Syntactic Trees

Letter from Mariana de Luzón to her niece María Vázquez de Luzón.

The author informs her niece that she is sending to the prison some clothes for her, and advises her to forgive the ones who have spoken badly about her, because this is the only way to make the truth emerge.

The accused in this process was María Vázquez de Luzón. In 1650 she was accused of witchcraft by the Inquisition Tribunal. The proof was a letter written by Manuel López, tailor, who declared that she was the best sorcerer in Madrid. At the beginning, she was banished from the city. After some time, however, the cause was reopened, and many witnesses declared to believe in the practices of María Vázquez de Luzón: allegedly, she made various spells and she used cards. She was arrested in the 7th of August 1658. She tried to defend herself blaming her husband Josep del Castillo, who abused her, for all the rumours. Eventually, she was sentenced to file in the streets with the emblem of sorcery, and to banishment from Madrid.