Helisabeth [Isabella], Queen of Castile and Leon, Aragon, Sicily, and
Granada, health, etc. Among other works well pleasing to his divine
Majesty and cherished of our heart, this assuredly ranks highest: that
in our times especially the Catholic faith and the Christian law be
exalted and everywhere increased and spread as well as that the health
of souls be procured, and barbarous nations overthrown and brought
to the faith itself. Wherefore inasmuch as by the favor of divine
clemency, through no fitting merits of ours, we have been raised to
so holy a see as Peter's, recognizing that as true Catholic kings and
princes such as we have always known you to be, and as your illustrious
deeds already known to almost the whole world declare, you not only
eagerly desire but with every effort, zeal, and diligence, without
regard to hardships, expenses, dangers, with the shedding even of your
blood, are laboring to that end; that besides you have already long
ago dedicated to this purpose your whole soul and all your endeavors,
as witnessed in these times with so much glory to the divine name in
your recovery of the kingdom of Granada from the yoke of the Moors,
we therefore not unrighteously hold it as our duty to grant you even
of our own accord and in your favor those things whereby daily and
with heartier effort you may be enabled for the honor of God himself
and the spread of the Christian rule to accomplish your saintly and
praiseworthy purpose so pleasing to immortal God. In sooth we have
learned that according to your purpose long ago you were in quest of
some far-away islands and mainlands not hitherto discovered by others,
to the end that you might bring to the worship of our Redeemer and
the profession of the Catholic faith the inhabitants of them with the
dwellers therein; that hitherto having been earnestly engaged in the
siege and recovery of the kingdom itself of Granada you were unable
to accomplish this saintly and praiseworthy purpose; but at length,
as was pleasing to the Lord, the said kingdom having been regained,