Afterwards he continues his solicitations. In the summer, he receives for his travelling expenses the sum of three thousand maravedis. The Court fixes itself during winter at Valladolid. Columbus goes there also.
In 1489, Columbus was still far away from Cordova, since it was from that very city that the order of the twelfth of May was issued to Seville, and other places, to entertain gratuitously Christopher Columbus, who was called to the Court for the services of the sovereigns.[1] He came, in fact, to Cordova, but could remain there only a few days. It is known that he made, as a volunteer, the campaign of Baza. Now this war commenced at the end of May, and was terminated only the fourth of December.
In 1490, Columbus was the guest of the Duke of Medina Sidonia; and, a short time after, that of the Duke of Medina Celi, who was on the point of assuming the expenses of the projected expedition.
In 1491, we see him still at the residence of the Duke of Medina Celi, and thence make some new efforts to gain the favor of the Crown. A letter from this rich lord, addressed to the Grand Cardinal of Spain, the nineteenth of March, 1493, recalls to mind the fact that he gave hospitality to Columbus for two years;[2] and thus contributed to retaining him in Spain, and avails himself of this service rendered to the Crown to demand a favor.
Let us now judge from these facts, from these dates, whether it was the fascination of "the beautiful lady of Cordova" that retained Columbus in Spain. It is forgotten that in 1488 he was fifty-two years old; that he was engaged in navigation thirty-six years; that his maturity of judgment, and his sincere piety, could not permit an illegitimate affection to become rooted in his heart. That, besides, his elevation of mind and his firmness of will im-
