Delaware journal. [volume] (Wilmington [Del.]) 1827-1832, 1828-04-04
FRIDAY, eAprH 4, 1928.

rank. Bending his knees, he requested to kiss their
hands; but there some hesitation on the part of
their maiesties to permit this act of yassalage Rails
ing him in the most grasious manner, they ordered
him to seat himself in their presence, rare honor in
this proud and punctilious Court.
At the request of their majestes, Colombus now
gave an account Of the most striking events of his
voyage, and description Of the islands which he had
discovered. He displayed the specimens he had
brought Of unknown birds, and other animals; of rare
plants of medicinal and aromatic virtue of native
gold in dust, in crude masses, aboured into bar
barrie ornaments sand above all, the natives Of those
countries, who were objects of intense and mex
haustlbe interest since there is nothing to so
curious the variety of his species. All these
ne pronounced mere harbingers Of greater discove-
ries he had yet to make which would add realms
of ncalcuable wealth to the dominions Of their
Jestes and whole nations of proselytes to the true
faith.
"'rhe words of Columbus were listened to with
profound emotions by the sovereigns. When he had
finished, they sunk on their knees and raising their
clasped hands to heaven, their eyes filled with tears
of Joy and gratitude, they poured forth thanks and
praises to God for SO great providence. All pre-
sent followed their example deep and solemn en-
thusasm pervaded that assembly, and prevented all
common acclamations of triumph the anthem OF
tie deunl laudamus, chanted by the choir OF royal
chapel with the meodious responses of the minstres,
rose up in the midst in full body of sacred harmo-
ny, bearing up as it were the feelings and thoughts
Of the auditors to heaven, so that, says the venera-
Bile Las Casas, it seemed as if in that hour, they
communicated with celestial delights Such was
the solemn and pous manner i'll which the brilliant
court of Spain celebrated this sublime event offer
ing up grateful tribute Of melody and praise, and
giving glory to God for the discovery Of another
world.
"When Columbus retired from the royal presence.
he was attended to his residence by all the court,
and followed by the shouting populace. For many
days he was the object of universal curiosity and
! wherever he appeared he was surrounded BY an ad
miring multitude.
| While the mind of Columbus was thus teeming with
glorious anticpations his pious scheme for the de-
Iiverance of the holy sepulchre was not forgotten
| 1t has been sworn that he suggested to thei Span
ish sovereigns at the time of first making his propo
sitions, holding it forth the great object TO be eff
4 fected by the profits Of his discoveries FLUSHED
with the Flea OF the vast wealth that now was to &C
crue to himself, he made vow to furnish an army
within seven years. consisting of five thousand horse
and fifty thousand foot for the of the holy Sc
pulchre and similar force within the five following
years. The vow was recorded in one of his letter
to the sovereigns, to which he refers, but which
no longer extant; nor is it certain whether it wa
made at the end of the first voyage, or at subse
quent date, when the magnitude and wealthy resu
Of his discoveries became more fully manifest. II
often audes to it vaguely in his writings and he re
ters to it expressly in a letter to Pope Alexander v
written in 1902, in which he accounts also for il
non-fulflment. 1t is essential to full compreher
sion of the character and motives of Columbus, thu
his wild and visionary project should be borne in IT
G collection. 1t will be found to have entwned itse
! in his mind with his enterprise Of discovery, an
e that a holy crusade was to be the contamination
e those divine purposes for which he considered hin
y self selected by heaven as an agent.-lt shows no
!, much his mind was elevated above selfish and me
e cenary views. How it was filled with those dovol
and heroic schemes, which in the stime, of the or
sades had nAamed the thoughts and directed the
e terprises, of the bravest warriors and most lust
e Gus princes