Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. II.djvu/150

126 126 CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. PART the empire of the Cross over nations of benighted __i___ heathen, while he proposed to devote the profits of his enterprise to the recovery of the Holy Sepulchre. This last ebullition, vi^hich might well have passed for fanaticism in a later day, and given a visionary tinge to his whole project, was not quite so prepos- terous in an age, in which the spirit of the crusades might be said still to linger, and the romance of religion had not yet been dispelled by sober reason. The more temperate suggestion of the diffusion of the gospel was well suited to affect Isabella, in whose heart the principle of devotion was deeply seated, and who, in all her undertakings, seems to have been far less sensible to the vulgar impulses of avarice or ambition, than to any argument con- nected, however remotely, with the interests of religion. ^^ Negotiations Amidst all these propitious demonstrations to- again broken ■■■ ■•• wards Columbus, an obstacle unexpectedly arose in the nature of his demands, which stipulated for himself and heirs the title and authority of Admiral and Viceroy over all lands discovered by him, with one tenth of the profits. This was deemed wholly inadmissible. Ferdinand, who had looked with cold distrust on the expedition from the first, was supported by the remonstrances of Talavera, the new archbishop of Granada ; who declared, that " such demands savoured of the highest degree of arrogance, and would be unbecoming in their High- 21 Herrera, Indias Occidentales, Coleccion de Viages, torn. i. pp. 2, dec. 1, lib. 1, cap. 8. — Primer 117. — Fernando Colon, Hist, de) Viage de Colon, apud Navarrete, Almirante, cap. 13. ofT.