Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1891-10-29
A Castillo Y n Leon,
Nuevo mundo dio Colon.
TO CASTLE and Leon

VOYAGE should discover land was adj
Judged to Columbus for having first seen
the light on the shore. 1t is said that
the seaman who first deserted the land
was so incenscd at being disappointed of
what he conceived his merited reward.
that he renounced his country and his
faith, and going into Africa turned Mus
sullnan an anecdote which rests merely
on the authority of Oviedo, who is ex-
tremely incorrect in his narration of this
voyage, and inserts many falsehoods
told him by the enemies of the admiral.
1t may at first sight appear but little
accordant with the acknowledged mag
nanimity of Columbus to have borne
away the prize from this poor sailor, but
this was a subject i'll which his whole
ambition was involved, and he was
doubtless proud of the honor Of being
personally the discoverer Of the land as
well as protector Of the enterprise.
Next to the countenance shown him
by the king and queen may be mentioned
that of Pedro Gonzalez de Mendoza, the
grand cardinal of Spain and first subject
of the realm, II man whose elevated char
acter for piety, learning and high prince
like qualities gave signal value to his
favors. He invited Columbus to a BAN
quet. where he assigned him the most
honorable place at table and had him
served with the cerenonials which in
those punctilious times were observed
toward sovereigns. At this repast is
said to have occurred the well known
anecdote of the egg. a shallow courtler
present, impatient Of the honors paid to
Columbus and rneanly jealous of him as
foreigner, abruptly asked him whether
he thought that in case he had not dis
covered the Indies, there We're not other
men in Spain who would nave been ca
paDe Of the enterprise? TO this Columbus
made no immediate reply. but taking AZ
egg invited the conn sHv to make it stand
on one end. Every one attempted it, but
in vain; whereupon he struck it upon
the table so as to break the end and left
it standing on the b.Oken part, illustrat-
Ing in this simple manner that when he
had once shown the way to the New
World nothing was easier than to fol-
low it.
The favor shown Columbus by the
caresses of the nobility. For in court
every one vies with his neighbor in Law
ishing attentions upon the man whom
the king delighteth to honor" Column
bus bore all these caresses and distinctions
with becoming mOdestv, though he must
have felt proud satisfaction in the idea
that they had becI wrested, as it were,
from the nation by his courage and per-
severance. One can hardly recognize in
the individual thus made the companion
of princes and the theme of general
wonder and admiration the same OBJ
scure stranger who nut a short time be-
fore had been common scoff and Jest in
thls very court, derlded by some as an
adventurer and pointed at by others as a
mailman. Those who had treated him
with contumely during his long course
Of solicitation now sought to etface the
remembrance of it by adulatlons.
Every one who had given him little
cold countenance or few courtly smiles
now arrogated to himself the credit Of
having been patron and OF having pro-
NOTED the discovery Of the New " orld.
Scarce u great man about the court but
has been enrolled by his historian or
biographer among the benefactors of
Columbus, though had One-tenth part of
this boosted patronage been really eX-
erted he would never have had to linger
seven years soliciting for IN armament
Of three caravels. Columbus knew well
the weakness of the patronage that had
been given him. The only friends men
toned by him with gratitude in MS
after letters as having been really zeal
Gus and effective We're those TWO worthy
friars, Diego de Deza, afterward bishop
of Palencia and Seville. and Juran Perez,
the prior of the convent Of La Rabida.
Thus honored by the sOVereigns,
courted by the great, idolized by the
people, Columbus for time drank the
honeyed draft of popularity before en-
nifty and detraction had time TO drug
it with bitterness, His discovery burst
with such sudden splendor upon the
world as to dazzle envy itself and to call
forth the general acCumatiuns of man
kind. Well would it be for the honor OF
human nature could history, like ro-
NAME, close with the contamination Of
tine hero's wishes; we should t.en leave
Columbus in the full fruition o. great
and well merited prosperity, but his
history is destined to furnish another
proof, if proof be wanting, of the incon-
stancy of public favor, even when won
by distinguished services. No greatness
was ever acquired by more incontestable,
unalloyed and exalted benefits rendered
70 mankind, yet none ever drew on
its pOssessor more unrenitting jeal
ousy and defamation, or involved him
in more unmeritel distress and Difficult
ty Thus it is with illusIrious merit
its very effulgence (S'aws forth the ran
corous passions of low and grovelina
minds, which too often have u tempo
rary influence in obscuring it to the
world; as the sun, emerging with full
splendor into the heavens, calls up, by
the very fervor Of its rays, the rank anG
noSious vapors, which, for a time, be
cloud its glory.
TIE END.
ELECTRIC SPARKS.
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