240
LIFE
AND
VOYAGES
OF
[BOOK
XIII.
himself sovereign of the countries he had discovered, or yield them into the hands of some other power : a slander which, how ever extravagant, was calculated to startle the jealous mind of Ferdinand. It is true, that by every ship Columbus likewise sent home statements, written with the frankness and energy of truth, setting forth the real cause and nature of the distractions of the island, and pointing out and imploring remedies, which, if properly ap plied, might have been efficacious. His letters, however, arriving at distant intervals, made but single and transient impressions on the royal mind, which were speedily effaced by the influence of daily and active misrepresentation. His enemies at court, having con tinual access to the sovereigns, were enabled to place every thing urged against him in the strongest point of view, while they se cretly neutralized the force of his vindications. They used a plausible logic to prove either bad management or bad faith on his part. There was an incessant drain upon the mother country for the support of the colony. Was this compatible with the ex travagant pictures he had drawn of the wealth of the island, and its golden mountains, in which he had pretended to find the Ophir of ancient days, the source of all the riches of Solomon ? They inferred that he had either deceived the sovereigns by designing exaggerations, or grossly wronged them by malpractices, or wa3 totally incapable of the duties of government. The disappointment of Ferdinand, in finding his newly-dis covered possessions a source of expense instead of profit, was known to press sorely on his mind. The wars, dictated by his ambition, had straitened his resources, and involved him in per plexities. He had looked with confidence to the New World for relief, and for ample means to pursue his triumphs ; and grew