thunderbolt."

After reading the above, we cannot say that the Catholic monarchs were
inattentive to the government of their Indian possessions, nor can the
sagacity which directed that attention be for a moment questioned. Indeed
that sagacity is so remarkable, that it may naturally occur to the learned
reader to inquire, whether Machiavelli's "Prince" had yet been published,
and whether King Ferdinand could have read that much-abused manual of
crafty statesmen. It was, however, about twelve years after this memorable
audience granted by Ferdinand and Isabella to Ovando that "The Prince" is
alluded to by Machiavelli, and described as a small unpublished work.


HE ARRIVES AT ST. DOMINGO.

Charged with these instructions, then, Nicholas de Ovando left the port of
San Lucas on the 13th of February, 1502, to take possession of his new
government, having under him a gallant company of two thousand five
hundred persons, a large proportion of them being hidalgoes. On his way he
met with a terrible storm, in which one of his largest vessels foundered,
and he had some difficulty in reaching St. Domingo at all. This, however,
he succeeded in doing on the 15th of April, and entered at once upon the
reforms which he was commissioned to institute.


OVANDO'S ADMINISTRATION

He announced the residencia of Bobadilla, and placed Roldan under arrest.
He exerted himself to found settlements along the coast, and at first, no
doubt, he endeavoured to carry out the merciful directions which he had