ocean navigation than that which you are pursuing by Guinea."
It was accordingly earlier than 1474--how much earlier does not
appear--that such discussions between Toscanelli and Martinez must
probably have come to the ears of King Alfonso; and now, very likely
owing to the voyage of Santarem and Escobar, that monarch began to think
it worth while to seek for further information, "an exhibition to the
eye," so that mariners not learned in astronomy like Toscanelli might
"grasp and comprehend" the shorter route suggested. It is altogether
probable that the Florentine astronomer, who was seventy-seven years old
when he wrote this letter, had already for a long time entertained the
idea of a westward route; and a man in whom the subject aroused so much
enthusiasm could hardly have been reticent about it. It is not likely
that Martinez was the only person to whom he descanted[446] upon the
glory and riches to be found by sailing "straight to Cathay," and there
were many channels through which Columbus might have got some inkling of
his views, even before going to Portugal.

[Footnote 446: Luigi Pulci, in his famous romantic poem
published in 1481, has a couple of striking stanzas in which
Astarotte says to Rinaldo that the time is at hand when
Hercules shall blush to see how far beyond his Pillars the
ships shall soon go forth to find another hemisphere, for
although the earth is as round as a wheel, yet the water at any
given point is a plane, and inasmuch as all things tend to a
common centre so that by a divine mystery the earth is
suspended in equilibrium among the stars, just so there is an
antipodal world with cities and castles unknown to men of olden
time, and the sun in hastening westwards descends to shine upon
those peoples who are awaiting him below the horizon:--

Sappi che questa opinione e vana
Perche piu oltre navicar si puote,
Pero che l' acqua in ogni parte e piana,
Benche la terra abbi forma di ruote;
Era piu grossa allor la gente umana,
Tal che potrebbe arrossirne le gote
Ercule ancor, d' aver posti que' segni,
Perche piu oltre passeranno i legni.
E puossi andar giu nell' altro emisperio,
Pero che al centro ogni cosa reprime:
Sicche la terra per divin misterio