Torquemada and the Spanish Inquisition: A HistorySabatini, Rafael
History
Torquemada and the Spanish Inquisition: A History
Sabatini, Rafael
Inquisition -- Spain; Torquemada, Tomás, de, 1420-1498
Juan Franco goes on to say that they next met in the cave some time
after the crucifixion, and that his brother Alonso brought the heart
and the Host in a box which he gave to Tazarte, who withdrew with them
to a corner of the cave to carry out his enchantments. Later on they
assembled between Tenbleque and La Guardia--at a place which, according
to this witness, was called Sorrostros--and gave Benito a letter to
take to Zamora, this letter being tied with a coloured thread.
So far he is completely in accord with the other deponents; but now
there occurs a startling discrepancy. He says that at this last meeting
(which, we are told, took place some six months after the crucifixion),
in addition to the consecrated wafer and the letter for Abenamias, they
also gave Benito the heart to take to Zamora.
Now all the other depositions lead us to suppose that the heart and
the first wafer were employed--presumably consumed in some way--by
Tazarte in the enchantment performed at the first meeting after the
crucifixion, and that as doubts afterwards arose touching the efficacy
of the spells performed by the physician, another Host was obtained
some six months later, which they forwarded to Zamora.
Is the explanation the simple one that Juan Franco is mistaken on
the subject of the heart? It seems possible, because he adds that
he did not actually see the Host (on this particular occasion), but
that he understood that it was given to Benito. Similarly he may
have understood--erroneously taking it for granted--that the heart
accompanied it.
* * * * *
And now you may see the confrontation bearing fruit, and yielding
the results which we must suppose are sought by the inquisitors--the
further incrimination of Yucé Franco.
Juan de Ocaña is examined again on October 20 and questioned as to
Yucé’s participation in the crime. He now adds to his former confession
that Yucé and the others used great vituperations to the child,
which vituperations were really aimed at Jesus Christ; he cites the
expressions, and in the main they are those we have already quoted from
the Testimonio[201]; these, he says, were used by Ça Franco and his
two sons. He says that they all whipped the boy, and that it was Yucé
himself who drew blood from the arms of the victim with a knife.
“Whence was the child?” they ask him.
He replies that it was the dead Jew Mosé Franco who had brought the
boy from Quintanar to Tenbleque on a donkey, and that, according to
Mosé’s story, he was the son of Alonso Martin of Quintanar.[202] From
Tenbleque several of them, amongst whom were Yucé and his father,
brought him on the donkey to the cave where he was crucified, and it
was Yucé who went to summon the brothers Franco of La Guardia, Benito
Garcia, and the witness himself.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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