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In his paper of inftructions to his fon of things to be done, the first is, to "commend affection

ately, with much devotion," the foul of the Queen to God. Could the poor Indians but have known what a friend to them was dying, one continued wail would have gone up from Hifpaniola and all the islands. The dread decree, Isabella's however, had gone forth; and on the 26th of

death.

November, 1504, it was only a prayer for the departed that could be addreffed; for the great Queen was no more. If it be permitted to departing fpirits to fee those places on earth they yearn much after, we might imagine that the foul of Ifabella would give "one longing lingering "look" to the far Weft.

And if fo, what did she see there? ferent the aspect of things from what

How dif

governors

and officers of all kinds had told her: how dif ferent from aught that she had thought of, or commanded! She had faid that the Indians were to be free: fhe would have feen them slaves. She had declared that they were to have spiritual inftruction: fhe would have feen them lefs inftructed than the dogs. She had infifted that they should receive pay: fhe would have found that all they received was a mockery of wages,

just enough to purchase once, perhaps, in the course of the year, fome childish trifles from Caftile. She had always ordered kind treatment and proper maintenance for them: she would have seen them literally watching under the tables of their masters, to catch the crumbs which fell there. She would have beheld the Indian labouring at the mine under cruel buffetings, his family neglected, perishing, or enflaved; fhe would have marked him on his return after eight months of dire toil enter a place which knew him not, or a household that could only forrow over the gaunt creature who had returned to them, and mingle their forrows with his; or, ftill more fad, fhe would have seen Indians who had been brought from far diftant homes, linger at the mines, too hopeless, or too careless, to return.

Turning from what might have been seen by Queen Isabella, had her departing gaze pierced to the outskirts of her dominions, we may note what were her latest provifions in their behoof. Her will, as regards Ferdinand, was to this ef fect :-she bequeathed the Regency of Castile to him in case of certain specified contingencies; and she left him half the produce of the Indies, and a definite fum charged upon the three military orders-both of these legacies being

Words in Ifabella's will

touching the Indians.

limited to his life-time.

The following are

her words touching the conduct fhe wished to be pursued to the Indians. After declaring that the ground on which they (the Catholic Sovereigns) had received thefe kingdoms from the Pope, was to bring the people to Chriftianity. "Wherefore,” she goes on to fay, "I very affec"tionately fupplicate my Lord the King, and charge and command my faid daughter (Juana) that they act accordingly, and that this (the converfion of the Indians) should be their principal end, and that in it they should have " much diligence, and that they should not con"fent, or give occafion, that the Indians who "dwell in thofe iflands or on the Terra-firma,

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gained, or to be gained, fhould receive any in"jury in their perfons or goods, but should "command that they be well and justly treated. "And if the Indians have received any injury,

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they (the King and her daughter Juana) should " remedy it, and look that they do not infringe "in any respect that which is enjoined and com"manded in the words of the faid conceffion (of "the Pope)." "*

Having thus transcribed the injunctions of

*For a copy of the will, fee Mariana Hift. gen. de España. Valencia 1796, tom. 9, Apendices.

this pious and admirable Princess, we have to return, with somewhat of a foreboding mind, to the history of those poor Indians to whom she meant fo kindly.

This bequest of Isabella's of half the revenues of the Indies was not well-advised. We are told that Ferdinand attended more to profit from the Indies than to the preservation of them. This statement is probably much exaggerated; but certainly to leave a portion of the proceeds, for life only, of fuch an estate, was not the way to enfure its being well administered. Still, it would be laying too much stress upon this bequest, to attribute any very remarkable confequences to it. We are to confider the troubles and confufions which enfued in Spain on Isabella's death, making it almost impoffible for Ferdinand, or anybody elfe, to, give the requifite attention to the affairs of the Indies. The ftory of these troubles is well known, but we may as well briefly recapitulate it. The Caftilian nobles did not wish to have Changes Ferdinand for their mafter. If it was only on vernment account of being tired of his rule, (whether it of Spain. were good or bad) that was, perhaps, enough. Negociations enfued between Ferdinand and his fon-in-law Philip which led to no amicable result. Ferdinand was nearly fuccefsful in procuring a

in the Go

1506.

paper figned by Juana conftituting him Regent, which being discovered by Philip, he immediately placed his wife in confinement. Ferdinand refolved to marry again, and allied himself to the French king, taking to wife Germaine de Foix, niece of that monarch. Upon this Philip came to terms with Ferdinand; and an agreement was made by which the Regency of Caftile was shared between them.

In 1506, Philip came over with Juana to Spain; and, notwithstanding the compact mentioned above, demanded the fole authority over the kingdom which had defcended to his wife. A large majority of the Spanish nobles fiding with Philip, the old King had to give way; and he went to vifit his newly-conquered kingdom of Naples. Philip lived but a fhort time to enjoy the exercise of his authority; for in three months after gaining poffeffion of the Castilian Crown, he Philip fuddenly fell ill at Burgos and died there, the 25th of October, 1506.

dies.

A few months before, a much more important perfon in our history had alfo departed this life. Columbus, fince his return from his fourth voyage to the Indies, had done little else than memorialize, and petition, and negociate, about his rights and his claims. The proverb, "Fear old age,

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