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 cause and autoritie wherby they diuided the Indies.

THe Castilians and Portugales had longe deba¦ted and reasoned abowt the golde myne of Gui¦nea which was found in the yeare of owre lorde 1471,* 1.1 in the tyme of the reigne of Don Alonso Kynge of Portugale the firste of that name.* 1.2

This was a matter of greate importaunce. For the negros or blacke Moores,* 1.3 for thynges of no value, gaue golde by hole handefuls whyche was at that tyme when the sayde Kynge of Portugale pretended title and clayme to the kingedome of Castile in the right of his wyfe Queene Iohn (cauled the excellent) ageynste the Catholike princes Isabel and Don Fernando whose it was in deede.* 1.4 But that stryfe was ended as sone as Don Fernando had vanquisshed Don Alonso at a place cauled Temulos not farre from Toro, which place Don Fernando chose rather to make warre ageinst the Moores of Granada,* 1.5 then to bye and sell with the blacke Moores of Guinea. And thus the Portugales remained with the conquest of Affryke from the streightes forwarde:* 1.6 whiche began where the infante of Portugale Don Henrique (sonne to kynge Iohn the bastarde and master of Auis) dyd bebynne to enlarge it. When pope Alexander the .vi. (beinge a valen∣tinian borne) had knowleage hereof,* 1.7 he mynded to gyue the Indies to the kinges of Castile withowt any preiudice to the Portugales who had conquered the sea coastes of Affryke.

These Indies, the pope gaue of his owne mynde withowte the motion of anye other, with this burden and charge that they shulde conuert the Idolatours to the faythe of Chryste: And commaunded a line or meridian to bee drawen Northe and south from one hundreth leaques Westwarde beyond one of the Ilandes of Cabo Uerde towarde the Weste,* 1.8 bycause the Spanyardes shulde not meddle in Affryke perteynynge to the conquest of the Portugales, to thauoydynge of all stryfe betw••ne them. Kynge Iohn of Portugale,* 1.9 the seconde of that name, was greatly offended when he redde the bull and donation of the pope, althowgh his owne ambassadours had made the selfe same request vnto his holynesse. He also found hym selfe agreeued with the Catholyke princes Isabell and Fernando, that they had shortened the course of the landes he had discouered, depriuynge hym of the rychesse which be∣longed to hym. And therfore refused to stande to the popes bull in this case: desyrynge the Catholyke princes Isabell and Fernando to graunt him three hundreth leaques more to the Weste, besyde the one hundreth which they had graunted before: and therwith sent his shyppes to kepe the coastes of Affryke. The princes Catholyke were content to satisfie his mynde and to please hym accordynge to theyr gentle nature and for the aliance that was betwene theym: And in fine, with the consent and agreement of the pope,* 1.10 graunted twoo hundrech .lxx. leaques more then the bull made mention of: At Tordefillas the .vii. day of Iune, in the yeare of owr lord 1494. And wheras owr kynges thought that they shulde haue lost grounde in grauntynge so many leaques that way, they woonne by that meanes the Ilandes of the Malucas with many other ryche Ilandes. The kynge of Portugale also, herein deceaued him selfe or was deceaued of his whom he put in trust,* 1.11 hauynge no certeyne knowleage of the situa∣tion of the Ilandes of the riche Spicery in demaundyng that which the kynge dyd demaunde. For it hadde byn better for hym to haue requested the three hundreth and .lxx. leaques ra¦ther Eastwarde from the Ilandes of Cabo Uerde then to∣warde the west. And yet for all that, I doubte whether the Malucas shulde haue faulen within his conquest accordynge to the ordinarie accoumpte and dimension which the pylotes and Cosmographers doo make. And after this maner they

diuided the Indies betwene them by thautoritie of the pope for the auoydynge of further stryfe and contention.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The golde myne of Gui∣nea.
• * 1.2

  Alonso kynge of Portugale.
• * 1.3

  Gold for thynges of smaul value.
• * 1.4

  Contention for the kyng∣dome of Cast••le.
• * 1.5

  warre agenst the Moores of Granada.
• * 1.6

  The conque∣stes of the Portugales in Affrike.
• * 1.7

  Pope Alex∣ander.
• * 1.8

  The pope maketh the diuision.
• * 1.9

  The kynge of Portugale re∣fuseth to stand to the Popes bull.
• * 1.10

  The agree∣ment of the last diuision
• * 1.11

  wherin the Portugales were decea∣ued.