denly fell ill of a calenture and died; leaving the kingdoms of Anjou and Sicily to his brother John, and the kingdom of Naples to his son Ferdinand.

The death of Alphonso, and the subsequent division of his power, while they relieved the fears of the Genoese, gave rise to new hopes on the part of the house of Anjou; and the duke John, encouraged by emissaries from various powerful partisans among the Neapolitan nobility, determined to dash boldly upon Naples for the recovery of the crown. The Genoese entered spiritedly into his cause, furnishing him with ships, galleys and money. His father Rene or Renato also fitted out twelve galleys for the expedition in the harbour of Marseilles, and sent him assurance of abundant supply of money, and of the assistance of the king of France. The brilliant nature of the enterprize attracted the attention of the daring and restless spirits of the times. The chivalrous nobleman, the soldier of fortune, the hardy corsair, warriors of every description, who either panted for honour or lived by the sword, enlisted under the banners of the duke of Calabria. It is stated by historians, that Columbus served in the armament from Genoa, in a squadron commanded by one of the Colombos, his relations.

The expedition against Naples sailed in October, 1459, and arrived at Sessa between the mouths of the Garigliano and the Volturno. The news of its arrival was the signal of universal revolt; the factious barons, and their vassals, hastened to join the standard of Anjou, and the duke soon saw the finest provinces of the Neapolitan dominions at his command, and with his army and squadron menaced the city of Naples itself.

In the history of this expedition we meet with one ha-zardous action of the fleet in which Columbus had e

barked. The army of John of Anjou being closely invested by a superior force, was in a perilous predicament at the mouth of the Sarno. In this conjuncture, the captain of the armada landed with his men, and scoured the neighbourhood, hoping to awaken in the populace their former enthusiasm for the banner of Anjou; and perhaps to take Naples by surprise. A chosen company of infantry was sent against them.

The band from the fleet having little of the discipline of regular soldiery, and much of the freebooting disposition of maritime rovers, had scattered themselves about the country, intent chiefly upon spoil. They were set upon

by the foot soldiers and put to route, with the loss of many killed and wounded. Endeavouring to make their way back to the ships, they found the passes seized and blocked up by the people of Sorento, who assailed them with dreadful havoc. Their flight now became desperate and headlong, many, it is said, seized with a kind of fury, threw themselves from rocks and precipices into the sea, and but a small part were able to regain the ships.

The contest of John of Anjou, for the crown of Naples, lasted four years. For a time fortune favoured him, and the prize seemed almost within his grasp, but reverses succeeded; he was defeated at various points, the factious nobles one by one deserted him, and returned to their allegiance to Alphonso, until the duke had to retire to the island of Ischia. Here he remained for some time guarded, by eight galleys which likewise harassed the bay of Naples*. In this squadron, which loyally adhered to him, until he finally abandoned this unfortunate enterprise, it is supposed Columbus may have served.

No. VIII.

CAPTURE OF THE VENITIAN GALLEYS, BY COLUMBO

THE YOUNGER.

As the account of the sea-fight, by which Fernando Columbus asserts that his father was first thrown upon the shores of Portugal, has been adopted by various respectable historians, it is proper to give particular reasons for discrediting it.

Fernando expressly says, that it was in an action mentioned by Marco Antonio Sabelico, in the eighth book of his tenth Decade, that the squadron in which Columbus served was commanded by a famous corsair, called Columbus the younger (Colombo el mozo) and that an embassy was sent from Venice to thank the king of Portugal for the succour he afforded to the Venetian captains, and crews. All this is certainly recorded in Sabelicus, but the battle took place in 1485, after Columbus had left Portugal. Zurita in his annals of Arragon, under the date of 1685, mentions this same action. He says, "at this time there sailed four Venetian galleys from the island of Cadiz, which took the route for Flanders, and were laden with merchandise from the Levant, especially from the island of Sicily, and passing by Cape St. Vincent, they were attacked by a French corsair, son of captain Colon (Colombo) who had seven vessels in his armada; and the galleys were captured the twenty-first of August*."

* Zurita, Anales de Aragon. Lib. 20, C. 64.

A much fuller account is given in the life of King John II. of Portugal, by Garcia de Reesende, who likewise records it as happening in 1485. He says the Venetian galleys were taken and robbed by the French, and the captains and crews, wounded, plundered and maltreated, were turned on shore at Cascaes. Here they were succoured by Dona Maria de Meneses, Countess of Monsanto. When King John' II. heard of the circumstance, being much grieved that such an event should have happened on his coast, and being disposed to show his friendship for the republic of Venice, he ordered that the Venetian captains should be furnished with rich raiment of silks and costly cloths, and provided with horses and mules, that they might make their appearance before him in a style befitting themselves, and their country. He received them with great kindness and distinction, expressing himself with princely courtesy, both as to themselves and the republic of Venice; and having heard their account of the battle, and of their destitute situation, he assisted them with a large sum of money to ransom their galleys from the French cruisers. The latter took all the merchandises on board of their ships, but King John prohibited any of the spoil from being purchased within his dominions. Having thus generously relieved and assisted the captains, and administered to the necessities of their crews, he enabled them all to return in their own galleys to Venice.

The dignitaries of the republic were so highly sensible of this munificence, on the part of king John, that they sent a stately embassy to that monarch, with rich presents and warm expressions of gratitude. Ieronimo Donate was charged with this mission, a man eminent for learning and eloquence; he was honourably received and entertained by king John, and dismissed with royal presents, among which

were genets, and mules with sumptuous trappings and caparisons, and many negro slaves richly clad*.

The following is the account of this action as given by Sabillicus, in his history of Venicet.

Erano Anctati Quattro Galee, delle quai Bartolomeo Minio era capitano. Queste navicando per l'Iberico mare, Colombo il più Giovane, nipote de quel Colombo famoso corsale, fecesi incontro a Venitiani de notte appresso il sacro promontorio, chiamasi hora capo di San Vicenzo, con sette navi guernite du combattere. Egli quantunque nel primo incontro haber seco disposti d'opprimere le navi Venetiane, si retinne pero di combattere sin al giorno, tuttavia per essa alla Bataglia più acconcio cosi le seguia che le prode del corsale toccavano le poppee de Venetiani. Venuto il giorno, incontanenti i Barberii diedero l'assalto. Sostenero i Venetiani allhora l'empito del nemico, per numero de Navi e de combattanti superiore, e duro il conflitto attroce per molte hore. Rari fiate fu combattuto contro simili nemici con tanto uccisione, perche apena si costuma d'attacarsi contro di loro, si non per occasione. Affirmano alcuni che vi furono presente, asser morte delle ciurme Venitiane, da trecento huomini.

Altre dicono che fu meno. Mori in quella zuffa Loren

* Obras de Garcia de Reesende, C. 58. Avora, 1554.

+ Marco Antonio Coccio, better known under the name of Sabellicus, a cognomen which he adopted on being crowned poet in the pedantic academy of Pomponius Latus. He was a contemporary of Columbus, and makes brief mention of his discoveries in the eighth book of the tenth Enneada of his universal history. By some writers, he is called the Titus Livy of his time; others accuse him of being full of misrepresentations in favour of Venice. The older Scaliger charges him with venality and with being swayed by Venetian gold.