The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of The English Nation, vol. 12 | Page 7

and aduertisements thereto belonging._
The Letters patents of King Henry the seuenth granted vnto Iohn Cabot
and his three sonnes, Lewis, Sebastian, and Sancius for the discouerie
of new and vnknowen lands.
Henricus Dei gratia rex Angliæ, et Franciæ, et Dominus Hiberniæ,
omnibus, ad quos præsentes literæ nostræ peruenerint, salutem.

Notum sit et manifestum, quòd dedimus et concessimus, ac per
præsentes damus et concedimus pro nobis et hæredibus nostris, dilectis
nobis Ioanni Caboto ciui Venetiarum, Lodouico, Sebastiano, et Sancio,
filijs dicti Ioannis, et eorum ac cuiuslibet eorum hæredibus et deputatis,
plenam ac liberam authoritatem, facultatem, et potestatem nauigandi ad
omnes partes, regiones, et sinus maris orientalis, occidentalis, et
septentrionalis, sub banneris, vexillis, et insignijs nostris, cum quinque
nauibus siue nauigijs, cuiuscúnque portituræ et qualitatis existant, et
cum tot et tantis nautis et hominibus, quot et quantos in dictis nauibus
secum ducere voluerint, suis et eorum proprijs sumptibus et expensis,
ad inueniendum, discooperiendum, et inuestigandum quascunque
insulas, patrias, regiones siue prouincias gentilium et infidelium
quorumcunque, in quacunque parte mundi positas, quæ Christianis
omnibus ante hæc tempora fuerint incognitæ. Concessimus etiam
eisdem et eorum cuilibet, eorumque et cuiuslibet eorum hæredibus et
deputatis, ac licentiam dedimus ad affigendum prædictas banneras
nostras et insignia in quacunque villa, oppido, castro, insula seu terra
firma à se nouiter inuentis. Et quòd prænominatus Ioannes, et filij
eiusdem, seu hæredes et eorum deputati, quascunque huiusmodi villas,
castra, oppida, et insulas à se inuentas, quæ subiugari, occupari,
possideri possint, subiugare, occupare, possidere valeant tanquam
vasalli nostri, et gubernatores, locatenentes, et deputati eorundem,
dominium, titulum et iurisdictionem earundem villarum, castrorum,
oppidorum, insularum, ac terræ firmæ sic inuentorum nobis acquirendo.
Ita tamen, vt ex omnibus fructibus, proficuis, emolumentis, commodis,
lucris, et obuintionibus ex huiusmodi nauigatione prouenientibus,
præfatus Iohannes, et filij ac hæredes, et eorum deputati, teneanter et
sint obligati nobis pro omni viagio suo, toties quoties ad portum
nostrum Bristolliæ applicuerint (ad quem omnino applicare teneantur et
sint astricti) deductis omnibus sumptibus et impensis necessarijs per
eosdem factis, quintam partem capitalis lucri facti, siue in mercibus,
siue in pecunijs persoluere: Dantes nos et concedentes eisdem suisque
hæredibus et deputatis, vt ab omni solutione custumarum omnium et
singulorum honorum et mercium, quas secum reportarint ab illis locis
sic nouiter inuentis, liberi sint et immunes. Et insuper dedimus et
concessimus eisdem ac suis hæredibus et deputatis, quod terræ omnes
firmæ, insulæ, villæ, oppida, castra, et loca quæcunque a se inuenta,

quotquot ab eis inueniri contigerit, non possint ab alijs quibusuis nostris
subditis frequentari seu visitari, absque licentia prædictorum Ioannis et
eius filiorum, suorumque deputatoram, sub poena amissionis tam
nauium quàm bonorum omnium quorumcunque ad ea loca sic inuenta
nauigare præsumentium. Volentes et strictissimè mandantes omnibus et
singulis nostris subditis, tam in terra quàm in mari constitutis, vt
præfato Ioanni et eius filijs ac deputatis, bonam assistentiam faciant, et
tam in armandis nauibus seu nauigijs, quàm in prouisione commeatus
et victualium pro sua pecunia emendorum, atque aliarum omnium
rerum sibi prouidendarum pro dicta nauigatione sumenda suos omnes
fauore set auxilia impertiant. In cuius rei testimonium has literas
nostras fieri fecimus patentes. [Sidenote: Ann. Dom. 1495.] Teste
meipso apud Westmonasterium quinto die Martij anno regni nostri
vndecimo.
The same in English.
Henry by the grace of God, king of England and France, and lord of
Ireland, to all to whom these presents shall come, Greeting.
Be it knowen that we haue giuen and granted, and by these presents do
giue and grant for vs and our heires, to our welbeloued Iohn Cabot
citizen of Venice,[9] to Lewis, Sebastian, and Santius, sonnes of the
said Iohn, and to the heires of them, and euery of them, and their
deputies, full and free authority, leaue, and power to saile to all parts,
countreys, and seas of the East, of the West, and of the North, under
our banners and ensignes, with fiue ships of what burthen or quality
soeuer they be, and as many mariners or men as they will haue with
them in the sayd ships, vpon their owne proper costs and charges, to
seeke out, discouer, and finde whatsoeuer isles, countreys, regions or
prouinces of the heathen and infidels whatsoeuer they be, and in what
part of the world soeuer they be, which before this time haue bene
vnknowen to all Christians; we haue granted to them, and also to euery
of them, the heires of them, and their deputies, and haue giuen them
licence to set vp our banners and ensignes in euery village, towne,
castle, isle, or maine land of them newly found. And that the aforesayd
Iohn and his sonnes, or their heires and assignes may subdue, occupy
and possesse all such townes, cities, castles and isles of them found,
which they can subdue, occupy and possesse, as our vassals, and
lieutenants, getting vnto vs the rule, title, and iurisdiction of the same

villages, townes,