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LIFE A N D VOYAGES OF
[BOOK
VIII.
his brother Diego, destitute of his high personal claims to dis tinction. They formed, therefore, a kind of aristocratical faction in the colony ; affecting to consider Columbus and his family as mere mercenary and upstart foreigners, building up their own fortunes at the expense of the toils and sufferings of the commu nity, and the degradation of Spanish hidalgos and cavaliers. In addition to these partisans, Margarite had a powerful ally in his fellow-countryman, Friar Boyle, the head of the religious fra ternity, one of the members of the council, and apostolical vicar of the New World. It is not easy to ascertain the original cause of the hostility of this holy friar to the admiral, who was never wanting in respect to the clergy. Various altercations, however, had taken place between them. Some say that the friar inter fered in respect to the strict measures deemed necessary by the admiral for the security of the colony ; others that he resented the fancied indignity offered to himself and his household, in put ting them on the same short allowance with the common people. He appears, however, to have been generally disappointed and dis gusted with the sphere of action afforded by the colony, and to have looked back with regret to the Old World. He had none of that enthusiastic zeal and persevering self-devotion, which induced so many of the Spanish missionaries to brave all the hardships and privations of the New World, in the hope of converting its pagan inhabitants. Encouraged and fortified by such powerful partisans, Marga rite really began to consider himself above the temporary autho rities of the island. Whenever he came to Isabella, he took no notice of Don Diego Columbus, nor paid any respect to the coun cil, but acted as if he had paramount command. He formed a cabal of most of those who were disaffected to Columbus, and