Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. II.djvu/488

462 462 PROGRESS OF DISCOVERY. PART the glowing representations of Columbus, who fan- . '- — cied he had discovered in the mines of Hispaniola the golden quarries of Ophir, from which King Sol- omon had enriched the temple of Jerusalem, could rekindle the dormant enthusiasm of the nation. The novelty of the thing had passed. They heard a different tale, moreover, from the other voyagers, whose wan and sallow visages provoked the bitter jest, that they had returned with more gold in their faces than in their pockets. In short, the skepti- cism of the public seemed now quite in proportion to its former overweening confidence ; and the re- turns were so meagre, says Bernaldez, " that it was very generally believed there was little or no gold in the island."^ The queen's Isabella was far from participating in this unrea- confideiice ' a c ihak^n.""" sonable distrust. She had espoused the theory of Columbus, when others looked coldly or contempt- uously on it.^ She firmly relied on his repeated assurances, that the track of discovery would lead to other and more important regions. She formed a higher estimate, moreover, of the value of the new acquisitions than any founded on the actual proceeds in gold and silver ; keeping ever in view, as her letters and instructions abundantly show, the 8 Bernaldez, Reyes Cat61icos, SeHora dio Nuestro SeHor el es- MS., cap. 131. — Muiloz, Hist, del piritu de intelig^encia y esfuerzo Nuevo-Miindo, lib. G, sec. 1. grande, y la hizo de todo heredera 9 C]uiT)l)us, in liis letter to como a cara y rniiy amada hija." Prince John's nurse, dated 1500, " Su Alteza lo aprobaba al coiitra- makes the following ample ac- rio, y lo sostuvo fasta que pndo." knowledgment of the queen's early Navarrete, Coleccion de Viages, protection of him. " En todos torn. i. p. 2C6. hobo incredulidad, y a la Reina mi