"
Isabella, we must remember, was queen of Castile and Leon, and Ferdinand
was king of Aragon, each still ruling his own portion, although their
marriage had united these portions into one kingdom. Hence, though
Ferdinand had lost interest in Columbus's affair, Isabella was quite
free to aid him. It was to commemorate her personal venture that later,
after they had allowed Columbus to adopt a coat of arms, some poet wrote
on its reverse side the famous couplet which excluded Aragon from a
share in the discovery:--
A Castilla y a Leon
Nuevo mundo dio Colon.
To Castile and to Leon
Columbus gave a new world.
The great moment having come when a Spanish sovereign cried out, "Bring
the man back! The thing shall be done!" it was done. Columbus, on
hearing these things from the messengers, turned his mule back to
Granada. The necessary papers were drawn up to provide ships and men;
also, an order creating Christopher Columbus, or Cristobal Colon as he
was called in Spain, Admiral and Viceroy, and granting all the other
demands he had made in the event of his voyage being successful. Even
the reluctant Ferdinand now fell in with his wife's schemes and signed
the order along with her.
The preparing of these papers took some time. Columbus had returned to
Granada in late December, 1491, and it was not until April 17 the
following year that "the greatest paper monarch ever put pen to" was
signed.
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