beacon lights of history-iii-2-第18章

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Columbus　was　allowed　to　make　one　more　voyage　of　discovery；　but

nothing　came　of　it　except　renewed　troubles；　hardships；　dangers；　and

difficulties；　wars　with　the　natives；　perils　of　the　sea；

discontents；　disappointments；　and　when　at　last　he　returned　to

Spain；　in　1504；broken　with　age　and　infirmities；　after　twelve

years　of　harassing　cares；　labors；　and　dangers　（a　checkered　career

of　glory　and　suffering）；nothing　remained　but　to　prepare　for　his

final　rest。　　He　had　not　made　a　fortune；　he　had　not　enriched　his

patrons；but　he　had　discovered　a　continent。　　His　last　days　were

spent　in　disquieting　and　fruitless　negotiations　to　perpetuate　his

honors　among　his　descendants。　　He　was　ever　jealous　and　tenacious　of

his　dignities。　　Ferdinand　was　polite；　but　selfish　and　cold；　nor　can

this　calculating　prince　ever　be　vindicated　from　the　stain　of　gross

ingratitude。　　Columbus　died　in　the　year　1506；　at　the　age　of　sixty；

a　disappointed　man。　　But　honors　were　ultimately　bestowed　upon　his

heirs；　who　became　grandees　and　dukes；　and　intermarried　with　the

proudest　families　of　Spain；　and　it　is　also　said　that　Ferdinand

himself；　after　the　death　of　the　great　navigator；　caused　a　monument

to　be　erected　to　his　memory　with　this　inscription：　〃To　Castile　and

Leon　Columbus　gave　a　new　world。〃　　But　no　man　of　that　century　needed

less　than　Columbus　a　monument　to　perpetuate　his　immortal　fame。



I　think　that　historians　belittle　Columbus　when　they　would　excite

our　pity　for　his　misfortunes。　　They　insult　the　dignity　of　all

struggling　souls；　and　make　utilitarians　of　all　benefactors；　and

give　false　views　of　success。　　Few　benefactors；　on　the　whole；　were

ever　more　richly　rewarded　than　he。　　He　died　Admiral　of　the　Seas；　a

grandee　of　Spain；having　bishops　for　his　eulogists　and　princes　for

his　mourners；the　founder　of　an　illustrious　house；　whose　name　and

memory　gave　glory　even　to　the　Spanish　throne。　　And　even　if　he　had

not　been　rewarded　with　material　gains；　it　was　enough　to　feel　that

he　had　conferred　a　benefit　on　the　world　which　could　scarcely　be

appreciated　in　his　lifetime；a　benefit　so　transcendent　that　its

results　could　be　seen　only　by　future　generations。　　Who　could

adequately　pay　him　for　his　services；　who　could　estimate　the　value

of　his　gift？　　What　though　they　load　him　to…day　with　honors；　or　cast

him　tomorrow　into　chains？that　is　the　fate　of　all　immortal

benefactors　since　our　world　began。　　His　great　soul　should　have

soared　beyond　vulgar　rewards。　　In　the　loftiness　of　his　self…

consciousness　he　should　have　accepted；　without　a　murmur；　whatever

fortune　awaited　him。　　Had　he　merely　given　to　civilization　a　new

style　of　buttons；　or　an　improved　envelope；　or　a　punch　for　a　railway

conductor；　or　a　spring　for　a　carriage；　or　a　mining　tool；　or　a

screw；　or　revolver；　or　reaper；　the　inventors　of　which　have　〃seen

millions　in　them；〃　and　been　cheated　out　of　his　gains；　he　might　have

whimpered　over　his　wrongs。　　How　few　benefactors　have　received　even

as　much　as　he；　for　he　won　dignities；　admiration；　and　undying　fame。

We　scarcely　know　the　names　of　many　who　have　made　grand　bequests。

Who　invented　the　mariner's　compass？　　Who　gave　the　lyre　to　primeval

ages；　or　the　blacksmith's　forge；　or　the　letters　of　the　alphabet；　or

the　arch　in　architecture；　or　glass　for　windows？　　Who　solved　the

first　problem　of　geometry？　　Who　first　sang　the　odes　which　Homer

incorporated　with　the　Iliad？　　Who　first　turned　up　the　earth　with　a

plough？　　Who　first　used　the　weaver's　shuttle？　　Who　devised　the

cathedrals　of　the　Middle　Ages？　　Who　gave　the　keel　to　ships？　　Who

was　the　first　that　raised　bread　by　yeast？　　Who　invented　chimneys？

But　all　ages　will　know　that　Columbus　discovered　America；　and　his

monuments　are　in　every　land；　and　his　greatness　is　painted　by　the

ablest　historians。



But　I　will　not　enlarge　on　the　rewards　Columbus　received；　or　the

ingratitude　which　succeeded　them；　by　force　of　envy　or　from　the

disappointment　of　worldly　men　in　not　realizing　all　the　gold　that　he

promised。　　Let　me　allude　to　the　results　of　his　discovery。



The　first　we　notice　was　the　marvellous　stimulus　to　maritime

adventures。　　Europe　was　inflamed　with　a　desire　to　extend

geographical　knowledge；　or　add　new　countries　to　the　realms　of

European　sovereigns。



Within　four　years　of　the　discovery　of　the　West　India　Islands　by

Columbus；　Cabot　had　sailed　past　Newfoundland；　and　Vasco　da　Gama　had

doubled　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope；　and　laid　the　foundation　of　the

Portuguese　empire　in　the　East　Indies。　　In　1499　Ojeda；　one　of　the

companions　of　Columbus；　and　Amerigo　Vespucci　discovered　Brazil。　　In

1500　Cortereal；　a　Portuguese；　explored　the　Gulf　of　St。　Lawrence。

In　1505　Francesco　de　Almeira　established　factories　along　the　coast

of　Malabar。　　In　1510　the　Spaniards　formed　settlements　on　the

mainland　at　Panama。　　In　1511　the　Portuguese　established　themselves

at　Malacca。　　In　1513　Balboa　crossed　the　Isthmus　of　Darien　and

reached　the　Pacific　Ocean。　　The　year　after　that；　Ponce　de　Leon　had

visited　Florida。　　In　1515　the　Rio　de　la　Plata　was　navigated；　and　in

1517　the　Portuguese　had　begun　to　trade　with　China　and　Bengal。　　As

early　as　1520　Cortes　had　taken　Mexico；　and　completed　the　conquest

of　that　rich　country　the　following　year。　　In　1522　Cano

circumnavigated　the　globe。　　In　1524　Pizarro　discovered　Peru；　which

in　less　than　twelve　years　was　completely　subjugated；the　year　when

California　was　discovered　by　Cortes。　　In　1542　the　Portuguese　were

admitted　to　trade　with　Japan。　　In　1576　Frobisher　sought　a　North…

western　passage　to　India；　and　the　following　year　Sir　Francis　Drake

commenced　his　more　famous　voyages　under　the　auspices　of　Elizabeth。

In　1578　Sir　Humphrey　Gilbert　colonized　Virginia；　followed　rapidly

by　other　English　settlements；　until　before　the　century　closed　the

whole　continent　was　colonized　either　by　Spaniards；　or　Portuguese；

or　English；　or　French；　or　Dutch。　　All　countries　came　in　to　share

the　prizes　held　out　by　the　discovery　of　the　New　World。



Colonization　followed　the　voyages　of　discovery。　　It　was　animated　by

the　hope　of　finding　gold　and　precious　stones。　　It　was　carried　on

under　great　discouragements　and　hardships　and　unforeseen

difficulties。　　As　a　general　thing；　the　colonists　were　not

accustomed　to　manual　labor；　they　were　adventurers　and　broken…down

dependents　on　great　families；　who　found　restraint　irksome　and　the

drudgeries　of　their　new　life　almost　unendurable。　　Nor　did　they

intend；　at　the　outset；　permanent　settlements；　they　expected　to

accumulate　gold　and　silver；　and　then　return　to　their　country。　　They

had　sought　to　improve　their　condition；　and　their　condition　became

forlorn。　　They　were　exposed　to　sickness　from　malaria；　poor　food；

and　hardship；　they　were　molested　by　the　natives　whom　they

constantly　provoked；　they　were　subject　to　cruel　treatment　on　the

part　of　royal　governors。　　They　melted　away　wherever　they　settled；

by　famine；　disease；　and　war；　whether　in　South　or　North　America。

They　were　discontented　and　disappointed；　and　not　easily　governed；

the　chieftains　quarrelled　with　each　other；　and　were　disgraced　by

rapacity　and　cruelty。　　They　did　not　find　what　they　expected。　　They

were　lonely　and　desolate；　and　longed　to　return　to　the　homes　they

had　left；　but　were　frequently　without　means　to　return；doomed　to

remain　where　they　were；　and　die。　　Colonization　had　no　dignity　until

men　went　to　the　New　World　for　religious　liberty；　or　to　work　upon

the　soil。　　The　conquest　of　Mexico　and　Peru；　however；　opened　up　the

mining　of　gold　and　silver；　which　were　finally　found　in　great

abundance。　　And　when　the　richness　of　these　countries　in　the

precious　metals　was　finally　established；　then　a　regular　stream　of

emigrants　flocked　to　the　American　shores。　　Gold　was　at　last　found；

but　not　until　thousands　had　miserably　perished。



The　mines　of　Mexico　and　Peru　undoubtedly　enriched　Spain；　and　filled

Europe　with　envy　and　emulation。　　A　stream　of　gold　flowed　to　the

mother　country；　and　the　caravels　which　transported　the　treasures　of

the　new　world　became　objects　of　plunder　to　all　na