Juan Ginesta, a native of this city, aged twentyfive years, was confined
in the secret prison on the sixth of June, with sequestration of
property, for performing magical cures and deceptive tricks, and
uttering speeches against our Holy Faith. The first audience was held on
the eighth, when he confessed that he had taught a person to perform
cures by the application of certain remedies, and the uttering of a
prayer; and also that he had practised the same arts himself. On the
ninth, another audience was held, in which he confessed other practices
of the same nature, and that he had uttered many speeches, by way of
joke and pastime. On the fifteenth, the third audience was held, in
which he declared, that having been questioned several times whether he
had been in the Inquisition, he had answered, Yes. The accusation
against him was presented on the eighteenth, at which time, and on the
twentyfirst and twentyfifth, the prisoner answered to the charges,
confessing the performance of the cures imputed to him, and the mode of
executing them, denying withal some parts of the accusation. On the
twentyfifth, he was ordered to be furnished with a copy of the
accusation for the purpose of making his defence within three days. He
nominated for his advocate Dr Manuel Bonvehi. On the twentyseventh, an
audience was held, in which the prisoner communicated with his counsel
respecting his defence. The Inquisitor Fiscal demanded ratification of
the testimony, and the case was admitted for proof in a full trial. The
testimony was then ratified and given in publication on the thirteenth,
fifteenth, and nineteenth of July. On the twentythird an audience was
held, in which the prisoner conferred with his counsel. The publication
of the testimony was read to him, and he was furnished with the
necessary papers for drawing up the defence. On the twentyninth an
audience was held, when the prisoner’s counsel presented the defence,
and demanded investigations; for which purpose a commission was granted
on the same day.
September, 1740.
The result of the investigations was presented on the third of August,
and on the eighth, were communicated to the prisoner’s counsel, when the
defence was concluded. On the eleventh, before the Judge Ordinary, the
Most Reverend Father, M. Fr. Mariano Anglasel Merzenario, sentence was
passed that the prisoner be brought into the hall of the tribunal, and
there, with closed doors, in the presence of the Secret Ministers, hear
his condemnation read, be reprehended, admonished, and warned, and
afterwards banished eight leagues from this city, Madrid, and the Court
of His Majesty, for the period of two years; which sentence was
submitted to your Highness on the thirteenth of the same month, and on
the tenth of September the answer was received ordering the first part
of the sentence to be executed as above specified, and the prisoner to
be banished for one year. This was carried into execution on the
eleventh of September, and the audience held for binding the prisoner to
secrecy and taking the customary precautions respecting the prison;
after which an order was despatched to the Alcayde to take him from his
confinement.
Inquisition of Barcelona, Sept. 27th, 1740.