[The Members of the Tribunal, Fray Eugenio Calabazas, and Fray
Teofilo Ibarra, Dominicans, later Cleofas, Oliveira, Fray Miguel
Molina and Fray Hernando Albornos, Franciscans. An Usher of the
Tribunal, at the foot of the stage.]
[As the curtain rises, Calabazas, seated, and Ibarra, at the left
outside, are discovered talking in a low voice. Cleofas and Fray
Hernando Albornos enter at the right.]
CLEOFAS. (Advancing into the scene) I have slept so well after that
excellent feast! Nothing is more injurious to the health than being
startlingly awakened during one's first sleep.
ALBORNOS. What business is so urgent that we must convene before
daybreak?
CLEOFAS. (Joining the group at the left) You Excellencies should have
the goodness to tell us.
CALABAZAS. We know no more about it than you.
IBARRA. We were greatly surprised at the morning visit of the agent
of the Tribunal. We are here at the special request of His Eminence
to consider a pressing and serious matter.
ALBORNOS. Then you have no idea what it is?
IBARRA AND CALABAZAS. None.
CLEOFAS. (To Molina, who enters at right) And you, my reverend father?
MOLINA. No more than you.
CALABAZAS. In any case, I think, without question, that the two women
whom we again examined after vespers are guilty of sorcery.
MOLINA. Moreover, they confessed.
IBARRA. That will simplify the task.
CLEOFAS. (Seeing Oliveira, who enters at the left) Is it not the
opinion of my excellent colleague. Master Oliveira, that there is not
sufficient evidence to condemn them?
[All turn toward Oliveira with questioning looks.]
OLIVEIRA. Since my very venerable colleague has obliged me to give my
humble opinion, I must confess that one of the two women, the one
called Afrida, appears to me to be an old fool, who after having been
forced to listen to sorcery and witchcraft, is possessed with the
idea that she is on intimate terms with a demon. She accepts her
dreams and nightmares as realities and every woman and girl whom she
knows she accuses of having attended a witches' revel. A dozen of
these unfortunates have been placed in our dungeons since yesterday.
If we listened to that vixen all of the women of Toledo would be
sorceresses--especially the young ones!
CALABAZAS. Has she not a reason for accusing them if she has seen
them at these revels?
[Murmurs of discreet approbation.]
OLIVEIRA. For her to have seen them, my father, it would have been
necessary for her to have gone there herself.
IBARRA. She partook in them.
MOLINA. And you doubt that?
OLIVEIRA. For a good reason!--As she pretended, in spite of the
confining walls of her dungeons, to be able to attend the revels
again, I determined to see for myself whether she was telling the
truth. Three times during the night I found her sleeping deeply on
the pallet in her cell in the prison. When she awoke she told me all
that she thought she had seen at the home of the devil!
ALBORNOS. If you were more experienced in these matters. Master
Oliveira, you would know that these sorceresses can leave their
bodies lying in their beds and at the same time attend these
Satanic love-feasts.
[Murmurs of approbation.]
CLEOFAS. And that in the same body the devil can place one of his
imps, who will not change its appearance.
[Renewed approbation.]
CALABAZAS. And the other sorceress?--This young peasant woman from
Torrijos, whom they found in a wood at dawn stretched naked on ground
which had been trampled by infernal dances and which was still
littered with the remains of an infernal feast and firebrands and
ashes--Master Oliveira, do you believe she too is innocent?
OLIVEIRA. I have good cause to believe it!--She is a poor girl from
the fields who was seduced by her master, who abandoned her and her
child and left them in deep misery. A passing vagrant invited her to
go to a witches' meeting where Satan would provide her with plenty
of gold. He took her to a nocturnal gathering of beggars and
ragamuffins, who with the aid of some rogue put her into a sleep,
from which she awakened at dawn with the vague memory of horrible
debauchery!--An orgie! Yes! But witches' meeting?--Who will prove
it?----
CLEOFAS. The sigillum or stigma Diaboli, Master Oliveira! That mark
which the devil makes with his pitchfork, or the horny spots on the
bodies of his creatures, such as we have found, you and I, in two
places on this girl's skin. Our needles penetrated them without
drawing blood and they were not felt.
[Murmurs of approval.]
OLIVEIRA. I found three on the body of the Superior of the
Incarnation, who afterward died in unquestioned sainthood!
[He walks toward the foot of the stage, followed by the eyes of the
displeased Inquisitors.]
CALABAZAS. (In a low voice) This surgeon is too much of a reasoner!
CLEOFAS. You need say nothing to me about it!--If they listened to
him they would burn no one!