John, of Austria, 1547-1578; Spain -- History -- Philip II, 1556-1598
The prisoners were placed on the steps in the order arranged, those
condemned to death separated from the others, and the Auto was begun by
a young Dominican brother, of ruddy complexion, and rapid and violent in
his marvellous eloquence, mounting the centre pulpit. It was the
celebrated Maestro Fr. Melchor Cano, one of the most learned men of his
time, and he preached for more than an hour on the text of St. Matthew,
"Flee from false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but
inwardly they are ravening wolves."
The sermon ended, the Archbishop of Seville, Valdéz, the Inquisitor of
Valladolid, Vaca, and his secretary mounted the throne to submit the
oath to the Prince and Princess. The Archbishop carried a beautiful
cross of gold and jewels, the Inquisitor a missal, and the secretary the
form of the oath written on parchment. Standing up, the Prince and
Princess, D. Carlos cap in hand, swore by the cross and missal in these
words, which the secretary read: "That as Catholic Princes they would
defend with all might and life the Catholic faith as held and believed
by the Holy Mother Church Apostolic of Rome, and its conservation and
increase; that they would give all the necessary favour and help to the
Holy Office of the Inquisition and its ministers, that heretics,
disturbers of the Christian religion which they professed, should be
punished according to the Apostolic decrees and sacred canons, without
omission on their part or making any exception." "El Relator" Juan de
Ortega then read this same formula to the people from one of the
tribunes of the lower platform, crying first three times, "Oyez! Oyez!
Oyez!"
And the people, with the vehemence of conviction and the haste of those
who have received a warning, answered with one voice, with one cry of
fear and conviction, "Yes, we swear."
Then the same "Relator," Juan de Ortega, and the clerk of Toledo, Juan
de Vergara, ascended the two tribunes on the platform, and began to read
alternately, the trials and convictions of the prisoners beginning with
Dr. Cazalla. From a high pulpit each heard his own sentence read, and
remained all the time with a lighted taper of green wax in his hand,
exposed to public shame. Then it was that Doña Ana de Enriquez nearly
fell out of the pulpit overwhelmed with confusion.
At four o'clock in the afternoon the reading was ended. Then the
Archbishop of Seville put on his pontifical vestments, and solemnly
absolved and restored to the bosom of the Church the sixteen reconciled
prisoners, who were then taken back to their respective cells. The other
fourteen, who were condemned to death, left at the same time, some
walking, others riding on donkeys, to be garrotted, and afterwards burnt
on the Parade Ground.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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