428 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



Dicta Faclaque Memorabilia, and printed in 1509, 

 affirms (s), that the French evil began to be known two 

 years before Charles VIII. came into Italy. He came 

 into Italy, in September 1494, therefore that evil was 

 known ever fince 1492, or at the lateftin 149^, that is, 

 fome years before Columbus returned from his firft 

 voyage. Juan Leone, once a Mahometan, a native of 

 Granada in Spain, vulgarly called Leone Africano, in his 

 defcription of Africa, written in Rome, under the pon- 

 tificate of Leo X. after he was converted, fays, that the 

 Hebrews, when driven from Spain, in the times of Fer- 

 dinand the Catholic, carried the French evil into Bar- 

 bary, and infected the Africans ; on which account it 

 was then called the Sfranijh evil (/). The edict of the 

 Catholic kings reflecting the expulfion of the Hebrews, 

 was publifned in March 1492, as Mariana fays, allow- 

 ing them no more than four months to fell all their 

 effects, if they did not choofe to carry them along with 

 them ; and in the following month, another edict was 

 pubiiflied by T. Torquemada, inquiiitor-general, in 

 which it was prohibited to Chriitians, under the heavieft 

 penalties, to treat with the Hebrews, or to furniih them 



with 



(j) Biennio antequam in Italiam Carolus (VIII.) veniret, nova agritudo inter 

 Biortales dete&a fuit, cui nec nomen, nec remedia Medici ex veterum Au&orum 

 difciplina inveniebant, varie, ut regiones erant, appellata. In Gallia Neapolita- 

 num dvxerunt morbum, at in Italia Gallicum appellabant. Lib. i. cap. 4. feci:, 

 ultimo. 



(/) rlujus mali ne nomen quidem ipfis Africanis notum erat antequam Hif- 

 paniarum Rex Ferdinandus Judasos omnes ex Hifpania profligaffet: qui ubiin 

 patnam jam rediiffent. caeperunt miferi quidam ac fceleratiffimi iEthiopes cum 

 illorum mulieribus habere commercium, ac fic tandem veluti per manus peftis 

 hsec per totam it fparfit regionem, ita ut vix fit familia, quas ab hoc malo re- 

 manferit libera. Id autem fibi firmiflime atque indubitate perfuaferunt ex Hif- 

 pania ad illos tranfmigraffe. Quamobrem & ill! morbo Malum Hijpanicum (ne 

 nomine deftitueretur; indiderunt. Lib. I. 



