Records of The Spanish Inquisition Part 7

Questioned, in what manner, and at what time he had received this gift.

Answered, that he had received it at two years of age, having been born with a mole on his neck and two others on the left hip; that he had been sick in his youth for ten years or more with great lameness, and had entreated G.o.d and the Virgin to restore him to health, and grant him the power to cure others, that he might in this way earn his living.

Questioned, what reason he had for believing that G.o.d and our Lady had given him the above power.

Answered, that he was led to believe it from the good success which had accompanied his attempts to perform the abovementioned cures, which had been effected in the case of many persons whose names he did not remember, and from whom he had never received any pay but what they gave him out of charity; that if on the above account any testimony had been given against him, he supposed this to be the cause of his imprisonment by the Holy Office, although he was not conscious of ever having committed any offence against our Lord, nor knew any other reason for his being imprisoned.

The prisoner was then informed that in this Holy Office it was not customary to imprison any person without sufficient information that he had committed, or seen committed, some act which was, or appeared to be contrary to our holy Catholic Faith and Evangelical doctrine, which is taught and professed by the Holy Mother Roman Catholic Church, or against the proper and free jurisdiction of the Holy Office; for which reason he was to understand that it was in consequence of some such information that he had been apprehended, and on this account he was exhorted on the part of G.o.d our Lord and his glorious and blessed mother, the Virgin Mary, to bethink himself well, and confess the whole truth. Whereupon he was remanded to prison.

SECOND AUDIENCE.

In the Royal Palace of the Inquisition of Barcelona, on the eleventh day of January, one thousand six hundred and thirtythree, the Inquisitor, Dr Bernardo Luis Cotoner being at his morning audience, ordered the above Juan Duran 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 state according to his conscience.

Answered, that he had nothing more to say.

The prisoner was then informed, that he had been already in a former audience exhorted in the name of our Lord, and his glorious and blessed mother, the Virgin Mary, to bethink himself well, and unburthen his conscience by declaring the whole truth respecting all which he had done, said, seen, or heard, offensive against G.o.d, or contrary in reality or appearance to his Holy Catholic Faith and Evangelical Doctrine, taught and professed by the Holy Mother Roman Catholic Church, or against the proper and free jurisdiction of the Holy Office, without testifying anything false. By following this direction, he would demean himself like a true Catholic Christian, and would have his trial despatched with all possible brevity and mercy; but if not, justice should be executed upon him.

Answered, that he had nothing more to say. He was then admonished and remanded to prison.

Before me--

MIGUEL RODRIGUEZ.

THIRD AUDIENCE.

In the Royal Palace of the Inquisition of Barcelona, on the twelfth day of January, one thousand six hundred and thirtythree, the Inquisitors, Dr Bernardo Luis Cotoner, and Dr Domingo Abbad y Huerta, being at their morning audience, ordered the aforesaid Juan Duran, 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 by his conscience to declare.

Answered, that he had nothing more to say.

The prisoner was then informed, &c. [_The whole repeated as above._]

Answered, that he had nothing more to say.

He was then informed that the Promoter Fiscal of this Holy Office had an accusation to bring against him, before which he would do well to declare the whole truth, and unburthen his conscience, otherwise the Promoter Fiscal would appear and proceed to his trial.

Answered, that he had nothing more to say.

Straightway appeared Dr Francisco Gregorio, Promotor Fiscal of this Holy Office, and declared that he presented an accusation, signed with his name, against the said Juan Duran, taking an oath that he did not present the same through malice. The accusation was as follows:--

ACCUSATION.

I, Dr Francisco Gregorio, Fiscal of this Holy Office, appear before your Excellencies, and accuse criminally, Juan Duran, blacksmith, a native of the city of Manresa, attached to the secret prison of this Inquisition, and now present; inasmuch as the said person, being a baptized and confirmed Christian, and in the enjoyment of all the rights and immunities which such persons do and ought to enjoy, not having the fear of G.o.d before his eyes, but disregarding his own conscience and the justice administered by your Excellencies, has committed offences against our Holy Catholic Faith, by uttering superst.i.tious and blasphemous speeches, and compacting with the devil, in the manner following.

1. A few days before the feast of All Saints last, in a certain part of the town of Valles, in presence of certain persons, the said Duran declared, two or three times, that he possessed a book containing a prayer, of such efficacy, that if it were thrown into a fire along with a crucifix, the book would be preserved, and the crucifix consumed.

2d. In the same place and on the same occasion, the persons abovementioned hearing the said Duran repeat with much earnestness the above a.s.sertion, reproved him, and advised him to give over saying such things, as they were scandalous, and, if known to the Inquisition, would bring some punishment upon him; whereupon he again repeated it, and declared that he had said it and would say it again, thus remaining in his obstinacy and error.

3d. About three months since, in the town of Valles, the said prisoner being in conversation with a certain person, told him that he knew how to cure all disorders; that he had a book worth fifty ducats, as by merely looking at it he could cure any disease, and even restore the dead to life; and, moreover, that if people knew his great gifts he should become very rich.

4th. The said Duran declared, in the same place, at the same time, and to the same person, that he, the said Duran, had been circ.u.mcised with blood and wounds, like Jesus Christ, from which it is presumed that he has turned Jew.

5th. In consequence of the abovementioned cures, he has been in the habit of uttering forbidden and diabolical invocations, especially that of St Cyprian, which he has had in a small book, about his person; and it is believed that the cures he has performed have been executed by his diabolical arts and the league he has made with the devil.

6th. He has boasted, on many occasions, before certain persons, that G.o.d and the Holy Virgin had given him his power of curing; that the Virgin del Rosario had twice appeared to him, granted him the faculty of healing, and given him her benediction; all which a.s.sertions he has made to cover his villanies.

7th. From the above it is to be presumed that the said prisoner has uttered many other superst.i.tious and blasphemous speeches, and done many other things by the help of the devil, with whom he holds a particular intimacy; also that he is knowing to the commission by others of many such crimes, the whole of which he has maliciously concealed, and though advised by your Excellencies to declare the truth, has not done it, but has committed perjury.

For which reasons, I entreat that your Excellencies will receive my relation for true, or such part thereof as shall suffice for the ends of justice in a definitive sentence, and declare the accusation fully proved, and the said Juan Duran guilty of the commission of the said crimes, imposing upon him the heaviest punishments denounced against such offences, and executing them upon his person and goods for a penalty to himself, and an example to others; and also that he be put to the torture if this be found necessary, and that the torture be repeated till he confess the whole truth both of himself and others. And I formally swear that I do not bring this accusation out of malice, but solely to accomplish the ends of justice.

DR FRANCISCO GREGORIO.

The above accusation having been presented and read, the said Juan Duran was formally sworn to declare the truth, and answer to the same, article by article, which he did in the manner following.

To the head of the accusation, he answered that he was the same Juan Duran whom the Fiscal accused, but that he had committed no offence against the Holy Catholic Faith, nor been guilty of any blasphemies or superst.i.tions beyond what he had confessed.

To the first article he answered, that he confessed what was contained therein; that he uttered the words specified, in the town of Valles at the inn of La Cerdana, and that the book referred to was the one found upon him, with the invocation of St Cyprian and which was now exhibited; but that he had made the a.s.sertion abovementioned from mere ignorance and simplicity, not believing it himself; which confession he made with tears and begging for pardon.

To the second article, he answered, that it was true, but that he did not remember repeating the a.s.sertion after he had been reproved for it.

To the third article, he answered that it was true, and that the book alluded to was the one now exhibited; but that he never believed that he could raise the dead to life by the help of it.

To the fourth article, he answered that it was true, but that he was not circ.u.mcised, nor was he a Jew.

To the fifth article, he answered that he had used the invocation of St Cyprian on several occasions in cures, without knowing that it was forbidden, but did it from pure ignorance. He denied that he had any league with the devil.

To the sixth article, he answered that it was true, and that he had made some such boasts, on the following account; about fifteen years since, he was sick of lethargy, when our Lady del Rosario appeared to him, clothed in white, at the sight of which he was cured. The Virgin, however, did not tell him that he should possess the power to cure all diseases, and whether she gave him her benediction or not, he could not tell.

To the seventh article, he answered that he had never said or done any of the things charged upon him, save those confessed above, nor knew of any such which had been done by others.

To the conclusion of the accusation he answered that he had stated the whole truth; and even if he were put to the torture, could say nothing more. He ended by begging to have mercy shown him. The above being read in his presence is declared by him to be correctly recorded, and as he cannot write, I, the Inquisitor sign this.

DR BERNARDO LUIS COTONER.

Before me--

MIGUEL RODRIGUEZ.

The above Inquisitors then ordered the said Juan Duran to be furnished with a copy of the accusation, that he might within three days make arrangements for his defence, with the help of one of the advocates for the prisoners of the Holy Office. The prisoner made choice of Father Geronymo Vidal, Jesuit, for this purpose, who was forthwith ordered to be summoned; whereupon the audience closed, and the prisoner, having been admonished, was remanded to prison.

MIGUEL RODRIGUEZ.