Freiburger historische Bestände - digital

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IX.

Letter op Dr. H. Monetarius to King John of Portugal,
July 14, 1493.1

To the most serene and invincible John, King of Portugal, the Algarves
and maritime Mauritania, the first discoverer of the Fortunate Islands, the
Canaries, of Madeira and of the Azores, Hieronymus Monetarius, a doctor
of medicine in Germany, most humbly commends himself.

As you have laudably imitated the most serene Infant Dom Henry,
your uncle, in sparing neither efforts nor expense to make known the
circuit of the world, as you have made tributary the Sea of Ethiopia and
Guinea and the coast-peoples as far as the tropic of Capricorn, with the
commercial products thereof, such as gold, grains of paradise, pepper,
slaves and other things, and as by these endeavours you have won not
only praise, immortality and glory, together with great profits, it cannot
be doubted that, within a short time, the Ethiopians, who resemble
animals in the shape of men, and are strangers to divine worship, will,
through your efforts, throw off their bestiality, and embrace the Catholic
religion.

Maximilian, the invincible King of the Romans, who, through his
mother, is himself a Portuguese, intended to invite Your Majesty through
my simple letter to search for the eastern coast of the very rich Cathay.

As Aristotle admits at the end of Book II. De Coelo et Mundo, as do
also Seneca, Book V. of Naturalium Questionum, and Pete de Alyaco, the
most learned cardinal of his day, as also many other enlightened men, I
maintain that the inhabitable East is very near the inhabitable West.
This is proved by the numerous elephants found in both, and by the
bamboo canes which are driven by storms from the eastern shores to the
shores of the Azore Islands.

Numberless arguments demonstrate unquestionably that by sailing
across this sea Eastern Cathay can be reached in a few days. No notice
should be taken of Alfraganus or of other persons of no experience, who
asserted that only one-fourth of the earth was above the sea and the
other three-fourths were under the sea, for in matters referring to the
habitable earth, we should believe experience and trustworthy accounts
rather than fantastical opinions.2

You are aware, no doubt, that many astronomers of repute have
denied that habitable land was to be found between the tropics, yet your
own experience has shown that this was an erroneous and false assumption.
It cannot be doubted that the earth (land) is not spread out below the
water (sea), but that, on the contrary, the sea is immerged. Moreover,
there is the sphericity of the earth.

You possess means and ample wealth ; as also able mariners, eager to
acquire immortality and fame. What would not be your glory if you
succeeded in making known the habitable East to your West'! And
what profit would not be yielded by commerce, for you would make these
eastern islands tributary, and how often would not amazed kings of these
islands quietly submit to your dominion ?

Already your praises as a great prince are sung by Germans, Italians,
Ruthenians, Poles, Scythians and those who dwell under the dry star of
the Arctic Pole, jointly with those of the Grand Duke of Muscovy, who
a few years since found under that star the great island of Greenland,
the coast of which extends for 300 leagues, and upon which there is a
numerous colony of subjects of said Grand Duke.3

If you carry out this expedition you will be praised as a god or as
another Hercules. At your pleasure you may secure for this voyage a
companion sent by our King Maximilian, namely, D. Martin Behaim, and

1 A translation of this letter into Portuguese by Alvaro da Torre, the King's
chaplain, was first printed as an appendix to Sacrobosco's 'Tractado da Spera do
mundo,' Lisbon (G. Galhard, n.d.) and reprinted in Ernesto do Canto's 'Arohiva
doa Acores,' pp. 444-7. H. Harrisse, ' The Discovery of North America," 1892, p. 895,
gives an English translation. A copy of a portion of the original Latin text, by
H. Schedel, has recently been discovered in Munich (see Dr. H. Grauert, 'Hist.
Jahrbuch der Gorres Ges.,' xxix. 1908, 815-19).

' As a matter of fact 28 per cent, of the surface of the globe is land, 72 per cent,
water.

1 Iwan ILI., who died in 1505, made large territorial conquests, but never
approached Greenland. This may refer to a voyage of Szkolny, of Eolno, who, in
1476, by order of Christian II. of Denmark, is reported to have visited Greenland.
(Gomara,' Hist, de las Indias,' o. 87.)

many other expert mariners, who would start from the Azore Islands,
and boldly cross the sea, with their cylinder, the quadrant, astrolabe and
other instruments. They would suffer neither from cold nor heat, for
sailing to the eastern coaat they would find the air temperate and the sea
smooth.

Many are the grounds upon which Your Majesty is respected. Let
the profit spur on him who runs. You, however, examine thoroughly
everything to the uttermost, and therefore to write at length about them
would hinder him who already runs from reaching the goal. May the
Almighty keep you in this design, and when your knights have crossed
the sea, may you be glorified with immortality.

Vale ! From Nuremberga, a city of Upper Germany, July 14,
a.d. 1493.

X.

Martin Behaim an seinen Vetter
Michael Behaim, sen. (Sohn
des Leonhard Behaim und
Senior familiae).*

YHus

1494 adj. 11
Brabant bej .

Martzo jn
I

Mein frewntlichen gruff vnnd
willigen dinft mit fambt allem
gutten das Ich vermag Lieber Vetter
das es dir mit fambt der deine
vnnd meine gefwiftergten wol ging
vnnd gefunt wert das wer mir ein
funderling Frewdt zu horn, Lieber
Vetter Jch main Euch alien fey wol
wiffent das Jch in dem Jar vergan-
gen wol got hab def Lob mit Leib
vnnd allem meinen Gutt vber mer
kominen bin Jn portogal vnnd Jn
uns Landt zu meinen lieben Herrn
Schweher vnnd alien den vnfern
welche bej der Gracien gottes Jch
alien Jn gutten Piintten funden hab.
Nun Jn defen Jar bin Jch wider-
omme vom Konig hier in Flandern
zum Konigs fun6 hier gefchigtworden
Jn Welcher reif auff dem mer Jch
gefangen wurdt vnnd in engelandt
gefuret mit fambt mein dinern
allem Zergelt das lecht 160 gulten
wart behalten bej iij monadt omme
des Jungen Konigs von engelant'
der ytzt bei dem romfchen Kongk 8
lft omme das man Jn hier hauft
und hoft etc. Jn welcher Zeit ich
febres vercregh vnd zwir dj Kertz
Jn der hant het omme zu fterben
etc. vnnd nach dem J ch f rifch wurdt
het mich ein merauber heimlichen
allein int Jn franckreich auff ein
nacht Jn feinem fchiff week gefurtt
Ich wer gefchacht worden vmb vil

Martin Behaim to His Cousin
Michael Behaim, sen. (Son of
Leonhard Behaim, and Head
of the Family).*

JHS. 1494, March 11, in
Brabant, with . . . .»

My friendly greeting and willing
service with all the good in my
power!

Dear Cousin, I was especially
pleased to hear that thou and thine,
as also my sisters and brothers, are
well and in health. Dear Cousin,
I think you all know that last year,
praised be the Lord, I crossed the
sea with all my belongings to Portugal
and our country, and my dear
father-in-law and all of ours whom,
by God's grace, I found well in all
respects. In this year the King
again sent me into Flanders to the
King's son.6 In crossing the sea
I was captured and taken into
England, together with my servants
and all the money I had to pay
my expenses, amounting to quite
160 gulden. I was detained for
about three months on account of
the young King of England,1 who
is at present with the King of the
Romans,8 so that he may live and
keep his court here, etc. During
that time I caught a fever, and
twice I had a lighted taper in my
hand, expecting to die, etc. When
I was well again, a pirate one night
carried me secretly in his ship to
France. I was much damaged in
property, but, praise be to God, I
got away at small expense. The
fever, through the mercy of the

First published by Murr, p. 182. See p. 43.
Perhaps, mit Velj, at Antwerp.
The Archduke Philip.-son of Maximilian.
The impostor Perkin Warbeck.
Maximilian L, Romijcher Konig.