Records of The Spanish Inquisition Part 16

In the Royal Palace of the Inquisition of Barcelona, on the fifth day of August, one thousand seven hundred and fiftysix, the Inquisitor, Licentiate Dr Joseph de Otero y Cossio, being at his morning audience, ordered to be brought out of prison, a person calling himself Don Antonio Adorno, a native of the city of Genoa, aged twentyseven years, who was sworn to declare the truth, and preserve secrecy as well on this as on all other occasions, till the decision of his cause.

Questioned, his name, birthplace, age, occupation, and the date of his imprisonment.

Answered, that he was born, as above stated, in the city of Genoa, that his age was twentyseven years, that he was a soldier in the infantry regiment of Asturias, company of Don Jorge Duran, and that he was arrested on the tenth of the last month.

Questioned, who was his father, mother, grandfather, uncles, &c.

[_Here follows the genealogy of the prisoner._]

Questioned, of what lineage and stock were his abovementioned ancestors and collateral relatives, and whether any one of them, or he himself, had ever been imprisoned or put under penance by the Holy Office of the Inquisition.

Answered, that his family was n.o.ble, as above stated, and that neither he, nor any one of them had ever been punished or put under penance by the Holy Office.

Questioned, if he was a baptized and confirmed Christian, and heard ma.s.s, confessed, and communed, at such times as the Church directed.

Answered, Yes; and the last time he confessed was to Father Fr.

Antonio ----, (his name he did not know) a barefoot Friar of the Convent of the Holy Trinity; and that he partook of the sacrament in this Convent in the city of Valencia, where his regiment was then stationed.

Here the prisoner crossed himself, repeated the _Pater Noster_, _Ave Maria_, and _Credo_, in Spanish, without fault, and answered properly to all the questions respecting the Christian doctrine.

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

Answered, that he could read, write, and cipher, having learned of Dr Francisco Labatra, in Vienna; and that he had studied grammar in the Colegio de los Praxistas in this capital.

Questioned, what were the events of his life.

Answered, that he was born in Genoa; and while a boy, was carried by his parents to Vienna, where he followed his studies as above stated. At the age of sixteen he entered as a cadet in a regiment of infantry. After serving here till twentytwo, the regiment was broken up, and he remained with his mother at Vienna for the s.p.a.ce of a month. He then set out for Spain for the purpose of securing some property belonging to him by inheritance from his ancestors in Bellpuix and other parts of the kingdom. He landed at Barcelona, and proceeded to Bellpuix, Malaga, Granada, and Seville; but, failing in his attempts to obtain his property, he enlisted in the infantry regiment of Asturias then quartered in this city. In this regiment he visited several parts and cities of these kingdoms at their respective garrisons, and particularly the kingdom of Valencia, from whence he proceeded to Reus, where he was arrested.

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

Answered, that he supposed it to be on account of some acts he had performed to discover certain thieves in his company, which performances he had executed with a degree of mystery and mummery to create wonder.

The facts were as follows.

In the Guard of the Duke of Berwick, at Valencia, some s.h.i.+rts and stockings were stolen, and the commanding officer requested the prisoner to make trial of one of his methods of discovering the thief, he having before been a witness of the operation of one of them. He accordingly a.s.sembled all the soldiers of the guard in a dark room, and informed them they must each one put his finger into a cup of water, and that the water would blacken the finger of the thief. Before the room was darkened he showed them the cup containing a quant.i.ty of clear water.

They all agreed to the proposal, and the room was shut up so as to exclude every ray of light. The prisoner then conveyed a quant.i.ty of ink into the cup, and after making a preliminary harangue directed every one to dip his finger within. This they all did except one whom he supposed to be the thief. He wet his finger in his mouth lest it should be discovered that he had not complied with the direction.

They now threw open the windows and found every man's finger black but that of the delinquent. The prisoner perceiving this and observing the agitation which he manifested, exclaimed to him, 'You are the thief;'

and finally compelled him to pay for the stolen articles.

In order more fully to impress them with the belief that this man was guilty, the prisoner directed the commander of the guard to write the name of each person on a piece of paper and burn it to ashes, informing him that this ashes would give the impression of the name of the one who was guilty, upon his hand. In order to effect this the prisoner wrote with a certain liquor upon his own hand the name of Juan Antonio ----, (his other name he did not remember) then showing himself to the company he washed his hands before them, (taking care, however, not to rub them much) and observed, 'You see there is nothing now written upon my hand; but when this list is burnt it will exhibit there the name of the thief.' The paper was then burnt, and he rubbed the ashes upon his hand, when the letters made their appearance, and the prisoner gained the reputation of a wizard, more especially in the conception of the said Juan Antonio.

The prisoner declared that in the harangue abovementioned, he made use of no prayers, and that the words which he uttered were made use of solely to astound and amaze the hearers.

He was then informed that in this Holy Office it was not customary to imprison any one without sufficient information that he had said, done, or seen, or heard something contrary to the Holy Religion of G.o.d our Lord, and the Holy Mother Apostolic Roman Church, or against the proper and free jurisdiction of the Holy Office, in consequence of which he was to understand that he was imprisoned on account of some such information. Therefore he was exhorted in the name of G.o.d our Lord and his glorious and blessed Mother our Lady the Virgin Mary, to bethink himself and confess the whole truth in relation to the matter wherein he felt guilty, or knew of the guilt of others, without concealing anything or bearing false witness against any one, by doing which, justice should be executed, and his trial despatched with all brevity and mercy.

Answered, that he recollected nothing more, and that what he had stated above was the truth. His declarations were then read, and declared by him to be correctly recorded. He was then admonished to bethink himself and remanded to prison.

Signed by him, M. ANTO. ADORNO.

DON JOSEPH DE n.o.bOA, _Sec'y_.

SECOND AUDIENCE.

In the Royal Palace of the Inquisition of Barcelona, on the seventh day of August, one thousand seven hundred and fiftysix, the Inquisitors, Licentiate Dr Joseph de Otero y Cossio, and Dr Manuel de Guell y Serra, being at their morning audience, ordered the abovementioned Don Antonio Adorno 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 according to his oath.

Answered, No.

He was then informed, that he was aware he had, in the preceding audience, been exhorted in the name of G.o.d, our Lord, &c.; and he was anew exhorted in the same manner, by conforming to which he would acquit himself like a Catholic Christian, and his trial should be despatched with all brevity and mercy; otherwise justice should be executed.

Answered, that he had considered the exhortation, but had nothing to add, and what he had above related was the truth, according to the oath he had sworn. This declaration being read, was declared by him to be correctly recorded, and, exhorted to bethink himself, he was remanded to prison.

Signed by him,

M. ANTO. ADORNO.

DON JOSEPH DE n.o.bOA, _Sec'y_.

THIRD AUDIENCE.

In the Royal Palace of the Inquisition of Barcelona, on the twelfth day of August, one thousand seven hundred and fiftysix, the Inquisitors, Licentiate Dr Joseph de Otero y Cossio, and Dr Manuel de Guell y Serra, being at their morning audience, ordered the said Don Antonio Adorno 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 according to his oath.

Answered, No.

He was then informed, that he was aware he had been exhorted in the preceding audience, &c.

Answered, that he had considered the exhortation, but had nothing more to say.

Straightway appeared the Licentiate Don Fausto Antonio de Astorquiza y Urreta, Inquisitor Fiscal of this Holy Office, and presented an accusation, signed by him, against the said Don Antonio Adorno, which accusation he formally swore was not offered through malice. Here follows the accusation.

MOST ILl.u.s.tRIOUS SIRS,

I, the Inquisitor Fiscal, appear before your Excellencies, and accuse criminally Don Antonio Adorno, a native of the city of Genoa, aged twentyseven years, a soldier in the regiment of Asturias, and at the time of his arrest, in garrison, in the town of Reus, in this princ.i.p.ality, now attached to the secret prison of this Holy Office, with his property sequestered, and present here in person--for that this person, being a baptized and confirmed Christian, and not having the fear of G.o.d, or the justice of your Excellencies before his eyes, has committed heavy crimes against our Holy Catholic Faith, by professing and practising various necromantical arts, with insult to the holy sacrifice of the ma.s.s, its sacred ceremonies, and the holy cross; also imparting his evil art and instruments to others, for their practice, with the like insult to the holy cross and holy sacrifice of the ma.s.s.

On which account, I hold him at least to be suspected _de levi_ in the faith, and accuse him of the whole, both in general and in particular.

1. The said person, on a time specified, and in the company of certain persons named, declared that he was able when anything was stolen, to discover the thief, and in proof of this a.s.sertion, stated that he had formerly done this by writing the names upon papers, of some persons, among whom a sum of money had been stolen, and putting the papers into the fire, repeating the words, '_Ego sum; factus est h.o.m.o, consummatum est_.' The papers were consumed, except that bearing the name of the thief. None but the said person could take this paper out of the fire, and the money was found upon the one designated.

2. Some one objecting to him, that this could not be done without some pact with the devil, he replied that it was so justifiable an act, that he would perform it immediately after ma.s.s or communion, and it being declared a matter to be laid before the Inquisition, he affirmed that he would do it in presence of the Inquisitors.

3. Furthermore, he a.s.serted that he could execute the above purpose by rubbing the ashes of the papers upon his hand, where it would leave impressed the name of the thief; also, that he knew another method which he did not explain. I request that he may be questioned what this method is, where he learned it, and whether he has practised these two last, uttering the words before specified.

4. Continuing the conversation with the abovementioned person, he informed him that he possessed certain instruments of use in various ways, and in fact showed him something folded up, which he took out of his pocket. And, on being asked whence he obtained the knowledge of these arts, replied that he learned them from a book of magic in his possession, which enabled him to do whatever he pleased. I request that he may be questioned respecting this book of magic, as well as the contents of the abovementioned envelope.

5. He told this person that he could learn from the same book how to make himself invisible, as well as invulnerable to the thrust of a sword.

6. Being questioned by this person whether he knew any art relative to playing at ball, he answered, not then, but that he would come to his house, and reveal to him a secret for gaining the favor of the ladies.