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though more generous and enterprising, was under the influence of her husband in all her actions. The Spaniards had hitherto made no efforts to extend navigation beyond its ancient limits, and had beheld the amazing progrefs of discovery among their neighbours the Portuguefe, without one attempt to imitate or to rival them. The war with the Infidels afforded an ample field, to the national activity and love of glory. Under circumftances fo infavourable, it was impoffible for Columbus to make rapid progress with a nation, naturally flow and dilatory in forming all its refolutions. His character, however, was admirably adapted to that of the people, whofe confidence and protection he follicited, He was grave, though courteous in his deportment, circumfpe&t in his words and actions, irreproachable in his morals, and exemplary in his attention to all the duties and functions of religion. By qualities fo refpectable, he not only gained many private friends, but acquired fuch general efteem, that, notwithstanding the plainnefs of his appearance, fuitable to the mediocrity of his fortune, he was not confidered as a mere adventurer, to whom indigence had suggested a vifionary project, but was received as a perfon to whofe propofitions ferious attention was due. His fcheme examined by unfkinful judges.

Ferdinand and Ifabella, though fully occu pied by their operations against the Moors,

paid fo much regard to Columbus, as to remit the confideration of his plan to the queen's confeffor, Ferdinand de Talavera. He conful. ted fuch of his countrymen, as were fuppofed beft qualified to decide with refpect to a fubject of this kind. But true fcience had hitherto, made fo little progress in Spain, that the pretended philofophers, felected to judge in a matter of fuch moment, did not comprehend the first principles upon which Columbus founded his conjectures and hopes. Some of them, from miftaken notions concerning the dimenfions of the globe, contended that a voyage to thofe remote parts of the east, which Columbus expected to discover, could not be performed in lefs than three years. Others concluded, that either he would find the ocean to be of infinite extent, according to the opinion of fome ancient philofophers; or, if he should perfift in fteering towards the weft beyond a certain point, that the convex figure of the globe would prevent his return, and that he must inevitably perifh, in the vain attempt to open a communication between the two oppofite hemifphewhich nature had for ever disjoined. Even without deigning to enter into any particular difcuffion, many rejected the scheme in general, upon the credit of a maxim, under which the ignorant and unenterprifing fhelter themselves in every age. That it is pre- / Sumptuous in any perfon, to fuppofe that he

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alone poffeffes knowledge fuperior to all the reft of mankind united. " They maintained, that if there were really any fuch countries as Columbus pretended, they could not have remained fo long concealed, nor would the wifdom and fagacity of former ages have left the glory of this invention to an obfcure Genoefe pilot.

Who make an unfavourable report concerning it.

It required all Columbus patience and addrefs to negociate with men capable of advan-. cing fuch ftrange propofitions. He had to contend not only with the obftinacy of ignorance, but with what is ftill more intractable, the pride of falfe knowledge. After innumerable conferences, and wafting five years in fruitless endeavours to inform and to fatisfy judges fo little capable of deciding with propriety, Talavera, at laft, made fuch an unfavourable report to Ferdinand and Ifabella, as induced them to acquaint Columbus, that until the war with the Moors fhould be brought to a period, it would be imprudent to engage in any new and expenfive enterprise.

Whatever care was taken to foften the harshnefs of this declaration, Columbus confidered it as a final rejection of his propofals. But hap

pily for mankind, that fuperiority of genius, which is capable of forming great and uncommon defigns, is ufually accompanied with an

ardent enthufiafm, which can neither be cooled by delays, nor damped by disappointment. Columbus was of this fanguine temper. Though he felt deeply the cruel blow given to his hopes, and retired immediately from a court, where he had been amused fo long with vain expectations, his confidence in the juftness of his own fyftem did not diminish, and his impatience to demonftrate the truth of it by an actual experiment became greater than ever. Having courted the protection of fovereign ftates without fuccefs, he applied, next, to perfons of inferior rank, and addreffed fucceffively the dukes of Medina Sidonia, and Medina Celi, who, though fubjects, were poffeffed of power and opulence more than equal to the enterprise which he projected. His negociations with them proved as fruitlefs as thofe in which he had been hitherto engaged; for these noblemen were either as litt le convinced by Columbus arguments as their fuperiors, or they were afraid of alarming the jealoufy, and offending the pride of Ferdinand, by countenancing a scheme which he had rejected n).

Negociation of his brother in England,

Amid the painful fenfations occafioned by fuch a fucceffion of disappointments, Columbus had to sustain the 'additional diftrefs, of having received no accounts of his brother, whom he ) Life of Columb, c, 13. Herrera, dec. 1, lib, 1, 0, 7«

had fent to the court of England. In his voyage to that country, Bartholomew had been fo unfortunate as to fall into the hands of pirates, who having ftripped him of every thing, detained him a prisoner for several years. At length, he made his escape, and arrived in London, but in fuch extreme indigence, that he was obliged to employ himself during a confiderable time, in draving and felling maps, in order to pick up as much money as would purchafe a decent drefs, in which he might venture to appear at He then laid before the king the proposals with which he had been entrusted by his brother, and, notwithstanding Henry's exceffive caution and parfimony, which rendered him averfe to new or expenfive undertakings, he received Columbus overtures, with more approbation than any monarch to whom they had hitherto been presented.

court.

Columbus has fome profpects of encouragement in Spain,

Mean while, Columbus being unacquainted with his brother's fate, and having now no profpect of encouragement in Spain, refolved to vifit the court of England in perfon, in hopes of meeting with a more favourable reception there. He had already made preparations for this propofe, and taken meafures for the difpofal of his children during his abfence, when Juan Perez, the guardian of the monaftery of Rabida, near Palos, in which they had been educated,

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