earneftly folicited him to defer his journey for a fhort time. Perez was a man of confiderable learning, and of some credit by Queen Ifabella, to whom he was known perfonally. He was warmly attached to Columbus, with whofe abilities as well as integrity he had many opportunities of being acquainted. Prompted by curiofity or by friendship, he entered upon an accurate examination of his fyftem, in conjun&tion with a physician fettled in the neighbourhú, who was a confiderable proficient in mathematical knowledge. them fo thoroughly, with respect to the folidity of the principles on which Columbus founded his opinion, and the probability of fuccefs in executing the plan which he propofed, that Perez, in order to prevent his country from being deprived of the glory and benefit, which muft accrue to the patrons of such a great enterprize, ventured to write to Ifabella, conjuring her to confider the matter a new, with the attention which it merited.

This investigation fatisfied

Moved by the reprefentations of a perfon whom she refpected, Ifabella defired Perez to repair immediately to the village of Santa Fé; in which, on account of the fiege of Granada, the court refided at that time, that she might confer with him upon this important fubject. (1491) The firft effect of their interview was a gracious invitation of Columbus back to court, accompanied with the prefent of a small sum to ROBERTSON Vol. I. G

equip him for the journey. As there was now a certain profpect, that the war with the Moors would fpeedily be brought to an happy iffue by the reduction of Granada, which would leave the nation at liberty to engage in new undertakings; this, as well as the mark of royal favour, with which Columbus had been lately honoured, encouraged his friends to appear with greater confidence than formerly in fupport of his fcheme. The chief of thefe, Alonfo de Quintanilla, comptroller of the finances in Caftile, and Louis de Santangel, receiver of the ecclefiaftical revenues in Aragon, whofe meritorious zeal in promoting this great defign entitles their names to an honourable place in hiftory, untroduced Columbus to many perfons of high rank, and interefted them warmly in his behalf.

Is again disappointed.

But it was not an easy matter to inspire Ferdinand with favourable fentiments. He ftill regarded Columbus project as extravagant and chimerical, and in order to render the efforts of his partizans ineffectual, he had the address to employ in this new negociation with him, fome of the persons who had formerly pronounced his fcheme to be inpracticable. To their aftonishment, Columbus appeared before them with the fame confident hopes of fuccefs as formerly, and infifted upon the fame high recompence. He propofed that a fmall fleet fhould

be fitted out, under his command, to attempt the difcovery, and demanded to be appointed heredit ry admiral, and viceroy of all. the feas and lands which he should difcover, and to have the tenth of the profits arising from them, fettled irrevocably upon himself and his defcendants. At the fame time, he offered to advance the eighth part of the fum neceffary for accomplishing his defign, on condition that he should be entitled to a proportional fhare of benefit from the adventure. If the enterprise fhould totally miscarry, he made no ftipulation for any reward or emolument whatever. Inftead of viewing this conduct as the cleareft evidence of his full perfuafion with respect to the truth of his own fyftem, or being ftruck with that magnanimity, which, after fo many delays and repulfes, could ftoop to nothing inferior to its original claims, the perfons with whom Columbus treated, began meanly to calculate the expence of the expedition, and the value, of the reward which he demanded. The expence, moderate as it was, they represented to be to great for Spain, in the prefent exhausted state of its finances. They contended, that the honours and emoluments claimed by Columbus, were exorbitant, even if he fhould perform the utmost of what he had promifed; and if all his fanguine hopes fhould prove illufive, fuch vaft conceffions to an adventurer would be deemed not only inconfiderate, but ridiculous. In this impofing garb of

caution and prudence, their opinion appeared fo plaufible, and was fo warmly fupported by Ferdinand, that Ifabella declined giving any countenance to Columbus, and abruptly broke off the negociation with him which fhe had begun.

This was more mortifying to Columbus than all the disappointment which he had hitherto met with. The invitation to court from Isabella, like an unexpected ray of light, had opened fuch prospects of fuccefs, as encouraged him to hope that his labours were at an end; but now darkness and uncertainty returned, and his mind, firm as it was, could hardly fupport the fhock of fuch an unforeseen reverse. He withdrew in deep anguish from court, with an intention of profecuting his voyage to England, as his laft resource.

Proves at laft fuccefsful January 2. 1492.

About that time Granada furrendered, and Ferdinand and Isabella in triumphal pomp, took poffeffion of a city, the reduction of which extirpated a foreign power from the heart of their dominions, and rendered them mafters of all the provinces, extending from the bottom of the Pyrenees to the frontiers of Portugal. As the flow of fpirits which accompanies fuccefs elevates the mind, and renders it enterprifing, Quintanilla and Santangel, the vigilant and difcerning patrons of Columbus, took advantage

of this favourable fituation, in order to make one effort more in behalf of their friend. They addreffed themfelves to Ifabella, and, after expreffing fome furprise, that fhe, who had always been the munificent patronefs of generous undertakings, fhould hesitate so long to countenance the most splendid scheme that had ever been propofed to any monarch; they reprefented to her, that Columbus was a man of a found understanding and virtuous character, well qualified by his experience in navigation, as well as his knowledge of geometry, to form juft ideas with respect to the ftructure of the globe and the fituation of its various regions; that, by offering to rifk his own life and fortune in the execution of his fcheme, he gave the most fatisfying evidence both of his integrity and hope of fuccefs; that the fum requifite for equipping fuch an armament as he demanded was inconfiderable, and the advantages which might accrue from his undertaking were immenfe; that he demanded no recompence for his invention and labour, but what was to arife from the countries which he fhould discover; that, as it was worthy of her magnanimity to make this noble attempt to extend the sphere of human knowledge, and to open an intercourse with regions hitherto unknown, fo it would afford the highest fatisfaction to her piety and zeal, after reestablishing the Christian faith in