292
LIFE
AND
VOYAGES
OF
[BOOK
XIV.
CHAPTER IV. PROPOSITION OF COLUMBUS RELATIVE TO THE RECOVERY OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE. [1500-1501.]
COLUMBUS remained in the city of Granada upwards of nine months, endeavoring to extricate his affairs from the confusion into which they had been thrown by the rash conduct of Boba足 dilla, and soliciting the restoration of his offices and dignities. During this time he constantly experienced the smiles and atten足 tions of the sovereigns, and promises were repeatedly made him that he should ultimately be reinstated in all his honors. He had long since, however, ascertained the great interval that may exist between promise and performance in a court. Had he been of a morbid and repining spirit, he had ample food for misan足 thropy. He beheld the career of glory which he had opened, thronged by favored adventurers; he witnessed preparations making to convey with unusual pomp a successor to that govern足 ment from which he had been so wrongfully and rudely ejected ; in the meanwhile his own career was interrupted, and as far as public employ is a gauge of royal favor, he remained apparently in disgrace. His sanguine temperament was not long to be depressed ; if checked in one direction it broke forth in another. His visionary