Note 13 — RECORDS OF THE SPANISH INQUISITION.

‘The least mixture of African, Indian, Moorish, or Jewish blood taints a whole generation. Nor does the knowledge of such a fact die away in the course of years, or become unnoticed from the obscurity and humbleness of the parties. Not a child in this populous city (Seville) is ignorant that a family, who, beyond the memory of man, have kept a confectioner’s shop in a central part of the town, had one of their ancestors punished by the Inquisition for a relapse into Judaism. I well recollect how, when a boy, I often passed that way, scarcely venturing to cast a side glance on a pretty young woman, who constantly attended the shop, for fear, as I said to myself, of shaming her. A person free from tainted blood is defined by law, ‘Christiano viejo, limpio de toda mala raza.’ An old Christian, free from all bad race and stain. The severity of this law, or rather of the public opinion enforcing it, shuts out its victims from every employment in church or state, and excludes them even from fraternities, or religious associations, which are otherwise open to persons of the lowest ranks. I verily believe that were St Peter a Spaniard, he would either deny admittance into heaven to a people of tainted blood, or send them to a retired corner, where they might not offend the eyes of the old Christians.’

Doblado’s Letters from Spain.

[14] Attorney General.

[15] Calificacion or qualification, a judgment pronounced upon the character and tendency of any actions or speeches denounced before the Inquisition. This was done by officers holding a special commission for that purpose called Calificadores.

[16] There were three sorts of persons distinguished by the Tribunal as suspected of heresy; those who were lightly suspected, those who were seriously suspected, and those who were violently suspected. The lightly suspected were designated by the term de levi, and the seriously and violently suspected, by the term de vehementi.

Llorente Hist. de la Inquisicion.

[17] Du bist ein narr das du dies glaubst.

[18] There were three methods of torture; the cord, fire, and water.

In the first method, they tied the hands behind the back of the patient by means of a cord which passed through a pulley attached to the roof, and the executioners drew him up as high as possible. After suspending him for some time, the cord was loosened, and he fell within six inches of the ground. This terrible shock dislocated all the joints and cut the flesh even to the sinews. The process was renewed every hour and left the patient without strength or motion. It was not until after the physician had declared that the sufferer could no longer endure the torture without dying, that the Inquisitors sent him back to prison.

The second was performed by means of water. The executioners stretched the victim over a wooden instrument like a spout, fitted to receive the body of a man, without any bottom but a stick passing across it. The body falling backwards, came to such a position that the feet were higher than the head. In this state the respiration became very painful, and the patient suffered the most dreadful agonies in all his limbs from the pressure of the cords, the knots of which cut into the flesh. In this cruel position the executioners passed into the throat a piece of fine linen, wet, a part of which covered the nostrils. They then turned water into the mouth and nose and left it to filter so slowly that one hour at least was consumed before the sufferer had swallowed a drop, although it trickled without interruption. Thus the patient found no interval for respiration. At every moment he made an effort to swallow, hoping to give passage to a little air; but the wet linen prevented this, and caused the water to enter by the nostrils. Thus it often happened that when the torture was finished, they drew the linen from the throat all stained with the blood of the vessels which had been burst by the struggles of the unfortunate victim. It should be added, that every instant, a powerful arm turned the fatal lever, and at each turn the cords which bound the arms and legs penetrated to the very bones.

If by this second torment they could obtain no confession, the Inquisitors resorted to fire. For this purpose the executioners tied the hands and feet in such a manner that the sufferer could not change his position. They then rubbed the feet with oil and lard, and other penetrating matter, and placed them before the fire, until the flesh was so roasted that the bones and sinews appeared in every part.—Llorente, Hist. de la Inquisicion.

[19] When the crime imputed to the accused was not certain, and he had not entangled himself in the interrogatories, he was acquitted, on the condition that he should make a formal abjuration of his heresies and be purged, after the canonical fashion, of the suspicion attached to him. After this, he was absolved ad cautelam, or, in other words, as having been suspected of heresy.—Llorente, Hist. de la Inquisicion.

[20] One who makes a voluntary confession, and takes his trial on the strength of the evidence which he gives against himself, rather than the testimony of other witnesses.

[21] As a specimen of the modern Catalan dialect, the original of the above letter is subjoined.

Mol Ille Sor

Estan en la Campana ab Juan Baptista Viada All, de Casas lo Dia 12 del corren, parlan de Sermons de Animas: meapar mol, que el digué de esta Manera; de que ell abia oyit á differens, que no creyan ab lo Infern, ó ab lo Purgatori, peró que ell si, que hi creya.