He talked
of God's gain that we went forth upon, reaping in a field
set us. One thing came forth here that I had not before
heard.
"And the unthinkable wealth that surely shall be found
and gained, for these countries to which you sail have eight-tenths of the world's riches, shall put Castile
and Leon where
of old stood Pagan Rome, and shall make, God willing, of
this very Palos a new Genoa or Venice! And this man,
your Admiral, how hath he proposed to the Sovereigns to
use first fruits? Why, friends, by taking finally and forever
from Mahound, and for Holy Church and her servant
the Spains, the Holy Sepulchre!"
In the end, we the going forth, kneeling, made general
confession and the priest's hands in the dusk above absolved
us. There was solemnity and there was tenderness. A
hundred and twenty, we came forth from church, and around
us flowed the hundreds of Palos, men and women and
children. All was red under a red sunset, the boats waiting
to take us out to the _Santa Maria_, the Pinta and the
Nina.
We marched to waterside. Priests and friars moved
with us, singing loudly the hymn to the Virgin, Lady of
all seamen. Great tears ran down Fray Juan Perez's checks.
It was a red sunset and the west into which we were going
looked indeed blood-flecked. Don Juan de Penelosa, harking
us on, had an inspiration.
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