e 
DISCOVERY or AMERICA. 273 
* were both excellent navigators; but Columbus would 
“ never have thought of his expedition to America, had 
*¢ not Boehm gone there before him. His name is not fo 
* much celebrated as that of Columbus, Americus or Ma- 
“ gellan, although he is fuperior to them all.” 
But the moft pofitive proof of the great fervices ren- 
dered to the crown of Portugal by Behem, is the recom- 
pence beftowed onhim by king John, who in 1485 knight- 
ed him in the moft folemn manner, in the prefence of all 
his court. J have before me a German paper extracted 
from the archives of Nurenberg to the following pur- 
pofe. ‘In the year 1485, on the 18th of February, in 
* Portugal, in the city of Allafavas, and in the church of 
“ St. Salvador, afterthe mafs, Martin Behem of Nurenberg, 
“ was made a knight by the hands of the moft puiflant 
* lord, John the fecond king of Portugal, Algarve, Afri- 
“ ca and Guinea; and his chief {quire was the king him- 
*¢ felf, who put the fword in his belt; and the duke of Begia 
“ was his fecond fquire, who put on his right fpur; and 
“ his third fquire was count Chriftopher de Mela, the 
« king’s coufin, who put on his left fpur; and his fourth 
« {quire was count Martini Marbarinis who put on his 
«“ iron helmet; and the king himfelf gave him the blow 
“ on the fhoulder, which was done in the prefence of all 
* the princes, lords and knights of the kingdom: and he 
“ efpoufed: 
«© ambo fuerunt magni navarchi, fed nunquam de fua in Americam expeditione cogitaffet 
«« Columbus nifi Bohemum habviflet pradecefforem. Hujus nomen non tantopere celebra- 
“© tur quanto Columbi, Americi et Magellani, quamvis histribus fit praferendus.” 
Mais ce qui prouve plus que toute autre chofe les grands fervices rendus par Behem a la 
couronne de Portugal, c’eft la reconnoiflance du roi Jean, qui en 1485, le fit lui-méme che- 
valier, de la maniere Ja plus folemnelle, et en prefence de toute fa cour. J’ai fous mes yeux 
un document Allemand, tiré des archives de Nurenberg, de latenur fuivante: ‘* En 1485, 
«« Je 18 Fevrier, en Portugal dans Ja ville d’Aliafavas, et dans l’eghife de Santo Salvador, 
© aprés la mefle, a été fait chevalier Martino Behem, de Nurenberg, par la main du trés 
«¢ puilfant feigneur roi:Jean fecond de Portugal, roi d’Algarve, roi d’Afrique et roi de 
** Guinée; et fon premier ecuyer etoit le roi lui-méme, qui mit fon épée a fon ceinturon; et 
«Je duc de Begia étoit fon fecond ecuyer qui lui mit fon épéron droit; et fon troifieme 
“« ecuyer Etoit le comte Chriftophe de Mela coufin du roi, qui lui mit fon €péron gauche ; et 
«© fon quatrieme ecuyer étoit le comte Martini Marbarinis, qui lui mit fon cafque de fer; et 
«© Je roi lui donna lui-méme un coup fur ?epaule; ce qui fe pafla en prefence de tous les princes 
«© et de tous les {eigneurs et chevaliers du royaume; et il a efpoule la fille d'un grand feigneut 
“en 
