embark again for his "Indies." There was indeed every reason for haste,
since King John of Portugal had lost no time in presenting his claims to
Rome.

We have already mentioned the important part which prelates played in
the affairs of their countries. Similarly, the Pope played an important
part in international affairs; and that is why a Pope had made the
Portuguese treaty of 1470, and why King John now sought its enforcement
by the present Pope. But Ferdinand and Isabella also were hurrying
messengers to Rome. The pontiff at this time happened to be not an
Italian but a Spaniard, Alexander Borgia, born a subject of Ferdinand's
own kingdom of Aragon. Ferdinand knew well how to judge this shrewd
Aragonese character, and what arguments were most likely to appeal to
it. He told the Spanish ambassadors to say that Spain would immediately
set to work to convert the vast new lands to Christianity; that the
Spanish explorers would take great care not to intrude into Portugal's
African Indies, which shows how confused geography still was in
everybody's mind; and that, whatever the Pope's decision, Spain would
defend her discoveries from any other claimant. This being made clear,
the ambassadors were to present Ferdinand and Isabella's supplication
that a papal bull, or decree, might be issued, granting them all lands
discovered in the past and future by their Admiral Don Cristobal Colon.
Ferdinand of Spain being now a much more powerful king than John of
Portugal, the Pope granted all that Spain asked, but was careful not to
admit that Columbus had discovered the real India; for the bull refers
only to "insulae et terra firma remota et incognita" or "islands and a
remote and unknown mainland."

Meanwhile, all sorts of intrigues were going on between the two
monarchs. John had spies at Ferdinand's court to discover the