網頁圖片
PDF
ePub 版

for the firs that there discovery. out of th

at his c

hero is had no qualigo Soncin For t

Almo

Cabr

stat

The

wa

re

A

y'

t

4. the same time it must be ad and so returned again into England
mtd on these undisputed facts with his father after certain years,
that he was a man not to be relied whereby he was thought to have
on as to his word, and a betrayer been born in Venice." The infer-
of the secrets of his offices And ence is pretty clear: Sebastian
this is far from being all that is Cabot made his birthplace suit the

and against him. His official designs he had on hand.

treachery is counted of importance

of his father's memory.

It was on the strength of state

Cabot as a countryman and a

an Italian woman. Of the three he was.

patent of 1496, he comes

And upon statements of

5 second, next, rested that fame as the

sonally, they were almost neces

Here is the evidence. Peter Mar

"He is my very

chiety as giving weight to the ments of his own, then, that Engcharge that he reared for himself lish and Bristol chroniclers have monament of fame at the expense enthusiastically claimed Sebastian We have no certain information townsman. That was before the about Sebastian Cabot's birthplace. documents discovered in the VeneHis mother, as we have seen, was tian archives made plain the man sons mentioned in the letters- his own, also, as we must show had an elder brother. As the his until these documents estabso that we may suppose that he discoverer of America which was grants were made to the sons per- lished his father's claim to it. in 1407, and so born before 1474. friend," he wrote, "whom I use must have been at least twenty-two Sebastian Cabot. sary of age. Sebastian, therefore, tyr was intimately acquainted with years of residence which gave his him sometimes keep me company father Venetian citizenship: thus in mine own house." Now, in Bat 1474 fals within the fifteen familiarly, and delight to have the presumption is strong that he Peter Martyr's account of the dishowever, is that he could not be at Cabot's name is not so much as was born in Venice. The point, covery of North America, John once & Venetian born and a native mentioned; but it is stated-and of Bristol, yet that is exactly the Sebastian was at Court with him conclusion we come to from his when the book was published negotiations with Venice, while he searched by one Sebastian Cabot; was still in the employ of Spain, . . . he therefore furnished two born in Venice but brought up in charges." England," and a special envoy of of reticence concerning others, inthat occasion reported that Cabot Dr Dawson says drily. Further, Martyr, who knew him well, and interesting witness in the case "says he is of our city." Peter according to that mysterious and Oviedo spoke of his Venetian birth. known as On the other hand, Richard Eden, man," Sebastian himself said to

own statements. During the first

be told Contarini that he

66

the Council of Ten employed

was

on

[blocks in formation]

in a marginal note appended to his him—
translation of Peter Martyr's 'De-
cades, says, "Sebastian Cabot told

"The Mantuan Gentle

"When my father died, in that time when news was brought that

me that he was born in Bristowe, Don Christopher Columbus, Genoese,

and that at four yeares old he was

had discovered the coasts of India,

carried with his father to Venice, whereof was great talk in the Court

of King Henry VII., who then reigned, .. I thereupon caused the king to be advertised of my device, who immediately commanded to be furnished two caravels with all things, and I began therefore to sail. After certain days I found,' &c."

The salient points of these statements we know not to be true; that about his father having died before the news arrived of Columbus's discovery is a singularly impudent falsehood. It is secondhand evidence; but few will doubt that the man stands convicted of a most unfilial filching of his father's honours.

:

In the famous planisphere of 1544, frequently, but not with undoubted reason, ascribed to Sebastian Cabot, there occurs the legend, "This land was discovered by John Caboto, Venetian, and Sebastian Cabot, his son." But it is by no means clear that Sebastian accompanied his father in the 1497 voyage. As we have seen, the letters-patent of 1496 were issued in the names of the son as well as of the father it is somewhat to the point that those for the second voyage, that of 1498, were in the name of the father only. In the letter of Pasqualigo describing the heroworship of John Cabot on his return, it is said that the king had given him money wherewith to amuse himself until the second expedition was ready, and that "he is now at Bristol with his Venetian wife and with his sons,"-language which some think we do not lay stress upon it not quite applicable to the case had one or all of the sons

sailed with him. Again, Peter Martyr "a very friend"-records that "some of the Spaniards deny that Sebastian was the first finder of the land of Bacallaos region, or that he ever sailed so far westward,”—a denial which goes far

beyond the 1497 voyage, and is curiously supported later. In 1521 Henry VIII. was preparing an expedition "for a voyage to be made into the newefound lland," which was to be commanded by Sebastian Cabot. For the fitting of it out he made heavy demands upon the Twelve Great Livery Companies of London. In the name of the others, the Drapers objected to the king's levies, on the ground that " we think it were too sore a venture to jeopard five ships with men and goods unto the said lland upon the singular trust of one man, called, as we understand, Sebastian, which Sebastian, as we here say, was never in that land himself, all if he makes report of many things as he hath heard his father and other men speak in times past."

[ocr errors]

Mr Harrisse, the unswerving detective of Sebastian Cabot's infamy, goes further: indeed, he goes too far, we think, for the good of his case. He attempts to show that Sebastian's map is untrustworthy, being "faked,' so to say, at the instigation of his natural instinct for intrigue; that the scientific claims advanced for him have no basis, he being but a very sorry cartographer, and not the discoverer in magnetics that is generally supposed; that his methods for finding the longitude at sea are errors, and not even original errors; worst of all, that he was no navigator. Herein, surely, Mr Harrisse proves too much. Most of the evidence of Cabot's treachery and deceit would fall to the ground but for the assumption. that for nearly fifty years he held such a European reputation as a navigator and a maker of maps that his services were run after, and his words on these subjects treasured; and a man could not hold such a reputation for nearly

At the same time, it must be admitted on these undisputed facts that he was a man not to be relied on as to his word, and a betrayer of the secrets of his offices. And this is far from being all that is alleged against him. His official treachery is counted of importance chiefly as giving weight to the charge that he reared for himself a monument of fame at the expense of his father's memory.

We have no certain information about Sebastian Cabot's birthplace. His mother, as we have seen, was an Italian woman. Of the three sons mentioned in the letterspatent of 1496, he comes second, so that we may suppose that he had an elder brother. As the grants were made to the sons personally, they were almost necessarily of age. Sebastian, therefore, must have been at least twenty-two in 1497, and so born before 1474. But 1474 falls within the fifteen years of residence which gave his father Venetian citizenship: thus the presumption is strong that he was born in Venice. The point, however, is that he could not be at once a Venetian born and a native of Bristol, yet that is exactly the conclusion we come to from his own statements. During the first negotiations with Venice, while he was still in the employ of Spain, he told Contarini that he "was born in Venice but brought up in England," and a special envoy of the Council of Ten employed on that occasion reported that Cabot "says he is of our city." Peter Martyr, who knew him well, and Oviedo spoke of his Venetian birth. On the other hand, Richard Eden, in a marginal note appended to his translation of Peter Martyr's 'Decades,' says, "Sebastian Cabot told me that he was born in Bristowe, and that at four yeares old he was carried with his father to Venice,

and so returned again into England with his father after certain years, whereby he was thought to have been born in Venice." The inference is pretty clear: Sebastian Cabot made his birthplace suit the designs he had on hand.

It was on the strength of statements of his own, then, that English and Bristol chroniclers have enthusiastically claimed Sebastian Cabot as a countryman and a townsman. That was before the documents discovered in the Venetian archives made plain the man he was. And upon statements of his own, also, as we must show next, rested that fame as the discoverer of America which was his until these documents established his father's claim to it. Here is the evidence. Peter Martyr was intimately acquainted with Sebastian Cabot. "He is my very friend," he wrote, "whom I use familiarly, and delight to have him sometimes keep me company in mine own house." Now, in Peter Martyr's account of the discovery of North America, John Cabot's name is not so much as mentioned; but it is stated-and Sebastian was at Court with him when the book was published – "These north seas have been searched by one Sebastian Cabot; . . . he therefore furnished two ships in England at his own charges." "The son had a gift of reticence concerning others, including his father and brothers," Dr Dawson says drily. Further, according to that mysterious and interesting witness in the case known as "The Mantuan Gentleman," Sebastian himself said to him

"When my father died, in that time when news was brought that Don Christopher Columbus, Genoese, had discovered the coasts of India, whereof was great talk in the Court

of King Henry VII., who then reigned, I thereupon caused the king to be advertised of my de. vice, who immediately commanded to be furnished two caravels with all things, . . and I began therefore to sail. After certain days I found,' &c."

The salient points of these statements we know not to be true; that about his father having died before the news arrived of Columbus's discovery is a singularly impudent falsehood. It is secondhand evidence; but few will doubt that the man stands convicted of a most unfilial filching of his father's honours.

In the famous planisphere of 1544, frequently, but not with undoubted reason, ascribed to Sebastian Cabot, there occurs the legend, "This land was discovered by John Caboto, Venetian, and Sebastian Cabot, his son." But it is by no means clear that Sebastian accompanied his father in the 1497 voyage. As we have seen, the letters-patent of 1496 were issued in the names of the son as well as of the father it is somewhat to the point that those for the second voyage, that of 1498, were in the name of the father only. In the letter of Pasqualigo describing the heroworship of John Cabot on his return, it is said that the king had given him money wherewith to amuse himself until the second expedition was ready, and that "he is now at Bristol with his Venetian wife and with his sons,"-language which some think—we do not lay stress upon it not quite applicable to the case had one or all of the sons sailed with him. Again, Peter Martyr" a very friend"-records that " some of the Spaniards deny that Sebastian was the first finder of the land of Bacallaos region, or that he ever sailed so far westward," a denial which goes far

beyond the 1497 voyage, and is curiously supported later. In 1521 Henry VIII. was preparing an expedition "for a voyage to be made into the newefound lland," which was to be commanded by Sebastian Cabot. For the fitting of it out he made heavy demands upon the Twelve Great Livery Companies of London. In the name of the others, the Drapers objected to the king's levies, on the ground that "we think it were too sore a venture to jeopard five ships with men and goods unto the said lland upon the singular trust of one man, called, as we understand, Sebastian, which Sebastian, as we here say, was never in that land himself, all if he makes report of many things as he hath heard his father and other men speak in times past."

Mr Harrisse, the unswerving detective of Sebastian Cabot's infamy, goes further: indeed, he goes too far, we think, for the good of his case. He attempts to show that Sebastian's map is untrustworthy, being "faked," so to say, at the instigation of his natural instinct for intrigue; that the scientific claims advanced for him have no basis, he being but a very sorry cartographer, and not the discoverer in magnetics that is generally supposed; that his methods for finding the longitude at sea are errors, and not even original errors; worst of all, that he was no navigator. Herein, surely, Mr Harrisse proves too much. Most of the evidence of Cabot's treachery and deceit would fall to the ground but for the assumption that for nearly fifty years he held such a European reputation as a navigator and a maker of maps that his services were run after, and his words on these subjects treasured; and a man could not hold such a reputation for nearly

fifty years without some cause. Mr Harrisse's conclusions, indeed, sometimes seem to bear witness to the natural tendency to bias in the human mind, quite as much as does the fact that for so long Sebastian's claims were supported. On the planisphere of 1544, the date of the first voyage is given as 1494. It seems quite clear that this was a paleographical error for 1497. The date is given in Roman numerals, м CCCC XCIIII. The map was printed most likely in the Netherlands, from the Spanish. Sebastian Cabot had no opportunity of correcting the proofsheets, and the substitution of IIII. for VII. clearly is a simple blunder. All the evidence proves the date 1494 impossible. But it is easy to see why it has been stuck to. Starting with the statement of Sebastian that he was born in Bristol, we can claim that North America was discovered by an Englishman. Most certainly John Cabot cannot by any alchemy be changed into an Englishman, and on that ground it is convenient to ignore him. And by assuming the 1494 date, we throw the discovery still further in advance of the making of the mainland of America by Columbus. Many do so; and a similar predisposition to find certain things in the evidence is shown now and then by Mr Harrisse in his determination to prove Sebastian's unworthiness. And, chiefly, Mr Harrisse has a theory to prove connected with the greatly vexed question of John Cabot's landfall. The 1544 map fixes it at Cape Breton, and that is generally accepted. He, how ever, is convinced that the true landfall is on the north coast of Labrador. It is a question for the experts, and of course the experts disagree, as they may be excused for doing on the scanty facts.

But setting out to prove that the landfall was between 56° and 60°, Mr Harrisse has to account for the Prima Terra Vista appearing on 48°, in the Cabot map, and he does so by saying that the wily Sebastian's motive was to establish British claims for the region at the mouth of the St Lawrence which the voyages of Jacques Cartier had shown to be valuable, and so to make a bid for the favour of England, which he visited shortly afterwards. For this, however, he puts in no proof, and there are strong presumptions against it.

It is remarkable, indeed, how many and how varied are the points in dispute in this story, arising out of the meagreness of the material to our hand for constructing it. Out of the misty cloud of evidence, however, this emerges clearly: John Cabot, not Sebastian, was the discoverer; after nearly four hundred years of an honoured reputation, Sebastian Cabot has been convicted of being a wily and untrustworthy man, howsoever able; and there is sound reason to believe that an unfilial baseness to his father's memory must be attributed to him, inasmuch as he appears to have instigated the statements upon which for so many centuries his name has been set in the ascendant, and his father's kept under a cloud.

When John Cabot sailed from the Port of Bristol on his memorable voyage, Europe was in a fever of discovery. The veil of night that en wrapped them was rent, and men's minds soared upwards with a morning hope. Traveller's tales, passed from mouth to mouth, fired their imaginations with the gorgeous colours of the Orient, and their lust for her gold and spices. They saw the Italian cities, through

« 上一頁繼續 »