Sunday, October 28, 2007

Report from the auto de fé

How many religions are there in the world, do you suppose? I have heard 10,000, or 32,000, with two-three-four new ones every day. Now this, from a report by a confidential agent in Seville, back to the headquarters of the Fugger bank in Antwerp:

From Seville, the 13th day of May 1569

The auto de fé of which I have already written took place here to-day. Seventy persons were brought forth, of which have been burned two Burgundians, one Frenchman and one Dutchman. The others were for the most part Spanish, rabble of poor mien, namely blasphemers of the name of God, and such as had been married twice or more. There were also among them such as did not hold fornication as sin. Likewise were there some of Jewish and Mohammedan faith.

The Fugger Newsletter 36 (G. Matthews ed.) (Capricorn Paperback 1970)

Moses said:

—The good news is, I got him down to ten.

—The bad news is, adultery is still in.

1 comment:

The New York Crank said...

America creates a new religion every 10 seconds. Or at least it feels like that.

For example(s): Mormonism. 7th Day Adventism. Jehovah's Witnesses. Christian Science. Scientology. Ethical Culture. Branch Davidians. And so it goes.

If George Bush's self-confident bumbling doesn't manage to bury this nation in a sea of nuclear ash, we should have at least 100 more American-born religions by the end of the 21st Century. I'll tell you "I told you so" then, when I'm reincarnated as a computer chip.

Oh, didn't I tell you? I'm a Spiritual Chipist, Reincarnative Branch.

Yours crankily,