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AFter the death of the pilot and mariners of the Spanyshe caruell that discouered the Indies, Chrystopher Colon purposed to seke the same. But in howe muche more he desyred this, the lesse was his poure to accomplishe his desire. For, besyde that of him selfe he was not able to furnysshe one shyppe, he lacked also the fauour of a kynge vnder whose protection he might so enioy the riches he hoped
to fynde, that none other myght take the same from hym or defeate hym therof. And seinge the kynge of Portugale occu¦pied in the conquest of Africa and the nauigations of the East which were then fyrst attempted,* 1.1 the kynge of Castyle lyke∣wyse no lesse busyed in the warres of Granada,* 1.2 he sent to his brother Bartholomewe Colon (who was also priuie to this se∣create) to practise with the kynge of Englande Henry the se∣venth beinge very ryche and withowt warres:* 1.3 promysynge to brynge hym great ryches in short time if he wolde shew him fauour and furnysshe hym with shippes to discouer the newe Indies wherof he had certeyne knowleage. But neyther here beinge able to brynge his sute to passe, he caused the matter to bee moued to the kynge of Portugale Don Alonso the fyfte of that name: at whose handes he founde neither fauour nor money, forasmuch as the licenciate Calzadilla the byshop of Uiseo,* 1.4 and one master Rodrigo men of credit in the science of Cosmographie, withstoode him and contended that there nei∣ther was nor coulde any golde or other ryches bee founde in the west as Colon affirmed. By reason whereof he was very sadde and pensiue: but yet was not discouraged or despaired of the hope of his good aduenture which he afterward found This done, he tooke shippinge at Lisburne, and came to Pa∣los of Moguer where he cōmuned with Martin Alōso Pinzō an expert pylot, who offered hym selfe vnto hym. After this disclosynge the hole secreates of his mynde to Iohn Perez of Marchena (a fryer of thorder of saynt Frances in Rabida, and wel lerned in Cosmographie) & declarying vnto hym how by folowyng the course of the son by a temperate vsage, rich and great landes myght be founde, the fryer greatly commen∣ded his enterpryse, and gaue him counsayle to breake the mat∣ter to the duke of Medina Sidonia Don Enrique of Guzman a great lorde and very ryche:* 1.5 And also to Don Luys of Cerda the duke of Medina Celi,* 1.6 who at that tymes had great prouisi¦on of shippes well furnyshed in his hauen of Santa Maria. But wheras both these dukes tooke the matter for a dreame and as a thynge diuised of an Italian deceauer who (as they thought) had before with lyke pretence deluded the kynges of Englande and Portugale, the fryer gaue hym courage to go to the courte of the Catholyke princes Don Ferdinando and lady Isabell princes of Castile: affirmynge that they
wolde bee ioyfull of such newes. And for his better furthe∣rance herin, wrote letters by hym to fryer Ferdinando of Ta¦lauera the queenes confessor. Chrystopher Colon therfore, re∣payred to the court of the Cathollike princes, in the yeare .M.CCCC.lxxxvi. and delyuered vnto theyr handes the peticion of his request as concerninge the discouerynge of the newe In¦dies. But they beinge more carefull, and applyinge all theyr mynde howe they myght dryue the Moores owt of the kyng∣dome of Granade,* 1.7 which great enterpryse they had alredy ta¦ken in hande, dyd lyttle or nothynge esteme the matter. But Colon not thus discouraged, found the meanes to declare his sute to such as had sumtymes priuate communication with the kynge.* 1.8 Yet bicause he was a stranger and went but in sim¦ple apparell, nor otherwyse credited then by the letter of a gray fryer, they beleued hym not, neyther gaue eare to his woordes: wherby he was greatly tormented in his imagina∣tion.* 1.9 Only Alonso of Quintanilia the kynges chiefe auditour gaue hym meate and drynke at his owne charges, and hard gladly such thynges as he declared of the landes not then founde: desyrynge hym in the meane tyme to bee contente with that poore enterteynemente, and not to despayre of his enterpryse: puttynge hym also in good conforte that he shulde at one tyme or other, coome to the speache of the Catho¦lyke princes. And thus shortly after by the meanes of Alonso of Quintanilia, Colon was browght to the presence and audi∣ence of the Cardinall Don Pero Gonzales of Mendoza, arch¦bysshop of Toledo,* 1.10 a man of great reuenues & autoritie with the kynge and queene, who brought hym before them after that he well perceaued and examyned his intent.* 1.11 And by this meanes was his sute harde of the Catholyke princes, who al¦so redde the booke of his memorials which he presented vnto them. And although at the fyrst they tooke it for vayne and false that he promysed, neuerthelesse they put hym in good hope that he shulde bee well dispatched when they had fy∣nyshed the warres of Granada which they had now in hand. With which answere, Colon beganne to reuyue his spirites, with hope to bee better estemed and more fauorably to bee hard amonge the gentelmen and noble men of the court, who before tooke hym only for a craftie felowe and deceauer: and was nothynge dismayde or discouraged when so euer he de∣bated
the matter with them, althowghe many iudged hym phantasticall,* 1.12 as is the maner of ignorant menne to caule all such as attempte any thynge beyonde theyr reach and the com¦pa••se of theyr knowleage: thinkyng the worlde to bee no big¦ger then the cagies wherin they are brought vp and lyue. But to returne to Colon: So hotte and vrgente was the siege of Granada, that they presentely graunted hym his demaunde to seeke the newe landes,* 1.13 and to brynge from thense golde, syluer, perles, precious stones, spices, and suche other rych thynges. They gaue hym also the tenth parte of all the reue¦nues and customes dewe vnto the kynge of al such landes as he shulde discouer,* 1.14 not doynge preiudice in any thynge to the kynge of Portugale. The particulars of this agrement were made in the towne caused Sanera Fe: and the priuilege of the rewarde, in Granada the .xxx. daye of Aprell the same yeare that the citie was woonne. And wheras the sayde Catholyke princes had not mony presently to dispatch Colon, Luys of s. Angell the kynges secretary of accomptes, lente theym syxe quentes of marauedes, whiche in a grosse summe make .xvi. thousande ducades. Two thynges are herein chiefely to be noted:* 1.15 wherof the one is, that for so smaule charges they haue increased the reuenues of the crowne of Castyle as much as the Indies are in value. The other is, that endynge the conquest of the Moores who possessed the kyngdome of Gra∣nada eyght hundreth yeares, they immediately beganne the conquest of the Indies, as though the nation of the Spany∣ardes were euer appoynted to feyght ageynst infidels and ene∣mies of the fayth of Iesu Chryst.
By this trauayle of Colonus in so noble an enterpryse and so harde successe, dooth the sayinge of Plinie appere to be most trew, wher in the preface of his natural hystory wryttē to thēprour Uespa¦siā he writeth ī this maner. Res ardus vetustis novitatem dare: Nouis, autori tatem: absoletis, nitorem, obseuris, lucem: sastiditis, gratiam: dubiis, fidem: om∣nibus vero naturam, et naturae fuatl omnia, Ita{que} etiam non assecutis, voluisse abund•• pulchrum at{que} magnificum est. That is to say: It is a dyfficulte thynge to gyue newenes to owlde thynges, autoritie to newe thynges: bew¦tie to thynges owt of vse: fame to the obscure: fauoure to the hate∣full: credite to the doubtefull: nature to all, and all to nature. To such neuerthelesse as can not attayne to all these, it is greately commendable and magnificall to haue attempted the same.
In the scuchen of armes gyuen to Colon by Don Ferdinando and queene Elizabeth Catholike princes (so cauled for theyr warres ageynst the infidels) these verses were wrytten.
Por Castilla y por Leon, Nueuo mundo hallo Colon.That is; For Castile and for Leon, The newe worlde founde Colon.
The kinge of Portugale.
The kyng of Castile.
Kynge Henry the seuenth.
Barnarde knewe not all thynges.
The duke of Medina Si∣donia.
The duke of Medina Celi.
The cōquest of Granada.
what men knowe not they count funtasticall.
Colon his in∣terteinmente.
The arch∣bysshop of Toledo.
Colon is brought to the kynges presence.
The iudge∣ment of igno∣rant folkes.
Colon is dis∣patched.
Colon his re∣warde.
One quent is .x hun∣dreth thou∣sand••.