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. XXXII. (Book 32)

History of Joseph Pereira de Montes.

AS Nothing instructeth better than examples, I will here succinctly relate what happened to one of the most considerable Gentlemen of Goa, named Ioseph Pereira de Montes; who having been Captain Ge∣neral of the Naval Armies of the King of Portugal, was commanded by the Governour of the Indies, (the Office of Vice-roy being then vacant) to go with his Ships to the relief of the Town of Diu, then besieged by the Arabians. He departed, and arriving at Bacaim, was constrained to stay there a longer time than he had intended, because the Winds were contrary; insomuch as the Arabians came down to Diu, sacked it, and returned laden with pillage, before the arrival of the relief. The Gene∣ral, who was come too late, having given his Orders returned to Goa; where he was scarce arrived, but the Governour, who was then Antonio de Mello de Castro, a sworn enemy of Ioseph Pereira, caused him to be apprehended, formed his Process; and because neither the Governour, nor even the Viceroy, have power to put Gentlemen to Death, with∣out receiving express Order from the Court of Portugal, Antonio de Mello not being able to take away the life of his Enemy, pronounced against him a sentence, the Execution of which was more cruel than Death it self, condemning him to be led through the great Streets of the City by the hand of the Hangman, with an Halter about his Neck, a Quonoville at his side, and an Herald walking before, and Proclaiming, that this Justice was performed by order of the King, on the person of this Criminal, attainted and convicted of Cowardize and Treason.

This cruel Sentence was Executed, notwithstanding the sollicitations of the friends of the Prisoner; who after he was led about in this infa∣mous posture, was carried back into Prison, whither he was scarce re∣turned, when a Familiar of the Holy Office came to apprehend him, and carry him to the Inquisition.

This new accident surprized the whole City, as knowing that Pereira could not be accused of Judaism, being no New Christian, and that he had always lived in good esteem; they expected therefore with impatience the next Act of Faith, to see the end of this business. But this Ceremo∣ny being performed after a year, he was not seen to appear, nor was his

Process heard to be read, which increased the astonishment of all. We are to know, that Ioseph Pereira had a long time since had a quarrel with a Gentleman of his acquaintance, with whom he had been afterwards reconciled. This false friend who had not lost his design of revenging himself, suborned with money 5 Domestick Servants of Pereira, to accuse him to the Inquisition as guilty of Sodomy, and produced these 5 Wit∣nesses, who deposed they had seen him commit this Crime with one of his Pages; whereupon the two accused persons were apprehended. The Page who had less constancy than his Master, whom he knew to be as well as himself in the Prisons of the Holy Office, and not doubting but that he was accused of the same Crime, whereof the Promotor pretend∣ed himself to be guilty, terrified by the threats of the Inquisitors, and fearing to be burnt, as he would in truth have been, if he had persisted to deny the fact, and seeing no other means to save his life, but in con∣fessing himself guilty, accused himself of a crime which he never com∣mitted, and so became a seventh Witness against his Master, the Inform∣er being accounted one, according to the Maxims of the Inquisition. His confession saved his life, and being freed at the first Act of Faith, he was condemned to be banished to Mozambique.

Nevertheless as Pereira persisted to maintain his innocence, they con∣demned him to the fire; and he had been carried to be burnt at the same Act of Faith wherein his Page appeared, if the continual protestati∣ons which he made of his innocence, had not induced his Judges to de∣fer the Execution of his Sentence, to try whether in time they could ob∣lige him to confess; or if they could not obtain more light in his case, they then reserved him to another Act of Faith, which was performed a year after, the Prisons being then sooner than ordinarily filled. During this year, the accuser and his Witnesses were examined diverse times, and one of the Judges resolving to examine the Witnesses separately, whether that night wherein they pretended to have seen their Master commit this detestable Crime, the Moon shone or not; the Witnesses agreeing not in the answer which they made to this Question, were put to the Rack, where they disowned all which they had testified against their Master. His innocence being thus clearly manifested, the accu∣sers were apprehended; Pereira came out innocent at the first Act of Faith, and the Witnesses two years after, at the same time with my self; when the first were condemned to the Gallys for 5 years, and that Gentleman banished for 9 years into the Coasts of Africa.

It is easie to judge that the confronting of Witnesses might have freed the Inquisitors from this trouble, and the accused person from the dan∣ger of being sacrificed by the hands of the Holy Office, to the fury and malice of his Enemy; who in my opinion ought, together with his Com∣plices,

to have been punished with the same kind of death, which they intended to have in••licted on an innocent Person. And we cannot doubt, but that this clemency of the Holy Office, exercised so openly towards such gross offenders, often gives incouragement to the like Attempts.