hing to do, is
not the doing it and thereby blessing yourself no less than others--is
not that reward? Not that Castile shall deny you reward, no! Trust me
that if you bring us the key of India you shall not find us niggardly!
But we and they who advise us stumble at your prescribing wealth, honors
and gifts that they say truly are better fitting a great prince! Trust
us for enrichment and for honor do you come back with the great thing
done! Leave it all now to Time that brings to pass. So you will be
clearer to go forth to the blessed carrying of Christ!"

She spoke earnestly, a Queen, but with much about her of womanly,
motherly sweetness. I saw that she greatly liked the man and somewhere
met his spirit. But the King was gathering hardness. He spoke to a
secretary standing behind him. "Have you it there written down, the
Italian's demand?"

The man produced a paper. "Read!" But before it could be unfolded,
Master Christopherus spoke.

"'Italian!' Seven years in Spain and ten in Portugal, and a good while
in Porto Santo that belongs to Portugal, a little in England and in
Ultima Thule or Iceland, and long, long years upon ships decked and
undecked in all the seas that are known--fourteen years, childhood and
boyhood, in Genoa and at Pavia where I went to school, and all my years
of hope in Christ's Kingdom, and in the uplands of great doers-and
your Highness says to me for a slighting word, 'Italian!' I was born
in Italy, but to-day, for this turn, King Ferdinand, you should call me
'Spaniard'! As, if King John sends me forth be will call me Portuguese!
Or King Henry will say, 'Christopher the Englishman' or King Charles, to
whom verily I see that I may go, shall say, 'Frenchman, to whom all owe
the marriage of East and West, but France owes Empire!"'

The King said, "It may be so, or it may not be so, Master
Christopherus.--Read!"

The secretary read: The Genoese, Cristoforo Colombo, called in Spain
Cristobal Colon, and in the Latin Christopherus Columbus, states and
demands in substance as follows: Sailing westward he will discover for
the King and Queen of the Spains the Indies and Cathay and Cipango,
to the great glory and enrichment of these Sovereigns and the passing
thereby of Spain ahead of Portugal, and likewise and above all to the
great glory of Christ and of Holy Church. He will do this, having seen
it clear for many years that it is to be done, and he the instrument.
And for the finding by going we