Being translation of a paper read by Mr. Adeline Diniz at the Vasco da Gama cvlebration at the Astor Hall on the 19th of May.
The Middle Ages were drawing to a close. The nationalities that arose out of the ruins of the Roman empire were already consolidated. There was a revival of ein: cal studies. In the astronomical science the Prolomaic system was giving way the Copernican. Guttenberg's invention remised to disseminate human knowledge in a wonderful manner. The theocracy, which had been the mainstay of European society for hundreds of years, was losing ground in things political or temporal; but, on the other hand, the Council of Trent, by its decisions, doguatical, moral, or ciplinary, was preparing the Church for its missions in the vast sphere which just then appeared looming.
Tt was as a morn of u new day dawning upon the human race. And it was just 0 little before the break of this day that the two Iberian nations began to undertake, in a systematic way, their voyages of discovery in order that the seed of the Gospel might be spread overs greater aren and the various nations of the earth: might be brought together into a closer relation.
With the union of the two crowns—of Aragon and Castile—and after the expulsion of the Moors from Granada, Spain could famish Columbus with the necessary means for his voyage through the Western octan in quest of India by that route, which resulted in the glorious discovery of a New World.
Portugal having vanquished the Moors within her territory, carried her victorious arms to Africa. The Portuguese had in view the destruction of their enemies on the very soil from which they sprang to bring war to the Peninsula; and it was led by this heroic intention that they put tosca, thas giving birth to the epic sung by moons and to that grandeur which would appear to be the work of chance, if not the result of constant and heroic efforts," according to Cesar Cantu in his Unicersal History.
This Italian historian describes the genoa sis of the Portuguese navigations,—discoveries, and conquests as follows "John of Portugal landed in Africa with his five sons, and, after taking Ceuta, opposite Gibraltar, he left there for Governor the chivalrous D. Henrique, who was the youngest of them. A warrior, and well versed in all the science of his time, the Prince's imagination was roused by the tales of voyages then current: He questioned, the Moors about the interior"of
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.