1666. Carta de Brites de Sequeira para o seu irmão, Fernão Vaz de Sequeira, mercador.

Family letter from Brites de Sequeira to her brother, Fernão Vaz de Sequeira, merchant.

The author shows some grief towards her brother because he had sent her away from his home.

The defendant in this process is Isabel de Leão, a New Christian, who was accused of judaism and of insisting in her crimes. She was sentenced to prison, to a perpetual penitential habit and spiritual penances, later being reconciled. Manuel Gomes de Sequeira, also accused of judaism, was her brother-in-law. He is the author of the letter PSCR0278, in which he insults and threatens her.

«Sir.

I have received one letter to which I didn’t respond right away because it was only handed in to me in the second mail and after I had already written. I hope you are doing well, with the health I wish ‒ may God always give it to you as He can – in the company of my sister and nephews. Despite the good deeds, I feel as much torment as I should for the fact that you are not yet free from the illness you were in. I thought you and all the others were already relieved, as I was no longer in the house, since you were right to look for moths to take me out of it, because you knew that once this evil was out, good would come in. I consider this to be true, since I see you want to sell wheat now. Thank God it is all abundance now, there can be no hunger, since the responsible for it is no longer there.

I will be very glad with your departure to Arronches, were you may find some remedy, as nothing can now fail you, and may the Lord allow all the rest to be leftovers. I speak this way because I still feel great sorrow when I consider the cunning you used to put me on the street, to avoid having me another month at your house, and you forced my exit, as it was seen. I didn’t do you anything that could discredit me to the point of justifying your attempts to throw me out, and even though you consider me ignorant, I still understand some of this. There is nothing I regret the most than the long time I have annoyed you, but now you are free from the burden, and may Our Lord free you all. It’s useless to warn you again that, concerning what you know, I will not fail to the truth. I send my greetings to my sister and nephews, who I miss a lot, indefinitely, as I am not as elusive as you are. May God keep you. Lisbon, 17th July 1666.

Your sister, Brites de Sequeira»