beacon lights of history-iii-2-第13节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



powerful；　and　in　the　twelfth　century　it　was　one　of　the　prosperous

states　of　Europe；　ruled　by　an　oligarchy　of　the　leading　merchants。



Contemporaneous　with　Dante；　one　of　the　most　distinguished　citizens

of　this　mercantile　mart；　Marco　Polo；　impelled　by　the　curiosity

which　reviving　commerce　excited　and　the　restless　adventure　of　a

crusading　age；　visited　the　court　of　the　Great　Khan　of　Tartary；

whose　empire　was　the　largest　in　the　world。　　After　a　residence　of

seventeen　years；　during　which　he　was　loaded　with　honors；　he

returned　to　his　native　country；　not　by　the　ordinary　route；　but　by

coasting　the　eastern　shores　of　Asia；　through　the　Indian　Ocean；　up

the　Persian　Gulf；　and　thence　through　Bagdad　and　Constantinople；

bringing　with　him　immense　wealth　in　precious　stones　and　other

Eastern　commodities。　　The　report　of　his　wonderful　adventures

interested　all　Europe；　for　he　was　supposed　to　have　found　the

Tarshish　of　the　Scriptures；　that　land　of　gold　and　spices　which　had

enriched　the　Tyrian　merchants　in　the　time　of　Solomon；men　supposed

by　some　to　have　sailed　around　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope　in　their　three

years'　voyages。　　Among　the　wonderful　things　which　Polo　had　seen　was

a　city　on　an　island　off　the　coast　of　China；　which　was　represented

to　contain　six　hundred　thousand　families；　so　rich　that　the　palaces

of　its　nobles　were　covered　with　plates　of　gold；　so　inviting　that

odoriferous　plants　and　flowers　diffused　the　most　grateful　perfumes；

so　strong　that　even　the　Tartar　conquerors　of　China　could　not　subdue

it。　　This　island；　known　now　as　Japan；　was　called　Cipango；　and　was

supposed　to　be　inexhaustible　in　riches；　especially　when　the　reports

of　Polo　were　confirmed　by　Sir　John　Mandeville；　an　English　traveller

in　the　time　of　Edward　III。；and　with　even　greater　exaggerations；

since　he　represented　the　royal　palace　to　be　more　than　six　miles　in

circumference；　occupied　by　three　hundred　thousand　men。



In　an　awakening　age　of　enterprise；　when　chivalry　had　not　passed

away；　nor　the　credulity　of　the　Middle　Ages；　the　reports　of　this

Cipango　inflamed　the　imagination　of　Europe；　and　to　reach　it　became

at　once　the　desire　and　the　problem　of　adventurers　and　merchants。

But　how　could　this　El　Dorado　be　reached？　　Not　by　sailing　round

Africa；　for　to　sail　South；　in　popular　estimation；　was　to　encounter

torrid　suns　with　ever　increasing　heat；　and　suffocating　vapors；　and

unknown　dangers。　　The　scientific　world　had　lost　the　knowledge　of

what　even　the　ancients　knew。　　Nobody　surmised　that　there　was　a　Cape

of　Good　Hope　which　could　be　doubled；　and　would　open　the　way　to　the

Indian　Ocean　and　its　islands　of　spices　and　gold。　　Nor　could　this

Cipango　be　reached　by　crossing　the　Eastern　Continent；　for　the

journey　was　full　of　perils；　dangers；　and　insurmountable　obstacles。



Among　those　who　meditated　on　this　geographical　mystery　was　a　young

sea　captain　of　Genoa；　who　had　studied　in　the　University　of　Pavia；

but　spent　his　early　life　upon　the　waves；intelligent；

enterprising；　visionary；　yet　practical；　with　boundless　ambition；

not　to　conquer　kingdoms；　but　to　discover　new　realms。　　Born　probably

in　1446；　in　the　year　1470　he　married　the　daughter　of　an　Italian

navigator　living　in　Lisbon；　and；　inheriting　with　her　some　valuable

Portuguese　charts　and　maritime　journals；　he　settled　in　Lisbon　and

took　up　chart…making　as　a　means　of　livelihood。　　Being　thus　trained

in　both　the　art　and　the　science　of　navigation；　his　active　mind

seized　upon　the　most　interesting　theme　of　the　day。　　His　studies　and

experience　convinced　him　that　the　Cipango　of　Marco　Polo　could　be

reached　by　sailing　directly　west。　　He　knew　that　the　earth　was

round；　and　he　inferred　from　the　plants　and　carved　wood　and　even

human　bodies　that　had　occasionally　floated　from　the　West；　that

there　must　be　unknown　islands　on　the　western　coasts　of　the

Atlantic；　and　that　this　ocean；　never　yet　crossed；　was　the　common

boundary　of　both　Europe　and　Asia；　in　short；　that　the　Cipango　could

be　reached　by　sailing　west。　　And　he　believed　the　thing　to　be

practicable；　for　the　magnetic　needle　had　been　discovered；　or

brought　from　the　East　by　Polo；　which　always　pointed　to　the　North

Star；　so　that　mariners　could　sail　in　the　darkest　nights；　and　also

another　instrument　had　been　made；　essentially　the　modern　quadrant；

by　which　latitude　could　be　measured。　　He　supposed　that　after

sailing　west；　about　eight　hundred　leagues；　by　the　aid　of　compass

and　quadrant；　and　such　charts　as　he　had　collected　and　collated；　he

should　find　the　land　of　gold　and　spices　by　which　he　would　become

rich　and　famous。



This　was　not　an　absurd　speculation　to　a　man　of　the　intellect　and

knowledge　of　Columbus。　　To　his　mind　there　were　but　few　physical

difficulties　if　he　only　had　the　ships；　and　the　men　bold　enough　to

embark　with　him；　and　the　patronage　which　was　necessary　for　so　novel

and　daring　an　enterprise。　　The　difficulties　to　be　surmounted　were

not　so　much　physical　as　moral。　　It　was　the　surmounting　of　moral

difficulties　which　gives　to　Columbus　his　true　greatness　as　a　man　of

genius　and　resources。　　These　moral　obstacles　were　so　vast　as　to　be

all　but　insurmountable；　since　he　had　to　contend　with　all　the

established　ideas　of　his　age；the　superstitions　of　sailors；　the

prejudices　of　learned　men；　and　general　geographical　ignorance。　　He

himself　had　neither　money；　nor　ships；　nor　powerful　friends。　　Nobody

believed　in　him；　all　ridiculed　him；　some　insulted　him。　　Who　would

furnish　money　to　a　man　who　was　supposed　to　be　half　crazy；

certainly　visionary　and　wild；　a　rash　adventurer　who　would　not　only

absorb　money　but　imperil　life？　　Learned　men　would　not　listen　to

him；　and　powerful　people　derided　him；　and　princes　were　too　absorbed

in　wars　and　pleasure　to　give　him　a　helping　hand。　　Aid　could　come

only　from　some　great　state　or　wealthy　prince；　but　both　states　and

princes　were　deaf　and　dumb　to　him。　　It　was　a　most　extraordinary

inspiration　of　genius　in　the　fifteenth　century　which　created；　not

an　opinion；　but　a　conviction　that　Asia　could　be　reached　by　sailing

west；　and　how　were　common　minds　to　comprehend　such　a　novel　idea？

If　a　century　later；　with　all　the　blaze　of　reviving　art　and　science

and　learning；　the　most　learned　people　ridiculed　the　idea　that　the

earth　revolved　around　the　sun；　even　when　it　was　proved　by　all　the

certitudes　of　mathematical　demonstration　and　unerring　observations；

how　could　the　prejudiced　and　narrow…minded　priests　of　the　time　of

Columbus；　who　controlled　the　most　important　affairs　of　state；　be

made　to　comprehend　that　an　unknown　ocean；　full　of　terrors；　could　be

crossed　by　frail　ships；　and　that　even　a　successful　voyage　would

open　marts　of　inexhaustible　wealth？　　All　was　clear　enough　to　this

scientific　and　enterprising　mariner；　and　the　inward　assurance　that

he　was　right　in　his　calculation　gave　to　his　character　a　blended

boldness；　arrogance；　and　dignity　which　was　offensive　to　men　of

exalted　station；　and　ill　became　a　stranger　and　adventurer　with　a

thread…bare　coat；　and　everything　which　indicated　poverty；　neglect；

and　hardship；　and　without　any　visible　means　of　living　but　by　the

making　and　selling　of　charts。



Hence　we　cannot　wonder　at　the　seventeen　years　of　poverty；　neglect；

ridicule；　disappointment；　and　deferred　hopes；　such　as　make　the

heart　sick；　which　elapsed　after　Columbus　was　persuaded　of　the　truth

of　his　theory；　before　he　could　find　anybody　enlightened　enough　to

believe　in　him；　or　powerful　enough　to　assist　him。



Wrapped　up　in　those　glorious　visions　which　come　only　to　a　man　of

superlative　genius；　and　which　make　him　insensible　to　heat　and　cold

and　scanty　fare；　even　to　reproach　and　scorn；　this　intrepid　soul；

inspired　by　a　great　and　original　idea；　wandered　from　city　to　city；

and　country　to　country；　and　court　to　court；　to　present　the　certain

greatness　and　wealth　of　any　state　that　would　embark　in　his

enterprise。　　But　all　were　alike　cynical；　cold；　unbelieving；　and

even　insulting。　　He　opposes　overwhelming；　universal；　and

overpowering　ideas。　　To　have　surmounted　these　amid　such　protracted

opposition　and　discouragement　constitutes　his　greatness；　and

finally　to　prove　his　position　by　absolute　experiment　and　hazardous

enterprise　makes　him　one　of　the　greatest　of　human　benefactors；

whose　fame　will　last　through　all　the　generations　of　men。　　And　as　I

survey　that　lonely；　abstracted；　disappointed；　and　derided　man；

poor　and　unimportant；　so　harassed　by　debt　that　his　creditors　seized

even　his　maps　and　charts；　obliged　to　fly　from　one　country　to

another　to　escape　imprisonment；　without　even　listeners　and　still

less　friends；　and　yet　with　ever…increasing　faith　in　his　cause；

utterly　unconquerable；　alone　in　opposition　to　all　the　world；I

think　I　see　the　most　persistent　man　of　enterprise　that　I　have　read

of　in　history。　　Critics　ambitious　to　say　something　new　may　rake　out

slanders　from　the　archives　of　enemies；　and　discover　faults　which

derogate　from　the　character　we　have　been　taught　to　admire　and

venerate；　they　may　even　point　out　spots；　which　we　cannot　disprove；

in　tha