, be it so; and why should a Bobadilla be proscribed by even a
+Queen of Castile?"</p>
+
+<p>Luis then had recourse to his most persuasive powers, and, improving the
+little advantage he had gained, by dint of coaxing and teasing he so far
+prevailed on Doña Beatriz as to obtain a promise that she would apply to
+the queen for permission to grant him one private interview with
+Mercedes. We say the queen, since Isabella, distrusting the influence of
+blood, had cautioned the Marchioness on this subject; and the prudence
+of letting the young people see each other as little as possible, had
+been fully settled between them. It was in redeeming this promise, that
+the aunt related the substance of the conversation that has just been
+given, and mentioned to her royal mistress the state of her nephew's
+feelings as respected herself. The effect of such information was
+necessarily favorable to the young man's views, and one of its first
+fruits was the desired permission to have the interview he sought.</p>
+
+<p>"They are not sovereigns," remarked the queen, with a smile that the
+favorite could see was melancholy, though it surpassed her means of
+penetration to say whether it proceeded from a really saddened feeling,
+or whether it were merely the manner in which the mind is apt to glance
+backward at emotions that it is known can never be again awakened in our
+bosoms;&mdash;"they are not sovereigns, Daughter-Marchioness, to woo by
+proxy, and wed as strangers. It may not be wise to suffer the
+intercourse to become too common, but it were cruel to deny the youth,
+as he is about to depart on an enterprise of so doubtful issue, one
+opportunity to declare his passion and to make his protestations of
+constancy. If thy ward hath, in truth, any tenderness for him, the
+recollection of this interview will soothe many a weary hour while Don
+Luis is away."</p>
+
+<p>"And add fuel to the flame," returned Doña Beatriz, pointedly.</p>
+
+<p>"We know not that, my good Beatriz, since, the heart being softened by
+the power of God to a sense of its religious duties, may not the same
+kind hand direct it and shield it in the indulgence of its more worldly
+feelings? Mercedes will never forget her duty, and, the imagination
+feeding itself, it may not be the wisest course to leave that of an
+enthusiast like our young charge, so entirely to its own pictures.
+Realities are often less hazardous than the creatures of the fancy.
+Then, thy nephew will not be a loser by the occasion, for, by keeping
+constantly in view the object he now seemeth to pursue so earnestly, he
+will the more endeavor to deserve success."</p>
+
+<p>"I much fear, Señora, that the best conclusions are not to be depended
+on in an affair that touches the waywardness of the feelings."</p>
+
+<p>"Perhaps not, Beatriz; and yet I do not see that we can well deny this
+interview, now that Don Luis is so near departure. Tell him I accord him
+that which he so desireth, and let him bear in mind that a grandee
+should never quit Castile without presenting himself before his
+sovereign."</p>
+
+<p>"I fear, Your Highness," returned the Marchioness, laughing, "that Don
+Luis will feel this last command, however gracious and kind in fact, as
+a strong rebuke, since he hath more than once done this already, without
+even presenting himself before his own aunt!"</p>
+
+<p>"On those occasions he went idly, and without consideration; but he is
+now engaged in an honorable and noble enterprise, and we will make it
+apparent to him that all feel the difference."</p>
+
+<p>The conversation now changed, it being understood that the request of
+the young man was to be granted. Isabella had, in this instance,
+departed from a law she had laid down for her own government, under the
+influence of her womanly feelings, which often caused her to forget that
+she was a queen, when no very grave duties existed to keep alive the
+recollection; for it would have been difficult to decide in which light
+this pure-minded and excellent female most merited the esteem of
+mankind&mdash;in her high character as a just and conscientious sovereign, or
+when she acted more directly under the gentler impulses of her sex. As
+for her friend, she was perhaps more tenacious of doing what she
+conceived to be her duty, by her ward, than the queen herself; since,
+with a greater responsibility, she was exposed to the suspicion of
+acting with a design to increase the wealth and to strengthen the
+connections of her own family. Still, the wishes of Isabella were laws
+to the Marchioness of Moya, and she sought an early opportunity to
+acquaint her ward with her intention to allow Don Luis, for once, to
+plead his own cause with his mistress, before he departed on his
+perilous and mysterious enterprise.</p>
+
+<p>Our heroine received this intelligence with the mingled sensations of
+apprehension, delight, misgivings, and joy, that are so apt to beset the
+female heart, in the freshness of its affections, when once brought in
+subjection to the master-passion. She had never thought it possible Luis
+would sail on an expedition like that in which he was engaged, without
+endeavoring to see her alone; but, now she was assured that both the
+queen and her guardian acquiesced in his being admitted, she almost
+regretted their compliance. These contradictory emotions, however, soon
+subsided in the tender melancholy that gradually drew around her manner,
+as the hour for the departure approached. Nor were her feelings on the
+subject of Luis' ready enlistment in the expedition, more consistent. At
+times she exulted in her lover's resolution, and in his manly devotion
+to glory and the good of the church; remembering with pride that, of all
+the high nobility of Castile, he alone ventured life and credit with the
+Genoese; and then, again, tormenting doubts came over her, as she feared
+that the love of roving, and of adventure, was quite as active in his
+heart, as love of herself. But in all this there was nothing new. The
+more pure and ingenuous the feelings of those who truly submit to the
+influence of this passion, the more keenly alive are their distrusts apt
+to be, and the more tormenting their misgivings of themselves.</p>
+
+<p>Her mind made up, Doña Beatriz acted fairly by the young people. As soon
+as Luis was admitted to her own presence, on the appointed morning, she
+told him that he was expected by Mercedes, who was waiting his
+appearance in the usual reception-room. Scarce giving himself time to
+kiss the hand of his aunt, and to make those other demonstrations of
+respect that the customs of the age required from the young to their
+seniors&mdash;more especially when there existed between them a tie of blood
+as close as that which united the Marchioness of Moya with the Conde de
+Llera&mdash;the young man bounded away, and was soon in the presence of his
+mistress. As Mercedes was prepared for the interview, she betrayed the
+feeling of the moment merely by a heightened color, and the greater
+lustre of eyes that were always bright, though often so soft and
+melancholy.</p>
+
+<p>"Luis!" escaped from her, and then, as if ashamed of the emotion
+betrayed in the very tones of her voice, she withdrew the foot that had
+involuntarily advanced to meet him, even while she kept a hand extended
+in friendly confidence.</p>
+
+<p>"Mercedes!" and the hand was withdrawn to put a stop to the kisses with
+which it was covered. "Thou art harder to be seen, of late, than it will
+be to discover this Cathay of the Genoese; for, between the Doña
+Isabella and Doña Beatriz, never was paradise watched more closely by
+guardian angels, than thy person is watched by thy protectors."</p>
+
+<p>"And can it be necessary, Luis, when thou art the danger apprehended?"</p>
+
+<p>"Do they think I shall carry thee off, like some Moorish girl borne away
+on the crupper of a Christian knight's saddle, and place thee in the
+caravel of Colon, that we may go in search of Prestor John and the Great
+Khan, in company?"</p>
+
+<p>"They may think <i>thee</i> capable of this act of madness, dear Luis, but
+they will hardly suspect <i>me</i>."</p>
+
+<p>"No, thou art truly a model of prudence in all matters that require
+feeling for thy lover."</p>
+
+<p>"Luis!" exclaimed the girl, again; and this time unbidden tears started
+to her eyes.</p>
+
+<p>"Forgive me, Mercedes&mdash;dearest, dearest Mercedes; but this delay and all
+these coldly cruel precautions make me forget myself. Am I a needy and
+unknown adventurer, that they treat me thus, instead of being a noble
+Castilian knight!"</p>
+
+<p>"Thou forgettest, Luis, that noble Castilian maidens are not wont to see
+even noble Castilian cavaliers alone, and, but for the gracious
+condescension of Her Highness, and the indulgence of my guardian, who
+happeneth to be thy aunt, this interview could not take place."</p>
+
+<p>"Alone! And dost thou call this being alone, or any excessive favor, on
+the part of Her Highness, when thou seest that we are watched by the
+eye, if not by the ear! I fear to speak above my breath, lest the sounds
+should disturb that venerable lady's meditations!"</p>
+
+<p>As Luis de Bobadilla uttered this, he glanced his eye at the figure of
+the dueña of his mistress, whose person was visible through an open
+door, in an adjoining room, where the good woman sat, intently occupied
+in reading certain homilies.</p>
+
+<p>"Dost mean my poor Pepita," answered Mercedes, laughing; for the
+presence of her attendant, to whom she had been accustomed from infancy,
+was no more restraint on her own innocent thoughts and words, than would
+have proved a reduplication of herself, had such a thing been possible.
+"Many have been her protestations against this meeting, which she
+insists is contrary to all rule among noble ladies, and which, she says,
+would never have been accorded by my poor, sainted mother, were she
+still living."</p>
+
+<p>"Ay, she hath a look that is sufficient of itself to set every generous
+mind a-tilting with her. One can see envy of thy beauty and youth, in
+every wrinkle of her unamiable face."</p>
+
+<p>"Then little dost thou know my excellent Pepita, who envieth nothing,
+and who hath but one marked weakness, and that is, too much affection,
+and too much indulgence, for myself."</p>
+
+<p>"I detest a dueña; ay, as I detest an Infidel!"</p>
+
+<p>"Señor," said Pepita, whose vigilant ears, notwithstanding her book and
+the homilies, heard all that passed, "this is a common feeling among
+youthful cavaliers, I fear; but they tell me that the very dueña who is
+so displeasing to the lover, getteth to be a grateful object, in time,
+with the husband. As my features and wrinkles, however, are so
+disagreeable to you, and no doubt cause you pain, by closing this door
+the sight will be shut out, as, indeed, will be the sound of my
+unpleasant cough, and of your own protestations of love, Señor Knight."</p>
+
+<p>This was said in much better language than was commonly used by women of
+the dueña's class, and with a good-nature that seemed indomitable, it
+being completely undisturbed by Luis' petulant remarks.</p>
+
+<p>"Thou shalt not close the door, Pepita," cried Mercedes, blushing rosy
+red, and springing forward to interpose her own hand against the act.
+"What is there that the Conde de Llera can have to say to one like me,
+that <i>thou</i> mayest not hear?"</p>
+
+<p>"Nay, dear child, the noble cavalier is about to talk of love!"</p>
+
+<p>"And is it thou, with whom the language of affection is so uncommon,
+that it frighteneth thee! Hath thy discourse been of aught but love,
+since thou hast known and cared for me?"</p>
+
+<p>"It augureth badly for thy suit, Señor," said Pepita, smiling, while she
+suspended the movement of the hand that was about to close the door, "if
+Doña Mercedes thinketh of your love as she thinketh of mine. Surely,
+child, thou dost not fancy me a gay, gallant young noble, come to pour
+out his soul at thy feet, and mistakest my simple words of affection for
+such as will be likely to flow from the honeyed tongue of a Bobadilla,
+bent on gaining his suit with the fairest maiden of Castile?"</p>
+
+<p>Mercedes shrunk back, for, though innocent as purity itself, her heart
+taught her the difference between the language of her lover and the
+language of her nurse, even when each most expressed affection. Her hand
+released its hold of the wood, and unconsciously was laid, with its
+pretty fellow, on her crimsoned face. Pepita profited by her advantage,
+and closed the door. A smile of triumph gleamed on the handsome features
+of Luis, and, after he had forced his mistress, by a gentle compulsion,
+to resume the seat from which she had risen to meet him, he threw
+himself on a stool at her feet, and stretching out his well-turned limbs
+in an easy attitude, so as to allow himself to gaze into the beautiful
+face that he had set up, like an idol, before him, he renewed the
+discourse.</p>
+
+<p>"This is a paragon of dueñas," he cried, "and I might have known that
+none of the ill-tempered, unreasonable school of such beings, would be
+tolerated near thy person. This Pepita is a jewel, and she may consider
+herself established in her office for life, if, by the cunning of this
+Genoese, mine own resolution, the queen's repentance, and thy gentle
+favor, I ever prove so lucky as to become thy husband."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou forgettest, Luis," answered Mercedes, trembling even while she
+laughed at her own conceit, "that if the husband esteemeth the dueña the
+lover could not endure, that the lover may esteem the dueña that the
+husband may be unwilling to abide."</p>
+
+<p>"<i>Peste!</i> these are crooked matters, and ill-suited to the
+straight-forward philosophy of Luis de Bobadilla. There is one thing
+only, which I can, or do, pretend to know, out of any controversy, and
+that I am ready to maintain in the face of all the doctors of Salamanca,
+or all the chivalry of Christendom, that of the Infidel included; which
+is, that thou art the fairest, sweetest, best, most virtuous, and in all
+things the most winning maiden of Spain, and that no other living knight
+so loveth and honoreth his mistress as I love and honor thee!"</p>
+
+<p>The language of admiration is ever soothing to female ears, and
+Mercedes, giving to the words of the youth an impression of sincerity
+that his manner fully warranted, forgot the dueña and her little
+interruption, in the delight of listening to declarations that were so
+grateful to her affections. Still, the coyness of her sex, and the
+recent date of their mutual confidence, rendered her answer less open
+than it might otherwise have been.</p>
+
+<p>"I am told,", she said, "that you young cavaliers, who pant for
+occasions to show your skill and courage with the lance and in the
+tourney, are ever making some such protestations in favor of this or
+that noble maiden, in order to provoke others like themselves to make
+counter assertions, that they may show their prowess as knights, and
+gain high names for gallantry."</p>
+
+<p>"This cometh of being so much shut up in Doña Beatriz's private rooms,
+lest some bold Spanish eyes should look profanely on thy beauty,
+Mercedes. We are not in the age of the errants and the troubadours, when
+men committed a thousand follies that they might be thought weaker even
+than nature had made them. In that age, your knights <i>discoursed</i>
+largely of love, but in our own they <i>feel</i> it. In sooth, I think this
+savoreth of some of the profound morality of Pepita!"</p>
+
+<p>"Say naught against Pepita, Luis, who hath much befriended thee to-day,
+else would thy tongue, and thine eyes too, be under the restraint of her
+presence. But that which thou termest the morality of the good dueña,
+is, in truth, the morality of the excellent and most noble Doña Beatriz
+de Cabrera, Marchioness of Moya, who was born a lady of the House of
+Bobadilla, I believe."</p>
+
+<p>"Well, well, I dare to say there is no great difference between the
+lessons of a duchess and the lessons of a dueña in the privacy of the
+closet, when there is one like thee, beautiful, and rich, and virtuous,
+to guard. They say you young maidens are told that we cavaliers are so
+many ogres, and that the only way to reach paradise is to think naught
+of us but evil, and then, when some suitable marriage hath been decided
+on, the poor young creature is suddenly alarmed by an order to come
+forth and be wedded to one of these very monsters."</p>
+
+<p>"And, in this mode, hast thou been treated! It would seem that much
+pains are taken to make the young of the two sexes think ill of each
+other. But, Luis, this is pure idleness, and we waste in it most
+precious moments; moments that may never return. How go matters with
+Colon&mdash;and when is he like to quit the court?"</p>
+
+<p>"He hath already departed; for, having obtained all he hath sought of
+the queen, he quitted Santa Fé, with the royal authority to sustain him
+in the fullest manner. If thou hearest aught of one Pedro de Muños, or
+Pero Gutierrez, at the court of Cathay, thou wilt know on whose
+shoulders to lay his follies."</p>
+
+<p>"I would rather that thou shouldst undertake this voyage in thine own
+name, Luis, than under a feigned appellation. Concealments of this
+nature are seldom wise, and surely thou dost not undertake the
+enterprise"&mdash;the tell-tale blood stole to the cheeks of Mercedes as she
+proceeded&mdash;"with a motive that need bring shame."</p>
+
+<p>"'Tis the wish of my aunt; as for myself, I would put thy favor in my
+casque, thy emblem on my shield, and let it be known, far and near, that
+Luis of Llera sought the court of Cathay, with the intent to defy its
+chivalry to produce as fair or as virtuous a maiden as thyself."</p>
+
+<p>"We are not in the age of errants, sir knight, but in one of reason and
+truth," returned Mercedes, laughing, though every syllable that proved
+the earnest and entire devotion of the young man went directly to her
+heart, strengthening his hold on it, and increasing the flame that burnt
+within, by adding the fuel that was most adapted to that purpose&mdash;"we
+are not in the age of knights-errant, Don Luis de Bobadilla, as thou
+thyself hast just affirmed; but one in which even the lover is
+reflecting, and as apt to discover the faults of his lady-love as to
+dwell upon her perfections. I look for better things from thee, than to
+hear that thou hast ridden through the highways of Cathay, defying to
+combat and seeking giants, in order to exalt my beauty, and tempting
+others to decry it, if it were only out of pure opposition to thy idle
+boastings. Ah! Luis, thou art now engaged in a most truly noble
+enterprise, one that will join thy name to those of the applauded of
+men, and which will form thy pride and exultation in after-life, when
+the eyes of us both shall be dimmed by age, and we shall look back with
+longings to discover aught of which to be proud."</p>
+
+<p>It was thrice, pleasant to the youth to hear his mistress, in the
+innocence of her heart, and in the fulness of her feelings, thus uniting
+his fate with her own; and when she ceased speaking, all unconscious how
+much might be indirectly implied from her words, he still listened
+intently, as if he would fain hear the sounds after they had died on his
+ear.</p>
+
+<p>"What enterprise can be nobler, more worthy to awaken all my resolution,
+than to win thy hand!" he exclaimed, after a short pause. "I follow
+Colon with no other object; share his chances, to remove the objections
+of Doña Isabella; and will accompany him to the earth's end, rather than
+that thy choice should be dishonored. <i>Thou</i> art <i>my</i> Great Khan,
+beloved Mercedes, and thy smiles and affection are the only Cathay I
+seek."</p>
+
+<p>"Say not so, dear Luis, for thou knowest not the nobility of thine own
+soul, nor the generosity of thine own intentions. This is a stupendous
+project of Colon's, and much as I rejoice that he hath had the
+imagination to conceive it, and the heart to undertake it in his own
+person, on account of the good it must produce to the heathen, and the
+manner in which it will necessarily redound to the glory of God, still I
+fear that I am equally gladdened with the recollection that thy name
+will be forever associated with the great achievement, and thy
+detractors put to shame with the resolution and spirit with which so
+noble an end will have been attained."</p>
+
+<p>"This is nothing but truth, Mercedes, should we reach the Indies; but,
+should the saints desert us, and our project fail, I fear that even thou
+wouldst be ashamed to confess an interest in an unfortunate adventurer
+who hath returned without success, and thereby made himself the subject
+of sneers and derision, instead of wearing the honorable distinction
+that thou seemest so confidently to expect."</p>
+
+<p>"Then, Luis de Bobadilla, thou knowest me not," answered Mercedes,
+hastily, and speaking with a tender earnestness that brought the blood
+into her cheeks, gradually brightening the brilliancy of her eyes, until
+they shone with a lustre that seemed almost supernatural&mdash;"then, Luis de
+Bobadilla, thou knowest me not. I wish thee to share in the glory of
+this enterprise, because calumny and censure have not been altogether
+idle with thy youth, and because I feel that Her Highness' favor is most
+easily obtained by it; but, if thou believest that the spirit to engage
+with Colon was necessary to incline me to think kindly of my guardian's
+nephew, thou neither understandest the sentiments that draw me toward
+thee, nor hast a just appreciation of the hours of sorrow I have
+suffered on thy account."</p>
+
+<p>"Dearest, most generous, noble-hearted girl, I am unworthy of thy truth,
+of thy pure sincerity, and of all thy devoted feelings! Drive me from
+thee at once, that I may ne'er again cause thee a moment's grief."</p>
+
+<p>"Nay, Luis, thy remedy, I fear me, would prove worse than the disease
+that thou wouldst cure," returned the beautiful girl, smiling and
+blushing as she spoke, and turning her eloquent eyes on the youth in a
+way to avow volumes of tenderness. "With thee must I be happy, or
+unhappy, as Providence may will it; or miserable without thee."</p>
+
+<p>The conversation now took that unconnected, and yet comprehensive cast,
+which is apt to characterize the discourse of those who feel as much as
+they reason, and it covered more interests, sentiments, and events, than
+our limits will allow us to record. As usual, Luis was inconsistent,
+jealous, repentant, full of passion and protestations, fancying a
+thousand evils at one instant, and figuring in his imagination a
+terrestrial paradise at the next; while Mercedes was enthusiastic,
+generous, devoted, and yet high-principled, self-denying, and womanly;
+meeting her ardent suitor's vows with a tenderness that seemed to lose
+all other considerations in her love, and repelling with maiden coyness,
+and with the dignity of her sex, his rhapsodies, whenever they touched
+upon the exaggerated and indiscreet.</p>
+
+<p>The interview lasted an hour, and it is scarce necessary to say that
+vows of constancy, and pledges never to marry another, were given, again
+and again. As the time for separating approached, Mercedes opened a
+small casket that contained her jewels, and drew forth one which she
+offered to her lover as a gage of her truth.</p>
+
+<p>"I will not give thee a glove to wear in thy casque at tourneys, Luis,"
+she said, "but I offer this holy symbol, which may remind thee, at the
+same moment, of the great pursuit thou hast before thee, and of her who
+will wait its issue with doubts and fears little less active than those
+of Colon himself. Thou needst no other crucifix to say thy paters
+before, and these stones are sapphires, which thou knowest are the
+tokens of fidelity&mdash;a feeling that thou mayst encourage as respects thy
+lasting welfare, and which it would not grieve me to know thou kept'st
+ever active in thy bosom when thinking of the unworthy giver of the
+trifle."</p>
+
+<p>This was said half in melancholy, and half in lightness of heart, for
+Mercedes felt, at parting, both a weight of sorrow that was hard to be
+borne, and a buoyancy of the very feeling to which she had just alluded,
+that much disposed her to smile; and it was said with those winning
+accents with which the youthful and tender avow their emotions, when the
+heart is subdued by the thoughts of absence and dangers. The gift was a
+small cross, formed of the stones she had named, and of great intrinsic
+value, as well as precious from the motives and character of her who
+offered it.</p>
+
+<p>"Thou hast had a care of my soul, in this, Mercedes," said Luis,
+smiling, when he had kissed the jewelled cross again and again&mdash;"and art
+resolved if the sovereign of Cathay should refuse to be converted to our
+faith, that we shall not be converted to his. I fear that my offering
+will appear tame and valueless in thine eyes, after so precious a boon."</p>
+
+<p>"One lock of thy hair, Luis, is all I desire. Thou knowest that I have
+no need of jewels."</p>
+
+<p>"If I thought the sight of my bushy head would give thee pleasure, every
+hair should quit it, and I would sail from Spain with a poll as naked as
+a priest's, or even an Infidel's; but the Bobadillas have their jewels,
+and a Bobadilla's bride shall wear them: this necklace was my mother's,
+Mercedes; it is said to have once been the property of a queen, though
+none have ever worn it who will so honor it as thou."</p>
+
+<p>"I take it, Luis, for it is thy offering and may not be refused; and yet
+I take it tremblingly, for I see signs of our different natures in these
+gifts. Thou hast chosen the gorgeous and the brilliant, which pall in
+time, and seldom lead to contentment; while my woman's heart hath led me
+to constancy. I fear some brilliant beauty of the East would better gain
+thy lasting admiration than a poor Castilian maid who hath little but
+her faith and love to recommend her!"</p>
+
+<p>Protestations on the part of the young man followed, and Mercedes
+permitted one fond and long embrace ere they separated. She wept on the
+bosom of Don Luis, and at the final moment of parting, as ever happens
+with woman, feeling got the better of form, and her whole soul confessed
+its weakness. At length Luis tore himself away from her presence, and
+that night he was on his way to the coast, under an assumed name, and in
+simple guise; whither Columbus had already preceded.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/i177.jpg" alt=""/>
+</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XI" id="CHAPTER_XI"></a>CHAPTER XI.</h2>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"But where is Harold? Shall I then forget<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">To urge the gloomy wanderer o'er the wave?<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Little reck'd he of all that men regret;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">No friend the parting hand extended gave<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">Byron.</span><br /></span>
+</div></div>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p>The reader is not to suppose that the eyes of Europe were on our
+adventurers. Truth and falsehood, inseparable companions, it would seem,
+throughout all time, were not then diffused over the land by means of
+newspapers, with mercenary diligence; and it was only the favored few
+who got early intelligence of enterprises like that in which Columbus
+was engaged. Luis de Bobadilla had, therefore, stolen from court
+unnoticed, and they who came in time to miss his presence, either
+supposed him to be on a visit to one of his castles, or to have gone
+forth on another of those wandering tours which were supposed to be
+blemishes on his chivalry and unworthy of his birth. As for the Genoese
+himself, his absence was scarcely heeded, though it was understood among
+the courtiers generally that Isabella had entered into some arrangement
+with him, which gave the adventurer higher rank and greater advantages
+than his future services would probably ever justify. The other
+principal adventurers were too insignificant to attract much attention,
+and they had severally departed for the coast without the knowledge of
+their movements extending far beyond the narrow circles of their own
+acquaintances. Neither was this expedition, so bold in its conception
+and so momentous in its consequences, destined to sail from one of the
+more important ports of Spain; but orders to furnish the necessary means
+had been sent to a haven of altogether inferior rank, and which would
+seem to have possessed no other recommendations for this particular
+service, than hardy mariners, and a position without the pass of
+Gibraltar, which was sometimes rendered hazardous by the rovers of
+Africa. The order, however, is said to have been issued to the place
+selected, in consequence of its having incurred some legal penalty, by
+which it had been condemned to serve the crown for a twelvemonth with
+two armed caravels. Such punishments, it would seem, were part of the
+policy of an age in which navies were little more than levies on
+sea-ports, and when fleets were usually manned by soldiers from the
+land.</p>
+
+<p>Palos de Moguer, the place ordered to pay this tribute for its
+transgression, was a town of little importance, even at the close of the
+fifteenth century, and it has since dwindled to an insignificant fishing
+village. Like most places that are little favored by nature, its
+population was hardy and adventurous, as adventure was then limited by
+ignorance. It possessed no stately caracks, its business and want of
+opulence confining all its efforts to the lighter caravel and the still
+more diminutive felucca. All the succor, indeed, that Columbus had been
+able to procure from the two crowns, by his protracted solicitations,
+was the order for the equipment of the two caravels mentioned, with the
+additional officers and men that always accompanied a royal expedition.
+The reader, however, is not to infer from this fact any niggardliness of
+spirit, or any want of faith, on the part of Isabella. It was partly
+owing to the exhausted condition of her treasury, a consequence of the
+late war with the Moor, and more, perhaps, to the experience and
+discretion of the great navigator himself, who well understood that, for
+the purposes of discovery, vessels of this size would be more useful and
+secure than those that were larger.</p>
+
+<p>On a rocky promontory, at a distance of less than a league from the
+village of Palos, stood the convent of La Rabida, since rendered so
+celebrated by its hospitality to Columbus. At the gate of this building,
+seven years before, the navigator, leading his youthful son by the hand,
+had presented himself, a solicitor for food in behalf of the wearied
+boy. The story is too well known to need repetition here, and we will
+merely add that his long residence in this convent, and the firm friends
+he had made of the holy Franciscans who occupied it, as well as among
+others in their vicinity, were also probably motives that influenced him
+in directing the choice of the crown to this particular place. Columbus
+had not only circulated his opinions with the monks, but with the more
+intelligent of the neighborhood, and the first converts he made in Spain
+were at this place.</p>
+
+<p>Notwithstanding all the circumstances named, the order of the crown to
+prepare the caravels in question, spread consternation among the
+mariners of Palos. In that age, it was thought a wonderful achievement
+to follow the land, along the coast of Africa, and to approach the
+equator. The vaguest notions existed in the popular mind, concerning
+those unknown regions, and many even believed that by journeying south
+it was possible to reach a portion of the earth where animal and
+vegetable life must cease on account of the intense heat of the sun. The
+revolution of the planets, the diurnal motion of the earth, and the
+causes of the changes in the seasons, were then profound mysteries even
+to the learned; or, if glimmerings of the truth did exist, they existed
+as the first rays of the dawn dimly and hesitatingly announce the
+approach of day. It is not surprising, therefore, that the simple-minded
+and unlettered mariners of Palos viewed the order of the crown as a
+sentence of destruction on all who might be fated to obey it. The ocean,
+when certain limits were passed, was thought to be, like the firmament,
+a sort of chaotic void; and the imaginations of the ignorant had
+conjured up currents and whirlpools that were believed to lead to fiery
+climates and frightful scenes of natural destruction. Some even fancied
+it possible to reach the uttermost boundaries of the earth, and to slide
+off into vacuum, by means of swift but imperceptible currents.</p>
+
+<p>Such was the state of things, in the middle of the month of July.
+Columbus was still in the convent of Rabida, in the company of his
+constant friend and adherent, Fray Juan Perez, when a lay brother came
+to announce that a stranger had arrived at the gate, asking earnestly
+for the Señor Christoval Colon.</p>
+
+<p>"Hath he the aspect of a messenger from the court?" demanded the
+navigator; "for, since the failure of the mission of Juan de Peñalosa,
+there is need of further orders from their Highnesses to enforce their
+gracious intentions."</p>
+
+<p>"I think not, Señor," answered the lay brother; "these hard-riding
+couriers of the queen generally appearing with their steeds in a foam,
+and with hurried air and blustering voices; whereas this young cavalier
+behaveth modestly, and rideth a stout Andalusian mule."</p>
+
+<p>"Did he give thee his name, good Sancho?"</p>
+
+<p>"He gave me two, Señor, styling himself Pedro de Muños, or Pedro
+Gutierrez, without the Don."</p>
+
+<p>"This is well," exclaimed Columbus, turning a little quickly toward the
+door, but otherwise maintaining a perfect self-command; "I expect the
+youth, and he is right welcome. Let him come in at once, good Sancho,
+and that without any useless ceremony."</p>
+
+<p>"An acquaintance of the court, Señor?" observed the prior, in the way
+one indirectly asks a question.</p>
+
+<p>"A youth that hath the spirit, father, to adventure life and character
+for the glory of God, through the advancement of his church, by
+embarking in our enterprise. He cometh of a reputable lineage, and is
+not without the gifts of fortune. But for the care of guardians, and his
+own youth, gold would not have been wanting in our need. As it is, he
+ventureth his own person, if one can be said to risk aught in an
+expedition that seemeth truly to set even the orders of their Highnesses
+at defiance."</p>
+
+<p>As Columbus ceased speaking, the door opened and Luis de Bobadilla
+entered. The young grandee had laid aside all the outward evidences of
+his high rank, and now appeared in the modest guise of a traveller
+belonging to a class more likely to furnish a recruit for the voyage,
+than one of the rank he really was. Saluting Columbus with cordial and
+sincere respect, and the Franciscan with humble deference, the first at
+once perceived that this gallant and reckless spirit had truly engaged
+in the enterprise with a determination to use all the means that would
+enable him to go through with it.</p>
+
+<p>"Thou art welcome, Pedro," Columbus observed, as soon as Luis had made
+his salutations; "thou hast reached the coast at a moment when thy
+presence and support may be exceedingly useful. The first order of Her
+Highness, by which I should have received the services of the two
+caravels to which the state is entitled, hath been utterly disregarded;
+and a second mandate, empowering me to seize upon any vessel that may
+suit our necessities, hath fared but little better, notwithstanding the
+Señor de Peñalosa was sent directly from court to enforce its
+conditions, under a penalty, to the port, of paying a daily tax of two
+hundred maravedis, until the order should be fulfilled. The idiots have
+conjured all sorts of ills with which to terrify themselves and their
+neighbors, and I seem to be as far from the completion of my hopes as I
+was before I procured the friendship of this holy friar and the royal
+protection of Doña Isabella. It is a weary thing, my good Pedro, to
+waste a life in hopes defeated, with such an object in view as the
+spread of knowledge and the extension of the church!"</p>
+
+<p>"I am the bearer of good tidings, Señor," answered the young noble. "In
+coming hither from the town of Moguer, I journeyed with one Martin
+Alonzo Pinzon, a mariner with whom I have formerly voyaged, and we have
+had much discourse concerning your commission and difficulties. He tells
+me that he is known to you, Señor Colon, and I should judge from his
+discourse that he thinketh favorably of the chances."</p>
+
+<p>"He doth&mdash;he doth, indeed, good Pedro, and hath often listened to my
+reasoning like a discreet and skilful navigator, as I make no question
+he really is. But didst thou say that thou wast <i>known</i> to him?"</p>
+
+<p>"Señor, I did. We have voyaged together as far as Cyprus, on one
+occasion, and, again, to the island of the English. In such long
+voyages, men get to some knowledge of each other's temperament and
+disposition, and, of a sooth, I think well of both, in this Señor
+Pinzon."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou art young to pass an opinion on a mariner of Martin Alonzo's years
+and experience, son," put in the friar; "a man of much repute in this
+vicinity, and of no little wealth. Nevertheless, I am rejoiced to hear
+that he continueth of the same mind as formerly, in relation to the
+great voyage; for, of late, I did think even he had begun to waver."</p>
+
+<p>Don Luis had expressed himself of the great man of the vicinity, more
+like a Bobadilla than became his assumed name of Muños, and a glance
+from the eye of Columbus told him to forget his rank and to remember the
+disguise he had assumed.</p>
+
+<p>"This is truly encouraging," observed the navigator, "and openeth a
+brighter view of Cathay. Thou wast journeying between Moguer and Palos,
+I think thou saidst, when this discourse was had with our acquaintance,
+the good Martin Alonzo?"</p>
+
+<p>"I was, Señor, and it was he who sent me hither in quest of the admiral.
+He gave you the title that the queen's favor hath bestowed, and I
+consider that no small sign of friendship, as most others with whom I
+have conversed in this vicinity seem disposed to call you by any other
+name."</p>
+
+<p>"None need embark in this enterprise," returned the navigator, gravely,
+as if he would admonish the youth that this was an occasion on which he
+might withdraw from the adventure, if he saw fit, "who feel disposed to
+act differently, or who distrust my knowledge."</p>
+
+<p>"By San Pedro, my patron! they tell another tale at Palos, and at
+Moguer, Señor Amirale," returned Luis, laughing; "at which places, I
+hear, that no man whose skin hath been a little warmed by the sun of the
+ocean, dare show himself in the highways, lest he be sent to Cathay by a
+road that no one ever yet travelled, except in fancy! There is,
+notwithstanding, one free and willing volunteer, Señor Colon, who is
+disposed to follow you to the edge of the earth, if it be flat, and to
+follow you quite around it, should it prove to be a sphere; and that is
+one Pedro de Muños, who engageth with you from no sordid love of gold,
+or love of aught else that men usually prize; but from the pure love of
+adventure, somewhat excited and magnified, perhaps, by love of the
+purest and fairest maid of Castile."</p>
+
+<p>Fray Juan Perez gazed at the speaker, whose free manner and open speech
+a good deal surprised him; for Columbus had succeeded in awakening so
+much respect that few presumed to use any levity in his presence, even
+before he was dignified by the high rank so recently conferred by the
+commission of Isabella. Little did the good monk suspect that one of a
+still higher personal rank, though entirely without official station,
+stood before him, in the guise of Pedro de Muños; and he could not
+refrain from again expressing the little relish he felt for such freedom
+of speech and deportment toward those whom he himself habitually
+regarded with so much respect.</p>
+
+<p>"It would seem, Señor Pedro de Muños," he said, "if that be thy
+name&mdash;though duke, or marquis, or count, would be a title better
+becoming thy bearing&mdash;that thou treatest His Excellency the Admiral with
+quite as much freedom of thought, at least, as thou treatest the worthy
+Martin Alonzo of our own neighborhood; a follower should be more humble,
+and not pass his jokes on the opinions of his leader, in this loose
+style of expression."</p>
+
+<p>"I crave your pardon, holy father, and that of the admiral, too, who
+better understandeth me I trust, if there be any just grounds of
+offence. All I wish to express is, that I know this Martin Alonzo of
+your neighborhood, as an old fellow-voyager; that we have ridden some
+leagues in company this very day, and that, after close discourse, he
+hath manifested a friendly desire to put his shoulder to the wheel, in
+order to lift the expedition, if not from a slough of mud, at least from
+the sands of the river; and that he hath promised to come also to this
+good convent of La Rabida, for that same purpose and no other. As for
+myself, I can only add, that here I am, ready to follow wheresoever the
+honorable Señor Colon may see fit to lead."</p>
+
+<p>"Tis well, good Pedro&mdash;'tis well," rejoined the admiral. "I give thee
+full credit for sincerity and spirit, and that must content thee until
+an opportunity offereth to convince others. I like these tidings
+concerning Martin Alonzo, father, since he might truly do us much good
+service, and his zeal had assuredly begun to flag."</p>
+
+<p>"That might he, and that will he, if he engageth seriously in the
+affair. Martin is the greatest navigator on all this coast, for, though
+I did not know that he had ever been even to Cyprus, as would appear by
+the account of this youth, I was well aware that he had frequently
+sailed as far north as France, and as far south as the Canaries. Dost
+think Cathay much more remote than Cyprus, Señor Almirante?"</p>
+
+<p>Columbus smiled at this question, and shook his head in the manner of
+one who would prepare a friend for some sore disappointment.</p>
+
+<p>"Although Cyprus be not distant from the Holy Land and the seat of the
+Infidel's power," he answered, "Cathay must lie much more remote. I
+flatter not myself, nor those who are disposed to follow me, with the
+hope of reaching the Indies short of a voyage that shall extend to some
+eight hundred or a thousand leagues."</p>
+
+<p>"'Tis a fearful and a weary distance!" exclaimed the Franciscan; while
+Luis stood in smiling unconcern, equally indifferent whether he had to
+traverse one-thousand or ten thousand leagues of ocean, so that the
+journey led to Mercedes and was productive of adventure. "A fearful and
+weary distance, and yet I doubt not, Señor Almirante, that you are the
+very man designed by Providence to overcome it, and to open the way for
+those who will succeed you, bearing on high the cross of Christ and the
+promises of his redemption!"</p>
+
+<p>"Let us hope this," returned Columbus, reverently making the usual sign
+of the sacred emblem to which his friend alluded; "as a proof that we
+have some worldly foundation for the expectation, here cometh the Señor
+Pinzon himself, apparently hot with haste to see us."</p>
+
+<p>Martin Alonzo Pinzon, whose name is so familiar to the reader, as one
+who greatly aided the Genoese in his vast undertaking, now entered the
+room, seemingly earnest and bent on some fixed purpose, as Columbus'
+observant eye had instantly detected. Fray Juan Perez was not a little
+surprised to see that the first salutation of Martin Alonzo, the great
+man of the neighborhood, was directed to Pedro, the second to the
+admiral, and the third to himself. There was not time, however, for the
+worthy Franciscan, who was a little apt to rebuke any dereliction of
+decency on the spot, to express what he felt on this occasion, ere
+Martin Alonzo opened his errand with an eagerness that showed he had not
+come on a mere visit of friendship, or of ceremony.</p>
+
+<p>"I am sorely vexed, Señor Almirante," he commenced, "at learning the
+obstinacy, and the disobedience to the orders of the queen, that have
+been shown among our mariners of Palos. Although a dweller of the port
+itself, and one who hath always viewed your opinions of this western
+voyage with respect, if not with absolute faith, I did not know the full
+extent of this insubordination until I met, by accident, an old
+acquaintance on the highway, in the person of Don Pedro&mdash;I ought to say
+the <i>Señor</i> Pedro de Muños, here, who, coming from a distance as he
+doth, hath discovered more of our backslidings than I had learned
+myself, on the spot. But, Señor, you are not now to hear for the first
+time, of what sort of stuff men are made. They are reasoning beings, we
+are told; notwithstanding which undeniable truth, as there is not one in
+a hundred who is at the trouble to do his own thinking, means may be
+found to change the opinions of a sufficient number for all your wants,
+without their even suspecting it."</p>
+
+<p>"This is very true, neighbor Martin Alonzo," put in the friar&mdash;"so true,
+that it might go into a homily and do no disservice to religion. Man
+<i>is</i> a rational animal, and an accountable animal, but it is not meet
+that he should be a <i>thinking</i> animal. In matters of the church, now,
+its interests being entrusted to a ministry, what have the unlearned and
+ignorant to say of its affairs? In matters of navigation, it doth,
+indeed, seem as if one steersman were better than a hundred! Although
+man be a reasoning animal, there are quite as many occasions when he is
+bound to obey without reasoning, and few when he should be permitted to
+reason without obeying."</p>
+
+<p>"All true, holy friar and most excellent neighbor; so true that you will
+find no one in Palos to deny that, at least. And now we are on the
+subject, I may as well add that it is the church that hath thrown more
+obstacles in the way of the Señor Almirante's success, than any other
+cause. All the old women of the port declare that the notion of the
+earth's being round is a heresy, and contrary to the Bible; and, if the
+truth must be said, there are not a few underlings of this very convent,
+who uphold them in the opinion. It doth appear unnatural to tell one who
+hath never quitted the land, and who seeth himself much oftener in a
+valley than on an eminence, that the globe is round, and, though I have
+had many occasions to see the ocean, it would not easily find credit
+with me, were it not for the fact that we see the upper and smaller
+sails of a ship first, when approaching her, as well as the vanes and
+crosses of towns, albeit they are the smaller objects about vessels and
+churches. We mariners have one way to inspirit our followers, and you
+churchmen have another; and, now that I intend to use my means to put
+wiser thoughts into the heads of the seamen of Palos, reverend friar, I
+look to you to set the church's engines at work, so as to silence the
+women, and to quell the doubts of the most zealous among your own
+brotherhood."</p>
+
+<p>"Am I to understand by this, Señor Pinzon," demanded Columbus, "that you
+intend to take a direct and more earnest interest than before in the
+success of my enterprise?"</p>
+
+<p>"Señor, you may. That is my intention, if we can come to as favorable an
+understanding about the terms, as your worship would seem to have
+entered into with our most honored mistress, Doña Isabella de
+Trastamara. I have had some discourse with Señor Don&mdash;I would say with
+the Señor Pedro de Muños, here&mdash;odd's folly, an excess of courtesy is
+getting to be a vice with me of late&mdash;but as he is a youth of prudence,
+and manifests a desire to embark with you, it hath stirred my fancy so
+far, that I would gladly be of the party. Señor de Muños and I have
+voyaged so much together, that I would fain see his worthy countenance
+once more upon the ocean."</p>
+
+<p>"These are cheerful tidings, Martin Alonzo"&mdash;eagerly put in the friar,
+"and thy soul, and the souls of all who belong to you, will reap the
+benefits of this manly and pious resolution. It is one thing, Señor
+Almirante, to have their Highnesses of your side, in a place like Palos,
+and another to have our worthy neighbor Pinzon, here; for, if they are
+sovereigns in law, he is an emperor in opinion. I doubt not that the
+caravels will now be speedily forthcoming."</p>
+
+<p>"Since thou seemest to have truly resolved to enter into our enterprise,
+Señor Martin Alonzo," added Columbus, with his dignified gravity, "out
+of doubt, thou hast well bethought thee of the conditions, and art come
+prepared to let them be known. Do they savor of the terms that have
+already been in discussion between us?"</p>
+
+<p>"Señor Admiral, they do; though gold is not, just now, as abundant in
+our purses, as when we last discoursed on this subject. On that head,
+some obstacles may exist, but on all others, I doubt not, a brief
+explanation between us will leave the matter free from doubt."</p>
+
+<p>"As to the eighth, for which I stand committed with their Highnesses,
+Señor Pinzon, there will be less reason, now, to raise that point
+between us, than when we last met, as other means may offer to redeem
+that pledge"&mdash;as Columbus spoke, his eyes involuntarily turned toward
+the pretended Pedro, whither those of Martin Alonzo Pinzon significantly
+followed; "but there will be many difficulties to overcome with these
+terrified and silly mariners, which may yield to thy influence. If thou
+wilt come with me into this chamber, we will at once discuss the heads
+of our treaty, leaving this youth, the while, to the hospitality of our
+reverend friend."</p>
+
+<p>The prior raising no objection to this proposition, it was immediately
+put in execution, Columbus and Pinzon withdrawing to a more private
+apartment, leaving Fray Juan Perez alone with our hero.</p>
+
+<p>"Then thou thinkest seriously, son, of making one in this great
+enterprise of the admiral's," said the Franciscan, as soon as the door
+was closed on those who had just left them, eyeing Luis, for the first
+time, with a more strict scrutiny than hitherto he had leisure to
+exercise. "Thou carriest thyself much like the young lords of the court,
+and wilt have occasion to acquire a less towering air in the narrow
+limits of one of our Palos caravels."</p>
+
+<p>"I am no stranger to Nao, Carraca, Fusta, Pinaza, Carabelon, or Felucca,
+holy prior, and shall carry myself with the admiral, as I should carry
+myself before Don Fernando of Aragon, were he my fellow-voyager, or in
+the presence of Boabdil of Grenada, were that unhappy monarch again
+seated on the throne from which he hath been so lately hurled, urging
+his chivalry to charge the knights of Christian Spain."</p>
+
+<p>"These are fine words, son, ay, and uttered with a tilting air, if truth
+must be said; but they will avail thee nothing with this Genoese, who
+hath that in him, that would leave him unabashed even in the presence of
+our gracious lady, Doña Isabella, herself."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou knowest the queen, holy monk?" inquired Luis, forgetting his
+assumed character, in the freedom of his address.</p>
+
+<p>"I ought to know her inmost heart, son, for often have I listened to her
+pure and meek spirit, in the secrets of the confessional. Much as she is
+beloved by us Castilians, no one can know the true, spiritual elevation
+of that pious princess, and most excellent woman, but they who have had
+occasion to shrive her."</p>
+
+<p>Don Luis hemmed, played with the handle of his rapier, and then gave
+utterance to the uppermost thought, as usual.</p>
+
+<p>"Didst thou, by any chance of thy priestly office, father, ever find it
+necessary to confess a maiden of the court, who is much esteemed by the
+queen?" he inquired, "and whose spirit, I'll answer for it, is as pure
+as that of Doña Isabella's itself."</p>
+
+<p>"Son, thy question denoteth greater necessity for repairing to
+Salamanca, in order to be instructed in the history, and practices, and
+faith of the church, than to be entering into an enterprise, even as
+commendable as this of Colon's! Dost thou not know that we churchmen are
+not permitted to betray the secrets of the confessional, or to draw
+comparisons between penitents? and, moreover, that we do not take even
+Doña Isabella, the blessed Maria keep her ever in mind, as the standard
+of holiness to which all Christians are expected to aim? The maiden of
+whom thou speakest may be virtuous, according to worldly notions, and
+yet a grievous sinner in the eyes of mother church."</p>
+
+<p>"I should like, before I quit Spain, to hear a Mendoza, or a Guzman, who
+hath not a shaven crown, venture to hint as much, most reverend prior!"</p>
+
+<p>"Thou art hot and restive, and talkest idly, son; what would one like
+thee find to say to a Guzman, or a Mendoza, or a Bobadilla, even, did he
+affirm what thou wishest? But, who is the maid, in whom thy feelings
+seem to take so deep, although I question if it be not an unrequited,
+interest?"</p>
+
+<p>"Nay, I did but speak in idleness. Our stations have made such a chasm
+between us, that it is little likely we should ever come to speech; nor
+is my merit such as would be apt to cause her to forget her high
+advantages."</p>
+
+<p>"Still, she hath a name?"</p>
+
+<p>"She hath, truly, prior, and a right noble one it is. I had the Doña
+Maria de las Mercedes de Valverde in my thoughts, when the light remark
+found utterance. Haply, thou may'st know that illustrious heiress?"</p>
+
+<p>Fray Juan Perez, a truly guileless priest, started at the name; then he
+gazed intently, and with a sort of pity, at the youth; after which he
+bent his head toward the tiles beneath his feet, smiled, and shook his
+head like one whose thoughts were very active.</p>
+
+<p>"I do, indeed, know the lady," he said, "and even when last at court, on
+this errand of Colon's, their own confessor being ill, I shrived her, as
+well as my royal mistress. That she is worthy of Doña Isabella's esteem
+is true; but thy admiration for this noble maiden, which must be
+something like the distant reverence we feel for the clouds that sail
+above our heads, can scarce be founded on any rational hopes."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou canst not know that, father. If this expedition end as we trust,
+all who engage in it will be honored and advanced; and why not I, as
+well as another?"</p>
+
+<p>"In this, thou may'st utter truth, but as for the Doña&mdash;" The Franciscan
+checked himself, for he was about to betray the secret of the
+confessional. He had, in truth, listened to the contrition of Mercedes,
+of which her passion for Luis was the principal cause; and it was he
+who, with a species of pious fraud of which he was himself unconscious,
+had first pointed out the means by which the truant noble might be made
+to turn his propensity to rove to the profit of his love; and his mind
+was full of her beautiful exhibition of purity and natural feeling,
+nearly even to overflowing. But habit and duty interfered in time, and
+he did not utter the name that had been trembling on his lips. Still,
+his thoughts continued in this current, and his tongue gave utterance to
+that portion of them which he believed to be harmless. "Thou hast been
+much about the world, it would seem, by Master Alonzo's greeting," he
+continued, after a short pause; "didst ever meet, son, with a certain
+cavalier of Castile, named Don Luis de Bobadilla&mdash;a grandee, who also
+bears the title of Conde de Llera?"</p>
+
+<p>"I know little of his hopes, and care less for his titles," returned
+Luis, calmly, who thought he would manifest a magnanimous indifference
+to the Franciscan's opinions&mdash;"but I have seen the cavalier, and a
+roving, mad-brained, graceless youth it is, of whom no good can be
+expected."</p>
+
+<p>"I fear this is but too true," rejoined Fray Juan Perez, shaking his
+head in a melancholy manner&mdash;"and yet they say he is a gallant knight,
+and the very best lance in all Spain."</p>
+
+<p>"Ay, he may be that," answered Luis, hemming a little louder than was
+decorous, for his throat began to grow husky&mdash;"Ay, he may be that; but
+of what avail is a good lance without a good character. I hear little
+commendable of this young Conde de Llera."</p>
+
+<p>"I trust he is not the man he generally passeth for,"&mdash;answered the
+simple-hearted monk, without in the least suspecting his companion's
+disguise; "and I do know that there are some who think well of him&mdash;nay,
+whose existence, I might say whose very souls, are wrapped up in him!"</p>
+
+<p>"Holy Franciscan!&mdash;why wilt thou not mention the names of one or two of
+these?" demanded Luis, with an impetuosity that caused the prior to
+start.</p>
+
+<p>"And why should I give this information to thee, young man, more than to
+another?"</p>
+
+<p>"Why, father&mdash;why, for several most excellent and unanswerable reasons.
+In the first place, I am a youth myself, as thou seest; and example,
+they say, is better than precept. Then, too, <i>I</i> am somewhat given to
+roving, and it may profit me to know how others of the same propensity
+have sped. Moreover, it would gladden my inmost heart to hear that&mdash;but
+two sufficient reasons are better than three, and thou hast the first
+number already."</p>
+
+<p>Fray Juan Perez, a devout Christian, a learned churchman, and a liberal
+scholar, was as simple as a child in matters that related to the world
+and its passions. Nevertheless, he was not so dull as to overlook the
+strange deportment and stranger language of his companion. A direction
+had been given to his thoughts by the mention of the name of our
+heroine; and, as he himself had devised the very course taken by our
+hero, the truth began to dawn on his imagination.</p>
+
+<p>"Young cavalier," he exclaimed, "thou art Don Luis de Bobadilla!"</p>
+
+<p>"I shall never deny the prophetic knowledge of a churchman, worthy
+father, after this detection! I <i>am</i> he thou sayest, entered on this
+expedition to win the love of Mercedes de Valverde."</p>
+
+<p>"'Tis as I thought&mdash;and yet, Señor, you might have taken our poor
+convent less at an advantage. Suffer that I command the lay brothers to
+place refreshments before you!"</p>
+
+<p>"Thy pardon, excellent prior&mdash;Pedro de Muños, or even Pero Gutierrez,
+hath no need of food; but, now that thou knowest me, there can be less
+reason for not conversing of the Doña Mercedes?"</p>
+
+<p>"Now that I know thee, Señor Conde, there is greater reason for silence
+on that head," returned Fray Juan Perez, smiling. "Thine aunt, the most
+esteemed and virtuous lady of Moya, can give thee all occasion to urge
+thy suit with this charming maiden, and it would ill become a churchman
+to temper her prudence by any indiscreet interference."</p>
+
+<p>This explanation was the commencement of a long and confidential
+dialogue, in which the worthy prior, now that he was on his guard,
+succeeded in preserving his main secret, though he much encouraged the
+young man in the leading hope of his existence, as well as in his
+project to adhere to the fortunes of Columbus. In the mean while, the
+great navigator himself continued closeted with his new counsellor; and
+when the two reappeared, it was announced to those without that the
+latter had engaged in the enterprise with so much zeal, that he actually
+entertained the intention of embarking on board of one of the caravels
+in person.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XII" id="CHAPTER_XII"></a>CHAPTER XII.</h2>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"Yet he to whom each danger hath become<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">A dark delight, and every wild a home,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Still urges onward&mdash;undismayed to tread<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Where life's fond lovers would recoil with dread."<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">The Abencerrage.</span><br /></span>
+</div></div>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p>The intelligence that Martin Alonzo Pinzon was to make one of the
+followers of Colon, spread through the village of Palos like wild-fire.
+Volunteers were no longer wanting; the example of one known and
+respected in the vicinity, operating far more efficiently on the minds
+of the mariners, than the orders of the queen or the philosophy of
+Columbus. Martin Alonzo they knew; they were accustomed to submit to his
+influence; they could follow in his footsteps, and had confidence in his
+judgment; whereas, the naked orders of an unseen sovereign, however much
+beloved, had more of the character of a severe judgment than of a
+generous enterprise; and as for Columbus, though most men were awed by
+his dignified appearance and grave manner, when out of sight he was as
+much regarded as an adventurer at Palos, as he had been at Santa Fé.</p>
+
+<p>The Pinzons set about their share of the expedition after the manner of
+those who were more accustomed to execute than to plan. Several of the
+family entered cordially into the work; and a brother of Martin
+Alonzo's, whose name was Vincente Yañez, also a mariner by profession,
+joined the adventurers as commander of one of the vessels, while another
+took service as a pilot. In short, the month that succeeded the
+incidents just mentioned, was actively employed, and more was done in
+that short space of time toward bringing about a solution of the great
+problem of Columbus, than had been accomplished, in a practical way,
+during the seventeen long years that the subject had occupied his time
+and engrossed his thoughts.</p>
+
+<p>Notwithstanding the local influence of the Pinzons, a vigorous
+opposition to the project still existed in the heart of the little
+community that had been chosen for the place of equipment of the
+different vessels required. This family had its enemies as well as its
+friends, and, as is usual with most human undertakings, two parties
+sprang up, one of which was quite as busily occupied in thwarting the
+plans of the navigator, as the other was engaged in promoting them. One
+vessel had been seized for the service, under the order of the court,
+and her owners became leaders of the dissatisfied faction. Many seamen,
+according to the usage of that day, had been impressed for duty on this
+extraordinary and mysterious voyage; and, as a matter of course, they
+and their friends were not slow to join the ranks of the disaffected.
+Much of the necessary work was found to be imperfectly done; and when
+the mechanics were called on to repair these omissions, they absconded
+in a body. As the time for sailing approached, the contention grew more
+and more violent, and even the Pinzons had the mortification of
+discovering that many of those who had volunteered to follow their
+fortunes, began to waver, and that some had unequivocally deserted.</p>
+
+<p>Such was the state of things, toward the close of the month of July,
+when Martin Alonzo Pinzon again repaired to the convent of Santa Maria
+de Rabida, where Columbus continued to pass most of the time that was
+not given to a direct personal superintendence of the preparations, and
+where Luis de Bobadilla, who was altogether useless in the actual
+condition of affairs, also passed many a weary hour, chafing for active
+duty, and musing on the loveliness, truth, and virtues of Mercedes de
+Valverde. Fray Juan Perez was earnest in his endeavors to facilitate the
+execution of the objects of his friends, and he had actually succeeded,
+if not in absolutely suppressing the expression of all injurious opinion
+on the part of the less enlightened of the brotherhood, at least in
+rendering the promulgation of them more cautious and private.</p>
+
+<p>When Columbus and the prior were told that the Señor Pinzon sought an
+interview, neither was slow in granting the favor. As the hour of
+departure drew nigh, the importance of this man's exertions became more
+and more apparent, and both well knew that the royal protection of
+Isabella herself, just at that moment and in that place, was of less
+account than that of this active mariner. The Señor Pinzon, therefore,
+had not long to wait for his audience, having been ushered into the room
+that was commonly occupied by the zealous Franciscan, almost as soon as
+his request was preferred.</p>
+
+<p>"Thou art right welcome, worthy Martin Alonzo!" exclaimed the prior, the
+moment he caught a glimpse of the features of his old acquaintance&mdash;"How
+get on matters at Palos, and when shall we have this holy undertaking in
+a fair direction for success?"</p>
+
+<p>"By San Francisco, reverend prior, that is more than it will be safe for
+any man to answer. I have thought we were in a fair way to make sail, a
+score of times, when some unforeseen difficulty hath arisen. The Santa
+Maria, on board which the admiral and the Señor Gutierrez, or de Muños,
+if he will have it so, will embark, is already fitted. She may be set
+down as a tight craft, and somewhat exceedeth a hundred tons in burthen,
+so that I trust his excellency, and all the gallant cavaliers who may
+accompany him, will be as comfortable as the holy monks of Rabida&mdash;more
+especially as the good caravel hath a deck."</p>
+
+<p>"These are, truly, glad tidings," returned the prior, rubbing his hands
+with delight&mdash;"and the excellent craft hath really a deck! Señor
+Almirante, thou mayst not be in a vessel that is altogether worthy of
+thy high aim, but, on the whole, thou wilt be both safe and comfortable,
+keeping in view, in particular, this convenient and sheltering deck."</p>
+
+<p>"Neither my safety nor my convenience is a consideration to be
+mentioned, friend Juan Perez, when there is question of so much graver
+matters. I rejoice that thou hast come to the convent this morning,
+Señor Martin Alonzo, as, being about to address letters to the court, by
+means of an especial courier, I desire to know the actual condition of
+things. Thou thinkest the Santa Maria will be in a state for service by
+the end of the month?"</p>
+
+<p>"Señor, I do. The ship hath been prepared with due diligence, and will
+conveniently hold some three score, should the panic that hath seized on
+so many of the besotted fools of Palos, leave us that number, who may
+still be disposed to embark. I trust that the saints look upon our many
+efforts, and will remember our zeal when we shall come to a joint
+division of the benefits of this undertaking, which hath had no equal in
+the history of navigation!"</p>
+
+<p>"The benefits, honest Martin Alonzo, will be found in the spread of the
+church's dominion, and the increased glory of God!" put in the prior,
+significantly.</p>
+
+<p>"Out of all question, holy Fray Juan Perez&mdash;this is the common aim;
+though I trust it is permitted to a pains-taking mariner to bethink him
+of his wife and children, in discreet subordination to those greater
+ends. I have much mistaken the Señor Colon, if he do not look for some
+little advantage, in the way of gold, from this visit to Cathay."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou hast not mistaken me, honest Martin Alonzo," returned Columbus,
+gravely. "I do, indeed, expect to see the wealth of the Indies pouring
+into the coffers of Castile, in consequence of this voyage. In sooth,
+excellent prior, in my view, the recovery of the holy sepulchre is
+dependent mainly on the success of our present undertaking, in the way
+of a substantial worldly success."</p>
+
+<p>"This is well, Señor Admiral," put in Martin Alonzo, a little hastily,
+"and ought to gain us great favor in the eyes of all good
+Christians&mdash;more especially with the monks of la Rabida. But it is hard
+enough to persuade the mariners of the port to obey the queen, in this
+matter, and to fulfil their engagements with ourselves, without
+preaching a crusade, as the best means of throwing away the few
+maravedis they may happen to gain by their hardships and courage. The
+worthy pilots, Francisco Martin Pinzon, mine own brother, Sancho Ruiz,
+Pedro Alonzo Niño, and Bartolemeo Roldan, are all now firmly tied to us
+by the ropes of the law; but should they happen to find a crusade at
+their end, all the saints in the calendar would scarce have influence to
+make them hesitate about loosening themselves from the agreement."</p>
+
+<p>"I hold no one but myself bound to this object," returned Columbus,
+calmly. "Each man, friend Martin Alonzo, will be judged by his own
+deeds, and called on to fulfil his own vows. Of those who pledge naught,
+naught will be exacted, and naught given at the great final account of
+the human race. But what are the tidings of the Pinta, thine own vessel?
+Hath she been finally put into a condition to buffet the Atlantic?"</p>
+
+<p>"As ever happeneth with a vessel pressed into the royal service, Señor,
+work hath gone on heavily, and things in general have not borne that
+merry activity which accompanieth the labor of those who toil of a free
+will, and for their own benefit."</p>
+
+<p>"The silly mariners have toiled in their own behalf, without knowing
+it," observed Columbus. "It is the duty of the ignorant to submit to be
+led by the more enlightened, and to be grateful for the advantages they
+derive from a borrowed knowledge, albeit it is obtained contrary to
+their own wishes."</p>
+
+<p>"That is it, truly," added the prior; "else would the office of us
+churchmen be reduced to very narrow limits. Faith&mdash;faith in the
+church&mdash;is the Christian's earliest and latest duty."</p>
+
+<p>"This seemeth reasonable, excellent sirs," returned Master Alonzo,
+"though the ignorant find it difficult to comprehend matters that they
+do not understand. When a man fancieth himself condemned to an
+unheard-of death, he is little apt to see the benefit that lieth beyond
+the grave. Nevertheless, the Pinta is more nearly ready for the voyage,
+than any other of our craft, and hath her crew engaged to a man, and
+that under contracts that will not permit much dispute before a notary."</p>
+
+<p>"There remaineth only the Niña, then," added Columbus; "with her
+prepared, and our religious duties observed, we may hope finally to
+commence the enterprise!"</p>
+
+<p>"Señor, you may. My brother, Vicente Yañez, hath finally consented to
+take charge of this little craft; and that which a Pinzon promiseth, a
+Pinzon performeth. She will be ready to depart with the Santa Maria and
+the Pinta, and Cathay must be distant, indeed, if we do not reach it
+with one or the other of our vessels."</p>
+
+<p>"This is right encouraging, neighbor Martin Alonzo," returned the friar,
+rubbing his hands with delight; "and I make no question all will come
+round in the end. What say the crones and loose talkers of Moguer, and
+of the other ports, touching the shape of the earth, and the chances of
+the admiral's reaching the Indies, now-a-days?"</p>
+
+<p>"They discourse much as they did, Fray Juan Perez, idly and without
+knowledge. Although there is not a mariner in any of the havens who doth
+not admit that the upper sails, though so much the smallest, are the
+first seen on the ocean, yet do they deny that this cometh of the shape
+of the earth, but, as they affirm, of the movements of the waters."</p>
+
+<p>"Have none of them ever observed the shadows cast by the earth, in the
+eclipses of the moon?" asked Columbus, in his calm manner, though he
+smiled, even in putting the question, as one smiles who, having dipped
+deeply into a natural problem himself, carelessly lays one of its more
+popular proofs before those who are less disposed to go beneath the
+surface. "Do they not see that these shadows are round, and do they not
+know that a shadow which is round can only be cast by a body that is
+round?"</p>
+
+<p>"This is conclusive, good Martin Alonzo," put in the prior, "and it
+ought to remove the doubts of the silliest gossip on the coast. Tell
+them to encircle their dwellings, beginning to the right, and see if, by
+following the walls, they do not return to the spot from which they
+started, coming in from the left."</p>
+
+<p>"Ay, reverend prior, if we could bring our distant voyage down to these
+familiar examples, there is not a crone in Moguer, or a courtier at
+Seville, that might not be made to comprehend the mystery. But it is one
+thing to state a problem fairly, and another to find those who can
+understand it. Now, I did give some such reasoning to the Alguiazil, in
+Palos here, and the worthy Señor asked me if I expected to return from
+this voyage by the way of the lately captured town of Granada. I fancy
+that the easiest method of persuading these good people to believe that
+Cathay can be reached by the western voyage, will be by going there and
+returning."</p>
+
+<p>"Which we will shortly do, Master Martin Alonzo," observed Columbus,
+cheerfully&mdash;"But the time of our departure draweth near, and it is meet
+that none of us neglect the duties of religion. I commend thee to thy
+confessor, Señor Pinzon, and expect that all who sail with me, in this
+great enterprise, will receive the holy communion in my company, before
+we quit the haven. This excellent prior will shrive Pedro de Muños and
+myself, and let each man seek such other holy counsellor and monitor as
+hath been his practice."</p>
+
+<p>With this intimation of his intention to pay a due regard to the rites
+of the church before he departed&mdash;rites that were seldom neglected in
+that day&mdash;the conversation turned, for the moment, on the details of the
+preparations. After this the parties separated, and a few more days
+passed away in active exertions.</p>
+
+<p>On the morning of Thursday, August the second, 1492, Columbus entered
+the private apartment of Fray Juan Perez, habited like a penitent, and
+with an air so devout, and yet so calm, that it was evident his thoughts
+were altogether bent on his own transgressions and on the goodness of
+God. The zealous priest was in waiting, and the great navigator knelt at
+the feet of him, before whom Isabella had often knelt, in the fulfilment
+of the same solemnity. The religion of this extraordinary man was
+colored by the habits and opinions of his age, as, indeed, in a greater
+or less degree, must be the religion of every man; his confession,
+consequently, had that admixture of deep piety with inconsistent error,
+that so often meets the moralist in his investigations into the
+philosophy of the human mind. The truth of this peculiarity will be
+seen, by adverting to one or two of the admissions of the great
+navigator, as he laid before his ghostly counsellor the catalogue of his
+sins.</p>
+
+<p>"Then, I fear, holy father," Columbus continued, after having made most
+of the usual confessions touching the more familiar weaknesses of the
+human race, "that my mind hath become too much exalted in this matter of
+the voyage, and that I may have thought myself more directly set apart
+by God, for some good end, than it might please his infinite knowledge
+and wisdom to grant."</p>
+
+<p>"That would be a dangerous error, my son, and I carefully admonish thee
+against the evils of self-righteousness. That God selecteth his agents,
+is beyond dispute; but it is a fearful error to mistake the impulses of
+self-love, for the movements of his Divine Spirit! It is hardly safe for
+any who have not received the church's ordination, to deem themselves
+chosen vessels."</p>
+
+<p>"I endeavor so to consider it, holy friar," answered Columbus, meekly;
+"and, yet, there is that within, which constantly urgeth to this belief,
+be it a delusion, or come it directly from heaven. I strive, father, to
+keep the feeling in subjection, and most of all do I endeavor to see
+that it taketh a direction that may glorify the name of God and serve
+the interests of his visible church."</p>
+
+<p>"This is well, and yet do I feel it a duty to admonish thee against too
+much credence in these inward impulses. So long as they tend, solely, to
+increase thy love for the Supreme Father of all, to magnify his
+holiness, and glorify his nature, thou may'st be certain it is the
+offspring of good; but when self-exaltation seemeth to be its aim,
+beware the impulse, as thou wouldst eschew the dictation of the great
+father of evil!"</p>
+
+<p>"I so consider it; and now having truly and sincerely disburdened my
+conscience, father, so far as in me lieth, may I hope for the church's
+consolation, with its absolution?"</p>
+
+<p>"Canst thou think of naught else, son, that should not lie hid from
+before the keeper of all consciences?"</p>
+
+<p>"My sins are many, holy prior, and cannot be too often or too keenly
+rebuked; but I do think that they may be fairly included in the general
+heads that I have endeavored to recall."</p>
+
+<p>"Hast thou nothing to charge thyself with, in connection with that sex
+that the devil as often useth as his tempters to evil, as the angels
+would fain employ them as the ministers of grace?"</p>
+
+<p>"I have erred as a man, father; but do not my confessions already meet
+those sins?"</p>
+
+<p>"Hast thou bethought thee of Doña Beatriz Enriquez? of thy son Fernando,
+who tarrieth, at this moment, in our convent of la Rabida?"</p>
+
+<p>Columbus bowed his head in submission, and the heavy sigh, amounting
+almost to a groan, that broke out of his bosom, betrayed the weight of
+his momentary contrition.</p>
+
+<p>"Thou say'st true, father; that is an offence which should never be
+forgotten, though so often shrived since its commission. Heap on me the
+penance that I feel is due, and thou shalt see how a Christian can bend
+and kiss the rod that he is conscious of having merited."</p>
+
+<p>"The spirit thus to do is all that the church requireth; and thou art
+now bent on a service too important to her interests to be drawn aside
+from thy great intentions, for any minor considerations. Still may not a
+minister of the altar overlook the offence. Thou wilt say a pater,
+daily, on account of this great sin, for the next twenty days, all of
+which will be for the good of thy soul; after which the church releaseth
+thee from this especial duty, as thou wilt, then, be drawing near to the
+land of Cathay, and may have occasion for all thy thoughts and efforts
+to effect thy object."</p>
+
+<p>The worthy prior then proceeded to prescribe several light penances,
+most of which were confined to moderate increases of the daily duties of
+religion; after which he shrived the navigator. The turn of Luis came
+next, and more than once the prior smiled involuntarily, as he listened
+to this hot-blooded and impetuous youth, whose language irresistibly
+carried back his thoughts to the more meek, natural, and the more gentle
+admissions of the pure-minded Mercedes. The penance prescribed to Luis
+was not entirely free from severity, though, on the whole, the young
+man, who was not much addicted to the duties of the confessional,
+fancied himself well quit of the affair, considering the length of the
+account he was obliged to render, and the weight of the balance against
+him.</p>
+
+<p>These duties performed in the persons of the two principal adventurers,
+Martin Alonzo Pinzon and the ruder mariners of the expedition appeared
+before different priests and gave in the usual reckoning of their sins.
+After this came a scene that was strictly characteristic of the age, and
+which would be impressive and proper, in all times and seasons, for men
+about to embark in an undertaking of a result so questionable.</p>
+
+<p>High mass was said in the chapel of the convent, and Columbus received
+the consecrated bread from the hands of Fray Juan Perez, in humble
+reliance on the all-seeing providence of God, and with a devout
+dependence on his fostering protection. All who were about to embark
+with the admiral imitated his example, communing in his company; for
+that was a period when the wire-drawn conclusions of man had not yet
+begun so far to supplant the faith and practices of the earlier church
+as to consider its rites as the end of religion, but he was still
+content to regard them as its means. Many a rude sailor, whose ordinary
+life might not have been either saintly or even free from severe
+censure, knelt that day at the altar, in devout dependence on God, with
+feelings, for the moment, that at least placed him on the highway to
+grace; and it would be presumptuous to suppose that the omniscient Being
+to whom his offerings were made, did not regard his ignorance with
+commiseration, and even look upon his superstition with pity. We scoff
+at the prayers of those who are in danger, without reflecting that they
+are a homage to the power of God, and are apt to fancy that these
+passages in devotion are mere mockery, because the daily mind and the
+ordinary life are not always elevated to the same standard of godliness
+and purity. It would be more humble to remember the general infirmities
+of the race; to recollect, that as none are perfect, the question is
+reduced to one of degree; and to bear in mind, that the Being who reads
+the heart, may accept of any devout petitions, even though they come
+from those who are not disposed habitually to walk in his laws. These
+passing but pious emotions are the workings of the Spirit, since good
+can come from no other source; and it is as unreasonable as it is
+irreverent to imagine that the Deity will disregard, altogether, the
+effects of his own grace, however humble.</p>
+
+<p>Whatever may have been the general disposition of most of the
+communicants on this occasion, there is little doubt that there knelt at
+the altar of la Rabida, that day, one in the person of the great
+navigator himself, who, as far as the eye could perceive, lived
+habitually in profound deference to the dogmas of religion, and who paid
+an undeviating respect to all its rites. Columbus was not strictly a
+devotee; but a quiet, deeply seated enthusiasm, which had taken the
+direction of Christianity, pervaded his moral system, and at all times
+disposed him to look up to the protecting hand of the Deity and to
+expect its aid. The high aims that he entertained for the future have
+already been mentioned, and there is little doubt of his having
+persuaded himself that he had been set apart by Providence as the
+instrument it designed to employ in making the great discovery on which
+his mind was so intently engaged, as well as in accomplishing other and
+ulterior purposes. If, indeed, an overruling Power directs all the
+events of this world, who will presume to say that this conviction of
+Columbus was erroneous, now that it has been justified by the result?
+That he felt this sentiment sustaining his courage and constantly urging
+him onward, is so much additional evidence in favor of his impression,
+since, under such circumstances, nothing is more probable than that an
+earnest belief in his destiny would be one of the means most likely to
+be employed by a supernatural power in inducing its human agent to
+accomplish the work for which he had actually been selected.</p>
+
+<p>Let this be as it might, there is no doubt that Colon observed the rites
+of the church, on the occasion named, with a most devout reliance on the
+truth of his mission, and with the brightest hopes as to its successful
+termination. Not so, however, with all of his intended followers. Their
+minds had wavered, from time to time, as the preparations advanced; and
+the last month had seen them eager to depart, and dejected with
+misgivings and doubts. Although there were days of hope and brightness,
+despondency perhaps prevailed, and this so much the more because the
+apprehensions of mothers, wives, and of those who felt an equally tender
+interest in the mariners, though less inclined to avow it openly, were
+thrown into the scale by the side of their own distrust. Gold,
+unquestionably, was the great aim of their wishes, and there were
+moments when visions of inexhaustible mines and of oriental treasures
+floated before their imaginations; at which times none could be more
+eager to engage in the mysterious undertaking, or more ready to risk
+their lives and hopes on its success. But these were fleeting
+impressions, and, as has just been said, despondency was the prevalent
+feeling among those who were about to embark. It heightened the devotion
+of the communicants, and threw a gloom over the chastened sobriety of
+the altar, that weighed heavily on the hearts of most assembled there.</p>
+
+<p>"Our people seem none of the most cheerful, Señor Almirante," said Luis,
+as they left the convent-chapel in company; "and, if truth must be
+spoken, one could wish to set forth on an expedition of this magnitude,
+better sustained by merry hearts and smiling countenances."</p>
+
+<p>"Dost thou imagine, young count, that he hath the firmest mind who
+weareth the most smiling visage, or that the heart is weak because the
+countenance is sobered? These honest mariners bethink them of their
+sins, and no doubt are desirous that so holy an enterprise be not
+tainted by the corruption of their own hearts, but rather purified and
+rendered fitting, by their longings to obey the will of God. I trust,
+Luis"&mdash;intercourse had given Columbus a sort of paternal interest in the
+welfare of the young grandee, that lessened the distance made by rank
+between them&mdash;"I trust, Luis, thou art not, altogether, without these
+pious longings in thine own person."</p>
+
+<p>"By San Pedro, my new patron! Señor Almirante, I think more of Mercedes
+de Valverde, than of aught else, in this great affair. She is my polar
+star, my religion, my Cathay. Go on, in Heaven's name, and discover what
+thou wilt, whether it be Cipango or the furthest Indies; beard the great
+Khan on his throne, and I will follow in thy train, with a poor lance
+and an indifferent sword, swearing that the maid of Castile hath no
+equal, and ransacking the east, merely to prove in the face of the
+universe that she is peerless, let her rivals come from what part of the
+earth they may."</p>
+
+<p>Although Columbus permitted his grave countenance slightly to relax at
+this rhapsody, he did not the less deem it prudent to rebuke the spirit
+in which it was uttered.</p>
+
+<p>"I grieve, my young friend," he said, "to find that thou hast not the
+feelings proper for one who is engaged, as it might be, in a work of
+Heaven's own ordering. Canst thou not foresee the long train of mighty
+and wonderful events that are likely to follow from this voyage&mdash;the
+spread of religion, through the holy church; the conquest of distant
+empires, with their submission to the sway of Castile; the settling of
+disputed points in science and philosophy, and the attainment of
+inexhaustible wealth; with the last and most honorable consequence of
+all, the recovery of the sepulchre of the Son of God, from the hands of
+the Infidels!"</p>
+
+<p>"No doubt, Señor Colon&mdash;no doubt, I see them all, but I see the Doña
+Mercedes at their end. What care I for gold, who already possess&mdash;or
+shall so soon possess&mdash;more than I need? what is the extension of the
+sway of Castile to me, who can never be its king? and as for the Holy
+Sepulchre, give me but Mercedes, and, like my ancestors that are gone, I
+am ready to break a lance with the stoutest Infidel who ever wore a
+turban, be it in that, or in any other quarrel. In short, Señor
+Almirante, lead on; and though we go forth with different objects and
+different hopes, doubt not that they will lead us to the same goal. I
+feel that you ought to be supported in this great and noble design, and
+it matters not what may bring me in your train."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou art a mad-brained youth, Luis, and must be humored, if it were
+only for the sake of the sweet and pious young maiden who seemeth to
+engross all thy thoughts."</p>
+
+<p>"You have seen her, Señor, and can say whether she be not worthy to
+occupy the minds of all the youth of Spain?"</p>
+
+<p>"She is fair, and virtuous, and noble, and a zealous friend of the
+voyage. These are all rare merits, and thou may'st be pardoned for thy
+enthusiasm in her behalf. But forget not, that, to win her, thou must
+first win a sight of Cathay."</p>
+
+<p>"In the reality, you must mean, Señor Almirante; for, with the mind's
+eye, I see it keenly, constantly, and see little else, with Mercedes
+standing on its shores, smiling a welcome, and, by St. Paul! sometimes
+beckoning me on, with that smile that fires the soul with its witchery,
+even while it subdues the temper with its modesty. The blessed Maria
+send us a wind, right speedily, that we may quit this irksome river and
+wearying convent!"</p>
+
+<p>Columbus made no answer; for, while he had all consideration for a
+lover's impatience, his thoughts turned to subjects too grave, to be
+long amused even by a lover's follies.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIII" id="CHAPTER_XIII"></a>CHAPTER XIII.</h2>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"Nor Zayda weeps him only,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">But all that dwell between<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">The great Alhambra's palace walls<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">And springs of Albalein."<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">Bryant's Translations.</span><br /></span>
+</div></div>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p>The instant of departure at length arrived. The moment so long desired
+by the Genoese was at hand, and years of poverty, neglect, and of
+procrastination, were all forgotten at that blessed hour; or, if they
+returned in any manner to the constant memory, it was no longer with the
+bitterness of hope deferred. The navigator, at last, saw himself in the
+possession of the means of achieving the first great object for which he
+had lived the last fifteen years, with the hope, in perspective, of
+making the success of his present adventure the stepping-stone toward
+effecting the conquest of the Holy Sepulchre. While those around him
+were looking with astonishment at the limited means with which ends so
+great were to be attained, or were struck aghast at the apparent
+temerity of an undertaking that seemed to defy the laws of nature, and
+to set at naught the rules of Providence, he had grown more tranquil as
+the time for sailing drew nearer, and his mind was oppressed merely by a
+feeling of intense, but of sobered, delight. Fray Juan Perez whispered
+to Luis, that he could best liken the joy of the admiral to the
+chastened rapture of a Christian who was about to quit a world of woe,
+to enter on the untasted, but certain, fruition of blessed immortality.</p>
+
+<p>This, however, was far from being the state of mind of all in Palos. The
+embarkation took place in the course of the afternoon of the 2d of
+August, it being the intention of the pilots to carry the vessels that
+day to a point off the town of Huelvas, where the position was more
+favorable to making sail than when anchored in front of Palos. The
+distance was trifling, but it was the commencement of the voyage, and,
+to many, it was like snapping the cords of life, to make even this brief
+movement. Columbus, himself, was one of the last to embark, having a
+letter to send to the court, and other important duties to discharge. At
+length he quitted the convent, and, accompanied by Luis and the prior,
+he, too, took his way to the beach. The short journey was silent, for
+each of the party was deeply plunged in meditation. Never before this
+hour, did the enterprise seem so perilous and uncertain to the excellent
+Franciscan. Columbus was carefully recalling the details of his
+preparations, while Luis was thinking of the maid of Castile, as he was
+wont to term Mercedes, and of the many weary days that must elapse
+before he could hope to see her again.</p>
+
+<p>The party stopped on the shore, in waiting for a boat to arrive, at a
+place where they were removed from any houses. There Fray Juan Perez
+took his leave of the two adventurers. The long silence that all three
+had maintained, was more impressive than any ordinary discourse could
+have been; but it was now necessary to break it. The prior was deeply
+affected, and it was some little time before he could even trust his
+voice to speak.</p>
+
+<p>"Señor Christoval," he at length commenced, "it is now many years since
+thou first appeared at the gate of Santa Maria de Rabida&mdash;years of
+friendship and pleasure have they proved to me."</p>
+
+<p>"It is full seven, Fray Juan Perez," returned Columbus&mdash;"seven weary
+years have they proved to me, as a solicitor for employment&mdash;years of
+satisfaction, father, in all that concerneth thee. Think not that I can
+ever forget the hour, when, leading Diego, houseless, impoverished,
+wanderers, journeying on foot, I stopped to tax the convent's charity
+for refreshment! The future is in the hands of God, but the past is
+imprinted here"&mdash;laying his hand on his heart&mdash;"and can never be
+forgotten. Thou hast been my constant friend, holy prior, and that, too,
+when it was no credit to favor the nameless Genoese. Should my
+estimation ever change in men's opinions"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Nay, Señor Almirante, it hath changed already," eagerly interrupted the
+prior. "Hast thou not the commission of the queen&mdash;the support of Don
+Fernando&mdash;the presence of this young noble, though still as an
+incognito&mdash;the wishes of all the learned? Dost thou not go forth, on
+this great voyage, carrying with thee more of our hopes than of our
+fears?"</p>
+
+<p>"So far as thou art concerned, dear Juan Perez, this may be so. I feel
+that I have all thy best wishes for success; I know that I shall have
+thy prayers. Few in Spain, notwithstanding, will think of Colon with
+respect, or hope, while we are wandering on the great desert of the
+ocean, beyond a very narrow circle. I fear me, that, even at this
+moment, when the means of learning the truth of our theories is in
+actual possession&mdash;when we stand, as it might be, on the very threshold
+of the great portal which opens upon the Indies&mdash;that few believe in our
+chances of success."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou hast Doña Isabella of thy side, Señor!"</p>
+
+<p>"And Doña Mercedes!" put in Luis; "not to speak of my decided and
+true-hearted aunt!"</p>
+
+<p>"I ask but a few brief months, Señores," returned Columbus, his face
+turned to heaven with uncovered head, his gray hair floating in the
+wind, and his eye kindling with the light of enthusiasm&mdash;"a few short
+months, that will pass away untold with the happy&mdash;that even the
+miserable may find supportable, but which to us will seem ages, must now
+dispose of this question. Prior, I have often quitted the shore feeling
+that I carried my life in my hand, conscious of all the dangers of the
+ocean, and as much expecting death as a happy return; but at this
+glorious moment no doubts beset me; as for life, I know it is in the
+keeping of God's care; as for success, I feel it is in God's wisdom!"</p>
+
+<p>"These are comfortable sentiments, at so serious a moment, Señor, and I
+devoutly hope the end will justify them. But, yonder is thy boat, and we
+must now part. Señor, my son, thou knowest that my spirit will be with
+thee in this mighty undertaking."</p>
+
+<p>"Holy prior, remember me in thy prayers. I am weak, and have need of
+this support. I trust much to the efficacy of thy intercessions, aided
+by those of thy pious brotherhood. Thou wilt bestow on us a few masses?"</p>
+
+<p>"Doubt us not, my friend; all that la Rabida can do with the blessed
+Virgin, or the saints, shall be exercised, without ceasing, in thy
+behalf. It is not given to man to foresee the events that are controlled
+by Providence; and, though we deem this enterprise of thine so certain,
+and so reasonable, it may nevertheless fail."</p>
+
+<p>"It may <i>not</i> fail, father; God hath thus far directed it, and he will
+not permit it to fail."</p>
+
+<p>"We know not, Señor Colon; our wisdom is but as a grain of mustard seed
+among the sands of this shore, as compared with his inscrutable designs.
+I was about to say, as it is possible thou may'st return a disappointed,
+a defeated man, that thou wilt still find the gate of Santa Maria open
+to thee; since, in our eyes, it is as meritorious to attempt nobly, as
+it is often, in the eyes of others, to achieve successfully."</p>
+
+<p>"I understand thee, holy prior; and the cup and the morsel bestowed on
+the young Diego, were not more grateful than this proof of thy
+friendship! I would not depart without thy blessing."</p>
+
+<p>"Kneel, then, Señor; for, in this act it will not be Juan Perez de
+Marchena that will speak, and pronounce, but the minister of God and the
+church. Even these sands will be no unworthy spot to receive such an
+advantage."</p>
+
+<p>The eyes of both Columbus and the prior were suffused with tears, for at
+that moment the heart of each was touched with the emotions natural to a
+moment so solemn. The first loved the last, because he had proved
+himself a friend when friends were few and timid; and the worthy monk
+had some such attachment for the great navigator as men are apt to feel
+for those they have cherished. Each, also, respected and appreciated the
+other's motives, and there was a bond of union in their common reverence
+for the Christian religion. Columbus kneeled on the sands, and received
+the benediction of his friend, with the meek submission of faith, and
+with some such feelings of reverence as those with which a pious son
+would have listened to a blessing pronounced by a natural father.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<div class="figcenter">
+<a name="i004" id="i004"></a>
+<img src="images/i004.jpg" alt=""/>
+</div>
+
+<h3>"Columbus kneeled on the sands, and received the
+benediction."</h3>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p>"And thou, young lord," resumed Fray Juan Perez, with a husky
+voice&mdash;"thou, too, wilt be none the worse for the prayers of an aged
+churchman."</p>
+
+<p>Like most of that age, Luis, in the midst of his impetuous feelings, and
+youthful propensities, had enshrined in his heart an image of the Son of
+God, and entertained an habitual respect for holy things. He knelt
+without hesitation, and listened to the trembling words of the priest
+with thankfulness and respect.</p>
+
+<p>"Adieu, holy prior," said Columbus, squeezing his friend's hand. "Thou
+hast befriended me when others held aloof; but I trust in God that the
+day is not now distant, when those who have ever shown confidence in my
+predictions will cease to feel uneasiness at the mention of my name.
+Forget us in all things but thy prayers, for a few short months, and
+then expect tidings that, of a verity, shall exalt Castile to a point of
+renown which will render this Conquest of Granada but an incident of
+passing interest amid the glory of the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella!"</p>
+
+<p>This was not said boastfully, but with the quiet earnestness of one who
+saw a truth that was concealed from most eyes, and this with an
+intensity so great, that the effect on his moral vision produced a
+confidence equalling that which is the fruit of the evidence of the
+senses in ordinary men. The prior understood him, and the assurance thus
+given cheered the mind of the worthy Franciscan long after the departure
+of his friend. They embraced and separated.</p>
+
+<p>By this time the boat of Columbus had reached the shore. As the
+navigator moved slowly toward it, a youthful female rushed wildly past
+him and Luis, and, regardless of their presence, she threw her arms
+around a young mariner who had quitted the boat to meet her, and sobbed
+for a minute on his bosom, in uncontrollable agony, or as women weep in
+the first outbreak of their emotions.</p>
+
+<p>"Come, then, Pepe," the young wife at length said, hurriedly, and with
+low earnestness, as one speaks who would fain persuade herself that
+denial was impossible&mdash;"come, Pepe; thy boy hath wept for thee, and thou
+hast pushed this matter, already, much too far."</p>
+
+<p>"Nay, Monica," returned the husband, glancing his eye at Columbus, who
+was already near enough to hear his words&mdash;"thou knowest it is by no
+wish of mine that I am to sail on this unknown voyage. Gladly would I
+abandon it, but the orders of the queen are too strong for a poor
+mariner like me, and they must be obeyed."</p>
+
+<p>"This is foolish, Pepe," returned the woman, pulling at her husband's
+doublet to drag him from the water-side&mdash;"I have had enough of this;
+sufficient to break my heart. Come, then, and look again upon thy boy."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou dost not see that the admiral is near, Monica, and we are showing
+him disrespect."</p>
+
+<p>The habitual deference that was paid by the low to the high, induced the
+woman, for a moment, to pause. She looked imploringly at Columbus, her
+fine dark eyes became eloquent with the feelings of a wife and mother,
+and then she addressed the great navigator, himself.</p>
+
+<p>"Señor," she said, eagerly, "you can have no further need of Pepe. He
+hath helped to carry your vessels to Huelva, and now his wife and boy
+call for him at home."</p>
+
+<p>Columbus was touched with the manner of the woman, which was not
+entirely without a show of that wavering of reason which is apt to
+accompany excessive grief, and he answered her less strongly than, at a
+moment so critical, he might otherwise have been disposed to do to one
+who was inciting to disobedience.</p>
+
+<p>"Thy husband is honored in being chosen to be my companion in the great
+voyage," he said. "Instead of bewailing his fate, thou wouldst act more
+like a brave mariner's wife, in exulting in his good fortune."</p>
+
+<p>"Believe him not, Pepe. He speaketh under the Evil One's advice to tempt
+thee to destruction. He hath talked blasphemy, and belied the word of
+God, by saying that the world is round, and that one may sail east by
+steering west, that he might ruin thee and others, by tempting ye all to
+follow him!"</p>
+
+<p>"And why should I do this, good woman?" demanded the admiral. "What have
+I to gain by the destruction of thy husband, or by the destruction of
+any of his comrades?"</p>
+
+<p>"I know not&mdash;I care not&mdash;Pepe is all to me, and he shall not go with you
+on this mad and wicked voyage. No good can come of a journey that is
+begun by belying the truths of God!"</p>
+
+<p>"And what particular evil dost thou dread, in this, more than in another
+voyage, that thou thus hang'st upon thy husband, and usest such
+discourse to one who beareth their Highnesses' authority for that he
+doeth? Thou knewest he was a mariner when thou wert wedded, and yet thou
+wouldst fain prevent him from serving the queen, as becometh his station
+and duty."</p>
+
+<p>"He may go against the Moor, or the Portuguese, or the people of
+Inghleterra, but I would not that he voyage in the service of the Prince
+of Darkness. Why tell us that the earth is round, Señor, when our eyes
+show that it is flat? And if round, how can a vessel that hath descended
+the side of the earth for days, ever return? The sea doth not flow
+upward, neither can a caravel mount the waterfall. And when thou hast
+wandered about for months in the vacant ocean, in what manner wilt thou,
+and those with thee, ever discover the direction that must be taken to
+return whence ye all sailed? Oh! Señor, Palos is but a little town, and
+once lost sight of in such a confusion of ideas, it will never be
+regained."</p>
+
+<p>"Idle and childish as this may seem," observed Columbus, turning quietly
+to Luis, "it is as reasonable as much that I have been doomed to hear
+from the learned, during the last sixteen years. When the night of
+ignorance obscures the mind, the thoughts conjure arguments a thousand
+times more vain and frivolous than the phenomena of nature that it
+fancies so unreasonable. I will try the effect of religion on this
+woman, converting her present feelings on that head, from an enemy into
+an ally. Monica," calling her kindly and familiarly by name, "art thou a
+Christian?"</p>
+
+<p>"Blessed Maria! Señor Almirante, what else should I be? Dost think Pepe
+would have married a Moorish girl?"</p>
+
+<p>"Listen, then, to me, and learn how unlike a believer thou conductest.
+The Moor is not the only infidel, but this earth groaneth with the
+burden of their numbers, and of their sins. The sands on this shore are
+not as numerous as the unbelievers in the single kingdom of Cathay; for,
+as yet, God hath allotted but a small portion of the earth to those who
+have faith in the mediation of his Son. Even the sepulchre of Christ is
+yet retained by infidel hands."</p>
+
+<p>"This have I heard, Señor; and 'tis a thousand pities the faith is so
+weak in those who have vowed to obey the law, that so crying an evil
+hath never been cured!"</p>
+
+<p>"Hast thou not been told that such is to be the fate of the world, for a
+time, but that light will dawn when the word shall pass, like the sound
+of trumpets, into the ears of infidels, and when the earth, itself,
+shall be but one vast temple, filled with the praises of God, the love
+of his name, and obedience to his will?"</p>
+
+<p>"Señor, the good fathers of la Rabida, and our own parish priests, often
+comfort us with these hopes."</p>
+
+<p>"And hast thou seen naught of late to encourage that hope&mdash;to cause thee
+to think that God is mindful of his people, and that new light is
+beginning to burst on the darkness of Spain?"</p>
+
+<p>"Pepe, his excellency must mean the late miracle at the convent, where
+they say that real tears were seen to fall from the eyes of the image of
+the holy Maria, as she gazed at the child that lay on her bosom."</p>
+
+<p>"I mean not that," interrupted Columbus, a little sternly, though he
+crossed himself, even while he betrayed dissatisfaction at the allusion
+to a miracle that was much too vulgar for his manly understanding&mdash;"I
+mean no such questionable wonder, which it is permitted us to believe,
+or not, as it may be supported by the church's authority. Can thy faith
+and zeal point to no success of the two sovereigns, in which the power
+of God, as exercised to the advancement of the faith, hath been made
+signally apparent to believers?"</p>
+
+<p>"He meaneth the expulsion of the Moor, Pepe!" the woman exclaimed,
+glancing quickly toward her husband, with a look of pleasure, "that hath
+happened of late, they say, by conquering the city of Granada; into
+which place, they tell me, Doña Isabella hath marched in triumph."</p>
+
+<p>"In that conquest, thou seest the commencement of the great acts of our
+time. Granada hath now its churches; and the distant land of Cathay will
+shortly follow her example. These are the doings of the Lord, foolish
+woman; and in holding back thy husband from this great undertaking, thou
+hinderest him from purchasing a signal reward in heaven, and may
+unwittingly be the instrument of casting a curse, instead of a blessing,
+on that very boy, whose image now filleth thy thoughts more than that of
+his Maker and Redeemer."</p>
+
+<p>The woman appeared bewildered, first looking at the admiral, and then at
+her husband, after which she bowed her head low, and devoutly crossed
+herself. Recovering from this self-abasement, she again turned toward
+Columbus, demanding earnestly&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"And you, Señor&mdash;do you sail with the wish and hope of serving God?"</p>
+
+<p>"Such is my principal aim, good woman. I call on Heaven itself, to
+witness the truth of what I say. May my voyage prosper, only, as I tell
+thee naught but truth!"</p>
+
+<p>"And you, too, Señor?" turning quickly to Luis de Bobadilla; "is it to
+serve God that you also go on this unusual voyage?"</p>
+
+<p>"If not at the orders of God, himself, my good woman, it is, at least,
+at the bidding of an angel!"</p>
+
+<p>"Dost thou think it is so, Pepe? Have we been thus deceived, and has so
+much evil been said of the admiral and his motives, wrongfully?"</p>
+
+<p>"What hath been said?" quietly demanded Columbus. "Speak freely; thou
+hast naught to dread from my displeasure."</p>
+
+<p>"Señor, you have your enemies, as well as another, and the wives, and
+mothers, and the betrothed of Palos, have not been slow to give vent to
+their feelings. In the first place, they say that you are poor."</p>
+
+<p>"That is so true and manifest, good woman, it would be idle to deny it.
+Is poverty a crime at Palos?"</p>
+
+<p>"The poor are little respected, Señor, in all this region. I know not
+why, for to me we seem to be as the rest, but few respect us. Then they
+say, Señor, that you are not a Castilian, but a Genoese."</p>
+
+<p>"This is also true; is that, too, a crime among the mariners of Moguer,
+who ought to prize a people as much renowned for their deeds on the sea,
+as those of the superb republic?"</p>
+
+<p>"I know not, Señor; but many hold it to be a disadvantage not to belong
+to Spain, and particularly to Castile, which is the country of Doña
+Isabella, herself; and how can it be as honorable to be a Genoese as to
+be a Spaniard? I should like it better were Pepe to sail with one who is
+a Spaniard, and that, too, of Palos or Moguer."</p>
+
+<p>"Thy argument is ingenious, if not conclusive," returned Columbus,
+smiling, the only outward exhibition of feeling he betrayed&mdash;"but cannot
+one who is both poor and a Genoese serve God?"</p>
+
+<p>"No doubt, Señor; and I think better of this voyage since I know your
+motive, and since I have seen you and spoken with you. Still, it is a
+great sacrifice for a young wife to let her husband sail on an
+expedition so distrusted, and he the father of her only boy!"</p>
+
+<p>"Here is a young noble, an only son, a lover, and that, too, of
+impetuous feelings, an only child withal, rich, honored, and able to go
+whither he will, who not only embarketh with me, but embarketh by the
+consent&mdash;nay, I had better say, by the orders of his mistress!"</p>
+
+<p>"Is this so, Señor?" the wife asked, eagerly.</p>
+
+<p>"So true, my good woman, that my greatest hopes depend on this voyage.
+Did I not tell thee that I went at the bidding of an angel?"</p>
+
+<p>"Ah! these young lords have seductive tongues! But, Señor Almirante,
+since such is your quality, they say, moreover, that to you this voyage
+can only bring honors and good, while it may bring misery and death on
+your followers. Poor and unknown, it maketh you a high officer of the
+queen; and some think that the Venetian galleys will be none the more
+heavily freighted, should you need them on the high seas."</p>
+
+<p>"And in what can all this harm thy husband? I go whithersoever he goeth,
+share his dangers, and expose life for life with him. If there is gold
+gained by the adventure, he will not be forgotten; and if heaven is made
+any nearer to us, by our dangers and hardships, Pepe will not be a
+loser. At the last great reckoning, woman, we shall not be asked who is
+poor, or who is a Genoese."</p>
+
+<p>"This is true, Señor; and yet it is hard for a young wife to part from
+her husband. Dost thou wish, in truth, to sail with the admiral, Pepe?"</p>
+
+<p>"It matters little with me, Monica; I am commanded to serve the queen,
+and we mariners have no right to question her authority. Now I have
+heard his excellency's discourse, I think less of the affair than
+before."</p>
+
+<p>"If God is really to be served in this voyage," continued the woman,
+with dignity, "thou shouldst not be backward, more than another, my
+husband. Señor, will you suffer Pepe to pass the night with his family,
+on condition that he goeth on board the Santa Maria in the morning?"</p>
+
+<p>"What certainty have I that this condition will be respected?"</p>
+
+<p>"Señor, we are both Christians, and serve the same God&mdash;have been
+redeemed by the same Saviour."</p>
+
+<p>"This is true, and I will confide in it. Pepe, thou canst remain until
+the morning, when I shall expect thee at thy station. There will be
+oarsmen enough, without thee."</p>
+
+<p>The woman looked her thanks, and Columbus thought he read an assurance
+of good faith in her noble Spanish manner, and lofty look. As some
+trifling preparations were to be made before the boat could quit the
+shore, the admiral and Luis paced the sands the while, engaged in deep
+discourse.</p>
+
+<p>"This hath been a specimen of what I have had to overcome and endure, in
+order to obtain even yonder humble means for effecting the good designs
+of Providence," observed Columbus, mournfully, though he spoke without
+acrimony. "It is a crime to be poor&mdash;to be a Genoese&mdash;to be aught else
+than the very thing that one's judges and masters fancy themselves to
+be! The day will come, Conde de Llera, when Genoa shall think herself in
+no manner disgraced, in having given birth to Christofero Colombo, and
+when your proud Castile will be willing to share with her in the
+dishonor! Thou little know'st, young lord, how far thou art on the road
+to renown, and toward high deeds, in having been born noble, and the
+master of large possessions. Thou seest me, here, a man already stricken
+in years, with a head whitened by time and sufferings, and yet am I only
+on the threshold of the undertaking that is to give my name a place
+among those of the men who have served God, and advanced the welfare of
+their fellow-creatures."</p>
+
+<p>"Is not this the course of things, Señor, throughout the earth? Do not
+those who find themselves placed beneath the level of their merits,
+struggle to rise to the condition to which nature intended them to
+belong, while those whom fortune hath favored through their ancestors,
+are too often content to live on honors that they have not themselves
+won? I see naught in this but the nature of man, and the course of the
+world."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou art right, Luis, but philosophy and fact are different matters. We
+may reason calmly on principles, when their application in practice
+causeth much pain. Thou hast a frank and manly nature, young man; one
+that dreadeth neither the gibe of the Christian, nor the lance of the
+Moor, and wilt answer to any, in fearlessness and truth. A Castilian
+thyself, dost <i>thou</i>, too, really think one of thy kingdom better than
+one of Genoa?"</p>
+
+<p>"Not when he of Genoa is Christoval Colon, Señor, and he of Castile is
+only Luis de Bobadilla," answered the young man, laughing.</p>
+
+<p>"Nay, I will not be denied&mdash;hast thou any such notion as this, which the
+wife of Pepe hath so plainly avowed?"</p>
+
+<p>"What will you, Señor Christoval? Man is the same in Spain, that he is
+among the Italians, or the English. Is it not his besetting sin to think
+good of himself, and evil of his neighbor?"</p>
+
+<p>"A plain question that is loyally put, may not be answered with a
+truism, Luis."</p>
+
+<p>"Nor a civil, honest reply confounded with one that is evasive. We of
+Castile are humble and most devout Christians, by the same reason that
+we think ourselves faultless, and the rest of mankind notable sinners.
+By San Iago, of blessed faith and holy memory! it is enough to make a
+people vain, to have produced such a queen as Doña Isabella, and such a
+maiden as Mercedes de Valverde!"</p>
+
+<p>"This is double loyalty, for it is being true to the queen and to thy
+mistress. With this must I satisfy myself, even though it be no answer.
+But, Castilian though I am not, even the Guzmans have not ventured on
+the voyage to Cathay, and the House of Trastamara may yet be glad to
+acknowledge its indebtedness to a Genoese. God hath no respect to
+worldly condition, or worldly boundaries, in choosing his agents, for
+most of the saints were despised Hebrews, while Jesus, himself, came of
+Nazareth. We shall see, we shall see, young lord, what three months will
+reveal to the admiration of mankind."</p>
+
+<p>"Señor Almirante, I hope and pray it may be the island of Cipango and
+the realms of the great Khan; should it not be so, we are men who can
+not only bear our toils, but who can bear our disappointments."</p>
+
+<p>"Of disappointments in this matter, Don Luis, I look for none&mdash;now that
+I have the royal faith of Isabella, and these good caravels to back me;
+the drudge who saileth from Madeira to Lisbon, is not more certain of
+gaining his port than I am certain of gaining Cathay."</p>
+
+<p>"No doubt, Señor Colon, that what any navigator can do, you can do and
+will perform; nevertheless, disappointment would seem to be the lot of
+man, and it might be well for all of us to be prepared to meet it."</p>
+
+<p>"The sun that is just sinking beyond yon hill, Luis, is not plainer
+before my eyes than this route to the Indies. I have seen it, these
+seventeen years, distinct as the vessels in the river, bright as the
+polar star, and, I make little doubt, as faithfully. It is well to talk
+of disappointments, since they are the lot of man; and who can know this
+better than one that hath been led on by false hopes during all the
+better years of his life; now encouraged by princes, statesmen, and
+churchmen; and now derided and scoffed at as a vain projector, that hath
+neither reason nor fact to sustain him!"</p>
+
+<p>"By my new patron, San Pedro! Señor Almirante, but you have led a most
+grievous life, for this last age, or so. The next three months will,
+indeed, be months of moment to you."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou little know'st the calmness of conviction and confidence, Luis,"
+returned Columbus, "if thou fanciest any doubts beset me as the hour of
+trial approacheth. This day is the happiest I have known, for many a
+weary year; for, though the preparations are not great, and our barks
+are but slight and of trifling bulk, yonder lie the means through which
+a light, that hath long been hid, is about to break upon the world, and
+to raise Castile to an elevation surpassing that of any other Christian
+nation."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou must regret, Señor Colon, that it hath not been Genoa, thy native
+land, that is now about to receive this great boon, after having merited
+it by generous and free gifts, in behalf of this great voyage."</p>
+
+<p>"This hath not been the least of my sorrows, Luis. It is hard to desert
+one's own country, and to seek new connections, as life draweth to a
+close, though we mariners, perhaps, feel the tie less than those who
+never quit the land. But Genoa would have none of me; and if the child
+is bound to love and honor the parent, so is the parent equally bound to
+protect and foster the child. When the last forgets its duty, the first
+is not to be blamed if it seek support wherever it may be found. There
+are limits to every human duty; those we owe to God alone, never ceasing
+to require their fulfilment, and our unceasing attention. Genoa hath
+proved but a stern mother to me; and though naught could induce me to
+raise a hand against her, she hath no longer any claims on my service.
+Besides, when the object in view is the service of God, it mattereth
+little with which of his creatures we league as instruments. One cannot
+easily hate the land of his birth, but injustice may lead him to cease
+to love it. The tie is mutual, and when the country ceaseth to protect
+person, character, property, or rights, the subject is liberated from
+all his duties. If allegiance goeth with protection, so should
+protection go with allegiance. Doña Isabella is now my mistress, and,
+next to God, her will I serve, and serve only. Castile is henceforth my
+country."</p>
+
+<p>At this moment it was announced that the pinnace waited, and the two
+adventurers immediately embarked.</p>
+
+<p>It must have required all the deep and fixed convictions of an ardent
+temperament, to induce Columbus to rejoice that he had, at length,
+obtained the means of satisfying his longings for discovery, when he
+came coolly to consider what those means were. The names of his vessels,
+the Santa Maria, the Pinta, and the Niña, have already been mentioned,
+and some allusions have been made to their size and construction. Still,
+it may aid the reader in forming his opinions of the character of this
+great enterprise, if we give a short sketch of the vessels, more
+especially that in which Columbus and Luis de Bobadilla were now
+received. She was, of course, the Santa Maria, a ship of nearly twice
+the burden of the craft next her in size. This vessel had been prepared
+with more care than the others, and some attention had been paid to the
+dignity and comfort of the Admiral she was destined to carry. Not only
+was she decked in, but a poop, or round-house, was constructed on her
+quarter-deck, in which he had his berth. No proper notion can be
+obtained of the appearance of the Santa Maria, from the taunt-rigged,
+symmetrical, and low-sterned ships of the present time; for, though the
+Santa Maria had both a poop and top-gallant-forecastle, as they would be
+termed to-day, neither was constructed in the snug and unobtrusive
+manner that is now used. The poop, or round-house, was called
+a castle, to which it had some fancied resemblance, while the
+top-gallant-forecastle, in which most of the people lived, was out of
+proportion large, rose like a separate structure on the bows of the
+vessel, and occupied about a third of the deck, from forward aft. To
+those who never saw the shipping that was used throughout Europe, a
+century since, it will not be very obvious how vessels so small could
+rise so far above the water, in safety; but this difficulty may be
+explained; many very old ships, that had some of the peculiarities of
+this construction, existing within the memory of man, and a few having
+fallen under our own immediate inspection. The bearings of these vessels
+were at the loaded water-lines, or very little above them, and they
+tumbled home, in a way to reduce their beams on their poop decks nearly,
+if not quite, a fourth. By these precautions, their great height out of
+the water was less dangerous than might otherwise have been the case;
+and as they were uniformly short ships, possessing the advantages of
+lifting easily forward, and were, moreover, low-waisted, they might be
+considered safe in a sea, rather than the reverse. Being so short, too,
+they had great beam for their tonnage, which, if not an element of
+speed, was at least one of security. Although termed ships, these
+vessels were not rigged in the manner of the ships of the present day,
+their standing spars being relatively longer than those now in use,
+while their upper, or shifting spars, were much less numerous, and much
+less important than those which now point upward, like needles, toward
+the clouds. Neither had a ship necessarily the same number of spars, in
+the fifteenth century, as belong to a ship in the nineteenth. The term
+itself, as it was used in all the southern countries of Europe, being
+directly derived from the Latin word <i>navis</i>, was applied rather as a
+generic than as a distinctive term, and by no means inferred any
+particular construction, or particular rig. The caravel was a ship, in
+this sense, though not strictly so, perhaps, when we descend to the more
+minute classification of seamen.</p>
+
+<p>Much stress has been justly laid on the fact, that two of the vessels in
+this extraordinary enterprise were undecked. In that day, when most sea
+voyages were made in a direction parallel to the main coasts, and when
+even those that extended to the islands occupied but a very few days,
+vessels were seldom far from the land; and it was the custom of the
+mariners, a practice that has extended to our own times, in the southern
+seas of Europe, to seek a port at the approach of bad weather. Under
+such circumstances, decks were by no means as essential, either for the
+security of the craft, the protection of the cargo, or the comfort of
+the people, as in those cases in which the full fury of the elements
+must be encountered. Nevertheless, the reader is not to suppose a vessel
+entirely without any upper covering, because she was not classed among
+those that were decked; even such caravels, when used on the high seas,
+usually possessing quarter-decks and forecastles, with connecting
+gangways; depending on tarpaulings, and other similar preventives, to
+exclude the wash of the sea from injuring their cargoes.</p>
+
+<p>After all these explanations, however, it must be conceded, that the
+preparations for the great undertaking of Columbus, while the
+imaginations of landsmen probably aggravate their incompleteness, strike
+the experienced seaman as altogether inadequate to its magnitude and
+risks. That the mariners of the day deemed them positively insufficient
+is improbable, for men as accustomed to the ocean as the Pinzons, would
+not have volunteered to risk their vessel, their money, and their
+persons, in an expedition that did not possess the ordinary means of
+security.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIV" id="CHAPTER_XIV"></a>CHAPTER XIV.</h2>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"O'er the glad waters of the dark blue sea,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Our thoughts as boundless, and our souls as free,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Far as the breeze can bear, the billows foam,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Survey our empire, and behold our home."<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">Byron.</span><br /></span>
+</div></div>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p>As Columbus sought his apartment, soon after he reached the deck of the
+Holy Maria, Luis had no farther opportunity to converse with him that
+night. He occupied a part of the same room, it is true, under the
+assumed appellation of the admiral's secretary; but the great navigator
+was so much engaged with duties necessary to be discharged previously to
+sailing, that he could not be interrupted, and the young man paced the
+narrow limits of the deck until near midnight, thinking, as usual, of
+Mercedes, and of his return, when, seeking his mattress, he found
+Columbus already buried in a deep sleep.</p>
+
+<p>The following day was Friday; and it is worthy of remark, that the
+greatest and most successful voyage that has ever occurred on this
+globe, was commenced on a day of the week that seamen have long deemed
+to be so inauspicious to nautical enterprises, that they have often
+deferred sailing, in order to avoid the unknown, but dreaded
+consequences. Luis was among the first who appeared again on deck, and
+casting his eyes upward, he perceived that the admiral was already
+afoot, and in possession of the summit of the high poop, or castle,
+whose narrow limits, indeed, were deemed sacred to the uses of the
+privileged, answering, in this particular, to the more extended
+promenade of the modern quarter-deck. Here it was that he who directed
+the movements of a squadron, overlooked its evolutions, threw out his
+signals, made his astronomical observations, and sought his recreation
+in the open air. The whole space on board the Santa Maria might have
+been some fifteen feet in one direction, and not quite as much in the
+other, making a convenient look-out, more from its exclusion and
+retirement, than from its dimensions.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as the admiral&mdash;or Don Christoval, as he was now termed by the
+Spaniards, since his appointment to his present high rank, which gave
+him the rights and condition of a noble&mdash;as soon as Don Christoval
+caught a glance of Luis' eye, he made a sign for the young man to ascend
+and take a position at his side. Although the expedition was so
+insignificant in numbers and force, not equalling, in the latter
+particular, the power of a single modern sloop of war, the authority of
+the queen, the gravity and mien of Columbus himself, and, most of all,
+its own mysterious and unwonted object, had, from the first, thrown
+around it a dignity that was disproportioned to its visible means.
+Accustomed to control the passions of turbulent men, and aware of the
+great importance of impressing his followers with a sense of his high
+station and influence with the court, Columbus had kept much aloof from
+familiar intercourse with his subordinates, acting principally through
+the Pinzons and the other commanders, lest he might lose some portion of
+that respect which he foresaw would be necessary to his objects. It
+needed not his long experience to warn him that men, crowded together in
+so small a space, could only be kept in their social and professional
+stations, by the most rigid observance of forms and decorum, and he had
+observed a due attention to these great requisites, in prescribing the
+manner in which his own personal service should be attended to, and his
+personal dignity supported. This is one of the great secrets of the
+discipline of a ship, for they who are incapable of reasoning, can be
+made to feel, and no man is apt to despise him who is well entrenched
+behind the usages of deference and reserve. We see, daily, the influence
+of an appellation, or a commission, even the turbulent submitting to its
+authority, when they might resist the same lawful commands issuing from
+an apparently less elevated source.</p>
+
+<p>"Thou wilt keep much near my person, Señor Gutierrez," said the admiral,
+using the feigned name which Luis affected to conceal under that of
+Pedro de Muños, as he knew a ship was never safe from eaves-droppers,
+and was willing that the young noble should pass as the gentleman of the
+king's bedchamber, "this is our station, and here we must remain much of
+our time, until God, in his holy and wise providence, shall have opened
+the way for us to Cathay, and brought us near the throne of the Great
+Khan. Here is our course, and along this track of pathless ocean it is
+my intention to steer."</p>
+
+<p>As Columbus spoke, he pointed to a chart that lay spread before him on
+an arm-chest, passing a finger calmly along the line he intended to
+pursue. The coast of Europe, in its general outlines, was laid down on
+this chart, with as much accuracy as the geographical knowledge of the
+day would furnish, and a range of land extended southward as far as
+Guinea, all beyond which region was <i>terra incognita</i> to the learned
+world at that time. The Canaries and the Azores, which had been
+discovered some generations earlier, occupied their proper places, while
+the western side of the Atlantic was bounded by a fancied delineation of
+the eastern coast of India, or of Cathay, buttressed by the island of
+Cipango, or Japan, and an Archipelago, that had been represented
+principally after the accounts of Marco Polo and his relatives. By a
+fortunate misconception, Cipango had been placed in a longitude that
+corresponded very nearly with that of Washington, or some two thousand
+leagues east of the position in which it is actually to be found. This
+error of Columbus, in relation to the extent of the circumference of the
+globe, in the end, most probably saved his hardy enterprise from
+becoming a failure.</p>
+
+<p>Luis, for the first time since he had been engaged in the expedition,
+cast his eyes over this chart, with some curiosity, and he felt a noble
+desire to solve the great problem rising within him, as he thus saw, at
+a glance, all the vast results, as well as the interesting natural
+phenomena, that were dependent on the issue.</p>
+
+<p>"By San Gennaro of Napoli!" he exclaimed&mdash;The only affectation the young
+noble had, was a habit of invoking the saints of the different countries
+he had visited, and of using the little oaths and exclamations of
+distant lands, a summary mode of both letting the world know how far he
+had journeyed, as well as a portion of the improvement he had derived
+from his travels&mdash;"By San Gennaro, Señor Don Christoval, but this voyage
+will be one of exceeding merit, if we ever find our way across this
+great belt of water; and greater still, should we ever manage to
+return!"</p>
+
+<p>"The last difficulty is the one, at this moment, uppermost in the minds
+of most in this vessel," answered Columbus. "Dost thou not perceive, Don
+Luis, the grave and dejected countenances of the mariners, and hearest
+thou the wailings that are rising from the shore?"</p>
+
+<p>This remark caused the young man to raise his eyes from the chart, and
+to take a survey of the scene around him. The Niña, a light felucca, in
+fact, was already under way, and brushing past them under a latine
+foresail, her sides thronged with boats filled with people, no small
+portion of whom were females and children, and most of whom were
+wringing their hands and raising piteous cries of despair. The Pinta was
+in the act of being cast; and, although the authority of Martin Alonzo
+Pinzon had the effect to render their grief less clamorous, her sides
+were surrounded by a similar crowd, while numberless boats plied around
+the Santa Maria herself; the authority and dignity of the admiral alone
+keeping them at a distance. It was evident that most of those who
+remained, fancied that they now saw their departing relations for the
+last time, while no small portion of those who were on the eve of
+sailing, believed they were on the point of quitting Spain forever.</p>
+
+<p>"Hast looked for Pepe, this morning, among our people?" demanded
+Columbus, the incident of the young sailor recurring to his thoughts,
+for the first time that morning; "if he prove false to his word, we may
+regard it as an evil omen, and have an eye on all our followers, while
+there is a chance of escape."</p>
+
+<p>"If his absence would be an omen of evil, Señor Almirante, his presence
+ought to be received as an omen of good. The noble fellow is on this
+yard, above our heads, loosening the sail."</p>
+
+<p>Columbus turned his eyes upward, and there, indeed, was the young
+mariner in question, poised on the extreme and attenuated end of the
+latine yard, that ships even then carried on their after-masts, swinging
+in the wind while he loosened the gasket that kept the canvas in its
+folds. Occasionally he looked beneath him, anxious to discover if his
+return had been noted; and, once or twice, his hands, usually so nimble,
+lingered in their employment, as he cast glances over the stern of the
+vessel, as if one also drew his attention in that quarter. Columbus made
+a sign of recognition to the gratified young mariner, who instantly
+permitted the canvas to fall; and then he walked to the taffrail,
+accompanied by Luis, in order to ascertain if any boat was near the
+ship. There, indeed, close to the vessel, lay a skiff, rowed by Monica
+alone, and which had been permitted to approach so near on account of
+the sex of its occupant. The moment the wife of Pepe observed the form
+of the admiral, she arose from her seat, and clasped her hands toward
+him, desirous, but afraid, to speak. Perceiving that the woman was awed
+by the bustle, the crowd of persons, and the appearance of the ship,
+which she was almost near enough to touch with her hand, Columbus
+addressed her. He spoke mildly, and his looks, usually so grave, and
+sometimes even stern, were softened to an expression of gentleness that
+Luis had never before witnessed.</p>
+
+<p>"I see that thy husband hath been true to his promise, good woman," he
+said; "and I doubt not that thou hast told him it is wiser and better
+manfully to serve the queen, than to live under the disgrace of a
+runaway."</p>
+
+<p>"Señor, I have. I give Doña Isabella my husband, without a murmur, if
+not cheerfully, now I know that you go forth to serve God. I see the
+wickedness of my repinings, and shall pray that he may be foremost, on
+all occasions, until the ears of the Infidel shall be opened to the
+words of the true faith."</p>
+
+<p>"This is said like a Spanish wife, and a Christian woman! Our lives are
+in the care of Providence, and doubt not of seeing Pepe, in health and
+safety, after he hath visited Cathay, and done his share in its
+discovery."</p>
+
+<p>"Ah! Señor&mdash;when?" exclaimed the wife, unable, in spite of her assumed
+fortitude, and the strong feelings of religious duty, to suppress the
+impulses of a woman.</p>
+
+<p>"In God's time, my good&mdash;how art thou named?"</p>
+
+<p>"Monica, Señor Almirante, and my husband is called Pepe; and the boy,
+the poor, fatherless child, hath been christened Juan. We have no
+Moorish blood, but are pure Spaniards, and I pray your Excellency to
+remember it, on such occasions as may call for more dangerous duty than
+common."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou may'st depend on my care of the father of Juan," returned the
+admiral, smiling, though a tear glistened in his eye. "I, too, leave
+behind those that are dear to me as my own soul, and among others a
+motherless son. Should aught serious befall our vessel, Diego would be
+an orphan; whereas thy Juan would at least enjoy the care and affection
+of her who brought him into the world."</p>
+
+<p>"Señor, a thousand pardons!" said the woman, much touched by the feeling
+that was betrayed by the admiral in his voice. "We are selfish, and
+forget that others have sorrows, when we feel our own too keenly. Go
+forth, in God's name, and do his holy will&mdash;take my husband with you; I
+only wish that little Juan was old enough to be his companion."</p>
+
+<p>Monica could utter no more, but dashing the tears from her eyes, she
+resumed the oars, and pulled the little skiff slowly, as if the
+inanimate machine felt the reluctance of the hands that propelled it,
+toward the land. The short dialogue just related, had been carried on in
+voices so loud as to be heard by all near the speakers; and when
+Columbus turned from the boat, he saw that many of his crew had been
+hanging suspended in the rigging, or on the yards, eagerly listening to
+what had been said. At this precise instant the anchor of the Santa
+Maria was raised from the bottom, and the ship's head began to incline
+from the direction of the wind. At the next moment, the flap of the
+large square foresail that crafts of her rig then carried, was heard,
+and in the course of the next five minutes, the three vessels were
+standing slowly but steadily down the current of the Odiel, in one of
+the arms of which river they had been anchored, holding their course
+toward a bar near its mouth. The sun had not yet risen, or rather it
+rose over the hills of Spain, a fiery ball, just as the sails were set,
+gilding with a melancholy glory, a coast that not a few in the different
+vessels apprehended they were looking upon for the last time. Many of
+the boats clung to the two smaller craft until they reached the bar of
+Saltes, an hour or two later, and some still persevered until they began
+to toss in the long waves of the breathing ocean, when, the wind being
+fresh at the west, they reluctantly cast off, one by one, amid sighs and
+groans. The liberated ships, in the meanwhile, moved steadily into the
+blue waters of the shoreless Atlantic, like human beings silently
+impelled by their destinies toward fates that they can neither foresee,
+control, nor avoid.</p>
+
+<p>The day was fine, and the wind both brisk and fair. Thus far the omens
+were propitious; but the unknown future threw a cloud over the feelings
+of a large portion of those who were thus quitting, in gloomy
+uncertainty, all that was most dear to them. It was known that the
+admiral intended making the best of his way toward the Canaries, thence
+to enter on the unknown and hitherto untrodden paths of the desert ocean
+that lay beyond. Those who doubted, therefore, fixed upon those islands
+as the points where their real dangers were to commence, and already
+looked forward to their appearance in the horizon, with feelings akin to
+those with which the guilty regard the day of trial, the condemned the
+morning of execution, or the sinner the bed of death. Many, however,
+were superior to this weakness, having steeled their nerves and prepared
+their minds for any hazards, though the feelings of nearly all
+fluctuated; there being hours when hope, and anticipations of success,
+seemed to cheer the entire crews; and then, moments would occur, in
+which the disposition was to common doubts, and a despondency that was
+nearly general.</p>
+
+<p>A voyage to the Canaries or the Azores, in that age, was most probably
+to be classed among the hardiest exploits of seamen. The distance was
+not as great, certainly, as many of their more ordinary excursions, for
+vessels frequently went, even in the same direction, as far as the Cape
+de Verdes; but all the other European passages lay along the land, and
+in the Mediterranean the seaman felt that he was navigating within known
+limits, and was apt to consider himself as embayed within the boundaries
+of human knowledge. On the contrary, while sailing on the broad
+Atlantic, he was, in some respects, placed in a situation resembling
+that of the æronaut, who, while floating in the higher currents of the
+atmosphere, sees beneath him the earth as his only alighting place, the
+blue void of untravelled space stretching in all other directions about
+him.</p>
+
+<p>The Canary Isles were known to the ancients. Juba, the king of
+Mauritania, who was a contemporary of Cæsar, is said to have described
+them with tolerable accuracy, under the general name of the Fortunate
+Isles. The work itself has been lost, but the fact is known through the
+evidence of other writers; and by the same means it is known that they
+possessed, even in that remote age, a population that had made some
+respectable advances toward civilization. But in the process of time,
+and during the dark period that succeeded the brightness of the Roman
+sway, even the position of these islands was lost to the Europeans; nor
+was it again ascertained until the first half of the fourteenth century,
+when they were discovered by certain fugitive Spaniards who were hard
+pressed by the Moors. After this, the Portuguese, then the most hardy
+navigators of the known world, got possession of one or two of them, and
+made them the starting points for their voyages of discovery along the
+coast of Guinea. As the Spaniards reduced the power of the Mussulmans,
+and regained their ancient sway in the peninsula, they once more turned
+their attention in this direction, conquering the natives of several of
+the other islands, the group belonging equally to those two Christian
+nations, at the time of our narrative.</p>
+
+<p>Luis de Bobadilla, who had navigated extensively in the more northern
+seas, and who had passed and repassed the Mediterranean in various
+directions, knew nothing of these islands except by report; and as they
+stood on the poop, Columbus pointed out to him their position, and
+explained their different characters; relating his intentions in
+connection with them, dwelling on the supplies they afforded, and on
+their facilities as a point of departure.</p>
+
+<p>"The Portuguese have profited much by their use of these islands," said
+Columbus, "as a place for victualling, and wooding, and watering, and I
+see no reason why Castile may not, now, imitate their example, and
+receive her share of the benefits. Thou seest how far south our
+neighbors have penetrated, and what a trade and how much riches are
+flowing into Lisbon through these noble enterprises, which,
+notwithstanding, are but as a bucket of water in the ocean, when
+compared with the wealth of Cathay and all the mighty consequences that
+are to follow from this western voyage of ours."</p>
+
+<p>"Dost thou expect to reach the territories of the Great Khan, Don
+Christoval," demanded Luis, "within a distance as small as that to which
+the Portuguese hath gone southwardly?"</p>
+
+<p>The navigator looked warily around, to ascertain who might hear his
+words, and finding that no one was within reach of the sound of his
+voice while he used a proper caution, he lowered its tones, and answered
+in a manner which greatly flattered his young companion, as it proved
+that the admiral was disposed to treat him with the frankness and
+confidence of a friend.</p>
+
+<p>"Thou know'st, Don Luis," the navigator resumed, "the nature of the
+spirits with whom we have to deal. I shall not even be certain of their
+services, so long as we continue near the coast of Europe; for naught is
+easier than for one of yonder craft to abandon me in the night, and to
+seek a haven on some known coast, seeking his justification in some
+fancied necessity."</p>
+
+<p>"Martin Alonzo is not a man to do that ignoble and unworthy act!"
+interrupted Luis.</p>
+
+<p>"He is not, my young friend, for a motive as base as fear," returned
+Columbus, with a sort of thoughtful smile, which showed how truly and
+early he had dived into the real characters of those with whom he was
+associated. "Martin Alonzo is a bold and intelligent navigator, and we
+may look for good service at his hands, in all that toucheth resolution
+and perseverance. But the eyes of the Pinzons cannot be always open, and
+the knowledge of all the philosophers of the earth could make no
+resistance against the headlong impetuosity of a crew of alarmed
+mutineers. I do not feel certain of our own people while there is a hope
+of easy return; much less of men who are not directly under my own eye
+and command. The question thou hast asked, Luis, may not, therefore, be
+publicly answered, since the distance we are about to sail over would
+frighten our easily alarmed mariners. Thou art a cavalier; a knight of
+known courage, and may be depended on; and I may tell thee, without fear
+of arousing any unworthy feeling, that the voyage on which we are now
+fairly embarked, hath never had a precedent on this earth, for its
+length, or for the loneliness of its way."</p>
+
+<p>"And yet, Señor, thou enterest on it with the confidence of a man
+certain of reaching his haven?"</p>
+
+<p>"Luis, thou hast well judged my feelings. As to all those common dreads
+of descents, and ascents, of the difficulties of a return, and of
+reaching the margin of the world, whence we may glide off into space,
+neither thou, nor I, shall be much subjected."</p>
+
+<p>"By San Iago! Señor Don Christoval, I have no very settled notions about
+these things. I have never known of any one who hath slidden off the
+earth into the air, it is true, nor do I much think that such a slide is
+likely to befall us and our good ships; but, on the other hand, we have
+as yet only doctrine to prove that the earth is round, and that it is
+possible to journey east, by sailing west. On these subjects, then, I
+hold myself neuter; while, at the same time, thou may'st steer direct
+for the moon, and Luis de Bobadilla will be found at thy side."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou makest thyself less expert in science, mad-brained young noble,
+than is either true or necessary; but we will say no more of this, at
+present. There will be sufficient leisure to make thee familiar with all
+my intricate reasons and familiar motives. And is not this, Don Luis, a
+most heavenly sight? Here am I in the open ocean, honored by the two
+sovereigns with the dignity of their viceroy and admiral; with a fleet
+that is commissioned by their Highnesses to carry the knowledge of their
+power and authority to the uttermost parts of the earth; and, most of
+all, to raise the cross of our blessed Redeemer before the eyes of
+Infidels, who have never yet even heard his name, or, if they have,
+reverence it as little as a Christian would reverence the idols of the
+heathens!"</p>
+
+<p>This was said with the calm but deep enthusiasm that colored the entire
+character of the great navigator, rendering him, at times, equally the
+subject of distrust and of profound respect. On Luis, as, indeed, on
+most others who lived in sufficient familiarity with the man to enable
+them to appreciate his motives, and to judge correctly of the
+uprightness of his views, the effect, however, was always favorable, and
+probably would have been so had Mercedes never existed. The young man,
+himself, was not entirely without a tinge of enthusiasm, and, as is ever
+the case with the single-minded and generous, he best knew how to regard
+the impulses of those who were influenced by similar qualities. This
+answer was consequently in accordance with the feelings of the admiral,
+and they remained on the poop several hours, discoursing of the future,
+with the ardor of those who hoped for every thing, but in a manner too
+discursive and general to render a record of the dialogue easy or
+necessary.</p>
+
+<p>It was eight o'clock in the morning when the vessels passed the bar of
+Saltes, and the day had far advanced before the navigators had lost
+sight of the familiar eminences that lay around Palos, and the other
+well-known land-marks of the coast. The course was due south, and, as
+the vessels of that day were lightly sparred, and spread comparatively
+very little canvas, when considered in connection with the more dashing
+navigation of our own times, the rate of sailing was slow, and far from
+promising a speedy termination to a voyage that all knew must be long
+without a precedent, and which so many feared could never have an end.
+Two marine leagues, of three English miles, an hour, was good progress
+for a vessel at that day, even with a fresh and favorable wind; though
+there are a few memorable days' works set down by Columbus himself,
+which approach to a hundred and sixty miles in the twenty-four hours,
+and which are evidently noted as a speed of which a mariner might well
+be proud. In these days of locomotion and travelling, it is scarcely
+necessary to tell the intelligent reader this is but a little more than
+half the distance that is sailed over by a fast ship, under similar
+circumstances, and in our own time.</p>
+
+<p>Thus the sun set upon the adventurers, in this celebrated voyage, when
+they had sailed with a strong breeze, to use the words of Columbus' own
+record, some eleven hours, after quitting the bar. By this time, they
+had made good less than fifty miles, in a due south course from the
+place of their departure. The land in the neighborhood of Palos had
+entirely sunk behind the watery margin of the ocean, in that direction,
+and the coast trending eastward, it was only here and there that the
+misty summits of a few of the mountains of Seville could just be
+discovered by the experienced eyes of the older mariners, as the glowing
+ball of the sun sunk into the watery bed of the western horizon, and
+disappeared from view. At this precise moment, Columbus and Luis were
+again on the poop, watching, with melancholy interest, the last shadows
+cast by Spanish land, while two seamen were at work near them, splicing
+a rope that had been chafed asunder. The latter were seated on the deck,
+and as, out of respect to the admiral, they had taken their places a
+little on one side, their presence was not at first noted.</p>
+
+<p>"There setteth the sun beneath the waves of the wide Atlantic, Señor
+Gutierrez," observed the admiral, who was ever cautious to use one or
+the other of Luis' feigned appellations, whenever any person was near.
+"There the sun quitteth us, Pero, and in his daily course I see a proof
+of the globular form of the earth; and of the truth of a theory which
+teacheth us that Cathay may be reached by the western voyage."</p>
+
+<p>"I am ever ready to admit the wisdom of all your plans, expectations,
+and thoughts, Señor Don Christoval," returned the young man,
+punctiliously observant of respect, both in speech and manner; "but I
+confess I cannot see what the daily course of the sun has to do with the
+position of Cathay, or with the road that leads to it. We know that the
+great luminary travelleth the heavens without ceasing, that it cometh up
+out of the sea in the morning, and goeth down to its watery bed at
+night; but this it doth on the coast of Castile, as well as on that of
+Cathay; and, therefore, to me it doth appear, that no particular
+inference, for or against our success, is to be drawn from the
+circumstance."</p>
+
+<p>As this was said, the two sailors ceased working, looking curiously up
+into the face of the admiral, anxious to hear his reply. By this
+movement Luis perceived that one was Pepe, to whom he gave a nod of
+recognition, while the other was a stranger. The last had every
+appearance of a thorough-bred seaman of that period, or of being, what
+would have been termed in English, and the more northern languages of
+Europe, a regular "sea-dog;" a term that expresses the idea of a man so
+completely identified with the ocean by habit, as to have had his
+exterior, his thoughts, his language, and even his morality, colored by
+the association. This sailor was approaching fifty, was short, square,
+athletic, and still active, but there was a mixture of the animal with
+the intellectual creature about his coarse, heavy features, that is very
+usual in the countenances of men of native humor and strong sense, whose
+habits have been coarse and sensual. That he was a prime seaman,
+Columbus knew at a glance, not only from his general appearance, but
+from his occupation, which was such as only fell to the lot of the most
+skilful men of every crew.</p>
+
+<p>"I reason after this fashion, Señor," answered the admiral, as soon as
+his eye turned from the glance that he, too, had thrown upon the men;
+"the sun is not made to journey thus around the earth without a
+sufficient motive, the providence of God being ruled by infinite wisdom.
+It is not probable that a luminary so generous and useful should be
+intended to waste any of its benefits; and we are certain already that
+day and night journey westward over this earth as far as it is known to
+us, whence I infer that the system is harmonious, and the benefits of
+the great orb are unceasingly bestowed on man, reaching one spot on the
+earth as it quits another. The sun that hath just left us is still
+visible in the Azores, and will be seen again at Smyrna, and among the
+Grecian Islands, an hour, or more, before it again meets our eyes.
+Nature hath designed naught for uselessness; and I believe that Cathay
+will be enlightened by that ball which hath just left us, while we shall
+be in the deepest hour of the night, to return by its eastern path,
+across the great continent of Asia, and to greet us again in the
+morning. In a word, friend Pedro, that which Sol is now doing with such
+nimble speed in the heavens, we are more humbly imitating in our own
+caravels; give us sufficient time, and we, too, might traverse the
+earth, coming in from our journey by the land of the Tartars and the
+Persians."</p>
+
+<p>"From all of which you infer that the world is round, wherein we are to
+find the certainty of our success?"</p>
+
+<p>"This is so true, Señor de Muños, that I should be sorry to think any
+man who now saileth under my command did not admit it. Here are two
+seamen who have been listening to our discourse, and we will question
+them, that we may know the opinions of men accustomed to the ocean. Thou
+art the husband with whom I held discourse on the sands, the past
+evening, and thy name is Pepe?"</p>
+
+<p>"Señor Almirante, your Excellency's memory doth me too much honor, in
+not forgetting a face that is altogether unworthy of being noticed and
+remembered."</p>
+
+<p>"It is an honest face, friend, and no doubt speaketh for a true heart. I
+shall count on thee as a sure support, let things go as they may."</p>
+
+<p>"His Excellency hath not only a right to command me, as her Highness'
+admiral, but he hath now the good-will of Monica, and that is much the
+same as having gained her husband."</p>
+
+<p>"I thank thee, honest Pepe, and shall count on thee, with certainty, in
+future," answered Columbus, turning toward the other seaman&mdash;"And thou,
+shipmate&mdash;thou hast the air of one that the sight of troubled water will
+not alarm&mdash;thou hast a name?"</p>
+
+<p>"That I have, noble admiral," returned the fellow, looking up with a
+freedom that denoted one used to have his say; "though it hath neither a
+Don, nor a Señor, to take it in tow. My intimates commonly call out
+Sancho, when pressed for time, and when civility gets the better of
+haste, they add Mundo, making Sancho Mundo for the whole name of a very
+poor man."</p>
+
+<p>"Mundo is a large name for so small a person," said the admiral,
+smiling, for he foresaw the expediency of having friends among his crew,
+and knew men sufficiently to understand that, while undue familiarity
+undermined respect, a little unbending had a tendency to win hearts. "I
+wonder that thou shouldst venture to wear a sound so lofty!"</p>
+
+<p>"I tell my fellows, your Excellency, that Mundo is my title, and not my
+name; but that I am greater than kings, even, who are content to take
+their titles from a part of that, of which I bear all."</p>
+
+<p>"And were thy father and thy mother called Mundo, also? Or, is this name
+taken in order to give thee an occasion to show thy smartness, when
+questioned by thy officers?"</p>
+
+<p>"As for the good people you deign to mention, Señor Don Almirante, I
+shall leave them to answer for themselves, and that for the simple
+reason that I do not know how they were called, or whether they had any
+names at all. They tell me I was found, when a few hours old, under a
+worn-out basket at the ship-yard gate of old"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Never mind the precise spot, friend Sancho&mdash;thou wert found with a
+basket for a cradle, and that maketh a volume in thy history, at once."</p>
+
+<p>"Nay, Excellency, I would not leave the spot a place of dispute
+hereafter&mdash;but it shall be as you please. They say no one here knoweth
+exactly where we are going, and it will be more suitable that the like
+ignorance should rest over the places whence we came. But having the
+world before me, they that christened me gave me as much of it as was to
+be got by a name."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou hast been long a mariner, Sancho Mundo&mdash;if Mundo thou wilt be."</p>
+
+<p>"So long, Señor, that it sickeneth me, and taketh away the appetite to
+walk on solid ground. Being so near the gate, it was no great matter to
+put me into the ship-yard, and I was launched one day in a caravel, and
+got to sea in her, no one knows how. From that time I have submitted to
+fate, and go out again, as soon as possible, after I come into port."</p>
+
+<p>"And by what lucky chance have I obtained thy services, good Sancho, in
+this great expedition?"</p>
+
+<p>"The authorities of Moguer took me under the queen's order, your
+Excellency, thinking that this Voyage would be more to my mind than
+another, as it was likely never to have an end."</p>
+
+<p>"Art thou a compelled adventurer, on this service?"</p>
+
+<p>"Not I, Señor Don Almirante, although they who sent me here fancy as
+much. It is natural for a man to wish to see his estates, once in his
+life, and I am told that we are bound on a voyage to the other side of
+the world. God forbid that I should hold aloof, on such an occasion."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou art a Christian, Sancho, and hast a desire to aid in carrying the
+cross among the heathen?"</p>
+
+<p>"Señor, your Excellency, Don Almirante, it matters little to Sancho with
+what the barque is laden, so that she do not need much pumping, and that
+the garlic is good. If I am not a very devout Christian, it is the fault
+of them that found me near the ship-yard gate, since the church and the
+font are both within call from that very spot. I know that Pepe, here,
+is a Christian, Señor, for I saw him in the arms of the priest, and I
+doubt not that there are old men at Moguer who can testify to as much in
+my behalf. At all hazards, noble Admiral, I will take on myself to say
+that I am neither Jew, nor Mussulman."</p>
+
+<p>"Sancho, thou hast that about thee, that bespeakest a skilful and bold
+mariner."</p>
+
+<p>"For both of these qualities, Señor Don Colon, let others speak. When
+the gale cometh, your own eyes may judge of the first; and when the
+caravel shall reach the edge of the earth, whither some think it is
+bound, there will be a good occasion to see who can, and who cannot,
+look off without trembling."</p>
+
+<p>"It is enough: I count both thee and Pepe as among my truest followers."
+As Columbus said this, he walked away, resuming the dignified gravity
+that usually was seated in his countenance, and which so much aided his
+authority, by impressing the minds of others with respect. In a few
+minutes he and Luis descended to their cabin.</p>
+
+<p>"I marvel, Sancho," said Pepe, as soon as he and his messmate were left
+alone on the poop, "that thou wilt venture to use thy tongue so freely,
+even in the presence of one that beareth about with him the queen's
+authority! Dost thou not fear to offend the admiral?"</p>
+
+<p>"So much for having a wife and a child! Canst thou not make any
+difference between them that have had ancestors and who have
+descendants, and one that hath no other tie in the world than his name?
+The Señor Don Almirante is either an exceeding great man, and chosen by
+Providence to open the way into the unknown seas of which he speaketh;
+or he is but a hungry Genoese, that is leading us he knoweth not
+whither, that he may eat, and drink, and sleep, in honor, while we are
+toiling at his heels, like patient mules dragging the load that the
+horse despiseth. In the one case, he is too great and exalted to heed
+idle words; and in the other, what is there too bad for a Castilian to
+tell him?"</p>
+
+<p>"Ay, thou art fond of calling thyself a Castilian, in spite of the
+ship-yard and the basket, and notwithstanding Moguer is in Seville."</p>
+
+<p>"Harkee, Pepe; is not the queen of Castile our mistress? And are not
+subjects&mdash;true and lawful subjects, I mean, like thee and me&mdash;are not
+such subjects worthy of being the queen's countrymen? Never disparage
+thyself, good Pepe, for thou wilt ever find the world ready enough to do
+that favor for thee. As to this Genoese, he shall be either friend or
+enemy to Sancho; if the first, I expect much consolation from it; if the
+last, let him hunt for his Cathay till doomsday, he shall be never the
+wiser."</p>
+
+<p>"Well, Sancho, if words can mar a voyage, or make a voyage, thou art a
+ready mariner; none know how to discourse better than thou."</p>
+
+<p>Here the men both rose, having completed their work, and they left the
+poop, descending among the rest of the crew. Columbus had not
+miscalculated his aim, his words and condescension having produced a
+most favorable effect on the mind of Sancho Mundo, for so the man was
+actually called; and in gaining one of as ready a wit and loose a tongue
+for a friend, he obtained an ally who was not to be despised. Of such
+materials, and with the support of such instruments as this, is success
+too often composed; it being possible for the discovery of a world,
+even, to depend on the good word of one less qualified to influence
+opinions than Sancho Mundo.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XV" id="CHAPTER_XV"></a>CHAPTER XV.</h2>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"While you here do snoring lie,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Open-ey'd conspiracy<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">His time doth take:<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">If of life you keep a care,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Shake off slumber, and beware;<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">Awake! Awake!"<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">Ariel.</span><br /></span>
+</div></div>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p>The wind continuing fair, the three vessels made good progress in the
+direction of the Canaries; Sunday, in particular, proving a propitious
+day, the expedition making more than one hundred and twenty miles in the
+course of the twenty-four hours. The wind still continued favorable, and
+on the morning of Monday, the 6th of August, Columbus was cheerfully
+conversing with Luis, and one or two other companions who were standing
+near him on the poop, when the Pinta was seen suddenly to take in her
+forward sails, and to come up briskly, not to say awkwardly, to the
+wind. This man&oelig;uvre denoted some accident, and the Santa Maria
+fortunately having the advantage of the wind, immediately edged away to
+speak her consort.</p>
+
+<p>"How now, Señor Martin Alonzo," hailed the admiral, as the two caravels
+came near enough together to speak each other. "For what reason hast
+thou so suddenly paused in thy course?"</p>
+
+<p>"Fortune would have it so, Señor Don Christoval, seeing that the rudder
+of the good caravel hath broken loose, and we must fain secure it ere we
+may again trust ourselves to the breeze."</p>
+
+<p>A severe frown came over the grave countenance of the great navigator,
+and after bidding Martin Alonzo do his best to repair the damage, he
+paced the deck, greatly disturbed, for several minutes. Observing how
+much the admiral took this accident to heart, the rest descended to the
+deck below, leaving Columbus alone with the pretended groom of the
+king's chamber.</p>
+
+<p>"I trust, Señor, this is no serious injury, or one in any way likely to
+retard our advance," said Luis, after manifesting that respect which all
+near him felt for the admiral, by a pause. "I know honest Martin Alonzo
+to be a ready seaman, and should think his expedients might easily serve
+to get us as far as the Canaries, where greater damages can meet with
+their remedies."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou say'st true, Luis, and we will hope for the best. I feel regret
+the sea is so high that we can offer no assistance to the Pinta, but
+Martin Alonzo is, indeed, an expert mariner, and on his ingenuity we
+must rely. My concern, however, hath another and a deeper source than
+the unloosing of this rudder, serious as such an injury ever is to a
+vessel at sea. Thou know'st that the Pinta hath been furnished to the
+service of the queen, under the order claiming the forfeited duty from
+the delinquents of Palos, and sorely against the will of the caravel's
+owners hath the vessel been taken. Now these persons, Gomez Rascon and
+Christoval Quintero, are on board her, and, I question not, have
+designed this accident. Their artifices were practised long, to our
+delay, before quitting the haven, and, it would seem, are to be
+continued to our prejudice here on the open ocean."</p>
+
+<p>"By the allegiance I owe the Doña Isabella! Señor Don Christoval, but I
+would find a speedy cure for such a treason, if the office of punishment
+rested with me. Let me jump into the skiff and repair to the Pinta,
+where I will tell these Masters Rascon and Quintero, that should their
+rudder ever dare to break loose again, or should any other similar and
+untoward accident chance to arrive, the first shall be hanged at the
+yard of his own caravel, and the last be cast into the sea to examine
+into the state of her bottom, the rudder included."</p>
+
+<p>"We may not practice such high authority without great occasion and
+perfect certainty of guilt. I hold it to be wiser to seek another
+caravel at the Canaries, for, by this accident, I well see we shall not
+be rid of the artifices of the two owners, until we are rid of their
+vessel. It will be hazardous to launch the skiff in this sea, or I would
+proceed to the Pinta myself; but as it is, let us have confidence in
+Martin Alonzo and his skill."</p>
+
+<p>Columbus thus encouraged the people of the Pinta to exert themselves,
+and in about an hour or two, the three vessels were again making the
+best of their way toward the Canaries. Notwithstanding the delay, nearly
+ninety miles were made good in the course of the day and night. But the
+following morning the rudder again broke loose, and, as the damage was
+more serious than in the former instance, it was still more difficult to
+repair. These repeated accidents gave the admiral great concern, for he
+took them to be so many indications of the disaffection of his
+followers. He fully determined, in consequence, to get rid of the Pinta,
+if it were possible to find another suitable vessel among the islands.
+As the progress of the vessels was much retarded by the accident,
+although the wind continued favorable, the expedition only got some
+sixty miles, this day, nearer to its place of destination.</p>
+
+<p>On the following morning, the three vessels came within hail of each
+other; and a comparison of the nautical skill of the different
+navigators, or pilots, as it was then the custom to style them, took
+place, each offering his opinion as to the position of the vessels.</p>
+
+<p>It was not the least of the merits of Columbus, that he succeeded in his
+great experiment with the imperfect aid of the instruments then in use.
+The mariner's compass, it is true, had been in common service quite a
+century, if not longer, though its variations&mdash;a knowledge of which is
+scarcely less important in long voyages than a knowledge of the
+instrument itself&mdash;were then unknown to seamen, who seldom ventured far
+enough from the land to note these mysteries of nature, and who, as a
+class, still relied almost as much on the ordinary position of the
+heavenly bodies to ascertain their routes, as on the nicer results of
+calculation. Columbus, however, was a striking exception to this
+little-instructed class, having made himself thoroughly acquainted with
+all the learning of the period that could be applied in his profession,
+or which might aid him in effecting the great purpose for which alone he
+now seemed to live.</p>
+
+<p>As might be expected, the comparison resulted altogether in the
+admiral's favor, the pilots in general being soon convinced that he
+alone knew the true position of the vessels, a fact that was soon
+unanswerably determined by the appearance of the summits of the
+Canaries, which hove up out of the ocean, in a south-easterly direction,
+resembling well-defined dark clouds clustering in the horizon. As
+objects like these are seen at a great distance at sea, more especially
+in a transparent atmosphere, and the wind became light and variable, the
+vessels, notwithstanding, were unable to reach Grand Canary until
+Thursday, the 8th of August, or nearly a week after they had left Palos.
+There they all ran in, and anchored in the usual haven. Columbus
+immediately set about making an inquiry for another caravel, but,
+proving unsuccessful, he sailed for Gomera, where he believed it might
+be easier to obtain the craft he wanted. While the admiral was thus
+employed with the Santa Maria and the Niña, Martin Alonzo remained in
+port, being unable to keep company in the crippled condition of the
+Pinta. But no suitable vessel being found, Columbus reluctantly returned
+to Grand Canary, and, after repairing the Pinta, which vessel was badly
+caulked, among the other devices that had been adopted to get her freed
+from the service, he sailed again for Gomera, from which island he was
+to take his final departure.</p>
+
+<p>During these several changes, a brooding discontent began to increase
+among most of the common mariners, while some even of a higher class,
+were not altogether free from the most melancholy apprehensions for the
+future. While passing from Grand Canary to Gomera, with all his vessels,
+Columbus was again at his post, with Luis and his usual companions near
+him, when the admiral's attention was drawn to a conversation that took
+place between a group of the men, who had collected near the main-mast.
+It was night, and there being little wind, the voices of the excited
+disputants reached further than they themselves were aware.</p>
+
+<p>"I tell thee, Pepe," said the most vociferous and most earnest of the
+speakers, "that the night is not darker than the future of this crew.
+Look to the west, and what dost see there? Who hath ever heard of land,
+after he hath quitted the Azores; and who is so ignorant as not to know
+that Providence hath placed water around all the continents, with a few
+islands as stopping-places for mariners, and spread the broad ocean
+beyond, with an intention to rebuke an over-eager curiosity to pry into
+matters that savor more of miracles than of common worldly things?"</p>
+
+<p>"This is well, Pero," answered Pepe; "but I know that Monica thinks the
+admiral is sent of God, and that we may look forward to great
+discoveries, through his means; and most especially to the spreading of
+religion among the heathens."</p>
+
+<p>"Ay, thy Monica should have been in Doña Isabella's seat, so learned and
+positive is she in all matters, whether touching her own woman's duties,
+or thine own. She is <i>thy</i> queen, Pepe, as all in Moguer will swear; and
+there are some who say she would gladly govern the port, as she
+governeth thee."</p>
+
+<p>"Say naught against the mother of my child, Pero," interrupted Pepe,
+angrily. "I can bear thy idle words against myself, but he that speaketh
+ill of Monica will have a dangerous enemy."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou art bold of speech, Pero, when away a hundred leagues from thine
+own better nine-tenths," put in a voice that Columbus and Luis both
+knew, on the instant, to belong to Sancho Mundo, "and art bold enough to
+jeer Pepe touching Monica, when we all well know who commandeth in a
+certain cabin, where thou art as meek as a hooked dolphin, whatever thou
+may'st be here. But, enough of thy folly about women; let us reason upon
+our knowledge as mariners, if thou wilt; instead of asking questions of
+one like Pepe, who is too young to have had much experience, I offer
+myself as thy catechist."</p>
+
+<p>"What hast <i>thou</i>, then, to say about this unknown land that lieth
+beyond the great ocean, where man hath never been, or is at all likely
+to go, with followers such as these?"</p>
+
+<p>"I have this to say, silly and idle-tongued Pero&mdash;that the time was when
+even the Canaries were unknown; when mariners did not dare to pass the
+straits, and when the Portuguese knew nothing of their mines and Guinea,
+lands that I myself have visited, and where the noble Don Christoval
+hath also been, as I know on the testimony of mine own eyes."</p>
+
+<p>"And what hath Guinea, or what have the mines of the Portuguese to do
+with this western voyage? All know that there is a country called
+Africa; and what is there surprising that mariners should reach a land
+that is known to exist; but who knoweth that the ocean hath other
+continents, any more than that the heavens have other earths?"</p>
+
+<p>"This is well, Pero," observed an attentive by-stander; "and Sancho will
+have to drain his wits to answer it."</p>
+
+<p>"It is well for those who wag their tongues, like women, without thought
+of what they say," coolly returned Sancho, "but will have little weight
+with Doña Isabella, or Don Almirante. Harkee, Pero, thou art like one
+that hath trodden the path between Palos and Moguer so often, that thou
+fanciest there is no road to Seville or Granada. There must be a
+beginning to all things; and this voyage is, out of doubt, the beginning
+of voyages to Cathay. We go west, instead of east, because it is the
+shorter way; and because, moreover, it is the <i>only</i> way for a caravel.
+Now, answer me, messmate; is it possible for a craft, let her size or
+rig be what it may, to pass over the hills and valleys of a continent&mdash;I
+mean under her canvas, and by fair sailing?"</p>
+
+<p>Sancho waited for a reply, and received a common and complete admission
+of the impossibility of the thing.</p>
+
+<p>"Then cast your eyes at the admiral's chart, in the morning, as he
+keepeth it spread before him on the poop, yonder, and you will see that
+there is land from one pole to the other, on each side of the Atlantic,
+thereby rendering navigation impossible, in any other direction than
+this we are now taking. The notion of Pero, therefore, runs in the teeth
+of nature."</p>
+
+<p>"This is so true, Pero," exclaimed another, the rest assenting, "that
+thy mouth ought to be shut."</p>
+
+<p>But Pero had a mouth that was not very easily closed; and it is probable
+that his answer would have been to the full as acute and irrefutable as
+that of Sancho, had not a common exclamation of alarm and horror burst
+from all around him. The night was sufficiently clear to permit the
+gloomy outlines of the Peak of Teneriffe to be distinctly visible, even
+at some distance; and, just at that moment, flashes of flame shot upward
+from its pointed summit, illuminating, at instants, the huge pile, and
+then leaving it in shadowy darkness, an object of mystery and terror.
+Many of the seamen dropped on their knees and began to tell their beads,
+while all, as it might be instinctively, crossed themselves. Next arose
+a general murmur; and in a few minutes, the men who slept were awoke,
+and appeared among their fellows, awe-struck and astounded spectators of
+the phenomenon. It was soon settled that the attention of the admiral
+should be drawn to this strange event, and Pero was selected for the
+spokesman.</p>
+
+<p>All this time, Columbus and his companions remained on the poop, and, as
+might have been expected, this unlooked-for change in the appearance of
+the Peak had not escaped their attention. Too enlightened to be alarmed
+by it, they were watching the workings of the mountain, when Pero,
+accompanied by nearly every sailor in the vessel, appeared on the
+quarter-deck. Silence having been obtained, Pero opened the subject of
+his mission with a zeal that was not a little stimulated by his fears.</p>
+
+<p>"Señor Almirante," he commenced, "we have come to pray your Excellency
+to look at the summit of the Island of Teneriffe, where we all think we
+see a solemn warning against persevering in sailing into the unknown
+Atlantic. It is truly time for men to remember their weakness, and how
+much they owe to the goodness of God, when even the mountains vomit
+flames and smoke!"</p>
+
+<p>"Have any here ever navigated the Mediterranean, or visited the island
+of which Don Ferdinand, the honored consort of our lady the queen, is
+master?" demanded Columbus, calmly.</p>
+
+<p>"Señor Don Almirante," hastily answered Sancho, "I have done so,
+unworthy as I may seem to have enjoyed that advantage. And I have seen
+Cyprus, and Alexandria, and even Stamboul, the residence of the Great
+Turk."</p>
+
+<p>"Well, then, thou may'st have also seen Ætna, another mountain which
+continueth to throw up those flames, in the midst of a nature and a
+scene on which Providence would seem to have smiled with unusual
+benignity, instead of angrily frowning, as ye seem to imagine."</p>
+
+<p>Columbus then proceeded to give his people an explanation of the causes
+of volcanoes, referring to the gentlemen around him to corroborate the
+fidelity of his statements. He told them that he looked upon this little
+eruption as merely a natural occurrence; or, if he saw any omen at all
+in the event, it was propitious rather than otherwise; Providence
+seeming disposed to light them on their way. Luis and the rest next
+descended among the crew, where they used their reasoning powers in
+quieting an alarm that, at first, had threatened to be serious. For the
+moment they were successful, or perhaps it would be better to say that
+they succeeded completely, so far as the phenomenon of the volcano was
+concerned, and this less by the arguments of the more intelligent of the
+officers, than by means of the testimony of Sancho, and one or two
+others of the common men, who had seen similar scenes elsewhere. With
+difficulties like these had the great navigator to contend, even after
+he had passed years in solicitations to obtain the limited means which
+had been finally granted, in order to effect one of the sublimest
+achievements that had yet crowned the enterprise of man!</p>
+
+<p>The vessels reached Gomera on the 2d of September, where they remained
+several days, in order to complete their repairs, and to finish taking
+in their supplies, ere they finally left the civilized abodes of man,
+and what might then be deemed the limits of the known earth. The arrival
+of such an expedition, in an age when the means of communication were so
+few that events were generally their own announcers, had produced a
+strong sensation among the inhabitants of the different islands visited
+by the adventurers. Columbus was held in high honor among them, not only
+on account of the commission he had received from the two sovereigns,
+but on account of the magnitude and the romantic character of his
+undertaking.</p>
+
+<p>There existed a common belief among all the adjacent islands, including
+Madeira, the Azores, and the Canaries, that land lay to the westward;
+their inhabitants living under a singular delusion in this particular,
+which the admiral had an occasion to detect, during his second visit to
+Gomera. Among the most distinguished persons who were then on the
+island, was Doña Inez Peraza, the mother of the Count of Gomera. She was
+attended by a crowd of persons, not only belonging to her own, but who
+had come from other islands to do her honor. She entertained the admiral
+in a manner suited to his high rank, admitting to her society such of
+the adventurers as Columbus saw fit to point out as worthy of the honor.
+Of course the pretended Pedro de Muños, or Pero Gutierrez, as he was now
+indifferently termed, was of the number; as, indeed, were most of those
+who might be deemed any way suited to so high and polished a society.</p>
+
+<p>"I rejoice, Don Christopher," said Doña Inez Peraza, on this occasion,
+"that their Highnesses have at length yielded to your desire to solve
+this great problem, not only on account of our Holy Church, which, as
+you say, hath so deep an interest in your success, and the honor of the
+two sovereigns, and the welfare of Spain, and all the other great
+considerations that we have so freely touched upon in our discourse
+already, but on account of the worthy inhabitants of the Fortunate
+Islands, who have not only many traditions touching land in the west,
+but most of whom believe that they have more than once seen it, in that
+quarter, in the course of their lives."</p>
+
+<p>"I have heard of this, noble lady, and would be grateful to have the
+account from the mouths of eye-witnesses, now we are here, together,
+conversing freely concerning that which is of so much interest to us
+all."</p>
+
+<p>"Then, Señor, I will entreat this worthy cavalier, who is every way
+capable of doing the subject justice, to be spokesman for us, and to let
+you know what we all believe in these islands, and what so many of us
+fancy we have seen. Acquaint the admiral, Señor Dama, I pray thee, of
+the singular yearly view that we get of unknown land lying afar off, in
+the Atlantic."</p>
+
+<p>"Most readily, Doña Inez, and all the more so at your gracious bidding,"
+returned the person addressed, who disposed himself to tell the story,
+with a readiness that the lovers of the wonderful are apt to betray when
+a fitting opportunity offers to indulge a favorite propensity. "The
+illustrious admiral hath probably heard of the island of St. Brandan,
+that lieth some eighty or a hundred leagues to the westward of Ferro,
+and which hath been so often seen, but which no navigator hath yet been
+able to reach, in our days at least?"</p>
+
+<p>"I have often heard of this fabled spot, Señor," the admiral gravely
+replied; "but pardon me if I say that the land never yet existed, which
+a mariner hath seen and yet a mariner hath not reached."</p>
+
+<p>"Nay, noble admiral," interrupted a dozen eager voices, among which that
+of the lady, herself, was very distinctly audible, "that it hath been
+seen most here know; and that it hath never been reached, is a fact to
+which more than one disappointed pilot can testify."</p>
+
+<p>"That which we have seen, we know; and that which we know, we can
+describe," returned Columbus, steadily. "Let any man tell me in what
+meridian, or on what parallel this St. Brandan, or St. Barandon, lieth,
+and a week shall make <i>me</i> also certain of its existence."</p>
+
+<p>"I know little of meridians or parallels, Don Christopher," said the
+Señor Dama, "but I have some ideas of visible things. This island have I
+often seen, more or less plainly at different times; and that, too,
+under the serenest skies, and at occasions when it was not possible
+greatly to mistake either its form or its dimensions. Once I remember to
+have seen the sun set behind one of its heights."</p>
+
+<p>"This is plain evidence, and such as a navigator should respect; and yet
+do I take what you imagine yourself to have seen, Señor, to be some
+illusion of the atmosphere."</p>
+
+<p>"Impossible!&mdash;impossible!" was said, or echoed, by a dozen voices.
+"Hundreds yearly witness the appearance of St. Brandan, and its equally
+sudden and mysterious disappearance."</p>
+
+<p>"Therein, noble lady and generous cavalier, lieth the error into which
+ye have fallen. Ye see the Peak the year round; and he who will cruise a
+hundred miles, north or south, east or west, of it, will continue to see
+it, the year round, except on such days as the state of the atmosphere
+may forbid. The land which God hath created stationary, will be certain
+to remain stationary, until disturbed by some great convulsion that
+cometh equally of his providence and his laws."</p>
+
+<p>"All this may be true, Señor; doubtless it <i>is</i> true; but every rule
+hath its exceptions. You will not deny that God ruleth the world
+mysteriously, and that his ends are not always visible to human eyes.
+Else, why hath the Moor so long been permitted to rule in Spain? why
+hath the Infidel, at this moment, possession of the Holy Sepulchre? why
+have the sovereigns been so long deaf to your own well-grounded wishes
+and entreaties to be permitted to carry their banners, in company with
+the cross, to Cathay, whither you are now bound? Who knoweth that these
+appearances of St. Brandan may not be given as signs to encourage one
+like yourself, bent on still greater ends than even reaching its
+shores?"</p>
+
+<p>Columbus was an enthusiast; but his was an enthusiasm that was seated in
+his reverence for the acknowledged mysteries of religion, which sought
+no other support from things incomprehensible, than might reasonably be
+thought to belong to the exercise of infallible wisdom, and which
+manifested a proper reverence for a Divine Power. Like most of that
+period, he believed in modern miracles; and his dependence on the direct
+worldly efficacy of votive offerings, penances, and prayers, was such as
+marked the age in general, and his calling in particular. Still, his
+masculine understanding rejected the belief of vulgar prodigies; and
+while he implicitly thought himself set apart and selected for the great
+work before him, he was not disposed to credit that an airy exhibition
+of an island was placed in the west to tempt mariners to follow its
+shadowy outline to the more distant regions of Cathay.</p>
+
+<p>"That I feel the assurance of the Providence of God having selected me
+as the humble instrument of connecting Europe with Asia, by means of a
+direct voyage by sea, is certain," returned the navigator, gravely,
+though his eye lighted with its latent enthusiasm; "but I am far from
+indulging in the weakness of thinking that direct miraculous agencies
+are to be used to guide me on my way. It is more in conformity to the
+practice of divine wisdom, and certainly more grateful to my own
+self-love, that the means employed are such as a discreet pilot, and the
+most experienced philosophers, might feel proud in finding themselves
+selected to display. My thoughts have first been turned to the
+contemplation of this subject; then hath my reason been enlightened by a
+due course of study and reflection, and science hath aided in producing
+the conviction necessary to impel myself to proceed, and to enable me to
+induce others to join in this enterprise."</p>
+
+<p>"And do all your followers, noble admiral, act under the same guidance?"
+demanded the Doña Inez, glancing at Luis, whose manly graces, and
+martial aspect, had found favor in the eyes of most of the ladies of the
+island. "Is the Señor Gutierrez equally enlightened in this manner? and
+hath he, too, devoted his nights to study, in order that the cross may
+be carried to the heathen, and Castile and Cathay may be more closely
+united?"</p>
+
+<p>"The Señor Gutierrez is a willing adventurer, Señora, but he must be the
+expounder of his own motives."</p>
+
+<p>"Then we will call on the cavalier, himself, for an answer. These ladies
+feel a desire to know what may have impelled one who would be certain to
+succeed at the court of Doña Isabella, and in the Moorish wars, to join
+in such an expedition."</p>
+
+<p>"The Moorish wars are ended, Señora," replied Luis, smiling; "and Doña
+Isabella, and all the ladies of her court, most favor the youths who
+show a manly disposition to serve the interests, and to advance the
+honor of Castile. I know very little of philosophy, and have still
+smaller pretensions to the learning of churchmen; but I think I see
+Cathay before me, shining like a brilliant star in the heavens, and am
+willing to adventure body and soul in its search."</p>
+
+<p>Many pretty exclamations of admiration broke from the circle of fair
+listeners; it being most easy for spirit to gain applause, when it is
+recommended by high personal advantages, and comes from the young and
+favored. That Columbus, a weather-worn veteran of the ocean, should see
+fit to risk a life that was already drawing near its close, in a rash
+attempt to pry into the mysteries of the Atlantic, seemed neither so
+commendable, nor so daring, but many discovered high qualities in the
+character of one who was just entering on his career, and that under
+auspices apparently so flattering, and who threw all his hopes on the
+uncertain chances of success in a scheme so unusual. Luis was human, and
+he was in the full enjoyment of the admiration his enterprise had
+evidently awakened among so many sensitive young creatures, when Doña
+Inez most inopportunely interposed to interrupt his happiness, and to
+wound his self-esteem.</p>
+
+<p>"This is having more honorable views than my letters from Seville
+attribute to one youth, who belongeth to the proudest of our Castilian
+houses, and whose titles alone should invite him to add new lustre to a
+name that hath so long been the Spanish boast," resumed the Señora
+Peraza. "The reports speak of his desire to rove, but in a manner
+unworthy of his rank; and that, too, in a way to serve neither the
+sovereigns, his country, nor himself."</p>
+
+<p>"And who may this misguided youth be, Señora?" eagerly inquired Luis,
+too much elated by the admiration he had just excited to anticipate the
+answer. "A cavalier thus spoken of, needeth to be warned of his
+reputation, that he may be stimulated to attempt better things."</p>
+
+<p>"His name is no secret, since the court speaketh openly of his singular
+and ill-judged career; and it is said that even his love hath been
+thwarted in consequence. I mean a cavalier of no less lineage and name
+than Don Luis de Bobadilla, the Count of Llera."</p>
+
+<p>It is said that listeners seldom hear good of themselves, and Luis was
+now fated to verify the truth of the axiom. He felt the blood rushing to
+his face, and it required a strong effort at self-command to prevent him
+from breaking out in exclamations, that would probably have contained
+invocations of half the patron saints he had ever heard of, had he not
+happily succeeded in controlling the sudden impulse. Gulping the words
+he had been on the point of uttering, he looked round, with an air of
+defiance, as if seeking the countenance of some man who might dare even
+to smile at what had been said. Luckily, at that moment, Columbus had
+drawn all of the males present around himself, in warm discussion of the
+probable existence of the island of St. Brandan; and Luis nowhere met a
+smile, with which he could conveniently quarrel, that had a setting of
+beard to render it hostile. Fortunately, the gentle impulses that are
+apt to influence a youthful female, induced one of Doña Inez's fair
+companions to speak, and that in a way greatly to relieve the feelings
+of our hero.</p>
+
+<p>"True, Señora," rejoined the pretty young advocate, the first tones of
+whose voice had an effect to calm the tempest that was rising in the
+bosom of the young man; "true Señora, it is said that Don Luis is a
+wanderer, and one of unsettled tastes and habits, but it is also said he
+hath a most excellent heart, is generous as the dews of heaven
+themselves, and carrieth the very best lance of Castile, as he is also
+like to carry off the fairest maiden."</p>
+
+<p>"It is vain, Señor de Muños, for churchmen to preach, and parents to
+frown," said Doña Inez, smiling, "while the beautiful and young will
+prize courage, and deeds in arms, and an open hand, before the more
+homely virtues commended by our holy religion, and so zealously
+inculcated by its servants. The unhorsing of a knight or two in the
+tourneys, and the rallying a broken squadron under a charge of the
+Infidel, counteth far more than years of sobriety, and weeks of penance
+and prayer."</p>
+
+<p>"How know we that the cavalier you mention, Señora, may not have his
+weeks of penance and his hours of prayer?" answered Luis, who had now
+found his voice. "Should he be so fortunate as to enjoy a conscientious
+religious adviser, he can scarce escape both, prayer being so often
+ordered in the way of penance. He seemeth, indeed, to be a miserable
+dog, and I wonder not that his mistress holdeth him cheap. Is the name
+of the lady, also, given in your letter?"</p>
+
+<p>"It is. She is the Doña Maria de las Mercedes de Valverde, nearly allied
+to the Guzmans and the other great houses, and one of the fairest
+maidens of Spain."</p>
+
+<p>"That is she!" exclaimed Luis; "and one of the most virtuous, as well as
+fair, and wise as virtuous!"</p>
+
+<p>"How now, Señor, is it possible that you can have sufficient knowledge
+of one so situated, as to speak thus positively of her qualities, as
+well as of her appearance?"</p>
+
+<p>"Her beauty I have seen, and of her excellence one may speak by report.
+But doth your correspondent, Señora, say aught of what hath become of
+the graceless lover?"</p>
+
+<p>"It is rumored that he hath again quitted Spain, and, as is supposed,
+under the grave displeasure of the sovereigns, since it hath been
+remarked that the queen now never nameth him. None know the road he hath
+taken, but there is little doubt that he is again roaming the seas, as
+usual, in quest of low adventures among the ports of the east."</p>
+
+<p>The conversation now changed, and soon after the admiral and his
+attendants repaired to their different vessels.</p>
+
+<p>"Of a verity, Señor Don Christoval," said Luis, as he walked alone with
+the great navigator toward the shore, "one little knoweth when he is
+acquiring fame, and when not. Though but an indifferent mariner, and no
+pilot, I find my exploits on the ocean are well bruited abroad! If your
+Excellency but gain half the reputation I already enjoy, by this present
+expedition, you will have reason to believe that your name will not be
+forgotten by posterity."</p>
+
+<p>"It is a tribute the great pay for their elevation, Luis," returned the
+admiral, "that all their acts are commented on, and that they can do
+little that may be concealed from observation, or escape remarks."</p>
+
+<p>"It would be as well, Señor Almirante, to throw into the scales, at
+once, calumnies, and lies, and uncharitableness, for all these are to be
+added to the list. Is it not wonderful, that a young man cannot visit a
+few foreign lands, in order to increase his knowledge and improve his
+parts, but all the gossips of Castile should fill their letters to the
+gossips of the Canaries, with passages touching his movements and
+demerits? By the Martyrs of the East! if I were Queen of Castile, there
+should be a law against writing of others' movements, and I do not know,
+but a law against women's writing letters at all!"</p>
+
+<p>"In which case, Señor de Muños, thou wouldst never possess the
+satisfaction of receiving a missive from the fairest hand in Castile."</p>
+
+<p>"I mean a woman's writing to a woman, Don Christopher. As to letters
+from noble maidens intended to cheer the hearts and animate the deeds of
+cavaliers who adore them, they are useful, out of doubt, and the saints
+be deaf to the miscreant who would forbid or intercept them! No, Señor,
+I trust that travelling hath at least made me liberal, by raising me
+above the narrow prejudices of provinces and cities, and I am far from
+wishing to put an end to letters from mistresses to their knights, or
+from parents to their children, or even from wives to their husbands;
+but, as for the letters of a gossip to a gossip, by your leave, Señor
+Almirante, I detest them just as much as the Father of Sin detests this
+expedition of ours!"</p>
+
+<p>"An expedition, certainly, that he hath no great reason to love,"
+answered Columbus, smiling; "since it will be followed by the light of
+revelation and the triumph of the cross. But what is thy will, friend,
+that thou seemest in waiting for me, to disburden thyself of something?
+Thy name is Sancho Mundo, if I remember thy countenance?"</p>
+
+<p>"Señor Don Almirante, your memory hath not mistaken," returned the
+person addressed; "I am Sancho Mundo, as your Excellency saith,
+sometimes called Sancho of the Ship-Yard Gate. I desire to say a few
+words concerning the fate of our voyage, whenever it shall suit you,
+noble Señor, to hear me where there are no ears present that you
+distrust."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou may'st speak freely now; this cavalier being my confidant and
+secretary."</p>
+
+<p>"It is not necessary that I should tell a great pilot, like your
+Excellency, who is King of Portugal, or what the mariners of Lisbon have
+been about these many years, since you know all better than myself.
+Therefore I will just add, that they are discovering all the unknown
+lands they can, for themselves, and preventing others, as much as in
+them lies, from doing the same thing."</p>
+
+<p>"Don John of Portugal is an enlightened prince, fellow, and thou wouldst
+do well to respect his character and rank. His Highness is a liberal
+sovereign, and hath sent many noble expeditions forth from his harbor."</p>
+
+<p>"That he hath, Señor, and this last is not the least in its designs and
+intentions," answered Sancho, turning a look of irony toward the
+admiral, that showed the fellow had more in reserve than he cared to
+divulge without some wheedling. "No one doubts Don John's willingness to
+send forth expeditions."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou hast heard some intelligence, Sancho, that it is proper I should
+know! Speak freely, and rely on my repaying any service of this sort to
+the full extent of its deservings."</p>
+
+<p>"If your Excellency will have patience to hear me, I will give the whole
+story, with all minuteness and particularity, and that in a way to leave
+no part untold, and all parts to be as easily understood as heart can
+wish, or a priest in the confessional could desire."</p>
+
+<p>"Speak; no one will interrupt thee. As thou art frank, so will be thy
+reward."</p>
+
+<p>"Well, then, Señor Don Almirante, you must know that about eleven years
+since, I made a voyage from Palos to Sicily, in a caravel belonging to
+the Pinzons, here; not to Martin Alonzo, who commandeth the Pinta, under
+your Excellency's order, but to a kinsman of his late father's, who
+caused better craft to be constructed than we are apt to get in these
+days of hurry, and rotten cordage, and careless caulking, to say nothing
+of the manner in which the canvas is"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Nay, good Sancho," interrupted the impatient Luis, who was yet smarting
+under the remarks of Doña Inez's correspondent&mdash;"thou forgettest night
+is near, and that the boat is waiting for the admiral."</p>
+
+<p>"How should I forget that, Señor, when I can see the sun just dipping
+into the water, and I belong to the boat myself, having left it in order
+to tell the noble admiral what I have to say?"</p>
+
+<p>"Permit the man to relate his story in his own manner, Señor Pedro, I
+pray thee," put in Columbus. "Naught is gained by putting a seamen out
+in his reckoning."</p>
+
+<p>"No, your Excellency, or in kicking with a mule. And so, as I was
+saying, I went that voyage to Sicily, and had for a messmate one José
+Gordo, a Portuguese by birth, but a man who liked the wines of Spain
+better than the puckering liquors of his own country, and so sailed much
+in Spanish craft. I never well knew, notwithstanding, whether José was,
+in heart, most of a Portuguese, or a Spaniard, though he was certainly
+but an indifferent Christian."</p>
+
+<p>"It is to be hoped that his character hath improved," said Columbus,
+calmly. "As I foresee that something is to follow on the testimony of
+this José, you will let me say, that an indifferent Christian is but an
+indifferent witness. Tell me, at once, therefore, what he hath
+communicated, that I may judge for myself of the value of his words."</p>
+
+<p>"Now, he that doubteth your Excellency will not discover Cathay is a
+heretic, seeing that you have discovered my secret without having heard
+it! José has just arrived, in the felucca that is riding near the Santa
+Maria, and hearing that we were an expedition that had one Sancho Mundo
+engaged in it, he came speedily on board of us to see his old shipmate."</p>
+
+<p>"All that is so plain, that I wonder thou thinkest it worthy of
+relating, Sancho; but, now we have him safe on board the good ship, we
+can come at once to the subject of his communication."</p>
+
+<p>"That may we, Señor; and so, without any unnecessary delay, I will
+state, that the subject was touching Don Juan of Portugal, Don Ferdinand
+of Aragon, Doña Isabella of Castile, your Excellency, Señor Don
+Almirante, the Señor de Muños here, and myself."</p>
+
+<p>"This is a strange company!" exclaimed Luis, laughing, while he slipped
+a piece of eight into the hand of the sailor; "perhaps that may aid thee
+in shortening the story of the singular conjunction."</p>
+
+<p>"Another, Señor, would bring the tale to an end at once. To own the
+truth, José is behind that wall, and as he told me he thought his news
+worth a dobla, he will be greatly displeased at finding I have received
+my half of it, while his half still remaineth unpaid."</p>
+
+<p>"This, then, will set his mind at rest," said Columbus, placing an
+entire dobla in the hand of the cunning fellow, for the admiral
+perceived by his manner that Sancho had really something of importance
+to communicate. "Thou canst summon José to thy aid, and deliver thyself,
+at once, of thy burden."</p>
+
+<p>Sancho did as directed, and in a minute José had appeared, had received
+the dobla, weighed it deliberately on his finger, pocketed it, and
+commenced his tale. Unlike the artful Sancho, he told his story at once,
+beginning at the right end, and ceasing to speak as soon as he had no
+more to communicate. The substance of the tale is soon related. José had
+come from Ferro, and had seen three armed caravels, wearing the flag of
+Portugal, cruising among the islands, under circumstances that left
+little doubt their object was to intercept the Castilian expedition. As
+the man referred to a passenger or two, who had landed within the hour,
+to corroborate his statement, Columbus and Luis immediately sought the
+lodgings of these persons, in order to hear their report of the matter.
+The result proved the sailor had stated nothing but what was true.</p>
+
+<p>"Of all our difficulties and embarrassments, Luis," resumed the admiral,
+as the two finally proceeded to the shore, "this is much the most
+serious! We may be detained altogether by these treacherous Portuguese,
+or we may be followed in our voyage, and have our fair laurels seized
+upon by others, and all the benefits so justly due for our toil and risk
+usurped, or at least disputed, by men who had not the enterprise and
+knowledge to accept the boon, when fairly offered to them."</p>
+
+<p>"Don John of Portugal must have sent far better knights than the Moors
+of Granada to do the feat," answered Luis, who had a Spaniard's distaste
+for his peninsular neighbors; "he is a bold and learned prince, they
+say, but the commission and ensigns of the sovereign of Castile are not
+to be disregarded, and that, too, in the midst of her own islands,
+here."</p>
+
+<p>"We have no force fit to contend with that which hath most probably been
+sent against us. The number and size of our vessels are known, and the
+Portuguese, questionless, have resorted to the means necessary to effect
+their purposes, whatever those purposes may be. Alas! Luis, my lot hath
+been hard, though I humbly trust that the end will repay me for all!
+Years did I sue the Portuguese to enter fairly into this voyage, and to
+endeavor to do that, in all honor, which our gracious mistress, Doña
+Isabella, hath now so creditably commenced; he listened to my reasons
+and entreaties with cold ears&mdash;nay, repelled them, with ridicule and
+disdain; and yet, here am I scarce fairly embarked in the execution of
+schemes that they have so often derided, than they endeavor to defeat me
+by violence and treachery."</p>
+
+<p>"Noble Don Christoval, we will die to a Castilian, ere this shall come
+to pass!"</p>
+
+<p>"Our only hope is in speedy departure. Thanks to the industry and zeal
+of Martin Alonzo, the Pinta is ready, and we may quit Gomera with the
+morning's sun. I doubt if they will have the hardihood to follow us into
+the trackless and unknown Atlantic, without any other guides than their
+own feeble knowledge; and we will depart with the return of the sun. All
+now dependeth on quitting the Canaries unseen."</p>
+
+<p>As this was said they reached the boat, and were quickly pulled on board
+the Santa Maria. By this time the peaks of the islands were towering
+like gloomy shadows in the atmosphere, and, soon after, the caravels
+resembled dark, shapeless specks, on the unquiet element that washed
+their hulls.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/i263.jpg" alt=""/>
+</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVI" id="CHAPTER_XVI"></a>CHAPTER XVI.</h2>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"They little thought how pure a light,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">With years, should gather round that day;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">How love should keep their memories bright&mdash;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">How wide a realm their sons should sway."<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">Bryant.</span><br /></span>
+</div></div>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p>The night that succeeded was one of very varied feelings among the
+adventurers. As soon as Sancho secured the reward, he had no further
+scruples about communicating all he knew, to any who were disposed to
+listen; and long ere Columbus returned on board the vessel, the
+intelligence had spread from mouth to mouth, until all in the little
+squadron were apprised of the intentions of the Portuguese. Many hoped
+that it was true, and that their pursuers might be successful; any fate
+being preferable, in their eyes, to that which the voyage promised; but,
+such is the effect of strife, much the larger portion of the crew were
+impatient to lift the anchors and to make sail, if it were only to get
+the mastery in the race. Columbus, himself, experienced the deepest
+concern, for it really seemed as if a hard fortune was about to snatch
+the cup from his lips, just as it had been raised there, after all his
+cruel sufferings and delays. He consequently passed a night of deep
+anxiety, and was the first to rise in the morning.</p>
+
+<p>Every one was on the alert with the dawn; and as the preparations had
+been completed the previous night, by the time the sun had risen, the
+three vessels were under way, the Pinta leading, as usual. The wind was
+light, and the squadron could barely gather steerage way; but as every
+moment was deemed precious, the vessels' heads were kept to the
+westward. When a short time out, a caravel came flapping past them,
+after having been several hours in sight, and the admiral spoke her. She
+proved to be from Ferro, the most southern and western island of the
+group, and had come nearly on the route the expedition intended to
+steer, until they quitted the known seas.</p>
+
+<p>"Dost thou bring any tidings from Ferro?" inquired Columbus, as the
+strange ship drifted slowly past the Santa Maria; the progress of each
+vessel being little more than a mile in the hour. "Is there aught of
+interest in that quarter?"</p>
+
+<p>"Did I know whether, or not, I am speaking to Don Christopher Columbus,
+the Genoese that their Highnesses have honored with so important a
+commission, I should feel more warranty to answer what I have both heard
+and seen, Señor," was the reply.</p>
+
+<p>"I am Don Christopher himself, their Highnesses' admiral and viceroy,
+for all seas and lands that we may discover, and, as thou hast said, a
+Genoese in birth, though a Castilian by duty, and in love to the queen."</p>
+
+<p>"Then, noble admiral, I may tell you that the Portuguese are active,
+three of their caravels being off Ferro, at this moment, with the hope
+of intercepting your expedition."</p>
+
+<p>"How is this known, friend, and what reason have I for supposing that
+the Portuguese will dare to send forth caravels, with orders to molest
+those who sail as the officers of Isabella the Catholic? They must know
+that the Holy Father hath lately conferred this title on the two
+sovereigns, in acknowledgment of their great services in expelling the
+Moor from Christendom."</p>
+
+<p>"Señor, there hath been a rumor of that among the islands, but little
+will the Portuguese care for aught of that nature, when he deemeth his
+gold in danger. As I quitted Ferro, I spoke the caravels, and have good
+reason to think that rumor doth them no injustice."</p>
+
+<p>"Did they seem warlike, and made they any pretensions to a right to
+interrupt our voyage?"</p>
+
+<p>"To us they said naught of this sort, except to inquire, tauntingly, if
+the illustrious Don Christoval Colon, the great viceroy of the east,
+sailed on board us. As for preparation, Señor, they had many lombardas,
+and a multitude of men in breast-plates and casques. I doubt if soldiers
+are as numerous at the Azores, as when they sailed."</p>
+
+<p>"Keep they close in with the island, or stretch they off to seaward?"</p>
+
+<p>"Mostly the latter, Señor, standing far toward the west in the morning,
+and beating up toward the land as the day closeth. Take the word of an
+old pilot, Don Christopher, the mongrels are there for no good."</p>
+
+<p>This was barely audible, for, by this time, the caravels had drifted
+past each other, and were soon altogether beyond the reach of the voice.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you believe that the Castilian name standeth so low, Don
+Christopher," demanded Luis, "that these dogs of Portuguese dare do this
+wrong to the flag of the queen?"</p>
+
+<p>"I dread naught from force, beyond detention and frauds, certainly; but
+these, to me, at this moment, would be little less painful than death.
+Most do I apprehend that these caravels, under the pretence of
+protecting the rights of Don John, are directed to follow us to Cathay,
+in which case we should have a disputed discovery, and divided honors.
+We must avoid the Portuguese, if possible; to effect which purpose, I
+intend to pass to the westward, without nearing the island of Ferro, any
+closer than may be rendered absolutely indispensable."</p>
+
+<p>Notwithstanding a burning impatience now beset the admiral, and most
+with him, the elements seemed opposed to his passage from among the
+Canaries, into the open ocean. The wind gradually failed, until it
+became so calm that the sails were hauled up, and the three vessels lay,
+now laying their sides with the brine, and now rising to the summit of
+the ground-swell, resembling huge animals that were lazily reposing,
+under the heats of summer, in drowsy indolence.</p>
+
+<p>Many was the secret <i>pater</i>, or <i>ave</i>, that was mumbled by the mariners,
+and not a few vows of future prayers were made, in the hope of obtaining
+a breeze. Occasionally it seemed as if Providence listened to these
+petitions, for the air would fan the cheek, and the sails would fall, in
+the vain expectation of getting ahead; but disappointment as often
+followed, until all on board felt that they were fated to linger under
+the visitations of a calm. Just at nightfall, however, a light air
+arose, and, for a few hours, the wash of the parted waters was audible
+under the bows of the vessels, though their way was barely sufficient to
+keep them under the command of their helms. About midnight, however,
+even this scarcely perceptible motion was lost, and the craft were again
+lazily wallowing in the ground-swells that the gales had sent in from
+the vast expanse of the Western Ocean.</p>
+
+<p>When the light reappeared, the admiral found himself between Gomera and
+Teneriffe, the lofty peak of the latter casting its pointed shadow, like
+that thrown by a planet, far upon the water, until its sharp apex was
+renewed, in faint mimicry, along the glassy surface of the ocean.
+Columbus was now fearful that the Portuguese might employ their boats,
+or impel some light felucca by her sweeps, in order to find out his
+position; and he wisely directed the sails to be furled, in order to
+conceal his vessels, as far as possible, from any prying eyes. The
+season had advanced to the 7th of September, and such was the situation
+of this renowned expedition, exactly five weeks after it had left Spain;
+for this inauspicious calm occurred on a Friday, or on that day of the
+week on which it had originally sailed.</p>
+
+<p>All practice shows that there is no refuge from a calm at sea, except in
+patience. Columbus was much too experienced a navigator, not to feel
+this truth, and, after using the precaution mentioned, he, and the
+pilots under him, turned their attention to the arrangements required to
+render the future voyage safe and certain. The few mathematical
+instruments known to the age, were got up, corrected, and exhibited,
+with the double intention of ascertaining their state, and of making a
+display before the common men, that would heighten their respect for
+their leaders, by adding to their confidence in their skill. The
+admiral, himself, had already obtained a high reputation as a navigator,
+among his followers, in consequence of his reckonings having proved so
+much more accurate than those of the pilots, in approaching the
+Canaries; and as he now exhibited the instruments then used as a
+quadrant, and examined his compasses, every movement he made was watched
+by the seamen, with either secret admiration, or jealous vigilance; some
+openly expressing their confidence in his ability to proceed wherever he
+wished to go, and others covertly betraying just that degree of critical
+knowledge which ordinarily accompanies prejudice, ignorance, and malice.</p>
+
+<p>Luis had never been able to comprehend the mysteries of navigation, his
+noble head appearing to repudiate learning, as a species of
+accomplishment but little in accordance with its wants or its tastes.
+Still, he was intelligent; and within the range of knowledge that it was
+usual for laymen of his rank to attain, few of his age did themselves
+more credit in the circles of the court. Fortunately, he had the most
+perfect reliance on the means of the admiral; and being almost totally
+without personal apprehensions, Columbus had not a more submissive or
+blind follower, than the young grandee, under his command.</p>
+
+<p>Man, with all his boasted philosophy, intelligence, and reason, exists
+the dupe of his own imagination and blindness, as much as of the
+artifices and designs of others. Even while he fancies himself the most
+vigilant and cautious, he is as often misled by appearances as governed
+by facts and judgment; and perhaps half of those who were spectators of
+this calculated care in Columbus, believed that they felt, in their
+renewed confidence, the assurances of science and logical deductions,
+when in truth their senses were impressed, without, in the slightest
+degree, enlightening their understandings.</p>
+
+<p>Thus passed the day of the 7th September, the night arriving and still
+finding the little squadron, or fleet, as it was termed in the lofty
+language of the day, floating helplessly between Teneriffe and Gomera.
+Nor did the ensuing morning bring a change, for a burning sun beat,
+unrelieved by a breath of air, on the surface of a sea that was
+glittering like molten silver. When the admiral was certain, however, by
+having sent men aloft to examine the horizon, that the Portuguese were
+not in sight, he felt infinitely relieved, little doubting that his
+pursuers still lay, as inactive as himself, to the westward of Ferro.</p>
+
+<p>"By the seamen's hopes! Señor Don Christopher," said Luis, as he reached
+the poop, where Columbus had kept an untiring watch for hours, he
+himself having just risen from a siesta, "the fiends seem to be leagued
+against us! Here are we in the third day of our calm, with the Peak of
+Teneriffe as stationary as if it were a mile-stone, set to tell the
+porpoises and dolphins the rate at which they swim. If one believed in
+omens, he might fancy that the saints were unwilling to see us depart,
+even though it be on their own errand."</p>
+
+<p>"We <i>may not</i> believe in omens, when they are no more than the fruits of
+natural laws," gravely returned the admiral. "There will shortly be an
+end of this calm, for a haze is gathering in the atmosphere that
+promises air from the east, and the motion of the ship will tell thee,
+that the winds have been busy far to the westward. Master Pilot,"
+addressing the officer of that title, who had charge of the deck at the
+moment, "thou wilt do well to unfurl thy canvas, and prepare for a
+favoring breeze, as we shall soon be overtaken by wind from the
+north-east."</p>
+
+<p>This prediction was verified about an hour later, when all three of the
+vessels began, again, to part the waters with their sterns. But the
+breeze, if any thing, proved more tantalizing to the impatient mariners
+than the calm itself had been; for a strong head sea had got up, and the
+air proving light, the different craft struggled with difficulty toward
+the west.</p>
+
+<p>All this time, a most anxious look-out was kept for the Portuguese
+caravels, the appearance of which, however, was less dreaded than it had
+been, as they were now supposed to be a considerable distance to
+leeward. Columbus, and his skilful assistants, Martin Alonzo and Vicente
+Yañez, or the brothers Pinzon, who commanded the Pinta and the Niña,
+practised all the means that their experience could suggest to get
+ahead. Their progress, however, was not only slow but painful, as every
+fresh impulse given by the breeze, served to plunge the bows of the
+vessels into the sea with a violence that threatened injuries to the
+spars and rigging. So trifling, indeed, was their rate of sailing, that
+it required all the judgment of Columbus to note the nearly
+imperceptible manner in which the tall, cone-like summit of the Peak of
+Teneriffe lowered, as it might be, inch by inch. The superstitious
+feelings of the common men being more active than usual, even, some
+among them began to whisper that the elements were admonishing them
+against proceeding, and that tardy as it might seem, the admiral would
+do well to attend to omens and signs that nature seldom gave without
+sufficient reason. These opinions, however, were cautiously uttered&mdash;the
+grave, earnest manner of Columbus having created so much respect, as to
+suppress them in his presence; and the mariners of the other vessels
+still followed the movements of their admiral with that species of blind
+dependence which marks the submission of the inferior to the superior,
+under such circumstances.</p>
+
+<p>When Columbus retired to his cabin for the night, Luis observed that his
+countenance was unusually grave, as he ended his calculations of the
+days' work.</p>
+
+<p>"I trust all goes to your wishes, Don Christopher," the young man gaily
+observed. "We are now fairly on our journey, and, to my eyes, Cathay is
+already in sight."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou hast that within thee, Don Luis," returned the admiral, "which
+rendereth what thou wishest to see distinct, and maketh all colors gay.
+With me it is a duty to see things as they <i>are</i>, and, although Cathay
+lieth plainly before the vision of my mind&mdash;thou, Lord, who hast
+implanted, for thine own great ends, the desire to reach that distant
+land, only know'st how plainly!&mdash;although Cathay is thus plain to my
+moral view, I am bound to heed the physical obstacles that may exist to
+our reaching it."</p>
+
+<p>"And are these obstacles getting to be more serious than we could hope,
+Señor?"</p>
+
+<p>"My trust is still in God&mdash;look here, young lord," laying his finger on
+the chart; "at this point were we in the morning, and to this point have
+we advanced by means of all the toil of the day, down to this portion of
+the night. Thou seest that a line of paper marketh the whole of our
+progress; and, here again, thou seest that we have to cross this vast
+desert of ocean, ere we may even hope to draw near the end of our
+journey. By my calculation, with all our exertions, and at this critical
+moment&mdash;critical not only as regardeth the Portuguese, but critical as
+regardeth our own people&mdash;we have made but nine leagues, which are a
+small portion of the thousand that lie before us. At this rate we may
+dread a failure of our provisions and water."</p>
+
+<p>"I have all confidence in your resources, Don Christopher, and in your
+knowledge and experience."</p>
+
+<p>"And I have all confidence in the protection of God; trusting that he
+will not desert his servant in the moment that he most needeth his
+support."</p>
+
+<p>Here Columbus prepared himself to catch a few hours' sleep, though it
+was in his clothes, the interest he felt in the position of his vessels
+forbidding him to undress. This celebrated man lived in an age when a
+spurious philosophy, and a pretending but insufficient exercise of
+reason, placed few, even in appearance, above the frank admission of
+their constant reliance on a divine power. We say in appearance, as no
+man, whatever may be the extent of his delusions on this subject, really
+believes that he is altogether sufficient for his own protection. This
+absolute self-reliance is forbidden by a law of nature, each carrying in
+his own breast a monitor to teach him his real insignificance,
+demonstrating daily, hourly, at each minute even, that he is but a
+diminutive agent used by a superior power in carrying out its own great
+and mysterious ends, for the sublime and beneficent purposes for which
+the world and all it contains has been created. In compliance with the
+usage of the times, Columbus knelt, and prayed fervently, ere he slept;
+nor did Luis de Bobadilla hesitate about imitating an example that few,
+in that day, thought beneath their intelligence or their manhood. If
+religion had the taint of superstition in the fifteenth century, and men
+confided too much in the efficacy of momentary and transient impulses,
+it is certain that it also possessed an exterior of graceful meekness
+and submission to God, in losing which, it may be well questioned if the
+world has been the gainer.</p>
+
+<p>The first appearance of light brought the admiral and Luis to the deck.
+They both knelt again on the poop, and repeated their paters; and then,
+yielding to the feelings natural to their situation, they arose, eager
+to watch for what might be revealed by the lifting of the curtain of
+day. The approach of dawn, and the rising of the sun at sea, have been
+so often described, that the repetition here might be superfluous; but
+we shall state that Luis watched the play of colors that adorned the
+eastern sky, with a lover's refinement of feeling, fancying that he
+traced a resemblance to the passage of emotions across the tell-tale
+countenance of Mercedes, in the soft and transient hues that are known
+to precede a fine morning in September, more especially in a low
+latitude. As for the admiral, his more practical gaze was turned in the
+direction in which the island of Ferro lay, awaiting the increase of the
+light in order to ascertain what changes had been wrought during the
+hours he had slept. Several minutes passed in profound attention, when
+the navigator beckoned Luis to his side.</p>
+
+<p>"Seest thou that dark, gloomy pile, which is heaving up out of the
+darkness, here at the south and west of us?" he said&mdash;"it gaineth form
+and distinctness at each instant, though distant some eight or ten
+leagues; that is Ferro, and the Portuguese are there, without question,
+anxiously expecting our appearance. In this calm, neither can approach
+the other, and thus far we are safe. It is now necessary to ascertain if
+the pursuing caravels are between us and the land, or not; after which,
+should it prove otherwise, we shall be reasonably safe, if we approach
+no nearer to the island, and we can maintain, as yesterday, the
+advantage of the wind. Seest thou any sail, Luis, in that quarter of the
+ocean?"</p>
+
+<p>"None, Señor; and the light is already of sufficient strength to expose
+the white canvas of a vessel, were any there."</p>
+
+<p>Columbus made an ejaculation of thankfulness, and immediately ordered
+the look-out aloft to examine the entire horizon. The report was
+favorable; the dreaded Portuguese caravels being nowhere visible. As the
+sun arose, however, a breeze sprung up at the southward and westward,
+bringing Ferro, and consequently any vessels that might be cruising in
+that quarter, directly to windward of the fleet. Sail was made without
+the loss of a moment; and the admiral stood to the northward and
+westward, trusting that his pursuers were looking out for him on the
+south side of the island, which was the ground where those who did not
+thoroughly understand his aim, would be most likely to expect him. By
+this time the westerly swell had, in a great measure, gone down; and
+though the progress of the vessels was far from rapid, it was steady,
+and seemed likely to last. The hours went slowly by, and as the day
+advanced, objects became less and less distinct on the sides of Ferro.
+Its entire surface next took the hazy appearance of a dim and
+ill-defined cloud; and then it began slowly to sink into the water. Its
+summit was still visible, as the admiral, with the more privileged of
+his companions, assembled on the poop, to take a survey of the ocean and
+of the weather. The most indifferent observer might now have noted the
+marked difference in the state of feeling which existed among the
+adventurers on board the Santa Maria. On the poop, all was cheerfulness
+and hope, the present escape having induced even the distrustful,
+momentarily, to forget the uncertain future; the pilots, as usual, were
+occupied and sustained by a species of marine stoicism; while a
+melancholy had settled on the crew that was as apparent as if they were
+crowding around the dead. Nearly every man in the ship was in some one
+of the groups that had assembled on deck; and every eye seemed riveted,
+as it might be by enchantment, on the fading and falling heights of
+Ferro. While things were in this state, Columbus approached Luis, and
+aroused him from a sort of trance, by laying a finger lightly on his
+shoulder.</p>
+
+<p>"It cannot be that the Señor de Muños is affected by the feelings of the
+common men," observed the admiral, with a slight mixture of surprise and
+reproach; "this, too, at a moment that all of an intelligence sufficient
+to foresee the glorious consequences, are rejoicing that a heaven-sent
+breeze is carrying us to a safe distance from the pursuing and envious
+caravels! Why dost thou thus regard the people beneath, with a steady
+eye and unwavering look? Is it that thou repentest embarking, or dost
+thou merely muse on the charms of thy mistress?"</p>
+
+<p>"By San Iago! Don Christopher, this time your sagacity is at fault. I
+neither repent, nor muse as you would imply; but I gaze at yonder poor
+fellows with pity for their apprehensions."</p>
+
+<p>"Ignorance is a hard master, Señor Pedro, and one that is now exercising
+his power over the imaginations of the seamen, with the ruthlessness of
+a tyrant. They dread the worst merely because they have not the
+knowledge to foresee the best. Fear is a stronger passion than hope, and
+is ever the near ally of ignorance. In vulgar eyes that which hath not
+yet been&mdash;nay, which hath not, in some measure, become familiar by
+use&mdash;is deemed impossible; men reasoning in a circle that is abridged by
+their information. Those fellows are gazing at the island, as it
+disappears, like men taking a last look at the things of life. Indeed,
+this concern exceedeth even what I could have anticipated."</p>
+
+<p>"It lieth deep, Señor, and yet it riseth to the eyes; for I have seen
+tears on cheeks that I could never have supposed wetted in any manner
+but by the spray of the ocean!"</p>
+
+<p>"There are our two acquaintances, Sancho and Pepe, neither of whom
+seemeth particularly distressed, though the last hath a cast of
+melancholy in his face. As for the first, the knave showeth the
+indifference of a true mariner&mdash;one who is never so happy as when
+furthest from the dangers of rocks and shoals: to such a man, the
+disappearance of one island, and the appearance of another, are alike
+matters of indifference. He seeth but the visible horizon around him,
+and considereth the rest of the world, temporarily, as a blank. I look
+for loyal service in that Sancho, in despite of his knavery, and count
+upon him as one of the truest of my followers."</p>
+
+<p>Here the admiral was interrupted by a cry from the deck beneath him,
+and, looking round, his practised and quick eye was not slow in
+discovering that the horizon to the southward presented the usual watery
+blank of the open ocean. Ferro had, in fact, altogether disappeared,
+some of the most sanguine of the seamen having fancied that they beheld
+it, even after it had finally sunk behind the barrier of waves. As the
+circumstance became more and more certain, the lamentations among the
+people grew less and less equivocal and louder, tears flowed without
+shame or concealment, hands were wrung in a sort of a senseless despair,
+and a scene of such clamor ensued, as threatened some serious danger to
+the expedition from this new quarter. Under such circumstances, Columbus
+had all the people collected beneath the break of the poop, and standing
+on the latter, where he could examine every countenance for himself, he
+addressed them on the subject of their grief. On this occasion the
+manner of the great navigator was earnest and sincere, leaving no doubt
+that he fully believed in the truth of his own arguments, and that he
+uttered nothing with the hope to delude or to mislead.</p>
+
+<p>"When Don Ferdinand and Doña Isabella, our respected and beloved
+sovereigns, honored me with the commission of admiral and viceroy, in
+those secret seas toward which we are now steering," he said, "I
+considered it as the most glorious and joyful event of my life, as I now
+consider this moment, that seemeth to some among you so painful, as
+second to it in hope and cause for felicitation. In the disappearance of
+Ferro, I see also the disappearance of the Portuguese; for, now that we
+are in the open ocean, without the limits of any known land, I trust
+that Providence hath placed us beyond the reach and machinations of all
+our enemies. While we prove true to ourselves, and to the great objects
+that are before us, there is no longer cause for fear. If any person
+among you hath a mind to disburden himself, in this matter, let him
+speak freely; we being much too strong in argument to wish to silence
+doubts by authority."</p>
+
+<p>"Then, Señor Don Almirante," put in Sancho, whose tongue was ever ready
+to wag, as occasion offered, "it is just that which maketh your
+Excellency so joyful that maketh these honest people so sad. Could they
+always keep the island of Ferro in sight, or any other known land, they
+would follow you to Cathay with as gentle a pull as the launch followeth
+the caravel in a light breeze and smooth water; but it is this leaving
+all behind, as it might be, earth as well as wives and children, that
+saddens their hearts, and uncorks their tears."</p>
+
+<p>"And thou, Sancho, an old mariner that wast born at sea"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Nay, your Excellency, illustrious Señor Don Almirante," interrupted
+Sancho, looking up with pretended simplicity, "not exactly at sea,
+though within the scent of its odor; since, having been found at the
+shipwright's gate, it is not probable they would have made a haven just
+to land so small a part of the freight."</p>
+
+<p>"Well, born <i>near</i> the sea, if thou wilt&mdash;but from thee I expect better
+things than unmanly lamentations because an island hath sunk below the
+horizon."</p>
+
+<p>"Excellency, you may; it mattereth little to Sancho, if half the islands
+in the sea were sunk a good deal lower. There are the Cape de Verdes,
+now, which I never wish to look upon again, and Lampidosa, besides
+Stromboli and others in that quarter, would be better out of the way,
+than where they are, as for any good they do us seamen. But, if your
+Excellency will condescend to tell these honest people whither it is
+that we are bound, and what you expect to find in port, and, more
+especially, when we are to come back, it would comfort them in an
+unspeakable degree."</p>
+
+<p>"As I hold it to be the proper office of men in authority to let their
+motives be known, when no evil followeth the disclosure, this will I
+most cheerfully do, requiring the attention of all near me, and chiefly
+of those who are most uneasy concerning our present position and future
+movements. The end of our voyage is Cathay, a country that is known to
+lie in the uttermost eastern extremity of Asia, whither it hath been
+more than once reached by Christian travellers; and its difference from
+all other voyages, or journeys, that may have been attempted in order to
+reach the same country, is in the circumstance that we go west, while
+former travellers have proceeded east. But this is effecting our
+purposes by means that belong only to stout-hearted mariners, since none
+but those who are familiar with the ocean, skilful pilots, and obedient
+and ready seamen, can traverse the waters, without better guides than
+the knowledge of the stars, currents, winds, and other phenomena of the
+Atlantic, and such aids as may be gleaned from science. The reason on
+which I act, is a conviction that the earth is round, whence it
+followeth that the Atlantic, which we know to possess an eastern
+boundary of land, must also have a western; and from certain
+calculations that leave it almost certain, that this continent, which I
+hold will prove to be India, cannot lie more than some twenty-five or
+thirty days' sailing, if as many, from our own Europe. Having thus told
+when and where I expect to find the country we seek, I will now touch a
+little on the advantages that we may all expect to derive from the
+discovery. According to the accounts of a certain Marco Polo, and his
+relatives, gentlemen of Venice, and men of fair credit and good
+reputations, the kingdom of Cathay is not only one of the most extensive
+known, but one that most aboundeth in gold and silver, together with the
+other metals of value, and precious stones. Of the advantages of the
+discovery of such a land to yourselves, ye may judge by its advantages
+to me. Their Highnesses have dignified me with the rank of admiral and
+viceroy, in anticipation of our success, and, persevering to a
+successful termination of your efforts, the humblest man among ye may
+look with confidence to some signal mark of their favor. Rewards will
+doubtless be rendered in proportion to your merits; he that deserveth
+much, receiving more than he who hath deserved less. Still will there be
+sufficient for all. Marco Polo and his relatives dwelt seventeen years
+in the court of the Great Khan, and were every way qualified to give a
+true account of the riches and resources of those regions; and well were
+they&mdash;simple Venetian gentlemen, without any other means than could be
+transported on the backs of beasts of burden&mdash;rewarded for their toils
+and courage. The jewels alone, with which they returned, served long to
+enrich their race, renovating a decayed but honorable family, while they
+did their enterprise and veracity credit in the eyes of men.</p>
+
+<p>"As the ocean, for a long distance this side of the continent of Asia
+and the kingdom of Cathay, is known to abound with islands, we may
+expect first to meet with them, where, it would be doing nature herself
+injustice, did we not anticipate fragrant freights of balmy spices, and
+other valuable commodities with which that favored quarter of the earth,
+it is certain, is enriched. Indeed, it is scarce possible for the
+imagination to conceive of the magnitude of the results that await our
+success, while naught but ridicule and contempt could attend a hasty and
+inconsiderate return. Going not as invaders, but as Christians and
+friends, we have no reason to expect other than the most friendly
+reception; and, no doubt, the presents and gifts, alone, that will
+naturally be offered to strangers who have come so far, and by a road
+that hath hitherto been untravelled, will forty-fold repay you for all
+your toils and troubles.</p>
+
+<p>"I say nothing of the honor of being among those who have first carried
+the cross to the heathen world," continued the admiral, uncovering
+himself, and looking around him with solemn gravity; "though our fathers
+believed it to be no little distinction to have been one in the armies
+that contended for the possession of the sepulchre. But neither the
+church, nor its great master, forgetteth the servitor that advanceth its
+interests, and we may all look for blessings, both here and hereafter."</p>
+
+<p>As he concluded, Columbus devoutly crossed himself, and withdrew from
+the sight of his people among those who were on the poop. The effect of
+this address was, for the moment, very salutary, and the men saw the
+clouds that hung over the land disappear, like the land itself, with
+less feeling than they had previously manifested. Nevertheless, they
+remained distrustful and sad, some dreaming that night of the pictures
+that Columbus had drawn of the glories of the East, and others fancying,
+in their sleep, that demons were luring them into unknown seas, where
+they were doomed to wander forever, as a punishment for their sins;
+conscience asserting its power in all situations, and most vividly in
+those of distrust and uncertainty.</p>
+
+<p>Shortly before sunset, the admiral caused the three vessels to heave-to,
+and the two Pinzons to repair on board his own ship. Here he laid before
+these persons his orders and plans for their government, in the event of
+a separation.</p>
+
+<p>"Thus you will understand me, Señores," he concluded, after having
+explained at length his views: "Your first and gravest duty will be to
+keep near the admiral, in all weather, and under every circumstance, so
+long as it may be possible; but, failing of the possibility, you will
+make your way due westward, on this parallel of latitude, until you have
+gone seven hundred leagues from the Canaries; after which, you are to
+lie-to at night, as, by that time, it is probable you will be among the
+islands of Asia; and it will be both prudent, and necessary to our
+objects, to be more on the alert for discoveries, from that moment.
+Still, you will proceed westward, relying on seeing me at the court of
+the Great Khan, should Providence deny us an earlier meeting."</p>
+
+<p>"This is well, Señor Almirante," returned Martin Alonzo, raising his
+eyes, which had long been riveted on the chart, "but it will be far
+better for all to keep together, and chiefly so to us, who are little
+used to the habits of princes, if we wait for your Excellency's
+protection before we rush unheedingly into the presence of a sovereign
+as potent as the Grand Khan."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou showest thy usual prudence, good Martin Alonzo, and I much commend
+thee for it. It were, indeed, better that thou shouldst wait my arrival,
+since that eastern potentate may conceive himself better treated by
+receiving the first visit from the viceroy of the sovereigns, who is the
+bearer of letters directly from his own royal master and mistress, than
+by receiving it from one of inferior rank. Look thou well to the islands
+and their products, Señor Pinzon, shouldst thou first gain those seas,
+and await my appearance, before thou proceedest to aught else. How stand
+thy people affected on taking leave of the land?"</p>
+
+<p>"Ill enough, Señor; so much so, indeed, as to put me in fear of a
+mutiny. There are those in the Pinta who need to stand in wholesome
+dread of the anger of their Highnesses, to prevent their making a sudden
+and violent return to Palos."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou wouldst do well to look sharply to this spirit, that it may be
+kept under. Deal kindly and gently with these disaffected spirits as
+long as may be, encouraging them by all fair and reasonable promises;
+but beware that the distemper get not the mastery of thy authority. And
+now, Señores, as the night approacheth, take boat and return to your
+vessels, that we may profit by the breeze."</p>
+
+<p>When Columbus was again alone with Luis, he sat in his little cabin,
+with a hand supporting his head, musing like one lost in reflection.</p>
+
+<p>"Thou hast long known this Martin Alonzo, Don Luis de Bobadilla?" he at
+length asked, betraying the current of his thoughts, by the nature of
+the question.</p>
+
+<p>"Long, Señor, as youths count time; though it would seem but a day in
+the calculations of aged men."</p>
+
+<p>"Much dependeth on him; I hope he may prove honest; as yet he hath shown
+himself liberal, enterprising, and manly."</p>
+
+<p>"He is human, Don Christopher, and therefore liable to err. Yet as men
+go, I esteem Martin Alonzo far from being among the worst of his race.
+He hath not embarked in this enterprise under knightly vows, nor with
+any churchman's zeal; but give him the chance of a fair return for his
+risks, and you will find him as true as interest ever leaveth a man,
+when there is any occasion to try his selfishness."</p>
+
+<p>"Then thou, only, will I trust with my secret. Look at this paper, Luis.
+Here thou seest that I have been calculating our progress since morning,
+and I find that we have come full nineteen leagues, though it be not in
+a direct westerly line. Should I let the people know how far we may have
+truly come, at the end of some great distance, there being no land
+visible, fear will get the mastery over them, and no man can foresee the
+consequences. I shall write down publicly, therefore, but fifteen
+leagues, keeping the true reckoning sacred for thine eye and mine. God
+will forgive me this deception, in consideration that it is practised in
+the interest of his own church. By making these small deductions daily,
+it will enable us to advance a thousand leagues, without awakening alarm
+sufficient for more than seven or eight hundred."</p>
+
+<p>"This is reducing courage to a scale I little dreamt of, Señor,"
+returned Luis, laughing. "By San Luis, my true patron! we should think
+ill of the knight who found it necessary to uphold his heart by a
+measurement of leagues."</p>
+
+<p>"All unknown evils are dreaded evils. Distance hath its terrors for the
+ignorant, and it may justly have its terrors for the wise, young noble,
+when it is measured on a trackless ocean; and there ariseth another
+question touching those great staples of life, food and water."</p>
+
+<p>With this slight reproof of the levity of his young friend, the admiral
+prepared himself for his hammock by kneeling and repeating the prayers
+of the hour.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVII" id="CHAPTER_XVII"></a>CHAPTER XVII.</h2>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"Whither, 'midst falling dew,<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">While glow the heavens with the last steps of day,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Far, through their rosy depths, dost thou pursue<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">Thy solitary way?"<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">Bryant.</span><br /></span>
+</div></div>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p>The slumbers of Columbus were of short duration. While his sleep lasted
+it was profound, like that of a man who has so much control over his
+will as to have reduced the animal functions to its domination, for he
+awoke regularly at short intervals, in order that his watchful eye might
+take a survey of the state of the weather, and of the condition of his
+vessels. On this occasion, the admiral was on deck again, a little after
+one, where he found all things seemingly in that quiet and inspiring
+calm that ordinarily marks, in fine weather, a middle watch at sea. The
+men on deck mostly slumbered; the drowsy pilot, and the steersman, with
+a look-out or two, alone remaining erect and awake. The wind had
+freshened, and the caravel was ploughing her way ahead, with an untiring
+industry, leaving Ferro and its dangers, at each instant, more and more
+remote. The only noises that were audible, were the gentle sighing of
+the wind among the cordage, the wash of the water, and the occasional
+creaking of a yard, as the breeze forced it, with a firmer pressure, to
+distend its tackle and to strain its fittings.</p>
+
+<p>The night was dark, and it required a moment to accustom the eye to
+objects by a light so feeble: when this was done, however, the admiral
+discovered that the ship was not close by the wind, as he had ordered
+that she should be kept. Walking to the helm, he perceived that it was
+so far borne up, as to cause her head to fall off toward the north-east,
+which was, in fact, in the direction to Spain.</p>
+
+<p>"Art thou a seaman, and disregardest thy course, in this heedless
+manner?" sternly demanded the admiral; "or art thou only a muleteer, who
+fancieth he is merely winding his way along a path of the mountains. Thy
+heart is in Spain, and thou thinkest that a vain wish to return may meet
+with some relief in this idle artifice!"</p>
+
+<p>"Alas, Señor Almirante! your Excellency hath judged rightly in believing
+that my heart is in Spain, where it ought to be, moreover, as I have
+left behind me at Moguer seven motherless children."</p>
+
+<p>"Dost thou not know, fellow, that I, too, am a father, and that the
+dearest objects of a father's hopes are left behind me, also? In what,
+then, dost thou differ from me, my son being also without a mother's
+care?"</p>
+
+<p>"Excellency, he hath an admiral for a father, while my boys have only a
+helmsman!"</p>
+
+<p>"And what will it matter to Don Diego"&mdash;Columbus was fond of dwelling on
+the honors he had received from the sovereigns, even though it were a
+little irregularly&mdash;"what will it matter to Don Diego, my son, that his
+parent perished an admiral, if he perish at all; and in what will he
+profit more than your children, when he findeth himself altogether
+without a parent?"</p>
+
+<p>"Señor, it will profit him to be cherished by the king and queen, to be
+honored as your child, and to be fostered and fed as the offspring of a
+viceroy, instead of being cast aside as the issue of a nameless
+mariner."</p>
+
+<p>"Friend, thou hast some reason in this, and in-so-much I respect thy
+feelings," answered Columbus, who, like our own Washington, appears to
+have always submitted to a lofty and pure sense of justice; "but thou
+wouldst do well to remember the influence that thy manly and successful
+perseverance in this voyage may produce on the welfare of thy children,
+instead of thus dwelling on weak forebodings of ills that are little
+likely to come to pass. Neither of us hath much to expect, should we
+fail of our discoveries, while both may hope every thing should we
+succeed. Can I trust thee now, to keep the ship on her course, or must I
+send for another mariner to relieve the helm?"</p>
+
+<p>"It may be better, noble admiral, to do the last. I will bethink me of
+thy counsel, and strive with my longings for home; but it would be safer
+to seek another for this day, while we are so near to Spain."</p>
+
+<p>"Dost thou know one Sancho Mundo, a common seaman of this crew?"</p>
+
+<p>"Señor, we all know him; he hath the name of the most skilful of our
+craft, of all in Moguer."</p>
+
+<p>"Is he of thy watch, or sleepeth he with his fellows of the relief
+below?"</p>
+
+<p>"Señor, he is of our watch; and sleepeth not with his fellows below, for
+the reason that he sleepeth on deck. No care, or danger, can unsettle
+the confidence of Sancho! To him the sight of land is so far an evil,
+that I doubt if he rejoice should we ever reach those distant countries
+that your Excellency seemeth to expect we may."</p>
+
+<p>"Go find this Sancho, and bid him come hither; I will discharge thy
+office the while."</p>
+
+<p>Columbus now took the helm with his own hands, and with a light play of
+the tiller brought the ship immediately up as near the wind as she would
+lie. The effect was felt in more quick and sudden plunges into the sea,
+a deeper heel to leeward, and a fresh creaking aloft, that denoted a
+renewed and increased strain on all the spars and their tackle. In the
+course of a few minutes, however, Sancho appeared, rubbing his eyes, and
+yawning.</p>
+
+<p>"Take thou this duty," said the admiral, as soon as the man was near
+him, "and discharge it faithfully. Those who have been here already,
+have proved unfaithful, suffering the vessel to fall off, in the
+direction of Spain; I expect better things of thee. I think, friend
+Sancho, I may count on thee as a true and faithful follower, even in
+extremity?"</p>
+
+<p>"Señor Don Almirante," said Sancho, who took the helm, giving it a
+little play to feel his command of it, as a skilful coachman brings his
+team in subjection on first assuming the reins, "I am a servant of the
+crown's, and your inferior and subordinate; such duty as becometh me, I
+am ready to discharge."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou hast no fear of this voyage&mdash;no childish forebodings of becoming
+an endless wanderer in an unknown sea, without hope of ever seeing wife
+or child again?"</p>
+
+<p>"Señor, you seem to know our hearts as well as if your Excellency had
+made them with your own hands, and then put them into our miserable
+bodies!"</p>
+
+<p>"Thou hast, then, none of these unsuitable and unseamanlike
+apprehensions?"</p>
+
+<p>"Not as much, Excellency, as would raise an ave in a parish priest, or a
+sigh in an old woman. I may have my misgivings, for we all have
+weaknesses, but none of them incline to any dread of sailing about the
+ocean, since that is my happiness; nor to any concern about wife and
+children, not having the first, and wishing not to think I have the
+last."</p>
+
+<p>"If thou hast misgivings, name them. I could wish to make one firm as
+thou, wholly my friend."</p>
+
+<p>"I doubt not, Señor, that we shall reach Cathay, or whatever country
+your Excellency may choose to seek; I make no question of your ability
+to beard the Great Khan, and, at need, to strip the very jewels from his
+turban&mdash;as turban he must have, being an Infidel; nor do I feel any
+misgivings about the magnitude and richness of our discoveries and
+freights, since I believe, Señor Don Almirante, you are skilful enough
+to take the caravels in at one end of the earth and out at the other;
+or, even to load them with carbuncles, should diamonds be wanting."</p>
+
+<p>"If thou hast this faith in thy leader, what other distrust can give
+thee concern?"</p>
+
+<p>"I distrust the value of the share, whether of honor or of jewels, that
+will fall to the lot of one Sancho Mundo, a poor, unknown, almost
+shirtless mariner, that hath more need of both than hath ever crossed
+the mind of our gracious lady, Doña Isabella, or of her royal consort."</p>
+
+<p>"Sancho, thou art a proof that no man is without his failings, and I
+fear thou art mercenary. They say all men have their prices; thou
+seemest clearly to have thine."</p>
+
+<p>"Your Excellency hath not been sailing about the world for nothing, or
+you could not tell every man his inclinations so easily. I have ever
+suspected I was mercenary, and so have accepted all sorts of presents to
+keep the feeling down. Nothing appeases a mercenary longing like gifts
+and rewards; and as for price, I strive hard to keep mine as high as
+possible, lest it should bring me into discredit for a mean and
+grovelling spirit. Give me a high price, and plenty of gifts, and I can
+be as disinterested as a mendicant friar."</p>
+
+<p>"I understand thee, Sancho; thou art to be bought, but not to be
+frightened. In thy opinion a single dobla is too little to be divided
+between thee and thy friend, the Portuguese. I will make a league with
+thee on thine own terms; here is another piece of gold; see that thou
+remainest true to me throughout the voyage."</p>
+
+<p>"Count on me, without scruple, Señor Don Almirante, and with scruples,
+too, should they interfere. Your Excellency hath not a more
+disinterested friend in the fleet. I only hope that when the share-list
+shall be written out, the name of Sancho Mundo may have an honorable
+place, as will become his fidelity. And now, your Excellency, go sleep
+in peace; the Santa Maria shall lie as near to the route to Cathay, as
+this south-westerly breeze will suffer."</p>
+
+<p>Columbus complied, though he rose once or twice more, during the night,
+to ascertain the state of the weather, and that the men did their
+duties. So long as Sancho remained at the helm, he continued faithful to
+his compact; but, as he went below with his watch, at the usual hour,
+successors were put in his place, who betrayed the original treachery of
+the other helmsman. When Luis left his hammock, Columbus was already at
+work, ascertaining the distance that had been run in the course of the
+night. Catching the inquiring glance of the young man, the admiral
+observed, gravely, and not altogether without melancholy in his manner&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"We have had a good run, though it hath been more northerly than I could
+have desired. I find that the vessels are thirty leagues further from
+Ferro than when the sun set, and thou seest, here, that I have written
+four-and-twenty in the reckoning, that is intended for the eyes of the
+people. But there hath been great weakness at work this night among the
+steersmen, if not treachery: they have kept the ship away in a manner to
+cause her to run a part of the time in a direction nearly parallel to
+the coast of Europe, so that they have been endeavoring to deceive me,
+on the deck, while I have thought it necessary to attempt deceiving them
+in the cabin. It is painful, Don Luis, to find such deceptions resorted
+to, or such deceptions necessary, when one is engaged in an enterprise
+that surpasseth all others ever yet attempted by man, and that, too,
+with a view to the glory of God, the advantage of the human race, and
+the especial interests of Spain."</p>
+
+<p>"The holy churchmen, themselves, Don Christopher, are obliged to submit
+to this evil," answered the careless Luis; "and it does not become us
+laymen to repine at what they endure. I am told that half the miracles
+they perform are, in truth, miracles of but a very indifferent quality;
+the doubts and want of faith of us hardened sinners rendering such
+little inventions necessary for the good of our souls."</p>
+
+<p>"That there are false-minded and treacherous churchmen, as well as
+false-minded and treacherous laymen, Luis, I little doubt," answered the
+admiral; "but this cometh of the fall of man, and of his evil nature.
+There are also righteous and true miracles, that come of the power of
+God, and which are intended to uphold the faith, and to encourage those
+who love and honor his holy name. I do not esteem any thing that hath
+yet befallen us to belong very distinctly to this class; nor do I
+venture to hope that we are to be favored in this manner by an especial
+intervention in our behalf; but it exceedeth all the machinations of the
+devils to persuade me that we shall be deserted while bent on so
+glorious a design, or that we are not, indirectly and secretly, led, in
+our voyage, by a spirit and knowledge that both come of Divine grace and
+infinite wisdom."</p>
+
+<p>"This may be so, Don Christopher, so far as you are concerned; though,
+for myself, I claim no higher a guide than an angel. An angel's purity,
+and, I hope I may add, an angel's love, lead me, in my blind path across
+the ocean!"</p>
+
+<p>"So it seemeth to thee, Luis; but thou canst not know that a higher
+power doth not use the Doña Mercedes as an instrument in this matter.
+Although no miracle rendereth it apparent to the vulgar, a spirit is
+placed in my breast, in conducting this enterprise, that I should deem
+it blasphemy to resist. God be praised, my boy, we are at last quit of
+the Portuguese, and are fairly on our road! At present all our obstacles
+must arise from the elements, or from our own fears. It gladdeneth my
+heart to find that the two Pinzons remain true, and that they keep their
+caravels close to the Santa Maria, like men bent on maintaining their
+faith, and seeing an end of the adventure."</p>
+
+<p>As Luis was now ready, he and the admiral left the cabin together. The
+sun had risen, and the broad expanse of the ocean was glittering with
+his rays. The wind had freshened, and was gradually getting further to
+the south, so that the vessels headed up nearly to their course; and,
+there being but little sea, the progress of the fleet was, in
+proportion, considerable. Every thing appeared propitious; and the first
+burst of grief, on losing sight of known land, having subsided, the
+crews were more tranquil, though dread of the future was smothered, like
+the latent fires of a volcano, rather than extinguished. The aspect of
+the sea was favorable, offering nothing to view that was unusual to
+mariners; and, as there is always something grateful in a lively breeze,
+when unaccompanied with danger, the men were probably encouraged by a
+state of things to which they were accustomed, and which brought with it
+cheerfulness and hope. In the course of the day and night, the vessels
+ran a hundred and eighty miles still further into the trackless waste of
+the ocean, without awakening half the apprehensions in the bosoms of the
+mariners that they had experienced on losing sight of land. Columbus,
+however, acting on the cautious principle he had adopted, when he laid
+before his people the result of the twenty-four hours' work, reduced the
+distance to about one hundred and fifty.</p>
+
+<p>Tuesday, the 10th of September, brought a still more favorable change of
+wind. This day, for the first time since quitting the Canaries, the
+heads of the vessels were laid fairly to the west; and, with the old
+world directly behind them, and the unknown ocean in their front, the
+adventurers proceeded onward with a breeze at south-east. The rate of
+sailing was about five miles in the hour; compensating for the want of
+speed, by the steadiness of their progress, and by the directness of
+their course.</p>
+
+<p>The observations that are usually made at sea, when the sun is in the
+zenith, were over, and Columbus had just announced to his anxious
+companions that the vessels were gradually setting south, owing to the
+drift of some invisible current, when a cry from the mast-head announced
+the proximity of a whale. As the appearance of one of these monsters of
+the deep breaks the monotony of a sea life, every one was instantly on
+the look-out, some leaping into the rigging and others upon the rails,
+in order to catch a glimpse of his gambols.</p>
+
+<p>"Dost thou see him, Sancho?" demanded the admiral of Mundo, the latter
+being near him at the moment. "To me the water hath no appearance of any
+such animals being at hand."</p>
+
+<p>"Your Excellency's eye, Señor Don Almirante, is far truer than that of
+the babbler's aloft. Sure as this is the Atlantic, and yonder is the
+foam of the crests of the waves, there is no whale."</p>
+
+<p>"The flukes!&mdash;the flukes!" shouted a dozen voices at once, pointing to a
+spot where a dark object arose above the froth of the sea, showing a
+pointed summit, with short arms extended on each side. "He playeth with
+his head beneath the water, and the tail uppermost!"</p>
+
+<p>"Alas!&mdash;alas!" exclaimed the practised Sancho, with the melancholy of a
+true seaman, "what these inexperienced and hasty brawlers call the fluke
+of a whale, is naught but the mast of some unhappy ship, that hath left
+her bones, with her freight and her people, in the depths of the ocean!"</p>
+
+<p>"Thou art right, Sancho," returned the admiral. "I now see that thou
+meanest: it is truly a spar, and doubtless betokeneth a shipwreck."</p>
+
+<p>This fact passed swiftly from mouth to mouth, and the sadness that ever
+accompanies the evidences of such a disaster, settled on the faces of
+all the beholders. The pilots alone showed indifference, and they
+consulted on the expediency of endeavoring to secure the spar, as a
+resource in time of need; but they abandoned the attempt on acccount of
+the agitation of the water, and of the fairness of the wind, the latter
+being an advantage a true mariner seldom likes to lose.</p>
+
+<p>"There is a warning to us!" exclaimed one of the disaffected, as the
+Santa Maria sailed past the waving summit of the spar; "God hath sent
+this sign to warn us not to venture where he never intended navigators
+to go!"</p>
+
+<p>"Say, rather," put in Sancho, who, having taken the fee, had ever since
+proved a willing advocate, "it is an omen of encouragement sent from
+heaven. Dost thou not see that the part of the mast that is visible
+resembleth a cross, which holy sign is intended to lead us on, filled
+with hopes of success?"</p>
+
+<p>"This is true, Sancho," interrupted Columbus. "A cross hath been reared
+for our edification, as it might be, in the midst of the ocean, and we
+are to regard it as a proof that Providence is with us, in our attempt
+to carry its blessings to the aid and consolation of the heathen of
+Asia."</p>
+
+<p>As the resemblance to the holy symbol was far from fanciful, this happy
+hit of Sancho's was not without its effect. The reader will understand
+the likeness all the better, when he is told that the upper end of a
+mast has much the appearance of a cross, by means of the trussel-trees;
+and, as often happens, this particular spar was floating nearly
+perpendicular, owing to some heavy object being fast to its heel,
+leaving the summit raised some fifteen or twenty feet above the surface
+of the sea. In a quarter of an hour this last relic of Europe and of
+civilization disappeared in the wake of the vessels, gradually
+diminishing in size and settling toward the water, until its faint
+outlines vanished in threads, still wearing the well-known shape of the
+revered symbol of Christianity.</p>
+
+<p>After this little incident, the progress of the vessels was
+uninterrupted by any event worthy of notice for two days and nights. All
+this time the wind was favorable, and the adventurers proceeded due
+west, by compass, which was, in fact, however, going a little north of
+the real point&mdash;a truth that the knowledge of the period had not yet
+mastered. Between the morning of the 10th September, and the evening of
+the 13th, the fleet had passed over near ninety leagues of ocean,
+holding its way in a line but a little deviating from a direct one
+athwart the great waste of water, and having consequently reached a
+point as far, if not further west than the position of the Azores, then
+the most westerly land known to European navigators. On the 13th, the
+currents proved to be adverse, and, having a south-easterly set, they
+had a tendency to cause the ships to sheer southwardly, bringing them,
+each hour, nearer to the northern margin of the trades.</p>
+
+<p>The admiral and Luis were at their customary post, on the evening of the
+13th&mdash;the day last mentioned&mdash;as Sancho left the helm, his tour of duty
+having just ended. Instead of going forward, as usual, among the people,
+the fellow hesitated, surveyed the poop with a longing eye, and, finding
+it occupied only by the admiral and his constant companion, he ascended
+the ladder, as if desirous of making some communication.</p>
+
+<p>"Wouldst thou aught with me, Sancho?" demanded the admiral, waiting for
+the man to make certain that no one else was on the narrow deck. "Speak
+freely: thou hast my confidence."</p>
+
+<p>"Señor Don Almirante, your Excellency well knoweth that I am no
+fresh-water fish, to be frightened at the sight of a shark or a whale,
+or one that is terrified because a ship headeth west, instead of east;
+and yet I do come to say that this voyage is not altogether without
+certain signs and marvels, that it may be well for a mariner to respect,
+as unusual, if not ominous."</p>
+
+<p>"As thou sayest, Sancho, thou art no driveller to be terrified by the
+flight of a bird, or at the presage of a drifting spar, and thou
+awakenest my curiosity to know more. The Señor de Muños is my
+confidential secretary, and nothing need be hid from him. Speak freely,
+then, and without further delay. If gold is thy aim, be certain thou
+shalt have it."</p>
+
+<p>"No, Señor, my news is not worth a maravedi, or it is far beyond the
+price of gold; such as it is, your Excellency can take it, and think no
+more of my reward. You know, Señor, that we old mariners will have our
+thoughts as we stand at the helm, sometimes fancying the smiles and good
+looks of some hussy ashore, sometimes remembering the flavor of rich
+fruits and well-savored mutton; and then, again, for a wonder,
+bethinking us of our sins."</p>
+
+<p>"Fellow, all this I well know; but it is not matter for an admiral's
+ear."</p>
+
+<p>"I know not that, Señor; I have known admirals who have relished mutton
+after a long cruise; ay, and who have bethought them, too, of smiling
+faces and bright eyes, and who, if they did not, at times, bethink them
+of their sins, have done what was much worse, help to add to the great
+account that was heaping up against them. Now, there was"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Let me toss this vagabond into the sea, at once, Don Christopher,"
+interrupted the impatient Luis, making a forward movement as if to
+execute the threat, an act which the hand of Columbus arrested; "we
+shall never hear a tale the right end first, as long as he remaineth in
+the ship."</p>
+
+<p>"I thank you, my young Lord of Llera," answered Sancho, with an ironical
+smile; "if you are as ready at drowning seamen, as you are at unhorsing
+Christian knights in the tourney, and Infidels in the fray, I would
+rather that another should be master of my baths."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou know'st me, knave? Thou hast seen me on some earlier voyage."</p>
+
+<p>"A cat may look at a king, Señor Conde; and why not a mariner on his
+passenger? But spare your threats, and your secret is in safe hands. If
+we reach Cathay, no one will be ashamed of having made the voyage; and
+if we miss it, it is little likely that any will go back to relate the
+precise manner in which your Excellency was drowned, or starved to
+death, or in what other manner you became a saint in Abraham's bosom."</p>
+
+<p>"Enough of this!" said Columbus, sternly; "relate what thou hast to say,
+and see that thou art discreet touching this young noble."</p>
+
+<p>"Señor, your word is law. Well, Don Christopher, it is one of the tricks
+of us mariners, at night, to be watching an old and constant friend, the
+north star; and while thus occupied an hour since, I noted that this
+faithful guide and the compass by which I was steering, told different
+tales."</p>
+
+<p>"Art certain of this?" demanded the admiral, with a quickness and
+emphasis that betrayed the interest he felt in the communication.</p>
+
+<p>"As certain, Señor, as fifty years' looking at the star, and forty
+years' watching of the compass can make a man. But there is no occasion,
+your Excellency, to depend on my ignorance, since the star is still
+where God placed it; and there is your private compass at your
+elbow&mdash;one may be compared with the other."</p>
+
+<p>Columbus had already bethought him of making this comparison; and by the
+time Sancho ceased speaking, he and Luis were examining the instrument
+with eager curiosity. The first, and the most natural, impression, was a
+belief that the needle of the instrument below was defective, or, at
+least, influenced by some foreign cause; but an attentive observation
+soon convinced the navigator that the remark of Sancho was true. He was
+both astonished and concerned to find that the habitual care, and
+professional eye of the fellow had been active, and quick to note a
+change as unusual as this. It was, indeed, so common with mariners to
+compare their compasses with the north star&mdash;a luminary that was
+supposed never to vary its position in the heavens, as that position
+related to man&mdash;that no experienced seaman, who happened to be at the
+helm at nightfall, could well overlook the phenomenon.</p>
+
+<p>After repeated observations with his own compasses, of which he kept
+two&mdash;one on the poop, and another in the cabin; and having recourse also
+to the two instruments in the binnacle, Columbus was compelled to admit
+to himself that all four varied, alike, from their usual direction,
+nearly six degrees. Instead of pointing due north, or, at least, in a
+direct line toward a point on the horizon immediately beneath the star,
+they pointed some five or six degrees to the westward of it. This was
+both a novel and an astounding departure from the laws of nature, as
+they were then understood, and threatened to render the desired results
+of the voyage so much the more difficult of attainment, as it at once
+deprived the adventurers of a sure reliance on the mariner's principal
+guide, and would render it difficult to sail, with any feeling of
+certainty as to the course, in cloudy weather, or dark nights. The first
+thought of the admiral, on this occasion, however, was to prevent the
+effect which such a discovery would be likely to produce on men already
+disposed to anticipate the worst.</p>
+
+<p>"Thou wilt say nothing of this, Sancho?" he observed to the man. "Here
+is another dobla to add to thy store."</p>
+
+<p>"Excellency, pardon a humble seaman's disobedience, if my hand refuse to
+open to your gift. This matter toucheth of supernatural means; and, as
+the devil may have an agency in the miracle, in order to prevent our
+converting them heathen, of whom you so often speak, I prefer to keep my
+soul as pure as may be, in the matter, since no one knoweth what weapons
+we may be driven to use, should we come to real blows with the Father of
+Sin."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou wilt, at least, prove discreet?"</p>
+
+<p>"Trust me for that, Señor Don Almirante; not a word shall pass my lips
+about this matter, until I have your Excellency's permission to speak."</p>
+
+<p>Columbus dismissed the man, and then he turned toward Luis, who had been
+a silent but attentive listener to what had passed.</p>
+
+<p>"You seem disturbed at this departure from the usual laws of the
+compass, Don Christopher," observed the young man, gaily. "To me it
+would seem better to rely altogether on Providence, which would scarcely
+lead us out here, into the wide Atlantic, on its own errand, and desert
+us when we most need its aid."</p>
+
+<p>"God implants in the bosom of his servants a desire to advance his ends,
+but human agents are compelled to employ natural means, and, in order to
+use such means advantageously, it is necessary to understand them. I
+look upon this phenomenon as a proof that our voyage is to result in
+discoveries of unknown magnitude, among which, perhaps, are to be
+numbered some clue to the mysteries of the needle. The mineral riches of
+Spain differ, in certain particulars, from the mineral riches of France;
+for, though some things are common to all lands, others are peculiar to
+particular countries. We may find regions where the loadstone abounds,
+or may, even now, be in the neighborhood of some island that hath an
+influence on our compasses that we cannot explain."</p>
+
+<p>"Is it known that islands have ever produced this effect on the needle?"</p>
+
+<p>"It is not&mdash;nor do I deem such a circumstance very probable, though all
+things are possible. We will wait patiently for further proofs that this
+phenomenon is real and permanent, ere we reason further on a matter that
+is so difficult to be understood."</p>
+
+<p>The subject was now dropped, though the unusual incident gave the great
+navigator an uneasy and thoughtful night. He slept little, and often was
+his eye fastened on the compass that was suspended in his cabin as a
+"tell-tale," for so seamen term the instrument by which the officer
+overlooks the course that is steered by the helmsman, even when the
+latter least suspects his supervision. Columbus arose sufficiently early
+to get a view of the star before its brightness was dimmed by the return
+of light, and made another deliberate comparison of the position of this
+familiar heavenly body with the direction of the needles. The
+examination proved a slight increase of the variation, and tended to
+corroborate the observations of the previous night. The result of the
+reckoning showed that the vessels had run nearly a hundred miles in the
+course of the last twenty-four hours, and Columbus now believed himself
+to be about six times that distance west of Ferro, though even the
+pilots fancied themselves by no means as far.</p>
+
+<p>As Sancho kept his secret, and no other eye among the helmsmen was as
+vigilant, the important circumstance, as yet, escaped general attention.
+It was only at night, indeed, that the variation could be observed by
+means of the polar star, and it was yet so slight that no one but a very
+experienced and quick-eyed mariner would be apt to note it. The whole of
+the day and night of the 14th consequently passed without the crew's
+taking the alarm, and this so much the more as the wind had fallen, and
+the vessels were only some sixty miles further west than when they
+commenced. Still, Columbus noted the difference, slight as was the
+change, ascertaining, with the precision of an experienced and able
+navigator, that the needle was gradually varying more and more to the
+westward, though it was by steps that were nearly imperceptible.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVIII" id="CHAPTER_XVIII"></a>CHAPTER XVIII.</h2>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i4">"On thy unaltering blaze<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">The half-wrecked mariner, his compass lost,<br /></span>
+<span class="i4">Fixes his steady gaze,<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">And steers, undoubting, to the friendly coast;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">And they who stray in perilous wastes, by night,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Are glad when thou dost shine to guide their footsteps right."<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">Hymn to the North Star.</span><br /></span>
+</div></div>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p>The following day was Saturday, the 15th, when the little fleet was ten
+days from Gomera; or it was the sixth morning since the adventurers had
+lost sight of the land. The last week had been one of melancholy
+forebodings, though habit was beginning to assert its influence, and the
+men manifested openly less uneasiness than they had done in the three or
+four previous days. Their apprehensions were getting to be dormant for
+want of any exciting and apparent stimulus, though they existed as
+latent impulses, in readiness to be roused at the occurrence of any
+untoward event. The wind continued fair, though light&mdash;the whole
+twenty-four hours' work showing considerably less than a hundred miles,
+as the true progress west. All this time Columbus kept his attention
+fastened on the needles, and he perceived that as the vessels slowly
+made their westing, the magnets pointed more and more, though by
+scarcely palpable changes, in the same direction.</p>
+
+<p>The admiral and Luis, by this time, had fallen into such habits of close
+communication, that they usually rose and slept at the same time. Though
+far too ignorant of the hazards he ran to feel uneasiness, and
+constitutionally, as well as morally, superior to idle alarms, the young
+man had got to feel a sort of sportsman's excitement in the result; and,
+by this time, had not Mercedes existed, he would have been as reluctant
+to return without seeing Cathay, as Columbus himself. They conversed
+together of their progress and their hopes, without ceasing, and Luis
+took so much interest in his situation as to begin to learn how to
+discriminate in matters that might be supposed to affect its duration
+and ends.</p>
+
+<p>On the night of the Saturday just mentioned, Columbus and his reputed
+secretary were alone on the poop, conversing, as usual, on the signs of
+the times, and of the events of the day.</p>
+
+<p>"The Niña had something to say to you, last evening, Don Christopher,"
+observed the young man; "I was occupied in the cabin, with my journal,
+and had no opportunity of knowing what passed."</p>
+
+<p>"Her people had seen a bird or two, that are thought never to go far
+from the land. It is possible that islands are at no great distance, for
+man hath nowhere passed over any very great extent of sea without
+meeting with them. We cannot, however, waste the time necessary for a
+search, since the glory and profit of ascertaining the situation of a
+group of islands would be but a poor compensation for the loss of a
+continent."</p>
+
+<p>"Do you still remark those unaccountable changes in the needles, Señor?"</p>
+
+<p>"In this respect there is no change, except that which goeth to
+corroborate the phenomenon. My chief apprehension is of the effect on
+the people, when the circumstance shall be known."</p>
+
+<p>"Are there no means to persuade them that the needle pointeth thus west,
+as a sign Providence willeth they should pursue that course, by
+persevering in the voyage?"</p>
+
+<p>"This might do, Luis," answered the admiral, smiling, "had not fear so
+sharpened their wits, that their first question would be an inquiry why
+Providence should deprive us of the means of knowing whither we are
+travelling, when it so much wisheth us to go in any particular
+direction."</p>
+
+<p>A cry from the watch on deck arrested the discourse, while a sudden
+brightness broke on the night, illuminating the vessels and the ocean,
+as if a thousand lamps were shedding their brilliancy upon the
+surrounding portion of the sphere. A ball of fire was glancing athwart
+the heavens, and seemed to fall into the sea, at the distance of a few
+leagues, or at the limits of the visible horizon. Its disappearance was
+followed by a gloom as profound as the extraordinary and fleeting light
+had been brilliant. This was only the passage of a meteor; but it was
+such a meteor as men do not see more than once in their lives&mdash;if it is
+seen as often; and the superstitious mariners did not fail to note the
+incident among the extraordinary omens that accompanied the voyage; some
+auguring good, and others evil, from the event.</p>
+
+<p>"By St. Iago!" exclaimed Luis, as soon as the light had vanished, "Señor
+Don Christopher, this voyage of ours doth not seem fated to pass away
+unheeded by the elements and other notable powers! Whether these
+portents speak in our favor, or not, they speak us any thing but men
+engaged in an every-day occupation."</p>
+
+<p>"Thus it is with the human mind!" returned Columbus. "Let but its owner
+pass beyond the limits of his ordinary habits and duties, and he sees
+marvels in the most simple changes of the weather&mdash;in a flash of
+lightning&mdash;a blast of air&mdash;or the passage of a meteor; little heeding
+that these miracles exist in his own consciousness, and have no
+connection with the every-day laws of nature. These sights are by no
+means uncommon, especially in low latitudes; and they augur neither for
+nor against our enterprise."</p>
+
+<p>"Except, Señor Almirante, as they may beset the spirits and haunt the
+imaginations of the men. Sancho telleth me, that a brooding discontent
+is growing among them; and that, while they seem so tranquil, their
+disrelish of the voyage is hourly getting to be more and more decided."</p>
+
+<p>Notwithstanding this opinion of the admiral, and some pains that he
+afterward took to explain the phenomenon to the people on deck, the
+passage of the meteor had, indeed, not only produced a deep impression
+on them, but its history went from watch to watch, and was the subject
+of earnest discourse throughout the night. But the incident produced no
+open manifestation of discontent; a few deeming it a propitious omen,
+though most secretly considered it an admonition from heaven against any
+impious attempts to pry into those mysteries of nature that, according
+to their notions, God, in his providence, had not seen fit to reveal to
+man.</p>
+
+<p>All this time the vessels were making a steady progress toward the west.
+The wind had often varied, both in force and direction, but never in a
+manner to compel the ships to shorten sail, or to deviate from what the
+admiral believed to be the proper course. They supposed themselves to be
+steering due west, but, owing to the variation, were in fact now holding
+a west-and-by-south course, and were gradually getting nearer to the
+trades; a movement in which they had also been materially aided by the
+force of the currents. In the course of the 15th and 16th of the month,
+the fleet had got about two hundred miles further from Europe, Columbus
+taking the usual precaution to lessen the distance in the public
+reckoning. The latter day was a Sunday; and the religious offices, which
+were then seldom neglected in a Christian ship, produced a deep and
+sublime effect on the feelings of the adventurers. Hitherto the weather
+had partaken of the usual character of the season, and a few clouds,
+with a slight drizzling rain, had relieved the heat; but these soon
+passed away, and were succeeded by a soft south-east wind, that seemed
+to come charged with the fragrance of the land. The men united in the
+evening chants, under these propitious circumstances; the vessels
+drawing near each other, as if it might be to form one temple in honor
+of God, amid the vast solitudes of an ocean that had seldom, if ever,
+been whitened by a sail. Cheerfulness and hope succeeded to this act of
+devotion, and both were speedily heightened by a cry from the look-out
+aloft, who pointed ahead and to leeward, as if he beheld some object of
+peculiar interest in that quarter. The helms were varied a little; and
+in a few minutes the vessels entered into a field of sea-weed, that
+covered the ocean for miles. This sign of the vicinity of land was
+received by the mariners with a shout; and the very beings who had so
+shortly before been balancing on the verge of despair, now became elate
+with joy.</p>
+
+<p>These weeds were indeed of a character to awaken hope in the bosom of
+the most experienced mariner. Although some had lost their freshness, a
+great proportion of them were still green, and had the appearance of
+having been quite recently separated from their parent rocks, or the
+earth that had nourished them. No doubt was now entertained, even by the
+pilots, of the vicinity of land. Tunny-fish were also seen in numbers,
+and the people of the Niña were sufficiently fortunate to strike one.
+The seamen embraced each other, with tears in their eyes, and many a
+hand was squeezed in friendly congratulation, that the previous day
+would have been withheld in surly misanthropy.</p>
+
+<p>"And do you partake of all this hope, Don Christopher?" demanded Luis;
+"are we really to expect the Indies as a consequence of these marine
+plants, or is the expectation idle?"</p>
+
+<p>"The people deceive themselves in supposing our voyage near an end.
+Cathay must yet be very distant from us. We have come but three hundred
+and sixty leagues since losing sight of Ferro, which, according to my
+computations, cannot be much more than a third of our journey. Aristotle
+mentioned that certain vessels of Cadiz were forced westward by heavy
+gales, until they reached a sea covered with weeds, a spot where the
+tunny-fish abounded. This is the fish, thou must know, Luis, that the
+ancients fancied could see better with the right eye than with the left,
+because it hath been noted that, in passing the Bosphorus, they ever
+take the right shore in proceeding toward the Euxine, and the left in
+returning"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"By St. Francis! there can be no wonder if creatures so one-sided in
+their vision, should have strayed thus far from home," interrupted the
+light-hearted Luis, laughing. "Doth Aristotle, or the other ancients,
+tell us how they regarded beauty; or whether their notions of justice
+were like those of the magistrate who hath been fed by both parties?"</p>
+
+<p>"Aristotle speaketh only of the presence of the fish in the weedy ocean,
+as we see them before us. The mariners of Cadiz fancied themselves in
+the neighborhood of sunken islands, and, the wind permitting, made the
+best of their way back to their own shores. Thia place, in my judgment,
+we have now reached; but I expect to meet with no land, unless, indeed,
+we may happen to fall in with some island that lieth off here in the
+ocean, as a sort of beacon between the shore of Europe and that of Asia.
+Doubtless land is not distant, whence these weeds have drifted, but I
+attach little importance to its sight, or discovery. Cathay is my aim,
+Don Luis, and I am a searcher for continents, not islands."</p>
+
+<p>It is now known that while Columbus was right in his expectations of not
+finding a continent so early, he was mistaken in supposing land to lie
+any where in that vicinity. Whether these weeds are collected by the
+course of the currents, or whether they rise from the bottom, torn from
+their beds by the action of the water, is not yet absolutely
+ascertained, though the latter is the most common opinion, extensive
+shoals existing in this quarter of the ocean. Under the latter
+supposition, the mariners of Cadiz were nearer the truth than is first
+apparent, a sunken island having all the characteristics of a shoal, but
+those which may be supposed to be connected with the mode of formation.</p>
+
+<p>No land was seen. The vessels continued their progress at a rate but
+little varying from five miles the hour, shoving aside the weeds, which
+at times accumulated in masses, under their bows, but which could offer
+no serious obstacle to their progress. As for the admiral, so lofty were
+his views, so steady his opinions concerning the great geographical
+problem he was about to solve, and so determined his resolution to
+persevere to the end, that he rather hoped to miss than to fall in with
+the islands, that he fancied could be at no great distance. The day and
+night carried the vessels rather more than one hundred miles to the
+westward, placing the fleet not far from midway between the meridians
+that bounded the extreme western and eastern margins of the two
+continents, though still much nearer to Africa than to America,
+following the parallel of latitude on which it was sailing. As the wind
+continued steady, and the sea was as smooth as a river, the three
+vessels kept close together, the Pinta, the swiftest craft, reducing her
+canvas for that purpose. During the afternoon's watch of the day that
+succeeded that of the meeting with the weeds, which was Monday, the 17th
+September, or the eighth day after losing sight of Ferro, Martin Alonzo
+Pinzon hailed the Santa Maria, and acquainted the pilot on deck of his
+intention to get the amplitude of the sun, as soon as the luminary
+should be low enough, with a view to ascertain how far his needles
+retained their virtue. This observation, one of no unusual occurrence
+among mariners, it was thought had better be made in all the caravels
+simultaneously, that any error of one might be corrected by the greater
+accuracy of the rest.</p>
+
+<p>Columbus and Luis were in a profound sleep in their cots, taking their
+siestas, when the former was awakened by such a shake of the shoulder as
+seamen are wont to give, and are content to receive. It never required
+more than a minute to arouse the great navigator from his deepest
+slumbers to the fullest possession of his faculties, and he was awake in
+an instant.</p>
+
+<p>"Señor Don Almirante," said Sancho, who was the intruder, "it is time to
+be stirring: all the pilots are on deck in readiness to measure the
+amplitude of the sun, as soon as the heavenly bodies are in their right
+places. The west is already beginning to look like a dying dolphin, and
+ere many minutes it will be gilded like the helmet of a Moorish Sultan."</p>
+
+<p>"An amplitude measured!" exclaimed Columbus, quitting his cot on the
+instant. "This is news, indeed! Now we may look for such a stir among
+the people, as hath not been witnessed since we left Cadiz!"</p>
+
+<p>"So it hath appeared to me, your Excellency, for the mariner hath some
+such faith in the needle as the churchman bestoweth on the goodness of
+the Son of God. The people are in a happy humor at this moment, but the
+saints only know what is to come!"</p>
+
+<p>The admiral awoke Luis, and in five minutes both were at their customary
+station on the poop. Columbus had gained so high a reputation for skill
+in navigation, his judgment invariably proving right, even when opposed
+to those of all the pilots in the fleet, that the latter were not sorry
+to perceive he had no intention to take an instrument in hand, but
+seemed disposed to leave the issue to their own skill and practice. The
+sun slowly settled, the proper time was watched, and then these rude
+mariners set about their task, in the mode that was practised in their
+time. Martin Alonzo Pinzon, the most ready and best taught of them all,
+was soonest through with his task. From his lofty stand, the admiral
+could overlook the deck of the Pinta, which vessel was sailing but a few
+hundred yards from the Santa Maria, and it was not long before he
+observed her commander moving from one compass to another, in the manner
+of a man who was disturbed. Another minute or two elapsed, when the
+skiff of the caravel was launched; a sign was made for the admiral's
+vessel to shorten sail, and Martin Alonzo was soon forcing his way
+through the weeds that still covered the surface of the ocean, toward
+the Santa Maria. As he gained the deck of the latter ship, on one of her
+sides, his kinsman, Vicente Yañez, the commander of the Niña, did the
+same thing on the other. In the next instant both were at the side of
+the great navigator, on the poop, whither they had been followed by
+Sancho Ruiz and Bartolemeo Roldan, the two pilots of the admiral.</p>
+
+<p>"What meaneth this haste, good Martin Alonzo?" calmly asked Columbus:
+"thou and thy brother, Vicente Yañez, and these honest pilots, hurry
+toward me as if ye had cheering tidings from Cathay."</p>
+
+<p>"God only knoweth, Señor Almirante, if any of us are ever to be
+permitted to see that distant land, or any shore that is only to be
+reached by mariners through the aid of a needle," answered the elder
+Pinzon, with a haste that almost rendered him breathless. "Here have we
+all been at the comparison of the instruments, and we find them, without
+a single exception, varying from the true north, by, at least, a full
+point!"</p>
+
+<p>"That would be a marvel, truly! Ye have made some oversight in your
+observations, or have been heedless in the estimates."</p>
+
+<p>"Not so, noble admiral," put in Vicente Yañez, to sustain his brother.
+"Even the magnets are becoming false to us; and as I mentioned the
+circumstance to the oldest steersman of my craft, he assures me that the
+north star did not tally with his instrument throughout the night!"</p>
+
+<p>"Others say the same, here," added Ruiz&mdash;"nay, some are ready to swear
+that the wonder hath been noted ever since we entered the sea of weeds!"</p>
+
+<p>"This may be so, Señores," answered Columbus, with an undisturbed mien,
+"and yet no evil follow. We all know that the heavenly bodies have their
+revolutions, some of which no doubt are irregular, while others are more
+in conformity with certain settled rules. Thus it is with the sun
+himself, which passeth once around the earth in the short space of
+twenty-four hours, while no doubt he hath other, and more subtile
+movements, that are unknown to us, on account of the exceeding distance
+at which he is placed in the heavens. Many astronomers have thought that
+they have been able to detect these variations, spots having been seen
+on the disc of the orb at times, which have disappeared, as if hid
+behind the body of the luminary. I think it will be found that the north
+star hath made some slight deviation in its position, and that it will
+continue thus to move for some short period, after which, no doubt, it
+will be found returning to its customary position, when it will be seen
+that its temporary eccentricity hath in no manner disturbed its usual
+harmony with the needles. Note the star well throughout the night, and
+in the morning let the amplitude be again taken, when I think the truth
+of my conjecture will be proved by the regularity of the movement of the
+heavenly body. So far from being discouraged by this sign, we ought
+rather to rejoice that we have made a discovery, which, of itself, will
+entitle the expedition to the credit of having added materially to the
+stores of science!"</p>
+
+<p>The pilots were fain to be satisfied with this solution of their doubts,
+in the absence of any other means of accounting for them. They remained
+long on the poop discoursing of the strange occurrence; and as men, even
+in their blindest moods, usually reason themselves into either
+tranquillity or apprehension, they fortunately succeeded in doing the
+first on this occasion. With the men there was more difficulty, for when
+it became known to the crews of the three vessels that the needles had
+begun to deviate from their usual direction, a feeling akin to despair
+seized on them, almost without exception. Here Sancho was of material
+service. When the panic was at its height, and the people were on the
+point of presenting themselves to the admiral, with a demand that the
+heads of the caravels should be immediately turned toward the
+north-east, he interposed with his knowledge and influence to calm the
+tumult. The first means this trusty follower had recourse to, in order
+to bring his shipmates back to reason, was to swear, without
+reservation, that he had frequently known the needle and the north star
+to vary, having witnessed the fact with his own eyes on twenty previous
+occasions, and no harm to come of it. He invited the elder and more
+experienced seamen to make an accurate observation of the difference
+which already existed, which was quite a point of the compass, and then
+to see, in the morning, if this difference had not increased in the same
+direction.</p>
+
+<p>"This," he continued, "will be a certain sign, my friends, that the star
+is in motion, since we can all see that the compasses are just where
+they have been ever since we left Palos de Moguer. When one of two
+things is in motion, and it is certain which stands still, there can be
+no great difficulty in saying which is the uneasy one. Now, look thou
+here, Martin Martinez," who was one of the most factious of the
+disaffected; "words are of little use when men can prove their meaning
+by experiments like this. Thou seest two balls of spun-yarn on this
+windlass; well, it is wanted to be known which of them remains there,
+and which is taken away. I remove the smallest ball, thou perceivest,
+and the largest remains; from which it followeth, as only one can
+remain, and that one is the larger ball, why the smaller must be taken
+away. I hold no man fit to steer a caravel, by needle or by star, who
+will deny a thing that is proven as plainly and as simply as this!"</p>
+
+<p>Martin Martinez, though a singularly disaffected man, was no logician;
+and, Sancho's oaths backing his demonstrations to the letter, his party
+soon became the most numerous. As there is nothing so encouraging to the
+dull-minded and discontented mutineer, as to perceive that he is of the
+strongest side, so is there nothing so discouraging as to find himself
+in the minority; and Sancho so far prevailed as to bring most of his
+fellows round to a belief in the expediency of waiting to ascertain the
+state of things in the morning, before they committed themselves by any
+act of rashness.</p>
+
+<p>"Thou hast done well, Sancho," said Columbus, an hour later, when the
+mariner came secretly to make his nightly report of the state of feeling
+among the people. "Thou hast done well in all but these oaths, taken to
+prove that thou hast witnessed this phenomenon before. Much as I have
+navigated the earth, and careful as have been my observations, and ample
+as have been my means, never before have I known the needle to vary from
+its direction toward the north star: and I think that which hath escaped
+my notice would not be apt to attract thine."</p>
+
+<p>"You do me injustice, Señor Don Almirante, and have inflicted a wound
+touching my honesty, that a dobla only can cure"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Thou knowest, Sancho, that no one felt more alarm when the deviation of
+the needle was first noted, than thyself. So great, in sooth, was thy
+apprehension, that thou even refused to receive gold, a weakness of
+which thou art usually exceedingly innocent."</p>
+
+<p>"When the deviation was first noted, your Excellency, this was true
+enough; for, not to attempt to mislead one who hath more penetration
+than befalleth ordinary men, I did fancy that our hopes of ever seeing
+Spain or St. Clara de Moguer again, were so trifling as to make it of no
+great consequence who was admiral, and who a simple helmsman."</p>
+
+<p>"And yet thou wouldst now brazen it out, and deny thy terror! Didst thou
+not swear to thy fellows, that thou hadst often seen this deviation
+before; ay, even on as many as twenty occasions?"</p>
+
+<p>"Well, Excellency, this is a proof that a cavalier may make a very
+capital viceroy and admiral, and know all about Cathay, without having
+the clearest notions of history! I told my shipmates, Don Christopher,
+that I had noted these changes before this night, and if tied to the
+stake to be burnt as a martyr, as I sometimes think will one day be the
+fate of all of us superfluously honest men, I would call on yourself,
+Señor Almirante, as the witness of the truth of what I had sworn to."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou wouldst, then, summon a most unfortunate witness, Sancho, since I
+neither practise false oaths myself, nor encourage their use in others."</p>
+
+<p>"Don Luis de Bobadilla y Pedro de Muños, here, would then be my
+reliance," said the imperturbable Sancho; "for proof a man hath a right
+to, when wrongfully accused, and proof I will have. Your Excellency will
+please to remember that it was on the night of Saturday, the 15th, that
+I first notified your worship of this very change, and that we are now
+at the night of Monday, the 17th. I swore to twenty times noting this
+phenomenon, as it is called, in those eight-and-forty hours, when it
+would have been nearer the truth had I said two hundred times. Santa
+Maria! I did nothing but note it for the first few hours!"</p>
+
+<p>"Go to, Sancho; thy conscience hath its latitude as well as its
+longitude; but thou hast thy uses. Now, that thou understandest the
+reason of the variation, however, thou wilt encourage thy fellows, as
+well as keep up thy spirits."</p>
+
+<p>"I make no question that it is all as your Excellency sayeth about the
+star's travelling," returned Sancho; "and it hath crossed my mind that
+it is possible we are nearer Cathay than we have thought; this movement
+being made by some evil-disposed spirits on purpose to make us lose the
+way."</p>
+
+<p>"Go to thy hammock, knave, and bethink thee of thy sins; leaving the
+reasons of these mysteries to those who are better taught. There is thy
+dobla, and see that thou art discreet."</p>
+
+<p>In the morning every being in the three caravels waited impatiently for
+the results of the new observations. As the wind continued favorable,
+though far from fresh, and a current was found setting to the westward,
+the vessels had made, in the course of twenty-four hours, more than a
+hundred and fifty miles, which rendered the increase in the variation
+perceptible, thus corroborating a prophecy of Columbus, that had been
+ventured on previous observation. So easily are the ignorant the dupes
+of the plausible, that this solution temporarily satisfied all doubts,
+and it was generally believed that the star had moved, while the needle
+remained true.</p>
+
+<p>How far Columbus was misled by his own logic in this affair, is still a
+matter of doubt. That he resorted to deceptions which might be
+considered innocent, in order to keep up the courage of his companions,
+is seen in the fact of the false, or public reckoning; but there is no
+proof that this was one of the instances in which he had recourse to
+such means. No person of any science believed, even when the variation
+of the compass was unknown, that the needle pointed necessarily to the
+polar star; the coincidence in the direction of the magnetic needle and
+the position of the heavenly body, being thought accidental; and there
+is nothing extravagant in supposing that the admiral&mdash;who had the
+instrument in his possession, and was able to ascertain that none of its
+virtue was visibly lost, while he could only reason from supposed
+analogy concerning the evolutions of the star&mdash;should imagine that a
+friend he had ever found so faithful, had now deserted him, leaving him
+disposed to throw the whole mystery of the phenomenon on the more
+distant dwellers in space. Two opinions have been ventured concerning
+the belief of the celebrated navigator, in the theory he advanced on
+this occasion; the one affirming, and the other denying his good faith
+in urging the doctrine he had laid down. Those who assert the latter,
+however, would seem to reason a little loosely themselves, their
+argument mainly resting on the improbability of a man like Columbus
+uttering so gross a scientific error, at a time when science itself knew
+no more of the existence of the phenomenon, than is known to-day of its
+cause. Still it is possible that the admiral may not have had any
+settled notions on the subject, even while he was half inclined to hope
+his explanation was correct; for it is certain that, in the midst of the
+astronomical and geographical ignorance of his age, this extraordinary
+man had many accurate and sublime glimpses of truths that were still in
+embryo as respected their development and demonstration by the lights of
+precise and inductive reasoning.</p>
+
+<p>Fortunately, if the light brought with it the means of ascertaining with
+certainty the variation of the needle, it also brought the means of
+perceiving that the sea was still covered with weeds, and other signs
+that were thought to be encouraging, as connected with the vicinity of
+land. The current being now in the same direction as the wind, the
+surface of the ocean was literally as smooth as that of an inland sheet
+of water, and the vessels were enabled to sail, without danger, within a
+few fathoms of each other.</p>
+
+<p>"This weed, Señor Almirante," called out the elder Pinzon, "hath the
+appearance of that which groweth on the banks of streams, and I doubt
+that we are near to the mouth of some exceeding great river!"</p>
+
+<p>"This may be so," returned Columbus; "than which there can be no more
+certain sign than may be found in the taste of the water. Let a bucket
+be drawn, that we may know."</p>
+
+<p>While Pepe was busied in executing this order, waiting until the vessel
+had passed through a large body of weeds for that purpose, the quick eye
+of the admiral detected a crab struggling on the surface of the
+fresh-looking plants, and he called to the helmsman in sufficient
+season, to enable him so far to vary his course, as to allow the animal
+to be taken.</p>
+
+<p>"Here is a most precious prize, good Martin Alonzo," said Columbus,
+holding the crab between a finger and thumb, that the other might see
+it. "These animals are never known to go further than some eighty
+leagues from the land; and see, Señor, yonder is one of the white tropic
+birds, which, it is said, never sleep on the water! Truly, God favoreth
+us; and what rendereth all these tokens more grateful, is the
+circumstance of their coming from the west&mdash;the hidden, unknown,
+mysterious west!"</p>
+
+<p>A common shout burst from the crews at the appearance of these signs,
+and again the beings who lately had been on the verge of despair, were
+buoyed up with hope, and ready to see propitious omens in even the most
+common occurrences of the ocean. All the vessels had hauled up buckets
+of water, and fifty mouths were immediately wet with the brine; and so
+general was the infatuation, that every man declared the sea far less
+salt than usual. So complete, indeed, was the delusion created by these
+cheerful expectations, and so thoroughly had all concern in connection
+with the moving star been removed by the sophism of Sancho, that even
+Columbus, habitually so wary, so reasoning, so calm, amid his loftiest
+views, yielded to his native enthusiasm, and fancied that he was about
+to discover some vast island, placed midway between Asia and Europe; an
+honor not to be despised, though it fell so far short of his higher
+expectations.</p>
+
+<p>"Truly, friend Martin Alonzo," he said, "this water seemeth to have less
+of the savor of the sea, than is customary at a distance from the outlet
+of large rivers!"</p>
+
+<p>"My palate telleth the same tale, Señor Almirante. As a further sign,
+the Niña hath struck another tunny, and her people are at this moment
+hoisting it in."</p>
+
+<p>Shout succeeded shout, as each new encouraging proof appeared; and the
+admiral, yielding to the ardor of the crews, ordered sail to be pressed
+on all the vessels, that each might endeavor to outstrip the others, in
+the hope of being the first to discover the expected island. This strife
+soon separated the caravels, the Pinta easily outsailing the other two,
+while the Santa Maria and the Niña came on more slowly, in her rear. All
+was gaiety and mirth, the livelong day, on board those isolated vessels,
+that, unknown to those they held, were navigating the middle of the
+Atlantic, with horizon extending beyond horizon, without change in the
+watery boundary, as circle would form without circle, on the same
+element, were a vast mass of solid matter suddenly dropped into the sea.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/i312.jpg" alt=""/>
+</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIX" id="CHAPTER_XIX"></a>CHAPTER XIX.</h2>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i2">"The sails were filled, and fair the light winds blew,<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">As glad to waft him from his native home;<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">And fast the white rocks faded from his view,<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">And soon were lost in circumambient foam:<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">And then, it may be, of his wish to roam<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">Repented he, but in his bosom slept<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">The silent thought, nor from his lips did come<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">One word of wail, whilst others sate and wept,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">And to the reckless gales unmanly moaning kept."<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">Childe Harold's Pilgrimage.</span><br /></span>
+</div></div>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p>As night drew near, the Pinta shortened sail, permitting her consorts to
+close. All eyes now turned anxiously to the west, where it was hoped
+that land might at any moment appear. The last tint, however, vanished
+from the horizon, and darkness enveloped the ocean without bringing any
+material change. The wind still blew a pleasant breeze from the
+south-east, and the surface of the ocean offered little more inequality
+than is usually met on the bosoms of large rivers. The compasses showed
+a slightly increasing deviation from their old coincidence with the
+polar star, and no one doubted, any longer, that the fault was in the
+heavenly body. All this time the vessels were getting to the southward,
+steering, in fact, west and by south, when they thought they were
+steering west&mdash;a circumstance that alone prevented Columbus from first
+reaching the coast of Georgia, or that of the Carolinas, since, had he
+missed the Bermudas, the current of the Gulf Stream meeting him on his
+weather bow, he would have infallibly been set well to the northward, as
+he neared the continent.</p>
+
+<p>The night passed as usual, and at noon of the 17th, or at the
+termination of the nautical day, the fleet had left another long track
+of ocean between it and the old world. The weeds were disappearing, and
+with them the tunny fish, which were, in truth, feeding on the products
+of shoals that mounted several thousands of feet nearer to the surface
+of the water, than was the case with the general bed of the Atlantic.
+The vessels usually kept near each other at noon, in order to compare
+their observations; but the Pinta, which, like a swift steed, was with
+difficulty restrained, shot ahead, until the middle of the afternoon,
+when, as usual, she lay-by for the admiral to close. As the Santa Maria
+came sweeping on, the elder Pinzon stood, cap in hand, ready to speak
+her, waiting only for her to come within sound of his voice.</p>
+
+<p>"God increaseth the signs of land, and the motives of encouragement,
+Señor Don Christopher," he called out, cheerfully, while the Pinta
+filled her sails in order to keep way with the admiral. "We have seen
+large flights of birds ahead, and the clouds at the north look heavy and
+dense, as if hovering over some island, or continent, in that quarter."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou art a welcome messenger, worthy Martin Alonzo; though I wish thee
+to remember, that the most I expect to meet with in this longitude is
+some cluster of pleasant islands, Asia being yet several days' sail more
+distant. As the night approacheth, thou wilt see thy clouds take still
+more of the form of the land, and I doubt that groups may be found on
+each side of us; but our high destination is Cathay, and men with such
+an object before them, may not turn aside for any lesser errand."</p>
+
+<p>"Have I your leave, noble admiral, to push ahead in the Pinta, that our
+eyes may first be greeted with the grateful sight of Asia? I nothing
+doubt of seeing it ere morning."</p>
+
+<p>"Go, of God's sake, good pilot, if thou thinkest this; though I warn
+thee that no continent can yet meet thine eyes. Nevertheless, as any
+land in these distant and unknown seas must be a discovery, and bring
+credit on Castile, as well as on ourselves, he who first perceiveth it
+will merit the reward. Thou, or any one else, hath my full permission to
+discover islands, or continents, in thousands."</p>
+
+<p>The people laughed at this sally, for the light-hearted are easily
+excited to mirth; and then the Pinta shot ahead. As the sun set, she was
+seen again lying-to for her companions&mdash;a dark speck on the rainbow
+colors of the glorious sky. The horizon at the north presented masses of
+clouds, in which it was not difficult to fancy the summits of ragged
+mountains, receding valleys, with headlands, and promontories,
+foreshortened by distance.</p>
+
+<p>The following day the wind baffled, for the first time since
+encountering the trades; and the clouds collected over-head, dispersing
+drizzling showers on the navigators. The vessels now lay near each
+other, and conversation flew from one to the other&mdash;boats passing and
+repassing, constantly.</p>
+
+<p>"I have come, Señor Almirante," said the elder Pinzon, as he reached the
+deck of the Santa Maria, "at the united request of my people, to beg
+that we may steer to the north, in quest of land, islands and continent,
+that no doubt lie there, and thus crown this great enterprise with the
+glory that is due to our illustrious sovereigns, and your own
+forethought."</p>
+
+<p>"The wish is just, good Martin Alonzo, and fairly expressed, but it may
+not be granted. That we should make creditable discoveries, by thus
+steering, is highly probable, but in so doing we should fall far short
+of our aim. Cathay and the Great Khan still lie west; and we are here,
+not to add another group, like the Canaries, or the Azores, to the
+knowledge of man, but to complete the circle of the earth, and to open
+the way for the setting up of the cross in the regions that have so long
+been the property of infidels."</p>
+
+<p>"Hast thou nothing to say, Señor de Muños, in support of our petition?
+Thou hast favor with his Excellency, and may prevail on him to grant us
+this small behest!"</p>
+
+<p>"To tell thee the truth, good Martin Alonzo," answered Luis, with more
+of the indifference of manner that might have been expected from the
+grandee to the pilot, than the respect that would become the secretary
+to the second person of the expedition&mdash;"to tell thee the truth good
+Martin Alonzo, my heart is so set on the conversion of the Great Khan,
+that I wish not to turn either to the right or left, until that glorious
+achievement be sufficiently secure. I have observed that Satan effecteth
+little against those who keep in the direct path, while his success with
+those who turn aside is so material, as to people his dominions with
+errants."</p>
+
+<p>"Is there no hope, noble admiral? and must we quit all these cheering
+signs, without endeavoring to trace them to some advantageous
+conclusion?"</p>
+
+<p>"I see no better course, worthy friend. This rain indicateth land; also
+this calm; and here is a visitor that denoteth more than either&mdash;yonder,
+in the direction of thy Pinta, where it seemeth disposed to rest its
+wings."</p>
+
+<p>Pinzon, and all near him, turned, and, to their common delight and
+astonishment, they saw a pelican, with extended wings that spread for
+ten feet, sailing a few fathoms above the sea, and apparently aiming at
+the vessel named. The adventurous bird, however, as if disdaining to
+visit one of inferior rank, passed the Pinta, and, sweeping up grandly
+toward the admiral, alighted on a yard of the Santa Maria.</p>
+
+<p>"If this be not a certain sign of the vicinity of land," said Columbus
+gravely, "it is what is far better, a sure omen that God is with us. He
+is sending these encouraging calls to confirm us in our intention to
+serve him, and to persevere to the end. Never before, Martin Alonzo,
+have I seen a bird of this species a day's sail from the shore!"</p>
+
+<p>"Such is my experience, too, noble admiral; and, with you, I look upon
+this visit as a most propitious omen. May it not be a hint to turn
+aside, and to look further in this quarter?"</p>
+
+<p>"I accept it not as such, but rather as a motive to proceed. At our
+return from the Indies, we may examine this part of the ocean with
+greater security, though I shall think naught accomplished until India
+be fairly reached, and India is still hundreds of leagues distant. As
+the time is favorable, however, we will call together our pilots, and
+see how each man placeth his vessel on the chart."</p>
+
+<p>At this suggestion, all the navigators assembled on board the Santa
+Maria, and each man made his calculations, sticking a pin in the rude
+chart&mdash;rude as to accuracy, but beautiful as to execution&mdash;that the
+admiral, with the lights he then possessed, had made of the Atlantic
+ocean. Vicente Yañez, and his companions of the Niña, placed their pin
+most in advance, after measuring off four hundred and forty marine
+leagues from Gomera. Martin Alonzo varied a little from this, setting
+his pin some twenty leagues farther east. When it was the turn of
+Columbus, he stuck a pin twenty leagues still short of that of Martin
+Alonzo, his companions having, to all appearance, like less skilful
+calculators, thus much advanced ahead of their true distance. It was
+then determined what was to be stated to the crews, and the pilots
+returned to their respective vessels.</p>
+
+<p>It would seem that Columbus really believed he was then passing between
+islands, and his historian, Las Casas, affirms that he was actually
+right in his conjecture; but if islands ever existed in that part of the
+ocean, they have long since disappeared; a phenomenon which, while it is
+not impossible, can scarcely be deemed probable. It is said that
+breakers have been seen, even within the present century, in this
+vicinity, and it is not unlikely that extensive banks do exist, though
+Columbus found no bottom with two hundred fathoms of line. The great
+collection of weeds, is a fact authenticated by some of the oldest
+records of human investigations, and is most probably owing to some
+effect of the currents which has a tendency to bring about such an end;
+while the birds must be considered as stragglers lured from their usual
+haunts by the food that would be apt to be collected by the union of
+weeds and fish. Aquatic birds can always rest on the water, and the
+animal that can wing its way through the air at the rate of thirty, or
+even fifty miles the hour, needs only sufficient strength, to cross the
+entire Atlantic in four days and nights.</p>
+
+<p>Notwithstanding all these cheering signs, the different crews soon began
+to feel again the weight of a renewed despondency. Sancho, who was in
+constant but secret communication with the admiral, kept the latter
+properly advised of the state of the people, and reported that more
+murmurs than usual prevailed, the men having passed again, by the
+suddenness of the reaction, from the most elastic hope, nearly to the
+verge of despair. This fact was told Columbus just at sunset on the
+evening of the 20th, or on that of the eleventh day after the fleet lost
+sight of land, and while the seaman was affecting to be busy on the
+poop, where he made most of his communications.</p>
+
+<p>"They complain, your Excellency," continued Sancho, "of the smoothness
+of the water; and they say that when the winds blow at all, in these
+seas, they come only from the eastward, having no power to blow from any
+other quarter. The calms, they think, prove that we are getting into a
+part of the ocean where there is no wind; and the east winds, they
+fancy, are sent by Providence to drive those there who have displeased
+Heaven by a curiosity that it was never intended that any who wear
+beards should possess."</p>
+
+<p>"Do thou encourage them, Sancho, by reminding the poor fellows that
+calms prevail, at times, in all seas; and, as for the east winds, is it
+not well known that they blow from off the African shores, in low
+latitudes, at all seasons of the year, following the sun in his daily
+track around the earth? I trust thou hast none of this silly
+apprehension?"</p>
+
+<p>"I endeavor to keep a stout heart, Señor Don Almirante, having no one
+before me to disgrace, and leaving no one behind me to mourn over my
+loss. Still, I should like to hear a little about the riches of those
+distant lands, as I find the thoughts of their gold and precious stones
+have a sort of religious charm over my weakness, when I begin to muse
+upon Moguer and its good cheer."</p>
+
+<p>"Go to, knave; thy appetite for money is insatiable; take yet another
+dobla, and as thou gazest on it thou mayst fancy what thou wilt of the
+coin of the Great Khan; resting certain that so great a monarch is not
+without gold, any more than he is probably without the disposition to
+part with it, when there is occasion."</p>
+
+<p>Sancho received his fee, and left the poop to Columbus and our hero.</p>
+
+<p>"These ups and downs among the knaves," said Luis, impatiently, "were
+best quelled, Señor, by an application of the flat of the sword, or, at
+need, of its edge."</p>
+
+<p>"This may not be, my young friend, without, at least, far more occasion
+than yet existeth for the severity. Think not that I have passed so many
+years of my life in soliciting the means to effect so great a purpose,
+and have got thus far on my way, in unknown seas, with a disposition to
+be easily turned aside from my purpose. But God hath not created all
+alike; neither hath he afforded equal chances for knowledge to the
+peasant and the noble. I have vexed my spirit too often, with arguments
+on this very subject, with the great and learned, not to bear a little
+with the ignorance of the vulgar. Fancy how much fear would have
+quickened the wits of the sages of Salamanca, had our discussion been
+held in the middle of the Atlantic, where man never had been, and whence
+no eyes but those of logic and science could discover a safe passage."</p>
+
+<p>"This is most true, Señor Almirante; and yet, methinks the knights that
+were of your antagonists should not have been wholly unmanned by fear.
+What danger have we here? this is the wide ocean, it is true, and we are
+no doubt distant some hundreds of leagues from the known islands, but,
+we are not the less safe. By San Pedro! I have seen more lives lost in a
+single onset of the Moors, than these caravels could hold in bodies, and
+blood enough spilt to float them!"</p>
+
+<p>"The dangers our people dread may be less turbulent than those of a
+Moorish fray, Don Luis, but they are not the less terrible. Where is the
+spring that is to furnish water to the parched lip, when our stores
+shall fail; and where the field to give us its bread and nourishment? It
+is a fearful thing to be brought down to the dregs of life, by the
+failure of food and water, on the surface of the wide ocean, dying by
+inches, often without the consolations of the church, and ever without
+Christian sepulture. These are the fancies of the seaman, and he is only
+to be driven from them violently when duty demands extreme remedies for
+his disease."</p>
+
+<p>"To me it seemeth, Don Christopher, that it will be time to reason thus,
+when our casks are drained, and the last biscuit is broken. Until then,
+I ask leave of your Excellency to apply the necessary logic to the
+<i>outside</i> of the heads of these varlets, instead of their insides, of
+which I much question the capacity to hold any good."</p>
+
+<p>Columbus too well understood the hot nature of the young noble to make a
+serious reply; and they both stood some time leaning against the
+mizen-mast, watching the scene before them, and musing on the chances of
+their situation. It was night, and the figures of the watch, on the deck
+beneath, were visible only by a light that rendered it difficult to
+distinguish countenances. The men were grouped; and it was evident by
+the low but eager tones in which they conversed, that they discussed
+matters connected with the calm, and the risks they ran. The outlines of
+the Pinta and Niña were visible, beneath a firmament that was studded
+with brilliants, their lazy sails hanging in festoons, like the drapery
+of curtains, and their black hulls were as stationary as if they both
+lay moored in one of the rivers of Spain. It was a bland and gentle
+night, but the immensity of the solitude, the deep calm of the
+slumbering ocean, and even the occasional creaking of a spar, by
+recalling to the mind the actual presence of vessels so situated,
+rendered the scene solemn, almost to sublimity.</p>
+
+<p>"Dost thou detect aught fluttering in the rigging, Luis?" the admiral
+cautiously inquired. "My ear deceiveth me, or I hear something on the
+wing. The sounds, moreover, are quick and slight, like those produced by
+birds of indifferent size."</p>
+
+<p>"Don Christopher, you are right. There are little creatures perched on
+the upper yards, and that of a size like the smaller songsters of the
+land."</p>
+
+<p>"Hark!" interrupted the admiral. "That is a joyous note, and of such a
+melody as might be met in one of the orange groves of Seville, itself!
+God be praised for this sign of the extent and unity of his kingdom,
+since land cannot well be distant, when creatures, gentle and frail as
+these, have so lately taken their flight from it!"</p>
+
+<p>The presence of these birds soon became known to all on deck, and their
+songs brought more comfort than the most able mathematical
+demonstration, even though founded on modern learning, could have
+produced on the sensitive feelings of the common men.</p>
+
+<p>"I told thee land was near," cried Sancho, turning with exultation to
+Martin Martinez, his constant disputant; "here thou hast the proof of
+it, in a manner that none but the traitor will deny. Thou hearest the
+songs of orchard birds&mdash;notes that would never come from the throats of
+the tired; and which sound as gaily as if the dear little feathered
+rogues were pecking at a fig or a grape in a field of Spain."</p>
+
+<p>"Sancho is right!" exclaimed the seamen. "The air savors of land, too;
+and the sea hath a look of the land; and God is with us&mdash;blessed be his
+Holy name&mdash;and honor to our lord the king, and to our gracious mistress,
+Doña Isabella!"</p>
+
+<p>From this moment concern seemed to leave the vessel, again. It was
+thought, even by the admiral himself, that the presence of birds so
+small, and which were judged to be so feeble of wing, was an unerring
+evidence that land was nigh; and land, too, of generous productions, and
+a mild, gentle climate; for these warblers, like the softer sex of the
+human family, best love scenes that most favor their gentle propensities
+and delicate habits.</p>
+
+<p>Investigation has since proved that, in this particular, however
+plausible the grounds of error, Columbus was deceived. Men often mistake
+the powers of the inferior animals of creation, and at other times they
+overrate the extent of their instinct. In point of fact, a bird of light
+weight would be less liable to perish on the ocean, and in that low
+latitude, than a bird of more size, neither being aquatic. The sea-weed
+itself would furnish resting-places without number for the smaller
+animals, and, in some instances, it would probably furnish food. That
+birds, purely of the land, should take long flights at sea, is certainly
+improbable; but, apart from the consequence of gales, which often force
+even that heavy-winged animal the owl, hundreds of miles from the land,
+instinct is not infallible; whales being frequently found embayed in
+shallow waters, and birds sailing beyond the just limits of their
+habits. Whatever may have been the cause of the opportune appearance of
+these little inhabitants of the orchard on the spars of the Santa Maria,
+the effect was of the most auspicious kind on the spirits of the men. As
+long as they sang, no amateurs ever listened to the most brilliant
+passages from the orchestra with greater delight than those rude seamen
+listened to their warbling; and while they slept, it was with a security
+that had its existence in veneration and gratitude. The songs were
+renewed with the dawn, shortly after which the whole went off in a body,
+taking their flight toward the south-west. The next day brought a calm,
+and then an air so light, that the vessels could with difficulty make
+their way through the dense masses of weeds, that actually gave the
+ocean the appearance of vast inundated meadows. The current was now
+found to be from the west, and shortly after daylight a new source of
+alarm was reported by Sancho.</p>
+
+<p>"The people have got a notion in their heads, Señor Almirante, which
+partaketh so much of the marvellous, that it findeth exceeding favor
+with such as love miracles more than they love God. Martin Martinez, who
+is a philosopher in the way of terror, maintaineth that this sea, into
+which we seem to be entering deeper and deeper, lieth over sunken
+islands, and that the weeds, which it would be idle to deny grow more
+abundant as we proceed, will shortly get to be so plentiful on the
+surface of the water, that the caravels will become unable to advance or
+to retreat."</p>
+
+<p>"Doth Martin find any to believe this silly notion?"</p>
+
+<p>"Señor Don Almirante, he doth; and for the plain reason that it is
+easier to find those who are ready to believe an absurdity, than to find
+those who will only believe truth. But the man is backed by some unlucky
+chances, that must come of the Powers of Darkness, more particularly as
+they can have no great wish to see your Excellency reach Cathay, with
+the intention of making a Christian of the Great Khan, and of planting
+the tree of the cross in his dominions. This calm sorely troubleth many,
+moreover, and the birds are beginning to be looked upon as creatures
+sent by Satan himself, to lead us whither we can never return. Some even
+believe we shall tread on shoals, and lie forever stranded wrecks in the
+midst of the wide ocean!"</p>
+
+<p>"Go, bid the men prepare to sound; I will show them the folly of this
+idea, at least; and see that all are summoned to witness the
+experiment."</p>
+
+<p>Columbus now repeated this order to the pilots, and the deep-sea was let
+go in the usual manner. Fathom after fathom of the line glided over the
+rail, the lead taking its unerring way toward the bottom, until so
+little was left as to compel the downward course to be arrested.</p>
+
+<p>"Ye see, my friends, that we are yet full two hundred fathoms from the
+shoals ye so much dread, and as much more as the sea is deeper than our
+measurement. Lo! yonder, too, is a whale, spouting the water before
+him&mdash;a creature never seen except on the coasts of large islands or
+continents."</p>
+
+<p>This appeal of Columbus, which was in conformity with the notions of the
+day, had its weight&mdash;his crew being naturally most under the influence
+of notions that were popular. It is now known, however, that whales
+frequent those parts of the ocean where their food is most abundant, and
+one of the best grounds for taking them, of late years, has been what is
+called the False Brazil Banks, which lie near the centre of the ocean.
+In a word, all those signs, that were connected with the movements of
+birds and fishes, and which appear to have had so much effect, not only
+on the common men of this great enterprise, but on Columbus himself,
+were of far less real importance than was then believed; navigators
+being so little accustomed to venture far from the land themselves, that
+they were not duly acquainted with the mysteries of the open ocean.</p>
+
+<p>Notwithstanding the moments of cheerfulness and hope that intervened,
+distrust and apprehension were fast getting to be again the prevailing
+feelings among the mariners. Those who had been most disaffected from
+the first, seized every occasion to increase these apprehensions; and
+when the sun rose, Saturday, September 22d, on a calm sea, there were
+not a few in the vessels who were disposed to unite in making another
+demand on the admiral to turn the heads of the caravels toward the east.</p>
+
+<p>"We have come some hundreds of leagues before a fair wind, into a sea
+that is entirely unknown to man, until we have reached a part of the
+ocean where the wind seems altogether to fail us, and where there is
+danger of our being bound up in immovable weeds, or stranded on sunken
+islands, without the means of procuring food or water!"</p>
+
+<p>Arguments like these were suited to an age in which even the most
+learned were obliged to grope their way to accurate knowledge, through
+the mists of superstition and ignorance, and in which it was a
+prevailing weakness to put faith, on the one hand, in visible proofs of
+the miraculous power of God, and, on the other, in substantial evidences
+of the ascendency of evil spirits, as they were permitted to affect the
+temporal affairs of those they persecuted.</p>
+
+<p>It was, therefore, most fortunate for the success of the expedition,
+that a light breeze sprang up from southward and westward, in the early
+part of the day just mentioned, enabling the vessels to gather way, and
+to move beyond the vast fields of weeds, that equally obstructed the
+progress of the caravels, and awakened the fears of their people. As it
+was an object to get clear of the floating obstacles that surrounded the
+vessels, the first large opening that offered was entered, and then the
+fleet was brought close upon a wind, heading as near as possible to the
+desired course. Columbus now believed himself to be steering
+west-north-west, when, in fact, he was sailing in a direction far nearer
+to his true course, than when his ships headed west by compass; the
+departure from the desired line of sailing, being owing to the variation
+in the needle. This circumstance alone, would seem to establish the
+fact, that Columbus believed in his own theory of the moving star, since
+he would hardly have steered west-and-by-south-half-south, with a fair
+wind, for many days in succession, as he is known to have done, when it
+was his strongest wish to proceed directly west. He was now heading up,
+within half a point of the latter course, though he and all with him,
+fancied they were running off nearly two points to leeward of the so
+much desired direction.</p>
+
+<p>But these little variations were trifles as compared with the advantage
+that the admiral obtained over the fears of his followers by the shift
+of the wind, and the liberation from the weeds. By the first, the men
+saw a proof that the breezes did not always blow from the same quarter;
+and by the last, they ascertained that they had not actually reached a
+point where the ocean had become impassable. Although the wind was now
+favorable to return to the Canaries, no one any longer demanded that
+such a course should be adopted, so apt are we all to desire that which
+appears to be denied to us, and so ready to despise that which lies
+perfectly at our disposal.</p>
+
+<p>This, indeed, was a moment when the feelings of the people
+appeared to be as variable as the light and baffling winds themselves.
+The Saturday passed away in the manner just mentioned, the vessels once
+more entering into large fields of weeds, just as the sun set. When the
+light returned, the airs headed them off to north-west and
+north-west-by-north, by compass, which was, in truth, steering
+north-west-by-west-half-west, and north-west-half-west. Birds abounded
+again, among which was a turtle-dove, and many living crabs were seen
+crawling among the weeds. All these signs would have encouraged the
+common men, had they not already so often proved deceptive.</p>
+
+<p>"Señor," said Martin Martinez, to the admiral, when Columbus went among
+the crew to raise their drooping spirits, "we know not what to think!
+For days did the wind blow in the same direction, leading us on, as it
+might be, to our ruin; and then it hath deserted us in such a sea as
+mariners in the Santa Maria never before saw. A sea, looking like
+meadows on a river side, and which wanteth only kine and cow-herds, to
+be mistaken for fields a little overflowed by a rise of the water, is a
+fearful thing!"</p>
+
+<p>"Thy meadows are the weeds of the ocean, and prove the richness of the
+nature that hath produced them; while thy breezes from the east, are
+what all who have ever made the Guinea voyage, well know to exist in
+latitudes so low. I see naught in either to alarm a bold seaman; and as
+for the bottom, we all know it hath not yet been found by many a long
+and weary fathom of line. Pepe, thou hast none of these weaknesses; but
+hast set thy heart on Cathay and a sight of the Great Khan?"</p>
+
+<p>"Señor Almirante, as I swore to Monica, so do I swear to your
+Excellency; and that is to be true and obedient. If the cross is to be
+raised among the Infidels, my hand shall not be backward in doing its
+share toward the holy act. Still, Señor, none of us like this long
+unnatural calm. Here is an ocean that hath no waves, but a surface so
+smooth that we much distrust whether the waters obey the same laws, as
+they are known to do near Spain; for never before have I beheld a sea
+that hath so much the air of the dead! May it not be, Señor, that God
+hath placed a belt of this calm and stagnant water around the outer
+edges of the earth, in order to prevent the unheedy from looking into
+some of his sacred secrets?"</p>
+
+<p>"Thy reasoning hath, at least, a savor of religion; and, though faulty,
+can scarce be condemned. God hath placed man on this earth, Pepe, to be
+its master, and to serve him by extending the dominion of his church, as
+well as by turning to the best account all the numberless blessings that
+accompany the great gift. As to the limits, of which thou speakest, they
+exist only in idea, the earth being a sphere, or a ball, to which there
+are no other edges than those thou seest everywhere on its surface."</p>
+
+<p>"And as for what Martin saith," put in Sancho, who was never at fault
+for a fact, or for a reason, "concerning the winds, and the weeds, and
+the calms, I can only wonder where a seaman of his years hath been
+navigating so long, that these things should be novelties. To me, all
+this is as common as dish-water at Moguer, and so much a matter of
+course, that I should not have remarked it, but for the whinings of
+Martin and his fellows. When the Santa Catalina made the voyage to that
+far-off region, Ireland, we landed on the sea-weed, a distance of half a
+league or so from the coast; and as for the wind, it blew regularly four
+weeks from one quarter, and four weeks from the other; after which the
+people of the country said it would blow four weeks each way,
+transversely; but we did not remain long enough in those seas to enable
+me to swear to the two last facts."</p>
+
+<p>"Hast thou not heard of shoals so wide that a caravel could never find
+its way out of them, if it once entered?" demanded Martinez, fiercely,
+for, much addicted to gross exaggerations himself, he little liked to be
+outdone; "and do not these weeds bespeak our near approach to such a
+danger, when the weeds themselves often are so closely packed as to come
+near to stop the ship?"</p>
+
+<p>"Enough of this," said the admiral: "at times we have weeds, and then we
+are altogether free from them; these changes are owing to the currents;
+no doubt as soon as we have passed this meridian, we shall come to clear
+water again."</p>
+
+<p>"But the calm, Señor Almirante," exclaimed a dozen voices. "This
+unnatural smoothness of the ocean frighteneth us! Never before did we
+see water so stagnant and immovable!"</p>
+
+<p>"Call ye this stagnant and immovable?" exclaimed the admiral. "Nature
+herself arises to reproach your senseless fears, and to contradict your
+mistaken reasoning, by her own signs and portents!"</p>
+
+<p>This was said as the Santa Maria's bows rose on a long low swell, every
+spar creaking at the motion, and the whole hull heaving and setting as
+the billow passed beneath it, washing the sides of the ship from the
+water line to its channels. At this moment there was not even a breath
+of air, and the seamen gazed about them with an astonishment that was
+increased and rendered extreme by dread. The ship had scarcely settled
+heavily into the long trough when a second wave lifted her again
+forward, and billow succeeded billow, each successive wave increasing in
+height, until the entire ocean was undulating, though only marked at
+distant intervals, and that slightly, by the foam of crests or combing
+seas. It took half an hour to bring this phenomenon up to its height,
+when all three vessels were wallowing in the seas, as mariners term it,
+their hulls falling off helplessly into the troughs, until the water
+fairly spouted from their low scuppers, as each rose by her buoyancy
+from some roll deeper than common. Fancying that this occurrence
+promised to be either a source of new alarm, or a means of appeasing the
+old one, Columbus took early measures to turn it to account, in the
+latter mode. Causing all the crew to assemble at the break of the poop,
+he addressed them, briefly, in the following words:</p>
+
+<p>"Ye see, men, that your late fears about the stagnant ocean are rebuked,
+in this sudden manner, as it might be, by the hand of God himself,
+proving, beyond dispute, that no danger is to be apprehended from that
+source. I might impose on your ignorance, and insist that this sudden
+rising of the sea is a miracle wrought to sustain me against your
+rebellious repinings and unthinking alarms; but the cause in which I am
+engaged needs no support of this nature, that doth not truly come from
+heaven. The calms, and the smoothness of the water, and even the weeds
+of which ye complain, come from the vicinity of some great body of land;
+I think not a continent, as that must lie still further west, but of
+islands, either so large or so numerous, as to make a far-extended lee;
+while these swells are probably the evidence of wind at a distance,
+which hath driven up the ocean into mountainous waves, such as we often
+see them, and which send out their dying efforts, even beyond the limits
+of the gale. I do not say that this intervention, to appease your fears,
+doth not come of God, in whose hands I am; for this last do I fully
+believe, and for it am I fully grateful; but it cometh through the
+agencies of nature, and can in no sense be deemed providential, except
+as it demonstrateth the continuance of the divine care, as well as its
+surpassing goodness. Go, then, and be tranquil. Remember, if Spain be
+far behind ye, that Cathay now lieth at no great distance before ye;
+that each hour shorteneth that distance, as well as the time necessary
+to reach our goal. He that remaineth true and faithful, shall not repent
+his confidence; while he who unnecessarily disturbeth either himself or
+others, with silly doubts, may look forward to an exercise of authority
+that shall maintain the rights of their Highnesses to the duty of all
+their servants."</p>
+
+<p>We record this speech of the great navigator with so much the more
+pleasure, as it goes fully to establish the fact that he did not believe
+the sudden rising of the seas, on this occasion, was owing to a direct
+miracle, as some of the historians and biographers seem inclined to
+believe; but rather to a providential interference of Divine Power,
+through natural means, in order to protect him against the consequences
+of the blind apprehensions of his followers. It is not easy, indeed, to
+suppose that a seaman as experienced as Columbus, could be ignorant of
+the natural cause of a circumstance so very common on the ocean, that
+those who dwell on its coast have frequent occasion to witness its
+occurrence.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XX" id="CHAPTER_XX"></a>CHAPTER XX.</h2>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"'<i>Ora pro nobis, Mater!</i>'&mdash;what a spell<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Was in those notes, with day's last glory dying<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">On the flush'd waters&mdash;seemed they not to swell<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">From the far dust, wherein my sires were lying<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">With crucifix and sword?&mdash;Oh! yet how clear<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Comes their reproachful sweetness to my ear!<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">'<i>Ora</i>'&mdash;with all the purple waves replying,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">All my youth's visions rising in the strain&mdash;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">And I had thought it much to bear the rack and chain!"<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">The Forest Sanctuary.</span><br /></span>
+</div></div>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p>It may now be well to recapitulate, and to let the reader distinctly
+know how far the adventurers had actually advanced into the unknown
+waters of the Atlantic; what was their real, and what their supposed
+position. As has been seen, from the time of quitting Gomera, the
+admiral kept two reckonings, one intended for his own government, which
+came as near the truth as the imperfect means of the science of
+navigation that were then in use would allow, and another that was
+freely exhibited to the crew, and was purposely miscalculated in order
+to prevent alarm, on account of the distance that had been passed. As
+Columbus believed himself to be employed in the service of God, this act
+of deception would be thought a species of pious fraud, in that devout
+age; and it is by no means probable that it gave the conscience of the
+navigator any trouble, since churchmen, even, did not hesitate always
+about buttressing the walls of faith by means still less justifiable.</p>
+
+<p>The long calms and light head-winds had prevented the vessels from
+making much progress for the few last days; and, by estimating the
+distance that was subsequently run in a course but a little south of
+west, it appears, notwithstanding all the encouraging signs of birds,
+fishes, calms, and smooth water, that on the morning of Monday,
+September 24th, or that of the fifteenth day after losing sight of
+Ferro, the expedition was about half-way across the Atlantic, counting
+from continent to continent, on the parallel of about 31 or 32 degrees
+of north latitude. The circumstance of the vessels being so far north of
+the Canaries, when it is known that they had been running most of the
+time west, a little southerly, must be imputed to the course steered in
+the scant winds, and perhaps to the general set of the currents. With
+this brief explanation, we return to the daily progress of the ships.</p>
+
+<p>The influence of the trades was once more felt, though in a very slight
+degree, in the course of the twenty-four hours that succeeded the day of
+the "miraculous seas," and the vessels again headed west by compass.
+Birds were seen as usual, among which was a pelican. The whole progress
+of the vessels was less than fifty miles, a distance that was lessened,
+as usual, in the public reckoning.</p>
+
+<p>The morning of the 25th was calm, but the wind returned, a steady,
+gentle breeze from the south-east, when the day was far advanced, the
+caravels passing most of the hours of light floating near each other in
+a lazy indolence, or barely stirring the water with their stems, at a
+rate little, if any, exceeding that of a mile an hour.</p>
+
+<p>The Pinta kept near the Santa Maria, and the officers and crews of the
+two vessels conversed freely with each other concerning their hopes and
+situation. Columbus listened to these dialogues for a long time,
+endeavoring to collect the predominant feeling from the more guarded
+expressions that were thus publicly delivered, and watching each turn of
+the expressions with jealous vigilance. At length it struck him that the
+occasion was favorable to producing a good effect on the spirits of his
+followers.</p>
+
+<p>"What hast thou thought of the chart I sent thee three days since, good
+Martin Alonzo?" called out the admiral. "Dost thou see in it aught to
+satisfy thee that we are approaching the Indies, and that our time of
+trial draweth rapidly to an end?"</p>
+
+<p>At the first sound of the admiral's voice, every syllable was hushed
+among the people; for, in spite of their discontent, and their
+disposition even to rise against him, in their extremity, Columbus had
+succeeded in creating a profound respect for his judgment and his person
+among all his followers.</p>
+
+<p>"'Tis a rare and well-designed chart, Señor Don Christopher," answered
+the master of the Pinta, "and doth a fair credit to him who hath copied
+and enlarged, as well as to him who first projected it. I doubt that it
+is the work of some learned scholar, that hath united the opinions of
+all the greater navigators in his map."</p>
+
+<p>"The original came from one Paul Toscanelli, a learned Tuscan, who
+dwelleth at Firenze in that country; a man of exceeding knowledge, and
+of an industry in investigation that putteth idleness to shame.
+Accompanying the chart he sent a missive that hath much profound and
+learned matter on the subject of the Indies, and touching those islands
+that thou seest laid down with so much particularity. In that letter he
+speaketh of divers places, as being so many wonderful exemplars of the
+power of man; more especially of the port of Zaiton, which sendeth forth
+no less than a hundred ships yearly, loaded with the single product of
+the pepper-tree. He saith, moreover, that an ambassador came to the Holy
+Father, in the time of Eugenius IV., of blessed memory, to express the
+desire of the Great Khan, which meaneth King of Kings, in the dialect of
+those regions, to be on friendly terms with the Christians of the west,
+as we were then termed; but of the east, as will shortly be our
+designation in that part of the world."</p>
+
+<p>"This is surprising, Señor!" exclaimed Pinzon: "how is it known, or is
+it known at all, of a certainty?"</p>
+
+<p>"Beyond a question; since Paul stateth, in his missive, that he saw much
+of this same ambassador, living greatly in his society, Eugenius
+deceasing as lately as 1477. From the ambassador, no doubt a wise and
+grave personage, since no other would have been sent so far on a mission
+to the Head of the Church; from this discreet person, then, did
+Toscanelli gain much pleasant information concerning the populousness
+and vast extent of those distant countries, the gorgeousness of the
+palaces, and the glorious beauty of the cities. He spoke of one town, in
+particular, that surpasseth all others of the known world; and of a
+single river that hath two hundred noble cities on its own banks, with
+marble bridges spanning the stream. The chart before thee, Martin
+Alonzo, showeth that the exact distance from Lisbon to the city of
+Quisay is just three thousand nine hundred miles of Italy, or about a
+thousand leagues, steering always in a due-west direction."<a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a></p>
+
+<p>"And doth the learned Tuscan say aught of the riches of those
+countries?" demanded Master Alonzo&mdash;a question that caused all within
+hearing to prick up their ears, afresh.</p>
+
+<p>"That doth he, and in these precise and impressive words&mdash;'This is a
+noble country,' observed the learned Paul, in his missive, 'and ought to
+be explored by us, on account of its great riches, and the quantity of
+gold, silver, and precious stones, which might be obtained there.' He
+moreover described Quisay as being five-and-thirty leagues in circuit,
+and addeth that its name in the Castilian, is 'the City of Heaven.'"</p>
+
+<p>"In which case," muttered Sancho, though in a tone so low that no one
+but Pepe heard him, "there is little need of our bearing thither the
+cross, which was intended for the benefit of man, and not of paradise."</p>
+
+<p>"I see here two large islands, Señor Almirante," continued Pinzon,
+keeping his eyes on the chart, "one of which is called Antilla, and the
+other is the Cipango of which your Excellency so often speaketh."</p>
+
+<p>"Even so, good Martin Alonzo, and thou also seest that they are laid
+down with a precision that must prevent any experienced navigator from
+missing his way, when in pursuit of them. These islands lie just two
+hundred and twenty-five leagues asunder."</p>
+
+<p>"According to our reckoning, here, in the Pinta, noble Admiral, we
+cannot, then, be far from Cipango at this very moment."</p>
+
+<p>"It would so seem by the reckonings, though I somewhat doubt their
+justness. It is a common error of pilots to run ahead of their
+reckonings, but in this instance, apprehension hath brought ye behind
+them. Cipango lieth many days' sail from the continent of Asia, and
+cannot, therefore, be far from this spot; still the currents have been
+adverse, and I doubt that it will be found that we are as near this
+island, good Martin Alonzo, as thou and thy companions imagine. Let the
+chart be returned, and I will trace our actual position on it, that all
+may see what reason there is to despond, and what reason to rejoice."</p>
+
+<p>Pinzon now took the chart, rolled it together carefully, attached a
+light weight, and securing the whole with the end of a log-line, he hove
+it on board the Santa Maria, as a seaman makes a cast with the lead. So
+near were the vessels at the moment, that this communication was made
+without any difficulty; after which, the Pinta, letting fall an
+additional sail or two, flapped slowly ahead, her superiority,
+particularly in light winds, being at all times apparent.</p>
+
+<p>Columbus now caused the chart to be spread over a table on the poop, and
+invited all who chose to draw near, in order that they might, with their
+own eyes, see the precise spot on the ocean where the admiral supposed
+the vessels to be. As each day's work was accurately laid down, and
+measured on the chart, by one as expert as the great navigator himself,
+there is little question that he succeeded in showing his people, as
+near as might be, and subject to the deduction in distance that was
+intentionally made, the longitude and latitude to which the expedition
+had then reached; and as this brought them quite near those islands
+which were believed to lie east of the continent of Asia, this tangible
+proof of their progress had far more effect than any demonstration that
+depended on abstract reasoning, even when grounded on premises that were
+true; most men submitting sooner to the authority of the senses, than to
+the influence of the mere mind. The seamen did not stop to inquire how
+it was settled that Cipango lay in the precise place where it had been
+projected on this famous chart, but, seeing it there, in black and
+white, they were disposed to believe it was really in the spot it
+appeared to be; and, as Columbus' reputation for keeping a ship's
+reckoning far surpassed that of any other navigator in the fleet, the
+facts were held to be established. Great was the joy, in consequence;
+and the minds of the people again passed from the verge of despair to an
+excess and illusion of hope, that was raised only to be disappointed.</p>
+
+<p>That Columbus was sincere in all that related to this new delusion, with
+the exception of the calculated reduction of the true distance, is
+beyond a doubt. In common with the cosmographers of the age, he believed
+the circumference of the earth much less than actual measurement has
+since shown it to be; striking out of the calculation, at once, nearly
+the whole breadth of the Pacific Ocean. That this conclusion was very
+natural, will be seen by glancing at the geographical facts that the
+learned then possessed, as data for their theories.</p>
+
+<p>It was known that the continent of Asia was bounded on the east by a
+vast ocean, and that a similar body of water bounded Europe on the west,
+leaving the plausible inference, on the supposition that the earth was a
+sphere, that nothing but islands existed between these two great
+boundaries of land. Less than half of the real circumference of the
+globe is to be found between the western and eastern verges of the old
+continent, as they were then known; but it was too bold an effort of the
+mind, to conceive that startling fact, in the condition of human
+knowledge at the close of the fifteenth century. The theories were
+consequently content with drawing the limits of the east and the west
+into a much narrower circle, finding no data for any freer speculation;
+and believing it a sufficient act of boldness to maintain the spherical
+formation of the earth at all. It is true, that the latter theory was as
+old as Ptolemy, and quite probably much older; but even the antiquity of
+a system begins to be an argument against it, in the minds of the
+vulgar, when centuries elapse, and it receives no confirmation from
+actual experiment. Columbus supposed his island of Cipango, or Japan, to
+lie about one hundred and forty degrees of longitude east of its actual
+position; and, as a degree of longitude in the latitude of Japan, or 35°
+north, supposing the surface of the earth to be perfectly spherical, is
+about fifty-six statute miles, it follows that Columbus had advanced
+this island, on his chart, more than seven thousand English miles toward
+the eastward, or a distance materially exceeding two thousand marine
+leagues.</p>
+
+<p>All this, however, was not only hidden in mystery as regards the common
+men of the expedition, but it far out-stripped the boldest conceptions
+of the great navigator himself. Facts of this nature, notwithstanding,
+are far from detracting from the glory of the vast discoveries that were
+subsequently made, since they prove under what moral disadvantages the
+expedition was conceived, and under what a limited degree of knowledge
+it finally triumphed.</p>
+
+<p>While Columbus was thus employed with the chart, it was a curious thing
+to witness the manner in which the seamen watched his smallest movement,
+studied the expression of his grave and composed countenance, and sought
+to read their fate in the contraction, or dilation, of his eyes. The
+gentlemen of the Santa Maria, and the pilots, stood at his elbow, and
+here and there some old mariner ventured to take his post at hand, where
+he could follow the slow progress of the pen, or note the explanation of
+a figure. Among these was Sancho, who was generally admitted to be one
+of the most expert seamen in the little fleet&mdash;in all things, at least,
+that did not require the knowledge of the schools. Columbus even turned
+to these men, and spoke to them kindly, endeavoring to make them
+comprehend a part of their calling, which they saw practised daily,
+without ever succeeding in acquiring a practical acquaintance with it,
+pointing out particularly the distance come, and that which yet remained
+before them. Others, again, the less experienced, but not the less
+interested among the crew, hung about the rigging, whence they could
+overlook the scene, and fancy they beheld demonstrations that came of
+theories which it as much exceeded their reasoning powers to understand,
+as it exceeded their physical vision to behold the desired Indies
+themselves. As men become intellectual, they entertain abstractions,
+leaving the dominion of the senses to take refuge in that of thought.
+Until this change arrives, however, we are all singularly influenced by
+a parade of positive things. Words spoken seldom produce the effect of
+words written; and the praise or censure that would enter lightly and
+unheeded into the ear, might even change our estimates of character,
+when received into the mind through the medium of the eye. Thus, the
+very seamen, who could not comprehend the reasoning of Columbus, fancied
+they understood his chart, and willingly enough believed that islands
+and continents must exist in the precise places where they saw them so
+plainly delineated.</p>
+
+<p>After this exhibition, cheerfulness resumed its sway over the crew of
+the Santa Maria; and Sancho, who was generally considered as of the
+party of the admiral, was eagerly appealed to by his fellows, for many
+of the little circumstances that were thought to explain the features of
+the chart.</p>
+
+<p>"Dost think, Sancho, that Cipango is as large as the admiral hath got
+the island on the chart?" asked one who had passed from the verge of
+despair to the other extreme; "that it lieth fairly, any eye may see,
+since its look is as natural as that of Ferro or Madeira."</p>
+
+<p>"That hath he," answered Sancho, positively, "as one may see by its
+shape. Didst not notice the capes, and bays, and headlands, all laid
+down as plainly as on any other well-known coast? Ah! these Genoese are
+skilful navigators; and Señor Colon, our noble admiral, hath not come
+all this distance without having some notion in what roadstead he is to
+anchor."</p>
+
+<p>In such conclusive arguments, the dullest minds of the crew found
+exceeding consolation; while among all the common people of the ship,
+there was not one who did not feel more confidence in the happy
+termination of the voyage, since he had this seeming ocular proof of the
+existence of land in the part of the ocean they were in.</p>
+
+<p>When the discourse between the admiral and Pinzon ceased, the latter
+made sail on the Pinta, which vessel had slowly passed the Santa Maria,
+and was now a hundred yards, or more, ahead of her; neither going
+through the water at a rate exceeding a knot an hour. At the moment just
+mentioned, or while the men were conversing of their newly awakened
+hopes, a shout drew all eyes toward their consort, where Pinzon was seen
+on the poop, waving his cap in exultation, and giving the usual proofs
+of extravagant delight.</p>
+
+<p>"Land!&mdash;Land! Señor!" he shouted. "I claim my reward! Land! Land!"</p>
+
+<p>"In what direction, good Martin Alonzo?" asked Columbus, so eagerly that
+his voice fairly trembled. "In which quarter dost thou perceive this
+welcome neighbor?"</p>
+
+<p>"Here, to the south-west," pointing in that direction&mdash;"a range of dim
+but noble mountains, and such as promise to satisfy the pious longings
+of the Holy Father himself!"</p>
+
+<p>Every eye turned toward the south-west, and there, indeed, they fancied
+they beheld the long-sought proofs of their success. A faint, hazy mass
+was visible in the horizon, broken in outline, more distinctly marked
+than clouds usually are, and yet so obscure as to require a practised
+eye to draw it out of the obscurity of the void. This is the manner in
+which land often appears to seamen, in peculiar conditions of the
+atmosphere; others, under such circumstances, being seldom able to
+distinguish it at all. Columbus was so practised in all the phenomena of
+the ocean, that the face of every man in the Santa Maria was turned
+toward his, in breathless expectation of the result, as soon as the
+first glance had been given toward the point of the compass mentioned.
+It was impossible to mistake the expression of the admiral's
+countenance, which immediately became radiant with delight and pious
+exultation. Uncovering himself, he cast a look upward in unbounded
+gratitude, and then fell on his knees, to return open thanks to God.
+This was the signal of triumph, and yet, in their desolate situation,
+exultation was not the prevalent feeling of the moment. Like Columbus,
+the men felt their absolute dependence on God; and a sense of humble and
+rebuked gratitude came over every spirit, as it might be simultaneously.
+Kneeling, the entire crews of the three vessels simultaneously commenced
+the chant of "Gloria in excelsis Deo!" lifting the voice of praise, for
+the first time since the foundations of the earth were laid, in that
+deep solitude of the ocean. Matins and vespers, it is true, were then
+habitually repeated in most Christian ships; but this sublime chant was
+now uttered to waves that had been praising their Maker, in their might
+and in their calm, for so many thousand years, for the first time in the
+voice of man.</p>
+
+<p>"<i>Glory be to God on high!</i>" sang these rude mariners, with hearts
+softened by their escapes, dangers, and success, speaking as one man,
+though modulating their tones to the solemn harmony of a religious
+rite&mdash;"<i>and on earth peace, good will toward men. We praise thee, we
+bless thee, we worship thee, we glorify thee, we give thanks to thee for
+thy great glory! O Lord God! Heavenly King! God the Father Almighty!"
+&amp;c., &amp;c.</i></p>
+
+<p>In this noble chant, which would seem to approach as near to the praises
+of angels as human powers can ever hope to rise, the voice of the
+admiral was distinct, and deep, but trembling with emotion.</p>
+
+<p>When this act of pious gratitude was performed, the men ascended the
+rigging to make more certain of their success. All agreed in pronouncing
+the faintly delineated mass to be land, and the first sudden transport
+of unexpected joy was succeeded by the more regulated feelings of
+confirmed security. The sun set a little north of the dim mountains,
+and night closed around the scene, shadowing the ocean with as much
+gloom as is ever to be found beneath a tropical and cloudless sky. As
+the first watch was set, Columbus, who, whenever the winds would
+allow, had persevered in steering what he fancied to be a due-west
+course, to satisfy the longings of his people, ordered the vessels to
+haul up to south-west by compass, which was, in fact, heading
+south-west-by-south-southerly. The wind increased, and, as the admiral
+had supposed the land to be distant about twenty-five leagues, when last
+seen, all in the little fleet confidently relied on obtaining a full and
+complete view of it in the morning. Columbus himself entertained this
+hope, though he varied his course reluctantly, feeling certain that the
+continent would be met by sailing west, or what he thought to be west,
+though he could have no similar confidence as to making any island.</p>
+
+<p>Few slept soundly that night&mdash;visions of oriental riches, and of the
+wonders of the East, crowding on the minds of even the least
+imaginative, converting their slumbers into dreams rendered uneasy by
+longings for gold, and anticipations of the wonders of the unknown East.
+The men left their hammocks, from hour to hour, to stand in the rigging,
+watching for some new proofs of their proximity to the much-desired
+islands, and straining their eyes in vain, in the hope of looking deeper
+into the obscurity in quest of objects that fancy had already begun to
+invest with forms. In the course of the night, the vessels ran in a
+direct line toward the south-west, seventeen of the twenty-five leagues
+that Columbus had supposed alone separated him from this new discovery;
+and just before the light dawned, every soul in the three vessels was
+stirring, in the eager hope of having the panorama of day open on such a
+sight, as they felt it to be but a slight grievance to have come so far,
+and to have risked so much, to behold.</p>
+
+<p>"Yonder is a streak of light, glimmering in the east," cried Luis, in a
+cheerful voice; "and now, Señor Almirante, we may unite in terming you
+the honored of the earth!"</p>
+
+<p>"All rests with God, my young friend," returned Columbus; "whether land
+is near us or not, it boundeth the western ocean, and to that boundary
+we must proceed. Thou art right, truly, friend Gutierrez; the light is
+beginning to shed itself along the eastern margin of the sea, and even
+to rise in an arch into the vault above it."</p>
+
+<p>"Would that the sun rose, for this one day, in the west, that we might
+catch the first glimpse of our new possessions in that radiant field of
+heaven, which his coming rays are so gloriously illuminating above the
+track we have just passed!"</p>
+
+<p>"That will not happen, Master Pedro, since Sol hath journeyed daily
+round this planet of ours, from east to west, since time began, and will
+so continue to journey until time shall cease. This <i>is</i> a fact on which
+our senses may be trusted, though they mislead us in so many other
+things."</p>
+
+<p>So reasoned Columbus, a man whose mind had out-stripped the age, in his
+favorite study, and who was usually so calm and philosophical; simply
+because he reasoned in the fetters of habit and prejudice. The
+celebrated system of Ptolemy, that strange compound of truth and error,
+was the favorite astronomical law of the day. Copernicus, who was then
+but a mere youth, did not reduce the just conception of Pythagoras&mdash;just
+in outline, though fanciful in its connection with both cause and
+effect&mdash;to the precision of science for many years after the discovery
+of America; and it is a strong proof of the dangers which attended the
+advancement of thought, that he was rewarded for this vast effort of
+human reason, by excommunication from the church, the maledictions of
+which actually rested on his soul, if not on his body, until within a
+few years of the present moment! This single circumstance will show the
+reader how much our navigator had to overcome in achieving the great
+office he had assumed.</p>
+
+<p>But all this time, the day is dawning, and the light is beginning to
+diffuse itself over the entire panorama of ocean and sky. As means were
+afforded, each look eagerly took in the whole range of the western
+horizon, and a chill of disappointment settled on every heart, as
+suspicion gradually became confirmation, that no land was visible. The
+vessels had passed, in the night, those bounds of the visible horizon,
+where masses of clouds had settled; and no one could any longer doubt
+that his senses had been deceived by some accidental peculiarity in the
+atmosphere. All eyes now turned again to the admiral, who, while he felt
+the disappointment in his inmost heart, maintained a dignified calm that
+it was not easy to disturb.</p>
+
+<p>"These signs are not infrequent at sea, Señor," he said to those near
+him, speaking loud enough, nevertheless, to be heard by most of the
+crew, "though seldom as treacherous as they have now proved to be. All
+accustomed to the ocean have doubtless seen them often; and as physical
+facts, they must be taken as counting neither for nor against us. As
+omens, each person will consider them as he putteth his trust in God,
+whose grace and mercy to us all, is yet, by a million of times,
+unrequited, and still would be, were we to sing <i>Glory in excelsis</i>,
+from morn till night, as long as breath lasted for the sacred office."</p>
+
+<p>"Still, our hope was so very strong, Don Christopher," observed one of
+the gentlemen, "that we find the disappointment hard to be borne. You
+speak of omens, Señor; are there any physical signs of our being near
+the land of Cathay?"</p>
+
+<p>"Omens come of God, if they come at all. They are a species of miracles
+preceding natural events, as real miracles surpass them. I think this
+expedition cometh of God; and I see no irreverence in supposing that
+this late appearance of land may have been heaped along the horizon for
+an encouraging sign to persevere, and as a proof that our labors will be
+rewarded in the end. I cannot say, nevertheless, that any but natural
+means were used, for these deceptions are familiar to us mariners."</p>
+
+<p>"I shall endeavor so to consider it, Señor Almirante," gravely returned
+the other, and the conversation dropped.</p>
+
+<p>The non-appearance of the land, which had been so confidently hoped for,
+produced a deep gloom in the vessels, notwithstanding; again changing
+the joy of their people into despondency. Columbus continued to steer
+due west by compass, or west-by-south-southerly, in reality, until
+meridian, when, yielding to the burning wishes of those around him, he
+again altered his course to the south-west. This course was followed
+until the ships had gone far enough in that direction to leave no doubt
+that the people had been misled by clouds, the preceding evening. At
+night, when not the faintest hope remained, the vessels kept away due
+west again, running, in the course of the twenty-four hours, quite
+thirty-one leagues, which were recorded before the crew as twenty-four.</p>
+
+<p>For several succeeding days no material changes occurred. The wind
+continued favorable, though frequently so light as to urge the vessels
+very slowly ahead, reducing the day's progress sometimes to little more
+than fifty of our English miles. The sea was calm, and weeds were again
+met, though in much smaller quantities than before. September 29th, or
+the fourth day after Pinzon had called out "land," another frigate-bird
+was seen; and as it was the prevalent notion among seamen that this bird
+never flew far from the shore, some faint hopes were momentarily revived
+by his passage. Two pelicans also appeared, and the air was so soft and
+balmy that Columbus declared nothing but nightingales were wanting, to
+render the nights as delicious as those of Andalusia.</p>
+
+<p>In this manner did birds come and go, exciting hopes that were doomed to
+be disappointed; sometimes flying in numbers that would seem to forbid
+the idea that they could be straying on the waste of waters, without the
+certainty of their position. Again, too, the attention of the admiral
+and of the people, was drawn to the variation of the needle, all uniting
+in the opinion that the phenomenon was only to be explained by the
+movements of the star. At length the first day of October arrived, and
+the pilots of the admiral's vessel seriously set to work to ascertain
+the distance they had come. They had been misled, as well as the rest,
+by the management of Columbus, and they now approached the latter, as he
+stood at his usual post on the poop, in order to give the result of
+their calculations, with countenances that were faithful indexes of the
+concern they felt.</p>
+
+<p>"We are not less than five hundred and seventy-eight leagues west of
+Ferro, Señor Almirante," commenced one of the two; "a fearful distance
+to venture into the bosom of an unknown ocean!"</p>
+
+<p>"Thou say'st true, honest Bartolemeo," returned Columbus, calmly;
+"though the further we venture, the greater will be the honor. Thy
+reckoning is even short of the truth, since this of mine, which is no
+secret from our people, giveth even five hundred and eighty-four
+leagues, fully six more than thine. But, after all, this scarce
+equalleth a voyage from Lisbon to Guinea, and we are not men to be
+outdone by the seamen of Don John!"</p>
+
+<p>"Ah! Señor Almirante, the Portuguese have their islands by the way, and
+the old world at their elbows; while we, should this earth prove not to
+be really a sphere, are hourly sailing toward its verge, and are running
+into untried dangers!"</p>
+
+<p>"Go to, Bartolemeo! thou talkest like a river-man who hath been blown
+outside his bar by a strong breeze from the land, and who fancieth his
+risks greater than man ever yet endured, because the water that wetteth
+his tongue is salt. Let the men see this reckoning, fearlessly; and
+strive to be of cheer, lest we remember thy misgivings beneath the
+groves of Cathay."</p>
+
+<p>"The man is sorely beset with dread," coolly observed Luis, as the
+pilots descended from the poop with a lingering step and a heavy heart.
+"Even your six short leagues added to the weight on his spirit. Five
+hundred and seventy-eight were frightful, but five hundred and
+eighty-four became burdensome to his soul!"</p>
+
+<p>"What would he then have thought had he known the truth, of which, young
+count, even thou art ignorant?"</p>
+
+<p>"I hope you do not distrust my nerves, Don Christopher, that this matter
+is kept a secret from me?"</p>
+
+<p>"I ought not, I do believe, Señor de Llera; and yet one gets to be
+distrustful even of himself, when weighty concerns hang by a thread.
+Hast thou any real idea of the length of the road we have come?"</p>
+
+<p>"Not I, by St. Iago! Señor. It is enough for me that we are far from the
+Doña Mercedes, and a league more or less counts but little. Should your
+theory be true, and the earth prove to be round, I have the consolation
+of knowing that we shall get back to Spain, in time, even by chasing the
+sun."</p>
+
+<p>"Still thou hast some general notion of our true distance from Ferro,
+knowing that each day it is lessened before the people."</p>
+
+<p>"To tell you the truth, Don Christopher, arithmetic and I have little
+feeling for each other. For the life of me, I never could tell the exact
+amount of my own revenues, in figures, though it might not be so
+difficult to come at their results, in another sense. If truth were
+said, however, I should think your five hundred and eighty leagues might
+fairly be set down at some six hundred and ten or twenty."</p>
+
+<p>"Add yet another hundred and thou wilt not be far from the fact. We are,
+at this moment, seven hundred and seven leagues from Ferro, and fast
+drawing near to the meridian of Cipango. In another glorious week, or
+ten days at most, I shall begin seriously to expect to see the continent
+of Asia!"</p>
+
+<p>"This is travelling faster than I had thought, Señor," answered Luis,
+carelessly; "but journey on; one of your followers will not complain,
+though we circle the earth itself."</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXI" id="CHAPTER_XXI"></a>CHAPTER XXI.</h2>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"Pronounce what sea, what shore is this?<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">The gulf, the rock of Salamis?"<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">Byron.</span><br /></span>
+</div></div>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p>The adventurers had now been twenty-three days out of sight of land, all
+of which time, with the exception of a few very immaterial changes in
+the wind, and a day or two of calms, they had been steadily advancing
+toward the west, with a southern variation that ranged between a fourth
+of a point and a point and a quarter, though the latter fact was unknown
+to them. Their hopes had been so often raised to be disappointed, that a
+sort of settled gloom now began to prevail among the common men, which
+was only relieved by irregular and uncertain cries of "land," as the
+clouds produced their usual deceptions in the horizon. Still their
+feelings were in that feverish state which admits of any sudden change;
+and as the sea continued smooth as a river, the air balmy, and the skies
+most genial, they were prevented from falling into despair. Sancho
+reasoned, as usual, among his fellows, resisting ignorance and folly,
+with impudence and dogmatism; while Luis unconsciously produced an
+effect on the spirits of his associates by his cheerfulness and
+confidence. Columbus, himself, remained calm, dignified, and reserved,
+relying on the justice of his theories, and continuing resolute to
+attain his object. The wind remained fair, as before, and in the course
+of the night and day of the 2d of October, the vessels sailed more than
+a hundred miles still further into that unknown and mysterious sea. The
+weeds now drifted westerly, which was a material change, the currents
+previously setting, in the main, in an opposite direction. The 3d proved
+even a still more favorable day, the distance made reaching to
+forty-seven leagues. The admiral now began to think seriously that he
+had passed the islands laid down in his chart, and, with the high
+resolution of one sustained by grand conceptions, he decided to stand on
+west, with the intention of reaching the shores of the Indies, at once.
+The 4th was a better day than either, the little fleet passing steadily
+ahead, without deviating from its course, until it had fairly made one
+hundred and eighty-nine miles, much the greatest day's work it had yet
+achieved. This distance, so formidable to men who began to count each
+hour and each league with uneasiness, was reckoned to all on board, but
+Luis, as only one hundred and thirty-eight miles.</p>
+
+<p>Friday, October 5th, commenced even more favorably, Columbus finding his
+ship gliding though the water&mdash;there being no sea to cause her to reel
+and stagger&mdash;at the rate of about eight miles the hour, which was almost
+as fast as she had ever been known to go, and which would have caused
+this day's work to exceed the last, had not the wind failed in the
+night. As it was, however, fifty-seven more leagues were placed between
+Ferro and the position of the vessel; a distance that was reduced to
+forty-five, with the crew. The following day brought no material change,
+Providence appearing to urge them on at a speed that must soon solve the
+great problem which the admiral had been so long discussing with the
+learned. It was already dark, when the Pinta came sheering down upon the
+quarter of the Santa Maria, until she had got so near that her commander
+hailed without the aid of a trumpet.</p>
+
+<p>"Is Señor Don Christopher at his post, as usual?" hurriedly demanded
+Pinzon, speaking like one who felt he had matter of weight upon his
+mind: "I see persons on the poop; but know not if his Excellency be
+among them."</p>
+
+<p>"What wouldst thou, good Martin Alonzo?" answered the admiral: "I am
+here, watching for the shores of Cipango, or Cathay, whichever God, in
+his goodness, may be pleased first to give us."</p>
+
+<p>"I see so many reasons, noble admiral, for changing our course more to
+the south, that I could not resist the desire to come down and say as
+much. Most of the late discoveries have been made in the southern
+latitudes, and we might do well to get more southing."</p>
+
+<p>"Have we gained aught by changing our course in this direction? Thy
+heart seemeth bent on more southern climes, worthy friend; while to my
+feelings we are now in the very paradise of sweets, land only excepted.
+Islands <i>may</i> lie south, or even north of us; but a continent <i>must</i> lie
+west. Why abandon a certainty for an uncertainty? the greater for the
+less? Cipango, or Cathay, for some pleasant spot, fragrant with spices
+no doubt, but without a name, and which can never equal the glories of
+Asia, either as a discovery or as a conquest?"</p>
+
+<p>"I would, Señor, I might prevail on you to steer more to the south!"</p>
+
+<p>"Go to, Martin Alonzo, and forget thy cravings. My heart is in the west,
+and thither reason teacheth me to follow it. First hear my orders, and
+then go seek the Niña, that thy brother, the worthy Vicente Yañez, may
+obey them also. Should aught separate us in the night, it shall be the
+duty of all to stand manfully toward the west, striving to find our
+company; for it would be a sad, as well as a useless thing, to be
+wandering alone in this unknown ocean."</p>
+
+<p>Pinzon, though evidently much displeased, was fain to obey, and after a
+short but a sharp and loud altercation with the admiral, the commander
+of the Pinta caused her to sheer toward the felucca to execute the
+order.</p>
+
+<p>"Martin Alonzo beginneth to waver," Columbus observed to Luis. "He is a
+bold and exceeding skilful mariner, but steadiness of object is not his
+greatest quality. He must be restrained from following the impulses of
+his weakness, by the higher hand of authority. Cathay!&mdash;Cathay is my
+aim!"</p>
+
+<p>After midnight the wind increased, and for two hours the caravels
+glanced through the smooth ocean at their greatest speed, which equalled
+nine English miles the hour. Few now undressed, except to change their
+clothes; and Columbus slumbered on the poop that night, using an old
+sail for his couch. Luis was his companion, and both were up and on the
+deck with the first appearance of dawn. A common feeling seemed to exist
+among all, that land was near, and that a great discovery was about to
+be made. An annuity of ten thousand maravedis had been promised by the
+sovereigns to him who should first descry land, and every eye was on the
+gaze, whenever opportunity permitted, to gain the prize.</p>
+
+<p>As the light diffused itself downward toward the margin of the ocean, in
+the western horizon, all thought there was the appearance of land, and
+sail was eagerly crowded on the different vessels, in order to press
+forward as fast as possible, that their respective crews might enjoy the
+earliest and the best chances of obtaining the first view. In this
+respect, circumstances singularly balanced the advantages and
+disadvantages between the competitors. The Niña was the fastest vessel
+in light airs and smooth water, but she was also the smallest. The Pinta
+came next in general speed, holding a middle place in size, and beating
+her consorts with a fresh breeze; while the Santa Maria, the last in
+point of sailing, had the highest masts, and consequently swept the
+widest range of horizon.</p>
+
+<p>"There is a good feeling uppermost to-day, Señor Don Christopher," said
+Luis, as he stood at the admiral's side, watching the advance of the
+light; "and if eyes can do it, we may hope for the discovery of land.
+The late run hath awakened all our hopes, and land we must have, even if
+we raise it from the bottom of the ocean."</p>
+
+<p>"Yonder is Pepe, the dutiful husband of Monica, perched on our highest
+yard, straining his eyes toward the west, in the hope of gaining the
+reward!" said Columbus, smiling. "Ten thousand maravedis, yearly, would,
+in sooth, be some atonement to carry back to the grieved mother and the
+deserted boy!"</p>
+
+<p>"Martin Alonzo is in earnest, also, Señor. See how he presseth forward
+in the Pinta; but Vicente Yañez hath the heels of him, and is determined
+to make his salutations first to the Great Khan, neglectful of the elder
+brother's rights."</p>
+
+<p>"Señor!&mdash;Señores!" shouted Sancho from the spar on which he was seated
+as composedly as a modern lady would recline on her ottoman&mdash;"the
+felucca is speaking in signals."</p>
+
+<p>"This is true," cried Columbus&mdash;"Vicente Yañez showeth the colors of the
+queen, and there goeth a lombarda to announce some great event!"</p>
+
+<p>As these were the signals directed in the event that either vessel
+should discover land before her consorts, little doubt was entertained
+that the leading caravel had, at last, really announced the final
+success of the expedition. Still the recent and grave disappointment was
+remembered, and, though all devoutly poured out their gratitude in
+mental offerings, their lips were sealed until the result should show
+the truth. Every rag of canvas was set, however, and the vessels seemed
+to hasten their speed toward the west, like birds tired with an unusual
+flight, which make new efforts with their wearied wings as the prospect
+of alighting suddenly breaks on their keen vision and active instincts.</p>
+
+<p>Hour passed after hour, however, and brought no confirmation of the
+blessed tidings. The western horizon looked heavy and clouded throughout
+the morning, it is true, often deceiving even the most practised eyes;
+but as the day advanced, and the vessels had passed more than fifty
+miles further toward the west, it became impossible to ascribe the hopes
+of the morning to another optical illusion. The depression of spirits
+that succeeded this new disappointment was greater than any that had
+before existed, and the murmurs that arose were neither equivocal nor
+suppressed. It was urged that some malign influence was leading the
+adventurers on, finally to abandon them to despair and destruction, in a
+wilderness of waters. This is the moment when, it has been said,
+Columbus was compelled to make conditions with his followers,
+stipulating to abandon the enterprise altogether, should it fail of
+success in a given number of days. But this weakness has been falsely
+ascribed to the great navigator, who never lost the fullest exercise of
+his authority, even in the darkest moments of doubt; maintaining his
+purpose, and asserting his power, with the same steadiness and calmness,
+in what some thought this distant verge of the earth, as he had done in
+the rivers of Spain. Prudence and policy at last dictated a change of
+course, however, which he was neither too obstinate nor too proud to
+submit to, and he accordingly adopted it of his own accord.</p>
+
+<p>"We are now quite a thousand leagues from Ferro, by my private
+reckoning, friend Luis," said Columbus to his young companion, in one of
+their private conferences, which took place after nightfall, "and it is
+really time to expect the continent of Asia. Hitherto I have looked for
+naught but islands, and not with much expectation of seeing even them,
+though Martin Alonzo and the pilots have been so sanguine in their
+hopes. The large flocks of birds, however, that have appeared to-day,
+would seem to invite us to follow their flights&mdash;land, out of doubt,
+being their aim. I shall accordingly change our course more to the
+south, though not as far as Pinzon desireth, Cathay being still my
+goal."</p>
+
+<p>Columbus gave the necessary orders, and the two other caravels were
+brought within hail of the Santa Maria, when their commanders were
+directed to steer west-south-west. The reason for this change was the
+fact that so many birds had been seen flying in that direction. The
+intention of the admiral was to pursue this course for two days.
+Notwithstanding this alteration, no land was visible in the morning;
+but, as the wind was light, and the vessels had only made five leagues
+since the course was changed, the disappointment produced less
+despondency than usual. In spite of their uncertainty, all in the
+vessels now rioted in the balmy softness of the atmosphere, which was
+found so fragrant that it was delicious to breathe it. The weeds, too,
+became more plenty, and many of them were as fresh as if torn from their
+native rocks only a day or two previously. Birds, that unequivocally
+belonged to the land, were also seen in considerable numbers, one of
+which was actually taken; while ducks abounded, and another pelican was
+met. Thus passed the 8th of October, the adventurers filled with hope,
+though the vessels only increased their distance from Europe some forty
+miles in the course of the twenty-four hours. The succeeding day brought
+no other material change than a shift of wind, which compelled the
+admiral to alter his course to west-by-north, for a few hours. This
+caused him some uneasiness, for it was his wish to proceed due west, or
+west-southerly; though it afforded considerable relief to many among his
+people, who had been terrified by the prevalence of the winds in one
+direction. Had the variation still existed, this would have been, in
+fact, steering the very course the admiral desired to go; but by this
+time, the vessels were in a latitude and longitude where the needle
+resumed its powers and became faithful to its direction. In the course
+of the night, the trades also resumed their influence; and early on the
+morning of the 10th, the vessels again headed toward the
+west-south-west, by compass, which was, in truth, the real course, or as
+near to it as might be.</p>
+
+<p>Such was the state of things when the sun rose on the morning of the
+10th October, 1492. The wind had freshened, and all three of the vessels
+were running free the whole day, at a rate varying from five knots to
+nine. The signs of the proximity of land had been so very numerous of
+late, that, at every league of ocean they passed over, the adventurers
+had the strongest expectations of discovering it, and nearly every eye
+in all three of the ships was kept constantly bent on the western
+horizon, in the hope of its owner's being the first to make the joyful
+announcement of its appearance. The cry of "land" had been so frequent
+of late, however, that Columbus caused it to be made known that he who
+again uttered it causelessly, should lose the reward promised by the
+sovereigns, even should he happen to be successful in the end. This
+information induced more caution, and not a tongue betrayed its master's
+eagerness on this all-engrossing subject, throughout the anxious and
+exciting days of the 8th, 9th, and 10th October. But, their progress in
+the course of the 10th exceeding that made in the course of both the
+other days, the evening sky was watched with a vigilance even surpassing
+that which had attended any previous sunset. This was the moment most
+favorable for examining the western horizon, the receding light
+illuminating the whole watery expanse in that direction, in a way to
+give up all its secrets to the eye.</p>
+
+<p>"Is that a hummock of land?" asked Pepe of Sancho, in a low voice, as
+they lay together on a yard, watching the upper limb of the sun, as it
+settled, like a glimmering star, beneath the margin of the ocean; "or is
+it some of this misguiding vapor that hath so often misled us of late?"</p>
+
+<p>"'Tis neither, Pepe," returned the more cool and experienced Sancho;
+"but a rise of the sea, which is ever thus tossing itself upward on the
+margin of the ocean. Didst ever see a calm so profound, that the water
+left a straight circle on the horizon? No&mdash;no&mdash;there is no land to be
+seen in the west to-night; the ocean, in that quarter, looking as blank
+as if we stood on the western shore of Ferro, and gazed outward into the
+broad fields of the Atlantic. Our noble admiral may have the truth of
+his side, Pepe; but, as yet, he hath no other evidence of it than is to
+be found in his reasons."</p>
+
+<p>"And dost thou, too, take sides against him, Sancho, and say that he is
+a madman who is willing to lead others to destruction, as well as
+himself, so that he die an admiral in fact, and a viceroy in fancy?"</p>
+
+<p>"I take sides against no man whose doblas take sides with me, Pepe; for
+that would be quarrelling with the best friend that both the rich and
+poor can make, which is gold. Don Christopher is doubtless very learned,
+and one thing hath he settled to my satisfaction, even though neither he
+nor any of us ever see a single jewel of Cathay, or pluck a hair from
+the beard of the Great Khan, and that is, that this world is round; had
+it been a plain, all this water would not be placed at the outer side,
+since it would clearly run off, unless dammed up by land. Thou canst
+conceive that, Pepe?"</p>
+
+<p>"That do I; it is reasonable and according to every man's experience.
+Monica thinketh the Genoese a saint!"</p>
+
+<p>"Harkee, Pepe; thy Monica is no doubt an uncommonly sensible woman, else
+would she never have taken thee for a husband, when she might have
+chosen among a dozen of thy fellows. I once thought of the girl myself,
+and might have told her so, had she seen fit to call me a saint, too,
+which she did not, seeing that she used a very different epithet. But,
+admitting the Señor Colon to be a saint, he would be none the better
+admired for it, inasmuch as I never yet met with a saint, or even with a
+virgin, that could understand the bearings and distances of a run as
+short as that from Cadiz to Barcelona."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou speakest irreverently, Sancho, of virgins and saints, seeing that
+they know every thing"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Ay, every thing but that. Our Lady of Rabida does not
+know south-east-and-by-southe-half-southe, from
+north-west-and-by-noathe-half-noathe. I have tried her, in this matter,
+and I tell thee she is as ignorant of it as thy Monica is ignorant of
+the manner in which the Duchess of Medina Sidonia saluteth the noble
+duke, her husband, when he returneth from hawking."</p>
+
+<p>"I dare say the duchess would not know, either, what to say, were she in
+Monica's place, and were she called on to receive me, as Monica will be,
+when we return from this great expedition. If I have never hawked,
+neither hath the duke ever sailed for two-and-thirty days, in a west
+course from Ferro, and this, too, without once seeing land!"</p>
+
+<p>"Thou say'st true, Pepe; nor hast thou ever yet done this and returned
+to Palos. But what meaneth all this movement on deck? Our people seem to
+be much moved by some feeling, while I can swear it is not from having
+discovered Cathay, or from having seen the Great Khan, shining like a
+carbuncle, on his throne of diamonds."</p>
+
+<p>"It is rather that they do not see him thus, that the men are moved.
+Dost not hear angry and threatening words from the mouths of the
+troublesome ones?"</p>
+
+<p>"By San Iago! were I Don Christopher, but I would deduct a dobla from
+the wages of each of the rascals, and give the gold to such peaceable
+men as you and me, Pepe, who are willing to starve to death, ere we will
+go back without a sight of Asia."</p>
+
+<p>"'Tis something of this sort, of a truth, Sancho. Let us descend, that
+his Excellency may see that he hath some friends among the crew."</p>
+
+<p>As Sancho assented to this proposition, he and Pepe stood on the deck in
+the next minute. Here, indeed, the people were found in a more mutinous
+state than they had been since the fleet left Spain. The long
+continuation of fair winds, and pleasant weather, had given them so much
+reason to expect a speedy termination of their voyage, that nearly the
+whole crew were now of opinion it was due to themselves to insist on the
+abandonment of an expedition that seemed destined to lead to nothing but
+destruction. The discussion was loud and angry, even one or two of the
+pilots inclining to think, with their inferiors, that further
+perseverance would certainly be useless, and might be fatal. When Sancho
+and Pepe joined the crowd, it had just been determined to go in a body
+to Columbus, and to demand, in terms that could not be misconceived, the
+immediate return of the ships to Spain. In order that this might be done
+with method, Pedro Alonzo Niño, one of the pilots, and an aged seaman
+called Juan Martin, were selected as spokesmen. At this critical moment,
+too, the admiral and Luis were seen descending from the poop, with an
+intent to retire to their cabin, when a rush was made aft, by all on
+deck, and twenty voices were heard simultaneously crying&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Señor&mdash;Don Christopher&mdash;Your Excellency&mdash;Señor Almirante!"</p>
+
+<p>Columbus stopped, and faced the people with a calmness and dignity that
+caused the heart of Niño to leap toward his mouth, and which materially
+checked the ardor of most of his followers.</p>
+
+<p>"What would ye?" demanded the admiral, sternly. "Speak! Ye address a
+friend."</p>
+
+<p>"We come to ask our precious lives, Señor," answered Juan Martin, who
+thought his insignificance might prove a shield&mdash;"nay, what is more, the
+means of putting bread into the mouths of our wives and children. All
+here are weary of this profitless voyage, and most think if it last any
+longer than shall be necessary to return, it will be the means of our
+perishing of want."</p>
+
+<p>"Know ye the distance that lieth between us and Ferro, that ye come to
+me with this blind and foolish request? Speak, Niño; I see that thou art
+also of their number, notwithstanding thy hesitation."</p>
+
+<p>"Señor," returned the pilot, "we are all of a mind. To go further into
+this blank and unknown ocean, is tempting God to destroy us, for our
+wilfulness. It is vain to suppose that this broad belt of water hath
+been placed by Providence around the habitable earth for any other
+purpose than to rebuke those who audaciously seek to be admitted to
+mysteries beyond their understanding. Do not all the churchmen,
+Señor&mdash;the pious prior of Santa Maria de Rabida, your own particular
+friend, included&mdash;tell us constantly of the necessity of submitting to a
+knowledge we can never equal, and to believe without striving to lift a
+veil that covers incomprehensible things?"</p>
+
+<p>"I might retort on thee, honest Niño, with thine own words," answered
+Columbus, "and bid thee confide in those whose knowledge thou canst
+never equal, and to follow submissively where thou art totally unfitted
+to lead. Go to; withdraw with thy fellows, and let me hear no more of
+this."</p>
+
+<p>"Nay, Señor," cried two or three in a breath, "we cannot perish without
+making our complaints heard. We have followed too far already, and, even
+now, may have gone beyond the means of a safe return. Let us, then, turn
+the heads of the caravels toward Spain, this night, lest we never live
+to see that blessed country again."</p>
+
+<p>"This toucheth on revolt! Who among ye dare use language so bold, to
+your admiral?"</p>
+
+<p>"All of us, Señor," answered twenty voices together. "Men need be bold,
+when their lives would be forfeited by silence."</p>
+
+<p>"Sancho, art thou, too, of the party of these mutineers? Dost thou
+confess thy heart to be Spain-sick, and thy unmanly fears to be stronger
+than thy hopes of imperishable glory and thy longings for the riches and
+pleasures of Cathay?"</p>
+
+<p>"If I do, Señor Don Almirante, set me to greasing masts, and take me
+from the helm, forever, as one unfit to watch the whirlings of the north
+star. Sail with the caravels, into the hall of the Great Khan, and make
+fast to his throne, and you will find Sancho at his post, whether it be
+at the helm or at the lead. He was born in a ship-yard, and hath a
+natural desire to know what a ship can do."</p>
+
+<p>"And thou, Pepe? Hast thou so forgotten thy duty as to come with this
+language to thy commander? to the admiral and viceroy of thy sovereign,
+the Doña Isabella?"</p>
+
+<p>"Viceroy over what?" exclaimed a voice from the crowd, without
+permitting Pepe to answer. "A viceroy over sea-weed, and one that hath
+tunny-fish, and whales, and pelicans, for subjects! We tell you, Señor
+Colon, that this is no treatment for Castilians, who require more
+substantial discoveries than fields of weeds, and islands of clouds!"</p>
+
+<p>"Home!&mdash;Home!&mdash;Spain!&mdash;Spain!&mdash;Palos!&mdash;Palos!" cried nearly all
+together, Sancho and Pepe having quitted the throng and ranged
+themselves at the side of Columbus. "We will no further west, which is
+tempting God; but demand to be carried back whence we came, if, indeed,
+it be not already too late for so happy a deliverance."</p>
+
+<p>"To whom speak ye in this shameless manner, graceless knaves?" exclaimed
+Luis, unconsciously laying a hand where it had been his practice to
+carry a rapier. "Get ye gone, or"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Be tranquil, friend Pedro, and leave this matter with me," interrupted
+the admiral, whose composure had scarce been deranged by the violent
+conduct of his subordinates. "Listen to what I have to say, ye rude and
+rebellious men, and let it be received as my final answer to any and all
+such demands as ye have just dared to make. This expedition hath been
+sent forth by the two sovereigns, your royal master and mistress, with
+the express design of crossing the entire breadth of the vast Atlantic,
+until it might reach the shores of India. Now, let what will happen,
+these high expectations shall not be disappointed; but westward we sail,
+until stopped by the land. For this determination, my life shall answer.
+Look to it, that none of yours be endangered by resistance to the royal
+orders, or by disrespect and disobedience to their appointed substitute;
+for, another murmur, and I mark the man that uttereth it, for signal
+punishment. In this ye have my full determination, and beware of
+encountering the anger of those whose displeasure may prove more fatal
+than these fancied dangers of the ocean.</p>
+
+<p>"Look at what ye have before you, in the way of fear, and then at what
+ye have before ye, in the way of hope. In the first case, ye have every
+thing to dread from the sovereigns' anger, should ye proceed to a
+violent resistance of their authority; or, what is as bad, something
+like a certainty of your being unable to reach Spain, for want of food
+and water, should ye revolt against your lawful leaders and endeavor to
+return. For this, it is now too late. The voyage east must, as regards
+time, be double that we have just made, and the caravels are beginning
+to be lightened in their casks. Land, and land in this region, hath
+become necessary to us. Now look at the other side of the picture.
+Before ye, lieth Cathay, with all its riches, its novelties, and its
+glories! A region more wonderful than any that hath yet been inhabited
+by man, and occupied by a race as gentle as they are hospitable and
+just. To this must be added the approbation of the sovereigns, and the
+credit that will belong to the meanest mariner that hath manfully stood
+by his commander in achieving so great an end."</p>
+
+<p>"If we will obey three days longer, Señor, will you then turn toward
+Spain, should no land be seen?" cried a voice from the crowd.</p>
+
+<p>"Never," returned Columbus, firmly. "To India am I bound, and for India
+will I steer, though another month be needed to complete the journey.
+Go, then, to your posts or your hammocks, and let me hear no more of
+this."</p>
+
+<p>There was so much natural dignity in the manner of Columbus, and when he
+spoke in anger, his voice carried so much of rebuke with it, that it
+exceeded the daring of ordinary men to presume to answer when he
+commanded silence. The people sullenly dispersed, therefore, though the
+disaffection was by no means appeased. Had there been only a single
+vessel in the expedition, it is quite probable that they would have
+proceeded to some act of violence; but, uncertain of the state of
+feeling in the Pinta and the Niña, and holding Martin Alonzo Pinzon in
+as much habitual respect as they stood in awe of Columbus, the boldest
+among them were, for the present, fain to give vent to their
+dissatisfaction in murmurs, though they secretly meditated decided
+measures, as soon as an opportunity for consultation and concert with
+the crews of the other vessels might offer.</p>
+
+<p>"This looketh serious, Señor," said Luis, as soon as he and the admiral
+were alone again in their little cabin, "and, by St. Luke! it might cool
+the ardor of these knaves, did your Excellency suffer me to cast two or
+three of the most insolent of the vagabonds into the sea."</p>
+
+<p>"Which is a favor that some among them have actually contemplated
+conferring upon thee and me," answered Columbus.</p>
+
+<p>"Sancho keepeth me well informed of the feeling among the people, and it
+is now many days since he hath let me know this fact. We will proceed
+peaceably, if possible, Señor Gutierrez, or de Muños, whichever name
+thou most affectest, as long as we can; but should there truly arise an
+occasion to resort to force, thou wilt find that Christofero Colombo
+knoweth how to wield a sword as well as he knoweth how to use his
+instruments of science."</p>
+
+<p>"How far do you really think us from land, Señor Almirante? I ask from
+curiosity, and not from dread; for though the ship floated on the very
+verge of the earth, ready to fall off into vacuum, you should hear no
+murmur from me."</p>
+
+<p>"I am well assured of this, young noble," returned Columbus,
+affectionately squeezing the hand of Luis, "else wouldst thou not be
+here. I make our distance from Ferro exceed a thousand marine leagues;
+this is about the same as that at which I have supposed Cathay to lie
+from Europe, and it is, out of question, sufficiently far to meet with
+many of the islands that are known to abound in the seas of Asia. The
+public reckoning maketh the distance a little more than eight hundred
+leagues; but, in consequence of the favorable currents of which we have
+lately had so much, I doubt if we are not fully eleven hundred from the
+Canaries, at this moment, if not even further. We are doubtless a trifle
+nearer to the Azores, which are situated further west, though in a
+higher latitude."</p>
+
+<p>"Then you think, Señor, that we may really expect land, ere many days?"</p>
+
+<p>"So certain do I feel of this, Luis, that I should have little
+apprehension of complying with the terms of these audacious men, but for
+the humiliation. Ptolemy divided the earth into twenty-four hours, of
+fifteen degrees each, and I place but some five or six of these hours in
+the Atlantic. Thirteen hundred leagues, I feel persuaded, will bring us
+to the shores of Asia, and eleven of these thirteen hundred leagues do I
+believe we have come."</p>
+
+<p>"To-morrow may then prove an eventful day, Señor Almirante; and now to
+our cots, where I shall dream of a fairer land than Christian eye ever
+yet looked upon, with the fairest maiden of Spain&mdash;nay, by San Pedro! of
+Europe&mdash;beckoning me on!"</p>
+
+<p>Columbus and Luis now sought their rest. In the morning, it was evident
+by the surly looks of the people, that feelings like a suppressed
+volcano were burning in their bosoms, and that any untoward accident
+might produce an eruption. Fortunately, however, signs, of a nature so
+novel, soon appeared, as to draw off the attention of the most
+disaffected from their melancholy broodings. The wind was fresh, as
+usual fair, and, what was really a novelty since quitting Ferro, the sea
+had got up, and the vessels were riding over waves which removed that
+appearance of an unnatural calm that had hitherto alarmed the men with
+its long continuance. Columbus had not been on deck five minutes, when a
+joyful cry from Pepe drew all eyes toward the yard on which he was at
+work. The seaman was pointing eagerly at some object in the water, and
+rushing to the side of the vessel, all saw the welcome sign that had
+caught his gaze. As the ship lifted on a sea, and shot ahead, a rush of
+a bright fresh green was passed, and the men gave a loud shout, for all
+well knew that this plant certainly came from some shore, and that it
+could not have been long torn from the spot of its growth.</p>
+
+<p>"This is truly a blessed omen!" said Columbus; "rushes cannot grow
+without the light of heaven, whatever may be the case with weeds."</p>
+
+<p>This little occurrence changed, or at least checked, the feelings of the
+disaffected. Hope once more resumed its sway, and all who could,
+ascended the rigging to watch the western horizon. The rapid motion of
+the vessels, too, added to this buoyancy of feeling, the Pinta and Niña
+passing and repassing the admiral, as it might be in pure wantonness. A
+few hours later, fresh weeds were met, and about noon Sancho announced
+confidently that he had seen a fish which is known to live in the
+vicinity of rocks. An hour later, the Niña came sheering up toward the
+admiral, with her commander in the rigging, evidently desirous of
+communicating some tidings of moment.</p>
+
+<p>"What now, good Vicente Yañez?" called out Columbus; "thou seemest the
+messenger of welcome news!"</p>
+
+<p>"I think myself such, Don Christopher," answered the other. "We have
+just passed a bush bearing roseberries, quite newly torn from the tree!
+This is a sign that cannot deceive us."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou say'st true, my friend. To the west!&mdash;to the west! Happy will he
+be whose eyes first behold the wonders of the Indies!"</p>
+
+<p>It would not be easy to describe the degree of hope and exultation that
+now began to show itself among the people. Good-natured jests flew about
+the decks, and the laugh was easily raised where so lately all had been
+despondency and gloom. The minutes flew swiftly by, and every man had
+ceased to think of Spain, bending his thoughts again on the as yet
+unseen west.</p>
+
+<p>A little later, a cry of exultation was heard from the Pinta, which was
+a short distance to windward and ahead of the admiral. As this vessel
+shortened sail and hove-to, lowering a boat, and then immediately kept
+away, the Santa Maria soon came foaming up under her quarter, and spoke
+her.</p>
+
+<p>"What now, Martin Alonzo?" asked Columbus, suppressing his anxiety in an
+appearance of calmness and dignity. "Thou and thy people seem in an
+ecstasy!"</p>
+
+<p>"Well may we be so! About an hour since, we passed a piece of the
+cane-plant, of the sort of which sugar is made in the East, as
+travellers say, and such as we often see in our own ports. But this is a
+trifling symptom of land compared to the trunk of a tree that we have
+also passed. As if Providence had not yet dealt with us with sufficient
+kindness, all these articles were met floating near each other; and we
+have thought them of sufficient value to lower a boat, that we might
+possess them."</p>
+
+<p>"Lay thy sails to the mast, good Martin Alonzo, and send thy prizes
+hither, that I may judge of their value."</p>
+
+<p>Pinzon complied, and the Santa Maria being hove-to, at the same time,
+the boat soon touched her side. Martin Alonzo made but one bound from
+the thwart to the gunwale of the ship, and was soon on the deck of the
+admiral. Here he eagerly displayed the different articles that his men
+tossed after him, all of which had been taken out of the sea, not an
+hour before.</p>
+
+<p>"See, noble Señores," said Martin Alonzo, almost breathless with haste
+to display his treasures&mdash;"this is a sort of board, though of unknown
+wood, and fashioned with exceeding care: here is also another piece of
+cane: this is a plant that surely cometh from the land; and most of all,
+this is a walking-stick, fashioned by the hand of man, and that, too,
+with exceeding care!"</p>
+
+<p>"All this is true," said Columbus, examining the different articles, one
+by one; "God, in his might and power, be praised for these comfortable
+evidences of our near approach to a new world! None but a malignant
+Infidel can now doubt of our final success."</p>
+
+<p>"These things have questionless come from some boat that hath been
+upset, which will account for their being so near each other in the
+water," said Martin Alonzo, willing to sustain his physical proofs by a
+plausible theory. "It would not be wonderful were drowned bodies near."</p>
+
+<p>"Let us hope not, Martin Alonzo," answered the admiral; "let us fancy
+naught so melancholy. A thousand accidents may have thrown these
+articles together, into the sea; and once there, they would float in
+company for a twelvemonth, unless violently separated. But come they
+whence they may, to us, they are infallible proofs that not only land is
+near, but land which is the abiding-place of men."</p>
+
+<p>It is not easy to describe the enthusiasm that now prevailed in all the
+vessels. Hitherto they had met with only birds, and fishes, and weeds,
+signs that are often precarious; but here was such proof of their being
+in the neighborhood of their fellow-creatures, as it was not easy to
+withstand. It was true, articles of this nature might drift, in time,
+even across the vast distance they had come; but it was not probable
+that they would drift so far in company. Then, the berries were fresh,
+the board was of an unknown wood, and the walking-stick, in particular,
+if such indeed was its use, was carved in a manner that was never
+practised in Europe. The different articles passed from hand to hand,
+until all in the ship had examined them; and every thing like doubt
+vanished before this unlooked-for confirmation of the admiral's
+predictions. Pinzon returned to his vessel, sail was again made, and the
+fleet continued to steer to the west-south-west, until the hour of
+sunset.</p>
+
+<p>Something like a chill of disappointment again came over the more
+faint-hearted of the people, however, as they once more, or for the
+thirty-fourth time since quitting Gomera, saw the sun sink behind a
+watery horizon. More than a hundred vigilant eyes watched the glowing
+margin of the ocean, at this interesting moment, and though the heavens
+were cloudless, naught was visible but the gloriously tinted vault, and
+the outline of water, broken into the usual ragged forms of the unquiet
+element.</p>
+
+<p>The wind freshened as evening closed, and Columbus having called his
+vessels together, as was usual with him at that hour, he issued new
+orders concerning the course. For the last two or three days they had
+been steering materially to the southward of west, and Columbus, who
+felt persuaded that his most certain and his nearest direction from land
+to land, was to traverse the ocean, if possible, on a single parallel of
+latitude, was anxious to resume his favorite course, which was what he
+fancied to be due west. Just as night drew around the mariners,
+accordingly, the ships edged away to the required course, and ran off at
+the rate of nine miles the hour, following the orb of day as if resolute
+to penetrate into the mysteries of his nightly retreat, until some great
+discovery should reward the effort.</p>
+
+<p>Immediately after this change in the course, the people sang the vesper
+hymn, as usual, which, in that mild sea, they often deferred until the
+hour when the watch below sought their hammocks. That night, however,
+none felt disposed to sleep; and it was late when the chant of the
+seamen commenced, with the words of "<i>Salve fac Regina</i>." It was a
+solemn thing to hear the songs of religious praise mingling with the
+sighings of the breeze and the wash of the waters, in that ocean
+solitude; and the solemnity was increased by the expectations of the
+adventurers and the mysteries that lay behind the curtain they believed
+themselves about to raise. Never before had this hymn sounded so sweetly
+in the ears of Columbus, and Luis found his eyes suffusing with tears,
+as he recalled the soft thrilling notes of Mercedes' voice, in her holy
+breathings of praise at this hour. When the office ended, the admiral
+called the crew to the quarter-deck, and addressed them earnestly from
+his station on the poop.</p>
+
+<p>"I rejoice, my friends," he said, "that you have had the grace to chant
+the vesper hymn in so devout a spirit, at a moment when there is so much
+reason to be grateful to God for his goodness to us throughout this
+voyage. Look back at the past and see if one of you, the oldest sailor
+of your number, can recall any passage at sea, I will not say of equal
+length, for that no one here hath ever before made, but any equal number
+of days at sea, in which the winds have been as fair, the weather as
+propitious, or the ocean as calm, as on this occasion. Then what
+cheering signs have encouraged us to persevere! God is in the midst of
+the ocean, my friends, as well as in his sanctuaries of the land. Step
+by step, as it were, hath he led us on, now filling the air with birds,
+now causing the sea to abound with unusual fishes, and then spreading
+before us fields of plants, such as are seldom met far from the rocks
+where they grew. The last and best of his signs hath he given us this
+day. My own calculations are in unison with these proofs, and I deem it
+probable that we reach the land this very night. In a few hours, or when
+we shall have run the distance commanded by the eye, as the light left
+us, I shall deem it prudent to shorten sail; and I call on all of you to
+be watchful, lest we unwittingly throw ourselves on the strange shores.
+Ye know that the sovereigns have graciously promised ten thousand
+maravedis, yearly, and for life, to him who shall first discover land:
+to this rich reward I will add a doublet of velvet, such as it would
+befit a grandee to wear. Sleep not, then; but, at the turn of the night,
+be all vigilance and watchfulness. I am now most serious with ye, and
+look for land this very blessed night."</p>
+
+<p>These encouraging words produced their full effect, the men scattering
+themselves in the ship, each taking the best position he could, to earn
+the coveted prizes. Deep expectation is always a quiet feeling, the
+jealous senses seeming to require silence and intensity of
+concentration, in order to give them their full exercise. Columbus
+remained on the poop, while Luis, less interested, threw himself on a
+sail, and passed the time in musing on Mercedes, and in picturing to
+himself the joyful moment when he might meet her again, a triumphant and
+successful adventurer.</p>
+
+<p>The death-like silence that prevailed in the ship, added to the
+absorbing interest of that important night. At the distance of a mile
+was the little Niña, gliding on her course with a full sail; while half
+a league still further in advance, was to be seen the shadowy outline of
+the Pinta, which preceded her consorts, as the swiftest sailer with a
+fresh breeze. Sancho had been round to every sheet and brace, in person,
+and never before had the admiral's ship held as good way with her
+consorts as on that night, all three of the vessels appearing to have
+caught the eager spirit of those they contained, and to be anxious to
+outdo themselves. At moments the men started, while the wind murmured
+through the cordage, as if they heard unknown and strange voices from a
+mysterious world; and fifty times, when the waves combed upon the sides
+of the ship, did they turn their heads, expecting to see a crowd of
+unknown beings, fresh from the eastern world, pouring in upon their
+decks.</p>
+
+<p>As for Columbus, he sighed often; for minutes at a time would he stand
+looking intently toward the west, like one who strove to penetrate the
+gloom of night, with organs exceeding human powers. At length he bent
+his body forward, gazed intently over the weather railing of the ship,
+and then, lifting his cap, he seemed to be offering up his spirit in
+thanksgiving or prayer. All this Luis witnessed where he lay: at the
+next instant he heard himself called.</p>
+
+<p>"Pero Gutierrez&mdash;Pedro de Muños&mdash;Luis&mdash;whatever thou art termed," said
+Columbus, his fine masculine voice trembling with eagerness&mdash;"come
+hither, son; tell me if thine eyes accord with mine. Look in this
+direction&mdash;here, more on the vessel's beam; seest thou aught uncommon?"</p>
+
+<p>"I saw a light, Señor; one that resembled a candle, being neither larger
+nor more brilliant; and to me it appeared to move, as if carried in the
+hand, or tossed by waves."</p>
+
+<p>"Thy eyes did not deceive thee; thou seest it doth not come of either of
+our consorts, both of which are here on the bow."</p>
+
+<p>"What do you, then, take this light to signify, Don Christopher?"</p>
+
+<p>"Land! It is either on the land itself, rendered small by distance, or
+it cometh of some vessel that is a stranger to us, and which belongeth
+to the Indies. There is Rodrigo Sanchez of Segovia, the comptroller of
+the fleet, beneath us; descend, and bid him come hither."</p>
+
+<p>Luis did as required, and presently the comptroller was also at the
+admiral's side. Half an hour passed, and the light was not seen again;
+then it gleamed upward once or twice, like a torch, and finally
+disappeared. This circumstance was soon known to all in the ship, though
+few attached the same importance to it as Columbus himself.</p>
+
+<p>"This is land," quietly observed the admiral, to those near his person:
+"ere many hours we may expect to behold it. Now ye may pour out your
+souls in gratitude and confidence, for in such a sign there can be no
+deception. No phenomenon of the ocean resembleth that light; and my
+reckoning placeth us in a quarter of the world where land <i>must</i> exist,
+else is the earth no sphere."</p>
+
+<p>Notwithstanding this great confidence on the part of the admiral, most
+of those in the ship did not yet feel the same certainty in the result,
+although all felt the strongest hopes of falling in with land next day.
+Columbus saying no more on the subject, the former silence was soon
+resumed, and, in a few minutes, every eye was again turned toward the
+west, in anxious watchfulness. In this manner the time passed away, the
+ships driving ahead with a speed much exceeding that of their ordinary
+rate of sailing, until the night had turned, when its darkness was
+suddenly illuminated by a blaze of light, and the report of a gun from
+the Pinta came struggling up against the fresh breeze of the trades.</p>
+
+<p>"There speaketh Martin Alonzo!" exclaimed the admiral; "and we may be
+certain that he hath not given the signal idly. Who sitteth on the
+top-gallant yard, there, on watch for wonders ahead?"</p>
+
+<p>"Señor Don Almirante, it is I," answered Sancho. "I have been here since
+we sang the vesper hymn."</p>
+
+<p>"Seest thou aught unusual, westward? Look vigilantly, for we touch on
+mighty things!"</p>
+
+<p>"Naught, Señor, unless it be that the Pinta is lessening her canvas, and
+the Niña is already closing with our fleet consort&mdash;nay, I now see the
+latter shortening sail also!"</p>
+
+<p>"For these great tidings, all honor and praise be to God! These are
+proofs that no false cry hath this time misled their judgments. We will
+join our consorts, good Bartolemeo, ere we take in a single inch of
+canvas."</p>
+
+<p>Every thing was now in motion on board the Santa Maria, which went
+dashing ahead for another half hour, when she came up with the two other
+caravels, both of which had hauled by the wind, under short canvas, and
+were forging slowly through the water, on different tacks, like coursers
+cooling themselves after having terminated a severe struggle by reaching
+the goal.</p>
+
+<p>"Come hither, Luis," said Columbus, "and feast thine eyes with a sight
+that doth not often meet the gaze of the best of Christians."</p>
+
+<p>The night was far from dark, a tropical sky glittering with a thousand
+stars, and even the ocean itself appearing to emit a sombre, melancholy
+light. By the aid of such assistants it was possible to see several
+miles, and more especially to note objects on the margin of the ocean.
+When the young man cast his eyes to leeward, as directed by Columbus, he
+very plainly perceived a point where the blue of the sky ceased, and a
+dark mound rose from the water, stretching for a few leagues southward,
+and then terminated, as it had commenced, by a union between the watery
+margin of the ocean and the void of heaven. The intermediate space had
+the defined outline, the density, and the hue of land, as seen at
+midnight.</p>
+
+<p>"Behold the Indies!" said Columbus; "the mighty problem is solved! This
+is doubtless an island, but a continent is near. Laud be to God!"</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXII" id="CHAPTER_XXII"></a>CHAPTER XXII.</h2>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"There is a Power, whose care<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">Teaches thy way along that pathless coast&mdash;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">The desert and illimitable air&mdash;<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">Lone wandering, but not lost."<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">Bryant.</span><br /></span>
+</div></div>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p>The two or three hours that succeeded, were hours of an extraordinary
+and intense interest. The three vessels stood hovering off the dusky
+shore, barely keeping at a safe distance, stripped of most of their
+canvas, resembling craft that cruised leisurely at a given point,
+indifferent to haste or speed. As they occasionally and slowly passed
+each other, words of heart-felt congratulation were exchanged; but no
+noisy or intemperate exultation was heard on that all-important night.
+The sensations excited in the adventurers, by their success, were too
+deep and solemn for any such vulgar exhibition of joy; and perhaps there
+was not one among them all who did not, at that moment, inwardly confess
+his profound submission to, and absolute dependence on a Divine
+Providence.</p>
+
+<p>Columbus was silent. Emotions like his seldom find vent in words; but
+his heart was overflowing with gratitude and love. He believed himself
+to be in the further east, and to have reached that part of the world by
+sailing west; and it is natural to suppose that he expected the curtain
+of day would rise on some of those scenes of oriental magnificence which
+had been so eloquently described by the Polos and other travellers in
+those remote and little-known regions. That this or other islands were
+inhabited, the little he had seen sufficiently proved; but, as yet, all
+the rest was conjecture of the wildest and most uncertain character. The
+fragrance of the land, however, was very perceptible in the vessels,
+thus affording an opportunity to two of the senses to unite in
+establishing their success.</p>
+
+<p>At length the long wished-for day approached, and the eastern sky began
+to assume the tints that precede the appearance of the sun. As the light
+diffused itself athwart the dark blue ocean, and reached the island, the
+outlines of the latter became more and more distinct; then objects
+became visible on its surface, trees, glades, rocks, and irregularities,
+starting out of the gloom, until the whole picture was drawn in the
+gray, solemn colors of morning. Presently the direct rays of the sun
+touched it, gilding its prominent points, and throwing others into
+shadow. It then became apparent that the discovery was that of an island
+of no great extent, well wooded, and of a verdant and pleasant aspect.
+The land was low, but possessed an outline sufficiently graceful to
+cause it to seem a paradise in the eyes of men who had seriously doubted
+whether they were ever to look on solid ground again. The view of his
+mother earth is always pleasant to the mariner who has long gazed on
+nothing but water and sky; but thrice beautiful did it now seem to men
+who not only saw in it their despair cured, but their most brilliant
+hopes revived. From the position of the land near him, Columbus did not
+doubt that he had passed another island, on which the light had been
+seen, and, from his known course, this conjecture has since been
+rendered almost certain.</p>
+
+<p>The sun had scarcely risen, when living beings were seen rushing out of
+the woods, to gaze in astonishment at the sudden appearance of machines,
+that were at first mistaken by the untutored islanders, for messengers
+from heaven. Shortly after, Columbus anchored his little fleet, and
+landed to take possession in the name of the two sovereigns.</p>
+
+<p>As much state was observed on this occasion as the limited means of the
+adventurers would allow. Each vessel sent a boat, with her commander.
+The admiral, attired in scarlet, and carrying the royal standard,
+proceeded in advance, while Martin Alonzo, and Vicente Yañez Pinzon,
+followed, holding banners bearing crosses, the symbol of the expedition,
+with letters representing the initials of the two sovereigns, or F. and
+Y., for Fernando and Ysabel.</p>
+
+<p>The forms usual to such occasions were observed on reaching the shore.
+Columbus took possession, rendered thanks to God for the success of the
+expedition, and then began to look about him in order to form some
+estimate of the value of his discovery.<a name="FNanchor_3_3" id="FNanchor_3_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a></p>
+
+<p>No sooner were the ceremonies observed, than the people crowded round
+the admiral, and began to pour out their congratulations for his
+success, with their contrition for their own distrust and disaffection.
+The scene has often been described as a proof of the waywardness and
+inconstancy of human judgments; the being who had so lately been scowled
+on as a reckless and selfish adventurer, being now regarded as little
+less than a God. The admiral was no more elated by this adulation, than
+he had been intimidated by the previous dissatisfaction, maintaining his
+calmness of exterior and gravity of demeanor, with those who pressed
+around him, though a close observer might have detected the gleaming of
+triumph in his eye, and the glow of inward rapture on his cheek.</p>
+
+<p>"These honest people are as inconstant in their apprehensions, as they
+are extreme in their rejoicings," said Columbus to Luis, when liberated
+a little from the throng; "yesterday they would have cast me into the
+sea, and to-day they are much disposed to forget God, himself, in his
+unworthy creature. Dost not see, that the men who gave us most concern,
+on account of their discontent, are now the loudest in their applause?"</p>
+
+<p>"This is but nature, Señor; fear flying from panic to exultation. These
+knaves fancy they are praising you, when they are, in truth, rejoicing
+in their own escape from some unknown but dreaded evil. Our friends
+Sancho and Pepe seem not to be thus overwhelmed, for while the last is
+gathering flowers from this shore of India, the first seems to be
+looking about him with commendable coolness, as if he might be
+calculating the latitude and longitude of the Great Khan's doblas."</p>
+
+<p>Columbus smiled, and, accompanied by Luis, he drew nearer to the two men
+mentioned, who were a little apart from the rest of the group. Sancho
+was standing with his hands thrust into the bosom of his doublet,
+regarding the scene with the coolness of a philosopher, and toward him
+the admiral first directed his steps.</p>
+
+<p>"How is this, Sancho of the ship-yard-gate?" said the great navigator;
+"thou lookest on this glorious scene as coolly as thou wouldst regard a
+street in Moguer, or a field in Andalusia?"</p>
+
+<p>"Señor Don Almirante, the same hand made both. This is not the first
+island on which I have landed; nor are yonder naked savages the first
+men I have seen who were not dressed in scarlet doublets."</p>
+
+<p>"But hast thou no feeling for success&mdash;no gratitude to God for this vast
+discovery? Reflect, my friend, we are on the confines of Asia, and yet
+have we come here by holding a western course."</p>
+
+<p>"That the last is true, Señor, I will swear myself, having held the
+tiller in mine own hands no small part of the way. Do you think, Señor
+Don Almirante, that we have come far enough in this direction to have
+got to the back side of the earth, or to stand, as it might be, under
+the very feet of Spain?"</p>
+
+<p>"By no means. The realms of the Great Khan will scarcely occupy the
+position you mean."</p>
+
+<p>"Then, Señor, what will there be to prevent the doblas of that country
+from falling off into the air, leaving us our journey for our pains?"</p>
+
+<p>"The same power that will prevent our caravels from dropping out of the
+sea, and the water itself from following. These things depend on natural
+laws, my friend, and nature is a legislator that will be respected."</p>
+
+<p>"It is all Moorish to me," returned Sancho, rubbing his eye-brows. "Here
+we are, of a verity, if not actually beneath the feet of Spain,
+standing, as it might be, on the side of the house; and yet I find no
+more difficulty in keeping on an even keel, than I did in Moguer&mdash;by
+Santa Clara! less, in some particulars, good solid Xeres wine being far
+less plenty here than there."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou art no Moor, Sancho, although thy father's name be a secret. And
+thou, Pepe, what dost thou find in those flowers to draw thy attention
+so early from all these wonders?"</p>
+
+<p>"Señor, I gather them for Monica. A female hath a more delicate feeling
+than a man, and she will be glad to see with what sort of ornaments God
+hath adorned the Indies."</p>
+
+<p>"Dost thou fancy, Pepe, that thy love can keep those flowers in bloom,
+until the good caravel shall recross the Atlantic?" demanded Luis,
+laughing.</p>
+
+<p>"Who knoweth, Señor Gutierrez? A warm heart maketh a thriving nursery.
+You would do well, too, if you prefer any Castilian lady to all others,
+to bethink you of her beauty, and gather some of these rare plants to
+deck her hair."</p>
+
+<p>Columbus now turned away, the natives seeming disposed to approach the
+strangers, while Luis remained near the young sailor, who still
+continued to collect the plants of the tropics. In a minute our hero was
+similarly employed; and long ere the admiral and the wondering islanders
+had commenced their first parley, he had arranged a gorgeous <i>bouquet</i>,
+which he already fancied in the glossy dark hair of Mercedes.</p>
+
+<p>The events of a public nature that followed, are too familiar to every
+intelligent reader to need repetition here. After passing a short time
+at San Salvador, Columbus proceeded to other islands, led on by
+curiosity, and guided by real or fancied reports of the natives, until
+the 28th, when he reached that of Cuba. Here he imagined, for a time,
+that he had found the continent, and he continued coasting it, first in
+a north-westerly, and then in a south-easterly direction, for near a
+month. Familiarity with the novel scenes that offered soon lessened
+their influence, and the inbred feelings of avarice and ambition began
+to resume their sway in the bosoms of several of those who had been
+foremost in manifesting their submission to the admiral, when the
+discovery of land so triumphantly proved the justice of his theories,
+and the weakness of their own misgivings. Among others who thus came
+under the influence of their nature, was Martin Alonzo Pinzon, who,
+finding himself almost entirely excluded from the society of the young
+Count of Llera, in whose eyes he perceived he filled but a very
+subordinate place, fell back on his own local importance, and began to
+envy Columbus a glory that he now fancied he might have secured for
+himself. Hot words had passed between the admiral and himself, on more
+than one occasion, before the land was made, and every day something new
+occurred to increase the coldness between them.</p>
+
+<p>It forms no part of this work to dwell on the events that followed, as
+the adventurers proceeded from island to island, port to port, and river
+to river. It was soon apparent that very important discoveries had been
+made; and the adventurers were led on day by day, pursuing their
+investigations, and following directions that were ill comprehended, but
+which, it was fancied, pointed to mines of gold. Everywhere they met
+with a gorgeous and bountiful nature, scenery that fascinated the eye,
+and a climate that soothed the senses; but, as yet, man was found living
+in the simplest condition of the savage state. The delusion of being in
+the Indies was general, and every intimation that fell from those
+untutored beings, whether by word or sign, was supposed to have some
+reference to the riches of the east. All believed that, if not
+absolutely within the kingdom of the Great Khan, they were at least on
+its confines. Under such circumstances, when each day actually produced
+new scenes, promising still greater novelties, few bethought them of
+Spain, unless it were in connection with the glory of returning to her,
+successful and triumphant. Even Luis dwelt less intently in his thoughts
+on Mercedes, suffering her image, beautiful as it was, to be momentarily
+supplanted by the unusual spectacles that arose before his physical
+sight in such constant and unwearied succession. Little substantial,
+beyond the fertile soil and genial climate, offered, it is true, in the
+way of realizing all the bright expectations of the adventurers in
+connection with pecuniary advantages; but each moment was fraught with
+hope, and no one knew what a day would bring forth.</p>
+
+<p>Two agents were at length sent into the interior to make discoveries,
+and Columbus profited by the occasion to careen his vessels. About the
+time this mission was expected to return, Luis sallied forth with a
+party of armed men to meet it, Sancho making one of his escort. The
+ambassadors were met on their way back at a short day's march from the
+vessels, accompanied by a few of the natives, who were following with
+intense curiosity, expecting at each moment to see their unknown
+visitors take their flight toward heaven. A short halt was made for the
+purpose of refreshing themselves, after the two parties had joined; and
+Sancho, as reckless of danger on the land as on the ocean, stalked into
+a village that lay near the halting place. Here he endeavored to make
+himself as agreeable to the inhabitants as one of his appearance very
+well could, by means of signs. Sancho figured in this little hamlet
+under some such advantages as those that are enjoyed in the country by a
+great man from town; the spectators not being, as yet, sufficiently
+sophisticated to distinguish between the cut of a doublet and the manner
+of wearing it, as between a clown and a noble. He had not been many
+minutes playing the grandee among these simple beings, when they seemed
+desirous of offering to him some mark of particular distinction.
+Presently, a man appeared, holding certain dark-looking and dried
+leaves, which he held out to the hero of the moment in a deferential
+manner, as a Turk would offer his dried sweet-meats, or an American his
+cake. Sancho was about to accept the present, though he would greatly
+have preferred a dobla, of which he had not seen any since the last
+received from the admiral, when a forward movement was made by most of
+the Cubans, who humbly, and with emphasis, uttered the word
+"tobacco"&mdash;"tobacco." On this hint, the person who held forth the
+offering drew back, repeated the same word in an apologizing manner, and
+set about making what, it was now plain was termed a "tobacco," in the
+language of that country. This was soon effected, by rolling up the
+leaves in the form of a rude segar, when a "tobacco," duly manufactured,
+was offered to the seaman. Sancho took the present, nodded his head
+condescendingly, repeated the words himself, in the best manner he
+could, and thrust the "tobacco" into his pocket. This movement evidently
+excited some surprise among the spectators, but, after a little
+consultation, one of them lighted an end of a roll, applied the other to
+his mouth, and began to puff forth volumes of a fragrant light smoke,
+not only to his own infinite satisfaction, but seemingly to that of all
+around him. Sancho attempted an imitation, which resulted, as is common
+with the tyro in this accomplishment, in his reeling back to his party
+with the pallid countenance of an opium-chewer, and a nausea that he had
+not experienced since the day he first ventured beyond the bar of
+Saltes, to issue on the troubled surface of the Atlantic.</p>
+
+<p>This little scene might be termed the introduction of the well-known
+American weed into civilized society, the misapprehension of the
+Spaniards, touching the appellation, transferring the name of the roll
+to the plant itself. Thus did Sancho, of the ship-yard-gate, become the
+first Christian tobacco smoker, an accomplishment in which he was so
+soon afterward rivalled by some of the greatest men of his age, and
+which has extended down to our own times.</p>
+
+<p>On the return of his agents, Columbus again sailed, pushing his way
+along the north shore of Cuba. While struggling against the trades, with
+a view to get to the eastward, he found the wind too fresh, and
+determined to bear up for a favorite haven in the island of Cuba, that
+he had named Puerto del Principe. With this view a signal was made to
+call the Pinta down, that vessel being far to windward; and, as night
+was near, lights were carried in order to enable Martin Alonzo to close
+with his commander. The next morning, at the dawn of day, when Columbus
+came on deck, he cast a glance around him, and beheld the Niña, hove-to
+under his lee, but no signs of the other caravel.</p>
+
+<p>"Have none seen the Pinta?" demanded the admiral, hastily, of Sancho,
+who stood at the helm.</p>
+
+<p>"Señor, <i>I</i> did, as long as eyes could see a vessel that was striving to
+get out of view. Master Martin Alonzo hath disappeared in the eastern
+board, while we have been lying-to, here, in waiting for him to come
+down."</p>
+
+<p>Columbus now perceived that he was deserted by the very man who had once
+shown so much zeal in his behalf, and who had given, in the act, new
+proof of the manner in which friendship vanishes before self-interest
+and cupidity. There had been among the adventurers many reports of the
+existence of gold mines, obtained from the descriptions of the natives;
+and the admiral made no doubt that his insubordinate follower had
+profited by the superior sailing of his caravel, to keep the wind, in
+the expectation to be the first to reach the Eldorado of their wishes.
+As the weather still continued unfavorable, however, the Santa Maria and
+the Niña returned to port, where they waited for a change. This
+separation occurred on the 21st of November, at which moment the
+expedition had not advanced beyond the north coast of Cuba.</p>
+
+<p>From this time until the sixth of the following month, Columbus
+continued his examination of this noble island, when he crossed what has
+since been termed the "windward passage," and first touched on the
+shores of Hayti. All this time, there had been as much communication as
+circumstances would allow, with the aborigines, the Spaniards making
+friends wherever they went, as a consequence of the humane and prudent
+measures of the admiral. It is true that violence had been done, in a
+few instances, by seizing half a dozen individuals in order to carry
+them to Spain, as offerings to Doña Isabella; but this act was easily
+reconcilable to usage in that age, equally on account of the deference
+that was paid to the kingly authority, and on the ground that the
+seizures were for the good of the captives' souls.</p>
+
+<p>The adventurers were more delighted with the bold, and yet winning
+aspect of Hayti, than they had been with even the adjacent island of
+Cuba. The inhabitants were found to be handsomer and more civilized than
+any they had yet seen, while they retained the gentleness and docility
+that had proved so pleasing to the admiral. Gold, also, was seen among
+them in considerable quantities; and the Spaniards set on foot a trade
+of some extent, in which the usual incentive of civilized man was the
+great aim of one side, and hawk's-bells appear to have been the
+principal desideratum with the other.</p>
+
+<p>In this manner, and in making hazardous advances along the coast, the
+admiral was occupied until the 20th of the month, when he reached a
+point that was said to be in the vicinity of the residence of the Great
+Cacique of all that portion of the island. This prince, whose name, as
+spelt by the Spaniards, was Guacanagari, had many tributary caciques,
+and was understood, from the half-intelligible descriptions of his
+subjects, to be a monarch that was much beloved. On the 22d, while still
+lying in the Bay of Acúl, where the vessels had anchored two days
+previously, a large canoe was seen entering the haven. It was shortly
+after announced to the admiral that this boat contained an ambassador
+from the Great Cacique, who brought presents from his master, with a
+request that the vessels would move a league or two further east, and
+anchor off the town inhabited by the prince himself. The wind preventing
+an immediate compliance, a messenger was despatched with a suitable
+answer, and the ambassador returned. Fatigued with idleness, anxious to
+see more of the interior, and impelled by a constitutional love of
+adventure, Luis, who had struck up a hasty friendship with a young man
+called Mattinao, who attended the ambassador, asked permission to
+accompany him, taking his passage in the canoe. Columbus gave his
+consent to this proposal with a good deal of reluctance, the rank and
+importance of our hero inducing him to avoid the consequences of any
+treachery or accident. The importunity of Luis finally prevailed,
+however, and he departed with many injunctions to be discreet, being
+frequently admonished of the censure that would await the admiral in the
+event of any thing serious occurring. As a precaution, too, Sancho Mundo
+was directed to accompany the young man, in this chivalrous adventure,
+in the capacity of an esquire.</p>
+
+<p>No weapon more formidable than a blunt arrow having yet been seen in the
+hands of the natives, the young Count de Llera declined taking his mail,
+going armed only with a trusty sword, the temper of which had been tried
+on many a Moorish corslet and helm, in his foot encounters, and
+protected by a light buckler. An arquebuse had been put into his hand,
+but he refused it, as a weapon unsuited to knightly hands, and as
+betraying a distrust that was not merited by the previous conduct of the
+natives. Sancho, however, was less scrupulous, and accepted the weapon.
+In order, moreover, to divert the attention of his followers from a
+concession that the admiral felt to be a departure from his own rigid
+laws, Luis and his companions landed, and entered the canoe at a point
+concealed from the vessels, in order that their absence might not be
+known. It is owing to these circumstances, as well as to the general
+mystery that was thrown about the connection of the young grandee with
+the expedition, that the occurrences we are about to relate were never
+entered by the admiral in his journal, and have consequently escaped the
+prying eyes of the various historians who have subsequently collected so
+much from that pregnant document.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXIII" id="CHAPTER_XXIII"></a>CHAPTER XXIII.</h2>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"Thou seemest to fancy's eye<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">An animated blossom born in air;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Which breathes and bourgeons in the golden sky,<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">And sheds its odors there."<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">Sutermeister.</span><br /></span>
+</div></div>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p>Notwithstanding his native resolution, and an indifference to danger
+that amounted to recklessness, Luis did not find himself alone with the
+Haytians without, at least, a lively consciousness of the novelty of his
+situation. Still, nothing occurred to excite uneasiness, and he
+continued his imperfect communications with his new friends,
+occasionally throwing in a remark to Sancho, in Spanish, who merely
+wanted encouragement to discourse by the hour. Instead of following the
+boat of the Santa Maria, on board which the ambassador had embarked, the
+canoe pushed on several leagues further east, it being understood that
+Luis was not to present himself in the town of Guacanagari, until after
+the arrival of the ships, when he was to rejoin his comrades stealthily,
+or in a way not to attract attention.</p>
+
+<p>Our hero would not have been a true lover, had he remained indifferent
+to the glories of the natural scenery that lay spread before his eyes,
+as he thus coasted the shores of Española. The boldness of the
+landscape, as in the Mediterranean, was relieved by the softness of a
+low latitude, which throws some such witchery around rocks and
+promontories, as a sunny smile lends to female beauty. More than once
+did he burst out into exclamations of delight, and as often did Sancho
+respond in the same temper, if not exactly in the same language; the
+latter conceiving it to be a sort of duty to echo all that the young
+noble said, in the way of poetry.</p>
+
+<p>"I take it, Señor Conde," observed the seaman, when they had reached a
+spot several leagues beyond that where the launch of the ship had put to
+shore; "I take it for granted, Señor Conde, that your Excellency knoweth
+whither these naked gentry are paddling, all this time. They seem in a
+hurry, and have a port in their minds, if it be not in view."</p>
+
+<p>"Art thou uneasy, friend Sancho, that thou puttest thy question thus
+earnestly?"</p>
+
+<p>"If I am, Don Luis, it is altogether on account of the family of
+Bobadilla, which would lose its head, did any mishap befall your
+Excellency. What is it to Sancho, of the ship-yard-gate, whether he is
+married to some princess in Cipango, and gets to be adopted by the Great
+Khan, or whether he is an indifferent mariner out of Moguer? It is very
+much as if one should offer him the choice between wearing a doublet and
+eating garlic, and going naked on sweet fruits and a full stomach. I
+take it, Señor, your Excellency would not willingly exchange the castle
+of Llera for the palace of this Great Cacique?"</p>
+
+<p>"Thou art right, Sancho; even rank must depend on the state of society
+in which we live. A Castilian noble cannot envy a Haytian sovereign."</p>
+
+<p>"More especially, since my lord, the Señor Don Almirante, hath publicly
+proclaimed that our gracious lady, the Doña Isabella, is henceforth and
+forever to be queen over him," returned Sancho, with a knowing glance of
+the eye. "Little do these worthy people understand the honor that is in
+store for them, and least of all, his Highness, King Guacanagari!"</p>
+
+<p>"Hush, Sancho, and keep thy unpleasant intimations in thine own breast.
+Our friends turn the head of the canoe toward yonder river's mouth, and
+seem bent on landing."</p>
+
+<p>By this time, indeed, the natives had coasted as far as they intended,
+and were turning in toward the entrance of a small stream, which, taking
+its rise among the noble mountains that were grouped inland, found its
+way through a smiling valley to the ocean. This stream was neither broad
+nor deep, but it contained far more than water sufficient for any craft
+used by the natives. Its banks were fringed with bushes; and as they
+glided up it, Luis saw fifty sites where he thought he could be content
+to pass his life, provided, always, that it might possess the advantage
+of Mercedes' presence. It is scarcely necessary to add, too, that in all
+these scenes he fancied his mistress attired in the velvets and laces
+that were then so much used by high-born dames, and that he saw her
+natural grace, embellished by the courtly ease and polished accessories
+of one who lived daily, if not hourly, in the presence of her royal
+mistress.</p>
+
+<p>As the canoe shut in the coast, by entering between the two points that
+formed the river's mouth, Sancho pointed out to the young noble a small
+fleet of canoes, that was coming down before the wind from the eastward,
+apparently bound, like so many more they had seen that day, to the Bay
+of Acúl, on a visit to the wonderful strangers. The natives in the canoe
+also beheld this little flotilla, which was driving before the wind
+under cotton sails, and by their smiles and signs showed that they gave
+it the same destination. About this time, too, or just as they entered
+the mouth of the stream, Mattinao drew from under a light cotton robe,
+that he occasionally wore, a thin circlet of pure gold, which he placed
+upon his head, in the manner of a coronet. This, Luis knew, was a token
+that he was a cacique, one of those who were tributary to Guacanagari,
+and he arose to salute him at this evidence of his rank, an act that was
+imitated by all of the Haytians also. From this assumption of state,
+Luis rightly imagined that Mattinao had now entered within the limits of
+a territory that acknowledged his will. From the moment that the young
+cacique threw aside his incognito, he ceased to paddle, but, assuming an
+air of authority and dignity, he attempted to converse with his guest in
+the best manner their imperfect means of communication would allow. He
+often pronounced the word, Ozema, and Luis inferred from the manner in
+which he used it, that it was the name of a favorite wife, it having
+been already ascertained by the Spaniards, or at least it was thought to
+be ascertained, that the caciques indulged in polygamy, while they
+rigidly restricted their subjects to one wife.</p>
+
+<p>The canoe ascended the river several miles, until it reached one of
+those tropical valleys in which nature seems to expend her means of
+rendering this earth inviting. While the scenery had much of the freedom
+of a wilderness, the presence of man for centuries had deprived it of
+all its ruder and more savage features. Like those who tenanted it, the
+spot possessed the perfection of native grace, unfettered and uninvaded
+by any of the more elaborate devices of human expedients. The dwellings
+were not without beauty, though simple as the wants of their owners; the
+flowers bloomed in midwinter, and the generous branches still groaned
+with the weight of their nutritious and palatable fruits.</p>
+
+<p>Mattinao was received by his people with an eager curiosity, blended
+with profound respect. His mild subjects crowded around Luis and Sancho,
+with some such wonder as a civilized man would gaze at one of the
+prophets, were he to return to earth in the flesh. They had heard of the
+arrival of the ships, but they did not the less regard their inmates as
+visitors from heaven. This, probably, was not the opinion of the more
+elevated in rank, for, even in the savage state, the vulgar mind is far
+from being that of the favored few. Whether it was owing to this greater
+facility of character, and to habits that more easily adapted themselves
+to the untutored notions of the Indians, or to their sense of propriety,
+Sancho soon became the favorite with the multitude; leaving the Count of
+Llera more especially to the care of Mattinao, and the principal men of
+his tribe. Owing to this circumstance, the two Spaniards were soon
+separated, Sancho being led away by the <i>oi polloi</i> to a sort of square
+in the centre of the village, leaving Don Luis in the habitation of the
+cacique.</p>
+
+<p>No sooner did Mattinao find himself in the company of our hero, and that
+of two of his confidential chiefs, than the name of Ozema was repeated
+eagerly among the Indians. A rapid conversation followed, a messenger
+was despatched, Luis knew not whither, and then the chiefs took their
+departure, leaving the young Castilian alone with the cacique. Laying
+aside his golden band, and placing a cotton robe about his person, which
+had hitherto been nearly naked, Mattinao made a sign for his companion
+to follow him, and left the building. Throwing the buckler over his
+shoulder, and adjusting the belt of his sword in a way that the weapon
+should not incommode him in walking, Luis obeyed with as much confidence
+as he would have followed a friend along the streets of Seville.</p>
+
+<p>Mattinao led the way through a wilderness of sweets, where tropical
+plants luxuriated beneath the branches of trees loaded with luscious
+fruits, holding his course by a foot-path which lay on the banks of a
+torrent that flowed from a ravine, and poured its waters into the river
+below. The distance he went might have been half a mile. Here he reached
+a cluster of rustic dwellings that occupied a lovely terrace on a
+hill-side, where they overlooked the larger town below the river, and
+commanded a view of the distant ocean. Luis saw at a glance that this
+sweet retreat was devoted to the uses of the gentler sex, and he doubted
+not that it formed a species of seraglio, set apart for the wives of the
+young cacique. He was led into one of the principal dwellings, where the
+simple but grateful refreshments used by the natives, were again offered
+to him.</p>
+
+<p>The intercourse of a month had not sufficed to render either party very
+familiar with the language of the other. A few of the commoner words of
+the Indians had been caught by the Spaniards, and perhaps Luis was one
+of the most ready in their use; still, it is highly probable, he was
+oftener wrong than right, even when he felt the most confident of his
+success. But the language of friendship is not easily mistaken, and our
+hero had not entertained a feeling of distrust from the time he left the
+ships, down to the present moment.</p>
+
+<p>Mattinao had despatched a messenger to an adjacent dwelling when he
+entered that in which Luis was now entertained, and when sufficient time
+had been given for the last to refresh himself, the cacique arose, and
+by a courteous gesture, such as might have become a master of ceremonies
+in the court of Isabella, he again invited the young grandee to follow.
+They took their way along the terrace, to a house larger than common,
+and which evidently contained several subdivisions, as they entered into
+a sort of anteroom. Here they remained but a minute; the cacique, after
+a short parley with a female, removing a curtain ingeniously made of
+sea-weed, and leading the way to an inner apartment. It had but a single
+occupant, whose character Luis fancied to be announced in the use of the
+single word "Ozema," that the cacique uttered in a low, affectionate
+tone, as they entered. Luis bowed to this Indian beauty, as profoundly
+as he could have made his reverence to a high-born damsel of Spain;
+then, recovering himself, he fastened one long, steady look of
+admiration on the face of the curious but half-frightened young creature
+who stood before him, and exclaimed, in such tones as only indicate
+rapture, admiration, and astonishment mingled&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Mercedes!"</p>
+
+<p>The young cacique repeated this name in the best manner he could,
+evidently mistaking it for a Spanish term to express admiration, or
+satisfaction; while the trembling young thing, who was the subject of
+all this wonder, shrunk back a step, blushed, laughed, and muttered in
+her soft, low, musical voice, "Mercedes," as the innocent take up and
+renew any source of their harmless pleasures. She then stood, with her
+arms folded meekly on her bosom, resembling a statue of wonder. But it
+may be necessary to explain why, at a moment so peculiar, the thoughts
+and tongue of Luis had so suddenly resorted to his mistress. In order to
+do this, we shall first attempt a short description of the person and
+appearance of Ozema, as was, in fact, the name of the Indian beauty.</p>
+
+<p>All the accounts agree in describing the aborigines of the West Indies
+as being singularly well formed, and of a natural grace in their
+movements, that extorted a common admiration among the Spaniards. Their
+color was not unpleasant, and the inhabitants of Hayti, in particular,
+were said to be very little darker than the people of Spain. Those who
+were but little exposed to the bright sun of that climate, and who dwelt
+habitually beneath the shades of groves, or in the retirement of their
+dwellings, like persons of similar habits in Europe, might, by
+comparison, have even been termed fair. Such was the fact with Ozema,
+who, instead of being the wife of the young cacique, was his only
+sister. According to the laws of Hayti, the authority of a cacique was
+transmitted through females, and a son of Ozema was looked forward to,
+as the heir of his uncle. Owing to this fact, and to the circumstance
+that the true royal line, if a term so dignified can be applied to a
+state of society so simple, was reduced to these two individuals, Ozema
+had been more than usually fostered by the tribe, leaving her free from
+care, and as little exposed to hardships, as at all comported with the
+condition of her people. She had reached her eighteenth year, without
+having experienced any of those troubles and exposures which are more or
+less the inevitable companions of savage life; though it was remarked by
+the Spaniards, that all the Indians they had yet seen seemed more than
+usually free from evils of this character. They owed this exception to
+the generous quality of the soil, the genial warmth of the climate, and
+the salubrity of the air. In a word, Ozema, in her person, possessed
+just those advantages that freedom from restraint, native graces, and
+wild luxuriance, might be supposed to lend the female form, under the
+advantages of a mild climate, a healthful and simple diet, and perfect
+exemption from exposure, care, or toil. It would not have been difficult
+to fancy Eve such a creature, when she first appeared to Adam, fresh
+from the hands of her divine Creator, modest, artless, timid, and
+perfect.</p>
+
+<p>The Haytians used a scanty dress, though it shocked none of their
+opinions to go forth in the garb of nature. Still, few of rank were seen
+without some pretensions to attire, which was worn rather as an
+ornament, or a mark of distinction, than as necessary either to usage or
+comfort. Ozema, herself, formed no exception to the general rule. A
+cincture of Indian cloth, woven in gay colors, circled her slender
+waist, and fell nearly as low as her knees; a robe of spotless cotton,
+inartificially made, but white as the driven snow, and of a texture so
+fine that it might have shamed many of the manufactures of our own days,
+fell like a scarf across a shoulder, and was loosely united at the
+opposite side, dropping in folds nearly to the ground. Sandals, of great
+ingenuity and beauty, protected the soles of feet that a queen might
+have envied; and a large plate of pure gold, rudely wrought, was
+suspended from her neck by a string of small, but gorgeous shells.
+Bracelets of the latter were on her pretty wrists, and two light bands
+of gold encircled ankles that were as faultless as those of the Venus of
+Naples. In that region, the fineness of the hair was thought the test of
+birth, with better reason than many imagine the feet and hands to be, in
+civilized life. As power and rank had passed from female to female in
+her family, for several centuries, the hair of Ozema was silken, soft,
+waving, exuberant, and black as jet. It covered her shoulders, like a
+glorious mantle, and fell as low as her simple cincture. So light and
+silken was this natural veil, that its ends waved in the gentle current
+of air that was rather breathing than blowing through the apartment.</p>
+
+<p>Although this extraordinary creature was much the loveliest specimen of
+young-womanhood that Luis had seen among the wild beauties of the
+islands, it was not so much her graceful and well-rounded form, or even
+the charms of face and expression, that surprised him, as a decided and
+accidental resemblance to the being he had left in Spain, and who had so
+long been the idol of his heart. This resemblance alone had caused him
+to utter the name of his mistress, in the manner related. Could the two
+have been placed together, it would have been easy to detect marked
+points of difference between them, without being reduced to compare the
+intellectual and thoughtful expression of our heroine's countenance,
+with the wondering, doubting, half-startled look of Ozema: but still the
+general likeness was so strong, that no person who was familiar with the
+face of one could fail to note it on meeting with the other. Side by
+side, it would have been discovered that the face of Mercedes had the
+advantage in finesse and delicacy; that her features and brow were
+nobler; her eye more illuminated by the intelligence within; her smile
+more radiant with thought and the feelings of a cultivated woman; her
+blush more sensitive, betraying most of the consciousness of
+conventional habits; and that the expression generally was much more
+highly cultivated, than that which sprung from the artless impulses and
+limited ideas of the young Haytian. Nevertheless, in mere beauty, in
+youth, and tint, and outline, the disparity was scarcely perceptible,
+while the resemblance was striking; and, on the score of animation,
+native frankness, ingenuousness, and all that witchery which ardent and
+undisguised feeling lends to woman, many might have preferred the
+confiding <i>abandon</i> of the beautiful young Indian, to the more trained
+and dignified reserve of the Castilian heiress. What in the latter was
+earnest, high-souled, native, but religious enthusiasm, in the other was
+merely the outpourings of unguided impulses, which, however feminine in
+their origin, were but little regulated in their indulgence.</p>
+
+<p>"Mercedes!" exclaimed our hero, when this vision of Indian loveliness
+unexpectedly broke on his sight. "Mercedes!" repeated Mattinao;
+"Mercedes!" murmured Ozema, recoiling a step, blushing, laughing, and
+then resuming her innocent confidence, as she several times uttered the
+same word, which she also mistook for an expression of admiration, in
+her own low, melodious voice.</p>
+
+<p>Conversation being out of the question, there remained nothing for the
+parties but to express their feelings by signs and acts of amity. Luis
+had not come on his little expedition unprovided with presents.
+Anticipating an interview with the wife of the cacique, he had brought
+up from the village below, several articles that he supposed might suit
+her untutored fancy. But the moment he beheld the vision that actually
+stood before him, they all seemed unworthy of such a being. In one of
+his onsets against the Moors, he had brought off a turban of rich but
+light cloth, and he had kept it as a trophy, occasionally wearing it, in
+his visits to the shore, out of pure caprice, and as a sort of ornament
+that might well impose on the simple-minded natives. These vagaries
+excited no remarks, as mariners are apt to indulge their whims in this
+manner, when far from the observations of those to whom they habitually
+defer. This turban was on his head at the moment he entered the
+apartment of Ozema, and, overcome with the delight of finding so
+unexpected a resemblance, and, possibly, excited by so unlooked-for an
+exhibition of feminine loveliness, he gallantly unrolled it, threw out
+the folds of rich cloth, and cast it over the shoulders of the beautiful
+Ozema as a mantle.</p>
+
+<p>The expressions of gratitude and delight that escaped this
+unsophisticated young creature, were warm, sincere, and undisguised. She
+cast the ample robe on the ground before her, repeated the word
+"Mercedes," again and again, and manifested her pleasure with all the
+warmth of a generous and ingenuous nature. If we were to say that this
+display of Ozema was altogether free from the child-like rapture that
+was, perhaps, inseparable from her ignorance, it would be attributing to
+her benighted condition the experience and regulated feelings of
+advanced civilization; but, notwithstanding the guileless simplicity
+with which she betrayed her emotions, her delight was not without much
+of the dignity and tone that usually mark the conduct of the superior
+classes all over the world. Luis fancied it as graceful as it was
+<i>naive</i> and charming. He endeavored to imagine the manner in which the
+Lady of Valverde might receive an offering of precious stones from the
+gracious hands of Doña Isabella, and he even thought it very possible
+that the artless grace of Ozema was not far behind what he knew would be
+the meek self-respect, mingled with grateful pleasure, that Mercedes
+could not fail to exhibit.</p>
+
+<p>While thoughts like these were passing through his mind, the Indian girl
+laid aside her own less enticing robe, without a thought of shame, and
+then she folded her faultless form in the cloth of the turban. This was
+no sooner done, with a grace and freedom peculiar to her unfettered
+mind, than she drew the necklace of shells from her person, and,
+advancing a step or two toward our hero, extended the offering with a
+half-averted face, though the laughing and willing eyes more than
+supplied the place of language. Luis accepted the gift with suitable
+eagerness, nor did he refrain from using the Castilian gallantry of
+kissing the pretty hand from which he took the bauble.</p>
+
+<p>The cacique, who had been a pleased spectator of all that passed, now
+signed for the count to follow him, leading the way toward another
+dwelling. Here Don Luis was introduced to other young females, and to
+two or three children, the former of whom, he soon discovered, were the
+wives of Mattinao, and the latter his offspring. By dint of gestures, a
+few words, and such other means of explanation as were resorted to
+between the Spaniards and the natives, he now succeeded in ascertaining
+the real affinity which existed between the cacique and Ozema. Our hero
+felt a sensation like pleasure when he discovered that the Indian beauty
+was not married; and he was fain to refer the feeling, perhaps justly,
+to a sort of jealous sensitiveness that grew out of her resemblance to
+Mercedes.</p>
+
+<p>The remainder of that, and the whole of the three following days, were
+passed by Luis with his friend, the cacique, in this, the favorite and
+sacred residence of the latter. Of course our hero was, if any thing, a
+subject of greater interest to all his hosts, than they could possibly
+be to him. They took a thousand innocent liberties with his person:
+examining his dress, and the ornaments he wore, not failing to compare
+the whiteness of his skin with the redder tint of that of Mattinao. On
+these occasions Ozema was the most reserved and shy, though her look
+followed every movement, and her pleased countenance denoted the
+interest she felt in all that concerned the stranger. Hours at a time,
+did Luis lie stretched on fragrant mats near this artless and lovely
+creature, studying the wayward expression of her features, in the fond
+hope of seeing stronger and stronger resemblances to Mercedes, and
+sometimes losing himself in that which was peculiarly her own. In the
+course of the time passed in these dwellings, efforts were made by the
+count to obtain some useful information of the island; and whether it
+was owing to her superior rank, or to a native superiority of mind, or
+to a charm of manner, he soon fancied that the cacique's beautiful
+sister succeeded better in making him understand her meaning, than
+either of the wives of Mattinao, or the cacique himself. To Ozema, then,
+Luis put most of his questions; and ere the day had passed, this
+quick-witted and attentive girl had made greater progress in opening an
+intelligible understanding between the adventurers and her countrymen,
+than had been accomplished by the communications of the two previous
+months. She caught the Spanish words with a readiness that seemed
+instinctive, pronouncing them with an accent that only rendered them
+prettier and softer to the ear.</p>
+
+<p>Luis de Bobadilla was just as good a Catholic as a rigid education, a
+wandering life, and the habits of the camp would be apt to make one of
+his rank, years, and temperament. Still, that was an age in which most
+laymen had a deep reverence for religion; whether they actually
+submitted to its purifying influence or not. If there were any
+free-thinkers, at all, they existed principally among those who passed
+their lives in their closets, or were to be found among the churchmen,
+themselves; who often used the cowl as a hood to conceal their
+infidelity. His close association with Columbus, too, had contributed to
+strengthen our hero's tendency to believe in the constant supervision of
+Providence; and he now felt a strong inclination to fancy that this
+extraordinary facility of Ozema's in acquiring languages, was one of its
+semi-miraculous provisions, made with a view to further the introduction
+of the religion of the cross among her people. Often did he flatter
+himself, as he sat gazing into the sparkling, and yet mild eyes of the
+girl, listening to her earnest efforts to make him comprehend her
+meaning, that he was to be the instrument of bringing about this great
+good, through so young and charming an agent. The admiral had also
+enjoined on him the importance of ascertaining, if possible, the
+position of the mines, and he had actually succeeded in making Ozema
+comprehend his questions on a subject that was all-engrossing with most
+of the Spaniards. Her answers were less intelligible, but Luis thought
+they never could be sufficiently full; flattering himself, the whole
+time, that he was only laboring to comply with the wishes of Columbus.</p>
+
+<p>The day after his arrival, our hero was treated to an exhibition of some
+of the Indian games. These sports have been too often described to need
+repetition here; but, in all their movements and exercises, which were
+altogether pacific, the young princess was conspicuous for grace and
+skill. Luis, too, was required to show his powers, and being exceedingly
+athletic and active, he easily bore away the palm from his friend
+Mattinao. The young cacique manifested neither jealousy nor
+disappointment at this result, while his sister laughed and clapped her
+hands with delight, when he was outdone, even at his own sports, by the
+greater strength or greater efforts of his guest. More than once, the
+wives of Mattinao seemed to utter gentle reproaches at this exuberance
+of feeling, but Ozema answered with smiling taunts, and Luis thought
+her, at such moments, more beautiful than even imagination could draw,
+and perhaps with justice; for her cheeks were flushed, her eyes became
+as brilliant as ornaments of jet, and the teeth that were visible
+between lips like cherries, resembled rows of ivory. We have said that
+the eyes of Ozema were black, differing, in this particular, from the
+deep-blue, melancholy orbs of the enthusiastic Mercedes; but still they
+were alike, so often uttering the same feelings, more especially
+touching matters in which Luis was concerned. More than once, during the
+trial of strength, did the young man fancy that the expression of the
+rapture which fairly danced in the eyes of Ozema, was the very
+counterpart of that of the deep-seated delight which had so often beamed
+on him, from the glances of Mercedes, in the tourney; and, at such
+times, it struck him that the resemblance between the two was so strong
+as, after some allowance had been made for dress, and other sufficiently
+striking circumstances, to render them almost identical.</p>
+
+<p>The reader is not to suppose from this, that our hero was actually
+inconstant to big ancient love. Far from it. Mercedes was too deeply
+enshrined in his heart&mdash;and Luis, with all his faults, was as
+warm-hearted and true-hearted a cavalier as breathed&mdash;to be so easily
+dispossessed. But he was young, distant from her he had so long adored,
+and was, withal, not altogether insensible to admiration so artlessly
+and winningly betrayed by the Indian girl. Had there been the least
+immodest glance, any proof that art or design lay at the bottom of
+Ozema's conduct, he would at once have taken the alarm, and been
+completely disenthralled from his temporary delusion; but, on the
+contrary, all was so frank and natural with this artless girl; when she
+most betrayed the hold he had taken of her imagination, it was done with
+a simplicity so obvious, a <i>naïveté</i> so irrepressible, and an
+ingenuousness so clearly the fruit of innocence, that it was impossible
+to suspect artifice. In a word, our hero merely showed that he was
+human, by yielding in a certain degree to a fascination that, under the
+circumstances, might well have made deeper inroads on the faith even of
+men who enjoyed much better reputations for stability of purpose.</p>
+
+<p>In situations of so much novelty, time flies swiftly, and Luis himself
+was astonished when, on looking back, he remembered that he had now been
+several days with Mattinao, most of which period had actually been
+passed in what might not inaptly be termed the seraglio of the cacique.
+Sancho of the ship-yard-gate had not been in the least neglected all
+this time. He had been a hero, in his own circle, as well as the young
+noble, nor had he been at all forgetful of his duty on the subject of
+searching for gold. Though he had neither acquired a single word of the
+Haytian language, nor taught a syllable of Spanish to even one of the
+laughing nymphs who surrounded him, he had decorated the persons of many
+of them with hawk's-bells, and had contrived to abstract from them, in
+return, every ornament that resembled the precious metal, which they
+possessed. This transfer, no doubt, was honestly effected, however,
+having been made on that favorite principle of the free trade theorists,
+which maintains that trade is merely an exchange of equivalents;
+overlooking all the adverse circumstances which may happen, just at the
+moment, to determine the standard of value. Sancho had his notions of
+commerce as well as the modern philosophers, and, as he and Luis
+occasionally met during their sojourn with Mattinao, he revealed a few
+of his opinions on this interesting subject, in one of their interviews.</p>
+
+<p>"I perceive thou hast not forgotten thy passion for doblas, friend
+Sancho," said Luis, laughing, as the old seaman exhibited the store of
+dust and golden plates he had collected; "there is sufficient of the
+metal in thy sack to coin a score of them, each having the royal
+countenances of our lord the King, and our lady the Queen!"</p>
+
+<p>"Double that, Señor Conde; just double that; and all for the price of
+some seventeen hawk's-bells, that cost but a handful of maravedis. By
+the mass! this is a most just and holy trade, and such as it becomes us
+Christians to carry on. Here are these savages, they think no more of
+gold than your Excellency thinks of a dead Moor, and to be revenged on
+them, I hold a hawk's-bell just as cheap. Let them think as poorly as
+they please of their ornaments and yellow dust, they will find me just
+as willing to part with the twenty hawk's-bells that remain. Let them
+barter away, they will find me as ready as they possibly can be, to give
+nothing for nothing."</p>
+
+<p>"Is this quite honest, Sancho, to rob an Indian of his gold, in exchange
+for a bauble that copper so easily purchaseth? Remember thou art a
+Castilian, and henceforth give <i>two</i> hawk's-bells, where thou hast
+hitherto given but <i>one</i>."</p>
+
+<p>"I never forget my birth, Señor, for happily the ship-yard of Moguer is
+in old Spain. Is not the value of a thing to be settled by what it will
+bring in the market? ask any of our traders and they will tell you this,
+which is clear as the sun in the heavens. When the Venetians lay before
+Candia, grapes, and figs, and Greek wine, could be had for the asking in
+that island, while western articles commanded any price. Oh, nothing is
+plainer than the fact that every thing hath its price, and it is real
+trade to give one worthless commodity for another."</p>
+
+<p>"If it be honest to profit by the ignorance of another," answered Luis,
+who had a nobleman's contempt for commerce, "then it is just to deceive
+the child and the idiot."</p>
+
+<p>"God forbid, and especially St. Andrew, my patron, that I should do any
+thing so wicked. Hawk's-bells are of more account than gold, in Hayti,
+Señor, and happening to know it, I am willing to part with the precious
+things for the dross. You see I am generous instead of being avaricious,
+for all parties are in Hayti, where the value of, the articles must be
+settled. It is true, that after running great risks at sea, and
+undergoing great pains and chances, by carrying this gold to Spain, I
+may be requited for my trouble, and get enough benefit to make an honest
+livelihood. I hope Doña Isabella will have so much feeling for these,
+her new subjects, as to prevent their ever going into the shipping
+business&mdash;a most laborious and dangerous calling, as we both well know."</p>
+
+<p>"And why art thou so particular in desiring this favor in behalf of
+these poor islanders, and that, too, Sancho, at the expense of thine own
+bones?"</p>
+
+<p>"Simply, Señor," answered the knave, with a cunning leer, "lest it
+unsettle trade, which ought to be as free and unencumbered as possible.
+Here, now, if we Spaniards come to Hayti, we sell-one hawk's-bell for a
+dobla in gold; whereas, were we to give these savages the trouble to
+come to Spain, a dobla of their gold would buy a hundred hawk's-bells!
+No&mdash;no&mdash;it is right as it is; and may a double allowance of purgatory be
+the lot of him who wishes to throw any difficulties in the way of a
+good, honest, free, and civilizing trade, say I."</p>
+
+<p>Sancho was thus occupied in explaining his notions of free trade&mdash;the
+great mystification of modern philanthropists&mdash;when there arose such a
+cry in the village of Mattinao, as is only heard in moments of extreme
+jeopardy and sudden terror. The conversation took place in the grove,
+about midway between the town and the private dwellings of the cacique;
+and so implicit had become the confidence the two Spaniards reposed in
+their friends, that neither had any other arms about his person, than
+those furnished by nature. Luis had left both sword and buckler, half an
+hour earlier, at the feet of Ozetna, who had been enacting a mimic hero,
+with his weapons, for their mutual diversion; while Sancho had found the
+arquebuse much too heavy to be carried about for a plaything. The last
+was deposited in the room where he had taken up his comfortable
+quarters.</p>
+
+<p>"Can this mean treachery, Señor?" exclaimed Sancho. "Have these
+blackguards found out the true value of hawk's-bells, after all, and do
+they mean to demand the balance due them?"</p>
+
+<p>"My life on it, Mattinao and all his people are true, Sancho. This
+uproar hath a different meaning&mdash;hark! is not that the cry of
+'Caonabo!'"</p>
+
+<p>"The very same, Señor! That is the name of the Carib cacique, who is the
+terror of all these tribes."</p>
+
+<p>"Thy arquebuse, Sancho, if possible; then join me at the dwellings
+above. Ozema and the wives of our good friend must be defended, at every
+hazard!"</p>
+
+<p>Luis had no sooner given these orders, than he and Sancho separated, the
+latter running toward the town, which, by this time, was a scene of wild
+tumult, while our hero, slowly and sullenly, retired toward the private
+dwellings of the cacique, occasionally looking back, as if he longed to
+plunge into the thickest of the fray. Twenty times did he wish for his
+favorite charger and a stout lance, when, indeed, it would not have been
+an extraordinary feat for a knight of his prowess to put to flight a
+thousand enemies like those who now menaced him. Often had he singly
+broken whole ranks of Christian foot-soldiers, and it is well known that
+solitary individuals, when mounted, subsequently drove hundreds of the
+natives before them.</p>
+
+<p>The alarm reached the dwelling of Mattinao before our hero. When he
+entered the house of Ozema, he found its mistress surrounded by fifty
+females, some of whom had already ascended from the town below, each of
+whom was eagerly uttering the terrible name of "Caonabo." Ozema herself
+was the most collected of them all, though it was apparent that, from
+some cause, she was an object of particular solicitude from those around
+her. As Luis entered the apartment, the wives of Mattinao were pressing
+around the princess; and he soon gathered from their words and
+entreaties, that they urged her to fly, lest she should fall into the
+hands of the Carib chief. He even fancied, and he fancied it justly,
+that the rest of the females supposed the seizure of the cacique's
+beautiful sister to be the real object of the sudden attack. This
+conjecture in no manner lessened Luis' ardor in the defence. The moment
+Ozema caught sight of him, she flew to his side, clasping her hands, and
+uttering the name of "Caonabo," in a tone that would have melted a heart
+of stone. At the same time, her eyes spoke a language of hope,
+confidence, and petition that was not necessary to enlist our hero's
+resolution on her side. In a moment, the sword of the young cavalier was
+in his hand, and the buckler on his arm. He then assured the princess of
+his zeal, in the best manner he could, by placing the buckler before her
+throbbing breast, and waving the sword, as in defiance of her enemies:
+no sooner was this pledge given, than every other female disappeared,
+some flying to the rescue of their children, and all endeavoring to find
+places of concealment. By this singular and unexpected desertion, Luis
+found himself, for the first time since they had met, alone with Ozema.</p>
+
+<p>To remain in the house would be to suffer the enemy to approach unseen,
+and the shrieks and cries sufficiently announced that, each moment, the
+danger grew nearer. Luis accordingly made a sign for the girl to follow
+him, first rolling the turban into a bundle and placing it on her arm,
+that it might serve her, at need, as a species of shield against the
+hostile arrows. While he was thus employed, Ozema's head fell upon his
+breast, and the excited girl burst into tears. This display of weakness,
+however, lasted but a moment, when she aroused herself, smiled through
+her tears, pressed the arm of Luis convulsively, and became the Indian
+heroine again. They then left the building together.</p>
+
+<p>Luis soon perceived that his retreat from the house had not been made a
+moment too soon. The family of Mattinao had already disappeared, and a
+strong party of the invaders was in full view, rushing madly up the
+grove, silent, but evidently bent on seizing their prey. He felt Ozema,
+who clung to his arm, tremble violently, and then he heard her
+murmuring&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Caonabo&mdash;no&mdash;no&mdash;no!"</p>
+
+<p>The young Indian princess had caught the Spanish monosyllable of
+dissent, and Luis understood this exclamation to express her strong
+disinclination to become a wife of the Carib chief. His resolution to
+protect her or to die, was in no manner lessened by this involuntary
+betrayal of her feelings, which he could not but think might have some
+connection with himself; for, while our hero was both honorable and
+generous, he was human, and, consequently, well disposed to take a
+favorable view of his own powers of pleasing. It was only in connection
+with Mercedes, that Luis de Bobadilla was humble.</p>
+
+<p>A soldier almost from childhood, the young count looked hastily around
+him for a position that would favor his means of defence, and which
+would render his arms the most available. Luckily, one offered so near
+him, that it required but a minute to occupy it. The terrace lay against
+a precipice of rocks, and a hundred feet from the house, was a spot
+where the face of this precipice was angular, throwing forward a wall on
+each side to some distance, while the cliff above overhung the base
+sufficiently to remove all danger from falling stones. In the angle were
+several large fragments of rock that would afford shelter against
+arrows, and, there being a sufficient space of greensward before them,
+on which a knight might well display his prowess when in possession of
+this position, our hero felt himself strong, if not impregnable, since
+he could be assailed only in front. Ozema was stationed behind one of
+the fragments of the fallen rocks, her person only half concealed,
+however, concern for Luis, and curiosity as related to her enemies,
+equally inducing her to expose her head and beautiful bust.</p>
+
+<p>Luis was scarcely in possession of this post, ere a dozen Indians were
+drawn up in a line at the distance of fifty yards in his front. They
+were armed with bows, war-clubs, and spears. Being without other
+defensive armor than his buckler, the young man would have thought his
+situation sufficiently critical, did he not know that the archery of the
+natives was any thing but formidable. Their arrows would kill,
+certainly, when shot at short distances, and against the naked skin, but
+it might be questioned if they would penetrate the stout velvet in which
+Luis was encased, and fifty yards was not near enough to excite undue
+alarm. The young man did not dare to retreat to the rocks, as a clear
+space was indispensable for the free use of his good sword, and to that
+weapon alone he looked for his eventual triumph.</p>
+
+<p>It was, perhaps, fortunate for our hero that Caonabo himself was not
+with the party which beleaguered him. That redoubtable chieftain, who
+had been led to a distance in pursuit of the flying females, under a
+belief that she he sought was among them, would doubtless have brought
+the matter to an immediate issue by a desperate charge, when numbers
+might have prevailed against courage and skill. The actual assailants
+chose a different course, and began to poise their bows. One of the most
+skilful among them drew an arrow to the head, and let it fly. The
+missile glanced from the buckler of the knight, and struck the hill
+behind him, as lightly as if the parties had been at their idle sports.
+Another followed, and Luis turned it aside with his sword, disdaining to
+raise his shield against such a trifle. This cool manner of receiving
+their assaults caused the Indians to raise a shout, whether in
+admiration or rage, Luis could not tell.</p>
+
+<p>The next attack was more judicious, being made on a principle that
+Napoleon is said to have adopted in directing discharges of his
+artillery. All those who had bows, some six or eight, drew their arrows
+together, and the weapons came rattling on the buckler of the assailed
+in a single flight. It was not easy to escape altogether from such a
+combined assault, and our hero received one or two bruises from glancing
+arrows, though no blood followed the blows. A second attempt of the same
+nature was about to be made, when the alarmed girl rushed from her place
+of concealment, and, like the Pocahontas of our own history, threw
+herself before Luis, with her arms meekly placed on her bosom. As soon
+as she appeared, there was a cry of "Ozema"&mdash;"Ozema," among the
+assailants, who were not Caribs, as all will understand who are familiar
+with the island history, but milder Haytians, governed by a Carib chief.</p>
+
+<p>In vain Luis endeavored to persuade the devoted girl to withdraw. She
+thought his life in danger, and no language, had he been able to exert
+his eloquence on the occasion, could have induced her to leave him
+exposed to such a danger. As the Indians were endeavoring to obtain
+chances at the person of Luis without killing the princess, he saw there
+remained no alternative but a retreat behind the fragment of rock. Just
+as he obtained this temporary security, a fierce-looking warrior joined
+the assailants, who immediately commenced a vociferous explanation of
+the actual state of the attack.</p>
+
+<p>"Caonabo?" demanded Luis, of Ozema, pointing toward the new-comer.</p>
+
+<p>The girl shook her head, after taking an anxious look at the stranger's
+face, at the same time clinging to our hero's arm, with seductive
+dependence.</p>
+
+<p>"No&mdash;no&mdash;no&mdash;" she said, eagerly. "No Caonabo&mdash;no&mdash;no&mdash;no."</p>
+
+<p>Luis understood the first part of this answer to mean that the stranger
+was not the Carib chief; and the last to signify Ozema's strong and
+settled aversion to becoming his wife.</p>
+
+<p>The consultation among the assailants was soon ended. Six of them then
+poised their war-clubs and spears, and made a rush for the citadel of
+the besieged. When they were within twenty feet of his cover, our hero
+sprang lightly forward on the sward to meet his foes. Two of the spears
+he received on his buckler, severing both shafts with a single blow of
+his keen and highly-tempered sword. As he recovered from the effort,
+with an upward cut he met the raised arm of the club-man most in
+advance. Hand and club fell at his feet with the skilful touch. Making a
+sweep with the weapon in his front, its point seamed the breasts of the
+two astonished spears-men, whose distance alone saved them from more
+serious injuries.</p>
+
+<p>This rapid and unlooked-for execution struck the assailants with awe and
+dread. Never before had they witnessed the power of metal as used in
+war; and the sudden amputation of the arm struck them as something
+miraculous. Even the ferocious Carib fell back in dismay, and Luis felt
+hopes of victory. This was the first occasion on which the Spaniards had
+come to blows with the mild inhabitants of the islands they had
+discovered, though it is usual with the historians to refer to an
+incident of still latter occurrence, as the commencement of strife, the
+severe privacy which has ever been thrown over the connection of Don
+Luis with the expedition, having completely baffled their slight and
+superficial researches. Of course, the efficiency of a weapon like that
+used by our hero, was as novel to the Haytians as it was terrific.</p>
+
+<p>At this instant a shout among the assailants, and the appearance of a
+fresh body of the invaders, with a tall and commanding chief at their
+head, announced the arrival of Caonabo in person. This warlike cacique
+was soon made acquainted with the state of affairs, and it was evident
+that the prowess of our hero struck him as much with admiration as with
+wonder. After a few minutes, he directed his followers to fall back to a
+greater distance, and, laying aside his club, he advanced fearlessly
+toward Luis, making signs of amity.</p>
+
+<p>When the two adversaries met, it was with mutual respect and confidence.
+The Carib made a short and vehement speech, in which the only word that
+was intelligible to our hero, was the name of the beautiful young
+Indian. By this time Ozema had also advanced, as if eager to speak, and
+her rude suitor turned to her, with an appeal that was passionate, if
+not eloquent. He laid his hand frequently on his heart, and his voice
+became soft and persuasive. Ozema replied earnestly, and in the quick
+manner of one whose resolution was settled. At the close of her speech,
+the color mounted to the temples of the ardent girl, and, as if
+purposely to make her meaning understood by our hero, she ended by
+saying, in Spanish&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Caonabo&mdash;no&mdash;no&mdash;no!&mdash;Luis&mdash;Luis!"</p>
+
+<p>The aspect of the hurricane of the tropics is not darker, or more
+menacing, than the scowl with which the Carib chief heard this
+unequivocal rejection of his suit, accompanied, as it was, by so plain a
+demonstration in favor of the stranger. Waving his hand in defiance, he
+strode back to his people, and issued orders for a fresh assault.</p>
+
+<p>This time, a tempest of arrows preceded the rush, and Luis was fain to
+seek his former cover behind the rocks. Indeed, this was the only manner
+in which he could save the life of Ozema; the devoted girl resolutely
+persevering in standing before his body, in the hope it would shield him
+from his enemies. There had been some words of reproach from Caonabo to
+the Carib chief who had retreated from the first attack, and the air was
+yet filled with arrows, as this man rushed forward, singly, to redeem
+his name. Luis met him, firm as the rock behind him. The shock was
+violent, and the blow that fell on the buckler would have crushed an arm
+less inured to such rude encounters; but it glanced obliquely from the
+shield, and the club struck the earth with the weight of a beetle. Our
+hero saw that all now depended on a deep impression. His sword flashed
+in the bright sun, and the head of the Carib tumbled by the side of his
+club, actually leaving the body erect for an instant, so keen was the
+weapon, and so dexterous had been the blow.</p>
+
+<p>Twenty savages were on the spring, but they stopped like men transfixed,
+at this unexpected sight. Caonabo, however, undaunted even when most
+surprised, roared out his orders like a maddened bull, and the wavering
+crowd was again about to advance, when the loud report of an arquebuse
+was heard, followed by the whistling of its deadly missives. A second
+Haytian fell dead in his tracks. It exceeded the powers of savage
+endurance to resist this assault, which, to their uninstructed minds,
+appeared to come from heaven. In two minutes, neither Caonabo nor any of
+his followers were visible. As they rushed down the hill, Sancho
+appeared from a cover, carrying the arquebuse, which he had taken the
+precaution to reload.</p>
+
+<p>The circumstances did not admit of delay. Not a being of Mattinao's
+tribe was to be seen in any direction; and Luis made no doubt that they
+had all fled. Determined to save Ozema at every hazard, he now took his
+way to the river, in order to escape in one of the canoes. In passing
+through the town, it was seen that not a house had been plundered; and
+the circumstance was commented on by the Spaniards, Luis pointing it out
+to his companion.</p>
+
+<p>"Caonabo&mdash;no&mdash;no&mdash;no&mdash;Ozema!&mdash;Ozema!" was the answer of the girl, who
+well knew the real object of the inroad.</p>
+
+<p>A dozen canoes lay at the landing, and five minutes sufficed for the
+fugitives to enter one and to commence their retreat. The current flowed
+toward the sea, and in a couple of hours they were on the ocean. As the
+wind blew constantly from the eastward, Sancho soon rigged an apology
+for a sail, and an hour before the sun set, the party landed on a point
+that concealed them from the bay; Luis being mindful of the admiral's
+injunction, to conceal his excursion, lest others might claim a similar
+favor.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXIV" id="CHAPTER_XXIV"></a>CHAPTER XXIV.</h2>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"Three score and ten I can remember well,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Within the volume of which time I have seen<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Hours dreadful, and things strange, but this sore sight<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Hath trifled former knowings."<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">Macbeth.</span><br /></span>
+</div></div>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p>A sight that struck our hero with a terror and awe, almost as great as
+those experienced by the ignorant Haytians at the report and effect of
+the arquebuse, awaited him, as he came in view of the anchorage. The
+Santa Maria, that vessel of the admiral, which he had left only four
+days before in her gallant array and pride, lay a stranded wreck on the
+sands, with fallen masts, broken sides, and all the other signs of
+nautical destruction. The Niña was anchored in safety, it is true, at no
+great distance, but a sense of loneliness and desertion came over the
+young man, as he gazed at this small craft, which was little more than a
+felucca, raised to the rank of a ship for the purposes of the voyage.
+The beach was covered with stores, and it was evident that the Spaniards
+and the people of Guacanagari toiled in company, at the construction of
+a sort of fortress; an omen that some great change had come over the
+expedition. Ozema was immediately left in the house of a native, and the
+two adventurers hurried forward to join their friends, and to ask an
+explanation of what they had seen.</p>
+
+<p>Columbus received his young friend kindly, but in deep affliction. The
+manner in which the ship was lost has been often told, and Luis learned
+that the Niña being too small to carry all away, a colony was to be left
+in the fortress, while the remainder of the adventurers hastened back to
+Spain. Guacanagari had shown himself full of sympathy, and was kindness
+itself, while every one had been too much occupied with the shipwreck to
+miss our hero, or to hearken to rumors of an event as common as an
+inroad from a Carib chief, to carry off an Indian beauty. Perhaps, the
+latter event was still too recent to have reached the shores.</p>
+
+<p>The week that succeeded the return of Luis was one of active exertion.
+The Santa Maria was wrecked on the morning of Christmas day, 1492, and
+on that of the 4th of January following, the Niña was ready to depart on
+her return voyage. During this interval, Luis had seen Ozema but once,
+and then he had found her sorrowing, mute, and resembling a withered
+flower, that retained its beauty even while it drooped. On the evening
+of the third, however, while lingering near the new-finished fortress,
+he was summoned by Sancho to another interview. To the surprise of our
+hero, he found the young cacique with his sister.</p>
+
+<p>Although language was wanting, on this occasion, the parties easily
+understood each other. Ozema was no longer sorrowful, and borne down
+with grief: the smile and the laugh came easily from her young and
+buoyant spirits, and Luis thought he had never seen her so winning and
+lovely. She had arranged her scanty toilet with Indian coquetry, and the
+bright, warm color of her cheeks added new lustre to her brilliant eyes.
+Her light, agile form, a model of artless grace, seemed so ethereal as
+scarce to touch the earth. The secret of this sudden change was not long
+hid from Luis. The brother and sister, after discussing all their
+dangers and escapes, and passing in review the character and known
+determination of Caonabo, had come to the conclusion that there was no
+refuge for Ozema but in flight. What most determined the brother to
+consent that his sister should accompany the strangers to their distant
+home, it would be useless to inquire; but the motive of Ozema herself,
+can be no secret to the reader. It was known that the admiral was
+desirous of carrying to Spain a party of natives; and three females, one
+of whom was of Ozema's rank, had already consented to go. This
+chieftain's wife was not only known to Ozema, but she was a kinswoman.
+Every thing seemed propitious to the undertaking; and as a voyage to
+Spain was still a mystery to the natives, who regarded it as something
+like an extended passage from one of their islands to another, no
+formidable difficulties presented themselves to the imagination of
+either the cacique or his sister.</p>
+
+<p>This proposition took our hero by surprise. He was both flattered and
+pleased at the self-devotion of Ozema, even while it troubled him.
+Perhaps there were moments when he a little distrusted himself. Still
+Mercedes reigned in his heart, and he shook off the feeling as a
+suspicion that a true knight could not entertain without offering an
+insult to his own honor. On second thoughts, there were fewer objections
+to the scheme than he at first fancied; and, after an hour's discussion,
+he left the place to go and consult the admiral.</p>
+
+<p>Columbus was still at the fortress, and he heard our hero gravely and
+with interest. Once or twice Luis' eyes dropped under the searching
+glance of his superior; but, on the whole, he acquitted himself of the
+task he had undertaken, with credit.</p>
+
+<p>"The sister of a cacique, thou say'st, Don Luis," returned the admiral,
+thoughtfully. "The virgin sister of a cacique!"</p>
+
+<p>"Even so, Don Christopher; and of a grace, birth, and beauty, that will
+give our Lady, the Queen, a most exalted idea of the merits of our
+discovery."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou wilt remember, Señor Conde, that naught but purity may be offered
+to purity. Doña Isabella is a model for all queens, and mothers, and
+wives; and I trust nothing to offend her angelic mind can ever come from
+her favored servants. There has been no deception practised on this wild
+girl, to lead her into sin and misery?"</p>
+
+<p>"Don Christopher, you can scarce think this of me. Doña Mercedes herself
+is not more innocent than the girl I mean, nor could her brother feel
+more solicitude in her fortunes, than I feel. When the king and queen
+have satisfied their curiosity, and dismissed her, I propose to place
+her under the care of the Lady of Valverde."</p>
+
+<p>"The rarer the specimens that we take, the better, Luis. This will
+gratify the sovereigns, and cause them to think favorably of our
+discoveries, as thou say'st. It might be done without inconvenience. The
+Niña is small, of a verity, but we gain much in leaving this large party
+behind us. I have given up the principal cabin to the other females,
+since thou and I can fare rudely for a few weeks. Let the girl come, and
+see thou to her comfort and convenience."</p>
+
+<p>This settled the matter. Early next morning Ozema embarked, carrying
+with her the simple wealth of an Indian princess, among which the turban
+was carefully preserved. Her relative had an attendant, who sufficed for
+both. Luis paid great attention to the accommodations, in which both
+comfort and privacy were duly respected. The parting with Mattinao was
+touchingly tender, for the domestic affections appear to have been much
+cultivated among these simple-minded and gentle people; but the
+separation, it was supposed, would be short, and Ozema had, again and
+again, assured her brother that her repugnance to Caonabo, powerful
+cacique as he might be, was unconquerable. Each hour increased it,
+strengthening her resolution never to become his wife. The alternative
+was to secrete herself in the island, or to make this voyage to Spain;
+and there was glory as well as security in the latter. With this
+consolation, the brother and sister parted.</p>
+
+<p>Columbus had intended to push his discoveries much further, before he
+returned to Europe; but the loss of the Santa Maria, and the desertion
+of the Pinta, reduced him to the necessity of bringing the expedition to
+a close, lest, by some untoward accident, all that had actually been
+achieved should be forever lost to the world. Accordingly, in the course
+of the 4th of January, 1493, he made sail to the eastward, holding his
+course along the shores of Hayti. His great object now was to get back
+to Spain before his remaining little bark should fail him, when his own
+name would perish with the knowledge of his discoveries. Fortunately,
+however, on the 6th, the Pinta was seen coming down before the wind,
+Martin Alonzo Pinzon having effected one of the purposes for which he
+had parted company, that of securing a quantity of gold, but failed in
+discovering any mines, which is believed to have been his principal
+motive.</p>
+
+<p>It is not important to the narrative to relate the details of the
+meeting that followed. Columbus received the offending Pinzon with
+prudent reserve, and, hearing his explanations, he directed him to
+prepare the Pinta for the return passage. After wooding and watering
+accordingly, in a bay favorable to such objects, the two vessels
+proceeded to the eastward in company; still following the north shore of
+Hayti, Española, or Little Spain, as the island had been named by
+Columbus.<a name="FNanchor_4_4" id="FNanchor_4_4"></a><a href="#Footnote_4_4" class="fnanchor">[4]</a></p>
+
+<p>It was the 16th of the month, ere the adventurers finally took their
+leave of this beautiful spot. They had scarcely got clear of the land,
+steering a north-easterly course, when the favorable winds deserted
+them, and they were again met by the trades. The weather was moderate,
+however, and by keeping the two vessels on the best tack, by the 10th of
+February, the admiral, making sundry deviations from a straight course,
+however, had stretched across the track of ocean in which these constant
+breezes prevailed, and reached a parallel of latitude as high as Palos,
+his port. In making this long slant, the Niña, contrary to former
+experience, was much detained by the dull sailing of the Pinta, which
+vessel, having sprung her after-mast, was unable to bear a press of
+sail. The light breeze also favored the first, which had ever been
+deemed a fast craft in smooth water and gentle gales.</p>
+
+<p>Most of the phenomena of the outward passage were observed on the
+homeward; but the tunny-fish no longer excited hopes, nor did the
+sea-weed awaken fears. These familiar objects were successfully, but
+slowly passed, and the variable winds were happily struck again in the
+first fortnight. Here the traverses necessarily became more and more
+complicated, until the pilots, unused to so long and difficult a
+navigation, in which they received no aids from either land or water,
+got confused in their reckonings, disputing hotly among themselves
+concerning their true position.</p>
+
+<p>"Thou hast heard to-day, Luis," said the admiral, smiling, in one of his
+renewed conferences with our hero, "the contentions of Vicente Yañez,
+with his brother, Martin Alonzo, and the other pilots, touching our
+distance from Spain. These constant shifts of wind have perplexed the
+honest mariners, and they fancy themselves in any part of the Atlantic,
+but that in which they really are!"</p>
+
+<p>"Much depends on you, Señor; not only our safety, but the knowledge of
+our great discoveries."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou say'st true, Don Luis. Vicente Yañez, Sancho Ruiz, Pedro Alonzo
+Niño, and Bartolemeo Roldan, to say nothing of the profound calculators
+in the Pinta, place the vessels in the neighborhood of Madeira, which is
+nearer to Spain, by a hundred and fifty leagues, than the truth would
+show. These honest people have followed their wishes, rather than their
+knowledge of the ocean and the heavens."</p>
+
+<p>"And you, Don Christopher, where do you place the caravels, since there
+is no motive to conceal the truth?"</p>
+
+<p>"We are south of Flores, young Count, fully twelve degrees west of the
+Canaries, and in the latitude of Nafé, in Africa. But I would that they
+should be bewildered, until the right of possession to our discoveries
+be made a matter of certainty. Not one of these men now doubts his
+ability to do all I have done, and yet neither is able to grope his way
+back again, after crossing this track of water to Asia!"</p>
+
+<p>Luis understood the admiral, and the size of the vessels rendering the
+communication of secrets hazardous, the conversation changed.</p>
+
+<p>Up to this time, though the winds were often variable, the weather had
+been good. A few squalls had occurred, as commonly happens at sea, but
+they had proved to be neither long nor severe. All this was extremely
+grateful to Columbus, who, now he had effected the great purpose for
+which he might have been said to live, felt some such concern lest the
+important secret should be lost to the rest of mankind, as one who
+carries a precious object through scenes of danger experiences for the
+safety of his charge. A change, however, was at hand, and at the very
+moment when the great navigator began to hope the best, he was fated to
+experience the severest of all his trials.</p>
+
+<p>As the vessels advanced north, the weather became cooler, as a matter of
+course, and the winds stronger. During the night of the 11th of
+February, the caravels made a great run on their course, gaining more
+than a hundred miles between sunset and sunrise. The next morning many
+birds were in sight, from which fact Columbus believed himself quite
+near the Azores, while the pilots fancied they were in the immediate
+vicinity of Madeira. The following day the wind was less favorable,
+though strong, and a heavy sea had got up. The properties of the little
+Niña now showed themselves to advantage, for, ere the turn of the day,
+she had to contend with such a struggle of the elements, as few in her
+had ever before witnessed. Fortunately, all that consummate seamanship
+could devise to render her safe and comfortable had been done, and she
+was in as perfect a state of preparation for a tempest, as circumstances
+would allow. The only essential defect was her unusual lightness, since,
+most of her stores as well as her water being nearly exhausted, her
+draught of water was materially less than it should have been. The
+caravel was so small, that this circumstance, which is of little
+consequence to the safety of large vessels, got to be one of
+consideration in a craft whose means of endurance did not place her
+above the perils of squalls. The reader will understand the distinction
+better when he is told that ships of size can only lose their spars by
+sudden gusts of wind, seldom being thrown on their beam ends, as it is
+termed, unless by the power of the waves; whereas, smaller craft incur
+the risk of being capsized, when the spread of their canvas is
+disproportioned to their stability. Although the seamen of the Niña
+perceived this defect in their caravel, which, in a great measure,
+proceeded from the consumption of the fresh water, they hoped so soon to
+gain a haven, that no means had been taken to remedy the evil.</p>
+
+<p>Such was the state of things, as the sun set on the night of the 12th of
+February, 1493. As usual, Columbus was on the poop, vessels of all sizes
+then carrying these clumsy excrescences, though this of the Niña was so
+small as scarcely to deserve the name. Luis was at his side, and both
+watched the aspect of the heavens and the ocean in grave silence. Never
+before had our hero seen the elements in so great commotion, and the
+admiral had just remarked that even he had not viewed many nights as
+threatening. There is a solemnity about a sunset at sea, when the clouds
+appear threatening, and the omens of a storm are brooding, that is never
+to be met with on the land. The loneliness of a ship, struggling through
+a waste of dreary-looking water, contributes to the influence of the
+feelings that are awakened, as there appears to be but one object on
+which the wild efforts of the storm can expend themselves. All else seem
+to be in unison to aid the general strife; ocean, heavens, and the air,
+being alike accessories in the murky picture. When the wintry frowns of
+February are thrown around all, the gloomy hues of the scene are
+deepened to their darkest tints.</p>
+
+<p>"This is a brooding nightfall, Don Luis," Columbus remarked, just as the
+last rays that the sun cast upward on the stormy-looking clouds
+disappeared from their ragged outlines&mdash;"I have rarely seen another as
+menacing."</p>
+
+<p>"One has a double confidence in the care of God, while sailing under
+your guidance, Señor; first in his goodness, and next in the knowledge
+of his agent's skilfulness."</p>
+
+<p>"The power of the Almighty is sufficient to endue the feeblest mortal
+with all fitting skill, when it is his divine will to spare; or to rob
+the most experienced of their knowledge, when his anger can only be
+appeased by the worldly destruction of his creatures."</p>
+
+<p>"You look upon the night as portentous, Don Christopher!"</p>
+
+<p>"I <i>have</i> seen omens as ill, though very seldom. Had not the caravel
+this burdensome freight, I might view our situation less anxiously."</p>
+
+<p>"You surprise me, sir Admiral! the pilots have regretted that our bark
+is so light."</p>
+
+<p>"True, as to material substance; but it beareth a cargo of knowledge,
+Luis, that it would be grievous to see wasted on these vacant waters.
+Dost thou not perceive how fast and gloomily the curtain of night
+gathereth about us, and the manner in which the Niña is rapidly getting
+to be our whole world? Even the Pinta is barely distinguishable, like a
+shapeless shadow on the foaming billows, serving rather as a beacon to
+warn us of our own desolation, than as a consort to cheer us with her
+presence and companionship."</p>
+
+<p>"I have never known you thus moody, excellent Señor, on account of the
+aspect of the weather!"</p>
+
+<p>"'Tis not usual with me, young lord; but my heart is loaded with its
+glorious secret. Behold!&mdash;dost thou remark that further sign of the
+warring of the elements?"</p>
+
+<p>The admiral, as he spoke, was standing with his face toward Spain, while
+his companion's gaze was fastened on the portentous-looking horizon of
+the west, around which still lingered sufficient light to render its
+frowns as chilling as they were visible. He had not seen the change that
+drew the remark from Columbus, but, turning quickly, he asked an
+explanation. Notwithstanding the season, the horizon at the north-east
+had been suddenly illuminated by a flash of lightning, and even while
+the admiral was relating the fact, and pointing out the quarter of the
+heavens in which the phenomenon had appeared, two more flashes followed
+each other in quick succession.</p>
+
+<p>"Señor Vicente"&mdash;called out Columbus, leaning forward in a way to
+overlook a group of dusky figures that was collected on the half-deck
+beneath him&mdash;"Is Señor Vicente Yañez of your number?"</p>
+
+<p>"I am here, Don Christopher, and note the omen. It is the sign of even
+more wind."</p>
+
+<p>"We shall be visited with a tempest, worthy Vicente; and it will come
+from that quarter of the heavens, or its opposite. Have we made all sure
+in the caravel?"</p>
+
+<p>"I know not what else is to be done, Señor Almirante. Our canvas is at
+the lowest, every thing is well lashed, and we carry as little aloft as
+can be spared. Sancho Ruiz, look you to the tarpaulings, lest we ship
+more water than will be safe."</p>
+
+<p>"Look well to our light, too, that our consort may not part from us in
+the darkness. This is no time for sleep, Vicente&mdash;place your most trusty
+men at the tiller."</p>
+
+<p>"Señor, they are selected with care. Sancho Mundo, and young Pepe of
+Moguer, do that duty, at present; others as skilled await to relieve
+them, when their watch ends."</p>
+
+<p>"'Tis well, good Pinzon&mdash;neither you nor I can close an eye to-night."</p>
+
+<p>The precautions of Columbus were not uncalled-for. About an hour after
+the unnatural flashes of lightning had been seen, the wind rose from the
+south-west, favorably as to direction, but fearfully as to force.
+Notwithstanding his strong desire to reach port, the admiral found it
+prudent to order the solitary sail that was set, to be taken in; and
+most of the night the two caravels drove before the gale, under bare
+poles, heading to the north-east. We say both, for Martin Alonzo,
+practised as he was in stormy seas, and disposed as he was to act only
+for himself, now the great problem was solved, kept the Pinta so near
+the Niña, that few minutes passed without her being seen careering on
+the summit of a foaming sea, or settling bodily into the troughs, as she
+drove headlong before the tempest; keeping side by side with her
+consort, however, as man clings to man in moments of dependency and
+peril.</p>
+
+<p>Thus passed the night of the 13th, the day bringing with it a more vivid
+picture of the whole scene, though it was thought that the wind somewhat
+abated in its force as the sun arose. Perhaps this change existed only
+in the imaginations of the mariners, the light usually lessening the
+appearance of danger, by enabling men to face it. Each caravel, however,
+set a little canvas, and both went foaming ahead, hurrying toward Spain
+with their unlooked-for tidings. As the day advanced, the fury of the
+gale sensibly lessened; but as night drew on again, it returned with
+renewed force, more adverse, and compelling the adventurers to take in
+every rag of sail they had ventured to spread. Nor was this the worst.
+The caravels, by this time, had driven up into a tract of ocean where a
+heavy cross-sea was raging, the effects of some other gale that had
+recently blown from a different quarter. Both vessels struggled manfully
+to lay up to their course, under these adverse circumstances; but they
+began to labor in a way to excite uneasiness in those who comprehended
+the fullest powers of the machines, and who knew whence the real sources
+of danger were derived. As night approached, Columbus perceived that the
+Pinta could not maintain her ground, the strain on her after-mast
+proving too severe to be borne, even without an inch of canvas spread.
+Reluctantly did he order the Niña to edge away toward her consort,
+separation, at such a moment, being the evil next to positive
+destruction.</p>
+
+<p>In this manner the night of the 14th drew around our lone and sea-girt
+adventurers. What had been merely menace and omens the previous night,
+were now a dread reality. Columbus, himself, declared he had never known
+a bark to buffet a more furious tempest, nor did he affect to conceal
+from Luis the extent of his apprehensions. With the pilots, and before
+the crew, he was serene, and even cheerful; but when alone with our
+hero, he became frank and humble. Still was the celebrated navigator
+always calm and firm. No unmanly complaint escaped him, though his very
+soul was saddened at the danger his great discoveries ran of being
+forever lost.</p>
+
+<p>Such was the state of feeling that prevailed with the admiral, as he sat
+in his narrow cabin, in the first hours of that appalling night,
+watching for any change, relieving or disastrous, that might occur. The
+howling of the winds, which fairly scooped up, from the surface of the
+raging Atlantic, the brine in sheets, was barely audible amid the roar
+and rush of the waters. At times, indeed, when the caravel sunk
+helplessly between two huge waves, the fragment of sail she still
+carried would flap, and the air seemed hushed and still; and then,
+again, as the buoyant machine struggled upward, like a drowning man who
+gains the surface by frantic efforts, it would seem as if the columns of
+air were about to bear her off before them, as lightly as the driving
+spray. Even Luis, albeit little apt to take alarm, felt that their
+situation was critical, and his constitutional buoyancy of spirits had
+settled down in a thoughtful gravity, that was unusual with him. Had a
+column of a thousand hostile Moors stood before our hero, he would have
+thought rather of the means of overturning it than of escape; but this
+warring of the elements admitted of no such relief. It appeared actually
+like contending with the Almighty. In such scenes, indeed, the bravest
+find no means of falling back on their resolution and intrepidity; for
+the efforts of man seem insignificant and bootless as opposed to the
+will and power of God.</p>
+
+<p>"'Tis a wild night, Señor," our hero observed calmly, preserving an
+exterior of more unconcern than he really felt. "To me this surpasseth
+all I have yet witnessed of the fury of a tempest."</p>
+
+<p>Columbus sighed heavily; then he removed his hands from his face, and
+glanced about him, as if in search of the implements he wanted.</p>
+
+<p>"Count of Llera," he answered, with dignity, "there remaineth a solemn
+duty to perform. There is parchment in the draw on your side of this
+table, and here are the instruments for writing. Let us acquit ourselves
+of this important trust while time is yet mercifully given us, God alone
+knowing how long we have to live."</p>
+
+<p>Luis did not blanch at these portentous words, but he looked earnest and
+grave. Opening the draw, he took out the parchment and laid it upon the
+table. The admiral now seized a pen, beckoning to his companion to take
+another, and both commenced writing as well as the incessant motion of
+the light caravel would allow. The task was arduous, but it was clearly
+executed. As Columbus wrote a sentence, he repeated it to Luis, who
+copied it word for word, on his own piece of parchment. The substance of
+this record was the fact of the discoveries made, the latitude and
+longitude of Española, with the relative positions of the other islands,
+and a brief account of what he had seen. The letter was directed to
+Ferdinand and Isabella. As soon as each had completed his account, the
+admiral carefully enveloped his missive in a covering of waxed cloth,
+Luis imitating him in all things. Each then took a large cake of wax,
+and scooping a hole in it, the packet was carefully secured in the
+interior, when it was covered with the substance that had been removed.
+Columbus now sent for the cooper of the vessel, who was directed to
+inclose each cake in a separate barrel. These vessels abound in ships;
+and, ere many minutes, the two letters were securely inclosed in the
+empty casks. Each taking a barrel, the admiral and our hero now appeared
+again on the half-deck. So terrific was the night that no one slept, and
+most of the people of the Niña, men as well as officers, were crowded
+together on the gratings near the main-mast, where alone, with the
+exception of the still more privileged places, they considered
+themselves safe from being swept overboard. Indeed, even here they were
+constantly covered with the wash of the sea, the poop itself not being
+protected from rude visits of this nature.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as the admiral was seen again, his followers crowded round him,
+solicitous to hear his opinion, and anxious to learn his present object.
+To have told the truth would have been to introduce despair where hope
+had already nearly ceased; and, merely intimating that he performed a
+religious vow, Columbus, with his own hands, cast his barrel into the
+hissing ocean. That of Luis was placed upon the poop, in the expectation
+that it would float, should the caravel sink.</p>
+
+<p>Three centuries and a half have rolled by since Columbus took this wise
+precaution, and no tidings have ever been obtained of that cask. Its
+buoyancy was such that it might continue to float for ages. Covered with
+barnacles, it may still be drifting about the waste of waters, pregnant
+with its mighty revelations. It is possible, it may have been repeatedly
+rolled upon some sandy beach, and as frequently swept off again; and it
+may have been passed unheeded on a thousand occasions, by different
+vessels, confounded with its vulgar fellows that are so often seen
+drifting about the ocean. Had it been found, it would have been opened;
+and had it been opened by any civilized man, it is next to impossible
+that an occurrence of so much interest should have been totally lost.</p>
+
+<p>This duty discharged, the admiral had leisure to look about him. The
+darkness was now so great, that, but for the little light that was
+disengaged from the troubled water, it would have been difficult to
+distinguish objects at the length of the caravel. No one, who has merely
+been at sea in a tall ship, can form any just idea of the situation of
+the Niña. This vessel, little more than a large felucca, had actually
+sailed from Spain with the latine rig, that is so common to the light
+coasters of southern Europe; a rig that had only been altered in the
+Canaries. As she floated in a bay, or a river, her height above the
+water could not have exceeded four or five feet, and now that she was
+struggling with a tempest, in a cross sea, and precisely in that part of
+the Atlantic where the rake of the winds is the widest, and the tumult
+of the waters the greatest, it seemed as if she were merely some aquatic
+animal, that occasionally rose to the surface to breathe. There were
+moments when the caravel appeared to be irretrievably sinking into the
+abyss of the ocean; huge black mounds of water rising around her in all
+directions, the confusion in the waves having destroyed all the ordinary
+symmetry of the rolling billows. Although so much figurative language
+has been used, in speaking of mountainous waves, it would not be
+exceeding the literal truth to add, that the Niña's yards were often
+below the summits of the adjacent seas, which were tossed upward in so
+precipitous a manner, as to create a constant apprehension of their
+falling in cataracts on her gratings; for mid-ship-deck, strictly
+speaking, she had none. This, indeed, formed the great source of danger;
+since one falling wave might have filled the little vessel, and carried
+her, with all in her, hopelessly to the bottom. As it was, the crests of
+seas were constantly tumbling inboard, or shooting athwart the hull of
+the caravel, in sheets of glittering foam, though happily, never with
+sufficient power to overwhelm the buoyant fabric. At such perilous
+instants, the safety of the craft depended on the frail tarpaulings. Had
+these light coverings given way, two or three successive waves would
+infallibly have so far filled the hold, as to render the hull
+water-logged; when the loss of the vessel would have followed as an
+inevitable consequence.</p>
+
+<p>The admiral had ordered Vicente Yañez to carry the foresail close
+reefed, in the hope of dragging the caravel through this chaos of
+waters, to a part of the ocean where the waves ran more regularly. The
+general direction of the seas, too, so far as they could be said to have
+a general direction at all, had been respected, and the Niña had
+struggled onward&mdash;it might be better to say, waded onward&mdash;some five or
+six leagues, since the disappearance of the day, and found no change. It
+was getting to be near midnight, and still the surface of the ocean
+presented the same wild aspect of chaotic confusion. Vicente Yañez
+approached the admiral, and declared that the bark could no longer bear
+the rag of sail she carried.</p>
+
+<p>"The jerk, as we rise on the sea, goes near to pull the stern out of the
+craft," he said; "and the backward flap, as we settle into the troughs,
+is almost as menacing. The Niña will bear the canvas no longer, with
+safety."</p>
+
+<p>"Who has seen aught of Martin Alonzo within the hour?" demanded
+Columbus, looking anxiously in the direction in which the Pinta ought to
+be visible. "Thou hast lowered the lantern, Vicente Yañez."</p>
+
+<p>"It would stand the hurricane no longer. From time to time it hath been
+shown, and each signal hath been answered by my brother."</p>
+
+<p>"Let it be shown once more. This is a moment when the presence of a
+friend gladdens the soul, even though he be helpless as ourselves."</p>
+
+<p>The lantern was hoisted, and, after a steady gaze, a faint and distant
+light was seen glimmering in the rack of the tempest. The experiment was
+repeated, at short intervals, and as often was the signal answered, at
+increasing distances, until the light of their consort was finally lost
+altogether.</p>
+
+<p>"The Pinta's mast is too feeble to bear even its gear, in such a gale,"
+observed Vicente Yañez; "and my brother hath found it impossible to keep
+as near the wind as we have done. He goes off more to leeward."</p>
+
+<p>"Let the foresail be secured," answered Columbus, "as thou say'st. Our
+feeble craft can no longer bear these violent surges."</p>
+
+<p>Vicente Yañez now mustered a few of his ablest men, and went forward
+himself to see this order executed. At the same moment the helm was
+righted, and the caravel slowly fell off, until she got dead before the
+gale. The task of gathering in the canvas was comparatively easy, the
+yard being but a few feet above the deck, and little besides the clews
+being exposed. Still it required men of the firmest nerve and the
+readiest hands to venture aloft at such an instant. Sancho took one side
+of the mast and Pepe the other, both manifesting such qualities as mark
+the perfect seaman only.</p>
+
+<p>The caravel was now drifting at the mercy of the winds and waves, the
+term scudding being scarcely applicable to the motion of a vessel so
+low, and which was so perfectly sheltered from the action of the wind by
+the height of the billows. Had the latter possessed their ordinary
+regularity, the low vessel must have been pooped; but, in a measure, her
+exemption from this calamity was owing to an irregularity that was only
+the source of a new danger. Still, the Niña drove ahead, and that
+swiftly, though not with the velocity necessary to outstrip the chasing
+water, had the waves followed with their customary order and regularity.
+The cross seas defeated this; wave meeting wave, actually sending those
+crests, which otherwise would have rolled over in combing foam, upward
+in terrific <i>jets d'eau</i>.</p>
+
+<p>This was the crisis of the danger. There was an hour when the caravel
+careered amid the chaotic darkness with a sort of headlong fury, not
+unfrequently dashing forward with her broadside to the sea, as if the
+impatient stern was bent on overtaking the stem, and exposing all to the
+extreme jeopardy of receiving a flood of water on the beam. This
+imminent risk was only averted by the activity of the man at the helm,
+where Sancho toiled with all his skill and energy, until the sweat
+rolled from his brow, as if exposed again to the sun of the tropics. At
+length the alarm became so great and general, that a common demand was
+made to the admiral to promise the customary religious oblations. For
+this purpose, all but the men at the helm assembled aft, and
+preparations were made to cast lots for the penance.</p>
+
+<p>"Ye are in the hands of God, my friends," said Columbus, "and it is meet
+that ye all confess your dependence on his goodness, placing your
+security on his blessings and favor alone. In this cap which ye see in
+the hands of the Señor de Muños, are the same number of peas that we are
+of persons. One of these peas bears the mark of the Holy Cross, and he
+who shall draw forth this blessed emblem, stands pledged to make a
+pilgrimage to Santa Maria de Guadalupe, bearing a waxen taper of five
+pounds weight. As the chiefest sinner among you, no less than as your
+admiral, the first trial shall be mine."</p>
+
+<p>Here Columbus put his hand into the cap, and on drawing forth a pea, and
+holding it to the lantern, it was found to bear on its surface the mark
+he had mentioned.</p>
+
+<p>"This is well, Señor," said one of the pilots; "but replace the pea, and
+let the chance be renewed for a still heavier penance, and that at a
+shrine which is most in request with all good Christians; I mean that of
+our Lady of Loretto. One pilgrimage to that shrine is worth two to any
+other."</p>
+
+<p>In moments of emergency, the religious sentiment is apt to be strong;
+and this proposition was seconded with warmth. The admiral cheerfully
+consented; and when all had drawn, the marked pea was found in the hands
+of a common seaman, of the name of Pedro de Villa; one who bore no very
+good name for either piety or knowledge.</p>
+
+<p>"'Tis a weary and costly journey," grumbled the chosen penitent, "and
+cannot cheaply be made."</p>
+
+<p>"Heed it not, friend Pedro," answered Columbus; "the bodily pains shall
+limit thy sufferings, for the cost of the journey shall be mine. This
+night groweth more and more terrific, good Bartolemeo Roldan."</p>
+
+<p>"That doth it, Señor Admiral, and I am little content with such a
+pilgrim as Pedro here, although it may seem as if heaven itself directed
+the choice. A mass in Santa Clara de Moguer, with a watcher all night in
+that chapel, will be of more account than your distant journeys made by
+such an one as he."</p>
+
+<p>This opinion wanted not for supporters among the seamen of Moguer, and a
+third trial was made to determine the person. Again the pea was
+withdrawn from the cap by the admiral. Still the danger did not
+diminish, the caravel actually threatening to roll over amid the
+turbulence of the waves.</p>
+
+<p>"We are too light, Vicente Yañez," said Columbus, "and, desperate as the
+undertaking seemeth, we must make an effort to fill our empty casks with
+sea-water. Let hose be carefully introduced beneath the tarpaulings, and
+send careful hands below to make sure that the water does not get into
+the hold instead of the casks."</p>
+
+<p>This order was obeyed, and several hours passed in efforts to execute
+this duty. The great difficulty was in protecting the men who raised the
+water from the sea, for, while the whole element was raging in such
+confusion around them, it was no easy matter to secure a single drop in
+a useful manner. Patience and perseverance, however, prevailed in the
+end, and, ere the light returned, so many empty casks had been filled,
+as evidently to aid the steadiness of the vessel. Toward morning it
+rained in torrents, and the wind shifted from south to west, losing but
+little of its force, however. At this juncture the foresail was again
+got on the bark, and she was dragged by it, through a tremendous sea, a
+few miles to the eastward.</p>
+
+<p>When the day dawned, the scene was changed for the better. The Pinta was
+nowhere to be seen, and most in the Niña believed she had gone to the
+bottom. But the clouds had opened a little, and a sort of mystical
+brightness rested on the ocean, which was white with foam, and still
+hissing with fury. The waves, however, were gradually getting to be more
+regular, and the seamen no longer found it necessary to lash themselves
+to the vessel, in order to prevent being washed overboard. Additional
+sail was got on the caravel, and, as her motion ahead increased, she
+became steadier, and more certain in all her movements.</p>
+
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/i422.jpg" alt=""/>
+</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXV" id="CHAPTER_XXV"></a>CHAPTER XXV.</h2>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"For now, from sight of land diverted clear,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">They drove uncertain o'er the pathless deep;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Nor gave the adverse gale due course to steer,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Nor durst they the design'd direction keep:<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">The gathering tempest quickly raged so high,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">The wave-encompass'd boat but faintly reach'd my eye."<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">Vision of Patience.</span><br /></span>
+</div></div>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p>Such was the state of things on the morning of the 15th, and shortly
+after the sun arose, the joyful cry of land was heard from aloft. It is
+worthy of being mentioned that this land was made directly ahead, so
+accurate were all the admiral's calculations, and so certain did he feel
+of his position on the chart. A dozen opinions, however, prevailed among
+the pilots and people concerning this welcome sight; some fancying it
+the continent of Europe, while others believed it to be Madeira.
+Columbus, himself, publicly announced it to be one of the Azores.</p>
+
+<p>Each hour was lessening the distance between this welcome spot of earth
+and the adventurers, when the gale chopped directly round, bringing the
+island dead to windward. Throughout a long and weary day the little bark
+kept turning up against the storm, in order to reach this much-desired
+haven, but the heaviness of the swell and the foul wind made their
+progress both slow and painful. The sun set in wintry gloom, again, and
+the land still lay in the wrong quarter, and apparently at a distance
+that was unattainable. Hour after hour passed, and still, in the
+darkness, the Niña was struggling to get nearer to the spot where the
+land had been seen. Columbus never left his post throughout all these
+anxious scenes, for to him it seemed as if the fortunes of his
+discoveries were now suspended, as it might be, by a hair. Our hero was
+less watchful, but even he began to feel more anxiety in the result, as
+the moment approached when the fate of the expedition was to be decided.</p>
+
+<p>As the sun arose, every eye turned inquiringly around the watery view,
+and, to the common disappointment, no land was visible. Some fancied all
+had been illusion, but the admiral believed they had passed the island
+in the darkness, and he hove about, with a view to stand further south.
+This change in the course had not been made more than an hour or two,
+when land was again dimly seen astern, and in a quarter where it could
+not have been previously perceived. For this island the caravel tacked,
+and until dark she was beating up for it, against a strong gale and a
+heavy sea. Night again drew around her, and the land once more vanished
+in the gloom.</p>
+
+<p>At the usual hour of the previous night, the people of the Niña had
+assembled to chant the <i>salve fac</i>, <i>regina</i>, or the evening hymn to the
+Virgin, for it is one of the touching incidents of this extraordinary
+voyage, that these rude sailors first carried with them into the unknown
+wastes of the Atlantic the songs of their religion, and the Christian's
+prayers. While thus employed, a light had been made to leeward, which
+was supposed to be on the island first seen, thus encouraging the
+admiral in his belief that he was in the centre of a group, and that by
+keeping well to windward, he would certainly find himself in a situation
+to reach a port in the morning. That morning, however, had produced no
+other change than the one noted, and he was now preparing to pass
+another night, or that of the 17th, in uncertainty, when the cry of land
+ahead suddenly cheered the spirits of all in the vessel.</p>
+
+<p>The Niña stood boldly in, and before midnight she was near enough to the
+shore to let go an anchor; so heavy were both wind and sea, however,
+that the cable parted, thus rejecting them, as it were, from the regions
+to which they properly belonged. Sail was made, and the effort to get to
+windward renewed, and by daylight the caravel was enabled to run in and
+get an anchorage on the north side of the island. Here the wearied and
+almost exhausted mariners learned that Columbus was right, as usual, and
+that they had reached the island of St. Mary, one of the Azores.</p>
+
+<p>It does not belong to this tale to record all the incidents that
+occurred while the Niña lay at this port. They embraced an attempt to
+seize the caravel, on the part of the Portuguese, who, as they had been
+the last to harass the admiral on his departure from the old world, were
+the first to beset him on his return. All their machinations failed,
+however, and after having the best portion of his crew in their power,
+and actually having once sailed from the island without the men, the
+admiral finally arranged the matter, and took his departure for Spain,
+with all his people on board, on the 24th of the month.</p>
+
+<p>Providence seemed to favor the passage of the adventurers, for the first
+few days; the wind being favorable and the sea smooth. Between the
+morning of the 24th and the evening of the 26th, the caravel had made
+nearly a hundred leagues directly on her course to Palos, when she was
+met by a foul wind and another heavy sea. The gale now became violent
+again, though sufficiently favorable to allow them to steer east, a
+little northerly, occasionally hauling more ahead. The weather was
+rough, but as the admiral knew he was drawing in with the continent of
+Europe, he did not complain, cheering his people with the hopes of a
+speedy arrival. In this manner the time passed until the turn of the
+day, Saturday, March 2d, when Columbus believed himself to be within a
+hundred miles of the coast of Portugal, the long continuance of the
+scant southerly winds having set him thus far north.</p>
+
+<p>The night commenced favorably, the caravel struggling ahead through a
+tremendous sea that was sweeping down from the south, having the wind
+abeam, blowing so fresh as to cause the sails to be reduced within
+manageable size. The Niña was an excellent craft, as had been thoroughly
+proved, and she was now steadier than when first assailed by the
+tempests, her pilots having filled still more of the casks than they had
+been able to do during the late storm.</p>
+
+<p>"Thou hast lived at the helm, Sancho Mundo, since the late gales
+commenced," said the admiral, cheerfully, as, about the last hour of the
+first watch, he passed near the post of the old mariner. "It is no small
+honor to hold that station in the cruel gales we have been fated to
+endure."</p>
+
+<p>"I so consider it, Señor Don Almirante; and I hope their illustrious and
+most excellent Highnesses, the two sovereigns, will look upon it with
+the same eyes, so far as the weight of the duty is concerned."</p>
+
+<p>"And why not as respects the honor, friend Sancho?" put in Luis, who had
+become a sworn friend of the seaman, since the rescue of the rocks.</p>
+
+<p>"Honor, Señor Master Pedro, is cold food, and sits ill on a poor man's
+stomach. One dobla is worth two dukedoms to such a man as I am, since
+the dobla would help to gain me respect, whereas the dukedoms would only
+draw down ridicule upon my head. No, no&mdash;Master Pedro, your worship,
+give me a pocket full of gold, and leave honors to such as have a fancy
+for them. If a man must be raised in the world, begin at the beginning,
+or lay a solid foundation; after which he may be made a knight of St.
+James, if the sovereigns have need of his name to make out their list."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou art too garrulous for a helmsman, Sancho, though so excellent
+otherwise," observed the admiral, gravely. "Look to thy course; doblas
+will not be wanting, when the voyage is ended."</p>
+
+<p>"Many thanks, Señor Almirante; and, as a proof that my eyes are not
+shut, even though the tongue wags, I will just desire your Excellency,
+and the pilots, to study that rag of a cloud that is gathering up here,
+at the south-west, and ask yourselves if it means evil or good."</p>
+
+<p>"By the mass! the man is right, Don Christopher!" exclaimed Bartolemeo
+Roldan, who was standing near; "that is a most sinister-looking cloud,
+and is not unlike those that give birth to the white squalls of Africa."</p>
+
+<p>"See to it&mdash;see to it&mdash;good Bartolemeo," returned Columbus, hastily. "We
+have, indeed, counted too much on our good fortune, and have culpably
+overlooked the aspect of the heavens. Let Vicente Yañez and all our
+people be called; we may have need of them."</p>
+
+<p>Columbus now ascended to the poop, where he got a wider and a better
+view of the ocean and the skies. The signs were, indeed, as portentous
+as they had been sudden in their appearance. The atmosphere was filled
+with a white mist, that resembled a light smoke, and the admiral had
+barely time to look about him, when a roar that resembled the trampling
+of a thousand horses passing a bridge at full speed, came rushing down
+with the wind. The ocean was heard hissing, as is usual at such moments,
+and the tempest burst upon the little bark, as if envious demons were
+determined she should never reach Spain with the glorious tidings she
+bore.</p>
+
+<p>A report like that of a heavy discharge of musketry, was the first
+signal that the squall had struck the Niña. It came from the rent
+canvas, every sail having given way at the same instant. The caravel
+heeled until the water reached her masts, and there was a breathless
+instant, when the oldest seaman feared that she would be forced over
+entirely upon her side. Had not the sails split, this calamity might
+truly have occurred. Sancho, too, had borne the tiller up in season, and
+when the Niña recovered from the shock, she almost flew out of the water
+as she drove before the blast.</p>
+
+<p>This was the commencement of a new gale, which even surpassed in
+violence that from which they had so recently escaped. For the first
+hour, awe and disappointment almost paralyzed the crew, as nothing was
+or could be done to relieve them from the peril they were in. The vessel
+was already scudding&mdash;the last resource of seamen&mdash;and even the rags of
+the canvas were torn, piece by piece, from the spars, sparing the men
+the efforts that would have been necessary to secure them. In this
+crisis, again the penitent people resorted to their religious rites; and
+again it fell to the lot of the admiral to make a visit to some favorite
+shrine. In addition, the whole crew made a vow to fast on bread and
+water, the first Saturday after they should arrive.</p>
+
+<p>"It is remarkable, Don Christopher," said Luis, when the two were again
+alone on the poop; "it is remarkable that these lots should fall so
+often on you. Thrice have you been selected by Providence to be an
+instrument of thankfulness and penitence. This cometh of your exceeding
+faith!"</p>
+
+<p>"Say, rather, Luis, that it cometh of my exceeding sins. My pride,
+alone, should draw down upon me stronger rebukes than these. I fear me,
+I had forgotten that I was merely an agent chosen by God, to work his
+own great ends, and was falling into the snares of Satan, by fancying
+that I, of my own wisdom and philosophy, had done this great exploit,
+which cometh so truly of God."</p>
+
+<p>"Do you believe us in danger, Señor?"</p>
+
+<p>"Greater hazard besets us now, Don Luis, than hath befallen us since we
+left Palos. We are driving toward the continent, which cannot be thirty
+leagues distant; and, as thou seest, the ocean is becoming more troubled
+every hour. Happily, the night is far advanced, and with the light we
+may find the means of safety."</p>
+
+<p>The day did reappear as usual; for whatever disturbances occur on its
+surface, the earth continues its daily revolutions in the sublimity of
+its vastness, affording, at each change, to the mites on its surface,
+the indubitable proofs that an omnipotent power reigns over all its
+movements. The light, however, brought no change in the aspects of the
+ocean and sky. The wind blew furiously, and the Niña struggled along
+amid the chaos of waters, driving nearer and nearer to the continent
+that lay before her.</p>
+
+<p>About the middle of the afternoon, signs of land became quite apparent,
+and no one doubted the vicinity of the vessel to the shores of Europe.
+Nevertheless, naught was visible but the raging ocean, the murky sky,
+and the sort of supernatural light with which the atmosphere is so often
+charged in a tempest. The spot where the sun set, though known by means
+of the compass, could not be traced by the eye; and again night closed
+on the wild, wintry scene, as if the little caravel was abandoned by
+hope as well as by day. To add to the apprehensions of the people, a
+high cross sea was running; and, as ever happens with vessels so small,
+in such circumstances, tons' weight of water were constantly falling
+inboard, threatening destruction to the gratings and their frail
+coverings of tarred cloth.</p>
+
+<p>"This is the most terrible night of all, son Luis," said Columbus, about
+an hour after the darkness had drawn around them. "If we escape this
+night, well may we deem ourselves favored of God!"</p>
+
+<p>"And yet you speak calmly, Señor; as calmly as if your heart was filled
+with hope."</p>
+
+<p>"The seaman that cannot command his nerves and voice, even in the utmost
+peril, hath mistaken his calling. But I <i>feel</i> calm, Luis, as well as
+<i>seem</i> calm. God hath us in his keeping, and will do that which most
+advanceth his own holy will. My boys&mdash;my two poor boys trouble me
+sorely; but even the fatherless are not forgotten!"</p>
+
+<p>"If we perish, Señor, the Portuguese will remain masters of our secret:
+to them only is it now known, ourselves excepted, since, for Martin
+Alonzo, I should think, there is little hope."</p>
+
+<p>"This is another source of grief; yet have I taken such steps as will
+probably put their Highnesses on the maintenance of their rights. The
+rest must be trusted to heaven."</p>
+
+<p>At that moment was heard the startling cry of "land." This word, which
+so lately would have been the cause of sudden bursts of joy, was now the
+source of new uneasiness. Although the night was dark, there were
+moments when the gloom opened, as it might be, for a mile or two around
+the vessel, and when objects as prominent as a coast could be seen with
+sufficient distinctness. Both Columbus and our hero hastened to the
+forward part of the caravel, at this cry, though even this common
+movement was perilous, in order to obtain the best possible view of the
+shore. It was, indeed, so near, that all on board heard, or fancied they
+heard, the roar of the surf against the rocks. That it was Portugal,
+none doubted, and to stand on in the present uncertainty of their
+precise position, or without a haven to enter, would be inevitable
+destruction. There remained only the alternative to ware with the
+caravel's head off shore, and endeavor to keep an offing until morning.
+Columbus had no sooner mentioned this necessity, than Vicente Yañez set
+about its execution in the best manner circumstances would allow.</p>
+
+<p>Hitherto the wind had been kept a little on the starboard quarter, the
+caravel steering east, a point or two north, and it was now the aim to
+lay her head so far round as to permit her to steer north, a point or
+two west. By the manner in which the coast appeared to trend, it was
+thought that this variation in the direction might keep them, for a few
+hours, at a sufficient distance from the shore. But this man&oelig;uvre
+could not be effected without the aid of canvas, and an order was issued
+to set the foresail. The first flap of the canvas, as it was loosened to
+the gale, was tremendous, the jerk threatening to tear the fore-mast
+from its step, and then all was still as death forward, the hull sinking
+so low behind a barrier of water, as actually to becalm the sail. Sancho
+and his associate seized the favorable moment to secure the clews, and,
+as the little bark struggled upward again, the canvas filled with some
+such shock as is felt at the sudden checking of a cable. From this
+moment the Niña drew slowly off to sea again, though her path lay
+through such a scene of turbulent water, as threatened, at each instant,
+to overwhelm her.</p>
+
+<p>"Luis!" said a soft voice, at our hero's elbow, as the latter stood
+clinging to the side of the door of the cabin appropriated to the
+females&mdash;"Luis&mdash;Hayti better&mdash;Mattinao better&mdash;much bad, Luis!"</p>
+
+<p>It was Ozema, who had risen from her pallet to look out upon the
+appalling view of the ocean. During the mild weather of the first part
+of the passage, the intercourse between Luis and the natives on board
+had been constant and cheerful. Though slightly incommoded by her
+situation, Ozema had always received his visits with guileless delight,
+and her progress in Spanish had been such as to astonish even her
+teacher. Nor were the means of communication confined altogether to the
+advance of Ozema, since Luis, in his endeavors to instruct her, had
+acquired nearly as many words of her native tongue, as he had taught her
+of his own. In this manner they conversed, resorting to both dialects
+for terms, as necessity dictated. We shall give a free translation of
+what was said, endeavoring, at the same time, to render the dialogue
+characteristic and graphic.</p>
+
+<p>"Poor Ozema!" returned our hero, drawing her gently to a position where
+he could support her against the effects of the violent motion of the
+caravel&mdash;"thou must regret Hayti, indeed, and the peaceful security of
+thy groves!"</p>
+
+<p>"Caonabo there, Luis."</p>
+
+<p>"True, innocent girl; but even Caonabo is not as terrible as this anger
+of the elements."</p>
+
+<p>"No&mdash;no&mdash;no&mdash;Caonabo much bad. Break Ozema's heart. No Caonabo&mdash;no
+Hayti."</p>
+
+<p>"Thy dread of the Carib chief, dear Ozema, hath upset thy reason, in
+part. Thou hast a God, as well as we Christians, and, like us, must put
+thy trust in him; he alone can now protect thee."</p>
+
+<p>"What protect?"</p>
+
+<p>"Care for thee, Ozema. See that thou dost not come to harm. Look to thy
+safety and welfare."</p>
+
+<p>"Luis protect Ozema. So promise Mattinao&mdash;so promise Ozema&mdash;so promise
+heart."</p>
+
+<p>"Dear girl, so will I, to the extent of my means. But what can I do
+against this tempest?"</p>
+
+<p>"What Luis do against Caonabo?&mdash;Kill him&mdash;cut Indians&mdash;make him run
+away!"</p>
+
+<p>"This was easy to a Christian knight, who carried a good sword and
+buckler, but it is impossible against a tempest. We have only one hope,
+and that is to trust in the Spaniard's God."</p>
+
+<p>"Spaniards great&mdash;have great God."</p>
+
+<p>"There is but one God, Ozema, and he ruleth all, whether in Hayti or in
+Spain. Thou rememberest what I have told thee of his love, and of the
+manner of his death, that we might all be saved, and thou didst then
+promise to worship him, and to be baptized when we should reach my
+country."</p>
+
+<p>"God!&mdash;Ozema do, what Ozema say. Love Luis' God already."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou hast seen the holy cross, Ozema, and hast promised me to kiss it,
+and bless it."</p>
+
+<p>"Where cross? See no cross&mdash;up in heaven?&mdash;or where? Show Ozema cross,
+now&mdash;Luis' cross&mdash;cross Luis love."</p>
+
+<p>The young man wore the parting gift of Mercedes near his heart, and
+raising a hand he withdrew the small jewel, pressed it to his own lips
+with pious fervor, and then offered it to the Indian girl.</p>
+
+<p>"See"&mdash;he said&mdash;"this is a cross; we Spaniards revere and bless it. It
+is our pledge of happiness."</p>
+
+<p>"That Luis' God?" enquired Ozema, in a little surprise.</p>
+
+<p>"Not so, my poor benighted girl"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"What benighted?" interrupted the quick-witted Haytian, eagerly, for no
+term that the young man could or did apply to her, fell unheeded on her
+vigilant and attentive ear.</p>
+
+<p>"Benighted means those who have never heard of the cross, or of its
+endless mercies."</p>
+
+<p>"Ozema no benighted now," exclaimed the other, pressing the bauble to
+her bosom. "Got cross&mdash;keep cross&mdash;no benighted again, never. Cross,
+Mercedes"&mdash;for, by one of those mistakes that are not unfrequent in the
+commencement of all communications between those who speak different
+tongues, the young Indian had caught the notion, from many of Luis'
+involuntary exclamations, that "Mercedes" meant all that was excellent.</p>
+
+<p>"I would, indeed, that she of whom thou speakest had thee in her gentle
+care, that she might lead thy pure soul to a just knowledge of thy
+Creator! That cross cometh of Mercedes, if it be not Mercedes herself,
+and thou dost well in loving it, and in blessing it. Place the chain
+around thy neck, Ozema, for the precious emblem may help in preserving
+thee, should the gale throw us on the coast, ere morning. <i>That cross is
+a sign of undying love.</i>"</p>
+
+<p>The girl understood enough of this, especially as the direction was
+seconded by a little gentle aid, on the part of our hero, to comply, and
+the chain was soon thrown around her neck, with the holy emblem resting
+on her bosom. The change in the temperature, as well as a sense of
+propriety, had induced the admiral to cause ample robes of cotton to be
+furnished all the females, and Ozema's beautiful form was now closely
+enveloped in one, and beneath its folds she had hidden the jewel, which
+she fondly hugged to her heart, as a gift of Luis. Not so did the young
+man himself view the matter. He had merely meant to lend, in a moment of
+extreme peril, that which the superstitious feeling of the age seriously
+induced him to fancy might prove a substantial safeguard. As Ozema was
+by no means expert in managing the encumbrance of a dress to which she
+was unaccustomed, even while native taste had taught her to throw it
+around her person gracefully, the young man had half unconsciously
+assisted in placing the cross in its new position, when a violent roll
+of the vessel compelled him to sustain the girl by encircling her waist
+with an arm. Partly yielding to the motion of the caravel, which was
+constantly jerking even the mariners from their feet, and probably as
+much seduced by the tenderness of her own heart, Ozema did not rebuke
+this liberty&mdash;the first our hero had ever offered, but stood, in
+confiding innocence, upheld by the arm that, of all others, it was most
+grateful to her feelings to believe destined to perform that office for
+life. In another moment, her head rested on his bosom, and her face was
+turned upward, with the eyes fastened on the countenance of the young
+noble.</p>
+
+<p>"Thou art less alarmed at this terrific storm, Ozema, than I could have
+hoped. Apprehension for thee has made me more miserable than I could
+have thought possible, and yet thou seemest not to be disturbed."</p>
+
+<p>"Ozema no unhappy&mdash;no want Hayti&mdash;no want Mattinao&mdash;no want any
+thing&mdash;Ozema happy now. Got cross."</p>
+
+<p>"Sweet, guileless innocent, may'st thou never know any other
+feelings!&mdash;confide in thy cross."</p>
+
+<p>"Cross, Mercedes&mdash;Luis, Mercedes. Luis and Ozema keep cross forever."</p>
+
+<p>It was, perhaps, fortunate for this high-prized happiness of the girl,
+that the Niña now took a plunge that unavoidably compelled our hero to
+release his hold of her person, or to drag her with him headlong toward
+the place where Columbus stood, sheltering his weather-beaten form from
+a portion of the violence of the tempest. When he recovered his feet, he
+perceived that the door of the cabin was closed, and that Ozema was no
+longer to be seen.</p>
+
+<p>"Dost thou find our female friends terrified by this appalling scene,
+son Luis?" Columbus quietly demanded, for, though his own thoughts had
+been much occupied by the situation of the caravel, he had noted all
+that had just passed so near him. "They are stout of heart, but even an
+amazon might quail at this tempest."</p>
+
+<p>"They heed it not, Señor, for I think they understand it not. The
+civilized man is so much their superior, that both men and women appear
+to have every confidence in our means of safety. I have just given Ozema
+a cross, and bade her place her greatest reliance on that."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou hast done well; it is now the surest protector of us all. Keep the
+head of the caravel as near to the wind as may be, Sancho, when it
+lulls, every inch off shore being so much gained in the way of
+security."</p>
+
+<p>The usual reply was made, and then the conversation ceased; the raging
+of the elements, and the fearful manner in which the Niña was compelled
+to struggle literally to keep on the surface of the ocean, affording
+ample matter for the reflections of all who witnessed the scene.</p>
+
+<p>In this manner passed the night. When the day broke, it opened on a
+scene of wintry violence. The sun was not visible that day, the dark
+vapor driving so low before the tempest, as to lessen the apparent
+altitude of the vault of heaven one-half, but the ocean was an
+undulating sheet of foam. High land soon became visible nearly abeam of
+the caravel, and all the elder mariners immediately pronounced it to be
+the rock of Lisbon. As soon as this important fact was ascertained, the
+admiral wore with the head of the caravel in-shore, and laid his course
+for the mouth of the Tagus. The distance was not great, some twenty
+miles perhaps; but the necessity of facing the tempest, and of making
+sail, on a wind, in such a storm, rendered the situation of the caravel
+more critical than it had been in all her previous trials. At that
+moment, the policy of the Portuguese was forgotten, or held to be
+entirely a secondary consideration, a port or shipwreck appearing to be
+the alternative. Every inch of their weatherly position became of
+importance to the navigators, and Vicente Yañez placed himself near the
+helm to watch its play with the vigilance of experience and authority.
+No sail but the lowest could be carried, and these were reefed as
+closely as their construction would allow.</p>
+
+<p>In this manner the tempest-tossed little bark struggled forward, now
+sinking so low in the troughs that land, ocean, and all but the frowning
+billows, with the clouds above their heads, were lost to view; and now
+rising, as it might be, from the calm of a sombre cavern, into the
+roaring, hissing, and turbulence of a tempest. These latter moments were
+the most critical. When the light hull reached the summit of a wave,
+falling over to windward by the yielding of the element beneath her, it
+seemed as if the next billow must inevitably overwhelm her; and yet, so
+vigilant was the eye of Vicente Yañez, and so ready the hand of Sancho,
+that she ever escaped the calamity. To keep the wash of the sea entirely
+out, was, however, impossible; and it often swept athwart the deck,
+forward, like the sheets of a cataract, that part of the vessel being
+completely abandoned by the crew.</p>
+
+<p>"All now depends on our canvas," said the admiral, with a sigh; "if that
+stand, we are safer than when scudding, and I think God is with us. To
+me it seemeth as if the wind was a little less violent than in the
+night."</p>
+
+<p>"Perhaps it is, Señor. I believe we gain on the place you pointed out to
+me."</p>
+
+<p>"It is yon rocky point. <i>That</i> weathered, and we are safe. That not
+weathered, and we see our common grave."</p>
+
+<p>"The caravel behaveth nobly, and I will still hope."</p>
+
+<p>An hour later, and the land was so near that human beings were seen
+moving on it. There are moments when life and death may be said to be
+equally presented to the seaman's sight. On one side is destruction; on
+the other security. As the vessel drew slowly in toward the shore, not
+only was the thunder of the surf upon the rocks audible, but the
+frightful manner in which the water was tossed upward in spray, gave
+additional horrors to the view. On such occasions, it is no uncommon
+thing to see <i>jets d'eau</i> hundreds of feet in height, and the driving
+spray is often carried to a great distance inland, before the wind.
+Lisbon has the whole rake of the Atlantic before it, unbroken by island
+or headland; and the entire coast of Portugal is one of the most exposed
+of Europe. The south-west gales, in particular, drive across twelve
+hundred leagues of ocean, and the billows they send in upon its shores,
+are truly appalling. Nor was the storm we are endeavoring to describe,
+one of common occurrence. The season had been tempestuous, seldom
+leaving the Atlantic any peace; and the surges produced by one gale had
+not time to subside, ere another drove up the water in a new direction,
+giving rise to that irregularity of motion which most distresses a
+vessel, and which is particularly hazardous to small ones.</p>
+
+<p>"She looks up better, Don Christopher!" exclaimed Luis, as they got
+within musket-shot of the desired point; "another ten minutes of as
+favorable a slant, and we do it!"</p>
+
+<p>"Thou art right, son," answered the admiral, calmly. "Were any calamity
+to throw us ashore on yonder rocks, two planks of the Niña would not
+hold together five minutes. Ease her&mdash;good Vicente Yañez&mdash;ease her,
+quite a point, and let her go through the water. All depends on the
+canvas, and we can spare that point. She moves, Luis! Regard the land,
+and thou wilt now see our motion."</p>
+
+<p>"True, Señor, but the caravel is drawing frightfully near the point!"</p>
+
+<p>"Fear not; a bold course is often the safest. It is a deep shore, and we
+need but little water."</p>
+
+<p>No one now spoke. The caravel was dashing in toward the point with
+appalling speed, and every minute brought her perceptibly nearer to the
+cauldron of water that was foaming around it. Without absolutely
+entering within this vortex, the Niña flew along its edge, and, in five
+minutes more, she had a direct course up the Tagus open before her. The
+mainsail was now taken in, and the mariners stood fearlessly on, certain
+of a haven and security.</p>
+
+<p>Thus, virtually, ended the greatest marine exploit the world has ever
+witnessed. It is true that a run round to Palos was subsequently made,
+but it was insignificant in distance, and not fruitful in incidents.
+Columbus had effected his vast purpose, and his success was no longer a
+secret. His reception in Portugal is known, as well as all the leading
+occurrences that took place at Lisbon. He anchored in the Tagus on the
+4th of March, and left it again on the 13th. On the morning of the 14th,
+the Niña was off Cape St. Vincent, when she hauled in to the eastward,
+with a light air from the north. At sunrise on the 15th she was again
+off the bar of Saltes, after an absence of only two hundred and
+twenty-four days.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXVI" id="CHAPTER_XXVI"></a>CHAPTER XXVI.</h2>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"One evening-tide, as with her crones she sate,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Making sweet solace of some scandal new,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">A boisterous noise came thund'ring at the gate,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">And soon a sturdie boy approached in view;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">With gold far glitter and were his vestments blue,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">And pye-shaped hat, and of the silver sheen<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">An huge broad buckle glaunst in either shoe,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">And round his necke an Indian kerchiefe clean,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">And in his hand a switch;&mdash;a jolly wight I ween."<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">Mickle.</span><br /></span>
+</div></div>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p>Notwithstanding the noble conceptions that lay at the bottom of the
+voyage we have just related, the perseverance and self-devotion that
+were necessary to its accomplishment, and the magnificence of the
+consequences that were dependent on its success, it attracted very
+little attention, amid the stirring incidents and active selfishness of
+the age, until the result was known. Only a month before the arrangement
+was made with Columbus, the memorable edict of the two sovereigns, for
+the expulsion of the Jews, had been signed; and this uprooting of so
+large a portion of the Spanish nation was, of itself, an event likely to
+draw off the eyes of the people from an enterprise deemed as doubtful,
+and which was sustained by means so insignificant, as that of the great
+navigator. The close of the month of July had been set as the latest
+period for the departure of these persecuted religionists; and thus, at
+the very time, almost on the very day, when Columbus sailed from Palos,
+was the attention of the nation directed toward what might be termed a
+great national calamity. The departure was like the setting forth from
+Egypt, the highways being thronged with the moving masses, many of which
+were wandering they knew not whither.</p>
+
+<p>The king and queen had left Granada in May, and after remaining two
+months in Castile, they passed into Aragon, about the commencement of
+August, in which kingdom they happened to be when the expedition sailed.
+Here they remained throughout the rest of the season, settling affairs
+of importance, and, quite probably, disposed to avoid the spectacle of
+the misery their Jewish edict had inflicted, Castile having contained
+much the greater portion of that class of their subjects. In October, a
+visit was paid to the turbulent Catalans; the court passing the entire
+winter in Barcelona. Nor did momentous events cease to occupy them while
+in this part of their territories. On the 7th of December an attempt was
+made on the life of Ferdinand; the assassin inflicting a severe, though
+not a fatal wound, by a blow on the neck. During the critical weeks in
+which the life of the king was deemed to be in danger, Isabella watched
+at his bed-side, with the untiring affection of a devoted wife; and her
+thoughts dwelt more on her affections than on any worldly
+aggrandisement. Then followed the investigation into the motives of the
+criminal; conspiracies ever being distrusted in such cases, although
+history would probably show that much the greater part of these wicked
+attempts on the lives of sovereigns, are more the results of individual
+fanaticism, than of any combined plans to destroy.</p>
+
+<p>Isabella, whose gentle spirit grieved over the misery her religious
+submission had induced her to inflict on the Jews, was spared the
+additional sorrow of mourning for a husband, taken away by means so
+violent. Ferdinand gradually recovered. All these occurrences, together
+with the general cares of the state, had served to divide the thoughts
+of even the queen from the voyage; while the politic Ferdinand, in his
+mind, had long since set down the gold expended in the outfit as so much
+money lost.</p>
+
+<p>The balmy spring of the south opened as usual, and the fertile province
+of Catalonia had already become delightful with the fresh verdure of the
+close of March. The king had, for some weeks, resumed his usual
+occupations, and Isabella, relieved from her conjugal fears, had again
+fallen into the quiet current of her duties and her usual acts of
+beneficence. Indisposed to the gorgeousness of her station by the recent
+events, and ever pining for the indulgence of the domestic affections,
+this estimable woman, notwithstanding the strong natural disposition she
+had always felt for that sort of life, had lived more among her children
+and confidants, of late, than had been even her wont. Her earliest
+friend, the Marchioness of Moya, as a matter of course, was ever near
+her person, and Mercedes passed most of her time either in the immediate
+presence of her royal mistress, or in that of her children.</p>
+
+<p>There had been a small reception one evening, near the close of the
+month; and Isabella, glad to escape from such scenes, had withdrawn to
+her private apartments, to indulge in conversation in the circle she so
+much loved. It was near the hour of midnight, the king being at work, as
+usual, in an adjoining closet. There were present, besides the members
+of the royal family and Doña Beatriz with her lovely niece, the
+Archbishop of Granada, Luis de St. Angel, and Alonzo de Quintanilla, the
+two last of whom had been summoned by the prelate, to discuss some
+question of clerical finance before their illustrious mistress. All
+business, however, was over, and Isabella was rendering the circle
+agreeable, with the condescension of a princess and the gentle grace of
+a woman.</p>
+
+<p>"Are there fresh tidings from the unfortunate and deluded Hebrews, Lord
+Archbishop?" demanded Isabella, whose kind feelings ever led her to
+regret the severity which religious dependence on her confessors had
+induced her to sanction. "Our prayers should surely attend them,
+notwithstanding our policy and duty have demanded their expulsion."</p>
+
+<p>"Señora," answered Fernando de Talavera, "they are doubtless serving
+Mammon among the Moors and Turks, as they served him in Spain. Let not
+your Highness' gracious mind be disturbed on account of these
+descendants of the enemies and crucifiers of Christ, who, if they suffer
+at all, do but suffer justly, for the unutterable sin of their
+forefathers. Let us rather inquire, my gracious mistress, of the Señores
+St. Angel and Quintanilla here, what hath become of their favorite
+Colon, the Genoese; and when they look for his return, dragging the
+Great Khan, a captive, by the beard!"</p>
+
+<p>"We know naught of him, holy prelate," put in de St. Angel, briskly,
+"since his departure from the Canaries."</p>
+
+<p>"The Canaries!" interrupted the queen, in a little surprise. "Hath aught
+been received, that cometh from that quarter?"</p>
+
+<p>"By report only, Señora. Letters have not reached any in Spain, that I
+can learn, but there is a rumor from Portugal, that the admiral touched
+at Gomera and the Grand Canary, where it would seem he had his
+difficulties, and whence he shortly after departed, holding a western
+course; since which time no tidings have been received from either of
+the caravels."</p>
+
+<p>"By which fact, Lord Archbishop," added Quintanilla, "we can perceive
+that trifles are not likely to turn the adventurers back."</p>
+
+<p>"I'll warrant ye, Señores, that a Genoese adventurer who holdeth their
+Highnesses' commission as an admiral, will be in no unseemly haste to
+get rid of the dignity!" rejoined the prelate, laughing, without much
+deference to his mistress' concessions in Columbus' favor. "One does not
+see rank, authority, and emolument, carelessly thrown aside, when they
+may be retained by keeping aloof from the power whence they spring."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou art unjust to the Genoese, holy sir, and judgest him harshly,"
+observed the queen. "Truly, I did not know of these tidings from the
+Canaries, and I rejoice to hear that Colon hath got thus far in safety.
+Hath not the past been esteemed a most boisterous winter among mariners,
+Señor de St. Angel?"</p>
+
+<p>"So much so, your Highness, that I have heard the seamen here, in
+Barcelona, swear that, within the memory of man, there hath not been
+another like it. Should ill-luck wait upon Colon, I trust this
+circumstance may be remembered as his excuse; though I doubt if he be
+very near any of our tempests and storms."</p>
+
+<p>"Not he!" exclaimed the bishop, triumphantly. "It will be seen that he
+hath been safely harbored in some river of Africa; and we shall have
+some question yet to settle about him with Don John of Portugal."</p>
+
+<p>"Here is the king to give us his opinion," interposed Isabella. "It is
+long since I have heard him mention the name of Colon. Have you entirely
+forgotten our Genoese admiral, Don Fernando?"</p>
+
+<p>"Before I am questioned on subjects so remote," returned the king,
+smiling, "let me inquire into matters nearer home. How long is it that
+your Highness holdeth court, and giveth receptions, past the hour of
+midnight?"</p>
+
+<p>"Call you this a court, Señor? Here are but our own dear children,
+Beatriz and her niece, with the good archbishop, and those two faithful
+servants of your own."</p>
+
+<p>"True; but you overlook the ante-chambers, and those who await your
+pleasure without."</p>
+
+<p>"None can await without at this unusual hour; surely you jest, my lord."</p>
+
+<p>"Then your own page, Diego de Ballesteros, hath reported falsely.
+Unwilling to disturb your privacy, at this unseasonable hour, he hath
+come to me, saying that one of strange conduct and guise is in the
+palace, insisting on an interview with the queen, let it be late or
+early. The accounts of this man's deportment are so singular, that I
+have ordered him to be admitted, and have come myself to witness the
+interview. The page telleth me that he swears all hours are alike, and
+that night and day are equally made for our uses."</p>
+
+<p>"Dearest Don Fernando, there may be treason in this!"</p>
+
+<p>"Fear not, Isabella; assassins are not so bold, and the trusty rapiers
+of these gentlemen will prove sufficient for our protection&mdash;Hist! there
+are footsteps, and we must appear calm, even though we apprehend a
+tumult."</p>
+
+<p>The door opened, and Sancho Mundo stood in the royal presence. The air
+and appearance of so singular a being excited both astonishment and
+amusement, and every eye was fastened on him in wonder; and this so much
+the more, because he had decked his person with sundry ornaments from
+the imaginary Indies, among which were one or two bands of gold.
+Mercedes alone detected his profession by his air and attire, and she
+rose involuntarily, clasping her hands with energy, and suffering a
+slight exclamation to escape her. The queen perceived this little
+pantomime, and it at once gave a right direction to her own thoughts.</p>
+
+<p>"I am Isabella, the queen," she said, prising, without any further
+suspicion of danger; "and thou art a messenger from Colon, the Genoese?"</p>
+
+<p>Sancho, who had found great difficulty in gaining admittance, now that
+his end was obtained, took matters with his native coolness. His first
+act was to fall on his knees, as he had been particularly enjoined by
+Columbus to do. He had caught the habit of using the weed of Hayti and
+Cuba, from the natives, and was, in fact, the first seaman who ever
+chewed tobacco. The practice had already got to be confirmed with him,
+and before he answered, or as soon as he had taken this, for him, novel
+position, he saw fit to fill a corner of his mouth with the attractive
+plant. Then, giving his wardrobe a shake, for all the decent clothes he
+owned were on his person, he disposed himself to make a suitable reply.</p>
+
+<p>"Señora&mdash;Doña&mdash;your Highness," he answered, "any one might have seen
+that at a glance. I am Sancho Mundo, of the ship-yard-gate; one of your
+Highness' Excellency's most faithful subjects and mariners, being a
+native and resident of Moguer."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou comest from Colon, I say?"</p>
+
+<p>"Señora, I do; many thanks to your Royal Grace for the information. Don
+Christopher hath sent me across the country from Lisbon, seeing that the
+wily Portuguese would be less likely to distrust a simple mariner, like
+myself, than one of your every-day-booted couriers. 'Tis a weary road,
+and there is not a mule between the stables of Lisbon and the palace of
+Barcelona, fit for a Christian to bestride."</p>
+
+<p>"Then, hast thou letters? One like thee can scarcely bear aught else."</p>
+
+<p>"Therein, your Grace's Highness, Doña Reyña, is mistaken; though I am
+far from bearing half the number of doblas I had at starting. Mass! the
+innkeepers took me for a grandee, by the manner in which they charged!"</p>
+
+<p>"Give the man gold, good Alonzo&mdash;he is one that liketh his reward ere he
+will speak."</p>
+
+<p>Sancho coolly counted the pieces that were put into his hand, and,
+finding them greatly to exceed his hopes, he had no longer any motive
+for prevarication.</p>
+
+<p>"Speak, fellow!" cried the king. "Thou triflest where thou owest thy
+duty and obedience."</p>
+
+<p>The sharp, quick voice of Ferdinand had much more effect on the ear of
+Sancho, than the gentler tones of Isabella, notwithstanding his rude
+nature had been impressed with the matronly beauty and grace of the
+latter.</p>
+
+<p>"If your Highness would condescend to let me know what you wish to hear,
+I will speak in all gladness."</p>
+
+<p>"Where is Colon?" demanded the queen.</p>
+
+<p>"At Lisbon, lately, Señora, though I think now at Palos de Moguer, or in
+that neighborhood."</p>
+
+<p>"Whither hath he been?"</p>
+
+<p>"To Cipango, and the territories of the Great Khan; forty days' sail
+from Gomera, and a country of marvellous beauty and excellence!"</p>
+
+<p>"Thou canst not&mdash;darest not trifle with me! Can we put credit in thy
+words?"</p>
+
+<p>"If your Highness only knew Sancho Mundo, you would not feel this doubt.
+I tell you, Señora, and all these noble cavaliers and dames, that Don
+Christopher Colon hath discovered the other side of the earth, which we
+now know to be round, by having circled it; and that he hath found out
+that the north star journeyeth about in the heavens, like a gossip
+spreading her news; and that he hath taken possession of islands as
+large as Spain, in which gold groweth, and where the holy church may
+employ itself in making Christians to the end of time."</p>
+
+<p>"The letter&mdash;Sancho&mdash;give me the letter. Colon would scarce send thee as
+a verbal expositor."</p>
+
+<p>The fellow now undid sundry coverings of cloth and paper, until he
+reached the missive of Columbus, when, without rising from his knees, he
+held it out toward the queen, giving her the trouble to move forward
+several paces to receive it. So unexpected and astounding were the
+tidings, and so novel the whole scene, that no one interfered, leaving
+Isabella to be the sole actor, as she was, virtually, the sole speaker.
+Sancho having thus successfully acquitted himself of a task that had
+been expressly confided to him on account of his character and
+appearance, which, it was thought, would prove his security from arrest
+and plunder, settled down quietly on his heels, for he had been directed
+not to rise until ordered; and drawing forth the gold he had received,
+he began coolly to count it anew. So absorbing was the attention all
+gave to the queen, that no one heeded the mariner or his movements.
+Isabella opened the letter, which her looks devoured, as they followed
+line after line. As was usual with Columbus, the missive was long, and
+it required many minutes to read it. All this time not an individual
+moved, every eye being fastened on the speaking countenance of the
+queen. There, were seen the heightening flush of pleasure and surprise,
+the glow of delight and wonder, and the look of holy rapture. When the
+letter was ended, Isabella turned her eyes upward to heaven, clasped her
+hands with energy, and exclaimed&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Not unto us, O Lord, but to Thee, be all the honor of this wonderful
+discovery, all the benefits of this great proof of thy goodness and
+power!"</p>
+
+<p>Thus saying, she sunk into a seat and dissolved in tears. Ferdinand
+uttered a slight ejaculation at the words of his royal consort; and then
+he gently took the letter from her unresisting hand, and read it with
+great deliberation and care. It was not often that the wary King of
+Aragon was as much affected, in appearance at least, as on this
+occasion. The expression of his face, at first, was that of wonder;
+eagerness, not to say avidity, followed; and when he had finished
+reading, his grave countenance was unequivocally illuminated by
+exultation and joy.</p>
+
+<p>"Good Luis de St. Angel!" he cried, "and thou, honest Alonzo de
+Quintanilla, these must be grateful tidings to you both. Even thou, holy
+prelate, wilt rejoice that the church is like to have acquisitions so
+glorious&mdash;albeit no favorer of the Genoese of old. Far more than all our
+expectations are realized, for Colon hath truly discovered the Indies;
+increasing our dominions, and otherwise advancing our authority in a
+most unheard-of manner."</p>
+
+<p>It was unusual to see Don Ferdinand so excited, and he seemed conscious
+himself that he was making an extraordinary exhibition, for he
+immediately advanced to the queen, and, taking her hand, he led her
+toward his own cabinet. In passing out of the saloon, he indicated to
+the three nobles that they might follow to the council. The king made
+this sudden movement more from habitual wariness than any settled
+object, his mind being disturbed in a way to which he was unaccustomed,
+while caution formed a part of his religion, as well as of his policy.
+It is not surprising, therefore, that when he and the party he invited
+to follow him had left the room, there remained only the princesses, the
+Marchioness of Moya, and Mercedes. No sooner had the king and queen
+disappeared, than the royal children retired to their own apartments,
+leaving our heroine, her guardian, and Sancho, the sole occupants of the
+saloon. The latter still remained on his knees, scarce heeding what had
+passed, so intently was he occupied with his own situation, and his own
+particular sources of satisfaction.</p>
+
+<p>"Thou canst rise, friend," observed Doña Beatriz; "their Highnesses are
+no longer present."</p>
+
+<p>At this intelligence, Sancho quitted his humble posture, brushed his
+knees with some care, and looked about him with the composure that he
+was wont to exhibit in studying the heavens at sea.</p>
+
+<p>"Thou wert of Colon's company, friend, by the manner in which thou hast
+spoken, and the circumstance that the admiral hath employed thee as his
+courier?"</p>
+
+<p>"You may well believe that, Señora, your Excellency, for most of my time
+was passed at the helm, which was within three fathoms of the very spot
+that Don Christopher and the Señor de Muños loved so well that they
+never quitted it, except to sleep, and not always then."</p>
+
+<p>"Hadst thou a Señor de Muños of thy party?" resumed the Marchioness,
+making a sign to her ward to control her feelings.</p>
+
+<p>"That had we, Señora, and a Señor Gutierrez, and a certain Don Somebody
+Else, and they all three did not occupy more room than one common man.
+Prithee, honorable and agreeable Señora, is there one Doña Beatriz de
+Cabrera, the Marchioness of Moya, a lady of the illustrious house of
+Bobadilla, anywhere about the court of our gracious queen?"</p>
+
+<p>"I am she, and thou hast a message for me, from this very Señor de
+Muños, of whom thou hast spoken."</p>
+
+<p>"I no longer wonder that there are great lords with their beautiful
+ladies, and poor sailors with wives that no one envies! Scarce can I
+open my mouth, but it is known what I wish to say, which is knowledge to
+make one party great and the other party little! Mass!&mdash;Don Christopher,
+himself, will need all his wit, if he journeyeth as far as Barcelona!"</p>
+
+<p>"Tell us of this Pedro de Muños; for thy message is to me."</p>
+
+<p>"Then, Señora, I will tell you of your own brave nephew, the Conde de
+Llera, who goeth by two other names in the caravel, one of which is
+supposed to be a sham, while the other is still the greatest deception
+of the two."</p>
+
+<p>"Is it, then, known who my nephew really is? Are many persons acquainted
+with his secret?"</p>
+
+<p>"Certainly, Señora; it is known, firstly, to himself; secondly, to Don
+Christopher; thirdly, to me; fourthly, to Master Alonzo Pinzon, if he be
+still in the flesh, as most probably he is not. Then it is known to your
+ladyship; and this beautiful Señorita must have some suspicions of the
+matter."</p>
+
+<p>"Enough&mdash;I see the secret is not public; though, how one of thy class
+came to be of it, I cannot explain. Tell me of my nephew:&mdash;did he, too,
+write? if so, let me, at once, peruse his letter."</p>
+
+<p>"Señora, my departure took Don Luis by surprise, and he had no time to
+write. The admiral had given the princes and princesses, that we brought
+from Española, in charge to the Conde, and he had too much to do to be
+scribbling letters, else would he have written sheets to an aunt as
+respectable as yourself."</p>
+
+<p>"Princes and princesses!&mdash;What mean you, friend, by such high-sounding
+terms?"</p>
+
+<p>"Only that we have brought several of these great personages to Spain,
+to pay their respects to their Highnesses. We deal with none of the
+common fry, Señora, but with the loftiest princes, and the most
+beautiful princesses of the east."</p>
+
+<p>"And dost thou really mean that persons of this high rank have returned
+with the admiral?"</p>
+
+<p>"Out of all question, lady, and one of a beauty so rare, that the
+fairest dames of Castile need look to it, if they wish not to be
+outdone. She, in particular, is Don Luis' friend and favorite."</p>
+
+<p>"Of whom speakest thou?" demanded Doña Beatriz, in the lofty manner in
+which she was wont to insist on being answered directly. "What is the
+name of this princess, and whence doth she come?"</p>
+
+<p>"Her name, your Excellency, is Doña Ozema de Hayti, of a part of which
+country her brother, Don Mattinao, is cacique or king, Señora Ozema
+being the heiress, or next of kin. Don Luis and your humble servant paid
+that court a visit"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Thy tale is most improbable, fellow&mdash;art thou one whom Don Luis would
+be likely to select as a companion on such an occasion?"</p>
+
+<p>"Look at it as you will, Señora, it is as true as that this is the court
+of Don Ferdinand and Doña Isabella. You must know, illustrious
+Marchioness, that the young count is a little given to roving about
+among us sailors, and on one occasion, a certain Sancho Mundo, of
+Moguer, happened to be of the same voyage; and thus we became known to
+each other. I kept the noble's secret, and he got to be Sancho's friend.
+When Don Luis went to pay a visit to Don Mattinao, the cacique, which
+word meaneth 'your Highness,' in the eastern tongue, Sancho must go with
+him, and Sancho went. When King Caonabo came down from the mountains to
+carry off the Princess Doña Ozema for a wife, and the princess was
+unwilling to go, why there remained nothing to be done, but for the
+Conde de Llera and his friend Sancho of the ship-yard-gate, to fight the
+whole army in her defence, which we did, gaining as great a victory as
+Don Fernando, our sovereign master, ever gained over the Moors."</p>
+
+<p>"Carrying off the princess yourselves, as would seem! Friend Sancho, of
+the ship-yard-gate, if that be thy appellation, this tale of thine is
+ingenious, but it lacketh probability. Were I to deal justly by thee,
+honest Sancho, it would be to order thee the stripes thou merietst so
+well, as a reward for this trifling."</p>
+
+<p>"The man speaketh as he hath been taught," observed Mercedes, in a low,
+unsteady voice; "I fear, Señora, there is too much truth in his tale!"</p>
+
+<p>"You need fear nothing, beautiful Señorita," put in Sancho, altogether
+unmoved at the menace implied by the words of the Marchioness, "since
+the battle hath been fought, the victory hath been gained, and both the
+heroes escaped uninjured. This illustrious Señora, to whom I can forgive
+any thing, as the aunt of the best friend I have on earth&mdash;any thing
+<i>spoken</i>, I mean&mdash;will remember that the Haytians know nothing of
+arquebuses, by means of which we defeated Caonabo, and also, that many
+is the column of Moors that Don Luis hath broken singly, and by means of
+his own good lance."</p>
+
+<p>"Ay, fellow," answered Doña Beatriz, "but that hath been in the saddle,
+behind plaits of steel, and with a weapon that hath overturned even
+Alonzo de Ojeda!"</p>
+
+<p>"Hast thou truly brought away with thee the princess thou hast named?"
+asked Mercedes, earnestly.</p>
+
+<p>"I swear to it, Señora and Señorita, illustrious ladies both, by the
+holy mass, and all the saints in the calendar! A princess, moreover,
+surpassing in beauty the daughters of our own blessed queen, if the fair
+ladies who passed out of this room, even now, are they, as I suspect."</p>
+
+<p>"Out upon thee, knave!" cried the indignant Beatriz&mdash;"I will no more of
+this, and marvel that my nephew should have employed one of so loose a
+tongue, on any of his errands. Go to, and learn discretion ere the
+morning, or the favor of even thy admiral will not save thy bones.
+Mercedes, we will seek our rest&mdash;the hour is late."</p>
+
+<p>Sancho was immediately left alone, and in a minute a page appeared to
+show him to the place where he was to pass the night. The old mariner
+had grumbled a little to himself, concerning the spirit of Don Luis'
+aunt, counted anew his gold, and was about to take possession of his
+pallet, when the same page reappeared to summon him to another
+interview. Sancho, who knew little distinction between night and day,
+made no objections, especially when he was told that his presence was
+required by the lovely Señorita, whose gentle, tremulous voice had so
+much interested him, in the late interview. Mercedes received her rude
+guest in a small saloon of her own, after having parted from her
+guardian for the night. As he entered, her face was flushed, her eye
+bright, and her whole demeanor, to one more expert in detecting female
+emotions, would have betrayed intense anxiety.</p>
+
+<p>"Thou hast had a long and weary journey, Sancho," said our heroine, when
+alone with the seaman, "and, I pray thee, accept this gold, as a small
+proof of the interest with which I have heard the great tidings of which
+thou hast been the bearer."</p>
+
+<p>"Señorita!" exclaimed Sancho, affecting indifference to the doblas that
+fell into his hand&mdash;"I hope you do not think me mercenary! the honor of
+being the messenger, and of being admitted to converse with such
+illustrious ladies, more than pays me for any thing I could do."</p>
+
+<p>"Still, thou may'st need money for thy wants, and wilt not refuse that
+which a lady offereth."</p>
+
+<p>"On that ground, I would accept it, Doña Señorita, even were it twice as
+much."</p>
+
+<p>So saying, Sancho placed the money, with a suitable resignation, by the
+side of that which he had previously received by order of the queen.
+Mercedes now found herself in the situation that they who task their
+powers too much, are often fated to endure; in other words, now she had
+at command the means of satisfying her own doubts, she hesitated about
+using them.</p>
+
+<p>"Sancho," Mercedes at length commenced, "thou hast been with the Señor
+Colon, throughout this great and extraordinary voyage, and must know
+much that it will be curious for us, who have lived quietly in Spain, to
+hear. Is all thou hast said about the princes and princesses true?"</p>
+
+<p>"As true, Señorita, as such things need be for a history. Mass!&mdash;Any one
+who hath been in a battle, or seen any other great adventure, and then
+cometh to hear it read of, afterward, will soon learn to understand the
+difference between the thing itself, and the history that may be given
+of it. Now, I was"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Never mind thy other adventures, good Sancho; tell me only of this. Are
+there really a Prince Mattinao, and a Princess Ozema his sister, and
+have both accompanied the admiral to Spain?"</p>
+
+<p>"I said not that, beautiful Señorita, for Don Mattinao remained behind
+to rule his people. It is only his handsome sister, who hath followed
+Don Christopher and Don Luis to Palos."</p>
+
+<p>"Followed!&mdash;Do the admiral and the Conde de Llera possess such influence
+over royal ladies, as to induce them to abandon their native country and
+to <i>follow</i> them to a foreign land?"</p>
+
+<p>"Ay, Señorita, that might seem out of rule in Castile, or Portugal, or
+even in France. But Hayti is not yet a Christian country, and a princess
+there may not be more than a noble lady in Castile, and, in the way of
+wardrobe, perhaps, not even as much. Still, a princess is a princess,
+and a handsome princess is a handsome princess. Doña Ozema, here, is a
+wonderful creature, and beginneth already to prattle your pure
+Castilian, and she had been brought up at Toledo, or Burgos. But Don
+Luis is a most encouraging master, and no doubt made great head-way,
+during the time he was living in her palace, as it might be alone with
+her, before that incarnate devil Don Caonabo came down with his
+followers to seize the lady."</p>
+
+<p>"Is this lady a Christian princess, Sancho?"</p>
+
+<p>"Heaven bless your own pure soul, Doña Señorita, she can boast of but
+little in that way; still, she hath made something of a beginning, as I
+see she now weareth a cross&mdash;one small in size, it is true, but precious
+in material, as, indeed it ought to be, seeing that it is a present from
+one as noble and rich as the Count of Llera."</p>
+
+<p>"A cross, say'st thou, Sancho!" interrupted Mercedes, almost gasping for
+breath, yet so far subduing her feelings as to prevent the old seaman
+from detecting them; "hath Don Luis succeeded in inducing her to accept
+of a cross?"</p>
+
+<p>"That hath he, Señorita&mdash;one of precious stones, that he once wore at
+his own neck."</p>
+
+<p>"Knowest thou the stones?&mdash;was it of turquoise, embellished with the
+finest gold?"</p>
+
+<p>"For the gold I can answer, lady, though my learning hath never reached
+as high as the precious stones. The heavens of Hayti, however, are not
+bluer than the stones of that cross. Doña Ozema calls it 'Mercedes,' by
+which I understand that she looketh for the mercies of the crucifixion
+to help her benighted soul."</p>
+
+<p>"Is this cross, then, held so common, that it hath gotten to be the
+subject of discourse even for men of thy class?"</p>
+
+<p>"Hearkee, Señorita; a man like me is more valued, on board a caravel, in
+a tossing sea, than he is likely to be here, in Barcelona, on solid
+ground. We went to Cipango to set up crosses, and to make Christians; so
+that all hath been in character. As for the Lady Ozema, she taketh more
+notice of me than of another, as I was in the battle that rescued her
+from Caonabo, and so she showed me the cross the day we anchored in the
+Tagus, or just before the admiral ordered me to bring his letter to her
+Highness. Then it was that she kissed the cross, and held it to her
+heart, and said it was 'Mercedes.'"</p>
+
+<p>"This is most strange, Sancho! Hath this princess attendants befitting
+her rank and dignity?"</p>
+
+<p>"You forget, Señorita, that the Niña is but a small craft, as her name
+signifieth, and there would be no room for a large train of lords and
+ladies. Don Christopher and Don Luis are honorable enough to attend on
+any princess; and for the rest, the Doña Ozema must wait until our
+gracious queen can command her a retinue befitting her birth. Besides,
+my lady, these Haytian dames are simpler than our Spanish nobles, half
+of them thinking clothes of no great use in that mild climate."</p>
+
+<p>Mercedes looked offended and incredulous; but her curiosity and interest
+were too active, to permit her to send the man away without further
+question.</p>
+
+<p>"And Don Luis de Bobadilla was ever with the admiral?" she said; "ever
+ready to support him, and foremost in all hazards?"</p>
+
+<p>"Señorita, you describe the count as faithfully as if you had been
+present from first to last. Had you but seen him dealing out his blows
+upon Caonabo's followers, and the manner in which he kept them all at
+bay, with the Doña Ozema near him, behind the rocks, it would have drawn
+tears of admiration from your own lovely eyes."</p>
+
+<p>"The Doña Ozema near him&mdash;behind rocks&mdash;and assailants held at bay!"</p>
+
+<p>"Si, Señora; you repeat it all like a book. It was much as you say,
+though the Lady Ozema did not content herself with being behind the
+rocks, for, when the arrows came thickest, she rushed before the count,
+compelling the enemy to withhold, lest they should slay the very prize
+they were battling for; thereby saving the life of her knight."</p>
+
+<p>"Saving his life!&mdash;the life of Luis&mdash;of Don Luis de Bobadilla&mdash;an Indian
+princess?"</p>
+
+<p>"It is just as you say, and a most noble girl she is, asking pardon for
+speaking so light of one of her high rank. Time and again, since that
+day, hath the young count told me, that the arrows came in such clouds,
+that his honor might have been tarnished by a retreat, or his life been
+lost, but for the timely resolution of the Doña Ozema. She is a rare
+creature, Señorita, and you will love her as a sister, when you come to
+see and know her."</p>
+
+<p>"Sancho," said our heroine, blushing like the dawn, "thou saidst that
+the Conde de Llera bade thee speak of him to his aunt; did he mention no
+one else?"</p>
+
+<p>"No one, Señorita."</p>
+
+<p>"Art certain, Sancho? Bethink thee well&mdash;did he mention no other name to
+thee?"</p>
+
+<p>"Not that I can swear. It is true, that either he or old Diego, the
+helmsman, spoke of one Clara that keepeth an <i>hosteria</i>, here in
+Barcelona, as a place famous for its wine; but I think it more likely to
+have been Diego than the count, as one thinketh much of these matters,
+and the other would not be apt to know aught of Clara."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou canst retire, Sancho," said Mercedes, in a faint voice. "We will
+say more to thee in the morning."</p>
+
+<p>Sancho was not sorry to be dismissed, and he gladly returned to his
+pallet, little dreaming of the mischief he had done by the mixture of
+truth and exaggeration that he had been recounting.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXVII" id="CHAPTER_XXVII"></a>CHAPTER XXVII.</h2>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"Mac-Homer, too, in prose or song,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">By the state-papers of Buffon,<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">To deep researches led;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">A Gallo-Celtic scheme may botch,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">To prove the Ourang race were Scotch,<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">Who from the Highlands fled."<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">Lord John Townshend.</span><br /></span>
+</div></div>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p>The intelligence of the return of Columbus, and of the important
+discoveries he had made, spread through Europe like wild-fire. It soon
+got to be, in the general estimation, the great event of the age. For
+several years afterward, or until the discovery of the Pacific by
+Balboa, it was believed that the Indies had been reached by the western
+passage; and, of course, the problem of the earth's spherical shape was
+held to be solved by actual experiment. The transactions of the voyage,
+the wonders seen, the fertility of the soil of the east, the softness of
+its climate, its treasures in gold, spices, and pearls, and the curious
+things that the admiral had brought as proofs of his success, were all
+the themes of the hour. Men never wearied in discussing the subjects.
+For many centuries had the Spaniards been endeavoring to expel the Moors
+from the peninsula; but as that much-desired event had been the result
+of time and a protracted struggle, even its complete success seemed tame
+and insignificant compared with the sudden brilliancy that shone around
+the western discoveries. In a word, the pious rejoiced in the hope of
+spreading the gospel; the avaricious feasted their imaginations on
+untold hoards of gold; the politic calculated the increase of the power
+of Spain; the scientific exulted in the triumph of mind over prejudice
+and ignorance, while they hoped for still greater accessions of
+knowledge; and the enemies of Spain wondered, and deferred, even while
+they envied.</p>
+
+<p>The first few days that succeeded the arrival of Columbus' courier, were
+days of delight and curiosity. Answers were sent soliciting his early
+presence, high honors were proffered to him, and his name filled all
+mouths, as his glory was in the heart of every true Spaniard. Orders
+were issued to make the necessary outfits for a new voyage, and little
+was talked of but the discovery and its consequences. In this manner
+passed a month, when the admiral arrived at Barcelona, attended by most
+of the Indians he had brought with him from the islands. His honors were
+of the noblest kind, the sovereigns receiving him on a throne placed in
+a public hall, rising at his approach, and insisting on his being seated
+himself, a distinction of the highest nature, and usually granted only
+to princes of royal blood. Here the admiral related the history of his
+voyage, exhibited the curiosities he had brought with him, and dwelt on
+his hopes of future benefits. When the tale was told, all present knelt,
+and <i>Te Deum</i> was chanted by the usual choir of the court; even
+Ferdinand's stern nature dissolving into tears of grateful joy, at this
+unlooked-for and magnificent behest of heaven.</p>
+
+<p>For a long time, Columbus was the mark of every eye; nor did his honors
+and consideration cease untill he left Spain, in command of the second
+expedition to the east, as the voyage was then termed.</p>
+
+<p>A few days previously to the arrival of the admiral at court, Don Luis
+de Bobadilla suddenly appeared in Barcelona. On ordinary occasions, the
+movements of one of the rank and peculiarities of the young grandee
+would have afforded a topic for the courtiers, that would not soon have
+been exhausted, but the all-engrossing theme of the great voyage
+afforded him a screen. His presence, however, could not escape notice;
+and it was whispered, with the usual smiles and shrugs, that he had
+entered the port in a caravel, coming from the Levant; and it was one of
+the received pleasantries of the hour to say, in an undertone, that the
+young Conde de Llera had also made the <i>eastern</i> voyage. All this gave
+our hero little concern, and he was soon pursuing his ordinary life,
+when near the persons of the sovereigns. The day that Columbus was
+received in state, he was present in the hall, attired in the richest
+vestments, and no noble of Spain did more credit to his lineage, or his
+condition, than Don Luis, by his mien and carriage. It was remarked that
+Isabella smiled on him, during the pageant; but the head of more than
+one wary observer was shaken, as its owner remarked how grave the
+queen's favorite appeared, for an occasion so joyous; a fact that was
+attributed to the unworthy pursuits of her truant nephew. No one, that
+day, gazed at Luis with more delight than Sancho, who lingered at
+Barcelona to share in the honors of his chief, and who, in virtue of his
+services, was permitted to take his place among the courtiers
+themselves. Not a little admiration was excited by the manner in which
+he used the novel weed, called tobacco; and some fifteen or twenty of
+his neighbors were nauseated by their efforts to emulate his indulgence
+and satisfaction. One of his exploits was of a character so unusual, and
+so well illustrates the feeling of the hour, that it may be well to
+record it in detail.</p>
+
+<p>The reception was over, and Sancho was quitting the hall with the rest
+of the crowd, when he was accosted by a man apparently of forty, well
+attired, and of agreeable manner, who desired the honor of his presence
+at a slight entertainment, of which several had been prepared for the
+admiral and his friends. Sancho, nothing loth, the delights of
+distinction being yet so novel, cheerfully complied, and he was quickly
+led to a room of the palace, where he found a party of some twenty young
+nobles assembled to do him honor; for happy was he that day in Barcelona
+who could get even one of the meanest of Columbus' followers to accept
+of his homage. No sooner did the two enter the room, than the young
+Castilian lords crowded around them, covering Sancho with protestations
+of admiration, and addressing eager questions, a dozen at a time, to his
+companion, whom they styled "Señor Pedro," "Señor Matir," and
+occasionally "Señor Pedro Matir." It is scarcely necessary to add, that
+this person was the historian who has become known to us of these latter
+days as "Peter Martyr," an Italian, to whose care and instruction
+Isabella had entrusted most of the young nobles of the court. The
+present interview had been got up to indulge the natural curiosity of
+the youthful lords, and Sancho had been chosen for the occasion, on the
+principle that when the best is denied us, we must be content to accept
+information of an inferior quality.</p>
+
+<p>"Congratulate me, Señores," cried Peter Martyr, as soon as he could find
+an opportunity to speak, "since my success surpasseth our own hopes. As
+for the Liguirian, himself, and all of high condition about him, they
+are in the hands of the most illustrious of Spain, for this day; but
+here is a most worthy pilot, no doubt the second in authority on board
+one of the caravels, who consenteth to do us honor, and to partake of
+our homely cheer. I drew him from a crowd of applicants, and have not
+yet had an opportunity to inquire his name, which he is about to give us
+of his own accord."</p>
+
+<p>Sancho never wanted for self-possession, and had far too much mother-wit
+to be either clownish or offensively vulgar, though the reader is not
+now to be told that he was neither qualified to be an academician, nor
+had the most profound notions of natural philosophy. He assumed an air
+of suitable dignity, therefore, and, somewhat practised in his new
+vocation by the thousand interrogatories he had answered in the last
+month, he disposed himself to do credit to the information of a man who
+had visited the Indies.</p>
+
+<p>"I am called Sancho Mundo, Señores, at your service&mdash;sometimes Sancho of
+the ship-yard-gate, though I would prefer now to be called Sancho of the
+Indies, unless, indeed, it should suit his Excellency Don Christopher to
+take that appellation&mdash;his claim being somewhat better than mine."</p>
+
+<p>Here several protested that his claims were of the highest order; and
+then followed sundry introductions to Sancho of the ship-yard-gate, of
+several young men of the first families in Castile; for, though the
+Spaniards have not the same mania for this species of politeness as the
+Americans, the occasion was one in which native feeling got the
+ascendency of conventional reserve. After this ceremony, and the
+Mendozas, Guzmans, Cerdas, and Toledos, present, felt honored in knowing
+this humble seaman, the whole party repaired to the banqueting-room,
+where a table was spread that did credit to the cooks of Barcelona.
+During the repast, although the curiosity of the young men made some
+inroads on their breeding in this particular, no question could induce
+Sancho to break in upon the duty of the moment, for which he entertained
+a sort of religious veneration. Once, when pushed a little more closely
+than common, he laid down his knife and fork, and made the following
+solemn reply:</p>
+
+<p>"Señores," he said, "I look upon food as a gift from God to man, and
+hold it to be irreverent to converse much, when the bounties of the
+table invite us to do homage to this great dispenser. Don Christopher is
+of this way of thinking, I know, and all his followers imitate their
+beloved and venerated chief. As soon as I am ready to converse, Señores
+Don Hidalgos, you shall be told of it, and then God help the ignorant
+and silly!"</p>
+
+<p>After this admonition, there remained nothing to be said until Sancho's
+appetite was satisfied, when he drew a little back from the table, and
+announced his readiness to proceed.</p>
+
+<p>"I profess to very little learning, Señor Pedro Martir," he said; "but
+what I have seen I have seen, and that which is known, is as well known
+by a mariner, as by a doctor of Salamanca. Ask your questions, then, o'
+heaven's sake, and expect such answers as a poor but honest man can
+give."</p>
+
+<p>The learned Peter Martyr was fain to make the best of his subject, for
+at that moment, any information that came from what might be termed
+first hands, was greedily received; he proceeded, therefore, to his
+inquiries, as simply and as directly as he had been invited to do.</p>
+
+<p>"Well, Señor," commenced the man of learning, "we are willing to obtain
+knowledge on any terms. Prithee, tell us, at once, which of all the
+wonderful things that you witnessed on this voyage, hath made the
+deepest impression on your mind, and striketh you as the most
+remarkable!"</p>
+
+<p>"I know nothing to compare with the whiffling of the north star," said
+Sancho, promptly. "That star hath always been esteemed among us seamen,
+as being immovable as the cathedral of Seville; but, in this voyage, it
+hath been seen to change its place, with the inconstancy of the winds."</p>
+
+<p>"That is, indeed, miraculous!" exclaimed Peter Martyr, who scarcely knew
+how to take the intelligence; "perhaps there is some mistake, Master
+Sancho, and you are not accustomed to sidereal investigations."</p>
+
+<p>"Ask Don Christopher; when the phernomerthon, as the admiral called it,
+was first observed, we talked the matter over together, and came to the
+conclusion, that nothing in this world was as permanent as it seemed to
+be. Depend on it, Señor Don Pedro, the north star flits about like a
+weathercock."</p>
+
+<p>"I shall inquire into this of the illustrious admiral; but, next to this
+star, Master Sancho, what deem you most worthy of observation? I speak
+now of ordinary things, leaving science to future discussion."</p>
+
+<p>This was too grave a question to be lightly answered, and while Sancho
+was cogitating the matter, the door opened, and Luis de Bobadilla
+entered the room, in a blaze of manly grace and rich attire. A dozen
+voices uttered his name, and Peter Martyr rose to receive him, with a
+manner in which kindness of feeling was blended with reproof.</p>
+
+<p>"I asked this honor, Señor Conde," he said, "though you have now been
+beyond my counsel and control some time, for it appeared to me that one
+fond of voyages as yourself, might find a useful lesson, as well as
+enjoy a high satisfaction, in listening to the wonders of an expedition
+as glorious as this of Colon's. This worthy seaman, a pilot, no doubt,
+much confided in by the admiral, hath consented to share in our poor
+hospitalities on this memorable day, and is about to give us many
+interesting facts and incidents of the great adventure. Master Sancho
+Mundo, this is Don Luis de Bobadilla, Conde de Llera, a grandee of high
+lineage, and one that is not unknown to the seas, having often traversed
+them in his own person."</p>
+
+<p>"It is quite unnecessary to tell me that, Señor Pedro," answered Sancho,
+returning Luis' gay and graceful salutation, with profound, but awkward
+respect, "since I see it at a glance. His Excellency hath been in the
+east, as well as Don Christopher and myself, though we went different
+ways, and neither party went as far as Cathay. I am honored in your
+acquaintance, Don Luis, and shall just say that the noble admiral will
+bring navigation more in fashion than it hath been of late years. If you
+travel in the neighborhood of Moguer, I beg you will not pass the door
+of Sancho Mundo without stopping to inquire if he be within."</p>
+
+<p>"That I most cheerfully promise, worthy master," said Luis, laughing,
+and taking a seat, "even though it lead me to the ship-yard-gate. And
+now, Señor Pedro, let me not interrupt the discourse, which I discovered
+was most interesting as I entered."</p>
+
+<p>"I have been thinking of this matter, Señores," resumed Sancho, gravely,
+"and the fact that appears most curious to me, next to the whiffling of
+the north star, is the circumstance that there are no doblas in Cipango.
+Gold is not wanting, and it seemeth passing singular that a people
+should possess gold, and not bethink them of the convenience of striking
+doblas, or some similar coin."</p>
+
+<p>Peter Martyr and his young pupils laughed at this sally, and then the
+subject was pushed in another form.</p>
+
+<p>"Passing by this question, which belongeth rather to the policy of
+states than to natural phenomena," continued Peter Martyr, "what most
+struck you as remarkable, in the way of human nature?"</p>
+
+<p>"In that particular, Señor, I think the island of the women may be set
+down as the most extraordinary of all the phernomerthons we fell in
+with. I have known women shut themselves up in convents; and men, too;
+but never did I hear, before this voyage, of either shutting themselves
+up in islands!"</p>
+
+<p>"And is this true?" inquired a dozen voices&mdash;"did you really meet with
+such an island, Señor!"</p>
+
+<p>"I believe we saw it at a distance, Señores; and I hold it to be lucky
+that we went no nearer, for I find the gossips of Moguer troublesome
+enough, without meeting a whole island of them. Then there is the bread
+that grows like a root&mdash;what think <i>you</i> of that, Señor Don Luis? Is it
+not a most curious dish to taste of?"</p>
+
+<p>"Nay, Master Sancho, that is a question of your own putting, and it must
+be one of your own answering. What know I of the wonders of Cipango,
+since Candia lieth in an opposite course? Answer these matters for
+thyself, friend."</p>
+
+<p>"True, illustrious Conde, and I humbly crave your pardon. It is, indeed,
+the duty of him that seeth to relate, as it is the duty of him that
+seeth not to believe. I hope all here will perform their several
+duties."</p>
+
+<p>"Do these Indians eat flesh as remarkable as their bread?" inquired a
+Cerda.</p>
+
+<p>"That do they, noble sir, seeing that they eat each other. Neither I nor
+Don Christopher was invited to any of their feasts of this sort; for, I
+suppose, they were well convinced we would not go; but we had much
+information touching them, and by the nearest calculation I could make,
+the consumption of men in the island of Bohio must be about equal to
+that of beeves in Spain."</p>
+
+<p>The speaker was interrupted by twenty exclamations of disgust, and Peter
+Martyr shook his head like one who distrusted the truth of the account.
+Still, as he had not expected any very profound philosophy or deep
+learning in one of Sancho's character, he pursued the conversation.</p>
+
+<p>"Know you any thing of the rare birds the admiral exhibited to their
+Highnesses to-day?" he asked.</p>
+
+<p>"Señor, I am well acquainted with several, more particularly with the
+parrots. They are sensible birds, and, I doubt not, might answer some of
+the questions that are put to me by many here, in Barcelona, to their
+perfect satisfaction."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou art a wag, I see, Señor Sancho, and lovest thy joke," answered the
+man of learning, with a smile. "Give way to thy fancy, and if thou canst
+not improve us with thy science, at least amuse us with thy conceits."</p>
+
+<p>"San Pedro knows that I would do any thing to oblige you, Señores; but I
+was born with such a love of truth in my heart, that I know not how to
+embellish. What I see I believe, and having been in the Indies, I cannot
+shut my eyes to their wonders. There was the sea of weeds, which was no
+every-day miracle, since I make no doubt that the devils piled all these
+plants on the water to prevent us from carrying the cross to the poor
+heathens who dwell on the other side of them. We got through that sea
+more by our prayers, than by means of the winds."</p>
+
+<p>The young men looked at Peter Martyr, to ascertain how he received this
+theory, and Peter Martyr, if tinctured with the superstition of the age,
+was not disposed to swallow all that it pleased Sancho to assert, even
+though the latter had made a voyage to the Indies.</p>
+
+<p>"Since you manifest so much curiosity, Señores, on the subject of Colon,
+now Admiral of the Ocean Sea, by their Highnesses' honorable
+appointment, I will, in a measure, relieve your minds on the subject, by
+recounting what I know," said Luis, speaking calmly, but with dignity.
+"Ye know that I was much with Don Christopher before he sailed, and that
+I had some little connection with bringing him back to Santa Fé, even
+when he had left the place, as was supposed for the last time. This
+intimacy hath been renewed since the arrival of the great Genoese at
+Barcelona, and hours have we passed together in private, discoursing on
+the events of the last few months. What I have thus learned I am ready
+to impart, if ye will do me the grace to listen."</p>
+
+<p>The whole company giving an eager assent, Luis now commenced a general
+narrative of the voyage, detailing all the leading circumstances of
+interest, and giving the reasons that were most in favor at the time,
+concerning the different phenomena that had perplexed the adventurers.
+He spoke more than an hour; proceeding consecutively from island to
+island, and dilating on their productions, imaginary and real. Much that
+he related, proceeded from the misconceptions of the admiral, and
+misinterpretations of the signs and language of the Indians, as a matter
+of course; but it was all told clearly, in elegant, if not in eloquent
+language, and with a singular air of truth. In short, our hero palmed
+upon his audience the results of his own observation, as the narrative
+of the admiral, and more than once was he interrupted by bursts of
+admiration at the vividness and graphic beauties of his descriptions.
+Even Sancho listened with delight, and when the young man concluded, he
+rose from his chair, and exclaimed heartily&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Señores, you may take all this as so much gospel! Had the noble Señor
+witnessed, himself, that which he hath so well described, it could not
+have been truer, and I look on myself to be particularly fortunate to
+have heard this history of the voyage, which henceforth shall be my
+history, word for word; for as my patron saint shall remember me, naught
+else will I tell to the gossips of Moguer, when I get back to that
+blessed town of my childhood."</p>
+
+<p>Sancho's influence was much impaired by the effects of Luis' narrative,
+which Peter Martyr pronounced to be one that would have done credit to a
+scholar who had accompanied the expedition. A few appeals were made to
+the old seaman, to see if he would corroborate the statements he had
+just heard, but his protestations became so much the louder in behalf of
+the accuracy of the account.</p>
+
+<p>It was wonderful how much reputation the Conde de Llera obtained by this
+little deception. To be able to repeat, with accuracy and effect,
+language that was supposed to have fallen from the lips of Columbus, was
+a sort of illustration; and Peter Martyr, who justly enjoyed a high
+reputation for intelligence, was heard sounding the praises of our hero
+in all places, his young pupils echoing his words with the ardor and
+imitation of youth! Such, indeed, was the vast reputation obtained by
+the Genoese, that one gained a species of reflected renown by being
+thought to live in his confidence, and a thousand follies of the Count
+of Llera, real or imaginary, were forgotten in the fact that the admiral
+had deemed him worthy of being the repository of facts and feelings such
+as he had related. As Luis, moreover, was seen to be much in the company
+of Don Christopher, the world was very willing to give the young man
+credit for qualities, that, by some unexplained circumstance, had
+hitherto escaped its notice. In this manner did Luis de Bobadilla reap
+some advantages, of a public character, from his resolution and
+enterprise, although vastly less than would have attended an open
+admission of all that occurred. How far, and in what manner, these
+qualities availed him in his suit with Mercedes, will appear in our
+subsequent pages.</p>
+
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/i465.jpg" alt=""/>
+</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXVIII" id="CHAPTER_XXVIII"></a>CHAPTER XXVIII.</h2>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"Each look, each motion, waked a new-born grace,<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">That o'er her form its transient glory cast:<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Some lovelier wonder soon usurp'd the place,<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">Chased by a charm still lovelier than the last."<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">Mason.</span><br /></span>
+</div></div>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p>The day of the reception of Columbus at Barcelona, had been one of
+tumultuous feelings and of sincere delight, with the ingenuous and
+pure-minded Queen of Castile. She had been the moving spirit of the
+enterprise, as it was connected with authority and means, and never was
+a sovereign more amply rewarded, by a consciousness of the magnitude of
+the results that followed her well-meant and zealous efforts.</p>
+
+<p>When the excitement and bustle of the day were over, Isabella retired to
+her closet, and there, as was usual with her on all great occasions, she
+poured out her thankfulness on her knees, entreating the Divine
+Providence to sustain her under the new responsibilities she felt, and
+to direct her steps aright, equally as a sovereign and as a Christian
+woman. She had left the attitude of prayer but a few minutes, and was
+seated with her head leaning on her hand, in deep meditation, when a
+slight knock at the door called her attention. There was but one person
+in Spain who would be likely to take even this liberty, guarded and
+modest as was the tap; rising, she turned the key and admitted the king.</p>
+
+<p>Isabella was still beautiful. Her form, always of admirable perfection,
+still retained its grace. Her eyes had lost but little of their lustre,
+and her smile, ever sweet and beneficent, failed not to reflect the pure
+and womanly impulses of her heart. In a word, her youthful beauty had
+been but little impaired by the usual transition to the matronly
+attractions of a wife and a mother; but this night, all her youthful
+charms seemed to be suddenly renewed. Her cheek was flushed with holy
+enthusiasm; her figure dilated with the sublimity of the thoughts in
+which she had been indulging; and her eyes beamed with the ennobling
+hopes of religious enthusiasm. Ferdinand was struck with this little
+change, and he stood admiring her, for a minute, in silence, after he
+had closed the door.</p>
+
+<p>"Is not this a most wonderful reward, for efforts so small, my husband
+and love?" exclaimed the queen, who fancied the king's thoughts similar
+to her own; "a new empire thus cheaply purchased, with riches that the
+imagination cannot tell, and millions of souls to be redeemed from
+eternal woe, by means of a grace that must be as unexpected to
+themselves, as the knowledge of their existence hath been to us!"</p>
+
+<p>"Ever thinking, Isabella, of the welfare of souls! But thou art right;
+for what are the pomps and glories of the world to the hopes of
+salvation, and the delights of heaven! I confess Colon hath much
+exceeded all my hopes, and raised such a future for Spain, that the mind
+scarce knoweth where to place the limits to its pictures."</p>
+
+<p>"Think of the millions of poor Indians that may live to bless our sway,
+and to feel the influence and consolations of holy church!"</p>
+
+<p>"I trust that our kinsman and neighbor, Dom Joao, will not give us
+trouble in this matter. Your Portuguese have so keen an appetite for
+discoveries, that they little relish the success of other powers; and,
+it is said, many dangerous and wicked proposals were made to the king,
+even while our caravels lay in the Tagus."</p>
+
+<p>"Colon assureth me, Fernando, that he doubteth if these Indians have now
+any religious creed, so that our ministers will have no prejudices to
+encounter, in presenting to their simple minds the sublime truths of the
+gospel!"</p>
+
+<p>"No doubt the admiral hath fully weighed these matters. It is his
+opinion, that the island he hath called Española wanteth but little of
+being of the full dimensions of Castile, Leon, Aragon, Granada, and,
+indeed, of all our possessions within the peninsula!"</p>
+
+<p>"Didst thou attend to what he said, touching the gentleness and mildness
+of the inhabitants? And wert thou not struck with the simple, confiding
+aspects of those he hath brought with him? Such a people may readily be
+brought, first, as is due, to worship the one true and living God, and
+next, to regard their sovereigns as kind and benignant parents."</p>
+
+<p>"Authority can ever make itself respected; and Don Christopher hath
+assured me, in a private conference, that a thousand tried lances would
+overrun all that eastern region. We must make early application to the
+Holy Father to settle such limits between us and Don John, as may
+prevent disputes, hereafter, touching our several interests. I have
+already spoken to the cardinal on this subject, and he flattereth me
+with the hope of having the ear of Alexander."</p>
+
+<p>"I trust that the means of disseminating the faith of the cross will not
+be overlooked in the negotiation; for it paineth me to find churchmen
+treating of worldly things, to the utter neglect of those of their Great
+Master."</p>
+
+<p>Don Ferdinand regarded his wife intently for an instant, without making
+any reply. He perceived, as often happened in questions of policy, that
+their feelings were not exactly attuned, and he had recourse to an
+allusion that seldom failed to draw the thoughts of Isabella from their
+loftier aspirations to considerations more worldly, when rightly
+applied.</p>
+
+<p>"Thy children, Doña Isabella, will reap a goodly heritage by the success
+of this, our latest and greatest stroke of policy! Thy dominions and
+mine will henceforth descend in common to the same heir; then this
+marriage in Portugal may open the way to new accessions of territory;
+Granada is already secured to thine, by our united arms; and here hath
+Providence opened the way to an empire in the east, that promiseth to
+outdo all that hath yet been performed in Europe."</p>
+
+<p>"Are not my children thine, Fernando? Can good happen to one, without
+its equally befalling the other? I trust they will learn to understand
+why so many new subjects and such wide territories are added to their
+possessions, and will ever remain true to their highest and first duty,
+that of spreading the gospel, that the sway of the one Catholic church
+may the more speedily be accomplished."</p>
+
+<p>"Still it may be necessary to secure advantages that are offered in a
+worldly shape, by worldly means."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou say'st true, my lord; and it is the proper care of loving parents
+to look well to the interest of their offspring in this, as in all other
+particulars."</p>
+
+<p>Isabella now lent a more willing ear to the politic suggestions of her
+consort, and they passed an hour in discussing some of the important
+measures that it was thought their joint interests required should be
+immediately attended to. After this, Ferdinand saluted his wife
+affectionately, and withdrew to his own cabinet, to labor, as usual,
+until his frame demanded rest.</p>
+
+<p>Isabella sat musing for a few minutes after the king had retired, and
+then she took a light and proceeded through certain private passages,
+with which she was familiar, to the apartment of her daughters. Here she
+spent an hour, indulging in the affections and discharging the duties of
+a careful mother, when, embracing each in turn, she gave her blessings,
+and left the place in the same simple manner as she had entered.
+Instead, however, of returning to her own part of the palace, she
+pursued her way in an opposite direction, until, reaching a private
+door, she gently tapped. A voice within bade her enter, and complying,
+the Queen of Castile found herself alone with her old and tried friend,
+the Marchioness of Moya. A quiet gesture forbade all the usual
+testimonials of respect, and knowing her mistress' wishes in this
+particular, the hostess received her illustrious guest, much as she
+would have received an intimate of her own rank in life.</p>
+
+<p>"We have had so busy and joyful a day, Daughter-Marchioness," the queen
+commenced, quietly setting down the little silver lamp she carried,
+"that I had near forgotten a duty which ought not to be overlooked. Thy
+nephew, the Count de Llera, hath returned to court, bearing himself as
+modestly and as prudently, as if he had no share in the glory of this
+great success of Colon's!"</p>
+
+<p>"Señora, Luis is here, but whether prudent or modest, I leave for
+others, who may be less partial, to say."</p>
+
+<p>"To me such seemeth to be his deportment, and a young mind might be
+pardoned some exultation at such a result. But I have come to speak of
+Don Luis and thy ward. Now that thy nephew hath given me this high proof
+of his perseverance and courage, there can remain no longer any reason
+for forbidding their union. Thou know'st that I hold the pledged word of
+Doña Mercedes, not to marry without my consent, and this night will I
+make her happy as I feel myself, by leaving her mistress of her own
+wishes; nay, by letting her know that I desire to see her Countess of
+Llera, and that right speedily."</p>
+
+<p>"Your Highness is all goodness to me and mine," returned the
+Marchioness, coldly. "Mercedes ought to feel deeply grateful that her
+royal mistress hath a thought for her welfare, when her mind hath so
+many greater concerns to occupy it."</p>
+
+<p>"It is that, my friend, that hath brought me hither at this late hour.
+My soul is truly burdened with gratitude, and ere I sleep, were it
+possible, I would fain make all as blessed as I feel myself. Where is
+thy ward?"</p>
+
+<p>"She left me for the night, but as your Highness entered. I will summon
+her to hear your pleasure."</p>
+
+<p>"We will go to her, Beatriz; tidings such as I bring, should not linger
+on weary feet."</p>
+
+<p>"It is her duty, and it would be her pleasure to pay all respect,
+Señora."</p>
+
+<p>"I know that well, Marchioness, but it is my pleasure to bear this news
+myself," interrupted the queen, leading the way to the door. "Show thou
+the way, which is better known to thee than to another. We go with
+little state and ceremony, as thou seest, like Colon going forth to
+explore his unknown seas, and we go bearers of tidings as grateful to
+thy ward, as those the Genoese bore to the benighted natives of Cipango.
+These corridors are our trackless seas, and all these intricate
+passages, the hidden ways we are to explore."</p>
+
+<p>"Heaven grant your Highness make not some discovery as astounding as
+that which the Genoese hath just divulged. For myself, I scarce know
+whether to believe all things, or to grant faith to none."</p>
+
+<p>"I wonder not at thy surprise; it is a feeling that hath overcome all
+others, through the late extraordinary events," answered the queen,
+evidently misconceiving the meaning of her friend's words. "But we have
+still another pleasure in store: that of witnessing the joy of a pure
+female heart which hath had its trials, and which hath borne them as
+became a Christian maiden."</p>
+
+<p>Doña Beatriz sighed heavily, but she made no answer. By this time they
+were crossing the little saloon in which Mercedes was permitted to
+receive her female acquaintances, and were near the door of her chamber.
+Here they met a maid, who hastened onward to inform her mistress of the
+visit she was about to receive. Isabella was accustomed to use a
+mother's liberties with those she loved, and, opening the door, without
+ceremony, she stood before our heroine, ere the latter could advance to
+meet her.</p>
+
+<p>"Daughter," commenced the queen, seating herself, and smiling
+benignantly on the startled girl, "I have come to discharge a solemn
+duty. Kneel thou here, at my feet, and listen to thy sovereign as thou
+wouldst listen to a mother."</p>
+
+<p>Mercedes gladly obeyed, for, at that moment, any thing was preferable to
+being required to speak. When she had knelt, the queen passed an arm
+affectionately round her neck, and drew her closer to her person, until,
+by a little gentle violence, the face of Mercedes was hid in the folds
+of Isabella's robe.</p>
+
+<p>"I have all reason to extol thy faith and duty, child," said the queen,
+as soon as this little arrangement to favor the feelings of Mercedes,
+had been considerately made; "thou hast not forgotten thy promise, in
+aught; and my object, now, is to leave thee mistress of thine own
+inclinations, and to remove all impediments to their exercise. Thou hast
+no longer any pledge with thy sovereign; for one who hath manifested so
+much discretion and delicacy, may be surely trusted with her own
+happiness."</p>
+
+<p>Mercedes continued silent, though Isabella fancied that she felt a
+slight shudder passing convulsively through her delicate frame.</p>
+
+<p>"No answer, daughter? Is it more preferable to leave another arbitress
+of thy fate, than to exercise that office for thyself? Well, then, as
+thy sovereign and parent, I will substitute command for consent, and
+tell thee it is my wish and desire that thou becomest, as speedily as
+shall comport with propriety and thy high station, the wedded wife of
+Don Luis de Bobadilla, Conde de Llera."</p>
+
+<p>"No&mdash;no&mdash;no&mdash;Señora&mdash;never&mdash;never"&mdash;murmured Mercedes, her voice equally
+stifled by her emotions, and by the manner in which she had buried her
+face in the dress of the queen.</p>
+
+<p>Isabella looked at the Marchioness of Moya in wonder. Her countenance
+did not express either displeasure or resentment, for she too well knew
+the character of our heroine to suspect caprice, or any weak
+prevarication in a matter that so deeply touched the feelings; and the
+concern she felt was merely overshadowed at the suddenness of the
+intelligence, by a feeling of ungovernable surprise.</p>
+
+<p>"Canst thou explain this, Beatriz?" the queen at length inquired. "Have
+I done harm, where I most intended good? I am truly unfortunate, for I
+appear to have deeply wounded the heart of this child, at the very
+moment I fancied I was conferring supreme happiness!"</p>
+
+<p>"No&mdash;no&mdash;no&mdash;Señora," again murmured Mercedes, clinging convulsively to
+the queen's knees. "Your Highness hath wounded no one&mdash;<i>would</i> wound no
+one&mdash;<i>can</i> wound no one&mdash;you are all gracious goodness and
+thoughtfulness."</p>
+
+<p>"Beatriz, I look to thee for the explanation! Hath aught justifiable
+occurred to warrant this change of feeling?"</p>
+
+<p>"I fear, dearest Señora, that the feelings continue too much as
+formerly, and that the change is not in this young and unpractised
+heart, but in the fickle inclinations of man."</p>
+
+<p>A flash of womanly indignation darted from the usually serene eyes of
+the queen, and her form assumed all of its native majesty.</p>
+
+<p>"Can this be true?" she exclaimed. "Would a subject of Castile <i>dare</i>
+thus to trifle with his sovereign&mdash;thus to trifle with one sweet and
+pure as this girl&mdash;thus to trifle with his faith with God! If the
+reckless Conde thinketh to do these acts of wrongfulness with impunity,
+let him look to it! Shall I punish him that merely depriveth his
+neighbor of some paltry piece of silver, and let him escape who woundeth
+the soul? I wonder at thy calmness, Daughter-Marchioness; thou, who art
+so wont to let an honest indignation speak out in the just language of a
+fearless and honest spirit!"</p>
+
+<p>"Alas! Señora, my beloved mistress, my feelings have had vent already,
+and nature will no more. This boy, moreover, is my brother's son, and
+when I would fain arouse a resentment against him, such as befitteth his
+offence, the image of that dear brother, whose very picture he is, hath
+arisen to my mind in a way to weaken all its energy."</p>
+
+<p>"This is most unusual! A creature so fair&mdash;so young&mdash;so noble&mdash;so
+rich&mdash;every way so excellent, to be so soon forgotten! Canst thou
+account for it by any wandering inclination, Lady of Moya?"</p>
+
+<p>Isabella spoke musingly, and, as one of her high rank is apt to overlook
+minor considerations, when the feelings are strongly excited, she did
+not remember that Mercedes was a listener. The convulsive shudder that
+again shook the frame of our heroine, however, did not fail to remind
+her of this fact, and the queen could not have pressed the Princess
+Juana more fondly to her heart, than she now drew the yielding form of
+our heroine.</p>
+
+<p>"What would you, Señora?" returned the marchioness, bitterly. "Luis,
+thoughtless and unprincipled boy as he is, hath induced a youthful
+Indian princess to abandon home and friends, under the pretence of
+swelling the triumph of the admiral, but really, in obedience to a
+wandering fancy, and in submission to those evil caprices, that make men
+what, in sooth, they are, and which so often render unhappy women their
+dupes and their victims."</p>
+
+<p>"An Indian princess, say'st thou? The admiral made one of that rank
+known to us, but she was already a wife, and far from being one to rival
+Doña Mercedes of Valverde."</p>
+
+<p>"Ah! dearest Señora, she of whom you speak will not compare with her I
+mean&mdash;Ozema&mdash;for so is the Indian lady called&mdash;Ozema is a different
+being, and is not without high claims to personal beauty. Could mere
+personal appearances justify the conduct of the boy, he would not be
+altogether without excuse."</p>
+
+<p>"How know'st thou this, Beatriz?"</p>
+
+<p>"Because, your Highness, Luis hath brought her to the palace, and she
+is, at this moment, in these very apartments. Mercedes hath received her
+like a sister, even while the stranger hath unconsciously crashed her
+heart."</p>
+
+<p>"<i>Here</i>, say'st thou, Marchioness? Then can there be no vicious union
+between the thoughtless young man and the stranger. Thy nephew would not
+thus presume to offend virtue and innocence."</p>
+
+<p>"Of that we complain not, Señora. 'Tis the boyish inconstancy and
+thoughtless cruelty of the count, that hath awakened my feelings against
+him. Never have I endeavored to influence my ward to favor his suit, for
+I would not that they should have it in their power to say I sought a
+union so honorable and advantageous to our house; but now do I most
+earnestly desire her to steel her noble heart to his unworthiness."</p>
+
+<p>"Ah! Señora&mdash;my guardian," murmured Mercedes, "Luis is not so <i>very</i>
+culpable. Ozema's beauty, and my own want of the means to keep him true,
+are alone to blame."</p>
+
+<p>"Ozema's beauty!" slowly repeated the queen. "Is this young Indian,
+then, so very perfect, Beatriz, that thy ward need fear or envy her? I
+did not think that such a being lived!"</p>
+
+<p>"Your Highness knoweth how it is with men. They love novelties, and are
+most captivated with the freshest faces. San Iago!&mdash;Andres de Cabrera
+hath caused me to know this, though it were a crime to suppose any could
+teach this hard lesson to Isabella of Trastamara."</p>
+
+<p>"Restrain thy strong and impetuous feelings, Daughter-Marchioness,"
+returned the queen, glancing her eye at the bowed form of Mercedes,
+whose head was now buried in her lap; "truth seldom asserts its fullest
+power when the heart is overflowing with feeling. Don Andres hath been a
+loyal subject, and doth justice to thy merit; and, as to my lord the
+king, he is the father of my children, as well as thy sovereign. But,
+touching this Ozema&mdash;can I see her, Beatriz?"</p>
+
+<p>"You have only to command, Señora, to see whom you please. But Ozema is,
+no doubt, at hand, and can be brought into your presence as soon as it
+may please your Highness to order it done."</p>
+
+<p>"Nay, Beatriz, if she be a princess, and a stranger in the kingdom,
+there is a consideration due to her rank and to her position. Let Doña
+Mercedes go and prepare her to receive us; I will visit her in her own
+apartment. The hour is late, but she will overlook the want of ceremony
+in the desire to do her service."</p>
+
+<p>Mercedes did not wait a second bidding, but, rising from her knees, she
+hastened to do as the queen had suggested. Isabella and the marchioness
+were silent some little time, when left to themselves; then the former,
+as became her rank, opened the discourse.</p>
+
+<p>"It is remarkable, Beatriz, that Colon should not have spoken to me of
+this princess!" she said. "One of her condition ought not to have
+entered Spain with so little ceremony."</p>
+
+<p>"The admiral hath deemed her the chosen subject of Luis' care, and hath
+left her to be presented to your Highness by my recreant nephew. Ah,
+Señora! is it not wonderful, that one like Mercedes could be so soon
+supplanted by a half-naked, unbaptized, benighted being, on whom the
+church hath never yet smiled, and whose very soul may be said to be in
+jeopardy of instantaneous condemnation?"</p>
+
+<p>"That soul must be cared for, Beatriz, and that right quickly. Is the
+princess really of sufficient beauty to supplant a creature as lovely as
+the Doña Mercedes?"</p>
+
+<p>"It is not that, Señora&mdash;it is not that. But men are fickle&mdash;and they so
+love novelties! Then is the modest restraint of cultivated manners less
+winning to them, than the freedom of those who deem even clothes
+superfluous. I mean not to question the modesty of Ozema; for, according
+to her habits, she seemeth irreproachable in this respect; but the
+ill-regulated fancy of a thoughtless boy may find a momentary attraction
+in her unfettered conduct and half-attired person, that is wanting to
+the air and manners of a high-born Spanish damsel, who hath been taught
+rigidly to respect herself and her sex."</p>
+
+<p>"This may be true, as toucheth the vulgar, Beatriz, but such unworthy
+motives can never influence the Conde de Llera. If thy nephew hath
+really proved the recreant thou supposest, this Indian princess must be
+of more excellence than we have thought."</p>
+
+<p>"Of that, Señora, you can soon judge for yourself; here is the maiden of
+Mercedes to inform us that the Indian is ready to receive the honor that
+your Highness intendeth."</p>
+
+<p>Our heroine had prepared Ozema to meet the queen. By this time, the
+young Haytian had caught so many Spanish words, that verbal
+communication with her was far from difficult, though she still spoke in
+the disconnected and abrupt manner of one to whom the language was new.
+She understood perfectly that she was to meet that beloved sovereign, of
+whom Luis and Mercedes had so often spoken with reverence; and
+accustomed, herself, to look up to caciques greater than her brother,
+there was no difficulty in making her understand that the person she was
+now about to receive was the first of her sex in Spain. The only
+misconception which existed, arose from the circumstance that Ozema
+believed Isabella to be the queen of all the Christian world, instead of
+being the queen of a particular country; for, in her imagination, both
+Luis and Mercedes were persons of royal station.</p>
+
+<p>Although Isabella was prepared to see a being of surprising perfection
+of form, she started with surprise, as her eye first fell on Ozema. It
+was not so much the beauty of the young Indian that astonished her, as
+the native grace of her movements, the bright and happy expression of
+her countenance, and the perfect self-possession of her mien and
+deportment. Ozema had got accustomed to a degree of dress that she would
+have found oppressive at Hayti; the sensitiveness of Mercedes, on the
+subject of female propriety, having induced her to lavish on her new
+friend many rich articles of attire, that singularly, though wildly,
+contributed to aid her charms. Still the gift of Luis was thrown over
+one shoulder, as the highest-prized part of her wardrobe, and the cross
+of Mercedes rested on her bosom, the most precious of all her ornaments.</p>
+
+<p>"This is wonderful, Beatriz!" exclaimed the queen, as she stood at one
+side of the room, while Ozema bowed her body in graceful reverence on
+the other; "can this rare being really have a soul that knoweth naught
+of its God and Redeemer! But let her spirit be benighted as it may,
+there is no vice in that simple mind, or deceit in that pure heart."</p>
+
+<p>"Señora, all this is true. Spite of our causes of dissatisfaction, my
+ward and I both love her already, and could take her to our hearts
+forever; one as a friend, and the other as a parent."</p>
+
+<p>"Princess," said the queen, advancing with quiet dignity to the spot
+where Ozema stood, with downcast eyes and bended body, waiting her
+pleasure, "thou art welcome to our dominions. The admiral hath done well
+in not classing one of thy evident claims and station among those whom
+he hath exhibited to vulgar eyes. In this he hath shown his customary
+judgment, no less than his deep respect for the sacred office of
+sovereigns."</p>
+
+<p>"Almirante!" exclaimed Ozema, her looks brightening with intelligence,
+for she had long known how to pronounce the well-earned title of
+Columbus; "Almirante, Mercedes&mdash;Isabella, Mercedes&mdash;Luis, Mercedes,
+Señora Reyña."</p>
+
+<p>"Beatriz, what meaneth this? Why doth the princess couple the name of
+thy ward with that of Colon, with mine, and even with that of the young
+Count of Llera?"</p>
+
+<p>"Señora, by some strange delusion, she hath got to think that Mercedes
+is the Spanish term for every thing that is excellent or perfect, and
+thus doth she couple it with all that she most desireth to praise. Your
+Highness must observe that she even united Luis and Mercedes, a union
+that we once fondly hoped might happen, but which now would seem to be
+impossible; and which she herself must be the last really to wish."</p>
+
+<p>"Strange delusion!" repeated the queen; "the idea hath had its birth in
+some particular cause, for things like this come not of accidents; who
+but thy nephew, Beatriz, would know aught of thy ward, or who but he
+would have taught the princess to deem her very name a sign of
+excellence?"</p>
+
+<p>"Señora!" exclaimed Mercedes, the color mounting to her pale cheek, and
+joy momentarily flashing in her eyes, "can this be so?"</p>
+
+<p>"Why not, daughter? We may have been too hasty in this matter, and
+mistaken what are truly signs of devotion to thee, for proofs of
+fickleness and inconstancy."</p>
+
+<p>"Ah! Señora! but this can never be, else would not Ozema so love him."</p>
+
+<p>"How know'st thou, child, that the princess hath any other feeling for
+the count than that which properly belongeth to one who is grateful for
+his care, and for the inexpressible service of being made acquainted
+with the virtues of the cross? Here is some rash error, Beatriz."</p>
+
+<p>"I fear not, your Highness. Touching the nature of Ozema's feelings,
+there can be no misconception, since the innocent and unpractised
+creature hath not art sufficient to conceal them. That her heart is all
+Luis', we discovered in the first few hours of our intercourse; and it
+is too pure, unsought, to be won. The feeling of the Indian is not
+merely admiration, but it is such a passionate devotion, as partaketh of
+the warmth of that sun, which, we are told, glows with a heat so genial
+in her native clime."</p>
+
+<p>"<i>Could</i> one see so much of Don Luis, Señora," added Mercedes, "under
+circumstances to try his martial virtues, and so long daily be in
+communion with his excellent heart, and not come to view him as far
+above all others?"</p>
+
+<p>"Martial virtues&mdash;excellent heart!"&mdash;slowly repeated the queen, "and yet
+so regardless of the wrong he doeth! He is neither knight nor cavalier
+worthy of the sex, if what thou thinkest be true, child."</p>
+
+<p>"Nay, Señora," earnestly resumed the girl, whose diffidence was yielding
+to the wish to vindicate our hero, "the princess hath told us of the
+manner in which he rescued her from her greatest enemy and persecutor,
+Caonabo, a headstrong and tyrannical sovereign of her island, and of his
+generous self-devotion in her behalf."</p>
+
+<p>"Daughter, do thou withdraw, and, first calling on Holy Maria to
+intercede for thee, seek the calm of religious peace and submission, on
+thy pillow. Beatriz, I will question the princess alone."</p>
+
+<p>The marchioness and Mercedes immediately withdrew, leaving Isabella with
+Ozema, in possession of the room. The interview that followed lasted
+more than an hour, that time being necessary to enable the queen to form
+an opinion of the stranger's explanations, with the imperfect means of
+communication she possessed. That Ozema's whole heart was Luis',
+Isabella could not doubt. Unaccustomed to conceal her preferences, the
+Indian girl was too unpractised to succeed in such a design, had she
+even felt the desire to attempt it; but, in addition to her native
+ingenuousness, Ozema believed that duty required her to have no
+concealments from the sovereign of Luis, and she laid bare her whole
+soul in the simplest and least disguised manner.</p>
+
+<p>"Princess," said the queen, after the conversation had lasted some time,
+and Isabella believed herself to be in possession of the means of
+comprehending her companion, "I now understand your tale. Caonabo is the
+chief, or, if thou wilt, the king of a country adjoining thine own; he
+sought thee for a wife, but being already married to more than one
+princess, thou didst very properly reject his unholy proposals. He then
+attempted to seize thee by violence. The Conde de Llera was on a visit
+to thy brother at the time"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Luis&mdash;Luis"&mdash;the girl impatiently interrupted, in her sweet, soft
+voice&mdash;"Luis no Conde&mdash;Luis."</p>
+
+<p>"True, princess, but the Conde de Llera and Luis de Bobadilla are one
+and the same person. Luis, then, if thou wilt, was present in thy
+palace, and he beat back the presumptuous cacique, who, not satisfied
+with fulfilling the law of God by the possession of one wife, impiously
+sought, in thy person, a second, or a third, and brought thee off in
+triumph. Thy brother, next, requested thee to take shelter, for a time,
+in Spain, and Don Luis, becoming thy guardian and protector, hath
+brought thee hither to the care of his aunt?"</p>
+
+<p>Ozema bowed her head in acknowledgment of the truth of this statement,
+most of which she had no difficulty in understanding, the subject
+having, of late, occupied so much of her thoughts.</p>
+
+<p>"And, now, princess," continued Isabella, "I must speak to thee with
+maternal frankness, for I deem all of thy birth my children while they
+dwell in my realms, and have a right to look to me for advice and
+protection. Hast thou any such love for Don Luis as would induce thee to
+forget thine own country, and to adopt his in its stead?"</p>
+
+<p>"Ozema don't know what 'adopt his,' means," observed the puzzled girl.</p>
+
+<p>"I wish to inquire if thou wouldst consent to become the wife of Don
+Luis de Bobadilla?"</p>
+
+<p>"Wife" and "husband" were words of which the Indian girl had early
+learned the signification, and she smiled guilelessly, even while she
+blushed, and nodded her assent.</p>
+
+<p>"I am, then, to understand that thou expectest to marry the count, for
+no modest young female like, thee, would so cheerfully avow her
+preference, without having that hope ripened in her heart, to something
+like a certainty."</p>
+
+<p>"Si, Señora&mdash;Ozema, Luis' wife."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou meanest, princess, that Ozema expecteth shortly to wed the
+count&mdash;shortly to become his wife!"</p>
+
+<p>"No&mdash;no&mdash;no&mdash;Ozema <i>now</i> Luis' wife. Luis marry Ozema, already."</p>
+
+<p>"Can this be so?" exclaimed the queen, looking steadily into the face of
+the beautiful Indian to ascertain if the whole were not an artful
+deception. But the open and innocent face betrayed no guilt, and
+Isabella felt compelled to believe what she had heard. In order,
+however, to make certain of the fact, she questioned and
+cross-questioned Ozema, for near half an hour longer, and always with
+the same result.</p>
+
+<p>When the queen arose to withdraw, she kissed the princess, for so she
+deemed this wild creature of an unknown and novel state of society, and
+whispered a devout prayer for the enlightenment of her mind, and for her
+future peace. On reaching her own apartment, she found the Marchioness
+of Moya in attendance, that tried friend being unable to sleep until she
+had learned the impressions of her royal mistress.</p>
+
+<p>"'Tis even worse than we had imagined, Beatriz," said Isabella, as the
+other closed the door behind her. "Thine heartless, inconstant nephew
+hath already wedded the Indian, and she is, at this moment, his lawful
+wife."</p>
+
+<p>"Señora, there must be some mistake in this! The rash boy would hardly
+dare to practise this imposition on me, and that in the very presence of
+Mercedes."</p>
+
+<p>"He would sooner place his wife in thy care, Daughter-Marchioness, than
+make the same disposition of one who had fewer claims on him. But there
+can be no mistake. I have questioned the princess closely, and no doubt
+remaineth in my mind, that the nuptials have been solemnized by
+religious rites. It is not easy to understand all she would wish to say,
+but that much she often and distinctly hath affirmed."</p>
+
+<p>"Your Highness&mdash;can a Christian contract marriage with one that is yet
+unbaptized?"</p>
+
+<p>"Certainly not, in the eye of the church, which is the eye of God. But I
+rather think Ozema hath received this holy rite, for she often pointed
+to the cross she weareth, when speaking of the union with thy nephew.
+Indeed, from her allusions, I understood her to say that she became a
+Christian, ere she became a wife."</p>
+
+<p>"And that blessed cross, Señora, was a gift of Mercedes to the reckless,
+fickle-minded boy; a parting gift in which the holy symbol was intended
+to remind him of constancy and faith!"</p>
+
+<p>"The world maketh so many inroads into the hearts of men, Beatriz, that
+they know not woman's reliance and woman's fidelity. But to thy knees,
+and bethink thee of asking for grace to sustain thy ward, in this cruel,
+but unavoidable extremity."</p>
+
+<p>Isabella now turned to her friend, who advanced and raised the hand of
+her royal mistress to her lips. The queen, however, was not content with
+this salutation, warm as it was; passing an arm around the neck of Doña
+Beatriz, she drew her to her person, and imprinted a kiss on her
+forehead.</p>
+
+<p>"Adieu, Beatriz&mdash;true friend as thou art!" she said. "If constancy hath
+deserted all others, it hath still an abode in thy faithful heart."</p>
+
+<p>With these words the queen and the marchioness separated, each to find
+her pillow, if not her repose.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXIX" id="CHAPTER_XXIX"></a>CHAPTER XXIX.</h2>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"Now, Gondarino, what can you put on now<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">That may deceive us?<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Have ye more strange illusions, yet more mists,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Through which the weak eye may be led to error?<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">What can ye say that may do satisfaction<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Both for her wronged honor and your ill?"<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">Beaumont and Fletcher.</span><br /></span>
+</div></div>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p>The day which succeeded the interview related in the preceding chapter,
+was that which Cardinal Mendoza had selected for the celebrated banquet
+given to Columbus. On this occasion, most of the high nobility of the
+court were assembled in honor of the admiral, who was received with a
+distinction which fell little short of that usually devoted to crowned
+heads. The Genoese bore himself modestly, though nobly, in all these
+ceremonies; and, for the hour, all appeared to delight in doing justice
+to his great exploits, and to sympathize in a success so much surpassing
+the general expectation. Every eye seemed riveted on his person, every
+ear listened eagerly to the syllables as they fell from his lips, every
+voice was loud and willing in his praise.</p>
+
+<p>As a matter of course, on such an occasion, Columbus was expected to
+give some account of his voyage and adventures. This was not an easy
+task, since it was virtually asserting how much his own perseverance and
+spirit, his sagacity and skill, were superior to the knowledge and
+enterprise of the age. Still, the admiral acquitted himself with
+dexterity and credit, touching principally on those heads which most
+redounded to the glory of Spain, and the lustre of the two crowns.</p>
+
+<p>Among the guests was Luis de Bobadilla. The young man had been invited
+on account of his high rank, and in consideration of the confidence and
+familiarity with which he was evidently treated by the admiral. The
+friendship of Columbus was more than sufficient to erase the slightly
+unfavorable impressions that had been produced by Luis' early levities,
+and men quietly submitted to the influence of the great man's example,
+without stopping to question the motive or the end. The consciousness of
+having done that which few of his station and hopes would ever dream of
+attempting, gave to the proud mien and handsome countenance of Luis, a
+seriousness and elevation that had not always been seated there, and
+helped to sustain him in the good opinion that he had otherwise so
+cheaply purchased. The manner in which he had related to Peter Martyr
+and his companions the events of the expedition, was also remembered,
+and, without understanding exactly why, the world was beginning to
+associate him, in some mysterious manner, with the great western voyage.
+Owing to these accidental circumstances, our hero was actually reaping
+some few of the advantages of his spirit, though in a way he had never
+anticipated; a result by no means extraordinary, men as often receiving
+applause, or reprobation, for acts that were never meditated, as for
+those for which reason and justice would hold them rigidly responsible.</p>
+
+<p>"Here is a health to my lord, their Highnesses' Admiral of the Ocean
+Sea," cried Luis de St. Angel, raising his cup so that all at the board
+might witness the act. "Spain oweth him her gratitude for the boldest
+and most beneficial enterprise of the age, and no good subject of the
+two sovereigns will hesitate to do him honor for his services."</p>
+
+<p>The bumper was drunk, and the meek acknowledgments of Columbus listened
+to in respectful silence.</p>
+
+<p>"Lord Cardinal," resumed the free-speaking accountant of the church's
+revenues, "I look upon the church's cure as doubled by these
+discoveries, and esteem the number of souls that will be rescued from
+perdition by the means that will now be employed to save them, as
+forming no small part of the lustre of the exploit, and a thing not
+likely to be forgotten at Rome."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou say'st well, good de St. Angel," returned the cardinal, "and the
+Holy Father will not overlook God's agent, or his assistants. Knowledge
+came from the east, and we have long looked forward to the time when,
+purified by revelation and the high commission that we hold direct from
+the source of all power, it would be rolled backward to its place of
+beginning; but we now see that its course is still to be westward,
+reaching Asia by a path that, until this great discovery, was hid from
+human eyes."</p>
+
+<p>Although so much apparent sympathy ruled at the festival, the human
+heart was at work, and envy, the basest, and perhaps the most common of
+our passions, was fast swelling in more than one breath. The remark of
+the cardinal produced an exhibition of the influence of this unworthy
+feeling that might otherwise have been smothered. Among the guests was a
+noble of the name of Juan de Orbitello, and he could listen no longer,
+in silence, to the praises of those whose breath he had been accustomed
+to consider fame.</p>
+
+<p>"Is it so certain, holy sir," he said, addressing his host, "that God
+would not have directed other means to be employed, to effect this end,
+had these of Don Christopher failed? Or, are we to look upon this voyage
+as the only known way in which all these heathen could be rescued from
+perdition?"</p>
+
+<p>"No one may presume, Señor, to limit the agencies of heaven," returned
+the cardinal, gravely; "nor is it the office of man to question the
+means employed, or to doubt the power to create others, as wisdom may
+dictate. Least of all, should laymen call in question aught that the
+church sanctioneth."</p>
+
+<p>"This I admit, Lord Cardinal," answered the Señor de Orbitello, a little
+embarrassed, and somewhat vexed at the implied rebuke of the churchman's
+remarks, "and it was the least of my intentions to do so. But you, Señor
+Don Christopher, did you deem yourself an agent of heaven in this
+expedition?"</p>
+
+<p>"I have always considered myself a most unworthy instrument, set apart
+for this great end, Señor," returned the admiral, with a grave solemnity
+that was well suited to impose on the spectators. "From the first, I
+have felt this impulse, as being of divine origin, and I humbly trust
+heaven is not displeased with the creature it hath employed."</p>
+
+<p>"Do you then imagine, Señor Almirante, that Spain could not produce
+another, fitted equally with yourself, to execute this great enterprise,
+had any accident prevented either your sailing or your success?"</p>
+
+<p>The boldness, as well as the singularity of this question, produced a
+general pause in the conversation, and every head was bent a little
+forward in expectation of the reply. Columbus sat silent for more than a
+minute; then, reaching forward, he took an egg, and holding it up to
+view, he spoke mildly, but with great gravity and earnestness of manner.</p>
+
+<p>"Señores," he said, "is there one here of sufficient expertness to cause
+this egg to stand on its end? If such a man be present, I challenge him
+to give us an exhibition of his skill."</p>
+
+<p>The request produced a good deal of surprise; but a dozen immediately
+attempted the exploit, amid much laughter and many words. More than
+once, some young noble thought he had succeeded, but the instant his
+fingers quitted the egg, it rolled upon the table, as if in mockery of
+his awkwardness.</p>
+
+<p>"By Saint Luke, Señor Almirante, but this notable achievement surpasseth
+our skill," cried Juan de Orbitello. "Here is the Conde de Llera, who
+hath slain so many Moors, and who hath even unhorsed Alonzo de Ojeda, in
+a tourney, can make nothing of his egg, in the way you mention."</p>
+
+<p>"And yet it will no longer be difficult to him, or even to you, Señor,
+when the art shall be exposed."</p>
+
+<p>Saying thus, Columbus tapped the smaller end of his egg lightly on the
+table, when, the shell being forced in, it possessed a base on which it
+stood firmly and without tremor. A murmur of applause followed this
+rebuke, and the Lord of Orbitello was fain to shrink back into an
+insignificance, from which it would have been better for him never to
+have emerged. At this precise instant a royal page spoke to the admiral,
+and then passed on to the seat of Don Luis de Bobadilla.</p>
+
+<p>"I am summoned hastily to the presence of the queen, Lord Cardinal,"
+observed the admiral, "and look to your grace for an apology for my
+withdrawing. The business is of weight, by the manner of the message,
+and you will pardon my now quitting the board, though it seem early."</p>
+
+<p>The usual reply was made; and, bowed to the door by his host and all
+present, Columbus quitted the room. Almost at the same instant, he was
+followed by the Conde de Llera.</p>
+
+<p>"Whither goest thou, in this hurry, Don Luis?" demanded the admiral, as
+the other joined him. "Art thou in so great haste to quit a banquet such
+as Spain hath not often seen, except in the palaces of her kings?"</p>
+
+<p>"By San Iago! nor there, neither, Señor," answered the young man, gaily,
+"if King Ferdinand's board be taken as the sample. But I quit this
+goodly company in obedience to an order of Doña Isabella, who hath
+suddenly summoned me to her royal presence."</p>
+
+<p>"Then, Señor Conde, we go together, and are like to meet on the same
+errand. I, too, am hastening to the apartments of the queen."</p>
+
+<p>"It gladdens my heart to hear this, Señor, as I know of but one subject
+on which a common summons should be sent to us. This affair toucheth on
+my suit, and, doubtless, you will be required to speak of my bearing in
+the voyage."</p>
+
+<p>"My mind and my time have been so much occupied, of late, with public
+cares, Luis, that I have not had an occasion to question you of this.
+How fareth the Lady of Valverde, and when will she deign to reward thy
+constancy and love?"</p>
+
+<p>"Señor, I would I could answer the last of these questions with greater
+certainty, and the first with a lighter heart. Since my return I have
+seen Doña Mercedes but thrice; and though she was all gentleness and
+truth, my suit for the consummation of my happiness hath been coldly and
+evasively answered by my aunt. Her Highness is to be consulted, it would
+seem; and the tumult produced by the success of the voyage hath so much
+occupied her, that there hath been no leisure to wait on trifles such as
+those that lead to the felicity of a wanderer like myself."</p>
+
+<p>"Then is it like, Luis, that we are indeed summoned on this very affair;
+else, why should thou and I be brought together in a manner so unusual
+and so sudden."</p>
+
+<p>Our hero was not displeased to fancy this, and he entered the apartments
+of the queen with a step as elastic, and a mien as bright, as if he had
+come to wed his love. The Admiral of the Ocean Sea, as Columbus was now
+publicly called, had not long to wait in ante-chambers, and, ere many
+minutes, he and his companion were ushered into the presence.</p>
+
+<p>Isabella received her guests in private, there being no one in
+attendance but the Marchioness of Moya, Mercedes, and Ozema. The first
+glances of their eyes told Columbus and Luis that all was not right.
+Every countenance denoted that its owner was endeavoring to maintain a
+calmness that was assumed. The queen herself was serene and dignified,
+it is true, but her brow was thoughtful, her eye melancholy, and her
+cheek slightly flushed. As for Doña Beatriz, sorrow and indignation
+struggled in her expressive face, and Luis saw, with concern, that her
+look was averted from him in a way she always adopted when he had
+seriously incurred her displeasure. Mercedes' lips were pale as death,
+though a bright spot, like vermilion, was stationary on each cheek; her
+eyes were downcast, and all her mien was humbled and timid. Ozema alone
+seemed perfectly natural; still, her glances were quick and anxious,
+though a gleam of joy danced in her eyes, and even a slight exclamation
+of delight escaped her, as she beheld Luis, whom she had seen but once
+since her arrival in Barcelona, already near a month.</p>
+
+<p>Isabella advanced a step or two, to meet the admiral, and when the last
+would have kneeled, she hurriedly prevented the act by giving him her
+hand to kiss.</p>
+
+<p>"Not so&mdash;not so&mdash;Lord Admiral," exclaimed the queen; "this is homage
+unsuited to thy high rank and eminent services. If we are thy
+sovereigns, so are we also thy friends. I fear my lord cardinal will
+scarce pardon the orders I sent him, seeing that it hath deprived him of
+thy society somewhat sooner than he may have expected."</p>
+
+<p>"His Eminence, and all his goodly company, have that to muse on, Señora,
+that may yet occupy them some time," returned Columbus, smiling in his
+grave manner; "doubtless, they will less miss me than at an ordinary
+time. Were it otherwise, both I, and this young count, would not scruple
+to quit even a richer banquet, to obey the summons of your Highness."</p>
+
+<p>"I doubt it not, Señor, but I have desired to see thee, this night, on a
+matter of private, rather than of public concernment. Doña Beatriz,
+here, hath made known to me the presence at court, as well as the
+history of this fair being, who giveth one an idea so much more exalted
+of thy vast discoveries that I marvel she should ever have been
+concealed. Know'st thou her rank, Don Christopher, and the circumstances
+that have brought her to Spain?"</p>
+
+<p>"Señora, I do; in part through my own observation, and in part from the
+statements of Don Luis de Bobadilla. I consider the rank of the Lady
+Ozema to be less than royal, and more than noble, if our opinions will
+allow us to imagine a condition between the two; though it must always
+be remembered that Hayti is not Castile; the one being benighted under
+the cloud of heathenism, and the other existing in the sunshine of the
+church and civilization."</p>
+
+<p>"Nevertheless, Don Christopher, station is station, and the rights of
+birth are not impaired by the condition of a country. Although it hath
+pleased him already, and will still further please the head of the
+church, to give us rights, in our characters of Christian princes, over
+these caciques of India, there is nothing unusual or novel in the fact.
+The relation between the suzerain and the lieges is ancient and well
+established; and instances are not wanting, in which powerful monarchs
+have held certain of their states by this tenure, while others have come
+direct from God. In this view, I feel disposed to consider the Indian
+lady as more than noble, and have directed her to be treated
+accordingly. There remaineth only to relate the circumstances that have
+brought her to Spain."</p>
+
+<p>"These can better come from Don Luis than from me, Señora; he being most
+familiar with the events."</p>
+
+<p>"Nay, Señor, I would hear them from thine own lips. I am already
+possessed of the substance of the Conde de Llera's story."</p>
+
+<p>Columbus looked both surprised and pained, but he did not hesitate about
+complying with the queen's request.</p>
+
+<p>"Hayti hath its greater and its lesser princes, or caciques, your
+Highness," he added; "the last paying a species of homage, and owing a
+certain allegiance to the first, as hath been said"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Thou seest, Daughter-Marchioness, this is but a natural order of
+government, prevailing equally in the east and in the west!"</p>
+
+<p>"Of the first of these was Guacanagari, of whom I have already related
+so much to your Highness," continued Columbus; "and of the last,
+Mattinao, the brother of this lady. Don Luis visited the Cacique
+Mattinao, and was present at an inroad of Caonabo, a celebrated Carib
+chief, who would fain have made a wife of her who now stands in this
+illustrious presence. The conde conducted himself like a gallant
+Castilian cavalier, routed the foe, saved the lady, and brought her in
+triumph to the ships. Here it was determined she should visit Spain,
+both as a means of throwing more lustre on the two crowns, and of
+removing her, for a season, from the attempts of the Carib, who is too
+powerful and warlike to be withstood by a race as gentle as that of
+Mattinao's."</p>
+
+<p>"This is well, Señor, and what I have already heard; but how happeneth
+it, that Ozema did not appear with the rest of thy train, in the public
+reception of the town?"</p>
+
+<p>"It was the wish of Don Luis it should be otherwise, and I consented
+that he and his charge should sail privately from Palos, with the
+expectation of meeting me in Barcelona. We both thought the Lady Ozema
+too superior to her companions, to be exhibited to rude eyes as a
+spectacle."</p>
+
+<p>"There was delicacy, if there were not prudence in the arrangement," the
+queen observed, a little drily. "Then, the Lady Ozema hath been some
+weeks solely in the care of the Conde de Llera."</p>
+
+<p>"I so esteem it, your Highness, except as she hath been placed under the
+guardianship of the Marchioness of Moya."</p>
+
+<p>"Was this altogether discreet, Don Christopher, or as one prudent as
+thou shouldst have consented to?"</p>
+
+<p>"Señora!" exclaimed Luis, unable to restrain his feelings longer.</p>
+
+<p>"Forbear, young sir," commanded the queen. "I shall have occasion to
+question thee presently, when thou may'st have a need for all thy
+readiness, to give the fitting answers. Doth not thy discretion rebuke
+thy indiscretion in this matter, Lord Admiral?"</p>
+
+<p>"Señora, the question, like its motive, is altogether new to me; I have
+the utmost reliance on the honor of the count, and then did I know that
+his heart hath long been given to the fairest and worthiest damsel of
+Spain; besides, my mind hath been so much occupied with the grave
+subjects of your Highness' interests, that it hath had but little
+opportunity to dwell on minor things."</p>
+
+<p>"I believe thee, Señor, and thy pardon is secure. Still, for one so
+experienced, it was a sore indiscretion to trust to the constancy of a
+fickle heart, when placed in the body of a light-minded and truant boy.
+And, now, Conde de Llera, I have that to say to thee, which thou may'st
+find it difficult to answer. Thou assentest to all that hath hitherto
+been said?"</p>
+
+<p>"Certainly, Señora. Don Christopher can have no motive to misstate, even
+were he capable of the meanness. I trust our house hath not been
+remarkable in Spain, for recreant and false cavaliers."</p>
+
+<p>"In that I fully agree. If thy house hath had the misfortune to produce
+one untrue and recreant heart, it hath the glory"&mdash;glancing at her
+friend&mdash;"of producing others that might equal the constancy of the most
+heroic minds of antiquity. The lustre of the name of Bobadilla doth not
+altogether depend on the fidelity and truth of its head&mdash;nay, hear me,
+sir, and speak only when thou art ready to answer my questions. Thy
+thoughts, of late, have been bent on matrimony?"</p>
+
+<p>"Señora, I confess it. Is it an offence to dream of the honorable
+termination of a suit that hath been long urged, and which I had dared
+to hope was finally about to receive your own royal approbation?"</p>
+
+<p>"It is, then, as I feared, Beatriz!" exclaimed the queen; "and this
+benighted but lovely being hath been deceived by the mockery of a
+marriage; for no subject of Castile would dare thus to speak of wedlock,
+in my presence, with the consciousness that his vows had actually and
+lawfully been given to another. Both the church and the prince would not
+be thus braved, by even the greatest profligate of Spain!"</p>
+
+<p>"Señora, your Highness speaketh most cruelly, even while you speak in
+riddles!" cried Luis. "May I presume to ask if I am meant in these
+severe remarks?"</p>
+
+<p>"Of whom else should we be speaking, or to whom else allude? Thou must
+have the inward consciousness, unprincipled boy, of all thy
+unworthiness; and yet thou darest thus to brave thy sovereign&mdash;nay, to
+brave that suffering and angelic girl, with a mien as bold as if
+sustained by the purest innocence!"</p>
+
+<p>"Señora, I am no angel, myself, however willing to admit Doña Mercedes
+to be one; neither am I a saint of perfect purity, perhaps&mdash;in a word, I
+am Luis de Bobadilla&mdash;but as far from deserving these reproaches, as
+from deserving the crown of martyrdom. Let me humbly demand my offence?"</p>
+
+<p>"Simply that thou hast either cruelly deceived, by a feigned marriage,
+this uninstructed and confiding Indian princess, or hast insolently
+braved thy sovereign with the professions of a desire to wed another,
+with thy faith actually plighted at the altar, to another. Of which of
+these crimes thou art guilty, thou know'st best, thyself."</p>
+
+<p>"And thou, my aunt&mdash;thou, Mercedes&mdash;dost thou, too, believe me capable
+of this?"</p>
+
+<p>"I fear it is but too true," returned the marchioness, coldly; "the
+proof is such that none but an Infidel could deny belief."</p>
+
+<p>"Mercedes?"</p>
+
+<p>"No, Luis," answered the generous girl, with a warmth and feeling that
+broke down the barriers of all conventional restraint&mdash;"I do not think
+thee base as this&mdash;I do not think thee base at all; merely unable to
+restrain thy wandering inclinations. I know thy heart too well, and
+thine honor too well, to suppose aught more than a weakness that thou
+wouldst fain subdue, but canst not."</p>
+
+<p>"God and the Holy Virgin be blessed for this!" cried the count, who had
+scarcely breathed while his mistress was speaking. "Any thing but thy
+entertaining so low an opinion of me, may be borne!"</p>
+
+<p>"There must be an end of this, Beatriz; and I see no surer means, than
+by proceeding at once to the facts," said the queen. "Come hither,
+Ozema, and let thy testimony set this matter at rest, forever."</p>
+
+<p>The young Indian, who comprehended Spanish much better than she
+expressed herself in the language, although far from having even a
+correct understanding of all that was said, immediately complied, her
+whole soul being engrossed with what was passing, while her intelligence
+was baffled in its attempts thoroughly to comprehend it. Mercedes alone
+had noted the workings of her countenance, as Isabella reproved, or Luis
+made his protestations, and they were such as completely denoted the
+interest she felt in our hero.</p>
+
+<p>"Ozema," resumed the queen, speaking slowly, and with deliberate
+distinctness, in order that the other might get the meaning of her words
+as she proceeded. "Speak&mdash;art thou wedded to Luis de Bobadilla, or not?"</p>
+
+<p>"Ozema, Luis' wife," answered the girl, laughing and blushing. "Luis,
+Ozema's husband."</p>
+
+<p>"This is plain as words can make it, Don Christopher, and is no more
+than she hath already often affirmed, on my anxious and repeated
+inquiries. How and when did Luis wed thee, Ozema?"</p>
+
+<p>"Luis wed Ozema with religion&mdash;with Spaniard's religion. Ozema wed Luis
+with love and duty&mdash;with Hayti manner."</p>
+
+<p>"This is extraordinary, Señora," observed the admiral, "and I would
+gladly look into it. Have I your Highness' permission to inquire into
+the affair, myself?"</p>
+
+<p>"Do as thou wilt, Señor," returned the queen, coldly. "My own mind is
+satisfied, and it behoveth my justice to act speedily."</p>
+
+<p>"Conde de Llera, dost thou admit, or dost thou deny, that thou art the
+husband of the Lady Ozema?" demanded Columbus, gravely.</p>
+
+<p>"Lord Admiral, I deny it altogether. Neither have I wedded her, nor hath
+the thought of so doing, with any but Mercedes, ever crossed my mind."</p>
+
+<p>This was said firmly, and with the open frankness that formed a
+principal charm in the young man's manner.</p>
+
+<p>"Hast thou, then, wronged her, and given her a right to think that thou
+didst mean wedlock?"</p>
+
+<p>"I have not. Mine own sister would not have been more respected than
+hath Ozema been respected by me, as is shown by the fact that I have
+hastened to place her in the care of my dear aunt, and in the company of
+Doña Mercedes."</p>
+
+<p>"This seemeth reasonable, Señora; for man hath ever that much respect
+for virtue in your sex, that he hesitateth to offend it even in his
+levities."</p>
+
+<p>"In opposition to all these protestations, and to so much fine virtue,
+Señor Colon, we have the simple declaration of one untutored in
+deception&mdash;a mind too simple to deceive, and of a rank and hopes that
+would render such a fraud as unnecessary as it would be unworthy.
+Beatriz, thou dost agree with me, and it cannot find an apology for this
+recreant knight, even though he were once the pride of thy house?"</p>
+
+<p>"Señora, I know not. Whatever may have been the failings and weaknesses
+of the boy&mdash;and heaven it knows that they have been many&mdash;deception and
+untruth have never made a part. I have even ascribed the manner in which
+he hath placed the princess in my immediate care, to the impulses of a
+heart that did not wish to conceal the errors of the head, and to the
+expectation that her presence in my family might sooner bring me to a
+knowledge of the truth. I could wish that the Lady Ozema might be
+questioned more closely, in order that we make certain of not being
+under the delusion of some strange error."</p>
+
+<p>"This is right," observed Isabella, whose sense of justice ever inclined
+her to make the closest examination into the merits of every case that
+required her decision. "The fortune of a grandee depends on the result,
+and it is meet he enjoy all fair means of vindicating himself from so
+heinous an offence. Sir Count, thou canst, therefore, question her, in
+our presence, touching all proper grounds of inquiry."</p>
+
+<p>"Señora, it would ill become a knight to put himself in array against a
+lady, and she, too, of the character and habits of this stranger,"
+answered Luis, proudly; coloring as he spoke, with the consciousness
+that Ozema was utterly unable to conceal her predilection in his favor.
+"If such an office is, indeed, necessary, its functions would better
+become another."</p>
+
+<p>"As the stern duty of punishing must fall on me," the queen calmly
+observed, "I will then assume this unpleasant office. Señor Almirante,
+we may not shrink from any obligation that brings us nearer to the
+greatest attribute of God, his justice. Princess, thou hast said that
+Don Luis hath wedded thee, and that thou considerest thyself his wife.
+When and where didst thou meet him before a priest?"</p>
+
+<p>So many attempts had been made to convert Ozema to Christianity, that
+she was more familiar with the terms connected with religion than with
+any other part of the language, though her mind was a confused picture
+of imaginary obligations, and of mystical qualities. Like all who are
+not addicted to abstractions, her piety was more connected with forms
+than with principles, and she was better disposed to admit the virtue of
+the ceremonies of the church than the importance of its faith. The
+question of the queen was understood, and, therefore, it was answered
+without guile, or a desire to deceive.</p>
+
+<p>"Luis wed Ozema with Christian's cross," she said, pressing to her heart
+the holy emblem that the young man had given to her in a moment of great
+peril, and in a manner the reader already knows. "Luis think he about to
+die&mdash;Ozema think she about to die&mdash;both wish to die man and wife, and
+Luis wed with the cross, like good Spanish Christian. Ozema wed Luis in
+her heart, like Hayti lady, in her own country."</p>
+
+<p>"Here is some mistake&mdash;some sad mistake, growing out of the difference
+of language and customs," observed the admiral. "Don Luis hath not been
+guilty of this deception. I witnessed the offering of that cross, which
+was made at sea, during a tempest, and in a way to impress me favorably
+with the count's zeal in behalf of a benighted soul. There was no
+wedlock there; nor could any, but one who hath confounded our usages,
+through ignorance, imagine more than the bestowal of a simple emblem,
+that it was hoped might be useful, in extremity, to one that had not
+enjoyed the advantages of baptism and the church's offices."</p>
+
+<p>"Don Luis, dost thou confirm this statement, and also assert that thy
+gift was made solely with this object?" asked the queen.</p>
+
+<p>"Señora, it is most true. Death was staring us in the face; and I felt
+that this poor wanderer, who had trusted herself to our care, with the
+simple confidence of a child, needed some consolation; none seemed so
+meet, at the moment, as that memorial of our blessed Redeemer, and of
+our own redemption. To me it seemed the preservative next to baptism."</p>
+
+<p>"Hast thou never stood before a priest with her, nor in any manner
+abused her guileless simplicity?"</p>
+
+<p>"Señora, it is not my nature to deceive, and every weakness of which I
+have been guilty in connexion with Ozema shall be revealed. Her beauty
+and her winning manners speak for themselves, as doth her resemblance to
+Doña Mercedes. The last greatly inclined me to her, and, had not my
+heart been altogether another's, it would have been my pride to make the
+princess my wife. But we met too late for that; and even the resemblance
+led to comparisons, in which one, educated in infidelity and ignorance,
+must necessarily suffer. That I have had moments of tenderness for
+Ozema, I will own; but that they ever supplanted, or came near
+supplanting, my love for Mercedes, I do deny. If I have any fault to
+answer for, to the Lady Ozema, it is because I have not always been able
+to suppress the feelings that her likeness to the Doña Mercedes, and her
+own ingenuous simplicity&mdash;chiefly the former&mdash;have induced. Never
+otherwise, in speech or act, have I offended against her."</p>
+
+<p>"This soundeth upright and true, Beatriz. Thou know'st the count better
+than I, and can easier say how far we ought to confide in these
+explanations."</p>
+
+<p>"My life on their truth, my beloved mistress! Luis is no hypocrite, and
+I rejoice!&mdash;oh! how exultingly do I rejoice!&mdash;at finding him able to
+give this fair vindication of his conduct. Ozema, who hath heard of our
+form of wedlock, and hath seen our devotion to the cross, hath mistaken
+her position, as she hath my nephew's feelings, and supposed herself a
+wife, when a Christian girl would not have been so cruelly deceived."</p>
+
+<p>"This really hath a seeming probability, Señores," continued the queen,
+with her sex's sensitiveness to her sex's delicacy of sentiment, not to
+say to her sex's rights&mdash;"This toucheth of a lady's&mdash;nay, of a princess'
+feelings, and must not be treated of openly. It is proper that any
+further explanations should be made only among females, and I trust to
+your honor, as cavaliers and nobles, that what hath this night been
+said, will never be spoken of amid the revels of men. The Lady Ozema
+shall be my care; and, Count of Llera, thou shalt know my final decision
+to-morrow, concerning Doña Mercedes and thyself."</p>
+
+<p>As this was said with a royal, as well as with a womanly dignity, no one
+presumed to demur, but, making the customary reverences, Columbus and
+our hero left the presence. It was late before the queen quitted Ozema,
+but what passed in this interview will better appear in the scenes that
+are still to be given.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXX" id="CHAPTER_XXX"></a>CHAPTER XXX.</h2>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"When sinking low the sufferer wan<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Beholds no arm outstretch'd to save,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Fair, as the bosom of the swan<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">That rises graceful o'er the wave,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">I've seen your breast with pity heave,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">And <i>therefore</i> love you, sweet Genevieve!"<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">Coleridge.</span><br /></span>
+</div></div>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p>When Isabella found herself alone with Ozema and Mercedes (for she chose
+that the last should be present), she entered on the subject of the
+marriage with the tenderness of a sensitive and delicate mind, but with
+a sincerity that rendered further error impossible. The result showed
+how naturally and cruelly the young Indian beauty had deceived herself.
+Ardent, confiding, and accustomed to be considered the object of general
+admiration among her own people, Ozema had fancied that her own
+inclinations had been fully answered by the young man. From the first
+moment they met, with the instinctive quickness of a woman, she
+perceived that she was admired, and, as she gave way to the excess of
+her own feelings, it was almost a necessary consequence of the
+communications she held with Luis, that she should think they were
+reciprocated. The very want of language in words, by compelling a
+substitution of one in looks and acts, contributed to the mistake; and
+it will be remembered that, if Luis' constancy did not actually waver,
+it had been sorely tried. The false signification she attached to the
+word "Mercedes," largely aided in the delusion, and it was completed by
+the manly tenderness and care with which our hero treated her on all
+occasions. Even the rigid decorum that Luis invariably observed, and the
+severe personal respect which he maintained toward his charge, had their
+effect on her feelings; for, wild and unsophisticated as had been her
+training, the deep and unerring instinct of the feeble, told her the
+nature of the power she was wielding over the strong.</p>
+
+<p>Then came the efforts to give her some ideas of religion, and the deep
+and lamentable mistakes which imperfectly explained, and worse
+understood subtleties, left on her plastic mind. Ozema believed that the
+Spaniards worshipped the cross. She saw it put foremost in all public
+ceremonies, knelt to, and apparently appealed to, on every occasion that
+called for an engagement more solemn than usual. Whenever a knight made
+a vow, he kissed the cross of his sword-hilt. The mariners regarded it
+with reverence, and even the admiral had caused one to be erected as a
+sign of his right to the territory that had been ceded to him by
+Guacanagari. In a word, to her uninstructed imagination, it seemed as if
+the cross were used as a pledge for the fidelity of all engagements.
+Often had she beheld and admired the beautiful emblem worn by our hero;
+and, as the habits of her own people required the exchange of pledges of
+value as a proof of wedlock, she fancied, when she received this
+much-valued jewel, that she received the sign that our hero took her for
+a wife, at a moment when death was about to part them forever. Further
+than this, her simplicity and affections did not induce her to reason or
+to believe.</p>
+
+<p>It was an hour before Isabella elicited all these facts and feelings
+from Ozema, though the latter clearly wished to conceal nothing; in
+truth, had nothing to conceal. The painful part of the duty remained to
+be discharged. It was to undeceive the confiding girl, and to teach her
+the hard lesson of bitterness that followed. This was done, however, and
+the queen, believing it best to remove all delusion on the subject,
+finally succeeded in causing her to understand that, before the count
+had ever seen herself, his affections were given to Mercedes, who was,
+in truth, his betrothed wife. Nothing could have been gentler, or more
+femininely tender, than the manner in which the queen made her
+communication; but the blow struck home, and Isabella, herself, trembled
+at the consequences of her own act. Never before had she witnessed the
+outbreaking of feeling in a mind so entirely unsophisticated, and the
+images of what she then saw, haunted her troubled slumbers for many
+succeeding nights.</p>
+
+<p>As for Columbus and our hero, they were left mainly in the dark, as to
+what had occurred, for the following week. It is true, Luis received a
+kind and encouraging note from his aunt, the succeeding day, and a page
+of Mercedes' silently placed in his hand the cross that he had so long
+worn; but, beyond this, he was left to his own conjectures. The moment
+for explanation, however, arrived, and the young man received a summons
+to the apartment of the marchioness.</p>
+
+<p>Luis did not, as he expected, meet his aunt on reaching the saloon,
+which he found empty. Questioning the page who had been his usher, he
+was desired to wait for the appearance of some one to receive him.
+Patience was not a conspicuous virtue in our hero's character, and he
+excited himself by pacing the room, for near half an hour, ere he
+discovered a single sign that his visit was remembered. Just as he was
+about to summon an attendant, however, again to announce his presence, a
+door was slowly opened, and Mercedes stood before him.</p>
+
+<p>The first glance that the young man cast upon his betrothed, told him
+that she was suffering under deep mental anxiety. The hand which he
+eagerly raised to his lips trembled, and the color came and went on her
+cheeks, in a way to show that she was nearly overcome. Still she
+rejected the glass of water that he offered, putting it aside with a
+faint smile, and motioning her lover to take a chair, while she calmly
+placed herself on a <i>tabouret</i>&mdash;one of the humble seats she was
+accustomed to occupy in the presence of the queen.</p>
+
+<p>"I have asked for this interview, Don Luis," Mercedes commenced, as soon
+as she had given herself time to command her feelings, "in order that
+there may no longer be any reasons for mistaking our feelings and
+wishes. You have been suspected of having married the Lady Ozema; and
+there was a moment when you stood on the verge of destruction, through
+the displeasure of Doña Isabella."</p>
+
+<p>"But, blessed Mercedes, <i>you</i> never imputed to me this act of deception
+and unfaithfulness?"</p>
+
+<p>"I told you truth, Señor&mdash;for that I knew you too well. I felt certain
+that, whenever Luis de Bobadilla had made up his mind to the commission
+of such a step, he would also have the manliness and courage to avow it.
+<i>I</i> never, for an instant, believed that you had wedded the princess."</p>
+
+<p>"Why, then, those cold and averted looks?&mdash;eyes that sought the floor,
+rather than the meeting of glances that love delights in; and a manner
+which, if it hath not absolutely displayed aversion, hath at least
+manifested a reserve and distance that I had never expected to witness
+from thee to me?"</p>
+
+<p>Mercedes' color changed, and she made no answer for a minute, during
+which little interval she had doubts of her ability to carry out her own
+purpose. Rallying her courage, however, the discourse was continued in
+the same manner as before.</p>
+
+<p>"Hear me, Don Luis," she resumed, "for my history will not be long. When
+you left Spain, at my suggestion, to enter on this great voyage, you
+loved <i>me</i>&mdash;of that grateful recollection no earthly power can deprive
+me! Yes, you then loved <i>me</i>, and me <i>only</i>. We parted, with our troth
+plighted to each other; and not a day went by, during your absence, that
+I did not pass hours on my knees, beseeching heaven in behalf of the
+admiral and his followers."</p>
+
+<p>"Beloved Mercedes! It is not surprising that success crowned our
+efforts; such an intercessor could not fail to be heard!"</p>
+
+<p>"I entreat you, sir, to hear me. Until the eventful day which brought
+the tidings of your return, no Spanish wife could have felt more concern
+for him on whom she had placed all her hopes, than I felt for you. To
+me, the future was bright and filled with hope, if the present was
+loaded with fear and doubt. The messenger who reached the court, first
+opened my eyes to the sad realities of the world, and taught me the hard
+lesson the young are ever slow to learn&mdash;that of disappointment. It was
+then I first heard of Ozema&mdash;of your admiration of her beauty&mdash;your
+readiness to sacrifice your life in her behalf!"</p>
+
+<p>"Holy Luke! Did that vagabond, Sancho, dare to wound thy ear, Mercedes,
+with an insinuation that touched the strength or the constancy of my
+love for thee?"</p>
+
+<p>"He related naught but the truth, Luis, and blame him not. I was
+prepared for some calamity by his report, and I bless God that it came
+on me by such slow degrees, and with the means of preparation to bear
+it. When I beheld Ozema, I no longer wondered at thy change of
+feeling&mdash;scarce blamed it. Her beauty, I do think, thou might'st have
+withstood; but her unfeigned devotion to thyself, her innocence, her
+winning simplicity, and her modest joyousness and nature, are sufficient
+to win a lover from any Spanish maiden"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Mercedes!"</p>
+
+<p>"Nay, Luis, I have told thee that I blame thee not. It is better that
+the blow come now, than later, when I should not be able to bear it.
+There is something which tells me that, as a wife, I should sink beneath
+the weight of blighted affections; but, now, there are open to me the
+convent and the espousals of the Son of God. Do not interrupt me, Luis,"
+she added, smiling sweetly, but with an effort that denoted how
+difficult it was to seem easy. "I have to struggle severely to speak at
+all, and to an argument I am altogether unequal. Thou hast not been able
+to control thy affections; and to the strange novelties that have
+surrounded Ozema, as well as to her winning ingenuousness, I owe my
+loss, and she oweth her gain. It is the will of Heaven, and I strive to
+think it is to my everlasting advantage. Had I really wedded thee, the
+tenderness that is even now swelling in my heart&mdash;I wish not to conceal
+it&mdash;might have grown to such a strength as to supplant the love I owe to
+God; it is, therefore, doubtless, better as it is. If happiness on earth
+is not to be my lot, I shall secure happiness hereafter. Nay, all
+happiness here will not be lost; I can still pray for thee, as well as
+for myself&mdash;and thou and Ozema, of all earthly beings, will ever be
+uppermost in my thoughts."</p>
+
+<p>"This is so wonderful, Mercedes&mdash;so cruel&mdash;so unreasonable&mdash;and so
+unjust, that I cannot credit my ears!"</p>
+
+<p>"I have said that I blame thee not. The beauty and frankness of Ozema
+are more than sufficient to justify thee, for men yield to the senses,
+rather than to the heart, in bestowing their love. Then"&mdash;Mercedes
+blushed crimson as she continued&mdash;"a Haytian maid may innocently use a
+power, that it would ill become a Christian damsel to employ. And, now,
+we will come to facts that press for a decision. Ozema hath been ill&mdash;is
+still ill&mdash;dangerously so, as her Highness and my guardian believe&mdash;even
+as the physicians say&mdash;but it is in thy power, Luis, to raise her, as it
+might be, from the grave. See her&mdash;say but the word that will confer
+happiness&mdash;tell her, if thou hast not yet wedded her after the manner of
+Spain, that thou wilt&mdash;nay, let one of the holy priests, who are in
+constant attendance on her, to prepare the way for baptism, perform the
+ceremony this very morning, and we shall presently see the princess,
+again, the smiling, radiant, joyous creature she was, when thou first
+placed her in our care."</p>
+
+<p>"And this thou say'st to me, Mercedes, calmly and deliberately, as if
+thy words express thy very wishes and feelings!"</p>
+
+<p>"Calmly I may <i>seem</i> to say it, Luis," answered our heroine, in a
+smothered tone, "and deliberately I <i>do</i> say it. Marry me, loving
+another better, thou canst not; and why not, then, follow whither thy
+heart leadeth. The dowry of the princess shall not be small, for the
+convent recluse hath little need of gold, and none of lands."</p>
+
+<p>Luis gazed earnestly at the enthusiastic girl, who in his eyes never
+appeared more lovely; then, rising, he paced the room for three or four
+minutes, like one who wished to keep down mental agony by physical
+action. When he had obtained a proper command of himself, he returned to
+his seat, and taking the unresisting hand of Mercedes, he replied to her
+extraordinary proposal.</p>
+
+<p>"Watching over the sick couch of thy friend, and too much brooding on
+this subject, love, hath impaired thy judgment. Ozema hath no hold on my
+heart, in the way thou fanciest&mdash;never had, beyond a passing and truant
+inclination"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Ah! Luis, those 'passing and truant inclinations.' None such"&mdash;pressing
+both her hands on her own heart&mdash;"have ever found a place here!"</p>
+
+<p>"Thy education and mine, Mercedes&mdash;thy habits and mine&mdash;nay, thy nature
+and the ruder elements of mine, are not, <i>cannot</i> be the same. Were they
+so, I should not worship thee as I now do. But didst thou not exist, the
+certainty that I should wed Ozema would not give me happiness&mdash;but thou
+existing, and beloved as thou art, it would entail on me a misery that
+even my buoyant nature could not endure. In no case can I ever be the
+husband of the Indian."</p>
+
+<p>Although a gleam of happiness illumined the face of Mercedes for a
+moment, her high principles and pure intentions soon suppressed the
+momentary and unbidden triumph, and, even with a reproving manner, she
+made her answer.</p>
+
+<p>"Is this just to Ozema? Hath not her simplicity been deluded by those
+'passing and truant inclinations,' and doth not honor require that thy
+acts now redeem the pledges that have been given by, at least, thy
+manner?"</p>
+
+<p>"Mercedes&mdash;beloved girl, hearken to me. Thou must know that, with all my
+levities and backslidings, I am no coxcomb. Never hath my manner said
+aught that the heart did not confirm, and never hath the heart been
+drawn toward any but thee. In this, is the great distinction that I make
+between thee and all others of thy sex. Ozema's is not the only form,
+her's are not the only charms that may have caught a truant glance from
+my eyes, or extorted some unmeaning and bootless admiration, but thou,
+love, art enshrined here, and seemest already a part of myself. Didst
+thou know how often thy image hath proved a monitor stronger than
+conscience; on how many occasions the remembrance of thy virtues and thy
+affections hath prevailed, when even duty, and religion, and early
+lessons would have been forgotten, thou wouldst understand the
+difference between the love I bear <i>thee</i>, and what thou hast so
+tauntingly repeated as truant and passing inclinations."</p>
+
+<p>"Luis, I ought not to listen to these alluring words, which come from a
+goodness of heart that would spare me present pain, only to make my
+misery in the end the deeper. If thou hast never felt otherwise, why was
+the cross that I gave thee at parting, bestowed on another?"</p>
+
+<p>"Mercedes, thou know'st not the fearful circumstances under which I
+parted with that cross. Death was staring us in the face, and I gave it
+as a symbol that might aid a heathen soul in its extremity. That the
+gift, or rather that the thing I lent, was mistaken for a pledge of
+matrimony, is an unhappy misconception, that your own knowledge of
+Christian usages will tell you I could not foresee; otherwise I might
+now claim thee for my wife, in consequence of having first bestowed it
+on me."</p>
+
+<p>"Ah! Luis; when I gave thee that cross, I did wish to be understood as
+plighting my faith to thee forever!"</p>
+
+<p>"And when thou didst send it back to me, now within the week, how was it
+thy wish to be understood?"</p>
+
+<p>"I sent it to thee, Luis, in a moment of reviving hope, and by the order
+of the queen. Her Highness is now firmly thy friend, and would fain see
+us united, but for the melancholy condition of Ozema, to whom all has
+been explained&mdash;all, as I fear, except the real state of thy feelings
+toward us both."</p>
+
+<p>"Cruel girl! Am I, then, never to be believed&mdash;never again to be happy?
+I swear to thee, dearest Mercedes, that thou alone hast my whole
+heart&mdash;that with thee, I could be contented in a hovel, and that without
+thee I should be miserable on a throne. Thou wilt believe this, when
+thou see'st me a wretch, wandering the earth, reckless alike of hopes
+and objects, perhaps of character, because thou alone canst make me, and
+keep me the man I ought to be. Bethink thee, Mercedes, of the influence
+thou canst have&mdash;must have&mdash;<i>wilt</i> have on one of my temperament and
+passions. I have long looked upon thee as my guardian angel, one that
+can mould me to thy will, and rule me when all others fail. With
+thee&mdash;the impatience produced by thy doubts excepted&mdash;am I not ever
+tractable and gentle? Hath Doña Beatriz ever exercised a tithe of thy
+power over me, and hast thou ever failed to tame even my wildest and
+rashest humors?"</p>
+
+<p>"Luis&mdash;Luis&mdash;no one that knew it, ever doubted of thy heart!" Mercedes
+paused, and the working of her countenance proved that the earnest
+sincerity of her lover had already shaken her doubts of his constancy.
+Still, her mind reverted to the scenes of the voyage, and her
+imagination portrayed the couch of the stricken Ozema. After a minute's
+delay, she proceeded, in a low, humbled tone&mdash;"I will not deny that it
+is soothing to my heart to hear this language, to which, I fear, I
+listen too readily," she said. "Still, I find it difficult to believe
+that thou canst ever forget one who hath even braved the chances of
+death, in order to shelter thy body from the arrows of thy foes."</p>
+
+<p>"Believe not this, beloved girl; thou wouldst have done that thyself, in
+Ozema's place, and so I shall ever consider it."</p>
+
+<p>"I should have the wish, Luis," Mercedes continued, her eyes suffused
+with tears, "but I might not have the power!"</p>
+
+<p>"Thou wouldst&mdash;thou wouldst&mdash;I know thee too well to doubt it."</p>
+
+<p>"I could envy Ozema the occasion, were it not sinful! I fear thou wilt
+think of this, when thy mind shall have tired with attractions that have
+lost their novelty."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou wouldst not only have done it, but thou wouldst have done it far
+better. Ozema, moreover, was exposed in her own quarrel, whilst thou
+wouldst have exposed thyself in mine."</p>
+
+<p>Mercedes again paused, and appeared to muse deeply. Her eyes had
+brightened under the soothing asseverations of her lover, and, spite of
+the generous self-devotion with which she had determined to sacrifice
+all her own hopes to what she had imagined would make her lover happy,
+the seductive influence of requited affection was fast resuming its
+power.</p>
+
+<p>"Come with me, then, Luis, and behold Ozema," she at length continued.
+"When thou see'st her, in her present state, thou wilt better understand
+thine own intentions. I ought not to have suffered thee thus to revive
+thy ancient feelings in a private interview, Ozema not being present; it
+is like forming a judgment on the hearing of only one side. And,
+Luis"&mdash;her heightened color, the effect of feeling, not of shame,
+rendered the girl surpassingly beautiful&mdash;"and, Luis, if thou shouldst
+find reason to change thy language after visiting the princess, however
+hard I may find it to be borne, thou wilt be certain of my forgiveness
+for all that hath passed, and of my prayers"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>Sobs interrupted Mercedes, and she stopped an instant to wipe away her
+tears, rejecting Luis' attempt to fold her in his arms, in order to
+console her, with a sensitive jealousy of the result; a feeling,
+however, in which delicacy had more weight than resentment. When she had
+dried her eyes, and otherwise removed the traces of her agitation, she
+led the way to the apartment of Ozema, where the presence of the young
+man was expected.</p>
+
+<p>Luis started on entering the room; a little on perceiving that the queen
+and the admiral were present, and more at observing the inroads that
+disappointment had made on the appearance of Ozema. The color of the
+latter was gone, leaving a deadly paleness in its place; her eyes
+possessed a brightness that seemed supernatural, and yet her weakness
+was so evident as to render it necessary to support her, in a
+half-recumbent posture, on pillows. An exclamation of unfeigned delight
+escaped her when she beheld our hero, and then she covered her face with
+both her hands, in childish confusion, as if ashamed at betraying the
+pleasure she felt. Luis behaved with manly propriety, for, though his
+conscience did not altogether escape a few twinges, at the recollection
+of the hours he had wasted in Ozema's society, and at the manner in
+which he had momentarily submitted to the influence of her beauty and
+seductive simplicity, on the whole he stood self-acquitted of any thing
+that might fairly be urged as a fault, and most of all, of any thought
+of being unfaithful to his first love, or of any design to deceive. He
+took the hand of the young Indian respectfully, and he kissed it with an
+openness and warmth that denoted brotherly tenderness and regard, rather
+than passion, or the emotion of a lover. Mercedes did not dare to watch
+his movements, but she observed the approving glance that the queen
+threw at her guardian, when he had approached the couch on which Ozema
+lay. This glance she interpreted into a sign that the count had
+acquitted himself in a manner favorable to her own interests.</p>
+
+<p>"Thou findest the Lady Ozema weak and changed," observed the queen, who
+alone would presume to break a silence that was already awkward. "We
+have been endeavoring to enlighten her simple mind on the subject of
+religion, and she hath, at length, consented to receive the holy
+sacrament of baptism. The lord archbishop is even now preparing for the
+ceremony in my oratory, and we have the blessed prospect of rescuing
+this one precious soul from perdition."</p>
+
+<p>"Your Highness hath ever the good of all your people at heart," said
+Luis, bowing low to conceal the tears that the condition of Ozema had
+drawn from his eyes. "I fear this climate of ours ill agrees with the
+poor Haytians, generally, for I hear that the sick among them, at
+Seville and Palos, offer but little hope of recovery."</p>
+
+<p>"Is this so, Don Christopher?"</p>
+
+<p>"Señora, I believe it is only too true. Care hath been had, however, to
+their souls, as well as to their bodies, and Ozema is the last of her
+people, now in Spain, to receive the holy rite of Christian baptism."</p>
+
+<p>"Señora," said the marchioness, coming from the couch, with surprise and
+concern in her countenance, "I fear our hopes are to be defeated after
+all! The Lady Ozema hath just whispered me, that Luis and Mercedes must
+first be married in her presence, ere she will consent to be admitted
+within the pale of the church herself."</p>
+
+<p>"This doth not denote the right spirit, Beatriz&mdash;and, yet, what can be
+done with a mind so little illuminated with the light from above. 'Tis
+merely a passing caprice, and will be forgotten when the archbishop
+shall be ready."</p>
+
+<p>"I think not, Señora. Never have I seen her so decided and clear. In
+common, we find her gentle and tractable, but this hath she thrice said,
+in a way to cause the belief of her perfect seriousness."</p>
+
+<p>Isabella now advanced to the couch, and spoke long and soothingly to the
+invalid. In the meantime, the admiral conversed with the marchioness,
+and Luis again approached our heroine. The evidences of emotion were
+plain in both, and Mercedes scarce breathed, not knowing what to expect.
+But a few low words soon brought an assurance that could not fail to
+bring happiness, spite of her generous efforts to feel for Ozema&mdash;that
+the heart of our hero was all her own. From this moment Mercedes
+dismissed every doubt, and she regarded Luis as had so long been her
+wont.</p>
+
+<p>As is usual in the presence of royalty, the conversation was carried on
+in a low tone; and a quarter of an hour elapsed before a page announced
+that the oratory, or little chapel, was ready, opening a door that
+communicated directly with it, as he entered.</p>
+
+<p>"This wilful girl persisteth, Daughter-Marchioness," said the queen,
+advancing from the side of the couch, "and I know not what to answer. It
+is cruel to deny her the offered means of grace, and yet it is a sudden
+and unseemly request to make of thy nephew and thy ward!"</p>
+
+<p>"As for the first, dearest Señora, never distrust his forgiveness;
+though I much doubt the possibility of prevailing on Mercedes. Her very
+nature is made up of religion and female decorum."</p>
+
+<p>"It is, indeed, scarce right to think of it. A Christian maiden should
+have time to prepare her spirit for the holy sacrament of marriage, by
+prayer."</p>
+
+<p>"And yet, Señora, many wed without it! The time hath been when Don
+Ferdinand of Aragon and Doña Isabella might not have hesitated for such
+a purpose."</p>
+
+<p>"That time never was, Beatriz. Thou hast a habit of making me look back
+to our days of trial and youth, whenever thou wouldst urge on me some
+favorite but ill-considered wish of thine own. Dost really think thy
+ward would overlook the want of preparation and time?"</p>
+
+<p>"I know not what she might feel disposed to overlook, Señora; but I do
+know that if there be one woman in Spain who is at all times ready in
+<i>spirit</i>, for the most sacred rites of the church, it is your Highness;
+and, if there be another, it is my ward."</p>
+
+<p>"Go to&mdash;go to&mdash;good Beatriz; flattery sitteth ill on thee. None are
+always ready, and all have an unceasing need for watchfulness. Bid Doña
+Mercedes follow to my closet; I will converse with her on this subject.
+At least, there shall be no unfeminine and unseemly surprise."</p>
+
+<p>So saying, the queen withdrew. She had hardly reached her closet, before
+our heroine entered, with a doubtful and timid step. As soon as her eyes
+met those of her sovereign, Mercedes burst into tears, and falling on
+her knees, she again buried her face in the robe of Doña Isabella. This
+outbreak of feeling was soon subdued, however, and then the girl stood
+erect, waiting her sovereign's pleasure.</p>
+
+<p>"Daughter," commenced the queen, "I trust there is no longer any
+misapprehension between thee and the Conde de Llera. Thou know'st the
+views of thy guardian and myself, and may'st, in a matter like this,
+with safety defer to our cooler heads and greater experience. Don Luis
+loveth thee, and hath never loved the princess, though it would not be
+out of character did an impetuous young man, who hath been much exposed
+to temptation, betray some transient and passing feeling toward one of
+so much nature and beauty."</p>
+
+<p>"Luis hath admitted all, Señora; inconstant he hath never been, though
+he may have had his weaknesses."</p>
+
+<p>"'Tis a hard lesson to learn, child, even in this stage of thy life,"
+said the queen, gravely; "but it would have been harder were it deferred
+until the nearer tenderness of a wife had superseded the impulses of the
+girl. Thou hast heard the opinions of the learned; there is little hope
+that the Princess Ozema can long survive."</p>
+
+<p>"Ah! Señora, 'tis a cruel fate! To die among strangers, in the flower of
+her beauty, and with a heart crushed by the weight of unrequited love!"</p>
+
+<p>"And yet, Mercedes, if heaven open on her awaking eyes, when the last
+earthly scene is over, the transition will be most blessed; and they who
+mourn her loss, would do wiser to rejoice. One so youthful and so
+innocent; whose pure mind hath been laid bare to us, as it might be, and
+which we have found wanting in nothing beside the fruits of a pious
+instruction, can have little to apprehend on the score of personal
+errors. All that is required for such a being, is to place her within
+the covenant of God's grace, by obtaining the rite of baptism, and there
+is not a bishop of the church that could depart with brighter hopes for
+the future."</p>
+
+<p>"That holy office is my lord archbishop about to administer, as I hear,
+Señora."</p>
+
+<p>"<i>That</i> somewhat dependeth on thee, daughter. Listen, and be not hasty
+in thy decision, which may touch on the security of a human soul."</p>
+
+<p>The queen now related to Mercedes the romantic request of Ozema, placing
+it before her listener in terms so winning and gentle, that it produced
+less surprise and alarm than she herself had anticipated.</p>
+
+<p>"Doña Beatriz hath a proposal that may, at first, appear plausible, but
+which reflection will not sanction. Her design was to cause the count
+actually to wed Ozema"&mdash;Mercedes started, and turned pale&mdash;"in order
+that the last hours of the young stranger might be soothed by the
+consciousness of being the wife of the man she idolized; but I have
+found serious objections to the scheme. What is thy opinion, daughter?"</p>
+
+<p>"Señora, could I believe&mdash;as lately I did, but now do not&mdash;that Luis had
+such a preference for the princess as might lead him, in the end, to the
+happiness of that mutual affection without which wedlock must be a curse
+instead of a blessing, I would be the last to object; nay, I think I
+could even beg the boon of your Highness on my knees, for she who so
+truly loveth can only seek the felicity of its object. But I am assured
+the count hath not the affection for the Lady Ozema that is necessary to
+this end; and would it not be profane, Señora, to receive the church's
+sacraments under vows that the heart not only does not answer to, but
+against which it is actually struggling?"</p>
+
+<p>"Excellent girl! These are precisely my own views, and in this manner
+have I answered the marchioness. The rites of the church may not be
+trifled with, and we are bound to submit to sorrows that may be
+inflicted, after all, for our eternal good; though it be harder to bear
+those of others than to bear our own. It remaineth only to decide on
+this whim of Ozema's, and to say if thou wilt now be married, in order
+that she may be baptized."</p>
+
+<p>Notwithstanding the devotedness of feeling with which our heroine loved
+Luis, it required a strong struggle with her habits and her sense of
+propriety to take this great step so suddenly, and with so little
+preparation. The wishes of the queen, however, prevailed; for Isabella
+felt a deep responsibility on her own soul, in letting the stranger
+depart without being brought within the pale of the church. When
+Mercedes consented, she despatched a messenger to the marchioness, and
+then she and her companion both knelt, and passed near an hour together,
+in the spiritual exercises that were usual to the occasion. In this
+mood, did these pure-minded females, without a thought to the vanities
+of the toilet, but with every attention to the mental preparations of
+which the case admitted, present themselves at the door of the royal
+chapel, through which Ozema had just been carried, still stretched on
+her couch. The marchioness had caused a white veil to be thrown over the
+head of Mercedes, and a few proper but slight alterations had been made
+in her attire, out of habitual deference to the altar and its ministers.</p>
+
+<p>About a dozen persons, deemed worthy of confidence, were present,
+already; and just as the bride and bridegroom were about to take their
+places, Don Ferdinand hastily entered, carrying in his hand some papers
+which he had been obliged to cease examining, in order to comply with
+the wishes of his royal consort. The king was a dignified prince; and
+when it suited him, no sovereign enacted his part more gracefully or in
+better taste. Motioning the archbishop to pause, he directed Luis to
+kneel. Throwing over the shoulder of the young man the collar of one of
+his own orders, he said&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Now, arise, noble sir, and ever do thy duty to thy Heavenly Master, as
+thou hast of late discharged it toward us."</p>
+
+<p>Isabella rewarded her husband for this act of grace by an approving
+smile, and the ceremony immediately proceeded. In the usual time, our
+hero and heroine were pronounced man and wife, and the solemn rites were
+ended. Mercedes felt, in the warm pressure with which Luis held her to
+his heart, that she now understood him; and, for a blissful instant,
+Ozema was forgotten, in the fulness of her own happiness. Columbus had
+given away the bride&mdash;an office that the king had assigned to him,
+though he stood at the bridegroom's side himself, with a view to do him
+honor, and even so far condescended as to touch the canopy that was held
+above the heads of the new-married couple. But Isabella kept aloof,
+placing herself near the couch of Ozema, whose features she watched
+throughout the ceremony. She had felt no occasion for public
+manifestations of interest in the bride, their feelings having so lately
+been poured out together in dear and private communion. The
+congratulations were soon over, and then Don Ferdinand, and all but
+those who were in the secret of Ozema's history, withdrew.</p>
+
+<p>The queen had not desired her husband, and the other attendants, to
+remain and witness the baptism of Ozema, out of a delicate feeling for
+the condition of a female stranger, whom her habits and opinions had
+invested with a portion of the sacred rights of royalty. She had noted
+the intensity of feeling with which the half-enlightened girl watched
+the movements of the archbishop and the parties, and the tears had
+forced themselves from her own eyes, at witnessing the struggle between
+love and friendship, that was portrayed in every lineament of her pale,
+but still lovely countenance.</p>
+
+<p>"Where cross?" Ozema eagerly demanded, as Mercedes stooped to fold the
+wasted form of the young Indian in her arms, and to kiss her cheek.
+"Give cross&mdash;Luis no marry with cross&mdash;give Ozema cross."</p>
+
+<p>Mercedes, herself, took the cross from the bosom of her husband, where
+it had lain near his heart, since it had been returned to him, and put
+it in the hands of the princess.</p>
+
+<p>"No marry with cross, then," murmured the girl, the tears suffusing her
+eyes, so as nearly to prevent her gazing at the much-prized bauble.
+"Now, quick, Señora, and make Ozema Christian."</p>
+
+<p>The scene was getting to be too solemn and touching for many words, and
+the archbishop, at a sign from the queen, commenced the ceremony. It was
+of short duration; and Isabella's kind nature was soon quieted with the
+assurance that the stranger, whom she deemed the subject of her especial
+care, was put within the covenant for salvation that had been made with
+the visible church.</p>
+
+<p>"Is Ozema Christian now?" demanded the girl, with a suddenness and
+simplicity, that caused all present to look at each other with pain and
+surprise.</p>
+
+<p>"Thou hast, now, the assurance that God's grace will be offered to thy
+prayers, daughter," answered the prelate. "Seek it with thy heart, and
+thy end, which is at hand, will be more blessed."</p>
+
+<p>"Christian no marry heathen?&mdash;Christian marry Christian?"</p>
+
+<p>"This hast thou been often told, my poor Ozema," returned the queen;
+"the rite could not be duly solemnized between Christian and heathen."</p>
+
+<p>"Christian marry first lady he love best?"</p>
+
+<p>"Certainly. To do otherwise would be a violation of his vow, and a
+mockery of God."</p>
+
+<p>"So Ozema think&mdash;but he can marry second wife&mdash;inferior wife&mdash;lady he
+love next. Luis marry Mercedes, first wife, because he love best&mdash;then
+he marry Ozema, second wife&mdash;lower wife&mdash;because he love next
+best&mdash;Ozema Christian, now, and no harm. Come, archbishop; make Ozema
+Luis' second wife."</p>
+
+<p>Isabella groaned aloud, and walked to a distant part of the chapel,
+while Mercedes burst into tears, and sinking on her knees, she buried
+her face in the cloth of the couch, and prayed fervently for the
+enlightening of the soul of the princess. The churchman did not receive
+this proof of ignorance in his penitent, and of her unfitness for the
+rite he had just administered, with the same pity and indulgence.</p>
+
+<p>"The holy baptism thou hast just received, benighted woman," he said,
+sternly, "is healthful, or not, as it is improved. Thou hast just made
+such a demand, as already loadeth thy soul with a fresh load of sin, and
+the time for repentance is short. No Christian can have two wives at the
+same time, and God knoweth no higher or lower, no first or last, between
+those whom his church hath united. Thou canst not be a second wife, the
+first still living."</p>
+
+<p>"No would be to Caonabo&mdash;to Luis, yes. Fifty, hundred wife to dear Luis!
+No possible?"</p>
+
+<p>"Self-deluded and miserable girl, I tell thee no.
+No&mdash;no&mdash;no&mdash;never&mdash;never&mdash;never. There is such a taint of sin in the
+very question, as profaneth this holy chapel, and the symbols of
+religion by which it is filled. Ay, kiss and embrace thy cross, and bow
+down thy very soul in despair, for"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Lord Archbishop," interrupted the Marchioness of Moya, with a sharpness
+of manner that denoted how much her ancient spirit was aroused, "there
+is enough of this. The ear thou wouldst wound, at such a moment, is
+already deaf, and the pure spirit hath gone to the tribunal of another,
+and, as I trust, a milder judge. Ozema is dead!"</p>
+
+<p>It was, indeed, true. Startled by the manner of the prelate&mdash;bewildered
+with the confusion of ideas that had grown up between the dogmas that
+had been crowded on her mind, of late, and those in which she had been
+early taught; and physically paralyzed by the certainty that her last
+hope of a union with Luis was gone, the spirit of the Indian girl had
+deserted its beautiful tenement, leaving on the countenance of the
+corpse a lovely impression of the emotions that had prevailed during the
+last moments of its earthly residence.</p>
+
+<p>Thus fled the first of those souls that the great discovery was to
+rescue from the perdition of the heathen. Casuists may refine, the
+learned dilate, and the pious ponder, on its probable fate in the
+unknown existence that awaited it: but the meek and submissive will hope
+all from the beneficence of a merciful God. As for Isabella, she
+received a shock from the blow that temporarily checked her triumph at
+the success of her zeal and efforts. Little, however, did she foresee,
+that the event was but a type of the manner in which the religion of the
+cross was to be abused and misunderstood; a sort of practical prognostic
+of the defeat of most of her own pious and gentle hopes and wishes.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/i516.jpg" alt=""/>
+</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXXI" id="CHAPTER_XXXI"></a>CHAPTER XXXI.</h2>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"A perfect woman, nobly planned<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">To warn, to comfort, and command;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">And yet a spirit still, and bright,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">With something of an angel light."<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">Wordsworth.</span><br /></span>
+</div></div>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p>The lustre that was thrown around the voyage of Columbus, brought the
+seas into favor. It was no longer deemed an inferior occupation, or
+unsuited to nobles to engage in enterprises on its bosom; and that very
+propensity of our hero, which had so often been mentioned to his
+prejudice in former years, was now frequently named to his credit.
+Though his real connection with Columbus is published, for the first
+time, in these pages, the circumstance having escaped the superficial
+investigations of the historians, it was an advantage to him to be known
+as having manifested what might be termed a maritime disposition, in an
+age when most of his rank and expectations were satisfied with the
+adventures of the land. A sort of fashion was got up on behalf of the
+ocean; and the cavalier who had gazed upon its vast and unbroken
+expanse, beyond the view of his mother earth, regarded him who had not,
+much as he who had won his spurs looked down upon him who had suffered
+the proper period of life to pass without making the effort. Many of the
+nobles whose estates touched the Mediterranean or the Atlantic, fitted
+out small coasters&mdash;the yachts of the fifteenth century&mdash;and were met
+following the sinuosities of the glorious coasts of that part of the
+world, endeavoring to derive a satisfaction from a pursuit that it
+seemed meritorious to emulate. That all succeeded who attempted thus to
+transfer the habits of courts and castles to the narrow limits of xebecs
+and feluccas, it would be hazarding too much to assert; but there is
+little doubt that the spirit of the period was sustained by the
+experiments, and that men were ashamed to condemn that, which it was
+equally the policy and the affectation of the day to extol. The rivalry
+between Spain and Portugal, too, contributed to the feeling of the
+times; and there was soon greater danger of the youth who had never
+quitted his native shores, being pointed out for his want of spirit,
+than that the adventurer should be marked for his eccentric and vagrant
+instability.</p>
+
+<p>In the meanwhile, the seasons advanced, and events followed, in their
+usual course, from cause to effect. About the close of the month of
+September, the ocean, just without that narrow and romantic pass that
+separates Europe from Africa, while it connects the transcendent
+Mediterranean with the broader wastes of the Atlantic, was glittering
+with the rays of the rising sun, which, at the same time, was gilding
+the objects that rose above the surface of the blue waters. The latter
+were not numerous, though a dozen different sails were moving slowly on
+their several courses, impelled by the soft breezes of the season. Of
+these, our business is with one alone, which it may be well to describe
+in a few general terms.</p>
+
+<p>The rig of the vessel in question was latine, perhaps the most
+picturesque of all that the ingenuity of man has invented as the
+accessory of a view, whether given to the eye by means of the canvas, or
+in its real dimensions and substance. Its position, too, was precisely
+that which a painter would have chosen as the most favorable to his
+pencil, the little felucca running before the wind, with one of its high
+pointed sails extended on each side, resembling the pinions of some
+enormous bird that was contracting its wings as it settled toward its
+nest. Unusual symmetry was apparent in the spars and rigging; while the
+hull, which was distinguished by lines of the fairest proportions, had a
+neatness and finish that denoted the yacht of a noble.</p>
+
+<p>The name of this vessel was the "Ozema," and she carried the Count of
+Llera with his youthful bride. Luis, who had acquired much of the
+mariner's skill, in his many voyages, directed the movements in person,
+though Sancho Mundo strutted around her decks with an air of authority,
+being the titular, if not the real patron of the craft.</p>
+
+<p>"Ay&mdash;ay&mdash;good Bartolemeo, lash that anchor well," said the last, as he
+inspected the forecastle, in his hourly rounds; "for fair as may be the
+breezes, and mild as is the season, no one can know what humor the
+Atlantic may be in, when it fairly waketh up. In the great voyage to
+Cathay, nothing could have been more propitious than our outward
+passage, and nothing savor more of devils incarnate, than the homeward.
+Doña Mercedes maketh an excellent sailor, as ye all may see; and no one
+can tell which way, or how far, the humor of the conde may carry him,
+when he hath once taken his departure. I tell ye, fellows, that glory
+and gold may alight upon ye all, any minute, in the service of such a
+noble; and I hope none of ye have forgotten to come provided with
+hawk's-bells, which are as remarkable for assembling doblas, as the
+bells of the Seville cathedral are for assembling Christians."</p>
+
+<p>"Master Mundo," called out our hero, from the quarter-deck, "let there
+be a man sent to the extremity of the fore-yard, and bid him look along
+the sea to the north and east of us."</p>
+
+<p>This command interrupted one of Sancho's self-glorifying discourses, and
+compelled him to see the order executed. When the seaman who was sent
+aloft, had "shinned" his way to the airy and seemingly perilous position
+he had been told to occupy, an inquiry went up from the deck, to demand
+what he beheld.</p>
+
+<p>"Señor Conde," answered the fellow, "the ocean is studded with sails, in
+the quarter your Excellency hath named, looking like the mouth of the
+Tagus, at the first of a westerly wind."</p>
+
+<p>"Canst thou tell them, and let me know their numbers?" called out Luis.</p>
+
+<p>"By the mass, Señor," returned the man, after taking time to make his
+count, "I see no less than sixteen&mdash;nay, now I see another, a smaller
+just opening from behind a carrack of size&mdash;seventeen, I make them in
+all."</p>
+
+<p>"Then are we in season, love!" exclaimed Luis, turning toward Mercedes
+with delight&mdash;"once more shall I grasp the hand of the admiral, ere he
+quitteth us again for Cathay. Thou seemest glad as myself, that our
+effort hath not failed."</p>
+
+<p>"That which gladdeneth thee, Luis, is sure to gladden me," returned the
+bride; "where there is but one interest, there ought to be but one
+wish."</p>
+
+<p>"Beloved&mdash;beloved Mercedes&mdash;thou wilt make me every thing thou canst
+desire. This heavenly disposition of thine, and this ready consenting to
+voyage with me, will be sure to mould me in such a way that I shall be
+less myself than thee."</p>
+
+<p>"As yet, Luis," returned the young wife, smiling, "the change promiseth
+to be the other way, since thou art much likelier to make me a rover,
+than I to make thee a fixture of the castle of Llera."</p>
+
+<p>"Thou comest not out upon the sea, Mercedes, contrary to thine own
+wishes?" demanded Luis, with the earnest quickness of one who was
+fearful he might unconsciously have done an act of indiscretion.</p>
+
+<p>"No, dearest Luis; so far from it, that I have come with satisfaction,
+apart from the pleasure I have had in obliging thee. Fortunately, I feel
+no indisposition from the motion of the felucca, and the novelty is of
+the most agreeable and exciting kind."</p>
+
+<p>To say that Luis rejoiced to hear this on more accounts than one, is but
+to add that he still found a pleasure in the scenes of the ocean.</p>
+
+<p>In half an hour the vessel of the admiral was visible from the Ozema's
+deck, and ere the sun had reached the meridian, the little felucca was
+gliding into the centre of the fleet, holding her course toward the
+carrack of Columbus. The usual hailing passed, when, apprised of the
+presence of Mercedes, the admiral gallantly repaired on board the Ozema,
+to pay his respects in person. The scenes through which they had passed
+together, had created in Columbus a species of paternal regard for Luis,
+in which Mercedes shared, through the influence of her noble conduct
+during the events that occurred at Barcelona. He met the happy pair,
+therefore, with dignified affection, and his reception partook of the
+feelings that the count and countess so fully reciprocated.</p>
+
+<p>Nothing could be more striking to one who had an opportunity of
+witnessing both, than the contrast between the means with which the
+Genoese sailed on this, and on his former voyage. Then he had set forth
+neglected, almost forgotten, in three vessels, ill-found, and worse
+manned, while now, the ocean was whitened with his canvas, and he was
+surrounded by no inconsiderable portion of the chivalry of Spain. As
+soon as it was known that the Countess of Llera was in the felucca that
+had stopped the fleet, boats put off from most of the vessels, and
+Mercedes held a sort of court on the broad Atlantic; her own female
+attendants, among whom were two or three of the rank of ladies,
+assisting her in doing proper honor to the cavaliers who thronged the
+deck. The balmy influence of the pure air of the ocean, contributed to
+the happiness of the moment; and, for an hour, the Ozema presented a
+scene of gaiety and splendor, such as had never before been witnessed by
+any person present.</p>
+
+<p>"Beautiful Countess," cried one, who had been a rejected suitor of our
+heroine, "you see to what acts of desperation your cruelty hath driven
+me, who am going forth on an adventure to the furthest east. It is well
+for Don Luis that I did not make this venture before he won your favor;
+as no damsel in Spain is expected, henceforth, to withstand the suit of
+one of the admiral's followers."</p>
+
+<p>"It may be as you say, Señor," returned Mercedes, her heart swelling
+with the consciousness that he whom she had chosen had made this same
+boasted adventure, while others shrunk from its hazard, and when its
+result was still a mystery in the unknown future&mdash;"It may be as you say;
+but one of moderate wishes, like myself, must be content with these
+unambitious voyages along the coast, in which, happily, a wife may be
+her husband's companion."</p>
+
+<p>"Lady," cried the gallant and reckless Alonzo de Ojeda, in his turn,
+"Don Luis caused me to roll upon the earth, in the tourney, by a fair
+and manly effort, that hath left no rancor behind it; but I shall outdo
+him now, since he is content to keep the shores of Spain in view,
+leaving to us the glory of seeking the Indies, and of reducing the
+Infidels to the sway of the two sovereigns!"</p>
+
+<p>"It is a sufficient honor to my husband, Señor, that he can boast of the
+success you name, and he must rest satisfied with the reputation
+acquired in that one deed."</p>
+
+<p>"Countess, a year hence you would love him better, did he come forth
+with us, and show his spirit among the people of the Grand Khan!"</p>
+
+<p>"Thou see'st, Don Alonzo, that the illustrious admiral doth not
+altogether despise him as it is. They seek a private interview in my
+cabin together; an attention Don Christopher would not be apt to pay a
+recreant, or a laggard."</p>
+
+<p>"'Tis surprising!" resumed the rejected suitor; "the favor of the conde
+with our noble admiral hath surprised us all, at Barcelona. Can it be,
+de Ojeda, that they have met in some of their earlier nautical
+wanderings?"</p>
+
+<p>"By the mass! Señor," cried Alonzo, laughing, "if Don Luis ever met the
+admiral, as he met me in the lists, I should think one interview would
+answer for the rest of their days!"</p>
+
+<p>In this manner did the discourse proceed, some speaking in levity, some
+in more sober mood, and all in amity. While this was passing on deck,
+Columbus had, indeed, retired to a cabin with our hero.</p>
+
+<p>"Don Luis," said the admiral, when they were seated near each other, and
+alone, "thou know'st the regard I bear thee, and I feel certain that
+thou returnest it with an equal degree of esteem. I now go forth from
+Spain, on a far more perilous adventure than that in which thou wert my
+companion. Then I sailed concealed in contempt, and veiled from human
+eyes by ignorance and pity; now, have I left the old world, followed by
+malignancy and envy. These facts am I too old not to have seen, and
+foreseen. In my absence, many will be busy with my name. Even they who
+now shout at my heels will become my calumniators, revenging themselves
+for past adulation by present detraction. The sovereigns will be beset
+with lies, and any disappointment in the degree of success will be
+distorted into crimes. I leave friends behind me, too&mdash;friends, such as
+Juan Perez, de St. Angel, Quintanilla, and thyself. On ye, then, do I
+greatly rely, not for favors, but for the interest of truth and
+justice."</p>
+
+<p>"Señor, you may count upon my small influence under all circumstances. I
+have seen you in the day of trial, and it exceedeth ordinary
+misrepresentations to weaken my faith in you."</p>
+
+<p>"This did I believe, Luis, even before it was so warmly and sincerely
+said," returned the admiral, squeezing the young man's hand with fervor.
+"I doubt if Fonseca, who hath now so much power in the affairs of India,
+is truly my friend. Then, there is one of thy blood and name, who hath
+already regarded me with unfavorable eyes, and whom I distrust
+exceedingly, should an occasion offer in which he might do me injury."</p>
+
+<p>"I know him well, Don Christopher, and account him as doing no credit to
+the house of Bobadilla."</p>
+
+<p>"He hath credit, nevertheless, with the king, which is of more
+importance, just now!"</p>
+
+<p>"Ah! Señor, to that wily and double-faced monarch, you must look for
+nothing generous. So long as Doña Isabella's ear can be kept open to the
+truth, there is nothing to fear, but Don Ferdinand groweth each day more
+worldly and temporizing. Mass!&mdash;that one who, in youth, was so bold and
+manly a knight, should in his age betray so many of the meannesses that
+would disgrace a Moor! My noble aunt, however, is a host in herself, and
+will ever remain true to you, as she commenced."</p>
+
+<p>"God overruleth all, and it were sinful to distrust either his wisdom or
+justice. And now, Luis, one word touching thyself. Providence hath made
+thee the guardian of the happiness of such a being as is seldom found
+this side the gates of heaven. The man who is blessed with a virtuous
+and amiable wife, like her thou hast wedded, should erect an altar in
+his heart, on which he ought to make daily, nay, hourly sacrifices of
+gratitude to God for the boon; since of all earthly blessings, he
+enjoyeth the richest, the purest, and the most lasting, should he not be
+unmindful of his own riches. But a woman like Doña Mercedes is a
+creature as delicate as she is rare. Let her equanimity check thy
+impetuosity; her purity rebuke the less refined elements of thy
+composition; her virtue stimulate thine own; her love keep thine in an
+unceasing flame, and her tenderness be a constant appeal to thy manly
+indulgence and protection. Fulfil all thy duties as a Spanish grandee,
+son, and seek felicity in the partner of thy bosom, and in love to God."</p>
+
+<p>The admiral now gave Luis his blessing, and, taking leave of Mercedes in
+the same solemn manner, he hastened to his carrack. Boat after boat
+quitted the felucca, many calling out their leave-takings even after
+they were at a distance. In a few minutes, the heavy yards swung around,
+and the fleet was again sweeping off toward the south-west, holding its
+way, as was then fancied, toward the distant shores of India. For an
+hour the Ozema lay where she had been left by Columbus, as if gazing at
+her retiring friends; then her canvas filled, and she hauled up toward
+that bight of the coast, at the bottom of which lay the port of Palos de
+Moguer.</p>
+
+<p>The afternoon was deliciously balmy, and when the felucca drew in with
+the land, the surface of the sea was as smooth as that of an inland
+lake. There was just wind enough to cool the air, and to propel the
+little vessel three or four knots through the water. The day apartment
+occupied by our hero and heroine, was on the quarter-deck. It was
+formed, on the exterior, by a tarpauling, bent like the tilt of a wagon,
+while the interior was embellished with a lining of precious stuffs that
+converted it into a beautiful little saloon. In front, a canvas bulkhead
+protected it from the gaze of the crew; and, toward the stearn a rich
+curtain fell, when it became necessary to shut out the view. The latter
+was now carelessly festooned, permitting the eye to range over a broad
+expanse of the ocean, and to watch the glories of the setting sun.</p>
+
+<p>Mercedes reclined on a luxurious couch, gazing on the ocean, and Luis
+touched a guitar, seated on a stool at her feet. He had just played a
+favorite national air, which he had accompanied with his voice, and had
+laid aside the instrument, when he perceived that his young wife did not
+listen, with her usual fondness and admiration, to his music.</p>
+
+<p>"Thou art thoughtful, Mercedes," he said, leaning forward to read the
+melancholy expression of those eyes that were so often glowing with
+enthusiasm.</p>
+
+<p>"The sun is setting in the direction of the land of poor Ozema, Luis,"
+Mercedes answered, a slight tremor pervading her voice; "the
+circumstance, in connection with the sight of this boundless ocean, that
+so much resembleth eternity, hath led me to think of her end.
+Surely&mdash;surely&mdash;a creature so innocent can never be consigned to eternal
+misery, because her unenlightened mind and impassioned feelings were
+unable to comprehend all the church's mysteries!"</p>
+
+<p>"I would that thou thought'st less on this subject, love; thy prayers,
+and the masses that have been said for her soul, should content thee;
+or, if thou wilt, the last can be repeated, again and again."</p>
+
+<p>"We will offer still more," returned the young wife, scarce speaking
+above her breath, while the tears fell down her cheeks. "The best of us
+will need masses, and <i>we</i> owe this to poor Ozema. Didst thou bethink
+thee, to intercede again with the admiral, to do all service to
+Mattinao, on reaching Española?"</p>
+
+<p>"That hath been attended to, and so dismiss the subject from thy mind.
+The monument is already erected at Llera, and we may feel regret for the
+loss of the sweet girl, but can scarce mourn for her. Were I not Luis de
+Bobadilla, thy husband, dearest, I could think her the subject of envy,
+rather than of pity."</p>
+
+<p>"Ah! Luis, thy flattery is too pleasing to bring reproof, but it is
+scarce seemly. Even the happiness I feel, in being assured of thy
+love&mdash;that our fortunes, fate, name, interests are one&mdash;is, in truth,
+but misery, compared with the seraphic joys of the blessed; and to such
+joys I could wish Ozema's spirit might be elevated."</p>
+
+<p>"Doubt it not, Mercedes; she hath all that her goodness and innocence
+can claim. Mass! If she even have half that I feel, in holding thee thus
+to my heart, she is no subject for grief, and thou say'st she hath, or
+wilt have, ten-fold more."</p>
+
+<p>"Luis&mdash;Luis&mdash;speak not thus! We will have other masses said at Seville,
+as well as at Burgos and Salamanca."</p>
+
+<p>"As thou wilt, love. Let them be said yearly, monthly, weekly, forever,
+or as long as the churchmen think they may have virtue."</p>
+
+<p>Mercedes smiled her gratitude, and the conversation became less painful,
+though it continued to be melancholy. An hour passed in this manner,
+during which, the communion was of the sweet character that pervades the
+intercourse of those who love tenderly. Mercedes had already acquired a
+powerful command over the headlong propensities and impetuous feelings
+of her husband, and was gradually moulding him, unknown to herself, to
+be the man that was necessary to her own feelings. In this change, which
+was the result of influence, and not of calculation or design, she was
+aided by the manly qualities of our hero, which were secretly persuading
+him that he had now the happiness of another in his keeping, as well as
+his own. This is an appeal that a really generous mind seldom
+withstands, and far oftener produces the correction of minor faults,
+than any direct management, or open rebukes. Perhaps Mercedes' strongest
+arm, however, was her own implicit confidence in her husband's
+excellence, Luis feeling a desire to be that which she so evidently
+thought him; an opinion that his own conscience did not, in the fullest
+extent, corroborate.</p>
+
+<p>Just as the sun had set, Sancho came to announce that he had let go the
+anchor.</p>
+
+<p>"Here we are, Señor Conde&mdash;here we are, at last, Señora Doña Mercedes,
+lying off the town of Palos, and within a hundred yards of the very spot
+where Don Christopher and his gallant companions departed for the
+discovery of the Indies&mdash;God bless him a hundred-fold, and all who went
+with him. The boat is ready to take you to the shore, Señora; and there,
+if you do not find Seville, or Barcelona, cathedrals and palaces, you
+will find Palos, and Santa Clara, and the ship-yard-gate&mdash;three places
+that are, henceforth, to be more renowned than either: Palos, as having
+sent forth the expedition; Santa Clara, as having saved it from
+destruction, by vows fulfilled at its altars; and the gate, for having
+had the ship of the admiral built within it."</p>
+
+<p>"And other great events, good Sancho!" put in the count.</p>
+
+<p>"Just so, your Excellency; and for other great events. Am I to land you,
+lady?"</p>
+
+<p>Mercedes assented, and in ten minutes she and her husband were walking
+on the beach, within ten yards of the very spot where Columbus and Luis
+had embarked the previous year. The firm sands were now covered with
+people, walking in the cool of the evening. Most of them were of the
+humbler classes, this being the only land, we believe, in which the
+population of countries that possess a favorable climate, do not thus
+mingle in their public promenades, at that witching hour.</p>
+
+<p>Luis and his beautiful wife had landed merely for exercise and
+relaxation, well knowing that the felucca possessed better
+accommodations than any hosteria of Palos; and they fell into the
+current of the walkers. Before them was a group of young matrons, who
+were conversing eagerly, and sufficiently loud to be overheard. Our hero
+and heroine instantly ceased their own discourse, when they found that
+the subject was the voyage to Cathay.</p>
+
+<p>"This day," said one of the party, in a tone of authority, "did Don
+Christopher sail from Cadiz; the sovereigns deeming Palos too small a
+port for the equipment of so great an enterprise. You may depend on what
+I tell ye, good neighbors; my husband, as you all well know, holding an
+appointment in the admiral's own ship."</p>
+
+<p>"You are to be envied, neighbor, that he is in so good repute with so
+great a man!"</p>
+
+<p>"How could he be otherwise, seeing that he was with him before, when few
+had courage to be his companions, and was ever faithful to his orders.
+'Monica'&mdash;nay, it was '<i>good</i> Monica'&mdash;said the admiral to me, with his
+own mouth, 'thy Pepe is a true-hearted mariner, and hath conducted to my
+entire satisfaction. He shall be made the boatswain of my own carrack,
+and thou, and thy posterity, to the latest antiquity, may boast that you
+belong to so good a man.' These were his words; and what he said, he
+did&mdash;Pepe being now a boatswain. But the <i>paters</i> and <i>aves</i> that I said
+to reach this good fortune, would pave this beach!"</p>
+
+<p>Luis now stepped forward and saluted the party, making curiosity to know
+the particulars of the first departure, his excuse. As he expected,
+Monica did not recognize him in his present rich attire, and she
+willingly related all she knew, and not a little more. The interview
+showed how completely this woman had passed from despair to exultation,
+reducing the general and more public change of sentiment, down to the
+individual example of a particular case.</p>
+
+<p>"I have heard much of one Pinzon," added Luis, "who went forth as pilot
+of a caravel in the voyage; what hath become of him?"</p>
+
+<p>"Señor, he is dead!" answered a dozen voices, Monica's, however, so far
+getting the ascendency, as to tell the story. "He was once a great man
+in this quarter; but now his name is lost, like his life. He was untrue,
+and died of grief, it is said, when he found the Niña lying in the
+river, when he expected to have had all the glory to himself."</p>
+
+<p>Luis had been too much engrossed with his own feelings to have heard
+this news before, and he continued his walk, musing and sad.</p>
+
+<p>"So much for unlawful hopes, and designs that God doth not favor!" he
+exclaimed, when they had walked a considerable distance. "Providence
+hath, I think, been of the admiral's side; and certainly, my love, it
+hath been of mine."</p>
+
+<p>"This is Santa Clara," observed Mercedes. "Luis, I would enter, and
+return a thanksgiving at its altars for thy safety and return, and offer
+a prayer for the future success of Don Christopher."</p>
+
+<p>They both entered the church, and they knelt together at the principal
+altar; for, in that age, the bravest warriors were not as much ashamed,
+as in our own times, of publicly acknowledging their gratitude to, and
+their dependence on God. This duty performed, the happy pair returned
+silently to the beach, and went off to the felucca.</p>
+
+<p>Early in the morning, the Ozema sailed for Malaga again, Luis being
+fearful he might be recognized if he continued at Palos. Their port was
+reached in safety; and shortly after the party arrived at Valverde, the
+principal estate of Mercedes, where we shall leave our hero and heroine
+in the enjoyment of a felicity that was as great as could be produced by
+the connection between manly tenderness on one side, and purity of
+feeling and disinterested womanly love on the other.</p>
+
+<p>At a late day, there were other Luis de Bobadillas in Spain, among her
+gallant and noble, and other Mercedes', to cause the hearts of the gay
+and aspiring to ache; but there was only one Ozema. She appeared at
+court, in the succeeding reign, and, for a time, blazed like a star that
+had just risen in a pure atmosphere. Her career, however, was short,
+dying young and lamented; since which time, the name itself has
+perished. It is, in part, owing to these circumstances, that we have
+been obliged to drag so much of our legend from the lost records of that
+eventful period.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/i530.jpg" alt=""/>
+</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> <span class="smcap">Note</span>&mdash;The authorities differ as to which of the English
+princes was the suitor of Isabella; Edward IV. himself, Clarence, or
+Richard. Isabella was the grand-daughter of Catherine of Lancaster, who
+was a daughter of John of Gaunt.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> <span class="smcap">Note.</span>&mdash;It is worthy of remark that the city of Philadelphia
+stands, as near as may be, in the position that the honest Paul
+Toscanelli supposed to have been occupied by "the famous city of
+Quisay."</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_3_3" id="Footnote_3_3"></a><a href="#FNanchor_3_3"><span class="label">[3]</span></a> It is a singular fact that the position and name of the
+precise island that was first fallen in with, on this celebrated voyage,
+remain to this day, if not a matter of doubt, at least a matter of
+discussion. By most persons, some of the best authorities included, it
+is believed that the adventurers made Cat Island, as the place is now
+called, though the admiral gave it the appellation of San Salvador;
+while others contend for what is now termed Turk's Island. The reason
+given for the latter opinion is the position of the island, and the
+course subsequently steered in order to reach Cuba. Muñoz is of opinion
+that it was Watling's Island, which lies due east of Cat Island, at the
+distance of a degree of longitude, or a few hours' run. As respects
+Turk's Island, the facts do not sustain the theory. The course steered,
+after quitting the island, was not west, but south-west; and we find
+Columbus anxious to get south to reach the island of Cuba, which was
+described to him by the natives, and which he believed to be Cipango. No
+reason is given by Muñoz for his opinion; but Watling's Island does not
+answer the description of the great navigator, while it is so placed as
+to have lain quite near his course, and was doubtless passed unseen in
+the darkness. It is thought the light so often observed by Columbus was
+on this island.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_4_4" id="Footnote_4_4"></a><a href="#FNanchor_4_4"><span class="label">[4]</span></a> The fortunes of this beautiful island furnish a remarkable
+proof of the manner in which abusse are made, by the providence of God,
+to produce their own punishments. This island, which is about two-thirds
+the size of the state of New York, was the seat of Spanish authority, in
+the New World, for many years. The mild aborigines, who were numerous
+and happy when discovered, were literally exterminated by the cruelties
+of their new masters; and it was found necessary to import negroes from
+Africa, to toil in the cane-fields. Toward the middle of the sixteenth
+century, it is said that two hundred of the aborigines were not to be
+found in the island, although Ovando had decoyed no less than forty
+thousand from the Bahamas, to supply the places of the dead, as early as
+1518! At a later day, Española passed into the hands of the French, and
+all know the terrible events by which it has gone into the exclusive
+possession of the descendants of the children of Africa. All that has
+been said of the influence of the white population of this country, as
+connected with our own Indians, sinks into insignificance, as compared
+with these astounding facts.</p></div>
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<pre>
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Mercedes of Castile, by J. Fenimore Cooper
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+</body>
+</html>
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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Mercedes of Castile, by J. Fenimore Cooper
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Mercedes of Castile
+       The Voyage to Cathay
+
+Author: J. Fenimore Cooper
+
+Illustrator: F. O. C. Darley
+
+Release Date: June 13, 2011 [EBook #36406]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MERCEDES OF CASTILE ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by David Edwards, Mary Meehan and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This
+book was produced from scanned images of public domain
+material from the Google Print project.)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+                          MERCEDES OF CASTILE;
+
+                                   OR,
+
+                          THE VOYAGE TO CATHAY.
+
+                          BY J. FENIMORE COOPER.
+
+
+    "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone,
+    A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon;
+    To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given
+    A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
+
+    PINKNEY.
+
+
+    ILLUSTRATED FROM DRAWINGS BY
+    F.O.C. Darley.
+
+    NEW YORK:
+    W. A. TOWNSEND AND COMPANY.
+    1861.
+
+    Entered, according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1861, by
+    W. A. TOWNSEND AND COMPANY,
+    In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Southern
+    District of New York.
+
+    G. A. ALVORD, STEREOTYPER & PRINTER, NEW YORK.
+
+
+
+
+List of Illustrations
+
+
+"Columbus kneeled on the sands, and received the benediction."
+
+"In vain Luis endeavored to persuade the devoted girl to withdraw."
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE.
+
+
+So much has been written of late years, touching the discovery of
+America, that it would not be at all surprising should there exist a
+disposition in a certain class of readers to deny the accuracy of all
+the statements in this work. Some may refer to history, with a view to
+prove that there never were such persons as our hero and heroine, and
+fancy that by establishing these facts, they completely destroy the
+authenticity of the whole book. In answer to this anticipated objection,
+we will state, that after carefully perusing several of the Spanish
+writers--from Cervantes to the translator of the journal of Columbus,
+the Alpha and Omega of peninsular literature--and after having read both
+Irving and Prescott from beginning to end, we do not find a syllable in
+either of them, that we understand to be conclusive evidence, or indeed
+to be any evidence at all, on the portions of our subject that are
+likely to be disputed. Until some solid affirmative proof, therefore,
+can be produced against us, we shall hold our case to be made out, and
+rest our claims to be believed on the authority of our own statements.
+Nor do we think there is any thing either unreasonable or unusual in
+this course, as perhaps the greater portion of that which is daily and
+hourly offered to the credence of the American public, rests on the same
+species of testimony--with the trifling difference that we state truths,
+with a profession of fiction, while the great moral caterers of the age
+state fiction with the profession of truth. If any advantage can be
+fairly obtained over us, in consequence of this trifling discrepancy, we
+must submit.
+
+There is one point, notwithstanding, concerning which it may be well to
+be frank at once. The narrative of the "Voyage to Cathay," has been
+written with the journal of the Admiral before us; or, rather, with all
+of that journal that has been given to the world through the agency of a
+very incompetent and meagre editor. Nothing is plainer than the general
+fact that this person did not always understand his author, and in one
+particular circumstance he has written so obscurely, as not a little to
+embarrass even a novelist, whose functions naturally include an entire
+familiarity with the thoughts, emotions, characters, and, occasionally,
+with the unknown fates of the subjects of his pen. The nautical day
+formerly commenced at meridian, and, with all our native ingenuity and
+high professional prerogatives, we have not been able to discover
+whether the editor of the journal has adopted that mode of counting
+time, or whether he has condescended to use the more vulgar and
+irrational practice of landsmen. It is our opinion, however, that in the
+spirit of impartiality which becomes an historian, he has adopted both.
+This little peculiarity might possibly embarrass a superficial critic;
+but accurate critics being so very common, we feel no concern on this
+head, well knowing that they will be much more apt to wink at these
+minor inconsistencies, than to pass over an error of the press, or a
+comma with a broken tail. As we wish to live on good terms with this
+useful class of our fellow-creatures, we have directed the printers to
+mis-spell some eight or ten words for their convenience, and to save
+them from headaches, have honestly stated this principal difficulty
+ourselves.
+
+Should the publicity which is now given to the consequences of
+commencing a day in the middle have the effect to induce the government
+to order that it shall, in future, with all American seamen, commence at
+one of its ends, something will be gained in the way of simplicity, and
+the writing of novels will, in-so-much, be rendered easier and more
+agreeable.
+
+As respects the minor characters of this work, very little need be said.
+Every one knows that Columbus had seamen in his vessels, and that he
+brought some of the natives of the islands he had discovered, back with
+him to Spain. The reader is now made much more intimately acquainted
+with certain of these individuals, we will venture to say, than he can
+be possibly by the perusal of any work previously written. As for the
+subordinate incidents connected with the more familiar events of the
+age, it is hoped they will be found so completely to fill up this branch
+of the subject, as to render future investigations unnecessary.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+MERCEDES OF CASTILE.
+
+
+[Illustration: "In vain Luis endeavored to persuade the devoted girl to
+withdraw."]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I.
+
+    "There was knocking that shook the marble floor,
+      And a voice at the gate, which said--
+    'That the Cid Ruy Diez, the Campeador,
+      Was there in his arms array'd.'"----
+
+    Mrs. Hemans.
+
+
+Whether we take the pictures of the inimitable Cervantes, or of that
+scarcely less meritorious author from whom Le Sage has borrowed his
+immortal tale, for our guides; whether we confide in the graver legends
+of history, or put our trust in the accounts of modern travellers, the
+time has scarcely ever existed when the inns of Spain were good, or the
+roads safe. These are two of the blessings of civilization which the
+people of the peninsula would really seem destined never to attain; for,
+in all ages, we hear, or have heard, of wrongs done the traveller
+equally by the robber and the host. If such are the facts to-day, such
+also were the facts in the middle of the fifteenth century, the period
+to which we desire to carry back the reader in imagination.
+
+At the commencement of the month of October, in the year of our Lord
+1469, John of Trastamara reigned in Aragon, holding his court at a place
+called Zaragosa, a town lying on the Ebro, the name of which is supposed
+to be a corruption of Caesar Augustus, and a city that has become
+celebrated in our own times, under the more Anglicised term of
+Saragossa, for its deeds in arms. John of Trastamara, or, as it was more
+usual to style him, agreeably to the nomenclature of kings, John II.,
+was one of the most sagacious monarchs of his age; but he had become
+impoverished by many conflicts with the turbulent, or, as it may be more
+courtly to say, the liberty-loving Catalonians; had frequently enough to
+do to maintain his seat on the throne; possessed a party-colored empire
+that included within its sway, besides his native Aragon with its
+dependencies of Valencia and Catalonia, Sicily and the Balearic Islands,
+with some very questionable rights in Navarre. By the will of his elder
+brother and predecessor, the crown of Naples had descended to an
+illegitimate son of the latter, else would that kingdom have been added
+to the list. The King of Aragon had seen a long and troubled reign, and,
+at this very moment, his treasury was nearly exhausted by his efforts to
+subdue the truculent Catalans, though he was nearer a triumph than he
+could then foresee, his competitor, the Duke of Lorraine, dying
+suddenly, only two short months after the precise period chosen for the
+commencement of our tale. But it is denied to man to look into the
+future, and on the 9th of the month just mentioned, the ingenuity of the
+royal treasurer was most sorely taxed, there having arisen an unexpected
+demand for a considerable sum of money, at the very moment that the army
+was about to disband itself for the want of pay, and the public coffers
+contained only the very moderate sum of three hundred _Enriques_, or
+Henrys--a gold coin named after a previous monarch, and which had a
+value not far from that of the modern ducat, or our own quarter eagle.
+The matter, however, was too pressing to be deferred, and even the
+objects of the war were considered as secondary to those connected with
+this suddenly-conceived, and more private enterprise. Councils were
+held, money-dealers were cajoled or frightened, and the confidants of
+the court were very manifestly in a state of great and earnest
+excitement. At length, the time of preparation appeared to be passed and
+the instant of action arrived. Curiosity was relieved, and the citizens
+of Saragossa were permitted to know that their sovereign was about to
+send a solemn embassy, on matters of high moment, to his neighbor,
+kinsman, and ally, the monarch of Castile. In 1469, Henry, also of
+Trastamara, sat upon the throne of the adjoining kingdom, under the
+title of Henry IV. He was the grandson, in the male line, of the brother
+of John II.'s father, and, consequently, a first-cousin once removed, of
+the monarch of Aragon. Notwithstanding this affinity, and the strong
+family interests that might be supposed to unite them, it required many
+friendly embassies to preserve the peace between the two monarchs; and
+the announcement of that which was about to depart, produced more
+satisfaction than wonder in the streets of the town.
+
+Henry of Castile, though he reigned over broader and richer peninsular
+territories than his relative of Aragon, had his cares and troubles,
+also. He had been twice married, having repudiated his first consort,
+Blanche of Aragon, to wed Joanna of Portugal, a princess of a levity of
+character so marked, as not only to bring great scandal on the court
+generally, but to throw so much distrust on the birth of her only child,
+a daughter, as to push discontent to disaffection, and eventually to
+deprive the infant itself of the rights of royalty. Henry's father, like
+himself, had been twice married, and the issue of the second union was a
+son and a daughter, Alfonso and Isabella; the latter becoming
+subsequently illustrious, under the double titles of the Queen of
+Castile, and of the Catholic. The luxurious impotency of Henry, as a
+monarch, had driven a portion of his subjects into open rebellion. Three
+years preceding that selected for our opening, his brother Alfonso had
+been proclaimed king in his stead, and a civil war had raged throughout
+his provinces. This war had been recently terminated by the death of
+Alfonso, when the peace of the kingdom was temporarily restored by a
+treaty, in which Henry consented to the setting aside of his own
+daughter--or rather of the daughter of Joanna of Portugal--and to the
+recognition of his half-sister Isabella, as the rightful heiress of the
+throne. The last concession was the result of dire necessity, and, as
+might have been expected, it led to many secret and violent measures,
+with a view to defeat its objects. Among the other expedients adopted by
+the king--or, it might be better to say, by his favorites, the inaction
+and indolence of the self-indulgent but kind-hearted prince being
+proverbial--with a view to counteract the probable consequences of the
+expected accession of Isabella, were various schemes to control her
+will, and guide her policy, by giving her hand, first to a subject, with
+a view to reduce her power, and subsequently to various foreign princes,
+who were thought to be more or less suited to the furtherance of such
+schemes. Just at this moment, indeed, the marriage of the princess was
+one of the greatest objects of Spanish prudence. The son of the King of
+Aragon was one of the suitors for the hand of Isabella, and most of
+those who heard of the intended departure of the embassy, naturally
+enough believed that the mission had some connection with that great
+stroke of Aragonese policy.
+
+Isabella had the reputation of learning, modesty, discretion, piety, and
+beauty, besides being the acknowledged heiress of so enviable a crown;
+and there were many competitors for her hand. Among them were to be
+ranked French, English, and Portuguese princes, besides him of Aragon to
+whom we have already alluded. Different favorites supported different
+pretenders, struggling to effect their several purposes by the usual
+intrigues of courtiers and partisans; while the royal maiden, herself,
+who was the object of so much competition and rivalry, observed a
+discreet and womanly decorum, even while firmly bent on indulging her
+most womanly and dearest sentiments. Her brother, the king, was in the
+south, pursuing his pleasures, and, long accustomed to dwell in
+comparative solitude, the princess was earnestly occupied in arranging
+her own affairs, in a way that she believed would most conduce to her
+own happiness. After several attempts to entrap her person, from which
+she had only escaped by the prompt succor of the forces of her friends,
+she had taken refuge in Leon, in the capital of which province, or
+kingdom as it was sometimes called, Valladolid, she temporarily took up
+her abode. As Henry, however, still remained in the vicinity of Granada,
+it is in that direction we must look for the route taken by the embassy.
+
+The cortege left Saragossa, by one of the southern gates, early in the
+morning of a glorious autumnal day. There was the usual escort of
+lances, for this the troubled state of the country demanded; bearded
+nobles well mailed--for few, who offered an inducement to the plunderer,
+ventured on the highway without this precaution; a long train of sumpter
+mules, and a host of those who, by their guise, were half menials and
+half soldiers. The gallant display drew crowds after the horses' heels,
+and, together with some prayers for success, a vast deal of crude and
+shallow conjecture, as is still the practice with the uninstructed and
+gossiping, was lavished on the probable objects and results of the
+journey. But curiosity has its limits, and even the gossip occasionally
+grows weary; and by the time the sun was setting, most of the multitude
+had already forgotten to think and speak of the parade of the morning.
+As the night drew on, however, the late pageant was still the subject of
+discourse between two soldiers, who belonged to the guard of the western
+gate, or that which opened on the road to the province of Burgos. These
+worthies were loitering away the hours, in the listless manner common to
+men on watch, and the spirit of discussion and of critical censure had
+survived the thoughts and bustle of the day.
+
+"If Don Alonso de Carbajal thinketh to ride far in that guise," observed
+the elder of the two idlers, "he would do well to look sharp to his
+followers, for the army of Aragon never sent forth a more
+scurvily-appointed guard than that he hath this day led through the
+southern gate, notwithstanding the glitter of housings, and the clangor
+of trumpets. We could have furnished lances from Valencia more befitting
+a king's embassy, I tell thee, Diego; ay, and worthier knights to lead
+them, than these of Aragon. But if the king is content, it ill becomes
+soldiers, like thee and me, to be dissatisfied."
+
+"There are many who think, Roderique, that it had been better to spare
+the money lavished in this courtly letter-writing, to pay the brave men
+who so freely shed their blood in order to subdue the rebellious
+Barcelans."
+
+"This is always the way, boy, between debtor and creditor. Don John owes
+you a few maravedis, and you grudge him every Enrique he spends on his
+necessities. I am an older soldier, and have learned the art of paying
+myself, when the treasury is too poor to save me the trouble."
+
+"That might do in a foreign war, when one is battling against the Moor,
+for instance; but, after all, these Catalans are as good Christians as
+we are ourselves; some of them are as good subjects; and it is not as
+easy to plunder a countryman as to plunder an Infidel."
+
+"Easier by twenty fold; for the one expects it, and, like all in that
+unhappy condition, seldom has any thing worth taking, while the other
+opens his stores to you as freely as he does his heart--but who are
+these, setting forth on the highway, at this late hour?"
+
+"Fellows that pretend to wealth, by affecting to conceal it. I'll
+warrant you, now, Roderique, that there is not money enough among all
+those varlets to pay the laquais that shall serve them their boiled
+eggs, to-night."
+
+"By St. Iago, my blessed patron!" whispered one of the leaders of a
+small cavalcade, who, with a single companion, rode a little in advance
+of the others, as if not particularly anxious to be too familiar with
+the rest, and laughing, lightly, as he spoke: "Yonder vagabond is nearer
+the truth than is comfortable! We may have sufficient among us all to
+pay for an olla-podrida and its service, but I much doubt whether there
+will be a dobla left, when the journey shall be once ended."
+
+A low, but grave rebuke, checked this inconsiderate mirth; and the
+party, which consisted of merchants, or traders, mounted on mules, as
+was evident by their appearance, for in that age the different classes
+were easily recognized by their attire, halted at the gate. The
+permission to quit the town was regular, and the drowsy and consequently
+surly gate-keeper slowly undid his bars, in order that the travellers
+might pass.
+
+While these necessary movements were going on, the two soldiers stood a
+little on one side, coolly scanning the group, though Spanish gravity
+prevented them from indulging openly in an expression of the scorn that
+they actually felt for two or three Jews who were among the traders. The
+merchants, moreover, were of a better class, as was evident by a
+follower or two, who rode in their train, in the garbs of menials, and
+who kept at a respectful distance while their masters paid the light fee
+that it was customary to give on passing the gates after nightfall. One
+of these menials, capitally mounted on a tall, spirited mule, happened
+to place himself so near Diego, during this little ceremony, that the
+latter, who was talkative by nature, could not refrain from having his
+say.
+
+"Prithee, Pepe," commenced the soldier, "how many hundred doblas a year
+do they pay, in that service of thine, and how often do they renew that
+fine leathern doublet?"
+
+The varlet, or follower of the merchant, who was still a youth, though
+his vigorous frame and embrowned cheek denoted equally severe exercise
+and rude exposure, started and reddened at this free inquiry, which was
+enforced by a hand slapped familiarly on his knee, and such a squeeze of
+the leg as denoted the freedom of the camp. The laugh of Diego probably
+suppressed a sudden outbreak of anger, for the soldier was one whose
+manner indicated too much good-humor easily to excite resentment.
+
+"Thy gripe is friendly, but somewhat close, comrade," the young domestic
+mildly observed; "and if thou wilt take a friend's counsel, it will be,
+never to indulge in too great familiarity, lest some day it lead to a
+broken pate."
+
+"By holy San Pedro!--I should relish--"
+
+It was too late, however; for his master having proceeded, the youth
+pushed a powerful rowel into the flank of his mule, and the vigorous
+animal dashed ahead, nearly upsetting Diego, who was pressing hard on
+the pommel of the saddle, by the movement.
+
+"There is mettle in that boy," exclaimed the good-natured soldier, as he
+recovered his feet. "I thought, for one moment, he was about to favor me
+with a visitation of his hand."
+
+"Thou art wrong--and too much accustomed to be heedless, Diego,"
+answered his comrade; "and it had been no wonder had that youth struck
+thee to the earth, for the indignity thou putt'st upon him."
+
+"Ha! a hireling follower of some cringing Hebrew! He dare to strike a
+blow at a soldier of the king!"
+
+"He may have been a soldier of the king himself, in his day. These are
+times when most of his frame and muscle are called on to go in harness.
+I think I have seen that face before; ay, and that, too, where none of
+craven hearts would be apt to go."
+
+"The fellow is a mere varlet, and a younker that has just escaped from
+the hands of the women."
+
+"I'll answer for it, that he hath faced both the Catalan and the Moor in
+his time, young as he may seem. Thou knowest that the nobles are wont to
+carry their sons, as children, early into the fight, that they may learn
+the deeds of chivalry betimes."
+
+"The nobles!" repeated Diego, laughing. "In the name of all the devils,
+Roderique, of what art thou thinking, that thou likenest this knave to a
+young noble? Dost fancy him a Guzman, or a Mendoza, in disguise, that
+thou speakest thus of chivalry?"
+
+"True--it doth, indeed, seem silly--and yet have I before met that frown
+in battle, and heard that sharp, quick voice, in a rally. By St. Iago de
+Compostello! I have it! Harkee, Diego!--a word in thy ear."
+
+The veteran now led his more youthful comrade aside, although there was
+no one near to listen to what he said; and looking carefully round, to
+make certain that his words would not be overheard, he whispered, for a
+moment, in Diego's ear.
+
+"Holy Mother of God!" exclaimed the latter, recoiling quite three paces,
+in surprise and awe. "Thou canst not be right, Roderique!"
+
+"I will place my soul's welfare on it," returned the other, positively.
+"Have I not often seen him with his visor up, and followed him, time and
+again, to the charge?"
+
+"And he setting forth as a trader's varlet! Nay, I know not, but as the
+servitor of a Jew!"
+
+"Our business, Diego, is to strike without looking into the quarrel; to
+look without seeing, and to listen without hearing. Although his coffers
+are low, Don John is a good master, and our anointed king; and so we
+will prove ourselves discreet soldiers."
+
+"But he will never forgive me that gripe of the knee, and my foolish
+tongue. I shall never dare meet him again."
+
+"Humph!--It is not probable thou ever wilt meet him at the table of the
+king, and, as for the field, as he is wont to go first, there will not
+be much temptation for him to turn back in order to look at thee."
+
+"Thou thinkest, then, he will not be apt to know me again?"
+
+"If it should prove so, boy, thou need'st not take it in ill part; as
+such as he have more demands on their memories than they can always
+meet."
+
+"The Blessed Maria make thee a true prophet!--else would I never dare
+again to appear in the ranks. Were it a favor I conferred, I might hope
+it would be forgotten; but an indignity sticks long in the memory."
+
+Here the two soldiers moved away, continuing the discourse from time to
+time, although the elder frequently admonished his loquacious companion
+of the virtue of discretion.
+
+In the mean time, the travellers pursued their way, with a diligence
+that denoted great distrust of the roads, and as great a desire to get
+on. They journeyed throughout the night, nor did there occur any
+relaxation in their speed, until the return of the sun exposed them
+again to the observations of the curious, among whom were thought to be
+many emissaries of Henry of Castile, whose agents were known to be
+particularly on the alert, along all the roads that communicated between
+the capital of Aragon and Valladolid, the city in which his royal sister
+had then, quite recently, taken refuge. Nothing remarkable occurred,
+however, to distinguish this journey from any other of the period. There
+was nothing about the appearance of the travellers--who soon entered the
+territory of Soria, a province of Old Castile, where armed parties of
+the monarch were active in watching the passes--to attract the attention
+of Henry's soldiers; and as for the more vulgar robber, he was
+temporarily driven from the highways by the presence of those who acted
+in the name of the prince. As respects the youth who had given rise to
+the discourse between the two soldiers, he rode diligently in the rear
+of his master, so long as it pleased the latter to remain in the saddle;
+and during the few and brief pauses that occurred in the travelling, he
+busied himself, like the other menials, in the duties of his proper
+vocation. On the evening of the second day, however, about an hour after
+the party had left a hostelry, where it had solaced itself with an
+olla-podrida and some sour wine, the merry young man who has already
+been mentioned, and who still kept his place by the side of his graver
+and more aged companion in the van, suddenly burst into a fit of loud
+laughter, and, reining in his mule he allowed the whole train to pass
+him, until he found himself by the side of the young menial already so
+particularly named. The latter cast a severe and rebuking glance at his
+reputed master, as he dropped in by his side, and said, with a sternness
+that ill comported with their apparent relations to each other--
+
+"How now, Master Nunez! what hath called thee from thy position in the
+van, to this unseemly familiarity with the varlets in the rear?"
+
+"I crave ten thousand pardons, honest Juan," returned the master, still
+laughing, though he evidently struggled to repress his mirth, out of
+respect to the other; "but here is a calamity befallen us, that outdoes
+those of the fables and legends of necromancy and knight-errantry. The
+worthy Master Ferreras, yonder, who is so skilful in handling gold,
+having passed his whole life in buying and selling barley and oats, hath
+actually mislaid the purse, which it would seem he hath forgotten at the
+inn we have quitted, in payment of some very stale bread and rancid oil.
+I doubt if there are twenty reals left in the whole party!"
+
+"And is it a matter of jest, Master Nunez," returned the servant, though
+a slight smile struggled about his mouth, as if ready to join in his
+companion's merriment; "that we are penniless? Thank Heaven! the Burgo
+of Osma cannot be very distant; and we may have less occasion for gold.
+And now, master of mine, let me command thee to keep thy proper place in
+this cavalcade, and not to forget thyself by such undue familiarity with
+thy inferiors. I have no farther need of thee, and therefore hasten back
+to Master Ferreras and acquaint him with my sympathy and grief."
+
+The young man smiled, though the eye of the pretended servant was
+averted, as if he cared to respect his own admonitions; while the other
+evidently sought a look of recognition and favor. In another minute, the
+usual order of the journey was resumed.
+
+As the night advanced, and the hour arrived when man and beast usually
+betray fatigue, these travellers pushed their mules the hardest; and
+about midnight, by dint of hard pricking, they came under the principal
+gate of a small walled town, called Osma, that stood not far from the
+boundary of the province of Burgos, though still in that of Soria. No
+sooner was his mule near enough to the gate to allow of the freedom,
+than the young merchant in advance dealt sundry blows on it with his
+staff, effectually apprising those within of his presence. It required
+no strong pull of the reins to stop the mules of those behind; but the
+pretended varlet now pushed ahead, and was about to assume his place
+among the principal personages near the gate, when a heavy stone, hurled
+from the battlements, passed so close to his head, as vividly to remind
+him how near he might be to making a hasty journey to another world. A
+cry arose in the whole party, at this narrow escape; nor were loud
+imprecations on the hand that had cast the missile spared. The youth,
+himself, seemed the least disturbed of them all; and though his voice
+was sharp and authoritative, as he raised it in remonstrance, it was
+neither angry nor alarmed.
+
+"How now!" he said; "is this the way you treat peaceful travellers;
+merchants, who come to ask hospitality and a night's repose at your
+hands?"
+
+"Merchants and travellers!" growled a voice from above--"say, rather,
+spies and agents of King Henry. Who are ye? Speak promptly, or ye may
+expect something sharper than stones, at the next visit."
+
+"Tell me," answered the youth, as if disdaining to be questioned
+himself--"who holds this borough? Is it not the noble Count of Trevino?"
+
+"The very same, Senor," answered he above, with a mollified tone: "but
+what can a set of travelling traders know of His Excellency? and who art
+thou, that speakest up as sharply and as proudly as if thou wert a
+grandee?"
+
+"I am Ferdinand of Trastamara--the Prince of Aragon--the King of Sicily.
+Go! bid thy master hasten to the gate."
+
+This sudden announcement, which was made in the lofty manner of one
+accustomed to implicit obedience, produced a marked change in the state
+of affairs. The party at the gate so far altered their several
+positions, that the two superior nobles who had ridden in front, gave
+place to the youthful king; while the group of knights made such
+arrangements as showed that disguise was dropped, and each man was now
+expected to appear in his proper character. It might have amused a close
+and philosophical observer to note the promptitude with which the young
+cavaliers, in particular, rose in their saddles, as if casting aside the
+lounging mien of grovelling traders, in order to appear what they really
+were, men accustomed to the tourney and the field. On the ramparts the
+change was equally sudden and great. All appearance of drowsiness
+vanished; the soldiers spoke to each other in suppressed but hurried
+voices; and the distant tramp of feet announced that messengers were
+dispatched in various directions. Some ten minutes elapsed in this
+manner, during which an inferior officer showed himself on the ramparts,
+and apologized for a delay that arose altogether from the force of
+discipline, and on no account from any want of respect. At length a
+bustle on the wall, with the light of many lanterns, betrayed the
+approach of the governor of the town; and the impatience of the young
+men below, that had begun to manifest itself in half-uttered
+execrations, was put under a more decent restraint for the occasion.
+
+"Are the joyful tidings that my people bring me true?" cried one from
+the battlements; while a lantern was lowered from the wall, as if to
+make a closer inspection of the party at the gate: "Am I really so
+honored, as to receive a summons from Don Ferdinand of Aragon, at this
+unusual hour?"
+
+"Cause thy fellow to turn his lantern more closely on my countenance,"
+answered the king, "that thou may'st make thyself sure. I will
+cheerfully overlook the disrespect, Count of Trevino, for the advantage
+of a more speedy admission."
+
+"'Tis he!" exclaimed the noble: "I know those royal features, which bear
+the lineaments of a long race of kings, and that voice have I heard,
+often, rallying the squadrons of Aragon, in their onsets against the
+Moor. Let the trumpets speak up, and proclaim this happy arrival; and
+open wide our gates, without delay."
+
+This order was promptly obeyed, and the youthful king entered Osma, by
+sound of trumpet, encircled by a strong party of men-at-arms, and with
+half of the awakened and astonished population at his heels.
+
+"It is lucky, my Lord King," said Don Andres de Cabrera, the young noble
+already mentioned, as he rode familiarly at the side of Don Ferdinand,
+"that we have found these good lodgings without cost; it being a
+melancholy truth, that Master Ferreras hath, negligently enough, mislaid
+the only purse there was among us. In such a strait, it would not have
+been easy to keep up the character of thrifty traders much longer; for,
+while the knaves higgle at the price of every thing, they are fond of
+letting their gold be seen."
+
+"Now that we are in thine own Castile, Don Andres," returned the king,
+smiling, "we shall throw ourselves gladly on thy hospitality, well
+knowing that thou hast two most beautiful diamonds always at thy
+command."
+
+"I, Sir King! Your Highness is pleased to be merry at my expense,
+although I believe it is, just now, the only gratification I can pay
+for. My attachment for the Princess Isabella hath driven me from my
+lands; and even the humblest cavalier in the Aragonese army is not, just
+now, poorer than I. What diamonds, therefore, can I command?"
+
+"Report speaketh favorably of the two brilliants that are set in the
+face of the Dona Beatriz de Bobadilla; and I hear they are altogether at
+thy disposal, or as much so as a noble maiden's inclinations can leave
+them with a loyal knight."
+
+"Ah! my Lord King! if indeed this adventure end as happily as it
+commenceth, I may, indeed, look to your royal favor, for some aid in
+that matter."
+
+The king smiled, in his own sedate manner; but the Count de Trevino
+pressing nearer to his side at that moment, the discourse was changed.
+That night Ferdinand of Aragon slept soundly; but with the dawn, he and
+his followers were again in the saddle. The party quitted Osma, however,
+in a manner very different from that in which it had approached its
+gate. Ferdinand now appeared as a knight, mounted on a noble Andalusian
+charger; and all his followers had still more openly assumed their
+proper characters. A strong body of lancers, led by the Count of Trevino
+in person, composed the escort; and on the 9th of the month, the whole
+cavalcade reached Duenas, in Leon, a place quite near to Valladolid. The
+disaffected nobles crowded about the prince to pay their court, and he
+was received as became his high rank and still higher destinies.
+
+Here the more luxurious Castilians had an opportunity of observing the
+severe personal discipline by which Don Ferdinand, at the immature years
+of eighteen, for he was scarcely older, had succeeded in hardening his
+body and in stringing his nerves, so as to be equal to any deeds in
+arms. His delight was found in the rudest military exercises; and no
+knight of Aragon could better direct his steed in the tourney or in the
+field. Like most of the royal races of that period, and indeed of this,
+in despite of the burning sun under which he dwelt, his native
+complexion was brilliant, though it had already become embrowned by
+exposure in the chase, and in the martial occupations of his boyhood.
+Temperate as a Mussulman, his active and well-proportioned frame seemed
+to be early indurating, as if Providence held him in reserve for some of
+its own dispensations, that called for great bodily vigor as well as for
+deep forethought and a vigilant sagacity. During the four or five days
+that followed, the noble Castilians who listened to his discourse, knew
+not of which most to approve, his fluent eloquence, or a wariness of
+thought and expression, which, while they might have been deemed
+prematurely worldly and cold-blooded, were believed to be particular
+merits in one destined to control the jarring passions, deep deceptions,
+and selfish devices of men.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II.
+
+    "Leave to the nightingale her shady wood:
+      A privacy of glorious light is thine;
+    Whence thou dost pour upon the world a flood
+      Of harmony, with rapture more divine;
+    Type of the wise, who soar, but never roam;
+    True to the kindred points of Heaven and Home."
+
+    Wordsworth.
+
+
+While John of Aragon had recourse to such means to enable his son to
+escape the vigilant and vindictive emissaries of the King of Castile,
+there were anxious hearts in Valladolid, awaiting the result with the
+impatience and doubt that ever attend the execution of hazardous
+enterprises. Among others who felt this deep interest in the movements
+of Ferdinand of Aragon and his companions, were a few whom it has now
+become necessary to introduce to the reader.
+
+Although Valladolid had not then reached the magnificence it
+subsequently acquired as the capital of Charles V., it was an ancient,
+and, for the age, a magnificent and luxurious town, possessing its
+palaces, as well as its more inferior abodes. To the principal of the
+former, the residence of John de Vivero--a distinguished noble of the
+kingdom--we must repair in imagination; where companions more agreeable
+than those we have just quitted, await us, and who were then themselves
+awaiting, with deep anxiety, the arrival of a messenger with tidings
+from Duenas. The particular apartment that it will be necessary to
+imagine, had much of the rude splendor of the period, united to that air
+of comfort and fitness that woman seldom fails to impart to the portion
+of any edifice that comes directly under her control. In the year 1469,
+Spain was fast approaching the termination of that great struggle which
+had already endured seven centuries, and in which the Christian and the
+Mussulman contended for the mastery of the peninsula. The latter had
+long held sway in the southern parts of Leon, and had left behind him,
+in the palaces of this town, some of the traces of his barbaric
+magnificence. The lofty and fretted ceilings were not as glorious as
+those to be found further south, it is true; still, the Moor had been
+here, and the name of Veled Vlid--since changed to Valladolid--denotes
+its Arabic connection. In the room just mentioned, and in the principal
+palace of this ancient town--that of John de Vivero--were two females,
+in earnest and engrossing discourse. Both were young, and, though in
+very different styles, both would have been deemed beautiful in any age
+or region of the earth. One, indeed, was surpassingly lovely. She had
+just reached her nineteenth year--an age when the female form has
+received its full development in that generous climate; and the most
+imaginative poet of Spain--a country so renowned for beauty of form in
+the sex--could not have conceived of a person more symmetrical. The
+hands, feet, bust, and all the outlines, were those of feminine
+loveliness; while the stature, without rising to a height to suggest the
+idea of any thing masculine, was sufficient to ennoble an air of quiet
+dignity. The beholder, at first, was a little at a loss to know whether
+the influence to which he submitted, proceeded most from the perfection
+of the body itself, or from the expression that the soul within imparted
+to the almost faultless exterior. The face was, in all respects, worthy
+of the form. Although born beneath the sun of Spain, her lineage carried
+her back, through a long line of kings, to the Gothic sovereigns; and
+its frequent intermarriages with foreign princesses, had produced in her
+countenance that intermixture of the brilliancy of the north with the
+witchery of the south, that probably is nearest to the perfection of
+feminine loveliness.
+
+Her complexion was fair, and her rich locks had that tint of the auburn
+which approaches as near as possible to the more marked color that gives
+it warmth, without attaining any of the latter's distinctive hue. "Her
+mild blue eyes," says an eminent historian, "beamed with intelligence
+and sensibility." In these indexes to the soul, indeed, were to be found
+her highest claims to loveliness, for they bespoke no less the beauty
+within, than the beauty without; imparting to features of exquisite
+delicacy and symmetry, a serene expression of dignity and moral
+excellence, that was remarkably softened by a modesty that seemed as
+much allied to the sensibilities of a woman, as to the purity of an
+angel. To add to all these charms, though of royal blood, and educated
+in a court, an earnest, but meek sincerity presided over every look and
+thought--as thought was betrayed in the countenance--adding the
+illumination of truth to the lustre of youth and beauty.
+
+The attire of this princess was simple, for, happily, the taste of the
+age enabled those who worked for the toilet to consult the proportions
+of nature; though the materials were rich, and such as became her high
+rank. A single cross of diamonds sparkled on a neck of snow, to which it
+was attached by a short string of pearls; and a few rings, decked with
+stones of price, rather cumbered than adorned hands that needed no
+ornaments to rivet the gaze. Such was Isabella of Castile, in her days
+of maiden retirement and maiden pride--while waiting the issues of those
+changes that were about to put their seal on her own future fortunes, as
+well as on those of posterity even to our own times.
+
+Her companion was Beatriz de Bobadilla, the friend of her childhood and
+infancy, and who continued, to the last, the friend of her prime, and of
+her death-bed. This lady, a little older than the princess, was of more
+decided Spanish mien, for, though of an ancient and illustrious house,
+policy and necessity had not caused so many foreign intermarriages in
+her race, as had been required in that of her royal mistress. Her eyes
+were black and sparkling, bespeaking a generous soul, and a resolution
+so high that some commentators have termed it valor; while her hair was
+dark as the raven's wing. Like that of her royal mistress, her form
+exhibited the grace and loveliness of young womanhood, developed by the
+generous warmth of Spain; though her stature was, in a slight degree,
+less noble, and the outlines of her figure, in about an equal
+proportion, less perfect. In short, nature had drawn some such
+distinction between the exceeding grace and high moral charms that
+encircled the beauty of the princess, and those which belonged to her
+noble friend, as the notions of men had established between their
+respective conditions; though, considered singly, as women, either would
+have been deemed pre-eminently winning and attractive.
+
+At the moment we have selected for the opening of the scene that is to
+follow, Isabella, fresh from the morning toilet, was seated in a chair,
+leaning lightly on one of its arms, in an attitude that interest in the
+subject she was discussing, and confidence in her companion, had
+naturally produced; while Beatriz de Bobadilla occupied a low stool at
+her feet, bending her body in respectful affection so far forward, as to
+allow the fairer hair of the princess to mingle with her own dark curls,
+while the face of the latter appeared to repose on the head of her
+friend. As no one else was present, the reader will at once infer, from
+the entire absence of Castilian etiquette and Spanish reserve, that the
+dialogue they held was strictly confidential, and that it was governed
+more by the feelings of nature, than by the artificial rules that
+usually regulate the intercourse of courts.
+
+"I have prayed, Beatriz, that God would direct my judgment in this
+weighty concern," said the princess, in continuation of some previous
+observation; "and I hope I have as much kept in view the happiness of my
+future subjects, in the choice I have made, as my own."
+
+"None shall presume to question it," said Beatriz de Bobadilla; "for had
+it pleased you to wed the Grand Turk, the Castilians would not gainsay
+your wish, such is their love!"
+
+"Say, rather, such is thy love for me, my good Beatriz, that thou
+fanciest this," returned Isabella, smiling, and raising her face from
+the other's head. "Our Castilians might overlook such a sin, but I could
+not pardon myself for forgetting that I am a Christian. Beatriz, I have
+been sorely tried, in this matter!"
+
+"But the hour of trial is nearly passed. Holy Maria! what lightness of
+reflection, and vanity, and misjudging of self, must exist in man, to
+embolden some who have dared to aspire to become your husband! You were
+yet a child when they betrothed you to Don Carlos, a prince old enough
+to be your father; and then, as if that were not sufficient to warm
+Castilian blood, they chose the King of Portugal for you, and he might
+well have passed for a generation still more remote! Much as I love you,
+Dona Isabella, and my own soul is scarce dearer to me than your person
+and mind, for nought do I respect you more, than for the noble and
+princely resolution, child as you then were, with which you denied the
+king, in his wicked wish to make you Queen of Portugal."
+
+"Don Enriquez is my brother, Beatriz; and thine and my royal master."
+
+"Ah! bravely did you tell them all," continued Beatriz de Bobadilla,
+with sparkling eyes, and a feeling of exultation that caused her to
+overlook the quiet rebuke of her mistress; "and worthy was it of a
+princess of the royal house of Castile! 'The Infantas of Castile,' you
+said, 'could not be disposed of, in marriage, without the consent of the
+nobles of the realm;' and with that fit reply they were glad to be
+content."
+
+"And yet, Beatriz, am I about to dispose of an Infanta of Castile,
+without even consulting its nobles."
+
+"Say not that, my excellent mistress. There is not a loyal and gallant
+cavalier between the Pyrenees and the sea, who will not, in his heart,
+approve of your choice. The character, and age, and other qualities of
+the suitor, make a sensible difference in these concerns. But unfit as
+Don Alfonso of Portugal was, and is, to be the wedded husband of Dona
+Isabella of Castile, what shall we say to the next suitor who appeared
+as a pretender to your royal hand--Don Pedro Giron, the Master of
+Calatrava! truly a most worthy lord for a maiden of the royal house! Out
+upon him! A Pachecho might think himself full honorably mated, could he
+have found a damsel of Bobadilla to elevate his race!"
+
+"That ill-assorted union was imposed upon my brother by unworthy
+favorites; and God, in his holy providence, saw fit to defeat their
+wishes, by hurrying their intended bridegroom to an unexpected grave!"
+
+"Ay! had it not pleased his blessed will so to dispose of Don Pedro,
+other means would not have been wanting!"
+
+"This little hand of thine, Beatriz," returned the princess, gravely,
+though she smiled affectionately on her friend as she took the hand in
+question, "was not made for the deed its owner menaced."
+
+"That which its owner menaced," replied Beatriz, with eyes flashing
+fire, "this hand would have executed, before Isabella of Castile should
+be the doomed bride of the Grand Master of Calatrava. What! was the
+purest, loveliest virgin of Castile, and she of royal birth--nay, the
+rightful heiress of the crown--to be sacrificed to a lawless libertine,
+because it had pleased Don Henry to forget his station and duties, and
+make a favorite of a craven miscreant!"
+
+"Thou always forgettest, Beatriz, that Don Enriquez is our lord the
+king, and my royal brother."
+
+"I do not forget, Senora, that you are the royal sister of our lord the
+king, and that Pedro de Giron, or Pachecho, whichever it might suit the
+ancient Portuguese page to style him, was altogether unworthy to sit in
+your presence, much less to become your wedded husband. Oh! what days of
+anguish were those, my gracious lady, when your knees ached with bending
+in prayer, that this might not be! But God would not permit it--neither
+would I! That dagger should have pierced his heart, before ear of his
+should have heard the vows of Isabella of Castile!"
+
+"Speak no more of this, good Beatriz, I pray thee," said the princess,
+shuddering, and crossing herself; "they were, in sooth, days of anguish;
+but what were they in comparison with the passion of the Son of God, who
+gave himself a sacrifice for our sins! Name it not, then; it was good
+for my soul to be thus tried; and thou knowest that the evil was turned
+from me--more, I doubt not, by the efficacy of our prayers, than by that
+of thy dagger. If thou wilt speak of my suitors, surely there are others
+better worthy of the trouble."
+
+A light gleamed about the dark eye of Beatriz, and a smile struggled
+toward her pretty mouth; for well did she understand that the royal, but
+bashful maiden, would gladly hear something of him on whom her choice
+had finally fallen. Although ever disposed to do that which was grateful
+to her mistress, with a woman's coquetry, Beatriz determined to approach
+the more pleasing part of the subject coyly, and by a regular gradation
+of events, in the order in which they had actually occurred.
+
+"Then, there was Monsieur de Guienne, the brother of King Louis of
+France," she resumed, affecting contempt in her manner; "_he_ would fain
+become the husband of the future Queen of Castile! But even our most
+unworthy Castilians soon saw the unfitness of that union. Their pride
+was unwilling to run the chance of becoming a fief of France."
+
+"That misfortune could never have befallen our beloved Castile,"
+interrupted Isabella with dignity; "had I espoused the King of France
+himself, he would have learned to respect me as the Queen Proprietor of
+this ancient realm, and not have looked upon me as a subject."
+
+"Then, Senora," continued Beatriz, looking up into Isabella's face, and
+laughing--"was your own royal kinsman, Don Ricardo of Gloucester; he
+that they say was born with teeth, and who carries already a burthen so
+heavy on his back, that he may well thank his patron saint that he is
+not also to be loaded with the affairs of Castile."[1]
+
+[Footnote 1: NOTE--The authorities differ as to which of the English
+princes was the suitor of Isabella; Edward IV. himself, Clarence, or
+Richard. Isabella was the grand-daughter of Catherine of Lancaster, who
+was a daughter of John of Gaunt.]
+
+"Thy tongue runneth riot, Beatriz. They tell me that Don Ricardo is a
+noble and aspiring prince; that he is, one day, likely to wed some
+princess, whose merit may well console him for his failure in Castile.
+But what more hast thou to offer concerning my suitors?"
+
+"Nay, what more can I say, my beloved mistress? We have now reached Don
+Fernando, literally the first, as he proveth to be the last, and as we
+know him to be, the best of them all."
+
+"I think I have been guided by the motives that become my birth and
+future hopes, in choosing Don Ferdinand," said Isabella, meekly, though
+she was uneasy in spite of her royal views of matrimony; "since nothing
+can so much tend to the peace of our dear kingdom, and to the success of
+the great cause of Christianity, as to unite Castile and Aragon under
+one crown."
+
+"By uniting their sovereigns in holy wedlock," returned Beatriz, with
+respectful gravity, though a smile again struggled around her pouting
+lips. "What if Don Fernando is the most youthful, the handsomest, the
+most valiant, and the most agreeable prince in Christendom, it is no
+fault of yours, since you did not make him, but have only accepted him
+for a husband!"
+
+"Nay, this exceedeth discretion and respect, my good Beatriz," returned
+Isabella, affecting to frown, even while she blushed deeply at her own
+emotions, and looked gratified at the praises of her betrothed. "Thou
+knowest that I have never beheld my cousin, the King of Sicily."
+
+"Very true, Senora; but Father Alonso de Coca hath--and a surer eye, or
+truer tongue than his, do not exist in Castile."
+
+"Beatriz, I pardon thy license, however unjust and unseemly, because I
+know thou lovest me, and lookest rather at mine own happiness, than at
+that of my people," said the princess, the effect of whose gravity now
+was not diminished by any betrayal of natural feminine weakness--for she
+felt slightly offended. "Thou knowest, or ought'st to know, that a
+maiden of royal birth is bound principally to consult the interests of
+the state, in bestowing her hand, and that the idle fancies of village
+girls have little in common with her duties. Nay, what virgin of noble
+extraction, like thyself, even, would dream of aught else than of
+submitting to the counsel of her family, in taking a husband? If I have
+selected Don Fernando of Aragon, from among many princes, it is,
+doubtless, because the alliance is more suited to the interests of
+Castile, than any other that hath offered. Thou seest, Beatriz, that the
+Castilians and the Aragonese spring from the same source, and have the
+same habits and prejudices. They speak the same language"--
+
+"Nay, dearest lady, do not confound the pure Castilian with the dialect
+of the mountains!"
+
+"Well, have thy fling, wayward one, if thou wilt; but we can easier
+teach the nobles of Aragon our purer Spanish, than we can teach it to
+the Gaul. Then, Don Fernando is of my own race; the House of Trastamara
+cometh of Castile and her monarchs, and we may at least hope that the
+King of Sicily will be able to make himself understood."
+
+"If he could not, he were no true knight! The man whose tongue should
+fail him, when the stake was a royal maiden of a beauty surpassing that
+of the dawn--of an excellence that already touches on heaven--of a
+crown"--
+
+"Girl, girl, thy tongue is getting the mastery of thee--such discourse
+ill befitteth thee and me."
+
+"And yet, Dona Ysabel, my tongue is close bound to my heart."
+
+"I do believe thee, my good Beatriz; but we should bethink us both of
+our last shrivings, and of the ghostly counsel that we then received.
+Such nattering discourse seemeth light, when we remember our manifold
+transgressions, and our many occasions for forgiveness. As for this
+marriage, I would have thee think that it has been contracted on my
+part, with the considerations and motives of a princess, and not through
+any light indulgence of my fancies. Thou knowest that I have never
+beheld Don Fernando, and that he hath never even looked upon me."
+
+"Assuredly, dearest lady and honored mistress, all this I know, and see,
+and believe; and I also agree that it were unseemly and little befitting
+her birth, for even a noble maiden to contract the all-important
+obligations of marriage, with no better motive than the light impulses
+of a country wench. Nothing is more just than that we are alike bound to
+consult our own dignity, and the wishes of kinsmen and friends; and that
+our duty, and the habits of piety and submission in which we have been
+reared, are better pledges for our connubial affection than any caprices
+of a girlish imagination. Still, my honored lady, it is most fortunate
+that your high obligations point to one as youthful, brave, noble, and
+chivalrous, as is the King of Sicily, as we well know, by Father
+Alonso's representations, to be the fact; and that all my friends unite
+in saying that Don Andres de Cabrera, madcap and silly as he is, will
+make an exceedingly excellent husband for Beatriz de Bobadilla!"
+
+Isabella, habitually dignified and reserved as she was, had her
+confidants and her moments for unbending; and Beatriz was the principal
+among the former, while the present instant was one of the latter. She
+smiled, therefore, at this sally; and parting, with her own fair hand,
+the dark locks on the brow of her friend, she regarded her much as the
+mother regards her child, when sudden passages of tenderness come over
+the heart.
+
+"If madcap should wed madcap, _thy_ friends, at least, have judged
+rightly," answered the princess. Then, pausing an instant, as if in deep
+thought, she continued in a graver manner, though modesty shone in her
+tell-tale complexion, and the sensibility that beamed in her eyes
+betrayed that she now felt more as a woman than as a future queen bent
+only on the happiness of her people: "As this interview draweth near, I
+suffer an embarrassment I had not thought it easy to inflict on an
+Infanta of Castile. To thee, my faithful Beatriz, I will acknowledge,
+that were the King of Sicily as old as Don Alfonso of Portugal, or were
+he as effeminate and unmanly as Monsieur of Guienne; were he, in sooth,
+less engaging and young, I should feel less embarrassment in meeting
+him, than I now experience."
+
+"This is passing strange, Senora! Now, I will confess that I would not
+willingly abate in Don Andres, one hour of his life, which has been
+sufficiently long as it is; one grace of his person, if indeed the
+honest cavalier hath any to boast of; or one single perfection of either
+body or mind."
+
+"Thy case is not mine, Beatriz. Thou knowest the Marquis of Moya; hast
+listened to his discourse, and art accustomed to his praises and his
+admiration."
+
+"Holy St. Iago of Spain! Do not distrust any thing, Senora, on account
+of unfamiliarity with such matters--for, of all learning, it is easiest
+to learn to relish praise and admiration!"
+
+"True, daughter"--(for so Isabella often termed her friend, though her
+junior: in later life, and after the princess had become a queen, this,
+indeed, was her usual term of endearment)--"true, daughter, when praise
+and admiration are freely given and fairly merited. But I distrust,
+myself, my claims to be thus viewed, and the feelings with which Don
+Fernando may first behold me. I know--nay, I _feel_ him to be graceful,
+and noble, and valiant, and generous, and good; comely to the eye, and
+strict of duty to our holy religion; as illustrious in qualities as in
+birth; and I tremble to think of my own unsuitableness to be his bride
+and queen."
+
+"God's Justice!--I should like to meet the impudent Aragonese noble that
+would dare to hint as much as this! If Don Fernando is noble, are you
+not nobler, Senora, as coming of the senior branch of the same house; if
+he is young, are you not equally so; if he is wise, are you not wiser;
+if he is comely, are you not more of an angel than a woman; if he is
+valiant, are you not virtuous; if he is graceful, are you not grace
+itself; if he is generous, are you not good, and what is more, are you
+not the very soul of generosity; if he is strict of duty in matters of
+our holy religion, are you not an angel?"
+
+"Good sooth--good sooth--Beatriz, thou art a comforter! I could reprove
+thee for this idle tongue, but I know thee honest."
+
+"This is no more than that deep modesty, honored mistress, which ever
+maketh you quicker to see the merits of others, than to perceive your
+own. Let Don Fernando look to it! Though he come in all the pomp and
+glory of his many crowns, I warrant you we find him a royal maiden in
+Castile, who shall abash him and rebuke his vanity, even while she
+appears before him in the sweet guise of her own meek nature!"
+
+"I have said naught of Don Fernando's vanity, Beatriz--nor do I esteem
+him in the least inclined to so weak a feeling; and as for pomp, we well
+know that gold no more abounds at Zaragosa than at Valladolid, albeit he
+hath many crowns, in possession, and in reserve. Notwithstanding all thy
+foolish but friendly tongue hath uttered, I distrust myself, and not the
+King of Sicily. Methinks I could meet any other prince in Christendom
+with indifference--or, at least, as becometh my rank and sex; but I
+confess, I tremble at the thought of encountering the eyes and opinions
+of my noble cousin."
+
+Beatriz listened with interest; and when her royal mistress ceased
+speaking, she kissed her hand affectionately, and then pressed it to her
+heart.
+
+"Let Don Fernando tremble, rather, Senora, at encountering yours," she
+answered.
+
+"Nay, Beatriz, we know that he hath nothing to dread, for report
+speaketh but too favorably of him. But, why linger here in doubt and
+apprehension, when the staff on which it is my duty to lean, is ready to
+receive its burthen: Father Alonso doubtless waiteth for us, and we will
+now join him."
+
+The princess and her friend now repaired to the chapel of the palace,
+where her confessor celebrated the daily mass. The self-distrust which
+disturbed the feelings of the modest Isabella was appeased by the holy
+rites, or, rather, it took refuge on that rock where she was accustomed
+to place all her troubles, with her sins. As the little assemblage left
+the chapel, one, hot with haste, arrived with the expected, but still
+doubted tidings, that the King of Sicily had reached Duenas in safety,
+and that, as he was now in the very centre of his supporters, there
+could no longer be any reasonable distrust of the speedy celebration of
+the contemplated marriage.
+
+Isabella was much overcome with this news, and required more than usual
+of the care of Beatriz de Bobadilla, to restore her to that sweet
+serenity of mind and air, which ordinarily rendered her presence as
+attractive as it was commanding. An hour or two spent in meditation and
+prayer, however, finally produced a gentle calm in her feelings, and
+these two friends were again alone, in the very apartment where we first
+introduced them to the reader.
+
+"Hast thou seen Don Andres de Cabrera?" demanded the princess, taking a
+hand from a brow which had been often pressed in a sort of bewildered
+recollection.
+
+Beatriz de Bobadilla blushed--and then she laughed outright, with a
+freedom that the long-established affection of her mistress did not
+rebuke.
+
+"For a youth of thirty, and a cavalier well hacked in the wars of the
+Moors, Don Andres hath a nimble foot," she answered. "He brought hither
+the tidings of the arrival; and with it he brought his own delightful
+person, to show it was no lie. For one so experienced, he hath a strong
+propensity to talk; and so, in sooth, while you, my honored mistress,
+would be in your closet alone, I could but listen to all the marvels of
+the journey. It seems, Senora, that they did not reach Duenas any too
+soon; for the only purse among them was mislaid, or blown away by the
+wind on account of its lightness."
+
+"I trust this accident hath been repaired. Few of the house of
+Trastamara have much gold at this trying moment, and yet none are wont
+to be entirely without it."
+
+"Don Andres is neither beggar nor miser. He is now in our Castile, where
+I doubt not he is familiar with the Jews and money-lenders; as these
+last must know the full value of his lands, the King of Sicily will not
+want. I hear, too, that the Count of Trevino hath conducted nobly with
+him."
+
+"It shall be well for the Count of Trevino that he hath had this
+liberality. But, Beatriz, bring forth the writing materials; it is meet
+that I, at once, acquaint Don Enriquez with this event, and with my
+purpose of marriage."
+
+"Nay, dearest mistress, this is out of all rule. When a maiden, gentle
+or simple, intendeth marriage against her kinsmen's wishes, it is the
+way to wed first, and to write the letter and ask the blessing when the
+evil is done."
+
+"Go to, light-of-speech! Thou hast spoken; now bring the pens and paper.
+The king is not only my lord and sovereign, but he is my nearest of kin,
+and should be my father."
+
+"And Dona Joanna of Portugal, his royal consort, and our illustrious
+queen, should be your mother; and a fitting guide would she be to any
+modest virgin! No--no--my beloved mistress; your royal mother was the
+Dona Isabella of Portugal--and a very different princess was she from
+this, her wanton niece."
+
+"Thou givest thyself too much license, Dona Beatriz, and forgettest my
+request. I desire to write to my brother the king."
+
+It was so seldom that Isabella spoke sternly, that her friend started,
+and the tears rushed to her eyes at this rebuke; but she procured the
+writing materials, before she presumed to look into Isabella's face, in
+order to ascertain if she were really angered. There all was beautiful
+serenity again; and the Lady of Bobadilla, perceiving that her
+mistress's mind was altogether occupied with the matter before her, and
+that she had already forgotten her displeasure, chose to make no further
+allusion to the subject.
+
+Isabella now wrote her celebrated letter, in which she appeared to
+forget all her natural timidity, and to speak solely as a princess. By
+the treaty of Toros de Guisando, in which, setting aside the claims of
+Joanna of Portugal's daughter, she had been recognized as the heiress of
+the throne, it had been stipulated that she should not marry without the
+king's consent; and she now apologized for the step she was about to
+take, on the substantial plea that her enemies had disregarded the
+solemn compact entered into not to urge her into any union that was
+unsuitable or disagreeable to herself. She then alluded to the political
+advantages that would follow the union of the crowns of Castile and
+Aragon, and solicited the king's approbation of the step she was about
+to take. This letter, after having been submitted to John de Vivero, and
+others of her council, was dispatched by a special messenger--after
+which act the arrangements necessary as preliminaries to a meeting
+between the betrothed were entered into. Castilian etiquette was
+proverbial, even in that age; and the discussion led to a proposal that
+Isabella rejected with her usual modesty and discretion.
+
+"It seemeth to me," said John de Vivero, "that this alliance should not
+take place without some admission, on the part of Don Fernando, of the
+inferiority of Aragon to our own Castile. The house of the latter
+kingdom is but a junior branch of the reigning House of Castile, and the
+former territory of old was admitted to have a dependency on the
+latter."
+
+This proposition was much applauded, until the beautiful and natural
+sentiments of the princess, herself, interposed to expose its weakness
+and its deformities.
+
+"It is doubtless true," she said, "that Don Juan of Aragon is the son of
+the younger brother of my royal grandfather; but he is none the less a
+king. Nay, besides his crown of Aragon--a country, if thou wilt, which
+is inferior to Castile--he hath those of Naples and Sicily; not to speak
+of Navarre, over which he ruleth, although it may not be with too much
+right. Don Fernando even weareth the crown of Sicily, by the
+renunciation of Don Juan; and shall he, a crowned sovereign, make
+concessions to one who is barely a princess, and whom it may never
+please God to conduct to a throne? Moreover, Don John of Vivero, I
+beseech thee to remember the errand that bringeth the King of Sicily to
+Valladolid. Both he and I have two parts to perform, and two characters
+to maintain--those of prince and princess, and those of Christians
+wedded and bound by holy marriage ties. It would ill become one that is
+about to take on herself the duties and obligations of a wife, to begin
+the intercourse with exactions that should be humiliating to the pride
+and self-respect of her lord. Aragon may truly be an inferior realm to
+Castile--but Ferdinand of Aragon is even now every way the equal of
+Isabella of Castile; and when he shall receive my vows, and, with them,
+my duty and my affections"--Isabella's color deepened, and her mild eye
+lighted with a sort of holy enthusiasm--"as befitteth a woman, though an
+infidel, he would become, in some particulars, my superior. Let me,
+then, hear no more of this; for it could not nearly as much pain Don
+Fernando to make the concessions ye require, as it paineth me to hear of
+them."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III.
+
+     "Nice customs curt'sy to great kings. Dear Kate, you and I
+     cannot be confined within the weak list of a country's fashion.
+     We are the makers of manners; and the liberty that follows our
+     places, stops the mouths of all fault-finders."--Henry V.
+
+
+Notwithstanding her high resolution, habitual firmness, and a serenity
+of mind, that seemed to pervade the moral system of Isabella, like a
+deep, quiet current of enthusiasm, but which it were truer to assign to
+the high and fixed principles that guided all her actions, her heart
+beat tumultuously, and her native reserve, which almost amounted to
+shyness, troubled her sorely, as the hour arrived when she was first to
+behold the prince she had accepted for a husband. Castilian etiquette,
+no less than the magnitude of the political interests involved in the
+intended union, had drawn out the preliminary negotiations several days;
+the bridegroom being left, all that time, to curb his impatience to
+behold the princess, as best he might.
+
+On the evening of the 15th of October, 1469, however, every obstacle
+being at length removed, Don Fernando threw himself into the saddle,
+and, accompanied by only four attendants, among whom was Andres de
+Cabrera, he quietly took his way, without any of the usual
+accompaniments of his high rank, toward the palace of John of Vivero, in
+the city of Valladolid. The Archbishop of Toledo was of the faction of
+the princess, and this prelate, a warlike and active partisan, was in
+readiness to receive the accepted suitor, and to conduct him to the
+presence of his mistress.
+
+Isabella, attended only by Beatriz de Bobadilla, was in waiting for the
+interview, in the apartment already mentioned; and by one of those
+mighty efforts that even the most retiring of the sex can make, on great
+occasions, she received her future husband with quite as much of the
+dignity of a princess as of the timidity of a woman. Ferdinand of Aragon
+had been prepared to meet one of singular grace and beauty; but the
+mixture of angelic modesty with a loveliness that almost surpassed that
+of her sex, produced a picture approaching so much nearer to heaven than
+to earth, that, though one of circumspect behavior, and much accustomed
+to suppress emotion, he actually started, and his feet were momentarily
+riveted to the floor, when the glorious vision first met his eye. Then,
+recovering himself, he advanced eagerly, and taking the little hand
+which neither met nor repulsed the attempt, he pressed it to his lips
+with a warmth that seldom accompanies the first interviews of those
+whose passions are usually so factitious.
+
+"This happy moment hath at length arrived, my illustrious and beautiful
+cousin!" he said, with a truth of feeling that went directly to the pure
+and tender heart of Isabella; for no skill in courtly phrases can ever
+give to the accents of deceit, the point and emphasis that belong to
+sincerity. "I have thought it would never arrive; but this blessed
+moment--thanks to our own St. Iago, whom I have not ceased to implore
+with intercessions--more than rewards me for all anxieties."
+
+"I thank my Lord the Prince, and bid him right welcome," modestly
+returned Isabella. "The difficulties that have been overcome, in order
+to effect this meeting, are but types of the difficulties we shall have
+to conquer as we advance through life."
+
+Then followed a few courteous expressions concerning the hopes of the
+princess that her cousin had wanted for nothing, since his arrival in
+Castile, with suitable answers; when Don Ferdinand led her to an
+armed-chair, assuming himself the stool on which Beatriz de Bobadilla
+was wont to be seated, in her familiar intercourse with her royal
+mistress. Isabella, however, sensitively alive to the pretensions of the
+Castilians, who were fond of asserting the superiority of their own
+country over that of Aragon, would not quietly submit to this
+arrangement, but declined to be seated, unless her suitor would take the
+chair prepared for him also, saying--
+
+"It ill befitteth one who hath little more than some royalty of blood,
+and her dependence on God, to be thus placed, while the King of Sicily
+is so unworthily bestowed."
+
+"Let me entreat that it may be so," returned the king. "All
+considerations of earthly rank vanish in this presence; view me as a
+knight, ready and desirous of proving his fealty in any court or field
+of Christendom, and treat me as such."
+
+Isabella, who had that high tact which teaches the precise point where
+breeding becomes neuter and airs commence, blushed and smiled, but no
+longer declined to be seated. It was not so much the mere words of her
+cousin that went to her heart, as the undisguised admiration of his
+looks, the animation of his eye, and the frank sincerity of his manner.
+With a woman's instinct she perceived that the impression she had made
+was favorable, and, with a woman's sensibility, her heart was ready,
+under the circumstances, to dissolve in tenderness at the discovery.
+This mutual satisfaction soon opened the way to a freer conversation;
+and, ere half an hour was passed, the archbishop--who, though officially
+ignorant of the language and wishes of lovers, was practically
+sufficiently familiar with both--contrived to draw the two or three
+courtiers who were present, into an adjoining room, where, though the
+door continued open, he placed them with so much discretion that neither
+eye nor ear could be any restraint on what was passing. As for Beatriz
+de Bobadilla, whom female etiquette required should remain in the same
+room with her royal mistress, she was so much engaged with Andres de
+Cabrera, that half a dozen thrones might have been disposed of between
+the royal pair, and she none the wiser.
+
+Although Isabella did not lose that mild reserve and feminine modesty
+that threw so winning a grace around her person, even to the day of her
+death, she gradually grew more calm as the discourse proceeded; and,
+falling back on her self-respect, womanly dignity, and, not a little, on
+those stores of knowledge that she had been diligently collecting, while
+others similarly situated had wasted their time in the vanities of
+courts, she was quickly at her ease, if not wholly in that tranquil
+state of mind to which she had been accustomed.
+
+"I trust there can now be no longer any delay to the celebration of our
+union by holy church," observed the king, in continuation of the
+subject. "All that can be required of us both, as those entrusted with
+the cares and interests of realms, hath been observed, and I may have a
+claim to look to my own happiness. We are not strangers to each other,
+Dona Isabella; for our grandfathers were brothers, and from infancy up,
+have I been taught to reverence thy virtues, and to strive to emulate
+thy holy duty to God."
+
+"I have not betrothed myself lightly, Don Fernando," returned the
+princess, blushing, even while she assumed the majesty of a queen; "and
+with the subject so fully discussed, the wisdom of the union so fully
+established, and the necessity of promptness so apparent, no idle delays
+shall proceed from me. I had thought that the ceremony might be had on
+the fourth day from this, which will give us both time to prepare for an
+occasion so solemn, by suitable attention to the offices of the church."
+
+"It must be as thou wiliest," said the king, respectfully bowing; "and
+now there remaineth but a few preparations, and we shall have no
+reproaches of forgetfulness. Thou knowest, Dona Isabella, how sorely my
+father is beset by his enemies, and I need scarce tell thee that his
+coffers are empty. In good sooth, my fair cousin, nothing but my earnest
+desire to possess myself, at as early a day as possible, of the precious
+boon that Providence and thy goodness"--
+
+"Mingle not, Don Fernando, any of the acts of God and his providence,
+with the wisdom and petty expedients of his creatures," said Isabella,
+earnestly.
+
+"To seize upon the precious boon, then, that Providence appeared willing
+to bestow," rejoined the king, crossing himself, while he bowed his
+head, as much, perhaps, in deference to the pious feelings of his
+affianced wife, as in deference to a higher Power--"would not admit of
+delay, and we quitted Zaragosa better provided with hearts loyal toward
+the treasures we were to find in Valladolid, than with gold. Even that
+we had, by a mischance, hath gone to enrich some lucky varlet in an
+inn."
+
+"Dona Beatriz de Bobadilla hath acquainted me with the mishap," said
+Isabella, smiling; "and truly we shall commence our married lives with
+but few of the goods of the world in present possession. I have little
+more to offer thee, Fernando, than a true heart, and a spirit that I
+think may be trusted for its fidelity."
+
+"In obtaining thee, my excellent cousin, I obtain sufficient to satisfy
+the desires of any reasonable man. Still, something is due to our rank
+and future prospects, and it shall not be said that thy nuptials passed
+like those of a common subject."
+
+"Under ordinary circumstances it might not appear seemly for one of my
+sex to furnish the means for her own bridal," answered the princess, the
+blood stealing to her face until it crimsoned even her brow and temples;
+maintaining, otherwise, that beautiful tranquillity of mien which marked
+her ordinary manner--"but the well-being of two states depending on our
+union, vain emotions must be suppressed. I am not without jewels, and
+Valladolid hath many Hebrews: thou wilt permit me to part with the
+baubles for such an object."
+
+"So that thou preservest for me the jewel in which that pure mind is
+encased," said the King of Sicily, gallantly, "I care not if I never see
+another. But there will not be this need; for our friends, who have more
+generous souls than well-filled coffers too, can give such warranty to
+the lenders as will procure the means. I charge myself with this duty,
+for henceforth, my cousin--may I not say my betrothed!"--
+
+"The term is even dearer than any that belongeth to blood, Fernando,"
+answered the princess, with a simple sincerity of manner that set at
+nought the ordinary affectations and artificial feelings of her sex,
+while it left the deepest reverence for her modesty--"and we might be
+excused for using it. I trust God will bless our union, not only to our
+own happiness, but to that of our people."
+
+"Then, my betrothed, henceforth we have but a common fortune, and thou
+wilt trust in me for the provision for thy wants."
+
+"Nay, Fernando," answered Isabella, smiling, "imagine what we will, we
+cannot imagine ourselves the children of two hidalgos about to set forth
+in the world with humble dowries. Thou art a king, even now; and by the
+treaty of Toros de Guisando, I am solemnly recognized as the heiress of
+Castile. We must, therefore, have our separate means, as well as our
+separate duties, though I trust hardly our separate interests."
+
+"Thou wilt never find me failing in that respect which is due to thy
+rank, or in that duty which it befitteth me to render thee, as the head
+of our ancient House, next to thy royal brother, the king."
+
+"Thou hast well considered, Don Fernando, the treaty of marriage, and
+accepted cheerfully, I trust, all of its several conditions?"
+
+"As becometh the importance of the measures, and the magnitude of the
+benefit I was to receive."
+
+"I would have them acceptable to thee, as well as expedient; for, though
+so soon to become thy wife, I can never cease to remember that I shall
+be Queen of this country."
+
+"Thou mayest be assured, my beautiful betrothed, that Ferdinand of
+Aragon will be the last to deem thee aught else."
+
+"I look on my duties as coming from God, and on myself as one rigidly
+accountable to him for their faithful discharge. Sceptres may not be
+treated as toys, Fernando, to be trifled with; for man beareth no
+heavier burden, than when he beareth a crown."
+
+"The maxims of our House have not been forgotten in Aragon, my
+betrothed--and I rejoice to find that they are the same in both
+kingdoms."
+
+"We are not to think principally of ourselves in entering upon this
+engagement," continued Isabella, earnestly--"for that would be
+supplanting the duties of princes by the feelings of the lover. Thou
+hast frequently perused, and sufficiently conned the marriage articles,
+I trust?"
+
+"There hath been sufficient leisure for that, my cousin, as they have
+now been signed these nine months."
+
+"If I may have seemed to thee exacting in some particulars," continued
+Isabella, with the same earnest and beautiful simplicity as usually
+marked her deportment in all the relations of life--"it is because the
+duties of a sovereign may not be overlooked. Thou knowest, moreover,
+Fernando, the influence that the husband is wont to acquire over the
+wife, and wilt feel the necessity of my protecting my Castilians, in the
+fullest manner, against my own weaknesses."
+
+"If thy Castilians do not suffer until they suffer from that cause, Dona
+Isabella, their lot will indeed be blessed."
+
+"These are words of gallantry, and I must reprove their use on an
+occasion so serious, Fernando. I am a few months thy senior, and shall
+assume an elder sister's rights, until they are lost in the obligations
+of a wife. Thou hast seen in those articles, how anxiously I would
+protect my Castilians against any supremacy of the stranger. Thou
+knowest that many of the greatest of this realm are opposed to our
+union, through apprehension of Aragonese sway, and wilt observe how
+studiously we have striven to appease their jealousies."
+
+"Thy motives, Dona Isabella, have been understood, and thy wishes in
+this and all other particulars shall be respected."
+
+"I would be thy faithful and submissive wife," returned the princess,
+with an earnest but gentle look at her betrothed; "but I would also that
+Castile should preserve her rights and her independence. What will be
+thy influence, the maiden that freely bestoweth her hand, need hardly
+say; but we must preserve the appearance of separate states."
+
+"Confide in me, my cousin. They who live fifty years hence will say that
+Don Fernando knew how to respect his obligations and to discharge his
+duty."
+
+"There is the stipulation, too, to war upon the Moor. I shall never feel
+that the Christians of Spain have been true to the faith, while the
+follower of the arch-imposter of Mecca remaineth in the peninsula."
+
+"Thou and thy archbishop could not have imposed a more agreeable duty,
+than to place my lance in rest against the infidels. My spurs have been
+gained in those wars, already; and no sooner shall we be crowned, than
+thou wilt see my perfect willingness to aid in driving back the
+miscreants to their original sands."
+
+"There remaineth but one thing more upon my mind, gentle cousin. Thou
+knowest the evil influence that besets my brother, and that it hath
+disaffected a large portion of his nobles as well as of his cities. We
+shall both be sorely tempted to wage war upon him, and to assume the
+sceptre before it pleaseth God to accord it to us, in the course of
+nature. I would have thee respect Don Enriquez, not only as the head of
+our royal house, but as my brother and anointed master. Should evil
+counsellors press him to attempt aught against our persons or rights, it
+will be lawful to resist; but I pray thee, Fernando, on no excuse seek
+to raise thy hand in rebellion against my rightful sovereign."
+
+"Let Don Enriquez, then, be chary of his Beltraneja!" answered the
+prince with warmth. "By St. Peter! I have rights of mine own that come
+before those of that ill-gotten mongrel! The whole House of Trastamara
+hath an interest in stifling that spurious scion which hath been so
+fraudulently engrafted on its princely stock!"
+
+"Thou art warm, Don Fernando, and even the eye of Beatriz de Bobadilla
+reproveth thy heat. The unfortunate Joanna never can impair our rights
+to the throne, for there are few nobles in Castile so unworthy as to
+wish to see the crown bestowed where it is believed the blood of Pelayo
+doth not flow."
+
+"Don Enriquez hath not kept faith with thee, Isabella, since the treaty
+of Toros de Guisando!"
+
+"My brother is surrounded by wicked counsellors--and then,
+Fernando,"--the princess blushed crimson as she spoke--"neither have we
+been able rigidly to adhere to that convention, since one of its
+conditions was that my hand should not be bestowed without the consent
+of the king."
+
+"He hath driven us into this measure, and hath only to reproach himself
+with our failure on this point."
+
+"I endeavor so to view it, though many have been my prayers for
+forgiveness of this seeming breach of faith. I am not superstitious,
+Fernando, else might I think God would frown on a union that is
+contracted in the face of pledges like these. But, it is well to
+distinguish between motives, and we have a right to believe that He who
+readeth the heart, will not judge the well-intentioned severely. Had not
+Don Enriquez attempted to seize my person, with the plain purpose of
+forcing me to a marriage against my will, this decisive step could not
+have been necessary, and would not have been taken."
+
+"I have reason to thank my patron saint, beautiful cousin, that thy will
+was less compliant than thy tyrants had believed."
+
+"I could not plight my troth to the King of Portugal, or to Monsieur de
+Guienne, or to any that they proposed to me, for my future lord,"
+answered Isabella, ingenuously. "It ill befitted royal or noble maidens
+to set up their own inexperienced caprices in opposition to the wisdom
+of their friends, and the task is not difficult for a virtuous wife to
+learn to love her husband, when nature and opinion are not too openly
+violated in the choice; but I have had too much thought for my soul to
+wish to expose it to so severe a trial, in contracting the marriage
+duties."
+
+"I feel that I am only too unworthy of thee, Isabella--but thou must
+train me to be that thou wouldst wish; I can only promise thee a most
+willing and attentive scholar."
+
+The discourse now became more general, Isabella indulging her natural
+curiosity and affectionate nature, by making many inquiries concerning
+her different relatives in Aragon. After the interview had lasted two
+hours or more, the King of Sicily returned to Duenas, with the same
+privacy as he had observed in entering the town. The royal pair parted
+with feelings of increased esteem and respect, Isabella indulging in
+those gentle anticipations of domestic happiness that more properly
+belong to the tender nature of woman.
+
+The marriage took place, with suitable pomp, on the morning of the 19th
+October, 1469, in the chapel of John de Vivero's palace; no less than
+two thousand persons, principally of condition, witnessing the ceremony.
+Just as the officiating priest was about to commence the offices, the
+eye of Isabella betrayed uneasiness, and turning to the Archbishop of
+Toledo, she said--
+
+"Your grace hath promised that there should be nothing wanting to the
+consent of the church on this solemn occasion. It is known that Don
+Fernando of Aragon and I stand within the prohibited degrees."
+
+"Most true, my Lady Isabella," returned the prelate, with a composed
+mien and a paternal smile. "Happily, our Holy Father Pius hath removed
+this impediment, and the church smileth on this blessed union in every
+particular."
+
+The archbishop then took out of his pocket a dispensation, which he
+read, in a clear, sonorous, steady voice; when every shade disappeared
+from the serene brow of Isabella, and the ceremony proceeded. Years
+elapsed before this pious and submissive Christian princess discovered
+that she had been imposed on, the bull that was then read having been an
+invention of the old King of Aragon and the prelate, not without
+suspicions of a connivance on the part of the bridegroom. This deception
+had been practised from a perfect conviction that the sovereign pontiff
+was too much under the influence of the King of Castile, to consent to
+bestow the boon in opposition to that monarch's wishes. It was several
+years before Sixtus IV. repaired this wrong, by granting a more genuine
+authority.
+
+Nevertheless, Ferdinand and Isabella became man and wife. What followed
+in the next twenty years must be rather glanced at than related. Henry
+IV. resented the step, and vain attempts were made to substitute his
+supposititious child, La Beltraneja, in the place of his sister, as
+successor to the throne. A civil war ensued, during which Isabella
+steadily refused to assume the crown, though often entreated; limiting
+her efforts to the maintenance of her rights as heiress presumptive. In
+1474, or five years after her marriage, Don Henry died, and she then
+became Queen of Castile, though her spurious niece was also proclaimed
+by a small party among her subjects. The war of the succession, as it
+was called, lasted five years longer, when Joanna, or La Beltraneja,
+assumed the veil, and the rights of Isabella were generally
+acknowledged. About the same time, died Don John II., when Ferdinand
+mounted the throne of Aragon. These events virtually reduced the
+sovereignties of the peninsula, which had so long been cut up into petty
+states, to four, viz., the possessions of Ferdinand and Isabella, which
+included Castile, Leon, Aragon, Valencia, and many other of the finest
+provinces of Spain; Navarre, an insignificant kingdom in the Pyrenees;
+Portugal, much as it exists to-day; and Granada, the last abiding-place
+of the Moor, north of the strait of Gibraltar.
+
+Neither Ferdinand, nor his royal consort, was forgetful of that clause
+in their marriage contract, which bound the former to undertake a war
+for the destruction of the Moorish power. The course of events, however,
+caused a delay of many years, in putting this long-projected plan in
+execution; but when the time finally arrived, that Providence which
+seemed disposed to conduct the pious Isabella, through a train of
+important incidents, from the reduced condition in which we have just
+described her to have been, to the summit of human power, did not desert
+its favorite. Success succeeded success--and victory, victory; until the
+Moor had lost fortress after fortress, town after town, and was finally
+besieged in his very capital--his last hold in the peninsula. As the
+reduction of Granada was an event that, in Christian eyes, was to be
+ranked second only to the rescuing of the holy sepulchre from the hands
+of the Infidels, so was it distinguished by some features of
+singularity, that have probably never before marked the course of a
+siege. The place submitted on the 25th November, 1491--twenty-two years
+after the date of the marriage just mentioned, and, it may not be amiss
+to observe, on the very day of the year that has become memorable in the
+annals of this country, as that on which the English, three centuries
+later, reluctantly yielded their last foothold on the coast of the
+republic.
+
+In the course of the preceding summer, while the Spanish forces lay
+before the town, and Isabella, with her children, were anxious witnesses
+of the progress of events, an accident occurred that had well nigh
+proved fatal to the royal family, and brought destruction on the
+Christian arms. The pavillion of the queen took fire, and was consumed,
+placing the whole encampment in the utmost jeopardy. Many of the tents
+of the nobles were also destroyed, and much treasure, in the shape of
+jewelry and plate, was lost, though the injury went no further. In order
+to guard against the recurrence of such an accident, and probably
+viewing the subjection of Granada as the great act of their mutual
+reign--for, as yet, Time threw his veil around the future, and but one
+human eye foresaw the greatest of all the events of the period, which
+was still in reserve--the sovereigns resolved on attempting a work that,
+of itself, would render this siege memorable. The plan of a regular town
+was made, and laborers set about the construction of good substantial
+edifices, in which to lodge the army; thus converting the warfare into
+that of something like city against city. In three months this
+stupendous work was completed, with its avenues, streets, and squares,
+and received the name of Santa Fe, or Holy Faith--an appellation quite
+as well suited to the zeal which could achieve such a work, in the heat
+of a campaign, as to that general reliance on the providence of God
+which animated the Christians in carrying on the war. The construction
+of this place struck terror into the hearts of the Moors, for they
+considered it a proof that their enemies intended to give up the
+conflict only with their lives; and it is highly probable that it had a
+direct and immediate influence on the submission of Boabdil, the King of
+Granada, who yielded the Alhambra a few weeks after the Spaniards had
+taken possession of their new abodes.
+
+Santa Fe still exists, and is visited by the traveller as a place of
+curious origin; while it is rendered remarkable by the fact--real or
+assumed--that it is the only town of any size in Spain, that has never
+been under Moorish sway.
+
+The main incidents of our tale will now transport us to this era, and to
+this scene; all that has been related as yet, being merely introductory
+matter, to prepare the reader for the events that are to follow.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV.
+
+    "What thing a right line is,--the learned know;
+      But how availes that him, who in the right
+    Of life and manners doth desire to grow?
+      What then are all these humane arts, and lights,
+    But seas of errors? In whose depths who sound,
+    Of truth finde only shadowes, and no ground."
+
+    Human Learning.
+
+
+The morning of the 2d of January, 1492, was ushered in with a solemnity
+and pomp that were unusual even in a court and camp as much addicted to
+religious observances and royal magnificence, as that of Ferdinand and
+Isabella. The sun had scarce appeared, when all in the extraordinary
+little city of Santa Fe were afoot, and elate with triumph. The
+negotiations for the surrender of Granada, which had been going on
+secretly for weeks, were terminated; the army and nation had been
+formally apprised of their results, and this was the day set for the
+entry of the conquerors.
+
+The court had been in mourning for Don Alonso of Portugal, the husband
+of the Princess Royal of Castile, who had died a bridegroom; but on this
+joyous occasion the trappings of woe were cast aside, and all appeared
+in their gayest and most magnificent apparel. At an hour that was still
+early, the Grand Cardinal moved forward, ascending what is called the
+Hill of Martyrs, at the head of a strong body of troops, with a view to
+take possession. While making the ascent, a party of Moorish cavaliers
+was met; and at their head rode one in whom, by the dignity of his mien
+and the anguish of his countenance, it was easy to recognize the mental
+suffering of Boabdil, or Abdallah, the deposed monarch. The cardinal
+pointed out the position occupied by Ferdinand, who, with that admixture
+of piety and worldly policy which were so closely interwoven in his
+character, had refused to enter within the walls of the conquered city,
+until the symbol of Christ had superseded the banners of Mahomet; and
+who had taken his station at some distance from the gates, with a
+purpose and display of humility that were suited to the particular
+fanaticism of the period. As the interview that occurred has often been
+related, and twice quite recently by distinguished writers of our own
+country, it is unnecessary to dwell on it here. Abdallah next sought the
+presence of the purer-minded and gentle Isabella, where his reception,
+with less affection of the character, had more of the real charity and
+compassion of the Christian; when he went his way toward that pass in
+the mountains that has ever since been celebrated as the point where he
+took his last view of the palaces and towers of his fathers, from which
+it has obtained the poetical and touching name of El Ultimo Suspiro Del
+Moro.
+
+Although the passage of the last King of Granada, from his palace to the
+hills, was in no manner delayed, as it was grave and conducted with
+dignity, it consequently occupied some time. These were hours in which
+the multitude covered the highways, and the adjacent fields were
+garnished with a living throng, all of whom kept their eyes riveted on
+the towers of the Alhambra, where the signs of possession were anxiously
+looked for by every good Catholic who witnessed the triumph of his
+religion.
+
+Isabella, who had made this conquest a condition in the articles of
+marriage--whose victory in truth it was--abstained, with her native
+modesty, from pressing forward on this occasion. She had placed herself
+at some distance in the rear of the position of Ferdinand.
+Still--unless, indeed, we except the long-coveted towers of the
+Alhambra--she was the centre of attraction. She appeared in royal
+magnificence, as due to the glory of the occasion; her beauty always
+rendered her an object of admiration; her mildness, inflexible justice,
+and unyielding truth, had won all hearts; and she was really the person
+who was most to profit by the victory, Granada being attached to her own
+crown of Castile, and not to that of Aragon, a country that possessed
+little or no contiguous territory.
+
+Previously to the appearance of Abdallah, the crowd moved freely, in all
+directions; multitudes of civilians having flocked to the camp to
+witness the entry. Among others were many friars, priests, and
+monks--the war, indeed, having the character of a crusade. The throng of
+the curious was densest near the person of the queen, where, in truth,
+the magnificence of the court was the most imposing. Around this spot,
+in particular, congregated most of the religious, for they felt that the
+pious mind of Isabella created a sort of moral atmosphere in and near
+her presence, that was peculiarly suited to their habits, and favorable
+to their consideration. Among others, was a friar of prepossessing mien,
+and, in fact, of noble birth, who had been respectfully addressed as
+Father Pedro, by several grandees, as he made his way from the immediate
+presence of the queen, to a spot where the circulation was easier. He
+was accompanied by a youth of an air so much superior to that of most of
+those who did not appear that day in the saddle, that he attracted
+general attention. Although not more than twenty, it was evident, from
+his muscular frame, and embrowned but florid cheeks, that he was
+acquainted with exposure; and by his bearing, many thought,
+notwithstanding he did not appear in armor on an occasion so peculiarly
+military, that both his mien and his frame had been improved by
+familiarity with war. His attire was simple, as if he rather avoided
+than sought observation, but it was, nevertheless, such as was worn by
+none but the noble. Several of those who watched this youth, as he
+reached the less confined portions of the crowd, had seen him received
+graciously by Isabella, whose hand he had even been permitted to kiss, a
+favor that the formal and fastidious court of Castile seldom bestowed
+except on the worthy, or on those, at least, who were unusually
+illustrious from their birth. Some whispered that he was a Guzman, a
+family that was almost royal; while others thought that he might be a
+Ponce, a name that had got to be one of the first in Spain, through the
+deeds of the renowned Marquis-Duke of Cadiz, in this very war; while
+others, again, affected to discern in his lofty brow, firm step, and
+animated eye, the port and countenance of a Mendoza.
+
+It was evident that the subject of all these commentaries was
+unconscious of the notice that was attracted by his vigorous form,
+handsome face, and elastic, lofty tread; for, like one accustomed to be
+observed by inferiors, his attention was confined to such objects as
+amused his eye, or pleased his fancy, while he lent a willing ear to the
+remarks that, from time to time, fell from the lips of his reverend
+companion.
+
+"This is a most blessed and glorious day for Christianity!" observed the
+friar, after a pause a little longer than common. "An impious reign of
+seven hundred years hath expired, and the Moor is at length lowered from
+his pride; while the cross is elevated above the banners of the false
+prophet. Thou hast had ancestors, my son, who might almost arise from
+their tombs, and walk the earth in exultation, if the tidings of these
+changes were permitted to reach the souls of Christians long since
+departed."
+
+"The Blessed Maria intercede for them, father, that they may not be
+disturbed, even to see the Moor unhoused; for I doubt much, agreeable as
+the Infidel hath made it, if they find Granada as pleasant as Paradise."
+
+"Son Don Luis, thou hast got much levity of speech, in thy late
+journeyings; and I doubt if thou art as mindful of thy paters and
+confessions, as when under the care of thy excellent mother, of sainted
+memory!"
+
+This was not only said reprovingly, but with a warmth that amounted
+nearly to anger.
+
+"Chide me not so warmly, father, for a lightness of speech that cometh
+of youthful levity, rather than of disrespect for holy church. Nay, thou
+rebukest warmly, and then, as I come like a penitent to lay my
+transgressions before thee, and to seek absolution, thou fastenest thine
+eye on vacancy, and gazest as if one of the spirits of which thou so
+lately spokest actually had arisen and come to see the Moor crack his
+heart strings at quitting his beloved Alhambra!"
+
+"Dost see that man, Luis!" demanded the friar, still gazing in a fixed
+direction, though he made no gesture to indicate to which particular
+individual of the many who were passing in all directions, he especially
+alluded.
+
+"By my veracity, I see a thousand, father, though not one to fasten the
+eye as if he were fresh from Paradise. Would it be exceeding discretion
+to ask who or what hath thus riveted thy gaze?"
+
+"Dost see yonder person of high and commanding stature, and in whom
+gravity and dignity are so singularly mingled with an air of poverty;
+or, if not absolutely of poverty--for he is better clad, and, seemingly,
+in more prosperity now, than I remember ever to have seen him--still,
+evidently not of the rich and noble; while his bearing and carriage
+would seem to bespeak him at least a monarch?"
+
+"I think I now perceive him thou meanest, father; a man of very grave
+and reverend appearance, though of simple deportment. I see nothing
+extravagant, or ill-placed, either in his attire, or in his bearing."
+
+"I mean not that; but there is a loftiness in his dignified countenance
+that one is not accustomed to meet in those who are unused to power."
+
+"To me, he hath the air and dress of a superior navigator, or pilot--of
+a man accustomed to the seas--ay, he hath sundry symbols about him that
+bespeak such a pursuit."
+
+"Thou art right, Don Luis, for such is his calling. He cometh of Genoa,
+and his name is Christoval Colon; or, as they term it in Italy,
+Christoforo Colombo."
+
+"I remember to have heard of an admiral of that name, who did good
+service in the wars of the south, and who formerly led a fleet into the
+far east."
+
+"This is not he, but one of humbler habits, though possibly of the same
+blood, seeing that both are derived from the identical place. This is no
+admiral, though he would fain become one--ay, even a king!"
+
+"The man is, then, either of a weak mind, or of a light ambition."
+
+"He is neither. In mind, he hath outdone many of our most learned
+churchmen; and it is due to his piety to say that a more devout
+Christian doth not exist in Spain. It is plain, son, that thou hast been
+much abroad, and little at court, or thou wouldst have known the history
+of this extraordinary being, at the mention of his name, which has been
+the source of merriment for the frivolous and gay this many a year, and
+which has thrown the thoughtful and prudent into more doubts than many a
+fierce and baneful heresy."
+
+"Thou stirrest my curiosity, father, by such language. Who and what is
+the man?"
+
+"An enigma, that neither prayers to the Virgin, the learning of the
+cloisters, nor a zealous wish to reach the truth, hath enabled me to
+read. Come hither, Luis, to this bit of rock, where we can be seated,
+and I will relate to thee the opinions that render this being so
+extraordinary. Thou must know, son, it is now seven years since this man
+first appeared among us. He sought employment as a discoverer,
+pretending that, by steering out into the ocean, on a western course,
+for a great and unheard-of distance, he could reach the farther Indies,
+with the rich island of Cipango, and the kingdom of Cathay, of which one
+Marco Polo hath left us some most extraordinary legends!"
+
+"By St. James of blessed memory! the man must be short of his wits!"
+interrupted Don Luis, laughing. "In what way could this thing be, unless
+the earth were round--the Indies lying east, and not west of us?"
+
+"That hath been often objected to his notions; but the man hath ready
+answers to much weightier arguments."
+
+"What weightier than this can be found? Our own eyes tell us that the
+earth is flat."
+
+"Therein he differeth from most men--and to own the truth, son Luis, not
+without some show of reason. He is a navigator, as thou wilt understand,
+and he replies that, on the ocean, when a ship is seen from afar, her
+upper sails are first perceived, and that as she draweth nearer, her
+lower sails, and finally her hull cometh into view. But thou hast been
+over sea, and may have observed something of this?"
+
+"Truly have I, father. While mounting the English sea, we met a gallant
+cruiser of the king's, and, as thou said'st, we first perceived her
+upper sail, a white speck upon the water; then followed sail after sail,
+until we came nigh and saw her gigantic hull, with a very goodly show of
+bombards and cannon--some twenty at least, in all."
+
+"Then thou agreest with this Colon, and thinkest the earth round?"
+
+"By St. George of England! not I. I have seen too much of the world, to
+traduce its fair surface in so heedless a manner. England, France,
+Burgundy, Germany, and all those distant countries of the north, are
+just as level and flat as our own Castile."
+
+"Why, then, didst thou see the upper sails of the Englishman first?"
+
+"Why, father--why--because they were first visible. Yes, because they
+came first into view."
+
+"Do the English put the largest of their sails uppermost on the masts?"
+
+"They would be fools if they did. Though no great navigators--our
+neighbors the Portuguese, and the people of Genoa, exceeding all others
+in that craft--though no great navigators, the English are not so
+surpassingly stupid. Thou wilt remember the force of the winds, and
+understand that the larger the sail the lower should be its position."
+
+"Then how happened it that thou sawest the smaller object before the
+larger?"
+
+"Truly, excellent Fray Pedro, thou hast not conversed with this
+Christoforo for nothing! A question is not a reason."
+
+"Socrates was fond of questions, son; but _he_ expected answers."
+
+"_Peste!_ as they say at the court of King Louis. I am not Socrates, my
+good father, but thy old pupil and kinsman, Luis de Bobadilla, the
+truant nephew of the queen's favorite, the Marchioness of Moya, and as
+well-born a cavalier as there is in Spain--though somewhat given to
+roving, if my enemies are to be believed."
+
+"Neither thy pedigree, thy character, nor thy vagaries, need be given to
+me, Don Luis de Bobadilla, since I have known thee and thy career from
+childhood. Thou hast one merit that none will deny thee, and that is, a
+respect for truth; and never hast thou more completely vindicated thy
+character, in this particular, than when thou saidst thou were not
+Socrates."
+
+The worthy friar's good-natured smile, as he made this sally, took off
+some of its edge; and the young man laughed, as if too conscious of his
+own youthful follies to resent what he heard.
+
+"But, dear Fray Pedro, lay aside thy government, for once, and stoop to
+a rational discourse with me on this extraordinary subject. _Thou_,
+surely, wilt not pretend that the earth is round?"
+
+"I do not go as far as some, on this point, Luis, for I see difficulties
+with Holy Writ, by the admission. Still, this matter of the sails much
+puzzleth me, and I have often felt a desire to go from one port to
+another, by sea, in order to witness it. Were it not for the exceeding
+nausea that I ever feel in a boat, I might attempt the experiment."
+
+"That would be a worthy consummation of all thy wisdom!" exclaimed the
+young man, laughing. "Fray Pedro de Carrascal turned rover, like his old
+pupil, and that, too, astride a vagary! But set thy heart at rest, my
+honored kinsman and excellent instructor, for I can save thee the
+trouble. In all my journeyings, by sea and by land--and thou knowest
+that, for my years, they have been many--I have ever found the earth
+flat, and the ocean the flattest portion of it, always excepting a few
+turbulent and uneasy waves."
+
+"No doubt it so seemeth to the eye; but this Colon, who hath voyaged far
+more than thou, thinketh otherwise. He contendeth that the earth is a
+sphere, and that, by sailing west, he can reach points that have been
+already attained by journeying east."
+
+"By San Lorenzo! but the idea is a bold one! Doth the man really propose
+to venture out into the broad Atlantic, and even to cross it to some
+distant and unknown land?"
+
+"That is his very idea; and for seven weary years hath he solicited the
+court to furnish him with the means. Nay, as I hear, he hath passed much
+more time--other seven years, perhaps--in urging his suit in different
+lands."
+
+"If the earth be round," continued Don Luis, with a musing air, "what
+preventeth all the water from flowing to the lower parts of it? How is
+it, that we have any seas at all? and if, as thou hast hinted, he
+deemeth the Indies on the other side, how is it that their people stand
+erect?--it cannot be done without placing the feet uppermost."
+
+"That difficulty hath been presented to Colon, but he treateth it
+lightly. Indeed, most of our churchmen are getting to believe that there
+is no up, or down, except as it relateth to the surface of the earth; so
+that no great obstacle existeth in that point."
+
+"Thou would'st not have me understand, father, that a man can walk on
+his head--and that, too, with the noble member in the air? By San
+Francisco! thy men of Cathay must have talons like a cat, or they would
+be falling, quickly!"
+
+"Whither, Luis?"
+
+"Whither, Fray Pedro?--to Tophet, or the bottomless pit. It can never be
+that men walk on their heads, heels uppermost, with no better foundation
+than the atmosphere. The caravels, too, must sail on their masts--and
+that would be rare navigation! What would prevent the sea from tumbling
+out of its bed, and falling on the Devil's fires and extinguishing
+them?"
+
+"Son Luis," interrupted the monk, gravely, "thy lightness of speech is
+carried too far. But, if thou so much deridest the opinion of this
+Colon, what are thine own notions of the formation of this earth, that
+God hath so honored with his spirit and his presence?"
+
+"That it is as flat as the buckler of the Moor I slew in the last
+sortie, which is as flat as steel can hammer iron."
+
+"Dost thou think it hath limits?"
+
+"That do I--and please heaven, and Dona Mercedes de Valverde, I will see
+them before I die!"
+
+"Then thou fanciest there is an edge, or precipice, at the four sides of
+the world, which men may reach, and where they can stand and look off,
+as from an exceeding high platform?"
+
+"The picture doth not lose, father, for the touch of thy pencil! I have
+never bethought me of this before; and yet some such spot there must be,
+one would think. By San Fernando, himself! that would be a place to try
+the metal of even Don Alonso de Ojeda, who might stand on the margin of
+the earth, put his foot on a cloud, and cast an orange to the moon!"
+
+"Thou hast bethought thee little of any thing serious, I fear, Luis; but
+to me, this opinion and this project of Colon are not without merit. I
+see but two serious objections to them, one of which is, the difficulty
+connected with Holy Writ; and the other, the vast and incomprehensible,
+nay, useless, extent of the ocean that must necessarily separate us from
+Cathay; else should we long since have heard from that quarter of the
+world."
+
+"Do the learned favor the man's notions?"
+
+"The matter hath been seriously argued before a council held at
+Salamanca, where men were much divided upon it. One serious obstacle is
+the apprehension that should the world prove to be round, and could a
+ship even succeed in getting to Cathay by the west, there would be great
+difficulty in her ever returning, since there must be, in some manner,
+an ascent and a descent. I must say that most men deride this Colon; and
+I fear he will never reach his island of Cipango, as he doth not seem in
+the way even to set forth on the journey. I marvel that he should now be
+here, it having been said he had taken his final departure for
+Portugal."
+
+"Dost thou say, father, that the man hath long been in Spain?" demanded
+Don Luis, gravely, with his eye riveted on the dignified form of
+Columbus, who stood calmly regarding the gorgeous spectacle of the
+triumph, at no great distance from the rock where the two had taken
+their seats.
+
+"Seven weary years hath he been soliciting the rich and the great to
+furnish him with the means of undertaking his favorite voyage."
+
+"Hath he the gold to prefer so long a suit?"
+
+"By his appearance, I should think him poor--nay, I know that he hath
+toiled for bread, at the occupation of a map-maker. One hour he hath
+passed in arguing with philosophers and in soliciting princes, while the
+next hath been occupied in laboring for the food that he hath taken for
+sustenance."
+
+"Thy description, father, hath whetted curiosity to so keen an edge,
+that I would fain speak with this Colon. I see he remaineth yonder, in
+the crowd, and will go and tell him that I, too, am somewhat of a
+navigator, and will extract from him a few of his peculiar ideas."
+
+"And in what manner wilt thou open the acquaintance, son?"
+
+"By telling him that I am Don Luis de Bobadilla, the nephew of the Dona
+Beatriz of Moya, and a noble of one of the best houses of Castile."
+
+"And this, thou thinkest, will suffice for thy purpose, Luis!" returned
+the friar, smiling. "No--no--my son; this may do with most map-sellers,
+but it will not effect thy wishes with yonder Christoval Colon. That man
+is so filled with the vastness of his purposes; is so much raised up
+with the magnitude of the results that his mind intently contemplateth,
+day and night; seemeth so conscious of his own powers, that even kings
+and princes can, in no manner, lessen his dignity. That which thou
+proposest, Don Fernando, our honored master, might scarcely attempt, and
+hope to escape without some rebuke of manner, if not of tongue."
+
+"By all the blessed saints! Fray Pedro, thou givest an extraordinary
+account of this man, and only increasest the desire to know him. Wilt
+thou charge thyself with the introduction?"
+
+"Most willingly, for I wish to inquire what hath brought him back to
+court, whence, I had understood, he lately went, with the intent to go
+elsewhere with his projects. Leave the mode in my hands, son Luis, and
+we will see what can be accomplished."
+
+The friar and his mercurial young companion now arose from their seats
+on the rock, and threaded the throng, taking the direction necessary to
+approach the man who had been the subject of their discourse, and still
+remained that of their thoughts. When near enough to speak, Fray Pedro
+stopped, and stood patiently waiting for a moment when he might catch
+the navigator's eye. This did not occur for several minutes, the looks
+of Colon being riveted on the towers of the Alhambra, where, at each
+instant, the signal of possession was expected to appear; and Luis de
+Bobadilla, who, truant, and errant, and volatile, and difficult to curb,
+as he had proved himself to be, never forgot his illustrious birth and
+the conventional distinctions attached to personal rank, began to
+manifest his impatience at being kept so long dancing attendance on a
+mere map-seller and a pilot. He in vain urged his companion to advance,
+however; but one of his own hurried movements at length drew aside the
+look of Columbus, when the eyes of the latter and of the friar met, and
+being old acquaintances, they saluted in the courteous manner of the
+age.
+
+"I felicitate you, Senor Colon, on the glorious termination of this
+siege, and rejoice that you are here to witness it, as I had heard
+affairs of magnitude had called you to another country."
+
+"The hand of God, father, is to be traced in all things. You perceive in
+this success the victory of the cross; but to me it conveyeth a lesson
+of perseverance, and sayeth as plainly as events can speak, that what
+God hath decreed, must come to pass."
+
+"I like your application, Senor; as, indeed, I do most of your thoughts
+on our holy religion. Perseverance is truly necessary to salvation; and
+I doubt not that a fitting symbol to the same may be found in the manner
+in which our pious sovereigns have conducted this war, as well as in its
+glorious termination."
+
+"True, father; and also doth it furnish a symbol to the fortunes of all
+enterprises that have the glory of God and the welfare of the church in
+view," answered Colon, or Columbus, as the name has been Latinized; his
+eye kindling with that latent fire which seems so deeply seated in the
+visionary and the enthusiast. "It may seem out of reason to you, to make
+such applications of these great events; but the triumph of their
+Highnesses this day, marvellously encourageth me to persevere, and not
+to faint, in my own weary pilgrimage, both leading to triumphs of the
+cross."
+
+"Since you are pleased to speak of your own schemes, Senor Colon,"
+returned the friar, ingenuously, "I am not sorry that the matter hath
+come up between us; for here is a youthful kinsman of mine, who hath
+been somewhat of a rover, himself, in the indulgence of a youthful
+fancy, that neither friends nor yet love could restrain; and having
+heard of your noble projects, he is burning with a desire to learn more
+of them from your own mouth, should it suit your condescension so to
+indulge him."
+
+"I am always happy to yield to the praiseworthy wishes of the young and
+adventurous, and shall cheerfully communicate to your young friend all
+he may desire to know," answered Columbus, with a simplicity and dignity
+that at once put to flight all the notions of superiority and affability
+with which Don Luis had intended to carry on the conversation, and which
+had the immediate effect to satisfy the young man that he was to be the
+obliged and honored party, in the intercourse that was to follow. "But,
+Senor, you have forgotten to give me the name of the cavalier."
+
+"It is Don Luis de Bobadilla, a youth whose best claims to your notice,
+perhaps, are, a most adventurous and roving spirit, and the fact that he
+may call your honored friend, the Marchioness of Moya, his aunt."
+
+"Either would be sufficient, father. I love the spirit of adventure in
+the youthful; for it is implanted, no doubt, by God, in order that they
+may serve his all-wise and beneficent designs; and it is of such as
+these that my own chief worldly stay and support must be found. Then,
+next to Father Juan Perez de Marchena and Senor Alonzo de Quintanilla,
+do I esteem Dona Beatriz, among my fastest friends; her kinsman,
+therefore, will be certain of my esteem and respect."
+
+All this sounded extraordinary to Don Luis; for, though the dress and
+appearance of this unknown stranger, who even spoke the Castilian with a
+foreign accent, were respectable, he had been told he was merely a
+pilot, or navigator, who earned his bread by toil; and it was not usual
+for the noblest of Castile to be thus regarded, as it might be, with a
+condescending favor, by any inferior to those who could claim the blood
+and lineage of princes. At first he was disposed to resent the words of
+the stranger; then to laugh in his face; but, observing that the friar
+treated him with great deference, and secretly awed by the air of the
+reputed projector, he was not only successful in maintaining a suitable
+deportment, but he made a proper and courteous reply, such as became his
+name and breeding. The three then retired together, a little aloof from
+the thickest of the throng, and found seats, also, on one of the rocks,
+of which so many were scattered about the place.
+
+"Don Luis hath visited foreign lands, you say, father," said Columbus,
+who did not fail to lead the discourse, like one entitled to it by rank,
+or personal claims, "and hath a craving for the wonders and dangers of
+the ocean?"
+
+"Such hath been either his merit or his fault, Senor; had he listened to
+the wishes of Dona Beatriz, or to my advice, he would not have thrown
+aside his knightly career for one so little in unison with his training
+and birth."
+
+"Nay, father, you treat the youth with unmerited severity; he who
+passeth a life on the ocean, cannot be said to pass it in either an
+ignoble or a useless manner. God separated different countries by vast
+bodies of water, not with any intent to render their people strangers to
+each other, but, doubtless, that they might meet amid the wonders with
+which he hath adorned the ocean, and glorify his name and power so much
+the more. We all have our moments of thoughtlessness in youth--a period
+when we yield to our impulses rather than to our reason; and as I
+confess to mine, I am little disposed to bear too hard on Senor Don
+Luis, that he hath had his."
+
+"You have probably battled with the Infidel, by sea, Senor Colon,"
+observed the young man, not a little embarrassed as to the manner in
+which he should introduce the subject he most desired.
+
+"Ay, and by land, too, son"--the familiarity startled the young noble,
+though he could not take offence at it--"and by land, too. The time hath
+been, when I had a pleasure in relating my perils and escapes, which
+have been numerous, both from war and tempests; but, since the power of
+God hath awakened my spirit to mightier things, that his will may be
+done, and his word spread throughout the whole earth, my memory ceaseth
+to dwell on them." Fray Pedro crossed himself, and Don Luis smiled and
+shrugged his shoulders, as one is apt to do when he listens to any thing
+extravagant; but the navigator proceeded in the earnest, grave manner
+that appeared to belong to his character. "It is now very many years
+since I was engaged in that remarkable combat between the forces of my
+kinsman and namesake, the younger Colombo, as he was called, to
+distinguish him from his uncle, the ancient admiral of the same name,
+which took place not far north from Cape St. Vincent. On that bloody
+day, we contended with the foe--Venetians, richly laden--from morn till
+even, and yet the Lord carried me through the hot contest unharmed. On
+another occasion, the galley in which I fought was consumed by fire, and
+I had to find my way to land--no trifling distance--by the aid of an
+oar. To me, it seemeth that the hand of God was in this, and that he
+would not have taken so signal and tender a care of one of his
+insignificant creatures, unless to use him largely for his own honor and
+glory."
+
+Although the eye of the navigator grew brighter as he uttered this, and
+his cheek flushed with a species of holy enthusiasm, it was impossible
+to confound one so grave, so dignified, so measured even in his
+exaggerations (if such they were), with the idle and light-minded, who
+mistake momentary impulses for indelible impressions, and passing
+vanities for the convictions that temper character. Fray Pedro, instead
+of smiling, or in any manner betraying that he regarded the other's
+opinions lightly, devoutly crossed himself again, and showed by the
+sympathy expressed in his countenance, how much he entered into the
+profound religious faith of the speaker.
+
+"The ways of God are often mysterious to his creatures," said the friar;
+"but we are taught that they all lead to the exaltation of his name and
+to the glory of his attributes."
+
+"It is so that I consider it, father; and with such views have I always
+regarded my own humble efforts to honor him. We are but instruments, and
+useless instruments, too, when we look at how little proceedeth from our
+own spirits and power."
+
+"There cometh the blessed symbol that is our salvation and guide!"
+exclaimed the friar, holding out both arms eagerly, as if to embrace
+some distant object in the heavens, immediately falling to his knees,
+and bowing his shaven and naked head, in deep humility, to the earth.
+
+Columbus turned his eyes in the direction indicated by his companion's
+gestures, and he beheld the large silver cross that the sovereigns had
+carried with them throughout the late war, as a pledge of its objects,
+glittering on the principal tower of the Alhambra. At the next instant,
+the banners of Castile and of St. James were unfolded from other
+elevated places. Then came the song of triumph, mingled with the chants
+of the church. Te Deum was sung, and the choirs of the royal chapel
+chanted in the open fields the praises of the Lord of Hosts. A scene of
+magnificent religious pomp, mingled with martial array, followed, that
+belongs rather to general history than to the particular and private
+incidents of our tale.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V.
+
+    "Who hath not proved how feebly words essay
+    To fix one spark of beauty's heavenly ray?
+    Who doth not feel, until his failing sight
+    Faints into dimness with its own delight,
+    His changing cheek, his sinking heart confess
+    The might--the majesty of loveliness!"
+
+    Byron.
+
+
+That night the court of Castile and Aragon slept in the palace of the
+Alhambra. As soon as the religious ceremony alluded to in the last
+chapter had terminated, the crowd rushed into the place, and the princes
+followed, with a dignity and state better suited to their high
+character. The young Christian nobles, accompanied by their wives and
+sisters--for the presence of Isabella, and the delay that attended the
+surrender, had drawn together a vast many of the gentler sex, in
+addition to those whose duty it was to accompany their royal
+mistress--hurried eagerly through the celebrated courts and fretted
+apartments of this remarkable residence; nor was curiosity appeased even
+when night came to place a temporary stay to its indulgence. The Court
+of the Lions in particular, a place still renowned throughout
+Christendom for its remains of oriental beauty, had been left by Boabdil
+in the best condition; and, although it was midwinter, by the aid of
+human art it was even then gay with flowers; while the adjacent halls,
+those of the Two Sisters and of Abencerrages, were brilliant with light,
+and alive with warriors and courtiers, dignified priests and luxuriant
+beauty.
+
+Although no Spanish eye could be otherwise than familiar with the light
+peculiar graces of Moorish architecture, these of the Alhambra so much
+surpassed those of any other palace which had been erected by the
+Mussulman dynasties of that part of the world, that their glories struck
+the beholders with the freshness of novelty, as well as with the
+magnificence of royalty. The rich conceits in stucco, an art of eastern
+origin then little understood in Christendom; the graceful and fanciful
+arabesques--which, improved on by the fancies of some of the greatest
+geniuses the world ever saw, have descended to our own times, and got to
+be so familiar in Europe, though little known on this side of the
+Atlantic--decorated the walls, while brilliant fountains cast their
+waters into the air, and fell in glittering spray, resembling diamonds.
+
+Among the throng that moved through this scene of almost magical beauty,
+was Beatriz de Bobadilla, who had long been the wife of Don Andres de
+Cabrera, and was now generally known as the Marchioness of Moya; the
+constant, near, and confidential friend of the queen, a character she
+retained until her royal mistress was numbered with the dead. On her arm
+leaned lightly a youthful female, of an appearance so remarkable, that
+few strangers would have passed her without turning to take a second
+look at features and a countenance that were seldom seen and forgotten.
+This was Dona Mercedes de Valverde, one of the noblest and richest
+heiresses of Castile; the relative, ward, and adopted daughter of the
+queen's friend--favorite being hardly the term one would apply to the
+relation in which Dona Beatriz stood toward Isabella. It was not the
+particular beauty of Dona Mercedes, however, that rendered her
+appearance so remarkable and attractive; for, though feminine, graceful,
+of exquisite form, and even of pleasing features, there were many in
+that brilliant court who would generally be deemed fairer. But no other
+maiden of Castile had a countenance so illuminated by the soul within,
+or no other female face habitually wore so deep an impression of
+sentiment and sensibility; and the professed physiognomist would have
+delighted to trace the evidences of a deeply-seated, earnest, but
+unobtrusive enthusiasm, which even cast a shade of melancholy over a
+face that fortune and the heart had equally intended should be sunny and
+serene. Serene it was, notwithstanding; the shadow that rested on it
+seeming to soften and render interesting its expression, rather than to
+disturb its tranquillity or to cloud its loveliness.
+
+On the other side of the noble matron walked Luis de Bobadilla, keeping
+a little in advance of his aunt, in a way to permit his own dark,
+flashing looks to meet, whenever feeling and modesty would allow it, the
+fine, expressive blue eyes of Mercedes. The three conversed freely, for
+the royal personages had retired to their private apartments, and each
+group of passengers was so much entranced with the novelty of its
+situation and its own conversation, as to disregard the remarks of
+others.
+
+"This is a marvel, Luis," observed Dona Beatriz, in continuation of a
+subject that evidently much interested them all, "that thou, a truant
+and a rover thyself, should now have heard for the first time of this
+Colon! It is many years since he has been soliciting their Highnesses
+for their royal aid in effecting his purposes. The matter of his schemes
+was solemnly debated before a council at Salamanca; and he hath not been
+without believers at the Court itself."
+
+"Among whom is to be classed Dona Beatriz de Cabrera," said Mercedes,
+with that melancholy smile that had the effect to bring out glimpses of
+all the deep but latent feeling that lay concealed beneath the surface:
+"I have often heard Her Highness declare that Colon hath no truer friend
+in Castile."
+
+"Her Highness is seldom mistaken, child--and never in my heart. I do
+uphold the man; for to me he seemeth one fitted for some great and
+honorable undertaking; and surely none greater hath ever been proposed
+or imagined by human mind, than this he urgeth. Think of our becoming
+acquainted with the nations of the other side of the earth, and of
+finding easy and direct means of communicating with them, and of
+imparting to them the consolations of Holy Church!"
+
+"Ay, Senora my aunt," cried Luis, laughing, "and of walking in their
+delightful company with all our heels in the air, and our heads
+downward! I hope this Colon hath not neglected to practice a little in
+the art, for it will need some time to gain a sure foot, in such
+circumstances. He might commence on the sides of these mountains, by way
+of a horn-book, throwing the head boldly off at a right-angle; after
+which, the walls and towers of this Alhambra would make a very pretty
+grammar, or stepping-stone to new progress."
+
+Mercedes had unconsciously but fervently pressed the arm of her
+guardian, as Dona Beatriz admitted her interest in the success of the
+great project; but at this sally of Don Luis, she looked serious, and
+threw a glance at him, that he himself felt to be reproachful. To win
+the love of his aunt's ward was the young man's most ardent wish; and a
+look of dissatisfaction could at any moment repress that exuberance of
+spirits which often led him into an appearance of levity that did
+injustice to the really sterling qualities of both his heart and mind.
+Under the influence of that look, then, he was not slow to repair the
+wrong he had done himself, by adding almost as soon as he had ceased to
+speak--
+
+"The Dona Mercedes is of the discovering party, too, I see; this Colon
+appeareth to have had more success with the dames of Castile than with
+her nobles"--
+
+"Is it extraordinary, Don Luis," interrupted the pensive-looking girl,
+"that women should have more confidence in merit, more generous
+impulses, more zeal for God, than men?"
+
+"It must be even so, since you and my aunt, Dona Beatriz, side with the
+navigator. But I am not always to be understood in the light I express
+myself;" Mercedes now smiled, but this time it was archly--"I have never
+studied with the minstrels, nor, sooth to say, deeply with the
+churchmen. To be honest with you, I have been much struck with this
+noble idea; and if Senor Colon doth, in reality, sail in quest of Cathay
+and the Indies, I shall pray their Highnesses to let me be one of the
+party, for, now that the Moor is subdued, there remaineth little for a
+noble to do in Spain."
+
+"If thou should'st really go on this expedition," said Dona Beatriz,
+with grave irony, "there will, at least, be one human being topsy-turvy,
+in the event of thy reaching Cathay. But yonder is an attendant of the
+court; I doubt if Her Highness doth not desire my presence."
+
+The Lady of Moya was right--the messenger coming to announce to her that
+the queen required her attendance. The manners of the day and country
+rendered it unseemly that Dona Mercedes should continue her promenade
+accompanied only by Don Luis, and the marchioness led the way to her own
+apartments, where a saloon suitable to her rank and to her favor with
+the queen, had been selected for her from among the numberless gorgeous
+rooms of the Moorish kings. Even here, the marchioness paused a moment,
+in thought, before she would leave her errant nephew alone with her
+ward.
+
+"Though a rover, he is no troubadour, and cannot charm thy ear with
+false rhymes. It were better, perhaps, that I sent him beneath thy
+balcony, with his guitar; but knowing so well his dulness, I will
+confide in it, and leave him with thee, for the few minutes that I shall
+be absent. A cavalier who hath so strong a dislike to reversing the
+order of nature, will not surely condescend to go on his knees, even
+though it be to win a smile from the sweetest maiden in all Castile."
+
+Don Luis laughed; Dona Beatriz smiled, as she kissed her ward, and left
+the room; while Dona Mercedes blushed, and riveted her gaze on the
+floor. Luis de Bobadilla was the declared suitor and sworn knight of
+Mercedes de Valverde; but, though so much favored by birth, fortune,
+affinity, and figure, there existed some serious impediments to his
+success. In all that was connected with the considerations that usually
+decide such things, the union was desirable; but there existed,
+nevertheless, a strong influence to overcome, in the scruples of Dona
+Beatriz, herself. High-principled, accustomed to the just-minded views
+of her royal mistress, and too proud to do an unworthy act, the very
+advantages that a marriage with her ward offered to her nephew, had
+caused the marchioness to hesitate. Don Luis had little of the Castilian
+gravity of character--and, by many, his animal spirits were mistaken for
+lightness of disposition and levity of thought. His mother was a woman
+of a very illustrious French family; and national pride had induced most
+observers to fancy that the son inherited a constitutional disposition
+to frivolity, that was to be traced to the besetting weakness of a whole
+people. A consciousness of his being so viewed at home, had, indeed,
+driven the youth abroad; and as, like all observant travellers, he was
+made doubly sensible of the defects of his own state of society on his
+return, a species of estrangement had grown up between him and his
+natural associates that had urged the young man, again and again, to
+wander into foreign lands. Nothing, indeed, but his early and constantly
+increasing passion for Mercedes had induced him to return; a step that,
+fortunately for himself, he had last taken in time to assist in the
+reduction of Granada. Notwithstanding these traits, which, in a country
+like Castile, might be properly enough termed peculiarities, Don Luis de
+Bobadilla was a knight worthy of his lineage and name. His prowess in
+the field and in the tourney, indeed, was so very marked as to give him
+a high military character, in despite of what were deemed his failings;
+and he passed rather as an inconsiderate and unsafe young man, than as
+one who was either debased or wicked. Martial qualities, in that age in
+particular, redeemed a thousand faults; and Don Luis had even been known
+to unhorse, in the tourney, Alonzo de Ojeda, then the most expert lance
+in Spain. Such a man could not be despised, though he might be
+distrusted. But the feeling which governed his aunt, referred quite as
+much to her own character as to his. Deeply conscientious, while she
+understood her nephew's real qualities much better than mere superficial
+observers, she had her doubts about the propriety of giving the rich
+heiress who was entrusted to her care, to so near a relative, when all
+could not applaud the act. She feared, too, that her own partiality
+might deceive her, and that Luis might in truth be the light and
+frivolous being he sometimes appeared to be in Castilian eyes, and that
+the happiness of her ward would prove the sacrifice of the indiscretion.
+With these doubts, then, while she secretly desired the union, she had
+in public looked coldly on her nephew's suit; and, though unable,
+without a harshness that circumstances would not warrant, to prevent all
+intercourse, she had not only taken frequent occasions to let Mercedes
+understand her distrust, but she had observed the precaution not to
+leave so handsome a suitor, notwithstanding he was often domiciliated in
+her own house, much alone with her ward.
+
+The state of Mercedes' feelings was known only to herself. She was
+beautiful, of an honorable family, and an heiress; and as human
+infirmities were as besetting beneath the stately mien of the fifteenth
+century as they are to-day, she had often heard the supposed faults of
+Don Luis' character sneered at, by those who felt distrustful of his
+good looks and his opportunities. Few young females would have had the
+courage to betray any marked preference under such circumstances, until
+prepared to avow their choice, and to take sides with its subject
+against the world; and the quiet but deep enthusiasm that prevailed in
+the moral system of the fair young Castilian, was tempered by a prudence
+that prevented her from running into most of its lighter excesses. The
+forms and observances that usually surround young women of rank, came in
+aid of this native prudence; and even Don Luis himself, though he had
+watched the countenance and emotions of her to whom he had so long urged
+his suit, with a lover's jealousy and a lover's instincts, was greatly
+in doubt whether he had succeeded in the least in touching her heart. By
+one of those unlooked-for concurrences of circumstances that so often
+decide the fortunes of men, whether as lovers or in more worldly-minded
+pursuits, these doubts were now about to be unexpectedly and suddenly
+removed.
+
+The triumph of the Christian arms, the novelty of her situation, and the
+excitement of the whole scene, had aroused the feelings of Mercedes from
+that coy concealment in which they usually lay smothered beneath the
+covering of maiden diffidence; and throughout the evening her smile had
+been more open, her eye brighter, and her cheeks more deeply flushed,
+than was usual even with one whose smiles were always sweet, whose eyes
+were never dull, and whose cheeks answered so sensitively to the varying
+impulses within.
+
+As his aunt quitted the room, leaving him alone with Mercedes for the
+first time since his return from his last ramble, Don Luis eagerly threw
+himself on a stool that stood near the feet of his adored, who placed
+herself on a sumptuous couch, that, twenty-four hours before, had held
+the person of a princess of Abdallah's family.
+
+"Much as I honor and reverence Her Highness," the young man hurriedly
+commenced, "my respect and veneration are now increased ten-fold! Would
+that she might send for my beloved aunt thrice where she now wants her
+services only once! and may her presence become so necessary to her
+sovereign that the affairs of Castile cannot go on without her counsel,
+if so blessed an opportunity as this, to tell you all I feel, Dona
+Mercedes, is to follow her obedience!"
+
+"It is not they who are most fluent of speech, or the most vehement, who
+always feel the deepest, Don Luis de Bobadilla."
+
+"Nor do they feel the least. Mercedes, thou canst not doubt my love! It
+hath grown with my growth--increased with each increase of my
+ideas--until it hath got to be so interwoven with my mind itself, that I
+can scarce use a faculty that thy dear image doth not mingle with it. In
+all that is beautiful, I behold thee; if I listen to the song of a bird,
+it is thy carol to the lute; or if I feel the gentle south wind from the
+fragrant isles fanning my cheek, I would fain think it thy sigh."
+
+"You have dwelt so much among the light conceits of the French court,
+Don Luis, you appear to have forgotten that the heart of a Castilian
+girl is too true, and too sincere, to meet such rhapsodies with favor."
+
+Had Don Luis been older, or more experienced in the sex, he would have
+been flattered by this rebuke--for he would have detected in the
+speaker's manner, both feeling of a gentler nature than her words
+expressed, and a tender regret.
+
+"If thou ascribest to me rhapsodies, thou dost me great injustice. I may
+not do credit to my own thoughts and feelings; but never hath my tongue
+uttered aught to thee, Mercedes, that the heart hath not honestly urged.
+Have I not loved thee since thou and I were children? Did I ever fail to
+show my preference for thee when we were boy and girl, in all the sports
+and light-hearted enjoyments of that guileless period?"
+
+"Guileless, truly," answered Mercedes, her look brightening as it might
+be with agreeable fancies and a flood of pleasant recollections--doing
+more, in a single instant, to break down the barriers of her reserve,
+than years of schooling had effected toward building them up. "Thou wert
+then, at least, sincere, Luis, and I placed full faith in thy
+friendship, and in thy desire to please."
+
+"Bless thee, bless thee, for these precious words, Mercedes! for the
+first time in two years, hast thou spoken to me as thou wert wont to do,
+and called me Luis without that courtly, accursed, Don."
+
+"A noble Castilian should never regard his honors lightly, and he oweth
+it to his rank to see that others respect them, too;" answered our
+heroine, looking down, as if she already half repented of the
+familiarity. "You are quick to remind me of my forgetfulness, Don Luis
+de Bobadilla."
+
+"This unlucky tongue of mine can never follow the path that its owner
+wisheth! Hast thou not seen in all my looks--all my acts--all my
+motives--a desire to please thee, and thee alone, lovely Mercedes? When
+Her Highness gave her royal approbation of my success, in the last
+tourney, did I not seek thine eye, in order to ask if thou notedst it?
+Hast thou ever expressed a wish, that I have not proved an eager desire
+to see it accomplished?"
+
+"Nay, now, Luis, thou emboldenest me to remind thee that I expressed a
+wish that thou wouldst not go on thy last voyage to the north, and yet
+thou didst depart! I felt that it would displease Dona Beatriz; thy
+truant disposition having made her uneasy lest thou shouldst get
+altogether into the habits of a rover, and into disfavor with the
+queen."
+
+"It was for this that thou madst the request, and it wounded my pride to
+think that Mercedes de Valverde should so little understand my
+character, as to believe it possible a noble of my name and lineage
+could so far forget his duties as to sink into the mere associate of
+pilots and adventurers."
+
+"Thou didst not know that I believed this of thee."
+
+"Hadst thou asked of me, Mercedes, to remain for thy sake--nay, hadst
+thou imposed the heaviest services on me, as thy knight, or as one who
+enjoyed the smallest degree of thy favor--I would have parted with life
+sooner than I would have parted from Castile. But not even a look of
+kindness could I obtain, in reward for all the pain I had felt on thy
+account"--
+
+"Pain, Luis!"
+
+"Is it not pain to love to the degree that one might kiss the earth that
+received the foot-print of its object--and yet to meet with no
+encouragement from fair words, no friendly glance of the eye, nor any
+sign or symbol to betoken that the being one hath enshrined in his
+heart's core, ever thinketh of her suitor except as a reckless rover and
+a hair-brained adventurer?"
+
+"Luis de Bobadilla, no one that really knoweth thy character, can ever
+truly think thus of thee."
+
+"A million of thanks for these few words, beloved girl, and ten millions
+for the gentle smile that hath accompanied them! Thou mightst mould me
+to all thy wishes"--
+
+"My wishes, Don Luis?"
+
+"To all thy severe opinions of sobriety and dignity of conduct, wouldst
+thou but feel sufficient interest in me to let me know that my acts can
+give thee either pain or pleasure."
+
+"Can it be otherwise? Could'st thou, Luis, see with indifference the
+proceedings of one thou hast known from childhood, and esteemed as a
+friend?"
+
+"Esteem! Blessed Mercedes! dost thou own even that little in my favor?"
+
+"It is not little, Luis, to esteem--but much. They who prize virtue
+never esteem the unworthy; and it is not possible to know thy excellent
+heart and manly nature, without esteeming thee. Surely I have never
+_concealed_ my _esteem_ from thee or from any one else."
+
+"Hast thou _concealed_ aught? Ah! Mercedes, complete this heavenly
+condescension, and admit that one--as lightly as thou wilt--but that one
+soft sentiment hath, at times, mingled with this esteem."
+
+Mercedes blushed brightly, but she would not make the often-solicited
+acknowledgment. It was some little time before she answered at all. When
+she did speak, it was hesitatingly, and with frequent pauses, as if she
+distrusted the propriety or the discretion of that which she was about
+to utter.
+
+"Thou hast travelled much and far, Luis," she said; "and hast lost some
+favor on account of thy roving propensities; why not regain the
+confidence of thy aunt by the very means through which it has been
+lost?"
+
+"I do not comprehend thee. This is singular counsel to come from one
+like thee, who art prudence itself!"
+
+"The prudent and discreet think well of their acts and words, and are
+the more to be confided in. Thou seemest to have been struck with these
+bold opinions of the Senor Colon; and while thou hast derided them, I
+can see that they have great weight on thy mind."
+
+"I shall, henceforth, regard thee with ten-fold respect, Mercedes; for
+thou hast penetrated deeper than my foolish affectation of contempt, and
+all my light language, and discovered the real feeling that lieth
+underneath. Ever since I have heard of this vast project, it hath,
+indeed, haunted my imagination; and the image of the Genoese hath
+constantly stood beside thine, dearest girl, before my eyes, if not in
+my heart. I doubt if there be not some truth in his opinions; so noble
+an idea cannot be wholly false!"
+
+The fine, full eye of Mercedes was fastened intently on the countenance
+of Don Luis; and its brilliancy increased as some of that latent
+enthusiasm which dwelt within, kindled and began to glow at this outlet
+of the feelings of the soul.
+
+"There _is_," she answered, solemnly--"there _must_ be truth in it! The
+Genoese hath been inspired of Heaven, with his sublime thoughts, and he
+will live, sooner or later, to prove their truth. Imagine this earth
+fairly encircled by a ship; the farthest east, the land of the heathen,
+brought in close communion with ourselves, and the cross casting its
+shadows under the burning sun of Cathay! These are glorious, heavenly
+anticipations, Luis, and would it not be an imperishable renown, to
+share in the honor of having aided in bringing about so great a
+discovery?"
+
+"By Heaven! I will see the Genoese as soon as the morrow's sun shall
+appear, and offer to make one in his enterprise. He shall not need for
+gold, if that be his only want."
+
+"Thou speakest like a generous, noble-minded, fearless young Castilian,
+as thou art!" said Mercedes, with an enthusiasm that set at naught the
+usual guards of her discretion and her habits, "and as becometh Luis de
+Bobadilla. But gold is not plenty with any of us at this moment, and it
+will surpass the power of an ordinary subject to furnish that which will
+be necessary. Nor is it meet than any but sovereigns should send forth
+such an expedition, as there may be vast territories to govern and
+dispose of, should Colon succeed. My powerful kinsman--the Duke of
+Medina Celi--hath had this matter in close deliberation, and he viewed
+it favorably, as is shown by his letters to Her Highness; but even he
+conceived it a matter too weighty to be attempted by aught but a crowned
+head, and he hath used much influence with our mistress, to gain her
+over to the opinion of the Genoese's sagacity. It is idle to think,
+therefore, of aiding effectually in this noble enterprise, unless it be
+through their Highnesses."
+
+"Thou knowest, Mercedes, that I can do naught for Colon, with the court.
+The king is the enemy of all who are not as wary, cold, and as much
+given to artifice as himself"--
+
+"Luis! thou art in his palace--beneath his roof, enjoying his
+hospitality and protection, at this very moment!"
+
+"Not I," answered the young man, with warmth--"this is the abode of my
+royal mistress, Dona Isabella; Granada being a conquest of Castile, and
+not of Aragon. Touching the queen, Mercedes, thou shalt never hear
+disrespectful word from me, for, like thyself, she is all that is
+virtuous, gentle, and kind in woman; but the king hath many of the
+faults of us corrupt and mercenary men. Thou canst not tell me of a
+young, generous, warm-blooded cavalier, even among his own Aragonese,
+who truly and confidingly loveth Don Fernando; whilst all of Castile
+adore the Dona Isabella."
+
+"This may be true in part, Luis, but it is altogether imprudent. Don
+Fernando is a king, and I fear me, from the little I have seen while
+dwelling in a court, that they who manage the affairs of mortals must
+make large concessions to their failings, or human depravity will thwart
+the wisest measures that can be devised. Moreover, can one truly love
+the wife and not esteem the husband? To me it seemeth that the tie is so
+near and dear as to leave the virtues and the characters of a common
+identity."
+
+"Surely, thou dost not mean to compare the modest piety, the holy truth,
+the sincere virtue, of our royal mistress, with the cautious, wily
+policy of our scheming master!"
+
+"I desire not to make comparisons between them, Luis. We are bound to
+honor and obey both; and if Dona Isabella hath more of the confiding
+truth and pure-heartedness of her sex, than His Highness, is it not ever
+so as between man and woman?"
+
+"If I could really think that thou likenest me, in any way, with that
+managing and false-faced King of Aragon, much as I love thee, Mercedes,
+I would withdraw, forever, in pure shame."
+
+"No one will liken thee, Luis, to the false-tongued or the double-faced;
+for it is thy failing to speak truth when it might be better to say
+nothing, as witness the present discourse, and to look at those who
+displease thee, as if ever ready to point thy lance and spur thy charger
+in their very teeth."
+
+"My looks have been most unfortunate, fair Mercedes, if they have left
+such memories in thee!" answered the youth, reproachfully.
+
+"I speak not in any manner touching myself, for to me, Luis, thou hast
+ever been gentle and kind," interrupted the young Castilian girl, with a
+haste and earnestness that hurried the blood to her cheeks a moment
+afterward; "but solely that thou mayst be more guarded in thy remarks on
+the king."
+
+"Thou beganst by saying that I was a rover"--
+
+"Nay, I have used no such term of reproach, Don Luis; thy aunt may have
+said this, but it could have been with no intent to wound. I said that
+thou hadst travelled _far_ and _much_."
+
+"Well--well--I merit the title, and shall not complain of my honors.
+Thou saidst that I had travelled _far_ and _much_, and thou spokest
+approvingly of the project of this Genoese. Am I to understand,
+Mercedes, it is thy wish that I should make one of the adventurers?"
+
+"Such was my meaning, Luis, for I have thought it an emprise fitting thy
+daring mind and willing sword; and the glory of success would atone for
+a thousand trifling errors, committed under the heat and inconsideration
+of youth."
+
+Don Luis regarded the flushed cheek and brightened eyes of the beautiful
+enthusiast nearly a minute, in silent but intense observation; for the
+tooth of doubt and jealousy had fastened on him, and, with the
+self-distrust of true affection, he questioned how far he was worthy to
+interest so fair a being, and had misgivings concerning the motive that
+induced her to wish him to depart.
+
+"I wish I could read thy heart, Dona Mercedes," he at length resumed;
+"for, while the witching modesty and coy reserve of thy sex, serve but
+to bind us so much the closer in thy chains, they puzzle the
+understanding of men more accustomed to rude encounters in the field
+than to the mazes of their ingenuity. Dost thou desire me to embark in
+an adventure that most men, the wise and prudent Don Fernando at their
+head--he whom thou so much esteemest, too--look upon as the project of a
+visionary, and as leading to certain destruction? Did I think this, I
+would depart to-morrow, if it were only that my hated presence should
+never more disturb thy happiness."
+
+"Don Luis, you have no justification for this cruel suspicion," said
+Mercedes, endeavoring to punish her lover's distrust by an affectation
+of resentment, though the tears struggled through her pride, and fell
+from her reproachful eyes. "You know that no one, here or elsewhere,
+hateth you; you know that you are a general favorite, though Castilian
+prudence and Castilian reserve may not always view your wandering life
+with the same applause as they give to the more attentive courtier and
+rigidly observant knight."
+
+"Pardon me, dearest, most beloved Mercedes; thy coldness and aversion
+sometime madden me."
+
+"Coldness! aversion! Luis de Bobadilla! When hath Mercedes de Valverde
+ever shown either, to _thee_?"
+
+"I fear that Dona Mercedes de Valverde is, even now, putting me to some
+such proof."
+
+"Then thou little knowest her motives, and ill appreciatest her heart.
+No, Luis, I am not averse, and would not appear cold, to _thee_. If thy
+wayward feelings get so much the mastery, and pain thee thus, I will
+strive to be more plain. Yes! rather than thou shouldst carry away with
+thee the false notion, and perhaps plunge, again, into some unthinking
+sea-adventure, I will subdue my maiden pride, and forget the reserve and
+caution that best become my sex and rank, to relieve thy mind. In
+advising thee to attach thyself to this Colon, and to enter freely into
+his noble schemes, I had thine own happiness in view, as thou hast, time
+and again, sworn to me, thy happiness _could_ only be secured"--
+
+"Mercedes! what meanest thou? My happiness can only be secured by a
+union with thee!"
+
+"And thy union with me can only be secured by thy ennobling that
+besetting propensity to roving, by some act of worthy renown, that shall
+justify Dona Beatriz in bestowing her ward on a truant nephew, and gain
+the favor of Dona Isabella."
+
+"And thou!--would this adventure win thee, too, to view me with
+kindness?"
+
+"Luis, if thou _wilt_ know all, I am won already--nay--restrain this
+impetuosity, and hear all I have to say. Even while I confess so much
+more than is seemly in a maiden, thou art not to suppose I can further
+forget myself. Without the cheerful consent of my guardian, and the
+gracious approbation of Her Highness, I will wed no man--no, not even
+_thee_, Luis de Bobadilla, dear as I acknowledge thee to be to my
+heart"--the ungovernable emotions of female tenderness caused the words
+to be nearly smothered in tears--"would I wed, without the smiles and
+congratulations of all who have a right to smile, or weep, for any of
+the house of Valverde. Thou and I cannot marry like a village hind and
+village girl; it is suitable that we stand before a prelate, with a
+large circle of approving friends to grace our union. Ah! Luis, thou
+hast reproached me with coldness and indifference to thee"--sobs nearly
+stifled the generous girl--"but others have not been so blind--nay,
+speak not, but suffer me, now that my heart is overflowing, to unburden
+myself to thee, entirely, for I fear that shame and regret will come
+soon enough to cause repentance for what I now confess--but all have not
+been blind as thou. Our gracious queen well understandeth the female
+heart, and that thou hast been so slow to discover, she hath long seen;
+and her quickness of eye and thought hath alone prevented me from saying
+to thee, earlier, a part at least of that which I now reluctantly
+confess"--
+
+"How! Is Dona Isabella, too, my enemy? Have I Her Highness' scruples to
+overcome, as well as those of my cold-hearted and prudish aunt?"
+
+"Luis, thy intemperance causeth thee to be unjust. Dona Beatriz of Moya
+is neither cold-hearted nor prudish, but all that is the reverse. A more
+generous or truer spirit never sacrificed self to friendship, and her
+very nature is frankness and simplicity. Much of that I so love in thee,
+cometh of her family, and _thou_ shouldst not reproach her for it. As
+for Her Highness, certes, it is not needed that I should proclaim her
+qualities. Thou knowest that she is deemed the mother of her people;
+that she regardeth the interests of all equally, or so far as her
+knowledge will allow; and that what she doth for any, is ever done with
+true affection, and a prudence that I have heard the cardinal say,
+seemeth to be inspired by infinite wisdom."
+
+"Ay, it is not difficult, Mercedes, to seem prudent, and benevolent, and
+inspired, with Castile for a throne, and Leon, with other rich
+provinces, for a footstool!"
+
+"Don Luis, if you would retain my esteem," answered the single-minded
+girl, with a gravity that had none of her sex's weakness in it, though
+much of her sex's truth--"speak not lightly of my royal mistress.
+Whatever she may have done in this matter, hath been done with a
+mother's feelings and a mother's kindness--thy injustice maketh me
+almost to apprehend, with a mother's wisdom."
+
+"Forgive me, adored, beloved Mercedes! a thousand times more adored and
+loved than ever, now that thou hast been so generous and confiding. But
+I cannot rest in peace until I know what the queen hath said and done,
+in any thing that toucheth thee and me."
+
+"Thou knowest how kind and gracious the queen hath ever been to me,
+Luis, and how much I have reason to be grateful for her many
+condescensions and favors. I know not how it is, but, while thy aunt
+hath never seemed to detect my feelings, and all those related to me by
+blood have appeared to be in the same darkness, the royal eye hath
+penetrated a mystery that, at the moment, I do think, was even concealed
+from myself. Thou rememberest the tourney that took place just before
+thou left us on thy last mad expedition?"
+
+"Do I not? Was it not thy coldness after my success in that tourney, and
+when I even wore thy favors, that not only drove me out of Spain, but
+almost drove me out of the world?"
+
+"If the world could impute thy acts to such a cause, all obstacles would
+at once be removed, and we might be happy without further efforts. But,"
+and Mercedes smiled, archly, though with great tenderness in her voice
+and looks, as she added, "I fear thou art much addicted to these fits of
+madness, and that thou wilt never cease to wish to be driven to the
+uttermost limits of the world, if not fairly out of it."
+
+"It is in thy power to make me as stationary as the towers of this
+Alhambra. One such smile, daily, would chain me like a captive Moor at
+thy feet, and take away all desire to look at other objects than thy
+beauty. But Her Highness--thou hast forgotten to add what Her Highness
+hath said and done."
+
+"In that tourney thou wert conqueror, Luis! The whole chivalry of
+Castile was in the saddle, that glorious day, and yet none could cope
+with thee! Even Alonzo de Ojeda was unhorsed by thy lance, and all
+mouths were filled with thy praises; all memories--perhaps, it would be
+better to say that all memories but one--forgot thy failings."
+
+"And that one was thine, cruel Mercedes."
+
+"Thou knowest better, unkind Luis! That day I remembered nothing but thy
+noble, generous heart, manly bearing in the tilt-yard, and excellent
+qualities. The more mindful memory was the queen's, who sent for me, to
+her closet, when the festivities were over, and caused me to pass an
+hour with her, in gentle, affectionate discourse, before she touched at
+all on the real object of her command. She spoke to me, Luis, of our
+duties as Christians, of our duties as females, and, most of all, of the
+solemn obligations that we contract in wedlock, and of the many pains
+that, at best, attend that honored condition. When she had melted me to
+tears, by an affection that equalled a mother's love, she made me
+promise--and I confirmed it with a respectful vow--that I would never
+appear at the altar, while she lived, without her being present to
+approve of my nuptials; or, if prevented by disease or duty, at least
+not without a consent given under her royal signature."
+
+"By St. Denis of Paris! Her Highness endeavored to influence thy
+generous and pure mind against me!"
+
+"Thy name was not even mentioned, Luis, nor would it have been in any
+way concerned in the discourse, had not my unbidden thoughts turned
+anxiously toward thee. What Her Highness meditated, I do not even now
+know, but it was the manner in which my own sensitive feelings brought
+up thy image, that hath made me, perhaps idly, fancy the effect might be
+to prevent me from wedding thee, without Dona Isabella's consent. But,
+knowing, as I well do, her maternal heart and gentle affections, how can
+I doubt that she will yield to my wishes, when she knoweth that my
+choice is not really unworthy, though it may seem to the severely
+prudent in some measure indiscreet."
+
+"But thou thinkest--thou feelest, Mercedes, that it was in fear of me
+that Her Highness extorted the vow?"
+
+"I apprehended it, as I have confessed, with more readiness than became
+a maiden's pride, because thou wert uppermost in my mind. Then thy
+triumphs throughout the day, and the manner in which thy name was in all
+men's mouths, might well tempt the thoughts to dwell on thy person."
+
+"Mercedes, thou canst not deny that thou believest Her Highness extorted
+that vow in dread of me?"
+
+"I wish to deny nothing that is true, Don Luis; and you are early
+teaching me to repent of the indiscreet avowal I have made. That it was
+in _dread_ of you that Her Highness spoke, I do deny; for I cannot think
+she has any such feelings toward _you_. She was full of maternal
+affection for _me_, and I think, for I will conceal naught that I truly
+believe, that apprehension of thy powers to please, Luis, may have
+induced her to apprehend that an orphan girl, like myself, might
+possibly consult her fancy more than her prudence, and wed one who
+seemed to love the uttermost limits of the earth so much better than his
+own noble castles and his proper home."
+
+"And thou meanest to respect this vow!"
+
+"Luis! thou scarce reflectest on thy words, or a question so sinful
+would not be put to me! What Christian maiden ever forgets her vows,
+whether of pilgrimage, penitence, or performance--and why should I be
+the first to incur this disgraceful guilt? Besides, had I not vowed, the
+simple wish of the queen, expressed in her own royal person, would have
+been enough to deter me from wedding any. She is my sovereign, mistress,
+and, I might almost say, mother; Dona Beatriz herself scarce manifesting
+greater interest in my welfare. Now, Luis, thou must listen to my suit,
+although I see thou art ready to exclaim, and protest, and invoke; but I
+have heard thee patiently some years, and it is now my turn to speak and
+thine to listen. I do not think the queen had thee in her mind on the
+occasion of that vow, which was _offered_ freely by me, rather than
+_extorted_, as thou seemest to think, by Her Highness. I _do_, then,
+believe that Dona Isabella supposed there might be a danger of my
+yielding to thy suit, and that she had apprehensions that one so much
+given to roving, might not bring, or keep, happiness in the bosom of a
+family. But, Luis, if Her Highness hath not done thy noble, generous
+heart, justice; if she hath been deceived by appearances, like most of
+those around her; if she hath not known thee, in short, is it not thine
+own fault? Hast thou not been a frequent truant from Castile; and, even
+when present, hast thou been as attentive and assiduous in thy duties at
+court, as becometh thy high birth and admitted claims? It is true, Her
+Highness, and all others who were present, witnessed thy skill in the
+tourney, and in these wars thy name hath had frequent and honorable
+mention for prowess against the Moor; but while the female imagination
+yields ready homage to this manliness, the female heart yearneth for
+other, and gentler, and steadier virtues, at the fireside and in the
+circle within. This, Dona Isabella hath seen, and felt, and knoweth,
+happy as hath been her own marriage with the King of Aragon; and is it
+surprising that she hath felt this concern for me? No, Luis; feeling
+hath made thee unjust to our royal mistress, whom it is now manifestly
+thy interest to propitiate, if thou art sincere in thy avowed desire to
+obtain my hand."
+
+"And how is this to be done, Mercedes? The Moor is conquered, and I know
+not that any knight would meet me to do battle for thy favor."
+
+"The queen wisheth nothing of this sort--neither do I. We both know thee
+as an accomplished Christian knight already, and, as thou hast just
+said, there is no one to meet thy lance, for no one hath met with the
+encouragement to justify the folly. It is through this Colon that thou
+art to win the royal consent."
+
+"I believe I have, in part, conceived thy meaning; but would fain hear
+thee speak more plainly."
+
+"Then I will tell thee in words as distinct as my tongue can utter
+them," rejoined the ardent girl, the tint of tenderness gradually
+deepening on her cheek to the flush of a holy enthusiasm, as she
+proceeded: "Thou knowest already the general opinions of the Senor
+Colon, and the mode in which he proposeth to effect his ends. I was
+still a child when he first appeared in Castile, to urge the court to
+embark in this great enterprise, and I can see that Her Highness hath
+often been disposed to yield her aid, when the coldness of Don Fernando,
+or the narrowness of her ministers, hath diverted her mind from the
+object. I think she yet regardeth the scheme with favor; for it is quite
+lately that Colon, who had taken leave of us all, with the intent to
+quit Spain and seek elsewhere for means, was summoned to return, through
+the influence of Fray Juan Perez, the ancient confessor of Her Highness.
+He is now here, as thou hast seen, waiting impatiently for an audience,
+and it needeth only to quicken the queen's memory, to obtain for him
+that favor. Should he get the caravels he asketh, no doubt many of the
+nobles will feel a desire to share in an enterprise that will confer
+lasting honor on all concerned, if successful; and thou mightst make
+one."
+
+"I know not how to regard this solicitude, Mercedes, for it seemeth
+strange to wish to urge those we affect to value, to enter on an
+expedition whence they may never return."
+
+"God will protect thee!" answered the girl, her face glowing with pious
+ardour: "the enterprise will be undertaken for his glory, and his
+powerful hand will guide and shield the caravels."
+
+Don Luis de Bobadilla smiled, having far less religious faith and more
+knowledge of physical obstacles than his mistress. He did full justice
+to her motives, notwithstanding his hastily expressed doubts; and the
+adventure was of a nature to arouse his constitutional love of roving,
+and his desire for encountering dangers. Both he and Mercedes well knew
+that he had fairly earned no small part of that distrust of his
+character, which alone thwarted their wishes; and, quick of intellect,
+he well understood the means and manner by which he was to gain Dona
+Isabella's consent. The few doubts that he really entertained were
+revealed by the question that succeeded.
+
+"If Her Highness is disposed to favor this Colon," he asked, "why hath
+the measure been so long delayed?"
+
+"This Moorish war, an empty treasury, and the wary coldness of the king,
+have prevented it."
+
+"Might not Her Highness look upon all the followers of the man, as so
+many vain schemers, should we return without success, as will most
+likely be the case--if, indeed, we ever return?"
+
+"Such is not Dona Isabella's character. She will enter into this
+project, in honor of God, if she entereth into it at all; and she will
+regard all who accompany Colon voluntarily, as so many crusaders, well
+entitled to her esteem. Thou wilt not return unsuccessful, Luis; but
+with such credit as will cause thy wife to glory in her choice, and to
+be proud of thy name."
+
+"Thou art a most dear enthusiast, beloved girl! If I could take thee
+with me, I would embark in the adventure, with no other companion."
+
+A fitting reply was made to this gallant, and, at the moment, certainly
+sincere speech, after which the matter was discussed between the two,
+with greater calmness and far more intelligibly. Don Luis succeeded in
+restraining his impatience; and the generous confidence with which
+Mercedes gradually got to betray her interest in him, and the sweet,
+holy earnestness with which she urged the probability of success,
+brought him at length to view the enterprise as one of lofty objects,
+rather than as a scheme which flattered his love of adventure.
+
+Dona Beatriz left the lovers alone for quite two hours, the queen
+requiring her presence all that time; and soon after she returned, her
+reckless, roving, indiscreet, but noble-hearted and manly nephew, took
+his leave. Mercedes and her guardian, however, did not retire until
+midnight; the former laying open her whole heart to the marchioness, and
+explaining all her hopes as they were connected with the enterprise of
+Colon. Dona Beatriz was both gratified and pained by this confession,
+while she smiled at the ingenuity of love, in coupling the great designs
+of the Genoese with the gratification of its own wishes. Still she was
+not displeased. Luis de Bobadilla was the son of an only and
+much-beloved brother, and she had transferred to her nephew most of the
+affection she had felt for the father. All who knew him, indeed, were
+fond of the handsome and gallant young cavalier, though the prudent felt
+compelled to frown on his indiscretions; and he might have chosen a
+wife, at will, from among the fair and high-born of Castile, with the
+few occasional exceptions that denote the circumspection and reserve of
+higher principles than common, and a forethought that extends beyond the
+usual considerations of marriage. The marchioness, therefore, was not an
+unwilling listener to her ward; and ere they separated for the night,
+the ingenuous but modest confessions, the earnest eloquence, and the
+tender ingenuity, of Mercedes, had almost made a convert of Dona
+Beatriz.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI.
+
+    "Looke back, who list, unto the former ages,
+      And call to count, what is of them become,
+    Where be those learned wits and antique sages,
+      Which of all wisdom knew the perfect somme?
+      Where those great warriors which did overcome
+    The world with conquest of their might and maine,
+    And made one meare of th'earth and of their raigne."
+
+    Ruins of Time.
+
+
+Two or three days had passed before the Christians began to feel at home
+in the ancient seat of Mahommedan power. By that time, however, the
+Alhambra and the town got to be more regulated than they were during the
+hurry, delight, and grief, of taking possession and departing; and as
+the politic and far from ill-disposed Ferdinand had issued strict orders
+that the Moors should not only be treated with kindness, but with
+delicacy, the place gradually settled down into tranquillity, and men
+began to fall into their ancient habits and to interest themselves in
+their customary pursuits.
+
+Don Fernando was much occupied with new cares, as a matter of course;
+but his illustrious consort, who reserved herself for great occasions,
+exercising her ordinary powers in the quiet, gentle manner that became
+her sex and native disposition, her truth and piety, had already
+withdrawn, as far as her high rank and substantial authority would
+allow, from the pageantry and martial scenes of a warlike court, and was
+seeking, with her wonted readiness, the haunts of private affection, and
+that intercourse which is most congenial to the softer affections of a
+woman. Her surviving children were with her, and they occupied much of
+her maternal care; but she had also many hours for friendship, and for
+the indulgence of an affection that appeared to include all her subjects
+within the ties of family.
+
+On the morning of the third day that succeeded the evening of the
+interview related in the preceding chapter, Dona Isabella had collected
+about her person a few of those privileged individuals who might be said
+to have the entree to her more private hours; for while that of Castile
+was renowned among Christian courts for etiquette, habits that it had
+probably derived from the stately oriental usages of its Mahommedan
+neighbors, the affectionate nature of the queen had cast a halo around
+her own private circle, that at once rendered it graceful as well as
+delightful to all who enjoyed the high honor of entering it. At that
+day, churchmen enjoyed a species of exclusive favor, mingling with all
+the concerns of life, and not unfrequently controlling them. While we
+are quick to detect blemishes of this sort among foreign nations, and
+are particularly prone to point out the evils that have flowed from the
+meddling of the Romish divines, we verify the truth of the venerable
+axiom that teaches us how much easier it is to see the faults of others
+than to discover our own; for no people afford stronger evidences of the
+existence of this control, than the people of the United States, more
+especially that portion of them who dwell in places that were originally
+settled by religionists, and which still continue under the influence of
+the particular sects that first prevailed; and perhaps the strongest
+national trait that exists among us at this moment--that of a
+disposition to extend the control of society beyond the limits set by
+the institutions and the laws, under the taking and plausible
+appellation of Public Opinion--has its origin in the polity of churches
+of a democratic character, that have aspired to be an _imperium in
+imperio_, confirmed and strengthened by their modes of government and by
+provincial habits. Be the fact as it may among ourselves, there is no
+question of the ascendency of the Catholic priesthood throughout
+Christendom, previously to the reformation; and Isabella was too
+sincerely devout, too unostentatiously pious, not to allow them every
+indulgence that comported with her own sense of right, and among others,
+that of a free access to her presence, and an influence on all her
+measures.
+
+On the occasion just named, among others who were present was Fernando
+de Talavera, a prelate of high station, who had just been named to the
+new dignity of Archbishop of Granada, and the Fray Pedro de Carrascal,
+the former teacher of Luis de Bobadilla, an unbeneficed divine, who owed
+his favor to great simplicity of character, aided by his high birth.
+Isabella, herself, was seated at a little table, where she was employed
+with her needle, the subject of her toil being a task as homely as a
+shirt for the king, it being a part of her womanly propensities to
+acquit herself of this humble duty, as scrupulously as if she had been
+the wife of a common tradesman of her own capital. This was one of the
+habits of the age, however, if not a part of the policy of princes; for
+most travellers have seen the celebrated saddle of the Queen of
+Burgundy, with a place arranged for the distaff, that, when its owner
+rode forth, she might set an example of thrift to her admiring subjects;
+and with our own eyes, in these luxurious times, when few private ladies
+even condescend to touch any thing as useful as the garment that
+occupied the needle of Isabella of Castile, we have seen a queen, seated
+amid her royal daughters, as diligently employed with the needle as if
+her livelihood depended on her industry. But Dona Isabella had no
+affectations. In feelings, speech, nature, and acts, she was truth
+itself; and matrimonial tenderness gave her a deeply felt pleasure in
+thus being occupied for a husband whom she tenderly loved as a man,
+while it was impossible she could entirely conceal from herself all his
+faults as a monarch. Near her sat the companion of her girlish days, the
+long-tried and devoted Beatriz de Cabrera. Mercedes occupied a stool, at
+the feet of the Infanta Isabella, while one or two other ladies of the
+household were placed at hand, with such slight distinctions of rank as
+denoted the presence of royalty, but with a domestic freedom that made
+these observances graceful without rendering them fatiguing. The king
+himself was writing at a table, in a distant corner of the vast
+apartment; and no one, the newly-created archbishop not excepted,
+presumed to approach that side of the room. The discourse was conducted
+in a tone a little lower than common; even the queen, whose voice was
+always melody, modulating its tones in a way not to interfere with the
+train of thought into which her illustrious consort appeared to be
+profoundly plunged. But, at the precise moment that we now desire to
+present to the reader, Isabella had been deeply lost in reflection for
+some time, and a general silence prevailed in the female circle around
+the little work-tables.
+
+"Daughter-Marchioness"--for so the queen usually addressed her
+friend--"Daughter-Marchioness," said Isabella, arousing herself from the
+long silence, "hath aught been seen or heard of late of the Senor Colon,
+the pilot who hath so long urged us on the subject of this western
+voyage?"
+
+The quick, hurried glance of intelligence and gratification, that passed
+between Mercedes and her guardian, betrayed the interest they felt in
+this question, while the latter answered, as became her duty and her
+respect for her mistress--
+
+"You remember, Senora, that he was written for, by Fray Juan Perez, Your
+Highness' ancient confessor, who journeyed all the way from his convent
+of Santa Maria de Rabida, in Andalusia, to intercede in his behalf, that
+his great designs might not be lost to Castile."
+
+"Thou thinkest his designs, then, great, Daughter-Marchioness?"
+
+"Can any think them otherwise, Senora? They seem reasonable and natural,
+and if just, is it not a great and laudable undertaking to extend the
+bounds of the church, and to confer honor and wealth on one's own
+country? My enthusiastic ward, Mercedes de Valverde, is so zealous in
+behalf of this navigator's great project, that, next to her duty to her
+God, and her duty to her sovereigns, it seemeth to make the great
+concern of her life."
+
+The queen turned a smiling face toward the blushing girl who was the
+subject of this remark, and she gazed at her, for an instant, with the
+expression of affection that was so wont to illuminate her lovely
+countenance when dwelling on the features of her own daughters.
+
+"Dost thou acknowledge this, Dona Mercedes?" she said; "hath Colon so
+convinced thee, that thou art thus zealous in his behalf?"
+
+Mercedes arose, respectfully, when addressed by the queen, and she
+advanced a step or two nearer to the royal person before she made any
+reply.
+
+"It becometh me to speak modestly, in this presence," said the beautiful
+girl; "but I shall not deny that I feel deep concern for the success of
+the Senor Colon. The thought is so noble, Senora, that it were a pity it
+should not be just."
+
+"This is the reasoning of the young and generous-minded; and I confess
+myself, Beatrice, almost as childish as any, on this matter, at
+times--Colon, out of question, is still here?"
+
+"Indeed he is, Senora," answered Mercedes, eagerly, and with a haste she
+immediately repented, for the inquiry was not made directly to herself;
+"I know of one who hath seen him as lately as the day the troops took
+possession of the town."
+
+"Who is that person?" asked the queen, steadily, but not severely, her
+eye having turned again to the face of the girl, with an interest that
+continued to increase as she gazed.
+
+Mercedes now bitterly regretted her indiscretion, and, in spite of a
+mighty effort to repress her feelings, the tell-tale blood mounted to
+her temples, ere she could find resolution to reply.
+
+"Don Luis de Bobadilla, Senora, the nephew of my guardian, Dona
+Beatriz," she at length answered; for the love of truth was stronger in
+this pure-hearted young creature, even, than the dread of shame.
+
+"Thou art particular, Senorita," Isabella observed calmly, severity
+seldom entering into her communication with the just-minded and good;
+"Don Luis cometh of too illustrious a house to need a herald to proclaim
+his alliances. It is only the obscure that the world doth not trouble
+itself about. Daughter-Marchioness," relieving Mercedes from a state
+scarcely less painful than the rack, by turning her eyes toward her
+friend, "this nephew of thine is a confirmed rover--but I doubt if he
+could be prevailed on to undertake an expedition like this of Colon's,
+that hath in view the glory of God and the benefit of the realm."
+
+"Indeed, Senora"--Mercedes repressed her zeal by a sudden and triumphant
+effort.
+
+"Thou wert about to speak, Dona Mercedes," gravely observed the queen.
+
+"I crave Your Highness' forgiveness. It was improperly, as your own
+words were not addressed to me."
+
+"This is not the court of the Queen of Castile, daughter, but the
+private room of Isabella de Trastamara," said the queen, willing to
+lessen the effect of what had already passed. "Thou hast the blood of
+the Admiral of Castile in thy veins, and art even akin to our Lord the
+King. Speak freely, then."
+
+"I know your gracious goodness to me, Senora, and had nearly forgotten
+myself, under its influence. All I had to say was, that Don Luis de
+Bobadilla desireth exceedingly that the Senor Colon might get the
+caravels he seeketh, and that he himself might obtain the royal
+permission to make one among the adventurers."
+
+"Can this be so, Beatriz?"
+
+"Luis is a truant, Senora, beyond a question, but it is not with ignoble
+motives. I have heard him ardently express his desire to be one of
+Colon's followers, should that person be sent by Your Highness in search
+of the land of Cathay."
+
+Isabella made no reply, but she laid her homely work in her lap, and sat
+musing, in pensive silence, for several minutes. During this interval,
+none near her presumed to speak, and Mercedes retired, stealthily, to
+her stool, at the feet of the Infanta. At length the queen arose, and,
+crossing the room, she approached the table where Don Fernando was still
+busily engaged with the pen. Here she paused a moment, as if unwilling
+to disturb him; but soon, laying a hand kindly on his shoulder, she drew
+his attention to herself. The king, as if conscious whence such
+familiarity could alone proceed, looked around immediately, and, rising
+from his chair, he was the first to speak.
+
+"These Moriscoes need looking to," he said, betraying the direction that
+his thoughts had so early taken toward the increase of his power--"I
+find we have left Abdallah many strongholds in the Apulxarras, that may
+make him a troublesome neighbor, unless we can push him across the
+Mediterranean"--
+
+"Of this, Fernando, we will converse on some other opportunity,"
+interrupted the queen, whose pure mind disliked every thing that even
+had an approach to a breach of faith. "It is hard enough for those who
+control the affairs of men, always to obey God and their own
+consciences, without seeking occasions to violate their faith. I have
+come to thee, on another matter. The hurry of the times, and the
+magnitude of our affairs, have caused us to overlook the promise given
+to Colon, the navigator"--
+
+"Still busied with thy needle, Isabella, and for my comfort," observed
+the king, playing with the shirt that his royal consort had
+unconsciously brought in her hand; "few subjects have wives as
+considerate and kind as thou!"
+
+"Thy comfort and happiness stand next to my duty to God and the care of
+my people," returned Isabella, gratified at the notice the King of
+Aragon had taken of this little homage of her sex, even while she
+suspected that it came from a wish to parry the subject that was then
+uppermost in her thoughts. "I would do naught in this important concern,
+without thy fullest approbation, if that may be had; and I think it
+toucheth our royal words to delay no longer. Seven years are a most
+cruel probation, and, unless we are active, we shall have some of the
+hot-blooded young nobles of the kingdom undertaking the matter, as their
+holiday sports."
+
+"Thou say'st true, Senora, and we will refer the subject, at once, to
+Fernando de Talavera, yonder, who is of approved discretion, and one to
+be relied on." As the king spoke, he beckoned to the individual named,
+who immediately approached the royal pair. "Archbishop of Granada,"
+continued the wily king, who had as many politic arts as a modern
+patriot intently bent on his own advancement--"Archbishop of Granada,
+our royal consort hath a desire that this affair of Colon should be
+immediately inquired into, and reported on to ourselves. It is our joint
+command that you, and others, take the matter, before the next
+twenty-four hours shall pass, into mature consideration and inquiry, and
+that you lay the result before ourselves. The names of your associates
+shall be given to you in the course of the day."
+
+While the tongue of Ferdinand was thus instructing the prelate, the
+latter read in the expression of the monarch's eye, and in the coldness
+of his countenance, a meaning that his quick and practiced wits were not
+slow in interpreting. He signified his dutiful assent, however; received
+the names of his associates in the commission, of whom Isabella pointed
+out one or two, and then waited to join in the discourse.
+
+"This project of Colon's is worthy of being more seriously inquired
+into," resumed the king, when these preliminaries were settled, "and it
+shall be our care to see that he hath all consideration. They tell me
+the honest navigator is a good Christian."
+
+"I think him devotedly so, Don Fernando. He hath a purpose, should God
+prosper his present undertaking, to join in a new effort to regain the
+holy sepulchre."
+
+"Umph! Such designs may be meritorious, but ours is the true way to
+advance the faith--this conquest of our own. We have raised the cross,
+my wife, where the ensigns of infidelity were lately seen, and Granada
+is so near Castile that it will not be difficult to maintain our altars.
+Such, at least, are the opinions of a layman--holy prelate--on these
+matters."
+
+"And most just and wise opinions are they, Senor," returned the
+archbishop. "That which can be retained, it is wisest to seek, for we
+lose our labors in gaining things that Providence hath placed so far
+beyond our control, that they do not seem designed for our purposes."
+
+"There are those, my Lord Archbishop," observed the queen, "who might
+argue against all attempts to recover the holy sepulchre, hearing
+opinions like these, from so high authority!"
+
+"Then, Senora, they would misconceive that authority," the politic
+prelate hurriedly replied. "It is well for all Christendom, to drive the
+Infidels from the Holy Land; but for Castile it is better to dispossess
+them of Granada. The distinction is a very plain one, as every sound
+casuist must admit."
+
+"This truth is as evident to our reason," added Ferdinand, casting a
+look of calm exultation out at a window, "as that yonder towers were
+once Abdallah's, and that they are now our own!"
+
+"Better for Castile!" repeated Isabella, in the tones of one who mused.
+"For her worldly power better, perhaps, but not better for the souls of
+those who achieve the deed--surely, not better for the glory of God!"
+
+"My much-honored wife, and beloved consort"--said the king.
+
+"Senora"--added the prelate.
+
+But Isabella walked slowly away, pondering on principles, while the eyes
+of the two worldings she left behind her, met, with the sort of
+free-masonry that is in much request among those who are too apt to
+substitute the expedient for the right. The queen did not return to her
+seat, but she walked up and down that part of the room which the
+archbishop had left vacant when he approached herself and her husband.
+Here she remained alone for several minutes, even Ferdinand holding her
+in too much reverence to presume to disturb her meditations, uninvited.
+The queen several times cast glances at Mercedes, and, at length, she
+commanded her to draw near.
+
+"Daughter," said Isabella, who frequently addressed those she loved by
+this endearing term, "thou hast not forgotten thy freely-offered vow?"
+
+"Next to my duty to God, Senora, I most consider my duty to my
+sovereign."
+
+Mercedes spoke firmly, and in those tones that seldom deceive. Isabella
+riveted her eyes on the pale features of the beautiful girl, and when
+the words just quoted were uttered, a tender mother could not have
+regarded a beloved child with stronger proofs of affection.
+
+"Thy duty to God overshadoweth all other feelings, daughter, as is
+just," answered the queen; "thy duty to me is secondary and inferior.
+Still, thou and all others, owe a solemn duty to your sovereign, and I
+should be unfit for the high trust that I have received from Providence,
+did I permit any of these obligations to lessen. It is not I that reign
+in Castile, but Providence, through its humble and unworthy instrument.
+My people are my children, and I often pray that I may have heart enough
+to hold them all. If princes are sometimes obliged to frown on the
+unworthy, it is but in humble and distant imitation of that Power which
+cannot smile on evil."
+
+"I hope, Senora," said the girl, timidly, observing that the queen
+paused, "I have not been so unfortunate as to displease you; a frown
+from Your Highness would indeed be a calamity!"
+
+"Thou? No, daughter; I would that all the maidens of Castile, noble and
+simple, were of thy truth, and modesty, and obedience. But we cannot
+permit thee to become the victim of the senses. Thou art too well
+taught, Dona Mercedes, not to distinguish between that which is
+brilliant and that which is truly virtuous"--
+
+"Senora!" cried Mercedes, eagerly--then checking herself, immediately,
+for she felt it was a disrespect to interrupt her sovereign.
+
+"I listen to what thou wouldst say, daughter," Isabella answered, after
+pausing for the frightened girl to continue. "Speak freely; thou
+addressest a parent."
+
+"I was about to say, Senora, that if all that is brilliant is not
+virtuous, neither is all that is unpleasant to the sight, or what
+prudence might condemn, actually vicious."
+
+"I understand thee, Senorita, and the remark hath truth in it. Now, let
+us speak of other things. Thou appearest to be friendly to the designs
+of this navigator, Colon?"
+
+"The opinion of one untaught and youthful as I, can have little weight
+with the Queen of Castile, who can ask counsel of prelates and learned
+churchmen, besides consulting her own wisdom;" Mercedes modestly
+answered.
+
+"But thou thinkest well of his project; or have I mistaken thy meaning?"
+
+"No, Senora, I _do_ think well of Colon's scheme; for to me it seemeth
+of that nobleness and grandeur that Providence would favor, for the good
+of man and the advancement of the church."
+
+"And thou believest that nobles and cavaliers can be found willing to
+embark with this obscure Genoese, in his bold undertaking?"
+
+The queen felt the hand that she affectionately held in both her own,
+tremble, and when she looked at her companion she perceived that her
+face was crimsoned and her eyes lowered. But the generous girl thought
+the moment critical for the fortunes of her lover, and she rallied all
+her energies in order to serve his interests.
+
+"Senora, I do," she answered, with a steadiness that both surprised and
+pleased the queen, who entered into and appreciated all her feelings; "I
+think Don Luis de Bobadilla will embark with him; since his aunt hath
+conversed freely with him on the nature and magnitude of the enterprise,
+his mind dwelleth on little else. He would be willing to furnish gold
+for the occasion, could his guardians be made to consent."
+
+"Which any guardian would be very wrong to do. We may deal freely with
+our own, but it is forbidden to jeopard the goods of another. If Don
+Luis de Bobadilla persevere in this intention, and act up to his
+professions, I shall think more favorably of his character than
+circumstances have hitherto led me to do."
+
+"Senora!"
+
+"Hear me, daughter; we cannot now converse longer on this point, the
+council waiting my presence, and the king having already left us. Thy
+guardian and I will confer together, and thou shalt not be kept in undue
+suspense; but Mercedes de Valverde"--
+
+"My Lady the Queen"--
+
+"Remember thy vow, daughter. It was freely given, and must not be
+hastily forgotten."
+
+Isabella now kissed the pale cheek of the girl and withdrew, followed by
+all the ladies; leaving the half-pleased and yet half-terrified Mercedes
+standing in the centre of the vast apartment, resembling a beautiful
+statue of Doubt.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII.
+
+    "He that of such a height hath built his mind,
+    And reared the dwelling of his thoughts so strong
+    As neither fear nor hope can shake the frame
+    Of his resolved powers."
+
+    Daniel.
+
+
+The following day the Alhambra was crowded with courtiers as usual;
+applicants for favors, those who sought their own, and those who
+solicited the redress of imaginary wrongs. The ante-chambers were
+thronged, and the different individuals in waiting jealously eyed each
+other, as if to inquire how far their neighbors would be likely to
+thwart their several views or to advance their wishes. Men bowed, in
+general, coldly and with distrust; and the few that did directly pass
+their greetings, met with the elaborated civility that commonly
+characterizes the intercourse of palaces.
+
+While curiosity was active in guessing at the business of the different
+individuals present, and whispers, nods, shrugs of the shoulders, and
+meaning glances, passed among the old stagers, as they communicated to
+each other the little they knew, or thought they knew, on different
+subjects, there stood in the corner of the principal apartment, one in
+particular, who might be distinguished from all around him, by his
+stature, the gravity and dignity of his air, and the peculiar sort of
+notice that he attracted. Few approached him, and they that did, as they
+turned their backs, cast those glances of self-sufficiency and ridicule
+about them, that characterize the vulgar-minded when they fancy that
+they are deriding or sneering in consonance with popular opinion. This
+was Columbus, who was very generally regarded by the multitude as a
+visionary schemer, and who necessarily shared in that sort of
+contemptuous obloquy that attaches itself to the character. But even the
+wit and jokes of the crowd had been expended upon this subject, and the
+patience of those who danced attendance was getting to be exhausted,
+when a little stir at the door announced the approach of some new
+courtier. The manner in which the throng quickly gave way, denoted the
+presence of some one of high rank, and presently Don Luis de Bobadilla
+stood in the centre of the room.
+
+"It is the nephew of Her Highness' favorite," whispered one.
+
+"A noble of one of the most illustrious families of Castile," said
+another; "but a fitting associate of this Colon, as neither the
+authority of his guardians, the wishes of the queen, nor his high
+station, can keep him from the life of a vagabond."
+
+"One of the best lances in Spain, if he had the prudence and wisdom to
+turn his skill to profit," observed a third.
+
+"That is the youthful knight who hath so well deported himself in this
+last campaign," growled an inferior officer of the infantry, "and who
+unhorsed Don Alonso de Ojeda in the tourney; but his lance is as
+unsteady in its aim, as it is good in the rest. They tell me he is a
+rover."
+
+As if purposely to justify this character, Luis looked about him
+anxiously a moment, and then made his way directly to the side of Colon.
+The smiles, nods, shrugs, and half-suppressed whispers that followed,
+betrayed the common feeling; but a door on the side of the closet
+opening, all eyes were immediately bent in that direction, and the
+little interruption just mentioned was as soon forgotten.
+
+"I greet you, Senor," said Luis, bowing respectfully to Columbus. "Since
+our discourse of last evening I have thought of little besides its
+subject, and have come hither to renew it."
+
+That Columbus was pleased by this homage, appeared in his eye, his
+smile, and the manner in which he raised his body, as if full of the
+grandeur of his own designs; but he was compelled to defer the pleasure
+that it always gave him to dilate on his enterprise.
+
+"I am commanded hither, noble Senor," he answered, cordially, "by the
+holy Archbishop of Granada, who, it seemeth, hath it in charge from
+their Highnesses, to bring my affair to a speedy issue, and who hath
+named this very morning for that purpose. We touch upon the verge of
+great events: the day is not distant, when this conquest of Granada will
+be forgotten, in the greater importance of the mighty things that God
+hath held in reserve!"
+
+"By San Pedro, my new patron! I do believe you, Senor. Cathay must lie
+at or near the spot you have named, and your own eyes shall not see it,
+and its gorgeous stories of wealth, sooner than mine. Remember Pedro de
+Munos, I pray you, Senor Colon."
+
+"He shall not be forgotten, I promise you, young lord; and all the great
+deeds of your ancestors will be eclipsed by the glory achieved by their
+son. But I hear my name called; we will talk of this anon."
+
+"El Senor Christoval Colon!" was called by one of the pages, in a loud
+authoritative voice, and the navigator hurried forward, buoyed up with
+hope and joy.
+
+The manner in which one so generally regarded with indifference, if not
+with contempt, had been selected from all that crowd of courtiers,
+excited some surprise; but as the ordinary business of the antechamber
+went on, and the subordinates of office soon appeared in the rooms, to
+hear solicitations and answer questions, the affair was quickly
+forgotten. Luis withdrew disappointed, for he had hoped to enjoy another
+long discourse with Columbus, on a subject which, as it was connected
+with his dearest hopes, now occupied most of his thoughts. We shall
+leave him, however, and all in the ante-chambers, to follow the great
+navigator further into the depths of the palace.
+
+Fernando de Talavera had not been unmindful of his orders. Instead,
+however, of associating with this prelate, men known to be well disposed
+to listen to the propositions of Columbus, the king and queen had made
+the mistake of choosing some six or eight of their courtiers, persons of
+probity and of good general characters, but who were too little
+accustomed to learned research, properly to appreciate the magnitude of
+the proposed discoveries. Into the presence of these distinguished
+nobles and churchmen was Columbus now ushered, and among them is the
+reader to suppose him seated. We pass over the customary ceremonies of
+the introduction, and proceed at once to the material part of the
+narrative. The Archbishop of Granada was the principal speaker on the
+part of the commissioners.
+
+"We understand, Senor Colon," continued the prelate, "should you be
+favored by their Highnesses' power and authority, that you propose to
+undertake a voyage into the unknown Atlantic, in quest of the land of
+Cathay and the celebrated island of Cipango?"
+
+"That is my design, holy and illustrious prelate. The matter hath been
+so often up between the agents of the two sovereigns and myself, that
+there is little occasion to enlarge on my views."
+
+"These were fully discussed at Salamanca, of a verity, where many
+learned churchmen were of your way of thinking, Senor, though more were
+against it. Our Lord the King, and our Lady the Queen, however, are
+disposed to view the matter favorably, and this commission hath been
+commanded that we might arrange all previous principles, and determine
+the rights of the respective parties. What force in vessels and
+equipments do you demand, in order to achieve the great objects you
+expect, under the blessing of God, to accomplish?"
+
+"You have well spoken, Lord Archbishop; it will be by the blessing of
+God, and under his especial care, that all will be done, for his glory
+and worship are involved in the success. With so good an ally on my
+side, little worldly means will be necessary. Two caravels of light
+burden are all I ask, with the flag of the sovereigns, and a sufficiency
+of mariners."
+
+The commissioners turned toward each other in surprise, and while some
+saw in the moderate request the enthusiastic heedlessness of a
+visionary, others detected the steady reliance of faith.
+
+"That is not asking much, truly," observed the prelate, who was among
+the first; "and, though these wars have left us of Castile with an
+exhausted treasury, we could compass that little without the aid of a
+miracle. The caravels might be found, and the mariners levied, but there
+are weighty points to determine before we reach that concession. You
+expect, Senor, to be intrusted with the command of the expedition, in
+your own person?"
+
+"Without that confidence I could not be answerable for success. I ask
+the full and complete authority of an admiral, or a sea-commander, of
+their Highnesses. The force employed will be trifling in appearance, but
+the risks will be great, and the power of the two crowns must completely
+sustain that of him on whose shoulders will rest the entire weight of
+the responsibility."
+
+"This is but just, and none will gainsay it. But, Senor, have you
+thought maturely on the advantages that are to accrue to the sovereigns,
+should they sustain you in this undertaking?"
+
+"Lord Archbishop, for eighteen years hath this subject occupied my
+thoughts, and employed my studies, both by day and by night. In the
+whole of that long period have I done little that hath not had a direct
+bearing on the success of this mighty enterprise. The advantages to all
+concerned, that will flow from it, have, therefore, scarce been
+forgotten."
+
+"Name them, Senor."
+
+"First, then, as is due to his all-seeing and omnipotent protection,
+glory will be given to the Almighty, by the spreading of his church and
+the increase of his worshippers." Fernando de Talavera and all the
+churchmen present piously crossed themselves, an act in which Columbus
+himself joined. "Their Highnesses, as is meet, will reap the next
+advantages, in the extension of their empire and in the increase of
+their subjects. Wealth will flow in upon Castile and Aragon, in a rapid
+stream, His Holiness freely granting to Christian monarchs the thrones
+and territories of all infidel princes whose possessions may be
+discovered, or people converted to the faith, through their means."
+
+"This is plausible, Senor," returned the prelate, "and founded on just
+principles. His Holiness certainly is entrusted with that power, and
+hath been known to use it, for the glory of God. You doubtless know,
+Senor Colon, that Don John of Portugal hath paid great attention to
+these matters already, and that he and his predecessors have probably
+pushed discovery to the verge of its final limits. His enterprise hath
+also obtained from Rome certain privileges that may not be meddled
+with."
+
+"I am not ignorant of the Portuguese enterprise, holy prelate, nor of
+the spirit with which Don John hath exercised his power. His vessels
+voyage along the western shore of Africa, and in a direction altogether
+different from that I propose to take. My purpose is to launch forth, at
+once, into the broad Atlantic, and by following the sun toward his place
+of evening retirement, reach the eastern bounds of the Indies, by a road
+that will lessen the journey many months."
+
+Although the archbishop and most of his coadjutors belonged to the
+numerous class of those who regarded Columbus as a brain-heated
+visionary, the earnest, but lofty dignity, with which he thus simply
+touched upon his projects; the manner in which he quietly smoothed down
+his white locks, when he had spoken; and the enthusiasm that never
+failed to kindle in his eye, as he dwelt on his noble designs, produced
+a deep impression on all present, and there was a moment when the
+general feeling was to aid him to the extent of the common means. It was
+a singular and peculiar proof of the existence of this transient feeling
+that one of the commissioners immediately inquired--
+
+"Do you propose, Senor Colon, to seek the court of Prestor John?"
+
+"I know not, noble Senor, that such a potentate hath even an existence,"
+answered Columbus, whose notions had got the fixed and philosophical
+bias that is derived from science, and who entered little into the
+popular fallacies of the day, though necessarily subject to much of the
+ignorance of the age; "I find nothing to establish the truth of there
+being such a monarch at all, or such territories."
+
+This admission did not help the navigator's cause; for to affirm that
+the earth was a sphere, and that Prestor John was a creature of the
+imagination, was abandoning the marvellous to fall back on demonstration
+and probabilities--a course that the human mind, in its uncultivated
+condition, is not fond of taking.
+
+"There are men who will be willing to put faith in the truth of Prestor
+John's power and territories," interrupted one of the commissioners, who
+was indebted to his present situation purely to King Ferdinand's policy,
+"who will flatly deny that the earth is round; since we all know that
+there are kings, and territories, and Christians, while we see that the
+earth and the ocean are plains."
+
+This opinion was received with an assenting smile by most present,
+though Fernando de Talavera had doubts of its justice.
+
+"Senor," answered Columbus, mildly, "if all in this world was in truth
+what it seemeth, confessions would be little needed, and penance would
+be much lighter."
+
+"I esteem you a good Christian, Senor Colon," observed the archbishop,
+sharply.
+
+"I am such as the grace of God and a weak nature have made me, Lord
+Archbishop; though I humbly trust that when I shall have achieved this
+great end, that I may be deemed more worthy of the divine protection, as
+well as of the divine favor."
+
+"It hath been said that thou deemest thyself especially set apart by
+Providence for this work."
+
+"I feel that within me, holy prelate, that encourageth such a hope; but
+I build naught on mysteries that exceed my comprehension."
+
+It would be difficult to say whether Columbus lost or gained in the
+opinions of his auditors, by this answer. The religious feeling of the
+age was in perfect consonance with the sentiment; but, to the churchmen
+present, it seemed arrogant in a humble and unknown layman, even to
+believe it possible that he could be the chosen vessel, when so many who
+appeared to have higher claims were rejected. Still no expression of
+this feeling was permitted, for it was then, as it is now--he who seemed
+to rely on the power of God, carrying with him a weight and an influence
+that ordinarily checked rebukes.
+
+"You propose to endeavor to reach Cathay by means of sailing forth into
+the broad Atlantic," resumed the archbishop, "and yet you deny the
+existence of Prestor John."
+
+"Your pardon, holy prelate--I do propose to reach Cathay and Cipango in
+the mode you mention, but I do not absolutely deny the existence of the
+monarch you have named. For the probability of the success of my
+enterprise, I have already produced my proofs and reasons, which have
+satisfied many learned churchmen; but evidence is wanting to establish
+the last."
+
+"And yet Giovanni di Montecorvino, a pious bishop of our holy church, is
+said to have converted such a prince to the true faith, nearly two
+centuries since."
+
+"The power of God can do any thing, Lord Archbishop, and I am not one to
+question the merits of his chosen ministers. All I can answer on this
+point is, to say that I find no scientific or plausible reasons to
+justify me in pursuing what may prove to be as deceptive as the light
+which recedes before the hand that would touch it. As for Cathay and its
+position and its wonders, we have the better established evidence of the
+renowned Venetians, Marco and Nicolo Polo, who not only travelled in
+those territories, but sojourned years at the court of their monarch.
+But, noble gentlemen, whether there is a Prestor John, or a Cathay,
+there is certainly a limit to the western side of the Atlantic, and that
+limit I am ready to seek."
+
+The archbishop betrayed his incredulity in the upward turn of his eyes;
+but having his commands from those who were accustomed to be obeyed, and
+knowing that the theory of Columbus had been gravely heard and reported
+on, years before, at Salamanca, he determined prudently to keep within
+his proper sphere, and to proceed at once to that into which it was his
+duty to inquire.
+
+"You have set forth the advantages that you think may be derived to the
+sovereigns, should your project succeed, Senor," he said, "and truly
+they are not light, if all your brilliant hopes may be realized; but it
+now remaineth to know what conditions you reserve for yourself, as the
+reward of all your risks and many years of anxious labor."
+
+"All that hath been duly considered, illustrious archbishop, and you
+will find the substance of my wishes set forth in this paper, though
+many of the smaller provisions will remain to be enumerated."
+
+As Columbus spoke he handed the paper in question to Ferdinand of
+Talavera. The prelate ran his eyes over it hastily at first, but a
+second time with more deliberation, and it would be difficult to say
+whether ridicule or indignation was most strongly expressed in his
+countenance, as he deridingly threw the document on a table. When this
+act of contempt was performed, he turned toward Columbus, as if to
+satisfy himself that the navigator was not mad.
+
+"Art thou serious in demanding these terms, Senor?" he asked sternly,
+and with a look that would have caused most men, in the humble station
+of the applicant, to swerve from their purpose.
+
+"Lord Archbishop," answered Columbus, with a dignity that was not easily
+disturbed, "this matter hath now occupied my mind quite eighteen years.
+During the whole of this long period I have thought seriously of little
+else, and it may be said to have engaged my mind sleeping and waking. I
+saw the truth early and intensely, but every day seems to bring it
+brighter and brighter before my eyes. I feel a reliance on success, that
+cometh from dependence on God. I think myself an agent, chosen for the
+accomplishment of great ends, and ends that will not be decided by the
+success of this one enterprise. There is more beyond, and I must retain
+the dignity and the means necessary to accomplish it. I cannot abate, in
+the smallest degree, the nature or the amount of these conditions."
+
+Although the manner in which these words were uttered lent them weight,
+the prelate fancied that the mind of the navigator had got to be
+unsettled by his long contemplation of a single subject. The only things
+that left any doubt concerning the accuracy of this opinion, were the
+method and science with which he had often maintained, even in his own
+presence, the reasonableness of his geographical suppositions; arguments
+which, though they had failed to convince one bent on believing the
+projector a visionary, had, nevertheless, greatly puzzled the listener.
+Still, the demands he had just read seemed so extravagant, that, for a
+single instant, a sentiment of pity repressed the burst of indignation
+to which he felt disposed to give vent.
+
+"How like ye, noble lords," he cried, sarcastically, turning to two or
+three of his fellow-commissioners, who had eagerly seized the paper and
+were endeavoring to read it, and all at the same moment, "the moderate
+and modest demands of the Senor Christoval Colon, the celebrated
+navigator who confounded the Council of Salamanca! Are they not such as
+becometh their Highnesses to accept on bended knees, and with many
+thanks?"
+
+"Read them, Lord Archbishop," exclaimed several in a breath. "Let us
+first know their nature."
+
+"There are many minor conditions that might be granted, as unworthy of
+discussion," resumed the prelate, taking the paper; "but here are two
+that must give the sovereigns infinite satisfaction. The Senor Colon
+actually satisfieth himself with the rank of Admiral and Viceroy over
+all the countries he may discover; and as for gains, one-tenth--the
+church's share, my brethren--yea, even one-tenth, one _humble_ tenth of
+the proceeds and customs, will content him!"
+
+The general murmur that passed among the commissioners, denoted a common
+dissatisfaction, and at that instant Columbus had not a true supporter
+in the room.
+
+"Nor is this all, illustrious nobles, and holy priests," continued the
+archbishop, following up his advantage as soon as he believed his
+auditors ready to hear him--"nor is this all; lest these high dignities
+should weary their Highnesses' shoulders, and those of their royal
+progeny, the liberal Genoese actually consenteth to transmit them to his
+own posterity, in all time to come; converting the kingdom of Cathay
+into a realm for the uses of the house of Colon, to maintain the dignity
+of which, the tenth of all the benefits are to be consigned to its
+especial care!"
+
+There would have been an open laugh at this sally, had not the noble
+bearing of Columbus checked its indulgence; and even Ferdinand of
+Talavera, under the stern rebuke of an eye and mien that carried with
+them a grave authority, began to think he had gone too far.
+
+"Your pardon, Senor Colon," he immediately and more courteously added;
+"but your conditions sounded so lofty that they have quite taken me by
+surprise. You cannot seriously mean to maintain them?"
+
+"Not one jot will I abate, Lord Priest: that much will be my due; and he
+that consenteth to less than he deserveth, becometh an instrument of his
+own humiliation. I shall give to the sovereigns an empire that will far
+exceed in value all their other possessions, and I claim my reward. I
+tell you, moreover, reverend prelate, that there is much in reserve, and
+that these conditions will be needed to fulfil the future."
+
+"These are truly modest proposals for a nameless Genoese!" exclaimed one
+of the courtiers, who had been gradually swelling with disgust and
+contempt. "The Senor Colon will be certain of commanding in the service
+of their Highnesses, and if nothing is done he will have that high honor
+without cost; whereas, should this most improbable scheme lead to any
+benefits, he will become a vice-king, humbly contenting himself with the
+church's revenue!"
+
+This remark appeared to determine the wavering, and the commissioners
+rose, in a body, as if the matter were thought to be unworthy of further
+discussion. With the view to preserve at least the appearance of
+impartiality and discretion, however, the archbishop turned once more
+toward Columbus, and now, certain of obtaining his ends, he spoke to him
+in milder tones.
+
+"For the last time, Senor," he said, "I ask if you still insist on these
+unheard-of terms?"
+
+"On them, and on no other," said Columbus, firmly. "I know the magnitude
+of the services I shall perform, and will not degrade them--will in no
+manner lessen their dignity, by accepting aught else. But, Lord
+Archbishop, and you, too, noble Senor, that treateth my claims so
+lightly, I am ready to add to the risk of person, life, and name, that
+of gold. I will furnish one-eighth of the needful sums, if ye will
+increase my benefits in that proportion."
+
+"Enough, enough," returned the prelate, preparing to quit the room; "we
+will make our report to the sovereigns, this instant, and thou shalt
+speedily know their pleasure."
+
+Thus terminated the conference. The courtiers left the room, conversing
+earnestly among themselves, like men who did not care to repress their
+indignation; while Columbus, filled with the noble character of his own
+designs, disappeared in another direction, with the bearing of one whose
+self-respect was not to be lessened by clamor, and who appreciated
+ignorance and narrowness of views too justly to suffer them to change
+his own high purposes.
+
+Ferdinand of Talavera was as good as his word. He was the queen's
+confessor, and, in virtue of that holy office, had at all times access
+to her presence. Full of the subject of the late interview, he took his
+way directly to the private apartments of the queen, and, as a matter of
+course, was at once admitted. Isabella heard his representations with
+mortification and regret, for she had begun to set her heart on the
+sailing of this extraordinary expedition. But the influence of the
+archbishop was very great, for his royal penitent knew the sincerity and
+devotedness of his heart.
+
+"This carrieth presumption to insolence, Senora," continued the
+irritated churchman; "have we not here a mendicant adventurer demanding
+honors and authority that belong only to God and his anointed, the
+princes of the earth? Who is this Colon?--a nameless Genoese, without
+rank, services, or modesty, and yet doth he carry his pretensions to a
+height that might cause even a Guzman to hesitate."
+
+"He is a good Christian, holy prelate," Isabella meekly answered, "and
+seemeth to delight in the service and glory of God, and to wish to favor
+the extension of his visible and Catholic church."
+
+"True, Senora, and yet may there be deceit in this"--
+
+"Nay, Lord Archbishop, I do not think that deceit is the man's failing,
+for franker speech and more manly bearing it is not usual to see, even
+in the most powerful. He hath solicited us for years, and yet no act of
+meanness may be fairly laid to his charge."
+
+"I shall not judge the heart of this man harshly, Dona Isabella, but we
+may judge of his actions and his pretensions, and how far they may be
+suitable to the dignity of the two crowns, freely and without censure. I
+confess him grave, and plausible, and light of neither discourse nor
+manner, virtues certainly, as the world moveth in courts"--Isabella
+smiled, but she said nothing, for her ghostly counsellor was wont to
+rebuke with freedom, and she to listen with humility--"where the age is
+not exhibiting its purest models of sobriety of thought and devotion,
+but even these may exist without the spirit that shall be fitted for
+heaven. But what are gravity and decorum, if sustained by an inflated
+pride and inordinate rapacity? ambition being a term too lofty for such
+a craving. Reflect, Senora, on the full nature of these demands. This
+Colon requireth to be established, forever, in the high state of a
+substitute for a king, not only for his own person, but for those of his
+descendants throughout all time, with the title and authority of Admiral
+over all adjacent seas, should he discover any of the lands he so much
+exalts, before he will consent to enter into the command of certain of
+Your Highnesses' vessels, a station of itself only too honorable for one
+of so little note! Should his most extravagant pretensions be
+realized--and the probabilities are that they will entirely fail--his
+demands would exceed his services; whereas, in the case of failure, the
+Castilian and Aragonese names would be covered with ridicule, and a sore
+disrespect would befal the royal dignity for having been thus duped by
+an adventurer. Much of the glory of this late conquest would be
+tarnished, by a mistake so unfortunate."
+
+"Daughter-Marchioness," observed the queen, turning toward the faithful,
+and long-tried friend who was occupied with her needle near her own
+side--"these conditions of Colon do, truly, seem to exceed the bounds of
+reason."
+
+"The enterprise also exceedeth all the usual bounds of risks and
+adventures, Senora," was the steady reply of Dona Beatriz, as she
+glanced toward the countenance of Mercedes. "Noble efforts deserve noble
+rewards."
+
+The eye of Isabella followed the glance of her friend, and it remained
+fixed for some time on the pale, anxious features of her favorite's
+ward. The beautiful girl herself was unconscious of the attention she
+excited; but one who knew her secret might easily detect the intense
+feeling with which she awaited the issue. The opinions of her confessor
+had seemed so reasonable, that Isabella was on the point of assenting to
+the report of the commissioners, and of abandoning altogether the secret
+hopes and expectations she had begun to couple with the success of the
+navigator's schemes, when a gentler feeling, one that belonged
+peculiarly to her own feminine heart, interposed to give the mariner
+another chance. It is seldom that woman is dead to the sympathies
+connected with the affections, and the wishes that sprang from the love
+of Mercedes de Valverde were the active cause of the decision that the
+Queen of Castile came to at that critical moment.
+
+"We must be neither harsh nor hasty with this Genoese, Lord Archbishop,"
+she said, turning again to the prelate. "He hath the virtues of
+devoutness and fair-dealing, and these are qualities that sovereigns
+learn to prize. His demands no doubt have become somewhat exaggerated by
+long brooding, in his thoughts, on a favorite and great scheme; but kind
+words and reason may yet lead him to more moderation. Let him, then, be
+tried with propositions of our own, and doubtless, his necessities, if
+not a sense of justice, will cause him to accept them. The viceroyalty
+doth, indeed, exceed the usual policy of princes, and, as you say, holy
+prelate, the tenth is the church's share; but the admiral's rank may be
+fairly claimed. Meet him, then, with these moderated proposals, and
+substitute a fifteenth for a tenth; let him be a viceroy in his own
+person, during the pleasure of Don Fernando and myself, but let him
+relinquish the claim for his posterity."
+
+Fernando de Talavera thought even these concessions too considerable,
+but, while he exercised his sacred office with a high authority, he too
+well knew the character of Isabella to presume to dispute an order she
+had once issued, although it was in her own mild and feminine manner.
+After receiving a few more instructions, therefore, and obtaining the
+counsel of the king, who was at work in an adjoining cabinet, the
+prelate went to execute this new commission.
+
+Two or three days now passed before the subject was finally disposed of,
+and Isabella was again seated in the domestic circle, when admission was
+once more demanded in behalf of her confessor. The archbishop entered
+with a flushed face, and his whole appearance was so disturbed that it
+must have been observed by the most indifferent person.
+
+"How now, holy archbishop,"--demanded Isabella--"doth thy new flock vex
+thy spirit, and is it so very hard to deal with an infidel?"
+
+"'Tis naught of that, Senora--'tis naught relating to my new people. I
+find even the followers of the false prophet more reasonable than some
+who exult in Christ's name and favor. This Colon is a madman, and better
+fitted to become a saint in Mussulmans' eyes, than even a pilot in Your
+Highness' service."
+
+At this burst of indignation, the queen, the Marchioness of Moya, and
+Dona Mercedes de Valverde, simultaneously dropped their needle-work, and
+sat looking at the prelate, with a common concern. They had all hoped
+that the difficulties which stood in the way of a favorable termination
+to the negotiation would be removed, and that the time was at hand, when
+the being who, in spite of the boldness and unusual character of his
+projects, had succeeded in so signally commanding their respect, and in
+interesting their feelings, was about to depart, and to furnish a
+practical solution to problems that had as much puzzled their reasons as
+they had excited their curiosity. But here was something like a sudden
+and unlooked-for termination to all their expectations; and while
+Mercedes felt something like despair chilling her heart, the queen and
+Dona Beatriz were both displeased.
+
+"Didst thou duly explain to Senor Colon, the nature of our proposals,
+Lord Archbishop?" the former asked, with more severity of manner than
+she was accustomed to betray; "and doth he still insist on the
+pretensions to a vice-regal power, and on the offensive condition in
+behalf of his posterity?"
+
+"Even so, Your Highness; were it Isabella of Castile treating with Henry
+of England or Louis of France, the starving Genoese could not hold
+higher terms or more inflexible conditions. He abateth nothing. The man
+deemeth himself chosen of God, to answer certain ends, and his language
+and conditions are such as one who felt a holy impulse to his course,
+could scarcely feel warranted in assuming."
+
+"This constancy hath its merit," observed the queen; "but there is a
+limit to concession. I shall urge no more in the navigator's favor, but
+leave him to the fortune that naturally followeth self-exaltation and
+all extravagance of demand."
+
+This speech apparently sealed the fate of Columbus in Castile. The
+archbishop was appeased, and, first holding a short private conference
+with his royal penitent, he left the room. Shortly after, Christoval
+Colon, as he was called by the Spaniards--Columbus, as he styled himself
+in later life--received, for a definite answer, the information that his
+conditions were rejected, and that the negotiation for the projected
+voyage to the Indies was finally at an end.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+
+    "Oh! ever thus, from childhood's hour,
+      I've seen my fondest hopes decay;
+    I never loved a tree or flower,
+      But 'twas the first to fade away."
+
+    Lalla Rookh.
+
+
+The season had now advanced to the first days of February, and, in that
+low latitude, the weather was becoming genial and spring-like. On the
+morning succeeding that of the interview just related, some six or eight
+individuals, attracted by the loveliness of the day, and induced morally
+by a higher motive, were assembled before the door of one of those low
+dwellings of Santa Fe that had been erected for the accommodation of the
+conquering army. Most of these persons were grave Spaniards of a certain
+age, though young Luis de Bobadilla was also there, and the tall,
+dignified form of Columbus was in the group. The latter was equipped for
+the road, and a stout, serviceable Andalusian mule stood ready to
+receive its burden, near at hand. A charger was by the side of the mule,
+showing that the rider of the last was about to have company. Among the
+Spaniards were Alonzo de Quintanilla, the accountant-general of Castile,
+a firm friend of the navigator, and Luis de St. Angel, the receiver of
+the ecclesiastical revenues of Aragon, who was one of the firmest
+converts that Columbus had made to the philosophical accuracy of his
+opinions and to the truth of his vast conceptions.
+
+The two last had been in earnest discourse with the navigator, but the
+discussion had closed, and Senor de St. Angel, a man of generous
+feelings and ardent imagination, was just expressing himself warmly, in
+the following words--
+
+"By the lustre of the two crowns!" he cried, "this ought not to come to
+pass. But, adieu, Senor Colon--God have you in his holy keeping, and
+send you wiser and less prejudiced judges, hereafter. The past can only
+cause us shame and grief, while the future is in the womb of time."
+
+The whole party, with the exception of Luis de Bobadilla, then took
+their leave. As soon as the place was clear, Columbus mounted, and
+passed through the thronged streets, attended by the young noble on his
+charger. Not a syllable was uttered by either, until they were fairly on
+the plain, though Columbus often sighed like a man oppressed with grief.
+Still, his mien was calm, his bearing dignified, and his eye lighted
+with that unquenchable fire which finds its fuel in the soul within.
+
+When fairly without the gates, Columbus turned courteously to his young
+companion and thanked him for his escort; but, with a consideration for
+the other that was creditable to his heart, he added--
+
+"While I am so grateful for this honor, coming from one so noble and
+full of hopes, I must not forget your own character. Didst thou not
+remark, friend Luis, as we passed through the streets, that divers
+Spaniards pointed at me, as the object of scorn?"
+
+"I did, Senor," answered Luis, his cheek glowing with indignation, "and
+had it not been that I dreaded your displeasure, I would have trodden
+the vagabonds beneath my horse's feet, failing of a lance to spit them
+on!"
+
+"Thou hast acted most wisely in showing forbearance. But these are men,
+and their common judgment maketh public opinion; nor do I perceive that
+the birth, or the opportunities, causeth material distinctions between
+them, though the manner of expression vary. There are vulgar among the
+noble, and noble among the lowly. This very act of kindness of thine,
+will find its deriders and contemners in the court of the two
+sovereigns."
+
+"Let him look to it, who presumeth to speak lightly of you, Senor, to
+Luis de Bobadilla! We are not a patient race, and Castilian blood is apt
+to be hot blood."
+
+"I should be sorry that any man but myself should draw in my quarrel.
+But, if we take offence at all who think and speak folly, we may pass
+our days in harness. Let the young nobles have their jest, if it give
+them pleasure--but do not let me regret my friendship for thee."
+
+Luis promised fairly, and then, as if his truant thoughts would revert
+to the subject unbidden, he hastily resumed--
+
+"You speak of the noble as of a class different from your own--surely,
+Senor Colon, thou art noble?"
+
+"Would it make aught different in thy opinions and feelings, young man,
+were I to answer no?"
+
+The cheek of Don Luis flushed, and, for an instant, he repented of his
+remark; but falling back on his own frank and generous nature, he
+answered immediately, without reservation or duplicity--
+
+"By San Pedro, my new patron! I could wish you were noble, Senor, if it
+were merely for the honor of the class. There are so many among us who
+do no credit to their spurs, that we might gladly receive such an
+acquisition."
+
+"This world is made up of changes, young Senor," returned Columbus,
+smiling. "The seasons undergo their changes; night follows day; comets
+come and go; monarchs become subjects, and subjects monarchs; nobles
+lose the knowledge of their descent, and plebeians rise to the rank of
+nobles. There is a tradition among us, that we were formerly of the
+privileged class; but time and our unlucky fortune have brought us down
+to humble employments. Am I to lose the honor of Don Luis de Bobadilla's
+company in the great voyage, should I be more fortunate in France than I
+have been in Castile, because his commander happeneth to have lost the
+evidences of his nobility?"
+
+"That would be a most unworthy motive, Senor, and I hasten to correct
+your mistake. As we are now about to part for some time, I ask
+permission to lay bare my whole soul to you. I confess that when first I
+heard of this voyage, it struck me as a madman's scheme"--
+
+"Ah! friend Luis," interrupted Columbus, with a melancholy shake of the
+head, "this is the opinion of but too many! I fear Don Ferdinand of
+Aragon, as well as that stern prelate, his namesake, who hath lately
+disposed of the question, thinketh in the same manner."
+
+"I crave your pardon, Senor Colon, if I have uttered aught to give you
+pain; but if I have once done you injustice, I am ready enough to
+expiate the wrong, as you will quickly see. Thinking thus, I entered
+into discourse with you, with a view to amuse myself with fancied
+ravings; but, though no immediate change of opinion followed as to the
+truth of the theory, I soon perceived that a great philosopher and
+profound reasoner had the matter in hand. Here my judgment might have
+rested, and my opinion been satisfied, but for a circumstance of deep
+moment to myself. You must know, Senor, though come of the oldest blood
+of Spain, and not without fair possessions, that I may not always have
+answered the hopes of those who have been charged with the care of my
+youth"--
+
+"This is unnecessary, noble sir"--
+
+"Nay, by St. Luke! it shall be said. Now, I have two great and
+engrossing passions, that sometimes interfere with each other. The one
+is a love for rambling--a burning desire to see foreign lands, and this,
+too, in a free and roving fashion--with a disposition for the sea and
+the doings of havens; and the other is a love for Mercedes de Valverde,
+the fairest, gentlest, most affectionate, warmest-hearted, and truest
+maiden of Castile!"
+
+"Noble, withal," put in Columbus, smiling.
+
+"Senor," answered Luis, gravely, "I jest not concerning my guardian
+angel. She is not only noble, and every way fitted to honor my name, but
+she hath the blood of the Guzmans, themselves, in her veins. But I have
+lost favor with others, if not with my lovely mistress, in yielding to
+this rambling inclination; and even my own aunt, who is her guardian,
+hath not looked smilingly on my suit. Dona Isabella, whose word is law
+among all the noble virgins of the court, hath also her prejudices, and
+it hath become necessary to regain her good opinion, to win the Dona
+Mercedes. It struck me"--Luis was too manly to betray his mistress by
+confessing that the thought was hers--"it struck me, that if my rambling
+tastes took the direction of some noble enterprise, like this you urge,
+that what hath been a demerit might be deemed a merit in the royal eyes,
+which would be certain soon to draw all other eyes after them. With this
+hope, then, I first entered into the present intercourse, until the
+force of your arguments hath completed my conversion, and now no
+churchman hath more faith in the head of his religion, than I have that
+the shortest road to Cathay is athwart the broad Atlantic; or no Lombard
+is more persuaded that his Lombardy is flat, than I feel convinced that
+this good earth of ours is a sphere."
+
+"Speak reverently of the ministers of the altar, young Senor," said
+Columbus, crossing himself, "for no levity should be used in connection
+with their holy office. It seemeth, then," he added, smiling, "I owe my
+disciple to the two potent agents of love and reason; the former, as
+most potent, overcoming the first obstacles, and the latter getting
+uppermost at the close of the affair, as is wont to happen--love,
+generally, triumphing in the onset, and reason, last."
+
+"I'll not deny the potency of the power, Senor, for I feel it too deeply
+to rebel against it. You now know my secret, and when I have made you
+acquainted with my intentions, all will be laid bare. I here solemnly
+vow"--Don Luis lifted his cap and looked to heaven, as he spoke--"to
+join you in this voyage, on due notice, sail from whence you may, in
+whatever bark you shall choose, and whenever you please. In doing this,
+I trust, first to serve God and his church; secondly, to visit Cathay
+and those distant and wonderful lands; and lastly, to win Dona Mercedes
+de Valverde."
+
+"I accept the pledge, young sir," rejoined Columbus, struck by his
+earnestness, and pleased with his sincerity--"though it might have been
+a more faithful representation of your thoughts had the order of the
+motives been reversed."
+
+"In a few months I shall be master of my own means," continued the
+youth, too intent on his own purposes to heed what the navigator had
+said--"and then, nothing but the solemn command of Dona Isabella,
+herself, shall prevent our having one caravel, at least; and the coffers
+of Bobadilla must have been foully dealt by, during their master's
+childhood, if they do not afford two. I am no subject of Don Fernando's,
+but a servant of the elder branch of the House of Trastamara; and the
+cold judgment of the king, even, shall not prevent it."
+
+"This soundeth generously, and thy sentiments are such as become a
+youthful and enterprising noble; but the offer cannot be accepted. It
+would not become Columbus to use gold that came from so confiding a
+spirit and so inexperienced a head; and there are still greater
+obstacles than this. My enterprise must rest on the support of some
+powerful prince. Even the Guzman hath not deemed himself of sufficient
+authority to uphold a scheme so large. Did we make the discoveries
+without that sanction, we should be toiling for others, without security
+for ourselves, since the Portuguese or some other monarch would wrong us
+of our reward. That I am destined to effect this great work, I feel, and
+it must be done in a manner suited to the majesty of the thought and to
+the magnitude of the subject. And, here, Don Luis, we must part. Should
+my suit be successful at the court of France, thou shalt hear from me,
+for I ask no better than to be sustained by hearts and hands like thine.
+Still, thou must not mar thy fortunes unheedingly, and I am now a fallen
+man in Castile. It may not serve thee a good turn, to be known to
+frequent my company any longer--and I again say, here we must part."
+
+Luis de Bobadilla protested his indifference to what others might think;
+but the more experienced Columbus, who rose so high above popular clamor
+in matters that affected himself, felt a generous reluctance to permit
+this confiding youth to sacrifice his hopes, to any friendly impressions
+in his own favor. The leave-taking was warm, and the navigator felt a
+glow at his heart, as he witnessed the sincere and honest emotions that
+the young man could not repress at parting. They separated, however,
+about half a league from the town, and each bent his way in his own
+direction; Don Luis de Bobadilla's heart swelling with indignation at
+the unworthy treatment that there was, in sooth, so much reason for
+thinking his new friend had received.
+
+Columbus journeyed on, with very different emotions. Seven weary years
+had he been soliciting the monarchs and nobles of Spain to aid him in
+his enterprise. In that long period, how much of poverty, contempt,
+ridicule, and even odium, had he not patiently encountered, rather than
+abandon the slight hold that he had obtained on a few of the more
+liberal and enlightened minds of the nation! He had toiled for bread
+while soliciting the great to aid themselves in becoming still more
+powerful; and each ray of hope, however feeble, had been eagerly caught
+at with joy, each disappointment borne with a constancy that none but
+the most exalted spirit could sustain. But he was now required to endure
+the most grievous of all his pains. The recall of Isabella had awakened
+within him a confidence to which he had long been a stranger; and he
+awaited the termination of the siege with the calm dignity that became
+his purpose, no less than his lofty philosophy. The hour of leisure had
+come, and it produced a fatal destruction to all his buoyant hopes. He
+had thought his motives understood, his character appreciated, and his
+high objects felt; but he now found himself still regarded as a
+visionary projector, his intentions distrusted, and his promised
+services despised. In a word, the bright expectations that had cheered
+his toil for years, had vanished in a day, and the disappointment was
+all the greater for the brief, but delusive hopes produced by his recent
+favor.
+
+It is not surprising, therefore, that, when left alone on the highway,
+even the spirit of this extraordinary man grew faint within him, and he
+had to look to the highest power for succor. His head dropped upon his
+breast, and one of those bitter moments occurred, in which the past and
+the future, crowd the mind, painfully as to sufferings endured,
+cheerlessly as to hope. The time wasted in Spain seemed a blot in his
+existence, and then came the probability of another long and exhausting
+probation, that, like this, might lead to nothing. He had already
+reached the lustrum that would fill his threescore years, and life
+seemed slipping from beneath him, while its great object remained
+unachieved. Still the high resolution of the man sustained him. Not once
+did he think of a compromise of what he felt to be his rights--not once
+did he doubt of the practicability of accomplishing the great enterprise
+that others derided. His heart was full of courage, even while his bosom
+was full of grief. "There is a wise, a merciful, and omnipotent God!" he
+exclaimed, raising his eyes to heaven. "He knoweth what is meet for his
+own glory, and in him do I put my trust." There was a pause, and the
+eyes kindled, while a scarcely perceptible smile lighted the grave face,
+and then were murmured the words--"Yea, he taketh his time, but the
+Infidel shall be enlightened, and the blessed sepulchre redeemed!"
+
+After this burst of feeling, the grave-looking man, whose hairs had
+already become whitened to the color of snow, by cares, and toils, and
+exposures, pursued his way, with the quiet dignity of one who believed
+that he was not created for naught, and who trusted in God for the
+fulfilment of his destiny. If quivering sighs occasionally broke out of
+his breast, they did not disturb the placidity of his venerable
+countenance; if grief and disappointment still lay heavy on his heart,
+they rested on a base that was able to support them. Leaving Columbus to
+follow the common mule-track across the Vega, we will now return to
+Santa Fe, where Ferdinand and Isabella had re-established their court,
+after the few first days that succeeded the possession of their new
+conquest.
+
+Luis de St. Angel was a man of ardent feelings and generous impulses. He
+was one of those few spirits who live in advance of their age, and who
+permitted his reason to be enlightened and cheered by his imagination,
+though it was never dazzled by it. As he and his friend Alonzo de
+Quintanilla, after quitting Columbus as already related, walked toward
+the royal pavillion, they conversed freely together concerning the man,
+his vast conceptions, the treatment he had received, and the shame that
+would alight on Spain in consequence, were he suffered thus to depart
+forever. Blunt of speech, the receiver of the ecclesiastical revenues
+did not measure his terms, every syllable of which found an echo in the
+heart of the accountant-general, who was an old and fast friend of the
+navigator. In short, by the time they reached the pavilion, they had
+come to the resolution to make one manly effort to induce the queen to
+yield to Columbus' terms and to recall him to her presence.
+
+Isabella was always easy of access to such of her servants as she knew
+to be honest and zealous. The age was one of formality, and, in many
+respects, of exaggeration, while the court was renowned for ceremony;
+but the pure spirit of the queen threw a truth and a natural grace
+around all that depended on her, which rendered mere forms, except as
+they were connected with delicacy and propriety, useless, and indeed
+impracticable. Both the applicants for the interview enjoyed her favor,
+and the request was granted with that simple directness that this
+estimable woman loved to manifest, whenever she thought she was about to
+oblige any whom she esteemed.
+
+The queen was surrounded by the few ladies among whom she lived in
+private, as Luis de St. Angel and Alonzo de Quintanilla entered. Among
+them, of course, were the Marchioness of Moya and Dona Mercedes de
+Valverde. The king, on this occasion, was in an adjoining closet, at
+work, as usual, with his calculations and orders. Official labor was
+Ferdinand's relaxation, and he seldom manifested more happiness than
+when clearing off a press of affairs that most men would have found to
+the last degree burdensome. He was a hero in the saddle, a warrior at
+the head of armies, a sage in council, and respectable, if not great, in
+all things but motives.
+
+"What has brought the Senor St. Angel and the Senor Quintanilla, as
+suitors, so early to my presence?" asked Isabella, smiling in a way to
+assure both that the boon would be asked of a partial mistress. "Ye are
+not wont to be beggars, and the hour is somewhat unusual."
+
+"All hours are suitable, gracious lady, when one cometh to _confer_ and
+not to _seek_ favor," returned Luis de St. Angel, bluntly. "We are not
+here to solicit for ourselves, but to show Your Highness the manner in
+which the crown of Castile may be garnished with brighter jewels than
+any it now possesseth."
+
+Isabella looked surprised, both at the words of the speaker, and at his
+hurried earnestness, as well as his freedom of speech. Accustomed,
+however, to something of the last, her own calm manner was not
+disturbed, nor did she even seem displeased.
+
+"Hath the Moor another kingdom of which to be despoiled," she asked; "or
+would the receiver of the church's revenues have us war upon the Holy
+See?"
+
+"I would have Your Highness accept the boons that come from God, with
+alacrity and gratitude, and not reject them unthankfully," returned de
+St. Angel, kissing the queen's offered hand with a respect and affection
+that neutralized the freedom of his words. "Do you know, my gracious
+mistress, that the Senor Christoval Colon, he from whose high projects
+we Spaniards have hoped so much, hath actually taken mule and quitted
+Santa Fe?"
+
+"I expected as much, Senor, though I was not apprized that it had
+actually come to pass. The king and I put the matter into the hands of
+the Archbishop of Granada, with other trusty counsellors, and they have
+found the terms of the Genoese arrogant; so full of exceeding and
+unreasonable extravagance, that it ill befitted our dignity, and our
+duty to ourselves, to grant them. One who hath a scheme of such doubtful
+results, ought to manifest moderation in his preliminaries. Many even
+believe the man a visionary."
+
+"It is unlike an unworthy pretender, Senora, to abandon his hopes before
+he will yield his dignity. This Colon feeleth that he is treating for
+empires, and he negotiates like one full of the importance of his
+subject."
+
+"He that lightly valueth himself, in matters of gravity, hath need to
+expect that he will not stand high in the estimation of others," put in
+Alonzo de Quintanilla.
+
+"And, moreover, my gracious and beloved mistress," added de St. Angel,
+without permitting Isabella even to answer, "the character of the man,
+and the value of his intentions, may be appreciated by the price he
+setteth on his own services. If he succeed, will not the discovery
+eclipse all others that have been made since the creation of the world?
+Is it nothing to circle the earth, to prove the wisdom of God by actual
+experiment, to follow the sun in its daily track, and imitate the
+motions of that glorious moving mass? And then the benefits that will
+flow on Castile and Aragon--are they not incalculable? I marvel that a
+princess who hath shown so high and rare a spirit on all other
+occasions, should shrink from so grand an enterprise as this!"
+
+"Thou art earnest, my good de St. Angel," returned Isabella, with a
+smile that betrayed no anger; "and when there is much earnestness there
+is sometimes much forgetfulness. If there were honor and profit in
+success, what would there be in failure? Should the king and myself send
+out this Colon, with a commission to be our viceroy, forever, over
+undiscovered lands, and no lands be discovered, the wisdom of our
+councils might be called in question, and the dignity of the two crowns
+would be fruitlessly and yet deeply committed."
+
+"The hand of the Lord Archbishop is in this! This prelate hath never
+been a believer in the justice of the navigator's theories, and it is
+easy to raise objections when the feelings lean against an enterprise.
+No glory is obtained without risk. Look, Your Highness, at our
+neighbors, the Portuguese--how much have discoveries done for that
+kingdom, and how much more may it do for us! We know, my honored
+mistress, that the earth is round"--
+
+"Are we quite certain of that important fact, Senor," asked the king,
+who, attracted by the animated and unusual tones of the speaker, had
+left his closet, and approached unseen. "Is that truth established? Our
+doctors at Salamanca were divided on that great question, and, by St.
+James! I do not see that it is so very clear."
+
+"If not round, my Lord the King," answered de St. Angel, turning quickly
+to face this new opponent, like a well-drilled corps wheeling into a new
+front, "of what form _can_ it be? Will any doctor, come he of Salamanca,
+or come he from elsewhere, pretend that the earth is a plain, and that
+it hath limits, and that one may stand on these limits and jump down
+upon the sun as he passeth beneath at night--is this reasonable, honored
+Senor, or is it in conformity with scripture?"
+
+"Will any one, doctor of Salamanca, or elsewhere," rejoined the king,
+gravely, though it was evident his feelings were little interested in
+the discussion, "allege that there are nations who forever walk with
+their heads downward, where the rain falleth upward, and where the sea
+remaineth in its bed, though its support cometh from above, and is not
+placed beneath?"
+
+"It is to explain these great mysteries, Senor Don Fernando, my gracious
+master, that I would have this Colon at once go forth. We may see, nay,
+we have demonstration, that the earth is a sphere, and yet we do not see
+that the waters fall from its surface any where. The hull of a ship is
+larger than her top-masts, and yet the last are first visible on the
+ocean, which proveth that the body of the vessel is concealed by the
+form of the water. This being so, and all who have voyaged on the ocean
+know it to be thus, why doth not the water flow into a level, here, on
+our own shores? If the earth be round, there must be means to encircle
+it by water, as well as by land--to complete the entire journey, as well
+as to perform a part. Colon proposeth to open the way to this exploit,
+and the monarch that shall furnish the means will live in the memories
+of our descendants, as one far greater than a conqueror. Remember,
+illustrious Senor, that all the east is peopled with Infidels, and that
+the head of the church freely bestoweth their lands on any Christian
+monarch that may drag them from their benighted condition, into the
+light of God's favor. Believe me, Dona Isabella, should another
+sovereign grant the terms Colon requireth, and reap the advantages that
+are likely to flow from such discoveries, the enemies of Spain would
+make the world ring with their songs of triumph, while the whole
+peninsula would mourn over this unhappy decision."
+
+"Whither hath the Senor Colon sped?" demanded the king, quickly; all his
+political jealousies being momentarily aroused by the remarks of his
+receiver-general: "He hath not gone again to Don John of Portugal?"
+
+"No, Senor, my master, but to King Louis of France, a sovereign whose
+love for Aragon amounteth to a proverb."
+
+The king muttered a few words between his teeth, and he paced the
+apartment, to and fro, with a disturbed manner; for, while no man living
+cared less to hazard his means, without the prospect of a certain
+return, the idea of another's reaping an advantage that had been
+neglected by himself, brought him at once under the control of those
+feelings that always influenced his cold and calculating policy. With
+Isabella the case was different. Her pious wishes had ever leaned toward
+the accomplishment of Columbus' great project, and her generous nature
+had sympathized deeply with the noble conception, vast moral results,
+and the glory of the enterprise. Nothing but the manner in which her
+mind, as well as her religious aspirations, had been occupied by the war
+in Granada, had prevented her from entering earlier into a full
+examination of the navigator's views; and she had yielded to the counsel
+of her confessor, in denying the terms demanded by Columbus, with a
+reluctance it had not been easy to overcome. Then the gentler feelings
+of her sex had their influence, for, while she too reflected on what had
+just been urged, her eye glanced around the room and rested on the
+beautiful face of Mercedes, who sat silent from diffidence, but whose
+pale, eloquent countenance betrayed all the pleadings of the pure,
+enthusiastic love of woman.
+
+"Daughter-Marchioness," asked the queen, turning as usual to her tried
+friend, in her doubts, "what thinkest thou of this weighty matter? Ought
+we so to humble ourselves as to recal this haughty Genoese?"
+
+"Say not haughty, Senora, for to me he seemeth much superior to any such
+feeling; but rather regard him as one that hath a just appreciation of
+that he hath in view. I agree fully with the receiver-general in
+thinking that Castile will be much discredited, if, in sooth, a new
+world should be discovered, and they who favored the enterprise could
+point to this court and remind it that the glory of the event was in its
+grasp, and that it threw it away, heedlessly"--
+
+"And this, too, on a mere point of dignity, Senora," put in St.
+Angel--"on a question of parchment and of sound."
+
+"Nay, nay"--retorted the queen--"there are those who think the honors
+claimed by Colon would far exceed the service, even should the latter
+equal all the representations of the Genoese himself."
+
+"Then, my honored mistress, they know not at what the Genoese aims.
+Reflect, Senora, that it will not be an every-day deed to prove that
+this earth is a sphere, by actual measurement, whatever we may know in
+theories. Then cometh the wealth and benefits of those eastern
+possessions, a quarter of the world whence all riches flow--spices,
+pearls, silks, and the most precious metals. After these, again, cometh
+the great glory of God, which crowneth and exceedeth all."
+
+Isabella crossed herself, her cheek flushed, her eye kindled, and her
+matronly but fine form seemed to tower with the majesty of the feelings
+that these pictures created.
+
+"I do fear, Don Fernando," she said, "that our advisers have been
+precipitate, and that the magnitude of this project may justify more
+than common conditions!"
+
+But the king entered little into the generous emotions of his royal
+consort; feeling far more keenly the stings of political jealousy, than
+any promptings of a liberal zeal for either the church or science. He
+was generally esteemed a wise prince, a title that would seem to infer
+neither a generous nor a very just one. He smiled at the kindling
+enthusiasm of his wife, but continued to peruse a paper that had just
+been handed to him by a secretary.
+
+"Your Highness feels as Dona Isabella of Castile ought to feel when the
+glory of God and the honor of her crown are in question," added Beatriz
+de Cabrera, using that freedom of speech that her royal mistress much
+encouraged in their more private intercourse. "I would rather hear you
+utter the words of recall to this Colon, than again listen to the shouts
+of our late triumph over the Moor."
+
+"I know that thou lovest me, Beatriz!" exclaimed the queen: "if there is
+not a true heart in that breast of thine, the fallen condition of man
+does not suffer the gem to exist!"
+
+"We all love and reverence Your Highness," continued de St. Angel, "and
+we wish naught but your glory. Fancy, Senora, the page of history open,
+and this great exploit of the reduction of the Moor succeeded by the
+still greater deed of a discovery of an easy and swift communication
+with the Indies, the spread of the church, and the flow of inexhaustible
+wealth into Spain! This Colon cannot be supported by the colder and more
+selfish calculations of man, but his very enterprise seeks the more
+generous support of her who can risk much for God's glory and the good
+of the church."
+
+"Nay, Senor de St. Angel, thou flatterest and offendest in the same
+breath."
+
+"It is an honest nature pouring out its disappointment, my beloved
+mistress, and a tongue that hath become bold through much zeal for Your
+Highnesses' fame. Alas! alas! should King Louis grant the terms we have
+declined, poor Spain will never lift her head again for very shame!"
+
+"Art certain, St. Angel, that the Genoese hath gone for France?"
+suddenly demanded the king, in his sharp, authoritative voice.
+
+"I have it, Your Highness, from his own mouth. Yes, yes, he is at this
+moment striving to forget our Castilian dialect, and endeavoring to suit
+his tongue to the language of the Frenchman. They are bigots and
+unreflecting disciples of musty prejudices, Senora, that deny the
+theories of Colon. The old philosophers have reasoned in the same
+manner; and though it may seem to the timid an audacious and even a
+heedless adventure to sail out into the broad Atlantic, had not the
+Portuguese done it he would never have found his islands. God's truth!
+it maketh my blood boil, when I bethink me of what these Lusitanians
+have done, while we of Aragon and Castile have been tilting with the
+Infidels for a few valleys and mountains, and contending for a capital!"
+
+"Senor, you are forgetful of the honor of the sovereigns, as well as of
+the service of God," interrupted the Marchioness of Moya, who had the
+tact to perceive that the receiver-general was losing sight of his
+discretion, in the magnitude of his zeal. "This conquest is one of the
+victories of the church, and will add lustre to the two crowns in all
+future ages. The head of the church, himself, hath so recognized it, and
+all good Christians should acknowledge its character."
+
+"It is not that I undervalue this success, but that I consider the
+conquest that Colon is likely to achieve over so many millions, that I
+have thus spoken, Dona Beatriz."
+
+The marchioness, whose spirit was as marked as her love for the queen,
+made a sharp reply, and, for a few minutes, she and Luis de St. Angel,
+with Alonzo de Quintanilla, maintained the discussion by themselves,
+while Isabella conversed apart, with her husband, no one presuming to
+meddle with their private conference. The queen was earnest, and
+evidently much excited, but Ferdinand maintained his customary coolness
+and caution, though his manner was marked with that profound respect
+which the character of Isabella had early inspired, and which she
+succeeded in maintaining throughout her married life. This was a picture
+familiar to the courtiers, one of the sovereigns being as remarkable for
+his wily prudence, as was the other for her generous and sincere ardor,
+whenever impelled by a good motive. This divided discourse lasted half
+an hour, the queen occasionally pausing to listen to what was passing in
+the other group, and then recurring to her own arguments with her
+husband.
+
+At length Isabella left the side of Ferdinand, who coldly resumed the
+perusal of a paper, and she moved slowly toward the excited party, that
+was now unanimous and rather loud in the expression of its regrets--loud
+for even the indulgence of so gentle a mistress. Her intention to
+repress this ardor by her own presence, however, was momentarily
+diverted from its object by a glimpse of the face of Mercedes, who sat
+alone, her work lying neglected in her lap, listening anxiously to the
+opinions that had drawn all her companions to the general circle.
+
+"Thou takest no part in this warm discussion, child," observed the
+queen, stopping before the chair of our heroine, and gazing an instant
+into her eloquently expressive face. "Hast thou lost all interest in
+Colon?"
+
+"I speak not, Senora, because it becometh youth and ignorance to be
+modest; but though silent, I _feel_ none the less."
+
+"And what are thy feelings, daughter? Dost thou, too, think the services
+of the Genoese cannot be bought at too high a price?"
+
+"Since Your Highness doth me this honor," answered the lovely girl, the
+blood gradually flushing her pale face, as she warmed with the
+subject--"I will not hesitate to speak. I do believe this great
+enterprise hath been offered to the sovereigns, as a reward for all that
+they have done and endured for religion and the church. I do think that
+Colon hath been guided to this court by a divine hand, and by a divine
+hand hath he been kept here, enduring the long servitude of seven years,
+rather than abandon his object; and I do think that this late appeal in
+his favor cometh of a power and spirit that should prevail."
+
+"Thou art an enthusiast, daughter, more especially in this cause,"
+returned the queen, smiling kindly on the blushing Mercedes. "I am
+greatly moved by thy wishes to aid in this enterprise!"
+
+Thus spoke Isabella, at a moment when she had neither the leisure nor
+the thought to analyze her own feelings, which were influenced by a
+variety of motives, rather than by any single consideration. Even this
+passing touch of woman's affections, however, contributed to give her
+mind a new bias, and she joined the group, which respectfully opened as
+she advanced, greatly disposed to yield to de St. Angel's well-meant
+though somewhat intemperate entreaties. Still she hesitated, for her
+wary husband had just been reminding her of the exhausted state of the
+two treasuries, and the impoverished condition in which both crowns had
+been left by the late war.
+
+"Daughter-Marchioness," said Isabella, slightly answering the reverences
+of the circle, "dost thou still think this Colon expressly called of
+God, for the high purposes to which he pretendeth?"
+
+"Senora, I say not exactly that, though I believe the Genoese hath some
+such opinion of himself. But this much I do think--that Heaven beareth
+in mind its faithful servitors, and when there is need of important
+actions, suitable agents are chosen for the work. Now, we do know that
+the church, at some day, is to prevail throughout the whole world; and
+why may not this be the allotted time, as well as another? God ordereth
+mysteriously, and the very adventure that so many of the learned have
+scoffed at, may be intended to hasten the victory of the church. We
+should remember, Your Highness, the humility with which this church
+commenced; how few of the seemingly wise lent it their aid; and the high
+pass of glory to which it hath reached. This conquest of the Moor
+savoreth of a fulfilment of time, and his reign of seven centuries
+terminated, may merely be an opening for a more glorious future."
+
+Isabella smiled upon her friend, for this was reasoning after her own
+secret thoughts; but her greater acquirements rendered her more
+discriminating in her zeal, than was the case with the warm-hearted and
+ardent Marchioness.
+
+"It is not safe to affix the seal of Providence to this or that
+enterprise, Daughter-Marchioness"--she answered--"and the church alone
+may say what are intended for miracles, and what is left for human
+agencies. What sum doth Colon need, Senor de St. Angel, to carry on the
+adventure in a manner that will content him?"
+
+"He asketh but two light caravels, my honored mistress, and three
+thousand crowns--a sum that many a young spendthrift would waste on his
+pleasures, in a few short weeks."
+
+"It is not much, truly," observed Isabella, who had been gradually
+kindling with the thoughts of the nobleness of the adventure; "but,
+small as it is, my Lord the King doubteth if our joint coffers can, at
+this moment, well bear the drain."
+
+"Oh! it were a pity that such an occasion to serve God, such an
+opportunity to increase the Christian sway, and to add to the glory of
+Spain, should be lost for this trifle of gold!" exclaimed Dona Beatriz.
+
+"It would be, truly," rejoined the queen, whose cheek now glowed with an
+enthusiasm little less obvious than that which shone so brightly in the
+countenance of the ardent Mercedes. "Senor de St. Angel, the king cannot
+be prevailed on to enter into this affair, in behalf of Aragon; but I
+take it on myself, as Queen of Castile, and, so far as it may properly
+advance human interests, for the benefit of my own much-beloved people.
+If the royal treasury be drained, my private jewels should suffice for
+that small sum, and I will freely pledge them as surety for the gold,
+rather than let this Colon depart without putting the truth of his
+theories to the proof. The result, truly, is of too great magnitude, to
+admit of further discussion."
+
+An exclamation of admiration and delight escaped those present, for it
+was not a usual thing for a princess to deprive herself of personal
+ornaments in order to advance either the interests of the church or
+those of her subjects. The receiver-general, however, soon removed all
+difficulties on the score of money, by saying that his coffers could
+advance the required sum, on the guarantee of the crown of Castile, and
+that the jewels so freely offered, might remain in the keeping of their
+royal owner.
+
+"And now to recall Colon," observed the queen, as soon as these
+preliminaries had been discussed. "He hath already departed, you say,
+and no time should be lost in acquainting him with this new resolution."
+
+"Your Highness hath here a willing courier, and one already equipped for
+the road, in the person of Don Luis de Bobadilla," cried Alonzo de
+Quintanilla, whose eye had been drawn to a window by the trampling of a
+horse's foot; "and the man who will more joyfully bear these tidings to
+the Genoese cannot be found in Santa Fe."
+
+"'Tis scarce a service suited to one of his high station," answered
+Isabella, doubtingly; "and yet we should consider every moment of delay
+a wrong to Colon"--
+
+"Nay, Senora, spare not my nephew," eagerly interposed Dona Beatriz; "he
+is only too happy at being employed in doing Your Highness' pleasure."
+
+"Let him, then, be summoned to our presence without another instant's
+delay. I scarce seem to have decided, while the principal personage of
+the great adventure is journeying from the court."
+
+A page was immediately despatched in quest of the young noble, and in a
+few minutes the footsteps of the latter were heard in the antechamber.
+Luis entered the presence, flushed, excited, and with feelings not a
+little angered, at the compelled departure of his new friend. He did not
+fail to impute the blame of this occurrence to those who had the power
+to prevent it; and when his dark, expressive eye met the countenance of
+his sovereign, had it been in her power to read its meaning, she would
+have understood that he viewed her as a person who had thwarted his
+hopes on more than one occasion. Nevertheless, the influence of Dona
+Isabella's pure character and gentle manners was seldom forgotten by any
+who were permitted to approach her person; and his address was
+respectful, if not warm.
+
+"It is Your Highness' pleasure to command my presence," said the young
+man, as soon as he made his reverences to the queen.
+
+"I thank you for this promptitude, Don Luis, having some need of your
+services. Can you tell us what hath befel the Senor Christoval Colon,
+the Genoese navigator, with whom, they inform me, you have some
+intimacy?"
+
+"Forgive me, Senora, if aught unbecoming escape me; but a full heart
+must be opened lest it break. The Genoese is about to shake the dust of
+Spain from his shoes, and, at this moment, is on his journey to another
+court, to proffer those services that this should never have rejected."
+
+"It is plain, Don Luis, that all thy leisure time hath not been passed
+in courts," returned the queen, smiling; "but we have now service for
+thy roving propensities. Mount thy steed, and pursue the Senor Colon,
+with the tidings that his conditions will be granted, and a request that
+he will forthwith return. I pledge my royal word, to send him forth on
+this enterprise, with as little delay as the necessary preparations and
+a suitable prudence will allow."
+
+"Senora! Dona Isabella! My gracious queen! Do I hear aright?"
+
+"As a sign of the fidelity of thy senses, Don Luis, here is the pledge
+of my hand."
+
+This was said kindly, and the gracious manner in which the hand was
+offered, brought a gleam of hope to the mind of the lover, which it had
+not felt since he had been apprized that the queen's good opinion was
+necessary to secure his happiness. Kneeling respectfully, he kissed the
+hand of his sovereign, after which, without changing his attitude, he
+desired to know if he should that instant depart on the duty she had
+named.
+
+"Rise, Don Luis, and lose not a moment to relieve the loaded heart of
+the Genoese--I might almost say, to relieve ours, also; for,
+Daughter-Marchioness, since this holy enterprise hath broken on my mind
+with a sudden and almost miraculous light, it seemeth that a mountain
+must lie on my breast until the Senor Christoval shall learn the truth!"
+
+Luis de Bobadilla did not wait a second bidding, but hurried from the
+presence, as fast as etiquette would allow, and the next minute he was
+in the saddle. At his appearance, Mercedes had shrunk into the recess of
+a window, where she now, luckily, commanded a view of the court. As her
+lover gained his seat, he caught a glimpse of her form; and though the
+spurs were already in his charger's flanks, the rein tightened, and the
+snorting steed was thrown suddenly on his haunches. So elastic are the
+feelings of youth, so deceptive and flattering the hopes of those who
+love, that the glances which were exchanged were those of mutual
+delight. Neither thought of all the desperate chances of the
+contemplated voyage; of the probability of its want of success; or of
+the many motives which might still induce the queen to withhold her
+consent. Mercedes awoke first from the short trance that succeeded, for,
+taking the alarm at Luis' indiscreet delay, she motioned him hurriedly
+to proceed. Again the rowels were buried in the flanks of the noble
+animal; fire flashed beneath his armed heels, and, at the next minute,
+Don Luis de Bobadilla had disappeared.
+
+In the mean time Columbus had pursued his melancholy journey across the
+Vega. He travelled slowly, and several times, even after his companion
+had left him, did he check his mule, and sit, with his head dropped upon
+his breast, lost in thought, the very picture of woe. The noble
+resignation that he manifested in public, nearly gave way in private,
+and he felt, indeed, how hard his disappointments were to be borne. In
+this desultory manner of travelling he had reached the celebrated pass
+of the Bridge of Pinos, the scene of many a sanguinary combat, when the
+sound of a horse's hoofs first overtook his ear. Turning his head, he
+recognized Luis de Bobadilla in hot pursuit, with the flanks of his
+horse dyed in blood, and his breast white with foam.
+
+"Joy! joy! a thousand times, joy, Senor Colon," shouted the eager youth,
+even before he was near enough to be distinctly heard. "Blessed Maria be
+praised! Joy! Senor, joy! and naught but joy!"
+
+"This is unexpected, Don Luis," exclaimed the navigator, "What meaneth
+thy return!"
+
+Luis now attempted to explain his errand, but eagerness and the want of
+breath rendered his ideas confused and his utterance broken and
+imperfect.
+
+"And why should I return to a hesitating, cold, and undecided court?"
+demanded Columbus. "Have I not wasted years in striving to urge it to
+its own good? Look at these hairs, young Senor, and remember that I have
+lost a time that nearly equals all thy days, in striving uselessly to
+convince the rulers of this peninsula that my project is founded on
+truth."
+
+"At length you have succeeded. Isabella, the true-hearted and
+never-deceiving Queen of Castile, herself hath awoke to the importance
+of thy scheme, and pledges her royal word to favor it."
+
+"Is this true? _Can_ this be true, Don Luis?"
+
+"I am sent to you express, Senor, to urge your immediate return."
+
+"By whom, young Lord?"
+
+"By Dona Isabella, my gracious mistress, through her own personal
+commands."
+
+"I cannot forego a single condition already offered."
+
+"It is not expected, Senor. Our excellent and generous mistress granteth
+all you ask, and hath nobly offered, as I learn, to pledge her private
+jewels, rather than that the enterprise fail."
+
+Columbus was deeply touched with this information, and, removing his
+cap, he concealed his face with it for a moment, as if ashamed to betray
+the weakness that came over him. When he uncovered his face it was
+radiant with happiness, and every doubt appeared to have vanished. Years
+of suffering were forgotten in that moment of joy, and he immediately
+signified his readiness to accompany the youth back to Santa Fe.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX.
+
+    "How beautiful is genius when combined
+    With holiness! Oh! how divinely sweet
+    The tones of earthly harp, whose cords are touch'd
+    By the soft hand of Piety, and hung
+    Upon Religion's shrine, there vibrating
+    With solemn music in the air of God!"
+
+    John Wilson.
+
+
+Columbus was received by his friends, Luis de St. Angel and Alonzo de
+Quintanilla, with a gratification they found it difficult to express.
+They were loud in their eulogiums on Isabella, and added to the
+assurances of Don Luis, such proofs of the seriousness of the queen's
+intentions, as to remove all doubts from the mind of the navigator. He
+was then, without further delay, conducted to the presence.
+
+"Senor Colon," said Isabella, as the Genoese advanced and knelt at her
+feet, "you are welcome back again. All our misunderstandings are finally
+removed, and henceforth, I trust that we shall act cheerfully and
+unitedly to produce the same great end. Rise, Senor, and receive this as
+a gage of my support and friendship."
+
+Columbus saluted the offered hand, and arose from his knees. At that
+instant, there was probably no one present whose feelings were not
+raised to the buoyancy of hope; for it was a peculiarity connected with
+the origin and execution of this great enterprise, that, after having
+been urged for so long a period, amid sneers, and doubts, and ridicule,
+it was at first adopted with something very like enthusiasm.
+
+"Senora," returned Columbus, whose grave aspect and noble mien
+contributed not a little to the advancement of his views--"Senora, my
+heart thanks you for this kindness--so welcome because so little hoped
+for this morning--and God will reward it. We have great things in
+reserve, and I devoutly wish we may all be found equal to our several
+duties. I hope my Lord the King will not withhold from my undertaking
+the light of his gracious countenance."
+
+"You are a servitor of Castile, Senor Colon, though little is attempted
+for even this kingdom, without the approbation and consent of the King
+of Aragon. Don Fernando hath been gained over to our side, though his
+greater caution and superior wisdom have not as easily fallen into the
+measure, as woman's faith and woman's hopes."
+
+"I ask no higher wisdom, no truer faith than those of Isabella's," said
+the navigator, with a grave dignity that rendered the compliment so much
+the more acceptable, by giving it every appearance of sincerity. "Her
+known prudence shall turn from me the derision of the light-minded and
+idle, and on her royal word I place all my hopes. Henceforth, and I
+trust forever, I am Your Highness' subject and servant."
+
+The queen was deeply impressed with the air of lofty truth that elevated
+the thoughts and manners of the speaker. Hitherto she had seen but
+little of the navigator, and never before under circumstances that
+enabled her so thoroughly to feel the influence of his air and
+deportment. Columbus had not the finish of manner that it is fancied
+courts only can bestow, and which it would be more just to refer to
+lives devoted to habits of pleasing; but the character of the man shone
+through the exterior, and, in his case, all that artificial training
+could supply fell short of the noble aspect of nature, sustained by high
+aspirations. To a commanding person, and a gravity that was heightened
+by the loftiness of his purposes, Columbus added the sober earnestness
+of a deeply-seated and an all-pervading enthusiasm, which threw the
+grace of truth and probity on what he said and did. No quality of his
+mind was more apparent than its sense of right, as right was then
+considered in connection with the opinions of the age; and it is a
+singular circumstance that the greatest adventure of modern times was
+thus confided by Providence, as it might be with especial objects, to
+the care of a sovereign and to the hands of an executive leader, who
+were equally distinguished by the possession of so rare a
+characteristic.
+
+"I thank you, Senor, for this proof of confidence," returned the queen,
+both surprised and gratified; "and so long as God giveth me power to
+direct, and knowledge to decide, your interests as well as those of this
+long-cherished scheme, shall be looked to. But we are not to exclude the
+king from our confederacy, since he hath been finally gained to our
+opinions, and no doubt now as anxiously looketh forward to success as we
+do ourselves."
+
+Columbus bowed his acquiescence, and the conjugal affection of Isabella
+was satisfied with this concession to her husband's character and
+motives; for, while it was impossible that one so pure and ardent in the
+cause of virtue, and as disinterested as the queen, should not detect
+some of the selfishness of Ferdinand's cautious policy, the feelings of
+a wife so far prevailed in her breast over the sagacity of the
+sovereign, as to leave her blind to faults that the enemies of Aragon
+were fond of dwelling on. All admitted the truth of Isabella, but
+Ferdinand had far less credit with his contemporaries, either on the
+score of faith or on that of motives. Still he might have been ranked
+among the most upright of the reigning princes of Europe, his faults
+being rendered more conspicuous, perhaps, from being necessarily placed
+in such close connection with, and in such vivid contrast to, the truer
+virtues of the queen. In short, these two sovereigns, so intimately
+united by personal and political interests, merely exhibited on their
+thrones a picture that may be seen, at any moment, in all the inferior
+gradations of the social scale, in which the worldly views and
+meretricious motives of man serve as foils to the truer heart, sincerer
+character, and more chastened conduct of woman.
+
+Don Fernando now appeared, and he joined in the discourse in a manner to
+show that he considered himself fully committed to redeem the pledges
+given by his wife. The historians have told us that he had been won over
+by the intercessions of a favorite, though the better opinion would seem
+to be that deference for Isabella, whose pure earnestness in the cause
+of virtue often led him from his more selfish policy, lay at the bottom
+of his compliance. Whatever may have been the motive, however, it is
+certain that the king never entered into the undertaking with the
+ardent, zealous endeavors to insure success, which from that moment
+distinguished the conduct of his royal consort.
+
+"We have recovered our truant," said Isabella, as her husband
+approached, her eyes lighting and her cheeks flushed with a pious
+enthusiasm, like those of Mercedes de Valverde, who was an entranced
+witness of all that was passing. "We have recovered our truant, and
+there is not a moment of unnecessary delay to be permitted, until he
+shall be sent forth on this great voyage. Should he truly attain Cathay
+and the Indies, it will be a triumph to the church even exceeding this
+conquest of the territories of the Moor."
+
+"I am pleased to see the Senor Colon at Santa Fe, again," courteously
+returned the king, "and if he but do the half of that thou seemest to
+expect, we shall have reason to rejoice that our countenance hath not
+been withheld. He may not render the crown of Castile still more
+powerful, but he may so far enrich himself that, as a subject, he will
+have difficulty in finding the proper uses for his gold."
+
+"There will always be a use for the gold of a Christian," answered the
+navigator, "while the Infidel remaineth the master of the Holy
+Sepulchre."
+
+"How is this!" exclaimed Ferdinand, in his quick, sharp voice: "dost
+thou think, Senor, of a crusade, as well as of discovering new regions?"
+
+"Such, Your Highness, it hath long been my hope, would be the first
+appropriation of the wealth that will, out of question, flow from the
+discovery of a new and near route to the Indies. Is it not a blot on
+Christendom that the Mussulman should be permitted to raise his profane
+altars on the spot that Christ visited on earth; where, indeed he was
+born, and where his holy remains lay until his glorious resurrection?
+This foul disgrace there are hearts and swords enough ready to wipe out;
+all that is wanted is gold. If the first desire of my heart be to become
+the instrument of leading the way to the East, by a western and direct
+passage, the second is, to see the riches that will certainly follow
+such a discovery, devoted to the service of God, by rearing anew his
+altars and reviving his worship, in the land where he endured his agony
+and gave up the ghost for the sins of men."
+
+Isabella smiled at the navigator's enthusiasm, though, sooth to say, the
+sentiment found something of an echo in her pious bosom; albeit the age
+of crusades appeared to have gone by. Not so exactly with Ferdinand. He
+smiled also, but no answering sentiment of holy zeal was awakened within
+him. He felt, on the contrary, a strong distrust of the wisdom of
+committing the care of even two insignificant caravels, and the fate of
+a sum as small as three thousand crowns, to a visionary, who had
+scarcely made a commencement in one extremely equivocal enterprise,
+before his thoughts were running on the execution of another, that had
+baffled the united efforts and pious constancy of all Europe. To him,
+the discovery of a western passage to the Indies, and the repossession
+of the holy sepulchre, were results that were equally problematical, and
+it would have been quite sufficient to incur his distrust, to believe in
+the practicability of either. Here, however, was a man who was about to
+embark in an attempt to execute the first, holding in reserve the last,
+as a consequence of success in the undertaking in which he was already
+engaged.
+
+There were a few minutes, during which Ferdinand seriously contemplated
+the defeat of the Genoese's schemes, and had the discourse terminated
+here, it is uncertain how far his cool and calculating policy might have
+prevailed over the good faith, sincere integrity, and newly awakened
+enthusiasm of his wife. Fortunately, the conversation had gone on while
+he was meditating on this subject, and when he rejoined the circle he
+found the queen and the navigator pursuing the subject with an
+earnestness that had entirely overlooked his momentary absence.
+
+"I shall show Your Highness all that she demandeth," continued Columbus,
+in answer to a question of the queen's. "It is my expectation to reach
+the territories of the Great Khan, the descendant of the monarch who was
+visited by the Polos, a century since; at which time a strong desire to
+embrace the religion of Christ was manifested by many in that gorgeous
+court, the sovereign included. We are told in the sacred books of
+prophecy, that the day is to arrive when the whole earth will worship
+the true and living God; and that time, it would seem, from many signs
+and tokens that are visible to those who seek them, draweth near, and is
+full of hope to such as honor God and seek his glory. To bring all those
+vast regions in subjection to the church, needeth but a constant faith,
+sustained by the delegated agencies of the priesthood, and the
+protecting hands of princes."
+
+"This hath a seeming probability," observed the queen, "and Providence
+so guide us in this mighty undertaking, that it may come to pass! Were
+those Polos pious missionaries, Senor?"
+
+"They were but travellers; men who sought their own advantage, while
+they were not altogether unmindful of the duties of religion. It may be
+well, Senora, first to plant the cross in the islands, and thence to
+spread the truth over the main land. Cipango, in particular, is a
+promising region for the commencement of the glorious work, which, no
+doubt, will proceed with all the swiftness of a miracle."
+
+"Is this Cipango known to produce spices, or aught that may serve to
+uphold a sinking treasury, and repay us for so much cost and risk?"
+asked the king, a little inopportunely for the zeal of the two other
+interlocutors.
+
+Isabella looked pained, the prevailing trait in Ferdinand's character
+often causing her to feel as affectionate wives are wont to feel when
+their husbands forget to think, act, or speak up to the level of their
+own warm-hearted and virtuous propensities; but she suffered no other
+sign of the passing emotions to escape her.
+
+"According to the accounts of Marco Polo, Your Highness," answered
+Columbus, "earth hath no richer island. It aboundeth especially in gold;
+nor are pearls and precious stones at all rare. But all that region is a
+quarter of infinite wealth and benighted infidelity. Providence seemeth
+to have united the first with the last, as a reward to the Christian
+monarch who shall use his power to extend the sway of the church. The
+sea, thereabouts, is covered with smaller islands, Marco telling us that
+no less than seven thousand four hundred and forty have been enumerated,
+not one of all which doth not produce some odoriferous tree, or plant of
+delicious perfume. It is then, thither, gracious Lord and Lady, my
+honored sovereigns, that I propose to proceed at once, leaving all
+meaner objects, to exalt the two kingdoms and to serve the church.
+Should we reach Cipango in safety, as, by the blessing of God, acting on
+a zeal and faith that are not easily shaken, I trust we shall be able to
+do, in the course of two months' diligent navigation, it will be my next
+purpose to pass over to the continent, and seek the Khan himself, in his
+kingdom of Cathay. The day that my foot touches the land of Asia will be
+a glorious day for Spain, and for all who have had a part in the
+accomplishment of so great an enterprise!"
+
+Ferdinand's keen eyes were riveted on the navigator, as he thus betrayed
+his hopes with the quiet but earnest manner of deep enthusiasm, and he
+might have been at a loss, himself, just at that moment, to have
+analyzed his own feelings. The picture of wealth that Columbus had
+conjured to his imagination, was as enticing, as his cold and
+calculating habits of distrust and caution rendered it questionable.
+Isabella heard only, or thought only, of the pious longings of her pure
+spirit for the conversion and salvation of the Infidels, and thus each
+of the two sovereigns had a favorite impulse to bind him, or her, to the
+prosecution of the voyage.
+
+After this, the conversation entered more into details, and the heads of
+the terms demanded by Columbus were gone over again, and approved of by
+those who were most interested in the matter. All thought of the
+archbishop and his objections was momentarily lost, and had the Genoese
+been a monarch, treating with monarchs, he could not have had more
+reason to be satisfied with the respectful manner in which his terms
+were heard. Even his proposal to receive one-eighth of the profits of
+this, and all future expeditions to the places he might discover, on
+condition of his advancing an equal proportion of the outfits, was
+cheerfully acceded to; making him, at once, a partner with the crown, in
+the risks and benefits of the many undertakings that it was hoped would
+follow from the success of this.
+
+Luis de St. Angel and Alonzo de Quintanilla quitted the royal presence,
+in company with Columbus. They saw him to his lodgings, and left him
+with a respect and cordiality of manner, that cheered a heart which had
+lately been so bruised and disappointed. As they walked away in company,
+the former, who, notwithstanding the liberality of his views and his
+strong support of the navigator, was not apt to suppress his thoughts,
+opened a dialogue in the following manner.
+
+"By all the saints! friend Alonzo," he exclaimed, "but this Colon
+carrieth it with a high hand among us, and in a way, sometimes, to make
+me doubt the prudence of our interference. He hath treated with the two
+sovereigns like a monarch, and like a monarch hath he carried his
+point!"
+
+"Who hath aided him more than thyself, friend Luis?" returned
+
+Alonzo de Quintanilla; "for, without thy bold assault on Dona Isabella's
+patience, the matter had been decided against this voyage, and the
+Genoese would still be on his way to the court of King Louis."
+
+"I regret it not; the chance of keeping the Frenchman within modest
+bounds being worth a harder effort. Her Highness--Heaven and all the
+saints unite to bless her for her upright intentions and generous
+thoughts--will never regret the trifling cost, even though bootless,
+with so great an aim in view. But now the thing is done, I marvel,
+myself, that a Queen of Castile and a King of Aragon should grant such
+conditions to an unknown and nameless sea-farer; one that hath neither
+services, family, nor gold, to recommend him!"
+
+"Hath he not had Luis de St. Angel of his side?"
+
+"That hath he," returned the receiver-general, "and that right stoutly,
+too; and for good and sufficient cause. I only marvel at our success,
+and at the manner in which this Colon hath borne himself in the affair.
+I much feared that the high price he set upon his services might ruin
+all our hopes."
+
+"And yet thou didst reason with the queen, as if thou thoughtst it
+insignificant, compared with the good that would come of the voyage."
+
+"Is there aught wonderful in this, my worthy friend? We consume our
+means in efforts to obtain our ends, and, while suffering under the
+exhaustion, begin first to see the other side of the question. I am
+chiefly surprised at mine own success! As for this Genoese, he is,
+truly, a most wonderful man, and, in my heart, I think him right in
+demanding such high conditions. If he succeed, who so great as he? and,
+if he fail, the conditions will do him no good, and Castile little
+harm."
+
+"I have remarked, Senor de St Angel, that when grave men set a light
+value on themselves, the world is apt to take them at their word, though
+willing enough to laugh at the pretensions of triflers. After all, the
+high demands of Colon may have done him much service, since their
+Highnesses could not but feel that they were negotiating with one who
+had faith in his own projects."
+
+"It is much as thou sayest, Alonzo; men often prizing us as we seem to
+prize ourselves, so long as we act at all up to the level of our
+pretensions. But there is sterling merit in this Colon to sustain him in
+all that he sayeth and doth; wisdom of speech, dignity and gravity of
+mien, and nobleness of feeling and sentiment. Truly, I have listened to
+the man when he hath seemed inspired!"
+
+"Well, he hath now good occasion to manifest whether this inspiration be
+of the true quality or not," returned the other. "Of a verity, I often
+distrust the wisdom of our own conclusions."
+
+In this manner did even these two zealous friends of Columbus discuss
+his character and chances of success; for, while they were among the
+most decided of his supporters, and had discovered the utmost readiness
+to uphold him when his cause seemed hopeless, now that the means were
+likely to be afforded to allow him to demonstrate the justice of his
+opinions, doubts and misgivings beset their minds. Such is human nature.
+Opposition awakens our zeal, quickens our apprehension, stimulates our
+reason, and emboldens our opinions; while, thrown back upon ourselves
+for the proofs of what we have been long stoutly maintaining under the
+pressure of resistance, we begin to distrust the truth of our own
+theories and to dread the demonstrations of a failure. Even the first
+disciples of the Son of God faltered most in their faith as his
+predictions were being realized; and most reformers are never so
+dogmatical and certain as when battling for their principles, or so
+timid and wavering as when they are about to put their own
+long-cherished plans in execution. In all this we might see a wise
+provision of Providence, which gives us zeal to overcome difficulties,
+and prudence when caution and moderation become virtues rather than
+faults.
+
+Although Luis de St. Angel and his friend conversed thus freely
+together, however, they did not the less continue true to their original
+feelings. Their doubts were transient and of little account; and it was
+remarked of them, whenever they were in the presence of Columbus
+himself, that the calm, steady, but deeply seated enthusiasm of that
+extraordinary man, did not fail to carry with him the opinions, not only
+of these steady supporters, but those of most other listeners.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X.
+
+                  --"Song is on thy hills:
+    Oh, sweet and mournful melodies of Spain,
+    That lull'd my boyhood, how your memory thrills
+    The exile's heart with sudden-wakening pain."
+
+    The Forest Sanctuary.
+
+
+From the moment that Isabella pledged her royal word to support Columbus
+in his great design, all reasonable doubts of the sailing of the
+expedition ceased, though few anticipated any results of importance. Of
+so much greater magnitude, indeed, did the conquest of the kingdom of
+Granada appear, at that instant, than any probable consequences which
+could follow from this novel enterprise, that the latter was almost
+overlooked in the all-absorbing interest that was connected with the
+former.
+
+There was one youthful and generous heart, however, all of whose hopes
+were concentrated in the success of the great voyage. It is scarcely
+necessary to add, we mean that of Mercedes de Valverde. She had watched
+the recent events as they occurred, with an intensity of expectation
+that perhaps none but the youthful, fervent, inexperienced, and
+uncorrupted, can feel: and now that all her hopes were about to be
+realized, a tender and generous joy diffused itself over her whole moral
+system, in a way to render her happiness, for the time, even blissful.
+Although she loved so truly and with so much feminine devotedness,
+nature had endowed this warm-hearted young creature with a sagacity and
+readiness of apprehension, which, when quickened by the sentiments that
+are so apt to concentrate all the energies of her sex, showed her the
+propriety of the distrust of the queen and her guardian, and fully
+justified their hesitation in her eyes, which were rather charmed than
+blinded by the ascendency of her passion. She knew too well what was due
+to her virgin fame, her high expectations, her great name, and her
+elevated position near the person, and in the immediate confidence of
+Isabella, even to wish her hand unworthily bestowed; and while she
+deferred, with the dignity and discretion of birth and female decorum,
+to all that opinion and prudence could have a right to ask of a noble
+maiden, she confided in her lover's power to justify her choice, with
+the boundless confidence of a woman. Her aunt had taught her to believe
+that this voyage of the Genoese was likely to lead to great events, and
+her religious enthusiasm, like that of the queen's, led her to expect
+most of that which she so fervently wished.
+
+During the time it was known to those near the person of Isabella, that
+the conditions between the sovereigns and the navigators were being
+reduced to writing and were receiving the necessary forms, Luis neither
+sought an interview with his mistress, nor was accidentally favored in
+that way; but, no sooner was it understood Columbus had effected all
+that he deemed necessary in this particular, and had quitted the court
+for the coast, than the young man threw himself, at once, on the
+generosity of his aunt, beseeching her to favor his views now that he
+was about to leave Spain on an adventure that most regarded as
+desperate. All he asked was a pledge of being well received by his
+mistress and her friends, on his return successful.
+
+"I see that thou hast taken a lesson from this new master of thine,"
+answered the high-souled but kind-hearted Beatriz, smiling--"and would
+fain have thy terms also. But thou knowest, Luis, that Mercedes de
+Valverde is no peasant's child to be lightly cared for, but that she
+cometh of the noblest blood of Spain, having had a Guzman for a mother,
+and Mendozas out of number among her kinsmen. She is, moreover, one of
+the richest heiresses of Castile; and it would ill become her guardian
+to forget her watchfulness, under such circumstances, in behalf of one
+of the idle wanderers of Christendom, simply because he happeneth to be
+her own beloved brother's son."
+
+"And if the Dona Mercedes be all thou sayest, Senora--and thou hast not
+even touched upon her highest claims to merit, her heart, her beauty,
+her truth, and her thousand virtues--but if she be all that thou sayest,
+Dona Beatriz, is a Bobadilla unworthy of her?"
+
+"How! if she be, moreover, all _thou_ sayest too, Don Luis! The heart,
+the truth, and the thousand virtues! Methinks a shorter catalogue might
+content one who is himself so great a rover, lest some of these
+qualities be lost in his many journeys!"
+
+Luis laughed, in spite of himself, at the affected seriousness of his
+aunt; and then successfully endeavoring to repress a little resentment
+that her language awakened, he answered in a way to do no discredit to a
+well-established reputation for good-nature.
+
+"I cannot call thee 'Daughter-Marchioness,' in imitation of Her
+Highness," he answered, with a coaxing smile, so like that her deceased
+brother was wont to use when disposed to wheedle her out of some
+concession, that it fairly caused Dona Beatriz to start--"but I can say
+with more truth, 'Aunt-Marchioness,'--and a very dear aunt, too--wilt
+thou visit a little youthful indiscretion so severely? I had hoped, now
+Colon was about to set forth, that all was forgotten in the noble and
+common end we have in view."
+
+"Luis," returned the aunt, regarding her nephew with the severe
+resolution that was so often exhibited in her acts as well as in her
+words, "dost think that a mere display of courage will prove sufficient
+to win Mercedes from me? to put to sleep the vigilance of her friends?
+to gain the approbation of her guardian? Learn, too confident boy, that
+Mercedes de Guzman was the companion of my childhood; my warmest,
+dearest friend, next to Her Highness; and that she put all faith in my
+disposition to do full justice by her child. She died by slow degrees,
+and the fate of the orphan was often discussed between us. That she
+could ever become the wife of any but a Christian noble, neither of us
+imagined possible; but there are so many different characters under the
+same outward professions, that names deceived us not. I do believe that
+poor woman bethought her more of her child's future worldly fortunes
+than of her own sins, and that she prayed oftener for the happy
+conclusion of the first than for the pardon of the last! Thou knowest
+little of the strength of a mother's love, Luis, and canst not
+understand all the doubts that beset the heart, when the parent is
+compelled to leave a tender plant, like Mercedes, to the cold nursing of
+a selfish and unfeeling world."
+
+"I can readily fancy the mother of my love fitted for heaven without the
+usual interpositions of masses and paters, Dona Beatriz; but have aunts
+no consideration for nephews, as well as mothers for children?"
+
+"The tie is close and strong, my child, and yet is it not parental; nor
+art thou a sensitive, true-hearted, enthusiastic girl, filled with the
+confidence of thy purity, and overflowing with the affections that, in
+the end, make mothers what they are."
+
+"By San Iago! and am I not the very youth to render such a creature
+happy? I, too, am sensitive--too much so, in sooth, for my own peace; I,
+too, am true-hearted, as is seen by my having had but this one love,
+when I might have had fifty; and if I am not exactly overflowing with
+the confidence of purity, I have the confidence of youth, health,
+strength, and courage, which is quite as useful for a cavalier; and I
+have abundance of the affection that makes good fathers, which is all
+that can reasonably be asked of a man."
+
+"Thou, then, thinkest thyself, truant, every way worthy to be the
+husband of Mercedes de Valverde?"
+
+"Nay, aunt of mine, thou hast a searching way with thy questions! Who
+is, or can be, exactly worthy of so much excellence? I may not be
+altogether _deserving_ of her, but then again, I am not altogether
+_undeserving_ of her. I am quite as noble, nearly as well endowed with
+estates, of suitable years, of fitting address as a knight, and love her
+better than I love my own soul. Methinks the last should count for
+something, since he that loveth devotedly, will surely strive to render
+its object happy."
+
+"Thou art a silly, inexperienced boy, with a most excellent heart, a
+happy, careless disposition, and a head that was made to hold better
+thoughts than commonly reside there!" exclaimed the aunt, giving way to
+an impulse of natural feeling, even while she frowned on her nephew's
+folly. "But, hear me, and for once think gravely, and reflect on what I
+say. I have told thee of the mother of Mercedes, of her dying doubts,
+her anxiety, and of her confidence in me. Her Highness and I were alone
+with her, the morning of the day that her spirit took its flight to
+heaven; and then she poured out all her feelings, in a way that has left
+on us both an impression that can never cease, while aught can be done
+by either for the security of the daughter's happiness. Thou hast
+thought the queen unkind. I know not but, in thy intemperate speech,
+thou hast dared to charge Her Highness with carrying her care for her
+subjects' well-being beyond a sovereign's rights"--
+
+"Nay, Dona Beatriz," hastily interrupted Luis, "herein thou dost me
+great injustice. I may have felt--no doubt I have keenly, bitterly, felt
+the consequences of Dona Isabella's distrust of my constancy; but never
+has rebel thought of mine even presumed to doubt her right to command
+all our services, as well as all our lives. This is due to her sacred
+authority from all; but we, who so well know the heart and motives of
+the queen, also know that she doth naught from caprice or a desire to
+rule; while she doth so much from affection to her people."
+
+As Don Luis uttered this with an earnest look, and features flushed with
+sincerity, it was impossible not to see that he meant as much as he
+said. If men considered the consequences that often attend their
+lightest words, less levity of speech would be used, and the office of
+tale-bearer, the meanest station in the whole catalogue of social rank,
+would become extinct for want of occupation. Few cared less, or thought
+less, about the consequences of what they uttered, than Luis de
+Bobadilla; and yet this hasty but sincere reply did him good service
+with more than one of those who exercised a material influence over his
+fortunes. The honest praise of the queen went directly to the heart of
+the Marchioness, who rather idolized than loved her royal mistress, the
+long and close intimacy that had existed between them having made her
+thoroughly acquainted with the pure and almost holy character of
+Isabella; and when she repeated the words of her nephew to the latter,
+her own well-established reputation for truth caused them to be
+implicitly believed. Whatever may be the correctness of our views in
+general, one of the most certain ways to the feelings is the assurance
+of being respected and esteemed; while, of all the divine mandates, the
+most difficult to find obedience is that which tells us to "love those
+who hate" us. Isabella, notwithstanding her high destiny and lofty
+qualities, was thoroughly a woman; and when she discovered that, in
+spite of her own coldness to the youth, he really entertained so much
+profound deference for her character, and appreciated her feelings and
+motives in a way that conscience told her she merited, she was much
+better disposed to look at his peculiar faults with indulgence, and to
+ascribe that to mere animal spirits, which, under less favorable
+auspices, might possibly have been mistaken for ignoble propensities.
+
+But this is a little anticipating events. The first consequence of Luis'
+speech was a milder expression in the countenance of his aunt, and a
+disposition to consider his entreaties to be admitted to a private
+interview with Mercedes, with more indulgence.
+
+"I may have done thee injustice in this, Luis," resumed Dona Beatriz,
+betraying in her manner the sudden change of feeling mentioned; "for I
+do think thee conscious of thy duty to Her Highness, and of the almost
+heavenly sense of justice that reigneth in her heart, and through that
+heart, in Castile. Thou hast not lost in my esteem by thus exhibiting
+thy respect and love for the queen, for it is impossible to have any
+regard for female virtue, and not to manifest it to its best
+representative."
+
+"Do I not, also, dear aunt, in my attachment to thy ward? Is not my very
+choice, in some sort, a pledge of the truth and justice of my feelings
+in these particulars?"
+
+"Ah! Luis de Bobadilla, it is not difficult to teach the heart to lean
+toward the richest and the noblest, when she happeneth also to be the
+fairest, maiden of Spain!"
+
+"And am I a hypocrite, Marchioness? Dost thou accuse the son of thy
+brother of being a feigner of that which he doth not feel?--one
+influenced by so mean a passion as the love of gold and of lands?"
+
+"Foreign lands, heedless boy," returned the aunt, smiling, "but not of
+others' lands. No, Luis, none that know thee will accuse thee of
+hypocrisy. We believe in the truth and ardor of thy attachment, and it
+is for that very cause that we most distrust thy passion."
+
+"How! Are feigned feelings of more repute with the queen and thyself,
+than real feelings? A spurious and fancied love, than the honest,
+downright, manly passion."
+
+"It is this genuine feeling, this honest, downright, manly passion, as
+thou termest it, which is most apt to awaken sympathy in the tender
+bosom of a young girl. There is no truer touch-stone, by which to try
+the faithfulness of feelings, than the heart, when the head is not
+turned by vanity; and the more unquestionable the passion, the easier is
+it for its subject to make the discovery. Two drops of water do not
+glide together more naturally than two hearts, nephew, when there is a
+strong affinity between them. Didst thou not really love Mercedes, as my
+near and dear relative, thou mightst laugh and sing in her company at
+all times that should be suitable for the dignity of a maiden, and it
+would not cause me an uneasy moment."
+
+"I am thy near and dear relative, aunt of mine, with a miracle! and yet
+it is more difficult for me to get a sight of thy ward"--
+
+"Who is the especial care of the Queen of Castile."
+
+"Well, be it so; and why should a Bobadilla be proscribed by even a
+Queen of Castile?"
+
+Luis then had recourse to his most persuasive powers, and, improving the
+little advantage he had gained, by dint of coaxing and teasing he so far
+prevailed on Dona Beatriz as to obtain a promise that she would apply to
+the queen for permission to grant him one private interview with
+Mercedes. We say the queen, since Isabella, distrusting the influence of
+blood, had cautioned the Marchioness on this subject; and the prudence
+of letting the young people see each other as little as possible, had
+been fully settled between them. It was in redeeming this promise, that
+the aunt related the substance of the conversation that has just been
+given, and mentioned to her royal mistress the state of her nephew's
+feelings as respected herself. The effect of such information was
+necessarily favorable to the young man's views, and one of its first
+fruits was the desired permission to have the interview he sought.
+
+"They are not sovereigns," remarked the queen, with a smile that the
+favorite could see was melancholy, though it surpassed her means of
+penetration to say whether it proceeded from a really saddened feeling,
+or whether it were merely the manner in which the mind is apt to glance
+backward at emotions that it is known can never be again awakened in our
+bosoms;--"they are not sovereigns, Daughter-Marchioness, to woo by
+proxy, and wed as strangers. It may not be wise to suffer the
+intercourse to become too common, but it were cruel to deny the youth,
+as he is about to depart on an enterprise of so doubtful issue, one
+opportunity to declare his passion and to make his protestations of
+constancy. If thy ward hath, in truth, any tenderness for him, the
+recollection of this interview will soothe many a weary hour while Don
+Luis is away."
+
+"And add fuel to the flame," returned Dona Beatriz, pointedly.
+
+"We know not that, my good Beatriz, since, the heart being softened by
+the power of God to a sense of its religious duties, may not the same
+kind hand direct it and shield it in the indulgence of its more worldly
+feelings? Mercedes will never forget her duty, and, the imagination
+feeding itself, it may not be the wisest course to leave that of an
+enthusiast like our young charge, so entirely to its own pictures.
+Realities are often less hazardous than the creatures of the fancy.
+Then, thy nephew will not be a loser by the occasion, for, by keeping
+constantly in view the object he now seemeth to pursue so earnestly, he
+will the more endeavor to deserve success."
+
+"I much fear, Senora, that the best conclusions are not to be depended
+on in an affair that touches the waywardness of the feelings."
+
+"Perhaps not, Beatriz; and yet I do not see that we can well deny this
+interview, now that Don Luis is so near departure. Tell him I accord him
+that which he so desireth, and let him bear in mind that a grandee
+should never quit Castile without presenting himself before his
+sovereign."
+
+"I fear, Your Highness," returned the Marchioness, laughing, "that Don
+Luis will feel this last command, however gracious and kind in fact, as
+a strong rebuke, since he hath more than once done this already, without
+even presenting himself before his own aunt!"
+
+"On those occasions he went idly, and without consideration; but he is
+now engaged in an honorable and noble enterprise, and we will make it
+apparent to him that all feel the difference."
+
+The conversation now changed, it being understood that the request of
+the young man was to be granted. Isabella had, in this instance,
+departed from a law she had laid down for her own government, under the
+influence of her womanly feelings, which often caused her to forget that
+she was a queen, when no very grave duties existed to keep alive the
+recollection; for it would have been difficult to decide in which light
+this pure-minded and excellent female most merited the esteem of
+mankind--in her high character as a just and conscientious sovereign, or
+when she acted more directly under the gentler impulses of her sex. As
+for her friend, she was perhaps more tenacious of doing what she
+conceived to be her duty, by her ward, than the queen herself; since,
+with a greater responsibility, she was exposed to the suspicion of
+acting with a design to increase the wealth and to strengthen the
+connections of her own family. Still, the wishes of Isabella were laws
+to the Marchioness of Moya, and she sought an early opportunity to
+acquaint her ward with her intention to allow Don Luis, for once, to
+plead his own cause with his mistress, before he departed on his
+perilous and mysterious enterprise.
+
+Our heroine received this intelligence with the mingled sensations of
+apprehension, delight, misgivings, and joy, that are so apt to beset the
+female heart, in the freshness of its affections, when once brought in
+subjection to the master-passion. She had never thought it possible Luis
+would sail on an expedition like that in which he was engaged, without
+endeavoring to see her alone; but, now she was assured that both the
+queen and her guardian acquiesced in his being admitted, she almost
+regretted their compliance. These contradictory emotions, however, soon
+subsided in the tender melancholy that gradually drew around her manner,
+as the hour for the departure approached. Nor were her feelings on the
+subject of Luis' ready enlistment in the expedition, more consistent. At
+times she exulted in her lover's resolution, and in his manly devotion
+to glory and the good of the church; remembering with pride that, of all
+the high nobility of Castile, he alone ventured life and credit with the
+Genoese; and then, again, tormenting doubts came over her, as she feared
+that the love of roving, and of adventure, was quite as active in his
+heart, as love of herself. But in all this there was nothing new. The
+more pure and ingenuous the feelings of those who truly submit to the
+influence of this passion, the more keenly alive are their distrusts apt
+to be, and the more tormenting their misgivings of themselves.
+
+Her mind made up, Dona Beatriz acted fairly by the young people. As soon
+as Luis was admitted to her own presence, on the appointed morning, she
+told him that he was expected by Mercedes, who was waiting his
+appearance in the usual reception-room. Scarce giving himself time to
+kiss the hand of his aunt, and to make those other demonstrations of
+respect that the customs of the age required from the young to their
+seniors--more especially when there existed between them a tie of blood
+as close as that which united the Marchioness of Moya with the Conde de
+Llera--the young man bounded away, and was soon in the presence of his
+mistress. As Mercedes was prepared for the interview, she betrayed the
+feeling of the moment merely by a heightened color, and the greater
+lustre of eyes that were always bright, though often so soft and
+melancholy.
+
+"Luis!" escaped from her, and then, as if ashamed of the emotion
+betrayed in the very tones of her voice, she withdrew the foot that had
+involuntarily advanced to meet him, even while she kept a hand extended
+in friendly confidence.
+
+"Mercedes!" and the hand was withdrawn to put a stop to the kisses with
+which it was covered. "Thou art harder to be seen, of late, than it will
+be to discover this Cathay of the Genoese; for, between the Dona
+Isabella and Dona Beatriz, never was paradise watched more closely by
+guardian angels, than thy person is watched by thy protectors."
+
+"And can it be necessary, Luis, when thou art the danger apprehended?"
+
+"Do they think I shall carry thee off, like some Moorish girl borne away
+on the crupper of a Christian knight's saddle, and place thee in the
+caravel of Colon, that we may go in search of Prestor John and the Great
+Khan, in company?"
+
+"They may think _thee_ capable of this act of madness, dear Luis, but
+they will hardly suspect _me_."
+
+"No, thou art truly a model of prudence in all matters that require
+feeling for thy lover."
+
+"Luis!" exclaimed the girl, again; and this time unbidden tears started
+to her eyes.
+
+"Forgive me, Mercedes--dearest, dearest Mercedes; but this delay and all
+these coldly cruel precautions make me forget myself. Am I a needy and
+unknown adventurer, that they treat me thus, instead of being a noble
+Castilian knight!"
+
+"Thou forgettest, Luis, that noble Castilian maidens are not wont to see
+even noble Castilian cavaliers alone, and, but for the gracious
+condescension of Her Highness, and the indulgence of my guardian, who
+happeneth to be thy aunt, this interview could not take place."
+
+"Alone! And dost thou call this being alone, or any excessive favor, on
+the part of Her Highness, when thou seest that we are watched by the
+eye, if not by the ear! I fear to speak above my breath, lest the sounds
+should disturb that venerable lady's meditations!"
+
+As Luis de Bobadilla uttered this, he glanced his eye at the figure of
+the duena of his mistress, whose person was visible through an open
+door, in an adjoining room, where the good woman sat, intently occupied
+in reading certain homilies.
+
+"Dost mean my poor Pepita," answered Mercedes, laughing; for the
+presence of her attendant, to whom she had been accustomed from infancy,
+was no more restraint on her own innocent thoughts and words, than would
+have proved a reduplication of herself, had such a thing been possible.
+"Many have been her protestations against this meeting, which she
+insists is contrary to all rule among noble ladies, and which, she says,
+would never have been accorded by my poor, sainted mother, were she
+still living."
+
+"Ay, she hath a look that is sufficient of itself to set every generous
+mind a-tilting with her. One can see envy of thy beauty and youth, in
+every wrinkle of her unamiable face."
+
+"Then little dost thou know my excellent Pepita, who envieth nothing,
+and who hath but one marked weakness, and that is, too much affection,
+and too much indulgence, for myself."
+
+"I detest a duena; ay, as I detest an Infidel!"
+
+"Senor," said Pepita, whose vigilant ears, notwithstanding her book and
+the homilies, heard all that passed, "this is a common feeling among
+youthful cavaliers, I fear; but they tell me that the very duena who is
+so displeasing to the lover, getteth to be a grateful object, in time,
+with the husband. As my features and wrinkles, however, are so
+disagreeable to you, and no doubt cause you pain, by closing this door
+the sight will be shut out, as, indeed, will be the sound of my
+unpleasant cough, and of your own protestations of love, Senor Knight."
+
+This was said in much better language than was commonly used by women of
+the duena's class, and with a good-nature that seemed indomitable, it
+being completely undisturbed by Luis' petulant remarks.
+
+"Thou shalt not close the door, Pepita," cried Mercedes, blushing rosy
+red, and springing forward to interpose her own hand against the act.
+"What is there that the Conde de Llera can have to say to one like me,
+that _thou_ mayest not hear?"
+
+"Nay, dear child, the noble cavalier is about to talk of love!"
+
+"And is it thou, with whom the language of affection is so uncommon,
+that it frighteneth thee! Hath thy discourse been of aught but love,
+since thou hast known and cared for me?"
+
+"It augureth badly for thy suit, Senor," said Pepita, smiling, while she
+suspended the movement of the hand that was about to close the door, "if
+Dona Mercedes thinketh of your love as she thinketh of mine. Surely,
+child, thou dost not fancy me a gay, gallant young noble, come to pour
+out his soul at thy feet, and mistakest my simple words of affection for
+such as will be likely to flow from the honeyed tongue of a Bobadilla,
+bent on gaining his suit with the fairest maiden of Castile?"
+
+Mercedes shrunk back, for, though innocent as purity itself, her heart
+taught her the difference between the language of her lover and the
+language of her nurse, even when each most expressed affection. Her hand
+released its hold of the wood, and unconsciously was laid, with its
+pretty fellow, on her crimsoned face. Pepita profited by her advantage,
+and closed the door. A smile of triumph gleamed on the handsome features
+of Luis, and, after he had forced his mistress, by a gentle compulsion,
+to resume the seat from which she had risen to meet him, he threw
+himself on a stool at her feet, and stretching out his well-turned limbs
+in an easy attitude, so as to allow himself to gaze into the beautiful
+face that he had set up, like an idol, before him, he renewed the
+discourse.
+
+"This is a paragon of duenas," he cried, "and I might have known that
+none of the ill-tempered, unreasonable school of such beings, would be
+tolerated near thy person. This Pepita is a jewel, and she may consider
+herself established in her office for life, if, by the cunning of this
+Genoese, mine own resolution, the queen's repentance, and thy gentle
+favor, I ever prove so lucky as to become thy husband."
+
+"Thou forgettest, Luis," answered Mercedes, trembling even while she
+laughed at her own conceit, "that if the husband esteemeth the duena the
+lover could not endure, that the lover may esteem the duena that the
+husband may be unwilling to abide."
+
+"_Peste!_ these are crooked matters, and ill-suited to the
+straight-forward philosophy of Luis de Bobadilla. There is one thing
+only, which I can, or do, pretend to know, out of any controversy, and
+that I am ready to maintain in the face of all the doctors of Salamanca,
+or all the chivalry of Christendom, that of the Infidel included; which
+is, that thou art the fairest, sweetest, best, most virtuous, and in all
+things the most winning maiden of Spain, and that no other living knight
+so loveth and honoreth his mistress as I love and honor thee!"
+
+The language of admiration is ever soothing to female ears, and
+Mercedes, giving to the words of the youth an impression of sincerity
+that his manner fully warranted, forgot the duena and her little
+interruption, in the delight of listening to declarations that were so
+grateful to her affections. Still, the coyness of her sex, and the
+recent date of their mutual confidence, rendered her answer less open
+than it might otherwise have been.
+
+"I am told,", she said, "that you young cavaliers, who pant for
+occasions to show your skill and courage with the lance and in the
+tourney, are ever making some such protestations in favor of this or
+that noble maiden, in order to provoke others like themselves to make
+counter assertions, that they may show their prowess as knights, and
+gain high names for gallantry."
+
+"This cometh of being so much shut up in Dona Beatriz's private rooms,
+lest some bold Spanish eyes should look profanely on thy beauty,
+Mercedes. We are not in the age of the errants and the troubadours, when
+men committed a thousand follies that they might be thought weaker even
+than nature had made them. In that age, your knights _discoursed_
+largely of love, but in our own they _feel_ it. In sooth, I think this
+savoreth of some of the profound morality of Pepita!"
+
+"Say naught against Pepita, Luis, who hath much befriended thee to-day,
+else would thy tongue, and thine eyes too, be under the restraint of her
+presence. But that which thou termest the morality of the good duena,
+is, in truth, the morality of the excellent and most noble Dona Beatriz
+de Cabrera, Marchioness of Moya, who was born a lady of the House of
+Bobadilla, I believe."
+
+"Well, well, I dare to say there is no great difference between the
+lessons of a duchess and the lessons of a duena in the privacy of the
+closet, when there is one like thee, beautiful, and rich, and virtuous,
+to guard. They say you young maidens are told that we cavaliers are so
+many ogres, and that the only way to reach paradise is to think naught
+of us but evil, and then, when some suitable marriage hath been decided
+on, the poor young creature is suddenly alarmed by an order to come
+forth and be wedded to one of these very monsters."
+
+"And, in this mode, hast thou been treated! It would seem that much
+pains are taken to make the young of the two sexes think ill of each
+other. But, Luis, this is pure idleness, and we waste in it most
+precious moments; moments that may never return. How go matters with
+Colon--and when is he like to quit the court?"
+
+"He hath already departed; for, having obtained all he hath sought of
+the queen, he quitted Santa Fe, with the royal authority to sustain him
+in the fullest manner. If thou hearest aught of one Pedro de Munos, or
+Pero Gutierrez, at the court of Cathay, thou wilt know on whose
+shoulders to lay his follies."
+
+"I would rather that thou shouldst undertake this voyage in thine own
+name, Luis, than under a feigned appellation. Concealments of this
+nature are seldom wise, and surely thou dost not undertake the
+enterprise"--the tell-tale blood stole to the cheeks of Mercedes as she
+proceeded--"with a motive that need bring shame."
+
+"'Tis the wish of my aunt; as for myself, I would put thy favor in my
+casque, thy emblem on my shield, and let it be known, far and near, that
+Luis of Llera sought the court of Cathay, with the intent to defy its
+chivalry to produce as fair or as virtuous a maiden as thyself."
+
+"We are not in the age of errants, sir knight, but in one of reason and
+truth," returned Mercedes, laughing, though every syllable that proved
+the earnest and entire devotion of the young man went directly to her
+heart, strengthening his hold on it, and increasing the flame that burnt
+within, by adding the fuel that was most adapted to that purpose--"we
+are not in the age of knights-errant, Don Luis de Bobadilla, as thou
+thyself hast just affirmed; but one in which even the lover is
+reflecting, and as apt to discover the faults of his lady-love as to
+dwell upon her perfections. I look for better things from thee, than to
+hear that thou hast ridden through the highways of Cathay, defying to
+combat and seeking giants, in order to exalt my beauty, and tempting
+others to decry it, if it were only out of pure opposition to thy idle
+boastings. Ah! Luis, thou art now engaged in a most truly noble
+enterprise, one that will join thy name to those of the applauded of
+men, and which will form thy pride and exultation in after-life, when
+the eyes of us both shall be dimmed by age, and we shall look back with
+longings to discover aught of which to be proud."
+
+It was thrice, pleasant to the youth to hear his mistress, in the
+innocence of her heart, and in the fulness of her feelings, thus uniting
+his fate with her own; and when she ceased speaking, all unconscious how
+much might be indirectly implied from her words, he still listened
+intently, as if he would fain hear the sounds after they had died on his
+ear.
+
+"What enterprise can be nobler, more worthy to awaken all my resolution,
+than to win thy hand!" he exclaimed, after a short pause. "I follow
+Colon with no other object; share his chances, to remove the objections
+of Dona Isabella; and will accompany him to the earth's end, rather than
+that thy choice should be dishonored. _Thou_ art _my_ Great Khan,
+beloved Mercedes, and thy smiles and affection are the only Cathay I
+seek."
+
+"Say not so, dear Luis, for thou knowest not the nobility of thine own
+soul, nor the generosity of thine own intentions. This is a stupendous
+project of Colon's, and much as I rejoice that he hath had the
+imagination to conceive it, and the heart to undertake it in his own
+person, on account of the good it must produce to the heathen, and the
+manner in which it will necessarily redound to the glory of God, still I
+fear that I am equally gladdened with the recollection that thy name
+will be forever associated with the great achievement, and thy
+detractors put to shame with the resolution and spirit with which so
+noble an end will have been attained."
+
+"This is nothing but truth, Mercedes, should we reach the Indies; but,
+should the saints desert us, and our project fail, I fear that even thou
+wouldst be ashamed to confess an interest in an unfortunate adventurer
+who hath returned without success, and thereby made himself the subject
+of sneers and derision, instead of wearing the honorable distinction
+that thou seemest so confidently to expect."
+
+"Then, Luis de Bobadilla, thou knowest me not," answered Mercedes,
+hastily, and speaking with a tender earnestness that brought the blood
+into her cheeks, gradually brightening the brilliancy of her eyes, until
+they shone with a lustre that seemed almost supernatural--"then, Luis de
+Bobadilla, thou knowest me not. I wish thee to share in the glory of
+this enterprise, because calumny and censure have not been altogether
+idle with thy youth, and because I feel that Her Highness' favor is most
+easily obtained by it; but, if thou believest that the spirit to engage
+with Colon was necessary to incline me to think kindly of my guardian's
+nephew, thou neither understandest the sentiments that draw me toward
+thee, nor hast a just appreciation of the hours of sorrow I have
+suffered on thy account."
+
+"Dearest, most generous, noble-hearted girl, I am unworthy of thy truth,
+of thy pure sincerity, and of all thy devoted feelings! Drive me from
+thee at once, that I may ne'er again cause thee a moment's grief."
+
+"Nay, Luis, thy remedy, I fear me, would prove worse than the disease
+that thou wouldst cure," returned the beautiful girl, smiling and
+blushing as she spoke, and turning her eloquent eyes on the youth in a
+way to avow volumes of tenderness. "With thee must I be happy, or
+unhappy, as Providence may will it; or miserable without thee."
+
+The conversation now took that unconnected, and yet comprehensive cast,
+which is apt to characterize the discourse of those who feel as much as
+they reason, and it covered more interests, sentiments, and events, than
+our limits will allow us to record. As usual, Luis was inconsistent,
+jealous, repentant, full of passion and protestations, fancying a
+thousand evils at one instant, and figuring in his imagination a
+terrestrial paradise at the next; while Mercedes was enthusiastic,
+generous, devoted, and yet high-principled, self-denying, and womanly;
+meeting her ardent suitor's vows with a tenderness that seemed to lose
+all other considerations in her love, and repelling with maiden coyness,
+and with the dignity of her sex, his rhapsodies, whenever they touched
+upon the exaggerated and indiscreet.
+
+The interview lasted an hour, and it is scarce necessary to say that
+vows of constancy, and pledges never to marry another, were given, again
+and again. As the time for separating approached, Mercedes opened a
+small casket that contained her jewels, and drew forth one which she
+offered to her lover as a gage of her truth.
+
+"I will not give thee a glove to wear in thy casque at tourneys, Luis,"
+she said, "but I offer this holy symbol, which may remind thee, at the
+same moment, of the great pursuit thou hast before thee, and of her who
+will wait its issue with doubts and fears little less active than those
+of Colon himself. Thou needst no other crucifix to say thy paters
+before, and these stones are sapphires, which thou knowest are the
+tokens of fidelity--a feeling that thou mayst encourage as respects thy
+lasting welfare, and which it would not grieve me to know thou kept'st
+ever active in thy bosom when thinking of the unworthy giver of the
+trifle."
+
+This was said half in melancholy, and half in lightness of heart, for
+Mercedes felt, at parting, both a weight of sorrow that was hard to be
+borne, and a buoyancy of the very feeling to which she had just alluded,
+that much disposed her to smile; and it was said with those winning
+accents with which the youthful and tender avow their emotions, when the
+heart is subdued by the thoughts of absence and dangers. The gift was a
+small cross, formed of the stones she had named, and of great intrinsic
+value, as well as precious from the motives and character of her who
+offered it.
+
+"Thou hast had a care of my soul, in this, Mercedes," said Luis,
+smiling, when he had kissed the jewelled cross again and again--"and art
+resolved if the sovereign of Cathay should refuse to be converted to our
+faith, that we shall not be converted to his. I fear that my offering
+will appear tame and valueless in thine eyes, after so precious a boon."
+
+"One lock of thy hair, Luis, is all I desire. Thou knowest that I have
+no need of jewels."
+
+"If I thought the sight of my bushy head would give thee pleasure, every
+hair should quit it, and I would sail from Spain with a poll as naked as
+a priest's, or even an Infidel's; but the Bobadillas have their jewels,
+and a Bobadilla's bride shall wear them: this necklace was my mother's,
+Mercedes; it is said to have once been the property of a queen, though
+none have ever worn it who will so honor it as thou."
+
+"I take it, Luis, for it is thy offering and may not be refused; and yet
+I take it tremblingly, for I see signs of our different natures in these
+gifts. Thou hast chosen the gorgeous and the brilliant, which pall in
+time, and seldom lead to contentment; while my woman's heart hath led me
+to constancy. I fear some brilliant beauty of the East would better gain
+thy lasting admiration than a poor Castilian maid who hath little but
+her faith and love to recommend her!"
+
+Protestations on the part of the young man followed, and Mercedes
+permitted one fond and long embrace ere they separated. She wept on the
+bosom of Don Luis, and at the final moment of parting, as ever happens
+with woman, feeling got the better of form, and her whole soul confessed
+its weakness. At length Luis tore himself away from her presence, and
+that night he was on his way to the coast, under an assumed name, and in
+simple guise; whither Columbus had already preceded.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI.
+
+    "But where is Harold? Shall I then forget
+    To urge the gloomy wanderer o'er the wave?
+    Little reck'd he of all that men regret;
+    No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave;
+    No friend the parting hand extended gave
+    Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."
+
+    Byron.
+
+
+The reader is not to suppose that the eyes of Europe were on our
+adventurers. Truth and falsehood, inseparable companions, it would seem,
+throughout all time, were not then diffused over the land by means of
+newspapers, with mercenary diligence; and it was only the favored few
+who got early intelligence of enterprises like that in which Columbus
+was engaged. Luis de Bobadilla had, therefore, stolen from court
+unnoticed, and they who came in time to miss his presence, either
+supposed him to be on a visit to one of his castles, or to have gone
+forth on another of those wandering tours which were supposed to be
+blemishes on his chivalry and unworthy of his birth. As for the Genoese
+himself, his absence was scarcely heeded, though it was understood among
+the courtiers generally that Isabella had entered into some arrangement
+with him, which gave the adventurer higher rank and greater advantages
+than his future services would probably ever justify. The other
+principal adventurers were too insignificant to attract much attention,
+and they had severally departed for the coast without the knowledge of
+their movements extending far beyond the narrow circles of their own
+acquaintances. Neither was this expedition, so bold in its conception
+and so momentous in its consequences, destined to sail from one of the
+more important ports of Spain; but orders to furnish the necessary means
+had been sent to a haven of altogether inferior rank, and which would
+seem to have possessed no other recommendations for this particular
+service, than hardy mariners, and a position without the pass of
+Gibraltar, which was sometimes rendered hazardous by the rovers of
+Africa. The order, however, is said to have been issued to the place
+selected, in consequence of its having incurred some legal penalty, by
+which it had been condemned to serve the crown for a twelvemonth with
+two armed caravels. Such punishments, it would seem, were part of the
+policy of an age in which navies were little more than levies on
+sea-ports, and when fleets were usually manned by soldiers from the
+land.
+
+Palos de Moguer, the place ordered to pay this tribute for its
+transgression, was a town of little importance, even at the close of the
+fifteenth century, and it has since dwindled to an insignificant fishing
+village. Like most places that are little favored by nature, its
+population was hardy and adventurous, as adventure was then limited by
+ignorance. It possessed no stately caracks, its business and want of
+opulence confining all its efforts to the lighter caravel and the still
+more diminutive felucca. All the succor, indeed, that Columbus had been
+able to procure from the two crowns, by his protracted solicitations,
+was the order for the equipment of the two caravels mentioned, with the
+additional officers and men that always accompanied a royal expedition.
+The reader, however, is not to infer from this fact any niggardliness of
+spirit, or any want of faith, on the part of Isabella. It was partly
+owing to the exhausted condition of her treasury, a consequence of the
+late war with the Moor, and more, perhaps, to the experience and
+discretion of the great navigator himself, who well understood that, for
+the purposes of discovery, vessels of this size would be more useful and
+secure than those that were larger.
+
+On a rocky promontory, at a distance of less than a league from the
+village of Palos, stood the convent of La Rabida, since rendered so
+celebrated by its hospitality to Columbus. At the gate of this building,
+seven years before, the navigator, leading his youthful son by the hand,
+had presented himself, a solicitor for food in behalf of the wearied
+boy. The story is too well known to need repetition here, and we will
+merely add that his long residence in this convent, and the firm friends
+he had made of the holy Franciscans who occupied it, as well as among
+others in their vicinity, were also probably motives that influenced him
+in directing the choice of the crown to this particular place. Columbus
+had not only circulated his opinions with the monks, but with the more
+intelligent of the neighborhood, and the first converts he made in Spain
+were at this place.
+
+Notwithstanding all the circumstances named, the order of the crown to
+prepare the caravels in question, spread consternation among the
+mariners of Palos. In that age, it was thought a wonderful achievement
+to follow the land, along the coast of Africa, and to approach the
+equator. The vaguest notions existed in the popular mind, concerning
+those unknown regions, and many even believed that by journeying south
+it was possible to reach a portion of the earth where animal and
+vegetable life must cease on account of the intense heat of the sun. The
+revolution of the planets, the diurnal motion of the earth, and the
+causes of the changes in the seasons, were then profound mysteries even
+to the learned; or, if glimmerings of the truth did exist, they existed
+as the first rays of the dawn dimly and hesitatingly announce the
+approach of day. It is not surprising, therefore, that the simple-minded
+and unlettered mariners of Palos viewed the order of the crown as a
+sentence of destruction on all who might be fated to obey it. The ocean,
+when certain limits were passed, was thought to be, like the firmament,
+a sort of chaotic void; and the imaginations of the ignorant had
+conjured up currents and whirlpools that were believed to lead to fiery
+climates and frightful scenes of natural destruction. Some even fancied
+it possible to reach the uttermost boundaries of the earth, and to slide
+off into vacuum, by means of swift but imperceptible currents.
+
+Such was the state of things, in the middle of the month of July.
+Columbus was still in the convent of Rabida, in the company of his
+constant friend and adherent, Fray Juan Perez, when a lay brother came
+to announce that a stranger had arrived at the gate, asking earnestly
+for the Senor Christoval Colon.
+
+"Hath he the aspect of a messenger from the court?" demanded the
+navigator; "for, since the failure of the mission of Juan de Penalosa,
+there is need of further orders from their Highnesses to enforce their
+gracious intentions."
+
+"I think not, Senor," answered the lay brother; "these hard-riding
+couriers of the queen generally appearing with their steeds in a foam,
+and with hurried air and blustering voices; whereas this young cavalier
+behaveth modestly, and rideth a stout Andalusian mule."
+
+"Did he give thee his name, good Sancho?"
+
+"He gave me two, Senor, styling himself Pedro de Munos, or Pedro
+Gutierrez, without the Don."
+
+"This is well," exclaimed Columbus, turning a little quickly toward the
+door, but otherwise maintaining a perfect self-command; "I expect the
+youth, and he is right welcome. Let him come in at once, good Sancho,
+and that without any useless ceremony."
+
+"An acquaintance of the court, Senor?" observed the prior, in the way
+one indirectly asks a question.
+
+"A youth that hath the spirit, father, to adventure life and character
+for the glory of God, through the advancement of his church, by
+embarking in our enterprise. He cometh of a reputable lineage, and is
+not without the gifts of fortune. But for the care of guardians, and his
+own youth, gold would not have been wanting in our need. As it is, he
+ventureth his own person, if one can be said to risk aught in an
+expedition that seemeth truly to set even the orders of their Highnesses
+at defiance."
+
+As Columbus ceased speaking, the door opened and Luis de Bobadilla
+entered. The young grandee had laid aside all the outward evidences of
+his high rank, and now appeared in the modest guise of a traveller
+belonging to a class more likely to furnish a recruit for the voyage,
+than one of the rank he really was. Saluting Columbus with cordial and
+sincere respect, and the Franciscan with humble deference, the first at
+once perceived that this gallant and reckless spirit had truly engaged
+in the enterprise with a determination to use all the means that would
+enable him to go through with it.
+
+"Thou art welcome, Pedro," Columbus observed, as soon as Luis had made
+his salutations; "thou hast reached the coast at a moment when thy
+presence and support may be exceedingly useful. The first order of Her
+Highness, by which I should have received the services of the two
+caravels to which the state is entitled, hath been utterly disregarded;
+and a second mandate, empowering me to seize upon any vessel that may
+suit our necessities, hath fared but little better, notwithstanding the
+Senor de Penalosa was sent directly from court to enforce its
+conditions, under a penalty, to the port, of paying a daily tax of two
+hundred maravedis, until the order should be fulfilled. The idiots have
+conjured all sorts of ills with which to terrify themselves and their
+neighbors, and I seem to be as far from the completion of my hopes as I
+was before I procured the friendship of this holy friar and the royal
+protection of Dona Isabella. It is a weary thing, my good Pedro, to
+waste a life in hopes defeated, with such an object in view as the
+spread of knowledge and the extension of the church!"
+
+"I am the bearer of good tidings, Senor," answered the young noble. "In
+coming hither from the town of Moguer, I journeyed with one Martin
+Alonzo Pinzon, a mariner with whom I have formerly voyaged, and we have
+had much discourse concerning your commission and difficulties. He tells
+me that he is known to you, Senor Colon, and I should judge from his
+discourse that he thinketh favorably of the chances."
+
+"He doth--he doth, indeed, good Pedro, and hath often listened to my
+reasoning like a discreet and skilful navigator, as I make no question
+he really is. But didst thou say that thou wast _known_ to him?"
+
+"Senor, I did. We have voyaged together as far as Cyprus, on one
+occasion, and, again, to the island of the English. In such long
+voyages, men get to some knowledge of each other's temperament and
+disposition, and, of a sooth, I think well of both, in this Senor
+Pinzon."
+
+"Thou art young to pass an opinion on a mariner of Martin Alonzo's years
+and experience, son," put in the friar; "a man of much repute in this
+vicinity, and of no little wealth. Nevertheless, I am rejoiced to hear
+that he continueth of the same mind as formerly, in relation to the
+great voyage; for, of late, I did think even he had begun to waver."
+
+Don Luis had expressed himself of the great man of the vicinity, more
+like a Bobadilla than became his assumed name of Munos, and a glance
+from the eye of Columbus told him to forget his rank and to remember the
+disguise he had assumed.
+
+"This is truly encouraging," observed the navigator, "and openeth a
+brighter view of Cathay. Thou wast journeying between Moguer and Palos,
+I think thou saidst, when this discourse was had with our acquaintance,
+the good Martin Alonzo?"
+
+"I was, Senor, and it was he who sent me hither in quest of the admiral.
+He gave you the title that the queen's favor hath bestowed, and I
+consider that no small sign of friendship, as most others with whom I
+have conversed in this vicinity seem disposed to call you by any other
+name."
+
+"None need embark in this enterprise," returned the navigator, gravely,
+as if he would admonish the youth that this was an occasion on which he
+might withdraw from the adventure, if he saw fit, "who feel disposed to
+act differently, or who distrust my knowledge."
+
+"By San Pedro, my patron! they tell another tale at Palos, and at
+Moguer, Senor Amirale," returned Luis, laughing; "at which places, I
+hear, that no man whose skin hath been a little warmed by the sun of the
+ocean, dare show himself in the highways, lest he be sent to Cathay by a
+road that no one ever yet travelled, except in fancy! There is,
+notwithstanding, one free and willing volunteer, Senor Colon, who is
+disposed to follow you to the edge of the earth, if it be flat, and to
+follow you quite around it, should it prove to be a sphere; and that is
+one Pedro de Munos, who engageth with you from no sordid love of gold,
+or love of aught else that men usually prize; but from the pure love of
+adventure, somewhat excited and magnified, perhaps, by love of the
+purest and fairest maid of Castile."
+
+Fray Juan Perez gazed at the speaker, whose free manner and open speech
+a good deal surprised him; for Columbus had succeeded in awakening so
+much respect that few presumed to use any levity in his presence, even
+before he was dignified by the high rank so recently conferred by the
+commission of Isabella. Little did the good monk suspect that one of a
+still higher personal rank, though entirely without official station,
+stood before him, in the guise of Pedro de Munos; and he could not
+refrain from again expressing the little relish he felt for such freedom
+of speech and deportment toward those whom he himself habitually
+regarded with so much respect.
+
+"It would seem, Senor Pedro de Munos," he said, "if that be thy
+name--though duke, or marquis, or count, would be a title better
+becoming thy bearing--that thou treatest His Excellency the Admiral with
+quite as much freedom of thought, at least, as thou treatest the worthy
+Martin Alonzo of our own neighborhood; a follower should be more humble,
+and not pass his jokes on the opinions of his leader, in this loose
+style of expression."
+
+"I crave your pardon, holy father, and that of the admiral, too, who
+better understandeth me I trust, if there be any just grounds of
+offence. All I wish to express is, that I know this Martin Alonzo of
+your neighborhood, as an old fellow-voyager; that we have ridden some
+leagues in company this very day, and that, after close discourse, he
+hath manifested a friendly desire to put his shoulder to the wheel, in
+order to lift the expedition, if not from a slough of mud, at least from
+the sands of the river; and that he hath promised to come also to this
+good convent of La Rabida, for that same purpose and no other. As for
+myself, I can only add, that here I am, ready to follow wheresoever the
+honorable Senor Colon may see fit to lead."
+
+"Tis well, good Pedro--'tis well," rejoined the admiral. "I give thee
+full credit for sincerity and spirit, and that must content thee until
+an opportunity offereth to convince others. I like these tidings
+concerning Martin Alonzo, father, since he might truly do us much good
+service, and his zeal had assuredly begun to flag."
+
+"That might he, and that will he, if he engageth seriously in the
+affair. Martin is the greatest navigator on all this coast, for, though
+I did not know that he had ever been even to Cyprus, as would appear by
+the account of this youth, I was well aware that he had frequently
+sailed as far north as France, and as far south as the Canaries. Dost
+think Cathay much more remote than Cyprus, Senor Almirante?"
+
+Columbus smiled at this question, and shook his head in the manner of
+one who would prepare a friend for some sore disappointment.
+
+"Although Cyprus be not distant from the Holy Land and the seat of the
+Infidel's power," he answered, "Cathay must lie much more remote. I
+flatter not myself, nor those who are disposed to follow me, with the
+hope of reaching the Indies short of a voyage that shall extend to some
+eight hundred or a thousand leagues."
+
+"'Tis a fearful and a weary distance!" exclaimed the Franciscan; while
+Luis stood in smiling unconcern, equally indifferent whether he had to
+traverse one-thousand or ten thousand leagues of ocean, so that the
+journey led to Mercedes and was productive of adventure. "A fearful and
+weary distance, and yet I doubt not, Senor Almirante, that you are the
+very man designed by Providence to overcome it, and to open the way for
+those who will succeed you, bearing on high the cross of Christ and the
+promises of his redemption!"
+
+"Let us hope this," returned Columbus, reverently making the usual sign
+of the sacred emblem to which his friend alluded; "as a proof that we
+have some worldly foundation for the expectation, here cometh the Senor
+Pinzon himself, apparently hot with haste to see us."
+
+Martin Alonzo Pinzon, whose name is so familiar to the reader, as one
+who greatly aided the Genoese in his vast undertaking, now entered the
+room, seemingly earnest and bent on some fixed purpose, as Columbus'
+observant eye had instantly detected. Fray Juan Perez was not a little
+surprised to see that the first salutation of Martin Alonzo, the great
+man of the neighborhood, was directed to Pedro, the second to the
+admiral, and the third to himself. There was not time, however, for the
+worthy Franciscan, who was a little apt to rebuke any dereliction of
+decency on the spot, to express what he felt on this occasion, ere
+Martin Alonzo opened his errand with an eagerness that showed he had not
+come on a mere visit of friendship, or of ceremony.
+
+"I am sorely vexed, Senor Almirante," he commenced, "at learning the
+obstinacy, and the disobedience to the orders of the queen, that have
+been shown among our mariners of Palos. Although a dweller of the port
+itself, and one who hath always viewed your opinions of this western
+voyage with respect, if not with absolute faith, I did not know the full
+extent of this insubordination until I met, by accident, an old
+acquaintance on the highway, in the person of Don Pedro--I ought to say
+the _Senor_ Pedro de Munos, here, who, coming from a distance as he
+doth, hath discovered more of our backslidings than I had learned
+myself, on the spot. But, Senor, you are not now to hear for the first
+time, of what sort of stuff men are made. They are reasoning beings, we
+are told; notwithstanding which undeniable truth, as there is not one in
+a hundred who is at the trouble to do his own thinking, means may be
+found to change the opinions of a sufficient number for all your wants,
+without their even suspecting it."
+
+"This is very true, neighbor Martin Alonzo," put in the friar--"so true,
+that it might go into a homily and do no disservice to religion. Man
+_is_ a rational animal, and an accountable animal, but it is not meet
+that he should be a _thinking_ animal. In matters of the church, now,
+its interests being entrusted to a ministry, what have the unlearned and
+ignorant to say of its affairs? In matters of navigation, it doth,
+indeed, seem as if one steersman were better than a hundred! Although
+man be a reasoning animal, there are quite as many occasions when he is
+bound to obey without reasoning, and few when he should be permitted to
+reason without obeying."
+
+"All true, holy friar and most excellent neighbor; so true that you will
+find no one in Palos to deny that, at least. And now we are on the
+subject, I may as well add that it is the church that hath thrown more
+obstacles in the way of the Senor Almirante's success, than any other
+cause. All the old women of the port declare that the notion of the
+earth's being round is a heresy, and contrary to the Bible; and, if the
+truth must be said, there are not a few underlings of this very convent,
+who uphold them in the opinion. It doth appear unnatural to tell one who
+hath never quitted the land, and who seeth himself much oftener in a
+valley than on an eminence, that the globe is round, and, though I have
+had many occasions to see the ocean, it would not easily find credit
+with me, were it not for the fact that we see the upper and smaller
+sails of a ship first, when approaching her, as well as the vanes and
+crosses of towns, albeit they are the smaller objects about vessels and
+churches. We mariners have one way to inspirit our followers, and you
+churchmen have another; and, now that I intend to use my means to put
+wiser thoughts into the heads of the seamen of Palos, reverend friar, I
+look to you to set the church's engines at work, so as to silence the
+women, and to quell the doubts of the most zealous among your own
+brotherhood."
+
+"Am I to understand by this, Senor Pinzon," demanded Columbus, "that you
+intend to take a direct and more earnest interest than before in the
+success of my enterprise?"
+
+"Senor, you may. That is my intention, if we can come to as favorable an
+understanding about the terms, as your worship would seem to have
+entered into with our most honored mistress, Dona Isabella de
+Trastamara. I have had some discourse with Senor Don--I would say with
+the Senor Pedro de Munos, here--odd's folly, an excess of courtesy is
+getting to be a vice with me of late--but as he is a youth of prudence,
+and manifests a desire to embark with you, it hath stirred my fancy so
+far, that I would gladly be of the party. Senor de Munos and I have
+voyaged so much together, that I would fain see his worthy countenance
+once more upon the ocean."
+
+"These are cheerful tidings, Martin Alonzo"--eagerly put in the friar,
+"and thy soul, and the souls of all who belong to you, will reap the
+benefits of this manly and pious resolution. It is one thing, Senor
+Almirante, to have their Highnesses of your side, in a place like Palos,
+and another to have our worthy neighbor Pinzon, here; for, if they are
+sovereigns in law, he is an emperor in opinion. I doubt not that the
+caravels will now be speedily forthcoming."
+
+"Since thou seemest to have truly resolved to enter into our enterprise,
+Senor Martin Alonzo," added Columbus, with his dignified gravity, "out
+of doubt, thou hast well bethought thee of the conditions, and art come
+prepared to let them be known. Do they savor of the terms that have
+already been in discussion between us?"
+
+"Senor Admiral, they do; though gold is not, just now, as abundant in
+our purses, as when we last discoursed on this subject. On that head,
+some obstacles may exist, but on all others, I doubt not, a brief
+explanation between us will leave the matter free from doubt."
+
+"As to the eighth, for which I stand committed with their Highnesses,
+Senor Pinzon, there will be less reason, now, to raise that point
+between us, than when we last met, as other means may offer to redeem
+that pledge"--as Columbus spoke, his eyes involuntarily turned toward
+the pretended Pedro, whither those of Martin Alonzo Pinzon significantly
+followed; "but there will be many difficulties to overcome with these
+terrified and silly mariners, which may yield to thy influence. If thou
+wilt come with me into this chamber, we will at once discuss the heads
+of our treaty, leaving this youth, the while, to the hospitality of our
+reverend friend."
+
+The prior raising no objection to this proposition, it was immediately
+put in execution, Columbus and Pinzon withdrawing to a more private
+apartment, leaving Fray Juan Perez alone with our hero.
+
+"Then thou thinkest seriously, son, of making one in this great
+enterprise of the admiral's," said the Franciscan, as soon as the door
+was closed on those who had just left them, eyeing Luis, for the first
+time, with a more strict scrutiny than hitherto he had leisure to
+exercise. "Thou carriest thyself much like the young lords of the court,
+and wilt have occasion to acquire a less towering air in the narrow
+limits of one of our Palos caravels."
+
+"I am no stranger to Nao, Carraca, Fusta, Pinaza, Carabelon, or Felucca,
+holy prior, and shall carry myself with the admiral, as I should carry
+myself before Don Fernando of Aragon, were he my fellow-voyager, or in
+the presence of Boabdil of Grenada, were that unhappy monarch again
+seated on the throne from which he hath been so lately hurled, urging
+his chivalry to charge the knights of Christian Spain."
+
+"These are fine words, son, ay, and uttered with a tilting air, if truth
+must be said; but they will avail thee nothing with this Genoese, who
+hath that in him, that would leave him unabashed even in the presence of
+our gracious lady, Dona Isabella, herself."
+
+"Thou knowest the queen, holy monk?" inquired Luis, forgetting his
+assumed character, in the freedom of his address.
+
+"I ought to know her inmost heart, son, for often have I listened to her
+pure and meek spirit, in the secrets of the confessional. Much as she is
+beloved by us Castilians, no one can know the true, spiritual elevation
+of that pious princess, and most excellent woman, but they who have had
+occasion to shrive her."
+
+Don Luis hemmed, played with the handle of his rapier, and then gave
+utterance to the uppermost thought, as usual.
+
+"Didst thou, by any chance of thy priestly office, father, ever find it
+necessary to confess a maiden of the court, who is much esteemed by the
+queen?" he inquired, "and whose spirit, I'll answer for it, is as pure
+as that of Dona Isabella's itself."
+
+"Son, thy question denoteth greater necessity for repairing to
+Salamanca, in order to be instructed in the history, and practices, and
+faith of the church, than to be entering into an enterprise, even as
+commendable as this of Colon's! Dost thou not know that we churchmen are
+not permitted to betray the secrets of the confessional, or to draw
+comparisons between penitents? and, moreover, that we do not take even
+Dona Isabella, the blessed Maria keep her ever in mind, as the standard
+of holiness to which all Christians are expected to aim? The maiden of
+whom thou speakest may be virtuous, according to worldly notions, and
+yet a grievous sinner in the eyes of mother church."
+
+"I should like, before I quit Spain, to hear a Mendoza, or a Guzman, who
+hath not a shaven crown, venture to hint as much, most reverend prior!"
+
+"Thou art hot and restive, and talkest idly, son; what would one like
+thee find to say to a Guzman, or a Mendoza, or a Bobadilla, even, did he
+affirm what thou wishest? But, who is the maid, in whom thy feelings
+seem to take so deep, although I question if it be not an unrequited,
+interest?"
+
+"Nay, I did but speak in idleness. Our stations have made such a chasm
+between us, that it is little likely we should ever come to speech; nor
+is my merit such as would be apt to cause her to forget her high
+advantages."
+
+"Still, she hath a name?"
+
+"She hath, truly, prior, and a right noble one it is. I had the Dona
+Maria de las Mercedes de Valverde in my thoughts, when the light remark
+found utterance. Haply, thou may'st know that illustrious heiress?"
+
+Fray Juan Perez, a truly guileless priest, started at the name; then he
+gazed intently, and with a sort of pity, at the youth; after which he
+bent his head toward the tiles beneath his feet, smiled, and shook his
+head like one whose thoughts were very active.
+
+"I do, indeed, know the lady," he said, "and even when last at court, on
+this errand of Colon's, their own confessor being ill, I shrived her, as
+well as my royal mistress. That she is worthy of Dona Isabella's esteem
+is true; but thy admiration for this noble maiden, which must be
+something like the distant reverence we feel for the clouds that sail
+above our heads, can scarce be founded on any rational hopes."
+
+"Thou canst not know that, father. If this expedition end as we trust,
+all who engage in it will be honored and advanced; and why not I, as
+well as another?"
+
+"In this, thou may'st utter truth, but as for the Dona--" The Franciscan
+checked himself, for he was about to betray the secret of the
+confessional. He had, in truth, listened to the contrition of Mercedes,
+of which her passion for Luis was the principal cause; and it was he
+who, with a species of pious fraud of which he was himself unconscious,
+had first pointed out the means by which the truant noble might be made
+to turn his propensity to rove to the profit of his love; and his mind
+was full of her beautiful exhibition of purity and natural feeling,
+nearly even to overflowing. But habit and duty interfered in time, and
+he did not utter the name that had been trembling on his lips. Still,
+his thoughts continued in this current, and his tongue gave utterance to
+that portion of them which he believed to be harmless. "Thou hast been
+much about the world, it would seem, by Master Alonzo's greeting," he
+continued, after a short pause; "didst ever meet, son, with a certain
+cavalier of Castile, named Don Luis de Bobadilla--a grandee, who also
+bears the title of Conde de Llera?"
+
+"I know little of his hopes, and care less for his titles," returned
+Luis, calmly, who thought he would manifest a magnanimous indifference
+to the Franciscan's opinions--"but I have seen the cavalier, and a
+roving, mad-brained, graceless youth it is, of whom no good can be
+expected."
+
+"I fear this is but too true," rejoined Fray Juan Perez, shaking his
+head in a melancholy manner--"and yet they say he is a gallant knight,
+and the very best lance in all Spain."
+
+"Ay, he may be that," answered Luis, hemming a little louder than was
+decorous, for his throat began to grow husky--"Ay, he may be that; but
+of what avail is a good lance without a good character. I hear little
+commendable of this young Conde de Llera."
+
+"I trust he is not the man he generally passeth for,"--answered the
+simple-hearted monk, without in the least suspecting his companion's
+disguise; "and I do know that there are some who think well of him--nay,
+whose existence, I might say whose very souls, are wrapped up in him!"
+
+"Holy Franciscan!--why wilt thou not mention the names of one or two of
+these?" demanded Luis, with an impetuosity that caused the prior to
+start.
+
+"And why should I give this information to thee, young man, more than to
+another?"
+
+"Why, father--why, for several most excellent and unanswerable reasons.
+In the first place, I am a youth myself, as thou seest; and example,
+they say, is better than precept. Then, too, _I_ am somewhat given to
+roving, and it may profit me to know how others of the same propensity
+have sped. Moreover, it would gladden my inmost heart to hear that--but
+two sufficient reasons are better than three, and thou hast the first
+number already."
+
+Fray Juan Perez, a devout Christian, a learned churchman, and a liberal
+scholar, was as simple as a child in matters that related to the world
+and its passions. Nevertheless, he was not so dull as to overlook the
+strange deportment and stranger language of his companion. A direction
+had been given to his thoughts by the mention of the name of our
+heroine; and, as he himself had devised the very course taken by our
+hero, the truth began to dawn on his imagination.
+
+"Young cavalier," he exclaimed, "thou art Don Luis de Bobadilla!"
+
+"I shall never deny the prophetic knowledge of a churchman, worthy
+father, after this detection! I _am_ he thou sayest, entered on this
+expedition to win the love of Mercedes de Valverde."
+
+"'Tis as I thought--and yet, Senor, you might have taken our poor
+convent less at an advantage. Suffer that I command the lay brothers to
+place refreshments before you!"
+
+"Thy pardon, excellent prior--Pedro de Munos, or even Pero Gutierrez,
+hath no need of food; but, now that thou knowest me, there can be less
+reason for not conversing of the Dona Mercedes?"
+
+"Now that I know thee, Senor Conde, there is greater reason for silence
+on that head," returned Fray Juan Perez, smiling. "Thine aunt, the most
+esteemed and virtuous lady of Moya, can give thee all occasion to urge
+thy suit with this charming maiden, and it would ill become a churchman
+to temper her prudence by any indiscreet interference."
+
+This explanation was the commencement of a long and confidential
+dialogue, in which the worthy prior, now that he was on his guard,
+succeeded in preserving his main secret, though he much encouraged the
+young man in the leading hope of his existence, as well as in his
+project to adhere to the fortunes of Columbus. In the mean while, the
+great navigator himself continued closeted with his new counsellor; and
+when the two reappeared, it was announced to those without that the
+latter had engaged in the enterprise with so much zeal, that he actually
+entertained the intention of embarking on board of one of the caravels
+in person.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII.
+
+    "Yet he to whom each danger hath become
+    A dark delight, and every wild a home,
+    Still urges onward--undismayed to tread
+    Where life's fond lovers would recoil with dread."
+
+    The Abencerrage.
+
+
+The intelligence that Martin Alonzo Pinzon was to make one of the
+followers of Colon, spread through the village of Palos like wild-fire.
+Volunteers were no longer wanting; the example of one known and
+respected in the vicinity, operating far more efficiently on the minds
+of the mariners, than the orders of the queen or the philosophy of
+Columbus. Martin Alonzo they knew; they were accustomed to submit to his
+influence; they could follow in his footsteps, and had confidence in his
+judgment; whereas, the naked orders of an unseen sovereign, however much
+beloved, had more of the character of a severe judgment than of a
+generous enterprise; and as for Columbus, though most men were awed by
+his dignified appearance and grave manner, when out of sight he was as
+much regarded as an adventurer at Palos, as he had been at Santa Fe.
+
+The Pinzons set about their share of the expedition after the manner of
+those who were more accustomed to execute than to plan. Several of the
+family entered cordially into the work; and a brother of Martin
+Alonzo's, whose name was Vincente Yanez, also a mariner by profession,
+joined the adventurers as commander of one of the vessels, while another
+took service as a pilot. In short, the month that succeeded the
+incidents just mentioned, was actively employed, and more was done in
+that short space of time toward bringing about a solution of the great
+problem of Columbus, than had been accomplished, in a practical way,
+during the seventeen long years that the subject had occupied his time
+and engrossed his thoughts.
+
+Notwithstanding the local influence of the Pinzons, a vigorous
+opposition to the project still existed in the heart of the little
+community that had been chosen for the place of equipment of the
+different vessels required. This family had its enemies as well as its
+friends, and, as is usual with most human undertakings, two parties
+sprang up, one of which was quite as busily occupied in thwarting the
+plans of the navigator, as the other was engaged in promoting them. One
+vessel had been seized for the service, under the order of the court,
+and her owners became leaders of the dissatisfied faction. Many seamen,
+according to the usage of that day, had been impressed for duty on this
+extraordinary and mysterious voyage; and, as a matter of course, they
+and their friends were not slow to join the ranks of the disaffected.
+Much of the necessary work was found to be imperfectly done; and when
+the mechanics were called on to repair these omissions, they absconded
+in a body. As the time for sailing approached, the contention grew more
+and more violent, and even the Pinzons had the mortification of
+discovering that many of those who had volunteered to follow their
+fortunes, began to waver, and that some had unequivocally deserted.
+
+Such was the state of things, toward the close of the month of July,
+when Martin Alonzo Pinzon again repaired to the convent of Santa Maria
+de Rabida, where Columbus continued to pass most of the time that was
+not given to a direct personal superintendence of the preparations, and
+where Luis de Bobadilla, who was altogether useless in the actual
+condition of affairs, also passed many a weary hour, chafing for active
+duty, and musing on the loveliness, truth, and virtues of Mercedes de
+Valverde. Fray Juan Perez was earnest in his endeavors to facilitate the
+execution of the objects of his friends, and he had actually succeeded,
+if not in absolutely suppressing the expression of all injurious opinion
+on the part of the less enlightened of the brotherhood, at least in
+rendering the promulgation of them more cautious and private.
+
+When Columbus and the prior were told that the Senor Pinzon sought an
+interview, neither was slow in granting the favor. As the hour of
+departure drew nigh, the importance of this man's exertions became more
+and more apparent, and both well knew that the royal protection of
+Isabella herself, just at that moment and in that place, was of less
+account than that of this active mariner. The Senor Pinzon, therefore,
+had not long to wait for his audience, having been ushered into the room
+that was commonly occupied by the zealous Franciscan, almost as soon as
+his request was preferred.
+
+"Thou art right welcome, worthy Martin Alonzo!" exclaimed the prior, the
+moment he caught a glimpse of the features of his old acquaintance--"How
+get on matters at Palos, and when shall we have this holy undertaking in
+a fair direction for success?"
+
+"By San Francisco, reverend prior, that is more than it will be safe for
+any man to answer. I have thought we were in a fair way to make sail, a
+score of times, when some unforeseen difficulty hath arisen. The Santa
+Maria, on board which the admiral and the Senor Gutierrez, or de Munos,
+if he will have it so, will embark, is already fitted. She may be set
+down as a tight craft, and somewhat exceedeth a hundred tons in burthen,
+so that I trust his excellency, and all the gallant cavaliers who may
+accompany him, will be as comfortable as the holy monks of Rabida--more
+especially as the good caravel hath a deck."
+
+"These are, truly, glad tidings," returned the prior, rubbing his hands
+with delight--"and the excellent craft hath really a deck! Senor
+Almirante, thou mayst not be in a vessel that is altogether worthy of
+thy high aim, but, on the whole, thou wilt be both safe and comfortable,
+keeping in view, in particular, this convenient and sheltering deck."
+
+"Neither my safety nor my convenience is a consideration to be
+mentioned, friend Juan Perez, when there is question of so much graver
+matters. I rejoice that thou hast come to the convent this morning,
+Senor Martin Alonzo, as, being about to address letters to the court, by
+means of an especial courier, I desire to know the actual condition of
+things. Thou thinkest the Santa Maria will be in a state for service by
+the end of the month?"
+
+"Senor, I do. The ship hath been prepared with due diligence, and will
+conveniently hold some three score, should the panic that hath seized on
+so many of the besotted fools of Palos, leave us that number, who may
+still be disposed to embark. I trust that the saints look upon our many
+efforts, and will remember our zeal when we shall come to a joint
+division of the benefits of this undertaking, which hath had no equal in
+the history of navigation!"
+
+"The benefits, honest Martin Alonzo, will be found in the spread of the
+church's dominion, and the increased glory of God!" put in the prior,
+significantly.
+
+"Out of all question, holy Fray Juan Perez--this is the common aim;
+though I trust it is permitted to a pains-taking mariner to bethink him
+of his wife and children, in discreet subordination to those greater
+ends. I have much mistaken the Senor Colon, if he do not look for some
+little advantage, in the way of gold, from this visit to Cathay."
+
+"Thou hast not mistaken me, honest Martin Alonzo," returned Columbus,
+gravely. "I do, indeed, expect to see the wealth of the Indies pouring
+into the coffers of Castile, in consequence of this voyage. In sooth,
+excellent prior, in my view, the recovery of the holy sepulchre is
+dependent mainly on the success of our present undertaking, in the way
+of a substantial worldly success."
+
+"This is well, Senor Admiral," put in Martin Alonzo, a little hastily,
+"and ought to gain us great favor in the eyes of all good
+Christians--more especially with the monks of la Rabida. But it is hard
+enough to persuade the mariners of the port to obey the queen, in this
+matter, and to fulfil their engagements with ourselves, without
+preaching a crusade, as the best means of throwing away the few
+maravedis they may happen to gain by their hardships and courage. The
+worthy pilots, Francisco Martin Pinzon, mine own brother, Sancho Ruiz,
+Pedro Alonzo Nino, and Bartolemeo Roldan, are all now firmly tied to us
+by the ropes of the law; but should they happen to find a crusade at
+their end, all the saints in the calendar would scarce have influence to
+make them hesitate about loosening themselves from the agreement."
+
+"I hold no one but myself bound to this object," returned Columbus,
+calmly. "Each man, friend Martin Alonzo, will be judged by his own
+deeds, and called on to fulfil his own vows. Of those who pledge naught,
+naught will be exacted, and naught given at the great final account of
+the human race. But what are the tidings of the Pinta, thine own vessel?
+Hath she been finally put into a condition to buffet the Atlantic?"
+
+"As ever happeneth with a vessel pressed into the royal service, Senor,
+work hath gone on heavily, and things in general have not borne that
+merry activity which accompanieth the labor of those who toil of a free
+will, and for their own benefit."
+
+"The silly mariners have toiled in their own behalf, without knowing
+it," observed Columbus. "It is the duty of the ignorant to submit to be
+led by the more enlightened, and to be grateful for the advantages they
+derive from a borrowed knowledge, albeit it is obtained contrary to
+their own wishes."
+
+"That is it, truly," added the prior; "else would the office of us
+churchmen be reduced to very narrow limits. Faith--faith in the
+church--is the Christian's earliest and latest duty."
+
+"This seemeth reasonable, excellent sirs," returned Master Alonzo,
+"though the ignorant find it difficult to comprehend matters that they
+do not understand. When a man fancieth himself condemned to an
+unheard-of death, he is little apt to see the benefit that lieth beyond
+the grave. Nevertheless, the Pinta is more nearly ready for the voyage,
+than any other of our craft, and hath her crew engaged to a man, and
+that under contracts that will not permit much dispute before a notary."
+
+"There remaineth only the Nina, then," added Columbus; "with her
+prepared, and our religious duties observed, we may hope finally to
+commence the enterprise!"
+
+"Senor, you may. My brother, Vicente Yanez, hath finally consented to
+take charge of this little craft; and that which a Pinzon promiseth, a
+Pinzon performeth. She will be ready to depart with the Santa Maria and
+the Pinta, and Cathay must be distant, indeed, if we do not reach it
+with one or the other of our vessels."
+
+"This is right encouraging, neighbor Martin Alonzo," returned the friar,
+rubbing his hands with delight; "and I make no question all will come
+round in the end. What say the crones and loose talkers of Moguer, and
+of the other ports, touching the shape of the earth, and the chances of
+the admiral's reaching the Indies, now-a-days?"
+
+"They discourse much as they did, Fray Juan Perez, idly and without
+knowledge. Although there is not a mariner in any of the havens who doth
+not admit that the upper sails, though so much the smallest, are the
+first seen on the ocean, yet do they deny that this cometh of the shape
+of the earth, but, as they affirm, of the movements of the waters."
+
+"Have none of them ever observed the shadows cast by the earth, in the
+eclipses of the moon?" asked Columbus, in his calm manner, though he
+smiled, even in putting the question, as one smiles who, having dipped
+deeply into a natural problem himself, carelessly lays one of its more
+popular proofs before those who are less disposed to go beneath the
+surface. "Do they not see that these shadows are round, and do they not
+know that a shadow which is round can only be cast by a body that is
+round?"
+
+"This is conclusive, good Martin Alonzo," put in the prior, "and it
+ought to remove the doubts of the silliest gossip on the coast. Tell
+them to encircle their dwellings, beginning to the right, and see if, by
+following the walls, they do not return to the spot from which they
+started, coming in from the left."
+
+"Ay, reverend prior, if we could bring our distant voyage down to these
+familiar examples, there is not a crone in Moguer, or a courtier at
+Seville, that might not be made to comprehend the mystery. But it is one
+thing to state a problem fairly, and another to find those who can
+understand it. Now, I did give some such reasoning to the Alguiazil, in
+Palos here, and the worthy Senor asked me if I expected to return from
+this voyage by the way of the lately captured town of Granada. I fancy
+that the easiest method of persuading these good people to believe that
+Cathay can be reached by the western voyage, will be by going there and
+returning."
+
+"Which we will shortly do, Master Martin Alonzo," observed Columbus,
+cheerfully--"But the time of our departure draweth near, and it is meet
+that none of us neglect the duties of religion. I commend thee to thy
+confessor, Senor Pinzon, and expect that all who sail with me, in this
+great enterprise, will receive the holy communion in my company, before
+we quit the haven. This excellent prior will shrive Pedro de Munos and
+myself, and let each man seek such other holy counsellor and monitor as
+hath been his practice."
+
+With this intimation of his intention to pay a due regard to the rites
+of the church before he departed--rites that were seldom neglected in
+that day--the conversation turned, for the moment, on the details of the
+preparations. After this the parties separated, and a few more days
+passed away in active exertions.
+
+On the morning of Thursday, August the second, 1492, Columbus entered
+the private apartment of Fray Juan Perez, habited like a penitent, and
+with an air so devout, and yet so calm, that it was evident his thoughts
+were altogether bent on his own transgressions and on the goodness of
+God. The zealous priest was in waiting, and the great navigator knelt at
+the feet of him, before whom Isabella had often knelt, in the fulfilment
+of the same solemnity. The religion of this extraordinary man was
+colored by the habits and opinions of his age, as, indeed, in a greater
+or less degree, must be the religion of every man; his confession,
+consequently, had that admixture of deep piety with inconsistent error,
+that so often meets the moralist in his investigations into the
+philosophy of the human mind. The truth of this peculiarity will be
+seen, by adverting to one or two of the admissions of the great
+navigator, as he laid before his ghostly counsellor the catalogue of his
+sins.
+
+"Then, I fear, holy father," Columbus continued, after having made most
+of the usual confessions touching the more familiar weaknesses of the
+human race, "that my mind hath become too much exalted in this matter of
+the voyage, and that I may have thought myself more directly set apart
+by God, for some good end, than it might please his infinite knowledge
+and wisdom to grant."
+
+"That would be a dangerous error, my son, and I carefully admonish thee
+against the evils of self-righteousness. That God selecteth his agents,
+is beyond dispute; but it is a fearful error to mistake the impulses of
+self-love, for the movements of his Divine Spirit! It is hardly safe for
+any who have not received the church's ordination, to deem themselves
+chosen vessels."
+
+"I endeavor so to consider it, holy friar," answered Columbus, meekly;
+"and, yet, there is that within, which constantly urgeth to this belief,
+be it a delusion, or come it directly from heaven. I strive, father, to
+keep the feeling in subjection, and most of all do I endeavor to see
+that it taketh a direction that may glorify the name of God and serve
+the interests of his visible church."
+
+"This is well, and yet do I feel it a duty to admonish thee against too
+much credence in these inward impulses. So long as they tend, solely, to
+increase thy love for the Supreme Father of all, to magnify his
+holiness, and glorify his nature, thou may'st be certain it is the
+offspring of good; but when self-exaltation seemeth to be its aim,
+beware the impulse, as thou wouldst eschew the dictation of the great
+father of evil!"
+
+"I so consider it; and now having truly and sincerely disburdened my
+conscience, father, so far as in me lieth, may I hope for the church's
+consolation, with its absolution?"
+
+"Canst thou think of naught else, son, that should not lie hid from
+before the keeper of all consciences?"
+
+"My sins are many, holy prior, and cannot be too often or too keenly
+rebuked; but I do think that they may be fairly included in the general
+heads that I have endeavored to recall."
+
+"Hast thou nothing to charge thyself with, in connection with that sex
+that the devil as often useth as his tempters to evil, as the angels
+would fain employ them as the ministers of grace?"
+
+"I have erred as a man, father; but do not my confessions already meet
+those sins?"
+
+"Hast thou bethought thee of Dona Beatriz Enriquez? of thy son Fernando,
+who tarrieth, at this moment, in our convent of la Rabida?"
+
+Columbus bowed his head in submission, and the heavy sigh, amounting
+almost to a groan, that broke out of his bosom, betrayed the weight of
+his momentary contrition.
+
+"Thou say'st true, father; that is an offence which should never be
+forgotten, though so often shrived since its commission. Heap on me the
+penance that I feel is due, and thou shalt see how a Christian can bend
+and kiss the rod that he is conscious of having merited."
+
+"The spirit thus to do is all that the church requireth; and thou art
+now bent on a service too important to her interests to be drawn aside
+from thy great intentions, for any minor considerations. Still may not a
+minister of the altar overlook the offence. Thou wilt say a pater,
+daily, on account of this great sin, for the next twenty days, all of
+which will be for the good of thy soul; after which the church releaseth
+thee from this especial duty, as thou wilt, then, be drawing near to the
+land of Cathay, and may have occasion for all thy thoughts and efforts
+to effect thy object."
+
+The worthy prior then proceeded to prescribe several light penances,
+most of which were confined to moderate increases of the daily duties of
+religion; after which he shrived the navigator. The turn of Luis came
+next, and more than once the prior smiled involuntarily, as he listened
+to this hot-blooded and impetuous youth, whose language irresistibly
+carried back his thoughts to the more meek, natural, and the more gentle
+admissions of the pure-minded Mercedes. The penance prescribed to Luis
+was not entirely free from severity, though, on the whole, the young
+man, who was not much addicted to the duties of the confessional,
+fancied himself well quit of the affair, considering the length of the
+account he was obliged to render, and the weight of the balance against
+him.
+
+These duties performed in the persons of the two principal adventurers,
+Martin Alonzo Pinzon and the ruder mariners of the expedition appeared
+before different priests and gave in the usual reckoning of their sins.
+After this came a scene that was strictly characteristic of the age, and
+which would be impressive and proper, in all times and seasons, for men
+about to embark in an undertaking of a result so questionable.
+
+High mass was said in the chapel of the convent, and Columbus received
+the consecrated bread from the hands of Fray Juan Perez, in humble
+reliance on the all-seeing providence of God, and with a devout
+dependence on his fostering protection. All who were about to embark
+with the admiral imitated his example, communing in his company; for
+that was a period when the wire-drawn conclusions of man had not yet
+begun so far to supplant the faith and practices of the earlier church
+as to consider its rites as the end of religion, but he was still
+content to regard them as its means. Many a rude sailor, whose ordinary
+life might not have been either saintly or even free from severe
+censure, knelt that day at the altar, in devout dependence on God, with
+feelings, for the moment, that at least placed him on the highway to
+grace; and it would be presumptuous to suppose that the omniscient Being
+to whom his offerings were made, did not regard his ignorance with
+commiseration, and even look upon his superstition with pity. We scoff
+at the prayers of those who are in danger, without reflecting that they
+are a homage to the power of God, and are apt to fancy that these
+passages in devotion are mere mockery, because the daily mind and the
+ordinary life are not always elevated to the same standard of godliness
+and purity. It would be more humble to remember the general infirmities
+of the race; to recollect, that as none are perfect, the question is
+reduced to one of degree; and to bear in mind, that the Being who reads
+the heart, may accept of any devout petitions, even though they come
+from those who are not disposed habitually to walk in his laws. These
+passing but pious emotions are the workings of the Spirit, since good
+can come from no other source; and it is as unreasonable as it is
+irreverent to imagine that the Deity will disregard, altogether, the
+effects of his own grace, however humble.
+
+Whatever may have been the general disposition of most of the
+communicants on this occasion, there is little doubt that there knelt at
+the altar of la Rabida, that day, one in the person of the great
+navigator himself, who, as far as the eye could perceive, lived
+habitually in profound deference to the dogmas of religion, and who paid
+an undeviating respect to all its rites. Columbus was not strictly a
+devotee; but a quiet, deeply seated enthusiasm, which had taken the
+direction of Christianity, pervaded his moral system, and at all times
+disposed him to look up to the protecting hand of the Deity and to
+expect its aid. The high aims that he entertained for the future have
+already been mentioned, and there is little doubt of his having
+persuaded himself that he had been set apart by Providence as the
+instrument it designed to employ in making the great discovery on which
+his mind was so intently engaged, as well as in accomplishing other and
+ulterior purposes. If, indeed, an overruling Power directs all the
+events of this world, who will presume to say that this conviction of
+Columbus was erroneous, now that it has been justified by the result?
+That he felt this sentiment sustaining his courage and constantly urging
+him onward, is so much additional evidence in favor of his impression,
+since, under such circumstances, nothing is more probable than that an
+earnest belief in his destiny would be one of the means most likely to
+be employed by a supernatural power in inducing its human agent to
+accomplish the work for which he had actually been selected.
+
+Let this be as it might, there is no doubt that Colon observed the rites
+of the church, on the occasion named, with a most devout reliance on the
+truth of his mission, and with the brightest hopes as to its successful
+termination. Not so, however, with all of his intended followers. Their
+minds had wavered, from time to time, as the preparations advanced; and
+the last month had seen them eager to depart, and dejected with
+misgivings and doubts. Although there were days of hope and brightness,
+despondency perhaps prevailed, and this so much the more because the
+apprehensions of mothers, wives, and of those who felt an equally tender
+interest in the mariners, though less inclined to avow it openly, were
+thrown into the scale by the side of their own distrust. Gold,
+unquestionably, was the great aim of their wishes, and there were
+moments when visions of inexhaustible mines and of oriental treasures
+floated before their imaginations; at which times none could be more
+eager to engage in the mysterious undertaking, or more ready to risk
+their lives and hopes on its success. But these were fleeting
+impressions, and, as has just been said, despondency was the prevalent
+feeling among those who were about to embark. It heightened the devotion
+of the communicants, and threw a gloom over the chastened sobriety of
+the altar, that weighed heavily on the hearts of most assembled there.
+
+"Our people seem none of the most cheerful, Senor Almirante," said Luis,
+as they left the convent-chapel in company; "and, if truth must be
+spoken, one could wish to set forth on an expedition of this magnitude,
+better sustained by merry hearts and smiling countenances."
+
+"Dost thou imagine, young count, that he hath the firmest mind who
+weareth the most smiling visage, or that the heart is weak because the
+countenance is sobered? These honest mariners bethink them of their
+sins, and no doubt are desirous that so holy an enterprise be not
+tainted by the corruption of their own hearts, but rather purified and
+rendered fitting, by their longings to obey the will of God. I trust,
+Luis"--intercourse had given Columbus a sort of paternal interest in the
+welfare of the young grandee, that lessened the distance made by rank
+between them--"I trust, Luis, thou art not, altogether, without these
+pious longings in thine own person."
+
+"By San Pedro, my new patron! Senor Almirante, I think more of Mercedes
+de Valverde, than of aught else, in this great affair. She is my polar
+star, my religion, my Cathay. Go on, in Heaven's name, and discover what
+thou wilt, whether it be Cipango or the furthest Indies; beard the great
+Khan on his throne, and I will follow in thy train, with a poor lance
+and an indifferent sword, swearing that the maid of Castile hath no
+equal, and ransacking the east, merely to prove in the face of the
+universe that she is peerless, let her rivals come from what part of the
+earth they may."
+
+Although Columbus permitted his grave countenance slightly to relax at
+this rhapsody, he did not the less deem it prudent to rebuke the spirit
+in which it was uttered.
+
+"I grieve, my young friend," he said, "to find that thou hast not the
+feelings proper for one who is engaged, as it might be, in a work of
+Heaven's own ordering. Canst thou not foresee the long train of mighty
+and wonderful events that are likely to follow from this voyage--the
+spread of religion, through the holy church; the conquest of distant
+empires, with their submission to the sway of Castile; the settling of
+disputed points in science and philosophy, and the attainment of
+inexhaustible wealth; with the last and most honorable consequence of
+all, the recovery of the sepulchre of the Son of God, from the hands of
+the Infidels!"
+
+"No doubt, Senor Colon--no doubt, I see them all, but I see the Dona
+Mercedes at their end. What care I for gold, who already possess--or
+shall so soon possess--more than I need? what is the extension of the
+sway of Castile to me, who can never be its king? and as for the Holy
+Sepulchre, give me but Mercedes, and, like my ancestors that are gone, I
+am ready to break a lance with the stoutest Infidel who ever wore a
+turban, be it in that, or in any other quarrel. In short, Senor
+Almirante, lead on; and though we go forth with different objects and
+different hopes, doubt not that they will lead us to the same goal. I
+feel that you ought to be supported in this great and noble design, and
+it matters not what may bring me in your train."
+
+"Thou art a mad-brained youth, Luis, and must be humored, if it were
+only for the sake of the sweet and pious young maiden who seemeth to
+engross all thy thoughts."
+
+"You have seen her, Senor, and can say whether she be not worthy to
+occupy the minds of all the youth of Spain?"
+
+"She is fair, and virtuous, and noble, and a zealous friend of the
+voyage. These are all rare merits, and thou may'st be pardoned for thy
+enthusiasm in her behalf. But forget not, that, to win her, thou must
+first win a sight of Cathay."
+
+"In the reality, you must mean, Senor Almirante; for, with the mind's
+eye, I see it keenly, constantly, and see little else, with Mercedes
+standing on its shores, smiling a welcome, and, by St. Paul! sometimes
+beckoning me on, with that smile that fires the soul with its witchery,
+even while it subdues the temper with its modesty. The blessed Maria
+send us a wind, right speedily, that we may quit this irksome river and
+wearying convent!"
+
+Columbus made no answer; for, while he had all consideration for a
+lover's impatience, his thoughts turned to subjects too grave, to be
+long amused even by a lover's follies.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII.
+
+    "Nor Zayda weeps him only,
+    But all that dwell between
+    The great Alhambra's palace walls
+    And springs of Albalein."
+
+    Bryant's Translations.
+
+
+The instant of departure at length arrived. The moment so long desired
+by the Genoese was at hand, and years of poverty, neglect, and of
+procrastination, were all forgotten at that blessed hour; or, if they
+returned in any manner to the constant memory, it was no longer with the
+bitterness of hope deferred. The navigator, at last, saw himself in the
+possession of the means of achieving the first great object for which he
+had lived the last fifteen years, with the hope, in perspective, of
+making the success of his present adventure the stepping-stone toward
+effecting the conquest of the Holy Sepulchre. While those around him
+were looking with astonishment at the limited means with which ends so
+great were to be attained, or were struck aghast at the apparent
+temerity of an undertaking that seemed to defy the laws of nature, and
+to set at naught the rules of Providence, he had grown more tranquil as
+the time for sailing drew nearer, and his mind was oppressed merely by a
+feeling of intense, but of sobered, delight. Fray Juan Perez whispered
+to Luis, that he could best liken the joy of the admiral to the
+chastened rapture of a Christian who was about to quit a world of woe,
+to enter on the untasted, but certain, fruition of blessed immortality.
+
+This, however, was far from being the state of mind of all in Palos. The
+embarkation took place in the course of the afternoon of the 2d of
+August, it being the intention of the pilots to carry the vessels that
+day to a point off the town of Huelvas, where the position was more
+favorable to making sail than when anchored in front of Palos. The
+distance was trifling, but it was the commencement of the voyage, and,
+to many, it was like snapping the cords of life, to make even this brief
+movement. Columbus, himself, was one of the last to embark, having a
+letter to send to the court, and other important duties to discharge. At
+length he quitted the convent, and, accompanied by Luis and the prior,
+he, too, took his way to the beach. The short journey was silent, for
+each of the party was deeply plunged in meditation. Never before this
+hour, did the enterprise seem so perilous and uncertain to the excellent
+Franciscan. Columbus was carefully recalling the details of his
+preparations, while Luis was thinking of the maid of Castile, as he was
+wont to term Mercedes, and of the many weary days that must elapse
+before he could hope to see her again.
+
+The party stopped on the shore, in waiting for a boat to arrive, at a
+place where they were removed from any houses. There Fray Juan Perez
+took his leave of the two adventurers. The long silence that all three
+had maintained, was more impressive than any ordinary discourse could
+have been; but it was now necessary to break it. The prior was deeply
+affected, and it was some little time before he could even trust his
+voice to speak.
+
+"Senor Christoval," he at length commenced, "it is now many years since
+thou first appeared at the gate of Santa Maria de Rabida--years of
+friendship and pleasure have they proved to me."
+
+"It is full seven, Fray Juan Perez," returned Columbus--"seven weary
+years have they proved to me, as a solicitor for employment--years of
+satisfaction, father, in all that concerneth thee. Think not that I can
+ever forget the hour, when, leading Diego, houseless, impoverished,
+wanderers, journeying on foot, I stopped to tax the convent's charity
+for refreshment! The future is in the hands of God, but the past is
+imprinted here"--laying his hand on his heart--"and can never be
+forgotten. Thou hast been my constant friend, holy prior, and that, too,
+when it was no credit to favor the nameless Genoese. Should my
+estimation ever change in men's opinions"--
+
+"Nay, Senor Almirante, it hath changed already," eagerly interrupted the
+prior. "Hast thou not the commission of the queen--the support of Don
+Fernando--the presence of this young noble, though still as an
+incognito--the wishes of all the learned? Dost thou not go forth, on
+this great voyage, carrying with thee more of our hopes than of our
+fears?"
+
+"So far as thou art concerned, dear Juan Perez, this may be so. I feel
+that I have all thy best wishes for success; I know that I shall have
+thy prayers. Few in Spain, notwithstanding, will think of Colon with
+respect, or hope, while we are wandering on the great desert of the
+ocean, beyond a very narrow circle. I fear me, that, even at this
+moment, when the means of learning the truth of our theories is in
+actual possession--when we stand, as it might be, on the very threshold
+of the great portal which opens upon the Indies--that few believe in our
+chances of success."
+
+"Thou hast Dona Isabella of thy side, Senor!"
+
+"And Dona Mercedes!" put in Luis; "not to speak of my decided and
+true-hearted aunt!"
+
+"I ask but a few brief months, Senores," returned Columbus, his face
+turned to heaven with uncovered head, his gray hair floating in the
+wind, and his eye kindling with the light of enthusiasm--"a few short
+months, that will pass away untold with the happy--that even the
+miserable may find supportable, but which to us will seem ages, must now
+dispose of this question. Prior, I have often quitted the shore feeling
+that I carried my life in my hand, conscious of all the dangers of the
+ocean, and as much expecting death as a happy return; but at this
+glorious moment no doubts beset me; as for life, I know it is in the
+keeping of God's care; as for success, I feel it is in God's wisdom!"
+
+"These are comfortable sentiments, at so serious a moment, Senor, and I
+devoutly hope the end will justify them. But, yonder is thy boat, and we
+must now part. Senor, my son, thou knowest that my spirit will be with
+thee in this mighty undertaking."
+
+"Holy prior, remember me in thy prayers. I am weak, and have need of
+this support. I trust much to the efficacy of thy intercessions, aided
+by those of thy pious brotherhood. Thou wilt bestow on us a few masses?"
+
+"Doubt us not, my friend; all that la Rabida can do with the blessed
+Virgin, or the saints, shall be exercised, without ceasing, in thy
+behalf. It is not given to man to foresee the events that are controlled
+by Providence; and, though we deem this enterprise of thine so certain,
+and so reasonable, it may nevertheless fail."
+
+"It may _not_ fail, father; God hath thus far directed it, and he will
+not permit it to fail."
+
+"We know not, Senor Colon; our wisdom is but as a grain of mustard seed
+among the sands of this shore, as compared with his inscrutable designs.
+I was about to say, as it is possible thou may'st return a disappointed,
+a defeated man, that thou wilt still find the gate of Santa Maria open
+to thee; since, in our eyes, it is as meritorious to attempt nobly, as
+it is often, in the eyes of others, to achieve successfully."
+
+"I understand thee, holy prior; and the cup and the morsel bestowed on
+the young Diego, were not more grateful than this proof of thy
+friendship! I would not depart without thy blessing."
+
+"Kneel, then, Senor; for, in this act it will not be Juan Perez de
+Marchena that will speak, and pronounce, but the minister of God and the
+church. Even these sands will be no unworthy spot to receive such an
+advantage."
+
+The eyes of both Columbus and the prior were suffused with tears, for at
+that moment the heart of each was touched with the emotions natural to a
+moment so solemn. The first loved the last, because he had proved
+himself a friend when friends were few and timid; and the worthy monk
+had some such attachment for the great navigator as men are apt to feel
+for those they have cherished. Each, also, respected and appreciated the
+other's motives, and there was a bond of union in their common reverence
+for the Christian religion. Columbus kneeled on the sands, and received
+the benediction of his friend, with the meek submission of faith, and
+with some such feelings of reverence as those with which a pious son
+would have listened to a blessing pronounced by a natural father.
+
+[Illustration: "Columbus kneeled on the sands, and received the
+benediction."]
+
+"And thou, young lord," resumed Fray Juan Perez, with a husky
+voice--"thou, too, wilt be none the worse for the prayers of an aged
+churchman."
+
+Like most of that age, Luis, in the midst of his impetuous feelings, and
+youthful propensities, had enshrined in his heart an image of the Son of
+God, and entertained an habitual respect for holy things. He knelt
+without hesitation, and listened to the trembling words of the priest
+with thankfulness and respect.
+
+"Adieu, holy prior," said Columbus, squeezing his friend's hand. "Thou
+hast befriended me when others held aloof; but I trust in God that the
+day is not now distant, when those who have ever shown confidence in my
+predictions will cease to feel uneasiness at the mention of my name.
+Forget us in all things but thy prayers, for a few short months, and
+then expect tidings that, of a verity, shall exalt Castile to a point of
+renown which will render this Conquest of Granada but an incident of
+passing interest amid the glory of the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella!"
+
+This was not said boastfully, but with the quiet earnestness of one who
+saw a truth that was concealed from most eyes, and this with an
+intensity so great, that the effect on his moral vision produced a
+confidence equalling that which is the fruit of the evidence of the
+senses in ordinary men. The prior understood him, and the assurance thus
+given cheered the mind of the worthy Franciscan long after the departure
+of his friend. They embraced and separated.
+
+By this time the boat of Columbus had reached the shore. As the
+navigator moved slowly toward it, a youthful female rushed wildly past
+him and Luis, and, regardless of their presence, she threw her arms
+around a young mariner who had quitted the boat to meet her, and sobbed
+for a minute on his bosom, in uncontrollable agony, or as women weep in
+the first outbreak of their emotions.
+
+"Come, then, Pepe," the young wife at length said, hurriedly, and with
+low earnestness, as one speaks who would fain persuade herself that
+denial was impossible--"come, Pepe; thy boy hath wept for thee, and thou
+hast pushed this matter, already, much too far."
+
+"Nay, Monica," returned the husband, glancing his eye at Columbus, who
+was already near enough to hear his words--"thou knowest it is by no
+wish of mine that I am to sail on this unknown voyage. Gladly would I
+abandon it, but the orders of the queen are too strong for a poor
+mariner like me, and they must be obeyed."
+
+"This is foolish, Pepe," returned the woman, pulling at her husband's
+doublet to drag him from the water-side--"I have had enough of this;
+sufficient to break my heart. Come, then, and look again upon thy boy."
+
+"Thou dost not see that the admiral is near, Monica, and we are showing
+him disrespect."
+
+The habitual deference that was paid by the low to the high, induced the
+woman, for a moment, to pause. She looked imploringly at Columbus, her
+fine dark eyes became eloquent with the feelings of a wife and mother,
+and then she addressed the great navigator, himself.
+
+"Senor," she said, eagerly, "you can have no further need of Pepe. He
+hath helped to carry your vessels to Huelva, and now his wife and boy
+call for him at home."
+
+Columbus was touched with the manner of the woman, which was not
+entirely without a show of that wavering of reason which is apt to
+accompany excessive grief, and he answered her less strongly than, at a
+moment so critical, he might otherwise have been disposed to do to one
+who was inciting to disobedience.
+
+"Thy husband is honored in being chosen to be my companion in the great
+voyage," he said. "Instead of bewailing his fate, thou wouldst act more
+like a brave mariner's wife, in exulting in his good fortune."
+
+"Believe him not, Pepe. He speaketh under the Evil One's advice to tempt
+thee to destruction. He hath talked blasphemy, and belied the word of
+God, by saying that the world is round, and that one may sail east by
+steering west, that he might ruin thee and others, by tempting ye all to
+follow him!"
+
+"And why should I do this, good woman?" demanded the admiral. "What have
+I to gain by the destruction of thy husband, or by the destruction of
+any of his comrades?"
+
+"I know not--I care not--Pepe is all to me, and he shall not go with you
+on this mad and wicked voyage. No good can come of a journey that is
+begun by belying the truths of God!"
+
+"And what particular evil dost thou dread, in this, more than in another
+voyage, that thou thus hang'st upon thy husband, and usest such
+discourse to one who beareth their Highnesses' authority for that he
+doeth? Thou knewest he was a mariner when thou wert wedded, and yet thou
+wouldst fain prevent him from serving the queen, as becometh his station
+and duty."
+
+"He may go against the Moor, or the Portuguese, or the people of
+Inghleterra, but I would not that he voyage in the service of the Prince
+of Darkness. Why tell us that the earth is round, Senor, when our eyes
+show that it is flat? And if round, how can a vessel that hath descended
+the side of the earth for days, ever return? The sea doth not flow
+upward, neither can a caravel mount the waterfall. And when thou hast
+wandered about for months in the vacant ocean, in what manner wilt thou,
+and those with thee, ever discover the direction that must be taken to
+return whence ye all sailed? Oh! Senor, Palos is but a little town, and
+once lost sight of in such a confusion of ideas, it will never be
+regained."
+
+"Idle and childish as this may seem," observed Columbus, turning quietly
+to Luis, "it is as reasonable as much that I have been doomed to hear
+from the learned, during the last sixteen years. When the night of
+ignorance obscures the mind, the thoughts conjure arguments a thousand
+times more vain and frivolous than the phenomena of nature that it
+fancies so unreasonable. I will try the effect of religion on this
+woman, converting her present feelings on that head, from an enemy into
+an ally. Monica," calling her kindly and familiarly by name, "art thou a
+Christian?"
+
+"Blessed Maria! Senor Almirante, what else should I be? Dost think Pepe
+would have married a Moorish girl?"
+
+"Listen, then, to me, and learn how unlike a believer thou conductest.
+The Moor is not the only infidel, but this earth groaneth with the
+burden of their numbers, and of their sins. The sands on this shore are
+not as numerous as the unbelievers in the single kingdom of Cathay; for,
+as yet, God hath allotted but a small portion of the earth to those who
+have faith in the mediation of his Son. Even the sepulchre of Christ is
+yet retained by infidel hands."
+
+"This have I heard, Senor; and 'tis a thousand pities the faith is so
+weak in those who have vowed to obey the law, that so crying an evil
+hath never been cured!"
+
+"Hast thou not been told that such is to be the fate of the world, for a
+time, but that light will dawn when the word shall pass, like the sound
+of trumpets, into the ears of infidels, and when the earth, itself,
+shall be but one vast temple, filled with the praises of God, the love
+of his name, and obedience to his will?"
+
+"Senor, the good fathers of la Rabida, and our own parish priests, often
+comfort us with these hopes."
+
+"And hast thou seen naught of late to encourage that hope--to cause thee
+to think that God is mindful of his people, and that new light is
+beginning to burst on the darkness of Spain?"
+
+"Pepe, his excellency must mean the late miracle at the convent, where
+they say that real tears were seen to fall from the eyes of the image of
+the holy Maria, as she gazed at the child that lay on her bosom."
+
+"I mean not that," interrupted Columbus, a little sternly, though he
+crossed himself, even while he betrayed dissatisfaction at the allusion
+to a miracle that was much too vulgar for his manly understanding--"I
+mean no such questionable wonder, which it is permitted us to believe,
+or not, as it may be supported by the church's authority. Can thy faith
+and zeal point to no success of the two sovereigns, in which the power
+of God, as exercised to the advancement of the faith, hath been made
+signally apparent to believers?"
+
+"He meaneth the expulsion of the Moor, Pepe!" the woman exclaimed,
+glancing quickly toward her husband, with a look of pleasure, "that hath
+happened of late, they say, by conquering the city of Granada; into
+which place, they tell me, Dona Isabella hath marched in triumph."
+
+"In that conquest, thou seest the commencement of the great acts of our
+time. Granada hath now its churches; and the distant land of Cathay will
+shortly follow her example. These are the doings of the Lord, foolish
+woman; and in holding back thy husband from this great undertaking, thou
+hinderest him from purchasing a signal reward in heaven, and may
+unwittingly be the instrument of casting a curse, instead of a blessing,
+on that very boy, whose image now filleth thy thoughts more than that of
+his Maker and Redeemer."
+
+The woman appeared bewildered, first looking at the admiral, and then at
+her husband, after which she bowed her head low, and devoutly crossed
+herself. Recovering from this self-abasement, she again turned toward
+Columbus, demanding earnestly--
+
+"And you, Senor--do you sail with the wish and hope of serving God?"
+
+"Such is my principal aim, good woman. I call on Heaven itself, to
+witness the truth of what I say. May my voyage prosper, only, as I tell
+thee naught but truth!"
+
+"And you, too, Senor?" turning quickly to Luis de Bobadilla; "is it to
+serve God that you also go on this unusual voyage?"
+
+"If not at the orders of God, himself, my good woman, it is, at least,
+at the bidding of an angel!"
+
+"Dost thou think it is so, Pepe? Have we been thus deceived, and has so
+much evil been said of the admiral and his motives, wrongfully?"
+
+"What hath been said?" quietly demanded Columbus. "Speak freely; thou
+hast naught to dread from my displeasure."
+
+"Senor, you have your enemies, as well as another, and the wives, and
+mothers, and the betrothed of Palos, have not been slow to give vent to
+their feelings. In the first place, they say that you are poor."
+
+"That is so true and manifest, good woman, it would be idle to deny it.
+Is poverty a crime at Palos?"
+
+"The poor are little respected, Senor, in all this region. I know not
+why, for to me we seem to be as the rest, but few respect us. Then they
+say, Senor, that you are not a Castilian, but a Genoese."
+
+"This is also true; is that, too, a crime among the mariners of Moguer,
+who ought to prize a people as much renowned for their deeds on the sea,
+as those of the superb republic?"
+
+"I know not, Senor; but many hold it to be a disadvantage not to belong
+to Spain, and particularly to Castile, which is the country of Dona
+Isabella, herself; and how can it be as honorable to be a Genoese as to
+be a Spaniard? I should like it better were Pepe to sail with one who is
+a Spaniard, and that, too, of Palos or Moguer."
+
+"Thy argument is ingenious, if not conclusive," returned Columbus,
+smiling, the only outward exhibition of feeling he betrayed--"but cannot
+one who is both poor and a Genoese serve God?"
+
+"No doubt, Senor; and I think better of this voyage since I know your
+motive, and since I have seen you and spoken with you. Still, it is a
+great sacrifice for a young wife to let her husband sail on an
+expedition so distrusted, and he the father of her only boy!"
+
+"Here is a young noble, an only son, a lover, and that, too, of
+impetuous feelings, an only child withal, rich, honored, and able to go
+whither he will, who not only embarketh with me, but embarketh by the
+consent--nay, I had better say, by the orders of his mistress!"
+
+"Is this so, Senor?" the wife asked, eagerly.
+
+"So true, my good woman, that my greatest hopes depend on this voyage.
+Did I not tell thee that I went at the bidding of an angel?"
+
+"Ah! these young lords have seductive tongues! But, Senor Almirante,
+since such is your quality, they say, moreover, that to you this voyage
+can only bring honors and good, while it may bring misery and death on
+your followers. Poor and unknown, it maketh you a high officer of the
+queen; and some think that the Venetian galleys will be none the more
+heavily freighted, should you need them on the high seas."
+
+"And in what can all this harm thy husband? I go whithersoever he goeth,
+share his dangers, and expose life for life with him. If there is gold
+gained by the adventure, he will not be forgotten; and if heaven is made
+any nearer to us, by our dangers and hardships, Pepe will not be a
+loser. At the last great reckoning, woman, we shall not be asked who is
+poor, or who is a Genoese."
+
+"This is true, Senor; and yet it is hard for a young wife to part from
+her husband. Dost thou wish, in truth, to sail with the admiral, Pepe?"
+
+"It matters little with me, Monica; I am commanded to serve the queen,
+and we mariners have no right to question her authority. Now I have
+heard his excellency's discourse, I think less of the affair than
+before."
+
+"If God is really to be served in this voyage," continued the woman,
+with dignity, "thou shouldst not be backward, more than another, my
+husband. Senor, will you suffer Pepe to pass the night with his family,
+on condition that he goeth on board the Santa Maria in the morning?"
+
+"What certainty have I that this condition will be respected?"
+
+"Senor, we are both Christians, and serve the same God--have been
+redeemed by the same Saviour."
+
+"This is true, and I will confide in it. Pepe, thou canst remain until
+the morning, when I shall expect thee at thy station. There will be
+oarsmen enough, without thee."
+
+The woman looked her thanks, and Columbus thought he read an assurance
+of good faith in her noble Spanish manner, and lofty look. As some
+trifling preparations were to be made before the boat could quit the
+shore, the admiral and Luis paced the sands the while, engaged in deep
+discourse.
+
+"This hath been a specimen of what I have had to overcome and endure, in
+order to obtain even yonder humble means for effecting the good designs
+of Providence," observed Columbus, mournfully, though he spoke without
+acrimony. "It is a crime to be poor--to be a Genoese--to be aught else
+than the very thing that one's judges and masters fancy themselves to
+be! The day will come, Conde de Llera, when Genoa shall think herself in
+no manner disgraced, in having given birth to Christofero Colombo, and
+when your proud Castile will be willing to share with her in the
+dishonor! Thou little know'st, young lord, how far thou art on the road
+to renown, and toward high deeds, in having been born noble, and the
+master of large possessions. Thou seest me, here, a man already stricken
+in years, with a head whitened by time and sufferings, and yet am I only
+on the threshold of the undertaking that is to give my name a place
+among those of the men who have served God, and advanced the welfare of
+their fellow-creatures."
+
+"Is not this the course of things, Senor, throughout the earth? Do not
+those who find themselves placed beneath the level of their merits,
+struggle to rise to the condition to which nature intended them to
+belong, while those whom fortune hath favored through their ancestors,
+are too often content to live on honors that they have not themselves
+won? I see naught in this but the nature of man, and the course of the
+world."
+
+"Thou art right, Luis, but philosophy and fact are different matters. We
+may reason calmly on principles, when their application in practice
+causeth much pain. Thou hast a frank and manly nature, young man; one
+that dreadeth neither the gibe of the Christian, nor the lance of the
+Moor, and wilt answer to any, in fearlessness and truth. A Castilian
+thyself, dost _thou_, too, really think one of thy kingdom better than
+one of Genoa?"
+
+"Not when he of Genoa is Christoval Colon, Senor, and he of Castile is
+only Luis de Bobadilla," answered the young man, laughing.
+
+"Nay, I will not be denied--hast thou any such notion as this, which the
+wife of Pepe hath so plainly avowed?"
+
+"What will you, Senor Christoval? Man is the same in Spain, that he is
+among the Italians, or the English. Is it not his besetting sin to think
+good of himself, and evil of his neighbor?"
+
+"A plain question that is loyally put, may not be answered with a
+truism, Luis."
+
+"Nor a civil, honest reply confounded with one that is evasive. We of
+Castile are humble and most devout Christians, by the same reason that
+we think ourselves faultless, and the rest of mankind notable sinners.
+By San Iago, of blessed faith and holy memory! it is enough to make a
+people vain, to have produced such a queen as Dona Isabella, and such a
+maiden as Mercedes de Valverde!"
+
+"This is double loyalty, for it is being true to the queen and to thy
+mistress. With this must I satisfy myself, even though it be no answer.
+But, Castilian though I am not, even the Guzmans have not ventured on
+the voyage to Cathay, and the House of Trastamara may yet be glad to
+acknowledge its indebtedness to a Genoese. God hath no respect to
+worldly condition, or worldly boundaries, in choosing his agents, for
+most of the saints were despised Hebrews, while Jesus, himself, came of
+Nazareth. We shall see, we shall see, young lord, what three months will
+reveal to the admiration of mankind."
+
+"Senor Almirante, I hope and pray it may be the island of Cipango and
+the realms of the great Khan; should it not be so, we are men who can
+not only bear our toils, but who can bear our disappointments."
+
+"Of disappointments in this matter, Don Luis, I look for none--now that
+I have the royal faith of Isabella, and these good caravels to back me;
+the drudge who saileth from Madeira to Lisbon, is not more certain of
+gaining his port than I am certain of gaining Cathay."
+
+"No doubt, Senor Colon, that what any navigator can do, you can do and
+will perform; nevertheless, disappointment would seem to be the lot of
+man, and it might be well for all of us to be prepared to meet it."
+
+"The sun that is just sinking beyond yon hill, Luis, is not plainer
+before my eyes than this route to the Indies. I have seen it, these
+seventeen years, distinct as the vessels in the river, bright as the
+polar star, and, I make little doubt, as faithfully. It is well to talk
+of disappointments, since they are the lot of man; and who can know this
+better than one that hath been led on by false hopes during all the
+better years of his life; now encouraged by princes, statesmen, and
+churchmen; and now derided and scoffed at as a vain projector, that hath
+neither reason nor fact to sustain him!"
+
+"By my new patron, San Pedro! Senor Almirante, but you have led a most
+grievous life, for this last age, or so. The next three months will,
+indeed, be months of moment to you."
+
+"Thou little know'st the calmness of conviction and confidence, Luis,"
+returned Columbus, "if thou fanciest any doubts beset me as the hour of
+trial approacheth. This day is the happiest I have known, for many a
+weary year; for, though the preparations are not great, and our barks
+are but slight and of trifling bulk, yonder lie the means through which
+a light, that hath long been hid, is about to break upon the world, and
+to raise Castile to an elevation surpassing that of any other Christian
+nation."
+
+"Thou must regret, Senor Colon, that it hath not been Genoa, thy native
+land, that is now about to receive this great boon, after having merited
+it by generous and free gifts, in behalf of this great voyage."
+
+"This hath not been the least of my sorrows, Luis. It is hard to desert
+one's own country, and to seek new connections, as life draweth to a
+close, though we mariners, perhaps, feel the tie less than those who
+never quit the land. But Genoa would have none of me; and if the child
+is bound to love and honor the parent, so is the parent equally bound to
+protect and foster the child. When the last forgets its duty, the first
+is not to be blamed if it seek support wherever it may be found. There
+are limits to every human duty; those we owe to God alone, never ceasing
+to require their fulfilment, and our unceasing attention. Genoa hath
+proved but a stern mother to me; and though naught could induce me to
+raise a hand against her, she hath no longer any claims on my service.
+Besides, when the object in view is the service of God, it mattereth
+little with which of his creatures we league as instruments. One cannot
+easily hate the land of his birth, but injustice may lead him to cease
+to love it. The tie is mutual, and when the country ceaseth to protect
+person, character, property, or rights, the subject is liberated from
+all his duties. If allegiance goeth with protection, so should
+protection go with allegiance. Dona Isabella is now my mistress, and,
+next to God, her will I serve, and serve only. Castile is henceforth my
+country."
+
+At this moment it was announced that the pinnace waited, and the two
+adventurers immediately embarked.
+
+It must have required all the deep and fixed convictions of an ardent
+temperament, to induce Columbus to rejoice that he had, at length,
+obtained the means of satisfying his longings for discovery, when he
+came coolly to consider what those means were. The names of his vessels,
+the Santa Maria, the Pinta, and the Nina, have already been mentioned,
+and some allusions have been made to their size and construction. Still,
+it may aid the reader in forming his opinions of the character of this
+great enterprise, if we give a short sketch of the vessels, more
+especially that in which Columbus and Luis de Bobadilla were now
+received. She was, of course, the Santa Maria, a ship of nearly twice
+the burden of the craft next her in size. This vessel had been prepared
+with more care than the others, and some attention had been paid to the
+dignity and comfort of the Admiral she was destined to carry. Not only
+was she decked in, but a poop, or round-house, was constructed on her
+quarter-deck, in which he had his berth. No proper notion can be
+obtained of the appearance of the Santa Maria, from the taunt-rigged,
+symmetrical, and low-sterned ships of the present time; for, though the
+Santa Maria had both a poop and top-gallant-forecastle, as they would be
+termed to-day, neither was constructed in the snug and unobtrusive
+manner that is now used. The poop, or round-house, was called
+a castle, to which it had some fancied resemblance, while the
+top-gallant-forecastle, in which most of the people lived, was out of
+proportion large, rose like a separate structure on the bows of the
+vessel, and occupied about a third of the deck, from forward aft. To
+those who never saw the shipping that was used throughout Europe, a
+century since, it will not be very obvious how vessels so small could
+rise so far above the water, in safety; but this difficulty may be
+explained; many very old ships, that had some of the peculiarities of
+this construction, existing within the memory of man, and a few having
+fallen under our own immediate inspection. The bearings of these vessels
+were at the loaded water-lines, or very little above them, and they
+tumbled home, in a way to reduce their beams on their poop decks nearly,
+if not quite, a fourth. By these precautions, their great height out of
+the water was less dangerous than might otherwise have been the case;
+and as they were uniformly short ships, possessing the advantages of
+lifting easily forward, and were, moreover, low-waisted, they might be
+considered safe in a sea, rather than the reverse. Being so short, too,
+they had great beam for their tonnage, which, if not an element of
+speed, was at least one of security. Although termed ships, these
+vessels were not rigged in the manner of the ships of the present day,
+their standing spars being relatively longer than those now in use,
+while their upper, or shifting spars, were much less numerous, and much
+less important than those which now point upward, like needles, toward
+the clouds. Neither had a ship necessarily the same number of spars, in
+the fifteenth century, as belong to a ship in the nineteenth. The term
+itself, as it was used in all the southern countries of Europe, being
+directly derived from the Latin word _navis_, was applied rather as a
+generic than as a distinctive term, and by no means inferred any
+particular construction, or particular rig. The caravel was a ship, in
+this sense, though not strictly so, perhaps, when we descend to the more
+minute classification of seamen.
+
+Much stress has been justly laid on the fact, that two of the vessels in
+this extraordinary enterprise were undecked. In that day, when most sea
+voyages were made in a direction parallel to the main coasts, and when
+even those that extended to the islands occupied but a very few days,
+vessels were seldom far from the land; and it was the custom of the
+mariners, a practice that has extended to our own times, in the southern
+seas of Europe, to seek a port at the approach of bad weather. Under
+such circumstances, decks were by no means as essential, either for the
+security of the craft, the protection of the cargo, or the comfort of
+the people, as in those cases in which the full fury of the elements
+must be encountered. Nevertheless, the reader is not to suppose a vessel
+entirely without any upper covering, because she was not classed among
+those that were decked; even such caravels, when used on the high seas,
+usually possessing quarter-decks and forecastles, with connecting
+gangways; depending on tarpaulings, and other similar preventives, to
+exclude the wash of the sea from injuring their cargoes.
+
+After all these explanations, however, it must be conceded, that the
+preparations for the great undertaking of Columbus, while the
+imaginations of landsmen probably aggravate their incompleteness, strike
+the experienced seaman as altogether inadequate to its magnitude and
+risks. That the mariners of the day deemed them positively insufficient
+is improbable, for men as accustomed to the ocean as the Pinzons, would
+not have volunteered to risk their vessel, their money, and their
+persons, in an expedition that did not possess the ordinary means of
+security.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV.
+
+    "O'er the glad waters of the dark blue sea,
+    Our thoughts as boundless, and our souls as free,
+    Far as the breeze can bear, the billows foam,
+    Survey our empire, and behold our home."
+
+    Byron.
+
+
+As Columbus sought his apartment, soon after he reached the deck of the
+Holy Maria, Luis had no farther opportunity to converse with him that
+night. He occupied a part of the same room, it is true, under the
+assumed appellation of the admiral's secretary; but the great navigator
+was so much engaged with duties necessary to be discharged previously to
+sailing, that he could not be interrupted, and the young man paced the
+narrow limits of the deck until near midnight, thinking, as usual, of
+Mercedes, and of his return, when, seeking his mattress, he found
+Columbus already buried in a deep sleep.
+
+The following day was Friday; and it is worthy of remark, that the
+greatest and most successful voyage that has ever occurred on this
+globe, was commenced on a day of the week that seamen have long deemed
+to be so inauspicious to nautical enterprises, that they have often
+deferred sailing, in order to avoid the unknown, but dreaded
+consequences. Luis was among the first who appeared again on deck, and
+casting his eyes upward, he perceived that the admiral was already
+afoot, and in possession of the summit of the high poop, or castle,
+whose narrow limits, indeed, were deemed sacred to the uses of the
+privileged, answering, in this particular, to the more extended
+promenade of the modern quarter-deck. Here it was that he who directed
+the movements of a squadron, overlooked its evolutions, threw out his
+signals, made his astronomical observations, and sought his recreation
+in the open air. The whole space on board the Santa Maria might have
+been some fifteen feet in one direction, and not quite as much in the
+other, making a convenient look-out, more from its exclusion and
+retirement, than from its dimensions.
+
+As soon as the admiral--or Don Christoval, as he was now termed by the
+Spaniards, since his appointment to his present high rank, which gave
+him the rights and condition of a noble--as soon as Don Christoval
+caught a glance of Luis' eye, he made a sign for the young man to ascend
+and take a position at his side. Although the expedition was so
+insignificant in numbers and force, not equalling, in the latter
+particular, the power of a single modern sloop of war, the authority of
+the queen, the gravity and mien of Columbus himself, and, most of all,
+its own mysterious and unwonted object, had, from the first, thrown
+around it a dignity that was disproportioned to its visible means.
+Accustomed to control the passions of turbulent men, and aware of the
+great importance of impressing his followers with a sense of his high
+station and influence with the court, Columbus had kept much aloof from
+familiar intercourse with his subordinates, acting principally through
+the Pinzons and the other commanders, lest he might lose some portion of
+that respect which he foresaw would be necessary to his objects. It
+needed not his long experience to warn him that men, crowded together in
+so small a space, could only be kept in their social and professional
+stations, by the most rigid observance of forms and decorum, and he had
+observed a due attention to these great requisites, in prescribing the
+manner in which his own personal service should be attended to, and his
+personal dignity supported. This is one of the great secrets of the
+discipline of a ship, for they who are incapable of reasoning, can be
+made to feel, and no man is apt to despise him who is well entrenched
+behind the usages of deference and reserve. We see, daily, the influence
+of an appellation, or a commission, even the turbulent submitting to its
+authority, when they might resist the same lawful commands issuing from
+an apparently less elevated source.
+
+"Thou wilt keep much near my person, Senor Gutierrez," said the admiral,
+using the feigned name which Luis affected to conceal under that of
+Pedro de Munos, as he knew a ship was never safe from eaves-droppers,
+and was willing that the young noble should pass as the gentleman of the
+king's bedchamber, "this is our station, and here we must remain much of
+our time, until God, in his holy and wise providence, shall have opened
+the way for us to Cathay, and brought us near the throne of the Great
+Khan. Here is our course, and along this track of pathless ocean it is
+my intention to steer."
+
+As Columbus spoke, he pointed to a chart that lay spread before him on
+an arm-chest, passing a finger calmly along the line he intended to
+pursue. The coast of Europe, in its general outlines, was laid down on
+this chart, with as much accuracy as the geographical knowledge of the
+day would furnish, and a range of land extended southward as far as
+Guinea, all beyond which region was _terra incognita_ to the learned
+world at that time. The Canaries and the Azores, which had been
+discovered some generations earlier, occupied their proper places, while
+the western side of the Atlantic was bounded by a fancied delineation of
+the eastern coast of India, or of Cathay, buttressed by the island of
+Cipango, or Japan, and an Archipelago, that had been represented
+principally after the accounts of Marco Polo and his relatives. By a
+fortunate misconception, Cipango had been placed in a longitude that
+corresponded very nearly with that of Washington, or some two thousand
+leagues east of the position in which it is actually to be found. This
+error of Columbus, in relation to the extent of the circumference of the
+globe, in the end, most probably saved his hardy enterprise from
+becoming a failure.
+
+Luis, for the first time since he had been engaged in the expedition,
+cast his eyes over this chart, with some curiosity, and he felt a noble
+desire to solve the great problem rising within him, as he thus saw, at
+a glance, all the vast results, as well as the interesting natural
+phenomena, that were dependent on the issue.
+
+"By San Gennaro of Napoli!" he exclaimed--The only affectation the young
+noble had, was a habit of invoking the saints of the different countries
+he had visited, and of using the little oaths and exclamations of
+distant lands, a summary mode of both letting the world know how far he
+had journeyed, as well as a portion of the improvement he had derived
+from his travels--"By San Gennaro, Senor Don Christoval, but this voyage
+will be one of exceeding merit, if we ever find our way across this
+great belt of water; and greater still, should we ever manage to
+return!"
+
+"The last difficulty is the one, at this moment, uppermost in the minds
+of most in this vessel," answered Columbus. "Dost thou not perceive, Don
+Luis, the grave and dejected countenances of the mariners, and hearest
+thou the wailings that are rising from the shore?"
+
+This remark caused the young man to raise his eyes from the chart, and
+to take a survey of the scene around him. The Nina, a light felucca, in
+fact, was already under way, and brushing past them under a latine
+foresail, her sides thronged with boats filled with people, no small
+portion of whom were females and children, and most of whom were
+wringing their hands and raising piteous cries of despair. The Pinta was
+in the act of being cast; and, although the authority of Martin Alonzo
+Pinzon had the effect to render their grief less clamorous, her sides
+were surrounded by a similar crowd, while numberless boats plied around
+the Santa Maria herself; the authority and dignity of the admiral alone
+keeping them at a distance. It was evident that most of those who
+remained, fancied that they now saw their departing relations for the
+last time, while no small portion of those who were on the eve of
+sailing, believed they were on the point of quitting Spain forever.
+
+"Hast looked for Pepe, this morning, among our people?" demanded
+Columbus, the incident of the young sailor recurring to his thoughts,
+for the first time that morning; "if he prove false to his word, we may
+regard it as an evil omen, and have an eye on all our followers, while
+there is a chance of escape."
+
+"If his absence would be an omen of evil, Senor Almirante, his presence
+ought to be received as an omen of good. The noble fellow is on this
+yard, above our heads, loosening the sail."
+
+Columbus turned his eyes upward, and there, indeed, was the young
+mariner in question, poised on the extreme and attenuated end of the
+latine yard, that ships even then carried on their after-masts, swinging
+in the wind while he loosened the gasket that kept the canvas in its
+folds. Occasionally he looked beneath him, anxious to discover if his
+return had been noted; and, once or twice, his hands, usually so nimble,
+lingered in their employment, as he cast glances over the stern of the
+vessel, as if one also drew his attention in that quarter. Columbus made
+a sign of recognition to the gratified young mariner, who instantly
+permitted the canvas to fall; and then he walked to the taffrail,
+accompanied by Luis, in order to ascertain if any boat was near the
+ship. There, indeed, close to the vessel, lay a skiff, rowed by Monica
+alone, and which had been permitted to approach so near on account of
+the sex of its occupant. The moment the wife of Pepe observed the form
+of the admiral, she arose from her seat, and clasped her hands toward
+him, desirous, but afraid, to speak. Perceiving that the woman was awed
+by the bustle, the crowd of persons, and the appearance of the ship,
+which she was almost near enough to touch with her hand, Columbus
+addressed her. He spoke mildly, and his looks, usually so grave, and
+sometimes even stern, were softened to an expression of gentleness that
+Luis had never before witnessed.
+
+"I see that thy husband hath been true to his promise, good woman," he
+said; "and I doubt not that thou hast told him it is wiser and better
+manfully to serve the queen, than to live under the disgrace of a
+runaway."
+
+"Senor, I have. I give Dona Isabella my husband, without a murmur, if
+not cheerfully, now I know that you go forth to serve God. I see the
+wickedness of my repinings, and shall pray that he may be foremost, on
+all occasions, until the ears of the Infidel shall be opened to the
+words of the true faith."
+
+"This is said like a Spanish wife, and a Christian woman! Our lives are
+in the care of Providence, and doubt not of seeing Pepe, in health and
+safety, after he hath visited Cathay, and done his share in its
+discovery."
+
+"Ah! Senor--when?" exclaimed the wife, unable, in spite of her assumed
+fortitude, and the strong feelings of religious duty, to suppress the
+impulses of a woman.
+
+"In God's time, my good--how art thou named?"
+
+"Monica, Senor Almirante, and my husband is called Pepe; and the boy,
+the poor, fatherless child, hath been christened Juan. We have no
+Moorish blood, but are pure Spaniards, and I pray your Excellency to
+remember it, on such occasions as may call for more dangerous duty than
+common."
+
+"Thou may'st depend on my care of the father of Juan," returned the
+admiral, smiling, though a tear glistened in his eye. "I, too, leave
+behind those that are dear to me as my own soul, and among others a
+motherless son. Should aught serious befall our vessel, Diego would be
+an orphan; whereas thy Juan would at least enjoy the care and affection
+of her who brought him into the world."
+
+"Senor, a thousand pardons!" said the woman, much touched by the feeling
+that was betrayed by the admiral in his voice. "We are selfish, and
+forget that others have sorrows, when we feel our own too keenly. Go
+forth, in God's name, and do his holy will--take my husband with you; I
+only wish that little Juan was old enough to be his companion."
+
+Monica could utter no more, but dashing the tears from her eyes, she
+resumed the oars, and pulled the little skiff slowly, as if the
+inanimate machine felt the reluctance of the hands that propelled it,
+toward the land. The short dialogue just related, had been carried on in
+voices so loud as to be heard by all near the speakers; and when
+Columbus turned from the boat, he saw that many of his crew had been
+hanging suspended in the rigging, or on the yards, eagerly listening to
+what had been said. At this precise instant the anchor of the Santa
+Maria was raised from the bottom, and the ship's head began to incline
+from the direction of the wind. At the next moment, the flap of the
+large square foresail that crafts of her rig then carried, was heard,
+and in the course of the next five minutes, the three vessels were
+standing slowly but steadily down the current of the Odiel, in one of
+the arms of which river they had been anchored, holding their course
+toward a bar near its mouth. The sun had not yet risen, or rather it
+rose over the hills of Spain, a fiery ball, just as the sails were set,
+gilding with a melancholy glory, a coast that not a few in the different
+vessels apprehended they were looking upon for the last time. Many of
+the boats clung to the two smaller craft until they reached the bar of
+Saltes, an hour or two later, and some still persevered until they began
+to toss in the long waves of the breathing ocean, when, the wind being
+fresh at the west, they reluctantly cast off, one by one, amid sighs and
+groans. The liberated ships, in the meanwhile, moved steadily into the
+blue waters of the shoreless Atlantic, like human beings silently
+impelled by their destinies toward fates that they can neither foresee,
+control, nor avoid.
+
+The day was fine, and the wind both brisk and fair. Thus far the omens
+were propitious; but the unknown future threw a cloud over the feelings
+of a large portion of those who were thus quitting, in gloomy
+uncertainty, all that was most dear to them. It was known that the
+admiral intended making the best of his way toward the Canaries, thence
+to enter on the unknown and hitherto untrodden paths of the desert ocean
+that lay beyond. Those who doubted, therefore, fixed upon those islands
+as the points where their real dangers were to commence, and already
+looked forward to their appearance in the horizon, with feelings akin to
+those with which the guilty regard the day of trial, the condemned the
+morning of execution, or the sinner the bed of death. Many, however,
+were superior to this weakness, having steeled their nerves and prepared
+their minds for any hazards, though the feelings of nearly all
+fluctuated; there being hours when hope, and anticipations of success,
+seemed to cheer the entire crews; and then, moments would occur, in
+which the disposition was to common doubts, and a despondency that was
+nearly general.
+
+A voyage to the Canaries or the Azores, in that age, was most probably
+to be classed among the hardiest exploits of seamen. The distance was
+not as great, certainly, as many of their more ordinary excursions, for
+vessels frequently went, even in the same direction, as far as the Cape
+de Verdes; but all the other European passages lay along the land, and
+in the Mediterranean the seaman felt that he was navigating within known
+limits, and was apt to consider himself as embayed within the boundaries
+of human knowledge. On the contrary, while sailing on the broad
+Atlantic, he was, in some respects, placed in a situation resembling
+that of the aeronaut, who, while floating in the higher currents of the
+atmosphere, sees beneath him the earth as his only alighting place, the
+blue void of untravelled space stretching in all other directions about
+him.
+
+The Canary Isles were known to the ancients. Juba, the king of
+Mauritania, who was a contemporary of Caesar, is said to have described
+them with tolerable accuracy, under the general name of the Fortunate
+Isles. The work itself has been lost, but the fact is known through the
+evidence of other writers; and by the same means it is known that they
+possessed, even in that remote age, a population that had made some
+respectable advances toward civilization. But in the process of time,
+and during the dark period that succeeded the brightness of the Roman
+sway, even the position of these islands was lost to the Europeans; nor
+was it again ascertained until the first half of the fourteenth century,
+when they were discovered by certain fugitive Spaniards who were hard
+pressed by the Moors. After this, the Portuguese, then the most hardy
+navigators of the known world, got possession of one or two of them, and
+made them the starting points for their voyages of discovery along the
+coast of Guinea. As the Spaniards reduced the power of the Mussulmans,
+and regained their ancient sway in the peninsula, they once more turned
+their attention in this direction, conquering the natives of several of
+the other islands, the group belonging equally to those two Christian
+nations, at the time of our narrative.
+
+Luis de Bobadilla, who had navigated extensively in the more northern
+seas, and who had passed and repassed the Mediterranean in various
+directions, knew nothing of these islands except by report; and as they
+stood on the poop, Columbus pointed out to him their position, and
+explained their different characters; relating his intentions in
+connection with them, dwelling on the supplies they afforded, and on
+their facilities as a point of departure.
+
+"The Portuguese have profited much by their use of these islands," said
+Columbus, "as a place for victualling, and wooding, and watering, and I
+see no reason why Castile may not, now, imitate their example, and
+receive her share of the benefits. Thou seest how far south our
+neighbors have penetrated, and what a trade and how much riches are
+flowing into Lisbon through these noble enterprises, which,
+notwithstanding, are but as a bucket of water in the ocean, when
+compared with the wealth of Cathay and all the mighty consequences that
+are to follow from this western voyage of ours."
+
+"Dost thou expect to reach the territories of the Great Khan, Don
+Christoval," demanded Luis, "within a distance as small as that to which
+the Portuguese hath gone southwardly?"
+
+The navigator looked warily around, to ascertain who might hear his
+words, and finding that no one was within reach of the sound of his
+voice while he used a proper caution, he lowered its tones, and answered
+in a manner which greatly flattered his young companion, as it proved
+that the admiral was disposed to treat him with the frankness and
+confidence of a friend.
+
+"Thou know'st, Don Luis," the navigator resumed, "the nature of the
+spirits with whom we have to deal. I shall not even be certain of their
+services, so long as we continue near the coast of Europe; for naught is
+easier than for one of yonder craft to abandon me in the night, and to
+seek a haven on some known coast, seeking his justification in some
+fancied necessity."
+
+"Martin Alonzo is not a man to do that ignoble and unworthy act!"
+interrupted Luis.
+
+"He is not, my young friend, for a motive as base as fear," returned
+Columbus, with a sort of thoughtful smile, which showed how truly and
+early he had dived into the real characters of those with whom he was
+associated. "Martin Alonzo is a bold and intelligent navigator, and we
+may look for good service at his hands, in all that toucheth resolution
+and perseverance. But the eyes of the Pinzons cannot be always open, and
+the knowledge of all the philosophers of the earth could make no
+resistance against the headlong impetuosity of a crew of alarmed
+mutineers. I do not feel certain of our own people while there is a hope
+of easy return; much less of men who are not directly under my own eye
+and command. The question thou hast asked, Luis, may not, therefore, be
+publicly answered, since the distance we are about to sail over would
+frighten our easily alarmed mariners. Thou art a cavalier; a knight of
+known courage, and may be depended on; and I may tell thee, without fear
+of arousing any unworthy feeling, that the voyage on which we are now
+fairly embarked, hath never had a precedent on this earth, for its
+length, or for the loneliness of its way."
+
+"And yet, Senor, thou enterest on it with the confidence of a man
+certain of reaching his haven?"
+
+"Luis, thou hast well judged my feelings. As to all those common dreads
+of descents, and ascents, of the difficulties of a return, and of
+reaching the margin of the world, whence we may glide off into space,
+neither thou, nor I, shall be much subjected."
+
+"By San Iago! Senor Don Christoval, I have no very settled notions about
+these things. I have never known of any one who hath slidden off the
+earth into the air, it is true, nor do I much think that such a slide is
+likely to befall us and our good ships; but, on the other hand, we have
+as yet only doctrine to prove that the earth is round, and that it is
+possible to journey east, by sailing west. On these subjects, then, I
+hold myself neuter; while, at the same time, thou may'st steer direct
+for the moon, and Luis de Bobadilla will be found at thy side."
+
+"Thou makest thyself less expert in science, mad-brained young noble,
+than is either true or necessary; but we will say no more of this, at
+present. There will be sufficient leisure to make thee familiar with all
+my intricate reasons and familiar motives. And is not this, Don Luis, a
+most heavenly sight? Here am I in the open ocean, honored by the two
+sovereigns with the dignity of their viceroy and admiral; with a fleet
+that is commissioned by their Highnesses to carry the knowledge of their
+power and authority to the uttermost parts of the earth; and, most of
+all, to raise the cross of our blessed Redeemer before the eyes of
+Infidels, who have never yet even heard his name, or, if they have,
+reverence it as little as a Christian would reverence the idols of the
+heathens!"
+
+This was said with the calm but deep enthusiasm that colored the entire
+character of the great navigator, rendering him, at times, equally the
+subject of distrust and of profound respect. On Luis, as, indeed, on
+most others who lived in sufficient familiarity with the man to enable
+them to appreciate his motives, and to judge correctly of the
+uprightness of his views, the effect, however, was always favorable, and
+probably would have been so had Mercedes never existed. The young man,
+himself, was not entirely without a tinge of enthusiasm, and, as is ever
+the case with the single-minded and generous, he best knew how to regard
+the impulses of those who were influenced by similar qualities. This
+answer was consequently in accordance with the feelings of the admiral,
+and they remained on the poop several hours, discoursing of the future,
+with the ardor of those who hoped for every thing, but in a manner too
+discursive and general to render a record of the dialogue easy or
+necessary.
+
+It was eight o'clock in the morning when the vessels passed the bar of
+Saltes, and the day had far advanced before the navigators had lost
+sight of the familiar eminences that lay around Palos, and the other
+well-known land-marks of the coast. The course was due south, and, as
+the vessels of that day were lightly sparred, and spread comparatively
+very little canvas, when considered in connection with the more dashing
+navigation of our own times, the rate of sailing was slow, and far from
+promising a speedy termination to a voyage that all knew must be long
+without a precedent, and which so many feared could never have an end.
+Two marine leagues, of three English miles, an hour, was good progress
+for a vessel at that day, even with a fresh and favorable wind; though
+there are a few memorable days' works set down by Columbus himself,
+which approach to a hundred and sixty miles in the twenty-four hours,
+and which are evidently noted as a speed of which a mariner might well
+be proud. In these days of locomotion and travelling, it is scarcely
+necessary to tell the intelligent reader this is but a little more than
+half the distance that is sailed over by a fast ship, under similar
+circumstances, and in our own time.
+
+Thus the sun set upon the adventurers, in this celebrated voyage, when
+they had sailed with a strong breeze, to use the words of Columbus' own
+record, some eleven hours, after quitting the bar. By this time, they
+had made good less than fifty miles, in a due south course from the
+place of their departure. The land in the neighborhood of Palos had
+entirely sunk behind the watery margin of the ocean, in that direction,
+and the coast trending eastward, it was only here and there that the
+misty summits of a few of the mountains of Seville could just be
+discovered by the experienced eyes of the older mariners, as the glowing
+ball of the sun sunk into the watery bed of the western horizon, and
+disappeared from view. At this precise moment, Columbus and Luis were
+again on the poop, watching, with melancholy interest, the last shadows
+cast by Spanish land, while two seamen were at work near them, splicing
+a rope that had been chafed asunder. The latter were seated on the deck,
+and as, out of respect to the admiral, they had taken their places a
+little on one side, their presence was not at first noted.
+
+"There setteth the sun beneath the waves of the wide Atlantic, Senor
+Gutierrez," observed the admiral, who was ever cautious to use one or
+the other of Luis' feigned appellations, whenever any person was near.
+"There the sun quitteth us, Pero, and in his daily course I see a proof
+of the globular form of the earth; and of the truth of a theory which
+teacheth us that Cathay may be reached by the western voyage."
+
+"I am ever ready to admit the wisdom of all your plans, expectations,
+and thoughts, Senor Don Christoval," returned the young man,
+punctiliously observant of respect, both in speech and manner; "but I
+confess I cannot see what the daily course of the sun has to do with the
+position of Cathay, or with the road that leads to it. We know that the
+great luminary travelleth the heavens without ceasing, that it cometh up
+out of the sea in the morning, and goeth down to its watery bed at
+night; but this it doth on the coast of Castile, as well as on that of
+Cathay; and, therefore, to me it doth appear, that no particular
+inference, for or against our success, is to be drawn from the
+circumstance."
+
+As this was said, the two sailors ceased working, looking curiously up
+into the face of the admiral, anxious to hear his reply. By this
+movement Luis perceived that one was Pepe, to whom he gave a nod of
+recognition, while the other was a stranger. The last had every
+appearance of a thorough-bred seaman of that period, or of being, what
+would have been termed in English, and the more northern languages of
+Europe, a regular "sea-dog;" a term that expresses the idea of a man so
+completely identified with the ocean by habit, as to have had his
+exterior, his thoughts, his language, and even his morality, colored by
+the association. This sailor was approaching fifty, was short, square,
+athletic, and still active, but there was a mixture of the animal with
+the intellectual creature about his coarse, heavy features, that is very
+usual in the countenances of men of native humor and strong sense, whose
+habits have been coarse and sensual. That he was a prime seaman,
+Columbus knew at a glance, not only from his general appearance, but
+from his occupation, which was such as only fell to the lot of the most
+skilful men of every crew.
+
+"I reason after this fashion, Senor," answered the admiral, as soon as
+his eye turned from the glance that he, too, had thrown upon the men;
+"the sun is not made to journey thus around the earth without a
+sufficient motive, the providence of God being ruled by infinite wisdom.
+It is not probable that a luminary so generous and useful should be
+intended to waste any of its benefits; and we are certain already that
+day and night journey westward over this earth as far as it is known to
+us, whence I infer that the system is harmonious, and the benefits of
+the great orb are unceasingly bestowed on man, reaching one spot on the
+earth as it quits another. The sun that hath just left us is still
+visible in the Azores, and will be seen again at Smyrna, and among the
+Grecian Islands, an hour, or more, before it again meets our eyes.
+Nature hath designed naught for uselessness; and I believe that Cathay
+will be enlightened by that ball which hath just left us, while we shall
+be in the deepest hour of the night, to return by its eastern path,
+across the great continent of Asia, and to greet us again in the
+morning. In a word, friend Pedro, that which Sol is now doing with such
+nimble speed in the heavens, we are more humbly imitating in our own
+caravels; give us sufficient time, and we, too, might traverse the
+earth, coming in from our journey by the land of the Tartars and the
+Persians."
+
+"From all of which you infer that the world is round, wherein we are to
+find the certainty of our success?"
+
+"This is so true, Senor de Munos, that I should be sorry to think any
+man who now saileth under my command did not admit it. Here are two
+seamen who have been listening to our discourse, and we will question
+them, that we may know the opinions of men accustomed to the ocean. Thou
+art the husband with whom I held discourse on the sands, the past
+evening, and thy name is Pepe?"
+
+"Senor Almirante, your Excellency's memory doth me too much honor, in
+not forgetting a face that is altogether unworthy of being noticed and
+remembered."
+
+"It is an honest face, friend, and no doubt speaketh for a true heart. I
+shall count on thee as a sure support, let things go as they may."
+
+"His Excellency hath not only a right to command me, as her Highness'
+admiral, but he hath now the good-will of Monica, and that is much the
+same as having gained her husband."
+
+"I thank thee, honest Pepe, and shall count on thee, with certainty, in
+future," answered Columbus, turning toward the other seaman--"And thou,
+shipmate--thou hast the air of one that the sight of troubled water will
+not alarm--thou hast a name?"
+
+"That I have, noble admiral," returned the fellow, looking up with a
+freedom that denoted one used to have his say; "though it hath neither a
+Don, nor a Senor, to take it in tow. My intimates commonly call out
+Sancho, when pressed for time, and when civility gets the better of
+haste, they add Mundo, making Sancho Mundo for the whole name of a very
+poor man."
+
+"Mundo is a large name for so small a person," said the admiral,
+smiling, for he foresaw the expediency of having friends among his crew,
+and knew men sufficiently to understand that, while undue familiarity
+undermined respect, a little unbending had a tendency to win hearts. "I
+wonder that thou shouldst venture to wear a sound so lofty!"
+
+"I tell my fellows, your Excellency, that Mundo is my title, and not my
+name; but that I am greater than kings, even, who are content to take
+their titles from a part of that, of which I bear all."
+
+"And were thy father and thy mother called Mundo, also? Or, is this name
+taken in order to give thee an occasion to show thy smartness, when
+questioned by thy officers?"
+
+"As for the good people you deign to mention, Senor Don Almirante, I
+shall leave them to answer for themselves, and that for the simple
+reason that I do not know how they were called, or whether they had any
+names at all. They tell me I was found, when a few hours old, under a
+worn-out basket at the ship-yard gate of old"--
+
+"Never mind the precise spot, friend Sancho--thou wert found with a
+basket for a cradle, and that maketh a volume in thy history, at once."
+
+"Nay, Excellency, I would not leave the spot a place of dispute
+hereafter--but it shall be as you please. They say no one here knoweth
+exactly where we are going, and it will be more suitable that the like
+ignorance should rest over the places whence we came. But having the
+world before me, they that christened me gave me as much of it as was to
+be got by a name."
+
+"Thou hast been long a mariner, Sancho Mundo--if Mundo thou wilt be."
+
+"So long, Senor, that it sickeneth me, and taketh away the appetite to
+walk on solid ground. Being so near the gate, it was no great matter to
+put me into the ship-yard, and I was launched one day in a caravel, and
+got to sea in her, no one knows how. From that time I have submitted to
+fate, and go out again, as soon as possible, after I come into port."
+
+"And by what lucky chance have I obtained thy services, good Sancho, in
+this great expedition?"
+
+"The authorities of Moguer took me under the queen's order, your
+Excellency, thinking that this Voyage would be more to my mind than
+another, as it was likely never to have an end."
+
+"Art thou a compelled adventurer, on this service?"
+
+"Not I, Senor Don Almirante, although they who sent me here fancy as
+much. It is natural for a man to wish to see his estates, once in his
+life, and I am told that we are bound on a voyage to the other side of
+the world. God forbid that I should hold aloof, on such an occasion."
+
+"Thou art a Christian, Sancho, and hast a desire to aid in carrying the
+cross among the heathen?"
+
+"Senor, your Excellency, Don Almirante, it matters little to Sancho with
+what the barque is laden, so that she do not need much pumping, and that
+the garlic is good. If I am not a very devout Christian, it is the fault
+of them that found me near the ship-yard gate, since the church and the
+font are both within call from that very spot. I know that Pepe, here,
+is a Christian, Senor, for I saw him in the arms of the priest, and I
+doubt not that there are old men at Moguer who can testify to as much in
+my behalf. At all hazards, noble Admiral, I will take on myself to say
+that I am neither Jew, nor Mussulman."
+
+"Sancho, thou hast that about thee, that bespeakest a skilful and bold
+mariner."
+
+"For both of these qualities, Senor Don Colon, let others speak. When
+the gale cometh, your own eyes may judge of the first; and when the
+caravel shall reach the edge of the earth, whither some think it is
+bound, there will be a good occasion to see who can, and who cannot,
+look off without trembling."
+
+"It is enough: I count both thee and Pepe as among my truest followers."
+As Columbus said this, he walked away, resuming the dignified gravity
+that usually was seated in his countenance, and which so much aided his
+authority, by impressing the minds of others with respect. In a few
+minutes he and Luis descended to their cabin.
+
+"I marvel, Sancho," said Pepe, as soon as he and his messmate were left
+alone on the poop, "that thou wilt venture to use thy tongue so freely,
+even in the presence of one that beareth about with him the queen's
+authority! Dost thou not fear to offend the admiral?"
+
+"So much for having a wife and a child! Canst thou not make any
+difference between them that have had ancestors and who have
+descendants, and one that hath no other tie in the world than his name?
+The Senor Don Almirante is either an exceeding great man, and chosen by
+Providence to open the way into the unknown seas of which he speaketh;
+or he is but a hungry Genoese, that is leading us he knoweth not
+whither, that he may eat, and drink, and sleep, in honor, while we are
+toiling at his heels, like patient mules dragging the load that the
+horse despiseth. In the one case, he is too great and exalted to heed
+idle words; and in the other, what is there too bad for a Castilian to
+tell him?"
+
+"Ay, thou art fond of calling thyself a Castilian, in spite of the
+ship-yard and the basket, and notwithstanding Moguer is in Seville."
+
+"Harkee, Pepe; is not the queen of Castile our mistress? And are not
+subjects--true and lawful subjects, I mean, like thee and me--are not
+such subjects worthy of being the queen's countrymen? Never disparage
+thyself, good Pepe, for thou wilt ever find the world ready enough to do
+that favor for thee. As to this Genoese, he shall be either friend or
+enemy to Sancho; if the first, I expect much consolation from it; if the
+last, let him hunt for his Cathay till doomsday, he shall be never the
+wiser."
+
+"Well, Sancho, if words can mar a voyage, or make a voyage, thou art a
+ready mariner; none know how to discourse better than thou."
+
+Here the men both rose, having completed their work, and they left the
+poop, descending among the rest of the crew. Columbus had not
+miscalculated his aim, his words and condescension having produced a
+most favorable effect on the mind of Sancho Mundo, for so the man was
+actually called; and in gaining one of as ready a wit and loose a tongue
+for a friend, he obtained an ally who was not to be despised. Of such
+materials, and with the support of such instruments as this, is success
+too often composed; it being possible for the discovery of a world,
+even, to depend on the good word of one less qualified to influence
+opinions than Sancho Mundo.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV.
+
+    "While you here do snoring lie,
+    Open-ey'd conspiracy
+      His time doth take:
+    If of life you keep a care,
+    Shake off slumber, and beware;
+      Awake! Awake!"
+
+    Ariel.
+
+
+The wind continuing fair, the three vessels made good progress in the
+direction of the Canaries; Sunday, in particular, proving a propitious
+day, the expedition making more than one hundred and twenty miles in the
+course of the twenty-four hours. The wind still continued favorable, and
+on the morning of Monday, the 6th of August, Columbus was cheerfully
+conversing with Luis, and one or two other companions who were standing
+near him on the poop, when the Pinta was seen suddenly to take in her
+forward sails, and to come up briskly, not to say awkwardly, to the
+wind. This manoeuvre denoted some accident, and the Santa Maria
+fortunately having the advantage of the wind, immediately edged away to
+speak her consort.
+
+"How now, Senor Martin Alonzo," hailed the admiral, as the two caravels
+came near enough together to speak each other. "For what reason hast
+thou so suddenly paused in thy course?"
+
+"Fortune would have it so, Senor Don Christoval, seeing that the rudder
+of the good caravel hath broken loose, and we must fain secure it ere we
+may again trust ourselves to the breeze."
+
+A severe frown came over the grave countenance of the great navigator,
+and after bidding Martin Alonzo do his best to repair the damage, he
+paced the deck, greatly disturbed, for several minutes. Observing how
+much the admiral took this accident to heart, the rest descended to the
+deck below, leaving Columbus alone with the pretended groom of the
+king's chamber.
+
+"I trust, Senor, this is no serious injury, or one in any way likely to
+retard our advance," said Luis, after manifesting that respect which all
+near him felt for the admiral, by a pause. "I know honest Martin Alonzo
+to be a ready seaman, and should think his expedients might easily serve
+to get us as far as the Canaries, where greater damages can meet with
+their remedies."
+
+"Thou say'st true, Luis, and we will hope for the best. I feel regret
+the sea is so high that we can offer no assistance to the Pinta, but
+Martin Alonzo is, indeed, an expert mariner, and on his ingenuity we
+must rely. My concern, however, hath another and a deeper source than
+the unloosing of this rudder, serious as such an injury ever is to a
+vessel at sea. Thou know'st that the Pinta hath been furnished to the
+service of the queen, under the order claiming the forfeited duty from
+the delinquents of Palos, and sorely against the will of the caravel's
+owners hath the vessel been taken. Now these persons, Gomez Rascon and
+Christoval Quintero, are on board her, and, I question not, have
+designed this accident. Their artifices were practised long, to our
+delay, before quitting the haven, and, it would seem, are to be
+continued to our prejudice here on the open ocean."
+
+"By the allegiance I owe the Dona Isabella! Senor Don Christoval, but I
+would find a speedy cure for such a treason, if the office of punishment
+rested with me. Let me jump into the skiff and repair to the Pinta,
+where I will tell these Masters Rascon and Quintero, that should their
+rudder ever dare to break loose again, or should any other similar and
+untoward accident chance to arrive, the first shall be hanged at the
+yard of his own caravel, and the last be cast into the sea to examine
+into the state of her bottom, the rudder included."
+
+"We may not practice such high authority without great occasion and
+perfect certainty of guilt. I hold it to be wiser to seek another
+caravel at the Canaries, for, by this accident, I well see we shall not
+be rid of the artifices of the two owners, until we are rid of their
+vessel. It will be hazardous to launch the skiff in this sea, or I would
+proceed to the Pinta myself; but as it is, let us have confidence in
+Martin Alonzo and his skill."
+
+Columbus thus encouraged the people of the Pinta to exert themselves,
+and in about an hour or two, the three vessels were again making the
+best of their way toward the Canaries. Notwithstanding the delay, nearly
+ninety miles were made good in the course of the day and night. But the
+following morning the rudder again broke loose, and, as the damage was
+more serious than in the former instance, it was still more difficult to
+repair. These repeated accidents gave the admiral great concern, for he
+took them to be so many indications of the disaffection of his
+followers. He fully determined, in consequence, to get rid of the Pinta,
+if it were possible to find another suitable vessel among the islands.
+As the progress of the vessels was much retarded by the accident,
+although the wind continued favorable, the expedition only got some
+sixty miles, this day, nearer to its place of destination.
+
+On the following morning, the three vessels came within hail of each
+other; and a comparison of the nautical skill of the different
+navigators, or pilots, as it was then the custom to style them, took
+place, each offering his opinion as to the position of the vessels.
+
+It was not the least of the merits of Columbus, that he succeeded in his
+great experiment with the imperfect aid of the instruments then in use.
+The mariner's compass, it is true, had been in common service quite a
+century, if not longer, though its variations--a knowledge of which is
+scarcely less important in long voyages than a knowledge of the
+instrument itself--were then unknown to seamen, who seldom ventured far
+enough from the land to note these mysteries of nature, and who, as a
+class, still relied almost as much on the ordinary position of the
+heavenly bodies to ascertain their routes, as on the nicer results of
+calculation. Columbus, however, was a striking exception to this
+little-instructed class, having made himself thoroughly acquainted with
+all the learning of the period that could be applied in his profession,
+or which might aid him in effecting the great purpose for which alone he
+now seemed to live.
+
+As might be expected, the comparison resulted altogether in the
+admiral's favor, the pilots in general being soon convinced that he
+alone knew the true position of the vessels, a fact that was soon
+unanswerably determined by the appearance of the summits of the
+Canaries, which hove up out of the ocean, in a south-easterly direction,
+resembling well-defined dark clouds clustering in the horizon. As
+objects like these are seen at a great distance at sea, more especially
+in a transparent atmosphere, and the wind became light and variable, the
+vessels, notwithstanding, were unable to reach Grand Canary until
+Thursday, the 8th of August, or nearly a week after they had left Palos.
+There they all ran in, and anchored in the usual haven. Columbus
+immediately set about making an inquiry for another caravel, but,
+proving unsuccessful, he sailed for Gomera, where he believed it might
+be easier to obtain the craft he wanted. While the admiral was thus
+employed with the Santa Maria and the Nina, Martin Alonzo remained in
+port, being unable to keep company in the crippled condition of the
+Pinta. But no suitable vessel being found, Columbus reluctantly returned
+to Grand Canary, and, after repairing the Pinta, which vessel was badly
+caulked, among the other devices that had been adopted to get her freed
+from the service, he sailed again for Gomera, from which island he was
+to take his final departure.
+
+During these several changes, a brooding discontent began to increase
+among most of the common mariners, while some even of a higher class,
+were not altogether free from the most melancholy apprehensions for the
+future. While passing from Grand Canary to Gomera, with all his vessels,
+Columbus was again at his post, with Luis and his usual companions near
+him, when the admiral's attention was drawn to a conversation that took
+place between a group of the men, who had collected near the main-mast.
+It was night, and there being little wind, the voices of the excited
+disputants reached further than they themselves were aware.
+
+"I tell thee, Pepe," said the most vociferous and most earnest of the
+speakers, "that the night is not darker than the future of this crew.
+Look to the west, and what dost see there? Who hath ever heard of land,
+after he hath quitted the Azores; and who is so ignorant as not to know
+that Providence hath placed water around all the continents, with a few
+islands as stopping-places for mariners, and spread the broad ocean
+beyond, with an intention to rebuke an over-eager curiosity to pry into
+matters that savor more of miracles than of common worldly things?"
+
+"This is well, Pero," answered Pepe; "but I know that Monica thinks the
+admiral is sent of God, and that we may look forward to great
+discoveries, through his means; and most especially to the spreading of
+religion among the heathens."
+
+"Ay, thy Monica should have been in Dona Isabella's seat, so learned and
+positive is she in all matters, whether touching her own woman's duties,
+or thine own. She is _thy_ queen, Pepe, as all in Moguer will swear; and
+there are some who say she would gladly govern the port, as she
+governeth thee."
+
+"Say naught against the mother of my child, Pero," interrupted Pepe,
+angrily. "I can bear thy idle words against myself, but he that speaketh
+ill of Monica will have a dangerous enemy."
+
+"Thou art bold of speech, Pero, when away a hundred leagues from thine
+own better nine-tenths," put in a voice that Columbus and Luis both
+knew, on the instant, to belong to Sancho Mundo, "and art bold enough to
+jeer Pepe touching Monica, when we all well know who commandeth in a
+certain cabin, where thou art as meek as a hooked dolphin, whatever thou
+may'st be here. But, enough of thy folly about women; let us reason upon
+our knowledge as mariners, if thou wilt; instead of asking questions of
+one like Pepe, who is too young to have had much experience, I offer
+myself as thy catechist."
+
+"What hast _thou_, then, to say about this unknown land that lieth
+beyond the great ocean, where man hath never been, or is at all likely
+to go, with followers such as these?"
+
+"I have this to say, silly and idle-tongued Pero--that the time was when
+even the Canaries were unknown; when mariners did not dare to pass the
+straits, and when the Portuguese knew nothing of their mines and Guinea,
+lands that I myself have visited, and where the noble Don Christoval
+hath also been, as I know on the testimony of mine own eyes."
+
+"And what hath Guinea, or what have the mines of the Portuguese to do
+with this western voyage? All know that there is a country called
+Africa; and what is there surprising that mariners should reach a land
+that is known to exist; but who knoweth that the ocean hath other
+continents, any more than that the heavens have other earths?"
+
+"This is well, Pero," observed an attentive by-stander; "and Sancho will
+have to drain his wits to answer it."
+
+"It is well for those who wag their tongues, like women, without thought
+of what they say," coolly returned Sancho, "but will have little weight
+with Dona Isabella, or Don Almirante. Harkee, Pero, thou art like one
+that hath trodden the path between Palos and Moguer so often, that thou
+fanciest there is no road to Seville or Granada. There must be a
+beginning to all things; and this voyage is, out of doubt, the beginning
+of voyages to Cathay. We go west, instead of east, because it is the
+shorter way; and because, moreover, it is the _only_ way for a caravel.
+Now, answer me, messmate; is it possible for a craft, let her size or
+rig be what it may, to pass over the hills and valleys of a continent--I
+mean under her canvas, and by fair sailing?"
+
+Sancho waited for a reply, and received a common and complete admission
+of the impossibility of the thing.
+
+"Then cast your eyes at the admiral's chart, in the morning, as he
+keepeth it spread before him on the poop, yonder, and you will see that
+there is land from one pole to the other, on each side of the Atlantic,
+thereby rendering navigation impossible, in any other direction than
+this we are now taking. The notion of Pero, therefore, runs in the teeth
+of nature."
+
+"This is so true, Pero," exclaimed another, the rest assenting, "that
+thy mouth ought to be shut."
+
+But Pero had a mouth that was not very easily closed; and it is probable
+that his answer would have been to the full as acute and irrefutable as
+that of Sancho, had not a common exclamation of alarm and horror burst
+from all around him. The night was sufficiently clear to permit the
+gloomy outlines of the Peak of Teneriffe to be distinctly visible, even
+at some distance; and, just at that moment, flashes of flame shot upward
+from its pointed summit, illuminating, at instants, the huge pile, and
+then leaving it in shadowy darkness, an object of mystery and terror.
+Many of the seamen dropped on their knees and began to tell their beads,
+while all, as it might be instinctively, crossed themselves. Next arose
+a general murmur; and in a few minutes, the men who slept were awoke,
+and appeared among their fellows, awe-struck and astounded spectators of
+the phenomenon. It was soon settled that the attention of the admiral
+should be drawn to this strange event, and Pero was selected for the
+spokesman.
+
+All this time, Columbus and his companions remained on the poop, and, as
+might have been expected, this unlooked-for change in the appearance of
+the Peak had not escaped their attention. Too enlightened to be alarmed
+by it, they were watching the workings of the mountain, when Pero,
+accompanied by nearly every sailor in the vessel, appeared on the
+quarter-deck. Silence having been obtained, Pero opened the subject of
+his mission with a zeal that was not a little stimulated by his fears.
+
+"Senor Almirante," he commenced, "we have come to pray your Excellency
+to look at the summit of the Island of Teneriffe, where we all think we
+see a solemn warning against persevering in sailing into the unknown
+Atlantic. It is truly time for men to remember their weakness, and how
+much they owe to the goodness of God, when even the mountains vomit
+flames and smoke!"
+
+"Have any here ever navigated the Mediterranean, or visited the island
+of which Don Ferdinand, the honored consort of our lady the queen, is
+master?" demanded Columbus, calmly.
+
+"Senor Don Almirante," hastily answered Sancho, "I have done so,
+unworthy as I may seem to have enjoyed that advantage. And I have seen
+Cyprus, and Alexandria, and even Stamboul, the residence of the Great
+Turk."
+
+"Well, then, thou may'st have also seen AEtna, another mountain which
+continueth to throw up those flames, in the midst of a nature and a
+scene on which Providence would seem to have smiled with unusual
+benignity, instead of angrily frowning, as ye seem to imagine."
+
+Columbus then proceeded to give his people an explanation of the causes
+of volcanoes, referring to the gentlemen around him to corroborate the
+fidelity of his statements. He told them that he looked upon this little
+eruption as merely a natural occurrence; or, if he saw any omen at all
+in the event, it was propitious rather than otherwise; Providence
+seeming disposed to light them on their way. Luis and the rest next
+descended among the crew, where they used their reasoning powers in
+quieting an alarm that, at first, had threatened to be serious. For the
+moment they were successful, or perhaps it would be better to say that
+they succeeded completely, so far as the phenomenon of the volcano was
+concerned, and this less by the arguments of the more intelligent of the
+officers, than by means of the testimony of Sancho, and one or two
+others of the common men, who had seen similar scenes elsewhere. With
+difficulties like these had the great navigator to contend, even after
+he had passed years in solicitations to obtain the limited means which
+had been finally granted, in order to effect one of the sublimest
+achievements that had yet crowned the enterprise of man!
+
+The vessels reached Gomera on the 2d of September, where they remained
+several days, in order to complete their repairs, and to finish taking
+in their supplies, ere they finally left the civilized abodes of man,
+and what might then be deemed the limits of the known earth. The arrival
+of such an expedition, in an age when the means of communication were so
+few that events were generally their own announcers, had produced a
+strong sensation among the inhabitants of the different islands visited
+by the adventurers. Columbus was held in high honor among them, not only
+on account of the commission he had received from the two sovereigns,
+but on account of the magnitude and the romantic character of his
+undertaking.
+
+There existed a common belief among all the adjacent islands, including
+Madeira, the Azores, and the Canaries, that land lay to the westward;
+their inhabitants living under a singular delusion in this particular,
+which the admiral had an occasion to detect, during his second visit to
+Gomera. Among the most distinguished persons who were then on the
+island, was Dona Inez Peraza, the mother of the Count of Gomera. She was
+attended by a crowd of persons, not only belonging to her own, but who
+had come from other islands to do her honor. She entertained the admiral
+in a manner suited to his high rank, admitting to her society such of
+the adventurers as Columbus saw fit to point out as worthy of the honor.
+Of course the pretended Pedro de Munos, or Pero Gutierrez, as he was now
+indifferently termed, was of the number; as, indeed, were most of those
+who might be deemed any way suited to so high and polished a society.
+
+"I rejoice, Don Christopher," said Dona Inez Peraza, on this occasion,
+"that their Highnesses have at length yielded to your desire to solve
+this great problem, not only on account of our Holy Church, which, as
+you say, hath so deep an interest in your success, and the honor of the
+two sovereigns, and the welfare of Spain, and all the other great
+considerations that we have so freely touched upon in our discourse
+already, but on account of the worthy inhabitants of the Fortunate
+Islands, who have not only many traditions touching land in the west,
+but most of whom believe that they have more than once seen it, in that
+quarter, in the course of their lives."
+
+"I have heard of this, noble lady, and would be grateful to have the
+account from the mouths of eye-witnesses, now we are here, together,
+conversing freely concerning that which is of so much interest to us
+all."
+
+"Then, Senor, I will entreat this worthy cavalier, who is every way
+capable of doing the subject justice, to be spokesman for us, and to let
+you know what we all believe in these islands, and what so many of us
+fancy we have seen. Acquaint the admiral, Senor Dama, I pray thee, of
+the singular yearly view that we get of unknown land lying afar off, in
+the Atlantic."
+
+"Most readily, Dona Inez, and all the more so at your gracious bidding,"
+returned the person addressed, who disposed himself to tell the story,
+with a readiness that the lovers of the wonderful are apt to betray when
+a fitting opportunity offers to indulge a favorite propensity. "The
+illustrious admiral hath probably heard of the island of St. Brandan,
+that lieth some eighty or a hundred leagues to the westward of Ferro,
+and which hath been so often seen, but which no navigator hath yet been
+able to reach, in our days at least?"
+
+"I have often heard of this fabled spot, Senor," the admiral gravely
+replied; "but pardon me if I say that the land never yet existed, which
+a mariner hath seen and yet a mariner hath not reached."
+
+"Nay, noble admiral," interrupted a dozen eager voices, among which that
+of the lady, herself, was very distinctly audible, "that it hath been
+seen most here know; and that it hath never been reached, is a fact to
+which more than one disappointed pilot can testify."
+
+"That which we have seen, we know; and that which we know, we can
+describe," returned Columbus, steadily. "Let any man tell me in what
+meridian, or on what parallel this St. Brandan, or St. Barandon, lieth,
+and a week shall make _me_ also certain of its existence."
+
+"I know little of meridians or parallels, Don Christopher," said the
+Senor Dama, "but I have some ideas of visible things. This island have I
+often seen, more or less plainly at different times; and that, too,
+under the serenest skies, and at occasions when it was not possible
+greatly to mistake either its form or its dimensions. Once I remember to
+have seen the sun set behind one of its heights."
+
+"This is plain evidence, and such as a navigator should respect; and yet
+do I take what you imagine yourself to have seen, Senor, to be some
+illusion of the atmosphere."
+
+"Impossible!--impossible!" was said, or echoed, by a dozen voices.
+"Hundreds yearly witness the appearance of St. Brandan, and its equally
+sudden and mysterious disappearance."
+
+"Therein, noble lady and generous cavalier, lieth the error into which
+ye have fallen. Ye see the Peak the year round; and he who will cruise a
+hundred miles, north or south, east or west, of it, will continue to see
+it, the year round, except on such days as the state of the atmosphere
+may forbid. The land which God hath created stationary, will be certain
+to remain stationary, until disturbed by some great convulsion that
+cometh equally of his providence and his laws."
+
+"All this may be true, Senor; doubtless it _is_ true; but every rule
+hath its exceptions. You will not deny that God ruleth the world
+mysteriously, and that his ends are not always visible to human eyes.
+Else, why hath the Moor so long been permitted to rule in Spain? why
+hath the Infidel, at this moment, possession of the Holy Sepulchre? why
+have the sovereigns been so long deaf to your own well-grounded wishes
+and entreaties to be permitted to carry their banners, in company with
+the cross, to Cathay, whither you are now bound? Who knoweth that these
+appearances of St. Brandan may not be given as signs to encourage one
+like yourself, bent on still greater ends than even reaching its
+shores?"
+
+Columbus was an enthusiast; but his was an enthusiasm that was seated in
+his reverence for the acknowledged mysteries of religion, which sought
+no other support from things incomprehensible, than might reasonably be
+thought to belong to the exercise of infallible wisdom, and which
+manifested a proper reverence for a Divine Power. Like most of that
+period, he believed in modern miracles; and his dependence on the direct
+worldly efficacy of votive offerings, penances, and prayers, was such as
+marked the age in general, and his calling in particular. Still, his
+masculine understanding rejected the belief of vulgar prodigies; and
+while he implicitly thought himself set apart and selected for the great
+work before him, he was not disposed to credit that an airy exhibition
+of an island was placed in the west to tempt mariners to follow its
+shadowy outline to the more distant regions of Cathay.
+
+"That I feel the assurance of the Providence of God having selected me
+as the humble instrument of connecting Europe with Asia, by means of a
+direct voyage by sea, is certain," returned the navigator, gravely,
+though his eye lighted with its latent enthusiasm; "but I am far from
+indulging in the weakness of thinking that direct miraculous agencies
+are to be used to guide me on my way. It is more in conformity to the
+practice of divine wisdom, and certainly more grateful to my own
+self-love, that the means employed are such as a discreet pilot, and the
+most experienced philosophers, might feel proud in finding themselves
+selected to display. My thoughts have first been turned to the
+contemplation of this subject; then hath my reason been enlightened by a
+due course of study and reflection, and science hath aided in producing
+the conviction necessary to impel myself to proceed, and to enable me to
+induce others to join in this enterprise."
+
+"And do all your followers, noble admiral, act under the same guidance?"
+demanded the Dona Inez, glancing at Luis, whose manly graces, and
+martial aspect, had found favor in the eyes of most of the ladies of the
+island. "Is the Senor Gutierrez equally enlightened in this manner? and
+hath he, too, devoted his nights to study, in order that the cross may
+be carried to the heathen, and Castile and Cathay may be more closely
+united?"
+
+"The Senor Gutierrez is a willing adventurer, Senora, but he must be the
+expounder of his own motives."
+
+"Then we will call on the cavalier, himself, for an answer. These ladies
+feel a desire to know what may have impelled one who would be certain to
+succeed at the court of Dona Isabella, and in the Moorish wars, to join
+in such an expedition."
+
+"The Moorish wars are ended, Senora," replied Luis, smiling; "and Dona
+Isabella, and all the ladies of her court, most favor the youths who
+show a manly disposition to serve the interests, and to advance the
+honor of Castile. I know very little of philosophy, and have still
+smaller pretensions to the learning of churchmen; but I think I see
+Cathay before me, shining like a brilliant star in the heavens, and am
+willing to adventure body and soul in its search."
+
+Many pretty exclamations of admiration broke from the circle of fair
+listeners; it being most easy for spirit to gain applause, when it is
+recommended by high personal advantages, and comes from the young and
+favored. That Columbus, a weather-worn veteran of the ocean, should see
+fit to risk a life that was already drawing near its close, in a rash
+attempt to pry into the mysteries of the Atlantic, seemed neither so
+commendable, nor so daring, but many discovered high qualities in the
+character of one who was just entering on his career, and that under
+auspices apparently so flattering, and who threw all his hopes on the
+uncertain chances of success in a scheme so unusual. Luis was human, and
+he was in the full enjoyment of the admiration his enterprise had
+evidently awakened among so many sensitive young creatures, when Dona
+Inez most inopportunely interposed to interrupt his happiness, and to
+wound his self-esteem.
+
+"This is having more honorable views than my letters from Seville
+attribute to one youth, who belongeth to the proudest of our Castilian
+houses, and whose titles alone should invite him to add new lustre to a
+name that hath so long been the Spanish boast," resumed the Senora
+Peraza. "The reports speak of his desire to rove, but in a manner
+unworthy of his rank; and that, too, in a way to serve neither the
+sovereigns, his country, nor himself."
+
+"And who may this misguided youth be, Senora?" eagerly inquired Luis,
+too much elated by the admiration he had just excited to anticipate the
+answer. "A cavalier thus spoken of, needeth to be warned of his
+reputation, that he may be stimulated to attempt better things."
+
+"His name is no secret, since the court speaketh openly of his singular
+and ill-judged career; and it is said that even his love hath been
+thwarted in consequence. I mean a cavalier of no less lineage and name
+than Don Luis de Bobadilla, the Count of Llera."
+
+It is said that listeners seldom hear good of themselves, and Luis was
+now fated to verify the truth of the axiom. He felt the blood rushing to
+his face, and it required a strong effort at self-command to prevent him
+from breaking out in exclamations, that would probably have contained
+invocations of half the patron saints he had ever heard of, had he not
+happily succeeded in controlling the sudden impulse. Gulping the words
+he had been on the point of uttering, he looked round, with an air of
+defiance, as if seeking the countenance of some man who might dare even
+to smile at what had been said. Luckily, at that moment, Columbus had
+drawn all of the males present around himself, in warm discussion of the
+probable existence of the island of St. Brandan; and Luis nowhere met a
+smile, with which he could conveniently quarrel, that had a setting of
+beard to render it hostile. Fortunately, the gentle impulses that are
+apt to influence a youthful female, induced one of Dona Inez's fair
+companions to speak, and that in a way greatly to relieve the feelings
+of our hero.
+
+"True, Senora," rejoined the pretty young advocate, the first tones of
+whose voice had an effect to calm the tempest that was rising in the
+bosom of the young man; "true Senora, it is said that Don Luis is a
+wanderer, and one of unsettled tastes and habits, but it is also said he
+hath a most excellent heart, is generous as the dews of heaven
+themselves, and carrieth the very best lance of Castile, as he is also
+like to carry off the fairest maiden."
+
+"It is vain, Senor de Munos, for churchmen to preach, and parents to
+frown," said Dona Inez, smiling, "while the beautiful and young will
+prize courage, and deeds in arms, and an open hand, before the more
+homely virtues commended by our holy religion, and so zealously
+inculcated by its servants. The unhorsing of a knight or two in the
+tourneys, and the rallying a broken squadron under a charge of the
+Infidel, counteth far more than years of sobriety, and weeks of penance
+and prayer."
+
+"How know we that the cavalier you mention, Senora, may not have his
+weeks of penance and his hours of prayer?" answered Luis, who had now
+found his voice. "Should he be so fortunate as to enjoy a conscientious
+religious adviser, he can scarce escape both, prayer being so often
+ordered in the way of penance. He seemeth, indeed, to be a miserable
+dog, and I wonder not that his mistress holdeth him cheap. Is the name
+of the lady, also, given in your letter?"
+
+"It is. She is the Dona Maria de las Mercedes de Valverde, nearly allied
+to the Guzmans and the other great houses, and one of the fairest
+maidens of Spain."
+
+"That is she!" exclaimed Luis; "and one of the most virtuous, as well as
+fair, and wise as virtuous!"
+
+"How now, Senor, is it possible that you can have sufficient knowledge
+of one so situated, as to speak thus positively of her qualities, as
+well as of her appearance?"
+
+"Her beauty I have seen, and of her excellence one may speak by report.
+But doth your correspondent, Senora, say aught of what hath become of
+the graceless lover?"
+
+"It is rumored that he hath again quitted Spain, and, as is supposed,
+under the grave displeasure of the sovereigns, since it hath been
+remarked that the queen now never nameth him. None know the road he hath
+taken, but there is little doubt that he is again roaming the seas, as
+usual, in quest of low adventures among the ports of the east."
+
+The conversation now changed, and soon after the admiral and his
+attendants repaired to their different vessels.
+
+"Of a verity, Senor Don Christoval," said Luis, as he walked alone with
+the great navigator toward the shore, "one little knoweth when he is
+acquiring fame, and when not. Though but an indifferent mariner, and no
+pilot, I find my exploits on the ocean are well bruited abroad! If your
+Excellency but gain half the reputation I already enjoy, by this present
+expedition, you will have reason to believe that your name will not be
+forgotten by posterity."
+
+"It is a tribute the great pay for their elevation, Luis," returned the
+admiral, "that all their acts are commented on, and that they can do
+little that may be concealed from observation, or escape remarks."
+
+"It would be as well, Senor Almirante, to throw into the scales, at
+once, calumnies, and lies, and uncharitableness, for all these are to be
+added to the list. Is it not wonderful, that a young man cannot visit a
+few foreign lands, in order to increase his knowledge and improve his
+parts, but all the gossips of Castile should fill their letters to the
+gossips of the Canaries, with passages touching his movements and
+demerits? By the Martyrs of the East! if I were Queen of Castile, there
+should be a law against writing of others' movements, and I do not know,
+but a law against women's writing letters at all!"
+
+"In which case, Senor de Munos, thou wouldst never possess the
+satisfaction of receiving a missive from the fairest hand in Castile."
+
+"I mean a woman's writing to a woman, Don Christopher. As to letters
+from noble maidens intended to cheer the hearts and animate the deeds of
+cavaliers who adore them, they are useful, out of doubt, and the saints
+be deaf to the miscreant who would forbid or intercept them! No, Senor,
+I trust that travelling hath at least made me liberal, by raising me
+above the narrow prejudices of provinces and cities, and I am far from
+wishing to put an end to letters from mistresses to their knights, or
+from parents to their children, or even from wives to their husbands;
+but, as for the letters of a gossip to a gossip, by your leave, Senor
+Almirante, I detest them just as much as the Father of Sin detests this
+expedition of ours!"
+
+"An expedition, certainly, that he hath no great reason to love,"
+answered Columbus, smiling; "since it will be followed by the light of
+revelation and the triumph of the cross. But what is thy will, friend,
+that thou seemest in waiting for me, to disburden thyself of something?
+Thy name is Sancho Mundo, if I remember thy countenance?"
+
+"Senor Don Almirante, your memory hath not mistaken," returned the
+person addressed; "I am Sancho Mundo, as your Excellency saith,
+sometimes called Sancho of the Ship-Yard Gate. I desire to say a few
+words concerning the fate of our voyage, whenever it shall suit you,
+noble Senor, to hear me where there are no ears present that you
+distrust."
+
+"Thou may'st speak freely now; this cavalier being my confidant and
+secretary."
+
+"It is not necessary that I should tell a great pilot, like your
+Excellency, who is King of Portugal, or what the mariners of Lisbon have
+been about these many years, since you know all better than myself.
+Therefore I will just add, that they are discovering all the unknown
+lands they can, for themselves, and preventing others, as much as in
+them lies, from doing the same thing."
+
+"Don John of Portugal is an enlightened prince, fellow, and thou wouldst
+do well to respect his character and rank. His Highness is a liberal
+sovereign, and hath sent many noble expeditions forth from his harbor."
+
+"That he hath, Senor, and this last is not the least in its designs and
+intentions," answered Sancho, turning a look of irony toward the
+admiral, that showed the fellow had more in reserve than he cared to
+divulge without some wheedling. "No one doubts Don John's willingness to
+send forth expeditions."
+
+"Thou hast heard some intelligence, Sancho, that it is proper I should
+know! Speak freely, and rely on my repaying any service of this sort to
+the full extent of its deservings."
+
+"If your Excellency will have patience to hear me, I will give the whole
+story, with all minuteness and particularity, and that in a way to leave
+no part untold, and all parts to be as easily understood as heart can
+wish, or a priest in the confessional could desire."
+
+"Speak; no one will interrupt thee. As thou art frank, so will be thy
+reward."
+
+"Well, then, Senor Don Almirante, you must know that about eleven years
+since, I made a voyage from Palos to Sicily, in a caravel belonging to
+the Pinzons, here; not to Martin Alonzo, who commandeth the Pinta, under
+your Excellency's order, but to a kinsman of his late father's, who
+caused better craft to be constructed than we are apt to get in these
+days of hurry, and rotten cordage, and careless caulking, to say nothing
+of the manner in which the canvas is"--
+
+"Nay, good Sancho," interrupted the impatient Luis, who was yet smarting
+under the remarks of Dona Inez's correspondent--"thou forgettest night
+is near, and that the boat is waiting for the admiral."
+
+"How should I forget that, Senor, when I can see the sun just dipping
+into the water, and I belong to the boat myself, having left it in order
+to tell the noble admiral what I have to say?"
+
+"Permit the man to relate his story in his own manner, Senor Pedro, I
+pray thee," put in Columbus. "Naught is gained by putting a seamen out
+in his reckoning."
+
+"No, your Excellency, or in kicking with a mule. And so, as I was
+saying, I went that voyage to Sicily, and had for a messmate one Jose
+Gordo, a Portuguese by birth, but a man who liked the wines of Spain
+better than the puckering liquors of his own country, and so sailed much
+in Spanish craft. I never well knew, notwithstanding, whether Jose was,
+in heart, most of a Portuguese, or a Spaniard, though he was certainly
+but an indifferent Christian."
+
+"It is to be hoped that his character hath improved," said Columbus,
+calmly. "As I foresee that something is to follow on the testimony of
+this Jose, you will let me say, that an indifferent Christian is but an
+indifferent witness. Tell me, at once, therefore, what he hath
+communicated, that I may judge for myself of the value of his words."
+
+"Now, he that doubteth your Excellency will not discover Cathay is a
+heretic, seeing that you have discovered my secret without having heard
+it! Jose has just arrived, in the felucca that is riding near the Santa
+Maria, and hearing that we were an expedition that had one Sancho Mundo
+engaged in it, he came speedily on board of us to see his old shipmate."
+
+"All that is so plain, that I wonder thou thinkest it worthy of
+relating, Sancho; but, now we have him safe on board the good ship, we
+can come at once to the subject of his communication."
+
+"That may we, Senor; and so, without any unnecessary delay, I will
+state, that the subject was touching Don Juan of Portugal, Don Ferdinand
+of Aragon, Dona Isabella of Castile, your Excellency, Senor Don
+Almirante, the Senor de Munos here, and myself."
+
+"This is a strange company!" exclaimed Luis, laughing, while he slipped
+a piece of eight into the hand of the sailor; "perhaps that may aid thee
+in shortening the story of the singular conjunction."
+
+"Another, Senor, would bring the tale to an end at once. To own the
+truth, Jose is behind that wall, and as he told me he thought his news
+worth a dobla, he will be greatly displeased at finding I have received
+my half of it, while his half still remaineth unpaid."
+
+"This, then, will set his mind at rest," said Columbus, placing an
+entire dobla in the hand of the cunning fellow, for the admiral
+perceived by his manner that Sancho had really something of importance
+to communicate. "Thou canst summon Jose to thy aid, and deliver thyself,
+at once, of thy burden."
+
+Sancho did as directed, and in a minute Jose had appeared, had received
+the dobla, weighed it deliberately on his finger, pocketed it, and
+commenced his tale. Unlike the artful Sancho, he told his story at once,
+beginning at the right end, and ceasing to speak as soon as he had no
+more to communicate. The substance of the tale is soon related. Jose had
+come from Ferro, and had seen three armed caravels, wearing the flag of
+Portugal, cruising among the islands, under circumstances that left
+little doubt their object was to intercept the Castilian expedition. As
+the man referred to a passenger or two, who had landed within the hour,
+to corroborate his statement, Columbus and Luis immediately sought the
+lodgings of these persons, in order to hear their report of the matter.
+The result proved the sailor had stated nothing but what was true.
+
+"Of all our difficulties and embarrassments, Luis," resumed the admiral,
+as the two finally proceeded to the shore, "this is much the most
+serious! We may be detained altogether by these treacherous Portuguese,
+or we may be followed in our voyage, and have our fair laurels seized
+upon by others, and all the benefits so justly due for our toil and risk
+usurped, or at least disputed, by men who had not the enterprise and
+knowledge to accept the boon, when fairly offered to them."
+
+"Don John of Portugal must have sent far better knights than the Moors
+of Granada to do the feat," answered Luis, who had a Spaniard's distaste
+for his peninsular neighbors; "he is a bold and learned prince, they
+say, but the commission and ensigns of the sovereign of Castile are not
+to be disregarded, and that, too, in the midst of her own islands,
+here."
+
+"We have no force fit to contend with that which hath most probably been
+sent against us. The number and size of our vessels are known, and the
+Portuguese, questionless, have resorted to the means necessary to effect
+their purposes, whatever those purposes may be. Alas! Luis, my lot hath
+been hard, though I humbly trust that the end will repay me for all!
+Years did I sue the Portuguese to enter fairly into this voyage, and to
+endeavor to do that, in all honor, which our gracious mistress, Dona
+Isabella, hath now so creditably commenced; he listened to my reasons
+and entreaties with cold ears--nay, repelled them, with ridicule and
+disdain; and yet, here am I scarce fairly embarked in the execution of
+schemes that they have so often derided, than they endeavor to defeat me
+by violence and treachery."
+
+"Noble Don Christoval, we will die to a Castilian, ere this shall come
+to pass!"
+
+"Our only hope is in speedy departure. Thanks to the industry and zeal
+of Martin Alonzo, the Pinta is ready, and we may quit Gomera with the
+morning's sun. I doubt if they will have the hardihood to follow us into
+the trackless and unknown Atlantic, without any other guides than their
+own feeble knowledge; and we will depart with the return of the sun. All
+now dependeth on quitting the Canaries unseen."
+
+As this was said they reached the boat, and were quickly pulled on board
+the Santa Maria. By this time the peaks of the islands were towering
+like gloomy shadows in the atmosphere, and, soon after, the caravels
+resembled dark, shapeless specks, on the unquiet element that washed
+their hulls.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI.
+
+    "They little thought how pure a light,
+    With years, should gather round that day;
+    How love should keep their memories bright--
+    How wide a realm their sons should sway."
+
+    Bryant.
+
+
+The night that succeeded was one of very varied feelings among the
+adventurers. As soon as Sancho secured the reward, he had no further
+scruples about communicating all he knew, to any who were disposed to
+listen; and long ere Columbus returned on board the vessel, the
+intelligence had spread from mouth to mouth, until all in the little
+squadron were apprised of the intentions of the Portuguese. Many hoped
+that it was true, and that their pursuers might be successful; any fate
+being preferable, in their eyes, to that which the voyage promised; but,
+such is the effect of strife, much the larger portion of the crew were
+impatient to lift the anchors and to make sail, if it were only to get
+the mastery in the race. Columbus, himself, experienced the deepest
+concern, for it really seemed as if a hard fortune was about to snatch
+the cup from his lips, just as it had been raised there, after all his
+cruel sufferings and delays. He consequently passed a night of deep
+anxiety, and was the first to rise in the morning.
+
+Every one was on the alert with the dawn; and as the preparations had
+been completed the previous night, by the time the sun had risen, the
+three vessels were under way, the Pinta leading, as usual. The wind was
+light, and the squadron could barely gather steerage way; but as every
+moment was deemed precious, the vessels' heads were kept to the
+westward. When a short time out, a caravel came flapping past them,
+after having been several hours in sight, and the admiral spoke her. She
+proved to be from Ferro, the most southern and western island of the
+group, and had come nearly on the route the expedition intended to
+steer, until they quitted the known seas.
+
+"Dost thou bring any tidings from Ferro?" inquired Columbus, as the
+strange ship drifted slowly past the Santa Maria; the progress of each
+vessel being little more than a mile in the hour. "Is there aught of
+interest in that quarter?"
+
+"Did I know whether, or not, I am speaking to Don Christopher Columbus,
+the Genoese that their Highnesses have honored with so important a
+commission, I should feel more warranty to answer what I have both heard
+and seen, Senor," was the reply.
+
+"I am Don Christopher himself, their Highnesses' admiral and viceroy,
+for all seas and lands that we may discover, and, as thou hast said, a
+Genoese in birth, though a Castilian by duty, and in love to the queen."
+
+"Then, noble admiral, I may tell you that the Portuguese are active,
+three of their caravels being off Ferro, at this moment, with the hope
+of intercepting your expedition."
+
+"How is this known, friend, and what reason have I for supposing that
+the Portuguese will dare to send forth caravels, with orders to molest
+those who sail as the officers of Isabella the Catholic? They must know
+that the Holy Father hath lately conferred this title on the two
+sovereigns, in acknowledgment of their great services in expelling the
+Moor from Christendom."
+
+"Senor, there hath been a rumor of that among the islands, but little
+will the Portuguese care for aught of that nature, when he deemeth his
+gold in danger. As I quitted Ferro, I spoke the caravels, and have good
+reason to think that rumor doth them no injustice."
+
+"Did they seem warlike, and made they any pretensions to a right to
+interrupt our voyage?"
+
+"To us they said naught of this sort, except to inquire, tauntingly, if
+the illustrious Don Christoval Colon, the great viceroy of the east,
+sailed on board us. As for preparation, Senor, they had many lombardas,
+and a multitude of men in breast-plates and casques. I doubt if soldiers
+are as numerous at the Azores, as when they sailed."
+
+"Keep they close in with the island, or stretch they off to seaward?"
+
+"Mostly the latter, Senor, standing far toward the west in the morning,
+and beating up toward the land as the day closeth. Take the word of an
+old pilot, Don Christopher, the mongrels are there for no good."
+
+This was barely audible, for, by this time, the caravels had drifted
+past each other, and were soon altogether beyond the reach of the voice.
+
+"Do you believe that the Castilian name standeth so low, Don
+Christopher," demanded Luis, "that these dogs of Portuguese dare do this
+wrong to the flag of the queen?"
+
+"I dread naught from force, beyond detention and frauds, certainly; but
+these, to me, at this moment, would be little less painful than death.
+Most do I apprehend that these caravels, under the pretence of
+protecting the rights of Don John, are directed to follow us to Cathay,
+in which case we should have a disputed discovery, and divided honors.
+We must avoid the Portuguese, if possible; to effect which purpose, I
+intend to pass to the westward, without nearing the island of Ferro, any
+closer than may be rendered absolutely indispensable."
+
+Notwithstanding a burning impatience now beset the admiral, and most
+with him, the elements seemed opposed to his passage from among the
+Canaries, into the open ocean. The wind gradually failed, until it
+became so calm that the sails were hauled up, and the three vessels lay,
+now laying their sides with the brine, and now rising to the summit of
+the ground-swell, resembling huge animals that were lazily reposing,
+under the heats of summer, in drowsy indolence.
+
+Many was the secret _pater_, or _ave_, that was mumbled by the mariners,
+and not a few vows of future prayers were made, in the hope of obtaining
+a breeze. Occasionally it seemed as if Providence listened to these
+petitions, for the air would fan the cheek, and the sails would fall, in
+the vain expectation of getting ahead; but disappointment as often
+followed, until all on board felt that they were fated to linger under
+the visitations of a calm. Just at nightfall, however, a light air
+arose, and, for a few hours, the wash of the parted waters was audible
+under the bows of the vessels, though their way was barely sufficient to
+keep them under the command of their helms. About midnight, however,
+even this scarcely perceptible motion was lost, and the craft were again
+lazily wallowing in the ground-swells that the gales had sent in from
+the vast expanse of the Western Ocean.
+
+When the light reappeared, the admiral found himself between Gomera and
+Teneriffe, the lofty peak of the latter casting its pointed shadow, like
+that thrown by a planet, far upon the water, until its sharp apex was
+renewed, in faint mimicry, along the glassy surface of the ocean.
+Columbus was now fearful that the Portuguese might employ their boats,
+or impel some light felucca by her sweeps, in order to find out his
+position; and he wisely directed the sails to be furled, in order to
+conceal his vessels, as far as possible, from any prying eyes. The
+season had advanced to the 7th of September, and such was the situation
+of this renowned expedition, exactly five weeks after it had left Spain;
+for this inauspicious calm occurred on a Friday, or on that day of the
+week on which it had originally sailed.
+
+All practice shows that there is no refuge from a calm at sea, except in
+patience. Columbus was much too experienced a navigator, not to feel
+this truth, and, after using the precaution mentioned, he, and the
+pilots under him, turned their attention to the arrangements required to
+render the future voyage safe and certain. The few mathematical
+instruments known to the age, were got up, corrected, and exhibited,
+with the double intention of ascertaining their state, and of making a
+display before the common men, that would heighten their respect for
+their leaders, by adding to their confidence in their skill. The
+admiral, himself, had already obtained a high reputation as a navigator,
+among his followers, in consequence of his reckonings having proved so
+much more accurate than those of the pilots, in approaching the
+Canaries; and as he now exhibited the instruments then used as a
+quadrant, and examined his compasses, every movement he made was watched
+by the seamen, with either secret admiration, or jealous vigilance; some
+openly expressing their confidence in his ability to proceed wherever he
+wished to go, and others covertly betraying just that degree of critical
+knowledge which ordinarily accompanies prejudice, ignorance, and malice.
+
+Luis had never been able to comprehend the mysteries of navigation, his
+noble head appearing to repudiate learning, as a species of
+accomplishment but little in accordance with its wants or its tastes.
+Still, he was intelligent; and within the range of knowledge that it was
+usual for laymen of his rank to attain, few of his age did themselves
+more credit in the circles of the court. Fortunately, he had the most
+perfect reliance on the means of the admiral; and being almost totally
+without personal apprehensions, Columbus had not a more submissive or
+blind follower, than the young grandee, under his command.
+
+Man, with all his boasted philosophy, intelligence, and reason, exists
+the dupe of his own imagination and blindness, as much as of the
+artifices and designs of others. Even while he fancies himself the most
+vigilant and cautious, he is as often misled by appearances as governed
+by facts and judgment; and perhaps half of those who were spectators of
+this calculated care in Columbus, believed that they felt, in their
+renewed confidence, the assurances of science and logical deductions,
+when in truth their senses were impressed, without, in the slightest
+degree, enlightening their understandings.
+
+Thus passed the day of the 7th September, the night arriving and still
+finding the little squadron, or fleet, as it was termed in the lofty
+language of the day, floating helplessly between Teneriffe and Gomera.
+Nor did the ensuing morning bring a change, for a burning sun beat,
+unrelieved by a breath of air, on the surface of a sea that was
+glittering like molten silver. When the admiral was certain, however, by
+having sent men aloft to examine the horizon, that the Portuguese were
+not in sight, he felt infinitely relieved, little doubting that his
+pursuers still lay, as inactive as himself, to the westward of Ferro.
+
+"By the seamen's hopes! Senor Don Christopher," said Luis, as he reached
+the poop, where Columbus had kept an untiring watch for hours, he
+himself having just risen from a siesta, "the fiends seem to be leagued
+against us! Here are we in the third day of our calm, with the Peak of
+Teneriffe as stationary as if it were a mile-stone, set to tell the
+porpoises and dolphins the rate at which they swim. If one believed in
+omens, he might fancy that the saints were unwilling to see us depart,
+even though it be on their own errand."
+
+"We _may not_ believe in omens, when they are no more than the fruits of
+natural laws," gravely returned the admiral. "There will shortly be an
+end of this calm, for a haze is gathering in the atmosphere that
+promises air from the east, and the motion of the ship will tell thee,
+that the winds have been busy far to the westward. Master Pilot,"
+addressing the officer of that title, who had charge of the deck at the
+moment, "thou wilt do well to unfurl thy canvas, and prepare for a
+favoring breeze, as we shall soon be overtaken by wind from the
+north-east."
+
+This prediction was verified about an hour later, when all three of the
+vessels began, again, to part the waters with their sterns. But the
+breeze, if any thing, proved more tantalizing to the impatient mariners
+than the calm itself had been; for a strong head sea had got up, and the
+air proving light, the different craft struggled with difficulty toward
+the west.
+
+All this time, a most anxious look-out was kept for the Portuguese
+caravels, the appearance of which, however, was less dreaded than it had
+been, as they were now supposed to be a considerable distance to
+leeward. Columbus, and his skilful assistants, Martin Alonzo and Vicente
+Yanez, or the brothers Pinzon, who commanded the Pinta and the Nina,
+practised all the means that their experience could suggest to get
+ahead. Their progress, however, was not only slow but painful, as every
+fresh impulse given by the breeze, served to plunge the bows of the
+vessels into the sea with a violence that threatened injuries to the
+spars and rigging. So trifling, indeed, was their rate of sailing, that
+it required all the judgment of Columbus to note the nearly
+imperceptible manner in which the tall, cone-like summit of the Peak of
+Teneriffe lowered, as it might be, inch by inch. The superstitious
+feelings of the common men being more active than usual, even, some
+among them began to whisper that the elements were admonishing them
+against proceeding, and that tardy as it might seem, the admiral would
+do well to attend to omens and signs that nature seldom gave without
+sufficient reason. These opinions, however, were cautiously uttered--the
+grave, earnest manner of Columbus having created so much respect, as to
+suppress them in his presence; and the mariners of the other vessels
+still followed the movements of their admiral with that species of blind
+dependence which marks the submission of the inferior to the superior,
+under such circumstances.
+
+When Columbus retired to his cabin for the night, Luis observed that his
+countenance was unusually grave, as he ended his calculations of the
+days' work.
+
+"I trust all goes to your wishes, Don Christopher," the young man gaily
+observed. "We are now fairly on our journey, and, to my eyes, Cathay is
+already in sight."
+
+"Thou hast that within thee, Don Luis," returned the admiral, "which
+rendereth what thou wishest to see distinct, and maketh all colors gay.
+With me it is a duty to see things as they _are_, and, although Cathay
+lieth plainly before the vision of my mind--thou, Lord, who hast
+implanted, for thine own great ends, the desire to reach that distant
+land, only know'st how plainly!--although Cathay is thus plain to my
+moral view, I am bound to heed the physical obstacles that may exist to
+our reaching it."
+
+"And are these obstacles getting to be more serious than we could hope,
+Senor?"
+
+"My trust is still in God--look here, young lord," laying his finger on
+the chart; "at this point were we in the morning, and to this point have
+we advanced by means of all the toil of the day, down to this portion of
+the night. Thou seest that a line of paper marketh the whole of our
+progress; and, here again, thou seest that we have to cross this vast
+desert of ocean, ere we may even hope to draw near the end of our
+journey. By my calculation, with all our exertions, and at this critical
+moment--critical not only as regardeth the Portuguese, but critical as
+regardeth our own people--we have made but nine leagues, which are a
+small portion of the thousand that lie before us. At this rate we may
+dread a failure of our provisions and water."
+
+"I have all confidence in your resources, Don Christopher, and in your
+knowledge and experience."
+
+"And I have all confidence in the protection of God; trusting that he
+will not desert his servant in the moment that he most needeth his
+support."
+
+Here Columbus prepared himself to catch a few hours' sleep, though it
+was in his clothes, the interest he felt in the position of his vessels
+forbidding him to undress. This celebrated man lived in an age when a
+spurious philosophy, and a pretending but insufficient exercise of
+reason, placed few, even in appearance, above the frank admission of
+their constant reliance on a divine power. We say in appearance, as no
+man, whatever may be the extent of his delusions on this subject, really
+believes that he is altogether sufficient for his own protection. This
+absolute self-reliance is forbidden by a law of nature, each carrying in
+his own breast a monitor to teach him his real insignificance,
+demonstrating daily, hourly, at each minute even, that he is but a
+diminutive agent used by a superior power in carrying out its own great
+and mysterious ends, for the sublime and beneficent purposes for which
+the world and all it contains has been created. In compliance with the
+usage of the times, Columbus knelt, and prayed fervently, ere he slept;
+nor did Luis de Bobadilla hesitate about imitating an example that few,
+in that day, thought beneath their intelligence or their manhood. If
+religion had the taint of superstition in the fifteenth century, and men
+confided too much in the efficacy of momentary and transient impulses,
+it is certain that it also possessed an exterior of graceful meekness
+and submission to God, in losing which, it may be well questioned if the
+world has been the gainer.
+
+The first appearance of light brought the admiral and Luis to the deck.
+They both knelt again on the poop, and repeated their paters; and then,
+yielding to the feelings natural to their situation, they arose, eager
+to watch for what might be revealed by the lifting of the curtain of
+day. The approach of dawn, and the rising of the sun at sea, have been
+so often described, that the repetition here might be superfluous; but
+we shall state that Luis watched the play of colors that adorned the
+eastern sky, with a lover's refinement of feeling, fancying that he
+traced a resemblance to the passage of emotions across the tell-tale
+countenance of Mercedes, in the soft and transient hues that are known
+to precede a fine morning in September, more especially in a low
+latitude. As for the admiral, his more practical gaze was turned in the
+direction in which the island of Ferro lay, awaiting the increase of the
+light in order to ascertain what changes had been wrought during the
+hours he had slept. Several minutes passed in profound attention, when
+the navigator beckoned Luis to his side.
+
+"Seest thou that dark, gloomy pile, which is heaving up out of the
+darkness, here at the south and west of us?" he said--"it gaineth form
+and distinctness at each instant, though distant some eight or ten
+leagues; that is Ferro, and the Portuguese are there, without question,
+anxiously expecting our appearance. In this calm, neither can approach
+the other, and thus far we are safe. It is now necessary to ascertain if
+the pursuing caravels are between us and the land, or not; after which,
+should it prove otherwise, we shall be reasonably safe, if we approach
+no nearer to the island, and we can maintain, as yesterday, the
+advantage of the wind. Seest thou any sail, Luis, in that quarter of the
+ocean?"
+
+"None, Senor; and the light is already of sufficient strength to expose
+the white canvas of a vessel, were any there."
+
+Columbus made an ejaculation of thankfulness, and immediately ordered
+the look-out aloft to examine the entire horizon. The report was
+favorable; the dreaded Portuguese caravels being nowhere visible. As the
+sun arose, however, a breeze sprung up at the southward and westward,
+bringing Ferro, and consequently any vessels that might be cruising in
+that quarter, directly to windward of the fleet. Sail was made without
+the loss of a moment; and the admiral stood to the northward and
+westward, trusting that his pursuers were looking out for him on the
+south side of the island, which was the ground where those who did not
+thoroughly understand his aim, would be most likely to expect him. By
+this time the westerly swell had, in a great measure, gone down; and
+though the progress of the vessels was far from rapid, it was steady,
+and seemed likely to last. The hours went slowly by, and as the day
+advanced, objects became less and less distinct on the sides of Ferro.
+Its entire surface next took the hazy appearance of a dim and
+ill-defined cloud; and then it began slowly to sink into the water. Its
+summit was still visible, as the admiral, with the more privileged of
+his companions, assembled on the poop, to take a survey of the ocean and
+of the weather. The most indifferent observer might now have noted the
+marked difference in the state of feeling which existed among the
+adventurers on board the Santa Maria. On the poop, all was cheerfulness
+and hope, the present escape having induced even the distrustful,
+momentarily, to forget the uncertain future; the pilots, as usual, were
+occupied and sustained by a species of marine stoicism; while a
+melancholy had settled on the crew that was as apparent as if they were
+crowding around the dead. Nearly every man in the ship was in some one
+of the groups that had assembled on deck; and every eye seemed riveted,
+as it might be by enchantment, on the fading and falling heights of
+Ferro. While things were in this state, Columbus approached Luis, and
+aroused him from a sort of trance, by laying a finger lightly on his
+shoulder.
+
+"It cannot be that the Senor de Munos is affected by the feelings of the
+common men," observed the admiral, with a slight mixture of surprise and
+reproach; "this, too, at a moment that all of an intelligence sufficient
+to foresee the glorious consequences, are rejoicing that a heaven-sent
+breeze is carrying us to a safe distance from the pursuing and envious
+caravels! Why dost thou thus regard the people beneath, with a steady
+eye and unwavering look? Is it that thou repentest embarking, or dost
+thou merely muse on the charms of thy mistress?"
+
+"By San Iago! Don Christopher, this time your sagacity is at fault. I
+neither repent, nor muse as you would imply; but I gaze at yonder poor
+fellows with pity for their apprehensions."
+
+"Ignorance is a hard master, Senor Pedro, and one that is now exercising
+his power over the imaginations of the seamen, with the ruthlessness of
+a tyrant. They dread the worst merely because they have not the
+knowledge to foresee the best. Fear is a stronger passion than hope, and
+is ever the near ally of ignorance. In vulgar eyes that which hath not
+yet been--nay, which hath not, in some measure, become familiar by
+use--is deemed impossible; men reasoning in a circle that is abridged by
+their information. Those fellows are gazing at the island, as it
+disappears, like men taking a last look at the things of life. Indeed,
+this concern exceedeth even what I could have anticipated."
+
+"It lieth deep, Senor, and yet it riseth to the eyes; for I have seen
+tears on cheeks that I could never have supposed wetted in any manner
+but by the spray of the ocean!"
+
+"There are our two acquaintances, Sancho and Pepe, neither of whom
+seemeth particularly distressed, though the last hath a cast of
+melancholy in his face. As for the first, the knave showeth the
+indifference of a true mariner--one who is never so happy as when
+furthest from the dangers of rocks and shoals: to such a man, the
+disappearance of one island, and the appearance of another, are alike
+matters of indifference. He seeth but the visible horizon around him,
+and considereth the rest of the world, temporarily, as a blank. I look
+for loyal service in that Sancho, in despite of his knavery, and count
+upon him as one of the truest of my followers."
+
+Here the admiral was interrupted by a cry from the deck beneath him,
+and, looking round, his practised and quick eye was not slow in
+discovering that the horizon to the southward presented the usual watery
+blank of the open ocean. Ferro had, in fact, altogether disappeared,
+some of the most sanguine of the seamen having fancied that they beheld
+it, even after it had finally sunk behind the barrier of waves. As the
+circumstance became more and more certain, the lamentations among the
+people grew less and less equivocal and louder, tears flowed without
+shame or concealment, hands were wrung in a sort of a senseless despair,
+and a scene of such clamor ensued, as threatened some serious danger to
+the expedition from this new quarter. Under such circumstances, Columbus
+had all the people collected beneath the break of the poop, and standing
+on the latter, where he could examine every countenance for himself, he
+addressed them on the subject of their grief. On this occasion the
+manner of the great navigator was earnest and sincere, leaving no doubt
+that he fully believed in the truth of his own arguments, and that he
+uttered nothing with the hope to delude or to mislead.
+
+"When Don Ferdinand and Dona Isabella, our respected and beloved
+sovereigns, honored me with the commission of admiral and viceroy, in
+those secret seas toward which we are now steering," he said, "I
+considered it as the most glorious and joyful event of my life, as I now
+consider this moment, that seemeth to some among you so painful, as
+second to it in hope and cause for felicitation. In the disappearance of
+Ferro, I see also the disappearance of the Portuguese; for, now that we
+are in the open ocean, without the limits of any known land, I trust
+that Providence hath placed us beyond the reach and machinations of all
+our enemies. While we prove true to ourselves, and to the great objects
+that are before us, there is no longer cause for fear. If any person
+among you hath a mind to disburden himself, in this matter, let him
+speak freely; we being much too strong in argument to wish to silence
+doubts by authority."
+
+"Then, Senor Don Almirante," put in Sancho, whose tongue was ever ready
+to wag, as occasion offered, "it is just that which maketh your
+Excellency so joyful that maketh these honest people so sad. Could they
+always keep the island of Ferro in sight, or any other known land, they
+would follow you to Cathay with as gentle a pull as the launch followeth
+the caravel in a light breeze and smooth water; but it is this leaving
+all behind, as it might be, earth as well as wives and children, that
+saddens their hearts, and uncorks their tears."
+
+"And thou, Sancho, an old mariner that wast born at sea"--
+
+"Nay, your Excellency, illustrious Senor Don Almirante," interrupted
+Sancho, looking up with pretended simplicity, "not exactly at sea,
+though within the scent of its odor; since, having been found at the
+shipwright's gate, it is not probable they would have made a haven just
+to land so small a part of the freight."
+
+"Well, born _near_ the sea, if thou wilt--but from thee I expect better
+things than unmanly lamentations because an island hath sunk below the
+horizon."
+
+"Excellency, you may; it mattereth little to Sancho, if half the islands
+in the sea were sunk a good deal lower. There are the Cape de Verdes,
+now, which I never wish to look upon again, and Lampidosa, besides
+Stromboli and others in that quarter, would be better out of the way,
+than where they are, as for any good they do us seamen. But, if your
+Excellency will condescend to tell these honest people whither it is
+that we are bound, and what you expect to find in port, and, more
+especially, when we are to come back, it would comfort them in an
+unspeakable degree."
+
+"As I hold it to be the proper office of men in authority to let their
+motives be known, when no evil followeth the disclosure, this will I
+most cheerfully do, requiring the attention of all near me, and chiefly
+of those who are most uneasy concerning our present position and future
+movements. The end of our voyage is Cathay, a country that is known to
+lie in the uttermost eastern extremity of Asia, whither it hath been
+more than once reached by Christian travellers; and its difference from
+all other voyages, or journeys, that may have been attempted in order to
+reach the same country, is in the circumstance that we go west, while
+former travellers have proceeded east. But this is effecting our
+purposes by means that belong only to stout-hearted mariners, since none
+but those who are familiar with the ocean, skilful pilots, and obedient
+and ready seamen, can traverse the waters, without better guides than
+the knowledge of the stars, currents, winds, and other phenomena of the
+Atlantic, and such aids as may be gleaned from science. The reason on
+which I act, is a conviction that the earth is round, whence it
+followeth that the Atlantic, which we know to possess an eastern
+boundary of land, must also have a western; and from certain
+calculations that leave it almost certain, that this continent, which I
+hold will prove to be India, cannot lie more than some twenty-five or
+thirty days' sailing, if as many, from our own Europe. Having thus told
+when and where I expect to find the country we seek, I will now touch a
+little on the advantages that we may all expect to derive from the
+discovery. According to the accounts of a certain Marco Polo, and his
+relatives, gentlemen of Venice, and men of fair credit and good
+reputations, the kingdom of Cathay is not only one of the most extensive
+known, but one that most aboundeth in gold and silver, together with the
+other metals of value, and precious stones. Of the advantages of the
+discovery of such a land to yourselves, ye may judge by its advantages
+to me. Their Highnesses have dignified me with the rank of admiral and
+viceroy, in anticipation of our success, and, persevering to a
+successful termination of your efforts, the humblest man among ye may
+look with confidence to some signal mark of their favor. Rewards will
+doubtless be rendered in proportion to your merits; he that deserveth
+much, receiving more than he who hath deserved less. Still will there be
+sufficient for all. Marco Polo and his relatives dwelt seventeen years
+in the court of the Great Khan, and were every way qualified to give a
+true account of the riches and resources of those regions; and well were
+they--simple Venetian gentlemen, without any other means than could be
+transported on the backs of beasts of burden--rewarded for their toils
+and courage. The jewels alone, with which they returned, served long to
+enrich their race, renovating a decayed but honorable family, while they
+did their enterprise and veracity credit in the eyes of men.
+
+"As the ocean, for a long distance this side of the continent of Asia
+and the kingdom of Cathay, is known to abound with islands, we may
+expect first to meet with them, where, it would be doing nature herself
+injustice, did we not anticipate fragrant freights of balmy spices, and
+other valuable commodities with which that favored quarter of the earth,
+it is certain, is enriched. Indeed, it is scarce possible for the
+imagination to conceive of the magnitude of the results that await our
+success, while naught but ridicule and contempt could attend a hasty and
+inconsiderate return. Going not as invaders, but as Christians and
+friends, we have no reason to expect other than the most friendly
+reception; and, no doubt, the presents and gifts, alone, that will
+naturally be offered to strangers who have come so far, and by a road
+that hath hitherto been untravelled, will forty-fold repay you for all
+your toils and troubles.
+
+"I say nothing of the honor of being among those who have first carried
+the cross to the heathen world," continued the admiral, uncovering
+himself, and looking around him with solemn gravity; "though our fathers
+believed it to be no little distinction to have been one in the armies
+that contended for the possession of the sepulchre. But neither the
+church, nor its great master, forgetteth the servitor that advanceth its
+interests, and we may all look for blessings, both here and hereafter."
+
+As he concluded, Columbus devoutly crossed himself, and withdrew from
+the sight of his people among those who were on the poop. The effect of
+this address was, for the moment, very salutary, and the men saw the
+clouds that hung over the land disappear, like the land itself, with
+less feeling than they had previously manifested. Nevertheless, they
+remained distrustful and sad, some dreaming that night of the pictures
+that Columbus had drawn of the glories of the East, and others fancying,
+in their sleep, that demons were luring them into unknown seas, where
+they were doomed to wander forever, as a punishment for their sins;
+conscience asserting its power in all situations, and most vividly in
+those of distrust and uncertainty.
+
+Shortly before sunset, the admiral caused the three vessels to heave-to,
+and the two Pinzons to repair on board his own ship. Here he laid before
+these persons his orders and plans for their government, in the event of
+a separation.
+
+"Thus you will understand me, Senores," he concluded, after having
+explained at length his views: "Your first and gravest duty will be to
+keep near the admiral, in all weather, and under every circumstance, so
+long as it may be possible; but, failing of the possibility, you will
+make your way due westward, on this parallel of latitude, until you have
+gone seven hundred leagues from the Canaries; after which, you are to
+lie-to at night, as, by that time, it is probable you will be among the
+islands of Asia; and it will be both prudent, and necessary to our
+objects, to be more on the alert for discoveries, from that moment.
+Still, you will proceed westward, relying on seeing me at the court of
+the Great Khan, should Providence deny us an earlier meeting."
+
+"This is well, Senor Almirante," returned Martin Alonzo, raising his
+eyes, which had long been riveted on the chart, "but it will be far
+better for all to keep together, and chiefly so to us, who are little
+used to the habits of princes, if we wait for your Excellency's
+protection before we rush unheedingly into the presence of a sovereign
+as potent as the Grand Khan."
+
+"Thou showest thy usual prudence, good Martin Alonzo, and I much commend
+thee for it. It were, indeed, better that thou shouldst wait my arrival,
+since that eastern potentate may conceive himself better treated by
+receiving the first visit from the viceroy of the sovereigns, who is the
+bearer of letters directly from his own royal master and mistress, than
+by receiving it from one of inferior rank. Look thou well to the islands
+and their products, Senor Pinzon, shouldst thou first gain those seas,
+and await my appearance, before thou proceedest to aught else. How stand
+thy people affected on taking leave of the land?"
+
+"Ill enough, Senor; so much so, indeed, as to put me in fear of a
+mutiny. There are those in the Pinta who need to stand in wholesome
+dread of the anger of their Highnesses, to prevent their making a sudden
+and violent return to Palos."
+
+"Thou wouldst do well to look sharply to this spirit, that it may be
+kept under. Deal kindly and gently with these disaffected spirits as
+long as may be, encouraging them by all fair and reasonable promises;
+but beware that the distemper get not the mastery of thy authority. And
+now, Senores, as the night approacheth, take boat and return to your
+vessels, that we may profit by the breeze."
+
+When Columbus was again alone with Luis, he sat in his little cabin,
+with a hand supporting his head, musing like one lost in reflection.
+
+"Thou hast long known this Martin Alonzo, Don Luis de Bobadilla?" he at
+length asked, betraying the current of his thoughts, by the nature of
+the question.
+
+"Long, Senor, as youths count time; though it would seem but a day in
+the calculations of aged men."
+
+"Much dependeth on him; I hope he may prove honest; as yet he hath shown
+himself liberal, enterprising, and manly."
+
+"He is human, Don Christopher, and therefore liable to err. Yet as men
+go, I esteem Martin Alonzo far from being among the worst of his race.
+He hath not embarked in this enterprise under knightly vows, nor with
+any churchman's zeal; but give him the chance of a fair return for his
+risks, and you will find him as true as interest ever leaveth a man,
+when there is any occasion to try his selfishness."
+
+"Then thou, only, will I trust with my secret. Look at this paper, Luis.
+Here thou seest that I have been calculating our progress since morning,
+and I find that we have come full nineteen leagues, though it be not in
+a direct westerly line. Should I let the people know how far we may have
+truly come, at the end of some great distance, there being no land
+visible, fear will get the mastery over them, and no man can foresee the
+consequences. I shall write down publicly, therefore, but fifteen
+leagues, keeping the true reckoning sacred for thine eye and mine. God
+will forgive me this deception, in consideration that it is practised in
+the interest of his own church. By making these small deductions daily,
+it will enable us to advance a thousand leagues, without awakening alarm
+sufficient for more than seven or eight hundred."
+
+"This is reducing courage to a scale I little dreamt of, Senor,"
+returned Luis, laughing. "By San Luis, my true patron! we should think
+ill of the knight who found it necessary to uphold his heart by a
+measurement of leagues."
+
+"All unknown evils are dreaded evils. Distance hath its terrors for the
+ignorant, and it may justly have its terrors for the wise, young noble,
+when it is measured on a trackless ocean; and there ariseth another
+question touching those great staples of life, food and water."
+
+With this slight reproof of the levity of his young friend, the admiral
+prepared himself for his hammock by kneeling and repeating the prayers
+of the hour.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII.
+
+    "Whither, 'midst falling dew,
+      While glow the heavens with the last steps of day,
+    Far, through their rosy depths, dost thou pursue
+      Thy solitary way?"
+
+    Bryant.
+
+
+The slumbers of Columbus were of short duration. While his sleep lasted
+it was profound, like that of a man who has so much control over his
+will as to have reduced the animal functions to its domination, for he
+awoke regularly at short intervals, in order that his watchful eye might
+take a survey of the state of the weather, and of the condition of his
+vessels. On this occasion, the admiral was on deck again, a little after
+one, where he found all things seemingly in that quiet and inspiring
+calm that ordinarily marks, in fine weather, a middle watch at sea. The
+men on deck mostly slumbered; the drowsy pilot, and the steersman, with
+a look-out or two, alone remaining erect and awake. The wind had
+freshened, and the caravel was ploughing her way ahead, with an untiring
+industry, leaving Ferro and its dangers, at each instant, more and more
+remote. The only noises that were audible, were the gentle sighing of
+the wind among the cordage, the wash of the water, and the occasional
+creaking of a yard, as the breeze forced it, with a firmer pressure, to
+distend its tackle and to strain its fittings.
+
+The night was dark, and it required a moment to accustom the eye to
+objects by a light so feeble: when this was done, however, the admiral
+discovered that the ship was not close by the wind, as he had ordered
+that she should be kept. Walking to the helm, he perceived that it was
+so far borne up, as to cause her head to fall off toward the north-east,
+which was, in fact, in the direction to Spain.
+
+"Art thou a seaman, and disregardest thy course, in this heedless
+manner?" sternly demanded the admiral; "or art thou only a muleteer, who
+fancieth he is merely winding his way along a path of the mountains. Thy
+heart is in Spain, and thou thinkest that a vain wish to return may meet
+with some relief in this idle artifice!"
+
+"Alas, Senor Almirante! your Excellency hath judged rightly in believing
+that my heart is in Spain, where it ought to be, moreover, as I have
+left behind me at Moguer seven motherless children."
+
+"Dost thou not know, fellow, that I, too, am a father, and that the
+dearest objects of a father's hopes are left behind me, also? In what,
+then, dost thou differ from me, my son being also without a mother's
+care?"
+
+"Excellency, he hath an admiral for a father, while my boys have only a
+helmsman!"
+
+"And what will it matter to Don Diego"--Columbus was fond of dwelling on
+the honors he had received from the sovereigns, even though it were a
+little irregularly--"what will it matter to Don Diego, my son, that his
+parent perished an admiral, if he perish at all; and in what will he
+profit more than your children, when he findeth himself altogether
+without a parent?"
+
+"Senor, it will profit him to be cherished by the king and queen, to be
+honored as your child, and to be fostered and fed as the offspring of a
+viceroy, instead of being cast aside as the issue of a nameless
+mariner."
+
+"Friend, thou hast some reason in this, and in-so-much I respect thy
+feelings," answered Columbus, who, like our own Washington, appears to
+have always submitted to a lofty and pure sense of justice; "but thou
+wouldst do well to remember the influence that thy manly and successful
+perseverance in this voyage may produce on the welfare of thy children,
+instead of thus dwelling on weak forebodings of ills that are little
+likely to come to pass. Neither of us hath much to expect, should we
+fail of our discoveries, while both may hope every thing should we
+succeed. Can I trust thee now, to keep the ship on her course, or must I
+send for another mariner to relieve the helm?"
+
+"It may be better, noble admiral, to do the last. I will bethink me of
+thy counsel, and strive with my longings for home; but it would be safer
+to seek another for this day, while we are so near to Spain."
+
+"Dost thou know one Sancho Mundo, a common seaman of this crew?"
+
+"Senor, we all know him; he hath the name of the most skilful of our
+craft, of all in Moguer."
+
+"Is he of thy watch, or sleepeth he with his fellows of the relief
+below?"
+
+"Senor, he is of our watch; and sleepeth not with his fellows below, for
+the reason that he sleepeth on deck. No care, or danger, can unsettle
+the confidence of Sancho! To him the sight of land is so far an evil,
+that I doubt if he rejoice should we ever reach those distant countries
+that your Excellency seemeth to expect we may."
+
+"Go find this Sancho, and bid him come hither; I will discharge thy
+office the while."
+
+Columbus now took the helm with his own hands, and with a light play of
+the tiller brought the ship immediately up as near the wind as she would
+lie. The effect was felt in more quick and sudden plunges into the sea,
+a deeper heel to leeward, and a fresh creaking aloft, that denoted a
+renewed and increased strain on all the spars and their tackle. In the
+course of a few minutes, however, Sancho appeared, rubbing his eyes, and
+yawning.
+
+"Take thou this duty," said the admiral, as soon as the man was near
+him, "and discharge it faithfully. Those who have been here already,
+have proved unfaithful, suffering the vessel to fall off, in the
+direction of Spain; I expect better things of thee. I think, friend
+Sancho, I may count on thee as a true and faithful follower, even in
+extremity?"
+
+"Senor Don Almirante," said Sancho, who took the helm, giving it a
+little play to feel his command of it, as a skilful coachman brings his
+team in subjection on first assuming the reins, "I am a servant of the
+crown's, and your inferior and subordinate; such duty as becometh me, I
+am ready to discharge."
+
+"Thou hast no fear of this voyage--no childish forebodings of becoming
+an endless wanderer in an unknown sea, without hope of ever seeing wife
+or child again?"
+
+"Senor, you seem to know our hearts as well as if your Excellency had
+made them with your own hands, and then put them into our miserable
+bodies!"
+
+"Thou hast, then, none of these unsuitable and unseamanlike
+apprehensions?"
+
+"Not as much, Excellency, as would raise an ave in a parish priest, or a
+sigh in an old woman. I may have my misgivings, for we all have
+weaknesses, but none of them incline to any dread of sailing about the
+ocean, since that is my happiness; nor to any concern about wife and
+children, not having the first, and wishing not to think I have the
+last."
+
+"If thou hast misgivings, name them. I could wish to make one firm as
+thou, wholly my friend."
+
+"I doubt not, Senor, that we shall reach Cathay, or whatever country
+your Excellency may choose to seek; I make no question of your ability
+to beard the Great Khan, and, at need, to strip the very jewels from his
+turban--as turban he must have, being an Infidel; nor do I feel any
+misgivings about the magnitude and richness of our discoveries and
+freights, since I believe, Senor Don Almirante, you are skilful enough
+to take the caravels in at one end of the earth and out at the other;
+or, even to load them with carbuncles, should diamonds be wanting."
+
+"If thou hast this faith in thy leader, what other distrust can give
+thee concern?"
+
+"I distrust the value of the share, whether of honor or of jewels, that
+will fall to the lot of one Sancho Mundo, a poor, unknown, almost
+shirtless mariner, that hath more need of both than hath ever crossed
+the mind of our gracious lady, Dona Isabella, or of her royal consort."
+
+"Sancho, thou art a proof that no man is without his failings, and I
+fear thou art mercenary. They say all men have their prices; thou
+seemest clearly to have thine."
+
+"Your Excellency hath not been sailing about the world for nothing, or
+you could not tell every man his inclinations so easily. I have ever
+suspected I was mercenary, and so have accepted all sorts of presents to
+keep the feeling down. Nothing appeases a mercenary longing like gifts
+and rewards; and as for price, I strive hard to keep mine as high as
+possible, lest it should bring me into discredit for a mean and
+grovelling spirit. Give me a high price, and plenty of gifts, and I can
+be as disinterested as a mendicant friar."
+
+"I understand thee, Sancho; thou art to be bought, but not to be
+frightened. In thy opinion a single dobla is too little to be divided
+between thee and thy friend, the Portuguese. I will make a league with
+thee on thine own terms; here is another piece of gold; see that thou
+remainest true to me throughout the voyage."
+
+"Count on me, without scruple, Senor Don Almirante, and with scruples,
+too, should they interfere. Your Excellency hath not a more
+disinterested friend in the fleet. I only hope that when the share-list
+shall be written out, the name of Sancho Mundo may have an honorable
+place, as will become his fidelity. And now, your Excellency, go sleep
+in peace; the Santa Maria shall lie as near to the route to Cathay, as
+this south-westerly breeze will suffer."
+
+Columbus complied, though he rose once or twice more, during the night,
+to ascertain the state of the weather, and that the men did their
+duties. So long as Sancho remained at the helm, he continued faithful to
+his compact; but, as he went below with his watch, at the usual hour,
+successors were put in his place, who betrayed the original treachery of
+the other helmsman. When Luis left his hammock, Columbus was already at
+work, ascertaining the distance that had been run in the course of the
+night. Catching the inquiring glance of the young man, the admiral
+observed, gravely, and not altogether without melancholy in his manner--
+
+"We have had a good run, though it hath been more northerly than I could
+have desired. I find that the vessels are thirty leagues further from
+Ferro than when the sun set, and thou seest, here, that I have written
+four-and-twenty in the reckoning, that is intended for the eyes of the
+people. But there hath been great weakness at work this night among the
+steersmen, if not treachery: they have kept the ship away in a manner to
+cause her to run a part of the time in a direction nearly parallel to
+the coast of Europe, so that they have been endeavoring to deceive me,
+on the deck, while I have thought it necessary to attempt deceiving them
+in the cabin. It is painful, Don Luis, to find such deceptions resorted
+to, or such deceptions necessary, when one is engaged in an enterprise
+that surpasseth all others ever yet attempted by man, and that, too,
+with a view to the glory of God, the advantage of the human race, and
+the especial interests of Spain."
+
+"The holy churchmen, themselves, Don Christopher, are obliged to submit
+to this evil," answered the careless Luis; "and it does not become us
+laymen to repine at what they endure. I am told that half the miracles
+they perform are, in truth, miracles of but a very indifferent quality;
+the doubts and want of faith of us hardened sinners rendering such
+little inventions necessary for the good of our souls."
+
+"That there are false-minded and treacherous churchmen, as well as
+false-minded and treacherous laymen, Luis, I little doubt," answered the
+admiral; "but this cometh of the fall of man, and of his evil nature.
+There are also righteous and true miracles, that come of the power of
+God, and which are intended to uphold the faith, and to encourage those
+who love and honor his holy name. I do not esteem any thing that hath
+yet befallen us to belong very distinctly to this class; nor do I
+venture to hope that we are to be favored in this manner by an especial
+intervention in our behalf; but it exceedeth all the machinations of the
+devils to persuade me that we shall be deserted while bent on so
+glorious a design, or that we are not, indirectly and secretly, led, in
+our voyage, by a spirit and knowledge that both come of Divine grace and
+infinite wisdom."
+
+"This may be so, Don Christopher, so far as you are concerned; though,
+for myself, I claim no higher a guide than an angel. An angel's purity,
+and, I hope I may add, an angel's love, lead me, in my blind path across
+the ocean!"
+
+"So it seemeth to thee, Luis; but thou canst not know that a higher
+power doth not use the Dona Mercedes as an instrument in this matter.
+Although no miracle rendereth it apparent to the vulgar, a spirit is
+placed in my breast, in conducting this enterprise, that I should deem
+it blasphemy to resist. God be praised, my boy, we are at last quit of
+the Portuguese, and are fairly on our road! At present all our obstacles
+must arise from the elements, or from our own fears. It gladdeneth my
+heart to find that the two Pinzons remain true, and that they keep their
+caravels close to the Santa Maria, like men bent on maintaining their
+faith, and seeing an end of the adventure."
+
+As Luis was now ready, he and the admiral left the cabin together. The
+sun had risen, and the broad expanse of the ocean was glittering with
+his rays. The wind had freshened, and was gradually getting further to
+the south, so that the vessels headed up nearly to their course; and,
+there being but little sea, the progress of the fleet was, in
+proportion, considerable. Every thing appeared propitious; and the first
+burst of grief, on losing sight of known land, having subsided, the
+crews were more tranquil, though dread of the future was smothered, like
+the latent fires of a volcano, rather than extinguished. The aspect of
+the sea was favorable, offering nothing to view that was unusual to
+mariners; and, as there is always something grateful in a lively breeze,
+when unaccompanied with danger, the men were probably encouraged by a
+state of things to which they were accustomed, and which brought with it
+cheerfulness and hope. In the course of the day and night, the vessels
+ran a hundred and eighty miles still further into the trackless waste of
+the ocean, without awakening half the apprehensions in the bosoms of the
+mariners that they had experienced on losing sight of land. Columbus,
+however, acting on the cautious principle he had adopted, when he laid
+before his people the result of the twenty-four hours' work, reduced the
+distance to about one hundred and fifty.
+
+Tuesday, the 10th of September, brought a still more favorable change of
+wind. This day, for the first time since quitting the Canaries, the
+heads of the vessels were laid fairly to the west; and, with the old
+world directly behind them, and the unknown ocean in their front, the
+adventurers proceeded onward with a breeze at south-east. The rate of
+sailing was about five miles in the hour; compensating for the want of
+speed, by the steadiness of their progress, and by the directness of
+their course.
+
+The observations that are usually made at sea, when the sun is in the
+zenith, were over, and Columbus had just announced to his anxious
+companions that the vessels were gradually setting south, owing to the
+drift of some invisible current, when a cry from the mast-head announced
+the proximity of a whale. As the appearance of one of these monsters of
+the deep breaks the monotony of a sea life, every one was instantly on
+the look-out, some leaping into the rigging and others upon the rails,
+in order to catch a glimpse of his gambols.
+
+"Dost thou see him, Sancho?" demanded the admiral of Mundo, the latter
+being near him at the moment. "To me the water hath no appearance of any
+such animals being at hand."
+
+"Your Excellency's eye, Senor Don Almirante, is far truer than that of
+the babbler's aloft. Sure as this is the Atlantic, and yonder is the
+foam of the crests of the waves, there is no whale."
+
+"The flukes!--the flukes!" shouted a dozen voices at once, pointing to a
+spot where a dark object arose above the froth of the sea, showing a
+pointed summit, with short arms extended on each side. "He playeth with
+his head beneath the water, and the tail uppermost!"
+
+"Alas!--alas!" exclaimed the practised Sancho, with the melancholy of a
+true seaman, "what these inexperienced and hasty brawlers call the fluke
+of a whale, is naught but the mast of some unhappy ship, that hath left
+her bones, with her freight and her people, in the depths of the ocean!"
+
+"Thou art right, Sancho," returned the admiral. "I now see that thou
+meanest: it is truly a spar, and doubtless betokeneth a shipwreck."
+
+This fact passed swiftly from mouth to mouth, and the sadness that ever
+accompanies the evidences of such a disaster, settled on the faces of
+all the beholders. The pilots alone showed indifference, and they
+consulted on the expediency of endeavoring to secure the spar, as a
+resource in time of need; but they abandoned the attempt on acccount of
+the agitation of the water, and of the fairness of the wind, the latter
+being an advantage a true mariner seldom likes to lose.
+
+"There is a warning to us!" exclaimed one of the disaffected, as the
+Santa Maria sailed past the waving summit of the spar; "God hath sent
+this sign to warn us not to venture where he never intended navigators
+to go!"
+
+"Say, rather," put in Sancho, who, having taken the fee, had ever since
+proved a willing advocate, "it is an omen of encouragement sent from
+heaven. Dost thou not see that the part of the mast that is visible
+resembleth a cross, which holy sign is intended to lead us on, filled
+with hopes of success?"
+
+"This is true, Sancho," interrupted Columbus. "A cross hath been reared
+for our edification, as it might be, in the midst of the ocean, and we
+are to regard it as a proof that Providence is with us, in our attempt
+to carry its blessings to the aid and consolation of the heathen of
+Asia."
+
+As the resemblance to the holy symbol was far from fanciful, this happy
+hit of Sancho's was not without its effect. The reader will understand
+the likeness all the better, when he is told that the upper end of a
+mast has much the appearance of a cross, by means of the trussel-trees;
+and, as often happens, this particular spar was floating nearly
+perpendicular, owing to some heavy object being fast to its heel,
+leaving the summit raised some fifteen or twenty feet above the surface
+of the sea. In a quarter of an hour this last relic of Europe and of
+civilization disappeared in the wake of the vessels, gradually
+diminishing in size and settling toward the water, until its faint
+outlines vanished in threads, still wearing the well-known shape of the
+revered symbol of Christianity.
+
+After this little incident, the progress of the vessels was
+uninterrupted by any event worthy of notice for two days and nights. All
+this time the wind was favorable, and the adventurers proceeded due
+west, by compass, which was, in fact, however, going a little north of
+the real point--a truth that the knowledge of the period had not yet
+mastered. Between the morning of the 10th September, and the evening of
+the 13th, the fleet had passed over near ninety leagues of ocean,
+holding its way in a line but a little deviating from a direct one
+athwart the great waste of water, and having consequently reached a
+point as far, if not further west than the position of the Azores, then
+the most westerly land known to European navigators. On the 13th, the
+currents proved to be adverse, and, having a south-easterly set, they
+had a tendency to cause the ships to sheer southwardly, bringing them,
+each hour, nearer to the northern margin of the trades.
+
+The admiral and Luis were at their customary post, on the evening of the
+13th--the day last mentioned--as Sancho left the helm, his tour of duty
+having just ended. Instead of going forward, as usual, among the people,
+the fellow hesitated, surveyed the poop with a longing eye, and, finding
+it occupied only by the admiral and his constant companion, he ascended
+the ladder, as if desirous of making some communication.
+
+"Wouldst thou aught with me, Sancho?" demanded the admiral, waiting for
+the man to make certain that no one else was on the narrow deck. "Speak
+freely: thou hast my confidence."
+
+"Senor Don Almirante, your Excellency well knoweth that I am no
+fresh-water fish, to be frightened at the sight of a shark or a whale,
+or one that is terrified because a ship headeth west, instead of east;
+and yet I do come to say that this voyage is not altogether without
+certain signs and marvels, that it may be well for a mariner to respect,
+as unusual, if not ominous."
+
+"As thou sayest, Sancho, thou art no driveller to be terrified by the
+flight of a bird, or at the presage of a drifting spar, and thou
+awakenest my curiosity to know more. The Senor de Munos is my
+confidential secretary, and nothing need be hid from him. Speak freely,
+then, and without further delay. If gold is thy aim, be certain thou
+shalt have it."
+
+"No, Senor, my news is not worth a maravedi, or it is far beyond the
+price of gold; such as it is, your Excellency can take it, and think no
+more of my reward. You know, Senor, that we old mariners will have our
+thoughts as we stand at the helm, sometimes fancying the smiles and good
+looks of some hussy ashore, sometimes remembering the flavor of rich
+fruits and well-savored mutton; and then, again, for a wonder,
+bethinking us of our sins."
+
+"Fellow, all this I well know; but it is not matter for an admiral's
+ear."
+
+"I know not that, Senor; I have known admirals who have relished mutton
+after a long cruise; ay, and who have bethought them, too, of smiling
+faces and bright eyes, and who, if they did not, at times, bethink them
+of their sins, have done what was much worse, help to add to the great
+account that was heaping up against them. Now, there was"--
+
+"Let me toss this vagabond into the sea, at once, Don Christopher,"
+interrupted the impatient Luis, making a forward movement as if to
+execute the threat, an act which the hand of Columbus arrested; "we
+shall never hear a tale the right end first, as long as he remaineth in
+the ship."
+
+"I thank you, my young Lord of Llera," answered Sancho, with an ironical
+smile; "if you are as ready at drowning seamen, as you are at unhorsing
+Christian knights in the tourney, and Infidels in the fray, I would
+rather that another should be master of my baths."
+
+"Thou know'st me, knave? Thou hast seen me on some earlier voyage."
+
+"A cat may look at a king, Senor Conde; and why not a mariner on his
+passenger? But spare your threats, and your secret is in safe hands. If
+we reach Cathay, no one will be ashamed of having made the voyage; and
+if we miss it, it is little likely that any will go back to relate the
+precise manner in which your Excellency was drowned, or starved to
+death, or in what other manner you became a saint in Abraham's bosom."
+
+"Enough of this!" said Columbus, sternly; "relate what thou hast to say,
+and see that thou art discreet touching this young noble."
+
+"Senor, your word is law. Well, Don Christopher, it is one of the tricks
+of us mariners, at night, to be watching an old and constant friend, the
+north star; and while thus occupied an hour since, I noted that this
+faithful guide and the compass by which I was steering, told different
+tales."
+
+"Art certain of this?" demanded the admiral, with a quickness and
+emphasis that betrayed the interest he felt in the communication.
+
+"As certain, Senor, as fifty years' looking at the star, and forty
+years' watching of the compass can make a man. But there is no occasion,
+your Excellency, to depend on my ignorance, since the star is still
+where God placed it; and there is your private compass at your
+elbow--one may be compared with the other."
+
+Columbus had already bethought him of making this comparison; and by the
+time Sancho ceased speaking, he and Luis were examining the instrument
+with eager curiosity. The first, and the most natural, impression, was a
+belief that the needle of the instrument below was defective, or, at
+least, influenced by some foreign cause; but an attentive observation
+soon convinced the navigator that the remark of Sancho was true. He was
+both astonished and concerned to find that the habitual care, and
+professional eye of the fellow had been active, and quick to note a
+change as unusual as this. It was, indeed, so common with mariners to
+compare their compasses with the north star--a luminary that was
+supposed never to vary its position in the heavens, as that position
+related to man--that no experienced seaman, who happened to be at the
+helm at nightfall, could well overlook the phenomenon.
+
+After repeated observations with his own compasses, of which he kept
+two--one on the poop, and another in the cabin; and having recourse also
+to the two instruments in the binnacle, Columbus was compelled to admit
+to himself that all four varied, alike, from their usual direction,
+nearly six degrees. Instead of pointing due north, or, at least, in a
+direct line toward a point on the horizon immediately beneath the star,
+they pointed some five or six degrees to the westward of it. This was
+both a novel and an astounding departure from the laws of nature, as
+they were then understood, and threatened to render the desired results
+of the voyage so much the more difficult of attainment, as it at once
+deprived the adventurers of a sure reliance on the mariner's principal
+guide, and would render it difficult to sail, with any feeling of
+certainty as to the course, in cloudy weather, or dark nights. The first
+thought of the admiral, on this occasion, however, was to prevent the
+effect which such a discovery would be likely to produce on men already
+disposed to anticipate the worst.
+
+"Thou wilt say nothing of this, Sancho?" he observed to the man. "Here
+is another dobla to add to thy store."
+
+"Excellency, pardon a humble seaman's disobedience, if my hand refuse to
+open to your gift. This matter toucheth of supernatural means; and, as
+the devil may have an agency in the miracle, in order to prevent our
+converting them heathen, of whom you so often speak, I prefer to keep my
+soul as pure as may be, in the matter, since no one knoweth what weapons
+we may be driven to use, should we come to real blows with the Father of
+Sin."
+
+"Thou wilt, at least, prove discreet?"
+
+"Trust me for that, Senor Don Almirante; not a word shall pass my lips
+about this matter, until I have your Excellency's permission to speak."
+
+Columbus dismissed the man, and then he turned toward Luis, who had been
+a silent but attentive listener to what had passed.
+
+"You seem disturbed at this departure from the usual laws of the
+compass, Don Christopher," observed the young man, gaily. "To me it
+would seem better to rely altogether on Providence, which would scarcely
+lead us out here, into the wide Atlantic, on its own errand, and desert
+us when we most need its aid."
+
+"God implants in the bosom of his servants a desire to advance his ends,
+but human agents are compelled to employ natural means, and, in order to
+use such means advantageously, it is necessary to understand them. I
+look upon this phenomenon as a proof that our voyage is to result in
+discoveries of unknown magnitude, among which, perhaps, are to be
+numbered some clue to the mysteries of the needle. The mineral riches of
+Spain differ, in certain particulars, from the mineral riches of France;
+for, though some things are common to all lands, others are peculiar to
+particular countries. We may find regions where the loadstone abounds,
+or may, even now, be in the neighborhood of some island that hath an
+influence on our compasses that we cannot explain."
+
+"Is it known that islands have ever produced this effect on the needle?"
+
+"It is not--nor do I deem such a circumstance very probable, though all
+things are possible. We will wait patiently for further proofs that this
+phenomenon is real and permanent, ere we reason further on a matter that
+is so difficult to be understood."
+
+The subject was now dropped, though the unusual incident gave the great
+navigator an uneasy and thoughtful night. He slept little, and often was
+his eye fastened on the compass that was suspended in his cabin as a
+"tell-tale," for so seamen term the instrument by which the officer
+overlooks the course that is steered by the helmsman, even when the
+latter least suspects his supervision. Columbus arose sufficiently early
+to get a view of the star before its brightness was dimmed by the return
+of light, and made another deliberate comparison of the position of this
+familiar heavenly body with the direction of the needles. The
+examination proved a slight increase of the variation, and tended to
+corroborate the observations of the previous night. The result of the
+reckoning showed that the vessels had run nearly a hundred miles in the
+course of the last twenty-four hours, and Columbus now believed himself
+to be about six times that distance west of Ferro, though even the
+pilots fancied themselves by no means as far.
+
+As Sancho kept his secret, and no other eye among the helmsmen was as
+vigilant, the important circumstance, as yet, escaped general attention.
+It was only at night, indeed, that the variation could be observed by
+means of the polar star, and it was yet so slight that no one but a very
+experienced and quick-eyed mariner would be apt to note it. The whole of
+the day and night of the 14th consequently passed without the crew's
+taking the alarm, and this so much the more as the wind had fallen, and
+the vessels were only some sixty miles further west than when they
+commenced. Still, Columbus noted the difference, slight as was the
+change, ascertaining, with the precision of an experienced and able
+navigator, that the needle was gradually varying more and more to the
+westward, though it was by steps that were nearly imperceptible.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII.
+
+        "On thy unaltering blaze
+      The half-wrecked mariner, his compass lost,
+        Fixes his steady gaze,
+      And steers, undoubting, to the friendly coast;
+    And they who stray in perilous wastes, by night,
+    Are glad when thou dost shine to guide their footsteps right."
+
+    Hymn to the North Star.
+
+
+The following day was Saturday, the 15th, when the little fleet was ten
+days from Gomera; or it was the sixth morning since the adventurers had
+lost sight of the land. The last week had been one of melancholy
+forebodings, though habit was beginning to assert its influence, and the
+men manifested openly less uneasiness than they had done in the three or
+four previous days. Their apprehensions were getting to be dormant for
+want of any exciting and apparent stimulus, though they existed as
+latent impulses, in readiness to be roused at the occurrence of any
+untoward event. The wind continued fair, though light--the whole
+twenty-four hours' work showing considerably less than a hundred miles,
+as the true progress west. All this time Columbus kept his attention
+fastened on the needles, and he perceived that as the vessels slowly
+made their westing, the magnets pointed more and more, though by
+scarcely palpable changes, in the same direction.
+
+The admiral and Luis, by this time, had fallen into such habits of close
+communication, that they usually rose and slept at the same time. Though
+far too ignorant of the hazards he ran to feel uneasiness, and
+constitutionally, as well as morally, superior to idle alarms, the young
+man had got to feel a sort of sportsman's excitement in the result; and,
+by this time, had not Mercedes existed, he would have been as reluctant
+to return without seeing Cathay, as Columbus himself. They conversed
+together of their progress and their hopes, without ceasing, and Luis
+took so much interest in his situation as to begin to learn how to
+discriminate in matters that might be supposed to affect its duration
+and ends.
+
+On the night of the Saturday just mentioned, Columbus and his reputed
+secretary were alone on the poop, conversing, as usual, on the signs of
+the times, and of the events of the day.
+
+"The Nina had something to say to you, last evening, Don Christopher,"
+observed the young man; "I was occupied in the cabin, with my journal,
+and had no opportunity of knowing what passed."
+
+"Her people had seen a bird or two, that are thought never to go far
+from the land. It is possible that islands are at no great distance, for
+man hath nowhere passed over any very great extent of sea without
+meeting with them. We cannot, however, waste the time necessary for a
+search, since the glory and profit of ascertaining the situation of a
+group of islands would be but a poor compensation for the loss of a
+continent."
+
+"Do you still remark those unaccountable changes in the needles, Senor?"
+
+"In this respect there is no change, except that which goeth to
+corroborate the phenomenon. My chief apprehension is of the effect on
+the people, when the circumstance shall be known."
+
+"Are there no means to persuade them that the needle pointeth thus west,
+as a sign Providence willeth they should pursue that course, by
+persevering in the voyage?"
+
+"This might do, Luis," answered the admiral, smiling, "had not fear so
+sharpened their wits, that their first question would be an inquiry why
+Providence should deprive us of the means of knowing whither we are
+travelling, when it so much wisheth us to go in any particular
+direction."
+
+A cry from the watch on deck arrested the discourse, while a sudden
+brightness broke on the night, illuminating the vessels and the ocean,
+as if a thousand lamps were shedding their brilliancy upon the
+surrounding portion of the sphere. A ball of fire was glancing athwart
+the heavens, and seemed to fall into the sea, at the distance of a few
+leagues, or at the limits of the visible horizon. Its disappearance was
+followed by a gloom as profound as the extraordinary and fleeting light
+had been brilliant. This was only the passage of a meteor; but it was
+such a meteor as men do not see more than once in their lives--if it is
+seen as often; and the superstitious mariners did not fail to note the
+incident among the extraordinary omens that accompanied the voyage; some
+auguring good, and others evil, from the event.
+
+"By St. Iago!" exclaimed Luis, as soon as the light had vanished, "Senor
+Don Christopher, this voyage of ours doth not seem fated to pass away
+unheeded by the elements and other notable powers! Whether these
+portents speak in our favor, or not, they speak us any thing but men
+engaged in an every-day occupation."
+
+"Thus it is with the human mind!" returned Columbus. "Let but its owner
+pass beyond the limits of his ordinary habits and duties, and he sees
+marvels in the most simple changes of the weather--in a flash of
+lightning--a blast of air--or the passage of a meteor; little heeding
+that these miracles exist in his own consciousness, and have no
+connection with the every-day laws of nature. These sights are by no
+means uncommon, especially in low latitudes; and they augur neither for
+nor against our enterprise."
+
+"Except, Senor Almirante, as they may beset the spirits and haunt the
+imaginations of the men. Sancho telleth me, that a brooding discontent
+is growing among them; and that, while they seem so tranquil, their
+disrelish of the voyage is hourly getting to be more and more decided."
+
+Notwithstanding this opinion of the admiral, and some pains that he
+afterward took to explain the phenomenon to the people on deck, the
+passage of the meteor had, indeed, not only produced a deep impression
+on them, but its history went from watch to watch, and was the subject
+of earnest discourse throughout the night. But the incident produced no
+open manifestation of discontent; a few deeming it a propitious omen,
+though most secretly considered it an admonition from heaven against any
+impious attempts to pry into those mysteries of nature that, according
+to their notions, God, in his providence, had not seen fit to reveal to
+man.
+
+All this time the vessels were making a steady progress toward the west.
+The wind had often varied, both in force and direction, but never in a
+manner to compel the ships to shorten sail, or to deviate from what the
+admiral believed to be the proper course. They supposed themselves to be
+steering due west, but, owing to the variation, were in fact now holding
+a west-and-by-south course, and were gradually getting nearer to the
+trades; a movement in which they had also been materially aided by the
+force of the currents. In the course of the 15th and 16th of the month,
+the fleet had got about two hundred miles further from Europe, Columbus
+taking the usual precaution to lessen the distance in the public
+reckoning. The latter day was a Sunday; and the religious offices, which
+were then seldom neglected in a Christian ship, produced a deep and
+sublime effect on the feelings of the adventurers. Hitherto the weather
+had partaken of the usual character of the season, and a few clouds,
+with a slight drizzling rain, had relieved the heat; but these soon
+passed away, and were succeeded by a soft south-east wind, that seemed
+to come charged with the fragrance of the land. The men united in the
+evening chants, under these propitious circumstances; the vessels
+drawing near each other, as if it might be to form one temple in honor
+of God, amid the vast solitudes of an ocean that had seldom, if ever,
+been whitened by a sail. Cheerfulness and hope succeeded to this act of
+devotion, and both were speedily heightened by a cry from the look-out
+aloft, who pointed ahead and to leeward, as if he beheld some object of
+peculiar interest in that quarter. The helms were varied a little; and
+in a few minutes the vessels entered into a field of sea-weed, that
+covered the ocean for miles. This sign of the vicinity of land was
+received by the mariners with a shout; and the very beings who had so
+shortly before been balancing on the verge of despair, now became elate
+with joy.
+
+These weeds were indeed of a character to awaken hope in the bosom of
+the most experienced mariner. Although some had lost their freshness, a
+great proportion of them were still green, and had the appearance of
+having been quite recently separated from their parent rocks, or the
+earth that had nourished them. No doubt was now entertained, even by the
+pilots, of the vicinity of land. Tunny-fish were also seen in numbers,
+and the people of the Nina were sufficiently fortunate to strike one.
+The seamen embraced each other, with tears in their eyes, and many a
+hand was squeezed in friendly congratulation, that the previous day
+would have been withheld in surly misanthropy.
+
+"And do you partake of all this hope, Don Christopher?" demanded Luis;
+"are we really to expect the Indies as a consequence of these marine
+plants, or is the expectation idle?"
+
+"The people deceive themselves in supposing our voyage near an end.
+Cathay must yet be very distant from us. We have come but three hundred
+and sixty leagues since losing sight of Ferro, which, according to my
+computations, cannot be much more than a third of our journey. Aristotle
+mentioned that certain vessels of Cadiz were forced westward by heavy
+gales, until they reached a sea covered with weeds, a spot where the
+tunny-fish abounded. This is the fish, thou must know, Luis, that the
+ancients fancied could see better with the right eye than with the left,
+because it hath been noted that, in passing the Bosphorus, they ever
+take the right shore in proceeding toward the Euxine, and the left in
+returning"--
+
+"By St. Francis! there can be no wonder if creatures so one-sided in
+their vision, should have strayed thus far from home," interrupted the
+light-hearted Luis, laughing. "Doth Aristotle, or the other ancients,
+tell us how they regarded beauty; or whether their notions of justice
+were like those of the magistrate who hath been fed by both parties?"
+
+"Aristotle speaketh only of the presence of the fish in the weedy ocean,
+as we see them before us. The mariners of Cadiz fancied themselves in
+the neighborhood of sunken islands, and, the wind permitting, made the
+best of their way back to their own shores. Thia place, in my judgment,
+we have now reached; but I expect to meet with no land, unless, indeed,
+we may happen to fall in with some island that lieth off here in the
+ocean, as a sort of beacon between the shore of Europe and that of Asia.
+Doubtless land is not distant, whence these weeds have drifted, but I
+attach little importance to its sight, or discovery. Cathay is my aim,
+Don Luis, and I am a searcher for continents, not islands."
+
+It is now known that while Columbus was right in his expectations of not
+finding a continent so early, he was mistaken in supposing land to lie
+any where in that vicinity. Whether these weeds are collected by the
+course of the currents, or whether they rise from the bottom, torn from
+their beds by the action of the water, is not yet absolutely
+ascertained, though the latter is the most common opinion, extensive
+shoals existing in this quarter of the ocean. Under the latter
+supposition, the mariners of Cadiz were nearer the truth than is first
+apparent, a sunken island having all the characteristics of a shoal, but
+those which may be supposed to be connected with the mode of formation.
+
+No land was seen. The vessels continued their progress at a rate but
+little varying from five miles the hour, shoving aside the weeds, which
+at times accumulated in masses, under their bows, but which could offer
+no serious obstacle to their progress. As for the admiral, so lofty were
+his views, so steady his opinions concerning the great geographical
+problem he was about to solve, and so determined his resolution to
+persevere to the end, that he rather hoped to miss than to fall in with
+the islands, that he fancied could be at no great distance. The day and
+night carried the vessels rather more than one hundred miles to the
+westward, placing the fleet not far from midway between the meridians
+that bounded the extreme western and eastern margins of the two
+continents, though still much nearer to Africa than to America,
+following the parallel of latitude on which it was sailing. As the wind
+continued steady, and the sea was as smooth as a river, the three
+vessels kept close together, the Pinta, the swiftest craft, reducing her
+canvas for that purpose. During the afternoon's watch of the day that
+succeeded that of the meeting with the weeds, which was Monday, the 17th
+September, or the eighth day after losing sight of Ferro, Martin Alonzo
+Pinzon hailed the Santa Maria, and acquainted the pilot on deck of his
+intention to get the amplitude of the sun, as soon as the luminary
+should be low enough, with a view to ascertain how far his needles
+retained their virtue. This observation, one of no unusual occurrence
+among mariners, it was thought had better be made in all the caravels
+simultaneously, that any error of one might be corrected by the greater
+accuracy of the rest.
+
+Columbus and Luis were in a profound sleep in their cots, taking their
+siestas, when the former was awakened by such a shake of the shoulder as
+seamen are wont to give, and are content to receive. It never required
+more than a minute to arouse the great navigator from his deepest
+slumbers to the fullest possession of his faculties, and he was awake in
+an instant.
+
+"Senor Don Almirante," said Sancho, who was the intruder, "it is time to
+be stirring: all the pilots are on deck in readiness to measure the
+amplitude of the sun, as soon as the heavenly bodies are in their right
+places. The west is already beginning to look like a dying dolphin, and
+ere many minutes it will be gilded like the helmet of a Moorish Sultan."
+
+"An amplitude measured!" exclaimed Columbus, quitting his cot on the
+instant. "This is news, indeed! Now we may look for such a stir among
+the people, as hath not been witnessed since we left Cadiz!"
+
+"So it hath appeared to me, your Excellency, for the mariner hath some
+such faith in the needle as the churchman bestoweth on the goodness of
+the Son of God. The people are in a happy humor at this moment, but the
+saints only know what is to come!"
+
+The admiral awoke Luis, and in five minutes both were at their customary
+station on the poop. Columbus had gained so high a reputation for skill
+in navigation, his judgment invariably proving right, even when opposed
+to those of all the pilots in the fleet, that the latter were not sorry
+to perceive he had no intention to take an instrument in hand, but
+seemed disposed to leave the issue to their own skill and practice. The
+sun slowly settled, the proper time was watched, and then these rude
+mariners set about their task, in the mode that was practised in their
+time. Martin Alonzo Pinzon, the most ready and best taught of them all,
+was soonest through with his task. From his lofty stand, the admiral
+could overlook the deck of the Pinta, which vessel was sailing but a few
+hundred yards from the Santa Maria, and it was not long before he
+observed her commander moving from one compass to another, in the manner
+of a man who was disturbed. Another minute or two elapsed, when the
+skiff of the caravel was launched; a sign was made for the admiral's
+vessel to shorten sail, and Martin Alonzo was soon forcing his way
+through the weeds that still covered the surface of the ocean, toward
+the Santa Maria. As he gained the deck of the latter ship, on one of her
+sides, his kinsman, Vicente Yanez, the commander of the Nina, did the
+same thing on the other. In the next instant both were at the side of
+the great navigator, on the poop, whither they had been followed by
+Sancho Ruiz and Bartolemeo Roldan, the two pilots of the admiral.
+
+"What meaneth this haste, good Martin Alonzo?" calmly asked Columbus:
+"thou and thy brother, Vicente Yanez, and these honest pilots, hurry
+toward me as if ye had cheering tidings from Cathay."
+
+"God only knoweth, Senor Almirante, if any of us are ever to be
+permitted to see that distant land, or any shore that is only to be
+reached by mariners through the aid of a needle," answered the elder
+Pinzon, with a haste that almost rendered him breathless. "Here have we
+all been at the comparison of the instruments, and we find them, without
+a single exception, varying from the true north, by, at least, a full
+point!"
+
+"That would be a marvel, truly! Ye have made some oversight in your
+observations, or have been heedless in the estimates."
+
+"Not so, noble admiral," put in Vicente Yanez, to sustain his brother.
+"Even the magnets are becoming false to us; and as I mentioned the
+circumstance to the oldest steersman of my craft, he assures me that the
+north star did not tally with his instrument throughout the night!"
+
+"Others say the same, here," added Ruiz--"nay, some are ready to swear
+that the wonder hath been noted ever since we entered the sea of weeds!"
+
+"This may be so, Senores," answered Columbus, with an undisturbed mien,
+"and yet no evil follow. We all know that the heavenly bodies have their
+revolutions, some of which no doubt are irregular, while others are more
+in conformity with certain settled rules. Thus it is with the sun
+himself, which passeth once around the earth in the short space of
+twenty-four hours, while no doubt he hath other, and more subtile
+movements, that are unknown to us, on account of the exceeding distance
+at which he is placed in the heavens. Many astronomers have thought that
+they have been able to detect these variations, spots having been seen
+on the disc of the orb at times, which have disappeared, as if hid
+behind the body of the luminary. I think it will be found that the north
+star hath made some slight deviation in its position, and that it will
+continue thus to move for some short period, after which, no doubt, it
+will be found returning to its customary position, when it will be seen
+that its temporary eccentricity hath in no manner disturbed its usual
+harmony with the needles. Note the star well throughout the night, and
+in the morning let the amplitude be again taken, when I think the truth
+of my conjecture will be proved by the regularity of the movement of the
+heavenly body. So far from being discouraged by this sign, we ought
+rather to rejoice that we have made a discovery, which, of itself, will
+entitle the expedition to the credit of having added materially to the
+stores of science!"
+
+The pilots were fain to be satisfied with this solution of their doubts,
+in the absence of any other means of accounting for them. They remained
+long on the poop discoursing of the strange occurrence; and as men, even
+in their blindest moods, usually reason themselves into either
+tranquillity or apprehension, they fortunately succeeded in doing the
+first on this occasion. With the men there was more difficulty, for when
+it became known to the crews of the three vessels that the needles had
+begun to deviate from their usual direction, a feeling akin to despair
+seized on them, almost without exception. Here Sancho was of material
+service. When the panic was at its height, and the people were on the
+point of presenting themselves to the admiral, with a demand that the
+heads of the caravels should be immediately turned toward the
+north-east, he interposed with his knowledge and influence to calm the
+tumult. The first means this trusty follower had recourse to, in order
+to bring his shipmates back to reason, was to swear, without
+reservation, that he had frequently known the needle and the north star
+to vary, having witnessed the fact with his own eyes on twenty previous
+occasions, and no harm to come of it. He invited the elder and more
+experienced seamen to make an accurate observation of the difference
+which already existed, which was quite a point of the compass, and then
+to see, in the morning, if this difference had not increased in the same
+direction.
+
+"This," he continued, "will be a certain sign, my friends, that the star
+is in motion, since we can all see that the compasses are just where
+they have been ever since we left Palos de Moguer. When one of two
+things is in motion, and it is certain which stands still, there can be
+no great difficulty in saying which is the uneasy one. Now, look thou
+here, Martin Martinez," who was one of the most factious of the
+disaffected; "words are of little use when men can prove their meaning
+by experiments like this. Thou seest two balls of spun-yarn on this
+windlass; well, it is wanted to be known which of them remains there,
+and which is taken away. I remove the smallest ball, thou perceivest,
+and the largest remains; from which it followeth, as only one can
+remain, and that one is the larger ball, why the smaller must be taken
+away. I hold no man fit to steer a caravel, by needle or by star, who
+will deny a thing that is proven as plainly and as simply as this!"
+
+Martin Martinez, though a singularly disaffected man, was no logician;
+and, Sancho's oaths backing his demonstrations to the letter, his party
+soon became the most numerous. As there is nothing so encouraging to the
+dull-minded and discontented mutineer, as to perceive that he is of the
+strongest side, so is there nothing so discouraging as to find himself
+in the minority; and Sancho so far prevailed as to bring most of his
+fellows round to a belief in the expediency of waiting to ascertain the
+state of things in the morning, before they committed themselves by any
+act of rashness.
+
+"Thou hast done well, Sancho," said Columbus, an hour later, when the
+mariner came secretly to make his nightly report of the state of feeling
+among the people. "Thou hast done well in all but these oaths, taken to
+prove that thou hast witnessed this phenomenon before. Much as I have
+navigated the earth, and careful as have been my observations, and ample
+as have been my means, never before have I known the needle to vary from
+its direction toward the north star: and I think that which hath escaped
+my notice would not be apt to attract thine."
+
+"You do me injustice, Senor Don Almirante, and have inflicted a wound
+touching my honesty, that a dobla only can cure"--
+
+"Thou knowest, Sancho, that no one felt more alarm when the deviation of
+the needle was first noted, than thyself. So great, in sooth, was thy
+apprehension, that thou even refused to receive gold, a weakness of
+which thou art usually exceedingly innocent."
+
+"When the deviation was first noted, your Excellency, this was true
+enough; for, not to attempt to mislead one who hath more penetration
+than befalleth ordinary men, I did fancy that our hopes of ever seeing
+Spain or St. Clara de Moguer again, were so trifling as to make it of no
+great consequence who was admiral, and who a simple helmsman."
+
+"And yet thou wouldst now brazen it out, and deny thy terror! Didst thou
+not swear to thy fellows, that thou hadst often seen this deviation
+before; ay, even on as many as twenty occasions?"
+
+"Well, Excellency, this is a proof that a cavalier may make a very
+capital viceroy and admiral, and know all about Cathay, without having
+the clearest notions of history! I told my shipmates, Don Christopher,
+that I had noted these changes before this night, and if tied to the
+stake to be burnt as a martyr, as I sometimes think will one day be the
+fate of all of us superfluously honest men, I would call on yourself,
+Senor Almirante, as the witness of the truth of what I had sworn to."
+
+"Thou wouldst, then, summon a most unfortunate witness, Sancho, since I
+neither practise false oaths myself, nor encourage their use in others."
+
+"Don Luis de Bobadilla y Pedro de Munos, here, would then be my
+reliance," said the imperturbable Sancho; "for proof a man hath a right
+to, when wrongfully accused, and proof I will have. Your Excellency will
+please to remember that it was on the night of Saturday, the 15th, that
+I first notified your worship of this very change, and that we are now
+at the night of Monday, the 17th. I swore to twenty times noting this
+phenomenon, as it is called, in those eight-and-forty hours, when it
+would have been nearer the truth had I said two hundred times. Santa
+Maria! I did nothing but note it for the first few hours!"
+
+"Go to, Sancho; thy conscience hath its latitude as well as its
+longitude; but thou hast thy uses. Now, that thou understandest the
+reason of the variation, however, thou wilt encourage thy fellows, as
+well as keep up thy spirits."
+
+"I make no question that it is all as your Excellency sayeth about the
+star's travelling," returned Sancho; "and it hath crossed my mind that
+it is possible we are nearer Cathay than we have thought; this movement
+being made by some evil-disposed spirits on purpose to make us lose the
+way."
+
+"Go to thy hammock, knave, and bethink thee of thy sins; leaving the
+reasons of these mysteries to those who are better taught. There is thy
+dobla, and see that thou art discreet."
+
+In the morning every being in the three caravels waited impatiently for
+the results of the new observations. As the wind continued favorable,
+though far from fresh, and a current was found setting to the westward,
+the vessels had made, in the course of twenty-four hours, more than a
+hundred and fifty miles, which rendered the increase in the variation
+perceptible, thus corroborating a prophecy of Columbus, that had been
+ventured on previous observation. So easily are the ignorant the dupes
+of the plausible, that this solution temporarily satisfied all doubts,
+and it was generally believed that the star had moved, while the needle
+remained true.
+
+How far Columbus was misled by his own logic in this affair, is still a
+matter of doubt. That he resorted to deceptions which might be
+considered innocent, in order to keep up the courage of his companions,
+is seen in the fact of the false, or public reckoning; but there is no
+proof that this was one of the instances in which he had recourse to
+such means. No person of any science believed, even when the variation
+of the compass was unknown, that the needle pointed necessarily to the
+polar star; the coincidence in the direction of the magnetic needle and
+the position of the heavenly body, being thought accidental; and there
+is nothing extravagant in supposing that the admiral--who had the
+instrument in his possession, and was able to ascertain that none of its
+virtue was visibly lost, while he could only reason from supposed
+analogy concerning the evolutions of the star--should imagine that a
+friend he had ever found so faithful, had now deserted him, leaving him
+disposed to throw the whole mystery of the phenomenon on the more
+distant dwellers in space. Two opinions have been ventured concerning
+the belief of the celebrated navigator, in the theory he advanced on
+this occasion; the one affirming, and the other denying his good faith
+in urging the doctrine he had laid down. Those who assert the latter,
+however, would seem to reason a little loosely themselves, their
+argument mainly resting on the improbability of a man like Columbus
+uttering so gross a scientific error, at a time when science itself knew
+no more of the existence of the phenomenon, than is known to-day of its
+cause. Still it is possible that the admiral may not have had any
+settled notions on the subject, even while he was half inclined to hope
+his explanation was correct; for it is certain that, in the midst of the
+astronomical and geographical ignorance of his age, this extraordinary
+man had many accurate and sublime glimpses of truths that were still in
+embryo as respected their development and demonstration by the lights of
+precise and inductive reasoning.
+
+Fortunately, if the light brought with it the means of ascertaining with
+certainty the variation of the needle, it also brought the means of
+perceiving that the sea was still covered with weeds, and other signs
+that were thought to be encouraging, as connected with the vicinity of
+land. The current being now in the same direction as the wind, the
+surface of the ocean was literally as smooth as that of an inland sheet
+of water, and the vessels were enabled to sail, without danger, within a
+few fathoms of each other.
+
+"This weed, Senor Almirante," called out the elder Pinzon, "hath the
+appearance of that which groweth on the banks of streams, and I doubt
+that we are near to the mouth of some exceeding great river!"
+
+"This may be so," returned Columbus; "than which there can be no more
+certain sign than may be found in the taste of the water. Let a bucket
+be drawn, that we may know."
+
+While Pepe was busied in executing this order, waiting until the vessel
+had passed through a large body of weeds for that purpose, the quick eye
+of the admiral detected a crab struggling on the surface of the
+fresh-looking plants, and he called to the helmsman in sufficient
+season, to enable him so far to vary his course, as to allow the animal
+to be taken.
+
+"Here is a most precious prize, good Martin Alonzo," said Columbus,
+holding the crab between a finger and thumb, that the other might see
+it. "These animals are never known to go further than some eighty
+leagues from the land; and see, Senor, yonder is one of the white tropic
+birds, which, it is said, never sleep on the water! Truly, God favoreth
+us; and what rendereth all these tokens more grateful, is the
+circumstance of their coming from the west--the hidden, unknown,
+mysterious west!"
+
+A common shout burst from the crews at the appearance of these signs,
+and again the beings who lately had been on the verge of despair, were
+buoyed up with hope, and ready to see propitious omens in even the most
+common occurrences of the ocean. All the vessels had hauled up buckets
+of water, and fifty mouths were immediately wet with the brine; and so
+general was the infatuation, that every man declared the sea far less
+salt than usual. So complete, indeed, was the delusion created by these
+cheerful expectations, and so thoroughly had all concern in connection
+with the moving star been removed by the sophism of Sancho, that even
+Columbus, habitually so wary, so reasoning, so calm, amid his loftiest
+views, yielded to his native enthusiasm, and fancied that he was about
+to discover some vast island, placed midway between Asia and Europe; an
+honor not to be despised, though it fell so far short of his higher
+expectations.
+
+"Truly, friend Martin Alonzo," he said, "this water seemeth to have less
+of the savor of the sea, than is customary at a distance from the outlet
+of large rivers!"
+
+"My palate telleth the same tale, Senor Almirante. As a further sign,
+the Nina hath struck another tunny, and her people are at this moment
+hoisting it in."
+
+Shout succeeded shout, as each new encouraging proof appeared; and the
+admiral, yielding to the ardor of the crews, ordered sail to be pressed
+on all the vessels, that each might endeavor to outstrip the others, in
+the hope of being the first to discover the expected island. This strife
+soon separated the caravels, the Pinta easily outsailing the other two,
+while the Santa Maria and the Nina came on more slowly, in her rear. All
+was gaiety and mirth, the livelong day, on board those isolated vessels,
+that, unknown to those they held, were navigating the middle of the
+Atlantic, with horizon extending beyond horizon, without change in the
+watery boundary, as circle would form without circle, on the same
+element, were a vast mass of solid matter suddenly dropped into the sea.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX.
+
+      "The sails were filled, and fair the light winds blew,
+      As glad to waft him from his native home;
+      And fast the white rocks faded from his view,
+      And soon were lost in circumambient foam:
+      And then, it may be, of his wish to roam
+      Repented he, but in his bosom slept
+      The silent thought, nor from his lips did come
+      One word of wail, whilst others sate and wept,
+    And to the reckless gales unmanly moaning kept."
+
+    Childe Harold's Pilgrimage.
+
+
+As night drew near, the Pinta shortened sail, permitting her consorts to
+close. All eyes now turned anxiously to the west, where it was hoped
+that land might at any moment appear. The last tint, however, vanished
+from the horizon, and darkness enveloped the ocean without bringing any
+material change. The wind still blew a pleasant breeze from the
+south-east, and the surface of the ocean offered little more inequality
+than is usually met on the bosoms of large rivers. The compasses showed
+a slightly increasing deviation from their old coincidence with the
+polar star, and no one doubted, any longer, that the fault was in the
+heavenly body. All this time the vessels were getting to the southward,
+steering, in fact, west and by south, when they thought they were
+steering west--a circumstance that alone prevented Columbus from first
+reaching the coast of Georgia, or that of the Carolinas, since, had he
+missed the Bermudas, the current of the Gulf Stream meeting him on his
+weather bow, he would have infallibly been set well to the northward, as
+he neared the continent.
+
+The night passed as usual, and at noon of the 17th, or at the
+termination of the nautical day, the fleet had left another long track
+of ocean between it and the old world. The weeds were disappearing, and
+with them the tunny fish, which were, in truth, feeding on the products
+of shoals that mounted several thousands of feet nearer to the surface
+of the water, than was the case with the general bed of the Atlantic.
+The vessels usually kept near each other at noon, in order to compare
+their observations; but the Pinta, which, like a swift steed, was with
+difficulty restrained, shot ahead, until the middle of the afternoon,
+when, as usual, she lay-by for the admiral to close. As the Santa Maria
+came sweeping on, the elder Pinzon stood, cap in hand, ready to speak
+her, waiting only for her to come within sound of his voice.
+
+"God increaseth the signs of land, and the motives of encouragement,
+Senor Don Christopher," he called out, cheerfully, while the Pinta
+filled her sails in order to keep way with the admiral. "We have seen
+large flights of birds ahead, and the clouds at the north look heavy and
+dense, as if hovering over some island, or continent, in that quarter."
+
+"Thou art a welcome messenger, worthy Martin Alonzo; though I wish thee
+to remember, that the most I expect to meet with in this longitude is
+some cluster of pleasant islands, Asia being yet several days' sail more
+distant. As the night approacheth, thou wilt see thy clouds take still
+more of the form of the land, and I doubt that groups may be found on
+each side of us; but our high destination is Cathay, and men with such
+an object before them, may not turn aside for any lesser errand."
+
+"Have I your leave, noble admiral, to push ahead in the Pinta, that our
+eyes may first be greeted with the grateful sight of Asia? I nothing
+doubt of seeing it ere morning."
+
+"Go, of God's sake, good pilot, if thou thinkest this; though I warn
+thee that no continent can yet meet thine eyes. Nevertheless, as any
+land in these distant and unknown seas must be a discovery, and bring
+credit on Castile, as well as on ourselves, he who first perceiveth it
+will merit the reward. Thou, or any one else, hath my full permission to
+discover islands, or continents, in thousands."
+
+The people laughed at this sally, for the light-hearted are easily
+excited to mirth; and then the Pinta shot ahead. As the sun set, she was
+seen again lying-to for her companions--a dark speck on the rainbow
+colors of the glorious sky. The horizon at the north presented masses of
+clouds, in which it was not difficult to fancy the summits of ragged
+mountains, receding valleys, with headlands, and promontories,
+foreshortened by distance.
+
+The following day the wind baffled, for the first time since
+encountering the trades; and the clouds collected over-head, dispersing
+drizzling showers on the navigators. The vessels now lay near each
+other, and conversation flew from one to the other--boats passing and
+repassing, constantly.
+
+"I have come, Senor Almirante," said the elder Pinzon, as he reached the
+deck of the Santa Maria, "at the united request of my people, to beg
+that we may steer to the north, in quest of land, islands and continent,
+that no doubt lie there, and thus crown this great enterprise with the
+glory that is due to our illustrious sovereigns, and your own
+forethought."
+
+"The wish is just, good Martin Alonzo, and fairly expressed, but it may
+not be granted. That we should make creditable discoveries, by thus
+steering, is highly probable, but in so doing we should fall far short
+of our aim. Cathay and the Great Khan still lie west; and we are here,
+not to add another group, like the Canaries, or the Azores, to the
+knowledge of man, but to complete the circle of the earth, and to open
+the way for the setting up of the cross in the regions that have so long
+been the property of infidels."
+
+"Hast thou nothing to say, Senor de Munos, in support of our petition?
+Thou hast favor with his Excellency, and may prevail on him to grant us
+this small behest!"
+
+"To tell thee the truth, good Martin Alonzo," answered Luis, with more
+of the indifference of manner that might have been expected from the
+grandee to the pilot, than the respect that would become the secretary
+to the second person of the expedition--"to tell thee the truth good
+Martin Alonzo, my heart is so set on the conversion of the Great Khan,
+that I wish not to turn either to the right or left, until that glorious
+achievement be sufficiently secure. I have observed that Satan effecteth
+little against those who keep in the direct path, while his success with
+those who turn aside is so material, as to people his dominions with
+errants."
+
+"Is there no hope, noble admiral? and must we quit all these cheering
+signs, without endeavoring to trace them to some advantageous
+conclusion?"
+
+"I see no better course, worthy friend. This rain indicateth land; also
+this calm; and here is a visitor that denoteth more than either--yonder,
+in the direction of thy Pinta, where it seemeth disposed to rest its
+wings."
+
+Pinzon, and all near him, turned, and, to their common delight and
+astonishment, they saw a pelican, with extended wings that spread for
+ten feet, sailing a few fathoms above the sea, and apparently aiming at
+the vessel named. The adventurous bird, however, as if disdaining to
+visit one of inferior rank, passed the Pinta, and, sweeping up grandly
+toward the admiral, alighted on a yard of the Santa Maria.
+
+"If this be not a certain sign of the vicinity of land," said Columbus
+gravely, "it is what is far better, a sure omen that God is with us. He
+is sending these encouraging calls to confirm us in our intention to
+serve him, and to persevere to the end. Never before, Martin Alonzo,
+have I seen a bird of this species a day's sail from the shore!"
+
+"Such is my experience, too, noble admiral; and, with you, I look upon
+this visit as a most propitious omen. May it not be a hint to turn
+aside, and to look further in this quarter?"
+
+"I accept it not as such, but rather as a motive to proceed. At our
+return from the Indies, we may examine this part of the ocean with
+greater security, though I shall think naught accomplished until India
+be fairly reached, and India is still hundreds of leagues distant. As
+the time is favorable, however, we will call together our pilots, and
+see how each man placeth his vessel on the chart."
+
+At this suggestion, all the navigators assembled on board the Santa
+Maria, and each man made his calculations, sticking a pin in the rude
+chart--rude as to accuracy, but beautiful as to execution--that the
+admiral, with the lights he then possessed, had made of the Atlantic
+ocean. Vicente Yanez, and his companions of the Nina, placed their pin
+most in advance, after measuring off four hundred and forty marine
+leagues from Gomera. Martin Alonzo varied a little from this, setting
+his pin some twenty leagues farther east. When it was the turn of
+Columbus, he stuck a pin twenty leagues still short of that of Martin
+Alonzo, his companions having, to all appearance, like less skilful
+calculators, thus much advanced ahead of their true distance. It was
+then determined what was to be stated to the crews, and the pilots
+returned to their respective vessels.
+
+It would seem that Columbus really believed he was then passing between
+islands, and his historian, Las Casas, affirms that he was actually
+right in his conjecture; but if islands ever existed in that part of the
+ocean, they have long since disappeared; a phenomenon which, while it is
+not impossible, can scarcely be deemed probable. It is said that
+breakers have been seen, even within the present century, in this
+vicinity, and it is not unlikely that extensive banks do exist, though
+Columbus found no bottom with two hundred fathoms of line. The great
+collection of weeds, is a fact authenticated by some of the oldest
+records of human investigations, and is most probably owing to some
+effect of the currents which has a tendency to bring about such an end;
+while the birds must be considered as stragglers lured from their usual
+haunts by the food that would be apt to be collected by the union of
+weeds and fish. Aquatic birds can always rest on the water, and the
+animal that can wing its way through the air at the rate of thirty, or
+even fifty miles the hour, needs only sufficient strength, to cross the
+entire Atlantic in four days and nights.
+
+Notwithstanding all these cheering signs, the different crews soon began
+to feel again the weight of a renewed despondency. Sancho, who was in
+constant but secret communication with the admiral, kept the latter
+properly advised of the state of the people, and reported that more
+murmurs than usual prevailed, the men having passed again, by the
+suddenness of the reaction, from the most elastic hope, nearly to the
+verge of despair. This fact was told Columbus just at sunset on the
+evening of the 20th, or on that of the eleventh day after the fleet lost
+sight of land, and while the seaman was affecting to be busy on the
+poop, where he made most of his communications.
+
+"They complain, your Excellency," continued Sancho, "of the smoothness
+of the water; and they say that when the winds blow at all, in these
+seas, they come only from the eastward, having no power to blow from any
+other quarter. The calms, they think, prove that we are getting into a
+part of the ocean where there is no wind; and the east winds, they
+fancy, are sent by Providence to drive those there who have displeased
+Heaven by a curiosity that it was never intended that any who wear
+beards should possess."
+
+"Do thou encourage them, Sancho, by reminding the poor fellows that
+calms prevail, at times, in all seas; and, as for the east winds, is it
+not well known that they blow from off the African shores, in low
+latitudes, at all seasons of the year, following the sun in his daily
+track around the earth? I trust thou hast none of this silly
+apprehension?"
+
+"I endeavor to keep a stout heart, Senor Don Almirante, having no one
+before me to disgrace, and leaving no one behind me to mourn over my
+loss. Still, I should like to hear a little about the riches of those
+distant lands, as I find the thoughts of their gold and precious stones
+have a sort of religious charm over my weakness, when I begin to muse
+upon Moguer and its good cheer."
+
+"Go to, knave; thy appetite for money is insatiable; take yet another
+dobla, and as thou gazest on it thou mayst fancy what thou wilt of the
+coin of the Great Khan; resting certain that so great a monarch is not
+without gold, any more than he is probably without the disposition to
+part with it, when there is occasion."
+
+Sancho received his fee, and left the poop to Columbus and our hero.
+
+"These ups and downs among the knaves," said Luis, impatiently, "were
+best quelled, Senor, by an application of the flat of the sword, or, at
+need, of its edge."
+
+"This may not be, my young friend, without, at least, far more occasion
+than yet existeth for the severity. Think not that I have passed so many
+years of my life in soliciting the means to effect so great a purpose,
+and have got thus far on my way, in unknown seas, with a disposition to
+be easily turned aside from my purpose. But God hath not created all
+alike; neither hath he afforded equal chances for knowledge to the
+peasant and the noble. I have vexed my spirit too often, with arguments
+on this very subject, with the great and learned, not to bear a little
+with the ignorance of the vulgar. Fancy how much fear would have
+quickened the wits of the sages of Salamanca, had our discussion been
+held in the middle of the Atlantic, where man never had been, and whence
+no eyes but those of logic and science could discover a safe passage."
+
+"This is most true, Senor Almirante; and yet, methinks the knights that
+were of your antagonists should not have been wholly unmanned by fear.
+What danger have we here? this is the wide ocean, it is true, and we are
+no doubt distant some hundreds of leagues from the known islands, but,
+we are not the less safe. By San Pedro! I have seen more lives lost in a
+single onset of the Moors, than these caravels could hold in bodies, and
+blood enough spilt to float them!"
+
+"The dangers our people dread may be less turbulent than those of a
+Moorish fray, Don Luis, but they are not the less terrible. Where is the
+spring that is to furnish water to the parched lip, when our stores
+shall fail; and where the field to give us its bread and nourishment? It
+is a fearful thing to be brought down to the dregs of life, by the
+failure of food and water, on the surface of the wide ocean, dying by
+inches, often without the consolations of the church, and ever without
+Christian sepulture. These are the fancies of the seaman, and he is only
+to be driven from them violently when duty demands extreme remedies for
+his disease."
+
+"To me it seemeth, Don Christopher, that it will be time to reason thus,
+when our casks are drained, and the last biscuit is broken. Until then,
+I ask leave of your Excellency to apply the necessary logic to the
+_outside_ of the heads of these varlets, instead of their insides, of
+which I much question the capacity to hold any good."
+
+Columbus too well understood the hot nature of the young noble to make a
+serious reply; and they both stood some time leaning against the
+mizen-mast, watching the scene before them, and musing on the chances of
+their situation. It was night, and the figures of the watch, on the deck
+beneath, were visible only by a light that rendered it difficult to
+distinguish countenances. The men were grouped; and it was evident by
+the low but eager tones in which they conversed, that they discussed
+matters connected with the calm, and the risks they ran. The outlines of
+the Pinta and Nina were visible, beneath a firmament that was studded
+with brilliants, their lazy sails hanging in festoons, like the drapery
+of curtains, and their black hulls were as stationary as if they both
+lay moored in one of the rivers of Spain. It was a bland and gentle
+night, but the immensity of the solitude, the deep calm of the
+slumbering ocean, and even the occasional creaking of a spar, by
+recalling to the mind the actual presence of vessels so situated,
+rendered the scene solemn, almost to sublimity.
+
+"Dost thou detect aught fluttering in the rigging, Luis?" the admiral
+cautiously inquired. "My ear deceiveth me, or I hear something on the
+wing. The sounds, moreover, are quick and slight, like those produced by
+birds of indifferent size."
+
+"Don Christopher, you are right. There are little creatures perched on
+the upper yards, and that of a size like the smaller songsters of the
+land."
+
+"Hark!" interrupted the admiral. "That is a joyous note, and of such a
+melody as might be met in one of the orange groves of Seville, itself!
+God be praised for this sign of the extent and unity of his kingdom,
+since land cannot well be distant, when creatures, gentle and frail as
+these, have so lately taken their flight from it!"
+
+The presence of these birds soon became known to all on deck, and their
+songs brought more comfort than the most able mathematical
+demonstration, even though founded on modern learning, could have
+produced on the sensitive feelings of the common men.
+
+"I told thee land was near," cried Sancho, turning with exultation to
+Martin Martinez, his constant disputant; "here thou hast the proof of
+it, in a manner that none but the traitor will deny. Thou hearest the
+songs of orchard birds--notes that would never come from the throats of
+the tired; and which sound as gaily as if the dear little feathered
+rogues were pecking at a fig or a grape in a field of Spain."
+
+"Sancho is right!" exclaimed the seamen. "The air savors of land, too;
+and the sea hath a look of the land; and God is with us--blessed be his
+Holy name--and honor to our lord the king, and to our gracious mistress,
+Dona Isabella!"
+
+From this moment concern seemed to leave the vessel, again. It was
+thought, even by the admiral himself, that the presence of birds so
+small, and which were judged to be so feeble of wing, was an unerring
+evidence that land was nigh; and land, too, of generous productions, and
+a mild, gentle climate; for these warblers, like the softer sex of the
+human family, best love scenes that most favor their gentle propensities
+and delicate habits.
+
+Investigation has since proved that, in this particular, however
+plausible the grounds of error, Columbus was deceived. Men often mistake
+the powers of the inferior animals of creation, and at other times they
+overrate the extent of their instinct. In point of fact, a bird of light
+weight would be less liable to perish on the ocean, and in that low
+latitude, than a bird of more size, neither being aquatic. The sea-weed
+itself would furnish resting-places without number for the smaller
+animals, and, in some instances, it would probably furnish food. That
+birds, purely of the land, should take long flights at sea, is certainly
+improbable; but, apart from the consequence of gales, which often force
+even that heavy-winged animal the owl, hundreds of miles from the land,
+instinct is not infallible; whales being frequently found embayed in
+shallow waters, and birds sailing beyond the just limits of their
+habits. Whatever may have been the cause of the opportune appearance of
+these little inhabitants of the orchard on the spars of the Santa Maria,
+the effect was of the most auspicious kind on the spirits of the men. As
+long as they sang, no amateurs ever listened to the most brilliant
+passages from the orchestra with greater delight than those rude seamen
+listened to their warbling; and while they slept, it was with a security
+that had its existence in veneration and gratitude. The songs were
+renewed with the dawn, shortly after which the whole went off in a body,
+taking their flight toward the south-west. The next day brought a calm,
+and then an air so light, that the vessels could with difficulty make
+their way through the dense masses of weeds, that actually gave the
+ocean the appearance of vast inundated meadows. The current was now
+found to be from the west, and shortly after daylight a new source of
+alarm was reported by Sancho.
+
+"The people have got a notion in their heads, Senor Almirante, which
+partaketh so much of the marvellous, that it findeth exceeding favor
+with such as love miracles more than they love God. Martin Martinez, who
+is a philosopher in the way of terror, maintaineth that this sea, into
+which we seem to be entering deeper and deeper, lieth over sunken
+islands, and that the weeds, which it would be idle to deny grow more
+abundant as we proceed, will shortly get to be so plentiful on the
+surface of the water, that the caravels will become unable to advance or
+to retreat."
+
+"Doth Martin find any to believe this silly notion?"
+
+"Senor Don Almirante, he doth; and for the plain reason that it is
+easier to find those who are ready to believe an absurdity, than to find
+those who will only believe truth. But the man is backed by some unlucky
+chances, that must come of the Powers of Darkness, more particularly as
+they can have no great wish to see your Excellency reach Cathay, with
+the intention of making a Christian of the Great Khan, and of planting
+the tree of the cross in his dominions. This calm sorely troubleth many,
+moreover, and the birds are beginning to be looked upon as creatures
+sent by Satan himself, to lead us whither we can never return. Some even
+believe we shall tread on shoals, and lie forever stranded wrecks in the
+midst of the wide ocean!"
+
+"Go, bid the men prepare to sound; I will show them the folly of this
+idea, at least; and see that all are summoned to witness the
+experiment."
+
+Columbus now repeated this order to the pilots, and the deep-sea was let
+go in the usual manner. Fathom after fathom of the line glided over the
+rail, the lead taking its unerring way toward the bottom, until so
+little was left as to compel the downward course to be arrested.
+
+"Ye see, my friends, that we are yet full two hundred fathoms from the
+shoals ye so much dread, and as much more as the sea is deeper than our
+measurement. Lo! yonder, too, is a whale, spouting the water before
+him--a creature never seen except on the coasts of large islands or
+continents."
+
+This appeal of Columbus, which was in conformity with the notions of the
+day, had its weight--his crew being naturally most under the influence
+of notions that were popular. It is now known, however, that whales
+frequent those parts of the ocean where their food is most abundant, and
+one of the best grounds for taking them, of late years, has been what is
+called the False Brazil Banks, which lie near the centre of the ocean.
+In a word, all those signs, that were connected with the movements of
+birds and fishes, and which appear to have had so much effect, not only
+on the common men of this great enterprise, but on Columbus himself,
+were of far less real importance than was then believed; navigators
+being so little accustomed to venture far from the land themselves, that
+they were not duly acquainted with the mysteries of the open ocean.
+
+Notwithstanding the moments of cheerfulness and hope that intervened,
+distrust and apprehension were fast getting to be again the prevailing
+feelings among the mariners. Those who had been most disaffected from
+the first, seized every occasion to increase these apprehensions; and
+when the sun rose, Saturday, September 22d, on a calm sea, there were
+not a few in the vessels who were disposed to unite in making another
+demand on the admiral to turn the heads of the caravels toward the east.
+
+"We have come some hundreds of leagues before a fair wind, into a sea
+that is entirely unknown to man, until we have reached a part of the
+ocean where the wind seems altogether to fail us, and where there is
+danger of our being bound up in immovable weeds, or stranded on sunken
+islands, without the means of procuring food or water!"
+
+Arguments like these were suited to an age in which even the most
+learned were obliged to grope their way to accurate knowledge, through
+the mists of superstition and ignorance, and in which it was a
+prevailing weakness to put faith, on the one hand, in visible proofs of
+the miraculous power of God, and, on the other, in substantial evidences
+of the ascendency of evil spirits, as they were permitted to affect the
+temporal affairs of those they persecuted.
+
+It was, therefore, most fortunate for the success of the expedition,
+that a light breeze sprang up from southward and westward, in the early
+part of the day just mentioned, enabling the vessels to gather way, and
+to move beyond the vast fields of weeds, that equally obstructed the
+progress of the caravels, and awakened the fears of their people. As it
+was an object to get clear of the floating obstacles that surrounded the
+vessels, the first large opening that offered was entered, and then the
+fleet was brought close upon a wind, heading as near as possible to the
+desired course. Columbus now believed himself to be steering
+west-north-west, when, in fact, he was sailing in a direction far nearer
+to his true course, than when his ships headed west by compass; the
+departure from the desired line of sailing, being owing to the variation
+in the needle. This circumstance alone, would seem to establish the
+fact, that Columbus believed in his own theory of the moving star, since
+he would hardly have steered west-and-by-south-half-south, with a fair
+wind, for many days in succession, as he is known to have done, when it
+was his strongest wish to proceed directly west. He was now heading up,
+within half a point of the latter course, though he and all with him,
+fancied they were running off nearly two points to leeward of the so
+much desired direction.
+
+But these little variations were trifles as compared with the advantage
+that the admiral obtained over the fears of his followers by the shift
+of the wind, and the liberation from the weeds. By the first, the men
+saw a proof that the breezes did not always blow from the same quarter;
+and by the last, they ascertained that they had not actually reached a
+point where the ocean had become impassable. Although the wind was now
+favorable to return to the Canaries, no one any longer demanded that
+such a course should be adopted, so apt are we all to desire that which
+appears to be denied to us, and so ready to despise that which lies
+perfectly at our disposal.
+
+This, indeed, was a moment when the feelings of the people
+appeared to be as variable as the light and baffling winds themselves.
+The Saturday passed away in the manner just mentioned, the vessels once
+more entering into large fields of weeds, just as the sun set. When the
+light returned, the airs headed them off to north-west and
+north-west-by-north, by compass, which was, in truth, steering
+north-west-by-west-half-west, and north-west-half-west. Birds abounded
+again, among which was a turtle-dove, and many living crabs were seen
+crawling among the weeds. All these signs would have encouraged the
+common men, had they not already so often proved deceptive.
+
+"Senor," said Martin Martinez, to the admiral, when Columbus went among
+the crew to raise their drooping spirits, "we know not what to think!
+For days did the wind blow in the same direction, leading us on, as it
+might be, to our ruin; and then it hath deserted us in such a sea as
+mariners in the Santa Maria never before saw. A sea, looking like
+meadows on a river side, and which wanteth only kine and cow-herds, to
+be mistaken for fields a little overflowed by a rise of the water, is a
+fearful thing!"
+
+"Thy meadows are the weeds of the ocean, and prove the richness of the
+nature that hath produced them; while thy breezes from the east, are
+what all who have ever made the Guinea voyage, well know to exist in
+latitudes so low. I see naught in either to alarm a bold seaman; and as
+for the bottom, we all know it hath not yet been found by many a long
+and weary fathom of line. Pepe, thou hast none of these weaknesses; but
+hast set thy heart on Cathay and a sight of the Great Khan?"
+
+"Senor Almirante, as I swore to Monica, so do I swear to your
+Excellency; and that is to be true and obedient. If the cross is to be
+raised among the Infidels, my hand shall not be backward in doing its
+share toward the holy act. Still, Senor, none of us like this long
+unnatural calm. Here is an ocean that hath no waves, but a surface so
+smooth that we much distrust whether the waters obey the same laws, as
+they are known to do near Spain; for never before have I beheld a sea
+that hath so much the air of the dead! May it not be, Senor, that God
+hath placed a belt of this calm and stagnant water around the outer
+edges of the earth, in order to prevent the unheedy from looking into
+some of his sacred secrets?"
+
+"Thy reasoning hath, at least, a savor of religion; and, though faulty,
+can scarce be condemned. God hath placed man on this earth, Pepe, to be
+its master, and to serve him by extending the dominion of his church, as
+well as by turning to the best account all the numberless blessings that
+accompany the great gift. As to the limits, of which thou speakest, they
+exist only in idea, the earth being a sphere, or a ball, to which there
+are no other edges than those thou seest everywhere on its surface."
+
+"And as for what Martin saith," put in Sancho, who was never at fault
+for a fact, or for a reason, "concerning the winds, and the weeds, and
+the calms, I can only wonder where a seaman of his years hath been
+navigating so long, that these things should be novelties. To me, all
+this is as common as dish-water at Moguer, and so much a matter of
+course, that I should not have remarked it, but for the whinings of
+Martin and his fellows. When the Santa Catalina made the voyage to that
+far-off region, Ireland, we landed on the sea-weed, a distance of half a
+league or so from the coast; and as for the wind, it blew regularly four
+weeks from one quarter, and four weeks from the other; after which the
+people of the country said it would blow four weeks each way,
+transversely; but we did not remain long enough in those seas to enable
+me to swear to the two last facts."
+
+"Hast thou not heard of shoals so wide that a caravel could never find
+its way out of them, if it once entered?" demanded Martinez, fiercely,
+for, much addicted to gross exaggerations himself, he little liked to be
+outdone; "and do not these weeds bespeak our near approach to such a
+danger, when the weeds themselves often are so closely packed as to come
+near to stop the ship?"
+
+"Enough of this," said the admiral: "at times we have weeds, and then we
+are altogether free from them; these changes are owing to the currents;
+no doubt as soon as we have passed this meridian, we shall come to clear
+water again."
+
+"But the calm, Senor Almirante," exclaimed a dozen voices. "This
+unnatural smoothness of the ocean frighteneth us! Never before did we
+see water so stagnant and immovable!"
+
+"Call ye this stagnant and immovable?" exclaimed the admiral. "Nature
+herself arises to reproach your senseless fears, and to contradict your
+mistaken reasoning, by her own signs and portents!"
+
+This was said as the Santa Maria's bows rose on a long low swell, every
+spar creaking at the motion, and the whole hull heaving and setting as
+the billow passed beneath it, washing the sides of the ship from the
+water line to its channels. At this moment there was not even a breath
+of air, and the seamen gazed about them with an astonishment that was
+increased and rendered extreme by dread. The ship had scarcely settled
+heavily into the long trough when a second wave lifted her again
+forward, and billow succeeded billow, each successive wave increasing in
+height, until the entire ocean was undulating, though only marked at
+distant intervals, and that slightly, by the foam of crests or combing
+seas. It took half an hour to bring this phenomenon up to its height,
+when all three vessels were wallowing in the seas, as mariners term it,
+their hulls falling off helplessly into the troughs, until the water
+fairly spouted from their low scuppers, as each rose by her buoyancy
+from some roll deeper than common. Fancying that this occurrence
+promised to be either a source of new alarm, or a means of appeasing the
+old one, Columbus took early measures to turn it to account, in the
+latter mode. Causing all the crew to assemble at the break of the poop,
+he addressed them, briefly, in the following words:
+
+"Ye see, men, that your late fears about the stagnant ocean are rebuked,
+in this sudden manner, as it might be, by the hand of God himself,
+proving, beyond dispute, that no danger is to be apprehended from that
+source. I might impose on your ignorance, and insist that this sudden
+rising of the sea is a miracle wrought to sustain me against your
+rebellious repinings and unthinking alarms; but the cause in which I am
+engaged needs no support of this nature, that doth not truly come from
+heaven. The calms, and the smoothness of the water, and even the weeds
+of which ye complain, come from the vicinity of some great body of land;
+I think not a continent, as that must lie still further west, but of
+islands, either so large or so numerous, as to make a far-extended lee;
+while these swells are probably the evidence of wind at a distance,
+which hath driven up the ocean into mountainous waves, such as we often
+see them, and which send out their dying efforts, even beyond the limits
+of the gale. I do not say that this intervention, to appease your fears,
+doth not come of God, in whose hands I am; for this last do I fully
+believe, and for it am I fully grateful; but it cometh through the
+agencies of nature, and can in no sense be deemed providential, except
+as it demonstrateth the continuance of the divine care, as well as its
+surpassing goodness. Go, then, and be tranquil. Remember, if Spain be
+far behind ye, that Cathay now lieth at no great distance before ye;
+that each hour shorteneth that distance, as well as the time necessary
+to reach our goal. He that remaineth true and faithful, shall not repent
+his confidence; while he who unnecessarily disturbeth either himself or
+others, with silly doubts, may look forward to an exercise of authority
+that shall maintain the rights of their Highnesses to the duty of all
+their servants."
+
+We record this speech of the great navigator with so much the more
+pleasure, as it goes fully to establish the fact that he did not believe
+the sudden rising of the seas, on this occasion, was owing to a direct
+miracle, as some of the historians and biographers seem inclined to
+believe; but rather to a providential interference of Divine Power,
+through natural means, in order to protect him against the consequences
+of the blind apprehensions of his followers. It is not easy, indeed, to
+suppose that a seaman as experienced as Columbus, could be ignorant of
+the natural cause of a circumstance so very common on the ocean, that
+those who dwell on its coast have frequent occasion to witness its
+occurrence.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX.
+
+    "'_Ora pro nobis, Mater!_'--what a spell
+    Was in those notes, with day's last glory dying
+    On the flush'd waters--seemed they not to swell
+    From the far dust, wherein my sires were lying
+    With crucifix and sword?--Oh! yet how clear
+    Comes their reproachful sweetness to my ear!
+    '_Ora_'--with all the purple waves replying,
+    All my youth's visions rising in the strain--
+    And I had thought it much to bear the rack and chain!"
+
+    The Forest Sanctuary.
+
+
+It may now be well to recapitulate, and to let the reader distinctly
+know how far the adventurers had actually advanced into the unknown
+waters of the Atlantic; what was their real, and what their supposed
+position. As has been seen, from the time of quitting Gomera, the
+admiral kept two reckonings, one intended for his own government, which
+came as near the truth as the imperfect means of the science of
+navigation that were then in use would allow, and another that was
+freely exhibited to the crew, and was purposely miscalculated in order
+to prevent alarm, on account of the distance that had been passed. As
+Columbus believed himself to be employed in the service of God, this act
+of deception would be thought a species of pious fraud, in that devout
+age; and it is by no means probable that it gave the conscience of the
+navigator any trouble, since churchmen, even, did not hesitate always
+about buttressing the walls of faith by means still less justifiable.
+
+The long calms and light head-winds had prevented the vessels from
+making much progress for the few last days; and, by estimating the
+distance that was subsequently run in a course but a little south of
+west, it appears, notwithstanding all the encouraging signs of birds,
+fishes, calms, and smooth water, that on the morning of Monday,
+September 24th, or that of the fifteenth day after losing sight of
+Ferro, the expedition was about half-way across the Atlantic, counting
+from continent to continent, on the parallel of about 31 or 32 degrees
+of north latitude. The circumstance of the vessels being so far north of
+the Canaries, when it is known that they had been running most of the
+time west, a little southerly, must be imputed to the course steered in
+the scant winds, and perhaps to the general set of the currents. With
+this brief explanation, we return to the daily progress of the ships.
+
+The influence of the trades was once more felt, though in a very slight
+degree, in the course of the twenty-four hours that succeeded the day of
+the "miraculous seas," and the vessels again headed west by compass.
+Birds were seen as usual, among which was a pelican. The whole progress
+of the vessels was less than fifty miles, a distance that was lessened,
+as usual, in the public reckoning.
+
+The morning of the 25th was calm, but the wind returned, a steady,
+gentle breeze from the south-east, when the day was far advanced, the
+caravels passing most of the hours of light floating near each other in
+a lazy indolence, or barely stirring the water with their stems, at a
+rate little, if any, exceeding that of a mile an hour.
+
+The Pinta kept near the Santa Maria, and the officers and crews of the
+two vessels conversed freely with each other concerning their hopes and
+situation. Columbus listened to these dialogues for a long time,
+endeavoring to collect the predominant feeling from the more guarded
+expressions that were thus publicly delivered, and watching each turn of
+the expressions with jealous vigilance. At length it struck him that the
+occasion was favorable to producing a good effect on the spirits of his
+followers.
+
+"What hast thou thought of the chart I sent thee three days since, good
+Martin Alonzo?" called out the admiral. "Dost thou see in it aught to
+satisfy thee that we are approaching the Indies, and that our time of
+trial draweth rapidly to an end?"
+
+At the first sound of the admiral's voice, every syllable was hushed
+among the people; for, in spite of their discontent, and their
+disposition even to rise against him, in their extremity, Columbus had
+succeeded in creating a profound respect for his judgment and his person
+among all his followers.
+
+"'Tis a rare and well-designed chart, Senor Don Christopher," answered
+the master of the Pinta, "and doth a fair credit to him who hath copied
+and enlarged, as well as to him who first projected it. I doubt that it
+is the work of some learned scholar, that hath united the opinions of
+all the greater navigators in his map."
+
+"The original came from one Paul Toscanelli, a learned Tuscan, who
+dwelleth at Firenze in that country; a man of exceeding knowledge, and
+of an industry in investigation that putteth idleness to shame.
+Accompanying the chart he sent a missive that hath much profound and
+learned matter on the subject of the Indies, and touching those islands
+that thou seest laid down with so much particularity. In that letter he
+speaketh of divers places, as being so many wonderful exemplars of the
+power of man; more especially of the port of Zaiton, which sendeth forth
+no less than a hundred ships yearly, loaded with the single product of
+the pepper-tree. He saith, moreover, that an ambassador came to the Holy
+Father, in the time of Eugenius IV., of blessed memory, to express the
+desire of the Great Khan, which meaneth King of Kings, in the dialect of
+those regions, to be on friendly terms with the Christians of the west,
+as we were then termed; but of the east, as will shortly be our
+designation in that part of the world."
+
+"This is surprising, Senor!" exclaimed Pinzon: "how is it known, or is
+it known at all, of a certainty?"
+
+"Beyond a question; since Paul stateth, in his missive, that he saw much
+of this same ambassador, living greatly in his society, Eugenius
+deceasing as lately as 1477. From the ambassador, no doubt a wise and
+grave personage, since no other would have been sent so far on a mission
+to the Head of the Church; from this discreet person, then, did
+Toscanelli gain much pleasant information concerning the populousness
+and vast extent of those distant countries, the gorgeousness of the
+palaces, and the glorious beauty of the cities. He spoke of one town, in
+particular, that surpasseth all others of the known world; and of a
+single river that hath two hundred noble cities on its own banks, with
+marble bridges spanning the stream. The chart before thee, Martin
+Alonzo, showeth that the exact distance from Lisbon to the city of
+Quisay is just three thousand nine hundred miles of Italy, or about a
+thousand leagues, steering always in a due-west direction."[2]
+
+[Footnote 2: NOTE.--It is worthy of remark that the city of Philadelphia
+stands, as near as may be, in the position that the honest Paul
+Toscanelli supposed to have been occupied by "the famous city of
+Quisay."]
+
+"And doth the learned Tuscan say aught of the riches of those
+countries?" demanded Master Alonzo--a question that caused all within
+hearing to prick up their ears, afresh.
+
+"That doth he, and in these precise and impressive words--'This is a
+noble country,' observed the learned Paul, in his missive, 'and ought to
+be explored by us, on account of its great riches, and the quantity of
+gold, silver, and precious stones, which might be obtained there.' He
+moreover described Quisay as being five-and-thirty leagues in circuit,
+and addeth that its name in the Castilian, is 'the City of Heaven.'"
+
+"In which case," muttered Sancho, though in a tone so low that no one
+but Pepe heard him, "there is little need of our bearing thither the
+cross, which was intended for the benefit of man, and not of paradise."
+
+"I see here two large islands, Senor Almirante," continued Pinzon,
+keeping his eyes on the chart, "one of which is called Antilla, and the
+other is the Cipango of which your Excellency so often speaketh."
+
+"Even so, good Martin Alonzo, and thou also seest that they are laid
+down with a precision that must prevent any experienced navigator from
+missing his way, when in pursuit of them. These islands lie just two
+hundred and twenty-five leagues asunder."
+
+"According to our reckoning, here, in the Pinta, noble Admiral, we
+cannot, then, be far from Cipango at this very moment."
+
+"It would so seem by the reckonings, though I somewhat doubt their
+justness. It is a common error of pilots to run ahead of their
+reckonings, but in this instance, apprehension hath brought ye behind
+them. Cipango lieth many days' sail from the continent of Asia, and
+cannot, therefore, be far from this spot; still the currents have been
+adverse, and I doubt that it will be found that we are as near this
+island, good Martin Alonzo, as thou and thy companions imagine. Let the
+chart be returned, and I will trace our actual position on it, that all
+may see what reason there is to despond, and what reason to rejoice."
+
+Pinzon now took the chart, rolled it together carefully, attached a
+light weight, and securing the whole with the end of a log-line, he hove
+it on board the Santa Maria, as a seaman makes a cast with the lead. So
+near were the vessels at the moment, that this communication was made
+without any difficulty; after which, the Pinta, letting fall an
+additional sail or two, flapped slowly ahead, her superiority,
+particularly in light winds, being at all times apparent.
+
+Columbus now caused the chart to be spread over a table on the poop, and
+invited all who chose to draw near, in order that they might, with their
+own eyes, see the precise spot on the ocean where the admiral supposed
+the vessels to be. As each day's work was accurately laid down, and
+measured on the chart, by one as expert as the great navigator himself,
+there is little question that he succeeded in showing his people, as
+near as might be, and subject to the deduction in distance that was
+intentionally made, the longitude and latitude to which the expedition
+had then reached; and as this brought them quite near those islands
+which were believed to lie east of the continent of Asia, this tangible
+proof of their progress had far more effect than any demonstration that
+depended on abstract reasoning, even when grounded on premises that were
+true; most men submitting sooner to the authority of the senses, than to
+the influence of the mere mind. The seamen did not stop to inquire how
+it was settled that Cipango lay in the precise place where it had been
+projected on this famous chart, but, seeing it there, in black and
+white, they were disposed to believe it was really in the spot it
+appeared to be; and, as Columbus' reputation for keeping a ship's
+reckoning far surpassed that of any other navigator in the fleet, the
+facts were held to be established. Great was the joy, in consequence;
+and the minds of the people again passed from the verge of despair to an
+excess and illusion of hope, that was raised only to be disappointed.
+
+That Columbus was sincere in all that related to this new delusion, with
+the exception of the calculated reduction of the true distance, is
+beyond a doubt. In common with the cosmographers of the age, he believed
+the circumference of the earth much less than actual measurement has
+since shown it to be; striking out of the calculation, at once, nearly
+the whole breadth of the Pacific Ocean. That this conclusion was very
+natural, will be seen by glancing at the geographical facts that the
+learned then possessed, as data for their theories.
+
+It was known that the continent of Asia was bounded on the east by a
+vast ocean, and that a similar body of water bounded Europe on the west,
+leaving the plausible inference, on the supposition that the earth was a
+sphere, that nothing but islands existed between these two great
+boundaries of land. Less than half of the real circumference of the
+globe is to be found between the western and eastern verges of the old
+continent, as they were then known; but it was too bold an effort of the
+mind, to conceive that startling fact, in the condition of human
+knowledge at the close of the fifteenth century. The theories were
+consequently content with drawing the limits of the east and the west
+into a much narrower circle, finding no data for any freer speculation;
+and believing it a sufficient act of boldness to maintain the spherical
+formation of the earth at all. It is true, that the latter theory was as
+old as Ptolemy, and quite probably much older; but even the antiquity of
+a system begins to be an argument against it, in the minds of the
+vulgar, when centuries elapse, and it receives no confirmation from
+actual experiment. Columbus supposed his island of Cipango, or Japan, to
+lie about one hundred and forty degrees of longitude east of its actual
+position; and, as a degree of longitude in the latitude of Japan, or 35 deg.
+north, supposing the surface of the earth to be perfectly spherical, is
+about fifty-six statute miles, it follows that Columbus had advanced
+this island, on his chart, more than seven thousand English miles toward
+the eastward, or a distance materially exceeding two thousand marine
+leagues.
+
+All this, however, was not only hidden in mystery as regards the common
+men of the expedition, but it far out-stripped the boldest conceptions
+of the great navigator himself. Facts of this nature, notwithstanding,
+are far from detracting from the glory of the vast discoveries that were
+subsequently made, since they prove under what moral disadvantages the
+expedition was conceived, and under what a limited degree of knowledge
+it finally triumphed.
+
+While Columbus was thus employed with the chart, it was a curious thing
+to witness the manner in which the seamen watched his smallest movement,
+studied the expression of his grave and composed countenance, and sought
+to read their fate in the contraction, or dilation, of his eyes. The
+gentlemen of the Santa Maria, and the pilots, stood at his elbow, and
+here and there some old mariner ventured to take his post at hand, where
+he could follow the slow progress of the pen, or note the explanation of
+a figure. Among these was Sancho, who was generally admitted to be one
+of the most expert seamen in the little fleet--in all things, at least,
+that did not require the knowledge of the schools. Columbus even turned
+to these men, and spoke to them kindly, endeavoring to make them
+comprehend a part of their calling, which they saw practised daily,
+without ever succeeding in acquiring a practical acquaintance with it,
+pointing out particularly the distance come, and that which yet remained
+before them. Others, again, the less experienced, but not the less
+interested among the crew, hung about the rigging, whence they could
+overlook the scene, and fancy they beheld demonstrations that came of
+theories which it as much exceeded their reasoning powers to understand,
+as it exceeded their physical vision to behold the desired Indies
+themselves. As men become intellectual, they entertain abstractions,
+leaving the dominion of the senses to take refuge in that of thought.
+Until this change arrives, however, we are all singularly influenced by
+a parade of positive things. Words spoken seldom produce the effect of
+words written; and the praise or censure that would enter lightly and
+unheeded into the ear, might even change our estimates of character,
+when received into the mind through the medium of the eye. Thus, the
+very seamen, who could not comprehend the reasoning of Columbus, fancied
+they understood his chart, and willingly enough believed that islands
+and continents must exist in the precise places where they saw them so
+plainly delineated.
+
+After this exhibition, cheerfulness resumed its sway over the crew of
+the Santa Maria; and Sancho, who was generally considered as of the
+party of the admiral, was eagerly appealed to by his fellows, for many
+of the little circumstances that were thought to explain the features of
+the chart.
+
+"Dost think, Sancho, that Cipango is as large as the admiral hath got
+the island on the chart?" asked one who had passed from the verge of
+despair to the other extreme; "that it lieth fairly, any eye may see,
+since its look is as natural as that of Ferro or Madeira."
+
+"That hath he," answered Sancho, positively, "as one may see by its
+shape. Didst not notice the capes, and bays, and headlands, all laid
+down as plainly as on any other well-known coast? Ah! these Genoese are
+skilful navigators; and Senor Colon, our noble admiral, hath not come
+all this distance without having some notion in what roadstead he is to
+anchor."
+
+In such conclusive arguments, the dullest minds of the crew found
+exceeding consolation; while among all the common people of the ship,
+there was not one who did not feel more confidence in the happy
+termination of the voyage, since he had this seeming ocular proof of the
+existence of land in the part of the ocean they were in.
+
+When the discourse between the admiral and Pinzon ceased, the latter
+made sail on the Pinta, which vessel had slowly passed the Santa Maria,
+and was now a hundred yards, or more, ahead of her; neither going
+through the water at a rate exceeding a knot an hour. At the moment just
+mentioned, or while the men were conversing of their newly awakened
+hopes, a shout drew all eyes toward their consort, where Pinzon was seen
+on the poop, waving his cap in exultation, and giving the usual proofs
+of extravagant delight.
+
+"Land!--Land! Senor!" he shouted. "I claim my reward! Land! Land!"
+
+"In what direction, good Martin Alonzo?" asked Columbus, so eagerly that
+his voice fairly trembled. "In which quarter dost thou perceive this
+welcome neighbor?"
+
+"Here, to the south-west," pointing in that direction--"a range of dim
+but noble mountains, and such as promise to satisfy the pious longings
+of the Holy Father himself!"
+
+Every eye turned toward the south-west, and there, indeed, they fancied
+they beheld the long-sought proofs of their success. A faint, hazy mass
+was visible in the horizon, broken in outline, more distinctly marked
+than clouds usually are, and yet so obscure as to require a practised
+eye to draw it out of the obscurity of the void. This is the manner in
+which land often appears to seamen, in peculiar conditions of the
+atmosphere; others, under such circumstances, being seldom able to
+distinguish it at all. Columbus was so practised in all the phenomena of
+the ocean, that the face of every man in the Santa Maria was turned
+toward his, in breathless expectation of the result, as soon as the
+first glance had been given toward the point of the compass mentioned.
+It was impossible to mistake the expression of the admiral's
+countenance, which immediately became radiant with delight and pious
+exultation. Uncovering himself, he cast a look upward in unbounded
+gratitude, and then fell on his knees, to return open thanks to God.
+This was the signal of triumph, and yet, in their desolate situation,
+exultation was not the prevalent feeling of the moment. Like Columbus,
+the men felt their absolute dependence on God; and a sense of humble and
+rebuked gratitude came over every spirit, as it might be simultaneously.
+Kneeling, the entire crews of the three vessels simultaneously commenced
+the chant of "Gloria in excelsis Deo!" lifting the voice of praise, for
+the first time since the foundations of the earth were laid, in that
+deep solitude of the ocean. Matins and vespers, it is true, were then
+habitually repeated in most Christian ships; but this sublime chant was
+now uttered to waves that had been praising their Maker, in their might
+and in their calm, for so many thousand years, for the first time in the
+voice of man.
+
+"_Glory be to God on high!_" sang these rude mariners, with hearts
+softened by their escapes, dangers, and success, speaking as one man,
+though modulating their tones to the solemn harmony of a religious
+rite--"_and on earth peace, good will toward men. We praise thee, we
+bless thee, we worship thee, we glorify thee, we give thanks to thee for
+thy great glory! O Lord God! Heavenly King! God the Father Almighty!"
+&c., &c._
+
+In this noble chant, which would seem to approach as near to the praises
+of angels as human powers can ever hope to rise, the voice of the
+admiral was distinct, and deep, but trembling with emotion.
+
+When this act of pious gratitude was performed, the men ascended the
+rigging to make more certain of their success. All agreed in pronouncing
+the faintly delineated mass to be land, and the first sudden transport
+of unexpected joy was succeeded by the more regulated feelings of
+confirmed security. The sun set a little north of the dim mountains,
+and night closed around the scene, shadowing the ocean with as much
+gloom as is ever to be found beneath a tropical and cloudless sky. As
+the first watch was set, Columbus, who, whenever the winds would
+allow, had persevered in steering what he fancied to be a due-west
+course, to satisfy the longings of his people, ordered the vessels to
+haul up to south-west by compass, which was, in fact, heading
+south-west-by-south-southerly. The wind increased, and, as the admiral
+had supposed the land to be distant about twenty-five leagues, when last
+seen, all in the little fleet confidently relied on obtaining a full and
+complete view of it in the morning. Columbus himself entertained this
+hope, though he varied his course reluctantly, feeling certain that the
+continent would be met by sailing west, or what he thought to be west,
+though he could have no similar confidence as to making any island.
+
+Few slept soundly that night--visions of oriental riches, and of the
+wonders of the East, crowding on the minds of even the least
+imaginative, converting their slumbers into dreams rendered uneasy by
+longings for gold, and anticipations of the wonders of the unknown East.
+The men left their hammocks, from hour to hour, to stand in the rigging,
+watching for some new proofs of their proximity to the much-desired
+islands, and straining their eyes in vain, in the hope of looking deeper
+into the obscurity in quest of objects that fancy had already begun to
+invest with forms. In the course of the night, the vessels ran in a
+direct line toward the south-west, seventeen of the twenty-five leagues
+that Columbus had supposed alone separated him from this new discovery;
+and just before the light dawned, every soul in the three vessels was
+stirring, in the eager hope of having the panorama of day open on such a
+sight, as they felt it to be but a slight grievance to have come so far,
+and to have risked so much, to behold.
+
+"Yonder is a streak of light, glimmering in the east," cried Luis, in a
+cheerful voice; "and now, Senor Almirante, we may unite in terming you
+the honored of the earth!"
+
+"All rests with God, my young friend," returned Columbus; "whether land
+is near us or not, it boundeth the western ocean, and to that boundary
+we must proceed. Thou art right, truly, friend Gutierrez; the light is
+beginning to shed itself along the eastern margin of the sea, and even
+to rise in an arch into the vault above it."
+
+"Would that the sun rose, for this one day, in the west, that we might
+catch the first glimpse of our new possessions in that radiant field of
+heaven, which his coming rays are so gloriously illuminating above the
+track we have just passed!"
+
+"That will not happen, Master Pedro, since Sol hath journeyed daily
+round this planet of ours, from east to west, since time began, and will
+so continue to journey until time shall cease. This _is_ a fact on which
+our senses may be trusted, though they mislead us in so many other
+things."
+
+So reasoned Columbus, a man whose mind had out-stripped the age, in his
+favorite study, and who was usually so calm and philosophical; simply
+because he reasoned in the fetters of habit and prejudice. The
+celebrated system of Ptolemy, that strange compound of truth and error,
+was the favorite astronomical law of the day. Copernicus, who was then
+but a mere youth, did not reduce the just conception of Pythagoras--just
+in outline, though fanciful in its connection with both cause and
+effect--to the precision of science for many years after the discovery
+of America; and it is a strong proof of the dangers which attended the
+advancement of thought, that he was rewarded for this vast effort of
+human reason, by excommunication from the church, the maledictions of
+which actually rested on his soul, if not on his body, until within a
+few years of the present moment! This single circumstance will show the
+reader how much our navigator had to overcome in achieving the great
+office he had assumed.
+
+But all this time, the day is dawning, and the light is beginning to
+diffuse itself over the entire panorama of ocean and sky. As means were
+afforded, each look eagerly took in the whole range of the western
+horizon, and a chill of disappointment settled on every heart, as
+suspicion gradually became confirmation, that no land was visible. The
+vessels had passed, in the night, those bounds of the visible horizon,
+where masses of clouds had settled; and no one could any longer doubt
+that his senses had been deceived by some accidental peculiarity in the
+atmosphere. All eyes now turned again to the admiral, who, while he felt
+the disappointment in his inmost heart, maintained a dignified calm that
+it was not easy to disturb.
+
+"These signs are not infrequent at sea, Senor," he said to those near
+him, speaking loud enough, nevertheless, to be heard by most of the
+crew, "though seldom as treacherous as they have now proved to be. All
+accustomed to the ocean have doubtless seen them often; and as physical
+facts, they must be taken as counting neither for nor against us. As
+omens, each person will consider them as he putteth his trust in God,
+whose grace and mercy to us all, is yet, by a million of times,
+unrequited, and still would be, were we to sing _Glory in excelsis_,
+from morn till night, as long as breath lasted for the sacred office."
+
+"Still, our hope was so very strong, Don Christopher," observed one of
+the gentlemen, "that we find the disappointment hard to be borne. You
+speak of omens, Senor; are there any physical signs of our being near
+the land of Cathay?"
+
+"Omens come of God, if they come at all. They are a species of miracles
+preceding natural events, as real miracles surpass them. I think this
+expedition cometh of God; and I see no irreverence in supposing that
+this late appearance of land may have been heaped along the horizon for
+an encouraging sign to persevere, and as a proof that our labors will be
+rewarded in the end. I cannot say, nevertheless, that any but natural
+means were used, for these deceptions are familiar to us mariners."
+
+"I shall endeavor so to consider it, Senor Almirante," gravely returned
+the other, and the conversation dropped.
+
+The non-appearance of the land, which had been so confidently hoped for,
+produced a deep gloom in the vessels, notwithstanding; again changing
+the joy of their people into despondency. Columbus continued to steer
+due west by compass, or west-by-south-southerly, in reality, until
+meridian, when, yielding to the burning wishes of those around him, he
+again altered his course to the south-west. This course was followed
+until the ships had gone far enough in that direction to leave no doubt
+that the people had been misled by clouds, the preceding evening. At
+night, when not the faintest hope remained, the vessels kept away due
+west again, running, in the course of the twenty-four hours, quite
+thirty-one leagues, which were recorded before the crew as twenty-four.
+
+For several succeeding days no material changes occurred. The wind
+continued favorable, though frequently so light as to urge the vessels
+very slowly ahead, reducing the day's progress sometimes to little more
+than fifty of our English miles. The sea was calm, and weeds were again
+met, though in much smaller quantities than before. September 29th, or
+the fourth day after Pinzon had called out "land," another frigate-bird
+was seen; and as it was the prevalent notion among seamen that this bird
+never flew far from the shore, some faint hopes were momentarily revived
+by his passage. Two pelicans also appeared, and the air was so soft and
+balmy that Columbus declared nothing but nightingales were wanting, to
+render the nights as delicious as those of Andalusia.
+
+In this manner did birds come and go, exciting hopes that were doomed to
+be disappointed; sometimes flying in numbers that would seem to forbid
+the idea that they could be straying on the waste of waters, without the
+certainty of their position. Again, too, the attention of the admiral
+and of the people, was drawn to the variation of the needle, all uniting
+in the opinion that the phenomenon was only to be explained by the
+movements of the star. At length the first day of October arrived, and
+the pilots of the admiral's vessel seriously set to work to ascertain
+the distance they had come. They had been misled, as well as the rest,
+by the management of Columbus, and they now approached the latter, as he
+stood at his usual post on the poop, in order to give the result of
+their calculations, with countenances that were faithful indexes of the
+concern they felt.
+
+"We are not less than five hundred and seventy-eight leagues west of
+Ferro, Senor Almirante," commenced one of the two; "a fearful distance
+to venture into the bosom of an unknown ocean!"
+
+"Thou say'st true, honest Bartolemeo," returned Columbus, calmly;
+"though the further we venture, the greater will be the honor. Thy
+reckoning is even short of the truth, since this of mine, which is no
+secret from our people, giveth even five hundred and eighty-four
+leagues, fully six more than thine. But, after all, this scarce
+equalleth a voyage from Lisbon to Guinea, and we are not men to be
+outdone by the seamen of Don John!"
+
+"Ah! Senor Almirante, the Portuguese have their islands by the way, and
+the old world at their elbows; while we, should this earth prove not to
+be really a sphere, are hourly sailing toward its verge, and are running
+into untried dangers!"
+
+"Go to, Bartolemeo! thou talkest like a river-man who hath been blown
+outside his bar by a strong breeze from the land, and who fancieth his
+risks greater than man ever yet endured, because the water that wetteth
+his tongue is salt. Let the men see this reckoning, fearlessly; and
+strive to be of cheer, lest we remember thy misgivings beneath the
+groves of Cathay."
+
+"The man is sorely beset with dread," coolly observed Luis, as the
+pilots descended from the poop with a lingering step and a heavy heart.
+"Even your six short leagues added to the weight on his spirit. Five
+hundred and seventy-eight were frightful, but five hundred and
+eighty-four became burdensome to his soul!"
+
+"What would he then have thought had he known the truth, of which, young
+count, even thou art ignorant?"
+
+"I hope you do not distrust my nerves, Don Christopher, that this matter
+is kept a secret from me?"
+
+"I ought not, I do believe, Senor de Llera; and yet one gets to be
+distrustful even of himself, when weighty concerns hang by a thread.
+Hast thou any real idea of the length of the road we have come?"
+
+"Not I, by St. Iago! Senor. It is enough for me that we are far from the
+Dona Mercedes, and a league more or less counts but little. Should your
+theory be true, and the earth prove to be round, I have the consolation
+of knowing that we shall get back to Spain, in time, even by chasing the
+sun."
+
+"Still thou hast some general notion of our true distance from Ferro,
+knowing that each day it is lessened before the people."
+
+"To tell you the truth, Don Christopher, arithmetic and I have little
+feeling for each other. For the life of me, I never could tell the exact
+amount of my own revenues, in figures, though it might not be so
+difficult to come at their results, in another sense. If truth were
+said, however, I should think your five hundred and eighty leagues might
+fairly be set down at some six hundred and ten or twenty."
+
+"Add yet another hundred and thou wilt not be far from the fact. We are,
+at this moment, seven hundred and seven leagues from Ferro, and fast
+drawing near to the meridian of Cipango. In another glorious week, or
+ten days at most, I shall begin seriously to expect to see the continent
+of Asia!"
+
+"This is travelling faster than I had thought, Senor," answered Luis,
+carelessly; "but journey on; one of your followers will not complain,
+though we circle the earth itself."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXI.
+
+    "Pronounce what sea, what shore is this?
+    The gulf, the rock of Salamis?"
+
+    Byron.
+
+
+The adventurers had now been twenty-three days out of sight of land, all
+of which time, with the exception of a few very immaterial changes in
+the wind, and a day or two of calms, they had been steadily advancing
+toward the west, with a southern variation that ranged between a fourth
+of a point and a point and a quarter, though the latter fact was unknown
+to them. Their hopes had been so often raised to be disappointed, that a
+sort of settled gloom now began to prevail among the common men, which
+was only relieved by irregular and uncertain cries of "land," as the
+clouds produced their usual deceptions in the horizon. Still their
+feelings were in that feverish state which admits of any sudden change;
+and as the sea continued smooth as a river, the air balmy, and the skies
+most genial, they were prevented from falling into despair. Sancho
+reasoned, as usual, among his fellows, resisting ignorance and folly,
+with impudence and dogmatism; while Luis unconsciously produced an
+effect on the spirits of his associates by his cheerfulness and
+confidence. Columbus, himself, remained calm, dignified, and reserved,
+relying on the justice of his theories, and continuing resolute to
+attain his object. The wind remained fair, as before, and in the course
+of the night and day of the 2d of October, the vessels sailed more than
+a hundred miles still further into that unknown and mysterious sea. The
+weeds now drifted westerly, which was a material change, the currents
+previously setting, in the main, in an opposite direction. The 3d proved
+even a still more favorable day, the distance made reaching to
+forty-seven leagues. The admiral now began to think seriously that he
+had passed the islands laid down in his chart, and, with the high
+resolution of one sustained by grand conceptions, he decided to stand on
+west, with the intention of reaching the shores of the Indies, at once.
+The 4th was a better day than either, the little fleet passing steadily
+ahead, without deviating from its course, until it had fairly made one
+hundred and eighty-nine miles, much the greatest day's work it had yet
+achieved. This distance, so formidable to men who began to count each
+hour and each league with uneasiness, was reckoned to all on board, but
+Luis, as only one hundred and thirty-eight miles.
+
+Friday, October 5th, commenced even more favorably, Columbus finding his
+ship gliding though the water--there being no sea to cause her to reel
+and stagger--at the rate of about eight miles the hour, which was almost
+as fast as she had ever been known to go, and which would have caused
+this day's work to exceed the last, had not the wind failed in the
+night. As it was, however, fifty-seven more leagues were placed between
+Ferro and the position of the vessel; a distance that was reduced to
+forty-five, with the crew. The following day brought no material change,
+Providence appearing to urge them on at a speed that must soon solve the
+great problem which the admiral had been so long discussing with the
+learned. It was already dark, when the Pinta came sheering down upon the
+quarter of the Santa Maria, until she had got so near that her commander
+hailed without the aid of a trumpet.
+
+"Is Senor Don Christopher at his post, as usual?" hurriedly demanded
+Pinzon, speaking like one who felt he had matter of weight upon his
+mind: "I see persons on the poop; but know not if his Excellency be
+among them."
+
+"What wouldst thou, good Martin Alonzo?" answered the admiral: "I am
+here, watching for the shores of Cipango, or Cathay, whichever God, in
+his goodness, may be pleased first to give us."
+
+"I see so many reasons, noble admiral, for changing our course more to
+the south, that I could not resist the desire to come down and say as
+much. Most of the late discoveries have been made in the southern
+latitudes, and we might do well to get more southing."
+
+"Have we gained aught by changing our course in this direction? Thy
+heart seemeth bent on more southern climes, worthy friend; while to my
+feelings we are now in the very paradise of sweets, land only excepted.
+Islands _may_ lie south, or even north of us; but a continent _must_ lie
+west. Why abandon a certainty for an uncertainty? the greater for the
+less? Cipango, or Cathay, for some pleasant spot, fragrant with spices
+no doubt, but without a name, and which can never equal the glories of
+Asia, either as a discovery or as a conquest?"
+
+"I would, Senor, I might prevail on you to steer more to the south!"
+
+"Go to, Martin Alonzo, and forget thy cravings. My heart is in the west,
+and thither reason teacheth me to follow it. First hear my orders, and
+then go seek the Nina, that thy brother, the worthy Vicente Yanez, may
+obey them also. Should aught separate us in the night, it shall be the
+duty of all to stand manfully toward the west, striving to find our
+company; for it would be a sad, as well as a useless thing, to be
+wandering alone in this unknown ocean."
+
+Pinzon, though evidently much displeased, was fain to obey, and after a
+short but a sharp and loud altercation with the admiral, the commander
+of the Pinta caused her to sheer toward the felucca to execute the
+order.
+
+"Martin Alonzo beginneth to waver," Columbus observed to Luis. "He is a
+bold and exceeding skilful mariner, but steadiness of object is not his
+greatest quality. He must be restrained from following the impulses of
+his weakness, by the higher hand of authority. Cathay!--Cathay is my
+aim!"
+
+After midnight the wind increased, and for two hours the caravels
+glanced through the smooth ocean at their greatest speed, which equalled
+nine English miles the hour. Few now undressed, except to change their
+clothes; and Columbus slumbered on the poop that night, using an old
+sail for his couch. Luis was his companion, and both were up and on the
+deck with the first appearance of dawn. A common feeling seemed to exist
+among all, that land was near, and that a great discovery was about to
+be made. An annuity of ten thousand maravedis had been promised by the
+sovereigns to him who should first descry land, and every eye was on the
+gaze, whenever opportunity permitted, to gain the prize.
+
+As the light diffused itself downward toward the margin of the ocean, in
+the western horizon, all thought there was the appearance of land, and
+sail was eagerly crowded on the different vessels, in order to press
+forward as fast as possible, that their respective crews might enjoy the
+earliest and the best chances of obtaining the first view. In this
+respect, circumstances singularly balanced the advantages and
+disadvantages between the competitors. The Nina was the fastest vessel
+in light airs and smooth water, but she was also the smallest. The Pinta
+came next in general speed, holding a middle place in size, and beating
+her consorts with a fresh breeze; while the Santa Maria, the last in
+point of sailing, had the highest masts, and consequently swept the
+widest range of horizon.
+
+"There is a good feeling uppermost to-day, Senor Don Christopher," said
+Luis, as he stood at the admiral's side, watching the advance of the
+light; "and if eyes can do it, we may hope for the discovery of land.
+The late run hath awakened all our hopes, and land we must have, even if
+we raise it from the bottom of the ocean."
+
+"Yonder is Pepe, the dutiful husband of Monica, perched on our highest
+yard, straining his eyes toward the west, in the hope of gaining the
+reward!" said Columbus, smiling. "Ten thousand maravedis, yearly, would,
+in sooth, be some atonement to carry back to the grieved mother and the
+deserted boy!"
+
+"Martin Alonzo is in earnest, also, Senor. See how he presseth forward
+in the Pinta; but Vicente Yanez hath the heels of him, and is determined
+to make his salutations first to the Great Khan, neglectful of the elder
+brother's rights."
+
+"Senor!--Senores!" shouted Sancho from the spar on which he was seated
+as composedly as a modern lady would recline on her ottoman--"the
+felucca is speaking in signals."
+
+"This is true," cried Columbus--"Vicente Yanez showeth the colors of the
+queen, and there goeth a lombarda to announce some great event!"
+
+As these were the signals directed in the event that either vessel
+should discover land before her consorts, little doubt was entertained
+that the leading caravel had, at last, really announced the final
+success of the expedition. Still the recent and grave disappointment was
+remembered, and, though all devoutly poured out their gratitude in
+mental offerings, their lips were sealed until the result should show
+the truth. Every rag of canvas was set, however, and the vessels seemed
+to hasten their speed toward the west, like birds tired with an unusual
+flight, which make new efforts with their wearied wings as the prospect
+of alighting suddenly breaks on their keen vision and active instincts.
+
+Hour passed after hour, however, and brought no confirmation of the
+blessed tidings. The western horizon looked heavy and clouded throughout
+the morning, it is true, often deceiving even the most practised eyes;
+but as the day advanced, and the vessels had passed more than fifty
+miles further toward the west, it became impossible to ascribe the hopes
+of the morning to another optical illusion. The depression of spirits
+that succeeded this new disappointment was greater than any that had
+before existed, and the murmurs that arose were neither equivocal nor
+suppressed. It was urged that some malign influence was leading the
+adventurers on, finally to abandon them to despair and destruction, in a
+wilderness of waters. This is the moment when, it has been said,
+Columbus was compelled to make conditions with his followers,
+stipulating to abandon the enterprise altogether, should it fail of
+success in a given number of days. But this weakness has been falsely
+ascribed to the great navigator, who never lost the fullest exercise of
+his authority, even in the darkest moments of doubt; maintaining his
+purpose, and asserting his power, with the same steadiness and calmness,
+in what some thought this distant verge of the earth, as he had done in
+the rivers of Spain. Prudence and policy at last dictated a change of
+course, however, which he was neither too obstinate nor too proud to
+submit to, and he accordingly adopted it of his own accord.
+
+"We are now quite a thousand leagues from Ferro, by my private
+reckoning, friend Luis," said Columbus to his young companion, in one of
+their private conferences, which took place after nightfall, "and it is
+really time to expect the continent of Asia. Hitherto I have looked for
+naught but islands, and not with much expectation of seeing even them,
+though Martin Alonzo and the pilots have been so sanguine in their
+hopes. The large flocks of birds, however, that have appeared to-day,
+would seem to invite us to follow their flights--land, out of doubt,
+being their aim. I shall accordingly change our course more to the
+south, though not as far as Pinzon desireth, Cathay being still my
+goal."
+
+Columbus gave the necessary orders, and the two other caravels were
+brought within hail of the Santa Maria, when their commanders were
+directed to steer west-south-west. The reason for this change was the
+fact that so many birds had been seen flying in that direction. The
+intention of the admiral was to pursue this course for two days.
+Notwithstanding this alteration, no land was visible in the morning;
+but, as the wind was light, and the vessels had only made five leagues
+since the course was changed, the disappointment produced less
+despondency than usual. In spite of their uncertainty, all in the
+vessels now rioted in the balmy softness of the atmosphere, which was
+found so fragrant that it was delicious to breathe it. The weeds, too,
+became more plenty, and many of them were as fresh as if torn from their
+native rocks only a day or two previously. Birds, that unequivocally
+belonged to the land, were also seen in considerable numbers, one of
+which was actually taken; while ducks abounded, and another pelican was
+met. Thus passed the 8th of October, the adventurers filled with hope,
+though the vessels only increased their distance from Europe some forty
+miles in the course of the twenty-four hours. The succeeding day brought
+no other material change than a shift of wind, which compelled the
+admiral to alter his course to west-by-north, for a few hours. This
+caused him some uneasiness, for it was his wish to proceed due west, or
+west-southerly; though it afforded considerable relief to many among his
+people, who had been terrified by the prevalence of the winds in one
+direction. Had the variation still existed, this would have been, in
+fact, steering the very course the admiral desired to go; but by this
+time, the vessels were in a latitude and longitude where the needle
+resumed its powers and became faithful to its direction. In the course
+of the night, the trades also resumed their influence; and early on the
+morning of the 10th, the vessels again headed toward the
+west-south-west, by compass, which was, in truth, the real course, or as
+near to it as might be.
+
+Such was the state of things when the sun rose on the morning of the
+10th October, 1492. The wind had freshened, and all three of the vessels
+were running free the whole day, at a rate varying from five knots to
+nine. The signs of the proximity of land had been so very numerous of
+late, that, at every league of ocean they passed over, the adventurers
+had the strongest expectations of discovering it, and nearly every eye
+in all three of the ships was kept constantly bent on the western
+horizon, in the hope of its owner's being the first to make the joyful
+announcement of its appearance. The cry of "land" had been so frequent
+of late, however, that Columbus caused it to be made known that he who
+again uttered it causelessly, should lose the reward promised by the
+sovereigns, even should he happen to be successful in the end. This
+information induced more caution, and not a tongue betrayed its master's
+eagerness on this all-engrossing subject, throughout the anxious and
+exciting days of the 8th, 9th, and 10th October. But, their progress in
+the course of the 10th exceeding that made in the course of both the
+other days, the evening sky was watched with a vigilance even surpassing
+that which had attended any previous sunset. This was the moment most
+favorable for examining the western horizon, the receding light
+illuminating the whole watery expanse in that direction, in a way to
+give up all its secrets to the eye.
+
+"Is that a hummock of land?" asked Pepe of Sancho, in a low voice, as
+they lay together on a yard, watching the upper limb of the sun, as it
+settled, like a glimmering star, beneath the margin of the ocean; "or is
+it some of this misguiding vapor that hath so often misled us of late?"
+
+"'Tis neither, Pepe," returned the more cool and experienced Sancho;
+"but a rise of the sea, which is ever thus tossing itself upward on the
+margin of the ocean. Didst ever see a calm so profound, that the water
+left a straight circle on the horizon? No--no--there is no land to be
+seen in the west to-night; the ocean, in that quarter, looking as blank
+as if we stood on the western shore of Ferro, and gazed outward into the
+broad fields of the Atlantic. Our noble admiral may have the truth of
+his side, Pepe; but, as yet, he hath no other evidence of it than is to
+be found in his reasons."
+
+"And dost thou, too, take sides against him, Sancho, and say that he is
+a madman who is willing to lead others to destruction, as well as
+himself, so that he die an admiral in fact, and a viceroy in fancy?"
+
+"I take sides against no man whose doblas take sides with me, Pepe; for
+that would be quarrelling with the best friend that both the rich and
+poor can make, which is gold. Don Christopher is doubtless very learned,
+and one thing hath he settled to my satisfaction, even though neither he
+nor any of us ever see a single jewel of Cathay, or pluck a hair from
+the beard of the Great Khan, and that is, that this world is round; had
+it been a plain, all this water would not be placed at the outer side,
+since it would clearly run off, unless dammed up by land. Thou canst
+conceive that, Pepe?"
+
+"That do I; it is reasonable and according to every man's experience.
+Monica thinketh the Genoese a saint!"
+
+"Harkee, Pepe; thy Monica is no doubt an uncommonly sensible woman, else
+would she never have taken thee for a husband, when she might have
+chosen among a dozen of thy fellows. I once thought of the girl myself,
+and might have told her so, had she seen fit to call me a saint, too,
+which she did not, seeing that she used a very different epithet. But,
+admitting the Senor Colon to be a saint, he would be none the better
+admired for it, inasmuch as I never yet met with a saint, or even with a
+virgin, that could understand the bearings and distances of a run as
+short as that from Cadiz to Barcelona."
+
+"Thou speakest irreverently, Sancho, of virgins and saints, seeing that
+they know every thing"--
+
+"Ay, every thing but that. Our Lady of Rabida does not
+know south-east-and-by-southe-half-southe, from
+north-west-and-by-noathe-half-noathe. I have tried her, in this matter,
+and I tell thee she is as ignorant of it as thy Monica is ignorant of
+the manner in which the Duchess of Medina Sidonia saluteth the noble
+duke, her husband, when he returneth from hawking."
+
+"I dare say the duchess would not know, either, what to say, were she in
+Monica's place, and were she called on to receive me, as Monica will be,
+when we return from this great expedition. If I have never hawked,
+neither hath the duke ever sailed for two-and-thirty days, in a west
+course from Ferro, and this, too, without once seeing land!"
+
+"Thou say'st true, Pepe; nor hast thou ever yet done this and returned
+to Palos. But what meaneth all this movement on deck? Our people seem to
+be much moved by some feeling, while I can swear it is not from having
+discovered Cathay, or from having seen the Great Khan, shining like a
+carbuncle, on his throne of diamonds."
+
+"It is rather that they do not see him thus, that the men are moved.
+Dost not hear angry and threatening words from the mouths of the
+troublesome ones?"
+
+"By San Iago! were I Don Christopher, but I would deduct a dobla from
+the wages of each of the rascals, and give the gold to such peaceable
+men as you and me, Pepe, who are willing to starve to death, ere we will
+go back without a sight of Asia."
+
+"'Tis something of this sort, of a truth, Sancho. Let us descend, that
+his Excellency may see that he hath some friends among the crew."
+
+As Sancho assented to this proposition, he and Pepe stood on the deck in
+the next minute. Here, indeed, the people were found in a more mutinous
+state than they had been since the fleet left Spain. The long
+continuation of fair winds, and pleasant weather, had given them so much
+reason to expect a speedy termination of their voyage, that nearly the
+whole crew were now of opinion it was due to themselves to insist on the
+abandonment of an expedition that seemed destined to lead to nothing but
+destruction. The discussion was loud and angry, even one or two of the
+pilots inclining to think, with their inferiors, that further
+perseverance would certainly be useless, and might be fatal. When Sancho
+and Pepe joined the crowd, it had just been determined to go in a body
+to Columbus, and to demand, in terms that could not be misconceived, the
+immediate return of the ships to Spain. In order that this might be done
+with method, Pedro Alonzo Nino, one of the pilots, and an aged seaman
+called Juan Martin, were selected as spokesmen. At this critical moment,
+too, the admiral and Luis were seen descending from the poop, with an
+intent to retire to their cabin, when a rush was made aft, by all on
+deck, and twenty voices were heard simultaneously crying--
+
+"Senor--Don Christopher--Your Excellency--Senor Almirante!"
+
+Columbus stopped, and faced the people with a calmness and dignity that
+caused the heart of Nino to leap toward his mouth, and which materially
+checked the ardor of most of his followers.
+
+"What would ye?" demanded the admiral, sternly. "Speak! Ye address a
+friend."
+
+"We come to ask our precious lives, Senor," answered Juan Martin, who
+thought his insignificance might prove a shield--"nay, what is more, the
+means of putting bread into the mouths of our wives and children. All
+here are weary of this profitless voyage, and most think if it last any
+longer than shall be necessary to return, it will be the means of our
+perishing of want."
+
+"Know ye the distance that lieth between us and Ferro, that ye come to
+me with this blind and foolish request? Speak, Nino; I see that thou art
+also of their number, notwithstanding thy hesitation."
+
+"Senor," returned the pilot, "we are all of a mind. To go further into
+this blank and unknown ocean, is tempting God to destroy us, for our
+wilfulness. It is vain to suppose that this broad belt of water hath
+been placed by Providence around the habitable earth for any other
+purpose than to rebuke those who audaciously seek to be admitted to
+mysteries beyond their understanding. Do not all the churchmen,
+Senor--the pious prior of Santa Maria de Rabida, your own particular
+friend, included--tell us constantly of the necessity of submitting to a
+knowledge we can never equal, and to believe without striving to lift a
+veil that covers incomprehensible things?"
+
+"I might retort on thee, honest Nino, with thine own words," answered
+Columbus, "and bid thee confide in those whose knowledge thou canst
+never equal, and to follow submissively where thou art totally unfitted
+to lead. Go to; withdraw with thy fellows, and let me hear no more of
+this."
+
+"Nay, Senor," cried two or three in a breath, "we cannot perish without
+making our complaints heard. We have followed too far already, and, even
+now, may have gone beyond the means of a safe return. Let us, then, turn
+the heads of the caravels toward Spain, this night, lest we never live
+to see that blessed country again."
+
+"This toucheth on revolt! Who among ye dare use language so bold, to
+your admiral?"
+
+"All of us, Senor," answered twenty voices together. "Men need be bold,
+when their lives would be forfeited by silence."
+
+"Sancho, art thou, too, of the party of these mutineers? Dost thou
+confess thy heart to be Spain-sick, and thy unmanly fears to be stronger
+than thy hopes of imperishable glory and thy longings for the riches and
+pleasures of Cathay?"
+
+"If I do, Senor Don Almirante, set me to greasing masts, and take me
+from the helm, forever, as one unfit to watch the whirlings of the north
+star. Sail with the caravels, into the hall of the Great Khan, and make
+fast to his throne, and you will find Sancho at his post, whether it be
+at the helm or at the lead. He was born in a ship-yard, and hath a
+natural desire to know what a ship can do."
+
+"And thou, Pepe? Hast thou so forgotten thy duty as to come with this
+language to thy commander? to the admiral and viceroy of thy sovereign,
+the Dona Isabella?"
+
+"Viceroy over what?" exclaimed a voice from the crowd, without
+permitting Pepe to answer. "A viceroy over sea-weed, and one that hath
+tunny-fish, and whales, and pelicans, for subjects! We tell you, Senor
+Colon, that this is no treatment for Castilians, who require more
+substantial discoveries than fields of weeds, and islands of clouds!"
+
+"Home!--Home!--Spain!--Spain!--Palos!--Palos!" cried nearly all
+together, Sancho and Pepe having quitted the throng and ranged
+themselves at the side of Columbus. "We will no further west, which is
+tempting God; but demand to be carried back whence we came, if, indeed,
+it be not already too late for so happy a deliverance."
+
+"To whom speak ye in this shameless manner, graceless knaves?" exclaimed
+Luis, unconsciously laying a hand where it had been his practice to
+carry a rapier. "Get ye gone, or"--
+
+"Be tranquil, friend Pedro, and leave this matter with me," interrupted
+the admiral, whose composure had scarce been deranged by the violent
+conduct of his subordinates. "Listen to what I have to say, ye rude and
+rebellious men, and let it be received as my final answer to any and all
+such demands as ye have just dared to make. This expedition hath been
+sent forth by the two sovereigns, your royal master and mistress, with
+the express design of crossing the entire breadth of the vast Atlantic,
+until it might reach the shores of India. Now, let what will happen,
+these high expectations shall not be disappointed; but westward we sail,
+until stopped by the land. For this determination, my life shall answer.
+Look to it, that none of yours be endangered by resistance to the royal
+orders, or by disrespect and disobedience to their appointed substitute;
+for, another murmur, and I mark the man that uttereth it, for signal
+punishment. In this ye have my full determination, and beware of
+encountering the anger of those whose displeasure may prove more fatal
+than these fancied dangers of the ocean.
+
+"Look at what ye have before you, in the way of fear, and then at what
+ye have before ye, in the way of hope. In the first case, ye have every
+thing to dread from the sovereigns' anger, should ye proceed to a
+violent resistance of their authority; or, what is as bad, something
+like a certainty of your being unable to reach Spain, for want of food
+and water, should ye revolt against your lawful leaders and endeavor to
+return. For this, it is now too late. The voyage east must, as regards
+time, be double that we have just made, and the caravels are beginning
+to be lightened in their casks. Land, and land in this region, hath
+become necessary to us. Now look at the other side of the picture.
+Before ye, lieth Cathay, with all its riches, its novelties, and its
+glories! A region more wonderful than any that hath yet been inhabited
+by man, and occupied by a race as gentle as they are hospitable and
+just. To this must be added the approbation of the sovereigns, and the
+credit that will belong to the meanest mariner that hath manfully stood
+by his commander in achieving so great an end."
+
+"If we will obey three days longer, Senor, will you then turn toward
+Spain, should no land be seen?" cried a voice from the crowd.
+
+"Never," returned Columbus, firmly. "To India am I bound, and for India
+will I steer, though another month be needed to complete the journey.
+Go, then, to your posts or your hammocks, and let me hear no more of
+this."
+
+There was so much natural dignity in the manner of Columbus, and when he
+spoke in anger, his voice carried so much of rebuke with it, that it
+exceeded the daring of ordinary men to presume to answer when he
+commanded silence. The people sullenly dispersed, therefore, though the
+disaffection was by no means appeased. Had there been only a single
+vessel in the expedition, it is quite probable that they would have
+proceeded to some act of violence; but, uncertain of the state of
+feeling in the Pinta and the Nina, and holding Martin Alonzo Pinzon in
+as much habitual respect as they stood in awe of Columbus, the boldest
+among them were, for the present, fain to give vent to their
+dissatisfaction in murmurs, though they secretly meditated decided
+measures, as soon as an opportunity for consultation and concert with
+the crews of the other vessels might offer.
+
+"This looketh serious, Senor," said Luis, as soon as he and the admiral
+were alone again in their little cabin, "and, by St. Luke! it might cool
+the ardor of these knaves, did your Excellency suffer me to cast two or
+three of the most insolent of the vagabonds into the sea."
+
+"Which is a favor that some among them have actually contemplated
+conferring upon thee and me," answered Columbus.
+
+"Sancho keepeth me well informed of the feeling among the people, and it
+is now many days since he hath let me know this fact. We will proceed
+peaceably, if possible, Senor Gutierrez, or de Munos, whichever name
+thou most affectest, as long as we can; but should there truly arise an
+occasion to resort to force, thou wilt find that Christofero Colombo
+knoweth how to wield a sword as well as he knoweth how to use his
+instruments of science."
+
+"How far do you really think us from land, Senor Almirante? I ask from
+curiosity, and not from dread; for though the ship floated on the very
+verge of the earth, ready to fall off into vacuum, you should hear no
+murmur from me."
+
+"I am well assured of this, young noble," returned Columbus,
+affectionately squeezing the hand of Luis, "else wouldst thou not be
+here. I make our distance from Ferro exceed a thousand marine leagues;
+this is about the same as that at which I have supposed Cathay to lie
+from Europe, and it is, out of question, sufficiently far to meet with
+many of the islands that are known to abound in the seas of Asia. The
+public reckoning maketh the distance a little more than eight hundred
+leagues; but, in consequence of the favorable currents of which we have
+lately had so much, I doubt if we are not fully eleven hundred from the
+Canaries, at this moment, if not even further. We are doubtless a trifle
+nearer to the Azores, which are situated further west, though in a
+higher latitude."
+
+"Then you think, Senor, that we may really expect land, ere many days?"
+
+"So certain do I feel of this, Luis, that I should have little
+apprehension of complying with the terms of these audacious men, but for
+the humiliation. Ptolemy divided the earth into twenty-four hours, of
+fifteen degrees each, and I place but some five or six of these hours in
+the Atlantic. Thirteen hundred leagues, I feel persuaded, will bring us
+to the shores of Asia, and eleven of these thirteen hundred leagues do I
+believe we have come."
+
+"To-morrow may then prove an eventful day, Senor Almirante; and now to
+our cots, where I shall dream of a fairer land than Christian eye ever
+yet looked upon, with the fairest maiden of Spain--nay, by San Pedro! of
+Europe--beckoning me on!"
+
+Columbus and Luis now sought their rest. In the morning, it was evident
+by the surly looks of the people, that feelings like a suppressed
+volcano were burning in their bosoms, and that any untoward accident
+might produce an eruption. Fortunately, however, signs, of a nature so
+novel, soon appeared, as to draw off the attention of the most
+disaffected from their melancholy broodings. The wind was fresh, as
+usual fair, and, what was really a novelty since quitting Ferro, the sea
+had got up, and the vessels were riding over waves which removed that
+appearance of an unnatural calm that had hitherto alarmed the men with
+its long continuance. Columbus had not been on deck five minutes, when a
+joyful cry from Pepe drew all eyes toward the yard on which he was at
+work. The seaman was pointing eagerly at some object in the water, and
+rushing to the side of the vessel, all saw the welcome sign that had
+caught his gaze. As the ship lifted on a sea, and shot ahead, a rush of
+a bright fresh green was passed, and the men gave a loud shout, for all
+well knew that this plant certainly came from some shore, and that it
+could not have been long torn from the spot of its growth.
+
+"This is truly a blessed omen!" said Columbus; "rushes cannot grow
+without the light of heaven, whatever may be the case with weeds."
+
+This little occurrence changed, or at least checked, the feelings of the
+disaffected. Hope once more resumed its sway, and all who could,
+ascended the rigging to watch the western horizon. The rapid motion of
+the vessels, too, added to this buoyancy of feeling, the Pinta and Nina
+passing and repassing the admiral, as it might be in pure wantonness. A
+few hours later, fresh weeds were met, and about noon Sancho announced
+confidently that he had seen a fish which is known to live in the
+vicinity of rocks. An hour later, the Nina came sheering up toward the
+admiral, with her commander in the rigging, evidently desirous of
+communicating some tidings of moment.
+
+"What now, good Vicente Yanez?" called out Columbus; "thou seemest the
+messenger of welcome news!"
+
+"I think myself such, Don Christopher," answered the other. "We have
+just passed a bush bearing roseberries, quite newly torn from the tree!
+This is a sign that cannot deceive us."
+
+"Thou say'st true, my friend. To the west!--to the west! Happy will he
+be whose eyes first behold the wonders of the Indies!"
+
+It would not be easy to describe the degree of hope and exultation that
+now began to show itself among the people. Good-natured jests flew about
+the decks, and the laugh was easily raised where so lately all had been
+despondency and gloom. The minutes flew swiftly by, and every man had
+ceased to think of Spain, bending his thoughts again on the as yet
+unseen west.
+
+A little later, a cry of exultation was heard from the Pinta, which was
+a short distance to windward and ahead of the admiral. As this vessel
+shortened sail and hove-to, lowering a boat, and then immediately kept
+away, the Santa Maria soon came foaming up under her quarter, and spoke
+her.
+
+"What now, Martin Alonzo?" asked Columbus, suppressing his anxiety in an
+appearance of calmness and dignity. "Thou and thy people seem in an
+ecstasy!"
+
+"Well may we be so! About an hour since, we passed a piece of the
+cane-plant, of the sort of which sugar is made in the East, as
+travellers say, and such as we often see in our own ports. But this is a
+trifling symptom of land compared to the trunk of a tree that we have
+also passed. As if Providence had not yet dealt with us with sufficient
+kindness, all these articles were met floating near each other; and we
+have thought them of sufficient value to lower a boat, that we might
+possess them."
+
+"Lay thy sails to the mast, good Martin Alonzo, and send thy prizes
+hither, that I may judge of their value."
+
+Pinzon complied, and the Santa Maria being hove-to, at the same time,
+the boat soon touched her side. Martin Alonzo made but one bound from
+the thwart to the gunwale of the ship, and was soon on the deck of the
+admiral. Here he eagerly displayed the different articles that his men
+tossed after him, all of which had been taken out of the sea, not an
+hour before.
+
+"See, noble Senores," said Martin Alonzo, almost breathless with haste
+to display his treasures--"this is a sort of board, though of unknown
+wood, and fashioned with exceeding care: here is also another piece of
+cane: this is a plant that surely cometh from the land; and most of all,
+this is a walking-stick, fashioned by the hand of man, and that, too,
+with exceeding care!"
+
+"All this is true," said Columbus, examining the different articles, one
+by one; "God, in his might and power, be praised for these comfortable
+evidences of our near approach to a new world! None but a malignant
+Infidel can now doubt of our final success."
+
+"These things have questionless come from some boat that hath been
+upset, which will account for their being so near each other in the
+water," said Martin Alonzo, willing to sustain his physical proofs by a
+plausible theory. "It would not be wonderful were drowned bodies near."
+
+"Let us hope not, Martin Alonzo," answered the admiral; "let us fancy
+naught so melancholy. A thousand accidents may have thrown these
+articles together, into the sea; and once there, they would float in
+company for a twelvemonth, unless violently separated. But come they
+whence they may, to us, they are infallible proofs that not only land is
+near, but land which is the abiding-place of men."
+
+It is not easy to describe the enthusiasm that now prevailed in all the
+vessels. Hitherto they had met with only birds, and fishes, and weeds,
+signs that are often precarious; but here was such proof of their being
+in the neighborhood of their fellow-creatures, as it was not easy to
+withstand. It was true, articles of this nature might drift, in time,
+even across the vast distance they had come; but it was not probable
+that they would drift so far in company. Then, the berries were fresh,
+the board was of an unknown wood, and the walking-stick, in particular,
+if such indeed was its use, was carved in a manner that was never
+practised in Europe. The different articles passed from hand to hand,
+until all in the ship had examined them; and every thing like doubt
+vanished before this unlooked-for confirmation of the admiral's
+predictions. Pinzon returned to his vessel, sail was again made, and the
+fleet continued to steer to the west-south-west, until the hour of
+sunset.
+
+Something like a chill of disappointment again came over the more
+faint-hearted of the people, however, as they once more, or for the
+thirty-fourth time since quitting Gomera, saw the sun sink behind a
+watery horizon. More than a hundred vigilant eyes watched the glowing
+margin of the ocean, at this interesting moment, and though the heavens
+were cloudless, naught was visible but the gloriously tinted vault, and
+the outline of water, broken into the usual ragged forms of the unquiet
+element.
+
+The wind freshened as evening closed, and Columbus having called his
+vessels together, as was usual with him at that hour, he issued new
+orders concerning the course. For the last two or three days they had
+been steering materially to the southward of west, and Columbus, who
+felt persuaded that his most certain and his nearest direction from land
+to land, was to traverse the ocean, if possible, on a single parallel of
+latitude, was anxious to resume his favorite course, which was what he
+fancied to be due west. Just as night drew around the mariners,
+accordingly, the ships edged away to the required course, and ran off at
+the rate of nine miles the hour, following the orb of day as if resolute
+to penetrate into the mysteries of his nightly retreat, until some great
+discovery should reward the effort.
+
+Immediately after this change in the course, the people sang the vesper
+hymn, as usual, which, in that mild sea, they often deferred until the
+hour when the watch below sought their hammocks. That night, however,
+none felt disposed to sleep; and it was late when the chant of the
+seamen commenced, with the words of "_Salve fac Regina_." It was a
+solemn thing to hear the songs of religious praise mingling with the
+sighings of the breeze and the wash of the waters, in that ocean
+solitude; and the solemnity was increased by the expectations of the
+adventurers and the mysteries that lay behind the curtain they believed
+themselves about to raise. Never before had this hymn sounded so sweetly
+in the ears of Columbus, and Luis found his eyes suffusing with tears,
+as he recalled the soft thrilling notes of Mercedes' voice, in her holy
+breathings of praise at this hour. When the office ended, the admiral
+called the crew to the quarter-deck, and addressed them earnestly from
+his station on the poop.
+
+"I rejoice, my friends," he said, "that you have had the grace to chant
+the vesper hymn in so devout a spirit, at a moment when there is so much
+reason to be grateful to God for his goodness to us throughout this
+voyage. Look back at the past and see if one of you, the oldest sailor
+of your number, can recall any passage at sea, I will not say of equal
+length, for that no one here hath ever before made, but any equal number
+of days at sea, in which the winds have been as fair, the weather as
+propitious, or the ocean as calm, as on this occasion. Then what
+cheering signs have encouraged us to persevere! God is in the midst of
+the ocean, my friends, as well as in his sanctuaries of the land. Step
+by step, as it were, hath he led us on, now filling the air with birds,
+now causing the sea to abound with unusual fishes, and then spreading
+before us fields of plants, such as are seldom met far from the rocks
+where they grew. The last and best of his signs hath he given us this
+day. My own calculations are in unison with these proofs, and I deem it
+probable that we reach the land this very night. In a few hours, or when
+we shall have run the distance commanded by the eye, as the light left
+us, I shall deem it prudent to shorten sail; and I call on all of you to
+be watchful, lest we unwittingly throw ourselves on the strange shores.
+Ye know that the sovereigns have graciously promised ten thousand
+maravedis, yearly, and for life, to him who shall first discover land:
+to this rich reward I will add a doublet of velvet, such as it would
+befit a grandee to wear. Sleep not, then; but, at the turn of the night,
+be all vigilance and watchfulness. I am now most serious with ye, and
+look for land this very blessed night."
+
+These encouraging words produced their full effect, the men scattering
+themselves in the ship, each taking the best position he could, to earn
+the coveted prizes. Deep expectation is always a quiet feeling, the
+jealous senses seeming to require silence and intensity of
+concentration, in order to give them their full exercise. Columbus
+remained on the poop, while Luis, less interested, threw himself on a
+sail, and passed the time in musing on Mercedes, and in picturing to
+himself the joyful moment when he might meet her again, a triumphant and
+successful adventurer.
+
+The death-like silence that prevailed in the ship, added to the
+absorbing interest of that important night. At the distance of a mile
+was the little Nina, gliding on her course with a full sail; while half
+a league still further in advance, was to be seen the shadowy outline of
+the Pinta, which preceded her consorts, as the swiftest sailer with a
+fresh breeze. Sancho had been round to every sheet and brace, in person,
+and never before had the admiral's ship held as good way with her
+consorts as on that night, all three of the vessels appearing to have
+caught the eager spirit of those they contained, and to be anxious to
+outdo themselves. At moments the men started, while the wind murmured
+through the cordage, as if they heard unknown and strange voices from a
+mysterious world; and fifty times, when the waves combed upon the sides
+of the ship, did they turn their heads, expecting to see a crowd of
+unknown beings, fresh from the eastern world, pouring in upon their
+decks.
+
+As for Columbus, he sighed often; for minutes at a time would he stand
+looking intently toward the west, like one who strove to penetrate the
+gloom of night, with organs exceeding human powers. At length he bent
+his body forward, gazed intently over the weather railing of the ship,
+and then, lifting his cap, he seemed to be offering up his spirit in
+thanksgiving or prayer. All this Luis witnessed where he lay: at the
+next instant he heard himself called.
+
+"Pero Gutierrez--Pedro de Munos--Luis--whatever thou art termed," said
+Columbus, his fine masculine voice trembling with eagerness--"come
+hither, son; tell me if thine eyes accord with mine. Look in this
+direction--here, more on the vessel's beam; seest thou aught uncommon?"
+
+"I saw a light, Senor; one that resembled a candle, being neither larger
+nor more brilliant; and to me it appeared to move, as if carried in the
+hand, or tossed by waves."
+
+"Thy eyes did not deceive thee; thou seest it doth not come of either of
+our consorts, both of which are here on the bow."
+
+"What do you, then, take this light to signify, Don Christopher?"
+
+"Land! It is either on the land itself, rendered small by distance, or
+it cometh of some vessel that is a stranger to us, and which belongeth
+to the Indies. There is Rodrigo Sanchez of Segovia, the comptroller of
+the fleet, beneath us; descend, and bid him come hither."
+
+Luis did as required, and presently the comptroller was also at the
+admiral's side. Half an hour passed, and the light was not seen again;
+then it gleamed upward once or twice, like a torch, and finally
+disappeared. This circumstance was soon known to all in the ship, though
+few attached the same importance to it as Columbus himself.
+
+"This is land," quietly observed the admiral, to those near his person:
+"ere many hours we may expect to behold it. Now ye may pour out your
+souls in gratitude and confidence, for in such a sign there can be no
+deception. No phenomenon of the ocean resembleth that light; and my
+reckoning placeth us in a quarter of the world where land _must_ exist,
+else is the earth no sphere."
+
+Notwithstanding this great confidence on the part of the admiral, most
+of those in the ship did not yet feel the same certainty in the result,
+although all felt the strongest hopes of falling in with land next day.
+Columbus saying no more on the subject, the former silence was soon
+resumed, and, in a few minutes, every eye was again turned toward the
+west, in anxious watchfulness. In this manner the time passed away, the
+ships driving ahead with a speed much exceeding that of their ordinary
+rate of sailing, until the night had turned, when its darkness was
+suddenly illuminated by a blaze of light, and the report of a gun from
+the Pinta came struggling up against the fresh breeze of the trades.
+
+"There speaketh Martin Alonzo!" exclaimed the admiral; "and we may be
+certain that he hath not given the signal idly. Who sitteth on the
+top-gallant yard, there, on watch for wonders ahead?"
+
+"Senor Don Almirante, it is I," answered Sancho. "I have been here since
+we sang the vesper hymn."
+
+"Seest thou aught unusual, westward? Look vigilantly, for we touch on
+mighty things!"
+
+"Naught, Senor, unless it be that the Pinta is lessening her canvas, and
+the Nina is already closing with our fleet consort--nay, I now see the
+latter shortening sail also!"
+
+"For these great tidings, all honor and praise be to God! These are
+proofs that no false cry hath this time misled their judgments. We will
+join our consorts, good Bartolemeo, ere we take in a single inch of
+canvas."
+
+Every thing was now in motion on board the Santa Maria, which went
+dashing ahead for another half hour, when she came up with the two other
+caravels, both of which had hauled by the wind, under short canvas, and
+were forging slowly through the water, on different tacks, like coursers
+cooling themselves after having terminated a severe struggle by reaching
+the goal.
+
+"Come hither, Luis," said Columbus, "and feast thine eyes with a sight
+that doth not often meet the gaze of the best of Christians."
+
+The night was far from dark, a tropical sky glittering with a thousand
+stars, and even the ocean itself appearing to emit a sombre, melancholy
+light. By the aid of such assistants it was possible to see several
+miles, and more especially to note objects on the margin of the ocean.
+When the young man cast his eyes to leeward, as directed by Columbus, he
+very plainly perceived a point where the blue of the sky ceased, and a
+dark mound rose from the water, stretching for a few leagues southward,
+and then terminated, as it had commenced, by a union between the watery
+margin of the ocean and the void of heaven. The intermediate space had
+the defined outline, the density, and the hue of land, as seen at
+midnight.
+
+"Behold the Indies!" said Columbus; "the mighty problem is solved! This
+is doubtless an island, but a continent is near. Laud be to God!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXII.
+
+    "There is a Power, whose care
+      Teaches thy way along that pathless coast--
+    The desert and illimitable air--
+      Lone wandering, but not lost."
+
+    Bryant.
+
+
+The two or three hours that succeeded, were hours of an extraordinary
+and intense interest. The three vessels stood hovering off the dusky
+shore, barely keeping at a safe distance, stripped of most of their
+canvas, resembling craft that cruised leisurely at a given point,
+indifferent to haste or speed. As they occasionally and slowly passed
+each other, words of heart-felt congratulation were exchanged; but no
+noisy or intemperate exultation was heard on that all-important night.
+The sensations excited in the adventurers, by their success, were too
+deep and solemn for any such vulgar exhibition of joy; and perhaps there
+was not one among them all who did not, at that moment, inwardly confess
+his profound submission to, and absolute dependence on a Divine
+Providence.
+
+Columbus was silent. Emotions like his seldom find vent in words; but
+his heart was overflowing with gratitude and love. He believed himself
+to be in the further east, and to have reached that part of the world by
+sailing west; and it is natural to suppose that he expected the curtain
+of day would rise on some of those scenes of oriental magnificence which
+had been so eloquently described by the Polos and other travellers in
+those remote and little-known regions. That this or other islands were
+inhabited, the little he had seen sufficiently proved; but, as yet, all
+the rest was conjecture of the wildest and most uncertain character. The
+fragrance of the land, however, was very perceptible in the vessels,
+thus affording an opportunity to two of the senses to unite in
+establishing their success.
+
+At length the long wished-for day approached, and the eastern sky began
+to assume the tints that precede the appearance of the sun. As the light
+diffused itself athwart the dark blue ocean, and reached the island, the
+outlines of the latter became more and more distinct; then objects
+became visible on its surface, trees, glades, rocks, and irregularities,
+starting out of the gloom, until the whole picture was drawn in the
+gray, solemn colors of morning. Presently the direct rays of the sun
+touched it, gilding its prominent points, and throwing others into
+shadow. It then became apparent that the discovery was that of an island
+of no great extent, well wooded, and of a verdant and pleasant aspect.
+The land was low, but possessed an outline sufficiently graceful to
+cause it to seem a paradise in the eyes of men who had seriously doubted
+whether they were ever to look on solid ground again. The view of his
+mother earth is always pleasant to the mariner who has long gazed on
+nothing but water and sky; but thrice beautiful did it now seem to men
+who not only saw in it their despair cured, but their most brilliant
+hopes revived. From the position of the land near him, Columbus did not
+doubt that he had passed another island, on which the light had been
+seen, and, from his known course, this conjecture has since been
+rendered almost certain.
+
+The sun had scarcely risen, when living beings were seen rushing out of
+the woods, to gaze in astonishment at the sudden appearance of machines,
+that were at first mistaken by the untutored islanders, for messengers
+from heaven. Shortly after, Columbus anchored his little fleet, and
+landed to take possession in the name of the two sovereigns.
+
+As much state was observed on this occasion as the limited means of the
+adventurers would allow. Each vessel sent a boat, with her commander.
+The admiral, attired in scarlet, and carrying the royal standard,
+proceeded in advance, while Martin Alonzo, and Vicente Yanez Pinzon,
+followed, holding banners bearing crosses, the symbol of the expedition,
+with letters representing the initials of the two sovereigns, or F. and
+Y., for Fernando and Ysabel.
+
+The forms usual to such occasions were observed on reaching the shore.
+Columbus took possession, rendered thanks to God for the success of the
+expedition, and then began to look about him in order to form some
+estimate of the value of his discovery.[3]
+
+[Footnote 3: It is a singular fact that the position and name of the
+precise island that was first fallen in with, on this celebrated voyage,
+remain to this day, if not a matter of doubt, at least a matter of
+discussion. By most persons, some of the best authorities included, it
+is believed that the adventurers made Cat Island, as the place is now
+called, though the admiral gave it the appellation of San Salvador;
+while others contend for what is now termed Turk's Island. The reason
+given for the latter opinion is the position of the island, and the
+course subsequently steered in order to reach Cuba. Munoz is of opinion
+that it was Watling's Island, which lies due east of Cat Island, at the
+distance of a degree of longitude, or a few hours' run. As respects
+Turk's Island, the facts do not sustain the theory. The course steered,
+after quitting the island, was not west, but south-west; and we find
+Columbus anxious to get south to reach the island of Cuba, which was
+described to him by the natives, and which he believed to be Cipango. No
+reason is given by Munoz for his opinion; but Watling's Island does not
+answer the description of the great navigator, while it is so placed as
+to have lain quite near his course, and was doubtless passed unseen in
+the darkness. It is thought the light so often observed by Columbus was
+on this island.]
+
+No sooner were the ceremonies observed, than the people crowded round
+the admiral, and began to pour out their congratulations for his
+success, with their contrition for their own distrust and disaffection.
+The scene has often been described as a proof of the waywardness and
+inconstancy of human judgments; the being who had so lately been scowled
+on as a reckless and selfish adventurer, being now regarded as little
+less than a God. The admiral was no more elated by this adulation, than
+he had been intimidated by the previous dissatisfaction, maintaining his
+calmness of exterior and gravity of demeanor, with those who pressed
+around him, though a close observer might have detected the gleaming of
+triumph in his eye, and the glow of inward rapture on his cheek.
+
+"These honest people are as inconstant in their apprehensions, as they
+are extreme in their rejoicings," said Columbus to Luis, when liberated
+a little from the throng; "yesterday they would have cast me into the
+sea, and to-day they are much disposed to forget God, himself, in his
+unworthy creature. Dost not see, that the men who gave us most concern,
+on account of their discontent, are now the loudest in their applause?"
+
+"This is but nature, Senor; fear flying from panic to exultation. These
+knaves fancy they are praising you, when they are, in truth, rejoicing
+in their own escape from some unknown but dreaded evil. Our friends
+Sancho and Pepe seem not to be thus overwhelmed, for while the last is
+gathering flowers from this shore of India, the first seems to be
+looking about him with commendable coolness, as if he might be
+calculating the latitude and longitude of the Great Khan's doblas."
+
+Columbus smiled, and, accompanied by Luis, he drew nearer to the two men
+mentioned, who were a little apart from the rest of the group. Sancho
+was standing with his hands thrust into the bosom of his doublet,
+regarding the scene with the coolness of a philosopher, and toward him
+the admiral first directed his steps.
+
+"How is this, Sancho of the ship-yard-gate?" said the great navigator;
+"thou lookest on this glorious scene as coolly as thou wouldst regard a
+street in Moguer, or a field in Andalusia?"
+
+"Senor Don Almirante, the same hand made both. This is not the first
+island on which I have landed; nor are yonder naked savages the first
+men I have seen who were not dressed in scarlet doublets."
+
+"But hast thou no feeling for success--no gratitude to God for this vast
+discovery? Reflect, my friend, we are on the confines of Asia, and yet
+have we come here by holding a western course."
+
+"That the last is true, Senor, I will swear myself, having held the
+tiller in mine own hands no small part of the way. Do you think, Senor
+Don Almirante, that we have come far enough in this direction to have
+got to the back side of the earth, or to stand, as it might be, under
+the very feet of Spain?"
+
+"By no means. The realms of the Great Khan will scarcely occupy the
+position you mean."
+
+"Then, Senor, what will there be to prevent the doblas of that country
+from falling off into the air, leaving us our journey for our pains?"
+
+"The same power that will prevent our caravels from dropping out of the
+sea, and the water itself from following. These things depend on natural
+laws, my friend, and nature is a legislator that will be respected."
+
+"It is all Moorish to me," returned Sancho, rubbing his eye-brows. "Here
+we are, of a verity, if not actually beneath the feet of Spain,
+standing, as it might be, on the side of the house; and yet I find no
+more difficulty in keeping on an even keel, than I did in Moguer--by
+Santa Clara! less, in some particulars, good solid Xeres wine being far
+less plenty here than there."
+
+"Thou art no Moor, Sancho, although thy father's name be a secret. And
+thou, Pepe, what dost thou find in those flowers to draw thy attention
+so early from all these wonders?"
+
+"Senor, I gather them for Monica. A female hath a more delicate feeling
+than a man, and she will be glad to see with what sort of ornaments God
+hath adorned the Indies."
+
+"Dost thou fancy, Pepe, that thy love can keep those flowers in bloom,
+until the good caravel shall recross the Atlantic?" demanded Luis,
+laughing.
+
+"Who knoweth, Senor Gutierrez? A warm heart maketh a thriving nursery.
+You would do well, too, if you prefer any Castilian lady to all others,
+to bethink you of her beauty, and gather some of these rare plants to
+deck her hair."
+
+Columbus now turned away, the natives seeming disposed to approach the
+strangers, while Luis remained near the young sailor, who still
+continued to collect the plants of the tropics. In a minute our hero was
+similarly employed; and long ere the admiral and the wondering islanders
+had commenced their first parley, he had arranged a gorgeous _bouquet_,
+which he already fancied in the glossy dark hair of Mercedes.
+
+The events of a public nature that followed, are too familiar to every
+intelligent reader to need repetition here. After passing a short time
+at San Salvador, Columbus proceeded to other islands, led on by
+curiosity, and guided by real or fancied reports of the natives, until
+the 28th, when he reached that of Cuba. Here he imagined, for a time,
+that he had found the continent, and he continued coasting it, first in
+a north-westerly, and then in a south-easterly direction, for near a
+month. Familiarity with the novel scenes that offered soon lessened
+their influence, and the inbred feelings of avarice and ambition began
+to resume their sway in the bosoms of several of those who had been
+foremost in manifesting their submission to the admiral, when the
+discovery of land so triumphantly proved the justice of his theories,
+and the weakness of their own misgivings. Among others who thus came
+under the influence of their nature, was Martin Alonzo Pinzon, who,
+finding himself almost entirely excluded from the society of the young
+Count of Llera, in whose eyes he perceived he filled but a very
+subordinate place, fell back on his own local importance, and began to
+envy Columbus a glory that he now fancied he might have secured for
+himself. Hot words had passed between the admiral and himself, on more
+than one occasion, before the land was made, and every day something new
+occurred to increase the coldness between them.
+
+It forms no part of this work to dwell on the events that followed, as
+the adventurers proceeded from island to island, port to port, and river
+to river. It was soon apparent that very important discoveries had been
+made; and the adventurers were led on day by day, pursuing their
+investigations, and following directions that were ill comprehended, but
+which, it was fancied, pointed to mines of gold. Everywhere they met
+with a gorgeous and bountiful nature, scenery that fascinated the eye,
+and a climate that soothed the senses; but, as yet, man was found living
+in the simplest condition of the savage state. The delusion of being in
+the Indies was general, and every intimation that fell from those
+untutored beings, whether by word or sign, was supposed to have some
+reference to the riches of the east. All believed that, if not
+absolutely within the kingdom of the Great Khan, they were at least on
+its confines. Under such circumstances, when each day actually produced
+new scenes, promising still greater novelties, few bethought them of
+Spain, unless it were in connection with the glory of returning to her,
+successful and triumphant. Even Luis dwelt less intently in his thoughts
+on Mercedes, suffering her image, beautiful as it was, to be momentarily
+supplanted by the unusual spectacles that arose before his physical
+sight in such constant and unwearied succession. Little substantial,
+beyond the fertile soil and genial climate, offered, it is true, in the
+way of realizing all the bright expectations of the adventurers in
+connection with pecuniary advantages; but each moment was fraught with
+hope, and no one knew what a day would bring forth.
+
+Two agents were at length sent into the interior to make discoveries,
+and Columbus profited by the occasion to careen his vessels. About the
+time this mission was expected to return, Luis sallied forth with a
+party of armed men to meet it, Sancho making one of his escort. The
+ambassadors were met on their way back at a short day's march from the
+vessels, accompanied by a few of the natives, who were following with
+intense curiosity, expecting at each moment to see their unknown
+visitors take their flight toward heaven. A short halt was made for the
+purpose of refreshing themselves, after the two parties had joined; and
+Sancho, as reckless of danger on the land as on the ocean, stalked into
+a village that lay near the halting place. Here he endeavored to make
+himself as agreeable to the inhabitants as one of his appearance very
+well could, by means of signs. Sancho figured in this little hamlet
+under some such advantages as those that are enjoyed in the country by a
+great man from town; the spectators not being, as yet, sufficiently
+sophisticated to distinguish between the cut of a doublet and the manner
+of wearing it, as between a clown and a noble. He had not been many
+minutes playing the grandee among these simple beings, when they seemed
+desirous of offering to him some mark of particular distinction.
+Presently, a man appeared, holding certain dark-looking and dried
+leaves, which he held out to the hero of the moment in a deferential
+manner, as a Turk would offer his dried sweet-meats, or an American his
+cake. Sancho was about to accept the present, though he would greatly
+have preferred a dobla, of which he had not seen any since the last
+received from the admiral, when a forward movement was made by most of
+the Cubans, who humbly, and with emphasis, uttered the word
+"tobacco"--"tobacco." On this hint, the person who held forth the
+offering drew back, repeated the same word in an apologizing manner, and
+set about making what, it was now plain was termed a "tobacco," in the
+language of that country. This was soon effected, by rolling up the
+leaves in the form of a rude segar, when a "tobacco," duly manufactured,
+was offered to the seaman. Sancho took the present, nodded his head
+condescendingly, repeated the words himself, in the best manner he
+could, and thrust the "tobacco" into his pocket. This movement evidently
+excited some surprise among the spectators, but, after a little
+consultation, one of them lighted an end of a roll, applied the other to
+his mouth, and began to puff forth volumes of a fragrant light smoke,
+not only to his own infinite satisfaction, but seemingly to that of all
+around him. Sancho attempted an imitation, which resulted, as is common
+with the tyro in this accomplishment, in his reeling back to his party
+with the pallid countenance of an opium-chewer, and a nausea that he had
+not experienced since the day he first ventured beyond the bar of
+Saltes, to issue on the troubled surface of the Atlantic.
+
+This little scene might be termed the introduction of the well-known
+American weed into civilized society, the misapprehension of the
+Spaniards, touching the appellation, transferring the name of the roll
+to the plant itself. Thus did Sancho, of the ship-yard-gate, become the
+first Christian tobacco smoker, an accomplishment in which he was so
+soon afterward rivalled by some of the greatest men of his age, and
+which has extended down to our own times.
+
+On the return of his agents, Columbus again sailed, pushing his way
+along the north shore of Cuba. While struggling against the trades, with
+a view to get to the eastward, he found the wind too fresh, and
+determined to bear up for a favorite haven in the island of Cuba, that
+he had named Puerto del Principe. With this view a signal was made to
+call the Pinta down, that vessel being far to windward; and, as night
+was near, lights were carried in order to enable Martin Alonzo to close
+with his commander. The next morning, at the dawn of day, when Columbus
+came on deck, he cast a glance around him, and beheld the Nina, hove-to
+under his lee, but no signs of the other caravel.
+
+"Have none seen the Pinta?" demanded the admiral, hastily, of Sancho,
+who stood at the helm.
+
+"Senor, _I_ did, as long as eyes could see a vessel that was striving to
+get out of view. Master Martin Alonzo hath disappeared in the eastern
+board, while we have been lying-to, here, in waiting for him to come
+down."
+
+Columbus now perceived that he was deserted by the very man who had once
+shown so much zeal in his behalf, and who had given, in the act, new
+proof of the manner in which friendship vanishes before self-interest
+and cupidity. There had been among the adventurers many reports of the
+existence of gold mines, obtained from the descriptions of the natives;
+and the admiral made no doubt that his insubordinate follower had
+profited by the superior sailing of his caravel, to keep the wind, in
+the expectation to be the first to reach the Eldorado of their wishes.
+As the weather still continued unfavorable, however, the Santa Maria and
+the Nina returned to port, where they waited for a change. This
+separation occurred on the 21st of November, at which moment the
+expedition had not advanced beyond the north coast of Cuba.
+
+From this time until the sixth of the following month, Columbus
+continued his examination of this noble island, when he crossed what has
+since been termed the "windward passage," and first touched on the
+shores of Hayti. All this time, there had been as much communication as
+circumstances would allow, with the aborigines, the Spaniards making
+friends wherever they went, as a consequence of the humane and prudent
+measures of the admiral. It is true that violence had been done, in a
+few instances, by seizing half a dozen individuals in order to carry
+them to Spain, as offerings to Dona Isabella; but this act was easily
+reconcilable to usage in that age, equally on account of the deference
+that was paid to the kingly authority, and on the ground that the
+seizures were for the good of the captives' souls.
+
+The adventurers were more delighted with the bold, and yet winning
+aspect of Hayti, than they had been with even the adjacent island of
+Cuba. The inhabitants were found to be handsomer and more civilized than
+any they had yet seen, while they retained the gentleness and docility
+that had proved so pleasing to the admiral. Gold, also, was seen among
+them in considerable quantities; and the Spaniards set on foot a trade
+of some extent, in which the usual incentive of civilized man was the
+great aim of one side, and hawk's-bells appear to have been the
+principal desideratum with the other.
+
+In this manner, and in making hazardous advances along the coast, the
+admiral was occupied until the 20th of the month, when he reached a
+point that was said to be in the vicinity of the residence of the Great
+Cacique of all that portion of the island. This prince, whose name, as
+spelt by the Spaniards, was Guacanagari, had many tributary caciques,
+and was understood, from the half-intelligible descriptions of his
+subjects, to be a monarch that was much beloved. On the 22d, while still
+lying in the Bay of Acul, where the vessels had anchored two days
+previously, a large canoe was seen entering the haven. It was shortly
+after announced to the admiral that this boat contained an ambassador
+from the Great Cacique, who brought presents from his master, with a
+request that the vessels would move a league or two further east, and
+anchor off the town inhabited by the prince himself. The wind preventing
+an immediate compliance, a messenger was despatched with a suitable
+answer, and the ambassador returned. Fatigued with idleness, anxious to
+see more of the interior, and impelled by a constitutional love of
+adventure, Luis, who had struck up a hasty friendship with a young man
+called Mattinao, who attended the ambassador, asked permission to
+accompany him, taking his passage in the canoe. Columbus gave his
+consent to this proposal with a good deal of reluctance, the rank and
+importance of our hero inducing him to avoid the consequences of any
+treachery or accident. The importunity of Luis finally prevailed,
+however, and he departed with many injunctions to be discreet, being
+frequently admonished of the censure that would await the admiral in the
+event of any thing serious occurring. As a precaution, too, Sancho Mundo
+was directed to accompany the young man, in this chivalrous adventure,
+in the capacity of an esquire.
+
+No weapon more formidable than a blunt arrow having yet been seen in the
+hands of the natives, the young Count de Llera declined taking his mail,
+going armed only with a trusty sword, the temper of which had been tried
+on many a Moorish corslet and helm, in his foot encounters, and
+protected by a light buckler. An arquebuse had been put into his hand,
+but he refused it, as a weapon unsuited to knightly hands, and as
+betraying a distrust that was not merited by the previous conduct of the
+natives. Sancho, however, was less scrupulous, and accepted the weapon.
+In order, moreover, to divert the attention of his followers from a
+concession that the admiral felt to be a departure from his own rigid
+laws, Luis and his companions landed, and entered the canoe at a point
+concealed from the vessels, in order that their absence might not be
+known. It is owing to these circumstances, as well as to the general
+mystery that was thrown about the connection of the young grandee with
+the expedition, that the occurrences we are about to relate were never
+entered by the admiral in his journal, and have consequently escaped the
+prying eyes of the various historians who have subsequently collected so
+much from that pregnant document.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIII.
+
+    "Thou seemest to fancy's eye
+      An animated blossom born in air;
+    Which breathes and bourgeons in the golden sky,
+      And sheds its odors there."
+
+    Sutermeister.
+
+
+Notwithstanding his native resolution, and an indifference to danger
+that amounted to recklessness, Luis did not find himself alone with the
+Haytians without, at least, a lively consciousness of the novelty of his
+situation. Still, nothing occurred to excite uneasiness, and he
+continued his imperfect communications with his new friends,
+occasionally throwing in a remark to Sancho, in Spanish, who merely
+wanted encouragement to discourse by the hour. Instead of following the
+boat of the Santa Maria, on board which the ambassador had embarked, the
+canoe pushed on several leagues further east, it being understood that
+Luis was not to present himself in the town of Guacanagari, until after
+the arrival of the ships, when he was to rejoin his comrades stealthily,
+or in a way not to attract attention.
+
+Our hero would not have been a true lover, had he remained indifferent
+to the glories of the natural scenery that lay spread before his eyes,
+as he thus coasted the shores of Espanola. The boldness of the
+landscape, as in the Mediterranean, was relieved by the softness of a
+low latitude, which throws some such witchery around rocks and
+promontories, as a sunny smile lends to female beauty. More than once
+did he burst out into exclamations of delight, and as often did Sancho
+respond in the same temper, if not exactly in the same language; the
+latter conceiving it to be a sort of duty to echo all that the young
+noble said, in the way of poetry.
+
+"I take it, Senor Conde," observed the seaman, when they had reached a
+spot several leagues beyond that where the launch of the ship had put to
+shore; "I take it for granted, Senor Conde, that your Excellency knoweth
+whither these naked gentry are paddling, all this time. They seem in a
+hurry, and have a port in their minds, if it be not in view."
+
+"Art thou uneasy, friend Sancho, that thou puttest thy question thus
+earnestly?"
+
+"If I am, Don Luis, it is altogether on account of the family of
+Bobadilla, which would lose its head, did any mishap befall your
+Excellency. What is it to Sancho, of the ship-yard-gate, whether he is
+married to some princess in Cipango, and gets to be adopted by the Great
+Khan, or whether he is an indifferent mariner out of Moguer? It is very
+much as if one should offer him the choice between wearing a doublet and
+eating garlic, and going naked on sweet fruits and a full stomach. I
+take it, Senor, your Excellency would not willingly exchange the castle
+of Llera for the palace of this Great Cacique?"
+
+"Thou art right, Sancho; even rank must depend on the state of society
+in which we live. A Castilian noble cannot envy a Haytian sovereign."
+
+"More especially, since my lord, the Senor Don Almirante, hath publicly
+proclaimed that our gracious lady, the Dona Isabella, is henceforth and
+forever to be queen over him," returned Sancho, with a knowing glance of
+the eye. "Little do these worthy people understand the honor that is in
+store for them, and least of all, his Highness, King Guacanagari!"
+
+"Hush, Sancho, and keep thy unpleasant intimations in thine own breast.
+Our friends turn the head of the canoe toward yonder river's mouth, and
+seem bent on landing."
+
+By this time, indeed, the natives had coasted as far as they intended,
+and were turning in toward the entrance of a small stream, which, taking
+its rise among the noble mountains that were grouped inland, found its
+way through a smiling valley to the ocean. This stream was neither broad
+nor deep, but it contained far more than water sufficient for any craft
+used by the natives. Its banks were fringed with bushes; and as they
+glided up it, Luis saw fifty sites where he thought he could be content
+to pass his life, provided, always, that it might possess the advantage
+of Mercedes' presence. It is scarcely necessary to add, too, that in all
+these scenes he fancied his mistress attired in the velvets and laces
+that were then so much used by high-born dames, and that he saw her
+natural grace, embellished by the courtly ease and polished accessories
+of one who lived daily, if not hourly, in the presence of her royal
+mistress.
+
+As the canoe shut in the coast, by entering between the two points that
+formed the river's mouth, Sancho pointed out to the young noble a small
+fleet of canoes, that was coming down before the wind from the eastward,
+apparently bound, like so many more they had seen that day, to the Bay
+of Acul, on a visit to the wonderful strangers. The natives in the canoe
+also beheld this little flotilla, which was driving before the wind
+under cotton sails, and by their smiles and signs showed that they gave
+it the same destination. About this time, too, or just as they entered
+the mouth of the stream, Mattinao drew from under a light cotton robe,
+that he occasionally wore, a thin circlet of pure gold, which he placed
+upon his head, in the manner of a coronet. This, Luis knew, was a token
+that he was a cacique, one of those who were tributary to Guacanagari,
+and he arose to salute him at this evidence of his rank, an act that was
+imitated by all of the Haytians also. From this assumption of state,
+Luis rightly imagined that Mattinao had now entered within the limits of
+a territory that acknowledged his will. From the moment that the young
+cacique threw aside his incognito, he ceased to paddle, but, assuming an
+air of authority and dignity, he attempted to converse with his guest in
+the best manner their imperfect means of communication would allow. He
+often pronounced the word, Ozema, and Luis inferred from the manner in
+which he used it, that it was the name of a favorite wife, it having
+been already ascertained by the Spaniards, or at least it was thought to
+be ascertained, that the caciques indulged in polygamy, while they
+rigidly restricted their subjects to one wife.
+
+The canoe ascended the river several miles, until it reached one of
+those tropical valleys in which nature seems to expend her means of
+rendering this earth inviting. While the scenery had much of the freedom
+of a wilderness, the presence of man for centuries had deprived it of
+all its ruder and more savage features. Like those who tenanted it, the
+spot possessed the perfection of native grace, unfettered and uninvaded
+by any of the more elaborate devices of human expedients. The dwellings
+were not without beauty, though simple as the wants of their owners; the
+flowers bloomed in midwinter, and the generous branches still groaned
+with the weight of their nutritious and palatable fruits.
+
+Mattinao was received by his people with an eager curiosity, blended
+with profound respect. His mild subjects crowded around Luis and Sancho,
+with some such wonder as a civilized man would gaze at one of the
+prophets, were he to return to earth in the flesh. They had heard of the
+arrival of the ships, but they did not the less regard their inmates as
+visitors from heaven. This, probably, was not the opinion of the more
+elevated in rank, for, even in the savage state, the vulgar mind is far
+from being that of the favored few. Whether it was owing to this greater
+facility of character, and to habits that more easily adapted themselves
+to the untutored notions of the Indians, or to their sense of propriety,
+Sancho soon became the favorite with the multitude; leaving the Count of
+Llera more especially to the care of Mattinao, and the principal men of
+his tribe. Owing to this circumstance, the two Spaniards were soon
+separated, Sancho being led away by the _oi polloi_ to a sort of square
+in the centre of the village, leaving Don Luis in the habitation of the
+cacique.
+
+No sooner did Mattinao find himself in the company of our hero, and that
+of two of his confidential chiefs, than the name of Ozema was repeated
+eagerly among the Indians. A rapid conversation followed, a messenger
+was despatched, Luis knew not whither, and then the chiefs took their
+departure, leaving the young Castilian alone with the cacique. Laying
+aside his golden band, and placing a cotton robe about his person, which
+had hitherto been nearly naked, Mattinao made a sign for his companion
+to follow him, and left the building. Throwing the buckler over his
+shoulder, and adjusting the belt of his sword in a way that the weapon
+should not incommode him in walking, Luis obeyed with as much confidence
+as he would have followed a friend along the streets of Seville.
+
+Mattinao led the way through a wilderness of sweets, where tropical
+plants luxuriated beneath the branches of trees loaded with luscious
+fruits, holding his course by a foot-path which lay on the banks of a
+torrent that flowed from a ravine, and poured its waters into the river
+below. The distance he went might have been half a mile. Here he reached
+a cluster of rustic dwellings that occupied a lovely terrace on a
+hill-side, where they overlooked the larger town below the river, and
+commanded a view of the distant ocean. Luis saw at a glance that this
+sweet retreat was devoted to the uses of the gentler sex, and he doubted
+not that it formed a species of seraglio, set apart for the wives of the
+young cacique. He was led into one of the principal dwellings, where the
+simple but grateful refreshments used by the natives, were again offered
+to him.
+
+The intercourse of a month had not sufficed to render either party very
+familiar with the language of the other. A few of the commoner words of
+the Indians had been caught by the Spaniards, and perhaps Luis was one
+of the most ready in their use; still, it is highly probable, he was
+oftener wrong than right, even when he felt the most confident of his
+success. But the language of friendship is not easily mistaken, and our
+hero had not entertained a feeling of distrust from the time he left the
+ships, down to the present moment.
+
+Mattinao had despatched a messenger to an adjacent dwelling when he
+entered that in which Luis was now entertained, and when sufficient time
+had been given for the last to refresh himself, the cacique arose, and
+by a courteous gesture, such as might have become a master of ceremonies
+in the court of Isabella, he again invited the young grandee to follow.
+They took their way along the terrace, to a house larger than common,
+and which evidently contained several subdivisions, as they entered into
+a sort of anteroom. Here they remained but a minute; the cacique, after
+a short parley with a female, removing a curtain ingeniously made of
+sea-weed, and leading the way to an inner apartment. It had but a single
+occupant, whose character Luis fancied to be announced in the use of the
+single word "Ozema," that the cacique uttered in a low, affectionate
+tone, as they entered. Luis bowed to this Indian beauty, as profoundly
+as he could have made his reverence to a high-born damsel of Spain;
+then, recovering himself, he fastened one long, steady look of
+admiration on the face of the curious but half-frightened young creature
+who stood before him, and exclaimed, in such tones as only indicate
+rapture, admiration, and astonishment mingled--
+
+"Mercedes!"
+
+The young cacique repeated this name in the best manner he could,
+evidently mistaking it for a Spanish term to express admiration, or
+satisfaction; while the trembling young thing, who was the subject of
+all this wonder, shrunk back a step, blushed, laughed, and muttered in
+her soft, low, musical voice, "Mercedes," as the innocent take up and
+renew any source of their harmless pleasures. She then stood, with her
+arms folded meekly on her bosom, resembling a statue of wonder. But it
+may be necessary to explain why, at a moment so peculiar, the thoughts
+and tongue of Luis had so suddenly resorted to his mistress. In order to
+do this, we shall first attempt a short description of the person and
+appearance of Ozema, as was, in fact, the name of the Indian beauty.
+
+All the accounts agree in describing the aborigines of the West Indies
+as being singularly well formed, and of a natural grace in their
+movements, that extorted a common admiration among the Spaniards. Their
+color was not unpleasant, and the inhabitants of Hayti, in particular,
+were said to be very little darker than the people of Spain. Those who
+were but little exposed to the bright sun of that climate, and who dwelt
+habitually beneath the shades of groves, or in the retirement of their
+dwellings, like persons of similar habits in Europe, might, by
+comparison, have even been termed fair. Such was the fact with Ozema,
+who, instead of being the wife of the young cacique, was his only
+sister. According to the laws of Hayti, the authority of a cacique was
+transmitted through females, and a son of Ozema was looked forward to,
+as the heir of his uncle. Owing to this fact, and to the circumstance
+that the true royal line, if a term so dignified can be applied to a
+state of society so simple, was reduced to these two individuals, Ozema
+had been more than usually fostered by the tribe, leaving her free from
+care, and as little exposed to hardships, as at all comported with the
+condition of her people. She had reached her eighteenth year, without
+having experienced any of those troubles and exposures which are more or
+less the inevitable companions of savage life; though it was remarked by
+the Spaniards, that all the Indians they had yet seen seemed more than
+usually free from evils of this character. They owed this exception to
+the generous quality of the soil, the genial warmth of the climate, and
+the salubrity of the air. In a word, Ozema, in her person, possessed
+just those advantages that freedom from restraint, native graces, and
+wild luxuriance, might be supposed to lend the female form, under the
+advantages of a mild climate, a healthful and simple diet, and perfect
+exemption from exposure, care, or toil. It would not have been difficult
+to fancy Eve such a creature, when she first appeared to Adam, fresh
+from the hands of her divine Creator, modest, artless, timid, and
+perfect.
+
+The Haytians used a scanty dress, though it shocked none of their
+opinions to go forth in the garb of nature. Still, few of rank were seen
+without some pretensions to attire, which was worn rather as an
+ornament, or a mark of distinction, than as necessary either to usage or
+comfort. Ozema, herself, formed no exception to the general rule. A
+cincture of Indian cloth, woven in gay colors, circled her slender
+waist, and fell nearly as low as her knees; a robe of spotless cotton,
+inartificially made, but white as the driven snow, and of a texture so
+fine that it might have shamed many of the manufactures of our own days,
+fell like a scarf across a shoulder, and was loosely united at the
+opposite side, dropping in folds nearly to the ground. Sandals, of great
+ingenuity and beauty, protected the soles of feet that a queen might
+have envied; and a large plate of pure gold, rudely wrought, was
+suspended from her neck by a string of small, but gorgeous shells.
+Bracelets of the latter were on her pretty wrists, and two light bands
+of gold encircled ankles that were as faultless as those of the Venus of
+Naples. In that region, the fineness of the hair was thought the test of
+birth, with better reason than many imagine the feet and hands to be, in
+civilized life. As power and rank had passed from female to female in
+her family, for several centuries, the hair of Ozema was silken, soft,
+waving, exuberant, and black as jet. It covered her shoulders, like a
+glorious mantle, and fell as low as her simple cincture. So light and
+silken was this natural veil, that its ends waved in the gentle current
+of air that was rather breathing than blowing through the apartment.
+
+Although this extraordinary creature was much the loveliest specimen of
+young-womanhood that Luis had seen among the wild beauties of the
+islands, it was not so much her graceful and well-rounded form, or even
+the charms of face and expression, that surprised him, as a decided and
+accidental resemblance to the being he had left in Spain, and who had so
+long been the idol of his heart. This resemblance alone had caused him
+to utter the name of his mistress, in the manner related. Could the two
+have been placed together, it would have been easy to detect marked
+points of difference between them, without being reduced to compare the
+intellectual and thoughtful expression of our heroine's countenance,
+with the wondering, doubting, half-startled look of Ozema: but still the
+general likeness was so strong, that no person who was familiar with the
+face of one could fail to note it on meeting with the other. Side by
+side, it would have been discovered that the face of Mercedes had the
+advantage in finesse and delicacy; that her features and brow were
+nobler; her eye more illuminated by the intelligence within; her smile
+more radiant with thought and the feelings of a cultivated woman; her
+blush more sensitive, betraying most of the consciousness of
+conventional habits; and that the expression generally was much more
+highly cultivated, than that which sprung from the artless impulses and
+limited ideas of the young Haytian. Nevertheless, in mere beauty, in
+youth, and tint, and outline, the disparity was scarcely perceptible,
+while the resemblance was striking; and, on the score of animation,
+native frankness, ingenuousness, and all that witchery which ardent and
+undisguised feeling lends to woman, many might have preferred the
+confiding _abandon_ of the beautiful young Indian, to the more trained
+and dignified reserve of the Castilian heiress. What in the latter was
+earnest, high-souled, native, but religious enthusiasm, in the other was
+merely the outpourings of unguided impulses, which, however feminine in
+their origin, were but little regulated in their indulgence.
+
+"Mercedes!" exclaimed our hero, when this vision of Indian loveliness
+unexpectedly broke on his sight. "Mercedes!" repeated Mattinao;
+"Mercedes!" murmured Ozema, recoiling a step, blushing, laughing, and
+then resuming her innocent confidence, as she several times uttered the
+same word, which she also mistook for an expression of admiration, in
+her own low, melodious voice.
+
+Conversation being out of the question, there remained nothing for the
+parties but to express their feelings by signs and acts of amity. Luis
+had not come on his little expedition unprovided with presents.
+Anticipating an interview with the wife of the cacique, he had brought
+up from the village below, several articles that he supposed might suit
+her untutored fancy. But the moment he beheld the vision that actually
+stood before him, they all seemed unworthy of such a being. In one of
+his onsets against the Moors, he had brought off a turban of rich but
+light cloth, and he had kept it as a trophy, occasionally wearing it, in
+his visits to the shore, out of pure caprice, and as a sort of ornament
+that might well impose on the simple-minded natives. These vagaries
+excited no remarks, as mariners are apt to indulge their whims in this
+manner, when far from the observations of those to whom they habitually
+defer. This turban was on his head at the moment he entered the
+apartment of Ozema, and, overcome with the delight of finding so
+unexpected a resemblance, and, possibly, excited by so unlooked-for an
+exhibition of feminine loveliness, he gallantly unrolled it, threw out
+the folds of rich cloth, and cast it over the shoulders of the beautiful
+Ozema as a mantle.
+
+The expressions of gratitude and delight that escaped this
+unsophisticated young creature, were warm, sincere, and undisguised. She
+cast the ample robe on the ground before her, repeated the word
+"Mercedes," again and again, and manifested her pleasure with all the
+warmth of a generous and ingenuous nature. If we were to say that this
+display of Ozema was altogether free from the child-like rapture that
+was, perhaps, inseparable from her ignorance, it would be attributing to
+her benighted condition the experience and regulated feelings of
+advanced civilization; but, notwithstanding the guileless simplicity
+with which she betrayed her emotions, her delight was not without much
+of the dignity and tone that usually mark the conduct of the superior
+classes all over the world. Luis fancied it as graceful as it was
+_naive_ and charming. He endeavored to imagine the manner in which the
+Lady of Valverde might receive an offering of precious stones from the
+gracious hands of Dona Isabella, and he even thought it very possible
+that the artless grace of Ozema was not far behind what he knew would be
+the meek self-respect, mingled with grateful pleasure, that Mercedes
+could not fail to exhibit.
+
+While thoughts like these were passing through his mind, the Indian girl
+laid aside her own less enticing robe, without a thought of shame, and
+then she folded her faultless form in the cloth of the turban. This was
+no sooner done, with a grace and freedom peculiar to her unfettered
+mind, than she drew the necklace of shells from her person, and,
+advancing a step or two toward our hero, extended the offering with a
+half-averted face, though the laughing and willing eyes more than
+supplied the place of language. Luis accepted the gift with suitable
+eagerness, nor did he refrain from using the Castilian gallantry of
+kissing the pretty hand from which he took the bauble.
+
+The cacique, who had been a pleased spectator of all that passed, now
+signed for the count to follow him, leading the way toward another
+dwelling. Here Don Luis was introduced to other young females, and to
+two or three children, the former of whom, he soon discovered, were the
+wives of Mattinao, and the latter his offspring. By dint of gestures, a
+few words, and such other means of explanation as were resorted to
+between the Spaniards and the natives, he now succeeded in ascertaining
+the real affinity which existed between the cacique and Ozema. Our hero
+felt a sensation like pleasure when he discovered that the Indian beauty
+was not married; and he was fain to refer the feeling, perhaps justly,
+to a sort of jealous sensitiveness that grew out of her resemblance to
+Mercedes.
+
+The remainder of that, and the whole of the three following days, were
+passed by Luis with his friend, the cacique, in this, the favorite and
+sacred residence of the latter. Of course our hero was, if any thing, a
+subject of greater interest to all his hosts, than they could possibly
+be to him. They took a thousand innocent liberties with his person:
+examining his dress, and the ornaments he wore, not failing to compare
+the whiteness of his skin with the redder tint of that of Mattinao. On
+these occasions Ozema was the most reserved and shy, though her look
+followed every movement, and her pleased countenance denoted the
+interest she felt in all that concerned the stranger. Hours at a time,
+did Luis lie stretched on fragrant mats near this artless and lovely
+creature, studying the wayward expression of her features, in the fond
+hope of seeing stronger and stronger resemblances to Mercedes, and
+sometimes losing himself in that which was peculiarly her own. In the
+course of the time passed in these dwellings, efforts were made by the
+count to obtain some useful information of the island; and whether it
+was owing to her superior rank, or to a native superiority of mind, or
+to a charm of manner, he soon fancied that the cacique's beautiful
+sister succeeded better in making him understand her meaning, than
+either of the wives of Mattinao, or the cacique himself. To Ozema, then,
+Luis put most of his questions; and ere the day had passed, this
+quick-witted and attentive girl had made greater progress in opening an
+intelligible understanding between the adventurers and her countrymen,
+than had been accomplished by the communications of the two previous
+months. She caught the Spanish words with a readiness that seemed
+instinctive, pronouncing them with an accent that only rendered them
+prettier and softer to the ear.
+
+Luis de Bobadilla was just as good a Catholic as a rigid education, a
+wandering life, and the habits of the camp would be apt to make one of
+his rank, years, and temperament. Still, that was an age in which most
+laymen had a deep reverence for religion; whether they actually
+submitted to its purifying influence or not. If there were any
+free-thinkers, at all, they existed principally among those who passed
+their lives in their closets, or were to be found among the churchmen,
+themselves; who often used the cowl as a hood to conceal their
+infidelity. His close association with Columbus, too, had contributed to
+strengthen our hero's tendency to believe in the constant supervision of
+Providence; and he now felt a strong inclination to fancy that this
+extraordinary facility of Ozema's in acquiring languages, was one of its
+semi-miraculous provisions, made with a view to further the introduction
+of the religion of the cross among her people. Often did he flatter
+himself, as he sat gazing into the sparkling, and yet mild eyes of the
+girl, listening to her earnest efforts to make him comprehend her
+meaning, that he was to be the instrument of bringing about this great
+good, through so young and charming an agent. The admiral had also
+enjoined on him the importance of ascertaining, if possible, the
+position of the mines, and he had actually succeeded in making Ozema
+comprehend his questions on a subject that was all-engrossing with most
+of the Spaniards. Her answers were less intelligible, but Luis thought
+they never could be sufficiently full; flattering himself, the whole
+time, that he was only laboring to comply with the wishes of Columbus.
+
+The day after his arrival, our hero was treated to an exhibition of some
+of the Indian games. These sports have been too often described to need
+repetition here; but, in all their movements and exercises, which were
+altogether pacific, the young princess was conspicuous for grace and
+skill. Luis, too, was required to show his powers, and being exceedingly
+athletic and active, he easily bore away the palm from his friend
+Mattinao. The young cacique manifested neither jealousy nor
+disappointment at this result, while his sister laughed and clapped her
+hands with delight, when he was outdone, even at his own sports, by the
+greater strength or greater efforts of his guest. More than once, the
+wives of Mattinao seemed to utter gentle reproaches at this exuberance
+of feeling, but Ozema answered with smiling taunts, and Luis thought
+her, at such moments, more beautiful than even imagination could draw,
+and perhaps with justice; for her cheeks were flushed, her eyes became
+as brilliant as ornaments of jet, and the teeth that were visible
+between lips like cherries, resembled rows of ivory. We have said that
+the eyes of Ozema were black, differing, in this particular, from the
+deep-blue, melancholy orbs of the enthusiastic Mercedes; but still they
+were alike, so often uttering the same feelings, more especially
+touching matters in which Luis was concerned. More than once, during the
+trial of strength, did the young man fancy that the expression of the
+rapture which fairly danced in the eyes of Ozema, was the very
+counterpart of that of the deep-seated delight which had so often beamed
+on him, from the glances of Mercedes, in the tourney; and, at such
+times, it struck him that the resemblance between the two was so strong
+as, after some allowance had been made for dress, and other sufficiently
+striking circumstances, to render them almost identical.
+
+The reader is not to suppose from this, that our hero was actually
+inconstant to big ancient love. Far from it. Mercedes was too deeply
+enshrined in his heart--and Luis, with all his faults, was as
+warm-hearted and true-hearted a cavalier as breathed--to be so easily
+dispossessed. But he was young, distant from her he had so long adored,
+and was, withal, not altogether insensible to admiration so artlessly
+and winningly betrayed by the Indian girl. Had there been the least
+immodest glance, any proof that art or design lay at the bottom of
+Ozema's conduct, he would at once have taken the alarm, and been
+completely disenthralled from his temporary delusion; but, on the
+contrary, all was so frank and natural with this artless girl; when she
+most betrayed the hold he had taken of her imagination, it was done with
+a simplicity so obvious, a _naivete_ so irrepressible, and an
+ingenuousness so clearly the fruit of innocence, that it was impossible
+to suspect artifice. In a word, our hero merely showed that he was
+human, by yielding in a certain degree to a fascination that, under the
+circumstances, might well have made deeper inroads on the faith even of
+men who enjoyed much better reputations for stability of purpose.
+
+In situations of so much novelty, time flies swiftly, and Luis himself
+was astonished when, on looking back, he remembered that he had now been
+several days with Mattinao, most of which period had actually been
+passed in what might not inaptly be termed the seraglio of the cacique.
+Sancho of the ship-yard-gate had not been in the least neglected all
+this time. He had been a hero, in his own circle, as well as the young
+noble, nor had he been at all forgetful of his duty on the subject of
+searching for gold. Though he had neither acquired a single word of the
+Haytian language, nor taught a syllable of Spanish to even one of the
+laughing nymphs who surrounded him, he had decorated the persons of many
+of them with hawk's-bells, and had contrived to abstract from them, in
+return, every ornament that resembled the precious metal, which they
+possessed. This transfer, no doubt, was honestly effected, however,
+having been made on that favorite principle of the free trade theorists,
+which maintains that trade is merely an exchange of equivalents;
+overlooking all the adverse circumstances which may happen, just at the
+moment, to determine the standard of value. Sancho had his notions of
+commerce as well as the modern philosophers, and, as he and Luis
+occasionally met during their sojourn with Mattinao, he revealed a few
+of his opinions on this interesting subject, in one of their interviews.
+
+"I perceive thou hast not forgotten thy passion for doblas, friend
+Sancho," said Luis, laughing, as the old seaman exhibited the store of
+dust and golden plates he had collected; "there is sufficient of the
+metal in thy sack to coin a score of them, each having the royal
+countenances of our lord the King, and our lady the Queen!"
+
+"Double that, Senor Conde; just double that; and all for the price of
+some seventeen hawk's-bells, that cost but a handful of maravedis. By
+the mass! this is a most just and holy trade, and such as it becomes us
+Christians to carry on. Here are these savages, they think no more of
+gold than your Excellency thinks of a dead Moor, and to be revenged on
+them, I hold a hawk's-bell just as cheap. Let them think as poorly as
+they please of their ornaments and yellow dust, they will find me just
+as willing to part with the twenty hawk's-bells that remain. Let them
+barter away, they will find me as ready as they possibly can be, to give
+nothing for nothing."
+
+"Is this quite honest, Sancho, to rob an Indian of his gold, in exchange
+for a bauble that copper so easily purchaseth? Remember thou art a
+Castilian, and henceforth give _two_ hawk's-bells, where thou hast
+hitherto given but _one_."
+
+"I never forget my birth, Senor, for happily the ship-yard of Moguer is
+in old Spain. Is not the value of a thing to be settled by what it will
+bring in the market? ask any of our traders and they will tell you this,
+which is clear as the sun in the heavens. When the Venetians lay before
+Candia, grapes, and figs, and Greek wine, could be had for the asking in
+that island, while western articles commanded any price. Oh, nothing is
+plainer than the fact that every thing hath its price, and it is real
+trade to give one worthless commodity for another."
+
+"If it be honest to profit by the ignorance of another," answered Luis,
+who had a nobleman's contempt for commerce, "then it is just to deceive
+the child and the idiot."
+
+"God forbid, and especially St. Andrew, my patron, that I should do any
+thing so wicked. Hawk's-bells are of more account than gold, in Hayti,
+Senor, and happening to know it, I am willing to part with the precious
+things for the dross. You see I am generous instead of being avaricious,
+for all parties are in Hayti, where the value of, the articles must be
+settled. It is true, that after running great risks at sea, and
+undergoing great pains and chances, by carrying this gold to Spain, I
+may be requited for my trouble, and get enough benefit to make an honest
+livelihood. I hope Dona Isabella will have so much feeling for these,
+her new subjects, as to prevent their ever going into the shipping
+business--a most laborious and dangerous calling, as we both well know."
+
+"And why art thou so particular in desiring this favor in behalf of
+these poor islanders, and that, too, Sancho, at the expense of thine own
+bones?"
+
+"Simply, Senor," answered the knave, with a cunning leer, "lest it
+unsettle trade, which ought to be as free and unencumbered as possible.
+Here, now, if we Spaniards come to Hayti, we sell-one hawk's-bell for a
+dobla in gold; whereas, were we to give these savages the trouble to
+come to Spain, a dobla of their gold would buy a hundred hawk's-bells!
+No--no--it is right as it is; and may a double allowance of purgatory be
+the lot of him who wishes to throw any difficulties in the way of a
+good, honest, free, and civilizing trade, say I."
+
+Sancho was thus occupied in explaining his notions of free trade--the
+great mystification of modern philanthropists--when there arose such a
+cry in the village of Mattinao, as is only heard in moments of extreme
+jeopardy and sudden terror. The conversation took place in the grove,
+about midway between the town and the private dwellings of the cacique;
+and so implicit had become the confidence the two Spaniards reposed in
+their friends, that neither had any other arms about his person, than
+those furnished by nature. Luis had left both sword and buckler, half an
+hour earlier, at the feet of Ozetna, who had been enacting a mimic hero,
+with his weapons, for their mutual diversion; while Sancho had found the
+arquebuse much too heavy to be carried about for a plaything. The last
+was deposited in the room where he had taken up his comfortable
+quarters.
+
+"Can this mean treachery, Senor?" exclaimed Sancho. "Have these
+blackguards found out the true value of hawk's-bells, after all, and do
+they mean to demand the balance due them?"
+
+"My life on it, Mattinao and all his people are true, Sancho. This
+uproar hath a different meaning--hark! is not that the cry of
+'Caonabo!'"
+
+"The very same, Senor! That is the name of the Carib cacique, who is the
+terror of all these tribes."
+
+"Thy arquebuse, Sancho, if possible; then join me at the dwellings
+above. Ozema and the wives of our good friend must be defended, at every
+hazard!"
+
+Luis had no sooner given these orders, than he and Sancho separated, the
+latter running toward the town, which, by this time, was a scene of wild
+tumult, while our hero, slowly and sullenly, retired toward the private
+dwellings of the cacique, occasionally looking back, as if he longed to
+plunge into the thickest of the fray. Twenty times did he wish for his
+favorite charger and a stout lance, when, indeed, it would not have been
+an extraordinary feat for a knight of his prowess to put to flight a
+thousand enemies like those who now menaced him. Often had he singly
+broken whole ranks of Christian foot-soldiers, and it is well known that
+solitary individuals, when mounted, subsequently drove hundreds of the
+natives before them.
+
+The alarm reached the dwelling of Mattinao before our hero. When he
+entered the house of Ozema, he found its mistress surrounded by fifty
+females, some of whom had already ascended from the town below, each of
+whom was eagerly uttering the terrible name of "Caonabo." Ozema herself
+was the most collected of them all, though it was apparent that, from
+some cause, she was an object of particular solicitude from those around
+her. As Luis entered the apartment, the wives of Mattinao were pressing
+around the princess; and he soon gathered from their words and
+entreaties, that they urged her to fly, lest she should fall into the
+hands of the Carib chief. He even fancied, and he fancied it justly,
+that the rest of the females supposed the seizure of the cacique's
+beautiful sister to be the real object of the sudden attack. This
+conjecture in no manner lessened Luis' ardor in the defence. The moment
+Ozema caught sight of him, she flew to his side, clasping her hands, and
+uttering the name of "Caonabo," in a tone that would have melted a heart
+of stone. At the same time, her eyes spoke a language of hope,
+confidence, and petition that was not necessary to enlist our hero's
+resolution on her side. In a moment, the sword of the young cavalier was
+in his hand, and the buckler on his arm. He then assured the princess of
+his zeal, in the best manner he could, by placing the buckler before her
+throbbing breast, and waving the sword, as in defiance of her enemies:
+no sooner was this pledge given, than every other female disappeared,
+some flying to the rescue of their children, and all endeavoring to find
+places of concealment. By this singular and unexpected desertion, Luis
+found himself, for the first time since they had met, alone with Ozema.
+
+To remain in the house would be to suffer the enemy to approach unseen,
+and the shrieks and cries sufficiently announced that, each moment, the
+danger grew nearer. Luis accordingly made a sign for the girl to follow
+him, first rolling the turban into a bundle and placing it on her arm,
+that it might serve her, at need, as a species of shield against the
+hostile arrows. While he was thus employed, Ozema's head fell upon his
+breast, and the excited girl burst into tears. This display of weakness,
+however, lasted but a moment, when she aroused herself, smiled through
+her tears, pressed the arm of Luis convulsively, and became the Indian
+heroine again. They then left the building together.
+
+Luis soon perceived that his retreat from the house had not been made a
+moment too soon. The family of Mattinao had already disappeared, and a
+strong party of the invaders was in full view, rushing madly up the
+grove, silent, but evidently bent on seizing their prey. He felt Ozema,
+who clung to his arm, tremble violently, and then he heard her
+murmuring--
+
+"Caonabo--no--no--no!"
+
+The young Indian princess had caught the Spanish monosyllable of
+dissent, and Luis understood this exclamation to express her strong
+disinclination to become a wife of the Carib chief. His resolution to
+protect her or to die, was in no manner lessened by this involuntary
+betrayal of her feelings, which he could not but think might have some
+connection with himself; for, while our hero was both honorable and
+generous, he was human, and, consequently, well disposed to take a
+favorable view of his own powers of pleasing. It was only in connection
+with Mercedes, that Luis de Bobadilla was humble.
+
+A soldier almost from childhood, the young count looked hastily around
+him for a position that would favor his means of defence, and which
+would render his arms the most available. Luckily, one offered so near
+him, that it required but a minute to occupy it. The terrace lay against
+a precipice of rocks, and a hundred feet from the house, was a spot
+where the face of this precipice was angular, throwing forward a wall on
+each side to some distance, while the cliff above overhung the base
+sufficiently to remove all danger from falling stones. In the angle were
+several large fragments of rock that would afford shelter against
+arrows, and, there being a sufficient space of greensward before them,
+on which a knight might well display his prowess when in possession of
+this position, our hero felt himself strong, if not impregnable, since
+he could be assailed only in front. Ozema was stationed behind one of
+the fragments of the fallen rocks, her person only half concealed,
+however, concern for Luis, and curiosity as related to her enemies,
+equally inducing her to expose her head and beautiful bust.
+
+Luis was scarcely in possession of this post, ere a dozen Indians were
+drawn up in a line at the distance of fifty yards in his front. They
+were armed with bows, war-clubs, and spears. Being without other
+defensive armor than his buckler, the young man would have thought his
+situation sufficiently critical, did he not know that the archery of the
+natives was any thing but formidable. Their arrows would kill,
+certainly, when shot at short distances, and against the naked skin, but
+it might be questioned if they would penetrate the stout velvet in which
+Luis was encased, and fifty yards was not near enough to excite undue
+alarm. The young man did not dare to retreat to the rocks, as a clear
+space was indispensable for the free use of his good sword, and to that
+weapon alone he looked for his eventual triumph.
+
+It was, perhaps, fortunate for our hero that Caonabo himself was not
+with the party which beleaguered him. That redoubtable chieftain, who
+had been led to a distance in pursuit of the flying females, under a
+belief that she he sought was among them, would doubtless have brought
+the matter to an immediate issue by a desperate charge, when numbers
+might have prevailed against courage and skill. The actual assailants
+chose a different course, and began to poise their bows. One of the most
+skilful among them drew an arrow to the head, and let it fly. The
+missile glanced from the buckler of the knight, and struck the hill
+behind him, as lightly as if the parties had been at their idle sports.
+Another followed, and Luis turned it aside with his sword, disdaining to
+raise his shield against such a trifle. This cool manner of receiving
+their assaults caused the Indians to raise a shout, whether in
+admiration or rage, Luis could not tell.
+
+The next attack was more judicious, being made on a principle that
+Napoleon is said to have adopted in directing discharges of his
+artillery. All those who had bows, some six or eight, drew their arrows
+together, and the weapons came rattling on the buckler of the assailed
+in a single flight. It was not easy to escape altogether from such a
+combined assault, and our hero received one or two bruises from glancing
+arrows, though no blood followed the blows. A second attempt of the same
+nature was about to be made, when the alarmed girl rushed from her place
+of concealment, and, like the Pocahontas of our own history, threw
+herself before Luis, with her arms meekly placed on her bosom. As soon
+as she appeared, there was a cry of "Ozema"--"Ozema," among the
+assailants, who were not Caribs, as all will understand who are familiar
+with the island history, but milder Haytians, governed by a Carib chief.
+
+In vain Luis endeavored to persuade the devoted girl to withdraw. She
+thought his life in danger, and no language, had he been able to exert
+his eloquence on the occasion, could have induced her to leave him
+exposed to such a danger. As the Indians were endeavoring to obtain
+chances at the person of Luis without killing the princess, he saw there
+remained no alternative but a retreat behind the fragment of rock. Just
+as he obtained this temporary security, a fierce-looking warrior joined
+the assailants, who immediately commenced a vociferous explanation of
+the actual state of the attack.
+
+"Caonabo?" demanded Luis, of Ozema, pointing toward the new-comer.
+
+The girl shook her head, after taking an anxious look at the stranger's
+face, at the same time clinging to our hero's arm, with seductive
+dependence.
+
+"No--no--no--" she said, eagerly. "No Caonabo--no--no--no."
+
+Luis understood the first part of this answer to mean that the stranger
+was not the Carib chief; and the last to signify Ozema's strong and
+settled aversion to becoming his wife.
+
+The consultation among the assailants was soon ended. Six of them then
+poised their war-clubs and spears, and made a rush for the citadel of
+the besieged. When they were within twenty feet of his cover, our hero
+sprang lightly forward on the sward to meet his foes. Two of the spears
+he received on his buckler, severing both shafts with a single blow of
+his keen and highly-tempered sword. As he recovered from the effort,
+with an upward cut he met the raised arm of the club-man most in
+advance. Hand and club fell at his feet with the skilful touch. Making a
+sweep with the weapon in his front, its point seamed the breasts of the
+two astonished spears-men, whose distance alone saved them from more
+serious injuries.
+
+This rapid and unlooked-for execution struck the assailants with awe and
+dread. Never before had they witnessed the power of metal as used in
+war; and the sudden amputation of the arm struck them as something
+miraculous. Even the ferocious Carib fell back in dismay, and Luis felt
+hopes of victory. This was the first occasion on which the Spaniards had
+come to blows with the mild inhabitants of the islands they had
+discovered, though it is usual with the historians to refer to an
+incident of still latter occurrence, as the commencement of strife, the
+severe privacy which has ever been thrown over the connection of Don
+Luis with the expedition, having completely baffled their slight and
+superficial researches. Of course, the efficiency of a weapon like that
+used by our hero, was as novel to the Haytians as it was terrific.
+
+At this instant a shout among the assailants, and the appearance of a
+fresh body of the invaders, with a tall and commanding chief at their
+head, announced the arrival of Caonabo in person. This warlike cacique
+was soon made acquainted with the state of affairs, and it was evident
+that the prowess of our hero struck him as much with admiration as with
+wonder. After a few minutes, he directed his followers to fall back to a
+greater distance, and, laying aside his club, he advanced fearlessly
+toward Luis, making signs of amity.
+
+When the two adversaries met, it was with mutual respect and confidence.
+The Carib made a short and vehement speech, in which the only word that
+was intelligible to our hero, was the name of the beautiful young
+Indian. By this time Ozema had also advanced, as if eager to speak, and
+her rude suitor turned to her, with an appeal that was passionate, if
+not eloquent. He laid his hand frequently on his heart, and his voice
+became soft and persuasive. Ozema replied earnestly, and in the quick
+manner of one whose resolution was settled. At the close of her speech,
+the color mounted to the temples of the ardent girl, and, as if
+purposely to make her meaning understood by our hero, she ended by
+saying, in Spanish--
+
+"Caonabo--no--no--no!--Luis--Luis!"
+
+The aspect of the hurricane of the tropics is not darker, or more
+menacing, than the scowl with which the Carib chief heard this
+unequivocal rejection of his suit, accompanied, as it was, by so plain a
+demonstration in favor of the stranger. Waving his hand in defiance, he
+strode back to his people, and issued orders for a fresh assault.
+
+This time, a tempest of arrows preceded the rush, and Luis was fain to
+seek his former cover behind the rocks. Indeed, this was the only manner
+in which he could save the life of Ozema; the devoted girl resolutely
+persevering in standing before his body, in the hope it would shield him
+from his enemies. There had been some words of reproach from Caonabo to
+the Carib chief who had retreated from the first attack, and the air was
+yet filled with arrows, as this man rushed forward, singly, to redeem
+his name. Luis met him, firm as the rock behind him. The shock was
+violent, and the blow that fell on the buckler would have crushed an arm
+less inured to such rude encounters; but it glanced obliquely from the
+shield, and the club struck the earth with the weight of a beetle. Our
+hero saw that all now depended on a deep impression. His sword flashed
+in the bright sun, and the head of the Carib tumbled by the side of his
+club, actually leaving the body erect for an instant, so keen was the
+weapon, and so dexterous had been the blow.
+
+Twenty savages were on the spring, but they stopped like men transfixed,
+at this unexpected sight. Caonabo, however, undaunted even when most
+surprised, roared out his orders like a maddened bull, and the wavering
+crowd was again about to advance, when the loud report of an arquebuse
+was heard, followed by the whistling of its deadly missives. A second
+Haytian fell dead in his tracks. It exceeded the powers of savage
+endurance to resist this assault, which, to their uninstructed minds,
+appeared to come from heaven. In two minutes, neither Caonabo nor any of
+his followers were visible. As they rushed down the hill, Sancho
+appeared from a cover, carrying the arquebuse, which he had taken the
+precaution to reload.
+
+The circumstances did not admit of delay. Not a being of Mattinao's
+tribe was to be seen in any direction; and Luis made no doubt that they
+had all fled. Determined to save Ozema at every hazard, he now took his
+way to the river, in order to escape in one of the canoes. In passing
+through the town, it was seen that not a house had been plundered; and
+the circumstance was commented on by the Spaniards, Luis pointing it out
+to his companion.
+
+"Caonabo--no--no--no--Ozema!--Ozema!" was the answer of the girl, who
+well knew the real object of the inroad.
+
+A dozen canoes lay at the landing, and five minutes sufficed for the
+fugitives to enter one and to commence their retreat. The current flowed
+toward the sea, and in a couple of hours they were on the ocean. As the
+wind blew constantly from the eastward, Sancho soon rigged an apology
+for a sail, and an hour before the sun set, the party landed on a point
+that concealed them from the bay; Luis being mindful of the admiral's
+injunction, to conceal his excursion, lest others might claim a similar
+favor.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIV.
+
+    "Three score and ten I can remember well,
+    Within the volume of which time I have seen
+    Hours dreadful, and things strange, but this sore sight
+    Hath trifled former knowings."
+
+    Macbeth.
+
+
+A sight that struck our hero with a terror and awe, almost as great as
+those experienced by the ignorant Haytians at the report and effect of
+the arquebuse, awaited him, as he came in view of the anchorage. The
+Santa Maria, that vessel of the admiral, which he had left only four
+days before in her gallant array and pride, lay a stranded wreck on the
+sands, with fallen masts, broken sides, and all the other signs of
+nautical destruction. The Nina was anchored in safety, it is true, at no
+great distance, but a sense of loneliness and desertion came over the
+young man, as he gazed at this small craft, which was little more than a
+felucca, raised to the rank of a ship for the purposes of the voyage.
+The beach was covered with stores, and it was evident that the Spaniards
+and the people of Guacanagari toiled in company, at the construction of
+a sort of fortress; an omen that some great change had come over the
+expedition. Ozema was immediately left in the house of a native, and the
+two adventurers hurried forward to join their friends, and to ask an
+explanation of what they had seen.
+
+Columbus received his young friend kindly, but in deep affliction. The
+manner in which the ship was lost has been often told, and Luis learned
+that the Nina being too small to carry all away, a colony was to be left
+in the fortress, while the remainder of the adventurers hastened back to
+Spain. Guacanagari had shown himself full of sympathy, and was kindness
+itself, while every one had been too much occupied with the shipwreck to
+miss our hero, or to hearken to rumors of an event as common as an
+inroad from a Carib chief, to carry off an Indian beauty. Perhaps, the
+latter event was still too recent to have reached the shores.
+
+The week that succeeded the return of Luis was one of active exertion.
+The Santa Maria was wrecked on the morning of Christmas day, 1492, and
+on that of the 4th of January following, the Nina was ready to depart on
+her return voyage. During this interval, Luis had seen Ozema but once,
+and then he had found her sorrowing, mute, and resembling a withered
+flower, that retained its beauty even while it drooped. On the evening
+of the third, however, while lingering near the new-finished fortress,
+he was summoned by Sancho to another interview. To the surprise of our
+hero, he found the young cacique with his sister.
+
+Although language was wanting, on this occasion, the parties easily
+understood each other. Ozema was no longer sorrowful, and borne down
+with grief: the smile and the laugh came easily from her young and
+buoyant spirits, and Luis thought he had never seen her so winning and
+lovely. She had arranged her scanty toilet with Indian coquetry, and the
+bright, warm color of her cheeks added new lustre to her brilliant eyes.
+Her light, agile form, a model of artless grace, seemed so ethereal as
+scarce to touch the earth. The secret of this sudden change was not long
+hid from Luis. The brother and sister, after discussing all their
+dangers and escapes, and passing in review the character and known
+determination of Caonabo, had come to the conclusion that there was no
+refuge for Ozema but in flight. What most determined the brother to
+consent that his sister should accompany the strangers to their distant
+home, it would be useless to inquire; but the motive of Ozema herself,
+can be no secret to the reader. It was known that the admiral was
+desirous of carrying to Spain a party of natives; and three females, one
+of whom was of Ozema's rank, had already consented to go. This
+chieftain's wife was not only known to Ozema, but she was a kinswoman.
+Every thing seemed propitious to the undertaking; and as a voyage to
+Spain was still a mystery to the natives, who regarded it as something
+like an extended passage from one of their islands to another, no
+formidable difficulties presented themselves to the imagination of
+either the cacique or his sister.
+
+This proposition took our hero by surprise. He was both flattered and
+pleased at the self-devotion of Ozema, even while it troubled him.
+Perhaps there were moments when he a little distrusted himself. Still
+Mercedes reigned in his heart, and he shook off the feeling as a
+suspicion that a true knight could not entertain without offering an
+insult to his own honor. On second thoughts, there were fewer objections
+to the scheme than he at first fancied; and, after an hour's discussion,
+he left the place to go and consult the admiral.
+
+Columbus was still at the fortress, and he heard our hero gravely and
+with interest. Once or twice Luis' eyes dropped under the searching
+glance of his superior; but, on the whole, he acquitted himself of the
+task he had undertaken, with credit.
+
+"The sister of a cacique, thou say'st, Don Luis," returned the admiral,
+thoughtfully. "The virgin sister of a cacique!"
+
+"Even so, Don Christopher; and of a grace, birth, and beauty, that will
+give our Lady, the Queen, a most exalted idea of the merits of our
+discovery."
+
+"Thou wilt remember, Senor Conde, that naught but purity may be offered
+to purity. Dona Isabella is a model for all queens, and mothers, and
+wives; and I trust nothing to offend her angelic mind can ever come from
+her favored servants. There has been no deception practised on this wild
+girl, to lead her into sin and misery?"
+
+"Don Christopher, you can scarce think this of me. Dona Mercedes herself
+is not more innocent than the girl I mean, nor could her brother feel
+more solicitude in her fortunes, than I feel. When the king and queen
+have satisfied their curiosity, and dismissed her, I propose to place
+her under the care of the Lady of Valverde."
+
+"The rarer the specimens that we take, the better, Luis. This will
+gratify the sovereigns, and cause them to think favorably of our
+discoveries, as thou say'st. It might be done without inconvenience. The
+Nina is small, of a verity, but we gain much in leaving this large party
+behind us. I have given up the principal cabin to the other females,
+since thou and I can fare rudely for a few weeks. Let the girl come, and
+see thou to her comfort and convenience."
+
+This settled the matter. Early next morning Ozema embarked, carrying
+with her the simple wealth of an Indian princess, among which the turban
+was carefully preserved. Her relative had an attendant, who sufficed for
+both. Luis paid great attention to the accommodations, in which both
+comfort and privacy were duly respected. The parting with Mattinao was
+touchingly tender, for the domestic affections appear to have been much
+cultivated among these simple-minded and gentle people; but the
+separation, it was supposed, would be short, and Ozema had, again and
+again, assured her brother that her repugnance to Caonabo, powerful
+cacique as he might be, was unconquerable. Each hour increased it,
+strengthening her resolution never to become his wife. The alternative
+was to secrete herself in the island, or to make this voyage to Spain;
+and there was glory as well as security in the latter. With this
+consolation, the brother and sister parted.
+
+Columbus had intended to push his discoveries much further, before he
+returned to Europe; but the loss of the Santa Maria, and the desertion
+of the Pinta, reduced him to the necessity of bringing the expedition to
+a close, lest, by some untoward accident, all that had actually been
+achieved should be forever lost to the world. Accordingly, in the course
+of the 4th of January, 1493, he made sail to the eastward, holding his
+course along the shores of Hayti. His great object now was to get back
+to Spain before his remaining little bark should fail him, when his own
+name would perish with the knowledge of his discoveries. Fortunately,
+however, on the 6th, the Pinta was seen coming down before the wind,
+Martin Alonzo Pinzon having effected one of the purposes for which he
+had parted company, that of securing a quantity of gold, but failed in
+discovering any mines, which is believed to have been his principal
+motive.
+
+It is not important to the narrative to relate the details of the
+meeting that followed. Columbus received the offending Pinzon with
+prudent reserve, and, hearing his explanations, he directed him to
+prepare the Pinta for the return passage. After wooding and watering
+accordingly, in a bay favorable to such objects, the two vessels
+proceeded to the eastward in company; still following the north shore of
+Hayti, Espanola, or Little Spain, as the island had been named by
+Columbus.[4]
+
+[Footnote 4: The fortunes of this beautiful island furnish a remarkable
+proof of the manner in which abusse are made, by the providence of God,
+to produce their own punishments. This island, which is about two-thirds
+the size of the state of New York, was the seat of Spanish authority, in
+the New World, for many years. The mild aborigines, who were numerous
+and happy when discovered, were literally exterminated by the cruelties
+of their new masters; and it was found necessary to import negroes from
+Africa, to toil in the cane-fields. Toward the middle of the sixteenth
+century, it is said that two hundred of the aborigines were not to be
+found in the island, although Ovando had decoyed no less than forty
+thousand from the Bahamas, to supply the places of the dead, as early as
+1518! At a later day, Espanola passed into the hands of the French, and
+all know the terrible events by which it has gone into the exclusive
+possession of the descendants of the children of Africa. All that has
+been said of the influence of the white population of this country, as
+connected with our own Indians, sinks into insignificance, as compared
+with these astounding facts.]
+
+It was the 16th of the month, ere the adventurers finally took their
+leave of this beautiful spot. They had scarcely got clear of the land,
+steering a north-easterly course, when the favorable winds deserted
+them, and they were again met by the trades. The weather was moderate,
+however, and by keeping the two vessels on the best tack, by the 10th of
+February, the admiral, making sundry deviations from a straight course,
+however, had stretched across the track of ocean in which these constant
+breezes prevailed, and reached a parallel of latitude as high as Palos,
+his port. In making this long slant, the Nina, contrary to former
+experience, was much detained by the dull sailing of the Pinta, which
+vessel, having sprung her after-mast, was unable to bear a press of
+sail. The light breeze also favored the first, which had ever been
+deemed a fast craft in smooth water and gentle gales.
+
+Most of the phenomena of the outward passage were observed on the
+homeward; but the tunny-fish no longer excited hopes, nor did the
+sea-weed awaken fears. These familiar objects were successfully, but
+slowly passed, and the variable winds were happily struck again in the
+first fortnight. Here the traverses necessarily became more and more
+complicated, until the pilots, unused to so long and difficult a
+navigation, in which they received no aids from either land or water,
+got confused in their reckonings, disputing hotly among themselves
+concerning their true position.
+
+"Thou hast heard to-day, Luis," said the admiral, smiling, in one of his
+renewed conferences with our hero, "the contentions of Vicente Yanez,
+with his brother, Martin Alonzo, and the other pilots, touching our
+distance from Spain. These constant shifts of wind have perplexed the
+honest mariners, and they fancy themselves in any part of the Atlantic,
+but that in which they really are!"
+
+"Much depends on you, Senor; not only our safety, but the knowledge of
+our great discoveries."
+
+"Thou say'st true, Don Luis. Vicente Yanez, Sancho Ruiz, Pedro Alonzo
+Nino, and Bartolemeo Roldan, to say nothing of the profound calculators
+in the Pinta, place the vessels in the neighborhood of Madeira, which is
+nearer to Spain, by a hundred and fifty leagues, than the truth would
+show. These honest people have followed their wishes, rather than their
+knowledge of the ocean and the heavens."
+
+"And you, Don Christopher, where do you place the caravels, since there
+is no motive to conceal the truth?"
+
+"We are south of Flores, young Count, fully twelve degrees west of the
+Canaries, and in the latitude of Nafe, in Africa. But I would that they
+should be bewildered, until the right of possession to our discoveries
+be made a matter of certainty. Not one of these men now doubts his
+ability to do all I have done, and yet neither is able to grope his way
+back again, after crossing this track of water to Asia!"
+
+Luis understood the admiral, and the size of the vessels rendering the
+communication of secrets hazardous, the conversation changed.
+
+Up to this time, though the winds were often variable, the weather had
+been good. A few squalls had occurred, as commonly happens at sea, but
+they had proved to be neither long nor severe. All this was extremely
+grateful to Columbus, who, now he had effected the great purpose for
+which he might have been said to live, felt some such concern lest the
+important secret should be lost to the rest of mankind, as one who
+carries a precious object through scenes of danger experiences for the
+safety of his charge. A change, however, was at hand, and at the very
+moment when the great navigator began to hope the best, he was fated to
+experience the severest of all his trials.
+
+As the vessels advanced north, the weather became cooler, as a matter of
+course, and the winds stronger. During the night of the 11th of
+February, the caravels made a great run on their course, gaining more
+than a hundred miles between sunset and sunrise. The next morning many
+birds were in sight, from which fact Columbus believed himself quite
+near the Azores, while the pilots fancied they were in the immediate
+vicinity of Madeira. The following day the wind was less favorable,
+though strong, and a heavy sea had got up. The properties of the little
+Nina now showed themselves to advantage, for, ere the turn of the day,
+she had to contend with such a struggle of the elements, as few in her
+had ever before witnessed. Fortunately, all that consummate seamanship
+could devise to render her safe and comfortable had been done, and she
+was in as perfect a state of preparation for a tempest, as circumstances
+would allow. The only essential defect was her unusual lightness, since,
+most of her stores as well as her water being nearly exhausted, her
+draught of water was materially less than it should have been. The
+caravel was so small, that this circumstance, which is of little
+consequence to the safety of large vessels, got to be one of
+consideration in a craft whose means of endurance did not place her
+above the perils of squalls. The reader will understand the distinction
+better when he is told that ships of size can only lose their spars by
+sudden gusts of wind, seldom being thrown on their beam ends, as it is
+termed, unless by the power of the waves; whereas, smaller craft incur
+the risk of being capsized, when the spread of their canvas is
+disproportioned to their stability. Although the seamen of the Nina
+perceived this defect in their caravel, which, in a great measure,
+proceeded from the consumption of the fresh water, they hoped so soon to
+gain a haven, that no means had been taken to remedy the evil.
+
+Such was the state of things, as the sun set on the night of the 12th of
+February, 1493. As usual, Columbus was on the poop, vessels of all sizes
+then carrying these clumsy excrescences, though this of the Nina was so
+small as scarcely to deserve the name. Luis was at his side, and both
+watched the aspect of the heavens and the ocean in grave silence. Never
+before had our hero seen the elements in so great commotion, and the
+admiral had just remarked that even he had not viewed many nights as
+threatening. There is a solemnity about a sunset at sea, when the clouds
+appear threatening, and the omens of a storm are brooding, that is never
+to be met with on the land. The loneliness of a ship, struggling through
+a waste of dreary-looking water, contributes to the influence of the
+feelings that are awakened, as there appears to be but one object on
+which the wild efforts of the storm can expend themselves. All else seem
+to be in unison to aid the general strife; ocean, heavens, and the air,
+being alike accessories in the murky picture. When the wintry frowns of
+February are thrown around all, the gloomy hues of the scene are
+deepened to their darkest tints.
+
+"This is a brooding nightfall, Don Luis," Columbus remarked, just as the
+last rays that the sun cast upward on the stormy-looking clouds
+disappeared from their ragged outlines--"I have rarely seen another as
+menacing."
+
+"One has a double confidence in the care of God, while sailing under
+your guidance, Senor; first in his goodness, and next in the knowledge
+of his agent's skilfulness."
+
+"The power of the Almighty is sufficient to endue the feeblest mortal
+with all fitting skill, when it is his divine will to spare; or to rob
+the most experienced of their knowledge, when his anger can only be
+appeased by the worldly destruction of his creatures."
+
+"You look upon the night as portentous, Don Christopher!"
+
+"I _have_ seen omens as ill, though very seldom. Had not the caravel
+this burdensome freight, I might view our situation less anxiously."
+
+"You surprise me, sir Admiral! the pilots have regretted that our bark
+is so light."
+
+"True, as to material substance; but it beareth a cargo of knowledge,
+Luis, that it would be grievous to see wasted on these vacant waters.
+Dost thou not perceive how fast and gloomily the curtain of night
+gathereth about us, and the manner in which the Nina is rapidly getting
+to be our whole world? Even the Pinta is barely distinguishable, like a
+shapeless shadow on the foaming billows, serving rather as a beacon to
+warn us of our own desolation, than as a consort to cheer us with her
+presence and companionship."
+
+"I have never known you thus moody, excellent Senor, on account of the
+aspect of the weather!"
+
+"'Tis not usual with me, young lord; but my heart is loaded with its
+glorious secret. Behold!--dost thou remark that further sign of the
+warring of the elements?"
+
+The admiral, as he spoke, was standing with his face toward Spain, while
+his companion's gaze was fastened on the portentous-looking horizon of
+the west, around which still lingered sufficient light to render its
+frowns as chilling as they were visible. He had not seen the change that
+drew the remark from Columbus, but, turning quickly, he asked an
+explanation. Notwithstanding the season, the horizon at the north-east
+had been suddenly illuminated by a flash of lightning, and even while
+the admiral was relating the fact, and pointing out the quarter of the
+heavens in which the phenomenon had appeared, two more flashes followed
+each other in quick succession.
+
+"Senor Vicente"--called out Columbus, leaning forward in a way to
+overlook a group of dusky figures that was collected on the half-deck
+beneath him--"Is Senor Vicente Yanez of your number?"
+
+"I am here, Don Christopher, and note the omen. It is the sign of even
+more wind."
+
+"We shall be visited with a tempest, worthy Vicente; and it will come
+from that quarter of the heavens, or its opposite. Have we made all sure
+in the caravel?"
+
+"I know not what else is to be done, Senor Almirante. Our canvas is at
+the lowest, every thing is well lashed, and we carry as little aloft as
+can be spared. Sancho Ruiz, look you to the tarpaulings, lest we ship
+more water than will be safe."
+
+"Look well to our light, too, that our consort may not part from us in
+the darkness. This is no time for sleep, Vicente--place your most trusty
+men at the tiller."
+
+"Senor, they are selected with care. Sancho Mundo, and young Pepe of
+Moguer, do that duty, at present; others as skilled await to relieve
+them, when their watch ends."
+
+"'Tis well, good Pinzon--neither you nor I can close an eye to-night."
+
+The precautions of Columbus were not uncalled-for. About an hour after
+the unnatural flashes of lightning had been seen, the wind rose from the
+south-west, favorably as to direction, but fearfully as to force.
+Notwithstanding his strong desire to reach port, the admiral found it
+prudent to order the solitary sail that was set, to be taken in; and
+most of the night the two caravels drove before the gale, under bare
+poles, heading to the north-east. We say both, for Martin Alonzo,
+practised as he was in stormy seas, and disposed as he was to act only
+for himself, now the great problem was solved, kept the Pinta so near
+the Nina, that few minutes passed without her being seen careering on
+the summit of a foaming sea, or settling bodily into the troughs, as she
+drove headlong before the tempest; keeping side by side with her
+consort, however, as man clings to man in moments of dependency and
+peril.
+
+Thus passed the night of the 13th, the day bringing with it a more vivid
+picture of the whole scene, though it was thought that the wind somewhat
+abated in its force as the sun arose. Perhaps this change existed only
+in the imaginations of the mariners, the light usually lessening the
+appearance of danger, by enabling men to face it. Each caravel, however,
+set a little canvas, and both went foaming ahead, hurrying toward Spain
+with their unlooked-for tidings. As the day advanced, the fury of the
+gale sensibly lessened; but as night drew on again, it returned with
+renewed force, more adverse, and compelling the adventurers to take in
+every rag of sail they had ventured to spread. Nor was this the worst.
+The caravels, by this time, had driven up into a tract of ocean where a
+heavy cross-sea was raging, the effects of some other gale that had
+recently blown from a different quarter. Both vessels struggled manfully
+to lay up to their course, under these adverse circumstances; but they
+began to labor in a way to excite uneasiness in those who comprehended
+the fullest powers of the machines, and who knew whence the real sources
+of danger were derived. As night approached, Columbus perceived that the
+Pinta could not maintain her ground, the strain on her after-mast
+proving too severe to be borne, even without an inch of canvas spread.
+Reluctantly did he order the Nina to edge away toward her consort,
+separation, at such a moment, being the evil next to positive
+destruction.
+
+In this manner the night of the 14th drew around our lone and sea-girt
+adventurers. What had been merely menace and omens the previous night,
+were now a dread reality. Columbus, himself, declared he had never known
+a bark to buffet a more furious tempest, nor did he affect to conceal
+from Luis the extent of his apprehensions. With the pilots, and before
+the crew, he was serene, and even cheerful; but when alone with our
+hero, he became frank and humble. Still was the celebrated navigator
+always calm and firm. No unmanly complaint escaped him, though his very
+soul was saddened at the danger his great discoveries ran of being
+forever lost.
+
+Such was the state of feeling that prevailed with the admiral, as he sat
+in his narrow cabin, in the first hours of that appalling night,
+watching for any change, relieving or disastrous, that might occur. The
+howling of the winds, which fairly scooped up, from the surface of the
+raging Atlantic, the brine in sheets, was barely audible amid the roar
+and rush of the waters. At times, indeed, when the caravel sunk
+helplessly between two huge waves, the fragment of sail she still
+carried would flap, and the air seemed hushed and still; and then,
+again, as the buoyant machine struggled upward, like a drowning man who
+gains the surface by frantic efforts, it would seem as if the columns of
+air were about to bear her off before them, as lightly as the driving
+spray. Even Luis, albeit little apt to take alarm, felt that their
+situation was critical, and his constitutional buoyancy of spirits had
+settled down in a thoughtful gravity, that was unusual with him. Had a
+column of a thousand hostile Moors stood before our hero, he would have
+thought rather of the means of overturning it than of escape; but this
+warring of the elements admitted of no such relief. It appeared actually
+like contending with the Almighty. In such scenes, indeed, the bravest
+find no means of falling back on their resolution and intrepidity; for
+the efforts of man seem insignificant and bootless as opposed to the
+will and power of God.
+
+"'Tis a wild night, Senor," our hero observed calmly, preserving an
+exterior of more unconcern than he really felt. "To me this surpasseth
+all I have yet witnessed of the fury of a tempest."
+
+Columbus sighed heavily; then he removed his hands from his face, and
+glanced about him, as if in search of the implements he wanted.
+
+"Count of Llera," he answered, with dignity, "there remaineth a solemn
+duty to perform. There is parchment in the draw on your side of this
+table, and here are the instruments for writing. Let us acquit ourselves
+of this important trust while time is yet mercifully given us, God alone
+knowing how long we have to live."
+
+Luis did not blanch at these portentous words, but he looked earnest and
+grave. Opening the draw, he took out the parchment and laid it upon the
+table. The admiral now seized a pen, beckoning to his companion to take
+another, and both commenced writing as well as the incessant motion of
+the light caravel would allow. The task was arduous, but it was clearly
+executed. As Columbus wrote a sentence, he repeated it to Luis, who
+copied it word for word, on his own piece of parchment. The substance of
+this record was the fact of the discoveries made, the latitude and
+longitude of Espanola, with the relative positions of the other islands,
+and a brief account of what he had seen. The letter was directed to
+Ferdinand and Isabella. As soon as each had completed his account, the
+admiral carefully enveloped his missive in a covering of waxed cloth,
+Luis imitating him in all things. Each then took a large cake of wax,
+and scooping a hole in it, the packet was carefully secured in the
+interior, when it was covered with the substance that had been removed.
+Columbus now sent for the cooper of the vessel, who was directed to
+inclose each cake in a separate barrel. These vessels abound in ships;
+and, ere many minutes, the two letters were securely inclosed in the
+empty casks. Each taking a barrel, the admiral and our hero now appeared
+again on the half-deck. So terrific was the night that no one slept, and
+most of the people of the Nina, men as well as officers, were crowded
+together on the gratings near the main-mast, where alone, with the
+exception of the still more privileged places, they considered
+themselves safe from being swept overboard. Indeed, even here they were
+constantly covered with the wash of the sea, the poop itself not being
+protected from rude visits of this nature.
+
+As soon as the admiral was seen again, his followers crowded round him,
+solicitous to hear his opinion, and anxious to learn his present object.
+To have told the truth would have been to introduce despair where hope
+had already nearly ceased; and, merely intimating that he performed a
+religious vow, Columbus, with his own hands, cast his barrel into the
+hissing ocean. That of Luis was placed upon the poop, in the expectation
+that it would float, should the caravel sink.
+
+Three centuries and a half have rolled by since Columbus took this wise
+precaution, and no tidings have ever been obtained of that cask. Its
+buoyancy was such that it might continue to float for ages. Covered with
+barnacles, it may still be drifting about the waste of waters, pregnant
+with its mighty revelations. It is possible, it may have been repeatedly
+rolled upon some sandy beach, and as frequently swept off again; and it
+may have been passed unheeded on a thousand occasions, by different
+vessels, confounded with its vulgar fellows that are so often seen
+drifting about the ocean. Had it been found, it would have been opened;
+and had it been opened by any civilized man, it is next to impossible
+that an occurrence of so much interest should have been totally lost.
+
+This duty discharged, the admiral had leisure to look about him. The
+darkness was now so great, that, but for the little light that was
+disengaged from the troubled water, it would have been difficult to
+distinguish objects at the length of the caravel. No one, who has merely
+been at sea in a tall ship, can form any just idea of the situation of
+the Nina. This vessel, little more than a large felucca, had actually
+sailed from Spain with the latine rig, that is so common to the light
+coasters of southern Europe; a rig that had only been altered in the
+Canaries. As she floated in a bay, or a river, her height above the
+water could not have exceeded four or five feet, and now that she was
+struggling with a tempest, in a cross sea, and precisely in that part of
+the Atlantic where the rake of the winds is the widest, and the tumult
+of the waters the greatest, it seemed as if she were merely some aquatic
+animal, that occasionally rose to the surface to breathe. There were
+moments when the caravel appeared to be irretrievably sinking into the
+abyss of the ocean; huge black mounds of water rising around her in all
+directions, the confusion in the waves having destroyed all the ordinary
+symmetry of the rolling billows. Although so much figurative language
+has been used, in speaking of mountainous waves, it would not be
+exceeding the literal truth to add, that the Nina's yards were often
+below the summits of the adjacent seas, which were tossed upward in so
+precipitous a manner, as to create a constant apprehension of their
+falling in cataracts on her gratings; for mid-ship-deck, strictly
+speaking, she had none. This, indeed, formed the great source of danger;
+since one falling wave might have filled the little vessel, and carried
+her, with all in her, hopelessly to the bottom. As it was, the crests of
+seas were constantly tumbling inboard, or shooting athwart the hull of
+the caravel, in sheets of glittering foam, though happily, never with
+sufficient power to overwhelm the buoyant fabric. At such perilous
+instants, the safety of the craft depended on the frail tarpaulings. Had
+these light coverings given way, two or three successive waves would
+infallibly have so far filled the hold, as to render the hull
+water-logged; when the loss of the vessel would have followed as an
+inevitable consequence.
+
+The admiral had ordered Vicente Yanez to carry the foresail close
+reefed, in the hope of dragging the caravel through this chaos of
+waters, to a part of the ocean where the waves ran more regularly. The
+general direction of the seas, too, so far as they could be said to have
+a general direction at all, had been respected, and the Nina had
+struggled onward--it might be better to say, waded onward--some five or
+six leagues, since the disappearance of the day, and found no change. It
+was getting to be near midnight, and still the surface of the ocean
+presented the same wild aspect of chaotic confusion. Vicente Yanez
+approached the admiral, and declared that the bark could no longer bear
+the rag of sail she carried.
+
+"The jerk, as we rise on the sea, goes near to pull the stern out of the
+craft," he said; "and the backward flap, as we settle into the troughs,
+is almost as menacing. The Nina will bear the canvas no longer, with
+safety."
+
+"Who has seen aught of Martin Alonzo within the hour?" demanded
+Columbus, looking anxiously in the direction in which the Pinta ought to
+be visible. "Thou hast lowered the lantern, Vicente Yanez."
+
+"It would stand the hurricane no longer. From time to time it hath been
+shown, and each signal hath been answered by my brother."
+
+"Let it be shown once more. This is a moment when the presence of a
+friend gladdens the soul, even though he be helpless as ourselves."
+
+The lantern was hoisted, and, after a steady gaze, a faint and distant
+light was seen glimmering in the rack of the tempest. The experiment was
+repeated, at short intervals, and as often was the signal answered, at
+increasing distances, until the light of their consort was finally lost
+altogether.
+
+"The Pinta's mast is too feeble to bear even its gear, in such a gale,"
+observed Vicente Yanez; "and my brother hath found it impossible to keep
+as near the wind as we have done. He goes off more to leeward."
+
+"Let the foresail be secured," answered Columbus, "as thou say'st. Our
+feeble craft can no longer bear these violent surges."
+
+Vicente Yanez now mustered a few of his ablest men, and went forward
+himself to see this order executed. At the same moment the helm was
+righted, and the caravel slowly fell off, until she got dead before the
+gale. The task of gathering in the canvas was comparatively easy, the
+yard being but a few feet above the deck, and little besides the clews
+being exposed. Still it required men of the firmest nerve and the
+readiest hands to venture aloft at such an instant. Sancho took one side
+of the mast and Pepe the other, both manifesting such qualities as mark
+the perfect seaman only.
+
+The caravel was now drifting at the mercy of the winds and waves, the
+term scudding being scarcely applicable to the motion of a vessel so
+low, and which was so perfectly sheltered from the action of the wind by
+the height of the billows. Had the latter possessed their ordinary
+regularity, the low vessel must have been pooped; but, in a measure, her
+exemption from this calamity was owing to an irregularity that was only
+the source of a new danger. Still, the Nina drove ahead, and that
+swiftly, though not with the velocity necessary to outstrip the chasing
+water, had the waves followed with their customary order and regularity.
+The cross seas defeated this; wave meeting wave, actually sending those
+crests, which otherwise would have rolled over in combing foam, upward
+in terrific _jets d'eau_.
+
+This was the crisis of the danger. There was an hour when the caravel
+careered amid the chaotic darkness with a sort of headlong fury, not
+unfrequently dashing forward with her broadside to the sea, as if the
+impatient stern was bent on overtaking the stem, and exposing all to the
+extreme jeopardy of receiving a flood of water on the beam. This
+imminent risk was only averted by the activity of the man at the helm,
+where Sancho toiled with all his skill and energy, until the sweat
+rolled from his brow, as if exposed again to the sun of the tropics. At
+length the alarm became so great and general, that a common demand was
+made to the admiral to promise the customary religious oblations. For
+this purpose, all but the men at the helm assembled aft, and
+preparations were made to cast lots for the penance.
+
+"Ye are in the hands of God, my friends," said Columbus, "and it is meet
+that ye all confess your dependence on his goodness, placing your
+security on his blessings and favor alone. In this cap which ye see in
+the hands of the Senor de Munos, are the same number of peas that we are
+of persons. One of these peas bears the mark of the Holy Cross, and he
+who shall draw forth this blessed emblem, stands pledged to make a
+pilgrimage to Santa Maria de Guadalupe, bearing a waxen taper of five
+pounds weight. As the chiefest sinner among you, no less than as your
+admiral, the first trial shall be mine."
+
+Here Columbus put his hand into the cap, and on drawing forth a pea, and
+holding it to the lantern, it was found to bear on its surface the mark
+he had mentioned.
+
+"This is well, Senor," said one of the pilots; "but replace the pea, and
+let the chance be renewed for a still heavier penance, and that at a
+shrine which is most in request with all good Christians; I mean that of
+our Lady of Loretto. One pilgrimage to that shrine is worth two to any
+other."
+
+In moments of emergency, the religious sentiment is apt to be strong;
+and this proposition was seconded with warmth. The admiral cheerfully
+consented; and when all had drawn, the marked pea was found in the hands
+of a common seaman, of the name of Pedro de Villa; one who bore no very
+good name for either piety or knowledge.
+
+"'Tis a weary and costly journey," grumbled the chosen penitent, "and
+cannot cheaply be made."
+
+"Heed it not, friend Pedro," answered Columbus; "the bodily pains shall
+limit thy sufferings, for the cost of the journey shall be mine. This
+night groweth more and more terrific, good Bartolemeo Roldan."
+
+"That doth it, Senor Admiral, and I am little content with such a
+pilgrim as Pedro here, although it may seem as if heaven itself directed
+the choice. A mass in Santa Clara de Moguer, with a watcher all night in
+that chapel, will be of more account than your distant journeys made by
+such an one as he."
+
+This opinion wanted not for supporters among the seamen of Moguer, and a
+third trial was made to determine the person. Again the pea was
+withdrawn from the cap by the admiral. Still the danger did not
+diminish, the caravel actually threatening to roll over amid the
+turbulence of the waves.
+
+"We are too light, Vicente Yanez," said Columbus, "and, desperate as the
+undertaking seemeth, we must make an effort to fill our empty casks with
+sea-water. Let hose be carefully introduced beneath the tarpaulings, and
+send careful hands below to make sure that the water does not get into
+the hold instead of the casks."
+
+This order was obeyed, and several hours passed in efforts to execute
+this duty. The great difficulty was in protecting the men who raised the
+water from the sea, for, while the whole element was raging in such
+confusion around them, it was no easy matter to secure a single drop in
+a useful manner. Patience and perseverance, however, prevailed in the
+end, and, ere the light returned, so many empty casks had been filled,
+as evidently to aid the steadiness of the vessel. Toward morning it
+rained in torrents, and the wind shifted from south to west, losing but
+little of its force, however. At this juncture the foresail was again
+got on the bark, and she was dragged by it, through a tremendous sea, a
+few miles to the eastward.
+
+When the day dawned, the scene was changed for the better. The Pinta was
+nowhere to be seen, and most in the Nina believed she had gone to the
+bottom. But the clouds had opened a little, and a sort of mystical
+brightness rested on the ocean, which was white with foam, and still
+hissing with fury. The waves, however, were gradually getting to be more
+regular, and the seamen no longer found it necessary to lash themselves
+to the vessel, in order to prevent being washed overboard. Additional
+sail was got on the caravel, and, as her motion ahead increased, she
+became steadier, and more certain in all her movements.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXV.
+
+    "For now, from sight of land diverted clear,
+    They drove uncertain o'er the pathless deep;
+    Nor gave the adverse gale due course to steer,
+    Nor durst they the design'd direction keep:
+    The gathering tempest quickly raged so high,
+    The wave-encompass'd boat but faintly reach'd my eye."
+
+    Vision of Patience.
+
+
+Such was the state of things on the morning of the 15th, and shortly
+after the sun arose, the joyful cry of land was heard from aloft. It is
+worthy of being mentioned that this land was made directly ahead, so
+accurate were all the admiral's calculations, and so certain did he feel
+of his position on the chart. A dozen opinions, however, prevailed among
+the pilots and people concerning this welcome sight; some fancying it
+the continent of Europe, while others believed it to be Madeira.
+Columbus, himself, publicly announced it to be one of the Azores.
+
+Each hour was lessening the distance between this welcome spot of earth
+and the adventurers, when the gale chopped directly round, bringing the
+island dead to windward. Throughout a long and weary day the little bark
+kept turning up against the storm, in order to reach this much-desired
+haven, but the heaviness of the swell and the foul wind made their
+progress both slow and painful. The sun set in wintry gloom, again, and
+the land still lay in the wrong quarter, and apparently at a distance
+that was unattainable. Hour after hour passed, and still, in the
+darkness, the Nina was struggling to get nearer to the spot where the
+land had been seen. Columbus never left his post throughout all these
+anxious scenes, for to him it seemed as if the fortunes of his
+discoveries were now suspended, as it might be, by a hair. Our hero was
+less watchful, but even he began to feel more anxiety in the result, as
+the moment approached when the fate of the expedition was to be decided.
+
+As the sun arose, every eye turned inquiringly around the watery view,
+and, to the common disappointment, no land was visible. Some fancied all
+had been illusion, but the admiral believed they had passed the island
+in the darkness, and he hove about, with a view to stand further south.
+This change in the course had not been made more than an hour or two,
+when land was again dimly seen astern, and in a quarter where it could
+not have been previously perceived. For this island the caravel tacked,
+and until dark she was beating up for it, against a strong gale and a
+heavy sea. Night again drew around her, and the land once more vanished
+in the gloom.
+
+At the usual hour of the previous night, the people of the Nina had
+assembled to chant the _salve fac_, _regina_, or the evening hymn to the
+Virgin, for it is one of the touching incidents of this extraordinary
+voyage, that these rude sailors first carried with them into the unknown
+wastes of the Atlantic the songs of their religion, and the Christian's
+prayers. While thus employed, a light had been made to leeward, which
+was supposed to be on the island first seen, thus encouraging the
+admiral in his belief that he was in the centre of a group, and that by
+keeping well to windward, he would certainly find himself in a situation
+to reach a port in the morning. That morning, however, had produced no
+other change than the one noted, and he was now preparing to pass
+another night, or that of the 17th, in uncertainty, when the cry of land
+ahead suddenly cheered the spirits of all in the vessel.
+
+The Nina stood boldly in, and before midnight she was near enough to the
+shore to let go an anchor; so heavy were both wind and sea, however,
+that the cable parted, thus rejecting them, as it were, from the regions
+to which they properly belonged. Sail was made, and the effort to get to
+windward renewed, and by daylight the caravel was enabled to run in and
+get an anchorage on the north side of the island. Here the wearied and
+almost exhausted mariners learned that Columbus was right, as usual, and
+that they had reached the island of St. Mary, one of the Azores.
+
+It does not belong to this tale to record all the incidents that
+occurred while the Nina lay at this port. They embraced an attempt to
+seize the caravel, on the part of the Portuguese, who, as they had been
+the last to harass the admiral on his departure from the old world, were
+the first to beset him on his return. All their machinations failed,
+however, and after having the best portion of his crew in their power,
+and actually having once sailed from the island without the men, the
+admiral finally arranged the matter, and took his departure for Spain,
+with all his people on board, on the 24th of the month.
+
+Providence seemed to favor the passage of the adventurers, for the first
+few days; the wind being favorable and the sea smooth. Between the
+morning of the 24th and the evening of the 26th, the caravel had made
+nearly a hundred leagues directly on her course to Palos, when she was
+met by a foul wind and another heavy sea. The gale now became violent
+again, though sufficiently favorable to allow them to steer east, a
+little northerly, occasionally hauling more ahead. The weather was
+rough, but as the admiral knew he was drawing in with the continent of
+Europe, he did not complain, cheering his people with the hopes of a
+speedy arrival. In this manner the time passed until the turn of the
+day, Saturday, March 2d, when Columbus believed himself to be within a
+hundred miles of the coast of Portugal, the long continuance of the
+scant southerly winds having set him thus far north.
+
+The night commenced favorably, the caravel struggling ahead through a
+tremendous sea that was sweeping down from the south, having the wind
+abeam, blowing so fresh as to cause the sails to be reduced within
+manageable size. The Nina was an excellent craft, as had been thoroughly
+proved, and she was now steadier than when first assailed by the
+tempests, her pilots having filled still more of the casks than they had
+been able to do during the late storm.
+
+"Thou hast lived at the helm, Sancho Mundo, since the late gales
+commenced," said the admiral, cheerfully, as, about the last hour of the
+first watch, he passed near the post of the old mariner. "It is no small
+honor to hold that station in the cruel gales we have been fated to
+endure."
+
+"I so consider it, Senor Don Almirante; and I hope their illustrious and
+most excellent Highnesses, the two sovereigns, will look upon it with
+the same eyes, so far as the weight of the duty is concerned."
+
+"And why not as respects the honor, friend Sancho?" put in Luis, who had
+become a sworn friend of the seaman, since the rescue of the rocks.
+
+"Honor, Senor Master Pedro, is cold food, and sits ill on a poor man's
+stomach. One dobla is worth two dukedoms to such a man as I am, since
+the dobla would help to gain me respect, whereas the dukedoms would only
+draw down ridicule upon my head. No, no--Master Pedro, your worship,
+give me a pocket full of gold, and leave honors to such as have a fancy
+for them. If a man must be raised in the world, begin at the beginning,
+or lay a solid foundation; after which he may be made a knight of St.
+James, if the sovereigns have need of his name to make out their list."
+
+"Thou art too garrulous for a helmsman, Sancho, though so excellent
+otherwise," observed the admiral, gravely. "Look to thy course; doblas
+will not be wanting, when the voyage is ended."
+
+"Many thanks, Senor Almirante; and, as a proof that my eyes are not
+shut, even though the tongue wags, I will just desire your Excellency,
+and the pilots, to study that rag of a cloud that is gathering up here,
+at the south-west, and ask yourselves if it means evil or good."
+
+"By the mass! the man is right, Don Christopher!" exclaimed Bartolemeo
+Roldan, who was standing near; "that is a most sinister-looking cloud,
+and is not unlike those that give birth to the white squalls of Africa."
+
+"See to it--see to it--good Bartolemeo," returned Columbus, hastily. "We
+have, indeed, counted too much on our good fortune, and have culpably
+overlooked the aspect of the heavens. Let Vicente Yanez and all our
+people be called; we may have need of them."
+
+Columbus now ascended to the poop, where he got a wider and a better
+view of the ocean and the skies. The signs were, indeed, as portentous
+as they had been sudden in their appearance. The atmosphere was filled
+with a white mist, that resembled a light smoke, and the admiral had
+barely time to look about him, when a roar that resembled the trampling
+of a thousand horses passing a bridge at full speed, came rushing down
+with the wind. The ocean was heard hissing, as is usual at such moments,
+and the tempest burst upon the little bark, as if envious demons were
+determined she should never reach Spain with the glorious tidings she
+bore.
+
+A report like that of a heavy discharge of musketry, was the first
+signal that the squall had struck the Nina. It came from the rent
+canvas, every sail having given way at the same instant. The caravel
+heeled until the water reached her masts, and there was a breathless
+instant, when the oldest seaman feared that she would be forced over
+entirely upon her side. Had not the sails split, this calamity might
+truly have occurred. Sancho, too, had borne the tiller up in season, and
+when the Nina recovered from the shock, she almost flew out of the water
+as she drove before the blast.
+
+This was the commencement of a new gale, which even surpassed in
+violence that from which they had so recently escaped. For the first
+hour, awe and disappointment almost paralyzed the crew, as nothing was
+or could be done to relieve them from the peril they were in. The vessel
+was already scudding--the last resource of seamen--and even the rags of
+the canvas were torn, piece by piece, from the spars, sparing the men
+the efforts that would have been necessary to secure them. In this
+crisis, again the penitent people resorted to their religious rites; and
+again it fell to the lot of the admiral to make a visit to some favorite
+shrine. In addition, the whole crew made a vow to fast on bread and
+water, the first Saturday after they should arrive.
+
+"It is remarkable, Don Christopher," said Luis, when the two were again
+alone on the poop; "it is remarkable that these lots should fall so
+often on you. Thrice have you been selected by Providence to be an
+instrument of thankfulness and penitence. This cometh of your exceeding
+faith!"
+
+"Say, rather, Luis, that it cometh of my exceeding sins. My pride,
+alone, should draw down upon me stronger rebukes than these. I fear me,
+I had forgotten that I was merely an agent chosen by God, to work his
+own great ends, and was falling into the snares of Satan, by fancying
+that I, of my own wisdom and philosophy, had done this great exploit,
+which cometh so truly of God."
+
+"Do you believe us in danger, Senor?"
+
+"Greater hazard besets us now, Don Luis, than hath befallen us since we
+left Palos. We are driving toward the continent, which cannot be thirty
+leagues distant; and, as thou seest, the ocean is becoming more troubled
+every hour. Happily, the night is far advanced, and with the light we
+may find the means of safety."
+
+The day did reappear as usual; for whatever disturbances occur on its
+surface, the earth continues its daily revolutions in the sublimity of
+its vastness, affording, at each change, to the mites on its surface,
+the indubitable proofs that an omnipotent power reigns over all its
+movements. The light, however, brought no change in the aspects of the
+ocean and sky. The wind blew furiously, and the Nina struggled along
+amid the chaos of waters, driving nearer and nearer to the continent
+that lay before her.
+
+About the middle of the afternoon, signs of land became quite apparent,
+and no one doubted the vicinity of the vessel to the shores of Europe.
+Nevertheless, naught was visible but the raging ocean, the murky sky,
+and the sort of supernatural light with which the atmosphere is so often
+charged in a tempest. The spot where the sun set, though known by means
+of the compass, could not be traced by the eye; and again night closed
+on the wild, wintry scene, as if the little caravel was abandoned by
+hope as well as by day. To add to the apprehensions of the people, a
+high cross sea was running; and, as ever happens with vessels so small,
+in such circumstances, tons' weight of water were constantly falling
+inboard, threatening destruction to the gratings and their frail
+coverings of tarred cloth.
+
+"This is the most terrible night of all, son Luis," said Columbus, about
+an hour after the darkness had drawn around them. "If we escape this
+night, well may we deem ourselves favored of God!"
+
+"And yet you speak calmly, Senor; as calmly as if your heart was filled
+with hope."
+
+"The seaman that cannot command his nerves and voice, even in the utmost
+peril, hath mistaken his calling. But I _feel_ calm, Luis, as well as
+_seem_ calm. God hath us in his keeping, and will do that which most
+advanceth his own holy will. My boys--my two poor boys trouble me
+sorely; but even the fatherless are not forgotten!"
+
+"If we perish, Senor, the Portuguese will remain masters of our secret:
+to them only is it now known, ourselves excepted, since, for Martin
+Alonzo, I should think, there is little hope."
+
+"This is another source of grief; yet have I taken such steps as will
+probably put their Highnesses on the maintenance of their rights. The
+rest must be trusted to heaven."
+
+At that moment was heard the startling cry of "land." This word, which
+so lately would have been the cause of sudden bursts of joy, was now the
+source of new uneasiness. Although the night was dark, there were
+moments when the gloom opened, as it might be, for a mile or two around
+the vessel, and when objects as prominent as a coast could be seen with
+sufficient distinctness. Both Columbus and our hero hastened to the
+forward part of the caravel, at this cry, though even this common
+movement was perilous, in order to obtain the best possible view of the
+shore. It was, indeed, so near, that all on board heard, or fancied they
+heard, the roar of the surf against the rocks. That it was Portugal,
+none doubted, and to stand on in the present uncertainty of their
+precise position, or without a haven to enter, would be inevitable
+destruction. There remained only the alternative to ware with the
+caravel's head off shore, and endeavor to keep an offing until morning.
+Columbus had no sooner mentioned this necessity, than Vicente Yanez set
+about its execution in the best manner circumstances would allow.
+
+Hitherto the wind had been kept a little on the starboard quarter, the
+caravel steering east, a point or two north, and it was now the aim to
+lay her head so far round as to permit her to steer north, a point or
+two west. By the manner in which the coast appeared to trend, it was
+thought that this variation in the direction might keep them, for a few
+hours, at a sufficient distance from the shore. But this manoeuvre
+could not be effected without the aid of canvas, and an order was issued
+to set the foresail. The first flap of the canvas, as it was loosened to
+the gale, was tremendous, the jerk threatening to tear the fore-mast
+from its step, and then all was still as death forward, the hull sinking
+so low behind a barrier of water, as actually to becalm the sail. Sancho
+and his associate seized the favorable moment to secure the clews, and,
+as the little bark struggled upward again, the canvas filled with some
+such shock as is felt at the sudden checking of a cable. From this
+moment the Nina drew slowly off to sea again, though her path lay
+through such a scene of turbulent water, as threatened, at each instant,
+to overwhelm her.
+
+"Luis!" said a soft voice, at our hero's elbow, as the latter stood
+clinging to the side of the door of the cabin appropriated to the
+females--"Luis--Hayti better--Mattinao better--much bad, Luis!"
+
+It was Ozema, who had risen from her pallet to look out upon the
+appalling view of the ocean. During the mild weather of the first part
+of the passage, the intercourse between Luis and the natives on board
+had been constant and cheerful. Though slightly incommoded by her
+situation, Ozema had always received his visits with guileless delight,
+and her progress in Spanish had been such as to astonish even her
+teacher. Nor were the means of communication confined altogether to the
+advance of Ozema, since Luis, in his endeavors to instruct her, had
+acquired nearly as many words of her native tongue, as he had taught her
+of his own. In this manner they conversed, resorting to both dialects
+for terms, as necessity dictated. We shall give a free translation of
+what was said, endeavoring, at the same time, to render the dialogue
+characteristic and graphic.
+
+"Poor Ozema!" returned our hero, drawing her gently to a position where
+he could support her against the effects of the violent motion of the
+caravel--"thou must regret Hayti, indeed, and the peaceful security of
+thy groves!"
+
+"Caonabo there, Luis."
+
+"True, innocent girl; but even Caonabo is not as terrible as this anger
+of the elements."
+
+"No--no--no--Caonabo much bad. Break Ozema's heart. No Caonabo--no
+Hayti."
+
+"Thy dread of the Carib chief, dear Ozema, hath upset thy reason, in
+part. Thou hast a God, as well as we Christians, and, like us, must put
+thy trust in him; he alone can now protect thee."
+
+"What protect?"
+
+"Care for thee, Ozema. See that thou dost not come to harm. Look to thy
+safety and welfare."
+
+"Luis protect Ozema. So promise Mattinao--so promise Ozema--so promise
+heart."
+
+"Dear girl, so will I, to the extent of my means. But what can I do
+against this tempest?"
+
+"What Luis do against Caonabo?--Kill him--cut Indians--make him run
+away!"
+
+"This was easy to a Christian knight, who carried a good sword and
+buckler, but it is impossible against a tempest. We have only one hope,
+and that is to trust in the Spaniard's God."
+
+"Spaniards great--have great God."
+
+"There is but one God, Ozema, and he ruleth all, whether in Hayti or in
+Spain. Thou rememberest what I have told thee of his love, and of the
+manner of his death, that we might all be saved, and thou didst then
+promise to worship him, and to be baptized when we should reach my
+country."
+
+"God!--Ozema do, what Ozema say. Love Luis' God already."
+
+"Thou hast seen the holy cross, Ozema, and hast promised me to kiss it,
+and bless it."
+
+"Where cross? See no cross--up in heaven?--or where? Show Ozema cross,
+now--Luis' cross--cross Luis love."
+
+The young man wore the parting gift of Mercedes near his heart, and
+raising a hand he withdrew the small jewel, pressed it to his own lips
+with pious fervor, and then offered it to the Indian girl.
+
+"See"--he said--"this is a cross; we Spaniards revere and bless it. It
+is our pledge of happiness."
+
+"That Luis' God?" enquired Ozema, in a little surprise.
+
+"Not so, my poor benighted girl"--
+
+"What benighted?" interrupted the quick-witted Haytian, eagerly, for no
+term that the young man could or did apply to her, fell unheeded on her
+vigilant and attentive ear.
+
+"Benighted means those who have never heard of the cross, or of its
+endless mercies."
+
+"Ozema no benighted now," exclaimed the other, pressing the bauble to
+her bosom. "Got cross--keep cross--no benighted again, never. Cross,
+Mercedes"--for, by one of those mistakes that are not unfrequent in the
+commencement of all communications between those who speak different
+tongues, the young Indian had caught the notion, from many of Luis'
+involuntary exclamations, that "Mercedes" meant all that was excellent.
+
+"I would, indeed, that she of whom thou speakest had thee in her gentle
+care, that she might lead thy pure soul to a just knowledge of thy
+Creator! That cross cometh of Mercedes, if it be not Mercedes herself,
+and thou dost well in loving it, and in blessing it. Place the chain
+around thy neck, Ozema, for the precious emblem may help in preserving
+thee, should the gale throw us on the coast, ere morning. _That cross is
+a sign of undying love._"
+
+The girl understood enough of this, especially as the direction was
+seconded by a little gentle aid, on the part of our hero, to comply, and
+the chain was soon thrown around her neck, with the holy emblem resting
+on her bosom. The change in the temperature, as well as a sense of
+propriety, had induced the admiral to cause ample robes of cotton to be
+furnished all the females, and Ozema's beautiful form was now closely
+enveloped in one, and beneath its folds she had hidden the jewel, which
+she fondly hugged to her heart, as a gift of Luis. Not so did the young
+man himself view the matter. He had merely meant to lend, in a moment of
+extreme peril, that which the superstitious feeling of the age seriously
+induced him to fancy might prove a substantial safeguard. As Ozema was
+by no means expert in managing the encumbrance of a dress to which she
+was unaccustomed, even while native taste had taught her to throw it
+around her person gracefully, the young man had half unconsciously
+assisted in placing the cross in its new position, when a violent roll
+of the vessel compelled him to sustain the girl by encircling her waist
+with an arm. Partly yielding to the motion of the caravel, which was
+constantly jerking even the mariners from their feet, and probably as
+much seduced by the tenderness of her own heart, Ozema did not rebuke
+this liberty--the first our hero had ever offered, but stood, in
+confiding innocence, upheld by the arm that, of all others, it was most
+grateful to her feelings to believe destined to perform that office for
+life. In another moment, her head rested on his bosom, and her face was
+turned upward, with the eyes fastened on the countenance of the young
+noble.
+
+"Thou art less alarmed at this terrific storm, Ozema, than I could have
+hoped. Apprehension for thee has made me more miserable than I could
+have thought possible, and yet thou seemest not to be disturbed."
+
+"Ozema no unhappy--no want Hayti--no want Mattinao--no want any
+thing--Ozema happy now. Got cross."
+
+"Sweet, guileless innocent, may'st thou never know any other
+feelings!--confide in thy cross."
+
+"Cross, Mercedes--Luis, Mercedes. Luis and Ozema keep cross forever."
+
+It was, perhaps, fortunate for this high-prized happiness of the girl,
+that the Nina now took a plunge that unavoidably compelled our hero to
+release his hold of her person, or to drag her with him headlong toward
+the place where Columbus stood, sheltering his weather-beaten form from
+a portion of the violence of the tempest. When he recovered his feet, he
+perceived that the door of the cabin was closed, and that Ozema was no
+longer to be seen.
+
+"Dost thou find our female friends terrified by this appalling scene,
+son Luis?" Columbus quietly demanded, for, though his own thoughts had
+been much occupied by the situation of the caravel, he had noted all
+that had just passed so near him. "They are stout of heart, but even an
+amazon might quail at this tempest."
+
+"They heed it not, Senor, for I think they understand it not. The
+civilized man is so much their superior, that both men and women appear
+to have every confidence in our means of safety. I have just given Ozema
+a cross, and bade her place her greatest reliance on that."
+
+"Thou hast done well; it is now the surest protector of us all. Keep the
+head of the caravel as near to the wind as may be, Sancho, when it
+lulls, every inch off shore being so much gained in the way of
+security."
+
+The usual reply was made, and then the conversation ceased; the raging
+of the elements, and the fearful manner in which the Nina was compelled
+to struggle literally to keep on the surface of the ocean, affording
+ample matter for the reflections of all who witnessed the scene.
+
+In this manner passed the night. When the day broke, it opened on a
+scene of wintry violence. The sun was not visible that day, the dark
+vapor driving so low before the tempest, as to lessen the apparent
+altitude of the vault of heaven one-half, but the ocean was an
+undulating sheet of foam. High land soon became visible nearly abeam of
+the caravel, and all the elder mariners immediately pronounced it to be
+the rock of Lisbon. As soon as this important fact was ascertained, the
+admiral wore with the head of the caravel in-shore, and laid his course
+for the mouth of the Tagus. The distance was not great, some twenty
+miles perhaps; but the necessity of facing the tempest, and of making
+sail, on a wind, in such a storm, rendered the situation of the caravel
+more critical than it had been in all her previous trials. At that
+moment, the policy of the Portuguese was forgotten, or held to be
+entirely a secondary consideration, a port or shipwreck appearing to be
+the alternative. Every inch of their weatherly position became of
+importance to the navigators, and Vicente Yanez placed himself near the
+helm to watch its play with the vigilance of experience and authority.
+No sail but the lowest could be carried, and these were reefed as
+closely as their construction would allow.
+
+In this manner the tempest-tossed little bark struggled forward, now
+sinking so low in the troughs that land, ocean, and all but the frowning
+billows, with the clouds above their heads, were lost to view; and now
+rising, as it might be, from the calm of a sombre cavern, into the
+roaring, hissing, and turbulence of a tempest. These latter moments were
+the most critical. When the light hull reached the summit of a wave,
+falling over to windward by the yielding of the element beneath her, it
+seemed as if the next billow must inevitably overwhelm her; and yet, so
+vigilant was the eye of Vicente Yanez, and so ready the hand of Sancho,
+that she ever escaped the calamity. To keep the wash of the sea entirely
+out, was, however, impossible; and it often swept athwart the deck,
+forward, like the sheets of a cataract, that part of the vessel being
+completely abandoned by the crew.
+
+"All now depends on our canvas," said the admiral, with a sigh; "if that
+stand, we are safer than when scudding, and I think God is with us. To
+me it seemeth as if the wind was a little less violent than in the
+night."
+
+"Perhaps it is, Senor. I believe we gain on the place you pointed out to
+me."
+
+"It is yon rocky point. _That_ weathered, and we are safe. That not
+weathered, and we see our common grave."
+
+"The caravel behaveth nobly, and I will still hope."
+
+An hour later, and the land was so near that human beings were seen
+moving on it. There are moments when life and death may be said to be
+equally presented to the seaman's sight. On one side is destruction; on
+the other security. As the vessel drew slowly in toward the shore, not
+only was the thunder of the surf upon the rocks audible, but the
+frightful manner in which the water was tossed upward in spray, gave
+additional horrors to the view. On such occasions, it is no uncommon
+thing to see _jets d'eau_ hundreds of feet in height, and the driving
+spray is often carried to a great distance inland, before the wind.
+Lisbon has the whole rake of the Atlantic before it, unbroken by island
+or headland; and the entire coast of Portugal is one of the most exposed
+of Europe. The south-west gales, in particular, drive across twelve
+hundred leagues of ocean, and the billows they send in upon its shores,
+are truly appalling. Nor was the storm we are endeavoring to describe,
+one of common occurrence. The season had been tempestuous, seldom
+leaving the Atlantic any peace; and the surges produced by one gale had
+not time to subside, ere another drove up the water in a new direction,
+giving rise to that irregularity of motion which most distresses a
+vessel, and which is particularly hazardous to small ones.
+
+"She looks up better, Don Christopher!" exclaimed Luis, as they got
+within musket-shot of the desired point; "another ten minutes of as
+favorable a slant, and we do it!"
+
+"Thou art right, son," answered the admiral, calmly. "Were any calamity
+to throw us ashore on yonder rocks, two planks of the Nina would not
+hold together five minutes. Ease her--good Vicente Yanez--ease her,
+quite a point, and let her go through the water. All depends on the
+canvas, and we can spare that point. She moves, Luis! Regard the land,
+and thou wilt now see our motion."
+
+"True, Senor, but the caravel is drawing frightfully near the point!"
+
+"Fear not; a bold course is often the safest. It is a deep shore, and we
+need but little water."
+
+No one now spoke. The caravel was dashing in toward the point with
+appalling speed, and every minute brought her perceptibly nearer to the
+cauldron of water that was foaming around it. Without absolutely
+entering within this vortex, the Nina flew along its edge, and, in five
+minutes more, she had a direct course up the Tagus open before her. The
+mainsail was now taken in, and the mariners stood fearlessly on, certain
+of a haven and security.
+
+Thus, virtually, ended the greatest marine exploit the world has ever
+witnessed. It is true that a run round to Palos was subsequently made,
+but it was insignificant in distance, and not fruitful in incidents.
+Columbus had effected his vast purpose, and his success was no longer a
+secret. His reception in Portugal is known, as well as all the leading
+occurrences that took place at Lisbon. He anchored in the Tagus on the
+4th of March, and left it again on the 13th. On the morning of the 14th,
+the Nina was off Cape St. Vincent, when she hauled in to the eastward,
+with a light air from the north. At sunrise on the 15th she was again
+off the bar of Saltes, after an absence of only two hundred and
+twenty-four days.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVI.
+
+    "One evening-tide, as with her crones she sate,
+    Making sweet solace of some scandal new,
+    A boisterous noise came thund'ring at the gate,
+    And soon a sturdie boy approached in view;
+    With gold far glitter and were his vestments blue,
+    And pye-shaped hat, and of the silver sheen
+    An huge broad buckle glaunst in either shoe,
+    And round his necke an Indian kerchiefe clean,
+    And in his hand a switch;--a jolly wight I ween."
+
+    Mickle.
+
+
+Notwithstanding the noble conceptions that lay at the bottom of the
+voyage we have just related, the perseverance and self-devotion that
+were necessary to its accomplishment, and the magnificence of the
+consequences that were dependent on its success, it attracted very
+little attention, amid the stirring incidents and active selfishness of
+the age, until the result was known. Only a month before the arrangement
+was made with Columbus, the memorable edict of the two sovereigns, for
+the expulsion of the Jews, had been signed; and this uprooting of so
+large a portion of the Spanish nation was, of itself, an event likely to
+draw off the eyes of the people from an enterprise deemed as doubtful,
+and which was sustained by means so insignificant, as that of the great
+navigator. The close of the month of July had been set as the latest
+period for the departure of these persecuted religionists; and thus, at
+the very time, almost on the very day, when Columbus sailed from Palos,
+was the attention of the nation directed toward what might be termed a
+great national calamity. The departure was like the setting forth from
+Egypt, the highways being thronged with the moving masses, many of which
+were wandering they knew not whither.
+
+The king and queen had left Granada in May, and after remaining two
+months in Castile, they passed into Aragon, about the commencement of
+August, in which kingdom they happened to be when the expedition sailed.
+Here they remained throughout the rest of the season, settling affairs
+of importance, and, quite probably, disposed to avoid the spectacle of
+the misery their Jewish edict had inflicted, Castile having contained
+much the greater portion of that class of their subjects. In October, a
+visit was paid to the turbulent Catalans; the court passing the entire
+winter in Barcelona. Nor did momentous events cease to occupy them while
+in this part of their territories. On the 7th of December an attempt was
+made on the life of Ferdinand; the assassin inflicting a severe, though
+not a fatal wound, by a blow on the neck. During the critical weeks in
+which the life of the king was deemed to be in danger, Isabella watched
+at his bed-side, with the untiring affection of a devoted wife; and her
+thoughts dwelt more on her affections than on any worldly
+aggrandisement. Then followed the investigation into the motives of the
+criminal; conspiracies ever being distrusted in such cases, although
+history would probably show that much the greater part of these wicked
+attempts on the lives of sovereigns, are more the results of individual
+fanaticism, than of any combined plans to destroy.
+
+Isabella, whose gentle spirit grieved over the misery her religious
+submission had induced her to inflict on the Jews, was spared the
+additional sorrow of mourning for a husband, taken away by means so
+violent. Ferdinand gradually recovered. All these occurrences, together
+with the general cares of the state, had served to divide the thoughts
+of even the queen from the voyage; while the politic Ferdinand, in his
+mind, had long since set down the gold expended in the outfit as so much
+money lost.
+
+The balmy spring of the south opened as usual, and the fertile province
+of Catalonia had already become delightful with the fresh verdure of the
+close of March. The king had, for some weeks, resumed his usual
+occupations, and Isabella, relieved from her conjugal fears, had again
+fallen into the quiet current of her duties and her usual acts of
+beneficence. Indisposed to the gorgeousness of her station by the recent
+events, and ever pining for the indulgence of the domestic affections,
+this estimable woman, notwithstanding the strong natural disposition she
+had always felt for that sort of life, had lived more among her children
+and confidants, of late, than had been even her wont. Her earliest
+friend, the Marchioness of Moya, as a matter of course, was ever near
+her person, and Mercedes passed most of her time either in the immediate
+presence of her royal mistress, or in that of her children.
+
+There had been a small reception one evening, near the close of the
+month; and Isabella, glad to escape from such scenes, had withdrawn to
+her private apartments, to indulge in conversation in the circle she so
+much loved. It was near the hour of midnight, the king being at work, as
+usual, in an adjoining closet. There were present, besides the members
+of the royal family and Dona Beatriz with her lovely niece, the
+Archbishop of Granada, Luis de St. Angel, and Alonzo de Quintanilla, the
+two last of whom had been summoned by the prelate, to discuss some
+question of clerical finance before their illustrious mistress. All
+business, however, was over, and Isabella was rendering the circle
+agreeable, with the condescension of a princess and the gentle grace of
+a woman.
+
+"Are there fresh tidings from the unfortunate and deluded Hebrews, Lord
+Archbishop?" demanded Isabella, whose kind feelings ever led her to
+regret the severity which religious dependence on her confessors had
+induced her to sanction. "Our prayers should surely attend them,
+notwithstanding our policy and duty have demanded their expulsion."
+
+"Senora," answered Fernando de Talavera, "they are doubtless serving
+Mammon among the Moors and Turks, as they served him in Spain. Let not
+your Highness' gracious mind be disturbed on account of these
+descendants of the enemies and crucifiers of Christ, who, if they suffer
+at all, do but suffer justly, for the unutterable sin of their
+forefathers. Let us rather inquire, my gracious mistress, of the Senores
+St. Angel and Quintanilla here, what hath become of their favorite
+Colon, the Genoese; and when they look for his return, dragging the
+Great Khan, a captive, by the beard!"
+
+"We know naught of him, holy prelate," put in de St. Angel, briskly,
+"since his departure from the Canaries."
+
+"The Canaries!" interrupted the queen, in a little surprise. "Hath aught
+been received, that cometh from that quarter?"
+
+"By report only, Senora. Letters have not reached any in Spain, that I
+can learn, but there is a rumor from Portugal, that the admiral touched
+at Gomera and the Grand Canary, where it would seem he had his
+difficulties, and whence he shortly after departed, holding a western
+course; since which time no tidings have been received from either of
+the caravels."
+
+"By which fact, Lord Archbishop," added Quintanilla, "we can perceive
+that trifles are not likely to turn the adventurers back."
+
+"I'll warrant ye, Senores, that a Genoese adventurer who holdeth their
+Highnesses' commission as an admiral, will be in no unseemly haste to
+get rid of the dignity!" rejoined the prelate, laughing, without much
+deference to his mistress' concessions in Columbus' favor. "One does not
+see rank, authority, and emolument, carelessly thrown aside, when they
+may be retained by keeping aloof from the power whence they spring."
+
+"Thou art unjust to the Genoese, holy sir, and judgest him harshly,"
+observed the queen. "Truly, I did not know of these tidings from the
+Canaries, and I rejoice to hear that Colon hath got thus far in safety.
+Hath not the past been esteemed a most boisterous winter among mariners,
+Senor de St. Angel?"
+
+"So much so, your Highness, that I have heard the seamen here, in
+Barcelona, swear that, within the memory of man, there hath not been
+another like it. Should ill-luck wait upon Colon, I trust this
+circumstance may be remembered as his excuse; though I doubt if he be
+very near any of our tempests and storms."
+
+"Not he!" exclaimed the bishop, triumphantly. "It will be seen that he
+hath been safely harbored in some river of Africa; and we shall have
+some question yet to settle about him with Don John of Portugal."
+
+"Here is the king to give us his opinion," interposed Isabella. "It is
+long since I have heard him mention the name of Colon. Have you entirely
+forgotten our Genoese admiral, Don Fernando?"
+
+"Before I am questioned on subjects so remote," returned the king,
+smiling, "let me inquire into matters nearer home. How long is it that
+your Highness holdeth court, and giveth receptions, past the hour of
+midnight?"
+
+"Call you this a court, Senor? Here are but our own dear children,
+Beatriz and her niece, with the good archbishop, and those two faithful
+servants of your own."
+
+"True; but you overlook the ante-chambers, and those who await your
+pleasure without."
+
+"None can await without at this unusual hour; surely you jest, my lord."
+
+"Then your own page, Diego de Ballesteros, hath reported falsely.
+Unwilling to disturb your privacy, at this unseasonable hour, he hath
+come to me, saying that one of strange conduct and guise is in the
+palace, insisting on an interview with the queen, let it be late or
+early. The accounts of this man's deportment are so singular, that I
+have ordered him to be admitted, and have come myself to witness the
+interview. The page telleth me that he swears all hours are alike, and
+that night and day are equally made for our uses."
+
+"Dearest Don Fernando, there may be treason in this!"
+
+"Fear not, Isabella; assassins are not so bold, and the trusty rapiers
+of these gentlemen will prove sufficient for our protection--Hist! there
+are footsteps, and we must appear calm, even though we apprehend a
+tumult."
+
+The door opened, and Sancho Mundo stood in the royal presence. The air
+and appearance of so singular a being excited both astonishment and
+amusement, and every eye was fastened on him in wonder; and this so much
+the more, because he had decked his person with sundry ornaments from
+the imaginary Indies, among which were one or two bands of gold.
+Mercedes alone detected his profession by his air and attire, and she
+rose involuntarily, clasping her hands with energy, and suffering a
+slight exclamation to escape her. The queen perceived this little
+pantomime, and it at once gave a right direction to her own thoughts.
+
+"I am Isabella, the queen," she said, prising, without any further
+suspicion of danger; "and thou art a messenger from Colon, the Genoese?"
+
+Sancho, who had found great difficulty in gaining admittance, now that
+his end was obtained, took matters with his native coolness. His first
+act was to fall on his knees, as he had been particularly enjoined by
+Columbus to do. He had caught the habit of using the weed of Hayti and
+Cuba, from the natives, and was, in fact, the first seaman who ever
+chewed tobacco. The practice had already got to be confirmed with him,
+and before he answered, or as soon as he had taken this, for him, novel
+position, he saw fit to fill a corner of his mouth with the attractive
+plant. Then, giving his wardrobe a shake, for all the decent clothes he
+owned were on his person, he disposed himself to make a suitable reply.
+
+"Senora--Dona--your Highness," he answered, "any one might have seen
+that at a glance. I am Sancho Mundo, of the ship-yard-gate; one of your
+Highness' Excellency's most faithful subjects and mariners, being a
+native and resident of Moguer."
+
+"Thou comest from Colon, I say?"
+
+"Senora, I do; many thanks to your Royal Grace for the information. Don
+Christopher hath sent me across the country from Lisbon, seeing that the
+wily Portuguese would be less likely to distrust a simple mariner, like
+myself, than one of your every-day-booted couriers. 'Tis a weary road,
+and there is not a mule between the stables of Lisbon and the palace of
+Barcelona, fit for a Christian to bestride."
+
+"Then, hast thou letters? One like thee can scarcely bear aught else."
+
+"Therein, your Grace's Highness, Dona Reyna, is mistaken; though I am
+far from bearing half the number of doblas I had at starting. Mass! the
+innkeepers took me for a grandee, by the manner in which they charged!"
+
+"Give the man gold, good Alonzo--he is one that liketh his reward ere he
+will speak."
+
+Sancho coolly counted the pieces that were put into his hand, and,
+finding them greatly to exceed his hopes, he had no longer any motive
+for prevarication.
+
+"Speak, fellow!" cried the king. "Thou triflest where thou owest thy
+duty and obedience."
+
+The sharp, quick voice of Ferdinand had much more effect on the ear of
+Sancho, than the gentler tones of Isabella, notwithstanding his rude
+nature had been impressed with the matronly beauty and grace of the
+latter.
+
+"If your Highness would condescend to let me know what you wish to hear,
+I will speak in all gladness."
+
+"Where is Colon?" demanded the queen.
+
+"At Lisbon, lately, Senora, though I think now at Palos de Moguer, or in
+that neighborhood."
+
+"Whither hath he been?"
+
+"To Cipango, and the territories of the Great Khan; forty days' sail
+from Gomera, and a country of marvellous beauty and excellence!"
+
+"Thou canst not--darest not trifle with me! Can we put credit in thy
+words?"
+
+"If your Highness only knew Sancho Mundo, you would not feel this doubt.
+I tell you, Senora, and all these noble cavaliers and dames, that Don
+Christopher Colon hath discovered the other side of the earth, which we
+now know to be round, by having circled it; and that he hath found out
+that the north star journeyeth about in the heavens, like a gossip
+spreading her news; and that he hath taken possession of islands as
+large as Spain, in which gold groweth, and where the holy church may
+employ itself in making Christians to the end of time."
+
+"The letter--Sancho--give me the letter. Colon would scarce send thee as
+a verbal expositor."
+
+The fellow now undid sundry coverings of cloth and paper, until he
+reached the missive of Columbus, when, without rising from his knees, he
+held it out toward the queen, giving her the trouble to move forward
+several paces to receive it. So unexpected and astounding were the
+tidings, and so novel the whole scene, that no one interfered, leaving
+Isabella to be the sole actor, as she was, virtually, the sole speaker.
+Sancho having thus successfully acquitted himself of a task that had
+been expressly confided to him on account of his character and
+appearance, which, it was thought, would prove his security from arrest
+and plunder, settled down quietly on his heels, for he had been directed
+not to rise until ordered; and drawing forth the gold he had received,
+he began coolly to count it anew. So absorbing was the attention all
+gave to the queen, that no one heeded the mariner or his movements.
+Isabella opened the letter, which her looks devoured, as they followed
+line after line. As was usual with Columbus, the missive was long, and
+it required many minutes to read it. All this time not an individual
+moved, every eye being fastened on the speaking countenance of the
+queen. There, were seen the heightening flush of pleasure and surprise,
+the glow of delight and wonder, and the look of holy rapture. When the
+letter was ended, Isabella turned her eyes upward to heaven, clasped her
+hands with energy, and exclaimed--
+
+"Not unto us, O Lord, but to Thee, be all the honor of this wonderful
+discovery, all the benefits of this great proof of thy goodness and
+power!"
+
+Thus saying, she sunk into a seat and dissolved in tears. Ferdinand
+uttered a slight ejaculation at the words of his royal consort; and then
+he gently took the letter from her unresisting hand, and read it with
+great deliberation and care. It was not often that the wary King of
+Aragon was as much affected, in appearance at least, as on this
+occasion. The expression of his face, at first, was that of wonder;
+eagerness, not to say avidity, followed; and when he had finished
+reading, his grave countenance was unequivocally illuminated by
+exultation and joy.
+
+"Good Luis de St. Angel!" he cried, "and thou, honest Alonzo de
+Quintanilla, these must be grateful tidings to you both. Even thou, holy
+prelate, wilt rejoice that the church is like to have acquisitions so
+glorious--albeit no favorer of the Genoese of old. Far more than all our
+expectations are realized, for Colon hath truly discovered the Indies;
+increasing our dominions, and otherwise advancing our authority in a
+most unheard-of manner."
+
+It was unusual to see Don Ferdinand so excited, and he seemed conscious
+himself that he was making an extraordinary exhibition, for he
+immediately advanced to the queen, and, taking her hand, he led her
+toward his own cabinet. In passing out of the saloon, he indicated to
+the three nobles that they might follow to the council. The king made
+this sudden movement more from habitual wariness than any settled
+object, his mind being disturbed in a way to which he was unaccustomed,
+while caution formed a part of his religion, as well as of his policy.
+It is not surprising, therefore, that when he and the party he invited
+to follow him had left the room, there remained only the princesses, the
+Marchioness of Moya, and Mercedes. No sooner had the king and queen
+disappeared, than the royal children retired to their own apartments,
+leaving our heroine, her guardian, and Sancho, the sole occupants of the
+saloon. The latter still remained on his knees, scarce heeding what had
+passed, so intently was he occupied with his own situation, and his own
+particular sources of satisfaction.
+
+"Thou canst rise, friend," observed Dona Beatriz; "their Highnesses are
+no longer present."
+
+At this intelligence, Sancho quitted his humble posture, brushed his
+knees with some care, and looked about him with the composure that he
+was wont to exhibit in studying the heavens at sea.
+
+"Thou wert of Colon's company, friend, by the manner in which thou hast
+spoken, and the circumstance that the admiral hath employed thee as his
+courier?"
+
+"You may well believe that, Senora, your Excellency, for most of my time
+was passed at the helm, which was within three fathoms of the very spot
+that Don Christopher and the Senor de Munos loved so well that they
+never quitted it, except to sleep, and not always then."
+
+"Hadst thou a Senor de Munos of thy party?" resumed the Marchioness,
+making a sign to her ward to control her feelings.
+
+"That had we, Senora, and a Senor Gutierrez, and a certain Don Somebody
+Else, and they all three did not occupy more room than one common man.
+Prithee, honorable and agreeable Senora, is there one Dona Beatriz de
+Cabrera, the Marchioness of Moya, a lady of the illustrious house of
+Bobadilla, anywhere about the court of our gracious queen?"
+
+"I am she, and thou hast a message for me, from this very Senor de
+Munos, of whom thou hast spoken."
+
+"I no longer wonder that there are great lords with their beautiful
+ladies, and poor sailors with wives that no one envies! Scarce can I
+open my mouth, but it is known what I wish to say, which is knowledge to
+make one party great and the other party little! Mass!--Don Christopher,
+himself, will need all his wit, if he journeyeth as far as Barcelona!"
+
+"Tell us of this Pedro de Munos; for thy message is to me."
+
+"Then, Senora, I will tell you of your own brave nephew, the Conde de
+Llera, who goeth by two other names in the caravel, one of which is
+supposed to be a sham, while the other is still the greatest deception
+of the two."
+
+"Is it, then, known who my nephew really is? Are many persons acquainted
+with his secret?"
+
+"Certainly, Senora; it is known, firstly, to himself; secondly, to Don
+Christopher; thirdly, to me; fourthly, to Master Alonzo Pinzon, if he be
+still in the flesh, as most probably he is not. Then it is known to your
+ladyship; and this beautiful Senorita must have some suspicions of the
+matter."
+
+"Enough--I see the secret is not public; though, how one of thy class
+came to be of it, I cannot explain. Tell me of my nephew:--did he, too,
+write? if so, let me, at once, peruse his letter."
+
+"Senora, my departure took Don Luis by surprise, and he had no time to
+write. The admiral had given the princes and princesses, that we brought
+from Espanola, in charge to the Conde, and he had too much to do to be
+scribbling letters, else would he have written sheets to an aunt as
+respectable as yourself."
+
+"Princes and princesses!--What mean you, friend, by such high-sounding
+terms?"
+
+"Only that we have brought several of these great personages to Spain,
+to pay their respects to their Highnesses. We deal with none of the
+common fry, Senora, but with the loftiest princes, and the most
+beautiful princesses of the east."
+
+"And dost thou really mean that persons of this high rank have returned
+with the admiral?"
+
+"Out of all question, lady, and one of a beauty so rare, that the
+fairest dames of Castile need look to it, if they wish not to be
+outdone. She, in particular, is Don Luis' friend and favorite."
+
+"Of whom speakest thou?" demanded Dona Beatriz, in the lofty manner in
+which she was wont to insist on being answered directly. "What is the
+name of this princess, and whence doth she come?"
+
+"Her name, your Excellency, is Dona Ozema de Hayti, of a part of which
+country her brother, Don Mattinao, is cacique or king, Senora Ozema
+being the heiress, or next of kin. Don Luis and your humble servant paid
+that court a visit"--
+
+"Thy tale is most improbable, fellow--art thou one whom Don Luis would
+be likely to select as a companion on such an occasion?"
+
+"Look at it as you will, Senora, it is as true as that this is the court
+of Don Ferdinand and Dona Isabella. You must know, illustrious
+Marchioness, that the young count is a little given to roving about
+among us sailors, and on one occasion, a certain Sancho Mundo, of
+Moguer, happened to be of the same voyage; and thus we became known to
+each other. I kept the noble's secret, and he got to be Sancho's friend.
+When Don Luis went to pay a visit to Don Mattinao, the cacique, which
+word meaneth 'your Highness,' in the eastern tongue, Sancho must go with
+him, and Sancho went. When King Caonabo came down from the mountains to
+carry off the Princess Dona Ozema for a wife, and the princess was
+unwilling to go, why there remained nothing to be done, but for the
+Conde de Llera and his friend Sancho of the ship-yard-gate, to fight the
+whole army in her defence, which we did, gaining as great a victory as
+Don Fernando, our sovereign master, ever gained over the Moors."
+
+"Carrying off the princess yourselves, as would seem! Friend Sancho, of
+the ship-yard-gate, if that be thy appellation, this tale of thine is
+ingenious, but it lacketh probability. Were I to deal justly by thee,
+honest Sancho, it would be to order thee the stripes thou merietst so
+well, as a reward for this trifling."
+
+"The man speaketh as he hath been taught," observed Mercedes, in a low,
+unsteady voice; "I fear, Senora, there is too much truth in his tale!"
+
+"You need fear nothing, beautiful Senorita," put in Sancho, altogether
+unmoved at the menace implied by the words of the Marchioness, "since
+the battle hath been fought, the victory hath been gained, and both the
+heroes escaped uninjured. This illustrious Senora, to whom I can forgive
+any thing, as the aunt of the best friend I have on earth--any thing
+_spoken_, I mean--will remember that the Haytians know nothing of
+arquebuses, by means of which we defeated Caonabo, and also, that many
+is the column of Moors that Don Luis hath broken singly, and by means of
+his own good lance."
+
+"Ay, fellow," answered Dona Beatriz, "but that hath been in the saddle,
+behind plaits of steel, and with a weapon that hath overturned even
+Alonzo de Ojeda!"
+
+"Hast thou truly brought away with thee the princess thou hast named?"
+asked Mercedes, earnestly.
+
+"I swear to it, Senora and Senorita, illustrious ladies both, by the
+holy mass, and all the saints in the calendar! A princess, moreover,
+surpassing in beauty the daughters of our own blessed queen, if the fair
+ladies who passed out of this room, even now, are they, as I suspect."
+
+"Out upon thee, knave!" cried the indignant Beatriz--"I will no more of
+this, and marvel that my nephew should have employed one of so loose a
+tongue, on any of his errands. Go to, and learn discretion ere the
+morning, or the favor of even thy admiral will not save thy bones.
+Mercedes, we will seek our rest--the hour is late."
+
+Sancho was immediately left alone, and in a minute a page appeared to
+show him to the place where he was to pass the night. The old mariner
+had grumbled a little to himself, concerning the spirit of Don Luis'
+aunt, counted anew his gold, and was about to take possession of his
+pallet, when the same page reappeared to summon him to another
+interview. Sancho, who knew little distinction between night and day,
+made no objections, especially when he was told that his presence was
+required by the lovely Senorita, whose gentle, tremulous voice had so
+much interested him, in the late interview. Mercedes received her rude
+guest in a small saloon of her own, after having parted from her
+guardian for the night. As he entered, her face was flushed, her eye
+bright, and her whole demeanor, to one more expert in detecting female
+emotions, would have betrayed intense anxiety.
+
+"Thou hast had a long and weary journey, Sancho," said our heroine, when
+alone with the seaman, "and, I pray thee, accept this gold, as a small
+proof of the interest with which I have heard the great tidings of which
+thou hast been the bearer."
+
+"Senorita!" exclaimed Sancho, affecting indifference to the doblas that
+fell into his hand--"I hope you do not think me mercenary! the honor of
+being the messenger, and of being admitted to converse with such
+illustrious ladies, more than pays me for any thing I could do."
+
+"Still, thou may'st need money for thy wants, and wilt not refuse that
+which a lady offereth."
+
+"On that ground, I would accept it, Dona Senorita, even were it twice as
+much."
+
+So saying, Sancho placed the money, with a suitable resignation, by the
+side of that which he had previously received by order of the queen.
+Mercedes now found herself in the situation that they who task their
+powers too much, are often fated to endure; in other words, now she had
+at command the means of satisfying her own doubts, she hesitated about
+using them.
+
+"Sancho," Mercedes at length commenced, "thou hast been with the Senor
+Colon, throughout this great and extraordinary voyage, and must know
+much that it will be curious for us, who have lived quietly in Spain, to
+hear. Is all thou hast said about the princes and princesses true?"
+
+"As true, Senorita, as such things need be for a history. Mass!--Any one
+who hath been in a battle, or seen any other great adventure, and then
+cometh to hear it read of, afterward, will soon learn to understand the
+difference between the thing itself, and the history that may be given
+of it. Now, I was"--
+
+"Never mind thy other adventures, good Sancho; tell me only of this. Are
+there really a Prince Mattinao, and a Princess Ozema his sister, and
+have both accompanied the admiral to Spain?"
+
+"I said not that, beautiful Senorita, for Don Mattinao remained behind
+to rule his people. It is only his handsome sister, who hath followed
+Don Christopher and Don Luis to Palos."
+
+"Followed!--Do the admiral and the Conde de Llera possess such influence
+over royal ladies, as to induce them to abandon their native country and
+to _follow_ them to a foreign land?"
+
+"Ay, Senorita, that might seem out of rule in Castile, or Portugal, or
+even in France. But Hayti is not yet a Christian country, and a princess
+there may not be more than a noble lady in Castile, and, in the way of
+wardrobe, perhaps, not even as much. Still, a princess is a princess,
+and a handsome princess is a handsome princess. Dona Ozema, here, is a
+wonderful creature, and beginneth already to prattle your pure
+Castilian, and she had been brought up at Toledo, or Burgos. But Don
+Luis is a most encouraging master, and no doubt made great head-way,
+during the time he was living in her palace, as it might be alone with
+her, before that incarnate devil Don Caonabo came down with his
+followers to seize the lady."
+
+"Is this lady a Christian princess, Sancho?"
+
+"Heaven bless your own pure soul, Dona Senorita, she can boast of but
+little in that way; still, she hath made something of a beginning, as I
+see she now weareth a cross--one small in size, it is true, but precious
+in material, as, indeed it ought to be, seeing that it is a present from
+one as noble and rich as the Count of Llera."
+
+"A cross, say'st thou, Sancho!" interrupted Mercedes, almost gasping for
+breath, yet so far subduing her feelings as to prevent the old seaman
+from detecting them; "hath Don Luis succeeded in inducing her to accept
+of a cross?"
+
+"That hath he, Senorita--one of precious stones, that he once wore at
+his own neck."
+
+"Knowest thou the stones?--was it of turquoise, embellished with the
+finest gold?"
+
+"For the gold I can answer, lady, though my learning hath never reached
+as high as the precious stones. The heavens of Hayti, however, are not
+bluer than the stones of that cross. Dona Ozema calls it 'Mercedes,' by
+which I understand that she looketh for the mercies of the crucifixion
+to help her benighted soul."
+
+"Is this cross, then, held so common, that it hath gotten to be the
+subject of discourse even for men of thy class?"
+
+"Hearkee, Senorita; a man like me is more valued, on board a caravel, in
+a tossing sea, than he is likely to be here, in Barcelona, on solid
+ground. We went to Cipango to set up crosses, and to make Christians; so
+that all hath been in character. As for the Lady Ozema, she taketh more
+notice of me than of another, as I was in the battle that rescued her
+from Caonabo, and so she showed me the cross the day we anchored in the
+Tagus, or just before the admiral ordered me to bring his letter to her
+Highness. Then it was that she kissed the cross, and held it to her
+heart, and said it was 'Mercedes.'"
+
+"This is most strange, Sancho! Hath this princess attendants befitting
+her rank and dignity?"
+
+"You forget, Senorita, that the Nina is but a small craft, as her name
+signifieth, and there would be no room for a large train of lords and
+ladies. Don Christopher and Don Luis are honorable enough to attend on
+any princess; and for the rest, the Dona Ozema must wait until our
+gracious queen can command her a retinue befitting her birth. Besides,
+my lady, these Haytian dames are simpler than our Spanish nobles, half
+of them thinking clothes of no great use in that mild climate."
+
+Mercedes looked offended and incredulous; but her curiosity and interest
+were too active, to permit her to send the man away without further
+question.
+
+"And Don Luis de Bobadilla was ever with the admiral?" she said; "ever
+ready to support him, and foremost in all hazards?"
+
+"Senorita, you describe the count as faithfully as if you had been
+present from first to last. Had you but seen him dealing out his blows
+upon Caonabo's followers, and the manner in which he kept them all at
+bay, with the Dona Ozema near him, behind the rocks, it would have drawn
+tears of admiration from your own lovely eyes."
+
+"The Dona Ozema near him--behind rocks--and assailants held at bay!"
+
+"Si, Senora; you repeat it all like a book. It was much as you say,
+though the Lady Ozema did not content herself with being behind the
+rocks, for, when the arrows came thickest, she rushed before the count,
+compelling the enemy to withhold, lest they should slay the very prize
+they were battling for; thereby saving the life of her knight."
+
+"Saving his life!--the life of Luis--of Don Luis de Bobadilla--an Indian
+princess?"
+
+"It is just as you say, and a most noble girl she is, asking pardon for
+speaking so light of one of her high rank. Time and again, since that
+day, hath the young count told me, that the arrows came in such clouds,
+that his honor might have been tarnished by a retreat, or his life been
+lost, but for the timely resolution of the Dona Ozema. She is a rare
+creature, Senorita, and you will love her as a sister, when you come to
+see and know her."
+
+"Sancho," said our heroine, blushing like the dawn, "thou saidst that
+the Conde de Llera bade thee speak of him to his aunt; did he mention no
+one else?"
+
+"No one, Senorita."
+
+"Art certain, Sancho? Bethink thee well--did he mention no other name to
+thee?"
+
+"Not that I can swear. It is true, that either he or old Diego, the
+helmsman, spoke of one Clara that keepeth an _hosteria_, here in
+Barcelona, as a place famous for its wine; but I think it more likely to
+have been Diego than the count, as one thinketh much of these matters,
+and the other would not be apt to know aught of Clara."
+
+"Thou canst retire, Sancho," said Mercedes, in a faint voice. "We will
+say more to thee in the morning."
+
+Sancho was not sorry to be dismissed, and he gladly returned to his
+pallet, little dreaming of the mischief he had done by the mixture of
+truth and exaggeration that he had been recounting.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVII.
+
+    "Mac-Homer, too, in prose or song,
+    By the state-papers of Buffon,
+      To deep researches led;
+    A Gallo-Celtic scheme may botch,
+    To prove the Ourang race were Scotch,
+      Who from the Highlands fled."
+
+    Lord John Townshend.
+
+
+The intelligence of the return of Columbus, and of the important
+discoveries he had made, spread through Europe like wild-fire. It soon
+got to be, in the general estimation, the great event of the age. For
+several years afterward, or until the discovery of the Pacific by
+Balboa, it was believed that the Indies had been reached by the western
+passage; and, of course, the problem of the earth's spherical shape was
+held to be solved by actual experiment. The transactions of the voyage,
+the wonders seen, the fertility of the soil of the east, the softness of
+its climate, its treasures in gold, spices, and pearls, and the curious
+things that the admiral had brought as proofs of his success, were all
+the themes of the hour. Men never wearied in discussing the subjects.
+For many centuries had the Spaniards been endeavoring to expel the Moors
+from the peninsula; but as that much-desired event had been the result
+of time and a protracted struggle, even its complete success seemed tame
+and insignificant compared with the sudden brilliancy that shone around
+the western discoveries. In a word, the pious rejoiced in the hope of
+spreading the gospel; the avaricious feasted their imaginations on
+untold hoards of gold; the politic calculated the increase of the power
+of Spain; the scientific exulted in the triumph of mind over prejudice
+and ignorance, while they hoped for still greater accessions of
+knowledge; and the enemies of Spain wondered, and deferred, even while
+they envied.
+
+The first few days that succeeded the arrival of Columbus' courier, were
+days of delight and curiosity. Answers were sent soliciting his early
+presence, high honors were proffered to him, and his name filled all
+mouths, as his glory was in the heart of every true Spaniard. Orders
+were issued to make the necessary outfits for a new voyage, and little
+was talked of but the discovery and its consequences. In this manner
+passed a month, when the admiral arrived at Barcelona, attended by most
+of the Indians he had brought with him from the islands. His honors were
+of the noblest kind, the sovereigns receiving him on a throne placed in
+a public hall, rising at his approach, and insisting on his being seated
+himself, a distinction of the highest nature, and usually granted only
+to princes of royal blood. Here the admiral related the history of his
+voyage, exhibited the curiosities he had brought with him, and dwelt on
+his hopes of future benefits. When the tale was told, all present knelt,
+and _Te Deum_ was chanted by the usual choir of the court; even
+Ferdinand's stern nature dissolving into tears of grateful joy, at this
+unlooked-for and magnificent behest of heaven.
+
+For a long time, Columbus was the mark of every eye; nor did his honors
+and consideration cease untill he left Spain, in command of the second
+expedition to the east, as the voyage was then termed.
+
+A few days previously to the arrival of the admiral at court, Don Luis
+de Bobadilla suddenly appeared in Barcelona. On ordinary occasions, the
+movements of one of the rank and peculiarities of the young grandee
+would have afforded a topic for the courtiers, that would not soon have
+been exhausted, but the all-engrossing theme of the great voyage
+afforded him a screen. His presence, however, could not escape notice;
+and it was whispered, with the usual smiles and shrugs, that he had
+entered the port in a caravel, coming from the Levant; and it was one of
+the received pleasantries of the hour to say, in an undertone, that the
+young Conde de Llera had also made the _eastern_ voyage. All this gave
+our hero little concern, and he was soon pursuing his ordinary life,
+when near the persons of the sovereigns. The day that Columbus was
+received in state, he was present in the hall, attired in the richest
+vestments, and no noble of Spain did more credit to his lineage, or his
+condition, than Don Luis, by his mien and carriage. It was remarked that
+Isabella smiled on him, during the pageant; but the head of more than
+one wary observer was shaken, as its owner remarked how grave the
+queen's favorite appeared, for an occasion so joyous; a fact that was
+attributed to the unworthy pursuits of her truant nephew. No one, that
+day, gazed at Luis with more delight than Sancho, who lingered at
+Barcelona to share in the honors of his chief, and who, in virtue of his
+services, was permitted to take his place among the courtiers
+themselves. Not a little admiration was excited by the manner in which
+he used the novel weed, called tobacco; and some fifteen or twenty of
+his neighbors were nauseated by their efforts to emulate his indulgence
+and satisfaction. One of his exploits was of a character so unusual, and
+so well illustrates the feeling of the hour, that it may be well to
+record it in detail.
+
+The reception was over, and Sancho was quitting the hall with the rest
+of the crowd, when he was accosted by a man apparently of forty, well
+attired, and of agreeable manner, who desired the honor of his presence
+at a slight entertainment, of which several had been prepared for the
+admiral and his friends. Sancho, nothing loth, the delights of
+distinction being yet so novel, cheerfully complied, and he was quickly
+led to a room of the palace, where he found a party of some twenty young
+nobles assembled to do him honor; for happy was he that day in Barcelona
+who could get even one of the meanest of Columbus' followers to accept
+of his homage. No sooner did the two enter the room, than the young
+Castilian lords crowded around them, covering Sancho with protestations
+of admiration, and addressing eager questions, a dozen at a time, to his
+companion, whom they styled "Senor Pedro," "Senor Matir," and
+occasionally "Senor Pedro Matir." It is scarcely necessary to add, that
+this person was the historian who has become known to us of these latter
+days as "Peter Martyr," an Italian, to whose care and instruction
+Isabella had entrusted most of the young nobles of the court. The
+present interview had been got up to indulge the natural curiosity of
+the youthful lords, and Sancho had been chosen for the occasion, on the
+principle that when the best is denied us, we must be content to accept
+information of an inferior quality.
+
+"Congratulate me, Senores," cried Peter Martyr, as soon as he could find
+an opportunity to speak, "since my success surpasseth our own hopes. As
+for the Liguirian, himself, and all of high condition about him, they
+are in the hands of the most illustrious of Spain, for this day; but
+here is a most worthy pilot, no doubt the second in authority on board
+one of the caravels, who consenteth to do us honor, and to partake of
+our homely cheer. I drew him from a crowd of applicants, and have not
+yet had an opportunity to inquire his name, which he is about to give us
+of his own accord."
+
+Sancho never wanted for self-possession, and had far too much mother-wit
+to be either clownish or offensively vulgar, though the reader is not
+now to be told that he was neither qualified to be an academician, nor
+had the most profound notions of natural philosophy. He assumed an air
+of suitable dignity, therefore, and, somewhat practised in his new
+vocation by the thousand interrogatories he had answered in the last
+month, he disposed himself to do credit to the information of a man who
+had visited the Indies.
+
+"I am called Sancho Mundo, Senores, at your service--sometimes Sancho of
+the ship-yard-gate, though I would prefer now to be called Sancho of the
+Indies, unless, indeed, it should suit his Excellency Don Christopher to
+take that appellation--his claim being somewhat better than mine."
+
+Here several protested that his claims were of the highest order; and
+then followed sundry introductions to Sancho of the ship-yard-gate, of
+several young men of the first families in Castile; for, though the
+Spaniards have not the same mania for this species of politeness as the
+Americans, the occasion was one in which native feeling got the
+ascendency of conventional reserve. After this ceremony, and the
+Mendozas, Guzmans, Cerdas, and Toledos, present, felt honored in knowing
+this humble seaman, the whole party repaired to the banqueting-room,
+where a table was spread that did credit to the cooks of Barcelona.
+During the repast, although the curiosity of the young men made some
+inroads on their breeding in this particular, no question could induce
+Sancho to break in upon the duty of the moment, for which he entertained
+a sort of religious veneration. Once, when pushed a little more closely
+than common, he laid down his knife and fork, and made the following
+solemn reply:
+
+"Senores," he said, "I look upon food as a gift from God to man, and
+hold it to be irreverent to converse much, when the bounties of the
+table invite us to do homage to this great dispenser. Don Christopher is
+of this way of thinking, I know, and all his followers imitate their
+beloved and venerated chief. As soon as I am ready to converse, Senores
+Don Hidalgos, you shall be told of it, and then God help the ignorant
+and silly!"
+
+After this admonition, there remained nothing to be said until Sancho's
+appetite was satisfied, when he drew a little back from the table, and
+announced his readiness to proceed.
+
+"I profess to very little learning, Senor Pedro Martir," he said; "but
+what I have seen I have seen, and that which is known, is as well known
+by a mariner, as by a doctor of Salamanca. Ask your questions, then, o'
+heaven's sake, and expect such answers as a poor but honest man can
+give."
+
+The learned Peter Martyr was fain to make the best of his subject, for
+at that moment, any information that came from what might be termed
+first hands, was greedily received; he proceeded, therefore, to his
+inquiries, as simply and as directly as he had been invited to do.
+
+"Well, Senor," commenced the man of learning, "we are willing to obtain
+knowledge on any terms. Prithee, tell us, at once, which of all the
+wonderful things that you witnessed on this voyage, hath made the
+deepest impression on your mind, and striketh you as the most
+remarkable!"
+
+"I know nothing to compare with the whiffling of the north star," said
+Sancho, promptly. "That star hath always been esteemed among us seamen,
+as being immovable as the cathedral of Seville; but, in this voyage, it
+hath been seen to change its place, with the inconstancy of the winds."
+
+"That is, indeed, miraculous!" exclaimed Peter Martyr, who scarcely knew
+how to take the intelligence; "perhaps there is some mistake, Master
+Sancho, and you are not accustomed to sidereal investigations."
+
+"Ask Don Christopher; when the phernomerthon, as the admiral called it,
+was first observed, we talked the matter over together, and came to the
+conclusion, that nothing in this world was as permanent as it seemed to
+be. Depend on it, Senor Don Pedro, the north star flits about like a
+weathercock."
+
+"I shall inquire into this of the illustrious admiral; but, next to this
+star, Master Sancho, what deem you most worthy of observation? I speak
+now of ordinary things, leaving science to future discussion."
+
+This was too grave a question to be lightly answered, and while Sancho
+was cogitating the matter, the door opened, and Luis de Bobadilla
+entered the room, in a blaze of manly grace and rich attire. A dozen
+voices uttered his name, and Peter Martyr rose to receive him, with a
+manner in which kindness of feeling was blended with reproof.
+
+"I asked this honor, Senor Conde," he said, "though you have now been
+beyond my counsel and control some time, for it appeared to me that one
+fond of voyages as yourself, might find a useful lesson, as well as
+enjoy a high satisfaction, in listening to the wonders of an expedition
+as glorious as this of Colon's. This worthy seaman, a pilot, no doubt,
+much confided in by the admiral, hath consented to share in our poor
+hospitalities on this memorable day, and is about to give us many
+interesting facts and incidents of the great adventure. Master Sancho
+Mundo, this is Don Luis de Bobadilla, Conde de Llera, a grandee of high
+lineage, and one that is not unknown to the seas, having often traversed
+them in his own person."
+
+"It is quite unnecessary to tell me that, Senor Pedro," answered Sancho,
+returning Luis' gay and graceful salutation, with profound, but awkward
+respect, "since I see it at a glance. His Excellency hath been in the
+east, as well as Don Christopher and myself, though we went different
+ways, and neither party went as far as Cathay. I am honored in your
+acquaintance, Don Luis, and shall just say that the noble admiral will
+bring navigation more in fashion than it hath been of late years. If you
+travel in the neighborhood of Moguer, I beg you will not pass the door
+of Sancho Mundo without stopping to inquire if he be within."
+
+"That I most cheerfully promise, worthy master," said Luis, laughing,
+and taking a seat, "even though it lead me to the ship-yard-gate. And
+now, Senor Pedro, let me not interrupt the discourse, which I discovered
+was most interesting as I entered."
+
+"I have been thinking of this matter, Senores," resumed Sancho, gravely,
+"and the fact that appears most curious to me, next to the whiffling of
+the north star, is the circumstance that there are no doblas in Cipango.
+Gold is not wanting, and it seemeth passing singular that a people
+should possess gold, and not bethink them of the convenience of striking
+doblas, or some similar coin."
+
+Peter Martyr and his young pupils laughed at this sally, and then the
+subject was pushed in another form.
+
+"Passing by this question, which belongeth rather to the policy of
+states than to natural phenomena," continued Peter Martyr, "what most
+struck you as remarkable, in the way of human nature?"
+
+"In that particular, Senor, I think the island of the women may be set
+down as the most extraordinary of all the phernomerthons we fell in
+with. I have known women shut themselves up in convents; and men, too;
+but never did I hear, before this voyage, of either shutting themselves
+up in islands!"
+
+"And is this true?" inquired a dozen voices--"did you really meet with
+such an island, Senor!"
+
+"I believe we saw it at a distance, Senores; and I hold it to be lucky
+that we went no nearer, for I find the gossips of Moguer troublesome
+enough, without meeting a whole island of them. Then there is the bread
+that grows like a root--what think _you_ of that, Senor Don Luis? Is it
+not a most curious dish to taste of?"
+
+"Nay, Master Sancho, that is a question of your own putting, and it must
+be one of your own answering. What know I of the wonders of Cipango,
+since Candia lieth in an opposite course? Answer these matters for
+thyself, friend."
+
+"True, illustrious Conde, and I humbly crave your pardon. It is, indeed,
+the duty of him that seeth to relate, as it is the duty of him that
+seeth not to believe. I hope all here will perform their several
+duties."
+
+"Do these Indians eat flesh as remarkable as their bread?" inquired a
+Cerda.
+
+"That do they, noble sir, seeing that they eat each other. Neither I nor
+Don Christopher was invited to any of their feasts of this sort; for, I
+suppose, they were well convinced we would not go; but we had much
+information touching them, and by the nearest calculation I could make,
+the consumption of men in the island of Bohio must be about equal to
+that of beeves in Spain."
+
+The speaker was interrupted by twenty exclamations of disgust, and Peter
+Martyr shook his head like one who distrusted the truth of the account.
+Still, as he had not expected any very profound philosophy or deep
+learning in one of Sancho's character, he pursued the conversation.
+
+"Know you any thing of the rare birds the admiral exhibited to their
+Highnesses to-day?" he asked.
+
+"Senor, I am well acquainted with several, more particularly with the
+parrots. They are sensible birds, and, I doubt not, might answer some of
+the questions that are put to me by many here, in Barcelona, to their
+perfect satisfaction."
+
+"Thou art a wag, I see, Senor Sancho, and lovest thy joke," answered the
+man of learning, with a smile. "Give way to thy fancy, and if thou canst
+not improve us with thy science, at least amuse us with thy conceits."
+
+"San Pedro knows that I would do any thing to oblige you, Senores; but I
+was born with such a love of truth in my heart, that I know not how to
+embellish. What I see I believe, and having been in the Indies, I cannot
+shut my eyes to their wonders. There was the sea of weeds, which was no
+every-day miracle, since I make no doubt that the devils piled all these
+plants on the water to prevent us from carrying the cross to the poor
+heathens who dwell on the other side of them. We got through that sea
+more by our prayers, than by means of the winds."
+
+The young men looked at Peter Martyr, to ascertain how he received this
+theory, and Peter Martyr, if tinctured with the superstition of the age,
+was not disposed to swallow all that it pleased Sancho to assert, even
+though the latter had made a voyage to the Indies.
+
+"Since you manifest so much curiosity, Senores, on the subject of Colon,
+now Admiral of the Ocean Sea, by their Highnesses' honorable
+appointment, I will, in a measure, relieve your minds on the subject, by
+recounting what I know," said Luis, speaking calmly, but with dignity.
+"Ye know that I was much with Don Christopher before he sailed, and that
+I had some little connection with bringing him back to Santa Fe, even
+when he had left the place, as was supposed for the last time. This
+intimacy hath been renewed since the arrival of the great Genoese at
+Barcelona, and hours have we passed together in private, discoursing on
+the events of the last few months. What I have thus learned I am ready
+to impart, if ye will do me the grace to listen."
+
+The whole company giving an eager assent, Luis now commenced a general
+narrative of the voyage, detailing all the leading circumstances of
+interest, and giving the reasons that were most in favor at the time,
+concerning the different phenomena that had perplexed the adventurers.
+He spoke more than an hour; proceeding consecutively from island to
+island, and dilating on their productions, imaginary and real. Much that
+he related, proceeded from the misconceptions of the admiral, and
+misinterpretations of the signs and language of the Indians, as a matter
+of course; but it was all told clearly, in elegant, if not in eloquent
+language, and with a singular air of truth. In short, our hero palmed
+upon his audience the results of his own observation, as the narrative
+of the admiral, and more than once was he interrupted by bursts of
+admiration at the vividness and graphic beauties of his descriptions.
+Even Sancho listened with delight, and when the young man concluded, he
+rose from his chair, and exclaimed heartily--
+
+"Senores, you may take all this as so much gospel! Had the noble Senor
+witnessed, himself, that which he hath so well described, it could not
+have been truer, and I look on myself to be particularly fortunate to
+have heard this history of the voyage, which henceforth shall be my
+history, word for word; for as my patron saint shall remember me, naught
+else will I tell to the gossips of Moguer, when I get back to that
+blessed town of my childhood."
+
+Sancho's influence was much impaired by the effects of Luis' narrative,
+which Peter Martyr pronounced to be one that would have done credit to a
+scholar who had accompanied the expedition. A few appeals were made to
+the old seaman, to see if he would corroborate the statements he had
+just heard, but his protestations became so much the louder in behalf of
+the accuracy of the account.
+
+It was wonderful how much reputation the Conde de Llera obtained by this
+little deception. To be able to repeat, with accuracy and effect,
+language that was supposed to have fallen from the lips of Columbus, was
+a sort of illustration; and Peter Martyr, who justly enjoyed a high
+reputation for intelligence, was heard sounding the praises of our hero
+in all places, his young pupils echoing his words with the ardor and
+imitation of youth! Such, indeed, was the vast reputation obtained by
+the Genoese, that one gained a species of reflected renown by being
+thought to live in his confidence, and a thousand follies of the Count
+of Llera, real or imaginary, were forgotten in the fact that the admiral
+had deemed him worthy of being the repository of facts and feelings such
+as he had related. As Luis, moreover, was seen to be much in the company
+of Don Christopher, the world was very willing to give the young man
+credit for qualities, that, by some unexplained circumstance, had
+hitherto escaped its notice. In this manner did Luis de Bobadilla reap
+some advantages, of a public character, from his resolution and
+enterprise, although vastly less than would have attended an open
+admission of all that occurred. How far, and in what manner, these
+qualities availed him in his suit with Mercedes, will appear in our
+subsequent pages.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVIII.
+
+    "Each look, each motion, waked a new-born grace,
+      That o'er her form its transient glory cast:
+    Some lovelier wonder soon usurp'd the place,
+      Chased by a charm still lovelier than the last."
+
+    Mason.
+
+
+The day of the reception of Columbus at Barcelona, had been one of
+tumultuous feelings and of sincere delight, with the ingenuous and
+pure-minded Queen of Castile. She had been the moving spirit of the
+enterprise, as it was connected with authority and means, and never was
+a sovereign more amply rewarded, by a consciousness of the magnitude of
+the results that followed her well-meant and zealous efforts.
+
+When the excitement and bustle of the day were over, Isabella retired to
+her closet, and there, as was usual with her on all great occasions, she
+poured out her thankfulness on her knees, entreating the Divine
+Providence to sustain her under the new responsibilities she felt, and
+to direct her steps aright, equally as a sovereign and as a Christian
+woman. She had left the attitude of prayer but a few minutes, and was
+seated with her head leaning on her hand, in deep meditation, when a
+slight knock at the door called her attention. There was but one person
+in Spain who would be likely to take even this liberty, guarded and
+modest as was the tap; rising, she turned the key and admitted the king.
+
+Isabella was still beautiful. Her form, always of admirable perfection,
+still retained its grace. Her eyes had lost but little of their lustre,
+and her smile, ever sweet and beneficent, failed not to reflect the pure
+and womanly impulses of her heart. In a word, her youthful beauty had
+been but little impaired by the usual transition to the matronly
+attractions of a wife and a mother; but this night, all her youthful
+charms seemed to be suddenly renewed. Her cheek was flushed with holy
+enthusiasm; her figure dilated with the sublimity of the thoughts in
+which she had been indulging; and her eyes beamed with the ennobling
+hopes of religious enthusiasm. Ferdinand was struck with this little
+change, and he stood admiring her, for a minute, in silence, after he
+had closed the door.
+
+"Is not this a most wonderful reward, for efforts so small, my husband
+and love?" exclaimed the queen, who fancied the king's thoughts similar
+to her own; "a new empire thus cheaply purchased, with riches that the
+imagination cannot tell, and millions of souls to be redeemed from
+eternal woe, by means of a grace that must be as unexpected to
+themselves, as the knowledge of their existence hath been to us!"
+
+"Ever thinking, Isabella, of the welfare of souls! But thou art right;
+for what are the pomps and glories of the world to the hopes of
+salvation, and the delights of heaven! I confess Colon hath much
+exceeded all my hopes, and raised such a future for Spain, that the mind
+scarce knoweth where to place the limits to its pictures."
+
+"Think of the millions of poor Indians that may live to bless our sway,
+and to feel the influence and consolations of holy church!"
+
+"I trust that our kinsman and neighbor, Dom Joao, will not give us
+trouble in this matter. Your Portuguese have so keen an appetite for
+discoveries, that they little relish the success of other powers; and,
+it is said, many dangerous and wicked proposals were made to the king,
+even while our caravels lay in the Tagus."
+
+"Colon assureth me, Fernando, that he doubteth if these Indians have now
+any religious creed, so that our ministers will have no prejudices to
+encounter, in presenting to their simple minds the sublime truths of the
+gospel!"
+
+"No doubt the admiral hath fully weighed these matters. It is his
+opinion, that the island he hath called Espanola wanteth but little of
+being of the full dimensions of Castile, Leon, Aragon, Granada, and,
+indeed, of all our possessions within the peninsula!"
+
+"Didst thou attend to what he said, touching the gentleness and mildness
+of the inhabitants? And wert thou not struck with the simple, confiding
+aspects of those he hath brought with him? Such a people may readily be
+brought, first, as is due, to worship the one true and living God, and
+next, to regard their sovereigns as kind and benignant parents."
+
+"Authority can ever make itself respected; and Don Christopher hath
+assured me, in a private conference, that a thousand tried lances would
+overrun all that eastern region. We must make early application to the
+Holy Father to settle such limits between us and Don John, as may
+prevent disputes, hereafter, touching our several interests. I have
+already spoken to the cardinal on this subject, and he flattereth me
+with the hope of having the ear of Alexander."
+
+"I trust that the means of disseminating the faith of the cross will not
+be overlooked in the negotiation; for it paineth me to find churchmen
+treating of worldly things, to the utter neglect of those of their Great
+Master."
+
+Don Ferdinand regarded his wife intently for an instant, without making
+any reply. He perceived, as often happened in questions of policy, that
+their feelings were not exactly attuned, and he had recourse to an
+allusion that seldom failed to draw the thoughts of Isabella from their
+loftier aspirations to considerations more worldly, when rightly
+applied.
+
+"Thy children, Dona Isabella, will reap a goodly heritage by the success
+of this, our latest and greatest stroke of policy! Thy dominions and
+mine will henceforth descend in common to the same heir; then this
+marriage in Portugal may open the way to new accessions of territory;
+Granada is already secured to thine, by our united arms; and here hath
+Providence opened the way to an empire in the east, that promiseth to
+outdo all that hath yet been performed in Europe."
+
+"Are not my children thine, Fernando? Can good happen to one, without
+its equally befalling the other? I trust they will learn to understand
+why so many new subjects and such wide territories are added to their
+possessions, and will ever remain true to their highest and first duty,
+that of spreading the gospel, that the sway of the one Catholic church
+may the more speedily be accomplished."
+
+"Still it may be necessary to secure advantages that are offered in a
+worldly shape, by worldly means."
+
+"Thou say'st true, my lord; and it is the proper care of loving parents
+to look well to the interest of their offspring in this, as in all other
+particulars."
+
+Isabella now lent a more willing ear to the politic suggestions of her
+consort, and they passed an hour in discussing some of the important
+measures that it was thought their joint interests required should be
+immediately attended to. After this, Ferdinand saluted his wife
+affectionately, and withdrew to his own cabinet, to labor, as usual,
+until his frame demanded rest.
+
+Isabella sat musing for a few minutes after the king had retired, and
+then she took a light and proceeded through certain private passages,
+with which she was familiar, to the apartment of her daughters. Here she
+spent an hour, indulging in the affections and discharging the duties of
+a careful mother, when, embracing each in turn, she gave her blessings,
+and left the place in the same simple manner as she had entered.
+Instead, however, of returning to her own part of the palace, she
+pursued her way in an opposite direction, until, reaching a private
+door, she gently tapped. A voice within bade her enter, and complying,
+the Queen of Castile found herself alone with her old and tried friend,
+the Marchioness of Moya. A quiet gesture forbade all the usual
+testimonials of respect, and knowing her mistress' wishes in this
+particular, the hostess received her illustrious guest, much as she
+would have received an intimate of her own rank in life.
+
+"We have had so busy and joyful a day, Daughter-Marchioness," the queen
+commenced, quietly setting down the little silver lamp she carried,
+"that I had near forgotten a duty which ought not to be overlooked. Thy
+nephew, the Count de Llera, hath returned to court, bearing himself as
+modestly and as prudently, as if he had no share in the glory of this
+great success of Colon's!"
+
+"Senora, Luis is here, but whether prudent or modest, I leave for
+others, who may be less partial, to say."
+
+"To me such seemeth to be his deportment, and a young mind might be
+pardoned some exultation at such a result. But I have come to speak of
+Don Luis and thy ward. Now that thy nephew hath given me this high proof
+of his perseverance and courage, there can remain no longer any reason
+for forbidding their union. Thou know'st that I hold the pledged word of
+Dona Mercedes, not to marry without my consent, and this night will I
+make her happy as I feel myself, by leaving her mistress of her own
+wishes; nay, by letting her know that I desire to see her Countess of
+Llera, and that right speedily."
+
+"Your Highness is all goodness to me and mine," returned the
+Marchioness, coldly. "Mercedes ought to feel deeply grateful that her
+royal mistress hath a thought for her welfare, when her mind hath so
+many greater concerns to occupy it."
+
+"It is that, my friend, that hath brought me hither at this late hour.
+My soul is truly burdened with gratitude, and ere I sleep, were it
+possible, I would fain make all as blessed as I feel myself. Where is
+thy ward?"
+
+"She left me for the night, but as your Highness entered. I will summon
+her to hear your pleasure."
+
+"We will go to her, Beatriz; tidings such as I bring, should not linger
+on weary feet."
+
+"It is her duty, and it would be her pleasure to pay all respect,
+Senora."
+
+"I know that well, Marchioness, but it is my pleasure to bear this news
+myself," interrupted the queen, leading the way to the door. "Show thou
+the way, which is better known to thee than to another. We go with
+little state and ceremony, as thou seest, like Colon going forth to
+explore his unknown seas, and we go bearers of tidings as grateful to
+thy ward, as those the Genoese bore to the benighted natives of Cipango.
+These corridors are our trackless seas, and all these intricate
+passages, the hidden ways we are to explore."
+
+"Heaven grant your Highness make not some discovery as astounding as
+that which the Genoese hath just divulged. For myself, I scarce know
+whether to believe all things, or to grant faith to none."
+
+"I wonder not at thy surprise; it is a feeling that hath overcome all
+others, through the late extraordinary events," answered the queen,
+evidently misconceiving the meaning of her friend's words. "But we have
+still another pleasure in store: that of witnessing the joy of a pure
+female heart which hath had its trials, and which hath borne them as
+became a Christian maiden."
+
+Dona Beatriz sighed heavily, but she made no answer. By this time they
+were crossing the little saloon in which Mercedes was permitted to
+receive her female acquaintances, and were near the door of her chamber.
+Here they met a maid, who hastened onward to inform her mistress of the
+visit she was about to receive. Isabella was accustomed to use a
+mother's liberties with those she loved, and, opening the door, without
+ceremony, she stood before our heroine, ere the latter could advance to
+meet her.
+
+"Daughter," commenced the queen, seating herself, and smiling
+benignantly on the startled girl, "I have come to discharge a solemn
+duty. Kneel thou here, at my feet, and listen to thy sovereign as thou
+wouldst listen to a mother."
+
+Mercedes gladly obeyed, for, at that moment, any thing was preferable to
+being required to speak. When she had knelt, the queen passed an arm
+affectionately round her neck, and drew her closer to her person, until,
+by a little gentle violence, the face of Mercedes was hid in the folds
+of Isabella's robe.
+
+"I have all reason to extol thy faith and duty, child," said the queen,
+as soon as this little arrangement to favor the feelings of Mercedes,
+had been considerately made; "thou hast not forgotten thy promise, in
+aught; and my object, now, is to leave thee mistress of thine own
+inclinations, and to remove all impediments to their exercise. Thou hast
+no longer any pledge with thy sovereign; for one who hath manifested so
+much discretion and delicacy, may be surely trusted with her own
+happiness."
+
+Mercedes continued silent, though Isabella fancied that she felt a
+slight shudder passing convulsively through her delicate frame.
+
+"No answer, daughter? Is it more preferable to leave another arbitress
+of thy fate, than to exercise that office for thyself? Well, then, as
+thy sovereign and parent, I will substitute command for consent, and
+tell thee it is my wish and desire that thou becomest, as speedily as
+shall comport with propriety and thy high station, the wedded wife of
+Don Luis de Bobadilla, Conde de Llera."
+
+"No--no--no--Senora--never--never"--murmured Mercedes, her voice equally
+stifled by her emotions, and by the manner in which she had buried her
+face in the dress of the queen.
+
+Isabella looked at the Marchioness of Moya in wonder. Her countenance
+did not express either displeasure or resentment, for she too well knew
+the character of our heroine to suspect caprice, or any weak
+prevarication in a matter that so deeply touched the feelings; and the
+concern she felt was merely overshadowed at the suddenness of the
+intelligence, by a feeling of ungovernable surprise.
+
+"Canst thou explain this, Beatriz?" the queen at length inquired. "Have
+I done harm, where I most intended good? I am truly unfortunate, for I
+appear to have deeply wounded the heart of this child, at the very
+moment I fancied I was conferring supreme happiness!"
+
+"No--no--no--Senora," again murmured Mercedes, clinging convulsively to
+the queen's knees. "Your Highness hath wounded no one--_would_ wound no
+one--_can_ wound no one--you are all gracious goodness and
+thoughtfulness."
+
+"Beatriz, I look to thee for the explanation! Hath aught justifiable
+occurred to warrant this change of feeling?"
+
+"I fear, dearest Senora, that the feelings continue too much as
+formerly, and that the change is not in this young and unpractised
+heart, but in the fickle inclinations of man."
+
+A flash of womanly indignation darted from the usually serene eyes of
+the queen, and her form assumed all of its native majesty.
+
+"Can this be true?" she exclaimed. "Would a subject of Castile _dare_
+thus to trifle with his sovereign--thus to trifle with one sweet and
+pure as this girl--thus to trifle with his faith with God! If the
+reckless Conde thinketh to do these acts of wrongfulness with impunity,
+let him look to it! Shall I punish him that merely depriveth his
+neighbor of some paltry piece of silver, and let him escape who woundeth
+the soul? I wonder at thy calmness, Daughter-Marchioness; thou, who art
+so wont to let an honest indignation speak out in the just language of a
+fearless and honest spirit!"
+
+"Alas! Senora, my beloved mistress, my feelings have had vent already,
+and nature will no more. This boy, moreover, is my brother's son, and
+when I would fain arouse a resentment against him, such as befitteth his
+offence, the image of that dear brother, whose very picture he is, hath
+arisen to my mind in a way to weaken all its energy."
+
+"This is most unusual! A creature so fair--so young--so noble--so
+rich--every way so excellent, to be so soon forgotten! Canst thou
+account for it by any wandering inclination, Lady of Moya?"
+
+Isabella spoke musingly, and, as one of her high rank is apt to overlook
+minor considerations, when the feelings are strongly excited, she did
+not remember that Mercedes was a listener. The convulsive shudder that
+again shook the frame of our heroine, however, did not fail to remind
+her of this fact, and the queen could not have pressed the Princess
+Juana more fondly to her heart, than she now drew the yielding form of
+our heroine.
+
+"What would you, Senora?" returned the marchioness, bitterly. "Luis,
+thoughtless and unprincipled boy as he is, hath induced a youthful
+Indian princess to abandon home and friends, under the pretence of
+swelling the triumph of the admiral, but really, in obedience to a
+wandering fancy, and in submission to those evil caprices, that make men
+what, in sooth, they are, and which so often render unhappy women their
+dupes and their victims."
+
+"An Indian princess, say'st thou? The admiral made one of that rank
+known to us, but she was already a wife, and far from being one to rival
+Dona Mercedes of Valverde."
+
+"Ah! dearest Senora, she of whom you speak will not compare with her I
+mean--Ozema--for so is the Indian lady called--Ozema is a different
+being, and is not without high claims to personal beauty. Could mere
+personal appearances justify the conduct of the boy, he would not be
+altogether without excuse."
+
+"How know'st thou this, Beatriz?"
+
+"Because, your Highness, Luis hath brought her to the palace, and she
+is, at this moment, in these very apartments. Mercedes hath received her
+like a sister, even while the stranger hath unconsciously crashed her
+heart."
+
+"_Here_, say'st thou, Marchioness? Then can there be no vicious union
+between the thoughtless young man and the stranger. Thy nephew would not
+thus presume to offend virtue and innocence."
+
+"Of that we complain not, Senora. 'Tis the boyish inconstancy and
+thoughtless cruelty of the count, that hath awakened my feelings against
+him. Never have I endeavored to influence my ward to favor his suit, for
+I would not that they should have it in their power to say I sought a
+union so honorable and advantageous to our house; but now do I most
+earnestly desire her to steel her noble heart to his unworthiness."
+
+"Ah! Senora--my guardian," murmured Mercedes, "Luis is not so _very_
+culpable. Ozema's beauty, and my own want of the means to keep him true,
+are alone to blame."
+
+"Ozema's beauty!" slowly repeated the queen. "Is this young Indian,
+then, so very perfect, Beatriz, that thy ward need fear or envy her? I
+did not think that such a being lived!"
+
+"Your Highness knoweth how it is with men. They love novelties, and are
+most captivated with the freshest faces. San Iago!--Andres de Cabrera
+hath caused me to know this, though it were a crime to suppose any could
+teach this hard lesson to Isabella of Trastamara."
+
+"Restrain thy strong and impetuous feelings, Daughter-Marchioness,"
+returned the queen, glancing her eye at the bowed form of Mercedes,
+whose head was now buried in her lap; "truth seldom asserts its fullest
+power when the heart is overflowing with feeling. Don Andres hath been a
+loyal subject, and doth justice to thy merit; and, as to my lord the
+king, he is the father of my children, as well as thy sovereign. But,
+touching this Ozema--can I see her, Beatriz?"
+
+"You have only to command, Senora, to see whom you please. But Ozema is,
+no doubt, at hand, and can be brought into your presence as soon as it
+may please your Highness to order it done."
+
+"Nay, Beatriz, if she be a princess, and a stranger in the kingdom,
+there is a consideration due to her rank and to her position. Let Dona
+Mercedes go and prepare her to receive us; I will visit her in her own
+apartment. The hour is late, but she will overlook the want of ceremony
+in the desire to do her service."
+
+Mercedes did not wait a second bidding, but, rising from her knees, she
+hastened to do as the queen had suggested. Isabella and the marchioness
+were silent some little time, when left to themselves; then the former,
+as became her rank, opened the discourse.
+
+"It is remarkable, Beatriz, that Colon should not have spoken to me of
+this princess!" she said. "One of her condition ought not to have
+entered Spain with so little ceremony."
+
+"The admiral hath deemed her the chosen subject of Luis' care, and hath
+left her to be presented to your Highness by my recreant nephew. Ah,
+Senora! is it not wonderful, that one like Mercedes could be so soon
+supplanted by a half-naked, unbaptized, benighted being, on whom the
+church hath never yet smiled, and whose very soul may be said to be in
+jeopardy of instantaneous condemnation?"
+
+"That soul must be cared for, Beatriz, and that right quickly. Is the
+princess really of sufficient beauty to supplant a creature as lovely as
+the Dona Mercedes?"
+
+"It is not that, Senora--it is not that. But men are fickle--and they so
+love novelties! Then is the modest restraint of cultivated manners less
+winning to them, than the freedom of those who deem even clothes
+superfluous. I mean not to question the modesty of Ozema; for, according
+to her habits, she seemeth irreproachable in this respect; but the
+ill-regulated fancy of a thoughtless boy may find a momentary attraction
+in her unfettered conduct and half-attired person, that is wanting to
+the air and manners of a high-born Spanish damsel, who hath been taught
+rigidly to respect herself and her sex."
+
+"This may be true, as toucheth the vulgar, Beatriz, but such unworthy
+motives can never influence the Conde de Llera. If thy nephew hath
+really proved the recreant thou supposest, this Indian princess must be
+of more excellence than we have thought."
+
+"Of that, Senora, you can soon judge for yourself; here is the maiden of
+Mercedes to inform us that the Indian is ready to receive the honor that
+your Highness intendeth."
+
+Our heroine had prepared Ozema to meet the queen. By this time, the
+young Haytian had caught so many Spanish words, that verbal
+communication with her was far from difficult, though she still spoke in
+the disconnected and abrupt manner of one to whom the language was new.
+She understood perfectly that she was to meet that beloved sovereign, of
+whom Luis and Mercedes had so often spoken with reverence; and
+accustomed, herself, to look up to caciques greater than her brother,
+there was no difficulty in making her understand that the person she was
+now about to receive was the first of her sex in Spain. The only
+misconception which existed, arose from the circumstance that Ozema
+believed Isabella to be the queen of all the Christian world, instead of
+being the queen of a particular country; for, in her imagination, both
+Luis and Mercedes were persons of royal station.
+
+Although Isabella was prepared to see a being of surprising perfection
+of form, she started with surprise, as her eye first fell on Ozema. It
+was not so much the beauty of the young Indian that astonished her, as
+the native grace of her movements, the bright and happy expression of
+her countenance, and the perfect self-possession of her mien and
+deportment. Ozema had got accustomed to a degree of dress that she would
+have found oppressive at Hayti; the sensitiveness of Mercedes, on the
+subject of female propriety, having induced her to lavish on her new
+friend many rich articles of attire, that singularly, though wildly,
+contributed to aid her charms. Still the gift of Luis was thrown over
+one shoulder, as the highest-prized part of her wardrobe, and the cross
+of Mercedes rested on her bosom, the most precious of all her ornaments.
+
+"This is wonderful, Beatriz!" exclaimed the queen, as she stood at one
+side of the room, while Ozema bowed her body in graceful reverence on
+the other; "can this rare being really have a soul that knoweth naught
+of its God and Redeemer! But let her spirit be benighted as it may,
+there is no vice in that simple mind, or deceit in that pure heart."
+
+"Senora, all this is true. Spite of our causes of dissatisfaction, my
+ward and I both love her already, and could take her to our hearts
+forever; one as a friend, and the other as a parent."
+
+"Princess," said the queen, advancing with quiet dignity to the spot
+where Ozema stood, with downcast eyes and bended body, waiting her
+pleasure, "thou art welcome to our dominions. The admiral hath done well
+in not classing one of thy evident claims and station among those whom
+he hath exhibited to vulgar eyes. In this he hath shown his customary
+judgment, no less than his deep respect for the sacred office of
+sovereigns."
+
+"Almirante!" exclaimed Ozema, her looks brightening with intelligence,
+for she had long known how to pronounce the well-earned title of
+Columbus; "Almirante, Mercedes--Isabella, Mercedes--Luis, Mercedes,
+Senora Reyna."
+
+"Beatriz, what meaneth this? Why doth the princess couple the name of
+thy ward with that of Colon, with mine, and even with that of the young
+Count of Llera?"
+
+"Senora, by some strange delusion, she hath got to think that Mercedes
+is the Spanish term for every thing that is excellent or perfect, and
+thus doth she couple it with all that she most desireth to praise. Your
+Highness must observe that she even united Luis and Mercedes, a union
+that we once fondly hoped might happen, but which now would seem to be
+impossible; and which she herself must be the last really to wish."
+
+"Strange delusion!" repeated the queen; "the idea hath had its birth in
+some particular cause, for things like this come not of accidents; who
+but thy nephew, Beatriz, would know aught of thy ward, or who but he
+would have taught the princess to deem her very name a sign of
+excellence?"
+
+"Senora!" exclaimed Mercedes, the color mounting to her pale cheek, and
+joy momentarily flashing in her eyes, "can this be so?"
+
+"Why not, daughter? We may have been too hasty in this matter, and
+mistaken what are truly signs of devotion to thee, for proofs of
+fickleness and inconstancy."
+
+"Ah! Senora! but this can never be, else would not Ozema so love him."
+
+"How know'st thou, child, that the princess hath any other feeling for
+the count than that which properly belongeth to one who is grateful for
+his care, and for the inexpressible service of being made acquainted
+with the virtues of the cross? Here is some rash error, Beatriz."
+
+"I fear not, your Highness. Touching the nature of Ozema's feelings,
+there can be no misconception, since the innocent and unpractised
+creature hath not art sufficient to conceal them. That her heart is all
+Luis', we discovered in the first few hours of our intercourse; and it
+is too pure, unsought, to be won. The feeling of the Indian is not
+merely admiration, but it is such a passionate devotion, as partaketh of
+the warmth of that sun, which, we are told, glows with a heat so genial
+in her native clime."
+
+"_Could_ one see so much of Don Luis, Senora," added Mercedes, "under
+circumstances to try his martial virtues, and so long daily be in
+communion with his excellent heart, and not come to view him as far
+above all others?"
+
+"Martial virtues--excellent heart!"--slowly repeated the queen, "and yet
+so regardless of the wrong he doeth! He is neither knight nor cavalier
+worthy of the sex, if what thou thinkest be true, child."
+
+"Nay, Senora," earnestly resumed the girl, whose diffidence was yielding
+to the wish to vindicate our hero, "the princess hath told us of the
+manner in which he rescued her from her greatest enemy and persecutor,
+Caonabo, a headstrong and tyrannical sovereign of her island, and of his
+generous self-devotion in her behalf."
+
+"Daughter, do thou withdraw, and, first calling on Holy Maria to
+intercede for thee, seek the calm of religious peace and submission, on
+thy pillow. Beatriz, I will question the princess alone."
+
+The marchioness and Mercedes immediately withdrew, leaving Isabella with
+Ozema, in possession of the room. The interview that followed lasted
+more than an hour, that time being necessary to enable the queen to form
+an opinion of the stranger's explanations, with the imperfect means of
+communication she possessed. That Ozema's whole heart was Luis',
+Isabella could not doubt. Unaccustomed to conceal her preferences, the
+Indian girl was too unpractised to succeed in such a design, had she
+even felt the desire to attempt it; but, in addition to her native
+ingenuousness, Ozema believed that duty required her to have no
+concealments from the sovereign of Luis, and she laid bare her whole
+soul in the simplest and least disguised manner.
+
+"Princess," said the queen, after the conversation had lasted some time,
+and Isabella believed herself to be in possession of the means of
+comprehending her companion, "I now understand your tale. Caonabo is the
+chief, or, if thou wilt, the king of a country adjoining thine own; he
+sought thee for a wife, but being already married to more than one
+princess, thou didst very properly reject his unholy proposals. He then
+attempted to seize thee by violence. The Conde de Llera was on a visit
+to thy brother at the time"--
+
+"Luis--Luis"--the girl impatiently interrupted, in her sweet, soft
+voice--"Luis no Conde--Luis."
+
+"True, princess, but the Conde de Llera and Luis de Bobadilla are one
+and the same person. Luis, then, if thou wilt, was present in thy
+palace, and he beat back the presumptuous cacique, who, not satisfied
+with fulfilling the law of God by the possession of one wife, impiously
+sought, in thy person, a second, or a third, and brought thee off in
+triumph. Thy brother, next, requested thee to take shelter, for a time,
+in Spain, and Don Luis, becoming thy guardian and protector, hath
+brought thee hither to the care of his aunt?"
+
+Ozema bowed her head in acknowledgment of the truth of this statement,
+most of which she had no difficulty in understanding, the subject
+having, of late, occupied so much of her thoughts.
+
+"And, now, princess," continued Isabella, "I must speak to thee with
+maternal frankness, for I deem all of thy birth my children while they
+dwell in my realms, and have a right to look to me for advice and
+protection. Hast thou any such love for Don Luis as would induce thee to
+forget thine own country, and to adopt his in its stead?"
+
+"Ozema don't know what 'adopt his,' means," observed the puzzled girl.
+
+"I wish to inquire if thou wouldst consent to become the wife of Don
+Luis de Bobadilla?"
+
+"Wife" and "husband" were words of which the Indian girl had early
+learned the signification, and she smiled guilelessly, even while she
+blushed, and nodded her assent.
+
+"I am, then, to understand that thou expectest to marry the count, for
+no modest young female like, thee, would so cheerfully avow her
+preference, without having that hope ripened in her heart, to something
+like a certainty."
+
+"Si, Senora--Ozema, Luis' wife."
+
+"Thou meanest, princess, that Ozema expecteth shortly to wed the
+count--shortly to become his wife!"
+
+"No--no--no--Ozema _now_ Luis' wife. Luis marry Ozema, already."
+
+"Can this be so?" exclaimed the queen, looking steadily into the face of
+the beautiful Indian to ascertain if the whole were not an artful
+deception. But the open and innocent face betrayed no guilt, and
+Isabella felt compelled to believe what she had heard. In order,
+however, to make certain of the fact, she questioned and
+cross-questioned Ozema, for near half an hour longer, and always with
+the same result.
+
+When the queen arose to withdraw, she kissed the princess, for so she
+deemed this wild creature of an unknown and novel state of society, and
+whispered a devout prayer for the enlightenment of her mind, and for her
+future peace. On reaching her own apartment, she found the Marchioness
+of Moya in attendance, that tried friend being unable to sleep until she
+had learned the impressions of her royal mistress.
+
+"'Tis even worse than we had imagined, Beatriz," said Isabella, as the
+other closed the door behind her. "Thine heartless, inconstant nephew
+hath already wedded the Indian, and she is, at this moment, his lawful
+wife."
+
+"Senora, there must be some mistake in this! The rash boy would hardly
+dare to practise this imposition on me, and that in the very presence of
+Mercedes."
+
+"He would sooner place his wife in thy care, Daughter-Marchioness, than
+make the same disposition of one who had fewer claims on him. But there
+can be no mistake. I have questioned the princess closely, and no doubt
+remaineth in my mind, that the nuptials have been solemnized by
+religious rites. It is not easy to understand all she would wish to say,
+but that much she often and distinctly hath affirmed."
+
+"Your Highness--can a Christian contract marriage with one that is yet
+unbaptized?"
+
+"Certainly not, in the eye of the church, which is the eye of God. But I
+rather think Ozema hath received this holy rite, for she often pointed
+to the cross she weareth, when speaking of the union with thy nephew.
+Indeed, from her allusions, I understood her to say that she became a
+Christian, ere she became a wife."
+
+"And that blessed cross, Senora, was a gift of Mercedes to the reckless,
+fickle-minded boy; a parting gift in which the holy symbol was intended
+to remind him of constancy and faith!"
+
+"The world maketh so many inroads into the hearts of men, Beatriz, that
+they know not woman's reliance and woman's fidelity. But to thy knees,
+and bethink thee of asking for grace to sustain thy ward, in this cruel,
+but unavoidable extremity."
+
+Isabella now turned to her friend, who advanced and raised the hand of
+her royal mistress to her lips. The queen, however, was not content with
+this salutation, warm as it was; passing an arm around the neck of Dona
+Beatriz, she drew her to her person, and imprinted a kiss on her
+forehead.
+
+"Adieu, Beatriz--true friend as thou art!" she said. "If constancy hath
+deserted all others, it hath still an abode in thy faithful heart."
+
+With these words the queen and the marchioness separated, each to find
+her pillow, if not her repose.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIX.
+
+    "Now, Gondarino, what can you put on now
+    That may deceive us?
+    Have ye more strange illusions, yet more mists,
+    Through which the weak eye may be led to error?
+    What can ye say that may do satisfaction
+    Both for her wronged honor and your ill?"
+
+    Beaumont and Fletcher.
+
+
+The day which succeeded the interview related in the preceding chapter,
+was that which Cardinal Mendoza had selected for the celebrated banquet
+given to Columbus. On this occasion, most of the high nobility of the
+court were assembled in honor of the admiral, who was received with a
+distinction which fell little short of that usually devoted to crowned
+heads. The Genoese bore himself modestly, though nobly, in all these
+ceremonies; and, for the hour, all appeared to delight in doing justice
+to his great exploits, and to sympathize in a success so much surpassing
+the general expectation. Every eye seemed riveted on his person, every
+ear listened eagerly to the syllables as they fell from his lips, every
+voice was loud and willing in his praise.
+
+As a matter of course, on such an occasion, Columbus was expected to
+give some account of his voyage and adventures. This was not an easy
+task, since it was virtually asserting how much his own perseverance and
+spirit, his sagacity and skill, were superior to the knowledge and
+enterprise of the age. Still, the admiral acquitted himself with
+dexterity and credit, touching principally on those heads which most
+redounded to the glory of Spain, and the lustre of the two crowns.
+
+Among the guests was Luis de Bobadilla. The young man had been invited
+on account of his high rank, and in consideration of the confidence and
+familiarity with which he was evidently treated by the admiral. The
+friendship of Columbus was more than sufficient to erase the slightly
+unfavorable impressions that had been produced by Luis' early levities,
+and men quietly submitted to the influence of the great man's example,
+without stopping to question the motive or the end. The consciousness of
+having done that which few of his station and hopes would ever dream of
+attempting, gave to the proud mien and handsome countenance of Luis, a
+seriousness and elevation that had not always been seated there, and
+helped to sustain him in the good opinion that he had otherwise so
+cheaply purchased. The manner in which he had related to Peter Martyr
+and his companions the events of the expedition, was also remembered,
+and, without understanding exactly why, the world was beginning to
+associate him, in some mysterious manner, with the great western voyage.
+Owing to these accidental circumstances, our hero was actually reaping
+some few of the advantages of his spirit, though in a way he had never
+anticipated; a result by no means extraordinary, men as often receiving
+applause, or reprobation, for acts that were never meditated, as for
+those for which reason and justice would hold them rigidly responsible.
+
+"Here is a health to my lord, their Highnesses' Admiral of the Ocean
+Sea," cried Luis de St. Angel, raising his cup so that all at the board
+might witness the act. "Spain oweth him her gratitude for the boldest
+and most beneficial enterprise of the age, and no good subject of the
+two sovereigns will hesitate to do him honor for his services."
+
+The bumper was drunk, and the meek acknowledgments of Columbus listened
+to in respectful silence.
+
+"Lord Cardinal," resumed the free-speaking accountant of the church's
+revenues, "I look upon the church's cure as doubled by these
+discoveries, and esteem the number of souls that will be rescued from
+perdition by the means that will now be employed to save them, as
+forming no small part of the lustre of the exploit, and a thing not
+likely to be forgotten at Rome."
+
+"Thou say'st well, good de St. Angel," returned the cardinal, "and the
+Holy Father will not overlook God's agent, or his assistants. Knowledge
+came from the east, and we have long looked forward to the time when,
+purified by revelation and the high commission that we hold direct from
+the source of all power, it would be rolled backward to its place of
+beginning; but we now see that its course is still to be westward,
+reaching Asia by a path that, until this great discovery, was hid from
+human eyes."
+
+Although so much apparent sympathy ruled at the festival, the human
+heart was at work, and envy, the basest, and perhaps the most common of
+our passions, was fast swelling in more than one breath. The remark of
+the cardinal produced an exhibition of the influence of this unworthy
+feeling that might otherwise have been smothered. Among the guests was a
+noble of the name of Juan de Orbitello, and he could listen no longer,
+in silence, to the praises of those whose breath he had been accustomed
+to consider fame.
+
+"Is it so certain, holy sir," he said, addressing his host, "that God
+would not have directed other means to be employed, to effect this end,
+had these of Don Christopher failed? Or, are we to look upon this voyage
+as the only known way in which all these heathen could be rescued from
+perdition?"
+
+"No one may presume, Senor, to limit the agencies of heaven," returned
+the cardinal, gravely; "nor is it the office of man to question the
+means employed, or to doubt the power to create others, as wisdom may
+dictate. Least of all, should laymen call in question aught that the
+church sanctioneth."
+
+"This I admit, Lord Cardinal," answered the Senor de Orbitello, a little
+embarrassed, and somewhat vexed at the implied rebuke of the churchman's
+remarks, "and it was the least of my intentions to do so. But you, Senor
+Don Christopher, did you deem yourself an agent of heaven in this
+expedition?"
+
+"I have always considered myself a most unworthy instrument, set apart
+for this great end, Senor," returned the admiral, with a grave solemnity
+that was well suited to impose on the spectators. "From the first, I
+have felt this impulse, as being of divine origin, and I humbly trust
+heaven is not displeased with the creature it hath employed."
+
+"Do you then imagine, Senor Almirante, that Spain could not produce
+another, fitted equally with yourself, to execute this great enterprise,
+had any accident prevented either your sailing or your success?"
+
+The boldness, as well as the singularity of this question, produced a
+general pause in the conversation, and every head was bent a little
+forward in expectation of the reply. Columbus sat silent for more than a
+minute; then, reaching forward, he took an egg, and holding it up to
+view, he spoke mildly, but with great gravity and earnestness of manner.
+
+"Senores," he said, "is there one here of sufficient expertness to cause
+this egg to stand on its end? If such a man be present, I challenge him
+to give us an exhibition of his skill."
+
+The request produced a good deal of surprise; but a dozen immediately
+attempted the exploit, amid much laughter and many words. More than
+once, some young noble thought he had succeeded, but the instant his
+fingers quitted the egg, it rolled upon the table, as if in mockery of
+his awkwardness.
+
+"By Saint Luke, Senor Almirante, but this notable achievement surpasseth
+our skill," cried Juan de Orbitello. "Here is the Conde de Llera, who
+hath slain so many Moors, and who hath even unhorsed Alonzo de Ojeda, in
+a tourney, can make nothing of his egg, in the way you mention."
+
+"And yet it will no longer be difficult to him, or even to you, Senor,
+when the art shall be exposed."
+
+Saying thus, Columbus tapped the smaller end of his egg lightly on the
+table, when, the shell being forced in, it possessed a base on which it
+stood firmly and without tremor. A murmur of applause followed this
+rebuke, and the Lord of Orbitello was fain to shrink back into an
+insignificance, from which it would have been better for him never to
+have emerged. At this precise instant a royal page spoke to the admiral,
+and then passed on to the seat of Don Luis de Bobadilla.
+
+"I am summoned hastily to the presence of the queen, Lord Cardinal,"
+observed the admiral, "and look to your grace for an apology for my
+withdrawing. The business is of weight, by the manner of the message,
+and you will pardon my now quitting the board, though it seem early."
+
+The usual reply was made; and, bowed to the door by his host and all
+present, Columbus quitted the room. Almost at the same instant, he was
+followed by the Conde de Llera.
+
+"Whither goest thou, in this hurry, Don Luis?" demanded the admiral, as
+the other joined him. "Art thou in so great haste to quit a banquet such
+as Spain hath not often seen, except in the palaces of her kings?"
+
+"By San Iago! nor there, neither, Senor," answered the young man, gaily,
+"if King Ferdinand's board be taken as the sample. But I quit this
+goodly company in obedience to an order of Dona Isabella, who hath
+suddenly summoned me to her royal presence."
+
+"Then, Senor Conde, we go together, and are like to meet on the same
+errand. I, too, am hastening to the apartments of the queen."
+
+"It gladdens my heart to hear this, Senor, as I know of but one subject
+on which a common summons should be sent to us. This affair toucheth on
+my suit, and, doubtless, you will be required to speak of my bearing in
+the voyage."
+
+"My mind and my time have been so much occupied, of late, with public
+cares, Luis, that I have not had an occasion to question you of this.
+How fareth the Lady of Valverde, and when will she deign to reward thy
+constancy and love?"
+
+"Senor, I would I could answer the last of these questions with greater
+certainty, and the first with a lighter heart. Since my return I have
+seen Dona Mercedes but thrice; and though she was all gentleness and
+truth, my suit for the consummation of my happiness hath been coldly and
+evasively answered by my aunt. Her Highness is to be consulted, it would
+seem; and the tumult produced by the success of the voyage hath so much
+occupied her, that there hath been no leisure to wait on trifles such as
+those that lead to the felicity of a wanderer like myself."
+
+"Then is it like, Luis, that we are indeed summoned on this very affair;
+else, why should thou and I be brought together in a manner so unusual
+and so sudden."
+
+Our hero was not displeased to fancy this, and he entered the apartments
+of the queen with a step as elastic, and a mien as bright, as if he had
+come to wed his love. The Admiral of the Ocean Sea, as Columbus was now
+publicly called, had not long to wait in ante-chambers, and, ere many
+minutes, he and his companion were ushered into the presence.
+
+Isabella received her guests in private, there being no one in
+attendance but the Marchioness of Moya, Mercedes, and Ozema. The first
+glances of their eyes told Columbus and Luis that all was not right.
+Every countenance denoted that its owner was endeavoring to maintain a
+calmness that was assumed. The queen herself was serene and dignified,
+it is true, but her brow was thoughtful, her eye melancholy, and her
+cheek slightly flushed. As for Dona Beatriz, sorrow and indignation
+struggled in her expressive face, and Luis saw, with concern, that her
+look was averted from him in a way she always adopted when he had
+seriously incurred her displeasure. Mercedes' lips were pale as death,
+though a bright spot, like vermilion, was stationary on each cheek; her
+eyes were downcast, and all her mien was humbled and timid. Ozema alone
+seemed perfectly natural; still, her glances were quick and anxious,
+though a gleam of joy danced in her eyes, and even a slight exclamation
+of delight escaped her, as she beheld Luis, whom she had seen but once
+since her arrival in Barcelona, already near a month.
+
+Isabella advanced a step or two, to meet the admiral, and when the last
+would have kneeled, she hurriedly prevented the act by giving him her
+hand to kiss.
+
+"Not so--not so--Lord Admiral," exclaimed the queen; "this is homage
+unsuited to thy high rank and eminent services. If we are thy
+sovereigns, so are we also thy friends. I fear my lord cardinal will
+scarce pardon the orders I sent him, seeing that it hath deprived him of
+thy society somewhat sooner than he may have expected."
+
+"His Eminence, and all his goodly company, have that to muse on, Senora,
+that may yet occupy them some time," returned Columbus, smiling in his
+grave manner; "doubtless, they will less miss me than at an ordinary
+time. Were it otherwise, both I, and this young count, would not scruple
+to quit even a richer banquet, to obey the summons of your Highness."
+
+"I doubt it not, Senor, but I have desired to see thee, this night, on a
+matter of private, rather than of public concernment. Dona Beatriz,
+here, hath made known to me the presence at court, as well as the
+history of this fair being, who giveth one an idea so much more exalted
+of thy vast discoveries that I marvel she should ever have been
+concealed. Know'st thou her rank, Don Christopher, and the circumstances
+that have brought her to Spain?"
+
+"Senora, I do; in part through my own observation, and in part from the
+statements of Don Luis de Bobadilla. I consider the rank of the Lady
+Ozema to be less than royal, and more than noble, if our opinions will
+allow us to imagine a condition between the two; though it must always
+be remembered that Hayti is not Castile; the one being benighted under
+the cloud of heathenism, and the other existing in the sunshine of the
+church and civilization."
+
+"Nevertheless, Don Christopher, station is station, and the rights of
+birth are not impaired by the condition of a country. Although it hath
+pleased him already, and will still further please the head of the
+church, to give us rights, in our characters of Christian princes, over
+these caciques of India, there is nothing unusual or novel in the fact.
+The relation between the suzerain and the lieges is ancient and well
+established; and instances are not wanting, in which powerful monarchs
+have held certain of their states by this tenure, while others have come
+direct from God. In this view, I feel disposed to consider the Indian
+lady as more than noble, and have directed her to be treated
+accordingly. There remaineth only to relate the circumstances that have
+brought her to Spain."
+
+"These can better come from Don Luis than from me, Senora; he being most
+familiar with the events."
+
+"Nay, Senor, I would hear them from thine own lips. I am already
+possessed of the substance of the Conde de Llera's story."
+
+Columbus looked both surprised and pained, but he did not hesitate about
+complying with the queen's request.
+
+"Hayti hath its greater and its lesser princes, or caciques, your
+Highness," he added; "the last paying a species of homage, and owing a
+certain allegiance to the first, as hath been said"--
+
+"Thou seest, Daughter-Marchioness, this is but a natural order of
+government, prevailing equally in the east and in the west!"
+
+"Of the first of these was Guacanagari, of whom I have already related
+so much to your Highness," continued Columbus; "and of the last,
+Mattinao, the brother of this lady. Don Luis visited the Cacique
+Mattinao, and was present at an inroad of Caonabo, a celebrated Carib
+chief, who would fain have made a wife of her who now stands in this
+illustrious presence. The conde conducted himself like a gallant
+Castilian cavalier, routed the foe, saved the lady, and brought her in
+triumph to the ships. Here it was determined she should visit Spain,
+both as a means of throwing more lustre on the two crowns, and of
+removing her, for a season, from the attempts of the Carib, who is too
+powerful and warlike to be withstood by a race as gentle as that of
+Mattinao's."
+
+"This is well, Senor, and what I have already heard; but how happeneth
+it, that Ozema did not appear with the rest of thy train, in the public
+reception of the town?"
+
+"It was the wish of Don Luis it should be otherwise, and I consented
+that he and his charge should sail privately from Palos, with the
+expectation of meeting me in Barcelona. We both thought the Lady Ozema
+too superior to her companions, to be exhibited to rude eyes as a
+spectacle."
+
+"There was delicacy, if there were not prudence in the arrangement," the
+queen observed, a little drily. "Then, the Lady Ozema hath been some
+weeks solely in the care of the Conde de Llera."
+
+"I so esteem it, your Highness, except as she hath been placed under the
+guardianship of the Marchioness of Moya."
+
+"Was this altogether discreet, Don Christopher, or as one prudent as
+thou shouldst have consented to?"
+
+"Senora!" exclaimed Luis, unable to restrain his feelings longer.
+
+"Forbear, young sir," commanded the queen. "I shall have occasion to
+question thee presently, when thou may'st have a need for all thy
+readiness, to give the fitting answers. Doth not thy discretion rebuke
+thy indiscretion in this matter, Lord Admiral?"
+
+"Senora, the question, like its motive, is altogether new to me; I have
+the utmost reliance on the honor of the count, and then did I know that
+his heart hath long been given to the fairest and worthiest damsel of
+Spain; besides, my mind hath been so much occupied with the grave
+subjects of your Highness' interests, that it hath had but little
+opportunity to dwell on minor things."
+
+"I believe thee, Senor, and thy pardon is secure. Still, for one so
+experienced, it was a sore indiscretion to trust to the constancy of a
+fickle heart, when placed in the body of a light-minded and truant boy.
+And, now, Conde de Llera, I have that to say to thee, which thou may'st
+find it difficult to answer. Thou assentest to all that hath hitherto
+been said?"
+
+"Certainly, Senora. Don Christopher can have no motive to misstate, even
+were he capable of the meanness. I trust our house hath not been
+remarkable in Spain, for recreant and false cavaliers."
+
+"In that I fully agree. If thy house hath had the misfortune to produce
+one untrue and recreant heart, it hath the glory"--glancing at her
+friend--"of producing others that might equal the constancy of the most
+heroic minds of antiquity. The lustre of the name of Bobadilla doth not
+altogether depend on the fidelity and truth of its head--nay, hear me,
+sir, and speak only when thou art ready to answer my questions. Thy
+thoughts, of late, have been bent on matrimony?"
+
+"Senora, I confess it. Is it an offence to dream of the honorable
+termination of a suit that hath been long urged, and which I had dared
+to hope was finally about to receive your own royal approbation?"
+
+"It is, then, as I feared, Beatriz!" exclaimed the queen; "and this
+benighted but lovely being hath been deceived by the mockery of a
+marriage; for no subject of Castile would dare thus to speak of wedlock,
+in my presence, with the consciousness that his vows had actually and
+lawfully been given to another. Both the church and the prince would not
+be thus braved, by even the greatest profligate of Spain!"
+
+"Senora, your Highness speaketh most cruelly, even while you speak in
+riddles!" cried Luis. "May I presume to ask if I am meant in these
+severe remarks?"
+
+"Of whom else should we be speaking, or to whom else allude? Thou must
+have the inward consciousness, unprincipled boy, of all thy
+unworthiness; and yet thou darest thus to brave thy sovereign--nay, to
+brave that suffering and angelic girl, with a mien as bold as if
+sustained by the purest innocence!"
+
+"Senora, I am no angel, myself, however willing to admit Dona Mercedes
+to be one; neither am I a saint of perfect purity, perhaps--in a word, I
+am Luis de Bobadilla--but as far from deserving these reproaches, as
+from deserving the crown of martyrdom. Let me humbly demand my offence?"
+
+"Simply that thou hast either cruelly deceived, by a feigned marriage,
+this uninstructed and confiding Indian princess, or hast insolently
+braved thy sovereign with the professions of a desire to wed another,
+with thy faith actually plighted at the altar, to another. Of which of
+these crimes thou art guilty, thou know'st best, thyself."
+
+"And thou, my aunt--thou, Mercedes--dost thou, too, believe me capable
+of this?"
+
+"I fear it is but too true," returned the marchioness, coldly; "the
+proof is such that none but an Infidel could deny belief."
+
+"Mercedes?"
+
+"No, Luis," answered the generous girl, with a warmth and feeling that
+broke down the barriers of all conventional restraint--"I do not think
+thee base as this--I do not think thee base at all; merely unable to
+restrain thy wandering inclinations. I know thy heart too well, and
+thine honor too well, to suppose aught more than a weakness that thou
+wouldst fain subdue, but canst not."
+
+"God and the Holy Virgin be blessed for this!" cried the count, who had
+scarcely breathed while his mistress was speaking. "Any thing but thy
+entertaining so low an opinion of me, may be borne!"
+
+"There must be an end of this, Beatriz; and I see no surer means, than
+by proceeding at once to the facts," said the queen. "Come hither,
+Ozema, and let thy testimony set this matter at rest, forever."
+
+The young Indian, who comprehended Spanish much better than she
+expressed herself in the language, although far from having even a
+correct understanding of all that was said, immediately complied, her
+whole soul being engrossed with what was passing, while her intelligence
+was baffled in its attempts thoroughly to comprehend it. Mercedes alone
+had noted the workings of her countenance, as Isabella reproved, or Luis
+made his protestations, and they were such as completely denoted the
+interest she felt in our hero.
+
+"Ozema," resumed the queen, speaking slowly, and with deliberate
+distinctness, in order that the other might get the meaning of her words
+as she proceeded. "Speak--art thou wedded to Luis de Bobadilla, or not?"
+
+"Ozema, Luis' wife," answered the girl, laughing and blushing. "Luis,
+Ozema's husband."
+
+"This is plain as words can make it, Don Christopher, and is no more
+than she hath already often affirmed, on my anxious and repeated
+inquiries. How and when did Luis wed thee, Ozema?"
+
+"Luis wed Ozema with religion--with Spaniard's religion. Ozema wed Luis
+with love and duty--with Hayti manner."
+
+"This is extraordinary, Senora," observed the admiral, "and I would
+gladly look into it. Have I your Highness' permission to inquire into
+the affair, myself?"
+
+"Do as thou wilt, Senor," returned the queen, coldly. "My own mind is
+satisfied, and it behoveth my justice to act speedily."
+
+"Conde de Llera, dost thou admit, or dost thou deny, that thou art the
+husband of the Lady Ozema?" demanded Columbus, gravely.
+
+"Lord Admiral, I deny it altogether. Neither have I wedded her, nor hath
+the thought of so doing, with any but Mercedes, ever crossed my mind."
+
+This was said firmly, and with the open frankness that formed a
+principal charm in the young man's manner.
+
+"Hast thou, then, wronged her, and given her a right to think that thou
+didst mean wedlock?"
+
+"I have not. Mine own sister would not have been more respected than
+hath Ozema been respected by me, as is shown by the fact that I have
+hastened to place her in the care of my dear aunt, and in the company of
+Dona Mercedes."
+
+"This seemeth reasonable, Senora; for man hath ever that much respect
+for virtue in your sex, that he hesitateth to offend it even in his
+levities."
+
+"In opposition to all these protestations, and to so much fine virtue,
+Senor Colon, we have the simple declaration of one untutored in
+deception--a mind too simple to deceive, and of a rank and hopes that
+would render such a fraud as unnecessary as it would be unworthy.
+Beatriz, thou dost agree with me, and it cannot find an apology for this
+recreant knight, even though he were once the pride of thy house?"
+
+"Senora, I know not. Whatever may have been the failings and weaknesses
+of the boy--and heaven it knows that they have been many--deception and
+untruth have never made a part. I have even ascribed the manner in which
+he hath placed the princess in my immediate care, to the impulses of a
+heart that did not wish to conceal the errors of the head, and to the
+expectation that her presence in my family might sooner bring me to a
+knowledge of the truth. I could wish that the Lady Ozema might be
+questioned more closely, in order that we make certain of not being
+under the delusion of some strange error."
+
+"This is right," observed Isabella, whose sense of justice ever inclined
+her to make the closest examination into the merits of every case that
+required her decision. "The fortune of a grandee depends on the result,
+and it is meet he enjoy all fair means of vindicating himself from so
+heinous an offence. Sir Count, thou canst, therefore, question her, in
+our presence, touching all proper grounds of inquiry."
+
+"Senora, it would ill become a knight to put himself in array against a
+lady, and she, too, of the character and habits of this stranger,"
+answered Luis, proudly; coloring as he spoke, with the consciousness
+that Ozema was utterly unable to conceal her predilection in his favor.
+"If such an office is, indeed, necessary, its functions would better
+become another."
+
+"As the stern duty of punishing must fall on me," the queen calmly
+observed, "I will then assume this unpleasant office. Senor Almirante,
+we may not shrink from any obligation that brings us nearer to the
+greatest attribute of God, his justice. Princess, thou hast said that
+Don Luis hath wedded thee, and that thou considerest thyself his wife.
+When and where didst thou meet him before a priest?"
+
+So many attempts had been made to convert Ozema to Christianity, that
+she was more familiar with the terms connected with religion than with
+any other part of the language, though her mind was a confused picture
+of imaginary obligations, and of mystical qualities. Like all who are
+not addicted to abstractions, her piety was more connected with forms
+than with principles, and she was better disposed to admit the virtue of
+the ceremonies of the church than the importance of its faith. The
+question of the queen was understood, and, therefore, it was answered
+without guile, or a desire to deceive.
+
+"Luis wed Ozema with Christian's cross," she said, pressing to her heart
+the holy emblem that the young man had given to her in a moment of great
+peril, and in a manner the reader already knows. "Luis think he about to
+die--Ozema think she about to die--both wish to die man and wife, and
+Luis wed with the cross, like good Spanish Christian. Ozema wed Luis in
+her heart, like Hayti lady, in her own country."
+
+"Here is some mistake--some sad mistake, growing out of the difference
+of language and customs," observed the admiral. "Don Luis hath not been
+guilty of this deception. I witnessed the offering of that cross, which
+was made at sea, during a tempest, and in a way to impress me favorably
+with the count's zeal in behalf of a benighted soul. There was no
+wedlock there; nor could any, but one who hath confounded our usages,
+through ignorance, imagine more than the bestowal of a simple emblem,
+that it was hoped might be useful, in extremity, to one that had not
+enjoyed the advantages of baptism and the church's offices."
+
+"Don Luis, dost thou confirm this statement, and also assert that thy
+gift was made solely with this object?" asked the queen.
+
+"Senora, it is most true. Death was staring us in the face; and I felt
+that this poor wanderer, who had trusted herself to our care, with the
+simple confidence of a child, needed some consolation; none seemed so
+meet, at the moment, as that memorial of our blessed Redeemer, and of
+our own redemption. To me it seemed the preservative next to baptism."
+
+"Hast thou never stood before a priest with her, nor in any manner
+abused her guileless simplicity?"
+
+"Senora, it is not my nature to deceive, and every weakness of which I
+have been guilty in connexion with Ozema shall be revealed. Her beauty
+and her winning manners speak for themselves, as doth her resemblance to
+Dona Mercedes. The last greatly inclined me to her, and, had not my
+heart been altogether another's, it would have been my pride to make the
+princess my wife. But we met too late for that; and even the resemblance
+led to comparisons, in which one, educated in infidelity and ignorance,
+must necessarily suffer. That I have had moments of tenderness for
+Ozema, I will own; but that they ever supplanted, or came near
+supplanting, my love for Mercedes, I do deny. If I have any fault to
+answer for, to the Lady Ozema, it is because I have not always been able
+to suppress the feelings that her likeness to the Dona Mercedes, and her
+own ingenuous simplicity--chiefly the former--have induced. Never
+otherwise, in speech or act, have I offended against her."
+
+"This soundeth upright and true, Beatriz. Thou know'st the count better
+than I, and can easier say how far we ought to confide in these
+explanations."
+
+"My life on their truth, my beloved mistress! Luis is no hypocrite, and
+I rejoice!--oh! how exultingly do I rejoice!--at finding him able to
+give this fair vindication of his conduct. Ozema, who hath heard of our
+form of wedlock, and hath seen our devotion to the cross, hath mistaken
+her position, as she hath my nephew's feelings, and supposed herself a
+wife, when a Christian girl would not have been so cruelly deceived."
+
+"This really hath a seeming probability, Senores," continued the queen,
+with her sex's sensitiveness to her sex's delicacy of sentiment, not to
+say to her sex's rights--"This toucheth of a lady's--nay, of a princess'
+feelings, and must not be treated of openly. It is proper that any
+further explanations should be made only among females, and I trust to
+your honor, as cavaliers and nobles, that what hath this night been
+said, will never be spoken of amid the revels of men. The Lady Ozema
+shall be my care; and, Count of Llera, thou shalt know my final decision
+to-morrow, concerning Dona Mercedes and thyself."
+
+As this was said with a royal, as well as with a womanly dignity, no one
+presumed to demur, but, making the customary reverences, Columbus and
+our hero left the presence. It was late before the queen quitted Ozema,
+but what passed in this interview will better appear in the scenes that
+are still to be given.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXX.
+
+    "When sinking low the sufferer wan
+    Beholds no arm outstretch'd to save,
+    Fair, as the bosom of the swan
+    That rises graceful o'er the wave,
+    I've seen your breast with pity heave,
+    And _therefore_ love you, sweet Genevieve!"
+
+    Coleridge.
+
+
+When Isabella found herself alone with Ozema and Mercedes (for she chose
+that the last should be present), she entered on the subject of the
+marriage with the tenderness of a sensitive and delicate mind, but with
+a sincerity that rendered further error impossible. The result showed
+how naturally and cruelly the young Indian beauty had deceived herself.
+Ardent, confiding, and accustomed to be considered the object of general
+admiration among her own people, Ozema had fancied that her own
+inclinations had been fully answered by the young man. From the first
+moment they met, with the instinctive quickness of a woman, she
+perceived that she was admired, and, as she gave way to the excess of
+her own feelings, it was almost a necessary consequence of the
+communications she held with Luis, that she should think they were
+reciprocated. The very want of language in words, by compelling a
+substitution of one in looks and acts, contributed to the mistake; and
+it will be remembered that, if Luis' constancy did not actually waver,
+it had been sorely tried. The false signification she attached to the
+word "Mercedes," largely aided in the delusion, and it was completed by
+the manly tenderness and care with which our hero treated her on all
+occasions. Even the rigid decorum that Luis invariably observed, and the
+severe personal respect which he maintained toward his charge, had their
+effect on her feelings; for, wild and unsophisticated as had been her
+training, the deep and unerring instinct of the feeble, told her the
+nature of the power she was wielding over the strong.
+
+Then came the efforts to give her some ideas of religion, and the deep
+and lamentable mistakes which imperfectly explained, and worse
+understood subtleties, left on her plastic mind. Ozema believed that the
+Spaniards worshipped the cross. She saw it put foremost in all public
+ceremonies, knelt to, and apparently appealed to, on every occasion that
+called for an engagement more solemn than usual. Whenever a knight made
+a vow, he kissed the cross of his sword-hilt. The mariners regarded it
+with reverence, and even the admiral had caused one to be erected as a
+sign of his right to the territory that had been ceded to him by
+Guacanagari. In a word, to her uninstructed imagination, it seemed as if
+the cross were used as a pledge for the fidelity of all engagements.
+Often had she beheld and admired the beautiful emblem worn by our hero;
+and, as the habits of her own people required the exchange of pledges of
+value as a proof of wedlock, she fancied, when she received this
+much-valued jewel, that she received the sign that our hero took her for
+a wife, at a moment when death was about to part them forever. Further
+than this, her simplicity and affections did not induce her to reason or
+to believe.
+
+It was an hour before Isabella elicited all these facts and feelings
+from Ozema, though the latter clearly wished to conceal nothing; in
+truth, had nothing to conceal. The painful part of the duty remained to
+be discharged. It was to undeceive the confiding girl, and to teach her
+the hard lesson of bitterness that followed. This was done, however, and
+the queen, believing it best to remove all delusion on the subject,
+finally succeeded in causing her to understand that, before the count
+had ever seen herself, his affections were given to Mercedes, who was,
+in truth, his betrothed wife. Nothing could have been gentler, or more
+femininely tender, than the manner in which the queen made her
+communication; but the blow struck home, and Isabella, herself, trembled
+at the consequences of her own act. Never before had she witnessed the
+outbreaking of feeling in a mind so entirely unsophisticated, and the
+images of what she then saw, haunted her troubled slumbers for many
+succeeding nights.
+
+As for Columbus and our hero, they were left mainly in the dark, as to
+what had occurred, for the following week. It is true, Luis received a
+kind and encouraging note from his aunt, the succeeding day, and a page
+of Mercedes' silently placed in his hand the cross that he had so long
+worn; but, beyond this, he was left to his own conjectures. The moment
+for explanation, however, arrived, and the young man received a summons
+to the apartment of the marchioness.
+
+Luis did not, as he expected, meet his aunt on reaching the saloon,
+which he found empty. Questioning the page who had been his usher, he
+was desired to wait for the appearance of some one to receive him.
+Patience was not a conspicuous virtue in our hero's character, and he
+excited himself by pacing the room, for near half an hour, ere he
+discovered a single sign that his visit was remembered. Just as he was
+about to summon an attendant, however, again to announce his presence, a
+door was slowly opened, and Mercedes stood before him.
+
+The first glance that the young man cast upon his betrothed, told him
+that she was suffering under deep mental anxiety. The hand which he
+eagerly raised to his lips trembled, and the color came and went on her
+cheeks, in a way to show that she was nearly overcome. Still she
+rejected the glass of water that he offered, putting it aside with a
+faint smile, and motioning her lover to take a chair, while she calmly
+placed herself on a _tabouret_--one of the humble seats she was
+accustomed to occupy in the presence of the queen.
+
+"I have asked for this interview, Don Luis," Mercedes commenced, as soon
+as she had given herself time to command her feelings, "in order that
+there may no longer be any reasons for mistaking our feelings and
+wishes. You have been suspected of having married the Lady Ozema; and
+there was a moment when you stood on the verge of destruction, through
+the displeasure of Dona Isabella."
+
+"But, blessed Mercedes, _you_ never imputed to me this act of deception
+and unfaithfulness?"
+
+"I told you truth, Senor--for that I knew you too well. I felt certain
+that, whenever Luis de Bobadilla had made up his mind to the commission
+of such a step, he would also have the manliness and courage to avow it.
+_I_ never, for an instant, believed that you had wedded the princess."
+
+"Why, then, those cold and averted looks?--eyes that sought the floor,
+rather than the meeting of glances that love delights in; and a manner
+which, if it hath not absolutely displayed aversion, hath at least
+manifested a reserve and distance that I had never expected to witness
+from thee to me?"
+
+Mercedes' color changed, and she made no answer for a minute, during
+which little interval she had doubts of her ability to carry out her own
+purpose. Rallying her courage, however, the discourse was continued in
+the same manner as before.
+
+"Hear me, Don Luis," she resumed, "for my history will not be long. When
+you left Spain, at my suggestion, to enter on this great voyage, you
+loved _me_--of that grateful recollection no earthly power can deprive
+me! Yes, you then loved _me_, and me _only_. We parted, with our troth
+plighted to each other; and not a day went by, during your absence, that
+I did not pass hours on my knees, beseeching heaven in behalf of the
+admiral and his followers."
+
+"Beloved Mercedes! It is not surprising that success crowned our
+efforts; such an intercessor could not fail to be heard!"
+
+"I entreat you, sir, to hear me. Until the eventful day which brought
+the tidings of your return, no Spanish wife could have felt more concern
+for him on whom she had placed all her hopes, than I felt for you. To
+me, the future was bright and filled with hope, if the present was
+loaded with fear and doubt. The messenger who reached the court, first
+opened my eyes to the sad realities of the world, and taught me the hard
+lesson the young are ever slow to learn--that of disappointment. It was
+then I first heard of Ozema--of your admiration of her beauty--your
+readiness to sacrifice your life in her behalf!"
+
+"Holy Luke! Did that vagabond, Sancho, dare to wound thy ear, Mercedes,
+with an insinuation that touched the strength or the constancy of my
+love for thee?"
+
+"He related naught but the truth, Luis, and blame him not. I was
+prepared for some calamity by his report, and I bless God that it came
+on me by such slow degrees, and with the means of preparation to bear
+it. When I beheld Ozema, I no longer wondered at thy change of
+feeling--scarce blamed it. Her beauty, I do think, thou might'st have
+withstood; but her unfeigned devotion to thyself, her innocence, her
+winning simplicity, and her modest joyousness and nature, are sufficient
+to win a lover from any Spanish maiden"--
+
+"Mercedes!"
+
+"Nay, Luis, I have told thee that I blame thee not. It is better that
+the blow come now, than later, when I should not be able to bear it.
+There is something which tells me that, as a wife, I should sink beneath
+the weight of blighted affections; but, now, there are open to me the
+convent and the espousals of the Son of God. Do not interrupt me, Luis,"
+she added, smiling sweetly, but with an effort that denoted how
+difficult it was to seem easy. "I have to struggle severely to speak at
+all, and to an argument I am altogether unequal. Thou hast not been able
+to control thy affections; and to the strange novelties that have
+surrounded Ozema, as well as to her winning ingenuousness, I owe my
+loss, and she oweth her gain. It is the will of Heaven, and I strive to
+think it is to my everlasting advantage. Had I really wedded thee, the
+tenderness that is even now swelling in my heart--I wish not to conceal
+it--might have grown to such a strength as to supplant the love I owe to
+God; it is, therefore, doubtless, better as it is. If happiness on earth
+is not to be my lot, I shall secure happiness hereafter. Nay, all
+happiness here will not be lost; I can still pray for thee, as well as
+for myself--and thou and Ozema, of all earthly beings, will ever be
+uppermost in my thoughts."
+
+"This is so wonderful, Mercedes--so cruel--so unreasonable--and so
+unjust, that I cannot credit my ears!"
+
+"I have said that I blame thee not. The beauty and frankness of Ozema
+are more than sufficient to justify thee, for men yield to the senses,
+rather than to the heart, in bestowing their love. Then"--Mercedes
+blushed crimson as she continued--"a Haytian maid may innocently use a
+power, that it would ill become a Christian damsel to employ. And, now,
+we will come to facts that press for a decision. Ozema hath been ill--is
+still ill--dangerously so, as her Highness and my guardian believe--even
+as the physicians say--but it is in thy power, Luis, to raise her, as it
+might be, from the grave. See her--say but the word that will confer
+happiness--tell her, if thou hast not yet wedded her after the manner of
+Spain, that thou wilt--nay, let one of the holy priests, who are in
+constant attendance on her, to prepare the way for baptism, perform the
+ceremony this very morning, and we shall presently see the princess,
+again, the smiling, radiant, joyous creature she was, when thou first
+placed her in our care."
+
+"And this thou say'st to me, Mercedes, calmly and deliberately, as if
+thy words express thy very wishes and feelings!"
+
+"Calmly I may _seem_ to say it, Luis," answered our heroine, in a
+smothered tone, "and deliberately I _do_ say it. Marry me, loving
+another better, thou canst not; and why not, then, follow whither thy
+heart leadeth. The dowry of the princess shall not be small, for the
+convent recluse hath little need of gold, and none of lands."
+
+Luis gazed earnestly at the enthusiastic girl, who in his eyes never
+appeared more lovely; then, rising, he paced the room for three or four
+minutes, like one who wished to keep down mental agony by physical
+action. When he had obtained a proper command of himself, he returned to
+his seat, and taking the unresisting hand of Mercedes, he replied to her
+extraordinary proposal.
+
+"Watching over the sick couch of thy friend, and too much brooding on
+this subject, love, hath impaired thy judgment. Ozema hath no hold on my
+heart, in the way thou fanciest--never had, beyond a passing and truant
+inclination"--
+
+"Ah! Luis, those 'passing and truant inclinations.' None such"--pressing
+both her hands on her own heart--"have ever found a place here!"
+
+"Thy education and mine, Mercedes--thy habits and mine--nay, thy nature
+and the ruder elements of mine, are not, _cannot_ be the same. Were they
+so, I should not worship thee as I now do. But didst thou not exist, the
+certainty that I should wed Ozema would not give me happiness--but thou
+existing, and beloved as thou art, it would entail on me a misery that
+even my buoyant nature could not endure. In no case can I ever be the
+husband of the Indian."
+
+Although a gleam of happiness illumined the face of Mercedes for a
+moment, her high principles and pure intentions soon suppressed the
+momentary and unbidden triumph, and, even with a reproving manner, she
+made her answer.
+
+"Is this just to Ozema? Hath not her simplicity been deluded by those
+'passing and truant inclinations,' and doth not honor require that thy
+acts now redeem the pledges that have been given by, at least, thy
+manner?"
+
+"Mercedes--beloved girl, hearken to me. Thou must know that, with all my
+levities and backslidings, I am no coxcomb. Never hath my manner said
+aught that the heart did not confirm, and never hath the heart been
+drawn toward any but thee. In this, is the great distinction that I make
+between thee and all others of thy sex. Ozema's is not the only form,
+her's are not the only charms that may have caught a truant glance from
+my eyes, or extorted some unmeaning and bootless admiration, but thou,
+love, art enshrined here, and seemest already a part of myself. Didst
+thou know how often thy image hath proved a monitor stronger than
+conscience; on how many occasions the remembrance of thy virtues and thy
+affections hath prevailed, when even duty, and religion, and early
+lessons would have been forgotten, thou wouldst understand the
+difference between the love I bear _thee_, and what thou hast so
+tauntingly repeated as truant and passing inclinations."
+
+"Luis, I ought not to listen to these alluring words, which come from a
+goodness of heart that would spare me present pain, only to make my
+misery in the end the deeper. If thou hast never felt otherwise, why was
+the cross that I gave thee at parting, bestowed on another?"
+
+"Mercedes, thou know'st not the fearful circumstances under which I
+parted with that cross. Death was staring us in the face, and I gave it
+as a symbol that might aid a heathen soul in its extremity. That the
+gift, or rather that the thing I lent, was mistaken for a pledge of
+matrimony, is an unhappy misconception, that your own knowledge of
+Christian usages will tell you I could not foresee; otherwise I might
+now claim thee for my wife, in consequence of having first bestowed it
+on me."
+
+"Ah! Luis; when I gave thee that cross, I did wish to be understood as
+plighting my faith to thee forever!"
+
+"And when thou didst send it back to me, now within the week, how was it
+thy wish to be understood?"
+
+"I sent it to thee, Luis, in a moment of reviving hope, and by the order
+of the queen. Her Highness is now firmly thy friend, and would fain see
+us united, but for the melancholy condition of Ozema, to whom all has
+been explained--all, as I fear, except the real state of thy feelings
+toward us both."
+
+"Cruel girl! Am I, then, never to be believed--never again to be happy?
+I swear to thee, dearest Mercedes, that thou alone hast my whole
+heart--that with thee, I could be contented in a hovel, and that without
+thee I should be miserable on a throne. Thou wilt believe this, when
+thou see'st me a wretch, wandering the earth, reckless alike of hopes
+and objects, perhaps of character, because thou alone canst make me, and
+keep me the man I ought to be. Bethink thee, Mercedes, of the influence
+thou canst have--must have--_wilt_ have on one of my temperament and
+passions. I have long looked upon thee as my guardian angel, one that
+can mould me to thy will, and rule me when all others fail. With
+thee--the impatience produced by thy doubts excepted--am I not ever
+tractable and gentle? Hath Dona Beatriz ever exercised a tithe of thy
+power over me, and hast thou ever failed to tame even my wildest and
+rashest humors?"
+
+"Luis--Luis--no one that knew it, ever doubted of thy heart!" Mercedes
+paused, and the working of her countenance proved that the earnest
+sincerity of her lover had already shaken her doubts of his constancy.
+Still, her mind reverted to the scenes of the voyage, and her
+imagination portrayed the couch of the stricken Ozema. After a minute's
+delay, she proceeded, in a low, humbled tone--"I will not deny that it
+is soothing to my heart to hear this language, to which, I fear, I
+listen too readily," she said. "Still, I find it difficult to believe
+that thou canst ever forget one who hath even braved the chances of
+death, in order to shelter thy body from the arrows of thy foes."
+
+"Believe not this, beloved girl; thou wouldst have done that thyself, in
+Ozema's place, and so I shall ever consider it."
+
+"I should have the wish, Luis," Mercedes continued, her eyes suffused
+with tears, "but I might not have the power!"
+
+"Thou wouldst--thou wouldst--I know thee too well to doubt it."
+
+"I could envy Ozema the occasion, were it not sinful! I fear thou wilt
+think of this, when thy mind shall have tired with attractions that have
+lost their novelty."
+
+"Thou wouldst not only have done it, but thou wouldst have done it far
+better. Ozema, moreover, was exposed in her own quarrel, whilst thou
+wouldst have exposed thyself in mine."
+
+Mercedes again paused, and appeared to muse deeply. Her eyes had
+brightened under the soothing asseverations of her lover, and, spite of
+the generous self-devotion with which she had determined to sacrifice
+all her own hopes to what she had imagined would make her lover happy,
+the seductive influence of requited affection was fast resuming its
+power.
+
+"Come with me, then, Luis, and behold Ozema," she at length continued.
+"When thou see'st her, in her present state, thou wilt better understand
+thine own intentions. I ought not to have suffered thee thus to revive
+thy ancient feelings in a private interview, Ozema not being present; it
+is like forming a judgment on the hearing of only one side. And,
+Luis"--her heightened color, the effect of feeling, not of shame,
+rendered the girl surpassingly beautiful--"and, Luis, if thou shouldst
+find reason to change thy language after visiting the princess, however
+hard I may find it to be borne, thou wilt be certain of my forgiveness
+for all that hath passed, and of my prayers"--
+
+Sobs interrupted Mercedes, and she stopped an instant to wipe away her
+tears, rejecting Luis' attempt to fold her in his arms, in order to
+console her, with a sensitive jealousy of the result; a feeling,
+however, in which delicacy had more weight than resentment. When she had
+dried her eyes, and otherwise removed the traces of her agitation, she
+led the way to the apartment of Ozema, where the presence of the young
+man was expected.
+
+Luis started on entering the room; a little on perceiving that the queen
+and the admiral were present, and more at observing the inroads that
+disappointment had made on the appearance of Ozema. The color of the
+latter was gone, leaving a deadly paleness in its place; her eyes
+possessed a brightness that seemed supernatural, and yet her weakness
+was so evident as to render it necessary to support her, in a
+half-recumbent posture, on pillows. An exclamation of unfeigned delight
+escaped her when she beheld our hero, and then she covered her face with
+both her hands, in childish confusion, as if ashamed at betraying the
+pleasure she felt. Luis behaved with manly propriety, for, though his
+conscience did not altogether escape a few twinges, at the recollection
+of the hours he had wasted in Ozema's society, and at the manner in
+which he had momentarily submitted to the influence of her beauty and
+seductive simplicity, on the whole he stood self-acquitted of any thing
+that might fairly be urged as a fault, and most of all, of any thought
+of being unfaithful to his first love, or of any design to deceive. He
+took the hand of the young Indian respectfully, and he kissed it with an
+openness and warmth that denoted brotherly tenderness and regard, rather
+than passion, or the emotion of a lover. Mercedes did not dare to watch
+his movements, but she observed the approving glance that the queen
+threw at her guardian, when he had approached the couch on which Ozema
+lay. This glance she interpreted into a sign that the count had
+acquitted himself in a manner favorable to her own interests.
+
+"Thou findest the Lady Ozema weak and changed," observed the queen, who
+alone would presume to break a silence that was already awkward. "We
+have been endeavoring to enlighten her simple mind on the subject of
+religion, and she hath, at length, consented to receive the holy
+sacrament of baptism. The lord archbishop is even now preparing for the
+ceremony in my oratory, and we have the blessed prospect of rescuing
+this one precious soul from perdition."
+
+"Your Highness hath ever the good of all your people at heart," said
+Luis, bowing low to conceal the tears that the condition of Ozema had
+drawn from his eyes. "I fear this climate of ours ill agrees with the
+poor Haytians, generally, for I hear that the sick among them, at
+Seville and Palos, offer but little hope of recovery."
+
+"Is this so, Don Christopher?"
+
+"Senora, I believe it is only too true. Care hath been had, however, to
+their souls, as well as to their bodies, and Ozema is the last of her
+people, now in Spain, to receive the holy rite of Christian baptism."
+
+"Senora," said the marchioness, coming from the couch, with surprise and
+concern in her countenance, "I fear our hopes are to be defeated after
+all! The Lady Ozema hath just whispered me, that Luis and Mercedes must
+first be married in her presence, ere she will consent to be admitted
+within the pale of the church herself."
+
+"This doth not denote the right spirit, Beatriz--and, yet, what can be
+done with a mind so little illuminated with the light from above. 'Tis
+merely a passing caprice, and will be forgotten when the archbishop
+shall be ready."
+
+"I think not, Senora. Never have I seen her so decided and clear. In
+common, we find her gentle and tractable, but this hath she thrice said,
+in a way to cause the belief of her perfect seriousness."
+
+Isabella now advanced to the couch, and spoke long and soothingly to the
+invalid. In the meantime, the admiral conversed with the marchioness,
+and Luis again approached our heroine. The evidences of emotion were
+plain in both, and Mercedes scarce breathed, not knowing what to expect.
+But a few low words soon brought an assurance that could not fail to
+bring happiness, spite of her generous efforts to feel for Ozema--that
+the heart of our hero was all her own. From this moment Mercedes
+dismissed every doubt, and she regarded Luis as had so long been her
+wont.
+
+As is usual in the presence of royalty, the conversation was carried on
+in a low tone; and a quarter of an hour elapsed before a page announced
+that the oratory, or little chapel, was ready, opening a door that
+communicated directly with it, as he entered.
+
+"This wilful girl persisteth, Daughter-Marchioness," said the queen,
+advancing from the side of the couch, "and I know not what to answer. It
+is cruel to deny her the offered means of grace, and yet it is a sudden
+and unseemly request to make of thy nephew and thy ward!"
+
+"As for the first, dearest Senora, never distrust his forgiveness;
+though I much doubt the possibility of prevailing on Mercedes. Her very
+nature is made up of religion and female decorum."
+
+"It is, indeed, scarce right to think of it. A Christian maiden should
+have time to prepare her spirit for the holy sacrament of marriage, by
+prayer."
+
+"And yet, Senora, many wed without it! The time hath been when Don
+Ferdinand of Aragon and Dona Isabella might not have hesitated for such
+a purpose."
+
+"That time never was, Beatriz. Thou hast a habit of making me look back
+to our days of trial and youth, whenever thou wouldst urge on me some
+favorite but ill-considered wish of thine own. Dost really think thy
+ward would overlook the want of preparation and time?"
+
+"I know not what she might feel disposed to overlook, Senora; but I do
+know that if there be one woman in Spain who is at all times ready in
+_spirit_, for the most sacred rites of the church, it is your Highness;
+and, if there be another, it is my ward."
+
+"Go to--go to--good Beatriz; flattery sitteth ill on thee. None are
+always ready, and all have an unceasing need for watchfulness. Bid Dona
+Mercedes follow to my closet; I will converse with her on this subject.
+At least, there shall be no unfeminine and unseemly surprise."
+
+So saying, the queen withdrew. She had hardly reached her closet, before
+our heroine entered, with a doubtful and timid step. As soon as her eyes
+met those of her sovereign, Mercedes burst into tears, and falling on
+her knees, she again buried her face in the robe of Dona Isabella. This
+outbreak of feeling was soon subdued, however, and then the girl stood
+erect, waiting her sovereign's pleasure.
+
+"Daughter," commenced the queen, "I trust there is no longer any
+misapprehension between thee and the Conde de Llera. Thou know'st the
+views of thy guardian and myself, and may'st, in a matter like this,
+with safety defer to our cooler heads and greater experience. Don Luis
+loveth thee, and hath never loved the princess, though it would not be
+out of character did an impetuous young man, who hath been much exposed
+to temptation, betray some transient and passing feeling toward one of
+so much nature and beauty."
+
+"Luis hath admitted all, Senora; inconstant he hath never been, though
+he may have had his weaknesses."
+
+"'Tis a hard lesson to learn, child, even in this stage of thy life,"
+said the queen, gravely; "but it would have been harder were it deferred
+until the nearer tenderness of a wife had superseded the impulses of the
+girl. Thou hast heard the opinions of the learned; there is little hope
+that the Princess Ozema can long survive."
+
+"Ah! Senora, 'tis a cruel fate! To die among strangers, in the flower of
+her beauty, and with a heart crushed by the weight of unrequited love!"
+
+"And yet, Mercedes, if heaven open on her awaking eyes, when the last
+earthly scene is over, the transition will be most blessed; and they who
+mourn her loss, would do wiser to rejoice. One so youthful and so
+innocent; whose pure mind hath been laid bare to us, as it might be, and
+which we have found wanting in nothing beside the fruits of a pious
+instruction, can have little to apprehend on the score of personal
+errors. All that is required for such a being, is to place her within
+the covenant of God's grace, by obtaining the rite of baptism, and there
+is not a bishop of the church that could depart with brighter hopes for
+the future."
+
+"That holy office is my lord archbishop about to administer, as I hear,
+Senora."
+
+"_That_ somewhat dependeth on thee, daughter. Listen, and be not hasty
+in thy decision, which may touch on the security of a human soul."
+
+The queen now related to Mercedes the romantic request of Ozema, placing
+it before her listener in terms so winning and gentle, that it produced
+less surprise and alarm than she herself had anticipated.
+
+"Dona Beatriz hath a proposal that may, at first, appear plausible, but
+which reflection will not sanction. Her design was to cause the count
+actually to wed Ozema"--Mercedes started, and turned pale--"in order
+that the last hours of the young stranger might be soothed by the
+consciousness of being the wife of the man she idolized; but I have
+found serious objections to the scheme. What is thy opinion, daughter?"
+
+"Senora, could I believe--as lately I did, but now do not--that Luis had
+such a preference for the princess as might lead him, in the end, to the
+happiness of that mutual affection without which wedlock must be a curse
+instead of a blessing, I would be the last to object; nay, I think I
+could even beg the boon of your Highness on my knees, for she who so
+truly loveth can only seek the felicity of its object. But I am assured
+the count hath not the affection for the Lady Ozema that is necessary to
+this end; and would it not be profane, Senora, to receive the church's
+sacraments under vows that the heart not only does not answer to, but
+against which it is actually struggling?"
+
+"Excellent girl! These are precisely my own views, and in this manner
+have I answered the marchioness. The rites of the church may not be
+trifled with, and we are bound to submit to sorrows that may be
+inflicted, after all, for our eternal good; though it be harder to bear
+those of others than to bear our own. It remaineth only to decide on
+this whim of Ozema's, and to say if thou wilt now be married, in order
+that she may be baptized."
+
+Notwithstanding the devotedness of feeling with which our heroine loved
+Luis, it required a strong struggle with her habits and her sense of
+propriety to take this great step so suddenly, and with so little
+preparation. The wishes of the queen, however, prevailed; for Isabella
+felt a deep responsibility on her own soul, in letting the stranger
+depart without being brought within the pale of the church. When
+Mercedes consented, she despatched a messenger to the marchioness, and
+then she and her companion both knelt, and passed near an hour together,
+in the spiritual exercises that were usual to the occasion. In this
+mood, did these pure-minded females, without a thought to the vanities
+of the toilet, but with every attention to the mental preparations of
+which the case admitted, present themselves at the door of the royal
+chapel, through which Ozema had just been carried, still stretched on
+her couch. The marchioness had caused a white veil to be thrown over the
+head of Mercedes, and a few proper but slight alterations had been made
+in her attire, out of habitual deference to the altar and its ministers.
+
+About a dozen persons, deemed worthy of confidence, were present,
+already; and just as the bride and bridegroom were about to take their
+places, Don Ferdinand hastily entered, carrying in his hand some papers
+which he had been obliged to cease examining, in order to comply with
+the wishes of his royal consort. The king was a dignified prince; and
+when it suited him, no sovereign enacted his part more gracefully or in
+better taste. Motioning the archbishop to pause, he directed Luis to
+kneel. Throwing over the shoulder of the young man the collar of one of
+his own orders, he said--
+
+"Now, arise, noble sir, and ever do thy duty to thy Heavenly Master, as
+thou hast of late discharged it toward us."
+
+Isabella rewarded her husband for this act of grace by an approving
+smile, and the ceremony immediately proceeded. In the usual time, our
+hero and heroine were pronounced man and wife, and the solemn rites were
+ended. Mercedes felt, in the warm pressure with which Luis held her to
+his heart, that she now understood him; and, for a blissful instant,
+Ozema was forgotten, in the fulness of her own happiness. Columbus had
+given away the bride--an office that the king had assigned to him,
+though he stood at the bridegroom's side himself, with a view to do him
+honor, and even so far condescended as to touch the canopy that was held
+above the heads of the new-married couple. But Isabella kept aloof,
+placing herself near the couch of Ozema, whose features she watched
+throughout the ceremony. She had felt no occasion for public
+manifestations of interest in the bride, their feelings having so lately
+been poured out together in dear and private communion. The
+congratulations were soon over, and then Don Ferdinand, and all but
+those who were in the secret of Ozema's history, withdrew.
+
+The queen had not desired her husband, and the other attendants, to
+remain and witness the baptism of Ozema, out of a delicate feeling for
+the condition of a female stranger, whom her habits and opinions had
+invested with a portion of the sacred rights of royalty. She had noted
+the intensity of feeling with which the half-enlightened girl watched
+the movements of the archbishop and the parties, and the tears had
+forced themselves from her own eyes, at witnessing the struggle between
+love and friendship, that was portrayed in every lineament of her pale,
+but still lovely countenance.
+
+"Where cross?" Ozema eagerly demanded, as Mercedes stooped to fold the
+wasted form of the young Indian in her arms, and to kiss her cheek.
+"Give cross--Luis no marry with cross--give Ozema cross."
+
+Mercedes, herself, took the cross from the bosom of her husband, where
+it had lain near his heart, since it had been returned to him, and put
+it in the hands of the princess.
+
+"No marry with cross, then," murmured the girl, the tears suffusing her
+eyes, so as nearly to prevent her gazing at the much-prized bauble.
+"Now, quick, Senora, and make Ozema Christian."
+
+The scene was getting to be too solemn and touching for many words, and
+the archbishop, at a sign from the queen, commenced the ceremony. It was
+of short duration; and Isabella's kind nature was soon quieted with the
+assurance that the stranger, whom she deemed the subject of her especial
+care, was put within the covenant for salvation that had been made with
+the visible church.
+
+"Is Ozema Christian now?" demanded the girl, with a suddenness and
+simplicity, that caused all present to look at each other with pain and
+surprise.
+
+"Thou hast, now, the assurance that God's grace will be offered to thy
+prayers, daughter," answered the prelate. "Seek it with thy heart, and
+thy end, which is at hand, will be more blessed."
+
+"Christian no marry heathen?--Christian marry Christian?"
+
+"This hast thou been often told, my poor Ozema," returned the queen;
+"the rite could not be duly solemnized between Christian and heathen."
+
+"Christian marry first lady he love best?"
+
+"Certainly. To do otherwise would be a violation of his vow, and a
+mockery of God."
+
+"So Ozema think--but he can marry second wife--inferior wife--lady he
+love next. Luis marry Mercedes, first wife, because he love best--then
+he marry Ozema, second wife--lower wife--because he love next
+best--Ozema Christian, now, and no harm. Come, archbishop; make Ozema
+Luis' second wife."
+
+Isabella groaned aloud, and walked to a distant part of the chapel,
+while Mercedes burst into tears, and sinking on her knees, she buried
+her face in the cloth of the couch, and prayed fervently for the
+enlightening of the soul of the princess. The churchman did not receive
+this proof of ignorance in his penitent, and of her unfitness for the
+rite he had just administered, with the same pity and indulgence.
+
+"The holy baptism thou hast just received, benighted woman," he said,
+sternly, "is healthful, or not, as it is improved. Thou hast just made
+such a demand, as already loadeth thy soul with a fresh load of sin, and
+the time for repentance is short. No Christian can have two wives at the
+same time, and God knoweth no higher or lower, no first or last, between
+those whom his church hath united. Thou canst not be a second wife, the
+first still living."
+
+"No would be to Caonabo--to Luis, yes. Fifty, hundred wife to dear Luis!
+No possible?"
+
+"Self-deluded and miserable girl, I tell thee no.
+No--no--no--never--never--never. There is such a taint of sin in the
+very question, as profaneth this holy chapel, and the symbols of
+religion by which it is filled. Ay, kiss and embrace thy cross, and bow
+down thy very soul in despair, for"--
+
+"Lord Archbishop," interrupted the Marchioness of Moya, with a sharpness
+of manner that denoted how much her ancient spirit was aroused, "there
+is enough of this. The ear thou wouldst wound, at such a moment, is
+already deaf, and the pure spirit hath gone to the tribunal of another,
+and, as I trust, a milder judge. Ozema is dead!"
+
+It was, indeed, true. Startled by the manner of the prelate--bewildered
+with the confusion of ideas that had grown up between the dogmas that
+had been crowded on her mind, of late, and those in which she had been
+early taught; and physically paralyzed by the certainty that her last
+hope of a union with Luis was gone, the spirit of the Indian girl had
+deserted its beautiful tenement, leaving on the countenance of the
+corpse a lovely impression of the emotions that had prevailed during the
+last moments of its earthly residence.
+
+Thus fled the first of those souls that the great discovery was to
+rescue from the perdition of the heathen. Casuists may refine, the
+learned dilate, and the pious ponder, on its probable fate in the
+unknown existence that awaited it: but the meek and submissive will hope
+all from the beneficence of a merciful God. As for Isabella, she
+received a shock from the blow that temporarily checked her triumph at
+the success of her zeal and efforts. Little, however, did she foresee,
+that the event was but a type of the manner in which the religion of the
+cross was to be abused and misunderstood; a sort of practical prognostic
+of the defeat of most of her own pious and gentle hopes and wishes.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXI.
+
+    "A perfect woman, nobly planned
+    To warn, to comfort, and command;
+    And yet a spirit still, and bright,
+    With something of an angel light."
+
+    Wordsworth.
+
+
+The lustre that was thrown around the voyage of Columbus, brought the
+seas into favor. It was no longer deemed an inferior occupation, or
+unsuited to nobles to engage in enterprises on its bosom; and that very
+propensity of our hero, which had so often been mentioned to his
+prejudice in former years, was now frequently named to his credit.
+Though his real connection with Columbus is published, for the first
+time, in these pages, the circumstance having escaped the superficial
+investigations of the historians, it was an advantage to him to be known
+as having manifested what might be termed a maritime disposition, in an
+age when most of his rank and expectations were satisfied with the
+adventures of the land. A sort of fashion was got up on behalf of the
+ocean; and the cavalier who had gazed upon its vast and unbroken
+expanse, beyond the view of his mother earth, regarded him who had not,
+much as he who had won his spurs looked down upon him who had suffered
+the proper period of life to pass without making the effort. Many of the
+nobles whose estates touched the Mediterranean or the Atlantic, fitted
+out small coasters--the yachts of the fifteenth century--and were met
+following the sinuosities of the glorious coasts of that part of the
+world, endeavoring to derive a satisfaction from a pursuit that it
+seemed meritorious to emulate. That all succeeded who attempted thus to
+transfer the habits of courts and castles to the narrow limits of xebecs
+and feluccas, it would be hazarding too much to assert; but there is
+little doubt that the spirit of the period was sustained by the
+experiments, and that men were ashamed to condemn that, which it was
+equally the policy and the affectation of the day to extol. The rivalry
+between Spain and Portugal, too, contributed to the feeling of the
+times; and there was soon greater danger of the youth who had never
+quitted his native shores, being pointed out for his want of spirit,
+than that the adventurer should be marked for his eccentric and vagrant
+instability.
+
+In the meanwhile, the seasons advanced, and events followed, in their
+usual course, from cause to effect. About the close of the month of
+September, the ocean, just without that narrow and romantic pass that
+separates Europe from Africa, while it connects the transcendent
+Mediterranean with the broader wastes of the Atlantic, was glittering
+with the rays of the rising sun, which, at the same time, was gilding
+the objects that rose above the surface of the blue waters. The latter
+were not numerous, though a dozen different sails were moving slowly on
+their several courses, impelled by the soft breezes of the season. Of
+these, our business is with one alone, which it may be well to describe
+in a few general terms.
+
+The rig of the vessel in question was latine, perhaps the most
+picturesque of all that the ingenuity of man has invented as the
+accessory of a view, whether given to the eye by means of the canvas, or
+in its real dimensions and substance. Its position, too, was precisely
+that which a painter would have chosen as the most favorable to his
+pencil, the little felucca running before the wind, with one of its high
+pointed sails extended on each side, resembling the pinions of some
+enormous bird that was contracting its wings as it settled toward its
+nest. Unusual symmetry was apparent in the spars and rigging; while the
+hull, which was distinguished by lines of the fairest proportions, had a
+neatness and finish that denoted the yacht of a noble.
+
+The name of this vessel was the "Ozema," and she carried the Count of
+Llera with his youthful bride. Luis, who had acquired much of the
+mariner's skill, in his many voyages, directed the movements in person,
+though Sancho Mundo strutted around her decks with an air of authority,
+being the titular, if not the real patron of the craft.
+
+"Ay--ay--good Bartolemeo, lash that anchor well," said the last, as he
+inspected the forecastle, in his hourly rounds; "for fair as may be the
+breezes, and mild as is the season, no one can know what humor the
+Atlantic may be in, when it fairly waketh up. In the great voyage to
+Cathay, nothing could have been more propitious than our outward
+passage, and nothing savor more of devils incarnate, than the homeward.
+Dona Mercedes maketh an excellent sailor, as ye all may see; and no one
+can tell which way, or how far, the humor of the conde may carry him,
+when he hath once taken his departure. I tell ye, fellows, that glory
+and gold may alight upon ye all, any minute, in the service of such a
+noble; and I hope none of ye have forgotten to come provided with
+hawk's-bells, which are as remarkable for assembling doblas, as the
+bells of the Seville cathedral are for assembling Christians."
+
+"Master Mundo," called out our hero, from the quarter-deck, "let there
+be a man sent to the extremity of the fore-yard, and bid him look along
+the sea to the north and east of us."
+
+This command interrupted one of Sancho's self-glorifying discourses, and
+compelled him to see the order executed. When the seaman who was sent
+aloft, had "shinned" his way to the airy and seemingly perilous position
+he had been told to occupy, an inquiry went up from the deck, to demand
+what he beheld.
+
+"Senor Conde," answered the fellow, "the ocean is studded with sails, in
+the quarter your Excellency hath named, looking like the mouth of the
+Tagus, at the first of a westerly wind."
+
+"Canst thou tell them, and let me know their numbers?" called out Luis.
+
+"By the mass, Senor," returned the man, after taking time to make his
+count, "I see no less than sixteen--nay, now I see another, a smaller
+just opening from behind a carrack of size--seventeen, I make them in
+all."
+
+"Then are we in season, love!" exclaimed Luis, turning toward Mercedes
+with delight--"once more shall I grasp the hand of the admiral, ere he
+quitteth us again for Cathay. Thou seemest glad as myself, that our
+effort hath not failed."
+
+"That which gladdeneth thee, Luis, is sure to gladden me," returned the
+bride; "where there is but one interest, there ought to be but one
+wish."
+
+"Beloved--beloved Mercedes--thou wilt make me every thing thou canst
+desire. This heavenly disposition of thine, and this ready consenting to
+voyage with me, will be sure to mould me in such a way that I shall be
+less myself than thee."
+
+"As yet, Luis," returned the young wife, smiling, "the change promiseth
+to be the other way, since thou art much likelier to make me a rover,
+than I to make thee a fixture of the castle of Llera."
+
+"Thou comest not out upon the sea, Mercedes, contrary to thine own
+wishes?" demanded Luis, with the earnest quickness of one who was
+fearful he might unconsciously have done an act of indiscretion.
+
+"No, dearest Luis; so far from it, that I have come with satisfaction,
+apart from the pleasure I have had in obliging thee. Fortunately, I feel
+no indisposition from the motion of the felucca, and the novelty is of
+the most agreeable and exciting kind."
+
+To say that Luis rejoiced to hear this on more accounts than one, is but
+to add that he still found a pleasure in the scenes of the ocean.
+
+In half an hour the vessel of the admiral was visible from the Ozema's
+deck, and ere the sun had reached the meridian, the little felucca was
+gliding into the centre of the fleet, holding her course toward the
+carrack of Columbus. The usual hailing passed, when, apprised of the
+presence of Mercedes, the admiral gallantly repaired on board the Ozema,
+to pay his respects in person. The scenes through which they had passed
+together, had created in Columbus a species of paternal regard for Luis,
+in which Mercedes shared, through the influence of her noble conduct
+during the events that occurred at Barcelona. He met the happy pair,
+therefore, with dignified affection, and his reception partook of the
+feelings that the count and countess so fully reciprocated.
+
+Nothing could be more striking to one who had an opportunity of
+witnessing both, than the contrast between the means with which the
+Genoese sailed on this, and on his former voyage. Then he had set forth
+neglected, almost forgotten, in three vessels, ill-found, and worse
+manned, while now, the ocean was whitened with his canvas, and he was
+surrounded by no inconsiderable portion of the chivalry of Spain. As
+soon as it was known that the Countess of Llera was in the felucca that
+had stopped the fleet, boats put off from most of the vessels, and
+Mercedes held a sort of court on the broad Atlantic; her own female
+attendants, among whom were two or three of the rank of ladies,
+assisting her in doing proper honor to the cavaliers who thronged the
+deck. The balmy influence of the pure air of the ocean, contributed to
+the happiness of the moment; and, for an hour, the Ozema presented a
+scene of gaiety and splendor, such as had never before been witnessed by
+any person present.
+
+"Beautiful Countess," cried one, who had been a rejected suitor of our
+heroine, "you see to what acts of desperation your cruelty hath driven
+me, who am going forth on an adventure to the furthest east. It is well
+for Don Luis that I did not make this venture before he won your favor;
+as no damsel in Spain is expected, henceforth, to withstand the suit of
+one of the admiral's followers."
+
+"It may be as you say, Senor," returned Mercedes, her heart swelling
+with the consciousness that he whom she had chosen had made this same
+boasted adventure, while others shrunk from its hazard, and when its
+result was still a mystery in the unknown future--"It may be as you say;
+but one of moderate wishes, like myself, must be content with these
+unambitious voyages along the coast, in which, happily, a wife may be
+her husband's companion."
+
+"Lady," cried the gallant and reckless Alonzo de Ojeda, in his turn,
+"Don Luis caused me to roll upon the earth, in the tourney, by a fair
+and manly effort, that hath left no rancor behind it; but I shall outdo
+him now, since he is content to keep the shores of Spain in view,
+leaving to us the glory of seeking the Indies, and of reducing the
+Infidels to the sway of the two sovereigns!"
+
+"It is a sufficient honor to my husband, Senor, that he can boast of the
+success you name, and he must rest satisfied with the reputation
+acquired in that one deed."
+
+"Countess, a year hence you would love him better, did he come forth
+with us, and show his spirit among the people of the Grand Khan!"
+
+"Thou see'st, Don Alonzo, that the illustrious admiral doth not
+altogether despise him as it is. They seek a private interview in my
+cabin together; an attention Don Christopher would not be apt to pay a
+recreant, or a laggard."
+
+"'Tis surprising!" resumed the rejected suitor; "the favor of the conde
+with our noble admiral hath surprised us all, at Barcelona. Can it be,
+de Ojeda, that they have met in some of their earlier nautical
+wanderings?"
+
+"By the mass! Senor," cried Alonzo, laughing, "if Don Luis ever met the
+admiral, as he met me in the lists, I should think one interview would
+answer for the rest of their days!"
+
+In this manner did the discourse proceed, some speaking in levity, some
+in more sober mood, and all in amity. While this was passing on deck,
+Columbus had, indeed, retired to a cabin with our hero.
+
+"Don Luis," said the admiral, when they were seated near each other, and
+alone, "thou know'st the regard I bear thee, and I feel certain that
+thou returnest it with an equal degree of esteem. I now go forth from
+Spain, on a far more perilous adventure than that in which thou wert my
+companion. Then I sailed concealed in contempt, and veiled from human
+eyes by ignorance and pity; now, have I left the old world, followed by
+malignancy and envy. These facts am I too old not to have seen, and
+foreseen. In my absence, many will be busy with my name. Even they who
+now shout at my heels will become my calumniators, revenging themselves
+for past adulation by present detraction. The sovereigns will be beset
+with lies, and any disappointment in the degree of success will be
+distorted into crimes. I leave friends behind me, too--friends, such as
+Juan Perez, de St. Angel, Quintanilla, and thyself. On ye, then, do I
+greatly rely, not for favors, but for the interest of truth and
+justice."
+
+"Senor, you may count upon my small influence under all circumstances. I
+have seen you in the day of trial, and it exceedeth ordinary
+misrepresentations to weaken my faith in you."
+
+"This did I believe, Luis, even before it was so warmly and sincerely
+said," returned the admiral, squeezing the young man's hand with fervor.
+"I doubt if Fonseca, who hath now so much power in the affairs of India,
+is truly my friend. Then, there is one of thy blood and name, who hath
+already regarded me with unfavorable eyes, and whom I distrust
+exceedingly, should an occasion offer in which he might do me injury."
+
+"I know him well, Don Christopher, and account him as doing no credit to
+the house of Bobadilla."
+
+"He hath credit, nevertheless, with the king, which is of more
+importance, just now!"
+
+"Ah! Senor, to that wily and double-faced monarch, you must look for
+nothing generous. So long as Dona Isabella's ear can be kept open to the
+truth, there is nothing to fear, but Don Ferdinand groweth each day more
+worldly and temporizing. Mass!--that one who, in youth, was so bold and
+manly a knight, should in his age betray so many of the meannesses that
+would disgrace a Moor! My noble aunt, however, is a host in herself, and
+will ever remain true to you, as she commenced."
+
+"God overruleth all, and it were sinful to distrust either his wisdom or
+justice. And now, Luis, one word touching thyself. Providence hath made
+thee the guardian of the happiness of such a being as is seldom found
+this side the gates of heaven. The man who is blessed with a virtuous
+and amiable wife, like her thou hast wedded, should erect an altar in
+his heart, on which he ought to make daily, nay, hourly sacrifices of
+gratitude to God for the boon; since of all earthly blessings, he
+enjoyeth the richest, the purest, and the most lasting, should he not be
+unmindful of his own riches. But a woman like Dona Mercedes is a
+creature as delicate as she is rare. Let her equanimity check thy
+impetuosity; her purity rebuke the less refined elements of thy
+composition; her virtue stimulate thine own; her love keep thine in an
+unceasing flame, and her tenderness be a constant appeal to thy manly
+indulgence and protection. Fulfil all thy duties as a Spanish grandee,
+son, and seek felicity in the partner of thy bosom, and in love to God."
+
+The admiral now gave Luis his blessing, and, taking leave of Mercedes in
+the same solemn manner, he hastened to his carrack. Boat after boat
+quitted the felucca, many calling out their leave-takings even after
+they were at a distance. In a few minutes, the heavy yards swung around,
+and the fleet was again sweeping off toward the south-west, holding its
+way, as was then fancied, toward the distant shores of India. For an
+hour the Ozema lay where she had been left by Columbus, as if gazing at
+her retiring friends; then her canvas filled, and she hauled up toward
+that bight of the coast, at the bottom of which lay the port of Palos de
+Moguer.
+
+The afternoon was deliciously balmy, and when the felucca drew in with
+the land, the surface of the sea was as smooth as that of an inland
+lake. There was just wind enough to cool the air, and to propel the
+little vessel three or four knots through the water. The day apartment
+occupied by our hero and heroine, was on the quarter-deck. It was
+formed, on the exterior, by a tarpauling, bent like the tilt of a wagon,
+while the interior was embellished with a lining of precious stuffs that
+converted it into a beautiful little saloon. In front, a canvas bulkhead
+protected it from the gaze of the crew; and, toward the stearn a rich
+curtain fell, when it became necessary to shut out the view. The latter
+was now carelessly festooned, permitting the eye to range over a broad
+expanse of the ocean, and to watch the glories of the setting sun.
+
+Mercedes reclined on a luxurious couch, gazing on the ocean, and Luis
+touched a guitar, seated on a stool at her feet. He had just played a
+favorite national air, which he had accompanied with his voice, and had
+laid aside the instrument, when he perceived that his young wife did not
+listen, with her usual fondness and admiration, to his music.
+
+"Thou art thoughtful, Mercedes," he said, leaning forward to read the
+melancholy expression of those eyes that were so often glowing with
+enthusiasm.
+
+"The sun is setting in the direction of the land of poor Ozema, Luis,"
+Mercedes answered, a slight tremor pervading her voice; "the
+circumstance, in connection with the sight of this boundless ocean, that
+so much resembleth eternity, hath led me to think of her end.
+Surely--surely--a creature so innocent can never be consigned to eternal
+misery, because her unenlightened mind and impassioned feelings were
+unable to comprehend all the church's mysteries!"
+
+"I would that thou thought'st less on this subject, love; thy prayers,
+and the masses that have been said for her soul, should content thee;
+or, if thou wilt, the last can be repeated, again and again."
+
+"We will offer still more," returned the young wife, scarce speaking
+above her breath, while the tears fell down her cheeks. "The best of us
+will need masses, and _we_ owe this to poor Ozema. Didst thou bethink
+thee, to intercede again with the admiral, to do all service to
+Mattinao, on reaching Espanola?"
+
+"That hath been attended to, and so dismiss the subject from thy mind.
+The monument is already erected at Llera, and we may feel regret for the
+loss of the sweet girl, but can scarce mourn for her. Were I not Luis de
+Bobadilla, thy husband, dearest, I could think her the subject of envy,
+rather than of pity."
+
+"Ah! Luis, thy flattery is too pleasing to bring reproof, but it is
+scarce seemly. Even the happiness I feel, in being assured of thy
+love--that our fortunes, fate, name, interests are one--is, in truth,
+but misery, compared with the seraphic joys of the blessed; and to such
+joys I could wish Ozema's spirit might be elevated."
+
+"Doubt it not, Mercedes; she hath all that her goodness and innocence
+can claim. Mass! If she even have half that I feel, in holding thee thus
+to my heart, she is no subject for grief, and thou say'st she hath, or
+wilt have, ten-fold more."
+
+"Luis--Luis--speak not thus! We will have other masses said at Seville,
+as well as at Burgos and Salamanca."
+
+"As thou wilt, love. Let them be said yearly, monthly, weekly, forever,
+or as long as the churchmen think they may have virtue."
+
+Mercedes smiled her gratitude, and the conversation became less painful,
+though it continued to be melancholy. An hour passed in this manner,
+during which, the communion was of the sweet character that pervades the
+intercourse of those who love tenderly. Mercedes had already acquired a
+powerful command over the headlong propensities and impetuous feelings
+of her husband, and was gradually moulding him, unknown to herself, to
+be the man that was necessary to her own feelings. In this change, which
+was the result of influence, and not of calculation or design, she was
+aided by the manly qualities of our hero, which were secretly persuading
+him that he had now the happiness of another in his keeping, as well as
+his own. This is an appeal that a really generous mind seldom
+withstands, and far oftener produces the correction of minor faults,
+than any direct management, or open rebukes. Perhaps Mercedes' strongest
+arm, however, was her own implicit confidence in her husband's
+excellence, Luis feeling a desire to be that which she so evidently
+thought him; an opinion that his own conscience did not, in the fullest
+extent, corroborate.
+
+Just as the sun had set, Sancho came to announce that he had let go the
+anchor.
+
+"Here we are, Senor Conde--here we are, at last, Senora Dona Mercedes,
+lying off the town of Palos, and within a hundred yards of the very spot
+where Don Christopher and his gallant companions departed for the
+discovery of the Indies--God bless him a hundred-fold, and all who went
+with him. The boat is ready to take you to the shore, Senora; and there,
+if you do not find Seville, or Barcelona, cathedrals and palaces, you
+will find Palos, and Santa Clara, and the ship-yard-gate--three places
+that are, henceforth, to be more renowned than either: Palos, as having
+sent forth the expedition; Santa Clara, as having saved it from
+destruction, by vows fulfilled at its altars; and the gate, for having
+had the ship of the admiral built within it."
+
+"And other great events, good Sancho!" put in the count.
+
+"Just so, your Excellency; and for other great events. Am I to land you,
+lady?"
+
+Mercedes assented, and in ten minutes she and her husband were walking
+on the beach, within ten yards of the very spot where Columbus and Luis
+had embarked the previous year. The firm sands were now covered with
+people, walking in the cool of the evening. Most of them were of the
+humbler classes, this being the only land, we believe, in which the
+population of countries that possess a favorable climate, do not thus
+mingle in their public promenades, at that witching hour.
+
+Luis and his beautiful wife had landed merely for exercise and
+relaxation, well knowing that the felucca possessed better
+accommodations than any hosteria of Palos; and they fell into the
+current of the walkers. Before them was a group of young matrons, who
+were conversing eagerly, and sufficiently loud to be overheard. Our hero
+and heroine instantly ceased their own discourse, when they found that
+the subject was the voyage to Cathay.
+
+"This day," said one of the party, in a tone of authority, "did Don
+Christopher sail from Cadiz; the sovereigns deeming Palos too small a
+port for the equipment of so great an enterprise. You may depend on what
+I tell ye, good neighbors; my husband, as you all well know, holding an
+appointment in the admiral's own ship."
+
+"You are to be envied, neighbor, that he is in so good repute with so
+great a man!"
+
+"How could he be otherwise, seeing that he was with him before, when few
+had courage to be his companions, and was ever faithful to his orders.
+'Monica'--nay, it was '_good_ Monica'--said the admiral to me, with his
+own mouth, 'thy Pepe is a true-hearted mariner, and hath conducted to my
+entire satisfaction. He shall be made the boatswain of my own carrack,
+and thou, and thy posterity, to the latest antiquity, may boast that you
+belong to so good a man.' These were his words; and what he said, he
+did--Pepe being now a boatswain. But the _paters_ and _aves_ that I said
+to reach this good fortune, would pave this beach!"
+
+Luis now stepped forward and saluted the party, making curiosity to know
+the particulars of the first departure, his excuse. As he expected,
+Monica did not recognize him in his present rich attire, and she
+willingly related all she knew, and not a little more. The interview
+showed how completely this woman had passed from despair to exultation,
+reducing the general and more public change of sentiment, down to the
+individual example of a particular case.
+
+"I have heard much of one Pinzon," added Luis, "who went forth as pilot
+of a caravel in the voyage; what hath become of him?"
+
+"Senor, he is dead!" answered a dozen voices, Monica's, however, so far
+getting the ascendency, as to tell the story. "He was once a great man
+in this quarter; but now his name is lost, like his life. He was untrue,
+and died of grief, it is said, when he found the Nina lying in the
+river, when he expected to have had all the glory to himself."
+
+Luis had been too much engrossed with his own feelings to have heard
+this news before, and he continued his walk, musing and sad.
+
+"So much for unlawful hopes, and designs that God doth not favor!" he
+exclaimed, when they had walked a considerable distance. "Providence
+hath, I think, been of the admiral's side; and certainly, my love, it
+hath been of mine."
+
+"This is Santa Clara," observed Mercedes. "Luis, I would enter, and
+return a thanksgiving at its altars for thy safety and return, and offer
+a prayer for the future success of Don Christopher."
+
+They both entered the church, and they knelt together at the principal
+altar; for, in that age, the bravest warriors were not as much ashamed,
+as in our own times, of publicly acknowledging their gratitude to, and
+their dependence on God. This duty performed, the happy pair returned
+silently to the beach, and went off to the felucca.
+
+Early in the morning, the Ozema sailed for Malaga again, Luis being
+fearful he might be recognized if he continued at Palos. Their port was
+reached in safety; and shortly after the party arrived at Valverde, the
+principal estate of Mercedes, where we shall leave our hero and heroine
+in the enjoyment of a felicity that was as great as could be produced by
+the connection between manly tenderness on one side, and purity of
+feeling and disinterested womanly love on the other.
+
+At a late day, there were other Luis de Bobadillas in Spain, among her
+gallant and noble, and other Mercedes', to cause the hearts of the gay
+and aspiring to ache; but there was only one Ozema. She appeared at
+court, in the succeeding reign, and, for a time, blazed like a star that
+had just risen in a pure atmosphere. Her career, however, was short,
+dying young and lamented; since which time, the name itself has
+perished. It is, in part, owing to these circumstances, that we have
+been obliged to drag so much of our legend from the lost records of that
+eventful period.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Mercedes of Castile, by J. Fenimore Cooper
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