Freiburger historische Bestände - digital

lugar delrey dom Alfonso quinfco
par apouoar a dita ylha do aFayal1
e foy la e esteva hum anno pello
qual acaborom de comer ho que
tinha pello qual os moradores
denojados que nom acharom o que
lhes foy promettido andarom para
mator o seu capitam2 pello qual
com boa industria se sayo e foy a
portugal onde elrey em vindo sua
diligencia e parigos deulhe huma
moca fremosa do casa do ynfante
dom fernando pay delrey dom
manuel chamada para nome
ysabel3 de macedo com o qual entam
elrey mandou seos navigos e horaems
honrrados. E o capitam era homem
discrete e ouve se tarn ben com seos
moradores que ouverom por bem de
ser seos sojeitos onde comecarom a
cavar e rocar e lhes levarom gados
das ylhas sancta Maria sam Miguel
e terceyra. E assi hum guylelmo
Bersmacher Framengo que vii e
conheci trouxi primeiro ha lavoyra
do pastel e partio para as outras
ylhas.

with him to Portugal, where King
Affonso V. granted said Utre permission
to people said island of
Fayal.1 And he went there and
remained a year, in the course of
which all they had brought was
eaten up, upon which the settlers
grew discontented, for they had not
found what had been promised
them, and they were about to kill
their captain.2 He, however, quickly
left the island and went to Portugal,
where the King, in consideration of
his diligence and risks, gave him as
wife a beautiful maiden of the
household of the Infante Don Ferdinand
, father of King Don Manuel,
whose name was Ysabel de Macedo,3
and with her the King sent his
ships and men of work. And the
captain was a discreet man and
managed so well with his settlers
that they thought well to acknowledge
themselves his subjects, and
they begun to dig and to grup up,
and cattle were brought from the
islands Sancta Maria, St. Miguel
and Terceira. And one William
Bersmacher, a Fleming whom I saw
and knew, introduced there the
cultivation of wood.

Lisbon, himself the son of our above fellow-senator, is being kept in
prison at Lisbon, because, compelled by necessity, he met violence with
violence, as he can clearly prove and show, and killed a man who, without
cause, attempted to aSijassinate him. They therefore most humbly
asked us to intercede oh their behalf by letter and prayers with your
highness.

Wherefore, and in order that they as well as the aforesaid prisoner
may know of our intercession, we inform your Majesty that the family of
the Behaims has resided in our city of Nuremberg during over two
hundred years, in much honour and opulence ; and that the ancestors of
the above prisoner were ever among our most honoured citizens, respected,
of influence and reputation, that they constantly served in civil offices and
on the Senate, and used a coat of arms as your Highness may see from
the enclosed painting.

We likewise know that Martin Behaim, the father of the aforesaid
prisoner, after the death of his father, went to the famous kingdom of
Portugal, where he settled, and married Johanna de Macedo, the daughter
of Captain Jodocus de Hurter, lord of Habruck, who bore him, in the year
89, the said Martin Behaim, now a prisoner, as the relatives of the same
proved to us from documents.

Wherefore we feel inclined to intercede with your serene Highness on
behalf of the aforesaid honourable family, for setting free the prisoner
Martin. Your Highness is no doubt aware in what manner Martin
Behaim, the father of the prisoner, was for many years in the service of
your Highness and of your most serene predecessors, in the Kingdom of
Portugal as well as in other places, and up to his death. We therefore
hope the more confidently that your Serene Highness may feel inclined to
set free the prisoners ; and we pray your most Serene Majesty most
earnestly, to deign, in consideration of the reasons given, as also because of
the lustre of his family and the innocence of the prisoner, to accede to our
supplication, take off his chains and grant him the shelter of your clemency,
considering likewise the long and faithful services of his father, and that
which would be worthy of your most serene Majesty, would be more
pleasing to us. And we shall at all times endeavour to oblige your
Majesty.

Nuremberg, June 7, 1518.

XII.

Two Letters of the Nuremberg Town Council to the King
of Portugal.*

The First Letter. June 7, 1518.

To the most serene and excellent Lord D. Emanuel, King of Portugal,
and of both Algarves, on this side and beyond the sea in Africa, of Guinea
and the navigation of Ethiopia, Arabia, Persia, and India, our most
gracious Lord.

The Senate of Nuremberg most humbly commends itself to the most
Serene and Excellent Prince D. Emanuel, the most worthy King of
Portugal.

Most excellent King ! We learn from our fellow-senator Michael
Behaim, as also from other members and honourable relatives of that family,
how Martin Behaim, the legitimate son of the late Martin Behaim of

1 Behaim speaks of 2,000 colonists, Flemings and Germans ; Val. Ferdinand, in
the body of his MS., states that persons against whom a sentence of civil death had
been pronounced (outlaws) were sent thither at the request of the Duchess of
Burgundy. Cordeiro ('Hist. Ins.,' 1457) says that Josse van Hurter, having been
appointed capitSo donatario, went to Flanders, disposed of his estate, and returned
thence accompanied by many other noble men, blood relations and common folk
whom ho took to Fayal.

* Cordeiro (' Historia Insulana,' VIII., c. 2) mentions a Fleming, Arnequim, as
leader of this revolt.

1 Fructuoso likewise speaks of D. Ysabel as the wife of Josse de Hurter, instead of
D. Beatriz, but D. Ysabel, her sister, the " thonna Isabl" of Pock, became the
wife of Francisco da Silveira (Vandaraga or van der Haghe).

1 The original letters, in Latin, have been published by Murr, p. 189; Ohillany,
p. 119, and h. Cordeiro,' Boletim Soc. geogr. de Lisboa,' xvi., 1897, pp. 686-691. See
pp. 54, 56.

Tim Second Letter, May 12, 1520.

To Don Emanuel, King of Portugal.

Most Serene and excellent King ! We offer our most ready services,
etc., most gracious Prince.

Martin Behaim, the bearer of this letter, is the legitimate son of the
late Martin Behaim, Knight (eques auratus), of Lisbon.

Michael Behaim, his uncle, our colleague, and other members of this
honourable family, have explained to us that aforesaid Martin Behaim
left Lisbon by sea for Germany and came to Nuremberg last year on a
visit of friendship to his Family and relations.

As now he proposes to return to Lisbon and intends to reside in the
kingdom of the Lusitanians, he and his relations ask us to commend him
strongly to your Royal Highness; on which ground we most respectfully
point out to your Majesty, that the family of Behaim has lived for over
two hundred years in our city of Nuremberg, eminent, honourable and
opulent; that the relations and ancestors of said Martin at all times
conducted themselves as excellent and pre-eminent citizens; served
constantly in a commendable manner in public offices and as Senators;
lived on their feudal rents, and, as we know from authentic deeds, possess
estates outside the city where they exercise jurisdiction, and which they
manage, always using the coat of arms the design of which Your Highness
may perceive from the enclosed painting.

It is known, bes'Ties, that D. Martin Behaim, after the death of his
father, went to Portugal and resided there, and, as asserted by the
relations and the writings in their possession, he there married Joanna de
Macedo, the daughter of the knight and captain D. Jodocus de Hurter,
Lord of Habruck ; and she bore him the above Martin.

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