, 1892-10-15

held a meeting in London specially devoted
to the consideration Of some leading points in
the life and work Of the great discOverer,
and an excellent paper on the subject
was read by Mr.. Clemens Mnklln some
Of the points dealt with are Of very great in
terest. ''Much new light" says the writer
has been thrown upon the birth and early
life Of Columbus Of late ears By the careful
examination Of mouastlc and notlrial records
at Genoa and Savona. At Genoa the original
documents are still preserved. At Savona
they no Ion ger exist, aud we are dependent
on copies made two centuries ago by Saline
RUS. But both the Genoa and the Savona re-
cords may be safely accepted. and we are thus
furnished with a new and more interesting
view Of the early life Of Columbus. Our
thanks for this new light are mainly due to
the lab0rious and scholarly researches Of
the Marchese Marcello S~taglieno Of Genoa,
and to the work OF Mr.. Harrisse. Columbus $
father was a wool weaver aud there is "abs0-
lutte certainty as to the house in Genoa where
the family lived for twenty years, and whore
therefore in all probability the great naviga-
tor was bonn. The date is clearly proved to
be 1441. He was brought up with his
brothers and sisters in Genoa and worked at
his fathers trade as a wool-weaver, IAN d this
business he followed almost to the time Of his
leaving for Portugal at the age Of twenty
eight. Atsthe same time that he followed the
business Of 4 weaver, he often went to sea,
commencing at his fourteenth year, and made
frequent voyages in the Mediterranean "a
knowledge ofthe real facts. SAYS Mr. Markham,
'serves TO clearaway all the misleading fables
about student life at Pavia, about service
with imaginary uncles who were c0rsalrs or
admirals, and about galleys commanded for
King Rene. Some Of these fables are due to
the mistaken piety Of the great discoveries
son Fernando, and to others, who seem to. nave
thought that they were doing honour to the
memory Of the admiral by surrounding his
youth with romantic stories. But the simple
truth is far more romantic. 1t shows MS the
young weaver loving his home and serving his
parents with filial devotion, but ut The some
time preparing, with zeal and industry, to be
come an export in the profession for which he
was best fitted. and even IN his earliest youth
making ready to fulfil his high destiny"
Columbus and his brother went 10 Lisbon
in l474. Already he appears to have conceiv-
ed the idea Of reaching tAe Indies by sail
ing westward. Hechose Lisbon because many
eminent Genocse navigators had served as
admirals Of Portugal. He remained in the
Portuguese service ten years, and it was dun
ing this connection that .'his cosmographical
studies, and his ocean voyages from the Equa-
tor to the Arctic circle, combined with his
genius to make Columbus the greatest seaman
of his age
The next point dealt with by Mr.. Markham
is the generally received story that the views
Of Columbus were condemned by the Uuiver-
sity Of Salamanca, and what he says on this
point is so interesting that We give it without
any attempt to curtail it. "WLen Columbus
submitted his proposition to the spanish So
vereigns, they referred il 10 q committee. pre-
sided over by Father Talayera, which sat at
Cordova, and condemned it as impracticabIe.
1t is generally supposed that the proposals of
the Genoese were subsequently, submitted to
an assembly Of learned persons at the Univer-
sity Of Salamanca and again condemned. There
Is no good contemporary authority for this,
and it appears to be founded on a complete
misapprehension Of the facts. The truth Ie-
specting the Salamanca conferences was
quite different. Columbus was gifted with a
charming manner, simple eloquence, and great
powers Of clear exposition. 1t was an intel
lectual treat to hear him recount his eXperien-
ces. and the arguments for his scheme. Among
those who first took an interest in his CONVEX
Sation, and then became a sincere and Jealous
friend. was DIR. Diego Deza, the Prior of the
great Dominican convent of San Estevan, and
Professor Of Theology at Salamanca Having
resolved to befriend Columbus, he very shrewd-
lv foresaw that that the most effectual way of
doin0 60 would he nv aff0rdinU annie oDnOrfu-