The history of the Inquisition, as it is exercised at Goa written in French, by the ingenious Monsieur Dellon, who laboured five years under those severities ; with an account of his deliverance ; translated into English.

CHAP. XIV. (Book 14)

Of the Iujustice which is committed by the Inquisition, in respect of Persons accused of Iudaism.

FOR to illustrate this matter well, I will suppose that a new Christi∣an, but who nevertheless is very sincerely and truly a Christian de∣s••ended from these unfortunate, Families, is arrested by order of the Ho∣ly

Office; and that he is accused not only by seven Witnesses, but by fifty, if you will. This man who is assured of his own innocence, which he hopeth will be undoubtedly acknowledged, maketh no scruple to give to his Judge an exact declaration of all his Goods, which he be∣lieveth will be faithfully restored to him. Nevertheless these Gentle∣men no sooner get them into their Hands, but they sell them publickly, as being well assured that they shall never restore any thing.

Some months being passed, this Man is called to Audience, for to ask him, if he knows why he is put in Prison; to which he fails not to an∣swer, that he knoweth no reason: He is then exhorted to consider se∣riously, and to tell them; since this is the only means speedily to re∣cover his Liberty; after which he is remitted to his Lodgings. He is again brought to Audience some time after, and is asked diverse times in the same manner, without drawing any other answer from him. But at last the time of the Lauto Dafe approaching, the Promotor presents himself, and declares to him, that he is accused by a good number of un∣exceptionable Witnesses to have Judaized; which consisteth in observing the Ceremonies of the Mosaick Law, as not to eat Swines Flesh, an Hare, or Fish without Scales; to have assembled with others, and so∣lemnized the Sabbath day: to have eaten the Paschal Lamb, and so in the rest. He is then conjured by the Bowels of the Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, (for these are the proper terms which they affect to use in this Holy House) voluntarily to confess his Crimes, since this is the on∣ly means which remain for him to save his Life•• and that the Holy Office seeketh all possible means not to suffer him to destroy himself. This in∣nocent Man perfi••teth in denying what is charged on him, and hereup∣on he is condemned as a Negative Convicted Person, (that is to say, one who is convicted but will not confess his Crime) to be delivered up to the Secular Arm, to be punished according to the Laws, that is, for to be burnt.

Yet they never discontinue to exhort him to accuse himself, and pro∣vided that he do it before the Eve of his being led forth to Execution, he may yet avoid death. But if he persist to protest his innocence, maugre all Exhortations. Sollicitations, and even Torture it self, which are used to oblige him to accuse himself; at last they signifie to him the Decree of his Execution on the Friday, which immediately precedeth the Sunday of his being carried forth. This signification is made in presence of a Serjeant of the Secular Justice, who casteth a Cord upon the Hands of the pretended Guilty Person, in token that he taketh possession of him, after that the Ecclesiastical Justice hath abandoned him; after that a Confessor is brought in, who never leaveth the condemned Person ei∣ther Night or Day: who never ceaseth to press him particularly, and

exhort him to confess that whereof he is accused, that he may thereby save his Life. An innocent Man must needs then find himself in a great perplexity. If he continueth to deny till Sunday, he is cruelly put to death the same day; and if he accuseth himself, he becometh infamous and miserable for his whole Life. Nevertheless, if the Exhortations of his Confessor, and the fear of the punishment, induce him to confess Crimes which he never committed, he must desire to be carried to Audi∣ence, which fails not to be immediately granted. Being there in pre∣sence of his Judges, he must first declare himself Guilty, and then ask pardon as well for his Crimes, as his Obstinacy, in refusing so long to confess them. And as they always imagine, they have reason to believe they accuse themselves sincerely, they oblige him to relate all his faults and errours particularly: And so this innocent man, to whom they have already signified the depositions of his enemies, not being able to perform what is required of him, is forced to repeat that, which he had before heard told to him. This man may then, perhaps, imagine that he shall be wholly quitted; but there remain things to be done by him in∣comparably more difficult than all which he hath hitherto done; for the Inquisitors fail not to speak to him very near, in this manner. If you have been at the Assemblies upon the Sabbath day, as you say; and that your accusers have been there present, as is very probable; for to con∣vince us of the sincerity of your repentance, it is necessary that you name not only those who have accused you, but moreover all those who have been with you at these Assemblies.

It is not easie to discover the reason which induced Messieurs of the Holy Office, to oblige these pretended Iews to guess the Witnesses which have accused them; unless it be that the Witnesses of assembling in the Sabbath are complices of the fact. But how shall this poor inno∣cent be able to guess? And if he should be guilty, for what end is it that he must name them to the Holy Office, which already knows them, since she hath received their deposition, and that it is only upon account of this deposition that she thus treateth the accused person as guilty? In all other cases they permit not that the Criminals shall know their Wit∣nesses, against whom they would have objections to alledge; here they force them to guess who they are. They are Complices, I grant it▪ but the Inquisition will not a bit the better know them after the accused person shall have named them. If they accuse themselves voluntarily, the Inquisition hath no more to say to them. If they have been forced to confess their crimes in the Prisons of the Inquisition, they are there still where they were before; and it concerns not the Holy Office to make the accused person guess their names; himself will not become thereby the more innocent, nor they the less guilty. The accused

person and the witnesses are equally in the power of the Inquisition; what in then the Design and Interest of these Judges? Unless it be to cause that this man should accuse all his Complices in seeking to guess out his Wittnesses. This may serve for somewhat if he be truly guilty, but if he be not, this necessity of guessing cannot but involve the Inno∣cents; and so it happens, for this poor new Christian being forced to name people whom he knows not, to the Inquisition, who knows them (since without that, the confession of a crime, whereof he is innocent, would nothing avail him, to save him from the fire.) Reasons very near thus. It must necessarily be, that those who have accused me, should be of my kindred, of my friends, of my neighbours; and lastly, some of the new Christians, whose company I have wont to frequent: For the ancient Christians are never almost accused or suspected of Judaism. And it may be that these persons have been reduced to the same condi∣tion wherein I am at present; it is necessary therefore that I accuse all round about me: and as it is not impossible that he should guess punctually, and in order, those who have deposed against him, to find out the six or seven persons who have accused him, he is necessarily obliged to name a great number of innocent persons who had never thought of him; against whom, nevertheless, himself becomes a Witness by his declarati∣on, which is ofttimes sufficient to cause them to be arrested, and keep them in the Prisons of the Holy Office, till with time they can get seven Witnesses against them, as against him, whom I have already supposed: which will be sufficient to cause them to be condemned to the fire.