The decades of the newe worlde or west India conteynyng the nauigations and conquestes of the Spanyardes, with the particular description of the moste ryche and large landes and ilandes lately founde in the west ocean perteynyng to the inheritaunce of the kinges of Spayne. ... Wrytten in the Latine tounge by Peter Martyr of Angleria, and translated into Englysshe by Rycharde Eden.

¶ The coppie of the Bull or donation, by thautoritie wher¦of, Pope Alexander the syxte of that name, gaue and graunted to the kynges of Castyle and theyr succes∣sours the Regions and Ilandes founde in the Weste Ocean sea by the nauigations of the Spanyardes.

ALexander byshoppe, the seruaunte of the ser∣uauntes of God: To owre moste deare belo∣ued sonne in Christ Kynge Ferdinande, And to owre deare beloued doughter in Chryste Elyzabeth Queene of Castyle, Legion, Ara∣gon, Sicilie, and Granata, most noble Prin¦ces, Gretynge and Apostolical benediction.

Amonge other woorkes acceptable to the diuine ma••estie and accordynge to owre hartes desyre, this certeinely is the chiefe, that the Catholyke fayth and Christian religion, spe∣cially in this owre tyme may in all places bee exalted, ampli∣fied, and enlarged, wherby the health of soules may be pro∣cured, and the Barbarous nations subdued and brought to the fayth. And therefore wheras by the fauoure of gods cle∣mentie (although not without equall desertes) we are cauled to this holy seate of Peter, and vnderstandynge you to bee trewe Catholyke Princes as we haue euer knowen you, and as youre noble and woorthy factes haue declared in maner to the hole worlde in that with all your studie, diligence, and industrye, you haue spared no trauayles, charges, or perels, aduenturynge euen the shedynge of your owne bludde, with applyinge yowre hole myndes and endeuours here vnto, as your noble expeditions achyued in recoueryng the kyngdome of Granata from the tyrannie of the Sarracens in these our dayes, doo playnely declare your factes with so great glorye of the diuine name. For the whiche as we thinke you woor∣thy, so owght we of owre owne free wyl fauorably to graunt you all thynges whereby you maye dayely with more feruent myndes to the honoure of god and enlargynge the Christian empire, prosecute your deuoute and laudable purpose most ac∣ceptable to the immortall God. We are credably informed that wheras of late you were determyned to seeke and fynde certeyne Ilandes & firme landes farre remote and vnknowen

(and not heretofore found by any other) to thintent to bringe thinhabitauntes of the same to honoure owre redemer and to professe the catholyke fayth, you haue hetherto byn much oc∣cupied in thexpugnation and recouerie of the kyngedome of Granata, by reason whereof yowe coulde not brynge yowre sayde laudable purpose to thende desyred. Neuerthelesse as it hath pleased almyghty god, the foresayde kyngedome be∣inge recouered, wyllyng taccomplyshe your sayde desyre, you haue, not without great laboure, perelles, and charges, ap∣poynted owre welbeloued sonne Christopher Colonus (a man certes wel commended as moste worthy and apte for so great a matter) well furnyshed with men and shippes and other ne∣cessaries, to seeke (by the sea where hetherto no manne hath sayled) suche firme landes and Ilandes farre remote and hi∣therto vnknowen. Who (by gods helpe) makynge diligente searche in the Ocean sea, haue founde certeyne remote Ilan∣des and firme landes whiche were not heretofore founde by any other. In the which (as is sayde) many nations inhabite lyuinge peaceably and goinge naked, not accustomed to eate fleshe. And as farre as yowre messengers can coniecture, the nations inhabitynge the foresayde landes and Ilandes, beleue that there is one god creatoure in heauen: and seeme apte to be brought to thimbrasinge of the catholyke faythe and to be imbued with good maners: by reason whereof, we may hope that if they be well instructed, they may easely bee induced to receaue the name of owre sauiour Iesu Christ. We are further aduertised that the forenamed Christopher hathe nowe builded and erected a fortresse with good munition in one of the foresayde principall Ilandes in the which he hath placed a garrison of certeine of the Christian men that wente thyther with him: aswell to thintent to defende the same, as also to searche other Ilandes and firme landes farre remote and yet vnknowen. We also vnderstande, that in these lan∣des and Ilandes lately founde, is great plentie of golde and spices, with dyuers and many other precious thynges of sun∣dry kyndes and qualities. Therfore al thinges diligently ocn¦sidered (especially thamplifyinge and enlargyng of the catho¦like fayth, as it behoueth catholike Princes folowyng thex∣emples of yowre noble progenitours ol famous memorie) wheras yowe are determyned by the fauour of almightie god

to subdue and brynge to the catholyke fayth thinhabitauntes of the foresayde landes and Ilandes.

Wee greatly commendynge this yowre godly and lau••able purpose in owr lorde, and desirous to haue the same brought to a dewe ende, and the name of owre sauioure to be knowen in those partes, doo exhorte yowe in owre Lorde and by the receauynge of yowre holy baptisme wherby yowe are bounde to Apostolicall obedience, and ernestely require yowe by the bowels of mercy of owre Lorde Iesu Christ, that when yowe intende for the zeale of the Catholyke faythe to prosecute the sayde expedition to reduce the people of the foresayde landes and Ilandes to the Christian religion, yowe shall spare no la¦bours at any tyme, or bee deterred with any perels, concea∣uynge firme hope and confidence that the omnipotent godde wyll gyue good successe to yowre godly attemptes. And that beinge autorysed by the priuilege of the Apostolycall grace, yowe may the more freely and bouldly take vpon yowe then∣terpryse of so greate a matter, we of owre owne motion, and not eyther at yowre request or at the instant peticion of any o∣ther person, but of owre owne mere liberalitie and certeyne science, and by the fulnesse of Apostolycall power, doo gyue, graunt, and assigne to yowe, yowre heyres and successours, al the firme landes & Ilandes found or to be found discouered or to be discouered toward the West & South, drawyng a line frō the pole Artike to the pole Antartike (that is) frō the north to the Southe: Conteynynge in this donation, what so euer firme landes or Ilandes are founde or to bee founde towarde India, or towarde any other parte what so euer it bee, beinge distant from, or without the foresayd lyne drawen a hundreh leaques towarde the Weste and South from any of the Ilan∣des which are commonly cauled De los Azor••s and Cabo Verde.

All the Ilandes therfore and firme landes, founde and to be founde, discouered and to be discouered from the sayde lyn•• towarde the West and South, such as haue not actually bin heretofore possessed by any other Christian kynge or prynce vntyll the daye of the natiuitie of owre Lorde Ie••u Chryste laste paste, from the which begynneth this present yeare be∣inge the yeare of owre Lorde .M.CCCC.lxxxxiii. when so euer any such shalbe founde by your messingers & capytaines,

Wee by the autoritie of almyghtie God gr••unted vnto vs

in saynt Peter, and by the office which we beare on the earth in the steede of Iesu Christe, doo for euer by the tenoure of these presentes, gyue, graunte, assigne, vnto yowe, yowre heyres, and successoures (the kynges of Castyle and Legion) all those landes and Ilandes, with theyr dominions, territo¦ries, cities, castels, towres, places, and vyllages, with all the ryght, and iurisdictions therunto perteynynge: constitu∣tynge, assignynge, and deputynge, yowe, yowre heyres, and successours the lordes thereof, with full and free poure, auto∣toritie, and iurisdiction. Decreeinge neuerthelesse by this owre donation, graunt, and assignation, that from no Chri∣stian Prince whiche actually hath possessed the foresayde I∣landes and firme landes vnto the day of the natiuitie of owre lorde before sayde theyr ryght obteyned to bee vnderstoode hereby to be taken away, or that it owght to be taken away.

Furthermore wee commaunde yowe in the vertue of holy o∣bedience (as yowe haue promysed, and as wee doubte not you wyll doo vppon mere deuotion and princely magnanimitie) to sende to the sayde firme landes and Ilandes, honeste, vertu∣ous, and lerned men, suche as feare God, and are able to in∣structe thinhabitauntes in the Catholyke fayth and good ma∣ners, applyinge all theyr possible diligence in the premisses.

We furthermore streightly inhibite all maner of persons, of what state, degree, order, or condition so euer they bee, al∣though of Imperiall and regall dignitie, vnder the peyne of the sentence of excommunication whiche they shall incurre yf they doo to the contrary, that they in no case presume with∣out speciall lycence of yowe, yowre heyres, and successours, to trauayle for marchaundies or for any other cause, to the sayde landes or Ilandes, founde or to bee found, discouered, or to bee discouered, toward the west & south, drawing a line frō the pole Artyke to the pole Antartike, whether the firme lands & Ilandes found & to be found, be situate toward India or towarde any other parte beinge distant from the lyne dra∣wen a hundreth leagues towarde the west from any of the I∣landes commonly cauled De los Azores and Cabo Verde: Not∣withstandynge constitu••ions, decrees, and Apostolycall ordi∣naunces what so euer they are to the contrary: In him from whom Empyres, dominions, and all good thynges doo pro¦cede: Trustynge that almyghtie god directynge yowre enter¦prises,

yf yowe folowe yowre godly and laudable attemptes, yowre laboures and trauayles herein, shall in shorte tyme ob∣teyne a happy ende with felicitie and glorie of all Christian people. But forasmuch as it shulde bee a thynge of great dif∣ficultie these letters to bee caryed to all suche places as shuld bee expedient, we wyll, and of lyke motion and knowleage doo decree that whyther so euer the same shalbe sent, or wher so euer they shalbe receaued with the subscription of a com∣mon notarie therunto requyred, with the seale of any person constitute in ecclesiasticall dignitie, or suche as are autorysed by the ecclesiasticall courte, the same fayth and credite to bee gyuen thereunto in iudgement or els where, as shulde bee ex∣hibyted to these presentes.

It shall therefore bee lawefull for no man to infringe or rashely to contrarie this letter of owre commendation, exhor∣tacion, requeste, donation, graunt, assignation, constitu∣tion, deputation, decree, commaundement, inhibiti∣on, and determination. And yf any shall presume to attempte the same, he owght to knowe that he shall thereby incurre the indignation of almyghtie God and his holye Apostles Peter and Paule.

¶ Gyuen at Rome at saynt Peters: In the yeare of thincarnation of owre Lord M. CCCC. LXXXXIII. The fourth day of the nones of Maye, the fyrste yeare of owre seate.