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LIFE OF COLON, BY HIS SON.

CHAP. XIV. — How the Admiral returned to the Camp before Granada , and tookhis Leave of Their Catholic Majejlies, having concluded nothing with them.

THE admiral departing from the monaftery of Rabida near Palos, together with1 F. John Perez, to the camp of S. Faith, where their catholic majefties then were tocarry on the fiege of Granada ; the faid father further informed the Queen, and preffedthe bufinefs fo home, that her majefty was pleafed the conferences about the difcoveryfhould be renewed. But the opinions of the prior of Prado and others of his followersvarying, and on the other fide Colon demanding to be made admiral and viceroy,befides other matters of great confequence ; it was thought too much to grant him,becaufe if what he promifed fucceeded, they judged his demand too confiderable, andin cafe it did not, they thought it a folly to give fuch titles; which made the bufinefscome to nothing. I cannot forbear declaring that I make great account of the admiral’swifdom, refolution and forefight, for he being fo unfortunate in this affair, havingfo earned a defire, as 1 have faid before, to remain in this kingdom, and beingreduced to fuch a condition, that he ought to take up with any thing, it was a great-nefs of fpirit in him not to accept of any but great titles and honours, demanding fuchthings as if he had forefeen and been more certainly allured of the fuccefs of his project,he could not have articled better, or more honourably than he did; fo that at lad theywere forced to grant, that he fhould be admiral on the ocean, and enjoy all theallowances, privileges and prerogatives, that the admirals of Cadile and Leon had intheir feveral feas, all and that civil employments, as well of government as admini-dration of judice, in all the iflands and continent fhould be wholly at his difpofal, andthat all governments fhould be given to one or three perfons he fhould name ; andthat he fhould appoint judges in all parts of Spain trading to the Indies, who fhoulddecide all matters relating to thofe parts. As for profit and revenue, he demanded,over and above the falary and perquifites of the aforefaid employments of admiral,viceroy and governor, the tenth of all that was bought, bartered, found, or gotwithin the bounds of his admiralfhip, abating only the charge of the conqued ; fo thathad there been one thoufand ducats in an ifland, one hundred were to be his. Andbecaufe his adverfaries faid he ventured nothing in that undertaking, but had thecommand of a fleet as long as it laded, he demanded the eighth part of what he fhouldbring home in his fleet, and he would be the eighth part of the expence. Thefebeing matters of fuch confequence, and their highneffes refufing to grant them,the admiral took leave of his friends, and went away towards Cordova, to take orderfor his journey into France , for he was refolved not to return to Portugal , thoughthe King had writ to him, as fhall be faid.

CHAP. XV. — How Their Catholic Majejliesfent after the Admiral , and granted him all

he detnanded.

IT was now the month of January in the year 1492, when the admiral departedfrom the camp of St. Faith, and that fame day Lewis de Santangel before mentioned,who did not approve of his going away, but very defirous to prevent it; went to theQueen, and ufing fuch words as his inclination fuggefted, to perfuade and reproveher at once, faid, he wondered to fee that her highnefs, who had always a great foulfor all matters of moment and confequence, fhould now want the heart to venture.upon an undertaking, where fo little was ventured, and which might redound fo

much