infant Don Juan, the two brothers Columbus, — one legitimate, the other a bastard? The venerable religious men with whom Columbus spent part of his life, — would they have been accomplices in, or dupes to such a criminal connection? For nobody could be ignorant of his relations with Cordova, and the nature of the business that led him there. From this well-known circumstance, Cordova was considered his real residence, although he never resided there six months at a time. An authentic document proves this. The twenty-third of May, 1493, while his wife, Doña Beatrix, superintended the education of his two sons, Columbus received the premium of first discovery, consisting of a contingent annuity of ten thousand maravedis. It was necessary to determine a place of payment. For his convenience, he was assigned payment at his presumed place of residence, and therefore at Cordova.[1]
The cotemporary historians of Fernando Columbus cast no doubt on his legitimacy. They treat him according to the facts in his case, and, therefore, as the legitimate son of the Admiral. If they have not sought to establish his legitimacy, it was because nobody contested it. The legitimacy of Don Fernando is plainly seen from the ensemble of the facts.
First, in the internal relations of the family, as well as in its exterior and public relations, no difference except that of primogeniture is made between Diego and Fernando Columbus. Their appearance in society was at the same time, in the absence of their father. They were presented together at Court the same day, by their paternal uncle, Don Bartholomew, who went for them to Cordova.[2] Both entered with the same title, the same rank, the same service of the household of the Prince Royal. And D. Eustaquio, grandson of Navarrete, acknowledges that Fernando Columbus was, with his brother, one of the greatest
