Answered, Yes.
Questioned, if he had written, or caused to be written at any time, a letter to the Tribunal of the Inquisition, giving an account of some crime within his knowledge, and who was the person to whom he referred.
Answered, that he had written a letter against Juan Bautista Viada, mason. The letter was then exhibited and the first clause of it read, when the deponent declared it to be his, and that its contents were true.
Questioned, if he had anything to add or alter in the said letter.
Answered, that if it were not for the apprehension of falling into an error, he should alter, "I am confident," to "I am certain."
Questioned, if there were other persons present when Juan Bautista Viada made the a.s.sertions in question.
Answered, No.
Questioned, if he knew that any other person had said or done anything which came under the cognizance of the Holy Office.
Answered, No.
Questioned, what was the age, appearance, and habitation of the person denounced.
Answered, that he was about fiftysix years old, and lived in the Calle de Argentona, in Mataro.
The above having been read to the deponent was declared by him to be correctly recorded. He stated further that he had nothing to add or alter respecting it; and that he did not make the declarations therein contained, out of malice, but solely from conscientious motives. Secrecy was enjoined upon him, which he promised, and added his signature.
FRANCISCO DE ASIS PLANA.
FR. PEDRO MARTIR DE SAN VICENTE, _Presbyter Capuchin_.
Before me--
P. BERNARDINO DE BARCELONA, _Presbyter, Notary, and Commissary, appointed for this Purpose_.
In the city of Mataro, bishopric of Barcelona, on the sixteenth day of January, one thousand eight hundred and twenty, before Father Pedro Martir de San Vicente, Presbyter Capuchin, and Commissary, by a special commission for this purpose, and me, Father Bernardino de Barcelona, Notary, having sworn to preserve secrecy, and perform faithfully our offices, appeared and made oath in the name of G.o.d our Lord, with the sign of the cross, to declare the truth, and observe secrecy, a person calling himself Juan Bautista Viada, a native of Mataro, in the bishopric of Barcelona, by occupation a mason, aged fiftyfour years.
Questioned, if he knew or conjectured the cause of his being summoned to appear.
Answered, No.
Questioned, if he knew that any person or persons had said there was no h.e.l.l nor Purgatory, or made any other a.s.sertion which came under the cognisance of the Holy Office.
Answered, that he had heard the above a.s.sertion uttered by Magin Casanovas, or Barcelo, a person who died two years since.
Questioned, what persons were present when these words were spoken; and if the said Magin Casanovas was in his right mind; also, whether the a.s.sertion was made in a positive manner, or by referring to some other person, and whether it was made in jest, or dispute, or pa.s.sion.
Answered, that he did not recollect whether it was said in the presence of others or not, but that it appeared to be said in a positive manner, and not in the heat of pa.s.sion; that the abovementioned Magin Casanovas was a Marine Alguacil of this city, of which he was also a native, and that his age was about seventy years.
Questioned, if he remembered how many times the a.s.sertion had been made, and if he received any rebuke for it.
Answered, that he did not remember.
Questioned, why he had not denounced the speaker to the Holy Tribunal.
Answered, that the thought of this never occurred to him.
Questioned, if he knew that any other person had said or done anything which belonged to the cognizance of the Holy Tribunal.
Answered, No.
The above having been read to the deponent, was declared by him to be correctly recorded; and he further stated that he had nothing to add or alter respecting it, and that he did not make the declaration through malice, but solely in obedience to his conscience. Secrecy was enjoined upon him, which he promised, and added his signature.
JUAN BAUTISTA VIADA.
FRAY PEDRO MARTIR DE SAN VICENTE, _Presbyter Capuchin Commissary_.
Before me--
F. BERNARDO DE BARCELONA, _Notary_.
[_The following is written in the margin of the above deposition._]
I know the deponent Juan Bautista Viada to be a person worthy of credit.
He supports his family by his labor; follows the precepts of the church, confesses, and partakes of the sacrament; nor have I ever heard of anything which can impeach his testimony. This is my opinion, salvo meliori.
Mataro, January 28th, 1820.
FR. PEDRO MARTIR DE SAN VICENTE, _Presbyter Capuchin Commissary_.
THE END.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Fleury, Hist. Ecclesiast.
[2] Sismondi, Litterature du Midi de l"Europe.
[3] Sismondi, Hist. des Francais.
[4] Fleury, Hist. Ecclesiast.
[5] Daru, Hist. de Venise.
[6] Giannone, Storia di Napoli.