Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1891-10-08

\ ltI 1IOLl IAli1S JOilIl COugTdluldllL5 W
lu1nbus on his arrival and inviting him
to court, which was then at Valparaiso,
/ about nine leagues from Lisbon. The
king, with his usual magnifcence, issued
orders at the same time that everything
which the admiral required for himself,
his crew or his vessel should be fur
nished promptly and abundantly, with
out cost.
Columbus would gladly have declined
the royal invitation, feeling distrust Of
the good faith Of the king; but tempestu-
Gus weather had placed him in his power,
and he thought it prudent to avoid all
appearance of suspicion. He set forth,
therefore, that very evening for Val
paraiso, accompanied by his pilot The
first night he slept at Sacamben, where
preparations had been made for his hon
orable entertainment. The weather be-
ing rainy, he did not reach Valparaiso
until the following night On approach
ing the royal residence, the principal
cavaliers of the kings household came
forth to meet him, and attended him
with great ceremony to the palace. His
reception by the monarch was worthy Of
an enlightened prince. He ordered him
to seat himself in his presence, an honor
only granted to persons of royal dignity;
and after many congratulations on the
result of his enterprise, assured him that
everything in his kingdom that could be
Of service to his sovereigns or himself
was at his command.
A long conversation ensued, In which
Columbus gave an account of his yoy-
age and of the countries he had discov-
cred. The king listened with much
seeming pleasure, but with secret grief
and modification, rejecting that this
splendid enterprise had once been offered
to himself and had been rejected. A
casual observation showed what was
passing in his thoughts. He expressed
a doubt whether the discovery did not
really appertain to the crown of Portu-
gal, according to the capitulations of the
treaty of 1479 with the Castilian SOW
ereigns. Columbus replied that he had
never seen those capitulations, nor knew
anything of their nature; his orders had
been not to 60 to La Nina, nor the coast
Of Guinea, which orders he had care
fully observed. The king made a gra-
cious reply, expressing himself satisfied
that he had acted correctly, and per-
suaded that these matters would be
readily adjusted between the two pow
ers without the need of umpires. On
dismissing Columbus for the night he
gave him in charge as guest to the prior
of Crato, the principal parsonage present,
by whom he was honorably and hospita-
bly, entertained.
On the following day the king mado
many minute inquiries as to the soil, pro-
ductions and peoplu of the newly dis
covered countries, and the route taken in
the voyage, to all which Columbus gavo
the fullest replies, endeavoring to show
in the clearest manner that these were
regions heretofore undiscovered and un-
appropriated by any Christian power.
Still the king was uneasy lest this vast
and underlined discovery should in some
way interfere with his own newly ac-
quired territories. He doubted whether
Columbus had not found short way
to those very countries which were the
object of his own expeditions, and which
were comprehended in the papal bull,
granting to the crown of Portugal all
the lands which 1t should discover from
Cape Non to the Indies.
On suggesting these doubts to his
councillors they eagerly confirmed them.
Some Of these were the very persons
who had once derided this enterprise
and scoffed at Columbus as q dreamer.
To them its success was a source of con-
fusion, and the return of Columbus,
covered with glory, deep humiliation.
Incapable of conceiving the high and
generous thoughts which elevated him
at that moment above all mean consid,
erations, they attributed to all his ac.
tions the most petty and ignoble mo-
tives. His rational exultation was con.
strued into an insulting triumph, and
they accused him Of assuming boastful
and yainglorious tone when talking with
the king of his discovery, as if he would
revenge himself upon the monarch fcr
having rejected his propositions.
With the greatest eagerness, therefore,
they sought to foster the doubts which
had sprung up in the royal mind Some
who had seen the natives brought in the
caravel declared that their color, hail
and manners agreed with the descrip.
tion of the people of that part of India
which lay within the route of the PortIl.
guese discoveries, and which had beer
included in the papal bull. Others OBJ.
served that there was but little distance
between the Tercera islands and those
which Columbus had discovered, and
that the latter, therefore, clearly apper-
tanned to Portugal. Seeing the king
much perturbed in spirit, some ever
went SO far as to propose, as means oi
impeding the prosecution of these enter
prises, that Columbus should be assas.
sinated, declaring that he deserved death
for attempting to deceive and embroil
the two nations by his pretended discov.
cries 1t was suggested that his assassi.
nation might easily be accomplished
without inculTing any odiun, advantage
might be taken of his lofty department
to pique his pride, provoke him into an
alteration, and then dispatch him as Il
in casual and honorable encounter.
1t is difficult to believe that such
wicked and dastardly counsel could have
been proposed to monarch SO upright
as John III, but the fact is asserted by
various historians, Portuguese as well as
Spanish, and it accords with the perfidi-
Gus advice formerly given to the mon
arch in respect to Columbus. There is q
spurious loyalty about courts, which is
often prone to prove its zeal by its base
ness, and it is the weakness of kings to
tolerate the grossest faults when they ap.
pear to rise from personal devotion.
Happily the king had too much mag
nanimity to adopt the iniquitous meas
ure proposed. He did justice tc the great
merit Of Columbus, and honored him as
a distinguished benefactor Of mankind,
and he felt it his duty as a generous
prince to protect all strangers driven by
adverse fortune to his ports. Others of
his council suggested more bold and
martial line of policy. They advised
that Columbus should be permitted to
return to Spain, but that before he could
fit out second expedition powerful
armament should be dispatched. under
the guidance of two Portuguese mari
ners who had sailed with the admiral,
TO take possession Of the newly discov-
-ered country, possessson being after all
f1.rxl L. Il.