History of the Inquisition from Its Establishment Till the Present TimeSime, William
History
History of the Inquisition from Its Establishment Till the Present Time
Sime, William
Inquisition; Inquisition -- History
59. If a prisoner dies before his trial is terminated, and his
declarations have not extenuated the charges of the witnesses, so as
to give a sufficient cause for reconciliation, the Inquisitors shall
give notice of his death to his children, or other persons who have the
right of defending his memory and property, in case they see cause to
pursue the trial of the deceased.
60-63. Specify chiefly the manner in which the children or heirs of the
deceased who wish to defend his memory or property are to proceed. But
few individuals dare enter the lists with such a powerful, tyrannical,
unjust, and avaricious tribunal, though perfect truth and equity be
clearly on their side.
64. When absent individuals are to be tried, they shall be thrice
summoned to appear at proper intervals; the fiscal denouncing them
contumacious at the end of each citation.
65. The Inquisitors may take cognizance of several crimes which
may occasion heresy, such as bigamy, blasphemy, and suspicious
propositions; the degree of punishment to depend on the prudence of the
judges.
66 and 67.—Refer to the manner of the Inquisitors giving their votes,
and of the duty of the secret notaries.
68. When the Inquisitors are informed that any of the prisoners have
communicated with other detained persons, they shall ascertain the
fact; in which case little credit can be given to any subsequent
declarations made by these persons, either in their own cause, or in
the trial of another.
69. When a trial has been suspended, if another commences, though
for a different crime, the charges of the first shall be added to
those of the second, and the fiscal shall maintain them in his act of
accusation, because they aggravate the new crime of which the prisoner
is accused.
70 and 71. Specify the necessity of keeping the prisoners separate, and
point out the treatment of those who fall sick.
72. The witnesses in a trial shall not be confronted, because
experience has shown that this measure is useless and inconvenient,
independently of the infringement of the law of secrecy which is the
result.
73. When an Inquisitor visits the towns of the district of his
tribunal, he shall not undertake any trial for heresy, or arrest any
denounced person, but he shall receive the declarations, and send them
to the tribunal; yet, if it is the case of a person whose flight may
be apprehended, he may be arrested and sent to the prisons of the holy
office.
74. In the definitive sentence pronounced against an individual guilty
of heresy, and condemned to be deprived of his property, the period
when he first fell into heresy shall be indicated, because this
knowledge may be useful to the steward of the confiscations, &c.
75. The jailer shall give an account of the common and daily
nourishment of each prisoner, according to the price of the eatables.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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