That They Shall
Raise No Objection To This Or Any Part Of It, Nor Suffer Any Such To Be
Made;
Forasmuch as we by this our letter bestow on you the employments of
admiral, viceroy and governor forever, and have
Put you in possession of
the said offices and all of them, with full power to use and exercise them,
and to receive the perquisites and salaries belonging to them, or any of
them, as above said."
"Concerning all which things if it be requisite and you shall desire it, We
command our chancellors, notaries, and other officers, to pass, seal, and
deliver to you our letter of privilege, in such firm and legal manner as
you shall require and stand in need of. And that none presume to do any
thing to the contrary upon pain of our displeasure, and the forfeiture of
thirty ducats for each offence. And we command him who shall shew them
this our letter, that he shall summon them to appear before us at our
court wherever we shall then be, within fifteen days after such summons
under the foresaid penalty. Under which same penalty we also command any
public notary whomsoever, that he give to him that shews it to him a
certificate under his seal, that we may know how our command is obeyed."
"Given at Granada on the thirtieth of April in the
year of our Lord 1492."
"I the King. I the Queen."
Confirmation in 1493.
After a preamble, as in the original grant, it proceeds thus:
"And now, forasmuch as it has pleased GOD that you have discovered several
of the said islands, as we still hope you will proceed by his grace to
discover others, and the continent in the said ocean, and those parts of
the Indies, and seeing that you have desired us to confirm to you our said
grant here recapitulated, and all the contents thereof, to the end that
you and your children, heirs, and successors, one after another, and after
your days, may have and enjoy the said employments of admiral, viceroy,
and governor of the said ocean, islands, and continent, as well of those
you have already found and discovered as of those you shall hereafter find
and discover, with all the powers, preeminence, privileges, and
prerogatives as the admirals, viceroys, and governors in our kingdoms of
Castile and Leon do actually enjoy; and that all the perquisites and
salaries, appertaining and belonging to the said offices, and granted and
allowed to our admirals, viceroys, and governors, may be made good to you,
or that we shall make such provision in this case as in our goodness we
may think fit."
"And, having regard to the fatigues and dangers which you have exposed
yourself to in our service, in going to discover and find out the said
islands, and that which you now run in attempting to find out the other
islands and continent, wherein we have been and hope to be by you well
served; we, to requite and reward you, do by these presents confirm to you
and your children, heirs, and successors, one after another, now and for
ever, the said employments of admiral of the said ocean, and viceroy and
governor of the said islands and continent, by you discovered and found
out, and of the other islands and continent that shall be by you, or by
your industry found or discovered in those parts of the Indies. And it is
our will, that you, and after you your children, heirs, and successors,
one after the other, enjoy the said employment of admiral of the said
ocean which is ours, and which commences at a line which we have caused
to be drawn from the Azores islands to the islands of Cape Verd, and so
from pole to pole north and south, so that all beyond the said line
westwards is ours and belongs to us. And we accordingly constitute you
our admiral, and your sons and successors one after another, of all that
part for ever. And we appoint you, and your sons, heirs, and successors,
one after another, viceroy and governor of the said islands and continent
discovered, and to be discovered in the said ocean, and in those parts of
the Indies aforesaid; and we grant you the possession of all the said
employments of admiral, viceroy, and governor for ever, with full
commission and authority to use and exercise in the said ocean the office
of admiral in all things, and in the same manner and form, and with the
rights and privileges, perquisites and salaries as our admirals of Castile
and Leon now use, have, and enjoy, or have enjoyed, as well in the said
islands and continent already discovered, as in those which shall
hereafter be discovered in the said ocean, and in the said parts of the
Indies, that the planters or colonists of the same may be the better
governed."
"And we grant you such power and authority, that you, as our viceroy and
governor, and your lieutenants, commanders, and officers, by you created,
may exercise the civil and criminal jurisdiction, the supreme and mean
authority, and the absolute and mixed command. And in those places you may
remove, turn out, and put in others in their places, as often as you
please, and may find convenient. And they shall have power to hear, judge,
and determine, all suits or causes, civil and criminal, that shall occur
or arise in said islands and continent, and they shall have and receive
the fees and salaries usually annexed and pertaining to those employments
in our kingdoms of Castile and Leon. And you our said viceroy and governor,
may hear and determine all the said causes or any of them, whensoever you
please, upon the first motion, or by way of appeal or complaint, and may
examine, determine, and decide them as our viceroy and governor: and you
and your children may do all that is reasonable in such cases, and in all
other things pertaining to the office of viceroy and governor; and you and
your lieutenants and officers, may take such cognizance and use such
methods as you shall think proper for our service and the due execution of
justice.
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