The Washington critic., 1888-02-06
WASHINGTON CRITIC
COLUMBUS or ERrKsox.
The Results of Lief Eriisson's Discovery
of America.


torial in rnE WASHINGTON Carrie OF Feb
ruary says, with neat preliminary COM
pliment TO me: 1--WE cannot see what
particular relation the voyages Of that adj
venturous Norseman bear to our forth
coming celebration of the Quadricenten-
NAL Of Columbus"
TO proceed in exact order, IL may be
well to see what relation Left Erikson's
voyages bore to those of his successor aud
imitator, Columbus, for when that is
done, conscientiously, critically, and thor
oughly, this American nation can best de-
termine whether there ought to be q cele-
bration of the Quadricentennial of Co
lumbus lin Chambers Encyclopedia a
place is accorded Ninland, and in the par
agraph relating to it these words occur:
Both Rafu and Finn Magnusen are ex-
cessively anxious to show that Columbus
derived his first hints of q new world from
the accounts of these old Icelandic expe-
ditions. Their amor pdtriG perhaps leads
them too far, but on the other hand, II IS
well to bear in mind that Finn Magnusen.
in one of the early numbers of the Nor
disk Tidsskrift for Oldkyndighet has
conclusively established the fact that CO.
lumbus did visit Iceland in 1477, fifteen
years before he undertook his great expe-
dition across the Atlantic; and it Is not at
all improbable that he may have heard,
while there, something of the long aban
doned Vinland, and so had his adventur-
ous thoughts first turned in that direction"
This is considerable admission for the
prudent columns Of an encyclopedia.
COLUMBUS IN ICELAND.
The editor of Mallet's Northern An
tiquities," u. A. Blackwell, in his supple
mentary chapters, goes somewhat farther;
fret lie rciterates that "ginn Magnusen,
in very able dissertation published in
one of the early numbers of the Nordisk
Tidsskrift Tor Oldkyndighet' has fully
established the fact of Columbus having
visited Iceland in the year ld77," and
then he gives Finn Magnusen's own words
for it
"The English trade with Iceland Ger
tainly merits the consideration of his
torians, If il furnished Columbus with
the opportunity of visiting that island,
there to be informed of the historical evi-
dence respecting the existence of import
ant lands and "a large continent in the
west. If Columbus should have acquired
a knowledge of the accounts transmitted
TO us of the discoveries of the Northmen,
in conversation held in Latin with the
Bishop of Skalbolt and the learned men
of Iceland, we may the more read
lily conceive his firm belief in the
possibility of rediscovering II west
ern continent and his unwearied
zeal in putting his plans in execution.
The discovery of America, so momentous
in its results, may therefore be regarded
as the mediate consequence of its previous
discovery by the Scandinavians, which
may be thus placed among the most inn
portant events of former ages"
The Roman Catholic author, FIR. p
Oswald Moosmuller, in his German work
entitled, "Europaeer in Amerika vor Co
lumbus," makes as positive an assertion
I'm the year 1475 Magnus, Abbot of the
BenedctineMonastery of Helgafell, was,
through Archbishop Gauto of Drontheim,
consecrated Bishop of Skalholt. At
Hvalfimdareyn the Bishop met Colum-
BUS and they conversed together in the
Tain language
a This author says also that Columbus
Visit to the island is proved by the
efehiyes of Iceland, and that Bishop
HMaS,ns, out of the records of his own
monastery, was able to give Columbus all
requisite information concerning the
previous discovery.
This, then, is one result-the most im-
portant one--of Left Erillson's discovery,
but Col -nbus' operation, accomplished
through the knowledge of this, secretly
obtained and secretly acted on, was in
no wise a discovery.
THE ICELAND SECRET.
In "a History of the Irish Settlers in
America" by Thomas Darcy McGee,
the author asks in his introduction
Where then did Columbus and his
theory find believers? Who were his
first converts? A woman q sailor and a
monk are the three by whom the curtain
of the Atlantic is raised, and America
pointed out afar Off. Before the dense
curtain of that grandest scene of all
human history they stand--the woman,
the sailor and the monk. Columbus CON
yerted the prior of La Rablda the prior
converted the Queen of CASTLE, and so
the armament did sail, after all, in quest
of the New World in the West.'
Precisely, Columbus whispered the
Iceland secret in the monks ear, which
was more than sufficient to convert lnm,
and the rest went of itself But Colum
bus, carefully hiding his secret had nC
scientific theory that could convince the
learned Council of Salamanca. Even one
of Columbus most ardent admirers, his
biographer and eulogist, Rossely dc
Lorgnes aflirms that columbus did not
owe his great celebrity to his genius ol
science, but only to his vocation, to his
faith, and to the Divine grace" Yes, Co
lumbus had faith, great faith, in what he
had learned in Iceland.
ERIKsoN's ALLEGED DISCOVERIES.
Was the discovery of Left Erkson 20
dimly recorded visitation?' wasit "barrel
of lluit?' has it simply been sung OF by
bards of after ages?n The visitations o
Erik the Red and his son Left led tC
settlements of 400 years duration, at the
most moderate computation, and tn,
probability is that they lasted 600 years
There was certainly mo dreary period o
TO show for them" Neither did the lane
Left found ''remain bowling wilderness
for centuries after his death. The Churcl
of Rome is too astute ever to have ap
pointed a bishop over bowling wilder
ness, but in 1921, that is l2l years afte
Left Erikson discovered New England
and named it Vinland Erik Upsi wa
IS. Catholic authors fondly style il
Richard ii, Clarke, one of this faith
has placed the biography of Bishop Erik
first in his "Lives OF the Deceased
Bishops of the Catholic Church il
the United States and says o
him: THUS created Bishop of Garda
in Greenland, the whole of the Nors
colonies in America were within his iuris
diction, including the Vinland of on
own country. Ever intent on the spreat
of religion and the organization of tn
Church of Vinland, as well as the con
version of the savages of the SOUTH he los
no time in visiting the new colony on tn
shores of Narragansett Bay, accompanies
bya band of2ealous missionaries who ha'
volunteered for that service, and by
colony of settlers"
Did Iceland so very soon close her gri
ON civil liberty and become the vassal q
other powers? Is not 400 years
respectable length of time for a republi
10 endure? If j remember anght, it |
the centennial only of our Constitution
that we are to celebrate in 1889. Is Ice
land lpeg tA hp hOu nrnd for ba uiDer bna,,