The Court welcomes lumbus. but in doing fomething which cannot be easily comprehended, which compels men to think over and over again upon it.* And certainly, this definition makes the word particularly applicable to the achievement of Columbus. The court prepared a folemn reception for the back Co- Admiral at Barcelona where, as we are told, the people poured out in fuch numbers that the streets could not contain them. A triumphal proceffion like his the world had not feen: it was a thing to make the most incurious alert, and even the fad and folitary ftudent content to come out and mingle with the mob. The captives that went before a Roman general's car might be strange barbarians, of a tribe from which Rome had not yet had flaves. But barbarians were not unknown creatures. Here, with Columbus, were beings of a new world. Imagine the rumours that must have gone before his coming. And now he is here. Ferdinand and Ifabella have their thrones placed in the presence of the affembled multitude. Columbus approaches, with a face full of modest fmiles, ("modefta rifa,") kneels at the King's feet, and begs to kifs their Highneffes' hands. They give their hands; then they bid him rise and be *Herrera, dec. 1, lib. 2, cap. 3. . feated before them. He recounts, briefly, the events of his voyage-a story more interesting than the tale told by Æneas in Dido's courtand he concludes by fhowing what new things and creatures he has brought. Ferdinand and Isabella fall on their knees, giving thanks to God with many tears; and the chorifters of the royal chapel close the grand ceremonial by finging the Te Deum. Afterwards men walk home grave and yet happy, having seen the fymbol of a great work: fomething to be thought over for many an age. Other marks of approbation for Columbus are not wanting. The agreement between him and Los Reyes, (Ferdinand and Isabella may as well be, henceforth, called by us Los Reyes, as they are in the hiftories of that time) is confirmed. He gets a coat of arms, then a thing of fome meaning and substance. He rides by the king's fide; is ferved at table as a Grandee; "all hail " is faid to him on state occafions: and the men of his age, happy in that, have found out another great man to honour. The more profaic part of the business has now to be attended to. Los Reyes apply to the pope, Alexander the 6th, to confer on the Crowns of Caftile, May, 1493. Caftile and Leon the lands difcovered and to be discovered. They foon receive a favourable anThe Pope fwer. The pope grants to the princes of Castile grants the Indies to and Leon, and to their fucceffors, the fovereign empire and principality of the Indies, and of the navigation there, with high and royal jurisdiction and imperial dignity and lordship over all that hemisphere. To preserve the peace between Spain and Portugal, the pontiff divides the Spanish and Portuguese Indian fovereignties, by an imaginary line drawn from pole to pole, one hundred leagues to the weft of the Azores and the Cape de Verde islands. Indians Meanwhile, the preparations for the Admiral's fecond voyage are going on. After the arrival of the apoftolic bulls, and before the departure of Columbus from Barcelona, the nine Indians brought by him were baptized. Here, parenthetically, we may take note of something which, did the fact correspond with what the Spaniards thought, would indeed be notable. One of the Indians, after being baptized, dies; and is, we are told, the first of that nation, according to pious belief, who entered heaven.* * Y porque ellos mismos pidieron el bautismo, quifieron los Reyes ofrecer a nueftro Señor las primicias defta gentilidad, y fueron padrinos, el Rey y el Principe don Juan su hijo: el qual ADMINISTRATION OF COLUMBUS. 117 We cannot help thinking of good Guacanagari, and imagining, that if his race had been like him, some one might already have reached the regions of the bleffed. I do not however refer to this paffage of Herrera for its fingularity, but because it brings before us again the profound import attached to baptifm in those times, and may help to account, as has been noticed before, for many seeming inconfiftences in the conduct of the Spaniards to the Indians. In the conduct, however, of Los Reyes towards the Indians, there is nothing equivocal; but all shows tenderness and religious care in these monarchs for their new fubjects. The inftructions which Columbus carries out in his fecond voyage, dated the 29th May, 1493, are the first strokes upon that obdurate mafs of Colonial difficulty which at last by inceffant working of great Princes, great Churchmen and great statesmen, is eventually to be hammered into fome righteous form of wisdom and of mercy. The following are part of these inftructions. They charge the Admiral by all poffible ways to labour to bring the dwellers in quifo, que uno de los Indios quedasse en fu cafa en fu feruicio, que no mucho despues murió, que fegun piadosamente se deve creer, fue el primero que defta nacion entró en el cielo.-Herrera, dec. I, lib. 2, cap. 5. 1493. Deftruc tion of La the Indies to a knowledge of the facred Catholic Faith. And that this may the easier be done, all the armada is to be charged to deal lovingly (amorofamente) with the Indians. The Admiral is to give them things and honour them much (i los honre mucho). And if by chance any person or perfons should treat the Indians ill, in any manner whatever, the Admiral is to chastise such ill doers feverely.* Their highneffes also fent out Father Buil, and other ecclefiaftics to fuperintend the religious education of the Indians. With these instructions, Columbus fets fail the 25th of September, 1493, having with him 17 veffels and 1500 men. After making various difcoveries, which we need not trouble ourselves about, the Admiral arrives at Hifpaniola, and finds his little colony at La Navidad entirely deNavidad. ftroyed. The account of this which Guacanagari gives to Columbus, and which I fee no reason for doubting, is that the Spaniards who had been left at La Navidad, took to evil courfes, quarrelled amongst themselves, ftraggled about the country, and finally were fet upon when weak and few in numbers, by a neighbouring Indian chief, named Caonabó, who burned the tower and difperfed or * Navarrete, Coleccion Diplomatica, Num. XLV. |