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MERCEDES OF CASTILE;
on,
THE VOYAGE TO CATHAY


BY J. FENIMORE COOPER.
L All this cup to one made up of loveliness aien.,
A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon;.
Yo whom the better elements and kindly stars have given
fotrm so fAir, that, like the air, I'tis less of earth than heav.m
P-~n.
V0OMPLETE LIN O2NE VOLUME.
NEW EDITION.
NEW YORK:
PUBLISHED BY HURD AND HOUGHTON.
~rambttbge:. uifberofbe 39ress.
1870.




C77
MERCEDES OF CASTILE.
Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 184. by
J. FENIMORE COOPmR,
bi t  eo lerk's Offlce of the District Court of the United State, In aad be
the Northern District of New York.




PREFACE.


So much has been written of late years, touching
the discovery of America, that it would not be at
all surprising should there exist a disposition in a
certain class of readers to deny the accuracy of
all the statements in this work. Some may refer
to history, with a view to prove that there never
were such persons as our hero and heroine, and fancy
that by establishing these facts, they completely destroy the authenticity of the whole book. In answer
to this anticipated objection, we will state, that after
carefully perusing several of the Spanish wilters,
from Cervantes to the translator of the journal of
Columbus, the Alpha and Omega of peninsular litera
ture, and after having read both Irving and Prescott
from beginning to end, we do not find a syllable in
either of them, that we understand to be conclusive
evidence, or indeed to be any evidence at all, on the
portions of our subject that are likely to be disputed.
Until some solid affirmative proof, therefore, can be
produced against us, we shall hold our case to be
made out, and rest our claims to be believed on the
authority of our own statements. Nor do we think
(9)




x


PREFACE.


there is any thing either unreasonable or unusual in
this course, as perhaps the greater portion of that
which is daily and hourly offered to the credence
of the American public, rests on the same species
of testimony,-with the trifling difference that we state
truths, with a profession of fiction, while the great
moral caterers of the age state fiction with the pro
fession of truth.  If any advantage can be fairly
obtained over us, in consequence of this trifling discrepancy, we must submit.
There is one point, notwithstanding, concerning
which it may be well to be frank at once.  The
narrative of the "Voyage to Cathay," has been written with the journal of the Admiral before us; or,
rather with all of that journal, that has been given
to the world through the agency of a very incompetent and meagre editor. Nothing is plainer than
the general fact that this person did not always un.
derstand his author, and in one particular circumstance he has written so obscurely, as not a little to
embarrass even a novelist, whose functions naturally
include an entire familiarity with the thoughts, emotions, characters, and, occasionally, with the unknown
fates of the subjects of his pen. The nautical day
formerly commenced at meridian, and with all our
native ingenuity and high professional prerogatives
we have not been able to discover whether the editor
of the journal hqs adopted that mode of counting
rime, or whether he has condescended to use the




PREFACE.                  Z1
more vulgar and irrational practice of landsmen.
It is our opinion, however, that in the spirit of
impartiality which becomes an historian, he has
adopted both. This little peculiarity might possibly
embarrass a superficial critic; but accurate critics
being so very common, we feel no concern on this
head, well knowing that they will be much more apt
to wink at these minor inconsistencies, than to pass
over an error of the press, or a comma with a broken tail.  As we wish to live on good terms with
this useful class of our fellow-creatures, we have
directed the printers to mis-spell some eight or ten
words for their convenience, and to save them from
head-aches, have honestly stated this principal difficulty ourselves.
Should the publicity which is now given to the
consequences of commencing a day in the middle,
have the effect to induce the government to order
that it shall, in future, with all American seamen,
commence at one of its ends, something will be gained
in the way of simplicity, and the writing of novels
will. in-so-much, be rendered easier and more agree.
able.
As respects the minor characters of this work,
very little need be said. Every one knows that Columbus had seamen in his vessels, and that he brought
some of the natives of the islands he had discovered,
back with him to Spain. The reader is now made
much more intimately acquainted with certain of




xii               IPREFOACUO
these individuals, we will venture to my, that he can
be possibly by the perusal of any work previously
written. As for the subordinate incidents connected
with the more familiar events of the age, it is hoped
they will be found so completely, to fill up this branch
of the sub~ject, as to render future investigations an
mecema'ry.




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.
CHAPTER I.
#There was knocking that shook the marble floor,
And a voice at the gate, which said -
"That the Cid Ruy Diez, the Campeador,
Was there in his arms array'd. " ---MRs. HIEMAl.
WHETHER we take the pictures of the inimitable Cervantes, or of that scarcely less meritorious author from
whom Le Sage has borrowed his immortal tale, for our
guides; whether we confide in the graver legends of history, or put our trust in the accounts of modern travellers,
the time has scarcely ever existed when the inns of Spain
were good, or the roads safe. These are two of the blessings of civilization which the people of the peninsula would
really seem destined never to attain; for, in all ages, we
hear, or have heard, of wrongs done the traveller equally by
the robber and the host. If such are the facts to-day, such
also were the facts in the middle of the fifteenth century
the period to which we desire to carry back the reader ii
imagination.
At the commencement of the month of October, in the
year of our Lord 1469, John of Trastamara reigned in
Aragon, holding his court at a place called Zaragosa, a
town lying on the Ebro, the name of which is supposed to
be a corruption of Caesar Augustus, and a city that has
become celebrated in our own times, under the more Angli.
cised term of Saragessa, for its deeds in arms. John of
2                               (




14


MERCEDES OP CASTILE.


Trastamara, or, as it was more usual to style him, agree
ably to the nomenclature of kings, John II., was one of the
most sagacious monarchs of his age; but he had Lecomc
impoverished by many conflicts with the turbulent, or, as it
may be more courtly to say, the liberty-loving Catalonians;
had frequently enough to do to maintain his seat on the
throne; possessed a party-coloured empire that included
within its sway, besides his native Aragon, with its dependencies of Valencia and Catalonia, Sicily and the Balearic
Islands, with some very questionable rights in Navarre.
By the will of his elder brother and predecessor, the crown
of Naples had descended to an illegitimate son of the latter,
else would that kingdom have been added to the list. The
King of Aragon had seen a long and troubled reign, and,
at this very moment, his treasury was nearly exhausted, by
his efforts to subdue the truculent Catalans, though he was
nearer a triumph than he could then foresee, his competitor,
the Duke of Lorraine, dying suddenly, only two short
months after the precise period chosen for the commencement of our tale. But it is denie" to man to look into the
future, and on the 9th of the month just mentioned, the ingenuity of the royal treasurer was most sorely taxed, there
having arisen an unexpected demand for a considerable
sum of money, at the very moment that the army was
about to disband itself for the want of pay, and the public
coffers contained only the very moderate sum of three hundred Enriques, or Henrys; a gold coin named after a previous monarch, and which had a value not far from that of
the modern ducat, or our own quarter eagle. The matter,
however, was too pressing to be deferred, and even the
objects of the war were considered as secondary to those
connected with this suddenly-conceived, and more private
enterprise. Councils were held, money-dealers were cajoled or frightened, and the confidants of the court were
very manifestly in a state of great and ea:nest excitement.
At length, the time of preparation appealed to be passed
and the instant of action arrived. Curiosity was relieved,
and the citizens of Saragossa were permitted to know that
their sovereign was about to send a solemn embassy, on
matters of high moment, to his neighbcur, kinsman, and
ally, the monarch of Castile. In 1469, Henry, also of




MERCEDES OF CASTILE. 1.
Trastamara, sat upon the throne of the adjoining kingdom,
under the title of Henry IV. He was the grandson, in the
male line, of the brother of John II.'s father, and consequently, a first-cousin, once removed, of the monarch of
Aragon.   Notwithstanding this affinity, and the strong
family interests that might be supposed to unite them, it required many friendly embassies to preserve the peace be/ween the two monarchs; and the announcement of that
which was about to depart, produced more satisfaction
than wonder in the streets of the town.
Henry of Castile, though he reigned over broader and
richer peninsular territories, than his relative of Aragon,
had his cares and troubles, also. He had been twice married, having repudiated his first consort, Blanche of Aragon, to wed Joanna of Portugal, a princess of a levity of
character so marked, as not only to bring great scandal
on the court generally, but to throw so much distrust on
the birth of her only child, a daughter, as to push discontent to disaffection, and eventually to deprive the infant
itself of the rights of royalty. Henry's father, like himself, had been twice married, and the issue of the second
union was a son and a daughter, Alfonso and Isabella; the
latter becoming subsequently illustrious, under the double
titles of the Queen of Castile, and of the Catholic. The
luxurious impotency of Henry, as a monarch, had driven
a portion of his subjects into open rebellion. Three years
preceding that selected for our opening, his brother Alfonso
had been proclaimed king in his stead, and a civil war had
raged throughout his provinces. This war had been recently terminated by the death of Alfonso, when the peace
of the kingdom was temporarily restored by a treaty, in
which Henry consented to the setting aside of his own
daughter-or rather of the daughter of Joanna of Portugal
-and to the recognition of his half-sister Isabella, as the
rightful heiress of the throne. The last concession was the
result of dire necessity, and, as might have been expected,
it led to many secret and violent measures, with a view to
defeat its objects. Among the other expedients adopted by
the king, or it might be better to say, by his favourites, the
inaction and indolence of the self-indulgent but kind.
hearted prince being Droverbial, with a view to counteract
I




16


MERCEDES OF CASTILE


the probable consequences of the expected accession of Isa.
bella, were various schemes to control her will, and guide
her policy, by giving her hand, first to a s:bject, with a
view to reduce her power, and subsequently to various
foreign princes, who were thought to be more or less suited
to the furtherance of such schemes. Just at this moment,
indeed, the marriage of the princess was one of the greatest
objects of Spanish prudence. The son of the King of A rlgon was one of the suitors for the hand of Isabella, and
most of those who heard of the intended departure of the
embassy, naturally enough believed that the mission had
some connection with that great stroke of Aragonese policy.
Isabella had the reputation of learning, modesty, discretion, piety and beauty, besides being the acknowledged
heiress of so enviable a crown; and there were many com.
petitors for her hand. Among them were to be ranked
French, English and Portuguese princes, besides him of
Aragon to whom we have already alluded. Different favourites supported different pretenders, struggling to effect
their several purposes by the usual intrigues of courtiers
and partisans; while the royal maiden, herself, who was
the object of so much competition and rivalry, observed a
discreet and womanly decorum, even while firmly bent on
indulging her most womanly and dearest sentiments. Her
brother, the king, was in the south, pursuing his pleasures,
and, long accustomed to dwell in comparative solitude, the
princess was earnestly occupied in arranging her own
affairs, in a way that she believed would most conduce to
her own happiness. After several attempts to entrap her
person, from which she had only escaped by the prompt
succour of the forces of her friends, she had taken refuge
in Leon, in the capital of which province, or kingdom as it
was sometimes called, Valladolid, she temporarily took up
her abode. As Henry, however, still remained in the vicinity of Granada, it is in that direction we must look for
the route taken by the embassy.
The cortege left Saragossa, by one of the southern gates,
early in the morning of a glorious autumnal day. There
was the usual escort of lances, for this the troubled state
of the country demanded; bearded nob'ls well mailed, for
few, who offered an inducement to the plunderer, ventured




]EBCEDES OF CASTILE.


17


on the highway without this precaution; a long train of
sumpter mules, and a host of those. who, by their guise,
were half menials and half soldiers. The gallant display
drew crowds after the horses' heels, and, together with
some prayers for success, a vast deal of crude and shallow
conjecture, as is still the practice with the uninstructed and
gossiping, was lavished on the probable objects and results
of the journey. But curiosity has its limits, and even the
gossip occasionally grows weary; and by the time the sun
was setting, most of the multitude had already forgotten to
think and speak of the parade of the morning. As the
night drew on, however, the late pageant was still the subject of discourse between two soldiers, who belonged to the
guard of the western gate, or that which opened on the
road to the province of Burgos. These worthies were loitering away the hours, in the listless manner common to
men on watch, and the spirit of discussion and of critical
censure had survived the thoughts and bustle of the day.
"If Don Alonso de Carbajal thinketh to ride far in that
guise," observed the elder of the two idlers, " he would do
well to look sharp to his followers, for the army of Aragon
never sent forth a more scurvily-appointed guard than that
he hath this day led through the southern gate, notwithstanding the glitter of housings, and the clangour of trum.
pets. We could have furnished lances from Valencia more
befitting a king's embassy, I tell thee, Diego; ay, and wor
thier knights to lead them, than these of Aragon. But if
the king is content, it ill becomes soldiers, like thee and
me, to be dissatisfied."
" There are many who think, Roderique, that it had been
better to spare the money lavished in this courtly letterwriting, to pay the brave men who so freely shed their
blood in order to subdue the rebellious Barcelans."
"This is always the way, boy, between debtor and creditor. Don John owes you a few maravedis, and you grudge
him every Enriques he spends on his necessities. I am an
older soldier, and have learned the art of paying myself,
when the treasury is too poor to save me the trouble."
"That might do in a foreign war, when one is batt.ing
against the Moor, for instance; but, after all, these Catalans are as good Christians as we are ourselves; some of
2




18


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


thenlare as good subjects; and it is not as easy to plunder
a countryman as to plunder an Infidel."
" Easier, by twenty fold; for the one expects it, and, like
all in that unhappy condition, seldom has any thing worth
taking, while the other opens his stores to you as freely as
he does his heart-but who are these, setting forth on the
highway, at this late hour '"
" Fellows that pretend to wealth, by affecting to concea
it. I'll warrant you, now, Roderique, that there is no
money enough among all those varlets to pay tle laquais
that shall serve them their boiled eggs, to-night."
"By St. Iago, my blessed patron!" whispered one of the
leaders of a small cavalcade, who, with a single companion,
rode a little in advance of the others, as if not particularly
anxious to be too familiar with the rest, and laughing lightly
as he spoke: " Yonder vagabond is nearer the truth than
is comfortable! We may have sufficient among us all to
pay for an olla-podrida and its service, but I much doubt
whether there will be a dobla left, when the journey shall
be once ended."
A low, but grave rebuke, checked this inconsiderate
mirth; and the party, which consisted of merchants, or
traders, mounted on mules, as was evident by their appearance, for in that age the different classes were easily recognized by their attire, halted at the gate. The permission to
quit the town was regular, and the drowsy and consequently surly gate-keeper slowly undid his bars, in order
that the travellers might pass.
While these necessary movements were going on, the
two soldiers stood a little on one side, coolly scanning the
group, though Spanish gravity prevented them from indulging openly in an expression of the scorn that they actually felt for two or three Jews who were among the
traders. The merchants, moreover, were of a better class,
as was evident by a follower or two, who rode in their
train, in the garbs of menials, and who kept at a respectful
distance while their masters paid the light fee that it was
customary to give on passing the gates after night-fall.
One of these menials, capitally mounted on a tall, spirited
mule, happened to p'ace himself so near Diego, during this




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


19


little ceremony, that the latter, who was talkative by a.
ture, could not refrain from having his say.
"Prithee, Pepe," commenced the soldier, "how many
hundred doblas a year do they pay, in that service of thine,
and how often do they renew that fine leathern doublet?"
The varlet, or follower of the merchant, who was still a
youth, though his vigorous frame and embrowned cheek
denoted equally severe exercise and rude exposure, started
and reddened at this free inquiry, which was enforced by a
hand slapped familiarly on his knee, and such a squeeze of
the leg as denoted the freedom of the camp. The laugh
of Diego probably suppressed a sudden outbreak of anger,
for the soldier was one whose manner indicated too much
good-humour easily to excite resentment.
" Thy gripe is friendly, but somewhat close, comrade,"
the young domestic mildly observed; " and if thou wilt take
a friend's counsel, it will be, never to indulge in too great
familiarity, lest some day it lead to a broken pate."
"By holy San Pedro!-I should relish"It was too late, however; for his masters having pro.
ceeded, the youth pushed a powerful rowel into the flank of
his mule, and the vigorous animal dashed ahead, nearly
upsetting Diego, who was pressing hard on the pommel of
the saddle, by the movement.
"There is mettle in that boy," exclaimed the good-natured soldier, as he recovered his feet.  "I thought, for
one moment, he was about to favour me with a visitation
of his hand."
" Thou art wrong-and too much accustomed to be heedless, Diego," answered his comrade; "and it had been no
wonder had that youth struck thee to the earth, for the in.
dignity thou putt'st upon him."
"Ha! a hireling follower of some cringing Hebrew!He dare to strike a blow at a soldier of the king!"
" He may have been a soldier of the king, himself, in
his day. These are times when most of his frame and
muscle are called on to go in harness. I think I have seen
that face before; ay, and that, too, where none of craven
hearts would be apt to go."
"The fellow is a mere varlet, and a younker that haa
just escaped from the hands of the women."




20             MERCEDES or CASTILE.
" I '11 answer for it, that he hath faced both the Catalan
and the Moor, in his time, young as he may seem. Thou
knowest that the nobles are wont to carry their sons, as
children, early into the fight, that they may learn the deeds
of chivalry betimes."
" The nobles!" repeated Diego, laughing. " In the name
of all the devils, Roderique, of what art thou thinking, tha
thou likenest this knave to a young noble? Dost fancy
him a Guzman, or a Mendoza, in disguise, that thou speak
est thus of chivalry?"
" True-it doth, indeed, seem silly-and yet have I be
fore met that frown in battle, and heard that sharp, quick
voice, in a rally. By St. lago de Compostello! I have it!
Harkee, Diego!-a word in thy ear."
The veteran now led his more youthful comrade aside,
although there was no one near to listen to what he said;
and looking carefully round, to make certain that his words
would not be overheard, he whispered, for a moment, in
Diego's ear.
" Holy Mother of God!" exclaimed the latter, recoiling
quite three paces, in surprise and awe. "Thou canst not
be right, Roderique!"
"I will place my soul's welfare on it," returned the
other, positively. " Have I not often seen him with his
visor up, and followed him, time and again, to the charge?"
" And he setting forth as a trader's varlet!-Nay, I know
not, but as the servitor of a Jew!"
"Our business, Diego, is to strike without looking into
the quarrel; to look without seeing, and to listen without
hearing. Although his coffers are low, Don John is a good
master, and our anointed king; and so we will prove ourselves discreet soldiers."
" But he will never forgive me that gripe of the knee,
and my foolish tongue. - I shall never dare meet him again."
" Humph!-It is not probable thou ever wilt meet him at
the table of the king, and, as for the field, as he is wont to
go first, there will not be much temptation for him to turn
back in order to look at thee."
"Thou thinkest, then, he will not be apt to know me,
again?"
" If it should prove so, boy, thou need'st not take it in




MERCEDES OF UASTILE.             21
ill part; as such as he have more demands on their memories than they can always meet."
" The Blessed Maria make thee a true prophet! —else
would I never dare again to appear in the ranks. Were it
a favour I had conferred, I might hope it would be forgot.
ten; but an indignity sticks long in the memory."
Here the two soldiers moved away, continuing the dis.
course from time to time, although the elder frequently ad.
monished hisloquacious companion of the virtue of discretion.
In the mean time, the travellers pursued their way, with
a diligence that denoted great distrust of the roads, and as
great a desire to get on. They journeyed throughout the
night, nor did there occur any relaxation in their speed,
until the return of the sun exposed them, again, to the observations of the curious, among whom were thought to be
many emissaries of Henry of Castile, whose agents were
known to be particularly on the alert, along all the roads
that communicated between the capital of Aragon, and Val.
ladolid, the city in which his royal sister had then, quite
recently, taken refuge. Nothing remarkable occurred, however, to distinguish this journey from any other of the pe.
riod. There was nothing about the appearance of the tra.
vellers, who soon entered the territory of Soria, a province
of Old Castile, where armed parties of the monarch were
active in watching the passes, to attract the attention of
Henry's soldiers; and, as for the more vulgar robber, he
was temporarily driven from the highways by the presence
of those who acted in the name of the prince. As respects
the youth who had given rise to the discourse between the
two soldiers, he rode diligently in the rear of his master, so
long as it pleased the latter to remain in the saddle; and
during the few and brief pauses that occurred in the tra.
velhng, he busied himself, like the other menials, in the du.
ties of his proper vocation. On the evening of the second
day, however, about an hour after the party had left a hostelrie, where it had solaced itself with an olla.podrida and
some sour wine, the merry young man who has already
been mentionfed, and who still kept his place by the side of
his graver and more aged companion in the van, suddenly
burst into a fit of loud laughter, and, reining jn his mule
he allowed the whole train to pass him, until he found him




22


MURCKDES OF CASTILE,


self by the side of the young menial already so partic.o
larly named. The latter cast a severe and rebuking glance
at his reputed master, as he dropped in by his side, and
said, with a sternness that ill comported with their apparent
relations to each other"How now, Master Nuiez! what hath called thee from
thy position in the van, to this unseemly familiarity with
the varlets in the rear?"
"I crave ten thousand pardons, honest Juan," returned
the master, still laughing, though he evidently struggled to
repress his mirth, out of respect to the other; " but here
is a calamity befallen us, that outdoes those of the fables
and legends of necromancy and knight-errantry. The
worthy Master Ferreras, yonder, who is so skilful in hand.
uing gold, having passed his whole life in buying and sell.
ing barley and oats, hath actually mislaid the purse, which
it would seem he hath forgotten at the inn we have quitted,
in payment of some very stale bread and rancid oil. I doubt
if there are twenty reals left in the whole party!"
"And is it a matter of jest, Master Nufiez," returned the
servant, though a slight smile struggled about his mouth,
as if ready to join in his companion's merriment; " that
we are penniless? Thank Heaven! the Burgo of Osma
cannot be very distant; and we may have less occasion for
gold. And now, master of mine, let me command thee to
keep thy-proper place in this cavalcade, and not to forget
thyself by such undue familiarity with thy inferiors. I
have no farther need of thee, and therefore hasten back to
Master Ferreras and acquaint him with my sympathy and
grief."
The young man smiled, though the eye of the pretended
servant was averted, as if he cared to respect his own ad.
monitions; while the'other evidently sought a look of re.
cognition and favour. In another minute, the usual order
of the journey was resumed.
As the night advanced, and the hour arrived when man
and beast usually betray fatigue, these travellers pushed
their mules the hardest; and about midnight, by dint of
bard' pricking, they came under the principal gate of a
small walled town, called Osma, that stood net fax from
the boundary of tie province of Burgos, though still, it that




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


23


of Soria.  No sooner was his mule near enough to the
pate to allow of the freedom, than the young merchant
in advance, dealt sundry blows on it, with his staff, effectually apprising those within of his presence. It required no
strong pull of the reins to stop the mules of those behind;
but the pretended varlet now pushed ahead, and was about
to assume his place among the principal personages near
the gate, when a heavy stbne, hurled from the battlements,
passed so close tot his head, as vividly to remind him how
near he might be to making a hasty journey to another
world. A cry arose in the whole party, at this narrow
escape; nor were loud imprecations on the hand that had
cast the missile spared. The youth, himself, seemed the
least disturbed of them all; and though his voice was
sharp and authoritative, as he raised it in remonstrance,
it was neither angry nor alarmed.
"How now I" he said; " is this the way you treat peace.
ful travellers; merchants, who come to ask hospitality and
a night's repose at your hands?"
"Merchants and travellers!" growled a voice from above
-" say, rather, spies and agents of King Henry. Who
are ye? Speak promptly, or ye may expect something
sharper than stones, at the next visit."
" Tell me," answered the youth, as if disdaining to be
questioned himself-" who holds this borough? Is it no0
the noble Count of Trevifio?"
"The very same, Sefior," answered he above, with a
mollified tone: " but what can a set of travelling traders
know of His Excellency? and who art thou, that speakest
up as sharply and as proudly as if thou wert a grandee?"
" I am Ferdinand of Trastamara-the Prince of Aragon
-the King of Sicily. Go! bid thy master hasten to tho
gate."
This sudden announcement, which was made in the lofty
manner of one accustomed to implicit obedience, produced
a marked change in the state of affairs. The party at the
gate so fhr altered. their several positions, that the two superior nobles who had ridden in front, gave place to the
youthfull king; while the group of knights made such are
rangements as showed that disguise was droppeda andd each
man wae now xpeoted to appear in his proper character.




24


MERCEDES OF CASTILB.


It might have amused a close and philosophical observer
to note the promptitude with which the young cavaliers, in
particular, rose in their saddles, as if casting aside the
lounging mien of grovelling traders, in order to appear
what they really were, men accustomed to the tourney and
the field. On the ramparts the change was equally sudden
and great. All appearance of drowsiness vanished; the
soldiers spoke to each other in suppressed but hurried
voices; and the distant tramp of feet announced that messengers were dispatched in various directions. Some ten
minutes elapsed in this manner, during which an inferior
officer showed himself on the ramparts, and apologized for
a delay that arose altogether from the force of discipline,
and on no account from any want of respect. At length a
bustle on the wall, with the light of many lanterns, betrayed
the approach of the governor of the town; and the impatience of the young men below, that had begun to manifest
itself in half-uttered execrations, was put under a more decent restraint for the occasion.
"Are the joyful tidings that my people bring me true?"
cried one from the battlements; while a lantern was lowered from the wall, as if to make a closer inspection of the
party at the gate: "Am I really so honoured, as to receive
a summons from Don Ferdinand of Aragon, at this unusual hour?"
"Cause thy fellow to turn his lantern more closely on
mny countenance," answered the king, "that thou may'st
make thyself sure. I will cheerfully overlook the disrespect, Count of Treviiio, for the advantage of a more
speedy admission."
"'T is he!" exclaimed the noble: "I know those royal
features, which bear the lineaments of a long race of kings,
and that voice have I heard, often, rallying the squadrons
of Aragon, in their onsets against the Moors. Let the
trumpets speak up, and proclaim this happy arrival; and
open wide our gates, without delay."
This order was promptly obeyed, and the youthful king
entered Osma, by sound of trumpet, encircled by a strong
party of men-at-arms, and with half of the awakened and
astonished population at his heels.
"It is lucky, my Lord King," said Don Andres de C-a




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.             20
brera, the young noble already mentioned, as he rode fa.
miliarly at the side of Don Ferdinand, "that we have found
these good lodgings without cost; it being a melancholy
truth, that Master Ferrcras hath, negligently enough, mislaid
the only purse there was among us. In such a strait, it
would not have been easy to keep up the character of
thrifty traders, much longer; for, while the knaves higgl
at the price of every thing, they are fond of letting thei
gold be seen."
" Now that we are in thine own Castile, Don Andres," recurned the king, smiling, " we shall throw ourselves gladly
)n thy hospitality, well knowing that thou hast two most
oeautiful diamonds always at thy command."
" I, Sir King! Your Highness is pleased to be merry at
ny expense, although I believe it is, just now, the only graification I can pay for. My attachment for the Princess
Isabella hath driven me from my lands; and even the hum.
)lest cavalier in the Aragonese army, is not, just now,
poorer than I. What diamonds, therefore, can I command?"
"Report speaketh favourably of the two brilliants that
ire set in the face of the Dofia Beatriz de Bobadilla; and
hear they are altogether at thy disposal; or, as much so,
is a noble maiden's inclinations can leave them with a
oyal knight."
"Ah! my Lord King! if indeed this adventure end as
aappily as it commenceth, I may, indeed, look to your royal
favour, for some aid in that matter."
The king smiled, in his own sedate manner; but th
iiount de Trevifo pressing nearer to his side, at that monent, the discourse was changed. That night, Ferdinand
)f Aragon slept soundly; but with the dawn, he and his
bllowers were again in the saddle. The party quitted
)sma, however, in a manner very different from that in
wvhich it had approached its gate. Ferdinand now appeared
is a knight, mounted on a noble Andalusian charger; and
ill his followers had still more openly assumed their proper:haracters. A strong body of lancers, led by the Count
af Trevino, in person, composed the escort; and on the 9th
of the month, the whole cavalcade reached Duefias, in
Leon, a place quite near to Valladolid. The disaffected no3




26


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


bles crowded about the prince to pay their court, and he was
received as became his high rank and still higher destinies.
Here the more luxurious Castilians had an opportunity
of observing the severe personal discipline by which Don
Ferdinand, at the immature years of eighteen, for he was
scarcely older, had succeeded in hardening his body, and
in stringing his nerves, so as to be equal to any deeds in
arms. His delight was found in the rudest military exercises; and no knight of Aragon could better direct his
steed in the tourney, or in the field. Like most, of the royal
races of that period, and indeed of this, in despite of the
burning sun under which he dwelt, his native complexion
was brilliant, though it had already become embrowned by
exposure in the chase, and in the martial occupations of his
boyhood. Temperate as a Mussulman, his active and wellproportioned frame seemed to be early indurating, as if
Providence held him in reserve, for some of its own dispensations that called for great bodily vigour, as well as for
deep forethought and a vigilant sagacity. During the four
or five davs that followed, the noble Castilians who listened
to his discourse, knew not of which most to approve, his
fluent eloquence, or a wariness of thought and expression,
which, while they might have been deemed prematurely
worldly and cold-blooded, were believed to be particular
merits in one destined to control the jarring passions, deep
deceptions, and selfish devices, of men.
CHAPTER II.
ULeave to the nightingale her shady wood;
A privacy of glorious light is thine;
Whence thou dost pour upon the world a flood
Of harmony, with rapture more divine;
Type of the wise, who soar, but never roam;
True to the kindred points of Heaven and Home."
WORDSWORTH.


WHILE John of Aragon had recourse to such means to
enable his son to escape the vigilant and vindictive emis.




MERCEDES O CASTILE.


27


saries of the King of Castile, there were anxious hearts in
Valladolid, awaiting the result with the impatience and
doubt that ever attend the execution of hazardous enterprises. Among others who felt this deep interest in the
movements of Ferdinand of Aragon and his companions,
were a few, whom it has now become necessary to introduce to the reader.
Although Valladolid had not then reached the magnifi.
cence it subsequently acquired as the capital of Charles V.,
it was an ancient, and, for the age, a magnificent and
luxurious town, possessing its palaces, as well as its more
inferior abodes. To the principal of the former, the resi.
dence of John de Vivero, a distinguished noble of the kingdom, we must repair in imagination; where companions
more agreeable than those we have just quitted, await us,
and who were then themselves awaiting, with deep anxiety,
the arrival of a messenger with tidings from Duefia. The
particular apartment that it will be necessary to imagine,
had much of the rude splendour of the period, united to
that air of comfort and fitness that woman seldom fails to
impart to the portion of any edifice that comes directly under her control. In the year 1469, Spain was fast approaching the teimination of that great struggle which had
already endured seven centuries, and in which the Christian and the Mussulman contended for the mastery of the
peninsula. The latter had long held sway in the southern
parts of Leon, and had left behind him, in the palaces of
this town, some of the traces of his barbaric magnificence.
The lofty and fretted ceilings were not as glorious as those
to be found further south, it is true; still the Moor had been
here, and the name of Veled Vlid, since changed to Valla.
dolid, denotes its Arabic connection. In the room just mentioned, and in the principal palace of this ancient town,
that of John de Vivero, were two females, in earnest and
engrossing discourse. Both were young, and, though in
very different styles, both would have been deemed beautiful in any age or region of the earth. One indeed, was
surpassingly lovely. She had just reached her nineteenth
year, an age when the female form has received its full developement in that generous climate; and the most ima.
ginative poet of Spain, a country so renowned for beauty




28             MERCEDES OF CASTILE.
of form in the sex, could not have conceived of a person
more symmetrical. The hands, feet, bust, and all the outlines, were those of feminine loveliness; while the stature,
without rising to a height to suggest the idea of any thing
masculine, was sufficient to ennoble an air of quiet dignity.
The beholder, at first, was a little at a loss to know whether the influence to which he submitted, proceeded most
from the perfection of the body itself, or from the expression that the soul within -imparted to the almcst faultless
exterior. The face was, in all respects, worthy of the form.
Although born beneath the sun of Spain, her lineage carried her back, through a long line of kings, to the Gothic
sovereigns; and its frequent intermarriages with foreign
princesses, had produced in her countenance, that intermixture of the brilliancy of the north, with the witchery
of the south, that probably is nearest to the perfection
of feminine loveliness.
Her complexion was fair, and her rich locks had that
tint of the auburn which approaches as near as possible to
the more marked colour that gives it warmth, without attaining any of the latter's distinctive hue. " Her mild blue
eyes," says an eminent histor'an, " beamed with intelligence
and sensibility." In these indexes to the soul, indeed, were
to be found her highest claims to loveliness, for they bespoke no less the beauty within, than the beauty without;
imparting to features of exquisite delicacy and symmetry,
a serene expression of dignity and moral excellence
that was remarkably softened by a modesty that seemed as
much allied to the sensibilities of a woman, as to the purity
of an angel. To add to all these charms, though of roya.
blood, and educated in a court, an earnest but meek sincerity presided over every look and thought, as thought was
betrayed in the countenance, adding the illumination of
truth to the lustre of youth and beauty.
The attire of this princess was simple, for happily the taste
of the age enabled those who worked for the toilet to consult the proportions of nature; though the materials were
rich, and such as became her high rank. A single cross
of diamonds sparkled on a neck of snow, to which it was
attached by a short string of pearls; and a few rings,
decked with stones of price, rather cumbered than adorned




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


29


hands that needed no ornaments to rivet the gaze. Such
was Isabella of Castile, in her days of maiden retirement
and maiden pride - while waiting the issue of those
changes that were about to put their seal on her own future
Fortunes, as'well as on those of posterity even to our own
imes.
Her companion was Beatriz de Bobadilla, the friend of
her childhood and infancy, and who continued, to the last,
the friend of her prime, and of her death-bed. This lady,
a little older than the princess, was of more decided Spanish mien, for, though of an ancient and illustrious house,
policy and necessity had not caused so many foreign inter-.
marriages in her race, as had been required in that of her
royal mistress. Her eyes were black and sparkling, bespeaking a generous soul, and a resolution so high that
some commentators have termed it valour; white her hair
was dark as the raven's wing. Like that of her royal mistress, her form exhibited the grace and loveliness of young
womanhood, developed by the generous warmth of Spain;
though her stature was, in a slight degree, less noble, and
the outlines of her figure, in about an equal nronortion,
less perfect. In short, nature had drawn some such distinction between the exceeding grace and high moral
charms that encircled the beauty of the princess, and those
which belonged to her noble friend, as the notions of men
had established between their respective conditions; though,
considered singly, as women, either would have been
deemed pre-eminently winning and attractive.
At the moment we have selected for the opening of the
scene that is to follow, Isabella, fresh from the morning
toilet, was seated in a chair, leaning lightly on one of its
arms, in an attitude that interest in the subject she was dis.
cussing, and confidence in her companion, had naturally
produced; while Beatriz de Bobadilla occupied a 4ow stool
at her feet, bending her body in respectful affection so far
forward, as to allow the fairer hair of the princess to min
gle with her own dark curls, while the face of the latter
appeared to repose on the head of her friend. As no
one else was present, the reader will at once infer, from the
entire absence of Castilian etiquette and Spanish reserve,
hat the dialogue they held, was strictly confidential, and
3*




30


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


that it was governed more by the feelings of nature, than
by the artificial rules that usually regulate the intercourse
of courts.
"I have prayed, Beatriz, that God would direct my judgment in this weighty concern," said the princess, in continuation of some previous observation; "and I hope I
have as much kept in view the happiness of my future subjects, in the choice I have made, as my own."
" None shall presume to question it," said Beatriz de Bobadilla; " for had it pleased you to wed the Grand Turk,
the Castilians would not gainsay your wish, such is their
ove!"
"Say, rather, such is thy love for me, my good Beatriz,
that thou fanciest this," returned Isabella, smiling, and raising her face from the other's head: "Our Castilians might
overlook such a sin, but I could not pardon myself for forgetting that I am a Christian. Beatriz, I have been sorely
tried, in this matter!"
"But the hour of trial is nearly passed. Holy Ma.
ria! what lightness of reflection, and vanity, and misjudging of self, must exist in man, to embolden some who have
dared to aspire to become your husband! You were yet a
child when they betrothed you to Don Carlos, a prince old
enough to be your father; and, then, as if that were not
sufficient to warm Castilian blood, they chose the King of
Portugal for you, and he might well have passed for a
generation still more remote! Much as I love you, Doila
Isabella, and my own soul is scarce dearer to me than your
person and mind, for nought do I respect you more, than
for the noble and princely resolution, child as you then
were, with which you denied the king, in his wicked wish
to make you Queen of Portugal."
"Don Enriquez is my brother, Beatriz; and thine and
my royal master."
"Ah! bravely did you tell them all," continued Beatriz
de Bobadilla, with sparkling eyes, and a feeling of exultation that caused her to overlook the quiet rebuke of her
mistress; "and worthy was it of a princess of the royal
house of Castile! 'The Infantas of Castile,' you said
could not be disposed of, in marriage, without the consent




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


31


of the nobles of the realm;' and with that fit reply they
were glad to be content."
'And yet, Beatriz. am I about to dispose of an Infanta
of Castile, without even consulting its nobles."
"Say not that, my excellent mistress. There is not a
loyal and gallant cavalier between the Pyrenees and the
sea, who will not, in his heart, approve of your choice.
I'he character, and age, and other qualities of the suitor,
make a sensible difference in these concerns. But unfit as
Don Alfonso of Portugal was, and is, to be the wedded
husband of Dofia Isabella of Castile, what shall we say to
the next suitor who appeared as a pretender to your royal
hand-Don Pedro Giron, the Master of Calatrava? truly
a most worthy lord for a maiden of the royal house! Out
upon him! A Pacheco might think himself full honourably mated, could he have found a damsel of Bobadilla to
elevate his race!"
"That ill-assorted union was imposed upon my brother
by unworthy favourites; and God, irnhis holy providence,
saw fit to defeat their wishes, by hurrying their intended
bridegroom to an unexpected grave!"
"Ay! had it not pleased his blessed will, so to dispose
of Don Pedro, other means would not have been wanting!"
"This little hand of thine, Beatriz," returned the princess, gravely, though she smiled affectionately on her friend
as she took the hand in question, " was not made for the
deed its owner menaced."
"That which its owner menaced," replied Beatriz, with
eyes flashing fire, " this hand would have executed, before
Isabella of Castile should be the doomed bride of the Grand
Master of Calatrava.  What! was the purest, loveliest,
virgin of Castile, and she of royal birth-nay, the rightful
heiress of the crown-to be sacrificed to a lawless libertine,
because it had pleased Don Henry to forget his station and
duties, and make a favourite of a craven miscreant!"
"Thou always forgettest, Beatriz, that Don Enr'quez is
our Lord the King, and my royal brother."
"I do not forget, Seiora, that you are the royal sister of
our Lord the King, and that Pedro de Giron, or Pachecho,
whichever it might suit the ancient Portuguese page to style
him, was altogether unworthy to sit in your presence, much




32


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


less to become your wedded husband. Oh! what days t;
anguish were those, my gracious lady, when your knee.ached with bending in prayer, that this might not be! Bu
God would not permit it - neither would I! That dagger
should have pierced his heart, before ear of his should
have heard the vows of Isabella of Castile!"
"Speak no more of this, good Beatriz, I pray thee," said
the princess, shuddering, and crossing herself: " they weie.
in sooth, days of anguish; but what were they in conrl
parison with the passion of the Son of God, who gave hir,
self a sacrifice for our sins! Name it not, then; it wa,
good for my soul to be thus tried; and thou knowest that
the evil was turned from me- more, I doubt not, by t}.efficacy of our prayers, than by that of thy dagger. ]
thou wilt speak of my suitors, surely there are others bette
worthy of the trouble."
A light gleamed about the dark eye of Beatriz, and
smile struggled towards her pretty mouth; for well did sh,
understand that the-royal, but bashful maiden, wouk(
gladly hear something of him on whom her choice hac
finally fallen. Although ever disposed to do that whici
was grateful to her mistress, with a woman's coquetry, Bean
triz determined to approach the more pleasing part of th(
subject coyly, and by a regular gradation of events, in the
order in which they had actually occurred.
"Then, there was Monsieur de Guienne, the brother ol
King Louis of France," she resumed, affecting contempt in
her manner; "he would fain become the husband of the
future Queen of Castile! But even our most unworthy
Castilians soon saw the unfitness of that union. Their
pride was unwilling to run the chance of becoming a fief
of France."
" That misfortune could never have befallen our belovec
Castile," interrupted Isabella with dignity: "Had I espouses
the King of France himself, he would have learned to re
spect me as the Queen Proprietor of this ancient realm, and
riot have looked upon me as a subject."
' Then, Sefiora," continued Beatriz, looking up into Isa.
bella's face, and laughing -"was your own royal kins.
man, Don Ricardo of Gloucester; he that they say was
born with teeth, and who carries already a burthen so




MIERCEDES OF CASTILE.


33


heavy on his back, that he may well thank his patron saint
that he is not also to be loaded with the affairs of Castile."
"Thy tongue runneth riot, Beatriz. They tell me that
Don Ricardo is a noble and aspiring prince, and that he is,
one day, likely to wed some princess, whose merit may
well console him for his failure in Castile. But what more
hast thou to offer concerning my suitors?"
" Nay, what more can I say, my beloved mistress? We
have now reached Don Fernando, literally the first, as he
proveth to be the last, and, as we know him to be, the best
of them all."
"I think I have been guided by the motives that become
my birth and future hopes, in choosing Don Ferdinand,"
said Isabella, meekly, though she was uneasy in spite of
her royal views of matrimony;-" since nothing can so
much tend to the peace of our dear kingdom, and to the
success of the great cause of Christianity, as to unite Castile and Aragon under one crown."
"By uniting their sovereigns in holy wedlock," returned
Beatriz, with respectful gravity, though a smile again struggled around her pouting lips. " What if Don Fernando is
the most youthful, the handsomest, the most valiant and
the most agreeable prince in Christendom, it is no fault of
yours, since you did not make him, but have only accepted
him for a husband!"
"Nay, this exceedeth discretion and respect, my good
Beatriz," returned Isabella, affecting to frown, even while
bhe blushed deeply at her own emotions, and.looked gratified
at the praises of her betrothed. "'Thou knowest that I
have never beheld my cousin, the King of Sicily."
" Very true, Sefora; but Father Alonso de Coca hath -
and a surer eye, or truer tongue than his, do not exist in
Castile."
"Beatriz, I pardon thy license, however unjust and un
seemly, because I know thou lovest me, and lookest rather
at mine own happiness, than at that of my people," said


* NOTE.-The authorities differ as to which of the English princes
was the suitor of Isabella; Edward IV. himself, Clarence, or Richard.
Isabella was the grand-daughtcr of Catherine of Lancaster, who was
a daughter of John of Gaunt.




34


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


the princess, the effect of whose gravity now was not di
minished by any betrayal of natural feminine weaknessfor she felt slightly offended. "Thou knowest, or ought's;
to know, that a maiden of royal birth is bound principally
to consult the interests of the state, in bestowing her hand
and that the idle Ifncies of village girls have little in corn
mon with her duties. Nay, what virgin of noble extraction
like thyself, even, would dream of aught else than of sub
mitting to the counsel of her family, in taking a husband?
If I have selected Don Fernando of Aragon, from among
many princes, it is doubtless because the alliance is more
suited to the interests of Castile, than any other that hath
offered. Thou seest, Beatriz, that the Castilians and the
Aragonese spring from the same source, and have the same
habits and prejudices. They speak the same language""Nay, dearest lady, do not confound the pure Castiliar
with the dialect of the mountains!"
"Well, have thy fling, wayward one, if thou wilt; bui
we can easier teach the nobles of Aragon our purer Span.
ish, than we can teach it to the Gaul. Then, Don Fer
nando is of my own race; the House of Trastamara com
eth of Castile and her monarchs, and we may at least hop(
that the King of Sicily will be able to make himself under
stood."
"If he could not, he were no true knight! The mar.
whose tongue should fail him, when the stake was a roya,
maiden of a beauty surpassing that of the dawn —of ar
excellence that already touches on heaven-of a crown"" Girl-girl-thy tongue is getting the mastery of thee
-such discourse ill befitteth thee and me."
"And yet, Dofia Ysabel, my tongue is close bound to m}
heart."
" I do believe thee, my good Beatriz; but we should be
think us both, of our last shrivings, and of the ghostly coun
sel that we then received. Such flattering discourse seemetL,
light, when we remember our manifold transgressions
and our many occasions for forgiveness. As for this marriage, Iwould have thee think that it has been contracted
on my part, with the considerations and motives of a prin
cess, and not through any light indulgence of my fancies




a


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.              35
Thou knowest that I have never beheld Don Fernando, and
that he hath never even looked upon me."
"Assuredly, dearest lady and honoured mistress, all this
I know, and see, and believe; and I also agree that it were
unseemly, and little befitting her birth, for even a noble
maiden to contract the all-important obligations of marriage, with no better motive than the light impulses of a
country wench. Nothing is more just than that we are
alike bound to consult our o6vn dignity, and the wishes of
kinsmen and friends; and that our duty, and the habits of
piety and submission in which we have been reared, are
better pledges for our connubial affection, than any caprices
of a girlish imagination. Still, my honoured lady, it is most
fortunate that your high obligations point to one as youthful, brave, noble and chivalrous, as is the King of Sicily,
as we well know, by Father Alonso's representations, to be
the fact; and that all my friends unite in saying that Don
Andres de Cabrera, madcap and silly as he is, will make an
exceedingly excellent husband for Beatriz de Bobadilla!"
Isabella, habitually dignified and reserved as she was,
had her confidants and her moments for unbending; and
Beatriz was the principal among the former, while the present instant was one of the latter. She smiled, therefore,
at this sally; and parting, with her own fair hand, the dark
locks on the brow of her friend, she regarded her much as
the mother regards her child, when sudden passages of tenderness come over the heart.
"If madcap should wed madcap, thy fiiends, at least.
have judged rightly," answered the princess. Then, paus.
ing an instant, as if in deep thought, she continued, in a
graver manner, though modesty shone in her tell-tale complexion, and the sensibility that beamed in her eyes betrayed that she now felt more as a woman than as a future
queen bent only on the happiness of her people: "As this
interview draweth near, I suffer an embarrassment I had
not thought it easy to inflict on an Infanta of Castile. To
thee, my faithful Beatriz, I will acknowledge, that were the
King of Sicily as old as Don Alfonso of Portugal,ir were
he as effeminate and unmanly as Monsieur of Guienne;
were he, in sooth, less engaging and young, I should feel




30              MERCEDES OF CASTILE.
less embarrassment in meeting him, than I now experience."
"This is passing strange, Sefiora! Now, I will confess
that I would not willingly abate in Don Andres, one hour
of his life, which has been sufficiently long as it is; one
grace of his person, if indeed the honest cavalier hath
any to boast of; or one single perfection of either body or
mind."
"Thy case is not mine, Beatriz. Thou knowest th
Marquis of Moya; hast listened to his discourse, and art
accustomed to his praises and his admiration."
"Holy St. Iago of Spain! Do not distrust any thing,
Sefiora, on account of unfamiliarity with such matters -
for, of all learning, it is easiest to learn to relish praise and
admiration!"
"True, daughter"- (for so Isabella often termed her
friend, though her junior: in later life, and after the princess had become a queen, this, indeed, was her usual term
of endearment)-" true, daughter, when praise and admiration are freely given and fairly merited. But I distrust,
myself, my claims to be thus viewed, and the feelings with
which Don Fernando may first behold me. I know-nay,
I feel him to be graceful, and noble, and valiant, and generous, and good; comely to the eye, and strict of duty to
our holy religion; as illustrious in qualities, as in birth;
and I tremble to think of my own unsuitableness to be his
bride and queen."
" God's Justice! — I should like to meet the impudent
Aragonese noble, that would dare to hint as much as this I
If Don Fernando is noble, are you not nobler, Sefiora, as
coming of the senior branch of the same house; if he is
young, are you not equally so; if he is wise, are you not
wiser; if he is comely, are you not more of an angel than
a woman; if he is valiant, are you not virtuous; if he is
graceful, are you not grace itself; if he is generous, are
you not good, and, what is more, are you not the very soul
of generosity; if he is strict of duty in matters of our holy
religion, are you not an angel?"
"Good sooth - good sooth - Beatriz, thou art a comforter! I could reprove thee for this idle tongue, but I
know thee honest."




,MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


u


"This is no more than that deep modesty, honoured mistress, which ever maketh you quicker to see the merits of
others, than to perceive your own. Let Don Fernando
look to it! Though he come in all the pomp and glory of
his many crowns, I warrant you we find him a royal
maiden in Castile, who shall abash him and rebuke his
vanity, even while she appears before him in the sweet
guise of her own meek nature!"
" I have said naught of Don Fernando's vanity, Beatriz
-nor do I esteem him in the least inclined to so weak a
feeling; and as for pomp, we well know that gold no more
abounds at Zaragosa than at Valladolid, albeit he hath
many crowns, in possession, and in reserve. Notwithstanding all thy foolish but friendly tongue hath uttered, I distrust myself, and not the King of Sicily. Methinks I could
meet any other prince in Christendom witl indifferenceor, at least, as becometh my rank and sex; but I confess,
I tremble at the thought of encountering -the eyes and
opinions of my noble cousin."
Beatriz listened with interest; and when her royal mistress ceased speaking, she kissed her hand affectionately,
and then pressed it to her heart.
"Let Don Fernando tremble, ratler, Sefiora, at encountering yours," she answered.
"Na.y, Beatriz, we know that he nat'h nothing to dread,
for report speaketh but too favourably of him. But, why
linger here in doubt and apprehension, when the staff on
which it is my duty to lean, is ready to receive its burthen:
Father Alonso doubtless waiteth for us, and we will now
join him."
The princess and her friend now repaired to the chapel
of the palace, where her confessor celebrated the daily
mass. The self-distrust which disturbed the feelings of the
modest Isabella was appeased by the holy rites, or rather
it took refuge on that Rock where she was accustomed to
place all her troubles, with her sins: As the little assemblage left the chapel, one, hot with haste, arrived with the
expected, but still doubted tidings, that the King of Sicily
had reached Duefias in safety, and that, as he was now in
the very centre of his supporters, there could no ionger be
4




38


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


any reasonable distrust of the speedy celebration of tile
contemplated marriage.
Isabella was much overcome with this news, and required more than usual of the care of Beatriz de Bobadilla,
to restore her to that sweet serenity of mind and air, which
ordinarily rendered her presence as attractive as it was
commanding. An hour or two spent in meditation and
prayer, however, finally produced a gentle calm in her feelings, and these two friends were again alone, in the very
apartment where we first introduced them to the reader.
" Hast thou seen Don Andres de Cabrera?" demanded
the princess, taking a hand from a brow which had been
often pressed in a sort of bewildered recollection.
Beatriz de Bobadilla blushed-and then she lalghed outright, with a freedom that the long-established affection of
her mistress did not rebuke.
"For a youth of thirty, and a cavalier well hacked in
the wars of the Moors, Don Andres hath a nimble foot,"
she answered. " He brought hither the tidings of the arrival; and with it he brought his own delightful person, to
show it was no lie. For one so experienced, he hath a
strong propensity to talk; and so, in sooth, whilst you, my
honoured mistress, would be in your closet alone, I could
but listen to all the marvels of the journey. It seems, Se.
flora, that they did not reach Duefas any too soon; for the
only purse among them was mislaid, or blown away by the
wind on account of its. lightness."
"I trust this accident hath been repaired. Few of the
house of Trastamara have much gold at this trying moment, and yet none are wont to be entirely without it."
"Don Andres is neither beggar nor miser. He is now.in our Castile, where I doubt not he is familiar with the
Jews and money-lenders; as these last must know the
full value of his lands, the King of Sicily will not want.
I hear, too, that the Count of Trevifio hath conducted no.
bly with him."
" It shall be well for the Count of Trevifo that he hath
had this liberality. But, Beatriz, bring forth the writing
materials; it is meet that I, at once, acquaint Don Enriquez
with this event, and with my purpose of marriage."
"Nay. dearest mistress, this is out of all rule. When a




MERRC1,Dl)E.3 (OF CASTILE.


39


maiden, gentle or simple, intendeth marriage against her
kinsmen's wishes, it is the way to wed first, and to write
the letter and ask the blessing when the evil is done."
Go to, light-of-speech! Thou hast spoken; now bring
the pens and paper. The king is not only my lord and
sovereign, but he is my nearest of kin, and should be my
father."
"And Dofia Joanna of Portugal, his royal consort, anl
our illustrious queen, should be your mother; and a fitting
guide would she be to any modest virgin! No-noIny beloved mistress; your royal mother was the Dofia
Isabella of Portugal —and a very different princess was
she from this, her wanton niece."
'Thou givest thyself too much license, Dofa Beatriz,
and forgettest my request. I desire to write to my brother
the king."
it was so seldom that Isabella spoke sternly, that her
friend started, and the tears rushed to her eyes at this rebuke; but she procured the writing materials, before she
presumed to look into Isabella's face, in order to ascertain
if she were really angered. There all was beautiful serenity again; and the Lady of Bobadilla, perceiving that
her mistress's mind was altogether occupied with the matter
before her, and that she had already forgotten her displeasure, chose to make no further allusion to the subject.
Isabella now wrote her celebrated letter, in which she
appeared to forget all her natural timidity, and to speak
solely as a princess. By the treaty of Toros de Guisando,
in which, setting aside the claims of Joanna of Portugal's
daughter, she had been recognized as the heiress of the
throne, it had been stipulated that she should not marry
without the king's consent; and she now apologized for the
step she was about to take, on the substantial plea that her
enemies had disregarded the solemn compact entered into
not to urge her into any union that was unsuitable or dis.
agreeable to herself. She then alluded to the political advantages that would follow the union of the crowns of
Castile and Aragon, and solicited the king's approbation
of the step she was about to take. This letter, after having
Deen submitted to John de Vivero, and others of her council, was dispatched by a special messenger - after which




40


5 rERCUEI)ES OF CASTILE.


act the arrangements necessary as preliminaries to a meet.
ing between the betrothed were entered into. Castilian etiquette was proverbial, even in that age; and the discussion
led to a proposal thatJsabella rejected with her usual modesty and discretion.
" It seemeth to me," said John de Vivero, "that this alli.
ance should not take place without some admission, on the
part of Don Fernando, of the inferiority of Aragon to our
own Castile. The House of the latter kingdom is but a
junior branch of the reigning House of Castile, and the
former territory of old was admitted to have a dependency
on the latter."
This proposition was much applauded, until the beautiful
and natural sentiments of the princess, herself, interposed
to expose its weakness and its deformities.
" It is doubtless true," she said, " that Don Juan of Aragon is the son of the younger brother of my royal grandfather; but he is none the less a king. Nay, besides his
crown of Aragon, a country, if thou wilt, which is inferior
to Castile, he hath those of Naples and Sicily; not to
speak of Navarre, over which he ruleth, although it may
not be with too much right. Don Fernando even weareth
the crown of Sicily, by the renunciation of Don Juan; and
shall he, a crowned sovereign, make concessions to one
who is barely a princess, and whom it may never please
God to conduct to a throne? Moreover, Don John of Vivero, I beseech thee to remember the errand that bringeth
the King of Sicily to Valladolid. Both he and I have two
parts to perform, and two characters to maintain-those of
prince and princess, and those of Christians wedded and
bound by holy marriage ties. It would ill become one that
is about to take on herself the duties and obligations of a
wife, to begin the intercourse with exactions that should be
humiliating to the pride and self-respect of her lord. Ara
gon may truly be an inferior realm to Castile -but Fer
dinand of Aragon is even now every way the equal of
Isabella of Castile; and when he shall receive my vows;
and, with them, my duty and my affections"-Isabella's
colour' deepened, and her mild eye lighted with a sort of
holy enthusiasm-" as befitteth a woman, though an inidel, he would become, in some particulars, my superior.




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


41


Let me, then, hear no more of this; for it could not nearly
as much pain Don Fernando to make the concessions ye
require, as it paineth me to hear of them."
CHAPTER III.
" Nice customs curt'sy to great kings. Dear Kate, you and I can.
nut be confined within the weak list of a country's fashion. We are
the makers of manners; and the liberty that follows our places, stops
the mouths of all fault-finders."-Henry V.
NOTWITHSTANDING her high resolution, habitual firmness, and a serenity of mind, that seemed to pervade the
moral system of Isabella, like a deep, quiet current of enthusiasm, but which it were truer to assign to the high and
fixed principles that guided all her actions, her heart beat
tumultuously, and  her native reserve, which   almost
amounted to shyness, troubled her sorely, as the hour arrived when she was first to behold the prince she had accepted for a husband. Castilian etiquette, no less than the
magnitude of the political interests involved in the intended
union, had drawn out the preliminary negotiations several
days; the bridegroom being left, all that time, to curb his
impatience to behold the princess, as best he might.
On the evening of the 15th of October, 1469, however,
every obstacle being at length removed, Don Fernando
threw himself into the saddle, and, accompanied by only
four attendants, among whom was Andres de Cabrera, he
quietly took his way, without any of the usual accompaniments of his high rank, towards the palace of John of
Vivero, in the city of Valladolid. The Archbishop of' Toledo was of the faction of the princess, and this prelate, a
warlike and active partisan, was in readiness to receive the
accepted suitor, and to conduct him to the presence of his
mistress.
Isabella, attended only by Beatrz de Bobadilla, was in
waiting for the interview, in the apartment already men
4*




42


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


tionea; and by one of those mighty efforts that even the
most retiring of the sex can make, on great occasions, she
received her future husband with quite as much of the dignity of a princess as of the timidity of a woman. Fer.
dinand of Aragon had been prepared to meet one of sin
gular grace and beauty; but the mixture of angelic modesty
with a loveliness that almost surpassed that of her sex,
produced a picture approaching so much nearer to heaven
than to earth, that, though one of circumspect behaviour
and much accustomed to suppress emotion, he actually
started, and his feet were momentarily riveted to the floor,
when the glorious vision first met his eye. Then, recovering himself, he advanced eagerly, and taking the little hand
which neither met nor repulsed the attempt, he pressed it
to his lips with a warmth that seldom accompanies the first
interviews of those whose passions are usually so factitious.
"This happy moment hath at length arrived, my illustrious and beautiful cousin!" he said, with a truth of feeling that went directly to the pure and tender heart of Isabella; for no skill in courtly phrases can ever give to the
accents of deceit, the point and emphasis that belong to
sincerity.  "I have thought it would never arrive; but
this blessed moment - thanks to our own St. Iago, whom
I have not ceased to implore with intercessions-more than
rewards me for all anxieties."
" I thank my Lord the Prince, and bid him right welcome," modestly returned Isabella. "The difficulties that
have been overcome, in order to effect this meeting, are but
types of the difficulties we shall have to conquer as we
advance through life."
Then followed a few courteous expressions concerning
the hopes of the princess that her cousin had wanted for
nothing, since his arrival in Castile, with suitable answers;
when Don Ferdinand led her to an armed-chair, assuming
himself the stool on which Bcatriz de Bobadilla was wont
to be seated, in her familiar intercourse with her royal mistress. Isabella, however, sensitively alive to the preten
sions of the Castilians, who were fond cf asserting the superiority of their own country over that of Aragon, would
not quietly submit to this arrangement, but declined to be




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


43


seated, unless her suitor would take the chair prepared for
him also, saying" It ill befitteth one who hath little more than some roy.
alty of blood, and her dependence on God, to be thus
placed, while the King of Sicily is so unworthily bestowed."
" Let me t me entreat that it may be so," returned the king
"All considerations of earthly rank vanish in this presence
view me as a knight, ready and desirous of proving his
fealty in any court or field of Christendom, and treat me as
such."
Isabella, who had that high tact which teaches the precise
point where breeding becomes neuter and airs commence,
blushed and smiled, but no longer declined to be seated. It
was not so much the mere words of her cousin that went
to her heart, as the undisguised admiration of his looks,
the animation of his eye, and the frank sincerity of his man.
ner. With a woman's instinct she perceived that the impression she had made was favourable, and, with a woman's
sensibility, her heart was ready, under the circumstances,
to dissolve in tenderness at the discovery. This mutual
satisfaction soon opened the way to a freer conversationand, ere half an hour was passed, the archbishop, who,
though officially ignorant of the language and wishes of
lovers, was practically sufficiently familiar with both, contrived to draw the two or three courtiers who were present,
into an adjoining room, where, though the door continued
open, he placed them with so much discretion that neither
eye nor ear-could be any restraint on what was passing.
As for Beatriz de Bobadilla, whom female etiquette required
should remain in the same room with her royal mistress,
she was so much engaged with Andres de Cabrera, that
half a dozen thrones might have been disposed of between
the royal pair, and she none the wiser.
Although Isabella did not lose that mild reserve and
feminine modesty that threw so winning a grace around
her person, even to the day of her death, she gradually
grew more calm as the discourse proceeded; and falling
back on her self-respect, womanly dignity, and, not a little,
on those stores of knowledge that she had been diligently
collecting, while others similarly situated had wasted their




44


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


time in the vanities of courts, she was quickly at her ease,
if not wholly in that tranquil state of mind to which she
had been accustomed.
"I trust there can now be no longer any delay to the
celebration of our union, by holy church," observed the
king, in continuation of the subject. "All that can be required of us both, as those entrusted with the cares and
interests of realms, hath been observed, and I may have
claim to look to my own happiness. We are not stranger
to each other, Dofia Isabella; for our grandfathers were
brothers —and from infancy up, have I been taught to
reverence thy virtues, and to strive to emulate thy holy
duty to God."
" I have not betrothed myself lightly, Don Fernando,"
returned the princess, blushing even while she assumed the
majesty of a queen; "and with the subject so fully discussed, the wisdom of the union so fully established, and
the necessity of promptness so apparent, no idle delays
shall proceed from me. I had thought that the ceremony
might be had on the fourth day from this, which will give
us both time to prepare for an occasion so solemn, by
suitable attention to the offices of the church."
"It must be as thou wiliest," said the king, respectfully
bowing; " and now there remaineth but a few preparations,
and we shall have no reproaches of forgetfulness. Thou
knowest, Dofia Isabella, how sorely my father is beset by
his enemies, and I need scarce tell thee that his coffers are
empty. In good sooth, my fair cousin, nothing but my
earnest desire to possess myself, at as early a day as possible, of the precious boon that Providence and thy goodness""Mingle not, Don Fernando, any of the acts of God
and his providence, with the wisdom and petty expedients
of his creatures," said Isabella, earnestly.
"To seize upon the precious boon, then, that Providence
appeared willing to bestow," rejoined the king, crossing
himself, while he bowed his head, as much, perhaps, in
deference to the pious feelings of his affianced wife, as in
deference to a higher Power-" would not admit of delay
and we quitt d Zaragosa better provided with hearts loyal
towards the treasures we were to find in Valladolid, than




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


45


with gold. Even that we had, by a mischance, hath gone
to enrich some lucky varlet in an inn."
" Doia Beatriz de Bobadilla hath acquainted me with the
mishap," said Isabella, smiling, "and truly we shall commence our married lives with but few of the goods of the
world in present possession. I have little more to offer
thee, Fernando, than a true heart, and a spirit that I think
may be trusted for its fidelity."
"In obtaining thee, my excellent cousin, I obtain sufficient to satisfy the desires of any reasonable man. Still,
something is due to our rank and future prospects, and
it shall not be said that thy nuptials passed like those of a
common subject."
"Under ordinary circumstances it might not appear
seemly for one of my sex to furnish the means for her
own bridal," answered the princess, the blood stealing to
her face until it crimsoned even her brow and temples;
maintaining, otherwise, that beautiful tranquillity of mien
which marked her ordinary manner —" hut the well-being
of two states depending on our union, vain emotions must
be suppressed. I am not without jewels, and Valladolid
hath many Hebrews: thou wilt permit me to part with the
baubles for such an object."
" So that thou preservest for me the jewel in which that
pure mind is encased," said the King of Sicily, gallantly,
" I care not if I never see another. But there will not be
this need; for our friends, who have more generous souls
than well-filled coffers too, can give such warranty to the
lenders as will procure the means. I charge myself with,this duty, for henceforth, my cousin —may I not say my
betrothed?""The term is even dearer than any that belongeth to
blood, Fernando," answered the princess, with a simple
sincerity of manner that set at nought the ordinary affectations and artificial feelings of her sex, while it left the
deepest reverence for her modesty —" and we might be excused for using it. I trust God will bless our union, not
only to our own happiness, hut to that of our people."
" Then, my betrothed, henceforth we have but a common
fortune, and thou wilt trust in me for the provision for thy
wants."




46


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


" Nay, Fernando," answered Isabella, smiling, "imagine
what we will, we cannot imagine ourselves the children of
two hidalgos about to set forth in the world with humble
dowries. Thou art a king, even now; and by the treaty
of Toros de Guisando, I am solemnly recognized as the
heiress of Castile. We must, therefore, have our separate
means, as well as our separate duties, though I trust hardly
our separate interests."
" Thou wilt never find me failing in that respect which
is due to thy rank, or in that duty which it befitteth me to
render thee, as the head of our ancient House, next to thy
royal brother, the king."
"Thou hast well considered, Don Fernando, the treaty
of marriage, and accepted cheerfully, 1 trust, all of its
several conditions?"
"As becometh the importance of the measures, and the
magnitude of the benefit I was to receive."
" I would have them acceptable to thee, as well as expedient; for, though so soon to become thy wife, I can never
cease to remember that I shall be Queen of this country."
"Thou mayest be assured, my beautiful betrothed, that
Ferdinand of Aragon will be the last to deem thee aught
else."
"I look on my duties as coming from God, and on myself as one rigidly accountable to him for their faithful discharge. Sceptres may not be treated as toys, Fernando,
to be trifled with; for man beareth no heavier burthen,
than when he beareth a crown."
" The maxims of our House have not been forgotten in
Aragon, my betrothed -and I rejoice to find that they are
the same in both kingdoms."
" We are not to think principally of ourselves in entering upon this engagement," continued Isabella, earnestly-;' for that would be supplanting the duties of princes by the
feelings of the lover. Thou hast frequently perused, and
sufficiently conned the marriage articles, I trust?"
" There hath been sufficient leisure for that, my cousin
as they have now been signed these nine months."
" If I may have seemed to thee exacting in some particulars," continued Isabella, with the same earnest and
beautiful simplicity as usually marked her deportment in




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


47


all the relations of life-" it is because the duties of a sove.
reign may not be overlooked. Thou knowest, moreover,
Fernando, the influence that the husband is wont to acquire
over the wife, and wilt feel the necessity of my protecting
my Castilians, in the fullest manner, against my own weaknesses."
nCSSC'.J.
"' If tly Castilians do not suffer until they suffer from
that cause, Dofia Isabella, their lot will indeed be blessed."
"T These are words of gallantry, and I must reprove their
use on an occasion so serious, Fernando. I am a few
mouths thy senior, and shall assume an elder sister's rights,
until they are lost in the obligations of a wife. Thou hast
seen in those articles, how anxiously I would protect my
Castilians against any supremacy of the stranger. Thou
knowest that many of the greatest of this realm are opposed to our union, through apprehension of Aragonese
sway, and wilt observe how studiously we have striven to
appease their jealousies."
"Thy motives, Dohia Isabella, have been understood, and
thy wishes in this and all other particulars shall be respected."
"I would be thy faithful and submissive wife," returned
the princess, with an earnest but gentle look at her betrothed; "( but I would also that Castile should preserve her
rights and her independence. What will be thy influence,
the maiden that freely bestoweth her hand, need hardly
say; but we must preserve the appearance of separate
states."
"Confide in me, my cousin. They who live fifty years
hence will say that Don Fernando knew how to respect his
obligations and to discharge his duty."
" There is the stipulation, too, to war upon the Moor. I
shall never feel that the Christians of Spain have been true
to the faith, while a follower of the arch-inpostor of Mecca
remaineth in the Peninsula."
"Thou and thy archbishop could not have imposed a
more agreeable duty, than to place my lance in rest against
the Infidels. My spurs have been gained in those wars,
already; and no sooner shall we be crowned, than thou
wilt see my perfect willingness to aid in driving back the
miscreants to their original sands."




48


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


"There remaineth but one thing more upon my mind,
gentle cousin. Thou knowest the evil influence that besets
my brother, and that it hath disaffected a large portion of
his nobles as well as of his cities. We shall both be sorely
tempted to wage war upon him, and to assume the sceptre
before it pleaseth God to accord it to us, in the course of
nature. I would have thee respect Don Enriquez, not only
as the head of our royal house, but as my brother and
anointed master. Should evil counsellors press him to attempt aught against our persons or rights, it will be lawful
to resist; but I pray thee, Fernando, on no excuse seek to
raise thy hand in rebellion against my rightful sovereign."
"Let Don Enriquez, then, be chary of his Beltraneja!"
answered the prince, with warmth. "By St. Peter! I have
rights of mine own that come before those of that ill-begotten mongrel! The whole House of Trastamara  hath
an interest in stifling that spurious scion which hath been
so fraudulently engrafted on its princely stock!"
"Thou art warm, Don Fernando, and even the eye of
Beatriz de Bobadilla reproveth thy heat. The unfortunate
Joanna never can impair our rights to the throne, for there
are few nobles in Castile so unworthy as to wish to see the
crown bestowed where it is believed the blood of Pelayo
doth not flow."
"Don Enriquez hath not kept faith with thee, Isabella,
since the treaty of Toros de Guisando!"
" My brother is surrounded by wicked counsellors-and
then, Fernando"-the princess blushed crimson as she
spoke-" neither have we been able rigidly to adhere to
*that convention, since one of its conditions was that my
hand should not be bestowed without the consent of the
king."
"l ie hath driven us into this measure, and hath only to
reproach himself with our failure on this point."
"I endeavour so to view it, though many have been my
prayers for forgiveness of this seeming breach of faith. I
am not superstitious, Fernando, else might I think Go,
would frown on a union that is contracted in the face of
pledges like these. But, it is well to distinguish between
motives, and we have a right to believe that He who readeth the heart, will not judge the well-intentioned severely




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


49


Had not Don Enriquez attempted to seize my person, with
the plain purpose of forcing me to a marriage against my
will, this decisive step could not have been necessary, and
would not have been taken."
"I have reason to thank my patron saint, beautiful cou.
sin, that thy will was less compliant than thy tyrants had
believed."
" I could not plight my troth to the King of Portugal, o
to Monsieur de Guienne, or to any that they proposed to
me, for my future lord," answered Isabella, ingenuously
" It ill befitteth royal or noble maidens to set up their own
inexperienced caprices in opposition to the wisdom of their
friends, and the task is not difficult for a virtuous wife to
learn to love her husband, when nature and opinion are not
too openly violated in the choice; but I have had too much.thought for my soul to wish to expose it to so severe a trial,
in contracting the marriage duties."
"I feel that I am only too unworthy of thee, Isabellabut thou must train me to be that thou wouldest wish: I
can only promise thee a most willing and attentive scholar."
The. discourse now became more general, Isabella in.
dulging her natural curiosity and affectionate nature, by
making many inquiries concerning her different relatives in
Aragon. After the interview had lasted two hours or more,
the King of Sicily returned to Duefias, with the same privacy as he had observed in entering the town. The royal
pair parted with feelings of increased esteem and respect
Isabella indulging in those gentle anticipations of domesti
happiness that more properly belong to the tender nature or
woman.
The marriage took place, with suitable pomp, on the
morning of the 19th October, 1469, in the chapel of John
de Vivero's palace; no less than two thousand persons,
principally of condition, witnessing the ceremony. Just as
the officiating priest was about to commence the offices, the
eye of Isabella betrayed uneasiness, and turning to the
Archbishop of Toledo, she said," Your grace hath promised that there should be nothing
wanting to the consent of the church on this solemn occasion. It is known that Don Fernando of Aragon and I
stand within the prohibited degrees."
5




5C~


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


" Most true, my lady Isabella," returned the prelate, % ith
a composed mien and a paternal smile. "Happily, our
Holy Father Pius hath removed this impediment, and the
church smileth on this blessed union in every particular."
The archbishop then took out of his pocket a dispensation, which he read in a clear, sonorous, steady voice;
when every shade disappeared from the serene brow of
Isabella, and the ceremony proceeded. Years elapsed be.
fore this pious and submissive Christian princess discovered
that she had been imposed on, the bull that was then read
having been an invention of the old King of Aragon and
the prelate, not without suspicions of a connivance on the
Dart of the bridegroom. This deception had been practised
from a perfect conviction that the sovereign pontiff was too
much under the influence of the King of Castile, to consent
to bestow the boon in opposition to that monarch's wishes.
It was several years before Sixtus IV. repaired this wrong,
by granting a more genuine authority.
Nevertheless, Ferdinand and Isabella became man and
wife. What followed in the next twenty years must be
rather glanced at than related. Henry IV. resented the
step, and vain attempts were made to substitute his supposititious child, La Beltraneja, in the place of his sister, as
successor to the throne. A civil war ensued, during which
Isabella steadily refused to assume the crown, though often
entreated: limiting her efforts to the maintenance of her
rights as heiress presumptive. In 1474, or five years after
her marriage, Don Henry died, and she then became Queen
of Castile, though her spurious niece was alsc proclaimed
by a small party among her subjects. The war of the succession, as it was called, lasted five years longer, when
Joanna, or La Bcltraneja, assumed the veil, and the rights
of Isabfella were generally acknowledged. About the same
time, died Don John II., when Ferdinand mounted the
throne of Aragon. These events virtually reduced the sovereignties of the Peninsula, which had so long been cut up
into petty states, to four, viz., the possessions of Ferdinand
and Isabella, which included Castile, Leon, Aragon, Valencia, and many other of the finest provinces of Spain;
Navarre, an insignificant kingdom in the Pyienees; Portu




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.              Di
gal, much as it exists to-day; and Granada, the last abiding
place of the Moor, north of the strait of Gibraltar.
Neither Ferdinand, nor his royal consort, was forgetful
of that clause in their marriage contract, which bound the
former to undertake a war for the destruction of the Moorish power. The course of events, however, caused a delay
of many years, in putting this long-projected plan in exe.
cution; but when the time finally arrived, that Providence
which seemed disposed to conduct the pious Isabella, through
a train of important incidents, from the reduced condition
in which we have just described her to have been, to the
summit of human power, did not desert its favourite. Success succeeded success - and victory, victory;, uitil the
Moor had lost fortress after fortress, town after town, and
was finally besieged in his very capital, his last hold in the
peninsula. As the reduction of Granada was a! event
that, in Christian eyes, was to be ranked second only to
the rescuing of the holy sepulchre from  the hands of
the Infidels, so was it distinguished by some features of
singularity, that have probably never before marked the
course of a siege. The place submitted on the 25th November, 1491, twenty-two years after the date of the mar.
riage just mentioned, and, it may not be amiss to observe,
on the very day of the year, that has become memorable
in the annals of this country, as that on which the English,
four centuries later, reluctantly yielded their. last footholu
on the coast of the republic.
In the course of the preceding summer, while the Span
ish forces lay before the town, and Isabella, with her chil.
dren, were anxious witnesses of the progress of events
an accident occurred that had well-nigh proved fatal
to the royal family, and brought destruction on the Chris
tian arms. The pavilion of the queen took fire, and wa.
consumed, placing the whole encampment in the utrnosjeopardy. Many of the tents of the nobles were also destroyed, and much treasure, in the shape of jewelry an6
plate, was lost, though the injury went no farther. In order
to guard against the recurrence of such an accident, and
probably viewing the subjection of Granada as the great
act of their mutual reign-for, as yet, Time threw his veil
around the future, and but one human eye foresaw the great.




62


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


est of all the events of the period, which was still in reserve —
the sovereigns resolved on attempting a work that, of itself,
would render this siege memorable. The plan of a regular
town was made, and labourers set about the construction
of good substantial edifices, in which to lodge the army;
thus converting the warfare into that of something like city
against city. In three months this stupendous work was
completed, with its avenues, streets and squares, and re
ceived the name of Santa F6, or Holy Faith, an appellation
quite as well suited to the zeal which could achieve such a
work, in the heat of a campaign, as to that general reliance
on the providence of God which animated the Christians in
carrying on the war. The construction of this place struck
terror into the hearts of the Moors, for they considered it
a proof that their enemies intended to give up the conflict
only wgh their lives; and it is highly probable that it had
a direct and immediate influence on the submission of Boabdil, the King of Granada, who yielded the Alhambra, a
few weeks after the Spaniards had taken possession of their
new abodes.
Santa Fe still exists, and is visited by the traveller as a
place of curious origin; while it is rendered remarkable by
the fact-real or assumed-that it is the only town of any
size in Spain, that has never been under Moorish sway.
The main incidents of our tale will now transport us to;his era, and to this scene; ail that has been related, as
yet, being merely introductory matter, to prepare the reader
for the events that are to follow.


i
I
I




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


CHAPTER IV.
What thing a right line is, the learned know;
But how availes that him, who in the right
Of life and manners doth desire to grow?
What then are all these humane arts, and lights,
But seas of errors? In whose depths who sound,
Of truth finde only shadowes, and no ground."
HUMAN LEARNING.
THE morning of the 2d of January, 1492, was ushered
in with a solemnity and pomp that were unusual even in a
court and camp as much addicted to religious observances
and royal magnificence, as that of Ferdinand and Isabella.
The sun had scarce appeared, when all in the extraordinary
little city of Santa Fd were afoot, and elate with triumph.
The negotiations for the surrender of Granada, which had
been going on secretly for weeks, were terminated; the army
and nation had been formally apprised of their results, and
this was the day set for the entry of the conquerors.
The court had been in mourning for Don Alonso of Por.
tugal, the husband of the Princess Royal of Castile, who
had died a bridegroom; but on this joyous occasion the
trappings of woe were cast aside, and alLappeared in their
gayest and most magnificent apparel. At an hour that was
still early, the Grand Cardinal moved forward, ascending
what is called the Hill of Martyrs, at the head of a strong
body of troops, with a view to take possession.  While
making the ascent, a party of Moorish cavaliers was met;
and at their head rode one in whom, by the dignity of his
mien and the anguish of his countenance, it was easy to
recognize the mental suffering of Boabdil, or Abdallah, the
deposed monarch. The cardinal pointed out the position
occupied by Ferdinand, who, with that admixture of piety
and worldly policy which were so closely interwoven in his
character, had refused to enter within the walls of the con.
quered city, until the symbol of Christ had superseded the
5s                                   ~




54. MERCEDES OF CASTILE.
banners of Mahomet; and who had taken, his station at
some distance from the gates, with a purpose and display
of humility that were suited to the particular fanaticism
of the period. As the interview that occurred has often
been related, and twice quite recently by distinguished
writers of our own country, it is unnecessary to dwell on
it here. Abdalah next sought the presence of the purer-.
minded and gentle Isabella, where his reception, with less
affectation of the character, had more of the real charity
and compassion of the Christian; when he went his way
towards that pass in the mountains that has ever since been
celebrated as the point where he took his last view of the
palaces and towers of his fathers, from which it has obtained the poetical and touching name of El Ultimo Suspiro
Del Moro.
Although the passage of the last King of Granada, from
his palace to the hills, was in no manner delayed, as it
was grave and conducted with dignity, it consequently occupied some time. These were hours in which the multitude covered the highways, and the adjacent fields were
garnished with a living throng, all of whom kept their eyes
riveted on the towers of the Alhambra, where the signs of
possession were anxiously looked for by every good Catholic who witnessed the triumph of his religion.
Isabella, who had made this conquest a condition in the
articles of marriage- whose victory in truth it was-abstained, with her native modesty, from pressing forward on
this occasion. She had placed herself at some distance in
the rear of the position of Ferdinand. Still, unless indeed
we except the long-coveted towers of the Alhambra, she
was the centre of attraction. She appeared in royal magnificence, as flue to the glory of the occasion; her beauty
always rendeied her an object of admiration; her mildness,
inflexible justice, and unyielding truth, had won all hearts;
and she was really the person who was most to profit by
the victory, Granada being attached to her own crown of
Castile, and not to that of Aragon, a country that possessed
little or no contiguous territory.
Previously to the appearance of Abdallah, the crowd
moved freely, in all directions; multitudes of civilians
wiving flocked to the camp to witness the entry. Among
*




MERCEDES OF CASTILE 5I5
other.;; were many friars, priests and monks, the war, in.
deed, having the character of a crusade. The throng of.he curious was densest near the person of the queen,
where, in truth, the magnificence of the court was the most
imposing. Around this spot, in particular, congregated most
of the religious, for they felt that the pious mind of Isabella
created a sort of moral atmosphere in and near her presence, that was peculiarly suited to their habits, and favour
able to their consideration.  Among others, was a friar of
prepossessing mien, and, in fact, of noble birth, who had
been respectfully addressed as Father Pedro, by several
grandees, as he made his way from the inTrnediate presence
of the queen, to a spot where the circulation was easier.
He was accompanied by a youth of an air so much
superior to that of most of those who did not appear that
day in the saddle, that he attracted general attention.
Although not more than twenty, it was evident, from his
muscular frame, and embrowned but florid cheeks, that he
was acquainted with exposure; and by his bearing, many
thought, notwithstanding he did not appear in armour on an
occasion so peculiarly military, that both his mien and his
frame had been improved by familiarity with war. His
attire was simple, as if he rather avoided than sought observation, but it was, nevertheless, such as was worn by
none but the noble. Several of those who watched this youth,
as he reached the less confined portions of the crowd, had
seen him received graciously by Isabella, whose hand he
had even been permitted to kiss, a alvour that the formal
aind fastidious court of Castile seldom bestowed except on
the worthy, or, on those, at least, who were unusually
illustrious from their birth. Some whispered that he was a
Guzman, a family that was almost royal; while others
thought that he might be a Ponce, a name that had got to be
one of the first in Spain, through the deeds of the renowned
Marquis-Duke of Cadiz, in this very war; while others.
again, affected to discern in his lofty brow, firm step, and
animated eye, the port and countenance of a Mendoza.
It was evident that the subject of all these commentaries
was unconscious of the notice that was attracted by his
vigorous form, handsome face, and elastic, lofty tread; for,
tike one accustomed to be observed by infe-iors, his atten



56


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


tion was confined to such objects as amused his eye, or
pleased his fancy, while he lent a willing ear to the remaiks
that, from time to time, fell from the lips of his reverend
companion.
" This is a most blessed and glorious day for Christianity!" observed the friar, after a pause a little longer than
common. "An impious reign of seven hundred years hath
expired, and the Moor is at length lowered from his pride;
while the cross is elevated above the banners of the false
prophet. Thou hast had ancestors, my son, who might
almost arise from their tombs, and walk the earth in exultation, if the tidings of these changes were permitted to
reach the souls of Christians long since departed."
"The Blessed Maria intercede for them, father, that they
may not be disturbed, even to see the Moor unhoused; for
I doubt much, agreeable as the Infidel hath made it, if they
find Granada as pleasant as Paradise."
"Son Don Luis, thou hast got much levity of speech, in
thy late journeyings; and I doubt if thou art as mindful of
thy paters and confessions, as when under the care of thy
excellent mother, of sainted memory!"
This was not only said reprovingly, but with a warmth
that amounted nearly to anger.
"Chide me not so warmly, father, for a lightness of
speech that cometh of youthful levity, rather than of disrespect for holy church.-Nay, thou rebukest warmly, and
then, as I come like a penitent to lay my transgressions be.
fore thee, and to seek absolution, thou fastenest thine eye on
vacancy, and gazest as if one of the spirits of which thou
so lately spokest actually had arisen and come to see the
Moor crack his heart-strings at quitting his beloved Alhambra!"
"'Dost see that man, Luis?" demanded the friar, still
gazing in a fixed direction, though he made no gesture to
indicate to which particular individual of the many who
were passing in all directions, he especially alluded.
"By my veracity, I see a thousand, father, though not
one to fasten the eye as if he were fresh from Paradise.
Would it be exceeding discretion to ask who, or what, hath
t] Iis riveted thy gaze?"
'Dost see yonder person of high and commanding sta




MLRCEDES OF CASTILE.


57


zure, and in whom gravity and dignity are so singularly
mingled with an air of poverty; or, if not absolutely of
poverty-for he is better clad, and seemingly in more pros.
perity now, than I remember ever to have seen him-still,
evidently not of the rich and noble; while his bearing and
carriage would seem to bespeak him at least a monarch?"
"I think I now perceive him thou meanest, father; a
man of very grave and reverend appearance, though of
imple deportment. I see nothing extravagant, or ill placed
either in his attire, or in his bearing."
" mean not that; - but there is a loftiness in his dignified countenance that one is not accustomed to meet in
those who are unused to power."
"To rn he hath the air and dress of a superior navigator, or pilot - of a man accustomed to the seas-ay, he.
hath sundry symbols about him that bespeak such a pursuit."
"Thou art right, Don Luis, for such is his calling. He
cometh of Genoa, and his name is Christoval Colon - or,
as they term it in Italy-Christoforo Colombo."
"I remember to have-heard of an admiral of that name,
who did good service in the wars of the south, and who
formerly led a fleet into the far east."
"This is not he, but one of humbler habits, though pos.
sibly of the same blood, seeing that both are derived from
the identical place. This is no admiral, though he would
fain become one-ay, even a king!"
"The man is then either of a weak mind, or of a light
ambition."
"He is neither. In mind, he hath outdone many of our
most learned churchmen; and it is due to his piety to say
that a more devout Christian doth not exist in Spain. It is
plain, son, that thou hast been much abroad, and little at
court, or thou would'st have known the history of this extraordinary being, at the mention of his name, which has
been the source of merriment for the frivolous and gay,
this many a year, and which has thrown the thoughtful and
prudent into more doubts than many a fierce and baneful
heresy."
"Thou stirrest my curiosity, father, by such language
Who and what is the man?"




65


MEIRCEDES OF CASTILE.


"An enigma that neither prayers to the Virgin, the learn
ing of the cloisters, nor a zealous wish to reach the truth,
hath enabled me to read. Come hither, Luis, to this bit of
rock where we can be seated, and I will relate to thee the
opinions that render this being so extraordinary. Thou
must know, son, it is now seven years since this man first
appeared among us. Hle sought employment as a discoverer, pretending that by steering out into the ocean, on
western course, for a great and unheard-of distance, he coul
reach the farther Indies, with the rich island of Cipango
and the kipgdom of Cathay, of which one Marco Polo hath
left us some most extraordinary legends."
"By St. James of blessed memory! the man must be
short of his wits!" interrupted Don Luis, laughing. " In
what way could this thing be, unless the earth were round
-the Indies lying east, and not west of us?"
"That hath been often objected to his notions; but the
man hath ready answers to much weightier arguments."
" What weightier than this can be found? Our own eyes
tell us that the earth is flat."
"Therein he differeth from mostrmen  and to own the
truth, son Luis, not without some show of reason. He is
a navigator, as thou wilt understand, and he replies that,
on the ocean, when a ship is seen from afar, her upper sails
are first perceived, and that as she draweth nearer, her
lower sails, and finally her hull cometh into view. But,
thou hast been over sea, and may have observed something
of this?"
" Truly have I, father. While mounting the English sea,
we met a gallant cruiser of the king's, and, as thou said'st,
we first perceived her upper sail, a white speck upon the
water-then followed sail after sail, until we came nigh
and saw her gigantic hull, with a very goodly show of
bombards and cannon-some twenty at teast, in all."
"Then thou agreest with this Colon, and thinkest the
earth round?"
"By St. George of England! not I. I have seen too
much of the world, to traduce its fair surface in so heedless
a manner. England, France, Burgundy, Germany, and
all those distant countries of the north, are just as level
and flat as our own Castile."




* MERCEDES OF CASTILE..Y
"Why then didst thou see the upper sails of the English.
man first?"
"Why, father- why - because they were first visible.
Yes, because they came first into view."
"Do the English put the largest of their sails uppermost
on the masts?"
"They would be fools if they did. Though no great.avigators-our neighbours the Portuguese, and the people
of Genoa, exceeding all others in that craft —though no
great navigators, the English are not so surpassingly
stupid. Thou wilt remember the force of the winds, and
understand that the larger the sail the lower should be its
position."
"Then how happened it that thou sawest the smaller
object before the larger?"
" Truly, excellent Fray Pedro, thou hast not conversed
with this Christoforo for nothing! A question is not a reason."
" Socrates was fond of questions, son; but he expected
answers."
"Peste! as they say at the court of King Louis. I am
not Socrates, my gool father, but thy old pupil and kinsman, Luis de Bobadilla, the truant nephew of the queen's
favourite, the Marchioness of Moya, and as well-born a
cavalier as there is in Spain -though somewhat given to
roving, if my enemies are to be believed."
"Neither thy pedigree, thy character, nor thy vagaries,
need be given to me, Don Luis de Bobadilla; since I have
known thee and 'thy career from childhood. Thou hast one
merit that none will deny thee, and that is, a respect for
truth; and never hast thou more completely vindicated thy
character, in this particular, than when thou saidst thou
wert not Socrates."
The worthy friar's good-natured smile, as he made this
sally, took off some of its edge; and the young man
laughed, as if too conscious of his own youthful follies to
resent what he heard.
"But, dear Fray Pedro, lay aside thy government, for
once, and stoop to a rational discourse with me on this extraordinary subject. Thou, surely, wilt not pretend that,he earth is round?"




60             MERCEDES OF CASTILE.
< I do not gc as far as some, on this point, Luis, for I see
difficulties with Holy Writ, by the admission. Still, this
matter of the sails much puzzleth me, and I have often felt
a desire to go from one port to another, by sea, in order to
witness it. Were it not for the exceeding nausea that I
ever feel in a boat, I might attempt the experiment."
"That would be a worthy consummation of all thy wisdom!" exclaimed the young man, laughing. " Fray Pedro
de Carrascal turned rover, like his old pupil, and that, too,
astride a vagary! But set thy heart at rest, my honoured
kinsman and excellent instructor, for I can save thee the
trouble. In all my journeyings, by sea and by land - and
thou knowest that, for my years, they have been manyI have ever found the earth flat, and the ocean the flattest
portion of it, always excepting a few turbulent and uneasy
waves."
" No doubt it so seemeth to the eye; but, this Colon, who
hath voyaged far more than thou, thinketh otherwise. He
contendeth that the earth is a sphere, and that, by sailing
west, he can reach points that have been already attained
by journeying east."
"By San Lorenzo! but the idea is a bold one! Doth
the man really propose to venture out into the broad
Atlantic, and even to cross it to some distant and unknown
land?"
"That is his very idea; and for seven weary years hath
he solicited the court to firnish him with the means. Nay,
as I hear, he hath passed much more time —other seven
years, perhaps-in urging his suit in different lands."
"If the earth be round," continued Don Luis, with a
musing air, " what preventeth all the water from flowing to
the lower parts of it? How is it, that we have any seas
at all? and if, as thou hast hinted, he deemeth the Indies
on the other side, how is it that their people stand erect?
-it cannot be done without placing the feet uppermost."
"That difficulty hath been presented to Colon, but he
treateth it lightly. Indeed, most of our churchmen are getting
to believe that there is no up, or down, except as it ielateth
to the surface of the earth; so that no great obstacle existeth in that point."
" rhou would'st not have me understand, father, that a




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


61


man can walk on his head - and that, too, with the noble
member iA the air? By San Francisco! thy men of Catnay
must have talons like a cat, or they would be falling, quickly!"
"Whither, Luis?"
"Whither, Fray Pedro? -to Tophet, or the bottomless
pit. It can never be'that men walk on their heads, heels
uppermost, with no better foundation than the atmosphere.
The caravels, too, must sail on their masts-and that would
be rare navigation! What would prevent the sea from
tumbling out of its bed, and falling on the Devil's fires and
extinguishing them?"
"Son Luis," interrupted the monk, gravely, " thy lightness of speech is carried too far. But, if thou so niLuch
deridest the opinion of this Colon, what are thine own notlois
of the formation of this earth, that God hath so honouted
with his spirit and his presence?"
"That it is as flat as the buckler of the Moor I slew in
the last sortie, which is as flat as steel cah hammer iron."
" Dost thou think it hath limits?"
"That do I - and please Heaven, and Dofia Mercedes
de Valverde, I will see them before I die!"
" Then thou fanciest there is an edge, or precipice, at the
four sides of the world, which men may reach, and where
they can stand and look off, as from an exceeding high
platform?"
"The picture doth not lose, father, for the touch of thy
pencil! I have never bethought me of this before; and
vet some such spot there must be, one would think. By
San Fernando, himself! that would be a place to try the
metal of even Don Alonso de Ojeda, who might stand on
the margin of the earth, put his foot on a cloud, and cast
an orange to the moon!"
"Thou hast bethought thee little, of any thing serious, I
fear, Luis; but to me, this opinion and this project of Colon
are not without merit. I sec bul two serious objections to
them, one of which is, the difficulty connected with Holy
Writ- and the other, the vast and ircomprehensible, nay,
useless, extent of the ocean that must necessarily separate
us from Cathay; else should we long since have heard
fiom that quarter of the world."
" Do the learned favour the man's 'notions?"
6




W          MERCEDES OF CASTILE.
" The matter hath been seriously argued before a council
held at Salamanca, where men were much divided upon it.
One serious obstacle is the apprehension that should the
world prove to be round, and could a ship even succeed in
getting to Cathay by the west, there would be great difficulty in her ever returning, since there must be, in some
manner, an ascent and a descent. I must say that most
men deride this Colon; and I fear he will never reach his
island of Cipango, as he doth not seem in the way even to
set forth on the journey. I marvel that he should now be
here, it having been said he had taken his final departure for
Portugal."
"Dost thou say, father, that the man hath long been in
Spain?" demanded Don Luis, gravely, with his eye riveted
on the dignified form of Columbus, who stood calmly regarding the gorgeous spectacle of the triumph, at no great
distance from the rock where the two had taken their seats.
" Seven weary years hath he been soliciting the rich and
the great to furnish him with the means of undertaking his
favourite voyage."
" Hath he the gold to prefer so long a suit?"
"By his appearance, I should think him poor —nay, I
know that he hath toiled for bread, at the occupation of a
map-maker. One hour he hath passed in arguing with phi.
losophers and in soliciting princes, while the next hath beer.
occupied in labouring for the lbod that he hath taken for
sustenance."
"Thy description, father, hath whetted curiosity to so
keen an edge, that I would fain speak with this Colon. I
see he remaineth yonder, in the crowd, and will go and tell
him that I, too, am somewhat of a navigator, and will extract from him a few of his peculiar ideas."
"And in what manner wilt thou open the acquaintance,
son?"
"By telling him that I an Don Luis de Bobadilla, the
nephew of the Dofia Beatriz of Moya, and a noble of one
of the best houses of Castile."
"And this thou thinkest will suffice, for thy purpose,
Luis!" returned the friar, smiling. " No-no-my son;
this may do with most map-sellers, but it will not effect thy
wishes with yonder 'Christoval Colon. That man is so




MERCEDES O'' CA-STIL.             6
filled with the vastness of his purposes; is so rmuch raised
up with the magnitude of the results that his mind intently
contemplateth, day and night; seemeth so-conscious of his
own powe,-rs, that even kings and princes can, in no manner, lessen his dignity. ''hat which thou proposest, Don
Fernando, our honoured master, might scarcely attempt,
and hope to escape without some rebuke of manner, it not
of tongue."
"By all the blessed saints! Fray Pedro, thou givest an
extraordinary account of this man, qnd only increasest the
desire to know him. Wilt thou charge thyself with the
introduction?"
"Most willingly, for I wish to inquire what hath brought
him back to court, whence, I had understood, he lately
went, with the intent to go elsewhere with his projects.
Leave the mode in my hands, son Luis, and we will see
what can be accomplished."
The friar and his mercurial young companion now arose
from their seats on the rock, and threaded the throng,
taking the direction necessary to approach the man who
had been the subject of their discourse, and still remained
that of their thoughts. When near enough to speak, Fray
Pedro stopped, and stood patiently waiting for a moment
when he might catch the navigator's eye. This did not
occur for several minutes, the looks of Colon being riveted
on the towers of the Alhambra, where, at each instant, the
signal of possession was expected to appear; and Luis de
Bobadilla,'who, truant, and errant, and volatile, and difficult
to curb, as he had proved himself to be, never forgot his
illustrious birth and the conventional distinctions attached
to personal rank, began to manifest his impatience at being
kept so long dancing attendance on a mere map-seller and
a pilot. He in vain urged his companion to advance, however; but one of his own hurried movements at length
drew aside the look of Columbus, when the eyes of the
latter and of the friar met, and being old acquaintances,
they saluted in the courteous manner of' the age.
"I felicitate you, Seior Colon, on the glorious termination of this siege, and rejoice that you are here to witness
it, as I had heard affairs of magnitude had called you to
another country."




64


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


"' The hand of God, father, is to be traced in all things
You perceive in this success the victory of the cross; bu
to me it conveyeth a lesson of perseverance, and sayeth,
as plainly as events can speak, that what God hath de
creed, must come to pass."
"I like your application, Sefior; as, indeed, I do most
of your thoughts on our holy religion. Perseverance is
truly necessary to salvation; and I doubt not that a fitting
symbol to the same may be found in the manner in whichl
our pious sovereigns have conducted this war, as well as in
its glorious termination."
"True, father; and also doth it furnish a symbol to the
fortunes of all enterprises that have the glory of God and
the welfare of the church in view," answered Colon, or
Columbus, as the name has been Latinized; his eye kin.
dling with that latent fire which seems so deeply seated in the
'visionary and the enthusiast. " It may seem out of reason
to you, to make such applications of these great events;
but the triumph of their Highnesses this day, marvellously
encourageth me to persevere, and not to faint, in my own
weary pilgrimage, both leading to triumphs of the cross."
" Since you are pleased to speak of your own schemes,
Sefior Colon," returned the fiiar, ingeniously, " I am not
sorry that the matter hath come up between us; for here is
a youthful kinsman of mine, who hath been somewhat of a
rover, himself, in the indulgence of a youthful fancy, that
neither friends nor yet love could restrain; and having
heard of your noble projects, he is burning with the desire
to learn more of them from your own mouth, should it suit
your condescension so to indulge him."
"I am always happy to yield to the praiseworthy wishes
of the young and adventurous, and shall cheerfully communicate to your young friend all he may desire to know,"
answered Columbus, with a simplicity and dignity that at
once put to flight all the notions of superiority and affability
with which Don Luis had intended to carry on the con.
versation, and which had the immediate effect to satisfy the
young man that he was to be the obliged and honoured
party, in the intercourse that was to follow. " But, Seiior,
you have forgotten to give ne the name or the cavalier."
"It is Don Luis de Bobadilla, a youth whose best claimt




IMRCEDES OF CASTILE.               00
to your notice, perhaps, are, a most adventurous and roving
spirit, and the fact that he may call your honoured friend
the Marchioness of Moya, his aunt."
" Either would be sufficient, fatlier. I love the spirit of
adventure in the youthful; for it is implanted, no doubt, by
God, in order that they may serve his all-wise and'beneficent designs; and it is of such as these that my own chief
worldly stay and support must be found. Then, next to
Father Juan Perez de Marchena and Sefor Alonzo de
Quintanilla, do I esteem Dofia Beatriz, among my fastest
friends; her kinsman, therefore, will be certain of my esteem
and respect."
All this sounded extraordinary to Don Luis; for though
the dress and appearance of this unknown stranger, who
even spoke the Castilian with a foreign accent, were respectable, he had been told he was inerely a pilot, or
navigator, who earned his bread by toil; and it was not
usual for the noblest of Castile to be thus regarded, as it
might be, with a condescending favour, by any inferior to
those who could claim the blood and lineage of princes.
At first he was disposed to resent the words of the stranger;
then to laugh in his face; but observing that the friar
treated him with great deference, and secretly awed by the
air of the reputed projector, he was not only successful in
maintaining a suitable deportment, but he made a proper
and courteous reply, such as became his name and breeding. The three then retired together, a little aloof from the
thickest of the throng, and found seats also, on one of the
rocks, of which so many were scattered about the place.
"Don Luis hath visited foreign lands, you say, father,"
said Columbus, who did not fail to lead the discourse, like
one entitled to it by rank, or personal claims, " and hath a
craving for the wonders and dangers of the ocean?"
"Such hath been either his merit, or his fault, Sefior,
had he listened to the wishes of Doiia Beatriz, or to my
advice, he would not have thrown aside his knightly career
for one so little in unison with his training and birth."
"Nay, father, you treat the youth with unmerited severity; he who passeth a life on the ocean, cannot be
said to pass it in either an ignoble or a useless manner.
God separated different countries by vast bodies of water,
6*




66


6MERCEDI,' OF CASTILE.


not with any intent to render their people strangers to each
other, but doubtless that they might meet amid the wonders
with which he hath adorned the ocean, and glorify his
name and power so much the more. We all have our moments of thoughtlessness in youth, a period when we yield
to our impulses rather than to our reason; and as I confess
to mine, I am little disposed to bear too hard on Sefior Don
Luis, that he hath had his."
("You have probably battled with the Infidel, by sea
SeioQr Colon," observed the young man, not a little embarrassed as to the manner in which he should introduce the
subject he most desired.
"Ay, and by land, too, son"-the familiarity startled the
young noble, though he could not take offence at it —" and
by land, too. The time hath been, when I had a pleasure
in relating my perils and escapes, which have been numerous, both from war and tempests; but since the power of
God hath awakened my spirit to mightier things, that his
will may be done, and his word spread throughout the
whole earth, my memory ceaseth to dwell on them." Fray
Pedro crossed himself, and Don Luis smiled and shrugged
his shoulders, as one is apt to do when he listens to any
thing extravagant; but the navigator proceeded in the
earnest grave manner that appeared to belong to his character. " It is now very many years, since I was engaged
in that remarkable combat between the forces of my kinsman and namesake, the younger Colombo, as he was called,
to distinguish him from his uncle, the ancient admiral of
the same name, which took place not far north from Cape
St. Vincent. On that bloody day, we contended with the
foe, Venetians richly laden, from morn till even, and yet
the Lord carried me through the hot contest unharmed.
On another occasion, the galley in which I fought was con.
sumed by fire, and I had to find my way to land, no trifling
distance, by the aid of an oar. To me it seemeth that the
hand of God was in this, and that he would not have taken
so signal and tender a care of one of his insignificant creatures, unless to use him largely for his own honour and
glory."
Although the eye of the navigator grew brighter as he
uttered this, and his cheek flushed with a species of holy




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


67


enthusiasm, it was impossible to confound one so grave, so
dignified, so measured even in his exaggerations -if such
they were -with the idle and light-minded who mistake
momentary impulses for indelible impressions, and passing
vanities for the convictions that temper character. Fray
Pedro, instead of smiling, or in any manner betraying that
he regarded the other's opinions lightly, devoutly crossed
himself again, and showed by the sympathy expressed in
his countenance, how much'he entered into the profound
religious faith of the speaker.
" The ways of God are often mysteries to his creatures,"
said the friar; " but we are taught that they all lead to the
exaltation of his name, and to the glory of his attributes."
" It is so that I consider it, father; and with such views
have I always regarded my own humble efforts to honour
him. We are but instruments, and useless instruments,
too, when we look at how little proceedeth from our own
spirits and power."
" There cometh the blessed symbol that is our salvation
and guide!" exclaimed the friar, holding out both arms
eagerly, as if to embrace some distant object in the hea.
vens, immediately falling to his knees, and bowing his
shaven and naked head, in deep humility, to the earth.
Columbus turned his eyes in the direction indicated by
his companion's gestures, and he beheld the large silver
Rross that the sovereigns had carried with them throughout
the late war, as a pledge of its objects, glittering on the
principal tower of the Alhambra. At the next instant, the
banners of Castile and of St. James were unfolded from
other elevated places. Then came the song of triumph,
mingled with the chants of the church. Te Deum was
sung, and the choirs of the royal chapel chanted in the
open fields the praises of the Lord of Hosts. A scene of
magnificent religious pomp, mingled with martial array
followed, that belongs rather to general history than to the
particular and private incidents of our tale.




68


MERCEDES OF CASTILB


CHAPTER V.
"Who hath not proved how feebly words emay
To fix one spark of beauty's heavenly ray?
Who doth not feel, until his failing sight
Faints into dimness with its own delight,
His changing cheek, his sinking heart confess
The might — the majesty of loveliness!"
BYRON.
THAT night the court of Castile and Aragon slept in
the palace of the Alhambra. As soon as the religious cere.
mony alluded to in the last chapter had terminated, the
crowd rushed into the place, and the princes followed, with a
dignity and state better suited to their high character. The
young Christian nobles, accompanied by their wives and
sisters — for the presence of Isabella, and the delay that
attended the surrender, had drawn together a vast many of
the gentler sex, in addition to those whose duty it was to
accompany their royal mistress - hurried eagerly through
the celebrated courts and fretted apartments of this remarkable residence; nor was curiosity appeased even when
night came to place a temporary stay to its indulgence.
The Court of the Lions, in particular, a place still renowned
throughout Clristendom for its remains of oriental beauty,
had been left by Boabdil in the best condition; and, although
it was mid-winter, by the aid of human art it was even then
gay with flowers; while the adjacent halls, those of the Two
Sisters, and of Abencerrages, were brilliant with light, and
alive with warriors and courtiers, dignified priests and lux.
j riant beauty.
Although no Spanish eye could be otherwise than familiar
with the light peculiar graces of Moorish architecture, these
of the Alhambra so much surpassed those of any other pa.
lace which had been erected by the AMuulman dynasties
of that part of the world, that their glories struck the be.
holders with the freshness of novelty, as well as with the




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


69


magnificence of royalty. The rich conceits in stucdco, an
art of eastern origin, then little understood in Christendom;
the graceful and fanciful Arabesques-which, improved on
by the farncies of some of the greatest geniuses the world
ever saw, have descended to our own times, and got to be
so familiar in Europe, though little known on this side of
the Atlantic- decorated the walls, while brilliant fountains*
cast their waters into the ai', and fell in glittering spray,
resembling diamonds.
Among the throng that moved through this scene of
almost magical beauty, was Beatriz de Bobadilla, who had
long been the wife of Don Andres de Cabrera, and was now
generally known as the Marchioness of Moya; the constant, near, and confidential friend of the queen, a character she retained until her royal mistress was numbered
with the dead. On her arm leaned lightly, a youthful
female, of an appearance so remarkable, that few strangers
would have passed her without turning to take a second
look at features and a countenance that were seldom seen
and forgotten. This was Doiia Mercedes de Valverde, one
of the noblest and richest heiresses of Castile; the relative,
ward, and adopted daughter of the queen's friend; favourite being hardly the term one would apply to the relation
in which Dona Beatriz stood towards Isabella. It was not
the particular beauty of Dofia Mercedes, however, that rendered her appearance so remarkable and attractive; for,
though feminine, graceful, of exquisite form, and even of
pleasing features, there were many in that brilliant court
who would generally be deemed fairer.  But no other
maiden of Castile had a countenance so illuminated by the
soul within, or no other female face habitually wore so deep
an impression of sentiment and sensibility; and the professed physiognomist would have delighted to trace the evidences of a deeply-seated, earnest, but unobtrusive enthusiasm, which even cast a shade of melancholy over a face
that fortune and the heart had equally intended should be
sunny and serene. Serene it was, notwithstanding; ths
shadow that rested on it seeming to soften and render in.
teresting its expression, rather than to disturb its tranquillity or to cloud its loveliness.
On the other side of the noble matron walked Luis de




'70


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


Bobadilla, keeping a little in advance of his aunt, in a way
to permit his own dark flashing looks to meet, whenever
feeling and modesty would allow it, the. fine, expressive
blue eyes of Mercedes. The three conversed freely, for
the royal personages had retired to their private apart.
ments, and each group of passengers was so much entranced with the novelty of its situation and its own conversation, as to disregard the remarks of others.
"This is a marvel, Luis," observed Dofia Beatriz, in
continuation of a subject that evidently much interested
them all, " that thou, a truant and a rover thyself, should
now have heard for the first time of this Colon! It is
many years since he has been soliciting their Highnesses
for their royal aid in effecting his purposes. The matter
of his schemes was solemnly debated before a council at
Salamanca; and he hath not been without believers at the
Court, itself."
"Among whom is to be classed Donia Beatriz de Cabrera," said Mercedes, with that melancholy smile that had
the effect to bring out glimpses of all the deep but latent
feeling that lay concealed beneath the surface: "1 have
often heard Her Highness declare that Colon hatn no truer
friend in Castile."
" Her Highness is seldom mistaken, child-and never in
my heart. I do uphold the man; for to me he seemeth
one fitted for some great and honourable undertaking; and
surely none greater hath ever been proposed or imagined
by human mind, than this he urgeth. Think of our becoming acquainted with the nations of the other side of the
earth, and of finding easy and direct means of communicating with them, and of imparting to them the consolations of Holy Church!"
"Ay, Sefiora my aunt," cried Luis, laughing, "and of
walking in their delightful company with all our heels in
the air, and our heads downwards! I hope this Colon hath
not neglected to practise a little in the art, for it will need
some time to gain a sure foot, in such circumstances. He
might commence on the sides of these mountains, by way
of a horn-book, throwing the head boldly off at a rightangle; after which, the walls and towers of this Alhambra




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


71


would make a very pretty grammar, or stepping-stone to
new progress."
Mercedes had unconsciously but fervently pressed the
arm of her guardian, as Dofia Beatriz admitted her interest
in the success of the great project; but at this sally of Don
Luis, she looked serious, and threw a glance at him, that
he himself felt to be reproachful. To win the love of his
aunt's ward was the young man's most ardent wish; and a
look of dissatisfaction could at any moment repress that
exuberance.of spirits which often led him into an appear.
ance of levity that did injustice to the really sterling qualities of both his heart and mind. Under the influence of
that look, then, he was not slow to repair the wrong he had
done himself, by adding almost as soon as he had ceased to
speak -
"The Dofia Mercedes is of the discovering party, too,
I see; this Colon appeareth to have had more success with
the dames of Castile than with her nobles"" Is it extraordinary, Don Luis," interrupted the pensivelooking girl, " that women should have more confidence in
merit, more generous impulses, more zeal for God, than
men?"
" It must be even so, since you and my aunt, Doria Beatriz, side with the navigator. But I am not always to be
understood in the light I express myself;"-Mercedes now
smiled, but this time it was archly-" 1 have never studied with the minstrels, nor, sooth to say, deeply with the
churchmen. To be honest with you, I have been much
struck with this noble idea; and if Sefior Colon doth, in
reality, sail in quest of Cathay and the Indies, I shall pray
their Highnesses to let me be of the pa'ty, for, now that
the Moor is subdued, there remaineth little foi a noble to
do in Spain."
" If thou should'st really go on this expedition," said
Doia Beatriz, with grave irony, "there will, at least, be
one human being topsy-turvy, in the event of thy reaching
Cathay. But yonder is an attendant of the court; I doubt
if Her Highness doth not desire my presence."
The Lady of Moya was right-the messenger coming to
announce to her that the queen required her attendance.
The manners of the day and country rendered it unseemly




72


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


that Doira Mercedes should continue her promenade accom.
panied only by Don Luis, and the marchioness led the way
to her own apartments, where a saloon suitable to her rank
and to her favour with the queen, had been selected for her
from among the numberless gorgeous rooms of the Moorish
kings. Even here, the marchioness paused a moment, in
thought, before she would leave her errant nephew alone
with her ward.
" Though a rover, he is no troubadour, and cannot charm
thy ear with false rhymes. It were better, perhaps, that [
sent him beneath thy balcony, with his guitar; but knowing so well his dulness, I will confide in it, and leave him
with thee, for the few minutes that I shall be absent. A
cavalier who hath so strong a dislike to reversing the order
of nature, will not surely condescend to go on his knees,
even though it be to win a smile from the sweetest maiden
in all Castile."
Don Luis laughed; Dofia Beatriz smiled, as she kissed
her ward, and left the room; while Dofia Mercedes blushed,
and riveted her gaze on the floor. Luis.de Bobadilla was
the declared suitor and sworn knight of Mercedes de Valverde; but, though so much favoured by birth, fortune,
affinity, and figure, there existed some serious impediments
to his success. In all that was connected with the considerations that usually decide such things, the union was
desirable; but there existed, nevertheless, a strong influence to overcome, in the scruples of Dofia Beatriz, herself.
High-principled, accustomed to the just-minded views of
her royal mistress, and too proud to do an unworthy act,
the very advantages that a marriage with her ward offered
to her nephew, had caused the marchioness to hesitate.
Don Luis had little of the Castilian gravity of characterand, by many, his animal spirits were mistaken for light.
ness of disposition and levity of thought. His mother was
a woman of a very illustrious French family; and national
pride had induced most observers to fancy that the son inherited a constitutional disposition to frivolity, that was to
be traced to the besetting weakness of a whole people. A
consciousness'of his being so viewed at home, had, indeed.
driven the youth abroad; and as, like all observant tra.
vollers, he was made doubly sensible of the defects of his




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


73


own state of society on his return, a species of estrangement had grown up between him and his natural associates
that had urged the young man, again and again, to wander
into foreign lands. Nothing, indeed, but his early and con.
stantly increasing passion for Mercedes had induced him to
return; a step that, fortunately for himself, he had last
taken in time to assist in the reduction of Granada. Not
withstanding these traits, which, in a country like Castile
might be properly enough termed peculiarities, Don Lui
de Bobadilla was a knight worthy of his lineage and name.
His prowess in the field and in the tourney, indeed, was so
very marked as to give him a high military character, in
despite of what were deemed his failings; and he passed
rather as an inconsiderate and unsafe young man, than as
one who was either debased or wicked. Martial qualities,
in that age in particular, redeemed a thousand faults; and
Don Luis had even been known to unhorse, in the tourney,
Alonzo de Ojeda, then the most expert lance in Spain.
Such a man could not be despised, though he might be distrusted. But the feeling which governed his aunt, referred
quite as much to her own character as to his. Deeply conscientious, while she understood her nephew's real qualities
much better than mere superficial observers, she had her
doubts about the propriety of giving the rich heiress who
was entrusted to her care, to so near a relative, when all
could not applaud the act. She feared, too, that her own
partiality might deceive her, and that Luis might in truth
be the light and frivolous being he sometimes appeared t
be in Castilian eyes, and that the happiness of her war
would prove the sacrifice of the indiscretion. With these
doubts, then, while she secretly desired the union, she had
in public looked coldly on her nephew's suit; and, though
unable, without a harshness that circumstances would not
warrant, to prevent all intercourse, she had not only taken
frequent occasions to let Mercedes understand her distrust,
but she had observed the precaution not to leave so handsome a suitor, notwithstanding he was often domioiliated in
her own house, much alone with her ward.
The state of Mercedes' feelings was known only to her
self. She was beautiful, of an honourable family, and an
heiress and as human infirmities were as besetting be7




74


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


neath the stately mien of the fifteenth century, as they are
to-day, she had often heard the supposed faults of Don
Luis's character sneered at, by those who felt-distrustful of
his good looks and his opportunities. Few young females
would have had the courage to betray any marked prefer.
ence under such circumstances, until prepared to avow their;hoice, and to take sides with its subject against the world;
and the quiet but deep enthusiasm that prevailed in the
moral system of the fair young Castilian, was tempered by
a prudence that prevented her fiom running into most of its
lighter excesses. The forms and observances that usually
surround young women of rank, came in aid of this native
prudence; and even Don Luis, himself, though he had
watched the countenance and emotions of her to whom he
had so long urged his suit, with a lover's jealousy and a
lover's instincts, was greatly in doubt' whether he had succeeded in the least, in touching her heart. By one of those
unlooked-for concurrences of circumstances that so often
decide the fortunes of men, whether as lovers or in more
worldly-minded pursuits, these doubts were now about to be
unexpectedly and suddenly removed.
The triumph of the Christian arms, the novelty of her
situation, and the excitement of the whole scene, had
aroused the feelings of Mercedes from that coy concealment in which they usually lay smothered beneath the covering of maiden diffidence; and throughout the evening
her smile had been more open, her eye brighter, and her,heeks more deeply flushed, than was usual even with one
whose smiles were always sweet, whose eyes were never:11Ill, and whose cheeks answered so sensitively to the varying impulses within.
As his aunt quitted the room, leaving him alone with Mercedes for the first time since his return from his last ramble,
Don Luis eagerly threw himself on a stool that stood near
the feet of his adored, who placed herself on a sumptuous
couch, that, twenty-four hours before, had held the person
of a princess of Abdallah's family.
"Much as I honour and reverence Her Highness," the
Young man hurriedly commenced, " my respect and veneraTon are now increased ten-fold! Would that she might
send for my beloved aunt thrice where she now wants her




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


75


services only once! and may her presence become so necessary to her sovereign that the affairs of Castile cannot
go on without her counsel, if so blessed an opportunity as
this, to tell you all I feel, Dofia Mercedes, is to follow her
obedience!"
"It is not they who are most fluent of speech, or the
most vehement, who always feel the deepest, Don Luis de
Bobadilla."
" Nor do they feel the least. Mercedes, thou canst not
doubt my love! It hath grown with my growth-increased
with each increase of my ideas-until it hath got to be so
interwoven with my mind itself, that I can scarce use a
faculty that thy dear image doth not mingle with it. In all
that is beautiful, I behold thee; if I listen to the song of a
bird, it is thy carol to the lute; or if I feel the gentle south
wind from the fragrant isles fanning my cheek, I would
fain think it thy sigh."
" You have dwelt so much among the light conceits of
the French court, Don Luis, you appear to have forgotten
that the heart of a Castilian girl is too true, and too sincere, to meet such rhapsodies with favour."
Had Don Luis been older, or more experienced in the
sex, he would have been flattered by this rebuke-for he
would have detected in the speaker's manner, both feeling
of a gentler nature than her words expressed, and a tender
regret.
"If thou ascribest to me rhapsodies, thou dost me great
injustice. I may not do credit to my own thoughts and
feelings; but never hath my tongue uttered aught to thee,
Mercedes, that the heart hath not honestly urged. Have I
not loved thee since thou and I were children? Did I ever
fail to show my preference for thee when we were boy and
girl, in all the sports and light-hearted enjoyments of that
guileless period?"
"Guileless, truly," answered Mercedes, her look brightening as it might be with agreeable fancies and a flood of
pleasant recollections - doing more, in a single instant, to
break down the barriers of her reserve, than years of
schooling had effected towards building them up. " Thou
wert then, at least, sincere, Luis, and I placed full faith in
thy friendship, and in thy desire to please."




76


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


"Bless thee, bless thee, for these precious words, Mer
cedes! for the first time in two years, hast thou spoken tc
me as thou wert wont to do, and called me Luis. without
that courtly, accursed, Don."
"A noble Castilian should never regard his honours
lightly, and he oweth it to his rank to see that others respect them, too;" answered our heroine, looking down, as
if she already half repented of the familiarity. " You are
quick to remind me of my forgetfulness, Don Luis de Bo
badilla."
"This unlucky tongue of mine can never follow the path
that its owner wisheth! Hast thou not seen in all my looks
- all my acts - all my motives - a desire to please thee,
and thee alone, lovely Mercedes?  When Her Highness
gave her royal approbation of my success, in the last
tourney, did I not seek thine eye, in order to ask if thou
noted'st it? Hast thou ever expressed a wish, that I have
not proved an eager desire to see it accomplished?"
" Nay, now, Luis, thou emboldenest me to remind thee
that I expressed a wish that thou would'st not go on thy
last voyage to the north, and-yet thou didst depart! I felt
that it.would displease Donia Beatriz; thy truant disposition having made her uneasy lest thou should'st get altogether into the habits of a rover, and into disfavour with
the queen."
" It was for this that thou mad'st the request, and it
wounded my pride to think that Mercedes de Valverde
should so little understand my character, as to believe i
possible a noble of my name and lineage could so far for
get his duties as to sink into the mere associate of pilots
and adventurers."
"Thou didst not know that I believed this of thee."
" Hadst thou asked of me, Mercedes, to remain for thv
take-nay, hadst thou  imposed the heaviest services on
me, as thy knight, or, as one who enjoyed the smallest degree of thy favour-I would have parted with life sooner than
I would have parted from Castile. But not even a look of
kindness dould I obtain, in reward for all the pain I had
belt on thy account""Pain, Luis!"
Is it not pain to love to the degree that one might kiss




MERCEDES OF CASTILE*


77


the earth that received the foot-print of its object-and yet
to meet with no encouragement from fair words, no friendly
glance of the eye, nor any sign or symbol to betoken that
the being one hath enshrined in his heart's core, ever thinketh of her suitor except as a reckless rover and a harebrained adventurer?"
" Luis de Bobadilla, no one that really knoweth thy
character, can ever truly think thus of thee."
"A million of thanks for these few words, beloved g\rl,
and ten millions for the gentle smile that hath accompanicd
them! Thou might'st mould me to all thy wishes""My wishes, )on Luis!"
"To all thy severe opinions of sobriety and dignity of
conduct, would'st thou but feel sufficient interest in me to let
me know that my acts can give thee either pain or pleasure."
" Can it be otherwise? Could'st thou, Luis, see with indifference the proceedings of one thou hast known from
childhood, and esteemed as a friend?"
"Esteem! Blessed Mercedes! dost thou own even that
little in my favour?"
"It is not little, Luis, to esteem-but much. They who
prize virtue never esteem the unworthy; and it is not possible to know thy excellent heart and manly nature, without esteeming thee. Surely I have never concealed my
esteem from thee, or from any one else."
"Hast thou concealed aught? Ah! Mercedes, complete
this heavenly condescension, and admit that one-as lightly
as thou wilt —but, that one soft sentiment hath, at times,
mingled with this esteem."
Mercedes blushed brightly, but she would not make the
often-solicited acknowledgment. It was some little time
before she answered at all. When she did speak, it was
hesitatingly, and with frequent pauses, as if she distrusted
the propriety or the discretion of tr at which she was about
to utter.
"Thou hast travelled much and far, Luis," she said,
( and hast lost some favour on account of thy roving pro.
pensities; why not regain the confidence of thy aunt by
the very means through which it has been lost?"
7*




I8


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


"I do not comprehend thee. This is singular counsel to
come from one like thee, who art prudence itself'!"
" The prudent and discreet think well of their acts and
words, and are the more to be confided in. Thou seemest
to have been struck with these bold opinions of the Sefior
Colon; and while thou hast derided them, I can see that
they have great weight on thy mind."
"I shall, henceforth, regard thee with tenfold respect,
Mercedes; for thou hast penetrated deeper than my foolish
affectation of contempt, and all my light language, and discovered the real feeling that lieth underneath. Ever since I
have heard of this vast project, it hath indeed haunted my
imagination; and the image of the Genoese hath constantly stood beside thine, dearest girl, before my eyes, if
not in my heart. I doubt if there be not some truth in his
opinions; so noble an idea cnn not be wholly false!"
The fine, full eye of Mercedes was fastened intently on
the countenance of Don Luis; and its brilliancy increased,
as some of that latent enthusiasm which dwelt within, kindled and began to glow at this outlet of the feelings of the
soul.
"There is," she answered, solemnly -" there must be
truth in it! The Genoese hath been inspired of Heaven,
with his sublime thoughts, and he will live, sooner or later,
to prove their truth. Imagine this earth fairly encircled by
a ship; the farthest east, the land of the heathen, brought
in close communion with ourselves, and the cross casting
its shadows under the burning sun of Cathay! These are
glorious, heavenly, anticipations, Luis; and would it not be
an imperishable renown, to share in the honour of having
aided in bringing about so great a discovery?"
"By Heaven! I will see the Genoese as soon as the
morrow's sun shall appear, and offer to make one in his
enterprise. He shall no4 need for gold, if that be his only
want."
" Thou speakest like a generous, noble-minded, fearless
young Castilian, as thou art!" said Mercedes, with an erthusiasm that set at naught the usual guards of her discretion and her habits, "and as becometh Luis de Boba.
dilla. But gold is not plenty with any of us at this mo.
Went, and it will surpass the power of an ordinary subject




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


79


to furnish that which will be necessary. Nor is it,meet
that any but sovereigns should send forth such an expedi.
tion, as there may be vast territories to govern and dispose
of, should Colon succeed. My powerful kinsman, the Dtke
of Medina Celi, lath had this matter in close deliberation
and he viewed it favourably, as is shown by his letters tc
Her Highness; but even he conceived it a matter toc
weighty to be attempted by aught but a crowned head, and
he hath used much influence with our mistress, to gain her
over to the opinion of the Genoese's sagacity. It is idle to
think, therefore, of aiding effectually in this noble enterpriso, unless it be throlugh their Highnesses."
Thou knowest, Mercedes, that I can do nought for
Colon, with the court. The king is the enemy of all who
are not as wary, cold, and as much given to artifice as hirmself"" Luis! thou art in his palace - beneath his roof, enjoy.
ing his hospitality and protection, at this very moment!"
"Not I," answered the young man, with warmth-" this
is the abode of my royal mistress, Dofia Isabella; Granada
being a conquest of Castile, and not of Aragon. Touching the queen, Mercedes, thou shalt never hear disrespectful
word from me, for, like thyself, she is all that is virtuous,
gentle, and kind in woman; but the king hath many of the
faults of us corrupt and mercenary men. Thou canst not
tell me of a young, generous, warm-blooded cavalier, even
among his own Aragonese, who truly and confidingly
loveth Don Fernando; whilst all of Castile adore the Dofia
Isabella."
" This may be true, in part, Luis, but it is altogether imprudent. Don Fernando is a king, and I fear me, from the
little I have seen while dwelling in a court, that they who
manage the affairs of mortals must make large concessions
to their failings, or human depravity will thwart the wisest
measures that can be devised. Moreover, can one truly
love the wife and not esteem the husband? To me it seemeth that the tie is so near and dear as to leave the virtues
and the characters of a common identity."
" Surely, thou dost not mean to compare the modest
piety, the holy truth, the sincere virtue, of our royal mis.




80


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


tress, with the cautious, wily, policy of our scheming
master!"
"I desire not to make comparisons between them, Luis.
We are bound to honour and obey both; and if Dofia Isa.
bella hath more of the confiding truth and pure-heartedness
of her sex, than His Highness, is it not ever so as between
man and woman?"
"If I could reallv think, that thou liketnest me, in any
way, with that managing and false-faced King of Aragon,
inuch as I love thee, Mercedes, I would withdraw, for ever,
in pure shame."
" No one will liken thee, Luis, to the false-tongued or the
double-faced; for it is thy failing to speak truflt when it might
be better to say nothing, as witness the prescnt discourse,
and to look at those who displease thee, as if ever ready to
point thy lance, and spur thy charger in their very teeth."
"My looks have been most unfortunate, fair Mercedes,:f they have left such memories in thee!" answered the
youth, reproachfully.
"I speak not, in any manner, touching myself, for to
me, Luis, thou hast ever been gentle and kind," interrupted
the young Castilian girl, with a haste and earnestness that
hurried the blood to her cheeks a moment afterwards; "but,
solely, that thou may'st be more guarded in thy remarks
on the king."
" Thou began'st by saying that I was a rover""' Nay, I have used no such term of reproach, Don Luis;
thy aunt may have said this: but it could have been with
no intent to wound. I said that thou hadst travelled far
and much."
"' Well - well -I merit the title, and shall not complain
of my honours. Thou saidst that I had travelled far and
much, and thou spokest, approvingly, of the project of this
Genoese. Am I to understand, Mercedes, it is thy wish
that I should make one of the adventurers?"
' Such was my meaning, Luis, for I have thought it an
emprise fitting thy daring mind and willing sword; and the
glory of success would atone for a thousand trifling, errors
committed under the heat and inconsideration of youth."
Don Luis regarded the flushed cheek and brightened eyes
of the beautiful enthusiast nearly a minute, in silent bu




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.              5l
intense observation; for the tooth of doubt and jealousy
had fastened on him, and, with the self-distrust of titite affec.
tion, he questioned how far he was worthy to interest so
fair a being, and had misgivings concerning the motive that
induced her to wish him to depart.
' I wish I could read thy heart, Doia Mercedes," he at
length resumed; " for, while the witching modesty and coy
reserve-of thy sex, serve but to bind us so much the closer
n thy chains, they puzzle the understanding of men more
accustomed to rude encounters in the field than to the mazes
of their ingenuity. Dost thou desire me to embark in an
adventure that most men, the wise and prudent Don Fernando at their head - he whom thou so much esteemest,
too - look upon as the project of a visionary, and as leading to certain destruction? Did I think this, I would depart
to-morrow, if it were only that my hated presence should
never more disturb thy happiness."
"Don Luis, you have no justification for this cruel suspicion," said Mercedes, endeavouring to punish her lover's
distrust by an affectation of resentment, though the tears
struggled through her pride, and fell firom her reproachful
eyes. "You know that no one, here or elsewhere, hateth
you; you know that you are a general favourite, though
Castilian prudence and Castilian reserve may not always
view your wandering life with the same applause as they
give to the more attentive courtier and rigidly observant
knight."
" Pardon me, dearest, most beloved Mercedes; thy coldness and aversion sometime madden me."
"Coldness! aversion! Luis (de Bobndilla! When bath
Mercedes de Valverde ever shown either, to thee?"
"I fear that Donia Mercedes de Valverde is, even now,
putting me to some such proof."
"Then thou little knowest her motives, and ill appreci.
atest her heart. No, Luis, 1 nm not averse, and would not
appear cold, to thee. If thy wayward feelings get so much
the mastery, and pain thee thus, I will strive to be more
plain. Yes! rather than thou should'st carry away with
thee the false notion, and perhaps plunge, again, into some:inthinking sea-adventure, I will subdue my maiden pride,
and forget the reserve and caution that best become my sex




0 Q            MERCEDES OF CASTILE.
and rank, to relieve thy mind. In advising thee to attach
thyself to this Colon, and to enter freely into his noble
schemes, I had thine own happiness in view, as thou hast,
time and again, sworn to me, thy happiness could only be
secured"" Mercedes! what mean'st thou?  My happiness can
only be secured by a union with thee!"
"And thy union with me can only be secured by thy en
nobling that besetting propensity to roving, by some ac
of' worthy renown, that shall justify Dofia Beatriz in be
stowing her ward on a truant nephew, and gain the favour
of Dona Isabella."
"And thou!-wvould this adventure win thee, too, to view
me with kindness?"
"Luis, if thou wilt know all, I am won already-nayrestrain this impetuosity, and hear all I have to say.
Even while I confess so much more than is seemly in a
maiden, thou art not to suppose I can farther forget myself.
Without the cheerful consent of my guardian, and the gra
cious approbation of Her Highness, I will wed no manno, not even thee, Luis de Bobadilla, dear as I acknowledge
thee to be to my heart"-the ungovernable emotions of
female tenderness caused the words to be nearly smothered
in tears-" would I wed, without the smiles and congratulations of all who have a right to smile, or weep, for any
of the house of Valverde. Thou and I cannot marry like
a village hind and village girl; it is suitable that we
stand before a prelate, with a large circle -of approving
friends to grace our union. Ah! Luis, thou hast reproached
me with coldness and indifference to thee" -sobs nearly
stifled the generous girl -" but others have not been so
blind-nay, speak not, but suffer me, now that my heart is
overflowing, to unburthen myself to thee, entirely, for I
fear that shame and regret will come soon enough to cause
repentance for what I now confess- but all have not been
blind as thou. Our gracious queen well understandeth the
female heart, and that, thou hast been so slow to discover,
she hath long seen; and her quickness of eye and thought
hath alone prevented me from saying to thee, earlier, a part
at least of that which I now reluctantly confess"" How l Is Doia ITsabella, too, my enemy? Have I Hei




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


8,S


Highness's scruples to overcome, as well as those of my
cold-hearted and prudish aunt?"
"Luis, thy intemperance causeth thee to be unjust
Doiia Beatriz of Moya is neither cold-hearted nor prudish,
but all that is the reverse. A more generous or truer spirit
never sacrificed self to friendship, and her very nature is
frankness and simplicity. Much of that I so love in thee,
cometh of her family, and thou should'st not reproach her
for it. As for Her Highness, certes, it is not needed that I
should proclaim her qualities. Thou knowest that she is
deemed the mother of her people; that she regardeth the
interests of all equally, or so far as her knowledge will
allow; and that what she doth for any, is ever done with
true affection, and a prudence that I have heard the cardinal
say, seemeth to be inspired by infinite wisdom."
"Ay, it is not difficult, Mercedes, to seem prudent, and
benevolent, and inspired, with Castile for a throne, and
Leon, with other rich provinces, for a footstool!"
"Don Luis, if you would retain my esteem," answered
the single-minded girl, with a gravity that had none of her
sex's weakness in it, though much of her sex's truth'speak not lightly of my royal mistress. Whatever she
may have done in this matter, hath been done with a mother's feelings and a mother's kindness-thy injustice
maketh me almost to apprehend, with a mother's wisdom."
" Forgive me, adored, beloved Mercedes! a thousand
times more adored and loved than ever, now that thou hast
been so generous and confiding. But, I cannot rest in
peace until I know what the queen hath said and done, in
any thing that toucheth thee and me."
"Thou knowest how kind and gracious the queen hath
ever been to me, Luis, and how much I have reason to be
grateful for her many condescensions'and favours. I know
not how it is, but, while thy aunt hath never seemed to detect my feelings, and all those related to me by blood have
appeared to be in the same darkness, the royal eye hath
penetrated a mystery that, at the moment, I do think, was
even concealed from myself. Thou rememberest the tourney that took place just before thou left us on thy last mad
expedition?"
"Do I not?  Was it not thy coldness after my success




84


MERCEDES OF CASTILE


m that tourney, and when I even wore thy favours, that
not only drove me out of Spain, but almost drove me out
of the world?"
" If the world could impute thy acts to such a cause, all
obstacles would at once be removed, and we might be happy
without further efforts. But," and Mercedes smiled archly,
though with great tenderness in her voice and looks, as she
added, " I fear thou art much addicted to these fts of mad
ness, and that thou wilt never cease to wish to be driven t
the uttermost limits of the world, if not fairly out of it."
"It is in thy power to make me as stationary as the
towers of this Alhambra. One such smile, daily, would
chain me like a captive Moor at thy feet, and take away
all desire to look at other objects than thy beauty. But Her
Highness - thou hast forgotten to add what Her Highness
hath said and done."
" In that tourney thou wert conqueror, Luis! The whole
chivalry of Castile was in the saddle, that glorious day, and
yet none could cope with thee! Even Alonzo de Ojeda
was unhorsed by thy lance, and all mouths were filled with
thy praises; all memories -perhaps it would be better to
say that all memories but one, forgot thy failings."
"And that one was thine, cruel Mercedes!"
"Thou knowest better, unkind Luis! That day I remembered nothing but thy noble, generous heart, manly
bearing in the tilt-yard, and excellent qualities. The more
mindful memory was the queen's, who sent for me, to her
closet, when the festivities were over, and caused me to
pass an hour with her, in gentle, affectionate, discourse,
before she touched at all, on the real object of her command. She spoke to me, Luis, of our duties as Christians,
of our duties as females, and, most of all, of the solemn
obligations that we contract in wedlock, and of the marn
pains that, at best, attend that honoured condition. When
she had melted me to tears, by an affection that equalled a
mother's love, she made me promise-and I confirmed it
with a respectful vow —that I would never appear at the
altar, while she lived, without her being present to approve
of my nuptials; or, if prevented by disease or duty, at
least not without a consent given under her royal signa.
Iore.o




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


85


" By St. Denis ce Paris! Her Highness en Jeavoured to
influence thy generous and pure mind against me!"
"Thy name was not even mentioned, Luis, nor would i
have been in any way concerned iii the discourse, had no'
my unbidden thoughts turned anxiously towards thee
What Her Highness meditated, I do not even now know
but it was the manner in which my own sensitive feelings
brought up thy image, that hath made me, perhaps idly,
fancy the effect might be to prevent me from wedding
thee, without Donia Isabella's consent. But, knowing, as J
well do, her maternal heart and gentle affections, how can
I doubt that she will yield to my wishes, when she knoweth
that my choice is not really unworthy, though it may seem
to the severely prudent in some measure indiscreet."
" But thou thinkest - thou feelest, Mercedes, that it was
in fiar of me that Her Highness extorted the vow?"
"1 apprehended it, as I have confessed with more readiness than became a maiden's pride, because thou wert uppermost in my mind. Then thy triumphs throughout the
day, and the manner in which thy name was in all men's
mouths, might well tempt the thoughts to dwell on thy
person."
"Mercedes, thou canst not deny that thou believest Her
Highness extorted that vow in dread of me!"
" I wish to deny nothing that is true, Don Luis; and you
are early teaching me to repent of the indiscreet avowal 1
have made. That it was in dread of you that Her Highness spoke, I do deny; for I cannot think she has any
such feelings towards you. She was full of maternal affec
tion for me, and I think, for I will conceal naught that I
truly believe, that apprehension of thy powers to please,
Luis, may have induced her to apprehend that an orphan
girl, like myself, might possibly consult her fancy more
than her prudence, and wed one who seemed to love the
uttermost limits of the earth so much better than his own
noble castles and his proper home."
"And thou meanest to respect this vow?"
"Luis! thou scarce reflectest on thy words. or a question so sinful would not be put to me! What Christian
maiden ever forgets her vows, whether of pilgrimage, peni.
tence or oerformance- and why should I be the first to




NOf             MERCEDES OF CASTILE.
incur this disgraceful guilt? Besides, had I not vowed, thet
simple wish of the queen, expressed in her own royal per.
son, would have been enough to deter me from wedding
any. She is my sovereign, mistress, and, I might almost
say, mother; Dofia Beatriz herself scarce inanifesting
greater interest in my welfare. Now, Luis, thou must listen
to my suit, although I see thou art ready to exclaim, and
protest, and invoke; but I have heard thee patiently some
years, and it is now my turn to speak and thine to listen.
1 do think the queen had thee in her mind on the occasion
of that vow, which was offered freely by me, rather than
extorted, as thou seemest to think, by Her Highness. I do
then believe that Dofia Isabella supposed there might be a
danger of my yielding to thy suit, and that she had apprehensions that one so much given to roving, might not bring,
or keep, happiness in the bosom of a family. But, Luis,
if Her Highness hath not done thy noble, generous heart,
justice; if she hath been deceived by appearances, like
most of those around her; if she hath not known thee, in
short, is it not thine own fault? Hast thou not been a frequent truant from Castile, and, even when present, hast
thou been as attentive and assiduous in thy duties at Court,
as becometh thy high birth and admitted claims? It is true,
Her Highness, and all others who were present, witnessed
thy skill in the tourney, and in these wars thy name hath
had fiequent and honourable mention for prowess against
the Moor; but while the female imagination yields ready
homage to this manliness, the female heart yearneth for
other, and gentler, and steadier virtues, at the fireside and
in the circle within. This, Dofa Isabella hath seen, and
felt, and knoweth, happy as hath been her own marriage with
the King of Aragon; and is it surprising that she hath felt
this concern for me? No, Luis; feeling hath made thee
unjust to our royal mistress, whom it is now manifestly thy
interest to propitiate, if thou art sincere in thy avowed
desire to. obtain my hand."
"And how is this to be done, Mercedes?  The Moor is
conquered, and I know not that any knight would meet me
to do battle for thy favour."
"The queen wishetn nothing of this sort - neither do I.
We both know thee as an accomplished. Christian knight




MT1':TcDL or C AS'I'ILF.           7
already, and, as thou hast just said, there is no one to meet
thy lance, for no one hath met with the encouragement to
justify the folly. lt.is through this Colon that thou art to
win the royal consent."
I believe I hlave, in part, conceived thy meaning; but
would fain hear thee speak more plainly."
"'Then I will tell thee in words as distinct as my tongue
can utter them," rejoined the ardent girl, the tint of tender.,:.;s gradually deepening on her cheek to the flush of a
i:)lv enthusiasm, as she proceeded: "Thou knowest
a!ready the general opinions of the Sefior Colon, and the
mode in which he proposeth to effect his ends. I was still
a child when he first appeared in Castile, to urge the Court
to embark in this great enterprise, and I can see that Her
I-lighness hath often been disposed to yield her aid, when
the coldness of Don Fernando, or the narrowness of her
ministers, hath diverted her mind from the object. I think
she yet regardeth the scheme with favour; for it is quite
lately that Colon, who had taken leave of us all, with
the intent to quit Spain and seek elsewhere for means,
was summoned to return, through the influence of Fray
Juan Perez; the ancient confessor of Her Highness. He is
now here, as thou hast seen, waiting impatiently for an
audience, and it needeth only to quicken the queen's memory, to obtain for him that favour. Should he get the.aravels he asketh, no doubt many of the nobles will feel a
desire to share in an enterprise that will confer lasting
honour on all concerned, if successful; and thou might'st
make one."
"I know not how to regard this solicitude, Mercedes, for
it seemeth strange to wish to urge those we affect to value,
to enter on an expedition wnence they may never return."
"God will protect thee!" answered the girl, her face
glowing with pious ardour: "the enterprise will be undertaken for his glory, and his powerful hand will guide and
shield the caravels."
Don Luis de Bobadilla smiled, having far less religious
faith and more knowledge of physical obstacles than his
mistress. He did full justice to her motives, notwithstanding his hastily expressed doubts; and the adventure was
of a nature to arouse his constitutional love of roving, and




8,tl<:('El)iE S  OF  CASTILE.
his desire for encountering dangers. Both he and Mercedes
well knew that he had fairly earned no small part of that
distrust of his charactcr, which alone thwarted their wishes;
and, quick of intellect, he well understood the means and
manner by which he was to gain Dofia Isabella's consent.
The few doubts that he really entertained were revealed by
the question that succeeded.
' If Her Highness is disposed to favour this Colon," -e
asked, " why hath the measure been so long delayed?"
"This Moorish war, an empty treasury, and the waii
coldness of the king, have prevented it."
"Might not Her Highness look upon all the followers of
the man, as so many vain schemers, should we return without success, as will most likely be the case-if, indeed,
we ever return?"
" Such is not Doia Isabella's character. She will enter
into this project, in honour of God, if she entereth into it at
all; and she will regard all who accompany Colon voluntarily, as so many crusaders, well entitled to her esteem.
Thou wilt not return unsuccessful, Luis; but with such
credit as will cause thy wife to glory in her choice, and to
be proud of thy name."
"Thou art a most dear enthusiast, beloved girl! If I
could take thee with me, I would embark in the adventure,
with no other companion."
A fitting reply was made to this gallant, and, at the moment certainly, sincere speech, after which the matter was
discussed between the two, with greater calmness and far
more intelligibly. Don Luis succeeded in restraining his
impatience; and the generous confidence with which Mler
cedes gradually got to betray her interest in him, and the
sweet, holy earnestness with which she urged the probability of success, brought him at length to view the enterprise as one of lofty objects, rather than as a scheme which
flattered his love of adventure.
Dofia Beatriz left the lovers alone for quite two hours,
the queen requiring her presence all that time; and soon
after she returned, her reckless, roving, indiscreet, but
noble-hearted and manly nephew, took his leave. Mer
cedes and her guardian, however, did not retire until mid.
night; the former laying open her whole heart to the mar,




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


s9


ehioness, and explaining all her hopes as they wvere con
nected with the enterprise of Colon.  Doeia Beatriz was
both gratified and pained by this confession, while she
smiled at the ilgenuity of love, in coupling the great designs of the Genoese with the gratification of its own
wishes.  Still she was not displeased.  Luis de Bobadilla
vas the son of' an only and much-beloved brother, and she
hl,.: tr;ansierred to her nephew most of the affection she had
IlIt for the father.  All who knew him, indeed, were fond
of the handsore and gallant young cavalier, though the
prudent felt compelled to frown on his indiscretions; and
he might have chosen a wife, at will, from among the fair
and high-born of Castile, with the ifw occasional excep
tions that denote the circumspection and reserve of higher
principles than common, and a forethought that extends
beyond the usual considerations of marriage. The mar
chioness, therefore, was not an unwilling listener to her
ward; and ere they separated for the night, the ingenuous
but modest confessions, the earnest eloquence, and the tender ingenuity, of Mercedes, had almost made a convert of
Doina Beatriz.
CHAPTER VI.
Looke back, who list, unto the former ages,
And call to count, what is of them become
Where be those learned wits and antique sages,
Which of all wisdom knew the perfect somme
Where those great warriors which did overcome
The world with conquest of their might and maine,
And made one rmeare of th' earth and of their raigne."
Ruins of Time.
Two oi three days had passed before the Christians began to feel at home in the ancient seat of Mahommedan
power. By that time, however, the Alhambra and the
town got to be more regulated than they were during the
8*




90


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


hurry, delight, and grief, of taking possession and depart.
ing; and as the politic and far fiom ill-disposed Ferdinand
had issued strict orders that the Moors should not only be
treated with kindness, hut with delicacy, the place gradually settled down into tranquillity, and men began to fall
into their ancient habits and to interest themselves in their
customary pursuits.
Don Fernando was much occupied with new cares, as a
matter of course; but his illustrious consort, who reserved
herself for great occasions, exercising her ordinary powers
in the quiet, gentle manner that became her sex and native
disposition, her truth and piety, had already withldrawn,
as far as her high rank and substantial authority would
allow, from the pageantry and martial scenes of a warlike court, and was seeking, with her wonted readiness,
the haunts of private affection, and that intercourse which
is most congenial to the softer affections of a woman. Her
surviving children were with her, and they occupied much
of her maternal care; but she had also manv hours fbr
friendship, and for the indulgence of an affection that ap..
peared to include all her subjects within the ties of family.
On the morning of the third day that succeeded the even.
ing of the interviewv related in the preceding chapter, DLoia
Isabella had collected about her person a few of those privi.
leged individuals who might be said to have the entree to her
moreprivate hours; for while that of Castile was renowned
among Christian courts for etiquette, habits that it had probably derived from the stately oriental usages of its Ma.
homedan neighbours, the affectionate nature of the queer,
had cast a halo around her own private circle, that at once
rendered it graceful as well as delightful to all who enjoyed
the high honour of entering it. At that day, churchmen enjoyed a species of exclusive favour, mingling with
all the concerns of life, and not unfrequently controlling
them. While we are quick to detect blemishes of this sort
among foreign nations, and are particularly prone to point
out the evils that have flowed from the meddling of the
Romish divines, we verify the truth of the venerable axiomi
that teaches us how much easier it is to see the faults of
others than to discover our own; for no people afford
stronger evidences of the existence of this control, than




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


91


the people of the United States, more especiallly that por
tion of them who dwell in places that were originally set
tied by religionists, and which still continue under the in.
fluence of the particular sects that first prevailed; and
perhaps the strongest national trait that exists nmong us at
this moment, that of a disposition to extend the control of
society beyond the limits set by the institutions and the
laws, under the taking and plausible appellation of Public
Opinion, has its origin in the polity of churches of a demo.
cratic character, that have aspired to be an imperium in
imperio, confirmed and strengthened by their modes of
government and by provincial habits. Be the fact as it
may among ourselves, there is no question of the ascendency of the Catholic priesthood throughout Christendom,
previously to the reformation; and Isabella was too sincerely devout, too unostentatiously pious, not to allow them
every indulgence that comported with her own sense of
right, and among others, that of a free access to her pre.
sence, and an influence on all her measures.
On the occasion just named, among others who were
present was Fernando de Tala era, a prelate of high station, who had just been named to the new dignity of Arch.
bishop of Granada, and the Fray Pedro de Carrascal, the
former teacher of Luis de Bobadilla, an unbeneficed divine,
who owed his favour to great simplicity of character, aided
by his high birth. Isabella, herself, was seated at a little
table, where she was employed with her needle, the subject
of her toil being a task as homely as a shirt for the king,
it being a part of her womanly propensities to acquit herself of this humble duty, as scrupulously as if she had
been the wife of a common tradesman of her own capital.
This was one of the habits of the age, however, if not a part:f the policy of princes; for most travellers have seen the
celebrated saddle of the Queen of Burgundy, with a place
arranged for the distaff, that, when its owner rode forth, she
might set an example of thrift to her admiring subjects;
and witn our own eyes, in these luxurious times, when few
private ladies even condescend to touch any thing as useful
as the garment that occupied the needle of Isabella of Cas
tile, we have seen a queen, seated amid her royal jaughters,
as diligently employed with the needle as if her livelihood




92


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


depended on her industry.  But Dofia Isabella had no
affectations. In feelings, speech, nature, and acts, she was
truth itself; and matrimonial tenderness gave her a deeply
felt pleasure in thus being occupied for a husband whom
she tenderly loved as a man, while it was impossible she
could entirely conceal from herself all his faults as a monarch. Near her sate the companion of her girlish days,
the long-tried and devoted Beatriz de Cabrera. Mercedes occupied a stool, at the feet of the Infinta Isabella, while one
or two other ladies of the household were placed at hand,
with such slight distinctions of rank as denoted the presence of royalty, but with a domestic freedom that made
these observances graceful without rendering them fatiguing.
The king himself was writing at a table, in a distant corner
of the vast apartment; and no one, the newly-created archbishop not excepted, presumed to approach that side of the
room. 'l'he discourse was conducted in a tone a little lower
than common, even the queen, whose voice was always
melody, modulating its tones in a way not to inter!fre
with the train of thought into which her illustrious consort
appeared to be profoundly plunged. But, at the precise
moment that we now desire to present to the reader, Isabella had been deeply lost in reflection for some tina., and &
general silence prevailed in the female circle around thf
little work-tables.
"Daughter-Marchioness" -for so the queen usually addressed her friend-" Daughter-Marchioness," said Isabella,
arousing herself from the long silence, " hath aught been
seen or heard of late of the Seior Colon, the pilot who
hath so long urged us on the subject of this western
voyage?"
The quick, hurried glance of intelligence and gratification, that passed between Mercedes and her guardian, betrayed the interest they felt in this question, while the latter
answered, as became her duty and her respect for her mistress"You remember, Sefiora, that he was written for, by
Fray Juan Perez, your Highness's ancient confessor, who
journeyed all the way from his convent of Santa Maria de
Rabida, in Andalusia, to intercede in his behalf, that his
great designs might not be lost to Castile."




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


93


"Thou thinkest his designs, then, great, Daughter Marehioness?"
"Can any think them otherwise, Seiora? They seem reasonable and natural, and if just, is it not a great and lauda
ble undertaking to extend the bounds of the church, and to
confer honour and wealth on one's own country? My enthusiastic ward, Mercedes de Valverde, is so zealous in
behalf of this navigator's great project, that next to her
duty to her God, and her duty to her sovereigns, it seemetli
to make the great concern of her life."
The queen turned a smiling face towards the blushing
girl who was the subject of this remark, and she gazed at
her, for an instant, with the expression of affection that
was so wont to illuminate her lovely countenance when
dwelling on tile features of her own daughters.
"Dost thou acknowledge this, Donna Mercedes," she
said: "hath Colon so convinced thee, that thou art thus
zealous in his behalf?"
Mercedes arose, respectfully, when addressed by the
queen, and she advanced a step or two nearer to the royal
person before she made any reply.
" It becometh me to speak modestly, in this presence,"
said the beautiful girl; " but I shall not deny that I feel
deep concern for the success of the Sefior Colon.  The
thought is so noble, Sefiora, that it were a pity it should
not be just."
"'This is the reasoning of the young and generousmlinded; and I confess myself, Beatrice, almost as childish
as any, on this matter, at times-Colon, out of question, is
still here?';
"Indeed he is, Seiora," answered Mercedes, eagerly,
and with a haste she immediately repented, for the inquiry
was not made directly to herself; "I know of one who
hath seen him as lately as the day the troops took possession of the town."
" Who is that person?" asked the queen, steadily, but
not severely, her eye having turned again to the face of the
girl, with an interest that continued to increase as sh
gazed.
Mercedes now bitterly regretted her indiscretion, and, in
spite of a mighty effort to repress her feelings, the tell-tale




94


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


blood mounted to her temples, ere she could find resolution
to reply.
"Don Luis de Bobadilla, Sefiora, the nephew of my
guardian, Dofia Beatriz," she at length answered; for the
love of truth was stronger in this pure-hearted young creature, even, than the dread of shame.
" Thou art particular, Sefiorita,"' Isabella observed calmly,
severity seldom entering into her communications with
the just-minded and good; " Don Luis cometh of too illustrious a house to need a herald to proclaim his alliances. It
is only the obscure that the world doth not trouble itself
about. Daughter-Marchioness," relieving Mercedes from
a state scarcely less painful than the rack, by turning her
eyes towards her friend, "this nephew of thine is a confirmed rover - but I doubt if he could be prevailed on to
undertake an expedition like this of Colon's, that hath in
view the glory of God and the benefit of the realm."
"Indeed, Sefiora" - Mercedes repressed her zeal by a
sudden and triumphant effort.
" Thou wert about to speak, Dofia Mercedes," gravely
observed the queen.
" I crave Your Highness's forgiveness. It was improperly, as your own words were not addressed to me."
"This is not the Court of the Queen of Castile, daughter, but the private room of Isabella de Trastamara," said
the queen, willing to lessen the effect of what had already
passed. " Thou hast the blood of the Admiral of Castile
in thy veins, and art even akin to our Lord the King.
Speak freely, then."
" I know your gracious goodness to me, Sefiora, and had
nearly forgotten myself, under its influence. All I had to
say was, that Don Luis de Bobadilla desireth exceedingly
that the Sefior Colon might get the caravels he seeketh, and
that he himself might obtain the royal permission to make
one among the adventurers."
"Can this be so, Eeatriz?"
"Luis is a truant, Seiora, beyond a question, but it is
not with ignoble motives. I have heard him ardently express his desire to be one of Colon's followers, should that
person be sent by Your Highness in search of the land of
Cathay."




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


95


Isabella made no reply, but she laid her homely work in
her lap, and sat musing, in pensive silence, for several
minutes. During this interval, none nea; her presumed to
speak, and Mercedes retired, stealthily, to her stool, at the
feet of the Infanta. At length the queen arose, and cross.
ing the room, she approached the table where Don Fer.
nIando was still busily engaged with the pen. Here she
paused a moment, as if unwilling to disturb him; but'soon
laying a hand kindly on his shoulder, she drew his atten.
tion to herself. The king, as if conscious whence such
familiarity could alone proceed, looked around immediately,
and rising from his chair, he was the first to speak.
"These Moriscoes need looking to," he said, betraying
the direction that his thoughts had so early taken towards
the increase of his power-"C I find we have left Abdallah many strong-holds in the Apulxarras, that may make
him a troublesome neighbour, unless we can push him
across the Mediterranean"" Of this, Fernando, we will converse on some other opportunity," interrupted the queen, whose pure mind disliked
every thing that had even an approach to a breach of faith.
"It is hard enough for those who control the affairs of men
always to obey God and their own consciences, without
seeking occasions to violate their faith. I have come to
thee, on another matter. The hurry of the times, and the
magnitude of our affairs, have caused us to overlook the
promise given to Colon, the navigator"" Still busied with thy needle, Isabella, and for my comfort," observed the king, playing with the shirt that his
royal consort had unconsciously brought in her hand;
" few subjects have wives as considerate and kind as thou!"
"Thy comfort and happiness stand next to my duty to
sod and the care of my people," returned Isabella, gratified
at the notice the King of Aragon had taken of this little
homage of her sex, even while she suspected that it came
from a wish to parry the subject that was then uppermost
in her thoughts. "1 would do nought in this important
concern, withoit thy fullest approbation, if that may be
had; and I think it toucheth our royal words to delay no
onger Seven years are a most cruel probation, and unless
we are active, we shall have some of the hot-blooded young




96


MERCEDES OF CASTILL.


nobles of the kingdom undertaking the matter, as their
holiday sports."
" Thou say'st true, Senora, and we will refer the subject,
at once, to Fernando de Talavera, yonder, who is of approved discretion, and one to be relied on."  As the king.spoke, he beckoned to the individual named, who immediately approached the royal pair.  "Archbishop of Granada," continued the wily king, who had as many politic
arts as a modern patriot intently bent on his own advancement-"Archbishop of Granada, our royal consort
hath a desire that this affair of Colon should be immediately. inquired into, and reported on to ourselves. It is our
joint command that you, and others, take the matter, before
the next twenty-four hours shall pass, into mature consideration and inquiry, and that you lay the result before
ourselves. The names of your associates shall be given to
you in the course of the day."
While the tongue of Ferdinand was thus instructing the
prelate, the latter read in the expression of the monarch's
eye, and in the coldness of his countenance, a meaning
that his quick and practised wits were not slow in interpreting. He signified his dutiful assent, however; received the
names of his associates in the commission, of whom Isabella pointed out one or two, and then waited to join in the
discourse.
"This project of Colon's is worthy of being more seriously inquired into," resumed the king, when these preliminaries were settled, "and it shall be our care to see that he
hath all consideration. They tell me the honest navigator
is a good Christian."
"I think him devoutly so, Don Fernando. He hath a
purpose, should God prosper his present undertaking, to
join in a new effort to regain the holy sepulchre."
"Umph! Such designs may be meritorious, but ours is
the true way to advance the faith; this conquest of our
own. We have raised the cross, my wife, where the ensigns of infidelity were lately seen, and Granada is so near
Castile that it will not be difficult to maintain our altars
Such, at least, are the opinions of a layman, holy prelate
on these matters."
"And most just and wise opinions are they, Sefior,"




MERCEDES OF OASTILE               7
returned the archbishop. "That which can be retained it
is wisest to seek, for we lose our labours in gaining things
that Providence hath placed so far beyond our control that
they do not seem designed for our purposes."
" There are those, my Lord Archbishop," observed the
queen, " who might argue against all attempts to recover
the holy sepulchre, hearing opinions like these, from s
high authority!"
"Then, Sefnora, they would misconceive that authority,'
the politic prelate hurriedly replied. "It is well for all
Christendom, to drive the Infidels from the Holy Land; but
for Castile it is better to dispossess them of Granada. The
distinction is a very plain one, as every sound casuist must
admit."
" This truth is as evident to our reason," added Ferdinand, casting a look of calm exultation out at a window,
" as that yonder towers were once Abdallah's, and that they
are now our own!"
" Better for Castile!" repeated Isabella, in the tones of
one who mused. " For her worldly power better, perhaps,
but not better for the souls of those who achieve the deedsurely, not better, for the glory of God!"
"' Mv much-honoured wife, and beloved consort"-said
the king.
" Sefiora"-added the prelate.
But Isabella walked slowly. away, pondering on principies, while the eyes of the two worldlings she left behind
her, met, with the sort of free-masonry that is in much re
quest among those who are too apt to substitute the expe
dient for the right. The queen did not return to her seat,
but she walked up and down that part of the room which
the archbishop had left vacant when he approached herself
and her husband. Here she remained alone for several
minutes, even Ferdinand holding her in too much reverence
to presume to disturb her meditations, uninvited. The queen
several times cast glances at Mercedes, and, at length, she
commanded her to draw near.
"Daughter," said Isabella, who frequently addressed
those she loved by this endearing term, "thou habt not forgotten thy freely-offered vow?"
9




98


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


"Next to my duty to God, Seiiora, I most consider my
duty to my sovereign."
Mercedes spoke firmly, and in those tones that seldom
deceive. Isabella riveted her eyes on the pale features of
the beautiful girl, and when the words just quoted were
uttered, a tender mother could not have regarded a beloved
child with stronger proofs of affection.
"Thy duty to God overshadoweth all other feelings,
daughter, as is just," answered the queen; "thy.duty to
me is secondary and inferior. Still, thou and all others,
owe a solemn duty to your sovereign, and I should be unfit
for the high trust that I have received from Providence, did
I permit any of these obligations to lessen. It is not I that
reign in Castile, but Providence, through its numble and
unworthy instrument. My people are my children, and I
often pray that I may have heart enough to hold them all.
If princes are sometimes obliged to frown on the unworthy,
it is but in humble and distant imitation of that Power
which cannot smile on evil."
"I hope, Sefiora," said the girl, timidly, observing that
the queen paused, " I have not been so unfortunate as to
displease you; a frown from Your Highness would indeed
be a calamity!"
"Thou?   No, daughter; I would that all the maidens
of Castile, noble and simple, were of thy truth and modesty, and obedience. But we cannot permit thee to become the victim of the senses. Thou art too well taught,
)ofia Mercedes, not to distinguish between that which is
brilliant and that which is truly virtuous"" Sefiora." cried Mercedes, eagerly-then checking her-;elf, immediately, for she felt it was a disrespect to interrupt her sovereign.
"I listen to what thou would'st say, daughter," Isabella
answered, after pausing for the frightened girl to continue.
"Speak freely; thou addressest a parent."
"I was about to say, Sefiora, that if all that is brilliant
is not virtuous, neither is all that is unpleasant to the sight,
or what prudence might condemn, actually vicious."
" I understand thee, Sefiorita, and the remark hath truth
in it. Now, let us speak of other things. Thou appearesW
to be friendly to the designs of this navigator, Colon?"




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


99


" The opinion of one, untaught and 3 outhful as I, can
nave little weight with the Queen of Castile, who can ask
counsel of prelates and learned churchmen, besides con.
sulting her own wisdom;" Mercedes modestly answered.
" But thou thinkest well of his project; or have I mistaken thy meaning?"
" No, Sefiora, I do think well of Colon's scheme; for to
me it seemeth of that nobleness and grandeur that Providence would favour, for the good of man and the advancement of the church."
"And thou believest that nobles and cavaliers cal be
found willing to embark with this obscure Genoese, in his
bold undertaking?"
The queen felt the hand that she affectionately held in
both her own, tremble, and when she looked at her com
panion she perceived that her face was crirnsoned and her
eyes lowered. But the generous girl thought the moment
critical for the fortunes of her lover, and she rallied all her
energies in order to serve his interests.
"Sefora, I do," she answered, with a steadiness that
both surprised and pleased the queen, who entered into and
appreciated all her feelings; "I think Don Luis de Bobadilla will embark with him; since his aunt hath con.
versed freely with him on the nature' and magnitude of the
enterprise, his mind dwelleth on little else. He would be
willing to furnish gold for the occasion, could his guardians
be made to consent."
"Which any guardian would be very wrong to do.' We
may deal freely with our own, but it is forbidden to jeopard
the goods of another. If Don Luis de Bobadilla persevere
in this intention, and act up to his professions, I shall think
more favourably of his character than circumstances have
hitherto led me to do."
Sefiora!"
"Hear me, daughter; we cannot now converse longer
on this point, the council waiting my presence, and the king
having already left us. Thy guardian and I will confer
together, and thou shalt not be kept in undue suspense; but
Mercedes de Valverde"
"My Lady the Queen"



i100


MERCEDES OF CASTILE,


" Remember thy vow, daughter. It was freely given, and
must not be hastily forgotten."
Isabella now kissed the pale cheek of the girl, and with.
drew, followed by all the ladies; leaving the half-pleased
tnd yet half-terrified Mercedes standing in the centre of
be vast apartment, resembling a beautiful statue of Doubt.
CHAPTER VII.
"He that of such a height hath built his mind,
And reared the dwelling of his thoughts so strong
As neither fear nor hope can shake the frame
Of his resolved powers."
DANIEL.
THE following day the Alhambra was crowded with
courtiers as usual; applicants for favours, those who sought
their own, and those who solicited the redress of imaginary
wrongs. The antechambers were thronged, and the different individuals in waiting jealously eyed each other, as
if to inquire how far their neighbours would be likely to
thwart their several views or to advance their wishes. Men
bowed, in general, coldly and with distrust; and the few
that did directly pass their greetings, met with the elaborated civility that commonly characterizes the intercourse
of palaces.
While curiosity was active in guessing at the business
of the different individuals present, and whispers, nods,
shrugs of the shoulders, and meaning glances, passed
among the old stagers, as they communicated to each other
the little they knew, or thought they knew, on different
subjects, there stood in the corner of the principal apartment, one, in particular, who might be distinguished from
all around him, by his stature, the gravity and dignity of
his air, and the peculiar sort of notice that he attracted.




MIERCEDES OF cACsTILa              101


101


Few approached him, and they that did, as they turned
their backs, cast those glances of self-sufficiency and ridi.
eule about them, that characterize the vulgar-minded when
they fancy that they are deriding or sneering in consonance
with popular opinion. This was Columbus, who was very
generally regarded by the multitude as a visionary schemer,
and who necessarily shared in that sort of contemptuous
obloquy that attaches itself to the character. But even the
wit and jokes of the crowd had been expended upon this
subject, and the patience of those who danced attendance
was getting to be exhausted, when a little stir at' the door
announced the approach of some new courtier. The manner in which the throng quickly gave way, denoted the presence of some one of high rank, and presently Don Luis
de Bobadilla stood in the centre of the room.
"It is the nephew of Her Highness's favourite," whispered one.
"A noble of one of the most illustrious families of Castile," said another; "but a fitting associate of this Colon, as
neither the authority of his guardians, the wishes of the
queen, nor his high station, can keep him from the life of
a vagabond."
" One of the best lances in Spain, if he had the prudence
and wisdom to turn his skill to profit," observed a: third.
" That is the youthful knight who hath so well deported
himself in this last campaign," rrowled an inferior officer
of the infantry, " and who unhorsed Don Alonso de Ojeda
in the tourney; but his lance is as unsteady in its aim, as
it is good in the rest. They tell me he is a rover."
As if purposely to justify this character, Luis looked
about him anxiously a moment, and then made his way
directly to the side of Colon. The smiles, nods, shrugs,
and half-suppressed whispers that followed, betrayed the
common feeling; but a door on the side of the closet opening, all eyes were immediately bent in that direction, and
the little interruption just mentioned was as soon forgotten.
" I greet you, Sefior," said Luis, bowing respectfully to
Columbus. "Since our discourse of last evening I have
thought of little besides its subject, and have come hither
to renew it."
That Columbus was pleased by this homage, appeared in
9*




102


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


his eye, his smile, and the manner in which he raised his
body, as if full of the grandeur of his own designs; but
he was compelled to defer the pleasure that it always gave
him to dilate on his enterprise.
"1 am commanded hither, noble Sefor," he answered,
cordially, "by the holy Archbishop of Granada, who, it
seemeth, hath it in charge from their Highnesses, to bring
my affair to a speedy issue, and who hath named this very
morning for that purpose. We touch upon the verge of
great events: the day is not distant, when this conquest of
Granada will be forgotten, in the greater importance of the
mighty things that God hath held in reserve!"
"By San Pedro, my new patron! I do believe you, Sefor. Cathay must lie at or near the spot you have named,
and your own eyes shall not see it, and its gorgeous stores
of wealth, sooner than mine. Remember Pedro de Munfos,
I pray you, Sefior Colon."
" He shall not be.forgotten, I promise you, young lord;
and all the great deeds of your ancestors will be eclipsed
by the glory achieved by their son. But I hear my name
called; we will talk of this anon."
"El Sefor Christoval Colon!" was called by one of the
pages, in.a loud authoritative voice, and the navigator hurried forward, buoyed up with hope and joy.
The manner in which one so generally regarded with indifference, if not with contempt, had been selected from all
that crowd of courtiers, excited some surprise; but as the
ordinary business of the antechamber went on, and the
subordinates of office soon appeared in the rooms, to hear
solicitations and answer questions, the affair was quickly
forgotten. Luis withdrew disappointed, for he had hoped
to enjoy another long discourse with Columbus, on a subject which, as it was connected with his dearest hopes, now
occupied most of his thoughts. We shall leave him, however, and all in the antechambers, to follow the great navigator farther into the depths of the palace.
Fernando de Talavera had not been unmindful of his
orders. Instead, however, of associating with this prelate,
men known to be well disposed to listen to the propositions
of Columbus, the king and queeb had made the mistake of
choosing some six or eight of their courtiers, persons of




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


103


probity and of good general characters, but who were too
little accustomed to learned research, properly to appreciate
the magnitude of the proposed discoveries. Into the pre.
sence of these distinguished nobles and churchmen was
Columbus now ushered, and among them is the reader to
suppose him seated. We pass over the customary ceremonies of the introduction, and proceed at once to the material
part of the narrative. The Archbishop of Granada was
the principal speaker on the part of the commissioners.
"We understand, Sefior Colon," continued the prelate,
" should you be favoured by their Highnesses' power and
authority, that you propose to undertake a voyage into the
unknown Atlantic, in quest of the land of Cathay and the
celebrated island of Cipango?"
"That is my design, holy and illustrious prelate. The
matter hath been so often up between the agents of the two
sovereigns and myself, that there is little occasion to enlarge on my views."
" These were fully discussed at Salamanca, of a verity,
where many learned churchmen were of your way of
thinking, Sefior, though more were against it. Our Lord
the King, and our Lady the Queen, however, are disposed
to view the matter favourably, and this commission hath
been commanded that we might arrange all previous principles, and determine the rights of the respective parties.
What force in vessels and equipments do you demand, in
order to achieve the, great objects you expect, under the
blessing of God, to accomplish?"
"You have well spoken, Lord Archbishop; it will he by
the blessing of God, and under his especial care, that all
will be done, for his glory and worship are involved in the
success. With so good an ally of my side, little worldly
means will be necessary. Two caravels of light burthen
are all I ask, with the flag of the sovereigns, and a suffi.
ciency of mariners."
The commissioners turned towards each other in surprise, and while some saw in the moderate request the enthusiastic heedlessness of a visionary, others detected the
steady reliance of faith.
" That is not asking much, truly," observed the prelate,
who was among the first; " and, though these wars have




104


MERCEDES OF OASTILE.


left us of Castile with an exhausted treasury, we could
compass that little without the aid of a miracle. The caravels might be found, and the mariners levied, but there
are weighty points to determine before we reach that con.
cession. You expect, Sefior, to be intrusted with the command of the expedition, in your own person?"
" Without that confidence I could not be answerable for
success. I ask the full and complete authority of an ad.
miral, or a sea-commander, of their Highnesses. The force
employed will be trifling in appearance, but the risks will
be great, and the power of the two crowns must completely
sustain that of him on whose shoulders will rest the entire
weight of the respdnsibility."
" This is but just, and none will gainsay it. But, Sefior,
have you thought maturely on the advantages that are to
accrue to the sovereigns, should they sustain you in this
undertaking?"
"Lord Archbishop, for eighteen years hath this subject
occupied my thoughts, and employed my studies, both by
day and by night. In the whole of that long period have
I done little that hath not had a direct bearing on the success of this mighty enterprise. The advantages to all
concerned, that will flow from it, have, therefore, scarce
been forgotten."
"Name them, Sefor."
"First, then, as is due to his all-seeing and omnipotent
protection, glory will be given to the Almighty, by the
spreading of his church and the increase of his worshippers." Fernando de Talavera and all the churchmen present piously crossed themselves, an act in which Columbus
himself joined. "Their Highnesses, as is meet, will reap
the next advantages, in the extension of their empire and
in the increase of their subjects. Wealth will flow in upon
Castile and Aragon, in a rapid stream, His Holiness freely
granting to Christian monarchs the thrones and territo.
ries of all infidel princes whose possessions may be discovered, or people converted to the faith, through their
means."
"This is plausible, Sefior," returned the prelate, "and
rounded on just principles. His Holiness certainly is intrusted with that power, and hath been known to use it, for




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


105


the glory of God. You doubtless know, Sefior Colon, that
Don John of Portugal hath paid great attention to these
matters already, and that he and his predecessors have
probably pushed discovery to the verge of its final limits.
His enterprise hath also obtained from Rome certain privileges that may not be meddled with."
1 am not ignorant of the Portuguese enterprise, holy
prelate, nor of the spirit with which Don John hath exercised his power. His vessels voyage along the western
shore of Africa, and in a direction altogether different from
that I propose to take. My purpose is to launch forth, al
once, into the broad Atlantic, and by following the sun towards his place of evening retirement, reach the eastern
bounds of the Indies, by a road that will lessen the journey
many months."
Although the archbishop, and most of his coadjutors,
belonged to the numerous class of those who regarded Columbus as a brain-heated visionary, the earnest, but lofty
dignity, with which he thus simply touched upon his projects; the manner in which he quietly smoothed down his
white locks, when he had spoken; and the enthusiasm that
never failed to kindle in his'eye, as he dwelt on his noble
designs, produced a deep impression on all present, and
there was a moment when the general feeling was to aid
him to the extent of the common means. It was a singulai
and peculiar proof of the existence of this transient feeling
that one of the commissioners immediately inquired"Do you propose, Sefior Colon, to seek the court of
Prestor John?"
" I know not, noble Sefior, that such a potentate hath
even an existence," answered Columbus, whose notions had
got the fixed and philosophical bias that is derived front
science, and who entered.little into the popular fallacies of
the day, though necessarily subject to much of the igno.
rance of the age; "I find nothing to establish the truth of
there being such a monarch at all, or such territories."
This admission did not help the navigator's cause; for
to affirm that the earth was a sphere, and that Prestor John
was a creature of the imagination, was abandoning the
marvellous to fall back on demonstration and probabilities,




106


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


a course tliat the human mind, in its uncultivated condition,
is not fond of taking.
" There are men who will be willing to put faith in the
truth of Prestor John's power and territories," interrupted
one of the commissioners, who was indebted to his present -
situation purely to King Ferdinand's policy, " who will
flatly deny that the earth is round; since we all know that
there are kings, and territories, and Christians, while we
all see that the earth and the ocean are plains."
This opinion was received with an assenting smile by
most present, though Fernando de Talavera had doubts of
its Justice.
"Senior," answered Columbus, mildly, "if all, in this
world, was in truth what it seemeth, confessions would be
little needed, and penance would be much lighter."
" I esteem you a good Christian, Sefior Colon," observed
the archbishop, sharply.
"I am such as the grace of God, and a weak nature
have made me, Lord Archbishop; though I humbly trust
that when I shall have achieved this great end, that I may
be deemed more worthy of the divine protection, as well as
of the divine favour."
"It hath been said that thou deemest thyself especially
set apart by Providence for this work."
"I feel that within me, holy prelate, that encouragetb
such a hope; but I build nought on mysteries that exceeo
my comprehension."'
It would be difficult to say whether Columbus lost or
gained irk the opinions of his auditors, by this answer. The
religious feeling of the age was in perfect consonance with
the sentiment; but to the churchmen present it seemed ar.
rogant in a humble and unknown layman, even to believe
it possible that he could be the chosen vessel, when so many
who appeared to have higher claims were rejected. Still,
no expression of this feeling was permitted, for it was then
as it is now, he who seemed to rely on the power of God
carrying with him a weight and an influence that ordinarily
ncecked rebukes.
"You propose to endeavour to reach Cathay, by means
of sailing forth into the broad Atlantic," resumed the arch.
bishop, " and yet you deny the existence of Prestor John i'




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


107


"' Your pardon, holy prelate-I do propose to reach Ca
thay and Cipango in the mode you mention, but I do not
absolutely deny the existence of the monarch you have
named. For the probability of the success of my enterprise, I have already produced my proofs and reasons,
which have satisfied many learned churchmen; but evidence is wanting to establish the last."
f" And yet Giovanni di Montecorvino, a pious bishop of
our holy church, is said to have converted such a prince to
the true faith, nearly two centuries since."
"The power of God can do any thing, Lord Archbishop,
and I am not one to question the merits of his chosen
ministers. All I can answer to this point, is, to say that I
find no scientific or plausible reasons to justify me in pursuing what may prove to be as deceptive as the light which
recedes before the hand that would touch it. As for Cathay
and its position and its wonders, we have the better established evidence of the renowned Venetians, Marco and
Nicolo Polo, who not only travelled in those territories, but
sojourned years at the court of their monarch. But, noble
gentlemen, whether there is a Prestor John, or a Cathay,
there is certainly a limit to the western side of the Atlantic,
and that limit I am ready to seek."
The archbishop betrayed his incredulity, in the upward
turn of his eyes; hut having his commands from those
who were accustomed to be obeyed, and knowing that
the theory of Columbus had been gravely heard and reported on, years before, at Salamanca, he determined prudently to keep within his proper sphere, and to proceed at
once to hat into which it was his duty to inquire.
"You have set forth the advantages that you think may
be derived to the sovereigns, should your project succeed,
Sefior," he said, " and truly they are not light, if all your
brilliant hopes may be realized; but it now remaineth to
know what conditions you reserve for yourself, as the reNward of all your risks and many years of anxious labour."
"All that hath been duly considered, illustrious arch.
bishop, and you will find the substance of my wishes set
forth in this paper, though many of the smaller provisions
vill remain to be enumerated."
As Columbus spoke, he handed the papei tn queLion to




108


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


Ferdinand of Talavera. The prelate ran his eyes over it
hastily at first, but a second time with more deliberation,
and it would be difficult to say whether ridicule, or indignation, was most strongly expressed in his countenance, as
he deridingly threw the document on a table. When this
act of contempt was performed, he turned towards Columbus, as if to satisfy himself that the navigator was not mad.
"Art thou serious in demanding these terms, Sefior?" he
asked sternly, and with a look that would have caused
most men, in the humble station of the applicant, to swerve
from their purpose.
"Lord Archbishop," answered Columbus, with a dignity
that was not easily disturbed, "this matter hath now occupied my mind quite eighteen years. During the whole of
this long period I have thought seriously of little else, and
it may be said to have engaged my mind sleeping and
waking. I saw the truth early and intensely, but every
day seems to bring it brighter and brighter before my eyes.
I feel a reliance oh success, that cometh from dependence
on God. I think myself an agent chosen for the accomplishment of great ends, and ends that will not be decided
by the success of this one enterprise. There is more beyond, and I must retain the dignity and the means necessary to accomplish it.  I cannot abate, in the smallest
degree, the nature or the amount of these conditions."
Although the manner in which these words were uttered
lent them weight, the prelate fancied that the mind of the
navigator had got to be unsettled by his long contemplation
of a single subject. The only things that left any doubt
concerning the accuracy of this opinion, were the method
and science with which he had often maintained, even in
his own presence, the reasonableness of his geographical
suppositions; arguments which, though they had failed to
convince one bent on believing the projector a visionary,
had nevertheless greatly puzzled the listener. Still, the demands he had just read, seemed so extravagant, that, for a
single instant, a sentiment of pity repressed the burst of
indignation to which he felt disposed to give vent.
" How like ye, noble lords," he cried, sarcastically, turning to two or three of his fellow-commissioners who had
eagerly seized the paper and were endeavouring to read it




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.            109
all at the same moment, "the moderate and modest de.
mands of the Sefor Christoval Colon, the celebrated navi.
gator who confounded the Council of Salamanca! Are
they not such as it becometh their Highnesses to accept on
bended knees, and with many thanks?"
" Read them, Lord Archbishop," exclaimed several in a
breath; "let us first know their nature."
" There are many minor conditions that might be granted
as unworthy of discussion," resumed the prelate, taking the
paper; "but here are two that must give the sovereigns
infinite satisfaction.  The Seiior Colon actually satisfiet'
himself with the rank of Admiral and Viceroy over all the
countries he may discover; and as for gains, one-tenththe church's share, my reverend brethren - yea, even onetenth, one humble tenth of the proceeds and customs will
content him!"
The general murmur that passed among the commissioners, denoted a common dissatisfaction, and at that instant Columbus had not a true supporter in the room.
"Nor is this all, illustrious nobles, and holy priests,"
continued the archbishop, following up his advantage as
soon as hetelieved his auditors ready to hear him -" nor
is this all; lest these high dignities should weary their
Highnesses' shoulders, and those of their' royal progeny,
the liberal Genoese actually consenteth to transmit them to
his own posterity, in all time to come; converting the kingdom of Cathay into a realm for the uses of the house of
Colon, t6 maintain the dignity of which, the tenth of all the
benefits are to be consigned to its especial care!"
There would have been an open laugh at this sally, had
oot the noble bearing of Columbus checked its indulgence;
and even Ferdinand of Talavera, under the stern rebuke
of an eye and mien that carried with them a grave authority, began to think he had gone too far.
" Your pardon, Seior Colon," he immediately and more
courteously added; " but your conditions sounded so lofty
that they have quite taken me by surprise. You cannot
seriously mean to maintain them?"
"Not one jot will I abate, Lord Priest: that much will
be my due, and he that consenteth to less than he deserveth,
becometh an instrument of his own humiliation. I shall
10




-1U            MBRCEDES OF CASTILI.
give to the sovereigns an empire that will far exceed ir
value all their other possessions, and I claim my reward. I,ell you, moreover, reverend prelate, that there is much in
reserve, and that these conditions will be needed to fulfil
the future."
"These are truly modest proposals for a nameless Genoese!" exclaimed one of the courtiers, who had been gra.
dually swelling with disgust and contempt. "The Sefior
Colon will be certain of commanding in the service of their
Highnesses, and if nothing is done he will have that high
honour without cost; whereas, should this most improbable
scheme lead to any benefits, he will become a vice-king,
humbly contenting himself with the church's revenue!"
This remark appeared to determine the wavering, and
the commissioners rose, in a body, as if the matter were
thought to be unworthy of further discussion.  With the
view to preserve at least the appearance of impartiality and
discretion, however, the archbishop turned once more toward Columbus, and now, certain of obtaining his ends, he
spoke to him in milder tones.
"For the last time, Seior," he said, " I ask if you still
insist on these unheard-of terms?"       ~
"On them and on no other," said Columbus, firmly. " I
know the magnitude of the services I shall perform, and
will not degrade them, will in no manner lessen their dignity, by accepting aught else. But, Lord Archbishop, and
you, too, noble Sefior, that treateth my claims so lightly, I
am ready to add to the risk of person, life and name, that
of gold. I will furnish one-eighth of the needful sums, if
ye will increase my benefits in that proportion."
"Enough - enough," returned the prelate, preparing to
quit the room; "we will make our report to the sovereigns,
this instant, and thou shalt speedily know their pleasure."
Thus terminated the conference. The courtiers left the
room, conversing earnestly among themselves, like men
who did not care to repress their indignation; while Columbus, filled with the noble character of his own designs,
disappeared in another direction, with the bearing of one
whose self-respect was not to be lessened by clamour, and
who appreciated ignorance and narrowness of views too
justly to suffer them to change his own high purposes.




MERCEDES O4F CASTILE.            111
Ferdinand of Talavera was as good as his word. He
was the queen's confessor, and, in virtue of that holy office,
had at all times access to her presence. Full of the subject
of the late interview, he took his way directly to the private
apartments of the queen, and, as a matter of course, was
at once admitted. Isabella heard his representations with
mortification and regret, for she had begun to set her heart
on the sailing of this extraordinary expedition. But the
influence of the archbishop was very great, for his royal
penitent knew the sincerity and devotedness of his heart.
"This carrieth presumption to insolence, Sefiora,' continued the irritated churchman: " have we not here a mendicant adventurer demanding honours and authority that
belong only to God and his anointed, the princes of the
earth? Who is this Colon?-a nameless Genoese, without
rank, services, or modesty, and yet doth he carry his pretensions to a height that might cause even a Guzman to
hesitate."
"He is a good Christian, holy prelate," Isabella meekly
answered, " and seemeth to delight in the service and glory
of God, and to wish to favour the extension of his visible
and Catholic church."
"True, Sefora, and yet may there be deceit in this""Nay, Lord Archbishop, I do not think that deceit is the
man's failing, for franker speech and more manly bearing
it is not usual to see, even in the most powerful. He hath
solicited us for years, and yet no act of meanness may be
fairly laid to his charge."
"I shall not judge the heart of this man harshly, Dofia
Isabella, but we may judge of his actions and his pretensions, and how far they may be suitable to the dignity of
the two crowns, freely and without censure. I confess him
grave, and plausible, and light of neither discourse nor
manner, virtues certainly as the world moveth in courts"
-Isabella smiled, but she said nothing, for her ghostly
counsellor.was wont to rebuke with freedom, and she to
listen with humility —" where the age is not exhibiting its
purest models of sobriety of thought and devotion. but even
these may exist without the spirit that shall be fitted for
heaven. But what are gravity and decorum, if sustained
by an inflated pride, and inordinate rapacity? ambition




1:            MERCEUDES OF CASTILE.
being a term too lofty bfr such a craving. Reflect, Sefiora,
on the full nature of these demands. This Colon requireth to
be established, for ever, in the high state of a substitute for
a king, rnot only for his own person, but for those of his
descendants throughout all time, with the title and authority
of Admiral ever all adjacent seas, should he discover any
of the lands he so much exalts, before he will consent to
enter into the command of certain of Your Highnesses' vessels, a station of itself only too honourable for one ol' so
little note! Should his most extravagant pretensions be
realized -and the probabilities are that they will entirely
fail - his demands would exceed his services; whereas, in
the case of failure, the Castilian and Aragonese names
would be covered with ridicule, and a sore disrespect would
befal the royal dignity for having been thus duped by an
adventurer. Much of the glory of this late conquest would
be tarnished, by a mistake so unfortunate."
" Daughter-Marchioness," observed the queen, turning
towards the faithful and long-tried friend who was occupied
with her needle near her own side -" these conditions of.
Colon do, truly, seem to exceed the bounds of reason."
" The enterprise also exceedeth all the usual bounds of
risks and adventures, Seflora," was the steady reply of
Dofia Beatriz, as she glanced towards the countenance of
Mercedes. "Noble efforts deserve noble rewards."
The eye of Isabella followed the glance of her friend,
and it remained fixed for some time on the pale anxious
features of her favourite's ward. The beautiful girl herself was unconscious of the attention she excited; but one
who knew her secret might easily detect the intense ftceling
with which she awaited the issue. The opinions of her
confessor had seemed so reasonable, that Isabella was on
the point of assenting to the report of the commissioners,
and of abandoning altogether the secret hopes and expecta.
tions, she had begun to couple with the success of the navigator's schemes, when a gentler -feeling, one that belonged
peculiarly to her own feminine heart, interposed to give the
mariner another chance. It is seldom that woman is dead
to the sympathies connected with the affections, and the
wishes that sprang from the love of Mercedes de Valverde




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.             113
were the active cause of the decision that the Queen of
Castile came to at that critical moment.
" We must be neither harsh nor hasty with this Genoese,
Lord Archbishop," she said, turning again to the prelate.
" He hath the virtues of devoutness and fair-dealing, and
these are qualities that sovereigns learn to prize. His demands no doubt have become somewhat exaggerated by
long brooding, in his thoughts, on a favourite and great
scheme; but kind words and reason may yet lead him to
more moderation. Let him, then, be tried with propositions
of our own, and doubtless his necessities, if not a sense of
justice, will cause him to accept them. The viceroyalty
doth, indeed, exceed the usual policy of princes, and, as
you say, holy prelate, the tenth is the church's share; but
the admiral's rank may be fairly claimed. Meet him, then,
with these moderated proposals, and substitute a fifteenth
for a tenth; let him be a viceroy in his own person,
during the pleasure of Don Fernando and myself, but let
him relinquish the claim for his posterity."
Fernando de Talavera thought even these concessions
too considerable, but, while he exercised his sacred office
with a high authority, he too well knew the character of
Isabella to presume to dispute an order she had once issued,
although it was in her own mild and feminine manner.
After receiving a few more instructions, therefore, and obtaining the counsel of the king, who was at work in an
adjoining cabinet, the prelate went to execute this new commission.
Two or three days now passed before the subject was
finally disposed of, and Isabella was again seated in the
domestic circle, when admission was once more demanded
in behalf of her confessor. The archbishop entered with
a flushed face, and his whole appearance was so disturbed
that it must have been observed by the most indifferent
person.
"How now, holy archbishop,"- demanded Isabella —
' doth thy new flock vex thy spirit, and is it so very hard
to deal with an infidel?"
"'T is nought of that, Seiora - 't is nought relating to
my new people. I find even the followers of the false pro.
phet more reasonable than some who exult in Christ's name
10*




114            MERCEDES OF CASTILE.
and favour. This Colon is a madman, and better fitted to
become a saint in Mussulmans' eyes, than even a pilot in
Your Highness's service."
At this burst of indignation, the queen, the Marchioness
of Moya, and Dofia Mercedes de Valverde, simultaneously
dropped their needle-work, and sate looking at the prelate,
with a common concern. They had all hoped that the dif.
~ficulties which stood in the way of a favourable termination
to the negotiation wou d be removed, and that the time was
at hand, when the being who, in spite of the boldness and
unusual character of his projects, had succeeded in so sig
nally commanding their respect, and in interesting their
feelings, was about to de.part, and to furnish a practical solution to problems that had as much puzzled their reasons
as they had excited their curiosity. But here was something like a sudden and unlooked-for termination to all their
expectations; and while Mercedes felt something like despair chilling her heart, the queen and Dofia Beatriz were
both displeased.
"Didst thou duly explain to the Sefior Colon, the nature
of our proposals, Lord Archbishop?" the former asked.
with more severity of manner than she was accustomed to
betray; " and doth he still insist on the pretensions to a
vice-regal power, and on the offensive condition in behalf
of his posterity?"
"Even so, Your Highness; were it Isabella of Castile treating with Henry of England or Louis of France,
the starving Genoese could not hold higher terms or more
inflexible conditions.  He abateth nothing.  The man
deemeth himself chosen of God, to answer certain ends,
and his language and conditions are such as one who felt a
holy impulse to his course, could scarcely feel warranted in
assuming."
"This constancy hath its merit," observed the queen;
"but there is a limit to concession. I shall urge no more
in the navigators favour, but leave him to the fortune that
naturally followeth self-exaltation and all extravagance of
demand."
This speech apparently sealed the fate of Columbus in
Castile. The archbishop was appeased, and, first holding
% short private conference with his royal penitent, he




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.              115
left the room. Shortly after, Christoval Colon, as he
was called by the Spaniards-Columbus, as he styled him.
self in later life- received, for a definite answer, the information that his conditions were rejected, and that the
negotiation for the projected voyage to the Indies was
finally at an end.
CHAPTER VIII.
"Oh! ever thus, from childhood's hour
I've seen my fondest hopes decay;
I never loved a tree or flower,
But 'twas the first to fade away."
Lalla Rookh.
THE season had now advanced to the first days of February, and, in that low latitude, the weather was becoming
genial and spring-like. On the morning succeeding that
of the interview just related, some six or eight individuals,
attracted by the loveliness of the day, and induced morally
by a higher motive, were assembled before the door of one
of those low dwellings of Santa F6 that had been erected
for the accommodation of the conquering army. Most of
these persons were grave Spaniards of a certain age, though
young Luis de Bobadilla was also there, and the tall, dignified form of Columbus was conspicuous in the group.
The latter was equipped for the road, and a stout, serviceable Andalusian mule stood ready to receive its burthen,
near at hand. A charger was by the side of the mule,
showing that the rider of the last was about to have company. Among the Spaniards were Alonzo de Quintanilla,
the accountant-general of Castile, a firm friend of the navi.
gator, and Luis de St. Angel, the receiver of the eccleasastical revenues of Aragon, who was one of the firmest
converts that Columbus had made to the philosophical ae




LIt             M~ERCEDES OF CASi'Lr11f
curacy of his opinions and to the truth of his vast concep.
tions.
The two last had been in earnest discourse with the na
vigator, but the discussion had closed, and Sefior de St.
Angel, a man of generous feelings and ardent imagination,
-was just expressing himself warmly, in the following
words"By the lustre of the two crowns!" he cried, " this ought
not to come to pass. But, adieu, Sefior Colon- God have
you in his holy keeping, and send you wiser and less prejudiced judges, hereafter. The past can only cause us shame
and grief, while the future is in the womb of time."
The whole party, with the exception of Luis de Boba
dilla, then took their leave. As soon as the place was clear,
Columbus mounted, and passed through the thronged
streets, attended by the young noble on his charger. Not
a syllable was uttered by either, until they were fairly on
the plain, though Columbus often sighed, like a man op
pressed with grief. Still his mien was calm, his bearing
dignified, and his eye lighted with that unquenchable fire
which finds its fuel in the soul within.
When fairly without the gates, Columbus turned courteously to his young companion and thanked him for his
escort; but, with a consideration for the other, that was
creditable to his heart, he added" While I am so grateful for this honour, coming from
one so noble and full of hopes, I must not forget your own
character. Didst thou not remark, friend Luis, as we passed
through the streets, that divers Spaniards pointed at me,
as the object of scorn?"
"I did, Sefior," answered Luis, his cheek glowing with
indignation, " and had it not been that I dreaded your displeasure, I would have trodden the vagabonds beneath my
horse's feet, failing of a lance to spit them on!"
" Thou hast acted most wisely in showing forbearance.
But these are men, and their common judgment maketh
public opinion; nor do I perceive that the birth, or the opportunities, causeth material distinctions between them,
though the manner of expression vary. There are vulgar
among the noble, and ncble among the lowly. This very




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.             117
act of kindness of thine, will find its deriders and con.
temners in the court of the two sovereigns."
" Let him look to it, who presumeth to speak liglhtiy of
you, Seiior, to Luis de Bobadilla! We are not a patient
race, and Castilian blood is apt to be hot blood."
" 1 should be sorry that any man but myself should draw
in my quarrel. But, if we take offence at all who think
and speak folly, we may pass our days in harness. Let
the young nobles have their jest, if it give them pleasurebut do not let me regret my friendship for thee."
Luis promised fairly, and then, as if his truant thoughts
would revert to the subject unbidden, he hastily resumed"You speak of the noble as of a class different from
your own- surely, Sefior Colon, thou art noble?"
"Would it make aught different in thy opinions and
feelings, young man, were I to answer no?"
The cheek of Don Luis flushed, and, for an instant, he
repented of his remark; but falling back on his own frank
and generous nature, he answered immediately, without
reservation or duplicity" By San Pedro, my new patron! I could wish you were
noble, Senior. if it were merely for the honour of the class.
There are so many among us who do no credit to their
spurs, that we might gladly receive such an acquisition."
"This world is made up of changes, young Seior," returned Columbus, smiling. " The seasons undergo their
changes; night follows day; comets come and go; monarchs become subjects, and subjects monarchs; nobles lose
the knowledge of their descent, and plebeians rise to the
rank of nobles. There is a tradition among us, that we
were formerly of the privileged class; but time and our
unlucky fortune have brought us down to humble employments. Am I to lose the honour of Don Luis de Bobadilla's company in the great voyage, should I be more fortunate in France than I have been in Castile, because his
commander happeneth to have lost the evidences of his
nobility?"
-' That would be a most unworthy motive, Sefior, and I
hasten to correct your mistake. As we are now about to
part for some time, I ask permission to lay bare my whole




118


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


soul to you. I confess that when first I heard of this voy
age, it struck me as a madman's scheme""Ah! friend Luis," interrupted Columbus, with a melan.
choly shake of the head, " this is the opinion of but too
many! I fear Don Ferdinand of Aragon, as well as that
stern prelate, his namesake, who hath lately disposed of
the question, thinketh in the same manner."
" I crave your pardon, Sefior Colon, if I have uttered
aught to give you pain; but if I have once done you injustice, I am ready enough to expiate the wrong, as you will
quickly see. Thinking thus, I entered into discourse with
you, with a view to amuse myself with fancied ravings;
but, though no immediate change of opinion followed as to
the truth of the theory, I soon perceived that a great philosopher and profound reasoner had the matter in hand.
Here my judgment might have rested, and my opinion been
satisfied, but for a circumstance of deep moment to my.
self. You must know, Seior, though come of the oldest
blood of Spain, and not without fair possessions, that I may
not always have answered the hopes of those who have
been charged with the care of my youth""This is unnecessary, noble sir""Nay, by St. Luke! it shall be said. Now, I have two
great and engrossing passions, that sometimes interfere
with each other. The one is a love for rambling-a burning desire to see foreign lands, and this, too, in a free and
roving fashion -with a disposition for the sea and the
doings of havens; and the other is a love for Mercedes de
Valverde, the fairest, gentlest, most affectionate, warmesthearted, and truest maiden of Castile!"
"Noble, withal," put in Columbus, smiling.
"Sefior," answered Luis, gravely, "I jest not concern.
ing my guardian angel. She is not only noble, and every
way fitted to honour my name, but she hath the blood of
the Guzmans, themselves, in her veins. But I have lost
favour with others, if not with my lovely mistress, in yieldng to this rambling inclination; and even my own aunt,
who is her guardian, hath not looked smilingly on my suit.
Doia Isabella, whose word is law among all the noble virgins of the court, hath also her prejudices, and it hath become necessary to regain her good opinion, to win the Dofia




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


119


Mercedes. It struck me"-Luis was too manly to betray
his mistiess by confessing that the thought was hers -" it
struck me, that if my rambling tastes took the direction of
some noble enterprise, like this you urge, that what hath
been a demerit might be deemed a merit in the royal eyes,
which would be certain soon to draw all other eyes after
lhcm. With this hope, then, I first entered into the present
itcercourse, until the force of your arguments hath com[d!cted my conversion, and now no churchman hath more
ltith in the head of his religion, than I have that the shortest
road to Cathay is athwart the broad Atlantic; or no Lombard is more persuaded that his Lombardy is flat, than I
feel convinced that this good earth of ours is a sphere."
"Speak reverently of the ministers of the altar, young
Sefor," said Columbus, crossing himself, "for no levity
should be used in connection with their holy office. It
seemeth, then," he added, smiling, " I owe my disciple.to
the two potent agents of love and reason; the former, as
most potent, overcoming the first obstacles, and the latter
getting uppermost at the close of the affair, as is wont to
happen-love, generally, triumphing in the onset, and reason, last."
" I '11 not deny the potency of the power, Sefior, for I feel
it too deeply to rebel against it. You now know my secret
and when I have made you acquainted with my intentions,
all will be laid bare. I here solemnly vow"-Don Luis
lifted his cap and looked to heaven, as he spoke-" to join
you in this voyage, on due notice, sail from whence you
may, in whatever bark you shall choose, and whenever you
please. In doing this, I trust, first to serve God and his
church; secondly, to visit Cathay and those distant and
vw>onderful lands; and lastly, to win Doiia Mercedes de Val.
verde."
"I accept the pledge, young sir," rejoined Columbus,
struck by his earnestness, and pleased with his sincerity"though it might have been a more faithful representation
of your thoughts, had the order of the motives been re.
versed."
"In a few months I shall be master of my own means,"
continued the youth, too intent on his own purposes to heed
what the navigator had said-" and then, nothing but the




120


MEKCEI)ES OF -OASTILE.


solemn command of Dofia Isabella, herself, shall preven.
our having one caravel, at least; and the coffers of Bobadilla must have been foully dealt by, during their master's
childhood, if they do not afford two. I am no subject of
Don Fernando's, but a servant of the elder branch of the
House of Trastamara; and the cold judgment of the king,
even, shall not prevent it."
" This soundeth generously, and thy sentiments are such
as become a youthful and enterprising noble; but the offei
cannot be accepted. It would not become Columbus to use
gold that came from so confiding a spirit and so inexperienced a head; and there are still greater obstacles than
this. My enterprise must rest on the support of some powerful prince. Even the Guzman hath not deemed himself
of sufficient authority to uphold a scheme so large. Did
we make the discoveries without that sanction, we should
be toiling for others, without security for ourselves, since the
Portuguese or some other monarch would wrong us of our
reward. That I am destined to effect this great work, I
feel, and it must be done in a manner suited to the majesty
of the thought and to the magnitude of the subject. And,
here, Don Luis, we must part. Should my suit be successful at the court of France, thou shalt hear from me, for I
ask no better than to be sustained by hearts and hands like
thine. Still, thou must not mar thy fortunes unheedingly,
and I am now a fallen man in Castile. It may not serve
thee a good turn, to be known to frequent my company any
longer-and I again say, here we must part."
Luis de Bobadilla protested his indifference to what
others might think; but the more experienced Columbus,
who rose so high above popular clamour in matters that
affected himself, felt a generous reluctance to permit this
confiding youth to sacrifice his hopes, to any friendly im
pressions in his own favour. The leave-taking was warm,
and the navigator felt a glow at his heart, as he witnessed
the sincere and honest emotions that the young man could
not repress at parting. They separated, however, about
half a league from the town, and each ben his way in his
own direction; Don Luis de Bobadilla's heart swelling w;.th
indignation at the unworthy treatment that there was, in




MERCEDES OF eASTILE.             121
sooth, so much reason for thinking his new friend had
received.
Columbus journeyed on, with very different emotions.
Seven weary years had he been soliciting the monarchs
and nobles of Spain to aid him in his enterprise. In that
long period, how much of poverty, contempt, ridicule, and
even odium, had he not patiently encountered, rather than
abandon the slight hold that he had obtained on a few of
the more liberal and enlightened minds of the nation! He
had toiled for bread while soliciting the great to aid themselves in becoming still more powerful; and each ray of
hope, however feeble, had been eagerly caught at with joy,
each disappointment borne with a constancy that none but
the most exalted spirit could sustain. But he was now required to endure'the most grievous of all his pains. The
recal of Isabella had awakened within him a confidence to
which he had long been a stranger; and he awaited the
termination of the siege, with the calm dignity that became
his purpose, no less than his lofty philosophy.  The
hour of leisure had come, and it produced a fatal destruction to all his buoyant hopes. He had thought his motives
understood, his character appreciated, and his high objects
felt; but he now found himself still regarded as a visionary
projector, his intentions distrusted, and his promised services despised. In a word, the bright expectations that had
cheered his toil for years, had vanished in a day, and
the disappointment was all the greater for the brief but delusive hopes produced by his recent favour.
It is not surprising, therefore, that, when left alone ot
the highway, even the spirit of this extraordinary man
grew faint within him, and he had to look to the highest
power for succour. His head dropped upon his breast, and
one of those bitter moments occurred, in which the past and
the future crowd the mind, painfully as to sufferings endured, cheerlessly as to hope. The time wasted in Spain
seemed a blot in his existence, and then came the probability of another long and exhausting probation, that, like
this, might lead to nothing. He had already reached the:ustrum that would fill his threescore years, and litb seemed
slipping from beneath him, while its great object remained
anachieved. Still the high resolution of the man sustained
11




122


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


aim. Not once did he think of a compromise of what he
felt to be his rights - not once did he doubt of the practicability of accomplishing the great enterprise that others
derided. His heart was full of courage even while his bosom was full of grief. tThere is a wise, a merciful, and
omnipotent God!" he exclaimed, raising his eyes to heaven.
" He knoweth what is meet for his own glory, and in him
do I put my trust." ~ There was a pause, and ti.e eyes kindled while a scarcely perceptible smile lighted the grave
face, and then were murmured the words-" Yea, he taketh
his time, but the infidel shall be enlightened, and the blessed
sepulchre redeemed!"
After this burst of feeling, that grave-looking man, whose
hairs had already become whitened to the colour of snow,
by cares, and toils, and exposures, pursued his way, with
the quiet dignity of one who believed that he was not created for nought, and who trusted in God for the fulfilment
of his destiny. If quivering sighs occasionally broke out
of his breast, they did not disturb the placidity of his venerable countenance; if grief and disappointment still lay
heavy on his heart, they rested on a base that was able to
support them. Leaving Columbus to follow the common
mule-track across the Vega, we will now return to Santa
Fe, where Ferdinand and Isabella had re-established their
court, after the few first days that succeeded the taking
possession of their new conquest.
Luis de St. Angel was a man of ardent feelings and generous impulses. He was one of those few spirits who live
in advance of their age, and who permitted his reason to
b)e enlightened and cheered by his imagination, though it
w\as never dazzled by it. As he and his fiicnd Alonzo de
(Luintanilla, after quitting Columbus, as already related,
walked towards the royal pavilion, they conversed freely
together concerning the man, his vast conceptions, the
treatment he had received, and the shame that would alight
on Spain in consequence, were he suffered thus to depart,
for ever. Blunt of speech, the receiver of the ecclesiastical
revenues did not measure his terms, every syllable of which
found an echo in the heart of the accountant-general, who
was an old and fast friend of the navigator. In short, by
the time they reached the pavilion, they had come to the




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


123


resolution to make one manly effort to induce 'he queen to
yield to Columbus's terms and to recal him to her presence.
Isabella was always easy of access to such of her servants as she knew to be honest and zealous. The age was
one of formality, and, in many respects, of exaggeration,
while the court was renowned for ceremony; but the pure
spirit of the queen threw a truth and a natural grace around
all that depended on her, which rendered mere forms, except
as they were connected with delicacy and propriety, useless, and indeed impracticable. Both the applicants for the
interview, enjoyed her favour, and the request was granted
with that simple directness that this estimable woman loved
to manifest, whenever she thought she was about to oblige
any whom she esteemed.
The queen was surrounded by the few ladies among
whom she lived in private, as Luis de St. Angel and Alonzo
deVQuintanilla entered. Among them, of course, were the
Marchioness of Moya and Dofia Mercedes de Valverde.
The king, on this occasion, was in an adjoining closet, at
work, as usual, with his calculations and orders. Official
labour was Ferdinand's relaxation, and he seldom manifested more happiness than when clearing off a press of
affairs that most men would have found to the last degree
burthensome. He was a hero in the saddle, a warrior at
the head of armies, a sage in council, and respectable, if
not great, in all things, but motives.
" What has brought the Sefnor St. Angel and the Sefior
Quintanilla, as suitors, so early to my presence?" asked
Isabella, smiling in a way to assure both that the boon
would be asked of a partial mistress. "Ye are not wont
to be beggars, and the hour is somewhat unusual."
"All hours are suitable, gracious lady, when one cometh
to confer and not to seek favour," returned Luis de St.
Angel, bluntly. " We are not here to solicit for ourselves,
but to show Your Highness the manner in which the crown
of Castile may be garnished with brighter jewels than any
t now possesseth."
Isabella looked surprised, both at the words of the
speaker, and at his hurried earnestness as well as his free.
iom of speech.  Accustomed, however, to something of




124


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


the last, her own calm manner was not disturbed, nor did
she even seem displeased.
"Hath the Moor another kingdom of which to be despoiled," she asked, " or would the receiver of the church's
revenues have us war upon the Holy See?"
"I would have Your Highness accept the boons that
come from God, with alacrity and gratitude, and not reject
them unthankfully," returned de St. Angel, kissing the
queen's offered hand with a respect and affection that neutralized the freedom of his words. "Do you know, my
gracious mistress, that the Sefior Christoval Colon, he, from
whose high projects we Spaniards have hoped so much,
hath actually taken mule and quitted Santa F6?"
"I expected as much, Seior, though I was not apprized
that it had actually come to pass. The king and I put the
matter into the hands of the Archbishop of Granada, with
other trusty counsellors, and they have found the terms of
the Genoese arrogant; so filll of exceeding and unreasonable extravagance, that it ill befitted our dignity, and our
duty to ourselves to grant them. One who hath a scheme
of such doubtful results, ought to manifest moderation in
his preliminaries. Many even believe the man a visionary."
" It is unlike an unworthy pretender, Sefiora, to abandon
his hopes before he will yield his dignity. This Colon
feeleth that he is treating for empires, and he negotiates like
one full of the importance of his subject."
"He that lightly valueth himself, in matters of gravity,
hath need to expect that he will not stand high in the estimation of others," put in Alonzo de Quintanilla.
"And, moreover, my gracious and beloved mistress,"
added de St. Angel, without permitting Isabella even to answer, "the character of the man, and the value of his
intentions, may be appreciated by the price he setteth on
his own services. If he succeed, will not the discovery
eclipse all others that have been made since the creation of
the world?  Is it nothing to circle the earth, to prove the
wisdom of God by actual experiment, to follow the sun in
its daily track, and imitate the motions of that glorious
moving mass?   And then the benefits that will flow on
Castile and Aragon-are they not incalculable?  I marvel
that a princess who hath shown so high and rare a spirit




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.             12
on all other occasions, should shrink from so grand an enterprise as this!"
"Thou art earnest, my good de St. Angel," returned
Isabella, with a smile that betrayed no anger, " and when
there is much earnestness there is sometimes much forgetfulness. If there were honour and profit in success, what
would there be in failure? Should the king and myself
send out this Colon, with a commission to be our viceroy,
for ever, over undiscovered lands, and no lands be discovered, the wisdom of our councils might be called in question, and the dignity of the two crowns would be fruitlessly
and yet deeply committed."
"The hand of the Lord Archbishop is in this! This
prelate hath never been a believer in the justice of the navigator's theories, and it is 'easy to raise objections when
the feelings lean against an enterprise. No glory is obLained without risk. Look, Your Highness, at our neighbours, the Portuguese - how much have discoveries done
for that kingdom, and how much more may it do for us!
We know, my honoured mistress, that the earth is round""Are we quite certain of that important fact, Senior?"
asked the king, who, attracted by the animated and unusual
tones of the speaker, had left his closet, and approached
unseen. " Is that truth established? Our doctors at Sala.
manca were divided on that great question, and, by St.
James! I do not see that it is so very clear."
"If not round, my Lord the King," answered de St. An.
gel, turning quickly to face this new opponent, like a welldrilled corps wheeling into a new front, " of what form can
it be? Will any doctor, come he of Salamanca, or come
he from elsewhere, pretend that the earth is a plain, and
that it hath limits, and that one may stand on these limits
and jump down upon the sun as he passeth beneath at night
-is this reasonable, honoured Sefior, or is it in conformity
with scripture?"
" Will any one, doctor of Salamanca, or elsewhere," rejoined the king, gravely, though it was evident his feelings
were little interested in the discussion, " allege that there
are nations who for ever wall with their heads downwards,
where the rain falleth upwards, and where the sea re11 *




126


MERCEDES JF CASTILE.


maineth in its bed, though its support cometh from above,
and is not placed beneath?"
" It is to explain these great mysteries, Sefnor Don Fernando, my gracious master, that I would have this Colon
at once go forth. We may see, nay, we have demonstration, that the earth is a sphere, and yet we do not see that
the waters fall from its surface anywhere. The hull of a
ship is larger than her top-musts,. and yet the last are first
visible on the ocean, which proveth that the body of the
vessel is concealed by the form of the water. This being
so, and all who have voyaged on the ocean know it to be
thus, why doth not the water flow into a level, here, on our
own shores? If the earth be round, there must be means
to encircle it by water, as well as by land-to complete the
entire journey, as well as to perform a part. Colon proposeth to open the way to this exploit, and the monarch
that shall furnish the means will live in the memories of
our descendants, as one far greater than a conqueror. Remember, illustrious Serior, that all the east is peopled with
Infidels, and that the head of the church freely bestoweth
their lands on any Christian monarch that may drag them
from their benighted condition, into the light of God's
favour. Believe me, Dofia Isabella, should another sove-<reign grant the terms Colon requireth, and reap the advantages that are likely to flow from such discoveries, the enemies of Spain would make the world ring with their songs
of triumph, while the whole peninsula would mourn over
this unhappy decision."
"Whither hath the Sefor Colon sped?" demanded the
king, quickly; all his political jealousies being momentarily
aroused by the remarks of his receiver-general: " He hath
not gone again to Dom Joao of Portugal?"
"No, Sefior, my master, but to King Louis of France,
a sovereign whose love for Aragon amounteth to a proverb."
The king muttered a few words between his teeth, and
he paced the apartment, to and fio, with a disturbed manner for, while no man living cared less to hazard his
means,.without the prospect of a certain return, the idea of
anothet's reaping an advantage that had been neglected by
himself, brought him at once under the control of those




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


127.


feelings that always influenced his cold and calculating
policy. With Isabella the case was different. Her pious
wishes had ever leaned towards the accomplishment of
Columbus's great project, and her generous nature had
sympathized deeply with the noble conception, vast moral
results, and the glory of the enterprise. Nothing but the
manner in which her mind, as well as her religious aspira.
tions, had been occupied by the war in Granada, had prevented her from entering earlier into a full examination of
the navigator's views; and she had yielded to the counsel
of her confessor, in denying the terms demanded by Columbus, with a reluctance it had not been easy to overcome. Then the gentler feelings of her sex had their influence, for, while she too reflected on what had just been
urged, her eye glanced around the room and rested on
the beautiful face of Mercedes, who sate silent from diffidence, but whose pale eloquent countenance betrayed all
the pleadings of the pure enthusiastic love of woman.
"Daughter-Marchioness," asked the queen, turning as
usual to her tried friend, in her doubts, " what thinkest thou
of this weighty matter? Ought we so to humble ourselves
as to recal this haughty Genoese?"
"Say not haughty, Se-iora, for to me he seemeth much
superior to any such feeling; but rather regard him as one
that hath a just appreciation of that he hath in view. I
agree fully with the receiver-general, in thinking that Castile will be much discredited, if, in sooth, a new world
should be discovered, and they who favoured the enterprise
could point to this court, and remind it that the glory of the
event was in its grasp, and that it threw it away, heedlesslv""And this, too, on a mere point of dignity, Seiiora," put
in St. Angel-" on a question of parchment and of sound.'
"Nay, nay"-retorted the queen —" there are those who
think the honours claimed by Colon would far exceed the
service, even should the latter equal all the representations
of the Genoese, himself."
"Then, my honoured mistress, they know not at what
the Genoese aims. Reflect, Seiora, that it will not be an
every-day deed to prove that this earth is a sphere, by, ac.
tual measurement, whatever we may know in theories.




128


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


Then cometh the wealth and benefits of those eastern pos.
sessions, a quarter of the world whence all riches flowspices, pearls, silks, and the most precious metals. After
these, again, cometh the great glcry of God, which crowneth
and exceedeth all!"
Isabella crossed herself, her cheek flushed, her eye kindled, and her matronly but fine form seemed to tower with
the majesty of the feelings that these pictures created.
"I do fear, Don Fernando," she said, " that our advisers
have been precipitate, and that the magnitude of this project may justify more than common conditions!"
But the king entered little into the generous emotions of
his royal consort; feeling far more keenly the stings of
political jealousy, than any promptings of a liberal zeal for
either the church or science. He was generally esteemed
a wise prince, a title that would seem to infer neither a
generous nor a very just one. He smiled at the kindling
enthusiasm of his wife, but continued to peruse a paper
that had just been handed to him by a secretary.
"Your Highness feels as Dofia Isabella of Castile ought
to feet when the glory of God and the honour of her crown
are in question," added Beatriz de Cabiera, using that freedom of speech that her royal mistress much encouraged it
their more private intercourse. " I would rather hear you
utter the words of recal to this Colon, than again listen to
the shouts of our late triumph over the Moor."
"I know that thou lovest me, Beatriz!" exclaimed the
queen: " if there is not a true heart in that breast of thine,
the fallen condition of man does not suffer the gem to
exist!"
"W e all love and reverence Your Highness," continued
de St. Angel, "and we wish nought but your glory. Fancy,
Sefora, the page of history open, and this great exploit of
the reduction of the Moor, succeeded by the still greater
deed of a discovery of an easy and swift communication
with the Indies, the spread of the church, and the flow of
inexhaustible wealth into Spain! This Colon cannot be
supported by the colder and more selfish calculations of.man, but his very enterprise seeks the more generous support 'of her who can risk much for God's glory and the
good of the church."




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.             12
"Nay, Sefior de St. Angel, thou flatterest and offendest
in the same bieath."
"It is an honest nature pouring out its disappointment,
my beloved mistress, and a tongue that hath become bold
through much zeal for Your Highnesses' fame. Alas!
alas! should King Louis grant the terms we have declined,
poor Spain will never lift her head again for very shame!'
"Art certain, St. Angel, that the Genoese hath gone for
France?" suddenly demanded the king, in his sharp authoritative voice.
"I have it, Your Highness, from his own mouth. Yes,
yes, he is at this moment striving to forget our Castilian
dialect, and endeavouring to suit his tongue to the language
of the Frenchman. They are bigots and Nnreflecting disciples of musty prejudices, Serlora, that deny the theories of
Colon. The old philosophers have reasoned in the same
manner; and though it may seem to the timid an audacious
and even a heedless adventure to sail out into the bioad
Atlantic, had not tho Portuguese done it he would never
have found his islands. God's truth! it maketh my blood
boil, when I bethink me of what these Lusitanians have
done, while we of Aragon and Castile have been tilting
with the Infidels for a few valleys and mountains, and contending for a capital!"
" Senor, you are forgetful of the honour of the sovereigns, as well as of the service of God," interrupted the
Marchioness of Moya, who had the tact to perceive that
the receiver-general was losing sight of his discretion, in
the magnitude of his zeal. "This conquest is one of the
victories of the church, and wvill add lustre to the two
crowns, in all future ages. The head of the church, himself, hath so recognized it, and all good Christians should
acknowledge its character."
"It is not that I undervalue this success, but that I consider the conquest that Colon is likely to achieve over so
many millions, that I have thus spoken, Doina Beatriz."
The marchioness, whose spirit was as marked as her
love for the queen, made a sharp reply, and, for a few
minutes, she and Luis de St. Angel, with Alonzo de Quintanilla, maintained the discussion, by themselves, while
Isabella conversed apart, with her husband, no one pre.




I 10


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


suiming to meddle with their private confererce. The queen
Wds earnest and evidently much excited, but Ferdinand
maintained his customary coolness and caution, though his
manner was marked with that profbund respect which the
character of Isabella had early inspired, and which she
succeeded in maintaining throughout her married life. This
was a picture familiar to the courtiers, one of the sovereigns being as remarkable for his wily prudence, as was
the other for her generous and sincere ardour, whenever
impelled by a good motive. This divided discourse lasted
half an hour, the queen occasionally pausing to listen to
what was passing in the other group, and then'recurring to
her own arguments with her husband.
At length, Isabella left the side of Ferdinand, who coldly
resumed the perusal of a paper, and she moved slowly towards the excited party, that was now unanimous and rather
loud in the expression of its regrets-loud, for even the indulgence of so gentle a mistress. Her intention to repress
this ardour by her own presence, however, was momentarily diverted from its object, by a glimpse of the face of
Mercedes, who sate alone, her work lying neglected in her
lap, listening anxiously to the opinions that had drawn all
her companions to the general circle.
"Thou takest no part in this warm discussion, child,"
observed the queen, stopping before the chair of our heroine, and gazing an instant into her eloquently expressive
face. " Hast thou lost all interest in Colon?"
"I speak not, Sefiora, because it becometh youth and
ignorance to be modest; but though silent, I feel none the
less."
"And what are thy feelings, daughter?  Dost thou, too,
think the services of the Genoese cannot be bought at too
high a price?"
" Since Your Highness doth me this honou'r," answered
the lovely girl, the blood gradually flushing her pale face,
as she warmed with the subject-" I will not hesitate to
speak. I do believe this great enterprise hath been offered
to the sovereigns, as a reward for all that they have done
and endured for religion and the church. I do think Colon
hath been guided to this court by a divine hand, and, by a
divine hand hath he been kept here, endur'ng the long servi.




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


131


tade of seven years, rather than abandon his object; and
I do think that this late appeal in his favour cometh of a
power ard spirit that should prevail."
"Thou art an enthusiast, daughter, more especially in
this cause," returned the queen, smiling kindly on the
blushing Mercedes. "I am greatly moved by thy wishes
to aid in this enterprise!"
Thus spoke Isabella, at a moment when she had neither
the leisure nor the thought to analyze her own feelings,
which were influenced by a variety of motives, rather than
by any single consideration. Even this passing touch of
woman's affections, however, contributed to give her mind
a new bias, and she joined the group, which respectfully
opened as she advanced, greatly disposed to yield to de St.
Angel's well-meant though somewhat intemperate entreaties.
Still she hesitated, for her wary husband had just been reminding her of the exhausted state of the two treasuries,
and the impoverished condition in which both crowns had
been left by the late war.
" Daughter-Marchioness," said Isabella, slightly answering the reverences of the circle, " dost thou still think this
Colon expressly called of God, for the high purposes to
which he pretendeth?"
"Sefiora, I say not exactly that, though I believe the
Genoese hath some such opinion of himself. But this much
I do think-that Heaven beareth in mind its faithful servitors, and when there is need of important actions, suitable
agents are chosen for the work. Now, we do know that
the church, at some day, is to prevail throughout the whole
world; and why may not this be the allotted time, as well
as another? God ordereth mysteriously, and the very adventure that so many of the learned have scoffed at, may
be intended to hasten the victory of the church. We should
remember, Your Highness, the humility with which this
church commenced; how few of the seemingly wise lent it
their aid; and the high pass of glory to which it hath
reached. This conquest of the Moor savoureth of a fulfilment of time, and his reign of seven centuries terminated,
may merely be an opening for a more glorious future."
Isabella smiled upon her friend, for this was reasoning,
after her own secret thoughts; but ler greater acquire




132


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


ments rendered her more discriminating in her zeal, than
was the case with the warm-hearted and ardent Mar.
chioness.
"It is not safe to affix the seal of Providence to this or
Ehat enterprise, Daughter-Marchioness"-she answered"and the church alone may say what are intended for
miracles, and what is left for human agencies. What sum
doth Colon need, Senior de St. Angel, to carry on the ad
venture in a manner that will content him?"
" He asketh but two light caravels, my honoured mistress, and three thousand crowns —a sum that many a
young spendthrift would waste on his pleasures, in a few
short weeks."
"It is not much, truly," observed Isabella, who had been
gradually kindling with the thoughts of the nobleness of
the adventure; "but, small as it is, my Lord the King
doubteth if our joint coffers can, at this moment, well bear
the drain."
" Oh! it were a pity that such an occasion to serve God,
such an opportunity to increase the Christian sway, and to
add to the glory of Spain, should be lost for this trifle of
gold!" exclaimed Dofia Beatriz.
"It would be, truly," rejoined the queen, whose cheek
now glowed with an enthusiasm little less obvious than that
which shone so brightly in the countenance of the ardent
Mercedes.   Sefior de St. Angel, the king cannot be prevailed on to enter into this affair, in behalf of Aragon; but
I take it on myself, as Queen of Castile, and, so far as it
may properly advance human interests, for the benefit of
my own much-beloved people. If the royal treasury be
drained, my private jewels should suffice for that small
sum, and I will freely pledge them as surety for the gold,
rather than let this Colon depart without putting the truth
of his theories to the proof. The result, truly, is of too
great magnitude, to admit of further discussion."
An exclamation of admiration and delight escaped those
present, for it was not a usual thing for a princess to deprive herself of personal ornaments in order to advance
either the interests of the church or those of her subjects.
The receiver-general, however, soon removed all difficul.
Ties on the score of money, by saying that his coffers




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.             183
could advance the required sum, on the guarantee of the
crown of Castile, and that the jewels so freely offered,
might remain in the keeping of their royal owner.
"And now to recal Colon," observed the queen, as soon
as these preliminaries had been discussed. " He hath
already departed, you say, and no time should be lost in
acquainting him with this new resolution."
"Your Highness hath here a willing courier, and one
already equipped for the road, in the person of Don Luis
de Robadilla," cried Alonzo de Quintanilla, whose eye had
been drawn to a window by the trampling of a horse's
foot; "and the man who will more joyfully bear these
tidings to the Genoese, cannot be found in Santa F6."
"'T is scarce a service suited to one of his high station,"
answered Isabella, doubtingly; "and yet we should consider every moment of delay a wrong to Colon""Nay, Sefiora, spare not my nephew," eagerly interposed Dofia Beatriz; " he is only too happy at being em
ployed in doing Your Highness's pleasure."
"Let him, then, be summoned to our presence, without
another instant's delay. I scarce seem to have decided,
while the principal personage of the great adventure is
journeying from the court."
A page was immediately dispatched in quest of the young
noble, and in a few minutes the footsteps of the latter were
heard in the antechamber. Luis entered the presence,
flushed, excited, and with feelings not a little angered, at
the compelled departure of his new friend. He did not fail
to impute the blame of this occurrence to those who had
the power to prevent it; and when his dark expressive eye
met the countenance of his sovereign, had it been in her
power to read its meaning, she would have understood that
he viewed her as a person who had thwarted his hopes on
more than one occasion. Nevertheless, the influence of Doia
Isabella's pure character and gentle manners was seldom
forgotten by any who were permitted to approach her person; and his address was respectful, if not warm.
"It is Your Highness's pleasure to command my presence," said the young man, as soon as he made his reverences to the queen.
I thank you for this promptitude, Don Luis. having
12




134            MERCEDES OF CASTILE.
some need of your services. Can you tell us what hath
befel the Sefior Christoval Colon, the Genoese navigator,
with whom, they inform me, you have some intimacy?"
"Forgive me, Sefiora, if aught unbecoming escape me;
but a full heart must be opened lest it break. The Genocse
is about to shake the dust of Spain from his shoes, and, at
this moment, is on his journey to another court, to proffer
those services that this should never have rejected."
" It is plain, Don Luis, that all thy leisure time hath no
been passed in courts," returned the queen, smiling; " but
we have now service for thy roving propensities. Mount
thy steed, and pursue the Sefior Colon, with the tidings that
his conditions will be granted, and a request that he will
forthwith return. I pledge my royal word, to send him
forth on this enterprise, with as little delay as the necessary
preparations and a suitable prudence will allow."
" Sefiora!-Dofia Isabella!-My gracious queen!-Do I
hear aright?"
"As a sign of the fidelity of thy senses, Don Luis,
here is the pledge of my hand."
This was said kindly, and the gracious manner in which
the hand was offered, brought a gleam of hope to the mind
of the lover, which it had not felt since he had been apprized
that the queen's good opinion was necessary to secure his
happiness. Kneeling respectfully, he kissed the hand of
his sovereign, after which, without changing his attitude,
he desired to know if he should that instant depart on the
duty she had named.
"Rise, Don Luis, and lose not a moment to relieve the
loaded heart of the Genoese-I might almost say, to relieve
pars, also; for, Daughter-Marchioness, since this holy enterprise hath broken on my mind with a sudden and almost
niraculous light, it seemeth that a mountain must lie on my
breast until the Sefior Christoval shall learn the truth!"
Luis de Bobadilla did not wait a second bidding, but hurried frowm the presence, as fast as etiquette would allow, and
the next minute he was in the saddle. At his appearance,
Mercedes had shrunk into the recess of a window, where
she now, luckily, commanded a view of the court. As her
lover gained his seat, he caught a glimpse of her form;
and though the spurs were already in his charger's flanks,




MERCEDES DF CASTILE.


135


the rein tightened, and the snorting steed was thrown suddenly on his haunches. So elastic are the feelings of
youth, so deceptive and flattering the hopes of those who
love, that the glances which were exchanged were those
of mutual delight. Neither thought of all the desperate
chances of the contemplated voyage; of the probability of
Its want of success; or of the many motives which might
still induce the queen to withhold her consent. Mercedes
awoke first from the short trance that succeeded, for, taking
the alarm at Luis's indiscreet delay, she motioned him hur.
riedly to proceed. Again the rowels were buried in the
flanks of the noble animal; fire flashed beneath his armed
heels, and, at the next minute, Don Luis de Bobadilla had
disappeared.
In the mean time, Columbus had pursued his melancholy
journey across the Vega. He travelled slowly, and several
times, even after his companion had left him, did he check
his mule, and sit, with his head dropped upon his breast,
lost in thought, the very picture of woe. The nobie resignation that he manifested in public, nearly gave way in
private, and he felt, indeed, how hard his disappointments
were to be borne. In this desultory manner of travelling
he had reached the celebrated pass of the bridge of Pifios,
the scene of many a sanguinary combat, when the sound
of a horse's hoofs first overtook his ear. Turning his head,
he recognized Luis de Bobadilla in hot pursuit, with the
flanks of his horse dyed in blood, and his breast white with
foam.
"Joy! joy! a thousand times, joy, Sefior Colon!"
shouted the eager youth, even before he was near enough
to be distinctly heard. "Blessed Maria be praised! Joy!
Sefior, joy! and nought but joy!"
"This is unexpected, Don Luis," exclaimed the navi
gator. "What meaneth thy return?"
Luis now attempted to explain his errand, but eagerness
and the want of breath rendered his ideas confused and his
utterance broken and imperfect.
"And why should I return to a hesitating, cold, and undecided court?" demanded Columbus. "Have I not wasted
years in striving to urge it to its own good? Look at these
hairs, young Sefior, and remember that I have lost a time




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that nearly equals all thy days, in striving uselessly to convince the rulers of this peninsula that my project is founded
on truth."
"At length you have succeeded.   Isabella, the truehearted and never-deceiving Queen of Castile, herself, hath
awoke to the importance of thy scheme, and pledges her
royal word to favour it."
"Is this true? Can this be true, Don Luis?"
"I am sent to you express, Senior, to urge your inlirn
diate return."
" By whom, young Lord?'
"By Dofia Isabella, my gracious mistress, through her
own personal commands."
"I cannot forego a single condition already offered."
"It is not expected, Sefior. Our excellent and generous
mistress granteth all you ask, and hath nobly offered, as I
learn, to pledge her private jewels, rather than that the enterprise fail."
Columbus was deeply touched with this information, and
removing his cap, he concealed his face with it, for a moment, as if ashamed to betray the weakness that came over
him.  When he uncovered his face it was radiant with.happiness, and every doubt appeared to have vanished.
Years of suffering were forgotten in that moment of joy,
and he immediately signified his readiness to accompany
the youth back to Santa Fe.




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


1$3


CHAPTER IX.
"How beautiful is genius when combined
With holiness! Oh! how divinely sweet
The tones of earthly harp, whose chords are touch'd
By the soft hand of Piety, and hung
Upon Religion's shrine, there vibrating
With solemn music in the ear of God!"
JOHN WILSON.
COLUMBUS was received by his friends Luis de St. Angf:
and Alonzo de Quintanilla, with a gratification they founa
it difficult to express. They were loud in their eulogiunms
on Isabella, and added to the assurances of Don Luis, such
proofs of the seriousness of the queen's intentions, as to
remove all doubts fiom the mind of the navigator. H1. was
then, without further delay, conducted to the presence.
"Sefior Colon," said Isabella, as the Genoese advanced
and knelt at her feet, " you are welcome back, again. All
our misunderstandings are finally removed, and henceforth,
I trust that we shall act cheerfully and unitedly to produce
the same great end. Rise, Sefior, and receive this as a
gage of my support and friendship."
Columbus saluted the offered hand, and arose from his
knees. At that instant, there was probably no one present
whose feelings were not raised to the buoyancy of hope,
fbr it was a peculiarity connected with the origin and exe.
c:ution of this great enterprise, that after having been urged
ir so long a period, amid sneers, and doubts, and ridicule,
t was at frst ad*pted with something very like enthusiasm.
"Sefora," returned Columbus, whose grave aspect ano
noble mien contributed not a little to the advancement of
his views-" Seiora, my heart thanks you for this kind.
ness-so welcome because so little hoped for, this morning
-and God will reward it. We have great things in ie.
serve, and I devoutly wish we may be all found equal to
12*




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our several duties. I hope my Lord the King will not with.
hold from my undertaking the light of his gracious
countenance."
"You are a servitor of Castile. Senior Colon, though
little is attempted for even this kingdom, without the approbation and consent 3f the King of Aragon. Don Fernando
hath been gained over to our side, though his greater caution
and superior wisdom have not as easily fallen into the measure, as woman's faith and woman's hopes."
"I ask no higher wisdom, no truer faith, than those of
Isabella's," said the navigator, with a grave dignity that ren.
dered the compliment so much the more acceptable, by
giving it every appearance of sincerity. " Her known prudence shall turn from me the derision of the light-minded
and idle, and on her royal word I place all my hopes.
Henceforth, and I trust for ever, I am Your Highness's
subject and servant."
The queen was deeply impressed with the air of lofty
truth that elevated the thoughts and manners of the speaker.
Hitherto, she had seen but little of the navigator, and never,
before, under circumstances that enabled her so thoroughly
to feel the influence of his air and deportment. Columbus
had not the finish of manner that it is fancied courts only
can bestow, and which it would be more just to refer to lives
devoted to habits of pleasing; but the character of the man
shone through the exterior, and, in his case, all that artificial
training could supply fell short of the noble aspect of nature, sustained by high aspirations. To a commanding
person, and a gravity that was heightened by the loftiness
of his purposes, Columbus added the sober earnestness of a
deeply seated and an all-pervading enthusiasm, which threw
the grace of truth and probity on what he said and did.
No quality of his mind was more apparent than its sense
of right, as right was then considered in connection with
the opinions of the age; and it is a singular circumstance
that the greatest adventure of modern times was thus confided by Providence, as it might be with especial objects, tc
the care of a sovereign and to the hands of an executive
leader, who were equally distinguished by the possession
of so rare a characteristic.
<"I thank you, Sefior for this proof cf confidence," re



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139


turned the queen, both surprised and gratified; "and so
long as God giveth me power to direct, and knowledge to
decide, your interests, as well as those of this long-cherished scheme, shall be looked to. But we are not to exclude
the king from our confederacy, since he hath been finally
gained to our opinions, and no doubt now as anxiously
looketh forward to success as we do ourselves."
Columbus bowed his acquiescence, and the conjugal
affection of Isabella was satisfied with this concession to
her husband's character and motives; for, while it was impossible that one so pure and ardent in the cause of virtue,
and as disinterested as the queen, should not detect some
of the selfishness of Ferdinand's cautious policy, the feelings of a wife so far prevailed in her breast, over the sagacity of the sovereign, as to leave her blind to faults that the
enemies of Aragon were fond of dwelling on. All admitted
the truth of Isabella, but Ferdinand had far less credit with
his contemporaries, either on the score of faith or on that
of motives. Still he might have been ranked among the
most upright of the reigning princes of Europe, his faults
being rendered the more conspicuous, perhaps, from being
necessarily placed in such'close connection with, and in
such vivid contrast to, the truer virtues of the queen. In
short, these two sovereigns, so intimately united by personal and political interests, merely exhibited on their
thrones a picture that may be seen, at any moment, in all
the inferior gradations of the social scale, in which the,
worldly views and meretricious motives of man, serve a*
foils to the truer heart, sincerer character, and more chastened conduct of woman.
Don Fernando now appeared, and he joined in the discourse in a manner to show that he considered himself fiully
committed to redeem the pledges given by his wife. The
historians have told us that he had been won over by the
intercessions of a favourite, though the better opinion would
seem to be that deference for Isabella, whose pure earnest.
ness in the cause of virtue often led him from his more
selfish policy, lay at the bottom of his compliance. Whatever may have been the motive, however, it is certain that
ihe king never entered into the undertaking with the ardent




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zealous, endeavours to insure success, which, from that
moment, distinguished the conduct of his royal consort.
" We have recovered our truant," said Isabella, as her
husband approached, her eyes lighting and her cheeks
flushed with a pious enthusiasm, like those of Mercedes de
Valverde, who was an entranced witness of all that was
passing. " We have recovered our truant, and there is not
a moment of unnecessary delay to be permitted, until he
shall be sent forth on this great voyage. Should he truly
attain Cathay and the Indies, it will be a triumph to the
church even exceeding this conquest of the territories of
the Moor."
" I am pleased to see Sefior Colon at Santa F6, again,"
courteously returned the king, " and if he but do the half of
that thou seemest to expect, we shall have reason to rejoice
that our countenance hath not been withheld. He may not
render the crown of Castile still more powerful, but he may
so far enrich himself that, as a subject, he will have diffi.
culty in finding the proper uses for his gold."
"There will always be a use for the gold of a Christian," answered the navigator, "while the Infidel remaineth
the master of the Holy Sepulchre."
" How is this!" exclaimed Ferdinand, in his quick, sharp
voice: "dost thou think, Sefior, of a crusade, as well as
of discovering new regions?"
"Such, Your Highness, it hath long been my hope, would
be the first appropriation of the wealth that will, out ot
iestion, flow from the discovery of a new and near route
to the Indies. Is it not a blot on Christendom that the
Mussulman should be permitted to raise his profane altars
on the spot that Christ visited on earth; where, indeed, he
was born, and where his holy remains lay until his glorious resurrection? This foul disgrace, there are hearts and
swords enough ready to wipe out; all that is wanted is
gold. If the first desire of my heart be, to become the
instrument of leading the way to the East, by a western
and direct passage, the second is, to see the riches that will
certainly follow such a discovery, devoted to the service of
God, by rearing anew his altars, and reviving his worship,
in the land where he endured his agony and gave up the
ghost for the sins of men."




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


141


Isabella smiled at the navigator's enthusiasm, though,
sooth to say, the sentiment found something of an echo in
her pious bosom; albeit the age of crusades appeared to
have gone by. Not so exactly with Ferdinand. He smiled
also, but no answering sentiment of holy zeal was awakened
within him. He felt, on the contrary, a strong distrust of
the wisdom of committing the care of even two insignificant
caravels, and the fate of a sum as small as three thousand
crowns, to a visionary, who had scarcely made a commencement in one extremely equivocal enterprise, before
his thoughts were running on the execution of another,
that had baffled the united efforts and pious constancy of
all'Europe. To him, the discovery of a western passage
to the Indies, and the repossession of the holy sepulchre,
were results that were equally problematical, and it would
have been quite sufficient to incur his distrust, to believe in
the practicability of either. Here, however, was a man
who was about to embark in an attempt to execute the first,
holding in reserve t-he last, as a consequence of success in
the undertaking in which he was already engaged.
There were a few minutes, during which Ferdinand seriously contemplated the defeat of the Genoese's schemes,
and had the discourse terminated here, it is uncertain how
Far his cool and calculating policy might have prevailed
over the good faith, sincere integrity, and newly awakened
enthusiasm of his wife. Fortunately, the conversation had
gone on while he was meditating on this subject, and when
he rejoined the circle he found the queen and the navigator
pursuing the subject with an earnestness that had entirely
overlooked his momentary absence.
" I shall show Your Highness all that she demandeth,"
continued Columbus, in answer to a question of the queen's.
" It is my expectation to reach the territories or the Great
Khan, the descendant of the monarch who was visited by
the Polos, a century since; at which time a strong desire
to embrace the religion of Christ was manifested by many
in that gorgeous court, the sovereign included. We are
told in the sacred bpoks of prophecy, that the day is to
trrive when the whole earth will worship the true and
living God; and that time, it would seem, from many signs
and tokens that are visible to those who seek them, draweth




142


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


near, and is full of hope to such as honour God and seek
his glory. To bring all those vast regions in subjection to
the church, needeth but a constant faith, sustained by the
delegated agencies of the priesthood, and the protecting
hands of princes."
"This hath a seeming probability," observed the queen,
"and Providence so guide us in this mighty undertaking,
that it may come to pass! Were those Polos pious mis.
sionaries, Sefior?"
"They were but travellers; men who sought their own
advantage, while they were not altogether unmindful of the
duties of religion. It may be well, Sefiora, first to plant
the cross in the islands, and thence to spread the truth ever
the main land. Cipango, in particular, is a promising region for the commencement of the glorious work, which,
no doubt, will proceed with all the swiftness of a miracle."
" Is this Cipango known to produce spices, or aught that
may serve to uphold a sinking treasury, and repay us for
so much cost and risk?" asked the king, a little inopportunely for the zeal of the two other interlocutors.
Isabella looked pained, the prevailing trait in Ferdi.
nand's character often causing her to feel as affectionate
wives are wont to feel when their husbands forget to think,
act, or speak up to the level of their own warm-hearted
and virtuous propensities; but she suffered no other sign
of the passing emotion to escape her.
"According to the accounts of Marco Polo, Your Highness," answered Columbus, "earth hath no richer island.
It aboundeth especially in gold; nor are pearls and precious stones at all rare. But all that region is a quarter
of infinite wealth and benighted infidelity.  Providence
seemeth to have united the first vith the last, as a reward
to the Christian monarch who shall use his power to extend
the sway of the church. The sea, thereabouts, is covered
with smaller islands, Marco telling us that no less than
seven thousand four hundred and forty have been enumerated, not one of all which doth not produce some odoriferous tree, or plant of delicious perfume. It is then, thither,
gracious Lord and Lady, my honoured sovereigns, that I
propose to proceed at once, leaving all meaner objects, to
exalt the two kingdoms and to serve the church. Should




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


143


we reach Cipango in safety, as, by the blessing of God,
acting on a zeal and faith that are not easily shaken, I trust
we shall be able to do, in the course of two months' diligent
navigation, it will be my next purpose to pass over to the
continent, and seek the Khan himself, in his kingdom of
Cathay. The day that my foot touches the land of Asia
will be a glorious day for Spain, and ibr all who have had
a part in the accomplishment of so great an enterprise!"
Ferdinand's keen eyes were riveted on the navigator, as
he thus betrayed his hopes with the quiet but earnest man.
ter of deep enthusiasm, and he might have been at a loss,
himself, just at that moment, to have analyzed his own
feelings. The picture of wealth that Columbus had conjured to his imagination, was as enticing, as his cold and
calculating habits of distrust and caution rendered it questionable. Isabella heard only, or thought only of the pious
longings of her pure spirit for the conversion and salvation
of the Infidels, and thus each of the two sovereigns had a
favourite impulse to bind him, or her, to the prosecution of
the voyage.
After this, the conversation entered more into details, and
the heads of the terms demanded by Columbus were gone
over again, and approved of by those who were most interested in the matter. All thought of the archbishop and
his objections was momentarily lost, and had the Genoese
been a monarch, treating with mo,.archs, he could not have
had more reason to be satisfied with the respectful mannei
in which his terms were heard. Even his proposal to
receive one-eighth of the profits of this, and all future ex.
peditions to the places he might discover, on condition of
his advancing an equal proportion of the outfits, was cheer
filly acceded to; making him, at once, a partner with the
crown, in the risks and benefits of the many undertakings
that it was hoped would follow from the success of this.
Luis de St. Angel and Alonzo de Quintanilla quitted the
royal presence, in company with Columbus. They saw
him to his lodgings, and left him with a respect and cordialitv of manner, that cheered a heart which had lately
been so bruised and disappointed. As they walked away
in company, the former, who, notwithstanding the liberality
of his views and his strong support of the navigator, was




144


M4 RCEDES OF CASTILE.


not apt to suppress his thoughts, opened a dialogue in the
following manner.
"By all the saints! friend Alonzo," he exclaimed, "but
this Colon carrieth it with a high hand among us, and in a
way, sometimes, to make me doubt the prudence of our interlerence. He hath treated with the two sovereigns like a
monarch, and like a monarch hath he carried his poirt!"
' Who hath aided him more than thyself, friend Luis?"
returned Alonzo de Quintanilla; "for, without thy bold
assault on Dofia Isabella's patience, the matter had been.
decided against this voyage, and the Genoese would still be
on his way to the court of King Louis."
" I regret it not; the chance of keeping the Frenchman
within modest bounds being worth a harder effort. Her
Highness-Heaven and all the saints unite to bless her for
her upright intentions and generous thoughts-will never
regret the trifling cost, even though bootless, with so great
an aim in view. But now the thing is done, I marvel, myself, that a Queen of Castile and a King of Aragon should
grant such conditions to an unknown and nameless seafarer; one that hath neither services, family, nor gold, to
recommend him!"
*; Hath he not had Luis de St. Angel of his side?"
"That hath he," returned the receiver-general, "and
that right stoutly, too; and for good and sufficient cause.
I only marvel at our success, and at the manner in which
this Colon hath borne himself in the affair. I much feared
that the high price he set upon his services might ruin all
our hopes."
"And yet thou didst reason with the queen, as if thou
thought'st it insignificant, compared with the good that
would come of the voyage."
"Is there aught wonderfil in this, my worthy friend?
We consume our means ir efforts to obtain our ends, and,
while suffering under the exhaustion, begin first to see the
other side of the question. I am chiefly surprised at m4ne
own success! As for this Genoese, he is, truly, a most
wonderful man, and, in my heart, I think him right in demanding such high conditions. If he succeed, who so great
as he? and, if he fail, the conditions will do him no good,
and Castile little harm."




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


145


" I have remarked, Sefior de St. Angel, that when grave
men set a light value on themselvesthe world is apt to
take them at their word, though willing enough to laugh at
the pretensions of triflers. After all, the high demands of
Colon may have done him riuch service, since their Highnesses could not but feel that they were negotiating with
one who had faith in his own projects."
"It is much as thou sayest, Alonzo; men often prizing
us as we seem to prize ourselves, so long as we act at
all up to the level of our pretensions. But there is sterling
merit in this Colon, to sustain him in all that he sayeth and
doth; wisdom of speech, dignity and gravity of mien, and
nobleness of feeling and sentiment. Truly, I have listened
to the man when he hath seemed inspired!"
" Well, he hath now good occasion to manifest whether
this.inspiration be of the true quality or not," returned the
other. " Of a verity, I often distrust the wisdom of our
own conclusions."
In this manner, did even these two zealous friends of
Columbus discuss 'his character and chances of success;
for, while they were among the most decided of his sup.
porters, and had discovered the utmost readiness to uphold
him, when his cause seemed hopeless, now that the means
were likely to be afforded to allow him to demonstrate the
justice of his opinions, doubts and misgivings beset their
minds. Such is human nature. Opposition awakens our
zeal, quickens our apprehension, stimulates our reason and
emboldens our opinions; while, thrown back upon our
selves for the proofs of what we have been long stoutly
maintaining under the pressure of resistance, we begin to
distrust the truth of our own theories and to dread the demonstrations of a failure. Even the first disciples of the
Son of God faltered most in their faith as his predictions
were being realized; and most reformers are never so dog.
matical and certain as when battling for their principles, or
so timid and wavering as when they are about to put their
own long-cherished plans in execution. In all this, we might
see a wise provision of Providence, which gives us zeal to
overcome difficulties, and prudence when caution and moderation become virtues rather than faults.
13




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MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


Although Luis de St. Angel and his friend conversed thus
freely together, however, they did not the less continue true
to their original feelings. Their doubts were transient and
of little account; and it was remarked of them, whenever
they were in the presence of Columbus, himself, that the
calm, steady, but deeply seated enthusiasm of that extra
ordinary man, did not fail to carry with him, the opinions
not only of these steady supporters, but those of most
other listeners.
CHAPTER X.
— "Song is on thy hills:
Oh, sweet and mournful melodies of Spain,
That lull'd my boyhood, how your memory thrills
The exile's heart with sudden-wakening pain."
The Forest Sanctuary.
FROM the moment that Isabella pledged her royal word
to support Columbus in his great design, all reasonable
doubts of the sailing of the expedition ceased, though few
anticipated any results of importance. Of so much greater
magnitude, indeed, did the conquest of the kingdom of
Granada appear, at that instant, than any probable const;-;,iences which could follow from this novel enterprise, that
the latter was almost overlooked in the all-absorbing interest that was connected with the former.
There was one youthful and generous heart, however,
all of whose hopes were concentrated in the success of the
great voyage. It is scarcely necessary to add, we mean
that of Mercedes de Valverde. She had watched the recent
events as they occurred, with an intensity of expectation
hat perhaps none but the youthful, fervent, inexperienced,
and uncorrupted, can feel; and now that all. her hopes
were about to be realized, a tender and generous joy dif




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


147


fused itself over her whole moral system, in a way to ren.
der her happiness, for the time, even blissful. Although
she loved so truly and with so much feminine devotedness,
nature had endowed this warm-hearted young creature with
a sagacity and readiness of apprehension, which, when
quickened by the sentiments that are so apt to concentrate
all the energies of her sex, showed her the propriety of the
distrust of the queen and her guardian, and fully justified
their hesitation in her eyes, which were rather charmed
than blinded by the ascendency of her passion. She knew
too well what was due to her virgin fame, her high expectations, her great name, and her elevated position near
the person, and in the immediate confidence, of Isabella,
even to wish her hand unworthily bestowed; and while she
deferred, with the dignity and discretion of birth and female
decorum, to all that opinion and prudence could have a
right to ask of a noble maiden, she confided in her lover's
power to justify her choice, with the boundless confidence
of a woman. Her aunt had taught her to believe that this
voyage of the Genoese was likely to lead to great events,
and lier religious enthusiasm, like that of the queen's, led
her to expect most of that which she so fervently wished.
During the time it was known to those near the person
of Isabella, that the conditions between the sovereigns and
the navigator were being reduced to writing and were re'
ceiving the necessary forms, Luis neither sought an interview with his mistress, nor was accidentally favoured in
that way; but, no sooner was it understood.Columbus
had effected all that he deemed necessary in this particular,
and had quitted the court for the coast, than the young man
threw himself, at once, on the generosity of his aunt, beseeching her to favour his views now that he was about to
leave Spain on an adventure that most regarded as desperate. All he asked was a pledge of being well received by
his mistress and her friends, on his return successful.
" 1 see that thou hast taken a lesson from this new master of thine," answered the high-souled but kind-hearted
Beatriz, smiling-" and would fain have thy terms also.
But thou knowest, Luis, that Mercedes de Valverde is no
peasant's child to be lightly cared for, but that she cometh
of the noblest blood of Spain, having had a Guzman for a




148


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


mother, and Mendozas out of number among her kinsmen.
She is, moreover, one of the richest heiresses of Castile;
and it would ill become her guardian to forget her watchfulness, under such circumstances, in behalf of one of the
idle wanderers of Christendom, simply because he hap.
peneth to be her own beloved brother' son."
"And if the Doiia Mercedes be all thou sayest, Sefiora
-and thou hast not even touched upon her highest claims
to merit, her heart, her beauty, her truth and her thousand
virtues -but if she be all that thou sayest, Dofia Beatriz,
is a Bobadilla unworthy of her?"
"How! if she be, moreover, all thou sayest too, Don
Luis! The heart, the truth, and the thousand virtues!
Methinks a shorter catalogue might content one who is
himself so great a rover, lest some of these qualities be
lost, in his many journeys!"
Luis laughed, in spite of himself, at the affected serious.
ness of his aunt; and then successfully endeavouring to
repress a little resentment that her language awakened, he
answered in a way to do no discredit to a well-established
reputation for good-nature.
" I cannot call thee ' Daughter-Marchioness,' in imitation
of Her Highness," he answered, with a coaxing smile, so
like that her deceased brother was wont to use when disposed to wheedle her out of some concession, that it fairly
caused Dofia Beatriz to start —" but I can say with more
truth, 'Aunt-Marchioness,'-and a very dear aunt, toowilt thou visit a little youthful indiscretion so severely?
I had hoped, now Colon was about to set forth, that al
was forgotten in the noble and common end we have in
view."
"Luis," returned the aunt, regarding her nephew with
the severe resolution that was so often exhibited in her
acts, as well as in her words, "dost think that a mere display of courage will prove sufficient to win Mercedes from
me? to put to sleep the vigilance of her friends? to gain the
approbation of her guardian? Learn, too confident boy,
that Mercedes de Guzman was the companion of my child
hood; my warmest, dearest friend, next to Her Highness;
and that she put all faith in my disposition to do full justice
by her child. She died by slow degrees, and the fate of




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


149


the orphan was often discussed between us. That she
could ever become the wife of any but a Christian noble,
neither of us imagined possible; but there are so many
different characters under the same outward professions,
that names deceived us not. I do believe that poor woman
bethought her more of her child's future worldly fortunes,
than of her own sins, and that she prayed oftener for the
happy conclusion of the first, than for the pardon of the
last! Thou knowest little of the strength of a mother's
love, Luis, and canst not understand all the doubts that
beset the heart, when the parent is compelled to leave a
tender plant, like Mercedes, to the cold nursing of a selfish
and unfeeling world."
"I can readily fancy the mother of my love fitted for
heaven without the usual interpositions of masses and paters, Doia Beatriz; but have aunts no consideration for
nephews, as well as mothers for children?"
"The tie is close and strong, my child, and yet is it not
parental; nor art thou a sensitive, true-hearted, enthusiastic
girl, filled with the confidence of thy purity, and overflowing
with the affections that, in the end, make mothers what
they are."
"By San Iago! and am I not the very youth to render
such a creature happy?  I, too, am sensitive -too much
so, in sooth, for my own peace: I, too, am true-hearted,
as is seen by my having had but this one love, when I
might have had fifty; and if I am not exactly overflowing
with the confidence of purity, I have the confidence of
youth, health, strength and courage, which is quite as useful for a cavalier; and I have abundance of the affection
that makes good fathers, which is all that can reasonably
be asked of a man."
"Thou, then, thinkest thyself, truant, every way worthy
to be the husband of Mercedes de Valverde?
"Nay, aunt of mine, thou hast a searching way with
bhy questions! Who is, or can be, exactly worthy of so
much excellence! I may not be altogether deserving of
her, but, then again, I am not altogether undeserving of
her. I am quite as noble, nearly as well endowed with
estates, of suitable years, of fitting address as a knight,
and love her better than I love my own soul. Methinks the
13*




150


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


last should count for something, since he that loveth de
votedly, will surely strive to render its object happy."
" Thou art a silly, inexperienced boy, with a most excel
lent heart, a happy careless disposition, and a head that
was made to hold better thoughts than commonly reside
there!" exclaimed the aunt, giving way to an impulse of
natural feeling, even while she frowned on her nephew's
folly. "But, hear me, and for once think gravely, and
reflect on what I say. I have told thee of the mother of
Mercedes, of her dying doubts, her anxiety, and of hei
confidence in me. Her Highness and I were alone with
her, the morning of the day that her spirit took its flight
to heaven; and then she poured out all her feelings, in a
way that has left on us both, an impression that can never
cease while aught can he done by either for the security of
the daughter's happiness. Thou hast thought the queen
unkind. I know not but, in thy intemperate speech, thou
hast dared to charge Her Highness with carrying her care
for her subjects' well-being beyond a sovereign's rights""Nay, Dofia Beatriz," hastily interrupted Luis, " herein
thou dost me great injustice. I may have felt-no doubt I.tave keenly, bitterly, felt the consequences of Dofia Isabella's distrust of my constancy; but never has rebel
thought of mine even presumed to doubt her right to command all our services, as well as all our lives. This is due
to her sacred authority from all; but we, who so well
know the heart and motives of the queen, also know that
she doth nought from caprice or a desire to rule; while she
doth so much from affection to her people."
As Don Luis uttered this with an earnest look, and features flushed with sincerity, it was impossible not to see
that he meant as much as he said. If men considered the
consequences that often attend their lightest words, less
levity of speech would be used, and the office of talebearer, the meanest station in the whole catalogue of social rank, would become extinct for want of occupation.
Few cared less, or thought less, about the consequences of
what they uttered, than Luis de Bobadilla; and yet this
hasty but sincere reply did him good service with more
than one of those who exercised a material influence over
his fortunes. The honest praise of the queen went directly


*




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


151


to the heart of the Marchioness, who rather idolize i than
loved her royal mistress, the long and close intimacy that
bad existed between them having made her thoroughly acquainted with the pure and almost holy character of Isa
bella; and 'when she repeated the words of her nephew to
the latter, her own well-established reputation for truth
caused them to be implicitly believed. Whatever may be
the correctness of our views in general, one of the most
certain ways to the feelings is the assurance of being respected and esteemed; while, of all the divine mandates,
the most difficult to find obedience is that which tells us to
"love those who hate" us. Isabella, notwithstanding hei
high destiny and lofty qualities, was thoroughly a woman;
and when she discovered that in spite of her own coldness
to the youth, he really entertained so much profound deference for her character, and appreciated her feelings and
motives in a way that conscience told her she merited, she
was much better disposed to look at his peculiar faults witl
indulgence, and to ascribe that to mere animal spirits, which,
under less favourable auspices, might possibly have beeil
mistaken for ignoble propensities.
But this is a little anticipating events. The first conse
quence of Luis's speech was a ni:lder expression in 11h
countenance of his aunt, and a disposition to consider his
entreaties to be admitted to a private interview with Mer.
cedes, with more indulgence.
"I may have done thee injustice in this, Luis," resumed
Doina Beatriz, betraying in her manner the sudden change
of feeling mentioned; " for I do think thee conscious of
thy duty to Her Highness, and of the almost heavtaly
sense of justice that reigneth in her heart, and through that
heart, in Castile. Thou hast not lost in my esteem by thus
exhibiting thy respect and love for the queen, fox it is impossible to have any regard for female virtue, and not to
manifest it to its best representative."
"Do I not, also, dear aunt, in my attachment to thy
ward'! Is not my very choice, in some sort, a pledge of
the truth and justice of my feelings in these particulars?"
"Ah! Luis de Bobadilla, it is not difficult to teach the
heart to lean towards the richest and the noblest, when she
happeneth also to be the fairest, maiden of Spain!"




152


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


"And am I a hypocrite, Marchioness 1 Dost thou accuse
the son of thy brother of being a feigner of that which ho
doth not feel?-one influenced by so mean a passion as the
love of g)ld and of lands'?"
" Foreign lands, heedless boy," returned the aunt
smiling, " but not of others' lands. No, Luis, none that
know thee will accuse thee of hypocrisy. We believe in
the truth and ardour of thy attachment, and it is for that
very cause that we most distrust thy passion."
"How! Are feigned feelings of more repute with the
queen and thyself, than real feelings? A spurious and fan.
cied love, than the honest, downright, manly passion?"
"It is this genuine feeting, this honest, downright, manly
passion, as thou termest it, which is most apt to awaken
sympathy in the tender bosom of a young girl. There is
no truer touch-stone, by which to try the faithfulness of
feelings, than the heart, when the head is not turned by
vanity; and the more unquestionable the passion, the easier
is it for its subject to make the discovery. Two drops of
water do not glide together more naturally than two hearts
nephew, when there is a strong affinity between them
Didst thou not really love Mercedes, as my near and deal
relative, thoLP might'st laugh and sing in her company at
all times that should be suitable for the dignity of a maiden,
and it would not cause me an uneasy moment."
"I am thy near and dear relative, aunt of mine, with a
miracle! and yet it is more difficult for me to get a sight
of thy ward" —
' Who is the especial care of the Queen of Castile."
"Well, be it so; and why should a Bobadilla be proscribed by even a Queen of Castile?"
Luis then had recourse to his most persuasive powers,
and, improving the little advantage he had gained, by dint
of coaxing and teasing he so far prevailed on Dofia Beatriz
as to obtain a promise that she would apply to the queen
for permission to grant him one private interview with Mercedes. We say the queen, since Isabella, distrusting the
influence of blood, had cautioned the Marchioness on tiis
subject; and the prudence of letting the young people see
each other as little as possible, had been fully settled
between tlhem.  it wa ia redeeming this promise, that the




.ME:CCEDES OF CASTILE.           1 53
aunt related the substance of the conversation that has just
been given, and mentioned to her royal mistress the state
of her nephew's feelings as respected herself. The effect
of such information was necessarily favourable to the
young man's views, and one of its first fruits was the desired permission to have the interview he sought.
" They are not sovereigns," remarked the queen, with a
smile that the favourite could see was melancholy, though
it surpassed her means of penetration to say whether it
proceeded from a really saddened feeling, or whether it
were merely the manner in which the mind is apt to glance
backward at emotions that it is known can never be again
awakened in our bosoms;-"they are not sovereigns,
Daughter-Marchioness, to woo by proxy, and wed as
strangers. It may not be wise to suffer the intercourse
to become too common, but it were cruel to deny the youth,
as he is about to depart on an enterprise of so doubtful
issue, one opportunity to declare his passion and to make
his protestations of constancy. If thy ward hath, in truth,
any tenderness for him, the recollection of this interview
will soothe many a weary hour while Don Luis is away."
"And add fuel to the flame," returned Dofia Beatriz,
pointedly.
cc We know not that, my good Beatriz, since, the heart
being softened by the power of God to a sense of its religious duties, may not the same kind hand direct it and
shield it in the indulgence of its more worldly feelings?
Mercedes will never forget her duly, and, the imagination
feeding itself, it may not be the wisest course to leave that
of an enthusiast like our young c'harge, so entirely to
its own pictures. Realities are often less hazardous than
the creatures of the fancy. Then, thy nephew will not he
a loser by the occasion, for, by keeping constantly in view
the object he now seemeth to pursue so earnestly, he wil)
the more endeavour to deserve success."
"I much fear, Sefiora, that the best conclusions are not
to be depended on in aln affair that touches the waywardness of the feelings."
" Perhaps not, Beatriz; and yet I do not see that we can
well deny this initerview, now that Don Luis is so near
departure.  Tell hitn I accord him that which he so




154


M tlRCEDES OFE CASTILE.


destreth, and let him bear in mind that a grandee shouln
never quit Castile without presenting himself' before his
sovereign."
"I fear, Your Highness," returned the marchioness,
laughing, " that Don Luis will feel this last command, however gracious and kind in fact, as a strong rebuke, since he
hath more than once done this already, without even presenting himself before his own aunt!"
"On those occasions he went idly, and without consideration; but he is now engaged in an honourable and
noble enterprise, and we will make it apparent to him that
all feel the difference."
The conversation now changed, it being understood that
the request of the young man was to be granted. Isabella
had, in this instance, departed from a law she had laid down
for her own government, under the influence of her womanly feelings, which often caused her to forget that she
was a queen, when no very grave duties existed to keep
alive the recollection; for it would have been difficult to
decide in which light this pure-minded and excellent female
most merited the esteem of mankind - in her high character as a just and conscientious sovereign, or when she
acted more directly under the gentler impulses of her sex.
As for her friend, she was perhaps more tenacious of doing
what she conceived to be her duty, by her ward, than the
queen herself; since, with a greater responsibility, she was
exposed to the suspicion of acting with a design to increase
the wealth and to strengthen the connections of her own
family. Still, the wishes of Isabella were laws to the Marchioness of Moya, and she sought an early opportunity to
acquaint her ward with her intention to allow Don Luis, for
once, to plead his own cause with' his mistress, before he
departed on his perilous and mysterious enterprise.
Our heroine received this intelligence with the mingled
sensations of apprehension, delight, misgivings, and joy,
that are so apt to beset the female heart, in the fresh.
ness of its affections, when once brought in subjection to
the master-passion. She had never thought it possible Iuis
would sail on an expedition like that in which he was engaged, without endeavouring to see her alone; but, now
she was assured that both the queen and her guardian ac



MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


155.


quiesced in his being admitted, she almost regretted their
compliance. These contradictory emotions, however, soon
subsided in the tender melancholy that gradually drew
around her manner, as the hour for the departure approached. Nor were her feelings on the subject of Luis's
ready enlistment in the expedition, more consistent. At times
she exulted in her lover's resolution, and in his manly devotion to glory and the good of the church; remembering
with pride that, of all the high nobility of Castile, he alone
ventured life and credit with the Genoese; and then, again,
tormenting doubts came over her, as she feared that the
love of roving, and of adventure, was quite as active in
his heart, as love of herself. But, in all this there was
nothing new. The more pure and ingenuous the feelings
of those who truly submit to the influence of this passion,
the more keenly alive are their distrusts apt to be, and the
more tormenting their misgivings of themselves.
Her mind made up, Donia Beatriz acted fairly by the
young people. As soon as Luis was admitted to her own
presence, on the appointed morning, she told him that he
was expected by Mercedes, who was waiting his appear.
ance in the usual reception-room. Scarce giving himself
time to kiss the hand of his aunt, and to make those other
demonstrations of respect that the customs of the age required from the young to their seniors - more especially
when there existed between them a tie of blood as close as
that which united the Marchioness of Moya with the Conde
de Llera —the young man bounded away, and was soon
in the presence of his mistress. As Mercedes was prepared
for the interview, she betrayed the feeling of the monent
merely by a heightened colour, and the greater lustre of
eyes that were always bright, though often so soft and
melancholy.
"Luis!" escaped from her, and then, as if ashamed ot
the emotion betrayed in the very tones of her voice, she
withdrew the foot that had involuntarily advanced to meet
him, even while she kept a hand extended in friendly con
fidence.
" Mercedes!" and the hand was withdrawn to put a stop
to the kisses with which it was covered. " Thou art harder
to be seen, of late, than it will be to discover this Cathay




156


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


of the Genoese; for, between the Dofia Isabella and D)ona
Beatriz, never was paradise watched more closely by
guardian angels, than thy person is watched by thy pro.
tectors."
"And can it be necessary, Luis, when thou art the danger
apprehended?"
" Do they think I shall carry thee off, like some Moorisk
girl borne away on the crupper of a Christian knight's sad
idle, and place thee in the caravel of Colon, that we may
go in search of Prestor John and the Great Khan, in corn
pany?"
" They may think thee capable of this act of madness,
dear Luis, but they will hardly suspect me."
" No, thou art truly a model of prudence in all matters
that require feeling for thy lover."
"Luis!" exclaimed the girl, again; and this time unbidden tears started to her eyes.
" Forgive me, Mercedes-dearest, dearest Mercedes; but
this delay and all these coldly cruel precautions make me
forget myself. Am I a needy and unknown adventurer,
that they treat me thus, instead of being a noble Castilian
knight!"
"c Thou forgettest, Luis, that noble Castilian maidens are
not wont to see even noble Castilian cavaliers alone, and,
but for the gracious condescension of Her Highness, and
the indulgence of my guardian, who happeneth to be thy
aunt, this interview could not take place."
"Alone!-And dost thou- call this being alone, or any
excessive favour on the part of Her Highness, when thou
seest:hat we are watched by the eye, if not by the ear? 1
fear to speak above my breath, lest the sounds should disturb that venerable lady's meditations!"
As Luis de Bobadilla uttered this, he glanced his eye at
the figure of the duena of his mistress, whose person was
visible through an open. door, in an adjoining room, where
the good woman sate, intently occupied in reading certain
homilies.
"Dost mean my poor Pepita," answered Mercedes,
laughing; for the presence of her attendant, to whom she
had been accustomed from infancy, was no more restraint
on her own innocent thoughts and words, than would have




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


157


proved a reduplication of herself, had such a thing been
possible. "Many have been her protestations against this
meeting, which she insists is contrary to all rule among
noble ladies, and which, she says, would never have been
accorded by my poor, sainted, mother, were she still
living."
"Ay, she hath a look that is sufficient of itself to set
every generous mind a-tilting with her. One can see envy
of thy beauty and youth, in every wrinkle of her unamiable face."
Then little dost thou know my excellent Pepita, who
envieth nothing, and who hath but one marked weakness,
and that is, too much affection, and too rhuch indulgence,
for myself."
"I detest a duenia; ay, as I detest an Infidel!"
"Sefior," said Pepita, whose vigilant ears, notwithstanding her book and the homilies, heard all that passed, " this
is a common feeling among youthful cavaliers, I fear; but
they tell me that the very duefia who is so displeasing to
the lover, getteth to be a grateful object, in.time, with the
husband. As my features and wrinkles, however, are so
disagreeable to you, and no doubt cause you pain, by
closing this door the sight will be shut out, as, indeed, will
be the sound of my unpleasant cough,' and of your own
protestations of love, Sefior Knight."
This was said in much better language than was commonly used by women of the duefia's class, and with a
good-nature that,cemel indomitable, it being completely
undisturbed by Luis's petulant remarks.
"Thou shalt not close the door, Pepita," cried Merced(,,
blushing rosy red, and springing forward to interpose her
own hand against the act. " What is there that the Conde
de Llera can have to say to one like me, that thou mayest
not hear?"
" Nay, dear child, the noble cavalier is about to talk of
love!"
"And is it thou, with whom the language of affection is
so uncommon, that it frighteneth thee! Hath thy discourse
been of aught but love, since thou hast known and cared
for ne?"
14




1t8


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


"It augureth badly for thy suit, Sefior," said Pepita,
smiling, while she suspenoed the movement of the hand
that was about to close the door, "if Doia Mercedes
thinketh of your love as she thinketh of mine. Surely,
child, thou dost not fancy me a gay, gallant young noble,
come to pour out his soul at thy feet, and mistakest my
simple words of affection for such as will be likely to flovw
from the honeyed tongue of a Bobadilla, bent on gaining
his suit with the fairest maiden of Castile?"
Mercedes shrunk back, for, though innocent as purity
itself, her heart taught her the difference between the lan.
guage of her lover and the language of her nurse, even
when each most expressed'affection. Tier hand released its
hold of the wood, and unconsciously was laid, with its
pretty fellow, on her crimsoned face. Pepita profited by
her advantage, and closed the door. A smile of triumph
gleamed on the handsome features of Luis, and, after he had
forced his mistress, by a gentle compulsion, to resume tht
seat from which she had risen to meet him, he threw him.
self on a stool at her feet, and stretching out his well-turned
limbs in an easy attitude, so as to allow himself to gaze
into the beautiful face that he had set up, like an idol,
before him, he renewed the discourse.
" This is a paragon of duefnas," he cried, " and I might
have known that none of the ill-tempered, unreasonable
school of such beings, would be tolerated near thy person.
This Pepita is a jewel, and she may consider herself established in her office for life, if, by the cunning of this Ge.
noese, mine own resolution, the queen's repentance, and
thy gentle favour, I ever prove so lucky as to become thy
husband."
"Thou forgettest, Luis," answered NMercedes; trembling
even while she laughed at her own conceit, "that if the
husband esteemeth the duefia the lover could not endure,
that the lover may esteem the duefia that the husband may
be unwilling to abide."
"Peste! these are crooked matters, and ill-suited to the
straight-forward philosophy of Luis de Bobadilla. There
is one thing only, which I can, or do, pretend to know, out
of any controversy, and that! rm ready to maintain in the




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


156


face of all the doctors of Salamanca, or all the chivalry
of Christendom, that of the Infidel included; which is,
that thou art the fairest, sweetest, best, most virtuous, and
in all things the most winning maiden of Spain, and that
no other living knight so loveth and honoureth his mistress
as I love and honour thee!"
The language of admiration is ever soothing to female
eatrs, and Mercedes, giving to the words of the youth an
impnression of sincerity that his manner fully warranted,
fbrgot the duefia and her little interruption, in the delight
of listening to declarations that were so grateful to her
affections. Still, the coyness of her sex, and the recent date
of their mutual confidence, rendered her answer less open
than it might otherwise have been.
"I am told," she said, " that you young cavaliers, who
pant for occasions to show your skill and courage with
the lance, and in the tourney, are ever making some such
protestations in favour of this or that noble maiden, in
order to provoke others like themselves to make counter
assertions, that they may show their prowess as knights,
and gain high names fbr gallantry."
"This cometh of being so much shut up in Dofia Beatriz's private rooms, lest some bold Spanish eyes should
look profanely on thy beauty, Mercedes. We are not in
the age of the errants and the troubadours, when men
committed a thousand follies that they might be thought
weaker even than nature had made them. In that age,
your knights discoursed largely of love, but in our own
they feel it. In sooth, I think this savoureth of some of the
profound morality of Pepita!"
"Say nought against Pepita, Luis, who hath much befriended thee to-day, else would thy tongue, and thine eyes
too, be under the restraint of her presence. But that which
thou termest the morality of the good duena, is, in truth,
the morality of the excellent and most noble Dofia Beatriz de Cabrera, Marchioness of Moya, who was born a
lady of the House of Bobadilla, I believe."
" Well, well, I dare to say there is no great difference
oetween the lessons of a duchess and the lessons of a dueiia, in the privacy of the closet, when there is one like
thee, beautiful, and rich, and virtuous, to guard. They say




160


M I.RCE;CF ED;s (1. C ASTIE.


you young maidens are told that we cavaliers are so many
ogres, and that the only way to reach paradise is to think
nought of us but evil, and tlen, when some suitable marriage hath been decided on, the poor young creature is sud.
denly alarmed by an order to come forth and be wedded to
one of these very monsters."
"And, in this mode, hast thou been treated! It would
seem that much pains are taken to make the young of thI
two sexes think ill of each other. But, Luis, this is )pu
idleness, and we waste in it most precious moments; moments that may never return. How go matters with Colon
-and when is he like to quit the court?"
" He hath already departed; for having obtained all he
hath sought of the queen, he quitted Santa F6, with the
royal authority to sustain him in the fullest manner. If
thou hearest aught of one Pedro de Mlunos, or Pero Gutierrez, at the court of Cathay, thou wilt know on whose
shoulders to lay his follies."
"I would rather that thou should'st undertake t'his voyage in thine own name, Luis, than under a feigned appellation. Concealments of this nature are seldom wise, and
surely thou dost not undertake the enterprise"-the tell-tale
blood stole to the cheeks of Mercedes as she proceeded" with a motive that need bring shame."
" 'Tis the wish of my aunt; as for myself, 1 would put
thy favour in my casque, thy emblem on rny shield, and let
it be known, far and near, that Luis of Llera sought the
court of Cathay with the intent to defy its chivalry to
produce as fair or as virtuous a maiden as thyself."
"We are not in the age of errants, sir knight, but in
one of reason and truth," returned Mercedes, laughing,
hough every syllable that proved the earnest and entire
devotion of the young man went directly to her heart,
strengthening his hold on it, and increasing the flame that
burnt within, by adding the fuel that was most adapted to
that purpose-s" we are not in the age of knights-errant,
Don Luis de Bobadilla, as thou thyself hast just affirmed:
but one in which even the lover is;eflecting, and as apt to
discover the faults of his lady-love, as to dwell upon her
perfections. I look for better things from thee, than to hear
that thou hast ridden through the highways of Cathay,




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


161


defying to combat, and seeking giants, in order to exalt my
beauty, and tempting others to decry it, if it were only out
of pure opposition to thy idle boastings. Ah! Luis, thou
art now engaged in a most truly noble enterprise, one that
will join thy name to those of the applauded of men, and
which will form thy pride and exultation in after-life, when
the eyes of us bofh shall be dimmed by age, and we shall
look back with longings to discover aught of which to be
proud."
It was thrice pleasant to the youth to hear his mistress,
in the innocence of her heart, and in the fulness of hei
feelings, thus uniting his fate with her own; and when she
ceased speaking, all unconscious how much might be indirectly implied from her words, he still listened intently, as
if he would fain hear the sounds after they had died on
his ear.
" What enterprise can be nobler, more worthy to awaken
all my resolution, than to win thy hand!" he exclaimed,
after a short pause. "I follow Colon with no other object; share his chances, to remove the objections of Doiia
Isabella; and will accompany him to the earth's end,
rather than that thy choice should be dishonoured.  Thou
art my Great Khan, beloved Mercedes, and thy smiles and
affection are the only Cathay I seek."
" Say not so, dear Luis, for thou knowest not the no
bility of thine own soul, nor the generosity of thine own
intentions. This is a stupendous project of Colon's, and
much as I rejoice that he hath had the imagination to conceive it, and the heart to undertake it in his own person, on
account of the good it must produce to the heathen, and
the manner in which it will necessarily redound to the glory
of God, still I fear that I am equally gladdened with the
recollection that thy name will be for ever associated with
the great achievement, and thy detractors put to shame
with the resolution and spirit with which so noble an ena
will have been attained."
"This is nothing but truth, Mercedes, should we reach
the Indies; but, should the saints desert us, and our project
fail, I fear that even thou would'st be ashamed to confess
an interest in an unfortunate adventurer who hath returned
without success, and thereby made himself the subject of
14 *




162


6MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


sneers and derision, instead of wearing the honourable dis.
tinction that thou seemest so confidently to expect."
" Then, Luis de Bobadilla, thou knowest me not," an.
swered Mercedes, hastily, and speaking with a tender
earnestness that brought the blood into her cheeks, gradually brightening the brilliancy of her eyes, until they shone
with a lustre that seemed almost supernatural-" then, Luis
de Bobadilla, thou knowest me not. I wish thee to share
in the glory of this enterprise, because calumny and censure have not been altogether idle with thy youth, and
because I feel that Her Highness's favour is most easily
obtained by it; but, if thou believest that the spirit to engage with Colon was necessary to incline me to think
kindly of my guardian's nephew, thou neither understandest
the sentiments that draw me towards thee, nor hast a just
appreciation of the hours of sorrow I have suffered on thy
account."
" Dearest, most generous, noble-learted girl, I am unworthy of thy truth, of thy pure sincerity, and of all thy
devoted feelings! Drive me from thee, at once, that I may
ne'er again cause thee a moment's grief."
"Nay, Luis, thy remedy, I fear me, would prove worse
than the disease that thou would'st cure," returned the beautiful girl, smiling and blushing as she spoke, and turning
her eloquent eyes on the youth in a way to avow volumes
of tenderness. " With thee must I be happy, or unhappy,
as Providence may will it; or miserable without thee."
The conversation now took that unconnected, and yet con!prehensive cast, which is apt to characterize the discourse
of those who feel as much as they reason, and it covered
more interests, sentiments, and events, than our limits will
allow us to record. As usual, Luis was inconsistent, jealous, repentant, full of passion and protestations, fancying
a thousand evils at one instant, and figuring in his imagina.
tion a terrestrial paradise at the next; while Mercedes was
enthusiastic, generous, devoted, and yet high-principled,
self-denying, and womanly; meeting her ardent suitor's
vows with a tenderress that seemed to lose all other consi.
derations in her love, and repelling with maiden coyness,
and with the dignity of her sex, his rhapsodies, whenever
they touched upon the exaggerated and indiscreet.




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


163


The interview lasted an hour, and it is scarce necessary
to say that vows of constancy, and pledges never to marry
another, were given, again and again. As the time for
separating approached, Mercedes opened a small casket
that contained her jewels, and drew forth one which she
offered to her lover as a gage of her truth.
" I will not give thee a glove to wear in thy casque at
tourneys, Luis," she said, " but 1 dffer this holy symbol,
which may remind thee, at the same moment, of the great
pursuit thou hast before thee, and of her who will wait its
issue with doubts and fears little less active than those of
Colon himself. Thou need'st no other crucifix to say thy
paters before, and these stones are sapphires, which thou
knowest are the tokens of fidelity - a feeling that thou
may'st encourage as respects thy lasting welfare, and
which it would not grieve me to know thou kept'st ever
active in thy bosom when thinking of the unworthy giver
of the trifle."
This was said half in melancholy, and half in lightness
of heart, for Mercedes felt at parting, both a weight of sorrow that was hard to be borne, and a buoyancy of the very
feeling to which she had just alluded, that much disposed
her to smile; and it was said with those winning accents
with which the youthful and tender avow their emotions,
when the heart is subdued by the thoughts of absence and
dangers. The gift was a small cross, formed of the stones
she had named, and of great intrinsic value, as well as
precious from the motives and character of her who
offered it.
" Thou hast had a care of my soul, in this, Mercedes,"
said Luis, smiling, when he had kissed the jewelled cross
again and again-" and art resolved if the sovereign of
Cathay should refuse to be converted to our faith, that we
shall not be converted to his. I fear that my offering will
appear tame and valueless in thine eyes, after so precious
a boon."
"One lock of thy hair, Luis, is all I desire.  Thou
knowest that I have no need of jewels."
" If I thought the sight of my bushy head would give
thee pleasure, every hair should quit it, and I would sail
from Spain with a poll as naked as a priest's, or even an




164


LMERCEDES OF CASTILE.


Infidel's; but the Bobadillas have their jewels, and a Bobadilla's bride shall wear them: this necklace was my
mother's, Mercedes; it is said to have once been the pro.
perty of a queen, though none have ever worn it who will
so honour it as thou."
"I take it, Luis, for it is thy offering and may not be
refused; and yet I take it tremblingly, for I see signs of
our different natures in these gifts. Thou hast chosen the
gorgeous and the brilliant, which pall in time, and seldom
lead to contentment; while my woman's heart hath led me
to constancy. I fear some brilliant beauty of the East
would better gain thy lasting admiration than a poor Castilian maid who hath little but her faith and love to recommend her!"
Protestations on the part of the young man followed, and
Mercedes permitted one fond and long embrace ere they
separated.  She wept on the bosom of Don Luis, and at
the final moment of parting, as ever happens with woman,
feeling got the better of form, and her whole soul con.
fessed its weakness. At length Luis tore himself away
from her presence, and that night he was on his way to
the coast, under an assumed name, and in simple guise;
whither Columbus had already preceded him.
CHAPTER XI.
"But where is Harold? Shall I then forget
To urge the gloomy wanderer o'er the wave?
Little reck'd he of all that men regret;
No loved-one now in feign'd lament could rave;
No friend the parting hand extended gave
Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."
BYRON.
TIE reader is not to suppose that the eyes of Europe
were on our adventurers. Truth and falsehood, inseparable
companions, it would seem, throughout all time, were not




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.             155
then diffused over the land by means of newspapers,
with mercenary diligence; and it was only the favoured
few who got early intelligence of enterprises like that in
which Columbus was engaged. Luis de Bobadilla had,
therefore, stolen from court unnoticed, and they who cane
in time to miss his presence, either supposed him to be on
a visit to one of his castles, or to have gone forth on another of those wanderi ng tours which were supposed to be
blemishes on his chivalry and unworthy of his birth. As
for the Genoese himself, his absence was scarcely heeded,
though it was understood among the courtiers generally,
that Isabella had entered into some arrangement with him,
which gave the adventurer higher rank and greater advantages than his future services would probably ever justify.
The other principal adventurers were too insignificant to
attract much attention, and they had severally departed for
the coast without the knowledge of their movements extending far beyond the narrow circles of their own acquaintances. Neither was this expedition, so bold in its:onception and so momentous in its consequences, destined
o sail from one of the more important ports of Spain; but
)rders to furnish the necessary means had been sent to a
maven of altogether inferior rank, and which would seem
o have possessed no other recommendations for this particular service, than hardy mariners, and a position without
the pass of Gibraltar, which was sometimes rendered hazardous by the rovers of Africa. The order, however, is
said to have been issued to the place selected, in conse.
quence of its having incurred some legal penalty, by which
it had been condemned to serve the crown for a twelvemonth with two armed caravels. Such punishments, it
would seem, were part of the policy of an age in which
navies were little more than levies on sea-ports, and when
fleets were usually manned by soldiers from the land.
Palos de Moguer, the place ordered to pay this tribute
for its transgression, was a town of little importance, even at
the close of the fifteenth century, and it has since dwindled
o an insignificant fishing village. Like most places that
ire little flvoured by nature, its population was hardy and
idventurous, as adventure was then limited by ignorance.
possessed no stately caracks, its business and want of




166


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


opulence confining all its efforts to the lighter caravel and
the still more diminutive felucca. All the succour, indeed,
that Columbus had been able to procure from the two
crowns, by his protracted solicitations, was the order for
the equipment of the two caravels mentioned, with the
additional officers and men that always accompanied a
royal expedition. The reader, however, is not to infer from
this fact any niggardliness of spirit, or any want of faith,
on the part of Isabella. It was partly owing to the exhausted condition of her treasury, a consequence of the
late war with the Moor, and more, perhaps, to the experience and discretion of the great navigator himself, who
well understood that, for the purposes of discovery, vessels
of this size would be more useful and secure than those
that were larger.
On a rocky promontory, at a distance of less than a
league from the village o4' Palos, stood the convent of La
Rabida, since rendered so celebrated by its hospitality to
Columbus. At the gate of this building, seven years before, the navigator, leading his youthful son by the hand,
had presented himself, a solicitor for food in behalf of the
wearied boy. The story is too well known to need repetition here, and we will merely add that his long residence
in this convent. and the firm friends he had made of
the holy Franciscans who occupied it, as well as among
others in their vicinity, were also probably motives that
influenced him in directing the choice of the crown to this
particular place. Columbus had not only circulated his
opinions with the monks, but with the more intelligent
of the neighbourhood, and the first converts he made in
Spain were at this place.
Notwithstanding all the circumstances named, the order
of the crown to prepare the caravels in question, spread
consternation among the mariners of Palos. In that age,
it was thought a wonderful achievement to follow the land,
along the coast of Africa, and to approach the equator.
The vaguest notions existed in the popular mind, concerning
those unknown regions, and many even believed that by
journeying south it was possible to reach a portion of the
earth where animal and vegetable life must cease on account of the intense heat of the sun. The revolutions of




MERCE1IES OF CASTILE.


167


the planets, the diurnal motion of the earth, and the causes
of the changes in the seasons, were then profound mysteries even to the learned; or, if glimmerings of the truth
did exist, they existed as the first rays of the dawn dimly
an(d hesitatingly announce the approach of day. It is not
surprising, therefore, that the simple-minded and unlettered
mariners of Palos viewed the order of the crown as a sentence of destruction on all who might be fated to obey it.
The ocean, when certain limits were passed, was thought
to be, like the firmament, a sort of chaotic void; and the
imaginations of the ignorant had conjured up currents and
whirlpools that were believed to lead to fiery climates and
frightful scenes of natural destruction. Some even fancied
it possible to reach the uttermost boundaries of the earth,
and to slide off into vacuum, by means of swift but imperceptible currents.
Such was the state of things, in the middle of the month
of July. Columbus was still in the convent of Rabida,
in the company of his constant friend and adherent, Fray
Juan Perez, when a lay brother came to announce that a
stranger had arrived at the gate, asking earnestly for the
Sefior Christoval Colon.
"Hath he the aspect of a messenger from the court?"
demanded the navigator; "for, since the failure of the
mission of Juan de Pefialosa, there is need of further orders from their Highnesses to enforce their gracious intentions."
" I think not, Seior," answered the lay brother; " these
hard-riding couriers of the queen generally appearing with
their steeds in a foam, and with hurried air and blustering voices; whereas this young cavalier behaveth mo.
destly, and rideth a stout Andalusian mule."
"D id he give thee his name, good Sancho!"
" He gave me two, Sefior, styling himself Pedro de Murios, or Pero Gutierrez, without the Don."
"This is well," exclaimed Columbus, turning a little
quickly towards the door, but otherwise maintaining a perfect selftcommand; "I expect the youth, and Ie is right
welcome. Let him come in at once, good Sa.ncho, and
that without any useless ceremony."




1'68


MER1CEDES OF CASTIME.


"An acquaintance of the court, Sefor?" observed the
prior, in the way one indirectly asks a question.
"A youth that hath the spirit, father, to adventure life
and character for the glory of God, through the advancement of his church, by embarking in our enterprise. He
cometh of a reputable lineage, and is not without the gifts
of fortune. But for the care of guardians, and his own
youth, gold would net have been wanting in our need. As
it is, he ventureth his own person, if one can be said to risk
aught in an expedition that seemeth truly to set even the
orders of their Highnesses at defiance."
As Columbus ceased speaking, the door opened and Luis
de Bobadilla entered. The young grandee had laid aside
all the outward evidences of his high rank, and now appeared in the modest guise of a traveller belonging to a
class more likely to furnish a recruit for the voyage, than
one of the rank he really was. Saluting Columbus with
cordial and sincere respect, and the Franciscan with humble deference, the first at once perceived that this gallant
and reckless spirit had truly engaged in the enterprise
with a determination to use all the means that would enable
him to go through with it.
"Thou art welcome, Pedro," Columbus observed, as
soon as Luis had made his salutations; " thou hast reached
the coast at a moment when thy presence and support may
be exceedingly useful. The first order of Her Highness,
by which I should have received the services of the two
caravels to which the state is entitled, hath been utterly
disregarded; and a second mandate, empowering me to
seize upon any vessel that may suit our necessities, hath
fared but little better, notwithstanding the Sefior de Pefialosa was sent directly from court to enforce its conditions,
under a penalty, to the port, of paying a daily tax of two
hundred maravedis, until the prder should be fulfilled. The
idiots have conjured all sorts of ills with which to terrify
themselves and their neighbours, and I seem to be as far
from the completion of my hopes as I was before I procured the friendship of this holy friar and the royal protection of Dofia Isabella. It is a weary thing, my good
Pedro, to waste a life in hopes defeated, with such an




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


169


object in view as the spread of knowledge and the extension of the church!"
" I am the bearer of good tidings, Sefior," answered the
young noble. " In coming hither from the town of Moguer,
I journeyed with one Martin Alonzo Pinzon, a mariner
with whom I have formerly voyaged, and we have had
much discourse concerning your commission and difficul.
ties. He tells me that he is known to you, Seior Colon
and I should judge from his discourse that he thinketh
favourably of the chances."
" Ie doth-he doth, indeed, good Pedro, and hath often
listened to my reasoning like a discreet and skilful navigator, as, I make no question, he really is. But didst thou
say that thou wast known to him?"
"Sefior, I did. We have voyaged together as far as
Cyprus, on one occasion, and, again, to the island of the
English. In such long voyages, men get to some knowledge of each other's temperament and disposition, and, of
a sooth, I think well of both, in this Seior Pinzon."
"Thou art young to pass an opinion on a mariner of
Martin Alonzo's years and experience, son," put in the
friar; "a man of much repute in this vicinity, and of no
little wealth. Nevertheless, I am rejoiced to hear that he
-continueth of the same mind as formerly, in relation to the
great voyage; for, of. late, I did think even he had begun
to waver."
Don Luis had expressed himself of the great man of the
vicinity, more like a Bobadilla than became his assumed
name of Mufos, and a glance from the eye of Columbus
told him to forget his rank and to remember the disguise he
had assumed.
"This is truly encouraging," observed the navigator,
" and openeth a brighter view of Cathay. Thou wast journeying between Moguer and Palos, I think thou saidst,
when this discourse was had with our acquaintance, the
good Martin Alonzo?"
" I was, Sefior, and it was he wno sent me hither in quest
of the admiral. He gave you the title that the queen's
favour hath bestowed, and I consider that no small sign of
friendship, as most others with whom I have conversed in.
this vicinity seem disposed to call you by any other name."
15




170


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


"None need embark in this enterprise," returned the
navigator, gravely, as if he would admonish the youth that
this was an occasion on which he might withdraw from the
adventure, if he saw fit, " who feel disposed to act differ.
ently, or who distrust my knowledge."
"By San Pedro, my patron! they tell another tale at
Palos, and at Moguer, Sefor Amirale," returned Luis,
laughing; "at which places, I hear, that no man whose
skin hath been a little warmed by the sun of the ocean,
dare show himself in the highways, lest he be sent to Ca.
thay by a road that no one ever yet travelled, except in
fancy! There is, notwithstanding, one free and willing
volunteer, Sefior Colon, who is disposed to follow you to
the edge of the earth, if it be flat, and to follow you quite
round it, should it prove to be a sphere; and that is one
Pedro de Mufios, who engageth with you from no sordid
love of gold, or love of aught else that men usually prize;
but from the pure love of adventure, somewhat excited and
magnified, perhaps, by love of the purest and fairest maid
of Castile."
Fray Juan Perez gazed at the speaker, whose free man
ner and open speech a good deal surprised him; for Co.
lumbus had succeeded in awakening so much respect that
few presumed to use any levity in his presence, even before
he was dignified by the high rank so recently conferred by
the commission of Isabella. Little did the good monk suspect that one of a still higher personal rank, though entirely without official station, stood before him, in the guise
of Pedro de Mufos; and he could not refrain fiom again,expressing the little relish he felt for such freedom of speech
and deportment towards those whom he himself habitually
regarded with so much respect.
"It would seem, Sefior Pedro de Mtufos," he said, "if
that be thy name-though Duke, or Marquis, or Count,
would be a title better becoming thy bearing-that thou
treatest His Excellency the Admiral with quite as much
freedom of thought, at least, as thou treatest the worthy
Martin Alonzo of our own neighbourhood: a follower
should be more humble, and not pass his jokes on the
opinions of his leader, in this loose style of expression."
" I crave your pardon, holy father, and that of the ad




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


171


miral, too, who better understandeth me I trust, if there be
any just grounds of offence. All I wish to express is, that
I know this Martin Alonzo of your neighbourhood, as an
old fellow-voyager; that we have ridden some leagues in
company this very day, and that, after close discourse, he
hath manifested a friendly desire to put his shoulder to the
wheel, in order to lift the expedition, if not from a slough
jf mud, at least from the sands of the river; and that he
hath promised to come also to this good convent of La Rabida, for that same purpose and no other. As for myself,
I can only add, that here I am, ready to follow wheresoever
the honourable Seflor Colon may see fit to lead."
"'T is well, good Pedro-'t is well," rejoined the admiral.
"I give thee full credit for sincerity and spirit, and that
must content thee until an opportunity offereth to convince
others.  I like these tidings concerning Martin Alonzo,
father, since he might truly do us much service, and his
zeal had assuredly begun to flag."
"That might he, and that will he, if he engageth seriously in the affair. Martin is the greatest navigator on
all this coast, for, though I did not know that he had ever
been even to Cyprus, as would appear by the account of
this youth, I was well aware that he had frequently sailed
as far north as France and as far south as the Canaries.
Dost think Cathay much more remote than Cyprus, Sefio,
Almirante?"
Columbus smiled at this question, and shook his head in
the manner of one who would prepare a friend for some
sore disappointment.
"Although Cyprus be not distant from the Holy Land,
and the seat of the Infidel's power," he answered, " Cathay
must lie much more remote. I flatter not myself, nor those
who are disposed to follow me, with the hope of reaching
tie Indies short of a voyage that shall extend to some
eight hundred or a thousand leagues."
"'T is a fearful and a weary distance!" exclaimed the
Franciscan; while Luis stood in smiling unconcern, equally
indifferent whether he had to traverse one thousand or ten
thousand leagues of ocean, so that the journey led to Mercedes and was productive of adventure. "A fearful and
weary distance, and yet I doubt not, Sefior Almirante, that




172


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


you are the very man designed by Providence to overcome
it, and to open the way for those who will succeed you,
bearing on high the cross of Christ and the promises of
his redemption!"
" Let.    -e this," returned Columbus, reverently
making the usua sign of the sacred emblem to which his
friend all. led; "as - proof that we have some worldly
foundation for the expectation, fere cometh the Sefnor Pin
zon himself, apparently hot with haste to see us."
Martin Alonzo Pinzon, whose name is so familiar to the
reader, as one who greatly aided the Genoese in his vast
undertaking, now entered the room, seemingly earnest and
bent on some fixed purpose, as Columbus's observant eye
had instantly detected. Fray Juan Perez was not a little
surprised to see that the first salutation of Martin Alonzo,
the great man of the neighbourhood, was directed to Pedro,
the second to the admiral, and the third to himself. There
was not time, however, for the worthy Franciscan, who
was a little apt to rebuke ary dereliction of decency on
the spot, to express what he felt on this occasion, ere Martin Alonzo opened his errand with an eagerness that showed
he had not come on a mere visit of friendship, or of ceremony.
" I a.:: -orely vexed, Sefior Almirante," he commenced,
"at learning the obstinacy, and the disobedience to the
orders of the queen, that have been shown among our
mariners of Palos. Although a dweller of the port itself,
and one who hath always viewed your opinions of this
western voyage with respect, if not with absolute faith, I
did not know the full extent of this insubordination until I
met, by accident, an old acquaintance on the high-way, in
the person of Don Pedro-I ought to say the Senor Pedro
de Mufios, here, who, coming from a distance, as he doth,
hath discovered more of our backslidings than I had
learned myself, on the spot. But, Sefnor, you are not now
to hear, for the first time, of what sort of stuff men are
made. They are reasoning beings, we are told; notwith.
standing which undeniable truth, as there is not one in a
hundred who is at the trouble to do his own thinking.
mneans may be found to change the opinions of a sufficient




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


173


number for all your wants, without their even suspecting it."
"This is very true, neighbour Martin Alenzo," put in
the friar-" so true, that it might go into a homily and do
no disservice to religion. Man is a rational animal, and an
accountable animal, but it is not meet that he should be a
thinking animal. In matters of the church, now, its interests being entrusted to a ministry, what have the unlearned
and ignorant to say of its affairs? In matters of navigation, it doth, indeed, seem as if one steersman were better
than a hundred! Although man be a reasoning animal,
there aie quite as many occasions when he is bound to
obey without reasoning, and few when he should be permitted to reason without obeying."
"All true, holy friar and most excellent neighbour; so
true that you will find no one in Palos to deny that, at least.
And now we are on the subject, I may as well add that it
is the church that hath thrown more obstacles in the way
of the Sefor Almirantc' success, than any other cause. All
the old womeun  f.!hc port declare that the notion of the
earth's being ":.nd is a heresy, and contrary to the Bible;
and, if the truth must be said, there are not a few under.
lings of this very convent, who uphold them in the opinion.
It doth api-.?tar unnatural to tell one who hath never quitted
the land, and who seeth himself much oftener in a valley
than on an eminence, that the globe is round, and, though
I have had many occasions to see the ocean, it would not
easily find credit wit' me, were it not for the fact that we
see the upper and smaller sails of a ship first, when approaching her, as well as thevanes and crosses of towns,
albeit they are the smaller objects about vessels and
churches. We mariners have one way to inspirit our followers, and you churchmen have another; and, now that I
intend to use my means to put wiser thoughts into the heads
of the seamen of Palos, reverend friar, I look to you to set
the church's engines at work, so as to silence the women,
and to quell the doubts of the most zealous among your
own brotherhood."
"Am I to understand by this, Seior Pinzon," demanded
Columbus, "tEa  you intend to take a direct and more
15




i't74


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


earnest interest than before in the success of my enter
prise?"
"Seinor, you may. That is my intention, if we can
come to as favourable an understanding about the terms,
as your worship would seem to have entered into with our
most honoured mistress Dofa Isabella deTrastarnara. I have
had some discourse with Sefior Don-I would say with
the Sefor Pedro de Mufnos, here,-odd's folly, an excess
of courtesy is getting to be a vice with me of late-but as
he is a youth of prudence, and manifests a desire to embark with you, it hath stirred my fancy so far, that I would
gladly be of the party. Sefior de Mufios and I have voyaged
so much together, that I would fain see his worthy counte.
nance once more upon the ocean."
" These are cheerful tidings, Martin Alonzo"-eagerly
put in the friar, "and thy soul, and the souls of all who
belong to you, will reap the benefits of this manly and pious
resolution. It is one thing, Sefor Almirante, to have their
Highnesses of your side, in a place like Palos, and another
to have our worthy neighbour Pinzon, here; for, if they are
sovereigns in law, he is an emperor in opinion. I doubt
not that the caravels will now be speedily forthcoming."
"Since thou seemest to have truly'resolved to enter into
our enterprise, Senor Martin Alonzo," added Columbus,
with his dignified gravity, "out of doubt, thou hast well
bethought thee of the conditions, and art come prepared to
let them be known. Do they savour of the terms that have
already been in discussion between us?"
" Sefior Admiral, they do; though gold is not, just now,
as abundant in our purses, as when we last discoursed on
this subject. On that head, some obstacles may exist, but
on all others, I doubt not, a brief explanation between us,
will leave the matter free from doubt."
"As to the eighth, for which I stand committed with their
Highnesses, Sefior Pinzon, there will be less reason, now,
to raise that point between us, than when we last met, as
other means may offer to redeem that pledge"-as Columbus spoke, his eyes involuntarily turned towards the pre.
tended Pero, whither those of Martin Alonzo Pinzon signifi.
cantly followed; " but there will be many difficulties to
overcome with thtise terrified and silly mariners, which




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


175


may yield to thy influence. If thou wilt come with me
into this chamber, we will at once discuss the heads of our
treaty, leaving this youth, the while, to the hospitality of
our reverend fripnd."
The prior raising no objection to this proposition, it
was immediately put in execution, Columbus and Pinzon
withdrawing to a more private apartment, leaving Fray
Juan Perez alone with our hero.
" Then thou thinkest seriously, son, of making one in
this great enterprise of the admiral's," said the Franciscan,
as soon as the door was closed on those who had just left
them, eyeing Luis, for the first time, with a more strict
scrutiny than hitherto he had leisure to exercise. "Thou
carriest thyself much like the young lords of the court,
and wilt have occasion to acquire a less towering air in the
narrow limits of one of our Palos caravels."
"I am no stranger to Nao, Carraca, Fusta, Pinaza, Carabelon, or Felucca, holy prior, and shall carry myself
with the admiral, as I should carry myself before Don
Fernando of Aragon, were he my fellow-voyager, or in the
presence of Boabdil of Grenada, were that unhappy monarch again seated on the throne from which he hath been
so lately hurled, urging his chivalry to charge the knights
of Christian Spain."
" These are fine words, son, ay, and uttered with a tilting air, if truth must be said; but they will avail thee nothing with this Genoese, who hath that in him, that would
leave him unabashed even in the presence of our gracious
lady, Dofia Isabella, herself."
"Thou knowest the queen, holy monk?" inquired Luis,
forgetting his assumed character, in the freedom of his address.
" I ought to know her inmost heart, son, for often have
I listened to her pure and meek spirit, in the secrets of the
confessional. Much as she is beloved by us Castilians, no
one can know the true, spiritual elevation of that pious
princess, and most excellent woman, but they who have
had occasion to shrive her."
Don Luis hemmed, played with the handle of his rapier,
and then gave utterance to the uppermost thought, as-usual.
"Didst tho i, by any chance of thy priestly office, father,




176


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


ever find it necessary to confess a maiden of the court, who
is much esteemed by the queen?" he inquired, "and whose
spirit, I '11 answer for it, is as pure as that of Dofia Isabella's
itself."
"Son, thy question denoteth greater necessity for repairing to Salamanca, in order to be instructed in the history,
and practices, and faith of the church, than to be entering
into an enterprise, even as commendable as this of Colon's!
Dost thou not know that we churchmen are not permitted
to betray the secrets of the confessional, or to draw comparisons between penitents? and, moreover, that we do not
take even Doia Isabella, the blessed Maria keep her ever
in mind, as the standard of holiness to which all Christians
are expected to aim? The maiden of whom thou speakest
may be virtuous, according to worldly notions, and yet a
grievous sinner in the eyes of mother church."
" I should like, before I quit Spain, to hear a Mendoza,
or a Guzman, who hath not a shaven crown, venture to
hint as much, most reverend prior!"
"Thou art hot and restive, and talkest idly, son; what
would one like thee find to say to a Guzman, or a Mendoza,
or a Bobadilla, even, did he affirm what thou wishest. But,
who is the maid, in whom thy feelings seem to take so deep,
although I question if it be not an unrequited, interest?"
"Nay, I did but speak in idleness. Our stations have
made such a chasm between us, that it is little likely we
should ever come to speech; nor is my merit such as would
be apt to cause her to forget her high advantages."
"Still, she hath a name?"
"She hath, truly, prior, and a right noble one it is. I
had the Doia Maria de las Mercedes de Valverde in my
thoughts, when the light remark found utterance. Haply,
thou mayest know that illustrious heiress?"
Fray Juan Perez, a truly guileless priest, started at the
name; then he gazed intently, and with a sort of pity, at
the youth; after which he bent his head towards the tiles
beneath his feet, smiled, and shook his head like one whose
thoughts were very active.
"I do, indeed, know the lady," he said, "and even
when last at court, on this errand of Colon's, their own
confessor being ill, I shrived her, as well as my royal mis




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


177


tress. That she is worthy of Dofia Isabella's esteem is
true; but thy admiration for this noble maiden, which must
be something like the distant reverence we feel for the
clouds that sail above our heads, can scarce be founded on
any rational hopes."
" Thou canst not know that, father. If this expedition
end as we trust, all who engage in it will be honoured and
advanced; and why not I, as well as another?"
" In this, thou may'st utter truth, but as for the Dofia-"
The Franciscan checked himself, for he was about to betray the secret of the confessional. He had, in truth, listened to the contrition of Mercedes, of which her passion
for Luis was the principal cause; and it was he, who, with
a species of pious fraud of which he was himself unconscious, had first pointed out the means by which the
truant noble might be made to turn his propensity to rove
to the profit of his love; and his mind was full of her beau.
tiful exhibition of purity and natural feeling, nearly even
to overflowing. But habit and duty interfered in time, and
he did not utter the name that had been trembling on his
lips. Still, his thoughts continued in this current, and his
tongue gave utterance to that portion of them which he believed to be harmless. "Thou hast been much about the
world, it would seem, by Master Alonzo's greeting," he
continued, after a short pause; " didst ever meet, son,
with a certain cavalier of Castile, named Don Luis de Bo.
badilla-a grandee, who also bears the title of Conde
de Llera?"
" I know little of his hopes, and care less for his titles,"'
returned Luis, calmly, who thought lie would manifest a
magnanimous indifference to the Franciscan's opinions," but I have seen the cavalier, and a roving, mad-brained,
graceless youth it is, of whom no good can be expected."
"I fear this is but too true", rejoined Fray Juan Perez,
shaking his head in a melancholy manner —" and yet they
say he is a gallant knight, and the very best lance in all
Spaln."
"Ay, he may be that," answered Luis, hemming a little
louder than was decorous, for his throat began to grow
husky ---" Ay, he may be that; but of what avail is a good




178


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


lance without a good character. I hear little commendabble
of this young Conde de Llera."
" I trust he is not the man he generally passeth for,"answered the simple-hearted monk, without in the least suspecting his companion's disguise; "and I do know that
there are some who think well of him-nay, whose existence, I might say whose very souls, are wrapped up in
him!"
" Holy Franciscan! —why wilt thou not mention the
names of one or two of these?" demanded Luis, with an
impetuosity that caused the prior to start.
" And why should I give this information to thee, young
man, more than to another?"
" Why, father-why, for several most excellent and unanswerable reasons. In the first place, I am a youth myself, as thou seest; and example, they say, is better than
precept. Then, too, I am somewhat given to roving, and
it may profit me to know how others of the same propensity have sped. Moreover, it would gladden my inmost
heart to hear that- but two sufficient reasons are better
than three, and thou hast the first number already."
Fray Juan Perez, a devout Christian, a learned churchman, and a liberal scholar, was as simple as a child in matters that related to the world and its passions. Nevertheless, he was not so dull as to overlook the strange deportment and stranger language of his companion. A direction
had been given to his thoughts by the mention of the name
of our heroine; and, as he himself had devised the very
course taken by our hero, the truth began to dawn on his
imagination.
" Young cavalier,", he exclaimed, "thou art Don Luis
de Bobadilla!"
"I shall never deny the prophetic knowledge of a churchman, worthy father, after this detection! I am he thou
sayest, entered on this expedition to win the love of Mer-cedes de Valverde."
"'Tis as I thought -and yet, Sefior, you might have,aken our poor convent less at an advantage. Suffer that
I command the lay brothers to place refreshments before
you!"
"Thy pardon, excellent prior-Pedro de Munios, or even




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.              179
Pero Gutierrez, hath no need of food; — but, now that
thou knowest me, there can be less reason for not convers.
ing of the Doia Mercedes?"
"' Now, that I know thee, Sefior Conde, there is greater
reason for silence on that head," returned Fray Juan Perez,
smiling.  "Thine aunt, the most esteemed and virtuous
lady of Moya, can give thee all occasion to urge thy suit
with this charming maiden, and it would ill become a
churchman to temper her prudence by any indiscreet interference."
This explanation was the commencement of a long and
confidential dialogue, in which the worthy prior, now that
he was on his guard, succeeded in preserving his main se.
cret, though he much encouraged the young man in the
leading hope of his existence, as well as in his project to
adhere to the fortunes of Columbus. In the mean while,
the great navigator himself continued closeted with his new
counsellor; and when the two re-appeared, it was announced
to those without, that the latter had engaged in the enterprise with so much zeal, that he actually entertained the
intention of embarking on board of one of the caravels in
person.
CHAPTER X1I.
"Yet he to whom each danger hath become
A dark delight, and every wild a home,
Still urges onward - undismayed to tread
Where life's fond lovers would recoil with dread."
The Abencerrage.
THE intelligence that Martin Alonzo Pinzon was to make
one of the followers of Colon, spread through the village of
Palos like wild-fire. Volunteers were no longer wanting;
the example of one known and respected in the vicinity,
operating far more efficiently on the minds of the mariners,


~




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MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


than the orders of the queen, or the philosophy of Colurn
bus. Martin Alonzo they knew; they were accustomed to
submit to his influence; they could follow in his footsteps,
and had confidence in his judgment; whereas the naked
orders of an unseen sovereign, however much beloved, had
more of the character of a severe judgment than of a generous enterprise; and, as for Columbus, though most men
were awed by his dignified appearance and grave manner
when out of sight, he was as much regarded as an adven
turer at-Palos, as he had been at Santa Fe.
The Pinzons set about their share of the expedition after
the manner of those who were more accustomed to execute,
than to plan. Several of the family entered cordially into
the work; and a brother of Martin Alonzo's, whose name
was*Ticente Yafiez, also a mariner by profession, joined the
adventurers as commander of one of the vessels, while another took service as a pilot. In short, the month that succeeded the incidents just mentioned, was actively employed,
and more was done, in that short space of time, towards
bringing about a solution of the great problem of Columbus,
than had been accomplished, in a practical way, during the
seventeen long years that the subject had occupied his time,
and engrossed his thoughts.
Notwithstanding the local influence of the Pinzons, a
vigorous opposition to the project, still existed in the heart
of the little community that had been chosen for the place
of equipment of the different vessels required. This family
had its enemies, as well as its friends, and, as is usual with
most human undertakings, two parties sprang up, one of
which was quite as busily occupied in thwarting the plans
of the navigator, as the other was engaged in promoting
them. One vessel had been seized for the service, under
the order of the court, and her owners became leaders cr
the dissatisfied faction. Many seamen, according to the
usage of that day, had been impressed for duty on this extraordinary and mysterious voyage; and, as a matter of
course, they and their friends were not slow to join the
ranks of the disaffected. Much of the necessary work was
found to be imperfectly done; and when the mechanics were
called on to repair these omissions, they absconded in a
body. As the time for sailing approached, the contention




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


181


grew more and more violent, and even the Pinzons had the
mortification of discovering that many of those who had
volunteered to follow their fortunes, began to waver, and
that some had unequivocally deserted.
Such was the state of things, towards the close of the
month of July, when Martin Alonzo Pinzon again repaired
to the convent of Santa Maria de Rabida, where Columbus
continued to pass most of the time that was not given to a
direct personal superintendence of the preparations, and
where Luis de Bobadilla, who was altogether useless in the
actual condition of affairs, also passed many a weary hour,
chafing for active duty, and musing on the loveliness, truth
and virtues of Mercedes de Valverde. Fray Juan Perez
was earnest in his endeavours to facilitate the execution of
the objects of his friends, and he had actually succeeded,
if not in absolutely suppressing the expression of all injurious opinions on the part of the less enlightened of the brotherhood, at least in rendering the promulgation of them
more cautious and private.
When Columbus and the prior were told that the Sefior
Pinzon sought an interview, neither was slow in granting
the favour. As the hour of departure drew nigh, the importance of this man's exertions became more and more
apparent, and both well knew that the royal protection of
Isabella herself, just at that moment and in that place, was
of less account than that of this active mariner. The
Sefior Pinzon;, therefore, had not long to wait for his audience, having been ushered into the room that was commonly occupied by the zealous Franciscan, almost as soon as
his request was preferred.
"Thou art right welcome, worthy Martin Alonzo!" exclaimed the prior, the moment he caught a glimpse of the
features of his old acquaintance-" How get on matters at
Palos, and when shall we have this holy undertaking in a
fair direction for success?"
"By San Francisco, reverend prior, that is more than it
will be safe for any man to answer. I have thought we
were in a fair way to make sail, a score of times, when
some unforeseen difficulty hath arisen. The Santa Maria,
on board which the admiral and the Sefior Gutierrez, or de
Mufios if he will have it so, will embark, is already fitted.
16




182


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


She may be set down as a tight craft, and somewhat ex.
ceedeth a hundred tons in burthen, so that I trust his excel.
lency, and all the gallant cavaliers who may accompany
him, will be as comfortable as the holy monks of Rabida,-more especially as the good caravel hath a deck."
"These are, truly, glad tidings," returned the prior, rubbing his hands with delight-" and the excellent craft hath
really a deck! Senior Almirante, thou rnay'st not be in a
vessel that is altogether worthy of thy high aim, but, on
the whole, thou wilt be both safe and comfortable, keeping
in view, in particular, this convenient and sheltering deck."
" Neither my safety nor my convenience is a considera
tion to be mentioned, friend Juan Perez, when there is
question of so much graver matters.   I rejoice that
thou hast come to the convent this morning, Sefior Martin
Alonzo, as being about to address letters to the court, by
means of an especial courier, I desire to know the actual
condition of things. Thou thinkest the Santa Maria will
be in a state for service by the end of the month?"
"Sefior, I do. The ship hath been prepared with due
diligence, and will conveniently hold some three score,
should the panic that hath seized on so many of the besotted fools of Palos, leave us that number, who may still be
disposed to embark. I trust that the saints look upon our
many efforts, and will remember our zeal when we shall
come to a joint division of the benefits of this undertaking,
which hath had no equal in the history of navigation!"
"The benefits, honest Martin Alonzo, will be found in
the spread of the church's dominion, and the increased
glory of God!" put in the prior, significantly.
" Out of all question, holy Fray Juan Pcrez-this is the
common aim; though I trust it is permitted to a painstaking mariner to bethink him of his wife and children, in
discreet subordination to those greater ends. I have much
mistaken the Senor Colon, if he do not look for some little
advantage, in the way of gold, from this visit to Cathay."
" Thou hast not mistaken me, honest Martin Alonzo,"
returned Columbus, gravely. " I do, indeed, expect to see
the wealth of the Indies pouring into the coffers of Castile,
in consequence of this voyage. In sooth, excellent prior,
in my view, the recovery of the holy sepulchre is depend



IMERCEDES OF CASTILE.


183


ent mainly on the success of our present undertaking, [n the
way of a substantial worldly success."
"This is well, Sefior Admiral," put in Martin Alonzo, a
little hastily, "and ought to gain us great favour in the eyes
of all good christians-more especially with the monks of
la Rabida. But it is hard enough to persuade the mariners
of the port to obey the queen, in this matter, and to fulfil
their engagements with ourselves, without preaching a crisade, as the best means of throwing away the few maravedis they may happen to gain by their hardships and courage.
The worthy pilots, Francisco Martin Pinzon, mine own brother, Sancho Ruiz, Pedro Alonzo Nifio, and Bartolemeo
Roldan, are all now firmly tied to us by the ropes of the
law; but should they happen to find a crusade at their end,
all the saints in the calendar would scarce have influence to
make them hesitate about loosening themselves from the
agreement."
" I hold no one but myself bound to this object," returned
Columbus, calmly.  " Each man, friend Martin Alonzo,
will be judged by his own deeds, and called on to fulfil his
own vows. Of those who pledge nought, nought will be
exacted, and nought given at the great final account of the
human race. But what are the tidings of the Pinta, thine
own vessel? Hath she been finally put into a condition to
buffet the Atlantic?"
" As ever happeneth with a vessel pressed into the royal
service, Sefior, work hath gone on heavily, and things in
general have not borne that merry activity which accompanieth the labour of those who toil of a free will, and for
their own benefit."
"The silly mariners have toiled in their own behalf.
without knowing it," observed Columbus. "It is the duty
of the ignorant to submit to be led by the more enlightened,
and to be gratefil for the advantages they derive from a
borrowed knowledge, albeit it is obtained contrary to their
own wishes."
"That is it, truly," added the prior; "else would the
office of us churchmen be reduced to very narrow limits.
Faith-faith in the church-is the Christian's earliest and
latest duty."
" This seemeth reasonable, excellent sirs," returned




184


MECI:;EDES (F CASTILE.


Master Alonzo, "though the ignorant find it difficult to
comprehend matters that they do not understand. When
a man fancieth himself condemned to an unheard-of death
he is little apt to see the benefit that lieth beyond the grave
Nevertheless, the Pinta is more nearly ready for the voy
age, than any other of our craft, and hath her crew engaged to a man, and that under contracts that will not
permit much dispute before a notary."
"There remaineth only the Nifia, then," added Columbus; " with her prepared, and our religious duties observed,
we may hope finally to commence the enterprise!"
"Senior, you may. My brother, Vicente Yafez, hath
finally consented to take charge of this little craft; and
that which a Pinzon promiseth, a Pinzon performeth. She
will be ready to depart with the Santa Maria and the Pinta,
and Cathay must be distant, indeed, if we do not reach it
with one or the other of our vessels."
"This is right encouraging, neighbour Martin Alonzo,"
returned the friar, rubbing his hands with delight, " and I
make no question all will come round in the end. What
say the crones and loose talkers of Moguer, and of the
other ports, touching the shape of the earth, and the chances
of the admiral's reaching the Indies, now-a-days?"
"They discourse much as they did, Fray Juan Perez,
idly and without knowledge.  Although there is not a
mariner in any of the havens who doth not admit that the
upper sails, though so much the smallest, are the first seen
on the ocean, yet do they deny that this cometh of the
shape of the earth, but, as they affirm, of the movements
of the waters."
" Have none of them ever observed the shadows cast by
the earth, in the eclipses of the moon?" asked Columbus,
in his calm manner, though he smiled, even in putting the
question, as one smiles who, having dipped deep y into a
natural problem himself, carelessly lays one of its more
popular proofs before those who are less disposed to go be.
neath the surface. " Do they not see that these shadows
are round, and do they not know that a shadow which is
round can only be cast by a body that is round?"
"This is conclusive, good Martin Alonzo," put in the
prior, "and it ought to remove the doubts of the silliest




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


185


gossip on the coast. Tell them to encircle their dwellings,
beginning to the right, and see if, by following the walls,
they do not return to the spot from which they started,
coming in from the left."
" Ay, reverend prior, if we could bring our distant voyage down to these familiar examples, there is not a crone
in Moguer, or a courtier at Seville, that might not be made
to comprehend the mystery. But it is one thing to state a
problem fairly, and another to find those who can understand it. Now, I did give some such reasoning to the
Alguiazil, in Palos here, and the worthy Sefior asked me if
I expected to return from this voyage by the way of the
lately captured town of Granada. I fancy that the easiest
method of persuading these good people to believe that
Cathay can be reached by the western voyage, will be by
going there and returning."
" Which we will shortly do, Master Martin Alonzo," observed Columbus, cheerfully — " But the time of our departure draweth near, and it is meet that none of us neglect
the duties of religion. I commend thee to thy confessor,
Sefor Pinzon, and expect that all who sail with me, in this
great enterprise, will receive the holy communion in my
company, before we quit the haven. This excellent prior
will shrive Pedro de Muflos and myself, and let each man
seek such other holy counsellor and monitor as hath been
his practice."
With this intimation of his intention to pay a due regard
to the rites of the church before he departed-rites that
were seldom neglected in that day-the conversation turned,
for the moment, on the details of the preparations. After
this the parties separated, and a few more days passed
away in active exertions.
On the morning of Thursday, August the second, 1492,
Columbus entered the private apartment of Fray Juan Perez,
habited like a penitent, and with an air so devout, and yet
so calm, that it was evident his thoughts were altogether
bent on his own transgressions and on the goodness of God.
The zealous priest was in waiting, and the great navigator
knelt at the feet of him, before whom Isabella had often
knelt, in the fulfilment of the same solemnity. The religion of this extraordinary man was coloured by the habi.s
16*




186


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


and opinions of his age, as indeed, in a greater or less de.
gree, must be the religion of every man; his confession,
consequently, had that admixture of deep piety with incon.
sistent error, that so often meets the moralist in his investi.
gations into the philosophy of the human mind. The truth
of this peculiarity will be seen, by adverting to one or two
of the admissions of the great navigator, as he laid before
his ghostly counsellor the catalogue of his sins.
"Then, I fear, holy father," Columbus continued, after
having made most of the usual confessions touching the
more familiar weaknesses of the human race, "that my
mind hath become too much exalted in this matter of the
voyage, and that I may have thought myself more directly
set apart by God, for some good end, than it might please
his infinite knowledge and wisdom to grant."
"That would be a dangerous error, my son, and I care.
fully admonish thee against the evils of self-righteousness.
That God selecteth his agents, is beyond dispute; but it is
a fearful error to mistake the impulses of self-love, for the
movements of his Divine Spirit! It is hardly safe for any
who have not received the church's ordination, to deem
themselves chosen vessels."
"I endeavour so to consider it, holy friar," answered
Columbus, meekly; "and, yet, there is that within; which
constantly urgeth to this belief, be it a delusion, or come it
directly from heaven. I strive, father, to keep the feeling
in subjection, and most of all do I endeavour to see that it
taketh a direction that may glorify the name of God and
serve the interests of his visible church."
"This is well, and yet do I feel it a duty to admonish
thee against too much credence in these inward impulses.
So long as they tend, solely, to increase thy love for the
Supreme Father of all, to magnify his holiness and glorify
his nature, thou mayest be certain it is the offspring of
good; but when self-exaltation seemeth to be its aim, beware the impulse, as thou would eschew the dictatior? of
the great father of evil."
"I so consi'der it; and now having truly and sincerely
iisburthened my conscience, father, so far as in me lieth
may I hope for the church's consolation, with its absolu
ion 1"




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.             I t7
"Canst thou think of nought else, son, that should not
lie hid fiom before the keeper of all consciences?"
"My sins are many, holy prior, and cannot be too often
or too keenly rebuked; but I do think that they may be
fairly included in the general heads that I have endeavoured to recal.'?
"Hast thou nothing to charge thyself with, in connection
with that sex that the devil as often useth as his tempters
to evil, as the angels would fain employ them as the minis.
ters of grace?"
"I have erred as a man, father; but do not my confessions already meet those sins?"
" Hast thou bethought thee of Dofia Beatriz Enriquez?
of thy son Fernando, who tarrieth, at this moment, in our
convent of La Rabida?"
Columbus bowed his head in submission, and the heavy;igh. amounting almost to a groan, that broke out of his
oosom, betrayed the weight of his momentary contrition.
" Thou sayest true, father; that is an offence which
should never be forgotten, though so often shrived since its
commission. Heap on me the penance that I feel is due,
and thou shalt see how a Christian can bend and kiss the
rod that he is conscious of having merited."
"The spirit thus to do, is all that the church requireth;
and thou art now bent on a service too important to her interests, to be drawn aside from thy great intentions, for any
minor considerations. Still may not a minister of th altar
overlook the offence. Thou wilt say a pater, daily, on account of this great sin, for the next twenty days, all of
which will be for the good of thy soul; after which the
church releaseth thee from this especial duty, as thou wilt,
then, be drawing near to the land of Cathay, and may have
occasion for all thy thoughts and efforts to effect thy
object."
The worthy prior then proceeded to prescribe several
light penances, most of which were confined to moderate
increases of the daily duties of religion; after which he
shrived the navigator. The turn of Luis came next, and
more than once the prior smiled involuntarily, as he listened to this hot-blooded and impetuous youth, whose language irresistibly carried back his thoughts to.he more




188             MERCEDES OF CASTILE.
meek, natural, and the more gentle admissions of the
pure-minded Mercedes. The penance prescribed to Luis
was not entirely free from severity, though, on the whole,
the young man, who was not much addicted to the duties
of the confessional, fancied himself well quit of the affair,
considering the length of the account he was obliged to
render, and the weight of the balance against him.
These duties performed in the persons of the two prin.
cipal adventurers, Martin Alonzo Pinzon, and the ru'der
mariners of the expedition, appeared before different priests
and gave in the usual reckoning of their sins. After this,
came a scene that was strictly characteristic of the age,
and which would be impressive and proper, in all times and
seasons, for men about to embark in an undertaking of a
result so questionable.
High mass was said in the chapel of the convent, and
Columbus received the consecrated bread from the hands
of Fray Juan Perez, in humble reliance on the all-seeing
providence of God, and with a devout dependence on his
fostering protection. All who were about to embark with
the admiral imitated his example, communing in his company; for that was a period when the wire-drawn conclusions of man had not yet begun so far to supplant the faith
and practices of the earlier church as to consider its rites
as the end of religion, but he was still content to regard
them as its means. Many a rude sailor, whose ordinary
life might not have been either saintly or even free from
severe censure, knelt that day at the altar, in devout dependence on God, with feelings, for the moment, that at
least placed him on the high-way to grace; and it would, be
presumptuous to suppose that the omniscient Being to whom
his offerings were made, did not regard his ignorance with
commiseration and even look upon his superstition with
pity. We scoff at the prayers of those who are in danger,
without reflecting that they are a homage to the power of
God, and are apt to fancy that these passages in devotion
are mere mockery, because the daily mind and the ordinary lifb are not always elevated to the same standard
of godliness and purity.  It would be more humble to
remember the general infirmities of the race; to recol-,ect, that as none are perfect, the question is reduced




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


189


to one of degree; and to bear in mind, that the Being who
reads the heart, may accept of any devout petitions, even
though they come from those who are not disposed habitually to walk in his laws. These passing but pious emotions are the workings of the Spirit, since good can come
from no other source; and it is as unreasonable as it is irreverent to imagine that the Deity will disregard, altogether,
the effects of his own grace, however humble.
Whatever may have been the general disposition of most
of the communicants on this occasion, there is little doubt
that there knelt at the altar of La Rabida, that day, one in
the person of the great navigator himself, who, as far as
the eye could perceive, lived habitually in profound deference to the dogmas of religion, and who paid an undeviating respect to all its rites. Columbus was not strictly a
devotee; but a quiet, deeply seated enthusiasm, which had
taken the direction of Christianity, pervaded his moral system, and at all times disposed him to look up to the protecting hand of the Deity and to expect its aid. The high
aims that he entertained for the future have already been
mentioned, and there is little doubt of his having persuaded
himself that he had been set apart by Providence as the instrument it designed to employ in making the great discovery on which his mind was so intently engaged, as well
as in accomplishing other and ulterior purposes. If, indeed,
an overruling Power directs all the events of this world,
who- will presume to say that this conviction of Columbus
was erroneous, now that it has been justified by the result?
That he felt this sentiment, sustaining his courage and
constantly urging him onward, is so much additional evidence in favour of his impression, since, under such circumstances, nothing is more probable than that an earnest
belief in his destiny would be one of the means most likely
to be employed by a supernatural power in:nducing its
human agent to accomplish the work for which he had
actually been selected.
Let this be as it might, there is no doubt that Colon observed the rites of the church, on the occasion named, with
t most devout reliance on the truth of his mission, and
with the brightest hopes as to its successful termination.
Not so, however, with all of his intended followers. Their




190


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


minds had wavered, from time to time, as the preparations
advanced; and the last month had seen them eager to de.
part, and dejected with misgivings and doubts. Although
there were days of hope and brightness, despondency
perhaps prevailed, and this so much the more because the
apprehensions of mothers, wives, and of those who felt an
equally tender interest in the mariners, though less inclined
to avow it openly, were thrown into the scale by the side
of their own distrust. Gold, unquestionably, was the great
aim of their wishes, and there were moments when visions
of inexhaustible mines and of oriental treasures floated before their imaginations; at which times none could be more
eager to engage in the mysterious undertaking, or more
ready to risk their lives and hopes on its success. But
these were fleeting impressions, and, as has just been said,
despondency was the prevalent feeling among those who
'ere about to embark. It heightened the devotion of the
-ommunicants, and threw a gloom over the chastened sobriety of the altar, that weighed'heavily on the hearts of
most assembled there.
" Our people seem none of the most cheerful, Sefior Alm;l
rante," said Luis, as they left the convent-chapel in company, " and, if truth must be spoken, one could wish to set
forth on an expedition of this magnitude, better sustained
by merry hearts and smiling countenances."
" Dost thou imagine, young count, that he hath the firmest mind, who weareth the most smiling visage, or that the
heart is weak because the oountenance is sobered? These
honest mariners bethink them of their sins, and no doubt
are desirous that so holy an enterprise be not tainted by the
corruption of their own hearts, but rather purified and rendered fitting, by their longings to obey the will of God. I
trust Luis"-inteicourse had given Columbus a sort of
paternal interest in the welfare of the young grandee, that
lessened the distance made by rank between them -"I
trust, Luis, thou art not, altogether, without these pious
longings in thine own person."
"By San Pedro, my new patron! Sciior Almirante, I
think more of Mercedes de Valverde, than of aught else, in
this great affair. She is my polar star, my religion, my
Cathay. Go on, in Heaven's name, and discover what thou




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191


wilt, whether it be Cipango or the farthest Indies; beard the
great Khan on his throne, and I will follow in thy train,
with a poor lance and an indifferent sword, swearing that
the maid of Castile hath no equal, and ransacking the east,
merely to prove in the face of the universe, that she is peerless, let her rivals come from what part of the earth they
may."
Although Columbus permitted his grave countenance
slightly to relax at this rhapsody, he did not the less deem
it prudent to rebuke the spirit in which it was uttered.
"I grieve, my young friend," he said, " to find that thou
hast not the feelings proper for one who is engaged, as it
might be, in a work of Heaven's own ordering. Canst thou
not.foresee the long train of mighty and wonderful events
that are likely to follow from this voyage-the spread of
religion, through the holy church; the conquest of distant
empires, with their submission to the sway of Castile; the
settling of disputed points in -science and philosophy, and
the attainlment of inexhaustible wealth; with the last and
most honourable consequence of all, the recovery of the
sepulchre of the Son of God, from the hands of the Infidels!"
" No doubt, Sefor Colon-no doubt, I see them all, but
I see the Dofnas Mercedes at their end. What care I for
gold, who already possess-or shall so soon possess-more
than I need;-what is the extension of the sway of Castile
to me, who can never be its king; and as for the Holy
Sepulchre, give me but Mercedes, and, like my ancestors
that are gone, I am ready to break a lance with the stoutest
Infidel who ever wore a turban, be it in that, or in any
other quarrel. In short, Seior Aimirante, lead on; and
though we go forth with different objects and different hopes,
doubt not that they will lead us to the same goal. I feel that
you ought to be sipported in this great and noble design,
and it matters not what may bring me in your traii "
"Thou art a mad-brained youth, Luis, and must be humoured, if it were only for the sake of the sweet and pious
young inaiden who seemeth to engross all thy thoughts."
"You have seen her, Sefior, and can say whether she be
not worthy to occupy the minds of all the youth of Spain?"
"She is fair, and virtuous, and noble, and a zealous




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friend of the voyage. These are all rare merits, and thou
may'st be pardoned for thy enthusiasm in her behalf. But,
forget not, that, to win her, thou must first win a sight of
Cathay."
" In the reality, you must mean, Sefior Almirante; for,
with the mind's eye, I see it keenly, constantly, and see
little else, with Mercedes standing on its shores, smiling a
welcome, and, by St. Paul! sometimes beckoning me on,
with that smile that fires the soul with its witchery, even
while it subdues the temper with its modesty. The blessed
Maria send us a wind, right speedily, that we may quit this
irksome river, and wearying convent!"
Columbus made no answer; for, while he had all consideration for a lover's impatience, his thoughts turned to
subjects too grave, to be long amused even by a lover's
follies.
CHAPTER XIII.
"Nor Zayda weeps him only
But all that dwell between
The great Alhambra's palace walls
And springs of Albaiein."
Bryant's Translations.'
THE instant of departure at length arrived. The moment so long desired by the Genoese was at hand, and
years of poverty, neglect, and of procrastination, were all
forgotten at that blessed hour; or, if they returned in any
manner to the constant memory, it was no longer with the
bitterness of hope deferred. The navigator, at last, saw
himself in the possession of the means of achieving the
first great object for which he had lived the last fifteei.
years, with the hope, in perspective, of making the success
of his present adventure the stepping-stone towards effectmig the conquest of the Eoly Sepulchre.  While those




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


193


around him were looking with astonishment at the limited
means with which ends so great were to be attained, or
were struck aghast at the apparent temerity of an undertaking that seemed to defy the laws of nature, and to set at
nought the rules of Providence, he had grown more tranquil as the time for sailing drew nearer, and his mind was
oppressed merely by a feeling of intense, but of sobered,
delight. Fray Juan Perez whispered to Luis, that he could
best liken the joy of the admiral to the chastened rapture
of a Christian who was about to quit a world of woe, to
enter on the untasted, but certain, fruition of blessed immortality.
This, however, was far from being the state of mind of
all in Palos. The embarkation took place in the course of
the afternoon of the 2d of August, it being the intention of
the pilots to carry the vessels that day to a point, off the
town of Huelvas, where the position was more favourable
to making sail, than when anchored in front of Palos.
The distance was trifling, but it was the commencement of
the voyage, and, to many, it was like snapping the cords
of life, to make even this brief movement.  Columbus,
himself, was one of the last to embark, having a letter to
send to the court, and other important duties to discharge.
At length he quitted the convent, and, accompanied by Luis
and the prior, he, too, took his way to the beach. The
short journey was silent, for each of the party was deeply
plunged in meditation. Never before this hour, did the enterprise seem so perilous and uncertain to the excellen
Franciscan. Columbus was carefully recalling the details
of his preparations, while Luis was thinking of the maid
of Castile, as he was wont to term Mercedes, and of the
many weary days that must elapse before he could hope to
see her again.
The party stopped on the shore, in waiting for a boat to
arrive, at a place where they were removed from any
houses. There Fray Juan Perez took his leave of the two
adventurers. The long silence that all three had maintained,
was more impressive than any ordinary discourse could
have been; but it was now necessary to break it. The
prior was deeply affected, and it was some little time before
he could even trust his voice to speak.
7




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MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


" Seior Christoval," he at length commenced, " it is now
many years since thou first appeared at the gate of Santa
Maria de Rabida-years of friendship and pleasure have
taey proved to me."
" It is full seven, Fray Juan Perez," returned Columbus,
-" seven.weary years have they proved to me, as a solicitor for employment;-years of satisfaction, father, in all
that concerneth thee. Think not that I can ever forget the
hour, when leading Diego, houseless, impoverished, wanderers, journeying on foot, I stopped to tax the convent's
charity for refreshment! The future is in the hands of
God, but the past is imprinted here,"-laying his hand on.his heart-" and can never be forgotten. Thou hast been
my constant friend, holy prior, and that, too, when it was
no credit to favour the nameless Genoese. Should my estimation ever change in men's opinions-"
"Nay, Sefior Almirante, it hath changed already,"eagerly interrupted the prior. " Hast thou not the commission of the queen-the support of Don Fernando-the
presence of this young noble, though still as an incognito
-the wishes of all the learned? Dost thou not go forth, on
this great voyage, carrying with thee more of our hopes
than of our fears?"
" So far as thou art concerned, dear Juan Perez, this may
be so. I feel that I have all thy best wishes for success; I
know that I shall have thy prayers. Few in Spain, not.
withstanding, will think of Colon, with respect, or hope,
while we are wandering on the great desert of the ocean,
beyond a very narrow circle. I fear me, that, even at this
noment, when the means of learning the truth of our theories is in actual possession, when we stand, as it might be,
on the very threshold of the great portal which opens upon
the Indies, that few believe in our chances of -success."
Thou hast Dofa Isabella of thy side, Sefior!"
"And Dofia Mercedes!" put in Luis, "not to speak of
my decided and true-hearted aunt!"
" I ask but a few brief months, Sefiores," returned Colurnbus, his face turned to heaven with uncovered head, his
grey hair floating in the wind, and his eye kindling with
the light of enthusiasm,-" a few short months, that will
pass away untold with the happy-that even the miserable




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


195


may find supportable, but which to us will seeln ages, must
now dispose of this question. Prior, I have often quitted
the shore feeling that 1 carried my life in my hand, conscious of all the dangers of the ocean, and as much expecting death as a happy return; but, at this glorious moment
no doubts beset me; as for life, I know it is in the keeping
of God's care; as for success, I feel it is in God's wisdom!"
" These are comfortable sentiments, at so serious a moment, Sefor, and I devoutly hope the end will justify them.
But, yonder is thy boat, and we must now part. Seior,
my son, thou knowest that my spirit will be with thee in
this mighty undertaking."
"[Holy prior, remember me in thy prayers. I am weak,
and have need of this support. I trust much to the efficacy
of thy intercessions, aided by those of thy pious brotherhood. Thou wilt bestow on us a few masses?"
"Doubt us not, my friend; all that La Rabida can do with
the blessed Virgin, or the saints, shall be exercised, without
ceasing, in thy behalf. It is not given to man to foresee
the events that are controlled by Providt nce; and, though
we deem this enterprise of thine so certain, and so reason
able, it may nevertheless fail."
"It may not fail, father; God hath thus far directed it,
and he will not permit it to fail."
" We know not, Seilor Colon; our wisdom is but as
a grain of mustard seed, among the sands of this shore, as
compared with his inscrutable designs. I was about to say,
as it is possible thou may'st return a disappointed, a defeated man, that thou wilt still find the gate of Santa Maria open to thee; since, in our eyes, it is as meritorious to
attempt nobly, as it is often, in the eyes of others, to achieve
successfully."
"I understand thee, holy prior; and the cup and the
morsel bestowed on the young Diego, were not more grateful than this proof of thy friendship! I would not depart
without thy blessing."
"Kneel, then, Sefior; for, in this act it will not be Juan
Perez de Marchena that will speak, and pronounce, but the
minister of God and the church. Even these sands will be
no unwoithy slot to receive such an advantage."
The eyes of both Columbus and the prior were suffused




196


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


with tears, for at that moment the heart of each was touched
with the emotions natural to a moment so solemn. The
first loved the last, because he had proved himself a friend,
when friends were few and timid; and the worthy monk
had some such attachment for the great navigator as men
are apt to feel for those they have cherished. Each, also,.respected and appreciated the other's motives, and there
was a bond of union in their common reverence for the
Christian religion. Columbus kneeled on the sands, and
received the benediction of his friend, with the meek submission of faith, and with some such feelings of reverence
as those with which a pious son would have listened to a
blessing pronounced by a natural father.
"And thou, young lord," resumed Fray Juan Perez, with
a husky voice —" Thou, too, wilt be none the worse for the
prayers of an aged churchman."
Like most of that age, Luis, in the midst of his impetuous
feelings, and youthful propensities, had enshrined in his
heart an image ( f the Son of God, and entertained an habitual respect fo' holy things. He knelt without hesitation,
and listened to the trembling words of the priest with thank.
fulness and respect.
" Adieu, holy prior," said Columbus, squeezing his friend's
hand. "Thou hast befriended me when others held aloof:
but I trust in God that the day is not now distant, when
those who have ever shown confidence in my predictions
will cease to feel uneasiness at the mention of my name.
Forget us in all things but thy prayers, for a few short
months, and then expect tidings that, of a verity, shall exal
Castile to a point of renown which will render this Conquest
of Granada but an incident of passing interest amid the
glory of the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella!"
This was not said boastfully, but with the quiet earnestness of one who saw a truth, that was concealed from most
eyes, and this with an intensity so great, that the effect on
his moral vision produced a confidence equalling that
which is the fruit of the evidence of the senses in ordinary
men. The prior understood him, and the assurance thus
given cheered the mind of the worthy Franciscan long after
the departure of his friend. They embraced and separated.




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


197


By this time, the boat of Columbus had reached the
shore.  As the navigator moved slowly towards it, a
youthful female rushed wildly past him and Luis, and regardless of their presence, she threw her arms around a
young marinek who had quitted the boat to meet her, and
sobbed for a minute on his bosom, in uncontrollable agony,
or as women weep in the first outbreak of their emotions.
" Come, then, Pepe," the young wife at length said, hurriedly, and with low earnestness, as one speaks who would
fain persuade herself that denial was impossible —" come,
Pepe; thy boy hath wept for thee, and thou hast pushed
this matter, already, much too far."
"Nay, Monica," returned the husband, glancing his eye
at Columbus, who was already near enough to hear his
words —" thou knowest it is by no wish of mine that I am
to sail on this unknown voyage. Gladly would I abandon
it, but the orders of the queen are too strong for a poor
mariner like me, and they must be obeyed."
" This is foolish, Pepe," returned the woman, pulling at
her husband's doublet to drag him from the water-side-"I
have had enough of this; sufficient to break my heart.
Come, then, and look again upon thy boy."
" Thou dost not see that the admiral is near, Monica,
and we are showing him disrespect."
The habitual deference that was, paid by the low to the
high, induced the woman, for a moment, to pause. She
looked imploringly at Columbus, her fine dark eyes became
eloquent with the feelings of a wife and mother, and then
she addressed the great navigator, himself.
"Sefior," she said, eagerly, " you can havp no further
need of Pepe. He hath helped to carry your vessels to
Huelva, and now his wife and boy call for him at home."
Columbus was touched with the manner of the woman,
which was not entirely without a show of that wavering of
reason which is apt to accompany excessive grief and he
answered her less strongly, than, at a moment so critical,
he might otherwise have been disposed to do to one who
was inciting to disobedience.
"Thy husband is honoured in being chosen to be my
companion in the great voyage," he said. "Instead of bo17 *




198


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


wailing his fate, thou would'st act more like a brave mari
ner's wife, in exulting in his good fortune."
" Believe him not, Pepe. He speaketh under the Evil
One's advice to tempt thee to destruction. He hath talked
blasphemy, and belied the word of God, by saying that the
world is round, and that one may sail east by steering west,
that he might ruin thee and others, by tempting ye all tc
follow him!"
"And why should I do this, good woman?" demanded
the admiral. " What have I to gain, by the destruction of
thy husband, or by the destruction of any of his comrades?"
"I know not-I care not-Pepe is all to me, and he
shall not go with you, on this mad and wicked voyage. No
good can come of a journey that is begun by'belying the
truths of God!"
" And what particular evil dost thou dread, in this, more
than in another voyage, that thou thus hang'st upon thy
husband, and usest such discourse to one who beareth their
Highnesses' authority for that he doeth. Thou knewest he
was a mariner when thou wert wedded, and yet thou
would'st fain prevent him from serving the queen, as becometh his station and duty."
" He may go against the Moor, or the Portuguese, or the
people of Inghleterra, but I would not that he voyage in
the service of the Prince of Darkness. Why tell us that
the earth is round, Sefor, when our eyes show that it is
flat'? And if round, how can a vessel that hath descended
the side of the earth for days, ever return? The sea doth
not flow upward, neither can a caravel mount the waterfall. And when thou hast wandered about for months in
the vacant ocean, in what manner wilt thou, and those with
thee, ever discover the direction that must be taken, to return whence ye all sailed? Oh! Senor, Palos is but a little
town, and once lost sight of, in such a confusion of ideas,
it will never be regained."
"Idle and childish, as this may seem," observed Colum.
bus, turning quietly to Luis, " it is as reasonable as much
that I have been doomed to hear from the learned, during
the last sixteen years. When the night of ignorance obscures the mind, the thoughts conjure arguments a thousand




MERCEDES OF CASTIL,.


199


times more vain and frivolous than the phenomena of na..
ture that it fancies so unreasonable. I will try the effect
of religion on this woman, converting her present f'eelings
on that head, from an enemy into all ally.-Monica," call.
ing her kindly and familiarly by name, "art thou a Chris.
tian?"
"Blessed Maria! Sefior Almirante, what else should I
be? Dost think Pepe would have married a Moorish girl?"
" Listen, then, to me, and learn how unlike a believer
thou conductest. The Moor is not the only infidel, but this
earth groaneth with the burthen of their numbers, and of
their sins. The sands on this shore are not as numerous
as the unbelievers in the single kingdom of Cathay; for,
as yet, God hath allotted but a small portion of the earth to
those who have faith in the mediation of his Son. Even
the sepulchre of Christ is yet retained by infidel hands."
" This have I heard, Seior; and 'tis a thousand pities
the faith is so weak in those who have vowed to obey
the law, that so crying an evil hath never been cured!"
" Hast thou not been told that such is to be the fate ol
the world, for a time, but that light will dawn when the
word shall pass, like the sound of trumpets, into the ears
of infidels, and when the earth, itself, shall be but one vast
temple, filled with the praises of God, the love cf his name,
and obedience to his will?"
" Sefior, the good fathers of La Rabida, and our own
parish priests, often comfort us with these hopes."
"And hast thou seen nought of late to encourage that
hope-to cause thee to think that God is mindful of his people, and that new light is beginning to burst on the darkness of Spain?"
" Pepe, his excellency must mean the late miracle at the
convent, where they say that real tears were seen to fall
from the eyes of the image of the holy Maria, as she gazed
at the child that lay on her bosom."
I mean not that," interrupted Columbus, a little sternly,
though he crossed himself, even while he betrayed dissatisfaction at the allusion to a miracle that was much too
vulgar for his mranly understanding-" I mean no such ques.
tionable wonder, which it is permitted us to believe, or not
as it may be supported by the church's authority. Can th)




200


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


faith and zeal point to no success of the two sovereigns, in
which the power of God, as exercised to the advancement
of the faith, hath been made signally apparent to believers?"
"He meaneth the expulsion of the Moor, Pepe!" the
woman exclaimed, glancing quickly towards her husband.
with  look of pleasure, " that hath happened of late, they
say, by conquering the city of Granada; into which place
they tell me, Dofla Isabella hath marched in triumph."
"In that conquest, thou seest the commencement of the
great acts of our time. Granada hath now its churches;;
and the distant land of Cathay will shortly follow her example. These are the doings of the Lord, foolish woman;
and in holding back thy husband from this great undertaking, thou hinderest him from purchasing a signal reward in
heaven, and may unwittingly be the instrument of casting
a curse, instead of a blessing, on that very boy, whose
image now filletb thy thoughts more than that of his Makei
and Redeemer."
The woman appeared bewildered, first looking at the admiral, and then at her husband, after which she bowed her
head low, and devoutly crossed herself. Recovering from
this self-abasement, she again turned towards Columbus,
demanding earnestly"And you, Sefior-do you sail with the wish and hope
of serving God?"
"Such is my principal aim, good woman. I call on
Heaven itself, to witness the truth of what I say. May my
voyage prosper, only, as I tell thee nought but truth!"
" And you, too, Senor?" turning quickly to Luis de.
Bobadilla; "is it to serve God that you also go on this unusual voyage'?"
"If not at the orders of God, himself, my good woman,
it is, at least, at the bidding of an angel!"
"Dost thou think it is so, Pepe?  Have we been thus
deceived, and has so much evil been said of the admiral
and his motives, wrongfilly?"
"What hath been said?" quietly demanded Columbus.
"Speak freely; thou hast nought to dread from my displeasure."
"fSenior, you have your enemies, as well as another, and




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


201


the wives, and mothers, and the betrothed of Palos, have
not been slow to give vent to their feelings. In the first
place, they say that you are poor."
" That is so true and manifest, good woman, it would be.dle to deny it. Is poverty a crime at Palos?"
"The poor are little respected, Seiior, in all this region.
I know not why, for to m) we seem to be as the rest, but
few respect us. Then they say, Sefor, that you are not a
Castilian, but a Genoese."
"This is also true; is that, too, a crime among the
mariners of Moguer, who ought to prize a people as much
renowned for their deeds on the sea, as those of the superb
republic?"
" I know not, Sefior; but many hold it to be a disadvan.
tage not to belong to Spain, and particularly to Castile,
which is the country of Dofia Isabella, herself; and how
can it be as honourable to be a Genoese as to be a Spaniard!
I should like it better were Pepe to sail with one who is a
Spaniard, and that, too, of Palos or Moguer."
" Thy argument is ingenious, if not conclusive," returned
Columbus, smiling, the only outward exhibition of feeling
he betrayed- " but cannot one who is both poor and a
Genoese serve God?"
"No doubt, Sefior; and I think better of this voyage
since I know your motive, and since I have seen you and
spoken with you. Still, it is a great sacrifice for a young
wife to let her husband sail on an expedition so distrusted,
and he the father of her only boy!"
"Here is a young noble, an only son, a lover, and that
too of impetuous feelings, an only child withal, rich,
honoured, and able to go whither he will, who not only
embarketh with me, but embarketh by the consent-nay, 1
had better say, by tl'e orders of his mistress!"
"Is this so-, Sefior?" the wife asked, eagerly.
"So true, my good woman, that my greatest hopes depend on this voyage. Did I not tell thee that I went at the
bidding of' an angel?"
"Ah! these young lords have seductive tongues! But,
Senor Almirante, since such is your quality, they say,
moreover, that to you this voyage can only bring honours
and good, while it mray bIring misery and death on your




202


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


followers. Poor and unknown, it maketh yot. a high officer
of the queen; and some think that the Venetian galleys
will be none the more heavily fieighted, should you meet
them on the high seas."
"And in what can all this harm thy husband?  I go
whithersoever he goeth, share his dangers, and expose life
for life with him. If there is gold gained by the adventure,
lie will not be forgotten; and if heaven is made any nearer
to us, by our dangers and hardships, Pepe will not be a
loser. At the last great reckoning, woman, we shall no
be asked who is poor, or who is a Genoese."
"This is true, Sefior; and yet it is hard for a young
wife to part from her husband. Dost thou wish, in truth,
to sail with the admiral, Pepe?"
" It matters little with me, Monica: I am commanded to
serve the queen, and we mariners have no right to question
her authority.  Now I have heard his excellency's discourse, I think less of the affair than before."
"If God is really to be served in this voyage," continued the woman, with dignity, " thou should'st not be backward, more than another, my husband. Sefior, will you
suffer Pepe to pass the night with his fhmily, on condition
that he goeth on board the Santa Maria in the morning?"
"What certainty have I that this condition will be respected?"
"Senor, we are both Christians, and serve the same God
-have been redeemed by the same Saviour."
"This is true, and I will confide in it. Pepe, thou canst
remain until the morning, when I shall expect thee at thy
station. There will be oarsmen enough, without thee."
The woman looked her thanks, and Columbus thought
he read an assurance of good faith in her noble Spanish
manner, and lofty look. As some trifling preparations
were to be made before the boat could quit the shore, the
admiral and Luis paced the sands the while, engaged in
deep discourse.
" This hath been a specimen of what I have had to overcome and endure, in order to obtain even yonder humble
means for effecting the good designs of Providence," observed
Columbus, mournfully, though he spoke without acrimony.
It is a crime to be poor —to be a Genoese-to be aught




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


203


else than the very thing that one's judges and masters fancy themselves to be! The day will come, Conde de Llera,
when Genoa shall think herself in no manner disgraced,
in having given birth to Christofero Colombo, and when your
proud Castile will be willing to share with her in the dishoncur! Thou little know'st, young lord, how far thou
art on the road to renown, and towards high deeds, in
having been born noble, and the master of large posses.
sions. Thou seest me, here, a man already stricken in
years, with a head whitened by time and sufferings, and
yet am I only on the threshold of the undertaking that is
to give my name a place amongst those of the men who
have served God, and advanced tie welfare of their fellowcreatures."
" Is not this the course of things, Sefior, throughout the
earth?-Do not those who find themselves placed beneath
the level of their merits, struggle to rise to the condition to
which nature intended them to belong, while those whom
fortune hath favoured through their ancestors, are too often
content to live on honours that they have not themselves
won? I see nought in this but the nature of man, and the
course of the world."
" Thou art right, Luis, but philosophy and fact are different matters. We may reason calmly on principles,
when their application in practice causeth much pain.
Thou hast a frank and manly nature, young man; one
that dreadeth neither the gibe of the Christian, nor the lance
of the Moor, and wilt answer to any, in fearlessness and
truth. A Castilian thyself, dost thou, too, really think one
of thy kingdom better than one of Genoa?"
" Not when he of Genoa is Christoval Colon, Sefior, and
he of Castile is only Luis de Bobadilla," answered the
young man, laughing.
" Nay, I will not be denied-hast thou any such notion
is this, which the wife of Pepe hath so plainly avowed?"
" What will you, Sefor Christoval?-Man is the same
in Spain, that he is among the Italians, or the English. It
it not his besetting sin to think good of himself, and evil of
nis neighbour?"
"A plain question, that is loyally put, may not be a.swered with a truism, Luis."




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" Nor a civil, honest reply confounded with one that is
evasive. We of Castile are humble and most devout Christians, by the same reason that we think ourselves faultless,
and the rest of mankind notable sinners. By.San lago, of
blessed faith and holy memory! it is enough to make a
people vain, to have produced such a queen as Dofa Isa.
bella, and such a maiden as Mercedes de Valverde!"
"This is double loyalty, for it is being true to the queen
and to thy mistress. With this must I satisfy myself, even
though it be no answer. But, Castilian though I am not,
even the Guzmans have not ventured on the voyage to
Cathay, and the House of Trastamara may yet be glad to
acknowledge its indebtedness to a Genoese. God hath no
respect to worldly condition, or worldly boundaries, in
choosing his agents, for most of the saints were despised
Hebrews, while Jesus, himself, came of Nazareth. We
shall see, we shall see, young lord, what three months will
reveal to the admiration of mankind."
" Senor Almirante, I hope and pray it may be the island
of Cipango, and the realms of the Great Khan; should it
not be so, we are men who can not only bear our toils,
but who can bear our disappointments."
"Of disappointments in this matter, Don Luis, I look for
none,-now that I have the royal faith of Isabella, and
these good caravels to back me; the drudge who saileth
from Madeira to Lisbon is not more certain of gaining his
port, than I am certain of gaining Cathay."
"< No doubt, Senfor Colon, that what any navigator can
do, you can do and will perform; nevertheless, disappointment would seem to be the lot of man, and it might be well
for all of us to be prepared to meet it."
The sun that is just sinking beyond yon hill, Luis, is
not plainer before my eyes than this route to the Indies.I have seen it, these seventeen years, distinct as the vessels
in the river, bright as the polar star, and, I make little doubt
as faithfully. It is well to talk of disappointments, since
they are the lot of man; and who can know this better
than one that hath been led on by false hopes during all the
better years of his life; now encouraged by princes, states.
men, and churchmen; and now derided and scoffed at, as




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.             XUO
a vain projector, that hath neither reason nor fact to sustain him!"
"By my new patron, San Pedro! Seflor Almirante, but
you have led a most grievous life, for this last age, or so.
The next three months will, indeed, be months of moment
to you."
" Thou little knowest the calmness of conviction and confidence, Luis," returned Columbus, "if thou fanciest any
doubts beset me as the hour of trial approacheth. This day
is the happiest I have known, for many a weary year; for,
though the preparations are not great, and our barks are
but slight and of trifling bulk, yonder lie the means through
which a light, that hath long been hid, is about to break
upon the world, and to raise Castile to an elevation surpassing that of any other Christian nation."
" Thou must regret, Sefior Colon, that it hath not been
Genoa, thy native land, that is now about to receive this
great boon, after having merited it by generous and free
gifts, in behalf of this great voyage."
' This hath not been the least of my sorrows, Luis. I'
is hard to desert one's own country, and to seek new con
nections, as life draweth to a close, though we mariners, perhaps, feel the tie less than those who never quit the land.
But Genoa would have none of me; and if the child is
bound to love and honour the parent, so is the parent
equally bound to protect and foster the child. When the
last forgets its duty, the first is not to be blamed if it seek
support wherever it may be found. There are limits to
every human duty; those we owe to God alone, never ceasing to require their fulfilment, and our unceasing attention.
Genoa hath proved but a stern mother to me; and though
nought could induce me to raise a hand against her, she
hath no longer any claims on my service. Besides, when
the object in view is the service of God, it rnattereth little
with which of his creatures we league as instruments.
One cannot easily hate the land of his birth, but injustice
may lead him to cease to love it. The tie is mutual, and
when the country ceaseth to protect person, character, property, or rights, the subject is liberated from all his duties.
If allegiance goeth with protection, so should protection go
with allegiance. Dofia Isabella is now my mistress, and,
18




UU5             MERCEDES OF CASTILE.
next to God, her will I serve, and serve only. Castile is
henceforth my country."
At this moment it was announced that the pinnace waited,
and the two adventurers immediately embarked.
It must have required all the deep and fixed convictions
of an ardent temperament, to induce Columbus to rejoice
that he had, at length, obtained the means of satisfying his
longings for discovery, when he came coolly to consider
what those means were. The names of his vessels, the
Santa Maria, the Pinta, and the Nifia, have already been
mentioned, and some allusions have been made to their size
and construction. Still, it may aid the reader in forming
his opinions of the character of this great enterprise, if we
give a short sketch of the vessels, more especially that in
which Columbus and Luis de Bobadilla were now received.
She was, of course, the Santa Maria, a ship of nearly twice
the burthen of the craft next her in size. This vessel had
been prepared with more care than the others, and some
attention had been paid to the dignity and comfort of' the
Admiral she was destined to carry. Not only was she
decked in, but a poop, or round-house, was constructed on
ner quarter-deck, in which he had his berth. No proper
notion can be obtained of the appearance of the Santa Maria, from the taunt-rigged, symmetrical, and low-sterned
ships of the present time; for, though the Santa Maria had
both a poop and top-gallant-forecastle, as they would be
termed to-day, neither was constructed in the snug and unobtrusive manner that is now used. The poop, or roundhouse, was called a castle, to which it had some fancied resemblance, while the top-gallant-forecastle, in which most of
the people lived, was out of proportion large, rose like a
separate structure on the bows of the vessel, and occupied
about a third of the deck, from forward aft. To those who
never saw the shipping that was used throughout Europe,
a century since, it will not be very obvious how vessels so
small could rise so far above the water, in safety; but this
difficulty may be explained; many very old ships, that had
some of the peculiarities of this construction, existing within
the memory of man, and a few having fallen under our own
immediate inspection. The bearings of these vessels were
at the luaded water-lines, or very little above them, and the)




MIERCEDE: OF CASTrlLE.


207


tumbled-home, in a way to reduce their beams on their poop
decks nearly if not quite a fourth. By these precautions,
their great height out of the water was less dangerous than
might otherwise have been the case; and as they were uniformly short ships, possessing the advantages of lifting
easily forward, and were, moreover, low-waisted, they
might be considered safe in a sea, rather than the reverse.
Being so short, too, they had great beam for their tonnage,
which, if not an element of speed, was at least one of secunrty. Although termed ships, these vessels were not rigged
in the manner of the ships of the present day, their standing
spars being relatively longer than those now in use, whilr
their upper, or shifting spars, were much less numerous,
and much less important than those which now point upwards, like needles, towards the clouds. Neither had a
ship necessarily the same number of spars, in the fifteenth
century, as belong to a ship in the nineteenth. The term
itself, as it was used in all the southern countries of Europe,
being directly derived from the Latin word navis, was ap.
plied rather as a generic than as a distinctive term, and by
no means inferred any particular construction, or particular
rig. The caravel was a ship, in this sense, though not
strictly so, perhaps, when we descend to the more minute
classification of seamen.
Much stress has been justly laid on the fact, that two of
the vessels in this extraordinary enterprise were undecked.
fn that day, when most sea voyages were made in a direction parallel to the main coasts, and when even those that
extended to the islands occupied but a very few days, vessels were seldom far from the land; and it was the custom
of the mariners, a practice that has extended to our own
times, in the southern seas of Europe, to seek a port at the
approach of bad weather.   Under such circumstances,
decks were by no means as essential, either for the security
of the craft, the protection of the cargo, or the comfort of
the people, as in those cases in which the full fury of the
elements must be encountered. Nevertheless, the reader
is not to suppose a vessel entirely without any upper cover.
'ng, because she was not classed among those that were
decked; even such caravels, when used on the high seas,
usually possessing quarter-decks and forecastles, with con



208


I   C.ER(:DE)IS ('F CASTILE.


necting gangways; depending on tarpaulings, and other
similar preventives, to exclude the wash of the sea from
injuring their cargoes.
After all these explanations, however, it must be con.
ceded, that the preparations for the great undertaking of'
Columbus, while the imaginations of landsmen probably
aggravate their incompleteness, strike the experienced sea.
man as altogether inadequate to its magnitude and risks.
That the mariners of the day deemed them positively insilfficient is improbable, for men as accustomed to the ocean
as the Pinzons, would not have volunteered to risk their
vessel, their money, and their persons, in an expedition that
did not possess the ordinary means of security.
CHAPTER XIV.
"O'er the glad waters of the dark blue sea,
Our thoughts as boundless, and our souls as free,
Far as the breeze can bear, the billows foam,
Survey our empire, and behold our home."
BYRON.
As Columbus sought his apartment, soon after he reached
the deck of the Holy Maria, Luis had no farther opportunity to converse with him that night. He occupied a
part of the same room, it is true, under the assumed appellation of the admiral's secretary; but the great navigator
was so much engaged with duties necessary to be discharged
previously to sailing, that he could not be inter;upied, and
the young man paced toe narrow limits of the deck until
near midnight, thinking, as usual, of Mercedes, and of his
return, when, seeking his mattress, he found Columbus
already buried in a deep sleep.
The following day was Friday; and it is worthy of remark, that the greatest and most successful voyage that has
ever occurred on this globe, was commenced on a day of
the week that seamen have long deemed to be so inaus



MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


209


picious to nautical enterprises, that they have often deferred
sailing, in order to avoid the unknown, but dreaded consequences. luis was anong the first who appeared again
on deck, and casting his eyes upward, he perceived that
the admiral was already afoot, and in possession of the
summit of the high pool, or castle, whose narrow limits,
indeed, were deemed sacred to the uses of the privileged
answering, in this particular, to the more extended promenade of the modern quarter-deck. Here it was that he
who directed the movements of a squadron, overlooked it
evolutions, threw out his signals, made his astronomical
observations, and sought his recreation in the open air.
The whole space on board the Santa Maria might have
been some fifteen feet in one direction, and not quite as
much in the other, making a convenient look-out, more
from its exclusion and retirement, than from its dimensions.
As soon as the admiral-or Don Christoval, as he was
now termed by the Spaniards, since his appointment to his
present high rank, which gave him the rights and condition
of a noble-as soon as Don Christoval caught a glance of
Luis's eye, he made a sign for the young -nan to ascend,
and take a position at his side. Although the expedition
was so insignificant in numbers and force, not equalling, in
the latter particular, the power of a single modern.sloop of
war, the authority of the queen, the gravity and mien of
Columbus himself, and, most of all, its own mysterious
and unwonted object, had, from the first, thrown around it
a dignity that was disproportioned to its visible means. Accustomed to control the passions of turbulent men, and
aware of the great importance of impressing his followers
with a sense of his high station and influence with the
court, Columbus had kept much aloof from familiar intercourse with his subordinates, acting principally through the
Pinzons and the other commanders, lest he might lose some
portion of that respect which he foresaw would be necessary to his objects. It needed not his long experience to
warn him that men crowded together in so small a space,
could only be kept in their social or professional stations,
by the most rigid observance of forms and decorum, and
he had observed a due attention to these great requisites, in
prescribing the manner in which his own personal service
18 *




210


MERC EDES OF CASTILE.


should be attended to, and his personal dignity supported.
This is one of the great secrets of the discipline of a ship,
for they who are incapable of reasoning, can be made to
feel, and no man is apt to despise him who is well entrenched behind the usages of deference and reserve. We
see, daily, the influence of an appellation, or a commission,
even the turbulent submitting to its authority, when they
might resist the same lawful commands, issuing from an
apparently less elevated source.
"Thou wilt keep much near my person, Sefior Gutierrez," said the admiral, using the feigned name, which Luis
affected to conceal under that of Pedro de Munfos, as he
knew a ship was never safe from eaves-droppers, and was
willing that the young noble should pass as the gentleman
of the king's bedcharnber; "this is our station, and here
we must remain, much of our time, until God, in his holy
and wise providence, shall have opened the way for us to
Cathay, and brought us near the throne of the Great Khan.
Here is our course, and along this track of pathless ocean
it is my intention to steer."
As Columbus spoke, he pointed to a chart that lay spread
before him on an arm-chest, passing a finger calmly along
the line he intended to pursue. The coast of Europe, in
its general outlines, was laid down on this chart, with as
much accuracy as the geographical knowledge of the day
would furnish, and a range of land extended southward as
far as Guinea, all beyond which region was terra incognita
to the learned world at that time. The Canaries and the
Azores, which had been discovered some generations earlier,
occupied their proper places, while the western side of the
Atlantic was bounded by a fancied delineation of the eastern
coast of India, or of Cathay, buttressed by the island of
Cipango, or Japan, and an Archipelago, that had been represented principally after the accounts of Marco Polo and
his relatives. By a fortunate misconception, Cipango had
been placed in a longitude that corresponded very nearly
with that of Washington, or some two thousand leagues
east of the position in which it is actually to be found.
This error of Columbus, in relation to the extent of the
circumference of the globe, in the end, most probably saved
his hardy enterprise from becoming a failure.




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


211


Luis, for the first time since he had been engaged in the
expedition, cast his eyes over this chart, with some curiosity, and he felt a noble desire to solve the great problem
rising within him, as he thus saw, at a glance, all the vast
results, as well as the interesting natural phenomena, that
were dependent on the issue.
"By San Gennaro of Napoli!" he exclaimed-The only
affectation the young noble had, was a habit of invoking
the saints of the different countries he had visited, and of
using the little oaths and exclamations of distant lands, a
summary mode of both letting the world know how far
he had journeyed, as well as a portion of the improvement
he had derived from his travels —"By San Gennaro, Sefior
Don Christoval, but this voyage will be one of exceeding
merit, if we ever find our way across this great belt of water; and greater still, should we ever manage to return!"
" The last difficulty is the one, at this moment, uppermost in the minds of most in this vessel," answered Colum.
bus. " Dost thou not perceive, Don Luis, the grave an(
dejected countenances of the mariners, and hearest thou the
wailings that are rising from the shore?"
This remark caused the young man to raise his eyes
from the chart, and to take a survey of the scene around
him. The Ninia, a light felucca in fact, was already under
way, and brushing past them under a latine foresail, her
sides thronged with boats filled with people, no small portion of whom were females and children, and most of whom
were wringing their hands and raising piteous cries of despair. The Pinta was in the act of being cast; and, although the authority of Martin Alonzo Pinzon had the effect to render their grief less clamorous, her sides were surounded by a similar crowd, while numberless boats plied
around the Santa Maria herself; the authority and dignity
of the admiral alone keeping them at a distance. It was
evident that most of those who remained, fancied that they
now saw their departing relations for the last time, while no
small portion of those who were on the eve of sailing, believed they were on the point of quitting Spain for ever.
" Hast looked for Pepe, this morning, among our peo.
ple?" demanded Columbus, the incident of the young sailor
recurring to his thoughts, for the first time hat morning;




212


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


" if he prove false to his word, we may regard it as an evil
omen, and have an eye on all our followers, while there is
a chance of escape."
" If his absence would lie an omen of evil, Senor Almi.
rante, his presence ought to be received as an omen of good.
The noble fellow is on this yard, above our heads, loosening the sail."
Columbus turned his eyes upwards, and there, indeed
was the young mariner in question, poised on the extreme
and attenuated end of the latine yard, that ships even
then carried on their after-masts, swinging in the wind
while he loosened the gasket that kept the canvass in
its folds. Occasionally he looked beneath him, anxious to
discover if his return had been noted; and, once or twice,
his hands, usually so nimble, lingered in their employment,
as he cast glances over the stern of the vessel, as if one
also drew his attention in that quarter. Columbus made E.
sign of recognition to the gratified young mariner, who instantly permitted the canvass to fall; and then he walked to
the taffrail, accompanied by Luis, in order to ascertain if any
boat was near the ship. There, indeed, close to the vessel,
lay a skiff, rowed by Monica alone, and which had been
permitted to approach so near on account of the sex of its
occupant. The moment the wife of Pepe observed the form
of the admiral, she arose from her seat, and clasped her
hands towards him, desirous, but afraid, to speak. Perceiv.
ing that the woman was awed by the bustle, the crowd of
persons, and the appearance of the ship, which she was almost near enough to touch with her hand, Columbus ad.
dressed her. He spoke mildly, and his looks, usually so
grave, and sometimes even stern, were softened to an expression of gentleness that Luis had never before witnessed.
" I see that thy husband hath been true to his promise,
good woman," he said, " and I doubt not that thou hast told
him it is wiser and better manfully to serve the queen, than
to live under the disgrace of a runaway."
" Sefor, I have. I give Dofia Isabella my husbar d, with.
out a murmur, if not cheerfully, now I know that you go
forth to serve God. I see the wickedness of my repinings,
and shall pray that he may be foremost, on all occasions,




HMRCEDES OF CASTILE.


213


until the ears of the Infidel shall be opened to the words of
the true faith."
"This is said like a Spanish wife, and a Christian wo.
man! Our lives are in the care of Providence, and doubt
not of seeing Pepe, in health and safety, after he hath visited
Cathay, and done his share in its discovery."
"Ah! Sefor-when?" exclaimed the wife, unable, in
spite of her assumed fortitude, and the strong feelings of
religious duty, to suppress the impulses of a woman.
"In God's time, my good — how art thou named?"
"Monica, Sefior Almirante, and my husband is called
Pepe; and the boy, the poor fatherless child, hath been
christened Juan. We have no Moorish blood, but are pure
Spaniards, and I pray your Excellency to remember it, on
such occasions as may call for more dangerous duty than
common."
" Thou may'st depend on my care of the father of Juan,"
returned the Admiral, smiling, though a tear glistened in
his eye.  "I. too, leave behind those that are dear to
me as my own soul, and among others a motherless son.
Should aught serious befal our vessel, Diego- would be an
orphan; whereas thy Juan would at least enjoy the care
and affection of her who brought him into the world."
"Sefior, a thousand pardons!" said the woman, much
touched by the feeling that was betrayed by the Admiral in
his voice. "We are selfish, and forget that others have
sorrows, when we feel our own too keenly. Go forth, in
God's name, and do his holy will-take my husband with
you; I only wish that little Juan was old enough to be his
companion."
Monica could utter no more, but dashing the tears from
her eyes, she resumed the oars, and pulled the little skiff
slowly, as if the inanimate machine felt the reluctance of
the hands that propelled it, towards the land. The short
dialogue just related, had been carried on in voices so loud
as to be heard by all near the speakers; and when Colum.
bus turned from the boat, he saw that many of his crew
had been hanging suspended in the rigging, or on the yards,
eagerly listening to what had been said. At this precise
nstant the anchor of the Santa Maria was raised from the
bottom, and the ship's head began to incline from the diroc.




214


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


tion of the wind. At the next moment, the flap of the large
square foresail that crafts of her rig then carried, was heard,
and in the course of the next five minutes, the three vessels
were standing slowly but steadily down the current of the
Odiel, in one of the arms of which river they had been anchored, holding their course towards a bar near its mouth.
The sun had not yet risen, or rather it rose over the
hills of Spain, a fiery ball, just as the sails were set, gilding with a melancholy glory, a coast that not a few in
the different vessels apprehended they were looking upon
for the last time. Many of the boats clung to the two
smaller craft until they reached the bar of Saltes, an hour
or two later, and some still persevered until they began to
toss in the long waves of the breathing ocean, when, the
wind being fresh at the west, they reluctantly cast off, one
by one, amid sighs and groans. The liberated ships, in the
mean while, moved steadily into the blue waters of the
shoreless Atlantic, like human beings silently impelled by
their destinies towards fates that they can neither foresee,
control, nor avoid.
The day was fine, and the wind both brisk and fair.
Thus far the omens were propitious; but the unknown future threw a cloud over the feelings of a large portion of
those who were thus quitting, in gloomy uncertainty, all
that was most dear to them. It was known that the admiral intended making the best of his way towards the
Canaries, thence to enter on the unknown and hitherto untrodden paths of the desert ocean that lay beyond. Those
who doubted, therefore, fixed upon those islands as the
points where their real dangers were to commence, and
already looked forward to their appearance in the horizon,
with feelings akin to those with which the guilty regard tho
day of trial, the condemned the morning of execution, or
the sinner the bed of death. Many, however, were superior to this weakness, having steeled their nerves and prepared their minds for any hazards, though the feelings of
nearly all fluctuated; there being hours when hope, and
anticipations of success, seemed to cheer the entire crews;
and then, moments would occur, in which the disposition
was to common doubts, and a despondency that was nearly
general.




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


215


A voyage to the Canaries, or the Azores, in that age,
was most probably to be classed among the. hardiest ex.
ploits of seamen. The distance wvas not as great, cer-.
tainly, as many of their more ordinary excursions, for
vessels frequently went, even in the same direction, as far
as the Cape de Verdes; but all the other European passages
lay along the land, and in the Mediterranean the seaman
felt that he was navigating within known limits, and was
apt to consider himself as embaved within the boundaries
of human knowledge. On the contrary, while sailing on
the broad Atlantic, he was, in some respects, placed in a
situation resembling that of the aeronaut, who, while floating in the higher currents of the atmosphere, sees beneath
him the earth as his only alighting place, the blue void of
untravelled space stretching in all other directions about
him.
The Canary Isles were known to the ancients. Juba,
the king of Mauritania, who was a contemporary of Ctesar, is said to have described them with tolerable accuracy,
under the general name of the Fortunate Isles. The work
itself has been lost, but the fact is known through the evidence of other writers; and by the same means it is known
that they possessed, even in that remote age, a population
that had made some respectable advances towards civilization. But in the process of time, and during the dark
period that succeeded the brightness of the Roman sway,
even the position of these islands was lost to the Europeans
nor was it again ascertained until the first half of the fourteenth century, when they were discovered by certain fugitive Spaniards who were hard pressed by the Moors. After
tllis, the Portuguese, then the most hardy navigators of the
known world, got possession of one or two of them, and
made them the starting points for their voyages of discovery along the coast of Guinea. As the Spaniards reduced the power of the Mussulmans, and regained their
ancient sway in the peninsula, they once more turned their
attention in this direction, conquering the natives of several
of the other islands, the group belonging equally to those
two Christian nations, at the time of our narrative.
Luis de Bobadilla, who had navigated extensively in the
more northern seas, and who had passed and repassed the




216


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


Mediterranean, in various directions, knew nothing of these
islands except by report; and as they stood on the poop,
Columbus pointed out to him their position, and explained
their different characters; relating his intentions in connection with them, dwelling on the supplies they afforded,
and on their facilities as a point of departure.
"The Portuguese have profited much by their use of
these islands," said Columbus, " as a place for victualling,
and wooding, and watering, and I see no reason why Cas.
tile may not, now, imitate their example, and receive her
share of the benefits. Thou seest how far south our neighbours have penetrated, and what a trade, and how much
riches, are flowing into Lisbon, through these noble enterprises, which, notwithstanding, are but as a bucket of water
in the ocean, when compared with the wealth of Cathay
and all the mighty consequences that are to follow from
this western voyage of ours."
" Dost thou expect to reach the territories of the Great
Khan, Don Christoval," demanded Luis, " within a distance
as small as that to which the Portuguese hath gone southwardly?"
The navigator looked warily around, to ascertain who
might hear his words, and finding that no one was within
reach of the sound of his voice while he used a proper
caution, he lowered its tones, and answered in a manner
which greatly flattered his young companion, as it proved
that the admiral was disposed to treat him with the frankness and confidence of a friend.
"Thou know'st, Don Luis"-the navigator resumed"the nature of the spirits with whom we have to deal. 1
shall not even be certain of their services, so long as we
continue near the coast of Europe; for nought is easier
than for one of yonder craft to abandon me in the night,
and to seek a haven on some known coast, seeking his justification in some fancied necessity."
" Martin Alonzo is not a man to do that ignoble and unworthy act!" interrupted Luis.
"He is not, my young friend, for a motive as base as
fear," returned Columbus, with a sort of thoughtful smile,
which showed how truly and early he had dived into
the real characters of those with whom he was asso,




MERCEDES oU CASTILE.            217
elated. " Martin Alonzo is a bold and intelligent navigator,
and we may look for good service at his hands, in all that
toucheth resolution and perseverance. But the eyes of the
Pinzons cannot be always open, and the knowledge of all
the philosophers of the earth could make no resistance
against the headlong impetuosity of a crew of alarmed
mutineers. I do not feel certain of our own people, while
there is a hope of easy return; much less of men who ar
lot directly under my own eye and command. The question thou hast asked, Luis, may not, therefore, be publicly
answered, since the distance that we are about to sail over
would frighten our easily alarmed mariners. Thou art a
cavalier; a knight of known courage, and may be.depended on; and I may tell thee, without fear of arousing
any unworthy feelings, that the voyage on which we are
now fairly embarked hath never had a precedent on this
earth, for its length, or for the loneliness of its way."
"And yet, Sefior, thou enterest on it with the confidence
of a man certain of reaching his haven?"
"Luis, thou hast well judged my feelings. As to all
those common dreads of descents, and ascents, of the dif.
ficulties of a return, and of reaching the margin of the
world, whence we may glide off into space, neither thou,
nor I, shall be much subjected."
"By San lago Seior Don Christoval, I have no very
settled notions about these things. I have never known of
any one who hath slidden off the earth into the air, it is
true, nor do I much think that such a slide is likely to befal
us and our good ships; but, on the other hand, we have as
yet only doctrine to prove that the earth is round, and that
it is possible to journey east, by sailing west. On these
subjects, then, I hold myself neuter; while, at the same
time, thou may'st steer direct for the moon, and Luis de
Bobadilla will be found at thy side."
" Thou makest thyself less expert in science. mnad.
Drained young noble, than is either true or necessary; bu
we will say no more of this, at present. Thrr.] will lI
sufficient leisure to make thee familiar with all 1-rv intricate
reasons and familiar motives. And is not this, Don Luis,
a most heavenly sight? Here am I in the open ocean,
honoured b,, the two sovereigns with the dignity of their
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218


31ERCEDES 01; CASTILE.


viceroy and admiral; with a fleet that is commissioned by
their Highnesses to carry the knowledge of their power
and authority to the uttermost parts of the earth; and,
most of all, to raise the cross of our blessed Redeemer
before the eyes of Infidels, who have never yet even heard
his name, or, if they have, reverence it'as little as a Christian would reverence the idols of the heathens!"
This was said with the calm but deep enthusiasm that
coloured the entire character of the great navigator, rendering him, at times, equally the subject of diistrust and of
profound respect. On Luis, as indeed on most others who
lived in sufficient familiarity with the man to enable them
to.appreciate his motives, and to judge correctly of the uprightness of his views, the effect, however, was always
favourable, and probably would have been so, had Mercedes never existed. The young man himself, was not
entirely without a tinge of enthusiasm, and, as is ever the
case with the single-minded and generous, he best knew
how to regard the impulses of those who were influenced
by similar qualities.  This answer was consequently in
accordance with the feelings of the admiral, and they remained on the poop several hours, discoursing of the future,
with the ardour of those who hoped for every thing, but in
a manner too discursive and general to render a record of
the dialogue easy or necessary.
It was eight o'clock in the morning when the vessels
passed the bar of Saltes, and 'he day had far advanced
before the navigators had lost sight of the familiar eminences that lay around Palos, and the other well-known
land-marks of the coast. The course was due south, and,;is the vessels of that day were lightly sparred, and spread,comparatively very little canvass, when considered in connection with the more dashing navigation of our own times,
the rate of sailing was slow, and far from promising a
speedy termination to a voyage that all knew must be long
without a precedent, and which so many feared could never
have an end. Two marine leagues, of three English miles,
an hour, was good progress for a vessel at that day, even
with a fresh and favourable wind; though there are a few
memorable days' works set down by Columbus himself
which approach to a hundred and sixty miles in the twee




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


219


ty-four hours, and which are evidently noted as a speed of
which a mariner might well be proud. In these days of
locomotion and travelling, it is scarcely necessary to tell
the intelligent reader this is but a little more than half the
distance that is sailed over by a fast ship, under similar
circumstances, and in our own time.
Thus the sun set upon the adventurers, in this celebrated
voyage, when they had sailed with a strong breeze, to use
'le words of Columbus's own record, some eleven hours,
after quitting the bar. By this time, they had made good
less than fifty miles, in a due-south course from the place
of their departure. The land in the neighbourhood of
Palos had entirely sunk behind the watery margin of the
ocean, in that direction, and the coast trending eastward,
it was only here and there that the misty summits of a few
of the mountains of Seville could just be discovered by the
experienced eyes of the older mariners, as the glowing ball
of the sun sunk into the watery bed of the western horizon,
and disappeared from view. At this precise moment, Co.
lumbus and Luis were again on the poop, watching, with
melancholy interest, the last shadows cast by Spanish land,
while two seamen were at work near them, splicing a rope
that had been chafed asunder. The latter were seated on
the deck, and as, out of respect to the admiral, they had
taken their places a little on one side, their presence was
not at first noted.
" There setteth the sun beneath the waves of the wide
Atlantic, Sefior Gutierrez," observed the admiral, who was
ever cautious to use one or the other of Luis's feigned appellations, whenever any person was near. " There the
sun quitteth us, Pero, and in his daily.course I see a proof
of the globular form of the earth; and of the truth of a
theory which teacheth us that Cathay may be reached by
the western voyage."
" I am ever ready to admit the wisdom of all your
plans, expectations, and thoughts, Sefior Don Christoval,"
returned the young man, punctiliously observant of respect,
ooth in speech and manner; " but I confess I cannot see
what the daily course of the sun has to do with the position:f Cathay, or with the load that leads to it. We know
that the great luminary travelleth the heavens without




220


IMERCEDES OF CASTILE.


ceasing, that it cometh up out of the sea in the morning,
and goeth down to its watery bed at night; but this it doth
on the coast of Castile, as well as on that of Cathay; and,
therefore, to me it doth appear, that no particular inference,
for or against our success, is to be drawn from the circumstance."
As this was said, the two sailors ceased working, looking
curiously up into the face of the admiral, anxious to hear
his reply. By this movement Luis perceived that one was
Pepe, to whom he gave a nod of recognition, while the
other was a stranger. The last had every appearance of a
thorough-bred seaman of that period, or of being, what
would have been termed in English, and the more northern
languages of Europe, a regular " sea-dog;" a term that
expresses the idea of a man so completely identified with
the ocean by habit, as to have had his exterior, his thoughts,
his language, and even his morality, coloured by the association. This sailor was approaching fifty, was short,
square, athletic, and still active, but there was a mixture of
the animal with the intellectual creature about his coarse,
heavy features, that is very usual in the countenances of
men of native humour and strong sense, whose habits have
been coarse and sensual. That he was a prime seaman,
Columbus knew at a glance, not only from his general ap.
pearance, but from his occupation, which was such as only
fell to the lot of the most skilful men of every crew.
"I reason after this fashion, Seinor," answered the admiral, as soon as his eye turned from the glance that he,
too, had thrown upon the men;  the sun is not made to
journey thus around the earth without a sufficient motive,
the providence of God being ruled by infinite wisdom. It
is not probable that a luminary so generous and useful
should be intended to waste any of its benefits; and we are
certain already that day and night journey westward over
this earth as far as it is known to us, whence I infer that
the system is harmonious, and the benefits of the great orb
are unceasingly bestowed on man, reaching one spot on
theearth as it quits another. The sun that hath just left
us is still visible in the Azores, and will be seen again at
Smyrna, and among the Grecian Islands, an hour, or more,
before it again meets our eyes.  Nature hath designed




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


221


nought for uselessness; and I believe that Cathay will be
enlightened by that ball which hath just left us, while we
shall be in the deepest hour of the night, to return by its
eastern path, across the great continent of Asia, and to
greet us again in the morning. In a word, friend Pedro,
that which Sol is now doing with such nimble speed in the
heavens, we are more humbly imitating in our own caravels'
give us sufficient time, and we, too, might traverse the
earth, coming in from our journey by the land of the Tartars and the Persians."
"From all which you infer that the world is round,
wherein we are to find the certainty of our success?"
" This is so true, Sefior de Mufos, that I should be sorry
to think any man who now saileth under my command
did not admit it. Here are two seamen who have been listening to our discourse, and we will question them, that we
may know the opinions of men accustomed to the ocean.Thou art the husband with whom I held discourse on the
sands, the past evening, and thy name is Pepe?"
" Senor Almirante, your excellency's memory doth me
too much honour, in not forgetting a fhce that is altogether
unworthy of being noticed and remembered."
" It is an honest face, friend, and no doubt speaketh for
a true heart. I shall count on thee as a sure support, let
things go as they may."
"His excellency hath not only a right to command me,
as her Highness's admiral, but he hath now the good-will
of Monica, and that is much the same as having gained her
husband."
"I thank thee, honest Pepe, and shall count on thee, with
certainty, in future," answered Columbus, turning towards
the other seaman-" And thou, shipmate,-thou hast the
air of one that the sight of troubled water will not alarmthou hast a name?"
" That I have, noble admiral," returned the fellow, looking up with a freedom that denoted one used to have his
say; "though it hath neither a Don, nor a Sefor, to take
it in tow. My intimates commonly call out Sancho, when
pressed for time, and when civility gets the better of haste,
they add Mundo, making Sancho Mundo for the whole
name of a very poor man."
19*




222


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


" Mundo is a large name for so small a person," said the
admiral, smiling, for he foresaw the expediency of having
friends among his crew, and knew men sufficiently to understand that, while undue familiarity undermined respect,
a rittle unbending had a tendency to win hearts. "I wonder that thou shouldst venture to wear a sound so lofty!"
" I tell my fellows, your excellency, that Mundo is my
title, and not my name; and that I am greater than kings,
even, who are content to take their titles from a part of that,
of which I bear all."
"And were thy father and thy mother called Mundo,
also? Or, is this name taken in order to give thee an occasion to show thy smartness, when questioned by thy
officers?''
"As for the good people you deign to mention, Sefior
Don Almirante, I shall leave them to answer for themselves,
and that for the simple reason that I do not know how they
were called, or whether they had any names at all. They
tell me I was found, when a few hours old, under a wornout basket at the ship-yard gate of old — "
"Never mind the precise spot, friend Sancho,-thou wert
found with a basket for a cradle, and that maketh a volume
in thy history, at once."
" Nay, Excellency, I would not leave the spot a place of
dispute hereafter-but it shall be as you please. They say
no one here knoweth exactly where we are going, and it
will be more suitable that the like ignorance should rest
over the places whence we came. But having the world
before me, they that christened me gave me as much of it
as was to be got by a name."
"Thou hast been long a mariner, Sancho Mundo,-if
Mundo thou wilt be."
" So long, Seiior, that it sickeneth me, and taketh away
the appetite to walk on solid ground. Being so near the
gate, it was no great matter to put me into the ship-yard,
and I was launched one day in a caravel, and got to sea in
her, no one knows how  From that time I have submitted
to fate, and go out again, as soon as possible, after I come
into port."
"And by what lucky chance have I obtained thy services, good Sancho, in this great expedition?"




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.            223
" The authorities of Moguer took me under the queen's
order, your Excellency, thinking that this voyage would be
more to my mind than another, as it was likely never to
have an end."
"Art thou a compelled adventurer, on this service?"
"Not I, Sefior Don Almirante, although they who sent
me here fancy as much. It is natural for a man to wish
to see his estates, once in his life, and I am told that we
are bound on a voyage to the other side of the world. God
forbid that I should hold aloof, on such an occasion."
" Thou art a Christian, Sancho, and hast a desire to aid
in carrying the cross among the heathen?"
"Sefnor, your Excellency, Don Almirante, it matters little to Sancho with what the barque is laden, so that she do
not need much pumping, and that the garlic is good. If I
am not a very devout Christian, it is the fault of them that
found me near the ship-yard gate, since the church and the
font are both within call from that very spot. I know that
Pepe, here, is a Christian, Seihor, for I saw him in the arms of
the priest, and I doubt not that there are old men at Moguer
who can testify to as much in my behalf. At all hazards,
noble Admiral, I will take on myself to say that I am neither Jew, nor Mussulman."
"Sancho, thou hast that about thee, that bespeakest a
skilful and bold mariner."
" For both of these qualities, Sefior Don Colon, let others
speak. When the gale cometh, your own eyes may judge
of the first; and when the caravel shall reach the edge of
the earth, whither some think it is bound, there will be a
good occasion to see who can, and who cannot, look off
without trembling."
" It is enough: I count both thee and Pepe as among
my truest followers,"-as Columbus said this, he walked away, resuming the dignified gravity that usually was
seated in his countenance, and which so much aided his
authority, by impressing the minds of others with respect.
In a few minutes he and Luis descended to their cabin.
"I marvel, Sancho," said Pepe, as soon as he and his
messmate were left alone on the poop,." that thou wilt venture to use thy tongue so freely, even in the presence of




224


24ERCEDES OF CASTILE.


one that beareth about with him the queen's authorityl
Dost thou not fear to offend the admiral?"
"So much for having a wife and a child! C anst thou
not make any difference between them that hale had ancestors and who have descendants,;tnd one that hath no
other tie in the world than his name? The Sefior Don
Almirante is either an exceeding great man, and chosen b)
Providence to open the way into the unknown seas of which
he speaketh, or he is but a hungry Genoese that is leading
us he knoweth not whither, that he may eat and drink and
sleep, in honour, while we are toiling at his heels, like patient mules dragging the load that the horse despiseth. In
the one case, he is too great and exalted to heed idle words;
and in the other, what is there too bad for a Castilian to
tell him?"
"Ay, thou art fond of calling thyself a Castilian, in
spite of the ship-yard and the basket, and notwithstanding
Moguer is in Seville."
"Harkee, Pepe; is not the queen of Castile our mistress?  And are not subjects-true and lawful subjects,
I mean, like thee and me,-are not such subjects worthy
of being their queen's countrymen? Never disparage thvself, good Pepe, for thou wilt ever find the world ready
enough tI do that favour for thee. As to this Genoese, he
shall be either friend or enemy to Sancho; if the first, I
expect much consolation from it; if the last, let him hunt
for his Cathay till doomsday, he shall be never the wiser."
" Well, Sancho, if words can mar a voyage, or make a
voyage, thou art a ready mariner; none know how to dis
course better than thou.".Here the men both rose, having completed their work.
and they left the poop, descending among the rest of the
crew. Columbus had not miscalculated his aim, his words
and condescension having produced a most favourable effect
on the mind of Sancho Mundo, for so the man was actually
called; and in gaining one of as ready a wit and loose a
tongue for a friend, he obtained an ally who was-not to be
despised. Of such materials, and with tile support of such
instruments as this, is success too often composed, i being
possible for the discovery of a world, even, to depend on the
good word of one less qualified to influence opinions than
Sancho Y indo.




MERCEDES,F CASTIlE.


CHAPTER XV.
While you here do snoring lie,
Open-ey'd conspiracy
His time doth take:
If of life you keep a care,
Shake off slumber, and beware:
Awake! Awake!"
Ariel.
THE wind continuing fair, the three vessels made good
progress in the direction of the Canaries; Sunday, in par.
ticular, proving a propitious day, the expedition making
more than one hundred and twenty miles in the course of
the twenty-Ibur hours. The wind still continued favourable, and on the morning of Monday the 6th of August, Columbus was cheerfully conversing with Luis, and one or two
other companions, who were standing near him on the
poop, when the Pinta was seen suddenly to take in her for
ward sails, and to come up briskly, not to say awkwardly,
to the wind. This manceuvre denoted some accident, and
the Santa Maria, fortunately having the advantage of the
wind, immediately edged away to speak her consort.
"How now, Sefor Martin Alonzo," hailed the Admiral,
as the two caravels came near enough together to speak
each other. "For what reason hast thou so suddenly
paused in thy course?"
" Fortune would have it so, Sefiior T)ot Christoval, seeing
that the rudder of the good caravel hath broken loose, and
we must fain secure it, ere we may again trust ourselves to
the breeze."
A severe frown came over the grave countenance of the
great navigator, and after bidding Martin Alonzo do his
best to repair the damage, he paced the deck, greatly dis.
turbed, for several minutes. Observing how much the Admiral took this accident to heart, the rest descended to the
deck below, leaving Columbus alone with the pretended
groom of the king's chamber.
"I trust, Senor, this is no serious injury, or one in any




226


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


way likely to retard our advance," said Luis, after mani
festing that respect which all near him felt for the admiral,
by a pause. " I kow honest Martin Alonzo to be a ready
seaman, and should think his expedients might easily serve
to get us as far as the Canaries, where greater damages can
meet with their remedies."
" Thou say'st true, Luis, and we will hope for the best.
I feel regret the sea is so hith that we can offer no
assistance to the Pinta, but Martin Alonzo is, indeed, an
expert mariner, and on his ingenuity we must rely. My
concern, however, hath another and a deeper source than
the unloosing of this rudder, serious as such an injury ever
is to a vessel at sea. Thou know'st that the Pinta hath
been furnished to the service of the queten, under the order
claiming the forleite-d duty from the delinquents of Palos,
and sorely against the will of the caravel's owners hath the
vessel been taken. Now these persons, Gomez Rascon and
Christoval Quintero, are on hoard her, and I question not
have designed this accident. TIheir artifices were practised
long, to our delay, before quitt;ng the haven, and it would
seem are to be continued to our prejudice here on the open
ocean."
"By the allegiance I owe the Dona Isabella! Sefnor Don
Christoval, but I would find a speedy cure for such a treason, if the office of' punishment rested with me. Let me
jump into the skiff and repair to the Pinta, where I will tell
these Masters Rascon and Quintero, that should their rudder
ever dare to break loose again, or should any other similar
and untoward accident chance to arrive, the first shall be
hanged at the yard of his own caravel, and the last be cast
into the sea to examine into the state of her bottom, the
rudder included."
" We may not practise such high authority without great
occasion, and perfect certainty of guilt.  I hold it. to be
wiser to seek another caravel at the' Canaries, for, by this
accident, I well see we shall not be rid of the artifices of
the two owners, until we are rid of their vessel. It will be
hazardous to launch the skiff in this sea, or I would proceed to the Pinta myself; but, as it is, let us have confidence in Martin Alonzo and his skill."
Columbus thus encouraged the people of the Pinta to




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


227


exert themselves, and in about an hour or two, the
three vessels were again making the best of their way
towards the Canaries. Notwithstanding the delay, nearly
ninety miles were made good in the course of the day and
night. But, the following morning, the rudder again broke
loose, and, as the damage was more serious than in the
former;nstance, it was still more difficult to repair. These
repeated accidents gave the admiral great concern, for he
took them to be so many indications of the disaffection of
his followers.  He fully determined, in consequence, to get
rid of the Pinta, if it were possible to find another suitable
vessel among the islands. As the progress cf the vessels
was much retarded by the accident, although the wind continued favourable, the expedition only got some sixty miles,
this day, nearer to its place of' destination.
On the following morning, the three vessels came within
hail of each other; and a comparison of the nautical skill
of the different navigators, or pilots, as it was then the custom to style them, took place, each offering his opinion as
to the position of the vessels.
It was not the least of the merits of Columbus, that he
succeeded in his great experiment with the imperfect aid
of the instruments then in use. The mariner's compass,
it is true, had been in common service quite a century, if
not longer, though its variations, a knowledge of which is
scarcely less important in long voyages than a knowledge
of the instrument itself, were then unknown to seamen,
who seldom ventured far enough fiom the land to note
these mysteries of nature, and who, as a class, still relied
almost as much on the ordinary position of the heavenly
bodies to ascertain their routes, as on the nicer results of
calculation.  Columbus, however, was a striking exception
to this little-instructed class, having made himself thoroughly
acquainted with all the learning of the period that could be
applied in his profession, or which might aid him in effecting the great purpose for which alone he now seemed to
live.
As might be expected, the comparison resulted altogether
n the admiral's favour, the pilots in general being soon
corvirqed that he alone knew the true position of the vessels, a fact that was soon unanswerably determined by the




228


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


appearance of the summins of the Canaries, which hove up
out of the ocean, in a south-easterly direction, resembling
well-defined dark clouds clustering in the horizon. As objects like these are seen at a great distance at sea, more
especially in a transparent atmosphere, and the wind became
light and variable, the vessels, notwithstanding, were unable
to reach Grand Canary, until Thursday, the 8th of August
or nearly a week after they had left Palos. There they al
ran in, and anchored in the usual haven. Columbus im
mediately set about making an inquiry for another caravel,
but proving unsuccessful, he sailed for Gomera, where he
believed it might be easier to obtain the craft he wanted.
While the admiral was thus employed with the Santa Maria
and the Nifia, Martin Alonzo remained in port, being unable
to keep company in the crippled condition of the Pinta.
But no suitable vessel being found, Columbus reluctantly
returned to Grand Canary, and after repairing the Pinta,
which vessel was badly caulked, among the other devices
that had been adopted to get her freed from the service,
he sailed again for Gormera, from which island he was to
take his final departure.
During these several changes, a brooding discontent be.
gan to increase among most of the common mariners,
while some even of a higher class, were not altogether free
from the most melancholy apprehenisions for the future.
While passing from Grand Canary to Gomera, with all his
vessels, Columbus was again at his post, with Luis and his
usual companions near him, when the admiral's attention
was drawn to a conversation that took place between a
group of the men, who had collected near the main-mast.
It was night, and there being- little wind, the voices of the
excited disputants reached farther than they themselves
were aware.
" I tell thee, Pepe," said the most vociferous and most
earnest of the speakers, " that the night is not darker than
the future of this crew. Look to the west, and what dost
see there?  Who hath ever heard of land, after he hath
quitted the Azores, and who is so ignorant as not to know
that Providence hath placed water around all the continents,
with a few islands" as stopping-places for mariners, and
spread the broad ocean beyond, with an intention to rebuke




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


229


an over-eager curiosity to pry into matters that savour
more of miracles than of common worldly things?"
" This is well, Pero," answered Pepe, " but I know that
Monica thinks the admiral is sent of God, and that we may
look forward to great discoveries, through his means; and
most especially to the spreading of religion among the
heathen"
"Ay, thy Monica should have been in Dofia Isabella's
seat, so learned and positive is she in all matters, whether
touching her own woman's duties, or thine own. She is
thy quean, Pepe, as all in Moguer will swear; and there
are some who say she would gladly govern the port, as she
governeth thee."
" Say nought against the mother of my child, Pero,"
interrupted Pepe, angrily. "I can bear thy idle words
against myself, but he that speaketh ill of Monica will have
a dangerous enemy."
" Thou art bold of speech, Pero, when away a hundred
leagues from thine own better nine-tenths," put in a voice
that Columbus and Luis both knew, on the instant, to belong to Sancho Mundo, " and art bold enough to jeer Pepe
touching Monica, when we all well know who commandeth
in a certain cabin, where thou art as meek as a hooked dolphin, whatever thou may'st be here. But, enough of thy
folly about women; let us reason upon our knowledge as
mariners, if thou wilt; instead of asking questions of one
like Pepe, who is too young to have had much experience,
I offer myself as thy catechist."
( "What hast thou, then, to say about this unknown lane
that lieth beyond the great ocean, where man hath never
been, or is at all likely to go, with followers such as
these?"
"I have this to say, silly and idle-tongued Pero,-that
the time was when even the Canaries were unknown; when
mariners did not dare to pass the straits, and when the
Portuguese knew nothing of their mines and Guinea, lands
that I myself have visited, and where the noble Don Christoval hath also been, as I know on the testimony of mine
own eyes."
" And what hath Guiinea, or what have the mines of the
Portuguese to do with this western voyage? All know
20




230


MIERCEDES OF CASTILE.


that there is a country called Africa; and what is there
surprising that mariners should reach a land that is-known
to exist: but who knoweth that the ocean hath other continents, any more than that the heavens have other earths?"
"'Phis is well, Pero," observed an attentive by-stander;
"and Sancho will have to drain his wits to answer it."
" It is well for those who wag their tongues, like women
without thought of what they say," coolly returned Sancho
'but will have little weight with Dofia Isabella, or Don Al
mirante. Harkee, Pero, thou art like one that hath trodden
the path between Palos and Moguer so often, that thou fanciest there is no road to Seville or Granada. There must
be a beginning to all things; and this voyage is, out of
doubt, the beginning of voyages to Cathay. We go west,
instead of east, because it is the shorter way; and because
moreover, it is the only way for a caravel. Now, answer
mne, messmates; is it possible for a craft, let her size or ria
be what it may, to pass over the hills and valleys of a continent-I mean under her canvass, and by fair sailing?"
Sancho waited for a reply, and received a common and
complete admission of the impossibility of the thing.
"Then cast your eyes at the admiral's chart, in the
morning, as he keepeth it spread before him on the poop,
yonder, and you will see that there is land from one pole
to the other, on each side of the Atlantic, thereby render.
ing navigation impossible, in any other direction than this
we are now taking. The notion of Pcro, therefore, runs in
the teeth of nature."
"This is so true, Pero," exclaimed another, the rest assenting, "that thy mouth ought to be shut."
But Pero had a mouth that was not very easily closed,
and it is probable that his answer would have been to the
full as acute and irrefutable as that of Sancho, had not
a common exclamation of alarm and horror burst from all
around him. The night was sufficiently clear to permit
the gloomy outlines of the Peak of'l'eneriffe to be distinctly
visible, even at some distance; and, just at that moment,
flashes of flame shot upwards from its pointed summit, illuminating, at instants, the huge pile, and then leaving it
in shadowy darkness, an object of mystery and terror.
Many of the seamen dropped on their knees and began to




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


231


tell their beads, while all, as it might be instinctively, crossed
themselves. Next arose a greneral murmur; and in a few
minutes, the men who slept were awoke, and appeared
among hleir fellows, awe-struck and astounded spectators
of the phenomenon. It was soon settled that the attention
of the admiral should be drawn to this strange event, and
Pero was selected for the spokesman.
All this time, Columbus and his companions remained on
the poop, and, as might have been expected, this unlooked-for
change in the appearance of the Peak had not escaped their
attention. Too enlightened to be alarmed by it, they were
watching the workings of the mountain, when Pero, accompanied by nearly every sailor in the vessel, appeared
on the quarter-deck. Silence having been obtained, Pero
opened the subject of his mission with a zeal that was not
a little stimulated by his fears.
" Sefior Almirante," he commenced, " we have come to
pray your Excellency to look at the summit of the Island
of Teneriffe, where we all think we see a solemn warning
against persevering in sailing into the unknown Atlantic.
It is truly time for men to remember their weakness, and
how much they owe to the goodness of God, when even the
mountains vomit flames and smoke!"
"Have any here ever navigated the Mediterranean, or
visited the island of which Don Ferdinand, the honoured
consort of our lady the queen, is master?" demanded Columbus, calmly.
"Sefior Don Almirante," hastily answered Sancho, "I
have done so, unworthy as I may seem to have enjoyed
that advantage. And I have seen Cyprus, and Alexandria,
and even Stamboul, the residence of the Great Turk."
" Well, then, thou may'st have also seen Aetna, another
mountain which continueth to throw up those flames, in the
midst of a nature and a scene on which Providence would
seem to have smiled with unusual benignity, instead of angrily frowning, as ve seem to imagine."
Columbus then proceeded to give his people an explanation of the causes of volcanoes, referring to the gentlemen
around hln to corroborate the fidelity of his statements. ~
He told them that he looked upon this little eruption as
merely a natural occurrence; or, if he saw any omen at all




232             I:T)ER S OF CASTILE.
in the event, it was propitious rather than otherwise; Provi
dence seeming disposed to iight them on their way. Luis
and the rest next descended among the crew, where they
used their reasoning powers in quieting an alarm that, at
first, had threatened to be serious. For the moment they
were successful, or perhaps it would be better to say that
they succeeded completely, so far as the phenomenon of the
volcano was concerned, and this less by the arguments of
the more intelligent of the officers, than by means of the
testimony of Sancho, and one or two others of the common
men, who had seen similar scenes elsewhere. With difliculties like these, had the great navigator to contend, even
after he had passed years in solicitations to obtain the limited
means which had been finally granted, in order to effect
one of the sublimest achievements that had yet crowned the
enterprise of man!
The vessels reached Gomnera on the 2d of September,
where they remained several days, in order to complete
their repairs, and to finish taking in their supplies, ere they
finally left the civilized abodes of man, and what might then
be deemed the limits of the known earth. The arrival of
such an expedition, in an age when the means of communication were so few that events were generally their own
announcers, had produced a strong sensation among the
inhabitants of the different islands visited by the adventurers. Columbus was held in high honour among them, not
only on account of the commission he had received from
the two sovereigns, but on account of the magnitude and
the romantic character of his undertaking.
There existed a common belief among all the adjacent
islands, including Madeira, the Azores and the Canaries,
that land lay to the westward; their inhabitants living
under a singular delusion in thi3 particular, which the admiral had an occasion to detect, during his second visit to
Gomera. Among the most distinguished persons who were
then on the island, was Dofia Inez Peraza, the mother of
the Count of Gomera. She was attended by a crowd of
persons, not only belonging to her own, but who had come
from other islands to do her honour. She entertained the
admiral in a manner suited to his high rank, admitting to
her society such of the adventurers as Columbus saw fit to




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


233


point out as worthy of the honour. Of course the pretended
Pedro de Mufios, or Pc ro (;utierrez, as he was now indifferently termed, was of the number; as, indeed, were most
of those who might be deemed any way suited to so high
and polished a society.
"I rejoice, Don Christopher," said Doina Inez Peraza, on
this occasion, "that their Highnesses have at length yielded
to your desire to solve this great problem, not only on accotllnt of our H-oly Church, which, as you say, hath so deep
ini interest in your success, and the honour of the two sovereigns, and the welfare of Spain, and all the other great
considerations that we have so freely touched upon in our
discourse already, but on account of the worthy inhabitants,f the Fortunate Islands, who have not only many traditions
touching land in the west, but most of whom believe that
they have more than once seen it, in that quarter, in the
course of their lives."
" I have heard of this, noble lady, and would be grateful
to have the account from the mouths of eye-witnesses, now
we are here, together, conversing freely concerning that
which is of so much interest to us all."
" Then, Seflor, I will entreat this worthy cavalier, who
is every way capable of doing the subject justice, to be
spokesman for us, and to let you know what we all believe
in these islands, and what so many of us fancy we have
seen. Acquaint the admiral, Sefior 1)arna, I pray thee, of
the singular yearly view that we get of unknown land
lying afar off, in the Atlantic."
"Most readily, Doia Inez, and all the more so at youi
gracious bidding," returned the person addressed, who disposed himself to tell the story, with a readiness that the
lovers of the wonderful are apt to betrav when a fitting
opportunity offers to indulge a favourite propensity.  'The
illustrious admiral hath probably heard of the island of
St. Brandan, that lieth some eighty or a hundred leagues to
the westward of Ferro, and which hath been so often seen,
but which no navigator hath yet been able to reach, in our
days at least?"
" I have often heard of' this fabled spot, Sefior," the ad.
miral gravely replied; "but, pardon me if I say that the
20*




23 41


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


land never yet existed which a mariner hath seen and yet
a mariner hath not reached."
" Nay, noble admiral," interrupted a dozen eager voices,
among which that of the lady, herself, was very distinctly
audible, " that it hath been seen, most here know; and that
it hath never been reached, is a fact to which more than
one disappointed pilot can testify."
"That which we have seen, we know; and that which
we know, we can describe," returned Columbus, steadily
'Let any man tell me in what meridian, or on what parallel this St. Brandan, or St. Barandon, lieth, and a week
shall make me also certain of its existence."
"I know little of meridians or parallels, Don Christopher," said the Sefior Dama, " but I have some ideas of
visible things. This island have I often seen, more or less
plainly at different times; and that, too, under the serenest
skies, and at occasions when it was not possible greatly to
mistake either its form or its dimensions. Once I remember
to have seen the sun set behind one of its heights."
"This is plain evidence, and such as a navigator should
respect; and yet do I take what you imagine yourself to
have seen, Seior, to be some illusion of the atmosphere."
"Impossible!-impossible!" was said, or echoed, by a
dozen voices. "Hundreds yearly witness the appearance
of St. Brandan, and its equally sudden and mysterious disappearance."
"Therein, noble lady and generous cavalier, lieth the
error into which ye have fallen. Ye see the Peak the
year round; and he who will cruise a hundred miles, north
or south, east or west, of it, will continue to see it, the year
round, except on such days as the state of the atmosphere
may forbid. The land which God hath created stationary,
will be certain to remain stationary, until disturbed by some
great convulsion that cometh equally of his providence and
his laws."
"All this may be true, Sefior; doubtless it is true; but
every rule hath its exceptions. You will not deny that God
ruleth the world mysteriously, and that his ends are not
always visible to human eyes. Else, why hath the Moor
so long been permitted to rule in Spain? why hath the In.
fidel, at this moment, possession of the Holy Sepulchre?




MER EDES OF CASTILE.


235


why have the sovere'gns been so long deaf to your own
well-grounded wishes ind entreaties to be permitted to carry
their l)anners, in corpany with the cross, to the Cathay,
whither you are now bound'!  Who knoweth that these
appearances of St. Brandan may not be given as signs to
encourage one like yourself, bent on still greater ends than
even reaching its shores?"
Columbus was an enthusiast; but his was an enthusiasm
that was seated in his reverence for the acknowledged
mysteries of religion, which sought no other support from
things incomprehensible, than might reasonably be thought
to belong to the exercise of infallible wisdom, and which
manifested a proper reverence for a Divine Power. Like
most of that period, he believed in modern miracles; and his
dependence on the direct worldly efficacy of votive offerings, penances and prayers, was such as marked the age
in general, and his calling in particular. Still, his inasculine understanding rejected the belief of vulgar prodigies;
and while he implicitly thought himself set apart and selected for the great work before him, he was not disposed
to credit that an airy exhibition of an island was placed in
the west to tempt mariners to follow its shadowy outline to
the more distant regions of Cathay.
"That I feel the assurance of the Providence of God
having selected me as the humble instrument of connecting
Europe with Asia, by means of a direct voyage by sea, is
certain," returned the navigator, gravely, though his eye
lighted with its latent enthusiasm; " but I am far from
indulging in the weakness of thinking, that direct, miraculous, agencies are to be used to guide me on my way. It
is more in conformity to the practice of divine wisdom, and
certainly more grateful to my own self:love, that the means
employed are such as a discreet pilot, and the most experienced philosophers, might feel proud in finding themselves
selected to display. My thoughts have first been turned to
the contemplation of this subject; then hath my reason
been enlightened by a due course of study and reflection,
and science hath aided in producing the conviction necessary to impel myself to proceed, and to enable me to induce
others, to join in this e:terprise."
" And do all your followers, noble admiral, act under the




236


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


same guidance?" demanded the Dona Inez, glancing at
Luis, whose manly graces, and martial aspect, had found
favour in the eyes of most of the ladies of the island. " Is
the Sefior Gutierrez equally enlightened in this manner
and hath he, too, devoted his nights to study, in order that
the cross may be carried to the heathen, and Castile and
Cathay may be more closely united?"
"The Sefior Gutierrez is a willing adventurer, Senora
but he must be the expounder of his ov:. motives."
"Then will we call on the cavalier himself, for an answer. These ladies feel a desire to know what may have
impelled one who would be certain to succeed at the court
of Dofia Isabella, and in the Moorish wars, to join in such
an expedition."
"The Moorish wars are ended, Senora," replied Luis,
smiling; "and Dofia Isabella, and all the ladies of her
court, most favour the youths who show a manly disposition to serve the interests, and to advance the honour of
Castile. I know very little of philosophy, and have still
smaller pretensions to the learning of churchmen; but I
think I see Cathay before me, shining like a brilliant star in
the heavens, and am willing to adventure body and soul in
its search."
Many pretty exclamations of admiration broke from the
circle of fair listeners; it being most easy for spirit to gain
applause, when it is recommended by high personal advantages, and comes from the young and favoured. That Columbus, a weather-worn veteran of the ocean, should see
fit to risk a life that was already drawing near its close,
in a rash attempt to pry into the mysteries of the Atlantic,
seemed neither so commendable, nor so daring, but many discover high qualities in the character of one who was just
entering on his career, and that under auspices apparently
so flattering, and who threw all his hopes on the uncertain.chances of success in a scheme so unusual. Luis was human, and he was in the full enjoyment of the admiration
his enterprise had evidently awakened among so many sensitive young creatures, when Dofa Inez most inopportunely
interposed to interrupt his happiness, and to wound his self
esteem.
" This is having more honourable views than my letters




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


237


from Seville attribute to one youth, who bclongeth to the
proudest of our Castilian houses, and whcse titles alone
should invite him to add new lustre to a name that hath so
long been the Spanish boast," resumed the Sefiora Peraza.
"The reports speak of his desire to rove, but in a man.
ner unworthy of his rank; and that, too, in a way to serve
neither the sovereigns, his country, nor himself."
"And who may this misguided youth be, Sefora?'
eagerly inquired Luis, too much elated by the admiration
he had just excited to anticipate the answer. "A cavalier
thus spoken of, needeth to be warned of his reputation, that
he may be stimulated to attempt better things."
"His.name is no secret, since the court speaketh openly
of his singular and ill-judged career; and it is said fhat
even his love hath been thwarted.in consequence. I mean
a cavalier of no less lineage and name than Don Luis de
Bohadilla, the count of Llera."
It is said that listeners seldom hear good of themselves,
and Luis was now fated to verify the truth of the axiom.
He felt the blood rushing to his face, and it required a
strong effort at self-command to prevent him from breaking
out in exclamations, that would probably have contained
invocations of half the patron saints he had ever heard of,
had he not happily succeeded in controlling the sudden impulse. Gulping the words h, had been on the point of
uttering, he looked round, with an air of defiance, as if
seeking the countenance of some man who might dare even
to smile at what had been said. Luckily, at that moment,
Columbus had drawn all of the males present around himself, in warm discussion of the probable existence of the
island of St. Brandan; and Luis nowhere met a smile,
with which he could conveniently quarrel, that had a setting of beard to render it hostile. Fortunately, the gentle
impulses that are apt to influence a youthful female, in.
duced one of Dofia Inez's fair companions to speak, and
that in a way greatly to relieve the feelings of our hero.
" True,.Sefiora," rejoined the pretty young advocate, the
first tones of whose voice had an effect to calm the ten.
pest that was rising in the bosom of the young man;
" true, Seiora, it is said that Don Luis is a wanderer, and
one of unsettled tastes and habits, but it is also said he




3dd        MERCEDES OF CASTILE.
hath a most excellent heart, is generous as the dews of
heaven themselves, and carrieth the very best lance of Cas.
tile, as he is also like to carry off the fairest maiden."
" It is vain, Sefior de Mufios, for churchmen to preach,
and parents to frown," said Doia Inez, smiling, "while
the beautiful and young will prize courage, and deeds in
arms, and an open hand, before the more homely virtues
commended by our holy religion, and so zealously inculcated by its servants. The unhorsing of a knight or two
in the tourneys, and the rallying a broken squadron under
a charge of the Infidel, counteth far more than years of
sobriety, and weeks of penance and prayer."
" How know we that the cavalier you mention, Sefiora,
may not have his weeks of penance and his hours of prayer?"
answered Luis, who had. now found his voice. "Should
he be so fortunate as to enjoy a conscientious religious adviser, he can scarce escape both, prayer being so often
ordered in the way of penance. He seemeth, indeed, to be a
miserable dog, and I wonder not that his mistress holdeth
him cheap. Is the name of the lady, also, given in your
letter?"
"( It is. She is the Dofia Maria de las Mercedes de Val.
verde, nearly allied to the Guzmans and the other great
houses, and one of the fairest maidens of Spain."
" That is she!" exclaimed Luis, "and one of the most
virtuous, as well as fair, and wise as virtuous!"
"How now, Sefior, is it possible that you can have sufficient knowledge of one so situated, as to speak thus positively of her qualities, as well as of her appearance?"
"Her beauty I have seen, and of her excellencies one
may speak by report. But doth your correspondent, Se.
lora, say aught of what hath become of the graceless
lover?"
"It is rumoured that he hath again quitted Spain, and,
as is supposed, under the grave displeasure of the sovereigns, since it hath been remarked that the queen now
never nameth him. None know the road he luth taken,
but there is little doubt that he is again roaming the seas,
as usual, in quest of low adventures among the ports of the
east."




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


239


The conversation now changed, and soon afte the admi.
ral and his attendants repaired to their different vessels.
" Of a verity, Senior Don Christoval," said Luis, as he
walked alone with the great navigator towards the shore,
"one little knoweth when he is acquiring fame, and when
not. Though but an indiflbrent mariner, and no pilot, I
find my exploits on the ocean are well bruited abroad! If
your Excellency but gain half tlp reputation I already
enjoy, by this present expedition, you will have reason to
believe that your name will not be forgotten by posterity."; It is a tribute the great pay for their elevation, Luis,"
returned the admiral, "that all their acts are commented
on, and that they can do little that may be concealed from
observation, or escape remarks."
" It would be as well, Sefior Almirante, to throw into the
scales, at once, calumnies, and lies, and uncharitableness,
for all these are to be added to the list. Is it not wonderful, that a young man cannot visit a few foreign lands, in
order to increase his knbwledge and improve his parts, but
all the gossips of Castile should fill their letters to the gossips of the Canaries, with passages touching his movements and demerits! By the Martyrs of the East   if I
were Queen of Castile, there should be a law against writing of others' movements, and I do not know, but a law
against women's writing letters at all!"
"In which case, Sefior de Mufios, thou wouldst never
possess the satisfaction of receiving a missive from the
fairest hand in Castile."
"I mean a woman's writing to a woman, Don Christopher. As to letters from noble maidens intended to cheer
the hearts and animate the deeds of cavaliers who adore
ihem, they are useful,'out of doubt, and the saints be deaf
to the miscreant who would forbid, or intercept them! No,
Seior, I trust that travelling hath at least made me liberal.
by raising me above the narrow prejudices of provinces
and cities, and I am far from wishing to put an end to letters from  mistresses to their knights, or from parents to
their children, or even from wives to their husbands; but,
as for the letters of a gossip to a gossip, by your leave,
Senior Almirante, I detest them just as much as the Fathez
of Sin detests this expedition of ours 1"




240


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


"An expedition, certainly, that he hath no great reason
to love," answered Columbus, smiling, "since it will be
followed by the light of revelation and the triumph of the
cross. But what is thy will, friend, that thou seemest in
waiting for me, to disburthen thyself of something? Thy
name is Sancho Mundo, if I remember thy countenance?"
"Sefor Don Almirante, y our memory hath not mistaken," returned the person addressed —" I am Sancho
Mundo, as your Excellency saith, sometimes called Sancho
of the Ship-Yard Gate. I desire to say a few words, concerning the fate of our voyage, whenever it shall suit you,
noble Sefior, to hear me where there are no ears present
that you distrust."
" Thou may'st speak freely, now; this cavalier being my
confidant and secretary."
" It is not necessary that I should tell a great pilot, like
ytour Excellency, who is King of Portugal, or what the
mariners of Lisbon have been about these many years,
since you know all that better than myself. Therefore I
will just add, that they are discovering all the unknown
lands they can, for themselves, and preventing others, as
much as in them lies, from doing the same thing."
"DonJohn of Portugal is an enlightened prince, fellow,
and thou would'st do well to respect his character and rank.
His Highness is a liberal sovereign, and hath sent many
noble expeditions forth from his harbour."
"That he hath, Sefior, and this last is not the least in its
designs and intentions," answered Sancho, turning a look
of irony towards the admiral, that showed the fellow had
more in reserve than he cared to divulge without some
wheedling. " No one doubts Don John's willingness to
send forth expeditions."
"Thou hast heard some intelligence, Sancho, that it is
proper I should know! Speak freely, and rely on my repaying any service of this sort, to the fill extent of its de.
servings."
" If your Exce!lency will have patience to hear me, I will
give the whole story, with all minuteness and particularity,
and that in a way to leave no part untold, and all parts to
be as easily understood as heart can wish, or a priest in the
confessional could desire."




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


241


" Speak; no one will interrupt thee. As thou art frank,
so will be thy reward."
"Well, then, Sefior Don Almirante, you must know that
about eleven years since, I made a voyage from Palos to
Sicily, in a caravel belonging to the Pinzons, here; not to
Martin Alonzo, who commandeth the Pinta, under your
Excellency's orders, but to a kinsman of his late father's
v ho caused better craft to be constructed than we are ap
to get in these days of hurry, and rotten cordage, and careless caulking, to say nothing of the manner in which the
canvass is-"
" Nay, good Sancho," interrupted the impatient Luis,
who was yet smarting under the remarks of Dofia Inez's
correspondent —" thou forgettest night is near, and that the
boat is waiting for the admiral."
" How should I forget that, Sefior, when I can see the
sun just dipping into the water, and I belong to the boat
myself, having left it in order to tell the noble admiral what
I have to say?"
" Permit the man to relait his story in his own manner,
Sefior Pedro, I pray thee," put in Columbus. "Nought is
gained by putting a seaman out in his reckoning."
"No, your Excellency, or in kicking with a mule. And
so, as I was saying, I went that voyage to Sicily, and had
for a messmate one Jos6 Gordo, a Portuguese by birth, but
a man who liked the wines of Spain better than the puckering liquors of his own country, and so sailed much in
Spanish craft. I never well knew, notwithstanding, whe
ther Jose was, in heart, most of a Portuguese, or a Spaniard
though he was certainly but an indifferent Christian."
"It is to be hoped that his character hath improved,"
said Columbus, calmly. " As I foresee that something is
to follow on the testimony of this Jose, you will let me say,
that an indifferent Christian is but an indifferent witness.
Tell me, at once, therefore, what he hath communicated,
that I may judge for myself of the value of his words."
" Now, he that doubteth your Excellency will not dis.
cover Cathay is a heretic, seeing that you have discover,
ed my secret without having heard it! Jos6 has just arrived, in the felucca that is riding near the Santa Maria,
and hearing that we were an expedition that had one San.
21




10


242            MERCEDES OF CASTILE.
cho Mundo engaged in it, he came speedily on board of us
to see his old shipmate."
"All that is so plain, that I wonder thou thinKest it
worthy of relating, Sancho; but, now we have him safe on
board the good ship, we can come at once to the subject of
his communication."
" That may we, Sefior; and so, without any unnecessary
delay, I will state, that the subject was touchiing Don John
of Portugal, Don Ferdinand of Aragon, Dofia Isabella of
Castile, your Excellency, Sefior Don Almirante, the Sefior
de Mufnos here, and nmyself."
"This is a strange company!' exclaimed Luis, laughing,
while he slipped a piece of eight into the hand of the sailor;
" perhaps that may aid thee in shortening the story of the
singular conjunction."
" Another, Seior, would bring the tale to an end at once.
To own the truth, Jose is behind that wall, and as he told
me he thought his news worth a dobla, he will be greatly
displeased at finding I have received my half of it, while
his half still remaineth unpaid."
"This, then, will set his mind at rest," said. Columbus,
placing an entire dobla in the hand of the cunning fellow,
for the admiral perceived by his manner that Sancho had
really something of importance to communicate. " Thou
canst summon Jose to thy aid, and deliver thyself, at once,
of thy burthen."
Sancho did as directed, and in a minute Jose had appealed, had received the dob!a, weighed it deliberately on his
finger, pocketed it, and commenced his tale. Unlike the,trtful Sancho, he told his story at once, beginning at the
ii ght end, and ceasing to speak as soon as he had no more
to communicate. The substance of the tale is soon related.
Jose had come from Ferro, and had seen three armed
caravels, wearing the flag of Portugal, cruising among the
islands, under circumstances that left little doubt their object was to intercept the Castilian expedition. As the man
referred to a passenger or two, who had landed within the
hour, to corroborate his statement, Columbus and Luis immediately sought the lodgings of these persons, in order to
hear their report of tie matter.  The result proved that
the sailor had stated nothing but what was true.




MEROEDES OF CASTILE.


2,t3


"' Of all our difficulties and embarrassments, Luis," re.
sumed the admiral, as the two finally proceeded to the
shore, " this is much the most serious! We may be detained altogether by these treacherous Portuguese, or we
may be followed in our voyage, and have our fair laurels
seized upon by others, and all the benefits so justly due for
our toil and risk usurped, or at least disputed, by men who
had not the enterprise and knowledge to accept the boon,
when fairly offered to them."
" Don John of Portugal must have sent far better knights
than the Moors of Granada to do the feat," answered Luis,
who had a Spaniard's distaste for his peninsular neighbours;
"he is a bold and learned prince, they say, but the commission and ensigns of the sovereign of Castile are not to
be disregarded, and that, too, in the midst of her own
islands, here."
" We have no force fit to contend with that which hath
most probably been sent against us. The number and size
of our vessels are known, and the Portuguese, questionless,
have resorted to the means necessary to effect their purposes, whatever those purposes may be. Alas! Luis, my
lot hath been hard, though I humbly trust that the end
will repay me for all! Years did I sue the Portuguese to
enter fairly into this voyage, and to endeavour to do that,
in all honour, which our gracious mistress, Dofia Isabella,
hath now so creditably commenced; he listened to my
reasons and entreaties with cold ears-nay, repelled them,
with ridicule and disdain; and, yet, here am I scarce
fairly embarked in the execution of schemes that they have
so often derided, than they endeavour to defeat me by
violence and treachery."
" Noble Don Christoval, we will die to a Castilian, ere
this shall come to pass!"
" Our only hope is in speedy departure. Thanks to the
industry and zeal of Martin Alonzo, the Pinta is ready, and
we may quit Gomera with the morning's sun. I doubt if
they will have the hardihood to follow us into the trackless
and unknown Atlantic, without any other guides than their
own feeble knowledge; and we will depart with the return
of the sun. All now dependeth on quitting.he Canaries
unseen."




244


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


As this was said, they reached the boat, and were quickly
pulled on board the Santa Maria. By this time the peaks
of the islands were towering like gloomy shadows in the
atmosphere, and, soon after, the caravels resembled dark,
shapeless specks, on the unquiet element that washed their
I ulls.
CHAPTER XVI.
"They little thought how pure a light,
With years, should gather round that day;
How love should keep their memories brightHow wide a realm their sons should sway."
BRYANT.
THE night that succeeded, was one of very varied feelings among the adventurers. As soon as Sancho secured
the reward, he had no further scruples about communicating all he knew, to any who were disposed to listen; and
long ere Columbus returned on board the vessel, the intelligence had spread from mouth to mouth, until all in the little
squadron were apprised of the intentions of the Portuguese.
Many hoped that it was true, and that their pursuers might
be successful; any fate being preferable, in their eyes, to
that which the voyage promised; but, such is the effect of
strife, much the larger portion of the crew were impatient
to lift the anchors and to make sail, if it were only to get
the mastery in the race. Columbus, himself, experienced
the deepest concern, for it really seemed as if a hard for'une was about to snatch the cup from his lips, just as it
had been raised there, after all his cruel sufferings and delays. He consequently passed a night of deep anxiety, and
was the first to rise in the morning.
Every one was on the alert with the dawn: and as the
preparations had been completed the previous night, by the
time the sun had risen, the three vessels were under way,
the Pinta leading, as usual. The wind was light, and the




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


245


squadron could barely gathes steerage way; but as every
moment was deemed precious, the vessels' heads were kept t6
the westward. When a short time out, a caravel came flapping past them, after having been several hours in sight, and
the admiral spoke her. She proved to be from Ferro, the most
southern and western island of the group, and had come
nearly on the route the expedition intended to steer, until
they quitted the known seas.
"Dost thou bring any tidings from Ferro?" inquired
Columbus, as the strange ship drifted slowly past the Santa
Maria; the progress of each vessel being little more than
a mile in the hour. "Is there aught of interest in that
quarter?"
"Did I know whether, or not, I am speaking to Don
Christopher Columbus, the Genoese that their Highnesses
have honoured with so important a commission, I should
feel more warranty to answer what I have both heard and
seen, Seiior," was the reply.
"I am Don Christopher himself, their Highnesses' admiral and viceroy, for all seas and lands that we may discover, and, as thou hast said, a Genoese in birth, though a
Castilian by duty, and in love to the queen."
"Then, noble Admiral, I may tell you that the Portuguese are active, three of their caravels being off Ferro,
at this moment, with the hope of intercepting your expedition."
"How is this known, friend, and what reasons have I
for supposing that the Portuguese will dare to send forth
caravels, with orders to molest those who sail as the officers of Isabella the Catholic? They must know that the
Holy Father hath lately conferred this title on the two sovereigns, in acknowledgment of their great services in expelling the Moor from Christendom."
" Senior, there hath been a rumour of that among the
islands, but little will the Portuguese care for aught of that
nature, when he deemeth his gold in danger. As I quitted
Ferro, I spoke the caravels, and have good reason to think
that rumour doth them no injustice."
" Did they seem warlike, and made they any pretensions
to a right to interrupt our voyage?"
" To us they said nought of this sort, except to inquire
21*




246


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


tauntingly, if the illustrious Dqn Christoval Colon, the great
viceroy of the east, sailed on board us. As for prepara.
tions, Sefior, they had many lombardas, and a multitude of
men in breast-plates und casques. I doubt if soldiers are
as numerous at the Azores, as when they sailed."
" Keep they close in with the island, or stretch they off
to sea-ward?"
" Mostly the latter, Sefor, standing far towards the west
in the morning, and beating up towards the land, as the
day closeth. Take the word of an old pilot, Don Christepher, the mongrels are there for no good."
This was barely audible, for, by this time, the caravels
had drifted past each other, and were soon altogether beyond the reach of the voice.
" Do you believe that the Castilian name standeth so low,
Don Christopher," demanded Luis, "that these dogs of
Portuguese dare do this wrong to the flag of the queen!"
" I dread nought from force, beyond detention and frauds,
certainly; but these, to me, at this moment, would be little
less painful than death. Most do I apprehend that these
caravels, under the pretence of protecting the rights of Don
John, are directed to follow us to Cathay, in which case
we should have a disputed discovery, and divided honours.
We must avoid the Portuguese, if possible; to effect which
purpose I intend to pass to the westward, without nearing
the island of Ferro, any closer than may be rendered ab.
solutely indisrensable."
Notwithstanding a burning impatience now beset the admiral, and most with him, the elements seemed opposed to
his passage from among the Canaries, into the open ocean.
The wind gradually failed, until it became so calm that the
sails were hauled up, and the three vessels lay, now laving
their sides with the brine, and now rising to the summit of
the ground-swell, resembling huge animals that were lazily
reposing, under the heats of summer, in drowsy indo.
lence.
Many was the secret pater or ave, that was mumbled by
the mariners, and not a few vows of future prayers were
made, in the hope of obtaining a breeze. Occasionally it
seemed as if Providence listened to these petitions, for the
air would fan the cheek, and the sails would fall, in the




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


247


vain expectation of getting ahead; but disappointment as
often followed, until all on board felt that they were fated
t3 linger under the visitations of a calm. Just at nightfall, however, a light air arose, and, for a few hours, the
wash of the parted waters was audible under the bows of
the vessels, though their way was barely sufficient to keep
them under the command of their helms. About midnight,
however, even this scarcely perceptible motion was lost,
and the craft were again lazily wallowing in the groundswells that the gales had sent in from the vast expanse of
the Western Ocean.
When the light reappeared, the admiral found himself
between Gomera and Teneriffe, the lofty peak of the latter
casting its pointed shadow, like that thrown by a planet,
far upon the water, until its sharp apex was renewed, in
faint mimicry, along the glassy surface of the ocean. Columbus was now fearful that the Portuguese might employ
their boats, or impel some light felucca by her sweeps, in
order to find out his position; and he wisely directed the
sails to be furled, in order to conceal his vessels, as far as
possible, from any prying eyes. The season had advanced
to the 7th of September, and such was the situation of this
renowned expedition, exactly five weeks after it had left
Spain; for this inauspicious calm occurred on a Friday, or
on that day of the week on which it had originally sailed.
All practice shows that there is no refuge from a calm
at sea, except in patience. Columbus was much too experienced a navigator, not to feel this truth, and, after using
the precaution mentioned, he, and the pilots under him,
turned their attention to the arrangements required to render the future voyage safe and certain. The few mathematical instruments known to the age, were got up, corrected, and exhibited, with the double intention of ascertaining their state, and of making a display before the
common men, that would heighten their respect for 'heir
leaders, by adding to their confidence in their skill. The
admiral, himself, had already obtained a high reputation as
a navigator, among his followers, in consequence of his
reckonings having proved so much more accurate than those
of the pilots, in approaching the Canaries; and as he now
exhibited the instruments then used as a quadrant, and ex



246


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


amined his compasses, every movement he made was
watched by the seamen, with either secret admiration, or
jealous vigilance; some openly expressing their confidence
in his ability to proceed wherever he wished to go, and
others covertly betraying just that degree of critical knowledge which ordinarily accompanies prejudice, ignorance,
and malice.
Luis had never been able to comprehend the mysteries
of navigation, his noble head appearing to repudiate learning, as a species of accomplishment but little in accordance
with its wants or its tastes. Still, he was intelligent; ana
within the range of knowledge that it was usual for laymen
of his rank to attain, few of his age did themselves more
credit in the circles of the court. Fortunately, he had the
most perfect reliance on the means of the admiral; ane
being almost totally without personal apprehensions, Co
lumbus had not a more submissive or blind follower, than
the young grandee, under his command.
Man, with all his boasted philosophy, intelligence, and
reason, exists the dupe of his own imagination and blindness, as much as of the artifices and designs of others.
Even while he fancies himself the most vigilant and cautious, he is as often misled by appearances as governed by
facts and judgment; and perhaps half of those who were
spectators of this calculated care in Columbus, believed
that they felt, in their renewed confidence, the assurances
of science and logical deductions, when in truth their senses
were impressed, without, in the slightest degree, enlightening their understandings.
Thus passed the day of the 7th September, the night arriving and still finding the little squadron, or fleet, as it was
tei med in the lofty language of the day, floating helplessly
between Teneriffe and Gomera. Nor did the ensuing morning bring a change, for a burning sun beat, unrelieved by a
breath of air, on the surface of a sea that was glittering like
molten silver. When the admiral was certain, however.
by having sent men aloft to examine the horizon, that the
Portuguese were not in sight, he felt infinitely relieved, little
doubting that his pursuers still lay, as inactive as himself,
to the westward of Ferro.
"By the seamen's hopes! Sefior Don Christopher," said




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


249


Luis, as he reached the poop, where Columbus had kept an
untiring watch for hours, he himself having just risen from
a siesta, "the fiends seem to be leagued against us! Here
are we in the third day of our calm, with the Peak of Tenerife as stationary as if it were a mile-stone, set to tell the
porpoises and dolphins the rate at which they swim. If
one believed in omens, he might fancy that the saints were
unwilling to see us depart, even though it be on their own
errand."
" We may not believe in omens, when they are no more
than the fruits of natural laws," gravely returned the admiral. "There will shortly be an end of this calm, for a
haze is gathering in the atmosphere that promises air from
the east, and the motion of the ship will tell thee, that the
winds have been busy far to the westward. Master Pilot,"
addressing the officer of that title, who had charge of the
deck at the moment, " thou wilt do well to unfurl thy canvass, and prepare for a favouring breeze, as we sthall soon
be overtaken by wind from the north-east."
Thi prediction was verified about an hour later, when
all three of the vessels began, again, to part the waters with
their stems. But the breeze, if any thing, proved more
tantalizing to the impatient mariners, than the calm itself
had been; for a strong head sea had got up, and the air
proving light, the different craft struggled with difficulty
towards the west.
All this time, a most anxious look-out was kept for the
Portuguese caravels, the appearance of which, however,
was less dreaded than it had been, as they were now sup.
posed to be a considerable distance to leewatrd. Columbus,
and his skilful assistants, Martin Alonzo and Vicente Yafiez,
or the brothers Pinzon, who commanded the Pinta and the
Nifia, practised all the means that their experience could
suggest to get ahead. Their progrerss, however, was not
only slow but painful, as every fresh impulse given by the
breeze, served to plutnge the bows of the vessels into the
sea with a violence tha:it threatened injuries to the spars
and rigging. So triflitng, indeed, was their rate of sailing,
that it required all the judgment of Columbus to note the
nearly imperceptible manner in which the tall, cone-like
summit of the Peal of TeellrifrT low;-red. a it!; *1 'e,




250


MERCEDES OF CASTILE,


inch by inch. The superstitious feelings of the common
men being more active than usual even, some among them
began to whisper that the elements were admonishing them
against proceeding, and that tardy as it might seem, the
admiral would do well to attend to omens and signs that
nature seldom gave without sufficient reason. These opinions, however, were cautiously uttered, the grave earnest
manner of Columbus having created so much respect, as to
suppress them in his presence; and the mariners of the
other vessels still followed the movements of their admiral
with that species of blind dependence which marks the submission of the inferior to the superior, under such circumstances.
When Columbus retired to his cabin for the night, Luis
observed that his countenance was unusually grave, as he
ended his calculations of the day's work.
" I trust all goes to your wishes, Don Christopher," the
young man gaily observed.  ' We are now fairly on our
journey, and, to my eyes, Cathay is already in sight."
"Thou hast that within thee, Don Luis," returned the admiral, " which rendereth what thou wishest to see distinct, and
maketh all colours gay. With me it is a duty to see things
as they are, and, although Cathay lieth plainly before the
vision of my mind-thou, Lord, vwho hast implanted, for
thine own great ends, the desire to reach that distant land,
only knowest how plainly!-although Cathay is thus plain
to my moral view, I am bound to heed the physical obstacles
that may exist to our reaching it."
"And are these obstacles getting to be more serious than
we could hope, Sefior?"
" My trust is still in God-look here, young lord," lay.
mg his finger on the chart; "at this point were we in the
morning, and to this point have we advanced by means of
all the toil of the day, down to this portion of the night.
Thou seest that a line of paper marketh the whole of our
progress; and, here again, thou seest that we have to cross
this vast desert of ocean, ere we may even hope to draw
near the end of our journey. By my calculation, with all
our exertions, and at this critical moment-critical not only
as regardetb the Portuguese, but critical as regardeth out
own people-we have made but nine leagues, which are a




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


251


small portion of the thousand that lie before us. At this
rate we may dread a failure of our provisions and water."
i' I have all confidence in your resources, Don Christopher, and in your knowledge and experience."
"And I have all confidence in the protection of God
trusting that he will not desert his servant in the moment
that he most needeth his support."
Here ColurQbus prepared himself to catch a few hours'
sleep, though it was in his clothes, the interest he felt in the
position of his vessels forbidding him to undress. This
celebrated man lived in an age when a spurious philosophy,
and a pretending but insufficient exercise of reason, placed
few, even in appearance, above the frank admission of their
constant reliance on a divine power. We say in appearance, as no man, whatever may be the extent of his delusions on this subject, really believes that he is altogether
sufficient for his own protection. This absolute self-reliance
is forbidden by a law of nature, each carrying in his own
breast a monitor to teach him his real insignificance,
demonstrating daily, hourly, at each minute even, that he
is but a diminutive agent used by a superior power in carrying out its own great and mysterious ends, for the sublime
and beneficent purposes for which the world and all it contains has been created. In compliance with the usage of
the times, Columbus knelt, and prayed fervently, ere he
slept; nor did Luis de Bobadilla hesitate about imitating an
example that few, in that day, thought beneath their intelligence or their manhood. If religion had the taint o'
superstition in the fifteenth century, and men confided too
much in the efficacy of momentary and transient impulses,
it is certain that it also possessed an exterior of graceful
meekness and submission to God, in losing which, it may
be well questioned, if the world has been the gainer.
The first appearance of light brought the admiral and
Luis to the deck. They both knelt again on the poop, and
repeated their paters; and then, yielding to the feelings
natural to their situation, they arose, eager to watch for
what might be revealed by the lifting of the curtain of day
The approach of dawn, and the rising of the sun at sea,
have been so often described, that the repetition here might
be superfluous; but we shall state that Luis watched the




252


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


play of colours that adorned the eastern sky, with a lover's
refinement of feeling, fancying that he traced a resemblance
to the passage of emotions across the tell-tale countenance
of Mercedes, in the soft and transient hues that are known
to precede a fine morning in September, more especially in
a low latitude. As for the admiral, his more practical gaze
was turned in the direction in which the island of Ferro
lay, awaiting the increase of the light in order to ascertain
what changes had been wrought during the hours he had
slept. Several minutes passed in profound attention, when
the navigator beckoned Luis to his side.
"Seest thou that dark, gloomy pile, which is heaving up
out of the darkness, here at the south and west of us?" he
said,-" it gaineth form and distinctness at each instant,
though distant some eight or ten leagues; that is Ferro, and
the Portuguese are there, without question, anxiously expecting our appearance. In this calm, neither can approach the other, and thus far we are safe. It is now necessary to ascertain if the pursuing caravels are between us
and the land, or not; after which, should it prove otherwise,
we shall be reasonably safe, if we approach no nearer to
the island, and we can maintain, as yesterday, the advantage of the wind. Seest thou any sail, Luis, in that quarter of the ocean?"
"None, Senor; and the light is already of sufficient
strength to expose the white canvass of a vessel, were any
there."
Columbus made an ejaculation of thankfulness, and immediately ordered the look-outs aloft to examine the entire
horizon. The report was favourable; the dreaded Portuguese caravels being nowhere visible. As the sun arose,
however, a breeze sprung up at the southward and westward, bringing Ferro, and consequently any vessels that
might be cruising in that quarter, directly to w'indward of
the fleet. Sail was made without the loss of a moment;
and the admiral stood to the northward and westward, trusting that his pursuers were looking out for him on the south
side of the island, which was the ground where those who
did not thoroughly understand his aim, would be most.ikely to expect him. By this time the westerly swell had,
in a great measure, gone down; and though the progress




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.             2i3
of the vessels was far from rapid, it was steady, and seemed
likely to last. The hours went slowly by, and as the day
advanced, objects became less and less distinct on the sides
of Ferro. Its entire surface next took the hazy appearance
o"a dim and ill-defined cloud; and then it began slowly t,
sink into the water. -Its summit was still visible, as the admiral, with the more privileged of his companions, assembled on the poop, to take a survey of the ocean and of the
weather. The most indifferent observer might now have
noted the marked difference in the state of feeling which
existed among the adventurers on board the Santa Maria
On the poop, all was cheerfulness and hope, the present
escape having induced even the distrustful, momentarily, to
forget the uncertain future; the pilots, as usual, were occupied and sustained by a species of marine stoicism, while a
melancholy had settled on the crew that was as apparent
as if they were crowding around the dead. Nearly every
man in the ship was in some one of the groups that had
assembled on deck; and every eye seemed riveted, as it
might be by enchantment, on the fading and falling heights
of Ferro. While things were in this state, Columbus ap.
proached Luis, and aroused him from a sort of trance, by
laying a finger lightly on his shoulder.
" It can not be that the Sefior de MuIfos is affected by
the feelings of the common men," observed the admiral,
with a slight mixture of surprise and reproach; "this, too,
at a moment that all of an intelligence sufficient to foresee
the glorious consequences, are rejoicing that a heaven-sent
breeze is carrying us to a safe distance from the pursuing
and envious caravels! Why dost thou thus regard the people beneath thee, with a steady eye and unwavering look?
Is it that thou repentest embarking, or dost thou merely
muse on the charms of thy mistress?"
"By San Iago! Don Christopher, this time your sagacity is at fault. I neither repent, nor muse as you would
imply; but I gaze at yonder poor fellows with pity for their
apprehensions."
" Ignorance is a hard master, Seior Pedro, and one that
is now exercising his power over the imaginations of the
seamen, with the ruthlessness of a tyrant. They dread
the worst merely because they have not the knowledge to
22




.:O4            MERCEDES OF CASTILE.
foresee the best. Fear is a stronger passion than hope
and is ever the near ally of ignorance. In vulgar eyes
that which hath not yet been,-nay, which hath not, in
some measure, become familiar by use,-is deemed impossible; men reasoning in a circle that is abridged by their
information. Those fellows are gazing at the island, as it
disappears, like men taking a last look at the things of life
Indeed, this concern exceedeth even what I could have an
ticipated."
"It lieth deep, Seior, and yet it riseth to the eyes; for
I have seen tears on cheeks that I could never have supposed wetted in any manner but by the spray of the ocean!"
"There ale our two acquaintances, Sancho and Pepe,
neither of whom seemeth particularly distressed, though
the last hath a cast of melancholy in his face. As for the
first, the knave showeth the indifference of a true mariner;
one who is never so happy as when farthest from the dangers of rocks and shoals: to such a man, the disappearance of one island, and the appearance of another, are
alike matters of indiflfrence. He seeth but the visible horizon around him, and considereth the rest of the world,
temporarily, as a blank. I look for loyal service, in that
Sancho, in despite of his knavery, and count upon him as
one of the truest of my followers."
Here the admiral was interrupted by a cry from the deck
beneath him, and looking round, his practised and quick
eye was not slow in discovering that the horizon to the
southward presented the usual watery blank of the open
ocean. Ferro had, in fact, altogether disappeared, some
of the most sanguine of the seamen having fancied that
they beheld it, even after it had finally sunk behind the
barrier of waves. As the circumstance became more and
more certain, the lamentations among the people grew less
ind less equivocal and louder, tears flowed without shame
)r concealment, hands were wrung in a sort of senseless
dlespair, and a scene of such clamour ensued, as threatened
some serious danger to the expedition from this new quar.
er. Under such circumstances, Columbus had all the peo),le collected beneath the break of the poop, and standing
)tn the latter, where he could examine every countenance
ibr himself, he addressed them on the subject of their grief




MERCEDI):S OF CASI'rLE..0b
On this occasion the manner of the great navigator was
earnest and sincere, leaving no doubt that he fully believed
in the truth of his own arolgiments, and that he uttered no.
thing with the hope to delude or to mnislead.
" When Don Ferdinand and Doia Isabella, our respected and beloved sovereigns, honoured me with the commission of admiral and viceroy, in those secret seas towards
which we are now steering," he said, " I considered it as
the most glorious and joyful event of my life, as I now
consider this moment, that seemeth to some among you so
painful, as second to it in hope and cause for felicitation.
In the disappearance of Ferro, I see also the disappearance
of the Portuguese; for, now that we are in the open ocean,
without the limits of any known land, I trust that Providence hath placed us beyond the reach and machinations
of all our enemies. While we prove true to ourselves,
and to the great objects that are before us, there is no longer
cause for fear. If any person among you hath a mind to
disburthen himself, in this matter, let him speak freely; we
being much too strong in argument to wish to silence doubts
by authority."
"Then, Sefor Don Almirante," put in Sancho, whose
tongue was ever ready to wag, as occasions offered, " it is
just that which maketh your Excellency so joyful that
maketh these honest people so sad. Could they always
keep the island of Ferro in sight, or any other known land,
they would, follow you to Cathay with as gentle a pull as
the launch followeth the caravel in a light breeze and
smooth water; but it is this leaving all behind, as it might
be, earth as well as wives and children, that saddens their
hearts, and uncorks their tears."
"And thou, Sancho, an old mariner that wast born at
sea-"
"Nay, your Excellency, illustrious Sefior Don Almirante," interrupted Sancho, looking up with pretended simplicity, "not exactly at sea, though within the scent of its
odour; since, having been found at the shipwright's gate,
it is not probable they would have made a haven just to
land so small a part of the freight."
" Well, born near the sea, if thou wilt-but from thee I1




256             MMERCEDIES OF CASTILE.
expect better things than unmanly lamentations because an
sland hath sunk below the horizon."
"Excellency, you may; it mattereth little to Sancho, if
half the islands in the sea were sunk a good deal lower.
There are the Cape de Verdes, now, which 1 never wish to
look upon again, and Lampidosa, besides Stromboli and
others in that quarter, would be better out of the way, than
where they are, as for any good they do us seamen. But,
if your Excellency will condescend to tell these honest people whither it is that we are bound, and what you expect to
find in port, and, more especially, when we are to come
back, it would comfort them in an unspeakable degree."
"As I hold it to be the proper office of men in authority
to let their motives be known, when no evil fo!loweth the
disclosure, this will I most cheerfully do, requiring the attention of all near me, and chiefly of those who are most
uneasy concerning our present position and future movements. The end of our voyage is Cathay, a country that
is known to lie in the uttermost eastern extremity of Asia,
whither it hath been more than once reached by Christian
travellers; and its difference from all other voyages, or
journeys, that may have been attempted in order to reach
the same country, is in the circunmstance that we go west,
while former travellers have proceeded east. But this is
effecting our purposes by means that belong only to stouthearted mariners, since none but those who are familiar
with the ocean, skilful pilots and obedient and ready seamen, can traverse the waters, without better guides than the
knowledge of the stars, currents, winds, and other phenomena of the Atlantic, and such aids as may be gleaned from
science. The reason on which I act, is a conviction that
the earth is round, whence it followeth that the Atlantic,
which we know to possess an eastern boundary of land,
must also have a western; and from certain calculations
that leave it almost certain, that this continent, which I hold
will prove to be India, cannot lie more than some twentylive or thirty days' sailing, if as many, from our own Europe. Having thus told when and where I expect to find
the country we seek, I will now touch a little on the advartages that we may all expect to derive from the discovery.
According to the accounts of a certain Marco Polo, and his




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


257


relatives, gentlemen of Venice, and men of fair credit and
good reputations, the kingdom of Cathay is not only one of
the most extensive known, but one that most aboundeth in
gold and silver, together with the other metals of value, and
precious stones. Of the advantages of the discovery of
such a land to yourselves, ye may judge by its advantages
to me. Their fIighnesses hlave dignified me with the rank
of admiral and viceroy, in anticipation of our success, and,
persevering to a successful termination of your efforts, the
humblest man among ye may look with confidence to some
signal mark of their favour. Rewards will doubtless be
rendered in proportion to your merits; he that deserveth
much, receiving more than he who hath deserved less. Still
will there be sufficient for all. Marco Polo and his relatives
dwelt seventeen years in the court of the Great Khan, and
were every way qualified to give a true account of the riches
and resources of those regions; and well were they, simple
Venetian gentlemen, without any other means than could
be transported on the backs of beasts of burthen, rewarded
for their toils and courage. The jewels alone, with which
they returned, served long to enrich their race, renovating
a decayed but honourable family, while they did their enterprise and veracity credit in the eyes of men.
"As the ocean, for a long distance this side of the continent of Asia and the kingdom of Cathay, is known to
abound with islands, we may expect first to meet with them,
where, it would be doing nature herself injustice, did we
not anticipate fragrant freights of balmy spices, and other
valuable commodities with which that favoured quarter of
the earth, it is certain, is enriched. Indeed, it is scarce
possible for the imagination to conceive of the magnitude
of the results that await our success, while nought but
ridicule and contempt could attend a hasty and inconsiderate return. Going not as invaders, but as Christians and
friends, we have no reason to expect other than the most
friendly reception; and, no doubt, the presents and gifts,
alone, that will naturally be offered to strangers who have
come so far, and by a road that hath hitherto been untravelled, will forty-fold repay you for all your toils and
troubles.
"I say nothing of the honour of being among those who
22 *




258


2MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


have first carried the cross to the heathen world," continued
the admiral, uncovering himself, and looking around him
with solemn gravity; "though our lathers believed it to be
no little distinction to have been one in the armies that contended lor the possession of the sepulchre. But, neither
the church, nor its great master, forgetteth the servitor that
advanceth its interests, and we may all look for blessings,
both here and hereafter."
As he concluded, Columbus devoutly crossed himself
and withdrew from the sight of his people among those
who were on the poop. The effect of this address was, for
the moment, very salutary, and the men saw the clouds
that hung over the land disappear, like the land itself, with
less feeling than they had previously manifested. Nevertheless, they remained distrustful and sad, some dreaming
that night of the pictures that Columbus had drawn of the
glories of the East, and others fancying in their sleep, that
demons were luring them into unknown seas, where they
were doomed to wander for ever, as a punishmeat for their
sins; conscience asserting its power, in all situations, and
most vividly in those of distrust and uncertainty.
Shortly before sunset, the admiral caused the three vessels to heave-to, and the two Pinzons to repair on board his
own ship. Here he laid before these persons his orlers
and plans for their government, in the event of a separation.
" Thus you will understand me, Sefiores," he concluded,
after having explained at length his views: "Your first
and gravest duty will be to keep near the admiral, in all
weather, and under every circumstance, so long as it may
be possible; but, failing of the possibility, you will make
your way due westward, on this parallel of latitude, until
you have gone seven hundred leagues from the Canaries;
after which, you are to lie-to at night, as, by that time, it is
probable you will be among the islands of Asia; and it
will be both prudent and necessary to our objects, to be
more on the alert for discoveries, from that moment. Still,
you will proceed westward, relying on seeing me at the
court of the Great Than, should Providence deny us an
earlier meeting."
"This is well, Sefior Almirante," returned Martin Alonzo,
raising his eyes, which had long been riveted on the chart,




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


259


"but it will be far better for all to keep together, and
chiefly so to us, who are little used to the habits of princes,
if we await your excellency's protection before we rush un.
heedingly into the presence of a sovereign as potent as the
Grand Khan."
"Thou showest thy usual prudence, good Martin Alonzo,
and I much commend thee for it. It were, indeed, better
that thou shouldst wait my arrival, since that eastern potentate may conceive himself better treated by receiving the
first visit from the viceroy of the sovereigns, who is the
bearer of letters directly from his own royal master and
mistress, than by receiving it from one of inferior rank.
Look thou well to the islands and their products, Senior
Pinzon, shouldst thou first gain those seas, and await my
appearance, before thou proceedest to aught else. How
stand thy people affected on taking leave of the land?"
"Ill enough, Sefior; so much so, indeed, as to put me
in fear of a mutiny. There are those in the Pinta who
need to stand in wholesome dread of the anger of their
Highnesses, to prevent their making a sudden and violent
return to Palos."
" Thou would'st do well to look sharply to this spirit, that
it may be kept under. Deal kindly and gently with these
disaffected spirits as long as may be, encouraging them by
all fair and reasonable promises; but beware that the distemper get not the mastery of thy authority. And now,
Seflores, as the night approacheth, take boat and return to
your vessels, that we may profit by the breeze."
When Columbus was again alone with Luis, he sate in
his little cabin, with a hand supporting his head, musing
like one lost in reflection.
"Thou hast long known this Martin Alonzo, Don Luis
de Bobadilla?" he at length asked, betraying the current
of his thoughts, by the nature of the question.
"Long, Sefior, as youths count time; though it would
seem but a day in the calculations of aged men."
" Much dependeth on him; I hope he may prove honest
as yet he hath shown himself liberal, enterprising, and
manly."
"He is human, Don Christopher, and therefore liable to
err. Yet is men go, I esteem Martin Alonzo far from be



2UU             MERCEDES OF CASTILE.
ing among the worst of his race. He hath not embarked
in this enterprise under knightly vows, nor with any churchman's zeal; but give him the chance of a fair return for
his risks, and you will find him as true as interest ever
leaveth a man, when there is any occasion to try his selfishness."
" Then thou, only, will I trust with my secret. Look at
this paper, Luis. Here thou seest that I have been calcu
lating our progress since morning, and I find that we have
come full nineteen leagues, though it be not in a direct
westerly line. Should I let the people know how far we
may have truly come, at the end of some great distance,
there being no land visible, fear will get the mastery over
them, and no man can foresee the consequences. I shall
write down publicly, therefore, but fifteen leagues, keeping
the true reckoning sacred for thine eye and mine. God
will forgive me this deception, in consideration that it is
practised in the interest of his own church. By making
these small deductions daily, it will enable us to advance a
thousand leagues, without awakening alarm sufficient for
more than seven or eight hundred."
" This is reducing courage to a scale I little dreamt of,
Sefior," returned Luis, laughing. "By San Luis, my true
patron! we should think ill of the knight who found it
necessary to uphold his heart by a measurement of leagues.'
"All unknown evils are dreaded evils. Distance hath
its terrors for the ignorant, and it may justly have its terrors for the wise, young noble, when it is measured on a
trackless ocean; and there ariseth another question touching those great staples of life, food and water."
With this slight reproof of the levity of his young friend,
the admiral prepared himself for his hammock by kneeling
and repeating the prayers of the hour.




MERCEDES OF OASTILE.


CHAPTER XVII.
" Whither, 'midst falling dew,
While glcw the heavens with the last steps of day,
Far, through their rosy depths, dost thou pursue
Thy solitary way?"
BRYANT.
THiE slumbers of Columbus weei of short duration.
While his sleep lasted it was profound, like that of a man
who has so much control over his will as to have reduced
the animal functions to its domination, for he awoke regularly at short intervals, in order that his watchful eye might
take a survey of the state of the weather, and of the condition of his vessels. On this occasion, the admiral was on
deck again, a little after one, where he found all things
seemingly in that quiet and inspiring calm that ordinarily
marks, in fine weather, a middle watch at sea. The men
on deck mostly slumbered, the drowsy pilot, and the steersman, with a look-out or two, alone remaining erect and
awake. The wind had freshened, and the caravel was
ploughing her way ahead, with an untiring industry, leaving Ferro and its dangers, at each instant, more and more
remote. The only no;ses that were audible, were the gene
tie sighing of the wind among the cordage, the wash of the
water, and the occasional creaking of a yard, as the breeze
forced it, with a firmer pressure, to distend its tackle and to
strain its fittings.
(3)




'ti            MERCEDES OF CASTILE.
The night was dark, and it required a moment to accus.
tom the eye to objects by a light so feeble: when this was
done, however, the admiral discovered that the ship was not
close by the wind, as he had ordered that she should be
kept. Walking to the helm, he perceived that it was so far
borne up, as to cause her head to fall off towards the northeast, which was, in fact, in the direction to Spain.
"Art thou a seaman, and disregardest thy course, in
this heedless manner?" sternly demanded the adniral; " or
art thou only a muleteer, who fancieth he is merely winding his way along a path of the mountains. Thy heart is
in Spain, and thou thinkest that a vain wish to return may
meet with some relief in this idle artifice!"
"Alas, Senor Almirante! your Excellency hath judged
rightly in believing that my heart is in Splain, where it ought
to be, moreover, as 1 have left behind me at Moguer seven
motherless children."
" Dost thou not know, fellow, that I too am a father, and
that the dearest objects of a father's hopes are left behind
me, also? In what, then, dost thou differ from me, my son
being also without a mother's care?"
" Excellency, he hath an admiral for a father, whilst my
boys have only a helmsman!"
"And what will it matter to Don Diego," - Columbus
was fend of dwelling on the honours he had received from
the sovereigns, even though it were a little irregularly' what will it matter to Don Diego, my son, that his parent
perished an admiral, if he perish at all; and in what will
he profit more than your children, when he findeth himself
altogether without a parent?"
"Sefior, it will profit him to be cherished by the king
and queen, to be honoured as your child, and to be fostered
and fed as the offspring of a viceroy, instead of being cast
aside as the issue of a nameless mariner."
"Friend, thou hast scme reason in this, and insomuch I
respect thy feelings"-answered Columbus, who, like our
own Washington, appears to have always submitt2d to a
lofty and pure sense of justice- " but thou would'st do we!;
to remember the influence that thy manly and successful
perseverance in this voyage may produce on the welfare of:hy children, instead of thus dwelling on weak forebodings




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


263


of ills that are little likely to come to pass. Neither of us
hath much to expect, should we fail of our discoveries, while
both may hope every thing should we succeed. Can I trust
thee now, to keep the ship on her course, or must I send
for another mariner to relieve the helm?"
" It may be better, noble admiral, to do the last. I will
bethink me of thy counsel, and strive with my longings fir
homne; but it would be safer to seek another for this duty,
while we are so near to Spain."
" Dost thou know one Sancho Mundo, a common seaman
of this crew?"
"Sellor, we all know him; he hath the name of the
most skilful of our craft, of all in Moguer."
"Is he of thy watch, or slecpeth he with his fellows of
the relief below?"
"Sefior, he is of our watch; and sleepeth not with his
fellows below, for the reason that he sleepeth on deck. No
care, or danger, can unsettie the confidence of Sancho!
To him the sight of land is so far an evil, that I doubt if he
rejoice should we ever reach those distant countries that
your Excellency seemeth to expect we may."
"Go find this Sancho, and bid him come hither: I will
discharge thy office the while."
Columbus now took the helm with his own hands, and
with a light play of the tiller brought the ship immediately
up as near the wind as she would lie. The effect was felt
in more quick and sudden plunges into the sea, a deeper
heel to leeward, and a fresh creaking aloft, that denoted a
renewed and increased strain on all the spars and their
tackle. In the course of a few minutes, however, Sancho
appeared rubbing his eyes, and yawning.
"Tlake thou this duty," said the admiral, as soon as the
nan was near him, "and discharge it faithfully. Those
who have been here already, have proved unfaithful, suflering the vessel to fall off, in the direction of Spain; I expect better things of thee. I think, friend Sancho, I may
count on thee as a true and faithful follower, even in ex..
tremity?"
" Sefor Don Almirante," said Sancho, who took the helm,
giving it a little play to feel his command of it, as a skilful
coachman brings his team in subjection on first assuming




264            MERCEDES OF CASTILE.
the reins, " I am a servant of the crown's, and your infe.
rior and subordinate; such duty as becometh me, I am ready
to discharge."
" Thou hast no fear of this voyage-no childish forebodings of becoming an endless wanderer in an unknown sea,
without hope of ever seeing wife or child again?"
" Seinor, you seem to know our hearts as well as if your
Excellency had made them with your own hands, and then
put them into our miserable bodies!"
"Thou hast, then, none of these unsuitable and unsea.
manlike apprehensions?"
"Not as much, Excellency, as would raise an ave in a
parish priest, or a sigh in an old woman. I may have my
misgivings, for we all have weaknesses, but none of them
incline to any dread of sailing about the ocean, since that is
my happiness; nor to any concern about wife and children,
not having the first, and wishing not to think I have the
last."
" If thou hast misgivings, name them.-I could wish to
make one firrm as thou, wholly my friend."
"I doubt not, Sefor, that we shall reach Cathay, or
whatever country your Excellency may choose to seek; I
make no question of your ability to beard the Great Khan,
and, at need, to strip the very jewels from his turban; as
turban he must have, being an Infidel; nor do I feel any
misgivings about the magnitude and richness of our discoveries and freights, since I believe, Sefor Don Almirante, you
are skilful enough to take the caravels in at one end of
the earth and out at the other; or, even to load them with
carbuncles, should diamonds be wanting."
" If thou hast this faith in thy leader, what other distrust
can give thee concern?"
" I distrust the value of the share, whether of honour or
of jewels, that will fall to the lot of one Sancho Mundo,
a poor unknown, almost shirtless mariner, that hath more
need of both than hath ever crossed the mind of our gracious lady, Dofia Isabella, or of her royal consort."
" Sancho, thou art a proof that no man is without his
failings, and I fear thou art mercenary. They say all men
have their prices; thou seerest clearly to have thine."
" Your Excellency hath not been sailing about the world




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


265


for nothing, or you could not tell every man his inclina.
tions so easily. I have ever suspected I was mercenary, and
so have accepted all sorts of presents, to keep the feeling
down. Nothing appeases a mercenary longing like gifts
and rewards; and as for price, I strive hard to keep mine
as high as possible, lest it should bring me into discredit for
a mean and grovelling spirit. Give me a high price, anl
plenty of gifts, and I can be as disinterested as a mendi
cant friar."
"I understand thee, Sancho; thou art to be bought, but
not to be frightened. In thy opinion a single dobla is too
little to be divided between thee and thy friend, the Portuguese. I will make a league with thee on thine own
terms; here is another piece of gold; see that thou remainest true to me throughout the voyage."
" Count on me, without scruple, Sefnor Don Almirante,
and with scruples, too, should they interfere. Your Excellency hath not a mbre disinterested friend in the fleet.
I only hope that when the share-list shall be written out,
the name of Sancho Mundo may have an honourable
place, as will become his fidelity. And now, your Excellency, go sl.ep in peace; the Santa Maria shall lie as
near to the rout to Cathay, as this south-westerly breeze
will suffer."
Columbus complied, though he rose once or twice more,
during the night, to ascertain the state of the weather, and
that the men did their duties. So long as Sancho remained
at the helm, he continued faithful to his compact; but, a
he went below with his watch, at the usual hour, successor
were put in his place, who betrayed the original treachery
of the other helmsman. When Luis left his hammock,
Columbus was already at work, ascertaining the distance
that had been run in the course of the night. Catching the
inquiring glance of the young man, the admiral observed,
gravely, and not altogether without melancholy in his manner —
"We have had a good run, though it hath been more
northerly than I could have desired. I find that the ves.
sels are thirty leagues farther from Ferro than when the
sun set, and thou seest, here, that I have written four-and.
twenty in the reckoning, that is intended for the eyes of
23




266


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


the people. But there hath been great weakness at work
this night among the steersmen, if not treachery: they have
kept the ship away in a manner to cause her to run a part
of the time in a direction nearly parallel to the coast of
Europe, so that they have been endeavouring to deceive
me, on the deck, whilst I have thought it necessary to attempt deceiving them in the cabin. It is painful, Don Luis,
to find such deceptions resorted to, or such deceptions necessary, when one is engaged in an enterprise that surpasseth all others ever yet attempted by man, and that,
too, with a view to the glory of God, the advantage of the
human race, and the especial interests of Spain."
"The holy churchmen, themselves, Don Christopher,
are obliged to submit to this evil," answered the careless
Luis; "and it does not become us laymen to repine at
what they endure. I am told that half the miracles they
perform are, in truth, miracles of but a very indifferent
quality, the doubts and want of faith of us hardened sinners rendering such little inventions necessary for the good
of our souls."
"That there are false-minded and treacherous churchmen, as well as false-minded and treacherous laymen, Luis,
1 little doubt," answered the admiral; "b11t this cometh of
the fall of man, and of his evil nature. There are also
righteous and true miracles, that come of the power of God,
and which are intended to uphold the faith, and to encourage those who love and honour his holy nalme. I do not
esteem any thing that hath yet befallen us to belong very
distinctly to this class; nor do I venture to hope that we
are to be favoured in this manner by an especial intervention in our behalf; but it exceedeth all the machinations of
the devils to persuade me that we shall be deserted while
bent on so glorious a design, or that we are not, indirectly
and secretly, led, in our voyage, by a spirit and knowledge
that both come of Divine grace and infinite wisdom."
"This may be so, Don Christopher, so far as you are
concerned; though, for myself, I claim no higher a guide
than an angel. An angel's purity, and I hope I may add,
At angel's love, lead me, in my blind path across the
oean!"
",So it, seemeth to thee, Luis; but thou canst not know




MERCEDES OF OASTLLE.


267


that a higher power doth not use the Dofia Mercedes, as an
instrument in this matter. Although no miracle rendereth
it apparent to the vulgar, a spirit is placed in my breast, in
conducting this enterprise, that I should deem it blasphemy
to resist. God be praised, my boy, we are at last quit of
the Portuguese, and are fairly on our road! At present all
our obstacles must arise from the elements, or from our
own fears. It gladdeneth my heart to find that the two
Pinzons remain true, and that they keep their caravels
close to the Santa Maria, like men bent on maintaining
their faith, and seeing an end of the adventure."
As Luis was now ready, he and the admiral left the
cabin together. The sun had risen, and the broad expanse
of the ocean was glittering with his rays. The wind had
freshened, and was gradually getting farther to the south,
so that the vessels headed up nearly to their course; and,
there being but little sea, the progress of the fleet was, in
proportion, considerable. Every thing appeared propitious;
and the first burst of grief, on losing sight of known land,
having subsided, the crews were more tranquil, though
dread of the future was smothered, like the latent fires of a
volcano, rather than extinguished. The aspect of the sea
was favourable, offering nothing to view that was unusual
to mariners; and, as there is always something grateful in
a lively breeze, when unaccompanied with danger, the men
were probably encouraged by a state of things to which
they were accustomed, and which brought with it cheerfulness and hope. In the course of the day and night, the
vessels ran a hundred and eighty miles, still farther into
the trackless waste of the ocean, without awakening half
the apprehensions in the bosoms of the mariners that they
had experienced on losing sight of land. Columbus, however, acting on the cautious principle he had adopted, when
he laid before his people the result of the twenty-four hours'
work, reduced the distance to about one hundred and fifty.
Tuesday, the 1st of September, brought a still more favourable change of wind. This day, for the first time since
quitting the Canaries, the heads of the vessels were laid
fairly to the west; and, with the old world directly behind
them, and the unknown ocean in their front, the adventurers proceeded onward with a breeze at south-east. The




N00            MERCEDES OF CASTILE.
rate of' sailing was about five miles in the hour; compen,
sating for the want of speed, by the steadiness of their progress, and by the directness of their course.
The observations that are usually made at sea, when the
sun is in the zenith, were over, and Columbus had just announced to his anxious companions that the vessels were
gradually setting south, owing to the drift of some invisible
current, when a cry from the mast-head, announced the
proximity of a whale. As the appearance of one of these
monsters of the deep breaks the monotony of a sea-life,
every one was instantly on the look-out, some leaping into
the rigging, and others upon the rails, in order to catch a
glimpse of his gambols.
"' Dost thou see him, Sancho?" demanded the admiral of
Mundo, the latter being near him at the moment.' To me
the water hath no appearance of any such animals being
at hand."
" Your Excellency's eye, Sefor Don Almirante, is far
truer than that of the babbler's aloft. Sure as this is the
Atlantic, and yonder is the foam of the crests of the waves,
there is no whale."
"The flukes!-the flukes!" shouted a dozen voices at
once, pointing to a spot where a dark object arose above
the froth of the sea, showing a pointed summit, with short
arms extended on each side.  Ile playeth with his head
beneath tile water, and the tail uppermost!"
"Alas!-Alas!" exclaimed the practised Sancho, with
the melancholy of a true seaman, '-' what these inexperienced and hasty brawlers call the fluke of a whale, is nough
but the mast of some unhappy ship, that nath left her bones,
with her freight and her people, in the depths of the ocean!"
" Thou art right, Sancho," returned the admiral. "I
now see that thou meanest: it is truly a spar, and doubtless
betokeneth a shipwreck."
This fact passed swiftly from mouth to mouth, and the
sadihess that ever accompanies the evidences of such a disaster, settled on the faces of all the behoiders. The pilots
alone showed indifference, and they consulted on the expediency of endeavouring to secure the spar, as a resource in
time of need; but they abandoned the attempt on account
of the agitation of the water, and of the fairness of the wind,




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.             269
the latter being an advantage a true mariner seldom likes
to lose.
" There is a warning to us!" exclaimed one of the disaffected, as the Santa Maria sailed past the waving summit
of the spar; "God hath sent this sign, to warn us not to
venture where he never intended navigators to go!"
"Say, rather," put in Sancho, who, having taken the fee,
had ever since proved a willing advocate, "it is an omen
of encouragement sent from heaven. Dost thou not see that
the part of the mast that is visible resembleth a cross, which
holy sign is intended to lead us on, filled with hpes of success?"
" This is true, Sancho," interrupted Columbus. "A cross
hath been reared for our edification, as it milht be, in the
midst of the ocean, and we are to regard it as a proof that
Providence is with us, in our attempt to cariy its blessings
to the aid and consolation of the heathen of Asia."
As the resemblance to the holy symbol was far from
fanciful, this happy hit of Sancbo's was not without its
effect. The reader will understand the likeness all the
better, when he is told that the u)pper end of a mast has
much of the appearance of a cross, by means of the trusseltrees; and, as often happens, this particular spar was float
ing nearly perpendicular, owing to some heavy object being
fast to its heel, leaving the summit raised some fifteen or
twenty feet above the surface of the sea. In a quarter of
an hour this last relict of Europe and of civilization disappeared in the wake of the vessels, gradually diminishing in
size and settling towards the water, untit its faint outlines
vanished in threads, still wearing the well-known shape of
the revered symbol of Christianity.
After this little incident, the progress of the vessels was
uninterrupted by any event worthy of notice for two days
and nights. All this time the wind was favourable, and
the adventurers proceeded due west, by compass, which
was in fact, however, going a little north of the real point
-a truth that the knowledge of the period had not yet
mastered. Between the morning of the 10th September,
and the evening of the 13th, the fleet had passed over near
ninety leagues of ocean, holding its way in a line but a
little de, atina from a direct one athwart the great waste
2! *




270


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


of water, and having consequently reached a point as far,,if not farther west than the position of the Azores, then
the most westerly land known to European navigators.
On the 13th, the currents proved to be adverse, and having
a south-easterly set, they had a tendency to cause the ships
to sheer southwardly, bringing them, each hours nearer to
the northern margin of the trades.
The admiral and Luis were at their customary post, on
the evening of the 13th, the day last mentioned, as Sancho
left the helm, his tour of duty having just ended. Instead
of going forward, as usual, among the people, the fellow
hesitated, surveyed the poop with a longing eye, and finding it occupied only by the admiral and his constant companion, he ascended the ladder, as if desirous of making
some communication.
" Would'st thou aught with me, Sancho?" demanded
the admiral, waiting for the man to make certain that no
one else was on the narrow deck. "Speak freely: thou
hast my confidence."
"Seior Don Almirante, your Excellency well knoweth
that I am no fresh-water fish, to be frightened at the sight
of a shark or a whale, or one that is terrified because a
ship headeth west, instead of east; and yet do I come to
say that this voyage is not altogether without certain signs
and marvels, that it may be well for a mariner to respect,
as unusual, if not ominous."
"As thou sayest, Sancho, thou art no driveller to be terrified by the flight of a bird, or at the presage of a drifting
spar, and thou awakenest my curiosity to know more.
The Sefior de Mufnos is my confidential secretary, and nothing need be hid from him. Speak freely, then, and without further delay. If gold is thy aim, be certain thou shalt
have it."
" No, Sefior, my news is not worth a maravedi, or it is
far beyond the price of gold; such as it is, your Excellency
can take it, and think no more of my reward. You know,
Seior, that we old mariners will have our thoughts as we
stand at the helm, sometimes fancying the smiles and good
looks of some hussy ashore, sometimes remembering the
flavour of rich fruits and well-savoured mutton; and thon,
again, for a wonder, bethinking us of our sins."




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


271


" Fellow, all this 1,well know; but it is not matter for an
admiral's ear."
"I know not that, Sefior; I have known admirals who
have relished mutton after a long cruise; ay, and who have
bethought them, too, of smiling faces and bright eyes, and
who, if they did not, at times, bethink them of their sins,
have done what was much worse, help to add to the great
account that was heaping up against them. Now, there
was-"
" Let me toss this vagabond into the sea, at once, Don
Christopher," interrupted the impatient Luis, making a forward movement as if to execute the threat, an act which
the hand of Columbus arrested; "we shall never hear a
tale the right end first, as long as he remaineth in the
ship."
"I thank you, my young Lord of Llera," answered
Sancho, with an ironical smile, "if you are as ready at
drowning seamen, as you are at unhorsing Christian
knights in the tourney, and Infidels in the fray, I would
rather that another should be master of my baths."
"Thou know'st me, knave? - Thou hast seen me on
some earlier voyage."
" A cat may look at a king, Sefior Conde; and why not
a mariner on his passenger? But spare your threats, and
your secret is in safe hands. If we reach Cathay, no one
will be ashamed of having made the voyage; and if we
miss it, it is little likely that any will go back to relate the
precise manner in which your excellency was drowned, or
starved to death, or in what other manner you became a
saint in Abraham's bosom."
"Enough of this!" said Columbus, sternly; "relate
what thou hast to say, and see that thou art discreet touching this young noble."
"Seinor, your word is law. Well, Don Christopher, it
is one of the tricks of us mariners, at night, to be watching
an old and constant friend, the north star; and while thus
occupied, an hour since, I noted that this faithful guide and
the compass by which I was steering, told different tales."
" Art certain of this?" demanded the admiral, with a
quickness and emphasis that betrayed the interest he felt il
the communication.




272


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


" As certain, Sefior, as fifty years' looking at the star,
and forty years' watching of the compass can make a man.
But there is no occasion, your Excellency, to depend on my
ignorance, since the star is still where God placed it; and
there is your private compass at your elbow-one may be
compared with the other."
Columbus had already bethought him of making this
comparison; and by the time Sancho ceased speaking, he
and Luis were examining the instrument with eager curiosity. The first, and the most natural, impression, was a belief
that the needle of the instrument below was defective, or,
at least, influenced by some foreign cause; but an attentive
observation soon convinced the navigator, that the remark
of Sancho was true.  He was both astonished and concerned to find that the habitual care, and professional eye
of the fellow had been active, and quick to note a change
as unusual as this. It was indeed so common with mariners to compare their compasses with the north star, a luminary that was supposed never to vary its position in the
heavens, as that position related to man, that no experienced
seaman, who happened to be at the helm at nightfall, could
well overlook the phenomenon.
After repeated observations with his own compasses, of
which he kept two-one on the poop, and another in the
cabin; and having recourse also to the two instruments in
the binnacle, Columbus was compelled to admit to himself
that all four varied, alike, from their usual direction, nearly
six degrees. Instead of pointing due north, or, at least, in
a direct line towards a point on the horizon immediately beneath the star, they pointed some five or six degrees to the
westward of it. This was both a novel and an astounding departure from the laws of nature, as they were then
understood, and threatened to render the desired results of
the voyage so much the more difficult of attainment, as it
at once deprived the adventurers of a sure reliance on the
mariner's principal guide, and would render it difficult to
sail, with any feeling of certainty as to the course, in cloudy
weather, or dark nights. The first thought of the admiral,
on this occasion, however, was to prevent the effect which
such a discovery would be likely to produce on men already
disposed to anticipate the worst.




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.            273
"Thou wilt say nothing of this, Sancho?" he observed
to the man. " Here is another dobla to add to thy store."
"Excellency, pardon a humble seaman's disobedience,
if my hand refuse to open to your gift. This matter toucheth of supernatural means; and, as the devil may have an
agency in the miracle, in order to prevent our converting
them heathen, of whom you so often speak, I prefer to keep
my soul as pure as may be, in the matter, since no one
knoweth what weapons we may be driven to use, should we
come to real blows with the Father of Sin."
"Thou wilt, at least, prove discreet?"
"Trust me for that, Sefior Don Almirante; not a word
shall pass my lips about this matter, until I have your Excellency's permission to speak."              *
Columbus dismissed the man, and then he turned towards
Luis, who had been a silent but attentive listener to what
had passed.
"You seem disturbed at this departure from the usual
laws of the compass, Don Christopher," observed the young
man, gaily. "To me it would seem better to rely altogether on Providence, which would scarcely lead us out
here, into the wide Atlantic, on its own errand, and desert
us when we most need its aid."
" God implants in the bosom of his servants a desire to
advance his ends, but human agents are compelled to employ natural means, and, in order to use such means advantageously, it is necessary to understand them. I look
upon this phenomenon as a proof that our voyage is to result in discoveries of unknown magnitude, among which,
perhaps, are to be numbered some clue to the mysteries of
the needle. The mineral riches of Spain differ, in certain
particulars, from the mineral riches of France; for, though
some things are common to all lands, others are peculiar to
particular countries. We may find regions where the
loadstone aboundi, or may, even now, be in the neighbourhood of somi.e isiand that hath an influence on our compasses that we cannot explain."
" Is it known that islands have ever produced this effect
on the needle '"
"It is not —nor do I deem such a circumstance very
probable, though all things are possible. W;e wi!! wnit




274             MERCEDES OF CASTILE.
patiently for further proofs that this phenomenon is real and
permanent, ere we reason fuither on a matter that is so
difficult to be understood."
The subject was now dropped, though the unusual incident gave the great navigator an uneasy and thoughtful
night. 'He slept little, and often was his eye fastened on
the compass that was suspended in his cabin as a "telltale." for so seamen term the instrument by which the
officer overlooks the course that is steered by the helms
man, even when the latter least suspects his supervision.
Columbus arose sufficiently early to get a view of the star
before its brightness was dimmed by the return of light,
and made another deliberate comparison of the position of
this familiar heavenly body with the direction of the needles.
The examination proved a slight increase of the variation,
and tended to corroborate the observations of the previous
night. The result of the reckoning showed that the vessels had run nearly a hundred miles in the course of the
last twenty-four hours, and Columbus now believed himself
to be about six times that distance west of Ferro, though
even the pilots fancied themselves by no means as far.
As Sancho kept his secret, and no other eye among the
helmsmen was as vigilant, the important circumstance, as
yet, escaped general attention. It was only at night, indeed, that the variation could be observed by means of the
polar star, and it was yet so slight that no one but a very
experienced and quick-eyed mariner would be apt to note.t. The whole of the day and night of the 14th consequently
passed without the crew's taking the alarm, and this so
much the more as the wind had fallen, and the vessels
were only some sixty miles farther west than when they
commenced. ' Still Columbus noted the difference, slight as
was the change, ascertaining, with the precision of an experienced and able navigator, that the needle was gradually
varying more and more to the westward, though it was by
steps that were nearly imperceptible.




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


275


CHAPTER XVIII.
"On thy unaltering blaze
The half-wrecked mariner, his compass lost,
Fixes his steady gaze,
And steers, undoubting, to the friendly coast;
And they who stray in perilous wastes, by night,
Are glad when thou dost shine to guide their footsteps right."
Hymn to the North Star.
THE following day was Saturday, the 15th, when the
little fleet was ten days from Gomera, or it was the sixth
morning since the adventurers had lost sight of the land..
The last week had been one of melancholy forebodings,
though habit was beginning to assert its influence, and the
men manifested openly less uneasiness than they had done
in the three or four previous days. Their apprehensions
were getting to be dormant for want of any exciting and
apparent stimulus, though they existed as latent impulses,
in readiness to be roused at the occurrence of any untoward
event. The wind continued fair, though light-the whole
twenty-four hours' work showing considerably less than a
hundred miles, as the true progress west. All this time
Columbus kept his attention fastened on the needles, and
he perceived that as the vessels slowly made their westing,
the magnets pointed more and more, though by scarcely
palpable changes, in the same direction.
The admiral and Luis, by this time, had fallen into such
habits of close communication, that they usually rose and
slept at the same time. Though far too ignorant of the
hazards he ran to feel uneasiness, and constitutionally, as
well as morally, superior to idle alarms, the young man had
got to feel a sort of sportsman's excitement in the result;
and, by this time, had not Mercedes existed, he would have
been as reluctant to return without seeing Cathay, as Columbus himself. They conversed together of their pro.
gress and their hopes, without ceasing, apd Luis took so
much interest in his situation as to begin to learn how to




276


27t  t9R-DVS OF CASTIL1%


discriminate in matters that might be supposed to affect its
duration and ends.
On the night of the Saturday just mentioned, Columbus
and his reputed secretary were alone on the poop, convers.
ing, as usual, on the signs of the times, and of the events
of the day.
"The Nifia had something to say to you, last evening,
Don Christopher," observed the young man; " I was occu
pied in the cabin, with my journal, and had no opportunity
of knowing what passed."
"Her people had seen a bird or two, that are thought
never to go far from the land. It is possible that islands
are at no great distance, for man hath nowhere passed over
any very great extent of sea without meeting with them.
We cannot, however, waste the time necessary for a search,
since the glory and profit of ascertaining the situation of a
group of islands would be but a poor compensation for the
loss of a continent."
"Do you still remark those unaccountable changes in
the needles, Sefior?"
"In this respect there is no change, except that which
goeth to corroborate the phenomenon. My chief appre.
hension is of the effect on the people, when the circumstance shall be known."
"Are there no means to persuade them that the needle
pointeth thus west, as a sign Providence willeth they should
pursue that course, by persevering in the voyage."
"This might do, Luis," answered the admiral, smiling,
"had not fear so sharpened their wits, that their first ques.
tion would be an inquiry why Providence should deprive us
of the means of knowing whither we are travelling, when
it so much wisheth us to go in any particular direction."
A cry from the watch on deck arrested the discourse,
while a sudden brightness broke on the night, illuminating the vessels and the ocean, as if a thousand lamps wvere
shedding their brilliancy upon the surrounding portion of
the sphere. A ball of fire was glancing athwart the heavens, and seemed to fall into the sea, at the distance of a
few leagues, or at the limits of the visible horizon. Its disappearance was followed by a gloom as profound as the
extraordinary and fleeting light had been brilliant. This




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


277


was only the passage of a meteor; but it was such a meteor
as inen do not see more than once in their lives-if it
is seen as often; and the superstitious mariners did not
fail to note the incident among the extraordinary omens
that accompanied the voyage; some auguring good, and
others evil, from the event.
"By St. Iago!" exclaimed Luis, as soon as the light
had vanished, "Sefior Don Christopher, this voyage of ours
doth not seem fated to pass away unheeded by the elements
and other notable powers! Whether these portents speak
in our favour, or not, they speak us any thing but men engaged in an every-day occupation."
" Thus it is with th'e human mind!" returned Columbus.
"Let but its owner pass beyond the limits of his ordinary
habits and duties, and he sees marvels in the most simple
changes of the weather-in a flash of lightning-a blast
of air-or the passage of a meteor; little heeding that these
miracles exist in his own consciousness, and have no connexion with the every-day laws of nature. These sights
are by no means uncommon, especially in low latitudes;
and they augur neither for nor against our enterprise."
"Except, Sefor Almirante, as they may beset the spirits
and haunt the imaginations of the men.  Sancho telleth
me, that a brooding discontent is growing among them;
and, that while they seem so tranquil, their disrelish of the
voyage is hourly getting to be more and more decided."
Notwithstanding this opinion of the admiral, and some
pains that he afterwards took to explain the phenomenon to
the people on deck, the passage of the meteor had, indeed,
not only produced a deep impression on them, but its history went from watch to watch, and was the subject of earnest discourse throughout the night. But the incident pro.
duced no open manifestation of discontent; a few deeming
it a propitious omen, though most secretly considered it an
admonition from heaven against any impious attempts to
pry into those mysteries of nature that, according to their
notions, God, in his providence, had not sew fit to reveal
to man.
All this time the vessels were makimg a  madv pros
gress towards the west. The wind had often varild, both
in force and direction, but never in a manner to oompol the
24




278


MERCEDES OF CAST1LU.


ships to shorten sail, or to deviate from whstt the admiral
believed to be the proper course. They supposed themselves to be steering due west, but, owing to the var*ation,
were in fact now holding a west-and-by-south course, and
were gradually getting nearer to the trades;; marnovement
in which they had also been materially aided by the force
of the currents. In the course of the 15th and 16th of the
month, the fleet had got about two hundred miles farther
from Europe, Columbus taking the usual precaution to
lessen the distance in the public reckoning. The latter day
was a Sunday; and the religious offices, which were then
seldom neglected in a Christian ship, produced a deep and
sublime effect on the feelings of the adventurers. Hitherto
the weather had partaken of the usual character of the season, and a few clouds, with a slight drizzling rain, had relieved the heat; but these soon passed'away, and were succeeded by a soft south-east wind, that seemed to come
charged with the fragrance of the land. The men united
in the evening chants, under these propitious circumstances;
the vessels drawing near each other, as if it might be to
form one temple in honour of God, amid the vast solitudes
of an ocean that had seldom, if ever, been whitened by a
sail. Cheerfulness and hope succeeded to this act of devotion, and both were speedily heightened by a cry from the
look-out aloft, who pointed ahead and to leeward, as if he
beheld some object of peculiar interest in that quarter.
The helms were varied a little; and in a few minutes the
vessels entered into a field of sea-weed, that covered the
ocean for miles. This sign of the vicinity of land was received by the mariners with a shout; and the very beings
who had so shortly before been balancing on the verge cf
despair, now became elate with joy.
These weeds were indeed ofa.character to awaken hope
in the bosom of the most experienced mariner. Although
some had lost their freshness, a great proportion of them
were still green, and had the appearance of having been
quite recently separated from their parent rocks, or the
earth that had nourished them. No doubt was now entertained even by the pilots, of the vicinity of land. Tunnyfish were also seen in numbers, and the people of the Niia
were sufficiently fortunate to strike one. The seamen em.




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.              i 7'
braced each Mther, with tears in their eyes, and many a
hand was squeezed in friendly congratulation, that the pre.
vious day would have been withheld in suriy misanthropy.
"And do you partake of all this hope, Don Christopher?'
demanded Luis; " are we really to expect the Indies as a
consequence of these marine plants, or is the expectation
idle?"
"The people deceive themselves in supposing our voyage
near an end. Cathay must yet be very distant from us.
We have come but three hundred and sixty leagues since
losing sight of Ferro, which, according to my computations,
cannot be much more than a third of our journey. Aristotle mentioneth that certain vessels of Cadiz were forced
westward by heavy gales, until they reached a sea covered
with weeds, a spot where the tunny-tish abounded. Th's
is the fish, thou must know, Luis, that the ancients fancied
could see better with the right eye than with the left, be.
cause it hath been noted that, in passing the Bosphorus,
they ever take the right shore in proceeding towards the
Euxine, and the left in returning-"
" By St. Francis! there can be no wonder if creatures
so one-sided in their vision, should have strayed thus far
from home," interrupted the light-hearted Luis, laughing.
" Doth Aristotle, or the other ancients, tell us how they regarded beauty; or whether their notions of justice were like
those of the magistrate who hath been fed by both parties?"
"Aristotle speaketh only of the presence of the fish in
the weedy ocean, as we see them before us. The mariners
of Cadiz iIncied themselves in the neighbourhood of sunken
islands, and, the wind permitting, made the best of their
way back to their own shores. This place, in my judgment, we have now reached; but I expect to meet with no
land, unless, indeed, we may happen to fall in with sonm
island that lieth off here in the ocean, as a sort of beacon
between the shore of Europe and that of Asia. Doubtless
land is not distant, whence these weeds have drifted, but 1
attach little importance to its sight, or discovery. Cathay
is my aim, Don Luis, and I am a searcher for continents
not islands."
It is now known that while Columbus was right in his
expectations of not finding a continent so early, he was




280


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


mistaken in supposing land to lie anywhere in that vicinity
Whether these weeds are collected by the course of the currents, or whether they rise from the bottom, torn fiom their
beds by the action of the water, is not yet absolutely ascertained, though the latter is the most common opinion, extensive shoals existing in this quarter of the ocean. Under
the latter supposition, the mariners of Cadiz were nearer the
truth than is first apparent, a sunken island having all the
characteristics of a shoal, but those which may be supposel
ro be connected with the mode of formation.
No land was seen. The vessels continued their progress
at a rate but little varying from five miles the hour, shoving
aside the weeds, which at times accumulated in masses under their bows, but which could offer no serious obstacle to
their progress. As for the admiral, so lofty were his views,
so steady his opinions concerning the great geographical
problem he was about to solve, and so determined his resolution to persevere to the end, that he rather hoped to miss
than to fall in with the islands, that he fancied could be at
no great distance. The day and night carried the vessels
rather more than one hundred miles to the westward,
placing the fleet not far from midway between the meridians
that bounded the extreme western and eastern margins of
the two continents, though still much nearer to Africa than
to America, following the parallel of latitude on which it
was sailing. As the wind continued steady, and the sea
was as smooth as a river, the three vessels kept close toge.
ther, the Pinta, the swiftest craft, reducing her canvass for
that purpose. During the afternoon's watch of the day
that succeeded that of the meeting with the weeds, which
was Monday, the 17th September, or the eighth day after
losing sight of Ferro, Martin Alonzo Pinzon hailed the
Santa Maria, and acquainted the pilot on deck of his intention to get the amplitude of the sun, as soon as the
luminary should be' low enough, with a view to ascertain
how far his needles retained their virtue. This observation,
one of no unusual occurrence among mariners, it was
thought had better be made in all the caravels simultaneously, that any error of one might be corrected by the
greater accuracy of the rest.
Columbus and Luis were in a profound sleep in theif




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


281


cots, taking their siestas, when the former was awakened
by such a shake of the shoulder as seamen are wont to
give, and are content to receive. It never required more
than a minute to arouse the great navigator from his deepest slumbers to the fullest possession of his faculties, and
he was awake in an instant.
- Sefior Don Almirante," said Sancho, who was the intruder, " it is time to be stirring: all the pilots are on deck
in readiness to measure the amplitude of the sun, as soon
as the heavenly bodies are in their right places. The west
is already beginning to look like a dying dolphin, and ere
many minutes it will be gilded like the helmet of a Moorish
Sultan."
"An amplitude measured!" exclaimed Columbus, quitting his cot on the instant. " This is news, indeed! Now
we may look for such a stir among the people, as hath not
been witnessed since we left Cadiz i"
"So it hath appeared to me, your Excellency, for the
mariner hath some such faith in the needle as the churchman bestoweth on the goodness of the Son of God. The
people are in a happy humour at this moment, but the saints
only know what is to come!"
The admiral awoke Luis, and in five minutes both were
at their customary station on the poop. Columbus had
gained so high a reputation for skill in navigation, his judgment invariably proving right, even when opposed to those
of all the pilots in the fleet, that the latter were not sorry
to perceive he had no intention to take an instrument in
hand, but seemed disposed to leave the issue to their own
skill and practice. The sun slowly settled, the proper time
was watched, and then these rude mariners set about their
task, in the mode that was practised in their time. Martin
Alonzo Pinzon, the most ready and best-taught of them all,
was soonest through with his task. From his lofty stand
the admiral could overlook the deck of the Pinta, which
vessel was sailing but a hundred yards from the Santa
Maria, and it was not long before he observed her corn
mander moving from one compass to another, in the man.
ner of a man who was disturbed.   Another minute oz
two elapsed, when the skiff of the caravel was launched
a sign was made for the admiral's vessel to shorten sail,
24, *




282


282RCIEDI)ES   OF CXSri'tE.


and Martin Alonzo was soon forcing his way through the
weeds that still covered the surface of the ocean towards
the Santa Maria. As he gained the deck of the latter ship,
on one of her sides, his kinsman, Vitente Yafiez, the com.
mander of the Niiia, did the same thing on the other. In
the next instant both were at the side of the great navigator,
on the poop, whither they had been followed by Sancho
Ruiz and Bartolemeo Roldan, the two pilots of the admiral.
"What meaneth this haste, good Martin Alonzo?" calmly
asked Columbus: " thou and thy brother, Vicente Yaiez,
and these honest pilots, hurry.towards me as if ye had
cheering tidings from Cathay."
" God only knoweth, Senor Almirante, if any of us are
ever to be permitted to see that distant land, or any shore
that is only to be reached by mariners through the aid of a
needle," answered the elder Pinzon, with a haste that almost
rendered him breathless. " Here have we all been at the
comparison of the instruments, and we find them, without
a single exception, varying from the true north, by, at least,
a full point!"
"That would be a marvel, truly! Ye have made some
oversight in your observations, or have been heedless in the
estimates."
"Not so, noble admiral," put in Vicente Yafiez, to sustain his brother. "Even the magnets are becoming false
to us; and as I mentioned the circumstance to the oldest
steersman of my craft, he assures me that the North Star
did not tally with his instrument throughout the night!"
"Others say the same, here," added Ruiz-" Nay, some
are ready to swear that the wonder hath been noted ever
since we entered the sea of weeds!"
"This may be so, Sefiores," answered Columbus, with
an undisturbed mien, "and yet no evil follow. We all
know that the heavenly bodies have their revolutions, some
of which no doubt are irregular, while others are more in
conformity with certain settled rules. Thus it is with the
sun himself, which passeth once round the earth in the short
space of twenty-four hours, while no doubt he 'hath other,
and more subtle movements, that are unknown to us, on
account of the exceeding distance at which he is placed in
the heavens. Many astronomers have thought that they




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


283 S


have been able to detect these variations, spots having been
seen on the disk of the orb at times, which have disappeared,
as if hid behind the bbdy of the luminary. I think it will
be found that the North Star hath made some slight devia.
tion in its position, and that it will continue thus to move
for some short period, after which, no doubt, it will be found
returning to its customary position, when it will be seen that
its temporary eccentricity hath in no manner disturbed its.usual harmony with the needles. Note the star well throughout the night, and in the morning let the amplitude be again
taken, when I think the truth of my conjecture will he
proved by the regularity of the movement of the heavenly
body. So far from being discouraged by this sign, we
ought rather to rejoice that we have made a discovery,
which, of itself, will entitle the expedition to the credit of
having added materially to the stores of science!"
The pilots were fain to be satisfied with this solution of
their doubts, in the absence of any other means of accounting for them. They remained long on the poop discoursing
of the strange occurrence, and, as men even in their blindest moods, usually reason themselves into either tranquillity
or apprehension, they fortunately succeeded in doing the
first on this occasion. With the men there was more diffi.
culty, for when it became known to the crews of the three
vessels that the needles had begun to deviate from their
usual direction, a feeling akin to despair seized on them,
almost without exception. Here Sancho was of material
service. When the panic was at its height, and the people
were on the point of presenting themselves to the admiral,
with a demand that the heads of the caravels should be im.
mediately turned towards the north-east, he interposed with
his knowledge and influence to calm the tumult. The first
means this trusty follower had recourse to, in order to bring
his shipmates back to reason, was to swear, without resert
vation, that he had frequently known the needle and the
North Star to vary, having witnessed the fact with his own
eyes on twenty previous occasions, and no harm to come
of it. He invited the elder and more experienced seamen
to make an accurate observation of the difference which
already existed, which was quite a point of the compass,




- 284


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


and then to see, in the morning, if this difference had no
increased in the same direction.
"This," he continued, " will be a certain sign, my
friends, that the star is in motion, since we can all see
that the compasses are just where they have been ever
since we left Palos de Moguer. When one of two things
is in motion, and it is certain which stands still, there
can be no great difficulty in saying which is the uneasy
one. Now, look thou here, Martin Martinez,"-who was
one of the most factious of the disaffected-" words are of
little use when men can prove their meaning by experiments like this. Thou seest two balls of spun-yarn on this
windlass; well, it is wanted to be known which of them
remains there, and which is taken away. I remove the
smallest ball, thou perceivest, and the largest remains; from
which it followeth, as only one can remain, and that one is
the larger ball, why the smaller must be taken away. I
hold no man fit to steer a caravel, by needle or by star,
who will deny a thing that is proven as plainly and as
simply as this!"
Martin Martinez, though a singularly disaffected man,
was no logician; and, Sancho's oaths backing his demonstrations to the letter, his party soon became the most numerous. As there is nothing so encouraging to the dullminded and discontented mutineer, as to perceive that he is
of the strongest side, so is there nothing so discouraging as
to find himself in the minority; and Sancho so far prevailed as to bring most of his fellows round to a belief in
the expediency of waiting to ascertain the state of things in
the morning, before they committed themselves by any act
of rashness.
"Thou hast done well, Sancho," said Columbus, an
hour later, when the mariner came secretly to make his
nightly report of the state of feeling among the people.
' Thou hast done well in all but these oaths, taken to prove
that thou hast witnessed this phenomenon before. Much as
I have navigated the earth, and careful as have been my
observations, and ample as have been my means, never be.
fore have I known the needle to vary from its direction towards the North Star: and I think that which hath escaped
my notice would not be apt to attract thine."




AERCEDES OF CASTILE.


285


"You do me injustice, Sefior Don Almirante, and have
inflicted a wound touching my honesty, that a dobla only
can cure-"
"Thou knowest, Sancho, that no one felt more alarm
when the deviation of the needle was first noted, than thy.
self. So great, in sooth, was thy apprehension, that thou
even refused to receive gold, a weakness of which thou art
usually exceedingly innocent."
" When the deviation was first noted, your Excellency,
this was true enough; for, not to attempt to mislead one
who hath more penetration than befalleth ordinary men, I
did fancy that our hopes of ever seeing Spain or St. Clara
de Moguer, again, were so trifling as to make it of no great
consequence who was admiral, and who a simple helms.
man."
" And yet thou would'st now brazen it out, and deny thy
terror! Didst thou not swear to thy fellows, that thou
hadst often seen this deviation before; ay, even on as many
as twenty occasions?"
"Well, Excellency, this is a proof that a cavalier may
make a very capital viceroy and admiral, and know all
about Cathay, without having the clearest notions of history! I told my shipmates, Don Christopher, that I had
noted these changes before this night, and if tied to the
stake to be burnt as a martyr, as I sometimes think will
one day be the fate of all of us superfluously honest men,
I would call on yourself, Sefior Almirante, as the witness of
the truth of what I had sworn to."
"Thou would'st, then, summon a most unfortunate witness, Sancho, since I neither practise false oaths myself,
nor encourage their use in others."
" Don Luis de Bobadilla y Pedro de Mufnos, here, would
hen be my reliance," said the imperturbable Sancho;" for
proof a man hath a right to, when wrongfully accused, and
proof I will have. Your Excellency will please to remember that it was on the night of Saturday the 15th, that 1
first notified your worship of this very change, and that we
are now at the night of Monday the 17th. I swore to
twenty times noting this phenomenon, as it is called, in
those eight-and-forty hours, when it would have been nearer




286


IERCEDES OF CASTILE.


the truth had I said two hundred times. Santa Maria! I
did nothing but note it for the first few hours!"
" Go to, Sancho, thy conscience hath its latitude as well
as its longitude; but thou hast thy uses. Now, that thou
understandest the reason of the variation, however, thou
wilt encourage thy fellows, as well as keep up thy spirits."
"I make no question that it is all as your Excellency
sayeth about the star's travelling," returned Sancho, " and
it hath crossed my mind that it is possible we are nearei
Cathay than we have thought; this movement being made
by some evil-disposed spirits on purpose to make us lose
the way."
" Go to thy hammock, knave, and bethink thee of thy
sins; leaving the reasons of these mysteries to those who
are better taught. There is thy dobla, and see that thou
art discreet."
In the morning every being in the three caravels waited
impatiently for the results of the new observations. As the
wind continued favourable, though far from fresh, and a
current was found setting to the westward, the vessels had
made, in the course of twenty-four hours, more than a hundred and fifty miles, which rendered the increase in the variation perceptible, thus corroborating a prophecy of Columbus, that had been ventured on previous observation. So
easily are the ignorant the dupes of the plausible, that this
solution temporarily satisfied all doubts, and it was generally believed that the star had moved, while the needle
remained true.
How far Columbus was misled by his own logic in this
affair, is still a matter of doubt. That he resorted to deceptions which might be considered innocent, in order to keep
up the courage of his companions, is seen in the fact of the
false, or public reckoning; but there is no proof that this
was one of the instances in which he had recourse to such
means. No person of any science believed, even when the
variation of the compass was unknown, ihat the needle
pointed necessarily to the Polar Star; the coincidence in the
direction of the magnetic needle and the position of the hea.
venly body, being thought accidental; and there is nothing
extravagant in supposing that the admiral, who had the
instrument in his possession, and was able to ascertain that




MEBCEDES OF CASTILE.


287


none of its virtue was visibly lost, while he could only reason from supposed analogy concerning the evolutions of
the star, should imagine that a friend he hac ever found so
faithful, had now deserted him, leaving him disposed to
throw the whole mystery of the phenomenon on the more
distant dwellers in space. Two opinions have been ventured concerning the belief of the celebrated navigator, ir.
tlie theory he advanced on this occasion; the one affirming,
and the other denying his good faith in urging the doctrine
he had laid down. Those who assert the latter, however,
would seem to reason a little loosely themselves, their argument mainly resting on the improbability of a man like
Columbus uttering so gross a scientific error, at a time
when science itself knew no more of the existence of the
phenomenon, than is known to-day of its cause. Still it is
possible that the admiral may not have had any settled notions on the subject, even while he was half inclined to hope
his explanation was correct; for it is certain, that, in the
midst of the astronomical and geographical ignorance of his
age, this extraordinary man had many accurate and sublime glimpses of truths that were still in embryo as respected their developement and demonstration by the lights
of precise and inductive reasoning.
Fortunately, if the light brought with it the means of
ascertaining with certainty the variation of the needle, it
also brought the means of perceiving that the sea was still
covered with weeds, and other signs that were thought to
be encouraging as connected with the vicinity of land.
The current being now in the same direction as the wind,
the surface of the ocean was literally as smooth as that of
an inland sheet of water, and the vessels were enabled to
sail, without danger, within a few fathoms of each other.
" This weed, Seior Alrnirante," called out the elder Pinzon, " hath the appearance of that which groweth on the
banks of streams, and I doubt, that we are near to the mouth
of some exceeding great river!"
"This may be so," returned Columbus, "than which
there can be no more certain sign than may be found in
the taste of the water. Let a bucket be crawn, that we
way know."
While Pepe was busied in executing this order, waiting




288


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


until the vessel had passed through a large body of weeds
for that purpose, the quick eye of the admiral detected a crab
struggling on the surface of the fresh-looking plants, and
he called to the helmsman in sufficient season, to enable
him so far to vary his course, as to allow the animal to be
taken.
"Here is a most precious prize, good Martin Alonzo,"
said Columbus, holding the crab between a finger and
thumb, that the other might see it. "These animals are
never known to go farther than some eighty leagues from
the land; and see, Sefior, yonder is one of the white tropic
birds, which, it is said, never sleep on the water! Truly,
God favoureth us; and what rendereth all these tokens
more grateful, is the circumstance of their coming from the
west, the hidden, unknown, mysterious west!"
A common shout burst from the crews at the appearance
of these signs, and again the beings who lately had been
on the verge of despair, were buoyed up with hope: and
ready to see propitious omens in even the most common
occurrences of the ocean. All the vessels had hauled up
buckets of water, and fifty mouths were immediately wet
with the brine; and so general was the infatuation, that
every man declared the sea far less salt than usual. So
complete, indeed, was the delusion created by these cheerful expectations, and so thoroughly had all concern in connextion with the moving star been removed by the sophism of
Sancho, that even Columbus, habitually so wary, so reasoning, so calm, amid his loftiest views, yielded to his native
enthusiasm, and fancied that he was about to discover some
vast island placed midway between Asia and Europe; an
honour not to be despised, though it fell so far short of his
higher expectations.
"Truly, friend Martin Alonzo," he said, "this wate
seemeth to have less of the savour of the sea, than is cus.
tomar.y at a distance from the outlet of large rivers!"
" My palate telleth the same tale, Sefior Almirante. As
a further sign, the Nifa hath struck another tunny, and
her people are at this moment hoisting it in."
Shout succeeded shout, as each new encouraging proof
appeared; and the admiral, yielding to the ardour of the
crews, ordered sail to be pressed on all the vessels, that




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


289


each might endeavour to outstrip the others, in the hope of
be;ng the first to discover the expected island. This strife
soon separated the caravels, the Pinta easily outsailing the
other two, while the Santa Maria and the Nifia came on
more slowly, in her rear. All was gaiety and mirth, the
livelong day, on board those isolated vessels, that, unknown
to those they held, were navigating the middle of the At[antic, with horizon extending beyond horizon, withou
change in the watery boundary, as circle would form without circle, on the same element, were a vast mass of solid
matter suddenly dropped into the sea.
CHA PTER XIX.. The sails were fill'd, and fair the light winds blew
As glad to waft him from his native home;
And fast the white rocks faded from his view,
And soon were lost in circumambient foam:
And then, it may be, of his wish to roam
Repented he, but in his bosom slept
The silent thought, nor from his lips did come
One word of wail, whilst others sate and wept,
And to the reckless gales unmanly moaning kept."
Childe Harold's Pilgrimage.
As night drew near, the Pinta shortened sail, permitting
her consorts to close. All eyes now turned anxiously to
the west, where it was hoped that land might at any moment appear.  The last tint, however, vanished from the
horizon, and darkness enveloped the ocean without bringing any material change. The wind still blew a pleasant
breeze from the south-east, and the surface of the ocean
offered little more inequality than is usually met on the
bosoms of large rivers. The compasses showed a slightly
increasing deviation from their old coincidence with the
polar star, and no one doubted, any longer, that the fault
was in the heavenly body. All this time the vessels were
25




290


IMERCEDES OF CASTILR.


getting to the southward, steering in fact west and by south
when they thought they were steering west,-a circum.
stance that alone prevented Columbus from first reaching
the coast of Georgia, or that of the Carolinas, since, had
he missed the Bermudas, the current of the Gulf Stream,
meeting him on his weather bow, he would hare infallibly
been set well to the northward, as he neared the continent.
The night passed as usual, and at noon of the 17th, or
at the termination of the nautical day, the fleet nad left
another long track of ocean between it and the old world.
The weeds were disappearing, and with them the tunnyfish, which were in truth feeding on the products of shoals
that mounted several thousands of feet nearer to the surface of the water, than was the case with the general bed
of the Atlantic. The vessels usually kept near each other
at noon, in order to compare their observations; but the
Pinta, which, like a swift steed, was with difficulty restrained, shot ahead, until the middle of the afternoon, when, as
usual; she lay-by for the admiral to close. As the Santa
Maria came sweeping on, the elder Pinzon stood, cap in
hand, ready to speak her, waiting only for her to come
within sound of his voice.
" God increaseth the signs of land, and the motives of
encouragement, Sefior Don Christopher;" he called out,
cheerfully, while the Pinta filled her sails in order to keep
way with the admiral. "V We have seen large flights of
birds ahead, and the clouds at the north look heavy and
dense, as if hovering over some island, or continent, in that
quarter."
"Thou art a welcome messenger, worthy Martin Alonzo,
though I wish thee to remember, that the most I expect. to
meet with in this longitude is sone cluster of pleasant
islands, Asia being yet several days' sail more distant. As
the night approacheth, thou wilt see thy clouds take still
more of the form of the land, and I doubt that groups may
be found on each side of us; but our high destination is
Cathay, and men with such an object before them, may not
turn aside for any lesser errand."
"Have I your leave, noble admiral, to push Shead in
the Pinta, that our eyes may first be greeted with the grateful sight of Asia? I nothing doubt of seeing it ere morning."




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


291


" Go, of God's sake, good pilot, if thou thinkest this;
though I warn thee, that no continent can yet meet thine
eyes. Nevertheless, as any land in these distant and unknown seas must be a discovery, and bring credit on Castile, as well as on ourselves, he who first perceiveth it will
merit the reward. Thou, or any one else, hath my full
permission to discover islands, or continents, in thousands."
The people laughed at.this sally, for the light-hearted are
easily excited to mirth; and then the Pinta shot ahead. As
the sun set, she was seen again lying-to for her companions
-a dark speck on the rainbow colours of the glorious sky.
The horizon at the north presented masses of clouds, in
which it was not difficult to fancy the summits of ragged
mountains, receding valleys, with headlands, and promontories, foreshortened by distance.
The following day the wind baffled, for the first time
since encountering the trades; and the clouds collected
over-head, dispersing drizzling showers on the navigators.
The vessels now lay near each other, and conversation flew
from one to the other-boats passing and repassing, constantly.
" I have come, Sefnor Almirante," said the elder Pinzon,
as he reached the deck of the Santa Maria, " at the united
request of my people, to beg that we may steer to the
north, in quest of land, islands and continent, that no doubt
lie there, and thus crown thi~ great enterprise with the
glory that is due to our illustrious sovereigns, and your
own forethought."
" The wish is just, good Martin Alonzo, and fairly ex
pressed, but it may not be granted. That we should make
creditable discoveries, by thus steering, is highly probable,
out in so doing we should fall far short of our aim. Cathay
and the Great Khan still lie west; and we are here, not to
add another group, like the Canaries, or the Azores, to the
knowledge of man, but to complete the circle of the earth,
and:o open the way for the setting up of the cross in the
regions that have so long been the property of infidels."
" Hast thou nothing to say, Seior de Munios, in support
of our petition? Thou hast favour with his Excellency,
and may prevail on him to grant us this small behest?"
"To tell thee the truth, good Martin Alonzo," answered




292


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


Luis, with more of the indifference of manner that might
have been expected from the grandee to the pilot, than the
respect that would become the secretary to the second person
of the expedition-" to tell thee truth, good Martin Alonzo,
my heart is so set on the conversion of the Great Khan,
that I wish not to turn either to the right or left, until thai
glorious achievement be sufficiently secure.  I have ob.
served that Satan effecteth little against those who keep in
the direct path, while his success with those who turn aside
is so material, as to people his dominions with errants."
" Is there no hope, noble admiral? and must we quit all
these cheering signs, without endeavouring to trace them
to some advantageous conclusion?"
"I see no better course, worthy friend. This rain indicateth land; also this calm; and here is a visiter that denoteth more than either-yonder, in the direction of thy
Pinta, where it seemeth disposed to rest its wings."
Pinzon, and all near him, turned, and to their common
delight and astonishment they saw a pelican, with extend.
ed wings that spread for ten feet, sailing a few fathoms
above the sea, and apparently aiming at the vessel named.
The adventurous bird, however, as if disdaining to visit one
of inferior rank, passed the Pinta, and, sweeping up grandly
towards the admiral, alighted on a yard of the Santa Maria.
"If this be not a certain sign of the vicinity of land,'
said Columbus, gravely, " it is what is far better, a sure
omen that God is with us. He is sending these encouraging calls to confirm us in our intention to serve him, and to
persevere to the end. Never before, Martin Alonzo, have
I seen a bird of this species a day's sail from the shore!"
" Such is my experience too, noble admiral; and, with
you, I look upon this visit as a most propitious omen. May
it hot be a hint to turn aside, and to look farther in this
quarter?"
" I accept it not as such, but rather as a motive to proceed. At our return from the Indies we may examine this
part of the ocean with greater scrutiny, though I shall think
nought accomplished until India be fairly reached, and
India is still hundreds of leagues distant. As the time is
favourable, however, we will call together our pilots, and
see how each man placeth his vessel on the chart."




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


293


At this suggestion, all the navigators assembled on board
fie Santa Maria, and each man made his calculations,
sticking a pin in the rude chart-rude as to accuracy, but
beautiful as to execution-that the admiral, with the lights
he then possessed, had made of the Atlantic ocean. Vi.
cente Yaiiez, and his companions of the Nifia, placed their
pin most in advance, after measuring off four hundred and
forty marine leagues from Gomera. Martin Alonzo varied
a little from this, setting his pin some twenty leagues
farther east. When it was the turn of Columbus, he stuck
a pin twenty leagues still short of that of Martin Alonzo,
his companions having, to all appearance, like less skilful
calculators, thus much advanced ahead of their true distance.  It was then determined what was to be stated
to the crews, and the pilots returned to their respective vessels.
It would seem that Columbus really believed he was then
passing between islands, and his historian, Las Casas, af.
firms that he was actually right in his conjecture; but if
islands ever existed in that part of the ocean, they have
long since disappeared; a phenomenon which, while it is
not impossible, can scarcely be deemed probable. It is said
that breakers have been seen, even within the present cen.
tury, in this vicinity, and it is not unlikely that extensive
banks do exist, though Columbus found no bottom with two
hundred fathoms of line. The great collection of weeds,
is a fact.authenticated by some of the oldest records of
human investigations, and is most probably owing to some
effect of the currents which has a tendency to bring about
such an end; while the birds must be considered as stragglers lured from their usual haunts by the food that would be
apt to be collected by the union of weeds and fish. Aquatic
birds can always rest on the water, and the animal that can
wing its way through the air at the rate of thirty or even
fifty miles the hour, needs only sufficient strength, to cross
he entire Atlantic in four days and nights.
Notwithstanding all these cheering signs, the different
crews soon began to feel again the weight of a renewed de.
spondency. Sancho, who was in constant but secret communication with the admiral, kept the latter properly advised of the state of the people, and reported that more
25 *




294             IERCEDES OF CASTILE.
murmurs than usual prevailed, the men having passed again,
by the suddenness of the reaction, from the most elastic
hope, nearly to the verge of despair. This fact was told
Columbus just at sunset on the evening of the 20th, or on
that of the eleventh day after the fleet lost sight o' land,
and while the seaman was affecting to be busy on the poop,
where he made most of his communications.
" They complain, your Excellency," continued Sancho,
"of the smoothness of the water; and they say that when
the winds blow at all, in these seas, they come only from
the eastward, having no power to blow from any other
quarter. The calms, they think, prove that we are getting
into a part of the ocean where there is no wind; and the
east winds, they fancy, are sent by Providence to drive
those there who have displeased Heaven by a curiosity thaL
it was never intended that any who wear beards should
possess."
"Do thou encourage them, Sancho, by reminding the
poor fellows that calms prevail, at times, in all seas; and,
as for the east winds, is it not well known that they blow
from off the African shores, in low latitudes, at all seasons
of the yeer, following the sun in his daily track around the
earth? I trust thou hast none of this silly apprehension 9"
"I endeavour to keep a stout heart, Senor Don Almirante, having no one before me to disgrace, and leaving no
one behind me to mourn over my loss. Still, I should like
to hear a little about the riches of those distant lanrds, as I
find the thoughts of their gold and precious stones have a
sort of religious charm over my weakness, when I' begin
to muse upon Moguer and its good cheer."
" Go to, knave, thy appetite for money is insatiable; takeyet another dobla, and as thou gazest on it thou may'-t
fancy what thou wilt of the coin of the Great Khan; resting certain that so great a monarch is not without gold,
any more than he is probably without the disposition to
part with it, when there is occasion."
Sancho received his fee, and left the poop to Columbus
and our hero.
" These ups and downs among the knaves," said Luis,
impatiently, " were best quelled, Senor, by an application.f the flat of the sword, or, at need, of its edge."




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


295


" This may not be, my young friend, without at least fat
more occasion than yet existeth for the severity. Think
not that I have passed so many years of my life in solicit.
ng the means to effect so great a purpose, and have got
this ftr on my way, in unknown seas, with a disposition to
be easily turned aside from my purpose. But God hath
not created all alike; neither hath he afforded equal chances
for knowledge to the peasant and the noble. I have vexed
my spirit too often, with arguments on this very subject,
with the great and learned, not to bear a little with the ignorance of the vulgar. Fancy how much fear would have
quickened the wits of the sages of Salamanca, had our
discussion been held in the middle of the Atlantic, where
man never had been, and whence no eyes but those of logic
and science, could discover a safe passage."
" This is most true, Scilor Almirante; and yet, methinks
the knights that were of your antagonists should not have
been wholly unmanned by fear. What danger have we
here? this is the wide ocean, it is true, and we are no doubt
distanr.somle hundreds of leagues from the known islands,
bi. \ve are not the less safe. By San Pedro! I have seen
Inore lives lost in a single onset of the Moors, than these
caravels could hold in bodies, and blood enough spilt to
float them!"
"The dangers our people dread may be less turbulent
than those of a Moorish fray, Don Luis, but they are not
the less terrible. Where is the spring that is to furnish
water to the parched lip, when our stores shall fail, and
where the field to give us its bread and nourishment? It is
a fearful thing to be brought down to the dregs of life, by
the failure of food and water, on the surface of the wide
ocean, dying by inches, often without the consolations of
the church, and ever without Christian sepulture. These
are the fancies of the seaman, and he is only to be driven
from then: violently when duty demands extreme remedies
for his disease."
"To me it seemeth, Don Christopher, that it will be time
to reason thus, when our casks are drained, and the last
biscuit is broken. Until then, I ask leave of your Excellency to apply the necessary logic to the outside of the




296


296  E1('ElI)EIS COF CASTILL.


heads of these varlets, instead of their insides, of which 1
much question the capacity to hold any good."
Columbus too well understood the hot nature of the
young noble to make a serious reply; and they both stood
sometime leaning against the mizen-mast, watching the
scene before them, and musing on the chances of their
situation. It was night, and the figures of the watch, on the
deck beneath, were visible only by a light that rendered it
difficult to distinguish countenances.  The men were
grouped; and it was evident by the low but eager tones
in which they conversed, that they discussed matters connected with the calm, and the risks they ran. The outlines of
the Pinta and Nifia were visible, beneath a firmament that
was studded with brilliants, their lazy sails hanging in festoons, like the drapery of curtains, and their black hulls were
as stationary, as if they both lay moored in one of the rivers
of Spain. It was a bland and gentle night, but the immensity of the solitude, the deep calm of the slumbering ocean,
and even the occasional creaking of a spar, by recalling to
the mind the actual presence of vessels so situated, renlered the scene solemn, almost to sublimity.
" Dost thou detect aught fluttering in the rigging, Luis?"
the admiral cautiously inquired. "My ear deceiveth me,
or I hear something on the wing. The sounds, moreover,
are quick and slight, like those produced by birds of indifferent size."
"Don Christopher, you are right. There are little creat res perched on the upper yards, and that of a size like the
smaller songsters of the land."
"Hark!" interrupted the admiral. "That is a joyous
note, and of such a melody as might be met in one of the
orange groves of Seville, itself! God be praised for this
sign of the extent and unity of his kingdom, since land
cannot well be distant, when creatures, gentle and frail as
these, have so lately taken their flight from it!"
The presence of these birds soon became known to all
on deck, and their songs brought more comfort than the
most able mathematical demonstration, even though founded
on modern learning, could have produced on the sensitive
feelings of the common men.
" I told thee, land was near," cried Sancho, turning with




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


297


exultation to Martin Martinez, his constant disputant;" here thou hast the proof of it, in a manner that none but
the traitor will deny. Thou hearest the songs of orchard
birds-notes that would never come from the throats of the
tired; and which sound as gaily as if the dear little fea.
thered rogues were pecking at a fig or a grape in a field of
Spain.
" Sancho is right!" exclaimed the seamen. "The air
savours of land, too-and the sea hath a look of the land;
and God is with us-blessed be his Holy name-and ho
uour to our lord the king, and to our gracious mistress,
Dofia Isabella!"
From this moment concern seemed to leave the vessel,
again. It was thought, even by the admiral himself, that
the presence of birds so small, and which were judged to
be so feeble of wing, was an unerring evidence that land
was nigh; and land, too, of generous productions, and a
mild, gentle climate; for these warblers, like the softer sex
of the human family, best love scenes that most favour
their gentle propensities and delicate habits.
Investigation has since proved, that, in this particular,
however plausible the grounds of error, Columbus was deceived. Men often mistake the powers of the inferior animals of creation, and at other times they overrate the extent of their instinct. In point of fact, a bird of light weight
would be less liable to perish on the ocean, and in that low
latitude, than a bird of more size, neither being aquatic.
The sea-weed itself would furnish resting-places out of numoer for the smaller animals, and in some instances it would
probably furnish food. That birds, purely of the land,
should take long flights at sea, is certainly improbable
hut, apart from the consequence of gales, which often force
even that heavy-winged animal the owl, hundreds of miles
from the land, instinct is not infallible; whales being frequently found embayed in shallow waters, and birds sailing
beyond the just limits of their habits. Whatever may have
been the cause of the opportune appearance of these little
inhabitants of the orchard, on the spars of the Santa Maria
the effect was of the most auspicious kind on the spirits of
the men. As long as they sang, no amateurs ever listened
to the most brilliant passages from the orchestra, with




298           MERC'EDES OF CASTILE.
greater delight than those rude seamen listened to thei
warbling, and while they slept it was with a seclrity that
had its existence in veneration and gratitude. The soags
were renewed with the dawn, shortly alter which the whole
went off in a body, taking their flight'towards the southwest. The next day brought a calm, and then an air so
light, that the vessels could with difficulty make their way
iihrough the dense masses of weeds that actually gave the
ocean the appearance of vast inundated meadows. The
current was now found to be from the west, and shortly
after day-light a new source of alarm was reported by
Sancho.
"The people have got a notion in their heads, Sefior Almrrante. which partaketh so much of the marvellous, that i;
findeth exceeding favour with such as love miracles more
than they love God. Martin Martinez, who is a philosopher in the way of terror, maintaineth that this sea into
which we seem to be entering deeper and deeper, lieth over
sunken islands, and that the weeds, which it would be
idle to deny grow more abundant as we proceed, will
shortly get to be so plentiful on the surface of the water
that the caravels will become unable to advance, or to retreat."
"Doth Martin find any to believe this silly notion?"
"Seior Don Almirante, he doth; and for the plain reason
that it is easier to find those who are ready to believe an
absurdity, than to find those who will only believe truth
But the man is backed by some unlucky chances, that must
come of the Powers of Darkness, more particularly as they
can have no great wish to see your Excellency reach Cathay, with the intention of making a Christian of the Great
Khan, and of planting the tree of the cross in his dominions.
This calm sorely troubleth many, moreover, and the birds
are beginning to be looked upon as creatures sent by Satan
himself, to lead us whither we can never return. Some
even believe we shall tread on shoals, and lie for ever
stranded wrecks in the midst of the wide ocean!"
" Go bid the men prepare to sound; I will show themil the
folly of this idea, at least; and see that all are summoned
to witness the experiment."




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


299


Columbus now repeated this order to the pilots, and the
deep-sea was let go, in the usual manner. Fathom after
fathbm of the line glided over the rail, the lead taking its
unerring way towards the bottom, until so little was left as
to compel the downward course to be arrested.
"Ye see, my friends, that we are yet full two hundred
fathoms from the shoals ye so much dread, and as much
more as the sea is deeper than our measurement.   Lo I
yonder, too, is a whale, spouting the water before him, a
creature never seen except on the coasts of large islands,
or continents."
This appeal of Columbus, which was in conformity with
the notions of the day, had its wei.ht-his crew being
naturally most under the influence of notions that were
popular. It is now known, however, that whales frequent
those parts of the ocean where their food is most abundant,
and one of the best grounds for taking them, of late years,
has been what is called the False Brazil Banks, which
lie near the centre of the ocean. In a word, all those signs,
that were connected with the movements of birds and fishes,
and which appear to have had so much effect, not only on
the common men of this great enterprise, but on Columbus
himself, were of far less real importance than was then believed; navigators being so little accustomed to venture far
from the land themselves, that they were not duly acquainted with the mysteries of the open ocean.
Notwithstanding the moments of cheerfulness and hope
that intervened, distrust and apprehension were fast getting
to be again the prevailing feelings among the mariners.
Those who had been most disaffected fiom the first, seized
every occasion to increase these apprehensions; and when
the sun arose, Saturday, September 22d, on a calm sea,
there were not a few in the vessels who were disposed to
unite in making another demand on the admiral to turn the
heads of the caravels towards the east.
"We have come some hundreds of leagues before a fair
wind, into a sea that is entirely ntiknown to man, until we
have reached a part of tile ocean where the winds seem
altogether to fail us, and where there is ianger of our being
bound up in immovable weeds, or stranded on sunken
islands, without the means of procuring, food or water!"




300


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


Arguments like these, were suited to an age in which
even the most learned were obliged to grope their way to
accurate knowledge, through the mists of superstition and
ignorance, and in which it was a prevailing weakness to
lput faith, on the one hand, in visible proofs of the miraculous power of God, and, on the other, in substantial evidences of the ascendency of evil spirits, as they were permitted to affect the temporal affairs of those they perse
cuted.
It was, therefore, most fortunate for the success of the
expedition, that a light breeze sprang up from the southward and westward, in the early part of the day just mentioned, enabling the vessels to gather way, and to move
beyond the vast fields o' weeds, that equally obstructed the
progress of the caravels, and awakened the fears of theii
people. As it was an object to get clear of the floating
obstacles that surrounded the vessels, the first large opening that offered was entered, and then the fleet was brought
close upon a wind, heading as near as possible to the desired
course. Columbus now believed himself to be steering
west-north-west, when, in fact, he was sailing in a directiop
far nearer to his true course, than when his ships headed
west, by compass; the departure from the desired line of
sailing, being owing to the variation in the needle. This
circumstance alone, would seem to establish the fact, that
Columbus believed in his own theory of the moving star,
since he would hardly have steered west-and-by-south-halfsouth, with a fair wind, for many days in succession, as he
is known to have done, when it was his strongest wish to
proceed directly west. He was now heading up, within
half a point of the latter course, though he and all with
him, fancied they were running off nearly two points to
leeward of the so much desired direction.
But these little variations were trifles as compared with
the advantage that the admiral obtained over the fears of
his followers by the shift of the wind, and the liberation
from the weeds. By the first, the men saw a proof that
the breezes did not always blow from the same quarter;
and by the last, they ascertained that they heid not actually
reached a point where the ocean had become impassable.
Although the wind was now favourable to return to the




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


301


Canaries, no one any longer demanded that such a course
should be adopted, so apt are we all to desire that which
appears to be denied to us, and so ready to despise that
which lies perfectly at our disposal.
This, indeed, was a moment when the feelings of the
people appeared to be as variable as the light and baffling
winds themselves.  The Saturday passed away, in the
manner just mentioned, the vessels once more entering into
large fields of weeds, just as the sun set. When the light
returned, the airs headed them off to north-west and northwest-by-north, by compass, which was, in truth, steering north-west-by-west-half-west, and north-west-half-west.
Birds abounded again, among which were a turtle-dove, and
many living crabs were seen crawling among the weeds.
All these signs would have encouraged the common men,
had they not already so often proved deceptive.
" Senor," said Martin Martinez, to the admiral, when
Columbus went among the crew to raise their drooping
spirits, " we know not what to think! For days, did the
wind blow in the same direction, leading us on, as it might
be, to our ruin; and then it hath deserted us in such a sea,
as mariners in the Santa Maria never before saw. A sea,
looking like meadows on a river side, and which wanteth
only kine and cow-herds, to be mistaken for fields a little
overflowed by a rise of the water, is a fearful thing!"
" Thy meadows are the weeds of the ocean, and prove
the richness of the nature that hath produced them; while
thy breezes from the east, are what all who have ever made
the Guinea voyage, well know to exist in latitudes so low.
I see nought in either to alarm a bold seaman; and as for
the bottom, ye all know it hath not yet been found by many
a long and weary fathom of line. Pepe, thou hast none
of these weaknesses; but hast set thy heart on Cathay
and a sight of the Great Khan?"
"Sefor Almirante, as I swore to Monica, so do I swear
to your Excellency; and that is to be true and obedient.
If the cross is to be raised among the infidels, my hand
shall not be backward in doing its share towards the holy
act. Still, Senor, none of us like this long unnatural
calm. Here is an ocean that hath no waves, but a surface
so smooth that we much distrust whether the waters obey
26




802             MERCEDES OF CASTILE.
the same laws, as they are known to do near Spain; for
never before have I beheld a sea that hath so much the air
of the dead! May it not be, Sefior, that God hath placed
a belt of this calm and stagnant water around the outer
edges of the earth, in order to prevent the unheedy from
looking into some of his sacred secrets?"
"Thy reasoning hath, at least, a savour of religion; and,
though faulty, can scarce be condemned. God hath placed
man on this earth, Pepe, to be its master, and to serve him
by extending the dominion of his church, as well as by
turning to the best account all the numberless blessings that
accompany the great gift. As to the limits, of which thou
speakest, they exist only in idea, the earth being a sphere,
or a ball, to which there are no other edges than those thou
seest everywhere on its surface."
" And as for what Martin saith," put in Sancho, who
was never at fault for a fact, or for a reason, " concerning
the winds, and the weeds, and the calms, I can only won.
der where a seaman of his years hath been navigating so
long, that these things should be novelties. To me, all this
is as common as dish-water at Moguer, and so much a mat.
ter of course, that I should not have remarked it, but for
the whinings of Martin and his fellows. When the Santa
Catalina made the voyage to that far-off region, Ireland,
we landed on the sea-weed, a distance of half a league or
so from the coast; and as for the wind, it blew regularly
four weeks from one quarter, and four weeks from the
other; after which the. people of the country said it would
blow four weeks each way, transversely; but we did not
remain long enough in those seas to enable me to swear to
the two last facts."
" Hast thou not heard of shoals so wide that a caravel
could never find its way out of them, if it once entered?"
Jemanded Martinez, fiercely, fa): much addicted to gross
exaggerations hinmself, he little liked to be outdone; "and
do not these weeds bespeak our near approach to such a
danger, when the weeds themselves often are so closely
packed as to come near to stop the ship?"
' Enough of this," said the admiral; " at times we have
weeds, and then we are altogether free from them; these
changes are owing to the currents; no doubt as soon as we




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


30B;


have passed this meridian, we shall come to clear waer
again."
" But the calm, Sefior Almirante," exclaimed a dozen
voices. " This unnatural smoothness of the ocean frighteneth us - never before did we see water so stagnant and
immoveable!"
"Call ye this stagnant and immoveable?" exclaimed the
admiral. "Nature herself arises to reproach your senseless fears, and to contradict your mistaken reasoning, by
her own signs and portents!"
This was said as the Santa Maria's bows rose on a long
low swell, every spar creaking at the motion, and the
whole hull heaving and setting as the billow passed beneath
it, washing the sides of the ship from the water-line to its
channels. At this moment there was not even a breath of
air, and the seamen gazed about them with an astonishment that was increased and rendered extreme by dread.
The ship had scarcely settled heavily into the long trough
when a second wave lifted her again forward, and billow succeeded billow, each successive wave increasing in height,
until the entire ocean was undulating, though only marked
tt distant intervals, and that slightly, by the foam of crests
or combing seas. It took half an hour to bring this phenomenon up to its height, when all three vessels were wallowing in the seas, as mariners term it, their hulls falling
off helplessly into the troughs, until the water fairly spouted from their low scuppers, as each rose by her buoyancy
from some roll deeper than common. Fancying that this
occurrence promised to be either a source of new alarm, or
a means of appeasing the old one, Columbus took early
measures to turn it to account, in the latter mode. Causing
all the crew to assemble atthe break of the poop, he addressed them, bri6fly, in the following words:
"Ye see, men, that your late fears about the stagnant
ocean are rebuked, in this sudden manner, as it might be,
by the hand of God himself, proving, beyond dispute, that
no danger is to be apprehended from that source. I might
impose on your ignorance, and insist that this sudden rising
of the sea is a miracle wrought to sustain me against your
rebellious repinings and unthinking alarms; but the cause
in which I am engaged needs no support of this nature, that




LC4


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


doth not truly come from heaven. The calms, and the
smoothness of the water, and even the weeds of which ye
complain, come from the vicinity of some great body of
iand; I think not a continent, as that must lie still farther
west, but of islands, either so large or so numerous, as to
make a far-extended lee; while these swells are probably
the evidence of wind at a distance, which hath driven up
the ocean into mountainous waves, such as we often see
them, and which send out their dying efforts, even beyond
the limits of the gale.  I do not say that this intervention,
to appease your fears, doth not come of God, in whose
hands I am; for this last do I fully believe, and for it am I
fully grateful; but it cometh through the agencies of nature,
and can in no sense be deemed providential, except as it
demonstrateth the continuance of the divine care, as well
as its surpassing goodness. Go then, and he tranquil.
Remember if Spain be far behind ye, that Cathay now lieth
at no great distance before ye; that each hour shorteneth
that distance, as well as the time necessary to reach our
coal. He that reinaineth true ani flaithful, shalt not repent
his confidence; while he who unnecessarily disturbeth
either himself or others, with silly doubts, may look forward to an exercise of authority that shall maintain the
rights of their Highnesses to the duty of all their servants."
We record this speech of the great navigator with so
much the more pleasure, as it goes fully to estabiish the
tact that he did not believethe sudden rising of the seas. on
this occasion, was owing to a direct miracle, as some of the
historians and biographers seerni inclined to believe; but
rather to a providential interference of Divine Power,.
through natural means, in order to protect him against the
consequences of the blind apprehensions of his followers
It is not easy, indeed, to suppose, that a seaman as experienced as Columbus, could be ignorant pf the natural
cause of a circumstance so very common on the ocean,
that those who dwell on it, coasts have frequent occasion to.:witness its occurrence.




MEROEDES OF CASTILE.


805


CHAPTER XX.
" Ora pro nobis, Maler '-what a spell
Was in those notes, with day's last glory dying
On the flush'd waters-seern'd they not to swell
From the far dust, wherein my sires were lying
With crucifix and sword? —Oh I yet how clear
Comes their reproachful sweetness to my ear
' Ora'-with all the purple waves replying,
All my youth's visions rising in the strainAnd I had thought it much to bear the rack and chain 1"
The Forest Sasctuary.
IT may now be well to recapitulate, and to let the reader
distinctly know how far the adventurers had actually advanced into the unknown waters of the Atlantic; what was
their real, and what their supposed position. As has bean
seen, from the time of quitting Gomera, the admiral kept
two reckonings, one intended for his own government,
which catne as near the truth as the imperfect means of
the science of navigation that were then in use would
allow, and another that was freely exhibited to the crew,
and was purposely miscalculated in order to prevent alarm,
on account of the distance that hal been passed. As Columbus believed himself to be employed in the service of
God, this act of deception would be thought a species of
pious fraud, in that devout age; and it is by no means probable, that it gave the conscience of the navigator any
trouble, since churchmen, even, did not hesitate always
about buttressing the walls of faith by means still less
justifiable.
The long calms and light head-winds had prevented the
vessels from making much progress for the few last days;
and, by estimating the distance that was subsequently run
in a course but a little south of west, it appears, notwithstanding all the encouraging signs of birds, fishes, calms,
and smooth water, that on the morning of Monday, September 24th, or that of the fifteenth day after losing sight
of Ferro, the expedition was about half-way across the
Atlantic, counting from  continent to continent, on the
26 *




806


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


parallel of about 31 or 32 degrees of north latitude. The
circumstance of the vessels being so far north of the
Canaries, when it is known that they had been running
most of the time west, a little southerly, must be imputed
to the course steered in the scant winds, and perhaps to the
general set of the currents. With this brief explanation, we
return to the daily progress of the ships.
The influence of the trades was once more felt, though
in a very slight degree, in the course of the twenty-four
hours that succeeded the day of the "miraculous seas,"
and the vessels again headed west by compass.     Birds
were seen as usual, among which was a pelican. The
whole progress of the vessels was less than fifty miles, a
distance that was lessened, as usual, in the public reckoning.
The morning of the 25th was calm, but the wind returned,
a steady gentle breeze from the south-east, when the day
was far advanced, the caravels passing most of the hours of
light floating near each other, in a lazy indolence, or barely
stirring the water with their stems, at a rate little, if any,
exceeding that of a mile an hour.
The Pinta kept near the Santa Maria, and the officers and
crews of the two vessels conversed freely with each other,
concerning their hopes and situation. Columbus listened
to these dialogues for a long time, endeavouring to collect
the predominant feeling from the more guarded expressions
that were thus publicly delivered, and watching each turn
of the expressions with jealous vigilance.  At length it
struck him that the occasion was favourable to producing a
good effect on the spirits of his followers.
"What hast thou thought of the chart I sent thee three
days since, good Martin Alonzo," called out the admiral:
" Dost thou see in it aught to satisfy thee that we are approaching the Indies, and that our time of trial draweth
rapidly to an end?"
At the first sound of the admiral's voice, every syllable
was hushed among the people; for, in spite of their discontent, and their disposition even to rise against him, in
their extremity, Columbus had succeeded in creating a proound respect for his judgment and his person among all his
followers.




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


307


"'T is a rare and well-designed chart, Sefior Don Chris.;opher," answered the master of the Pinta, "and doth a
fair credit to him who hath copied and enlarged, as well as
to him who first projected it. I doubt that it is the work
of some learned scholar, that hath united the opinions of
all the greater navigators in his map."
" The original came from one Paul Toscanelli, a learned
Tuscan, who dwelleth at Firenze in that country; a man of
exceeding knowledge, and of an industry in investigation
that putteth idleness to shame. Accompanying the chart
he sent a missive that hath much profound and learned
matter on the subject of the Indies, and touching those
islands that thou seest laid down with so much particularity. In that letter he speaketh of divers places, as being
so many wonderful exemplars of the power of man; more
especially of the port of Zaiton, which sendetlf forth no
less than a hundred ships yearly, loaded with the single
product of the pepper-tree. He saith, moreover, that an
ambassador came to the Holy Father, in the time of Eugenius IV., of blessed memory, to express the desire of the
Great Khan, which meaneth King of Kings, in the dialect
of those regions, to be on friendly terms with the Chris.
tians of the west, as we were then termed; but of the
east, as will shortly be our designation in that part of the
world."
"This is surprising, Seiior!" exclaimed Pinzon: "how
is it known, or is it known at all, of a certainty?"
"Beyond a question; since Paul stateth, in his missive,
that he saw much of this same ambassador, living greatly
in his society, Eugenius deceasing as lately as 1477. From
the ambassador, no doubt a wise and grave persolnage,
since no other would have been sent so far on a mission to
the Head of the Church;-fiomn this discreet person, then,
did Toscanelli gain much pleasant information concerning
the populousness and vast extent of those distant countries,
the gorgeousness of the palaces, and the glorious beauty
of the cities. He spoke of one town, in particular, that
surpasseth all others of the known world; and of a single
river that hath two hundred noble cities on its own banks,
with marble bridges spanning the stream. The chart before thee, Martin Alonzo, showeth that the exact distance




308


MEROEDES OF CASTILE.


from Lisbon to the city of Quisay is just three thousand
nine hundred miles of Italy, or about a thousand leagues,
steering always in a due-west direction."*
"And doth the learned Tuscan say aught of the riches of
those countries?" demanded Master Alonzo-a question
that caused all within hearing to prick up their ears, afresh.
"That doth he, and in these precise and impressive
words-'This is a noble country,' observed the learned
Paul, in his missive, 'and ought to be explored by us, on
account of its great riches, and the quantity of gold, silver,
and precious stones, which might be obtained there.' He
moreover described Quisay as being five-and-thirty leagues
in circuit, and addeth that its name in the Castilian, is 'the
City of Heaven.'
"In which case," muttered Sancho, though in a tone so
low that no one but Pepe heard him, "' there is little need
of our bearing thither the cross, which was intended for the
benefit of man, and not of paradise."
" I see here two large islands, Senor Almirante," continued
Pinzon, keeping his eyes on the chart, " one of which is
called Antilla, and the other is the Cipango of which your
Excellency so often speaketh."
"Even so, good Martin Alonzo, and thou also seest that
they are laid down with a precision that must prevent any
experienced navigator from missing his way, when in pursuit of them. These islands lie just two hundred and twentylive leagues asunder."
"According to our reckoning, here, in the Pinta, noble
Admiral, we cannot, then, be far from Cipango at this very
loment."
"It would so seem by the reckonings, though I somewhat doubt their justness. It is a commoa error of pilots
to run ahead of their reckonings, but in this instance, apprehension hath brought ye behind them. Cipango lieth
many days' sail fiom  the continent of Asia, and cannot,
therefore, be far from this spot; still the currents have been
* NOTE.-It is worthy of remark that the city of Philadelphia
stands, as near as may be, in the position that the honest Paul
Toscanelli supposed to have been occupied by "the famous city of
Quisay."                         V




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


809


adverse, and I doubt that it will be found that we are as
near this island, good Martin Alonzo, as thou and thy companions imagine. Let the chart be returned, and I will
trace our actual position on it, that all may see what reason
there is to despond, and what reason to rejoice."
Pinzon now took the chart, rolled it together carefully.
attached a light weight, and securing the whole with the
end of a log-line, he hove it on board the Santa Maria, as
a seaman makes a cast with the lead. So near were the
vessels at the moment, that this communication was made
without any difficulty; after which, the Pinta, letting fall
an additional sail or two, flapped slowly ahead, her superiority, particularly in light winds, being at all times apparent.
Columbus now caused the chart to be spread over a table
on the poop, and invited all who chose to draw near, in
order that they might, with their own eyes, see the precise
spot on the ocean where the admiral supposed the vessels
to be. As each day's work was accurately laid down, and
measured on the chart, by one as expert as the great navigator himself, there is little question that he succeeded in
showing his people, as near as might be, and subject to the
deduction in distance that was intentionally made, the longitude and latitude to which the expedition had then reached; and as this brought them quite near those islands which
were believed to lie east of the continent of Asia, this tangible proof of their progress had far more effect than any
demonstration that depended on abstract reasoning, even
when grounded on premises that were true; most men submitting sooner to the authority of the senses, than to the
influence of the mere mind. The seamen did not stop to
inquire how it was settled that Cipango lay in the precise
place where it had been projected on this famous chart, but
seeing it there, in black and white, they were disposed to
believe it was really in the spot it appeared to be; and, as
Columbus's reputation for keeping a ship's reckoning far
surpassed that of any other navigator in the fleet, the facts
were held to be established. Great was the joy, in consequence; and the minds of the people again-passed from the
verge of despair to an excess and illusion. of hope, that was
raised only to be disaplpinted.




310


MEBROEDES   OASTIE.


That Columbus was sincere in all -that related to this
new delusion, with the exception of the calculated reduction
of the true distance, is beyond a doubt. In common with
the cosmographers of the age, he believed the circumference
of the earth much less than actual measurement has since
shown it to be; striking out of the calculation, at once,
nearly the whole breadth of the Pacific Ocean. That this
conclusion was very natural, will be seen by glancing at the
geographical facts that the learned then possessed, as data
for their theories.
It was known that the continent of Asia was bounded on
the east by a vast ocean, and that a similar body of water
bounded Europe on the west, leaving the plausible inference,
on the supposition that the earth was a sphere, that nothing
but islands existed between these two great boundaries of
land. Less than half of the real circumference of the globe
is to be found between the western and eastern verges of
the old continent, as they were then known; but it was too
bold an.effort of the mind, to conceive that startling fact, in
the condition of human knowledge at the close of the fifteenth century. The theories were consequently content
with drawing the limits of the east and the west into a much
narrower circle, finding no data for any freer speculation;
and believing it a sufficient act of boldness to maintain the
spherical formation of the earth at all. It is true, that the
latter theory was as old as Ptolemy, and quite probably
much older; but even the antiquity of a system begins to
be an argument against it, in the minds of the vulgar, when
centuries elapse, and it receives no confirmation from actual
experiment. Columbus supposed his island of Cipango, or
Japan, to lie about one hundred and forty degrees of longitude east of its actual position; and, as a degree of longitude in the latitude of Japan, or 35~ north, supposing the
surface of the earth to be perfectly spherical, is about fiftysix statute miles, it follows that Columbus had advanced
this island, on his chart, more than seven thousand English
miles towards the eastward, or a distance materially exceeding two thousand marine leagues.
All this, however, was not only hidden in mystery as regards the common men of the expedition, but it far outstripped the boldest conceptions of the great navigator him



MEROEDES OP CASTILE.


811


self. Facts of this nature, notwithstanding, are fai from
detracting from the glory of the vast discoveries that were
subsequently made, since they prove under what moral disadvantages the expedition was conceived, and under what a
limited degree of knowledge it finally triumphed.
While Columbus was thus employed with the chart, it
was a curious thing to witness the manner in which the
seamlen watched his smallest movement, studied the expression of his grave and composed countenance, and sought
to read their fate in the contraction, or dilation, of his eyes.
The gentlemen of the Santa Maria, and the pilots, stood at
his elbow, and here and there some old mariner ventured
to take his post at hand, where he could follow the slow
progress of the pen, or note the explanation of a figure.
Among these was Sancho, who was generally admitted to
be one of the most expert seamen in the little fleet, in all
things, at least, that did not require the knowledge of the
schools. Columbus even turned to these men, and spoke
to them kindly, endeavouring to make them comprehend a
part of their calling, which they saw practised daily, without ever succeeding in acquiring a practical acquaintance
with it, pointing out particularly the distance come, and
that which yet remained before them. Others, again, the
less experienced, but not the less interested among the crew,
hung about the rigging, whence they could overlook the
scene, and fancy they beheld demonstrations that came of
theories which it as much exceeded their reasoning powers
to understand, as it exceeded their physical vision to behold
the desired Indies themselves. As men become intellectual,
they entertain abstractions, leaving the dominion of the
senses to take refuge in that of thought. Until this change.;irrives, however, we are all singularly influenced by a parade
-of positive things. Words spoken seldom produce the eftect of words written; and the praise or censure that would
enter lightly aln unheeded into the ear, mlight even change
our estimates of character, when received into the mind
through the medium of the eye. Thus, the very seamen,
who could not comprehend the reasoning of Columbus,
fancied they understood his chart, and willingly enough
believed that islands and continents must exist in the pro
cise places where they saw them so plainly delineated.




812


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


After this exhibition, cheerfulness resumed its sway
over the crew of the Santa Maria; and Sancho, who was
generally considered as of the party of the admiral, was
eagerly appealed to by his fellows, for many of the little
circumstances that were thought to explain the features of
the chart.
"Dost think, Sancho, that Cipango is as large as the
admiral hath got the island on the chart?" asked one who
had passed from the verge of despair to the other extreme;
"that it lieth fairly, any eye may see, since its look is as
natural as that of Ferro or Madeira."
"That hath he," answered Sancho, positively, "as one
may see by its shape.  Didst not notice the capes, and
bays, and head-lands, all laid down as plainly as on any
other well-known coast? Ah! these Genoese are skilful
navigators; and Sefior Colon, our noble admiral, hath not
come all this distance without having some notion in what
roadstead he is to anchor."
In such conclusive arguments, the dullest minds of the
crew found exceeding consolation; whilst among all the
common people of the ship, there was not one who did not
feel more confidence in the happy termination of the voyage, since he had this seeming ocular proof of the existence
of land in the part of the ocean they were in.
When the discourse between the admiral and Pinzon
ceased, the latter made sail on the Pinta, which vessel
had slowly passed the Santa Maria, and was now a hundred yards, or more, ahead of her; neither going through
the water at a rate exceeding a knot an hour. At the moment just mentioned, or while the men were conversing of
their newly awakened hopes, a shout drew all eyes towards
their consort, where Pinzon was seen on the poop, waving
his cap in exultation, and giving the usual proofs of extravagant delight.
"Land!-Land! Sefor!" he shouted. "I claim my reward! Land! Land!"
"In what direction, good Martin Alonzo?" asked Columbus, so eagerly that his voice fairly trembled. "In which
quarter dost thou perceive this welcome neighbour?"
"Here, to the south-west," pointing in that direction



MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


313


4 a range of dim but noble mountains, and such as promise
to satisfy the pious longings of the Holy Father himself!"
Every eye turned towards the south-west, and there, in.
deed, they fancied they beheld the long-sought proofs of
their success. A faint, hazy mass, was visible in the horizon, broken in outline, more distinctly marked than clouds
usually are, and yet so obscure as to require a practised
eye to draw it out of the obscurity of 'he void. This is
the manner in which land often appears to seamen, in peculiar conditions of the atmosphere; others, under such;ircumstances, being seldom'able to distinguish it at all.
Columbus was so practised in all the phenomena of the
ocean, that the face of every man in the Santa Maria was
turned towards his, in breathless expectation of the result,
as soon as the first glance had been given towards the
point of the compass mentioned. It was impossible to
mistake the expression of the admiral's countenance, which
immediately became radiant with delight and pious exultation. Uncovering himself, he cast a look upward in un.
bounded gratitude, and then fell on his knees, to return
open thanks to God. This was the signal of triumph, and
yet, in their desolate situation, exultation was not the
prevalent feeling of the moment. Like Columbus, the
men felt their absolute dependence on God; and a sense
of humble and rebuked gratitude came over every spirit,
as it might be simultaneously. Kneeling, the entire crews
of the three vessels simultaneously commenced the chant
of " Gloria in excelsis Deo!" lifting the voice of praise, for
the first time since the foundations of the earth were laid,,n that deep solitude of the ocean. Matins and vespers, it
is true, were then habitually repeated in most Christian
ships; but this sublime chant was now uttered to waves
that had been praising their Maker, in their might and in
their calm, for so many thousand years, for the first time
in the voice of man.
" Glory be to God on high!" sang these rude mariners,
with hearts softened by their escapes, dangers, and success,
peaking as one man, though modulating their tones to the
solemn harmony of a religious rite-" and on earth peace,
good wil towards men.  We praise thee, we bless thee, we
worship thee, we glorify thee, we give thanks to thee for
27




314


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


thy great glory/ 0 Lord God! Heavenly KingI God
the Father Almighty!" 4'c. dfc.
In this noble chant, which would seem to approach as
near to the praises of angels as human powers can ever
hope to rise, the voice of the admira.' was distinct, and deep,
but trembling with emotion.
When this act of pious gratitude was performed, the men
aiscended the rigging to make more certain of their success.
All agreed in pronouncing the faintly delineated mass to be
land, and the first sudden transport of unexpected joy was
succeeded by the more regulated feelings of confirmed se
curity. The sun set a little north of the dim mountains,
and night closed around the scene, shadowing the ocean
with as much of gloom as is ever to be found beneath a
tropical and cloudless sky. As the first watch was set,
Columbus, who, whenever the winds would allow, had per.
severed in steering what he fancied to be a due-west course,
to satisfy the longings of his people, ordered the vessels to
haul up to south-west by compass, which wasin fact heading south-west by south, southerly. The wind increased,
and, as the admiral had supposed the land to be distant
about twenty-five leagues, when last seen, all in the little
fleet confidently relied on obtaining a full and complete
view of it in the morning. Columbus himself entertained
this hope, though he varied his course reluctantly, feeling
certain that the continent would be met by sailing west, or
what he thought to be west, though he could have no simi
lar confidence as to making any island.
Few slept soundly that night, visions of oriental
riches, and of the wonders of the East, crowding on
the minds of even the least imaginative, converting their
slumbers into dreams rendered uneasy by longings for
gold, and anticipations of the wonders of the unknown East.
The men left their hammocks, from hour to hour, to stand
in the rigging, watching for some new proofs of their proximity to the much-desired islands, and straining their eyes
in vain, in the hope of looking deeper into the obscurity in
quest of objects that fancy had already begun to invest with
forms. In the course of the night, the vessels ran in a
direct line towards the south-west, seventeen of the twenty
five leagues that Columbus had supposed alone separated




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


315


him from this new discovery; and just before the light
dawned, every soul in the three vessels was stirring, in the
eager hope of having the panorama of day open on such a
sight, as they felt it to be but a slight grievance to have
come so far, and to have risked so much, to behold.
" Yonder is a streak of light, glimmering in th cast,"
cried Luis, in a cheerful voice; " and now, Sefior Almirante, we may unite in terming you the honoured of the
earth!"
"All rests with God, my young friend," returned Columbus; "whether land is near us or not, it boundeth the
western ocean, and to that boundary we must proceed.
Thou art right, truly, friend Gutierrez; the light is beginning to shed itself along the eastern margin of the sea,
and even to rise in an arch into the vault above it."
" Would that the sun rose, for this one day, in the west,.hat we might catch the first glimpse of our new possessions in that radiant field of heaven, which his coming
rays are so' gloriously illuminating above the track we
have just passed!"
"That will not happen, Master Pedro, since Sol hath
journeyed daily round this planet of ours, from east to
west, since time began, and will so continue to journey
until time shall cease. This is a fact on which our senses
may be trusted, though they mislead us in so many other
things."
So reasoned Columbus, a man whose mind had outstripped the age, in his favourite study, and who was usu.
ally so calm and philosophical; simply because he reasoned in the fetters of habit and prejudice. The celebrated
system of Ptolemy, that strange compound of truth and
error, was the favourite astronomical law of the day.
Copernicus, who was then but a mere youth, did not
reduce the just conception of Pythagoras-just in outline, though fanciful in its connextion with both cause
and effect —to the precision of science for many years
after the discovery of America; and it is a strong proof
of the dangers which attended the advancement of
thought, that he wa.s rewarded for this vast effort of
human reason, by excommunication from the church, the




316.


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maledictions of which actually rested on his soul, if not on
his lody, until within a few years of the present moment!
This single circumstance will show the reader how much
our navigator had to overcome in achieving the great office
he had assumed.
But all this time, the day is dawning, and the light is
beginning to diffuse itself over the entire panorama of
ocean and sky. As means were afforded, each look eagerly
took in the whole range of the western horizon, and a
chill of disappointment settled on every heart, as suspicion
gradually became confirmation, that no land was visible.
The vessels had passed, in the night, those bounds of the
visible horizon, where masses of clouds had settled; and
no one could any longer doubt that his senses had been
deceived by some accidental peculiarity in the atmosphere.
All eyes now turned again to the admiral, who, while he
felt the disappointment in his inmost heart, maintained a
dignified calm that it was not easy to disturb.
"These signs are not infrequent at sea, Sefiors," he said
to those near him, speaking loud enough, nevertheless, tc
be heard by most of the crew, "though seldom as treacherous as they have now proved to be. All accustomed
to the ocean have doubtless seen them often; and as physical facts, they must be taken as counting neither for nor
against us. As omens, each person will consider them as
he putteth his trust in God, whose grace and mercy to us
all, is yet, by a million of times, unrequited, and still would
be, were we to sing Gloria in excelsis, from morn till
night, as long as breath lasted for the sacred office."
"Still, our hope was so very strong, Don Chiistopher."
observed one of the gentlemen, "that we find the disappointment hard to be borne. You speak of omens, Sefior;
are there any physical signs of our being near the land
of Cathay?"
"Omens come of God, if they come at all. They arc
a species of miracles preceding natural events, as real
miracles surpass them. I think this expedition cometh of
God; and I see no irreverence in supposing that this late
appearance of land may have been heaped along the horizon for an encouraging sign to persevere, and as a proof




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


317


that our labours will be rewarded in the end. I cannot say,
nevertheless, that any but natural means were used, for
these deceptions are familiar to us mariners."
"I shall endeavour so to consider it, Senfor Almirante,"
gravely returned the other, and the conversation dropped.
The non-appearance of the land, which had been so
confidently hoped for, produced a deep gloom in the vessels, notwithstanding; again changing the joy of their peo.
ple into despondency. Columbus continued to steer duewest, by compass, or west by south, southerly, in reality,
until meridian, when, yielding to the burning wishes of
those around him, he again altered his course to the south
west. This course was followed until the ships had gone
far enough in that direction to leave no doubt that the peuple had been misled by clouds, the preceding evening. At
night, when not the faintest hope remained, the vessels kept
away due west again, running, in the course of the
twenty-four hours, quite thirty-one leagues, which were recorded before the crew as twenty-four.
For several succeeding days no material changes occurred. The wind continued favourable, though frequently
so light as to urge 'he vessels very slowly ahead, reducing
the day's progress sometimes to little more than fifty of our
English miles. The sea was calm, and weeds were again
met, though in much smaller quantities than before. September 29th, or the fourth day after Pinzon had called out
"land," another frigate-bird was seen; and as it was the
prevalent notion among seamen that this bird never flew
far from the shore, some faint hopes were momentarily revived by his passage. Two pelicans also appeared, and
the air was so soft and balmy that Columbus declared
nothing but nightingales were wanting to render the nights
as delicious as those of Andalusia.
In this manner did birds come and go, exciting nopes
that were doomed tobe disappointed; sometimes flying in
numbers that would seem to borbid the idea that they could
be straying on the waste of waters, without the certainty
of their position. Again, too, the attention of the admiral,
and of the people, was drawn to the variation of the needie, all uniting in the opinion that the phenomenon was
27 *




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MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


only to be explained by the movements of the star. At
length the first day of October arrived, and the pilots of
the admiral's vessel seriously set to work to ascertain the
distance they had come. They had been misled as well as
the rest, by the management of Columbus, and they now
approached the latter, as he stood at his usual post on the
poop, in order to give the result of their calculations, with
countenances that were faithful indexes of the concern
they felt.
" We are not less than five hundred and seventy-eight
leagues west of Ferro, Sefior Almirante," commenced one
of the two; " a fearful distance to venture into the bosom
of an unknown ocean!"
"Thou say'st true, honest Bartolemeo," returned Co.
lumbus, calmly; "though the farther we venture, the
greater will be the honour. Thy reckoning is even short
of the truth, since this of mine, which is no secret from
our people, giveth even five hundred and eighty-four
leagues, fully six more than thine. But, after all, this
scarce equalleth a voyage from Lisbon to Guinea, and
we are not men to be outdone by the seamen of Don
John!"
" Ah! Sefior Almirante, the Portuguese have their islands
by the way, and the old world at their elbows; while we,
should this earth prove not to be really a sphere, are hourly
sailing towards its verge, and are running into untried
dangers!"
" Go to, Bartolemeo! thou talkest like a river-man who
hath been blown outside his bar by a strong breeze from
the land, and who fancieth his risks greater than man ever
yet endured, because the water that wetteth his tongue is
salt. Let the men see this reckoning, fearlessly; and
strive to be of cheer, lest we remember thy misgivings,
beneath the groves of Cathay."
"The man is sore beset with dread," coolly observed
Luis, as the pilots descended from the poop with a lingering
step and a heavy heart. "Even your six short leagues
added to the weight on his spirit. Five hundred and
seventy-eight were frightful, but five hundred and eighty
four became burthensome to his soul!"




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


319


' What wou.d he then have thought had he known the
truth, of which, young count, even thou art ignorant?"
" I hope you do not distrust my nerves, Don Christopher,
that this matter is kept a secret from me?'"
" I ought not, I do believe, Sefior de Llera; and yet one
gets to be distrustful even of himself, when weighty concerns hang by a thread. Hast thou any real idea of the
length of the road we have come?"
"Not I, by St. lago! Sefior. It is enough for me that
we are far from the Dona Mercedes, and a league more or
less counts but little. Should your theory he true, and the
earth prove to be round, I have the consolation of knowing
that we shall get back to Spain, in time, even by chasing
the sun."
" Still thou hast some general notion of our true distance
from Ferro, knowing that each day it is lessened before the
people."
" To tell you the truth, Don Christopher, arithmetic and
I have little feeling for each other. For the life of me, I
never could tell the exact amount of my own revenues, in
figures, though it might not be so difficult to come at their
results, in another sense. If truth were said, however, 1
should think your five hundred and eighty leagues might
fairly be set down at some six hundred and ten or twenty."
"Add yet another hundred and thou wilt not be far from
the fact. WQ are, at this moment, seven hundred and seven
leagues from Ferro, and fast drawing near to the meridian
of Cipango. In another glorious week, or ten days at most,
I shall begin seriously to expect to see the continent of
Asia!"
"This is travelling faster than I had thought, Sefior,"
answered Luis, carelessly; "but journey on; one of your
followers will not complain, though we circle earth itself."




320


MERCEDES OF CASTIL.I


CHAPTER XXI.
"Pronounce what sea, what shore is this?
The gulf, the rock of Salamis?"
BYRON.
THE adventurers had now been twenty-three days out
of sight of land, all of which time, with the exception of
a few very immaterial changes in the wind, and a day or
two of calms, they had been steadily advancing towards
the west, with a southern variation that ranged between a
fourth of a point and a point and a quarter, though the
latter fact was unknown to them. Their hopes had been
so often raised to be disappointed, that a sort of settled
gloom now began to prevail among the common men, which
was only relieved by irregular and uncertain cries of 'land,'
as the clouds produced their usual deceptions in the horizon.
Still their feelings were in that feverish state which admits
of any sudden change; and as the sea continued smooth
as a river, the air balmy, and the skies most genial, they
were prevented from falling into despair. Sancho reasoned,
as usual, among his fellows, resisting ignorance and folly,
with impudence and dogmatism; while Luis unconsciously
produced an effect on the spirits of his associates by his
cheerfulness and confidence. Columbus, himself, remained
calm, dignified, and reserved, relying on the justice of his
theories, and continuing resolute to attain his object. The
wind remained fair, as before, and in the course of the
night and day of the 2d of October, the vessels sailed more
than a hundred miles still further into that unknown and
mysterious sea. The weeds now drifted westerly, which
was a material change, the currents previously setting, in
the main, in an opposite direction. The 3d proved even a
still more favourable day, the distance made reaching tc
forty-seven leagues. The admiral now began to think seriously that he had passed the islands laid down in his
chart, and, with th, high reslution of one sustained by




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


321


grand conceptions, he decided to stand on west, with the
intention of reaching the shores of the Indies, at once
The 4th was a better day than either, the little fleet passing
steadily ahead, without deviating from its course, until it
had fairly made one hundred and eighty-nine miles, much
the greatest day's work it had yet achieved. This distance,
so formidable to men who began to count each hour and
each league with uneasiness, was reckoned to all on board,
but Luis, as only one hundred and thirty-eight miles.
Friday, October 5th, commenced even more favourably,
Columbus finding his ship gliding through the waterthere being no sea to cause her to reel and stagger-at the
rate of about eight miles the hour, which was almost as
fast as she had ever been known to go, and which would
have caused this dav's work to exceed the last, had not the
wind failed in the night. As it was, however, fifty-seven
more leagues were placed between Ferro and the position
of the vessels; -t distance that was reduced to forty-five,
with the crew. The following day brought no material
change, Providence appearing to urge them on at a speed
that must soon solve the great problem which the admiral
had been so long discussing with the learned. It was
already dark, when the Pinta came sheering down upon the
quarter of the Santa Maria, until she had got so near that
her commander hailed without the aid of a trumpet.
" Is Sefior Don Christopher at his post, as usual?" hur.
ried!v demanded Pinzon, speaking like one who felt he had
matter of weight upon his mivd: " I see persons on the
poop, but know not if his Excel!ency be among them."
"What. would'st thou, good Miartin Alonzo?" answered
the admiral: " I am here, watching for the shores of Cipango, or Cathay, whichever God, in his goodness, may be
uleased first to give us."
"I see so many reasons, noble admiral, for changing our
course more to the south, that I could not resist the desire
to come down and sav as much. Most of the late discoveries have been made in the southern latitudes, and we
might do well to get more southing."
"Have we gained aught by changing our course in this
direction? Thy heart scemeth bent on more southern
climes, worthy friend; wiile to my feelings we are now in




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MERCEDES OF CASTILE


the very paradise of sweets, land only excepted. Islands
may lie south, or even north of us; but a continent must
lie west. Why abandon a certainty for an uncertainty?
the greater for the less? Cipango or Cathay, for some pleasant spot, fragrant with spices no doubt, but without a
name, and which can never equal the glories of Asia, either
as a discovery or as a conquest?"
"I would, Sefor, I might prevail on you to steer more to
the south!"
"Go to, Martin* Alonzo, and forget thy cravings. My
heart is in the west, and thither reason teacheth me to follow it. First hear my orders, and then go seek the Nina,
that thy brother, the worthy Vicente Yanez, may obey them
also. Should aught separate us in the night, it shall be the
duty of all to stand manfully towards the west, striving to
find our company; for it would be a sad, as well as a useless thing, to be wandering alone in this unknown ocean."
Pinzon, though evidently much displeased, was fain to
obey, and, after a short but a sharp and loud altercation
with the admiral, the commander of the Pinta caused her
to sheer towards the felucca to execute the order.
" Martin Alonzo beginneth to waver," Columbus observed
to Luis. "He is a bold and exceeding skilful mariner, but
steadiness of object is not his greatest quality. He must be
restrained from following the impulses of his weakness, by
the higher hand of authority. Cathay!-Cathay is my
aim!"
After midnight the wind increased, and for two hours the
caravels glanced through the smooth ocean at their greatest
speed, which equalled nine English miles the hour. Few
now undressed, except to change their clothes; and Columbus slumbered on the poop that night, using an old sail
for his couch. Luis was his companion, and both were up
and on the deck with the first appearance of dawn.  A
common feeling seemed to exist among all, that land was
near, and that a great discovery was about to be made. An
annuity of ten thousand maravedis had been promised by
the sovereigns to him who should first descry land, and
every eye was on the gaze, whenever opportunity permitted,
to gain the prize.
As the light diffused itself downward towards the margin




BWRCEDES OF CASTILE.


323


of the ocean, in the western horizon, all thought there was
the appearance of land, and sail was eagerly crowded on
the difbfrent vessels, in order to press forward as fast as
possible, that their respective crews might enjoy the earliest
and the best chances of obtaining the first view. In this
respect, circumstances singularly balanced the advantages
and disadvantages between the competitors. The Nifa was
the fastest vessel in light airs and smooth water, but she
was also the smallest. The Pinta came next in general
speed, holding a middle place in size, and beating her consorts with a fresh breeze; while the Santa Maria, the last
in point of sailing, had the highest masts, and consequently
swept the widest range of horizorn.
" There is a good feeling uppermost to-day, Sefior Don
Christopher," said Luis, as he stood at the admiral's side,
watching the advance of the light i "and if eyes can do
it, we may hope for the discovery of-land. The late run
hath awakened all our hopes, and land we must have, even
if we raise it from the bottom of the ocean."
" Yonder is Pepe, the dutifil husband of Monica, perched
on our highest yard, straining his eyes towards the west,
in the hope of gaining the reward!" said Columbus,
smiling. " Ten thousand maravedis, yearly, would, in
sooth, be some atonement to carry back to the grieved
mother and the deserted boy!"
"Martin Alonzo is in earnest, also, Sefior. See how he.presseth forward in the Pinta; but Vicente Yafiez hath the
heels of him, and is determined to make his salutations
first to the Great Ihan, neglectful of the elder brother's
rights.
"Sefior! - Seiores!" shouted Sancho from the spar on
which he was seated as composedly as a modern lady
would recline on her ottoman  " the felucca is speaking
in signals."
"This is true"   cried Columbus -" Vicente Yafiez
showeth the colours of the queen, and there goeth a lombarda to announce some great event!"
As these were the signals directed in the event that either
vessel should discover land before her consorts, little doubt
wvas entertained that the leading caravel had, at last, really
announced the final success of the expedition. Stil the




324


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


recent and grave disappointment was remembered, and
though all devoutly poured out their gratitude in mental
offerings, their lips were sealed until the result should show
the truth. Every rag of canvass was set, however, and
the vessels seemed to hasten their speed towards the west,
like birds tired with an unusual flight, which make new
efforts with their wearied wings as the prospect of alighting
suddenly breaks on their keen vision and active instincts.
Hour passed after hour, however, and brought no con
firmation of the blessed tidings. The western horizon
looked heavy and clouded throughout the morning, it is
true, often deceiving even the most practised eyes; but as
the day advanced, and the vessels had passed more than
fifty miles further towards the west, it became impossible
not to ascribe the hopes of the morning to another optical
illusion. The depression of spirits that succeeded this new
disappointment was greater than any that had before existed, and the murmurs that arose were neither equivocal
nor suppressed. It was urged that some malign influence
was leading the adventurers on, finally to abandon them
to despair and destruction, in a wilderness of waters. This
is the moment when, it has been said, Columbus was compelled to make conditions with his followers, stipulating to
abandon the enterprise altogether, should it fail of success
in a given number of days. But this weakness has been
falsely ascribed to the great navigator, who never lost the
fullest exercise )f his authority, even in the darkest moments of doubt; maintaining his purpose, and asserting
his power, with the same steadiness and calmness, in what
some thought this distant verge of the earth, as he had
done in the rivers of Spain. Prudence and policy at last
dictated a change of course, however, which he was neither
too obstinate nor too proud to submit to, and he accordingly
adopted it of his'own accord.
" We are now quite a thousand leagues from Ferro, by
my private reckoning, friend Luis," said Columbus to his
young companion, in one of their private conferences,
which took place after nightfall, " and it is really time to
expect the continent of Asia. Hitheito I have looked for
nought but islands, and not with much expectation of seeing
even them, though Martin Alonzo and the pilots have been




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


325


so sanguine in their hopes. The large flocks of birds,
however, that have appeared to-day, would seem to invite
us to follow their flights,-land, out of doubt, being their
aim. I shall accordingly change our course more to the
south, though not as far as Pinzon desireth, Cathay being
still my goal."
Columbus gave the necessary orders, and the two other
caravels were brought within hail of the Santa Maria, when
their commanders were directed to steer west-south-west.
The reason for this change was the fact that so many birds
had been seen flying in that direction. The intention of
the admiral was to pursue this course for two days. Notwithstanding this alteration, no land was visible in the
morning; but, as the wind was light, and the vessels had
only made five leagues since the course was changed, the
disappointment produced less despondency than usual. In
spite of their uncertainty, all in the vessels now rioted in
the balmy softness of the atmosphere, which was found sor
fragrant that it was delicious to breathe it. The weeds, too,
became more plenty, and many of them were as fresh as
if torn from their native rocks only a day or two pre.
viously. Birds, that unequivocally belonged to the land,
were also seen, in considerable numbers, one of which was
actually taken; whilst ducks abounded, and another pelican was met. Thus passed the 8th of October, the adventurers filled with hope, though the vessels only increased
their distance from Europe some forty miles in the course
of the twenty-four hours.. The succeeding day brought no
other material change than a shift of wind, which compelled the admiral to alter his course to west by north, for
a few hours. This caused him some uneasiness, for it was
his wish to proceed due west, or west-southerly; though it
afforded considerable relief to many among his people, who
had been terrified by the prevalence of the winds in one
direction. Had the variation still existed, this would have
been, in fact, steering the very course the admiral desired
to go; but by this time, the vessels were in a latitude and
longitude where the needle resumed its powers and became
faithful to its direction. In the course of the night, the
trades also resumed their influence; and early on the morn
ing of the 10th the vessels again headed towards the west,
28




326


MERCEDZS OF CASTILE.


south-west, by compass, which was, in truth, the real
course, or as near to it as might be.
Such was the state of things when the sun rose on the
morning of the 10th October, 1492. The wind had freshened, and all three of the vessels were running free the
whole day, at a rate varying from five knots to nine. The
signs of the proximity of land had been so very numerous
of late, that, at every league of ocean they passed over
the adventurers had the strongest expectations of disco
vering it, and nearly every eye in all three of the ships
was kept constantly bent on the western horizon, in the
hope of its owner's being the first to make the joyful an
nouncement of its appearance. The cry of " land" had
been so frequent of late, however, that Columbus caused it
to be made known that he who again uttered it causelessly, should lose the reward promised by the sovereigns,
even should he happen to be successful in the end. This
information induced more caution, and not a tongue betrayed its master's eagerness on this all-engrossing sui
ject, throughout the anxious and exciting days of the 8t,
9th, and 10th October. But, their progress in the courst
of the 10th, exceeding that made in the course of both
the other days, the evening sky was watched with a vigilance even surpassing that which had attended any previous sunset. This was the moment most favourable for
examining the western horizon, the receding light illuminating the whole watery expanse in tbat direction, in a way
to give up all its secrets to the eye.
" Is that a hummock of landt asked Pepe of Sancho
in a low voice, as they lay together on a yard, watching
the upper limb of the sun, as it settled, like a glimmering
star, beneath the margin of the ocean —" or is it some of
this misguiding vapour that hath so often misled us of
late?"
"'T is neither, Pepe," returned the more cool and experienced Sancho; " but a rise of the sea, which is ever thus
tossing itself upward on the margin of the ocean. Didst
ever see a calm so profound, that the water left a straight
circle on the horizon? No- no- there is no land to be
seen in the west to-night; the ocean, in that quarter, look-:ng as blank as if we stood on the western shore of Ferro,




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


327


and gazed outward, into the broad fields of the Atlantic
Our noble admiral may have truth of his side, Pepe; but
as yet he hath no other evidence of it than is to be found
in his reasons."
"And dost thou, too, take sides against him, Sancho, and
say that he is a madman who is willing to lead others to
destruction, as well as himself, so that he die an admiral in
fact, and a viceroy in fancy?"
"I take sides against no man whose doblas take sides
with me, Pepe; for that would be quarrelling with the best
friend that both the rich and poor can make, which is gold.
Don Christopher is doubtless very learned, and one thing
hath he settled to my satisfaction, even though neither he
nor any of us ever see a single jewel of Cathay, or pluck
a hair from the beard of the Great Khan, and that is, that
this world is round; had it been a plain, all this water
would not be placed at the outer side, since it would clearly
run off, unless dammed up by land. Thou canst conceive
that, Pepe?"
"That do I; it is reasonable and according to every
man's experience. Monica thinketh the Genoese a saint!"
" Harkee, Pepe; thy Monica is no doubt an uncom.
monly sensible woman, else would she never have taken
thee for a husband, when she might have chosen among a
dozen of thy fellows. I once thought of the girl myself,
and might have told her so, had she seen fit to call me a
saint, too, which she did not, seeing that she used a very
different epithet. But, admitting the Sefior Colon to be a
saint, he would be none the better admiral for it, inasmuch
as I never yet met with a saint, or even with a virgin, that
could understand the bearings and distances of a run as
short as that from Cadiz to Barcelona."
"Thou speakest irreverently, Sancho, of virgins and
saints, seeing that they know every thing""Ay, every thing but that. Our Lady of Rabida does
not know south-east.and-by-southe-half-southe, from northwest-and-by-noathe-half-noathe. I have tried her, in this
matter, and I tell thee she is as ignorant of it as thy Monica is ignorant of the manner in which the Duchess of
Medina Sidonia saluteth the noble duke her husband, when
he returneth from hawking."




328


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


"1 dare say the duchess would not know, either, what to
say, were she in Monica's place, and were she called on to
receive me, as Monica will be, when we return from this
great expedition. If 1 have never hawked, neither hath the
duke ever sailed for two-and-thirty days, in a west course
from Ferro, and this, too, without once seeing land!"
" Thou say'st true, Pepe; nor hast thou ever yet done
this and returned to Palos. But what meaneth all this
movement on deck? Our people seem to be much moved
by somt feeling, while I can swear it is not from having
discovered Cathay, or from having seen the Great Khan,
shining like a carbuncle, on his throne of diamonds."
" It is rather that they do not see him thl.s, that the men
are moved. Dost not hear angry and threatening words
from the mouths of the troublesome ones?"
" By San lago! were I Don Christopher, but I would
deduct a dobla from the wages of each of the rascals, and
give the gold to such peaceable men as you and me, Pepe,
who are willing to starve to death, ere we will go back
without a sight of Asia."
"'Tis something of this sort, of a truth, Sancho. Le,
us descend, that his Excellency may see that he hath some
friends among the crew."
As Sancho assented to this proposition, he and Pepe
stood on the deck in the next minute. Here, indeed, the
people were found in a more mutinous state than they had
been since the fleet left Spain. The long continuation of
fair winds, and pleasant weather, had given them so much
reason to expect a speedy termination of their voyage, that
nearly the whole crew were now of opinion it was due to
themselves to insist on the abandonment of an expedition
that seemed destined to lead to nothing but destruction.
The discussion was loud and angry, even one or two of
the pilots inclining to think, with their inferiors, that further
perseverance would certainly be useless, and might be fatal
When Sancho and Pepe joined the crowd, it had just been
determined to go in a body to Columbus, and to demand, in
terms that could not be misconceived, the immediate return
of the ships to Spain. In order that this might be done
with method, Pedro Alonzo Nifo, one of the pilots, and an
aged seaman called Juan Martin, were selected as spokes.




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


329


men. At this critical moment, too, the admiral and Luis
were seen descending from the poop, with an intent to retire to their cabin, when a rush was made aft, by all on
deck, and twenty voices were heard simultaneously cryinc"Sefior - Don Christopher -Your Excellency - Sefior
Almirante!"
Columbus stopped, and faced the people with a calmness
and dignity that caused the heart of Nino to leap towards
hIis mouth, and which materially checked the ardour of
most of his followers.
" What would ye?'; demanded the admiral, sternly.
' Speak! Ye address a friend."
"We come to ask our precious lives, Sefior," answered
Juan Martin, who thought his insignificance might prove
a shield —" nay, what is more, the means of putting bread
Into the mouths of our wives and children. All here are
weary of this profitless voyage, and most think if it last
any longer than shall be necessary to return, it will be the
means of our perishing of want."
"Know ve the distance that lieth between us and Ferro,
that ye come to me with this blind and foolish request?
Speak, Ninio; I see that thou art also of their number,
notwithstanding thy hesitation."
" Sefior," returned the pilot, " we are all of a mind. To
go farther into this blank and unknown ocean, is tempting
God to destroy us, for our wilfulness. It is vain to suppose
that this broad belt of water hath been placed by Providence around the habitable earth for any other purpose
than to rebuke those who audaciously seek to he admitted
to mysteries beyond their understanding. Do not all the
churchmen, Sefior-the pious priol of Santa Maria de Rabida, your own particular friend, included -tell us constantly of the necessity of submitting to a knowledge we
can never equal, and to believe without striving to lift a
veil that covers incomprehensible things?'
"I might retort on thee, honest Nifio, with thine own
words," answered Columbus, "and bid thee confide in
those whose knowledge thou cans) nevre equal, and to fol.
low submissively where thou art tol'a'y unfitted to lead.
28 *




330


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


Go to; withdraw with thy fellows, and let me hear no
more of this."
" Nay, Seiior," cried two or three in a breath, " we can.
not perish without making our complaints heard. We have
followed too far already, and, even now, may have gone
beyond the means of a safe return. Let us then turn the
heads of the caravels towards Spain, this night, lest we
never live to see that blessed country again."
"This toucheth on revolt! Who among ye dare us
language so bold, to your admiral?"
"All of us, Sefior," answered twenty voices together.
"Men need be bold, when their lives would be forfeited by
silence."
" Sancho, art thou, too, of the party of these mutineers?
Dost thou confess thy heart to be Spain-sick, and thy unmanly fears to be stronger than thy hopes of imperishable
glory and thy longings for the riches and pleasures of
Cathay?"
"If I do, Sefior Don Almirante, set me to greasing
masts, and take me from the helm, for ever, as one unfit
to watch the whirlings of the north star. Sail with the
caravels, into the hall of the Great Khan, and make fast
to his throne, and you will find Sancho at his post, whether
it be at the helm or at the lead. He was born in a ship.
yard, and hath a natural desire to know what a ship
can do."
"And thou, Pepe? Hast thou so forgotten thy duty as
to come with this language to thy commandeli to the ad.
miral and viceroy of thy sovereign, the Dofia Isabella?"
"Viceroy over what?" exclaimed a vo;ce from  the
crowd, without permitting Pepe to answer. "A viceroy
over sea-weed, and one that hath tunrny-fish, and whales,
and pelicans, for subjects! We tell you, Sefior Colon, that
this is no treatment for Castilians, who require more sub.
stantial discoveries than fields of weeds, and islands of
clouds!"
" Home! - Home i-Spain!-Spain!-Palos!-Palos!",cried nearly all together, Sancho and Pepe having quitted
the throng and ranged themselves at the side of Columbus.
'We will no further west, which is tempting God; but de




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


331


mand to be carried back whence we came, if, indeed, it be
not already too late for so happy a deliverance."
" To whom speak ye in this shameless manner, grace.
less knaves?" exclaimed Luis, unconsciously eaying a hand
where it had been his practice to carry a rapier. "Get ye
gone, or""Be tranquil, friend Pedro, and leave this matter with
me," interrupted the admiral, whose composure had scarce
been deranged by the violent conduct of his subordinates.
" Listen to what I have to say, ye rude and rebellious men,
and let it be received as my final answer to any and all
such demands as ye have just dared to make. This expedition hath been sent forth by the two sovereigns, your
royal master and mistress, with the express design of
crossing the entire breadth of the vast Atlantic, until it
might reach the shores of India. Now, let what will happen, these high expectations shall not be disappointed; but
westward we sail, until stopped by the land. For this determination, my life shall answer. Look to it, that none
of yours be endangered by resistance to the royal orders,
or by disrespect and disobedience to their appointed substitute; for, another murmur, and I mark the man that uttereth it, for signal punishment. In this ye have my full
determination, and beware of encountering the anger of
those whose displeasure may prove more fatal than these
fanci3d dangers of the ocean.
"Look at what ye have before ye, in the way of fear,
and then at what ye have before ye, in the way of hope.
In the first case, ye have every thing to dread from the
sovereigns' anger, should ye proceed to a violent resistance
of their authority, or, what is as bad, something like a certainty of your being unable to reach Spain, for want of
food and water, should ye revolt against your lawful
leaders and endeavour to return. For this, it is now too
late. The voyage east must, as regards time, be double
that we have just made, and the caravels are beginning to
be lightened in their casks. Land, and land in this region,
hath become necessary to us. Now look at the other side
Of the picture. Before ye, lieth Cathay, with all its riches,
its novelties and its glories! A region more wonderful than
anv that hath yet been inhabited by rran, and occupied by




332


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


a race as gentle as they are hospitable and just. To this
must be added the approbation of the sovereigns, and the
credit that will belong to even the meanest mariner that
hath manfully stood by his commander in achieving so
great an end."
" If we will obey three days longer, Sefior, will you then
turn towards Spain, should no land be seen?" cried a voice
from the crowd.
" Never"  returned Columbus, firmly. "To India am
I bound, and for India will I steer, though another month
be needed to complete the journey. Go then to your posts
or your hammocks, and let me hear no more of this."
There was so much natural dignity in the manner of
Columbus, and when he spoke in anger, his voice carried
so much of rebuke with it, that it exceeded the daring of
ordinary men to presume to answer when he commanded
silence. The people sullenly dispersed, therefore, though,he disaffection was by no means appeased. Had there
been only a single vessel in the expedition, it is quite probable that they would have proceeded to some act of violence; but, uncertain of the state of feeling in the Pinta
and the Nifia, and holding Martin Alonzo Pinzon in as
much habitual respect as they stood in awe of Columbus,
the boldest among them were, for the present, fain to give
vent to their dissatisfaction in murmurs, though they secretly meditated decided measures, as soon as an opportunity for consultation and concert, with the crews of the
other vessels, might offer.
"This looketh serious, Senior," said Luis, as soon as he
and the admiral were alone again in their little cabin, " and.
by St. Luke! it might cool the ardour of these knaves, did
your Excellency suffer me to cast two or three of the most
insolent of the vagabonds into the sea."
" Which is a favour that some among them have actually contemplated conferring upon thee and me," answered
Columbus.  " Sancho keepeth me well informed of the
feeling among the people, and it is now many days since
he hath let me know this fact. We will proceed peaceably,
If possible, Senor Gutierrez, or de Mufnos, whichever name
thou most affectest, as long as we can; but should there
truly arise an occasion to resort to force, thou wilt find that




MERCEDES OF CASTILB.


333


Christofero Colombo knoweth how to wield a sword as well
as he knoweth how to use his instruments of science."
How far do you really think us from land, Serior A1 -mirante?  I ask from curiosity and not from dread; for
though the ship floated on the very verge of the earth,
ready to fall off into vacuum, you should hear no murmur
from me."
" I am well assured of this, young noble," returned Co.
lumbus, affectionately squeezing the hand of Luis, "else
would'st thou not be here. I make our distance from Ferro
exceed a thousand marine leagues: this is about the same
as that at which I have supposed Cathay to lie from Eurepe,
and it is, out of question, sufficiently far to meet with many
of the islands that are known to abound in the seas of
Asia. The public reckoning raketh the distance a little
more than eight hundred leagues; but, in consequence of
the favourable currents of which we have lately had so
much, I doubt if we are not fully eleven hundred from the
Canaries, at this moment, if not even farther. We are
doubtless a trifle nearer to the Azores, which are situated
farther west, though in a higher latitude."
" Then you' think, Sefior, that we may really expect
land, ere many days?"
"So certain do I feel of this, Luis, that I should have
little apprehension of complying with the terms of these
audacious men, but for the humiliation. Ptolemy divided
the earth into twenty-four hours, of fifteen degrees each,
and I place but some five or six of these hours in the Atlantic. Thirteen hundred leagues, I feel persuaded, will
bring us to the shores of Asia, and eleven of these thirteen
hundred leagues do I believe we have come."
"To-morrow may then prove an eventful day, Seior
Almirante; and now to our cots, where I shall dream of a
fairer land than Christian eye ever yet looked upon, with
the fairest maiden of Spain -nay, by San Pedro! of Eu.
rope-beckoning me on!"
Columbus and Luis now sought their rest. In the morning, it was evident by the surly looks of the people, that
feelings ike a suppressed volcano were burning in their
bosoms, and that any untoward accident might produce an
eruption. Fortunately, however, signs, of a nature so




334


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


novel, soon appeared, as to draw off the attention of the
most disaffected from their melancholy broodings. The
wind was fresh, as usual fair, and, what was really a novelty since quitting Ferro, the sea had got up, and the vessels were riding over waves which removed that appearance
of an unnatural calm that had hitherto alarmed the men
with its long continuance. Columbus had not been on deck
five minutes, when a joyful cry from Pepe drew all eyes
towards the yard on which he was at work. The seaman
was pointing eagerly at some object in the water, and rushing to the side of the vessel, all saw the welcome sign that
had caught his gaze. As the ship lifted on a sea, and shot
ahead, a rush, of a bright fresh green, was passed, and the
men gave a loud shout, for all well knew that this plant
certainly came from some shore, and that it could not
have been long torn from the spot of its growth.
" This is truly a blessed omen!" said Columbus: "rushes
cannot grow without the light of heaven, whatever may be
the case with weeds."
This little occurrence changed, or at least checked, the
feelings of the disaffected. Hope once more resumed its
sway, and all who could, ascended the rigging to watch the
western horizon. The rapid motion of the vessels, too,
added to this buoyancy of feeling, the Pinta and Nifia
passing and repassing the admiral, as it might be in pure
wantonness. A few hours later, fresh weeds were met, and
about noon Sancho announced confidently that he had seen
a fish which is known to live in the vicinity of rocks. An
hour later, the Nina came sheering up towards the admiral,
with her commander in the rigging, evidently desirous of
communicating some tidings of moment.
"What now, good Vicente Yafiez?" called out Columbus: "thou seemest the messenger of welcome news!"
"I think myself such, Don Christopher," answered the
other. " We have just passed a bush bearing roseberries,
quite newly torn from;he tree! This is a sign that cannot
deceive us."
" Thou say'st true, my friend. To the west! - to the
west! Happy will he be whose eyes first behold the wonders of the Indies!"
It would not be easy to describe the degree of hope and




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


335


exultation that now began to show itself among the people
Good-natured jests flew about the decks, and the laugh was
easily raised where so lately all had been despondency and
gloom. The minutes flew swiftly by, and every man had
ceased to think of Spain, bending his thoughts again on
the as yet unseen west.
A little later, a cry of exultation was heard from the
Pinta, which was a short distance to windward and ahead
of the admiral. As this vessel shortened sail and hove-to,
lowering a boat, and then immediately kept away, the Santa
Maria soon came foaming up under her quarter, and spoke
her.
"What now, Martin Alonzo?" asked Columbus, suppressing his anxiety in an appearance of calmness and dignity. " Thou and thy people seem in an ecstasy!"
"Well may we be so! About an hour since, we passed
a piece of the canc-plant, of the sort of which sugar is
made in the East, as travellers say, and such as we often
see in-our own ports. But this is a trifling symptom of
land compared to the trunk of a tree that we have also
passed. As if Providence had not yet dealt with us with
sufficient kindness, all these articles were met floating near
each other; and we have thought them of sufficient value
to lower a boat, that we might possess them."
"Lay thy sails to the mast, good Martin Alonzo, and
send thy prizes hither, that I may judge of their value."
Pinzon complied, and the Santa Maria being hove-to, at
the same time, the boat soon touched her side. Martin
Alonzo made but one bound from the thwart to the gunwale
of the ship, and was soon on the deck of the admiral.
Here he eagerly displayed the different articles that his
men tossed after him, all of which had been taken out of'
the sea, not an hour before.
" See, noble Seniores," said Martin Alonzo, almost breath.
less with haste to display his treasures-" this is a sort of
board, though of unknown wood, and fashioned with exceeding care: here is also another piece of cane: this is a
plant that surely cometh from the land; and most of all,
this is a walking-stick, fashioned by the hand of man, and
that, too, with exceeding care!"
" All this is true," said Columbus, examining the different




336            MERCEDES OF CASTILE.
articles, one by one; " God, in his might and power, be
praised for these comfortable evidences of our near approach to a new world! None but a malignant infidel can
now doubt of our final success."
" These things have questionless come from some boat
that hath been upset, which will account for their being so
near each other in the water," said Martin Alonzo, willing
to sustain his physical proofs by a plausible theory. "It
would not be wonderful were drowned bodies near."
"Let us hope not, Martin Alonzo," answered the admiral; "let us fancy nought so melancholy. A thousand
accidents may have thrown these articles together, into the
sea; and once there, they would float in company for a
twelvemonth, unless violently separated. But, come they
whence they may, to us, they are infallible proofs that not
only land is near, but land which is the abiding place of
men."
It is not easy to describe the enthusiasm that now prevailed in all the vessels. HithQrto they had met with only
birds, and fishes, and weeds, signs that are often precarious; but here was such proof of their being in the neighbourhood of their fellow-creatures, as it was not easy to
withstand. It was true, articles of this nature might drift,
in time, even across the vast distance they had come; but
it was not probable that they would drift so far in company. Then, the berries were fresh, the board was of an
unknown wood, and the walking-stick, in particular, if
such indeed was its use, was carved in a manner that was
never practised in Europe. The different articles passed
from hand to hand, until all in the ship had examined
them; and every thing like doubt vanished before this unlooked-for confirmation of the admiral's predictions. Pinzon returned to his vessel, sail was again made, and the
fleet continued to steer to the west-south-west, until the
hour of sunset.
Something like a chill of disappointment again came
over the more faint-hearted of the people, however, as they
once more, or for the thirty-fourth time since quitting Gomnera, saw the sun sink behind a watery horizon. More
than a hundred vigilant eyes watched the glowing margin
of the ocean, at this interesting moment, and though the




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


337


heavens were cloudless, nought was visible but the glori.
ously tinted vault, and the outline of water, broken into
the usual ragged forms of the unquiet element.
Phe wind freshened as evening closed, and Columbus
having.called his vessels together, as was usual with him
at that hour, he issued new orders concerning the course.
For the last two or three days they had been steering materially to the southward of west, and Columbus, who fel
persuaded that his most certain and his nearest direction,
from land to land, was to traverse the ocean, if possible,
on a single parallel of latitude, was anxious to resume his
favourite course, which was what he fancied to be due west.
Just as night drew around the mariners, accordingly, the
ships edged away to the required course, and ran off at the
rate of nine miles the hour, following the orb of day, as if
resolute to penetrate into the mysteries of his nightly retreat, until some great discovery should reward the effort.
Immediately after this change in the course, the people
sang the vesper hymn, as usual, which, in that mild sea,.they often deferred until the hour when the watch below
sought their hammocks. That night, however, none felt
disposed to sleep; and it was late when the chant of the
seamen commenced, with the words of " Salve fac Regina." It was a solemn thing to hear the songs of religious
praise, mingling with the sighings of the breeze and the
wash of the waters, in that ocean solitude; and the solemnity was increased by the expectations of the adventurers and the mysteries that lay behind the curtain they
believed themselves about to raise. Never before had this
hymn sounded so sweetly in the ears of Columbus, and
Luis found his eyes suffusing with tears as he recalled the
soft thrilling notes of Mercedes's voice, in her holy breathings of praise at this hour. When the office ended, the
admiral called the crew to the quarter-deck, and addressed
them earnestly from his station on the poop.
"I rejoice, my friends," he said, "that you have had the
grace to chant the vesper hymn in so devout a spirit, at a
moment when there is so much reason to be grateful to
God for his goodness to us throughout this voyage. Look
back at the past, and see if one of you, the oldest sailor
of your number, can recal any passage at sea, I will not
29




338


MERCEDEIS OF CASTILE..


say of equal length, for that no one here hath ever before
made, but any equal number of days at sea, in which the
winds have been as fair, the weather as propitious, or the
ocean as calm, as on this occasion. Then what cheering
signs have encouraged us to persevere! God is in the
midst of the ocean, my friends, as well as in his sanctuaries of the land. Step by step, as it were, hath he led us
on, now filling the air with birds, now causing the sea to
abound with unusual fishes, and then spreading before us
fields of plants, such as are seldomi met far from the rocks
where they grew. The last and best of his signs hath he
given us this day. My own calculations are in unison with
these proofs, and I deem it probable that we reach the land
this very night. In a few hours, or when we shall have
run the distance commanded by the eye, as the light left
us, I shall deem it prudent to shorten sail; and I call on
all of you to be watchful, lest we unwittingly throw ourselves on the strange shores. Ye know that the sovereigns
have graciously promised ten thousand maravedis, yearly,
and for life, to him who shall first discover land: to this
rich reward, I will add a doublet of velvet, such as it would
befit a grandee to wear. Sleep not, then; but, at the turn
of the night, be all vigilance and watchfulness. I am now
most serious with ye, and look for land this very blessed
night."
These encouraging words produced their full effect, the
men scattering themselves in the ship, each taking the best
position he could, to earn the coveted prizes. Deep expectation is always a quiet feeling, the jealous senses
seeming to require silence and intensity of concentration,
in order to give them their full exercise. Columbus ren;ined on the poop, while Luis, less interested, threw himse'f on a sail, and passed the time in musing on Mercedes,
and in picturing to himself the joyful moment when he
might meet her again, a triumphant and successful adventu rer.
The death-like silence that prevailed in the ship, added
to the absorbing interest of that impotrant night. At the
distance of a mile was the little N':fa, gliding on her course
wit'n a full sail; while half a league still farther in advance
was to be seen the shadowy outline of the Pinta, which
preceded her consorts, as the swiftest sailer with a fresh




MERCEDES OF CA TILB


339


breeze. Sancho had been round to every sheet and brace,
in person, and never before had the admiral's ship held as
good way with her consorts as on that night, all three of
the vessels appearing to have caught the eager spirit of
those they contained, and to be anxious to outdo themselves.
At moments the men started, while the wind murmured
through the cordage, as if they heard unknown and strange
voices from a mysterious world; and fifty times, when the
waves combed upon the sides of the ship, did they turn
their heads, expecting to see a crowd of unknown beings,
fresh' from the eastern world, pouring in upon their decks.
As for Columbus, he sighed often; for minutes at a
time would he stand looking intently towards the west, like
one who strove to penetrate the gloom  of night, with
organs exceeding human powers. At length he bent his
body forward, gazed intently over the weather railing of
the ship, and then lifting his cap, he seemed to be offering
up his spirit in thanksgiving or prayer. All this Luis witnessed, where he lay: at the next instant he heard himself
called.
" Pero Gutierrez - Pedro de Mufnos - Luis - whatever
thou art termed," said Columbus, his fine masculine voice
trembling with eagerness,-" come hither, son; tell me if
thine eyes accord with mine. Look in this direction —
here, more on the vessel's beam; seest thou aught uncom
mon?"
"I saw a light, Sefor; one that resembled a candle,
being neither larger nor more brilliant; and to me it ap.
peared to move, as if carried in the hand, or tossed by
waves."
"Thy eyes did not deceive thee; thou seest it doth
aot come of either of our consorts, both of which are
here on the bow."
" What do you, then, take this light to signify, Don
Christopher?"
" Land! It is either on the land itself, rendered small
by distance, or it cometh of some vessel that is a stranger
to us, and which belongeth to the Indies. There is Rodrigo
Sanchez of Segovia, the comptroller of the fleet, beneath
us; descend and bid him come hither."
Luis did as required, and presently the comptroller was




340


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


also at the admiral's side. Half an hour passed, and the
light was not seen again; then it gleamed upward once or
twice, like a torch, and finally disappeared. This circumstance was soon known to all in the ship, though few
attached the same importance to it as Columbus himself.
"This is land," quietly observed the admiral, to those
near his person: " ere many hours we may expect to behold
it. Now ye may pour out your souls in gratitude and confidence, for in such a sign there can be no deception. No
phenomenon of the ocean resembleth that light; and my
reckoning placeth us in a quarter of the world where land
must exist, else is the earth no sphere."
Notwithstanding this great confidence on the part of the
admiral, most of those in the ship did not yet feel the same
certainty in the result, although all felt the strongest hopes
of falling in with land next day. Columbus saying no
more on the subject, the former silence was soon resumed,
and, in a few minutes, every eye was again turned to the
west, in anxious watchfulness. In this manner the time
passed away, the ships driving ahead with a speed much
exceeding that of their ordinary rate of sailing, until the
night had turned, when its darkness was suddenly illuminated by a blaze of light, and the report of a gun from
the Pinta came struggling up against the fresh breeze of
the trades.
"There speaketh Martin Alonzo!" exclaimed the admiral; "and we may be certain that he hath not given the
signal idly. Who sitteth on the top-gallant yard, there, on
watch for wonJers ahead?"
"Sefior Don Almirante, it is I," answered Sancho. "I
have been here since we sang the vesper hymn."
" Seest thou aught unusual, westward? Look vigilantly
for we touch on mighty things!"
" Nought, Sefior, unless it be that the Pinta is lessening
her canvass, and the Nifia is already closing with our fleet
consort -nay, I now see the latter shortening sail, also!"
"For these great tidings, all honour and praise be to
God I These are proofs that no false cry hath this time
misled their judgments. We wil\ join our consorts, good
Bartolemeo, ere we take in a single inch of canvass."
Everything was now in motion on board the Santa Maria,




XUERCEDES OF CASTPILE.


34!J


which went dashing ahead for another half hour, when she
came up with the two other caravels, both of which had
hauled by the wind, under short canvass, and were forging
slowly through the water, on different tacks, like coursers
cooling themselves after having terminated a severe struggle by reaching the goal.
"Come hither, Luis," said Columbus, "and feast thine
eyes with a sight that doth not often meet the gaze of the
best of Christians."
The night was far from dark, a tropical sky glittering
with a thousand stars, and even the ocean itself appearing
to emit a sombre melancholy light. By the aid of such
assistants it was possible to see several miles, and more
especially to note objects on the margin of the ocean.
When the young man cast his eyes to leeward, as directed
by Columbus, he very plainly perceived a point where the
blue of the sky ceased, and a dark mound rose from the
water, stretching for a few leagues southward, and then
terminated, as it had commenced, by a union between the
watery margin of the ocean and the void of heaven. The
intermediate space had the defined outline, the density, and
the hue of land, as seen at midnight.
" Behold the Indies!" said Columbus; "the mighty
problem is solved! This is doubtless an island, but a con.
tinrnt is near. Laud be to God!"
CHAPTER XXIL
"There is a Power, whose care
Teaches thy way along that pathless coastThe desert and illimitable airLone wandering, but not lost."
BRYANT.
THE two or three hours that succeeded, were hours of
an extraordinary and intense interest. The three vessels
stood hovering off the dusky shore, barely keeping at a
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safe distance, stripped of most of their canvass, resembling
craft that cruised leisurely at a given point, indifferent to
haste or speed. As they occasionally and slowly passed
each other, words of heart-felt congratulation were exchanged; but no noisy or intemperate exultation was heard
on that all-important night. The sensations excited in the
adventurers, by their success, were too deep and solemn loi
any such vulgar exhibition of joy; and perhaps there was
not one among them all who did not, at that moment, inwardly confess his profound submission to, and absolute
dependence on, a Divine Providence.
Columbus was silent. Emotions like his, seldom find
vent in words; but his heart was overflowing with gratitude
and love. He believed himself to be in the farther east,
and to have reached that part of the world by sailing west;
and it is natural to suppose that he expected the curtain of
day would rise on some of those scenes of oriental magnificence which had been so eloquently described by the
Polos and other travellers in those remote and little-known
regions. That this or other islands were inhabited, the little
he had seen sufficiently proved; but, as yet, all the rest'
was conjecture of the wildest and most uncertain character. The fragrance of the land, however, was very perceptible in the vessels, thus affording an opportunity to two
of the senses to unite in establishing their success.
At length the long wished-for day approached, and the
eastern sky began to assume the tints that precede the appearance of the sun. As the light diffused itself athwart
the dark blue ocean, and reached the island, the outlines of
the latter became more and more distinct: then objects became visible on its surface, trees, glades, rocks, and irregu
larities, starting out of the gloom, until the whole picture
was drawn in the grey solemn colours of morning. Presently the direct rays of the sun touched it, gilding its
prominent points, and throwing others into shadow. It then
became apparent that the discovery was that of an island of
no great extent, well wooded, and of a verdant and pleasant aspect. The land was low, but possessed an outline
sufficiently graceful to cause it to seem a paradise in the
eyes of men who had seriously doubted whether they were
ever to look on solid ground again. The view of his mo.




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ther earth is always pleasant to the mariner who has long
gazed on nothing but water and sky; but thrice beautiful
did it now seem to men who not only saw in it their despair
cured, but their most brilliant hopes revived.  From  the
position of the land near him, Columbus did not doubt that
he had passed another island, on which the light had been
seen, and, from his known course, this conjecture has since
been rendered almost certain.
The sun had scarcely risen, when living beings were
seen rushing out of the woods, to gaze in astonishment at
the sudden appearance of machines, that were at first mistaken by the untutored islanders, for messengers from
heaven.   Shortly after, Columbus anchored his little fleet,
and landed to take possession in the name of the two
sovereigns.
As much state was observed on this occasion as the
limited means of the adventurers would allow. Each vessel sent a boat, with her commander. The admiral, attired
in scarlet, and carrying the royal standard, proceeded in
advance, while Martin Alonzo, and Vicente Yafiez Pinzon,
followed, holding banners bearing crosses, the symbol of
the expedition, with letters representing the initials of the.wo sovereigns, or F and Y, for Fernando and Ysabel.
The forms usual to such occasions were observed on
reaching the shore. Columbus took possession, rendered
thanks to God for the success of the expedition, and then
began to look about him in order to form some estimate of
the value of his discovery.*
*It is a singular fact that the position and name of the presise island that was first fallen in with, on this celebrated voyage, re.
main to this day, if not a matter of doubt, at least a matter of discussion. By most persons, some of the best authorities included, it is
believed tlat the adventurers made Cat Island, as the place is now
called, though the admiral gave it the appellation of San Salvador;
while others contend for what is now termed Turk's Island. The rea.
son given for the latter opinion is the position of the island, and the
course subsequently steered in order to reach Cuba. Mufioz is of
opinion that it was Watling's Island, which lies due east of Cat Island,
at the distance of a degree of longitude, or a few hours' run. As respects Turk's Island, the facts do not sustain the theory. The course
steered, after quitting the island, was not west, but south-west; and
we find Columbus anxious to get south to reach the island of Cuba,




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No sooner were the ceremonies observed, than the peo
pie crowded round the admiral, and began to pour out their
congratulations for his success, with their contrition for
their own distrust and disaffection. The scene has often
been described as a proof of the waywardness and inconstancy of human judgments, the being who had so lately
been scowled on as a reckless and selfish adventurer, being
now regarded as little less than a god. The admiral was no
more elated by this adulation, than he had been intimidated
by the previous dissatisfaction, maintaining his calmness of
exterior and gravity of demeanour, with those who pressed
around him, though a close observer might have detected
the gleaming of triumph in his eye, and the glow of inward rapture on his cheek.
" These honest people are as inconstant in their apprehensions, as they are extreme in their rejoicings," said Columbus to Luis, when liberated a little from the throng;
" yesterday they would have cast me into the sea, and today they are much disposed to forget God, himself, in his
unworthy creature. Dost not see, that the men who gave
us most concern, on account of their discontent, are now
the loudest in their applause?"
"This is but nature, Sefior; fear flying from panic to
exultation. These knaves fancy they are praising you,
when they are in truth rejoicing in their own escape from
some unknown but dreaded evil. Our friends Sancho and
Pepe seem not to be thus overwhelmed, for while the last
is gathering flowers from this shore of India, the first
seems to be looking about him with commendable coolness,
as if he might be calculating the latitude and longitude of
the Great Khan's roblas."
Columbus smiled, and, accompanied by Luis, he drew
nearer to the two men mentioned, who were a little apar!
from the rest of the group. Sancho was standing with his
hands thrust into the bosom of his doublet, regarding the
which was described to him by the natives, and which he believed to
be Cipango. No reason is given by Mufioz for his opinion; but Watling's Island does not answer the description of the great navigator,
while it is so placed as to have lain quite near his course, and was
doubtless passed unseen in the darkness. It is thought the light so
often observed by Columbus was on this island.




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scene with the coolness of a philosopher, and towards him
the admiral first directed his steps.
" How is this, Sancho of the Shipyard-Gate!" said the
great navigator, "thou lookest on this glorious scene as
coolly as thou wouldst regard a street in Moguer, or a field
in Andalusia?"
"Sefior Don Almirante, the same hand made both.
This is not the first island on which I have landed; noi
are. yonder naked savages the first men I have seen who
were not dressed in scarlet doublets."
"But hast thou no feeling for success-no gratitude to
God for this vast discovery? Reflect, my fiiend, we are
on the confines of Asia, and yet have we come here by
holding a western course."
"That the last is true, Sefior, I will swear myself, having held the tiller in mine own hands no small part of the
way. Io you think, Senor Don Almirante, that we have
come far enough in this direction to have got to the back
side of the earth, or to stand, as it might be, under the
very feet of Spain?"
"By no means. The realms of the Great Khan will
scarcely occupy the position you mean."
"Then, Sefior, what will there be to prevent the doblas
of.that country from falling off into the air, leaving us our
journey for our pains?"
"The same power that will prevent our caravels from
dropping out of the sea, and the water itself fiom following. These things depend on natural laws, my friend, and
nature is a legislator that will be respected."
It is all Moorish to me," returned Sancho, rubbing his
eye-brows. "Here we are, of a verity, if not actually beneath the feet of Spain, standing, as it might be, on the
side of the house; and yet I find no more difficulty in
keeping on an even keel, than 1 did in Moguer-by Santa
Clara! less, in some particulars, good solid Xeres wine be.
ing far less plenty here than there."
" Thou art no Moor, Sancho, although thy father's name
be a secret. And thou, Pepe, what dost thou find in those
flowers to draw thy attention so early from all these wonders?"
"Seiior, I gather them for Monica. A female hath u




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more delicate feeling than a man, and she will be glad to
see with what sort of ornaments God hath adorned the
Indies."
"Dost thou fancy, Pepe, that thy love can keep those
flowers in bloom, until the good caravel shall recross the
Atlantic?" demanded Luis, laughing.
"Who knoweth, Sefior Gutierrez?    A warm   heart
inaketh a thriving nursery. You would do well, too, if
you prefer any Castilian lady to all others, to bethink you
of her beauty, and gather some. of these rare plants to
deck her hair."
Columbus now turned away, the natives seeming disposed to approach the strangers, while Luis remained near
the young sailor, who still continued to collect the plants of
the tropics. In a minute our hero was similarly employed;
and long ere the admiral and the wondering islanders had
commenced their first parly, he had arranged a gorgeous
bouquet, which he already fancied in the glossy dark hair
of Mercedes.
The events of a public nature that followed, are too familiar to every intelligent reader to need repetition here.
After passing a short time at-San Salvador, Columbus pro.
ceeded to other islands, led on by curiosity, and guided by
real or fancied reports of the natives, until the 28th, when
he reached that of Cuba. Here he imagined, for a time,
that he had found the continent, and he continued coasting
it, first in a north-westerly, and then in a south-easterly
direction, for near a month. Familiarity with the novel
scenes that offered soon lessened their influence, and the
inbred feelings of avarice and ambition began to resume
their sway in the bosoms of several of those who had been
foremost in manifesting their submission to the admiral,
when the discovery of land so triumphantly proved the justice of his theories, and the weakness of their own misgivings. Among others who thus came under the influence
of their nature, was Martin Alonzo Pinzon, who finding
himself almost entirely excluded from the society of the
young Count of Llera, in whose eyes he perceived he filled
but a very subordinate place, fell back on his own local
importance, and began to envy Columbus a glory that he
uow fancied he might have secured for himself. Hot words




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had passed between the admiral and himself, on more than
one occasion, before the land was made, and every day
something new occurred to increase the coldness between
them.
It forms no part of this work to dwell on the events that
followed, as the adventurers proceeded from island to island,
port to port, and river to river. It was soon apparent.that
very important discoveries had been made; and the adventurers were led on day by day, pursuing their investigations,
and following directions that were ill comprehended, but
which, it was fancied, pointed to mines of gold. Everywhere they met with a gorgeous and bountiful nature,
scenery that fascinated the eye, and a climate that soothed
the senses; but, as yet, man was found living in the simplest condition of the savage state. The delusion of being
in the Indies was general, and every intimation that fell
from those untutored beings, whether by word or sign, was
supposed to have some reference to the riches of the east.
All believed that, if not absolutely within the kingdom
of the Great Khan, they were at least on its confines.
Under such circumstances, when each day actually produced new scenes, promising still greater novelties, few bethought them of Spain, unless it were in connexion with
the glory of returning to her, successful and triumphant.
Even Luis dwelt less intently in his thoughts on Mercedes,
suffering her image, beautiful as it was, to be momentarily
supplanted by the unusual spectacles tlat arose before his
physical sight in such constant and unwearied succession.
Little substantial, beyond the fertile soil and genial climate,
offered, it is true, in the way of realizing all the bright expectations of the adventurers in connexion with pecuniary
advantages; but each moment was fraught with hope, and
no one knew what a day would bring forth.
Two agents were at length sent into the interior to make
discoveries, and Columbus profited by the occasion to careen his vessels. About the time when this mission was
expected to return, Luis sallied forth with a party of armed
men to meet it, Sancho making one of his escort. The
ambassadors were met on their way back at a short day's
march from the vessels, accompanied by a few-of the natives, who were following with intense curiosity, expecting




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at each moment to see their unknown visiters take their
flight towards heaven. A short halt was made for the purpose of refreshing themselves, after the two parties had
joined; and Sancho, as reckless of danger on the land as
on the ocean, stalked into a village that lay near the halting place. Here he endeavoured to make himself as agreeable to the inhabitants, as one of his appearance very well
could, by means of signs. Sancho figured in this littl
hamlet under some such advantages as those that are en
joyed in the country by a great man from town; the spec.
tators not being, as yet, sufficiently sophisticated to distinguish between the cut of a doublet and the manner of wearing it, as between a clown and a noble. He had not been
many minutes playing the grandee among these simple beings, when they seemed desirous of offering to him some mark
of particular distinction. Presently, a man appeared, holding certain dark-looking and dried leaves, which he held
out to the hero of the moment in a deferential manner, as
a Turk would offer his dried sweet-moats, or an American
his cake. Sancho was about to accept the present, though
he would greatly have preferred a dobla, of which he had
not seen any since the last received from the admiral, when
a forward movement was made by most of the Cubans,
who humbly, and with emphasis, uttered the word " tobacco'
-" tobacco." On this hint, the person who held forth the
offering drew back, repeated the same word in an apologizing manner, and set about making what, it was now plain,
was termed a " tobacco," in the language of that country.
This was soon effected, by rolling up the leaves in the form
of a rude segar, when a "tobacco," duly manufactured,
was offered to the seaman. Sancho took the present, nod.
ded his head condescendingly, repeated the words himself,
in the best manner he could, and thrust the " tobacco" into
his pocket. This movement evidently excited some surprise among the spectators, but, after a little consultation,
one of them lighted an end of a roll, applied the other to
his mouth, and began to puff forth volumes of a fragrant
light smoke, not only to his own infinite satisfaction, but
seemingly to that of all around him. Sancho attempted an
imitation, which resulted, as is common with the tyro in
this accomplishment, in his reeling back to his party with




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the pallid countenance of an opium-chewer, and a nausea
that he had not experienced since the day he first ventured
beyond the bar of Saltes, to issue on the troubled surface
of' the Atlantic.
This little scene might be termed the introduction of the
well-known American weed into civilized society, the misapprehension of the Spaniards, touching the appellation,
transferring the name of the roll to the plant itself. Thus
did Sancho, of the ship-yard gate, become the first Christian
tobacco smoker, an accomplishment in which he was so
soon afterwards rivalled by some of the greatest men of
his age, and which has extended down to our own times.
On the return of his agents, Columbus again sailed,
pushing his way along the north shore of Cuba. While
struggling against the trades, with a view to get to the eastward, he found the wind too fresh, and determined to bear
up for a favourite haven in the island of Cuba, that he had
named Puerto del Principe. With this view a signal was
made to call the Pinta down, that vessel being far to windward; and, as night was near, lights were carried in order
to enable Martin Alonzo to close with his commander.
The next morning, at the dawn of day, when Columbus
came on deck, he cast a glance around him, and beheld the
Nifia, hove-to under his lee, but no signs of the other
caravel.
" Have none seen the Pinta?" demanded the admiral,
hastily, of Sancho, who stood at the helm.
"Sefior, I did, as long as eyes could see a vessel that
was striving to get out of view. Master Martin Alonzo
hath disappeared in the eastern board, while we have been
lying-to, here, in waiting for him to come down."
Columbus now perceived that he was deserted by the
very man who had once shown so much zeal in his behalf,
and who had given, in the act, new proof of the manner in
which friendship vanishes before self-interest and cupidity.
There had been among the adventurers many reports
of the existence of gold mines, obtained from the descriptions of the natives; and the admiral made no doubt that
his insubordinate follower had profited by the superior sailing of his caravel, to keep the wind, in the expectation to
be the first to reach the Eldorado of their wishes. As the
30




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weather still continued unfavourable, however, the Santa
Maria and the Nifia returned to port, where they waited for
a change. This separation occurred on the 21st of November: at which moment the expedition had not advanced
beyond the north coast of Cuba.
From this time until the sixth of the following month,
Columbus continued his examination of this noble island,
when he crossed what has since been termed the " wind.
ward passage," and first touched on the shores of Hayti.
All this time, there had been as much communication as
circumstances would allow, with the aborigines, the Spanlards making friends wherever they went, as a consequence
of the humane and prudent measures of the admiral. It
is true that violence had been done, in a few instances, by
seizing half a dozen individuals in order to carry them to
Spain, as offerings to Dofia Isabella; but this act was easily
reconcilable to usage in that age, equally on account of
the deference that was paid to the kingly authority, and on
the ground that the seizures were for the good of the captives' souls.
The adventurers were more delighted with the bold, and
yet winning, aspect of Hayti, than they had been with even
the adjacent island of Cuba. The inhabitants were found
to be handsomer and more civilized than any they had yet
seen, while they retained the gentleness and docility that
had proved so pleasing to the admiral. Gold, also, was
seen among them   in considerable quantities; and the
Spaniards set on foot a trade of some extent, in which the
usual incentive of civilized man was the great aim of one
side, and hawk's-bells appear to have been the principal
desideratum with the other.
In this manner, and in making hazardous advances
along the coast, the admiral was occupied until the 20th of
the month, when he reached a point that was said to be in
the vicinity of the residence of the Great Cacique of all
that portion of the island. This prince, whose name, as
spelt by the Spaniards, was Guacanagari, had many tributary caciques, and was understood, from the half-intelligible
descriptions of his subjects, to be a monarch that was much
beloved. On the 22d, while still lying in the Bay of Acfl,
where the vessels had anchored two days previously. a




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large canoe was seen entering the haven. It was shortly
after announced to the admiral that this boat contained an
ambassador from the Great Cacique, who brought presents
from his master, with a request that the vessels would move
a league- or two farther east, and anchor off the town inhabited by the prince himself. The wind preventing an
immediate compliance, a messenger was dispatched with a
suitable answer, and the ambassador returned. Fatigued
with idleness, anxious to see more of the interior, and impelled by a constitutional love of adventure, Luis, who had
struck up a hasty friendship with a yotmg man called Mattinao, who attended the ambassador, asked permission to
accompany him, taking his passage in the canoe. Columbus
gave his consent to this proposal with a good deal of reluctance, the rank and importance of our hero inducing
him to avoid the consequences of any treachery or accident. The importunity of Luis finally prevailed, however, and he departed with many injunctions to Lb discreet,
being frequently admonished of the censure that would await
the admiral in the event of anything serious occurring.
As a precaution, too, Sancho Mundo was directed to accompany the young man, in this chivalrous adventure, in
the capacity of an esquire.
No weapon more formidable than a blunt arrow having
yet been seen in the hands of the natives, the young
Count de Llera declined taking his mail, going armed only
with a trusty sword, the temper of which had been tried on
many a Moorish corslet and helm, in his foot encounters,
and protected by a light buckler. An arquebuse had been
put into his hand, but he refused it, as a weapon unsuited
to knightly hands, and as betraying a distrust that was not
merited by the previous conduct of the natives. Sancho,
however, was less scrupulous, and accepted the weapon.
In order, moreover, to divert the attention of his followers
from a concession that the admiral felt to be a departure
from his own rigid laws, Luis and his companions landed
and entered the canoe at a point concealed from the vessels,
in order that their absence might not be known. It is owing
to these circumstances, as well as to the general mystery
that was thrown about the connexion of the young grandee
with the expedition, that the occurrences we are about to




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relate were never entered by the admiral in his journal,
and have, consequently, escaped the prying eyes of the
various historians who have subsequently collected so much
from that pregnant document.
CHAPTER XXIII.
"Thou seemest to fancy's eye
An animated blossom born in air;
Which breathes and bourgeons in the golden sky,
And sheds its odours there."
SUTERMEISTER.
NOTWITHSTANDING his native resolution, and an indif.
ference to danger that amounted to recklessness, Luis did
not find himself alone with the Haytians without, at least,
a lively consciousness of the novelty of his situation.
Still, nothing occurred to excite uneasiness, and he continued his imperfect communications with his new friends,
occasionally throwing in a remark to Sancho in Spanish,
who merely wanted encouragement to discourse by the
hour. Instead of following the boat of the Santa Maria,
on board which the ambassador had embarked, the canoe
pushed on several leagues farther east, it being understood
that Luis was not to present himself in the town of Guacanagari, until after the arrival of the ships, when he was
to rejoin his comrades stealthily, or in a way not to attract
attention.
Our hero would not have been a true lover, had he remained indifferent to the glories of the natural scenery that
lay spread before his eyes, as he thus coasted the shores
of Espafiola. The boldness of the landscape, as in the
Mediterranean, was relieved by the softness of a low latitude, which throws some such witchery around rocks and
promontories, as a sunny smile lends to female beauty.
More than once did he burst out into exclamations of delight, and as often did Sancho respond in the same temper,
if not exactly in the same language, the latter conceiving




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it to be a sort of duty to echo all that the young noble said,
in the way of poetry.
"I take it, Sefior Conde," observed the seaman, when
they had reached a spot several leagues beyond that where
the launch of the ship had put to shore; "  take it for
granted, Senior Conde, that your excellency knoweth
whither these naked gentry are paddling, all this time.
They seem in a hurry, and have a port in their minds, if
it be not in view."
"Art thou uneasy, friend Sancho, that thou puttest thy
question thus earnestly?"
" If I am, Don Luis, it is altogether on account of the
family of Bobadilla, which would lose its head, did any
mishap befall your excellency. What is it to Sancho, of
the ship-yard gate, whether he is married to some princess
in Cipango, and gets to be adopted by the Great Khan, or
whether he is an indifferent mariner out of Moguer?  It is
very much as if one should offer him the choice between
wearing a doublet and eating garlic, and going naked on
sweet fruits and a full stomach. I take it, Sefior, your
excellency would not willingly exchange the castle of
Llera for the palace of this Great Cacique?"
" Thou art right, Sancho; even rank must depend on
the state of society in which we live. A Castilian noble
cannot envy a Haytian sovereign."
"More especially, since my lord, the Senior Don Almirante, hath publicly proclaimed, that our gracious lady,
the Dofia Isabella, is henceforth and for ever to be queen
over him," returned Sancho, with a knowing glance of the
eye.  "Little do these worthy people understand the
honour that is in store for them, and least of all, his High.
ness, King Guacanagari!"
"Hush, Sancho, and keep thy unpleasant intimations in
thine own breast. Our friends turn the head of the canoe
towards yonder river's nlouth, and seem -bent on landing"
By this time, indeed, the natives had coasted as far as
they intended, and were turning in towards the entrance of
a small stream, which, taking its rise among the noble
mountains that were grouped inland, found its way through
a smiling valley to the ocean. This stream was neither
broad nor deep, but it contained far more than water suf
30 *




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ficient for any craft used by the natives. Its banks were
fringed with bushes; and as they glided up it, Luis saw
fifty sites where he thought he could be content to pass his
life, provided, always, that it might possess the advantage
of Mercedes's. presence. It is scarcely necessary to add,
too, that in all these scenes he fancied his mistress attired
in the velvets and laces that were then so much used by
high-born dames, and that he saw her natural grace, em
bellished by the courtly ease and polished accessaiies of
one who lived daily, if not hourly, in the presence of her
royal mistress.
As the canoe shut in the coast, by entering between the
two points that formed the river's mouth, Sancho pointed
out to the young noble a small fleet of canoes, that was
coming down before the wind from the eastward, apparently
bound, like so many more they had seen that day, to the
bay of Acil, on a visit to the wonderful strangers. The
natives in the canoe also beheld this little flotilla, which
was driving before the wind under cotton sails, and by their
smiles and signs showed that they gave it the same destination. About this time, too, or just as they entered the
mouth of the stream, Mattinao drew from under a light
cotton robe, that he occasionally wore, a thin circlet of
pure gold, which he placed upon his head, in the manner
of a coronet. This Luis knew was a token that he was a
cacique, one of those who were tributary to Guacanagari,
and he arose to salute him at this evidence of his rank, an
act that was imitated by all of the Haytians also. From
this assumption of state, Luis rightly imagined that Mattinao had now entered within the limits of a territory that
acknowledged his will. From the moment that the young
cacique threw aside his incognito, he ceased to paddle, but
Assuming an air of authority and dignity, he attempted to
converse with his guest in the best manner their imperfect
means of communication would allow. He often pronounced the word, Ozema, and Luis inferred from the
manner in which he used it, that it was the name of a
favourite wife, it having been already ascertained by the
Spaniards, or at least it was thought to be ascertained, that
the caciques indulged in polygamy, while they rigidly restricted their subjects to one wife.




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The canoe ascended the river several miles, until it
reached one of those tropical valleys in which nature seems
to expend her means of rendering this earth inviting.
While the scenery had much of the freedom of a wiiderness,
the presence of man for centuries had deprived it of all its
ruder and more savage features. I ike those who tenanted
it, the spot possessed the perfection of native grace, unfettered and uninvaded by any of the more elaborate devices
of human expedients.  The dwell;ngs were not without
beauty, though simple as the wants of their owners; the
flowers bloomed in mid-winter, and the generous branches
still groaned with the weight of the:r nutritious and palatable fruits.
Mattinao was received by his people with an eager curiosity, blended with profound respect. His mild subjects
crowded around Luis and Sancho, vwith some such wonder
iA a civilized man would gaze at one of the prophets, were
he to return to earth in the flesh. They had heard of the
arrival of the ships, but they did not the less regard their
inmates as visiters from heaven. This probably, was not
the opinion of the more elevated in rank, for, even in the
savage state, the vulgar mind is far from being that of the
favoured few. Whether it was owing to his greater facility
of character, and to habits that more easily adapted themselves to the untutored notions of the Indians, or to their
sense of propriety, Sancho soon became the favourite with
the multitude; leaving the Count of Llera more especially
to the care of Mattinao, and the principal men of his tribe.
Owing to this circumstance, the two Spaniards were soon
separated, Sancho being led away by the oi polloi to a sort
of square in the centre of the village, leaving Don Luis in
he habitation of the Cacique.
No sooner did Mattinao find himself in the company of
our hero, and that of two of his confidential chiefs, than the
name of Ozema was repeated eagerly among the Indians.
A rapid conversation followed, a messenger was dispatched,
Luis knew not whither, and then the chiefs took their de.
parture, leaving the young Castilian alone with the Cacique.
Laying aside his golden band, and placing a cotton robe
about his person, which had hitherto been nearly naked,
Mattinao made a sign for his companion to follow him, and




356


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


left the building. Throwing the buckler over his shoulder,
and adjusting the belt of his sword in a way that the
weapon should not incommode him in walking, Luis obeyed
with as much confidence as he would have followed a friend
along the streets of Seville.
Mattinao led the way through a wilderness of sweets,
where tropical plants luxuriated beneath the branches of
trees loaded with luscious fruits, holding his course by a footpath which lay on the banks of a torrent that flowed from
a ravine, and poured its waters into the river below. The
distance he went might have been half a mile. Here he
reached a cluster of rustic dwellings that occupied a lovely
terrace on a hill-side, where they overlooked the larger town
below the river, and commanded a view of the distant ocean.
Luis saw at a glance that this sweet retreat was devoted to
the uses of the gentler sex, and he doubted not that it formed
a species of seraglio, set apart for the wives of the young
cacique. He was led into one of the principal dwellings,
where the simple but grateful refreshments used by the natives, were again offered to him.
The intercourse of a month had not sufficed to render
either party very familiar with the language of the other.
A few of the commoner words of the Indians had been
caught by the Spaniards, and perhaps Luis was one of the
most ready in their use; still, it is highly probable, he was
oftener wrong than right, even when he felt the most confident of his success. But the language of friendship is
not easily mistaken, and our hero had not entertained a
feeling of distrust from the time he left the ships, down to
the present moment.
Mattinao had dispatched a messenger to an adjacent
dwelling when he entered that in which Luis was now entertained, and when sufficient time had been given for the
last to refresh himself, the cacique arose, and by a courteous
gesture, such as might have become a master of ceremonies in the court of Isabella, he again invited the young
grandee to follow. They took their way along the terrace, to
a house larger than common, and which evidently contained
several subdivisions, as they entered into a sort of anteroom. Here they remained but a minute; the cacique,
after a short parley with a female, removing a curtain in



MERCEDES OF CASTILE.             a l
geniously made of sea-weed, and leading the wa) to an
inner apartment. It had but a single occupant, whose
character Luis fancied to be announced in the use of the
single word " Ozema," that the cacique uttered in a low
affectionate tone, as they entered. Luis bowed to this Indian beauty, as profoundly as he could have made his
reverence to a high-born damsel of Spain; then, recovering
himself, he fastened one long steady look of admiration on
the face of the curious but half-frightened young creature
who stood before him, and exclaimed, in such tones as only
indicate rapture, admiration and astonishment mingled"Mercedes!"
The young cacique repeated this name in the best manner he could, evidently mistaking it for a Spanish term to
express admiration, or satisfaction; while the trembling
young thing, who was the subject of all this wonder, shrunk
back a step, blushed, laughed, and muttered in her soft low
musical voice, " Mercedes," as the innocent take up and
renew any source of their harmless pleasures. She then
stood, with her arms folded meekly on her bosom, resembling a statue of wonder. But it may be necessary to explain why, at a moment so peculiar, the thoughts and tongue
of Luis had so suddenly resorted to hio mistress. In order
to do this, we shall first attempt a short description of the
person and appearance of Ozema, as was, in fact, the name
of the Indian beauty.
All the accounts agree in describing the aborigines of
the West Indies, as being singularly well formed, and of a
natural grace in their movements, that extorted a common
admiration among the Spaniards. Their colour was not unpleasant, and the inhabitants of Hlayti, in particular, were
said to be but very little darker than the people of Spain.
Those who were but iittle exposed to the bright sun of that
climate, and who dwelt habitually beneath the shades of
groves, or in the retirement of their dwellings, like persons
of similar habits in Europe, might, by comparison, have
even been termed fair. Such was the fact with Ozena,
who, instead of being the wife of the young cacique, was
his only sister. According to the laws of Hayti, the authority of a cacique was transmitted through females, and
a son of Ozema was looked forward to, as the heir of his




358


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


ancle. Owing to this fact, and to the circumstances that
the true royal line, if a term so dignified can be applied to
a state of society so simple, was reduced to these two in.
dividuals, Ozema had been more than usually fostered by
the tribe, leaving her free from care, and as little exposed
to hardships, as at all comported with the condition of her
people. She had reached her eighteenth year, without having experienced any of those troubles and exposures which
are more or less the inevitable companions of savage life;
though it was remarked by the Spaniards, that all the Indians they had yet seen seemed more than usually free
from evils of this character. They owed this exemption to
the generous quality of the soil, the genial warmth of the
climate, and the salubrity of the air. In a word, Ozema,
in her person, possessed just those advantages that freedom
from restraint, native graces, and wild luxuriance, might be
supposed to lend the female form, under the advantages of
a mild climate, a healthful and simple diet, and perfect exemption from exposure, care, or toil. It would not have
been difficult to fancy Eve such a creature, when she first
appeared to Adam, fresh from the hands of her divine creator, modest, artless, timid, and perfect.
The Haytians used a scanty dress, though it shocked
none of their opinions to go forth in the garb of nature.
Still, few of rank were seen without some pretensions to
attire, which was worn rather as an ornament, or a mark.of distinction, than as necessary either to usage or to comfort. Ozema herself, formed no exception to the general
rule. A cincture of Indian cloth, woven in gay colours,
circled her slender waist, and fell nearly as low as her
knees; a robe of spotless cotton, inartificially made, but
white as the driven snow, and of a texture so fine that it
might have shamed many of the manufactures of our own
days, fell like a scarf across a shoulder, and was loosely
united at the opposite side, dropping in folds nearly to the
ground. Sandals, of great ingenuity and beauty, protected
the soles of feet that a queen might have envied; and a
large plate of pure gold, rudely wrought, was suspended
frpm her neck by a string of small bul gorgeous shells.
Bracelets of the latter were on her pretty wrists, and two
light bands of gold encircled ankles that were as faultless




MERCEDES OF CASTILE


359


as those of tile Venus of Naples. In that region, the fineness of the hair was thought the test of birth, with bettei
reason than many imagine the feet and hands to be, in
civilized life. As power and rank had passed from female
to female in her family, for several centuries, the hair of
Ozema was silken, soft, waving, exuberant, and black as
jet. It covered her shoulders, like a glorious mantle, aid
fell as low as her simple cincture. So light and silken was
this natural veil, that its ends waved in the gentle current
of air that was rather breathing than blowing through the
apartment.
Although this extraordinary creature was much the loveliest specimen of young womanhood that Luis had seen
among the wild beauties of the islands, it was not so much
her graceful and well-rounded form, or even the charms of
face and expression, that surprised him, as a decided and
accidental resemblance to the being he had left in Spain,
and who had so long been the idol of his heart. This
resemblance alone had caused him to utter the name of his
mistress, in the manner related. Could the two have been
placed together, it would have been easy to detect marked
points of difference between them, without being reduced to
compare the intellectual and thoughtful expression of our
heroine's countenance, with the wondering, doubting, halfstartled look of Ozema; but still the general likeness was
so strong, that no person who was familiar with the face of
one, could fail to note it on meeting with the other. Side by
side, it would have been discovered that the face of Mercedes had the advantage in finesse and delicacy; that her
features and brow were nobler; her eye more illuminated
by the intelligence within; her smile more radiant with
thought and the feelings of a cultivated woman; her blush
more sensitive, betraying most of the consciousness of conventional habits; and that the expression generally was
much more highly cultivated, than that which sprung from
the artless impulses and limited ideas of the young Haytian. Nevertheless, in mere beauty, in youth, and tint, and
outline, the disparity was scarcely perceptible, while the
resemblance was striking; and, on the score of animation,
native frankness, ingenuousness, and all that witchery
which ardent and undisguised feeling len'Js to woman,




360


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


many might have preferred the confiding abandon of the
beautiful young Indian, to the more trained and dignified
reserve of the Castilian heiress. What in the latter was
earnest, high-souled, native, but religious enthusiasm, in the
other was merely the outpourings of unguided impulses,
which, however feminine in their origin, were but little
regulated in their indulgence.
"Mercedes!" exclaimed our hero, when this vision of
Indian loveliness unexpectedly broke on his sight. "Mer.
cedes!" repeated Mattinao; ' Mercedes!" murmured Ozema, recoiling a step, blushing, laughing, and then resuming
her innocent confidence, as she several times uttered the
same word, which she also mistook for an expression of
admiration, in her own low, melodious voice.
Conversation being out of the question, there remained
nothing for the parties but to express their feelings by signs
and acts of amity. Luis had not come on his little expedition unprovided with presents. Anticipating an interview
with the wife of the cacique, he had brought up from the
village below, several articles that he supposed might suit
ner untutored fancy. But the moment he beheld the vision
that actually stood before him, they all seemed unworthy
of such a being. In one of his onsets against the Moors,
he had brought off a turban of rich but light cloth, and he
had kept it as a trophy, occasionally wearing it, in his
visits to the shore, out of pure caprice, and as a sort of
ornament that might well impose on the simple-minded
natives. These vagaries excited no remarks, as mariners
are apt to indulge their whims in this manner, when far
from the observations of those to whom they habitually
defer. This turban was on his head at the moment he
entered the apartment of Ozema, and, overcome with the
delight of finding so unexpected a resemblance, and, possibly, excited by so unlooked-for an exhibition of feminine
loveliness, he gallantly unrolled it, threw out the folds of
rich cloth, and cast it over the shoulders of the beautiful
Ozema as a mantle.
The expressions of gratitude and delight that escaped
this unsophisticated young creature, were warm, sincere,
and undisguised. She cast the ample robe on the ground
before her, repeated the word " Mercedes," again and




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.            361
again, and manifested her pleasure with all the warmth of
a generous and ingenuous nature. If we were to say that
this display of Ozema was altogether free from the child.
like rapture that was, perhaps, inseparable from her ignorance, it would be attributing to her benighted condition the
experience and regulated feelings of advanced civilization;
but, notwithstanding the guileless simplicity with which she
betrayed her emotions, her delight was not without much
of the dignity and tone that usually mark the conduct of
the superior classes all over the world. Luis fancied it as
graceful as it was naive and charming. He endeavoured
to imagine the manner in which the Lady of Valverde
might receive an offering of precious stones from the gracious hands of Doia Isabella, and he even thought it very
possible that the artless grace of Ozema was not far behind
what he knew would be the meek self-respect, mingled with
grateful pleasure, that Mercedes could not fail to exhibit.
While thoughts like these were passing through his mind,
the Indian girl laid aside her own less enticing robe, without a thought of shame, and then she folded her faultless
form in the cloth of the turban. This was no sooner done,
with a grace and freedom peculiar to her unfettered mind,
than she drew the necklace of shells from her person, and
advancing a step or two towards our hero, extended the offering with a half-averted face, though the laughing and
willing eyes more than supplied the place of language.
Luis accepted the gift with suitable eagerness, nor did he
refrain from using the Castilian gallantry of kissing th
pretty hand from which he took the bauble.
The cacique, who had been a pleased spectator of all
that passed, now signed for the count to follow him, leading
the way towards another dwelling. Here Don Luis was introduced to other young females, and to two or three children, the former of whom, he soon discovered, were the
wives of Mattinao, and the latter his offspring. By dint of
gestures, a few words, and such other means of explanation as were resorted to between the Spaniards and the natives, he now succeeded in ascertaining the real affinity
which existed between the cacique and Ozema. Our hero
felt a sensation like pleasure when he discovered that the
Indian beauty was not married; and he was fain to refer
31




362


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


*the feeling-perhaps justly-to a sort of jealous sensitive.
ness that grew out of her resemblance to Mercedes.
The remainder of that, and the whole of the three following days, were passed by Luis with his friend, the cacique, in this, the favourite and sacred residence of the
latter. Of course our hero was, if anything, a subject of
greater interest to all his hosts, than they could possibly
be to him. They took a thousand innocent liberties with his
person: examining his dress, and the ornaments he wore,
not failing to compare the whiteness of his skin with the
redder tint of that of Mattinao. On these occasions Ozema
was the most reserved and shy, though her look followed
every movement, and her pleased countenance denoted the
interest she felt in ali that concerned the stranger. Hours
at a time, did Luis lie stretched on fragrant mats near this
artless and lovely creature, studying the wayward expression of her features, in the fond hope of seeing stronger
and stronger resemblances to Mercedes, and sometimes
losing himself in that which was peculiarly her own. In
the course of the time passed in these dwellings, efforts
were made by the count to obtain some useful information
of the island; and whether it was owing to her superior
rank, or to a native superiority of mind, or to a charm of
manner, he soon fancied that the cacique's beautiful sister
succeeded better in making him understand her meaning,
than either of the wives of Mattinao, or the cacique himself.
To Ozema, then, Luis put most of his questions; and ere
the day had passed, this quick-witted and attentive girl had
made greater progress in opening an intelligible understanding between the adventurers and her countrymen, than had
been accomplished by the communications of the two previous months. She caught the Spanish words with a readiness that seemed instinctive, pronouncing them with an
accent that only rendered them prettier and softer to the
ear.
Luis de Bobadilla was just as good a Catholic as a rigid
education, a wandering life, and the habits of the camp,
would be apt to make one of his rank, years, and temperament. Still, that was an age in which most laymen had a
deep reverence for religion, whether they actually submitted
to its purifying influence, or not. If there were any free.




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


363


thinkers, at all, they existed principally among those who
passed their lives in their closets, or were to be found
among the churchmen, themselves; who often used the
cowl as a hood to conceal their infidelity. His close association with Columbus, too, had contributed to strengthen
our hero's tendency to believe in the constant supervision
of Providence; and he now felt a strong inclination to
fancy that this extraordinary facility of Ozema's in acquiring languages, was one of its semi-miraculous provisions, made with a view to further the introduction of the
religion of the cross among her people. Often did he
flatter himself, as he sat gazing into the sparkling, and yet
mild, eyes of the girl, listening to her earnest efforts to
make him comprehend her meaning, that he was to be the
instrument of bringing about this great good, through so
young and charming an agent. The admiral had also enjoined on him the importance of ascertaining, if possible,
the position of the mines, and he had actually succeeded
in making Ozema comprehend his questions on a subject
that was all-engrossing with most of the Spaniards. Her
answers were less intelligible, but Luis thought they never
could be sufficiently full; flattering himself, the whole time,
that he was only labouring to comply with the wishes of
Columbus.
The day after his arrival, our hero was treated to an exhibition of some of the Indian games. These sports have
been too often described to need repetition here; but, in all
their movements and exercises, which were altogether pa.
cific, the young princess was conspicuous for grace and
skill. Luis, too, was required to show his powers, and
being exceedingly athletic and active, he easily bbre away
the palm from his friend Mattinao. The young cacique
manifested neither jealousy nor disappointment at this result, while his sister laughed and clapped her hands with
delight, when he was outdone, even at his own sports, by
the greater strength or greater efforts of his guest. More
than once, the wives of Mattinao seemed to utter gentle
reproaches at this exuberance of feeling, but Ozema answered with smiling taunts, and Luis thought her, at such
moments, more beautiful than even imagination could draw,
and perhaps with justice; for her cheeks were flushed, her




364


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


eyes became as brilliant as ornaments of jet, and the teeth
that were visible between lips like cherries, resembled rows
of ivory. We have said that the eyes of Ozema were
black, differing in this particular, from the deep-blue melancholy orbs of the enthusiastic Mercedes; but still they
were alike, so often uttering the same feelings, more especially touching matters in which Luis was concerned.
More than once, during the trial of strength, did the young
man fancy that the expression of the rapture which fairly
danced in the eyes of Ozema, was the very counterpart of
that of the deep-seated delight which had so often beamed on
him, from the glances of Mercedes in the tourney; and, at
such times, it struck him that the resemblance between the
two was so strong as, after some allowance had been made
for dress and other sufficiently striking circumstances, to
render them almost identical.
The reader is not to suppose from this, that our hero was
actually inconstant to his ancient love. Far from it. Mercedes was too deeply enshrined in his heart-and Luis, with
all his faults, was as warm-hearted and true-hearted a cavalier as breathed-to be so easily dispossessed. But he was
young, distant from her he had so long adored, and was,
withal, not altogether insensible to admiration so artlessly
and winningly betrayed by the Indian girl. Had there been
the least immodest glance, any proof that art or design lay
at the bottom of Ozema's conduct, he would at once have
taken the alarm, and been completely disenthralled from
his temporary delusion; but, on the contrary, all was so
frank and natural with this artless girl; when she most betraved the hold he had taken of her imagination, it was
done with a simplicity so obvious, a naivete so irrepressible,
and an ingenuousness so clearly the fruit of innocence,
that it was impossible to suspect artifice. In a word, our
hero merely showed that he was human, by yielding in a
certain degree to a fascination that, under the circumstances, might well have made deeper inroads on the faith
even of men who enjoyed much better reputations for sta
bility of purpose.
In situations of so much novelty, time flies swiftly, and
Luis himself was astonished when, on looking back, he
remembered that he had now been several days with Mat.




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


36b


tinao, most of which period had actually been passed in
what might not inaptly be termed the seraglio of the cacique. Sancho of the ship-yard gate had not been in the
least neglected all this time. He had been a hero, in his
own circle, as well as the young noble, nor had he been at
all forgetful of his duty on the subject of searching for
gold. Though he had neither acquired a single word of
the Haytian language, nor taught a syllable of Spanish to
even one of the laughing nymphs who surrounded him, he
had decorated the persons of many of them with hawk'sbells, and had contrived to abstract from them, in return,
every ornament that resembled the precious metal, which
they possessed. This transfer, no doubt, was honestly
effected, however, having been made on that favourite principle of the free trade theorists, which maintains that trade
is merely an exchange of equivalents; overlooking all the
adverse circumstances which may happen, just at the moment, to determine the standard of vale. Sancho had his
notions of commerce as well as the modern philosophers,
and, as he and Luis occasionally met during their sojourn
with Mattinao, he revealed a few of his opinions on this
interesting subject, in one of their interviews.
'; I perceive thou hast not forgotten thy passion for doblas, friend Sancho," said Luis, laughing, as the old seaman
exhibited the store of dust and golden plates he had collected; " there is sufficient of the metal in thy sack to coin
a score of them, each having the royal countenances of
our lord the King, and our lady the Queen!"
" Double that, Sefior Conde; just double that, and all for
the price of some seventeen hawk's-bells, that cost but a
handful of maravedis. By the mass! this is a most just
and holy trade, and such as it becomes us Christians to
carry on. Here are these savages, they think no more of
gold than your excellency thinks of a dead Moor, and to
be revenged on them, I hold a hawk's-bell just as cheap.
Let them think as poorly as they please of their ornaments
and yellow dust, they will find me just as willing to part
with the twenty hawk's-bells that remain. Let them barter
away, they will find me as ready as they possibly can be,
to give nothing for nothing."
"Is this quite honest, Sancho, to rob an Indian of his
31 *




366


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


gold, in exchange for a bauble that copper so easily purchaseth? Remember thou art a Castilian, and henceforth
give two hawk's-bells, where thou hast hitherto given but
one."
"I never forget my birth, Senor, for happily the shipyard of Moguer is in old Spain. Is not the value of a
thing to be settled by what it will bring in the market? ask
any of our traders and they will tell you this, which is
clear as the sun in the heavens. When the Venetians lay
before Candia, grapes and figs, and Greek wine, could be
had for the asking in that island, while western articles
commanded any price. Oh, nothing is plainer than the fact
that every thing hath its price, and it is real trade to give
one worthless commodity for another."
"If it be honest to profit by the ignorance of another,"
answered Luis, who had a nobleman's contempt for commerce, " then it is just to deceive the child and the idiot."
" God forbid, and especially St. Andrew, my patron, that
I should do anything so wicked. Hawk's-bells are of more
account than gold, in Hayti, Sefor, and happening to know
it, I am willing to part with the precious things for the
dross. You see I am generous instead of being avaricious,
for all parties are in Hayti, where the value of the articles
must be settled. It is true, that after running great risks at
sea, and undergoing great pains and chances, by carrying
this gold to Spain, I may be requited for my trouble, and
get enough benefit to make an honest livelihood. I hope
Doina Isabella will have so much feeling for these, her new
subjects, as to prevent their ever going into the shipping
business,-a most laborious and dangerous calling, as we
both well know."
" And why art thou so particular in desiring this favour
in behalf of these poor islanders, and that too, Sancho, at
the expense of thine own bones?"
" Simply, Sefior," answered the knave, with a cunning
leer, " lest it unsettle trade, which ought to be as free and
unencumbered as possible. Here, now, if we Spaniards
come to Hayti, we sell one hawk's-bell for a dobla in gold;
whereas, were we to give these savages the trouble to come
to Spain, a dobla of their gold would buy a hundred hawk's.
Dells I No - no-it is right as it is; and may a double




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


367


allowance of Purgatory be the lot of him who wishes to
throw any difficulties in the way of a good, honest, free and
civilizing trade, say I."
Sancho was thus occupied in explaining his notions of
free trade, the great mystification of modern philanthropists,
when there arose such a cry in the village of Mattinao, as
is only heard in moments of extreme jeopardy and sudden
terror. The conversation took place in the grove, about
midway between the town and the private dwellings of the
cacique; and so implicit had become the confidence the
two Spaniards reposed in their friends, that neither had any
other arms about his person, than those furnished by nature.
Luis had left both sword and buckler, half an hour earlier,
at the feet of Ozema, who had been enacting a mimic hero,
with his weapons, for their mutual diversion; while Sancho
had found the arquebuse much too heavy to be carried
about for a plaything. The last was deposited in the room
where he had taken up his comfortable quarters.
"Can* this mean treachery, Seior?" exclaimed Sancho.
"Have these blackguards found out the true value of
hawk's-bells, after all, and do they mean to demand the
balance due them?"
" My life on it, Mattinao and all his people are true, San-.-ho. This uproar hath a different meaning-hark! is not
that the cry of ' Caonabo?'"
" The very same, Sefior! That is the name of the Carib cacique, who is the terror of all these tribes."
" Thy arquebuse, Sancho, if possible; then join me at
the dwellings above. Ozema and the wives of our good
friend must be defended, at every hazard!"
Luis had no sooner given these orders, than he and Sancho separated, the latter running towards the town, which
by this time was a scene of wild tumult, while our hero,
slowly and sullenly, retired towards Lhe private dwellings
of the cacique, occasionally looking back, as if he longed to
plunge into the thickest of the fray. Twenty times did he
wish for his favourite charger and a stout lance, when,
indeed, it would not have been an extraordinary feat for a
knight of his prowess to put to flight a thousand enemies
like those who now menaced him. Often had he singly
broken whole ranks of Christian foot-soldiers, and it is well




368


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


known that solitary individuals, when mounted, subse.
quently drove hundreds of the natives before them.
The alarm reached the dwellings of Mattinao before our
hero. When he entered the house of Ozema, he found its
mistress surrounded by fifty females, some of whom had
already ascended from the town below, each of whom was
eagerly uttering the terrible name of " Caonabo."  Ozema
herself was the most collected of them all, though it was
apparent that, from some cause, she was an object of particular solicitude with those around her. As Luis entered
the apartment, the wives of Mattinao were pressing around
the princess; and he soon gathered from their words and
entreaties, that they urged her to fly, lest she should fall
into the hands of the Carib chief. He even fancied, and he
fancied it justly, that the rest of the females supposed the
seizure of the cacique's beautiful sister to be the real object
of the sudden attack. This conjecture in no manner lessened Luis's ardour in the defence. The moment Ozema
caught sight of him, she flew to his side, clasping her
hands, and uttering the name of " Caonabo," in a tone that
would have melted a heart of stone. At the same time,
her eyes spoke a language of hope, confidence and petition
that was not necessary to enlist our hero's resolution on
her side. In a moment the sword of the young cavalier
was in his hand, and the buckler on his arm. IHe then
assured the princess of his zeal, in the best manner he
could, by placing the buckler before her throbbing breast,
and waving the sword, as in defiance of her enemies: no
sooner was this pledge given, than every other female disappeared, some flying to the rescue of their children, and
all endeavouring to find places of concealment. By this
singular and unexpected desertion, Luis found himself, for
the first time since they had met, alone with Ozema.
To remain in the house would be to suffer the enemy to
approach unseen, and the shrieks and cries sufficiently announced that, each moment, the danger drew nearer. Luis
accordingly made a sign for the girl to follow him, first rolling tne turban into a bundle and placing it on her arm, that
it might serve her, at need, as a species of shield against
the hostile arrows. While he was thus employed, Ozema's
head fell upon his breast, and the excited girl burst into




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


369


tears. This display of weakness, however, lasted but a
moment, when she aroused herself, smiled through her
tears, pressed the arm of Luis convulsively and became
the Indian heroine again. They then left the building
together.
Luis soon perceived that his retreat from the house had
not been made a moment too soon. The family of Mattinao had already disappeared, and a strong party of the
invaders was in full view, rushing madly up the grove,
silent, but evidently bent on seizing their prey.  He felt
Ozema, who clung to his arm, tremble violently, and then
he heard her murmuring,"Caonabo,-no-no-no!"
The young Indian princess had caught the Spanish monosyllable of dissent, and Luis understood this exclamation
to express her strong disinclination to become a wife of the
Carib chief. His resolution to protect her, or to die, was
in no manner lessened by this involuntary betrayal of her
feelings, which he could not but think might have some connexion with himself; for, while our hero was both honourable and generous, he was human, and, consequently, well
disposed to take a favourable view of his own powers of
pleasing. It was only in connexion with Mercedes, that
Luis de Bobadilla was humble.
A soldier almost from childhood, the young count looked
hastily around him for a position that would favour his means
of defence, and which would render his arms the most available. Luckily, one offered so near him, that it required
but a minute to occupy it. The terrace lay against a precipice of rocks, and, a hundred feet from the house, was a
spot where the face of this precipice was angular, throwing
forward a wall on each side to some distance, while the
cliff above overhung the base sufficiently to remove all danger from falling stones. In the angle were several large
fragments of rock that would afford shelter against arrows,
and, there being a sufficient space of greensward before
them, on which a knight might well display his prowess
when in possession of this pcsition, our hero felt himself
strong, if not impregnable, since he could be assailed only
in front. Ozema was stationed behind one of the fragments
of the fallen rocks, her person only half concealed, how.




3'70


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


ever, concern for Luis, and curiosity as related to her ene
mies, equally inducing her to expose her head and beautiful bust.
Luis was scarcely in possession of this post, ere a dozen
Indians were drawn up in a line at the distance of fifty
yards in his fiont. They were armed with bows, warclubs, and spears. Being without other defensive armour
than his buckler, the young man would have thought his
situation sufficiently critical, did he not know that the
archery of the natives was anything but formidable. Their
arrows would kill, certainly, when shot at short distances.
and against the naked skin, but it might be questioned if
they would penetrate the stout velvet in which Luis was encased, and fifty yards was not near enough to excite undue
alarm. The young man did not dare to retreat to the rocks
as a clear space was indispensable for the free use of his
good sword, and to that weapon alone he looked for his
eventual triumph.
It was, perhaps, fortunate for our hero that Caonabo
himself was not with the party which beleagured him.
That redoubtable chieftain, who had been led to a distance
in pursuit of the flying females, under a belief that she he
sought was among them, would doubtless have brought the
matter to an immediate issue by a desperate charge, when
numbers might have prevailed against courage and skill.
The actual assailants chose a different course, and began
to poise their bows. One of the most skilful among them
drew an arrow to the head, and let it fly. The missile
glanced from the buckler of the knight, and struck the hill
behind him, as lightly as if the parties had been at their
idle sports. Another followed, and Luis turned it aside
with his sword, disdaining to raise his shield against such
a trifle. This cool manner of receiving theirassaultscaused
the Indians to raise a shout, whether in admiration or rage,
Luis could not tell.
The next attack was more judicious, being made on a
principle that Napoleon is said to have adopted in directing
discharges of his artillery. All those who had bows, some
six or eight, drew their arrows together, and the weapons
came rattling on the buckler of the assailed in a single
flight. It was pot easy to escape altogether from such a




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


371


combined assault, and our hero received one or two bruises
from glancing arrows, though no blood followed the blows.
A second attempt of the same nature was about to be made,
when the alarmed girl rushed from her place of concealment, and, like the Pocahontas of our own history, threw
hersif before Luis, with her arms meekly placed on her
bosom. As soon as she appeared, there was a cry of
"Ozema " -" Ozema," among the assailants, who were
not Caribs, as all will understand who are familiar with the
island history, but milder Haytians, governed by a Carib
chief.
In vain Luis endeavoured to persuade the devoted girl to
withdraw. She thought his life in danger, and no language,
had he been able to exert his eloquence on the occasion,
could have induced her to leave him exposed to such a
danger.  As the Indians were endeavouring to obtain
chances at the person of Luis without killing the princess,
he saw there remained no alternative but a retreat behind
the fragments of rock. Just as he obtained this temporary security, a fierce-looking warrior joined the assailants, who immediately commenced a vociferous explanation
oft the actual state of the attack.
"Caonabo?" demanded Luis, of Ozema, pointing towards
the new-comer.
The girl shook her head, after taking an anxious look at
the stranger's face, at the same time clinging to our hero's
arm, with seductive dependence.
"No-no-no-" she said, eagerly. "No Caonabono-no-no."
Luis understood the first part of this answer to mean
hat the stranger was not the Carib chief; and the last to
signify Ozema's strong and settled aversion to becoming
his wife.
The consultation among the assailants was soon ended.
Six of them then poised their war-clubs and spears, and
made a rush for the citadel of the besieged. When they
were within twenty feet of his cover, our hero sprang
lightly forward on the sward to meet his foes. Two of the
spears he received on his buckler, severing both shalts
with a single blow of his keen and highly-tempered sword.
As he recovered from the effort, with an upward cut he met




372


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


the raised arm of the club-man most in advance. Hand
and club fell at his feet with the skilful touch. Making a
sweep with the weapon in his front, its point seamed the
breasts of the two astonished spearsmen, whose distance
alone saved them from more serious injuries.
This rapid and unlooked-for execution struck the assailants with awe and dread. Never before had they witnessed
the power of metal as used in war; and the sudden am
putation of the arm struck them as something miraculous
Even the ferocious Carib fell back in dismay, and Luis felt
hopes of victory. This was the first occasion on which the
Spaniards had come to blows with the mild inhabitants of
the islands they had discovered, though it is usual with
the historians to refer to an incident of still later occurrence, as the commencement of strife, the severe privacy
which has ever been thrown over the connexion of Don
Luis with the expedition, having completely baffled their
slight and superficial researches. Of course, the efficiency
of a weapon like that used by our hero, was as novel to
the Haytians as it was terrific.
At this instant a shout among the assailants, and the appearance of a fresh body of the invaders, with a tall and
commanding chief at their head, announced the arrival of
Caonabo in person. This warlike cacique was soon made
acquainted with the state of affairs, and it was evident that
the prowess of our hero struck him as much with admiration
as with wonder. After a few minutes, he directed his followers to fall back to a greater distance, and, laying aside his
club, he advanced fearlessly towards Luis, making signs of
amity.
When the two adversaries met, it was with mutual respect and confidence. The Carib made a short and vehement speech, in which the only word that was intelligible to
our hero, was the name of the beautiful young Indian. By
this time Ozema had also advanced, as if eager to speak,
and her rude suitor turned to her, with an appeal that was
passionate, if not eloquent. He laid his hand frequently
on his heart, and his voice became soft and persuasive.
Ozema replied earnestly, and in the quick manner of one
wnose resolution was settled. At the close of her speech,
the colour mounted to the temples of the ardent girl, and, as




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


373


if purposely to make her meaning understood by our hero,
she ended by saying, in Spanish,
" Caonabo- no     no - no! - Luis - Luis!"
The aspect of the hurricane of the tropics is not darker,
or more menacing, than the scowl with which the Carib
chief heard this unequivocal rejection of his suit, accompanied, as it was, by so plain a demonstration in favour of the
stranger. Waving his hand in defiance, he strode back to
his people, and issued orders for a fresh assault.
This time, a tempest of arrows preceded the rush, and
Luis was fain to seek his former cover behind the rocks.
Indeed, this was the only manner in which he could save
the life of Ozema; the devoted girl resolutely persevering
in standing before his body, in the hope it would shield him
from his enemies. There had been some words of reproach
from Caonabo to the Carib chief, who had retreated from
the first attack, and the air was yet filled with arrows, as
this man rushed forward, singly, to redeem his name. Luis
met him, firm as the rock behind him. The shock was
violent, and the blow that fell on the buckler would have
crushed an arm less enured to such rude encounters; but
it glanced obliquely from the shield, and the club struck
the earth with the weight of a beetle. Our hero saw that
all now depended on a deep impression. His sword flashed
in the bright sun, and the head of the Carib tumbled by the
side of his club, actually leaving the body erect for an instant, so keen was the weapon, and so dexterous had deen
the blow.
Twenty savages were on the spring, but they stopped
like men transfixed, at this unexpected sight. Caonabo,
however, undaunted even when most surprised, roared out
his orders like a maddened bull, and the wavering crowd
was again about to advance, when the loud report of an
arquebuse was heard, followed by the whistling of its deadly
missives. A second Haytian fell dead in his tracks. It
exceeded the powers of savage endurance to resist this assault, which, to their uninstructed minds, appeared to come
from heaven. In two minutes, neither Caonabo nor any of
his followers were visible. As they rushed down the hill,
Sancho appeared from a cover, carrying the arquebuse,
which he had taken the precaution to reload.
32




374


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


The circumstances did not admit of delay. Not a being
of Mattinao's tribe was to be seen in any direction; and Luis
made no doubt they had all fled. Determined to save Ozema at every hazard, he now took his way to the river, in
order to escape in one of the canoes. In passing through
the town, it was seen that not a house had been plundered
and the circumstance was commented on by the Spaniards,
Luis pointing it out to his companion.
"Caonabo-no-no-no-Ozema!-Ozema!" was the
answer of the girl, who well knew the real object of the
inroad.
A dozen canoes lay at the landing, and five minutes
sufficed for the fugitives to enter one, and to commence
their retreat. The current flowed towards the sea, and in
a couple of hours they were on the ocean. As the wind
blew constantly from the eastward, Sancho soon rigged
an apology for a sail, and, an hour before the sun set, the
party landed on a point that concealed them from the bay;
Luis being mindful of the admiral's injunction, to conceal
lis excursion, lest others might claim a similar favour.
CHAPTER XXIV.
"Three-score and ten I can remember well,
Within the volume of which time I have seen
Hours dreadful, and things strange, but this sore sight
Hath trifled former knowings."
Macbeth.
A SIGHT that struck our hero with a terror and awe,
almost as great as those experienced by the ignorant Hay..ians at the report and effect of the arquebuse, awaited him,
as he came in view of the anchorage. The Santa Maria,
'hat vessel of the admiral, which he had left only four days
oefore in her gallant array and pride, lay a stranded wreck
on the sands, with fallen masts, broken sides, and all the
other signs of nautical destruction. The Nifia was an.
chored in safety, it is true, at no great distance, but a sense
of loneliness and desertion came over the young man, as




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


375


he gazed at this small craft, which was litt 3 mnoe than a
felucca, raised to the rank of a ship for the purposes of the
voyage. The beach was covered with stores, and it was
evident that the Spaniards and the people of Guacanagari
toiled in company, at the construction of a sort of fortress;
an omen that some great change had come over the expedition. Ozema was immediately left in the house of a native, and the two adventurers hurried forward to join their
friends, and to ask an explanation of what they had seen.
Columbus received his young friend kindly, but in deep
affliction. The manner in which the ship was lost has been
often told, and Luis learned that, the Nifia being too small
to carry all away, a colony was to be left in the fortress,
while the remainder of the adventurers hastened back to
Spain. Guacanagari had shown himself full of sympathy,
and was kindness itself, while every one had been too
much occupied with the shipwreck to miss our hero, or to
hearken to rumours of an event as common as an inroad
from a Carib chief, to carry off an Indian beauty. Perhaps the latter event was still too recent to have reached
the shore.
The week that succeeded the return of Luis, was one of
active exertion. The Santa Maria was wrecked on the
morning of Christmas day, 1492, and on that of the 4th
of January following, the Nifia was ready to depart on her
return voyage. During this interval, Luis had seen Ozema
but once, and then he had found her sorrowing, mute, and
resembling a withered flower, that retained its beauty even
while it drooped. On the evening of the third, however,
while lingering near the new-finished fortress, he was summoned by Sancho to another interview. To the surprise
of our hero, he found the young cacique with his sister.
Although language was wanting, on this occasion, the
parties easily understood each other.  Ozema was no
longer sorrowful, and borne down with grief: the smile
and the laugh came easily from her young and buoyant
spirits, and Luis thought he had never seer. her so winning
and lovely. She had arranged her scanty toilet with Indian coquetry, and the bright warm colour of her cheeks
added new lustre to her brilliant eyes. Her light, agile
form, a model of artless grace, seemed so ethereal as




376


MElCREI)'S (,1 C ASTIL'rI.


scarce to touch the earth. The secret of this sudder
change was not long hid fromr LIis. The brother and sister, after discussing all their dangers and escapes, and pass.
ing in reviow the character and known determination of
Caonabo, had come to the conclusion that there was no
refuge for Ozema but in flight. What most determined the
brother to consent that his sister should accompany the
strangers to their distant home, it would be useless to
inquire; but the motive of Ozema herself, can be no secret
to the reader. It was known that the admiral was desirous
of carrying to Spain a party of natives; and three females,
one of whom was of Ozema's rank, had already consented
to go. This chieftain's wife was not only known to Ozema,
but she was a kinswoman. Every thing seemed propitious
to the undertaking; and as a voyage to Spain was still a
mystery to the natives, who regarded it as something like
an extended passage from one of their islands to another,
no formidable difficulties presented themselves to the imagination of either the cacique or his sister.
This proposition took our hero by surprise.  He was
both flattered and pleased at the self-devotion of Ozema,
even while it troubled him. Perhaps there were moments
when he a little distrusted himself. Still Mercedes reigned
in his heart, and he shook off the feeling as a suspicion that
a true knight could not entertain without offering an insult
to his own honour. On second thoughts, there were fewer
objections to the scherme than he had at first fancied; and,
after an hour's discussion, he left the place to go and con
suit the admiral.
Columbus was still at the fortress, and he heard our hero
gravely and with interest.  Once or twice Luis's eyes
dropped under the searching glance of his superior; but,
on the whole, he acquitted himself of the task he had undertaken, with credit.
"The sister of a cacique, thou say'st, Don Luis," returned the admiral, thoughtfully. "The virgin sister of a
cacique?"
" Even so, Don Christopher; and of a grace, birth, and
beauty, that will give our Lady, the Queen, a most exalted
'dea of the merits of our discovery."
"Thou wilt remember, Seiior Conde, that nought but




MERCEDES OF CA -.) ILE.


377


purity may be offered to purity. Dofia Isabella is a model
for all queens, and mothers, and wives; and I trust no.
thing to offend her angelic mind can ever come from hei
favoured servants. There has been no deception practised
on this wild girl, to lead her into sin and misery?"
"Don Christopher, you can scarce think this of me. Dofia
Mercedes herself is not more innocent than the girl I mean,
nor could her brother feel more solicitude in her fortunes,
than i feel. When the king and queen have satisfied their
curiosity, and dismissed her, I propose to place her under
the care of the Lady of Valverde."
" The rarer the specimens that we take, the better, Luis.
This will gratify the sovereigns, and cause them to think
favourably of our discoveries, as thou sayest. It might be
done without inconvenience.  The Nifia is small, of a
verity, but we gain much in leaving this large party behind us. I have given up the principal cabin to the other
females, since thou and I can fare rudely for a few weeks.
Let the girl come, and see thou to her comfort and convenience."
This settled the matter.  Early next morning Ozema
embarked, carrying with her the simple wealth of an Indian
princess, among which the turban was carefully preserved.
Her relative had an attendant, who sufficed for both. Luis
paid great attention to the accommodations, in which both
comfort and privacy were duly respected. The parting
with Mattinao was touchingly tender, for the domestic affections appear to have been much cultivated among these
simple-minded and gentle people; but the separation, it was
supposed, would be short, and Ozema had, again and again
assured her brother that her repugnance to Caonabo, pow.
erful cacique as he might be, was unconquerable. Eact
hour increased it, strengthening her resolution never to become his wife. The alternative was to secrete herself in
the island, or to make this voyage to Spain: and there was
glory as well as security in the latter. With this consolation the brother and sister parted.
Columbus had intended to push his discoveries much farther, before he returned to Europe; but the loss of the
Santa Maria, and the desertion of the Pinta, reduced him
to the necessity of bringing the expedition to a close, lest,
32 *




878


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


by some untoward accident, all that had actually been
achieved should be for ever lost to the world. Accordingly,
in the course of the 4th of January, 1493, he made sail to
the eastward, holding his course along the shores of Hayti.
His great object now was to get back;o Spain before his
remaining little bark should fail him, when his own name
would perish with the knowledge of his discoveries. Fortunately, however, on the 6th, the Pinta was seen coming
down before the wind, Martin Alonzo Pinzon having ef
fected one of the purposes for which he had parted company, that of securing a quantity of gold, but failed in
discovering any mines, which is believed to have been his
principal motive.
It is not important to the narrative to relate the details ot
the meeting that followed. Columbus received the offending
Pinzon with prudent reserve, and, hearing his explanations,
he directed him to prepare the Pinta for the return passage.
After wooding and watering accordingly, in a bay favourable to such objects, the two vessels proceeded to the eastward in company; still following the north shore of Hayti,
Espafiola, or Little Spain, as the island had been named
by Columbus.*
It was the 16th of the month, ere the adventurers finally
took their leave of this beautiful spot. They had scarcely
got clear of the land, steering a north-easterly course, when
the favourable winds deserted them, and they were again
*The fortunes of this beautiful island furnish a remarkable proof
of the manner in which abuses are made, by the providence of God, to
produce their own punishments. This island, which is about twothirds the size of the state of New York, was the seat of Spanish authority, in the New World, for many years. The mild aborigines, who
were numerous and happy when discovered, were literally exterminated
by the cruelties of their new masters; and it was found necessary to
import negroes from Africa, to toil in the cane-fields. Towards the
middle of the sixteenth century, it is said that two hundred of the abo.
rigines were not to be found in the island, although Ovando had decoyed
no less than forty thousand from the Bahamas, to supply the places of
the dead, as early as 1513! At a later day, Espafiola passed into the
hands of the French, and all know the terrible events by which it has
gone into the exclusive possession of the descendants of the children
of Africa. All that has been said of the influence of the white population of this country, as connected with our own Indians, sinks into.nsignificance, as compared with these astounding facts.




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


379


met by the trades. The weather was moderate, however,
and by keeping the two vessels on the best tack, by the 10th
of February, the admiral, making sundry deviations from a
straight course, however, had stretched across the track of
ocean in which these constant breezes prevailed, and
reached a parallel of latitude as high as Palos, his port. In
making this long slant, tfhe Nifia, contrary to former experience, was much detained by the dull sailing of the Pinta,
which vessel, having sprung her after-mast, was unable to
bear a press of sail. The light breezes also favoured the
first, which had ever been deemed a fast craft, in smooth
water and gentle gales.
Most of the phenomena of the outward passage were observed on the homeward; but the tunny-fish no longer excited hopes, nor did the sea-weed awaken fears. These
familiar objects were successfully, but slowly passed, and
the variable winds were happily struck again in the first
fortnight. Here the traverses necessarily became more and
more complicated, until the pilots, unused to so long and
difficult a navigation, in which they received no aids from
either land or water, got confused in their reckonings, disputing hotly among themselves concerning their true position.
" Thou hast heard to-day, Luis," said the admiral smiling,
in one of his renewed conferences with our hero, " the contentions of Vicente Yafiez, with his brother, Martin Alonzo,
and the other pilots, touching our distance from Spain.
These constant shifts of wind have perplexed the honest
mariners, and they fancy themselves in any part of the
Atlantic, blut that in which they really are!"
" Much depends on you, Senior; not only our safety, but
he knowledge of our great discoveries."
"Thou sayest true, Don Luis. Vicente Yafez, Sancho
Ruiz, Pedro Alonzo Niio, and Bartolemeo Roldan, to say
nothing of the profound calculators in the Pinta, place the
vessels in the neighbourhood of Madeira, which is nearer to
Spain, by a hundred and fifty leagues, than the truth would
show. These honest people have followed their wishes,
rather than their knowledge of the ocean and the heavens."
"And you, Don Christopher, where do you place the
caravels, since there is no motive to conceal the truth?"




380


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


"We are sduth of Flores, young count, fully twelve de.
grees west of the Canaries, and in the latitude of Nafe, in
Africa. But I would that they should be bewildered, until
the right of possession to our discoveries be made a matter
of certainty. Not one of these men now doubts his ability to
do all I have done, and yet neither is able to grope his
way back again, after crossing this track of water to Asia!"
Luis understood the admiral, and the size of the vessels
rendering the communication of secrets hazardous, the
conversation changed.
Up to this time, though the winds were often variable, the
weather had been good. A few squalls had occurred, as
commonly happens at sea, but they had proved to be neither
long nor severe. All this was extremely grateful to Columbus, who, now he had effected the great purpose for
which he might have been said to live, felt some such concern lest the important secret should be lost to the rest of
mankind, as one who carries a precious object through
scenes of danger experiences for the safety of his charge.
A change, however, was at hand, and at the very moment
when the great navigator began to hope the best, he was
fated to experience the severest of all his trials.
As the vessels advanced north, the weather became cooler,
as a matter of course, and the winds stronger. During
the night of the 11th of February, the caravels made a
great run on their course, gaining more than a hundred
miles between sunset and sunrise. The next morning many
birds were in sight, from which fact Columbus believed himself quite near the Azores, while the pilots fancied they
were in the immediate vicinity of Madeira. The following
day the wind was less favourable, though strong, and a
heavy sea had got up. The properties of the little Ninia
now showed themselves to advantage, for, ere the turn of
the day, she had to contend with such a struggle of the
elements, as few in her had ever before witnessed. Fortunately, all that consummate seamanship could devise to
render her safe and comfortable had been done, and she
was in as perfect a state of preparation for a tempest, as
circumstances would allow. The only essential defect was
her unuJ.ual lightness, since, most of her stores as well
as her water being nearly exhausted, her draught of




I


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


381


water was materially less than it should have been. The
caravel was so small, that this circumstance, which is of
little consequence to the safety of large vessels, got to be
one of consideration in a craft whose means of endurance
did not place her above the perils of squalls. The reader
will understand the distinction better when he is told that
ships of size can only lose their spars by sudden gusts of
wind, seldom being thrown on their beam-ends, as it is
termed, unless by the power of the waves; whereas, smaller
craft incur the risk of being capsized, when the spread
of their canvass is disproportioned to their stability. Although the seamen of the Nina perceived this defect in their
caravel, which, in a great measure, proceeded from the
consumption of the fresh water, they hoped so soon to gain
a haven, that no means had been taken to remedy the evil.
Such was the state of things, as the sun set on the night
cf the 12th of February, 1493. As usual, Columbus was
on the poop, vessels of all sizes then carrying these clumsy
excrescences, though this of the Nifa was so small as
scarce to deserve the name. Luis was at his side, and
both watched the aspect of the heavens and the ocean in
grave silence. Never before had our hero seen the elements
in so great commotion, and the admiral had just remarked,
that even he had not viewed many nights as threatening.
There is a solemnity about a sunset at sea, when the clouds
appear threatening, and the omens of a storm are brooding;
that is never to be met with on the land. The loneliness
of a ship, struggling through a waste of dreary-looking
water, contributes to the influence of the feelings that are
awakened, as there appears to be but one object on which
the wild efforts of the storm can expend themselves. All
else seem to be in unison to aid the general strife; ocean,
heavens, and the air, being alike accessaries in the murky
picture. When the wintry frowns of February are thrown
around all, the gloomy hues of the scene are deepened to
their darkest tints.
"This is a brooding night-fall, Don Luis," Columbus remarked, just as the last rays that the sun cast upwards on
the stormy-looking clouds disappeared from their ragged
outlines-" I have rarely seen another as menacing
"One has a double confidence in the care of God, while




382


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


sailing under your guidance, Sefior; first in his goodness,
and next in the knowledge of his agent's skilfulness."
"The power of the Almighty is sufficient to endue the
feehlcst mortal with all fitting skill, when it is his divine
will to spare; or to rob the most experienced of their
knowledge, when his anger can only be appeased by the
worldly destruction of his creatures."
" You look upon the night as portentous, Don Christo.
pher!"
"I have seen omens as ill, though very seldom. Had
not the caravel this burthensome freight, I might view our
situation less anxiously."
" You surprise me, sir admiral! the pilots have regretted
that our barque is so light."
"True, as to material substance; but it beareth a cargo
of knowledge, Luis, that it would be grievous to see wasted
on these vacant waters. Dost thou not perceive how fast
and gloomily the curtain of night gathercth about us, and
the manner in which the Nifia is rapidly getting to be our
whole world? Even the Pinta is barely distinguishable,
like a shapeless shadow on the foaming billows, serving
rather as a beacon to warn us of our own desolation, than
as a consort to cheer us with her presence and companionship."
" I have never known you thus moody, excellent Sefior,
on account of the aspect of the weather!"
"'Tis not usual with me, young lord; but my heart
is loaded with its glorious secret. Behold!-dost thou remark that further sign of the warring or the elements?"
The admiral, as he spoke, was standing with his face
towards Spain, while his companion's gaze was fastened on
the portentous-looking horizon of the west, around which
still lingered sufficient light to render its frowns as chilling
as they were visible. He had not seen the change that
drew the remark from Columbus, but, turning quickly, he
asked an explanation. Notwithstanding the season, the
horizon at the north-east had been suddenly illuminated
by a flash of lightning, and even while the admiral was relating the fact, and pointing out the quarter of the heavens
in which the phenomenon had appeared, two more flashes
followed each Other in quick succession.




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


383


" Sefor Vicente "-called out Columbus, leaning forward
in a way to overlook a group of dusky figures that was
collected on the half-deck beneath him —" Is Sefior Vicente
Yaiez of your number?"
" I am here, Don Christopher, and note the omen. It is
the sign of even more wind."
"We shall be visited with a tempest, worthy Vicenle,
and it will come from that quarter of the heavens, or its op.
posite. Have we made all sure in the caravel?"
"I know not what else is to be done, Sefor Almirante.
Our canvass is at the lowest, everything is well lashed, and
we carry as little aloft as can be spared. Sancho Ruiz,
look you to the tarpaulins, lest we ship more water than will
be safe."
" Look well to our light, too, that our consort may not
part from us in the darkness. This is no time for sleep,
Vicente-place your most trusty men at the tiller."
"Sefior, they are selected with care. Sancho Munde,
and young Pepe of Moguer, do that duty, at present; others
as skilled await to relieve them, when their watch ends."
"'Tis well, good Pinzon-neither you nor I can close
an eye to-night."
The precautions of Columbus were not uncalled for.
About an hour after the unnatural flashes of lightning had
been seen, the wind rose from the south-west, favourably as
to direction, but fearfully as to force. Notwithstanding his
strong desire to reach port, the admiral found it prudent to
order the solitary sail that was set, to be taken in; and
most of the night the two caravels drove before the gale,
under bare poles, heading to the north-east. We say both
for Martin Alonzo, practised as he was in stormy seas, and
disposed as he was to act only for himself, now the great
problem was solved, kept the Pinta so near the Nifia, that
few minutes passed without her being seen careering on the
summit of a foaming sea, or settling bodily into the
troughs, as she drove headlong before the tempest; keeping side by side with her consort, however, as man clings
to man in moments of dependency and peril.
Thus passed the night of the 13th, the day bringing
with it a more vivid picture of the whole scene, thougn it
was thought that the wind somewhat abated in its force as




384


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


the sun arose. Perhaps this change existed only in the
iraginations of the mariners, the light usually lessening
the appearance of danger, by enabling men to face it
Each caravel, however, set a little canvass, and both went
foaming ahead, hurrying towards Spain with their unlooked-for tidings. As the day advanced, the fury of
the gale sensibly lessened; but as night drew on again, it
returned with renewed force, more adverse, and compelling
the adventurers to take in every rag of sail they had ventured to spread. Nor was this the worst. The caravels, by
this time, had driven up into a tract of ocean where a heavy
cross-sea was raging, the effects of some other gale that had
recently blown from a different quarter. Both vessels struggled manfully to lay up to their course, under these adverse
circumstances; but they began to labour in a way to excite
uneasiness in those who comprehended the fullest powers
of the machines, and who knew whence the real sources
of danger were derived. As night approached, Columbus
perceived that the Pinta could not maintain her ground, the
strain on her after-mast proving too severe to be borne,
even without an inch of canvass spread. Reluctantly did
he order the Nifia to edge away towards her consort, separation, at such a moment, being the evil next to positive
destruction..
In this manner the night of the 14th drew around our
lone and sea-girt adventurers. What had been merely
menace and omens the previous night, were now a dread
reality. Columbus, himself, declared he had never known
a barque to buffet a more furious tempest, nor did he affect
to conceal from Luis the extent of his apprehensions. With
the pilots, and before the crew, he was serene and even
cheerful; but when alone with our hero, he became frank
and humble. Still was the celebrated navigator always calm
and firm. No unmanly complaint escaped him, though his
very soul was saddened at the danger his great discoveries
ran of being for ever lost.
Such was the state of feeling that'prevailed with the
admiral, as he sat in his narrow cabin, in the first hours
of that appalling night, watching for any change, relieving or disastrous, that might occur. The howling of
the winds, which fairly scooped up from the surface of the




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


385


raging Atlantic, the brine in sheets, was barely audible
amid the roar and rush of the waters. At times, indeed,
when the caravel sunk helplessly between two huge waves,
the fiagment of sail she still carried, would flap, and the air
seemed hushed and still; and then, again, as the buoyant
machine struggled upward, like a drowning man who gains
the surface by frantic efforts, it would seem as if the
columns of air were about to bear her off before them, as
lightly as the driving spray. Even Luis, albeit little apt
to take alarm, felt that their situation was critical, and his
constitutional buoyancy of spirits had settled down in a
thoughtful gravity, that was unusual with him. IHad a
column of a thousand hostile Moors stood before our hero,
he would have thought rather of the means of overturning
it than of escape; but this warring of the elements admitted of no such relief. It appeared actually like contending with the Almighty. In such scenes, indeed, the
bravest find no means of falling back on their resolution
and intrepidity; for the efforts of man seem insignificant
and bootless as opposed to the will and power of God.
" 'T is a wild night, Sefior," our hero observed calmly,
preserving an exterior of more unconcern than he really
felt. " To me this surpasseth all I have yet witnessed of
the fury of a tempest."
Columbus sighed heavily; then he removed his hands
from his face, and glanced about him, as if in search of
the implements he wanted.
" Count of Llera," he answered, with dignity, "there
remaineth a solemn duty to perform. There is parchment
in the draw on your side of this table, and here are the
instruments for writing. Let us acquit ourselves of this
important trust while time is yet mercifully given us, God
alone knowing how long we have to live."
Luis did not blanch at these portentous words, but he
looked earnest and grave. Opening the draw, he took out
the parchment and laid it upon the table. The admiral
now seized a pen, beckoning to his companion to take another, and both commencetl writing as well as the incessant
motion of the light caravel would allow. The task was
arduous, but it was clearly executed. As Columbus wrote
a sentence, he repeated it to Luis, who copied it word for
33




356


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


word, on his own piece of parchment. The substance of
this record was the fact of the discoveries made, the lati.
tude and longitude of Espafiola, with the relative positions
of the other islands, and a brief account of what he had
seen. The letter was directed to Ferdinand and Isabella.
As soon as each had completed his account, the admiral
carefully enveloped his missive in a covering of waxed
cloth, Luis imitating him in all things. Each then took a
large cake of wax, and scooping a hole in it, the packet
was carefully secured in the interior, when it was covered
with the substance that had been removed. Columbus now
sent for the cooper of the vessel, who was directed to inclose each cake in a separate barrel. These vessels abound
in ships; and ere many minutes, the two letters were securely inclosed in the empty casks. Each taking a barrel,
the admiral and our hero now appeared again on the halfdeck. So terrific was the night, that no one slept, and most
of the people of the Nifia, men as well as officers, were
crowded together on the gratings near the main-mast,
where alone, with the exception of the still more privileged
places, they considered themselves safe from being swept
overboard. Indeed, even here they were constantly covered
with the wash of the sea, the poop itself not being protected from rude visits of this nature.
As soon as the admiral was seen again, his followers
crowded round him, solicitous to hear his opinion, and
anxious to learn his present object. To have told the truth,
would have been to introduce despair where hope had
already nearly ceased; and, merely intimating that he performed a religious vow, Columbus, with his own hands,
cast his barrel into the hissing ocean. That of Luis was
placed upon the poop, in the expectation that it would float,
should the caravel sink.
Three centuries and a half have rolled by, since Columbus took this wise precaution, and no tidings have ever
been obtained of that cask. Its buoyancy was such that
it might continue to float for ages. Covered with barnacles,
it may still be drifting about thewaste of waters, pregnant
with its mighty revelations. It is possible, it may have
been repeatedly rolled upon some sandy beach, and as frequently swept off again; and it may have been passed un.




MBRCEDES OF CASTILE.            387
heeded, on a thousand occasions, by different vessels confounded with its vulgar fellows that are so often seen drifting about the ocean. Had it been found, it would have
been opened; and had it been opened by any civilized man,
it is next to impossible that an occurrence of so much interest should have been totally lost.
This duty discharged, the admiral had leisure to look
about him. The darkness was now so great, that, but for
the little light that was disengaged from the troubled water,
it would have been difficult to distinguish objects at the
length of the caravel. No one, who has merely been at
sea in a tall ship, can form any just idea of the situation of
the Nifia. This vessel, little more than a large felucca, had
actually sailed from Spain with the latine rig, that is so
common to the light coasters of southern Europe; a rig
that had only been altered in the Canaries. As she floated
in a bay, or a river, her height above the water could not
have exceeded four or five feet, and now that she was struggling with a tempest, in a cross sea, and precisely in that
part of the Atlantic where the rake of the winds is the
widest, and the tumult of the water the greatest, it seemed
as if she were merely some aquatic animal, that occasionally
rose to the surface to breathe. There were moments when
the caravel appeared to be irretrievably sinking into the
abyss of the ocean; huge black mounds of water rising
around her in all directions, the confusion in the waves
having destroyed all the ordinary symmetry of the rolling
billows. Although so much figurative language has been
used, in speaking of mountainous waves, it would not be
exceeding the literal truth to add, that the Nifia's yards
were often below the summits of the adjacent seas, which
were tossed upward in so precipitous a manner, as to create
a constant apprehension of their falling in cataracts on her
gratings, for, midship-deck, strictly speaking, she had
none. This, indeed, formed the great source of danger;
since one falling wave might have filled the little vessel, and
carried her, with all in her, hopelessly to the bottom. As
it was, the crests of seas were constantly tumbling inboard,
or shooting athwart the hull of the caravel, in sheets of
glittering foam, though happily never with sufficient power
to overwhelm the buoyant fabric. At such perilous instants,




388


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


the safety of the craft depended on the frail tarpawlings.
Had these light coverings given way, two or three successive w aves would infallibly have so far filled the hold, as to
render the hull water-logged; when the loss of the vessel
would have followed as an inevitable consequence.
The admiral had ordered Vicente Yafiez to carry the
foresail close reefed, in the hope of dragging the caravel
through this chaos of waters, to a part of the ocean where
the waves ran more regularly. The general direction of
the seas too, so far as they could be said to have a general
direction at all, had beer respected, and the Nifia had struggled onward - it might be better to say waded onward -
some five or six leagues, since the disappearance of the day
and found no change. It was getting to be near midnight.
and still the surface of-the ocean presented the same wild
aspect of chaotic confusion. Vicente Yanez approached
the admiral, and declared that the barque could no longer
bear the rag of sail she carried.
"The jerk, as we rise on the sea, goes near to pull the
stern out of the craft," he said, " and the backward flap, as
we settle into the troughs, is almost as menacing. The
Nifia will bear the canvass no longer, with safety."
"WVho has seen aught of Martin Alonzo within the
hour?" demanded Columbus, looking anxiously in the direction in which the Pinta ought to be visible. "Thou hast
lowered the lantern, Vicente Yafiez."
" It would stand the hurricane no longer. From time to
time it hath been shown, and each signal hath been an.
swered by my brother."
" Let it be shown once more. This is a moment when the
presence of a friend gladdens the soul, even though he be
helpless as ourselves."
The lantern was hoisted, and, after a steady gaze, a faint
and distant light was seen glimmering in the rack of the
tempest. The experiment was repeated, at short intervals,
and as often was the signal answered, at increasing distances, until the light of their consort was finally lost altogether.
("The Pinta's mast is too feeble to bear even its gear, in
Buch a gale," observed Vicente Yafiez; "and my brother




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


389


hath found it impossible to keep as near the wind as we
have done. He goes off more to leeward."
" Let the foresail be secured," answered Columbus, " as
thou sayest. Our feeble craft can no longer bear these
violent surges."
Vicente Yafiez now mustered a few of his ablest men,
and went forward himself to see this order executed. At
the same moment the helm was righted, and the caravel
slowly fell off, until she got dead before the gale. The task
of gathering in the canvass was comparatively easy, the
yard being but a few feet above the deck, and little besides
the clews being exposed.  Still it required men of the
firmest nerve and the readiest hands to venture aloft at
such an instant. Sancho took one side of the mast and
Pepe the other, both manifesting such qualities as mark the
perfect seaman, only.
The caravel was now drifting at the mercy of the winds
and waves, the term scudding being scarcely applicable to
the motion of a vessel so low, and which was so perfectly
sheltered from the action of the wind by the height of the
billows. Had the latter possessed their ordinary regularity,
the low vessel must have been pooped; but, in a measure,
her exemption from this calamity was owing to an irregularity that was only the source of a new danger. Still, the
Nifia drove ahead, and that swiftly, though not with the
velocity necessary to outstrip the chasing water, had the
waves followed with their customary order and rapidity.
The cross seas defeated this; wave meeting wave, actually
sending those crests which otherwise would have rolled
over in combing foam, upward in terrific jets d'eau.
This was the crisis of the danger. There was an hour
when the caravel careered amid the chaotic darkness with
a sort of headlong fury, not unfrequently dashing forward
with her broadside to the sea, as if the impatient stern was
bent on overtaking the stem, and exposing all to the extreme jeopardy of receiving a flood of water on the beam.
This imminent risk was only averted by the activity of the
man at the helm, where Sancho toiled with a!l his skill and
energy, until the sweat rolled from his brow, as if exposed
again to the sun of the tropics. At length the alarm be.
came so great and general, that a common demand was
33 *




39g


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


made to the admiral to promise the customary religious
oblations. For this purpose, all but the men at the helm
assembled aft, and preparations were made to cast lots for
the penance.
" Ye are in the hands of God, my friends," said Columbus, " and it is meet that ye all confess your dependence
on his goodness, placing your security on his blessings and
favour alone. In this cap which ye see in the hands of the
Sefior de Mufios, are the same number of peas that we
are of persons. One of these peas bears the mark of the
Holy Cross, and he who shall draw forth this blessed emblem, stands pledged to make a pilgrimage to Santa Maria
de Guadalupe, bearing a waxen taper of five pounds weight.
As the chiefest sinner amongst you, no less than as your
admiral, the first trial shall be mine."
Here Columbus put his hand into the cap, and on drawing forth a pea, and holding it to the lantern, it was found
to bear on its surface the mark he had mentioned.
"This is well, Seinor," said one of the pilots; " but replace the pea, and let the chance be renewed for a still
heavier penance, and that at a shrine which is most in re.
quest with all good Christians; I mean that of our Lady
of Loretto. One pilgrimage to that shrine is worth two to
any other."
In moments of emergency the religious sentiment is apt
to be strong; and this proposition was seconded with
warmth. The admiral cheerfully consented; and when all
had drawn, the marked pea was found in the hands of a
common seaman, of the name of Pedro de Villa; one who
bore no very good name for either piety or knowledge.
" 'T is a weary and costly journey," grumbled the chosen
penitent, " and cannot cheaply be made."
" Heed it not, friend Pedro," answered Columbus: "the
bodily pains shall limit thy sufferings, for the cost of the
journey shall be mine. This night groweth more and more
terrific, good Bartolemeo Roldan."
"That doth it, Sefior Admiral, and I am little content
with such a pilgrim as Pedro here, although it may seem
as if heaven itself directed the choice. A mass in Santa
Clara de Moguer, with a watcher all night in that chapel,




MERCEDES OF CASTLte.


391


will be of more account than your distant journeys made
by such an one as he."
This opinion wanted not for supporters among the seamen of Moguer, and a third trial was made to determine
the person. Again the pea was withdrawn from the cap by
the admiral. Still the danger did not diminish, the caravel
actually threatening to roll over amid the turbulence of the
waves,
" We are too light, Vicente Yafiez," said Columbus, " and
desperate as the undertaking seemeth, we must make an
effort to fill our empty casks with sea-water. Let hose be
carefully introduced beneath the tarpawlings, and send
careful hands below to make sure that the water do not
get into the hold instead of the casks."
This order was obeyed, and several hours passed in
efforts to execute this duty. The great difficulty was in
protecting the men who raised the water from the sea, for
while the whole element was raging in such confusion
around them, it was no easy matter to secure a single drop
in a useful manner. Patience and perseverance, however,
prevailed in the end, and, ere the light returned, so many
empty casks had been filled, as evidently to aid the steadi.
ness of the vessel. Towards morning it rained in torrents,
and the wind shifted from south to west, losing but little of
its force, however. At this juncture the foresail was again
got on the barque, and she was dragged by it, through a
tremendous sea, a few miles to the eastward.
When the day dawned, the scene was changed for the
better. The Pinta was nowhere to be seen, and inost in the
Nifia believed she had gone to the bottom. But the clouds
had opered a little, and a sort of mystical brightness rested
on the ocean, which was white with foam, and still hissing
with fury. The waves, however, were gradually getting
to be more regular, and the seamen no longer found it necessary to lash themselves to the vessel, in order to prevent
being washed overboard. Additional sail was got on the
caravel, and as her motion ahead increased, she became
steadier, and more certain in all her movements.




MERCEDES OF CASTILE,


CHAPTER XXV.
"For now, from sight of land diverted clear,
They drove uncertain o'er the pathless deep;
Nor gave the adverse gale due course to steer,
Nor durst they the design'd direction keep:
The gathering tempest quickly raged so high,
The wave-encompass'd boat but faintly reach'd my eve."
Vision of Patience.
SUCH was the state of things on the morning of the 15th,
and shortly after the sun arose, the joyful cry of land was
heard from aloft. It is worthy of being mentioned that
this land was made directly ahead, so accurate were all the
admiral's calculations, and so certain did he feel of his position on the. chart. A dozen opinions, however, prevailed
among the pilots and people concerning this welcome sight;
some fancying it the continent of Europe, while others believed it to be Madeira. Columbus, himself, publicly announced it to be one of the Azores.
Each hour was lessening the distance between this welcome spot of earth and the adventurers, when the gale
chopped directly round, bringing the island dead to windward. Throughout a long and weary day the little barque
kept turning up against thestorm, in order to reach this much
desired haven, but the heaviness of the swell and the foul
wind made their progress both slow and painful. The sun set
in wintry gloom again, and the land still lay in the wrong
quarter, and apparently at a distance that was unattainable.
Hour after hour passed, and still in the darkness the Nina
was struggling to get nearer to the spot where the land had
been seen. Columbus never left his post throughout all
these anxious scenes, for to him it seemed as if the fortunes
of his discoveries were now suspended, as it might be, by
a hair. Our hero was less watchful, but even he began to
feel more anxiety in the result, as the moment approached
when the fate of the expedition was to be decided.
As the sun arose every eye turned inquiringly around
the watery view, and, to the common disappointment, no




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.            31H8
land was visible. Some fancied all had been illusion, but
the admiral believed they had passed the island in the
darkness, and he hove about, with a view to stand farther
south. This change in the course had not been made more
than an hour or two, when land was again dimly seen
astern, and in a quarter where it could not have been previously perceived. For this island the caravel tacked, and
until dark she was beating up for it, against a strong gale
and a heavy sea. Night again drew around her, and the
land once more vanished in the gloom.
At the usual hour of the previous night, the people of
the Nifia had assembled to chant the salve fac, regina, or
the evening hymn to the Virgin, for it is one of the touching
incidents of this extraordinary voyage, that these rude
sailors first carried with them into the unknown wastes of
the Atlantic the songs of their religion, and the Christian's
prayers. While thus employed, a light had been made to
leeward, which was supposed to be on the island first seen,
thus encouraging the admiral in his belief that he was in
the centre of a group, and that by keeping well to windward, he would certainly find himself in a situation to reach
a port in the morning. That morning, however, had produced no other change than the one noted, and he was now
preparing to pass another night, or that of the 17th, in uncertainty, when the cry of land ahead suddenly cheered
the spirits of all in the vessel.
The Nifia stood boldly in, and before midnight she was
near enough to the shore to let go an anchor; so heavy
were both wind and sea, however, that the cable parted,
thus rejecting them, as it were, from the regions to which
they properly belonged. Sail was made, and the effort to
get to windward renewed, and by daylight the caravel was
enabled to run in and get an anchorage on the north side
of the island. Here the wearied and almost exhausted mariners learned that Columbus was right, as usual, and that
they had reached the island of St. Mary, one of the Azores.
It does not belong to this tale to record all the incidents
that occurred while the Nifia lay at this port. They embraced an attempt to seize the caravel, on the part of the
Portuguese, who, as they had been the last to harass the
admiral on his departure from the old world, were the first




394


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


to beset him on his return. Ail their machinations failed,
however, and after having the best portion of his crew in
their power, and actually having once sailed from the island
without the men, the admiral finally arranged the matter,
and took his departure for Spain, with all his people on
board, on the 24th of the month.
Providence seemed to favour the passage of the adventurers, for the first few days; the wind being favourable
and the sea smooth. Between the morning of the 24th and
the evening of the 26th, the caravel had made nearly a
hundred leagues directly on her course to Palos, when she
was met by a foul wind and another heavy sea. The gale
now became violent again, though sufficiently favourable to
allow them to steer east, a little northerly, occasionally
hauling more ahead. The weather was rough, but as the
admiral knew he was drawing in with the continent of Europe, he did not complain, cheering his people with the
hopes of a speedy arrival. In this manner the time passed
until the turn of the day, Saturday, March 2d, when Columbus believed himself to be within a hundred miles of
the coast of Portugal, the long continuance of the scant
southerly winds having set him thus far north.
The night commenced favourably, the caravel struggling
ahead through a tremendous sea that was sweeping down
from the south, having the wind abeam, blowing so fresh,
as to cause the sails to be reduced within manageable size.
The Nifia was an excellent craft, as had been thoroughly
proved, and she was now steadier than when first assailed
by the tempests, her pilots having filled still more of the
casks, than they had been able to do during the late storm.
"Thou hast lived at the helm, Sancho Mundo, since the
late gales commenced," said the admiral cheerfully, as,
about the last hour of the first watch, he passed near the
post of the old mariner. "It is no small honour to hold
that station in the cruel gales we have been fated to endure."
"I so consider it, Seior Don Almirante; and I hope
their illustrious and most excellent Highnesses, the two
Sovereigns, will look upon it with the same eyes, so far as
the weight of the duty is concerned."
"( And why not as respects the honour, friend Sancho?"




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


395


put in Luis, who had become a sworn friend of the seaman,
since the rescue of the rocks.
s" Honour, Sefior Master Pedro, is cold food and sits ill on
a poor man's stomach. One dobla is worth two dukedoms
to such a man as I am, since the dobla would help to gain me
respect, whereas the dukedoms would only draw down ridicule upon my head. No, no-Master Pedro, your worship,
give me a pocket full of gold, and leave honours to such as
have a fancy for them. If a man must be raised in the
world, begin at the beginning, or lay a solid foundation;
after which he may be made a knight of St. James, if the
sovereigns have need of his name to make out their list."
" Thou art too garrulous for a helmsman, Sancho, though
so excellent otherwise," observed the admiral, gravely.
" Look to thy course; doblas will not be wanting, when
the voyage is ended."
" Many thanks, Sefior Almirante; and, as a proof that
my eyes are not shut, even though the tongue wags, I will
just desire your excellency, and the pilots, to study that rag
of a cloud that is gathering up here, at the south-west, and
ask yourselves if it means evil, or good."
" By the mass! the man is right, Don Christopher!" exclaimed Bartolemeo Roldan, who was standing near; " that
is a most sinister-looking cloud, and is not unlike those that
give birth to the white squalls of Africa."
"See to it-see to it-good Bartolemeo," returned Co.
lumbus, hastily. " We have, indeed, counted too much on
our good fortune, and have culpably overlooked the aspect
of the heavens. Let Vicente Yaiez and all our people be
called; we may have need of them."
Columbus now ascended to the poop, where he got a
wider and a better view of the ocean and the skies. The
signs were, indeed, as portentous as they had been sudden
in their appearance. The atmosphere was filled with a
white mist, that resembled a light smoke, and the admiral
had barely time to look about him, when a roar that resembled the trampling of a thousand horse passing a bridge at
full speed, came rushing down with the wind. The ocean
was heard hissing, as is usual at such moments, and the
tempest burst upon the little Lark, as if envious demon




396


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


were determined she should never reach Spain, with the
glorious tidings she bore.
A report like that of a heavy discharge of musketry
was the first signal that the squall hald struck the Nifia. It
came from the rent canvass, every sail having given way
at the same instant. The caravel heeled until the water
reached her masts, and there was a breathless instant, when
the oldest seaman feared that she would be forced over en
tireiy upon her side. Had not the sails split, this calamity
might truly have occurred. Sancho, too, had borne the tiller
up in season, and when the Niia recovered from the shock
she almost flew out of the water, as she drove before the
blast.
This was the commencement of a new gale, which even
surpassed in violence that from which they had so recently
escaped. For the first hour, awe and disappointment al.
most paralyzed the crew, as nothing was or could be done
to relieve them from the peril they were in. The vessel
was already scudding -the last resource of seamen -and
even the rags of the canvass were torn, piece by piece,
from the spars, sparing the men the efforts that would have
been necessary to secure them. In this crisis, again the
penitent people resorted to their religious rites; and again
it fell to the lot of the admiral to make a visit to some favourite shrine. In addition, the whole crew made a vow to
fast on bread and water, the first Saturday after they should
arrive.
" It is remarkable, Don Christopher," said Luis, when the
two were again alone on the poop, " it is remarkable that
these lots should fall so often on you. Thrice have you
been selected by Providence to be an instrument of thankfulness and penitence. - This cometh of your exceeding
faith!"
" Say, rather, Luis, that it cometh of my exceeding sins.
My pride, alone, should draw down upon me stronger rebukes than these. I fear me, I had forgotten that I was
merely an agent chosen by God, to work his own great
ends, and was fallirg into the snares of Satan, by fancying
that I, of my own wisdom and philosophy, had done this
great exploit, which cometh so truly of God."
"Do you believe us in danger, Seiior?"




MERCEDES OF CASTIL.3


397


"Greater hazard besets us now, Don Luis, than hath
befallen us since we left Palos. We are driving towards
the continent, which cannot be thirty leagues distant; and,
as thou seest, the ocean is becoming more troubled every
hour. Happily, the night is far advanced, and with the
light we may find the means of safety."
The day did re-appear as usual; for whatever disturbances occur on its surface, the earth continues its daily revolutions in the sublimity of its vastness, affording at each
change to the mites on its surface, the indubitable proofs
that an omnipotent power reigns over all its movements.
The light, however, brought no change in the aspects of
the ocean and sky. The wind blew furiously, and the Nifia
struggled along amid the chaos of waters, driving nearer
and nearer to the. continent that lay before her.
About the middle of the afternoon, signs of land became
quite apparent, and no one doubted the vicinity of the
vessel to the shores of Europe. Nevertheless, nought was
visible but the raging ocean, the murky sky, and the sort
of supernatural light with which the atmosphere is so
often charged in a tempest. The spot where the sun set,
though known by means of the compass, could not be
traced by the eye; and again night closed on the wild,
wintry scene, as if the little caravel was abandoned by
hope as well as by the day. To add to the apprehensions
of the people, a high cross sea ivas running; and, as ever
happens with vessels so small, in such circumstances, tons'
weight of water were constantly falling inboard, threatening
destruction to the gratings and their frail coverings of tarred cloth.
" This is the most terrible night of all, son Luis," said
Columbus, about an hour after the darkness had drawn
around them. " If we escape this night, well may we deem
ourselves favoured of God!"
" And yet you speak calmly, Sefior; as calmly as if your
heart was filled with hope."
"The seaman that cannot command his nerves and voice,
even in the utmost peril, hath mistaken his calling. But I
eel calm, Luis, as well as seem calm. God hath us in his
keeping, and will do that which most advanceth his own
34




398


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


holy will. My boys-my two poor boys trouble me sorely
but even the fatherless are not forgotten "
"If we perish; Seior, the Portuguese will remain masters of our secret: to them only is it now known, ourselves
excepted, since, for Martin Alonzo, I should think, there is
little hope."
"This is another source of grief; yet have I taken such
steps as will probably put their highnesses on the maintenance of their rights. The rest must be trusted to heaven."
At that moment was heard the startling cry of " land."
This word, which so lately would have been the cause of
sudden bursts of joy, was now the source of new uneasiness. Although the night was dark, there were moments
when the gloom opened, as it might be, for a mile or two
around the vessel, and when objects as prominent as a coast
could be seen with sufficient distinctness. Both Columbus
and our hero hastened to the forward part of the caravel, at
this cry, though even this common movement was perilous,
in order to obtain the best possible view of the shore.
It was, indeed, so near, that all on board heard, or fancied
they heard, the roar of the surf against the rocks. That it
was Portugal, none doubted, and, to stand on in the present
uncertainty of their precise position, or without a haven to
enter, would be inevitable destruction. There remained
only the alternative to ware with the caravel's head off
shore, and endeavour to keep an offing until morning.
Columbus had no sooner mentioned this necessity, than
Vicente Yafiez set about its execution in the best manner
circumstances would allow.
Hitherto the wind had been kept a little on the starboard
quarter, the caravel steering east, a point or two north, and
it was now the aim to lay her head so far round as to permit her to steer north, a point or two west. By the manner
in which the coast appeared to trend, it was thought that
this variation in the direction might keep them, for a few
hours, at a sufficient distance from the shore. But this manceuvre could not be effected without the aid of canvass. and
an order was issued to set the foresail. The first flap of
the canvass, as it was loosened to the gale, was tremendous,
the jerk threatening to tear the foremast from its step, and
then all was still as death forward, the hull sinking so low




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


39


behind a barrier of water, as actually to becalm the sail.
Sancho and his associate seized the favourable moment to
secure the clews, and, as the little barque struggled upward
again, the canvass filled with some such shock as is felt at
the sadden checking of a cable. From this moment the
Nifia drew slowly off to sea again, though her path lay
through such a scene of turbulent water, as threatened, at
each instant, to overwhelm her.
"Luis!" said a soft voice, at our hero's elbow, as the
latter stood clinging to the side of the door of the cabin appropriated to the females-" Luis-Hayti better-Mattinao
better-much bad, Luis!"
It was Ozema, who had risen from her pallet to look out
upon the appalling view of the ocean. During the mild
weather of the first part of the passage, the intercourse between Luis and the natives on board, had been constant
and cheerful. Though slightly incommoded by her situation, Ozema had always received his visits with guileless
delight, and her progress in Spanish had been such as to
astonish even her teacher.  Nor were the means of communication confined altogether to the advance of Ozema,
since Luis, in his endeavours to instruct her, had acquired
nearly as many words of her native tongue, as he had
taught her of his own. In this manner they conversed,
resorting to both dialects for terms, as necessity dictated.
We shall give a free translation of what was said, endeavouring, at the same time, to render the dialogue characteristic
and graphic.
"Poor Ozema!" returned our hero, drawing her gently
to a position where he could support her against the effects
of the violent motion of the caravel -" thou must regret
Hayti, indeed, and the peaceful security of thy groves!"
" Caonabo there, Luis."
" True, innocent girl; but even Caonabo is not as terrible
as this anger of the elements."
"No-no-no —Caonabo much bad. Break Czema's
heart. No Caonabo-no Hayti."
"Thv dread of the Carib chief, dear Ozema, hath upset
thy reason, in part. Thou hast a God, as well as we
Christians, and, like us, must put thy trust in him; he
alone can now protect thee."
" What protect?"




400


MERCEDES OF CAST1LE.


" Care for thee, Ozema. See that thou dost not come to
harm. Look to thy safety and welfare."
" Luis protect Ozema. So promise Mattinao-so promise
Ozema-so promise heart."
"Dear girl, so will I, to the extent of my means. But
what can I do against this tempest?"
" What Luis do against Caonabo?-kill him-cut Indians
-make him run away!"
"This was easy to a Christian knight, who carried a
good sword and buckler, but it is impossible against a tempest. We have only one hope, and that is to trust in the
Spaniard's God."
"Spaniards great-have great God."
"There is but one God, Ozema, and he ruleth all, whether in Hayti or in Spain. Thou rememberest what I have
told thee of his love, and of the manner of his death, that
we might all be saved, and thou didst then promise to
worship him, and to be baptised when we should reach my
zountry."
"God! -Ozema do, what Ozema say. Love Luis's
God already."
" Thou hast seen the holy cross, Ozema, and hast pro.
mised me to kiss it, and bless it."
"Where cross? See no cross-up in heaven? —o
where? Show Ozema cross, now - Luis's cross -cross
Luis love."
The young man wore the parting gift of Mercedes near
his heart, and raising a hand he withdrew the small jewel,
pressed it to his ownr lips with pious fervour, and then
~, red it to the Indian girl.
"See"-he said-" this is a cross; we Spaniards reree and bless it. It is our pledge of happiness."
"That Luis's God?" inquired Ozema, in a little surprise.
"Not so, my poor benighted girl""What benighted?' interrupted the quick-witted Haytian,
ca erly, for no term that the young man could or did apply
to her, fell unheeded on her vigilant and attentive ear.
"Benighted means those who have never heard of the
cross, or of its endless mercies."
-"' Ozema no benighted now," exclaimed the other, press.
mng the bauble to hei bosom. " Got cross-keep cross —




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


461


no benighted again, never. Cross, Mercedes "-for, by one
of those mistakes that are not unfrequent in the commence
ment of all communications between those. who speak different tongues, the young Indian had caught the notion,
from many of Luis's involuntary exclamations, that " Mercedes" meant all that was excellent.
" I would, indeed, that she of whom thou speakest had
thee in her gentle care, that she might lead thy pure soul
to a just knowledge of thy Creator! That cross cometh
of Mercedes, if it be not Mercedes herself, and thou dost
well in loving it, and in blessing it. Place the chain around
thy neck, Ozema, for the precious emblem may help in
preserving thee, should the gale throw us on the coast, ere
morning.  That cross is a sign of undying love."
The girl understood enough of this, especially as the direction was seconded by a little gentle aid, on the part of
our hero, to comply, and the chain was soon thrown around
her neck, with the holy emblem resting on her bosom.
The change in the temperature, as well as a sense of propriety, had induced the admiral to cause ample robes of
cotton to be furnished all the females, and Ozema's beautiful
form was now closely enveloped in one, and beneath its
folds she had hidden the jewel, which she fondly hugged to
her heart, as a gift of Luis. Not so did the young man,
himself, view the matter. He had merely meant to lend,
in a moment of extreme peril, that which the superstitious
feeling of the age seriously induced him to fancy might
prove a substantial safeguard. -As Ozema was by no means
expert in managing the encumbrance of a dress to which
she was unaccustomed, even while native taste had taught
her to throw it around her person gracefully, the young
man had half unconsciously assisted in placing the cross
in its new position, when a violent roll of the vessel compelled him to sustain the girl by encircling her waist with
an arm. Partly yielding to the motion of the caravel,
which was constantly jerking even the mariners from their
feet, and probably as much seduced by the tenderness of
her own heart, Ozema did not rebuke this liberty, the first
our hero had ever offered, but stood, in confiding innocence,
upheld by the arm that, of all others, it was most grateful
to her feelings to believe destined to perform that office for
34 *




402


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


life. In another moment, her head rested on his bosom,
and her face was turned upward, with the eyes fastened on
the countenance of the young noble.
"Thou art less alarmed at this terrific storm, Ozema,
than I could have hoped. Apprehension for thee has made
me more miserable than I could have thought possible, and
yet thou seemest not to be disturbed."
"Ozema no unhappy-no want Hayti-no want Matti.
nao-no want any thing-Ozema happy now. Got cross."
" Sweet, guileless innocent, may'st thou never know any
other feelings!-confide in thy cross."
" Cross, Mercedes - Luis, Mercedes. Luis and Ozema
keep cross for ever."
It was perhaps fortunate for this high-prized happiness
of the girl, that the Niia now took a plunge that unavoidably compelled our hero to release his hold of her person,
or to drag her with him headlong towards the place where
Columbus stood, sheltering his weatherbeaten form from a
portion of the violence of the tempest. When he recovered
his feet, he perceived that the door of the cabin was closed,
and that Ozema was no longer to be seen.
" Dost thou find our female friends terrified by this appalling scene, son Luis?" Columbus quietly demanded, for,
though his own thoughts had been much occupied by the
situation of the caravel, he had noted all that had just
passed so near him. "They are stout of heart, but even
an amazon might quail at this tempest."
"They heed it not, Sefior, for I think they understand it
not. The civilized man is so much their superior that both
men and women appear to have every confidence in our
means of safety. I have just given Ozema a cross, and
bade her place her greatest reliance on that."
"Thou hast done well; it is now the surest protectvr
of us all. Keep the head of the caravel as near to the
wind as may be, Sancho, when it lulls, every inch off shore
being so much gained in the way of security."
The usual reply was made, and then the conversation
ceased; the raging of the elements, and the fearful manner
in which the Nifa was compelled to struggle literally to
keep on the surface of the ocean, affording ample matter
for the reflections of all who witnessed the scene.
In this manner passed the night. When the day broke,




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


403


it opened on a scene of wintry violence. Tne sun was not
visible that day, the dark vapour driving so low before the
tempest, as to lessen the apparent altitude of the vault of
heaven one-half, but the ocean was an undulating sheet of
foam. High land soon became visible nearly abeam of the
caravel, and all the elder mariners immediately pronounced
it to be the rock of Lisbon. As soon as this important fact
was ascertained, the admiral wore with the head of the
caravel in-shore, and laid his course for the mouth of the
Tagus. The distance was not great, some twenty miles
perhaps; but the necessity of facing the tempest, and of
making sail, on a wind, in such a storm, rendered the
situation of the caravel more critical than it had been in all
her previous trials. At that moment, the policy of the
Portuguese was forgotten, or held to be entirely a secondary
consideration, a port or shipwreck appearing to be the alternative. Every inch of their weatherly position became of
importance to the navigators, and Vicente Yafiez placed
himself near the helm to watch its play with the vigilance
of experience and authority. No sail but the lowest could
be carried, and these were reefed as closely as their construction would allow.
In this manner the tempest-tossed little barque struggled
forward, now sinking so low in the troughs, that land,
ocean, and all but the frowning billows, with the clouds above
their heads, were lost to view; and now rising, as it might
be, from the calm of a sombre cavern, into the roaring,
hissing, and turbulence of a tempest. These latter moments were the most critical. When the light hull reached
the summit of a wave, falling over to windward by the
yielding of the element beneath her, it seemed as if the next
billow must inevitably overwhelm her; and yet, so vigilant
was the eye -f Vicente Yafiez, and so ready the hand of
Sancho, that she ever escaped the calamity. To keep the
wash of the sea entirely out, was, however, impossible; and
it often swept athwart the deck, forward, like the sheets of
a cataract, that part of the vessel being completely abandoned by the crew.
" All now depends on our canvass," said the admiral,
with a sigh; " if that stand, we are safer than when scud.




404 '


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


ding, and I think God is with us. To me it seemeth as if
the wind was a little less violent than in the night."
" Perhaps it is, Senor. I believe we gain on the place
you pointed out to me."
"It is yon rocky point.  That weathered, and we are
safe. That not weathered, and we see our common grave."
"The caravel behaveth nobly, and I will still hope."
An hour later, and the land was so near that human
beings were seen moving on it. There are moments when
hle and death may be said to be equally presented to the
seaman's sight. On one side is destruction; on the other
security. As the vessel drew slowly in towards the shore,
not only was the thunder of the surf upon the rocks audible,
but the frightful manner in which the water was tossed upward in spray, gave additional horrors to the view. On
such occasions, it is no uncommon thing to see jets d'eau
hundreds of feet in height, and the driving spray is often
carried to a great distance inland, before the wind. Lisbon
has the whole rake of the Atlantic before it, unbroken by
island or headland; and the entire coast of Portugal is one
of the most exposed of Europe. The south-west gales, in
particular, drive across twelve hundred leagues of ocean,
and the billows they send in upon its shores, are truly appalling. Nor was the storm we are endeavouring to de.
scribe, one of common occurrence. The season had been
tempestuous, seldom leaving the Atlantic any peace; and
the surges produced by one gale had not time to subside,
ere another drove up the water in a new direction, giving
rise to that irregularity of motion which most distresses a
vessel, and which is particularly hazardous to small ones.
" She looks up better, Don Christopher!" exclaimed Luis,
as they got within musket-shot of the desired point,-" another ten minutes, of as favourable a slant, and we do it!"
"Thou art right, son," answered the admiral calmly.
"Were any calamity to throw us ashore on yonder rocks,
two planks of the Nina would not hold together five minutes. Ease her — good Vicente Yaiez -ease her, quite a
point, and let her go through the water. All depends on
the canvass, and we can spare that point. She moves,
Luis!-Regard the land, and thou wilt now see our motion."




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


405


"True, Senior, but the caravel is drawing frightfully
near the point!"
" Fear not; a bold course is often the safest. It is a deep
shore, and we need but little water."
No one now spoke. The caravel was dashing in towards
the point with appalling speed, and every minute brought
her perceptibly nearer to the cauldron of water that was
foaming around it. Without absolutely entering within this
vortex, the Nifia flew along its edge, and, in five minutes
more, she had a direct course up the Tagus open before her.
The mainsail was now taken in, and the mariners stood
fearlessly on, certain of a haven, and security.
Thus, virtually, ended the greatest marine exploit the
world has ever witnessed. It is true that a run round to
Palos was subsequently made, but it was insignificant in
distance, and not fruitful in incidents. Columbus had effected his vast purpose, and his success was no longer a
secret. His reception in Portugal is known, as well as all
the leading occurrences that took place at Lisbon. He anchored in the Tagus on the 4th of March, and left it again
on the 13th. On the morning of the 14th, the Nifia was
off Cape St. Vincent, when she hauled in to the eastward,
with a light air from the north. At sunrise on the 15th
she was again off the bar of Saltes, after an absence of
only two hundred and twenty-four days.




406             MERCEDES OF CASTILL
CHAPTER XXVL
"One evening-tide, as with her crones she sate,
Making sweet solace of some scandall new,
A boisterous noise came thondring at the gate,
And soon a sturdie boy approach'd in view;
With gold far glitteraund were his vestments blue,
And pye-shaped hat, and of the silver sheen
An huge broad buckle glaunst in either shoe,
And round his necke an Indian kerchiefe clean,
And in his hand a switch;-a jolly wight I ween."
NOTWITHSTANDING the noble conceptions that lay at the
bottom of the voyage we have just related, the perseve.
rance and self-devotion that were necessary to its accomplishment, and the magnificence of the consequences that
were dependent on its success, it attracted very little attention, amid the stirring incidents and active selfishness of the
age, until the result was known. Only a month before the
arrangement was made with Columbus, the memorable
edict of the two sovereigns, for the expulsion of the Jews,
had been signed; and this uprooting of so large a portion
of the Spanish nation was, of itself, an event likely to
draw off the eyes of the people from an enterprise deemed
as doubtful, and which was sustained by means so insignificant. as that of the great navigator. The close of the
month of July had been set as the latest period for the departure of these persecuted religionists; and thus, at the
very time, almost on the very day, when Columbus sailed
from Palos, was the attention of the nation directed towards
what might be termed a great national calamity. The
departure was like the setting forth from Egypt, the highways being thronged with the moving masses, many of
which were wandering they knew not whither.
The king and queen had left Granada in May, and aftet
remaining two months irl Castile, they passed into Aragon,
about the commencement of August, in which kingdom
they happened to be when the expedition sailed. Here




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


407


they remained throughout the rest of the season, settling
affairs of importance, and, quite probably, disposed to avoid
the spectacle of the misery their Jewish edict had inflicted,
Castile having contained much the greater portion of that
class of their subjects. In October, a visit was paid to the
turbulent Catalans; the court passing the entire winter in
Barcelona. Nor did momentous events cease to occupy
them while in this part of their territories. On the 7th of
December an attempt was made on the life of Ferdinand;
the assassin inflicting a severe, though not a fatal, wound,
by a blow on the neck. During the critical weeks in which
the life of the king was deemed to be in danger, Isabella
watched at his bed-side, with the untiring affection of a devoted wife; and her thoughts dwelt more on her affections
than on any worldly aggrandisement. Then followed the
investigations into the motives of the criminal; conspiracies
ever being distrusted in such cases, although history would
probably show that much the greater part of these wicked
attempts on the lives of sovereigns, are more the results of
individual fanaticism, than of any combined plans to destroy.
Isabella, whose gentle spirit grieved over the misery her
religious submission had induced her to inflict on the Jews,
was spared the additional sorrow of mourning for a husband, taken away by means so violent. Ferdinand gradually recovered. All these occurrences, together with the
general cares of the state, had served to divide the thoughts
of even the queen from the voyage; while the politic Ferdinand, in his mind, had long since set down the gold ex.
pended in the outfit as so much money lost.
The balmy spring of the south opened as usual, and the
fertile province of Catalonia had already become delightful
with the fresh verdure of the close of March. The king
had, for some weeks, resumed his usual occupations, and
Isabella, relieved from her conjugal fears, had again fallen
into the quiet current of her duties and her usual acts of
beneficence. Indisposed to the gorgeousness of her station
by the recent events, and ever pining for the indulgence of
the domestic affections, this estimable woman, notwithstand.
ing the strong natural disposition she had always felt for
that sort of life, had lived more among her children and
confidants, of late, than had been even her wont. Her ear



40O


0kERCEDES OF CASTILE.


liest friend, the Marchioness of Moya, as a matter of course,
was ever near her person, and Mercedes passed most of her
time either in the immediate presence of her royal mistress,
or in that of her children.
There had been a small reception one evening, near the
close of the month; and Isabella, glad to escape from such
scenes, had withdrawn to her private apartments, to indulge
in conversation in the circle she so much loved. It was
near the hour of midnight, the king being at work, as usual,
in an adjoining closet. There were present, besides the
members of the royal family and Donia Beatriz with her
lovely niece, the Archbishop of Granada, Luis de St. An,
gel, and Alonzo de Quintanilla, the two last of whom had
been summoned by the prelate, to discuss some question of
clerical finance before their illustrious mistress. All business, however, was over, and Isabella was rendering the
circle agreeable with the condescension of a princess, and
the gentle grace of a woman.
"Are there fresh tidings from the unfortunate and deluded Hebrews, Lord Archbishop?" demanded Isabella,
whose kind feelings ever led her to regret the severity
which religious dependence on her confessors had induced
her to sanction. " Our prayers should surely attend them,
notwithstanding our policy and duty have demanded their
expulsion."
"Sefiora," answered Fernando de Talavera, " they are
doubtless serving Mammon among the Moors and Turks,
as they served him in Spain. Let not your Highness' gracious mind be disturbed on account of these descendants of
the enemies and crucifiers of Christ, who, if they suffer at
all, do but suffer justly, for the unutterable sin of their forefathers. Let us rather inquire, my gracious mistress, of
the Seniores St. Angel and Quintanilla here, what hath become of their favourite Colon, the Genoese; and when they
look for his return, dragging the Great Khan, a captive, by
the beard!"
" We know nought of him, holy prelate," put in de St.
Angel briskly, " since his departure from the Canaries."
" The Canaries!" interrupted the queen, in a little sur.
Drise. "Hath aught been received, that cometh from that
quarter?"




IERCEDES OF CASTILE.


409


"By report only, Sefiora.  Letters have not reached
any in Spain, that I can learn, but there is a rumour from
Portugal, that the admiral touched at Gomera and the Grand
Canary, where it would seem he had his difficulties, and
whence he shortly after departed, holding a western course;
since which time no tidings have been received from either
of the caravels."
"By which fact, Lord Archbishop," added Quintanilla
v' we can perceive that trifles are not likely to turn the ad
venturers back."
"I '11 warrant ye, Seiores, that a Genoese adventurei
who holdeth their Highnesses' commission as an admiral,
will be in no unseemly haste to get rid of the dignity!"
rejoined the prelate, laughing without much deference to
his mistress's concessions in Columbus's favour. " One
does not see rank, authority, and emolument, carelessly
thrown aside, when they may be retained by keeping aloof
from the power whence they spring."
" Thou art unjust to the Genoese, holy sir, and judgest
him harshly," observed the queen. "Truly, I did not
know of these tidings from the Canaries, and rejoice to
hear that Colon hath got thus far in safety.  lath not the
past been esteemed a most boisterous winter among mariners, Sefior de St. Angel?"
" So much so, your Highness, that I have heard the sea.
men here, in Barcelona, swear that, within the memory
of man, there hath not been another like it. Should ill
luck wait upon Colon, I trust this circumstance may be re
membered as his excuse; though I doubt if he be very nea.
any of our tempests and storms."
"Not he!" exclaimed the bishop, triumphantly. "It
will be seen that he hath been safely harboured in some
river of Africa; and we shall have some question yet to
settle about him with Dom Joao of Portugal."
"Here is the king to give us his opinion," interposed
Isabella. "It is long since I have heard him mention the
name of Colon. Have you entirely forgotten our Genoese
admiral, Don Fernando?"
" Before I am questioned on subjects so remote," return.
ed the king, smiling, " let me inquire into matters nearer
3.5




1IU            MERCEDES OF CASTILE.
home. How long is it that your Highness holdeth court,
and giveth receptions, past the hour of midnight::
"Call you this a court, Sefior? Here are but our own
dear children, Beatriz and her niece, with the good arch.
bishop, and those two faithful servants of your own."
"True; but you overlook the ante-chambers, and those
who await your pleasure without."
" None can await without at this unusual hour; surely
you jest, my lord."
"Then your own page, Diego de Ballesteros, hath reported falsely. Unwilling to disturb your privacy, at this
unreasonable hour, he hath come to me, saying that one
of strange conduct and guise is in the palace, insisting on
an interview with the queen, let it be late or early. The
accounts of this man's deportment are so singular, that I
have ordered him to be admitted, and have come myself to
witness the interview. The page telleth me that he swears
all hours are alike, and that night and day are equally
made for our uses."
" Dearest Don Fernando, there may be treason in this!"
"Fear not, Isabella; assassins are not so bold, and
the trusty rapiers of these gentlemen will prove sufficient
for our protection-Hist! there are footsteps, and we must
appear calm, even though we apprehend a tumult."
The door opened, and Sancho Mundo stood in the royal
presence. The air and appearance of so singular a being
excited both astonishment and amusement, and every eye
was fastened on him in wonder; and this so much the more,
because he had decked his person with sundry ornaments
from the imaginary Indies, among which were one or two
bands of gold. Mercedes alone detected his profession by
his air and attire, and she rose involuntarily, clasping her
hands with energy, and suffering a slight exclamation to
escape her. The queen perceived this little pantomime,
and it at once gave a right direction to her own thoughts.
" I am Isabella, the queen," she said, rising, without any
further suspicion of danger; "and thou art a messenger
from Colon, the Genoese'?"
Sancho, who had found great difficulty in gaining admittance, now that his end was obtained, took matters with his
native coolness. His first act was to fall on his knees, as




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


411


he had been particularly enjoined by Columbus to do. He
had caught the habit of using the weed of Hayti and Cuba,
from the natives, and was, in fact, the first seaman who
ever chewed tobacco. The practice had already got to be
confirmed with him, and before he answered, or as soon as
lie had taken this, for him, novel position, he saw fit to fill
a corner of his mouth with the attractive plant. Then,
giving his wardrobe a shake, for all the decent clothes he
owned were on his person, he disposed himself to make a
suitable reply.
"Seiora-Dofia-your Highness," he answered, "any
one might have seen that at a glance. I am Sancho Mundo,
of the Ship-Yard Gate; one of your Highness' Excellency's
most faithful subjects and mariners, being a native and resident of Moguer."
"Thou comest from Colon, I say?"
"Sefiora, I do; many thanks to your Royal Grace for
the information. Don Christopher hath sent me across the
country from Lisbon, seeing that the wily Portuguese would
be less likely to distrust a simple mariner, like myself, than
one of your every-day, booted couriers. 'Tis a weary
road, and there is not a mule between the stables of Lisbon
and the palace of Barcelona, fit for a Christian to bestride."
"Then, hast thou letters? One like thee can scarcely
bear aught else."
" Therein, your Grace's Highness, Dofia Reyfia, is
mistaken; though I am far from bearing half the number
of doblas I had at starting. Mass! the innkeepers took me
for a grandee, by the manner in which they charged!"
" Give the mail gold, good Alonzo-he is one that liketh
his reward ere he will speak."
Sancho coolly counted the pieces that were put into his
hand, and, finding them greatly to exceed his hopes, he had
no longer any motive for prevarication.
" Speak fellow!" cried the king. "Thou triflest, where
thou owest thy duty and obedience."
The sharp, quick voice of Ferdinand had much more effect on the ear of Sancho, than the gentler tones of Isabella,
notwithstanding even his rude nature had been impressed
with the matronly beauty and grace of the latter.




412


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" If your Highness would condescend to let me know
what you wish to hear, I will speak in all gladness."
" Where is Colon?" demanded the queen.
"At Lisbon, lately, Seniora, though I think now at Palos
de Moguer, or in that neighbourhood."
" Whither hath he been?"
"To Cipango, and the territories of the Great Khan;
forty days' sail from Gomera, and a country of marvellous
beauty and excellence!"
"Thou canst not-darest not trifle with me! Can we
put credit in thy words?"
"If your Highness only knew Sancho Mundo, you
would not feel this doubt. I tell you, Seniora, and all these
noble cavaliers and dames, that Don Christopher Colon
hath discovered the other side of the earth, which we now
know to be round, by having circled it; and that he hath
found out that the north star journeyeth about in the
heavens, like a gossip spreading her news; and that he
hath taken possession of islands as large as Spain, in which
gold groweth, and where the holy church may employ itself
in making christians to the end of time."
"The letter-Sancho-give me the letter. Colon would
scarce send thee as a verbal expositor."
The fellow now undid sundry coverings of cloth and
paper, until he reached the missive of Columbus, when,
without rising from his knees, he held it out towards the
queen, giving her the trouble to move forward several paces
to receive it.  So unexpected and astounding were the
tidings, and so novel the whole scene, that no one interfered
leaving Isabella to be the sole actor, as she was, virtually, the
sole speaker. Sancho having thus successfully acquitted
himself cf a task that had been expressly confided to him
on account of his character and appearance, which, it was
thought, would prove his security from arrest and plunder,
settled down quietly on his heels, for he had been directed
not to rise until ordered; and drawing forth the gold he had
received, he began coolly to count it anew So absorbing
was the attention all gave to the queen, that no one heeded
the mariner or his movements. Isabella opened the letter,
which her looks devoured, as they followed line after line.
As was usual with Columbus, the missive was long, and it




MERCEDES OF CASTILB.


413


required many minutes to read it. All this time not an in.
dividual moved, every eye being fastened on the speaking
countenance of the queen. There, were seen the heightening flush of pleasure and surprise, the glow of delight and
wonder, and the look of holy rapture. When the letter
was ended, Isabella turned her eyes upward to heaven,
clasped her hands with energy, and exclaimed" Not unto us, O Lord, but to Thee, be all the honour
of this wonderful discovery, all the benefits of this great
proof of thy goodness and power!"
Thus saying, she sunk into a seat and dissolved in tears.
Ferdinand uttered a slight ejaculation at the words of his
royal consort; and then he gently took the letter from her
unresisting hand, and read it with great deliberation and
care. It was not often that the wary King of Aragon was
as much affected, in appearance at least, as on this occasion. The expression of his face, at first, was that of wonder; eagerness, not to say avidity, followed; and when he
had finished reading, his grave countenance was unequivocally illuminated by exultation and joy.
" Good Luis de St. Angel!" he cried, " and thou, honest
Alonzo de Quintanilla, these must be grateful tidings to
you both. Even thou, holy prelate, wilt rejoice that the
church is like to have acquisitions so glorious-albeit, no
favourer of the Genoese of old. Far more than all our
expectations are realized, for Colon hath truly discovered
the Indies; increasing our dominions, and otherwise advancing our authority in a most unheard-of manner."
It was unusual to see Don Ferdinand so excited, and he
seemed conscious himself, that he was making an extraordinary exhibition, for he immediately advanced to the queen,
and taking her hand, he led her towards his own cabinet.
In passing out of the saloon, he indicated to the three
nobles that they might follow to the council. The king
made this sudden movement more from habitual wariness,
than any settled object, his mind being disturbed in a way
to which he was unaccustomed, while caution formed a part
of his religion, as well as of his policy. It is not surprising.
therefore, that when he and the party he invited to follow
him had left the room, there remained only the princesses,.he Marchioness of Moya, and Mercedes. No sooner had
35*




414


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


the king and queen disappeared, than the royal children
retired to their own apartments, leaving our heroine, her
guardian, and Sancho, the sole occupants of the saloon.
The latter still remained on his knees, scarce heeding what
had passed, so intensely was he occupied with his own situa
tion, and his own particular sources of satisfaction.
"Thou canst rise, friend," observed Dofia Beatriz"their Highnesses are no longer present."
At this intelligence Sancho quitted his humble posture
brushed his knees with some care, and looked about him
with the composure that he was wont to exhibit in studying
the heavens at sea.
" Thou wert of Colon's company, friend, by the manner
in which thou hast spoken, and the circumstance that the
admiral hath employed thee as his courier?"
"You may well believe that, Sefiora, your Excellency,
for most of my time was passed at the helm, which was
within three fathoms of the very spot that Don Christopher
and the Sefior de Mufios loved so well, that they never quit-:ed it, except to sleep, and not always then."." Hadst thou a Seiior de Mufios of thy party?" resumed
the Marchioness, making a sign to her ward to control her
feelings.
"That had we Sefiora, and a Seiior Gutierrez, and a
certain Don Somebody Else, and they all three did not occupy more room than one common man. Prithee, honourable and agreeable Sefiora, is there one Dofia Beatriz de
Cabrera, the Marchioness of Moya, a lady of the illustrious
house of Bobadilla, anywhere about the court of our gracious queen?"
" I am she, and thou hast a message for me, from this
very Sefior de Mulios, of whom thou hast spoken."
"I no longer wonder that there are great lords with their
beautiful ladies, and poor sailors with wives, that no one
envies! Scarce can I open my mouth, but it is known
what I wish to say, which is knowledge to make one party
great, and the other party little! Mass!-Don Christopher,
himself, will need all his wit, if he journeyeth as far as Barzelona!"
"Tell us of this Pedro de Muinos; for thy message is to
me."




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


415


T''hen, Sefiora, I will tell you of your own brave nephew, the Conde de Llera, who goeth by two other names
in the caravel, one of which is supposed to be a sham, while
the other is still the greatest deception of the two."
"Is it then known who my nephew really is?    Are
many persons acquainted with his secret?"
" Certainly, Sefiora; it is known, firstly, to himself; secondly, to Don Christopher; thirdly, to me; fourthly, to
Master Alonzo Pinzon, if he be still in the flesh, as most
probably he is not. Then it is known to your ladyship;
and this beautiful Seiorita must have some suspicions of
the matter."
"Enough-I see the secretis not public; though, how
one of thy class came to be of it, I cannot explain. Tell
me of my nephew:-did he, too, write? if so, let me, at
once, peruse his letter."
"Sefiora, my departure took Don Luis by surprise, and
he had no time to write. The admiral had given the princes
and princesses, that we brought from Espafiola, in charge
to the Conde, and he had too much to do to be scribbling
letters, else would he have written sheets to an aunt as
respectable as yourself."
"Princes and princesses!-What mean you, friend, by
such high-sounding terms?"
" Only that we have brought several of these great personages to Spain, to pay their respects to their Highnesses.
We deal with none of the common fry, Senora, but with
the loftiest princes, and the most beautiful princesses of the
east."
"And dost thou really mean that persons of this high
rank have returned with the admiral?"
" Out of all question, lady, and one of a beauty so rare,
that the fairest dames of Castile need look to it, if they
wish not to be outdone. She, in particular, is Don Luis's
friend and favourite."
" Of whom speakest thou?" demanded Dofia Beatriz, in
the lofty manner in which she was wont to insist on being
answered directly. " What is the name of this princess,
and whence doth she come?"
" Her name, your excellency, is Dofia Ozema de Hayti,
of a part of which country her brother, Don Mattinao, is




416


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


cacique or king, Sefiora Ozema being the heiress, or next
of kin. Don Luis and your humble servant paid that court
a visit-"
"Thy tale is most improbable, fellow —art thou one
whom Don Luis would be likely to select as a companion
on such an occasion?"
"Look at it as you will, Sefiora, it is as true as that this
is the court of Don Ferdinand and Dofia Isabella. You
must know, illustrious Marchioness, that the young count
is a little given to roving about among us sailors, and on
one occasion, a certain Sancho Mundo, of Moguer, happened to be of the same voyage; and thus we became
known to each other. I kept the noble's secret, and he got
to be Sancho's friend. When Don Luis went to pay a visit
to Don Mattinao, the cacique, which word meaneth 'your
Highness,' in the eastern tongue, Sancho must go with him,
and Sancho went. When King Caonabo came down from
the mountains to carry off the princess Dofia Ozema, for a
wife, and the princess was unwilling to go, why there
remained nothing to be done, but for the Conde de Llera
and his friend Sancho of the Ship-Yard Gate, to fight the
whole army in her defence, which we did, gaining as great
a victory as Don Fernando, our sovereign master, ever
gained over the Moors."
"Carrying off the princess yourselves, as would seem!
Friend Sancho, of the Ship-Yard Gate, if that be thy appellation, this tale of thine is ingenious, but it lacketh proba.
bility. Were I to deal justly by thee, honest Sancho, it
would be to order thee the stripes thou meritest so well, as
a reward for this trifling."
"The man speaketh as he hath been taught," observed
Mercedes, in a low, unsteady voice; "I fear, Sefiora, there
is too much truth in his tale!"
" You need fear nothing, beautiful Sefiorita," put in Sancho, altogether unmoved at the menace implied by the words
of the Marchioness, " since the battle hath been fought, the
victory hath been gained, and both the heroes escaped uninjured. This illustrious Seiora, to whom I can forgive
any thing, as the aunt of the best friend I have oh eartlhany thing spoken I mean-will remember that the Haytians
know nothing of arquebuses, by means of which we de.




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


417


feated Caonabo, and also, that many is the column of Moors
that Don Luis hath broken singly, and by means of his
own good lance."
"Ay, fellow," answered Dofia Beatriz, "but that hath
been in the saddle, behind plaits of steel, and with a weapon that hath overturned even Alonzo de Ojedo!"
"Hast thou truly brought away with thee the princess
thou hast named?" asked Mercedes earnestly.
"I swear to it, Sefiora and Sefiorita, illustrious ladies
both, by the holy mass, and all the saints in the calendar!
A princess, moreover, surpassing in beauty the daughters
of our own blessed queen, if the fair ladies who passed out
of this room, even now, are they, as I suspect."
"Out upon thee, knave!" cried the indignant Beatriz"I will no more of this, and marvel that my nephew should
have employed one of so loose a tongue, on any of his
errands. Go to, and learn discretion ere the morning, or
the favour of even thy admiral will not save thy bones.
Mercedes, we will seek our rest-the hour is late."
Sancho was immediately left alone, and in a minute a
page appeared to show him to the place where he was to
pass the night. The old mariner had grumbled a little to
himself, concerning the spirit of Don Luis's aunt, counted
anew his gold, and was about to take possession of his
pallet, when the same page re-appeared to summon him to
another interview. Sancho, who knew little distinction
between night and day, made no objections, especially when
he was told that his presence was required by the lovely
Sefiorita, whose gentle, tremulous voice had so much iln
terested him, in the late interview. Mercedes received her
rude guest, in a small saloon of her own, after having
parted from her guardian for the night. As he entered,
her face was flushed, her eye bright, and her whole
demeanour, to one more expert in detecting female emotions,
would have betrayed intense anxiety.
"Thou hast had a long and weary journey, Sancho,"
said- our heroine, when alone with the seaman, "and, I
pray thee accept this gold, as a small proof of the inter.
est with which I have heard the great tidings of which thou
hast been the bearer."
"Senorila!" exclaimed Sancho, affecting indifference to




418


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


the dobias that fell into his hand —" I hope you do not
ihink me mercenary? the honour of being the messenger,
and of being admitted to converse with such illustrious
ladies, more than pays me for any thing I could do."
"Still, thou may'st need money for thy wants, and wilt
not refuse that which a lady offereth."
" On that ground, I would accept it, Dofia Seinorita, even
were it twice as much."
So saying, Sancho placed the money, with a suitable re
signation, by the side of that which he had previously
received by order of the queen. Mercedes now found herself in the situation that they who task their powers too
much, are often fated to endure; in other words, now she
had at command the means of satisfying her own doubts,
she hesitated about using them.
"Sancho," Mercedes at length commenced, "thou has.
been with the Sefior Colon, throughout this great and extraordinary voyage, and must know much that it will be curious for us, who have lived quietly in Spain, to hear. Is all
thou hast said about the princes and princesses true?"
"As true, Sefiorita, as such things need be for a history.
Mass!-Any one who hath been in a battle, or seen any
other great adventure, and then cometh to hear it read of,
afterwards, will soon learn to understand the difference
between the thing itself, and the history that may be given
of it. Now, I was-"
" Never mind thy other adventures, good Sancho; tell
me only of this. Are there really a Prince Mattinao, and a
Princess Ozema his sister, and have both accompanied the
admiral to Spain?"
"I said not that, beautiful Seinorita, for Don Mattinao
remained behind to rule his people. It is only his handsome sister, who hath followed Don Christopher and Don
Luis to Palos."
"Followed!-Do the admiral and the Conde de Llera
possess such influence over royal ladies, as to induce them
to abandon their native country and to follow them to a
foreign land!"
" Ay, Seiorita, that might seem out of rule in Castile, ot
Portugal, or even in France. But Hayti is not yet a Chris.
tian country, and a princess there may not be more than




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


419


a noble lady in Castile, and, in the way of wardrobe, per.
haps not even as much. Still, a princess is a princess,
and a handsome princess is a handsome princess. Dofia
Ozema, here, is a wonderful creature, and beginneth already
to prattle your pure Castilian, an' she had been brought up
at Toledo, or Burgos. But Don Luis is a most encouraging master, and no doubt made great head-way, during the
time he was living in her palace, as it might be alone with
her, before that incarnate devil Don Caonabo came down
with his followers to seize the lady."
"Is this lady a Christian princess, Sancho?"
"Heaven bless your own pure soul, Dofia Sefiorita, she
can boast of but little in that way; still, she hath made
something of a beginning, as I see she now weareth a cross
-one small in size, it is true, but precious in material, as,
indeed, it ought to be, seeing that it is a present from one
as noble and rich as the Count of Llera."
"A cross, say'st thou, Sancho!" interrupted Mercedes,
almost gasping for breath, yet so far subduing her feelings
as to prevent the old seaman from detecting them; " hath
Don Luis succeeded in inducing her to accept of a cross?"
" That hath he, Sefiorita-one of precious stones, that he
once wore at his own neck."
"Know'st thou the stones?-was it of turquoise, embellished with the finest gold?"
" For the gold I can answer, lady, though my learning
hath never reached as high as the precious stones. The
heavens of Hayti, however, are not bluer than the stones of
that cross. Dofia Ozema calls it ' Mercedes,' by which 1
understand that she looketh for the mercies of the crucifixion
to help her benighted soul."
" Is this cross, then, held so common, that it hath gotten
to be the subject of discourse even for men of thy class?"
" Hearkee, Sefiorita; a man like me is more valued, on
board a caravel, in a tossing sea, than he is like to be here,
in Barcelona, on solid ground. We went to Cipango to
set up crosses, and to make Christians; so that all hath
been in character. As for the lady Ozema, she taketh
more notice of me than of another, as I was in the battle
that rescued her from Caonabo, and so she showed me the
cross the day we anchored in the Tagus, or just before the




420


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


admiral ordered me to bring his letter to her Highness.
Then it was that she kissed the cross, and held it to her
heart, and said it was ' Mercedes.'"
" This is most strange, Sancho! Hath this princess attendants, befitting her rank and dignity?"
"You forget, Sefiorita. that the Nifia is but a small craft,
as-her name signifieth, and there would be no room for a
large train of lords and ladies. Don Christopher and Don
Luis are honourable enough to attend on any princess; and
for the rest, the Dofia Ozema must wait un'il our gracious
queen can command her a retinue befitting her birth. Besides, my lady, these Haytian dames are simpler than our
Spanish nobles, half of them thinking clothes of no great
use, in that mild climate."
Mercedes looked offended, and incredulous; but her
curiosity and interest were too active, to permit her to send
the man away without further question.
"And Don Luis de Bobadilla was ever with the admiral?"
she said, " ever ready to support him, and foremost in all
hazards?"
"Sefiorita, you describe the count as faithfully as if you
had been present from first to last. Had you but seen him
dealing out his blows upon Caonabo's followers, and the
manner in which he kept them all at bay, with the Dofia
Ozema near him, behind the rocks, it would have drawn
tears of admiration from your own lovely eyes."
" The Dofia Ozema near him - behind rocks - and assailants held at bay!"
"Si, Sefiora; you repeat it all like a book. It was much
as you say, though the Lady Ozema did not content herself
with being behind the rocks, for, when the arrows came
thickest, she rushed before the count; compelling the enemy
to withhold, lest they should slay the very prize they were
battling for; thereby saving the life of her knight."
"Saving his life! - the life of Luis - of Don Luis do
Bobadilla - an Indian princess!"
"It is just as you say, and a most noble girl she is, asking pardon for speaking so light of one of her high rank.
Time and again, since that day, hath the young count told.
me, that the arrows came in such clouds, that his honour
might have been tarnished by a retreat, or his life been lost,




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


421


ut for the timely resolution of the Donia Ozema. She is a
rare creature, Sefiorita, and you will love her as a sister,
when you come to see and know her."
"Sancho," said our heroine, blushing like tne dawn,
"thou said'st that the Conde de Llera bade thee speak of
him to his aunt; did he mention no one else?"
" No one, Seforita."
"Art certain, Sancho? Bethink thee well-did he mention no other name to thee?"
"Not that I can swear. It is true, that either he, or old
Diego, the helmsman, spoke of one Clara that keepeth an
hosteria, here in Barcelona, as a place famous for its wine;
but I think it more likely to have been Diego than the
count, as one thinketh much of these matters, and the other
would not be apt to know aught of Clara."
"Thou canst retire, Sancho," said Mercedes, in a faint
voice. "We will say more to thee in the morning."
Sancho was not sorry to be dismissed, and he gladly returned to his pallet, little dreaming of the mischief he had
done by the mixture of truth and exaggeration that he haa
been recounting.
CHAPTER XXVII.
"Mac-Homer, too, in prose or song,
By the state-papers of Buffon,
To deep researches led;
A Gallo-Celtic scheme may botch,
To prove the Ourang race were Scotch,
Who from the Highlands fled."
LORD JOIN TOWNSHEND.
THE intelligence of the return of Columbus, and of the
important discoveries he had made, spread through Europe
like wild-fire. It soon got to be, in the general estimation,
the great event of the age. For several years afterwards,
or until the discovery of the Pacific by Balboa, it was be.
36




422


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


lieved that the Indies had been reached by the western
passage; and of course the problem of the earth's spherical
shape was held to be solved by actual experiment. The
transactions of the voyage, the wonders seen, the fertility
of the soil of the east, the softness of its climate, its treasures in gold, spices, and pearls, and the curious things that
the admiral had brought as proofs of his success, were all
the themes of the hour. Men never wearied in discussing
the subjects. For many centuries had the Spaniards been
endeavouring to expel the Moors from the Peninsula; but,
as that much-desired event had been the result of time and
a protracted struggle, even its complete success seemed
tame and insignificant compared with the sudden brilliancy
that shone around the western discoveries. In a word, the
pious rejoiced in the hope of spreading the gospel; the ava
ricious feasted their imaginations on untold hoards of golo
the politic calculated the increase of the power of Spaii,
the scientific exulted in the triumph of mind over prejudi. e
and ignorance, while they hoped for stili greater accession-.
of knowledge; and the enemies of Spain wondered, and
deferred, even while they envied.
The first few days that succeeded the arrival of Colum
bus's courier, were days of delight and curiosity. Answers
were sent soliciting his early presence, high honours were
proffered to him, and his name filled all mouths, as his
glory was in the heart of every true Spaniard. Orders
were issued to make the necessary outfits for a new voyage,
and little was talked of but the discovery and its consequences.  In this manner passed a month, when the
admiral arrived at Barcelona, attended by most of the
Indians he had brought with him from the islands. His
honours were of the noblest kind, the sovereigns receiving
him on a throne placed in a public hall, rising at his approach, and insisting on his being seated himself, a distinction of the highest nature, and usually granted only to
princes of royal blood. Here the admiral related the history of his voyage, exhibited the curiosities he had brought
with him, and dwelt on his hopes of future benefits. When
the tale was told, all present knelt, and Te Deum was
chanted by the usual choir of the court; even Ferdinand's




MERCEDES OF CAsTILE.


423


3tern nature dissolving into tears of grateful joy, at this unlooked-for and magnificent behest of heaven.
For a long time, Columbus was the mark of every eye;
nor did his honours and consideration cease, until he left
Spain, in command of the second expedition to the cast, as
the voyage was then termed.
A few days previously to the arrival of the admiral at
couit, Don Luis de Bobadilla suddenly appeared in Barcelona. On ordinary occasions, the movements of one of
the rank and peculiarities of the young grandee would have
afforded a topic for the courtiers, that would not soon have
been exhausted, but the all-engrossing theme of the great
voyage afforded him a screen. His presence, however,
could not escape notice; and it was whispered, with the
usual smiles and shrugs, that he had entered the port in a
caravel, coming from the Levant; and it was one of the
received pleasantries of the hour to say, in an under tone,
that the young Conde de Llera had also made the eastern
voyage. All this gave our hero little concern, and he was
soon pursuing his oidinary life, when near the persons of
the sovereigns. The day that Columbus was received in
state, he was present in the hall, attired in the richest vestments, and no noble of Spain did more credit to his lineage,
or his condition, than Don Luis, by his mien and carriage.
It was remarked that Isabella smiled on him, during the
pageant; but the head of more than one wary observer
was shaken, as its owner remarked how grave the.queen's
favourite appeared, for an occasion so joyous; a fact that
was attributed to the unworthy pursuits of her truant
nephew. No one, that day, gazed at Luis with more delight than Sancho, who lingered at Barcelona, to share in
the honours of his chief, and who, in virtue of his services,
was permitted to take his place among the courtiers themselves. Not a little admiration was excited by the mannei
in which he used the novel weed, called tobacco; and some
fifteen or twenty of his neighbours were nauseated by their
efforts to emulate his indulgence and satisfaction. One of
his exploits was of a character so unusual, and so well illustrates the feeling of the hour, that it may be well to record it in detail.
The reception was over, and Sancho was quitting the




4214


MERCEDES OF' CASTILE.


hall with the rest of the crowd, when he was accosted by
a man apparently of forty, well attired, and of agreeable
manner, who desired the honour of his presence at a slight
entertainment, of which several had been prepared for the
admiral and his friends. Sancho, nothing loth, the delights
of distinction being yet so novel, cheerfully complied, and
he was quickly led to a room of the palace, where lie found
a party of some twenty young nobles assembled to do him
honour; for happy was he that day in Barcelona who could
get even one of the meanest of Columbus's followers to ac.
cept of his homage. No sooner did the two enter the room,
than the young Castilian lords crowded around them, covering Sancho with protestations of admiration, and addressing
eager questions, a dozen at a time, to his companion, whom
they styled " Seior Pedro " - Seflor Martir," and occasionally "Sefior Pedro Martir." It is scarcely necessary
to add, that this person was the historian who has become
known to us of these latter days as " Peter Martyr," an
Italian, to whose care and instruction Isabella had entrusted
most of the young nobles of the court. The present interview had been got up to indulge the natural curiosity of the
youthful lords, and Sancho had been chosen for the occasion, on the principle that when the best is denied us,
we must be content to accept information of an inferior
quality.
" Congratulate me, Sefiores," cried Peter Martyr, as soon
as he could find an opportunity to speak, "since my success surpasseth our own hopes. As for the Liguirian, himself, and all of high condition about him, they are in the
hands of the most illustrious of Spain, for this day; but
here is a most worthy pilot, no doubt the second in author.
ity on board one of the caravels, who consenteth to do us
honour, and to partake of our homely cheer. I drew him
from a crowd of applicants, and have not yet had an opportunity to enquire his name, which he is about to give us of
his own accord."
Sancho never wanted for self-possession, and had far too
much mother-wit to be either clownish or offensively vulgar, though the reader is not, now to be told that he was
neither qualified to be an academician, nor had the most
profound notions of natural philosophy. He assumed an




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air of suitable dignity, therefore, and, somewhat practised
in his new vocation by the thousand interrogatories he had
answered in the last month, he disposed himself to do credit
to the information of a man who had visited the Indies.
I am called Sancho Mundo, Senores, at your service,sometimes Sancho of the Ship-Yard-Gate, though I would
prefer now to be called Sancho of the Indies, unless, indeed,
it should suit his Excellency Don Christopher to take that
appellation-his claim being somewhat better than mine."
Here several protested that his claims were of the highest
order; and then followed sundry introductions to Sancho
of the Ship-Yard-Gate, of several young men of the first
families in Castile; for, though the Spaniards have not the
same mania for this species of politeness as the Americans,
the occasion was one in which native feeling got the
ascendency of conventional reserve. After this ceremony,
and the Mendozas, Guzmans, Cerdas, and Toledos, present,
felt honoured in knowing this humble seaman, the whole
party repaired to the banqueting-room, where a table was
spread that did credit to the cooks of Barcelona. During
the repast, although the curiosity of the young men made
some inroads on their breeding in this particular, no question could induce Sancho to break in upon the duty of the
moment, for which he entertained a sort of religious veneration. Once, when pushed a little more closely than common, he laid down his knife and fork, and made the following solemn reply:
"Sefores," he said, "I look upon food as a gift from
God to man, and hold it to be irreverent to converse much,
when the bounties of the table invite us to do homage to
this great dispenser. Don Christopher is of this way of
thinking, I know, and all his followers imitate their beloved
and venerated chief. As soon as I am ready to converse,
Sefiores Don Hidalgos, you shall be told of it, and then
God help the ignorant and silly!"
After this admonition, there remained nothing to be said
until Sancho's appetite was satisfied, when he drew a little
back from the table, and announced histreadiness to proceed.
" I profess to very little learning, Sefior Pedro Martir,"
he said; " but what I have seen I have seen, and that which
is known, is as well known by a mariner, as by a doctor
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of Salamanca. Ask your questions, then, o' heaven's sake,
and expect such answers as a poor but honest man can
give."
The learned Peter Martyr was fain to make the best of
his subject; for at that moment, any information that came
from what might be termed first hands, was greedily received; he proceeded, therefore, to his inquiries as simply
and as directly as he had been invited to do so.
"Well, Seior," commenced the man of learning, ' we
are willing to obtain knowledge on any terms. Prithee,
tell us, at once, which of all the wonderful things that you
witnessed on this voyage, hath made the deepest impression
on your mind, and striketh you as the most remarkable!"
"I know nothing to compare with the whiffling of the
north star," said Sancho, promptly.  "That star hath
always been esteemed among us seamen, as being immovable as the cathedral of Seville; but, in this voyage, it
hath been seen to change its place, with the inconstancy of
the winds."
"That is indeed miraculous!" exclaimed Peter Martyr,
who scarcely knew how to take the intelligence; "perhaps
there is some mistake, Master Sancho, and you are not accustomed to sidereal investigations."
"Ask Don Christopher; when the phernomerthon, as
the admiral called it, was first observed, we talked the matter over together, and came to the conclusion, that nothing
in this world was as permanent as it seemed to be. Depend
on it, Senor Don Pedro, the north star flits about like a
weathercock."
" [ shall inquire into this of the illustrious admiral; but,
next to this star, Master Sancho, what deem you most worthy of observation? I speak now of ordinary things, leaving science to future discussion."
This was too grave a question to be lightly answered,
and while Sancho was cogitating the matter, the door opened
and Luis de Bobadilla entered the room. in a blaze of manly
grace and rich attire. A dozen voices uttered his name,
and Peter Martyr rose to receive him, with a manner in
which kindness of feeling was blended with reproof.. "I asked this honour, Sefior Conde," he said, " though
you have now been beyond my counsel and oontrol some




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


427


lime, for it appeared to me that one fond of voyages as
yourself, might find a useful lesson, as well as enjoy a high
satisfaction, in listening to the wonders of an expedition as
glorious as this of Colon's. This worthy seaman, a pilot
no doubt much confided in by the admiral, hath consented
to share in our poor hospitalities on this memorable day,
and is about to give us many interesting facts and incidents
of the great adventure. Master Sancho Mundo, this is Don
Luis de Bobadilla, Conde de Llera, a grandee of high line
age, and one that is not unknown to the seas, having often
traversed them in his own person."
"It is quite unnecessary to tell me that, Sefior Pedro,"
answered Sancho, returning Luis' gay and graceful salutation, with profound but awkward respect, " since I see it at
a glance. His excellency hath been in the east as well as
Don Christopher and myself, though we went different
ways, and neither party went quite as far as Cathay. I
am honoured in your acquaintance, Don Luis, and shall
just say that the noble admiral will bring navigation more
in fashion than it hath been of late years. If you travel
in the neighjourhood of Moguer, I beg you will not pass
the door of Sancho Mundo without stopping to inquire if
he be within."
" That I most cheerfully promise, worthy master," said
Luis laughing, and taking a seat, " even though it lead me
to the Ship-Yard Gate. And now, Sefior Pedro, let me not
interrupt the discourse, which I discovered was most interesting as I entered."
" I have been thinking of this matter, Sefiores," resumed
Sancho, gravely, " and the fact that appears most curious
to me, next to the whiffling of the North Star, is the circumstance that there are no doblas in Cipango. Gold is
not wanting, and it seemeth to me passing singular that a
people should possess gold, and not bethink them of the
convenience of striking doblas, or some similar coin."
Peter Martyr and his young pupils laughed at this sally,
nd then the subject was pushed in another form.
"Passing by this question, which belongeth rather to the
policy of States, than to natural phenomena," continued
Peter Martyr, " what most struck you as remarkable, in
he way of human nature."




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MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


" In that particular, Seinor, I think the island of the wo.
men may be set down as the most extraordinary of all the
phernomerthons we fell in with. I have known women
shut themselves up in convents; and men too; but never
did I hear, before this voyage, of either shutting themselves
up in islands!"
"And is this true?" inquired a dozen voices-" did you
really meet with such an island, Sefor?"
" I believe we saw it at a distance, Sefores, and 1 hold
it to be lucky that we went no nearer, for I find the gossips
of Moguer troublesome enough, without meeting a whole
island of them. Then there is the bread that grows like a
root-what think you of that, Sefior Don Luis?-Is it not
a most curious dish to taste of?"
" Nay, Master Sancho, that is a question of your own
putting, and it must be one of your own answering. What
know I of the wonders of Cipango, since Candia lieth in
an opposite course. Answer these matters for thyself,
friend."
" True, illustrious Conde, and I humbly crave your pardon. It is, indeed, the duty of him that seeth to relate, as
it is the duty of him that seeth not to believe. I hope all
here will perform their several duties."
"Do these Indians eat flesh as remarkable as their
bread?" inquired a Cerda.
" That do they, noble sir, seeing that they eat each other.
Neither I nor Don Christopher, was invited to any of their
feasts of this sort; for, I suppose, they were well convinced
we would not go; but we had much information touching
them, and by the nearest calculation I could make, the consumption of men in the island of Bohio must be about
equal to that of beeves in Spain."
The speaker was interrupted by twenty exclamations of
disgust, and Peter Martyr shook his head like ene who distrusted the truth of the account. Still,. as he had not expected any very profound philosophy, or deep learning in
one of Sancho's character, he pursued the conversation.
"Know you any thing of the rare birds the 9dmiral
exhibited to their Highnesses to-day?" he asked.
"Sefior, I am well acquainted with several, more par.
ticularly with the parrots. They are sensible birds, and I




MEIRCEDES OF CASTILE.


429


doubt not might answer some of the questions that are put
to me by many here, in Barcelona, to their perfect satisfac.
tion."
" Thou art a wag, I see, Seior Sancho, and lovest thy
]oke," answered the man of learning, with a smile. "Give
way to thy fancy, and if thou canst not improve us with
thy science, at least amuse us with thy conceits."
" San Pedro knows that I would do any thing to oblige
you, Sefores; but I was born with such a love of truth in
my heart, that I know not how to embellish. What I see I
believe, and having been in the Indies, I cannot shut my
eyes to their wonders. There was the sea of weeds, which,
was no every-day miracle, since I make no doubt that the
devils piled all these plants on the water to prevent us from
carrying the cross to the poor heathens who dwell on the
other side of them. We got through that sea more by our
prayers, than by means of the winds."
The young men looked at Peter Martyr, to ascertain how
hie received this theory, and Peter Martyr, if tinctured with
the superstition of the age, was not disposed to swallow all
that it pleased Sancho to assert, even though the latter had
made a voyage to the Indies.
" Since you manifest so much curiosity, Sefiores, on the
subject of Colon, now admiral of the Ocean Sea, by their
Highnesses' honourable appointment, I will, in a measure,
relieve your minds on the subject, by recounting what I
know," said Luis, speaking calmly, but with dignity. "Ye
know that I was much with Don Christopher before he
sailed, and that I had some little connexion with bringing
him back to Santa F6, even when he had left the place, as
was supposed for the last time. This intimacy hath been
renewed since the arrival of the Great Genoese at Barcelona, and hours have we passed together in private, discoursing on the events of the last few months. What I
have thus learned I am ready to impart, if ye will do me
the grace to listen."
The whole company giving an eager assent, Luis now
commenced a general narrative of the voyage, detailing all
the leading circumstances of interest, and giving the reasons that were most in favour at the time, concerning the
different phenomena that had perplexed the adventurers.




430


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


He spoke more than an hour; proceeding consecutively
from island to island, and dilating on their productions,
imaginary and real. Much that he related, proceeded from
the misconceptions of the admiral, and misinterpretations
of the signs and language of the Indians, as a matter of
course; but it was all told clearly, in elegant if not in elo.
quent language, and with a singular air of truth. In short,
our hero palmed upon his audience the results of his own
observation, as the narrative of the admiral, and more than
once was he interrupted by bursts of admiration at the
vividness and graphic beauties of his descriptions. Even
Sancho listened with delight, and when the young man
concluded, he rose from his chair, and exclaimed heartily;" Seiores, you may take all this, as so much gospel!
Had the noble Seiior witnessed himself, that which he hath
so well described, it could not have been truer, and I look
on myself to be particularly fortunate to have heard this
history of the voyage, which henceforth shall be my history, word for word; for as my patron saint shall remember me, nought else will I tell to the gossips of Moguer,
when I get back to that blessed town of my childhood."
Sancho's influence was much impaired by the effects of
Luis's narrative, which Peter Martyr pronounced to be one
that would have done credit to a scholar who had accom
panied the expedition. A few appeals were made to the
old seaman, to see if he would corroborate the statements
he had just heard, but his protestations became so much the
iouder in behalf of the accuracy of the account.
It was wonderful how much reputation the Conde de
Llera obtained by this little deception. To be able to repeat,
with accuracy and effect, language that was supposed to
have fallen from the lips of Columbus, was a sort of illustration; and Peter Martyr, who justly enjoyed a high reputation for intelligence, was heard sounding the praises of
our hero in all places, his young pupils echoing his words
with the ardour and imitation of youth! Such, indeed, was
the vast reputation obtained by the Genoese,!hat one gained
a species of reflected renown by being thought to live in his
confidence, and a thousand follies of the Count of Llera,
real or imaginary, were forgotten in the fact that the ad.
mlral had deemed him worthy of being the repository of




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


431


facts and feelings such as he had related. As Luis, moreover, was seen to be much in the company of Don Chris.
topher, the world was very willing to give the young man
credit for qualities that, by some unexplained circumstance,
had hitherto escaped its notice. In this manner did Luis
de Bobadilla reap some advantages, of a public character,
from his resolution and enterprise, although vastly less than
would have attended an open admission of all that occurred.
How far, and in what manner, these qualities availed him
in his suit with Mercedes, will appear in our subsequent
pages.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
" Each look, each motion, waked a new-born grace,
That o'er her form its transient glory cast:
Some lovelier wonder soon usurp'd the place,
Chased by a charm still lovelier than the last."
MASON.
THE day of the reception of Columbus at Barcelona, had
been one of tumultuous feelings, and of sincere delight, with
the ingenuous and pure-minded Queen of Castile. She had
been the moving spirit of the enterprise, as it was connected
with authority and means, and never was a sovereign more
amply rewarded, by a consciousness of the magnitude of
he results that' followed her well-meant and zealous efforts.
When the excitement and bustle of the day were over,
sabella retired to her closet, and there, as was usual with
r'er on all great occasions, she poured out her thankfulness
on her knees, entreating the Divine Providence to sustain
her under the new responsibilities she felt, and to direct her
steps aright, equally as a sovereign, and as a Christian
woman. She had left the attitude of prayer but a few
minutes, and was seated with her head leaning on her hand.
in deep meditation, when a slight knock at the door called
her attention. There was but one person in Spain who




432


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


would be likely to take even this liberty, guarded and.modest as was the tap; rising, she turned the key, and
admitted the king.
Isabella was still beautiful. Her form, always of admirable perfection, still retained its grace. Her eyes had lost
but little of their lustre, and her smile, ever sweet and beneficent, failed not to reflect the pure and womanly impulses
of her heart. In a word, her youthful beauty had been but
little impaired by the usual transition to the matronly attractions of a wife and a mother; but this night, all her youth.
ful charms seemed to be suddenly renewed. Her cheek
was flushed with holy enthusiasm; her figure dilated with
the sublimity of the thoughts in which she had been indulging; and her eyes beamed with the ennobling hopes of
religious enthusiasm. Ferdinand was struck with this little
change, and he stood admiring her, for a minute, in silence,
after he had closed the door.
"Is not this a most wonderful reward, for efforts so
small, my husband and love?" exclaimed the queen, who
fancied the king's thoughts similar to her own; " a new em
pire thus cheaply purchased, with riches that the imagination cannot tell, and millions of souls to be redeemed from
eternal woe, by means of a grace that must he as unexpected
to themselves, as the knowledge of their existence hath been
to us!"
" Ever thinking, Isabella, of the welfare of souls! But
thou art right; for what are the pomps and glories of the
world to the hopes of salvation, and the delights of heaven I
I confess Colon hath much exceeded all my hopes, and
raised such a future for Spain, that the mind scarce knoweth where to place limits to its pictures."
"Think of the millions of poor Indians that may live to
bless our sway, and to feel the influence and consolations
of.holy church!"
" I trust that our kinsman and neighbour, Dom Joao, will
not give us trouble in this matter. Your Portuguese have
so keen an appetite for discoveries, that they little relish the
success of other powers; and it is said many dangerous
and wicked proposals were made to the king, even while
our caravels lay in the Tagus."
" Colon assureth me, Fernando, that he doubteth if these


I




XERCEDES OF CASTILE.


433


Indians have now any religious creed, so that our ministers
will have no prejudices to encounter, in presenting to their
simple minds the sublime truths of the gospel!"; "No doubt the admiral hath fully weighed these matters.
It is his opinion, that the island he hath called Espafiola
wanteth but little of being of the full dimensions of Castile,
Leon, Aragon, Granada, and indeed of all our possessions
within the peninsula!"
"Didst thou attend to what he said, touching the gentleness and mildness of the inhabitants? And wert thou not
struck with the simple, confiding aspects of those he hath
brought with him? Such a people may readily be brought,
first, as is due, to worship the one true and living God, and
next, to regard their sovereigns as kind and benignant
parents."
"Authority can ever make itself respected; and Don
Christopher hath assured me, in a private conference, that
a thousand tried lances would overrun all that eastern region. We must make early application to the Holy Father
to settle such limits between us and Don John, as may prevent disputes, hereafter, touching our several interests. I
have already spoken to the cardinal on this subject, and he
flattereth me with the hope of having the ear of Alexander."
" I trust that the means of disseminating the faith of the
cross will not be overlooked in the negotiation; for it pain.
eth me to find churchmen treating of worldly things, to the
utter neglect of those of their Great Master."
Don Ferdinand regarded his wife intently for an instant
without making any reply. He perceived, as often hap
pened in questions of policy, that their feelings were not
exactly attuned, and he had recourse to an allusion that
seldom failed to draw the thoughts of Isabella from their
loftier aspirations to considerations more worldly, when
rightly applied.
"Thy children, Dofia Isabella, will reap a goodly heritage by the success of this, our latest and greatest stroke
of policy! Thy dominions and mine will henceforth descend in common to the same heir; then this marriage in
Portugal may open the way to new accessions of territory,
Granada is already secured to thine, by our united arms,
and here hath Providence opened the way to an empire in
37




434


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


the east, that promiseth to outdo a.1 that hath yet been per
formed in Europe."
" Are not my children thine, Fernando? Can good hap.
pen to one, without its equally befalling the other? I trust
they will learn to understand why so many new subjects
and such wide territories are added to their possessions,
and will ever remain,rue to their highest and first duty
that of spreading the gospel, that the sway of the one Ca
tholic church may the more speedily be accomplished."
"Still it may be necessary to secure advantages that are
offered in a worldly shape, by worldly means."
" Thou sayest true, my lord; and it is the proper care
of loving parents to look well to the interest of their offspring in this, as in all other particulars."
Isabella now lent a more willing ear to the politic suggestions of her consort, and they passed an hour in discuss.
ing some of the important measures that it was thought
their joint interests required should be immediately attended
to. After this Ferdinand saluted his wife affectionately,
and withdrew to his own cabinet, to labour, as usual, until
his frame demanded rest.
Isabella sate musing for a few minutes after the king had
retired, and then she took a light and proceeded through
certain private passages, with which she was familiar, to
the apartment of her daughters. Here she spent an hour,
indulging in the affections and discharging the duties of a
careful mother, when embracing each in turn, she gave her
blessings, and left the place in the same simple manner as
she had entered. Instead, however, of returning to her
own part of the palace, she pursued her way in an opposite
direction, until, reaching a private door, she gently tapped.
A voice within bade her enter, and complying, the Queen
of Castile found herself alone with her old and tried friend
the Marchioness of Moya. A quiet gesture forbade all the
usual testimonials of respect, and knowing her mistress's
wishes in this particular, the hostess received her illustrious
guest, much as she would have received an intimate of
her own rank in life.
"< We have had so busy and joyful a day, daughter-marchioness," the queen commenced, quietly setting down the
little silver lamp she carried, " that I had near forgotten a




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


435


duty which ought not to be overlooked. Thy nephew, the
Count de Llera, hath returned to court, bearing himself as
modestly and as prudently, as if he had no share in the
glory of this great success of Colon's!"
" Sefiora, Luis is here, but whether prudent or modest, I
leave for others, who may be less partial, to say."
" To me such seemeth to be his deportment, and a young
mind might be pardoned some exultation at such a result.
But I have come to speak of Don Luis and thy ward. Now
that thy nephew hath given this high prbof of his perse-Terance and courage, there can remain no longer any reason
for forbidding their union. Thou knowest that I hold the
pledged word of Dofia Mercedes, not to marry without my
consent, and this night will I make her happy as I feel
myself, by leaving her mistress of her own wishes; nay,
by letting her know that I desire to see her Countess of
Llera, and that right speedily."
" Your Highness is all goodness to me and mine," returned the Marchioness, coldly. " Mercedes ought to feel
deeply grateful that her royal mistress hath a thought for
her welfare, when her mind hath so many greater concerns
to occupy it."
"It is that, my friend, that hath brought me hither at
this late hour. My soul is truly burthened with gratitude,
and ere I sleep, were it possible, I would fain make all as
blessed as I feel myself. Where is thy ward?"
"She left me for the night, but as your Highness entered.
I will summon her to hear your pleasure."
"We will go to her, Beatriz; tidings such as I bring
should not linger on weary feet."
" It is her duty, and it would be her pleasure to pay all
respect, Seniora."
" I know that well, Marchioness, but it is my pleasure to
Sear this news myself," interrupted the queen, leading the
way to the door. (' Show thou the way, which is better
known to thee than to another. We go with little state and
ceremony, as thou seest, like Colon going forth to explore
his unknown seas, and we go bearers of tidings as grateful
to thy ward, as those the Genoese bore to the benighted na.
tives of Cipango. These corridors are our trackless seas,




436


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


and all these intricate passages the hidden ways we are to
explore."
" Heaven grant your Highness make not some discovery
as astounding as that which the Genoese hath just divulged
For myself, I scarce know whether to believe all things, or
to grant faith to none."
" I wonder not at thy surprise; it is a feeling that hath
overcome all others, through the late extraordinary events,"
answered the queen, evidently misconceiving the meaning
of her friend's words. " But we have still another pleasure
in store; that of witnessing the joy of a pure female heart
which hath had its trials, and which hath borne them as
became a Christian maiden."
Dofia Beatriz sighed heavily, but she made no answer.
By this time they were crossing the little saloon in which
Mercedes was permitted to receive her female acquaintances,
and were near the door of her chamber. Here they met a
m'aid, who hastened onward to inform her mistress of the
visit she was about to receive. Isabella was accustomed to
use a mother's liberties with those she loved, and opening
the door, without ceremony, she stood before our heroine,
ere the latter could advance to meet her.
"Daughter," commmenced the queen, seating herself,
and smiling benignantly on the startled girl, "I have
come to discharge a solemn duty. Kneel thou here, at
my feet, and listen to thy sovereign as thou wouldst listen
to a mother."
Mercedes gladly obeyed, for, at that moment, anything
was preferable to being required to speak. When she had
kr.elt, the queen passed an arm affectionately round hei
neck, and drew her closer to her person, until, by a little
gentle violence, the face of Mercedes was hid in the folds
of Isabella's robe.
"I have all reason to extol thy faith and duty, child,"
said the queen, as soon as this little arrangement, to favour
the feelings of Mercedes, had been considerately made;
"thou hast not forgotten thy promise, in aught; and my
object, now, is to leave thee mistress of thine own inclina.
tions, and to renove all impediments to their exercise.
Thou hast no longer any pledge with thy sovereign; for




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


437


one wAo hath manifested so much discretion and delicacy,
may be surely trusted with her own happiness."
Mercedes continued silent, though Isabella fancied that
she felt a slight shudder passing convulsively through her
delicate frame.
"No answer, daughter?-Is it more preferable to leave
another arbitress of thy fate, than to exercise that office
for thyself?  Well, then, as thy sovereign and parent, I
will substitute command for consent, and tell thee it is my
wish and desire that thou 'becomest, as speedily as shall
comport with propriety and thy high station, the wedded
wife of Don Luis de Bobadilla, Conde de Llera."
"No-no-no-Sefiora-never -never -" murmured
Mercedes, her voice equally stifled by her emotions, and by
the manner in which she had buried her face in the dress
of the queen.
Isabella looked at the Marchioness of Moya in wonder.
Her countenance did not express either displeasure or resentment, for she too well knew the character of our heroine to suspect caprice, or any weak prevarication in a mat.
ter that so deeply touched the feelings; and the concern she
felt was merely overshadowed at the suddenness of the intelligence, by a feeling of ungovernable surprise.
"Canst thou explain this, Beatriz?" the queen at length
inquired. " Have I done harm, where I most intended good?
I am truly unfortunate, for I appear to have deeply wounded
the heart of this child, at the very moment I fancied I was
conferring supreme happiness!"
"No-no-no-Seiora," again murmured Mercedes,
clinging convulsively to the queen's knees. "Your Highness hath wounded no one - would wound no one - can
wound no one-you are all gracious goodness and thoughtfulness."
" Beatriz, I look to thee for the explanation! Hath ought
justifiable occurred to warrant this change of feeling?"
"I fear, dearest Sefora, that the feelings continue too
much as formerly, and that the change is not in this young
and ulnpractised heart, but in the fickle inclinations of man."
A flash of womanly indignation darted from the usually
serene eyes of the queen, and her form assumed all of its
nasve majesty.
37 *




438


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


" Can this be true?" she exclaimed. " Would a subject
of Castile dare thus to trifle with his sovereign -thus to
trifle with one, sweet and pure as this girl - thus to trifle
with his faith with God! If the reckless Conde thinketh to
do these acts of wrongfulness with impunity, let him look
to it! Shall I punish him that merely depriveth his ineighbour of some paltry piece of silver, and let him escape who
woundeth the soul? I wonder at thy calmness, daughtermarchioness; thou, who art so wont to let an honest indignation speak out in the just language of a fearless and
honest spirit?"
"Alas! Seniora, my beloved mistress, my feelings have
had vent already, and nature will no more. The boy.
moreover, is my brother's son, and when I would fain
arouse a resentment against him, such as befitteth his offence, the image of that dear brother, whose very picture
he is, hath arisen to my mind in a way to weaken all its
energy."
" This is most unusual! A creature so fair-so youngso noble-so rich-every way so excellent, to be so soon
forgotten! Canst thou account for it by any wandering
inclination, Lady of Moya?"
Isabella spoke musingly, and, as one of her high rank is
apt to overlook minor considerations, when the feelings are
strongly excited, she did not remember that Mercedes was
a listener. The convulsive shudder that again shook the
frame of our heroine, however, did not fail to remind her
of this fact, and the queen could not have pressed the princess Juana more fondly to her heart, than she now drew
the yielding form of our heroine.
" What would you, Sefiora?" returned the Marchioness,
bitterly. " Luis, thoughtless and unprincipled boy as he is,
hath induced a youthful Indian princess to abandon home
and friends, under the pretence of swelling the triumph of
the admiral, but really, in obedience to a wandering fancy,
and in submission to those evil caprices, that make men
what, in sooth, they are, and which so often render unhappy
women their dupes and their victims."
"An Indian princess, say'st thou?-The admiral made
one of that rank known to us, bul she was already a wife
and far from being one to rival Dofia Mercedes of Valverde."




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


439


" Ah! dearest Seiora, she of whom you speak will not
compare with her I mean-Ozema-for so is the Indian
lady called-Ozema is a different being, and is not without
high claims to personal beauty. Could mere personal appearances justify the conduct of the boy, he would not be
altogether without excuse."
" How knowest thou this, Beatriz?"
"Because, your Highness, Luis hath brought her to the
palace, and she is, at this moment, in these very apart.
ments.  Mercedes hath received her like a sister, even
while the stranger hath unconsciously crushed her heart."
" Here, say'st thou, marchioness! Then can there be
no vicious union between the thoughtless young man and
the stranger. Thy nephew would not thus presume to
offend virtue and innocence."
" Of that we complain not, Sefiora. 'Tis the boyish inconstancy, and thoughtless cruelty of the count, that hath
awakened my feelings against him. Never have I endeavoured to influence my ward to favoer his suit, for I would
not that they should have it in their power to say I sought
a union so honourable and advantageous to our house; but
now do I most earnestly desire her to steel her noble heart
to his unworthiness."
"Ah! Sefiora-my guardian," murmured Mercedes,
"Luis is not so very culpable. Ozema's beauty, and my
own want of the means to keep him true, are alone to
blame."
" Ozema's beauty!" slowly repeated the queen. "Is this
young Indian, then, so very perfect, Beatriz, that thy ward
need fear, or envy her? I did not think that such a being
lived!"
"Your Highness knoweth how it is with men. They
love novelties, and are most captivated with the freshest
faces. San Iago!-Andres de Cabrera hath caused me to
know this, though it were a crime to suppose any could
teach this hard lesson to Isabella of Trastamara."
"Restrain thy strong and impetuous feelings, daughtermarchioness," returned the queen, glancing her eye at the
bowed form of Mercedes, whose head was now buried in
her lap; ' truth seldom asserts its fullest power when the
heart is overflowing with feeling. Don Andres hath been
I




440


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


a loyal subject, and doth justice to thy merit; and, as to my
Lord the King, he is the father of my children, as well as
thy sovereign.-But, touching this Ozema-can I see her,
Beatriz?"
" You have only to command, Sefiora, to see whom you
please. But Ozema is, no doubt, at hand, and can be
brought into your presence as soon as it may please yout
Highness to order it done."
" Nay, Beatriz, if she be a princess, and a stranger in
the kingdom, there is a consideration due to her rank and
to her position. Let Dofia Mercedes go and prepare her to
receive us; I will visit her in her own apartment. The
hour is late, but she will overlook the want of ceremony in
the desire to do her service."
Mercedes did not wait a second bidding, but, rising from
her knees, she hastened to do as the queen had suggested.
Isabella and the Marchioness were silent some little time,
when left to themselves; then the former, as became her
rank, opened the discourse.
"It is remarkable, Beatriz, that Colon should not have
spoken to me of this princess!" she said. "One of her
condition ought not to have entered Spain with so little
ceremony."
"The admiral hath deemed her the chosen subject of
Luis's care, and hath left her to be presented to your Highness by my recreant nephew. Ah, Sefiora! is it not wonderful, that one like Mercedes could be so soon supplanted
by a half-naked, unbaptized, benighted being, on whom the
church hath never yet smiled, and whose very soul may be
said to be in jeopardy of instantaneous condemnation?"
"That soul must be cared for, Beatriz, and that right
quickly. Is the princess really of sufficient beauty to sup.
plant a creature as lovely as the Dofia Mercedes?"
"It is not that, Sefiora, -it is not that. But men are
fickle,-and they so love novelties! Then is the modest
restraint of cultivated manners, less winning to them, than
the freedom of those who deem even clothes superfluous. I
mean not to question the modesty of Ozema; for, according
to her habits, she seemeth irreproachable in this respect;
but the ill-regulated fancy of a thoughtless boy may find a
momentary attraction in her unfettered conduct and half.




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


4141


attired person, that is wanting to the air and manners of a
high-born Spanish damsel, who hath been taught rigidly to
respect herself and her sex."
" This may be true, as toucheth the vulgar, Beatriz, but
such unworthy motives can never influence the Conde de
Llera. If thy nephew hath really proved the recreant thou
supposest, this Indian princess must be of more excellence
than we have thought."
"Of that, Seniora, you can soon judge for yourself
here is the maiden of Mercedes to inform us that the
Indian is ready to receive the honour that your Highness
intendeth."
Our heroine had prepared Ozema to meet the queen. By
this time, the young Haytian had caught so many Spanish
words, that verbal communication with her was far from difficult, though she still spoke in the disconnected and abrupt
manner of one to whom the language was new. She understood perfectly that she was to meet that beloved sovereign,
of whom Luis and Mercedes had so often spoken with reverence; and, accustomed herself, to look up to caciques
greater than her brother, there was no difficulty in making
her understand that the person she was now about to receive was the first of her sex in Spain. The only misconception which existed, arose from the circumstance that
Ozema believed Isabella to be the queen of all the Chris
tian world, instead of being the queen of a particular
country; for, in her imagination, both Luis and Mercedes
were persons of royal station.
Although Isabella was prepared to see a being of surprising perfection of form, she started with surprise, as her eye
first fell on Ozema. It was not so much the beauty of the
young Indian, that astonished her, as the native grace of
her movements, the bright and happy expression of her
countenance, and the perfect self-possession of her mien
and deportment. Ozema had got accustomed to a degree
of dress that she would have found oppressive at Hayti; the
sensitiveness of Mercedes, on the subject of female propriety,
having induced her to lavish on her new friend many rich
articles of attire, that singularly, though wildly, contributed
to aid her charms. Still the gift of Luis was thrown over
one shoulder, as the hi ghest nrized pn:rt oh, '.v',-'e,




442. MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


and the cross of Mercedes rested on her bosom, the most
precious of all her ornaments.
" This is wonderful, Beatriz!" exclaimed the queen, as
she stood at one side of the room, while Ozema bowed her
body in graceful reverence on the other; "can this rare
being really have a soul that knoweth nought of its God and
Redeemer!-But let her spirit be benighted as it may, there
is novice in that simple mind, or deceit in that pure heart."
" Sefiora, all this is true. Spite of our causes of dissatisfaction, my ward and I both love her already, and could
take her to our hearts for ever; one as a friend, and the
other as a parent."
" Princess," said the queen, advancing with quiet dignity
to the spot where Ozema stood, with downcast eyes and
bended body, waiting her pleasure, "thou art welcome to
our dominions. The admiral hath done well in not classing one of thy evident claims and station among those whom
he hath exhibited to vulgar eyes. In this he hath shown
his customary judgment, no less than his deep respect for
the sacred office of sovereigns."
" Almirante!" exclaimed Ozema, her looks brightening
with intelligence, for she had long known how to pronounce
the well-earned title of Columbus; "Almirante, Mercedes;
-Isabella, Mercedes-Luis, Mercedes, Sefiora Reyfia."
" Beatriz, what meaneth this?  Why doth the princess
couple the name of thy ward with that of Colon, with mine,
and even with that of the young Count of Llera?"
" Sefiora, by some strange delusion, she hath got to think
that Mercedes is the Spanish term for every thing that is
excellent or perfect, and thus doth she couple it with all
that she most desireth to praise. Your Highness must observe that she even united Luis and Mercedes, a union that
we once fondly hoped might happen, but which now would
seem to. be impossible; and which she herself must be the
last really to wish."
" Strange delusion!" repeated the queen; " the idea hath
had its birth in some particular cause, for things like this
come not of accidents; who but thy nephew, Beatriz, would
know aught of thy ward, or who but he would have taught
the princess to deem her very name a sign of excellence?"
"Sefora!" exclaimed Mercedes, the colour mounting to




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


443


her pale cheek, and joy momentarily flashing in her eyes.
"can this be so?"
" Why not, daughter? We may have been too hasty in
this matter, and mistaken what are truly signs of devotion
to thee, for proofs of fickleness and inconstancy."
"Ah! Seiora! but this can never be, else would not
Ozema so love him."
" How knowest thou, child, that the princess hath any
other feeling for the count than that which properly belongeth to one who is grateful for his care, and for the inex
pressible service of being made acquainted with the virtuet
of the cross? Here is some rash error, Beatriz."
" I fear not, your Highness. Touching the nature of Oze
ma's feelings, there can be no misconception, since the inn&
cent and unpractised creature hath not art sufficient to con
ceal them. That her heart is all Luis's, we discovered in
the first few hours of our intercourse; and it is too pure,
unsought, to be won. The feeling of the Indian is not
merely admiration, but it is such a passionate devotion, as
partaketh of the warmth of that sun, which, we are told,
glows with a heat so genial in her native clime."
" Could one see so much of Don Luis, Seniora," added
Mercedes, " under circumstances to try his martial virtues,
and so long daily be in communion with his excellent heart,
and not come to view him as far above all others?"
" Martial virtues-excellent heart!"-slowly repeated the
queen, " and yet so regardless of the wrong he doeth! He
is neither knight nor cavalier worthy of the sex, if what
thou thinkest be true, child."
"Nay, Senora," earnestly resumed the girl, whose diffi.
dence was yielding to the wish to vindicate our hero, " the
princess hath told us of the manner in which he rescued
her from her greatest enemy and persecutor, Caonabo, a
headstrong and tyrannical sovereign of her island, and of
his generous self-devotion in her behalf."
" Daughter, do thou withdraw, and, first calling on Holy
Maria to intercede for thee, seek the calm of religious peace
and submission, on thy pillow. Beatriz, I will question the
princess alone."
The Marchioness and Mercedes immediately withdrew,
leaving Iyabella with Ozema, in possession of the room.




444


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


The interview that followed lasted more than an hour, that
time being necessary to enable the queen to form an opinion
of the stranger's explanations, with the imperfect means of
communication she possessed. That Ozema's whole heart
was Luis's, Isabella could not doubt. Unaccustomed to conceal her preferences, the Indian girl was too unpractised to
succeed in such a design, had she even felt the desire to
attempt it; but, in addition to her native ingenuousness.
Ozema believed that duty required her to have no conceal.
ments from the sovereign of Luis, and she laid bare hei
whole soul in tie simplest and least disguised manner.
"Princess," said the queen, after the conversation had
lasted some time, and Isabella believed herself to be in possession of the means of comprehending her companion, " I
now understand your tale. Caonabo is the chief, or if thou
wilt, the king of a country adjoining thine own; he sought
thee for a wife, but being already married to more than one
princess, thou didst very properly reject his unholy proposals. He then attempted to seize thee by violence. The
Conde de Llera was on a visit to thy brother at the
time-"
"Luis-Luis"-the girl impatiently interrupted in her
sweet soft voice- "Luis-no Conde-Luis."
"True, princess, but the Conde de Llera and Luis de
Bobadilla are one and the same person. Luis, then, if thou
wilt, was present in thy palace, and he beat back the presumptuous cacique, who, not satisfied with fulfilling the law
of God by the possession of one wife, impiously sought, in
thy person, a second, or a third, and brought thee off in
triumph. Thy brother, next, requested thee to take shelter,
for a time, in Spain, and Don Luis, becoming thy guardian
and protector, hath brought thee hither to the care of his
aunt?"
Ozema bowed her head in acknowledgment of the truth
of this statement, most of which she had no difficulty in
understanding, the subject having, of late, occupied so
much of her thoughts.
" And, now, princess," continued Isabella, " I must speak
to thee with maternal frankness, for I deem all of thy birth
my children while they dwell in my realms, and have a
right to look to me for advice and protection. Hast thou




XEBCEDES OF CASTILE.


445


any such love for Don Luis as would induce thee to forget
thine own country, and to adopt his in its stead?"
" Ozema don't know what 'adopt his,' means," observed
the puzzled girl.
" I wish to inquire if thou would'st consent to become
the wife of Don Luis de Bobadilla?"
"Wife" and " husband" were words of which the Indian girl had early learned the signification, and she smiled
guilelessly, even while she blushed, and nodded her assent.
" I am, then, to understand that thou expect'st to marry
the Count, for no modest young female, like thee, would so
cheerfully avow her preference, without having that hope
ripened in her heart, to something like certainty."
" Si, Sefiora-Ozema, Luis' wife."
"Thou meanest, princess, that Ozema expecteth shortly
to wed the Count-shortly to become his wife?"
"No-no-no-Ozema now Luis' wife. Luis marry
Ozema, already."
" Can this be so?" exclaimed the queen, looking steadily
into the face of the beautiful Indian to ascertain if the
whole were not an artful deception. But the open and innocent face betrayed no guilt, and Isabella felt compelled to
believe what she had heard. In order, however, to make
certain of the fact, she questioned and cross-questioned
Ozema, for near half an hour longer, and always with the
same result.
When the queen arose to withdraw, she kissed the
princess, for so she deemed this wild creature of an unknown and novel state of society, and whispered a devout
prayer for the enlightenment of her mind, and for her future peace. On reaching her own apartment, she found
the Marchioness of Moya in attendance, that tried friend
being unable to sleep until she had learned the impressions
of her royal mistress.
"'T is even worse than we had imagined, Beatriz," said
Isabella, as the other closed the door behind her. "Thine
heartless, inconstant, nephew hath already wedded the Indian, and she is, at this moment, his lawful wife."
" Sefiora, there must be some mistake in this! The rash
boy would hardly dare to practise this imposition on me,
and that in the very presence of Mercedes."
38




446


M4ERCEDES OF CASTILE.


" He would sooner place his wife in thy care, daughter
marchioness, than make the same disposition of one who
had fewer claims on him. But there can be no mistake.
I have questioned the princess closely, and no doubt remaineth in my mind, that the nuptials have been solemnized
by religious rites. It is not easy to understand all she
would wish to say, but that much she often and distinctly
hath affirmed."
"Your Highness - can a Christian contract marriage
with one that is yet unbaptised?"
" Certainly not, in the eye of the church, which is the
eye of God. But I rather think Ozema hath received this
holy rite, for she often pointed to the cross she weareth,
when speaking of the union with thy nephew. Indeed,
from her allusions, I understood her to say that she became
a Christian, ere she became a wife."
" And that blessed cross, Sefiora, was a gift of Mercedes
to the reckless, fickle-minded boy; a parting gift, in which
the holy symbol was intended to remind him of constancy
and faith!"
" The world maketh so many inroads into the hearts of
men, Beatriz, that they know not woman's reliance and
woman's fidelity. But to thy knees, and bethink thee of
asking for grace to sustain thy ward, in this cruel, but unavoidable, extremity."
Isabella now turned to her friend, who advanced and
raised the hand of her royal mistress to her lips. The
queen, however, was not content with this salutation, warm
as it was; passing an arm around the neck of Dofia Bea.
triz, she drew her to her person, and imprinted a kiss on
her forehead.
" Adieu, Beatriz-true friend as thou art!" she said. " If
constancy hath deserted all others, it hath still an abode in
thy faithful heart."
With these words the queen and the marchioness separated each to find her pillow, if not her repose




ME~RCEDES OF CASTILE.


447


CIAPTER XXIX.
N.jw, Gondarino, what can you put or now
That may deceive us?
Have ye more strange illusions, yet more mis.-s,
Through which the weak eye may be led to error?
What can ye say that may do satisfaction
Both for her wronged honour and your ill?
BEAUMONT AND FLETCHER.
THE day which succeeded the interview related in the
preceding chapter, was that which Cardinal Mendoza had
selected for the celebrated banquet given to Columbus. On
this occasion, most of the high nobility of the court were
assembled in honour of the admiral, who was received with
a distinction which fell little short of that usually devoted
to crowned heads. The Genoese bore himself modestly,
though nobly, in all these ceremonies; and, for the hour,
all appeared to delight in doing justice to his great exploits,
and to sympathise in a success so much surpassing the
general expectation.  Every eye seemed riveted on his
person, every ear listened eagerly to the syllables as they
fell from his lips, every voice was loud and willing in his
his praise.
As a matter of course, on such an occasion, Columbus
was expected to give some account of his voyage and adventures. This was not an easy task, since it was virtually
asserting how much his own perseverance and spirit, his
sagacity and skill, were superior to the knowledge and'enterprise of the age. Still, the admiral acquitted himself
with dexterity aid credit, touching principally on those
heads which most redounded to the glory of Sfain, and the
lustre of the two crowns.
Among the guests, was Luis de Bobadilla. The young
man had been invited on account of his high lank, and in
consideration of the confidence and familiarity with which
he was evidently treated by the admiral. The friendship
of Columbus was more than sufficient to erase the slightly




448


MERCEDES DF CASTILE.


unfavourable impressions that had been produced by Luis's
early levities, and men quietly submitted to the influence
of the great man's example, without stopping to question
the motive, or the end. The consciousness of having done
that which few of his station and hopes would ever dream
of attempting, gave to the proud mien and handsome
countenance of Luis, a seriousness and elevation that had
not always been seated there, and helped to sustain him'in
the good opinion that he had otherwise so cheaply purchased. The manner in which he had related to Peter
Martyr and his companions the events of the expedition
was also remembered, and, without understanding exactly
why, the world was beginning to associate him, in some
mysterious manner, with the great western voyage. Owing
to these accidental circumstances, our hero was actually
reaping some few of the advantages of his spirit, though
in a way he had never anticipated; a result by no means
extraordinary, men as often receiving applause, or reprobation, for acts that were never meditated, as for those for
which reason and justice would hold them rigidly responsible.
"Here is a health to my lord, their Highnesses' admiral
of the Ocean Sea," cried Luis de St. Angel, raising his
cup, so that all at the board might witness the act. " Spain
oweth him her gratitude for the boldest and most beneficial
enterprise of the age, and no good subject of the two
Sovereigns will hesitate to do him honour for his services."
The bumper was drunk, and the meek acknowledgments
of Columbus were listened to in respectful silence.
"Lord Cardinal," resumed the free-speaking accountant
of the church's revenues, " I look upon the church's cure
as dbubled by these discoveries, and esteem the number of
souls that will be rescued from perdition by the means that
will now be employed to save them, as forming no small
part of the lustre of the exploit, and a thing not likely to
be forgotten at Rome."
"Thou say'st well, good de St. Angel," returned the
Cardinal, "and the Holy Father will not overlook God's
agent, or his assistants. Knowledge came from the east,
and we have long looked forward to the time, when, puri.
fied by revelation and the high commission that we hold




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


449


direct from the source of all power, it would be rolled back.
ward to its place of beginning; but we now see that its
course is still to be westward, reaching Asia by a path that
until this great discovery, was hid from human eyes."
Although so much apparent sympathy ruled at the festival, the human heart was at work, and envy, the basest
and perhaps the most common of our passions, was fast
swelling in more than one breath. The remark of the
Cardinal produced an exhibition of the influence of this
unworthy feeling that might otherwise have been smothered. Among the guests was a noble of the name of Juan
de Orbitello, and he. could listen no longer, in silence, to
the praises of those whose breath he had been accustomed
to consider fame.
" Is it so certain, holy sir," he said, addressing his host,
"that God would not have directed other means to be employed, to effect this end, had these of Don Christopher
failed? Or, are we to look upon this voyage as the only
known way in which all these heathen could be rescued
from perdition?"
"No one may presume, Sefior, to limit the agencies of
heaven," returned the cardinal, gravely; "nor is it the
office of man to question the means employed, or to doubt
the power to create others, as wisdom may dictate. Least
of all, should laymen call in question aught that the church
sanctioneth."
" This I admit, Lord Cardinal," answered the Sefior de
Orbitello, a little embarrassed, and somewhat vexed at the
implied rebuke of the churchman's remarks, " and it was
the least of my intentions to do so. But, you, Sefior Don
Christopher, did you deem yourself an agent of heaven in
this expedition?"
" I have always considered myself a most unworthy instrument, set apart for this great end, Seinor," returned the
admiral, with a grave solemnity that was well suited to impose on the spectators. "From  the first, I have felt this
impulse, as being of divine origin, and I humbly trust heaven is not displeased with the creature it hath employed."
"Do you then imagine, Sefior Almirante, that Spain
could not produce another, fitted equally with yourself, to
38 *




450


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


execute this great enterprise, had any accident prevented
either your sailing or your success?"
The boldness, as well as the singularity of this question,
produced a general pause in the conversation, and every
head was bent a little forward in expectation of the reply.
Columbus sate silent for more than a minute; then, reaching forward, he took an egg, and holding it up to view, he
spoke mildly, but with great gravity and earnestness of
manner.
" Sefiores," he said, "is there one here of sufficient expertness to cause this egg to stand on its end? If such a
man be present, I challenge him to give us an exhibition
of his skill."
The request produced a good deal of surprise; but a
dozen immediately attempted the exploit, amid much laughter and many words. More than once, some young noble
thought he had succeeded, but the instant his fingers quitted
the egg, it rolled upon the table, as if in mockery of his
awkwardness.
"By Saint Luke, Senior Almirante, but this notable
achievement surpasseth our skill," cried Juan de Orbitello.
"Here is the Conde de Llera, who hath slain so many
Moors, and who hath even unhorsed Alonzo de Ojeda, in a
tourney, can make nothing of his egg, in the way you
mention."
" And yet it will no longer be difficult to him, or even to
you, Senior, when the art shall be exposed."
Saying thus, Columbus tapped the smaller end of his
egg lightly on the table, when, the shell being forced in, it
possessed a base on which it stood firmly and without tremour. A murmur of applause followed this rebuke, and
the Lord of Orbitello was fain to shrink back into an insignificance, from which it would have been better for him
never to have emerged. At this precise instant a royal
page spoke to the admiral, and then passed on to the seat
of Don Luis de Bobadilla.
" I am summoned hastily to the presence of the queen,
Lord Cardinal," observed the admiral, " and look to your
Grace for an apology for my withdrawing. The business
is of weight, by the manner of the message, and you will
pardon my now quitting the board, though it seem early"




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


451


rhe usual reply was made; and, bowed to tile door by
hiJ host and all present, Columbus quitted the room. Almost at the same instant, he was followed by the Conde de
Llera.
"Whither goest thou, in this hurry, Don Luis?" demanded the admiral, as the other joined him. '- Art thou
in so great haste to quit a banquet such as Spain hath not
often seen, except in the palaces of her kings?"
"By San lago! nor there, neither, Sefior," answered th
young man, gaily, " if King Ferdinand's board be taken
as the sample. But I quit this goodly company in obedience to an order of Dofa Isabella, who hath suddenly
summoned me to her royal presence."
"Then, Sefior Conde, we go together, and are like to
meet on the same errand. I, too, am hastening to the
apartments of the queen."
"It gladdens my heart to hear this, Sefior, as I know of
but one subject on which a common summons should be
sent to us. This affair toucheth on my suit, and, doubtless,
you will be required to speak of my bearing in the voyage."
"My mind and my time have been so much occupied,
of late, with public cares, Luis, that I have not had an occasion to question you of this. How fareth the Lady of
Valverde, and when will she deign to reward thy constancy
and love."
"Sefior, I would I could answer the last of these questions with greater certainty, and the first with a lighter
heart. Since my return I have seen Dofia Mercedes but
thrice; and though she was all gentleness and truth, my
suit for the consummation of my happiness hath been
coldly and evasively answered by my aunt. Her Highness
is to be consulted, it would seem; and the tumult produced
by the success of the-voyage hath so much occupied her,
that there hath been no leisure to wait on trifles such as
those that lead to the felicity of a wanderer like myself."
"Then is it like, Luis, that we are indeed summoned on
this very affair; else, why should thou and I be brought
together in a manner so unusual and so sudden."
Our hero was not displeased to fancy this, and he entered
the apartments of the queen with a step as elastic, and
a mien as bright, as if he had come to wed his love.




452


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


The Admiral of the Ocean Sea, as Columbus was now pub.
licly called, had not long to wait in ante-chambers, and, ere
many minutes, he and his companions were ushered into
the presence.
Isabella received her guests in private, there being no
one in attendance but the Marchioness of Moya, Mercedes,
and Ozema. The first glances of their eyes told Columbus
and Luis that all was not right. Every countenance de.
noted that its owner was endeavouring to maintain a calm.
ness that was assumed. The queen herself was serene an4
dignified, it is true, but her brow was thoughtful, her eye
melancholy, and her cheek slightly flushed. As for Dofia
Beatriz, sorrow and indignation struggled in her expressive
faoe, and Luis saw, with concern, that her look was averted
from him in a way she always adopted when he had seriously incurred her displeasure. Mercedes's.lips were
pale as death, though a bright spot, like vermilion, was
stationary on each cheek; her eyes were downcast, and all
her mien was humbled and timid. Ozema alone seemed
perfectly natural: still, her glances were quick and anxious,
though a gleam of joy danced in her eyes, and even a slight
exclamation of delight escaped her, as she beheld Luis,
whom she had seen but once since her arrival in Barcelona,
already near a month.
Isabella advanced a step or two, to meet the admiral, and
when the last would have kneeled, she hurriedly prevented
the act by giving him her hand to kiss.
" Not so-not so-Lord Admiral," exclaimed the queen;
"this is homage unsuited to thy high rank and eminent
services. If we are thy sovereigns, so are we also thy
friends. I fear my lord cardinal will scarce pardon the
orders I sent him, seeing that it hath deprived him of thy
society somewhat sooner than he may have expected."
"His Eminence, and all his goodly company, have that
to muse on, Sefiora, that may yet occupy them some time,"
returned Columbus, smiling in his grave manner; " doubtless, they will less miss me than at an ordinary time.
Were it otherwise, both I, and this young count, would not
scruple to quit even a richer banquet, to obey the summons
of your Highness."
"I doubt it not, Sefior, but I have desired to see th e,




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


453:his night, on a matter of private, rather than of public
concernment. Donia Beatriz, here, hath made known to
me the presence at court, as well as the history of this fair
being, who giveth one an idea so much more exalted of thy
vast discoveries, that I marvel she should ever have been
concealed. Know'st thou her rank, Don Christopher, and
the circumstances that have brought her to Spain?"
" Seiora, I do; in part through my own observation, and
ih part from the statements of Don Luis de Bobadilla. I
consider- the rank of the lady Ozema to be less than royal,
and more than noble, if our opinions will allow us to imagine a condition between the two; though it must always
be remembered that Hayti is not Castile; the one being benighted under the cloud of heathenism, and the other existing in the sunshine of the church and civilization."
" Nevertheless, Don Christopher, station is station, and
the rights of birth are not impaired by the condition of a
country. Although it hath pleased him already, and will
still further please the head of the church, to give us rights,
in our characters of Christian princes, over these caciques
of India, there is nothing unusual or novel in the fact.
The relation between the suzerain and the lieges is ancient
and well established; and instances are not wanting, in
which powerful monarchs have held certain of their States
by this tenure, while others have come direct from God.
In this view, I feel disposed to consider the Indian lady as
more than noble, and have directed her to be treated accordingly. There remaineth only to relate the circumstances
that have brought her to Spain."
"These can better come from Don Luis than from me,
Sefiora; he being most familiar with the events."
"Nay, Senior, I would hear them from thine own lips.
I am already possessed of the substance of the Conde de
Llera's story."
Columbus looked both surprised and pained, but he did
not hesitate about complying with the queen's request.
"Hayti hath its greater and its lesser princes, or ca.
ziques, your Highness," he added, " the last paying a spemies of homage, and owing a certain allegiance to the first,
as hath been said-"
"Thou see'st, daughter-marchioness, this is but a natu



454


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


ral order of government, prevailing equally in the East ana
in the WVest!"
" Of the first of these was Guacanagari, of whom I have
already related so much to your Highness," continued Columbus, "and of the last, Mattinao, the brother of this
lady. Don Luis visited the cacique Mattinao, and was present at an inroad of Caonabo, a celebrated Carib chief, who
would fain have made a wife of her who now stands in this
illustrious presence. The Conde conducted himself like a
gallant Castilian cavalier, routed the foe, saved the lady,
and brought her in triumph to the ships. Here it was determined she should visit Spain, both as a means of throwing more lustre on the triumph of the two crowns, and of
removing her, for a season, from the attempts of the Carib,
who is too powerful and warlike to be withstood by a race
as gentle as that of Mattinao's."
" This is well, Sefor, and what I have already heard;
but how happeneth it, that Ozema did not appear with the
rest of thy train, in the public reception of the town?"
"It was the wish of Don Luis it should be otherwise,
and I consented that he and his charge should sail privately from Palos, with the expectation of meeting me in
Barcelona. We both thought the lady Ozema too supe.
rior to her companions, to be exhibited to rude eyes as a
spectacle."
" There was delicacy, if there were not prudence in the
arrangement," the queen observed a little drily. " Then
the lady Ozema hath been some weeks solely in the care
~of the Conde de Llera?"
" I so esteem it, your Highness, en cept as she hath been
placed under the guardianship of the Marchioness of Moya."
"Was this altogether discreet, Don Christopher, or as
one prudent as thou should'st have consented to?"
" Sefnora!" exclaimed Luis, unable to restrain his feelings longer.
"Forbear, young sir," commanded the queen. "I shall
have occasion to question thee presently, when thou may'st
have a need for all thy readiness, to give the fitting answers. Doth not thy discretion rebuke thy indiscretion in
this matter, Lord Admiral?"
' Sefiora, the question, like its motive, is altogether new




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


455


to me; I have the utmost reliance on the honour of the
Count, and then did I know that his heart atll long been
given to the fairest and worthiest damsel of Spain; besides, my mind hath been so much occupied with the grave
subjects of your Highness' interests, that it hath had but
little opportunity to dwell on minor things."
" I believe thee, Sefior, and thy pardon is secure. Still,
for one so experienced, it was a sore indiscretion to trust to
the constancy of a fckle heart,evhen placed in the body
of a light-minded and truant boy. And, now, Conde de
Llera, I have that to say to thee, which thou may'st find it
difficult to answer. Thou assentest to all that hath hitherto been said?"
"Certainly, Sefiora. Don Christopher can have no motive to misstate, even were he capable of the meanness. I
trust our house hath not been remarkable in Spain, for
recreant and false cavaliers."
"In that I fully agree. If thy house hath had the misfortune to produce one untrue and recreant heart, it hath
the glory"-glancing at her friend —" of producing others
that might equal the constancy of the most heroic minds
of antiquity.  The lustre of the name of Bobadilla doth
not altogether depend on the fidelity and truth of its head
- nay, hear me, sir, and speak only when thou art ready
to answer my questions. Thy thoughts, of late, have been
bent on matrimony?"
" Sefiora, I confess it. Is it an offence to dream of the
honourable termination of a suit that hath been long urged,
and which I had dared to hope was finally about to receive
your own royal approbation?"
"It is then as I feared, Beatriz!" exclaimed the queen;
and this benighted but lovely being hath been deceived by
the mockery of a marriage; for no subject of Castile would
dare thus to speak of wedlock, in my presence, with the
consciousness that his vows had actually and lawfully been
given to another. Both the church and the prince would
not be thus braved, by even the greatest profligate of
Spain!"
"Seniora, your Highness speaketh most cruelly, even
while you speak in riddles!" cried Luis. " May I presume
to ask if I am meant in these severe remarks?"




456


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


" Of whom else should we be speaking, or to whom else
allude? Thou must have the inward consciousness, un.
principled boy, of all thy unworthiness; and yet thou
darest thus to brave thy sovereign-nay, to brave that suffering and angelic girl, with a mien as bold as if sustained
by the purest innocence!"
' Senora, I am no angel, myself, however willing to
admit Dofia Mercedes to be one; neither am I a saint of
perfect purity, perhaps - in a word, I am Luis de Boba.
dilla- but as far from deserving these reproaches, as from
deserving the crown of martyrdom. Let me humbly demand my offence?"
"Simply that thou hast either cruelly deceived, by a
leigned marriage, this uninstructed and confiding Indian
princess, or hast insolently braved thy sovereign with the
professions of a desire to wed another, with thy faith
actually plighted at the altar, to another. Of which of
these crimes thou art guilty, thou knowest best, thyself."
"And thou, my aunt - thou, Mercedes- dost thou, too,
believe me capable of this?"
" I fear it is but too true," returned the marchioness,
coidiy; " the proof is such that none but an Infidel could
deny belief."
Mercedes?"
"No, Luis," answered the generous girl, with a warmth
and feeling that broke down the barriers of all conventional
restraint-" I do not think thee base as this-I do not think
thee base at all; merely unable to restrain thy wandering
inclinations. I know thy heart too well, and thine honour
too well, to suppose aught more than a weakness that thou
would'st fain subdue, but canst not."
" God and the Holy Virgin be blessed for this!" cried
the count, who had scarcely breathed while his mistress
was speaking. "Anything but thy entertaining so low an
opinion of me, may be borne!"
" There must be an end of this, Beatriz; and I see no
surer means, than by proceeding at once to the facts," said
the queen. " Come hither, Ozema, and let thy testimony
set this matter at rest, for ever."
The young Indian, who comprehended Spanish much
better than she expressed herself in the language, although




MIIRCEDES OF CASTILE.


457


far from having even a correct understanding of all that
was said, immediately complied, her whole soul being engrossed with what was passing, while her intelligence was
baffled in its attempts thoroughly to comprehend it. Mercedes alone had noted the workings of her countenance, as
Isabella reproved, or Luis made his protestations, and they
were such as completely denoted the interest she felt in
our hero.
" Ozema," resumed the queen, speaking slowly, and
with deliberate distinctness, in order that the other might
get the meaning of her words as she proceeded. "Speak
-art thou wedded to Luis de Bobadilla, or not?"
" Ozema Luis's wife," answered the girl, laughing and
blushing. " Luis Ozema's husband."
" This is plain as words can make it, Don Christopher,
tnd is no more than she hath already often affirmed, on my
anxious and repeated inquiries. How and when did Luis
wed thee, Ozema?"
"Luis wed Ozema with religion - with Spaniard's religion. Ozema wed Luis with love and duty -with Hayti
manner."
" This is extraordinary, Sefiora," observed the admiral,
and I would gladly look into it. Have I your Highness's
Permission to inquire into the affair, myself?"
" Do as thou wilt, Sefior," returned the queen, coldly.
' My own mind is satisfied, and it behoveth my justice to,Ict speedily."
" Conde de Llera, dost thou admit, or dost thou deny, that
thou art the husband of the lady Ozema?" demanded Coumrnbus, gravely.
"Lord Admiral, I deny it altogether. Neither have I
wedded her, nor hath the thought of so doing, with any
out Mercedes, ever crossed my mind."
This was said firmly, and with the open frankness that
formed a principal charm in the young man's manner.
" Hast thou, then, wronged her, and given her a right to
think that thou didst mean wedlock?"
" I have not. Mine own sister would not have been more
respected than hath Ozema been respected by me, as is
3hown by the fact that I have hastened to place her in the
39




458


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


care of my dear aunt, and in the company ol Doria Mer.
cedes."
" This seemeth reasonable, Sefiora; for man hath ever
that much respect for virtue in your sex, that he hesitateth
to offend it even in his levities."
"In opposition to all these protestations, and to so much
fine virtue, Sefior Colon, we have the simple declaration of
one untutored in deception-a mind too simple to deceive;
and of a rank and hopes that would render such a fraud as
unnecessary as it would be unworthy. Beatriz, thou dost
agree with me, and cannot find an apology for this recreant
knight, even though he were once the pride of thy house?"
" Sefiora, I know not. Whatever may have been the fail.
ings and weaknesses of the boy -and heaven it knows
that they have been many - deception and untruth have
never made a part. I have even ascribed the manner in
which he hath placed the princess in my immediate care,
to the impulses of a heart that did not wish to conceal the
errors of the head, and to the expectation that her presence
in my family might sooner bring me to a knowledge of the
truth. I could wish that the lady Ozema might be questioned more closely, in order that we make certain of not
being under the delusion of some strange error."
"This is right," observed Isabella, whose sense of justice ever inclined her to make the closest examination into
the merits of every case that required her decision. " The
fortune of a grandee depends on the result, and it is meet
he enjoy all fair means of vindicating himself from so
heinous an offence. Sir Count, thou canst, therefore, queslion her, in our presence, touching all Proper grounds of
inquiry."
"Sefiora, it would ill become a knight to put himself in
array against a lady, and she, too, of the character and
habits of this stranger," answered Luis, proudly; colour.
ng as he spoke, with the consciousness that Ozema was
utterly unable to conceal her predilection in his favour.
" If such an office is, indeed, necessary, its functions would
better become another."
"As the stern duty of punishing must fall on me," the
queen calmly observed, " I will then assume this unpleasant
office. Sefior Almirante, we may not shrink from any ob.




MRBCEDE8 OF CASTILE.           4bU
lgation that brings us nearer to the greatest attribute of
God, his justice. Princess, thou hast said that Don Luis
hath wedded thee, and that thou considerest thyself his
wife. When and where didst thou meet him beibre a
priest 1"
So many attempts had been made to convert Ozema to
Christianity, that she was more familiar with the terms
connected with religion than with any other part of the
language, though her mind was a confused picture of imaginary obligations, and of mystical qualities. Like all who
are not addicted to abstractions, her piety was more connected with forms than with principles, and she was better
disposed to admit the virtue of the ceremonies of the
church than the importance of its faith. The question of
the queen was understood, and, therefore, it was answered
without guile, or a desire to deceive.
"Luis wed Ozema with Christian's cross," she said,
pressing to her heart the holy emblem that the young man
had given to her in a moment of great peril, and in a
manner the reader already knows. " Luis think he about
to die - Ozema think she about to die - both wish to die
man and wife, and Luis wed with the cross, like good
Spanish Christian. Ozema wed Luis in her heart, like
Hayti lady, in her own country."
" Here is some mistake-some sad mistake, growing out
of the difference of language and customs," observed the
admiral. " Don Luis hath not been guilty of this deception.
I witnessed the offering of that cross, which was made at
sea, during a tempest, and in a way to impress me favourably with the count's zeal in behalf of a benighted soul.
There was no wedlock there; nor could any, but one who
hath confounded our usages, through ignorance, imagine
more than the bestowal of a simple emblem, that it was
hoped might be useful, in extremity, to one that had not
enjoyed the advantages of baptism and the church's offices."
"Don Luis, dost thou confirm this statement, and also
sssert that thy gift was made solely with this object?"
asked the queen.
" Seniora, it is moot true. Death was staring us in the
face, and I felt that this poor wandere:, who had trusted
herself to our care, with the simple confidence of a child,




460


MBCIEEDES OF CA8TILE.


needed some consolation; none seemed so meet, at the moment, as that memorial of our blessed Redeemer, and of
our own redemption. To me it seemed to be the preserva.
tive next to baptism."
" Hast thou never stood before a priest with her, nor in
any manner abused her guileless simplicity?"
" Seiora, it is not my nature to deceive, and every weak.
ness of which I have been guilty in connexion with Ozema
shall be revealed. Her beauty and her winning manners
sneak for themselves, as doth her resemblance to Doia
Mercedes, The last, greatly inclined me to her, and, had not
my heart been altogether another's, it would have been my
pride to make the princess my wife. But we met too late
for that; and even the resemblance led to comparisons, in
which one, educated in infidelity and ignorance, must necessarily suffer. That I have had moments of tenderness
for Ozema, I will own; but that they ever supplanted, or
came near supplanting, my love for Mercedes, I do deny.
If I have any fault to answer for, to the lady Ozema, it is
because I have not always been able to suppress the feel.
ings that her likeness to the Dofia Mercedes, and her own
ingenuous simplicity - chiefly the former - have induced.
Never otherwise, in speech or act, have I offended against
her."
" This soundeth upright and true, Beatriz. Thou know.
est the count better than I, and can easier say how far we
ought to confide in these explanations."
"My life on their truth, my beloved mistress! Luis is
no hypocrite, and I rejoice -oh! how exultingly do I re
joice!-at finding him able to give this fair vindication of
his conduct. Ozema, who hath heard of our form of wed.
lock, and hath seen our devotion to the cross, hath mistaken
her position, as she hath my nephew's feelings, and supposed herself a wife, when a Christian girl would not have
been so cruelly deceived."
" This really hath a seeming probability, Sefiores," continued the queen, with her sex's sensitiveness to her sex's
delicacy of sentiment, not to say to her sex's rights —
' This toucheth of a lady's -nay, of a princess' feelings,
and must not be treated of openly. It is proper that any
further explanations should he made only among femalea




EItRCMDES OF CA-STILE.


461


and I trust to your honour, as cavaliers and nobles, that
what hath this night been said.never be spoken of, amid the
revels of men. The lady Ozema shall be my care; and,
Count of Llera, thou shalt know my final decision to-morrow, concerning Doiia Mercedes and thyself."
As this was said with a royal, as well as with a womanly,
dignity, no one presumed to demur, but, making the customary reverences, Columbus and our hero left the presence.
It was late before the queen quitted Ozema, but what passed
in this interview will better appear in the scenes that are
still to be given.
CHAPTER XXX
"When sinking low the sufferer wan
Beholds no arm outstretch'd to save,
Fair, as the bosom of the swan
That rises graceful o'er the wave,
I 've seen your breast with pity heave,
And therefore love you, sweet Genevieve!"
COLERIDGE.
WHEN Isabella found herself alone with Ozema and Mel
cedes (for she chose that the last should be present), she
entered on the subject of the marriage with the tenderness
of a sensitive and delicate mind, but with a sincerity that
rendered further error impossible. The result showed how
naturally and cruelly the young Indian beauty had deceived
herself. Ardent, confiding, and accustomed to be considered
the object of general admiration among her own people
Ozema had fancied that her own inclinations had been
fully answered by the young man. From the first moment
they met, with the instinctive quickness of a woman, she
perceived that she was admired, and, as she gave way to
the excess of her own feelings, it was almost a necessary
consequence of the communications she held with Luis, that
she should think they were reciprocated. The very want
39 *




462


MERCEDES Ob CASTILE.


of language in words, by compelling a substitution of one
in looks and acts, contributed to the mistake; and, it will
be remembered, that, if Luis's constancy did not actually
waver, it had been sorely tried. The false signification she
attached to the word "Mercedes," largely aided in the de.
lusion, and it was completed by the manly tenderness and
care with which our hero treated her on all occasions.
Even the rigid decorum that Luis invariably observed, and
the severe personal respect which he maintained towards
his charge, had their effect on her feelings; for, wild and
unsophisticated is had been her training, the deep and unerring instinct of the feeble, told her the nature of the power
she was wielding over the strong.
Then came the efforts to give her some ideas of religion,
and the deep and lamentable mistakes which, imperfectly
explained, and worse understood subtleties, left on her plastic
mind. Ozema believed that the Spaniards worshipped the
cross. She saw it put foremost in all public ceremonies,
knelt to, and apparently appealed to, on every occasion that
called for an engagement more solemn than usual. Whenever a knight made a vow, he kissed the cross of his swordhilt. The mariners regarded it with reverence, and even
the admiral had caused one to be erected as a sign of his
right to the territory that had been ceded to him by Guacanagari. In a word, to her uninstructed imagination, it
seemed as if the cross were used as a pledge for the fidelity
of all engagements. Often had she beheld and admired
the beautiful emblem worn by our hero; and, as the habits
of her own people required the exchange of pledges of value,
as a proof of wedlock, she fancied, when she received this
much-valued jewel, that she received the sign that our hero
took her for a wife, at a moment when death was about to
part them for ever. Further than this, her simplicity and
affections did not induce her to reason, or to believe.
It was an hour before Isabella elicited all these facts and
feelings from Ozema, though the latter clearly wished to
conceal nothing; in truth, had nothing to conceal. The
painful part of the duty remained to be discharged. It was
to undeceive the confiding girl, and to teach her the hard
lesson of bitterness that followed. This was done, how.
ever, and the queen, believing it best to remove all delusion




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


464


en the subject, finally succeeded in causing her to understand that, before the count had ever seen herself, his affections were given to Mercedes, who was, in truth, his betrothed wife. Nothing could have been gentler, or more
femininely tender, than the manner in which the queen
made her communication; but the blow struck home, and
Isabella, herself, trembled at the consequences of her own
act. Never before had she witnessed the outbreaking of
feeling in a mind so entirely unsophisticated, and the images
of what she then saw, haunted her troubled slumbers for
many succeeding nights.
As for Columbus and our hero, they were left mainly in
the dark, as to what had occurred, for the following week.
It is true, Luis received a kind and encouraging note from
his aunt, the succeeding day, and a page of Mercedes's
silently placed in his hand the cross that he had so long
worn; but, beyond this, he was left to his own conjectures.
The moment for explanation, however, arrived, and the
young man received a summons to the apartment of the
marchioness.
Luis did not, as he expected, meet his aunt on reaching
the saloon, which he found empty. Questioning the page
who had been his usher, he was desired to wait for the appearance of some one to receive him. Patience was not a
conspicuous virtue in our hero's character, and he excited
himself by pacing the room, for near half an hour, ere he
discovered a single sign that his visit was remembered.
Just as he was about to summon an attendant, however,
again to announce his presence, a door was slowly opened,
and Mercedes stood before him.
The first glance that the young man cast upon his be-.
trothed told him that she was suffering under deep mental
anxiety. The hand which he eagerly raised to his lips
trembled, and the colour came and went on her cheeks, in
a way to show that she was nearly overcome. Still she
rejected the glass of water that he offered, putting it aside
with a faint smile, and motioning her lover to take a chair,
while she calmly placed herself on a tabouret-one of the
humble seats she was accustomed to occupy in the presence
of the. queen.
"I have asked for this interview, Don Luis," Mercedes




464


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


commenced, as soon as she had given herself time to command her feelings, " in order that there may no longer be
any reasons for mistaking our feelings and wishes. You
have been suspected of having married the Lady Ozema;
and there was a moment when you stood on the verge of
destruction, through the displeasure of Doiia Isabella."
"But, blessed Mercedes, you never imputed to me this
act of deception and unfaithfulness?"
" I told you truth, Sefior-for that I knew you too well.
1 felt certain that, whenever Luis de Bobadilla had made
'ip his mind to the commission of such a step, he would also
'have the manliness and courage to avow it. I never, fox
an instant, believed that you had wedded the princess."
" Why, then, those cold and averted looks?-eyes that
sought the floor, rather than the meeting of glances that
love delights in; and a manner which, if it hath not
absolutely displayed aversion, hath at least manifested a
reserve and distance that I had never expected to witness
from thee to me?"
Mercedes's colour changed, and she made no answer for
a minute, during which little interval she had doubts of her
ability to carry out her own purpose. Rallying her cou.
rage, however, the discourse was continued in the same
manner as before.
"Hear me, Don Luis," she resumed, "for my history
will not be long. When you left Spain, at my suggestion,
to enter on this great voyage, you loved me-of that grate.
ful recollection no earthly power can deprive me! Yes,
you then loved me, and me only. We parted, with our
troth plighted to each other; and not a day went by, during
your absence, that I did not pass hours on my knees, be.
seeching heaven in behalf of the admiral and his followers."
"Beloved Mercedes! it is not surprising that success
crowned our efforts; such an intercessor could not fail to
be heard!"
" I entreat you, sir, to hear me. Until the eventful day
which brought the tidings of your return, no Spanish wife
could have felt more concern for him on whom she had
placed all her hopes, than I felt for you. To me, the future
was bright and filled with hope, if the present was loaded
with fear and doubt. The messenger who reached the




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


465


court, first opened my eyes to the sad realities of the world,
and taught me the hard lesson the young are ever slow
to learn —that of disappointment. It was then I first heard
of Ozema-of your admiration of her beauty-your readiness to sacrifice your life in her behalf!"
" Holy Luke! Did that vagabond, Sancho, dare to
wound thy ear, Mercedes, with any insinuations that touchea
the strength or the constancy of my love for thee!"
"IIe related nought but the truth, Luis, and blame him
not. I was prepared for some calamity by his report, and
I bless God that it came on me by such slow degrees, and
with the means of preparation to bear it. When I beheld
Ozema, I no longer wondered at thy change of feeling,scarce blamed it. Her beauty, I do think, thou might'st
have withstood; but her unfeigned devotion to thyself, her
innocence, her winning simplicity, and her modest joyousness and nature, are sufficient to win a lover from any
Spanish maiden-"
"Mercedes!"
"Nay, Luis, I have told thee, that I blame thee not. It
is better that the blow come now, than later, when I should
not be able to bear it. There is something which tells me
that, as a wife, I should sink beneath the weight of blighted
affections; but, now, there are open to me the convent and
the espousals of the Son of God. Do not interrupt me,
Luis," she added, smiling sweetly, but with an effort that
denoted how difficult it was to seem easy. "I have to
struggle severely to speak at all, and to an argument I am
altogether unequal. Thou hast not been able to control thy
affections; and to the strange novelties that have surrounded
Ozema, as well as to her winning ingenuousness, I owe my
loss, and she oweth her gain. It is the will of Heaven,
and I strive to think it is to my everlasting advantage.
Had I really wedded thee, the tenderness that is even now
swelling in my heart-I wish not to conceal it-might have
grown to such a strength as to supplant the love I owe to
God; it is, therefore, doubtless, better as it is. If happi.
aess on earth is not to be my lot, I shall secure happiness
hereafter. Nay, all happiness here will not be lost; I can
still pray for thee, as well as for myself-and thou and




166           MERCEDES OF CASTILE.
Ozema, of all earthly beings, will ever be uppermost in my
thoughts."
" This is so wonderful, Mercedes - so cruel-so unrea.
sonable and so unjust, that I cannot credit my ears!"
" I have said that I blame thee not. The beauty and
frankness of Ozema are more than sufficient to justify thee,
for men yield to the senses, rather than to the heart, in
bestowing their love. Then-" Mercedes blushed crimson
as she continued —" a Haytian maid may innocently use a
power, that it would ill become a Christian damsel to
employ. And, now, we will come to facts that press for a
decision. Ozema hath been ill-is still ill-dangerously so
as her Highness and my guardian believe-even as the
physicians say,-but it is in thy power, Luis, to raise her,
as it might be, from the grave. See her-say but the word
that will confer happiness-tell her, if thou hast not yet
wedded her after the manner of Spain, that thou wilt-nay,
let one of the Holy Priests, who are in constant attendance
on her, to prepare the way for baptism, perform the ceremony this very morning, and we shall presently see the
princess, again, the smiling, radiant, joyous creature she
was, when thou first placed her in our care."
"And this thou say'st to me, Mercedes, calmly and
deliberately, as if thy words express thy very wishes and
feelings!"
"Calmly I may seem to say it, Luis," answered our
heroine in a smothered tone, "and deliberately I do say it.
Marry me, loving another better, thou canst not; and why
not then follow whither thy heart leadeth. The dowry of
the princess shall not be small, for the convent recluse hath
little need of gold, and none of lands."
Luis gazed earnestly at the enthusiastic girl, who in his
eyes never appeared more lovely; then rising he paced the
room for three or four minutes like one who wished to keep
down mental agony by physical action. When he had obtained a proper command of himsef', he returned to his
seat, and taking. the unresisting hand of Mercedes, he replied to her extraordinary proposal.
" Watching over the sick couch of thy friend, and too
much brooding on this subject, love, hath impaired thy
judgment. Ozema hath no hold on my heart, in the way




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


467


thou fanciest-never had, beyond a passing and truant
inclination""Ah! Luis, those 'passing and truant inclinations.'None such," pressing both her hands on her own heart"have ever found a place here!"
"Thy education and mine, Mercedes-thy habits and
mine-nay, thy nature and the ruder elements of mine, are
not, cannot be the same. Were they so, I should not worship thee as I now do. But didst thou not exist, the certainty that I should wed Ozema, would not give me happiness-but thou existing, and beloved as thou art, it would
entail on me a misery that even my buoyant nature could
not endure. In no case can I ever be the husband of the
Indian."
Although a gleam of happiness illumined the face of
Mercedes for a moment, her high principles and pure intentions soon suppressed the momentary and unbidden triumph,
and, even with a reproving manner, she made her answer.
" Is this just to Ozema?-Hath not her simplicity been
deluded by those 'passing and truant inclinations,' and
doth not honour require that thy acts now redeem the
pledges that have been given by, at least, thy manner?"
"Mercedes-beloved girl-hearken to me. Thou must
know, that, with all my levities and backslidings, I am no
coxcomb. Never hath my manner said aught that the
heart did not confirm, and never hath the heart been drawn
towards any but thee. In this, is the great distinction that
I make between thee and all others of thy sex. Ozema's
is not the only form, her's are not the only charms that
may have caught a truant glance from my eyes, or extorted
some unmeaning and bootless admiration, but thou, love,
irt enshrined here, and seemest already a part of myself.
Didst thou know how often thy image hath proved a monitor
stronger than conscience; on how many occasions the remembrance of thy virtues and thy affections hath prevailed,
when even duty, and religion, and early lessons would
have been forgotten, thou would'st understand the difference
between the love I bear thee, and what thou hast so tauntingly repeated as truant and passing inclinations."
" Luis, I ought not to listen to these alluring words,
which come from a goodness of heart that would spare me




468            MERCEDES OF CASTILB.
present pain, only to make my misery in the end the deeper
If thou hast never felt otherwise, why was the cross that I
gave thee at parting, bestowed on another?"
" Mercedes, thou know'st not the fearful circumstances
under which I parted with that cross. Death was staring
us in the face, and I gave it as a symbol that might aid a
heathen soul in its extremity. That the gift, or rather that
the thing I lent, was mistaken for a pledge of matrimony
is an unhappy misconception, that your own knowledge of
Christian usages will tell you I could not foresee; other.
wise I might now claim thee for my wife, in consequence
of having first bestowed it on me."
"Ah! Luis; when I gave thee that cross, I did wish to
be understood as plighting my faith to thee for ever!"
"And when thou didst send it back to me, now within
the week, how was it thy wish to be understood?"
" I sent it to thee, Luis, in a moment of reviving hope,
and by the order of the queen. Her Highness is now
firmly thy friend, and would fain see us united, but for the
melancholy condition of Ozema, to whom all has been explained-all, as I fear, except the real state of thy feelings
towards us both."
"Cruel girl! —Am I then never to be believed-never
again to be happy? I swear to thee, dearest Mercedes,
that thou alone hast my whole heart- that with thee, I
could be contented in a hovel, and that without thee, I
should be miserable on a throne. Thou wilt believe this,
when thou see'st me a wretch, wandering the earth, reckless
alike of hopes and objects, perhaps of character, because
thou alone canst make me, and keep me the man I ought to
be. Bethink thee, Mercedes, of the influence thou canst
have-must have —ilt have on one of my temperament
and passions. I have long looked upon thee as my guar.
dian angel, one that can mould me to thy will, and rule me
when all others fail. With thee-the impatience produced
by thy doubts excepted-am I not ever tractable and gentle?
Hath Dofia Beatriz ever exercised a tithe of thy power over
me, and hast thou ever failed to tame even my wildest and
rashest humours?"
" Luis-Luis-no one that knew it, ever doubted of th)
heart!" Mercedes paused, and the working of her counte



MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


469


nance proved that the earnest sincerity of her lover had
already shaken her doubts of his constancy. Still her
mind reverted to the scenes of the voyage, and her imagination pourtrayed the couch of the stricken Ozema. After
a minute's delay, she proceeded in a low, humbled tone" I will not deny that it is soothing to my heart to hear
this language, to which I fear I listen too readily," she said.
' Still I find it difficult to believe that thou canst ever forget
one who hath even braved the chances of death, in order
to shelter thy body from the arrows of thy foes!"
" Believe not this, beloved girl; thou would'st have done
that thyself, in Ozema's place, and so I shall ever consider
it."
" I should have the wish, Luis," Mercedes continued, her
eyes suffused with tears, " but I might not have the power 1"
" Thou would'st-thou would'st-I know thee too well
to doubt it."
" I could envy Ozema the occasion, were it not sinful!
I fear thou wilt think of this, when thy mind shall have
tired with attractions that have lost their novelty."
" Thou would'st not only have done it, but thou would'st
have done it far better. Ozema, moreover, was exposed in
her own quarrel, whilst thou would'st have exposed thyself
in mine."
Mercedes again paused, and appeared to muse deeply.
Her eyes had brightened under the soothing asseverations
of her lover, and, spite of the generous self-devotion with
which she had determined to sacrifice all her own hopes to
what she had imagined would make her lover happy, the
seductive influence of requited affection was fast resuming
its power.
" Come with me, then, Luis, and behold Ozema," she at
length continued. "When thou see'st her, in her present
state, thou wilt better understand thine own intentions. I
ought not to have suffered thee thus to revive thy ancient
feelings in a private interview, Ozema not being present;
it is like forming a judgment on the hearing of only one
side. And, Luis,"-her heightened colour, the effect of
feeling, not of shame, rendered the girl surpassingly beautiful —" and, Luis, if thou should'st find reason to change
thy language after visiting the princess, however hard I
40




470


XiMECEDES OF CA6TILE.


may find it to be borne, thou wilt be certain of my forgive.
ness for all that hath passed, and of my prayers-"
Sobs interrupted Mercedes, and she stopped an instant to
wipe away her tears, rejecting Luis's attempt to fold her in
his arms, in order to console her, with a sensitive jealousy
of the result; a feeling, however, in which delicacy had
more weight than resentment. When she had dried her
eyes, and otherwise removed the traces of her agitation,
she led the way to the apartment of Ozema, where the presence of the young manvwas expected.
Luis started on entering the room; a little on perceiving
that the queen and the admiral were present, and more at
observing the inroads that disappointment had made on the
appearance of Ozema. The colour of the latter was gone,
leaving a deadly paleness in its place; her eyes possessed a
brightness that seemed supernatural, and yet her weakness
was so evident as to render it necessary to support her, in
a half-recumbent posture, on pillows. An. exclamation of
unfeigned delight escaped her when she beheld our hero,
and then she covered her face with both her hands, in childish confusion, as if ashamed at betraying the pleasure she
felt. Luis behaved with manly propriety, for, though his
conscience did not altogether escape a few twinges, at the
recollection of the hours he had wasted in Ozema's society,
and at the manner in which lie had momentarily submitted
to the influence of her beauty and seductive simplicity, on
the whole he stood self-acquitted of any thing that might
fairly be urged as a fault, and most of all, of any thought
of being unfaithful to his first love, or of any design to deceive. He took the hand of the young Indian respectfully,
and he kissed it with an openness and warmth that denoted
brotherly tenderness and regard, rather than passion, or the
emotion of a lover. Mercedes did not dare to watch his
movements, but she observed the approving glance that the
queen threw at her guardian, when he had approached the
couch on which Ozema lay. This glance she interpreted
into a sign that the count had acquitted himself in a manner favourable to her own interests.
"Thou findest the lady Ozema weak and changed," obsrved the queen, who alone would presume to break a
aslence that was already awkward. " We have been en.




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


471


deavouring to enlighten her simple mind on the subject of
religion, and she hath, at length, consented to receive the
holy sacrament of baptism. The Lord Archbishop is even
now preparing for the ceremony in my oratory, and we
have the blessed prospect of rescuing this one precious soul
from perdition."
" Your Highness hath ever the good of all your people
at heart," said Luis, bowing low to conceal the tears that
the condition of Ozema had drawn from his eyes. " I fear
this climate of ours ill agrees with the poor Haytians, genes
rally, for I hear that the sick among them, at Seville and
Palos, offer but little hope of recovery."
"Is this so, Don Christopher 1"
"Sefiora, I believe it is only too true. Care hath been
had, however, to their souls, as well as to their bodies, and
Ozema is the last of her people, now in Spain, to receive
the holy rte of Christian baptism."
" Sefiora," said the Marchioness, coming from the couch
with surprise and concern in her countenance, " I fear our
hopes are to be defeated after all! The lady Ozema hath
just whispered me, that Luis and Mercedes must first be
married in her presence, ere she will consent to be admitted
within the pale of the church herself."
" This doth not denote the right spirit, Beatriz-and, yet,
what can be done with a mind so little illuminated with the
light from above. 'T is merely a passing caprice, and will
be forgotten when the archbishop shall be ready."
" I think not, Sefiora. Never have I seen her so decidec
and clear. In common, we find her gentle and tractable,
but this hath she thrice said, in a way to cause the belief
of her perfect seriousness."
Isabella now advanced to the couch, and spoke long and
soothingly to the invalid. In the meantime, the admiral
conversed with the Marchioness, and Luis again approached
our heroine. The evidences of emotion were plain in both,
and Mercedes scarce breathed, not knowing what to expect.
But a few low words soon brought an assurance that could
not fail to bring happiness, spite of her generous efforts to
feel for Ozema-that the heart of our hero was all her
own. From this moment Mercedes dismissed every doubt,
and she regarded Luis as had so long been her wont.




472


MERCEDES OF CASTIL,.


As is usual in the presence of royalty, the conversation
was carried on in a low tone; and a quarter of an hour
elapsed before a page announced that the oratory, or little
chapel,' was ready, opening a door that communicated di.
rectly with it, as he entered.
"This wilful girl persisteth, daughter-marchioness," said
the queen, advancing from the side of the couch, " and I
know not what to answer. It is cruel to deny her thed
offered means of grace, and yet it is a sudden and un
seemly request to make of thy nephew and thy ward!"
- "As for the first, dearest Sefiora, never distrust his forgiveness; though I much doubt the possibility of prevailing
on Mercedes. Her very nature is made up of religion and
female decorum."
" It is, indeed, scarce right to think of it. A Christian
maiden should have time to prepare her spirit for the holy
sacrament of marriage, by prayer.,"
"And yet, Senora, many wed without it! The time
hath been when Don Ferdinand of Aragon and Dofia Isabella might not ha(ve hesitated for such a purpose."
"That time never was, Beatriz. Thou hast a habit of
making me look back to our days of trial and youth, whenever thou would'st urge on me some favourite but ill-con.
sidered wish of thine own. Dost really think thy ward
would overlook the want of preparation and time?"
"I know not what she might feel disposed to overlook,
Sefiora; but I do know that if there be one woman in Spain
who is at all times ready in spirit, for the most sacred rites
of the church, it is your Highness; and, if there be an.
other, it is my ward."
" Go to-go to-good Beatriz; flattery sitteth ill on thee.
None are always ready, and all have an unceasing need
for watchfulness. Bid Dofia Mercedes follow to my closet;
I will converse with her on this subject. At least, there
shall be no unfeminine and unseemly surprise."
So saying, the queen withdrew. She had hardly reached
her closet, before our heroine entered, with a doubtful and
timid step. As soon as her eyes met those of her sovereign, Mercedes burst into tears, and falling on her knees
she again buried her face in the robe of Doina Isabella.
This outbreak of feeling was soon subdued, however,




MERCEDES OF CASTILB.


473


and then the girl stood erect, waiting her sovereign's pleasure.
"Daughter," commenced the queen, " I trust there is nu
longer any misapprehension between thee and the Copde de
Llera. Thou knowest the views of thy guardian and my.
self, and mayest, in a matter like this, with safety defer to
our cooler heads and greater experience. Don Luis loveth
thee, and hath never loved the princess, though it would
not be out of character, did an impetuous young man, who
hath been much exposed to the temptation, betray some
transient and passing feeling towards one of so much nature and beauty."
" Luis hath admitted all, Sefora: inconstant he hath
never been, though he may have had his weaknesses."
"'Tis a hard lesson to learn, child, even in this stage
of thy life," said the queen, gravely; "but it would have
been harder were it detfrred until the nearer tenderness of
a wife had superseded the impulses of the girl. Thou hast
heard the opinions of the learned; there is little hope that
the princess Ozema can long survive."
"Ah! Seniora,'t is a cruel fate! To die among stran.
gers, in the flower of her beauty, and with a heart crushed
by the weight of unrequited love!"
"And yet, Mercedes, if Heaven open on her awaking
eyes, when the last earthly scene is over, the transition will
be most blessed; and they who mourn her loss, would do
wiser to rejoice. One so youthful, and so innocent; whose
pure mind hath been laid bare to us, as it might be, and
which we have found wanting in nothing beside the fruits
of a pious instruction, can have little to apprehend on the
score of personal errors. All that is required for such a
being, is to place her within the covenant of God's grace,
by obtaining the rite of baptism, and there is not a bishop
of the church that could depart with brighter hopes for the
future."
"That holy office is my lord archbishop about to ad.
minister, as I hear, Sefora."
" That somewhat dependeth on thee, daughter. Listen,
and be not hasty in thy decision, which may touch on the
security of a human soul."
The queen now related to Mercedes the romantic request
40 *




474


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


of Ozema, placing it before her listener in terms so winning
and gentle, that it produced less surprise and alarm than
she herself had anticipated.
" Dofia Beatriz hath a proposal that may, at first, appear
plausible, but which reflection will not sanction. Her design was to cause the count actually to wed'Ozema"-Mercedes started, and turned pale-"in order that the last
hours of the young stranger might be soothed by the consciousness of being the wife of the man she idolized; but
I have found serious objections to the scheme. What is
thy opinion, daughter?"
"Sefiora, could I believe —as lately I did, but now do
not -that ILuis had such a preference for the princess, as
might lead him, in the end, to the happiness of that mutual
affection without which wedlock must be a curse instead of
a blessing, I would be the last to object; nay, I think I
could even beg the boon of your Highness on my knees,
for she who truly loveth can only seek the felicity of its
object. But, I am assured the count hath not the affection
for the lady Ozema that is necessary to this end; and
would it not be profane, Sefiora, to receive the church's
sacraments under vows that the heart not only does not
answer to, but against which it is actually struggling?"
"Excellent girl! These are precisely my own views,
and in this manner have I answered the marchioness. The
rites of the church may not be trifled with, and we are
bound to submit to sorrows that may be inflicted, after all,
for our eternal good; though it be harder to bear those of
others than to bear our own. It remaineth only to decide
on this whim of Ozema's, and to say if thou wilt now be
married, in order that she may be baptized."
Notwithstanding the devotedness of feeling with which
our heroine loved Luis, it required a strong struggle with
her habits and her sense of propriety to take this great step
so suddenly, and with so little preparation. The wishes
of the queen, however, prevailed; for Isabelia felt a deep
responsibility on her own soul, in letting the stranger de.
part without being brought within the pale of the church.
When Mercedes consented, she dispatched a messenger to
the marchioness, and then she and her companion both
knelt, and passed near an hour together, in the spiritual




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


475


exercises that were usual to the occasion. In this mood,
did these two pure-minded females, without a thought
to the vanities of the toilet, but with every attention to the
mental preparations of which the case admitted, present
themselves at the door of the royal chapel, through which
Ozema had just been carried, still stretched on her couch.
The marchioness had caused a white veil to be thrown over
the head of Mercedes, and a few proper but slight alterations had been made in her attire, out of habitual deference
to the altar and its ministers.
About a dozen persons, deemed worthy of confidence,
were present, already; and just as the bride and bridegroom were about to take their places, Don Ferdinand
hastily entered, carrying in his hand some papers which he
had been obliged to cease examining, in order to comply
with the wishes of his royal consort. The king was a
dignified prince; and when it suited him, no sovereign
enacted his part more gracefully or in better taste. Motioning the archbishop to pause, he directed Luis to kneel.
Throwing over the shoulder of the young man the collar
of one of his own orders, he said -
"Now, arise, noble sir, and ever do thy duty to thy
Heavenly Master, as thou hast of late discharged it towards us."
Isabella rewarded her husband, for this act of grace, by
an approving smile, and the ceremony immediately pro.
ceeded. In the usual tine, our hero and heroine were pro.nounced man and wife, and the solemn rites were ended.
Mercedes felt, in the warm pressure with which Luis held
her to his heart, that she now understood him; and, for a
blissful instant, Ozema was forgotten, in the fulness of her
own happiness. Columbus had given away the bride, an
office that the king assigned to him, though he stood at the
bridegroom's side himself, with a view to do him honour,
and even so far condescended as to touch the canopy that,vas held above the heads of the new-married couple. But,
Isabella kept aloof, placing herself near the couch of Ozema, whose features she watched throughout the ceremony.
She had felt no occasion for public manifestations of interest in the bride, their feelings having so lately been
poured out together in dear and private communion. The




476


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


congratulations were soon over, and, then, Don Feidinand,
and all but those who were in the secret of Ozema's history,
withdrew.
The queen had not desired her husband, and the other
attendants, to remain and witness the baptism of Ozema,
out of a delicate feeling for the condition of a female stranger,
whom her habits and opinions had invested with a portion of the sacred rights of royalty. She had noted the
intensity of feeling with which the half-enlightened girl
watched the movements of the archbishop and the parties,
and the tears had forced themselves from her own eyes, at
witnessing the struggle between love and friendship, that
was pourtrayed in every lineament of her pale, but still
lovely, countenance.
"Where cross?" Ozema eagerly demanded, as Mercedes
stooped to fold the wasted form of the young Indian in her
arms, and to kiss her cheek.  " Give cross -Luis no
marry with cross-give Ozema cross."
Mercedes, herself, took the cross from the bosom of her
husband, where it had lain near his heart, since it had been
returned to him, and put it in the hands of the princess.
" No marry with cross, then," murmured the girl, the
tears suffusing her eyes, so as nearly to prevent her gazing
at the much-prized bauble. "Now, quick, Sefiora, and
make Ozema Christian."
The scene was getting to be too solemn and touching for
'nany words, and the archbishop, at a sign from the queen,
commenced the ceremony. It was of short duration; and
Isabella's kind nature was soon quieted with the assurance
that the stranger, whom she deemed the subject of her especial care, was put within the covenant for salvation that
had been made with the visible church.
" Is Ozema Christian now?" demanded the girl, with a
suddenness and simplicity, that caused all present to look
at each other, with pain and surprise.
"Thou hast, now, the assurance that God's giace will
be offered to thy prayers, daughter," answered the prelate.
"Seek it with thy heart, and thy end, which is at hand,
will be more blessed."
"Christian no marry heathen?-Christian marry Chris.
ian?"




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


477


'- This hast thou been often told, my poor Ozema," re.
tllred the queen —" the rite could not be duly solemnized
between Christian and heathen."
" Christian marry first lady he love best?"
"Certainly. To do otherwise would be a violation of
his vow, and a mockery of God."
" So Ozema think-but he can marry second wife-inferior wife - lady he love next. Luis marry Mercedes,
first wife, because he love best-then he marry Ozema, second wife-lower wife-because he love next best-Ozema
Christian, now, and no harm. Come, archbishop; make
Ozema Luis second wife."
Isabella groaned aloud, and walked to a distant part of
the chapel, while Mercedes burst into tears, and sinking on
her knees, she buried her face in the cloth of the couch,
and prayed fervently for the enlightening of the soul of the
princess. The churchman did not receive this proof of
ignorance in his penitent, and of her unfitness for the rite
he had just administered, with the same pity and indulgence.
" The holy baptism thou hast just received, benighted woman," he said, sternly, " is healthful, or not, as it is improved. Thou hast jdst made such a demand, as already
loadeth thy soul with a fresh weight of sin, and the time
for repentance is short. No Christian can have two wives
at the same time, and God knoweth no higher or lower, no
first or last, between those whom his church hath united.
Thou canst not be a second wife, the first still living."
" No would be to Caonabo -to Luis, yes. Fifty, hunIred wife to dear Luis! No possible?"
"Self-deluded and miserable girl, I tell thee no. Noqo-no-never-never-never. There is such a tairn of
sin in the very question, as profaneth this holy chapel, ana
the symbols of religion by which it is filled. Ay, kiss and
embrace thy cross, and bow down thy very soul in despair,
for-"
"Lord Archbishop." interrupted the Marchioness of
Moya, with a sharpness of manner thatdenoted how much
her ancient spirit was aroused, " there is enough of this.
The ear thou would'st wound, at such a moment, is already
leaf, and the pure spirit hath gone to the tribunal of an.
other, and, as I trust, a milder judge. Ozema is dead!"




478


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


It was, indeed, true. Startled by the manner of the
prelate - bewildered with the confusion of ideas that had
grown up between the dogmas that had been crowded on
her mind, of late, and those in which she had been early
taught; and physically paralyzed by the certainty that her
last hope of a union with Luis was gone, the spirit of the
Indian girl had deserted its beautiful tenement, leaving on
the countenance of the corpse a lovely impression of the
emotions that had prevailed during the last moments of its
earthly residence.
Thus fled the first of those souls, that the great discovery
was to rescue from the perdition of the heathen. Casuists
may refine, the learned dilate, and the pious ponder, on its
probable fate in the unknown existence that awaited it; but
the meek and submissive will hope all from the beneficence
of a merciful God. As for Isabella, she received a shock
from the blow, that temporarily checked her triumph at the
success of her zeal and efforts. Little, however, did she
foresee, that the event was but a type of the manner in
which the religion of the cross was to be abused and mis.
understood; a sort of practical prognostic of the defeat
of most of her own pious and gentle hopes and wishes.
CHAPTER XXXI.
"A perfect woman, nobly planned,
To warn, to comfort, and command;
And yet a spirit still, and bright
With something of an angel light."
WORDSWORTH.
THE lustre that was thrown around the voyage of Co.
lumbus, brought the seas into favour. It was no longer
deemed an inferior occupation, or unsuited to nobles, to en.
gage in enterprises on its bosom; and that very propensity of our hero, which had so often been mentioned to his
prejudice, in former years, was now frequently named to




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


479


nis credit. Though his real connexion with Columbus is
published, for the first time, in these pages, the circumstance having escaped the superficial investigations of the
historians, it was an advantage to him to be known as
having manifested what might be termed a maritime disposition, in an age when most of his rank and expectations
were satisfied with the adventures of the land. A sort of
fashion was got up on behalf of the ocean; and the cavalier who had gazed upon its vast and unbroken expanse,
beyond the view of his mother earth, regarded him who
had not, much as he who had won his spurs looked down
upon him who had suffered the proper period of life to pass
without making the effort. Many of the nobles whose
estates touched the Mediterranean or the Atlantic, fitted out
small coasters- the yachts of the fifteenth century -
and were met following the sinuosities of the glorious
coasts of that part of the world, endeavouring to derive a
satisfaction from a pursuit that it seemed meritorious to
emulate. That all succeeded, who attempted thus to trans.
fer the habits of courts and castles to the narrow limits of
xebecs and feluccas, it would be hazarding too much to
assert; but there is little doubt that the spirit of the period
was sustained by the experiments, and that men were
ashamed to condemn that, which it was equally the policy
and the affectation of the day to extol. The rivalry between Spain and Portugal, too, contributed to the feeling
of the times; and there was soon greater danger of the
youth who had never quitted his native shores, being
pointed out for his want of spirit, than that the adventurer
should be marked for his eccentric and vagrant instability.
In the meanwhile, the seasons advanced, and events followed, in their usual course, from cause to effect. About
the close of the month of September, the ocean, just without that narrow and romantic pass that separates Europe
from Africa, while it connects the transcendent Mediterranean with the broader wastes of the Atlantic, was glittering
with the rays of the rising sun, which, at the same time,
was gilding the objects that rose above the sulrface of the
blue waters. The latter were not numerous, though a
aozen different sails were moving slowly on their several
courses, impelled by the soft breezes of the season. 01




480


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


these, our business is with one alone, which it may be well
to describe in a few general terms.
The rig of the vessel in question, was latine, perhaps
the most picturesque of all that the ingenuity of man has
invented as the accessory of a view, whether given to the
eye by means of the canvass, or in its real dimensions and
substance. Its position, too, was precisely that which a
painter would have chosen as the most favourable to his
pencil, the little felucca running before the wind, with one
of its high pointed sails extended on each side, resembling
the pinions of some enormous bird that was contracting
its wings as it settled towards its nest. Unusual symmetry
was apparent in the spars and rigging; while the hull,
which was distinguished by lines of the fairest proportions
had a neatness and finish that denoted the yacht of a
noble.
The name of this vessel was the " Ozema," and she car
ried the Count of Llera with his youthful bride. Luis, who
had acquired much of the mariner's skill, in his many
voyages, directed the movements in person, though Sancho
Mundo strutted around her decks with an air of authority,
being the titular, if not the real patron of the craft.
"Ay - ay - good Bartolemeo, lash that anchor well,"
said the last, as he inspected the forecastle, in his hourly
rounds; " for fair as may be the breezes, and mild as is
the season, no one can know what humour the Atlantic
may be in, when it fairly waketh up. In the great voyage
to Cathay, nothing could have been more propitious than
our outward passage, and nothing savour more of devils
incarnate, than the homeward. Dona Mercedes maketh an
excellent sailor, as ye all may see; and no one can tell
which way, or how far, the humour of the Conde may
carry him, when he hath once taken his departure. I tell
ye, fellows, that glory and gold may alight upon ye all,
any minute, in the service of such a noble; and I ihope
none of ye have forgotten to come provided with hawk'sbells. which are as remarkable for assembling doblas, as
the bells of the Seville cathedral are for assembling Christians."
" Master Mundo-" called out our hero from the quartet
deck, " let there be a man sent to the extremity of the foib




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


481


yard, and bid him look along the sea to the north and east
of us."
This command interrupted one of Sancho's self-glorifying discourses, and compelled him to see the order executed.
When the seaman who was sent aloft, had "shinned" his
way to the airy and seemingly perilous position he had
been told to occupy, an inquiry went up from the deck, t
demand what he beheld.
"Sefior Conde," answered the fellow, "the ocean i
studded with sails, in the quarter your Excellency hath
named, looking like the mouth of the Tagus, at the first of
a westerly wind."
" Canst thou tell them, and let me know their numbers?"
called out Luis.
"By the mass, Sefior," returned the man, after taking
time to make his count-" I see no less than sixteen-nay,
now I see another, a smaller just opening from behind a
carrack of size-seventeen, I make them in all."
" Then are we in season, love!" exclaimed Luis, turning
towards Mercedes with delight —" once more shall I grasp
the hand of the admiral, ere he quitteth us again for
Cathay. Thou seemest glad as myself, that our effort
hath not failed."
" That which gladdeneth thee, Luis, is sure to gladden
me," returned the bride; " where there is but one interest,
there ought to be but one wish."
" Beloved-beloved Mercedes-thou wilt make me every
thing thou canst desire. This heavenly disposition of
thine, and this ready consenting to voyage with me, will be
sure to mould me in such a way that I shall be less myself
than thee."
" As yet, Luis," returned the young wife, smiling, " the
change promiseth to be the other way, since thou art
much likelier to make me a rover, than I to make thee a
fixture of the castle of Llera."
" Thou comest not out upon the sea, Mercedes, contrary
to thine own wishes?" demanded Luis, with the earnest
quickness of one who was fearful he might unconsciously
have done an act of indiscretion.
" No, dearest Luis; so far from it, that I have come with
satisfaction, apart from the pleasure I have had in obliging
41




482


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


thee. Fortunately, I feel no indisposition from the motion
of the feluawa, and the novelty is of the most agreeable
and exciting kind."
To say that Louis rejoiced to hear this on more accounts
than one, is but to add that he still found a pleasure in the
scenes of the ocean.
In half an hour the vessel of the admiral was visible
from the Ozema's deck, and ere the sun had reached the
meridian, the little felucca was gliding into the centre of
the fleet, holding her course towards the carrack of Columbus. The usual hailing passed, when, apprised of the
presence of Mercedes, the admiral gallantly repaired on
board the Ozema, to pay his respects in person. The
scenes through which they had passed together, had created
in Columbus a species of paternal regard for Luis, in
which Mercedes shared, through the influence of her noble
conduct during the events that occurred at Barcelona. He
met the happy pair, therefore, with dignified affection, and
his reception partook of the feelings that the Count and
Countess so fully reciprocated.
Nothing could be more striking to one who had an
opportunity of witnessing both, than the contrast between
the means with which the Genoese sailed on this, and on
his former voyage. Then he had set forth neglected,
almost forgotten, in three vessels, ill-found, and worsemanned, whilst now, the ocean was whitened with his can.
vass, and' he was surrounded by no inconsiderable portion
of the chivalry of Spain. As soon as it was known that
the Countess of Llera was in the felucca that had stopped
the fleet, boats put off from most of the vessels, and Mercedes held a sort of court on the broad Atlantic; her own
female attendants, among whom were two or three of the
rank of ladies, assisting her in doing proper honour to the
cavaliers who thronged the deck. The balmy influence of
the pure air of the ocean, contributed to the happiness of
the moment; and, for an hour, the Ozema presented a
scene of gaiety and splendour, such as had never before
been witnessed by any person present.
" Beautiful countess," cried one, who had been a rejectf,
suitor of our heroine, "you see to what acts of desperation
your cruelty hath driven me, who am going forth on an




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


483


adventure to the farthest easr. It is well for Don Luis that
I did not make this venture before he won your favour;
as no damsel in Spain is expected, henceforth, to withstand
the suit of one of' the admiral's followers."
"It may be as you say, Serior," returned Mercedes, her
heart swellitig with the consciousness that he whom she
had chosen had made this same boasted adventure, whilst
others shrunk from its hazard, and when its result was stil
a mystery in the unknown future —"It may be as you
say; but one of moderate wishes, like myself, must be content with these unambitious voyages along the coast, in
which, happily, a wife may be her husband's companion."
" Lady," cried the gallant and reckless Alonzo de Ojeda,
in his turn, " Don Luis caused me to roll upon the earth,
in the tourney, by a fair and manly effort, that hath left no
rancour behind it; but I shall outdo him now, since he is
content to keep the shores of Spain in view, leaving to us
the glory of seeking the Indies, and of reducing the Infidels
to the sway of the two sovereigns!"
" It is a sufficient honour to my husband, Sefior, that he
can boast of the success you name, and he must rest satisfied with the reputation acquired in that one deed."
" Countess, a year hence, you would love him better, did
he come forth with us, and show hFs spirit among the people of the Grand Khan!"
"Thou seest, Don Alonzo, that the illustrious admiral
doth not altogether despise him as it is. They seek a private interview in my cabin together; an attention Don
Christopher would not be apt to pay a recreant, or a laggard."
"'T s surprising!" resumed the rejected suitor; "the
favour of the Conde with our noble admiral hath surprised
us all, at Barcelona. Can it be, de Ojeda, that they have
met in some of their earlier nautical wanderings?"
" By the mass! Sefior," cried Alonzo, laughing, " if Don
Luis ever met the admiral, as he met me in the lists, 1
should think one interview would answer for the rest of
their days!"
In this manner did the discourse proceed, some speaking
in levity, some in more sober mood, and all in amity,




484


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


Whilst this was passing on deck, Columbus had, indeed, re.
tired to a cabin with our hero.
" Don Luis," said the admiral, when they were seated
near each other, and alone, "thou knowest the regard I
bear thee, and I feel certain that thou returnest it with an
equal degree of esteem. I now go forth from Spain, ort a
far more perilous adventure than that in which thou wert
my companion. Then I sailed concealed in contempt, and
veiled from human eyes by ignorance and pity; now, have
I left the old world, followed by malignancy and envy.
These facts am I too old not to have seen, and foreseen.
In my absence, many will be busy with my name. Even
they who now shout at my heels, will become my calumniators, revenging themselves for past adalation by present
detraction. The sovereigns will be beset with lies, and any
disappointment in the degree of success will be distorted
into crimes. I leave friends behind me, too-friends, such
as Juan Perez, de St. Angel, Quintanilla, and thyself. On
ye, then, do I greatly rely, not for favours, but for the interest of truth and justice."
' Seinor, you may count upon my small influence under
all circumstances. I have seen you in the day of trial,
and it exceedeth ordinary misrepresentations to weaken my
faith in you."
"This did I believe, Luis, even before it was so warmly
and sincerely said," returned the admiral, squeezing the
young man's hand with fervour. "I doubt if Fonseca,
'who hath now so much power in the affairs of India, is
truly my friend. Then, there is one of thy blood and name,
who hath already regarded me with unfavollrable eyes,
and whom I distrust exceedingly, should an occasion offer
in which he might do me injury."
" I know him well, Don Christopher, and account him
as doing no credit to the house of Bobadilla."
"He hath credit, nevertheless, with the king, which is
of more importance, just now!"
"Ah! Senior, to that wily and double-faced monarch,
you must look for nothing generous. So long as Dofia
Isabella's ear can be kept open to the truth, there is nothing
to fear, but Don Ferdinand groweth each day more worldly
and temporizing. Mass!-that one who, in youth, was so




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.            485
told and manly a knight, should in his age betray so many
of the meannesses that would disgrace a Moor! My noble
aunt, nowever, is a host in herself, and will ever remain
true to you, as she commenced."
" God overruleth all, and it were sinful to distrust either
his wisdom or justice. And now, Luis, one word touching
thyself. Providence hath made thee the guardian of the
happiness of such a being as is seldom found this side the
gates of heaven. The man who is blessed with a virtuous
and amiable wife, like her thou hast wedded, should erect
an altar in his heart, on which he ought to make daily, nay,
hourly, sacrifices of gratitude to God for the boon; since,
of all earthly blessings, he enjoyeth the richest, the purest,
and the most lasting, should he not be unmindful of his own
riches. But a woman like Dona Mercedes is a creature as
delicate as she is rare. Let her equanimity check thy impetuosity; her purity rebuke the less-refined elements of
thy composition; her virtue stimulate thine own; her love
keep thine in an unceasing flame, and her tenderness he a
constant appeal to thy manly indulgence and. protection.
Fulfil all thy duties as a Spanish grandee, son, and seek
felicity in the partner of thy bosom, and in love to God."
The admiral now gave Luis his blessing, and taking
leave of Mercedes in the same solemn manner, he hastened
to his carrack. Boat after boat quitted ihe felucca, many
calling out their leave-takings even after they were at a
distance. In a few minutes, the heavy yards swung round,
and the fleet was again sweeping off towards the south
west, holding its way, as was then fancied, towards the
distant shore of India. For an hour the Oze:na lay where
she had been left by Columbus, as if gazing at her retiring
friends; then her canvass filled, and she hauled up towards
that bight of the coast, at the bottom of which lay the port
of Palos de Moguer.
The afternoon was deliciously balmy, and When the
felucca drew in with the land, the surface of the sea was
as smooth as that of an inland lake. There was just
wind enough to cool the air, and to propel the little vessel
three or four knots through the water. The day apart.
ment, occupied by our hero and heroine, was on the quer.
ter-deck. It was formed, on the exterior, by a tarpawJin
41 *




486


MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


bent like the tilt of a wagon, while the interior was enm
bellished with a lining of precious stuffs that converted it
into a beautiful little saloon. In front, a canvass bulkhead
protected it from the gaze of the crew; andi, towards the stern,
a rich curtain fell, when it became necessary to shut out
the view. The latter was now carelessly festooned, permit.
ting the eye to range over a broad expanse of the ocean,
and to watch the glories of the setting sun.
Mercedes reclined on a luxurious couch, gazing on the
ocean, and Luis touched a guitar, seated on a stool at her
feet. He had just played a favourite national air, which he
tiad accompanied with his voice, and had laid aside the
instrument, when he perceived that his young wife did not
listen, with her usual fondness and admiration, to his
music.
1 Thou art thoughtful, Mercedes," he said, leaning forward to read the melancholy expression of those eyes that
were so often glowing with enthusiasm.
"The sun is setting in the direction of the land of poor
Ozema. Luls," Mercedes answered, a slight tremour pervading her voice, " the circumstance, in connexion with
the sight of this boundless ocean, that so much resembleth
eternity, hath led me to think of her end. Surely-surely
-a creature so innocent can never be consigned to eternal
misery, because her unenlightened mind and impassioned
feelings were unable to comprehend all the church's mys-;cries!"
" I would that thou thought'st less on this subject, love;
v prayers, and the masses that have been said for her..oul, should content thee; or, if thou wilt, the last can
te repeated, again and again."
" We will offer still more," returned the v3ong wife,
a:carce speaking above her breath, wLile the tea i- tell down
her cheeks. " The best of us will need masses, antd we owe
this to poor Ozema. Didst thou bethink thee, lo in: - ede
again w-t'h the admiral, to do all service to lattinao, on
reaching Espanola?"
"That hath been attended to, and so dismiss ihe subject
from thy mind. The monument is already erected at Llera,
and, we may feel regret for the loss of the sweet girl, but
can scarce mourn for her. Were I not Luis de Bobadilla,




MERCEDES OF CASTILE.


487


thy husband, dearest, I could think her the subject ofenlvy,
rather than of pity."
"Ah! Luis, thy flattery is too pleasing to bring reproof,
but it is scarce seemly. Even the happiness I feel, in being
assured of thy love-that our fortunes, fate, name, interests
are one-is, in truth, but misery, compared with the sera.
phic joys of the blessed; and to such joys I could wish
Ozena's spirit might be elevated."
"Doubt it not, Mercedes; she hath all that her goodness
and innocence can claim. Mass! If she even have half that
I feel, in holding thee thus to my heart, she is no subject for
grief, and thou say'st she hath, or wilt have, tenfold more."
"Luis-Luis-speak not thus!    We will have other
masses said at Seville, as well as at Burgos and Salamanca."
"As thou wilt, love. Let them be said yearly, monthly,
weekly, for ever, or as long as the churchmen think they
may have virtue."
Mercedes smiled her gratitude, and the conversation be.
came less painful, though it continued to be melancholy.
An hour passed in this manner, during which, the communion was of the sweet character that pervades the intercourse of those who love tenderly. Mercedes had already
acquired a powerful command over the headlong propensities and impetuous feelings of her husband, and was gradually moulding him, unknown to herself, to be the man that
was necessary to her own feelings. In this change, which
was the result of influence, and not of calculation or design,
she was aided by the manly qualities of our hero, which
were secretly persuading him that he had now the happi.
ness of another in his keeping, as well as his own. This
is an appeal that a really generous mind seldom withstands,
and far oflener produces the correction of minor faults, than
any direct management, or open rebukes. Perhaps Mercedes's strongest arm, however, was her own implicit con
fidence in her husband's excellence, Luis feeling a desire to
be that which she so evidently thought him; an opinion
that his own conscience did not, in the fullest extent, corroborate.
Just as the sun had set, Sancho came to announce that
he had let go the anchor.
" Here we are, Senor Conde, - here we are, at last, Se.




488


MiEECEDES OF CASTILE.


flora Doina Mercedes, lying off the town of Palos, and
within a hundred yards of the very spot where Don Chris.
topher and his gallant companions departed for the discovery of the Indies-God bless him a hundred-fold, and all
who went with him. The boat is ready to take you to the
shore, Sefiora; and there, if you do not find Seville, or
Barcelona, cathedrals and palaces, you will find Palos, and
Santa Clara, and the Ship-Yard Gate-three places that are,
henceforth, to be more renowned than either: Palos, as
having sent forth the expedition; Santa Clara, as having
saved it from destruction, by vows fulfilled at its altars;
and the Gate, for having had the ship of the admiral built
within it."
"And other great events, good Sancho!" put in the
count.
Just so, your Excellency; and for other great events.
Am I to land you, lady?"
Mercedes assented, and in ten minutes she and her husband were walking on the beach, within ten yards of the
very spot where Columbus and Luis had embarked the
previous year. The firm sands were now covered with
people, walking in the cool of the evening. Most of them
were of the humbler classes, this being the only land, we
believe, in which the population of countries that possess a
favourable climate, do not thus mingle in their public promenades, at that witching hour.
Luis and his beautiful wife had landed merely for exercise and relaxation, well knowing that the felucca possessed better accommodations than any hosteria of Palos;
and they fell into the current of the walkers. Before them
was a group of young matrons, who were conversing
eagerly, and sufficiently loud to be overheard. Our hero
and heroine instantly ceased their own discourse, when they
found that the subject was the voyage to Cathay.
" This day," said one of the party, in a tone of authority, "did Don Christopher sail from Cadiz; the sovereigns
deeming Palos too small a port for the equipment of so
great an enterprise.' You may depend on what I tell ye,
good neighbours; my husband, as you all well know, hold.
ing an appointment in the admiral's own ship."




M1ICEDFS OF CASTILE.


489


" You are to be envied, neighbour, that he is in so good
repute with so great a man!"
"How could he be otherwise, seeing that he was with
him before, when few had courage to be his companions,
and was ever faithful to his orders. ' Monica'-nay, it was
'good Monica'- said the admiral to me, with his own
mouth, 'thy Pepe is a true-hearted mariner, and hath conducted to my entire satisfaction. He shall be made the
boatswain of my own carrack, and thou, and thy posterity,
to the latest antiquity, may boast that you belong to so
good a man.' These were his words; and what he said,
he did,-Pepe being now a boatswain. But the paters and
aves that I said to reach this good fortune, would pave this
beach!"
Luis now stepped forward and saluted the party, making
curiosity to know the particulars of the first departure, his
excuse. As he expected, Monica did not recognize him in
his present rich attire, and she willingly related all she
knew, and not a little more. - The interview showed how
completely this woman had passed from despair to exultation, reducing the general and more public change of sen.
timent, down to the individual example of a particular case.
"I have heard much of one Pinzon," added Luis, " who
went forth as pilot of a caravel in the voyage: what hath
become of him?"
"Senor, he is dead!" answered a dozen voices, Monica's,
however, sc far getting the ascendency, as to tell the story.
" He was once a great man in this quarter; but now his
name is lost, llKe his life. He was untrue, and died of
grief, it is said, when he found the Nifia lying in the river,
when he expected to have had all the glory to himselft
Luis had been too much engrossed with his own feel
ings to have heard this news before, and he continued his
walk, musing and sad.
"So much for unlawful hopes, and designs that Goa
doth not favour!" he exclaimed, when they had walked a
considerable distance. " Providence hath, I think, been of
the admiral's side; and certainly, my love, it hath been of
mine."
"This is Santa Clara," observed Mercedes. "Luis, I
would enter, and return a thanksgiving at its altars for thy




490             %MERCEDES OF CASTILE.
safety and return, and offer a prayer for the future success
of Don Christopher."
They both entered the church, and they knelt together
at the principal altar; for, in that age, the bravest warriors
were not as much ashamed, as in our own times, of publicly
acknowledging their gratitude to, and their dependence on,
God. This duty performed, the happy pair returned silently
to the beach, and went off to the felucca.
Early in the morning, the Ozema sailed for Malaga
again; Luis being fearful he might be recognized if he con
tinued at Palos. Their port was reached in safety; and
shortly after the party arrived at Valverde, the principal
estate of Mercedes, where we shall leave our hero and
heroine in the enjoyment of a felicity that was as great
as could be produced by the connexion oerween manly tenderness on one sile, ana purity or teeing and disinter,sted
womanly,ove on the other.
At a late oav, tnere were otner Luls ae Booaciias in
Spain, among ner gallant ana noble, ana otner Mercedes',
to cause the nearts of the gay and aspiring to acnr; but
there was oniv one Ozema.   She appearea a. court, in
the succeeding reign, ana. for a time, biazed like a star that
had just risen in a Dure atmosDnere. Her career, nowever
was short, dying young and lamented: since which time, the
name itself nas perished. It is. m part. owing to these cir.
cumstances, that we have been obliged to drag so much of
our legend from the lost records of that eventful period.
*


THE END




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