Page:European treaties bearing on the history of the United States and its dependencies.djvu/41

 ose grants to kings and princes, justly made by our predecessors the Roman pontiffs, and based on legitimate grounds, so that through the removal of all doubts they may possess perpetual validity. Indeed a short while ago Pope Nicholas V., of happy memory, our predecessor, granted letters of the following tenor:

[Here follows the Papal Bull - Romanus Pontifex, Doc. 1.]

Since, however, as has been reported to us on behalf of the aforesaid King Alfonso and the Infante Henry, they are extremely eager that ecclesiastical jurisdiction in the said solitary islands, lands, harbors, and places, situated in the ocean toward the southern shore in Guinea, which the said infante withdrew with mailed hand from the hands of the Saracens, and conquered for the Christian religion, as is stated, may be granted forever by the Apos­ tolic See to the aforesaid Order of Jesus Christ, by the support of whose revenues the said prince is asserted to have made this conquest; and that the declaration, constitution, gift, grant, appropriation, decree, entreaty, exhor­ tation, injunction, inhibition, mandate, and will, and the letters of the said Nicholas, our predecessor, and all and singular contained therein, may he confirmed; therefore, on the part of the said king and infante we were humbly besought that we might be graciously pleased of our apostolic good-will to add the support of the apostolic confirmation to the declaration, constitu­ tion, gift, grant, appropriation, decree, entreaty, exhortation, injunction, inhibition, mandate, and will, and to the said letters and what is contained therein, in order to establish them more firmly; and to grant in perpetuity to the military order aforesaid, ecclesiastical and all kinds of ordinary jurisdic­ tion, both in the acquired possessions aforesaid, and in the other islands, lands, and places, which may hereafter be acquired by the said king and prince or by their successor, in the territories of the said Saracens; and otherwise, in respect to the premises, to make convenient provision. We, therefore, long­ ing that the religion of the said order may be able in the Lord to bear wholesome fruit in the said islands, lands, and places, influenced by these supplications, and considering as valid and acceptable the above-mentioned declaration, constitution, gift, appropriation, decree, entreaty, exhortation, injunction, inhibition, mandate, will, letters, and contents, and everything done by virtue thereof, through our apostolic authority and of our certain knowl­ edge, do confirm and approve them, all and singular, by the tenor of these presents, and supplying all defects, if there should be any therein, we decree that they remain perpetually valid. And moreover by the authority and with the knowledge aforesaid, we determine, ordain, and appoint forever that ecclesiastical and all ordinary jurisdiction, lordship, and power, in ecclesiasti­ cal matters only, in the islands, villages, harbors, lands, and places, acquired and to be acquired from capes Bojador and Nam as far as through all Guinea, and past that southern shore all the way to the Indians, the position, number, nature, appellations, designations, bounds, and localities of which we wish to be considered as expressed by these presents, shall belong and pertain to the said military order for all time; and in accordance with the tenor of these presents, by the authority and knowledge aforesaid, we grant and give them these. So that the prior major, for the time being, of the said military order may and ought to collate and provide to all and singular ecclesiastical benefices, with or without cure of souls, and whether tenable by seculars or by regulars of whatsoever orders, founded and instituted, or to be founded or instituted, in the said islands, lands, and places, of whatever nature and value the benefices