The licentiate Antonio de Villena, a native of Albacete, and a priest and preacher much esteemed at court, appeared in the _auto-da-fé_ in his shirt, with his head uncovered and a flambeau in his hand; he abjured heresy as slightly suspected. He was reconciled, and condemned to one year's imprisonment, without the privilege of celebrating the holy mysteries; deprived for ever of the power of preaching, banished from Madrid for two years, and obliged to pay five hundred ducats toward the expenses of the holy office. His crime was having spoken ill of the Inquisition, and of the inquisitor-general Valdés, saying that he persecuted him, and that he would find an opportunity of complaining to the king. He had also been unfortunate enough to betray the system of the prisons of the holy office, after having been detained there twice for suspicious propositions. Juan de Sotomayor, of Jewish origin, and a native of the town of Murcia, appeared in the _auto-da-fé_ as a penitent, with the gag and the cord round his neck. He was condemned to receive two hundred stripes, to wear the _San-benito_, and to be imprisoned in the _House of Mercy_ for life, with a threat that he should be treated with still greater severity if he presumed to converse with any one on the affairs of the Inquisition. Juan de Sotomayor had already been arrested and condemned to a penance, as suspected of Judaism. When he was set at liberty, he conversed with several persons on the subject, repeated the confession he had made, and some other circumstances. This was the crime for which he was condemned to receive two hundred stripes, and to be imprisoned for life! Francis Guillen, a merchant, of Jewish origin, appeared in the _auto-da-fé_, with several persons condemned to be _relaxed_, in virtue of a definitive sentence confirmed by the Supreme Council, which was to be read during the ceremony, with the charges against him. In the midst of the _auto-da-fé_ Francis announced that he had new declarations to make. Immediately Don Jerome Manrique (son of the Cardinal of that name, and who was afterwards inquisitor-general) descended from the tribunal, took off the insignia of _relaxation_, and gave Francis those belonging to a person intended to be reconciled. The history of this trial proves the arbitrary conduct, and the disorder with which the inquisitors pursued and judged the causes, and executed their sentences.