Authentic Letters of Columbus. 197 



of the tenth part of the income in favor of necessitous persons, as 

 a tithe, and in commemoration of the Ahnighty, and Eternal God ; and 

 persisting still in this opinion, and hoping that his High Majesty will 

 assist me, and those who may inherit it, in this or the New World, I 

 have resolved that the said tithe shall be paid in the manner follow- 

 ing: 



First. It is to be understood that the fourth part of the revenue 

 of the estate which I have ordained and directed to be given to Don 

 Bartholomew, until he have an income of one million, includes the 

 tenth of the whole revenue of the estate ; and that, as in proportion 

 as the income of my brother Don Bartholomew shall increase, as it 

 has to be discounted from the revenue of the fourth part of entailed 

 estate, that the said revenue shall be calculated, to know how much 

 the tenth part amounts to; and the part which exceeds what is neces- 

 sary to make up the million for Don Bartholomew shall be received 

 by each of my family as may luost stand in need of it, discounting it 

 from the said tenth, if their income do not amount to the fifty thous- 

 and maravedis; and should any of these come to have an income to 

 this amount, such a part shall be awarded to them as two persons, 

 chosen for the purpose, may determine along with Don Diego or his 

 heirs. Thus, it is to be understood that the million which I leave to 

 Bartholomew comprehends the tenth of the whole revenue of the 

 estate ; which revenue is to be distributed among my nearest and 

 most needy relations in the manner I have directed ; and when Don 

 Bartholomew has an income of one million, and that nothing more 

 shall be due to him on account of said fourth part, then Don Diego, 

 my son, or the persons which I shall herein point out, shall inspect 

 the accounts and so direct that the tenth of the revenue shall still 

 continue to be paid to the most necessitous members of my family that 

 may be found in this or any other quarter of the world, who shall dili- 

 gently be sought out ; and they are to be paid oiit of the fourth part 

 from which Don Bartholomew is to derive his million, which sums 

 are to be taken into account, and deducted from the said tenth, 

 which, should it amount to more, the overplus, as it arises from the 

 fourth part, shall be given to the most necessitous persons as afore- 

 said; and should it not be sufficient, that Don Bartholomew shall 

 have it imtil his own estate goes on increasing, leaving the said mil- 

 lion in part or in the whole. 



Item. The said Don Diego, my son, or whoever may be the in- 

 heritor, shall appoint two persons of conscience and authority, and 

 most nearly related to the family who are to examine the revenue 

 and its amount carefully, and to cause the tenth to be paid out of the 

 fourth from which Don Bartholomew is to receive his million to his 

 most necessitous members of my family who may be found here or 

 elsewhere, whom they shall look for diligently upon their con- 

 sciences; and as it might happen that said Don Diego or others after 

 him, for reasons which may concern their own welfare, or the credit 

 support of the estate, may be unwilling to make known the full 

 amount of the income, nevertheless I charge him on his conscience 

 to pay the sum aforesaid and charge them on their souls and con- 



