Note 6 — LETTER BY A SPANISH OFFICER

The father of Doña Maria Josepha frequently came to our house after we were reconciled, and consequently I went to that in which he lived, and on my part showed to him the same kindness as before—not only because my good-will had forgiven him, but on account of the promises that we had given each other on the occasion when the previous governor made us friends, or rather reconciled us, that we would go on in the future without the least change. Notwithstanding this, [he acted strangely]—I know not whether it were because his perverted mind was, as a result of the ill-success of his evil designs, permanently impaired; or because he had formed the opinion that I had some share in the removal of the above-mentioned director of his from the church, in order to banish him to the military post. This [latter] idea was contrary to the facts in the case; for it is certain that I had not even the slightest shadow of complicity in that incident. It is he [i.e., my wife’s father] who (at the time when the said his director was in the aforesaid archiepiscopal prison), coming on foot through a street in which I was riding in a forlon6 on the opposite side [from him], began when I approached close to him to fling himself about like a madman, and to utter such insulting terms that, although I could not, on account of the noise made by the forlon, distinguish what he meant by them, they compelled me, notwithstanding that I was going forth on pressing business, to order that the forlon halt, in order to ascertain what was the cause of that outcry, or what was the matter with him. Immediately he advanced like a wild beast to the side of the forlon, where he began, with the same wild behavior as before, to break out in extravagant utterances, such as “What knavery and wickedness is this?” with others that were equally or even more disrespectful. When I saw this, although I could not help growing hot within [at conduct] so unusual, discourteous, and besides without cause, I maintained outwardly a countenance without the least change; and in that attitude I expostulated with him—saying that he should tell me what caused him to act thus, since I was ignorant of the cause; and that he must endeavor to moderate his behavior, and not apply such language to me, but must use such terms as were proper. With these and other arguments, and the mild way in which I stated them to him, it was to be expected that he would, unless he were blind with passion, cease from his mad behavior; but he was so contrary that he displayed even much more excitement, and broke out into even wilder utterances. Notwithstanding that so great provocation was enough to have made me alight without the least delay from the forlon in order to obtain satisfaction from him, I was so patient that I again expostulated with him aiming therein to avoid all violence, and for my part to keep the promise which at the time of the reconciliation we had each given to the governor and also to the archbishop, in order that there should not be the least trouble between us. The return that he made for this was, to tell me, still more angrily, to alight from the forlon, and that down there I would find out what I wanted to know. At this new and extreme provocation, [given] in his evil and malicious manner, my patience was exhausted and I sprang out of the forlon; but before I had set my feet on the ground he came toward me with a naked short sword [espadin] which he wore, with a blade of the size prescribed for a sword, as was afterward found. At this I drew my own sword (which is one of the regular style); but as it was necessary for me to make unusual exertions in using it, as it was quite rusty, he wounded me at this time with his weapon, in two fingers of the left hand. We made thrusts at each other several times, during which—either through the blindness in which his furious passion kept him, or for some other reason, I know not what—he several times afforded me sufficient opportunity to have taken his life, if I had chosen to do so. Notwithstanding this, as I had drawn my sword with no other intention than to defend myself, and not to injure him seriously, I behaved toward him accordingly; so I proceeded to disarm him, and, throwing him to the ground, I drew my own short sword, in order that he might more clearly recognize the kindness that I was doing him. At this point different persons came up to separate us; and the governor, when he heard of this occurrence and the excessive provocation which I had had, gave orders to the sargento-mayor to convey my antagonist to the castle of this city. As for me, on account of the legal formalities [necessary] until the judicial investigation of the affair was made, he sent me a message directing me to remain under arrest or detention at home. Before the said sargento-mayor could reach him [i.e., my wife’s father] to conduct him to the castle, the professor of laws who is an honorary auditor—a native of Leganès, of whom I told your Grace in my previous letters, and who was a great friend of his—carried my wife’s father, half-covered with mud as he was, to the presence of the governor; and he pleaded so urgently that in place of sending him to the castle they should transfer his prison to his own house, that the governor had to comply with his request. [Santisteban’s account of the settlement of this affair is too prolix to be repeated here in full. The substance of it is, that an investigation was made by Auditor Martinez, and by him referred to the Audiencia, where it was decided that the difficulty should be smoothed over, and the parties again reconciled to each other; the governor is obliged to agree with this decision, but remains the firm friend of Santisteban. The latter is willing to forgive his assailant, but wishes to avoid the recurrence of such troubles; he confers thereon with the archbishop, who promises to arrange matters with the governor, but dies before he can attend to this matter. Later, Santisteban and his father-in-law are nominally reconciled, but with the proviso that they do not go to each other’s houses; but Santisteban is obliged to be on his guard against the secret machinations of the other.]