1^8 ovaLle's historical relation op chile. 



not fo much matter for my pen, as for fight and fenfe. All this happened to the 

 admirars company, which not only forgot their fufferings, and the hatred they 

 bore to the author of them, but they run and threw themfelves at his feet, as 

 admiring and congratulating his conftancy, and begging his pardon for fo many 

 hard thoughts, and as hard words, they had entertained, and let fly againft him : he 

 received them all with embraces and marks of benignity, aiTuring them that by the end 

 of that day they fhould be within fight of land, and having faid this, he went upon 

 the higheft part of the fhip*s flern, as being defirous to be the firft, that Ihould 

 give them the good news of difcovering land. 



There was a rent of ten thoufand Maravedies a year for the firft difcoverer, which 

 made them all look out with great attention ; fome on one fide, and fome on the 

 other fide of the fhip, fixing their eyes where they thought it was moft probable to 

 find land ; but it was about two hours before midnight, when Admiral Columbus 

 difcovered a light, and calling to two officers, fhewed them ; and prefently he perceived 

 that the light changed place, for it was a light carried from one houfe to another, as 

 was known afterwards when they landed : they failed on towards that light, and about 

 two hours after midnight they difcovered land, which was at the fame time made by the 

 other fhips in company, whereupon there were many claims for the Albricias ; but at 

 laft they agreed that the Albricias belonged to the admiral, becaufe he firft difcovered 

 the light : this was confirmed by Ferdinand and Ifabella, King and Queen of Spain, 

 and fettled upon the fhambles of Seville, as the beft fund for the admiral. 



Herrera, the chronologift, makes his refledions upon this light, and moralizes upon 

 it, that it fignified the fpiritual light, which thofe nations wanted, and which was now 

 brought to them from Europe by thefe difcoverers ; as a proof likewife of the piety 

 of the catholic Kings, who having made war upon the Moors for three hundred and 

 twenty years, had hardly finifhed it j but they put their fhoulders to this new con- 

 queft, to fpread by their means, the glory of the gofpel, and make the voice of it to 

 be heard to the utmoft limits of the earth, making out by this manifeft proof, how firm 

 fupports they were to the faith, fince they were conftantly employed in propagating of 

 it. Thus far Herrera : to which I may add, that the light Columbus faw in the 

 middle of the night, was the tacit working of reafon, which being buried in profound 

 errors, did yet throw out fome fparks from under thofe afties, and cry to heaven for 

 the enlivening fpirit to deliver it, and by the means of Chrift revive it, fo as to enlighten 

 that gentilifm, fo long overwhelmed in darknefs, and for fo many ages paft buried, as 

 it were, in the fhadow of death. 



Thus it ^was^; and as foon as day broke they landed : the admiral carried with him 

 the royal ftandard fpread, the other captains having in theirs the banners of this con- 

 queft, which were prepared, and had in them a green crofs crowned, and round about 

 the names of Ferdinando and Ifabella, to fignify the hopes that thofe princes had 

 entertained to make fubje£t, and lay at the feet of the crucified Jefus, the crowns and 

 fceptres of thofe powerful monarchs of that new world ; they themfelves having firft 

 fubmitted their own, that there might be no crown, command, nor lordlhip, but that 

 of the exaltation of the crofs. 



To this end, as foon as the admiral landed, kneeling down with all his company, 

 he kiffed it once, and twice ; and lifting up his eyes to heaven, all in tears, he adored 

 our Lord God of all things, who had brought him thither, thanking him for his favour, 

 and doing homage to him in the name of thofe people, who were to be brought to his 

 knowledge j in fign of all which, and the ppfleffion he then took, he called that 



xo ifland 



