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Mercedes of Castile; or, The Voyage to Cathay
«Have any here ever navigated the Mediterranean, or visit-
ed the island of which Don Ferdinand, the honored consort of
our lady the queen, is master?» demanded Columbus, calmly.
«Señor Don Almirante», hastily answered Sancho, «I have
done so, unworthy as I may seem to have enjoyed that advantage. And I have seen Cyprus, and Alexandria, and even Stamboul, the residence of the Great Turk».
«Well, then, thou may’st have also seen Ætna, another
mountain which continueth to throw up those flames, in
the midst of a nature and a scene on which Providence would
seem to have smiled with unusual benignity, instead of angrily
frowning, as ye seem to imagine».
Columbus then proceeded to give his people An expla-
nation of the causes of volcanoes, referring to the gentlemen around him to corroborate the fidelity of his statements.
He told them that he looked upon this little eruption as merely
a natural occurrence; or, If he saw any omen at all in the event,
it was propitious rather than otherwise; Providence seeming
disposed to light them on their way. Luis and the rest next
descended among the crew, where they used their reasoning
powers in quieting An alarm that, at first, had threatened to
be serious. For the moment they were successful, or perhaps
it would be better to say that they succeeded completely, so
far as the phenomenon of the volcano was concerned, and this
less by the arguments of the more intelligent of the officers,
than by means of the testimony of Sancho, and one or two
others of the common men, who had seen similar scenes elsewhere. With difficulties like these had the great navigator to
contend, even after he had passed years in solicitations to ob-
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
tain the limited means which had been finally granted, in order to effect one of the sublimest achievements that had yet
crowned the enterprise of man!
The vessels reached Gomera on the 2d of September, where
they remained several days, in order to complete their repairs,
and to finish taking in their supplies, ere they finally left
the civilized abodes of man, and what might then be deemed
the limits of the known earth. The arrival of such An expedition, in An age when the means of communication were so few
that events were generally their own announcers, had produced a strong sensation among the inhabitants of the different islands visited by the adventurers. Columbus was held in
high honor among them, not only on account of the commission he had received from the two sovereigns, but on account of
the magnitude and the romantic character of his undertaking.
There existed a common belief among all the adjacent is-
lands, including Madeira, the Azores, and the Canaries, that
land lay to the westward; their inhabitants living under a singular delusion in this particular, which the admiral had An occasion to detect, during his second visit to Gomera. Among
the most distinguished persons who were then on the island,
was Doña Inez Peraza, the mother of the Count of Gomera.
She was attended by a crowd of persons, not only belonging to
her own, but who had come from other islands to do her honor. She entertained the admiral in a manner suited to his high
rank, admitting to her society such of the adventurers as Columbus saw fit to point out as worthy of the honor. of course
the pretended Pedro de Muños, or Pero Gutierrez, as he was
now indifferently termed, was of the number; as, indeed, were
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Mercedes of Castile; or, The Voyage to Cathay
most of those who might be deemed any way suited to so high
and polished a society.
«I rejoice, Don Christopher», said Doña Inez Peraza, on
this occasion, «that their Highnesses have at length yielded to
your desire to solve this great problem, not only on account of
our Holy Church, which, as you say, hath so deep An interest in your success, and the honor of the two sovereigns, and
the welfare of Spain, and all the other great considerations
that we have so freely touched upon in our discourse already,
but on account of the worthy inhabitants of the Fortunate Islands, who have not only many traditions touching land in
the west, but most of whom believe that they have more than
once seen it, in that quarter, in the course of their lives».
«I have heard of this, noble lady, and would be grateful to
have the account from the mouths of eye-witnesses, now we
are here, together, conversing freely concerning that which
is of so much interest to us all».
«Then, Señor, I will entreat this worthy cavalier, who is
every way capable of doing the subject justice, to be spokesman for us, and to let you know what we all believe in
these islands, and what so many of us fancy we have seen.
Acquaint the admiral, Señor Dama, I pray thee, of the singular yearly view that we get of unknown land lying afar off, in
the Atlantic».
«Most readily, Doña Inez, and all the more so at your gra-
cious bidding», returned the person addressed, who disposed
himself to tell the story, with a readiness that the lovers of
the wonderful are apt to betray when a fitting opportunity offers to indulge a favorite propensity. «The illustrious admiral
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
hath probably heard of the island of St. Brandan, that lieth
some eighty or a hundred leagues to the westward of Ferro,
and which hath been so often seen, but which no navigator
hath yet been able to reach, in our days at least?»
«I have often heard of this fabled spot, Señor», the admiral
gravely replied; «but pardon me If I say that the land never
yet existed, which a mariner hath seen and yet a mariner hath
not reached».
«Nay, noble admiral», interrupted a dozen eager voices,
among which that of the lady, herself, was very distinctly audible, «that it hath been seen most here know; and that it hath
never been reached, is a fact to which more than one disappointed pilot can testify».
«That which we have seen, we know; and that which we
know, we can describe», returned Columbus, steadily. «Let any
man tell me in what meridian, or on what parallel this St. Brandan, or St. Barandon, lieth, and a week shall make me also certain of its existence».
«I know little of meridians or parallels, Don Christopher»,
said the Señor Dama, «but I have some ideas of visible things.
This island have I often seen, more or less plainly at different
times; and that, too, under the serenest skies, and at occasions
when it was not possible greatly to mistake either its form or
its dimensions. Once I remember to have seen the sun set behind one of its heights».
«This is plain evidence, and such as a navigator should re-
spect; and yet do I take what you imagine yourself to have seen,
Señor, to be some illusion of the atmosphere».
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Mercedes of Castile; or, The Voyage to Cathay
«Impossible! – impossible!» was said, or echoed, by a dozen
voices. «Hundreds yearly witness the appearance of St. Brandan, and its equally sudden and mysterious disappearance».
«Therein, noble lady and generous cavalier, lieth the er-
ror into which ye have fallen. Ye see the Peak the year round;
and he who will cruise a hundred miles, north or south, east
or west, of it, will continue to see it, the year round, except on
such days as the state of the atmosphere may forbid. The land
which God hath created stationary, will be certain to remain
stationary, until disturbed by some great convulsion that cometh equally of his providence and his laws».
«All this may be true, Señor; doubtless it is true; but ev-
ery rule hath its exceptions. You will not deny that God ruleth the world mysteriously, and that his ends are not always
visible to human eyes. Else, why hath the Moor so long been
permitted to rule in Spain? why hath the Infidel, at this moment, possession of the Holy Sepulchre? why have the sovereigns been so long deaf to your own well-grounded wishes and
entreaties to be permitted to carry their banners, in company
with the cross, to Cathay, whither you are now bound? Who
knoweth that these appearances of St. Brandan may not be given as signs to encourage one like yourself, bent on still greater
ends than even reaching its shores?»
Columbus was An enthusiast; but his was An enthusiasm
that was seated in his reverence for the acknowledged mysteries of religion, which sought no other support from things
incomprehensible, than might reasonably be thought to belong to the exercise of infallible wisdom, and which manifested a proper reverence for a Divine Power. Like most of that pe-
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
riod, he believed in modern miracles; and his dependence on
the direct worldly efficacy of votive offerings, penances, and
prayers, was such as marked the age in general, and his calling in particular. Still, his masculine understanding rejected
the belief of vulgar prodigies; and while he implicitly thought
himself set apart and selected for the great work before him,
he was not disposed to credit that An airy exhibition of An island was placed in the west to tempt mariners to follow its
shadowy outline to the more distant regions of Cathay.
«That I feel the assurance of the Providence of God having
selected me as the humble instrument of connecting Europe
with Asia, by means of a direct voyage by sea, is certain», returned the navigator, gravely, though his eye lighted with its
latent enthusiasm; «but I am far from indulging in the weakness of thinking that direct miraculous agencies are to be
used to guide me on my way. It is more in conformity to
the practice of divine wisdom, and certainly more grateful to
my own self-love, that the means employed are such as a discreet pilot, and the most experienced philosophers, might feel
proud in finding themselves selected to display. My thoughts
have first been turned to the contemplation of this subject;
then hath my reason been enlightened by a due course of study
and reflection, and science hath aided in producing the conviction necessary to impel myself to proceed, and to enable
me to induce others to join in this enterprise».
«And do all your followers, noble admiral, act under
the same guidance?» demanded the Doña Inez, glancing at
Luis, whose manly graces, and martial aspect, had found favor in the eyes of most of the ladies of the island. «Is the Señor
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Mercedes of Castile; or, The Voyage to Cathay
Gutierrez equally enlightened in this manner? and hath he,
too, devoted his nights to study, in order that the cross may be
carried to the heathen, and Castile and Cathay may be more
closely united?»
«The Señor Gutierrez is a willing adventurer, Señora, but
he must be the expounder of his own motives».
«Then we will call on the cavalier, himself, for An answer.
These ladies feel a desire to know what may have impelled one
who would be certain to succeed at the court of Doña Isabella,
and in the Moorish wars, to join in such An expedition».
«The Moorish wars are ended, Señora», replied Luis,
smiling; «and Doña Isabella, and all the ladies of her court,
most favor the youths who show a manly disposition to serve
the interests, and to advance the honor of Castile. I know
very little of philosophy, and have still smaller pretensions to
the learning of churchmen; but I think I see Cathay before me,
shining like a brilliant star in the heavens, and am willing to
adventure body and soul in its search».
Many pretty exclamations of admiration broke from
the circle of fair listeners; it being most easy for spirit to gain
applause, when it is recommended by high personal advantages, and comes from the young and favored. That Columbus, a weather-worn veteran of the ocean, should see fit to
risk a life that was already drawing near its close, in a rash attempt to pry into the mysteries of the Atlantic, seemed neither
so commendable, nor so daring, but many discovered high
qualities in the character of one who was just entering on
his career, and that under auspices apparently so flattering,
and who threw all his hopes on the uncertain chances of suc-
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
cess in a scheme so unusual. Luis was human, and he was in
the full enjoyment of the admiration his enterprise had evidently awakened among so many sensitive young creatures,
when Doña Inez most inopportunely interposed to interrupt
his happiness, and to wound his self-esteem.
«This is having more honorable views than my letters from
Seville attribute to one youth, who belongeth to the proudest of our Castilian houses, and whose titles alone should invite him to add new lustre to a name that hath so long been
the Spanish boast», resumed the Señora Peraza. «The reports
speak of his desire to rove, but in a manner unworthy of his
rank; and that, too, in a way to serve neither the sovereigns, his
country, nor himself».
«And who may this misguided youth be, Señora?» eagerly
inquired Luis, too much elated by the admiration he had just
excited to anticipate the answer. «A cavalier thus spoken of,
needeth to be warned of his reputation, that he may be stimulated to attempt better things».
«His name is no secret, since the court speaketh openly of
his singular and ill-judged career; and it is said that even
his love hath been thwarted in consequence. I mean a cavalier of no less lineage and name than Don Luis de Bobadilla,
the Count of Llera».
It is said that listeners seldom hear good of themselves, and
Luis was now fated to verify the truth of the axiom. He felt
the blood rushing to his face, and it required a strong effort at
self-command to prevent him from breaking out in exclamations, that would probably have contained invocations of half
the patron saints he had ever heard of, had he not happily suc-
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Mercedes of Castile; or, The Voyage to Cathay
ceeded in controlling the sudden impulse. Gulping the words
he had been on the point of uttering, he looked round, with
An air of defiance, as If seeking the countenance of some man
who might dare even to smile at what had been said. Luckily, at that moment, Columbus had drawn all of the males
present around himself, in warm discussion of the probable
existence of the island of St. Brandan; and Luis nowhere met
a smile, with which he could conveniently quarrel, that had
a setting of beard to render it hostile. Fortunately, the gentle
impulses that are apt to influence a youthful female, induced
one of Doña Inez’s fair companions to speak, and that in a way
greatly to relieve the feelings of our hero.
«True, Señora», rejoined the pretty young advocate, the first
tones of whose voice had An effect to calm the tempest that was
rising in the bosom of the young man; «true Señora, it is said
that Don Luis is a wanderer, and one of unsettled tastes and
habits, but it is also said he hath a most excellent heart, is generous as the dews of heaven themselves, and carrieth the very
best lance of Castile, as he is also like to carry off the fairest
maiden».
«It is vain, Señor de Muños, for churchmen to preach, and
parents to frown», said Doña Inez, smiling, «while the beautiful and young will prize courage, and deeds in arms, and
An open hand, before the more homely virtues commended by
our holy religion, and so zealously inculcated by its servants.
The unhorsing of a knight or two in the tourneys, and the rallying a broken squadron under a charge of the Infidel, counteth far more than years of sobriety, and weeks of penance and
prayer».
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
«How know we that the cavalier you mention, Señora, may
not have his weeks of penance and his hours of prayer?» answered Luis, who had now found his voice. «Should he be so
fortunate as to enjoy a conscientious religious adviser, he can
scarce escape both, prayer being so often ordered in the way of
penance. He seemeth, indeed, to be a miserable dog, and I wonder not that his mistress holdeth him cheap. Is the name of
the lady, also, given in your letter?»
«It is. She is the Doña Maria de las Mercedes de Valverde,
nearly allied to the Guzmans and the other great houses, and
one of the fairest maidens of Spain».
«That is she!» exclaimed Luis; «and one of the most virtu-
ous, as well as fair, and wise as virtuous!»
«How now, Señor, is it possible that you can have sufficient
knowledge of one so situated, as to speak thus positively of her
qualities, as well as of her appearance?»
«Her beauty I have seen, and of her excellence one may
speak by report. But doth your correspondent, Señora, say
aught of what hath become of the graceless lover?»
«It is rumored that he hath again quitted Spain, and, as is
supposed, under the grave displeasure of the sovereigns, since
it hath been remarked that the queen now never nameth him.
None know the road he hath taken, but there is little doubt
that he is again roaming the seas, as usual, in quest of low adventures among the ports of the east».
The conversation now changed, and soon after the admiral
and his attendants repaired to their different vessels.
«Of a verity, Señor Don Christoval», said Luis, as he walked
alone with the great navigator toward the shore, «one little
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