But there is no accounting1 for the memory of an inquisitive2 woman, however discreet3 and prudent4 she may be, and if few outdid the Governess of Spain, Princess Juana, in virtue5, prudence6 and discretion7, few had more curiosity, or better means of gratifying it at their command.
As no one had found out from Luis Quijada who Jeromín really was, it occurred to her that she might obtain the information from Do?a Magdalena, and with this object in view she sent a missive to Villagarcia about the 15th of May, begging her to come to see the Auto8 and to bring the boy she had with her, in the disguise in which he lived.
The Auto to which the Princess Juana alluded9 was the celebrated10 Auto da Fe which took place in Valladolid on the 21st of May, 1559, at which Dr. Augustin Cazalla and thirty of his heretic disciples11 were condemned12. This Lutheran conspiracy13 had been discovered many months before during the lifetime of the Emperor, who had urged and begged Do?a Juana and the Inspector-General D. Fernando de Valdés, Archbishop of Seville, to mete15 out prompt and severe punishment to the offenders16.
There lived then in Valladolid, at No. 13 of the Street of the Silversmiths, a certain Juan García, a silversmith by trade. For some time his wife had noticed that he was absent-minded and irritable17, and that he pretended to go to bed early and then went out again. Being a brave, decided18 woman, she disguised herself one night and followed him, supposing some intrigue19. When Juan García reached the street now called after Dr. Cazalla, he at once knocked at the door of a house between what are now cavalry20 barracks and the old apothecary's shop in the Square of St. Michel. The door was opened with great caution, and the woman distinctly heard a password which seemed to be "Chinela," and Juan García answered "Cazalla," on which the door opened and he went in. The wife remained spellbound, and her astonishment21 grew as she noticed that, singly and by twos, men and women came from both ends of the street. The same ceremony took place, and they disappeared into the mysterious house, which was none other than that of Do?a Leonora de Vibero, mother of Dr. Cazalla. Being, as we have said, a resolute22 woman, on seeing a very devout23 woman (the Juana Sánchez who afterwards committed suicide in the prison of the Inquisition by cutting her throat with scissors) approaching, she followed secretly, gave the password, and entered behind Sánchez into a large, ill-lighted room, where she saw and heard Dr. Cazalla explain to more than seventy people the doctrines24 of the Lutherans which he had brought back from Germany. She understood at once that she was in a conventicle of heretics, and horrified25, but not losing her presence of mind, she left quietly and the same morning informed her confessor of all that she had seen and heard. Whether he was infected with the same doctrines or did not much believe the woman, he only told her not to worry over the matter. However, the same day she warned the Grand Inquisitor himself, and put the threads of the plot into his hands. Following them with much prudence and precaution, he found the plot so widespread that when in prison Cazalla rightly said, "If they had waited four months to persecute26 us, we should have been as numerous as they are, if six months, we should have done for them as they have for us." The affair made a great stir throughout Spain, and it is calculated that 200,000 people flocked to Valladolid to be present at the Auto da Fe, which was to take place as the crowning act of the drama on Trinity Sunday, the 21st May, 1559.
Luis Quijada was party to all this, as he had been sent by the Emperor from Yuste to the Princess and the Inquisitor to urge the swift and severe punishment of the heretics. As a man of his time, a fervent27 Spanish Catholic and a politician educated in Germany, Quijada thought that only severe warnings would stop Protestantism from entering Spain, and with it the breaking up of the kingdom and probably the end of the monarchy28. So it appeared to him a good lesson for Jeromín to go to the Auto da Fe, and he insisted that Do?a Magdalena should accept the invitation of the Princess and go to Valladolid with the child and his niece, Do?a Mariana de Ulloa, heiress of his brother, the Marqués de la Mota, who was at Villagarcia at that time.
So Do?a Magdalena set out with her niece and with the retainers suitable to such illustrious ladies, and arrived very early on the morning of the 20th of May, the day before the Auto. They lodged29 in the house of the Conde de Miranda, and to avoid tiresome30 visits and awkward questions, the prudent lady sent Jeromín out and about the streets all day to see the preparations for the ceremony with her squire31 Juan Galarza. Jeromín went off delighted, and certainly nothing was ever seen like the streets of Valladolid on that 20th day of May. So thronged32 were they with people that it was hardly possible for the familiars of the Holy Office, who ever since the morning had been making the usual proclamation, to force their way through the crowd. The familiars went on horseback, emblems33 of their office in their hands, preceded and followed by "alguaciles," and surrounded by criers who announced at the street corners the two usual proclamations, the first forbidding from that moment until the next day the use of arms defensive34 or offensive under the pain of excommunication and the confiscation35 of the said arms. Equally was prohibited by the second proclamation, from that time until one hour after the executions, the circulation of carriages, or litters, chairs, horses, or mules36 in the streets where the procession was to pass, or in the Plaza37 Mayor, where was the scaffold.
To prevent people entering the square there was a double row of guards. The finishing touches were being given to the enormous scaffold where the Auto was to be held, that is to say the reading of the evidence and the sentences, the only part of the function at which the Court and the more refined portion of the public were present. Away beyond the gates guards were also keeping a space on the Great, or Parade, Ground called the "Quemadero," or the place of burning. To execute the sentences fifteen small platforms were being made for an equal number of prisoners. These platforms were very small and rested on the faggots which were to make the fire, and above them rose a stake with its pillory38, like a modern one. To this the prisoner was tied and killed before being burnt, as they were not burnt alive except in rare cases of blasphemy39 and impenitence40. The whole way from the Campo Grande to the Plaza Mayor; and from there to the street of Pedro Barrueco, now called Bishop14 Street, where stood the prisons and houses of the Holy Office, there was not a corner or square without seats covered in black, for which the enormous prices of 12, 13, and even 15 reales were paid. In all the squares and at many of the cross roads pulpits also were erected41, covered in black, where every order of friars preached each day to the enormous crowd which never ceased moving, all in mourning, all sad, very similar in appearance to the scene which used to be general, and still is common, in many places in Spain on Good Friday. The official mourning, the real compunction of some, and the affected42 piety43 of others covered the indifference44 of the many, and gave to the whole concourse an appearance of sadness, even of terror, well in keeping with the terrible scene which was to be enacted45. At four o'clock the sermons ceased, and in the streets, windows and balconies the crowd grew greater. The traditional procession called "of the Green Cross" began to leave the chapel46. First walked all the religious communities of Valladolid and its neighbourhood, the friars two by two, holding lighted wax torches. Then the commissaries, clerks and familiars of the Holy Office, then the high officers of the Tribunal, with the secretaries, mayor and attorney-general, all carrying lighted candles. Last of all this immense procession, a Dominican friar carried under a canopy47 of black velvet48 a great cross of green wood covered with crape. The choirs49 of the chapel intoned the hymn50 Vexilla regis prodeunt, which all the people answered, alternating the verses. At the street corners from time to time the voice of some friar was to be heard, imploring51 Heaven in vehement52 language to grant repentance53 to the prisoners, which the people answered with ejaculations, groans54 and prayers. It was rumoured55 that among the fifty condemned men only one, the Bachelor of Arts, Herreruelos, remained obstinate56 and impenitent57.
The procession passed slowly and solemnly through the principal streets, and late at night found its way back to the Plaza Mayor, where the scaffold was now finished. Then was prepared an altar on which the Green Cross was solemnly placed with twelve lighted wax candles. Four Dominican monks58 and a company of halberdiers were to watch it all night.
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1
accounting
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| n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表 | |
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inquisitive
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| adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的 | |
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discreet
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| adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的 | |
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prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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8
auto
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| n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车 | |
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alluded
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| 提及，暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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10
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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disciples
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| n.信徒( disciple的名词复数 )；门徒；耶稣的信徒；（尤指）耶稣十二门徒之一 | |
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12
condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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13
conspiracy
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| n.阴谋，密谋，共谋 | |
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bishop
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| n.主教，（国际象棋）象 | |
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mete
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| v.分配；给予 | |
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offenders
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| n.冒犯者( offender的名词复数 )；犯规者；罪犯；妨害…的人（或事物） | |
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irritable
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| adj.急躁的；过敏的；易怒的 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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intrigue
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| vt.激起兴趣，迷住；vi.耍阴谋；n.阴谋，密谋 | |
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cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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resolute
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| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
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devout
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| adj.虔诚的，虔敬的，衷心的 (n.devoutness) | |
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doctrines
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| n.教条( doctrine的名词复数 )；教义；学说；（政府政策的）正式声明 | |
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horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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persecute
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| vt.迫害，虐待；纠缠，骚扰 | |
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fervent
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| adj.热的，热烈的，热情的 | |
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monarchy
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| n.君主，最高统治者；君主政体，君主国 | |
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lodged
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| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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tiresome
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| adj.令人疲劳的，令人厌倦的 | |
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squire
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| n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅 | |
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thronged
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| v.成群，挤满( throng的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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emblems
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| n.象征，标记( emblem的名词复数 ) | |
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34
defensive
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| adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的 | |
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confiscation
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| n. 没收, 充公, 征收 | |
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mules
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| 骡( mule的名词复数 )； 拖鞋； 顽固的人； 越境运毒者 | |
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plaza
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| n.广场，市场 | |
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pillory
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| n.嘲弄；v.使受公众嘲笑；将…示众 | |
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blasphemy
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| n.亵渎，渎神 | |
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40
impenitence
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| n.不知悔改，顽固 | |
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41
ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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42
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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43
piety
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| n.虔诚，虔敬 | |
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44
indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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45
enacted
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| 制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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46
chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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47
canopy
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| n.天篷，遮篷 | |
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48
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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49
choirs
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| n.教堂的唱诗班( choir的名词复数 )；唱诗队；公开表演的合唱团；（教堂）唱经楼 | |
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50
hymn
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| n.赞美诗，圣歌，颂歌 | |
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51
imploring
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| 恳求的，哀求的 | |
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52
vehement
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| adj.感情强烈的；热烈的；(人)有强烈感情的 | |
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53
repentance
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| n.懊悔 | |
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54
groans
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| n.呻吟，叹息( groan的名词复数 )；呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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55
rumoured
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| adj.谣传的；传说的；风 | |
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56
obstinate
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| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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57
impenitent
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| adj.不悔悟的，顽固的 | |
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58
monks
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| n.修道士，僧侣( monk的名词复数 ) | |
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