A History of the Inquisition of Spain; vol. 2

by Henry Charles Lea

[1388] Archivo de Alcalá, Hacienda, Leg. 544² (Lib. 6).—Archivo hist. nacional, Inquisicion de Valencia, Leg. 10, n. 2, fol. 5.—In civil cases, however, the tribunals could grant licences to print.

[1389] Bibl. nacional, MSS., D, 118, p. 148.

[1390] Relazioni Venete, Serie I, T. VI, p. 371.

[1391] MSS. of Royal Library of Copenhagen, 214 fol. (see Appendix).

This explains why, in contrast with the voluminous Italian works on inquisitorial practice, the Spanish literature on the subject is so barren. Pablo García, secretary of the Suprema, compiled an “Orden de Processar en el Santo Oficio,” but it was only intended for use in the tribunals. In 1592 there is an order on the Receiver-general of the Suprema to pay, “por la impression de los libros de procesar en el santo oficio” (Archivo de Simancas, Lib. 940, fol. 18) showing it to be a strictly official manual. It was reprinted in 1628 “en la Imprenta Real.”

In 1494 there appeared in Valencia the “Repertorium perutile de pravitate hæreticorum,” which commonly goes by the name of Miguel Alberto. It is based on the Old Inquisition, but contains some references to Spanish practice. Reprinted, Venice, 1588.

Something of the kind is also to be found in the two works of Arnaldo Albertino, Inquisitor of Sicily—the “Repetitio nova,” Valencia, 1534, and the “De Agnoscendis Assertionibus Catholicis,” printed after his death, Palermo, 1553 and Rome, 1572.

More useful is the work of Bishop Simancas “De Catholicis Institutionibus,” Valladolid 1552, Venice 1573, Rome 1575 and Ferrara 1692. It has many references to Spanish practice. Still more practical is his “Theorice et Praxie Hæreseos, sive Enchiridion Judicum violatæ Religionis,” first printed in 1568 and again in Venice, 1573.

Juan de Rojas, Inquisitor of Valencia, printed (Valencia, 1572) and dedicated to Inquisitor-general Espinosa his “De hæreticis una cum quinquaginta analyticis assertionibus et privilegiis Inquisitorum,” containing discussions on inquisitorial practice.

Appended to Luis de Páramo’s “De Origine et Progressu Officii Sanctæ Inquisitionis” (Madrid, 1598) are some dissertations on various points of practice.