Sj^aiu's Sovereignty over the New World. 221 



9- 



992. Letter of Poi^e Alexander VI to Ferdinand and Isabella, 

 dated Ma}^ 3, 1493, granting them sovereignty over all unknown 

 continents and islands in the Indies that may be discovered by 

 the explorers of Spain and confining to Portugal the newly dis- 

 covered lands of Africa. 



(Translation.) 



Alexander, etc, to his most dear son and daughter in Christ, the 



illustrious Ferdinand and Isabella, King and Queen of Castile, 



Leon, Aragon and Granada, health, etc: 



The sincere and extraordinary devotion and the perfect faith 

 with which you honor us and the Roman church truly deserve 

 that we approvingly grant you whatsoever may enable you to 

 promote more speedily and effectually your holy and laudable 

 undertaking of discovering remote and unknown continents and 

 islands for the glory of Almighty God, the extension of Christ's 

 dominion, and the exaltation of the Catholic faith. Accordingly, 

 by our own act, with full cognizance and in virtue of the pleni- 

 tude of apostolic authority, we have this day given, granted and 

 assigned to you and your heirs and successors, the sovereigns of 

 Castile and Leon, in perpetuity, as is more fully set forth in our 

 letter on this subject, all and every one of the remote and un- 

 known continents and islands lying towards the west and the 

 ocean and not at present under the temporal authority of any 

 Christian princes which have been or shall be discovered by 

 3^ourselves or 3'-our envoys, who have been equipped for the 

 purpose with great pains, risks and expense. We have included 

 in the same donation all the states of the aforesaid continents 

 and islands, their cities, castles, towns, and villages, rights, and 

 all jurisdictions whatsoever. 



As, however, on another occasion, different privileges, favors, 

 liberties, immunities, exemptions, faculties, briefs and indults 

 were granted by the apostolic see to certain kings of Portugal, 

 who, after obtaining a like apostolic donation, discovered and 

 acquired other islands in the regions of Africa, Guinea and the 

 Gold Coast, we also, wishing, as is pro]3er, to bestow equal favors, 

 prerogatives and benefits' upon you and your heirs and succes- 

 sors aforesaid, by a similar act, without being moved thereunto 

 by any petition presented to us by yourselves or by another in 



