The History of the Inquisition of Spain from the Time of its Establishment to the Reign of Ferdinand VII.Llorente, Juan Antonio
History
The History of the Inquisition of Spain from the Time of its Establishment to the Reign of Ferdinand VII.
Llorente, Juan Antonio
Inquisition -- Spain
In 1544, Don Henry (who then occupied the see of Evora), and Cardinal
Don Juan Pardo de Tabera, inquisitor-general of Spain, with the consent
of their respective sovereigns, published a circular, in which they
announced, that as the two states were so near each other, and the
extent of the frontier favoured the flight of the persons prosecuted by
the Inquisition, they had agreed, 1st, to communicate reciprocally
everything which might interest the Inquisition; 2nd, to arrest in their
respective jurisdictions those subjects who were designated; 3rdly, to
keep them prisoners, and to claim the writings of the trial, because
this measure was less inconvenient than the exchange of the prisoners.
This convention was observed for some time; but in 1588 the inquisitors
of Lisbon sent a requisition to those of Valladolid, to deliver up to
them Gonzales Baez, who had been arrested at Medina del Campo: they
replied that this demand could not be admitted, as it was contrary to
the convention. The inquisitors of Portugal acknowledged the justice of
this claim; but those of Spain, who in 1568 found themselves in the same
situation, refused to conform to the measure, because they had at their
head Cardinal Espinosa, who was all-powerful with Philip. The cardinal
informed Don Henry that he had not ratified the convention, and that he
considered it more proper that the prisoner should be given up to the
tribunal which had instituted the trial. He requested Cardinal Henry to
apply to both their sovereigns, and promised to propose to the King of
Spain a measure which should be a general rule for all cases in future.
Don Henry commissioned Francis Pereira, the Portuguese ambassador at
Madrid, to terminate this dispute with Cardinal Espinosa. While this
affair was being negotiated, several Spaniards who had been condemned by
the tribunal of Llerena to be burnt in effigy as contumacious, were
arrested in Portugal by the inquisitors of Evora, who immediately
demanded the writings of the trial according to the convention of 1544.
The tribunal of Llerena replied that it was impossible not to follow the
example of Cardinal Espinosa. Almost at the same time these inquisitors
arrested some Portuguese who had escaped from their country. The Bishop
of Portalegre, inquisitor of Evora, reclaimed the prisoners, but the
tribunal refused to give them up, if the inhabitants of Albuquerque, who
had been arrested by the Inquisition of Evora, were not returned.
Cardinal Henry yielded to the Spanish Inquisition, but wrote to them on
the 5th of December to address a formal requisition on this subject,
while the Inquisition of Evora would do the same to Cardinal Espinosa.
The Supreme Council consented to this arrangement, and the prisoners
were exchanged.
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