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