Americo Vespucci." In the ninth chapter, which describes the quarters of the globe, he places first the three known to Ptolemy, and proceeds, "But now these parts are more fully explored, and another fourth part has been brought to light by Americo Vespucci, as you shall hear in the sequel [alluding to the Four Navigations of Vespucci which are printed at the end of the "Cosmographiae Introductio"]; and I know not why this should not be called America, after its discoverer, Americo, a man of a good genius, since Europe and Asia have taken their names from women: —“ Quam non video cur quis jure vetet ab Americo inventore, sagacis ingenii viro, Amerigem quasi Americi terram sive Americam dicendam, cum et Europa et Asia a mulieribus sua sortitae sint nomina." In the seventh chapter, which treats of climes, he says, "And that fourth part of the world, which because Americo discovered it, we may be permitted to name America :"-" Et quarta orbis pars, quam, quia Americus invenit, Amerigem quasi Americi terram sive Americam nuncupare licet." These repetitions in a tract of no more than thirty pages, show the author's anxiety for the fame of Vespucci; and the tone of the expressions which have been quoted proves clearly enough that he was the first to bestow the name of that adventurer on the Western World. “This usurpation," says Don M. de Navarrete, "has never been sanctioned by Spain, which has ever done justice to The Admiral [such is the title by which Spaniards still speak of Columbus], by calling the vast countries which he discovered by the name of the Indies, the name which he gave to them in his first relations." LXXIV. NOSTRODAMUS. MICHAEL NOSTRODAMUS, though he lived so lately as the sixteenth century, seems to enjoy in France all the honours which we in Scotland gave centuries ago to Thomas the Rhymer. As the Scotish prophet is believed to remain alive in a cave on the Eildon Hills, so the French seer, it is imagined, yet lives at Salon in Provence in a cavern illuminated by a magic lamp: paper, pens, and ink are beside him, and before him lie his books, which should any one attempt to open he would be instantly slain by the magician. The prophecies which have been attributed to both soothsayers are exactly of the same character. The tale which Fordun tells of the Rhymer's prediction of the death of Alexander III.2 may be compared with this anecdote of Nostro 1 Biogr. Univ. t. xxxi. p. 401. 2 "Annon recordaris quid ille vates ruralis, Thomas damus. "One day walking with a gentleman named Florainville they saw two sucking-pigs, the videlicet de Ersildon, nocte praecedenti mortem regis Alexandri, in castro de Dunbar, obscure prophetando, de occasu ejus dixerat comiti Marchiarum interroganti ab eo, ut solitus quasi jocando, quid altera dies futura novi esset paritura? Qui Thomas, attrahens de imo cordis singultuosum suspirium, sic fertur comiti coram aulicis plane protulisse: Heu diei crastinae ! diei calamitatis et miseriae ! quia ante horam explicite duodecimam audietur tam vehemens ventus in Scotia, quod a magnis retroactis temporibus consimilis minime inveniebatur. Cujus quidem flatus obstupescere faciet gentes, stupidos reddet audientes, excelsa humiliabit et rigida solo complanabit.' Propter cujus seria affamina comes cum aulicis crastinum observantes, et horas diei usque ad nonam considerantes, et nullum vestigium in nubibus vel signis ventosis coeli auspicantes, Thomam tanquam insensatum reputantes, ad prandium properarunt. Ubi dum comite vix mensae collocatio, et signo horologii ad meridianam horam fere approximato, affuit quidam ad portam, importunis pulsibus aures comitis concutiens, aditum sibi ocius fieri flagitavit. Intromissus igitur advena, et de novis impetitus, Nova, inquit, habeo sed nociva, toti regno Scotiae deflenda, quia inclitus, heu ! rex ejus finem praesentis vitae hesterna nocte apud Kingorn sortitus est; et haec veni nunciare tibi. Ad hanc narrationem quasi de gravi somno excitatus comes una cum familiaribus tutiderunt pectora, et dicti Thomae experti sunt credibilia nimis facta fore vaticinia."-Scotichronicon, lib. x. cap. xliii. The tale is more briefly told in Bellenden's Translation of Boece. "It is said the day afore the kingis death, the Erle of Marche demandit ane propheit named Thomas Rimour, otherwayis namit Ersiltoun, quhat weddir suld one white, the other black. Florainville demanded of Nostrodamus what would be the fate of these be on the morrow. To quhome answerit this Thomas, That on the morow afore noun sall blaw the gretest wynd that ever was hard afore in Scotland. On the morrow quhen it was neir noun, the lift appeiring loune, but ony din or tempest, the Erle send for this propheit, and reprevit hym that he prognosticat sic wynd to be and na apperance thairof. This Thomas maid litil answer, bot said, Noun is not yet gane. And incontinent ane man came to the yet schauing that the King was slane. Then said the propheit, Yone is the wynd that sall blaw to the gret calamity and truble of all Scotland."-See Sir Walter Scott's remarks on this passage in his Sir Tristrem, p. 12. Lord Hailes observes that "there is a still better story related of Apollonius Tyanaeus by Philostratus, lib. iv. c. 43. An eclipse happened at Rome in the days of the Emperor Nero; at the same time there was a violent thunder-storm. Apollonius, lifting up his eyes to heaven, said‘sorαı tı peya nas vx rσrar'; i. e. something great or extraordinary will come to pass, and will not.' No one could understand the sense of this enigma; however it was soon explained; for a goblet in the hands of Nero was struck with lightning, and yet he himself escaped unhurt. This, according to the admirers of Apollonius, was the remarkable thing which was to happen and not to happen."-Ann. Scot. vol. i. p. 308. A MS. in the Advocates' Library preserves one of "True Thomas"" prophecies which has not yet been printed. "On Aikybrae are certain stones called the Cummin's Craige, where 'tis said one of the Cummins, Earl of Buchan, by a fall from his horse at hunting, dashed out his brains. The prediction goes that this earl (who lived under Alexander III.) had called Thomas the Rhymer by the name of Thomas the Lyar, to show how animals. The astrologer instantly replied that the black one would be served at their table, and that the white one would be eaten by the wolf. The lord of the castle, thinking to falsify the prediction of the prophet, caused the white pig to be slain, and it was put on the spit. In the mean time a tame wolf found his way into the kitchen and carried it off, and the cook to prevent his master's disappointment killed the black pig, which was served at table, and so fulfilled the words of the prophet." 1 LXXV. SLAVERY IN SCOTLAND. AN American missionary, redolent of patriotism and sentimentalism, in some amusing remarks on Rio Janeiro, speaks of "the offensiveness of the first impression of the place, from the large proportion much he slighted his predictions, whereupon that famous fortune-teller denounced his impending fate in these words, which, 'tis added, were all fulfilled literally : Tho' Thomas the Lyar thou call'st me A sooth tale I shall tell to thee: By Aikyside Thy horse shall ride, He shall stumble and thou shalt fa', Le Causeur, t. ii. p. 346. Paris, 1817. |