The American Catholic Quarterly Review (Volume 17) (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos or missing text. Not indexed. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1892. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. No. 4. INGRATITUDE MISFORTUNES POSTHUMOUS HONORS. HE return of Columbus from his fourth and last expedition-I. to Spain, prostrated with disease, bending under advanced age, poor, neglected and unnoticed, and even hounded-down in such extreme misfortunes by his enemies, is one of the saddest pictures in history. One of his vessels, the one he occupied, was disabled soon after leaving port, and had to be sent back to San Domingo, while he and his son and immediate followers had to go on the other ship, which was commanded by his brother Bartholomew. Other serious accidents, and repeated storms of severest violence, made the voyage an exhausting one, while he was himself prostrated on his bed by an accumulation of his old complaints. Rejecting every consideration in favor of stopping at the Azores for repairs, he hastened forward through storms and accidents, tempest tossed and almost in a dying state, until he reached Spain, San Lucar, and then Seville. The man who had given a New World to Spain had no home in Spain, and was forced to put up at an humble inn. Gladly would he have journeyed on to Medino del Campo, where the court then resided, but his sufferings made him helpless and unable to move. It happened that the friends he had in Seville were all absent; even the good and learned Gaspard Gorricio had then left his monastery. The Bureau of the Indies had grown to be an extensive admiralty administration, with many officials and employes, all under the presidency of Fonseca, his enemy. In fact he was in the city of his enemies. It is humbling to our humanity to relate that in such a direful extremity his enemies did not allow him repose or relief. Though aware of their renewed machinations, and that the rebels, who had attempted h...