d other children
than Diego, but they are left in obscurity. His wife is understood to
have been a daughter of the sea-captain known as "The Navigator," whose
services were rewarded by making him the first governor of the newly
discovered island of Porto Santo, off Madeira. It was the most natural
thing in the world that Columbus should presently pay a visit to his
adventurous father-in-law; and it was, perhaps, while in Porto Santo on
this visit that he began to put his great thoughts in more tangible
shape.

With men like "the world-seeking Genoese," a resolve like that, once
formed, is as a barbed arrow,--difficult to be plucked out. From that
day on he knew no rest. The central idea of his life was "Westward!
Asia!" and he began to work for its realization. It is asserted that
with a patriotic intention he hastened home to make first offer of his
services to his native land. But Genoa was not looking for new worlds,
and declined his proffer. Then he laid his plans before John II. of
Portugal. King John was charmed with the idea; but a council of his
wisest men assured him that the plan was ridiculously foolhardy. At last
he sent out a secret expedition, which after sailing out of sight of
shore soon lost heart and returned without result. When Columbus learned
of this treachery, he was so indignant that he left for Spain at once,
and there interested several noblemen and finally the Crown itself in
his audacious hopes. But after three years of profound deliberation, a
_junta_[2] of astronomers and geographers decided that his plan was
absurd and impossible,--the islands could not be reached. Disheartened,
Columbus started for France; but by a lucky chance tarried at an
Andalusian monastery, where he won the guardian, Juan Perez de Marchena,
to his views. This monk had been confessor to the queen; and through his
urgent intercession the Crown at last sent for Columbus, who returned to
court. His plans had grown within him till they almost overbalanced him,
and he seems to have forgotten that his discoveries were only a hope and
not yet a fact. Courage and persistence he certainly had; but we could
wish that now he had been a trifle more modest. When the king asked on
what terms he would make the voyage, he replied: "That you make me an
admiral before I start; that I be viceroy of all the lands that I shall
find; and that I receive one tenth of all the gain." Strong demands,
truly, for the poor wool-comber's son of Ge