beacon lights of history-iii-2-第17章

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but　filled　with　intoxicating　joy。　　He　has　performed　a　great　feat。

He　has　doubtless　added　indefinitely　to　the　dominion　of　Spain。



Columbus　leaves　a　small　colony　on　the　island　of　Hispaniola；　and

with　the　trophies　of　his　discoveries　returns　to　Spain；　without

serious　obstacles；　except　a　short　detention　in　Portugal；　whither　he

was　driven　by　a　storm。　　His　stories　fill　the　whole　civilized　world

with　wonder。　　He　is　welcomed　with　the　most　cordial　and　enthusiastic

reception；　the　people　gaze　at　him　with　admiration。　　His　sovereigns

rise　at　his　approach；　and　seat　him　beside　themselves　on　their

gilded　and　canopied　throne；　he　has　made　them　a　present　worthy　of　a

god。　　What　honors　could　be　too　great　for　such　a　man！　　Even　envy

pales　before　the　universal　exhilaration。　　He　enters　into　the　most

august　circles　as　an　equal；　his　dignities　and　honors　are　confirmed；

he　is　loaded　with　presents　and　favors；　he　is　the　most　marked

personage　in　Europe；　he　is　almost　stifled　with　the　incense　of　royal

and　popular　idolatry。　　Never　was　a　subject　more　honored　and

caressed。　　The　imagination　of　a　chivalrous　and　lively　people　is

inflamed　with　the　wildest　expectations；　for　although　he　returned

with　but　little　of　the　expected　wealth；　he　has　pointed　out　a　land

rich　in　unfathomed　mines。



A　second　and　larger　expedition　is　soon　projected。　　Everybody　wishes

to　join　it。　　All　press　to　join　the　fortunate　admiral　who　has　added

a　continent　to　civilization。　　The　proudest　nobles；　with　the　armor

and　horses　of　chivalry；　embark　with　artisans　and　miners　for　another

voyage；　now　without　solicitude　or　fear；　but　with　unbounded　hopes　of

wealth；especially　hardy　adventurers　and　broken…down　families　of

rank　anxious　to　retrieve　their　fortunes。　　The　pendulum　of　a

nation's　thought　swings　from　the　extreme　of　doubt　and　cynicism　to

the　opposite　extreme　of　faith　and　exhilaration。　　Spain　was　ripe　for

the　harvest。　　Eight　hundred　years'　desperate　contest　with　the　Moors

had　made　the　nation　bold；　heroic；　adventurous。　　There　were　no　such

warriors　in　all　Europe。　　Nowhere　were　there　such　chivalric　virtues。

No　people　were　then　animated　with　such　martial　enthusiasm；　such

unfettered　imagination；　such　heroic　daring；　as　were　the　subjects　of

Ferdinand　and　Isabella。　　They　were　a　people　to　conquer　a　world；　not

merely　heroic　and　enterprising；　but　fresh　with　religious

enthusiasm。　　They　had　expelled　the　infidels　from　Spain；　they　would

fight　for　the　honor　of　the　Cross　in　any　clime　or　land。



The　hopes　held　out　by　Columbus　were　extravagant；　and　these

extravagant　expectations　were　the　occasion　of　his　fall　and

subsequent　sorrows　and　humiliation。　　Doubtless　he　was　sincere；　but

he　was　infatuated。　　He　could　only　see　the　gold　of　Cipango。　　He　was

as　confident　of　enriching　his　followers　as　he　had　been　of

discovering　new　realms。　　He　was　as　enthusiastic　as　Sir　Walter

Raleigh　a　century　later；　and　made　promises　as　rash　as　he；　and

created　the　same　exalted　hopes；　to　be　followed　by　bitter

disappointments；　and　consequently　he　incurred　the　same　hostilities

and　met　the　same　downfall。



This　second　expedition　was　undertaken　in　seventeen　vessels；

carrying　fifteen　hundred　people；　all　full　of　animation　and　hope；

and　some　of　them　with　intentions　to　settle　in　the　newly　discovered

country　until　they　had　made　their　fortunes。　　They　arrived　at

Hispaniola　in　March；　of　the　year　1493；　only　to　discover　that　the

men　left　behind　on　the　first　voyage　to　secure　their　settlement　were

all　despoiled　or　murdered；　that　the　natives　had　proved　treacherous；

or　that　the　Spaniards　had　abused　their　confidence　and　forfeited

their　friendship。　　They　were　exposed　to　new　hostilities：　they　found

the　climate　unhealthy；　their　numbers　rapidly　dwindled　away　from

disease　or　poor　food；　starvation　stared　them　in　the　face；　in　spite

of　the　fertility　of　the　soil；　dissensions　and　jealousies　arose；

they　were　governed　with　great　difficulty；　for　the　haughty　hidalgoes

were　unused　to　menial　labor；　and　labor　of　the　most　irksome　kind　was

necessary；　law　and　order　were　relaxed。　　The　blame　of　disaster　was

laid　upon　the　Admiral；　who　was　accused　of　deceiving　them；　evil

reports　were　sent　to　Spain；　accusing　him　of　incapacity；　cruelty；

and　oppression；　gold　was　found　only　in　small　quantities；　some　of

the　leading　men　mutinied；　general　discontent　arose；　the　greater

part　of　the　colonists　were　disabled　from　sickness　and　debility；　no

gold　of　any　amount　was　sent　back　to　Spain；　only　five　hundred　Indian

slaves　to　be　sold　instead；　which　led　to　renewed　hostilities　with

the　natives；　and　the　necessity　for　their　subjugation。　　All　of　these

evils　created　bitter　disappointment　in　Spain　and　discontent　with

the　measures　and　government　of　Columbus　himself；　so　that　a

commission　of　inquiry　was　sent　to　Hispaniola；　headed　by　Aguado；　who

assumed　arrogant　authority；　and　made　it　necessary　for　Columbus　to

return　to　Spain　without　adding　essentially　to　his　discoveries。　　He

sailed　around　Cuba　and　Jamaica　and　other　islands；　but　as　yet　had

not　seen　the　mainland　or　found　mines　of　gold　or　silver。



He　landed　in　Spain；　in　1496；　to　find　that　his　popularity　had

declined　and　the　old　enthusiasm　had　grown　cold。　　With　him　landed　a

feeble　train　of　emaciated　men；　who　had　nothing　to　relate　but

sickness；　hardship；　and　disappointment。　　The　sovereigns；　however；

received　him　kindly；　but　he　was　depressed　and　sad；　and　clothed

himself　with　the　habit　of　a　Franciscan　friar；　to　denote　his

humility　and　dejection。　　He　displayed　a　few　golden　collars　and

bracelets　as　trophies；　with　some　Indians；　but　these　no　longer

dazzled　the　crowd。



It　was　not　until　1498　that　Columbus　was　enabled　to　make　his　third

voyage；　having　experienced　great　delay　from　the　general

disappointment。　　Instead　of　seventeen　vessels；　he　could　collect　but

six。　　In　this　voyage　he　reached　the　mainland；that　part　called

Paria；　near　the　mouth　of　the　Orinoco；　in　South　America；　but　he

supposed　it　to　be　an　island。　　It　was　fruitful　and　populous；　and　the

air　was　sweetened　with　the　perfumes　of　flowers。　　Yet　he　did　not

explore　the　coast　to　any　extent；　but　made　his　way　to　Hispaniola；

where　he　had　left　the　discontented　colony　himself　broken　in　health；

a　victim　of　gout；　haggard　from　anxiety；　and　emaciated　by　pain。　　His

splendid　constitution　was　now　undermined　from　his　various　hardships

and　cares。



He　found　the　colony　in　a　worse　state　than　when　he　left　it　under　the

care　of　his　brother　Bartholomew。　　The　Indians　had　proved　hostile；

the　colonists　were　lazy　and　turbulent；　mutiny　had　broken　out；

factions　prevailed；　as　well　as　general　misery　and　discontent。　　The

horrors　of　famine　had　succeeded　wars　with　the　natives。　　There　was　a

general　desire　to　leave　the　settlement。　　Columbus　tried　to　restore

order　and　confidence；　but　the　difficulty　of　governing　such　a

disorderly　set　of　adventurers　was　too　great　even　for　him。　　He　was

obliged　to　resort　to　severities　that　made　him　more　and　more

unpopular。　　The　complaints　of　his　enemies　reached　Spain。　　He　was

most　cruelly　misrepresented　and　slandered；　and　in　the　general

disappointment；　and　the　constant　drain　upon　the　mother　country　to

support　the　colony；　his　enemies　gained　the　ear　of　his　sovereigns；

and　strong　doubts　arose　in　their　minds　about　his　capacity　for

government。　　So　a　royal　commission　was　sent　out；an　officer　named

Bovadilla；　with　absolute　power　to　examine　into　the　state　of　the

colony；　and　supplant；　if　necessary；　the　authority　of　Columbus。　　The

result　was　the　arrest　of　Columbus　and　his　brothers；　who　were　sent

to　Spain　in　chains。　　What　a　change　of　fortune！　　I　will　not　detail

the　accusations　against　him；　just；　or　unjust。　　It　is　mournful

enough　to　see　the　old　man　brought　home　in　irons　from　the　world　he

had　discovered　and　given　to　Spain。　　The　injustice　and　cruelty　which

he　received　produced　a　reaction；　and　he　was　once　more　kindly

received　at　court；　with　the　promise　that　his　grievances　should　be

redressed　and　his　property　and　dignities　restored。



Columbus　was　allowed　to　make　one　more　voyage　of　di