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LIFE OF COLON, BY HIS SON.

fays thus, Hercules is painted as killing the dragon that guarded the Hefperides. Andfomewhat farther he fays, that Hercules being fent by Euriftheus for the golden applesto the Hefperides, and not knowing the way thither, he went to Prometheus on mountCaucafus, and entreated him to Ihew him the way, whence followed the death of thedragon. Now, according to this, we fhall have other Hefperides in the eaft to whomalfo Oviedo may fay, Hefperus King of Spain gave his name. Hyginus fays farther,in the chapter of planets, that it appears by feveral hiftories that the planet Venus iscalled Hefperus, becaufe it fets foon after the fun. From all which we may infer, thatif we ought to make ufe of any teftimonies or quotations from perfons ufed to relatepoetical fables, as Hyginus does, that very fame which Hyginus fays rather makesagainft Oviedo than for him ; and we may fuppofe and affirm, they were called Hefpe-rides from a certain ftar. And as the Greeks for the fame reafon called Italy Hefperia,as many write j fo we may fay, Sebofus called thefe iflands Hefperides, and made ufeof the fame conjectures, and fome reafons to {hew whereabouts they lay, which we faidabove moved the admiral to believe for certain, that there were fuch iflands weftward.

Thus we may conclude, that Oviedo did not only prefume to counterfeit authoritiesfor what he faid, but that either though inadvertency, or to pleafe him who told himthefe things (for it is certain he did not underftand them himfelf), he maintained twocontradictions, the difagreement beween which were fufficient to difcover his error.For if the Carthaginians who, as he fays, arrived at Cuba or Hifpaniola, found thatcountry inhabited by none but brute beafts, how could it be true that the Spaniards hadbeen pofiefied of it long before, and that their King Hefperus gave it his name ? Unlefsperhaps he will fay, that fome deluge unpeopled it; and that afterwards fome otherNoah reftored it to that condition it was difcovered in by the admiral. But becaufe lam quite tired with this difpute, and methinks the reader is cloyed with it, I will notdilate any more upon this point, but follow on our hiflory.

CHAP. XI. — How the Admiral was difgujled by the King of Portugal , on account of the

Difcovery he propofed to him.

THE admiral now concluding that his opinion was excellently well grounded, herofolved to put it in practice, and to fail the weftern ocean in quelt of thofe countries.But being l'enfible that fuch an undertaking was only fit for a Prince who could gothrough with and maintain it, he refolved to propofe it to the King of Portugal becaufehe lived under him. And though King John then reigning gave ear to the admiral’spropofals yet he feemed backward in embracing them, becaufe the great trouble andexpence he was at upon acount of the difcovery and conquell of the weltern coaft ofAfric, called Guinea , without any confiderable fuccefs as yet, or being as yet able toweather the cape of Good Hope , which name fome fay was given it inflead of Agefingue,its proper denomination, becaufe that was the fartheft they hoped to extend their dif-coveries and conquefts, or as others will have it, becaufe this cape gave them hopes ofbetter countries and navigation. Be it as it will, the aforefaid King had but little incli-nation to lay out more money upon difeoveries ; and if he gave any ear to the admiral,it was becaufe of the excellent reafons he gave to prove his opinion, which fo far pre-vailed upon him, that there remained only to grant the admiral thofe terms he de-manded. For the admiral being a man of a noble and generous fpirit, would capitulateto his great benefit and honour, that he might leave behind him fuch a reputation, andfo confiderable a family, as became his great actions and merits. For this reafon theKing, by the advice of one Doctor Calzadilla, of whom he made great account, refolved

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