LIFE OF COLON, BY HIS SON. 83

becaufe the faid Saint in his twenty firft book, and ninth chapter, “ Of the city of God,”denies and looks upon it as impoffible that there Ihould be antipodes, or any goingout of one hemifphere into the other; and further urging againft the admiral thofefables that are current about the five zones, and other untruths, which they lookedupon as mod certainly true, they refolved to give judgment againft the enterprife,as vain and impracticable ; and that it became not the ftate and dignity of fuch greatPrinces, to be moved upon fuch weak information. Therefore, after much time fpentupon the fubjedt, their highneffes anfwered theadmiral, that they were then taken up withmany other wars and conquefts, and particularly the conqueft of Granada , whichthey had then in hand, and therefore could not conveniently attend that new under-taking, but that in time there would be more conveniency to examine and executethat which he propofed. And to conclude, Their Majefties would not give ear to thegreat propofals the admiral made.

CHAP. XIII. — How the Admiral , not agreeing with the King of Cajlile, refolved to go

elfewhere to offer his Service.

WHILST this was in agitation, their catholic majefties had not been always fettledin one place, becaufe of the war they made in Granada , for which reafon it wasa long time before they came to a refolution and gave their anfwer. The admiraltherefore went to Sevil, and finding their highneffes no way refolved more than atfirft, he concluded to give the Duke of Medina Sidonia an account of his project. Butafter many conferences, feeing there was no likelihood of coming to fuch conclufionas he wilhed for in Spain , and that the execution of his defign was too much delayedhe refolved to apply himfelf to the King of France , to whom he had already writ;concerning this affair, defigning, if he were not admitted there, to go into Englandnext, to leek out his brother, of whom he had as yet no manner of news. Being forefolved he fet out for the monaftery of Rabida, to fend his fon James, whom he hadleft there, to Cordova, and then proceed on his journey. But to the end what Godhad decreed, Ihould not be difappointed, he put it into the heart of F. John Perez,guardian of that houfe, to contract fuch friendlhip with the admiral, and be fo takenwith his project, that he was concerned at his refolution, and for the lofs Spain wouldfuftain by his departure. Therefore he intreated him by no means to put his defignin execution, for that he would go to the Queen, of whom he hoped, that he beingher father confeffor, Ihe would give credit to what he Ihould fay to her. Though theadmiral was quite out of hopes and difgufted to fee fo little refolution and judgmentin their highneffes counfellors, yet, being on the other fide very defirous that SpainIhould reap the benefit of his undertakings, he complied with the father’s defires andrequeft, becaufe he now looked upon himfelf as a natural born Spaniard, becaufe hehad fo long refided there ; whilft he was following his project, and becaufe he hadgot children there ; which was the caufe he rejected the offers made him by otherPrinces, as he declares in a letter he writ to their highneffes in thefe words, “ thatI might ferve your highneffes, I have refufed to take up with France, England andPortugal , the letters from which Princes your highneffes may fee in the hands ofdo&or Villalan.”

CHAP.