Records of The Spanish Inquisition Part 19

Secret prison of the Inquisition of Barcelona, January thirtyfirst, 1737.

DON FRANCISCO ANTONIO DE MONTOYER.

January, 1737.

[Sidenote: Miguel Antonio Dundana, alias Miguel Antonio Maleti, in the secret prison of this tribunal, for heretical speeches.

Prison of St. Bartholome.

Dest.i.tute.

Maintenance, two sueldos, and the bread of the Contractor.]

Miguel Antonio Dundana, alias Maleti, a native of the city of Coni, in Piedmont, aged twentyfour years, a soldier in the regiment called the Queen's Dragoons, confined in the secret prison of this tribunal on the sixth day of December last, for heretical speeches. On the tenth, fourteenth, and seventeenth of the same month, the customary audiences were held, in which the prisoner confessed nothing to the point. On the last day he nominated for his counsel, Dr Manuel Bonvehi, who accepted the trust, and the confessions of the prisoner were ratified. The accusation was then presented, to the several articles of which the prisoner replied on the sixteenth and nineteenth of the same month, declaring that some of them were false, and some true; but that he had uttered the words in mere jest. On the twentieth, an audience was held, in which the prisoner conferred with his counsel concerning his defence, and ratified the answers made to the articles of the accusation, making an end by calling for the proofs. On the same day, letters were sent to the other Inquisitions, requesting that their records might be inspected to know if any proceedings existed against this person. On the eleventh of the present month, a commission was granted to ratify the testimony for a decisive trial.

March, 1737.

On the sixteenth of this month, the ratifications of the testimony were received in the tribunal, the business having been delayed on account of the great diversity of quarters occupied by the regiment of the Queen's Dragoons.

May, 1737.

On the eighth, ninth, and tenth of April, the testimony was given in publication, and a copy of the same given to the prisoner, that he might arrange his defence by the help of his counsel. On the eleventh, an audience was held, in which he conferred with Dr Manuel Bonvehi, his advocate, and on the second of May, an audience was held, in which his defence was received. On the ninth of the same month, the commission and papers relating to the affair, were sent for.

June, 1737.

The papers were not received this month, on account of the difficulty in finding the requisite persons, but it is expected the business will be accomplished shortly.

July, 1737.

On the sixth of this month, the papers were received, and on the eighth the prisoner communicated with his counsel. On the seventeenth, the testimony against him was attested _in plenario_, and his condemnation confirmed. On the twentyninth, the proceedings of the trial were examined, and the Reverend Father M. Fr. Mariano Anglasell being present in the capacity of Judge Ordinary of the bishopric of Solsona, it was unanimously ordered that the prisoner be put to the regular torture; which sentence was ordered to be previously submitted to your Highness.

September, 1737.

On the thirtieth of August, your Highness confirmed the above sentence, and ordered that the torture should be given _ad arbitrium_, to extort a confession of the acts and intentions of the prisoner. The papers relating to the trial which had been forwarded, were received back on the seventh of the present month. The prisoner being under the hands of the physician, on account of his health, the torture could not be applied till the twentieth, when the physician having certified that he was then in a condition to endure it, an audience was held, and the charges against the prisoner repeated, to which he answered that he had nothing to reply, further than what had been already said. He was then apprised of the sentence against him, and despatched to the torture room, where he confessed that he had uttered many of the a.s.sertions imputed to him, but that it was done in sport, and at times when his companions had intoxicated him, and he was not conscious of what he said, believing in his heart the contrary to what he had uttered.

On the twentyfifth, an audience was held, in which he confirmed without alteration, what he had confessed under the torture, adding that he had made other a.s.sertions of the like nature, all for the motive above stated, and without entertaining inwardly any belief contrary to the precepts of the Holy Mother Catholic Church. In this manner the prisoner attempted to palliate his heretical speeches. On the twentyseventh, his confessions having been examined, they were attested, and the censure previously pa.s.sed upon him confirmed, by which he was declared to be strongly suspected in the faith. On the twentyeighth, a final decision was given in the presence of Father P. Mro. Fr. Mariano Anglasell as Ordinary, and the prisoner was sentenced unanimously to be brought into the hall of the tribunal, and there, with open doors before the Secret Ministers, and with the insignia of his offences, to hear his condemnation read, make an abjuration _de vehementi_, be absolved _ad cautelam_, be severely reprehended, admonished, and warned, and then to be banished from this city, Madrid, the Court of His Majesty, and the town of Guisona and Tarragona, to a distance of eight leagues, for the period of eight years; the first five of them to be spent in confinement, in some garrison in Africa, to be fixed upon for this purpose, and that he be previously intrusted to the care of some learned person to receive instruction in the faith.

November, 1737.

On the sixteenth of October your Highness was pleased to order that the prisoner attend at an _auto de fe_ if one should occur soon, otherwise to be led to some church in the guise of a penitent, and there hear his sentence read, make an abjuration _de levi_, be severely reprehended, admonished, and warned, and banished for life from Spain, after pa.s.sing five years of confinement in the garrison of Oran, where he should be put under the care of some learned person, to receive instruction in the mysteries of our Holy Faith. On the third of November, the sentence was executed in the church of Sta Agueda. The same day he was sworn to secrecy, and despatched to the Royal Prison of this city, thence to be transported to his confinement in Oran. A letter was sent to Father Fr.

Pablo de Colindus at that place, intrusting to him the instruction of the prisoner.

Inquisition of Barcelona, Nov. 28th, 1737.

DON FRANCISCO ANTONIO DE MONTOYA Y ZARATE.

July, 1739.

[Sidenote: Juan Bautista Segondi, imprisoned for the crime of searching for treasures. Prison of San Francisco Xavier.

Maintenance, two sueldos, and the bread of the Contractor.]

Juan Bautista Segondi, a native of the town of Perpignan in France, and an inhabitant of this city, aged fortytwo years, a married man, and by trade a watchmaker, confined in the secret prison of this tribunal, with a sequestration of his property, on the fourteenth of July, for superst.i.tious and necromantical practices. He was a.s.signed two sueldos and the bread of the Contractor, on account of the Treasury, as little of the prisoner's property was secured. On the fifteenth, the first audience was held, in which he confessed that he had used the hazel rod for the purpose of discovering the situation of water, metals, and mines, inheriting the capacity to practise this art, from his being a seventh son, without the intervention of a female, and being born in the month of May. He stated that he had heard his father declare such persons could make the abovementioned discoveries, by holding the hazel rod in their hands. On the twentieth and twentyfourth, audiences were held, in which he confessed nothing more. The accusation was then presented against him, the several specifications of which he granted to be true. On the twentyfourth, he was furnished with a copy of the accusation, and nominated for his counsel, Dr Joseph Vila. On the twentyseventh, an audience was held, in which he communicated with his advocate, respecting his defence, and the cause was received for proof in a full trial. A commission was granted for the ratification of the testimony.

August, 1739.

The testimony having been ratified, it was given, in publication, on the nineteenth of this month, at which time, and on the twentyfirst, the prisoner replied thereto, by confessing the truth of the charges, and an additional one, of the same kind, being produced against him, it was also given in publication. On the twentysixth, an audience was held, in which the testimony, and the responses of the prisoner were read to his advocate, Dr Joseph Vila, and arrangements were made for the defence.

September, 1739.

On the ninth of this month, the defence was offered, and on the twelfth, the cause was judged before Father Mro. Fr. Mariano Anglasell, as Judge Ordinary, and sentence was pa.s.sed upon the prisoner; which was, that he be brought into the hall of the Tribunal, and there, with open doors, hear his condemnation read, make an abjuration _de levi_, be severely reprehended, admonished, and warned, and apprised, that if he commit the smallest act of the nature of his former offences, he shall incur the penalty of two hundred lashes. It was also ordered, that the sentence, before execution, be submitted to your Highness.

October, 1739.

The confirmation of the sentence having been received on the ninth of this month, it was put in execution on the thirteenth, on which day audience was held to swear secrecy respecting the prisons.

Inquisition of Barcelona, Oct. 31st, 1739.

DON FRANCISCO ANTONIO DE MONTOYA Y ZARATE.

July, 1731

[Sidenote: Joseph Oliver. Prison of La Cruz.

Dest.i.tute.

Maintenance, two sueldos, and the bread of the Contractor.]

Joseph Oliver, a native of this city, aged twentyseven years, a married man, and by occupation a husbandman. Proceedings were inst.i.tuted against this person, and his actions having been attested to, he was ordered, on the eleventh of this month, to be imprisoned, with a sequestration of his property, for performing superst.i.tious and magical cures. On the fifteenth of this month, he was confined in the secret prison of this Holy Office; and on the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth, audiences were held, in the last of which, the accusation against him was presented. In the aforementioned audiences, and in his answers to the accusation, he confessed the most of his crimes. On the twentieth and twentyfirst, he communicated with his counsel, and the case was admitted for proof in a full trial. The customary preparations being made, and the testimony ratified, the proofs are preparing for publication, and in this state the case remains.

August, 1731.

On the eighteenth and twentyfirst of this month, the audience for publication was held, and the prisoner having answered to the charges, the audience for communication with his counsel, was held on the twentyseventh. By the advice of his advocate, the prisoner concluded his defence without alleging anything in his own justification. In this state the case remains.