GRAND
DELUSIONS
Fall
2005
I sit still, erect, immobile,
staring at the screen. My fingers itch with energy, my brain races, but
inspiration lies just beyond my reach. I crumple back into my seat, close my
eyes, and listen to the empty room. In my minds eye, I see bookshelves looking
in on me from every angle. They must be whispering behind my back. I strain my
ears but still cant hear them. The ghosts of this hall, if they are in here,
whisper only to each other.
I look up at the painted ceiling
beams and get lost in the latticework of colors.
I blink.
I rub my forehead, sigh, and close
my eyes.
Fall
1490
He wants to sail to the West Indies.
Yes, Zacuto, but I doubt hed make
it. Its quite a body of water, and it doesnt seem to me that hes gone about
this thing logically.
Hes quite a presence, though.
Forceful, you might say. Hes got the sort of fire that gets you places.
Oh, I dont know, replied
Nebrija, his brow creased in impatience. Watching the movement of their feet
distractedly and gesticulating largely, he continued, The fire youre talking
about is that red hair![1]
Hes just hotheaded. Brash, hotheaded (sic), and self-important.
Zacuto
smiled and gazed into the crisp blue air as
he replied: Well, he does have the
backing of
the court, it seems. He has the
favor of the chief
tax collector, the court rabbi, the
chief banker,
that wealthy Santangel fellowand
the king and
queen gave the man a personal
audience.[2]
Perhaps, but were
the ones who will decide the
matter ultimately.
2a
The two men, Nebrija and Zacuto, turned off the
narrow cobblestone street and
passed between two heavy wooden doors. The thick stone walls of the University
enveloped them and the noises of the city streets fell away behind the click of
their shoes on the stone floor.
2b
These
buildings were newly built – some parts were still under construction
– and the stone shone with freshness. In the last generation, with the
student corpus swelling to a massive six thousand, it had become necessary to expand
the Salamanca University complex.[3]
Thanks to the financial support of the royal courts and the papacy, the most
en vogue architecture was employed: a delicate, ornate, and especially
Spanish variation of Renaissance architecture known as Plateresque.[4]
2a, 2b. The Faade of the University, Completed in 1435, is perhaps the best representation
of the Plateresque style in Spain. Hidden somewhere in the detail work sits
the legendary lucky frog, perched atop a human skull. Whoever can spot it
is blessed with good fortune.
It was fine workmanship. But
Nebrija often found himself reminiscing about the days of his youth, when he
and his classmates had gathered for lessons in the shadowy bowels of the citys
great cathedrals.3 The word of God and more than two centuries of
classroom lectures had permeated those cathedral walls. He wasnt quite
comfortable in these new halls, decorated with such crisp and delicate
carvings, bathed with heat and light.
3, The Minor Schools, finished in 1534
Sill,
Nebrija was proud of his alma mater – it was, after all, one of the
finest and oldest universities in Europe – and he viewed this necessary
change as a tangible, if irksome, testament to the greatness of his
institution. As a professor of poetry and grammar and an advocate of humanist
learning, he was willing to relinquish his private preferences in order to
address the practical matter of having sufficient classroom space for his
numerous students.[5]
Like Nebrija, Zacuto also had a
history with the place. He was born in Salamanca, studied astronomy at the university,
and after stints in Zaragoza and Cartagena had eventually returned to his birth
city as a renowned astronomer, mathematician, inventor, and professor.[6]
For his part, he was quite satisfied with the more secular classroom switch. He
preferred the synagogue to the church, besides.
Immersed in conversation, these two
formidable men strode through the courtyard-fringed corridors of the newly
built Minor school. Boys and young men speckled the
4. Salamanca University
halls, ceding passage to the two professors as they
passed. In their respectful
momentary pause, all noticed what the two professors didnt – a third
party to the conversation. The intruder, less than half the size of the two men
and quite skinny, was trotting behind them in an effort to keep up. His opaque
oblong face was reddening with the effort, but his eyes gleamed.
The
boys who still had skinny limbs to grow into watched the pint-sized
eavesdropper aghast, and wondered if he didnt know how rude he was being. The
boys who had grown into their limbs averted their gaze imperiously and assumed
that the child was too young to know better.
The professors, still chatting,
came to a closed door and paused before it.
Nebrija,
exasperated and gesticulating heavily, said, Yes, yes, I admire his
imagination, but he seems to think hes on a god-given quest![7] All respect to Nuestro Seor, but Im just not sure
we have the funds necessary to make this journey feasible.
Or the scientific knowledge,
though Id love to continue testing some of my inventions on so long a journey.
Im perfecting the Astrolabe right now, and I wonder if my astronomical tables
would be accurate that far west6
Zacuto, Im sure those would be
useful instruments for any sailor, not just this Columbus. You really should
look into marketing means
Nebrija began listing off possible
merchant friends who could get the business rolling. Zacuto, who had been momentarily lost in his own thoughts,
suddenly caught sight of the young boy.
Well, hello. He bent down and peered at the youngster from
beneath heavy brows. You look quite young to be a student here.
The boy, puffing up his chest with
pride at this polite recognition, responded gravely, Yes. I am five.
Well then, you are unusually tall
for your age, and young indeed. What is your name?
Hernando Cortez, and when I grow
up Im going to have a big ship and sail far away and be very rich and fight
goblins and find the fountain of youth. My mom says it in the east too. Do you
think Columbus will get there first?
Zacuto, taken aback by this vocal
youngster, laughed, which of course made the boys ears turn pink. But Nebrija,
who had suddenly become aware of this unexpected intruder, eyed the boy
severely.
Who is your father, boy?
At the sight of this sterner man
the boys eyes widened and his voice fell almost to a whisper. Mar. Mar um, Martn Corts.[8]
Martn
Corts. Thats what I thought.
Those in your family are lawyers. You will be too, hijo mo. Now, as I understand it,
your grandfather is presently at the law school giving a lecture. And Im sure
he will expect you to be waiting for him outside the door.
Nebrija said this last quite
gruffly, and the boy scurried off without saying more.
Nebrija, you shouldnt have scared
him so. Id say he was quite a charming little fellow,
And up to no good, said Nebrija.
5. Cortez, about 20 years later, having enrolled in the
University of Salamanca Law School at age 14, dropped out by age 17,
arrived in America, and stumbled upon the Aztec empire.
Zacuto watched the small boy trotting off. Yes, perhaps. But
he did have a great little story to tell. Fountain of youth, eh?
Chucking, the two men entered the
large salon in which many other men had already assembled. Some were austere
and sober looking, wearing the long black robes of professors or friars. Others
were more flamboyantly dressed, donning a variety of wide-brimmed hats and lush
tunics that were nonetheless a bit scruffy around the edges. Together they sat,
some chatting, some reading, and some simply waiting.
Presently, a small, bald, and
be-spectacled man addressed the group:
My esteemed fellow councilors. We
have gathered together intermittently over these last four years to discuss and
study, as appointed to us by our illustrious king Ferdinand and our most noble
queen Isabella, the proposal of one, Christopher Columbus, to reach the far
West Indies under the emblem of our great Madre Patria, Spain. We have among us
many able minds: geographers, astronomers, philosophers, mariners,
cartographers – all men of learning or men of the sea. It has been our
illustrious duty to appraise this project, by means of discussion,
deliberation, and dedication[9]
My, he can ramble, whispered
Zacuto to his friend.
Yes, well, you know how these
official things go answered Nebrija under his breath.
Zacuto allowed his mind to wander.
He thought of what he had for breakfast that morning and his son and the little
boy who wanted to find the fountain of youth and the day that Columbus first
proposed reaching the East by traveling west.
He had come to Salamanca by the
command of the King and Queen to address a council that they had assembled for
the purpose. Zacuto had been less than thrilled when informed that he was to be
a part of this esteemed council. He knew the King and Queen were busy, what
with the war in Granada, and he did not appreciate having their projects farmed
out into his free time.
But the tall foreigner had an
interesting project in mind. Not entirely logical, but interesting. Columbus
began on the assumption that the world was round, which they all agreed upon,
being the more disciplined minds of their time.[10]
He then followed logical conclusions:
the distance by land between the edge of the west (Spain) and the edge
of the east (India–i.e. Asia) is
very long, the distance by sea between Spain and India is therefore very
short.[11]
Zacuto was not sure he agreed with this, but it was great fun to think about,
and so he didnt mind the meetings quite so much as he had expected.
However, that was four years ago
now. It was time to make a decision. None of them could guess the distances,
though they could certainly guess at the expense. Zacuto, like most of the
members, knew what the verdict would be. They would save the crowns precious
gold and the lives of some salty sea lads, and err on the side of caution. Was
the voyage possible? He told himself it didnt matter much to him. But
sometimes he liked to think it was
6. The
Ptolemy
World Map,
reconstructed from
Ptolemys Geographia
(circa 150) represents the
geographical worldview
accepted by most
learned men of the time.
Columbus, who was also
familiar with this map, obviously
did not expect to happen upon a
landmass the size of the Americas.
He
calculated the Earths equator to
be at least ¼ too small, and assumed the distance between the Spanish
Canary Islands and the West Indies to be about 2,500 miles. The Columbus story
is based upon a case where the little-ness of knowledge was not a dangerous but
a helpful thing. If Columbus had proposed to sail westward for nearly 12,000
miles, the approximate distance between the Canaries and Japan, could he have
expected his crewmembers to make the voyage with him? Hardly! Under
such conditions there would have been no first voyage to record as of the 15th
century.[12]
As you all know, boomed the orator, and several near-slumbering
heads jerked up, We have come here today to announce our final
decision.
The little be-spectacled man
finally had everyones attention, and was pleased with himself. Let it be
known that, like our cousins the Portuguese before us, we have come to the just
and rational conclusion that this journey is unfeasible. Christopher Columbus
will not be sailing under the Spanish flag. The Talavera council is henceforth
dissolved.
-WHAT?!?
Come now, Seor Columbus, it really is quite
ambitious.
Zacuto was watching the enraged
young man curiously. His normally meticulous appearance had become a bit
disheveled in his consternation. He was quite tall, and his face was almost as
red as that strange hair of his. But the man recovered himself quickly and
countered well:
Fortune favors the bold.`
Zacuto was
impressed. Not many sailors quoted Virgil. But he was careful not to let it
show, and stuck to the point:
It also favors
those with money. You have no one to fund you.
Fortunately,
money is a fluid commodity, and can be acquired. With respect Zacuto, your
Talavera Commission is by no means the final word. The word of God guides me,
and by his grace I will find that which I seek.
He left abruptly.
Zacuto sighed,
walked to the door, and watched as the tall and ruffled man shouldered his way
through the busy street. Such a high-strung, dramatic individual, he thought. Nebrija was right - he has a
temper. But thats part and parcel
with those sea-faring folk. If he finds his funding, Ill give him an
astrolabe. If he gets that far with this crazy idea of his, hell deserve it!
Fall 2005
I open my eyes, images of a
doorway, a crowded street, and a tall, angry man fading from my vision Who was
that?
Reaching back to rub the base of my
neck where the muscles have knotted, I slowly come back to myself and remember
the black sleeping computer screen in front of me. I click Enter, to wake it
up, and with a jolt the monitor jumps to life. It is horrifyingly blank. I
watch the cursor blink in the white expanse. Tabula Rasa.
There was something I was going to
write what was it? I strain to remember, and lose focus momentarily on the
page before me as I reach back into my thoughts.
No, I lost it. Damn. I sigh, rub
my forehead, and notice that the room is changing quality, glowing, softening.
A golden dusk light reverberates
into the room through thin glass panes. Indulging in the window view, I look
out across the campus buildings. I watch the windy sky swirl and let my
thoughts drift to what will come tonight. Rita must be rolling in. My eyes rest
on the swath of dappled clouds draped across the horizon, and I hear a voice
echo in my brain, Fishscale clouds mean rain.
The sky is salmon-pink with sunset,
swirling and shimmering with premonition.
I watch dusk fall, and sink into
the darkness.
Spring, 1492
A man walked alone down a dark
alleyway on the outskirts of Salamanca.
The echo of his footsteps had died out with the end of the cobblestones,
and he was now traipsing through dirt avenues, wet in places with the remains
of washbasins and urine bowls. As a boy he had sometimes explored this side of
Salamanca with his friends, but that was long ago now and he was unfamiliar
with these soggy streets. It unnerved him a bit to be in such an unknown and
distasteful part of the city that he knew and loved so well. If only it were
daytime, he thought to himself. If
it were daytime the sun would glow on the rosy golden stone of the city
buildings, the doves would fly out from the cathedral buildings with the bells,
and perhaps a lovely campesino girl would traipse by, charming in spite of her
dusty frock A lovely gypsy girl,
with big black eyes and–
No. not a gypsy girl. He frowned, steeled himself to the night, and kept
walking.
Eventually he stopped in front of a
dark house and peered speculatively at the portal. The low wooden doorframe was
splintering. He counted the houses next to it several times as if to assure
himself of something, hesitated momentarily, then knocked.
Silence.
Zacuto?
After a moment, a muffled shuffling
noise came from behind the door. Ah, Nebrija, its you! Wait just a moment
7. Zacuto
A door was unbolted several times, unlatched, and opened. A
candle emerged from the darkness, and behind it Zacuto, who ushered in his
friend with warmth.
Nebrija,
I am so glad you have made it! It is good to see you, my friend. How have you
been? I hear you are about to publish a most controversial book on grammar.
Nebrija laughed, and found a seat
on one of two wooden chairs in the cramped but clean room. Oh yes. It is
vulgar. So vulgar that it is dedicated entirely to Spanish. You know, it will
be the first grammar book of any romance language.[13]
8. Nebrija
Oh good – a grammar of the common language! How
exciting! You are fiendish, my friend. Zacuto took a corked bottle out of a
lopsided cabinet and poured the last of the wine into two mugs, handing one to
Nebrija.
Nebrija accepted it, murmuring,
Yes, well, Im just trying to keep up with you, old chap. We cant all be
renegade by religion, can we?
Zacuto smiled darkly. Its good
timing for your book. The country is being homogenized. The Reconquista is complete;
the Inquisition is murmuring once more, the Muslims are gone, and soon the
Jews. Soon all of Spain will be forced to speak the language of the Catholic
kings.
Nebrija looked down into his cup.
Ah, my friend, do not worry. I
have made arrangements. This time I return to my native city only to pass
through. Zacuto fell silent and watched the candle flame. A moment passed
before he turned back to Nebrija and continued:
8. Nebrija
Tomorrow my son and I go to Lisbon, to the Portuguese, and
closer to the sea.[14]
What better place to be? That ocean will provide me with all the interest I
need. There are new islands cropping up every day out there! I wouldnt be
surprised to hear of a re-discovered Atlantis some day soon.[15]
And Ive every intention of adding my mind and devices to the cause. He raised
his glass, but behind his smile his face remained enigmatic. He took a sip.
Have you heard about Columbus?
Ahhh, yes. That red-headed man,
brash, he was Nebrijas eyes glazed in remembrance, but sprang back into the
light of the candle momentarily. Yes, what about him?
Well, hes been financed. Zacuto
paused to let the news sink in.
He was initially rejected by the courts on our advice. Also because of
his demands – can you believe it? – he asked to be knighted,
appointed grand admiral and viceroy – titles which would remain in the
family forever, of course – and to receive 10% of all transactions made
within his admiralty! And so of course he was rejected. But, from the looks of
it, certain members of the court persuaded the king and queen to call him back.
And so they did, and his demands were met, and he sets sail on April 3rd.[16]
Nebrija was shocked, but enjoying
the scandalizing gossip thoroughly. Dios mo! – he crossed himself – That audacious
man must have had the right friends! April 3rd but isnt that the
day of the day of the expulsion?
Correct. All Jews must leave the
country by the night of the 2nd. And yes, several of his friends
were wealthy and influential. But theyre the wrong friends now – like
myself, they are Jewish. Rumor has it, so is he.`
9. Tablulae Astronomicae, used by Columbus in his journeys of discovery
An hour later Nebrija had bid goodbye to his childhood friend
and was carrying an important package in the folds of his robe. Nebrija felt
the cold weight of the parcel jostling against his chest with the rhythm of his
steps and reflected how strange it was that Zacuto had fashioned the instrument
from metal instead of wood, as was the usual practice. On a whim he stopped
mid-stride, felt for the item in his pocket, and extracted it. The object was
humbly wrapped in a ragged piece of cloth. He began to unravel it. The light of
the moon suddenly caught its gleaming surface and Nebrija was dazzled. Nestled
in the folds of the fabric, its slender arms overlapping detailed carvings in
an intricate and elaborate design, lay Zacutos newly perfected Astrolabe.
10. 16th Century
Astrolabe, an
astronomical
instrument
of many uses,
including finding
and predicting
the positions of the stars
and sun; determining local time
given
longitude; and surveying and
triangulation[17]
To the uninitiated eye, it would
appear beautiful but unintelligible, perhaps some secret symbol of religious
practice. Nebrija had once, while visiting the marketplaces in the port town of
Cdiz, come across
such a thing – a mandala, it was called, used for invoking unknown gods
in strange lands far to the east. As he stared down at the ornate instrument in
the moonlight, it was unnerving to think of such things – things that
were so far away, so strange. He shivered. But he could not help admiring the
device cradled in his hand. So this is what hes been up to for so long, he
thought, smiling to himself at his friends achievement. For all its esoteric
craftsmanship, the Astrolabes purpose was essentially practical: when used in
combination with specific astronomical tables, it provided the exact location
of a ship in high seas.[18]
Zacuto had asked him to deliver it to Columbus. At this last thought, Nebrija
became annoyed, bundled up the instrument, and again began pacing up the
hillside. Hotheadedfanaticalprobably up to no good, he grumbled to himself
as he found his way back up to his university apartments. He never had much
liked Columbus, but by the time he reached his chiseled stone doorway he had
walked himself out of much of his annoyance. He had to admit that the man had tenacity. And he sure did
get lucky in his friends.
Fall 2005
I open my eyes to darkness. The
windowpane, drained now of color, is indistinguishable from the walls. The view
before me is as black as my computer screen – the world sleeps.
I can see nothing.
Instead, I watch the images in my
head.
A man with a bundle scurries up a
dark street. A heavy-browed father awakens his little boy tenderly to ready him
for departure. A red-haired seaman pores over maps and a heavily-thumbed copy
of the Bible by lamplight, wine bottle in hand.
I think about each, and in the dark
I watch their lives unfold until dawn.
Before I know it has happened,
light has infused the room once more. The windowpane takes shape - first in
indigo, then grey, then pink, and finally opaque. lobjet pour lequel on se dvoue . The little boy, the mariner, the
package they drift away.
cette ralit est las plus splendide..
I am vaguely aware that I am
staring up at the ceiling. A line of words unwinds above me. I let my eyes roll
after them, tracing their lines mechanically without cognition. parure dont lhomme puisse dcorer
The light is changing, sharpening.
Suddenly, as if by the click of a button my brain jolts awake and the meaning
behind the words clicks into place:
If
the object to which one devotes himself is an illusion, the devotion to it is
none the less a reality; and this reality is the most splendid dress with which
a man can deck out his wretched state.[19]
Columbus never did reach the West
Indies. But he aimed for them.
I begin to type.
11. Columbuss Ships
Eleven hours,
three thousand words later,
The light is again softening. I sit
still, spent, staring at the screen: tabula no longer rasa.
I have told a story. Whispered to
me by incorporeal voices of the past, it is now tangible, concrete. My brain is
quiet. The tips of my fingers throb softly with release.
I put the screen to sleep, close it
with one last click, and stand. Clear-headed and without a second-thought, I
walk away from the windowpanes and bookshelves, but not from the memory of that
dark space.
In the halls, I watch for adventure
lurking in bright eyes. Anonymous faces pass and I wonder which one is a Cortez
or a Columbus in disguise.
In Spanish class, I hear grammar
rules screech their way onto the chalkboard and Zacutos words echo in my mind:
you are about to publish a most controversial book on grammar? In the whisper
of the chalk I listen for the rustle of Nebrijas quill, for the remnants of
that which he first set down five centuries ago.
In my dorm room, I sit on my bed,
stare out the window, and muse that somewhere in the deep, dark, dream-like gap
between inspiration and insanity, perhaps these characters became a part of me.
Is their presence illusion or
reality?
In that dark space framed by
windowpanes and bookshelves I heard voices of the past – but they do not
exist there! Those voices are
mute, dead and gone. And yet I heard them. I hear them still. They murmur
through sunlit hallways, measured out by the beat of shoe-soles on stone,
rising in intonation and nestling in the crevices of Plateresque relief that is
still sharp with newness and sunlight. But that cannot be reality! Those hallways are now worn with age
and far away. And yet I see them crisp, new, and clear as day.
Where are these hallways? In my
mind, and in my mind alone? Where are these voices?
I pull my eyes from the window, let
my thoughts lie, and turn instead to my guitar.
I begin to practice. My fingers warm
up, my mind relaxes, and I sink into the sound. Soon I am not just practicing,
but playing. AmEDm a note rings through my head, and I fumble across the
frets to find it ahhhh, F, thats it. Am, E, Dm, F the notes unwind in my
mind, my fingers follow where they lead, and suddenly a tune has been composed
– a story told.
Again my gaze drifts to the window.
A melody was just born into reality
– but when, exactly? Was it real in the moment that I heard it in my
head, or only once I found the strings and strummed them? And now that the song
is over and exists only in my memory, is it no longer real? And if it is not
real while in my mind, how is it that I could hear it in the first place?
One thing is certain: the tune I
strummed would not have existed without the noiseless tune in my mind to
dictate its creation. Reality begins in the imagination.
Did Columbus know this? Is that why
he sailed so far afield? Or
perhaps he had something more important than this knowledge: devotion. Any of
us can dream up a goal, but to get across the water weve got to have the guts
to go after it. We must stop staring at blank screens and have the audacity to
create our own realities. This is not as hard as it seems: the line between
illusion and reality is thinner than one might expect.
We must to stop worrying about
whether our goals are attainable or illusory and be devoted to them not just in
spite of but also because of all of the unknown variables. Seeking the goal is
often more important than attaining it; who knows what unknown worlds we may
stumble upon in the process? We must have the will to let our own stories come
out of incubation in our imaginations and be told.
After all is said and done, it is that
remnant of audacity, devotion, and strength of will that resurrects us. Reality
not only begins in the imagination, but ends there too: that is where Zacuto,
Nebrija, Cortez, and Columbus have ultimately come to reside. Their ships,
books, quills, and bodies are gone. Their deeds and ideas lie dormant in written
record. But in the mind their personalities find voice and life once more.
Outside, the tower bells begin to
toll, and in their peal I hear an echo of the cathedral bells of Salamanca. A
line of poetry surfaces in my brain:
12. My Bedside Window
Like each tucked string tells, each hung bells bow swung
finds tongue to fling out broad its name[20]
To the
rhythm, of the bells, I pick up the pencil on my windowsill and sketch out the
notes of the guitar song still ringing in my mind. At the bottom I write two
lines:
Reality begins and ends in the imagination.
All that matters in-between
is devotion: the life-propelling devotion that brings those whispered
imaginings – the strumming, sailing, and wayward life-wanderings –
into being.
Word Count: 4, 447 (376 words
added)
URL HISTORY:
https://webspace.utexas.edu/ras836/P1/P1A2.htm
https://webspace.utexas.edu/ras836/P1/P1A.htm
https://webspace.utexas.edu/ras836/www/GRANDDELUSIONS.pdf
HIGHLIGHTING KEY: added word(s)
change(s)
(#) of omitted word(s)
Bibliography
1. National Geographic
Historical Atlas of the Unites States. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 2004.
2. Alder, Joseph. Christopher Columbus Voyage of
Discovery: Jewish and New Christian Elements. http://www.saudades.org/ccolumbusvoyage.html
3. University of
Salamanca, A Brief History of the University of Salamanca. http://www.usal.es/web-usal/Ingles/Universidad/Historia/Historia.shtml
4. All About
Spain Tourist Information Center, Architecture. http://www.red2000.com/spain/primer/arch.html
5. Wikipedia, The
Free Encyclopedia, Antonio de Nebrija. 15 September 2005. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_de_Nebrija
6. Wikipedia, The
Free Encyclopedia, Abraham Zacuto. 31 August 2005. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zacuto
7. Encyclopaedia
Britannica, 15th ed., s.v. Christopher Columbus.
8. Wikipedia, The
Free Encyclopedia, Hernn Corts. 22 September 2005. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hernando_Cortez
9. Martorell, Gabriel Verd. Recopilacin del Enigma de Don
Cristbal Colom. Espaa: Palma de Mallorca, 1984.
10. Odell, Clarence B., and Dale
Edgard Case. Geographical Background of the First Voyage of Columbus.
The Geographical Research Institute, Chicago. http://muweb.millersville.edu/~columbus/data/geo/ODLCASE1.GEO
11. Gua digital.com, Salamanca.
Students – University of Salamanca. Parque Tecnolgico Virtual, 2002. http://www.guia-digital.com/salamanca/estudiantes_en/univ_civil_en.cfm
12. Jacobs, Joseph, and Isaac
Broyd. Zacuto, Abraham Ben Samuel, Jewish Enciclopedia.com. http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=7&letter=Z
13. France, Anatole. Hall of Noble Words Quotations. Course
Anthology. Austin: Jens Copy & Binding, 2005.
14. Wikipedia,
The Free Encyclopedia. Astrolabe. 23 September 2005. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrolabe
List of Illustrations
- Salamanca
Universtiy http://www.guiadigital.com/salamanca/laciudad/arteyarquitectura.cfm
- The
Faade of the University, http://www.guiadigital.com/salamanca/laciudad/arteyarquitectura.cfm
- The
Minor Schools, http://www.guiadigital.com/salamanca/laciudad/arteyarquitectura.cfm
- Ptolemy
World Map, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ptolemy
- Nebrija,
http://www.antoniodenebrija.org/
- Tabulae
Astonomicae, http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/loc/loc12a.html
- 16th
Century Astrolabe http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrolabe
- Columbuss
Ships http://www.sailtexas.com/columbusships.html
- My Bedside Window, photo credit: Rachel Sibley, Oct. 11, 2005