the peoples dwelling in those islands to embrace the
Christian profession; nor at any time let dangers
or hardships deter you therefrom, with the stout hope
and trust in your hearts that almighty God will further
your undertakings. Moreover, in order that with
greater readiness and heartiness you enter upon an
undertaking of so lofty a character as has been entrusted
to you by the graciousness of our apostolic favor,
we, moved thereunto by our own accord, not at your
instance nor the request of anyone else in your regard,
but of our own sole largess and certain knowledge
as well as in the fulness of our apostolic power,
by the authority of almighty God conferred upon us
in blessed Peter and of the vicarship of Jesus Christ
which we hold on earth, do by tenor of these presents
give, grant, and assign forever to you and your heirs
and successors, kings of Castile and Leon, all and
singular the aforesaid countries and islands thus unknown
and hitherto discovered by your envoys and to be discovered
hereafter, providing however they at no time have
been in the actual temporal possession of any Christian
owner, together with all their dominions, cities,
camps, places, and towns as well as all rights, jurisdictions,
and appurtenances of the same wherever they may be
found. Moreover we invest you and your aforementioned
heirs and successors with them, and make, appoint,
and depute you owners of them with full and free power,
authority, and jurisdiction of every kind, with this
proviso however, that by this gift, grant, assignment,
and investiture of ours no right conferred on any
Christian prince is hereby to be understood as withdrawn
or to be withdrawn.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 therewith to the best
of your loyalty and royal greatness of spirit—you
send to the aforesaid countries 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,
[147] should anyone thus contravene, we strictly forbid
all persons of no matter what rank, estate, degree,
order, or condition, to dare, without your special
permit or that of your aforesaid heirs and successors,
to go for the sake of trade or any other purpose whatever
to the said islands and countries discovered and found
by your envoys or persons sent thither. And inasmuch
as some kings of Portugal, by similar apostolic grant
made to them, discovered and took possession of islands
in the waters of Africa, Guinea, and the Gold Mine,
[148] as well as elsewhere, far which reason divers
privileges, favors, liberties, immunities, exemptions,
and indults were granted to them by this apostolic
see, we through similar accord, authority, knowledge,
and fulness of our apostolic power, by a gift of special