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larger (hare of vanity than of real merit; though, if our author be believed, wemult allow his claims to have been exceedingly moderate, fince they were limited toan increafe of pay of nearly fix franks (five (hillings) per month. As, moreover, theKing of Spain inverted him with the order of St. James of the Sword, and entruftedhim with the command of a fquadron, there is reafon to believe that, in the fervicestendered by him to Portugal , he had exhibited evident proof of valour and (kill.
IX. During the (lay of Magellan in Portugal , as MafFei relates # , he kept up a con-front correfpondence with his friend Serano, who invited him to return to India , ande ven to repair to the Moluccas, the diftance of which illands from Sumatra , an ifland'veil known to him, he pointed out. But if conjecture be allowed, and the tracing ofcaufes from refults, it is not unlikely that Magellan will have complained to Serano ofthe injuftice of the court of Lilbon towards him; that Serano, pofiibly menaced bythe viceroy for not having followed his orders in building the fort, will have offeredto furrender thefe illands to Spain ; and at the fame time have given information toMagellan , acquired from the inhabitants of the moft eaftern illands, of the poflibility°f falling in with the cape of the continent difcovered by Colon, of doubling it, or offinding foine (trait in that direction ; and this the more from the Portuguefe being atthat time hr pofleflion of the Brazils, difcovered in 1500 by Cabral, a country intvhich John Carvajo, of whom Pigafetta , frequently fpeaks, had refided for four years,and in which John de Solis, while feeking a paflage to the Indies, was affaflinated anddevoured by cannibals, together with fixty of his crew.
X. It is not altogether improbable that Magellan was enabled by thefe means to°f>tain fome intelligence refpedting a paflage from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean ;fint it was by other modes that he became fatisfied of the adtual exiftence of this paf-fijge, as he informed Pigafetta and the companions of his expedition when he foundfiinrfelf in the (trait. While foliciting advancement at the court of Lilbon, he paidfuch clofe attention to the ftudy of geography and navigation as to render himfelf one°f the bed geographers and navigators of his timef. In confequence of this characterle was allowed to examine all the charts which had hitherto been colledted, and whichjfere preferved with great care in the royal treafury. The infant Don Henry, whofi(fi planned the undertaking of voyages for the difeovery of new countries, and thofe■"'no fucceeded him, had here collected all the fpeculations on this fubjedt, and all thegeographical maps they could obtain, by means of thofe geographers, navigators, anda tronomers who, in hopes of reward, came to tender their works at Lilbon. In thistr eafury it was that Magellan found a chart of Martin of Bohemia, on which the ftrait"'as marked which communicates with the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean .
XL In order to be convinced that Magellan realiy fought this paflage in confequencefeeing it marked on the chart of Martin of Bohemia, one need only read what Piga-etta %s on this fubjedt, whole words are here exactly copied from the manufeript in? Ur pofleflion J. It is Angular this fadt Ihould be denied, as it might have been found[ n me extract from Pigafetta, publilhed in French by Fabre, and in Italian by Ramufio ;ut is ftill more Angular that this fact, fo honourable for Martin of Bohemia, or.
+ /?'?’ ^ er ’ v ' n *
^ * ^ lu S‘ u Jlamente the homo fojjt al mondo carleava, et navigava. “ He drew charts and navigatedt /)° fe . cxa< -htude than any one living.”
thejor ■ a P' ltan0m S enera k- ehe fapeva de dover fare la fua navegazione per uno Jlreto molio afeofo , coma vite tie lan avi ^ re Portugal in una carta fata per quello excellentifji/no huomo Martin de Botmia, mandn dueWhich v/'v, 4°- “ The captain general, who knew he had to navigate through a very fecret ftrait,
excel] f teen, in the treafury of the King of Portugal , marked in a chart drawn up by that molten matl Martin de Boemia, ordered two (hips,” See.
rather