The vision of Columbus | ||
INTRODUCTION.
Every circumstance relating to the discovery and settlement of America, is an interesting object of enquiry. Yet it is presumed, from the present state of literature in this country, that many persons, who might be entertained with an American production of this kind, are but slightly acquainted with the life and character of that great man, whose extraordinary genius led him to the discovery of the continent, and whose singular sufferings ought to excite the indignation of the world.
The Spanish historians, who treat of the discovery and settlement of South-America, are very little known in the United States; and Doctor Robertson's history of that country, which, as is usual in the works of that judicious writer, contains all that is valuable on the subject, is not yet reprinted in America, and therefore cannot be supposed to be in the hands of American readers in general: and perhaps no other writer in the English language has given a sufficient account of the life of Columbus to enable them to understand many of the necessary allusions in the following Poem.
Christopher Columbus was born in the republic of Genoa about the year 1447; at a time when the navigation of Europe was scarcely extended beyond the limits of the Mediterranean. The mariner's compass had been invented and in common use for more than a century; yet with the help of this
The rich commodities of the East had for several ages been brought into Europe by the way of the Red Sea and the Mediterranean; and it had now become the object of the Portuguese to find a passage to India, by sailing round the southern extremity of Africa and then taking an eastern course. This great object engaged the general attention of mankind, and drew into the Portuguese service adventurers from every maritime nation in Europe. Every year added to their experience in navigation and seemed to promise a reward to their industry. The prospect however of arriving at the Indies was extremely distant; fifty years perseverance in the same track, had brought them only to the equator, and it was probable that as many more would elapse before they could accomplish their purpose. But Columbus, by an uncommon exertion of genius, formed a design no less astonishing to the age in which he lived, than beneficial to posterity. This design was to sail to India by taking a western direction. By the accounts of travellers who had visited India, that country seemed almost without limits on the east; and by attending to the spherical figure of the earth, Columbus drew this conclusion, that the Atlantic ocean must be bounded on the west either by India itself, or by some great continent not far distant from it.
This extraordinary man, who was now about twenty-seven years of age, appears to have united in his character every trait, and to have possessed every tallant, requisite to form and execute the greatest enterprizes. He was early educated in all the useful sciences that were taught in that day. He had made great proficiency in geography, astronomy and drawing, as they were necessary to his favourite pursuit of navigation. He had now been a number of years in the service of the Portuguese, and had acquired all the experience that their voyages and discoveries could afford. His courage and perseverance had been put to the severest test, and the exercise of every amiable and heroic virtue rendered him universally known and respected. He had married a Portuguese lady by whom he had two sons, Diego and Fardinand; the younger of whom is the historian of his life.
Such was the situation of Columbus, when he formed and thoroughly digested a plan, which, in its operation and consequences, unfolded to the view of mankind one half of the globe, diffused wealth and dignity over the other, and extended commerce and civilization through the whole. To corroborate the theory which he had formed of the existence of a western continent, his descerning mind, which always knew the application of every circumstance that fell in his way, had observed several facts which by others would have passed unnoticed. In his voyages to the African islands he had found, floating ashore after a long western storm, pieces of wood carved in a curious manner, canes of a size unknown in that quarter of the world, and human bodies with very singular features. Fully confirmed in the opinion that a considerable portion of the earth was still undiscovered, his genius was too vigorous and persevering to suffer an idea of this importance to rest merely in speculation,
Having now performed what was due to the country that gave him birth and to the one that had adopted him as a subject, he was at liberty to court the patronage of any prince who should have the wisdom and justice to accept his proposals. He had communicated his ideas to his brother Bartholomew, whom he sent to England to negotiate with Henry seventh; at the same time that he went himself into Spain to apply in person to Fardinand and Isabella, who governed the united kingdoms of Aragon and Castile. The circumstances of his brother's application in England, which appears to have been unsuccessful, is not to my purpose to relate; and the limits prescribed to this introduction will prevent the detail of all the particulars relating to his own negociation in Spain. In this negociation Columbus spent eight years, in the various agitations of suspence, expectation and disappointment; till, at length his scheme was adopted by Isabella, who undertook, as Queen of Castile, to destroy the expences of the expedition; and declared herself, ever after, the friend and patron of the hero who projected it.
Columbus, who, during all his ill success in the negotiation, never abated any thing of the honours and emoluments which he expected to acquire in the expedition, obtained from Fardinand and Isabella a full stipulation of every article contained in his first proposals. He was constituted high Admiral and Viceroy of all the Seas, Islands and Continents which he should discover; with power to receive one tenth of the profits arising from their productions and commerce. These offices and emoluments were to be hereditary in his family.
These articles being adjusted, the preparations for the voyage were brought forward with rapidity; but they were by no means adequate to the importance of the expedition. Three small vessels, scarcely sufficient in size to be employed in the coasting business, were appointed to traverse the vast Atlantic; and to encounter the storms and currents that might be expected in so lengthy a voyage, through distant and unknown seas. These vessels, as might be expected in the infancy of navigation, were ill constructed, in a poor condition, and manned by seamen unaccustomed to distant voyages. But the tedious length of time which Columbus had spent in solicitation and suspence, and the prospect of being able soon, to obtain the object of his wishes, induced him to overlook what he could not easily remedy, and led him to disregard those circumstances which would have intimidated any other mind. He accordingly equiped his small squadron with as much expedition as possible, manned with ninety men and victualled for one year. With these, on the 3d of August 1492, amidst a vast croud of anxious spectators, he set sail on an enterprize, which, if we consider the ill condition of his ships, the inexperience of his sailors, the length and
Not many days after he had been at sea, he began to experience a new scene of difficulty. The sailors now began to contemplate the dangers and uncertain issue of a voyage, the nature and length of which was left entirely open to conjecture. Besides the fickleness and timidity natural to men unaccustomed to the discipline of a seafaring life, several circumstances contributed to inspire an obstinate and mutinous disposition, which required the most consummate art as well as fortitude in the admiral to controul. Having been three weeks at sea, and experienced the uniform course of the trade winds, which always blow in a western direction, they contended that, should they continue the same course for a longer period, the same winds would never permit them to return to Spain. The magnetic needle began to vary its direction. This being the first time that phenomenon was ever discovered, it was viewed by the sailors with astonishment, and considered as an indication that nature itself had changed her course, and that Providence was determined to punish their audacity, in venturing so far beyond the ordinary bounds of man. They declared that the commands of their sovereign had been fully obeyed, in their proceeding so many days in the same direction, and so far surpassing the attempts of all former
In this voyage, Columbus discovered the Islands of Cuba and Hispaniola; on the latter of which, he erected a small fort, and having left a garrison of thirty-eight men, under the command of an Officer by the name of Arada, he set sail for Spain. Returning across the Atlantic, he was overtaken by a violent storm, which lasted several days and increased to such a degree, as baffled all his naval skill and threatened
The storm however abated, and he at length arrived in Spain, after having been driven by stress of weather into the Port of Lisbon, where he had opportunity in an interview with the King of Portugal, to prove the truth of his system by arguments more convincing than those he had before advanced, in the character of an humble and unsuccessful suitor. He was received every where in Spain with Royal honours, his family was ennobled, and his former stipulation respecting his offices and emoluments was ratified in the most solemn manner, by Fardinand and Isabella; while all Europe resounded his praises and reciprocated their joy and congratulations on the discovery of a new world.
The immediate consequence of this was a second voyage; in which Columbus took charge of a squadron of seventeen Ships of considerable burthen. Volunteers of all ranks and conditions solicited to be employed in this expedition. He carried over fifteen hundred persons, together with all the necessaries for establishing a Colony and extending his discoveries. In this voyage he explored most of the West-India Islands; but, on his arrival at Hispaniola, he found the garrison he had left there had been totally
They represented his conduct in such a light at court, as to create uneasiness and distrust in the jealous mind of Fardinand, and made it necessary for Columbus again to return to Spain, in order to counteract their machinations, and to obtain such farther supplies as were necessary to his great political and benevolent purposes. On his arriving at court, and stating with his usual dignity and confidence the whole history of his transactions abroad, every thing wore a favourable appearance. He was received with usual honours, and again solicited to take charge of another squadron, to carry out farther supplies, to pursue his discoveries, and in every respect to use his discretion in extending the Spanish Empire in the new World. In this third voyage he discovered the Continent of America at the mouth of the river Oronoque. He rectified many disorders in his government of Hispaniola which had happened in his absence; and every thing was going on in a prosperous train, when an event was announced to him, which completed his own ruin, and gave a fatal turn to the Spanish policy and conduct in America. This was the arrival of Francis de Bovadilla, with a commission to supercede Columbus in his government; and with power to arraign him as a criminal, and to judge of his former administration.
It seems that by this time the enemies of Columbus, despairing to complete his overthrow by groundless insinuations of mal-conduct, had taken the more effectual method of exciting the jealousy of their Sovereigns. From the promising samples of Gold and other valuable commodities brought from America, they took occasion to represent to the King and Queen, that the prodigious wealth and extent of the countries he had discovered would soon throw such power into the hands of the Viceroy, that he would trample on the Royal Authority and bid defiance to the Spanish power. These arguments were well calculated for the cold and suspicious temper of Fardinand, and they must have had some effect upon the mind of Isabella. The consequence was the appointment of Bavadilla, who had been the inveterate enemy of Columbus, to take the government from his hands. This first tyrant of the Spanish nation in America began his administration by ordering Columbus to be put in chains on board a ship, and sending him prisoner to Spain. By relaxing all discipline he introduced disorder and licenciousness throughout the colony. He subjected the unhappy natives to a most miserable servitude, and apportioned them out in large numbers among his adherents. Under this severe treatment perished in a short time many thousands of those innocent people.
Columbus was carried in his fetters to the Spanish court, where the King and Queen either feigned or felt a sufficient regret at the conduct of Bovadilla towards this illustrious prisoner. He was not only released from confinement, but treated with all imaginable respect. But, although the king endeavoured to expiate the offence by censuring and recalling Bovadilla, yet we may judge of his sincerity from his appointing Nicholas de Ovando, another bitter enemy of Columbus, to succeed in the government, and from
His cup of calamities seemed now completely full. He was cast upon an island of savages, without provisions, without any vessel, and thirty leagues from any Spanish settlement. But the greatest providential misfortunes are capable of being imbittered by the insults of our fellow creatures. A few of his hardy companions generously offered, in two Indian canoes, to attempt a voyage to Hispaniola, in hopes of obtaining a vessel for the relief of the unhappy crew. After suffering every extremity of danger and hardship, they arrived at the Spanish colony in ten days. Ovando, through personal malice and jealousy of Columbus, after having detained these messengers eight months, dispatched a vessel to Jamaica, in order to spy out the condition of Columbus and his crew; with positive instructions to the Captain not to afford them any relief. This order was punctually executed. The Captain approached the
He did not suddenly abandon himself to despair. He called upon the gratitude and justice of the King; and, in terms of dignity, demanded the fulfilment of his former contract. Notwithstanding his age and infirmities, he even solicited to be farther employed in extending the career of discovery, without a prospect of any other reward but the consciousness of doing good to mankind. But Fardinand, cold, ungrateful and timid, dared not to comply with a single proposal of this kind, lest he should encrease his own obligations to a man, whose services he thought it dangerous to reward. He therefore delayed and avoided any decision on these subjects, in hopes that the declining health of Columbus would soon rid the court of the remonstrances of a man, whose extraordinary merit was, in their opinion, a sufficient occasion of destroying him. In this they were not disappointed. Columbus languished a short time, and gladly resigned a life, which had been worn out in the most essential services perhaps that were ever rendered, by any human character, to an ungrateful world.
Sometime in this gloomy interval, before his death, the Vision is supposed to have been presented to him; in order to satisfy his benevolent mind, by unfolding to him the importance of his discoveries, in their extensive influence upon the interest and happiness of mankind, in the progress of society.
The Author has indulged a small anachronism in the opening of the Poem, for the sake of grouping the misfortunes of the hero; as the time of his actual imprisonment was previous to his last voyage and to the death of Isabella.
The Author, at first, formed an idea of attempting a regular Epic Poem, on the discovery of America. But on examining the nature of that event, he found that the most brilliant subjects incident to such a plan would arise from the consequences of the discovery, and must be represented in vision. Indeed to have made it a patriotic Poem, by extending the subject to the settlement and revolutions of North America and their probable effect upon the future progress of society at large, would have protracted the vision to such a degree as to render it disproportionate to the rest of the work. To avoid an absurdity of this kind, which he supposed the critics would not pardon, he rejected the idea of a regular Epic form, and has confined his plan to the train of events which might be represented to the hero in vision. This form he considers as the best that the nature of the subject would admit; and the regularity of the parts will appear by observing, that there is a single poetical design constantly kept in view, which is to gratify and sooth the desponding mind of the hero: It being the greatest possible reward of his services, and the only one that his situation would permit him to enjoy, to convince him that his labours had not been bestowed in vain, and that he was the author of such extensive happiness to the human race.
The vision of Columbus | ||