object more or less distinctly from the first, as it is that of all true men in their several spheres. According to his own deep maxim, that "Doubt of any sort can only be removed by action," this object had now become more clear to him; and he may be said to have pursued it to the present hour, with a comprehensiveness and unwearied perseverance, rarely, if ever, exemplified in the history of such a mind.'-vol. iv., pp. 5-8.

We can only further afford a few words upon the general manner in which Mr. Carlisle has executed his design. That his tales are in general exceedingly well and fluently translated, is the least part of the praise which is due to him. For he has in truth brought to his task a very considerable acquaintance with German literature, and a thorough conception of its peculiar spirit. His criticisms are always lively, acute, and intelligent, and not unfrequently both profound and judicious. But he certainly succeeds best in his biographical pieces; and observing the animation and vigour with which he knows how to carry us forward, and amuse us at every step, through the lives of his heroes, we really would recommend him to pursue biography as a department of literary composition, for which he has evidently a particular talent. In giving only a secondary degree of applause to his critical ability, our application is qualified by observing, that he has often refined, and as it were, idealized his subject too eagerly. Perhaps this has been a natural consequence of his recent studies; and in burying his mind deeply in the thoughts of German philosophers, critics and commentators, he has steeped it in not a little of the national spirit of mysticism.

He is too prone to "energise;" and he indulges this disposition sometimes with a vengeance, by the fracturing of our old language, and the propelling together of all sorts of odd compounds and novel phrases. Indeed, of his style altogether, we are sorry to say that we can by no means approve; it is at once preposterously ornamented, and unpardonably careless. His periods sparkle with lively illustrations, and are bedecked with every variety of tropes and figures; but these appear often as ill-assorted and mixed metaphors, and may be likened to parti-coloured ribbands, strewed over an under dress of incongruous hues and unseemly negligence. The whole appearance, therefore, is one of tawdry finery, not of chastened simplicity or appropriate and consistent elegance. We mention these palpable marks of bad taste in Mr. Carlisle's composition, not in ill-natured censure, but for friendly admonition; because, while they disfigure the attraction and injure the value of his thoughts, a recurrence of such faults may be easily avoided; and because we have conceived a very favourable opinion of the qualities of his mind, and would willingly caution him against suffering a few blemishes of mannerism to interfere with the free exercise, and advantageous exhibition, of no ordinary talents.

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ART. II. Coleccion de los Viages y Descubrimientos que hicieron por mar los Espanoles desde fines del Siglo XV., con varios documentos ineditos, coordinata é ilustrada por D. Martin, F. de Navarrete. De Orden de su Magestad: Madrid en la Imprenta Real, 1825. Vol. i. & ii. 4to.

IN the number of this journal for January last, the work now before us was briefly noticed*, as one replete with curious matter, the greater part of which had hitherto lain concealed in the royal archives of Spain. Since then a respectable contemporary, the Quarterly Review, has adverted to the subject, but in so compendious and cursory a manner, that we are quite confident the intelligent reader will feel obliged to us for introducing him more fully to the contents of these two volumes.

They are intended to afford a complete view of the discoveries made by the Spaniards since the close, of the fifteenth century. Of course, the chief portion of them refers to Colombo's intrepid and suceessful enterprises. Little new light is shed on his early career farther than this-that he went to settle at Lisbon about the year 1470, where he married Doña Felipa Muniz, whose father Bartolomé was attached to the household of the Infante Don Juan of Portugal. Bartolomé was also a navigator, and went with a colony to the island of Puerto Santo. After his death, his widow gave the use of his papers, charts, and instruments, to her son-in-law, who visited the island of Madeira. It appears, that in consequence of the information which these papers afforded him, Colombo offered his services to the court of Portugal, for undertaking further discoveries to the westward; and we have a curious epistle, addressed to him at Lisbon, by Paolo Toscanelli, a celebrated astronomer of the day, dated Florence, 25th June, 1474, in which, knowing Colombo's earnest desire to sail in quest of the regions where the spices grow, the writer sends him a copy of a letter he had written some time before to Canon Martinez, a confidential person of the king of Portugal, stating his opinion, that the direct westward track from Lisbon to the Spice islands, and other Indian coasts, must be shorter than that from Lisbon to the coast of Guinea; and accompanying his assertion by a chart of his own composition, with the track marked upon it. "Do not be surprised, observes Toscanelli, that I call Ponente the lands where the spices grow, which commonly are called Levante, because those who sail to the west will find those places in that direction, whilst those who proceed eastward by land, will meet them in the east."

However, Colombo did not succeed with the court of Portugal, and he was even obliged, it appears, to escape precipitately from that country about the year 1484, the reason of which is not

* See the M. R. p. 109, vol. iv.

stated; and he retired to Andalusia. Having afterwards asked of the king of Portugal a sauf conduit to return to Lisbon, the king, Don Joham, wrote to him, at Seville, a kind letter, dated 20th March, 1488, saying that he would be pleased to see him, being acquainted with his zeal for his service, and that affairs should be settled to his satisfaction.

hether Colombo accepted or not of this invitation, we have not Leen able to ascertain; but we find him in the years 1487, 88, and 89, at Seville, where it appears, by several documents, that various sums of money were paid to him by order of queen Isabella, at different periods, till the year 1492, apparently for his support and encouragement in his views of preparing for a voyage of discovery. The Duke of Medinaceli, a great nobleman in Andalusia, had become acquainted with Colombo in 1484, when the latter was a refugee from Portugal: the Duke kept him two years near his person, and intended at one time to have sent him with an expedition on his own account from Port St. Mary's; but thinking afterwards the undertaking more fit for a Sovereign, he wrote to the Queen, and sent Colombo to her, requesting that if the expedition were to take place, he, the Duke, should have a share in it; and that it should sail from, and return to, the port just mentioned. The consequence was, that Colombo, from the year 1486, was taken into the Queen's service, and received a salary; but the final determination was deferred until after the taking of Grenada, into which city their Catholic Majesties entered in January, 1492.

At last, on the 17th of April, 1492, an agreement was entered into between their majesties and Colombo, by which the latter was to have the title of Almirante and Viceroy of the lands which he was to discover, and also the tenth part of the profits to be derived either from the discovery of precious metals, stones, &c., or from the selling or exchanging of goods; and on the 30th of the same month, this agreement was sanctioned by letters patent.

The various narratives of the four voyages of Colombo, are contained in the first volume of the present collection. The second volume consists entirely of detached documents connected with those transactions. Colombo's narratives are of a piece with his character, plain, unassuming matter of fact statements, intermixed with religious feelings, which gave to his firmness and courage additional strength. We pass over his two first voyages, as they contain few particulars which are not already known. His third voyage was undertaken in 1498. He sailed from San Lucar, and steered direct for the Caribbee Islands; he made Trinidad, and discovered the main land of Cumana, and the mouths of the great Oronoco river: amidst which, curiously enough, he thought he had found the site of the primitive Eden! He thence repaired to Hispaniola, where those troubles began which pursued him almost during the remainder of his life.

And here we think Mr. Navarrete has, in a great reasure, succeeded in exculpating Ferdinand and Isabella fro.n the charge of ingratitude to Colombo, which has been rashly and intemperately brought against them by several modern writers. Colombo had been rewarded in a generous manner for his services; the greatest confidence was reposed in him by the king, as is proved by his letters; his sons were made pages to the queen; he was authorised to create a mayorazgo in his family, which was thus ennobled ; he had privileges and emoluments bestowed on him in his newly discovered countries; he was entrusted with an ample and high command; the kindest and most flattering expressions were addressed to him by the two monarchs, when on a sudden a storm arose, which obscured the whole course of his fortunes.

Colombo found the colony which had been already settled at Hispaniola, in a state of great confusion, and he seems to have been either unable or unfit to restore order. It must be admitted that he had exceeded his powers, that he had made slaves of the Indians, and sent them to Spain to be sold, and that he suspended the salaries and allowances of many of the officers and settlers. Hence reclamations were made against him numerous and loud; the colony was threatened with utter anarchy and destruction; numbers of persons who returned to Spain from Hispaniola, complained of Colombo's overbearing and arbitrary conduct, of his ambition, injustice, and insatiable love of money. The disappointed complainants beset the ministers and the king himself; they demanded the arrears of their allowances, which had been stopped, by the admiral; a crowd of them assembled in the Alhambra of Grenada, and pressing round the king, made the place resound with their vociferations; and went so far as to insult the sons of Colombo, who were employed in the royal palace, about their majesties' persons. Yet Ferdinand paused a long time before he took any measure against his favourite admiral, and it was only in May, 1499, that he determined on sending an officer, with the title of juez perquisitor, to investigate the causes of the prevailing discontent. The king's choice fell on the commander Bobadilla, an old servant of the crown, and a man, till then, of high character. On Bobadilla's arrival at Hispaniola, he found the disturbances nearly quelled, but his appearance was the signal for the discontented to raise fresh outcries against the admiral, whom they called a foreigner. The new judge, surrounded by partial accusers, and perhaps not a little stimulated by his own ambition and cupidity, acted with great harshness towards the admiral and his brother, seized upon their house and property, put them in chains, and sent them to Spain. On their arrival at Cadiz, however, in November 1500, they were immediately released by order of their majesties, who were then at Grenada; a supply of money was sent to them, and they were invited to appear at court, where they were received most kindly, and were expressly informed that the treat

ment which they had suffered had been the very reverse of their majesties' intentions. Bobadilla being recalled, Don Nicholas de Ovando was sent as governor-general, ad interim, with Colombo's consent; and in September 1501, orders were given that the admiral's property should be restored to him. He was, moreover, indemnified for his losses, the contracts he had made were confirmed, and in short, he was reinstated in all his privileges and emoluments, except the governorship*. It is a remarkable circumstance, however, that the inquests taken, and the depositions forwarded against him, were hushed up, and not made public; and that he does not appear ever to have solicited, as he might have done, to be tried, or confronted with his accusers, in order that he might clear himself from the charges of his accusers. The historian Oviedo remarks, on this subject, "that the real motives of the imprisonment of the admiral remained secret, because the king and queen preferred to have him discharged, rather than severely treated."

The account of the fourth or last voyage of Colombo, is preceded by a copy of the instructions drawn out by the king, for the admiral's guidance. Among other things, Colombo was desired not to interfere with the colony of Hispaniola, the scene of his former broils, nor even to touch, or at least linger, on its shores. He was also forbidden to make slaves of the Indians, but was only to take with him such as would willingly attend him. He set sail in May, 1502, on this new expedition, during which he discovered the coast of Nicaragua, and landed at the Rio de Veragua, where he was unsuccessful in his attempt at forming a settlement. We have among the narratives, two accounts of those transactions. The first was written by Diego de Porres, a member of the expedition. He states briefly, that Colombo having entered the river, which he named Santa Maria de Belem, was well received by the people, andthat the cacique informed the Spaniards where the mines lay, and even sent two of his sons to point them out. "We found,” says Diego, "many mines already opened by the Indians, who are here very skilful in the art of extracting the precious metals; in one day we gathered several ounces of gold, without any instruments." He then proceeds to state, that in consequence of an attempt which was made by the admiral, to seize the cacique and his children, the camp of the Spaniards was attacked, several of the men were wounded, and they found it necessary, after burning two of their ships which became unserviceable, to make the best of their way to Hispaniola.

We have another account of this disgraceful affair, from the pen of Diego Mendez, who was a principal actor in it, and who appears to have enjoyed the admiral's peculiar confidence. His narrative is extracted, oddly enough, from his will, in which he bequeaths

See documents in vol. ii., p. 274, &c.