BOOK he had already made convinced him that the I. ancients had little more than a conjectural

3438.

Papal grant

to Portugal countries it

of what

fhould difGover.

knowledge of the torrid zone. He was no lefs fatisfied that the political arguments of his opponents, with refpect to the intereft of Portugal, were malevolent and ill founded. In those fentiments he was ftrenuoufly fupported by his brother Pedro, who governed the kingdom as guardian of their nephew Alphonfo V. who had fucceeded to the throne during his minority; and inftead of flackening his efforts, Henry continued to pursue his discoveries with fresh ardour.

BUT, in order to filence all the murmurs of oppofition, he endeavoured to obtain the fanction of the highest authority in favour of his operations. With this view he applied to the Pope, and reprefented, in pompous terms, the pious and unwearied zeal with which he had exerted himself during twenty years, in discovering unknown countries, the wretched inhabitants of which were utter ftrangers to true religion, wandering in heathen darkness, or led aftray by the delufions of Mahomet. He befought the holy father, to whom, as the vicar of Christ, all the kingdoms of the earth were subject, to confer on the crown of Portugal a right to all the countries poffeffed by Infidels, which fhould be dif

covered

I.

covered by the industry of its fubjects, and fub- BOOK dued by the force of its arms.

He intreated him

to enjoin all Chriftian powers, under the highest penalties, not to moleft Portugal while engaged in this laudable enterprife, and to prohibit them from fettling in any of the countries which the Portuguese fhould difcover. He promised that, in all their expeditions, it fhould be the chief object of his countrymen to fpread the knowledge of the Chriftian religion, to establish the authority of the holy fee, and to increafe the flock of the univerfal paftor. As it was by improving with dexterity every favourable conjuncture for acquiring new powers, that the court of Rome had gradually extended its ufurpations, Eugene IV. the Pontiff to whom this application was made, eagerly feized the opportunity which now prefented itself. He inftantly perceived, that by complying with Prince Henry's requeft, he might exercise a prerogative no lefs flattering in its own nature, than likely to prove beneficial in its confequences. A bull was accordingly iffued, in which, after applauding in the strongest terms the paft efforts of the Portuguese, and exhorting them to proceed in that laudable career on which they had entered, he granted them an exclufive right to all the countries which they fhould discover, from Cape Non to the continent of India.

BOOK

I.

Fame and

progress of

the Portuguefe difco

veries.

EXTRAVAGANT as this donation, comprehending fuch a large portion of the habitable globe, would now appear, even in Catholic countries, no perfon in the fifteenth century doubted that the Pope, in the plenitude of his apoftolic power, had a right to confer it. Prince Henry was foon fenfible of the advantages which he derived from this tranfaction. His schemes were authorised and fanctified by the bull approving of them. The spirit of discovery was connected with zeal for religion, which, in that age, was a principle of fuch activity and vigour, as to influence the conduct of nations. Christian princes were deterred from intruding into those countries which the Portuguese had discovered, or from interrupting the progress of their navigation and conquests".

All

THE fame of the Portuguese voyages foon fpread over Europe. Men, long accustomed to circumfcribe the activity and knowledge of the human mind within the limits to which they had been hitherto confined, were astonished to behold the sphere of navigation fo fuddenly enlarged, and a profpect opened of vifiting regions of the globe, the existence of which was unknown in former times. The learned and fpeculative

See NOTE X.

reafoned

I.

reasoned and formed theories concerning thofe BOOK unexpected discoveries. The vulgar inquired and wondered; while enterprifing adventurers crowded from every part of Europe, foliciting Prince Henry to employ them in this honourable fervice. Many Venetians and Genoese, in particular, who were, at that time, fuperior to all other nations in the fcience of naval affairs, entered aboard the Portuguese fhips, and acquired a more perfect and extenfive knowledge of their profeffion in that new school of navigation. In emulation of thefe foreigners, the Portuguese exerted their own talents. The nation feconded the defigns of the prince. Private merchants formed companies, with a view to fearch for unknown countries. The Cape de Verd Islands, which lie off the promontory of that name, were discovered, and foon after the ifles called Azores. As the former of these are above three hundred miles from the African coaft, and the latter nine hundred miles from any continent, it is evident, by their venturing fo boldly into the open feas, that the Portuguese had, by this time, improved greatly in the art of navigation.

1446.

1449.

Prince

WHILE the paffion for engaging in new un- Death of dertakings was thus warm and active, it received Henry. an unfortunate check by the death of Prince 1463. Henry,

F 4

From 1412

BOOK Henry, whose fuperior knowledge had hitherto I. directed all the operations of the discoverers, and whose patronage had encouraged and protected them. But notwithstanding all the advantages which they derived from these, the Portuguese, during his life, did not advance, in their utmoft progrefs towards the fouth, within five degrees of the equinoctial line; and, after their continued exertions for half a century, hardly fifteen hundred miles of the coast of Africa were difco, vered. To an age acquainted with the efforts of navigation in its state of maturity and improvement, those essays of its early years must necesfarily appear feeble and unfkilful. But, inconfiderable as they may be deemed, they were fufficient to turn the curiofity of the European nations into a new channel, to excite an enterprifing spirit, and to point the way to future discoveries.

to 1463.

The paffion

for difcovery lan

fome time.

ALPHONSO, who poffeffed the throne of Por tugal at the time of Prince Henry's death, was guishes for fo much engaged in fupporting his own pretenfions to the crown of Caftile, or in carrying on his expeditions against the Moors in Barbary, that the force of his kingdom being exerted in other operations, he could not profecute the difcoveries in Africa with ardour. He committed the conduct of them to Fernando Go

mez,