Alexander VI

“ Wherefore inasmuch as by the favor of divine clemency, we, though of insufficient merits, have been called to this Holy See of Peter, recognizing that as true Catholic kings and princes, such as we have known you always to be, and as your illustrious deeds already known to almost the whole world declare, you not only eagerly desire but with every effort, zeal, and diligence, without regard to hardships, expenses, dangers, with the shedding even of your blood, are laboring to that end ”

“ We trust in Him from whom empires and governments and all good things proceed, that, should you, with the Lord's guidance, pursue this holy and praiseworthy undertaking, in a short while your hardships and endeavors will attain the most felicitous result, to the happiness and glory of all Christendom. ”

“ Moreover we command you in virtue of holy obedience that, employing all due diligence in the premises, as you also promise--nor do we doubt your compliance therein in accordance with your loyalty and royal greatness of spirit--you should appoint to the aforesaid mainlands and islands worthy, God-fearing, learned, skilled, and experienced men, in order to instruct the aforesaid inhabitants and residents in the Catholic faith and train them in good morals. ”

“ The changes introduced into the bull Inter caetera of May 4, are, however, of great importance, and highly favorable to Spain. Instead of merely granting to Castile the lands discovered by her envoys, and not under Christian rule, the revised bull draws a line of demarcation one hundred leagues west of any of the Azores or Cape Verde Islands, and assigns to Castile the exclusive right to acquire territorial pos­ sessions and to trade in all the lands west of that line, which at Christmas, 1492, were not in the possession of any Christian prince. ”

“ We have indeed learned that you, who for a long time had intended to seek out and discover certain lands and islands remote and unknown and not hitherto discovered by others, to the end that you might bring to the worship of our Redeemer and profession of the Catholic faith their residents and inhabitants, having been up to the present time greatly engaged in the siege and recovery of the kingdom itself of Granada, were unable to accomplish this holy and praiseworthy purpose ”

“ To all and singular who shall see, read, or hear the present letters, or the present public transumpt, we the reverend lord, Don Diego Hernandez, treasurer of the collegiate church of Saint Antolin of Medina del Campo, and official provisor and vicar general in temporalities and spiritualities of the reverend father and lord in Christ, Don Bernardo Gutterez, apostolic protonotary and abbot of the said town of Medina, health in the Lord, and let certain credence be given to these presents. ”

“ Among other works well pleasing to the Divine Majesty and cherished of our heart, this assuredly ranks highest, that in our times especially the Catholic faith and the Christian religion be exalted and everywhere increased and spread, that the health of souls be cared for and that barbarous nations be overthrown and brought to the faith itself. ”

“ Meanwhile the King of Portugal had sent Ruy de Sande to the Spanish sovereigns to entreat them (among other things) to prohibit their subjects from fishing south of Cape Bojador till the limits of the possessions of both kingdoms should be fixed, and to make these limits the parallel of the Canaries, leaving the navigation south of this line to the Portuguese. [3] In the middle of August the Portuguese ambassadors, Pero Diaz and Ruy de Pina, arrived in Barcelona, and an attempt at settlement was made. ”

“ Moreover we extend similarly and enlarge these powers in all things and through all things to you and your aforesaid heirs and successors, to whom in the same manner and form we grant them forever, apostolic constitutions and ordinances as well as all grants of similar kind made by letters to the kings of Portugal, as well as other things whatsoever to the contrary notwithstanding. ”

“ Like the bull Eximiae devotionis of May 3, [1] the bull Inter caetera of May 4 is a restatement of part of the bull Inter caetera of May 3. [2] Taken together the two later bulls cover the same ground as the bull Inter caetera of May 3, for which they form a substitute. ”

“ Let no one, therefore, infringe or with rash boldness contravene this our indult, extension, enlargement, grant, will, and decree. Should any one presume to do so, be it known to him that he will incur the wrath of Almighty God and of the blessed apostles Peter and Paul. ”

“ And under penalty of excommunication late sententie to be incurred ipso facto, should any thus contravene, we strictly forbid all persons of no matter what rank, estate, degree, order, or condition, to dare, without your special permit or that of your aforesaid heirs and successors, to go for the sake of trade or any other reason whatever to the said islands and countries after they have. ”

“ But inasmuch as at another time the Apostolic See has granted divers privileges, favors, liberties, immunities, exemptions, faculties, letters, and indults to certain kings of Portugal, who also by similar apostolic grant and donation in their favor, have discovered and taken possession of islands in the regions of Africa, Guinea, and the Gold Mine, and elsewhere, with the desire to em­ power by our apostolic authority, as also is right and fitting, you and your aforesaid heirs and successors with graces, prerogatives, and favors of no less character ”

“ Wherefore should any such gifts or grants have been made, considering their terms to have been suffi­ ciently expressed and inserted in our present decree, we through similar accord, knowledge, and fullness of our power do wholly revoke them and as regards the countries and islands not actually taken into possession, we wish the grants to be considered as of no effect, notwithstanding what may appear in the aforesaid letters, or anything else to the contrary. ”

“ Unde omnibus diligenter, et presertim fidei Catholice exalta­ tione et dilatatione, prout decet Catholicos reges et principes, consideratis, more progenitorum vestrorum, clare memorie regum, terras firmas et insulas predictas illarumque incolas et habitatores, vobis, divina favente clementia, subjicere et ad fidem Catholicam reducere proposuistis. ”

“ One of the two treaties between Spain and Portugal, concluded at Tordesillas on June 7, 1494, relates to the fisheries from Cape Bojador to the Rio do Ouro. This treaty is printed in J. Ramos-Coelhos, Algs. Docs. (1892) , pp. 80 ff. ↑ This refers to the Portuguese military Order of Christ, to which Pope Calixtus had granted the spiritualities of Guinea, and beyond, as far as to the Indians. See Doc. 2. ↑ Cf. Doc. 6, note 14. ↑ In the second copy of the bull the name of L. Alvarus is substituted. ”

“ Kretschmer calcu­ lates that, reckoning a league as equal to four Roman or Italian miles, each equal to about 1480 metres, and counting from San Antonio, the most westerly of the Cape Verde Islands, the longitude of the first demarcation line was 31° west. Entdeckung, p. 303. ↑ The Vatican text reads in. ↑ The Vatican text omits Domino. ↑ 21.0 21.1 The reading of these names is due to Professor Vander Linden, whose article in the American Historical Review, XXII. 1-20, contains information concerning the signa­ tories of this bull. ”