MEMORIAL OF FERDINAND COLUMBUS TO CHARLES V. FOR A

NATIONAL LIBRARY.

The following petition of Ferdinand, son of Christopher Columbus, was written probably before 1535. It is here printed from the transcript in the New York Public Library, made about 1780 for Muñoz, the Spanish historian, many of whose papers are now in the library.

S. C. C. M.

DON ferndo. Colon besa los reales pies y manos de V. M. porque fue servido de le hacer merced, que su peticion sobre lo tocante â la perpetuidad de la libreria se pusiere para la consulta y porque á V. M. conste de los buenos efectos que de ella tienen de resultar.

Dice: que el primero será que haya cierto lugar en los Reynos de V. M. â dó se recojan todos los libros, y de todas las lenguas y facultades que se podrán por la Cristiandad, y aun fuera de ella hallar. Lo qual hasta oy no se sabe que Principe haya mandado hacer: porque una cosa es instituir libreria de lo que en sus tiempos se halla, como algunos han hecho; y otra es dar orden, como para siempre se busquen y alleguen, los que de nuevo sobrevinieren.

Lo 2°. es que demas estar los libros juntos para que no se pierda la memoria de tan notables varones, como se desvelaron para mismo bien, segun de muchos está ya perdida, de cuia copia y posesion pudiera resultar certidumbre y sosiego para en las cosas que tocan á la religion, y al govierno de la republica, asi mesmo servirán para beneficio comun, y para que haya refugio, donde los letrados puedan recurrir â qualquiera duda que se los ofreciere.

Lo 3°. es, que para que en todas partes haya de los susodichas autores noticia: el dicho don Hernando Colon, juntamente con los Ministros y personas de letras que consigo para ello tiene, reduce á orden Alphabetico todos los Autores que ha havido, y se prosigue, y proseguirá en los que oviere, diciendo: tal Autor compuso tal i tal libro, poniendo todas las obras, que hobiere hecho, asimesmo para orden alphabetico, para que con mas facilidad sean hallados las obras, y sus autores.

Lo 4. es que hacen otro libro diviso para titulos de las ciencias generales, como es Theologia, Jus Canonicum, Jus Civile, &a i en cada titulo de estos pone por orden alfabetico todas las especies ô individuos, que tiene aquella ciencia, expresando los libros que hai escritos en ella, como si es derecho dirá: sobre el titulo de Summa Trinitate et fide Catholica escribió fulano, y fulano, y sobre tal ley hizo una repeticion fulano, y un tratado fulano &a, y asi se hace en todos los miembros de las otras ciencias como seria decir: sobre los libros de anima de Aristoteles escribió fulano, y fulano: y sobre Job escrivió fulano, y fulano.

Lo 5. es que para que haya mas noticia de lo que los tales libros tratan, hace otro libro, en que se dice, y refiere la summa y sentencia de lo que cada libro contiene, que en efecto es un epitome ô argumento del tal libro, por manera que con leer aquel epitome ô argumento, conoce quien lo lee si aquel libro satisface â su

proposito, para haver de buscallo ô de leello todo, ô si le basta, ô satisface aquella breve relacion; que no puede leer toda la multitud de libros, que en cada ciencia hai escritos.

Lo 6°. es que para que hai personas que para leer publicamente ô predicar, ô para componer obras querrian tener quien las enderezar, o les propusiere las materias de que piensan de tratar, y no tienen noticia de los lugares de lo podrian hallar: se hace otro libro de proposiciones ordenadas por alfabeto, segun la diversidad de las materias en que dice: sobre tal cosa escrive fulano, está en tal parte, y fulano esto en tal, y asi se ponen todos los autores que de aquello hablan con señal que denote si la tratan breve ô largamente, el qual libro será general para todas las ciencias y facultades, como para muchos de derecho lo es el Bertachino.

De estos quatro generos de libros es mui gran parte hecha, porque los dos primeros se sacan ya en limpio, y los dos postreros que son de los epitomes, ô de las proposiciones ô materias, estan sacadas mas de 38500.. libros en quince años ha que en ello se entiende: y este mismo exercicio han de tener las personas para cuio sustentamento y para allegar los libros nuevos suplica el dicho do1 Hernando por la merced en su peticion contenida. Por manera que con el tiempo ven[d]rá esta libraria no solo â tener todos los libros que se pudieren haver, pero todo lo que en ellos hai estará en otros libros reducido á orden alfabetico segun es dicho, á efecto que facilmente cada qual sea instruido de loque saber quisiere.

Y pues que estas son obras, que asi en general no se hallan hechas, y son de calidad de que Nuestro Senor y V. M. serán tan servidos, y la republica Cristiana aprovechada Suplica el dicho don Hernando á V. M. que atento al buen fin á que se enderezan, y que es criado de V. M. el que lo procura, y que no desea, que de sus servicios, y de quanto su Padre le dexó quede otra memoria in Mayorazgo, sino que esto sea hecho con la merced y favor de V. M. sea servido de acetar la merced que para ello suplica de la perpetuidad de los 500.. pesos, que para aiuda de lo susodicho de por vida se le hace merced, pues â V. M. como â Principe y Emperador compete aiudar y favorecer, y ser acompañado de las lettras juntamente con las armas, segun que sus claros predecesores en la copilacion de sus leyes lo testifican.

The Memorial may be roughly rendered as follows:

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR MAJESTY:

Don Fernando Colon kisses the feet and hands of Y. M. because you were pleased to grant him the favor that his petition concerning the founding of the library should become the subject of consideration in council and because the happy results that have come from it are due to Y. M.

He says, first that there will be a certain place in Y. M. kingdom where all books in all languages and divisions of knowledge that it is possible to find, in christendom and out of christendom, will be collected. Up to this time it is not known that any sovereign has ordered this done; because it is one thing to establish a library of that which is to be found at the time, and it is another thing to order that there be a continual search and collection of what newly turns up.

Second, that besides the fact that the books are collected so that the memory of such worthy men may not perish (a thing men are watchful over for their own

good) since much is lost already, a copy of which, or possession of which, would give certainty and quietness both in matters of religion and in those that concern the government of the commonwealth, this will serve for the good of all, and will provide a place to which men of letters would have recourse for whatever perplexity might arise.

Third, in order that there may be notice for the aforesaid authors in all localties, the said Don Hernando Colon, together with those officers and men of letters he will associate with himself in the undertaking, will reduce to alphabetical order all authors that there are, and he will go on, and continue with those that may come to light, saying: such author wrote such and such a book; putting all the works he has written in alphabetical order likewise, so that the works may be found most easily, and their authors too.

Fourth, that another book will be divided according to the general divisions of knowledge, e. g. theology, canon law, civil law, etc., and in each division will be put in alphabetical order all the classes or individuals which that science contains, specifying the books that there may be written in it, e. g. So-and-so wrote on the subject of the supreme trinity and catholic faith, and So-and-so composed a dissertation on such and such a law, and Such-and-such a one wrote a treatise, etc.; and go on so in all divisions of the other sciences, e. g. So-and-so wrote on Aristotle's De Anima, and Such-and-such a one wrote on Job.

Fifth, that there may be more particular notice of what such books treat of, there will be another book, in which will be entered the sum and substance of the contents of each work, which in effect is an analysis or argument of such book, so that by reading that analysis or argument any one may know if that work supplies his want, in place of having to find the book and read it all, or, if the short analysis answer his purpose, he will know that there is no need to read the great multitude of books written about each science.

Sixth, since there are persons that, for public reading or for speaking, or for writing books, wish some one to direct them or to lay before them the materials on which they are to write, and who have no knowledge of the places where they can find what they want, there will be another book of questions arranged alphabetically according to the diversity of subjects, in which it will say: on such a subject So-and-so wrote, this is in this part, and that in that; and so will be treated all the authors that treat of it, with a mark denoting whether they consider it briefly or at length; this book will be common to all the sciences and divisions of knowledge, as Bertachinus* is for much of law.

Of these four classes of books a great part is finished, for the first two are already completed and the latter two, the analyses and the subjects, show more than 38,500 books upon which one has been employed for fifteen years; and this task itself requires workers, for whose support and for the collecting of new books, the said Don Hernando begs the favor of his petition. In time not only will this library contain all the books which it is possible to procure, but also all that there may be in them will be reduced to alphabetical order in other books, as has been explained, with the result that each and every person may easily learn what he wishes to know.

* Joannes Bertachinus was a celebrated Italian jurist of the fifteenth century. His Repertorium juris utriusque was printed at Rome in 1480-81.

And since these are undertakings that are not carried on as a common thing, and are of a nature to redound to the glory of God and of Y. M., and to prove a blessing to the whole of the Christian commonwealth, the said Don Hernando, anxious for the good purpose at which he is aiming, a servant of Y. M. that will carry it out, and who asks for no more than that of his services and of all that his father willed to him, there may be no other memory or recollection, but that this was done by the aid and favor of Y. M., begs that he may be granted the favor for which he prays on this behalf, the continuance of the 500 pesos, the settling of which upon the aforesaid for life is his petition; for it is fitting for Y. M., as sovereign and emperor, to make this settlement and grant this favor; and he asks that it may be accompanied by letters patent and sealed, as your glorious predecessors do testify in the collection of laws.

INVASION OF CANADA IN 1775.

The following letter from Col. James Livingston was written probably at Chamblée in August, 1775, to Philip Schuyler, in command of the forces designed for the invasion of Canada. The original is in the New York Public Library.

DEAR SIR

I had the pleasure to write you by Major Brown, & in your Absence had the honor of an Answer thereto from Brig General Montgomery, since which Nothing material has happened in this part; A few Indians from the Castel of St Louis have joined the Troops at St Johns, owing in a great Measure to two of their Tribe being killed upon their last scouting party near ft Ofaire. The Number of their Tribe (supposing they were all joined) Does not consist of two hundred effective Men, together with a few of the St francois Indians. The Upper Country Indians are mostly returned, so that with what Col: Johnston brought with him by the Way of Oswego, may amount to about 4 or 5 hundred. The Canadians have waited with the utmost Impatience your coming & begin to despair of seeing you; tho I hope to revive their Spirits by sending Sircular Letters to the Captains of the Different Parishes of your coming soon to relieve them. The Harvest has been very favourable here, tho' attended with some Rain, I expect it will be finished nearly about the time you may arrive at St Johns, which hope will be in about a forthnight at farthest.

I shall endeavour to join the treaty you propose sending this side the River (with what men I can muster) to block up the Communication from Montreal to St John's Ca; You'l be kind enough to send an Express a day or two before the party arrives that I may get the Necessary Provisions ready. I had the pleasure to acquaint you last of the Number of Troops at the three different Posts, Viz. Montreal Chambly and St Johns, they are now mostly at St Johns. I am sorry to acquaint you that they are well fortified with Ammunition Provisions & Their Canon consist of sixes, nines & eighteen pounders; If I had a party of five hundred Men only I cou'd have taken all their Ammunition as they passed by my Door.

The Soldiers are much harrasted & wou'd be glad of your Arrival. I make no Doubt Numbers will desert upon the sight of your Army. I shall endeavour to get some loose Timber in the Form of Scow Boats got ready to cross your party the other side the River immediately upon their Arrival. General Carleton has been expected at Montreal for some time past, the true Reason of his not coming is, that, there being no Troops at all at Quebec, he can't quit it for fear of a Revolt. I think there is littel to fear from that Quarter, tho' he has very industriously reported that a Reinforcement was to come from Europe or Boston. I shou'd rather be inclined to think from the latter. Notwithstanding they have their hands full at Boston. He has made a Proposition to the Canadians in Case they wou'd inlist under the Crown of Great Britain to gratify every Man that will turn out upon this Occasion with one hundred Acres of Land at Boston, New York, Ca The Proposion was heard with Disdain. Col McLean who arrived here with Cole Johnston has orders from the King to raise Rejiments of Canadians upon these Termes. I can assure you from Three Rivers to Chambley he got not a single Man. I belive he got a few in and about the Subburbs of the Towne of Montreal. Make haste then & prevent any further Reinforcements. My best Wishes & those of the Canadians attend you. May God prosper your just Undertaking, & unite this flourishing Province with the Rest of the contending Provinces for Liberty is the Sincere wish of him who is with

The greatest Esteem

Yours &ca

JAS LIVINGSTON.

THE CANADA CAMPAIGN OF 1776.

James Caldwell, the writer of the following letter, was Chaplain to the 3d New Jersey regiment, commanded by Elias Dayton. The original manuscript is in the New York Public Library.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

ALBANY, JUNE 11, 1776.

Not a line have I recd since here except once from Mrs Caldwell & Peggy & a few sentences from Mr Hazard.

Of the Cowardice, mismanagement, & confusion at Canada, you will hear enough to sicken you. Our Generals there have acted upon the sordid principles of opposition to one another, while the small pox & Commissioners of the Congress, ruined the army & our friends. I have not seen a man of any party in the Army or out of it who does not agree that the Commissioners have been the principal means of all the confusion that hath reigned there. Since Gen! Sullivans arrival our officers wear another face. The Army is collected & supplied, & annimated. I am persuaded Sullivan dies or conquors. Thompson will not be behind him. The army there at present is about 9000 half fit for duty & half sick.

Col: Daytons Battalion have now settled matters with the Tories And we were in hopes to have leave to join our Brigade in Canada. But the state of the Indians will not admit of it. We will probably rebuild Fort Stanwix & thereby comfort