Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. II.djvu/135

COLUMBUS'S APPLICATION AT THE COURT. I ] J continued to be conducted principally through the ciiAPXEa channel of the Italian ports, whence it was diffused ^ — over the remoter regions of Christendom. But these countries, which had now risen from the rank of subordinate provinces to that of separate, inde- pendent states, viewed with jealousy this monopoly of the Italian cities, by means of which these latter were rapidly advancing beyond them in power and opulence. This was especially the case with Por- tugal and Castile,* which, placed on the remote frontiers of the European continent, were far re- moved from the great routes of Asiatic intercourse ; while this disadvantage was not compensated by such an extent of territory, as secured consideration to some other of the European states, equally un- favorably situated for commercial purposes with themselves. Thus circumstanced, the two nations of Castile and Portugal were naturally led to turn their eyes on the great ocean which washed their western borders, and to seek in its hitherto unex- plored recesses for new domains, and if possible strike out some undiscovered track towards the opulent regions of the east. The spirit of maritime enterprise was fomented, and greatly facilitated in its operation, by the inven- tion of the astrolabe, and the important discovery of the polarity of the magnet, whose first applica- tion to the purposes of navigation on an extended 1 Aragon, or rather Catalonia, port of Barcelona. See Capmany maintained an extensive commerce y Montpalau, Memorias Histori- vvith the Levant, and the remote cas sobre la Marina, Comercio y regions of the east, during the mid- Artes de Barcelona, (Madrid, 1779 die ages, through the flourishing - 92,) passim.