beacon lights of history-iii-2-第15章

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be　reached　by　sailing　west。　　And　he　believed　the　thing　to　be

practicable；　for　the　magnetic　needle　had　been　discovered；　or

brought　from　the　East　by　Polo；　which　always　pointed　to　the　North

Star；　so　that　mariners　could　sail　in　the　darkest　nights；　and　also

another　instrument　had　been　made；　essentially　the　modern　quadrant；

by　which　latitude　could　be　measured。　　He　supposed　that　after

sailing　west；　about　eight　hundred　leagues；　by　the　aid　of　compass

and　quadrant；　and　such　charts　as　he　had　collected　and　collated；　he

should　find　the　land　of　gold　and　spices　by　which　he　would　become

rich　and　famous。



This　was　not　an　absurd　speculation　to　a　man　of　the　intellect　and

knowledge　of　Columbus。　　To　his　mind　there　were　but　few　physical

difficulties　if　he　only　had　the　ships；　and　the　men　bold　enough　to

embark　with　him；　and　the　patronage　which　was　necessary　for　so　novel

and　daring　an　enterprise。　　The　difficulties　to　be　surmounted　were

not　so　much　physical　as　moral。　　It　was　the　surmounting　of　moral

difficulties　which　gives　to　Columbus　his　true　greatness　as　a　man　of

genius　and　resources。　　These　moral　obstacles　were　so　vast　as　to　be

all　but　insurmountable；　since　he　had　to　contend　with　all　the

established　ideas　of　his　age；the　superstitions　of　sailors；　the

prejudices　of　learned　men；　and　general　geographical　ignorance。　　He

himself　had　neither　money；　nor　ships；　nor　powerful　friends。　　Nobody

believed　in　him；　all　ridiculed　him；　some　insulted　him。　　Who　would

furnish　money　to　a　man　who　was　supposed　to　be　half　crazy；

certainly　visionary　and　wild；　a　rash　adventurer　who　would　not　only

absorb　money　but　imperil　life？　　Learned　men　would　not　listen　to

him；　and　powerful　people　derided　him；　and　princes　were　too　absorbed

in　wars　and　pleasure　to　give　him　a　helping　hand。　　Aid　could　come

only　from　some　great　state　or　wealthy　prince；　but　both　states　and

princes　were　deaf　and　dumb　to　him。　　It　was　a　most　extraordinary

inspiration　of　genius　in　the　fifteenth　century　which　created；　not

an　opinion；　but　a　conviction　that　Asia　could　be　reached　by　sailing

west；　and　how　were　common　minds　to　comprehend　such　a　novel　idea？

If　a　century　later；　with　all　the　blaze　of　reviving　art　and　science

and　learning；　the　most　learned　people　ridiculed　the　idea　that　the

earth　revolved　around　the　sun；　even　when　it　was　proved　by　all　the

certitudes　of　mathematical　demonstration　and　unerring　observations；

how　could　the　prejudiced　and　narrow…minded　priests　of　the　time　of

Columbus；　who　controlled　the　most　important　affairs　of　state；　be

made　to　comprehend　that　an　unknown　ocean；　full　of　terrors；　could　be

crossed　by　frail　ships；　and　that　even　a　successful　voyage　would

open　marts　of　inexhaustible　wealth？　　All　was　clear　enough　to　this

scientific　and　enterprising　mariner；　and　the　inward　assurance　that

he　was　right　in　his　calculation　gave　to　his　character　a　blended

boldness；　arrogance；　and　dignity　which　was　offensive　to　men　of

exalted　station；　and　ill　became　a　stranger　and　adventurer　with　a

thread…bare　coat；　and　everything　which　indicated　poverty；　neglect；

and　hardship；　and　without　any　visible　means　of　living　but　by　the

making　and　selling　of　charts。



Hence　we　cannot　wonder　at　the　seventeen　years　of　poverty；　neglect；

ridicule；　disappointment；　and　deferred　hopes；　such　as　make　the

heart　sick；　which　elapsed　after　Columbus　was　persuaded　of　the　truth

of　his　theory；　before　he　could　find　anybody　enlightened　enough　to

believe　in　him；　or　powerful　enough　to　assist　him。



Wrapped　up　in　those　glorious　visions　which　come　only　to　a　man　of

superlative　genius；　and　which　make　him　insensible　to　heat　and　cold

and　scanty　fare；　even　to　reproach　and　scorn；　this　intrepid　soul；

inspired　by　a　great　and　original　idea；　wandered　from　city　to　city；

and　country　to　country；　and　court　to　court；　to　present　the　certain

greatness　and　wealth　of　any　state　that　would　embark　in　his

enterprise。　　But　all　were　alike　cynical；　cold；　unbelieving；　and

even　insulting。　　He　opposes　overwhelming；　universal；　and

overpowering　ideas。　　To　have　surmounted　these　amid　such　protracted

opposition　and　discouragement　constitutes　his　greatness；　and

finally　to　prove　his　position　by　absolute　experiment　and　hazardous

enterprise　makes　him　one　of　the　greatest　of　human　benefactors；

whose　fame　will　last　through　all　the　generations　of　men。　　And　as　I

survey　that　lonely；　abstracted；　disappointed；　and　derided　man；

poor　and　unimportant；　so　harassed　by　debt　that　his　creditors　seized

even　his　maps　and　charts；　obliged　to　fly　from　one　country　to

another　to　escape　imprisonment；　without　even　listeners　and　still

less　friends；　and　yet　with　ever…increasing　faith　in　his　cause；

utterly　unconquerable；　alone　in　opposition　to　all　the　world；I

think　I　see　the　most　persistent　man　of　enterprise　that　I　have　read

of　in　history。　　Critics　ambitious　to　say　something　new　may　rake　out

slanders　from　the　archives　of　enemies；　and　discover　faults　which

derogate　from　the　character　we　have　been　taught　to　admire　and

venerate；　they　may　even　point　out　spots；　which　we　cannot　disprove；

in　that　sun　of　glorious　brightness；　which　shed　its　beneficent　rays

over　a　century　of　darkness；but　this　we　know；　that；　whatever　may

be　the　force　of　detraction；　his　fame　has　been　steadily　increasing；

even　on　the　admission　of　his　slanderers；　for　three　centuries；　and

that　he　now　shines　as　a　fixed　star　in　the　constellation　of　the

great　lights　of　modern　times；　not　alone　because　he　succeeded　in

crossing　the　ocean；　when　once　embarked　on　it；　but　for　surmounting

the　moral　difficulties　which　lay　in　his　way　before　he　could　embark

upon　it；　and　for　being　finally　instrumental　in　conferring　the

greatest　boon　that　our　world　has　received　from　any　mortal　man；

since　Noah　entered　into　the　ark。



I　think　it　is　Lamartine　who　has　said　that　truly　immortal

benefactors　have　seldom　been　able　to　accomplish　their　mission

without　the　encouragement　of　either　saints　or　women。　　This　is

emphatically　true　in　the　case　of　Columbus。　　The　door　to　success　was

at　last　opened　to　him　by　a　friendly　and　sympathetic　friar　of　a

Franciscan　convent　near　the　little　port　of　Palos；　in　Andalusia。

The　sun…burned　and　disappointed　adventurer　（for　that　is　what　he

was）；　wearied　and　hungry；　and　nearly　discouraged；　stopped　at　the

convent…door　to　get　a　morsel　of　bread　for　his　famished　son；　who

attended　him　in　his　pilgrimage。　　The　prior　of　that　obscure　convent

was　the　first　who　comprehended　the　man　of　genius；　not　so　much

because　he　was　an　enlightened　scholar；　but　because　his　pious　soul

was　full　of　kindly　sympathy；　showing　that　the　instincts　of　love　are

kindred　to　the　inspirations　of　genius。　　It　was　the　voice　of　Ali　and

Cadijeh　that　strengthened　Mohammed。　　It　was　Catherine　von　Bora　who

sustained　Luther　in　his　gigantic　task。　　The　worthy　friar；　struck　by

the　noble　bearing　of　a　man　so　poor　and　wearied；　became　delighted

with　the　conversation　of　his　guest；　who　opened　to　him　both　his

heart　and　his　schemes。　　He　forwarded　his　plans　by　a　letter　to　a

powerful　ecclesiastic；　who　introduced　him　to　the　Spanish　Court；

then　one　of　the　most　powerful；　and　certainly　the　proudest　and　most

punctilious；　in　Europe。　　Ferdinand　of　Aragon　was　polite；　yet　wary

and　incredulous；　but　Isabella　of　Castile　listened　more　kindly　to

the　stranger；　whom　the　greatness　of　his　mission　inspired　with

eloquence。　　Like　the　saint　of　the　convent；　she　and　she　alone　of　her

splendid　court；　divined　that　there　was　something　to　be　heeded　in

the　words　of　Columbus；　and　gave　her　womanly　and　royal

encouragement；　although　too　much　engrossed　with　the　conquest　of

Grenada　and　the　cares　of　her　kingdom　to　pay　that　immediate

attention　which　Columbus　entreated。



I　may　not　dwell　on　the　vexatious　delays　and　the　protracted

discouragements　of　Columbus　after　the　Queen　had　given　her　ear　to

his　enthusiastic　prophecies　of　the　future　glories　of　the　kingdom。

To　the　court　and　to　the　universities　and　to　the　great　ecclesiastics

he　was　still　a　visionary　and　a　needy　adventurer；　and　they　quoted；

in　refutation　of　hi