out of the island. Several of the malcontents continued in arms, rei fufing to fubmit to the admiral. He and his brothers were obliged to take the field alternately, in order to check their incurfions, or to pu nish their crimes. The perpetual occupation and difquiet which this created, prevented him from giving due attention to the dangerous machinations of his enemies in the court of Spain. A good number of fuch as were moft diffatisfied with his administration, had embraced the opportunity of returning to Europe with the fhips which he dispatched from St. Domingo. The final disappointment of all their hopes inflamed the rage of these unfortunate adventurers against Columbus to the utmost pitch. Their poverty and diftrefs, by exciting compaffion, rendered their accufations credible, and their complaints interefting. They teazed Ferdinand and Isabella inceffantly with memorials, containing the detail of their own grievances, and the articles of their charge agaiaft Columbus. Whenever either the king or queen appeared in public, they furrounded them in a tumultuary manner, infifting with importunate clamours for payment of the arrears due to them, and demanding vengeance upon the author of their fufferings. They infulted the admiral's fons wherever they met them, reproaching them as the offspring of the projector, whofe fatal curiofity had dif covered those pernicious regions which drained Spain of its wealth, and would prove the grave of its people. Thefe avowed endeavours of the malcontents from America to ruin Columbus, were feconded by the fecret, but more dangerous infinuations of that party among the courtiers, which had always thwarted his fchemes, and envied his fuccefs and credit.

Ferdinand was disposed to liften, not only with a willing, but with a partial ear, to thefe accufations. Notwithstanding the flattering accounts which Columbus had given of the riches of America, the remittances from it had hitherto been fo fcanty, that they fell far fhort of the expence of the armaments fitted out. The glory of the difcovery," together with the profpect of remote commercial advantages, was all that Spain had yet received in return for the efforts which she had made. But time had already diminished the first fenfations of joy which the difcovery of a New World occafioned, and fame alone was not an object to fatisfy the cold interested mind of Ferdinand. The nature of commerce was then fo little understood, that, where immediate gain was not acquired, the hope of diftant benefit, or of flow and moderate returns, was totally difregarded. Ferdinand confidered Spain, on this account, as having loft by the enterprise of Columbus, and imputed it to his misconduct and incapacity for government, that a country abound

ing in gold had yielded nothing of value to its conquerors. Even Ifabella, who from the favourable opinion which fhe entertained of Columbus, had uniformly protected him, was fhaken at length by the number and boldness of his accufers, and began to suspect that a difaffection fo general must have been occafioned by real grievances, which called for redrefs. The bishop of Bajados, with his ufual animofity against Columbus, encouraged thefe fufpicions, and confirmed them.

As foon as the queen began to give way to the torrent of calumny, a refolution fatal to Columbus was taken. Francis de Bovadilla, a knight of Calatrava, was appointed to repair to Hifpaniola, with full powers to enquire into the conduct of Columbus, and, if he should find the charge of mal-adminiftration proved, to fuperfede him, and affume the government of the island. It was impoffible to efcape condemnation, when this prepofterous commiffion made it the intereft of the judge to pronounce the perfon, whom he was fent to try, guilty. Though Columbus had now compofed all the diffentions in the island; though he had brought both Spaniards and Indians to submit peaceably to his government; though he had made fuch effectual provifion for working the mines, and cultivating the country, as would have fecured a confiderable revenue to the king, as well as large profits to individuals, Bovadilla, without deigning to attend to the nature or merit of those fervices, difcovered, from the moment that he landed in Hifpaniola, a determined purpose of treating him as a criminal, He took poffeffion of the admiral's houfe in St. Domingo, from which its mafter happened at that time to be abfent, and seized his effects, as if his guilt had been already fully proved; he rendered himself mafter of the fort and of the king's ftores by violence; he required all perfons to acknowledge him as fupreme governor; he fet at liberty the prifoners confined by the admiral, and fummoned him to appear before his tribunal, in order to anfwer for his conduct; tranfmitting to him, together with the fummons, a copy of the royal mandate, by which Columbus was enjoined to yield implicit obedience to his commands.

Columbus, though deeply affected with the ingratitude and injustice of Ferdinand and Ifabella, did not hesitate a moment about his own conduct. He fubmitted to the will of his fovereigns with a refpectful filence, and repaired directly to the court of that violent and partial judge whom they had authorised to try him. Bovadilla, without admitting him into his prefence, ordered him inftantly to be arrested, to be loaded with chains, and hurried on board a ship. Even under this humiliating reverse of fortune, the firmnefs of mind which diftinguishes the character of Columbus, did not forfake him. Confcious of his own No. II, integrity

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integrity, and folacing himself with reflecting upon the great things which he had achieved, he endured this infult offered to his character, not only with compofure, but with dignity. Nor had he the confolation of sympathy to mitigate his fufferings. Bovadilla had already rendered himself fo extremely popular, by granting various immunities to the colony, by liberal donations of Indians to all who applied for them, and by relaxing the reins of difcipline and government, that the Spaniards, who were moftly adventurers, whom their indigence or crimes had impelled to abandon their native country, expreffed the most indecent fatisfaction with the difgrace and imprifonment of Columbus. They flattered themfelves, that now they fhould enjoy an uncontrouled liberty, more fuitable to their difpofition and former habits of life. Among perfons thus prepared to cenfure the proceedings, and to afperfe the character of Columbus, Bovadilla collected materials for a charge against him. All accufations, the moft improbable, as well as inconfiftent, were received. No informer, however infamous, was rejected. The refult of this inqueft, no lefs indecent than partial, he tranfmitted to Spain. At the fame time, he ordered Columbus, with his two bro thers, to be carried thither in fetters; and, adding cruelty to infult, he confined them in different fhips, and excluded them from the comfort of that friendly intercourfe which might have foothed their common diftrefs. But while the Spaniards in Hifpaniola viewed the arbitrary and infolent proceedings of Bovadilla with a general approbation, which reflects difhonour upon their name and country, one man still retained a proper fenfe of the great actions which Columbus had performed, and was touched with the fentiments of veneration and pity due to his rank, his age, and his merit. Alonfo de Vallejo, the captain of the vessel on board which the admiral was confined, as foon as he was clear of the ifland, approached the prifoner with great refpect, and offered to releafe him from the fetters with which he was unjufly loaded. “No,” replied Columbus, with a generous indignation, "I wear these irons in confequence of an order from my fovereigns. They shall find me as obedient to this as to their other injunctions. By their command I have been confined, and their command alone fhall fet me at liberty."

Fortunately, the voyage to Spain was extremely fhort. As foon as Ferdinand and Ifabella were informed that Columbus was brought home a prifoner, and in chains, they perceived at once what univerfal aftonishment this event muft occafion, and what an impreffion to their disadvan tage it must make. All Europe, they forefaw, would be filled with indignation at this ungenerous requital of a man who had performed actions worthy of the highest recompence, and would exclaim against the

injustice

utterance.

injuftice of the nation, to which he had been fuch an eminent benefactor, as well as against the ingratitude of the princes whofe reign he had rendered illuftrious. Afhamed of their own conduct, and eager not only to make some reparation for this injury, but to efface the stain which it might fix upon their character, they inftantly iffued orders to fet Columbus at liberty, on December the feventeenth, invited him to court, and remitted money to enable him to appear there in a manner fuitable to his rank. When he entered the royal prefence, Columbus threw himself at the feet of his fovereigns. He remained for fome time filent; the various paffions which agitated his mind fuppreffing his power of. At length he recovered himself, and vindicated his conduct in a long difcourfe, producing the moft fatisfying proofs of his own integrity as well as good intention, and evidence, no lefs clear, of the malevolence of his enemies, who, not fatisfied with having ruined his fortune, laboured to deprive him of what alone was now left, his honour and his fame. Ferdinand received him with decent civility, and Ifabella with tenderness and refpect. They both expreffed their forrow for what had happened, difavowed their knowledge of it, and joined in promifing him protection and future favour. But though they inftantly degraded Bovadilla, in order to remove from themselves any fufpicion of having authorised his violent proceedings, they did not restore to Columbus his jurisdiction and privileges as viceroy of those countries which he had difcovered. Though willing to appear the avengers of Columbus's wrongs, that illiberal jealoufy which prompted them to inveft Bovadilla with fuch authority as put it in his power to treat the admiral with indignity still fubfifted. They were afraid to truft a man to whom they had been fo highly indebted, and retaining him at court under various pretexts, they appointed Nicholas de Ovando, a knight of the military order of Alcantara, governor of Hifpaniola.

Columbus was deeply affected with this new injury, which came from hands that feemed to be employed in making reparation for his past fufferings, The fenfibility with which great minds feel every thing that implies any fufpicion of their integrity, or that wears the afpect of an affront, is exquifite. Columbus had experienced both from the Spaniards; and their ungenerous conduct exafperated him to such a degree, that he could no longer conceal the fentiments which it excited. Whereever he went, he carried about with him, as a memorial of their ingratitude, thofe fetters with which he had been loaded. They were conftantly hung up in his chamber, and he gave orders that when he died they should be buried in his grave.

Meanwhile, in the year one thousand five hundred and one, the spirit of discovery, notwithstanding the fevere check which it received by the ungenerous treatment of the man, who first excited it in Spain, continued active and vigorous. Roderigo de Baftidas, a perfon of diftinction, fitted out two fhips, in January, in co-partnery with John de la Cofa, who having ferved under the admiral in two of his deemed voyages, was the most skilful pilot in Spain. They fteered directly towards the continent, arrived on the coaft of Paria, and proceeding to the weft, difcovered all the coaft of the province now known by the name of Tierra Firmè, from Cape de Vela to the gulf of Darien. Not long after Ojeda, with his former affociate Amerigo Vespucci, fet out upon a fecond voyage, and being unacquainted with the destination of Baftidas, held the fame course, and touched at the fame places. The voyage of Baftidas was profperous and lucrative, that of Ojeda unfortunate. But both tended to increafe the ardour of difcovery; for in proportion as the Spaniards acquired a more extenfive knowledge of the American continent, their idea of its opulence and fertility increased.

Before thefe adventurers returned from their voyages, a fleet was equipped, at the public expence, for carrying over Ovando, the new governor to Hifpaniola. His prefence there was extremely requifite, in order to ftop the inconfiderate career of Bovadilla, whofe imprudent administration threatened the fettlement with ruin. Confcious of the violence and iniquity of his proceedings againft Columbus, he continued to make it his fole object to gain the favour and fupport of his countrymen, by accommodating himself to their paffions and prejudices. With this view, he established regulations, in every point the reverse of those which Columbus deemed effential to the profperity of the colony. Instead of the fevere difcipline, neceffary in order to habituate the diffolute and corrupted members of which the fociety was composed to the restraints of law and fubordination, he suffered them to enjoy fuch uncontrouled licence, as encouraged the wildeft exceffes. Inftead of protecting the Indians, he gave a legal fanction to the oppreffion of that unhappy people. He took the exact number of such as furvived their past calamities, divided them into diftinct claffes, diftributed them in property among his adherents, and reduced all the people of the island to a state of complete fervitude. As the avarice of the Spaniards was too rapacious and impatient to try any method of acquiring wealth but that of fearching for gold, this fervitude became as grievous as it was unjuft. The Indians were driven in crowds to the mountains, and compelled to work in the mines by mafters, who impofed their tasks without mercy or discretion. Labour, fo dispropor tioned

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