his attention back to discovery.

What is chiefly interesting in the story of these years is the
half-religious reverence paid to Henry by his brothers, by Cortes, and
the whole people. He was above and beyond his age, but not so much as to
be beyond its understanding. He was not a leader where there are no
followers; he was one of the fortunate beings who are most valued by
those who have lived on the closest terms with them, by father and by
brothers.

It was believed throughout the kingdom that King John's last words were
"an encouragement to the Infant to persevere in his right laudable
purpose of spreading the Christian faith in the lands of darkness";
whether true or not, at any rate it was felt to fit the place and the
man, and Henry's brothers, Pedro and Edward, took up loyally their
father's commission to keep peace at home and sailing ships on the sea.

But the new reign was short and full of trouble. King Edward had
scarcely been crowned when the scheme of an African war was revived by
Don Ferdinand, the fourth of the "Famous Infants" of the House of Aviz
(1433). Ferdinand, always a Crusader at heart, had refused a Cardinal's
hat, that he might keep his strength for killing the enemies of Christ,
and in Henry he found a ready listener. It was the Navigator, in fact,
who planned and organised the scheme of campaign now pressed upon the
King and the country. It was perfectly natural that he should do so. The
war of Ceuta had been of the first importance to his work of discovery;
it had been largely his own achievement, and his wish to conquer
Heathens and Saracens and to make good Christians of them was hardly
less strong than his natural bent for discovery and exploring
settlement. He now took up Ferdinand's suggestion, made of it a definite
project--for a storm of Tangier--and wrung a reluctant consent from
Edward and from Cortes. The chief hindrance was lack of money; even the
popularity of the Government could not prevent "sore grudging and
murmuring among the people." Don Pedro himself was against the whole
plan, and from respect to his wishes the question was referred to the
Pope. Are we to make war on the infidels or no?

If the infidels in question, answered the Curia, were in Christian land
and used Christian churches as mosques of Mohammed, or if they made
incursions upon Christians, though always returning to their own land,
or if doing none of these things they were idolaters or sinned against
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