beacon lights of history-iii-2-第14节

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derogate　from　the　character　we　have　been　taught　to　admire　and

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

in　that　sun　of　glorious　brightness；　which　shed　its　beneficent　rays

over　a　century　of　darkness；but　this　we　know；　that；　whatever　may

be　the　force　of　detraction；　his　fame　has　been　steadily　increasing；

even　on　the　admission　of　his　slanderers；　for　three　centuries；　and

that　he　now　shines　as　a　fixed　star　in　the　constellation　of　the

great　lights　of　modern　times；　not　alone　because　he　succeeded　in

crossing　the　ocean；　when　once　embarked　on　it；　but　for　surmounting

the　moral　difficulties　which　lay　in　his　way　before　he　could　embark

upon　it；　and　for　being　finally　instrumental　in　conferring　the

greatest　boon　that　our　world　has　received　from　any　mortal　man；

since　Noah　entered　into　the　ark。



I　think　it　is　Lamartine　who　has　said　that　truly　immortal

benefactors　have　seldom　been　able　to　accomplish　their　mission

without　the　encouragement　of　either　saints　or　women。　　This　is

emphatically　true　in　the　case　of　Columbus。　　The　door　to　success　was

at　last　opened　to　him　by　a　friendly　and　sympathetic　friar　of　a

Franciscan　convent　near　the　little　port　of　Palos；　in　Andalusia。

The　sun…burned　and　disappointed　adventurer　（for　that　is　what　he

was）；　wearied　and　hungry；　and　nearly　discouraged；　stopped　at　the

convent…door　to　get　a　morsel　of　bread　for　his　famished　son；　who

attended　him　in　his　pilgrimage。　　The　prior　of　that　obscure　convent

was　the　first　who　comprehended　the　man　of　genius；　not　so　much

because　he　was　an　enlightened　scholar；　but　because　his　pious　soul

was　full　of　kindly　sympathy；　showing　that　the　instincts　of　love　are

kindred　to　the　inspirations　of　genius。　　It　was　the　voice　of　Ali　and

Cadijeh　that　strengthened　Mohammed。　　It　was　Catherine　von　Bora　who

sustained　Luther　in　his　gigantic　task。　　The　worthy　friar；　struck　by

the　noble　bearing　of　a　man　so　poor　and　wearied；　became　delighted

with　the　conversation　of　his　guest；　who　opened　to　him　both　his

heart　and　his　schemes。　　He　forwarded　his　plans　by　a　letter　to　a

powerful　ecclesiastic；　who　introduced　him　to　the　Spanish　Court；

then　one　of　the　most　powerful；　and　certainly　the　proudest　and　most

punctilious；　in　Europe。　　Ferdinand　of　Aragon　was　polite；　yet　wary

and　incredulous；　but　Isabella　of　Castile　listened　more　kindly　to

the　stranger；　whom　the　greatness　of　his　mission　inspired　with

eloquence。　　Like　the　saint　of　the　convent；　she　and　she　alone　of　her

splendid　court；　divined　that　there　was　something　to　be　heeded　in

the　words　of　Columbus；　and　gave　her　womanly　and　royal

encouragement；　although　too　much　engrossed　with　the　conquest　of

Grenada　and　the　cares　of　her　kingdom　to　pay　that　immediate

attention　which　Columbus　entreated。



I　may　not　dwell　on　the　vexatious　delays　and　the　protracted

discouragements　of　Columbus　after　the　Queen　had　given　her　ear　to

his　enthusiastic　prophecies　of　the　future　glories　of　the　kingdom。

To　the　court　and　to　the　universities　and　to　the　great　ecclesiastics

he　was　still　a　visionary　and　a　needy　adventurer；　and　they　quoted；

in　refutation　of　his　theory；　those　Scripture　texts　which　were

hurled　in　greater　wrath　against　Galileo　when　he　announced　his

brilliant　discoveries。　　There　are；　from　some　unfathomed　reason；

always　texts　found　in　the　sacred　writings　which　seem　to　conflict

with　both　science　and　a　profound　theology；　and　the　pedants；　as　well

as　the　hypocrites　and　usurpers；　have　always　shielded　themselves

behind　these　in　their　opposition　to　new　opinions。　　I　will　not　be

hard　upon　them；　for　often　they　are　good　men；　simply　unable　to　throw

off　the　shackles　of　ages　of　ignorance　and　tyranny。　　People　should

not　be　subjected　to　lasting　reproach　because　they　cannot　emancipate

themselves　from　prevailing　ideas。　　If　those　prejudiced　courtiers

and　scholastics　who　ridiculed　Columbus　could　only　have　seen　with

his　clearer　insight；　they　might　have　loaded　him　with　favors。　　But

they　were　blinded　and　selfish　and　envious。　　Nor　was　it　until

Columbus　convinced　his　sovereigns　that　the　risk　was　small　for　so

great　a　promised　gain；　that　he　was　finally　commissioned　to

undertake　his　voyage。　　The　promised　boon　was　the　riches　of　Oriental

countries；　boundless　and　magnificent；countries　not　to　be

discovered；　but　already　known；　only　hard　and　perhaps　impossible　to

reach。　　And　Columbus　himself　was　so　firmly　persuaded　of　the

existence　of　these　riches；　and　of　his　ability　to　secure　them；　and

they　were　so　exaggerated　by　his　imagination；　that　his　own　demands

were　extravagant　and　preposterous；　as　must　have　seemed　to　an

incredulous　court；that　he；　a　stranger；　an　adventurer；　almost　a

beggar　even；　should　in　case　of　success　be　made　viceroy　and　admiral

over　the　unexplored　realm；　and　with　a　tenth　of　all　the　riches　he

should　collect　or　seize；　and　that　these　high　officesalmost　regal

should　also　be　continued　not　only　through　his　own　life；　but

through　the　lives　of　his　heirs　from　generation　to　generation；　thus

raising　him　to　a　possible　rank　higher　than　that　of　any　of　the　dukes

and　grandees　of　Spain。



Ferdinand　and　Isabella；　however；　readily　promised　all　that　the

persistent　and　enthusiastic　adventurer　demanded；　doubtless　with　the

feeling　that　there　was　not　more　than　one　chance　in　a　hundred　that

he　would　ever　be　heard　from　again；　but　that　this　one　chance　was

well　worth　all　and　more　than　they　expended；a　possibility　of

indefinite　aggrandizement。　　To　the　eyes　of　Ferdinand　there　was　a

prospectremote；　indeedof　adding　to　the　power　of　the　Spanish

monarchy；　and　it　is　probable　that　the　pious　Isabella　contemplated

also　the　conversion　of　the　heathen　to　Christianity。　　It　is　possible

that　some　motives　may　have　also　influenced　Columbus　kindred　to

this；a　renewed　crusade　against　Saracen　infidels；　which　he　might

undertake　from　the　wealth　he　was　so　confident　of　securing。　　But　the

probabilities　are　that　Columbus　was　urged　on　to　his　career　by

ambitious　and　worldly　motives　also；　or　else　he　would　not　have　been

so　greedy　to　secure　honors　and　wealth；　nor　would　have　been　so

jealous　of　his　dignity　when　he　had　attained　power。　　To　me　Columbus

was　no　more　a　saint　than　Sir　Francis　Drake　was　when　he　so

unscrupulously　robbed　every　ship　he　could　lay　his　hands　upon；

although　both　of　them　observed　the　outward　forms　of　religious

worship　peculiar　to　their　respective　creeds　and　education。　　There

were　no　unbelievers　in　that　age。　　Both　Catholics　and　Protestants；

like　the　ancient　Pharisees；　were　scrupulous　in　what　were　supposed

to　be　religious　duties；though　these　too　often　were　divorced　from

morality。　　It　is　Columbus　only　as　an　intrepid；　enthusiastic；

enlightened　navigator；　in　pursuit　of　a　new　world　of　boundless

wealth；　that　I　can　see　him；　and　it　was　for　his　ultimate　success　in

discovering　this　world；　amid　so　many　difficulties；　that　he　is　to　be

regarded　as　a　great　benefactor；　of　the　glory　of　which　no　ingenuity

or　malice　can　rob　him。



At　last　he　sets　sail；　August　3；　1492；　and；　singularly　enough；　from

Palos；　within　sight　of　the　little　convent　where　he　had　received　his

first　encouragement。　　He　embarked　in　three　small　vessels；　the

largest　of　which　was　less　thou　one　hundred　tons；　and　two　without

decks；　but　having　high　poops　and　sterns　inclosed。　　What　an

insignificant　flotilla　for　such　a　voyage！　　But　it　would　seem　that

the　Admiral；　with　great　sagacity；　deemed　small　vessels　best　adapted

to　his　purpose；　in　order　to　enter　safely　shallow　harbors　and　sail

near　the　coast。



He　sails　in　the　most　propitious　season　of　the　year；　and　is　aided　by

steady　trade…winds　which　waft　his　ships　gently　through　the　unknown

ocean。　　He　meets　with　no　obstacles　of　any　account。　　The　skies　are

serene；　the　sea　is　as　smooth　as　the　waters　of　an　inland　lake；　and

he　is　comforted；　as　he　advances　to　the　west；　by　the　appearance　of

strange　birds　and　weeds　and　plants　that　indicate　nearness　to　the

land。　　He　has　only　two　objects　of　solicitude；the　variations　of

the　magnetic　needle；　and　the　superstitious　fears　of　his　men；　the

last　he　succeeds　in　allaying　by　inventing　plausible　theories；　and

by　concealing　the　real　distance　he　has　traversed。　　He　encourages

them　by　inflaming　their　cupidity。　　He　is　nearly　baffled　by　their

mutinous　spirit。　　He　is　in　danger；　not　from　coral　reefs　and

whirlpools　and　sunken　rocks　and　tempests；　as　at　first　was　feared；

but　from　his　men　themselves；　who　clamor　to　return。　　It　is　his　faith

and　moral　courage　and　fertility　of　resources　which　we　most　admire。

Days　pass　in　alternate　hope　and　disappointment；　amid　angry　clamors；

in　great　anxiety；　for　no　land　appears　after　he　has　sailed　far

beyond　the　points　where　he　expected　to　find　it。　　The　world　is

larger　than　even　he　has　supposed。　　He　promises　great　rewards　to　the

one　who　shall　first　see　the　unknown　shores。　　It　is　said　that　he

himself　was　the　first　to　discover　land　by　observing　a　flickering

light；　which　is　exceedingly　improbable；　as　he　was　several　leagues

from　shore；　but　certain　it　is；　that　the　very　night　the　land　was

seen　from　the　Admiral