friends; and in one word, of a whole generation. Is it poffible in the fame moment to be informed of this univerfal deftruction, and not to wish for death? 16. "This general mortality, which to others comes flowly and by degrees, has to me been inftantaneous, the operation of a moment. Whilft fecluded from fociety, I lived with myself only; but here I can neither live with myself, nor with this new race, to whom my anguish and despair appear only as a dream." 17. The minister was melted; he caused the old domes tic to attend this unfortunate perfon, as only he could talk to him of his family. 18. This difcourfe was the fingle confolation which he received: for he fhunned intercourfe with the new race, born fince he had been exiled from the world; and he paffed his time in the midst of Paris in the fame folitude as he had done whilft confined in a dungeon for almost half a century. 19. But the chagrin and mortification of meeting no perfon who could fay to him, "We were formerly known to each other," foon put an end to his existence. ACCOUNT OF COLUMBUS. To Chriftopher Columbus, a native of Ge noa, is defervedly afcribed the first discovery of America : an event, which opened to mankind a new region of fcience, commerce, and enterprife; and ftamped with immortality the name of its projector. 2. He was born in the year 1447. He early fhowed a capacity and inclination for a fea-faring life, and received an education which qualified him to pursue it. At the age of fourteen, he went to fea, and began his career on that element, where he was to perform exploits, which should astonish mankind. 3. He made a variety of voyages to almost every part of the globe, with which any intercourfe was then carried on by fea; and became one of the most skilful navigators in Europe. But his active and enterprifing genius would not fuffer him to reft in the decifions, and tamely follow the track of his predeceffors. 4. It was the great object in view at this time in Europe, to find out a paffage by fea to the Eaft Indies. The Portuguese, among whom he now refided, fought a new route to thefe defirable regions, by failing round the fouthern extremity of Africa. 5. They had confumed half a century in making various attempts, and had advanced no further on the western fhore of Africa than just to cross the equator, when Columbus conceived his great defign of finding India in the weft. The fpherical figure of the earth, which he understood, made it evident to him, that Europe, Afia, and Africa, formed but a small portion of the globe. 6. It is was an impeachment of the wisdom and beneficence of the Author of nature, to suppose that the vast space, yet unexplored, was a waste, unprofitable ocean; and it appeared neceffary, that there thould be another continent in the well to counterpoife the immenfe quantity of land, which was known to be in the east. 7. In the fea, near the western iflands, pieces of carved wood, and large joints of cane had been discovered; and branches of pin trees, and the bodies of two men, with features different from the Europeans, had been found on the shores of those islands after a course of wefterly winds. 8. These reasonings and facts, with fome others, convinced Columbus that it was poffible to find the defired land by failing in a wefterly direction. He had a genius of that kind, which makes ufe of reafoning only as an excitement to action. No fooner was he fatisfied of the truth of his fyftem, than he was anxious to bring it to the teft of experiment; and fet out on a voyage of discovery. 9. His first step was to fecure the patronage of fome of the confiderable powers of Europe, capable of undertaking fuch an enterprife. Excited by the love of his country, he laid his fcheme before the Senate of Genoa, offering to fail under their banners. But they, ignorant of the principles on which it was formed, rejected it as the dream of a vifionary projector. 10. He next applied to John II. king of Portugal. But he being deeply engaged in profecuting difcoveries along the coast coast of Africa, was not inclined to encourage the undertaking of Columbus; yet he meanly fought to rob him of ́ the glory and advantages of his fcheme, by privately dif patching a ship to make a discovery in the west. II. When Columbus was acquainted with this perfidious transaction, he quitted the kingdom with indignation, and landed in Spain in 1484. Here, after seven years painful folicitation at court, and furmounting every obstacle, which ignorance, timidity, jealoufy, and avarice could lay before him, he obtained his requeft; and Ferdinand and Ifabella, who then reigned together, agreed to be patrons of his enterprise. 12. It was ftipulated between him and them, that he fhould be admiral in all those islands and continents he fhould discover, and have the office hereditary in his family; that he fhould be viceroy of the fame for life, and enjoy a tenth of all the merchandize which should be found. 13. Three fmall veffels were fitted out and victualled for twelve months, furnished with ninety men, and placed under his command. With this little fleet he fet fail from Palos, on Friday the 3d of Auguft, 1492; and taking a wefterly course, boldly ventured into the unknown ocean. 14. He foon found that he had unforeseen hardships and difficulties to encounter from the inexperience and fears of his men. To go directly from home into a boundless ocean, far from any hope of relief, if any accident should befal them, and where no friendly port nor human being were known to exist, filled the boldest feamen with appre henfion. 15. What greatly added to their terror, was a new and extraordinary phenomenon, which occurred on the 14th of September. The magnetic needle varied from the pole, and as they advanced, the variation increased. Nature feemed to be changed; and their only guide through the trackless waters, to prove unfaithful. 16. After twenty days, the impatient failors began to talk of throwing their commander into the fea, and of returning home. Their murmurs reached his ears; but his fertile mind fuggefted an expedient in every extremity. By foothing, flattery, and artifice; by inventing reafons for D 2 every every uncommon appearance, and deceiving them in the fhip's reckoning, he kept them on fixteen days longer. 17. On the night of the 11th of October, he himself difcovered a light, which appeared to move; and the next morning gave them the joyful fight of land. It proved to be the island Guanahana, one of the clufter, called Bahamas. Thus in the fpace of thirty-fix days, and the fortyfifth year of his age, Columbus completed a voyage, which he had spent twenty years in projecting; which opened to the Europeans a new world, and made the name of Columbus immortal. 18. With tears of joy and tranfports of congratulation, the crews of the fhips fang a hymn of thankfgiving to God. After touching at feveral islands, and leaving a small colony, he returned to Spain. On his return he was overtaken by a ftorm, which became fo furious that his deftruction feem. ed inevitable. The crews abandoned themselves to despair, and expected every moment to be swallowed up in the waves. 19. In this extremity, he gave an admirable proof of his calmness and forefight. He wrote a fhort account of his voyage on parchment, enclosed it in a cake of wax, which he put into a tight cafk, and threw into the sea, in hopes that fome fortunate accident would preferve a deposit of fo much importance to the world. The form however fubfided, and he arrived at Palos in Spain, on the 15th of March, 1493. 20. The populace received him with acclamations; and the King and Queen, no lefs aftonifhed than delighted with his fuccefs, had him conducted to court with a pomp fuitable to the event, which added fuch diftinguished luftre to their reign. His family was ennobled; and his former privileges and offices confirmed to him. 21. He foon failed on a fecond expedition to the new world, with a fleet of feventeen fhips, having on board 1500 people, and all things neceffary for establishing plantations. After difcovering many islands of the Weft-Indies, and submitting to every labor and vexation in attempting to fettle his colony, he returned to Spain in 1498, to counteract the intrigues and efforts of his enemies in the Spanish court. 22. He made two more voyages, in which he touched at most parts of the Weft-Indies, difcovered the continent, and and coasted on its fhores for 400 leagues. But the last part of his life was made wretched by the perfecutions of his enemies. 23. Their pride and jealoufy could not endure that a foreigner fhould obtain fo high a rank as to be viceroy for life, and have the office of admiral hereditary in his family, to the exclasion of the Spanish nobles. They were, therefore, indefatigable in their endeavours to depreciate his merits, and ruin his fortune. 24. He was once carried home in irons; and, in violation of gratitude, humanity, and justice, basely deprived of all the offices and poffeffions in the new world, to which he had a right by the folemn ftipulations of Ferdinand. When he returned from his laft voyage, in 1505, Queen Isabella, his only friend and patronefs in the court of Spain, was dead. L 25. Worn out with ficknefs and fatigue, disgusted with the infincerity of his fovereign and the haughtiness of his courtiers, he lingered out a year in fruitless folicitations for his violated rights, till death relieved him from his forrows. He ended his useful and active life at Valladolid, on the 20th of May, 1506, in the 59th year of his age. 26. In the life of this remarkable man, there was no deficiency of any quality, which can constitute a great character. He was grave, though courteous in his deportment, circumfpect in his words and actions, irreproachable in his morals, and exemplary in all the duties of religion. 27. The court of Spain were fo juft to his memory, that, notwithstanding their ingratitude towards him during his life, they buried him magnificently in the Cathedral of Seville, and erected a tomb over him with this infcription, COLUMBUS HAS GIVEN A NEW WORLD TO THE KINGDOMS OF CASTILE AND LEON. COLUMBIA. COLUMBIA, Columbia, to gory arise; The queen of the world and the child of the skies; T |