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Appendix 2 k Excerpt from Juan de Segovia, De mittendo gladio divini Spiritus in corda sarracenorum Seville, Biblioteca Colombina MS 7-6-14, fols. 19v–21r 5 10 238 De mense quippe Octobris Anno domini Mo cccco xxxio dum essem in opido Medina del Campo Salamanticensis diocesis, Serenissimo Rege Castelle et sua Curia ibidem existente, colaciones habui multas cum primo ex duobus Ambaxiatoribus Regis Granate ibidem constitutis conscio plene yspani ydeomatis, quarum prima ut de sublimiori sacramento, ita fuit tempore diuturnior. Uno etenim die assumpto iurisperito Sororio meo Dydaco ffernandi de Ubeda civitate Regno Granate confini adii Sarracenorum ipsorum hospitium ei quod morabar vicinum. Cum autem Sarracenus ipse locutione preveniens velut congratulans de visitacione, adventus causam interrogasset, dixissemque ut scirem de aliquibus amicis meis Cordubensis proxime apud eos bello detentis specialiter de Iurato Magdalene, ille In the month of October in the year of the Lord 1431, while I was in the town of Medina del Campo in the diocese of Salamanca, where the most serene king of Castile and his curia were staying, I had many meetings with the first of two ambassadors of the king of Granada. The ambassador had settled himself in that place as well and was fully proficient in the Spanish language. The first of these meetings, since it was about the most holy sacrament, was quite long. One day, indeed, taking with me my cousin, the legal expert Diego Fernández from the city of Úbeda, which borders on the kingdom of Granada, I came to an inn belonging to the Saracens themselves, which was near to where I was staying. But the Saracen, speaking first, as if rejoicing at the visit, asked the reason for my visit, and I said that I hoped to learn of some of my friends from Córdoba who had just recently been detained among them through war, especially of the jurist from Magdalena.2 De mittendo gladio divini Spiritus in corda sarracenorum 239 2. There are several locations with this name in Spain, including one in the northeastern part of the peninsula, near Huesca, and another called Huertas de Magdalena in Extremadura. It is not clear where this man was from. respondit bene eum tractari nominato apud quem detinebatur captivus. Inter verba autem hec aliaque urbanitas quia frequenter iurabit per deum, interrogavi utrum segundum legem suam licitum esset tam sepe et absque necessitate per deum iurare, si quidem per nomen dei iurare esset deum adducere in testem, persone vero magne auctoritatis quamvis rarissime et pro maxima causa ac in necessitate non tamen sepe. Et pro causis minimis vellent in testimonium adduci. Item quia primo sistente mandato legis Moysi ut quis non haberet plures deos statim, in secundo tamquam grave nimium crimen esset prohibebatur ne quis assumeret nomen dei invanum. Tunc ille stomacho plenus irrupit dicens, Quomodo igitur vos christiani plures habetis et adoratis deos, unum in celo alium in terra, unum creatorem, alium hominem filium Marie, unum patrem alium filium, unum inmortalem alium mortuum, crucifixum, atque sepultum. Et dicitis quod deus pater eum tradidit ut pro salute vestra moreretur. Est tamen ita quod pater habens filium si sciat eum carceri traditum, rogat quo potest iudicem, munera mittit, et osculatur manus eius ut liberet eum. Cum hec aliaque propositi huius ex habundancia cordis ut loquendi modus ostendebat dixisset, illi respondi duo quantum percipiebam absurda ei viderentur credi per christianos: quod deus filium haberet et ille mortuus esset pro salute humani generis, de quo istorum vellet ut primo loqueremur. Illo autem subito respondente quod de primo, dixi optare me ut noticiam haberet de philosophia Aristotilis presertim quantum ad libros de anima. Sed dato ita non esse sperarem, dei auxiliante gratia, tam palpabilibus me locuturum exemplis ut priusquam e domo illa exirem clara perciperet racione deum habere filium nec ex tempore sed ab eterno ut sicut deus eternus est sic quoque filius eius. Cumque ad hec audienda permaxime attentum se obtulerit quod et complevit auditu sistente, sermonem effudi illi, exponens trinitatis mysterium, de personarum pluralitate 240 Appendix 2 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 He responded that my friend was being treated well, and he named the one by whom he was being held captive. But since in the course of this and the rest of our polite conversation he frequently swore by God, I asked him whether, according to his law, it was permitted to swear by God so often and needlessly, since to swear by the name of God is to enlist God as a witness, but...

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