356 HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 



enterprize of Christopherus Columbus in that fortu 

 nate discovery towards the south-west, which had 

 been by him made some six years before, conceited 

 with himself, that lands might likewise be disco 

 vered towards the north-west. And surely it may 

 be he had more firm and pregnant conjectures of it, 

 than Columbus had of this at the first. For the 

 two great islands of the old and new world, being, 

 in the shape and making of them, broad towards 

 the north, and pointed towards the south ; it is 

 likely, that the discovery first began where the 

 lands did nearest meet. And there had been 

 before that time a discovery of some lands, which 

 they took to be islands, and were indeed the 

 continent of America, towards the north-west. And 

 it may be that some relation of this nature coming 

 afterwards to the knowledge of Columbus, and by 

 him suppressed (desirous rather to make his enter- 

 prize the child of his science and fortune, than the 

 follower of a former discovery) did give him better 

 assurance, that all was not sea, from the west of 

 Europe and Africa unto Asia, than either Seneca s 

 prophecy or Plato s antiquities, or the nature of the 

 tides and land-winds, and the like, which were the 

 conjectures that were given out, whereupon he 

 should have relied : though I am not ignorant, that 

 it was likewise laid unto the casual and wind-beaten 

 discovery, a little before, of a Spanish pilot, who 

 died in the house of Columbus. But this Gabato 

 bearing the king in hand, that he would find out an 

 island endued with rich commodities, procured him 



