o
gage, to borowe money to sett furthe Columbus in his firste voyadge, as it
is to be seene in the 14. chapiter of the Historie of Ferdinandus
Columbus, his owne sonne, It is also well knowen that the Spaniardes, for
wante of people of their owne contrie, have not bene able nowe, in the
space of xx'iiii. and xij. yeres, to inhabite a thirde or fourthe parte of
those excedinge large and waste contries, which are as greate as all
Europe and Africke.

3. The inducementes that moved his Holines to graunt these unequall
donations unto Spaine were, firste, (as he saieth) his singuler desire and
care to have the Christian religion and Catholicque faithe exalted, and to
be enlarged and spredd abroade throughoute the worlde, especially in his
daies, and that the salvation of soules shoulde be procured of every one,
and that the barbarous nations shoulde be subdued and reduced to the
faithe, &c. To this I aunswer that, if he had ment as in deede he saieth,
he shoulde not have restrayned this so greate and generall a worke,
belonginge to the duetie of all other Christian princes, unto the Kinges
of Spaine onely, as thoughe God had no servauntes but in Spaine; or as
thoughe other Christian kinges then lyvinge had not as greate zeale and
meanes to advaunce Gods glory as they; or howe mente he that every one
shoulde put their helpinge hande to this worke, when he defended all other
Christian Princes, in paine of his heavie curse and excomunication, to
meddle in this action, or to employe their subjectes, thoughe yt were to
the conversion of the inhabitauntes in those partes. And whereas, to
colour this his donation, he addeth, that the Kinges of Spaine had bene at
greate chardge in that discoverie in respect whereof he was induced to
deale so franckly with them, yt is evident that the Bull was graunted in
the yere 1493. the iiij. of the moneth of May, at what time Columbus had
made but one voyadge, wherein he was furnished onely with one small shippe
and twoo little caravells, and had, in all his companie, but foure score
and tenne men, and the whole voyadge stoode the Kinge of Spaine in 2500.
crownes only. So these 2500. crownes were the greate chardges that the
Pope speaketh of, that induced him to graunte so large a donation; for
that was the uttermoste that Columbus desired, as is to be redd in the 14.
chapiter of his owne sonnes historie.

Moreover, where the Pope confesseth he was informed, before the donation
of his Bull, tha