2»d S. X Sept. 29. '60.] 



NOTES AND QUEKIES. 



243 



The letters were written between the years 

 1502 and 1504, two of them being of the former 

 date and within a' month of each other ; the third 

 is dated 1504. Columbus returned from his fourth 

 and last voyage a short time previous to this last 

 letter. 



I do not know whether there are many of his 

 autographs extant ; any document, however, bear- 

 ing his signature is certainly interesting, and these 

 letters, relating as they do, to his private affairs, 

 and especially to his will, which I believe has 

 never been discovered to this day, will not be 

 found unworthy of publication. They are all 

 three of undoubted authenticity, and entirely 

 written by himself. , I 



No. 1. 

 " Al Senor Ebazador Micer Nicolb (Oderigo). 

 " Senor, 

 " La soledad en que nos habej'S desado no se puede 

 dezir. El libro de mis escrituras di a Micer Fr<=o di Ri- 

 barol, para que os le enbie, con otro Iraslado de cartas 

 mensajeras; del recibo y el lugar que porveys en ello, 

 OS pido per merced que los escrivays a Don Diego. Otro 

 tal se acabara y se os enbiara por lo mesma quisa y el 

 miesmo Micer Fr'=o. En ello fallereys escritura nueba. 



" S. A. me prometieron de me dar todo lo que me per- 

 tencce, y de poner en posesion de todo a Don Diego, 

 conio veyreys. 



" Al Senor Micer Juan Luys, y a la Senora Madona 

 Catalina escrivo : la carta va con esta. 



" Yo estoy de partida en nombre de la Santa Trinidad 

 con el primer buen tiempo, con mucho atabio. 



" Se Geronomio de Santi Esteban viene, debeme es- 

 pectar, y no se enbara9ar con nada; porque tomar del lo 

 que pudieren, y despues lo deseran en bianco. Vengo aca, 

 y il Key y laReyna le recebiran, pasta que yo venga. 

 Nuestro Senor os'aya en su Sanva guardia. Fecha a xxi 

 de Marco en Sibilla 1502. 

 " A lo que mandares, 



«S. 

 « S. A, S. 

 «X. M. Y. 

 " Xpo Ferens.* 



No. 2. 

 ' A los Muy Nobles Senores del muy MagaificojOflcio de 

 S. George a Genua. 

 " Muy Nobles Senores, 



" Bien que el cuerpo ande aca, el corazon esta ali de 

 continuo. Nuestro Senor me ha hecho la mayor merced 

 que despues de Dabid el aya hecho a nadie. Las cosas de 

 my emprcsa ya luzen y farian gran lumbre si la oscuridad 

 del Gobierno no las encubriera. 



" lo buelvo a las Indias en nombre de la Santa Trinidad, 

 para tomar luego ; y porque yo soy mortal, yo dexo a 

 Don Diego my hijo, que de la Renta toda que se abiere, 

 que OS acuda ali con el diezmo de todo ella, cada un ano 

 para siempre, para en descuento de la renta del Trigo, y 

 bino y otras bitualias comederas ; si este diezmo fuere algo, 

 recebilde ; y si no recibid la voluntad que yo tengo : A 

 este hijo mio vospido por merced que tengays encoraen- 

 dado. 



I give them here, and the translation of them, 

 in parallel columns, and I have tried to make the 

 English version as literal as possible ; but, as can 

 easily be imagined, the Spanish is by no means 

 the Spanish of the present day. Many of the 

 words used are obsolete, many of them also are 

 ill spelt, and a few illegible. All this renders 

 the translation somewhat difficult. 



I will here merely premise that Columbus re- 

 turned from his third voyage in the month of 

 July, 1500, and that he set out on his fourth voy- 

 age on the 9th of May, 1502, returning on the 

 7th of November in the next vear, and that he 

 died at Valladolid on the 20th of May, 1506. The 

 Don Diego mentioned in the letters is his son. 



No. 1. 



" To his Excellency The Ambassador Micer Nicolb 

 (Oderigo). 

 « Sir, 



" The loneliness in which you have left us cannot be 

 expressed. I gave the Book containing my papers to 

 Micer Fr"" di Ribarol, in order that he might send it you 

 ■with another copy of the letters missive. I beg you write 

 and inform Don Diego of the receipt and the place where 

 you put them in. He will complete another one like it, 

 and will send it to you in the same manner and by the 

 same Micer Franco. In it you will find new papers. 



" Their Highnesses promised to give me all that be- 

 longs to me, and to put Don Diego in possession of it all, 

 as you may see. 



" I write to Senor Micer Juan Luys and to the Senora 

 Madona Catalina : the letter comes with this. 



" 1 set out in the name of the Holy Trinity on the first 

 appearance of fine weather well equipped. 



" If Jerome of St. Stephen comes he must wait for me, 

 and not embroil himself with any one, because they 

 Avill get from him (tomaran) what they can and ruin 

 him. Let him come here, and the King and the Queen 

 will receive him, until I come. May our Lord preserve 

 you in his holy keeping. Dated this xxi of March in 

 Seville, 1502. 



" Humbly at your commands, 



" Xpo Ferens." 



No. 2. 

 " To the very noble Lords of the very Magnificent Bank 

 ■• of S. George at Genoa. 

 " Most Noble Lords, 



" Although the body remains here, yet the mind is 

 elsewhere continually. Our Lord has done me the greatest 

 favour that since the time of David He has done unto 

 anyone. The circumstances connected with my expedi- 

 tion are even now brilliant, and will be still more brilliant 

 if the density of the Government does not obscure them. 



" I set out for the Indies in the name of the most Holy 

 Trinity without delay, to return soon ; and as I am mortal, 

 I leave my son Don Diego (in trust) that out of the in- 

 come which he shall have, he yield a tenth of the whole 

 produce of the corn, and wine, and other eatable victuals 

 unto you. If this tenth be something, accept it, and if 

 not, accept the intention I hold towards you. I beseech 

 you that you take charge of this my son. 



* The Spaniards often terminate their letters with cer- 

 tain initials, employing usually B.L.M. de Vmd (Beso las 

 manos de Vmd), I kiss your hands, or some other set form 

 of politeness. In this case the letters S. S. A. S. probably 



stand for Su seguro atento servidor, — your humble and 

 Aiithful servant. The letters X, M. Y. I am unable to 

 explain. 



