on to court.

Fray Juan Perez, being now fully persuaded of the importance of the
proposed enterprise, advised Columbus to repair to the court, and make
his propositions to the Spanish sovereigns, offering to give him a
letter of recommendation to his friend, the Prior of the Convent
of Prado and confessor to the queen, and a man of great political
influence; through whose means he would, without doubt, immediately
obtain royal audience and favor. Martin Alonzo Pinzon, also, generously
furnished him with money for the journey, and the Friar took charge of
his youthful son, Diego, to maintain and educate him in the convent.

Thus aided and encouraged and elated with fresh hopes, Columbus took
leave of the little junto at La Rabida, and set out, in the spring of
1486, for the Castilian court, which had just assembled at Cordova,
where the sovereigns were fully occupied with their chivalrous
enterprise for the conquest of Granada. But alas! success was not yet!
for Columbus met with continued disappointments and discouragements,
while his projects were opposed by many eminent prelates and Spanish
scientists, as being against religion and unscientific. Yet in spite
of this opposition, by degrees the theory of Columbus began to obtain
proselytes. He appeared in the presence of the king with modesty,
yet self-possession, inspired by a consciousness of the dignity and
importance of his errand; for he felt himself, as he afterwards
declared in his letters, animated as if by a sacred fire from above, and
considered himself an instrument in the hand of Heaven to accomplish
its great designs. For nearly seven years of apparently fruitless
solicitation, Columbus followed the royal court from place to place, at
times encouraged by the sovereigns, and at others neglected.

At last he looked round in search of some other source of patronage, and
feeling averse to subjecting himself to further tantalizing delays
and disappointments of the court, determined to repair to Paris. He
departed, therefore, and went to the Convent of La Rabida to seek his
son Diego. When the worthy Friar Juan Perez de Marchena beheld Columbus
arrive once more at the gate of his convent after nearly seven years
of fruitless effort at court, and saw by the humility of his garb the
poverty he had experienced, he was greatly moved; but when he found that
he was about to carry his proposition to another country, his patriotism
took alarm.

The Friar had once be