LORENZO TERRADER, _Presbyter and Canon,
Notary in this investigation_.
In the town of Besahi, on the thirtieth day of May, one thousand, seven
hundred and eightyfour, before the abovementioned officers, sworn to
preserve secrecy and perform faithfully their duties, appeared,
according to summons, and made oath to declare the truth and preserve
secrecy, Josef Gircos, Advocate of Besahi, a native and inhabitant of
the said town, of age, as he stated, thirtysix years or thereabout.
Questioned, if he knew or conjectured the cause of his being summoned to
appear.
Answered, No.
Questioned, if he knew that any person had said or done aught which was,
or appeared to be contrary to our Holy Catholic Faith, and Evangelical
Doctrine.
Answered, No.
He was then given to understand that information had been received and
sworn to in this Holy Office, that certain persons, Narciso Mañalich and
Josef Llorella, had been at Montpelier to visit a Jew, &c. [_Here
follows a recapitulation of the preceding testimony._]
Answered, that he had heard the same from Narciso Mañalich, and what he
knew of the matter was the following;--‘About eighteen months since,
this person and Josef Llorella y Saler, of this town, left the place,
accompanied by a young man named Gubert. To what place they went, and
whether they kept company all the way, I do not know. They were gone
about three weeks, and shortly after their return I heard Miguel
Antentas y Berga, Advocate, of this town, declare that they had been to
Montpelier, in France, to meet a Jew who was to show them how to obtain
money by diabolical arts; that the Jew gave Mañalich a maggot in a tube,
to which he was to add a new maggot every day to be eaten, and that the
Jew told them they might have as much money as they wanted by swearing a
pact with the devil, and doing what he prescribed to them upon a written
paper. One of the conditions was, never to go to confession. For these
instructions I think the said Antentas told me they paid the Jew seven
or nine _Louis d’ors_. On their return from Montpelier, at a village or
place near Bisbal, they made trial of one of the Jew’s methods of
obtaining money. This was done at a spot where two roads crossed each
other. A trench was dug in the ground and a hen killed, with the blood
of which they all wrote their names on a paper and placed the same in
the trench, taking care, as the Jew directed them, not to be frightened.
Notwithstanding they complied with all these directions, the money did
not appear.
‘After their return to this town, they went with some others to the
castle of Esponella, where the book was read for the purpose of raising
the devil. Here the devil appeared in the shape of a man dressed in
flesh colored clothes, and, as Antentas told me, with large eyes. The
devil asked what they wanted, to which Mañalich or some other replied,
“Money, good money, and not enchanted.” The devil told them they should
have it if one of the number would give himself up, but this no one of
them was willing to do.
‘Llorella related the affair to his wife, and she gave information of it
to Antonio Rigalt, that he might assist in extricating her husband from
such a desperate business. Rigalt consulted Antentas and they concluded
to lay the case before the Inquisition, which was done.
‘What Antentas knew of the affair he learnt of Rigalt, Llorella, and
Mañalich. Afterwards, when Llorella repented of his connexion with the
others, and left their company, I think I heard him say, at the house of
Antentas, that he had seen, shortly before, in the possession of
Mañalich, the paper which the Jew gave them, and that the devil appeared
to them in a flesh colored dress, with large eyes and sharp finger
nails. I was afterwards told by Antentas that Mañalich, seeing Llorella
had left them and they could not proceed with their undertaking
according to the direction of the Jew, who informed them that if one of
the number died or left them they must get another, made choice of an
uncle of Traver beforementioned, for this purpose.
‘Mañalich then resolved to give himself up to the devil according to his
demand, stipulating for some years’ grace. This matter was discussed by
the company at the castle of Esponella, in connexion with a plan for
getting thirtyone millions, or some such sum, from the devil. The plan,
however, failed in this manner. On the night of Monday, before St John’s
day, in 1783, the company, or part of them, met at the house of Traver,
but Mañalich being suddenly taken sick, could not accompany them to the
castle.
‘Antentas also informed me, that he told Mañalich that the devil would
deceive him, and that he could not make any man rich. To this he replied
that the devil fulfilled all his promises, and that if he once got the
money of him, he would go to confession nevertheless, and so would cheat
the devil. He also told me, in the month of August of the same year,
that Mañalich had resolved to make an attempt for the money again, at
the abovementioned castle, or at another, called the castle of Buadella;
that he deferred it on account of the affair having become noised
abroad. Since this time I have heard nothing of him or his undertakings,
except that he proposed another journey to Montpelier, and offered two
hundred pounds to Simon Escaellar or Ventura to accompany him.’
The above is the truth, according to the oath of the deponent, who
declares that he has not spoken out of malice, but solely in obedience
to his conscience, and having been read to him, is declared to be
correctly recorded.