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*«f%v; 
 
 SOME FACTS 
 
 AKOI r 
 
 JOHN AND SEBASTIAN CABOT 
 
 I 
 
 
 BY 
 
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 SOME FACTS 
 
 AHOlIT 
 
 JOHN AND SEBASTIAN CABOT 
 
 BY 
 
 GEORGE PARKER W1N8H1P, A.M. 
 
 KKOli FROCKKI.l.N.iS ..K TllK AMKHU AN ANTI.JIAB.AN SclKlV, AT TllK. 
 SKMI-ANNUAL MKETlNd, Al'BIL 26, I'JOO. 
 
 tj- t 
 
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 Worceuter, P»isis., HI. |l. ^. 
 
 I'KESS OF CIIARLKS HAMILTON, 
 31 1 MAIN STUEKT. 
 
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 SOME FACTS ABOUT JOHN AND SEBASTIAN CABOT. 
 
 A f'KKW of Kiijiriii^li sailors, in the iiii<lsiiiuni(>r oi thv yvar 
 14t»7, brought thoir littU' craft up tlie Severn and ah)n,<<rsi(1e 
 one of the ohi Bristol wliarves. In reply to the "rreetinjars 
 of those who woleomed theuj home, thev announced that 
 thev had sailed throuirh shoals of countless tish to a land on 
 the further side of the North Atlantic' Ten months later 
 their couunander, tlu^ Italian merchant adventurer John 
 (.'allot, sailed awiy again from these same Bristol wharves, 
 in <'harge of five shijis carrying ujcn and goods suitable for 
 the exploration and settlement of the western lands he had 
 visited a rear before. Three or four years after this, 
 in 1502, an expedition was fitted out ])V some Bristol 
 merchants and sent to tiie new world. Almost nothing is 
 known about this adventure, — as to why it was projected, 
 its intende<l destination, or what came of it : but it is a 
 reasonal)le surmise that the expedition was sent to search 
 lor some traces of the fleet which flohn Cabot had led 
 
 < Al ilitto iiieKHer Xoanne II C(iiii|>a|{iii clii huiio quasi tiitti iiiKleHii ut ila 
 
 HriHtii et alTcriiianm) die ijiiello mare <■ vo|ierto ile petiHi li <|iiali se |ir«ii<leiiiio 
 
 noli Hcilo cum la rete, ma cum Iv ciste, e.sHeiiiliih allit;at<> uiio Haxii ail i:itt die la 
 cUta He iiii|i(>7.i in laqiia, et (jueHto i» llio olilito narrare al ilietti ineHser /oaiiiu!. 
 Kt (littl liiKlefli Hiiiii c.uuipaKni ilicimo die portaranno tanti peagi die qiiesto re):nii 
 lion liavera piii liiHocno >le iNlamla, ilel quale paege vene una f^ranilisHima mercantia 
 lie (leHNi die Hi diiainaniio HtoditlHHi. From the gecoiitl tlispatdi reicanlinc CalKit 
 Kent liy Raimuiido di Sonciiio to the Duke of Milan, datetl from r.oniloii, 18 nereiii- 
 lier, HUT, aH printed in Haukirhe, ■/. et S. lnhitt, pp. 3'.>4, .'fJ6. It has frequently 
 Iwen trauKlated into Kni;lish, and may lie found in moHt modern ImkiIch alHiut the 
 <'al)Otg. There ig repeated evidence of the im|ireHHion made upon the earlieHt 
 Knicliiih visitorg liy the vast ghoalH of llsh which freipiented the western Atlantic 
 from Cape Cnii to Uilirador. See imte /)o»/,p.lO. The degcri|itiong in I'eter Martyr, 
 ICamiigio, and even in the le^endg to the Caliot 1544 map, were probably derived 
 from the experiences of voyaKCs subsequent to this one uf 1407. 
 
 H * 
 
 m 
 

 wttstwiii'd in 14*.)K, iind troiii wliicli no iirw.H hud tlioii, nor 
 has siiH'«\ iMicn r«M*<'iv(Hl.' 
 
 Kiglity vj'Hi'M hittM', in l.')8U-«4, Dr. .lohn Dt't^ imd 
 Kichiird llnkhiyt iindui'took to stir up tiic Kurdish poopic, 
 
 ' TliP Mtateineiit in the i«intein|M>rury Crnnhnii rri/iim Ainiliir, that tli« H»'«a of 
 14IM •'(k|>artp<l from tlia Went Cuntriiy in tlt« liecyniiynK of Honinr, Init to tiiin 
 |ir«H<>nt nionrtli came nevir knowl«K« of tlioir exployt," iK hh true now m wIumi it 
 wan tirfit written. Information in reKaril to tlie voyage of IMK.' or inn,'t ronNlHtH at 
 prewent of little iHixideM the oharterx which authorizeil the unilertaklnK. lietterx 
 patent were granted hy Henry VII., dated 10 March, lf>l)l 'J, to three BriHtol nicr- 
 chanttt— Ward, AHhehunit anil ThoniaH— and three I'ortiiKneite from the AzoreH, 
 aiitlioriziiiK them in the umial terniD to venture whlthenioever they pleaned: 
 pleuaiii au lilMiram anctorltatem, facultatem et potegtateni committimiiH navi- 
 Itandl etse trauHferendl ad omneH partes, rcKioncH et HneH MariH Orientallfi, Occi- 
 
 dentalig, AuRtralifi, Korealia et HeptentrionaliH ad inveniendum, recu|ieranduni, 
 
 digcoperienilum et invegtiKandum Ingulag, patriag, KeKl'uieg give provincing i|uaH- 
 cun<|ue Oentiliiim et Intldellum in (luacunque Mundi parte iHigitas quie ChriMtianiM 
 onmilmgante hiec tem|H>ra fuerunt et in pni-Henti Hunt incoKnita. In the gimilar 
 grant to ,lohn t'abot and hig three Ninm, ilated n March, UWi-K, they are given 
 authority: navigandi ad onmeg parteg, regioneg et ginug marig Orientalig, occi- 
 
 denlalix et Septentrionalig etc. Frequent attention hag lieeii called to the 
 
 proliahly gignittcant imilggiim in the charter of 1406 of permiggion to cxphuc 
 towardg the goiith, the region in which Spain had already r<iund tlie way to her 
 new world empire. See the text, carefully trangliterated from the original manu- 
 gcrlpt, in Wkauk, Cahot's hiHcnKrru, pp. 0(1-07. In the draft of the chart<>r of 
 lliOl-'inccurg the curiong paggage, the meaning of whii^h hag lieen often discUHged, 
 geciiring t<i the Anglo- I'ortuguege gyndicate poggeggion In whatitver they might 
 digcover: " F't qu(Ml nullug. . . eog eunim allquem de et HU|ier poggeggione et titiilo 
 
 Kulg aliqualiter contra voluntatem guam expellat quovig modogeu aliipiigextra- 
 
 neuH aut aliqui extranel virtute aut colore allcujus concegglonig noHtrii' gild Magno 
 SigUlo Nogtro |ierantea fai'tJi'." See Rit>i>LK, Meimiir nf Sihnnliaii <V»/«)^, p. ;i1k, 
 where thig chart<>r wag Hrgt printed. It ig a reagimalile guppogition that the 
 gtrangerg referred to, who had previougly received grantg, were the Cabot family. 
 
 The eviilence that a voyage wag made in accordance with thig patent uf \t*r> 
 cougigtg of an entry, under date 1502, in Kahvan'h i'hrniiivh-, ag quoted liy .Stow, 
 « Itriiiiirif, lAMl edition, p. H75: "Thyg yeare were brought vnto the Kyng three men 
 taken In the new founde llandg, by Sel>agtian (iabato, before named in Anno 146H 
 [migprinted for 140H], thege men weret'lothed in Keagteggkinneg,Hnd eate raw Klegh, 
 
 Imtgpakeguch a language ag no man could vndergtaud them" Thig evidence 
 
 ig apparently contlrmed by the fact that, on !• hecember, l.'Mr.', a gecond charter was 
 iggued to the game pergong, with the addition of another Krigtol merchant, Hugh 
 Klliott. The veiiturerg returned »lH)Ut the middle of Si'ptember, for Kernandez 
 and <ioiigalvez reiteived pengioim from the Kngligh thrown by a grant dated '.')< 
 Septeiul)er, VitYi. The entrieg in the I'rivy I'lirge expeiigeg record paymentg on 
 24 .S<!pteml>er, l.'ilK!, "to the merchantH of Krigtol tliat liave lieen in the New- 
 found-land, CiO"; and on ' •laniiary, 1502-3, " to men of Krigtol that found the IhIc, 
 £5." There ig algo a warrant, dated )> Ueceml)er, ino.'l, for the payment of the 
 pengiim of £10 yearly to each graiite<l in 8epteml)er, 1502, to Fernandez anil (ion- 
 galvez, or Oiiidigalvug ag hig name wag now gpelt, " in consideration of the true 
 servi<;e they have done to us to our lingular jileagure ag captaing unto the New 
 Found Land." Hee Kea/lev, Cahiil, pp. 118-122. Mr. Keazley overlooks the 
 obviuug poHgibility that the young Sebagtiaii Cabot may very likely have accom- 
 panied Kernandez or (iongalvez, in gome minor gtation. There ig nothing improba- 
 ble in the statement of Fabyan that .Sebaxtian wag gelected to pregent the American 
 nativeg to the King. 
 
 M 
 
 \ , 
 
ft 
 
 K 
 
 then, iiur 
 
 I)«'o tiiul 
 si) pooplc, 
 
 Ht tllH ll<Tt of 
 
 ir, Itiit til tlilH 
 iw an wlii'ii it 
 
 MKI ciillNlHtN at 
 
 kiiiK. MtterH 
 
 HriHtol iiirr- 
 
 II the AzorrH. 
 tliey |i|i>iuu>il: 
 littiiniiH iiavi- 
 lentalU, Uori- 
 eoiiimraiiiliiiii, 
 ivincinii <|iiaH- 
 III- ChrlHtlaniM 
 
 III the Klmilar 
 hey are K'veii 
 
 lentaliH, A- 
 
 calleil to the 
 in til exploi'i- 
 le way Ui her 
 irlKinal inanii- 
 she charter <if 
 ten illscuMKeil, 
 Br they might 
 liiine et titiiln 
 ali<|iiiHextra- 
 II- Nilii MaKnii 
 
 Cilliot, |(. .'tin, 
 tiiin that the 
 alMit family. 
 Iiatent nt mr> 
 ted liy Stow, 
 mis tliree men 
 
 in Anno 146H 
 aterawKleHli, 
 riiis eviileiu-e 
 I rliarter was 
 n-hant, Hucli 
 or Kernandez 
 rant ilateil -.ti 
 liayinentH on 
 
 ill the New- 
 iiunil the Idle, 
 yment of tlie 
 ilez anil iiun- 
 I of the true 
 into the New 
 iverlookM the 
 have acL-iiur- 
 inK improlia- 
 the Ainerii-an 
 
 iiikI ospflciiilly Kii;;liiii(r.s Virgin Qiicon, to tiiko an iiihMvst 
 mill a sliai'c in tli<> exploitation of America. Ah the hasis 
 ot' all their ar<;nnieiits, after the olivioiis opportnnities for 
 a protitaltle a<lventure, they s(>t forth the fact that the 
 northern portions of the continent lieloii;;o(l to Kngland by 
 ri;rht, liecause tlu'V liad ho«'ii discovered by John (*abot.' 
 Throe hundred years afti-r this, in IMSM, one of the 
 .liistices on the bench of th(^ Superior Court of the ('ity 
 of New York onlered th<> Manhattan Kluvated llailroad 
 ('oin|)aiiy to pay heavy daina^fes for the depreciation in 
 the value of property alon;ur its linos on the Bowery, 
 because .lohn Cabot brou<;ht the Kn^lish civil law to this 
 part of the world before the arrival of Henry Hudson, in 
 the hold of whose vessel lurked the Dutch Konian Law.^ 
 
 < Or, llee'H map, whieli wiu« prepared, apparently, for the eye of the ipieen, Ik in 
 the HritiHli MiiHeiim. The only repnidni-tioii of whiidi I uiu aware In a phiitiit;ruphii- 
 riipy, tlie nize of the original, made for Mr. Kreil W. Uii-aH of London, and very 
 KeneroiiHly placed liy lilni at my dlNpimal. On the liark of the map in written : " A 
 lirief Keiiieniliiani'e of Niindry foreiii l(ef;ionB, IMHciivered, inhalilted, and partly 
 <'<ini|iiered liy the Snliiei-tH of thlH HrytiHli Monari-hie." Two of the reasoiiN juNti- 
 fyiiiK theXrltlHli i-lainian-: -".'. Circa an. 14tU. Mr Roliert Thorn IiIn father.aiid 
 
 Mr Kliot of HriHtow iliNcovereil Newfownd Land 4. Circa an. 14UT, SeliaHtiaii 
 
 CalHito, sent liy KliiK Uenry tlie seventh did Discover the Newfownd l^iid, so far 
 alon)!; and aluiwt the CoastH next to I^alHirador tyll he came to the Latitude of .ti'i. 
 And styll fownd the Seas open liefore him." .\ short time before writing this, on 
 'JH Novemlier, in?', accordin); to his Diary, wliich was printed liy the Camden 
 
 .Soi^iety in lHi2, Dr. Dee >* Spake Willi the ({iiene hura ipiintii declared to the 
 
 (tiienit her title to (Ireenlanil, l-^tiitilaml, and Friselaiid." 
 
 Haklnyt's " particiiler discourse concerning Westerne discoiieries" was 
 
 written in iri84, "at the rcqiieste and direction of tlie riKhte worHhipfnII 
 Mr Walter Kaghly now Knight." It was not printed until 1H77, when Dr. I^onard 
 Woods and Charles Deaiie edited it for tlie Maine Historical Society. In the third 
 cha|iter, p. li), Hakluyt wrote that " the contries therefore of America wliere unto 
 we have just title, as liein^e tlrste discovereit liy Sebastian llabote, at the coste of 
 that prudent prince KiiiKe Henry tlie .Seavepth." Mr. Dcane also notes, on p. 1U4, 
 that " in Clia|iter X VIII of this Discourse, Hakhiyt examines tlie title of Knf;land 
 to this territory, and, as will Ihi seen, relies |iriiicipally on the discovery by the 
 CabotM." Tlie chapter in ipieslion couMins an extract from Kamusio, wliich refers 
 to Cabot's discovery of tlie .Northwest passage. Another iiistiince is referred to 
 in the foIlowiiiK iioti-. 
 
 - Tlie ilecision of .liisticc C. H. Triiax in tlie case of .Mortimer i-t ill. r. New Vork 
 Klevated Itailroad Coni|iany il <il., which was recalled to my notice by Dr. K. C. 
 Kalicock of the I'niversity of California, is in the Itvimrts itf Cimm in tlif Sniurinv 
 ('iiurl iif llif i'ilij <^l' yi'ir Yink.— S'fir Yurk, 1S90, \\\. (Jiiiii'h iinil .S'//p;(cfC, xxv.) 
 ■J!r>a-'S'\. It appears that the counsel for tlie Klevated eonipaiiies had lieen in the 
 habit of pleading, in suits for damages brought by owners of property alonii; the 
 lines of the Klevated structure, tliat prior to liHl4 tlie land of the Howery street 
 was owned absolutely in fee by the Dutch government of .Manhattan island. It 
 would seem as if the court made up its mind to produce a decision wliich should 
 
Ill tlic siiiiiiiKM' ot' 14i)7, when .Fnliii ('uIhi( nunc liiick 
 troiii liiw sin'ccsst'iil wt'Hhvard vnviijrr, tlirn' \v«>n» si'vciwl 
 Itnliiui iiixl Spaiiisli ;;«>iitl(>iii(Mi, liipldiimtir H;r*'iitN mid 
 iK'tivo, iiitolli^rpiit ni(M'flitiiitr«, rtvxi«liii^r in Kii;rlHii<l. 'I'licsc 
 jrnitlonuMi Imu'tl tlic news of the town, iiiid \\wy prtiinptly 
 (It'spiitfluMi to tlu'ir iniiMttM-s, ptitroiH iiikI brctliron, Icttvi'H 
 contniniii*; lon<; lU'connts ot' the stoi'ios wliicli \V(>r<> rircii- 
 lii(iii<; in i-cpird to tlir iit'W iliHcovcn', luid ot° their I't't'orts 
 to loiirn tlu' truth in rcpird tliiM'cto. 'l'h('N«> h'ttn-M wn'iv 
 tiled Hwtiv in <ln<> «-oiit's«> in tin* pnblir iind priviitc urciiives 
 at Seville, Veni»'«' mid Milan, when' tliev awaited the 
 eiirioiis vesean'heH ot' modern historic-al inveHti<rHtors.' 
 
 •lohn Cabot disappeared t'i'oin si<rht in 14!tK, Itut he lett 
 hehind him a mom, Sehastian, who talked freelv, and |)er- 
 haps not always discreetly, aliout his own and his father's 
 exploits. The men who knew Sehastian personally — 
 
 put iiii t'liil til tlilK viT.v iMitlierHoiiif iiriciiimMit. .IiiiIk>> Trniix Htiiti'il timt " llit- 
 KiiKliNli itlwit.vM rlitlineil tlilH ixirtinii nf N'lirtli AintM'li'ii Ity riiclit of jirlnr iliHciivt-iy 
 
 iif tlilx riinntry liy .liilin mill St*liii)itiiin Ciiliiit Tin* KiikIIhIi rliiiiiifti, iinil Iivkiiii 
 
 til I'laiin Hliurtly itftcr tlilM time, that till- ('alH)ts liiiil vImIihiI the whiile i-aaHt rriiiii 
 Kliirlila ii|i t4i l^kliniiliir": the rlti'il aiitliority Ih*Iiii; Kilwaril liaycH' ari'imiit nf 
 OillH>rt'M vitya^cc, written ill iriM.'! anil riijiiiMl rriiiii llakliiyt In I'ayne; Hlhiilielhnn 
 Srdiiiiii. ■■ III HIM SelLiHtlaii Caliiit Haileil weNlMaril until lie eaiiie tii what Ih now 
 .Newriiiinillanil. Kroin there he iirueeeileil tn the nmililaiiil, niaile Hevenil laiiilln):H, 
 dealt with the iiativeH, anil rollnweil the riuiHt miiithwaril, |iriilialtly aH far an Chesa- 
 peake Hay." Kaneriift, \aleiitllie'N //m^ki/ ii/' .Vcir )«(•*, anil llarrlit's, I'ltfinijis. 
 17or>. Sii|i|ileiiieiit;iry aiitlinrltieM rlteil are l,iMMlni:'N Hmiirhiiaiiliii, UiilH>rt>< in 
 the Aiiierlean Coiiiiiinnuealth HerieH, Keriiiiw In the Siiiiiilhrmiil l'iiHrii( llinlni'i/, 
 Mr. Oeraril in IiIh THIih In llinl Ksl,il<, ani\ the Siiprenie Cnnrtur the I'nlted Ht4iles 
 In Miiiiiii r. Ifiiilili'll, 111 Peters, -tax, 
 
 ' It is must unlikely that the few letters whli'li have lieen liriintcht to ll|;lit iliiriiic 
 the last lll'ty years are all that were written almnt the Calmt iliseiivery In the 
 aiitiiiun iif 14!I7. Of tile letters iiiiw kiinwii, that nl' Liirenzii l'asi|iiali|!i> to his 
 lii'iithers in Venlee, ilateil in Liiiiiliin, J.'i Anifiist, 141)7, was Hi'st prinleii. In Italian, 
 In Im;i7, anil in KukIIsIi In l)Ci<i: tlie illsiiati'll of Itaiiniiniln ill .Snneinu to the puke 
 lit .Milan, ilaleil '.'4 .VUKUsi, 14!I7, was tirsi |iriiiieil in KncHxli in t>'*'^< anil in lljiliaii, 
 saiil tn lie tniiislateii rnun the earlier Kiimlish verHinli. In ISMi: aiiulher ilisiMttrli 
 froni Siini'liiii tu Milan, dated is Oeeenilier, 141)7, was |irliitvil In Italian in ixutl, and 
 translated into Kni;lish liy I'ri'fessor Xasli, fur WInsiir's, Xnnnlirr iiiiil rrllhiil 
 //i.i/<(;'(/, ill 1H84; u repiirt liy redm ile A.vala ti> the M|>miiIsIi i;iiveriinient, tluteil •J.'i 
 fliily, 14!)M, tiitcether with the enveriii); dispateh liy Ayala's siiperiiir, Itny Oiinxales 
 lie I'lielila, wax tirst deeiphered and turned into Kiicllsli in IHii'j, and a Spanish te.\t, 
 presiimahly wnrked out rroiii the nriKinul elpher dispateh, was printed in IKH'.;; 
 there is rei'iird of an earlier dispateh froiu Ooiiiuiles ile I'lielila to bVrdinand ami 
 Isaliella. dated '.'1 ,lamiary, 14U0, in whh'h he inentiuiied Caliot, Imt thin doiuiuvat 
 lias nut yet h«eu fiiuiul. 
 
 I J 
 
■M 
 
 P«<t(tr MiM'tyr of Aiif^loriii, KraiiciNc<» (loiiiiiru, (ii(»viiiiiii 
 liiiiiiiiNio and Kicluiril K<I«mi — roconitul in tlioir pultliHluMl 
 voliiincN tln' inipri'MHinnH which tht^y iwoivod from th»>ir 
 convorsutionM with him. Somo of tlit^Mo convc^rMationM, we 
 hav(> rtNiNon lo HU^4|H>t>t, were hold over th«« nuts and niiMins 
 i>f a ffood <linn(M' ; otiicrs took placo, w(> know, in tho 
 (•oin',s«> of so«-iul rliat at a housii party in Nortliorn Itnlv ; 
 .still othci'H W(! may fancy on tlio comfortahU* IkmicIics of 
 Hoiiuf chpoi'V Spanish ta|>-room.' A ccrtnin amount of 
 
 ■ llalinimili) ill Hoiit'lnn'M (lKlit;litriil iiroiiunt, at the end iif liiii lleceiiilier, UWl, 
 It'ttHr, rttroiiiitliiK wliiit Iih tiitil roiiiiil nut iilMiiit Jiiliii CiilHit'N plaiiH, In printed In 
 uioHt iHMilcNiilHiiit < 'allot. He ti-llH iif tli« ten uiid twelve ('(iiirNe dInnerN, keepInK 
 liliii lit tikblu three liiiiirii itl ii Htretrh, which he wiin iihllKed to unilnre In order to 
 Hnil out what hlH iiuutter wInIibiI to know. The tuntullzlnic " eonventutUm with iin 
 itiioiiyiiiouR KneMt ut the lioiiite of HIeronlmo Krni'iuitor " ut Citphl near yerona, In 
 In the Itritt volnnie of lUniniiln'ft rollm-thm of ViiyaKex, II. 414 It - 4in A. It han 
 Iteen diHeilNHed more ulalioratel.v, and with leitM appreciation of the actual value of 
 the Inforniatlon alTordeil, than any other HlUKle pleoe of (^alMitian literature. Ah I 
 have Haid In my i'uhol HUiliiHjmiihii, p. Mi; theiityle In which tlilH convemathin Ih 
 recorded, the apparently direct perHonal IntereiiurNe iMitwuen the HevernI comniunl- 
 cantH or the Inronnatlon, the UMe iif the rhetorical present teuHe which veeniH to 
 Klve the exact woriU imed liy Ciiliot, the evident reiipuctahillty and authority of the 
 unnamed gentleman, and even the oNtentatiiniH dlHavowal of any preteuHlium to 
 exact recollection— all theite tend tii olwciire the almolnte unrellaldllty of the 
 entire piutHaKe. The IwiiKth »t time that had elapHed, tlie alwenre of anythliiK that 
 mlieht have Hxcd the Hpei'lHc detallH clearly in the memory, the very eminence of 
 indlvldualH which has HO orten lieeii held to rellnve them from the neceMHity of 
 detailed exactneHH, the cHHential levity of the occiihIou when ItamiiHlo received the 
 iiiforinatlon, all theHc coiiHlderatlonH need to li« kept clearly hi mind, toiiether with 
 the moHt Important factor all, that I'aliot., the Mantiian gentleman, and ItamuHlo, 
 were each, on every iH'canlon wlieii the inronnatlon wan tranHinitteii, cliietly 
 liitereHteil in HomethiiiK -the lieHt way ro reach tlie Spice Litnds rroin Kiirope— 
 which iiail only the Hil|{hteHt connection with tlie iletailH about SeliaHtlan'H birth- 
 place, IiIh Hhare in the voyage or 141)7, and tlie otiier <'abotian ipieHtloiiH over whicli 
 modern liiHtorical conlroverHieH liavc rap-d. 
 
 Another Klimpne or Hociiil lire, on the oiitHkirtH nf the SpaiilHli C'ourt, Ih alTorded 
 liy OaNpar Contarlni'H iettein to the Touiicil <ir Ten at yunlce, written iuiri'j-Jand 
 l,'i';:i, in which he tells or tryiiiK to ttnd out whether SebitHtlaii Cabot wan in attend- 
 ance on the court at Valladolid, and where he wan living, and or Cabot'H HuliHeiiuent 
 call npiui him, while lie waH at dinner on ChrlHtinaH Kve, t'ontarinrfi lettern have 
 lieen trannlated into Kntclinh by Sir rieiuentH Markhaiu, ror the llakluyt Society, 
 and may Ih- coiiHUlted in Mr. lUyiuonil ltea/.ley'H t'abnt volume In the HcrieH or 
 •' HulhleiH or (ireater Kritaln." 
 
 ItamuHlo correeiHinded with .SeliaHtlan <'alH>t in regard to curtain );eoKra|diical 
 qneHthmH, and alHo, In all probability, about Home property naiil to have been lert 
 by t'abot'H mother, the Hettlement or which waH entruHted l<y the yenetlan Council 
 of Ten to ItiimiiHlo (nee note imut, p. 14). Peter Martyr (nee note 1 iiitnt, p. IH), 
 andOomara were iMith euKaced in diitieH aliout the SpanlHh <'onrt ror neveral yearH 
 when Calwt wa« in the .Spanlnli Hervh'e. All or Kden'H liookH contain evidence or 
 hiH intimate aiujualntance with the " woortliy uwlde man yet lyuluK Sebastian 
 catH>te," at whose deatbbvd heattended. 
 
(■<>nfu.si(>ii resulted in the sul).se«|uent recollections.' 
 Toward the end of the fifte«'nth century. Richard IlakliMt 
 noticed tiiis la«'k of a<rreenient in the piiMished sources of 
 information alxuit Cabot, and when lie set about the 
 |)rc|)aratioii of his great ('ollection of Vovages, one of his 
 tii'st tasks was an attenipt to strai<rhten out these contru- 
 dictorv narratives. He was misled into several erroneous 
 stati'inents at first, but in the end he succeeded in Knding 
 out vei'v nearly what we now recognize as the truth in 
 regai'd to the Knglish discovery of America. Tlie important 
 facts are stated by Ilakluyt, in lu'arly ivory instance cor- 
 rectly."^ For a hundred and fifty years there was no 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 ■ Tli« lifNt iP'iKtration of tJiiH coiifiiNiiin In in liuniiiHio's leiiort of th!> t'onverfm- 
 tioii at Cii|ilii, [{iiimisiii wrote tliut M» iiil'iiniiiiiit i|iii>tt>(l Selmstiiiii as HH.viiii; 
 tliat IiIh father, .liilin Culiot, ilieil alioiit the tune that the Kntilish court li«|;»ii 
 to iliHciiHH the iiewH of ('ohiiiihiiH'n iliHcovery, aii<l that as he felt a ilenire to achieve 
 soiiietliiiii; e<|iiall.v ^reat, he indueed Henry VII. to fiirniKli him with two Hiiiall 
 HhipH, with which in the early snninier of 14!Ni, he followed the American coast 
 northward to r>*P wliere it turned t^iward the east, and that he thence turned 
 hack and sailed <lown the coast as far as KUirida. Ileturnint; to Kntdaiid, he found 
 the country in the throes of civil relielliou and war with Scotland, so that he 
 offered his services to Ferdinanil and IsalHdIa, who sent him on a voyage of dis- 
 covery to the coast of Ifrazil. It is supposed that this last sentence (Contains 
 references to I'erkin WarlM'ck's relielliou in .lune, 14!)7; to the truce with •lames 
 IV. of Scotland in .Septemher 4if the same year; to Sehastian's arctic expedition 
 of vm; to his employment liy Kerdinand of Spain, Isabella havintj; died in ViUi, 
 in l.'il'.;; and his voyajfe to l.a I'lat^i in iri'.'il. It is comparatively easy to under- 
 stand liow this I'onfusion arose: it is far nior(> diHIcnlt to understand how men 
 of ('(msideralde historical reputations have lonvinced themselves that this 
 narrative is an important source whence thev nii);ht derive exact and accurate 
 Information. 
 
 < In his /Jiiv'/'s rtiiiiii/fii, imprinted at I,(uuhui in l.'iS'j, Hakluyt piililislied the 
 I.etters I'atent of fi March, 14!l.'i-li (misprinted Ifl'.M in the side-note to the Kn;;lish 
 translation); the " note out of Kaliyau" referrinji correctly to the U!W voyage and 
 ro tlie three sava)i;cs presented to the Kiu); in t'lli'J: and liamusio's abstract of a 
 letter from Sebastian <'alH>t rei;ardint; his voyage to li'.^ nortli: together with the 
 iniportiint informatiini that <abot's papers were then extJint in the possession of 
 William WorthinKton. In addition to these documents and extracts, he printed in 
 the I'liiiriiiiill .\iiiiiiiili(iiis of l.Wt an abstract of the |iatent jrmnted by theKinic 
 in Kelu'uary, 14'.)s, the text of which was not recovered until Kiddle published it in 
 1k:i|, tliereby proviu); the probability tliat there was a Cabot voyage imnu'diately 
 following!; the discovery; an extract friun the <'abot map, ifivini; the date U'.H for 
 tlu> discovery; tlie cimversation with liamusio's aniuiymous );entlenian; the 
 a nuts of Cabot's .\rctic Voyaue, written by I'eter Martyr ami <ioniara; anil tin- 
 account of the vova|;e of Cabot and I'ert in irdO. In the "note out of Kabyan," 
 the text is I'orrected by in.sertint; the name of .lohn Cabot as the leader of the 
 expvilition, altlioU);h in tliis aiiil also in the cnlaru;eil edition of ItUMI, the name of 
 .Seb;istiaii is carelessly retained in the headiu):. These passages are all reprinted 
 in the tliird volume of the I'of/iij/f.s, piiblisheil in llilNI, with the I'orrectiou of the 
 date to 14U7 in the extract from the Cabot 1M4 map, Hakluyt diil imt pretend tu 
 
X. 
 
 \. 
 
 n'('<>lle<'tion.s.' 
 icliai'd Ilukliivt 
 ■ilied sources of 
 
 sot about the 
 i<r«'s. Olio of Ills 
 l tlioso coiitru- 
 voral oiToiioous 
 'dod ill Kii<liii<:- 
 is tlio truth in 
 
 'I'lio iiuportniit 
 y iiistaiico «'or- 
 
 tlioro was no 
 
 pint 111' tlip ciiiiversii- 
 
 SeliiiKtiini iiH Mayiiii; 
 
 KntriiKli ciiiirt li«);i)ii 
 (It utIcNiro to iK'hit'vt- 
 
 him with two small 
 I tlio American coiist 
 at he thence tnineil 
 to KnKlaiiil, he foiiiiil 
 
 St-otliinil, Ko that he 
 I on a voyage of iMh- 
 i8t Neiitencc itontainn 
 the truce with .laniex 
 n'N arctic expedition 
 
 having ilieil in intH, 
 lively easy to nniler- 
 nn<ler8tan<l how men 
 hcmselves that this 
 
 exact and accnrate 
 
 ikinyt piililislied the 
 i>-note to the Kn^lish 
 I the 14ilK voyane and 
 nusio's abstract of a 
 li; toKetln-r witli the 
 in the posseifHioii ol' 
 \ tracts, he printed in 
 ;rninted by the Kinjr 
 iddle published it in 
 vo,\ai;e immediately 
 in^ the date U'M lor 
 ons K:entleman: the 
 mil <iomara: and the 
 ote out of Kabyan." 
 IIS tile leader ol' the 
 of DUMI, the name of 
 tes are all reprinted 
 he correction of the 
 ' dill not pretend tu 
 
 9 
 
 occiisioii to f|uostioii tlio aocuraov of tlio faots as plaood on 
 rocoid l>y lltikliivt. 
 
 In 17'»;{, tlio British Coininissionors appointotl to confor 
 with tlio Froiioh roprosontativos, in aooordaiioo with tlio 
 Troatv of I'trooht, drew up a plain, straijrhtforward stato- 
 iiioiit of facts upon wliicli, l)_v tlio riulit of discovorv, 
 Kiiji'laiid hiisod her claim to North American torritorv. 
 Thcv sot out, clearly and without thought of <>uilo, so far 
 as can lio judjrcd, the facts in roirard to tho discovory made 
 l»y .loliii ('allot in 14!)7. Their report was based merely, 
 and oiitii'oly, upon llakluyt and the authors whom Hakluyt 
 had used. The fju'ts as i>ivoii in this report arc the facts 
 which, after another century and a half of prolon<>«'d 
 interest in Cabotian probh^ms, are now tlioiijiht to bo the 
 actual truth as to .lolin Cabot's achievements. A careful 
 roexaminatioii of the rojiort reveals almost nothinji' which 
 has since been proven to bo untrue in connection with the 
 discovory of 14!t7. In reply to this Memoir, however, 
 the French ('omniissioiuMs. in IT.'iT, published some 
 Komarks, in the form of a commentary, which are a model 
 of diplomatic arji'uiiientation and lo<>ical subtleties. 
 Makinji' use of all the devices of arjiumentatioii and 
 sophistical Ionic, th(> Freiichmcii pointed out that there 
 are conflictiiiii: statements in regard to what .bdiii Cabot 
 attually accoiiiplislHMl. They oliservcd that tlu^ various 
 early treatises do not always ajireo in the date ot the 
 discovory. They made much of the fact that there is 
 lonfiision in some of the narratives in assii>iiinii' the credit 
 lor the successful voyaii'c to .Foliii or to Sebastian. In 
 brief, the French nciiotiators undertook to depreciate the 
 
 val 
 
 no ai 
 
 id the effect of the Kiiulish ar<>umoiit. Thev 
 
 siicceoc 
 
 led, 
 
 as 
 
 V 
 
 roiiclimon ai 
 
 e apt to succeed, and the 
 
 reader of their commontarv Hnisluvs it with a strong im- 
 
 |iro\ iilc a I'oniiertcil narrative in any of his publications, liut he merely set lortli 
 till' souri'cs of iuforuiation as he I'oiind them, editing them so as to assist the 
 reader, and, as will lie seen in asuliseiiiient note, ixisl, p. lt<,correittnn errors which 
 seemed to Uini oln iiius. 
 
 I 
 
10 
 
 I 
 
 
 i I 
 
 pression tlmt evcrvthiiijr is oxactlj the revcrsr of what the 
 Kiif^lishiiU'ii had said it was.' 
 
 Tlio worii of ti)e Froiu'ii diplomats of 1757 naturally 
 met with approval on the (-ontinent. French historical 
 
 I Til ret' voliiiiii'N of Mm .)/<'/« »i ir« rfcs ComiiiinHiiircH Siir Irs /'Odocn.s/o/w •(■ 
 
 li:i ilroil.1 rrnj)i'rli/s ilfs ileii.r ('iHiriiiiiK'x <•/> .liiii'fii/iH' were \)rii\ti'<i in 1T65, uiiil, in 
 several eilitiidw, are fretiiiently met witli. Tlie fourth viilnnie, tlie Caliotiiin 
 interest of wliicli whh l>ron);lit to my attention li.v Mr. Henry N. Stevens of Ijonilon, 
 was pnliliHliecl in 1757, anil is founil only in the original ottlcial Kreneh quarto 
 eilition. This volume containN the " Seeoiul Menuiire iles com missal res AukIoIs, 
 Snr les I.imites <le I'Aeailie, On 'iii .lanvier, nrwi. Avee Les Oliservatiuns <les 
 ('onnulHsaires iln Roi, en Reponse." This is Hi|;ne(l, p. 513, at " Paris, '2:u\ .lanuary, 
 175.'(," liy Mlldmay, Kuvl|;ny, ile <'oHne: ami the Kreneh ciunmentary is, p. 538, 
 " Kait ii I'aris le jireniler jnin mil sept eent <'ini|nante-six. Si(;n<' Oe Silhouette." 
 The reuiaiiuler of the volume, pp. 53<.l-ri54, is oeeupieil liy a list of authorities eiteil 
 by the Ku^lish (uunmisslimors and illustrative ihx'uments atlileil liy the French 
 represcntiitives Article XXIV., pp. 45t(-470, is a reply hy the KUKliHh shie to 
 the " historh'al summary .Xi^count of the first Voyat;t!8 niaiie hy the Knpiligh 
 anil French for the Hisciivery ami .Settlement of North-Ameru'a," which 
 foruuMi part of the lirst French .Mcmoire, in this oftlcial edition, 1755, vol. I., 
 pp. Ili-:i7. Several par.it:raphs in this Article are devoted to estahlisliinK the sIk- 
 nilicauce of the discovery made in 14'.>7 liy ,Fohn Caliot, a Venetian in the service of 
 
 Kntilauil, a mjianied liy Joint Adventurers, native Subjects and Merchants of 
 
 Knt:land. " It is admitted that Ku^land did not set a jireat value at tirst upon the 
 discovery made in 14U7, nor was it for many years carried any farther." It is shown 
 that the north-west pa.ssa^e is not so much as mentioned in the conimission under 
 which Cabot sailed, and the discovery is claimed to confer a rlKlit to the territory 
 from Florida to.'iK ' northern latitude. In their oliservations, pp. 470-4!)(S, the French 
 commissioners lie);in by disciissin); the navigation and discoveries of Sebastian 
 Cabot, wliiisc name was not mentioned by the Kn):lislinien. They then proceed; 
 "(In pi'ut.avcc raison, clever plus iTun dimte, tant sur I'cpoipu' de ce voyage i|ue 
 sur les tern's iju'iin pri'teud avoir etc aperviles par Cabot dans le coiirs de sa 
 navi|;atiiiii. I'eut-ctre nicnie n'est-ilpas liien certain ipril suit le premier ipii les 
 ait di'iiiuvertes, Four se former de justes iilcessur cettc inaticre, il est iiccessaire 
 de discuter les dilTcrenti's pieces it le.- dilfcreutes autoritcs." The spirit in which 
 they went about their examination is admirably shown by the very Hrst arKiinient. 
 The authorities, they say, are collected by Makluyt in his third volume, in the 
 section which is entitled '• Voya^tes, etc. (intended for the tindini; of a Northwest 
 pasNa);e) to the North parts of .Xmerica, to Meta iiicii)iuiui, and the baike-side of 
 lironland, as farre as 7'-' decrees and 12 niiniits; performed hrst by Sebastian 
 Cabota — " " Ce titre n'aiinouie le voyajje de Cabot, que ciimiue un pro jet de 
 navitiation pour ilccouvrir le passat;e du nord-oiiest, \ noii coinnie un projet pour 
 etablir lies colonies dans de nouvelles terres;"— as if llakluyt's heading; settled the 
 whole question. As a matter of fact, as will 1h' seen, the statements in *hv headiun 
 are probably exactly true, becan.xe an arctic vovap? was made by .Sebastian, 
 allhoii)ili neither Ilakluyt nor the ne;rotiators of IT.Vi were aware of it. This 
 titular argument is followed by one even more curious and inp;eniou«, to wit, that 
 the abstract of tlie Letters ratent of :) February, 14it7-«, ■'apprcnil deux fails 
 iniportans; le premier, qu'eii 14!W, ,Iean Cabot, pcre ile Scliastieu Caliot, n'etait 
 point encore niort: Ic second, que Cabot u'avoit point abanilinnie I'ldee de son 
 projet, ma is qu'il ne I'avoit pas encore exi'cute an commencement de 141W; que par 
 cous('i|uent on n'en pent placer la date, ni en 14iHi. ni en 14!»7." Tliese two illustra- 
 tions fairly re|iresi'nt the skilful iUKeiiuity with which the next twenty pai;e8 of 
 the volume are tilled. 
 
 I 
 
I iiiihUldiini iiwiaailW- 
 
 MMM 
 
 "t;!\.« 
 
 t'l'sf of what the 
 
 £ 17o7 imtumlly 
 Freiu'li historical 
 
 . Siir Irs t'onnrnniiniM <f- 
 ' priiitod in ITSn, uiiil, in 
 
 voliiiiie, the Caliotiiiii 
 y N. Stevens of Ij<miliin, 
 1 oftieiiil Krench qiiartii 
 I L'oniniiHHUireH AnKloiH, 
 3 I.e« (M)8ervations des 
 at " I'aris, ZM January, 
 
 commentary is, p. NIX, 
 . Slune l>e Hillioiiette." 
 
 list of suitliorities eiteil 
 s added 1)y tlie Frencli 
 l>y tlie Kn|;liRli side to 
 8 made by Mie Knclisli 
 fortli-Amerira," wliicli 
 al edition, 1755, vol. I., 
 to estainisliint; the sit;- 
 enetian in the service of 
 >.1e('ts and Merchants of 
 
 value at tirst upiui the 
 iiy farther." It is shown 
 I the commission under 
 a ritjht to the territory 
 *, pp. 47il-4!HJ, the French 
 liscoveries of Seliastian 
 ■n. They then proceed; 
 'poque de ce voyajre que 
 ot dan.4 le cours <lc sa 
 
 il soit le |>remier <|ui les 
 iiiaticre, il est nccessaire 
 ■s." The spirit in which 
 the very Hrst arKumeiit. 
 is third volume, in the 
 
 ttudin;; of a Northwest 
 a, and the hacke-siile of 
 -meil first liy .Seliastian 
 le ('(unnic nn projet de 
 in coninie un pmjet pour 
 lyfs headint: settled the 
 atements in Mie heading 
 vas made by .Sebastian, 
 vere aware of it. This 
 1 inKenioiifi, to wit, thai 
 X, •'apprcnil deux fails 
 Scbastlen Cabot, n'etait 
 ibandonni' I'idee de son 
 icement de 14!IH ; i|ue par 
 07." These two illustra- 
 le next twenty pajtes of 
 
 •M 
 
 11 
 
 writers and inaktM-s of biographical dictionaries ])atriotically 
 took ii|> the work, and <rave wIcUm' circulation to tlie vitnvs, 
 positivt^ and negative, set forth in this historical coup d'Hal. 
 These views, heconiing the accepted historical tra<lition in 
 France, spread across the channel, and exerted a con- 
 siderahh' iiiHutMice cm English writers of the early part of 
 the nineteenth centiirv. Kventnally, one of the French 
 works fell into tli(> hands ctf Richanl liiddle, a Pittsburg, 
 Pennsylvania, lawyer, who had taken up his resich'iice in 
 Kngland for tli«^ purpose of pursuing historical investiga- 
 tions preparatory to writing a treatise t»n the progress of 
 early di.scovery. .Mr. Bid<lle read the account of the 
 Cabots in the liintiwphif. Univeri^dle, and he innnediately 
 rccogni/ed that many of its statenients were incctri'ect. 
 He determined to right a great historical injustice. lie 
 gathered authorities, drew up iiis bi'ief, and in 1k;')1 i)nb- 
 lished his MciDoii- of Schasfiaii Viihot.^ This volume 
 (•(U'rocted many of tin" errors in the earlier works, but Mr. 
 IViddle, with a lawyer's acumen, having once started out 
 to correct, kept at it until he had revised vtM'v nearly 
 everything in lii.s predeces.sois. whether it was right or 
 wrong before he touched it. The confusi(»n of IT')") 
 becaiiH^ worse confounded. Riddle's work, however, whs 
 of the masterly, mastt^rful sort, obviously one of tho.se 
 piibliciitions known technically as *'an important contribii- 
 
 I llidillc's Mfiiitiir WHS published in riiiladelphia ami London in ls;il, and 
 reissncil in l.ondiiu in !><;:'_ with one leaf cancelled. It innnediately attracteil nnicli 
 attention fmni ihe Iteviews. and its inllnence is jdaiidy seen in the increased space 
 aiMiirded to < allot in Historical and ).;eot:raphical treatises which appeared in the 
 succeeding' years. One statement in his preface, p. ii., is, if possible, evi'u more true 
 of what was |inblislii'il in consei|iiencc of his work than of what preceded it: that 
 
 " amidst a j-rcat deal ol undenlalil.\ liiu' wrilin};' on the subject, (of the Cabots) 
 
 it wiinid seem to have si-i'ureil to itself less than aiiN other of patient ami anxious 
 labor. The task of .settinn facts riyht has been regarded as an unworthy ilrudnery, 
 while an ambitious ell'iirt Is witnessed to throw them before the public eye in all 
 the fantastic shapei-, and deceptive colourin)>, of error." Middle lavished an 
 immense amount <if painslakiii); research upon his volume, which is a mim" of 
 informal ion from which succcedinu writers have drawn material for which they 
 have rarely ):iven hini due credit. The hopelessly confused manm>r in which Kiddle 
 presented his argument, the absence of chronological arrangement in the narra- 
 tive and <if any index, remlers It extremely ditticult to discover specitlc statements 
 in his text, or to check the appropriations of other writers. 
 
i t MNWl 
 
 i 
 
 12 
 
 tion," and ii <liu> a^'^.-ntion to prolimiiirti'ics resulted in the 
 aeceptaiiee of liis arjjfumeiit )»y the reviewers, who pub- 
 lished rA^Hirn'H of his opinions in the (|uarterlies and the 
 principal niajra/ines of that day. A powerful influenee 
 was thus created, which effectually <loniinated the histoi'i- 
 cal traditions of the succeed inirs^^neratioji. This influence 
 culminated in the lienHirhihle Life of Sebastian written 
 by ^[r. Nicholls of the Knirlish Bristol, who carried the 
 irloritication of Sebastian Cabot almost to the point of 
 sanctitii-ation.' Naturally, Mr. Nicholls's book produced a 
 rca<'tion, which received an impetus from the (hidin<r, not 
 lonir befoie its appearance, of the news letters and diplo- 
 matic despatche,s sent from Kufrland to Spain and Italy in 
 the year of .lohn Cabot's discovery.** This reaction found 
 its first expression in an article published under the heading' 
 of "Our (iolden Candlesticks" in the Boston Daifi/ 
 Advet'tlxpv, in March, 1X71, beiny; Henry Stevens's effective 
 little criti(|ue rcprinte«l with the title "Sebastian Cabot — 
 
 ' 'I'liis I'll'iirt to " riear away the miNre|ire8eiihitloii»i with wliU^li i)jnciran<*, lirt'ju- 
 cHrc, iiiil nialipiliity havt; overlaitl hin life anil actiiiiis, and to In hi); out tlu! man 
 troin the shronil In wliicli oblivion liaii jiai'tlally enwrappeil him," was |inliliHlif<l in 
 IKIKI. It wax, Mr. NicliolN .Hays, " a laliiir of love ; for, like some <;loi'ions antitpie in 
 an arid|iolis of weeds, he ;;i'ew in beauty as we lifted off the aspersions whieli had 
 bi'iMi rast upon him, nntil, as the last stain was removeil, anil our loving work was 
 done, he stood before ns in the majesty of his true manhood." An interestint;' pas- 
 saj^e is that in which .Mr. Nicholls, on p. 1X7, ex)ilains Kilen's account of Cabot's 
 ilcaMi bed, on which ■■ the^ooilolde man, in that extreme a^e,. somewhat doted, and 
 liad not yet euen in the artnde of death, \ tterly shaken of all worldlye vayiie 
 ;ilorie " : Kden's Taisnierus, .1 rrrif iifreHsin'ii' . . . lUntki^ I'lmfryithnj MitfitjiitiuH, 
 si;;-. I.;i. " Perchance Kdeu understood him not ... In the intlnite ocean of the 
 love of his Saviour lie found no variation, but a solid data, from which neither 
 leii^jth, or breadth, or depth, or height could separate him: wliich, passinu all 
 huiiian iiuderstandint:', was partially revealed in the ^ilimpse which his ilyiiiKeNc 
 caii^lht of the Spirit World, beyond the river, and so, joyonsly and trustfiilly. like a 
 cliilil ill his old ace he sank to his rest." 
 
 -,See note, nnlf, |i. (S. .Most of these first attracted attention when published in 
 the Itolls Series of State I'apers and .Manuscripts relating- to Kn^lisli Atlairs, from 
 foreign archives. Mr. Hertfenroth's Spanish series betjan in lutU, and the Hist vol- 
 ume id' Mr. Itaudon Itrown's collections from the libraries of northern Italy 
 appeared in WA. " The recent discovery in the Kibliotheijue Imperial of a map id' 
 Cabot, dated l.''>44," in which Mr. Nicholls found the key to the Calmtian eni^iiia, 
 w hicli apparently .justilleil his volume, took plai'e in 1K4;), althoiinh Mr. Nicholls's re- 
 mark is justiHed by the fact that it was twenty years later before historical students 
 lie^aii to realize the real Hi;;iiiticaiii'e of the information all'oriled by this rarto- 
 Kiapliic record,— See .Mr. Charles lleane's remarks in the I'rnririluii/n of this 
 •Society for April, Wu, pp, 4;i-.V), 
 
illBl 
 
 \ 
 
 X. 
 
 x 
 
 X. 
 
 18 
 
 cs resulted in the 
 
 ewers, \vIh» pub- 
 
 mrterlies and Hie 
 
 >\verful inflnenre 
 
 mted tlie liistoi'i- 
 
 Tliis inHuonee 
 
 SelMistiiin written 
 
 who ejirried (he 
 
 to the point of 
 
 l»ook prodn<'ed ii 
 
 I the fin(lin<r, not 
 letters iind dipht- 
 pain and Italv in 
 lis reaetion found 
 under the iieadiii<>' 
 c Boston Da 11 11 
 •^teveiis's effective 
 »ol>!istian Caltot — 
 
 wliicli i|;iiiir!iiii')>, prt'.jn- 
 itl to liriiiK out till* iiiiiii 
 il liiiii," was iMililiKlifil ill 
 some (clorioiiH iintiijiiu in 
 lie aK|iui'sioiis wliicli liail 
 nil! our loviiijr work was 
 III." An intci'(*NtinK pas- 
 len's aiTiiiiiit of Caliot's 
 (re, somcwliat iloteil.aiiil 
 n of all wiii'lillye vayiic 
 
 • idill'i I'll i till .\iliii/iilillli, 
 
 the intinitc oican of llic 
 ita, from wliirli neltln-r 
 liiii: wliicli, jiassiiii: all 
 psiMvliirli Ills ilyinti i-u- 
 isl.v anil trnstfiillv. liki- a 
 
 iition \vli<>n |iiililisli<-il in 
 to Kii^lisli All'aii's, froin 
 
 II IKtJ'j. anil the Hist vol- 
 iirk's of nortliitrn Italy 
 |iii' Inipurial of a map of 
 U> till' I'abotian i-iiit>nia, 
 lioiiuli iMr. Mrliolls'sri'- 
 I'fori' liistoriral stmU'iits 
 allorili'il liy tills iiirlo- 
 II' I'riiiiiiliiifi', of this 
 
 .John ('allot = (>."" Not loiiir after this, Ilenrv Ilarrisse took 
 up the suhjeet, and produeed his valuable Jean ef St^haHtien 
 Vahnl. A portion of this volume was expanded intt) that 
 supei'b piece of worU, llarrisse's Dhcnveri/ of X^orth 
 Atiierica, and the remainder, the bio<rraphical jiortion, 
 ji'rew into his .Inhn (JaUni and -Seftasfian ht's Snii„ which 
 ii|)l)eared in season to add materially to the excitement of 
 the Cabot <|uadricentennial ceh^bratioiis.' If Mr. Ilarrisse 
 had lost his interest in the Cabots when he finished jH'oof- 
 readinji' this last volume, it is probable that it would ha\<' 
 rtMiiained for a vcrv loiifr while the <lelinitive work (ni 
 the subject — a most desirable situation. In it, Mr. Ilar- 
 risse expressed decided opinions in re^rard to Sebastian's 
 chai'acter and achievements, but there was not sutficicnt 
 evidcMice of jiersonal animus to discredit seriously Mr. 
 llarrisse's jud<rment of that over-rated persona<>e. As it 
 liapptMis, h(»wcver, Mr. Ilarrisse had irrowii in fame, and 
 in years, durin<.>' the interval between his two Cabot vol- 
 umes. R(>ali/iii,<r his dominant position as the foremost 
 authority on all that <'oiiccrns the period of discovery, it 
 may be that .Mr. Ilarrisse was nettled by the knowlcdjre 
 that certain writers of standinji' as scholars had not accepted 
 his ih'rfa as dcHiiitively deterniinin<i the judjfincnt of pos- 
 terity. .\t any rate, his Cabot book soon irave birth to a 
 tlock of lesser wiitin<>;s. scatlcrcd in the periodicals of 
 Knirlaiid, (lermany, France and America, in whi<'h Mr. 
 Ilarrisse asserted with iiicreasinjr veheniciic(> that Sebastian 
 ( 'al>ot was one of the most unmitii>at«Ml rascals of all histoiy. 
 It is. he contends, '• proved beyond cavil and sophistry that 
 Sebastian Cabot was only an uiiinitiiiatcd chitrlatan, a 
 mendacioits and untilial boaster, a would-be traitor to 
 
 ^pain, a would-be traitor to Hnjrland. 
 
 Such talk as 
 
 The ilates of piihliention are, respei'tively, iw.', IWf.', ami IWMi. 
 These are the rloslii(j worils of an artirle on " The Onteome of the Caliot Qua- 
 llisliiriiiil lleiii'ir for Oitolier, ISilK, Vol. IV., p. lit. 
 
 r 
 
 tercentenary." in the .liiiiririiii 
 
 I am aware of few more iiistriietlve stiiilies than that of the way in whieli the views 
 
 of this master of historieal learniii): );i'ailiially took shape, at Hist from inereasiii); 
 
t'- \ 
 
 14 
 
 tliis iiatiimllv (•(•untorftcts itsolt'. It is f<ir some timo offort 
 to sot tliinjfs rijLrlit once more, iis tliov have not been ri^lit 
 sinee 17')'>. 
 
 .lolni Cabot's earlier life is, so far as liistorieul stndents 
 are coneernetl, fairly well establislie«l. He was born in or 
 near (ienoa, somewhat before the middle of the fifteenth 
 century. He moved to Wniee, proltablv while still a \(»ini<; 
 man, and there he marrie<l a woman whose property has 
 oet-asioned her son eonsidemble trouJiie.' This son, 
 
 inroriimtioii. as h\n Htiiilleit for IiIh Miii'rtjHHivt> viiliiiiit>»< iiiikIp liim iiiiiru iiiiil inure 
 fitiniliiir with cvt^ry intricucy nf the Hnhjcct, and then iiniler im'reiiHinc proviH-ntion 
 when, hiH HtnilieNconipleteil, he l>e|;un to realize that he huil not f«ni'eee<U'<l in con- 
 vincln); theHcliolarly world of the jnHtneHMof hiH eonchiHionB. Mr. HurriHHe entered 
 upon thin Kecond Htate of mind with the preparation of a HerieH of artieleH, expaniled 
 from chapters in IiIh JoIiii Ciihol itiiil Silmsliiiii his No/i, whhdi were printed in 
 Drapeyron'.i lleiiir tir GHiijmiihie in 1WI4-0T. He next I'hallenKed the <lute June 'J4, 
 dei'lurini! that the landfall eould not have taken place on that ilay, in the Foriiiii 
 for June, 18it7, XXni., *l2-47r>. Then came an animated controversy with MessrH. 
 li. K. Weare and (1. K. K. I'rowHe in \olfn iiinl tjiifriia, for '.*(> June and 14 AuKUHt, 
 18»7, sth Series, \l. nni and MI. IJO-l.ti, in which he convinced himself that the 
 name Mathew as that of Calmt's ship wasa forgery of Chatterton. His opinion that 
 the landfall iu\iHt have lieen on the Lahrador coast was set forth in the Xttflirirhleii 
 of the (ic'ittiniien k|;I. CesellHchaft der Wissenschaften for 1K!)7, pp. :i'Jt',-.')4S. He 
 founti support for the Itelief that CalHtt returned from his second voyage, in the 
 Ho-called "ealiot Roll," which proves that ('alH>t's pensiiui was paid in 14!K), in an 
 artiide printe<l in the Ainfrinni llistitrifiil llfrli'ir for April, 18!IS, 111., «!l-4.')r>. The 
 latest of his Cabot publications of which I am aware is in the 'I'm iimiet ions of the 
 Koyal Society of Canada for IKW, '.>d Series, IV., Sec. II., KKI-KHI, in rectitlcation of 
 some statements in wliich Dr. S. (!. Uawson had disagreed with him. 
 
 < Sebastian's supposed treachery to Spain and to Knt;land is inextricably mixed 
 up with his efforts to secure from the Venetian authoritieN some acknowled^rment 
 of his claims to property derived from liis mother: fii dato bona speranza de 
 recuperar la dote di vostra madre, et ameda, according to the letter written from 
 Venice in the name of <'aliot's KhaKusan friend, '.'S A|)ril, 152.3, in Harrisse's ./. p/ 
 v. Ciiliot, .'tM. Nearly thirty years later the Council of Ten at Venice wrote to their 
 ambassailor in Kupiland, under date of l'.> September, ir>ni, ./. il S. Citlml, 'Ml ; 
 cjuaiito alia richiestii die vi i- statu fatii ila <iuei Si^nori circa li (!rediti die preteiide, 
 1^ riciiperatione <le belli, li risponderete die noi desideramo in tiitto (|uello die 
 poteiiio far cosa ^rahi a qiiella Maesti'i. e a loro Si);norie iiia die noii essendo il 
 detto Cahoto coiioHcinto da aU'uno de <|ui,saria neccesNario die esso medesimo 
 veiiisse per );iiistilicare la sua persona et le ra);ion sue, essenilo quelle cose di clie 
 SI paria niolto vecdiie. The same despatch bearer proliably carried a letter of 
 similar date from the llevereiid l*eter Valines, the Kn^flish Ambassador at Venice, 
 to tlie Coiini'il of Kdward VI.; " Toiu^hin;; Sebastian Cabot's matter, concernini; 
 wliich the \'eiietiaii Ambassador has also written, he has recommendeil the same to 
 the Seigniory, and in their presence delivered to one of their secretaries Raptistii 
 Kumiisio, whom Cabot put in trust, such evidences as came to his hands. The 
 .Seigniory were well pleased that one of their subjects by service and virtue should 
 deserve the [English J Council's |;ood will and favour; anil altlioiifch this matter is 
 about .'>() years old, and by the death of men, decaying of houses and perishing of 
 writinifs. as well as his own almence, it were hard to come to any assured knowledg;« 
 thereof, they have <'<-uiiuandeU ICuiuuslo tu ensearvh with diligence any way and 
 
 '1-' 
 
 TJh»^. "' 
 
 'j^^is: 
 
\ 
 
 15 
 
 kiiiiwUulKi' ihiskIIiIc that may stanil til tlieaatd SebaHtiaii'^ protit aiiil olitaiiiin;; of 
 iIkIiI."— in Tiiriiliiill, I'miiiiii i'lihinlitr, IWil, |i. 171. It In nut tsisy to lieliove that 
 a iieixiiii ait hiettit^ifiit aiKl iiiisiK'O'HHt'iil an the 4'uhot ili'Nrribed hy Mr. HarriHHu 
 rcmhl havo cleceivt'd NiK'cfNHriilly the rvprraentatives of lioth Spain anil Knclanil in 
 a matter of thit* Hort. .\8 will lie Heeii hy tliei|niitatiiin I'roni rasqualiKu in the next 
 note, .liihn I'aliot'H Venetian wile aeeompanieil him to llristol, Kn);lanil. 
 
 I Honi'ino wrote in Deeemlier, U!»7, "messer /oanne iliee ehe altre volte 
 
 e»mi e statu alia Mereha." Ayala ileserilieil hiiii, in .Inly, 14!W, as "iitro (;enove» 
 lomo Colon ipie ha estailo en Sevilla y en Lislioiia.'" rasi|iialiKii, in AutjnHt, 14'.)", 
 spoke III' ('allot as lieinK "eon so nioier venitiaiia e eon so lloli a itristo." It is 
 iinl'ortiinate that there is no means of provin); the trntli or error in Straeliey's 
 interestint; allnsion to ,lolin Cabot as "a Venetian iiiileiiizeil his (Henry VII.) 
 Hnbjert \' ilwellint; w'iiin the lllaek friers," Lonilon, inUltfj; iStraehey; llislorii 
 III' Tiiiiiiii/f, eiliteil by U. II. Major, for the Makbiyt .><oiiety, London, 184!', pp. l> 7. 
 
 - Soni'ino staled that Cabot was InHiienred by what Spain and l*ortn;;al had 
 ai'complished : '■ el quale visto clie li Serenissiini He prima de rortii^allo poi <le 
 Spa^na haiino or< iipato isole inroKnite, ilelibero fare nno simile aeipiisto per ilichi 
 .Maesti'i." He ;:oes on to describe the disrovery : " li iMimpaKni I'hi sono ipiasi tntti 
 
 iii)i,lesi, et da Itristo li principall dell' impresa sono de Kristo, Kiandi marinari." 
 
 Ayala, in his letter of .lidy, 14!lti, makes the statement in regard to the preliminary 
 elforts during the preeeiliii): six or seven years: •' i.os de Ilristol, ha siete aflos que 
 eada ai\o an armado dos, tres, euatro laravelas para ira biisearla isia del Krasil y las 
 sieteeiuiiades eon la fantasia deste (rinoves." The Cabot l.''>44 map is the authority 
 for the date, e^irly moriiinn of '24 .liiue, as tliat of the diseovery. I'lie dates, ■_' May 
 and li Auffust, 141)7, for the departure and return of the Cabot ship, rest upon a 
 mainiseript olirouiele, known as the Kiist or ruby ehroniile, whieh was destroyed by 
 tire in IWiO, and whieh Mr. Harrisse has ingeniously imaKiued iiii)j:ht have been a 
 forjiery by Cliatterton: see note '-', niilf, p. 13. This same ehroniele is the authority 
 for the name Mathew as that of Cabot's craft. No doubt has yet been thrown upon 
 Mr. Oaven Drde'g copy, from the oriKinal entries of the privy purse expenses of 
 Henry VII., of the entry, under dateof 111 .Vufrust, 14!l7,"toliym that foundetheiiew 
 Ihie, cm." It is merely an assumption of probabilities whieh connects this entry 
 with Cabot's voyane of diseovery. 
 
 V 
 
 X. 
 
 S(OHi.>ti»ii, was horn in Vtuiicc ulMtiit 147"), )tpin«>' one of ii 
 tiiinily which contuincd iit h^ast thrvv sons. 'I'hc father, 
 (iiovanni or Ziian, was onpi^cil in niorcantii*^ affairs, and 
 niiulc voya<;«'s to Mecca and to tlio cities of Spain. 
 Kventuallv he wt^nt to Kn<;land, whert* he established 
 hiiiLSdlf at liOiuhin and Bristol.' In Bri,stol, his plans 
 for adv<Miturin<; into the unknown world took shapes and 
 he was enabled to put his ideas to the test of trial. 
 A))par(!ntly, he jiei-sisted for nearly a decade in his (efforts 
 to find land westward from In^land. At la.st, one inorniii<>' 
 in .lune, 141I7, he sncceedt^d, and a f«'W weeks later, he 
 received from the Knjflish Kin<r the I'eward foi- his 
 discovery.'-* 
 
 The story of ( al»ot's voyajje of discovery is told in a 
 great many hooks, and there is no occasion f()r rehearsinji' 
 
 I 
 
m^mmm 
 
 -r- 
 
 n 
 
 tuiiiiliHi' «l<>tHilH,' A siii^lo |i(>iiit is nil that culls for cnn- 
 si(l(^l'llli()ll. ('oiiiiHcss piim^mpliH Imvc Ixhmi WTittiMi alioiit 
 ( 'ulMtt's v«i,vuju:(> ii|i hikI down the Aiiiui'ifan (-(Hist, r)in*;iii<r 
 ill iiiid out ol' i\\v (iiilf of St. Luwri'.iu'f, soiitliwiinl to 
 tli«< iioiiit of Florida and north to ('a|H> ('liidlci/udi in 
 LulM'udor. As a matter of fiu't, I soo no irason for su|»- 
 |>osiii|u: tliut >loliii ('allot ,s|iont more than a low hours on 
 AiinM'ican soil durinj«; his Hrst visit to this continent. The 
 mission of tlu» voyiiju'o was accomplished as soon as land 
 was diseovei'ttd wt>stward from Kurope. Caliot had fnl- 
 lilled his purpose as soon as he had stepped on shon*. 
 Kurther exploration c<iuld add iiothin<r of eomparalile 
 siHTiiilleain'e to what he already knew, and this kiiowledfrc! 
 ini«rht easily lie lost to Kurope by any attempt to increase 
 it. There is no conviiicin<r reason why Cahot uinl his 
 companions nee«l have spent more than a few hours on 
 .-liore or aloii^ the American «'oast. The stories which 
 they told after their arrival home, s«> far as these have 
 heeii preserved to the jir«'scnt <lay, suitjjfcst only the short- 
 est possilile deliiy at the jroal of the voyajre, and a hurried 
 return with the news. " 
 
 '¥ 
 
 < Tll« I'KNi'liMiil iIi'IhIIn iiivall ilorlvt-il fritin two ilociiiiientH, wliicli iirc iiiiitiially 
 iKiitriiilli'tiiiy In ii niimt tiii|iiirtiiiit |iiiliit. Kvury Ntiiiloiit ol' Uikkc (lii)'iiiiiiMitH iiin!<t 
 liavt' IiIk own i'\|iliiiiiilliin, wlilrli will, in the niiijorlty <il' caNeK, I'liniiiiiMiil iueir ti> 
 liiH I'uviir |ii>t III |ini|Mi|'tloii »N it iliircrK rnnii every otlier eliiriilatiiui of tlie piiKzle, 
 l'aHi|iiiill|iii wrote on 'j:i Anniml, UDT, that Calmt xaiil he ha<l sailed for ;iiiil U-a)::iie!< 
 iilonn a roai.1 'im leaniieK illntant: "e illee haver trovato liue TIKI lontano de i|iii 
 r.'rral'erma el |iae\e ilel tlrani Cam amlato per la eoHUi li|;e :ilMi. tin tlie followiii): 
 ilay Italinonilo ill Soneliio wrote that Caliot liail diHeovereil the Heven ritieH 4iKl 
 l.'aitiieH Iroiii Kiiitland : ed lia heoperto due ixole lertili iiiolto t;raiidi, aveiido del 
 |iarl M'o|ierlo le nelle I'ilta i|iiattroi'eiito le^lie dall' liiKliilterra dalla parte verso 
 iirc'Ideiili'." 'I'IiIn dlntaiiee In eonllniied by Ayala, who, writiii); on 25 .liily, 14W, 
 implleH tliat llie Kliiit told hitn that the new lands were 4(Hl leapies distant " Kl 
 Key de Vnulaleriii me ha t'alilado ul|;niias vezes solire ello. S|iero aver inny K<'aii 
 iiilereHse. Creo no ay i|iiatro elentoH lenniut." 
 
 ^ III l'aM|iiiilluo'M letter, the pasnaije ipioted in the preceding note eontinnes: 
 e elie e ilesiiioiilatoe lion a visto persona al|;niia, iiia a portato ipii ul re eerti la/i 
 rh'eiii tesl per pleiidi'r salvadexilie, e lino ai;o da tar rede e a trovato eerti alliori 
 taKiatli hI elie per i|iienlo liidlelia ehe ze perscnie. Vene in nave per diildto el e 
 
 stalo ineNi Ire siil vlaito e i|iiest<i e eerto Sto inventor de <|iieHte lose a inipian- 
 
 tato siill leri'cnl a trovato una ({ran -f- [eross] eon una liandieru de In^eltera 
 e una de San Marco," Soni'liio's arcoiint of Caliot's landinK and exploration 
 reailK ; " Inline eaplloe In terra t'ernia, dove poHto la hiindera retjia, e tolto la posses- 
 
 Hioiie per i|iiei«ta Altexa, et prewi eerti negiiali, He iie rctuniato Kt dieono ehe la 
 
 <; turraopiinia el leliipuiaUiiet UMlliiiannuche vi iiasva el lirasiliuct le »uto Ma 
 
.—iif'mituam 
 
 X 
 
 ■17 ■ 
 
 .loliii CftlMtt Hi'{ HlM)ut propariiijr tor his second rercmhMl 
 voyu<i;«> very so(»ii at't«'i' his i-otiirn from tho «liHcoverv.' 
 Fitirly ill 14!)^ he recoivod tlie rovul iiiithori/iHtioii, niul it 
 utis (lotilith'ss Kiistertidc Itefoi-o he was ready to depart. 
 Whi'ii at last the fiv<' ships were ready, tiiey <*ast off, 
 dropped down to tlie Severn, out tlir(ni<;h th«' Hristol 
 Channel, and so around the southern pctint of Ireland, 
 where they ran into a furious stiu'in, which <lrove one of 
 (he vessels hack <ni to the Irish coast in serious distress.'-' 
 This is the last that has ever been heard of the fate (»f that 
 c\p«'<lition. Not one wcu'd has yet liecoine known wiii«'ii 
 throws any further li<rht on what happened to .lohii (*al)ot 
 and his He<'t. There are, in the sixteenth century hooks, 
 a nuinher of undated accounts of Cahot voyas;es. It was 
 supposed that these «lescrihed tlie voyajre of 141>4 or 141I7, 
 until fifty years a<ro, when the accounts of what actually 
 took place in the latter year were found at Veni«'c. 
 'riicrcupon these undated accoinits were all fitted on to this 
 14ltH voya<>e. The ln>peless confusion which resulted may 
 pi'Hiaps he disciitun<;led l»y applyinir certain of these narra- 
 tives to a voya<;e inach' in \M)H. 
 
 Schastian Cahot in \M)H tried to find a way to Cathay 
 across the Arctic circle. lie saihul into the north until his 
 projrress was blocked hy her<;s and field i«'e at ')H° or (i()° 
 north latitude, and then, lieinjr forced to turn hack, he 
 
 iiitissi'r /<i:niiif iieiisu ilii (pivllo Iih'o oci'iipiito iiii<liirNent> xciupru ii Itivii Hiva 
 
 |iiii versii t>l l.uviiiite." 'I'lic Ciihiit. 1544 iiiu|> merely stilteH the time i»f' tlie ilia- 
 I'liverv, iiikI then };i>es mi witli iiii accniiiit of what wuh kiiiiwii aluiiit the I'liiiiitiy half 
 a rciitiiiy later. 
 
 ' l'asi|iialii:ii, 'J.'i .Vii);ii.st, t4!l7, repiirtx that the Kin;; had proiiiiMetlCaliiit ten sliipw 
 anil all the |>risiiiier.s, except traltorx, to man his Heet. " The Knt;lii*li run after him 
 like mail people, mi that he ran eiiliNt an many of them as he likeH, ami a imiiilier "( 
 our own ni|;iie.s lieitiite," Soneino, 'J4 Aiiciist, hatl liearil that the Kill); meant to 
 seiiil him out next spriii): with Hfteeii or twenty Hhips. 
 
 -The leUers patent are tlatetl :i Kelirnary, 149H. The Kaliyun ('liriiiiiele, (|iiot«il liy 
 Haklnyt, tfiveH the departure iih the " beKiniii); of May." The payment of Caliot's 
 penxion, lor the half year ending 15 April, 14!ih, is of little iletinite value. aH will he 
 xeen. Ayala, in >lnly, reportH that the live Hhips were proriHioneil for a year, lint 
 were expected hack in .Septemlier. He almi telli* of the Mtorm: Ha veniiUi niieva, 
 la una eii que iva iiii otro K»l Hull fc/'. the phrase " iitro coiiio I'olon " ati ileHcriptive 
 of I allot) aporto en Irlundu con |$run tonuento nitto el uavio, Kl giiiuves tiru 8U 
 cuwiiiu. 
 
 > 
 
 \ 
 
"■II" 
 
 mm 
 
 mmmimmmmmm 
 
 i !l 
 
 I' 
 
 18 
 
 kept on U>«rard tlio west until ho ivtu'lied a coiiNt line which 
 ho followoil soiithwAi-d for noino diNtAnce.' A fow of the 
 dotjiiis of thin voyttfTP have boon proMorvtMl in a roport 
 from Marc Antonio C'ontarini to tho Venetian Sonato in 
 l'>8(l, in whicli ho statod tliat (\iliot wan aiithori/od liv 
 llonry VII. to tako two ships and that " with throo hundred 
 men ho sailed so far that ho found tho sea frozen, and ho 
 was <-onipollod to return without having aoooniplished his 
 oltjoot."' Peter Maityr furnishes the additional informa- 
 tion that when tho innnenso iooher<fs forced Cabot to turn 
 luick ho was so far north that there was continual daylight 
 in tlio month of 'Inly, and that ho afterwards matle land at 
 a point whore the sun had molted the snow, leavin<^ tho 
 <;roun<l Itaro. As ho followed down tho coast, ho encoun- 
 toi'od vast shoals of lar<;e fish, whoso countless masses 
 actually sfaiyod tho free progress of his little craft. Alon<r 
 
 ' I'eter Martyr i;ave the date of thii* voyage in his Heventh l)«<'a<le, />■ Orhr \orn. 
 TlilH wnH written in 11^24, iinil in tlie He<;nnii I'liapter lie fi|H*akN iit n viiya^e inatle Ity 
 CalHit Hixteen yean* l)er<ir« : anno ah him; Hexto ilet'huoex AnKlia. t'Mlnclclly HWh- 
 nrd Halcliiyt rorrevtetl tliin Htatement, ho that in the edition of tlie Itenulfn, whittli 
 lit' pnhliHlied in I'ariH in IWT, tliiH name |iiuifiaKe readH, p. 471 , Hac(dialaoH anno aldiinc 
 viKeMlnio Hexto ex Ani;lia |>er CalMitiim re|iert<w. Halcluyt'g Htatenient in tlie more 
 nearly correct, accordinK to what Ih now known, lint the iin|Hirtant fact reinaiiiH 
 ei|iially true that Martyr, at wlione talile Seliaotian wiih a weleonie and a freqiient 
 IciieKt, atuiociated IiIh iiortliweHtern voya|;eti with the year IMM. Thin date Ih i-on- 
 Hrined l>y a paHHaKe, whicli waH HrHt inaile piihiii; in IHWI, from Marc Antonio 
 Cont^irini'H report to tlie Venetian Senate retcardlnK hifi diplomatic iiiiHsioii in 
 Spain. L'onbirini Mtated that C'alMit made a voyaKe of explorati<iii uiiUer the 
 aimpU'es if Henry VII. ol' KiiKland, hut that on hlH return he round that IiIm royal 
 patron wax dead. Henry VIII. died on 21 April, IflIK). Ah I have Nliown in the Ueo- 
 liniiiliiriil Joiiniiil, Uindon, Keliriiary, 18WI, XIII., 204-2A9, the date of thin voyafto 
 wiiM roinpar.ttively widely known diirin); the Hecond half of the nixteeiith century. 
 Ill inTH (ieorKe Hente deHurilied a Cabot voyage of lAOR, with (Miimideralile detail, in 
 hlH 'I'm- IHHi-iirriir ii/ Hif late I'liyni/fH it/ DinroiTfli; for the Jiniliiiil o/ it ihimhiii/I' 
 til Cut hii III! till till- \iiftliiiest. A year later, at Oeneva, VrlHiinClianveton pnhliHhed 
 a Kreiicli vernion of Henzoiii'H " New World," to which heinadeextenHiveadiiitiona, 
 iiii'ludint; an aciuiiint of CalHit'H voyage, dated lIMIi, with detailn which were evi- 
 di'iitly Hot derived from lleste, nor from itamuHio'H Siiiiiuiiirloitt I'eter Martyr, to 
 wliicli it apparently KiveH a reference. Chauvetoii'H aihiitioiiH were traiiniated into 
 Latin and (iennan for I)e liry'n editions of Henzoni, in the "(}randH VoyaceH," 
 part IV., iMHiied i|i Inland iniM. 
 
 'I'lini .inn liomeni navlK" tanto che trovo il mare conKelato, ande convenne al 
 CalHito ritornarHene xenza liavere lo intento 8Uo, cum pre8U|Hiiiito pen'i di ritornar- 
 Heiie a (|iiella impresa a tempo che ii mare non fimHe coiiKelato. Trovi'i il re, morbi, 
 eil 11 flfclin <;urar8i poco di tale impre«a: Herchet, Font! Itntliiiii /jer la Hliiria dellit 
 ncuiierla del niiiwo iiioiutit, in the Rtweoltu dl diicuinenli puhlighed by the Italian 
 ruyai Culuiubiau commiHHiuu, Uoine, UVa, pt. III., vol, 1,, p. 137, 
 
 ^■i-::7zrr:zrrr 
 
V 
 
 X. 
 
 the slioros larjfo Im'uin wcw ol>sorvi«l, wliii-li \n\ in wait tor 
 llie Hsli, Uuipiii^r into tlit' mIiiiIIow wutor, as thvy saw tlu*ir 
 clmiifc ami ((rawiii<r their prey to laiitl utter iiiiich spatteriii^' 
 uihI sti'ii<;^fliii<;.' Tlie inuin facts about tliis voyajre were 
 eoiitinneil, also, to a rertain exU'iit, l>y Kieliard Kdeii, who 
 states ill a note to oih^ ot the narratives of the expedition, 
 that "('allot to(ieh(Ml oiilv in the north corner and most 
 
 I Ml'. IIiii'I'Imho |MiliitHl lint in IiIn <'iiliiit,]i. tni),thi- I'lmnxntliiii Ix^twAvn CiintJiriiil'N 
 ri>|Mirt. iinil llif iiiKliiteil nuriiitive in Miirtyr'n Ikrmlin, /he. III. ,///>, VI., wliirli remlM; 
 |ii'lnii> teiiilcnH cnin linniinllmN ti-r<'t*ntiiin ml Hi>|iti'htrii>n)Mn ilonei* otlitni inllo iiittiiitt! 
 niiHliiN i'i>|ieriTit );i»i'liiifM inolHH |i»lii|;ii niitiiiiteH : iV Incxni feru |ier|iHtiiani : tellnr)- 
 tanu'lilH^rii i;nln iiqneriirto. i{nart> I'liiiftnH fnlt nti iiit ni-lii nHrtfrit <.V ni'rltieti-in 
 Hfipil . . . llniM'iiliHiiN culMittnH l|iH** tomiN illiiN u|i|iulliuiit: iMi (|n<* in eariun politK" 
 titntiini raiifrit niiiKnornni i|iiiirnnilani iiiHciuin; . . . ninltitniliiiuni: nt I'tiani illi 
 naiiiKia inroriliun iletarilurent . . . l|iHi piHriiMiH ni-Dcantiir. Inter ilHUHa nuniinv 
 liiHi'lnni iiliinini iiKUiina neHti innnericut niNi: it HinKnlim HinKnii riim|il«xiHi: nn- 
 cniiinHi|ne intnr i*i|n»uiiiH inimi8NiH in terrani raiihit A' I'ommniinnt: Martyr, l>f iivhr 
 imrii, Alviilii, Uilll, I. .VJ. Anotlivr anil inncli more reallHtic aiu'imntof tlit>H« tlHii 
 ami liHarH In nintaineil in the |ier|il<'xinir ■'•niiiiiiitrhi of the DertnleH anilotlierearli- 
 i>Ht treatiHi-n on the new woriil, whieh upiiearH to have lieen coiniiilud liy IbiinnHio, 
 anil waH printeil at Venloe in UM. On I. iin("5l)") tliere in an Italian version of the 
 liaHHaife I'roni Martyr, the latter |iortioii of whirh reailH, in KncliRli: "And on 
 iirroiint of tliat ire he WIU4 roni|ielleii to tnrn alxnit, ami make hiNwayaloni: tlie 
 I'oaKt whii'ii at tlrMl ran for a wnyM towaril tlie Hontli, then eimnKed to weHtwuril, ami 
 
 I anse he fonnil viiHt nnnilierx of very lar^e HhIi in that region, whii'li Hwani in 
 
 NliiialNiii'ar tlieHliore, aniiaMlienniierNtooil tiiatthe liilialiitantHralletl tliem liaeealai, 
 he ealleil tliat tlie eonntry of the Kaeealai (or roiltlNh'.'). He had a little iiiter- 
 I'oiirKe with tiioxe inhaliitant.H, wlioni he fonnii to Ih- fairly intelligent and wlio 
 I'liveieil their whole lioily witli Hidnx of dill'ereiit aniiiialH. In tliat |ilare, ami for 
 the leHl of the voya^fe, wliii'h he made aionu: that I'oaNt toward the weHt, he Maid 
 tliat he foiinil the water alwayH ran towanl the weHt, toward tlie Kulf that tlie 
 luainiaiiil Ih Naid to make tliere. We must not omit a H|iort whieh SeiiaNtian 
 raliot Ha id he liaii Heeii together uitii Imh whole i'i>in|iaiiy, to their )i;reat amiiNement, 
 wiieii tlie niinieroiiN liearn that are found in tliat I'lUintry eoine to eateli tiiene liae 
 laial IIhIi in tliiH way. .Vil alon^ tiie Hliore there are many lar^ie treeH wlnme leaven 
 fail down into the sea, ami tlie llarealai eoine in nlioalH to eat tlieiii. Tlie lieaix, wlio 
 like thene IInIi better Mian aiiythiii); eiHe, hide theniHelves ii|ioii tlie liankn, and when 
 ,1 lot of tlii'Me HhIi, wiiieli are very larjje ami liave tlie a|i|ieanini'e of tnnnieH, have 
 ronie near, tliey liaKh into tliewalerami Heizeoneof theni,Htiekini;theiri'lawHiiiider 
 tlieir HialoH ho an imi to let them pi, and strive to dra^ them on to tlie Hhore. lint 
 tlie llai ralai, wliieli ale very Htriiii);, niKli aliiint and |iliiii);e into tile sea, no tiiat, as 
 the I wo creatiireH are fasteneii tot;etiier, it in very i;reat sport to see tlieni, now one 
 under tlie water and now the otiier aliove, splaHliiii); the water in the air. Knt in 
 llie end the hear ilraKS the liaeeaiao to the Hhore, wliere lie eatH it. Tiiis In tliou(;lit 
 lo lie the reaHiin why Hiieli a lur^e mimlier of hearft do not make any troulile for the 
 people of the nniiitry." 
 
 (totnaia in IfiTc', llislnrin i/nn'riil ilr Inn liiiliiin, eap. X\XIX,,aiid Oalvano in 
 I."*!.), Triiluilii </(■ liitlns on ili'sviihriineiiloH, I. 25. or pp. KT-Klt of the Hakhiyt Hoeiety, 
 isii'.', edition, rei'iinled the main faetK reKariliiif; this voyage, liiit without ^IvinK any 
 additioiiai details, uxeept the degree of north latitude, whiub they state wan M-' 
 or «'". 
 
 f, 
 
mmm 
 
 ii' 
 
 to 
 
 ItiirlmnHW part**" of tln' iirw world "from whonro lio wa* 
 rv\niUM with Ih<> in tli«> iiioiioth of .Inly."' 
 
 SobMstiiin CalHit iiiav liavi* made anotlit'i* aU^Miipt, lM>.si<|» 
 the voya^t* of l'iOH-i(, to Hiul a way tliroiigli tliv noithorii 
 seas. In a htttor to Kaniusio, ('abot nitMitioned tin* fact 
 tliat lit' had on«'(' sailt^d for a lon^ tinu* wont and north, 
 until III* n>iu'h<>d latitudt^ (i7}° noith on .hin«> II. Tin* s«!a 
 was still open Ix^forc him, and there seemed to he nothing; 
 to prevent him from proeeedinj; onward to Oathay, when 
 he was for«-ed to stop an<l turn liaek on aeeount of somo 
 trouble with the sliip>mi4ster and nnitinous sailors.* 
 Tht^re are two other aecoiuits of an Knglish aretie voyage 
 made during the early years of the sixteenth century, which 
 was interfered with by a nuitiny of seanuMi. One is in the 
 fasrinatin;; " Interlude of the iiii. KlemontM," in which the 
 author, Kastell, (h'scribin^ Ameri<'a, tells how 
 
 Itut yet not. longe a go 
 
 Some men of thin contrey went 
 
 Hy the KyiiKea noble consent 
 
 It for to nerche to thstenteui 
 
 And coude not be hrouKht therto. 
 
 Hnt tbejr thai were the ventereH 
 
 liaue cause to curoe their marynerit 
 
 KaU of promyH and dlsaemblers 
 
 That falxly then* betrayed. 
 
 Which wold take nu palne to Halle farther 
 
 Than their own lyMt and plnaHure."^ 
 
 The ttthcr is in Kden's dedicatory epistle to his translation 
 of Muiister's TrealifHe of the Xew^^ India, — London, 15.'>3, 
 where he r(>iuarks that " manlye c(mrage, yf it had not 
 been watiiig in others, at suche time as our .souereipie 
 L(»rd of noble niemorie, Kin^e Henry the VIII. about the 
 
 ' ■■ llyi^lmrile Kilen t<) the reader " on I. «<(/. ej., in liU traiiNlatiitn of Murtyr'H 
 DfiinlfH iif thr Spwi' Wurlile, — Loudon, ISBS. 
 
 "• Coiue mi fii Hcritto, icia luoiti anni iiono, ilal HiKUor SelNuttian Oalxitto," in tlie 
 Itreliniinury illMtoiirHe tii Itamnsio'H Ti-rxo )'o/r»tf ilellr Xai'lf/atliml et yi(tif(fl,— 
 Vfiietid, iriwi, 1. 4. 
 
 ' I'rintud iiroUilily Itetween IMU and 102)), anil reprinted in I><Hliiley'H Olil Kiii/tlah 
 I'liiyn, Huzlil t'M edition, I. ,l-«), and liy the l'er«'y8<R-iety.-i.»»(/»(i,ll«4M, vol. XXII., 
 PI). '.'8-33. 
 
y 
 
 I 
 
 4irt of Murtyr'H 
 
 m 
 
 HHiiir vcff of liih mvgiir, t'lii'iiiNlird i^ .sent I'nrth ccilcii 
 .•«lii|tp(<H iiii<i<«r tlio f;oii«*niMiinc(i uf SplNiHtinii Cahot vrt 
 lining, t!ic oiii> Hvr TIioiiihh I*(>rto, wlioHn t'uvtit Ii<>iii1 whm 
 tilt* niii.s«> that that \\«i^v tokn iintin (•tfoi't." ThiH paHsa^o 
 sii^r;;i«Kts Koh«>i-t Thonic's stati^iiuMit, ill cotiiHtctioii with 
 x()iii«> ailviMitiit'o of tlit> two old Hrirttol iiHM'rliantN, Imh 
 talJK't' and \\\\^\ Kliot, that "if tho niarrinoi's woiiitlc tiiiMi 
 haiif Ikm'ii i'iiIihI, and lolowcd th«>ir pihits mind, tlic landH 
 of tlir wcHt IndicN, froiii whunct^ all tho jj;old conuiirth, had 
 Ih'mi ouiv." ' 
 
 In 1/)I2 Soltastiati ('ultot h*ft Kii^dand and (Mitctvd th(> 
 .sorvir*' of tin- Kin;; <»f Spain. TIhto Ih' continued for 
 thirty-Hv«i yrarH, <>njoyin^, ho far an the extant evidence 
 showM, tlie iinlirolieti citiiHdence of tliONe in supreme 
 authority in the Sitatiish empire. In lAHO their faith in 
 him waH t^^sted to the lireakin^ point, after his return fniiii 
 La Plata, wliither he had ctmdiict^d a costly e.\|>edition 
 wliich ended in complete disaster. A liitt^^r attempt was 
 made to ruin him, and he suffered legal condemnation for 
 
 ' ••'roiii tli« '• BtMik " or lett«r written l)y Thnnie in Neville HiMiiit 1827, anil |irinl«il 
 in Hiilclnyt'N IHirrn I iijiiifirH,—l,iiiiilini, IRH2. HhorUy liefore the ilate of tin- letter, 
 Thiirne hail Kent two iif hlR a|{entK on one of the vemielH whieh arroni|ianieil Seliaw- 
 tiaii ChImiI on hlK iinliirky ex|ieilition to I^a I'lata, towaril the ex|ienteNor whii'h 
 'riiiinii' unil hJN partnerH niaile a iMinniileralile eontrilMitioii. 
 
 No I'linvinrinK inilieatlon of the date of thiH voyage hag yet Iteen iliscovereil. 
 chiiiiveton, att |iri'vloiii*ly noteil, tellH of a voyaffe by <'alMit to Hi ' north in inn'. The 
 ilute IMT wiiiilii m-eni at tlrot thouKht to lie iinplieil by Kilen'fi " Klnx Henry the 
 VIII.,nlHiut the Hame year of hlH rei)en." were it not that Kiiiiarii Kilen whh fur 
 tiHi Hi'riiiiiM iinil Umi HenHilile a Htuilent to Jniticle with woriiii in the fuHliion neeileil 
 to olitaiii the eiithth year of Henry VIII. There are many reaHonN for liimlitinK the 
 |iiiNMiliility of un KnicliHh viiyai;e havinic lieen niaile in IBIT liy Sehaiitian Caliot, who 
 hail i-iitereil the oervire of the S|iaiiiHh uriiwn live yearH earlier. Mr. llarriHHO hiiH 
 ilevoteil much Hkilfnl renearch to provlni; that Sir Thomas Terte or S|iert ronlil 
 liarilly liave enKa^eil in any voyage away from Knglanil at that time. Dr. Krrern 
 III Turin— an Italian Htnilent who is iloing Mome very excellent work in the line of 
 lieograiihiral hintory -HUKgeNtH with a giMiil ileal of reawon that the uIivIouh inter- 
 liretntlon of Kilen'it statement Ih '• ulMint the Itmt year of Henry VIII." This taken 
 iiH liai'k to 150U-to, anil implle* a proltahle connection lietween the eventH of tlie 
 nintinoiiH voyage anil those uf the icelierg ex|ieilitinn of 1G08-II. An open sea at 
 •)'" north on ,lune 11, unil iueliergs in .Inly at WK' are by no means mulnally Ini- 
 liimsilile. The two narratives are, however, so clearly illstinct in nearly every 
 i'i'S|H><'t, that it seems mncli safer to consider them as referring to separate ailveii- 
 tiM'CH, mill to confess frankly that we have no means for iletermining the ilate of the 
 •liiiic voyage to tIT' north, nnlesH we accept Chaiiveton's 15UT, fur which the most 
 that can be saiil Is that It has nut been disproven. 
 
 fl 
 
r*\:: 
 
 1 
 
 I? 
 
 I : 
 
 22 
 
 his sharp in tho failure. But hv was iuiiiiP(1iat4>1y rostoiwl 
 to his position at tho head of the Spaniish navigation 
 bureau, and the sentence of tenipomrv hanishuK^nt, which 
 would iiav«' intei-fered with tlu' pert'ornmnce of his official 
 iluties, was not enforced. Little is known about the 
 details of his career (hu'in<r the next few years, hut that 
 his services were valued hy those who were most interested 
 in what he was doing, may fairly be inferred fr<)m the 
 fact that the empt'ror made re|)eated efforts to induce 
 (^aitot to i-eturn, after he retired fifteen years later. In 
 l.')47 Sel>astian ('abot went back to Kngland, and there he 
 assumed a position of influence, which he retained for the 
 next ten years, as the recognized leader in the maritime 
 affairs of the kingdom. He inspired and supervised the 
 prej)arations for the voyages undertaken by ('han<-ellor, 
 \Villoiighl»y and liiUTough, who opened to Kngland the 
 noi'thcastern loute to the markets of Russia. Tiie story 
 of these voyages is told in many books, and there is n<» 
 occasion for repeating the details, or for analyzing the 
 significance of facts about which there is n(» dispute. 
 It is sufficient if the prece<ling pages show that the 
 story of the Cabots contains some elements of actual 
 liiunan interest, and that what they did, in 14!I7, l.')())S, 
 and l.Ki;')-.").'), justifies the reputation which .lohn and 
 Sebastian Caltot have enjoyed for three hun<1r<>d years, as 
 two of the most eminent of Kngland's sea-faring nu-n. 
 
 ;( 
 
 1 
 
 m. 
 
y 
 
 V, 
 
 V.