Records of The Spanish Inquisition Part 6

Answered, that he remembered having deposed before the said Dr Pablo Pasqual Marquez, Commissary of the Holy Office, against a certain stranger, accompanied by a French doctor who had been imprisoned by the Holy Office. The substance of this deposition he repeated, and requested it to be read.

He was then informed that the Promotor Fiscal of the Holy Office presented him as a witness in an action which he had commenced against the above person, whose name it was ascertained was Juan Duran. He was ordered to give attention while his deposition was read, and if he found anything to alter or add, to do it in such a manner as to declare the whole truth, for his present declaration might be of service to the said Juan Duran. The deposition was then read _de verbo ad verb.u.m_, which the said Pedro Oriola having heard and understood, he declared it to be his testimony, and that it was correctly recorded; that he had nothing to add or amend, but was willing to repeat the whole anew. He was again, under oath, enjoined secrecy, which he promised. The whole I sign for him.

PEDRO ORIOLA, _Apothecary_.

Before me--

GERONYMO JUAN ROSSELLON, _Presbyter Notary of the Holy Office_.

[_Here follows, in the original, the ratification in the same manner of all the other testimony._]

In the town of Valles, on the day, month, and year above specified, before the said Commissary, appeared, according to summons, and swore formally to declare the truth, a person calling himself Juan Llaurador, blacksmith, an inhabitant of the said town, of age, as he stated, twentyone 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 said aught which was, or appeared to be contrary to our holy Catholic Faith, and Evangelical Doctrine professed and taught by the holy Mother Roman Catholic Church, or against the proper and free jurisdiction of the Holy Office.

Answered, that on a certain day, shortly before the feast of All Saints, Pablo Vicens came to his house, where his father, Pablo Llaurador, himself, and an apprentice were at work, with another person, whose name deponent did not know, but noticed that he spoke hardly a word. These persons being together, the said Pablo Vicens observed that he was astonished and grieved that there existed a man who could say he had a book, which, being thrown into a fire with an image of Christ, the book would be saved, and the Christ burnt. Upon which he was answered by the person abovementioned, who called himself Juan Duran, and was a native of the city of Manresa, that he was the man whom he meant, but that his a.s.sertion was only that the Christ would be consumed before the prayer contained in the book, if the Christ were not consecrated. At this they all reprimanded him, and declared that a simple representation of Christ crucified was more powerful than his book or prayer. The said Juan Duran, being thus contradicted and reproved by every one, was silent, and left the place. The deponent also heard the said Juan Duran say, in conversation, that he knew more than the doctors; that the Virgin, Our Lady del Rosario had appeared to him and given him her benediction, and that by her a.s.sistance he could cure better than the doctors, and do anything better than other persons. The deponent also heard Jayme Carbonell say, that Juan Duran had declared, in his presence, that he was next to G.o.d. He has also heard Juan Duran read or recite out of a little book, as large as the hand, at which all the family laughed. The said book the deponent has seen.

The above is the truth, according to the oath of the deponent, and being read in his presence, is declared by him to be faithfully recorded. He further states that he does not make this declaration out of malice, and promises secrecy. Being unable to write, I, the said Commissary, sign in his name.

DR PABLO PASQUAL MARQUEZ, _Commissary_.

Before me--

GERONYMO JUAN ROSSELLON, _Presbyter Not'y of the Holy Office_.

CALIFICACION.[15]

A certain person, native of this princ.i.p.ality, has stated, in conversation, two or three times, that he possessed a book containing a prayer of such efficacy, that if the book were thrown into a fire along with a crucifix, this last would be consumed before the book; which a.s.sertion being repeated by him with great earnestness, he was reproved for it, and told among other things, that if the Inquisition knew it, he would be punished, which silenced him after some time. The abovementioned book he exhibited several times.

2d. The same person declared on another occasion, that he was very skilful in curing disorders; that the Holy Virgin del Rosario had appeared to him and empowered him to heal diseases, and given him her benediction.

3d. The same person on another occasion declared that he had a book which he would not sell for fifty ducats, as by merely looking at it he could cure any disease, and even restore a dead person to life; that if people knew his great powers, he should grow very rich; and that he was circ.u.mcised with wounds and blood like Jesus Christ.

In the Royal Palace of the Inquisition of Barcelona, on the tenth day of December, one thousand six hundred and thirtytwo, being present at the afternoon audience, the Inquisitors, Dr Bernardo Luis Cotoner, Dr Domingo Abbad y Huerta, Father Vincente Navarro, Father Martin Perez and Geronymo Vidal, Jesuits and Calificadores of this Holy Office,--and having examined the above propositions, declared, unanimously, that the

1st, is a superst.i.tious compact with the devil, and the comparison of the book to the figure of Christ a blasphemy; the

2d, vain and superst.i.tious; and the

3d, is a superst.i.tious imposture; and the a.s.sertion of being circ.u.mcised, one which creates suspicions of enmity to our Holy Faith.

VICENTE NAVARRO, _Jesuit_.

MARTIN PEREZ, _Jesuit and Lecturer in Theology_.

GERONYMO VIDAL, _Jesuit_.

Before me--

MIGUEL RODRIGUEZ.

FIRST AUDIENCE.

In the Royal Palace of the Inquisition of Barcelona, on the tenth day of January, one thousand six hundred and thirtythree, the Inquisitor, Dr Bernardo Luis Cotoner, being at his morning audience, ordered to be brought from the secret prison, a certain person, who, on his appearance, was formally sworn to declare the truth in this audience and all others, till the conclusion of his trial, and to keep secret whatever he might see or hear, and everything which should befall him, concerning his trial.

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

Answered, that his name was Juan Duran, a native of the city of Manresa, in the bishopric of Vique, of age, thirtyone years, or thereabout, by trade a blacksmith and farrier, and that on the day of the Innocents, he was arrested, and put in the prison of the Holy Office.

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

Answered, [_Here follows a long account, in reply to the above queries._]

Questioned, of what lineage and stock were his ancestors, and collateral relatives; and if they, or any one of them, or himself, had ever been imprisoned, put under penance, absolved, or condemned by the Holy Office of the Inquisition.

Answered, that they were all old Christians of pure blood, and that he had never heard or understood that any one of them had been imprisoned, put under penance, absolved, or condemned by the Holy Office of the Inquisition; that he had never been imprisoned by the Holy Office till the present occasion.

Questioned, if he was a baptized and confirmed Christian, and made it a practice to attend ma.s.s, go to confession, and communicate, at the times fixed by the Holy Mother Church.

Answered, that he was a Christian, and was baptized, according as he had heard from his parents, in the cathedral church of Manresa, but did not know the name of the bishop who confirmed him; that he made it a practice to hear ma.s.s, confess, and commune, at the times prescribed by the holy Mother Church, and that his last confession was in the town of Valles Campo de Tarragona, in the month of October last, on the day of Our Lady del Rosario of the fleet of Don John of Austria, which confession was made to a Carmelite friar, of the convent of that city, whose name he did not know; that he received the holy sacrament from the hands of the same Friar; that he had also confessed and received the sacrament during the Lent of the last year, in the church of Igualada, before a priest belonging there, whose name he did not know; and that he had a certificate to this effect in his possession, when he was taken to prison.

Here he crossed himself, repeated the Paternoster, Ave Maria, and Credo in Latin, the Salve Regina, the ten commandments, the seven deadly sins, and the general confession in Catalan, all correctly, and declared he knew nothing more of the christian doctrine.

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

Answered, that he could read, but badly, having taught himself. That he had never studied any art, and could not write.

Questioned, if he had ever been out of the kingdom of Arragon, and with what persons.

Answered, that he had once visited the kingdom of Granada, but not in company with any person; and that he had never had communication with people of suspicious faith.

Questioned, what were the events of his life.

Answered, that he was born in the city of Manresa, as aforesaid, and brought up in the house of his father, till the age of sixteen years, when he was sent to the town of Igualada, to Maestre Ando, a blacksmith and farrier, with whom he staid four months, learning his trade; that he afterwards resided in several places in Catalonia, and then visited Arragon and Granada, as above stated, made no long stay, but returned hither about two years ago; that lately he had been dwelling in the village of Pont de Armenteria, Campo de Tarragona, where he was seized by the Holy Office and brought to prison.

Questioned, if he knew or conjectured the cause of his being arrested and confined in the prison of the Holy Office.

Answered, that he knew not, nor could conjecture, unless it was for this; he had often cured persons of fevers and other disorders, with rosemary water, flor vitae, rue, &c., which art he had learned from G.o.d and the holy Mary our Lady, from whom he had received a particular gift for this purpose.