given the present, signed by our hand, countersigned and sealed with our imperial seal, at Fontainebleau, the 29th Oct. 1807, (Signed) The Minister for Foreign Affairs, (Signed) NAPOLEON. CHAMPAGNI. By H. M. the Emperor, the Minister Secretary of State, (Signed) No. III. H. B. MARET. Decree for the re-establishment of the Inquisition. The glorious title of Catholic, which distinguishes us amongst all other christian princes, is owing to the perseverance of the Kings of Spain, who have not tolerated in their states, any other religion than the Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman; this title imposes on me the duty of rendering myself worthy of it, by every means which Heaven has placed in my power. The late disturbances, and the war which during six years has afflicted all the provinces of the kingdom, the military occupation by foreign troops of different sects, almost all infected with sentiments of hatred against our religion, the disorders which have been the infallible results of it, and the little care which has been taken of the interests of our holy religion, during these unhappy times: all these motives combined, have given scope to the ill-disposed who no longer are restrained; dangerous principles have been introduced and taken root in our States, through the same means by which they have spread in other countries. Desiring, therefore, to remedy so great an evil, and preserve amongst our subjects, the holy religion of Jesus Christ, which they have ever loved, and in which they have lived and wish to live, whether on account of the personal obligation of there being no other ordained to princes who should reign over them, according to the fundamental laws which I have promised and sworn to maintaiu, or because this religion is the most proper for preventing intestine dissentions amongst my people, and promoting the tranquility which they need, I have deemed it necessary, in the present circumstances, that the tribunal of the Holy Office shall resume the exercise of its jurisdiction. Because learned and virtuous prelates, many respectable corporations and grave personages, ecclesiastics and seculars, have explained to me, that Spain owes to this tribunal the happiness of having been untainted, in the sixteenth century, with the errors which were the causes of so many evils amongst other nations, and that on the contrary, at that very period, ours cultivated the sciences with distinction, and produced a crowd of great men, celebrated for their learning and picty. It has been, besides represented to me, that the oppressor of Europe did not omit to employ, as a most efficacious means of introducing the corruption and discord which so much facilitated his projects, the suppression of this tribunal, under the vain pretence that the progress of knowledge would not admit of its further existence, and the pretended general and extraordinary Cortes, under the same pretext, and by favour of the Constitution which it had tumultuously decreed, also abolished the Holy Office, to the great regret of the whole nation. From these causes, I have been urgently intreated to re-establish it in the exercise of all its functions; and, inclining to such just considerations, as well as to the desire expressed by my people, whose zeal for the religion of our forefathers has anticipated my orders, by hastening to recall spontaneously, the inferior Inquisitors of some provinces. I have resolved that, for the present, the Supreme council of the Inquisition, and the other tribunals of the Holy Office, shall resume their functions, according to the concession made to them by the Sovereign Pontiffs, on the demands of my august predecessors, by the prelates of dioceses, and by the Kings who secure to them therein the full exercise; to maintain in his double jurisdiction, ecclesiastical and civil, the laws existing in the year 1808, and those which on various occasions have been issued for preventing certain abuses; but, as independent of those ancient laws, it may be proper to add new ones on this subject, and my intention being to perfect this establishment, so as to render it eminently useful to my subjects, I require that as soon as the said supreme council of the Inquisition shall be assembled, two of its members in conjunction with two members of the council of Castile, each selected by me, shall examine the mode and means of procedure of the Holy Office in the processes, and relative to the inspection and prohibition of books; and, if they find that the interest of my subjects or the rights of substantial justice require any reform or change, they shall report it to me, and give me their reasons for it, in order that I may take the necessary and consequent measures. (Signed.) I, THE KING. Given at Madrid, the 21st of July, 1814. No. IV. The following extracts from the mode of procedure in the Holy Office, are amongst the papers printed and circulated at Madrid soon after the re-establishment of the Constitution, in 1820; and which, together with all the other laws relative to the sacred tribunal, remained in full force, till the period of its suppression. The document from which these articles are taken, is to be found at length in the second volume of Llorente's history. Instruction by Don Francisco Valdes, Archbishop of Seville, issued on his own authority, without the approbation of the King or Cortes, and directed to be observed in all the tribunals of the Holy Office. J. The Inquisitors can seize the culprit, immediately after his act of accusation is drawn out; and, it is only in case of differing in their opinions, that the Supreme Council is to be consulted. II. Imprisonment is always to be accompanied by the se. questration of property; allowing merely the means of subsistence to the wife and children if they are not able to work. III. The culprits are to be placed in distinct cells; and they are not to be allowed to see their fathers, wives, children, parents or relatives. IV. The advocate and confessor must have an especial licence from the Holy Office to visit the culprits; and the former cannot enter without being accompanied by an Inquisitor. V. The declarations of the prisoners are always to be taken on oath; they are to be questioned relative to their genealogy and parentage; also where, and to whom they have confessed. VI. The greatest care is to be taken that the culprits shall not be informed of the state of their causes, nor is the motive of their arrest to be communicated, until the trial is completed. VII. The Fiscal is to accuse them of heresy generally, even when their crimes have been of a different nature. He should always persist in the first, to prove the second, and be particular in ascertaining the mode of life previous to their entering the prison. VIII. The Fiscal is always to conclude his accusation, by saying if the intention is not sufficiently proved, the question (torture) is to be applied to the prisoner. The torment is to be presided by the Inquisitors and Ordinary, IX. The summaries and ratifications are to be read to the culprit, omitting all those parts, which can enable him to know his accuser, and although the witness may have deposed in the first person, his testimony is to be read to the accused in the third person; as, they saw, heard, or said he was concerned with such person, &c. blanks are to be left occasionally, so as to give rise to the conjectures and doubts of the accused. X. The infamy which results from crimes chastised by the sacred tribunal, will descend to the children of those who suffer. XI. The qualifiers named by the Inquisitor-General, will censure all writings and propositions, and upon this censure is to be founded the sentence, which the Inquisitor-General will cause to be carried into execution. Given at Seville, in June, 1561, by Don Francisco Valdes, APPENDIX. 655 SPANIARDS! This was the Tribunal that acknowledged nó superior, which passed sentence on Kings, and disobeyed the Pontiffs; which, in the obscurity of night, tore the husband from the side of his wife, the father from the arms of his children, and these from the society of their parents, never to see each other more; without allowing any means of proving their innocence! This is the office which they called holy, saying, was established for the honour and glory of God; though it lent itself to the caprice and blasphemy of voluptuousness and oppression: it is the same tribunal which condemned and executed two thousand five hundred ecclesiastics as heretics for not having voted in favour of Philip II. being crowned King of Portugal! Finally, such are the rules, under which it is estimated, that above five millions of human beings have been either tried, or condemned and executed!!! No. V. Proclamation issued by Elio, Captain-General of Valencia, previous to the Execution of the brave Colonel Vidal, and Twelve of his Companions; amongst whom was young Bertran de Lis. Inhabitants of Valencia, and you brave Soldiers! Beware of shewing any compassion for the scene which this day will offer to your astonished sight; but, on the contrary, reflect on the enormity of the crime which consigns these monsters to death, and to the shame of expiring on a scaffold. Their conspiracy had a no less object than the overthrow of the monarchy, the destruction of the laws, revenge, plunder, and other projects which would have caused rivers of blood to flow, They wished to subject the Spanish nation to an eternal disgrace by exposing it to Europe as the accomplice of their atrocious resolutions! Providence, which watches over you, has employed inscrutable means for enabling government to punish the enemies of the throne, the laws and religion; it has empowered me to arrest and convict the thirteen monsters who you will see executed this morning. Inhabitants of Valencia! these traitors are not the |