dignity and learning of Spain, gathered and waiting for the man and
his idea.

30. He stands before them with his charts, and explains his belief
that the world is round, and that Asia stretches from the eastern
boundary of Europe to a point something like four thousand miles from
Spain. Hence Asia could be reached by sailing due west across the
Atlantic. They had heard something of this before at Cordova, and here
at Salamanca, before the commission was formally assembled, and they
had their arguments ready.

31. You think the earth is round, and inhabited on the other side? Are
you not aware that the holy fathers of the church have condemned this
belief? Say the fathers, the Scriptures tell us all men are descended
from Adam; but certainly no men descended from Adam live in such a
region as this you speak of--the antipodes. Will you contradict the
fathers? The Holy Scriptures, too, tell us expressly that the heavens
are spread out like a tent, and how can that be true if the earth is
not flat like the ground the tent stands on? This theory of yours
looks heretical.

32. Columbus might well quake in his boots at the mention of heresy;
for there was that new Inquisition just in fine running order, with
its elaborate bone-breaking, flesh-pinching, thumb-screwing, banging,
burning, mangling system for heretics. What would become of the Idea
if he should get passed over to that energetic institution?

33. "I am a true and loyal Catholic," he cries; "I wish to convert the
Grand Khan's people to our blessed faith. I believe the Bible, and God
himself sends me on this mission. But these words of the Scriptures