A History of the Inquisition of Spain; vol. 4

by Henry Charles Lea

[631] Ibidem.

[632] Archive hist. nacional, Inq. de Valencia, Leg. 100.

In this list is not included the curious case of the Bishop of Havana, Juan José Díaz de la Espada y Landa, accused of Free-Masonry in Cuba by the zealous inquisitor Elosua in 1815. The matter was transferred to Spain and was suspended November 11, 1819 (J. T. Medina, La Inquisicion de Cartagena de las Indias, p. 416). It does not seem to have interfered with the position of the good bishop, who retained his see until his death, Sept. 12, 1832 (Gams, Series Episcopp., p. 152).

[633] Tirado y Rojas, II, 46, 72-3, 81-88.—Miraflores, Apuntes historico-críticos, p. 28.—Modesto Lafuente, Hist. de España, XXIX, 213-15, 333-4.

The “Memoirs of Don Juan van Halen” (London, 1830) which had an extensive circulation in many languages, are of no historical value. He was a real personage however, whose dextrous treachery in deserting the French, in 1814, is described by Toreno (Historia del Llevamiento etc., III, 323). In 1822 he was on the staff of Gen. Mina in Catalonia (Memorias del Gen. Espoz y Mina, III, 7) and, in 1838, was in high command in Valencia (Manifestacion del Gen. Córdova, p. 13).

In 1818 his name occurs as on trial in Toledo (not in Madrid, as he represents) and the charge was impeding the Inquisition, not Masonry and conspiracy—Catálogo de las causas etc., p. 131 (Madrid, 1903).

[634] [Martinez de la Rosa] Examen crítico de las Revoluciones de España, I, 417-18 (Paris, 1837).

[635] Archivo hist. nacional, Inq. de Toledo, Leg. 1.

[636] Vélez, Apología del Altar y del Trono, I, 41.

[637] Clément, Journal, II, 89.