Juan Bautista Segondi, a native of the town of Perpignan in France, and
an inhabitant of this city, aged fortytwo years, a married man, and by
trade a watchmaker, confined in the secret prison of this tribunal, with
a sequestration of his property, on the fourteenth of July, for
superstitious and necromantical practices. He was assigned two sueldos
and the bread of the Contractor, on account of the Treasury, as little
of the prisoner’s property was secured. On the fifteenth, the first
audience was held, in which he confessed that he had used the hazel rod
for the purpose of discovering the situation of water, metals, and
mines, inheriting the capacity to practise this art, from his being a
seventh son, without the intervention of a female, and being born in the
month of May. He stated that he had heard his father declare such
persons could make the abovementioned discoveries, by holding the hazel
rod in their hands. On the twentieth and twentyfourth, audiences were
held, in which he confessed nothing more. The accusation was then
presented against him, the several specifications of which he granted to
be true. On the twentyfourth, he was furnished with a copy of the
accusation, and nominated for his counsel, Dr Joseph Vila. On the
twentyseventh, an audience was held, in which he communicated with his
advocate, respecting his defence, and the cause was received for proof
in a full trial. A commission was granted for the ratification of the
testimony.
August, 1739.
The testimony having been ratified, it was given, in publication, on the
nineteenth of this month, at which time, and on the twentyfirst, the
prisoner replied thereto, by confessing the truth of the charges, and an
additional one, of the same kind, being produced against him, it was
also given in publication. On the twentysixth, an audience was held, in
which the testimony, and the responses of the prisoner were read to his
advocate, Dr Joseph Vila, and arrangements were made for the defence.
September, 1739.
On the ninth of this month, the defence was offered, and on the twelfth,
the cause was judged before Father Mro. Fr. Mariano Anglasell, as Judge
Ordinary, and sentence was passed upon the prisoner; which was, that he
be brought into the hall of the Tribunal, and there, with open doors,
hear his condemnation read, make an abjuration _de levi_, be severely
reprehended, admonished, and warned, and apprised, that if he commit the
smallest act of the nature of his former offences, he shall incur the
penalty of two hundred lashes. It was also ordered, that the sentence,
before execution, be submitted to your Highness.
October, 1739.
The confirmation of the sentence having been received on the ninth of
this month, it was put in execution on the thirteenth, on which day
audience was held to swear secrecy respecting the prisons.
Inquisition of Barcelona, Oct. 31st, 1739.