by Augusta Stevenson
PLACE: Spain. Court of King Ferdinand and Queen
||COURTIERS AND LADIES.
|A MONK, FATHER-CONFESSOR TO THE
[Many COURTIERS and LADIES are
seen in audience-room of palace; a throne is
in the background. Enter the FIRST COURTIER.]
FIRST COURTIER. The King and Queen!
[Enter KING FERDINAND and QUEEN
ISABELLA, followed by COURTIERS, LADIES and
the WISE MEN. All bow as the King and Queen
cross to throne and sit. Enter the MONK; he
advances to throne and bows.]
KING. Speak, good Father.
MONK. I pray your Majesties to see one Christopher
KING (inquiringly). Columbus?
MONK. The Italian who thinks he can find a short
route to the Indies, sire.
KING (nodding). Ah, I remember. You brought
his plans to us some time ago, good Father.
QUEEN (nodding). Let us see him to-day,
KING (to First Courtier). Admit this Christopher
(Courtier admits COLUMBUS. He kneels
before the King.)
Rise, Columbus, and tell us what you seek.
COLUMBUS (rising). Ships, sire, to prove
the plans which I did send your Majesties; plans
for sailing in the unknown seas.
QUEEN. They seemed to me most wise and sensible.
COLUMBUS (with joy). Ah, your Majesty believes
KING (hastily). I'd have our Wise Men speak.
Unfold your maps before them, sir.
[Columbus crosses to Wise Men and unfolds a
map before them. They look at it, shake their
heads and laugh.]
COLUMBUS (with dignity). I propose to sail
by this route to find that eastern land.
FIRST WISE MAN. Ha, ha! I never heard anything
so absurd! He'd sail west to find the east! Ha,
SECOND WISE MAN (pointing to map). The
edge of the world is out there in those strange
waters! And you are willing to fall off with your
ships into space, sir?
COLUMBUS. I'm sure the
THIRD WISE MAN (interrupting). How could
there be land beyond? 'T would be under us, and
the trees would have to grow their roots in the
[Wise Men nod wisely.]
SECOND WISE MAN. And the rain must needs fall
ALL WISE MEN (nodding wisely). Aye! Aye!
QUEEN. I've heard you did lay your plans before
King John of Portugal?
COLUMBUS. I did, your Majesty.
KING. That was bad for you, Columbus. King John
sent ships, but they soon returned.
(Turning to CAPTAIN RIVERRA.)
Was not that the way of it, Captain? You sailed
with them, I believe?
RIVERRA. Yes, sire. But the failure came because
the sailors were afraid and refused to go on.
You were thus avenged for the theft of your maps,
QUEEN. Would you sail again with this man as your
RIVERRA. I would, your Majesty! I believe not
in the monsters and the edge.
QUEEN. Nor I! Let's provide the ships, sire.
KING. Our people would
not like it—they'd
grumble. And so 't would be bad for us.
[Enter MESSENGER in great haste; kneels
before King and Queen.]
KING. What news do you bring? Speak!
MESSENGER. The Turks have captured the Spanish
KING. Our ships bound for the Indies?
MESSENGER. Yes, your Majesty.
KING. Alas! Alas!
QUEEN. The merchants
and the sailors—did
the Turks spare them?
MESSENGER. Not one, your Majesty!
QUEEN. Alas, such loss of life! And 't is not
the first time! Not a month that does not bring
us the same sad news!
FIRST WISE MAN (to Monk). You must give
our people consolation, Father.
MONK. 'T is not so much consolation they need,
as another passage to the Indies; one far away
from Turkey and the cruel Turks.
QUEEN. You are right, Father. Speak on.
MONK. To find such a passage is the chief purpose
of Christopher Columbus. That is the hope that
has given him courage when half the world called
QUEEN. Sire, we must find ships and money!
KING. We dare not tax
the people more—
QUEEN. Then I'll help you, Columbus! I'll pledge
my own jewels to raise the funds.
COLUMBUS (joyfully). Your Majesty!
QUEEN. 'T is for the safety of our merchants!
'T is for the glory of Spain!
COLUMBUS (kneeling before Queen; kissing her
robe). My Queen!
NOTE TO TEACHER.—This
play conforms to the spirit of the traditional
story of Columbus, but the dramatization has made
it necessary to condense into one scene the somewhat
prolonged negotiations with Ferdinand and Isabella.