A History of the Inquisition of Spain; vol. 1Lea, Henry Charles
History
A History of the Inquisition of Spain; vol. 1
Lea, Henry Charles
Inquisition -- Spain
The nobles had seen the disadvantage of the sternly oppressive laws and
disregarded them to their own great benefit, thus raising the envy of
the districts obliged to observe them, for the Córtes of 1462 petitioned
Henry to restore liberty of trade between Christian and Jew, alleging
the inconvenience caused by the restriction and the depopulation of the
crown lands for, as trade was permitted in the lands of the nobles, the
Jews were concentrating there. When further the Córtes asked that Jews
should be permitted to return with their property and trades to the
cities in the royal domains from which they had been expelled, it
indicates that popular aversion was becoming directed to the Conversos
rather than to the Jews.[358] It may be questioned whether it was to
preserve the advantage here indicated or to gain popular favor, that the
revolted nobles, in 1460, demanded of Henry that he should banish from
his kingdoms all Moors and Jews who contaminated religion and corrupted
morals and that, when they deposed him, in 1465, at Avila and elevated
to the throne the child Alfonso, the _Concordia Compromisoria_ which
they dictated, annulled the Pragmática of Arévalo and restored to vigor
the laws of 1412 and the bull of Benedict XIII. This frightened the
Jews, who offered to Henry an immense sum for Gibraltar, where they
proposed to establish a city of refuge, but he refused.[359]
The fright was superfluous for, in the turbulence of the time, the
repressive legislation was speedily becoming obsolete. When the
reforming Council of Aranda, in 1473, made but a single reference to
Jews and Moors and this was merely to forbid them to pursue their
industries publicly on Sundays and feast days, with a threat against the
judges who, through bribery, permitted this desecration, it is fair to
conclude that the law of 1412, if observed at all, was enforced only in
scattered localities.[360] That the restrictions on commercial activity
were obsolete is manifest from a complaint, in 1475, to the sovereigns,
from the Jews of Medina del Pomar, setting forth that they had been
accustomed to purchase in Bilbao, from foreign traders, cloths and other
merchandise which they carried through the kingdom for sale, until
recently the port had restricted all dealings with foreigners to the
resident Jews, whereupon Ferdinand and Isabella ordered these
regulations rescinded unless the authorities could show good reasons
within fifteen days.[361]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account