Syntactic Trees

Letter from Matías Alfonso, prison warden, to Antonio de Fonseca.

Matías Alfonso thanks Antonio de Fonseca for a present this has sent him, but he also warns the other that receiving presents could result in problems for him.

The accused in this process was Matías Alfonso, prison warden of the penance prison of the Inquisition in Toledo. In 1669 he was accused by the Inquisition Tribunal of irregularities and abuses in the exercise of his powers. For example, some witnesses declared that he required money from prisoners and their families, or even presents in exchange for a treatment of favour. The letter sent by Matías Alfonso to Antonio de Fonseca, imprisoned for judaizing, was handed over by the addressee and joined to the proceedings as a proof. However, the cause was suspended, because the court considered that Matías Alfonso had been accused because of the hostility the prisoners held against him.

On the letter there are annotations referring to the handing over of the letter by Antonio de Fonseca in the 19th of July 1669, to the joining of the letter to the proceedings, and to the official recognition of the letter in the 15th of January 1670.