The history of the Philippine archipelago is fitly introduced by
presenting a group of documents which relate to Pope Alexander VI's
Line of Demarcation between the respective dominions of Spain and
Portugal in the recently-discovered New World. So many controversies
regarding this line have at various times arisen, and so little on the
subject has appeared in the English tongue, that we have thought it
well to place before our readers the more important of the documents
relating thereto, of which a brief synopsis is here given.
They begin with Alexander's Bulls--two dated on the third and one
on the fourth day of May, 1493. The first of these (commonly known
as _Inter cætera_) grants to. Spain all the lands in the West,
recently discovered or yet to be discovered, which are hitherto
unknown, and not under the dominion of any Christian prince. The
second (_Eximiæ devotionis_, also dated May 3) grants to Spain the
same rights in those discoveries which had formerly been conferred
on Portugal in Africa. These grants are superseded by the Bull of
May 4 (_Inter cætera_), which establishes the Demarcation Line,
and grants to Spain all lands west and south thereof which were not
already in the possession of any Christian prince. Still another Bull
(dated September 25 of the same year) authorizes Spain to extend her
sovereignty also over lands which shall be discovered to the East,
including India--thus practically annulling both the Demarcation Line
and previous concessions to Portugal. The latter power's remonstrances
against this infringement of her former rights lead to the Treaty of
Tordesillas (June 7, 1494), in which, by mutual agreement between the
sovereigns, a new line of demarcation is established to be drawn two
hundred and seventy leagues farther west than that of Alexander VI;
and another document (dated April 15, 1495) makes suitable arrangements
for a scientific and equitable determination of this boundary. The
final action of the Holy See in this matter is indicated by a Bull
of Leo X (_Præcelsæ_, dated November 3, 1514) granted to Portugal; it
confirms all previous papal gifts to that power of lands in the East,
and grants to her both past and future discoveries and conquests,
there and elsewhere. Disputes arising between Spain and Portugal over
the ownership of the Moluccas or Spice Islands (see letters of Cárlos
I to his ambassadors at Lisbon, February 4 and December 18, 1523;
and the treaty of Vitoria, February 19, 1524), the Junta of Badajoz
is convened (April 11-May 31, 1524) to settle this question; and that
body fixes the Line of Demarcation three hundred and seventy leagues
west of San Antonio, the most westerly of the Cape Verde Islands. (In
this connection are presented the opinions of Hernando Colon, Sebastian
Cabot, and other competent judges; and letters from Cárlos I to the
Spanish deputies.) This settlement proving ineffectual, the Moluccas
are relinquished to Portugal by the treaty of Zaragoza (April 22,
1529), Spain retaining possession of the Philippine Islands, although
the terms of that treaty placed them outside of her jurisdiction.
Reverting to a somewhat earlier date, we note incidentally the Bull
of Alexander VI (_Eximiæ_, November 16, 1501) which authorizes the
Spanish monarchs to levy tithes on the natives and inhabitants of
their newly-acquired possessions in the western world; and proceed to
a summary of the life and voyages of Fernão de Magalhães (commonly
known as Magellan). Synopses are given of many documents published
by Navarrete, dated from 1518 to 1527: a contract by Magalhães and
Falero to deliver to the House of Commerce of Seville one-eighth of
all gains accruing to them from their future discoveries; a petition
from the same men to Cárlos I regarding the expedition which they
are about to undertake; remonstrances against the undertaking, by the
Portuguese ambassador in Spain, Magalhães's request for more money;
various appointments in the fleet; restriction of the number of seamen;
instructions to Magalhães; a royal order that Ruy Falero shall not
accompany the expedition; Magalhães's last will; the expense account of
the fleet; an attempted mutiny on one of the ships; Francisco Albo'*
journal of Magalhães's voyage; description of the cargo brought
back to Spain by the "Victoria;" investigation of Magalhães's death;
treaties with the natives of the Moluccas; advice given to the emperor
by Diego de Barbosa; Brito's account of Magalhães's voyage; and the
confiscation of two of his ships by the Portuguese.
This résumé is followed by various supplementary documents. A
royal mandate (March 22, 1518) authorizes Falero and Magalhães to
undertake their expedition of discovery. A letter from Cárlos to King
Manuel of Portugal (February 28, 1519) assures him that nothing in
this enterprise is intended to infringe upon Portuguese rights. A
document written (April 6, 1519) to Juan de Cartagena, appointed
inspector-general of Magalhães's fleet, gives detailed instructions as
to his duties in that office, especially in regard to the equipment
of the fleet, its trading operations in the Orient, the royal share
of profits to be derived therefrom, and the current accounts of the
enterprise; he is also charged with the necessary arrangements for the
colonization of lands to be discovered, and commanded to furnish to the
King information as to the treatment of the natives by their Spanish
conquerors, and the general conduct of the officers of the expedition,
etc. The fleet is ordered (April 19, 1510) to proceed directly to the
Spice Islands, and all persons belonging to it are exhorted to obey
Magalhães. A letter (1522) to the King of Spain gives information about
Magalhães's death, obtained from some Spanish ship-boys who had found
their way to the Portuguese posts in India. The earliest published
account of this noted expedition is the letter written (October 24,
1522) to Matthæus Lang, archbishop of Salzburg, by a natural son of
his named Maximilian Transylvanus (then a student at Valladolid),
relating the events of Magallanes's voyage to the Moluccas (1519-21),
his death at the hands of hostile natives, and the further experiences
of his followers in the Philippine archipelago and on their homeward
voyage. The small remnant of this expedition--the ship "Victoria,"
and eighteen men--reach Spain on September 6, 1522, the first persons
thus completing the circumnavigation of the globe.
At this point should appear in the present series the relation
of Magalhães's voyage written by Antonio Pigafetta, who himself
accompanied the great discoverer. Printed books gave Pigafetta's
relation in abridged form, in both French and Italian, as early as
1525 and 1536 respectively; but apparently his own original work has
never hitherto been adequately presented to the world. The Editors
of the present series, desiring to supply this deficiency, purpose to
publish an exact transcription from Pigafetta's original manuscript,
with accompanying English translation. They have not, however, been
able to secure it in time for Volume II, where it should appear;
it will accordingly be presented to their readers at a later period
in this work.
_The Editors_