[1619]. Carta de Gabriel Dias para o seu filho, Gaspar Fernandes de Leão, mercador.

Family letter from Gabriel Dias to his son, Gaspar Fernandes de Leão.

The author asks his son not to confess to the Inquisition what he has done together with their family and friends.

Gaspar Fernandes de Leão was arrested by the Inquisition on January 14, 1619, being accused of Judaism. He had just begun to learn Latin when he was arrested. He was tortured in order to tell the truth, and later condemned to jail and spiritual penances at the will of the inquisitors, and to pay 20 "escudos" destined to the poor prisoners, among other punishments. His father, Gabriel Dias, wrote some letters and gave them to one of the prison's guards, for him to deliever them to his son. This guard, however, gave the letters to the Inquisition instead. Gabriel Dias later died in Cape Verde, when he went there to bring back home one of his sons.