PIGAFETTA*S voyage round the world.

408

tertained at that time no opinion of the difcovery of a new world j as otherwife hecertainly would have fupported the project of Colon with his influence.

This great man left Portugal , indignant at the rejection of his project, and landedin Spain in 1484. At the fame time he difpatched his brother Bartolomeo to HenryVII. of England. After the lapfe of feven years, Colon , who had continually expe-rienced difappointments, refolved on going to England to join his brother, of whomhe had heard nothing in all the lapfe of time which had taken place fince their parting.Bartolomeo indeed had been captured, ftripped, and kept in prifon by corfairs for fomeyears before he reached London .

The Englilh editor of the voyage of Haclduyt cites the following verfes, written on.the chart of the terreftrial globe prefented by Bartolomeo Colon to Henry VII, King of England, on the 13th of February, 1488.

Janua cui patria eft, nomen qui Bartholomoeus *

Columbus de Terra rubra, opus edidit illudLondiniis, anno Domini 1480, atque infuper annoOft a vo, decimo die cum tertia menfisFebruarii. Laudes Chrifto cantentur abunde.

Heaven, however, ordained that Spain fhould gather the fruit of the patient-bearingand refearches of Colon . Don Juan Perez cle Marchena, prior of the convent ofFrancifcans of Rabida, near Palos, a convent in which Colon had placed his childrento be educated, entreated him to delay his departure for fome days. He even had theboldnefs to addrefs the Queen on the occafion, who was then at Santa Fe. DonnaIfabella commiffioned Perez to perfuade Colon to have patience for awhile. Afterfome time, the city of Grenada was taken, when Alonzo de Quintanilla, comptrollerof the finances of Caftille, and Lewis de St. Angel, receiver of the ecclefiaftical reve-nues in Arragon, fo earneftly entreated Ifabella, that Ihe confented to recall Colon ,who, by this time, wearied of the long procraftination, had already failed, and pro-ceeded fome leagues out to fea. He arrived the 17th April, 1492, at court, and atreaty was figned. The expence of the outfit amounted to no more than ninety thou-fand French livres of that day; and three wretched fhips were entrufted to Colon .With thefe he failed from Palos, the 3d Augult 1492, and fortunately he broughtthem back after making the difcovery of the new world.

The original journals of Colon , Pinzon, Ovando, Balboa, Ponce de Leon, Her-nandez de Cordove, Cortez, &c. are among the archives of the crown at Simancas ,two leagues from Valladolid. The charters and diplomas which refpcct America , andwhich by the order of Philip II. were depofited there in 1566, occupy the larged room,and form eight hundred and feventy-three large packets, which Mr. Robertfon foughtin vain for permiflxon to examine. It is, however, to be prefumed that Herrera andSolis will have been more favoured, and have made every requifite extract. In addi-tion, it is much to be defired that liberty were granted to explore the archives of thecrown of Portugal at Torre do Tombo, as afiuredly, fome manufcripts would be foundregarding Huerter de Moerkirchen, as well as Behaim and his fons.

* Bartolomeo Colon, who was a good geographer , and perfectly acquainted with navigation, wasabfent from Spain when his brother returned from America. Colon did not fee him again for thirtee nyears. From England he repaired to Paris, where he firft heard, from Charles VIII. of France, that j 11 ®brother had effected the difcovery of the New World. Before his fecond voyage, Criftoval left bein' 1him a fealed letter addreffed to his brother. Fernan of Spain gave him three veffels, and the two brother®met in the port of Ifabella, .in 1494. Colon nominated his brother Adelante, or Lieutenant-General 0the Indies. Bartolomeo died in Hifpaniola in 1514,

Before