been found
by your envoys and captains, we do give, grant, and assign to you
and your heirs and successors, kings of Castile and Leon, forever,
together with all their dominions, cities, camps, places, and towns,
as well as all rights, jurisdictions, and appurtenances, all islands
and mainlands found and to be found, discovered and to be discovered
towards the west and south, by drawing and establishing a line
from the Arctic pole, namely the north, to the Antarctic pole,
namely the south, no matter whether the said mainlands and islands
are found and to be found in the direction of India or towards any
other quarter, the said line to the west and south to be distant
one hundred leagues from any of the islands commonly known as the
_Azores_ and _Cabo Verde_. With this proviso however that none of
the islands and mainlands found and to be found, discovered and
to be discovered beyond that said line towards the west and south,
be in the actual possession of any Christian king or prince up to
the birthday of our Lord Jesus Christ just past in the present year
one thousand four hundred and ninety-three. Moreover we make, appoint
and depute you and your said heirs and successors owners of them with
full and free power, authority, and jurisdiction of every kind; with
this proviso however that through this gift, grant, and assignment of
ours no right conferred on any Christian prince, who may be in actual
possession of said islands and mainlands up to the said birthday of
our Lord Jesus Christ, is hereby to be considered as withdrawn or to
be withdrawn. Moreover we command you in virtue of holy obedience
that, employing all due diligence in the premises, as you promise,
nor do we doubt your compliance therein to the best of your loyalty
and royal greatness of spirit, you send to the aforesaid main-lands
and islands worthy, God-fearing, learned, skilled, and experienced men,
in order to instruct the aforesaid inhabitants and dwellers therein in
the Catholic faith and train them in good morals. Besides under penalty
of excommunication _late sententie_ to be incurred _ipso facto_, should
any one thus contravene, we strictly forbid all persons of whatsoever
rank, even imperial and royal, or of whatsoever estate, degree, order,
or condition, to dare, without your special permit or that of your
aforesaid heirs and successors, to go, as charged, for the purpose
of trade or any other reason to the islands and mainlands found and
to b