Admiral talked of, and the King and the Queen supported him loyally.
Especially was this true of Queen Isabella, whose lofty and resolute
character made her very steadfast in all her undertakings. Diego saw
but little of his father in those fleeting months between January and
April. Once it had been difficult for the Admiral to obtain audiences
of those in power; now he could not see all who flocked to his plain
lodgings. It was then expected that he would be able to collect his
squadron and sail before the first of June. On a glorious April day
the King and the Queen were to sign the agreement between themselves
as independent sovereigns and the Genoese captain, to whom they were
to give the noble title of Admiral of the Ocean Seas, and Viceroy and
Captain-General of all lands to the westward. The great event was to
take place at the Alhambra, in Granada, and it was on that day that
Diego and Don Felipe first saw the dazzling and overwhelming beauty of
the palace of the Moorish kings. The splendor of the "Red Palace," as
the Alhambra means, the glory of its architecture, the magnificence of
its halls and courts and fountains, the treasures of gold and silver
and jewels used in decorating its vaulted ceilings and marble walls,
amazed all who saw them, from the King and the Queen down to the
private soldiers and servants.
On this spring morning, April 17, 1492, Diego and Don Felipe were to be
of the group that was to accompany the Admiral into the presence of the
King and the Queen, where the agreements were to be formally signed and
sealed.
The Queen, with characteristic delicacy, had advanced a sum of money to
the Admiral which enabled him to make a good appearance for himself and
for Diego. Gorgeous dress would have been out of place upon Columbus,
whose personality made all accessories appear trivial. On that day he
wore a plain costume of black satin with a small collar of lace and
a cloak of black cloth. At his side was a plain sword. Diego and Don
Felipe were dressed alike in dark-blue cloth with handsome shoes of
Cordovan leather and black satin cloaks. The Prior of La Rabida, Juan
Perez, the first friend the Admiral had found in Spain and the most
devoted, was to be present on this great day, which was one of triumph
to him. With him he was to bring the little Fernando, in the care of
Brother Lawrence. The party from La Rabida reached Santa Fé on the
night of April 16th, and were joyfully greeted. Fernando was delighted
to see his father and brother again, and was charmed with the sight of
the knights and soldiers.
At ten o'clock next morning, when Diego and Don Felipe were ready to
start, they were sent for to go to the Admiral's room. On the table lay
two swords with sword-belts.
"Don Felipe and my son," said the Admiral, "the time has now come when
you must wear swords, not as boys, but as men. I give you these praying
you to consider the solemn meaning of a sword. A sword means courage,
truth, and honor. Courage is the greatest virtue in the world, for on
it all other virtues are built. It does not avail a man to love the
truth unless he has the courage to speak it. The beginning of lying
is cowardice. Sin has many tools; but a lie is the handle that fits
them all. So must you ever be ready to draw your swords in the cause of
truth. A man should reverence his sword as a symbol of his honor. When
he is disgraced his sword is taken from him and broken, signifying that
he has no more honor. Do you understand this?"
"Yes," instantly and clearly replied both youths.
The Admiral then, taking the first sword, clasped it around the waist
of Don Felipe, who, drawing it from its scabbard, kneeled and kissed it
reverently. Then, the Admiral belting the second sword around Diego's
body, Diego, too, kneeled and kissed the sword. Both were vividly
impressed with the Admiral's words and the deep meaning he had attached
to them.
"It is a good thing, though not of obligation," said the Admiral,
"that when a young man receives his sword he shall take it to the
church and, laying it on the altar, shall spend the night in prayer and
contemplation, asking the help and guidance of God in his future life."
"That will we do, my father," answered Diego.
"This very night," added Don Felipe.
The gift of the swords seemed at once to make men of the two youths.
They were too intelligent not to understand the full meaning of what
they had received.
Below in the street well-caparisoned horses were awaiting them. The
Admiral, accompanied by his unfailing friends, De Quintanilla and Luis
de St. Angel and Juan Perez, the Prior of La Rabida, rode in advance.
Behind him came Fray Piña, while Brother Lawrence, mounted on a steady
mule, carried in his arms the little Fernando. Diego and Don Felipe
brought up the rear. The eyes of the curious crowd of soldiers and
citizens were turned upon the cavalcade. They no longer ridiculed the
Admiral, but regarded him with fear, as a person likely to draw to
him many ardent souls in his voyage into the unknown. Many remarked,
however, upon the beauty of the little Fernando and the manly and noble
appearance of Diego. They rode through the town of Santa Fé, across
the bridge of the Xeni, and climbed the broad acclivity down which the
abject Moorish king had traveled on a January day. Neither Diego nor
Don Felipe had been within the walls of Granada, and they were deeply
interested in the strange and gorgeous architecture of the city, the
barred windows of the women's quarters, and the mosques, now converted
into Christian churches.
At the Gate of the Pomegranates the Alhambra really begins, that
marvel of beauty, palace and citadel in one, with walls a mile in
circumference, and containing within itself wonderful varieties of
loveliness. At this gate the party dismounted and proceeded on foot
through the gardens and courtyards leading to the Hall of Ambassadors,
where the King and the Queen in state would pledge themselves to the
Admiral and sign and seal their agreements. Never had any of them
seen anything like the splendors of the glorious courts and superb
corridors. The gardens were blooming in all the beauty of the late
April, and in the trees and shrubbery were the rare birds caught and
tamed for the pleasure of the Moorish kings.
Through long, arched colonnades of gleaming malachite they passed;
through the exquisite gardens watered by the icy waters of the
Darro, trickling in silver streams or in crystal waterfalls. In every
beautiful courtyard great fountains played, making showers of diamonds
in the April sun of Andalusia. The air was drenched with the perfume
of violets and hyacinths, jasmine and myrtle blooming in splendid
profusion.
At the entrance to the magnificent Court of the Lions they were
met by a brilliant group of court officials, and passed from one
superb apartment to another until they reached the splendid Hall of
Ambassadors.
The scene was worthy of the stupendous event that was to take place
in it. The walls of polished marble, inlaid with arabesques, its
graceful columns, its lofty and beautiful ceilings, its riot of color,
was overwhelming in its beauty. Here had the Moorish kings exercised
their despotic power; here had they treated with haughty contempt the
ambassadors of the Christian nations. Upon this glorious throne-room
had been spent the vast sums wrung from the toilers of the land and
sea, the money gained by piracy, robbery, and the ransom of Christian
captives. Driven forth at last from it, their places had been taken by
great and enlightened Christian monarchs. Ferdinand of Arragon was a
brilliant soldier, a statesman, shrewd in affairs, and of enlightened
views according to his time. The name of Isabella of Castile makes a
blaze of splendor upon the page of history. Not less desirous than
Ferdinand for the glory and material welfare of her country, Isabella
had a loftier mind, a nobler conception of all things, than any monarch
of the age. She looked to the spread of the Christian religion, to
the civilization of the new peoples in those far lands which Columbus
might discover. It was her great and magnanimous mind which caused the
introduction into the compact with Columbus of that clause providing
that the inhabitants of the new world to be discovered should have the
same protection of law as the Spaniards themselves.
At the farther end of the Hall of Ambassadors, upon the great gilded
throne of the Moorish kings, sat in throne chairs King Ferdinand and
Queen Isabella, Prince Juan and Princess Katharine seated below them,
and surrounded by a huge company of officials, statesmen, soldiers,
and ecclesiastics. At the steps of the throne was a small table with
pens and inkhorns and a great document inscribed upon many leaves of
parchment. It was the agreement between the courts of Arragon and
Castile with Columbus, and it was in that hour to be signed by King
Ferdinand and Queen Isabella and the great Admiral.
It is the prerogative of men of the first order of genius that those
nearest to them, who see them oftenest, should have greater reverence
for them than those who do not know them so well. So it was with
Columbus. Never had those who had been associated with him through his
eighteen years of toil, poverty, disappointment, broken hopes, and
baffled plans admired him so much as at the moment when he entered
the great hall. The friends who escorted him fell back. Columbus,
taking the hand of the little Fernando, placed it in that of Diego and
advanced alone to the foot of the throne, where he knelt respectfully.
All present, from the King and the Queen down to Diego and Don Felipe,
showed a visible agitation and tremulous emotion at what was about to
take place, except one person; that was the great Admiral himself. He,
a man of the people, a foreigner without fortune, with no endowment but
his genius, his courage, his virtue, was about to be invested, in case
of his successful return, with honors and dignities that dwarfed those
of the highest nobles present and placed him one step in advance of
all of them. King Ferdinand's keen face wore an expression of triumph
he could not conceal. The cost of the expedition was small, and the
King had become convinced that the chances of a stupendous return were
very great. Queen Isabella was inspired with a profound and noble
enthusiasm; she had eagerly offered to pledge her jewels, and on this
offer the amount of money had been raised necessary for the expedition.
The Queen's face was unusually pale; but her eyes, of a dark and
beautiful blue, were shining, and she leaned forward in her chair,
returning with a deep bow the reverence made her by the Admiral. He
alone was perfectly composed, and gave no sign either of triumph or
of nervousness. When he rose from his knees, a chair was placed for
him, and then Luis de St. Angel read in a loud voice the terms of the
agreement which was to be signed. These were as follows:
1. That Columbus should have for himself during his life, and his
heirs and successors forever, the office of admiral in all the lands
and continents which he might discover or acquire in the ocean, with
similar honors and prerogatives to those enjoyed by the high admiral
of Castile in his district.
2. That he should be viceroy and governor-general over all the
said lands and continents, with the privilege of nominating three
candidates for the government of each island or province, one of whom
should be selected by the sovereigns.
3. That he should be entitled to reserve for himself one-tenth of all
pearls, precious stones, gold, silver, spices, and all other articles
and merchandise, in whatever manner found, bought, bartered, or gained
within his admiralty, the costs being first deducted.
4. That he, or his lieutenant, should be the sole judge in all
causes and disputes arising out of traffic between those countries
and Spain, provided the high admiral of Castile had similar
jurisdiction in his district.
5. That he might then, and at all times, contribute an eighth part of
the expenses in fitting out vessels to sail on this enterprise and
receive an eighth part of the profits.
[Illustration: THE SIGNING OF THE DOCUMENTS OF AGREEMENT]
Splendid, indeed, were these terms, but all present knew that the great
Admiral would accept nothing less; and they respected him the more for
his steady defense of his rights. When the reading was over, Luis de
St. Angel, taking the copies in duplicate, ascended the steps of the
throne and laid them first before King Ferdinand, who signed them. He
then handed them to Queen Isabella, who also signed them, after which
she clasped her hands and engaged a moment in silent prayer. Then the
documents were handed to Columbus, and he, in his turn, signed them.
A tremor ran through the whole of the great company; the tension was
relaxed. The King and the Queen descended from the throne and, followed
by Prince Juan and Princess Katharine and a splendid train, passed out
of the hall. Luis de St. Angel made a sign to Columbus, who remained
standing as did the rest of the company. In a minute or two St. Angel
returned, and speaking a word to Columbus, the Admiral motioned to
Diego, who followed his father and St. Angel. They crossed the vast
hall and entered a small, high-ceiled room where the King and the Queen
awaited them with Fernando de Talavera, Archbishop of Granada, and Doña
Christina, as lady-in-waiting to the Queen. There were also present
Prince Juan and Princess Katharine. The Admiral, on being greeted by
the King and the Queen, expressed in a few words his deep sense of
gratitude. The Queen then said:
"We are now prepared to fulfil the request you made of us some months
ago, and to issue letters patent giving your eldest son the title of
Don, and making him a page-in-waiting to our son, Prince Juan, and
granting him an allowance for his maintenance. I, myself, Christobal
Colon, will not forget your son during your absence and will keep
informed of his conduct and progress in study. Doña Christina will
represent me. For your younger son we shall also provide suitably,
though he is not of an age to be at court."
"I earnestly thank your Majesties," replied the Admiral, "especially
for the gracious offer you make of keeping informed concerning my son's
conduct and progress. It shall be my constant prayer and hope that my
son may never be unworthy of your Majesties' kindness. And my thanks
are also made to the noble lady, Doña Christina."
Diego then advanced and made his obeisance to the sovereigns, Queen
Isabella giving him her hand to kiss. Nobility of soul and kindness
of heart radiated from the Queen, and Diego felt that he would be ten
times a traitor if he did not do his best to deserve her good opinion.
The King and Queen then engaged in earnest conversation with the
Admiral, and Diego had time to observe Prince Juan at closer range than
ever before. He was a handsome, slender youth, strongly resembling his
illustrious mother in the frankness and nobility of his countenance;
but his slenderness and delicacy foreboded that his life would not be
long, although he lived to be knighted upon the field of battle by his
father. The Princess Katharine, destined also for a tragic fate as the
wife of the eighth Henry of England, though then but fourteen years of
age, also resembled the Queen, and had a dignity and a fearlessness of
character that was to sustain her through her stormy and unfortunate
life. Diego felt all confidence when he looked into the honest and
kindly eyes of Prince Juan, and thought to himself: "This must be a
noble prince, being the son of his mother."
After a short conference the Admiral was dismissed, and in a little
while Diego had rejoined Don Felipe and Fray Piña and Brother Lawrence
with the little Fernando. Leaving the splendid palace, they rode back
through the soft, bright April noon to their lodgings in Santa Fé.
Diego said nothing of what had passed until he found himself alone
in the small, plain room he shared with Don Felipe. Then he told Don
Felipe all.
"If I should ever forget the kindness of the great Queen, or fail to
live as she expects me to, I think I should have the blackest heart in
the world," he said. "Besides giving me honors and money, she gave me
kindness, and your mother, Doña Christina, has said that she will have
a care for me as for you. What a good woman your mother must be, Don
Felipe!"
"The best on earth," answered Don Felipe. "As good as Queen Isabella."
Diego then unbuckled his sword and laid it on the table, and Don Felipe
did the same. Then came a long pause before Diego spoke.
"This is the first day," he said, "that we have worn swords as men.
Ought we not to consecrate them with prayer as knights do?"
"Yes," answered Don Felipe. "My mother has told me that my father, when
first he was girt with a sword, spent the night in prayer on his knees
before the altar of the Cathedral of Seville."
"Then," replied Diego, gravely, "let us ask that we may lay our swords
upon the altar of San Sebastian this night and pray earnestly that we
may be worthy to wear our swords in honor."
That night at ten o'clock Diego and Don Felipe walked through the
quiet streets of Santa Fé, the darkness lighted only by the watchmen's
lanterns and the watch fires of the sleeping camp, and the silence
broken only by the warders' call and the sentries' challenge. The
night was illuminated by a great white moon hanging high in the blue
heavens and making the world all white except for the black shadows
of the rocks and hills and forests. The two youths soon reached the
narrow road that led to the little stone chapel, so lately converted
from a Mohammedan mosque into a place of Christian worship. They were
expected, and at the tap on the door from the hilt of Diego's sword
the door was quickly opened from within and closed after them, leaving
them alone in the solemn darkness of the little church, lighted only by
the faint glow of the sanctuary lamp. Diego and Don Felipe, advancing
reverently, drew their swords and laid them on the altar steps, and
then, retiring to a little distance, knelt with reverence. Through
the long hours of the night they remained on their knees, their minds
filled with solemn and glorious thoughts, striving to understand their
obligations to God and men, and fortifying their souls with good and
honorable resolutions. The hours slipped by with strange quickness. A
deep and subtle change was taking place in the heart of each. In those
hours they became men. When, at last, the darkness gave place to the
pallid dawn, they rose from their knees and passed silently out of the
church. As they breathed the fresh April air and saw the sky, flushed
with the sudden glory of the sunrise, a new life seemed infused into
their bodies and their souls. They swung rather than walked up the
steep roadway. They felt capable of all things.
VI
THE HARBOR BAR IS PASSED
The days that followed were crowded with events for all. Even Fray
Piña was forced to suspend the studies of Diego and Don Felipe, that
he might act as secretary to the Admiral. He, the man once avoided,
was sought by all. Many adventurous souls, like Ponce de Leon, wished
to sail upon the great voyage; but the Admiral was careful in making
his choice, not taking all who applied. As in all enterprises of the
sort, men of the higher grades were found; but the Admiral feared
difficulties in getting foremast men, the sailors to do the actual work
of the promised vessels. This problem was postponed until the vessels
were purchased and the enlistments were to be made at Palos and Huelva,
places renowned for producing a race of hardy mariners.
Every day the Admiral held long conferences with the King and the
Queen and their advisers. The high respect with which the sovereigns,
and especially Queen Isabella, treated the Admiral won for him that
kind of popularity which follows the favor of the great. All who
pretended to be scientists or mathematicians were eager to be seen in
the company of the Admiral. But Columbus knew human nature too well
to value highly this kind of favor and maintained an equal behavior
to all. Only those were admitted to his confidence whom he knew well,
like Juan Perez, Father de Deza, Alonzo de Quintanilla, Luis de St.
Angel, and a few others equally sincere. Among the great dignitaries
of the court the Cardinal Pedro Gonzalez de Mendoza had always shown a
profound esteem for the character and attainments of the Admiral, and
to him and certain other learned men the Admiral felt deeply grateful.
The Admiral worked hard at his plans, and every facility was now
afforded him. On May 8, 1492, Queen Isabella redeemed her promise
concerning Diego by appointing him a page-in-waiting to Prince Juan,
giving him the title of Don, and at the same time providing a modest
pension for his maintenance at court. Thenceforth Diego was Don
Diego. Also Don Felipe, by virtue of his rank and age, was made a
page-in-waiting to Prince Juan.
The Admiral, who was to leave Granada in four days, and who then
expected to sail within a fortnight, asked that Diego be allowed
to remain with him until his departure. To this the Queen readily
assented, and Don Felipe, who earnestly desired to witness the sailing
of the Admiral, was also permitted to return to La Rabida with Diego.
Both youths were to report at the same time to the court. While not yet
in attendance upon Prince Juan, Diego and Don Felipe often saw him. He
seemed to them the embodiment of honor, courtesy, and modesty.
Although left more to themselves than they had ever dreamed possible,
Diego and Don Felipe observed their hours of study without any
compulsion. So inspiring is the association with noble characters that
young minds thrown with these lofty types of men insensibly become
lofty-minded too. It is true that the two youths did not make the same
progress in their studies as when regularly schooled; many of their
hours were passed in those brilliant dreams of the future which are a
part of the heritage of youth. But both became deeply interested in
astronomy and mathematics, sciences of which they heard much in those
days of preparation, and really did well at them. That which was best,
however, was their voluntary regulation of their lives, according to
their accustomed rules, when there was no one to compel them.
On the twelfth day of May, 1492, Diego once more crossed the bridge
of Pinos on his way to Palos; but in very different case from that
in which he had crossed it on the January night when the Admiral was
halted and turned back by the Daredevil Knight, Don Tomaso de Gama.
Don Tomaso was with them now, as he ardently wished to witness the
departure of the Admiral, which it was supposed then to be a matter of
a few days. Alonzo de Quintanilla went as the representative of the
sovereigns, and Fray Piña acted as secretary to the Admiral. Little
Fernando and Brother Lawrence completed the party. Both Diego and Don
Felipe had hoped for a stop, if of a night only, at the castle of
Langara, where Doña Luisita had remained in the care of Señora Julia.
But as it was out of the direct route to Palos, no one thought of it
except the two youths. After the sailing of the ships, they were to
join the court wherever it might be; and then Doña Luisita, being now
fifteen, was to be with Doña Christina at court.
The May day was bright and beautiful, and all were in high spirits,
even the Admiral's grave face showing a new animation, and his piercing
eyes radiated light. As for Diego and Don Felipe, they could scarcely
forbear caroling aloud as they trotted along on their spirited horses
in the golden morning. The little Fernando, whom Brother Lawrence held
before him upon his sturdy mule, laughed, talked, and sung incessantly
without being checked by any one. Diego's confidence that his father
would return triumphant became more than ever a fixed conviction. The
thought of the separation gave him pain; but the pain was compensated
by the anticipation of the glory that awaited the Admiral's return.