Report of the festivities that the illustrious Cardinal of Jaén celebrated in the noble city of Baeza, for the beatification of his great-grandfather, Saint Francisco de Borja, Duke of Gandía.

Place: Baeza
Year: Not specified
Event: Fiesta religiosa, Religious celebration

The world also knows how to repay itself for the good times it gives and to reason out the pleasures with which it threatens, which was just faded by the news of the beatification of the saint Francisco de Borja, Duke of Gandía and third Superior General of the Society of Jesus, the houses of Lerma and Altamira when temple in good hour so sacred, with unhappy condolences of repeated deaths of his blood, cause of having delayed the Cardinal celebrity so desired for this time, not to mix with funeral disconsolences devout rejoicings.

Sunday September 21 published this festivity Don Lope Pimentel y Moscoso son of the very Excellent Lord Marquis of Tavara (whose prudence governs Sicily today) and nephew of His Illustriousness, accompanied by the family of his uncle and all the nobility of the City that with equal affection and devotion came to honor the Saint and the great-grandson. He carried airy in tender age on a chestnut horse with black velvet chivalry, a white banner, on one side the name of Jesus and on the other the portrait of his great-grandfather, at whose feet were seen three capelos, a crown and a staff with a letter that read: “Relinquimus omnia”. Better than the fisherman Apostle if to humble waste of some nets they earn it so illustrious spoils. The number and gala of the knights, the adornment and generosity of the horses, the sonorous noise of atabales*, trumpets and shawms, deserved the applause of the people that in windows and streets went out to see such an ostentatious publication. They walked all over the city and when leaving the banner in the main church as of general, it was prevented salvo of all the militia that in it rises that distributed by the battlements and loopholes of the Tower to one shot unpleasant noise equal consonance. They returned the pendolero to the company, from where they took him out because his illustriousness did not allow him to leave his house, and so with all of her he left early that afternoon to do the so unthinkable honor where his blessing and his hand delivered in his nephew’s hand the standard and threw it general to all the courtiers, who on the return got off to receive it a second time and accompany him to his inn, but his courtesy and pleasure did not allow more than to send them gladly to theirs.

Saturday, the twenty-seventh, the feast began in the morning with a solemn procession that left the main church, led by the banners and crosses of the Perrochias and more than four hundred clergymen with surplices* that accompanied the ecclesiastical chapter and His Illustriousness, behind came the city with its mazeros, the streets hung with equal neatness, they arrived with this order to the Company, from where they took out the Saint richly dressed in black satin, embroidered with colorful shades, bright sequins and costly bedding, in the right hand a Christ and in the left the head of the Empress our lady, to whom he owed more forgotten than received recognition. They had him under a showy canopy, his rods and those of the litter, the twenty-four oldest, accompanied by his children and the other saints of the religion, that even in them seems good urbanity. The holy patriarch Ignatius of Loyola, the apostle of India, St. Francis Xavier, and Blessed St. Aloysius Gonzaga, dressed in neat and tidy litters of curly silver cloth and embroidery. The Te Deum laudamus was performed by musicians and various instruments that were brought for this occasion from all over the bishopric, where it was left on the main altar under a rich brocade canopy.

In the afternoon, the general ringing of the bells gave a good indication of the grandiosity with which the feast began, the Cardinal said vespers of Pontifical in his church with great solemnity and after them on a spacious stage, which was provided for this purpose, two colloquies of the life of the Saint were represented, one of the [seisecillos] of the chapel of San Salvador of the city of Ubeda (lustrous enclosure of the Marquises of [Camarasa]) and the other of the Collegiate, also recited and with such a variety of entertaining moves and dances that they deserved the attention with which so much of the audience listened to them.

The inventions of fire of this night, luminaries and wax in the houses of Mr. Cardinal, Plazuela de la Iglesia and Compañía de Jesús, lit up the air so much that some rightly doubted if the peal was a fire, in which the whole city saw him burning or an evocation of such a solemn feast.

Sunday morning, said mass of Pontifical his Illustrious, they served him the towel and source four gentlemen commissioners who appointed the city for this act, that minor circumstances did not forget his attention. The musicians were distributed in different choirs to avoid confusion, singing at the same time different chapels singing chanzonetas*, so that all the people of the Church would equally enjoy the softness of voices that this bishopric is so fertile for its particular climate. Preached after adequate Dr. Herrera, Prior of Mormolejo and professor of Prima of this university, the praises of the Saint with equal erudition and affection.

After vespers this afternoon, the general procession took place, which was one of the most grandiose that Europe has seen. They came from all over the bishopric with the most priors and beneficiaries and from the surrounding places all the crosses, without needing any other mandate than the due love and respect they have for their prelate, which they attended as their own feast without regard for the inconvenience of inns or years. The procession was arranged in this order: They gave him beginning the brotherhoods of this city that are many with their banners, banners, badges. They were followed by more than 70 crosses with rich sleeves and artificial adornments, after them was the religion of the Company with his script ciriales* and insignia, which was a child Jesus on a platform, adorned with the curiosity that professes, wanted his modesty in so own party to leave the guests the best place. The second one was carried by the discalced Trinitarians as the most modern in Baeza, then by the antiquity of their foundations the others continued, that with particular attention and holy emulation were careful in the adornment of their insignia and number of religious that they invited for this purpose from other convents, the Clergy of the bishopric followed these steps, that in virtue, letters and religious ornament, it does not have to envy another in Christendom, The first many clerics of epistle and gospel were dressed in white dalmatics and then priests with [alvas] and chasubles and the rest with pluvial cloaks in such a number, that the curiosity of some laymen had phlegm to count more than 600, in the middle of them the chapels of Jaén, Ubeda and Baeza were distributed in sections, singing soft motets* and sonorous carols and other games of shawms and instruments. The two scripts, that of the Company and the Cardinal, gave his Illustriousness to the two councils, that of the secular carried Don Luis Niquesa, well deserved honor to so many gray hairs, quality and prudence, the ecclesiastic Don Rodrigo Antonio de Moscoso, first cousin of our prelate, collegiate of Cuenca and Canon of the holy church of Jaén, gentleman by his kindly liking and by his illustrious blood and good parts known.

They were accompanied by the nobility of Baeza. The first place was between the religions and the second one next to the Saint’s litter. Before them went those of San Luis Gonzaga, Francisco Xavier and founder Ignacio accompanied by a large amount of white wax, then followed 24 poor and 80 priests with axes, these with [sobrellices] and those dressed in honest cloth, proper mask of a Prelate so Holy, well praise his virtues, if not know of his modesty how much is aggravated by vulgar applause. He would put on everything the procession was closed by his Illustrious Highness: cape and white mitre embroidered with amber made only for this day, behind his servants, chair and brocade pillow, which was well needed to rest for a few moments according to the long stretch that the procession walked. At the end of the procession, the city came with authorized grandeur, so that it would not lack any luster to such a majestic act.

The altars, the poems, the seasoning* of the streets and of the two churches, the difference of dances and the variety of instruments, there were several witnesses who referred to it, because the number of people that were summoned from inside and outside the bishopric was so numerous that in less wide streets and in a less dilated space it was impossible to break the procession. It ended at the Company where they left the saint, so that there the other festivities that devotees made in the city, school and their children, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, which lasted. That same night the city took charge of the fires, to start his party, spent a lot of wax in their luminaries and gunpowder in ingenious inventions that nothing knows how to do without greatness and in the square of his Illustrious continued for all five nights.

Monday, mass was said by Father Rectos de la Compañía, the city attended with serious and devout people with seats provided for qualified people, preached by Dr. Alonso de Vera, Prior of Ximena and professor of vespers, he showed well his great talent and devotion. In the afternoon, with equal authority, vespers were celebrated and the colloquies were repeated. His Illustrious Highness was unable to attend because of the work of the day before and the careful affection with which he attended to everything, a fever that lasted 30 hours, but he did not lack civility in his courtesy, sending a servant to the city to apologize for not being able to be present because of his ailment in such an illustrious feast, having this attention in the others.

At night there were very bright fires and lights in the square of the Company and in the schools as his party, from where the mask of the students came out with so much grace and property dressed according to the figures they represented, that they could very well be seen with the sunlight of the most prolix censor, that of the axes was so much that it did not need its rays, the atabaleros* and trumpets opened the way for them, Behind them were seen a hundred and more in the hands of the masked ones, all white, and those of the footmen, each one of whom carried his own with many figures and letters in which they discovered who they were, the ingenuity of the design was no less admirable than the gracefulness of the clothes.

A triumphal chariot, pulled by six mules and two coachmen, with jeans of crimson velvet, with golden handrails, in which came the Saint Borgia on such a majestic throne of glory, surrounded by angels, that if they did not seem so in their bodies, they did not deny it in their voices, accompanied by sonorous instruments that wounded the air with soft flattery. In this way they appeared in the courtyard of the episcopal houses and from there they went to rejoice the city that awaited them with joy.

Tuesday morning, the university celebrated its feast with authorized pomp, its attendants* with maces and the master of ceremonies who requested that each one be given a place according to their seniority, the sermon was given by Dr. Librilla, professor of writing and Prior of San Salvador, in which he discovered ingenuity and gallantry. This afternoon 3 bulls were fought because the fierceness of the others was so rebellious that they did not allow themselves to be enclosed, even though their stewards were careful to diligence. This fiesta was not without a sane providence, because the unseen greatness of the canes came out on the other day. This same night they threw the rest of the house of His Illustriousness and the Company into the fire machines, which bursting burst the air with luminous comets, happy forecasts of the coming rejoicing.

Wednesday the Rector said the mass with solemn ostentation the Father Rector, as his own feast preached the Father Master Párraga, Prior of the convent of Santo Domingo so affectionately and devoutly that he could not with the passion of his own son find more powerful praises, with which to magnify the religion and the Saint.

The clock was so advanced in the afternoon to see the festivities that it was barely two o’clock (although his mistaken hand pointed to 4 o’clock) when a brave man occupied the whole spacious arena, so adorned with showy silks, as well as a multitude of people on the stages, which was the most numerous that Andalusia has ever seen on such occasions. They fought nine lions in fierceness agile toreadores, who for many were embarrassed in the suertes, with no other reward than to understand that they were doing them in the service of the Saint, who was attentive to their ignorance. It seems that he paid them for not consenting to any misfortune in as many as were Domingillos to their sharp horns. To the third they made the entrance of the game of canes, 20 gentlemen in 4 cuadrillas of to 5, with capes and monteras, instead of the caps that for being so Christian party they did not want to leave in Moorish suit, if already appropriate of the oblivion that suffers the Spanish, they did not try to make him the exequias and tricks [capellares], they wore their bonnets carefully embroidered with devout figures of the same pearls and jewels [jarifas], full plumage, sleeves and bands of pleasant colors, taking out the least of them two lackeys with such well-coiffed and costly [libreas], so much plume and band of the colors of their owners, so conformed the capes that the plaza of Madrid could envy them; if those of Baeza admired them. The atabales* and trumpets prevented it, the airy godfathers disembarked and ran tremolando flags and vibrating lances, even of their couples, staying 8 of them with ash trees in the hands, that animated they broke in the bulls, if daring they examined their value and how in him it was not possible for them to execute their villainous courage they took the revenge in the horses, gave 5 and 6, cause of mistreating a gentleman of the best riders of Spain.

To the sixth or seventh bull with the same prevention entered the skirmish, divided in 2 positions, canes in the hands adargas* embrazadas, crossed with lucid bands and in them enameled capelos and shields of Borjas, Moscosos and Sandovales with motes that published the owners of the party and the nobility of their chests, the affection and love with which it celebrated it. The skirmish was galloped with equal concert and uproar*, the canes were played with orderly courage, until the godfathers calmed them down, confirming the peace, all together in an intricate and well guided snail; some knights remained in the square, either cheering it with repelones, or with lucid suertes in two all that then ran the fierceness of the last one so stubborn that he remained as lord of the field and invincible maintainer of the party.

The banquets, gifts and presents that the Cardinal has made on this occasion to strangers and natives, show well his generosity and the alms that with liberal hand has distributed his Christianity, dressing the poor, sheltering orphans and needy widows has provided them with a table in his house and in prisons all these days and taken out of them when for debts (although more substantial) they were detained, affecting in this pious ostentation. His prudence resisted the determination of the bulls and canes to the city, allowing only devout celebrations and not being powerful, he does not deny them the recognition, fair payment to his generosity of spirit and holy zeal with which they have gone to so much obligation with so grandiose determinations. The poetic contest that brought out the prizes that it has distributed and the happy deliveries of the ingenious ones that deserved them and other circumstances greater volume will proclaim its greatness, that it is impossible to reduce it to so brief compendium in which I have only tried to outline it in the meanwhile succinctly, leaving the colored and retouched to happier brush and primorosa hand.

LAUS DEO.

To see the Spanish version, modernized and transcribed, click here.

To see the French translation, click here.