Records of the Spanish Inquisition, Translated from the Original Manuscripts

Questioned, if she knew why she was summoned to appear.

Answered, that she supposed it to be on account of the following statement which she had made to the Inquisition. She had confessed herself in the chapel of San Luis, or the church of the Convent of San Diego, in the town of Cardona, to Father Fr. Felix Coll, of the order of St. Francisco, then residing in the said convent, and, during confession or immediately after, while in the confessionary of that chapel, where he was deputed to hear confessions from February till September, 1697, he, at various times to the number of twenty or twentyfive, touched her with his hands, squeezed her face and neck, and on one occasion attempted to kiss her, but she prevented him by turning away her head. Also, on another occasion, he told her that he should ruin her, and that she must not speak of it or discover it to any one, as he did not act from any bad intention, but that all was done for her benefit. He further told her that he wanted to go to her house.

Questioned, if she knew that this person had solicited any others during confession or immediately before or after.

Answered, that she had no knowledge of any such matter, but had been told by Marianna Guer y Savall, that the same Father Fr. Felix Coll had squeezed her hands in the act of confession several times.

The above is the truth according to the oath of the deponent. She was enjoined secrecy, which she promised. I sign in her name,

Before me—

Vitoria Sala.Dr Pablo Serra Presbyter,Rector of Cardona, &c.

MOST ILLUSTRIOUS SIR,

When the guilty acknowledge their offences and repent with sorrow, God accepts them and grants them his most holy grace; and inasmuch as I have been so unfortunate as to commit some offences which relate to this Holy Tribunal, I transmit the following confession of them, not being able to present myself in person.

I was accustomed frequently in the town of Cardona, to hear the confessions of a married woman named Vitoria Sala. I never took any great liberties with her, but touched her a few times while in the confessionary. Neither I nor she had any bad intention in this, but as I perceived that she was affected with some internal inquietude, I took her by the hand and touched her face and bosom with the other, as also her neck; this I did thirty or forty times. These slight faults I confess before God and the Holy Tribunal on account of the scandal which they may occasion. I cast myself at the feet of your Excellency, hoping to have my offences overlooked with love and charity, and promising henceforth the amendment of my errors. Trusting in this my conscience remains quiet, and I continue secure in my obedience, praying to God for the prosperity of your Excellency.

Gerona, September fourteenth, 1697.

Your most humble servant, who kisses the feet of your Excellency,

Fr. Felix Coll

MOST ILLUSTRIOUS SIR,

Since my letter of the fourteenth of September, to your Excellency, I have conducted myself with great circumspection on account of the charges I made to your Excellency against myself for faults committed against the Holy Tribunal. And as I am hindered from presenting myself at the feet of your Excellency, I again place myself in the same condition, under the shelter and patronage of the Holy Tribunal, in order that your Excellency, as the father of all piety and clemency, may clear my conscience and soul. Your Excellency must know then, that during a year which I lived in the town of Cardona as preacher of the convent, I was in the practice of confessing a certain female named Vitoria Sala, who was afflicted with many scruples, and in order to remove them at the pressing instances of her husband, I suffered myself to be led away by the devil so far as to behave with much impropriety towards her, as on many occasions when she was at my feet, I uttered to her very unchaste language, touching her bosom and face with my hands. This I did to the amount of seventy times or thereabout. Also, being without the confessionary, I gave her many embraces, and solicited her to love me. Although it be true that I practised these evil deeds, yet by the mercy of God I did not injure her honor or reputation.

Furthermore at the same time I was so forgetful of my duty, that, falling unhappily in company with a female named Marianna Guer y Savall, who came to the holy confessionary to confess her faults to me, which faults were committed in my own person, the devil was so crafty that he caused me, a miserable sinner, to be led away in ten or twelve instances to speak language of endearment to her, and touch her bosom and face. These, father of all clemency, are my depraved actions in the Holy Sacrament of penitence. Instead of directing these two souls in the way of salvation, I led them to the devil by reason of my incontinence, malice, and little fear of God. And now, as God has granted me time, place, and occasion, I throw myself, like another Prodigal Son, at your feet, that like a loving father you may extend toward me whatever may be requisite to punish my heavy sins and offences, promising henceforth, to amend my evil ways, that the light of God may shine more clear. May God prosper and guard the infinite years of your Excellency.

Barcelona, May seventeenth, 1698.

Your most unworthy servant, who kissesthe feet of your Excellency,Fr. Felix Coll.

P. S. Although I write from this city, yet I have come hither to throw myself at the feet of your Excellency. My residence is in the Convent of St Francisco in Gerona.

In the Imperial College of Tortosa, on the eighteenth day of March, seventeen hundred, the Inquisitor Licentiate, Don Juan Joseph Hualte presiding sole in the afternoon audience, having examined the information and proceedings in this Inquisition against Fr. Felix Coll, an Ecclesiastic and Confessor, of the Order of St Francisco, and a resident in the Convent of that order in Gerona,

Ordered that he be reprehended, admonished, and directed to refrain from confessing females in private; submitting this sentence to the Council.

Before me—

Don Juan de Castilla.

[Further proceedings were carried on against this person, but suspended by his death.]

In the town of Besahi, on the twentysecond day of February, one thousand seven hundred and eightyfour, before me, Estevan Castanir, Presbyter and Curate of the Parochial Church of St Vicente, and me, Lorenzo Terrader, Presbyter and Canon of the Collegial Church of Besahi, Notary, sworn to preserve secrecy and perform faithfully our duties, appeared, according to summons, and made oath to declare the truth, and preserve secrecy, Juan Ricart, porter royal, a native of the above town, of age, as he stated, thirtyfive years or thereabout.

Questioned, if he knew the cause of his being summoned to appear.

Answered, that he could conjecture nothing.

Questioned, if he knew that any person had said aught which was, or appeared to be contrary to our Holy Catholic Faith and Evangelical Doctrine.

Answered, No.

He was then given to understand that information had been received and sworn to in this Holy Office, that a certain person had, accompanied by others, been to a certain castle in search of enchanted money; that they had signed a compact with the devil; that on reading a book the devil had appeared to them and promised them riches; and that he, the said Juan Ricart could give intelligence of these and many other things. For this reason he was admonished, in the name of our Lord and his glorious and blessed Mother, to bethink himself and declare the whole truth.

Answered, that in June or July, 1783, he learned that Narcisso Mañalich, Advocate, with some associates were about to visit the devil in search of money; which information he had communicated to the Alcalde of this town; that these persons went to the castle of Madremaña, where the devil appeared to them. They read from a book, and the devil asked what they wanted. The one who was reading (name not known) answered, ‘Twentyfive millions.’ The devil replied they must give themselves to him. They signed the agreement, and were allowed six years to live. They then demanded the money and were told that they must bring him a certain stone (piedra de espiritu). They went afterwards to the castle of Esponella, read the book, and the devil came. He asked what they wanted. They answered, the money which he had promised. He asked for the stone, and they replied that some one had stolen it. He then exclaimed, ‘Fulfil your promise, and I will fulfil mine,’ and disappeared. All this the deponent learned from the account of Mañalich and his companions.

Some days afterwards, the greater part of the same persons were assembled at the house of Juan Traver de Ursall, in Barcelona, where the deponent was present to watch their proceedings, by the direction of the Alcalde of Besahi. He was also to endeavour to get possession of the book, and have them all apprehended. The other persons present were the said Mañalich, Juan Fraver de Ursall, his wife, a young man of the family, and Monsieur Josef. It was resolved in the meeting, to choose a new reader, and practise further operations. A person in the town of Junquera was elected, and it was resolved to go to the castle of Benda, on the next Tuesday. The deponent went to the Alcalde with this intelligence, and he despatched a party, with the deponent, to lie in wait for them at a place on their route, but they had taken the alarm and avoided the deponent’s company. The deponent was informed by Tomas Riera that he had gone by night to Gerona, to get some nails out of the coffin of a child of three or four years, and that on beginning to dig, there appeared to him many visions. Mañalich told the deponent that he believed the devil never cheated any one, but performed all his promises. The abovementioned Tomas Riera had slept with Monsieur Josef, and he was accustomed to hold conversations with the devil in his own language; and the persons aforementioned had informed the deponent that Monsieur Josef had obtained money of the devil.

Questioned, what was the age, personal appearance, &c., of the said Narcisco Mañalich, and of all the others. [Here follows the description.]

The above is the truth according to the oath of the deponent, &c.

Juan Ricart, Porter Royal

Before me—

Lorenzo Terrader, Canon, and PresbyterNotary, appointed for this investigation.

In the town of Besahi, bishopric of Gerona, on the twentyfourth day of February, one thousand seven hundred and eightyfour, before the abovementioned officers sworn to preserve secrecy and perform well our duties, appeared, according to summons, and made oath to declare the truth and preserve secrecy, Miguel Berga, advocate, a native of this town, aged thirtythree years.

Questioned, if he knew or conjectured the cause of his being summoned to appear.

Answered, that he supposed it to be on account of Mañalich’s affair.

Questioned, if he had written any letter or communication to the Holy Office of the Inquisition, giving an account of any crime within his knowledge; what were the contents of that paper or communication, and by whose hand was it written.

Answered, that he had written three letters to Dr Ignacio Sans Pabordre, at Figueras; that in the first, dated July fourteenth, 1783, he stated that the said Mañalich had told him he had gone twice with his associates to the castle of Esponella after money, and that both times the devil had appeared to them; that they had all signed a bargain with him, and were promised the money when they returned to the castle.

The second, dated August fourth, 1783, stated that Mañalich had declared that the sixth day of that month was fixed upon to visit the castle of Monroig, in search of money.

The third, dated the thirteenth of the same month, informed that he had seen Mañalich, but could give no further intelligence respecting the affair, and that something more might be learned from Juan Ricart.

The deponent went on to declare that Josef Llonella informed him that he and the said Mañalich, accompanied by Jaime Gubert, a young man of Besahi, went to Montpelier to meet a Jew, in order to learn from him the means of obtaining money by diabolical art. The Jew gave them a maggot within a tube, and told them a maggot must be added to the tube every day to be eaten, and that if they swore, which they did, to make a league with the devil, and perform what he directed them, written upon a paper, they should have what money they pleased. They signed in blood an agreement with the devil, written in his own characters, and promised never to go to confession. Notwithstanding they did everything according to the Jew’s directions, they got nothing.

The deponent continued in these words;—‘Some time afterwards I called upon Mañalich, endeavouring to bring him into the company of the abovementioned Dr Pabordre Sans, or Dr Revira, Canon of the Cathedral of Gerona, but he replied to me that he would not see either of them till he got the money; and furthermore informed me that they and the devil had fixed upon the sixteenth of August for the time to receive the treasure; that the devil appeared to them dressed in red, and promised if one of their number were given up to him, they should have thirtyone millions; that Mañalich offered himself, and the devil gave him eight years to live, but this period was not to begin till the money was received. I exclaimed, “The devil will deceive you.” He answered that the devil’s promises were truer than the Faith, and further told me that to raise the devil, the following things were necessary;—a book which directed everything that was to be said, a loadstone, a piedra de espiritu, six nails from the coffin of a child of three years, six tapers of rosewax made by a child of four years, the skin and blood of a young kid, an iron fork with which the kid was to be killed, camphorated high proof brandy, lignumvitæ charcoal to make a fire, and hazel rods. Intelligence of all this I gave to Sr Domero Gerones, the Vicar Boada, and the Alcayde. The Alcayde sent Juan Ricart, his porter, to join them, and learn the day fixed upon for going, after the money, in order that he might take them prisoners. This Juan Ricart went with them for some days, and gave notice when the Jew arrived who was to read the book. The Alcayde set a watch for them, which was discovered, and the Jew escaped.

‘After this, I endeavoured again to bring Mañalich into company with Dr Pabordre Sans. This I effected, but found that Mañalich would not declare the truth to the Doctor. He gave me to understand that he still retained the book and instruments enumerated above, and they should let the business lie by for some time, without speaking about it, and then renew it and get the money of the devil. Afterwards, when I censured his conduct, he tried to make me believe that all he had told me was a fabrication, but I have always believed it to be the truth.’

The above having been read to the deponent, is declared by him to be correctly recorded, and the truth according to the oath sworn by him.

Signed,

Miguel Antentas y Berga, Advocate.

Before me—

Lorenzo Terrader, Presbyter and Canon,Notary in this investigation.

In the town of Besahi, on the thirtieth day of May, one thousand, seven hundred and eightyfour, before the abovementioned officers, sworn to preserve secrecy and perform faithfully their duties, appeared, according to summons, and made oath to declare the truth and preserve secrecy, Josef Gircos, Advocate of Besahi, a native and inhabitant of the said town, of age, as he stated, thirtysix years or thereabout.

Questioned, if he knew or conjectured the cause of his being summoned to appear.

Answered, No.

Questioned, if he knew that any person had said or done aught which was, or appeared to be contrary to our Holy Catholic Faith, and Evangelical Doctrine.

Answered, No.

He was then given to understand that information had been received and sworn to in this Holy Office, that certain persons, Narciso Mañalich and Josef Llorella, had been at Montpelier to visit a Jew, &c. [Here follows a recapitulation of the preceding testimony.]

Answered, that he had heard the same from Narciso Mañalich, and what he knew of the matter was the following;—‘About eighteen months since, this person and Josef Llorella y Saler, of this town, left the place, accompanied by a young man named Gubert. To what place they went, and whether they kept company all the way, I do not know. They were gone about three weeks, and shortly after their return I heard Miguel Antentas y Berga, Advocate, of this town, declare that they had been to Montpelier, in France, to meet a Jew who was to show them how to obtain money by diabolical arts; that the Jew gave Mañalich a maggot in a tube, to which he was to add a new maggot every day to be eaten, and that the Jew told them they might have as much money as they wanted by swearing a pact with the devil, and doing what he prescribed to them upon a written paper. One of the conditions was, never to go to confession. For these instructions I think the said Antentas told me they paid the Jew seven or nine Louis d’ors. On their return from Montpelier, at a village or place near Bisbal, they made trial of one of the Jew’s methods of obtaining money. This was done at a spot where two roads crossed each other. A trench was dug in the ground and a hen killed, with the blood of which they all wrote their names on a paper and placed the same in the trench, taking care, as the Jew directed them, not to be frightened. Notwithstanding they complied with all these directions, the money did not appear.

‘After their return to this town, they went with some others to the castle of Esponella, where the book was read for the purpose of raising the devil. Here the devil appeared in the shape of a man dressed in flesh colored clothes, and, as Antentas told me, with large eyes. The devil asked what they wanted, to which Mañalich or some other replied, “Money, good money, and not enchanted.” The devil told them they should have it if one of the number would give himself up, but this no one of them was willing to do.

‘Llorella related the affair to his wife, and she gave information of it to Antonio Rigalt, that he might assist in extricating her husband from such a desperate business. Rigalt consulted Antentas and they concluded to lay the case before the Inquisition, which was done.

‘What Antentas knew of the affair he learnt of Rigalt, Llorella, and Mañalich. Afterwards, when Llorella repented of his connexion with the others, and left their company, I think I heard him say, at the house of Antentas, that he had seen, shortly before, in the possession of Mañalich, the paper which the Jew gave them, and that the devil appeared to them in a flesh colored dress, with large eyes and sharp finger nails. I was afterwards told by Antentas that Mañalich, seeing Llorella had left them and they could not proceed with their undertaking according to the direction of the Jew, who informed them that if one of the number died or left them they must get another, made choice of an uncle of Traver beforementioned, for this purpose.

‘Mañalich then resolved to give himself up to the devil according to his demand, stipulating for some years’ grace. This matter was discussed by the company at the castle of Esponella, in connexion with a plan for getting thirtyone millions, or some such sum, from the devil. The plan, however, failed in this manner. On the night of Monday, before St John’s day, in 1783, the company, or part of them, met at the house of Traver, but Mañalich being suddenly taken sick, could not accompany them to the castle.

‘Antentas also informed me, that he told Mañalich that the devil would deceive him, and that he could not make any man rich. To this he replied that the devil fulfilled all his promises, and that if he once got the money of him, he would go to confession nevertheless, and so would cheat the devil. He also told me, in the month of August of the same year, that Mañalich had resolved to make an attempt for the money again, at the abovementioned castle, or at another, called the castle of Buadella; that he deferred it on account of the affair having become noised abroad. Since this time I have heard nothing of him or his undertakings, except that he proposed another journey to Montpelier, and offered two hundred pounds to Simon Escaellar or Ventura to accompany him.’

The above is the truth, according to the oath of the deponent, who declares that he has not spoken out of malice, but solely in obedience to his conscience, and having been read to him, is declared to be correctly recorded.

Signed—

Josef Gircos, Advocate.

Before me—

Lorenzo Terrader Presbyter,Notary in this investigation.*  *  *  * 

Don Leonardo Vidal, assistant to a founder of brass cannon, aged twentythree years, a native of San Estevan de Ripollet, in the diocese of Barcelona, and residing in la Rambla, near the theatre, next door to a tallow chandler’s, to discharge his conscience, and for no other purpose, gives the following information to the Holy Office.

Antonio Suarez, the keeper of a coffee-house, opposite the Theatre in la Rambla, has in one of his rooms six or eight pictures, rather coarsely done, two of which contain indecent figures. All of these the informant has seen, but remembers only one, which represents a young man taking hold of a female who has her bosom indecently exposed. The said Antonio is about fifty years of age, lame and splayfooted, with one arm partly crippled and the fingers contracted.

Also, with the same motive, he gives information that Dr Manuel Portius, Presbyter, a public teacher of Latin and the Humanities, aged thirtyeight years, of a low stature, and with a somewhat long nose, living in the Baxada de San Miguel, in the third story of a house, the corner of which is occupied by a baker, has several pictures, colored and uncolored, among which are some representing females whose bosoms are scandalously exposed, and others with improper representations. One of these has this title; ‘L’Abbé a la Toilette,’ and exhibits with other figures, a priest in his calotte, very nicely dressed in the clothes of a layman, seated at the side of a lady, with whom he appears to be talking about dress. All these pictures of Dr Manuel Portius are handsomely executed, and consequently the more provocative and scandalous. They are hung upon the walls of his cabinet or study, in view of every one who enters, and particularly of his pupils, the number of whom, as I understand, amounts to nearly thirty.

Furthermore, he gives information that Don Felipe Crame, a captain in the royal artillery, tall, light complexioned, red haired, and blind of one eye, aged thirtyfive years, being in conversation with the informant and three others, whose names will be hereafter specified, made the following observation:—‘A Spanish officer whom I hold in estimation, has said that it was not the will of God that there should be any kings, which could be proved by a passage from scripture.’ This passage he quoted, which was not to the purpose, but only, as I remember, stated that God told the Israelites that a king was not convenient for them. The name of this officer, the said Don Felipe Crame did not mention, and nothing else respecting him is known to the informant.

The persons who heard these observations from the mouth of the said Don Felipe Crame, were Don Manuel Pe, an assistant of the cannon founder, and Don Antonio de la Torre, clerk of the director of the foundry. There are also others who have some knowledge of the same; namely, Don Manuel Brito, and Don Alexandro Vicente, assistants in the foundry.

The informant undertook to make an accusation in the name of the above persons. He also apprized the said Don Felipe Crame, that he was under an obligation to denounce his friend, and as the informant knows not whether this has been performed, he gives the present information in order fully to discharge his conscience.

Barcelona, February fourth, 1793.

Leonardo Vidal.TO OUR COMMISSARY, THE REVEREND ANTONIO FONT, PRESBYTER

We herewith transmit you a letter, received by us, from Don Leonardo Vidal, assistant to a founder of cannon, and a resident in this city. We hereby commission you to summon him to appear before you, and ascertain according to form whether the letter be his, causing him to specify clearly every circumstance of person, place, and time, relating thereto. This done in due form, and before a Presbyter in your confidence to serve as Notary, you will forward the minutes of the examination to us along with these papers. Our Lord preserve you many years.