Daily American telegraph., 1852-01-10

character, have published an engraving Of Il
in one of the editions of his biography.
Painting had not attained much eminence in
Spain during the lifetime of Columbus, though
it was improving under the auspices of Ferdi-
nand and Isabella. There were as yet no Ital-
ian painters in the peninsula, and the only
Spanish painter of note was Antonio Rincon,
who is said to have been the first who left the
stiff Gothic style, and attempted to give to his
figures something of the graces and proportions
of nature He executed portraits of Ferdi-
nand and Isabella, who made him their paint
extraordinary
The originals have disappeared in the war
OF the French intrusion but copies of two of
his full-length portraits Of the Sovereigns exist
in one of the lower corridors Of the royal gal
lery at Madrid 1t is very probable that he
painted portrait of Columbus at the time when
he was ut the Court, the object Of universal at
tention on account Of his discoveries; but, if so,
it likewise has disappeared, or may exist anon
ymously in some corner of Spain, or in the col
lection of some picture-hunter.
So much for the portraits of Columbus, An
other subject of inquiry with Mr., Bloomfield
was the name of the discoverer he asks why
we should not call him by the name he signed
to all his letters now in the Royal Exchange of
Seville-Christoual Colon J, and he wishes to
know " how did or how could Colon be changed
to Colunbus';
In regard to the name, there. is some petty
mystery That Of the family in Genoa was
Colombo, and his original Italian designation
was Cristoforo Colombo. When he first came
into Spain, from Portugal, he seems to have re-
tanned his Italian family name, with a slight
variation for in the records of Francisco Con
zalez, of Seville, the royal treasurer, there are
still extant three several entries of money paid,
in 1887 and 1888, by order of the Catholic
sovereigns, to him, by the name of Cristobal
Colomo.
So also, in the royal cedula of May -, $780,
signed by the sovereigns, the public functona-
furnish accommodation and facilities to Cristo-
val Colon,o.
And the Duke of Medina Celi, his first patron
in Spain, in letter to the Grand Cardinal,
dated 18th March, 1893, says "I do not know
whether your lordship knows that had for
much time in my house Cristoval Colomo, who
came from Portugal" &C.
In the capitulations entered into between
him and the sovereigns, 18th April, 1892, by
which he was constituted admiral, viceroy, and
governor of any lands he might discover, we
find him for the first time recorded as Don
Crist6bal Colon. In adopting this appellation,
he may have REQUIRED to what his son Fernan-
do intimates was the original patrician name
of the family in old times, at Rome-Colonus-
and may have abbreviated it to Colon to adapt
it to the Spanish tongue.
! Columbus was a later version Of his family
name, adopted occasionally by himself and his
brother, Bartholomew, according to the pedan
tic usage of the day His son, Fernando, says
Chapter xi) that his father, before he was de
clared Admiral, used to sign himself Colum
bus de Terrarubra" that is to say, Columbus
of Terrarossa, village or hamlet near Genoa
So, also his brother Bartholomew, on map Of
the world, which he presented to Henry VII
dated London, 18th February, 1883, inscribed
on it some Latin verses of which the following
gave the name and country of the author:
Janua cui patria est; nomen cui Bartolomaeus
| Columbus de Terrarubra opus addit istud
By this Latin version of his family name he
has always been known in English literature.
If we change it, we ought to go back to the
original Italian, Cristoforo Colombo. Long
usage, however, like long occupancy, constitutes
kind of right that cannot be disturbed with
out great inconvenience.
Yours, my dear sir, very truly,
WASHINGTON IRVING.