On March 15, 1494, one Diego Tellez,in Toledo, Castile, presented an extended defense for Marína González, his wife, who was accused of relapsing as a conversa. A conversa was a converted female Jew, so a relapsed conversa would be someone who said they had converted but instead,continued to practice Jewish rituals in contradiction to Christian forms of worship. The case had been going on since January and after charges were brought, a sworn testimony by the accused was set down, a gathering of evidence through February was also conducted, becoming a collection of sworn testimonies for both the prosecution and defense. After viewing the evidence, the defense decided further action was necessary in its attempt at acquitting the woman. As the Editor/ translator here points out in a footnote:
"At this point Marína's defense strategy changed to one of tachas, whereby she and her relations attempted to disqualify prosecution witnesses -- whose identity they did not know -- for capital enmity, scandalous reputation, or some other quality that would erase or lessen the impact of the depositions. ... attempting to disqualify (tachar) them amounted to a guessing game of who was most hostile to whom within a given community. Not all the prosecution witnesses impugned by Francisco de Toledo [the husband] testified against his wife." [p. 40]
Now the defense had a number of days to look at a publication of witnesses but, according to our editor,not the names in that court- approved publication. So the defense attorney, Diego Tellez presented a written testimony from the husband, listing possible people who may have seen or heard his wife doing things she wasn't supposed to do, all the while not knowing who actually had testified against her. Then Tellez presents a long argument to prove his client's innocence of the charge, including a list that Marína had presented of people who might wish her punished. Some of both the husband's and the accused's lists follow.
"Very Reverend Lords, I, Francisco de Toledo, suspect that the witnesses named below could have spoken against Marína González, my wife, with hatred, ill will, and enmity. I hold them as doubtful and hateful:
The first witness whom I suspect is Juana de la Cadena, the wife of Diego Falcon, She was a sinful person before she married.... She hated my wife, because once she and her husband, who is my wife's cousin, came to stay at my house in Almagro, and my wife said to him, "Congratulations, cousin, that you agree to such a thing! People tell me that your wife gives herself to as many gentlemen as pass your house, and if it is true, it looks horrible to God and the world." He said it was not true, and told his wife what my wife said; for that reason, Juana continued to feel great hatred toward my wife. Whereby, lords, she might avenge herself by giving false testimony, all of which Diego Falcon knows.
Likewise, lords, I suspect Juana, the wife of Martín the butcher, and the daughter of Carrillo, the town crier of Almagro. She was my servant; I had her for eight years and advanced her money. She left without serving me for the stipulated time because of the many injuries my wife inflicted on her. Because of which, and because I pressed her earnestly to repay the money I had advanced her, she hated my wife and me, so much so that she said publicly that she would make sure my wife would not come back from Toledo, but would die in the process. Don Enrique's concubine knows this, as does Juana's sister who lives in Almagro, as well as the daughter of Gonzalo de Chinchilla, and other people. Juana lives in Almagro; she is a whore, a drunk, a pimp, and most days is worse than addle-headed. A short time ago, in Almagro, they whipped her through the plaza and the streets for being a public pimp. ...
I suspect Mayor, the ... wife of Juan de Villareal, wool carder, who lives in Ciudad Real and was my servant.... Your Lordships will find that when this servant Mayor was in my house, my wife became very jealous of her, and thought I committed adultery with her. For this reason, my wife made Mayor's life miserable until finally she forced her from the house, dragging her by the hair, calling her a public whore and the concubine not only of her own husband but the entire village. Mayor went away and threatened my wife, calling her a Jewish whore and saying she would make her burn; she said this to many people, who from hearsay will be able to depose against my wife....
I suspect Catalina, wife of this Bartolomé [Rodriguez], who resides in Ciudad Real. She is a very poor woman, and one of little honor and understanding who has no common sense....
I suspect Mari Ruiz, daughter of Miguel Ruiz, chaplain, who lives in Almagro....
I suspect the wife of Hernando de Segovia, a resident of Almagro, who could speak against my wife because Marína said she was partly a conversa. She resented this very much, because she did not have the reputation of a conversa, and she threatened my wife.... I suspect Catalina de Toledana, wife of Domingo, the wool carder, who could speak against my wife because Catalina was a sinful woman.... I suspect Gracia de Espina, who could say something about my wife because she is her relative...." [pp. 40-41]
The defense lawyer then says a few things:
"Very Reverend Lords, I, Diego Tellez in the name of Marína González , wife of Francisco de Toledo, spice merchant, resident of Ciudad Real, say that your reverences have seen the statements and depositions of our witnesses to her good character, and thus will find very complete proof of my party's intention, to wit:After Marína was reconciled [with the Catholic Church], she always lived, dressed, and spoke like a good and faithful Christian woman, hearing Mass on Sundays and Church feast days, and confessing and receiving the Eucharist. She worked continuously on Saturdays just as on other days of the week. Out of devotion, she had pictures of saints and the Cross of St Anthony in her house. Likewise, she spun on Saturday and ate pork, except when she was ill with some pain and stopped eating it. She never did or said anything against our Holy Faith.The proof ... adduced against her has not impeded our case. First, his witnesses are changeable, and they deposed from hearsay and about frivolous incidents, while for serious events they give neither motives nor reasons. Their statements contradict each other, and then they contradict themselves, and they do not prove that for which they were produced. Secondly, they did not testify or ratify their statements during the period of proof [footnote: "...no explicit ratification of any of the ... prosecution statements,"], and gave false testimony with a great deal of hatred, frivolity and capital enmity." [pp. 41-2]
"...not on the basis of human understanding but from a knowledge of the heart and interior motive that God alone has. Thus his statement is worthless." [p. 43]
At last, we get to hear from the woman accused.
"First, I suspect Torres, Mari Godias' husband, because he sold wine and was my neighbor. When I began to sell wine, he became so angry that he threatened me, saying that if we did not stop selling it, it would cost us dearly. ...Next, I suspect this Torres' wife. We quarreled over some cloths that my daughter embroidered and did not wish to sell, and also over an anklebone that I did not want to give her....Next, I suspect a brother of this Torres because of a quarrel he had with my son, Diego, over a bridle that my husband sold. He remained so angry against me and my son that he would give false testimony....I suspect Mayor, my servant girl, whom the wool carder Juan de Villareal took as a wife. She came up to me as I was walking and said, very aggressively: "What did you say about me to my parents?" I did not answer her and left, knowing I had done nothing whatever that she could report. Moreover, before this, when she was a servant in my house, I used to see how she went around like a prostitute with certain men, and I punished her, until I finally had to throw her out. Therefore she retained a lot of hatred for me, and could be easily induced to give false testimony, because she is imprudent and has wicked ways....." [pp. 43-4]
The prosecutor answers to the Inquisitors that his trustworthy witnesses would 'completely prove' his case as they were 'above objection and ... practice the Faith'. He also says that the defendant's testimony against certain witnesses should not be admitted as they were close associates or relatives of hers and some were beneficiaries or descendants of condemned heretics.
"Then Inquisitor Fernando Rodriguez said that since the parties had concluded, and did not wish to say or advance anything else, that he likewise was finished with them. He said he held this trial as concluded, and assigned a period in which to give the sentence, etc." [p. 44]
No comments:
Post a Comment