Chap. III. Christopher Columbus. 
13. It muft naturally feem ftrange to the judicious and 
attentive Reader, that every light, every tranfient Scheme 
for finding new Countries, and making freih Difcoveries, 
fliould meet with Encouragement, while the Admiral 
himfelf was not only in a manner neglefted, but alfo 
moil infamoufly abufed. He ought to coiifider, however, 
that Difcoveries and Improvements are feldom well un- 
derftood by Statefinen and Courtiers. To fpeak honeftly 
and fairly they are the iaft Sort of Men that can be 
brought to underftand them, and that for this plain Rea- 
fon : The Merit of fuch Undertakings confifts in pro- 
pciing a very large and certain future Advantage from a 
fmallprefent Expence, whereas Statefmen and Courtiers, 
having the prefent Time only in View, care very little 
for fitch Advantages as are to redound to their Country 
in Times after their own. 
We have a clear and diredl Proof of this in the Con- 
du£t of the Spanijh Minifters upon this Occafion j for 
they were infinitely more ready to liften to all fuch Ad- 
venturers as propofed immediate Profits, and a prefent 
Supply, of Gold, Pearl, and other rich Commodities, 
than to the Schemes of the Admiral, who was a grave 
public-fpirited Man, and fhewed his Integrity as well as 
ills Wifdom, in defiring his Reward in thofe Countries 
which he difcovered, and not in Spain. But to enter 
more particularly into the Miftakes that were made by 
tht Spanijh Minifters in their Conduift of this Affair, for 
the fake of other Countries, and future Difcoveries, we 
will reduce them under Three Heads. 
Firfi^ It was extremely wrong, to place the foie Merit 
of thofe new found Countries, in producing Gold’ and 
Pearls j and this for many Reafons which might be 
affigned, but we will mention only two ; one is, that a 
Country is not enriched fo much as endangered by hav- 
ing Gold Mines ; and this, becaufe it exhauftsits Subjedls, 
encourages Luxury, and excites the Envy of other Na- 
tions. In this Senfe, whatever Commodities will pro- 
duce Gold and Silver are much more valuable than 
thofe Metals, as we fee plainly by the Dutch Fifheries 
on our Coafts, which are infinitely more beneficial than 
if, inftead of Herrings, their Nets brought up fo much 
Gold as thofe Herrings fell for, fince it is a continual 
Niirfery for Seamen, employs a vaft Number of People 
on Shore, creates a very large and profitable Trade’, and' 
has increaied the Dutch Shipping to almoft an incredible 
Degree : Gold and Silver, therefore, are the Riches of 
^private Men ; but the Wealth of a Nation confifts in In-, 
duftry and Trade. The other R.eafon Why the bringing 
over fuch rich Metals ought not to be encouraged, efpe- 
cially at the Beginning of fuch Difcoveries, is, becaufe 
it hinders Plantations and Settlements, and, by exciting 
a Spirit of Avarice, abfolutely deftroys that kind of 
public Spirit, which can alone difpofe the Inhabitants- 
of Colonies to become truly ufeful to their Mother 
Country. 
The fecond great Miftake they committed was, ifi 
making their Notions public, and thereby drawing 
Multitude of Adventurers to croud in with their Pro- 
jedls j v/hich not only diftradled the Viev/s of the great 
Men themfelves, but difturbed all Spain^ and, inftead of 
promoting that kind of Turn which was requifite to 
improve thofe neW difcovered Countries, begat quite- the 
reverfe, and eftablifhed it as a general Opinion, that 
Wealth was the foie Good, and .that every kind of Ha- 
zard was to be run in order to obtain it. 
The third Error, was their flighting and relinquifhing 
that moft wife and judicious Plan which Columbus had 
chalked out ; for he, by fuggefting the Converfion of 
Infidels to the Chriftian Faith, and thereby obtaining the 
Sanclion of the Pope’s Grant, had . moft effectually co- 
vered all the Views of Ambition and Intereft which it 
became the Court of Caftile to conceal ; but the Bifhop 
of Burgos and his Creatures were not more v/a,nting in 
Virtue than negligent in Point of Decency, and, from a 
reftlefs and rapacious Defire of enriching themfelves in 
an Inftant, at the Expence of this new World, drew 
afide the Curtain, and fhewed all Europe at once, both 
what it was they fought, and how eafy a thing it might 
be to fhare with them. Whereas, if they had filently 
eftablifhed large and powerful Colonies iwHifpaniola., and 
contented themfelves with moderate Returns of Gold, 
they might have been ftrong enough to have given Laws 
in that Part of the World, before it had been poffible for 
any other Nation to have found their way thither. 
SECTION V. 
‘The fourth V oyage of the Admiral Don Christopher ColUmbu s ; his Difcoveries 
on the Continent.^ and of the Ifands in America ; with an Account of his Return 
froin that V oyage to Spain, and his Deceafe. 
I. An Account of the new Fropofals made by the Admiral to the Court of Spain in regard to his fourth Voy- 
age to the Indies, and the Acceptance they met with. 2. His Arrival in the Indies, and the bafe TJfage 
that he met with from Nicholas Obando, the new Governor of YFiipAicAz.. 3. Fhe Admiral profecutes 
his Difcoveries along the Coafl of the Contine?2t, and labours all he can to gain Intelligence from the Indians, 
whom he treats with the iitmojl Humanity. 4. He continues his Voyage towards the IJihmus of Darien, 
fuppofng, from the Account given by the Natives^ that he Jhould have found a PaJJdge thereabouts into the 
South-Sea. 5. Difcovers all along theCoaJi of the Continent to the famous Haven ^ Porto-Bello, to which 
he gave that Name^ and the Reafon of it. 6. He enters the Port of Baftimentos, and Jhelters himfelf 
afterwards in that of Retrete, where he falls out with the Natives, through the. Fault of his own People^ 
7. Phe Meafures he took for the Prefervation of the Spaniards, and the R.eafon of his refolving to leave a 
confderable Colony in that Neighbourhood. 8. Phe Difcoveries made by. them of rich Mines oj Gold in the 
Country near their Settlement, and of the Caufes of the Proubles that enfued among them. 9. Phe Miferies 
endured by the Admiral and his Men in Jamaica, and the Method they took to fend Advice of their Mif~ 
fortunes to Santo Domingo. 10. A large Account of the Rebellion raifed agairfi the Admiral under thefe 
Diflrejj’es, and of his Wifdom and Courage in fupporting them. 1 1 . His Return with great Difficulty to 
Hifpaniola, and from thence into Spain, and his Reception there. 12. His Death, and fome Remarks on 
the Circiirnfances attending it. 13. Obfervations upon this SeBion, and the ill Ufage his Family met with 
notwithf anding all the Advantages derived to from Admiral Columbush Difcoveries. 
1* ^’IT^HE Admiral found not only all his Patience, 
J, of which he had a large Stock, but all his 
Parts, and all his Addrefs, in neither of which he was 
the leaft deficient, abfolutely neceffary to maintain his 
Ground at Court. The King, who was a Prince flattered 
with the Reputation of being a profound Statefman, be- 
2 
caufe he knew how to diffemble, who had a large Share of 
Cunning, and who durft do any thing however unbecoming 
his Dignity and Birth, treated the Admiral with a cold 
Efteem, and fecretly hated a Charadter fo unlike his own; 
The Queen herfelf, tho’ a true Caftilian, which implies 
a Woman of Genius, Piety, and Honour, had conceived 
* fome 
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