His habits of early rising, and strict attention to order, gave him time for everything, so that the pressure of public business never rendered him inattentive to private duty, domestic courtesy, or kind hospitality. In winter, he rose two hours before day, and in summer was ready to enjoy the freshness and beauty of the dawn. Such benefits did a man, whom the world beheld with admiration, derive from the counsels of a mother, who accustomed him to habits of early rising, order, and industry. His obedience to her was cheerful and unvarying. Even after he attained mature years, and a nation regarded him as its deliverer and ruler, the expression of her slightest wish was a law. LESSON LXVII. COLUMBUS. ABOUT three hundred and fifty-five years ago, there lived a very wise man, named Christopher Columbus. He was born at Genoa, a city of Italy. He thought a great deal about this world that we live in; he believed that it was round, like an orange; and that men could sail all round it, just as a fly could creep round an orange, and come back to the same place from which he set out. Columbus believed that if men would try to sail round the world, they would find some countries which the people of Europe had never seen or heard of. At that time, Europe, Asia, and Africa, were known: they all lie on one side of the globe. What was on the other side, none of the people knew. Columbus wanted to go and see; but he could not go unless he had several ships and many men with him. These things cost a great deal of money. No private person had so much money to spare. So Columbus was obliged to ask the king of some country to furnish him the men, and money, and ships that he wanted. Columbus applied to the government of his own country first, and afterwards to the king of England, and the king of Portugal. None of these was willing to assist him, and at last he went to Spain. The name of the king of Spain was Ferdinand, and the name of the queen was Isabella. Queen Isabella was pleased with the plan of Columbus; she hoped he would find the countries he expected, and she persuaded the king to give him such things as he wanted. The king gave him three ships, and what he wanted besides. The ships sailed in the month of August, in the year of our Lord one thousand four hundred and ninety-two. A great number of people went down to the water-side to see them set sail. They felt curious to know whither they would go, and what they would find. When the ships had got far out of sight of land, a great way into the Atlantic Ocean, the sailors began to be afraid they should get so far as never to return. They wanted to go back to Spain, and refused to obey Columbus. But he persuaded them to wait a little longer, and in a few days they came to the Bahama Islands, and afterwards to the larger islands now called Cuba and Hispaniola. The people of these islands were not white, like the men of Europe, nor black, like the natives of Africa. They were tawny, or copper-coloured, like the people of India, in Asia, and the Europeans called them Indians. They had never seen a white person before, and were much surprised when they saw the Spaniards. They wondered how such great ships were made; and when Columbus ordered his men to fire a cannon, the Indians were terrified, and thought Columbus made it thunder. Columbus returned to Spain; the king and queen were very glad when they heard of the new country which he had found. They sent him back again, and sent many other ships; these discovered all the islands of the West Indies, and the great continent of South America. The Spaniards took these countries as their own, and everything they could find in them. They found great quantities of gold and silver, and treated the natives very cruelly, in hopes they would tell them of still more riches. The Spaniards were likewise cruel to Columbus, who had made them so rich. They made him unhappy; and he died before he was an old man. He was worn out with his disappointments and fatigues, and glad to go to his final rest. The kings of other countries sent out ships to America, till, in time, America became known to all the people of Europe. People went from different countries of Europe to different parts of America, to settle and live. They found nothing there but woods, and wild men, and wild animals; but now there are towns there, and villages, and cities, and pleasant fields, and fine gardens. Instead of uncivilized, heathen Indians, with their idolatrous rites and cruel murders, there are now Christian people, with Sabbaths, and churches, and ministers, and day-schools, and sabbath-schools, and books; and especially the Bible, God's book, "which is able to make men wise unto salvation." THE END. |