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PRINCE HENRY THE NAVIGATOR 187

ages cannot be proved or disproved. In any case they have no determinable relation to later progress. As in Columbus' case so in Prince Henry's, continuous knowledge and explo- ration date from and are based upon his work. Further, the evidence is incontestable that Henry and, at least, most of his contemporaries believed that he was a pioneer and his sailors the first to go beyond Cape Bojador. Further still it is difficult to reconcile their positive assertions, and the absence of contemporary^ testimony to the contrary with the detailed history of French voyages resting on conjectures as to the contents of documents no longer extant.

In saying a few words in conclusion on the character and personality of Prince Henry I shall limit myself to the men- tion only of some of the more striking features. No reader of Azurara's quaint and charming narrative can fail to see that Prince Henry was a man whose force of character, untiring resolution, and generosity exercised an immense influence over his followers, infusing them with zeal and boldness. They strain every nerve to win his approval, and he possesses their unfaltering allegiance.

He interests us chiefly as the organizer of discovery, he seems so devoted to that as sometimes to be described solely as such. But to his contemporaries he is that, and as well a crusading prince, following up the capture of Ceuta with continual naval onslaughts upon the infidels, a military mis- sionary, the commander of the Order of Christ, working to plant Christianity in Africa and the islands of the sea, the promoter of great commercial and industrial enterprises, con- trolling the tunny fisheries off Algarve, the coral fisheries off Portugal, the manufacture and sale of soap, the dye facto- ries, and several large fairs. ^ He also controlled the whole commerce of the west coast of Africa, letting it out on shares and apparently establishing the first commercial and discov- ery company of modern times. ^

1 Holstein, 77-78, cites titles of charters touching these enterprises.

2 Holstein says, p. 53 : " Ao esfor^o individual succedeu bem depressa o esforfo collectivo. Logo em 1444 se forma em Sagres uma companhia que se