LIFE OF COLON, BY HIS SON.
an
to fend a caraval privately to attempt that which the admiral had propofed to him ;becaufe in cafe thofe countries were fo difcovered, he thought himfelf not obliged tobeftow any great reward, which might be demanded on account of the difcovery,Having thus fpeedily equipped a caraval, and going out, it was to carry fupplies to theiflands of Cabo Verde , he fent it that way the admiral had propofed to go. But thofehe fent wanted the knowledge, conftancy, and fpirit of the admiral. After wanderingmany days upon the fea, they turned back to the iflands of Cabo Verde , laughing atthe undertaking, and faying it was impoflible there fhould be any land in thofe feas.This being come to the admiral’s ear, and his wife dead, he took fuch an averfion tothat city and nation, that he refolved to go to Caftile, with a little fon he had left byhis wife, called D. James Colon, who inherited his father’s eftate. But fearing left ifthe King of Caftile fliould not confent to his undertaking, he might be forcedto propofe it to fome other Prince, which would take up much time, he fent abrother he had with him, called Bartholomew Colon, into England, who, though hewas no Latin fcholar, was a fkilful and judicious man in fea affairs, and could make fea-charts, globes, and other inftruments fit for that profeflion, having been taught by theadmiral his brother. Bartholomew Colon being on his way for England, it was hisfortune to fall into the hands of pirates, who ftripped him and the reft of his company.For this reafon, and being fick and poor in that country, it was a long time before hecould deliver his meffage, till having got fome fupply by making fea-charts, he beganto make fome propofals to King Kenry the Vllth, then reigning, to whom he prefenteda map of the world, on which were thefe verfes, which I found among his papers, andIhall be here inferted, rather for their antiquity than elegancy.
Terrarum quicunque cupis foelieiter orasNofcere, cundta decens dottc piftura docebit,
Qua Strabo, affirmat, Ptolemceus, Plinius atqueIlidorus ; non una tamen fententia cuique.
Pingitur hie etiam nuper fulcata carinisHifpanis zona ilia, prius ingonita genti,
Torrida, quae tandem nunc eft notiffima multis.
Pro auftore, five piftore.
And a little lower,
Genoa cui patria eft, nomen cui BartholomausColumbus de terra rubra, opus edidit iftud,
Londiniis An. Dorn. 1480, atque infuper anno,
Octava Decimaque die cum tertia menfisFebr. Laudes Chrifto cantentur abunde.
The fenfe of the firft lines is to this effect. Whofoever thou art that defireft to-know the coafts of countries muft be taught by this draught, what Strabo, Ptolemy ,Pliny , and Ilidorus affert, though not agreeing in all points. Here is alfo fet downthe formerly unknown torrid zone, now known to many. For the author or painter:the fecond verfes implied that his name was Bartholomew Colon of the red earth, aGonoefe, publifhed this work at London , anno 1480, the 21ft of February. Praifeto God .
And becaufe it may be obferved that he fays, e< Colon of the red earth I muftacquaint the reader, that I have feen fome fubferiptions of the admiral’s before he hadthat title, where he writ Columbus de terra rubra. But to return to the King ofEngland: I fay, that he having feen the map, and what the admiral offered him,readily accepted of it, and ordered him to be fent for. But God having referved itfor Caftile, the admiral had at that time gone his voyage, and was returned withfuccefs,as fhall be ihewn in its place.
CHAP*