be told by his bishop to occupy himself with matters of general interest; that he should cease lecturing altogether; and that his Song of Solomon, done into Spanish, should be seized.  The Licentiate Pedro de Castro undertook to give his decision in writing.[183] It may not have been committed to paper:  at any rate, it does not appear in the record.  Even the milder judgement of Guijano and Frechilla seemed excessive to the Supreme Inquisition, which curtly ordered its deputies at Valladolid to acquit Luis de Leon, to reprimand him and warn him to be more careful in future, and to confiscate the manuscript copy of his Spanish version of the Song of Solomon.[184] These orders, dated at Madrid on December 7, 1576, were, of course, obeyed.[185] As the senior member of the Court, Dr. Guijano gave the reprimand to which Luis de Leon listened, standing up while it was pronounced.[186] The date is not stated, but it cannot have been later than December 15, 1576; for on this day Luis de Leon applied in writing for an official certificate of acquittal, and for an order on the accountant of Salamanca University instructing that officer to pay him arrears of salary from the date of his arrest till his chair was vacated owing to the lapse of his four years’ tenure.[187] Both applications were granted.  But the Ethiopian cannot change his skin, and it was not till August 13, 1577, that the petitioner received full satisfaction.[188]

III

[Footnote 53:  Documentos ineditos, vol.  X, pp. 143-144.]

[Footnote 54:  Documentos ineditos, vol.  X, pp. 174-176.]

[Footnote 55:  Luis de Leon administered a fund left by the late Dona Ana Abarca de Sotomayor whose servant Almansa had been.  Out of this fund a life-pension was paid to Almansa (Documentos ineditos, vol.  XI, p. 333), of whom Luis de Leon formed a good opinion as appears from his request of December 20, 1572 (Documentos ineditos, vol.  X, p. 248):  ’Yo entiendo que con la mudanza de los priores estara trastornada toda mi celda, y en poco tiempo faltara lo mas della, porque conozco en esto la condicion de mi gente; y podra ser tener yo necesidad para mi negocio de algunas cosas della; y tambien hay cosas agenas y que estan a mi cargo dar cuenta dellas si Dios fuere servido darme libertad algun dia.  Suplico a V. md. por amor de Dios sea servido de enviar a mandar al maestro Francisco Sancho, o a Francisco de Almansa, el familiar que vino conmigo, que la cierre y tome todas las llaves y las guarde.  Y este Almansa lo hara muy bien, porque es hombre de mucha verdad y recaudo.  Y suplico a V. md. no lo ponga en olvido.’  Perhaps this recommendation was thought suspiciously warm; at any rate, the task was entrusted to Pedro de Almansa, Familiar of the Inquisition at Salamanca.

When taken into custody, Luis de Leon seems to have been in the company of Fray Alonso Siluente (Documentos ineditos, vol.  XI, p. 188).]