on de los viajes y
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parte del R. Archivo de Indias_. Madrid, 1864.

IGNAZIO CIAMPI: _Pietro Martire d'Anghiera_, in volume xxx of the
_Nuova Antologia_, 1875.

HERMANN SCHUMACHER: _Petrus Martyrus der Geschichtsschreiber des
Weltmeeres_. 1879.

H. HEIDENHEIMER: _Petrus Martyrus Anglerius und sein Opus
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J. GERIGK: _Das Opus Epistolarum des Petrus Martyrus_. 1881.

P. GAFFAREL ET L'ABBE SOUROT: _Lettres de Pierre Martyr Anghiera_.
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J.H. MARIEJOL: _Un lettre italien a la cour d'Espagne_. (1488-1526.)
_Pierre Martyr d'Anghera, sa vie et ses oeuvres_, 1887.

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_Additions_. Paris, 1872.

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scoperte oceaniche_. 1894.

The First Decade

[Illustration: Cardinal Ascanio Sforza. From the Medallion by Luini,
in the Museum at Milan. Photo by Anderson, Rome.]

BOOK I

PETER MARTYR, APOSTOLIC PROTONOTARY AND ROYAL COUNSELLOR TO THE
VISCOUNT ASCANIO SFORZA, CARDINAL VICE-CHANCELLOR

It was a gentle custom of the ancients to number amongst the gods
those heroes by whose genius and greatness of soul unknown lands were
discovered. Since we, however, only render homage to one God in Three
Persons, and consequently may not adore the discoverers of new lands,
it remains for us to offer them our admiration. Likewise should
we admire the sovereigns under whose inspiration and auspices the
intentions of the discoverers were realised; let us praise the one and
the other, and exalt them according to their merits.

Attend now to what is told concerning the recently discovered islands
in the Western ocean. Since you have expressed in your letters a
desire for information I will, to avoid doing injustice to any one,
recount the events from their beginnings.

A certain Christopher Columbus, a Genoese, proposed to the Catholic
King and Queen, Ferdinand and Isabella, to discover the islands which
touch the Indies, by sailing from the western extremity of this
country. He asked for ships and whatever was necessary to navigation,
promising not only to propagate the Christian religion, but also
certainly to bring back pearls, spices and gold beyond anything ever
imagined. He