The interpretation of the seven-lettered cipher, accepting the smaller letters of the second line as the final ones of the words, seems to beSalve Christus, Maria, Yosephus. The nameChristopher(Christoferens) appears in the last line.
The interpretation of the seven-lettered cipher, accepting the smaller letters of the second line as the final ones of the words, seems to beSalve Christus, Maria, Yosephus. The nameChristopher(Christoferens) appears in the last line.
In person Columbus was tall and shapely. The only authentic portrait of him is that which once belonged to Paulus Jovius, and is still in the possession of the de Orchi family (related to Jovius by female descent) at Como. It shows us a venerable man with clean-shaven face, thin grey hair, high forehead, sad thoughtful eyes. It bears the inscriptionColumbus Lygur. novi orbis repertor.
Authorities.—Fernando Columbus,Historie del Signor Don Fernando Colombo ... e vera relatione della vita ... dell’ Ammiraglio D. Christoforo Colombo(the Spanish original of this, written before 1539, is lost; only the Italian version remains, first published at Venice in 1571; a good edition appeared in London in 1867); Bartolomé de las Casas,Historia de las Indias, written 1527-1561, but first printed at Madrid in 1875, after remaining in manuscript more than three centuries; Andres Bernandez,Historia de los Reyes Catolicos(contemporary with Fernando Columbus’sHistorie, but first printed at Granada in 1856; best edition, Seville, 1870); Gonzalo Fernandez Oviedo y Valdes,Historia general de las Indias(Seville, 1535; best edition, Madrid, 1851-1855); Peter Martyr d’Anghiera,Opus Epistolarum, first published in 1530, andDe Orbe Novo(Decades), printed in 1511 and 1530; Francisco Lopez de Gomara,Historia general de las Indias(Saragossa, 1552-1553, and Antwerp, 1554); Antonio de Herrera,Historia general de las Indias occidentales(publication first completed in 1615, but best edition perhaps that of 1730, Madrid); Juan Bautista Muñoz,Historia del Nuevo Mundo(Madrid, 1793); Martin Fernandez Navarrete,Coleccion de los Viages y descubrimientos que hicieron por mar los Españoles(Madrid, 1825-1837); Washington Irving,History of the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus(London, 1827-1828); Alex. von Humboldt,Examen critique(Paris, 1836-1839); R. H. Major,Select Letters ofColumbus(London, Hakluyt Society, 1847); Fernandez Duro,Colon y Pinzon(Madrid, 1883); Henry Harrisse,Christophe Colomb(Paris, 1884), andChristophe Colomb devant l’histoire(Paris, 1892); Justin Winsor,Christopher Columbus(Cambridge, Mass., 1891); Josè Maria Asensio,Cristoval Colon(Barcelona, 1892); Clements R. Markham,Life of Christopher Columbus(London, 1892); John Fiske,Discovery of America(Boston and New York, 1892); E. J. Payne,History of the New World called America, vol. i. (Oxford, 1892); Paul Gaffarel,Histoire de la découverte de l’Amérique(Paris, 1892); Charles I. Elton,Career of Columbus(London, 1892);Raccolta Colombiana(1892, &c.); Sophus Ruge,Columbus(Berlin, 1902); John Boyd Thatcher,Christopher Columbus(New York, 1903-1904); Henry Vignaud,La Lettre et la carte de Toscanelli(Paris, 1901), andÉtudes critiques sur la vie de Colomb avant ses découvertes(Paris, 1905); Filson Young,Christopher Columbus and the New World of his discovery(London, 1906).
Authorities.—Fernando Columbus,Historie del Signor Don Fernando Colombo ... e vera relatione della vita ... dell’ Ammiraglio D. Christoforo Colombo(the Spanish original of this, written before 1539, is lost; only the Italian version remains, first published at Venice in 1571; a good edition appeared in London in 1867); Bartolomé de las Casas,Historia de las Indias, written 1527-1561, but first printed at Madrid in 1875, after remaining in manuscript more than three centuries; Andres Bernandez,Historia de los Reyes Catolicos(contemporary with Fernando Columbus’sHistorie, but first printed at Granada in 1856; best edition, Seville, 1870); Gonzalo Fernandez Oviedo y Valdes,Historia general de las Indias(Seville, 1535; best edition, Madrid, 1851-1855); Peter Martyr d’Anghiera,Opus Epistolarum, first published in 1530, andDe Orbe Novo(Decades), printed in 1511 and 1530; Francisco Lopez de Gomara,Historia general de las Indias(Saragossa, 1552-1553, and Antwerp, 1554); Antonio de Herrera,Historia general de las Indias occidentales(publication first completed in 1615, but best edition perhaps that of 1730, Madrid); Juan Bautista Muñoz,Historia del Nuevo Mundo(Madrid, 1793); Martin Fernandez Navarrete,Coleccion de los Viages y descubrimientos que hicieron por mar los Españoles(Madrid, 1825-1837); Washington Irving,History of the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus(London, 1827-1828); Alex. von Humboldt,Examen critique(Paris, 1836-1839); R. H. Major,Select Letters ofColumbus(London, Hakluyt Society, 1847); Fernandez Duro,Colon y Pinzon(Madrid, 1883); Henry Harrisse,Christophe Colomb(Paris, 1884), andChristophe Colomb devant l’histoire(Paris, 1892); Justin Winsor,Christopher Columbus(Cambridge, Mass., 1891); Josè Maria Asensio,Cristoval Colon(Barcelona, 1892); Clements R. Markham,Life of Christopher Columbus(London, 1892); John Fiske,Discovery of America(Boston and New York, 1892); E. J. Payne,History of the New World called America, vol. i. (Oxford, 1892); Paul Gaffarel,Histoire de la découverte de l’Amérique(Paris, 1892); Charles I. Elton,Career of Columbus(London, 1892);Raccolta Colombiana(1892, &c.); Sophus Ruge,Columbus(Berlin, 1902); John Boyd Thatcher,Christopher Columbus(New York, 1903-1904); Henry Vignaud,La Lettre et la carte de Toscanelli(Paris, 1901), andÉtudes critiques sur la vie de Colomb avant ses découvertes(Paris, 1905); Filson Young,Christopher Columbus and the New World of his discovery(London, 1906).
(C. R. B.)