executing it; but a glance into Spanish affairs at the moment when the
man brought his idea into Spain will show that its rulers were not so
culpable after all. We have already seen how long and how vigorously the
sovereigns were pushing the Moorish war; but this was not their only
anxiety. Spain's finances, owing to the misrule of previous kings, were
in a very bad way. To get money, taxes were raised; and high taxes, as
we know, always cause dissatisfaction among the people. Then, too, a
death-dealing pestilence swept over the land and claimed thousands of
victims.

This is only a partial account of Spain's woes at the time when the man
with the idea arrived; but it shows clearly how the king and queen may
have been too busy and too worried to give much time or money to a
"dreaming foreigner." They gave him just enough of each to keep up his
hopes and prevent him from going elsewhere. Columbus himself must have
realized that he had not come at a fortunate time, and that there was
nothing to do but to wait patiently.

Spain in those days had no capital. Both Ferdinand and Isabella led the
army and established themselves in whatever city was most convenient for
their military operations. At the time they heard, through the Duke of
Medina Celi, of the Genoese navigator who had a great plan for discovery
to unfold to them, they were in the ancient city of Cordova; but, even
after requesting that Columbus be sent to Cordova, they could not give
much heed to him because they had to hasten to the Moorish frontier and
open their campaign against the kingdom of Granada. After a time they
returned to Cordova, but only to start immediately for the north, where
one of their nobles had raised a rebellion. During these months, all
that Columbus could do to further his cause was to make the acquaintance
of a favorite of the king named Alonzo de Quintanilla. This gentleman