240 COSMOS. 



but it was not from these islands, which He between the coasts 

 of Spain and Maryland, and only at fths the distance from 

 the latter, that America was discovered. The preconception 

 of this event is celebrated with rich poetical fancy in those 

 stanzas of Tasso, in which he sings of the deeds which Her- 

 cules ventured not to attempt. 



Non oso di tentar I'alto oceano: 



Segno le mete, en troppo breve chiostri, 



L'ardir ristrinse dell'ingegno umano, 



Tempo verra che fian d'Ecole i segni 



Favola vile ai naviganti industri 



Un uom delta Liguria avra ardimento 



All' incognito corso esporsi in prima. 



Tasso, XV. St., 25, 30, et 31. 



And yet it was of this "■uom della Liguria'' that the great 

 Portuguese historical writer, Johannes Barros,* whose first de- 

 cade appeared in 1552, simply remarked that he was a vain 

 and fanciful babbler {Jiomem fallador e giorioso em mostrar 

 Silas habilidades, e inais fantastico, e de iTnaginacoes com sua 

 llha Cypango). Thus, through all ages and through all 

 stages of civilization, national hatred has striven to obscure 

 the glory of honorable names. 



The discovery of the tropical regions of America by Chris- 

 topher Columbus, Alonso de Hojeda, and Alvarez Cabral, can 

 not be regarded in the history of the contemplation of the uni- 

 verse as one isolated event. Its influence on the extension of 

 physical science, and on the increase of materials yielded to 

 the ideal world generally, can not be correctly understood 

 without entering into a brief consideration of the period which 

 separates the epoch of the great maritime expeditions from 

 that of the maturity of scientific culture among the Arabs. 

 That which imparted to the age of Columbus its peculiar 

 character of uninterrupted and successful efforts toward the 

 attainment of new discoveries and extended geographical 

 knowledge, was prepared slowly and in various ways. The 

 means which contributed most strongly to favor these efforts 

 were a small number of enterprising men, who early excited 

 a simultaneous and general freedom of thought, and an inde- 

 pendence of investigation into the separate phenomena of na- 

 ture ; the influence exercised on the deepest sources of mental 

 vigor by the renewed acquaintance formed in Italy with the 

 works of ancient Greek literature ; the discovery of an art 

 which lent to thought at once wings of speed and powers of 



* Da Asia de Joao de Barros e de Diego de Couto, dec. i.. liv. iii., 

 cap. 11 (Parte i., Lisboa, 1778, p. 250). 



