Read Ebook: Records of the Spanish Inquisition Translated from the Original Manuscripts by White Andrew Dickson

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The circumstances of its introduction into Portugal are too curious to be omitted. About the year 1540, there was in Spain, a monk of the name of Saavedra, who forged apostolic bulls, royal decrees, and bills of exchange, with so much accuracy, that they passed with every one for genuine. He succeeded so well as to pass himself off for a knight and commander of the military order of St Jago, the income of which, amounting to three thousand ducats, he received for the space of a year and a half. In a short time he acquired, by means of the royal deeds which he counterfeited, three hundred and sixty thousand ducats.

This daring and brazenfaced impostor then took upon him the character and costume of a Roman cardinal. He travelled with litters, silver dishes, and a train of attendants, levying money on his course by forging bonds. He sent his secretary to Lisbon with his bull and papers to prepare for his reception. The king despatched to the frontiers a distinguished nobleman to receive him, and he made his entry into Lisbon, where he spent three months, and was treated with the highest respect. He afterwards travelled through the kingdom, and completed the business for which he had made his visit. He was at last detected by the Inquisitor General of Spain and arrested. After a trial by the Inquisition, he was sentenced to the gallies for ten years. The king added nine years more to the period. Almost all the establishments made by him in Portugal, were retained under the pretence that the Holy Office was necessary to persecute the Jews.

RECORDS OF THE SPANISH INQUISITION.

TRIAL OF PEDRO GINESTA, NATIVE OF THE VILLAGE OF ST QUINTI, IN THE DIOCESE OF ST FLOR, FOR EATING BACON ON A PROHIBITED DAY

For which purpose let the necessary measures be taken.

Before me--

In the town of Tremp, bishopric of Urgel, on the twentyfifth day of August, one thousand six hundred and thirtyfive, in the morning, before the Licenciate Joan Torroella, Presbyter Commissary of the Holy Office of the Inquisition in the town of Salas,--appeared according to summons and swore formally to declare the truth, a man who asserted his name to be Joan Compte, a native and resident of the town of Talarn, in the abovementioned bishopric, of age as he stated, fiftyfive years or thereabout.

Questioned, if he knew or conjectured the cause of his being summoned to appear.

Answered, that he neither knew nor conjectured.

Questioned, if he knew or had heard that any person had spoken or done anything which was, or appeared to be, contrary to our holy Catholic Faith, and evangelical doctrine preached and taught by the holy Catholic Roman Church, or against the just and free exercise of the Holy Office.

In the town of Semiana, bishopric of Urgel, on the twentyeighth day of August, one thousand six hundred and thirtyfive, in the morning, before the Rev. Sr. Licentiate Joan Torroella, Presbyter Commissary of the Holy Office in the town of Salas, appeared according to summons and swore formally to declare the truth, a woman calling herself Geronima Aymara, wife of Pedro Aymar y Piteu, husbandman, native and resident of the town of Semiana, of age, as she stated, forty years or thereabout.

Questioned, if she knew or conjectured the cause of her being summoned to appear.

In the village of Sanserin, parish of Semiana, in the morning, before the abovementioned Licentiate Commissary Joan Torroella, appeared according to summons and swore formally to declare the truth, a woman calling herself Isabel Ramoneda, wife of Pedro Ramoneda, husbandman, a resident of the said village of Sanserin, of age, as she stated, thirty years or thereabout.

Questioned, if she knew or conjectured the cause of her being summoned to appear.

Answered, that she supposed it to be for the purpose of ascertaining whether certain Gascons had eaten flesh in Semiana, on last St Bartholomew's eve, concerning which, she could state, that on Thursday last, which was St Bartholomew's day, there came to her house in the evening a Gascon, whom she believes to be named Pedro, an old man, and by trade a brazier. He had come, as he stated, from the town of Semiana; and standing at the door of the house of this witness, there passed by the servants of Francisco Rocabruna, apothecary of Semiana, when the said Gascon demanded of the lads whether they knew if the young man who had been apprehended at Semiana, was released, to which they replied, 'No,' and cried out 'Ha! Lutheran, eat meat on a fast day!' The lads having passed, he said to witness that he had been eating, and that he was sorry or not sorry, witness does not remember which of the two. No other person was present. This is the truth according to the oath of the witness, and being read in her presence is declared by her to be correctly recorded. Witness declares that she does not make this statement out of malice towards any one. Secrecy being enjoined upon her, she promised to observe it. She being unable to write, I, the said Commissary, sign in her name.

In the village of Sanserin, on the same morning, appeared according to summons and swore formally to declare the truth, a man calling himself Juan Monco, husbandman, native and resident of the village abovementioned, of age, as he stated, twenty years or thereabout.

Questioned, if he knew or conjectured the cause of his being summoned to appear.

Answered, that he supposed it to be for the purpose of learning whether certain Gascons had eaten flesh in the town of Semiana on the eve of St Bartholomew last, concerning which he could state, that on the evening of the said day of St Bartholomew, being near the house of Pedro Ramonera, where there was a Gascon, whose name was unknown to the witness, which Gascon was an old man, corpulent, and by trade a brazier, there passed by the servant of the apothecary Rocabruna, of Tremp, whose name is unknown to witness. This servant of Rocabruna was heard by the deponent to say to the said Gascon, 'Ha, Lutheran! eat flesh on a fast day!' And deponent heard the said Gascon reply, 'Yes, I have eaten,'--but does not know whether this was heard by the said servant of Rocabruna. This is the truth according to the oath of the deponent; and, being read in his presence, is declared by him to be correctly recorded. Deponent further states that he does not make this declaration out of malice to any one. Secrecy being enjoined upon him, he promised to observe it; and being unable to write, I, the said Commissary, sign in his name.

In the town of Semiana, at the same time, before me the said Licentiate and Commissary, Joan Torroella, appeared according to summons and swore formally to declare the truth, a man calling himself Pedro Aymar y Piteu, native and resident of the above town of Semiana, of age, as he stated, fiftysix years or thereabout.

Questioned, if he knew or conjectured the cause of his being summoned to appear.

Answered, that he supposed it to be for the purpose of learning whether certain Gascons had eaten flesh in his house on the day of St Bartholomew last, concerning which he had been informed by his wife that the two Gascons referred to, had stopped at his house, and eaten meat on that day. He furthermore stated that the said Gascons, whose names he knew not, as he had never seen them before, being at supper at his house the evening previous, which was Wednesday, one of the said Gascons being an old, and the other a young man, both braziers,--the old man said to the wife of the deponent that he meant to have some meat the next day, which was St Bartholomew's, and wished her to cook some salted bacon. Whereupon deponent replied, they could not, as it was a fast. The old man answered that they meant to eat notwithstanding, which induced the deponent to believe that he had a license to eat meat, or had some infirmity; on which account he made no more remonstrances, and on the evening of the same day, returning home from his work, his wife informed him that the Gascons had eaten meat, and that the old man had gone away, and the young man was taken and carried to prison. This is the truth according to the oath of the witness, and being read in his presence is declared by him to be correctly recorded. Witness further states, that he does not make this declaration out of malice to any one; and secrecy being enjoined upon him, he promised to observe it. From his inability to write, I, the said Commissary, sign in his name.

PEDRO FONTANELLA.

FIRST AUDIENCE.

In the Royal Palace of the Inquisition of Barcelona, on the eighteenth day of September, one thousand six hundred and thirtyfive, the Inquisitor, Doctor Domingo Abbad y Huerta being at his morning audience, ordered the prisoner to be brought from his cell; who, being produced, was sworn to declare the truth on the present as well as on all other occasions till the decision of his trial. He was also sworn to observe secrecy with respect to everything which he might see, hear, or learn, and everything which should befall him.

Questioned, what was his name, age, occupation, birthplace, residence, and the period of his arrestation by this Holy Office.

Answered, that his name was Pedro Ginesta, by occupation a brazier, native of the village of Orliach, bishopric of St Flor, in the kingdom of France, residing at Orcan, in Catalonia, having exercised the trade of a brazier in that country more than fourteen years, of age eighty years or thereabout, and that he was arrested by a Commissary of the Holy Office, yesterday, in the town of Salas.

Questioned, who was his father, grandfather, paternal and maternal, and wife; who were his uncles, brothers, and children; what were their occupations, birthplaces, and residences.

Questioned, what was the origin and descent of his ancestors and collateral relatives, and whether any one of them had been punished or put under penance by the Holy Office of the Inquisition.

Answered, that all his relatives were old Roman Catholic Christians, and that no one of them had ever been punished or sentenced by the Holy Office up to the present day.

Questioned, if he was a baptized and confirmed Catholic, and made it a practice to attend mass, go to confession, and receive the sacrament at such times as are prescribed by the Holy Catholic Mother Church; at what time he last attended mass, and from whom he received the holy sacrament.

Answered, that he was a baptized and confirmed Christian, having by the grace of God been baptized in the church of Santanti, metropolitan of the suffragans of Caberna and other places, and that he knew himself to have been confirmed by a bishop named Panlaza in the city of Huerca in Arragon, or Poroteo, bishop of that kingdom, more than forty years since, in the cathedral; that he remembered the fact of the confirmation very well, being then of full age; that he hears mass every Sunday and holiday, except when he is travelling; that he confesses and communicates at every time fixed by the Holy Mother Church; that he has certificates to this effect; that he believes the last time he confessed was on Passion Week last, in the town of La Puente de Montania, to a priest of that church; that he does not remember the name of the person from whose hands he received the sacrament. The prisoner then made the sign of the cross, invoking the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and repeated the four prayers and general confession correctly in Latin, and stated that he knew nothing more of the christian doctrine.

Questioned, if he could write, or read, or had studied any science or faculty.

Answered, that he could neither write, nor read, nor had he studied any science or art.

Questioned, if he had ever left the kingdoms of Spain since his first arrival, or had any dealings with people of equivocal faith.

Answered, that he had exercised his trade of a brazier for more than sixty years, in the kingdoms of Catalonia and Arragon, visiting at times his home in France, where there are no Lutherans, nor any persons of equivocal faith.

Questioned, what were the events of his life.

Answered, that he was born, as above stated, in the village of Orliach, and remained with his father till twenty years of age assisting him in his profession of a brazier; that he had passed his life in France, Arragon, and Catalonia, his father having brought him while a boy into this country, where he died, and left him, sixty years since, in the town of Erla, near Gea, in Arragon, working all this time in various places, where he became well known; that his wife had never been in Spain at any time.

Questioned, if he knew or conjectured the cause of his imprisonment.

Answered, falling on his knees, weeping, and beating his breast, that he had committed an offence against our Lord by eating bacon on the eve of St Bartholomew in the village of Semiana, and that it was true he had been told on the day previous, by the hostess of the house where it was done, that the next day was a fast, but not remembering this intimation, he had, while the hostess was gone out of the house to her oven, eaten of the same in company with a certain youth of fourteen or fifteen years of age, a native of the bishopric of Clermont in France, who had come to work with him two days before; and that while they were eating, the hostess returned and again reminded him that it was the fast of St Bartholomew, and they ought not to eat it, upon which they immediately abstained from eating; that they were both arrested and brought on the road to Barcelona under guard of one man, the youth with his hands tied; that on arriving near a wood he escaped notwithstanding the exertions made by the guard, who raised the neighbourhood to search for him; and if in this he had offended our Lord, he begged for pardon and mercy.

The prisoner was then informed, that, in this Holy Office, it was not customary to apprehend any person without sufficient information that he had said, done, or witnessed the commission of something really or apparently offensive against God our Lord, or against his Holy Catholic faith and evangelical law, taught and preached by the Holy Mother Roman Church, or against the just and free exercise of the Holy Office; consequently he was to understand that he was imprisoned on account of some such information, and he was admonished on the part of God our Lord, and the glorious and blessed Virgin Mary, to recollect himself and confess his offences without concealing anything relating either to himself or any other person, and without uttering false testimony against any one; by doing all which, his trial should be dispatched with all brevity, and decided with that mercy which is shown by the Holy Office to all those who confess freely; otherwise, justice should be executed.

Answered, that he had nothing more to say, and the above being read to him, he declared it to be the truth according to the oath which he had sworn, and that he had nothing to alter or diminish from what is therein contained, and with this admonition, to bethink himself well, and declare the truth, he was remanded to prison.

DR DOMINGO ABBAD Y HUERTA.

SECOND AUDIENCE.

In the Royal Palace of the Inquisition of Barcelona, on the nineteenth day of September, one thousand six hundred and thirtyfive, the Inquisitor, Doctor Domingo Abbad y Huerta being at his morning audience, presiding upon affairs of justice, ordered the above Pedro Ginesta to be brought out of prison, which being done, and the prisoner present, he was

Questioned, if he remembered anything relating to his affair which he was bound to divulge, with all truth, to discharge his conscience.

Answered, that he had nothing more to say.

The prisoner was then admonished on the part of God our Lord, &c.

Answered, that he had nothing more to say; and being admonished to bethink himself well, and declare the truth, he was remanded to prison.

Before me--

MIGUEL RODRIGUEZ.

THIRD AUDIENCE.

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