Show papal error that cost spain much territory king solomon offered to divide n small boy to whom two women laid claim and won a great reputation for wisdom by so doing pope alexander VI born roderick borgia actually did divide the world and got no special credit for it even in his own day lie he was nn an abler administrator a more versatile politician n more farsighted statesman a greater patron of the arts and sciences and a much better beiter friend to the common people than was tho the hebrew monarch and about till nil the good it did him vasco da gama hit had rounded the capo cape of good hope to give portugal a foothold in india columbus had sailed west to discover what might prove to be a new continent and he represented spain it was inevitable that there should be conflicting claims and perfectly natural that the rival rulers should turn to tile the pope as the logi logical cill umpire alexander did not find the problem difficult for generations the portuguese had been sailing southward along the west african coast and their claims were obviously to be preferred along the routes they followed the spaniards through their Genoese agent had found land in the west what was waa easier than to draw a line from north to south on the map and lot let the broad atlantic separate the new dominions of the rivals every one was happy it was seven years before the por for discovered that lint studs out so far to eastward that it crossed the popes line anil and that tile the holy father had given them far diore than they had dreamed of they were quick to colonize and that Is how brazil speaks portuguese to this day although every other latin american land prefers spanish cleveland I 1 plain dealer |