pardonable error, if indeed it be an error for a Spaniard to endeavor to sink them in oblivion."

When we read such sentiments from the pen of one of America's ablest writers, we confess that we lose some confidence in his statements. If history were to become the medium through which writers exaggerate the good and conceal the bad in their respective countries and favorite heroes, how vainly should we search for truth in the history of the same events, written in nations variously interested!

The historian has a nobler mission. The good and great he should indeed extol, that after-generations may be impelled to like actions; but that which is disgraceful, cruel, or dishonorable, he should fearlessly condemn; he thus becomes the faithful mirror in which good and bad are alike reflected, exerting a salutary influence in his own country, believed and respected in others.

Illustration of tortures inflicted upon obnoxious or heretical authors of the time of Columbus. The instruments below the burning psalter represent the "Morning Star," or "Holy-water Sprinkler" (so called derisively), with which the blood of heretics was drawn. (See Meyrick's "Description of Ancient Arms and Armor at Goodrich Court," vol. ii., plates 92, 93.)

CHAPTER VI.

CONTEMPORARIES OF COLUMBUS.-FERDINAND AND ISABELLA.

Ir it is necessary to demonstrate the spirit in which his history has hitherto been written, before attempting a truthful biography of Columbus, it is not less necessary, in order to form a just estimate of his character, to become acquainted with those of his contemporaries with whom he had more or less relation, and who have been favored or injured, according as they were favorable to him; or as their character and achievements, superior to his, would, unless willfully belittled, diminish greatly the meed of praise which has been accorded to him.

The most prominent of these were Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile, who are so intricately connected with the history of Columbus that it becomes necessary to elucidate their character, that the reader may judge of their conduct with regard to the latter. It has been too customary to lay the blame of all the calamities which Columbus entailed upon himself, by his deception and inhumanity, upon the "cold and calculating Ferdinand," " who is represented as having persistently endeavored to frustrate his lofty designs. These charges become void when we consider the marriage articles between Ferdinand and Isabella, signed and sworn to January 7, 1469, in which Ferdinand promised faithfully to respect the laws of Castile; to fix his residence in that kingdom, and not to quit it without the consent of Isabella; to alienate no property belonging to the crown; to prefer no foreigners to municipal offices (his subjects were foreigners in Castile); to make no appointments, civil or military, without her consent or approbation; to resign to her, exclusively, the right of nomination to ecclesiastical benefices, etc., etc." They lived together, not like man and wife, whose estates 46 Irving, "Life of Columbus," book xviii., chapter iii. 47 Prescott," Ferdinand and Isabella," chapter iii.

were blended, and subject to the direction of the husband, but like aliied monarchs, with separate and independent claims to sovereignty, each having their envoys, ministers, counselors, secretaries, and treasurers, and were often removed from each other while superintending their respective interests." The subjects of Ferdinand were not allowed even to visit the western

48 Irving, "Life of Columbus," book ii., chapter ii. Voltaire, "Essai sur les Mours." Ferdinand complains thus of his consort: "The reason why you do not write, is not because there is no paper to be had, or that you do not know how to write, but because you do not love me, and because you are proud. You are living at Toledo, I am living in small villages. . . . The affairs of the princess" (their daughter) "must not be forgotten. For God's sake, remember her, as also her father, who kisses your hands, and is your servant." We shall see how the unhappy daughter he alludes to was remembered.

DECEIT AND CRUELTY OF ISABELLA.

99

islands when discovered. He was subject to the Queen of Castile, and perfectly unanswerable for any of her proceedings. Astute and suspicious as he no doubt was, he may have mistrusted the adventurer Christopher Columbus, but he was too jealously prevented from having any voice in the affairs of state for his suspicions to have any effect.

Isabella, the patroness of Columbus, has been handed down. to posterity as of "glorious memory," the "sweet queen." Prescott tells us "her honest soul abhorred any thing like artifice." She is represented as the type of womanly gentleness, virtue, and truth, coupled with masculine courage and intelligence; but, alas! as we peruse her history, and see her character reflected in the numerous dispatches she wrote, we perceive that the priesthood, which raised her to the throne of Castile, has done much toward embellishing her character, and endowing her with fictitious qualities. Transferred, at the early age of sixteen, to a court which Prescott terms "a brothel, private morals too loose to seek even the veil of hypocrisy;" frequently betrothed to men who, if not yielding to the wishes of those who treated for their marriage with the future Queen of Castile, died in a manner as mysterious as sudden; owing her throne itself to a scandalous imputation against her brother's wife, and the brand of illegitimacy affixed to her niece, her early life too soon made her familiar with the immorality and unscrupulous intrigue of the court of Spain at that period.

The fearful fires of the Inquisition filled Spain with a ghastly glare, and it was Isabella who applied the torch. She petitioned for the establishment of Torquemada as grand-inquisitor. Whole towns and villages were depopulated, and their wealth poured into the royal coffers. Living and dead were alike persecuted; bodies were exhumed and burned, while the crown confiscated the wealth of the heirs. Isabella herself says: "I have caused great calamities, and depopulated towns, lands, provinces, and kingdoms;" but this was all done, she protested, from love of Christ and his Holy Mother! Those were liars and calumniators who said she had done so from love of money, for she had never touched a maravedi proceeding from the confiscated goods, but had employed the money in educating and giving marriage-portions to the children of the condemned. It would seem discourteous, if not unjust, to doubt so solemn a

declaration; but, as we peruse the state papers, we find orders emanating from the queen which differ widely from the spirit of the above profession. For instance, one Pecho of Xerez was condemned for heresy; his property, amounting to two hundred thousand maravedis, was confiscated. The widow, whose portion was twenty thousand maravedis, was reduced with her children to the utmost destitution. As a special favor, Isabella granted them thirty thousand maravedis, while the remaining hundred and seventy thousand she appropriated to herself. Such cases abound; and while so-called bounties, such as the above, are always recorded, silence is preserved touching the many instances in which she appropriated the whole of the confiscated property. So terrible did her persecutions become, that the pope resolved to send a legate to Spain to investigate the proceedings of the Inquisition. Isabella strove to prevent this.

"She used corruption on a large scale, larger even, as she declared, than was agreeable to herself. The final result was, that the courts of Spain and Rome came to an understanding respecting the person who was to be sent as legate. He received rich donations in Spain, and his inquiry was reduced to a mere form. It is characteristic of the queen, that the only condition she made was that his Holiness should absolve her from simony.""

The Inquisition was thus firmly established. Victims multiplied; two thousand men and women were burned, a greater number condemned to living death in the dungeons of that terrible institution, homesteads were abandoned, and thousands fled to neighboring countries. "The queen was implored to relent, but she answered that it was better for the service of God and herself to have the country depopulated, than to have it polluted by heresy."

The archivero of Barcelona of that time has recorded a long list of autos-da-fe, the victims were of all classes-clergymen, officers in the army, tailors, and cobblers, but there is a disproportionately large number of widows of merchants. Mr. Bergenroth, recording this fact, shrewdly inquires, "Were they really more inclined to heresy, or were they only rich, and comparatively defenseless?" "

49 G. A. Bergenroth, "Introduction to Spanish State Papers," vol. i., 1485–1509. LO Idem