To receive him with suitable pomp and distinction, the sovereigns had ordered their throne to be placed in public, under a rich canopy of brocade of gold, in a vast and splendid saloon. Here the king and queen awaited his arrival, seated in state, with the prince Juan beside them, and attended by the dignitaries of their court, and the principal nobility of Castile, Valentia, Catalonia, and Arragon, all impatient to behold the man who had conferred so incalculable a benefit upon the nation. At length Columbus entered the hall, surrounded by a brilliant crowd of cavaliers, among whom, says Las Casas, he was conspicuous for his stately and commanding person, which with his countenance, rendered venerable by his grey hairs, gave him the august appearance of a senator of Rome; a modest smile lighted up his features, shewing that he enjoyed the state and glory in which he came; and certainly nothing could be more deeply moving to a mind inflamed by noble ambition, and conscious of having greatly deserved, thau these testimonials of the admiration and gratitude of a nation, or rather of a word. As Columbus approached, the sovereigns rose, as if receiving a person of the highest rank. Bending his knees, he requested to kiss their hands; but their was some hesitation on the part of their majesties to permit this act of vassalage. Raising him in the most gracious manner, they ordered him to seat himself in their presence; a rare honour in this proud and punctilious

court.

At the request of their majesties, Columbus now gave an account of the most striking events of his voyage, and a description of the islands which he had discovered. He displayed the specimens he had brought of unknown birds, and other animals; of rare plants of medicinal and aromatic virtues; of native gold in dust, in crude masses, or laboured into barbaric ornaments; and, above all, the natives of these countries, who were objects of intense and inexhaustible interest; since there is nothing to man so curious as the varieties of his own species. All these he pronounced mere harbingers of greater discoveries he had yet to make, which would add realms of incalculable wealth to the dominions of their majesties, and whole nations of proselytes to the true faith.

The words of Columbus were listened to with profound emotion by the sovereigns. When he had finished, they sank on their knees, and raising their clasped hands to heaven, their eyes filled with tears of joy and gratitude, they poured forth thanks and praises to God for so great a providence: all present followed their example, a deep and solemn enthusiasm pervaded that splendid assembly, and prevented all common acclamations of triumph. The anthem of Te deum laudamus, chanted by the choir of the royal chapel, with the melodious responses of the minstrels, rose up from the midst in a full body of sacred harmony; bearing up, as it were, the feelings and thoughts of the auditors to heaven, "so that," says the venerable Las Casas, "it seemed as if in that hour they communicated with celestial delights." Such was the solemn and pious manner in which the brilliant court of Spain celebrated this sublime event; offering up a grateful tribute of melody and praise, and giving glory to God for the discovery of another world.

When Columbus retired from the roya presence, he was attended to his residence by all the court, and followed by the shouting populace. For many days he was the object of universal curiosity, and wherever he appeared, he was surrounded by an admiring multitude. While the mind of Columbus was thus teeming with glorious anticipations, his pious scheme for the deliverance of the holy sepulchre was not forgotten. It has been shewn that he suggested it to the Spanish sovereigns at the time of first making his propositions, holding it forth as the great object to be effected by the profits of his discoveries. Flushed with the idea of the vast wealth that was now to accrue to himself, he made a vow to furnish within seven years an army, consisting of four thousand horse, and fifty thousand foot, for the rescue of the holy sepulchre, and a similar force within the five following years. This vow was recorded in one of his letters to the sovereigns, to which he refers, but which is no longer extant, nor is it certain whether it was made at the end of his first voyage, or at a subsequent date, when the magnitude and wealthy result of his discoveries became more fully manifest.

He often alludes to it vaguely in his writings, and he refers to it expressly in a letter to Pope Alexander VI., written in 1502, in which he accounts also for its non-fulfilment. It is essential to a full comprehension of the character and motives of Columbus, that this wild and visionary project should be borne in recollection. It will be found to have entwined itself on his mind with his enterprise of discovery, and that a holy crusade

Shall then that earth, which witness'd my renown,

Behold such insults on my glory thrown? This sceptre be my guard, fair Truth my shield,

And all my deeds in council and in field!
But Justice shall her ear to mercy lend,
Nor on th' offender's head the stroke descend
Lo! for your merits I your crime forgive,
And bid you for your lov'd Rinaldo live.
Let Argillan alone the victim fall.
And with his blood atone th' offence of all.
Who, urg'd by light suspicion rais'd th' alarms,
And fir'd your erring bands with rebel arms.

While thus he spoke, his looks with glory

- .beam'd,

And from his eye the flashing lightning stream'd;
Ev'n Argillian himself, surpris'd and quell'd,
With awe the terrors of his face beheld.
The vulgar throng, so late by madness led.
Who pour'd their threats and curses on his
head;

Who grasp'd, as rage supply'd, with ready hand
The sword, the javelin, or the flaming brand;
Soon as they heard his voice, with fears were
struck,

Nor longer durst sustain their sovereign's look, But tamely, while their arms begirt him round; Saw Argillan in sudden fetters bound.t

Book VIII,

ners, addressing indiscriminately the watch one night, as soon as they were mustered. "Oh, let's have a yarn, as we've eight hours in," replied one of the topmen. "Bob Bowers will spin us a twist ;" and away to the galley a group of eight or ten instantly repaired. "Well, boys! says Bowers, "let's see, what'll you have?-one of the Lee Virginneys, or the saucy Gee's? *— Come, I'll give you a saucy Gee.

66

Well, you see, when I sarved in the Go-along Gee-Captain D*** (he as was killed at Trafflygar aboard the Mars, seventy-four-aye, and as fine a fellow as ever shipped a swab, † or fell on a deck. -There warn't a better man aboard from stem to starn. He knew a seaman's duty, and more he never ax'd; and not like half your capering skippers, what expect unpossibilities. It went against his grain ged a man he didn't wince as if he felt to seize a grating-up, and he never flogthe lash himself!—and as for starting,— blow me if he didn't break the boatswain by a court-martial for rope's-ending Tom Cox, the captain o' the fere-top in Plymouth-Sound.-And yet he was'nt a man what courted, as they call it, cocularity; for once desarve it, you were sure to buy it; but do your duty like a man, and, d-n it, he'd sink or swim with you!

"He never could abide to hear a man abused-let's see, was't to the first or second leeftenant he says-no, 'twas the second-and blow me, too, if I doesn't think 'twas the third-it was the third, kase I remember, now, he'd never a civil word for no one. Well, howsomever,

you see, says the skipper, mocking the leeftenant, in a sneering manner, one morn, who'd just sung-out, 'You sir! you know, to one o' the topmen, You sir, I mean,' says the skipper, looking straight in the leeftenant's face, pray, sir, says he, how do you like to be you sir'd yourself?"

66

Well, the leeftenant shams deafness, you know; but I'm blowed but he hard every word on't-for never a dolphin adying tarned more colours nor he did at the time! But avast there, a bit—I'm yawing about in my course. Howsomever you know, 'tis but due to the dead, and no more nor his memory desarves, so here's try again-small helm bosteady-ey-a. Well, you know, the Go-along-Gee was one o' your flash Irish cruisers the first o' your fir-built frigates and a hell of a clipper she was! like a witch-but somehow o' nother, Give her a foot o' the sheet, and she'd go she'd bag on a bowline to leeward. Well,

*Gee is the sailor's name for a favorite ship + Epakette

there was a crack set o' ships at the time on the station. Let's see, there was the Le Revolushoneer (the flyer, you know) then there was the fighting Feeby-the dashing Dry'd, and one or two more o' your flash-uns; but the Gee took the shine on 'em all in reefing and furling. "Well, there was always a cruiser or two from the station, as went with the West-Ingee convoy, as far as Madery or so―(to protect 'em, you know, from the French privateers, and to bring back a pipe of the stuff for the admiral-aye, and I take it the old boy must have boused-up his jib-stay pretty often, for many's the pipe we shipped in the Gee for him.

up

6

"Howsomever, you see, we was order ed to sail with one of these thund'ring convoys, the largest as ever was gothered together in cove-nigh-hand a hundred and eighty or ninety sail. Let's see, there was the Polly-infamous, sixty-four, was our commodore you know; and 'sides we in the Gee, there was a ship Cravatte,|| and an eighteen-gun-brig.' Well, we sailed with the convoy from cove on St. Patrick's day, with a stagg'ring breeze at east-north-east. We was stationed astarn to jog-up the dull-uns, and to touch 'em in the bunt' with the buntin. "Well, a'ter we runs out of one o' your reg'lar easterly gales, what has more lives nor a cat, and going for ever like a blacksmith's bellows, til lit blows itself out, we meets with the tail of a westerly hurricane (one o' your sneezers, you know). Four or five of our headmost and leewardmost ships, what tasted the thick on it first, was taken aback, two was dismasted clean by the board: but the Goalong Gee was as snug as a duck in a ditch, never straining as much as a ropeyarn aloft, and as tight as a bottle below.

"Well, howsomever, we weathers out like a Mudian, though we lost to be sure the corporal of marines overboard, as was consulting his ease in the lee-mizen-chains. Well, a'ter the wind and sea gets down, the commodore closes the convoy, and sends shipwrights aboard of such ships as needed 'em most. Well, at last we gets into your regular trades, with wind just enough for a gentleman's yacht, or to ruffle the frill of a lady's flounce: and on one o' those nights as the convoy, you know, was cracking-on every thing lowand-aloft, looking just like a forest afloat -we keeping our station astarn on 'em all -top-sails low'r'd on the cap-the sea as smooth as Poll Patterson's tongue, and the

6

moon as bright as her eye-shoals of ber neties playing under the bows; what should I hear but a voice as was hailing the ship! Well, I never says nothing till I 'looks well around (for you see I'd the starboard cat-head at the time); so I waits till I hears it again-when sky larking Dick, who'd the larboard look-out, sneaks over and says, Bob, I say Bob-bo, did you never hear nothing just now?' Well, he scarcely axes the question, when we hears hailing again- Aboard the Ġ—e, ahoy-a-.' Well, there was nothing, you know, in sight within hail (for the starnmost ships of the convoy were more nor two miles a-head)-so I'm d-d if Dick and myself wasn't puzzled a bit, for we warn't just then in old Badgerbag'st track. Well, we looks broad on the bows, and under the bows, and over the bows, and every where round we could look, when the voice now, nearing us fast, and hailing again, we sees something as white as a sheet on the water! Well, I looks at Dick, and Dick looks at me-neither of us never saying nothing, you know, at the time when looking again, by the light of the moon, ' I'm d-d,' says I, if it is'nt the corporal's ghost!'-' I'm d—d if it is'nt,' says Dick, and aft he flies to make the report. Well, I felt summut or so queerish a bit (though I says nothing to no one, you know), for 'twas only a fortnight afore the corporal and I had a bit of a breeze 'bout taking my pot off the fire. Well, says the voice, Will you heave us a rope? I don't want a boat!' was the cry.

D-n it, ghost or no ghost,' says I, I'll give you a rope, if it's even to hang you;' so flying, you see, to the chains, I takes up a coil in my fist, and heaves it handsomely into his hands. Well, I was as mum as a monk, till he fixes himself in the bight of a bowling-knot ; when looking down on his phiz, says I, just quietly over my breath, Is that Corporal Crag?" says I. Corporal Hell!' says he,' why don't you haul up?'- Well, I sings ou for some-un to lend us a fist (for Dick was afeard to come forward again-and I'm blow'd but the leeftenant himself was as shy as the rest o' the watch). So I sings out again for assistance, for there was the unfortunate fellow towing alongside like a hide what was soft'ning in soak. 'Will no one lend us a hand ?' says I, or shall I turn the jolly adrift, and be d-d to you;' Well, this puts two o' the topmen you see on their pluck, for both on 'em claps on the rope, and rouses clean into the chains

-Now what do you think?"-" Why the corporal's ghost, to be sure," says one of the group." No, nor the sign of a ghost-nor a ghost's mate's minister's mate nor nothing that looked like a lubberly lobster, dead or alive; but as fine a young fellow as ever I seed in my days. For, you see, the whole on it is this:-'twas no more nor a chap of an apprentice, whose master had started him that morn; and rather nor stand it again, he takes to his fins, and swims like a fish to the Geemind! the starnmost ship of the convoy! though his own was one of the headmost, aye and running the risk not to fetch us you know, nor another chance to look to for his life. And why ?-why? bekase the ship had a name aye, sure! she was the Gee!!!"-Naval Sketch Book.

who ope

The silent hand, where grief's dull victims droop.

And should the hapless structure, e'er again Rear, from its bloodstained bed of death and pain,

Its doomed head, and greet again the skies,
Ere misplaced laughter's joyous strains arise,
Oh let the hymn of prayer, to heaven's high
throne

Ascend in solemn chant, religious moan;
For those whom charity can nought avail,
Who, prone in death, nor hear, nor heed her
wail:

Engulphed in sin, denied a dying prayer,
The voice of penitence, nor whisper'd hope
nor fear:

They've gone from this dark stage of varying strife,

They've gone to death's long waking dream from life;

They've gone! then prompt to mercy's genial

throne,

For them the prayer, who wait in realms unknown,

Till in their ears the awful summons dins,
In that mysterious hour, when dark begins
The Grand Rehearsal of their worldly sins."
W. MORLEY.