Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-12-15
NUMBER 81.

~ ia'h were able TO save the great navigator fro'>
the tongue of malice the effects OF misEepres- A
uon' As II anticipating reversss and prepsrirg y
tnem' The next pannel to the discovery shows tG
Pah''ng the Cross in whose shadow and under waCse
influence every trial may prove blessing.
1he Startling contrast Of The pictures, placed SIDE
by side IN the seventh and eighth psnnels, read . E
lesson Oh the instability Of human greatness; OF
rail which divides them might be inscribed "sc
transit gloria nnunds' but that WORD. are unpec,s.
ssry to tell tale SO forcibly deinested The one
vividIy describes the return of the great Adniai
entering Barcelona amid rejoicing and ecclams..,.s
courted and oaressed by the government aud wor
shipped by the people. The other shows him. after
few more years Of toll and anxiety leaving for lie
second time, prisoner and in chains, the land hs
had risked his life TO discover, and sacrificed h. ,se
and health to benefit.
The ninth and last is less gloomy although 1, ,e''
Of disease and death; perhaps there may be in
something of consolation. The great wauderer Was
coon to be at rest. The mighty ioind which had ,r.
agined, the eagle eye which had beheld, beyonI fhs
waste of waters another continent. was now ai,h un
diminished strength and undinmed ustre, longing Tor
and gazing on the land of Heavenly premise .rra'rr
than he had foretold. The hand which ig!
reared the cross in his wild new homr, thu:
the heathen 10 casing the embsm of rau's
redemption, might enquire, be instructed and to
saved, although powerless now. would wire
with renewed vigor an entry in the book of e'eri s
life, 10 tell what that cross had done for him.
heart which had so loved the faith Saviour hal d,d
to establish, though few and faint its pulsrs now,
would one day start with the widest bounds o
port when beholding the realization of those prom.
ises that faith had here truthfuy, 90 sootnirly
revealed. Ii the drama had ended witA the H. o;
the great actor, he would have had his reward. Per
hsps was we'll for him, we'll for the thoughts win,
we're fixed on eternity, that the future Of time not
revealed. Could the widest dream of imagns iou
have reached the reality of what the three ctn,ur-s
have accomplished since the last offices Were per
formed at the bed side of that heart broken
then could have believed that the new world. whose
very existence had been matter Of doubt ami d.
nia should in wealth, civilization and know!edEo,
rival the oldi That mighty cities, lovely vilagessrt
cultivated plains should cover that trackless wilder
ness and teem with q free, enghted and gra'e'u
people, who would look back to him with pride nnt
sdnrstou1 That, in popular ballads and ua,oOel
literature, his memory should be mmortalissd. and
that. in spite OF early and unjust misnomsr. they
should insist nscrbing In the records Of nat!0us
their name as columbia"
Verify, may we say, truth Is more wonderfa! thar
fiction.
In reviewing what we have written, we dnd &C
have travelled tar from original purpose TO IN
stead of description Of the doors Themselves, "
have only given impressions and feelings wh !.
gazing on them. So, for the benefit of those who :"
not see the photographs, (now in the State Lior"rg
indeed for the better understanding OF those who
ws shall add few more remarks strictly explhnn'o-
ry. As we said before, the doors are composed OF wc
leaves each leaf divided into four panneis, evsry pan
mel containing finished picture 10 the alto reloc7.
The series commence at the lowest PANEL on the l,
and are numbered upwards to the arch which s 'te
fifth representation then descending, they :,e nun
bered downwards to the ninth and last.
No. l. represents Columbus before the Counc s..
smanca, endeavoring to convince them Of the
tence of another continent and the possibility OF is
covering it. Discouraged by their objections and Il.
Tended by their opposition he retired TO the convent
of La Rabids, whose Prior, Juan PsreE hencefor b
became his constant friend. From La Rabda l..
tered into negotiations with the King OF Portugal,
and offered him tho benefits Spain bad refused. j.
the mean time Isabella, actuated partly by ber own
strong and generosity, partly by the arguu'eIs
of the good Frisr, whose guest Columbus Remained,
agreed to give second hearing TO bis propositions,
and sent him sum of money to equip himself auc
purchase mule.
No. . represents Columbus leaving the Conven' o..
the mule presented BY the Queen. He Is in the Nc;
Tath h, y
the archwsys of the portico and cluster around
their friend, giving him their benedction aud no:
forgetting in their goodness the refreshment o. The
poor animal to whom they are Offering a draught u
water.
No. 3. shows Columbus before Ferdinand ard 1sa-
bella, after his return to Court Columbus s,arcs ~
the foreground the chief figure Of the piece, aud " =
upraised head and oustreatched arms is urging e
suit Ferdinand shows his Indifference by Lean J,
back in his seat while the ardent Isabella bends o.
wards eagerly catching every word which falls from
tho orators lips.
No. 4. The departure OF Columbus froG, Paos, the
por, from which he sailed in quest of the New Wor'
He stands with his left foot planted on The ga
plank ready to enter the caravel when DO has s"'i
his farewell to his friends.
No. S. The landing at Sau salvadore-Co'un''u us
occupies the centre of the picture, and Is elevs''G
above the surrounding group. He holds in one ha' :
sword and 10 the other the banner Of Leon nnd C..
tile and 10 taking possession of the country In -"
name of bis soveregps 1t 10 the largest Of tn-
reservations, occupying the space Of two pauels lae
filing up is beautiful and varied, the lef, hand
the vessel on which some of the sdventurers yet
oe
Between the carsvel and himself are ardent m.ria.-
some wading in the water, some just toucning tho
land, all in attitudes expressive Of Joy and thank
giving. To the right the space on the margin oi rfe
picture Is filed With Indians, secreting themselves be-
hind trees.
No. 6. Erecting the cross on The Island OF uisp4g
nola.
No. T. Entering Barcelona on horseback, and n
triumph on his return to Spain.
No. g. Leaving the town Of Isabella In chain.
prisoner, and superseded In his command By Booa
dills.
No. g. The death Of Columbus.
On the rails which divide the pannels horizontally
are six portrait busts of the historians of the, tine
who wrote on the subject Of this bistory-nhn: ~:
Peter Martyr, Las Cassas, Diego Mendez, Mend %,
Berna Diez and Marco Polo. On the lower rtIls
are two ideal buss of Indians, on the top are two
busts of squaws, making In all 10 busss. On the
stiles which run from the floor TO the arch, on erfe
side the psnnels, I6 inches, containing statues
in full relief of the distinguished cotemporaries Of Co.
lumbus, such as Ferdinand and Isabells, Martin
Alonzo Pipzon, Vincent Ysnez Pnzon, Don B-..
,bolomeu Columbus. Juan Pares, Toscanelli. Just.
poncs ia Leon an Indian chief and his wife acs.
corvana, &C., &C., In all sixteen.
Under the ststuettes forming bracket, are Intro.
duced heads of American animals supporting the
plynths of the figures, combined with wreshs Of
flowers and erblems Of the arts, sciences, &o., of
America. Over the statuettss are emblems Of the
four cardinal virtues Faith, Hope, Charity ,nl
Justice.