Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-02
TOMB OF CHRISTOPHER CATHEDRAL SEVILLE
the eastern hemisphere, surrounded by a
pair of compasses. Within the border Of
the circle is ins..ibed:
A Castillo a Leon

| the eastern hemisphere, surrounded by
pair of compaSSeS Within the border of
| the circle is ins..ibed:
A Castillo Y Leon.
Mundo Nuevo do Colon
Unpublished Columbus Manuscript
The most interesting of all the books in
! the Columbus collection is a manuscript
written by the admiral while he was at the
convent of Cartuja after his last voyage.
impatiently awaiting the fuifillment of the
! promises made him by his sovereign. 1t is
entitled "Libro de las Profecias'' (the Book
of Prophec.es). in which Columbus attempts
to prove that his achievement was pre-
dicted in the Scriptures, but no publisher
has ever considered it of sufficient i'm
portance to be printed entire.
His biographers have used only few
tracts. This manuscript very nearly got
him into trouble with the 1nquisiton, as
some considered it blaSpheny for the half
insane old sailor to claim such an honor.
The manuscript does show signs of inSan-
ity. for he demonstrates by a queer calcu-
lation that the end of the world will come
In loo years and predicts the exact date. He
admonshes his sovereign that the most i'm
portant work for them to do is to rescue
the Holy Sepulcher from the infidels and
declares that the Almighty designed him
to be the leader of a crusade for that pur-
pose under the auspices of Queen Isabella.
He made liberal provision IN his will for
the payment of the expenses when the poor
cid beggar was dependent upon the monks
of Las Quevas for his bread and the very
garments he wore s-.t
About this time he wrote another singular
communica ton. which was addressed to
the pope, and in it he declared that his suf-
ferings and the loss of the rewards which
had been promised him. by Ferdinand and
Isabella were the revenge Of Satan upon
him for bringing the heather of the un-
known world within the reach of the Cos
pels. These manuscripts are written in
firm and free hand, more. like what you
would expect from a young and vigorous
notary than from querulous and decrepit
old sailor
Where Colum bus Gained His Belief
The books which Columbus carried with
him on his voyage and used in preparing his
arguments before the council at Salamanca
are preserved in the library, and the mar
gins of several of the pages are covered
with notes In his handwriting Among them
is volume called Historic Rerum Unique
Gestarum" by Aeneas Sylvius, published at
Venice in 1417. The author was an emil
nent theologian of Siena and became pope
of Rome in 1853 under the title of Plus II.
Upon the fyleaf of this volume is inscribed
in the handwriting of Columbus letter re-
ce1ved by him from Paolo Toscanelli
famous Italian geographer who held views
concerning the rotundity of the earth SINH
lar to those advanced by Columbus
Another book which Columbus studied
with great care and carried with him on
all his voyages is DE Imagine Mundi"
Qmage of the WORLD. written by Cardi-
nal Pierre de ALLY, dean of the Uni
versity of Navarro, in 1410. He also had
volume of geography written by Claud-
luS Ptolemy, who gained fame in Egypt
during the second century after Christ
and wrote a geography which was
standard textbook for fourteen centu-
ries. He was the first man to declare that
the world is a globe and was the in
ventor of the present system of latitude
and longitude to determine geographical
n6f
by Columbus, containing many marginal
notes, was published in Latin in 14T5.
But the book which gave him the most
satisfaction of all contained an account
of the travels of Marco Polo.
1t Is still a standard work for children
Marco Polo. was a Venetian merchant
who went to China and India and wrote
description of Tibet, India, Burma,
China, Java, Sumatra and otner places he
visited. This volume conveyed the first
knowledge that Europeans had of the
nations of the east. 1t was extensively
circulated in manuscript form for two
centuries before the invention of printing
and had a powerful influence upon COM
merce and civilization. The copy which
Columbus carried with him on his several
voyages and expected to use as a guide
book to India was printed in Latin at
Antwerp in 1885, and, like the rest, the
margins are covered with notes in his
handwriting There are several other
volumes in the library which were car
ried on the first voyage across the Allan
tic ocean.
The Columbus Sarcophagus.
Since the evacuation of Cuba the sar-
cophagus which Is supposed to contain
the remains of Columbus has been stand
ing in one of the chapels of the cathedral
at Seville. 1t is a beautiful and original
piece Of work, and the design was made
in competition among all the sculptorsNof
Spain fn 1892. 1t represents, four heralds
hclothed in gorgeous vestments bearing a
casket upon their shouIders--one for
each OF the great provinces, of old Spain
CASTLE, Leon, Arragon and Navarro IT
rs an extremely effective piece of work.
but Is cheapened by the elaborate use of
gilt upon the marble. This sepulcher was
eminent of Spain and was placed in the
cathedral, where 1t remained until Cen
Blanco lowered the flag on Moro Castle
II was then removed to Seville and placed
In its present location.
Controversy Over Remains of Columbus
There is considerable, doubt whether Il
contains the genuine dust of Columbus but
that has been the subject of a controversy
raging for many years. Columbus was
originally buried in the convent of San
Francisco at VaIladolid, where he died in
1900. In 1913 his brother Bartholomew re-
moved the remains to the vault Of the Car
thusian monastery near Seville, In which he
spent the last years of his life In 1897.
upon the application of Donna Maria de
Toledo, widow OF Diego Columbus q royal
order was issued permitting a removal to
San Domingo. but, for some reason, II was
l. not carried out and three geparate orders