LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 359 



of Portugal. It was immediately after the first of these 

 events, that Columbus proposed his voyage of discov- 

 ery to the king. The latter referred the proposal to 

 a junto of learned men, who treated it as extravagant 

 and visionary ; and afterwards to a larger council of 

 prelates and men of science. But the decision was still 

 the same, though the objections were less to the theory 

 itself, than upon the ground of the war with the Moors of 

 Barbary, and other enterprises in which Portugal was al- 

 ready engaged. 



Towards the end of 1484, Columbus left Lisbon, with 

 his son Diego, as is generally supposed, for Genoa, and 

 thence for Venice, to both which governments he renewed 

 his proposals without success, while his brother Bartholo- 

 mew met with the same fortune in England. During the 

 next season he visited Spain for the first time, under cir- 

 cumstances not unworthy of mention. A stranger, on 

 foot, it is said, in humble guise, but of a distinguished 

 air, accompanied by a small boy, stopped at the gate of 

 an old Franciscan convent, near the sea-port Palos, and 

 asked of the porter a little bread and water for his child. 

 While receiving this humble refreshment, the prior of the 

 convent, Juan Perez, happening to pass by, was struck 

 with the stranger's appearance, entered into conversation 

 with him, and soon learned the particulars of his story. 

 It was Columbus and his son. The prior was still more 

 interested in the eloquent explanation which the former 

 gave of his theory. He detained him as his guest, there- 

 fore, and sent for a learned physician of Palos to converse 

 farther with him. He, too, was delighted with Colum- 

 bus ; and so entirely convinced by his reasoning, that he 

 pressed him to introduce himself immediately at court, 

 and gave him a letter to the queen's confessor, Talavera, 

 an intimate friend of his, and a man of great influence 

 with the royal family. The good prior, meanwhile, took 

 charge of the young Diego, the wife of Columbus being 

 at this time deceased. 



Columbus entered the city of Cordova in the spring of 

 I486, at a period when the whole chivalry of Spain was 

 gathering together there for a final campaign against the 

 Moors. This circumstance was unpardonable ; and dress- 



