Storia do Mogor 294.6.1

294.6.1

In this, after having badgered him this way and that upon his letter, and telling him that under the cloak and semblance of zeal it was crammed full of venom from the doctrines of Luther, the inquisitor added : 'It is not I who condemn you, as I have already told you, but the learned men of this town, for neither I nor these other secular priests have ever studied theology, all our knowledge being confined to the subject of canon law.' The questions put to him upon this letter were derived from certain papers written at San Thomé, being nothing but unfair commentary upon, and wrongly derived consequences [126] from, that letter. Having noticed this, Father Ephraim was unable to refrain from remarking to his judges : 'Would to God that those who drew up these writings against me were here in person, that I might answer them !' But the inquisitor, vexed that his ignorance had been noticed, interrupted him and reproved him with some temper, saying that the questions were made up in his own head without taking them from the writings of others. All the same, his assertion was obviously untrue. For the father was so close to him that he saw distinctly all that he did when drawing up his questions. Several times he addressed to him long admonitions, and introduced stories invented about him. Among others was one which concerned James I. of England, which he could have read nowhere except in the documents then lying before him.