Part 22 (1/2)

About the time that Columbus attained his twenty-fourth year, his native city was in a state of great alaron, king of Naples Finding itself too weak to contend singly with such a foe, and having in vain looked for assistance from Italy, it placed itself under the protection of Charles the VIIth of France That monarch sent to its assistance John of Anjou, son of Rene or Renato, king of Naples, who had been dispossessed of his crown by Alphonso John of Anjou, otherwise called the duke of Calabria, [286]

immediately took upon himself the command of the place, repaired its fortifications, and defended the entrance of the harbor with strong chains In the e land force, and assealleys at Ancona, on the frontiers of Genoa The situation of the latter was considered eminently perilous, when Alphonso suddenly fell ill of a calenture and died; leaving the kingdodom of Naples to his son Ferdinand

The death of Alphonso, and the subsequent division of his doave rise to new hopes on the part of the house of Anjou; and the duke John, encouraged by e the Neapolitan nobility, determined to make a bold attempt upon Naples for the recovery of the crown The Genoese entered into his cause with spirit, furnishi+ng hialleys, and alleys for the expedition in the harbor of Marseilles, and sent him assurance of an abundant supply ofof France The brilliant nature of the enterprise attracted the attention of the daring and restless spirits of the times The chivalrous nobleman, the soldier of fortune, the hardy corsair, the bold adventurer, or the military partisan, enlisted under the banners of the duke of Calabria It is stated by historians, that Columbus served in the armament from Genoa, in a squadron commanded by one of the Colombos, his relations

The expedition sailed in October, 1459, and arrived at Sessa, between the liano and the Volturno The news of its arrival was the signal of universal revolt; the factious barons, and their vassals, hastened to join the standard of Anjou, and the duke soon saw the finest provinces of the Neapolitan dominions at his command, and with his army and squadron menaced the city of Naples itself

In the history of this expedition we meet with one hazardous action of the fleet in which Colu closely invested by a superior force, was in a perilous predicament at the mouth of the Sarno In this conjuncture, the captain of the ar to awaken in the populace their former enthusiasm for the banner of Anjou; and perhaps to take Naples by surprise A chosen coainst the little of the discipline of regular soldiery, anddisposition of maritime rovers, had scattered themselves about the country, intent chiefly upon spoil They were attacked by the infantry and put to rout, with the loss ofto make their way back to the shi+ps, they found the passes seized and blocked up by the people of Sorento, who assailed theht now beca; many threw themselves from rocks and precipices into the sea, and but a sained the shi+ps

The contest of John of Anjou for the crown of Naples lasted four years

For a time fortune favored hirasp, but reverses succeeded: he was defeated at various points; the factious nobles, one by one, deserted hiiance to Alfonso, and the duke was finally compelled to retire to the island of Ischia Here he realleys, which likewise harassed the bay of Naples [287] In this squadron, which loyally adhered to him until he ultimately abandoned this unfortunate enterprise, Columbus is stated to have served

No IX

Capture of the Venetian Galleys, by Coloht by which Fernando Columbus asserts that his father was first thrown upon the shores of Portugal, has been adopted by various respectable historians, it is proper to give particular reasons for discrediting it

Fernando expressly says, that it was in an action hth book of his tenth Decade; that the squadron in which Columbus served was coer, (Colombo el mozo,) and that an eal for the succor he afforded to the Venetian captains and crews All this is certainly recorded in Sabellicus, but the battle took place in 1485, after Coluon, under the date of 1685, mentions this saalleys sailed from the island of Cadiz and took the route for Flanders; they were laden with merchandise from the Levant, especially fro by Cape St Vincent, they were attacked by a French corsair, son of captain Colon, (Coloalleys were captured the twenty-first of August”

[288]

AJohn II of Portugal, by Garcia de Resende, who likewise records it as happening in 1485 He says the Venetian galleys were taken and robbed by the French, and the captains and creounded, plundered, and maltreated, were turned on shore at Cascoes Here they were succored by Dona Maria de Meneses, countess of Monsanto

When king John II heard of the circurieved that such an event should have happened on his coast, and being disposed to show his friendshi+p for the republic of Venice, he ordered that the Venetian captains should be furnished with rich raiment of silks and costly cloths, and provided with horses and htthereat kindness and distinction, expressing himself with princely courtesy, both as to the heard their account of the battle, and of their destitute situation, he assisted thealleys from the French cruisers The latter took all theJohn prohibited any of the spoil froenerously relieved and assisted the captains, and administered to the necessities of their crews, he enabled thenitaries of the republic were so highly sensible of thisJohn, that they sent a stately embassy to that ratitude

Geronied with thisand eloquence; he was honorably received and entertained by king John, and dis which were jenets, and ro slaves richly clad

[289]

The following is the account of this action as given by Sabellicus, in his history of Venice: [290]

Erano andate quatro Galee delle quali Bartoloando per l'Iberico iovane, nipote di quel Colombo famoso corsale, fecesi incontro a' Veniziani di notte, appresso il sacro Promontorio, che chiauernite da coli quantunque nel primo incontro avesse seco disposto d'oppriiorno: tuttavia per esser alia battaglia piu acconcio cos le seguia, che le prode del corsale toccavano le poppe de Veniziani

Venuto il giorno incontanente i Barbari diedero 1' assalto Sostennero i Veniziani allora 1' empito del nemico, per numero di navi e di combattenti superiore, e dur il conflitto atroce per molte ore Rare fiate fu combattuto contro simili nemici con tanta uccisione, perche a pena si costuina d'attaccarsi contro di loro, se non per occasione Affermano alcuni, che vi furono presenti, esser morte deile ciurme Veniziane da trecento uomini Altri dicono che fu alera e Giovanni Delfino, d'altro capitano fratello Era durata la zuffa dal fare del giorno fin' ad ore venti, e erano le genti Veneziane ia la nave Delfina in potere de' nemici quando le altre ad una ad una si renderono Narrano alcuni, che furono di quel aspro conflitto participi, aver numerato nelle loro navi da prode a poppe ottanta valorosi uoeno, che cosi avevano voluto, i Veniziani I corpi ettati nel uirono con le navi il capitano vittorioso sin' a Lisbona e ivi furono tutti licenziati Quivi furono i Veniziaui benignali altri ebbero abiti e denari secondo la loro condizione Oltre cio vietd in tutto il Regno, che alcuno non comprasse della preda Veniziana, portata dai corsali La nuova dell' avuta rovina non poco afflisse la citta, erano perduti in quella mercatanzia da ducento ldi noior afflizione _Marc Ant

Sabelico, Hist, Venet, decad iv lib iii_

No X

Aent of the voyagers who followed the track of Coluo Vespucci He has been considered by many as the first discoverer of the southern continent, and by a singular caprice of fortune, his naiven to the whole of the New World It has been strenuously insisted, however, that he had no claim to the title of a discoverer; that he merely sailed in a subordinate capacity in a squadron coe is a fabrication; and that he did not visit the main-land until after it had been discovered and coasted by Columbus As this question has been made a matter of warm and voluminous controversy, it is proper to take a suo Vespucci was born in Florence, March 9th, 1451, of a noble, but not at that time a wealthy, family; his father's name was Anastatio; his mother's was Elizabetta Mini He was the third of their sons, and received an excellent education under his uncle, Georgio Antonio Vespucci, a learned friar of the fraternity of San Marco, as instructor to several illustrious personages of that period

Ao Vespucci visited Spain, and took up his residence in Seville, to attend to some commercial transactions on account of the faenuity, the losses and misfortunes of an unskillful brother [291]