Andrew Dickson White - Records of the Spanish Inquisition, Translated from the Original Manuscripts

Answered, that he had nothing more to say, and the above being read to him, he declared it to be the truth according to the oath which he had sworn, and that he had nothing to alter or diminish from what is therein contained, and with this admonition, to bethink himself well, and declare the truth, he was remanded to prison.

In the Royal Palace of the Inquisition of Barcelona, on the nineteenth day of September, one thousand six hundred and thirtyfive, the Inquisitor, Doctor Domingo Abbad y Huerta being at his morning audience, presiding upon affairs of justice, ordered the above Pedro Ginesta 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 divulge, with all truth, to discharge his conscience.

Answered, that he had nothing more to say.

The prisoner was then admonished on the part of God our Lord, &c. [ The whole repeated as above. ]

Answered, that he had nothing more to say; and being admonished to bethink himself well, and declare the truth, he was remanded to prison.

Before me—

In the Royal Palace of the Inquisition of Barcelona, on the twentieth day of September, one thousand six hundred and thirtyfive, the Inquisitor, Dr Domingo Abbad y Huerta being at his morning audience, ordered the above Pedro Ginesta to be brought from his prison, which being done, and the prisoner present, he was

Questioned, if he remembered anything relating to his affair which he was bound to divulge, in all truth, and to discharge his conscience.

Answered, that he had nothing more to say.

The prisoner was then informed that in the audiences which had already been given, he had been admonished on the part of God our Lord, &c. [ The whole repeated as before. ]

Answered that he had nothing more to say.

The prisoner was then notified that the Promotor Fiscal 14 14 Attorney General. of this Holy Office had an accusation to bring against him, before which he would do well to declare the whole truth, as he had already been admonished, in which case, he would experience more fully the mercy which the Holy Office ever extends to those who confess freely; otherwise the Fiscal would attend and proceed to the accusation.

Straightway appeared Doctor Francisco Gregorio, Promoter Fiscal of this Holy Office, and presented the accusation, signed by himself, against the said Pedro Ginesta, making oath that it was not done out of malice; which accusation was as follows:—

I, Doctor Francisco Gregorio, Fiscal of this Holy Office, appear before your Excellency, and accuse criminally, Pedro Ginesta, brazier, a native of the village of Orliach, bishopric of St Flor, in Ubernia, in the kingdom of France, resident in this principality, attached to the secret prison of the Inquisition, and now present,—stating that the said person, being a baptized and confirmed Christian, and enjoying the graces and benefits which such persons do and ought to enjoy, not having the fear of God before his eyes, but regardless of his own conscience and the justice administered by your Excellency, has committed offences against our Holy Faith, by saying and performing things which savour of the heretic Luther, in the manner following.

The said prisoner being in a certain part of the village of Semiana in the bishopric of Urgel on the fast of St Bartholomew last, in company with another certain person, did cause to be cooked a dish of bacon and onions; and, being reminded to take heed, for it was a fast, and such food was forbidden, replied by ordering the meat to be cooked, and in fact when the said meat was cooked, did proceed to eat the same, in company with the other person mentioned, and notwithstanding he was informed by another person while eating, that it was St Bartholomew’s day, and a fast, at which time it was not allowed to eat such food, the said prisoner continued to eat the remainder of the said bacon.

Furthermore, the said prisoner being of a nation infected with heresy, it is presumed that he has on many other occasions eaten flesh on forbidden days, after the manner of the sect of Luther, and committed many other offences against our Holy Faith, besides knowing that others have committed the same offences, and the said prisoner having been admonished by your Excellency to declare the truth, has not done it, but has perjured himself.

For which reasons I entreat your Excellency that full evidence being given to my accusation, or to such a part of the same as shall suffice for the ends of justice in the decision of the present case, your Excellency will declare my accusation proved, and the said Pedro Ginesta guilty of the above offences, imposing upon him the heaviest punishments fixed by statute upon the said offences, and ordering them to be executed upon his person and goods, as a penalty to himself and an example to others; and that the prisoner, if it be found necessary, be put to the torture, and that the same 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, which I now request at your hands.

This accusation having been presented and read, the said Pedro Ginesta was formally sworn to declare the truth in answer to every interrogatory relating thereto. The accusation being read over, article by article, he answered as follows:—

To the head of the accusation, he answered that he was the same Pedro Ginesta whom the Fiscal accuses, but had never committed any offence against our Holy Catholic Faith, nor done, nor said anything which pertained to the sect of Luther or any other heresy.

To the first article he answered, confessing that he had eaten bacon and onions on the said eve of St Bartholomew, and that although it was true he had been reminded that it was a fast, he had forgotten it, and on being again told of it while at his meal he immediately left off eating; that the person who ate with him was a young man, son to Borbon Merchante; that he did not do the above act out of disrespect to the Church or its precepts, well knowing that it was forbidden to eat flesh on such days, which regulation he had observed throughout his life, and remained in the determination to observe, believing in all the doctrines taught by the holy Catholic Roman Church. Here the prisoner fell upon his knees and declared that he had offended through forgetfulness.

To the second article he answered, that he had never at any other time committed the same offence, nor had he concealed the truth as to this point, either respecting himself or his companion, being an obedient son of the Church.

To the conclusion of the accusation, he answered that even if he were put to the torture, he could not declare anything further, and that he had offended, not from any bad intention, but through forgetfulness, occasioned by his great age.

The above is the truth according to the oath of the prisoner, and being read in his presence, is declared by him to be correctly recorded.

Before me—

The Inquisitor then ordered him a copy of the accusation that he might, within three days, make arrangements for his trial and defence by conferring and agreeing with one of the lawyers who are counsel for those persons tried by the Holy Office, namely, Doctor Magrina, priest, and Micar Morato, giving the prisoner liberty to make choice of either. The prisoner made choice of Dr Magrina, on which the Inquisitor ordered him to be summoned. The audience then closed, and the prisoner being admonished was remanded to prison.