Christopher Columbus and His Monument Columbia Part 33

[Ill.u.s.tration: From Harper's Weekly.

Copyright, 1892, by Harper & Brothers.

THE COLUMBUS MONUMENT, NEW YORK CITY.

Presented by the Italian Citizens.

(See page 243.)]

SENECA'S PROPHECY.

LUCIUS ANNaeUS SENECA, an eminent Roman stoic, philosopher, and moralist. Born at Corduba, Spain, about 5 B. C.; committed suicide 65 A. D.

_Venient annis Saecula seris, quibus Ocea.n.u.s Vincula rerum laxet, et ingens Pateat teilus, Tethysque novos Detegat orbes, nec sit terris Ultima Thule._

THE TOMB IN SEVILLE.

The following inscription is placed on the tomb of Hernando Columbus in the pavement of the Cathedral of Seville, Spain:

Aqui yaze el. M. Magnifico S. D. Hernando Colon, el qual aplico y gasto toda su vida y hazienda en aumento de las letras, y juntar y perpetuar en esta ciudad todas sus libros de todas las ciencias, que en su tiempo hallo y en reducirlo a quatro libros.

Fallecio en esta ciudad a 12 de Julio de 1539 de edad de 50 anos 9 meses y 14 dias, fue hijo del valeroso y memorable S. D. Christ. Colon primero Almirante que descubrio las Yndias y nuevo mundo en vida de los Cat. R.

D. Fernando, y. D. Ysabel de gloriosa memoria a. 11 de Oct. de 1492, con tres galeras y 90 personas, y partio del puerto de Palos a descubrirlas a 3 de Agosto antes, y Bolvio a Castilla con victoria a 7 de Maio del Ano Siguente y torno despues otras dos veces a poblar lo que descubrio.

Fallecio en Valladolid a 20 de Agosto de 1506 anos--[56]

Rogad a Dios por ellos.

(_In English._) Here rests the most magnificent Senor Don Hernando Colon, who applied and spent all his life and estate in adding to the letters, and collecting and perpetuating in this city all his books, of all the sciences which he found in his time, and in reducing them to four books. He died in this city on the 12th of July, 1539, at the age of 50 years, 9 months, and 14 days. He was son of the valiant and memorable Senor Don Christopher Colon, the First Admiral, who discovered the Indies and the New World, in the lifetime of their Catholic Majesties Don Fernando and Dona Isabel of glorious memory, on the 11th of October, 1492, with three galleys and ninety people, having sailed from the port of Palos on his discovery on the 3d of August previous, and returned to Castille, with victory, on the 7th of May of the following year. He returned afterward twice to people that which he had discovered. He died in Valladolid on the 20th of August, 1506, aged ----.

Entreat the Lord for them.

Beneath this is described, in a circle, a globe, presenting the western and part of the eastern hemispheres, surmounted by a pair of compa.s.ses.

Within the border of the circle is inscribed:

_a Castillo, y a Leon Mundo nuevo dio Colon._

(To Castille and Leon, Columbus gave a new world.)

ONWARD! PRESS ON!

JOHANN CHRISTOPH FRIEDRICH SCHILLER, one of Germany's greatest poets. Born at Marbach (about eight miles from Stuttgart), November 11, 1759; died, May 9, 1805, at Weimar.

COLUMBUS.

(1795.)

Steure, muthiger Segler! Es mag der Witz dich verhohen Und der Schiffer am Steur senken die la.s.sige Hand.

Immer, immer nach West! Dort muss die Kuste sich zeigen, Liegt sie doch deutlich und liegt schimmernd vor deinen Verstand.

Traue dem leitenden Gott und folge dem schweigenden Weltmeer!

War sie noch nicht, sie stieg' jetzt aus dem Fluten empor.

Mit dem Genius steht die Natur in ewigem Bunde Was der Eine verspricht leistet die Andre gewiss.

Metrically translated (1843) by SIR EDWARD GEORGE EARLE LYTTON, BULWER-LYTTON, Baronet (afterward first Lord Lytton. Born at Heydon Hall, Norfolk, May 25, 1803; died, January 18, 1873), in the following n.o.ble lines:

COLUMBUS.

STEER on, bold sailor! Wit may mock thy soul that sees the land, And hopeless at the helm may droop the weak and weary hand, YET EVER, EVER TO THE WEST, for there the coast must lie, And dim it dawns, and glimmering dawns before thy reason's eye; Yea, trust the guiding G.o.d--and go along the floating grave, Though hid till now--yet now, behold the New World o'er the wave.

With Genius Nature ever stands in solemn union still, And ever what the one foretells the other shall fulfill.

Senor EMILIO CASTELAR, the talented Spanish orator and statesman, in the fourth of a series of most erudite and interesting articles upon Christopher Columbus, in the _Century Magazine_ for August, 1892, thus masterly refers to the above pa.s.sages:

He who pens these words, on reading the lines of the great poet Schiller upon Columbus, found therein a philosophical thought, as original as profound, calling upon the discoverer to press ever onward, for a new world will surely arise for him, inasmuch as whatever is promised by Genius is always fulfilled by Nature. To cross the seas of Life, naught suffices save the bark of Faith. In that bark the undoubting Columbus set sail, and at his journey's end found a new world. Had that world not then existed, G.o.d would have created it in the solitude of the Atlantic, if to no other end than to reward the faith and constancy of that great man. America was discovered because Columbus possessed a living faith in his ideal, in himself, and in his G.o.d.

THE NORSEMAN'S CLAIM TO PRIORITY.

Mrs. JOHN B. s.h.i.+PLEY'S "Leif Erikson."

Father Bodfish, of the cathedral in Boston, in his paper, read a year ago before the Bostonian Society, on the discovery of America by the Northmen, is reported to have quoted, "as corroborative authority, the account given in standard history of the Catholic Church of the establishment of a bishopric in Greenland in 1112 A. D., and he added the interesting suggestion that as it is the duty of a bishop so placed at a distance to report from time to time to the Pope, not only on ecclesiastical matters, but of the geography of the country and character of the people, it is probable that Columbus had the benefit of the knowledge possessed. It is [he said] stated in different biographies of Columbus that when the voyage was first proposed by him he found difficulty in getting Spanish sailors to go with him in so doubtful an undertaking. After Columbus returned from a visit to Rome with information there obtained, these sailors, or enough of them, appear to have had their doubts or fears removed, and no difficulty in enlistment was experienced."

COLUMBUS BEFORE THE UNIVERSITY OF SALAMANCA.

LYDIA HUNTLEY SIGOURNEY, an American poet and miscellaneous writer.

Born at Norwich, Conn., September 1, 1791; died, June 10, 1865.

St. Stephen's cloistered hall was proud In learning's pomp that day, For there a robed and stately crowd Pressed on in long array.

A mariner with simple chart Confronts that conclave high, While strong ambition stirs his heart, And burning thoughts of wonder part From lip and sparkling eye.

What hath he said? With frowning face, In whispered tones they speak; And lines upon their tablet's trace Which flush each ashen cheek.

The Inquisition's mystic doom Sits on their brows severe, And bursting forth in visioned gloom, Sad heresy from burning tomb Groans on the startled ear.

Courage, thou Genoese! Old Time Thy splendid dream shall crown.

Yon western hemisphere sublime, Where unshorn forests frown; The awful Andes' cloud-rapt brow, The Indian hunter's bow.

Bold streams untamed by helm or prow, And rocks of gold and diamonds thou To thankless Spain shalt show.

Courage, world-finder, thou hast need.

In Fate's unfolding scroll, Dark woes and ingrate wrongs I read, That rack the n.o.ble soul.

On, on! Creation's secrets probe.

Then drink thy cup of scorn, And wrapped in fallen Caesar's robe, Sleep like that master of the globe, All glorious, yet forlorn.

COLUMBUS A MARTYR.

SAMUEL SMILES, the celebrated British biographer. Born at Haddington, Scotland, about 1815. From his volume, "Duty."