78 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[Aug. 4. 1855. 



on the subject ; and that, as the assertions of this 

 gentleman tend to belie the statements made in 

 the appendix to the work by Montes, it is thought 

 proper to establish their correctness by the cor- 

 roborative testimonies of several respectable and 

 truthful persons ; in order to place before him 

 and others conclusive proofs that all the incidents 

 of his story are fictitious. 



Hence it is here demonstrated, that the follow- 

 -ing assertions are untrue: — 1. That a house of 

 the Inquisition existed in 1809, with walls and 

 ■turrets of solid construction, five miles from Ma- 

 -drid. 2. That it was defended by armed guards 

 rin the service of the Inquisitors, 3. That it was 

 handsomely furnished, having also paintings and 

 a library. 4. That the Inquisitor-General had 

 bis residence there. 5. That three regiments of 

 Prench troops, under INIarshal Soult, went to de- 

 molish it ; and that they mined and blew it up, 

 with a tremendous explosion. On the contrary, 

 it is certain, that there never were more houses 

 for the use of the Inquisition of Madrid than one, 

 recently built in the Calle de Maria Cristina, 

 No. 4. nuevo ; and another where the Inquisitor- 

 General resided, still existing in the Calle de 

 Torija, No. 14. nuevo, opposite the present resi- 

 dence of Lord Howden, the English ambassador. 



Firstly, D. F. A , Knight of the Order of 



Carlos III., &c. born, resident, and a proprietor in 

 Madrid, aged sixty-four, living in the Plazuela 

 , appeared before the judge and notary ; de- 

 clared that he understood the subject-matter, and 

 offered his positive declaration, that the relation is 

 false that there had been in 1809 a house of the 

 Inquisition five miles distant from Madrid, neither 

 at Chamartin, solidly constructed with walls and 

 turrets, or defended by guards in the service of 

 the Inquisitors. That it is untrue that three regi- 

 ments of French troops went to demolish it, min- 

 ing and blowing it up ; because there never were 

 more houses, for the use of the Inquisition of 

 Madrid, than one, recently rebuilt in the Calle de 

 Maria Cristina, No. 4. nuevo ; and another, still 

 retaining its ancient form, in the Calle de Torija, 

 No. 14. nuevo, where the Inquisitor-General 

 lived ; aiid this stands opposite the house now 

 occupied by the English ambassador, Lord How- 

 den. That as to the furniture, pictures, and library, 

 he is ignorant ; but if these were supposed to be 

 in a house of the Inquisition five miles from 

 Madrid, the assertion is fabulous ; because there 

 never existed such an one. That he <;an truly 

 make this declaration, because, in the year 1809, 

 he had been residing at Madrid from his birth ; 

 that he well knew the two buildings belonging to 

 the Inquisition ; and that he never saw the guards 

 or heard of the supposed demolition, which, if it 

 had occurred, must have come to his knowledge : 

 and this declaration, made under oath, being read 

 over, he ratifies it. 



No. 301.] 



Secondly, D. J. G. V. , born at Villafranca^ 



resident at Madrid, Calle de , formerly hold- 

 ing an appointment in the department of Receipts. 

 of Espolios, since suppressed, aged eighty-four^ 

 appeared, and stated that he understood the sub- 

 ject. That the story is fictitious that there was, 

 in 1809, a house of the Inquisition five miles from 

 Madrid, neither at Chamartin, walled, turreted, 

 and defended by guards ; that three regiments 

 of French troops, under Marshal Soult, went to> 

 destroy it, mining and blowing it up. That the 

 Inquisition of Madrid never had more than twa 

 houses ; one now rebuilt in the Calle de Cristina,. 

 No. 4. nuevo ; and another in the Calle de Torija,. 

 No. 14. nuevo, where the Inquisitor- General re- 

 sided, opposite the house occupied by the presenfe 

 English ambassador. Lord Howden. That he 

 can declare this without the shadow of a doubt f 

 be(!ause, in 1809, the period referred to, he at- 

 tended daily at his oflice in the suppressed depart- 

 ment of Receipts of Espolios, which was held at 

 that time, and continued to be held down to the 

 summer of 1811, in the Calle de Leganitos ; the 

 first house on the right, entering by the Plazuela 

 de Santo Domingo, in the immediate neighbour- 

 hood of the said houses of the Inquisition, their 

 situation and appearance being well known to him; 

 that they never were fortified ; that he never saw 

 armed guards, or heard the supposed ruinous ex- 

 plosion. That he is ignorant of the kind of fur- 

 niture, pictures, and library ; never heard of their 

 supposed grandeur : and he makes the declaration? 

 under oath, and, being read over, he ratifies it. 



Thirdly, appeared D. J. H. de R , advocate, 



native and resident of Madrid, holding office in- 

 the central university of Madrid, residing in the 



Plazuela , aged sixty-eight, and declared to 



be false beyond any kind of doubt that in 1809 

 the house of the Inquisition existed five miles 

 from Madrid, or at Chamartin, walled, turreted, 

 and defended by soldiers at the service of the In- 

 quisitors. That it is farther fictitious, that three 

 regiments of French troops went to demolish it, 

 and having mined it, blew it up. On the contrary, 

 there were never more than two houses used by 

 tha Inquisition of Madrid ; one recently rebuilt 

 in the Calle de Maria Cristina, No. 4. nuevo. No. 8.. 

 formerly ; and another still retaining its ancient 

 form in the Calle de Torija, No. 14. nuevo, 

 formerly No. 1., Avhere the Inquisitor-General 

 resided, situated opposite the house now occupied 

 by tlie English ambassador, Lord Howden. That 

 he knew nothing of the furniture, ])ictures, or 

 library there ; but in reference to those in the 

 supposed house of the Inquisition five miles from 

 Madrid, according to Mr. Lehmanowsky's account,, 

 he could at once declare the description fictitious, 

 because such an edifice never existed. That he- 

 could truly make this declaration, beciuise, in 

 1809, he ha4 been living at Madrid from his birth. 



