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73 ‹ 4 › the trial of maria de macedo A ll investigations undertaken by the Inquisition began with a denunciation , someone reporting suspect activity to the Holy Office, and an examination of the who? and why? of denunciations forms an essential part of the analysis of any inquisitorial prosecution. This is certainly true in the case of Maria de Macedo and the details of this denunciation merit special consideration. Testimony against Maria de Macedo was first recorded by the inquisitorial notary João Teixeira in Lisbon on May 31, 1658. Like all information not yet part of an active investigation, the testimony was recorded in the Quadernos do Promotor—the record books of the chief administrative official of the Inquisition—though once an active case against Maria de Macedo was begun in 1665, the denunciation was copied in its entirety into the newly opened file on Maria, which would become Inquisição de Lisboa, Processo 4404.1 The principal item of interest in the denunciation is the original accuser: the first person to bring the visions of Maria de Macedo and her visits with King Sebastian to the attention of the Holy Office, Dr. António de Sousa de Macedo. As noted in chapter 2, Sousa de Macedo was a familiar of the Inquisition, a member of the Royal Treasury Council, and the prominent joanista who had written Lusitania Liberata to identify the Encoberto as João IV and to uphold the claims of the House of Braganza against its detractors. António de Sousa de Macedo began his denunciation by informing the inquisitorial officials that he had heard a rumor from several people that there was a woman who lived in the Chiado district who claimed to have traveled several times to the Hidden Isle. He knew that she was married to Feliciano Machado of the Treasury Department but could not remember her name correctly , calling her Francisca de Macedo. He went on to name Father Manoel da Costa, S.J., as someone with whom he had spoken specifically about the matter and offered his opinion that da Costa believed in what the woman was the vision and the trial 74 saying. Through da Costa, who by that time was well acquainted with Maria and Feliciano, António de Sousa de Macedo arranged to meet the woman and hear for himself what she had to say. So, on Sunday, May 26, 1658, Sousa de Macedo went to Maria’s house and, along with Feliciano and Maria’s stepmother, heard Maria recount her travels to the Hidden Isle from the beginning of her experiences as a child. Although at several points António de Sousa de Macedo stated that he could not remember all the details of her story, the account he gave the Inquisition of what she had said is virtually identical to what was contained in the long version of the pamphlet, which had been copied by someone in the Irish Seminary not even a month before. After hearing the story of her travels, the nobleman asked her whether she traveled to the island bodily or only by “representation.” She answered that she did not know but, while there, she saw things as clearly as people did in everyday life. Sousa de Macedo then asked Feliciano if he had ever found his wife absent from the house during those times. Feliciano told him that to resolve that issue he had stayed up watching her several nights, and at times when she was still in bed, she would wake up and tell him that she had just come from the island. One day, Feliciano went on to say, he heard the Moor come to speak to his wife. Feliciano got up and moved to where Maria was, but then felt someone place his or her hands on his shoulders, though he saw no one. He complained to his wife, and she made a signal with her head toward the area behind Feliciano, whereupon he felt the weight of the hands lift from his shoulders. He then admitted to his guest that he was the most confused man in the world, though he also told him that Maria’s father could confirm everything she said about her childhood. The story and Feliciano’s testimony did not impress Sousa de Macedo, however . On the basis of her manner of speech and “other circumstances” (which he never specified), he concluded that Maria’s story was false...

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