4 was promised still further1 rewards. Columbus lost no time in 2 complying with the commands of the sovereigns. He sent a memorandum 3 of the ships, men, and munitions that would be requisite, and having made such dispositions at Seville as circumstances permitted,5 set out on his journey for Barcelona, taking with him the six Indians, and the various curiosities and productions he had brought from the New World." 9 The fame of his discovery had resounded throughout the nation, and as his route lay through several of the finest and most populous provinces of Spain, his journey appeared like the progress 10 of a sovereign. Wherever he passed, the surrounding country poured forth its inhabitants,12 who lined the road and thronged the villages. In the large towns, the streets, windows, and balconies were filled with eager spectators, who rent the air with 13 acclamations. His journey was continually impeded 14 by the multitude pressing to gain a sight of him and of the Indians,15 who were regarded with as much admiration as 1 'still further; encore de nou- mener, 'to bring back'). velles.he was promised;' see page 21, note 6. 3 un état détaillé. 2 pour. 5 à Séville toutes les dispositions que permettaient les circonstances, See p. 3, n. 18 3; also p. 10, n. 3, and 62.3, n. 3. partit. As the verb 'set out' is rather far from having made' and 'he sent,' it is better to repeat, in French, the pronoun il before partit. 7 emmenant avec lui les six Indiens qui lavaient suivi en Espagne, et prenant aussi les curiosités et productions diverses qu'il avait rapportées du Nouveau-Monde. We must obviously use here a different turn from the English; for, 'to take' (to take with oneself, to take away) is emporter, if the person, animal, or object, is carried, whereas it is emmener, if not; and the same distinction is made between apporter and amener, 'to bring' (as well as between rapporter and ra 8 et comme il devait traverser, pour se rendre à Barcelonne. 9 See p. 16, n. 10. The article is to be used here, but merely on account of the superlative, which somewhat alters, in French, the grammatical connexion of the words, in this case; for, otherwise, we say, province d'Espagne, de France, &c., without the article. 10 ressembla à la marche triomphale. 11 The imperfect of the indicative is preferable here to the preterite, though the latter would not be incorrect. The imperfect makes the mind dwell more upon the length and incidents of the journey, as described. See p. 1. n. 6. 12 il voyait se presser autour de lui la population tout entière des environs. 13 qui faisaient retentir l'air de bruyantes. 14 Il était arrêté à chaque instant. 15 qui se pressait sur son passage pour tâcher de l'apercevoir, ainsi if they had been natives of another1 planet. It was impossible to satisfy the craving curiosity which assailed. himself and his attendants, at every stage, with 2 innumerable questions; popular rumour, as usual,3 had exaggerated the truth, and had filled the newly-found country with all kinds of wonders.4 6 8 It was about the middle of April that Columbus arrived at Barcelona, where every preparation had been made to give him a solemn and magnificent reception. The beauty and serenity of the weather, in that genial season and favoured climate, contributed to give splendour to 7 this memorable ceremony. As he drew near the place,s many of the more youthful courtiers and hidalgos of gallant bearing 9 came forth to meet and welcome him.10 His entrance into this noble city has been compared to one of those triumphs which the Romans were accustomed 11 to decree to conquerors. 12 First, were paraded the Indians, painted according to their savage fashion,13 and decorated with tropical feathers, and with their national ornaments of gold; 14 after these were borne various que les Indiens-or,...l'apercevoir, 4 et avait peuplé de merveilles (p. lui et les Indiens (but not literally, 22, n. 1, and p. 3, n. 18) le monde l'apercevoir et les Indiens, which nouvellement découvert. would be incorrect). The disjunctive pronoun lui, in the latter rendering, serves to re-establish the connexion broken by the intervening verb apercevoir, as the conjunctive pronoun le must necessarily be placed before the verb which governs it. 1 que s'ils fussent tombés de quelque. This second form of the conditional (in avoir and être-j'eusse and je fusse, used as well as j'aurais and je serais, but only together with a past participle) is also frequently employed as a second form of the imperfect of the indicative after si. 5 où tout avait été préparé pour lui faire. 6 La sérénité de l'atmosphère dans cette belle saison.-'and,' &c.; see page 8, note 1. Translate, 'contributed to the splendour of.' 8 Comme il approchait de la ville. 9 au port élégant. 10 vinrent à sa rencontre (or, audevant de lui-au-devant de; Latin, obviam) pour lui faire accueil. See page 1, note ❝. 11 avaient coutume. la 12 à leurs généraux vainqueurs. 13 Les Indiens ouvraient marche; ils étaient peints de diverses couleurs, suivant la mode de leur pays. 14 et des ... de leur nation. See above, note 3. 8 6 kinds of live parrots, together with stuffed birds and animals 2 of unknown species, and rare plants, supposed to be of precious qualities: while great care was taken to make a conspicuous display of Indian coronets, bracelets, and other decorations 5 of gold, which might give an idea of the wealth of the newly-discovered regions. After these followed Columbus, on horseback, surrounded by a brilliant cavalcade of Spanish chivalry. The streets were almost impassable, from the countless multitude; the windows and balconies were crowded with the fair; 10 the very roofs were 11 covered with spectators. It seemed as if the public eye could not be sated with gazing on 12 these trophies of an unknown world, or on the remarkable man by whom it had been discovered. There was a sublimity in this event that mingled a solemn feeling with 13 the public joy. It was looked upon as a vast and signal dispensation of Providence in reward for 14 the piety of the monarchs; and the majestic and venerable appearance of the discoverer, 15 so different from the youth and buoyancy that are generally expected from roving enterprise,16 seemed in harmony with the grandeur and dignity of his achievement.17 pouvait se rassasier de contempler. After sembler, conjugated impersonally, the indicative is used, when the subordinate propositior states a certain, a positive fact, and the idea admits of no doubt whatever; whereas the subjunctive is used when there is some doubt, some uncertainty, in the idea, or when the verb of the subordinate proposition expresses an impossible and extraordinary fact. 13 Cet événement avait quelque chose de si imposant en lui-même, qu'un sentiment solennel de reconnaissance venait se mêler à. 14 de. ply 15 l'heureux navigateur; or, simColomb.-'appearance,' aspect. qui souvent font entreprendre une expédition audacieuse. 17 et l'importance de sa découverte. 4 To receive him with suitable pomp and distinction,2 the sovereigns had ordered their throne to be placed in public,3 under a rich canopy of brocade of gold, in a vast and splendid saloon. Here the king and queen awaited his arrival, seated in state,5 with the prince Juan beside them, and attended by the dignitaries of their court and the principal nobility of Castile, Valencia, Catalonia, and Aragon ; all impatient to behold the man who had conferred so incalculable a benefit upon the nation.8 At length Columbus entered the hall, surrounded by a brilliant crowd of cavaliers, among whom, says Las Casas,9 he was conspicuous for 10 his stately and commanding person, which, with 11 his countenance rendered venerable by his grey hairs, 12 gave him the august appearance of a senator of Rome.13 A modest smile lighted up his features, showing that he enjoyed the state and glory in which he came ; 14 and certainly nothing could be more deeply moving to a mind inflamed by 15 noble ambition, and conscious of having greatly deserved,16 than these testimonials of the 3 admiration and gratitude of a nation, or rather of a world. As Columbus approached, the sovereigns rose, as if receiving 2 a person of the highest rank. Bending his knees, he requested to kiss their hands; but there was some hesitation on the part of their majesties to mit 5 this act of vassalage. Raising him in the most gracious manner, they ordered him to seat himself in their presence— a rare honour in this proud and punctilious court. 7 6 13 At the request of their majesties, Columbus now gave an account 10 of the most striking events of his voyage, and a description of the islands which he had discovered. He displayed the specimens he had brought of unknown birds and other animals, of rare plants of 11 medicinal and aromatic virtue; of native gold in dust,12 in crude masses, or laboured into barbaric ornaments; and, above all, the natives of these countries, who were objects 14 of intense and inexhaustible interest; since there is nothing so curious as the varieties of his own species. All these he pronounced mere harbingers of great discoveries he had yet to make,16 which would add realms of incalculable 15 2 Translate, as if they had received; see page 24, note 1. 3 Mettant un genou en terre; or, Fléchissant les (not ses) genoux. When the context clearly indicates who the possessor is, the French consider it superfluous, in most cases, to use a possessive pronoun, and they only use the definite article, when speaking of the qualities of the mind, the parts of the body, or the most familiar articles of wear. 4 See page 11, note 1. 5 Turn, but it (ce) was not without some hesitation that their majesties permitted him (lui).' 6 de. 7 elles (viz., Leurs Majestés; majesté is feminine in French). 8 Leave out 'a' no article is used, in French, before a substan man en masses brutes. 14 who were'. . . (i. e. 'all that while'); imperfect indicat. here: see again p. 1, n. 6.—' the objects;' the singular, here, is preferable, in French. 15 Invert into the natural order of ideas (see p. 3, n. 18, and also p. 9, n. 12). 16 Après avoir fait admirer toutes ces merveilles, Colomb dit que ce n'était que le prélude de plus grandes découvertes. |