[77-1] The Spanish text is that printed by Navarrete in his _Coleccion de
los Viages y Descubrimientos_, etc. (Madrid, 1825), II. 7-8, and taken
from the Archives of the Duke of Veragua. The translation is that of
George F. Barwick printed by Benjamin Franklin Stevens in his
_Christopher Columbus His Own Book of Privileges_, 1502, etc. (London,
1893), pp. 42-45, with such slight changes (chiefly of tenses) as were
necessary to bring it into conformity with the text of Navarrete. This
document is also given in English translation in _Memorials of Columbus_
(London, 1823), pp. 40-43. That volume is a translation of G.B. Spotorno,
_Codice Diplomatico Colombo-Americano_ (Genoa, 1823).
[77-2] In this edition of the Narratives of the Voyages of Columbus his
name in the translation of the original documents will be given in the
form used in the originals. During his earlier years in Spain Columbus
was known as Colomo, the natural Spanish form corresponding to the
Italian Colombo. At some time prior to 1492 he adopted the form Colon,
apparently to make more probable his claim to be descended from a Roman
general, Colonius, and to be related to the French admiral, Coullon,
called in contemporary Italian sources Colombo, and Columbus in Latin. In
modern texts of Tacitus the Roman general's name is Cilonius, and modern
research has shown that the French admiral's real name was Caseneuve and
that Coullon was a sobriquet added for some unknown reason. On the two
French naval commanders known as Colombo or Coullon and the baselessness
of Columbus's alleged relationship see Vignaud, _Etudes Critiques sur la
Vie de Colomb_ pp. 131 ff.
[78-1] In 1497 Columbus at his own request was supplied with a copy of
the ordinances establishing the admiralty of Castile so that he might
have a documentary enumeration of his prerogatives in the Indies. This
official copy he preserved in the collection of his papers known as the
_Book of Privileges_, and the translation of the documents relating to
the Admiralty of Castile is given in Stevens's edition of the _Book of
Privileges_, pp. 14 ff. This dignity of Admiral comprised supreme or
vice-regal authority on the sea and the general range of legal
jurisdiction in determining suits of law that is enjoyed by modern courts
of admiralty. A translation of Columbus's exposition of his rights
derived from his admiralty of the islands in the Ocean may be found in
P.L. Ford, _Writings of Columbus_ (New York, 1892), pp. 177-198, taken
from _Memorials of Columbus_ (London, 1823), pp. 205-223. For a summary
of these powers _cf._ the _Titulo_ that follows.
[78-2] It is a remarkable fact that nothing is said in this patent of
discovering a route to the Indies. It is often said that the sole purpose
of Columbus was to discover such a route, yet it is clear that he
expected to make some new discoveries, and that if he did not, the
sovereigns were under no specified obligations to him. Patents are
usually drawn on the lines indicated by the petitioner. Can we conclude
that the complete silence of the articles as to the Indies means that
Ferdinand and Isabella refused to make any promises if Columbus only
succeeded in reaching the known East Indies and could gain for them no
new possessions?
TITLE GRANTED BY THE CATHOLIC SOVEREIGNS TO CRISTOBAL COLON OF ADMIRAL,
VICEROY AND GOVERNOR OF THE ISLANDS AND MAINLAND THAT MAY BE
DISCOVERED[81-1]
Don Ferdinand and Donna Isabella, by the grace of God King and Queen of
Castile, Leon, Aragon, Sicily, Granada, Toledo, Valencia, Galicia,
Majorca, Seville, Sardinia, Cordova, Corsica, Murcia, Jaen, Algarbe,
Algeciras, Gibraltar, and the Canary Islands; Count and Countess of
Barcelona; Lords of Biscay and Molina; Dukes of Athens and Neopatria;
Counts of Roussillon and Cerdagne, Marquises of Oristano and Goziano;
Forasmuch as you, Cristobal Colon, are going by our command, with some of
our ships and with our subjects, to discover and acquire certain islands
and mainland in the ocean, and it is hoped that, by the help of God, some
of the said islands and mainland in the said ocean will be discovered and
acquired by your pains and industry; and as it is a just and reasonable
thing that since you incur the said danger for our service you should be
rewarded for it, and since we desire to honor and favor you on account of
what is aforesaid, it is our will and pleasure that you, the said
Cristobal Colon, after you have discovered and acquired the said islands
and mainland in the said ocean, or any of them whatsoever, shall be our
Admiral of the said islands and mainland which you may thus discover and
acquire, and shall be our Admiral and Viceroy and Governor therein, and
shall be empowered from that time forward to call and entitle yourself
Don Cristobal Colon, and that your sons and successors in the said office
and charge may likewise entitle and call themselves Don, and Admiral and
Viceroy and Governor thereof; and that you may have power to use and
exercise the said office of Admiral, together with the said office of
Viceroy and Governor of the said islands and mainland which you may thus
discover and acquire, by yourself or by your lieutenants, and to hear and
determine all the suits and causes civil and criminal appertaining to the
said office of Admiralty, Viceroy, and Governor according as you shall
find by law, and as the Admirals of our kingdoms are accustomed to use
and exercise it; and may have power to punish and chastise delinquents,
and exercise the said offices of Admiralty, Viceroy, and Governor, you
and your said lieutenants, in all that concerns and appertains to the
said offices and to each of them; and that you shall have and levy the
fees and salaries annexed, belonging and appertaining to the said offices
and to each of them, according as our High Admiral in the Admiralty of
our kingdoms levies and is accustomed to levy them. And by this our
patent, or by the transcript thereof signed by a public scrivener, we
command Prince Don Juan, our very dear and well beloved son, and the
Infantes, dukes, prelates, marquises, counts, masters of orders, priors,
commanders, and members of our council, and auditors of our audiencia,
alcaldes, and other justices whomsoever of our household, court, and
chancery, and sub-commanders, alcaldes of castles and fortified and
unfortified houses, and all councillors, assistants, regidores, alcaldes,
bailiffs, judges, veinticuatros, jurats, knights, esquires, officers, and
liege men[82-1] of all the cities, towns, and places of our kingdoms and
dominions, and of those which you may conquer and acquire, and the
captains, masters, mates, officers, mariners, and seamen, our natural
subjects who now are or hereafter shall be, and each and any of them,
that upon the said islands and mainland in the said ocean being
discovered and acquired by you, and the oath and formality requisite in
such case having been made and done by you or by him who may have your
procuration,[83-1] they shall have and hold you from thenceforth for the
whole of your life, and your son and successor after you, and successor
after successor for ever and ever, as our Admiral of the said ocean, and
as Viceroy and Governor of the said islands and mainland, which you, the
said Don Cristobal Colon, may discover and acquire; and they shall treat
with you, and with your said lieutenants whom you may place in the said
offices of Admiral, Viceroy, and Governor, about everything appertaining
thereto, and shall pay and cause to be paid to you the salary, dues and
other things annexed and appertaining to the said offices, and shall
observe and cause to be observed toward you all the honors, graces,
favors, liberties, pre-eminences, prerogatives, exemptions, immunities,
and all other things, and each of them, which in virtue of the said
offices of Admiral, Viceroy, and Governor you shall be entitled to have
and enjoy, and which ought to be observed towards you in every respect
fully and completely so that nothing may be diminished therefrom; and
that neither therein nor in any part thereof shall they place or consent
to place hindrance or obstacle against you; for we by this our patent
from now henceforth grant to you the said offices of Admiralty, Viceroy,
and Governor, by right of inheritance for ever and ever, and we give you
actual and prospective possession thereof, and of each of them, and power
and authority to use and exercise it, and to collect the dues and
salaries annexed and appertaining to them and to each of them, according
to what is aforesaid. Concerning all that is aforesaid, if it should be
necessary and you should require it of them, we command our chancellor
and notaries and the other officers who are at the board of our seals to
give, deliver, pass, and seal for you our patent of privilege with the
circle of signatures, in the strongest, firmest, and most sufficient
manner that you may request and may find needful, and neither one nor the
other of you or them shall do contrary hereto in any manner, under
penalty of our displeasure and of ten thousand maravedis[84-1] to our
chamber, upon every one who shall do to the contrary. And further we
command the man who shall show them this our patent, to cite them to
appear before us in our court, wheresoever we may be, within fifteen days
from the day of citation, under the said penalty, under which we command
every public scrivener who may be summoned for this purpose, to give to
the person who shall show it to him a certificate thereof signed with his
signature, whereby we may know in what manner our command is executed.
Given in our city of Granada, on the thirtieth day of the month of April,
in the year of the nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ one thousand four
hundred and ninety-two. I the King. I the Queen. I, Juan de Coloma,
Secretary of the King and of the Queen, our Lords, caused this to be
written by their command. Granted in form, Roderick, Doctor. Registered,
Sebastian de Olano. Francisco de Madrid, Chancellor.