1492 by Mary Johnston (short books for teens .txt) ๐
I liked his spirit. "One day we shall be lions and eagles and bold prophets! Then our tongue shall taste much beside India and Cathay!"
"Well, I hope it," he said. "Mice running under the headlands."
He fell silent, cherishing his knees and staring into the fire. It was not Juan Lepe's place to talk when master merchant talked not. I, too, regarded the fire, and the herded mountains robed in night, and the half-moon like a sail rising from an invisible boat.
The night went peacefully by. It was followed by a hard day's travel and the incident of the road. At evening we saw the walls of Zarafa in a sunset glory. The merchants and their train passed through the gate and found their customary inn. With others, Juan Lepe worked hard, unlading and storing. All done, he and the bully slept almost in each other's arms, under the arches of the court, dreamlessly.
The next day and the next were still days of labor. It was not until the third that Juan Lepe considered that
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There fell a pause in their talk. Something differing from the subject of discourse, whatever in its fullness that might be, seemed to come into her mind. She sent her glance across the room.
โDon Enrique de Cerdaโโ
The tone summoned. When he was before her, โIt was in my mind,โ said the Queen, โto send for you within a day or two. But now you are here, and this moment while we await the King is as good as another. We have had letters from the Bishop of Seville whom we reverence, and from Don Pedro Enriquez to whom we owe much. They have to do with Jayme de Marchena who has long been suspect by the Holy Office. He has fled Seville, gone none know where! Don Pedro informs us, Don Enrique, that years ago this man stood among your friends. He does not think it probable that this is yet soโnor do I, Don Enrique, knowing that you must hold in abhorrence the heretic!โ She looked mildly upon him. โIn youth we make chance friendships thick as May, but manhood weeds the garden! And yet we think it possible that this man may in his heart trade on old things and make his way to you or send you appeal.โ She paused, then said in a quiet voice, โShould that happen, Don Enrique, on your allegiance, and as a good Christian, you will do all that you can to put him in the hands of the Holy Office.โ
She waited with her blue eyes upon him. He said, and said quietly, โIt was long ago, Madam, when I was a young man and careless. I will do all that lies in me to do. But Spain is wide and there are ships to Africa and other shores.โ
She said, โYes, I do not see such an one daring to come to Santa Fe! But they say that ten demons possess a heretic, and that he crosses streams upon a hair or walks edges of high walls.โ
With her ringed hand she made gesture of dismissal. He bowed low and stepped back to his former place.
The sun flooded in at window. Manuel Rodriguez painted steadily. The Queen sat still, with lifted face and eyes strained into distance. She sighed and came back from wastes where she would be Christian, oh, where she would be Christian! and began with a tender, maternal look to talk with her daughter.
THE door giving upon the great corridor opened. One said, โThe King, Madam!โ King Ferdinand entered quietly, in the sober fashion of a sober and able man. He was cool and balanced, true always to his own conception of his own dues. The Queen rose and stepped to meet him. They spoke, standing together, after which he handed her to her chair and took beside her the other great chair which the pages had swiftly placed. After greeting his daughter and the Archbishop he looked across to the painter. โMaster Manuel Rodriguez, good day!โ
There fell a moment of sun-drenched quiet in which they all sat for their picture. Then said the King, โMadam, we are together, and here are those who have been our chief advisers in this affair of discoveries. Master Christopherus is below. We noted him in the court. Let us have him here and see this too-long-dragging matter finished! Once for all abate his demands, or once for all let him go!โ
They sent a page. Again there was sunny silence, then in at the door came the tall, muscular, gray-eyed, silver-haired man whom I had met the day King Boabdil surrendered
Granada.
He made reverence to the Queen and the King and to the Archbishop. It was the Queen who spoke to him and that gently.
โMaster Christopherus, we have had a thousand businesses, and so our matter here has waited and waited. Today comes unaware this quiet hour and we will give it to you. Here with us are the Archbishop and others who have been our counsellors, and here is Don Alonzo de Quintantella who hath always stood your friend. In all the hurly-burly we yet took time, two days ago, to sit in council and come to conclusion. And now we give you our determination. In all reason it should give you joy!โ She smiled upon him. โHow many years since first you laid your plan before us?โ
He answered her in a deep voice, thrilling and crowded with feeling. โSeven years, Madam your Highness! Like an infant laid at your feet. And winter has blown upon it, and sunshine carrying hope has walked around it, and then again the cold wind risesโโ
The King spoke. โMaster Christopherus, in war much else has to cease! In much we have had to find patience, and you have to find it.โ
โMy lord King, yes!โ replied the tall man. โIt is eighteen years since in Lisbon, looking upon the sea one day, I said to myself, `Is there a question that is not to be answered? This ocean is to be crossed. Then why do not I cross it? There is Cipango, Cathay and India! Gold and spices are there, and here lie ships, and between, when all is said, is only sea! God made the sea to be sailed! Yonder they worship idols, here we worship Christ. There are idols, here is Christ. Once a Christopherus carried Christ across water!โ Eighteen years ago. I said, `I can do it!โ I say it to-day, my lord and my lady. I can do it!โ
Of the seated great ones only the Queenโs spirit appeared to answer his. He seemed to enchant her, to take her with him. But the Kingโs cool face regarded him with something like dislike. He spoke in an edged voice. โSaint Christopher asked no great wage. That is the point, Master Christopherus, so let us to it! At last the Queen and I say `We agreeโ to this enterprise, which may bring forth fruit or may not, or may mean mere empty loss of ships and men and of our monies! Yet we say `yea.โ But we do not say `yea โ, Master Christopherus, to the too great ferry fee which you ask! I say `askโ, but verily the tone is of command!โ
The man whom they called Master Christopherus made a slow, wide gesture of deprecation. The Archbishop took the word. โToo much! You ask a hundred times too much! I must say to you that it is unchristianly arrogance. You talk like a soldan!โ An assenting murmur came from the other ecclesiastics.
The Queen spoke. โMaster Christopherus, if it be a great thing to do, is not the doing it and thereby blessing yourself no less than othersโis not that reward? Not that Castile shall deny you reward, no! Trust me that if you bring us the key of India you shall not find us niggardly! But we and they who advise us stumble at your prescribing wealth, honors and gifts that they say truly are better fitting a great prince! Trust us for enrichment and for honor do you come back with the great thing done! Leave it all now to Time that brings to pass. So you will be clearer to go forth to the blessed carrying of Christ!โ
She spoke earnestly, a Queen, but with much about her of womanly, motherly sweetness. I saw that she greatly liked the man and somewhere met his spirit. But the King was gathering hardness. He spoke to a secretary standing behind him. โHave you it there written down, the Italianโs demand?โ
The man produced a paper. โRead!โ But before it could be unfolded, Master Christopherus spoke.
โ `Italian!โ Seven years in Spain and ten in Portugal, and a good while in Porto Santo that belongs to Portugal, a little in England and in Ultima Thule or Iceland, and long, long years upon ships decked and undecked in all the seas that are knownโfourteen years, childhood and boyhood, in Genoa and at Pavia where I went to school, and all my years of hope in Christโs Kingdom, and in the uplands of great doers-and your Highness says to me for a slighting word, `Italian!โ I was born in Italy, but to-day, for this turn, King Ferdinand, you should call me `Spaniardโ! As, if King John sends me forth be will call me Portuguese! Or King Henry will say, `Christopher the Englishmanโ or King Charles, to whom verily I see that I may go, shall say, `Frenchman, to whom all owe the marriage of East and West, but France owes Empire!โโ
The King said, โIt may be so, or it may not be so, Master Christopherus.โRead!โ
The secretary read: The Genoese, Cristoforo Colombo, called in Spain Cristobal Colon, and in the Latin Christopherus Columbus, states and demands in substance as follows: Sailing westward he will discover for the King and Queen of the Spains the Indies and Cathay and Cipango, to the great glory and enrichment of these Sovereigns and the passing thereby of Spain ahead of Portugal, and likewise and above all to the great glory of Christ and of Holy Church. He will do this, having seen it clear for many years that it is to be done, and he the instrument. And for the finding by going westward of the said India and all the gain of the world and the Kingdom of God and of our Sovereigns the King Don Ferdinand and the Queen Dona Isabella, he bargaineth thus:
โHe shall be named Admiral of the Ocean-Sea, whereby he means the whole water west of the line drawn by the Holy Father for the King of Portugal. He shall be made Viceroy and Governor of all continents and islands that he may discover, claim and occupy for the Sovereigns. And the said Christopherus Columbusโs eldest son shall hold these offices after him, and the heir of his son, and his heir, down time. He shall be granted one tenth of all gold, pearls, precious stones, spices, or other merchandise found or bought or exchanged within his admiralty and viceroyship, and this tithe is likewise to be taken by his heirs from generation to generation. He or one that he shall name shall be judge in all disputes that arise in these continents and islands, so be it that the honor of the Sovereigns of Spain is not touched. He shall have the salary that hath the High Admiral of Castile. He and his family shall be ennobled and henceforth be called Don and Dona. And for the immediate sailing of ships he may, if he so desire, be at an eighth of the expense of outfitting, for which he shall be returned an eighth of all the profit of this the first voyage.โ
The secretary did not make the terms less sounding by his reading. Wind in leaves, went a stir through the room. I heard a page near me whispering, โO Sancta Maria! The hanger-on, the needy one! Since the beginning of time Iโve seen him at doors, sunny and cloudy days, the big, droning bee!โ Manuel Rodriguez painted on. I felt his thought. โI should like to paint you, Admiral of the Ocean-Sea!โ
The room recomposed itself. Out of silence came the Kingโs voice, chill and dry. โWe abate so vast a claim for so vast reward! But we would be naught else but just, and in our ability lavish. Read now what we will do!โ
The secretary read. It had a certain largeness and goodliness, as go rewards for adventure, even for great adventure, what the sovereigns would do. The room thought it should answer. The King spoke, โWe can promise
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