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 tribunal had been active and efficient. Already, in June, 1488, a
list of those reconciled under the Edicts of Grace amounted to 983 and,
among these, no less than a hundred women are described as the wives or
daughters of men who had been burnt. Those included in this enumeration
were given assurance that their property would not be subject to
confiscation--unless it had already been sequestrated--and that they
could effect sales and make good titles. Apparently inquisitorial zeal
disregarded this assurance for these penitents applied for and obtained
its confirmation, May 30, 1491.[637] Of course they had been subjected
to heavy fines under the guise of pecuniary penance and we can readily
imagine how large was the sum thus contributed to the coffers of the
Inquisition, to which as yet these fines enured.
ARAGON.
[Sidenote: _OPPOSITION IN SARAGOSSA_]
The parent state of Aragon proper seemed at first sight to present an
even more arduous problem than Valencia. The people were proud of their
ancient liberty and resolute in its maintenance, through institutions
sedulously organized for that purpose. The Conversos were numerous,
wealthy and powerful, occupying many of the higher offices and
intermarried with the noblest houses and, in the fate of their brethren
of Castile, they had ample warning of what was in store for them. In the
revival of the old Inquisition, Valencia was the scene of action and we
hear little of Gualbes and Orts beyond its boundaries. The acceptance,
however, by the Córtes of Tarazona, in the Spring of 1484, of
Torquemada's jurisdiction, of course included Aragon; he lost no time in
organizing a tribunal in Saragossa, by the appointment, May 4th, as
inquisitors of Fray Gaspar Juglar and of Maestre Pedro Arbués, a canon
of the cathedral, with the necessary subordinates and, by May 11th, the
appointments for a full court were completed, as we learn by an order
for the payment of the salaries.[638] The expense was large but it was
already provided for; Torquemada must himself have employed his leisure
in acting as inquisitor for, on May 10th, an auto de fe was held in the
cathedral in which four persons were penanced and subjected to
confiscation.[639] Gaspar Juglar in this appointment obtained his reward
for the services he had rendered as a nominator of inquisitors, but he
did not long enjoy it; he disappears almost immediately, poisoned, as it
was said, by the Conversos in some _rosquillas_ or sweet cakes.[640] No
time was lost in getting to work. Ferdinand had written from Tarazona,
May 10th, that the Edict of Grace which had been resolved upon was not
to be published, but that proceedings should go on as if it had been
proclaimed and had expired, thus depriving the Conversos of the
opportunity of coming forward for confessing, and explaining the absence
at Saragossa of the long lists of penitents that we find elsewhere.[641]
Thus, although some time must have been required for the members of the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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