Chapter M: Anto. Adorno

DON JOSEPH DE NOBOA, _Sec’y_.

THIRD AUDIENCE.

In the Royal Palace of the Inquisition of Barcelona, on the twelfth day of August, one thousand seven hundred and fiftysix, the Inquisitors, Licentiate Dr Joseph de Otero y Cossio, and Dr Manuel de Guell y Serra, being at their morning audience, ordered the said Don Antonio Adorno to be brought out of prison; which being done, and the prisoner present, he was

Questioned, if he remembered anything relating to his affair, which he was bound to divulge according to his oath.

Answered, No.

He was then informed, that he was aware he had been exhorted in the preceding audience, &c.

Answered, that he had considered the exhortation, but had nothing more to say.

Straightway appeared the Licentiate Don Fausto Antonio de Astorquiza y Urreta, Inquisitor Fiscal of this Holy Office, and presented an accusation, signed by him, against the said Don Antonio Adorno, which accusation he formally swore was not offered through malice. Here follows the accusation.

MOST ILLUSTRIOUS SIRS,

I, the Inquisitor Fiscal, appear before your Excellencies, and accuse criminally Don Antonio Adorno, a native of the city of Genoa, aged twentyseven years, a soldier in the regiment of Asturias, and at the time of his arrest, in garrison, in the town of Reus, in this principality, now attached to the secret prison of this Holy Office, with his property sequestered, and present here in person--for that this person, being a baptized and confirmed Christian, and not having the fear of God, or the justice of your Excellencies before his eyes, has committed heavy crimes against our Holy Catholic Faith, by professing and practising various necromantical arts, with insult to the holy sacrifice of the mass, its sacred ceremonies, and the holy cross; also imparting his evil art and instruments to others, for their practice, with the like insult to the holy cross and holy sacrifice of the mass. On which account, I hold him at least to be suspected _de levi_ in the faith, and accuse him of the whole, both in general and in particular.

1. The said person, on a time specified, and in the company of certain persons named, declared that he was able when anything was stolen, to discover the thief, and in proof of this assertion, stated that he had formerly done this by writing the names upon papers, of some persons, among whom a sum of money had been stolen, and putting the papers into the fire, repeating the words, ‘_Ego sum; factus est homo, consummatum est_.’ The papers were consumed, except that bearing the name of the thief. None but the said person could take this paper out of the fire, and the money was found upon the one designated.

2. Some one objecting to him, that this could not be done without some pact with the devil, he replied that it was so justifiable an act, that he would perform it immediately after mass or communion, and it being declared a matter to be laid before the Inquisition, he affirmed that he would do it in presence of the Inquisitors.

3. Furthermore, he asserted that he could execute the above purpose by rubbing the ashes of the papers upon his hand, where it would leave impressed the name of the thief; also, that he knew another method which he did not explain. I request that he may be questioned what this method is, where he learned it, and whether he has practised these two last, uttering the words before specified.

4. Continuing the conversation with the abovementioned person, he informed him that he possessed certain instruments of use in various ways, and in fact showed him something folded up, which he took out of his pocket. And, on being asked whence he obtained the knowledge of these arts, replied that he learned them from a book of magic in his possession, which enabled him to do whatever he pleased. I request that he may be questioned respecting this book of magic, as well as the contents of the abovementioned envelope.

5. He told this person that he could learn from the same book how to make himself invisible, as well as invulnerable to the thrust of a sword.

6. Being questioned by this person whether he knew any art relative to playing at ball, he answered, not then, but that he would come to his house, and reveal to him a secret for gaining the favor of the ladies.

7. He went accordingly to this house, and there gave to the said person a strip of parchment bearing these words, ‘_Ego + sum. Exe + homo consummatum + est. Ego Juaginus Aprecor Domini Nostri Jesu Christi in vitam eternam seculi seculorum libera me de omnibus rebus de ignis cautus et omnia instrumenta hominum detenta me ach die ach nocte custode rege et guberna me Amen._’ This was rolled up with a piece of lead and bone, and directed to be worn, in the shape of a cross, next the skin, near the heart, which would make the wearer invulnerable. I request that this parchment may be examined, and the prisoner questioned respecting it.

8. He also gave the same person another strip of parchment, containing various letters and figures, taking measures with it upon his body, for the purpose of securing him from wounds. He directed him to rub this over with the wax which dripped from the tapers during mass, and afterwards to wear it next his skin. I request that this may likewise be examined, and the prisoner questioned respecting it.

9. He furthermore gave to the same person four other written parchments, directing him to wear one of them upon the little finger of his left hand under a white stone set in a ring. When this stone turned red, he might play at any game except dice or _las quillas_, and be sure to win; but, if it turned black, he was not to play. He directed him further to put these parchments in his right shoe and sprinkle them with holy water, after which they were to be worn near the heart. I request that these also may be examined, and the prisoner questioned concerning them.

10. The same person requesting to see the abovementioned book of magic, he refused him, alleging that he could not read or understand it, but that he, the prisoner, had studied the whole. I request that farther investigations may be made respecting this book.

11. On another occasion, when some articles had been stolen, he discovered the thief in this manner. Collecting all the suspected persons in a dark room, he made a harangue, and ordered each man to dip his finger into a cup containing water, informing them that the water would blacken the finger of the thief. Before this was executed, he conveyed some ink into the cup. Afterwards the windows were opened with another harangue, and each man’s finger was found black with the exception of one who had not obeyed the direction. This the prisoner judged to be the thief. Without doubt the abovementioned harangues were conformable to the rest of his actions, and I request that he may be examined concerning them.

12. Furthermore he directed that the names of the persons present on the above occasion, should be written upon a paper and burnt. The ashes he rubbed over his hand, where it left marked the name of the delinquent, which the prisoner had previously written there with a certain liquor, in such a manner that it could not be seen.

13. In the audiences which have been held respecting him, he has been exhorted to declare the truth and confess his crimes, which he has not done, but endeavoured to hide the enormities so recently committed by him, thus rendering himself unworthy of that mercy which your Excellencies extend to those who confess with sincerity, and deserving a punishment corresponding to his great offences.

Therefore, I request and entreat your Excellencies to accept the confession of the said prisoner, so far as in my favor, and no farther, and to regard as fully proved my accusation, or such part thereof as may suffice to obtain a sentence, condemning the prisoner as perpetrator of the above crimes to the heaviest punishments thereto assigned by the sacred canons, pontifical bulls, common laws, and edicts of this realm, for a punishment to him, and a terror and example to others.

Furthermore I request your Excellencies that without any diminution of my proofs, the prisoner may, if necessary, be put to rigorous torture, to be continued and repeated till he confess all his crimes and accomplices.

The Licentiate,

DON FAUSTO ANTONIO DE ASTORQUIZA Y URRETA.

* * * * *

This accusation having been presented and read, the said Don Antonio Adorno was formally sworn to answer thereto, and declare the truth; and the same being again read, article by article, he answered as follows.

To the head of the accusation he replied that he was the same Don Antonio Adorno mentioned therein, and that although he in reality performed what has been laid to his charge, yet he never imagined it to be contrary to our Holy Catholic Faith, nor supposed it to be necromantic or superstitious; that he never had practised anything out of disrespect for the mass, nor had uttered sacred language for a superstitious purpose, nor imparted evil doctrine or instruments to others for this end; therefore he ought not to be suspected in the faith.

To the first article, he answered, that it was true, and that the circumstances occurred in the city of Valencia, in the house of a person whose name he could not recollect, but only that he resided in the Calle del Mar, near a Convent of Nuns. He made the assertions to give the company a high opinion of him. There were present on this occasion, three soldiers and an officer, who, with the prisoner, formed the patrol, a scrivener and two Alguacils, who also were attached to the patrol in Valencia. The operation which he described, he had heard of in the city of Inspruck in Germany. He had once practised it on the occasion of three dollars being stolen from Matheo Suarez, his sergeant. He wrote the names of some persons upon pieces of paper, and on the back of each, the words ‘_Ego sum: exe homo: consummatum est_.’ These were thrown into the fire, but the experiment did not succeed, for they were all burnt. He did this in private, and merely to satisfy his curiosity, without imagining it to be superstitious.

To the second article, he answered, that it was true he had made the assertions contained therein, as he could not believe the act to be evil, in which the words of Christ were used.

To the third article, he answered, that it was true he had spoken what is therein stated, and that the divinations mentioned, were those he had confessed in the first audience, but that he had not made use of any prayers in these operations, although on the abovementioned occasions he gave those present to understand that various words were to be uttered.

To the fourth article, he answered, that it was true the conversation and acts therein described took place; that it happened in Valencia, with the scrivener abovementioned. The paper which he took from his pocket, contained some bits of bone and a bullet battered to pieces. As to what he asserted respecting the book of magic, he had done it to measure the degree of credulity of the said scrivener, who readily swallowed all his tales, and offered him money to learn the abovementioned arts. He never possessed any such book of magic.

To the fifth article, he answered, that what it contained with respect to the security from the thrust with a sword, was true, but as to what it stated respecting his assertion of making himself invisible, he had no recollection of any such thing.

To the sixth article, he answered, that it was true.

To the seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth articles, he answered, that they were true. The parchments described by the Fiscal, and now exhibited, were recognised by him for the same he gave to the scrivener, with whom he held the conversation described. This man’s name was Joachin. He was so desirous of obtaining a knowledge of the things related by the prisoner, that he furnished him with the parchment for the purpose. It was all done by the prisoner, to divert himself with the credulity of this person, and upon the parchments was written, among other expressions, these words in the German language, ‘_tu pist aynor tas tu tost claupt_;[17] that is, ‘_you are a fool to believe this_,’ by which it might be easily perceived that his only object was to impose upon him.

It being now late, the audience closed, and the above having been read to the prisoner, was declared by him to be correctly recorded, and the truth, according to the oath which he had sworn.

Signed by him,