CHAPTER XXXV
UP and down went the great Roldan scission. Up and down went Indianrevolt, repression, fresh revolt, fresh repression. On flowed time.Ships came in, one bearing Don Diego; ships went out. Time passed.Alonso de Ojeda, who by now was no more than half his friend, returnedto Spain and there proposed to the Sovereigns a voyage of his own tothat Southern Continent that never had the Admiral chance to return to!The Sovereigns now were giving such consent to this one and to that one,breaking their pact with Christopherus Columbus. In our world it was nowimpossible that that pact should be letter-kept, but the Genoese didnot see it so. Ojeda sailed from Cadiz for Paria with four ships and aconcourse of adventurers. With him went the pilot Juan de la Cosa, and ageographer of Florence, Messer Amerigo Vespucci.
It came to us in Hispaniola that Ojeda was gone. Now I saw the Admiral'sheart begin to break. Yet Ojeda in his voyage did not find the EarthlyParadise, only went along that coast as we had done, gathered pearls,and returned.
Time passed. Other wild and restless adventurers beside Roldan brokeinto insurrections less than Roldan's. The Viceroy hanged Moxica andseven with him, and threw into prison Guevara and Requelme. Roldan,having had his long fling--too powerful still to hang or to chain insome one of our forts--Roldan wrote and received permission, and came toSan Domingo, and was reconciled.
Suddenly, after long time of turmoil, wild adventure and uncertainty,peace descended. Over all Hispaniola the Indians submitted. Henceforththey were our subjects; let us say our victims and our slaves! Quarrelsbetween Castilians died over night. Miraculously the sky cleared.Miraculously, or perhaps because of long, patient steering throughstorm. For three months we lived with an appearance of blossoming andprospering. It seemed that it might become a peaceful, even a happyisland.
The Viceroy grew younger, the Adelantado grew younger, and Don Diego,and with them those who held by them through thick and thin. The Admiralbegan to talk Discovery. It was two years since there, far to the south,we had passed in by the Mouth of the Serpent, and out by the Mouth ofthe Dragon.
The Viceroy, inspecting the now quiet Vega, rode to an Indian village,near Concepcion. He had twenty behind him, well-armed, but arms were notneeded. The people came about him with an eagerness, a docility. Theytold their stories. He sat his horse and listened with a benignant face.Certain harshnesses in times and amounts of their tribute he redressed.Forever, when personal appeal came to him, he proved magnanimous, oftentender, fatherly and brotherly. At a distance he could be severe. Butwhen I think of the cruelties and high-handedness of others here, theAdelantado and the Viceroy shine mildly.
We rode back to Concepcion. I remember the jewel-like air that day, theflowers, the trees, the sky. Palms rustled above us, the brilliantsmall lizards darted around silver trunks. "The fairest day!" quoth theAdmiral. "Ease at heart! I feel ease at heart."
This night, as I sat beside him, wiling him to sleep, for he always hadtrouble sleeping--a most wakeful man!--he talked to me about the Queen.Toward this great woman he ever showed veneration, piety, and knightlyregard. Of all in Spain she it was who best understood and sharedthat religious part in him that breathed upward, inspired, longed andstrained toward worlds truly not on the earthly map. She, like him--orso took leave to think Juan Lepe--received at times too docilely word ofauthority, or that which they reckoned to be authority. Princes of theChurch could bring her to go against her purer thought. The world asit is, dinging ever, "So important is wealth--so important isherald-nobility--so important is father-care in these respects forsons!" could make him take a tortuous and complicated way, could makehim bow and cap, could make him rule with an ear for world's advicewhen he should have had only his book and his ship and his dream anda cheering cry "Onward!" Or so thinks Juan Lepe. But Juan Lepe and allwait on full light.
He talked of her great nature, and her goodness to him. Of how sheunderstood when the King would not. Of how she would never listen to hisenemies, or at the worst not listen long.
He turned upon his bed in the warm Indian night. I asked him if I shouldread to him but he said, not yet. He had talked since the days of hisfirst seeking with many a great lord, aye, and great lady. But theQueen was the one of them all who understood best how to trust a man!Differences in mind arose within us all, and few could find the firmsoul behind all that! She could, and she was great because she could.He loved to talk with her. Her face lighted when he came in. When otherswere by she said "Don Cristoval", or "El Almirante", but with himselfalone she still said "Master Christopherus" as in the old days.
At last he said, "Now, let us read." Each time he came from Spain toHispaniola he brought books. And when ships came in there would be apacket for him. I read to him now from an old poet, printed in Venice.He listened, then at last he slept. I put out the candle, stepped softlyforth past Gonsalvo his servant, lying without door.
An hour after dawn a small cavalcade appeared before the fort. At firstwe thought it was the Adelantado from Xaragua. But no! it was Alonzode Carvajal with news and a letter from San Domingo, and in the verystatement ran a thrilling something that said, "Hark, now! I am Fortunethat turns the wheel."
Carvajal said, "senor, I have news and a letter for your ear and eyealone!"
"From my brother at San Domingo?"
"Aye, and from another," said Carvajal. "Two ships have come in."
With that the Admiral and he went into Commandant's house.
The men at Concepcion made Carvajal's men welcome. "And what is it?""And what is it?" They had their orders evidently, but much wine leakedout of the cask. If one wished the Viceroy and his brothers ill, it wasfound to be heady wine; if the other way round, it seemed thin, chillyand bitter. Here at Concepcion were Admiral's friends.
After an hour he came again among us, behind him Carvajal.
Now, this man, Christopherus Columbus, always appeared most highly andnobly Man, most everlasting and universal, in great personal trouble anddanger. It was, I hold, because nothing was to him smally personal, butalways pertained to great masses, to worlds and to ages. Now, looking athim, I knew that trouble and danger had arrived. He said very little. IfI remember, it was, "My friends, the Sovereigns whom we trust and obey,have sent a Commissioner, Don Francisco de Bobadilla, whom we must gomeet. We ride from Concepcion at once to Bonao."
We rode, his company and Carvajal's company.
Don Francisco de Bobadilla! Jayme de Marchena had some association here.It disentangled itself, came at last clear. A Commander of the Order ofCalatrava--about the King in some capacity--able and honest, men said.Able and honest, Jayme de Marchena had heard said, but also a passionateman, and a vindictive, and with vanity enough for a legion of peacocks.
We came to Bonao and rested here. I had a word that night from theAdmiral. "Doctor, Doctor, a man must outlook storm! He grew man bythat."
I asked if I might know what was the matter.
He answered, "I do not know myself. Don Diego says that great powershave been granted Don Francisco de Bobadilla. I have not seen thosepowers. But he has demanded in the name of the Sovereigns our prisoners,our ships and towns and forts, and has cited us to appear before him andanswer charges--of I know not what! I well think it is a voice withouttrue mind or power behind it--I go to San Domingo, but not just at hiscitation!"
Later, in the moonlight, one of our men told me that which a man ofCarvajal had told him. All the Admiral's enemies, and none ever saidthey were few, had this fire-new commissioner's ear! A friend could notget within hail. Just or unjust, every complaint came and squatted in aring around him. Maybe some were just--such as soldiers not beingable to get their pay, for instance. There was never but one who livedwithout spot or blemish. But of course we knew that the old Admiralwasn't really a tyrant, cruel and a fool! Of course not. Carvajal's manwas prepared to fight any man of his own class who would say that to hisface! He'd fight, too, for the Adelantado. Don Francisco de Bobadillahad no sooner landed than he began to talk and act as though they wereall villain
s. Don Diego--whom it was laughable to call a villain--andall. He went to mass at once--Don Francisco de Bobadilla--and when itwas over and all were out and all San Domingo there in the square, hehad his letters loudly read. True enough! He is Governor, and everybodyelse must obey him! _Even the Admiral!_
At dawn Juan Lepe walked and thought. And then he saw coming theFranciscan, Juan de Trasiena and Francisco Velasquez the Treasurer. Thatwhich Juan de Trasiena and Francisco Velasquez brought were attestedcopies of the royal letters.
I saw them. "Wherefore we have named Don Francisco de Bobadilla Governorof these islands and of the main land, and we command you, cavaliersand all persons whatever, to give him that obedience which you do owe tous." And to him, the new Governor: "Whomsoever you find guilty, arresttheir persons and take over their goods." And, "If you find it to ourservice that any cavaliers or other persons who are at present inthese islands should leave them, and that they should come and presentthemselves before us, you may command it in our names and oblige it."And, "Whomsoever you thus command, we hereby order that immediately theyobey as though it were ourselves." "And if thus and thus is found to bethe case, the said Admiral of the Ocean-Sea shall give into your hands,ships, fortresses, arms, houses and treasure, and he shall himself beobedient to your command."
The Admiral said, "If it be found thus and thus! But how shall he findit, seeing that it is not so?"
We rode to San Domingo, but not many rode. He would not have many. "Noshow of force, no gaud of office!"
He rode unarmored, on his gray horse. The banner that was always bornewith him--"Yea, carry it still, until he demands it!"
We were a bare dozen, but when we entered San Domingo one might thinkthat Don Francisco de Bobadilla feared an army, for he had all hissoldiers drawn up to greet us! The rest of the population were incoigns, gazing. We saw friends--Juan Ponce de Leon and others--but theywere helpless. For all the people in it, the place seemed to me deadquiet, hot, sunny, dead quiet.
The Admiral rode to the square. Here was his house, and the royal bannerover it. He dismounted and spoke to men before the door. "Tell DonFrancisco de Bobadilla that Don Cristoval Colon is here."
There came an officer with a sword, behind him a dozen men. "Senor, inthe name of the Sovereigns, I arrest you!"
Christopherus Columbus gazed upon him. "For what, senor?"
The other, an arrogant, ill-tempered man, answered loudly so that allaround could hear, "For ill-service to our lord the King and Queen, andto their subjects here in the Indies, and to God!"
"God knows, you hurt the truth!" said the Admiral. "Where is my brother,Don Diego?"
"Laid by the heels in the Santa Catarina," answered the graceless man;then to one of the soldiers, "Take the banner from behind him and restit against the wall."
The Admiral said, "I would see Don Francisco de Bobadilla."
"That is as he desires and when he desires," the other replied. "Closearound him, men!"
The fortress of San Domingo is a gloomy place. They prisoned himhere, and they put irons upon him. I saw that done. One or two of hisimmediate following, and I his physician might enter with him.
He stood in the dismal place where one ray of light came down froma high, small, grated window, and he looked at the chains which theybrought. He asked, "Who will put them on?"
He looked at the chains and at the soldier who brought them. "Put themon, man!" he said. "What! Once thou didst nail God's foot to a cross! Asfor me, I will remember that One who saved all, and be patient."
They chained him and left him there in the dark.
I saw him the next day, entering with his gaoler. Had he slept? "Yes."
"How did he find himself?"
"How does my body find itself? Why, no worse than usual, nowadays that Iam getting old! My body has been unhappier a thousand times in storm andfight, and thirst and famine."
"Then mind and soul?" I asked.
"They are well. There is nothing left for them but to feel well. I am inthe hand of God."
I did what service for him I could. He thanked me. "You've been everas tender as a woman. A brave man besides! I hope you'll be by me, JuanLepe, when I die."
"When you die, senor, there will die a great servant of the world."
I spoke so because I knew the cordial that he wanted.
His eyes brightened, strength came into his voice. "Do you know aught ofmy brother the Adelantado?"
"No. He may be on his way from Xaragua. What would you wish him to do,sir?"
"Come quietly to San Domingo as I came. This Governor is but a violent,petty shape! But I have sworn to obey the Queen and the King of theSpains. I and mine to obey."
I asked him if he believed that the Sovereigns knew this outrage. Icould believe it hardly of King Ferdinand, not at all of the Queen.
Again I felt that this was cordial to him. I had spoken out of myconviction, and he knew it. "No," he said. "I do not believe it. I willnever believe it of the Queen! Look you! I have thought it out in thenight. The night is good for thinking out. You would not believe howmany enemies I have in Spain. Margarite and Father Buil are but two ofa crowd. Fonseca, who should give me all aid, gives me all hindrance. Ihave throngs of foes; men who envy me; men who thought I might give themthe golden sun, and I could not; hidalgos who hold that God made them toenjoy, standing on other men's shoulders, eating the grapes and throwingdown the empty skins, and I made them to labor like the others; and notin Heaven or Hell will they forgive me! And others--and others. Theyhave turned the King a little their way. I knew that, ere I went to findthat great new land where are pearls, that slopes upward by littles tothe Height of the World and the Earthly Paradise. Turned the King, butnot the Queen. But now I make it they have worked upon her. I make itthat she does not know the character of Don Francisco de Bobadilla. Imake it that, holding him to be far wiser than he is, she with theKing gave him great power as commissioner. I make it that they gave himletters of authority, and a last letter, superseding the Viceroy, naminghim Governor whom all must obey. I make it that he was only to use thisif after long examination it was found by a wise, just man that I haddone after my enemies' hopes. I make it that here across Ocean-Sea,far, far from Spain, he chose not to wait. He clucked to him all thedisaffected and flew with a strong beak at the eyes of my friends." Hemoved his arms and his chains clanked. "I make it that this severity isDon Francisco de Bobadilla's, not King Ferdinand's, not--oh, more thannot--the good Queen's!"
Juan Lepe thought that he had made out the probabilities, probably thecertainties.
"If I may win to Spain!" he ended. "It all hinges on that! If I may seethe Sovereigns--if I may see the good Queen! I hope to God he will soonchain me in a ship and send me!"
Had he seen Don Francisco de Bobadilla?
No, he had not seen Don Francisco de Bobadilla. He thought that on thewhole that Hidalgo and Commander of Calatrava was afraid.
Outside of the fortress that afternoon Juan Lepe kept company with onewho had come with the fire-new Governor, a grim, quiet fellow namedPedro Lopez. He and Luis Torres had been neighbors in Spain; it wasLuis who brought us together. I gave him some wine in Doctor Juan Lepe'ssmall room and he told readily the charges against the Viceroy thatBobadilla, seizing, made into a sheaf.
Already I knew what they were. I had heard them. One or two had, Ithought, faint justification, but the mass, no! Personal avarice,personal greed, paynim luxury, arrogance, cruelty, deceit--it made onesorrowfully laugh who knew the man! Here again clamored the old chargeof upstartness. A low-born Italian, son of a wool-comber, vindictivetoward the hidalgo, of Spain! But there were new charges. Three mendeposed that he neglected Indian salvation. And I heard for the firsttime that so soon as he found the Grand Khan he meant to give over tothat Oriental all the islands and the main, and so betray the Sovereignsand Christ and every Spaniard in these parts!
The Adelantado arrived in San Domingo. He came with only a score or twoof men, who could have raised many more. Don Francisco de Bob
adillasaw to it that he had word from his great brother, and that word was"Obedience." The Adelantado gave his sword to Don Francisco. The latterloaded the first with chains and put him aboard a caravel in the harbor.He asked to be prisoned with his brother; but why ask any magnanimityfrom an unmagnanimous soul?
Out in the open now were all the old insurgents. Guevara and Requelmebowed to the earth when the Governor passed, and Roldan sat with him atwine.
1492 Page 35
