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John Cabot, the discoverer of North-America and Sebastian, his son (1896)
John Cabot the discoverer of NorthAmerica and Sebastian his son - 1896 Author:Henry Harrisse Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. JOHN CABOT CALLED A GENOESE. RUY Gonzales de Puebla was a doctor of laws, whom Ferdinand and Isabella sent to Henry VII. in 1488 to negotiate ... more »the marriage of Catherine of Aragon with Arthur, Prince of Wales. He came to England a second time, about 1494, as Spanish Ambassador, and represented not only Castile and Aragon but also the Pope and the Emperor until 1509, when he died. Puebla was venal, and so mean, that for the sake of cheap lodgings he lived in a disreputable house.1 His official position, and intercourse with Court people, which he rendered frequent, as much to be entertained at dinner as to obtain news,2 enabled him to be well-informed. He also frequented the numerous Genoese who were settled in London. In fact, his intimacy with them was too great; since by paying him bribes, which at times amounted to so much as 500 crowns, they secured his influence to be relieved of fines imposed by the English government. The corruption was such that commissioners were sent from Spain in 1498 to investigate the charges brought against him.8 1 "He has been living for three years "Once Henry asked his courtiers already in the house of a mason who if they knew the reason why De made money by keeping disreputable Puebla was coming. They answered, women under his roof.' Pet1tion of 'To eat,' and the king laughed." the Spanish merchants in London, " Report of Londqno," op. cit., Nos. and letter from Dr. Breton, in the 204, 207. Spanish Calendar of Bergenroth, 8 Ibidem, No. 206, p. 165. vol. i, Nos. 206, 206, p. 166. This intercourse with people from Genoa, many of whom we must suppose to have known John Cabot personally, as in those days the Italians residing in London often met in Lombard Street, and also the probability that Puebla himse...« less