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.

¶ What maner of man Chrystopher Colon was: and howe he Came fyrst to the know∣leage of the Indies.

CHristopher Colon was borne in Cugureo, or (as sum say) in Nerui, a vyllage in the territo¦rie of Genua in Italie. He descended as sum thynke, of the house of the Pelestreles of Pla∣centia in Lumbardie. He beganne of a chylde to bee a maryner: of whose arte they haue great exercise on the ryuer of Genua.* 1.1 He traded many yeares into Suria and other partes of the East. After this, he be∣came a master in makynge cardes for the sea, whereby he had great vantage. He came to Portugale to knowe the reason and descr••ption of the south coaste of Affrica and the nauiga∣tions of the Portugales, thereby to make his cardes more per¦fecte to bee solde. He maryed in Portugale as sum say: or as many say, in the Ilande of Madera, where he dwelt at suche tyme as the sayde caruell arryued there, whose pylot suiorned in his house, and dyed also there, bequethynge to Colon his carde of the description of suche newe landes as he hadde founde, wherby Colon had the fyrst knowleage of the Indy∣es. Sum haue thowght that Colon was well lerned in the Latine tounge and the science of Cosmographie:* 1.2 and that he was therby fyrst moued to seeke the landes of the Antipodes and the ryche Ilande of Cipango whereof Marcus Paulus wryteth. Also that he had redde what Plato in his dialoges of Timeus and Cricias, wryteth of the greate Ilande Atlan∣tide,* 1.3 and of a great lande in the West Ocean vndiscouered be¦inge bygger then Asia and Affrica. Furthermore that he had knowleage what Aristotell and Theophrastus saye in theyr bookes of maruayles, where they wryte that certeyne mar∣chauntes of Carthage saylyng from the streyghtes of Gibral∣tar towarde the west and south,* 1.4 founde after many dayes a greate Ilande not inhabited: yet replenyshed with al thinges requisite, and hauynge many nauigable ryuers. In deede Colon was not greately lerned: yet of good vnderstandynge. And when he had knowleage of the sayde new landes by the information of the dead pylot,* 1.5 made relation thereof to cer∣teyne lerned men with whom he conferred as touchynge the

lyke thynges mentioned of owlde autours. He communica∣ted this secreate and conferred chiefely with a fryer, named Iohn Perez of Marchena that dwelt in the monastery of Ra∣bida. So that I verely beleue, that in maner all that he de∣clared, and many thynges more that he lefte vnspoken, were wrytten by the sayde Spanyshe pylot that dyed in his house. For I am persuaded, that if Colon by science atteyned to the knowleage of the Indies, he wolde longe before haue commu∣nicate this secreate to his owne contrey men the Genueses, that trauayle all the worlde for gaynes, and not haue comme into Spayne for this purpose. But doubtelesse he neuer thought of any such thyng before he chaunced to bee acquain¦ted with the sayd pylot who founde those landes by fortune,* 1.6 accordynge to the sayinge of Plinie: Quod ars docere non potuit, ca∣sus inuenit. That is: That arte coulde not teache, chaunce founde. Albeit, the more Chrystian opinion is,* 1.7 to thinke that god of his singuler prouidence and infinite goodnesse, at the length with eyes of compassion as it were lookynge downe from heauen vpon the sonnes of Adam so longe kepte vnder Sathans captiuitie, intended euen then (for causes to hym only knowen) to rayse those wyndes of mercy whereby that caruell (herein most lyke vnto the shyppe of Noe whereby the remanent of the hole world was saued as by this caruel this newe worlde receaued the fyrst hope of theyr saluation) was dryuen to these landes.* 1.8 But wee wyll nowe declare what great thynges folowed of this smaule begynnynge, and how Colon folowed this matter reueled vnto hym not withowte goddes prouidence.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Thus also be¦gan Rychard chaunceler.
• * 1.2

  Colon was not much ler∣ned.
• * 1.3

  The Ilande ••tlantide.
• * 1.4

  The lande found by the Carthaginen∣ses.
• * 1.5

  Colon confer∣red with ler∣ned men.
• * 1.6

  Chaunce and arte.
• * 1.7

  A Christian opinion.
• * 1.8

  The caruel cōpared to the ship of Noye.