by the title of "Don Christopher Columbus, our Admiral of the Ocean Sea, and Viceroy2 and Governor of the Islands discovered in the Indies;" at the same time he was promised still further rewards.3 Columbus lost no time in complying with the commands of the sovereigns. He sent a memorandum of the ships, men and munitions that would be requisite, and having made such dispositions at Seville as circumstances permitted, 8 set out on his journey 9 for Barcelona, taking with him the six Indians, and the various curiosities and productions he had brought from the New World. 10

The fame of his discovery had resounded throughout the nation, and as his route lay through 11 several of the finest and most populous provinces of Spain, his journey appeared like the progress of a sovereign.i2 Wherever he passed,13 the surrounding country poured forth its inhabitants, who lined the road and thronged the villages, 14 In the large towns, the streets, windows, and balconies were filled with eager spectators, who rent the air with 15

5 See page 20, note 11.

6 qu'il faudrait. 7 having'

page 1, note 1.

'taking.' See

8 à Séville les dispositions que permettaient les circonstances. See page 22, note 7; also page 14, note ; and page 6, note 3.

9 il se mit en route. As the verb 'set out' is rather far from having made' and 'he sent,' it is better to repeat, in French, the pronoun il before se mit.

10 emmenant avec lui les six Indiens qui l'avaient suivi en Espagne, et prenant aussi les curiosités et les produits divers qu'il avait rapportés du Nouveau-Monde lors de son premier voyage. It is obvious that we must use here a

on voyait les habitants des alentours se porter en foule sur ses pas, border le chemin et encombrer les villages.

15 de leurs.

acclamations. His journey was continually impeded by the multitude pressing1 to gain a sight of him and of the Indians,2 who were regarded with as much admiration as if they had been natives of another planet. It was impossible to satisfy the craving curiosity which assailed himself and his attendants,5 at every stage, with innumerable questions; popular rumour, as usual, had exaggerated the truth, and had filled the newly-found country with all kinds of wonders.

8

13

It was about the middle of April that Columbus arrived at Barcelona, where every preparation had been made to give him a solemn and magnificent reception. The beauty and serenity of the weather, in that genial season 10 and favoured climate,11 contributed to give splendour 12 to this memorable ceremony. As he drew near the place,1 many of the more youthful courtiers and hidalgos of gallant bearing 14 came forth to meet and welcome him.15 His entrance into this noble city 16 has been compared to one of those triumphs which the Romans were accustomed 17 to decree to conquerors. First, were paraded the Indians, painted according to their savage fashion,18 and decorated with tropical feathers, and with their national ornaments of gold;19 after these were borne various kinds of live parrots, together with 20 stuffed birds and

1 qui se pressait pour.

The

2 le voir lui et les Indiens. disjunctive pronoun lui serves here to re-establish the connexion broken by the intervening verb voir, as the conjunctive pronoun le must necessarily be placed before the verb which governs it. 3 des naturels. See page 16, note 14 4 l'avide curiosité. 5 l'accablait lui et sa suite. See above, note 2. 6 de.

7 les dires (or, les on dit) populaires avaient, comme d'ordinaire. 8 'found,' découvert.

9 où l'on avait tout préparé pour lui faire. The which precedes on, here, is merely euphonic, and prevents a hiatus.

10 saison agréable; or, saison des

plaisirs.

11 See page 20, note 11.
12 See page 16, note 2.

13 Lorsqu'il s'approcha du lieu. 14 à l'air noble; or, à la démarche superbe; or, au port fier.

15 allèrent à sa rencontre (or, audevant de lui) pour lui faire accueil. See page 20, note 12, and page 1, note 3.

16 grande et belle ville; or, simply, superbe ville.

17 avaient coutume.

18 selon l'usage (or, à la façon) des indigènes.

19 Put a full stop here; and, in general, make your sentences short, in French. 'After these;' simply, Ensuite. 20 Simply, avec.

5

animals of unknown species, and rare plants, supposed to be of precious qualities: while great care was taken3 to make a conspicuous display of Indian coronets, bracelets, and other decorations of gold, which might give an idea of the wealth of the newly-discovered regions. After these followed Columbus, on horseback, surrounded by a brilliant cavalcade of Spanish chivalry.. The streets were almost impassable, from the countless multitude; the windows and balconies were crowded with the fair; the very roofs were covered with spectators. It seemed as if the public eye could not be sated with 10 gazing on these trophies of an unknown world, or on the remarkable man by whom it had been discovered. There was a sublimity in this event that mingled a solemn feeling with the public joy. It was looked upon as a vast and signal dispensation of Providence in reward for 11 the piety of the monarchs; and the majestic and venerable appearance of the discoverer, 12 so different from the youth and buoyancy that are generally expected from roving enterprise,13 seemed in harmony with the grandeur and dignity of his achievement.14 To 15 receive him with suitable pomp and distinction,16

toits qui ne fussent.

9 il semblait-see page 17, note 8 -(or, on eût dit) que tous ces yeux (or, cette multitude d'yeux).

10 être rassasiés -rassasiée (or, se rassasier, or se lasser) de. 11 de.

12 l'heureux navigateur.

13 qu'on s'attend généralement à voir dans un aventurier (or, à voir unies à l'esprit d'aventure); or, better, que l'on croit généralement inséparables de l'esprit d'aventure. The word aventurier, however, is very frequently used in a bad sense. 14 de l'œuvre qu'il avait accompli 15 Afin de.

16

avec une pompe et une distinction convenables. The article is used here, because the substantives 'pomp' and 'distinction' are particularised by the epithet 'suitable;' else none would be used, in French, any more than in English,

the sovereigns had ordered their throne to be placed 1 in public, under a rich canopy of brocade of gold, in a vast and splendid saloon. Here the king and queen awaited his arrival, seated in state,2 with the prince Juan beside them, and attended by the dignitaries of their court and the principal nobility of Castile, Valencia, Catalonia, and Arragon;4 all impatient to behold the man who had conferred so incalculable a benefit upon the nation. At length Columbus entered the hall, surrounded by a brilliant crowd of cavaliers, among whom, says Las Casas,* he was conspicuous for his stately and commanding person, which, with his countenances rendered venerable by his grey hairs, gave him the august appearance of a senator of Rome. A modest smile lighted up his features, showing that he enjoyed the state and glory in which he came; and certainly nothing could be more deeply moving to a mind inflamed by noble ambition, and conscious of having greatly deserved,9 than these testimonials of the admiration and gratitude of a nation, or rather of a world. As Columbus approached, the sovereigns rose, as if receiving11 a person of the highest rank. Bending his knees,12 he requested to kiss their hands ;13 but there was some hesitation on the part of their majesties

10

1 See page 9, note 6.

2 'scated in state,' en cérémonie.

3 ayant.

4 de la Castille, du royaume de Valence, de la Catalogne et de l'Aragon (or, du royaume d'Aragon). Notice this use of the definite article before names of provinces, or other subdivisions of a State, and also the repetition (as mentioned already before) of the preposition before each noun.

5 procuré à la nation un avantage aussi incalculable. See page 22, note 1.

6 il se distinguait (or, il se faisait remarquer) par. See page 1, note 3.

7 son maintien noble et impo

sant.

8 joint à sa physionomie.

9 et sachant avoir beaucoup mérité. See page 19, note 5, and page 7, note 2. 'rose'..

10 approached'. &c. The student must now use the preterite definite, not the imperfect of the indicative.

11 comme s'ils eussent reçu. This second form of the conditional (in avoir and être-j'eusse and je fusse) is also used as a second form of the imperfect of the indicative after si.

12 fléchissant les genoux. When the context clearly indicates who the possessor is, the French consider it superfluous to use a possessive pronoun, and they only use the definite article.

13 See page 10, note 10.

The truly Christian Bishop of Chiapa, in Mexico; born 1474, died 1566.-F. G.

to permit this act of vassalage. Raising him in1 the most gracious manner, they ordered him to seat himself in their presence; a rare honour2 in this proud and punctilious

court.

At the request of their majesties, Columbus now gave an account of the most striking events of his voyage, and a description of the islands which he had discovered. He displayed the specimens he had brought of unknown birds and other animals, of rare plants of medicinal and aromatic virtue of native gold in dust,7 in crude masses, or laboured into barbaric ornaments; and, above all, the natives of these countries, who were objects of intense? and inexhaustible interest; since there is nothing to man so curious 10 as the varieties of his own species. All these he pronounced mere 11 harbingers of great discoveries he had yet to make, which would add realms of incalculable wealth to the dominions of their majesties, and whole nations of proselytes to the true faith.

The words 12 of Columbus were listened to 13 with profound emotion 14 by the sovereigns. When he had finished 15 they sank on their knees,16 and, raising their clasped hands

1 L'ayant relevé de.

2 The article 'a' should not be translated: no article is used, in French, before a substantive used to qualify another, or to qualify a fact enunciated just before.

3 Sur.

according to the rule given above, note 7 of page 22.

11 il déclara que toutes ces merveilles n'étaient que les.

12 Les paroles. The word parole implies word of mouth, and mot generally a word that is written or printed; mot is the mere sign, 5 et donna une description de; whilst parole refers to the utteror, simply, et décrivit.

4 rendit alors compte.

6 See page 1, note 8.

7 poudre; poussière is said of the dust of the earth.

8 who were... (i. e. 'all that while'). Imperfect indicative, here see again page 1, note 3; objects of les objets (or, l'objet d'un note 16

....

See page 25,

to

9 vif, or grand. 10 See page 9, note 4; man,' pour l'homme, and construct the sentence thus, in French: 'there is, to man, nothing,' &c.,

ance.

13 furent écoutées. A past participle joined with the auxiliary être, 'to be,' agrees with the subject; écoutées is here feminine plural, to agree with paroles.

14 See page 25, note 16.

15 Quand il eut fini. This form, the compound of the preterite, is used to indicate that a past fact has taken place immediately before another, likewise completely past.

16 tombèrent à genoux.