【英文原著类】thelifeofchristopher

THELIFEOFCHRISTOPHERCOLUMBUS1THELIFEOFCHRISTOPHERCOLUMBUSbyEDWARDEVERETTHALETHELIFEOFCHRISTOPHERCOLUMBUS2PREFACE.ThisbookcontainsalifeofColumbus,writtenwiththehopeofinterestingallclassesofreaders.Hislifehasoftenbeenwritten,andithassometimesbeenwellwritten.Thegreatbookofourcountryman,WashingtonIrving,isanoblemodelofdiligentworkgiventoaverydifficultsubject.AndIthinkeverypersonwhohasdealtwiththelifeofColumbussinceIrving'stime,hasexpressedhisgratitudeandrespectfortheauthor.Accordingtothecustomofbiographers,inthattimeandsince,heincludesinthosevolumesthewholehistoryoftheWestIndiaislands,fortheperiodafterColumbusdiscoveredthemtillhisdeath.HealsothinksithisdutytoincludemuchofthehistoryofSpainandoftheSpanishcourt.Idonotmyselfbelievethatitiswisetoattempt,inabookofbiography,soconsiderableastudyofthehistoryofthetime.Whetheritbewiseornot,Ihavenotattempteditinthisbook.IhaveratherattemptedtofollowcloselythepersonalfortunesofChristopherColumbus,and,tothehistoryaroundhim,Ihavegivenonlysuchspaceasseemedabsolutelynecessaryfortheillustrationofthosefortunes.Ihavefollowedonthelinesofhisownpersonalnarrativewhereverwehaveit.AndwherethisislostIhaveusedtheabsolutelycontemporaryauthorities.Ihavealsoconsultedthelaterwriters,thoseofthenextgenerationandthegenerationwhichfollowedit.ButthemoreonestudiesthelifeofColumbusthemoreonefeelssurethat,afterthegreatnessofhisdiscoverywasreallyknown,theaccountsofthetimewereoverlaidbywhatmoderncriticismcallsmyths,whichhadgrownupintheenthusiasmofthosewhohonoredhim,andwhichformnopartofrealhistory.Ifthenthereaderfailstofindsomestorieswithwhichheisquitefamiliarinthehistory,hemustnotsupposethattheyareomittedbyaccident,butmustgivetotheauthorofthebookthecreditofhavingusedsomediscretioninthechoiceofhisauthorities.WhenIvisitedSpainin1882,IwasfavoredbytheofficersoftheSpanishgovernmentwitheveryfacilityforcarryingmyinquiryasfarasaTHELIFEOFCHRISTOPHERCOLUMBUS3shortvisitwouldpermit.SincethattimeMr.HarrissehaspublishedhisinvaluablevolumesonthelifeofColumbus.Itcertainlyseemsasifeverydocumentnowexisting,whichbearsuponthehistory,hadbeencollatedbyhim.ThereaderwillseethatIhavemadefulluseofthistreasure-house.TheCongressofAmericanistas,whichmeetseveryyear,bringsforwardmanycuriousstudiesonthehistoryofthecontinent,butitcanscarcelybesaidtohavedonemuchtoadvanceourknowledgeofthepersonallifeofColumbus.ThedeterminationofthepeopleoftheUnitedStatestocelebratefitlythegreatdiscoverywhichhasadvancedcivilizationandchangedthefaceoftheworld,makesitcertainthatanewinteresthasariseninthelifeofthegreatmantowhom,intheprovidenceofGod,thatdiscoverywasdue.Theauthorandpublishersofthisbookofferitastheircontributioninthegreatcelebration,withthehopethatitmaybeofuse,especiallyinthedirectionofthestudiesoftheyoung.EDWARDE.HALE.ROXBURY,MASS.,June1st,1891.THELIFEOFCHRISTOPHERCOLUMBUS4CHAPTERI.EARLYLIFEOFCOLUMBUS.HISBIRTHANDBIRTH-PLACE--HISEARLYEDUCATION--HISEXPERIENCEATSEA--HISMARRIAGEANDRESIDENCEINLISBON--HISPLANSFORTHEDISCOVERYOFAWESTWARDPASSAGETOTHEINDIES.ChristopherColumbuswasbornintheRepublicofGenoa.Thehonorofhisbirth-placehasbeenclaimedbymanyvillagesinthatRepublic,andthehouseinwhichhewasborncannotbenowpointedoutwithcertainty.Butthebestauthoritiesagreethatthechildrenandthegrownpeopleoftheworldhaveneverbeenmistakenwhentheyhavesaid:Americawasdiscoveredin1492byChristopherColumbus,anativeofGenoa.Hisname,andthatofhisfamily,isalwayswrittenColombo,intheItalianpaperswhichrefertothem,formorethanonehundredyearsbeforehistime.InSpainitwasalwayswrittenColon;inFranceitiswrittenasColomb;whileinEnglandithasalwayskeptitsLatinform,Columbus.Ithasfrequentlybeensaidthathehimselfassumedthisform,becauseColumbaistheLatinwordforDove,withafancifulfeelingthat,incarryingChristianlighttotheWest,hehadtakenthemissionofthedove.Thus,hehadfirstfoundlandwherementhoughttherewasocean,andhewasthemessengeroftheHolySpirittothosewhosatindarkness.IthasalsobeenassumedthathetookthenameofChristopher,theChrist-bearer,forsimilarreasons.ButthereisnodoubtthathewasbaptizedChristopher,andthatthefamilynamehadlongbeenColumbo.Thecoincidencesofnamearebuttwomoreinacalendarinwhichpoetrydelights,andofwhichhistoryisfull.ChristopherColumbuswastheoldestsonofDominicoColomboandSuzannaFontanarossa.ThisnamemeansRed-fountain.Hebadtwobrothers,BartholomewandDiego,whomweshallmeetagain.DiegoistheSpanishwayofwritingthenamewhichwecallJames.ItseemsprobablethatChristopherwasbornintheyear1436,thoughsomewritershavesaidthathewasolderthanthis,andsomethathewasyounger.Therecordofhisbirthandthatofhisbaptismhavenotbeenfound.THELIFEOFCHRISTOPHERCOLUMBUS5Hisfatherwasnotarichman,buthewasabletosendChristopher,asaboy,totheUniversityofPavia,andherehestudiedgrammar,geometry,geographyandnavigation,astronomyandtheLatinlanguage.Butthiswasasaboystudies,forinhisfourteenthyearhelefttheuniversityandentered,inhardwork,onthelargercollegeoftheworld.Ifthedategivenabove,ofhisbirth,iscorrect,thiswasintheyear1450,afewyearsbeforetheTurkstookConstantinople,and,intheirinvasionofEurope,affectedthedailylifeofeveryone,youngorold,wholivedintheMediterraneanc