[8. E. dawbon] the lines of DEMARCA.TION £33 



inhabitants of the same. We therefore, highly commending in the name 

 of God your holy and laudable resolution, and wishing that it may be con- 

 ducted to the desired end, and the name of our Saviour introduced into 

 those parts, exhort you warmly in the Lord, and by the holy baptism you 

 have received, by which you subjected yourselves to the apostolic com- 

 mands, and by the bowels of the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, earnestly 

 intreat you to proceed in taking up and prosecuting completely this expedi- 

 tion, the zeal for the orthodox faith continuing in you, you will and ought to 

 induce the people, who inhabit the foresaid islands and continents, to em- 

 brace the Christian religion; nor let the dangers and fatigues of it ever detei 

 you, possessing the firmest hope and confidence, that God omnipotent will 

 happily accompany all your undertakings. And in order that you may 

 undertake more freely and boldly the charge of so great an affair, given to 

 you with the liberality of apostolic grace. We of our own motion, and 

 not at your solicitation, nor upon petition presented to Us upon this sub- 

 ject by other persons in your name, but of our pure free will and certain 

 knowledge, and with the plentitude of apostolic power, by the authority of 

 God omnipotent granted to Us through blessed Peter, and of the vicarship 

 of Jesus Christ, which we exercise upon earth, by the tenor of the pre- 

 sents give, concede, and assign for ever to you, and to the kings of Castile 

 and Leon, your successors, all the islands and main-lands discovered and 

 which may hereafter be discovered, towards the west and south, with all 

 their dominions, cities, castles, places, and towns, and with all their rights, 

 jurisdictions, and appurtenances, whether the lands and islands found or 

 that shall be found, be situated towards India, or towards any other part 

 whatsoever; and we make, constitute and depute you, and your foresaid heirs 

 and successors, lords of them, with full, free and absolute power and au- 

 thority and jurisdiction : drawing however and fixing a line from the arctic 

 pole, viz from the north, to the antarctic pole, viz to the south; which line 

 must be distant from any one of the islands whatsoever, vulgarly called the 

 Azores, and Cape de Verd Islands, a hundred leagues towards the west and 

 south ; upon condition that no other Christian King or Prince has actual 

 possession of any of the islands and main-lands found or that shall be found, 

 discovered or that shall be discovered from the foresaid line towards the 

 west and south, until the day of the nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ last 

 past, from which the present year one thousand four hundred and ninety- 

 three commences, when some of the foresaid islands were discovered by your 

 messengers and captains: decreeing nevertheless, that by this our donation, 

 concession and assignation, it is not intended to take or deprive of the jus 

 quœsUiim, any other Christian Prince, who may have actually possessed 

 the said islands and main-lands up to the aforementioned day of the nati- 

 vity of our Lord Jesus Christ. And moreover, we command you, by the 

 holy obedience which you owe us, that (as you promise, and we doubt not 

 you will perform it, in consequence of your very great devotion, and royal 

 magnanimity) you appoint to the said main-lands and islands upright men 

 and fearing God, learned skilful and expert in instructing the foresaid na- 

 tives and inhabitants in the Catholic faith, and in teaching them good 

 morals, employing for that purpose all requisite diligence. And we most 

 strictly forbid every person whatsoever, and of whatsoever dignity, (even 

 imperial or royal,) state, degree, order, or condition they may be, under the 

 penalty of excommunication latae scntoitiae, which they will incur by the 

 very fact of transgression, to presume, either for trafficking, or for any other 

 cause whatsoever, to approach, without special licence from you, and your 

 foresaid heirs and successors, the islands and main-lands found, or that 

 shall be found, discovered or that shall be discovered, towards the west and 

 south, drawing and fixing a line from the arctic to the antarctic pole ; whe- 

 ther the main-lands and islands found, or that shall be found, be towards 

 India, or towards any other part; which line must be distant from any one 

 of the islands whatsoever, which are vulgarly called the Azores, and Cape 

 de Verd, a hundred leagues towards the west and south, as has been said : 

 notwithstanding the apostolic constitutions and ordinances, and all other 

 things to the contrary whatsoever. We confide in Him, from whom empires. 



