e Cabots and Corte-Reals_, pp.
31-36. Biggar quotes interesting passages on the Mecca trade from _The
Travels of Ludovico di Varthema_, Hakluyt Society (London, 1863).

[428-1] _I.e._, a place far enough east from Arabia to be thought of as
west from Europe. After making all due allowances one may be excused for
feeling some misgiving whether John Cabot actually ever was in Mecca.
While some of the spices and eastern commodities were brought overland by
caravan from Ormuz or Bassora, the greater part came by water to Jiddah.
At Jiddah he could hardly have failed to get fairly accurate information
as to where the spices came from. That one who had seen that great
commerce should have remained so much in the dark as to conclude that
spices came from northeastern Asia is strange enough.

[428-2] In imitation of Columbus.

[429-1] English social joys in the fifteenth century did not appeal to
the more refined Italians. An interesting parallel to this comment of
Raimondo de Soncino is to be found in Vespasiano's life of Poggio. "Pope
Martin sent him with letters to England. He strongly condemned their
life, consuming the time in eating and drinking. He was used to say in
pleasantry that oftentimes being invited by those prelates or English
gentlemen to dinner or to supper and staying four hours at the table he
must needs rise from the table many times to wash his eyes with cold
water so as not to fall asleep." Vespasiano da Bisticci, _Vite di Uomini
Illustri del Secolo XV._ (Florence, 1859), p. 420.

[429-2] The original is in the archives at Simancas partly in cipher. It
was discovered and deciphered by Bergenroth and published in the
_Calendar of State Papers, Spanish Series_, I., pp. 176-177. The Spanish
text was published by Harrisse, _Jean et Sebastien Cabot_, pp. 329-330,
and in Weare, _Cabot's Discovery_, pp. 160-161. Bergenroth's translation
is given here, carefully revised. The contents of this letter were
briefly summarized in a despatch to the Catholic sovereigns by Dr.
Puebla, their senior ambassador, which was transmitted at or about the
same time with that of Ayala. The Puebla despatch, which contains nothing
not in the Ayala despatch, can be seen in Weare, p. 159.

[430-1] In this Ayala would seem to have been misinformed. _Cf._ pp. 423,
425.

[430-2] The "and" is not in the original, but is supplied by all the
editors. It is not absolutely certain that it belongs there. If it does,
the passage implies t