Antonio de Torquemada is thought to have been born around 1507, so if he was ten years old, it would have been about 1517.
LVD. Many such things as these, without doubt, do happen in the world, of which some never come to bee discovered: but seeing we have sufficiently discoursed of the same, I pray you let me somewhat understand your opinion as concerning Robingoodfellowes and Hobgoblins, which are sayd to be so common, that there is scarcely any man but will tell you one tale or other of them, of which for mine owne part, I believe none, but do make reckoning that every man forgeth herein, what pleaseth him.
Many of them without doubt are forged, and many also true, for these kindes of Spirites are more familiar and domesticall then the others; and for some causes to us unknowne, abide in one place more then in another, so that some never almost depart from some particular houses, as though they were their proper mansions, making in them sundry noyses, rumours, mockeries, gawdes and jests, with out doing any harme at all; and though I am not my selfe witnes thereof, yet I have heard many persons of credite affirme that they have heard them play as it were on Gyterns and Jews Harpes, and ring Belles, and that they answere to those that call them, and speake with certaine signes, laughters and merry gestures, so that those of the house come at last to bee so familiar and well acquainted with them that they feare them not at all.
But in truth, as I sayde before, if they had free power to put in execution their malicious desire, wee should finde these prankes of theirs, not to be jests, but earnest indeed, tending to the destruction both of our body and soule, but as I tolde you before, this power of theirs is so restrained and tyed, that they can [passe no sarder?] then to jestes and gawdes: and if they doe any harme or hurt at all, it is certainely very little, as by experience we daily see: and therefore leaning unrehearsed an infinite number of fables and strange tales tolde of them by the common people, I will tell you truly what I saw, my selfe, being a boy of ten yeares old, and a Scholler in Salamanca.
There was in that Citty a Widdow, very principall & rich, somewhat aged in yeares, which kept in her house foure or five maydeservants, of the which two were young and very beautifull. There was a common report bruted abroade in the Towne, that there should be in this Widdowes house a Hobgoblin or spright that played daily sundry strange pranks of which the most usuall was: that he threw stones from the roofe of the house, not onely upon the persons therein, but also upon others that came to visite the widow in such quantity, and with such noyse, as though whole showers of them had beene rained out of the Element, yet always harmlessly without hurting any man.
This matter grew so publike that the brute thereof came at last to the eares of the Magistrate, who desiring to know the truth thereof, went presently to the widdowes house, with at least twenty in his company, entring into which, hee commanded a Sergeant, accompanied with foure other men, to seeke round about the house with a burning Torch, willing him not to leave any corner above or beneath unsearched, wherein by any possibility a man might be hidden, which he and his fellowes executed so neerely, that unlesse they would have untiled the house, they could doe no more: so that returning they made relation, that there was no seeking any further, for all was safe: whereupon the Magistrate told the Gentlewoman of the house, that shee was abused and deceived, and as it was most likely by her yong maydens, who might bring into her house their Lovers, by whom these stones might bee throwne up and downe: and therefore willed her, for avoiding of all inconveniences, to looke more narrowly unto them, lest embouldened through this simplicity of hers, they might in time attempt some greater matter.
The good Gentlewoman was the most ashamed of the world, not knowing what to reply, yet still persisted to affirme that the throwing of the stones to be most true. The Magistrate and the rest jesting at her simplicity, tooke their leave to be gone, but they were scarcely off the staires, but there came such a whirling of stones about their eares, and with such a noise, as though they had bin throwne with three or foure slings together, as thicke as might bee: which falling on their legges, armes and feete, did them no hurt at all.
The Magistrate caused the selfe same man which had searched before, to search againe, with great diligence and haste, but it was all in vaine, for there was no body to be found: at which, as they stood wondering, there fell of a sudden in the portall of the house, such a shower of stones amongst them, that it farre exceeded the former, at which their amazement increasing, one of the Sergeants took up amongst the rest that lay on the floore, a marked stone, and throwing it over the toppe of the house that stood on the other side of the streete in front; If thou be a right divell (quoth he) returne me this stone againe, at which very moment, the selfe same stone fell from the roofe of the house, and hitte him on the brimme of his hatte over his eyes, and the stone was evidently knowne of them all, to be the very same which he had thrown over the other house, so that the Magistrate with the rest of those that were there present with him, departed out of the house, with the greatest astonishment that might be; and not long after there came thither a Priest, of the little Tower of Salamanca, who through certaine conjuration which he wrought, delivered the house both of this throwing of stones, and all other such like molestations.
LVD. In good sooth, I never heard of a merrier Divell: but afore you passe any further, I will tell you of two things which both happened in this same Towne where we now are [Beneuenta]:
P160-163 of ‘The Spanish Mandeuile of Myracles. Or the garden of curious flowers” Originally in Spanish by Anthonio de Torquemeda (1600) – this is from the English translation of 1618, printed by Bernard Alsop, London.
LDV is Ludovico who is the inquirer. AN is Antonio, the narrator.
(From ‘Throwing of stones and other substances by spirits’ by William Howitt, citing Professor Perty of Berne and his ‘Mystiche Erscheinungen’.)
In the 16th century, according to Torquemada, a great throwing of stones took place in Salamanca from the roof and steps of a house, which occasioned much annoyance and inconvenience, but hurt no one.
It will be as well to give a few more particulars of this case than Perty has done. In the first place we must not confound this Torquemada with the infamous Thomas de Torquemada, the great inquisitor […] The present Antonio de Torquemada says that, when he was a youth at the university of Salamanca, a widow had in her house four or five maids, two of whom were celebrated for their beauty. There was a rumour, however, that in this house a kobold (Trazzo) haunted, and played a variety of tricks, much to the annoyance of the inmates. Amongst others was that of throwing about stones from the roofs in such quantities as to alarm them greatly.
The news of it came to the ears of the Corregidor, and he proceeded suddenly to the town, accompanied by twenty other persons, and ordered an alguazil and four men to examine the whole house and roof thoroughly, descending into the cellars with torches. Nothing could be discovered. Upon this the Corregidor turned to the widow, and told her that no doubt the cause of the disturbance was, that the girls had lovers who played the pranks, and the best way to be rid of the hauntings was to look well after the maids. The widow stood confounded at this address, knowing well that this was not the case, and that the stones would probably be thrown again.
The Corregidor and his attendants now left the room, still jesting on the occasion of the stone-throwings; but just as they had reached the bottom of the steps in front, came a heap of stones rolling down after them, that would have filled four hampers. They came smartly between their legs and about their feet, yet without hurting them. Instantly they hurried back into the house to discover the rogues, and once more he ordered the alguazil and his men to make a rigorous search of the whole house. Again, as they passed out, there came a tremendous shower of stones upon the portal of the house, which bounced from it, and fell amongst their feet. In vain did they look whence they came from; and the alguazil, seizing one of the largest stones, flung it over the roof of an opposite house, saying, “If thou be the devil or a kobold, fling this stone back,” and it was hurled back, and passed close to his eyes instantly.
The stone-throwers were afterwards exorcised by the priests, called Torres-menudas.
The Spiritual Magazine, January 1865.
From the “Compendium Maleficarum” of Francesco Maria Guazzo, of the Order of St. Ambrose ad nemus; (1608) quoting from “Jardin de las Flores curiosa” of Antonio de Turrecremata, (1570):
“At Salamanca there was a matron whose house was popularly said to be haunted by stone throwing. The Mayor of the city was incited by this rumour to test for himself whether the persistent report concerning that house was true, or whether it was not rather invented by the servants in order to cover some naughty pranks of theirs; for there were among them two young girls of no mean beauty, and it was suspected that the whole of this story had been fabricated in order to facilitate their meetings with their lovers.
“So the Mayor went to the house at the time when the stoning was said to be most frequent; and there went with him no less than twenty of the townsmen, some of whom he sent with a light to search the upper part of the house to see who it was who threw stones at the servants. They searched diligently everywhere, and came back and said they had found nothing at all alarming. He then decided to examine the cellars, to which some steps led down from the dining room, and to spend some time in a further search in that direction. And lo! hardly had they reached the place before there was a great noise and stones began to be hurled at them and swept them off their legs, but without harming them.
“So they were sent again to see where this shower of stones came from; and although they found no one in the place, the shower of stones kept falling. This went far to confirm the opinion which many had formed, that the phenomena were all due the devil’s work and magic; and this belief they more stoutly maintained as the stones kept falling about their heads. Some of them there rushed from the house in terror; but one of them, feeling bolder at a safe distance, took up and carefully noted the appearance of one particular stone and threw it into the house, saying: “If this came from you, O demon, throw the same stone back at me.” And when this was at once done, there was no more room for doubt that the house was haunted by demons as the Matron had said.”
Above taken from the 1929 translation by E.A. Ashwin, published by John Rodker. It seems to have everything; the falling stones; the two young girls associated; the orthodox “and Lo!” together with the assumption by the prevailing orthodoxy that there was “no more room for Doubt.”
Doubt, The Fortean Society Magazine, vol II, no. 28 (date unclear).