Mercedes of Castile; Or, The Voyage to Cathay

by James Fenimore Cooper

  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 solemnityand pomp that were unusual even in a court and camp as much addicted toreligious observances and royal magnificence, as that of Ferdinand andIsabella. The sun had scarce appeared, when all in the extraordinarylittle city of Santa Fe were afoot, and elate with triumph. Thenegotiations for the surrender of Granada, which had been going onsecretly for weeks, were terminated; the army and nation had beenformally apprised of their results, and this was the day set for theentry of the conquerors.

  The court had been in mourning for Don Alonso of Portugal, the husbandof the Princess Royal of Castile, who had died a bridegroom; but on thisjoyous occasion the trappings of woe were cast aside, and all appearedin their gayest and most magnificent apparel. At an hour that was stillearly, the Grand Cardinal moved forward, ascending what is called theHill of Martyrs, at the head of a strong body of troops, with a view totake possession. While making the ascent, a party of Moorish cavalierswas met; and at their head rode one in whom, by the dignity of his mienand the anguish of his countenance, it was easy to recognize the mentalsuffering of Boabdil, or Abdallah, the deposed monarch. The cardinalpointed out the position occupied by Ferdinand, who, with that admixtureof piety and worldly policy which were so closely interwoven in hischaracter, had refused to enter within the walls of the conquered city,until the symbol of Christ had superseded the banners of Mahomet; andwho had taken his station at some distance from the gates, with apurpose and display of humility that were suited to the particularfanaticism of the period. As the interview that occurred has often beenrelated, and twice quite recently by distinguished writers of our owncountry, it is unnecessary to dwell on it here. Abdallah next sought thepresence of the purer-minded and gentle Isabella, where his reception,with less affection of the character, had more of the real charity andcompassion of the Christian; when he went his way toward that pass inthe mountains that has ever since been celebrated as the point where hetook his last view of the palaces and towers of his fathers, from whichit has obtained the poetical and touching name of El Ultimo Suspiro DelMoro.

  Although the passage of the last King of Granada, from his palace to thehills, was in no manner delayed, as it was grave and conducted withdignity, it consequently occupied some time. These were hours in whichthe multitude covered the highways, and the adjacent fields weregarnished with a living throng, all of whom kept their eyes riveted onthe towers of the Alhambra, where the signs of possession were anxiouslylooked for by every good Catholic who witnessed the triumph of hisreligion.

  Isabella, who had made this conquest a condition in the articles ofmarriage--whose victory in truth it was--abstained, with her nativemodesty, from pressing forward on this occasion. She had placed herselfat some distance in the rear of the position of Ferdinand.Still--unless, indeed, we except the long-coveted towers of theAlhambra--she was the centre of attraction. She appeared in royalmagnificence, as due to the glory of the occasion; her beauty alwaysrendered her an object of admiration; her mildness, inflexible justice,and unyielding truth, had won all hearts; and she was really the personwho was most to profit by the victory, Granada being attached to her owncrown of Castile, and not to that of Aragon, a country that possessedlittle or no contiguous territory.

  Previously to the appearance of Abdallah, the crowd moved freely, in alldirections; multitudes of civilians having flocked to the camp towitness the entry. Among others were many friars, priests, andmonks--the war, indeed, having the character of a crusade. The throng ofthe 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 thepious mind of Isabella created a sort of moral atmosphere in and nearher presence, that was peculiarly suited to their habits, and favorableto their consideration. Among others, was a friar of prepossessing mien,and, in fact, of noble birth, who had been respectfully addressed asFather Pedro, by several grandees, as he made his way from the immediatepresence of the queen, to a spot where the circulation was easier. Hewas accompanied by a youth of an air so much superior to that of most ofthose who did not appear that day in the saddle, that he attractedgeneral attention. Although not more than twenty, it was evident, fromhis muscular frame, and embrowned but florid cheeks, that he wasacquainted with exposure; and by his bearing, many thought,notwithstanding he did not appear in armor on an occasion so peculiarlymilitary, that both his mien and his frame had been improved byfamiliarity with war. His attire was simple, as if he rather avoidedthan sought observation, but it was, nevertheless, such as was worn bynone but the noble. Several of those who watched this youth, as hereached the less confined portions of the crowd, had seen him receivedgraciously by Isabella, whose hand he had even been permitted to kiss, afavor that the formal and fastidious court of Castile seldom bestowedexcept on the worthy, or on those, at least, who were unusuallyillustrious from their birth. Some whispered that he was a Guzman, afamily that was almost royal; while others thought that he might be aPonce, a name that had got to be one of the first in Spain, through thedeeds of the renowned Marquis-Duke of Cadiz, in this very war; whileothers, again, affected to discern in his lofty brow, firm step, andanimated eye, the port and countenance of a Mendoza.

  It was evident that the subject of all these commentaries wasunconscious of the notice that was attracted by his vigorous form,handsome face, and elastic, lofty tread; for, like one accustomed to beobserved by inferiors, his attention was confined to such objects asamused his eye, or pleased his fancy, while he lent a willing ear to theremarks that, from time to time, fell from the lips of his reverendcompanion.

  "This is a most blessed and glorious day for Christianity!" observed thefriar, after a pause a little longer than common. "An impious reign ofseven hundred years hath expired, and the Moor is at length lowered fromhis pride; while the cross is elevated above the banners of the falseprophet. Thou hast had ancestors, my son, who might almost arise fromtheir tombs, and walk the earth in exultation, if the tidings of thesechanges were permitted to reach the souls of Christians long sincedeparted."

  "The Blessed Maria intercede for them, father, that they may not bedisturbed, even to see the Moor unhoused; for I doubt much, agreeable asthe Infidel hath made it, if they find Granada as pleasant as Paradise."

  "Son Don Luis, thou hast got much levity of speech, in thy latejourneyings; and I doubt if thou art as mindful of thy paters andconfessions, as when under the care of thy excellent mother, of saintedmemory!"

  This was not only said reprovingly, but with a warmth that amountednearly to anger.

  "Chide me not so warmly, father, for a lightness of speech that comethof youthful levity, rather than of disrespect for holy church. Nay, thourebukest warmly, and then, as I come like a penitent to lay mytransgressions before thee, and to seek absolution, thou fastenest thineeye on vacancy, and gazest as if one of the spirits of which thou solately spokest actually had arisen and come to see the Moor crack hisheart strings at quitting his beloved Alhambra!"

  "Dost see that man, Luis!" demanded the friar, still gazing in a fixeddirection, though he made no gesture to indicate to which particularindividual of the many who were passing in all directions, he especiallyalluded.

  "By my veracity, I see a thousand, father, though not one to fasten theeye as if he were fresh from Paradise. Would it be exceeding discretionto ask who or what hath thus riveted thy gaze?"

  "Dost see yonder person of high and commanding stature, and in whomgravity 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 prosperit
y now, than I remember ever to have seen him--still,evidently not of the rich and noble; while his bearing and carriagewould seem to bespeak him at least a monarch?"

  "I think I now perceive him thou meanest, father; a man of very graveand reverend appearance, though of simple deportment. I see nothingextravagant, or ill-placed, either in his attire, or in his bearing."

  "I mean not that; but there is a loftiness in his dignified countenancethat one is not accustomed to meet in those who are unused to power."

  "To me, he hath the air and dress of a superior navigator, or pilot--ofa man accustomed to the seas--ay, he hath sundry symbols about him thatbespeak 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 goodservice in the wars of the south, and who formerly led a fleet into thefar east."

  "This is not he, but one of humbler habits, though possibly of the sameblood, seeing that both are derived from the identical place. This is noadmiral, 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 learnedchurchmen; and it is due to his piety to say that a more devoutChristian doth not exist in Spain. It is plain, son, that thou hast beenmuch abroad, and little at court, or thou wouldst have known the historyof this extraordinary being, at the mention of his name, which has beenthe source of merriment for the frivolous and gay this many a year, andwhich has thrown the thoughtful and prudent into more doubts than many afierce and baneful heresy."

  "Thou stirrest my curiosity, father, by such language. Who and what isthe man?"

  "An enigma, that neither prayers to the Virgin, the learning of thecloisters, nor a zealous wish to reach the truth, hath enabled me toread. 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 soextraordinary. Thou must know, son, it is now seven years since this manfirst appeared among us. He sought employment as a discoverer,pretending that, by steering out into the ocean, on a western course,for a great and unheard-of distance, he could reach the farther Indies,with the rich island of Cipango, and the kingdom of Cathay, of which oneMarco 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, unlessthe earth were round--the Indies lying east, and not west of us?"

  "That hath been often objected to his notions; but the man hath readyanswers to much weightier arguments."

  "What weightier than this can be found? Our own eyes tell us that theearth is flat."

  "Therein he differeth from most men--and to own the truth, son Luis, notwithout 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, herupper sails are first perceived, and that as she draweth nearer, herlower sails, and finally her hull cometh into view. But thou hast beenover sea, and may have observed something of this?"

  "Truly have I, father. While mounting the English sea, we met a gallantcruiser of the king's, and, as thou said'st, we first perceived herupper 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 ofbombards and cannon--some twenty at least, 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, totraduce its fair surface in so heedless a manner. England, France,Burgundy, Germany, and all those distant countries of the north, arejust as level and flat as our own Castile."

  "Why, then, didst thou see the upper sails of the Englishman first?"

  "Why, father--why--because they were first visible. Yes, because theycame 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 navigators--ourneighbors the Portuguese, and the people of Genoa, exceeding all othersin that craft--though no great navigators, the English are not sosurpassingly stupid. Thou wilt remember the force of the winds, andunderstand that the larger the sail the lower should be its position."

  "Then how happened it that thou sawest the smaller object before thelarger?"

  "Truly, excellent Fray Pedro, thou hast not conversed with thisChristoforo 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, mygood father, but thy old pupil and kinsman, Luis de Bobadilla, thetruant nephew of the queen's favorite, the Marchioness of Moya, and aswell-born a cavalier as there is in Spain--though somewhat given toroving, if my enemies are to be believed."

  "Neither thy pedigree, thy character, nor thy vagaries, need be given tome, Don Luis de Bobadilla, since I have known thee and thy career fromchildhood. Thou hast one merit that none will deny thee, and that is, arespect for truth; and never hast thou more completely vindicated thycharacter, in this particular, than when thou saidst thou were notSocrates."

  The worthy friar's good-natured smile, as he made this sally, took offsome of its edge; and the young man laughed, as if too conscious of hisown youthful follies to resent what he heard.

  "But, dear Fray Pedro, lay aside thy government, for once, and stoop toa rational discourse with me on this extraordinary subject. _Thou_,surely, wilt not pretend that the earth is round?"

  "I do not go as far as some, on this point, Luis, for I see difficultieswith Holy Writ, by the admission. Still, this matter of the sails muchpuzzleth me, and I have often felt a desire to go from one port toanother, by sea, in order to witness it. Were it not for the exceedingnausea that I ever feel in a boat, I might attempt the experiment."

  "That would be a worthy consummation of all thy wisdom!" exclaimed theyoung man, laughing. "Fray Pedro de Carrascal turned rover, like his oldpupil, and that, too, astride a vagary! But set thy heart at rest, myhonored kinsman and excellent instructor, for I can save thee thetrouble. In all my journeyings, by sea and by land--and thou knowestthat, for my years, they have been many--I have ever found the earthflat, and the ocean the flattest portion of it, always excepting a fewturbulent and uneasy waves."

  "No doubt it so seemeth to the eye; but this Colon, who hath voyaged farmore than thou, thinketh otherwise. He contendeth that the earth is asphere, and that, by sailing west, he can reach points that have beenalready attained by journeying east."

  "By San Lorenzo! but the idea is a bold one! Doth the man really proposeto venture out into the broad Atlantic, and even to cross it to somedistant and unknown land?"

  "That is his very idea; and for seven weary years hath he solicited thecourt to furnish him with the means. Nay, as I hear, he hath passed muchmore time--other seven years, perhaps--in urging his suit in differentlands."

  "If the earth be round," continued Don Luis, with a musing air, "whatpreventeth all the water from flowing to the lower parts of it? How isit, that we have any seas at all? and if, as thou hast hinted, hedeemeth the Indies on the other side, how is it that their people standerect?--it cannot be done without placing the feet uppermost."

  "That difficulty hath been presented to Colon, but he treateth itlightly. Indeed, most of our churchmen are getting to believe that thereis no up, or down, except as it relateth to the surface of the earth; sothat no great obstacle existeth in that point."

  "Thou would'st not have me understand, father, that a man can walk onhis head--and that, too, with the noble member in the air? By SanFrancisco! thy men of Cathay must have talons like a cat, or they wouldbe falling, quickly!"

  "Whither, Luis?"

  "Whither, Fray Pedro?--to Tophet, or the bottomless pit. It can never bethat men walk on th
eir heads, heels uppermost, with no better foundationthan the atmosphere. The caravels, too, must sail on their masts--andthat would be rare navigation! What would prevent the sea from tumblingout of its bed, and falling on the Devil's fires and extinguishingthem?"

  "Son Luis," interrupted the monk, gravely, "thy lightness of speech iscarried too far. But, if thou so much deridest the opinion of thisColon, what are thine own notions of the formation of this earth, thatGod hath so honored with his spirit and his presence?"

  "That it is as flat as the buckler of the Moor I slew in the lastsortie, which is as flat as steel can hammer iron."

  "Dost thou think it hath limits?"

  "That do I--and please heaven, and Dona Mercedes de Valverde, I will seethem before I die!"

  "Then thou fanciest there is an edge, or precipice, at the four sides ofthe 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 havenever bethought me of this before; and yet some such spot there must be,one would think. By San Fernando, himself! that would be a place to trythe metal of even Don Alonso de Ojeda, who might stand on the margin ofthe 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; butto me, this opinion and this project of Colon are not without merit. Isee but two serious objections to them, one of which is, the difficultyconnected with Holy Writ; and the other, the vast and incomprehensible,nay, useless, extent of the ocean that must necessarily separate us fromCathay; else should we long since have heard from that quarter of theworld."

  "Do the learned favor the man's notions?"

  "The matter hath been seriously argued before a council held atSalamanca, where men were much divided upon it. One serious obstacle isthe apprehension that should the world prove to be round, and could aship even succeed in getting to Cathay by the west, there would be greatdifficulty 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; andI fear he will never reach his island of Cipango, as he doth not seem inthe way even to set forth on the journey. I marvel that he should now behere, it having been said he had taken his final departure forPortugal."

  "Dost thou say, father, that the man hath long been in Spain?" demandedDon Luis, gravely, with his eye riveted on the dignified form ofColumbus, who stood calmly regarding the gorgeous spectacle of thetriumph, at no great distance from the rock where the two had takentheir seats.

  "Seven weary years hath he been soliciting the rich and the great tofurnish him with the means of undertaking his favorite voyage."

  "Hath he the gold to prefer so long a suit?"

  "By his appearance, I should think him poor--nay, I know that he hathtoiled for bread, at the occupation of a map-maker. One hour he hathpassed in arguing with philosophers and in soliciting princes, while thenext hath been occupied in laboring for the food that he hath taken forsustenance."

  "Thy description, father, hath whetted curiosity to so keen an edge,that I would fain speak with this Colon. I see he remaineth yonder, inthe crowd, and will go and tell him that I, too, am somewhat of anavigator, 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 am Don Luis de Bobadilla, the nephew of the DonaBeatriz of Moya, and a noble of one of the best houses of Castile."

  "And this, thou thinkest, will suffice for thy purpose, Luis!" returnedthe 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 manis so filled with the vastness of his purposes; is so much raised upwith the magnitude of the results that his mind intently contemplateth,day and night; seemeth so conscious of his own powers, that even kingsand princes can, in no manner, lessen his dignity. That which thouproposest, Don Fernando, our honored master, might scarcely attempt, andhope to escape without some rebuke of manner, if not of tongue."

  "By all the blessed saints! Fray Pedro, thou givest an extraordinaryaccount of this man, and only increasest the desire to know him. Wiltthou charge thyself with the introduction?"

  "Most willingly, for I wish to inquire what hath brought him back tocourt, whence, I had understood, he lately went, with the intent to goelsewhere with his projects. Leave the mode in my hands, son Luis, andwe will see what can be accomplished."

  The friar and his mercurial young companion now arose from their seatson the rock, and threaded the throng, taking the direction necessary toapproach the man who had been the subject of their discourse, and stillremained that of their thoughts. When near enough to speak, Fray Pedrostopped, and stood patiently waiting for a moment when he might catchthe navigator's eye. This did not occur for several minutes, the looksof Colon being riveted on the towers of the Alhambra, where, at eachinstant, the signal of possession was expected to appear; and Luis deBobadilla, who, truant, and errant, and volatile, and difficult to curb,as he had proved himself to be, never forgot his illustrious birth andthe conventional distinctions attached to personal rank, began tomanifest his impatience at being kept so long dancing attendance on amere 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 thelook of Columbus, when the eyes of the latter and of the friar met, andbeing old acquaintances, they saluted in the courteous manner of theage.

  "I felicitate you, Senor Colon, on the glorious termination of thissiege, and rejoice that you are here to witness it, as I had heardaffairs of magnitude had called you to another country."

  "The hand of God, father, is to be traced in all things. You perceive inthis success the victory of the cross; but to me it conveyeth a lessonof perseverance, and sayeth as plainly as events can speak, that whatGod hath decreed, must come to pass."

  "I like your application, Senor; as, indeed, I do most of your thoughtson our holy religion. Perseverance is truly necessary to salvation; andI doubt not that a fitting symbol to the same may be found in the mannerin which our pious sovereigns have conducted this war, as well as in itsglorious termination."

  "True, father; and also doth it furnish a symbol to the fortunes of allenterprises that have the glory of God and the welfare of the church inview," answered Colon, or Columbus, as the name has been Latinized; hiseye kindling with that latent fire which seems so deeply seated in thevisionary and the enthusiast. "It may seem out of reason to you, to makesuch applications of these great events; but the triumph of theirHighnesses this day, marvellously encourageth me to persevere, and notto faint, in my own weary pilgrimage, both leading to triumphs of thecross."

  "Since you are pleased to speak of your own schemes, Senor Colon,"returned the friar, ingenuously, "I am not sorry that the matter hathcome up between us; for here is a youthful kinsman of mine, who hathbeen somewhat of a rover, himself, in the indulgence of a youthfulfancy, that neither friends nor yet love could restrain; and havingheard of your noble projects, he is burning with a desire to learn moreof them from your own mouth, should it suit your condescension so toindulge him."

  "I am always happy to yield to the praiseworthy wishes of the young andadventurous, and shall cheerfully communicate to your young friend allhe may desire to know," answered Columbus, with a simplicity and dignitythat at once put to flight all the notions of superiority and affabilitywith which Don Luis had intended to carry on the conversation, and whichhad the immediate effect to satisfy the young man that he was to be theobliged and honored party, in the intercourse that was to follow. "But,Senor, you have forgotten to give me the name of the cavalier."

  "It is Don Luis de Bobadilla, a youth whose best claims to your notice,perhaps, are, a most adventurous and roving spirit, and the fact that hemay call your honored friend, the Marchioness of Moya, his aunt."

  "Either would be sufficient, father. I love the spirit of adventure inthe youthful; for
it is implanted, no doubt, by God, in order that theymay serve his all-wise and beneficent designs; and it is of such asthese that my own chief worldly stay and support must be found. Then,next to Father Juan Perez de Marchena and Senor Alonzo de Quintanilla,do I esteem Dona 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 andappearance of this unknown stranger, who even spoke the Castilian with aforeign accent, were respectable, he had been told he was merely apilot, or navigator, who earned his bread by toil; and it was not usualfor the noblest of Castile to be thus regarded, as it might be, with acondescending favor, by any inferior to those who could claim the bloodand lineage of princes. At first he was disposed to resent the words ofthe stranger; then to laugh in his face; but, observing that the friartreated him with great deference, and secretly awed by the air of thereputed projector, he was not only successful in maintaining a suitabledeportment, but he made a proper and courteous reply, such as became hisname and breeding. The three then retired together, a little aloof fromthe 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 ofthe ocean?"

  "Such hath been either his merit or his fault, Senor; had he listened tothe wishes of Dona Beatriz, or to my advice, he would not have thrownaside his knightly career for one so little in unison with his trainingand birth."

  "Nay, father, you treat the youth with unmerited severity; he whopasseth a life on the ocean, cannot be said to pass it in either anignoble or a useless manner. God separated different countries by vastbodies of water, not with any intent to render their people strangers toeach other, but, doubtless, that they might meet amid the wonders withwhich he hath adorned the ocean, and glorify his name and power so muchthe more. We all have our moments of thoughtlessness in youth--a periodwhen we yield to our impulses rather than to our reason; and as Iconfess to mine, I am little disposed to bear too hard on Senor DonLuis, that he hath had his."

  "You have probably battled with the Infidel, by sea, Senor Colon,"observed the young man, not a little embarrassed as to the manner inwhich 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 hathbeen, when I had a pleasure in relating my perils and escapes, whichhave been numerous, both from war and tempests; but, since the power ofGod hath awakened my spirit to mightier things, that his will may bedone, and his word spread throughout the whole earth, my memory ceasethto dwell on them." Fray Pedro crossed himself, and Don Luis smiled andshrugged his shoulders, as one is apt to do when he listens to any thingextravagant; but the navigator proceeded in the earnest, grave mannerthat appeared to belong to his character. "It is now very many yearssince I was engaged in that remarkable combat between the forces of mykinsman and namesake, the younger Colombo, as he was called, todistinguish him from his uncle, the ancient admiral of the same name,which took place not far north from Cape St. Vincent. On that bloodyday, we contended with the foe--Venetians, richly laden--from morn tilleven, and yet the Lord carried me through the hot contest unharmed. Onanother occasion, the galley in which I fought was consumed by fire, andI had to find my way to land--no trifling distance--by the aid of anoar. To me, it seemeth that the hand of God was in this, and that hewould not have taken so signal and tender a care of one of hisinsignificant creatures, unless to use him largely for his own honor andglory."

  Although the eye of the navigator grew brighter as he uttered this, andhis cheek flushed with a species of holy enthusiasm, it was impossibleto confound one so grave, so dignified, so measured even in hisexaggerations (if such they were), with the idle and light-minded, whomistake momentary impulses for indelible impressions, and passingvanities for the convictions that temper character. Fray Pedro, insteadof smiling, or in any manner betraying that he regarded the other'sopinions lightly, devoutly crossed himself again, and showed by thesympathy expressed in his countenance, how much he entered into theprofound religious faith of the speaker.

  "The ways of God are often mysterious to his creatures," said the friar;"but we are taught that they all lead to the exaltation of his name andto the glory of his attributes."

  "It is so that I consider it, father; and with such views have I alwaysregarded my own humble efforts to honor him. We are but instruments, anduseless instruments, too, when we look at how little proceedeth from ourown 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 embracesome distant object in the heavens, 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'sgestures, and he beheld the large silver cross that the sovereigns hadcarried 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 otherelevated places. Then came the song of triumph, mingled with the chantsof the church. Te Deum was sung, and the choirs of the royal chapelchanted in the open fields the praises of the Lord of Hosts. A scene ofmagnificent religious pomp, mingled with martial array, followed, thatbelongs rather to general history than to the particular and privateincidents of our tale.