A History Of The Inquisition Of Spain Vol 2

Reproduction of the original: A History of the Inquisition of Spain; vol. 2, by Henry Charles Lea

Volume 2 of this influential 1888 study focuses on the Inquisition in France, Spain, Italy, Bohemia and Germany.

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IT were difficult to exaggerate the disorder pervading the Castilian kingdoms, when the Spanish monarchy found its origin in the union of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon. Many causes had contributed to prolong and intensify the evils of the feudal system and to neutralize such advantages as it possessed. The struggles of the reconquest from the Saracen, continued at intervals through seven hundred years and varied by constant civil broils, had bred a race of fierce and turbulent nobles as eager to attack a neighbor or their sovereign as the Moor. The contemptuous manner in which the Cid is represented, in the earliest ballads, as treating his king, shows what was, in the twelfth century, the feeling of the chivalry of Castile toward its overlord, and a chronicler of the period seems rather to glory in the fact that it was always in rebellion against the royal power. So fragile was the feudal bond that aricohome or noble could at any moment renounce allegiance by a simple message sent to the king through a hidalgo. The necessity of attracting population and organizing conquered frontiers, which subsequently became inland, led to granting improvidently liberal franchises to settlers, which weakened the powers of the crown, without building up, as in France, a powerful Third Estate to serve as a counterpoise to the nobles and eventually to undermine feudalism. In Spain the business of the Castilian was war. The arts of peace were left with disdain to the Jews and the conquered Moslems, known as Mudéjares, who were allowed to remain on Christian soil and to form a distinct element in the population. No flourishing centres of industrious and independent burghers arose out of whom the kings could mould a body that should lend them efficient support in their struggles with their powerful vassals. The attempt, indeed, was made; the Córtes, whose co-operation was required in the enactment of laws, consisted of representatives from seventeen cities, who while serving enjoyed personal inviolability, but so little did the cities prize this privilege that, under Henry IV, they complained of the expense of sending deputies. The crown, eager to find some new sources of influence, agreed to pay them and thus obtained an excuse for controlling their election, and although this came too late for Henry to benefit by it, it paved the way for the assumption of absolute domination by Ferdinand and Isabella, after which the revolt of the Comunidades proved fruitless. Meanwhile their influence diminished, their meetings were scantily attended and they became little more than an instrument which, in the interminable strife that cursed the land, was used alternately by any faction as opportunity offered.

Reproduction of the original: A History of the Inquisition of Spain; vol. 2, by Henry Charles Lea

Excerpt from A History of the Inquisition of Spain, Vol. 2 of 4 The ayuda do costa, of which we hear so much, was either a more or less definite increase of salary, or a special gift for cause, or else a simple mood or benevolence. While the salary was a matter fixed and due, the ayuda was always to a certain extent arbitrary and was used as an incentive to compel the performance of duties regarded as onerous. We see the germ of it in Torquemada's instructions of 1485, prohibiting fees and bribes, for the king pro vides a reasonable support for all and in time will give them mercedes.' An advance is marked in the Instructions of 1498 where, after specifying salaries, it is added that the inquisitors general, when they see that there is much labor or necesdty, can grant such ayudas de costs as they deem proper.' Accord ingly about this time, while we find no regular ayudas given, there are constant examples of special ones, sometimes of large amounts, granted for the most varied reasons, of which two or three instances will sufiice. Thus Ferdinand, April 30, 1499, in ordering the payment of the salaries in Seville, includes maravedis of ayudas de costs for one of the inquisitors, but none for any one else. August 10, 1502, Juan Royz, receiver of Sara gossa, is given an ayuda de costs of sueldos to meet expenses incurred in illness and, on September 27th, an official of Seville is gratified with maravedis to help him in his marriage.' About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.