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
decisions there was to be no appeal. But to furnish the necessary
personal security for the fulfilment of this offer, it was significantly
added that it would be necessary for the king and Cardinal Adrian to
give safe-conducts to the parties, protecting them from prosecution by
the Inquisition and these must be issued in the current month of October
so that there might be time to raise the money.[595] It is scarce
necessary to say that this proposition was unsuccessful. Charles was
under the influence of Cardinal Adrian and Adrian was controlled by his
colleagues. It was asking too much of inquisitors that they should agree
to allow themselves to be restricted to the impartial administration of
the cruel laws against heresy, to be content with salaries and forego
the opportunities of peculation. It was also in vain that the Córtes of
Coruña, in 1520, repeated the request of those of Valladolid for a
reform in procedure.[596] Charles sailed for Flanders leaving his
subjects exposed to all the evils under which they had groaned so long.
There were still occasional ebullitions of resistance for, in 1520,
when the tribunal of Cuenca arrested the deputy corregidor it gave rise
to serious troubles and Inquisitor Mariano of Toledo was despatched
thither with his servants and familiars to restore peace, a task which
occupied him for five months.[597]
A still further project for mitigating the rigors of the Inquisition was
laid before Charles in 1520, apparently after his arrival in Flanders.
This proposed no payment, but suggested that the expenses should be
defrayed by the crown, which should wholly withdraw the confiscations
from the control of the inquisitors. With this were connected various
reforms in procedure--revealing the names of witnesses, allowing the
accused to select his advocate and to see his friends and family in
presence of the gaoler, the punishment of false witness by the _talio_,
the support of wife and children during the trial from the sequestrated
property and some others.[598] There would seem also, about 1522, to
have been a further offer to Charles of seven hundred thousand ducats
for the abandonment of confiscation, but it does not appear what
conditions accompanied it.[599] It was all useless. The grasp of the
Inquisition on Spain was too firm and its routine too well established
for modification.
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