hed in all the churches of the city, and put
in tables in each parish, as a settled constitution. He also published a
summary of what curates and clerks should teach their parishioners, and
what the parishioners should observe and show to their children." Thus
does Hernando del Pulgar, in his _Chronicle of the Catholic Sovereigns_,
describe what some too hastily call a catechism. It was merely a standard
of things to be believed and done, set forth by authority. The King and
Queen also, _not the Cardinal_, commanded "some friars, clerks, and other
religious persons to teach the people." But no true Jew would let himself
be taught that idolatry is not damnable; and even the less discouraging
issues of controversy with the vacillating or the ignorant were not
honestly reported.

The constitution of Cardinal Mendoza and the harangues of the friars were
ineffectual, as well they might be, for the Jews knew that the Christians
had a sacred book, said to be written by divine inspiration, as well as
the Law of Moses; and if that book was not put into their hands, they
could scarcely be expected to believe a religion whose chief written
authority was kept out of sight. That it was, indeed, kept out of sight
was undeniable; and the notorious Alfonso de Castro, chaplain of Philip
II, boasted in his book against heresies that there was "an edict of
the most illustrious and Catholic sovereigns of Spain, Ferdinand and
Isabella, in which, under the severest penalties, they forbade anyone to
translate the holy Scriptures into a vulgar language, or to have any such
version in his possession. For they were afraid lest any occasion
of error should be given to the people over whom God had made them
governors." The clergy maintained that conversion to the truth by
argument was impossible, and, at their instance, the bull was no longer
kept in reserve, but was published in 1480.

The Queen's trial of humanity was ended; but a question of policy
remained. The King and Queen remembered that they had an interest in
Spain as well as the Pope, but they scarcely knew how that interest
could be guarded if the inquisitors were allowed absolute power over the
persons and property of their subjects. To have proposed lay assessors
and open court would have provoked a quarrel with the Pope, then powerful
enough to raise Europe in arms against them; therefore they modestly
requested no more than that some priests nominated by the King should
be associa