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Page 1: The Inquisition Unmasked
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'THE

INQUISITION UNMASKED:BEING

AN lIlSTORICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL

ACCOUNTOF THAT

FOUNDED ON AUTHBNTIC DOCUMENTS;

AlIID EXBUJrTIIfG

THE NECESSITY OF ITS SUPPRESSION,

AS A ME.4N~ OF MFOIUI AND BEG/£NEIUTlON •

•WRITTEN AND PUBLISHED AT A TIME WHEN THE NATIONAL

CONGRESS OF SPAIN WAS ABOUT TO DELIBERATE ON

THIS IMPORTANT MEASURE,

BY

D. ANTONIO PUIGBLANCH ••

TRANSLATED J'ROM THE AUTHOR'S ENLA.RGED COPY,

:BY

WILLIAM WALTON, ESQ.

VOL 1.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR :BALDWIN, CRADOCK, AND JOY,PATERNOSTER-ROW' ;

ASD 1.DOOTH, DUKE-STREET, PORTLAND-PLACE.

1816.

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TOl •

:HISlto.Y~J., ffIGH;NES~' .

·DUKE OF GLOUCESTER,.. '

THE exalted ~ann.e~"in which" Your Roy~lHighness has ever been distinguisli~d as theactive friend of humanity, ..and the zealous ad.vocate of liberal principles'in evefy quarter ofthe globe, hasmaiIb. me. desirous. of obtaining

i

Y~ Royal Higbness's patronage for the Eng-lish edition of a work which most contributedto overthrow the Inquisition in Spain-an 0c-

currence more remarkable, if not so interesting,as the abolItion of the Slave Trade in our owncountry; for though the victims of the onewere fewer, its theory and practice were no lessshocking to humanity than opposed to themoral acquirements of the day.

a2

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No one would have rejoiced more cordiallythan Your Royal Highness if that triumph hadbeen lasting: still the annals of the event, andthe means by which it was achieved, are sub-jects of the deepest interest to everyone, andmust be particularly 80 to Your Royal High-ness. This consideration aTone has inducedme to solicit the present honour, which, whilstit confers on me an obligation, affords me theopportunity of expressing the profound respectand veneration with which

lamYOUR ROYAL HIGHNESS'S

Most obedient and humble Servant,

WILLIAM WALTON.

Oct. J, ltJG.

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TRANSLATOR'S

PRELIMINARY REMARKS.

IN contemplating the rapid growth of the free prin-ciples which, like a volcanic eruption, bul'llt forth fromthe French revolution, it was prophetically obeerved," that Church Power (unless some revolution auspi-cious to priestcraft should replange Europe in lgno-,rance) would not SlU"rive the nineteenth century;'·and certainly no political prediction was ever nearerits accomplishment, when the late events in the Pen-insula opened upon us. At the time Napoleon hadmatured his plans fOl' the invasion of Spain, thatcountry exhibited the most abject state of politicaland religious torpor and debasement, and t1le peoplehad acquired a settled habit of passive obedience andslothful pre:Xligacy, hm which it seemed impossibleto rouse them. •A principle of degeneracy had spieadover the general face of public mannen; . the mass ofthe nation, immersed in ignorance' and superstition,represented the picture of a people neither knowingtheir faculties nor their wants; and, such had beenthe system and successful efforts of their rulers, that,far from promising any thing of that courage andperseverance which afterwards impelled them lIl8IlfuHyto reiist the iPsidious invasion ofan .enemy, their

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energies appeared to have so much crouched underthe dark shade of despotism, as to induce little hopethat their imminent danger, or the stimulus of a fo-reign alliance, would be able' to make them act on theimpulse of national resentment, or rouse them to re-pel the wrongs and indignities with which they wereassailed.Charles.I;V.!, lVeak and inactive prince" had then

governed aoout eighteen years; but, subserslent to anintriguing and dissipated wife, and guided only by acorrupt and ambitious minister, his reign had beendistinguished by no act that could endear his name topoateritYt or tend to solace the reverses of fortunewhich awaited him. On ascending the throne, hefoWld that despotic and illiberal systcin in fOrce whichhad gradually extinguished the martial spirit of theIlMi.On;.overturned the free principles and' oon8titu·tiona! charters possessed by most of the provincesprior totbe reign of Philip II., and broken down .thebulwarks of civil freedom, so long the pecgliar boastbf Aragon and Navarre. Unaware ()f,.tbat·cridenttrUth, that the safeguard. of a IDOnar,.:h's: throne isfounded on the 10Te he inspires and .the good he hasdope, the preceding rulers of Spain had erected theirpower on the ignorance of their subjects and the de-gradatJ.pn of the human mind; and Charles, devoid of&uflicient ener~ or discernment to deviate. from thefootaeps. of his ancestors, was seemingly feslful ofplacing his kiJlgdom on a level 'With thoie wBich hadprofited by the improvements of the age. Acting inthe fi:tUest seDIe on the principle that sovereignty is ofdivine iDstitution' and that the people possess no rights,the cwtintion of those arts which, embelliab., ennoble,and pl'elelTe human life had been pmvented; dae eD;joyment of those studies which enlarge the ticalti.,

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a.. uage the fiercer passions, and soften the mannersof a nation, had been proscribed; till at last, absurdprejudices, taught in the schools and preached fromthe pulpit, had led the mass of the people to believethat civil liberty, instead of a blessing, was a curse;and that to prononnce its name was a crime punish-able with the severest anger of Heaven.The remembrance of the proud days of Spain

seemed obliterated-enterprize and martial glory hadlost their attractions-the possession of the newworld had introduced effeminacy; riches, acquiredwithout toil and divided only among a few persons,had engendered habits of luxury and corruption,whilst it appeared to be the chief aim of the court andnobility to forget the exalted and dignified characterformerly attached to the Spanish name, and to causethe nation to assume no other than the supple and fri-volous refinements of Italian manners introduced bythe queen. Hence the arts and sciences, which hadntade 80 rapid a progress in other parts of Europe,were stationary in Spain, or only pursued in 'thegreatest seelusion ; nor were any other improvementsattempted than those which the caprice or passionsof a profligate minister thought proper to dictate.Thus, whilst the retainers of the crown wallowed inriclles, their tenants and all the lower orders were de-pressed by indigence, and debased by a total Want ofinstruction; nor did the scanty produeeof their. la-boars seem their own, it served· rather to feed thepampered appetites of their lords, or tobe absorbedin the monastic burdens of the state. The public re-venues, destined for the defence or melioration of thecountry, were spent in ostentations magnificence;often wrested from a wretched peasantry or theshackled and unprotected merchant, ~e1 were la-

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vished by the hand of fanatical zeal, or appropriatedto support the luxury of men in power. A handfulof privileged nobles and favourites were every thing,·and the people nothing. Consideration, power, with.enjoyments of every kind, fell to the lot of the former,whilst the latter had to endure hardships, contumely,and servile obedience, without being allowed to re-monstrate. Neither talents, courage, nor virtue,could fill up the immense distance placed between theonly two existing classes of the community.Religion itself had been made subservient to politi-

cal purposes and base and selfish interests, or wasonly known by the Increasing profligacy of its minis-:ters. The legislative, executive, and judiciary powers,were held by the same hand-the administration ofjustice confided to venal minions-the judges, underregal or ministerial influence and open to corruption,were no longer the protectors of right and innocenceagainst unfeeling and unprincipled power; whilst asystematic plan of superstition and pious fraud hadpoisoned all the sources of religious truth and roo-tality,and tainted the general mass of society with li-centiousness and vice. The preposterous union ofcivil with ecclesiastical authority had armed the min-isters of the altar with weapons of vengeance, and em-powered them to enforce their precepts by appealingto a penal code the most monstrous and cruel thatwas ever invented. In brief bent down by. a longseries of t~ic acts, even at the beginning of thepresent century, Spaniards appeared as a herd of cat-tle, formed only to comply with the caprices of theirmasters, and to supply their wants.Nor was this state of things confined to European

Spain. In the discoveries of the great Columbus,very thing liberal was under a·general iuterdict, and,

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a similarly degraded and benighted system existed indefiance of reason and reiterated remonstrances.The pressure of laws the most restrictive was thereseverely felt by the community.; the various sectionswere compelled to endure the galling trammels of agovernment in which the inhabitants had no share,and against which they could not appeal-a gOVE!rn-

ment wielded by men foreign to their interests and en-joying the emoluments of extortionate acts, at the sametime that they were stained by every species of fraudand corruption. The people were thus held submWi.-sive to rapacious and vindictive tyrants at whose plea-sure the lawswere either superseded or perverted; nordid they possess any means of' counteracting the darkand dishonest intrigues of men sent among them forthe sole purpose of improving their fortunes in agiven period of time, and consolidating a conquestwhich had been one continued series of indiscrimi-nate war and plunder, whereby the country waswrested from its ancient. possessors and their descend-ants.Such was the picture exhibited by the Spanish mo-

narchy, when the ruler of France threw off the maskof friendship, and entrapped the several members ofthe Royal Family. The nation was without fleets,armies, treasury, or arsenals; public credit was ex-tinct; a CODSiderabledebt had accumulated; the presswas broken; the strongest fortresses were already inpossession of the enemy; and, as a leading Spanishstatesman of the day observed, "one of the most fa-tal symptoms under which the revolution of Spainearly appeared, and which generally gave rise to themost sad prognostics respecting the issue of a resis-tance to the immense power by which the country1f~ invaded, was, that the reputations Qf all had been

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rendered suspicious to the nation. The private coun-cil of the King, his ministers, the superior tribunals,the council of state, finally, every public man at thattime placed in the higher hierarchy of government,had lost the confidence of the people." ..In such a situation, how then was it possible to

render the Spanish nation effective, and capable ofrepelling the numerous armies by which it was attack-ed, when, besides, its leading characters, chiefly thenobles or higher orders of the clergy, had alreadyjoined the enemy? How was it possible to suspend, ifnot remove, the deadly effects of a despotism that hadchilled the finest feelings of the heart, and enervatedthe best qualities of the mind? How was it possible, to find resources for the tremenduous struggle aboutto ensue? Certainly this was only to be done by re-form, by reviving the fallen spirits of the nation, andby giving to it a form of government legal, po.pular, and substantial. Sunk from her rank in thescale of nations, exhausted and invaded by a power-ful foe, it was necessary for Spain to emerge fromthe debased state into which she had been plunged,and to dispel the dark gloom in which her inhabi-tants had been so long enveloped. It was essentialto rouse and to inspire energies and confidence.And was this to be done in any other way than byassembling the Cortes, the ancient representative go.vernment of the Country, enthusiasticelly.reeered by.all the least versed in the annals of Spanish history,and of which the nation had only been deprived bydespotic and arbitrary power?In seeking, therefore, to re-establish the liberty and

independence of the nation in a legal manner, it..,a!• Memoria dr Azanza y O.FarrlJl, lobre los hechos qDe jlJti.

lie&JI11I eollllacta politic&, desde Marzo de 1808, buta Abril, 1814.

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necessary to recur to the ancient legislation of therealm, and to examine the fundamental statutes ofAragon, Navarre, and Castile. In the grand chartercalled the Fuero Jusgo, which regulates the rights ofthe nation, king, and people, the sovereignty of thelatter isexpressly laid down; and one of its principalclanses ordains that the crown is elective, and that noking can reign till he has been acknowledged by thebishops, grandees, and people, that is, by their re-presentatives. It further establishes that the laws areto be enacted by the delegates of the people, con-jointly with the king, and that the latter has no au-thority but in conformity to the laws. The princi-palities of Aragon, Navarre, add Castile, had theirrespective Cortes or parliaments, which made laws,declared war, and granted money. These bodiesconstituted the legislative, and the king the executiveauthority.In Aragon, whose institutions were freer than those

of Castile, the laws were anciently promulgated withthis remarkable heading; "TkeKittg,· .l'!l I~ .foil! tffthe Cortes, ordains," &c; and in 1283, under PeterIII. it was decreed " that the king should assemblethe Cortes once in each year." Another more recentlaw enacted by John II. in 1418, is as follows."Whereas in the' arduous cases occurring in ourkingdoms, the advice of our subjects and people isnecessary, especially· of die .niprese~tatrves of thecities, towns, and districts 'of oar said kingdom's,wherefore we ordain and command that respecting allgreat and arduous emergencies, Cortes shall be as-sembled, and measures adopted through the counselof the three estates of the realD;l, as the kings ourpredecessors did. " ..• Vide El Especnlo, Ley 5,Tit. 16, Lib;~.~lthoLeyes deCastilla,Ley 3.Tit. u. Part II., et alibi.

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Numerous other passages of a similar nature migbtbe quoted from the fundamental statutes of the realm,tending to prove that, during the prevalence of na-tional calamities, or when the monarch died leavinghis son under age, not only custom but the lawsthemselves prescribed that the lost authority shouldbe replaced by a meeting of the popular representa-tives, the result of whose deliberations should have theforce of law. So sacred even in Spanish legislationand hjstory had been that same principle which placedthe Brunswick family on the throne of England, andso well established the acknowled~ axiom of thechief magistrate holding his authority from the peo-ple, that, in 1452, John II. of Aragon was deposed bythe Cortes, as well asHenry IV. of Castile in 1465, inconsequence of his mal-practices and administration.Under the minority of John II. the Cortes of Toledodeliberated whether the crown ought not to be trans-ferred to his uncle Ferdinand, in which case the de-puties of the nation founded themselves on the rightof rejecting or attainting the king, whenever he hadgiven sufficient room for such a measure.True it is that the despotic efforts of successive

monarchs, as well as the ignorance of the times, hadshrouded the ancient usages of the realm inobscurity,and its fundamental statutes were known only to thelearned few; but still they existed and were on record,notwithstanding the late governments had purposelyprohibited the perusal of the history of the Cortes, aswell as of every thing eae that could remind the nationof its primitive rights. The original constitutions ofthe various provinces were scarcely to be found but inthe secluded archives or in the works of old commen-tators, nevertheless they had not been repealed,. norwas there any act on the part of the people by whichthey had been alienated or abandoned. Since the

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time of the Emperor Charles V. and his immediatesuccessor, they had not indeed been in actual force,but oppression and arbitrary power alone had causedtheir exercise to cease.Hence it appears that the assumption of despotic

power by Spanish kings evidently had grown out· ofan abuse of authority j if so, the people were doubt-less authoriRd to claim that of which they bad beenforcibly dispossessed, and to fix such limits to thepower exercised over them as their happiness re-quired. Our own political writers have ever beenproud to maintain that, in order to prove civil obedi-ence to be a moral duty and obligation on the part ofthe subject, a compact must exist between the latterand the state, as a ground for the relations of both.In no other than thill compact can the rights of mo-narchs originate; nor is Spain an exception to the ~e.neral rule, since government can only be instituted forthe benefit of the community and not of the indivi-dual. Kings, consequently, are no other than thetrustees of the people, "whose rights" as LordLansdowne observes, "are born with every man inevery country and exist in all alike, despotic as wellas free, though they may not be equally easy to re-cover in all."No further commentary is necessary to explain and

. substantiate the particular point in view, viz. that underthe peculiar dilemma in which the Spanish monarchywas placed at the time referred to, no form of govern-ment but that of the Cortes was legal, adequate tothe existing emergency, capable of giving ~ unionand energy necessary to the health of the body poli-tic, and of introducing a reform such as the countryurgently required. It is moreover clear that it wsacoDformable to the dispensations of the ancient and

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fundamental statutes of the realm, such as they ex-istedin the proudest days of Spain, when the leadingand material parts of national legislation were enactedby the general suffrage ofa free people. That theadoption of the measure answered the end in new,as far as the circumstances of the country wouldadmit, is proved by the result of the war, and themanner in which the political aspect of the countrywas changed. The efforts of the new legislaturewould certainly have been crowned with a muchlarger portion of success, if its labours had been se--conded by more cultivated habits and regular andcorrect ideas on the part of the people at large; hadthey been supported by a national sense of subordi-nation, enlightened integrity and disinterestedness;and above all, aided by those characteristics arisingout of a discreet systelIl of education, moral, politi-cal and religious, which can only be the work of time.During the short existence of the Cortes, the struc-ture and symmetry of the political edifice had never..theless assumed a totally different aspect, the strengthof the nation was invigorated, its revenues more tltandoubled, a spirit of investigation and tree inquiry wasencouraged, a better administration of justice or-ganized, and, aided by good schools and the libertyof the press, a proper influence and tendency wouldrapidly have been called forth to form those habitsand principles of action which regenerateandngivepower and effect to a more en~ enter' .~thiJWl. ' .; .The new system or legi.ti~ adopted and pr0mul-

gated by the Cortes,' possibly required some aIteta--nons and improvements; in some partial eases if mightha.,ebeen theoretical, and the govemment.therebyestab1ished was perhaps not ~y $ueh ai' it was4 .

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desirable to attain. But, on emerging from a mostabject state of degradation, and amidst the din of armsand revolutionary confusion, how was it possible forperfect wisdom immediately to prevail ?Wisdomdoes not dwell among ruins and tempests; and thetransition from despotism to liberty is never theseason for absolute perfection. In periods of populareft"eneacence and national distress, heightened by in-furiated superstition and a degeneracy of the moralfaculty, it was difficult to cause the passions entirelyto subside, or to soothe the exasperated feelings ofthe disappointed. It was an arduous task to restoreperfect order amidst the incursions of wpowerful andactive enemy, and to introduce a protecting and fos-tering system of policy on the ruins of that restrictiveand oppressive one which had wearied the pride andpatience of the people for a long series of years, whenmany of the powerful from interest and a blinded pre-judice were besides opposed to a change. A restlesscommotion existed in Spain, though greatly moderatedby the general object of self-defence, and the humanpassions can never be let loose, however psrtinlly,without producing some ravages and exacerbations.In the collision of parties, blind fury, moreover, is notapt to discriminate or appreciate the labours of thelegislator, particularly if they wear the aspect ofnovelty.Such, infMitjia the sad lot of all nati~ and if it

was the case in spain,; -.fimlt -camiOf &e attributedto the Cortes. As a body, they proved themselvesfaithful to their allies in the momentous cause inwhich they were· engaged, and to the last acted as the 'firm advocates of the people's .rights and the guardiansof their country's honour. They gave the flrst jm';'pulse and unerriug direction to those efforts,·which 90

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greatly contributed to the common cause; as legisla ..tors they have left a monument of their enlightenedzeal and practical capacity in the new national codeof laws, and if they had done no more than effect thedestruction of the Inquisition, the main object atpresent in view, most assuredly they would have de-served the warmest gratitude of posterity.If the excellence of laws, or even their comparative

merit, is to be known by the more beneficial effectsthey produce on the community, may it not· be askedwhether any contrast can be formed of the situationof Spain prior to the revolution, and the period whenthe authority of the country was administered by"thenew legislature? The enactments of that august bodybrought about a salutary alteration in all ranks ofsociety, and a most important improvement was soonperceptible in the government as well as the people.The state and general structure of society, as well asthe relative situations of the community at large, ae-quired a new bias; the principles of modern sciencewere introduced; and the lower orders, hitherto pre-cluded from those pursuits which sweeten and embel-lish civilized life, now found the means of protection,redress, and advancement; and for the first time feltthat they were free members of a society govemedbydefinite laws, and no longer condemned to drag themiserable existence of feudal vassals.The people of Spain, at the time to which we allude,

undoubtedly considered reform as the.l8COl1d grandobject for.which th~ were. fighting: this alone ren-dered their country worth defending, and it is evidentfrom subsequent events, that had they conceived themost distant idea of a return to their ancient degra-dation, and that as a reward for all their eurticJmthey were again to become the objecb; of iDe..-

7 .

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violence, the bright and animating flame which burstforth on the opening of their glorious struggle wouldhave been extinguished, and early despondence ren-dered general. It was the hope and growing opera-tion of this reform that then produced a greater com-bination of energies; and under the administration ofthe Cortes Spain was fast confirming the political.axiom, that in human nature there is a reformingprinciple which ultimately corrects and amends dege-neracy; and that nations often pass from a state ofvicious effeminacy and mental torpor to an enthusiasmthat gradually regenerates every virtue.This much has been premised respecting, the late

Spanish Cortes, in the first place, for the purpose ofevincing that under the existing emergencies of thecountry this was the only legal and efficient form ofgovernment that could be resorted to; and in thesecond, that this was the only constitutional authoritythat could revive the ancient laws and charters, re-strain future monarchs within the circle of their duties, .and, above all, introduce that spirit of reform and re-generation so essential to the welfare of the state. Howgreat was the task that devolved upon them may beinferred from the situation of the monarchy as sketch.ed in the first pages of these Remarks; but that theycomplied with their obligations to the best of theirpower, and to the satisfaction of their constituents, willreadily be acknowledged by those who marked theevents of Spain as they passed, and particularly bythe British worthies who had so ample a share in hereventual liberation.Out of a Gothic and massive system of jurispru-

dence, the Cortes selected and arranged a plan oflaws cspable of diffusing as much happiness and civilliberty as the inevitable circumstances of the timesVOI.. I. b

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would admit, and, as they hoped, competent to thecorrection of its own vices and abuses. This codewas placed within the reach of every individual,and he Spanish people who before had depended onthe will of the king or his minister, for the first timewere enabled to judge of the nature and tendencyof those laws which formed the basis of the society towhich they belonged. This code was enthusiasticallyhailed by every district, town, and corporation wherethe arms of France did not hold sway; and though inthe provinces its institutions were sometimes pervert-ed, yet, founded on principles intrinsically just, itwas not the less entitled to veneration 011 this ac-count, or because it partook of that imperfection in-separable from the noblest contrivances of the humanmind, particularly when unaided by the sanction andexperience of time. Few countries, if any, havewitnessed a more unbiassed election than that whichbrought together the late Cortes of Spain: if so, theirlaws were, as far aswas possible, enacted by the com-mon consent of the community, for the preservationand felicity of the whole. They were not directed topromote that proud and surly independence whichrenders man inattentive to the wants of others, or toestablish that impracticable equality in situation andcircumstances which overturns the most endearingrelations of life; but they defined the power of theking and the rights of the subject, and then inculcateda sense of duty and obedience to those statutes andprinciples of subordination" in which, as individuals,the enactors found their own happiness aud securitywere materially involved, whllst at the same time theypreserved the real dignity of the throne,The- new constitution of Spain undoubtedly infused

~ larger share of eivil freedom th~ had been kno~

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1n the Peninsula for a long period of years, but thiswas consonant to the ancient spirit of Spanish history,and founded on the progressive improvements andmental illumination of the age; for, after the inter-course the people had enjoyed; to have endeavouredto retain them in their past degradation would havebeen similar to 8JJ attempt to shut out the broad day-light, and to defeat the principal object of a revolu-tion that had commenced under the most propitiousauspices. It was not because liberty had degeneratedinto licentiousness in a sister kingdom, that it couldbe concluded it was dangerous or unfit for SpaniardsIn the mass of the people education had certainlymuch to perform, but. there was no dread of a resto-ration of rights giving riseto those Internal calami-ties which in France were so much attributable to theabuse of the press. As well might we deplore thefalling of the rain that fertilizes the face of nature,because it frequently produces torrents and devasta-lion; or pronounce the vital principle of air to be abane, on considering the. wrecks and ravages of a hur-ricane or a whirlwind. No, the "partial infelicity andopposition to the new constitution, of Spain can neverdestroy the general principles on which it was founded;andthe past and present situation of the country loudlyproclaim that, on the whole, it was far too useful andtoo beneficial to have been abandoned, unless it can beproved that na~ I,lrC better without,than with laws.If then it seems undeniable that the Spanish Cortes,

i~ their labours for the regeneration of the State; ex-ercised that moral force placed in their hands, with a, view not only to restrain the effervescence ofsu' c pas-..sions as ignorance and misfortune are too apt to en-gender, but also togiv~ strength and unanimity. ~o~theeft'Ql'tiof the na~o~,~.through.t~ introduction of. u2" t". •

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a more enlightened system of policy, it may easily b.imagined that they were fully sensible of the religiousdepravity which reigned a'll0ng all orders, andstrongly convinced of the urgfmt necessity of a reformin this particular. Religion has always been consi-dered as the firmest bond of social union; and pos-Bessingalso a powerful influence on the manners ofthe community at large, the laws enacted respectingit must consequently be ranked among the most im-portant labours of legislation. In the whole of theSpanish Monarchy, little was to be found of the pe-culiar characteristics of the christian religion, such asit was inculcated by its first teachers. No where wasto be seen the genuine practice of those moral precepts,naturally productive of a virtuous, uniform, and con-sistent character. Nothing was to be seen of thatmild and animating principle which, remote fromworldly interests and ambition, whilst it captivates,exalts and ennobles our views, fixes and strengthensour conviction, and inspires pure and correct mo-tives of action.Almost in vain did we seek for that benign and

transcendent influence which promotes the welfare ofour fellow-creatures, and secures the happiness ofthe individual as well as of society in general. A re-ligion holding forth the most effectual inducements tovirtuous actions, and conspicuous in the earlier agesof Christianity, in Spain bore along with it all thosebaneful and horrid forms of vice with which its prac-tice is dishonoured and polluted. It had. been de-based into pageant superstition, mental wanderings,hypocrisy, fraud, and deceit, constituting rather a publicdispIayof abuses which pervert, and offollies which dis-.grace, the human intellect. Instead of possessing cha-rity as its basis, it had been supported by mercil_

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proscriptions, defended by unjust severities and into-lerant enactments, taught by examples of judicialwrath; and that wise and benevolent connexion thatexists between the creator and the created had beenconverted into a glaring innovation on the first prin-ciples of nature, and used in a manner subversive ofthose fundamental rules which unite men in society.And to ~hom had the guardianship of this religion

been confided? To the Inquisition!

-----Ce sanglant trtbunal,Ce monnment affreu x du pouvoir monacal,Qne I'Espagne a reeu, mais qu'elle m~meabhorre,Qui venge les autels, et qui Ies deshonore ;Qui, tont convert de sang, de Jlallullcseutoure,Egor"c lcs mortels avee un f~r sacre.

A tribunal interwoven with every thing great andpowerful in the state, engrafted on the strongest pre-judices of the people, vested with a form and objectequally as awful and sacred as the reality of the reli-gion it professed to defend, entrusted with unboundedauthority, covered with honours, and, in short, con-sidered as of divine origin by a large portion of thepeople, and as one of the firmest pillars of the stateby their rulers. To such a court, presided over bymen often seen in pursuit of every lawless indulgence,every licentious practice, which the violence of dis-torted imagination aided by power and opportunityhad been able to suggest, was the commission givento compel man to a fellowship of worship by the fag-got and the stake; to sport with and insult the ge-nuine feelings of the wounded mind, and to diffusedismay and submission among the multitude.When the sincere friend of humanity, in whose

heart education has engraved the horror of injusticeand solicitude for the happiness of mankind, casts his

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eyes on the crimsoned pages of the Inquisition, andbeholds its black code under the authentic form nowlaid before the British public, he will be astonished atthe duration of such an establishment, and will won-der that, even in Spain, it was not long ago levelledto the ground by the rude hand of popular discon-tent, or crushed under the jnstindignation of its num-berless victims. The mind is lost in painful reflection,on seeing this tremendous empire of terror chargedto superintend a religion, whose author exhorted hisdisciples to diffuse the knowledge of his gos.{lelandextend its influence, by a bright display of its reform-ing power upon themselves: nor ill it possible to con-ceive a greater outrage on that divine system of wor-ship transmitted to us by a beneficent Creator.That the existence of such a huge monument of

power and fanaticism should be considered as notonlr inimical to civil liberty, but also preposterous inthe administration of a state, was to be expected fromthe nature and early features of the Spanish revolu-tion, and the known character Of some of its leaders.The repeated struggles of the nation to dislodge thistribunal, as well as the revolting acts it had so fre-quently committed, were &esh il,l the memories ofmany; and others were besides sensible that to makeman amenable to the tribunals of justice. for senti-ments. originating in and confined to his own breast,without having committed any trespass against ano-t};ler,'is a surrender of rights never. contemplated i~the object of society. Early therefore did the de-strnction of the Inquisition enter into the patrioticviews of those who had the honour and well-being oftheir .country at heart; but, besides the hopes of re-form, they were impelled by another powerful motive.Ever subservient to the will of ~espots (one ~f ~-A

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main points proved in -the accompanying work) theInquisition had promptly espoused the interests of theinvader of Spain, and rendered itself traitorous bythe active manner in which its influence was used tosuppress all resistance on the part of the people, asmay be seen by the following circular letter from theSupreme Council of the Inquisition to the othertribunals of the Holy Office, dated Madrid, May 61808 ••, The fatal consequences produced in Madrid by

the scandalous insurrection of the lower ordersagainst the troops of the emperor of the French, onthe second of the present month, loudly calls for themost active vigilance of all the authorities and re-spectable bodies of the nation, in order to preventthe repetition of similar excesses, and to maintain inall the to\H1Sthat tranquillity which their own inter-est dictates, as well as the hospitality due to friendlyofficers and soldiers who injure no one, and who havehitherto given the greatest proofs of good order anddiscipline, 'by rigorously punishing all Frenchmenguilty of any disorders, or those who have illtreatedSpaniards in their persons or property."" It is probable that the malignity or ignorance of

some persons easily seduced may have caused themto commit revolutionary disorders, under the mask ofpatriotism and love to their sovereign. Consequentlythose who are better informed ought to undeceivethem, and draw them out of 80 dangerous an error,by making them sensible that tumultuary commotions,far from producing the effects of a well directedloyalty, seem only to place the country in danger,by breaking down the subordination which sustainsthe fidelity of the people, by suppressing the senti-ments of humanity, and destroying the confidence

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that ought to be lodged in the government to whomit actually belongs to direct patriotism in an uniformmanner and to give impulse to its efforts." No one is better able to inculcate these important

truths into the minds and hearts, than the ministersof the religion of Jesus Christ, which breathespeace and fraternity among men, together with sub-mission, respect, and obedience to the constitutedauthorities. And, as the members and ministers ofthe Holy Office ought to be, and always have been,the first to give examples to the ministers of peace,we have believed, Gentlemen, that it accorded withour ministry and duties to address the present letter toyou, in order that, being aware of its contents, andsensible of the urgent necessity of the measure, youmay be enabled unanimously to concur in the preser-vation of public tranquillity. You will thereforecause it thus to be made known to all the subalterns ofyour respective tribunals, and to the commissaries oftheir districts, in order that all and each of themmay, on his part, contribute to so important an ob-ject with all possible zeal, activity, and prudence:with this you will comply, and acknowledge receipt ofthe present circular.

" D. CRISTOVAL Cos Y VIVEROS," Secretary of the Council."

With such a document on record, coming from abody possessed of the greatest influence over thelower orders, and ever active as the vehicle of faction, *the Cortes, in a political point of view, would have

" The leading members of the Inqulsition, together with most ofthe higher orolers of the clergy and Dobies, had early joined the stan-dard of Joseph Buonaparf .., whence it became impossible tDBSsemble them ail a distinct body or HUDse of Lords.

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been wanting in their professions made to the world,if they had not early and deliberately turned their at-tention to a subject so strongly presented to their con-sideration. Under the extent of national prejudice,much however was to be done before they could ven-ture to make the overthrow of the Inquisition the ob-ject of a legislative measure, but fortunately theywere aided by the patriotic labours of several who bytheir writings prepared the public opinion. Amongthese, the Inquisition Unmasked certainly holds thefirst rank: it was the precursor of that bold but ne-cessary step which was to give power andeffect to thenew code of laws us far as regards religion; and cer-tainly its pages in an English dress, as well as the ob-ject for which they were penned, will thence be dulyappreciated in a country that owes its prosperity andhappiness to those principles of civil and religious li-berty which its inhabitants enjoy.By the 12th article of the Constitution, promulgated

at Cadiz in March, 1812, it had been ordained, "thatthe religion of the Spanish nation is, and ever shallbe, the Catholic, and that the nation protects it bywise and just laws, and prohibits the exercise of anyother. Even this clause, intended to establish the unityof religion as a fundamental law, to many may'appear as not sufficiently tolerant; but it mustbe remembered that in Spain the hydra of prejudicestill possessed a most gigantic power, and that it wastoo dangerous an experiment to attempt at once tochange the influence of opinions forming the principalspring that actuates the political machine, and whichit was requisite gradually to reform without producingirritation or alarm. It was essential to abate the vi-rulence of religious zeal, without alienating the sen-

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timents of the people, and leave the rest to time andeducation.The above clause nevertheless paved the way to the

ulterior views of the national legislature, and operatedas a prelude to the total overthrow of the Inquisition.Men of influence no longer hesitated to affirm, thatit was unjust and absurd to inflict a civil penalty -forreligious opinions, and that no principle of reasonor known law could authorize the magistrate to per..,secute and oppress the member of a system of wor-ship which the former disapproves. In the session ofDec. 8, 1812, the committee, which had been chargedto arrange and report on various parts of the newconstitution, presented to the Cortes the result of itsdeliberations on the matter proposed for its more im-mediate consideration; viz. "'whether the establish-ment of the Inquisition is, or is not, conformable to thepolitical constitution of the monarchy, as sanctionedby tile Cortes and accepted by all the free provinces,"It would be impossihle to follow the committee

through its report, or to convey an idea of the numer-ous speeches afterwards produced on the subject onboth sides. Sufficeit to say that the question occupiedthe house from Dec. 8 to Feb. 5 following, when thediscussions ended. In this interval of time the entirearchives of the country were opened, and many ofthe members busied themselvesin laborious researches,in order to collect materials to suit their respectiveviews. In justice to the work now offered to thepublic, it ought to J:re added, that almost every thingmaterial had been anticipated by our author, and thatboth the committee and individual members found thegreatest facilities ina work on whose fidelity they couldrely. On the 22d of Feb. 1~13 a decree was issued,, , .~

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of which the three following constitute the leadingarticles.Ist, The Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman religion

shall be protected by laws conformable to the consti ..-tution,2d. The tribunal of the Inquisition Is.Jncompati ..

ble with the constitution.sd. In consequence of this, the Law II, Title xxvi,

Part vii, is re-established in its primitive vigour, bywhich the Bishops and their Vicars are empowered totake cognizance of matters of the faith, conformablyto the sacred canons and common law, and the secu..lar judges are authorized to declare and impose on he..retics the penalties ascribed hy the laws, or such usthey may hereafter ascribe. The ecclesiastical and se-cular judges will therefore proceed in their respectivecases conformably to the constitution and the Jaws.Thus ended the existence of a tribunal which in

Spain had lorded it over the people for more thanthree hundred and twenty years, had been an outrageto humanity, and a powerful engine of internal policein the hands of despots. Thus perished a tremen-doll." and inconsistent power, which even in Romc*no longer held sway; and, though the triumph wasunfortunately short, the daring and enlightened mea-sure of the Cortes will ever remain on record, as partof that great < attempt to rally round the sacredstandard of civil and religious liberty, as far as waspossible in a country so benighted as that over whichthey presided; and, as a mcritoriousact, the destructioa

. .. It ill wortby of remark that, whilst lIaly WI\9 under the lateinfluence of France, the buildings of the various InqllisitioDIl sunilas consenrieles to societies of free-mnsons, wbose meetings "ere~e'd in the secluded part:. chiefly the Halls of Torture,

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of the Inquisition thence entitles them to the respectof their contemporaries and the gratitude of posterity.No sooner had king Ferdinand VII. been restored

to his throne, than he annulled the acts of the Cortes,and re-established the Inquisition in its full powers, byvirtue of the following decree, copied from the Mad-rid Gazette of Saturday, 23d July 1814." The past tumults and the war, which have desola-

ted all the provinces of the kingdom for the space of sixyears-the residence therein during this period of fo-reign troops consisting of many sects almost all infec-ted with abhorrence and hatred to the Catholic reli-gion, and the disorders these evils always bring withthem, together with the little care latterly taken toregulate religious concerns, are circumstances whichhave afforded wicked persons full scope to live accord-ing to their free will, and also given rise to the intro-duction and adoption of many pernicious opinionsthrough the same means by which they have been pro-pagated in other countries" '"" Wherefore I have resolved that the Council of

the Inquisition, together with the other tribunals ofthe Holy Office, shall be restored, and for the presentcontinue in the exercise of their jurisdiction, as wellecclesiastical-a power granted them by the Popes atthe request of my august predecessors, united with thatvested in local prelates by virtue of their ministry-as also royal, conferred upon them _by successivemonarchs; the said tribunals in the use of both juris-dictions complying with the statutes by which theywere governed in 1808, as well as the laws and regu-lations it had been deemed expedient to enact at various

* This alludes to the freedom of the press which nisted duri.,the absence of the Killg.

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times in order to prevent certain abuses and mode-rate various privileges." &c. &c.

Palace, July 21, 1814. PEDRO DE MACANAZ.

On the document from which the above is a faith-ful extract of the material part, it would be unneces-sary to offer any remarks, when the reader has beforehim an authentic history of those dark and wrathfuldaysi n which this enemy of learning and of the hu-man race wielded his gigantic power; and when everyone with his own eyes is enabled to trace that uni-form spirit of persecution which, in lines of blood,has marked the fatal progress of the Inquisition inSpain, from the period of its first assumption of se-cular power till the recent and memorable crisiswhen it was destroyed by the Cortes. I leave myreaders therefore tojudge for themselves, and to formtheir own conception of the nature of a governmentwhich requires the Inquisition as its coadjutor; andagainst what nation the preceding decree is chieflylevelled. At the time the Inquisition was re-establishedin Spain, the happiness or misery of a large portionof Europe, nay, I may say of the world, were as asacred deposit in the hands of Great Britain; and fu-ture events have yet to unfold the mystery, whethergovernments., reposing on bases conformable to natu-ral right, are not more brilliant and secure than whenthey rest on the degradation of the human mind. Itwas to be hoped that the nineteenth century, availingitself of past experience, would never again havewitnessed those ridiculous and horrid scenes. whichdisgraced preceding eras, and that the sanguinary andscowling storms of persecution were at an end. At alime when even the pretensions of Rome are so much

...

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relaxed, it was to be hoped that the Christian religionwould no longer be irrigated with human blood, andthat even Spain would never again exhibit the afflict-ing picture of mangled bodies and mutilated limbs,offered in the way of incense to a beneficent creator.We had reached a period when it was expected

that the general scale of society in all Europe wouldhave assumed a form more friendly to the gentlerdispositions of nature, and more congenial to theprogress of civilization. We had arrived at a crisiswhen princes ought to have known that they exercisedtheir power over men, and that they themselves arenever so great or so secure, as when they give thefirst examples of obedience to the same laws by.whichthey seek to govern others. An expectation in shortwas indulged, that the future systems of governmentwould be moulded by a spirit of liberality and justice,that every source of complaint and irritation wouldbe dried up, and that the rapid advances in the artsand sciences, even during a lon~ interval of war, wouldhave healed the human mind of the remainder 9£ thatprejudice and immorality which tyranny ad anarchyhad spread over so large a portion of the Europeancontinent.These hopes have in great measure been frustrated,

more particularly in Spain, where England might·have done so mnch. It is a truth conclusively 'esta-blished by every stage of the Spanish revohuion, andproved by the labours of the Cortes, tha11 after ex-pelling the French, the next great ,object wns internalrefonn, and a wish to prevent the prodigality anddissipation of succeeding governments, or, in otherwords, to have a constitutional king. This was ms-nifested by the spirit of the nation, it was' due ~rpast efforts and. sufferings, and if as allies we failed t.

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aid in the attainment, we neglected to comply with aduty of the highest moral obligation. It was in theSpanish people we found aid and support; if so, theywere entitled ,toall our protection. Ithas ever been thepride of British sovereigns, as well as the delight ofthe people, to behold our nation revered as the greatand constant defender of the rights and liberties ofmankind: why then should Spaniards be excludedfrom our solicitude? ""e ourselves certainly liveunder a milder systemwhich is not likely to bring anyman to the stake; but, whilst we contemplate thisfact with a satisfaction derived from the conciousnessof self-security, as members of a community thathas done so much for the political welfareof the world,we cannot but regret the manner in which those havebeen abandoned who so lately fought in our ranks,and helped us to acquire the laurels with which theheads of our heroes are adorned. Every where wehave negotiated for the abolition of the Slave Trade;in Portugal our influence neutralized inquisitorialpower; in the Brazils by treaty we stipulated that theInquisition should be suppressed, and in Spain couldwe do nothing to prevent its re-establishment?Much as it was to be hoped that monarchs would

have understood their real and substantial interests toowell, to allow them in the present age to renew thosebarbarous times marked with the infancy of civilsocieties, whan the ministers of a benignant religionwere authorized to employ terrors founded on penalsanctions, the Inquisition was nevertheless restored inSpain without any known demonstration of displeasureon the part of any of the Allies, or their agents; and,as if the respite which had intervened had infusedfresh energies, its members set to work with redoubledyigour. Impossible aa it would be tor us to trace the. 5

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personal outrages committed by this tribunal since itsnew assumption of power, we must content ourselveswith exhibiting its spirit and pursuits in conformity tosuch official documents as we possess; and which,whilst they furnish the best possible criteria, carrywith them a greater degree of weight than the reportsof individuals unable to scrutinize acts performedunder the greatest secrecy; as we thereby convert itsown expressions and actions into ample evidence.The first document we deem deserving the atten-

tion of our readers, contains the Instructions trans-mitted by the respective tribunals of European andAmerican Spain, to each of the confessors belongingto their several districts, and they are as follow:" Among the delicate and weighty matters which

worthily occupy the attention of His Majesty's Coun-cil of the Supreme and General Inquisition, the latteris aware that its labours ought preferably to be directedtowards the true good and spiritual alleviation of thosepersons who, through natural weakness, ignorance,malice, or perversity of heart, may be contaminatedwith anyone or more ofthe heresies belonging to thevarious nations which have occupied the Spanish soil.Wherefore, availing ourselves of the opportunity af-forded by the approach of the enjoined compliancewith the Easter precept, and being at the same timedesirous that all the faithful may prepare and disposethemselves to fulfil this their obligation in a worthymanner, the Council has resolved to transmit adequatepowers and instructions, inmatters relating to the HolyOffice, to all secular as well as regular confessors ap-proved by the diocesan bishop, in order that they maybe enabled to act towards those penitents who may bavefallen into any external or mixed beresy, accordingto the manner and form adopted and established by

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~ilC Holy Office, with advantage to the faithful, eventhough they may have prevaricated, as long as theyacknowledge their errors, hereby subjecting said con-fessors to the following Instructions."First, Each one is, with the greatest efficacy, to

persuade the penitent to accuse himself before the saidconfessor of all the errors or heresies into which hemay have f.'llIen, without promising him the benefit ofabsolution in any other form, assuring him of the in-violable secrecy he will keep and which is kept in theHoly Office, and that the smallest injury shall notthence result to him; rather that this measure willserve as a means to prevent his heiug punished in casehe should he accused by allY other persoll or the('HOI'S and heresies which it behoves him to munilcst,and to which lw otherwise stands liable." In the second plan', ill ruse he should consent,

the confessor shall take down his declarntion underoath to speak the truth, and the act shall bear thefollowing hcading:-' In the town of N., on such a.day, month, and year, spontaneously appeared beforeme the undersigned confessor ---- (expressinghis name, age, country, and profession).' The docu-ment shall: then relate, in the most specific manner,all his errors and their accompanying circumstances,the time and place in which he may have committedthem, s~en,. or heard them committed; and, if anyFcrsons were present, they are to be named, and he isalso to specify of them all he knows. He is then tosign his declaration, if he knows how; and, if not,he is to make a cross, but the confessor is always to.ign it." In the third place, he (the confessor) shall came

him to abjure his heresy, and absolve him by recon-ciling him to the" church: he shall moreover enjoi~VOI.. I. C

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him secretly to confess all his errors, and impose Oil

him such penance as he may deem tit, which beingdone, the whole is to be forwarded to the HolyOffice."Finally, if the most efficacious persuasions have

not been able to prevail on the penitent, in case heshould evince due signs of repentance and detestationof his offences, the confessor shall absolve him fromexcommunicetion in tl.-e internal form fif only, explain ...ing this to him for his government and information.As soon as the statement of all this has been drawn'fip by the confessor, he is also to forward it to theHoly Office."And, in order that the whole of the above mny

have its due and full effect, this Holy Office commu-nicates the same to You, to the end that through yourmeans it may reach the knowledge of the confessorsof your jurisdiction and district." Our Lord preserve you many years, &c. Inqui-

sition of Seville, this 12th February, 1815." Dr. D. FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ DE CARASA.

" Dr. D. JOAQUIN DE MunCIA Y EtrLA.'1'E.

" Licentiate D. JOSE MA1l.lA VALENZUELA.

" By order of the Holy Office," Ba, D. JUAN JOSE VERDUGO,

" Secretary."The effect, naturally produced on a community by

such an authorized injunction as the preceding, mayeasily be conceived by anyone the leaSt acquaintedwith the country in which it 'was intended to operate;89 effect so mach tbe greater, in consequence of thedignified and respectable agency through which its

• 'Vhat is meant Ity this term is, thattheconfessnr is llllowefl,to reeoncilethe IIeniteut to God, but not to e;a;clIlpt lJimfromthefuture pr~IIt1OUIi of the lIoly Olliee.

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\Jbject was to be accomplished. In the anomaloustimes in which we live, we have seen religion per-verted in a variety of ways for political purposes; wehave beheld systems of espionage established underall kinds of forms; we have witnessed state-policeunder every species of refinement, still out: feelingsand judgment were never betOre revolted with anything so comprehensive and insidious as the above.That fraternal and kindred principle, which unitesmembers of the same family, has been sacrificed andmade instrumental to party views or political revenge;those enchanting and social ties, which form the basisof friendship, have been converted into snares laid bythe hand of treachery; but we have never before seent~ ministers of the altar, scattered as they are amongtheir respective flocks for the purposes of spiritualcomfort, thus solemnly commissioned to act the partof spies and informers, and to prepare instruments ofdestruction f9l'lhose who had approached the sacra-lllm:..t of penance and disclosed to them the inmost re-cesses of their hearts. A more dexterous mode of fincl-ing out and secliR'ing;victimswas possibly never beforeinvented, '1101' a more-powerful means of fascinating,through the instrumentality of terror, the enfeebledmisds of an ~ed people. This is a plan to p.o-cure for the uses of government 1lwide ,register of thecondues, !SeIltiments, a1ld aetiens of every enlightenedindividual in >the Spaaisb:mGDal"Chy. since'against sncaonly is the measure 'aimed; of all ithose wtJo .have readforeign .books, had intercourse with persons of anothernation or religion, who have entered a masonic lodge,:or dDe.d to think or speak of the reform their countryi'equil'ed. It is not only to provide aD official re-gister of their names, professions, and places of abode,but also to furnish a lasting and ready instrument of

c2

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attainder against their persons, to suit any dark ordesigning purpose. The fact could not be credited ifthe document were not before us.In further adverting to the new organization of the

Spanish Inquisition and the pursuits to which its la-bours were immediately devoted, the next documentthat strikes us is the following one, copied in the Diarioof Madrid of the 28th, 29th, 30th, and 31st of July1815, which, though long and in some measure te-dious, is nevertheless so important and curious as tomerit a place in these Remarks. It is therefore givenin its entire and literal form." \Ve Don Francisco Xavier Micr y Campillo, by

the grace of Gou and of the Holy Apostolic See,Bishop of Almeria, Knight Grand Cross of theRoyal and distinguished Spanish order of CharlesIII., Counsellor to his Majesty, and Inquisitor Generalof these kingdoms and Lordships," To all the faithful inhabitants and dwellers therein,

of whatsoever state, quality, order, or dignity theymay be, * health." It has come to our knowledge and is also noto-

rious to all Spain, that among the evils brought uponus by the hostile invasion of 1808, and the absenceand captivity of our beloved Monarch, those havenot been the least which have arisen out of the libertyof thinking and writing in so loose a manner, thatfor the space of five years our pious and Catholic na-tion has been inundated with pamphlets, periodicaland other papers, and wicked writings, which werefound. in the hands of all persons to the ruin of theirsouls, On the Holy Office being abolished ill theprovinces conquered by the impious tyrant, and its

-~It hence appears that even a foreign ambassador is not excludedfrom the force of this and other decrees of tlie Inquisition.

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functions first laid dormant in the free ones, and after-wards entirely extinguished, the clamours and zeal ofthe reverend bishops being no longer able to restrainso grievous an evil; no mound was found capable ofstemming free minds and lovers of novelty; and theunbridled scope for writing, authorized by the free-dom of the press, reached such an extreme, that notonly tracts in every sense pernicious were publisheddaily, but works also already justly condemned bythe Holy Office were reprinted, and even some whichwere so ill the judgment of the whole Church.Wherefore, from the day on which, through thegoodness of our Catholic and pious monarch, we re-turned to the exercise of the functions of our minis-try, we have unceasingly laboured to' put a stop to theevils which might be caused to the faithful by readingso many productions of darkness. But resolvedalways to proceed with the greatest delicacy, circum-spection, deliberation, and care, usual in the HolyOffice, and it not being possible for a long period oftime to effect the examination, censure, and other le-gal and necessary measures which ought to precedethe individual and qualified prohibition of so many in-jurious writings; and on the other hand, pressed bythe urgent necessity of wresting as soon as possiblefrom the hands of the faithful, every book, paper orpamphlet containing dangerous and rash ideas, or inany way contrary to the holy religion we profess, andthe fidelity due to the sovereign we have adjured, afterrenewing, as by these presents we, do renew, the pro-hibitions contained in anterior edicts in the form there-in expressed, and pointedly condemning the workstherein specified, we have also thought proper tocommand in conformity to the judgment and opinionof the Lords of His Majesty's Council of the Su-

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preme and General Inquisition, that all the works in-cluded in the present edict under alphabetical order,.shall be called in and delivered over to the Holy Of-fice till they have been examined and qualified; theirperusal or retention being prohibited under the penal-ties hereafter expressed ;-further declaring, as wehereby do declare, that every other printed or manu-script book or paper which may be comprehended onany account whatever within the rules of the GeneralIndex, is also included in the present list; as in factare all calumnious ones, those which detract from thegood reputation of our neighbour, are injurious topersons constituted in dignity, to ecclesiastical insti-tutions or corporations, the Holy Office, and thosewhich in any manner encourage l:epublican and sedi-tious ideas, or such as may tend to disturb publicand established order. For the same reason andnotwith lighter motives than those which induced theHoly Office to command by edict of Dec. 13, 17&9,the calling in and delivery up of all papers comingfrom France and containing revolutionary ideas, thesame is now commanded with respect to all which mayalready have arrived, or may hereafter arrive, pro-vided in the same sentiments are expressed in anymanner injurious to our government, or such as mayauthorize the intrusion and tyranny of the usurpen.of thrones and the enemies of the altar.

IVorks prohibited even for those wlw may he furnishedwith licence, viz.

Breve Ensayosobre el Fanatismc. Por D. B. Y. H. P.;falleto impreso en Madrid en 1i 13: por teme-rario, calumnioso, escandaloso, y subversivo dela fe y buenas costumbres.

Short Essay on Fanaticism. By D. B. Y. H. P.;

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xxxix

a pamphlet printed in Madrid in 1813: owingto its being rash, calumnious, scandalous, us

well as subversive of the faith and of goodmanners.

Conversacion entre, el Cura y el Boticario de la Villade Porriiio sobre el Tribunal de la lnquisicion;foUeto en 121110.Cadiz, 1812: por contenerproposiciones falsas, erroneas, capciosas, inducti-vas a la heregia, ~ injuriosas al Santo Oficio,

Conversation between the Curate and Apothecaryof the town of Porriiio, respecting the Tribunalof the Inquisition; pamphlet in 12mo" Cadiz,1812: because it contains propositions false,erroneous, captious, propending to heresy, andinjurious to the Holy Office.

Diccionario Critico-burlesco; impreso en Cadiz yreimpreso en otras partes: por eontener propo-siciones respectivamente falsas, impias, hereticas,temerarias, erroneas, piarum aurium ofensi vas, cinjuriosas al estado eeclesiastico secular- y regular,al Santo Olicio, &c. &c.

Critico-burlesque Dictionary; printed in Cadiz andreprinted in other parts: because it containspropositions respectively false, impious, here-tical, rash, erroneous, offensive to the ears ofthe pious, and injurious to the secular and re-gular orders of the church, as well as to theHoly Office, &c. &~•.,.

'" This work was written by Don B.:T. Gallardo, late librarian ofthe Cortes, whose sportive genius and researches in Spanish litera-ture are well known to his countrymen. Tbe object of the compo-sition is chiefly til make war against the prejudices under w hich thepeople labourl'cl ; consequently he roused all the eamity of devotees,lUouks, and friars: but still as a proof of the reception of the work,at well as IIf lb. prevailin; Qnxiety to read every tbing ~bat coultt

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Dictamen del Dr. Don Antonio Jose RUIz de Padron,Ministro calificado del Santo Oficio, Abad de Vi-lIamartin de Valdeorres, y Diputado en Cortes pOl"

las Islas Canarias, que se leyo en la sesion pub-lica de 18,de Enero sobre el tribunal de Inquisi-cion: impreso en Cadiz aiio de 1813, en la im-prentu torrncutaria, 'ii cargo de Don Juan Do-mingo Villegas.

Opinion of Dr. Don Antonio JOSE;Ruiz de Padron,qualified Minister of the Holy Office, Abbot ofVi11amartin de Valdeorres, and Deputy in theCortes for the Canary Islands, which was readin the public session of Jan. 18, on the subjectof the Inquisition: printed in Cadiz in theArtillery printing' office for Don Juan DomingoVillegas.

Apendice al Dictamen de RUIz de Padron sobre Abo-licion de Inquisicion: fo11eto en 4to, impreso enCadiz, aiio de 1813.

Appendix to the Opinion of Ruiz de Padron respect-ing the Abolition of the Inquisition: pamphletin 4to, printed in Cadiz in the year 1813. *

Dictamen del Senor Don Joaquin Lorenzo Villanueva.Diputado en Cortes pOl' Valencia, acerca de InSegunda Proposicion Preliminar del Proyecto de

enlighten, itmay he added that the first edition of 2500 copies was.sold in one week, aud reprints were immediately issued in Spainand France.* Dr. Padron, the author of the two last works, tbough formerly

a counsellor of' the Inquisition -w'as one of the most zealous advo;cates for its abolition. IIi. practical experience enabled him tobring many important facts to light, and tlte veneration in wltich hischaracter was held made a powerful impression both on the Cortesand the people. On that occasion he commenced his beautiful andlearned speech with the follnwing remarkable words from the XV til.~bapter of St. Matthew:" Ollmi. planiatio quam non plalltClvit Peter.tv" ciZlntis eradica6i1ur.

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Decreto sobre los Tribunales Protectores de InHeligion, leido en las sesiones del 20 Y 21 deEnero : impreso en Cadiz, en la imprenta de DonDiego Garcia Campoy, aiio de 181~j.

Opinion of Don Joaquin Lorenzo Villanueva, De-puty in Cortes for Valencia, respecting theSecond Preliminary Project of a Decree re-lating to the Tribunals destined to protect Re-ligion, and read in the sessions of Jan, 20and 21: printed in Cadiz in the office of DonDiego Garcia Campoy, year 1813."

Dictamen del SCI101' Don Francisco Serra, Presbitcro,Bibliotccario de la Real y Arzohispnl de I:tCiudad de Valencia, Diputado pOl' uquclla Pro-vinciu, sobre el Articulo Primero del Proyecto. de Dccreto uccrca de los Tribunules Protcctoresde la Religion, expucsto en la sosion de 25 deEnero: impreso en Ciidlz, aiio de 1813.

Opinion of Don Francisco Serra, Clergyman, Libra-rian to the Royal Archiepiscopal Library of the'City of Valencia, and .Deputy for that Pro-vince, respecting the First Article of a Pro-ject of a Decree regarding the Tribunals des-tined for the Protection of Religion, and laidbefore the Cortes in the session of Jan. 25:printed in Cadiz, year 1813. t

* This writer is an ecclesiastic of great erudition and research,and peculiarly distinguished by his labours in the cause of reform.lIe is now one of the state prisoners against whom those of his owncloth have most levelled their envenomed shafts.t This venerable character 'Vas renowned for his ecclesiastical

science and exquisite erudition. Ill" was profound in the dead lan-guages, and till the late revolution his whole life had been spentamong books; hut, having mer ited the confidence of his fellow.countrymen, he was desirous of devoting the whole of his acquire-ments to the object of reform, and ('ertainly his zeal was unabated.As a model of virtue, he died at the ber;inning of the late persecutlon.

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Monumento de Gratitud al Pueblo de Cadiz, conMotive de disolverse las Cortes Generales y Ex-traordinarias, por el Dr. DDn Antonio Ruiz dePadron, Diputado en Cortes por las Canarias,Dado a luz por un Amigo del Autor. Madrid,imprenta de Fuentenebro, aiio 1813.

Monument of Gratitude to the People of Cadiz, onoccasion of the Dissolution of the General andExtraordinary Cortes, by Dr. Don AntonioRuiz de Padron, Deputy in Cortes for theCanary Islands. Published by a Friend of theAuthor. Madrid, in the office of Fuentenebro,1813.

THESE last five works arc prohibited, because theycontain propositions respectively false, erroneous, ca-lumnious, heretical, sapientes lueresim, scandalous,offensive to the ears of the pious, and atrociously in-jurious to the Roman Pontiffs, to kings, the clergy,and the Boly Office.

Eloge Historique de Nicholas Freret: por ser un texidode errores, una mass de impiedades, y un extractode todas las heregias.

Historical Eulogium of Nicholas Freret: becauseit is a tissue of errors, a mass of impieties, andan extract of all the heresies.

Espanol Irnparcial (Un) a los llamados Liberales yServiles ; folleto irnpreso en Cadiz, 1812: porcontener proposiciones respectivamente falsas, er ..roneas, temerarias, soepechosas de heregia, 6que saben it ella, injuriosas al clero y obispos deEspaiia, ii los Papas, y a su soberania temporal.

An Impartial Spaniard to those called Liberalesand Serviles; pamphlet printed in Cadiz, 1812:

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OJ,' THE 'l'RANSLATOR. xliii'

because it contains propositions respectivelyfalse, erroneous, rash, suspicious of heresy orpropending thereto, injurious to the clergy andbishops of Spain, to the Popes, and to theirtemporal sovereignty.

Fabulas Politicas de Don C. de B. Londres, 1813:por estar comprehendido en las reglas lOy 16 delIndice expurgatorio, y pOl' ser un escrito revolu-cionario e injurioso a nuestros monarcas y a lasmas distinguidas clascs del estado,

Political Fables of Don C. de B. London, 181~~:because this work is comprehended in the 10thand 16th rules of the Index of ProhibitedBooks, and because it is a writing both revo-lutionary and injurious to our monarchs and tothe most distinguished classes of the state.

Historia de una famosa Hechicera que escape de In In-quisicion de Valencia, valiendose de un artificioel mas endiablado; impresa en Madrid, 1811:pOf ser una satira contra el Santo Oficio, calum-niosa, infamatoria, y escandalosa,

History of a famous Witch who escaped from theInquisition of Valencia, by availing herself ofa most devilish spell; printed in Madrid in1811: because it is a calumnious, defamatory,and scandalous sstlre against the Holy Office.

Juicio Historico-canonico-politico de la Antoridad delas Naciones en los Bienes Eclesiasticos; fol-leto en 4to, impreso en Alicante en la imprenta deManuel Munoz, ano de 181S: pOl' contener pro-posiciones hereticas, sapientes hairesim; temera-rias, cismaticas e injuriosas Ii los sumos Pontificesy ii todo el clero.-

Historical, Canonical, and Political Observations on

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xliv l'IlELDlINAR¥ REMAflKS

the Authority of Nations over Church Pro-perty; pamphlet in 4to, printed in Alicant inthe office of Manuel Munoz. year 1813: be-cause it contains propositions, heretical, sapien-tes hcereslm, rash, schismatic, and injurious tothe high pontiffs and to all the clergy.

Soncto y Epitafios dirigidos al M. R. P. PrescntadoFr. Antonio Verde, Excomisario del recien-cxtinguido Santo Oficio de Ia Inquisicion, &c.;pupel suelto, impreso en Ia ciudad de Ia LagunapOl' Angel Bazzanti en 1813 : por impios, blas-feruos, atrozmentc injuriosos al Santo Oficio, eigualmentc :i la Iglesia yal estado.

Sonnet and Epitaphs addressed to the Most Rc,'.Father Antonio Verde, ex-commissary of therecently extinguished Holy Office of the In-quisition, &c.; a loose tract printed in thecity of la Laguna, by Angel Bazzanti, in 18q:because they arc impious, blasphemous, atro-ciously injurious to the Holy Office, andequally so to the church and state.

Soneto impreso en la Gran Canaria, ell la imprentade In Sociedad Economica, aiio de 1813, pOl'Francisco de Paula Mavina: papel suelto : pOl'impio, blasfemo, e injurioso en sumo grado a lareligion, al estado y al Santo Oficio•

.Sonnet printed in the Great Canary, in the Offi<;eof the Economical Society, year 1813, byFrancisco de Paula Mavina; a loose tract:because it is impious, blasphemous, and inju-rious in the highest degree to religion, thestate, and the Holy Office.

en Militar Espaiiol residente en Francia a sus Com-pniieros de armas; una hoja suelta que se dice

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OF THE TR.\NSL.>\TOlt. xlv

5Cl' impresa en Burdeos {I 12 de Junio de 1815:pOl' revolucionaria, subversiva, calumniosa y a-trozrnente injuriosa al rey y a la nacion Espaiiola.

A Spanish Soldier residing in France to his Com-panions in arms; a loose sheet, said to be prin-ted in Bordeaux, June 12, 1813: for being re-volutionary, subversive, calumnious, and atro-ciously injurious to the king and the Spanishnation.

Proclama, en un pliego suelto que comicnza " Espafio-lcs, sera possible, " &c. y acaba "vuestros genero-sos sentimientos; May~l1 de 18]5:" sin lugardeimpresion aunquc parece impresa en Francia:pOl' revolucionaria, impia, cscandulosn y atroz-mente injuriosa ul rey, U la nacion, y Ii las mils re-spectablcs corporacioncs de In iglcsia y del cstado,

Proclamation, in a loose sheet, beginning with" Spaniards, shall it be possible," &c" millending "your generous sentiments; May 31,181.5:" the place of impression is not men-tioned, although it appears to have been printedin France: because of its being revolutionary,impious, scandalous, and atrociously injuriousto the king, the nation, and to the most re-spectable corporations of the church and state;

IVOrks ordered to be called in with the hnoiuledge andapprobation of His J.llojest!l.

Abeja EspallOla: periodico de Cadiz.Spanish Bee: Cadiz periodical pnpcr.

Abeja Madrileiie : peri6dico de Madrid.Madrilenian Bee: :\1adrid periodical paper.

Abeja Barcelonesa: peri6dico de Barcelona.Barcelonian Bee: Barcelona periodical paper.

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'xlvi PRELlMINAR'1: RElIIAltks

Abuso introducido en la Disciplina de la Iglesia,y Po-testad de los Principes en su Correccion: un tomo'en 4to., impreso en esta corte, sin nombre deautor,

Abuse introduced into the Discipline of the Church,and the Power of Princes in its Correction:one vol. 4to., printed in this city, without thename of the author.

Amante de Ia Libertad Civil: periodico de Madrid.1.1le Lover of Civil Liberty: Madrid periodical

paper.Amigo de las Luces: periodico de Madrid.The Friend of Learning: Madrid periodical paper.

Amigo de los Fraylcs.11 Friend of the' Friars.

Amigo del Pueblo: periodico de Madrid,The Friend of the People: Madrid periodical paper.

Auales de la Inquisicion de Espaiia; su autor DonJuan Antonio Llorente: dos tomes in 8vo, impre-sos en Madrid, aiio de 1812.

Annals of the Inquisition of Spain; written by Don-Juaa Antonio Llorente': 2 vols, 8vo, printedin .Madrid, 1812.

Anti-Lucindo.: foHeto impreso 'en Yalencia.The Anti- Lucindo: pamphlet prin ted in Valencia. ~

• Tbe tract bearing the above title of Anti-Lucindo, WlllI writtenia auswer to a periodical paper commenced in Valencia after thereturn of Ferdinand VII. and called Lucindo. It was Intended toprepare bis way to tbe (::lpttal, as well astbe miuds of the peoplefor those events which.h,""t"flince'1HIpI'ent"d. As Bproof of tite'eII:-alted merils of the Luciado, il may -be remarked, tbat the Popewas prevailell upon 10 issue aBull, in which be loads its author withindulgences-forhavin& eo zealously ·drfl"ndl.'d the 'ri,bts ·of tbe altorand uf odie1llr_.

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OF THE TRANSLATOR. xlvii

Aviso a los Gallegos: papel impreso en Santiagoenla oficina de Rey.

Notice to the Gallicians : a tract printed in Santiagoin the office of Rey.

Aurora MaillorquiRIt: periodico de aquella isla. !lO

The Aurora of"Majorca: periodical paper of thatisland.

Banderilla de Fuego al Filosofo Rancio, pOl' IngenuoTostado: papel improso en Cadiz.

A Fi ery Dart to the Filosofo Rancio, by IngcnuoTostado: a tract printed in Cadiz.

Bateria para los Frayles, () el Reformador de antaiio'es orgaiio ; pOl' A. A. C.: impreso en Valencia,aiio de i813.

A Battery for the 'Friars, or the Reformer of last yearcome again this year; hy A. A. C. : printed inValencia, 1813.

Bosquejo de la Revolucion de Espaiia : folleto impresoen Madrid, ano de 1814.

Sketch of the Revolution of Spain: pamphlet print.ed in Madrid, 1814.

Bosquejo de los Fraudes introducidos en la ReligionpOl' las Pasiones de los Hombres, pOl' M. D. B.;impreso en Palma, aiio de 1813.

Sketch of the Frauds introduced into Religionthrough the Passions of Men, by M. D. B. :printed in Palma, 1813.

Cabana Indiana: impreea' en Valencia.The Indian Cottage: printed in Valencia. t• Tbis'Paper justly remarked for its free and correct pripclples "as

edited by tbe unfortunate Don Isodoro Antilloll, Deputyin theCor'tes for A raaon , and who died a victim to the persecution hem e t with under the new order of things.t This is the tmnslation oftheinoocent Aavol} of St. -Ph!rte

tROWIl by tile same nallle.1

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xlviii PRELIMINARY RE:\IARKS

Campana del Lugar: periodico de Ca diz,The Town Bell: Cadiz periodical paper.

Carta Gratulatoria a E. E. D. P. : impreso en .Iaen,aiio de 1813.

Gratulatory Letter to E. E. D. P.: printed in Jaen,1813.

Cartas al Amigo de La COllstitucion: impresas enMadrid.

Letters to a Friend of the Constitution: printed inMadrid.

Cartas de un Religioso Espaiiol sobre el Abuso delPoder: imprcsas en Madrid, aiio 1808.

Letters of It Spanish Friar respecting the Abuse ofPower: printed ill ~ladrid, IS08.

Cartel: periodico de Santiago.Cartel: periodical paper of Santiago.

Cartilla del Ciudadano Espaiiol ; pOl' cl Robespierrc.The A. B. C. of the Spanish Citizen; by the Ro-

bcspierrc,Catecisrno Civil.Civil Catechism.

Catecismo natural del Hombre Libro,Natural Catechism of the Free Man.

Catecismo Patriotico,Patriotic Catechism.

Catecismo Politico arreglado Ii la Constitucion: im-prcso ell Cordoba.

Political Catechism regulated to the Constitution:printed in Cordova.

Catecismo Politico-constitutional: impreso en Malaga.Politico-constitutional Catechism: printed in Ma-

laga.

Catccismo Polidco-scntencioso, u Doctrina dCIbuen

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OF THE T~ANSLATOR. xlix

Ciudadano amante de su Religion, de su Pa-tria, y de su Rey.

Politico-sententious Catechism; or the Doctrine ofthe good Citizen and Lover of his Religion,his Country, and his King.

Celibatismo: papel asi titulado; impreso en Leon aiiode 1814<.

Celibacy: a tract so called, and printed in Leon, 1814.Censor de Abusos conocidamente opuestos al Esplen-

dor y Gloria de Espana.The Censor of Abuses evidently opposed to the

Splendour and Glory of Spain.Centinela de Is Patria,Ccntinel of the Country,

Citatcur (Le); pur Pigault-Lebrun : el tomo 1° y si-gUiClltl'S.

The Quotator; by Pigault-Lebrun : the first vol,and following.

Ciudadano: peri6dico de Madrid.The Citizen e Madrid periodical paper.

Ciudadano por la Constitucion: periodico de la Co-ruiia, '

The Citizen by the Constitution: Corunna perio-dical paper.

Ciudadano (Un) del Reyno de Jaen a sus Compatrio-tas: impreso en dicha ciudad, ano de 1813.

A Citizen of the Kingdom (OfJaen to his.fellow-countrymen: printed in said city, 1813. .

Coleccio~ de Documentos ineditos pertenecientes a IsHistoria Politica de nuestra Revolucion : Palma,1811.

Collection of inedited Documents belonging to thePolitical History of our Revolution; Palma,ISH.

VOL. I. d

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PRELIr.flNARY REl\IARKS

Coleccion de las Felicitaciones a las Cortes pOl' 10.Abo-licion de 10.Inquisicion.:

Collection of the Felicitations to the Cortes on theAbolition of the Inquisition.

Conciso; periodico de Cadi~.Conciso : Cadiz periodical paper.

Concison: periodico de Cadiz.The Big Conciso: Cadiz periodical paper.

Conferencia de los Liberales sobre el Papel intituladoVindicacion de la Inquisicion: impreso en Pal-ma, aiio de 1812.

Conference of the Liberales respecting the Tractentitled "Vindication of the Inquisition"printed in Palma, 1812.

Continuacion de la Historia de Buonaparte: foUetoen 4to menor; impreso en Valencia.

Continuation of the History of Buonaparte: pam-phlet in small 4to; printed in Valencia,

Copia de Ill. Representacion del Reverendo Obispo deBarbastro, dando gracias poria Abolieion de Ill.lnquisicion; impresa en Madrid. ,

Copy of the Representation of the Reverend Bishopof Barbastro, giving thanks for the Abolitionof the Inquisition: printed in Madrid.

Cuatro Verdades sobre la sabia Constitucion; Palma,imprenta de Domingo.

A few Truths respecting the wise Constitution;printed in Palma in the office of Domingo.

Cuatro Verdades iltiles a la Nacion; Palma, imprentade Domingo, aDo de 1310.

A few Truths useful to the Nation: Palma, in the of-fice of Domingo, 1810.

Cuchiila del Terror: folleto impreso en cadiz.'flit' H1.'Uleof Terror : pamphlet printed in Cadiz.

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OF 'l"HE TltANSLATOR. untos en Verso Castellano, pOl' el Lie. Don TomasHermenegildo de lasTorres: impresosen Valencia.

Tales in SPUUibh Verse, by Licentiate Don TomasHermenegildo de las Torres: printed in Va-Ieneia,

Decada (La): impresa en Cadiz.The Decade: printed in Cadiz.

Defensa de las Cortes y de las Regalias de la Nacion,contra la Pastoral de los Obispos refugiados enMallorea: imprcsa en Cadiz.

Defence of the Cortes and of the Sovereignty ofthe Nation, against the Pastoral Letter of theBishops who had fled to Majorca: printed inCadiz.

Defensa del Pedo,Defence of the F .• t,

De nuestro Estado, nuestros Males, y su seguro y(mieo Remedio, pOl'Don Liberio Veranio y Es-panoI: folleto en 4to. impreso en Madrid afiode 1812.

Of our State, our Evils, and their sure and onlyRemedy; by Don Liberio Veranio y Espniiol :pamphlet in 4to. printed in Madrid, 1812.

De que sirven los Frayles? folleto impreso en Valencia.Of what use are Friars? pamphlet printed in Va-

lencia.Derechos de la Soberania Nacional; porJ. M.Palma,

afio de 1810.Rights of the National Sovereignty; by J. M. Pal-

ma, 1810.Desengaiios Politicos: folleto en 4to. sin nombre del

autor ni lugar de impresion.Political Undeeeptions: pamphlet in 4to. without

the name of the author or place of impression.d 2

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Iii PRELIMINA~Y REMARK8

Diario Civico y Patri6tico de Santiago.Civic and Patriotic Diary of Santiago.

Diario Mercantil de Cadiz.Mercantile Diary of Cadiz.

Diario de Palma.Diary of Palma.

Disciplina Eclesiastica Nacional: folleto impreso enPalma.

National Ecclesiastical Discipline: pamphlet printedin Palma.

Discurso del Diputado de Cortes Extraordinarias, D.Jose Mexia, sobre Ia Libertad de la Imprenta,

Speech of the Deputy in the Extraordinary Cortes,Don Jose Mexia, respecting the Freedom ofthe Press,

Discurso del Diputado de las Ordinariss, Martinez dela Rosa, de 21 de Abril de 1814.Speech of the Deputy of the Ordinary Cortes,

Martinez de Ia Rosa, on April 21, 1814.

Discurso del Ciudadano Ledesma en Ia Apertura delas Cortes Ordinarias,

Speech of Citizen Ledesma on the Opening of theOrdinary Cortes.

Discurso de Don Lorenzo Villanueva a Ia Apertura deIa Audiencia de Valencia; impreso en dichaciudad.

Speech of Don Lorenzo Villanueva on the Openingof the High Court of Justice of Valencia:printed in the same city.

Discurso sobre la Opinion Nacional de Espafiaacerca ,de Ia Guerra con Francia, por Don Juan AntonioLlorente.

Speeehregarding the National Opinion of Spain on

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OF THE TRANSLATOR. liij

the subject of the War with France; by DonJuan Antonio Llorente.

Discurso dirigido a los Pueblos del Obispado de Leri-da, pOl' Don Jose Vidal, Canonigo Penitenciariode aquella Iglesia con motivo del Concordato deNapoleon con N. M. 8. P. Pio VII.

Speech addressed to the People of the Bishopric ofLerida, by Don Jose Vidal, Penitentiary Ca-non of that Church, on occasion of the Con-cordat of Napoleon with Pope Pius VII.

Discurso del mismo Autor sobre la Licitud del Jura-mento prestado al Gobierno Frances.

Speech of the same Author respecting the Lcgalityof thq Oath taken to the French Government.

Discurso de Don Juan Antonio Pose, Cura parroc«de San Andres cn cl Obispado de Leon, sabrela Constitucion Espaiiola,

Speech of Don Juan Antonio Pose, parish Curateof 81. Andrew's in the Bishopric of Leon, re-specting the Spanish Constitution.

Discusion del Proyecto de Decreto sabre ~\;Tribunalde la Inquisicion; un tomo en 4to. Cadiz, en laImprenta Nacional, ISq.

Discussion on the Project of a Decree respectingthe Tribunal of the Inquisition: one vol. 4to.Cadiz, in the National Printing-office, 1813.

Disertacion Teologico-csnonica Apologetica contra elPapel, intitulado, "Argumento sin Respucsta, 0Convencimiento sin Excusa," impreso en Jaen ;su Autor Don Jose Nucete, Prior de la Iglesiamayor parroquial de Alcandete.

Theologico-canonical and Apologetic Dissertationagainst a Pamphlet entitled, " Argument with-out Answer, or Conviction without Excuse: "printed in Jaen, and written by Don Jose Nu,

Page 54: The Inquisition Unmasked

liv PRELIMINARY REMARKS

eete, Prior of the chief parochial Church ofAlcandete.

Duende rEI): periodico de Cadiz.The Ghost: Cadiz periodical paper.

Duende de los Cafes.The Ghost of the Coffee-H0uses. (Idem.)

Elementos para un Diputado en Cortes.Elements for a Deputy in the Cortes.

Elogio Funebre del Dr. Don Eugenio de Iii.Peiia.Funeral Oration in honour of Dr. Don Eugenio dela Pena.

Ensayo de un Dictamen sobre la Inmunidal del Clcro.Essay on an Opinion respecting the Immunity of

the Clergy.Escape de los Liberales de Iii.Chamusquina que se Ies

preparaba,Escape of the Liberales from the Trap prepared for

them.

Espana Libre: periodico de Madrid.Spain Free: Madrid periodical p!1per.

Espaii'ol.Libre.The Free Spaniards. (Idem.)

Espejo de Serviles y Liberales.Mirror for the Serviles and Liberales.

Examen de la Censura del Diccionario Critico-bur-lesco, pOl' Gallardo.

Examination of the Censure passed on the Critico-burlesque Dletiunaryby GaHardo.

Examen Imparcial de Serviles y Liberales.Impartial Examination of Serviles and Liberales.

Exposicion del Ministro de Gracia y Justicia, CanoManuel, sobre Restablecimiento de Conventos.

Exposition of the Minister of Grace and Justice,

Page 55: The Inquisition Unmasked

OF THE TRANSLATOR. Iv

ClUlOManuel, respecting the Re-establishmentof Convents.

Felicitacion del Ayuntamiento de Madrid Iilas CortesporIa Abolicion de la Inquisicion: impreso enMadrid.

Felicitation of the Municipality of Madrid to theCortes for the Abolition of the Inquisition:printed in Madrid.

Filosofia (La) de Ia Guerra, traducida y anotada pOl'el C. Fel; Cadiz, ISl3.

The Philosophy of War, translated with notes byC. Fel: Cadiz, ISI3.

FilOsofoCristiano (El): folleto en 4to.The Chris~iall Philosopher: pamphlet in 4oto.

Fraylada del Frayle.The Friar's Act.

Fr. Lucas: comedia,Father Luke: a comedy.

Gaieta de Madrid desde el 17 de 4gosto hasta el 29de Octubre, de ISh'.

Madrid Gazette from Aug. 17 to Oct. 29, 1812.Gazeta de Valencia,Vakllcia Gazette.

Gazeta Marcial de Santiago.l\;Iartial Gazette of santiago.

Gazeta Politico-militar de la Coruiia.Politico-military Gazette of Corunna.

Idea de las Heregias del Din: papel en verso sin nom-bre de autor, ni lugar de impresion, atribuido aun Calificador del Santo Oficio,

Idea of the Heresies of the Day: pamphlet in versewithout the name of the author or place ofimpression, attributed to a qualificator of theHoly Office.

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Ivi 'PRELIMINARY REMARKS

Impugnacion de la Doctrina Moral y Politica del re-verendo Obispo de Orense.

Impugnation of the Moral and Political Doctrineof the R. Rev. Bishop of Orense,

Impugnacion de las Reflexiones de Don Joaquin Mas:impresas en Cadiz y Valencia.

Impugnation of the Reflections of Don Joaquin Mas:printed in Cadiz and Valencia.

Incompatibilidad de la Libertad Espanola con el Es-tablecimiento de la Inquisicion; por IngenuoTostado.

Incompatibility of Spanish Freedom with the esta-blishment of the Inquisition; by IngelluoTostado.

Informe y Pedimento Fiscal sobre el presentado porlas Locos ante el supremo Tribunal de la Razon :por Don Andres Gomeri,

Attorney General's Report and Demand respectingthat presented by the Mad to the supreme Tri-bunal of Reason, by D. Andres Gomeri,

Inquisicion Confundida; Representacion heeha a lasCortes por el P. M. Fr. Andres del Corral; leidaen la sesion publica de 17 de Agosto de 1813, einserta en las Gazetas de Coruiia y Valladolid de9 de Nov. y 3 de Oct. del mismo aiio,

Inquisition Confounded; Representation made tothe Cortes by Rector Father Andres del Cor-ral; read in the public session of Aug. 16,1813,and inserted in the Gazettes of Corunna andValladolid of Nov. 0, and Oct. 3, of sameyear.

I~QUISICION SIN MASCARA: impresa en Cadiz.INQUISITION UNMASKED; printed in Cadis,

Inquisicion Vengada., The Inquisition Avenged.

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OJ' THE THANSLATOR. lvii

Insinuacion Patriotica sobre la N ecesidad de cxtinguirlos Frayles, por M. N.

Patriotic Hint respecting the Necessity of extin-guishing the Friars by M. N.

Insinuacion Patri6tica: impresa en Palma aiio de1812.

Patriotic Hint: printed in Palma, 1812.Instalacion de 13Catedra de Constitucion do Valencia;

6. cargo de Don Nicolas Gareli: impresa en lamisma ciudad, aiio de 1814.

Installation of the Professorship of the Constitutionin Valencia; by Don Nicolas Garcli: printedin the same city, 1814. *'

Instrucciones para los Representantes de Cortes; porJ. C. A.: ifnpresoen Valencia, anode 1811.

Instructions for the Representatives in Cortes; byJ. C. A.: printed in Valencia, 1811.

Jansenismo, dedicado al Filosofo Rancio: un tomo en410. impreso en Cadiz.

Jansenism, dedicated to the Filosofo Rancio: 1 vol.4to. printed in Cadiz.

La Luz Publica; par el verdadcro Espafiol,The Public Light; by a true Spaniard.

Letrillas en justo Elogio de la Coustitucion,Lines in just Praise of the Constitution.

Loco Constltucional : periodico de Granada.The Constitutional Madman: Granada periodical

paper.Manifiesto de Don Simon Bergaiio y Villegas: im-

preso en Palma, aiio de 181S.Manifest of Don Simon Bergafio y Villegas: print-

ed in Palma, 1813•• A professorship was erect ..d in each university for the purpose

ef t..aching and explaining the chier prlnciples or public law iii-,alnd ip the New Collititllli •• ,

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Mariea Constitucional; papel en verso: impreso enMadrid, aiio de 1814.

Constitutional Song: printed in Madrid, 1814.Memoria Can6nica sabre e1 Articulo de Roms; por

Don Angel Celdenio Prieto: impreso en Palma,afio de 1812.

Canonical Memoir respecting the Article of Rotas;by Don Angel Celdenio Prieto: printed inPalma, 1812.

Minerva Constitucional: periOdico de Granada.Constitutional Minerva: Granada periodical pa-

per.Noches Romananas en cl Sepulcro de los Escipiones :

par el Ciudadano Ledesma.:Roman Nights in the Tomb of the Scipios; by

Citizen Ledesma.Noticias Historicas de Don Gaspar Melchor de Jo-

vellanos; su Autor Y. M. de A. M.: Palma,aiio de 1812.

Historical Facts relating to Don Gaspar Melchorde Jovellanos; written by Y. M. de A. 1\1.:Palma, 1812.

Observaciones Historicas y Criticas, sobre el Origendel Monaquismo.

Historical and Critical Observations on the ()l"iginof Monasticism.

Observaciones y Glosas de un Patriota Audaiuz auna Carta inserta en el Procurador de 22 Nov.de 1818.

Observations and Comments of an AndalusianPatriot on a Letter inserted in the Procuratorof Nov. 22, 1813.

Observaciones sobre los Diaristas de Espaiia; porDon Juan Antonio Llorente: Zaragoza, aDo de1818.

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Observations on the Journalists of Spain; by DonJuan Antonio Llorente: Zaragoza, 1813.

Observador de Segura: periodico de Murcia del aliode IS14.

Observer of Segura: Murcia periodical paper forthe year ISH.

Oracion Apologetica de la Constitucion; su AutorDon Julian Gonzalez, Canonigo de la Colegiatade Valpuesta: impresa en Vitoria.

Apologetic Oration on the Constitution; written byDon Julian Gonzalez, Canon of the CollegiateChurch of VaJpuesta: printed in Vitoria.

Os Rogos de un Gallego.The Prayers of a Gallician.

Patricio Vera, contcstudo pOl' Dona Dolores Espana.Patrick Vera, answered by Dona Dolores Espaiia.

Patriota en Cadiz (El) : comedia.The Patriot in Cadiz: a comedy.

Patriota en las Cortes: periodico de Cadiz.The Patriot in the Cortes: Cadiz periodical paper.

Patriota (El): periodico de Madrid.The Patriot: Madrid periodical paper.

Poesias Patrioticas.Patriotic Poems.

Politica Eclesiastica; Noticia de la Conducts delNuncio de S. S.: Palma, imprenta de Domingo,aiio de IS13.

Ecclesiastical Policy; Remarks on the Conduct ofthe Pope's Nuncio: printed in Palma, in theoffice of Domingo, ISI3.

Politics Ecclesiastics sobre In Carta Circular del Vi-cario General de Mallorca, dirigida a los Supe-riores de las Ordenes Regulates con el fin deFOClU'lU' la Tranquilidad de los Habitantes de

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aquella Isla, interrumpida por los Predicadoresque convertieron la Catedra del Espiritu Santo enPalestra de Subversion, e Inobediencia al Sobe-rano y it las Legitimas Autoridades. Palma,1813, en la imprenta de Domingo.

Ecclesiastical Policy respecting the Circular Letterof the Vicar General of Majorca, addressedto the Superiors of, the regular Orders for thePurpose of restoring the Tranquility of theInhabitants of the said Island, interruptedthrough the Preachers who converted thePulpit of the Holy Ghost into an Arena ofSubversion and Disobedience to the Sovereignand to the Legitimate Authorities: Palma,1813, in the office of Domingo.

Politica Ecclesiastica sobre el Juramento de Obedien-cia que los Obispos prestan al Papa: Palma, im-prenta de Domingo, aiio de 1813.

Ecclesiastical Policy respecting the Oath of Obe-dience which the Bishops take to the Pope:Palma, in the office of Domingo, 1813.

Politics Natural; dos tomos en 400. traducidos pOl'un anciano y dados a luz pOl' Pacheco; impresosen Santiago en la imprenta de Montero.

Natural Policy; 2 vols in 4to, translated by an oldman and published by Pacheco: printed inSantiago in the office of Montero.

Proces-verbal d'Instalacion de la Loge de Vitoria; fol-leto impreso en dicha Ciudad.

Proces-verbal of the Installation of the Free-masons'Lodge of Vitoria: pamphlet printed in said city.

Proclama de un Labrador, inserta en el Numero 7Idel Periodico Politico y Mereantil deReus.

Proclamation of a-Farmer, inserted in the 71st No.of the Political and Mercantile Journal of Reus.

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Proclama a los Habitantes de las Orillas del Tajo: im-presa en Cuenca, aiio de 1814, en la imprentade la viuda de la Madrid e hijos.

Proclamation to the Inhabitants of the Banks of theTagus: printed in Cuenca, 1814, in the officeof the widow Madrid and sons.

Profecia que vera puntualmente acreditada la Espaiia.Prophecy which Spain will see punctually fulfilled.

Proyecto para extinguir la Deuda Publica; pOl' JuanAlvarez Guerra: folleto impreso en Cadiz.

Project for extinguishing the Public Debt; by JuanAlvarez Guerra: pamphlet printed in Cadiz.

Prospecto del Diario de Valencia; pOl' Don TomasVilanova,

Prospectus of the Diary of Valencia, by Don Tho-mas Vilanova.

Publicista (EI), periodico de Granada, numero 42del Domingo, 13 de Dec. de 1812, y 127 d~Viernes, 7 de Mayo de 1813.

The Publiciste, periodical paper of Granada, No.42 of Sunday, 13th Dec. 1812, and No. 127 ofFriday, 7th of May, 1813.

Pueblo Desengaiiado (El); Respuesta al Clero Vindi-cado; suautor Don Fausto Filoteo, Cura Parroco yDoctor en Sagrada Teologia: impresoen Madrid,imprenta de Alvarez, aiio de 1813.

The People Undeceived; in Answer to the Vindicat-ed Clergy, by Don Fausto Filoteo, Parish Cu-rate and Doctor in Sacred Divinity: printed inMadrid, in 'the office of Alvarez, yea!' ] 813.

Pueblo Gallego (El) en el Tribunal de Ialnquisici on.The People of Galicia in the Tribunal of the In-

quisition.

"

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Redactor General: periodico de Madrid, Cadiz yValencia.

Redactor General: periodical paper of Madrid,Cadiz and Valencia.

Reflexiones sobre la Contribucion de Diezmos,Reflections on the Impost of Tythcs,

Heflexioncs sobre los Puntos mas importantes en quedeben ocuparse las Cortes: Palma, 1810.

Reflections on the most important Points to be con-sidered by the Cortes: Palma, 1810.

Reflexiones Sociales, 6 Idea para la Constitucion Es-panola, que un Patriota ofrece Ii los Represen-tantes de Cortes; pOl' D. J. C. A.

Social Reflections, or Hints for the Spanish Con-stitution, offered by a Patriot to the Represen-tatives in Cortes; by D. J. C. A.

Reforma de Regulares de Espana: Palma, imprentade Domingo, 1813.

Reform of the Regular Orders of Spain: Palma,in the office of Domingo, 1813.

Reglemens de R. S. des Amis Reunis de S. Josef alO. de Vitoria: impreso en la misma ciudad.

Regulations of the Lodge of the United Friendsof St. Joseph assembled in Vitoria: printed inthe said city.

Reglas de Obediencia para los Pueblos en Tiempo deDisensiones entre las dos Potesta des.

Rules of Obedience for the People in Times ofDissensions between the two Powers.

Relacion de la solemae Apertura de In Catedra deConstitucion en Madrid.

Report of the solemn Opening of the School forteaching the Constitution in Madrid.

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Religiosas de Cambray : comedia.The Nuns of Cambray : a comedy.

Hepresentacioo " ias Cartes contra el Edicto en quese :r" ;lli6 el Diccionario Critico-burlesco ; porIJ01. Miguel Garcia de la Madrid.

Remonstrance to the Cortes against the Edict inwhich the Critico-burlesque Dictionary is pro-hibited; by Don "MiguelGarcia de la Madrid.

Respuesta de Gallard» a la Censura de su Diccionario.Answer of Gallardo to the Censure passed on his

Dictionary.Respuesta del P: Fr. Andres Corral a BU Contempo-

raneo Come-pimiento y Escribe-pimiento Fr.Veremundo Androminas de Cascalaliendrc : im-preSQen Valladolid por los Hcrmanos Santan-der, aiio de 18H.

(As the title of this work hinges upon n pun it can-not be translated.)

Robespierre Espafiol; periOdicode la Isla; reimpresoen Madrid.

Spanish Robespierre; periodical paper of La Isla:reprinted in Madrid.

Roma Libre: tragedia.Rome Free: a tragedy.

Seguidillas a la Entrada de la Regencia.Verses on the Entry of the Regency.

Segunda Insinuaeion Patri6tica contra los Fray1es deMadrid.

Second Patriotic Hint against the Friars of Madrid.Segundo Avisa a los Chisperos,Second Advice to the Cbisperos (nickname of the

people of Madrid).Semanario Patriotico; desde el No. 15, periOdico de

Cadiz.

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Scmanario Patriotico ; from No. 15, a Cadiz pe--riodical paper.

Sermon predicado el 21 de Dec. por D. RamonRullan, Presbitero, en la Solemnisima Fiestaconsagrada a N. S. del Pilar, en Is Parroquia deSan Jayme de Mallorca, por varios Amigos yApasionmlos de Don Isidoro Antillon, Diputadoen Cortes.

Sermon preached on 21st Dec. by Don RamonRullan, Priest, in the most solemn Feast conse-crated to our Lady of the Pilar, in the ParishChurch of St. James in Majorca, and publishedby various Friends and Admirers of Don Isi-dore Antillon, Deputy in Cortes.

Serviles y Liberales : corncdia.The Serviles and Liberales: a comedy.

Serviles y Liberales, () Guerra de los Papeles,The Serviles and Liberales: or War of the Papers.

Sevilla libre: Palma, imprenta de Domingo.Seville free: Palma, in the office of Domingo.

S'i de las Ninas (El): comedia.The Yes of the Maids: a comedy."

Sistema de la Educacion: un tomo en 8vo.System of Education: 1vol. in 8vo.

Tapaboca al Gazetero de la Mancha: Palma aiio de1813:

Mouthshutter to the Newsman of La Mancha:Palma, 1813.

Telegrafo Mallorquin : periOdico de Palma.Majorca Telegraph: periodical paper of Palma.

Telegrafo : periOdico de Santiago.The Telegraph: periodical paper of Santiago •

• This is a beantlful Comedy filled w ith wit and morality, andwritten by Don I.. Moraun, the only dramatic poet the Spani,1t&Iltatre can aow boast,

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Teoria de las Cortes; por el ciudadano Don Fran-cisco Martinez Marina, Canonigo de San Isidro:3 tomos en 400.marquilla, impresos en Madriden 1813.

Theory of the Cortes; by citizen Don FranciscoMartinez Marina, canon of St. Isidore: 3 vols,400. large paper, printed in Madrid, 1813.

Traidor (EI): folleto en 4to. impreso en Madrid, anode 1812, sin nombre de autor,

The Traitor: pamphlet in 'ioto.printed in Madrid,1812, without the name of the author,

Tribuno del Pueblo Espafiol r periodico de Cadiz yMadrid.

Tribune of the People ~.periodical paper of Cadizand Madrid.

Triple Alianza: periodico de Cadiz. .Triple Alliance: Cadiz periodical paper.

Verdad (La), amargne Ii quien quiera,The Truth, let it be bitter to whom it may.

Viejo (EI) de la Capa Azul: impreso en Valencia,afio de 1811.

The Old Man of the Blue Cloak: printed in Va-lencia.

'Vindicacion del benemerito Patriota Arguelles.Vindication of the deserving Patriot Arguelles.

Vinda de Padilla: tragedia,The widow of Padilla: a tragedy.

Universal (El): peri6dico de Madrid.The Universal I Madrid periodical paper.

Un Consejito prudente Ii los Liberales.A little prudent Counsel to the Liberales.

(To be continued.)

VOL. I. e

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" Wherefore, desirous of repairing by timely reme-dies the injury that may result to the faithful and tothe Catholic religion, from the perusal of the saidbooks, pamphlets, and papers, owing to their beingpublished and circulated in these kingdoms, we havecommanded that the same be prohibited and calledin, in order that no one may be allowed to sell, read,or retain them, either printed or manuscript, in what-ever impression or language they may be, under thepenalty of the higher excommunication latm sententue,and a fine of two hundred ducats for the expenses ofthe Holy Office, as well as the other penalties esta-blished by law. In consequence whereof, by the te-nor of these presents we exhort and require, and, ifnecessary, by virtue of holy obedience and under thesaid penalty of higher and pecuniary excommunica-tion, we command, that from the day in which this ouredict shall be read and notified to you, or you mayknowof it inany way whatsoever (we granting and allowingto you the six first and successivedays by way of ca-nonical admonition, which term expired, the obliga-tion shall be considered peremptory), that you bring,exhibit, and deliver up to us, or to any of the provin-cial tribunals or their commissaries residing in theirrespective districts, all and any of the said books,pamphlets, and papers, that they may forward the sameto us, and that you also declare those which otherpersons may possess and hide. And on your non-compliance therewith and the said term being expired.all who may thus be contumacious and rebellious."innot doing and complying with the aforesaid order,we once for all and henceforward lodge on and pro-mulgate against you and each of you the said sentenceof higher excommunication, and hold you as havingincurred the said censures and penalties; and we here-

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by notify to you that we will proceed against you inexecution of the same, and as by law we may deem fit.In testimony whereof we decree and publish this ouredict, signed with our name, sealed with our seal,and countersigned by the under secretary of HisMajesty and of the Council. Madrid; July 22, 1815.

cc (Signed) FRANCISCO XAVIER,

" Bishop and Inquisitor General." DR. CRISTOV AL DE COS ~ V IVERO,

" Secretary to the King Our Lord, and of the Council,"

Tedious as the above document may appear, it isnevertheless deserving of being known and placed onrecord, as the best possible criterion of the object andoccupations of the Inquisition, and also 88 a mostsubstantial proof of the credulous ignorance of itsmembers. Scarcely any thing published in Spainduring the revolution is excluded from the above list;and the invisible thunder s of the Holy Tribunal arenot only launched against the readers and bolders ofany of the preceding works, even though it be a mer-cantile advertiser, but these same penalties are more-over declared to be on the head of him who knowsof any of them being in the possession of another,and fails to inform against him. Was ever such adoor opened for the baneful working of enmity andrevenge? Under such a system can anyone dwell inthe bosom of his tamily divested of alarm, 811ipicion,and distrust? And let me now ask, what iii it theseInquisitorial censures amount to? They are nearlyequivalent to a decree of outlawry in other countries,as in the course of the present work the reader willhave occasion to notice. From their grasp the fa-vourite of a prince cannot escape, nay even mon&\-chshave fallen under them. And can this be a proper

e 2

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penalty for his Catholic Majesty's Supreme Couneilof the Inquisition to decree either against the writeror reader of columns, chiefly destined to recount theheroic actions of his subjects in defence of their coun-try and. his throne? Can the prohibition of such aset of works conduce either to the honour or advan-tage of religion? A writer of great eminence has ob-served "that to prohibit the reading of certain books,is to declare the inhabitants of the country to beeither fools or slaves:" what then would he have. saidif the preceding list had fallen into his hands? Me-lancholy as the reflection must be to those who, as itwere, once held the destinies of Spain in their ownhands, the Inquisition has been re-established to makewar against the intellectual knowledge Spain had ac-quired by her late intercourse with foreigners, and tobury civil liberty, together with the arts and sciences,in the grave of a false and mistaken piety. This greatwork is fast advancing, as may be imagined by thesingle fact we deem it necessary to mention; viz. thatduring the time of the Cortes forty periodical paperswere regularly published in European 'Spain,as maybe seen from the preceding list, besides several otherstherein omitted, whereas the whole have now beensuperseded by the Gazeta de Madrid, published twicea week, the Diario of the same place, and the Mercu-rio which appears only once in each month. In ad-dition to this every foreign paper is prohibited, parti-eularly English ones. 1/<

.. To feDder the debasement of Spain still more complete, by arecent decree of Don Pedro Cevarros, public education has beenconfided to the nuns aud friars; and the bishops are besides busiedin teaching the subject his duties to the king, by the publication ofcatechisms and pa510ralletlerl whicb would disgrace lhe ninth 1'1'1'1-

tlll1' - '

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The way had already been paved for the precedingedict by another addressed by the Inquisitor Generalto the respective districts of all the Spanish dominionsill Europe and America, the material part of whichwe shall also insert.

" 'IVe Don Francisco Xavier Mier y Campillo, bythe grace of God and of the Holy Apostolic See,Bishop of Almeria, Knight of the Royal and Distin-guished Spanish Order of Charles III., Member ofHis Majesty's Council, and Inquisitor General of hisKingdoms and Lordships," To all the faithful inhabitants of these kingdoms.

health in our Lord Jesus Christ. We are all asto-nished at and deplore, with the greatest reason, thehorrid ravages caused on our soil hy the barbarityand fierceness of our enemies, which will he trans-mitted to distant generations in the multitude of ruinswhich strike the eye from one extreme of the king-dem to the other; but however great these evils maybe, as well as the desolation to which whole townshave been reduced, together with numberless familiesof all conditions and classes, we have still to deploreanother evil incomparably greater, with which DivineProvidence has punished our sins; for, though po-verty, misery, widowhood, orphanage, as well asother kinds of unhappiness, justly excite pain- and:regret, they cannot .in any way be CODlpared withthat we ought to feel-at the loss ofonr holy faith, andof the ineffable consolations with which, in the midstof the greatest afflictions and calamities, the religionof Jesus Christ upholds and comforts us. We willnot say that this has abandoned sad and afHicted Spain,nor that its holy law and the observance of its pre-cepts have disappeared from among us; thanks to the

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infinite mercies of the Lord who has punished us as afather, he always preserved in his inheritance zealousworkmen and faithful servants who watched and la-boured for the glory of his holy name and for thehonour of his true spouse, the Catholic, Apostolic,and Roman Church; but we all behold with horrorthe rapid progress of incredulity and the dreadfulcorruption of manners which have contaminated theSpanish soil, and of which the piety and religiouszeal of eN!' forefathers would be ashamed, seeing thatthe same errors and new and dangerous doctrineswhich have miserably destroyed the greatest part ofEurope, infest their beloved country, and that theyouth drink, like water, this pestiferous venom, forthe very reason that it flatters their passions andsenses." The compassionate heart of our Sovereign was

mosed, at his 'return from captivity, on beholding thiseur sad situation, and with a holy zeal he excited thatof all ecclesiastical and secelar authorities, in orderto extirpate so great a scandal, and, in imitation eifhim, a.ll the good deplore thatmanyof t'heir dlildrenhave given ear, 05 heathen Rome once did, to theerrors of all nations;" Under circumstances uoiJrtunstely too notorious,it is not strsage, that all the lovers of religion shouldtUl1ltheir eyes to the Holy Tribunal of'the F.ith, aDdhope, from its zeal for the purity of doctrine andJDaImerII,. that it will remedy, by the~e -ef itsSBCl'edministTf, SO ,manY'eWi, dtttough the ways and-means granted to itby 11he .Apostolic and Royal Au-thority with which it is i~sted. Nothing inore ur-gent to the truth nor more conrormable 19 Ollf in-stitution, for in vain should we' be ceIItioe1s of theHoose of the lArd, if we 'W'eteto r~Ulai8 asleep in

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the midst of the common danger to religion and ourcountry. God will not permit us thus basely to aban-don his cause, nor to correspond so ill to the exaltedpiety with which the King our Lord has-re-establishedus in the weighty functions of our ministry, inwhichwe have sworn to be superior to all human respect,whether it be necessary to watch, persuade, and cor-rect, or whether to separate, cut, or tear down therotten members in order that they may not infect thesound ones." But, in order to proceed in so delicate as well as

important and necessary an operation, we will notimitate the ardent zeal of the Apostles when theyasked of Jesus Christ to cause fire to rain down fromheaven to destroy Samaria, but rather the meeknessof their Master and Guide, of which certainly thoseare ignorant who wish us to commence our functionswith fire and sword, by anathematizing and dividing,as the only remedy to save the sacred deposit of thefaith, and choak up the bad seed so abundantly scat-tered on our soil, as well by the immoral band of Jewsand sectaries who have profaned it, as the unfortunateliberty of writing, copying, and publishing their errors,Our resolution has been very different since we haremediated and carefully deliberated the matter withthe ministers of the Council of His Majesty, and ofthe Supreme and General Inquisition: all having un-animously agreed, that new as well-as ever, modera-tion, sweetness, and charity ought to shine forth asforming the character of the Holy Office; and thatbefore using the power of the sword granted to usagainst the contumacious and rebellious, we ought toattract them with sweetness; by presenting to them'the olive-branch, the symbol of ourpncific wishestowards those who go' 5.0 far.es to abhor peace. TO'

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Already that sullen indolence and indifference whichexclude every principle of activity have supersededthose growing energies arising out of an extension ofjust rights, and the people participating in the forma-tion of their own laws. A dreary silence pervades thewhole community; each one is afraid of his neigh-bour, and though mutually linked by nature, no con-fidence prevails; every face wears the aspect of fearand distrust." In the closet, in the-church, and in thepublic square, every one is on his guard, and tremblesfor the present or the past.If such then is the situation of Spain, and if the

chief coadjutor of this fresh degradation has heen therestored Inquisition, the British public must not onlyfeel sympathy for its victims, but an anxious wishmust also prevail to know the nature and tendency ofthat tribunal from an authentic source. England, onlyeight years ago, glowed with enthusiastic ardour at thesight of a whole people rising in arms to repel an in-"fader, and intent on improving the favourablecir-eumstances in which they were placoo,·.hy eecuring tothemselves internal reform. In joWng the struggle,Britons also hoped that the intercourse and friend-ship which followed would hereafter be favourable toliberality and freedom, and that, at least, cordial Wa;.titude would be the result of the many sacrifices theyhad hastened to make. If, however, the antecedentdocuments are attentively noticed, they will be muodlevelled with a view to efface every moral wstige ofBritons from the soil of Iberia, and '0 excite virolentanimosity against bel' liberators, by rOOl'ingand sanc-tioning popular prejudices of the most baneful and in-hospitable kind. The main object of a glorious-andnecessary revolution is thence completely defeated,and regardless of those offices of nationaL...mdeno&

3

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which otherwise would have resulted, that country isnow rendered impervious to the access of Britonswhich lately constituted the theatre of their martialglories; for what man could repose in quiet upon hispillow who has heard the above inquisitorial edicts; andothers, which we have no room to insert, read &omthe pulpit, and knows their execution is confided tothe numerous and mercenary spies with which everytown and village is crowded?Sufficient has already been said to prove that the

Cortes were the only constitutional body authorisedto adopt such a measure as the overthrow of the In-quisition, as well as the many others undertaken topromote the political resurrection of the country overwhich they presided. The numerous felicitationspoured in on the occasion establish the fact, that thegeneral sense of the nation was in favour of the aboli-tioo of a tribunal that had always constituted the mostterrible and disgraceful katw:re in the eoclesiasticalhistory of Spain; and it is some consolation to BOW..that a large portion of the inhabitants were sensibleof its defects, struggled for its proscription, and thateven Spanish authors, of course themselves Catholics,unawed by the threats of its upholders, and despisingthe personal danger to which they w.ere ~dared to tlear the mask ir01lll tlUs accumulation of fraudand hypocrisy .. :hidl had extinguished, or at Jeast,aeutralized, in the people, those sentiments of justiceand probity which form the basis of secial order.Time, the great arbiter of political calculations, haayet to unfold, whether to impede the restorationo€the Inquisition in Spain would not have been an objectQeserving of the consideration of a Protestant govern-~and whether its accomplishment. wAUld n~

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have stood on a parallel with the humane abolition ofthe Slave Trade, and the glorious extinction of piracyin Algiers.Many united motives therefore concur to render

the work which chiefly contributed to the tempo-rary overthrow of the Inquisition in Spain, accep-table to British readers. No one composition on thesame subject is in our possession that can be deemedcomplete and authentic, nor indeed could a Spsniardhave undertaken the task before the late revolution,when the archives of the tribunal were for the first'time opened. The Inquisition Unmasked was writtenin Cadiz, during the freedom of the press, and whennearly every thing enlightened in Spain was concen-trated there. Its object was to prepare the minds ofthe people for the deliberations of the national legis-latare in this respect, and it certainly had the desiredeffect. It supplied arguments and proofs ~n which re-liance could be placed, because they were supported byauthorities, unexceptionable even to the most sceptic.The present work, whilst it constitutes a correct de-

tail of facts which exhibit an enormous degree· of atro-city, enters into the spirit of those laws and statutes bywhich the Inquisition is governed, and developes thenature as well as the extent of the ravages produced byinquisitorial vengeance, as far as they can be ascertain ..ed, a point established by no preceding labours. Itdisplays, in chronological order, the various strugglesof the Spanish nation to dislodge this potent enemyof their domestic peace, supported by a variety of his-torical traits to which no foreigner could have access.The author has preferred the form of a dissertation

to that of a history, because it was more congenial to~ views. He was aware that history is chiefly It de..

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i~

01' THE TRANSI,ATOlt. lxxvii

tail of facts, and its object the simple instruction ofthe reader: consequently it was not capable of form-ing the portrait of an establishment, whose nature iiiconstituted more by its laws than the conduct of itsministers. If he had treated the subject as an his-torian, he would not have been able to examine theiystem of the tribunal in a full and philosophic manner,which, under existing circumstances, was indispensa-bly requisite, since the partisans of the Inquisitionwith whom he had to contend, would never have beenconvinced, however its abuses had been discovered, ifthe defects of its constitution had not equally beenplaced in a light even stronger than that of noon-day,History besides chiefly serves to clear up what isObSCUfl', but our author had to form correct notion.of what was dubious, and, after repelling the sophismsof his adversaries, and undeceiving the people, to inspirethem with a just odium of the Inquisition by argu-ments which bore conviction .to their very minds.Hence oratorial aid was occasionally necessary, andthis could only take place in a composition WIder theform of a discourse, or academical dissertation.If" as Britons, we beheld the downfall of the In-

quisition with feelings of joy, its re-establishmentmust consequently now· be a subject of regret; but,whilst we have occasion to lament such a gross per-version of the word of God, and to shudder at thecruelties of those who, with their hands red in blood,pretend to be the disciples of a crucified Lord, ourinterest must naturally make us anxious to possess anaccount on which we can rely. Astonished that theadvocates of such a tribunal should have found au-thority in the Scriptures and support in the HolyFathers, in vain have we looked oyer the many piecespublished on the subject; some we found filled with

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Ixxviii PRELIMINAltY REMARKS

romance, others with the sufferings of individuals, 01'compiled from mutilated and dubious materials. No-&bing hitherto had given us a full and comprehensiveview, or explained the whole fabric and component partsof this Institution, because few have had the means ofdeliberately viewing it within. It is only since variousrecondite" transactions of the Holy Office have beentorn down from shelves on which they had slept forages, that it has been possible to give an outline ofthe conduct of its ministers; or from the time thatin Spain some patriotic Inquisitors themselves havebeen emulous in opening authentic records, to over-turn an establishment to which they formerly be--longed.The present publiqation is consequently oil'ered to

British readers with a greater degree of oonfideneetbaIl ..uataally ac:companies works of the day. Thetranslation has been performed from a MS. and en-larged copy of the author, with all possible fidelity,but under those difficulties arising out of occasionalpeculiarities of idiom, or the stile or constmetien ofthe original, particularly in quotations from old atbors, juridical terms, or such as are technical in aninstitution with which happily we are not familiar.In the original the subject is divided into Reflections,but we have preferred adopting the usual denomina-tion of Chapters. Two notes have been omitted, onein the Vth and the other in the VIIth Chapter, owingto the impossibility of giving them an adequate ver-sionand their not being deemed essential. 'Theplates may be considered as the only genuine repre-senteticus hitherto laid before the public.

W.'V.

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D. O. M.TO THE IMMORTAL MEMORY

OF THE

GENERAL AND EXTRAORDINARY CORTES

OF THE SPANISH NATION

DEFENDERS OF THE INDEPENDENCEAND

FOUNDERS OF THE CIVIL LIBERTY

OF THEIR COUNTRY

THIS WORK IS DEDICATED

BY ITS AUTHOR.

ANNO MDCCCXIV.

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ORIGINAL PREFACE.

WHEN I attempt radically to destroy theInquisition, I conceive I am complying withone of the chief duties imposed on everycitizen by the united mandate of religionand humanity, both hitherto so long and soatrociously outraged by the existence of sucha tribunal. Would to God that, in exhibitingthe defects of its constitution, and the cor-·rupt practices which have emanated there-from, my endeavours could answer the ex-tent of my wishes, and produce an effect cor-responding to the manner in which my own. sensibility has been excited on exploring au-thentic details filled with the enormity of somany vices and abuses. .Notwithstanding only four months have

been expended in the investigation of docu-ments capable of throwing light on so ob-scure a subject, I nevertheless hope to beable to lay before the public such a fund ofVOL. I. f

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Ixxxii ORIGINAL PREFACI,;.

information as will be sufficient to determineits OpInIOn. During this interval, as writingshave not ceased to appear, either for oragainst this establishment, the authors of thelatter will have furnished me with some hintsand reflections of which I shall not fail toavail myself when I bring my arguments tothe test of evidence. The satisfaction Ishould have derived from presenting them asnew, will be compensated by the suggestionof others arising out of these same writings,and which possibly would not otherwise haveoccurred to me. Even the apologists of thetribunal, whom I shall occasionally stop torefute, will contribute to elucidate my asser- .tions; for the nature of a cause is frequentlyalso known by the manner in which its par-tisans defend it.I cannot however flatter myself with hav-

ing given all the necessary polish to my la-bours, or therein attained more than ordinaryperfection; but if it is at any time true thatthe most humble endeavours are praisewor-thy in a good cause, this is certainly the caseat the present juncture, when the AugustCongress of the nation is about to deliberaterespecting the suppression or permanency of

4

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ORIGINAL PREFACE. Jxxxiii

the Inquisition. The defects therefore ofthe present work, which with some degree ofviolence to my own feelings I lay before thepublic in a less perfect state than I could havewished, will, it is hoped, be attributed tothe pressure of the moment, urged as I havebeen by my anxiety to co-operate, as muchas is in my power, to the happy issue of so im-portant a discussion.I am fully aware that numbers of plodding

writers will rise up against me, who, clingingto. their old prejudices, will omit nothing toretard the day which at length must arrive,when we shall behold this Colossus dashed tothe ground; this Colossus which has everbeen the tutelar genius of all kinds of igno-rance and vice: but their sophisms can nevercloud the face of truth, nor shall Ibe startledby the impotent railings to which they usuallyresort. The dogs bark, but the moon, mov-ing in her celestial orbit, keeps on her majes-tic course, nor does the audacity of her ene-mies cause her for an instant to withholdher light.

Cadiz, Oct. 15, 1811.

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,CONTENTS~

VOL. I.

•Translator's Dedication ••.•. 0 •• 0 • •• • • • • • • • • • • • • iiiPreliminary Remarks by the Translator •. 0 0 • • • • • • vDedication to the Cortes •.••..••.••..•. 0 • • • • •• lxxixIntroduction •••....••..•..••• 0 •••••••••••• 0 • • 1

CHAPTER r.The Inquisition being an ecclesiastical Tribunal, itsRigour is incompatible with the Spirit of Meek-ness which ought to distinguish the Ministers ofthe Gospel •.•••••.••• " • • •• . • . . • • . . . . • . • • • • 19

CHAPTER II.

The System of Rigour adopted by this Tribunal isopposed to the Doctrine of the Holy Fathers andthe' Discipline of the Church in its most happyTimes...... •. •. ••••.• •••• •.•• ..•. . . • • ..•• S~

CHAPTER III.

The Inquisition, far from contributing to the Pre-servation of the true Belief, is only suited toencourage Hypocrisy and excite the People toRebellion ...."."."""""" ... """""..."...."" 80

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lxxxvi CONTENTS.

CHAPTER IV.

The Mode of Judi6al Process established in thisTribunal tramples to the Ground all the Rights ofthe Citizen. • • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . • . . . . . . . . . 128

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LIST OF PLATES,(With Diremou to the Binder.)

VIG:N~TTE. The Spanish Constitution aims atthe Destruction of Tyranny and Supersti-tion, and promotes Union between Spainand America. • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • . •. lxxix

Plate VOL. I. Pac.J. Seal and Arms of the Inquisition. . • • • • • • 85II. Form of Trial •..•••..••..•••.....•. ~ooIII. The Culprit recognized by masked Wit-

nesses ................•.•...•.•... 225IV. Torture of the Pulley 251V. Torture of the Rack................ 252VI. Torture by Fire •.••••....••••••..•• 254-VII. Culprits in penitential Garments...... 299VIII. Procession preceding an Auto de Fe. • •• 8!1IX. Grand Auto of the Year 1680 • • • • • • • • •• S24tX. Burning Place, and Ex~tion... • • •• Front.

VOL. II.

XI. Burning Place of Sevillein15th Century. Front.

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ERRATA.

YOLo I.Page 22, note + line 5, firr AbrahamlP read Abrabll!.

255, note + line 5, for a half read a quarter.259, Rote * line 2, forlleriot rIJad veri or.

YOLo II.Page !5, liue penult. for Renate Polo rIJad Rpginald Pole.

33, line 18, for Pinel' read Prince.33, line penult. for Teregui read Yeregui.264, line 5, for seventh read sixth.207, line 21, for dagger read halter.381, third line from top, the paragraph begiDDing " In

the same year" to .. office" p. 334, .oucht to beintroduced after " perpetuated," p. S26.

381, line 20, for 151h ,-ead 16th.

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THE

INQUISITION UNMASKED.

INTRODUCTION.

UNDER a .well-constituted governmentought not the doctrine and observance ofreligion to be maintained in all their Purit1and vigour? An affirmative answer to thisquestion is the immediate and necessary con-sequence of an incontrovertible axiom inpolitics, viz. that there never did nor canexist any social union deserving of thatname, unless the belief of the Divinity, mani-fested by an exterior worship, previouslysecures the reciprocal confidence of the citi.zens, unceasingly stimulates them to theobservance of the la;W~~!lBd restraiDS theirindividual passions within thel>oqlllls of gene ..ral good. To the French alone, in the diliriumof a revolution which began with scandal andended in ignominy, was it reserved to doubtthe truth of this position. It was only amidstVOL. I. B

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2 INQUISITION UNMASKED.

the anthropophagi of the convention that aBoissy d' Anglas could have boasted that hehad banished the respect due to the Divinityfrom the legislative code, or proved thatreligion was foreign to social organization.Unfortunate victory! shameful triumph! ifsuch terms can be applied to the temerity ofan ignorant and ferocious mind! The neces-sity, therefore, of the existence of a religionin every social state is undeniable; or rather,it is amply proved by the united testimonyof history and experience. All nations of theglobe, ancient as well as modern, from theenduring Spaniard to the ceremonious Chi-nese, from the ungovernable Indian of Chilito the secluded savage of Canada; all are:filledwith profound veneration at the idea ofa superior Being; all practise some conse-crated rites to invoke his beneficence andappease his anger? all sanction their allianceswith his mediation; and all, in short, arepossessed of religion.And, in fact, what object could present

itself to the imagination .more melancholy~an a people without a God? To such anone the bonds of good faith, of justice, aswell as every kind of virtue, would' appear asvain and ridiculous phantoms. Under such a

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INTRODUCTION. sconstitution of things how could man valuethe rights of others, and hold them as sacred,when he did not conceive himself indebtedto the supreme Being for the very existencehe had thence received? The ties which bindmortals to the Divinity are the true origin andsupreme cause of the obligations which unitemen to each other; if, therefore, that religionwhich discovers and sanctions them is takenaway, would not the most irrefragable princi-ples of morality be rendered illusive? Besides,in a numerous society of such a kind, whowould be able to set bounds to the torrent ofvices which impiety drags after it ? Wouldnot disorders increase, in proportion to thegreater Dumber of individuals of whom such asociety was composed, and to the irreconeils-hie discordancy of wills which the increasingdivergency of interests would incessantlyproduce?The atheist is a consummate egotist, who,

obstinately disregarding the bounds "it hillwhich honour and shame had -plaeed him,Jl'techanically follows the violent impulse ofhis own inordinate desires, bas no other mea •.lUre for hisactions than the unlimited extentof his own welfare; and, resting his wholehappiness on the pleasures of the mOllleJlt,

132

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4 INQUISITION UNMASKED.

knows no other right than force, no othercourage than' rashness. He is a feverishinvalid, who, despising the inexhaustiblestreams - of Divine goodness, for an in-stant quenches his thirst out of the cupwhich his sensual appetite presents, andimmediately after again thirsts. He is abeing insupportable to himself, detestableto others, and continually exposed to be-come the victim of despair or the vengeanceof others. And, if the outline of the mandestitute of religion is thus gloomy, howmuch more horrid must be the picture repre-senting a multitude of similar beings? Anassociation of men in which the influence ofthis sovereign and benign virtue has no share,far from being considered as a people, wouldbe rather called a herd of tigers, more savagethan those which dwell in caverns, because'they had degenerated from the nobleness oftheir primitive nature; and because they. would make no other use of their libertythan to tear each other to pieces. It is, con-sequently, an undoubted -fact that whenatheism severs the inviSible chain which unitesthe human race to their Creator, from thatmoment the most holy and advantageous Jawsremain without authority; the links which

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INTRODUCTION. 5

bind each citizen to the other are broken jand the political body, after struggling witha dreadful convulsion, would finally expe-rience a total dissolution."On the contrary, how beautiful is the ap-

pearance .of a country when religion shinesin its hemisphere! Wherever this benign star* Cicero, "De Nat. Deor." lib. i, Pietate adversus

Deos suhlata, fides etiam et societas humani generis, etezcellentissima 'Virtusjusticia tollitur.-The literati who,in detriment to true philosophy, suffer atheism to enterinto their hearts, even when through the effects ofeducation they should not approve of the exCel8eS justdescribed, are not on that account more UHful to society.J.J. Rousseau, whose testimony, in their opinion, cannotbe held as suspicious, inhis Emile, vel. 3, says of themas follows: "Irreligion and a too philosophical spirit inleneral attaches us to life, enervates and debases the 10ul,concentrates all our passiODIin lIelf-interest, and thus sapsthe foundations of society. If atheism be not so sangui-nary, it is less out of a love to peace than from an indif-ference to virtue ;-let the world go how it will, it little con-cerns these pretended sages, provided they can loll at easein their closets. Their principles do not indeed excite themto slaughter mankind, but they prevent them mm adding .to their number by corrupting the manners which tendto their increase; by detaching· themselves from theirspecies, and reducing all their affections to a selfishegotism as fatal to population as it is to virtue. Theindilference of the philosopher resembles the tranquillityof a state under a despotic government; it is the trail-tluillity of death, and more deatNctive thaD war itself,"

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a !NQt1tSlTION tJ'NMASKEiJ.

triumphantly reigns, reason governs with moreefficient authority, because thence she derivesher origin and power i-there nature speaks,and is more promptly heard, because religionmakes her voice more sonorous and pene-trating; and the right of property is generallymore respected, because God, to whom allcreatures belong, by the seal of religionIegalises the titles which the wisdom of legis-lators introduced to acquire it. Thus man,under the auspices ill this transcendant virtue,whether he is considered in the differentperiods of life, or viewed in the various situa-tions of fortune; whether he is eontem-plated asa private individual or beheld as amember of the civil body; in his actions andin his person, at all times emits some rays of,that clear light issuing from the throne of theSupreme, and partieipates, in some degree,of the immense happiness which surrounds it.Yet these benefits would in vain be soughtwhere impiety wields her iron sceptre.The tender infant reclined on the maternal

bosom feasts on the milk which, by givingvigour to its delicate. members, is to crOWDthe yet impertect work of generation; andsmiliog quits its hold OIl the Howing breast,whilst ita lips, still bedewed with t.he sweetest

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INTRODUCTION. 7

nectar, exercise the power of speech by thearticulations religion hastens to inspire; which,if it does not yet comprehend, its innocentheart already repeats with pleasure. Therobust youth, whose passions like an ungo-vernable horse threaten to dash him downthe fatal precipice, and on every side shutout the road to happiness, in religion findsan internal voice that gives him comfort,another soul that animates his own, as well asan irresistible arm that restrains and directshis passions till their ferocity is at lengthbroken. The weak old man, bent do'Wll bythe weight of years and fast approaching tothe end of his career, discovers in religiona staff to support his trembling steps; and thuscomfOrted descends to the grave.shat he mayrest from the fatigues ofa long journey.Finally, every citizen, in whatever conflict

his country may be plunged, finds amplesources of consolation in the temple of theDivinity. If the venerable magistrate, pros-trate betOre the altar, raises to the throneof the God of mercies the pra,ers and sighs.of a people labouring under the ravages of adesolating plague, he soon returns their joy-ful and respectful homage on the re-establish.ment of public health. If the city was lately

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pressed by a powerful enemy and filledwithconsternation, the war-like conqueror, bornein triumph amidst the martial pomp and,festive acclamations of his fellow citizens andthe solemn canticles of the ministers of thesanctuary, bows his laurel-crowned headbefore the God of battles, and offers to himthe trophies due to his protection, by erectingthem into an eternal monument of piety andgratitude. Man, in short, in whatever statehe may be considered, as well as in everyperiod and vicissitude of life, experiences inreligion an efficacious antidote against theills which oppress him, a shield that blnntsthe darts of his enemies, and an asylum intowhich they can never enter. In every eventof fortune it excites in his soul a sublimityof ideas by pointing out to him the justJudge, who, as an attentive speetatorof hisconBicts, is about to reward him with hisinestimable approbation. Religion, also, in thedarkest tempest appears to man as the Irisof peace, and, dissipating the dark and angrystorm, restores the wished-forcahn,and bringshim to the pod of safety""In~onfo~.d J ,..,.the experience

of every age 8ndnatibn as well as in strictaccord with reason, we may justly conclude,

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INTRODUCTION.

that no well-organised system of legislationcan possibly exist capable of guaranteeingthe protection of the Citizen, or indeed anysociety deserving of that name, without aconscience, morality, and religion; and thatit is particularly the latter which abundantlypours down the most inestimable benefits onthe political body at large, as well as on eachof its members. And, if religion ought toform the first foundation of all civil institu-tions; if the means which are to preserve itin its native purity and splendour ought togo hand in hand with the laws by which itis established; and finally, if in the new orderof things to which Providence calls a greatnation, one that has sworn eternal hatred todespotism and its long-endured grievances,the Christian and Catholic religion main.tained with becoming dignity is to add lustreto national improvement and liberty; is it tothe Inquisition, as heretofore, that the guar-dianship of such a religion ought to be 'con-fided? Are the governing plans on which thistribunal is founded, and the method thereinadopted for the trial of causes, such as todeserve the confidence of the Spanish people?Are they conformable to the spirit of Christi.anity, to the maxims at sound policy, and tho

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10 INQUISITION UNl\USKED.

dictates of justice and equity? and are they,for that same reason,capable of conferringhonour on religion, as well as on the memberswho profess it? Does the conduct it bas ob-served from the period of its establishmentrender it deserving of this confidence? Mostassuredly no; as we shall amply prove in thesubsequent reflections, which may be classedunder the following heads:1st. The Inquisition being an ecclesiastieal

tribunal, its rigour is incompatible with thespirit of meekness which ought to distinguishthe ministers of the Gospel.zd. The system of rigour adopted by this

tribunal is opposed to the doctrine of theHoly Fathers, and the discipline of the Churchin its most happy times.sd. The Inquisition, far from contributing

to the preservation of the true belief, ia onlysuited to encourage hypocrisy and excite thepeople to rebellion.4th. The form of trial used in this tri-

bunal tramples on all the rights of thecitizen.,5th. The. Inquisition has Dot only ob-stmcted the progreStl of science in the .coun..tries wherein it has been established, but hasalso propagated pernicious errors.

2

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INTRODUCTION. 11

6th. This tribunal has supported the des-potism of kings, and has itself exercised it.7th. As the Inquisition owes its origin to

the decline of the discipline and remissnessof the clergy, it opposes obstacles to theirreform, which is indispensably necessary ifthe nation is to prosper.From the general results of the above

reflections we shall prove the necessity ofsuppressing the Inquisition, in like manner aswhat we have already said tends to demon:strate how essential it is that religion shouldbe worthily protected. In order, however,that the reader may be better prepared tofollow us through so vast and unknown asubject, we shall prefix a short account ofthe establishment and government qf thistribunal, which will greatly facilitate the otherpoints we are about to elucidate.The tribunal of the Inquisition was esta-

blished in I~04, by Pope Innocent III. amonk of the order of St. Benedict, for thepurpose" of persecuting heretics, hut mostespecially the Albigenses. I pointedly ad ..vert to this Pope, being a regular priest;though I shall afterwards notice that it wasothers who most promoted this establishment,as this accords with my object in view. The

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12 INQUISITION UNMASKED.

criminal code of this institution is founded onthe laws of the Decretals, which, respectingcrimes of heresy, are peculiar in themselves.In the course of time the cognizance of othercrimes was added to it, in consequence oftheir being supposed to have some affinitywith, or bearing suspicion of, heresy: such asheretical blasphemy, witchcraft, belief inomens, confessional seduction, and even po-lygamyand sodomy. It also vindicates theinjuries done to its dependents, as well as anyattempts against the free use of its jurisdic-tion, which, besides being privileged, is, atthe same time, spiritual and temporal, asbeing delegated jointly from the sovereignpontiff and the king. It likewise promotes,by means of .civil process, and formerly byecclesiastical censures, the seizure of propertyconfiscated by itself; and delivers over con-demned and excommunicated culprits to thesecular magistrate, in order that he may exe-cute upon them the sentence of death pre-scribed by the law, when they have beenpronounced contumacious, or have relapseda second time.Under this plan the Inquisition was esta-

blished in Thoulouse, in 12!9, where it waslirst given· in charge to the monks of the

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INTRODUCTION.

Cistercian order, and afterwards, in 1233, tothe Dominicans. Innocent IV. extended itto all Italy except Naples. where its intro-duction was always opposed. In Italy andeven in Rome itself, it soon declined, till in1545, it was restored by Paul III.~ who cre-ated the Congregation of the Inquisition com-posed of Cardinals presided by the Pope. Inthe same year, (1233) it was brought fromThoulouse to Spain, by the Dominican Ray-mond of Penafort; but did not go out of thekingdom of Aragon, till after its union withthat of Castile, when in the year 1480, it wasestablished in Seville by their Catholic Ma-jesties Ferdinand and Isabella, under an au-thority from Sixtus IV., of the Franciscanorder. Fathers John de San Martin andMichael Morillo, both Dominicans, werenamed the first inquisitors; and in 1483, fa-ther Thomas de Torquemada, confessor to thequeen and prior of the convent of Santa Cruzde Segovia, also of the same order, was madeinquisitor general. It was he who, in an as-sembly convened for that purpose, formed theinquisitorial regulations, which are yet in force,but with some variation. Portugal adopted itin 1536, not through the intrigues of a falseNuncio, as is generally believed, but at the

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14 INQUISITION UNMASKED.

request of John III., and by grant ofClement VII. It was admitted into Venice,though under certain limitations, in 1289,and afterwards extended to Germany andother European states; and latterly, in 1571,Philip II. introduced it into America. Atpresent, it only exists in the monarchiesof Spain and Portugal; and indeed inthe latter -it may be considered as almostabolished, since the reform it underwentin 1774, during the ministry of the :Marquisde Pombal.This institution has a council established at

court, under the title of Supreme and GeneralInquisition, and the other provincial tribunalsate dependent on this council. This is com.posed of a president, the Inquisitor Generalof Spain and the Indies, who is generally abishop or archbishop, and of eight ecclesiasti.cal counsellors as members, six belonging to

the secular clergy, of whom the youngestofficiates as fiscal-proctor in behalf of thebench. Of the other two, one is always aDominican, according to privilege granted toto that order by Philip III.; and the other ischosen by turns out of the other religiousorders, as regulated by Charles III. Besidesthe above, two counsellors of Castile attend

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INTRODUCTION'. uwhen they are called, which is only in casespurely civil. Its officers and subalterns area fiscal-proctor; two secretaries , two,andsometimes three,reporters; a treasurer, usuallycalled receiver; an accomptant; one chief, andtwo inferior bailiffs; and also several theolo-gians called qualificators, who decide on mat-ters of faith, and examine all doctrines andpropositions. The provincial tribunals havethree and sometimes four inquisitors of thesecular clergy; one proctor, who is always theyoungest of the above; . three or four secre-taries of the chamber of secresy; another forsequestrations and all civil matters; a receiverof treasurer; one accomptant ; one chief bail-iff; and two inferior ones; together with otherdependents called commissaries and fami-liars, who, scattered throughout the districtof each of the tribunals, serve to fulfil theirorders. They have also qualificators, similarto those described as belonging to the su-premecouacil, as well as counsellors, who arelawyers, and are consulted on points of'Iaw ,however, at present, these only are on theestablishments of America, and are generallymembers of the Audiencias or high courts ofjustice in that country.

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16 INQUISITION UNMASKED.

Of these tribunals there are sixteen in Spain,viz. the territorial one of Madrid, also calledthat of the court; one in Seville, Toledo,Cordova, Zaragoza, Barcelona, Valencia,Santiago, Murcia, Valladolid, Cuenca, Gra-nada, Llerena, Logrono, Majorca, and theCanary Islands. In America there are three,viz. in Mexico, Lima, and Carthagena.The Inquisitor General is named by the

King, and confirmed by the Pope; but thesimple approbation of his Majesty is sufficientto confer the dignity of counsellor or memberof the supreme council; and the inquisitorsthemselves, without any previous consulta-tion, elect their own officers and other de-pendents. The. diocesan bishop also sendshis coadjutor, or some other ecclesiastic, tothe tribunal within his district.as his own re-presentative, who acts in the quality of as-sociate judge, jointly with those named bythe Inquisitor General." Such, in substance,

* For the historical facts of the above, vide LUdParamo, De Origine S. Inquisit. Jib. ii, tit. ii. cap. 8,D. 2.-Sol1l!a, De Orig. Inquisit. Lusit.-Juan de Solor-zano, Politica Indiana, tom. ii. Jib. iv. cap. xxiv.-FraPaolo Sarpi, Discorse dell' Origine, Forma, Leggi ed Usodell' Officio della Inquisizione nelIa citta e Dominio eli

6

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INTRODUCTION. 17

is the origin and form of the establishment weare about to consider, under the various headspointed out.

Venezia.-FIeury, Hist, Eccles. liv. vii. n.54; and DonJuan Antonio Llorente, Anales de Ja Inquisicion, tom. i.cap. it n. 2S and 69.

VOL. I. c

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CHAPTER L

The Inquisition being an ecclesiastical Tribunal,its Rigour is incompatible '{vith the Spirit if'Meekness which ought to distinguish the Mi-nisters of the Gospel.

IF establishments, which by their natureare destined to extend their influence to themost remote nations and posterity in themeans they adopt for their preservation, cannever deviate fro~ the rules under which theyw-ere :first formed without losing sight oftheir primitive object, and incurring inevita-ble ruin, it becomes an indubitable fact thatno other than measures of meekness and per"suasion ought to be adopted worthily to sus-tainthe religion of Jesus Christ ; and that, enthe contrary, roerciep awl rigQUI', f~rfromcontributing to its suwort, only render it«lious. Nothing is more palpable in theGospel, and other books of the New Testa-ment, than the benignity therein breathed;this is the virtue that renders their langt.Ul&e

c 2

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20 INQUISITION UNMASKBD. [CHAP. J.

SO pleasing, that gives to the new law so muchlustre over the old ones, that forms one of itsmost prominent features, and communicatesto it an attraction so powerful that the hu-man understanding can no longer resist, whenit is examined with candour." Learn of me," said Jesus Christ, when he

proposed himself as a model for his disciples," for I am meek, and humble of heart,">Could he have given to the world a morestriking proof that meekness was the basis ofhis religion, than by presenting himself as anastonishing example of this virtue, in his ownsufferings on the cross? Affixed to that ele-vated instrument of pain, our great masterof morality, with extended arms, and as ifanxious that all nations of the eartb, fromeither pole, should hear his last practicallesson, invokes pardon for tbose who crucifiedhim. And if Jesus Christ, in the face of allnature, bestowed kindness on his very mur-derers, and if he evinced such predilectionfor this virtue as to seal his last farewell withthis lesson, and used it as a .most energeticepilogue to his long and painful preaching,

• S. Matth. cap. xi. ~.29. "Diuile " m~, pill mitis,.". ella.milU etl7de." .

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must it not evidently follow that the rigourpractised against those who have strayed fromthe fold is opposed to the spirit of his church?On the contrary, and in accord. with his prin-ciples of mildness, our Redeemer commandedhis apostles to shake the dust off their shoes,when they were not admitted into any city;thus protesting to its inhabitants, that theyhad, on their part, complied with their mis-sion, and announcing to them the chastise-ments of God for having despised his word."On this account, when James and John soughtto call down fire from heaven on Samaria, asa punishment for not having received them,he reproved their indiscreet zeal, by ob-serving that they did not know the spiritwhich animated them, for certainly such aspirit of vengeance was not suited to thetruths they were about to preach. t In order,also, that it may not be understood that this

.. S. Luc. cap. x, v. 10. "In quamcumque ardemcioitatem intraooeritu, ttl non llUCeJ'erint WI, Ue.Jl1llel inplateas tjlU dicite: Etiam pul'Oerem. qui adJuzliJ nobis rUcivitate oestra, ertergimus in vos; ta7llen hoc Idtote gWaappropinquavit regnum Dei."t S. Luc. cap. ix, v. 55. "Nescitis eujus Spiritlll

~st;'. . FiliI" homin;, non venit animas perdrre, 1ft!saltxzre. "

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22 INQUl8ITION UNMASKED. [CHAP. I.

plan or meekness is confined to those whohave not yet embraced the faith, it ought tobe remarked that the punishment assigned byJesus Christ to the apostate is no other thanthat of excluding him from the church, andreputing him of the same class as the heathenand publican.s .In proof of this, when some of his disciples,

scandalized at hearing that his body andblood were real food and drink, ceased to fol-low him, believing him an impostor, he neitherobliged them to return nor sought to retainthose who were left behind, but left all at fullliberty. Addressing himself then to St.Peter, through him he asked the whole ofhis disciples, "Do ye also wish to go away?"as if he had said-it is entirely optional whe-ther /ye go or stay, for e~n. if men were-wantingto followme, from these stones wouldGod raise up sons to Abraham, [that is, pro.fessors of his faith.t] The answer of St. Peter

• S. Matth. cap. xviii. v. 17. ccSi auten. ecdesiam noniiudierit, sit tibi suut ethnicus et pu&licanus.»t S. Joban. cap. vi. v. 66. " Ez hoc malti di8capulorum

ejus alJierunt retro, etja'" non cum ilia ambulal1ant.-v. 67.Dizit 4utem Jesus ad duodecim : Nu1tlquiiI et 'I!aswllis"bire ?-8. Luc, cap. iii. v, 8. Patens est Deus de lapitlilJasill" 6Ulcitarefilio$ Abranama."

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CHAP. I.] INQUISITION UNMASKED. ssis not less favourable to the object in view." Lord," said he, " to whom shall we go, sincethou hast the words of eternal life ? We be..lieve and are convinced that thou art theMessiah, son of the living God.~'" Ca,n amoreevident testimony be given that the .,~terl)of the ch. 'stian religion, if they are to follq.wthe steps or' its divine Author, ought never todevise or inflict any other punishment onthose who, to their own perdition, straytherefrom, than to make this aberration pub.licly known, as a precaution to others? Inlike manner also Christians, if they seek toimitate the most faithful of the apostles, oughtto persevere in the faith, for no other motivethan the firm conviction that every U,Ung istruth which it teaches, and that in i~ .lpp~man finds health and refreshment.Equal benignity is discovered in the other

books of the New Testament, when speakingof the punishments religion inflicts on apos-tates. St. Paul, writing to Titus respectingthe conduct he is to. observe with the hereti~who, after a timely warnmg,9oes DDt amend,

- .• S. Johan. cap. vi. v. 69. &C Domine (ld quem ibimus'

Verba 'Vitte etemo: kalH:s.-v. 70. £t 7lQI credim.lI.Set &Opp·'Uim.mguia tu Q Chrntus.filius p,i."

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24 INQUISITION UNMASKED. [CHAP. I.

informs him that heis only to consider him asa perverted character, and already condemnedby his own judgment; that is, that he declarehim separated from the church, the benefitsof which he had lost by his unbelief.s Con-sequently the church, in its condemnation ofthe obstinate heretic, may and ought toextend its rigour to this public exclusion,amounting to an excommunication, but notto any other kind of chastisement. This isalso confirmed by St. John when he says," He who remains not in the doctrine of JesusChrist, and relapses, has not God as his pro-tector; but he who abideth in the same hathboth the Father and the Son as his support.And should there come anyone unto younot having this doctrine, receive him not intoyour house, nor salute him, for fear you par ..take of his evil deeds."} And in these pas-

* Ad. Tit. cap. iii. v, 10. "HiPreticum hominem post:unam et secundam correptionem devita.-v. 11. Sciens quiasuhversus est, qui tjusmodi est, et delinfJuit quum sitpropriojudicifJ condemnatus,"t S. John. Epist, ii. v. 9. "Omnu quireeetlit etnon

~rmanet in doctrina Christi, Deum ft01I habet, qui pennane{in doctrina, hie et patrem et filium hahet.-v.IO. Si qu~'Venit ad'Vos, et hanc doctrinam non qjfert, nolite recipereeum in tlomum, nee ave dizmtis.-v. 11. Qui enim didl;lli ave, ccmmunicat operibus ejus malignis."

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sages is there any other punishment men-tioned against apostates than ecclesiasticalinterdiction? can any authority be found inscripture, by which the church can inflict anyother? I do not here allude to the temporalpower possessed by princes in states wherethe catholic religion prevails, of restrainingheretics by means of corporal punishments;yet it cannot be denied that, on the part ofthe church, man is in every sense free frompenal restraint, not only with regard to hisbeing forced to enter the pale thereof, butalso remaining therein when he has once en-tered. Hence is it inferred that the authority. vested in an ecclesiastical tribunal to perse-cute heretics by means of corporal punish-ments, far from being supported by the HolyScriptures, is diametrically opposed to thatmildness which distinguishes them all, and sostrongly recommends them with their veryenemies.The defenders of the .Inquisirionjunmind-

ful of the proofsjust alleged, or rather, withouthaving ;fully weighed their merits or examinedthe matter with due consideration, pretend tofind in Jesus Christ and his apostles examplesto authorise this rigour. Our divine Saviour, .say they, with a scourge drove the traders from

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26 INQUISITION UNMASKED. [CHAP. I.

the temple who bought and sold therein."After his ascension to heaven, he also ap-peared to Saul when persecuting the Chris-tians, and struck him down from his horse,leaving him without sight. t It really appearsincredible that reasons so weak as theseshould be alleged in opposition to. the testi-monies and examples above quoted. Can themeasure resorted to by Jesus Christ againstthose who profaned the house of prayer, andwhich ought to have been done by those whowere charged with the care and good orderthereof, be compared to the confiscation ofproperty, perpetual imprisonment, and stigmaof in fumy, used by the Inquisition against itsvictims? not to speak of the torture it alsoinflicts, nor the punishment of death, forwhich by its sentence it givC$the signal,al-though executed by the civil magistrate.The argument drawn from the conversion ofSaul, besides amounting to no conclusive evi-dence in consequence of the above answerbeing also applicable to it, if.,ur~ at all,.ouldprove that the ¢bur~ ean el'e.r~ thi,I'igour againlt those who ~ea' ent.er4d iate

'l\l s. Jo\1an. ~. ii, v, l~.tAct. AiJost. cap. ix. v.40.

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CHAP.I.J INQUISITION UNMASKED. 21its bosom, an error which our opponentsthemselves will not admit."Simon Magus, add they, raises himself up

'" Some of the writings which have appeared in de-fence of the Inquisition give the term of whip to thescourge with which Christ drove from the temple thosewho profaned it; when, according to the text, it was noother than certain cords found there, and which he formedinto a bundle, something like a discipline. " Et lJUum

fecisset quasi flagellum de funiculis!' Great stress haabeen laid on thia occurrence by a recent author in favourof the Inquisition, who observes that Jesus Christ him-sell~ as if forgetful of his meekness, formed the whip,chastised severely with his own hands, and with a ahout ()ffury that alarmed the whole people," &c; Certainly thisis a picture more applicable to the case of a slave-driverpunishing a parcel of galley-aJaves witk his thong, than to aGod-man, such as Jesus Christ is represented in the GOlIpel,always accompanied by benevolence and majesty. Similarexpressions are used by the same author respecting theconversion of Saul, which, he says, "our Saviour effectedby punishing him severely, with a terrible fall from JUahorse aud blindllellJ, aad by obliging him to eoter m~ thechurch and the apostleship." Nevertheless t~ fall ofSaul cannot be called a punishment, not was it terrible, forhe received no other stroke d.lan that of tight, which'blinded him by its greatness. N~ther was it the fall orbliodness he experienced whioh obliged him to enter intothe church, and much less into the apostleship; since mostMSuredly both were effected by the &ppell'Nfice of JesusChrist, by the illumination IX tt. undcrstandiW( and thepower of persuasion. '

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28 INQUISITION UNi\IASKED. [CHAP. I.

into the air by the aid of infernal spirits, andSt. Peter by means of prayer, causes him tofall down, by which both his legs are broken."Ananias and Sapphira lie to the Holy Ghost,and die when reproached by the same apos-tle. t Elymas, the false prophet, impedes thefruits of the gospel, and St. Paul, by means ofprayer, punishes him with blindness.j Fromthese prodigies it is that the enemies of meek-ness deduce that corporal punishment, eventhough it amount to death, is not opposed tothe spirit of religion. In answer it might beretorted, let the inquisitors do as much them-selves, and we shall then be convinced thatthese arguments in the present questionreally possess the weight it is pretended togive to them. Nevertheless, how great must110t be the confusion experienced by a go-vernment that seeks to regulate its ordinaryadministration by acts out of the commonorder of things? Those who first introduced,as well as they who for centuries sustained,

.• in the tribunals of Europe, the use of ordealsfor the discovery of truth, which they termedthe judgments of God, defended this practice

* OraL Hist. Eccles. tom. i.Jib. ii. cap. xix.• tAct. Apost. cap. v. v. 1, &c.t Act. Apost. cap. xiii, v. 6.&c.

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on the trial by bitter water, established byMoses in order to prove, by a miracle, thecrime or innocence of the woman accused ofadultery. If, as pretended by the apologistsof rigour, it is prudent and just to appeal toreasons of this kind, it would follow that thewriters, magistrates and prelates who sup-ported the above practice were correct in theprinciple laid down. Yet, in the lapse oftime, knowledge and better judgment suc-ceeded to ignorance and prejudice, and thoseproofs and ordeals which till then had beenconsidered not only as reasonable, but alsoas supported by religion and adapted tostrengthen the piety of the people, were pro-scribed as absurd, because they answered nopurpose whatever; as unjust, because theyimplicated the property, reputation, and lifeof the innocent; and as impious and sacri-legious, because by them God was mocked,and his worship dishonoured. In speakingof these ordeals I ought to observe, that themiddle ages, in which they most prevailed,was precisely the period which gave birth tothe Inquisition." Besides this answer, which

* Every one the least versed in church history know,bow much the ordeals or trials for the inveatigatioD of

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may be indistinctly applied to all argumentsfounded on miraculous occurrences, it would

truth by cold and boiling water and hot iron were formerlyused and authorized. Even a mass was for that purposeestablished, called the Mass of Judgment, in which, afterseveral prayers, invoking God to concur with his specialaid in the discovery of what was desired, those who wereto be tried received the communion, at which the priestpronounced these words :-" Corpus hoc et sanguis Domininostri sint tibi ad probationem hodie;" When the mass wasended, the priest went to the spot where the trial was' totake place, and there blessed the water which he gave&hem to drink, saying,-" HtXC aqua fiat tibi ad proba-lionem;" adding a deprecation suited to the probationabout to be made. It is evident that in this last ceremonyallusion is made to the law of jealousy, as explained inNumbers, chap. 5. Thus a practice even so inconsistenttil this was at length considered as established by God,approved by the Holy See, as well as confirmed by expe-rien~ and as such recommended in $e ritual in the.foUowillg words:-" Hoc qutem judicium crea'Vit omni-potens Deus, et verum est, et per Dominum Eugenium II.Apostolicum inventum est, ut omnes Episcopi, Abbates,Comites, seu omnes Christiani per universum orbem id ~-servaT~ studeant; quia a multu proiJatum est el 'lIeT1lmi.-'lJeRtum est." Vide Van Spen, "Jur. Eccles." piu14.tit. ix. cap. iv,The ordeal, or a form of trial for the discovery of inno-

cence ex guilt, was also practised i~ England, from thetime of Edward the COllfessor till it was abolished byHenry Ill. Vide BI~~s <;ommeId8rio, book iv.chap.XPii.-Ta.

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otherwise be necessary further to grant, inconformity to the facts already quoted, thatecclesiastics, independently of the civilpower, are allowed to execute the sen-tence of death against those who haveabandoned their religion, or even againstpersons who have simply been wanting tothe truth.The object of Providence in the punish-

ment inflicted by the apostles is manifested.in Scripture, immediately after the passage re-lating to the death of Ananias and Sapphira." And great fear came upon all the church,and upon as many as heard these things. Ofthe strangers, no one dared join himself tothe apostles .; bQt the people8JagnUiettthem :". that is, the admiration of the .d()lCo.trin e announced by the apo8tles, and the rt-l.spect paid to their persons were the twogreat sensations excited in the people by thatsingukr eloqueace, tin 'thet!unknown. ,Thesame .sign. is visibie iR the blindness ofElymas, ~ I.totlte following words: .....

• Act. Apost. cap. v, v. 11. "Etfactus est timormag"u6 in universa ICClesid,et in omnes quiaudierunt luec.--Y. 13. Ceterorum autem nemo Q1ttlelJat se .ctmjungere :illi"(apostolia) led magnificabat eOI populu8."

1

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�2 INQUISITION UNMASKED. [CHAP. I.

" Then the deputy, when he saw what wasdone, believed, being astonished at the doc-trine of the Lord."> Let those who quotesimilar passages in defence of their 'argu-ments candidly answer, and tell us, whether itwas rigour that drew forth this admirationand respect, or rather whether it was not thepower of God miraculously employed onthese occasions. And-since the rigour of theInquisition does not possess this circumstancein its favour, will the effects it produces bethose of admiration and respect for the doc-trine of Jesus Christ and his ministers? Willnot rather the whole fruit of this rigonf be thediscredit of religion, and the odium of thosewho in this manner defend it? There canbe no doubt that the faith of Jesus Christought to be sustained and propagated bythe ordinary.means he himself established,and that, consequently, the reasons broughtforward in defence of a practice so incompati-ble with his meekness must ever be con-sidered as frivolous and unfounded. It maybe replied, that the Inquisition overcomes this

* Act. Apost. cap. xiii. v. 12. cc Tunc proconsul tjuum'fJidiuet factum, credidit atlmira1&lsuper doctri1I4 D0-mini."

7

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ClIAP.I.] INQUISITION UNMASKED. 3j

objection, by the entreaty or rather protest itmakes to the civil magistrate, purporting thatit is not its intention to co-operate in thedeath of the eriminal- it delivers over, to himfor execution. . How insignificant. this out-ward ceremony is, and it certainly.meritsnobetter a name, will be seen in its properplace. In the mean time, it must appear evi-dent that such a precaution can be held in noother light than as illusive, notwithstandingthe Popes thought proper to dispense withthis irregularity incurred by the inquisitors,a dispensation which would have been en-tirely unnecessary if the functions annexedto this institution were not accompanied bya severity little conformable to the sacer-dotal ministry," It ought not, however,

• Boniface VIII. granted a dispensation to prelate.exercising criminal jurisdiction, in the quality of lords overvassals, in order to remove all. irregularity Oil their part.Innocent III. did the same in behalf ot bishops deliveringover clergymen to the civil magistracy, on condition thatthey should forthwith pray earpestly for them.· Under "-both these provisions the inquisitors suppose themselvescomprehended; but Urban IV. besides granted them thepower mutually to absolve each other of any irregularity ..Pius V. extended to the inquisitors as well as to th ...ir com-missaries and counsellors, the same dispeasation from irre-VOL. I. D

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$4 INQUi~ITIONUNHAIKE'D. [CH P. t.

hence to be inferred, that these ·functionsare now less opposed than fo~ly to thdoctrine of Jesus Chrisc : the law '1'naysus-pend the effects which emanate fto1Vl itsauthority, but not tnose Which ia'l'iiseout ofthe nature of'things,

But why dwell on this point, when eachODeof us in his own experience is possessedof the .most convincing :proofS of this rr th?!A-re'th'e formidable ideas we from 'childhoodentertain of the Inquisition, and the terrorwith which 'this 'tribunal ,has filled all Europe,America, and part of Asia, the effects of itsmeekness, or of its ligour ? Terror is theterm given by Mariana to the sensations pr~dnced .in the minds of dIe Castilians by thebloody 'scenes which accompanied the intro-duction of the tribunal into Castile, andZurita testifies that the same 'was .exclted inthe breasts of the Aragonese. Sandovalalso asserts that, in 'order to terrify the

guTarity,which his predecessor Paul 'IV. -granted to thOsewho give their opinion to the 'Pope, in i!'aU!eS relating 'totorture, mutilation of members, or ealiital punishmente-«De V-erbor,signif. cap. xxvii, and DeHom, cap. ii, in 6.-Pefia, Ad Direct, Inqwsit. part 5, 'Cbm. lxii. and part2,~om. n.

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oors and converted Jews, it was transferredhy Charles V. from Jaen to Granada And!Fuenmayor, adding, that it was not .aloneaUlong the common people that the name ofthis tribunal infused terror, but also among'all classes." Were .any one, ignorant of -thespirit of Christianity, 10 hear that the mostterrible tribunal ever known was under thecharge of priests, calling themselves the mostzealous ministers of religion, how would hebe induoed to believe that this me reli ionis pre-eminent fO,1" its meekness, and that itsauthor, God, in order to give us the mo t im-pressive lessons of this virtue, be arne rna.and died on a cross? The existence of theInquisition is a calumny against the Christian1~ligion, and a scandal to public morals; forit excites .in those who profess any otherworship, as well as .in 1ihe unlettered partof the faithful, mistaken -notions with re-gard to one of its most eminent qualities,viz, meekness; and, besides, obliges the

.. Geronimo Zurita, Anales de Arllgqn, lib. xx, cap.~5.-Juan de Mariana, .Hist, de E~pana, lib. xxiv, cap. xvji.-D. Fr. Prudencio Sandoval, Historia del EmperadoeCarlos V. lib. xiv. § xviii.-Antonio de Fuenmayor, Vida-1Heehoa de Pia V.lib. i.

D .2

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,36 INQUISITION UNMASKED. [CHAP. r,

learn-ed to stigmatize the conduct of ecclesi-.astics, as being incompatible with the mo-.deration they preach in the pulpit, andwhich they ought more forcibly to teachby example.It would argue a misconception of the

.religion of Jesus Christ, and a complete:ignorance of the theory and practice of the.Inquisition, to maintain that any analogyexists between them. To what a length 'thistribunal has carried its violence will be fullyseen jn the course of this dissertation. Themeekness of the Christian religion, sufficientlyproved by the arguments already adduced,is thus elegantly described by a modern.author : " The religion of Jesus Christ," says'he, " has inits nature the love of order 'andjustice. It abhors theexces~es .in which the:impic)t]s (ariclhe might, have-added thepa--trons of the Inquisition) attempt to implicateit, by 'confounding it with fanaticism'. Itdetests persecution, and' highly reproves thefalse zeal of those who pretend to propagate'and defend it by force and terror. In pro-,portion' as it :is strong and powerful, it isloving and compassionate; its irresistiblepower being the effect of this same benevo-

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lence. It disdains violent measures, for it hasothers much more efficacious. The empire;of which it boasts is nottha.,t which is exec-:-:cised over, the body, .leaving the,' soul .sti~tmote -rebellious and corrupted. It_~,in t!leunderstanding and the heart that it delights~to reign, and persuasion and love are the.only means by which it therein establishes,its throne. It looks for children, and not.slaves. Religion does not stand in need ofappeals to force, since it is composed of hum.ble disciples, of docile hearts, and sincereadorers, actuated by a mild but powerfulprinciple which triumphs over every obstacle,and converts its most cruel persecutors intofervent apostles. At the same time that it isfirm, severe, and inexorable against sin, it isfull of sweetness, beneficence, and of charitytowards the sinner. The Christian religionunceasingly repeats to its children, and aboveall to its ministers, that the spirit of theGospel is a spirit of patience, of mildness,and forbearance; that its ministryis the mi-nistry of peace, of reconciliation, and ofhealth; and moreover, that they should neverforget that they are the disciples of a Godwho died for his enemies, as well as the sue-

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53 ~<tt1XII't:Ml' 't1l"MARE:D. [e:lu,~.r,

cesSOlS t1f 'Venej'ab}~.melt who, sealing withtheir blood the truths' of the faith, prayedfor their persecutors and exectidbYt5. Inshott, religion, far from being the author andaccomplice of the disasters which fan~ti~iSI11has caused to the world, detests them withmOte siIicetity. and <!MdemIi& them withJMr-e" firmness; than the iUc~ulemthem.~hteS."·

* Apologie de la Religion Chretienne, 'Printed in Pari ..i1' year of the Republic.

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CHAPTER Jr.

The System of Rigour adopted hy thisTribunalis opposed to the Doctrine 0/ the Holy Fa-thers and the Discipline of the Church inits most happy Times."

IT suffices to know that meekness is one ofthe virtues that shone most in Jesus Christ

• The discipline of the Church constitutes a sciencewhich most of the partisans of the Inquisition, notwith.litllodiog they are ecclesiastica, know not even by name,and which others who have heard of it only ~ ioto theirmouths for the purposes of blasphemy. AmOlig the lattermay be reckoned the authors of the periodical work calledEl Filosofo Rancio, and, under this title, Father Francisco.Alvarado, whom the inquisitorial party seem to havechosen as another Hereales, not for the purpose of destroy-ing the ~o hydra, but to defend it with 8wOrd andbuckler. This Father, in hj.sLetter I. observestbat " goodfaith, not to use _other tenD, c:ausetl our former govern-ments, under a with to enlight~ theaation, to give vogueto that iofiWte number of novelties which the Frenchintroduced among us in matters of philcsophy, law, ecole-aiastica1 discipline," &c. Some writers, for the want ofcorrect information, sometimes condemn as anti-religiousnovelties the very practices used in the Church long

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04.0 INQUISITION UNMASKE~. [CHAP. II.

and his apostles, in order to remove all doubtof its being equally possessed in a highdegree by the ancient Christians. The disci-pline of the Church in the first ages was nearits origin, and consequently must have beenpreserved pure, in like manner as the streamis clearest when least distant from the foun-tain-head. The meekness, therefore, taughtand practised by the legislator and promul-gators of the Gospel must forcibly point outto us the lenity which so much distinguishedthe writings of the Holy Fathers. Theirdoctrine, and' the examples by which theyconfirmed it, are additional proofs of the de-

before those were introduced which they now venerate fortheir antiquity. Others again, better informed, and sensi-ble of the weight of this observation, nevertheless assert,that it is not just to revive antiquated customs, as beingincompatible with the political system of modern nations.This is by no means at what we now aim; yet they oughtnever to lose sight of the flourishing ages of the Church,in order that the virtues of our fathers may serve as exam-ples to their children; and they ought moreover to watchthat the exterior legislation of the church, notwithstandingit is made suitable to the present times;. does not degene-rate from the spirit of the early ages. This is what is 80strongly inculcated i~ all the ecclesiastical councils, andalso forms the chief basis of this .dissertation, in which thetruly new abuses introduced among us by the Inquisitionwill be fully exhibited.

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generation of the after ages, since such anestablishment as that we are about to depictthen found patronage and support.St. Cyprian, pointing out the difference

between the sentiments which .ought to ani-mate the ministers of the church of' JesusChrist and those which directed the priestsof the Synagogue in their conduct towardsthe refractory, considers each profession ac-cording to its nature, and states as the chiefreason of this difference, that in the Syna-gogue every thing was material and figurative,whereas in the true Church every thing is 8pi~rit and truth. "God," says he, " commandedthe punishment of death to be inflicted onthose who refused to obey their priests, asjudges constituted by himselfi which might beadvisable at a period when the circumcisionwas carnal; but now that the circumcision isspiritual, the proud and contumacious servantsof his house, which is the Church, ought to beexterminated with a sword in like mannerspiritual, by their. being cast out therefrom,and thus deprived of life; for the true houseof God is no other than one, and no oneunless in it obtains salvation."?

'* S. Cyprian, epist, lxii.

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(OS lNQUISJTroN UN'Jd.ASKE}). [CHAP. JL

When the Fathers of the Council of Sar-dica prayed Constantius to restrain the furyof the Arians, who, availing thelllSelves ofthe influence their sect had gained overthe mind of that Emperor, resorted to everyspecies of persecution in order to destroy theCatholics, they thus expressed themselves:t.f We ask prong beyond the Uberty of ourCreed, and consequently that wo be notcompelled to contaminate ourselves withArianism, by persecution, prisons, and tri-bunals, under all the forms of terror, togetherwith the invention of exquisite torments,being employed against us. Jau, Christt6ught, rather than exacted, the knowledge ofhimself; and exciting admiration and respect.for the precepts of his faith by means of IOU.....des, he never forced allY one to belifie it•.If violence of this kind was appealed to onthe part· of the Catholics the bishops wouldbe the first to declare against it, on the pie.that God being the Lord of the Unive,.estands' in need of no one, muoh •• of •'beart that refuses to kp(w him. They wooWM,., dIat God itt not to be deceived by di$-simulation, but that his grace i,to be meritedby a true submission; that if he commandsus to offer him our homage, it is not for his

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good, but for ours; that be cannot receiveanyone who does not tender himself, hearany but him who prays, nor mark as his 01f11anyone who does not cordially profess hisreligion. They would say, that candour is theonly road by which he is to be sought; thathe is to be. known by the diligent study ofthe faith, and that he can love him only whohas charity. Finally, they would add, that hisgood-will is obtained by filial fear, and theonly means of retaining it is probity."·The maxims of mildness towards heretic.

are inculcated by St. Chrysostom in manypassages of his works, particularly in thefollowing: " We ought to fight against here-tics, not to throw down those who are up- 'tight, but to raise up those who are fallen;for the war which is incumbent on us is notthat which gives death to the living, but thatwhich restores life to the dead, seeing that ourarms are meekness and benignity. In thiacontest we ought therefore to rely not somuch on acts as on words, fur it is not theheretic, but the heresy, which we persecute;and we detest not him who errs, but the error,which is the only thing we are to persecute

* S. Hilarius, lib. ad Constantium August.

7

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and extirpate. Our war is not with men, thework of- God,' but with opinions which thedevil has depraved. The physician, when hecures a patient, does not attack the body, but:the disorder under which it labours. In thesame manner dealing with heretics, we oughtnot to injure them in person, hut seek toremove the error of the understanding andthe evil of the heart. Finally, we oughtalways to be disposed to submit to persecu-tion, and not to persecute; to suffer griev-ances, and not to cause them. It is inthis manner Jesus Christ conquered, sincehe was nailed to a cross-he did not crucifyotbers.">St. Hilary highly extols the delicacy of the

Church in this particular, and even makes acontrast of the state of discipline during thethree ages which preceded him with that ofhis own time, when, owing to the opinionsof some bishops, it was verging towards thatdecline afterwards experienced. " Above all,"says he, " it wrings the heart and causes the,tears to flow to behold the weakness of thepresent generation in adopting certain absurdopinions already prevailing, one of which is,that men ought to patronize God by concili-

" S. Johan, Chrysost. De S. Hiero Martyre, JI. ii.

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ating the power of the age,in order by thismeans to sustain. the Church of Jesus Christ.Tell me, ye bishops who are of this way ofthinking, of what aid did the .apostles availthemselves when they preached the Gospel;or to what great ones of the .earth did theyrecur in order to convert, as in fact they did,-almost all nations from idolatry to the wor-ship of the true God? Was it in palaces thatthey sought favour, when under the scourgeand in chains, they sang hymns in praise tothe Lord? Was St. Paul perchance authorizedwith imperial decrees when, through hi8 greatlabours made the object of astonishment tothe whole world, he allured nations to theChurch of Jesus Christ? Did he find patronsin a-Nero, a Vespasian, or a Decius, when itwas their persecutions that so much fructifiedthe seed of his preaching? Did not the apos-tles' hold, as we now do, the keys of the king-dom of Heaven, although they were obliged-to live by the work of their hands, and 'underthe necessity of celebrating .the divine mys-teries in cenatories and other solitary places,travelling by sea and land through variouscountries, visiting even villages and farms;and this in direct contravention to the de-crees of the senate and Emperor? Is it not

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�6 JNQUl!ITION UNiMAUED. rCHAP. II.certain that the Gospel was then preachedwith the greatest courage and success, andthat the more obstacles were opposed to itseffects the more did its power triumph overthat ef tyrants? But now what an unfor-. tunate reverse! It is now pretended to SIJP"port the .divine faith 'by means of humanauthority; .and whilst it is ostentatiouslyso~gbt to add to the name of Jesus, his poweris tOOllflidered las diminished. '['he sameOhunoh, that fOl'lmerIiY thr.o..ugh'the enduranceof -ohains, persecations, and 'banishment, ex-eeaded .its 'ifaitlI~1Il00v diffuses -tereor lby meansof preeoriptiens and :prisons, seeking to lDebelieved ,tmmIgh '1lhcJeffucts afforce. lIt nowseeks ,to -ewe tiltslpfiI'Illlanenc}':to .the power of-those ·who ase -of its own eommunion, whenit was through ,the fury of those who wereits persecutors that tit was formerly .censnli-dat~. It now ·banishes -the priests ,of rthosesame .seets which anciently drove its fawnministers inte exile. JIn short, that same,Church now .seeks to be applauded by theworld whioh only by being hated of men canbe pleasing to her spouse. When, with suchscandalous abuses before me, I compare theChurch of the present times with that whichJesu-s Christ confided to our ancestors, J

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~nnot 'bat exclaim 'that it has undetg<methe most deplorable change," *'

. St. -Jerome, commenting on these wor-ds~f the Larnentations cif Jeremiah. '" Receditepol/uri ,tlama'oerunt -eis,'" thus observes: c'SU'Ch~s the 1anguage of those proud shepherds whotake under their special care the choice -of-th'e .'flock,and leave the weak pottions thereof ,%.l a neglected state, without taking care thatJtbe lean sheep regain their strength, or that(the distempered recover from disease. Keepat a distance.say they,ye who are infected,de-part, disappear, nor ever dare to approach and'Communicate ,\v}1Jhus; your wounds are mer-,tal, your SOl es are gangrened, ye are unworthy11f Christian in'terconrse anll of the HolyGhost -again 'returning te dwell within you.Conduct like this, instead of 'giving sigbt tothe 'bli", health to :the invalid, and 'of in-Ifusing :roilrageand Vigour.into -him Who is~ismayed, -eccasions deat!h, by impelling himto d:espair. The prelates who fulla th~·llut'y,-andmeasure the weakness of Itheir neighbourby itheir own, endeavour to disentangle sin.-ners 'from the snares of error by means dfhumility and meekness, 'rather than 'by their

'. CS.-Hilar.lib,'contra 'Amcedtium. .

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harshness to precipitate them down the abyssofcondemnation," '* It is indeed true thatSt. Jerome here speaks of the charity andsweetness with which all sinners ought to betreated, but for the same reason he does notexclude those who have sinned against thefaith. .., . 'The .Ietter of St~Augl,lstin, to Donatus,

proconsul of Africa,' deserves. to be 'copied,here entire, for it clearly demonstrates whatwas the spirit of the Church with regard tothe punishment of heretics at the time it waswritten. It is as follows: " It is indeed pain-.ful to reflect that the Church of Africa is insuch a situation as to require the aid of civilauthorities. But, on the other hand, there,being, according to the apostle, no power onearth which does not emanate from-God, it.may truly be said that when ye who' are in-vested with dignity use it in defence of ourmother the holy Catholic Church, our aid isthen in the Lord who made heaven and earth.For who, most illustrious sir and son deservingof our praises, can avoid discovering amidstthe many ills which afHict us that, from the bril-liancy of your talents and your great zeal for

.. S. Hieron, COlD. in Jerem. Thren, cap. iv, v.xv.

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the religion of Jesus Christ, providence hasplaced you at the head of the government inorder to restrain, by means of power and good-will, the enemies of the Church in their wickedand sacrilegious attempts? It is my duty,nevertheless, to caution you against one thing,which is that your very justice makes usapprehend, that as all grievances caused tothe Christian society by these ungrateful andimpious men are more criminal than thosedone to the state, you may be induced topunish them with every rigour, urged ratherby the enormity of their crime than bearingin mind the meekness of the religion againstwhich they have sinned. Let not this be thecase we beseech you for the sake of JesusChrist, since we do not seek to be avenged onearth; nor is it just that the persecutions wesuffer should make such an impression on ourminds as to cause us to forget the commandsof our Redeemer, for whose faith and namewe endure them, and for whom we actuallylove our enemies and unceasingly pray forthem. We desire, it is true, that the severityof the laws and of the judges may be em-ployed for their reform, but not to deprivethem of life; that the government watchover their conduct, but without applyingYOLo I. E

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against them all the punishment they deserve;that their excesses may be restrained, but notthat they be placed in such a situation as toprevent repentance."" We beseech you, 'therefore, that when

anyone of us shall represent to you that the'Church has been grievously injured, or youmay in any other way; have learnt her afflic-tions, that you do not remember 'that 'youare the arbiter of life and death '; but, on thecontrary, that you be ever mindful of thisour petition. Attend, oh! illustrious andmuch-beloved son, to our mediation in favour.of Ute lives of those to whom ''We'beseechGod to grant .'amendment; for besides itsbeing the duty of us ecclesiastics never todesist from the practice of overcoming evilwith .good, it is necessary you should con-sider, 'as from prudence we hope you will,that nO'enc, except ourselves, informs you ofthe injuries done to the Church. For thissame reason, if you think of inflicting deathon those we denounce, you prevent us frOID

applying to your tribunal, and they will theni_come more..insolent ;'s~nce, at all events,'we-"uuw!d prefer to be:sacrificed ourselvesJ'atbel1than be instrumental to their sufferingcapital p1lDishment."

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" I, in short, for my own part, againbeseech you kindly to receive this my ex-hortation, or this my remonstrance and hum-ble request; and I flatter myself that I amauthorized to expect this favour, eventhoughyou were invested with a higher dignity andI no other than a private individual. Never-theless cause it, as soon as possible, to bemade known to the Donatists that the pro",clamations you issued, against them, andwhich they .consider no longer in force, arcstill in full vigour, to the end that, t;!ley allowthe Catholics to remain quiet. As for therest, the means of rendering our exertionsfur their conversion effectual will be byre&tr~u.ing in such manner, through you~own measures, this proud and petulant s~th~t they may never be able to boast enduring,fol' the good cause, the vexations aimed. against it; since it is rather indispensablynece&S~, when they have been convictedot their crim~lJ in your tribunal, or any otherInferior one, th:~t ever,y exertion ,h~uld beI;O:J.deto convince them of the truth of thefaith, by causing them to reform their opi-nio.n~and to contribute to the conversion ofi' . ,

the others. Because it cannot be denied thatit is a fruitless task to seek to compel a man

£2

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.52 INQUISITION UNMASKED. [CHAP. U.

to' embrace good and withdraw from evil,however great this may be, unless it isthrough the way of persuasion.t'" So far St.Augustin.It is unnecessary to add more testimonies

from the Holy Fathers, in support of myargument. Those already quoted are morethan sufficient to prove, that the meekness ofjesus Christ towards the wayward, and aspractised and promulgated by the apostles,was also the countersign of all the doctors ofthe Church, who transmitted it in numerouspassages of their writings as an edifying lessonto posterity. These writings amply testifythat the conduct of the ministers ofthe gos-pel, with regard to persons straying from thefold, ought to be very different to that ob-served by the ancient priests towards thosewho abandoned the law of Moses; that themost pure zeal for the Christian religion oughtalways to be accompanied by genuine andbeneficent charity; that the mild empire of acrucified Lord unceasingly calls for freedomin favour of those who submit to it; that theacquisition of new believers, and the retentionof'old ones, is only appreciated by the Church

• S. August. Epist, C,

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when they enter and remain in the bosomthereof, by means of divine unction and per-suasion; and finally, that if at any time itshould be necessary to appeal to the powersof the earth, in order to check the wicked intheir career of self-perdition, it ought only tobedone when the natural defence of the churchrequires it, or the amendment of the refrac-tory, by means of a correction so moderateas truly to deserve the name of paternal.Notwithstanding, however, the words of

the above-mentioned Holy Fathers are soclear and decisive in favour of my object,those of a different opinion nevertheless con-ceive that their authority may also Ire allegedin a contrary sense.· It is in St. Augustin,

• However, I here except the author of the NuevoReflexionador. who, in his letter to the Anti-apologist ofthe Inquisition. enraged that the latter should make .use ofthe Scriptures and Holy Fathers in order to prove thatthe Inquisition ought to be abolished, replies to him in thefollowing words: " Are you in your right senses? What!could the sacred writers impugn an establishment withwhich they were not even acquainted l" Hence am I in-clined to infer. that the Nuevo Reflextonador w~uld notwish to join with those of his own party when they quotethe Scriptures and Holy Fathers in favour of the Inqui-'ition, for in this case the same retort might be made.How dGes it happen, I would ask him, that a religious

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54 1N'Qt1I8tTION't1l1tMAIlDD. ( CHAP. II.

'more particularly, they pretend to find inoon--trovertible proofs that the church, withoutbeing wanting to the duties of mildness, may'avail itself of the zeal of the civil power, andTesort to corporal punishments, in order torestrain heretics committing violence againsther ,as well as for the purpose of obligingthem teeeek reconciliation. It is indeedtrnethat this Holy Fathet" comesses of him-self, that being formerly of opinion that theDonatists ought not to be persecuted withany other arms than those of argument, theexamples of conversions effected by the rigour'of the laws as presented to 'him by some of'he hislropsof Mrica, were so numerous and80 striking, that they obliged him to alter hissentiments. I am fully sensible of the forceof -this objection, but far from being therebyconvinced, I believe with Bayle, :Basnage,

establishment cannot be defended or impugned by argu-ments taken from the sacred writers, because they wereanterior to it~ foundation? How is it, I would again askhim, that the Inquisition has been able to proceed in casesof new sectaries, unless it has recurred to scripture andtradition in order to decide on ,their doctrines? Is it, per-c:banl:e,that in .its judgments it bas been guided by theprevail,iqgopinions of the age, or rather by the caprice oftho.sein power? This, undoubtedly, has been the case,but the time is now arrived for remedyil!gthe evil.

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Le Clerc, Barbeyrac, and Mosheim, that, onthis occasion, St. Augustin rather consultedthe apparent utility resulting to the ChurchfWID an. unlimited protection on the part ofkings, than the true piety and justice on whichthis protection ought to be founded. It isnot probable, I again say, that a man of thefirst talents, who so openly maintained thatthe conversion of the heart is the work ofthe grace and goodness of God, should everwish to affirm, in the sense above argued,that heretics ought to be converted bymeans of fines, banishment, and, capitalpunishments,In order, however, to destroy the argu-

ment wb,ip4 the ~voca,tes of J:igoQ.~deducefrom this retractation of St. Augustin. and doa;~ay with the imputation of par:ty feelingalleged by the above-mentioned authorsagainst him, it would suffice to examine thereasons which induced him to pronounce theconversion of the Donatists as sincere, andwhich, in fact, were the only ones thatobliged him to change his opinion. I say theonly ones, because those he quotes from theOld and New Testament cannot be consideredso much in the Iight of solid proofs of thetruth of his proposition, as amplifications and

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embellishments of the idea it contains; sincethey are all equally weak, as must appear toanyone who reads them with an unprejudicedmind. In a word, St. Augustin makes use ofthese proofs not as a logician but as anorator, more attentive to the elegance of hisstatement than to the weight they might addto an opinion which, in his own mind, wasalreadyproved by experience." In this pointof view, he thus replies to the Donatist Vi.centius, who had reproached him for his newway of thinking.H I was formerly of opinion that no one

ought to be compelled to return to the bosomof the church, under the impression that weought not to use any other arms than words;that our contest ought to be 110 other thanargument; and that such only ought to beesteemed as a victory which is gained throughthe force of conviction; for otherwise thosewould become feigned Catholics who beforewere avowed heretics. But some of my com-

• The arguments St. Augustin takes from Scriptures, toprove that it was lawful to use corporal punishments to~wards heretics, in order to oblige them to return to thebosom of the church, are re-produced by the apologists ofthe Inquiaition, hut not in their true sense; the chief ones..however, hne been answered in the preceding chapter.

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panions have since pressed me closely, notwith reasons but with facts, which they quotedto me in great numbers, whence I have beeninduced to adhere to their opinion. For theyargued with me from the example of the cityof my own residence. (Hippo,) which, havingformerly decided in favour of the heresy ofDonatus, was afterwards restored to the Ca-tholic unity by means of the decrees of theemperors; and this so cordially, that it nowhates the above heresy, and even appears neverto have belonged to it. They quoted similarexamples of other cities to me in such man-ner that I conceived that what is said inProverbs may also be understood in thissense : give instruction to a 'Wiseman, and hewill beyet wiser."·" How many of them had we not among us,

as I afterwards was informed, who were de-sirous of being converted, from a convictionof the truth of 001' religion; nevertheless theydelayed it, in order not to expose themselves tothe animosity of their own party! How manywere withheld, not by a supposition that theirsect was founded in the truth, which most as-~uredly they left out of the question, but by

• frov. cap. ixt Y. 9.

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58 INQUISITION UNMASKED. [CHAP. n.

a blind custom which rendered them callous,so that it might be said of them, a servant 'Willnot be corrected 'lVith zoords : for though heunderstand, he will not answer.~ How manyweFe there not who lived persuaded thatamong the Donatists the true Church was tobe found, but through no other motive thana natural carelessness, which rendered themdun and sluggish to find it out! How, manywere kept back from entering therein by thecalumnies of certain malevolent persons, whoimputed to the Catholics the introduction ofI know not what novelties into religion!How many, in short, who, believing it was ofDO consequence to be a Christian in this orthe other sect, continued in that of Donatus,because they had been therein born, and be-cause there was no one to withdraw tbe~ fromit, and lead them to the true Church! ..Hencedo they now rejoice with us that, in conse-quence of the grievances they then suffered,they were roused from the lethargy of in-veterate habits, in which they would other-wise infallibly have perished. It may indeedbe said that with some such measures do UQta~ To this 1 will answer, that the in-

*" Provo cap.uix. v. 19.

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curable diseases of some ought not to causethe refusal of remedies to others seeking there-establishment of their health. We oughtnot to be foiled by the obstinate, unwilling toyield to persuasion, and of whom it is written,in 'Cain did I chastise my children, tluzt theymight be welt educated. '*' It is necessary alsoto attend to many others of whose amend-ment we bear witness, to the great consolationof our heart. Finally, I agree that it wouldbe exercising a tyrannical power to terrifyheretics without convincing them of theirerror; but it is also undeniable, that theirinveterate habits will not suffer them to in-cline to conviction, and will obstruct theirbeing led, unless it is very slowly, towardsthe road of salvation, unless they are movedby terror."tThis is the passage' of St. Augustin on

which the partisans of the Inquisition lay somuch stress, and which, from our desire tothrow every previous light on the question,we have copied at full lengtlL This is thememorable passage which, by not being pro-perly understood, caused torrents of blood toHow during the dark ages, when religious

• Jerem. cap. ii, v. 30.t S. August. Epist. cxiii.

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wars were SO frequent. Wretched fate ofman, who seems destined to stumble onerror and death, where he ought to have ex-pected the benefits of truth! However, if Iam not greatly deceived, it does not requiremuch penetration to discover the true mean-ing of St. Augustin in this place, which, ifhis words are only well considered, is thesame as that of the other Holy Fathers andSacred Writers, although in consequence ofthe different circumstances of the times it ispresented with some degree of diversity. Itis, in the :first place, necessary to establish,that the conduct of the Donatists towards theCatholics was at length rendered so criminal,and the persecutions excited against them socruel, that it became necessary to recur to theprotection of the laws, in order to withholdmen, who, impelled by a furious passion whichthey termed religious zeal, had actually sub-verted the order of society. They not onlyforcibly re-baptized the Catholics, but they alsosacked and demolished their temples, assas-sinated the clergy and bishops at the veryaltars, burned out the eyes of others withqmck;'lime, and even prohibited broad frombeing sold to them in the- public places.Under such conflicts, how the:refore cau it

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appear strange for the Catholics to implorethe protection of government; a protec-tion which could not be denied them, even inthe quality of private citizens. As proof ofthis, the first edict issued by Theodosiusagainst the Donatists, in the year 382, isfounded on the many acts of violence the,had committed, and which undoubtedly wouldhave continued, if the authorities. had not ap-plied an efficacious remedy." And as it wasperfectly just for the Catholics to appeal tothe safeguard of the laws, without their beingfor that reason accused of persecuting thesectaries, contrary to the spirit of religion,when personal security was their only object,why might not the same be allowed to St.Augustin?But, to pursue the argument. The Donatists

were the first who, refusing to abide by thesentence of the bishops, before whom, at thattime, all differences arising among Christianswere carried, recurred to the emperor Con-stantinns, complaining of Cecilianus, Bishopof Carthage, respecting certain irregularitiesthey attributed to 'him, though their com-plaint was attended with no other fruit than

it Vide Encyclopedie, Art. Donatistes.6

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their own punishment for not substantiatingthe accusation! preferred. What irregularity,therefore, was there in the Catholics recur-ring in their own defence to the very civiltribunal which, in some measure, the hereticshad pointed out to them] By this testimonyof St. Augustin it appears, that the hereticswere the first who had recourse to the civilauthorities in order to avenge irtiuries arisingout of religious matters, a point to whichI particularly call the attention of the parti-sans of rigour.?This Holy Father does indeed maintain

that it is advisable to use some coerciontowards apostates, in order to induce themto return to the bosom of the Church. Thisnew difficulty, however, disappears in thesame manner as the first, if the r~D. whichalso Jed him to change his opinion in thisparticular are maturely weighed. Many ofthe Donatists here alluded to belonged tothat sect, not from any system or adhesion,but because they dreaded the vengeance of_ own sectaries if tbey abandoned them;aa .ilnpedimeJ1twhich ceased from the sao-

• 8. Aaptt. Epiat.cxiii. D. IS. " Quid no/1i.I o¥ci'U,"illY' he to Vkentiua and his companions, .. qu04'llestrorum(ww,jorJl.fll) pr .... io primillU fecit 'I

7

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ment the civil authority was on their side.Others were retained undecisive, by a falseidea of certain practices admitted into theCatholic Church, and which necessarily va-nished as soon as they had received adequateinstruction. Others, in short, were held ina profound lethargy hy a sluggish spirit,addcd to a total indifference tor their ownwell-being, from which it was impossible torouse them, unless active remedies weretor that purpose employed. J t therefOreresults, that the J Jonatists, whom St. Augustinaflirms to have returned within the pale ofthe Church on being put in fear by the civilpower, scarcely suffered any coercion what.-ever; or at least it was not such as toauthorize the violent measures of the JD-quisition.In the aforesaid passage it is, moreover,

manifested that the conduct of the ministersof the Church towards apostates ought. toresemble that of a physician in the ease of alethargic diseue,-of a father 'tVJlo seeb toeducate his children; that is, a moderaterigour ought to be exercised agai1lst them,Corresponding to the object in view, whichis not- the death of the patient, but his healthand.happiness. It is, infact, the persuasion

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of the mind and the amendment of the heartthat St. Augustin has in view in the persecu·tion of those who have wandered from thefaith, without which their conversion wouldonly be apparent. It is the persuasion ofthe understanding, I again repeat, withoutwhich all dominion over' the will would betyrannical, which the Holy Doctor so un-ceasingly inculcates ;-that same persuasion,in short, by which he himself had been con-verted from the sect of the Manichees to theCatholic Church, was the means he wishedto be employed with regard to others.However, should anyone not be sufficiently

convinced by the arguments just alleged, thatSt. Augustin was, at all times, in favour ofmeekness towards heretics, in the sense al-Iuded to, let him listen to his own wordscontained in that same letter to Vineentius,in which the advocates of the Inquisitionimpute to him a change of opinion. " Thereis no doubt," says he, "that a moderaterigour, accompanied by much benevolence,ought to be used towards those Christianswho may have erred through the seductionorwi~ed men, because they are possiblysheep of Jesus Christ which have gone astray,(that is, without great walice in their hearts,)

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consequently it is only necessary to collectthem into the fold, causing them, by banish ..ment and other corporal punishments, toenter into themselves, to reflect on the causefor which they suffer, and also to learn notto give more credit to the vain opinionsand calumnies of man than to the Scriptures.With regard, therefore, to the chastisementto be inflicted on you, (speaking to theheretics,) it is rather intended as a warningto you than a real punishment."> 'rile Holy

• S. August. Epist. xciii, n.10. No pains can be toogreat in order to clear \lP the opinion of so great a doctorof the Church, which, from being misunderstood, hadcaused so much injury. For this reason, as well as becausethe passage above quoted furnishes a full confirmation oftoy text, I have thought it best to copy the original wordsin this place: "Sed plane in eis qui SllO nomine Christierrant,seducti a peroersis, neforte oues Christi sint errantes,et ad gregem taliter reoocanda sint, temperate seceritas, etmagis consuetudo servatur, ut coercitione esiliorum, atquedamnorom admoneant1lr ctmsiderare quid, quaFe patiantur,et discant prt1!p01U!Ti!romorious, et calumniis kominum smp-turas, quas legunt. QuU enim fIOd"",., .rpUs 'fJestrum nonkUdat leges ao imperatoribus dsla, tulwrSUI sacri.ficia pa-ganorum f Et eerte longe ibi JUZna seoerior constituta est;illi," rpiippe impietatis capitale supplicium est. De 'Vobisautem corripiendis, atque coercendis !laMta ratio est, quopotius ad",cmeremini ab errore di,cedere, quam pro seeter.;puniremini. Pault enim fortaue dUun d, vobis dicit "".YGL. I. F

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Doctor, on the same occasion, also affirmsthat the name of Christian, borne by everyone who has been baptized, is an additionalmotive for his being treated with morebenignity than was used in his time towardsidolaters, because the same are less distantfrom the true Church; an opinion diametri-cally opposed to that of the friends of theInquisition. It consequently becomes evi-dent that the passage of St. Augustin, onwhich the partisans of rigour lay so muchstress, does not so much contain a retractationas a limitation of his former opinion, in whichhe consents to the adoption of a certaindegree of corporeal punishment towards here-tics, inducing them by the way of correctionto enter into themselves. Such was 'the state

ait Apostolus de Judeis : " Testimonium iUis perkibeo,quia zelum Dei habent, sed non secundum scientiam. Igno-rantes enim Dei justitiatll, et suam volentes eonstituere,justitim Dei n01J sunt subjecti." (Ad Rom. cap. x, v.!lll S.) He continues making a parallel between theheretics and Jews, with regard to their mistaken ideas, andhe only excepts those who are " Scienies quid 'Verum sit,et pro animositate sum pt'f1"I1eTsitatiscontra 'Veritatem, diamubi notissisnam, dimicantes; Horum quippe impietas etiamidololaJriam forsitan superai, Sed quia non facile eDn'llincipossunt (in animo namque latet hoc malum) omnes tarn-qlUlm a nobis min-us alieni, le'IJioriseveritate coercentur:"

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of ecclesiastical discipline, with regard to, thetreatment of apostates, at the beginning ofthe fifth century,' the period at which St.Augustin wrote; a state of discipline cer-.tainly less brilliant than that which flourishedin the middle of the fourth age and during thelife-time of St. Hilary, but still incomparabfymore perfect than the one which existed inthe. succeeding ages. And shall it be justfor the patrons of the Inquisition to quotethe discipline of the fifth century in supportof their establishment, when the records of abrighter era are equally preserved? Thi tri-bunal might even have been entitled to ourthanks, if it had not extended its rigourbeyond the limits prescribed by St. Augustin;whose authority it is in vain to bring forwardin favour of such an establishment, since italone suffices to overturn it. The trial forheresy approved of by this Holy Father waspublic, and, as such, offered to the culprit allthe advantages publicity affords. The sen-tence absolved the accused whenever hesolicited reconciliation; it was only in casesof obstinacy that he 'was condemned to a lossof property or banishment, but capital punish-ment was never inflicted upon him. If thelatter was ever pronounced against here ics

F~

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for outrages committed against Catholics,the bishops always interceded with the magis-trates till they obtained their pardon. Thusdid St. Augustin himself intercede with CountMarcelinus in favour of Donatists who hadkilled a Catholic priest and mutilated ano-ther; and with equal zeal, in the precedingage, did St. Chrysostom intercede with thepeople of Constantinople and' the Emperor,in a discourse he pronounced in the patri-archal church of that city, on behalf of Eu-tropius, a patrician and consul, at that timepersecuted for his political and religious ex-cesses. • According to the practice of thosevery times if any bishop, forgetful of theduties of his profession, attempted to punishheretics with death, the others refused to hold

* S. August. Epist. cxxxili.-This discourse of St.J. Chrysostom, which, notwithstanding itwas extempore,ill a master-piece of eloquence, I have translated fromGreek into Spanish, and shall lay it before the public assoon as its attention can be called to objects unconnectedwith the war and the formation of a new constitution. Tothis version I will add another in Latin of an ineditedGreek panegyric in praise of St. Peter Philoptocus, or thefriend of the poor, found annexed to ~n old parchment(,lOpyof the works of the above Holy Father. with as muchfidelity 88 .the injUry of time wiD admit, and to eachI lihall jein the original \ext.

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communication with him. This, in fact, hap-pened to the two Spanish bishops, Idaciusand Ithacius, whom, for that very reason, St.Ambrose and St. Martin of Tours excludedfrom their communion." And has the Inqui-sition, perchance, acted in this manner? If,then, its system is so much opposed to thatpractised in the Church during the time ofSt. Augustin, on what grounds can the au-thority of that Holy Father be now employedin its support?The argument thus taken and applied from

the authority of the above Holy Father, andwhich may truly be called the key-stone ofthe arch on which the edifice of the Inqui-sition had been raised, is thus completelydestroyed. I shall therefore omit the minortexts of the other Holy Fathers, which theadvocates of this tribunal equally allege intheir own favour, inasmuch as none of thempresent the same difficulties as the preceding,and, besides, the same solution is applicableto all. Neither shall I take notice of theobjections which may be raised from the au-thorities of the writers who flourished fromthe {1thto the 13th century, the period when

* Fleury Disc. iv. sur L'H ist, Eccles. chap. xiv.

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the Inquisition was established, for they allof them 'experienced the twilight which pre-ceded or followed the 9th and 10th centuries.In fact, so great was the haste of the clergyto wander from the path of the Apostles andprimitive Christians in this particular, and sogreat also their deviation, that the fourthcouncil of Toledo, held so early as the year683, ordained that the Jews baptized by orderof Sisebutus should be compelled to remainwithin the Catholic religion, notwithstand-ing it was sensible of the violence withwhich the above ceremony had been per-formed."An era, therefore, in which the discipline

of the Church had so much degenerated, itcannot be expected could furnish modelscapable of reforming that of our own time;

ito The LVI. cancn, as inserted in Dist, xlv, cap. v., isas follows:-" Qui auiem jam pridem ad Christianitatemcoacti sunt 'Venire (sicut .factum est temporibus religiosissimiprincipis Sisebuti) quia Jam constat eos sacramentis divinis 'sociato« baptismi gratiam sltScepUse, tt cArilmate ll1lefos

elfie, et corporis et sungHinis Domini eztitiue partiapel,.tpOrtet ut ./Ult74 quam etiunwi 'Del necessitate lUSee-fM'*nt, tenere cogantllT." The reason alleged by theCouncil is very singular, riz. " Ne nomen Domini blos-phemettlT, eI fides quam SIUCt!peTUnt 'lIilU et coiltemptibilisha6eat.r."

s

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nor, for the same reason, ought the opinionswhich then prevailed to be of such weight asto prevent us from now making the necessaryreforms.I ought not, however, to pass over another

argument unnoticed, which does not so muchtend to arraign the truth of my position asto elude the strength of the reasons on whichit is founded, or rather to destroy one of theprincipal grounds of credibility the Christianreligion has in its favour. The friends of theInquisition argue that the faithful of the firstages did not exhort monarchs to' proceedagainst the enemies of the Church, becausethe cross of Christ had not been yet placedon their diadems; whereas persecution wasextremely frequent in those times, inwhich,nevertheless, no other language could havebeen adopted than that of forbearance. But,add they, as circumstances altered by theconversion of the Emperors to Christianity,church-discipline also partook of anotherform. By this, certainly, must be meantthat if the Christians of the primitive Churchdisplayed meekness and charity, even towardstheir persecutors, it was because they had notyet acquired sufficient strength to makethemselves feared, A chimerical evasion

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72 IJI1QUISITlON tJNMASi{ED. [CHAP. It.

indeed, and as contrary to the truth of his-tory as it is injurious to the memory of themartyrs, whose intrepidity and serenity un-der death and torments, as well as generositytowards enemies:, at the same time that theymanifest the divine character of the religionthey taught, also contradict the calumny withwhich it is attempted to tarnish their heroicvirtues, by giving them the appearance ofhypocrisy and weakness. If such sentimentscould be supposed to have existed in theancient Christians, and if it could be arguedthat it was their intention to put the enemiesof the Church to death, under a belief thatthey thus rendered a service to the faith, Ido not see how the death of a martyr hadany thing in it more admirable than that of amalefactor, nor how it could be affirmed ofthem that they were " lambs sent amongwolves," according to the expression of JesusChrist himself, since the propensities of naturecannot be disguised; for the cub of· thelordly ranger of the forest, though his talonsare not yet grown, in his temper cannot bemistaken for the offspring of a milder race.At least St. Augustin avails himself of this

cotnparison against the Donatists, who, whenpersecuted for their opinions, boasted of

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CHAP. I1.:l INQUISITION UNMASKED. 'Smeekness and toleration towards the Catho-lics, against whom if they did not thenemploy their fury, it was not so much for thewant of good-will as of power.s This contra-diction of principles, for such at first sight itappears, is a new confirmation that the mean-ing of the Holy Doctor, in the whole of hisletter to Vincentius, is no other than that acertain degree of correction may be usedtowards heretics. Nothing, however, can soeffectually destroy so absurd an answer asthe testimony of two celebrated writers ofthe ages of persecution, who concur instating that the Christians were not devoidof means to avenge themselves of their ene-mies, if they had so wished to act, but thattheir spirit was that of meekness as receivedfrom the Apostles and their Divine Master.The first of them is T ertullian, who, address-ing himself to the Gentiles, uses the follow-ing words:" Whom is it we can hate, when, by the

principles of our religion, .we are bound tolove even our enemies ?Whom is it we Canoffend, who are not allowed to avenge injuries,because we consider revenge as the greatest ofcrimes? Of this benignity I call on you to hear

• S. 1\ugust. Epist. cxui. n. 11.

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witness, ye magistrates, who have so oftenaggrieved us, partly in order to fulfil thelaws, and partly at the instigation of yourown ferocious inclinations. With such inhu-man treatments, say, what conspiracy plottedby the Christians have ye discovered? orwhat vengeance has been sought by men so re-solved to die? And certainly it is not throughthe deficiency of means, since torches arenot wanting to burn the whole city in onenight if we wished it. But far be from ussuch an alienation of mind as to act as ifa religion which has God himself for itsauthor were to be avenged with fire lightedup by the band of man; or that we refuseto bear injuries, since by them virtue is bestpurified. I will even add more. If it was ourwish tll avenge ourselves as declared enemiesshould we be deficient in armies to effect eurpurpose i It was only the other day that weappeared among you, and we already fill thewhole empire,-the cities, islands, castles,towns, villages, camps, tribes, decurions, pa.-lace, senate, and forum; in short, the templesalone we leave unoccupied. to you. What ~fliet could ensue, even with unequal forces, inwhich courage would be wanting to men whe,under torments,suffer themselves to be torn to

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pieces with the greatest serenity, if our mili-tary discipline did not enjoin us to die ratherthan kill another ?".Such was the language of the Christians,

and such the spirit of meekness which ani-mated them in the second and third ages ofthe Church, the period when Tertullian lived.This virtue, therefore, cannot be denied themwithout a great share of levity being attri-buted to this celebrated writer; for it wouldhave been unpardonable to proclaim senti-ments as being prevalent which were contraryto the general opinion. These same senti.menta are, besides, expressed by St. Cyprian,a cotemporary author, and also confirmed bySt. Augustin. tWith regard to the fourth age, let us listen

to Lucifer, bishop of Caller, and a writer ofthat time. Addressing himself to Constantius,in the name of all the faithful, he thus ad-monishes him: " Let angry waves and violentwhirlwinds be raised up against us by thyorder, oh! Emperor, we will still.remain morestedfast , and, far from being alarmed at thehorrors of the storm, we shan derive fresh

* Tertul. Apolog. cap. xxxvii.t S. Cyprian. Ad Demetrianum.c-S. Augus. De Civit.

Dei, lib. xxii.

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courage in proportion as the dangers in-crease; for the Christian does not easilyyield to the evils by which he is assailed, butrather discovers more grandeur of soul whentyrants are most jealous to oppress him. Thepersecution increases, so does the glory of thesoldiers of Jesus Christ; and torments, insteadof drawing us from the contest, cause usto return to it with fresh ardour. Thyself wiltconfess the truth of this, when thou seest usstep forward and defend the faith with thesame courage throughout the whole empire;neither shall we be deceived by thy detest-able caresses, discouraged by thy threats, orovercome by the cruelty of torments; forwe are fortified by that same Lord, whopromised to be with us even to the end ofthe world.':' We will therefore proceed till thou shalt

have destroyed our bodies, as we have hithertotravelled on under the shield of Jesus Christ,clothed in the armour of his piety, guidedby his spirit, and maintaining ourselves in-flexible to every suggestion intended to makeus forget our own dignity. We undoubtedlysuffer when our bodies are exposed to tor-. ments, but we also teach, by our example,that no violence is sufficient to wrest the wise

8

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man from his opinion and purpose to thedetriment of his character; and that it ishighly advantageous to suffer for God, whois truth itself. As for the rest, it concerns melittle whether thou causest me to die, bypiercing my head with a nail or my breastwith a lance; my hands bound, or unbound;my face downwards, inclined, upright, orraised from the ground; that thou command-est me to be killed in my bed, my headsevered from my body with a sword or sabre,or reclined on a block; that thou impale me,fix me in the form of a cross, or consume meby a slow fire ; that thou bury me alive, hurlme down a precipice, or plunge me into thebottom of the sea. I care not whether mybody afterwards becomes a prey to the birdsof the air and the dogs of the field, or whe-ther, in thy presence and with cruel com-placency, it is torn to pieces by wild beastsand devoured; for in the end I shall be safeand unhurt before God.":II:Such were the sentiments of the faithful,

respecting their conduct to enemies of theChurch, in the first ages of its establishment.And, let me now ask, could men who uttered

• Lucifer Calar. Moriendum eue plIO Filio Dei,

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such language as this harbour in their breastsany desire of superior power, or wish theywere possessed of the means to oppress? Nogreater absurdity could be set forth to theworld than to suppose that the martyrs whobraved all the horrors of death with suchgreat courage, in order thereby to prove thedivine origin of the religion they professed,would have authorized persecutions under aplea of that same religion? Can any greateroutrage be committed against their memoriesthan to affirm that, for religious purposes,the use of dungeons, torments, and execu-tions, (for of such, in fact, is the Inquisitioncomposed,) could be approved of by menwho considered it their duty to endure them,and who confidently expected that the de.gree of happiness which awaited themwould be proportionate to the atrocity oftheir sufferings?Maltyrs of religion! Heroes of Christia-

nity and philosophy! Ye gave to your ownage, as well as those which were to come, themost irrefragable proofs that the doctrine ofChrist crucified enlightens the understandingand inflames the heart. Ye also bore witnessthat if the most sacred property of man con-sists in his opinions, the most inviolable of all

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is his religion. Eternal praise be to you, whoknew how so worthily to defend it. Eternalexecration be the portion of the wicked, whopretend to govern the understandings ofothers by means of force and terror. Re-ceive, noble souls, the homage offered to thesincerity of your sentiments, by an impugnerof the Inquisition, and of which its advocatesin vain seek to deprive you.

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CHAPTER 111.

Tile Inquisition, far from contributing to thePreservation cif the true Belie], is onlysuited to encourage Hypocrisy and ercit«the People to Rebellion.

EVEN if meekness were not one of thecharacteristic virtues of the Christian religion,it nevertheless ought to be esteemed as thebest means of extending and preserving it inall its purity. Meekness tends to aid truth'in her conquests; and whenever both act indue concert scarcely any understanding canresist their united power. He who possessesthe celestial gift of sweetness makes the uni-verse his own, for no heart is so jealous ofits freedom and independence as not to be..come its tributary. It is in this sense Iunderstand the happiness Jesus Christ pro-mises to the " mild of heart," when he says," they shall possess the land," as a reward'

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for this divine quality." The tranquillitywith which they enjoy the fruits of theirvirtue is equal to the facility with which theyacquired it; for there is no one so unjust asto disturb it, as David, in fo.mer times, gavehis assurance.r Monarchs themselves, accord.ing to Seneca, make their thrones moresecure whenthey found their empire on theprinciples of mildness.

" Quisquis plaeide potens,Dominusque vitre, servat innoeuas manus, -Animreque parcit, longa permansus diuFelicis eevi spatia vel coelum petit,V el leeta felix nemoris Elysii loca." t

-,--What man of might with favour leads his land,And of his own lifes-lord reserves his hurtless hands to good,And gently doth his empire guide without the thirst of blood,And spares his soul, lie- having long led forth the ling'ring, .daya . .

Ofhappy age, at length to heaven doth either find the ways,Or joyful happy places else of fair Elysius wood.

And if this observation holds good in alll:!asesin which it is intended to conciliate the

• S. Mattlu cap. Y. V. 4. Beati -mites, quoniam ipsiposside6unt terrem,t Psalm. xxxvi. v. ·U. Mansueti autem htereditahunt

erram, et deledabuntur in multitudine pacis.':t: Lue. An. Seneca, Here. Furens, Act iii. v.738.-

Ttl1nslation by Jasper Heywood,15SI, black letter.VOL.L Q

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82 INQUISITION 'l1NMASJt.ED. [ CHAP. III.

affections and opinions of mankind in favourof truth and justice, will it not have a doubleeffect in maintaining the belief of religion?It is therefore useless, or at least difficult forthe understanding, that is, the most inde-pendent part of man, to yield to the impres-sions it is attempted to excite in favour ofthe faith, if, at the same time, its naturalcompanion, the will, is ruftled by irritation.In this case the victory would be ideal, andthe insensate man who should flatter himselfwith thus having obtained one, would reapno other fruits from his labour than asatisfaction equally vain and criminal. Inwelcome, let the Mahometan professors ofdivinity boast their ignominious right offorcibly sustaining and propagating theirtenets, in default of prudence and reason;let the Arab&, who intruded into Europe,. ruined Greece, and trampled science undertheir feet, establish the credibility of theirdogmas by means of the scimitar; but theministers of a religion like that of JesusChrist, founded on enlightened principlesand requiring a rational worship, can neverpromote its respect and defence by measuresof violence and rigour.· Can any enlightened* Rom. ~. xii. v.L ff OlJuoro 'D08,,ftatru,per mistri-

8

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Spaniard be found to exist who, jealous ofthe glory of his nation, which having atlength reached the happy day when thechains of despotism are broken asunder andthe voice of truth heard among us, shall failto cry out against a tribunal that wears thecross of Jesus Christ accompanied by thesword of Nero as the boasted emblem of itsauthority? Is there anyone so prejudiced asnot to discover, on the slightest reflection,that a tribunal which presents the monstrousaspect of meekness supported by terror, farfrom doing honour to the Gospel and humanreason, only deserves to find a place in thebook of Mahometan precepts.The coat of arms used by the Inquisition .

is a green cross on a black field, with anolive-branch on the right side and a nakedsword on the left; and this motto, takenfrom Psalm lxxiii. v. 22, placed round:f' Eaurge, Domine, judica causam tuam,"Arise, Lord, plead thine own cause ;-the-original text however is Deus and not Domine.Whoever was the author of this motto couldnever have read in the Gospel that God didnot send his son to condemn the world, but

cordia", Dei ut ezhi6eatu corpora sestra hostiam .'Vi'Ventem.aneta", Deo plar:entem, rationabil« Qbsequium oestrum;"

G2

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84 INQUISITION UNMASKED. [CHAP. IH.

to save it; since, otherwise, he must havediscovered the great contradiction containedin the above motto, and its entire want ofanalogy with the doctrine whose defence isalluded to.'*' This application is not lessimproper than the use frequently made inthe same manner of the words of Galatians,chap. vi. y. 14. "Nobis autem absit glori-ari, nisi in cruce Domini nostri Jesu Christi,"But God forbid that I should glory, save inthe cross of our Lord Jesus Christ ;-sinceSt. Paul, in the same chapter, recommendsmildness towards those who may have erred. tHow could the Apostle ever have imaginedthat his authority was, in time, to serve touphold such a system of rigour, when <thesame was so contrary to his intentions? And,if the Inquisition has thus so wrongly inter-preted the Scriptures, why should it appearstrange that there is so little conformity be-tween the two? I ought not, however, to

* S. Johan, cap. iii. v, 17. Ct Non enim misit DeusFiliumsuurn in mundum, ut judicet mundum, sed Ilt salvetuT mun-dus peT ip,um."

t Ad Galat. cap. vi. v.1. " Eratres, et SiPTO!occupatusfierit homo in aliquo delicto, 'VOl qui spirituales estis, hajUl'modi illStrllite in spiritu lenitati" consid"'Qnt te ipsum, ne Ittu t61lteriB/'

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r.:» .J~"~' ,>/:0/1 y//!< ,JUII .; a'Yl/', -

p, dIn!.? //.1,,<1 ~1//":,..hl/"I'(I.~tii;>/I./il/'/Il

;;/WI N/I I ?.-1/ ~/NI (~~;/ U'/~;/(:{/~Z1 h-,

//!~./t It'hl/li/;w 7' /"'(l./J, .I:m%/Iy /he, "

/Nhl/hl/ 1//h ~"{/It, ("/( Y/, ~ . "j(j'(7fJ.

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forget to notice that the green colour,so much in vogue with the inquisitors,is also held sacred by the priests of Ma,hemet." .;Truth requires no foreign aid for its sup-

port, and the means by which it makes rapidprogress is to announce it with dignity. Simi.lar to the stars which shine by their ownlight, it borrows no aid to dissipate the dark.ness of error, whereas the latter only gainsground by dark intrigue or violent practices.Truth, by merely hewing her face, gains allhearts; and her empire is so sweet as toresemble the most perfect freedom. Tyrants,to whom the accents of truth are unknown,derive from error the grounds by which they

'I/< Vide plate No. 1. The original edict of the Inquisi-tion from which this plate is taken, besides the mistake ofDomine for Deus, which of itself proves how little theinquisitors handle the Bible, contains two other traitsof the ignorance so peculiar to this tribunal, which wehave conceived it our duty to correct on the presentoccasion, since no less than three blunders occur in fivewords. The first is an hispanism in the verb eJ:urge, con-formably to which it is by them written esurge, with sinstead of :c, as pronounced in some provinces of Spain,where the genius of the language tends to avoid doubleand compound consonants. The second is the insertion ofet judica, instead ofjudica alone, in conformity to the text,b which means the sentence is greatly enervated, -

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S6 tNQUISITION UNMASKED. [CHAP. W.

call themselves lords over great empires,when, perhaps, they rule over no other thanvast wildernesses, since they cannot conciliatethe affections of a single heart. The heart ofman does not yield to base or violent means;its innate nobleness obliges it to detest everything that is surprize and coercion. Even sup-posing it was at length persuaded by thiseloquence of tyrants, it would reach the con-queror sad and dejected, and again escapefrom his power, as soon as its trammels ofconfinement were broken.'Vhat then are the arms which ought to

be employed in the defence of the religion ofJesus Christ? Ought they to be those oftruth or of error? If we were to say thelatter, all the examples presented in history ,of conquest made by the faith would rise upin judgment against us. No one can bepointed out that has not been owing to thedemonstration of truth, and the moderatemanner in which it has been displayed. Itmay, therefore, be affirmed without rashnessthat the sincere conversions made by the Inqui-sition have been none, or very few, from theirhaving originated in terror rather than persua-sion. Inexorable punishments employed inthe support of a doctrine most assuredly must

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render it suspicious; for, according to whathas already been laid down, it conveys theidea that the understanding would not other ..wise embrace it, notwithstanding its naturalpropensity to the truth. For this same reason,if it were credible that this tribunal had ob..tained the conversion of the many thousandvictims it has condemned to grievous corpo ..real punishments after they had been recon ..ciled, it would also result, that the meansleast analogous to influence the understandingand will were the best to attract man to theCatholic faith; and, consequently, that thelatter was not the true religion, inasmuch asthe arms of truth would not appear so wellsuited to sustain and propagate it as those. of error.

Whatever be the intention with which weapply means to obtain an object, it is evidentthat these ought to be proportioned to the endin view; for, as all have a natural tendencytowards their object, we shou~d. otherwiseattain this by using means contrary. to thosewe at first proposed. Under this supposition,when the violence employed for the attain ..ment of an object is diametrically oppos-dto the means connected therewith, insteadof carrying us to the point in view, it would

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lead us to the opposite one, as the nature ofthings, in this case, would have more powerthan the caprice of the agent. And, as theconversion of a heretic consists in the changeeffected in his ideas and sentiments with re-gard to religion, and fresh ones being inspiredinto him, whenever violence is used' it willonly serve to make him adhere more perti-naciously to his first opinions. It would reallybe a phenomenon in the moral feelings of aman who, being outraged under pretext ofhis happiness, should not avenge himself, bydenying to his oppressor that satisfaction hewould derive from a victory, Thus would ithappen, that he who has sufficient courageto brave death will remain unalterable, willsport with the impotence and cruelty of hispersecutors, and run to the place of execu-tion as if to a triumph. On the contrary, theweak man, terrified by the idea alone of tor-ments, will externally abjure his errors underas many forms as may be prescribed to him,and in his heart will detest the authors ofhis oppression and perjury. The strong, inthese cases, support the whole weight of thepersecution, but the hypocrites fare best,and, for that reason, will always be mostnumerous.

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Since man is a creature 3,S noble for hisunderstanding as he is unhappy for the fa..cility with which he is carried away by hispassions, with what circumspection oughthe not to treat his fellow-creatures, when heis sensible of the great condescension hehimself requires? The undeniable principlesin which we all agree are very few in number;but the consequences derived from them areinfinite; because the manner in which weview their relations is infinitely varied. Edu-cation, the beings which surround us, and athousand other causes, imperceptibly actupon us, and hold powerful influence overour judgments, by modifying in numberlessways our perception of objects, and present-ing them perhaps under every shape but theprimitive and natural one. Do we not fre-quently see propositions meet with contra-diction when they appear to us palpablyclear, by merely being combated by objec-tions almost as strong as the proofs on whichthey rested? On the other hand, the intellec-tual faculty of man having no precise andexact measure of the vigour with which heexercises its operations, neither has he anyof the quantity of light he requires to call

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90 INQl1ISITION UNMASKED. [CHAP. III.~them into action; so that what.to one manappears simple' and evident to another seemscomplicated and obscure; and even withrespect to the understanding itself, it oftenhappens that that is absurd to-day which yes-terday bore the aspect of truth. Conse-quently, to pretend to convince others by ourown judgment is to endeavour that theyshould see through our own eyes; or rather,it is to oblige them to be led on blindfolded,and without any other plea than force. It is,speaking of religion, to make them victimsof their own' ingenuousness, if they havethe courage to confess they are (lot con.vinced; or of hyocrisy, jf they are divestedof this courage, which is most commonlythe case.It must therefore be deemed self..evident

that the system of rigour adopted by thoInquisition, in order to oblige those to returnto the Church who have wandered therefrom,besides being useless from the means beinginadequate to the object in view, produces aeODtrary effect by causing them to continueUlOrc obstinately firm in their primitive re-solve .. hen they appear most to give. it up_It equally follows that the Catholic religion,

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by being sustained by false zeal, experiencesreal injury; for the dogmas of faith are in acertain degree confounded with error whenthey are defended with its arms; and thefaithful also are mistaken for those whoonly feign to be such, when the latter, insteadof being excluded from Christian communion,are obliged to continue therein at the riskof scandalizing the rest by that luke-warmnessso natural to one who acts from compulsionand not conviction.Strange, indeed, are the contradictions dis-

covered in the proceedings of this tribunal.It has subjected culprits to an examinationunder torture, in order to wrest from theirmouths the truth with regard to their belief;and, at the same time, has placed them onthe scaffold when they have refused to com-mit a falsehood, not to act treacherously totheir own-sentiments and to the truth. Suchconduct would be pardonable if a forced andpurely mechanical 'Worship was pleasing tothe Creator; but if it is the intention thatgives value to human actions--« if the prefer-able worship is that of the heart,-if it is thespirit of those who adore the Celestial Fatherwhich makes their adoration real,-whatglory can result to this infinite Being by such

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outrages ?llo How can he have been pleasedwith those offerings made to him by theInquisition of somany unhappy victims, terri.fied by its threats, or exterminated by itsrigour? The priests of ancient Mexi'co wereimpressed with the idea that they appeasedtheir deities by ,offering to them the heartsof the wretched persons chosen for thesehorrid sacrifices, torn by main force out oftheir entrails.t And, forsooth, do not ourInquisitors resemble them?Examples are not wanting in this tribunal

to confirm the inutili~y of.all violent measures

• s. .roh~. cap. iy. y. 23. f< Sed venit hor« el nrmeut,quando 'Veri adoratores arlorabunt Patrem in spiritu etseritate. Nam et Pater tales qUtEritqui adorent eum.-v.24.0. Spiritus est Deus, et eos qui adoranf eum in spirituriwritate typortet adorare."t The mode of offering sacrUice among the ancient

Mexicans was by placing the human victim Of} a large fla~stone or slab, which stood on the upper area of the tem-ple, when the Topiltzin or high-priest dexterously openedhis side with a knife formed of flint, and tearing out the.heart, whilst yet bleeding, he offered it to the sun, andafterwards threw it at tile feet of the idol invoked. (VideClnvigero, book vi.) This was done under the idea thatthe Divinity was most pleased with the offering of theheart of man; and hence was it common among theMexicana to say, that aburning heart w88 moet acceptableto God.-TJl.

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in matters of religion. One of them is evincedin what happened, about the year 1334, witha clergyman of the name of Benanat, a resi-dent of Villafranca del Panades, in the princi-pality of Catalonia. Whilst a prisoner, andcondemned to the flames together withtwo companions, he consented to be-placedon the faggots rather than retract from hiserrors; but when one of his sides wasscorched, and the pain had become so greatthat he could no longer endure it, he criedout to be removed from thence, for he wasready to abjure. He was, consequently, takendown, and, on abjuring, was reconciled tothe Church; but, fourteen years afterwards,it was discovered that he had continued un-der his former erroneous maxims. Imprisoneda second time, and placed on the burningpile, as in consequence of his having relapsedhe had now no pardon to expect, he diedpersisting in his contumacy, as most proba-bly he would have done the first time if'that sentence had. been, like the second,irrevocable. •What interesting but galling truths, what

just but 'poignant reproaches, would not

•. Eymeric, Director. Inquisit, part ii. qu<c&t.:xi. D. 5;part iii. n. 204.

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the tribunal of the Inquisition have heardfrom the mouths of the victims it so untimelyimmolated to the faith if they had been al-lowed to pronounce them? Now, at least,we may figure to ourselves one of themremonstrating, from the place of execution,with the members of that tribunal, in' con-formity to the very principles of the Ca-tholic faith, and indeed as one of the HolyFathers might have done, under the follow.ing terms:" What is it ye require of me, ye judges

who thus defend the religion of Jesus Christ?Is it that I renounce' my own opinion andacquiesce in yours! This command might beproper if it rested with myself to change myunderstanding, in order to decide on thereasons you comprehend" but whith. to meit is not given even to 'perceive. When tnylips were to pronounce the truth ye proposeto me, and which till now I have not known,would it depend on my own will that mysentiments were not conformable to mywords? Why then would ye force me tomOck your credulity, if ye hold my protestsas sincere; or why should I be perfidiousbefore God, and become ridiculous in youreyes, if, as prudent men, ye consider them

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as suspicious?* If I act with can dour andgood faith I draw down upon me all theinexorable vengeance of the law; but, bymaking use of duplicity and dissimulation,I become, in your opinion, deserving of par-don. As ministers of the God of truth, howis it ye think to increase his glory, by givingto him as adorers the weak and perjured?Suffer me to tell you, your conduct oughtto be very different with me. If I em-brace error, because I am dazzled by itsappearances of truth, I shall be no otherthan an impostor, and, at most, deserving ofyour contempt; whilst if I embrace it witha full knowledge before me, I shall be amadman, entitled to your pity rather thanyour indignation.'~t" Thy opinions," ye answer me, " deserve

punishment, because they contradict the in.

* Thus Tertullian, speaking of the persecutions whichthe heathens raised against the Christians for their opi-nions in matters of religion, in hisA pol oget. cap.JCxvn. n.I,observes: " Sed 1J"idmtt. demt:lJli4ff11 uUtifft(J1I# •. qupd ,Mum

poanmru d sacrijicaTt! ill prmle1lli, eI ilta!8i abiTe, manenteapad anim,un proposito, obstinationem ·saluti pTtl!feramus.Datis scili«t COtfsilium (jUO vobis alnaamur:"t The same Tertullian, Apolog. cap. xlix. n.2. "&d

ira 4J#rumodi error si .tique irrisione judicandum est, 1I0agltnliis If ;g"i!Jus, crucilnu et ben;is."

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fallibility _of God himself in the dogmas ofreligion;" but, I would ask, is it by fire andsword that these dogmas are rendered morecredible? If the most obvious truths becomeobscure under the sensations of pain, willthose which exceed our capacity be then ren-dered more perceptible? And even grantedthat I am unfaithful to the Divinity, is it yewho are' charged to avenge his cause? Mayit not rather be said, that it is your owninterests and not those of God; a spirit offaction, and not a zeal for religion, whichimpel you to anticipate his justice ?* And ifthe virtue most pleasing to him is charity;can an holocaust be gratefu) t<? him, in whichye so egregiously infringe,its precepts? Whowill De induced to believe that ye pity myaberrations when ye_hasten my ruin, which,possibly, at a futur time I might havet

* S. Johan. Chrysos, Homil. xxix; in Mattb. C'ap. ix,v, 1, n.B, "Multi dum Deum vindicare videntur, suisindulgent ajJectihus, quum oportet omnia cum mansueiudinetractare. Etenim universorum Deus, qui fulmen vihrarepotest in eos qui ipsum hlasphemiis impetunt, ~olem suum .orin curat, imbres emittit, ceteraque omnia largiter sup-peditat; quem imitari nos oportet, yogare nempe, monere,insiluere, cum mansueiudine non irasci, non tdf'terari. Nequeenim ex blasphemia quid nocumenti ad Deum accedit uttu eacandescas, sed qui blasphemavent ipse'Vulnus accepitl'

7

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escaped? How is it ye can feel an interestfor my salvation when ye cut short that timeGod had, perhaps, granted me for my con-version? Neither does it suffice that yeshould consider my' malady as incurable,since the Church, as a tender mother, neverdespairs of the recovery of her children,"If I merit death, because I object to- truthfrom not knowing it, what punishment oughtnot ye to undergo, who, knowing it, treat itwith no less regard than ye do error? Confessrather that it is distrust in that religion whoseeternal duration ye blazon forth, as promisedby its author, and not its belief, that impelsyou to sustain it in a manner so foreign to

it The saine S. John Chrysostom, commenting. on theparable of the wheat and the tares, in his Homil. xlvi. onMatth. cap. xiii, v, 24, observes; "ilis autem duobus •ratiociniis mouetur (Pater familias) ad illos servos cohi-eendo~: primo quodfrumentum non lcederent ; secundo quodini (haretici ) incurabili morbo laboraniis, luituri essent,Quapropter si 'Vii illoe puniri sine frumenti noxa, expectatempus oportunum, Quid autem aliud sihi 'Vult quum dicit :.Ne eradicetis simul et triticum, quam hoc quod dicimus?Si anna mooeaiis ut hareticos occidatis, multos etiam sane-tOtum una occidi necesse est, 'Veletiam multi ex istis zizaniisut 'Verisimile est, cbnvertentur in .frumentum. Si ergo priusillos eradicetis, frumento etiam venturo nocebitis, si iUosqui mutari et boni tjJici possunt eradicetis, Non igitu,prohihet hcereticos reprimere, sed occidere uetat:"VOL. I.

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the wl)rk qf Godl and so much opposed tothe sentiments of humanity." [may perhapshave erred in not giving my assent to dogmasit was difficult for me to understand; but ye,:&8 ministers of a religion it is your duty touphold, discredit it by means of terror: nay,ye even deny it in a solemn manner by attri-buting to it a character which only belongsto sects founded by men, whereby its falsityis argued."!" Cease then, and cease, also, ye miserably

deluded people, to celebrate among your-selves as a triumph the punishment ye

"" St, Athallusius, in some measure excusing the Catho-lic bishops who, compelled by the Arians, had embracedtheir sect, in his Hist. Arian. ad Monach, 11. 33, observes:.. Quod si indecorum. omnino fuerit, Episeopos quosdamhorum (danmorum) ftrmidine senteniiam mutasse, multoIUIne indeceniius, hominumque sua: senteniia diffidentiumest, vim i7iferre. ae ,in'Vietos cogere. Non esim gladiis auttelis, non militum manu veritas pradicatur, sed suasioneet consilio. Quamam autem ibi suasia ubi Imperatoris

flrmido' Aut, quodnam consilium ubi 'qui almuit exili~tandem 'Velmorie mulctatur? "t The same 8. Athanasius says of the sect of Arius,

ibid. n. ,67: " Quos serbi« nequit ad .suam adducere senten-tiam, has 'Vi, has plagis, et ccrceribus ad se trahere nititur,propalamque facit se quid'IJis potius, quam religionelflesse. Religionis quippe propriU11l est non cogere 3edpersuaders;"

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prepare' for my constancy, or, if ye choose,my obstinacy, since it has even rested withmyself to deprive you of this exultation. Atleast spare to the Catholic religion, if yereally seek its respect and increase, the shamethat its victories should depend on the willof its enemies." Rather declare that it hasnot been the rights of the Divinity, but thelaw of the strongest, which has braced yourarm to vengeance; and this not for the pur-pose of doing good, but to sustain hypocrites,and add to their number."-With reasoningsof this kind might anyone of the many vic-tims which have perished in the hands ofthe Inquisition have remonstrated with hisjudges, if the authority lavished by kings onthis tribunal had-suffered him to utter hissentiments. It is forced dissimulation then,

• Tertullian, reproaching the Roman people for the'pleasure with which they witnessed the execution of themartyrs, in his Apologet. cap. xlix, D.2, uses the followingwords: h De 'lua iniquitate sa:vititE, non modo Cl6cunl hoc'VUlgusesultat, sed et quidam oestrum; quibus favor vulgide ini'lmtate captatur, gloriantur, qUilli non tatum quodin nos 'POteltis nostrum sit ar/;itnum. Certe Ii velim Christi-anus sum; nunc ergo me damnabis si damnari oelim.Quum vera quod in file pates, nisi velim, 110npates, jam mea

'lJoluntatis est quod pates, non tua potestatis:"

H 2

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100 I QUISITION UNMASKED. [CHAP. m.and not the sincere conversion of the heartthat is produced by measures so inconsistentin themselves. *Nothing, in short, can better prove the

violent system on which the Inquisition isfounded, and, consequently, its inefficacy to'" The Author of tire work entituled " The Tribunal of'

the Holy General Inquisition of Spain vindicated from thesophisms of false philosophy," speaking of the just reasonsthe Church mayor may not have to oblige the waywardto return to its bosom by means of corporal punishments,and what influence this may have over the understanding,thus observes: "Since all the corrections and chastisementsused to sustain the honour of religion have not even beensufficient, would spiritual arms alone sufficefor the Churchto triumph over the whole power of Hell ? Would persua-sion of itself be sufficient to propapate truth and dissipateerror? 'Would reasons suffice for the understanding, theonly means of defence and attack used in spiritual wars?What ignorance! In the king's tribunals do we not conti-nually see most severe punishments in recent executions?Do we not also meet with some cruelties in the administra-tion of justice which exceed the bounds of humanity andright reason? Are the punishments inflicted by the.Inqui-sition different from those used by these tribunals? Doesnot the only difference consist in the execution beingchanged into other hands? And shall a circumstance somerely formal as this become an object of indignation ?"-I shall refrain from making any comment on this multitudeof inconsistencies, for it is sufficient to present them iillrder to prove their futility.

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maintain the faithful in the belief and reduceapostates to their duty, than the frequentdisturbances it has caused among nations,either at the time it was erected or after itsfunctions' had commenced. It is in thesecases, that the natural repugnance which manhas to force being exercised under pretextof religion displays all its activity. Hencethe history of this tribunal is, on the onehand, a continued series of insurrections onthe part of nations which have either opposedor sought to throw off its yoke; and, on theother, of the assassinations of inquisitors, ofwhom the aggrieved took secret vengeancewhen they found it impossible totally toemerge from their slavery. Omitting the lattercases, as less relevant to my subject, I shallconfine myself to the mention of popularinsurrections, and only insert such as aremost deserving of notice. .In Parma, in the year 1279, after the In-

quisition had sent numberless persons tothe flames, the indignant people rose andliberated a lady of rank whom its officerswere one day carrying away to prison. Theyimmediately proceeded to the convent ofthe Dominicans, who had charge of the tri-bunal, sacked it" beat the friars, and turned

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them out of the city." In 1420,a~ommotion,which lasted three days, broke out in Valen-cia, in consequen e of Alphonsus V. attempt-ing to introduce the Inquisition there, whenthe military resisted its establishment themost.t Another popular commotion tookplace in Zaragoza, in the year 1485, whentheir Catholic Majesties Ferdinand and Isa-bella established it there according to thenew plan of Torquemada.t The Aragonese,

• Paramo, De Orig, S.Inquisit. lib. ii. tit. ii, cap. xxx.n.13.t Ibid. lib. ii. tit. it cap. ix. n.5.t Juan de Torquemada was the chief founder of the

Inquisition in Spain. He was a Dominican friar, andconfessor to Queen Isabella before she ascended ebethrone. Previous to her marriage with Ferdinand bebad made her promise if ever she attained the crownto use all her exertions to extirpate heretics and infidels.On the union of Aragon and Castile the power of theirCatholic Majesties was so much increased, that they re-solved to expel the Moors from Granada and the otherpoints they still held in the Peninsula. Success crownedtheir efforts, and a considerable number of the Moorswere forced to cross over into Africa. Many, however,remained behind, and the king and queen agreed theyshould retain their property, on condition they renouncedtheir own religion. These miserable people, as well asthe Jews, who then abounded in Spain, were thus obligedto turn Christians; but this was only in exterior form,in heir hearts they still dung to heir ncient reJigioJ\

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flying to arms, refused to admit a tribunalof such a nature, on the plea that its judicialforms were opposed to the constitution andprivileges of the kingdom; and, notwith-standing they were afterwards compelled toconsent to its erection, it was only for a giventime, and under certain restrictions. * TheCatalonians did the same, when Lerida andother episcopal cities- rose uP,. so that theinquisitorial establishment was not imposedon Barcelona till two years afterwards.t An-other insurrection likewise too place in

and 'rltes. Torquemada, under pretext of the injuryreligion and the state would experience from this dissimu-Iation, solicited from the queen a compliance of herpromise. Her remonstrances had their due influence overthe mind of the king, and they consented to receive theInquisition into all the dependencies of their two crowns.Pope Sixtus IV. issued the necessary bulls, and madeTosqeemada a cardinal in return Cor his services. Theking and queen named him Inquisitor General, and hisconduct perfectly corresponded to their choice. Duringthe fourteen years he enjoyed this dignity, historians reportthat lie caused 100,000 persons to be tried, of whom 6000"ere condemned to the flames. From this time (1684)the Inquisition prospered in all Spain, and uniformlyfollowed in the rear of her conquests.c-Tn,* Z\lfita, Anales de Aragon, lib. xx, cap. In.-Antonio

Pere2. " Relacion del 2+ de Mayo, y 24 de Sep."t Llorente, Anales de la Inquisicion, cap. iii. n.12.

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Zaragoza in the year 1590, to which theInquisition equally gave rise. toIn 1506, whilst Father Diego Deza, who

had been confessor to King Ferdinand theCatholic and a great favourite of his, of theDominican order, and also Archbishop ofSeville, filled the chair as Inquisitor General,a tumult took place in Cordova, in conse-quence of the proceedings of this tribunal.

. Rodriguez Lucero, Inquisitor of that city,persecuted the converted Jews in so cruel amanner that the people felt for their hard-ships, and rose in their behalf. So great washis bitterness and fury against those unhappypeople that, ina boasting manner and by wayof a proverb, he used to say, "Give me aJew, and I'll render him back to thee burnt,( Damele Judio, '!J dartele. he quemado.)" Themob proceeded to the Inquisition with theMarquis de Priego at their head, who patron-ized them from being the lord of the country;and, bursting open the doors, set aU the pri-soners at liberty, but Lucero escaped on horse-back. The King, being informed of the event,caused Deza to give up his office of Inqui-

.. Lupercio Leonardo de Argensola, Infol'lD8eion delos SUcel108del Reina de Aragon, en los ADos 1590 y1591, cap. ;q:s:. '

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sitor General, and conferred it, on CardinalXimenes de Cisneros, ordering him, at thesame time, to commence a prosecution against.the Inquisitor of Cordova. On the latter beingarrested and brought to the castle of Burgosthe proceedings were re-instituted, and thawitnesses examined of whom he was said tohave availed himself tor the perpetration ofso many outrages. The sentence merelydeprived him of his office of Inquisitor, andhe was afterwards sent to fill a canonry whichhe obtained in Seville; but there is no doubtthat the recommendation of the. king toCisneros powerfully contributed to his beingtreated with this humanity, for, on naming thelatter as judge, his Majesty· gave him an in-junction to spare the honour of Deza,andconsequently of the Inquisition."In the republic of Venice, in the valley of

Camonica, the territory of Brescia, in theyear IS 18,the inquisitors tried several personsfor the crime of heresy, contrary to the sti-*. Alvaro Gomez, De Rebus ge8tia Fran~. Ximenii,

lib. iii.-Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, ~uerra de Granadacontra 106M:oriscos,lib. i, The above saying of Luceroappears from an ancie't manuscript note, placed in. themargin of the said passage of Alvaro Gomez in the printedcopy possessed by the inquisitor and bishop of Ca~. DOD

JozeEscaJzo Miguel.

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pulations entered into between the Pope andthe Venetian government, by virtue of whichthese causes appertained to the civil power,from which circumstance serious injury aroseto the parties concerned. In consequence ofthis affair a great ferment was excited amongthe people; and the Council called Of theTen, having ordered the inquisitors to appearbefore it for the purpose of rendering in anaccount of their conduct, the magistratesannulled the proceedings and named freshjudges, and even after this it was with thegreatest difficulty that the sedition was ap-peased.?In Majorca, about the year 1525, and

during the war of the Comunidades, t thepatriots under the direction of the Bishop ofElvas, who happened to be there, flocked tothe Inquisition with an intention to bum itto the ground, undoubtedly because theyconsidered such an establishment as inimical

'" Sarpi, Discorso dell' Origine, Forma, Leggi, ed UsadelI' Offiziodella Inquisisione &c.,t Comunidades (Communities) mean the Juntas or

assemblies of the deputies from each town of 'Castile,which, on the part of the people, they represented, op·posed the views of the Emperor Charles V. whence a waroriginated between the monarch and his subjects, towhichthe above name was given.-TR.

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to civil liberty, but the bishop of Palma, capi-tal of the island, who was a royalist, arrivedin time and was enabled to restrain them.The inquisitors, not considering themselvessafe, secretly fled from the island, whitherthey did not return till the endeavours of thepeople were frustrated by the adverse fateof arms, when the commotions ceased, andthe ancient system of oppression was againestablished."However one of the most terrible commo-

tions caused by the Inquisition was that ofNaples in 1546. I shall here extract the cir-cumstantial account given of it by BishopSandoval, retaining, as much as I can, hisown words: " Don Pedro de Toledo was atthat time Viceroy of Naples, a man moreennobled by birth than the qualities of hismind. The Emperor Charles V. had orderedhim to create an Office of the Holy Inquisi-tion there, under the same forms as thoseadopted by their Catholic Majesties in Spain. .This measure was attended with great diffi-culty, because the Neapolitans, as well asevery other nation except the Spanish, con-sider this tribunal as insufferable, and more

,. Paramo De Orig. S. Inquisis.Iib. ii, tit. ii. cap. ii.n, 40.I

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than rigorous. Before the Viceroy proposedhis determination to the council, he managedto put several persons into office on whoseconcurrence he could rely. When he thoughtthe propitious moment had arrived for bring-ing forward the matter, he proposed it withall possible moderation, magnifying to thepeople the great service that would therebybe rendered to God and the Emperor, andhow much his Majesty desired it for the goodof the kingdom. The alteration produced inthe minds of everyone, on hearing that itwas attempted to introduce the Inquisitionamong them, was very remarkable. All criedout that they would rather suffer themselvesto be torn to pieces than consent to a mea-sure so harsh and dangerous."" The Viceroy was under the necessity of

temporising, owing to the difficulty he metwith, and at first judged it would be impossi-ble to carry the measure into execution, sogreat was the opposition among all thepeople, nobles as well as lower orders. Butafterwards, that it might not appear as if hehad. been forced to yield, he again insisted onthe measure proposed, and named the in-quisitors. One day, early in the morning, thepeople assembled in the square, and in order

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that no division might arise between thenobles and people, which it was feared theViceroy was plotting, they formed amongthemselves a league and termed it Union, bywhich they bound themselves by oath tofavour andhelp each other against any personwhatsoever who should attempt to alter thestate or interfere with their liberties. Whilstthings were in this crisis it happened that aman was carried prisoner through the streets,who cried out that they were taking him asa prisoner to the Inquisition. The inhabitantsrushed to arms, and, taking a crllcifixfortheir standard, cried aloud, " Union in theservice of God and the Emperor, and couragein defence of our city." The Viceroy ordereda party of musketeers to advance from thecastle, and directed them to .kiH every one--found under arms. At the same time thethree castles commenced a fire of heavy gunsagainst the city, which did the most materialinjury to the buildings. They fought threedays successively, and when each party wastired of slaughter a truce was agreed on, andemissaries were sent to the Emperor. Duringthis commotion all the people were so in.censed against the Spaniards that even thesmallest villages rose up against them, so

\

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110 INQUISITION UNMASKED. [CHAP.m.

Dluch was the whole kingdom agitated.Capua, Nola, Aversa, and all the graincountry round, were declared in a state ofrebellion. ""Placidio Sancho, one of those who had

been sent with a report to the Emperor, atlength arrived at Naples, and declared thatit was the will of his M~ty for them to laydown their arms, and, pub~i8hingJL generalpardon, he executed thirty of the vehiefs,whom the Viceroy was particularly orderednot to spare. Twenty-four galleys also ar-rived, and in them tOOO Spanish troops.In consequence of this the principal ring-leaden led away together wita many others,and the city was left half deserted. Of thepersons implicated in this affair, some passedover to France, losing their property andeountry for ever '; others, to .the greatestnumber, in six years' time obtained full par-don. The Emperor condemned the countryto pay a fine of 100,000 ducats, besides theexpenses and damages occasioned by thisiBSUrrection; and further ordered that N~ples,tOr 40 miles round, should be entirely dis-arined. The inhabitants of Naples weregreatly afllicted at these events. and manyabandoned the country, judging it an un-

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happy lot to remain there, notwithstanding,in the opinion of everyone, it is the mostagreeable residence in the world.".So far our historian Sandoval, Who is

there, on beholding the evils brought uponthe Neapolitans by their resistance to theInquisition, and reasoning according to thepolicy of the age, will venture to assert thatprinces ought to be sole judges of the natureand tendency of religious doctrines, and thatthe people are implicitly bound to obeytheir dictates? 'Vhat compact exists betweenboth, as a basis of their respective relations,to authorize an assumption of power so mon-strous as this? Rather may it not be saidthat ~ ruin of nations is inevitable when,abandoned to the caprice of him who go.-verns, they have no will of their own; whenthey arc divested of a constitution, or aredeprived of the means to cause it to berespected? Wretched however as ·was thefate of the Neapolitans, Charles V. waanever-theless obliged to desist from his purpose ofestablishing' the Inquisition among them;nor was the attempt attended with any otherConsequences than those of adding hatred to

* Sandoval, Historia del Emperador Carlos V. Jib. xxix.§ xxxiv.

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his own name, and exciting' in the peopleof Naples fresh proofs of that same horrorthey had evinced against the tribunal intime of Ferdinand the Catholic, and whichthey again repeated during the reign ofPhilip II.'*'Another circumstance occurred at Rome

in 1559, also occasioned by the Inquisition.The people hated Paul IV. roi-"several rea-sons, but principally for the great encourage-ment he gare to this tribunal, which Paul III.had just established. So great was the zealwith which the above pontiff patronized thenew institution that,whilst he was yet cardi-nal, he hired a house to serve as a prison,secured the doors with strong locks andbolts, and procured an assortment of stocks,manacles, and other instruments, at his ownexpense, notwithstanding he lived .in a veryeconomical manner, On his death the peoplerose out of gladness, cast down and brokehis statue, and ..threw the pieces into theTiber. They instantly proceeded to theInquisition, and, forcing open the doors,ill-treated a Dominican friar, commissary of

it PiraIno, De Orig. S. Inquisit, lib. ii, tit. ii. cap. x.n. 50-Luis Moreri, Diction. Histor, Art. {}tuna, (D~Pedro do Giron primer Duque de.)" -

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the tribunal, leaving him for dead; and nextburnt the archives, doors, windows, and everything else they found in the building. Theythen directed their course to the convent ofLa Minerva, in. order to plunder and. burnit; which they would have done, had. notthe authority of respectable persons inter-fered to restrain their fury. I ought here toobserve, that it was not the populace ofRome that thus displayed their animosityagainst the tribunal; persons of the greatestdistinction were also its enemies, amongwhom were several prelates and ecclesiastics,who complained that Cbristian liberty wasthereby trampled upon. oil:In Milan .likewise, in the year 156~, an

insurrection took place from motives of asimilar nature. Pius V. proposed, and evenSolicited, Philip II. to establish the Inqui-sition in that kingdom, on the same planunder which it existed inSpain. The King,whether or not because he was fond of keep-ing the people in subjecoon, or was desirousof obtalnlng fr~m the Pope a grant of the

: • DomeWco Bernini, Istoria eli tune l'heresie, tom. iv,leCul. xvi. cap. vi.VOL. I. I

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Cruz ada and Subsidio, *' as well as the revenueof the mitre of Toledo to enable him to con-tinue the palace and convent of the Escurial,complied with his wishes; though some per-sons affirm that the first project originatedwith Philip himself However, as the aver-sion of the Milanese to this tribunal wasnotorious, and they had besides just lodgedtheir complaints before the Pope and theKing, by means of deputies sent to them, as

.". Crusada, or Crusade, was formerly a military expedi-tion promoted by the Pope against infidels by grantingindulgences to those who therein enlisted. By this meansnumbers flocked to the holy wars, wearing a cross ontheir clothes, whence they were called erose-bearers.Notwithstanding these romantic wars have long ceased,the Pope's bulls are still issued and in force in Spain, bywhich certain other indulgences and dispensations arenow granted; and, as each individual is in great measurebound to purchase one annually, the price of which isfixed according to rank, their sale in Spain and Americaproduces a large revenue, for the ,receipt of which a parti-cular court is established, over which a CommissaryG~neraJpresides. SUDsidio, also called Escusado, was an impostgranted originally by Pius V. to Philip n., and since con.tinued to the kings of Spain, by which they were allowedto appropriate to themselves the tythes of the largesttate of each l'arish throughout all the Spanish domi-

lIioDl. This fund WAil alao originidly intended againstinfidels.- TK.

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ell as before the Council of Trent, throughthe medium of their own bis-hops, it wasjudged advisable for some artifice to be usedfor its introduction. The means adoptedwere, that the archbishop of Milan, a. dignityat that time held by Cardinal Charles Barro-meus, should arm all his dependants, in orderthat the people might be thus accustomedto see an ecclesiastical c-ourt among themon a royal footing. I ought not to omit men-tioning that the prelates of Lombardy alsolaid a remonstrance before the Pope, pointingout to him the great power the said e tablish-ment would give to Philip in those state ,influenced as they were by an apprehensionthat if it was allowed there it would soonbe brought into all Italy: and they also madea representation to the archbishop, remindinghim how much his authority would be cur-tailed; but all their efforts were without effect.As Soon as the senate observed these mi-

nisters in the city with their arms, they seizedone of them, and disarming him in the pre-sence of his master, they proceeded to inflictthe torture upon him. The cardinal receivedthis act of justice performed on the person ofhis servant as an outrage committed againsthis dignity, and ordered (though he not

I~

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obeyed) the magistrates of the city, includingthe Duke de Albuquerque, its governor, toappear before him; fulminating at the sametime excommunications out against them.In the mean time the people took up arms,protesting they would never endure so tyran-nical a yoke as that of the Inquisition. Theycried out, that if it was tolerated in Spain, itwas owing to the converted Jews and Moors,who abounded there; but, as this was notthe case in Milan, such an establishment wasan insult to a Catholic kingdom like theirs.King Philip, being informed of the difficultiesattending the execution of his project, gaveit up altogether; by which means he pre·vented a great contention which the aboveaffair was about to produce in the Councilof Trent.s Referring to this commotion inMilan, the inquisitor Luis del Paramo con-fesses that it was common for countries torise up when attempts were made to intro-duce the Inquisition into them.r

Luis Cabrera de C6rdoba, Vida de Don Felipe II.lib. vii. cap. xii,t These are his words: " Mediolant;nse 'Vulgus, ui carll-

",,,niter fit, commO'lJeriac obstrepere ctEpit, paulatim adanna concurritur, unioersaque civitas valde tumultuata,sl." De Orig, Inquisit. lib. ii, tit. ii, cap. xxx, n, 20. .

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Finally, everyone is aware that the LowCountries rebelled against Spain in conse-quence of the same king Philip persisting togive activity to the Inquisition, which hadbeen established there by his father CharlesV., though it had remained in a state ofsuspense, owing to the opposition of theinhabitants; and also to introduce it intoBrabant, where it had hitherto been irnpossi..ble to effect its erection." In the year 156'7,he consequently sent inquisitor Alonso delCanto to superintend its organization, under

* In 1550 Charles V. issued a decree for the establi •ment of the Inquisition in the Low Countries; but his sisterMary, queen of Hungary, then governess of these pro--vinces, feared the consequences of its being carried ip.toexecution. The measure therefore was not carried intoeffect till his son Philip II. came into power. The LowCountries then contained a number of leamed divines. who sought a reform in the Church, and had also become anasylum for various sects. The States remonstrated againstthe establishment, but Philip would be obeyed. The peopleat length broke out into open resistance, and commenceda revolution, the longest as well as the most obstinate and'heroic that was' ever known. The war lasted 60 years,was filled with numerous traits of valour and suffering, andeventually ended in favour of the people. The Inquisitionconsequently was the original cause of these horrors,and of the' great loss that thence ensued to the Spaniihc;:rown._Ta.

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the rigorous form the institution had assumedthrough the efforts of Torquemada, TheFlemish, who till then had lived under aconstitution somewhat liberal, and thereforetrembled at the bare name of the Inquisi-tion, seeing their privileges trampled t~ theground, and their remonstrances disregarded,appealed to force as the only refuge left them.All orders of society, from the hardy rusticto the highest nobles and clergy, rose upagainst the establishment with an enthusiasmonly equ lied by the implacable hatred withwhich they detested so monstrous an institu-tion. They considered it contrary to divineand hum n laws, more cruel than the greatesttyrants of history, and an infernal inventionintended to build up the fortunes of a fewwretches, insatiable in avarice and ambition,out of the spoils of honourable families andat the expense of public happiness. Theynext proceeded to form a regular con-spiracy, binding themselves to each other'said and defence, and calling down the angerof God and man if they laid down theirarms before they had completely securedtheir liberty. .The Duke of Alva, Don Fernando Alvarez

de Toledo, a good soldier but a sanguinary.

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character, proceeded to suppress this rebel-lion at the head of an army chiefly composedof veterans. The people, inexperienced inthe art of war and badly equipped, wereoverthrown in the first onsets, being unableto withstand the impetuosity and guardagainst the stratagems of the Spanish general.But neither these misfortunes, nor the atro-cious punishment inflicted by the duke onCounts Egmont and Horn, as 'well as on theother persons of distinction whom he orderedto be beheaded; nor the consternation Ispread throughout all the provinces by con-demning thousands of citizens to the sword,gallows, and flames, were able to induce thepeople to submit to the Inquisition; nor didthis parade of violence produce any othereffect than )to confirm the idea they alreadyentertained of its cruelty. Daily irritated stillmere, misfortunes only added to the courageof the insurgents, ,and they acquired ne

. energies when the heavy chains which theconquered, had to endure rushed upon theirminds, The result of the inconsiderate andoppressive plans of the Spanish govern-ment was the dismemberment of the SevenProvinces which afterwards constituted t erepublic of Holland, by which means the the

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colossal power of Spain was so greatly dimi-nished and the national character tarnished.But, in a political point of view, it is not

this loss alone to the Spanish monarchy thatcalls for our particular attention, when weexamine the insurrection excited in the LowCountries through a detestation of the Inqui ..sition. It is besides necessary to advert that,about the same time, this tribunal, refusingto allow the Moors of the kingdom of Gra-nada to retain the Arabic language, dress,and other usages received from their ances-tors, (things so difficult to wrest from aprejudiced people) had the impolicy to ha-rass them in such a manner as at length toforce them into a general insurrection. Inconseqllence of this, Philip II. had to dividehis forces, and was unable to disengage asufficient strength to insure the pacification ofthe Low Countries, whereby the flame ac-quired so strong and wide a spread that itwas afterwards impossible to extinguish it.By these, events, religion also suffered themost material injury, as well with regard tothe inhabitants of the above states as thoseof Granada; for the first, justly scandalized atthe unfeeling and violent spirit which actu-ated the Inquisition, galled by the ill-treat.

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ment they had experienced from the army,and confounding under the same idea theHames of Spain, Catholic religion, and Inqui-sition, gave greater latitude to all kinds ofsects, which from that time acquired highercredit and authority. On the other hand,many of the Moors of Granada who survivedthe field of battle were compelled to forsakethe land of their forefathers and cross overto Africa, where those who were Christians.in their hearts were obliged again to embracethe faith of Mahomet as a refuge from further. persecution. >II:

Pius V. was also the promoter of the aboveexpedition against the Low Countries, byadmonishing the King of Spain not to sufferthe Catholic religion to meet with any injuryin the above provinces, telling him that heought rather to go there in person to punishthe seditious. In like manner he encouragedthei~ governess, Margaret of Austria, by offer-ing her money and whatever else was withinhis reach, assuring her that the matter wasof such great moment that, according to hisown words, he would not hesitate to risk his

• Famian Estrada, De Bello Belgico, Decad. I. lib. ii.& v.-Guido Bentivoglio, Relazioni di Fiandra, part. i,lib. ij.-Hurtado de Mendoza, Guerra de Granada, lib. i.

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diadem upon it. On occasion of the victo-ries of the Duke of Alva over the rebels,the Pope sent him a hat and sword, deco-.rating him with these insignias as a defenderof the faith. It then appeared that the ex-treme ardour of Pius V. which so muchindisposed him with the people when he waa simple inquisitor, was by no means miti-gated, but rather increased, after his accessiorto the Pontificate. Whoever, on the onehand, reflects on this circumstance, and, onthe other, directs his attention, not so muchto Philip II. whose exertions in favour ofthe 'Inquisition beyond doubt originatedmerely in political views, but rather toCharles V., whose religious zeal has been somuch extolled, will readily admit that in the16th century there existed a mania and ragein favour of this tribunal. Nothing is astronger proof of this, at least with regardto the latter prince, than the regret heexpressed, during his retirement among themonks belonging to the convent of Juste,of having kept his word to Luther, to whomhe bad promised a safe passage to the diet ofWorms , alleging that such promises oughtnot to be kept with heretics, but that theinjury done to God ought to be avenged,

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and a timely stop put to the evil by causingthem to die. For this same reason he en-joined the inquisitors not to be indulgenttowards heretics, but in cases of impeni-tence to deliver them over to the flames,for no good could be expected from them,>Should there be anyone in the present

day of this same way of thinking, I wouldask him, what Charles V. would have gainedby destroying Luther, particularly as it musthave been done by the greate t po sible out.r ge on honour nd good faith! Undoubt-edly the s me a the Emperor igismundobtained by the death of John Bus, who,after being condemned by the Council ofConstance, was cast into the flames, notwith-standing passports and a safe conveyancehad been formally granted to him, when there ult was, that out of his ashes a civil wararose. The truth of my assumption is stronglyconfirmed by the ohservations of LegateContarini ; who; writing at that time to PopePaul IlL and the college of Cardinals res.pecting the state of Lutherani m in Germany,observes, that even when all the heads wereto die or be converted, persons of distinction

• Sandoval Historia del Emperador Carlos v, lib. xxxii.ix,

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s well ~s the common people would notchange their sentiments, in consequence ofinterested motives and the habits of contra-•diction. " When those disturbances first tookplace they might have been easily calmed, ifthe rights of the altar and of the throne hadbeen better understood, and if the Catholicshad acted with more moderation and thesectaries with less precipitation. But, as theevil was not then remedied, will it be just tocontinue to add irritation to it ?Such have been the enterprises of the In-

quisition and such its victories, as well withregard to individuals whose wills it has soughtto overcome, as entire nations when threat-ened with its iron sway. Yet, how many ofits crimsoned pages are we obliged to passover without notice l To exasperate andembitter the mind by inspiring it at the.sametime with duplicity; to carry dread and ter-ror throughout the land; to spread turbulenceamong nations and misery among fa~ilies,are the fruits which have been gathered fromthis baneful tree, from the very time it wasfirst planted. Introduced and alternately:expelled by force, oppression has been itsmotto in every country where its head was• Valcarce Desengarios filQllOficos, tom. iv. cap. iv. j v.

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reared, and execration the compani(;>llof itt;growth. In all times as well as in all ages,without even excepting Italy and Romeitself, the higher as well as lowest classes;the most indifferent secular as well as thezealous prelate, all have opposed to thisinstitution, notwithstanding it was the workof the Popes, a firm and decided resistance.All have equally shuddered at its approach,and all have uniformly dreaded the destructiveinfluence of its poisonous shade. And afterthe numerous testimonies of odium to thistribunal exhibited in the pages of history,and after the uniform sentiments of wholenations tending to confirm its reprobation,shall anyone yet venture to assert that its co-operation is the best defence of true religion,and the most adequate means of bringingback the wayward to the path they had for-saken ? Even if this institution had no otherargument against it than the horror in whichit has always been held, would not this alonebe sufficient to convince us that a religioneasentially mild, as is that of Jesus Christ,and instituted to captivate the whole universeby the attractions of truth, far from progress-ing under its influence, can only be attendedwith disaffection and contrariety?

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It may, however, be objected, that popularcommotions prove nothing against the Inqui-sition, since they equally existed against theapostles, and were excited for the purpose ofcounteracting the effects of their preaching;such, for example, were those of Ephesusand' of Jerusalem against St. Paul." .A mostmaterial difference, however, will be dis-covered in the two cases, if they are onlyimpartially examined. The apostles pro-mnlgated the gospel by leaving the liberty ofthe people to admit or reject it entirely UIl:-

controlled, and without availing themselvesof any other means than beneficence and per-suasion. The interruption, consequently, ofpublic tranquillity did not result from thedoctrine they preached, but from the machi-nations of individuals interested in its perse-cution; more especially of the sectarianpriests. Thus was it that the commotion ofEphesus was occasioned by the silversmithswho worked for the temple of Diana, becausethey discovered that through the prevalenceof the new religion they would lose all theircustomary profits; and that of J erusalern:waspromoted by the High Priest of the Sy,.nagogue and his ministers. For this reason,* Act. Apost. ~p. xix. v. 23, and cap. xxi. v. 9:1, &c.

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in none of the commotions which the Scrip-ture says originated in the preaching of theGospel, do we find any of those horrid symp-toms which uniformly accompany the insur-rections of the multitude when impelled bya sense of outrage. The contrary has beenthe case with regard to the Inquisition; thisinexorable tribunal, from its nature as well asthe terror by which it is distinguished, hasintroduced alarm and dismay into everycountry where a spark of public spirit yetremained, and where the love of liberty hadnot become totally extinct.Of the hypocrisy, as far as regards that

false devotion which has so much thrivenunder the shadow of this tribunal, and which,properly speaking, is the effect of ignorance,we shall speak when we come to considerthe war which the Inquisition has alwayscarried on against the sciences.

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CHAPTER IV.

The Mode qf Judicial Process established itithis Tribunal tramples to the Ground allthe Rights qf the Citizen,

OF no avail would be the wisest laws es-tablished for the order and government ofsociety, if the latter is divested of the autho-rity and necessary force to promote theirexact fulfilment; and since men have sub-mitted to public power in order to enjoyunder its protection the benefits of whichthey would otherwise be deprived, the hopeof these benefits and the dread oflosing them

, will always be a strong means of restrainingmankind within the bounds of duty. Theprimary instincts of man are rather of a dis-orderly nature, and it is reflection only thatleads us to sacrifice our passions to the in-terests of public order. Hence then havehope and fear always been considered as theprincipal bases on which social establishmentsrest, and the chief links by which humansociety is held together. Therefore, whilst

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the laws of economy give impulse to the firstof these passions, by leading the citizen to-seek his own happiness, and causing him topromote that of the political body" criminallegislation derives advantages from the second,by "threatening those with punishment whoshould attempt to disturb the quiet of therest. Nevertheless, neither the punishmentsassigned to crimes nor their prompt executionwill ever suffice to maintain public tranquil.lity, if the avenues leading to Courts of Jus-tice are not closed against the arbitrarinessof Judges and the machinations of calumny,and unless the law afford an equal remedyto all. Punishments would, otherwise, be asmuch dreaded by the innocent as the guilty;and even were they only inflicted on the de-linquent, they would not answer the purposefor which they were instituted, since the jus.tice of the punishment would be equally asdubious as the existence itself of the crime.In this case, man in society, far from ex-periencing that complacency which the lawsinspire when they insure his protection,'would be dismayed at the apprehension ofbeing unjustly condemned; criminal legisla-tion, consequently, ought to combine the

VOL.I. K

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130 INQUISITION UNMASKED. LCHAP. IV.dread of him who transgresses the law withthe security of him who thereby regulates hisactions. In a word, that tribunal can onlybe called just in which the delinquent doesnot hope to go unpunished, the innocentfears no injury, and the judges are deprivedof every means of acting in an arbitrarymanner.In conformity to these principles, what

idea are we to form of the Inquisition? Doesthe plan on which it is founded exclude allthe inconveniences Just enumerated? Un-fortunately it rather possesses all these, aswell as many others. The mode of conduct-ing the criminal process, viz. that part of'thelegislation which ought to be most simple andclear, in this tribunal is a confused labyrinth,from the mazes and windings of which thehonour and life of the accused can scarcelybe extricated. An impossibility; almost ab-solute on the part of the culprits to substan-tiate the justice of their cause, and a facilityalmost boundless on the part of the Inquisi-tion to aggrieve them, are the two principalhinges on which its judicial examinationsturn in criminal cases. Like an abortion,which it in fact is, of the ignorance and fana-

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ticism of the middle ages, its judicial formsin 'no way differ from the impurity of itsorigin; and its code is an assemblage of allkinds of barbarous legislations, till even ille-gality is therein reduced to system. A tribu ..nal which, regardless of every thing manholds sacred, such as good faith and respect tothe Divinity.forces him to utter the sentiments.of his heart in order that they may serve as amotive of condemnation-a tribunal which,surrounded by darkness, rests the issue of themost important affairs of which it takes cog-nizance on the impenetrable seer cy of itsproceedings-a tribunal, in short, .which fearsno one on earth, for to no one is it answer-able, not even to public opinion, whose cen-sure tyrants themselves have not escaped, ofwhat horrors must it not be capable, whatmonsters must it not harbour in its bosom?-It is therefore no longer a subject of wonderthat such a multitude of enormous crimeshave been committed by this tribunal, andrendered its name so odious-crimes so muchthe more revolting-and abominable, becausethey have been committed under the sanctionof religion.What I have already said in the preceding.

chapters to impartial minds might suffice toK2

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eonvince them of the defects and oppressivesystem of this inexorable institution; butthere are others so' blinded by prejudice asonly' to be moved by positive facts laid beforethem. Yet I am fully aware of the necessityof strong arguments, such as are founded onhistorical records, in order to strike thesenses and undeceive a certain class of men,in whom, from the strength of prior impres-sions fortified by custom, the imaginationholds despotic empire. It will consequentlybe, in great measure, facts that will hence-forward be presented; and in the first place Ishall proceed to examine the plan on whichthis tribunal is founded, and its method ofcarrying on judicial process. This task isthe less painful, because it will in a certaindegree evince that the obliquity of this insti-tution has emanated not so much from theexcesses of its ministers as the defective ele-ments of which it is composed, and the pecu-liar essence of its form of government. Itwill, besides, tend to point out the merits ofsome, who, notwithstanding the difficulties oftheir vicious ministry, 'have conducted them-selves therein with probity. And, as it is notmy wish to wound the feelings of anyone,particularly of persons who from their cha-

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racter are worthy of th'e greatest veneration,I will speak with all that confidence and free-dom which a good cause inspires; but myattacks will be directed against the establish-ment, and not against the members of whichit is composed. In like manner, in pointingout the practices which are now no longer inuse, I shall do full justice to the comparativemoderation by which of late years its affairshave been conducted; or rather I will tracethe philosophy of our own age, whose lights,noswithstanding every effort to exclude them,have been able to penetrate into the gloomyprecincts and dreary abodes of this Gothicestablishment.

AUTHORITY 0/ this Tribunal, under 'WhickTitle are comprehended the JUDGES and theirJpRISDICTION.

JUDGES are those who, under another name,are called Inquisitors. Of these it is onlynecessary to advert that the canon law re-quires in them the age of forty years, not-withstanding they only exercise part of theepiscopal ministry, for which that of thirtysuffices. Undoubtedly the popes prescribedthis more advanced age in the inquisitors,

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because they foresaw how easy it would befor them to abuse the authority confided totheir charge, unless they were possessed ofdiscretion and divested of the impetuosity ofyouth. jj< The same assumption makes itlikely that the errors of this tribunal have, ingeneral, rather originated in the want oftalent in its members, than in a decided in-tention to act wrong. Indeed the idea com-monly entertained of their abilities has notbeen very advantageous; nor is there a foreignauthor, out of the many who have declaimedagainst the Inquisition, that has failed to at-tribute to them this same defect. The fol-lowing testimonies will tend to substantiatemy charge.With regard I to the inquisitors of Italy,

John Calderini positively asserts the fact, andexhorts them to take counsel of experiencedmen, as most of them are ignorant of theprinciples and practice ofpub1ic law; adding,

*' De hseret, cap: Nolentes in Clement. "Nolentes,"says the Decretal, "splendorem solitum negotii fidei, peractus inducreto« # improbos quorumvis Inquisitorum hare-tice pravitatiS'fJ!«lsi tcnebrosi fumi caligine obscurari, sta-tuimus nullis ex nunc, nisi qui quadragesimum atasisannum attigerint, Wficium Inquisitionis -Fadicta: commi(#;n'luisitorilJus."

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that otherwise they would be in danger ofabsolving the guilty and condemning the in-nocent," Judges who are unacquainted withthe principles of right and the precepts of thecanon law,-l make no hesitation to say, can-not know their obligations, or be fitted to siton the bench. Respecting those of Portugal,Tavernier furnishes us with proofs, in whathe relates of a capucbin friar of the name ofEphraim' de Nevers,' who about the year1600, was a prisoner in the Inquisition ofGoa. When he was set at liberty, notwith-standing his great virtue and reserve, he couldnot refrain from complaining that no incon-venience he experienced was so great as thatof seeing his fate in the hands of such ideotjudges. Dr. Dellon affirms that he noticedthis circumstance some years afterwards,when he was a prisoner in the same .Inquisi-tion.t Hence do the Portuguese noblemensay, when they wish to joke about the back.

* Johan. Calderini, Tractatus de Heereticis, cap. vi. D. 1.C' Quia Inquisitores ul plurimum sunt juris ignari, et pas-sent ftciliter sic decipi ut absoloerent condemnandem, veldamna rent forsitan absoloendum, !Jebent circa occurrentiaprocessus communicare conslJ,iaperitorum in jure.t Dellon, Relation de l'Inquisition de Goa, chap, xxviii.

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wardness of their children at college, thatthey will put them into the post of inquisitorsor canons."Relating to the inquisitors of Spain, we

have the testimony of the two Attorney Ge-nerals belonging to the Councils of Castileand of the Indies, Don Melchor Macanazand Don Martin de Miraval, (nor is this theonly one of this kind I could quote,) who,in compliance with the orders of Philip V. todraw up a report respecting the Inquisitionand the means of its reform, make use of thefollowing ~ords: "Notwithsanding it usuallyocccurs that in this tribunal there are manylearned men, still it has happened that not afew, devoid of both learning and experience,have given rise to many repeated and gros~blunders, which in former times, as well as atpresent, would have required that restrictions-should be placed upon them."t Another

.. Narrativa da Perseguicad de Hippolito Joseph daCosta, written by himself, tom. i.t Consulta de los Fiscales de Castilla y Indias tocante

alas Materias de Inquisicion, part i,art. i, This is a largequarto work containing 357 leaves, a d now before me, inthe hand-writing of Macanaz, and signed by him.elf atMontalvan, in France, Feb. 16, 1720.

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proof of this is found in the upper colleges ofSpain, which are now extinguished. It is pub-. lic and notorious that everyone who crossedtheir threshold expected a rich prebend or agood gown at the end of his literary career,even when his progress pad not been great.But if there was anyone of so little talent,that according to the vulgar saying, hewanted common sense, the dignity of Inqui-sitor of the Faith was obtained for him; somuch so, that in this very acceptation the. two following verses of the hymn Pange Lin-gua, sung in the prayers of Corpus Christi,passed into a proverb among the collegiates,

Prastet Fides supplementumSensuum difectui.

What our weak senses can't descry,Let stronger faith the want supply.

I am fully sensible, as were the two Attor-ney Generals above named, that the Inquisi-tion has possessed some men celebrated fortheir learning as well as their virtue. Suchamong others, and without going out ofSpain, have been the two Inquisitor GeneralsXimenez de Cisneros and Sarmiento Valla-dares; but this will merely argue that thestigma of ignorance attached to the body at

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large ought not equally to extend to all its in-dividual members. Neither does it prove thatthe tribunal has failed to persecute literarycharacters because some few of its chiefs havepatronised them, as Sr. Sandoval y Roxas didCervantes, Espinel, and Salas Barbadillo;and Cisneros still more by the foundation ofan university. It is, besides, necessary toadvert that many of its judges, even whensensible of the defects of their institution andconvinced of its abuses, have been under thenecessity of temporising, not to clash withthe prejudices of their companions; for asprejudices are extremely dangerous in mattersof religion, they are considerably more so'in a despotic tribunal, whose members are ne-cessarily tyrants and slaves one of the other.The same may he said of the qualificators andcounsellors; for when the court, throughmistake has sought the report of anyone di-vested of prejudice, the latter has beenobliged to adapt his language to the palate ofhis employers, or otherwise he exposed him-self to their anger as a promoter of heresy, ofwhich several examples will be brought for-ward in the course of this work. In short,nothing is more frequent than for man togive himself up to indolence when nothing

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stimulates him to labour, and this has cer-tainly happened with the inquisitors. Forthis reason, even supposing that when theyentered on the functions of their office theywere possessed of sufficient learning, it is tobe feared they might lose it in the course oftime. And, indeed, what was there to obligethem to retain it, when they were fullypersuaded that their sentences, whateverthey might be, would be received as so manyoracles; and that no one could approach toexamine them without incurring their ana-themas, and becoming an object of theirfury?* .* Even the common people, amidst the illusion in which

they lived under the yoke of this tribunal, at length becamesensible of the great ignorance that prevailed in its darkconclaves, This is l'roved by the following saying, to bemet with in the mouths of everyone.

Preg, Que cosaes Inquisicion!lResp, Un santo Christo, dos candeleros,'!J tres majaderos,

Quest. What constitutes an Inquisition?Answ. One crucifix, two candlesticks, and three blockheads;

alluding to the form and parade of its sittings, and thenumber of judges present thereat. The same commonpeople of Spain also agree on this point with the nobles ofPortugal, as above alluded to, in placing the canons andinquisitors OD' the same scale, as may be seen from the fol-lowing adage-Biena'IJcnturados los tontos, porque elles

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Although it is true that the canon law pre-scribes for inquisitors the age before stated, Iought not to omit mentioning that persons ofa much lesser age have been invested withthis dignity, either through a proper dispen-sation or abuse, without any other restrictionthan that of not holding a vote till after theage of thirty, and in the mean time acting asproctors on behalf of the court. I.also con-ceive it necessary to state that the judgenamed by the diocesan bishop as his repre-sentative, besides being allowed only to COD·

cur in two acts, enjoys a consideration in-finitely inferior to that of his companions; forinstead of alternating with them in the orderof seniority, the least that could be granted tohim, he takes the lowest seat and signs thelast of all." The reason of this is, that the

seralJ canonigos.-BleSiCd are the "fools,for they shall beeanons.* Thus is it laid down in the Compilation of the Instruc-

tions of the Office of the Holy Inquisition, done in Toledo,in the year 1561, also comprising those of the year 14840.They are inserted by D. Jose de Covarrubias, in the ap_pendix of his work entitled " Maximas sobre recursos defuerza y proteccion." The same is also ordained inVlIrioua partI of the work entitled " Order generally ob-served in the Holy Office of the Inquisition, respecting the&Inn of precesa in causes instituted therein, in confonnity

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judges chosen by the Inquisitor General con-sider themselves as deputies from the Pope;but let this be as it may, the measure provesthe representation to be extremely trifling,and by no means decorous to the episcopalcharacter. In consequence of this, somebishops, as if disdaining to send their co-_adjutor, have commissioned a lay-person, or

to what has been enacted by the ancient as well as moderninstrU'ctions. Compiled by Paul Garcia, Secretary to theCouncil of the Holy and General Inquisition, Madrid1622." The copy of which I make use, besides the mar-ginal notes of the author, contains other MS. ones byDon Antonio Galvez, Secretary to the tribunal of Madrid,which place he held about the end of the last century.The same may also be observed in the work used as themanual of the Italian inquisitors, called Sacro ArlienaleOvvero prattica dell' Uffizio della Santa Inquisizione, byFather Eliseo Massini, a Dominican and inquisitor of Bo-logna, part viii. The copy of which I am possessed wasprinted in Rome, 1730, and contains some rules of FatherThomas Menghini, also an inquisitor, aswell as various an-notations by Dr. John Pasqualone, proctor of the SupremeInquisition of the above city. Finally, the same is likewiseordained by the Instructions of the Portuguese tribunal for1640, called Regimento do Santo Officio da Inquisi'raodos Reynos de Portugal, ordenado por Mandado do Illus-trissimo e Excellentissimo Senhor Bispo, Dam Franciscode Castro, Inquisidor Geral do Conselho de Estado de S.:Mag. Impreso nos Estaos (in the palace of the Inquisition)par Manuel da Silva.

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delegated their powers to the senior inquisi-tor. The latter, in my opinion is what allprelates ought to do who have a due sense oftheir own dignity. when they do not person-ally claim their own rights, which most'assuredly would most contribute to theirhonour.Finally, the inquisitors and other de-

pendants of the Inquisition, before they areadmitted to their respective offices, are sub-jected to what are called proofs of the purityof their descent; by which they are compelledto prove, by the examination of their gene-alogy, that they do not descend from con-verted Jews or Moors, nor from ancestorswho have incurred any inquisitorial censure.By this absurd practice, which has also beenextended to the military orders as well as tosome monastic ones, and even to colleges andother establishments, the conversion of here-tics and infidels, instead of being promoted,has been changed into a title of infamy, andbas created frequent disputes among families.This practice is both absurd and contra-dictory ; because, as the report of the candi-date has only to ascend to the fourth degree,his origin still remains uncertain; and becausethe same is exacted from a mere bailiff of the

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tribunal, and not from bishops, nor even pa-triarchs or primates, whose influence in the go-vernment of the Church is infinitely greater,"JURISDICTION relates to persons, places, and

matters. 'Vith regard to persons., it may besaid that the jurisdiction of the Inquisitionresides in the Supreme Council thereof; forthat of the provincial courts is merely pre-carious, nor can they be called courts orjustice, without a degree of impropriety. I. ay thi b cau e, if they ar only 10 1ye amined, it will be fo ud th t they hayother than p rm ncnt 0 nmi ir n , at ] , tin matters of moment, inc th y ar n tauthorized to commence any uch, and muchless to terminate one, without the concurrenceof the Supreme Council, whom they are boundto consult before any sentence is executed,and from whose verdict they cannot deviate.On the other hand, the Supreme Council,even granting that it has an undoubted right

• The inutility and inconvenience of these proofs arefully pointed out by Father Augustin Salucio, who wroteabout the beginning of the reign of Phillip III. in his .. Dis-CUriO acerca de la Justicia y buen Gobierno de E pafia, enlos E513tut05 de Limpieza de Sangre, y si conviene 0 noalguna Limitacion en elias." Published in 1785, in theS~manario Erudite, vol. X\'.

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to a decisive vote, a point by no means agreedon, if the effects are only examined, oughtrather to be called an assembly with a con-sultative voice, than an effective tribunal,from the powers of the Inquisitor Generalbeing so ample, or rather so exorbitant, thatthey in great measure paralyze its authority.According to these powers, the InquisitorGeneral, as well with regard to the SupremeCouncil as the other inferior courts, can pre·vent cognizance being taken of any particu-lar matter, he may also order any process tobe stopped; and, besides, bring before him-self any cause in whatever stage it may be in ;this, at least, is the existing practice. Hecan futher modify and alter all sentencesof condemnation, in the terms and in themanner he may judge proper, even whenthey have received the authority of judgment,except the sentence which delivers the cul-prit over to the civil authorities; undoubtedly,because' as this is pronounced among theceremonies of the Auto de Fe, and ought tobe executed actu continuo, to revoke it wereto make the arbitrary measure too flagrantand public." Finally, he even possesses thecharacter of legislator, inasmuch as be is

* -Pena, lid Director. Inquisit, part iii. com. xliv. n. 19+.

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authorized to interpret the canon law inmatters relating to. the government of thecourt; a prerogative which in the Church,the same as in society that of enacting laws,;belongs to the legislative power. *It is therefore evident that the jurisdiction

of the district courts, properly speaking, isvested in the Supreme Council, and that theauthority of the latter is again absorbed bythe Inquisitor General. It also follows, thatthe authority granted by law to a bishop inthe Inquisition of his own diocese is not realbut only apparent, since the vote of his re-presentative possesses no other value thanthat given to it by the Supreme Council orthe Inquisitor General. Consequently thisinstitution has stripped the bishops of one oftheir principal rights, or more correctlyspeaking, it embarrasses them in one of theirchief obligations, which is, to watch over thepreservation of the faith. This objection isby no means answered by the Inquisitor Ge-neral being sometimes a bishop himself, forbesides its being possible that he be not pos-.sessed of that dignity, of which there are many

'* Eyroeric Director. Inquisit, part iii. queest. lxxxv." Quando occurrit dubium circa leges et statute contrahareticos, possunt inquisitores illud interpretari:"

voL.L L

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examples on record, a dioacesan bishop, whentreating of the exercise of one of the mostaugust functions of his ministry, neither cannor ought to abide by the verdict of a strangejudge, in whose nomination he had not in-tervened. Neither can it be said that therights of the bishops are secured by its beingargued that they are not prevented fromtaking cognizance of the crime of heresy intheir own ordinary tribunals, at the same timethe Inquisition is acting thereon, since it isthe sentence of the latter that will alwaysprevail; and in Rome, whenever the bishopshave made an appeal in which the Holy Officewas implicated, it has always been usual forthe preference to be given to the latter.The jurisdiction of this tribunal extends to

all -classes of persons excepting bishops,whom it denounces to the pope, when it be-lieves they have incurred the charge ofheresy," In America the inquisitors wererestrained from taking cognizance of thecrimes of Indians; since to have subjectedthe natives of that country to a tribunal ofthis nature in their rude and unlettered state,

• De Heeret. cap. Inquisitor. in 6, conformable to thisregulation i another of the COUD-:il of Trent, Sess, xxiv.cap. v.

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would have been to sacrifice them in an in-.human manner. Hence their causes ofheresy were committed to the care of thebishops, in the same manner as their offencesof witchcraft were confided to the secularjudges. '* With regard to the places wherethe influence of this tribunal can reach, ithappens that a person persecuted in "onekingdom can be equally so in another wherean Inquisition is established, whenever thefirst makes an application, a measure that,in all probability, would not be neglected.Neither will the tribunal fail to avail itself ofkingly mediation, if this be considered ne~cessary, in order to seize on and wrest theculprit from another country, under the pleaof high treason, as it did with the Spanishprotestant, Francisco de Roman, who havingbeen arrested by command of Charles V. inRatisbon, for disobedience to his' orders, wasconveyed to the Inquisition of Valladolid anddelivered over to the flames.t

* So16rzano, Politica Indiana, tom. ii, lib. iv, cap. xxiv.n.18.t D. Juan Antonio Pellicer, " Ehsayo de una Bi-

blioteca de Traductores Espafioles," Art. Encina. PopeInnocent VIII. by bull dated April 3, 1487, commanded:1.11Catholic kings and princes, when applied to by aa

L2

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As to the causes which come within thejudicial notice of this court, it must be allowedthat the crimes of polygamy, witchcraft, so-domy, and even of confessional eduction,ought to be considered as foreign to its com-petency, to which heresy alone ought tobelong. On this point I shall merely observe,that the Inquisition has arrogated to itselfthe cognizance of the other crimes fromprinciples of self-accord; or from that pro-pensity generally found in all privilegedcourts, particularly in th~ ecclesiastical ones,to draw into their own bands as many mattersas they possibly can. Certainly the suspicionof heresy attributed by the Inquisition to aperson married more than once is devoid ofall foundation, when he might have been ledinto this crime by a thousand impellingcauses, without trespassing against the faith.*Inquisitor General or any of his delegates, for thearrest and delivery of any fugitive, to cause the same to bearrested and delivered up. Llorente, Anales de la Inquisi-cion, tom. i, cap. iv, n. 6... Charles III. by royal decree of Feb. 5, 1770, com'

manded the inquisitors to confine themselves within thelimits of their jurisdiction, taking cognizance of the crimesof heresy and apostasy alone, and not to interfere with theking's courts by proceeding in cases of polygamy. In con-sequence of this, the Supreme Council of the Inquisition laid

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With regard to witchcraft, I am persuaded,'and will hereafter prove the fact, that theInquisition in former times powerfully con-tributed to spread an opinion among thecommon people that many' persons reallypractised this art. Indeed how could this beotherwise, when they beheld a tribunal thatfilled them with so much respect, and towhich they attributed the perspicacity of thelynx, so seriously employed in persecutingthem? But thanks to the declamations ofcertain philosophers, the Inquisition, now-a-days, has fewer opportunities of paradingits zeal against witches and charms, and thenation has also less occasion for laughter andgrief Strange as it is, we have nevertheless

a remonstrance before the king, when his Majesty declaredthat the ordinary ecclesiastical jurisdiction might likewisetake cognizance of the above-mentioned crime, in conse-quence of the deception practised on the parish curate whoassisted at the second marriage. He also granted permissionfor the Inquisition to prefer charges in this case, but onlywhen unbelief with regard to the Sacrament has been pre-viously proved j for if. under the possibility of its existence,(the very reason alleged by the decree,) the tribunal shouldarrest the person of anyone, it brings upon him the stigmaof infamy, unless he should appear fully to have deservedit. With regard to the excessive extension of ecclesiasti-pal jurisdiction on grounds purely specious, vide DomingoCavalario, Institut. Jur, Canon. part iii. cap. ii, , 12.

2"

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yet to mention another species of crime ofwhich this tribunal likewise takes cognizance,~ crime which, however opposed to nature,has not the smaliest affinity with heresy. No.one better than those who have been calledto the ministry of the altar, and are sensibleof the' purity it requires, will be able todeclare whether it would not have been moreadviseable to have waved all judicial inter-ference with an offence which reduces theperpretator to a rank inferior to brutes. Ina word, the Inquisition not only punishes asa crime against the faith any aid given toculprits, whether it may have been on thepart of respectable characters, or originatedin friendship or affinity, but also imposespunishment on those who censure its acts,even when a love of truth and good orderhad been the sole instigation. *In conformity to this regulation, when

Aonius Paleario, formerly professor of theGreek and Latin languages in Sienna, Lucca,and Milan, censured the rigorous persecu-tions of this tribunal against Lutherans, aswell as every man of talent, he was imprisonedby the order of Pius V. and carried to Rome,where, according to some, he was burnt after

'it Bull" Si de protegendis," of 1st April, 1569.

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having been hanged, and according to others,burnt alive." Without entering into theother charges which might be alleged againstsuch a proceeding, I shall merely observethat if the above was a crime, Clement XIV.must equally be considered as guilty, sincewriting to a Protestant minister he expresseshis sorrow at the times when such things oc-curred, to which times he gives the term of"stormy, when each one," as he observes,"borne away by his own impetuosity, haddeviated from the rules of Chri tian modera-tion. No one ,regrets more than my elf,"adds he, "the injury we experienced in thelast century: the spirit of persecution is ex-tremely odious to me.t" What a differencebetween one century and the other, as wellas between the talent and greatness of soul .ofGanganelli compared with many of the popeswho preceded him!Notwithstanding at first sight this tribunal

appears to be exclusively destined to act andgive sentence in criminal cases, it has never-theless been frequently occupied in matterspurely civil. This, in some measure, has ori-

* Diction. Hist. Art. Palearius; vide also the prefaceannexed to the Amsterdam edition of'his works, 1690.t Clement XIV. letter cix.

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ginated in the sequestrations and confiscationsof property to which criminal matters giverise; as well as in that active and passive privi-lege enjoyed by the inquisitors and their de-pendants in all kinds of suits, by which theyare authorized to bring the latter into theirown court, and cite before them any individualwhatever. In pecuniary matters it is not to bewondered that the defendant is often obligedto appear before the Inquisition, and as it wereat the mercy of the plaintiff, from such littleconsideration being paid to anyone arraignedbefore it, and because the well-known princi-pIe of right which is founded on humanityand justice, viz. that the accused under a pa.rity of ircumstances ought to be favoured,haslittle or no weight with the judges. Finally,it is only necessary to remark that, althoughformerly the civil suits in the Inquisitionwere. conducted in nearly the same manneras the criminal ones, and consequently ex-perienced the same illegalities, at presentthey undergo the same forms practised in theother courts of justice.

FORM OF PROCESS.

The judge proceeds by virtue of his office,or at the suit of the party. In the first case

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it is called by Inquisition, or Judicial Inquest;and in the second, by Denunciation and Se-cret Impeachment. Of these three modes ofproceeding, the two first only are in use inthis tribunal, viz. Inquisition and Denun-ciation.By INQUIS1TION OR JUDICIAL INQUEST.-

When I observe that the Inquisition was es-tablished in the 13th' century, I mean as aregular and ordinary tribunal, with a fixedresidence, on the basis it now stands; for,taken in its full ~cope and under the variousforms it has assumed, it is evident that itorigin must be of a much more remote date,since it commenced about the period whenthe secular power for the first time sent outsearchers after heretics, in order to deliverthem over to the magistrates for punishment.This period was about the 4th century, whenthe discipline of the Church began to de-cline) and the first record in which the termInquisition occurs, signifying the search orjudicial inquest made for those who afterbeine baptized dissented from the Catholics

b •'in matters of faith, was a law of Theodosiuspromulgated in 382*. From the period of

.. Codex Teodosian. lib, xvi. li, 28, 29, and 40.-Justi-pian re-assembled the contents of these laws in bis code

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this law and others of a similar tenor, ap-plauded, and possibly dictated, by some,bishops, and afterwards confirmed by succes-sive monarchs; the history of the Church isfilled with blemishes, which considerably takefrom its splendour. 'The 8th century more especially furnishes

us with convincing proofs how much 'manmay be deceived by a mistaken zeal for reli-gion, or rather by a desire of revenge againstthose who in this particular are of a dif-

" De Heeret." leg. iv, in the following words: " Manicha:ossea Manichaas, et Donatistas meritissima seoeritate perse-quimur. Huic itaque hominum geneTi nihil ex moribus,nihil ex legibus commune- sit cum ceteris. Ac primumquidem oolumus 6Ssepublicum crimen, quia quod in religionemdivinam committunt, in omnium .fertur injuriam. Nondonandi non emendi, non postremo contrahendi cuiquamconoicto relinquimus .facultatem. In mortem quoque inqui-sitio extendatur: Nam si in criminibus majestatis licet me-moriam accusare defuncti, non immerito et hie debet subiretale judicium. Ergo et suprema illius scriptum irrita sit,si{ic codicillo, sice epistola, sioe,q!wlibet alio. genere reli-querit voluntatem, qui Manichaue fuisse convincitur."All heretics were comprehended under these penalties,even when their opinions were only proved by we~ argu-ments, as may be seen by law ii. of the same code, in thefollowingwords, " Hcereticorum auiem oocabulo continentur,et [atis adversus eos sanctionibus succumbere debent qui vel.levi argumento a judicio Catholica: religion is, et tramiie

\ ,zetectifllerint deciare;"

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ferent opinion. Charlemagne, more inhuman,towards Pagans in France than Sisebutus:towards Jews in Spain, .gave a perfectly newappearance to the Inquisition, which strength-ening itself by degrees from the time ofTheodosius to that of Frederic II., at lengthdestroyed the happiness of the people amongwhom it was established. That prince, afterconquering Saxony, not content with forcingthe inhabitants to embrace Christianity, andfinding that many returned to the worship oftheir gods, deputed searchers deserving ofthe name of inquisitors, to go throu h thecountry and put all such to death. Theyformed an association founded on certainstatutes, to the observance of which theybound themselves by oath, without theirpower having any other restrictions than thoseof their own pleasure; for they were autho-rized, not as formerly to seize heretics andbring them .before the competent tribunals,but to judge them themselves in a summarymanner, and even to make away with them bymeans of public or private executions, with-out any responsibility being attached to them.In order to strike their blow more effectuallyand with greater security, these assassins, andmost assuredly they merit no better a name,

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adopted a certain alphabet and signs bywhich they were known to each other, butwhich were occult to .every one else. Suchwere the steps pursued by this strange tribu-nal from the time of its origin, till Pope Inno-cent III. and Frederic II. gave it the formunder which it has since continued." I thinkthat no one, on reading that in ancient timesthe inquisitors were formed into a secret soci-ety to whose statutes they were bound by oath,and that they had an alphabet and. particularsigns for the purpose of knowing each .other,will fail to think of the order of Free Masons;nor is this the only point of affinity I observebetween the two institutions.As soon as the tribunal was erected into a

regular and permanent court, the process ofinquisition was changed into that of denun-ciation; notwithstanding, however, it still re-tains in its practice vestiges of what it origin.

1lt Paramo, De Orig. S. Inquisit. lib. ii, cap. xxv, n. 1." Leges denique secretes, et notas occultas etjuramenti./or-mam eis prascripsit (Carolus M.) quibus in judicando etpuniendo juste procedereni, sibique mutuo noti alios laterent,et necessarium in terra Sasonica judicium perpetuo conserva-rent. Alphabetis etiam certis inter se utebantur adtempus." It is here meant by the latter words, that theychanged the alphabets from time to time, in order to ren-der their interpretation the more difficult.

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ally was, which evidently prove that the spiritby which it is actuated is the same now as informer times, in like manner as its denomi,nation is also u.nchanged. As such I consi-der the two edicts, one called "Of theFaith," and the other "Of Grace." Thefirst is read every year on one Sunday ofLent, during the performance of divine office,

" in all towns where a tribunal is held, and init a general injunction is laid to denounceeveryone who may have sinned against thefaith within the space of six days. The c-cond is issued with great pomp and paradeby the inquisitors on. their establishment inany city, or when they go on a circuit; andby it those are invited to give informationagainst themselves who may be under anyapprehensions of being denounced by others,for. which a term of thirty or forty days isgiven, and pardon offered on condition oftheir compliance within the time prefixed,otherwise the delinquents are threatened withthe confiscation of their property and theother penalties of the law."Undoubtedly a plan of such a nature is of

all others the best adapted, not so much to• Instrucciones de Sevilla, de 29 de Noviembre de J 484.0)

j iii.

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excite in the people 'a servile respect towardsthe Inquisition, as to fill them with selfish andmalevolent principles, and form society into ahorde of trem bling and abject wretches. Bythese two edicts the prejudices and mutualodium of two individuals become the commoncause of this tribunal, and the vilest passionsof human nature, through its recommenda-tion and influence, acquire the highest degreeof authority. Hence did it happen that, inthe first years in which these edicts were is-sued in the provinces of Andalusia, our an-cestors were in such haste to become theirown accusers, that from the year 1481 to152.0, no less than 30,000 persons informedagainst themselves.s And in truth, undersuch dilemma, who would not prefer to un-dergo a momentary, although undue and re-pugnant humiliation, to remain for ever underthe stigma of defamation? Or rather, who wasthere that did not endeavour to call to mindevery thing he had said during the wholeperiod 'of his life; the expressions of hiscountenance on hearing a conversation, oreven his silence, for fear this might have ren-dered him suspicious, hen he was aware

.. Paramo, De Orig. S. Inqui it. lib. ii, tit. ii, cap. iv,n.12.

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that by presenting himself voluntarily heescaped all molestation, whilst through anyinculpable forgetfulness he brought ruin onhimself and family. Even thus, everyonewho escaped might be considered fortunate jsince, according to the ordinances of Portu-gal, the invitation of the inquisitors, as well intheir circuits as at all times, was a mere lure,as they were able to throw the self-in-former into a dungeon if they choose, underpretext of his not having confessed all he wasobligated to do. >If< This same was experiencedby Marc Antonio de Dominis, Archbishop ofSpalatro, who having embraced the Protestantreligion passed over to England; he after-wards returned to Rome, whither he had beeninvited by the Pope and the Inquisition, bothof whom had offered him pardon. He never-theless died in prison, as is generally under-

• The above Ordinances, lib. ii'. tit. ii, n. 4. contain thefollowing words: Parescendo aos inquisidores que a pessoaque se appresentou nad faz inteira e verdadeira confissadde sus culpas, sera reteada em uma caza fora do carcere,e se vera seu processo em meza peIos inquisidores, c to-mandose nelle assento que seja preza asi se executara, eainda que satisfaca logo depois de preza nao ficara go-zando do previlegio de apprezentado, posto que em seudespacho se podera ter ii isso algum respeito."-Theterm processo, is here taken for the declaration or con-

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] 60 IN'QUISITION UNl\IASKED. [CHAP. IV.

stood, through the effects of poison adminis-tered to him by his own relations, in order tospare him and themselves the shame of hisbeing brought out in an Auto of the Faith."There is, however, still another reason why

so great a number of persons stepped for-ward, on the re-establishment Of the Inquisi-tion under the new shades offerocity added toit by Torquemada, in order to accuse them-selves of crimes which in all probability theynever dreamed of 'Committing, and this is,the strong sensations caused by the alarmingspectacle of the frequent punishments at thattime inflicted; since there is no sacrifice, toogreat for man when agitated with terror.Hence at no time and in no place have somany witches been seen as in the duchy ofLorrain in the 14th century, when theywere persecuted in the most inexorable man-.....ner, and the alienation of mind caused by theterror of punishment in some persons was sogreat, that they confessed crimes which they

fession made hy the culprit against whom there is notestimony or denunciation alleged.ssince it had been thuspreviously laid down in n. 2. "E nao havendo contra atal pessoa testemunhas posto que a noticia procedc!se desua propria confissao," &c.• Diction, Histor. art. Dominie,

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never could have .committed, even if theyhad wished it; crimes which, as soon as' theprejudices of the common people were dissi-pated, and their persecutions at an end, haveentirely ceased." In like manner in Italy,when the Inquisition was re-established, he-retics sprung up in every quarter; because-the ignorant upstarts of those days, elatedwith their learning and devotion, conceivedthat in every man who was not entirely oftheir own way of thinking they saw a Cal-.vinist or a Lutheran, just as those of thepresent age behold no others than Jansenistsand unbelievers. Princes and princesses,entire colleges, priests, friars, bishops, andeven cardinals, were then metamorphosed intosectaries. .Paul IV. himself, who by the pro-tection he gave to this institution, might beconsidered as the principal author of so manyextravagancies, was satisfied with a compromise on the part of Cardinal Polo whenaccused of Lutheranism, and of whose causehe was personally taking cognizance, con-senting that the papers drawn up by theCardinal in his own defence should be burnt,and the affair buried in oblivion; fearful that-if they were published he would be in a worse* Feijoo, Teatro Cr'itico, tom. ii, disc. v, n, 58, &c,

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plight. than the accused. But this frenzydid not stop here; it even became necessaryto till up many of the places of the Inquisition- "Wit.hIaymen, for it was discovered that num-bers of thecclesiastical inquisitors werethemselves heretics.· ,In .combating the vulgar error respetting

wit'Ches Feijoo observes U'that it frequentlyhappens that persons of a lively imagination,but de oid of courage, on contemplating any'enormous crime whilst under the influence ofterror, particularly if the town has been dis-turbed and the police under alarm, experiencesuch A ~trange perturbation of the brain, thatthis receives the most unaccountable andchimerical impressions. The horror of crimeand the severity of punishment disorder thetnitnll.l spirits so much, that the dread of in-tutting blame drives the imagination to fearthe actual commission; and from 'Pl'ofuundlymeditating this as possible, the mind at lengthCOmes to the actual transition of being eon-vinced ill guilt. The strong apprehension of

• Bemihi,lltor. di Tufte Vheresie, tom. i•.!eClll. xvi.cap. Yii. These are his words: " Qu:esttJ risoluzione inseT'Virsi di secolari fit presa, perclte non solo molti vescO'lJievicarii e fralri e preti, ma anco molti Jell' idessi inquisi-tori eh2nf) lin-etici."

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the idea which, at the beginning was onlyconsidered as abstract, imprints itself so deepand under so lively a form as to render itsreal existence no longer dubious. The blindimagination rushes on those objects which theterrified will seeks to avoid, in like manner asthe head strikes the very spot from which thefeet attempted to wander; or, as the anxiouswish of one travelling over a precipice not tofall perturbates him so much that he can nolonger keep on his feet. For this reason itis," adds our author in a sporting tone," thatI venerate that most discreet lentitude withwhich the holy tribunal of the Inquisitionproceeds in its resolutions." Besides the ob-stacles which the malice and ignorance ofmen oppose to the examination of truth, inthe crimes judged by that tribunal the mostto be feared is that a fool ffi!1ypass for a realdelinquent. Heresy, blasphemy, and supersti-tious rites are certainly horrid crimes; but inthem it is still easier for the exterior act toproceed from the depravation of the under ..standing, than from the perversion of the~ill.·* Feijoo, Teatro Crltico, tom, ii, disc. v, D. 58, &c. As

this author, from having carefully examined the matter, "as"ell aware that the persons condemned by the Inquisition

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How great, therefore, must have been theterror infused into the minds of the peopleby the first appearance of the Inquisition atSeville! and how alarming must have beenthe perturbation of the mind, when evensuch strong symptoms were visible in thevery persons who introduced it, and were the

fur witchcraft amounted to many thousands, he couldhardly allude to its lentitude and discretion in judicial pro-ceedings, unless he meant that lentitude which it ought tohave had, and not that which in reality it possessed. Heonly who is unaware of the irony of Feijoo, can doubt thekeen manner in which he criticises the proceedings of the -tribunal in the passage above quoted; nor can it be deniedthat he exhorts its members to act with more circum-spection, a circumstance that must appear obvious to everyone who considers how much this wise man laboured todiminish the evils ignorance causes to humanity. In the1;tyle of this criticism we discover others in several of ourclassical writers who combated the abuses of their owntime, of which I shall make mention as, they occur. Theiropinions with regard to the Inquisition, although disguisedwith the enigmas of fable and tempered with jests, are toopalpable for me to omit doing justice to their judgment inthis particular, and thus strengthen my own assertions bythe weight: of their authority: I shall be happy in mani-festing to the whole world that, notwithstanding thetyranny of this tribunal, persons have not been wantingin Spain, who, while they sheltered themselves from itsvengeance, nevertheless impugned it in such a manner 3Jto deserve the ~ratitude of posterity.

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depositaries of its authority! Let the multi-tude of those who by its means hastened tobe reconciled to the Church no longer bequoted as a proof of the utility of this tribu-nal; for it is to be conjectured that theyrather sought-to elude its resentful rage thanlay aside their errors, if in reality they hadany., The objections against a general inqui-sition or search are too clear not to have beenknown to legislators; for this reason it hasbeen banished from all codes, whenever super-stition and despotism have had no interest insanctioning them. Indeed, as long as crimesare so hidden as to produce no external effect,equity prescribes the belief of their non-ex-istence, for in this case it is the same as if theyreally did not exist; otherwise the magistratewould be in continual search of delinquentson whom to vent his rage and vainly displayhis power, and not of vices, in order to effecttheir reform. Hence when a law containinga renewal of that of Theodosius already men-tioned, yet aggravating it with capital punish-ment, was about to be published in Africaagainst heretics, St. Augustin and otherzealous bishops of his time represented to thegovernment the evils that would thereby

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ensue. However the importunate suggestionsof others who were ill favour of Inquisitionsprevailed over the remonstrances of theseprelates, and the publication of the law wascarried into effect; but when the evil conse-quences predicted by St. Augustin came tobe verified, Pope Gregory the Great someyears afterwards solicited its revocation, andobtained it.. But of this I will adduce fur.ther proofs: the Emperor Trajan, notwith-standing the system of intolerance he adoptedagainst Christians, and his orders to punishthem whenever accused, forbade that anysearch or inquisition should be made afterthem, reprobating this measure as cruel.tHow different has been the conduct of theInquisition with regard to sects! It i!t cer-tainly a melancholy circumstance that nationspossessed of the Gospel, and consequently inno need of Iearning from the excellenttreatises of moralit¥ handed down to US by

*' Van-Spen, Jur. Eccle8iast. part iii. tit. iv. cap. iv.-S. Gregor. M. Registr. EpistoI.lib. v. epist. viii.t Pliny, lib. x. epist. xcviii.- Tertullian, in his Apologet.

cap. ii, considers the measure of Trajan as contradictory,possibly, because he was not aware of the political reasOJliof the Emperor.

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the heathens, should still in their conduct,• have 0 many examples worthy of their imi-tation among them!It would be impossible to view in any

~her light-than as barbarous an institutionwhich~ besides ordering and lJ.uthQri~ing lU1odious search or inquisition, has made thi~even its chief motto, and out of it formed itsvery appellation, No 'better name can bQbestowed on the Emj«esta, ~ species of crimi-nal court used formerly in Aragon, and-whichail well in the origin as the signi6c tion of th,term is nearly allied to the Inqui ition. Thi'court excluded from the protection of the I Wiany citizen who Ill;ght have exchanged thistitle for that of a servant of the king, and en..tirely sUbjected'him to the caprice of his lord.'I'bus bss it happened that one of theking's household W(lS called QPto the palaceeee.wingly for business connected with hisduty, and perhaps an hour afterwards wasseen a corpse &lung on a beast of burden andcarried befor~ bi» Qwn bouse to be buried."The ErlfJuesta was possibly quicker in dis-patch than the Inquisition, but the latter h~,urpassed it in ferocity .

• AllloxlioP rH, RtlaQq otl ~4t aeM~o.

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By DENUNCIATIONANDSECRETIMPEACH-,MENT.-This is the most usual mode of pro-ceeding in the Inquisition, in preference tothat of accusation.· The reason is obvious:the denunciator or simple informer does notbind himself to ·prove the charge he prefers,and is under no apprehension of punishment,unless calumny is the result; whilst theaccuser obliges himself to follow up the suitto its-issue, subjecting himself to the penaltiesof retaliation, or the others prescribed by thelaw against those who are unable to prove thecrime they have alleged. Why then shouldanyone pretend to lodge an accusation inthe proper forms, when the Inquisition wasalways ready to' admit an informer? Theoperation of accusation is, however, includedin that of denunciation, at least with regardto its effects, and when the whole process iswell considered, it will be found that eventhe agency of inquisition or search is equallyblended therewith. To oblige the faithful tolodge information against any expression that'may sound ill, besides the secret emissaries ofthe tribunal, is to create as many spies asthere are members in society. To obligethose who live under the same roof. and eat. . .

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at the same table, to discover crimes whichcould not be pryed out but by resorting tothe, most atrocious felony, is to carry es-pionage to a most unexampled height of fury.In .short to oblige persons to inform against,themselves, in order that their names may beeternally inscribed on the infamous recordsof the Inquisition, is to wield superstition andtyranny in such a manner that it alone wascapable of inventing.It has been established among theologians

that he who proffers an heretical proposition,although it may have been heard by and iknown to no one, is not less subject to theexcommunication reserved to the inquisitorsthan if he had pronounced it in public; fornotwithstanding it is true, add they, that theChurch in quality of a visible associationdoes not judge secret offences, the case inquestion is rende~ed so per accidens, and not

_per se. Confessors know better than myselfthat some penitents, refusing to appear beforethe Inquisition for the purpose of obtaining ,the absolution of the censure incurred, havecleferred sacramental confession to the hourof death, when all reserve ceases. Eitherthis was because they could not persuadethemselves that the external ju.risdjctiOJ~of

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the Church extended so far, Of else theywished not to ex:pose themselves to have theirnames some day Of other publicly stainedwith SQ foul a blot, as has now happened bythe irruption of the French into the kingdom,who have taken out all the documents theyCQu14find in the 'Inquisition, and distributedthem to everyone who wished to pick themup. I have nothing more to add on thi'head, except that the tribunal of penance inot that which has least suffered f{()ID thetribunal of the Inquisition, nor under lesstitles ...

• The obligation which even those are under, whosecrimes are hidden, of soliciting from the inquisitors a dis-pensation from ecclesiastical censures, and the necessityof the intervention of the notary in the granting of it isacknowledged, though with a certain de~reQof dovbt, byIp.cia Lupo de Bergamo, in his work f:l)titJecl"NoY~Lux in edictum S. Inquisit," part i, lib. viii. art. iv. diff. ii,This same is, however, enjoined by the Instructions of the I

Inqusition of Seville for 1484, the fouth article ordainingas follows :-" Those persons who, under the duratiOilofthe edict of grace, or at any time ~terwlU'c1I,MILY appeJTand express a wish to be reconciled. shall pre~~t theirconfessions in writing tc the inquisitors, whilst the court issitting, certified by the notary and two witnesses, or threeof the officers belonging to the same, or else other respect-able persons."-That the delinquents her alluded to ar~~omprehendecl under thit g~eral rw. is fuUy pr9 by

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It cannot be denied that the discovery ofcrimes made to a magistrate for the purposeof punishment in conformity to the laws, hasever been held as an imprescriptible' right ofthe citizen by the most celebrated nations ofthe universe, viz. the Hebrews, Egyptians,Greeks, and Romans, More especially amongthe latter, and in the most 'flourishing timesof the republic, this proceeding far front-being deemed dishonourable, was held in thelight of a service done to the country, andconsidered as the firmest support of liberty.For this reason many illustrious personageappeared then in the forum in the characterof accusers; this was even the avenue thatled to merit and celebrity. Thus Ciceroowed to the office of accuser great part of hiaglory; and Cato, who had been accused

the fifth article, in which they are exempted from the same,but only as far as regards public abjuration. The Ordi-Dances of the Portuguese Inquisition, lib. ii, tit. i, n, IS!enjoin all confessors to USt! every exertion in order t" iIJ~duce secret heretics to make a personal avowal; yet it isnevertheless true, that the same Instructions empower.confessors to absolve them in case they persist in re~usin~to appear, a 'practice which lately has been received amongus, from its having been necessary for the tribunal to aqak,the I!JOlit oHhe penitent,

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forty-four times, and as many times absolved,deemed it glorious to his grey hairs to be-come an accuser. But it is necessary torecollect that theirs was not. a denunciation;it was a true and formal accusation, and inthis sense the impeacher, no less than theimpeached, submitted to the penalties res-. pectively imposed by the law. By this means,among the above nations public tranquil-lity and private security were conciliated,both -having for their basis the mutual vi-gilance of the citizens, and the severityof the punishments ordained against thecalumniator.To this well-equilibrated plan of accusation

the Roman laws still added certain restric-tions, which were the more laudable becausethey prevented calumny rather than punishedit. They denied the right of accusing to allpersons suspicious for the weakness of theirsex, the want of age, the lowness of cha-racter, known bad faith, or their prepon-derance. In like manner also, for reasonsequally just, they did not suffer members ofthe same family to accuse each other. "The13\v~" says Filangieri, " beheld a suspiciousaccuser in the man who does not respect the

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sacred ties of blood or the obligationsderived from gratitude."?" An accuser of thisnature would have been covered with theconfusion and contempt of the tribunal itself,even before he had received the stigma ofpublic opinion. Besides, if the laws haveestablished prescription in civil cases in orderto avoid uncertainty in the dominion ofthings, with how much greater reason oughtthey not to establish it in criminal accusa-tions, in favour of liberty , honour, and thelife of a citizen? Criminal accu ations had adetermined duration, for which there was amotive not less just than the former. Time,which buries facts in oblivion, still morequickly effaces from the memory their ac-companying circumstances, and consequentlydeprives the accused of the means of his ownjustification" leaving to the calumniator, byan inverse ratio, fresh opportunities of dis-guising his falsehoods. In conformity to thisthe accusation not only became extinct bythe death of the culprit, but also by the lapseof twenty years in some offences, and of lessin' others.The Inquisition does not however act in

* Filangieri, " pella Scienza della Legislazione," lib.iii. part i, cap. ii,

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this manner'; for, taking rather from the simpledenunciation whatever is favourable to theinformer, and from the rigorous accusationwhat is contrary to the culprit, it has createda new judicial process which it is impossibleto class or define. In it the rancour and ven-geance of those who traced it seem emu-lously to shine; and it is difficult to discernwhether their blows are most levelled againstthe rights of justice or of humanity; for whocan defend himself against calumny whenstimulated by the law, and accompaniedwith almost a certain hope of impunity?This bane of society, by means of secrecy, isconverted into an arm that wounds at ,animmense distance.The informer, although he may have acted

inconsiderately, besides being exempt frompunishment, in consequence of the sophistrythat the impeachment is directed to producethe amendment and not the punishment ofthe accused, is a treacherous enemy whostrikes in an unguarded moment when heproceeds with bad faith, since the accusedis never informed of his name, i~ order thathe may be enabled to state his objections andexceptions; rights which are conformable tonature, to the good order of society, and

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which the Inquisition alone has dared torefuse, On the other hand, a wide field ishot only left open to informers to establishand carry .on their malevolent and falsecriminations, but they are even invited andcompelled to become accusers. 'What thenis the check which thi; tribunal- places onthe informer? Certainly no other than theprudence of the judges, which is the sameas to say their rbitrariness, '!t

With regard to restrictions, none are tobe expected in a denunciation actually com-manded and ordained by the tribunal; foreven insensible beings would be compelledto inform, if it was in their power, or else

• Popes Alexander IV., Urban IV., and Clement IV.,granted. three years' indulgence to everyone who maygive aid to the inquisitors, and consequently to 'everyseceet itlformer.~Eymetic, Director. Inquisit, part iii.qurest. cxxviii. Pius V.moreover enacted, that no regularprelate, either by way of chastisement or peDlUlce, shall,be allowed, for any fault whatever, to trouble any secretinformer, being one of his subjects, during the period offive years from the date of his information laid, unless theInquisitlon should agree thereto, for which purpose he i&previously to consult it.-Lupo de Bergamo, Nova Luxin edict. S. Inquisit, part.r. lib. iv. diff, ix, art. iv. Thepenalty against the negligent and tardy, according toseveral pontifical decrees, is excommunication, and theirbeing considered lli abettors of heretics.

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incur the penalty of the highest excommuni •.cation. Unable to extend its jurisdictionover the physical order, for the purpose ofcarrying its scrutinies into effect, it overturnsthe moral order of things by silencing thedictates of reason, and stifling the purest sen-timents of humanity. At the same time thatit attaches infinite importance to a word, anddeems the persecution and death of him whouttered it as the only means of preservingreligion 'and the state, it eagerly grasps atany instrument however weak it may be, anyslight surmise, although it 'may have thestrongest presumptions of right against it,and holds them in the lightof props to theedifice it endeavours to sustain. Not onlyfemales and striplings under age, on whosejudgment little reliance can be placed, butthe infamous, those who are pronouncedbanes of society, and even the perjured, whoare publicly known to disregard the sacredsolemnity of an oath, are all admitted, and~ven enjoined, to lodge informatioris beforethis tribunal, without any other restrictionthan being bound to swear that they havebeen induced to this measure by no otherimpulse than a zeal for the faith and the.dread of punishment. The Inquisition does

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not stop here. It believes, or feigns to be.lieve, that the excommunicated, the heretichimself, nay, even the infidel, takes a trueinterest in religion when he subscribes to animpeachment and is admitted. * Legislatorswho thus unblushingly trampled on the rights-of justice could not be expected to pay anyregard to the tender ties of domestic piety.Among us therefore one brother is not secureagainst another; the mother is rendered sus-picious to her own children; and the spouse,or father of a family, busied in daily labourto provide sustenance for the objects of histender love, in all of them has a continualspy, because it is thus the pharisaical inqui-sitor ordains. tWhilst the Pharisees were extremely scru-

pulous in matters of' religion, they at thesame. time omitted other virtues withoutwhich this becomes mere hypocrisy. Thosevery persons who punctually paid tithes onmint,anise, and cummin,-who compassedboth sea and land to gain one proselyte to

* De Heeret. cap. Accusat. in. 6. What is said inthis decretal of the witness is also to be understood of thesecret informer; for in fact he acts both parts.-Eymeric,Director. Inquisit. part ii, cap. xiii. et part. iii. n.68.t Eymeric, Director. Inquisit, part ii, cap. xx,

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the Synagogue, and persecuted Christ andhis Apostles as innovators of the faith,-didnot hesitate to affirm that the succours whicha Bon owes to his parents are better employed .when offered to the ministers of worship.Such were their ideas of the obligations bywhich they were bound to the very personswho had given them birth.s This, however,was not the opinion of St. Paul, althoughhe had been a pharisee; nor would many ofthe prelates of the church have been of thisway of thinking if they had remembered thatthey also were apostles. The above greatexpounder of the Gospel observed: " If anyprovide not for his own, especially those ofhis own house, he hath denied the faith, andis worse than an infidel." t Since then St.Paul considers the neglect of our own as acrime of which the religious man is incapable,what would he have said of him who, underpretext of religion, brings upon them infamyand death? In short, the little regard paidby this tribunal to the love by which kindredpersons are united is clearly manifested by

* S. Matth. cap. xv, v. 5.t Ad Timoth. I. cap. v. v.8. «s: quis autem suorUlII,

et ma:zinte d()mIJsticorum curam non hahet, fidem negavit,et est infideli dacrirJr."

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the Instructions OJ the Portuguese Inquisi-tion, By them no notice is taken of a culprit _secreting an accomplice who is his relationin a transversal degree, or even a stranger,but he is forbidden to secrete his parents, hischildren, or his wife l"Finally, the death of the accused is not.

barrier against the fury of the Inquisition, orthe grave an asylum against its inexorablepersecutions. The memory of' hi who dieupright in the opinions of all i pursued italignity, even a century after he had ceasea

to exist, if after that lapse of time anyoneseeks to avenge himself, or takes an interesti~ his defamation. His bones are dug out ofhis grave and burnt, unless already moulderedinto dust; hilst his property is wrested fromits present possessors, whatever be the title

* RegirnentQ do Santo Oflicjo de Portugal, lib. iii.tit. iv. n, 1. " Quando 0 reo que confesson as culpas deheresia por que foy prezo estever diminuto ern sua con-fiua~ e- a diminuisao for ern cornplicidade que estejalegitirnarnente prosada com a1gum sen ascendente 0

deseendeete, ou COni; marido ou molher, DaD 100 sera acon&sao recebida; e por quanto se deve ter per simuladaeera relaxado a curia secular; e si a complicidade for de,enoa parenta sua no prbaeiro grao transversal ficar&~1Il biril» 011 inq • Idores ha erie de recebir _ aa"ser ruebida con_o."

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by which they have acquired it, becomingsubject to confiscation fi'om the moment thedeceased committed a delinquency. In thisparticular, we Spaniards may complain ofthe Inquisition as the Romans did of Do-mitian, and even with greater reason; since,by the confiscation of inheritances underthe most frivolous pretexts, no securityexists in the testaments of the deceased,neither have the heirs or legatees beenallowed to enjoy their. privileges, nor havethe slaves who had been manumitted by thetestator known whether they were really freeor not." In former times at least these spoli-ation laws only lasted as long as the life of thetyrant, which fortunately was always short,and the reputation of the deceased was un-hurt; but under this tribunal the possessionof property does not enjoy the rights of pre-. scription till after forty years, but the me-mory of its original possessor never.tFrom these premises it must result that

the exhibition of crimes made to the Inqui-sition is very different from that usually madein the tribunals of the nations of antiquity,and extremely opposed to the duties of.* Plin. Paneg. cap. xxxiv. Suetonius Domitian. cap. xii,t Eymeric, Director Inquisit, part iii. quas,. Ixiii,

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society. The heinousness of this practice willstill appear in stronger colours, if it is onlycompared with that observed by the Church'in'this particular during its happier times.Our' own Council of Elvira ordered thatco~munion should be refused to informerstill.' the end of their lives, if anyone hadbeen put to death or banished in conse-quence of their impeachments.s Above all,the cruelty with which this tribunal has pro.moted denunciations, and the facility withwhich these have been effected, is evidentlyopposed to what our Saviour ordains throughSt. Matthew, viz. that every practicable meansare to be employed in order to induce himwho has erred to enter into himself beforehe is cited before a tribunal. t Even amongthe Jews, whose legislation was so heavy ayoke that they were scarcely able to bearits galling weight, a propensity to denuncia-tion was held as extremely odious, and as

1I Canon. lxxiii,-t s.Matth. cap. xviii. v. 15. "Si au/em peccaoerit in

tefrater tuus, vade, et corripe cum inter te, et ipsum solum :si te audierit lucraius erisfratrem tuum."-v. 16. "Si autemte non audierit, adhibe tecum adhuc unum, 'Velduos, ut in oreduorum 'Veltrium testium stet omne verbum."-v. 17." Quodsj non audierit eos, die eccl;sice: si autem ecclesiam naneudierit, sit tibi sicut eihnicu« et puhlicanus."

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such condemned in the Leviticus." Trajan,the Spaniard, of whose moderation I spokein treating of the process of inquisition or.search, is not less deserving of raise withegard to denunciations. At the same time'th-at he preserved to the people the libertyf accusing, combining with 'it the difficulty

• Levit. cap. xix, v. 16. ~'Non eris criminator, nee su-,mt'ro in populo. Non sta'bis cMltra sanguinem pToximi tul.Ego Domin'Uli!'-v.17. tC Non oderis.frat1"em tuum ill cottlesuo, sed ptIhlice argue eum, ne habeas super illo rp6eedtum."-v. 18. "Non fjUt#ras ultionem, nee memor eris injurit8eivium tuorum. Diliges prosimum tuum sicut te ipsum. EgoDominus." These are the words of' the Vulgate, whichllart1y difters from toe Hebrew t)riginal. M ich the~u~rnt and the other ldIcient versiorl'l are more.confoemeble, The original, in. verse 16, .is as follo1Vl~~':J' ':1~n ~~ Thou shalt not ~o about the place as atrader, (that is carrying tales from one place to another.)'Thou shalt not incline to accuse anyone for injul'Y thatmay deserve capital punisbmebt. 1 -the Lori forbid it totbee.-v. 17. Far from conducting thyselftowarus tayneighbour in so odious a manner, n':ln n:nl1 remon-strate with him, endeavouring to make him feel the forceof reason, for otherwise thou wilt be guilty of sin.-v. 18."'ll!ln N~ Thou -ihalt not g-o -nbout like him who seekarevenge, prying out the eonduct of thy fellmv citizens,but rather thou shalt love him as thyself. 1 the Lordcommand this to thee. Rabbi Ben-Maitnon also under-ctands this passage in the same sense of secret denun-ciation, in his book entitled "I'm ", treatise nl1' n"~i'lcap. vii. n, 1, ~, & 3.

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of calumniation, he chastised informers withextraordinary severity. By the first beingcondemned to the block, and the second tothe gallows, the Roman people rejoiced tosee avenged the cruel alarms by which theywere formerly agitated, and that they had nolonger any thing to fear but the law••The manner in which the Inquisition com-

'mences its principal prosecutions being suchas we have just described, the apologists ofthis institution argue in its defence that, asheresy is a privileged crime and st nd onparallel with high tr ason, it ou ht not to bsubject to the same regulation th roffences. They further add, that it is of urgentnecessity to keep the denunciator secret, forotherwise his person and reputation wouldbe endangered; and in that case no onewould step forward to denounce, whereby acrime of the deepest dye would remain with.out condign punishment. Thus is it that themost certain and fixed maxims of criminallegislation are confounded, and the rights ofthe citizen trampled to the ground, underthe pretext of zeal for the glory of God andthe good of society! Those who argue inthis manner do not advert, that this is the

'" PJinr, Paaeg, cap. xxxiv et xxxvi,

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very same objection Tiberius alleged to thesenate when Rome was more than everinfested with informers, and the senate re-quired of him to deprive them of the fourthpart of t~e property confiscated through theirmeans. The Emperor, filled with rage onhearing such a proposal, replied, that the.empire would be infallibly lost. if any inno-vation was allowed with regard to denuncia-tions; for that in such a case it would bebetter to throw down the laws altogether,since they would be of no avail as longas this stimulus to watch over them waswanting.In relating this passage, filled with asto-

nishment Tacitus thus exclaims: "In thismanner were men encouraged with rewards,who in fact are the ruin of the state, andwhose wickedness is such that no inflictionis sufficient to punish it." *' When the tyrantsof Rome, according to the same Tacitus,declared all transgression against the law tobe a crime of high treason,-when, accordingto Suetonius, they punished as such any irre-verence committed against their statues,-in a word, when, according to Pliny, theypronounced every man guilty of high treason

* Tacitus, Annal. lib. iT. cap. sxx.

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whom ,they wished to ruin,-then secret im-formers became necessary; for without them,not the majesty of the empire, but the livesof those who had usurped it, ~ould havebeen endangered. Thus did it principallyhappen during the time of the DictatorScylla, and the Emperors Augustus, Nero,and Caligula, when secret impeachmentswere extremely frequent: but under thegovernment of other more humane princes,who had the generosity to 'share with thepeople the rights of which they had beenstripped, no other than accusations under-taken and carried on with good. faith metwith encouragement; denunciation was e -pIoded, and informers exterminated. And,since the Inquisition has adopted this prac-tice, after the pattern of tyrants, can itthereby contribute to the safety of the state,-and maintain the dignity of religion? *~ Tacitus, Annal. lib. iii. cap. xxxviii.-Suetonius,

Neron. cap.lii.-Pliny, Paneg, cap. xlii.-Don BIas Osto-laza, in his pamphlet entitled " Letter on the Establish-ment of the Tribunal of the Inquisition," addressinghimself to his reader, by whom he feigns to have beenconsulted, uses the following words: " But it is extremelyodious, you tell me, to force every citizen to denouncewhat may be contrary to religion. Do you perchancebelieve that this is an invention of the inquisitors? Is it

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SUMMAHYIMPEAcHMENT.-When' the in-quisitors are of opinion that the informationlodged furnishes sufficient grounds to pro-ceed against the person impeached, theyprepare a summary statement of the crime,in order by virtue of the same to effect thearrest. For this purpose the informer and thewitnesses are heard; and, on their ratifyingtheir first report in the presence of two or

not true that the Apostle enjoined the Romans to guardagainst those who stirred up dissensions in order to pervertthe faith handed down to us 1" The passage quoted bythis writer is the following: "Rogo auiem 'lI0S, .fratres, utbOservetis eos qui dlssensiones et qffendiclIla prater doctrinam'11U1m 'DOS didicisti.s faciunt, et declinate ab iJ,lis. Ad Rom.cap. xvi, T. 17.-But, let me ask, does the Apostle heresay that the faithful ought, or not, to denounce heretics?Is it the same to exhort them to be on their guard respect-ing their doctrine as to oblige them to lodge secret infor-mations against them? "Well-cemented republics," headds, co command every citizen to denounce instigator.of novelties, traitors to their country, and disturbers ofthe public tranquillity. And does not the national beliefdeserve equal consideration ?"-As this last objectionexactly coincides with that of Tiberius, for I suppose itmull allude to an approval of secret informations, themain point here in dispute, the lame answer may alsobe applied to it; yet we ought besides particularly to bearin mind how enormous that preponderance is whichdespotism attains by the union of superstition, to what ibecomes when accompanied by false policy alone.

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more respectable persons, silence is 'imposed-upon them by the same oath under whichtheir declaration 'Was made. If the personabout to be arrested has resided in varioustowns, it is customary to send to the tribunalsof th~ir district letters of 'Scrutiny, (callede Recorreccion.) in order to discover whe-ther any charge can be therein found to addro the process."III the crime of heresy, the proposition!

o which information has been lodged thenfMSs to the qualificacors or skilful men, who:herein give their opinion and motives; andalthough at first sight this would appear thesafest way for the judges to proc ed rightly,in general it only serves to add to theirconfusion, and to endanger still more theapplication of justice. This is becauseeach qualificator <.>T censor gives hi'S opiniontmdel' a separate form , and the judges,especially in Spain where they are usually3 rists, being unable to appreciate the reasonson which this is founded, sometimes decidein favour of the report that has most votes,and at others adhere to the judgment of the

;. D. Juan Antonio Rodrigalvarez, Apnntes sobre JaItrqaisicion. MS. the ol'igiual of which I possess.-Regi-mento dQ Santo Officio de Portugal, lib. i. tit. iii. n. 32.

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qualificator held in the high~st repute, or tothe opinion of another who condemns thepropositions; believing him, for this .reason,more favourable to the faith. In all probabi-lity, if the trials which have been carried onin the Inquisition could only be examined,very few of them would be exempt from thesame censure that was passed on the cele-brated cause of the Proto-notary of Aragon,. Geronimo de Villanueva, about the year 1647,when the appeal was carried to Rome. Onthis occasion the Pope wrote to the Inquisi-tor General himself, stating "that so muchdiscordancy was visible not only in the opini-ons of the qualificators and counsellors, butalso in the votes of the judges, that he wasreally astonished."* But, as every thing inthis tribunal is enveloped in the most impe-netrable darkness, it has followed that affairswhich, if they had been carried on in a publicmanner, by their irregularity would havebrought on the inquisitors the odium of the

* This fact is found at more length in the manuscriptopinion of the proctors of the royal council, Don PedroRodriguez de Campomanes and Don Jose Monino, respect.ing the prohibition of books, it being the same whichgare rise to the royal order published on thls iubjectin 1768.

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, ,

CHAP. IV.] INQUISITION UNMASKED. 189

people, rather than excited their respect andesteem; since the interminable duration'which accompanied the affairs was ratherattributed to their complication and import.ance than the real effect of the ignorancewith which they were managed.ARREsT.-The summary impeachment be.

ing concluded, it is laid before the SupremeCouncil, and its approbation being obtained,the arrest is carried into execution." This isgiven in charge to the high bailiff, who exe-cutes his commission by carrying with him acompetent number of ministers, taking thenecessary precautions to surprise the culprit,which is generally done at night. The lawprescribes that the receiver and notary ofsequestrations should also be present at thearrest, for in this tribunal confiscation formsan essential part of the process.t The partythen sets out, and dread and consternationseize on the culprit and his family. Thethunderbolt launched from the black and

* Notwithstanding the Compilation of Instructions,n. 3, regulates that recurrence ,shall be had to the councilonly in cases of a difference of opinion and causes' of greatentity, it illnevertheless customary to consult it respectingall decrees of arrest.t Compilacion de Instrucciones, n. 6.

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angry cloud at.dkes not with such alarm3S the sound of " DELIVElt ~OURSE"F UP A

~RISQNER ~ '1'H~ INQlJISITlON!" (Des« v,presa pO'P La lnquisicion.) .Astonished andtrembling, the unwary citizen hears the dismalvoice, a thousand different affections at onceseize upon his panic-struck frame-he re-mains perplexed and motionless. His life indanger, his deserted wife and orphan chil-dren, eternal infamy" the only patrimonyth3t now awaits his bereft family, are all ideas,which rush upon his mind-he is at onceagitated by an agony of dilemma and despair.Tbe burning tear scarcely glistens on hislivid cheek, the accents of woe die on hislips" and amidst the alarm and desolation ofhis family, and the confusion and pity of hisneighbours,. he is borne away to dungeons,whQSedamp and bare walls can alone witnesthe anguish of his mind.It is. foreign to my purpose to examine in

this place whether it was through chance ordesign that edifices ofsuch ancient and gloomyttructure that their sight alone caused terror,were originally fixed upon to be the tribunalsand prisons of the Inquisition. The palaceof the Counts of Barcelona in the most ele-vated part of the city, where the castle

1

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formerly stood i the Aljalferia, or ancient pa-lace of the Moorish Kings, flanked with towersand situated without the walls of Zaragoza;and the old Roman fortress which stood atthe head of the bridge over the Guadalquivirat Seville, were the first terrific haunts appro-priated to the us~ of the Inquisition. In oneof these edifices, whose black and furrowedwalls announce the melancholy gloom thatreigns within; massive piles, which have longwithstood the injuries of time, 'and for agewitnessed the rising and setting of the sunwithout receiving comfort from its beamsjsable and rugged structures, on which wholegenerations have looked with terror and dis-may-in one of these edifices in short, which,immoveable amidst the lapse time, and whencewhen the prisoner comes forth he can revealnothing, present the tremendous image of eter-nity, was usually confinedthe fatherofafamily,perhaps his amiable wife or tender daughter,the exemplary priest, or peaceful scholar; andin the mean time his house was bathed intears and filled with desolation. Venerablematrons and timid damsels have been hurriedfrom their homes, and, ignorant of the causeof their misfortune, have awakened from thefrenzy of the brain, and found themselves

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here alone and helpless in a solitary cell.Here the manly youth, torn from his bewail.ing kindred, and often wrested from ties still-more endearing, pines amidst d mp seclusionand chill despair, and vainl r invokes thenames of objects ~hich so la ely thrilled himwith pleasure. The dripping vaults re-echothe sighs of the aged father, no longerencircled by the fond endearments of a nu-merous progeny; all, in short, are condemnedto drag existence amidst a death-like silence,and, as it were, immured from the sight oftheir weeping relatives.Such are the afflicted inhabitants of the

awful cells of the Inquisition, awaiting thetardy but inexorable sentence that is to de-cide their fate. Haply some may escape;again they JIlay behold the light of day;perhaps innocence may triumph over ran-cour, malice, and fanaticism; but where arethey to look for redress for what they havesuffered, when even the privilege of corn-plaining is denied them? What a train ofmelancholy ideas rush ,to the imagination ofhim who contemplates the secrets of theInquisition, and fathoms the malice of whichit is capable! What sensible man, to speakwithout disguise, and it is certainly time now

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to be candid, can fail to impute all kinds ofdisorders to an institution of this nature, not-withstanding its artifices to. hide them fromthe eye of the public and the research of thehistorian? .Under the veil of secrecy it is ,as easy to

hide all kinds of crimes in a tribunal, as it isrobberies and assassinations under the cloakof night; nevertheless the founders of theInquisition have always considered secrecyas one of the chief attributes of its establi h-ment, It is not merely on the culprits whohave the good fortune to escape out of itsclaws alive that silence under the heaviest pe-nalties is imposed; the inquisitors also, as wellas their dependants, in the most frivolous mat-ters are equally held to privacy, because everything is considered of the greatest interest. *The officers of the highest hierarchy commu-nicate nothing of what they are engaged into their subalterns nor to the diocesan bishop,unless it is those matters in the execution ofwhich the latter has to interfere, nor areany of them allowed to speak of the samewithout the precincts of the tribunal. t Thedenuneiator knows nothing of the witnesses,

... Regimento do Santo Officio, lib. i, tit. i, n. 7.t Ibid. tit. iii. n.lO.

VOL.L 0

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nor the latter of the former, nor indeed oneof another; and if perchance they shouldknow any thing of each other, among them-selves as well as elsewhere they are boundto observe the most profound silence." Theculprits brought forth in an Auto have noknowledge of their companions till they seethem in the procession or on the platform ,and those who remain in the prisons areignorant of the destiny that awaits theformer.t In short, that no trace of what ispassing within the walls of the tribunal mayappear in public, the commissaries and otherpersons to whom the court addresses officialletters are bound to return them with theiranswers written in the margin, and even thebailiff delivers back his order of arrest.tWhen the accused has evaded persecution

by a timely flight, he is publicly cited anddeclared excommunicated in case he doesDot appear within the time assigned. If heshould not surrender himself up within theterm of a year he is a condemned as a con-

• This practice is consequent to the oath of secrecywhich all are bound to take when their declarations arefirst set down.t Ibid. lib. ii, tit. xxii. n, 17.t Ibid. hb. i. tit. iii.a. 35, & tit. xiii, D.II.

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tumacious heretic, and in the mean time hissuit is carried on." This abuse of judicial. power, extending to the condemnation of theabsent, is not indeed peculiar to the Inqui-sition, but the grounded dread of appearingbefore this tribunal more than before anyother most assuredly is. It was in the declineof the Roman empire that the custom wasintroduced, not only of punishing as a rebelthe person who should not appear to thecitation of the judge, (the most that oughtto be done in a case of this kind) but alsoof condemning hIm as guilty of the offencethat had given rise to his prosecution. Thismeasure was certainly as contrary to equityas that of the Hebrews and ancient Romanswas just and reasonable, which forbade thecondemnation of the absent for the crimeimputed to him, without his being first heardin his own defence; but it was not easy forthe Inquisition, uniformly propending to theworst, to rise above the vices of the age thatgave it birth; and for this reason it followedthe torrent of general corruption. Thus whenthe devoted victim, alarmed at the dangersto which his innocence was exposed; has fledin search of that safety he could not hope to

Instrucciones de Sevilla de 1484<,§ 19.02

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find in the sanctuary of justice, the inquisi-tors, stigmatizing his prudence with the nameof rebellion, consider him as the perpetratorof the crime of which he is accused; and,pronouncing against him the same sentenceprescribed for the real culprit, avenge them ...selves on his effigy, since they are unable to im-brue their hands in the blood of his person ....I have before asserted that this mode

of proceeding against the absentee was notpeculiar to the Inquisition. Indeed it is n~tin the manner just described; neverthelessits laws authorize the inquisitors not only tocondemn him before the expiration of theyear, by virtue of the reasons alleged by theproctor, but also to condemn him withoutthe formality of process, a thing never heard4?f in any other tribunal.t. The same punish-

'J: De Hzeret, cap. Ut Inquisit. i Prohibemus, in 6.t Instrucciones de Sevilla de 1484, § 19. In this

article three modes of proceeding against the absent areordained. the one according to the chap. "CUm contuma-cia De Heret,' in 6, which is the one already explained;the other is by condemning him from the moment thecrime is proved, without any other delay; and the third,~ccord.ing to the original words, is as follows: "That if ittthe llCt'Utiniaperformed any presumption of heresy results19t1iDat the absentee, (notwithstanding the crime does not, ppear completely proved,) the iaquisitors may issue aJld

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ment as that which awaits the absent refusingto appear is also decreed by the Inquisitionagainst anyone escaping from its cruel en-durance, as well as against the wretchedvictim. who, either frantic at the miseries intowhich he is plunged, or worn out by delayand despair, finds means to put an end tohis own existence. Both are treated as ifthey had been convicted of being apostatesto the faith, and the whole penalties of thelaw inflicted upon them."In the Inquisition the prisoners are usually

confined in separate cells, in order to avoidamong .other inconveniences that of theirmutually concerting to scale the walls. How-ever.. in order to prevent those fatal occur-rences to which solitary confinement is sooften subject, and have therein been so

f •

post up .their edict against the said suspected absentee,commanding him within a certain time to appear in hisown defence and purge away his said error in a caaonicelmanner; at the same time enjoining, that in case he doesnot appear in his own defence and purge away his Clime,they will hold him as a convicted person." It also adds," And notwithstanding this form of process is somewhatrigorous, it is nevertheless founded in right." Herehowever we have no other process or proof, unless it is,that one who is suspected of heresy refuses to appear.

Eymeric, Director. Inquisit. part ill. qureat. lxiii.

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frequent, no other furniture is allowed inthe cell of the prisoner than a wooden bed-stead, clamped down or built ill masonry;a table, one chair, and sometimes none.Formerly no books were permitted for pas-time, not even the breviary to ecclesiasticsfor the compliance of their duties. Theobject of the Inquisition in these privations'Was that, by the spirit of the prisoner beingin continual struggle with the uncertainty ofhis fate, he might become weary, and confessthe crime for which he had been confined ..With regard to victuals, the prisoners do notfare so badly, whether they are rich or poor,as the confiscated property of the first affordsabundant means.INTERLOCUTORYINVESTIGATION.-As soon

as the pers(}n of the accused is secured hisdeclaration is taken down, and this is calledinvestigation; It is the common practice ofthese courts first to question him respecting-the perpetrator of the offence, but in generalterms, in order to avoid all anticipation andsurprise. Respecting his crime he is interro-gated in a special manner, and the whole ispreceded by an oath te speak the truth.'Vith a similar view it is forbidden to allegeagainst him any of the charges resulting from

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the process already formed, leaving him todiscover all spontaneously. This formality,if we except the oath which, in such cases,amounts to a gross abuse, contributes toshorten the causes of those culprits who, byat once confessing, submit to the punishmentdeserved; and also, in cases of denial, bycomparing the declaration of the prisonerwith the- impeachment of the informer andtestimony of the witnesses, this measure tendsto promote the discovery of the truth and thesincerity or duplicity of the parties. I againrepeat that it is an abuse of judicial powerto oblige a culprit, by means of an oath, toacknowledge a crime for which he is perhapsto suffer the capital punishment awarded bythe law. This proposition which, a hundredyears ago, would have been condemned asheretical and subversive of public order, isnow generally received as a political dogma.And, in truth, if we .establish as a firm prin-ciple that laws are not instituted for heroes,who does not see that it argues a great.inoonsietency to expect the culprit will avow.himself guilty when his life rests on hisdenial? The custom therefore of tenderingan oath to extort the avowal of the partyconcerned in criminal matters bas been a

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measure as anti-religious as it was anti-politi-cal; and its result has been no other than todepreciate and debilitate a bond so respecta-ble and efficacious in society, and at last tobring it into almost total disrepute. Let UInow proceed to see the practice of the Inqui-sition in this particular.The culprit being carried before the tri-

bunal, the judges, clothed in all the paradeof terror suitable to their character, tenderto him the oath whereby he swears to speakthe truth to all that may be asked of him.sThis practice, considering the nature of theinterrogatory to which he is subjected inthis tribunal, will be found to possess conse-

"* Compilacion de Instrucciones, n, 13 & 20. The fierceaspect of the judges is enjoined by Massini, Prattica dellaSanta Inquisizione, part x, avvert. cliv, under the follow-ing words: " II giudice mentra esamina i rei dee mostrarsinel volto piuttosto rigido e terribile che piacevole."-Notwithstanding it is now nearly three centuries since theInquisition among us has been entrusted to the secularclergy, as the institution is under such great obligationsto the Dominicans who were its judges and legislators inthe time of its barbarism, and as the latter, both in Spaiaand Italy, have nevertheless partly sat as judges and haveafterwards obtained a seat in the Council of the Supreme,I hare considered it but just that this circumstance, aswell as their difference of dress, should appear in theplates representing the tribunal. Vide Plate II.

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quences infinitely greater than in any other.The 'culprit is obliged to declare his wholegenealogy and descent, notwithstanding thecourt through other channels carries on thesame scrutiny; and is obligated to makeknown whether any of his ancestors, in adirect or transversal line, or his brothers,wife, children, or indeed himself, have at anytime previous been arraigned before the tri-bunal, and penanced by it. '*' One of theobjects of the Inquisition in this preliminaryinquiry is to get at a clue that may tend toimplicate the accused in a stronger manner;for, as already observed, there is no proofhowever small or remote that is not graspedat, provided only it serves to aggravate hiscriminality. Another motive is to obtainpossession of the property he may haveinherited, by declaring the right of succes-sion as null and void, to the evident destruc-tion of perhaps many families.In conformity to this the inquisitors com-

pel all Jewish apostates, as well as all otheroffenders subject to sequestration, to declareon oath the names of all their relatives; andbesides, whither they at any time testated,

* Compilacion de Instrucciones, n, H.-Orden de pro-cesar, foI. 9.

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and before what notary." According to thesame rule, and under the same oath, theculprit is further bound to make knownevery item of property he possesses, so thatnothing escapes confiscation. This is ren-dered the more complete by the pardon ofhis life being granted to him the first timehe falls into the fangs of the Inquisition; butof which he is pronounced unworthy if heshould in the. smallest degree be wanting tothe truth. And, although it is true that therelapsed is also under the obligation of exhi-biting his property, notwithstanding he isdivested of every hope of pardon, it is never-theless clear that, as the second spoliationfollows on the heels of the former one, thegains are generally much less.t The obliga-tion imposed by the tribunal on the culpritho has before been condemned to dopenance, and by which he is bound to de-clare whether' this really was the case, is

to Orden de Procesar, fo!' 9, note MS. "In cases ofconverted practisers of Judaism, and in others from whichsequestration of property may result, it is proper that,besides the namesr of the relatives, it should be statedwhether the culprit has made a will, and before whom, asthis may serve a great number of purposes:'t Vide Relation de l'Inquisition de Goa, chap. xix,

4

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certainly extremely singular; as, by this cir-cumstance, he is proved to be a relapse,whence that mercy is denied to him whichotherwise would have been granted if thefact had not been known. By this means aculprit may be carried to execution for thecrime of false repentance, (ficta pienitentia);of the existence of which offence the smallesttraces would not have been found in theInquisition, if the prisoner had not beenforced to declare the circumstance by virtueof the oath imposed upon him, ontrary toall reason, and according to an buse ofpower which makes humanity shudder.In like manner, the court requires of the

prisoner an exact account of his whole life;and, in case the witnesses incidentally deposerespecting any other crime foreign to itcompetency, this is nevertheless producedby the- proctor in the accusation by way ofpresumptive evidence, and consequently theculprit is forced to confess it, or else he runsthe risk of his denial and perjury producingan .unfavourable influence on the issue of histrial. * He is further enjoined to avow whathis intention was in proffering the propositionfor which he has been arrested, or the sense

• Compilacion de Instrucciones, n. 18.

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he attached to it in his own mind: in aword, he is compelled to furnish his judgeswith proofs whereby to condemn him, andsuch as he alone could disclose." Whilstcanonists and theologians have uniformlyagreed that God alone could have commandedthe exhibition of offences to the priest in thesacrament of penance, from its great repug-nance to the self-love of man, _we here seethat the popes, by pressing still harder onthe culprit, have introduced it in a greatmeasure into the Inquisition, with this aggra-vating difference, that sacramental confessionis from man to man, and ends in absolutionor secret suspension therefrom; whereas inthis tribunal the confession terminates in areconciliation more or less public, always.accompanied with infamy, or in a condemna-tion to die on the scaffold. Since thereforethe oath is profaned by compelling the cul-prit to depose against himself in criminalmatters, in consequence of the imminent

/

* This is to such a degree true, that when the oathdoes not suffice to compel the culprit to declare his in en-tion, or rather when the culprit does not make his declara-tion according to the pleasure of the inquisitors, the lawsof the tribunal command that the torture shall be adrsi-aistered to him. Orden de Pro cesar , fol, 27.

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danger of his being wanting to the. truth,how much greater is not this profanationin the Inquisition, where the arduous posi-tion of the prisoner is infinitely greater andmore dangerous than in any other tribunalwhatever?Another remarkable peculiarity in this

court is that the judges, when they call the- prisoner to give in his declaration, hide fromhim the offence respecting which he is tomake confession. He is, in the first place,ordered to state for what reason he ha: beenbrought to the Inquisition; if he dissembles,or is really ignorant of the motive, he is sentback to his prison; and this ceremony isperformed as often as three times, with someinterval between each," In all of them thejudges do not cease exhorting him, after arenewal of the oath has been performed, tomanifest for the security of his conscienceevery thing he may have said or done againstthe faith, against the free exercise of thetribunal, or the honour of its ministers.t

* Compilacion de Instrucciones, n, IS.t Orden de Procesar, fol, 14. "He is admonished to

'Peak the truth if he has done or said, or been seen to do orlay, any thing that may be injuriol1St~ the faith or contrary

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The idea all this presents is, that the courtwishes the prisoner to confess under a hopeof being treated with greater kindness; butwithout dreading the charge of temerity, andjudging only from the strict nature of the ,process, I may venture to attribute to sucha practice the highest refinement of the in.quisitorial test. At least it will not be deniedthat the prisoner is compelled to scrutinizeevery act and period of his life, till at lasthe hits on the cause of his impeachment.Scarcely recovered from the surprise caused

by his arrest, and appalled by the contr.asthis imagination forms of the many and secretsteps previously taken, compared with thestate of security in which he lately lived,from that moment the prisoner begins todespair, and, hopeless and dismayed, he al-ready beholds the torment that awaits him.Bewildered, as in the mazes of a labyrinth,wherever he turns his. eyes some fresh objectincreases his pain and adds to his anguish.Under the undoubted supposition that, in thisabode of wretchedness, the appearances ofthe most officious charity conceal acts ofInsidious cruelty, he beholds no one who is

to the free exercise of the Holy Office." MS. note, "Orcontrary to the honour of itiministers,"

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not' an enemy, arid hears nothing that is notdirected to his ruin. Secluded from everyspecies of intercourse, if his keeper says anything unconnected with the service of hisperson, it is to assure him that it will bemuch in his favour to confess according tothe pleasure of the inquisitors. to If an attor-ney is allowed him, it is after he has beensworn to use every exertion to induce hisclient to confess, and that he will abandonhis defence from the moment he discovershis guilt. Thus is it that the prisoner hasmore to fear from his own advocate thanfrom the proctor of his enemies.t If, seekinthat consolation in God which he cannotfind in man, he should solicit the sacrament

* This is expressly forbidden by the ordinances of the,Inquisition of Portugal, nevertheless constant practicehas been opposed to this prohibition, as is proved by whatoccurred to Dellon in the Inquisition of Goa, (Relationde la dite Inquisition, chap. iv.) and Don Hipolito Joseda Costa in that of Lisbon, (Narrativa do Perseguicao,tom. i.)t Compilacion de Instrucciones, n. 23. "The attor-

ney is bound as a Christian to admonish him to confess thetruth, and, if he is guilty, to sue for penance. Orden deProcesar, fo1. 16. Again," The advocate swears that,jf the culprit has not justice on hill side, he will undeceivehim and keep secrecy,"

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of penance, either a confessor is refusedhim, or, if he is allowed one, it is not for' thepurposes of absolution,' since of this he isdeemed unworthy as long as he persists, innot exhibiting to the court the crime-ofwhich he is accused; but that he may ce-ope-rate with the rest in promoting his ....-ocn-demnation by exhortations of a ~j~nilU'nature, and by revealing what the p~~n~·.may have confided to him either befere Qr.

after confession. * Finally, the inquisitors,

'I\l Compilacion de Instrucciones, n, 71. "If heask for a confessor, a qualified and confidential personshall be given him, who sh~ll previously make oath that hewill keep secrecy; and, if the penitent in his confessionshould reveal any thing to him to be conveyed out of theprison, that he will not accept the charge nor be thebearer of any such communication. And if he shouldconfide the same to him out of the time of confession,that he will also reveal it to the inquisitors, who shalladvise and instruct the said confessor how 11e is to acttowards the penitent, signifying to him that, since he illimprisoned for being a heretic, if he does not manifesthis crime in 2. judicial manner, being guilty, he cannot beabsolved. And,. with regard to the rest, it is left to theconscience of the _confessor, who is to be learned," &c.The good qualities which the tribunal requires in theconfessor are understood by merely saying that he mustpossess its confidence. Massini, Prattica della S. Inqui-sisione, part x. avvert. lxi, Regimento do S. Officio dePortugal, lib. i. tit. iii. n.29.

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sometimes with a complacent aspect, and atothers in a demure and rigid tone, emulouslyurge him during the whole of the trial toacknowledge having been a defaulter in themanner laid to his charge. They affect tofeel a paternal solicitude for him, as if afather, even when he were as zealous for thepublic good as a Junius Brutus or a ManliusTorquatus, could seek the condemnation ofhis own son when his crime was not legallyestablished; and, by one of those strangecontradictions so common to 'the Inqui ition,in order to prove his delinquency, theyendeavour to avail themselves of the l'CS-

pect for God and his saints which theysuppose in him at the same time that theytreat him as a mortal enemy to the Di.vinity. No people take the name of Godso much into their mouths as the Jews intheir engagements and the Gipsies in theircontracts. if<

* The Order of Process, fol. 10, commands the in-quisitors to urge the culprit to the confession of hiscrime under the following form: "In reverence of Godour Lord, and of his glorious and blessed mother ourLady the Virgin Mary, admonishing him to examine hismemory, and to speak the entire truth of all he shouldfeel himself guilty or may know of in other persons beingequally so, (we see the inquisitors do not forget the

VOL.~ p

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Who then follows up the defence of theprisoner when he has been abandoned by hisattorney? Is he to be judged as one con-victed because his advocate has forsakenhim? I find no regulations laid down forthis peculiar case, and in reality they wouldhave been of no service, since in fact thegranting to the prisoner the means of defenceis merely nominal. What the laws ,of theInquisition prescribe respecting the confessoris not less monstrous. Theologians teach,that the seducing confessor commits a sacri-lege, whether his attempts have been imme-diately before or after the performance ofhis duty, because so vile a proceeding tendsto render the sacrament odious. The sametheologians would do well to inform theworld whether that pa.rt of the practice andconduct of the Inquisition we have justdescribed is regular imd proper. Did anyconfessor ever prostitute his ministry so asto become the instrument of an intrigue so

scrutinies it is their duty to perform!) for by 110 doinghe will unburden his conscience as a Catholic Christianand save his soul, and his cause will be dispatched withall possible brerity and mercy." The same is' likewiseordained, in almost the same words; by the Regimentsdo S.OJIicio de Portugal, lib. ii. tit. iv, D. 9.

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abominably wicked as the above? This cir-cumstance in former times, when inquisitorialzeal was in its zenith, would not have been amatter of astonishment, since the very per-sons who drew up the above Regulationwere themselves confessors; but it is unac-countable that such a practice should havesurvived the barbarous age in which it wasinvented. With regard to the present time,and the influence which of late years this tri-bunal has held over the secrecy of confession,I shall quote the testimony of one who hadpowerful reasons to be well-acquainted withit. This is Don Juan Antonio Rodrigalvarcz,late c_anonof the royal church of St. Isidoreof Madrid, and afterwards titular archdeaconof the cathedral of Cuenca. This worthyperson, well known in Castile not less for"his firmness of character and austerity of lifethan his science and ardent desire of reformin ecclesiastical discipline, and who latelydied in the town of Caiiete, flying from theincursions of the French, was also funda-mentally acquainted with the actual stateof the Inquisition, by whom he had beenoften consulted as an experienced con-fessor. In his memorandums on this sub-ject addressed to a friend in this city,

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speaking of denunciation he makes use ofthe following words: " The infraction ofevery right and principle in this tribunal stillgoes further; for though secrecy is the verysoul of all its proceedings, that of sacramentalconfession is nevertheless not respected brit, in consequence of the declarations it fre-quently requires of confessors relating totheir penitents."Let it not however be objected to me,

that this confession imposed by the Inquisi-tion on its prisoners has a model among theScriptures in the case of Joshua againstAchan, when the latter had secreted a richgarment, two hundred shekels. of silver, anda wedge of gold, out of the booty of the cityof Ai, in direct contravention to the com-mands of God on this occasion. Joshuaexhorted .him to give glory to God andopenly confess the truth, and then cast himinto the flames by virtue of his avowal, toge-ther with all his booty and property." Thisis one of those extraordinary events whichabound in the annals of the Hebrew nation,and, of course, cannot serve as an examplefor others. The same also may be said of allother arguments taken from their civil as

* Joshua, chap. viii. v, 19~

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CHAP. IV.] INQUISITIPN UNMASKED. 213.well as criminal legislation, since it cannotbe denied that both have now ceased; andit will further be readily acknowledged thatthey were instituted for a people of ~ charac-ter little analogous to the Spanish, and thatthose times were very different to our own.Besides, can a nation that, during its infancyin Memphis under Pharoah, was no otherthan a horde of slaves,-that in Jerusalem,under David and Solomon its two mostfamous kings, was held in abject subjection,-and that, since its dispersion, has 10 t allreasonable hopes of liberty, serve as a modelto a people holding in its own hands themeans of freedom? If this were the case,of what avail would be the labours of the,National Congress to give us a constitution,when it would suffice to enact the politicalregulations of the Pentateuch and commandtheir' observance? In the civil code, amongother things, we should then see the powerof the father extend to the sale of his chil-dren; in the criminal one we should beholdthe talion-law revived with the mutilation ofmembers; and in the usages of war the ab-solute power of the conqueror over his fallenfoe would be again introduced. It is hightime for those who appeal to the Old Testa-

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ment for authorities in support of the rigoursof the Inquisition to be undeceived. Anyliberal law found among the Hebrews maysafely be adopted as a model, since we arenow in search of a system of which liberalityis to be the basis; but we have nothing to dowith their bloody laws, when we seek to loosenrather than to wind up the springs of abjectprejudice and degradation, and are on theeve of breaking asunder the trammels of de-basement and slavery.Finally, the judge, before he closes the

s!lmmary proceeding, requires of the prisonerto declare whether he is the author of theoffence alleged, a process usually calledtaking down his declaration, whether he con-fesses ingenuously or not, or whether hepersists in absolute silence. Whenever thelatter takes place, all the penalty of the lawis inflicted upon him the same as if he hadavowed his offence, whereas he ought only I

to be punished for his obstinacy. This cus-tom, although extremely unjust, has beengenerally observed in our other courts, andthe Inquisition has followed their example,but with a considerable excess of rigour,according to what we have already shown,as well by an anticipation of time, as by

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the strenuous manner in which it wrests anavowal from the prisoner.PLENARYJUDGl\1ENT.-The declaration, or

as it may be called the confession of theculprit, which ends the whole summary judg-ment and corresponds to across-examinationin civil cases, is the link that unites it withthe plenary judgment, and also forms thewhole basis of the process. When sufficientevidence appears from the first stage of theproceeding to act against the accused, anddetain his person, the cause is instituted inthe second with all due formality. To thieffect, a proctor is named to act in behalf ofthe public, as well as an advocate to pleadfor the prisoner. The proofs are then sub-stantiated, and the exceptions examined withthe greatest scrupulosity. In short, all theapparent importance is given to the matterwhich it ought in reality to possess, whenthe punishment or impunity of a delinquentis the object in view, and the well-being ormisfortune of the innocent is to be the result.It i~ indeed true, that the Inquisition hasadopted the form of a plenary judgment;but, as the court is already prejudiced againstthe prisoner from the time of his arrest, thishas been adopted merely for the purpose of

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condemning him a second time, and not for 'the protection of his innocence. With regardto the utility that might result to him fromthis revision of his case, the latter proceed-ing is in fact as summary as the first; becausein it there is no obligation to adhere to anydetermined forms, but merely to observe, what natural right prescribes, that is in theterms understood by the inquisitors, 'sincethis alone gives legality to the sentence." Ina word, all anomaly even when in contraven-tion to justice, as long as it possesses theslightest colouring of reason, is authorised bythis tribunal, and even sanctified under a pleaof what is called its being done in behalf ofthe faith. Lastly, that nothing may be want-ing to complete this disorganization, eachprovincial Inquisition has its own peculiarusages and regulations, nor would it be pos-sible in this place exactly to describe theirrespective modes of process.fThe conrt however proceeds in a more~ Paramo, De Ordin. Judiciar, S. Offic. queest, iv.

n.4.-3.t Pefia, Ad Director. Inquisit. com. xcvii•• , Statwm-

dum est." he says, "non esse prioatas Inquisitionum lJuarum-lihet sanciumes inspiciendas, lJuihus sape ex causa id cavetur,(prod jure communi, et communibus doctorum dlcti« videturadversum."

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solemn and formal manner in the secondJudgment, .which improperly, and for themere purpose of misleading the unwary, hasbeen called plenary; for it only differs from

I

the first, inasmuch as by this the prisoneris sentenced to be detained without beingallowed to plead, by' virtue only of thedeclaration of the accuser and witnesses;whereas in the other, although he is allowedto plead, the principal exceptions he mightallege in his own favour are either withdrawnor invalidated when perhaps they mightsuffice to liberate him from suffering. Thiunjust mode of proceeding is founded on thataxiom of right, or rather that fatal para-dox invented by flattery and sanctioned bytyranny, viz. that slight proofs are sufficientin crimes of great-atrocity, and that in takingcognizance thereof the judge may exceed thecommon limits of the law. The Inquisitiontherefore availing itself of this rule, andbesides mistaking the sin or offence com-mitted against God for the crime or injurydone to society, not only punishes the here-tical dogmatist, but also avenges itself onanyone who may have slipped into an un-guarded expression in the least opposed toany article ,of the faith. Thus a fault easily

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committed, or, if not, easily supposed 80, andarising only out of indiscretion, is punished~s the most enormous crime; th~""tis, as thecrime of one who with mature deliberationshould propose to destroy both religion and -the state; as a crime, in short, whose per-petration is scarcely possible, and for whosedeteetion a concurrence of greater proofsis necessary than for that of an ordinaryoffence. At the same time that Paramowishes that, owing to the enormity of heresy,the second judgment of the Inquisitionshould be held in the light of a summaryone, he confesses, when quoting the ChapterLitteras De Preesumpt. and also Pella, thatthe proofs of a crime ought to 'be the greaterin proportion to its gravity." It is by nomeans strange that the expositors of thisform of legislation should fall into contra-dictions when its principles are continuallyclasbing with each other.Beccaria, speaking on this subject, observes

-that, " if the gravity of crimes ought to berated according to the dignity of the personoffended, without any regard to the good orevil of society, an irreverence done to the.. Paramo, De Inquisit. in Caus. Fidei, lib. iii. qUlfit.

vi. n.90,

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Supreme Being ought to be punished withgreater rigour than the "asassination of thefirst magistrate of the nation, by the superiornature of the person offended acting as aninfinite counterpoise to the difference of theoffence. The falsity however of this opinionmust immediately strike anyone who impar-tially examines the relations which e i tbetween man and man as well as betweenman and God. The first arc relation ofequality, of common utility ari in 11t 0 thequilibrium of the pa ion and f indi idu )interests, whi 11 con titut th lind: m ntalbasis of human justice. TIl e ond r . 1tions of dependence on the part of createdbeings towards a perfect and creative one,who reserved to himself the right of legis-lating and judging, since he alone without anabuse of power can apply those punishmentshe himself has established for those who con-travene his eternal will. Besides, if the atro-ciousness of the sin, considered as an offenceagainst the divine <Toodness,depends on theinscrutable malice of the heart, what humanauthority can mea ure out the penalty thatis due? On the other hand, the acknow-ledgement of error and the repentance ofthe heart bring down upon the sinner the

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consolations of ~ God, at all times disposedto mercy and pardon. Would not man there-fore thus be in danger of punishing him whomGod had pardoned, and of pardoning himwho deserved punishment ?" * In conformityto this we are therefore to conclude that thetrue and only measure of crimes, as well as ofthe civil punishments corresponding to them,is the injury they do to society; and thatignorance and cruel superstition alone couldhave raised an expression to the level of themost atrocious crime that can be committedagainst it.

PROOFS.

These are of three kinds; viz. by instru-ments or writings, by witnesses, and by theconfession of the prisoner. The latter isagain subdivided into voluntary, and thatwrested from him by means, of the torture.All of these have been in use in the Inqui-sition.By INSTRUMENTSOR WRITINGS.-It being

a fundamental principle laid down in thistribunal that the prisoner is not to hide any-thing that may tend to elucidate his crimeand its accompanying circumstances, a private

• Beccaria, Dei delitti e delle Pene, § vii.

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instrumental proof, such as a letter or writingof the party, thence becomes a document ofas much validity as a notarial deed; nor is itnecessary for the writing to be legally proved,since it would be impossible for the party, notto acknowledge it. From the same principleit follows that he is bound to denounce anysuch papers to the inquisitors, and even tofind and put them into their hands, if thisshould be necessary to promote his condemna-tion. He is further compelled to translatethem when the language in which they arewritten is unknown to the court, and to in-terpret and comment upon them when thesense is so obscure as not to be understoodfrom a simple reading. Consequently theprisoner is thus forced to become his ownaccuser, and held to give in his sentence pre-pared to judges who are bound by no form;or in other words, he is obliged to offer him-self up as a victim on the altar of the mostdespotic power, erected into a divinity,By WITNESsEs.-He who has heard or

been present at a criminal act or saying con-stitutes a proper channel to furnish the judgewith a knowledge of the offence, and of theperson by whom it was committed; however,at no time has his bare declaration been held

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222 INQUISITION UNMASKED. [CHAP. IV.

as sufficient-to proceed to the sentence, at leastas far as regards the whole penalty. Errorand rancour are vices too common in men ,..for the security of the citizen to depend onthe testimony of a single person, and eventhe Inquisition has been obliged partly torespect this axiom of political justice. Butthis is not the case when the evidence oftwo witnesses has been obtained; for althoughit may happen that both are mistaken, orboth impelled by sinister motives, neverthe-less when they are examined separately, andagree in the material points of the 1: ct, it isnot easy for t~em to be wanting to the truth,to which they must adhere with the greatestnicety, if they wish to accord between them-selves, This is the reason why legislatorshave required at least the evidence of twoconcurring witnesses to establish the proofsof a criminal accusation, and have rejectedthe testimony- of persons suspected of interest,bribery, or of enmity, an exception alwaysattended to in civil cases, and yet not easilyproved.From what has already been said respect-

ing secret accusations and accusers, it is easyto form a correct idea of the nature of thesystem adopted by the Inquisition with regard

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to witnesses. It is therefore only necessaryto remark that it excludes no one from givingevidence, in the same manner as no one isexcluded or even dispensed from denuncia-tion.In order to establish the full proof, although

two concurring witnesses are requisite be-sides the denunciator, those who do not con"cur but depose respecting different acts ofheresy are sufficient for the infliction of theextraordinary penalty, and even for the abju-ration and the infamy which accompanies it.The suppression of the names of the witnc cpermitted by the decrctals, only when it waapprehended that injury might result to themowing to the culprits being persons of power,has been converted into a general rule bythe inquisitors, and has even been extendedto all kinds of causes." Notwithstanding this

'" Massini, Prattles della S. Inquisizione, part x, Avvert.lxxxix, " Benche i testimoni singulari non provano l'eresiaad effetto di condannare il reo con pena ordinaria, sonepero bastevoli a cagionare che se gl'imponga qualquestraordinaria pena 0 penitenza ed anco la purgazionecanoniea,"+ Instrucciones de Sevilla del afio 1484, § 16. The

Order of Process, fol. 17, contains these words, "Incauses which are not of heresy and contain no suspicionsthereof, lome variation usually occurs; but the parties

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measure is so fraught with danger, the tribu-nal has considered it so necessary to its ownends, that in Germany at a time when thetreasury was exhausted, the converted Jewsoffered Charles V. the sum of 800,000crowns of gold if he would consent to.regulate this practice by the usages of theother courts of justice. 'This proposal wasrejected by the prince in condescension tothe Inquisitor General, Cisneros, who repre-sented to him the great inconveniences thatwould arise from such a change. * We oughtnot to be astonished at such a line of conduct.Whoever contemplates the scientific produc-tions and the conduct of our literary charac-ters of the 1'6th century, at the same time thathe acknowledges their really great learningcompared with the state of science in thosedays, will not fail to discover in most of them.a certain tincture of superstition, from whicheven the above distinguished Cardinal was notaltogether free. The prisoner consequentlynever knows who is his accuser, nor who ar.ethe witnesses to support his impeachment,for the court takes the utmost precaution to

are not cited to see the oath administered. and the namesof the witnesses are kept secret."• Paramo, De Orig. S. Inquisit.lib. Ii,tit. iii. cap.n. n, 9-

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, ~

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i keep him in the dark. He is ·thus deprived.of every. means 9f. being .~onftonted with his.adversaries, in those weighty cases in whichall other courts would considerthis measure.as absolutely necessary. It is only when.any doubt has arisen respecting the identity.of his person that the witnesses view him.from a secret place ,whe~e .they cannot be.seen, ,w~i<?h operation is called per rimulas ;or else they ~re brought before him withmasks ontheir faces and covered with cloaksfrom head to foot.'" (Vide Plate III.)

. • .Massini, Prattica della S.lnquisizione, part il. InItaly the confronting with various witnesses was usuallyperformed in 'd~stinct acts, a~d the' culprit 'was' placedin a circle with other persons, to see whether they hit uponhim. This last measure, also used in other tribunals, is.strongly recommended by Massini; but in my opiniontlH;re is Ii? necessity, for ,it in the c~se 'in question. Itmight be requisite when-the inquisitors doubted whether.the culprit was known to the witnesses, but here the doubtis whether 'the latter tells a falsehood when he denies'being the person the former affirms he is. The regulationof the Portuguese Inquisition (lib. ii. tit. iii. n, 7.) is more,correct, since dispensing with both these formalities, it onlyrequires that the witnesses be not known to each other;aMi this end is answered by their being placed in theposition represented in the above plate. The SpanishOrder of Process, fol. 26t simply says that the CUlpritsareDot to be confronted with the witnesses.YOLo T. Q

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226 INQUISITION UNMASKED. (CHAP. IV.

The great importance the Inquisition hasalways attached to the secrecy of the wit-nesses has induced it to resort to certainfictions, as indecorous to religion as they aredishonourable and unprincipled. In the sum-ming.up of the proofs when the accomplice-witnesses vary in their declarations and be-come perjured, this circumstance is com-pletely hidden from the prisoner, who isthereby deprived of the opportunity of can"vassing and rejecting their testimony, asundeserving of credit. According to thesame rule, not only the names of the accuserand witnesses are kept hidden from him, aswell as the day and determined spot wherethe crime was committed, (the year, month,and town being all that is disclosed,) but eventhe circumstance in which he and one of thewitnesses were concerned is totally disfiguredto him, so as to lead him inevitably into error,unless he is well acquainted with the secretsof the Inquisition. Thus when the witnessdeclares that the prisoner, in a certain confi-dential conversation held with him, made use

*' Orden de Procesar, fol, 4, MS. note. "It is alway.inconvenient for the culprit to know that the witness hasprejured himself, -for which reason it is usual not to informhim of it."

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of this or that expression, the inquisitors,accommodating the declaration to their ownwhim, roundly tell him that the witness heardhim repeat this same proposition to anotherperson; feigning that the conversatien tookplace between three or more persons; for infact the expression amounts to this accord-ing to the common way of speaking, fromwhich no tribunal ought to deviate, much lessin summing up the proofs, unless its object.is to authorize fraud and deceit.s This irre-gularity in the Inquisition is the mor re-markable, because its original instructionsprescribe, as a most essential point, that the

'" Compilacion de Instrucciones, n, 32. "In thenotification the month and year in which the witnessesmake their depositions are to be inserted, but if any in-convenience should result from iaserting the exact day, itJDaybe omitted, as the month and year will suffice, andthis is frequently done with wit~esses belonging to theprison. In like manner the notification is to mentionthe place and time where and when the crime was com-mitted, because it relates to the defence of the culprit;but the exact spot shall not be disclosed to him. .And itis to be observed that, although the witness may depose inthe first person, by saying that what he testifies of the cul-prit occurred to him personally, in the notification thewliole shall be put down in the third, stating that he indi-vidually saw and heard what tOQk place between theculprit and a certain per on."

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22&. INQUISITION VNMASKED. [CHAP. IV.

declarations of the witnesses shall be givento the prisoner in the most literal mannerpossible, which proves that it has not alwaysacted wrong from a principle of ignorance.I omit making mention of the other mode

used by the tribunal in examining the per-sons rejected by the prisoner, although theydo not enter into the number of the wit-nesses, which is done in order to cover thelatter in a better manner; neither is it neces-cessary to say any thing of the custom ofexamining witnesses against the persons ex-cepted by the party. '*' I also omit noticingthat the court even hides the circumstance ofthe death of those witnesses whom the prisonermay have named in his defence, in case theyhave died; and, disfigures by various waysthat of their not having been found, when hehad named them to prove his objections tothe persons whom he presumes are his ene-mies.t 'What is most worthy of attention isthe extreme difficulty to which he is exposed

* Orden de Procesar, fo!' 25. According to the authorof the MS. notes, the Supreme Council of the Inquisitionprohibited this abuse by an order of the 26th May, 1706;but the iniquisitors took no notice of this, since he speaksof the practice as being current, and quotes the abovorder as if astonished at its contravention.t Orden de Procesar, fol. 25.

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in the establishment of his counter -evidence,or those means he may have of proving thaton the day and at the hour when the wit.nesses affirm he committed the crime heWas at .a different place from the one theyassert. This difficulty amounts to an impos-sibility when they accuse him of havingcommitted the crime within the prison, sincethe notification is made out under a date of amonth previous to his confinement; and inPortugal the antedate went as far back as fiveor six months, and the charge did not specifythe town but only the bishopric, if the culpritdid not before live in the same town.?The reason the inquisitors give for so sin-

gular a procedure is that otherwise, as fromthe time of his confinement he had only held

• Compilacion de Inslrucciones, as above quoted.Regimento do Santo Officiode Portugal, lib. ii. tit. ix. n.B." Havendo alguma testemunba deposto contra 0 reo deculpa commettida no carcera do Santo Officio se lhe tarapublicacao della tomando 0 tempo cinco 0 seis mezes atrasde suaprisafi dizendo se que de tanto tempo a esta parte."Apd in lib. i.rtit, vi. n, 23., we find these words: "E se asculpas forem commettidas no carcere nao sendo 0 reomorador na cidade nem havendo noticia certa que veyo aella no tal tempo, dini (0 promotor) que a culpa se com-metteo no arcebispado ou bispado em que rezide 0 SaD!QOlficio." ,

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intercourse with a certain number of persons,he would be enabled to devise the authors ofthe accusation. But, is it possible that theydo not discover that according to this rulethey are obliged to state the period when theculprit committed the offence under an anti.cipation of several years, when during all thistime he has been a prisoner; and that theymust thus only express the kingdom when heis transferred from one province to another,or even Europe alone, or any other quarterof the globe, when, on being claimed, he isconducted from one kingdom to another;and even the whole globe itself, if, as it pos.sibly may happen, he is conveyed from oneof the four quarters to another. So certainis it that man if he once loses the pmperequilibrium, no longer able to guide his /steps, is precipitated from one abyss toanother. The law, therefore, by which theInquisition hides from the accused the namesof his adversaries, thus neutralizing or de-priving him of the means of defence, andleaving him no other grounds than :Conjec-ture, must be pronounced barbarous in itssubstance as well as in its mode of application.It was in consequence of this unaccount·

~Iblelaw that about the middle of the 16th

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century the venerable professor Juan dAvila was nearly sacrificed. This virtuousman was usually called the Apostle of Anda-lusia, andit was to his preaching and advicethat many of the persons then distinguishedamong us by their virtues were so much in-debted. Among these may be named Igna-tius of Loyola, Francis de Borja, John ofGod, Peter of Alcantara, and Teresa ofJesus, as well as the venerable Luis of Gra-nada, who also received from him lessons 0sacred eloquence. He was accused of teach-ing various errors in his sermons, one ofwhich was, that he closed the gates of heavenagainst the rich, and he was consequentlyseized by the Inquisition of Seville. Beingnear his condemnation, the inquisitors told.him that his affair was now in the hands ofGod,meaning by this that his case was entirelyhopeless; asking him at the same time andin the usual manner whether he suspectedanyone of bearing enmity against him. Thetranquillity of mind, on the one hand, withwhich he answered them, that those 'might behis enemies who were offended with thetruths of the gospel, and that his cause wasnever better than when in the hands of God ;and on the other, the great veneration in

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which he was held throughout the wholekingdom, obliged the judges to make freshand more minute investigations- respectinghis accusers and witnesses. By this means,and in an extraordinary manner, they ob-tained possession of a .letter in which one ofthe latter exhorted a-witness to keep firm tohis declaration, in terms giving to understandthat the accusation had been malicious.Thus did the venerable Avila escape ship-wreck, when 'another innocent man, divestedof the same favourable circumstances, wouldhave infallibly perished.s But however muchthis zealous priest might have sought toheighten the difficulty of a rich man enteringinto the kingdom of heaven, could he haveused any thing stronger than the text of theGospel, where Christ compares this same diffi-culty to that of a camel passing through theeye of a needle, even when by the wordcamel or ~StJ-' (gamla) as he must have pro-nounced it speaking in Chaldean, we are tounderstand, as appears ought to be the case,the rope made of the twisted hairs of thatanimal? This evinces how easily calumnymay catch hold of a word, and' that even

.. Vide the Life of said Professor A vila, at the beginnin;ef his works, book i, chap. vi, . ,

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supposing in tribunals silence is observed inother matters, in affairs of so delicate a'natureas this publicity is indispensably necessary.And if this really is the case, what motives

could have given rise to the introduction ofso scandalous a practice into the Inquisition,as wen as its retention for so long a period oftime? Has the necessity of maintainingreligion been the plea? Nothing could bemore favourable to its enemies, and nothingcould furnish them with more powerful armsto attack and discredit it than such a neces-sity if it were certain. Or has it been theindemnity of the accuser and witnesses? Asociety whose laws are not sufficient for theprotection of its members, and in which thelatter are. more powerful than the sovereign,is not deserving of that name. Or has themotive been a dread of the stigma attached tosecret accusers? The man who is justifiedby the law in private cannot be held as cri-minal before the public. How numeroushave been the errors, and how great the evilswhich have arisen out of a false zeal for reli-gion ! The Inquisition, far from being ser-viceable to it by its mysterious proceedings,has rather resembled a second tribunal ofCaiphas, in which Christ, as head of the

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Church, has suffered in his members what inthe latter he endured in his person. And intruth, can any situation be imagined morelike that of our Redeemer in the house ofthe above pontiff when those his execu-tioners, after binding his eyes, struck, andthen told him to guess who gave the blow,than the condition of an innocent man stand.ing before the tribunal of the Inquisition ?*

* S. Matth. cap. xxvi, v, 68. "The Holy Tribunal,"says the Filosofo Rancio, in his letter ii.• "amply com-pensates to the culprits the injury they experience in beingdeprived of the defence they might establish by beingallowed to state exceptions against the informer and wit-nesses, In the first place by the court ascertaining thecharacter and reputation of the latter. and its searchingout if they have against the culprit any probable cause ofill.wiIL': Before we proceed any further. I do not denytllat the court will endeavour to find out what reputationthe informer and witnesses enjoy in society, and I eventhink it is easy for it to ascertain the point; but will it beequally easy to scrutinize with certainty, or even suspect,the odium or clashing of interests which possibly exist be-tween two persons, perhaps the greatest friends in theirexterior?- The Filosofo Rancio adds. "in the secondpIare. it makes up to the culprits this injury, by not pro-ceeding to a personal arrest till the informers and witnesseshave confirmed their depositions before two or more per-SODS of respectability, and under all the precautions whichhuman prudence will admit of in order to prevent decep,tion and surpri.&e."-.And I would ask, Of what Jervic~

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By VOLUNTARY CONFESSION.-I call theconfession made by the prisoner at the in.stance or through the suggestions of the

would be two or more persons collected 'together in orderto restrain or intimidate the calumniator who, before he.resolved on the ruin of his rival, was aware he had toappear before some one? And wh? will believe that thistribunal will take all the precautions dictated by prudence,when it disregards those which rigorous justice prescribes,and the universal consent of nations h confirmed, It is-unnecessary to seek subterfuges and invent sophisms inorder to defend a proceeding so absurd as that of the In.quisition in this particular. This is a blemish it would beimpossible to hide or wipe away. All the exertions thecourt may take upon itself in favour of the culprit willnever make up for those of the culprit himself, of his ad.vocate acting in his name, and even those which hisrelations and friends might perform far him. The Filosofothen subjoins, "In the third place, it makes this injuryup to them by combining and putting in practice the mostsevere penalties against calumniators." It would first benecessary for the court to ascertain that they were of thisstamp, and this is the precise point of difficulty; for it is

\

clear that by the combination of punishment calumny isnot always avoided, since the Inquisition itself confesseshaving had to punish it. How many of these calumniesmust not have occurred before this tribunal, but how seldomhave the punishments taken place? He thus concludes,"In the fourth and last place, this injury is compensatedby an extraordinary value being attached to whatever ex-ception the culprit may insinuate when he hits upon and£uesses the names of the informers against him." Well

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judge voluntary or spontaneous notwith-standing it partakes in a certain degree ofmoral coercion, in order to distinguish itfrom that which is obtained by means of thetorture .. These suggestions, from combiningin them threats, and acting as a restraint onthe will, have uniformly been reprobated byall codes except that of the Inquisition,which from the beginning to' the end of thecause points out the confession of the pri-soner as the only means of safely extricatinghimself from his dilemma, or at least of suf-fering less. But this is not the only injusticehe has to experience; there is another and astill more remarkable one arising out of adeviation from the truth on the part of a tri-bunal that styles itself" Of the Faith." Inorder to prove this it will suffice to select

then the exceptions alleged by the culprit when he guesseswho the informers are, can be of such a nature as to beesteemed of an extraordinary value ? Yet the innocentman under the pressure of persecution, who may not havetalent to hit upon his persecutor, in this tribunal becomesthe victim of his own dullness!. The want of penetrationconsequently is another crime punishable therein. .Mostassuredly this is a novelty to me, for I had hitherto believedthat it was not the simple man but the one possessed oftalents whom the Inquisition has usually selected fur thobject of its fury.

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two of the ten stratagems used for this pur-pose, gilded over as they are by the name ofprecautions, as may be seen in the Directoryof the Inquisitors, written about' the middleof the 14th century, by the Dominican Ni-cholas Eymeric, Chief Inquisitor to theCrown of Aragon; a masterly work, whoseauthority in the Inquisition may be comparedto that of the Decree of Gratian in the otherecclesiastical courts: a work in short whichhas served as a model for all the regulationswhich have been in force in Spain, Italy, andPortugal, and as authority for all who havewritten on the subject.FIRST SrRATAGEM.-" When the prisoner

r has been impeached of the crime of heresy,but not convicted, and he obstinately persistsin his denial, let the inquisitor take the pro-ceedings into his hands, or any other file ofpapers, and looking them over in his presen~elet him feign to have discovered the offencefully established therein, and that he-is de-sirous he should at once make his confession.The Inquisitor shall then say to the prisoner,as if in astonishment' And is it possible thatyou should still deny what I have here beforemy own eyes?' He shall then seem as if heread, and to the end that the prisoner may

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�38 INQUISITION UNl\IASKED. ICHAP. IV•.know no better, he shall fold down the leaf,and after reading some moments longer, he •.shall say to him ' It is just as I have said,why therefore do you deny it, when you seeI know the whole matter?' " In all this theauthor directs the judge not to enter toominutely -into the particulars of the fact forfear of his erring in any of the circumstances,and lest the prisoner should discover thefiction."SECOND STRATAGEM.-" When the inquisi-

tor has an opportunity, he shall manage so as

• Eymeric, Director. Inquisitor. part iii. n, 102. " Si vi-deat inquisitor luereticum, vel delatum nolie detegere ver'ita-tem, et scit eum per testes non esse convictum, et secundum in-dieia videtur eidem esse verum quod deponitur contra eum,accipiat processum, et revolvat eum, et post dicatei: Clarumest quod won dicis verum, et quod ita fuit sicut dico ego: di-cas er~o 'lJeritate1ltnegotii clare, sic ut ille credat se convictumesse, et sic apparere in processu, Pel teneat in manti unamcedulem leu scripiuram, et quando delatus Sell. hareticus in-terrogatltS negabit hoc vel illud, inquisitor quasi admirans di-cat ei r Et quomodo tu pates negare? N anne clarum est mihi?Bt tunc legat in cedula sua, et pervertat eam, et post dicat:Ego diaebam 'Verwm. Dicas postquam vides me scire. Ca-~ tamen inquisitor quad non tantum descendatad speciemdietndo se scire negotium, quod haireticus cognoscat quod ipsei,gnorat; sed stet in genere dicendo: Bene scitur ubi .fuisti,et cum quo, et quo tempore, et quid diristi; et tangat sibi ali.quod certum, quod scit ita esse; de aliis awem in gewreiopatur.

5

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to introduce to the conversation of the pri-soner some one of his accomplices, or anyother converted heretic, who shall feign thathe still persists in his heresy, telling him thathe had abjured for the sole purpose of es-caping punishment by deceiving the inquisi-tors. Having thus gained his confidence, heshall go into his cell some day after dinner,and keeping up the conversation till night,shall remain with him under pretext ofits being too late for him to return home.He shall then urge the pri oner to tell himall the particulars of his past life, havingfirst told him the whole of his own; and inthe mean time spies shall be kept in bearingat the door, as well as a notary, in order tocertify what may be said within."· Thus is

• Eymeric, Director. Inquisit. part iii. n, 1'07.'e Hd!Jeatinquisitor unum de complicibus, set: alium '!Jere ad jidrmt-£on'!Jersum, et de ql(() bene confidere posMt illi cupto .noningratum, et permittat illum intrare, et facial fuod ilkloquatur sihi; et si opus fuerit fingat se de seda sua adhucesse, sed metu abjurasse, '!Jetveritatem inquisituri prodidisse.Et quum hareticus captus coTfftderit in eo, intret quollttm Slln)

protranendo locuiiones cum eadem, et tanclemfingat nimis sa:tarde pro recessu, et reman eat in carcere cum eadem, ettdt!!lIJ)ctepariter colloquantur, et dicant sibi muiuo qutE commiserunt,illo, qui superimtravit, inducente ad hoc captum; i!t tunc ntordinatum, quod stent extra carcerem in loco congr.uo -erp1()-

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it, and with 80 little shame, that InquisitorEymeric explains himself.That the Inquisition, in order to criminate

its enemy and obtain possession of his pro ....perty, should be thus wanting to the truth in. flome points which reciprocal confidence andjustice ordain us to respect,-that it shouldseek to authorize by public faith an act inwhich the minister to whom the same isentrusted only intervenes out of doors andwithout seeing the persons to whose conver-sation he is to certify,-is not so astonishingwhen human frailty is considered; but thatreligion should be formally belied, and thisby a regulation for that purpose enacted, isa sacrilege almost unheard of. Whilst thepanegyrists of this institution, who boast ofbeing theologians, extricate themselves fromfrom this dilemma, the liberal and philoso-phical ought to rejoice to see that every thinghitherto written against it is not only truebut also moderate, notwithstanding its advo-cates attribute 21.11to a spirit of heresy andlibertinism. Don Manuel Abad y Lasierra,the last Inquisitor General but one, and alsoArchbishop of Selimbria, a person by noroutes, eos auscultantes, et verba colligentes, et si opus fuerit..notarius cum eisdern."

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means prejudiced, and for that reason notliked among those of his own cloth, speakingof 'the ease with which an innocent may beentrapped in the snares of this trihunal,used to say that he had never feared the In.quisition till he had been made Inquisitor Ge-neral. What therefore must have been thenature of this tribunal in all its force andvigour, when such was the idea of it whilstnow in a state of decrepitude!What justice or humanity therefore can be

expected from a tribunal which so basely andsystematically tramples on both? Can itssentiments of religion be called true, whentheir profanation is thus sacrilegiously autho-rized ? Is there anyone yet so blind as notto discover that an institution in which suchiniquitous acts are ordered and executedmust .be the work of fanaticism? MethinksI see this monster, this proud and haughtyrival of religion, its head tressed with ser-pents, its eyes red and fiery, its lips coveredwith bloody froth, 'and muttering words indi,cative of the rage that devours its entrails,with one hand raising the wood of the cross asif to assemble the nations of the earth, but inreality to feed the flame of discord which itcarries in the other. Such methinks I behold

VOL.L R

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it, as on the dark and dismal day when theInquisition was established in Tholouse, andcalling on all the violent and obdurate feelingsor' the heart as its inseparable companions:methinks I hear it issue the same orders thatTasso's Pluto gave to his infernal satelliteswhen he opposed the conquest of the HolyLand by the Christians .

.. Ma perche pill v' iodugio? Irene, 0 mieiFidi censorti, 0 mia potenza e forze,.Ite veloci, ed opprimete i rei,Pria che 'I lor poter pi6 si rinforze,Pria che tutt' arda il regno degli Ebrei,Questa fiarsma crescente omai s'ammorze;Fra lora entrate, e in ultimo lor dannoOr la forza s'adropri, ed or l'inganno."

But wherefore thus your well-known zeal detain?Go faithful peers and partners of my reign,My pride and strength! our hated foes oppre~s,And crush their empire ere its pow'r increase;Haste (ere destruction .end JUdrea's name)And quench the fury of this growing flame;Mix in their councils, fraud and force employ,With ev'ry art industrious to destroy.

The same reasons might also be alleged bythe partisans of the Inquisition in favourof their conduct, as were used in defenceof his own by Hidraotes, the Mussulman

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magician, when executing the designs ofPluto.

Perla fe-il tutto lice,"For the faith-all things are lawful.

CONFESSION EXACTED :BY MEANS OF Ton-TUItE.-When I reflect on the use of torturesformerly admitted into almost all tribunals, inorder to extort from culprits the' confessionof their crime, or, in other words, to obligethem to pronounce their own sentence ofcondemnation, I am inclined to forgive thosepublic writers who have doubted whethermen have gained or lost most by unitingin society. Savage must have been the manwho :first projected, and still more so whodared propose, among civilized nations theadoption of a judicial test so cruel and falla-cious as this. Had we not ourselves reachedthose unfortunate times in which this abomi-nable practice was still in use, we shouldscarcely have believed it had ever existed;nor will it be credited by future ages, not-withstanding it is attested by history, andsealed in the blotted annals of our nationallegislation. But it is a fact which the livingthemselves have witnessed: the torture has.it Torquato Tasso, " La Geru.saleme Liberata," cant. iv-.

stanza 16.- R2

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been in practice in our own tribunals, and theplaintive cries extorted by pain have beentaken, for the accents of undisguised truth.We ourselves have been" exposed to therigour of this most vile and atrocious of allinventions.Yet since the ordeal by torture is now

condemned in every quarter where Dumanblood is valued, and where justice, throughthe aid of science, has again returned to therig}}tpath, from which it had been drawn byour too servile imitation of the ancients; itwould be to no purpose 'to accumulate freshreasons to prove its iniquity and want ofefficacy. Among the ancients neverthelesssome are to be found who cried out against it,so that instead of common prejudice it wasrather sustained by that fatal spirit of servileimitation which upholds every, thing bad, es-pecially when recommended by the sanctionof a legislator. Maturely ought a law to beconsidered before it is admitted into the code,above all in criminal matters." Confiningmyself therefore to my more immediate

.. The use of the torture was impugned, though in a cur-,ory manner, by Cicero, Quintilian, St. Augustin, andUlpianus. Several of our own authors have also reprovedit, and for this reason their names ought to be remembered

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object, it will suffice to say, that the acts ofother tribunals, intended to wrest from themouth of the culprit the confession of hisoffence by means of the torture, have notbeen less unwarrantable and tyrannical ingeneral than those of the Inquisition in par-ticular, applied, as they have been, underpretext of changing his opinion through themedium of coercion. Both seem to havebeen ignorant of the true impulse of thehuman heart, and have clearly provedthat the passions by which they were ani-mated were of all others least adapted topromote public happiness. It was onlyamong slaves, and amidst the ignorance andferocity of the primitive ages, that the torturecould have been tolerated; when by a shame.ful ,degradation of the human species, menwere scarcely held in any other light than asbeasts; nor could it ever have been extendedto the citizen but where the power of theCresars had no barriers to its lawless and un-bridled scope.Since then the' torture may be considered

as the double effort of barbarity and despot.

with gratitude. Among them are Luis Vives, in the] 6thcentury; and in the last, Father Feijoo, and also Don JOI.'de Acevedo and Don Manuel de Lardizabal. .

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ism leagued against suffering humanity, itmay easily be concluded that it was receivedwith open arms by the Inquisition. Tena-cious in its system of oppression and ven-geance, no' other tribunal has surpassed itin severity, whether we consider the qualityof its torments or their duration. No formof judicial excruciation; in fact, has been toomuch for it: on the contrary, all the othertribunals in the midst of their horrors andignominy might have furnished it with lessonsof sensibility. It is not my intention in thisplace to describe any other kinds of tormentsthan those in usual practice, and which, for. this reason, are recorded by the authors whohave explained the mode of process used inthis institution. The matter is too painfuland too disagreeable to admit of any otherthan the most necessary details; nor shall Iheighten the subject by any forced colour-ings, since the simple narrative of the factsalone must make the writer and the readerequally shudder. I ought however to pre-mise, that no deprecation or protest in favourof the CUlprit precedes the torture, as is thecase before his final execution; nor, as inthe latter stage, is its infliction given incharge to the civil magistracy, but executed

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by the inquisitors themselves. During theoperation, the bishop of the diocess jointlypresides with them, he being on this occa-sion called upon to exercise this first act ofhis jurisdiction. *I call this the first act of jurisdiction exer-

cised by the diocesan, because in fact theInquisition does not require his presenceduring all the process of the summary judg-ment; as if in matters of faith he possessedno jurisdiction whatever, notwitstanding theissue of the cause entirely depends onthe grounds established in the preliminaryproceedings. He is for the first time invitedto assist at the sentence of the torture andits infliction; and why all this? Such aninfringement in appearance might be held asjust and reasonable, but its result has beento degrade and vilify the episcopal authoritystill more. In Spain it was formerly sufficientfor one or two inquisitors to be present atthe administration of the torture, as hasalways been the case in Italy, and it evenappears that some of them, whose feelingsbeyond doubt would not allow them to'behold with their eyes what they had nothesitated to order and authorize by their

'* Compilecion de Instrucciones n, 48.

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signatures, gave this commission to another jbut it was afterwards regulated that at leasttwo inquisitors were to assist thereat besidesthe delegate of the diocesan bishop.s How-ever as nothing evinces in a stronger mannerthe idea the inquisitors themselves had ofthe atrocity of the torture, and the dangerthereby incurred by the culprit, than thevery form of the inflictive sentence, it maybe proper to insert it in this place in itsexact words.

SENTENCE OF THE TORTURE.

" Christi nomine inoocato. We hereby or-dain, after due examination made of theproceedings of said trial, as well as of theinferences and suspicions which thence resultagainst the said N., that we ought and herebydo condemn him to be interrogated underthe' torture," (some judges here expressedthe kind it was to be) "on which we com-mand that he be placed, and thereon remainfor such time as to us may appear fit, inorder that he may declare the truth of whatis attested and alleged against him, underthe protest we now make against him; thatif during the said torture he should die)

* Compilacion de Instrucciones, n, 48.

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should be maimed, or any effusion of bloodor mutilation of members should thenceensue, the blame and charge thereof shallrest on himself, and not on us, for havingrefused to confess the truth. And by thisour sentence we decree and command thesame to be done, by virtue of, and in con-formity to, the tenor of these presents."-(Here follow the signatures of the judges,&c.*)When the culprit was of opinion that the

inferences against him did not amount to asemi-plenary proof, such as was requi itefor the sentence of the torture, he wasallowed to appeal to the Council of theSupreme; and also to remonstrate with theinquisitors themselves, whenever any infirm-ity or the delicacy of his constitution madehim unable to endure it. In the first casethe appeal was granted when sufficient rea-sons had been' alleged, but the originalproceedings were forwarded to the Councilunder the greatest reserve. In the second,an examination of physicians is ordained,and, on the culprit's statement being foundcorrect, a lighter torture was substituted forthe ordinary one, or this was administered

• Orden de Procesar, foI. 28.1

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with less rigour. But would the inquisitorsreadily admit of an appeal against a measurewhich they themselves had instituted? Sel-dom indeed, or never, was the prisoner ableto establish his plea so as to obtain thebenefit of an appeal; since, in order to refuseit, nothing more was necessary than for thejudges to be satisfied that their measure wascorrect." Even in Portugal the proctor wasallowed to appeal if he believed that thelatter acted with too much indulgence.tThree kinds of torture have been generally

used by the Inquisition, viz. the pulley, rack,and fire. As sad and loud lamentations ac-companied the sharpness of pain, the victimwas conducted to a retired apartment, calledthe Hall of Torture, and usually situatedunder ground, in order that his cries mightnot interrupt the silence which reignedthroughout the other parts of the building.Here the court assembled, and the judges

* The Compilation of Instructions, D. 50, uses thefollowing words: " In case the inquisitors are satisfiedwith the legal appearances of guilt resulting from theproceedings the sentence of torture becomes justified,the appeal is deemed frivolous, and they are to proceedto its execution without any loss of time!'t Regimcnto do Santo Officio de Portugal, lib. ii.

tit. xiv, n, S.

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\.\

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CHAP. IV.] INQ,UISITION UNMASKED. !51

being seated, together with their secretary,again questioned the prisoner respecting. his crime, which if he still persisted todeny they proceeded to the execution ofthe sentence.This first torture was performed by fixing

a pulley to the roof of the hall, with a strong.hempen or grass rope passed through it.The executioners then seized the culprit,and leaving him naked to his drawers, putshackles on his feet, and suspended weightsof 100 pounds to his aneles. His hands werethen bound behind his back, and the ropefrom the pulley strongly fastened to hiswrists. In this situation he was raised aboutthe height of a man from the ground, andin the mean time the judges coldly admo-nished him to reveal the truth. In this posi-tion as far as twelve stripes were sometimesinflicted on him, according to the inferencesand weight of the offence. He was thensuffered to fall suddenly, but in such mannerthat neither his feet nor the weights reachedthe ground, in order to, render the shock ofhis body the greater." (Vide Plate IV.)

,. Orden de Procesar, fol, 29.-Suarez de Paz, Praxis,tom. i, part v, 'cap. iii.-The statement or report whichthe secretary is to draw out, according tQ the marginal

4-

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The torture of the rack, (vide Plate V.)also called that of water and ropes, and theone most commonly used, was inflicted bystretching the victim, naked as before, on hisback along a wooden horse or hollow benchwith sticks across, like a ladder, and preparedfor the purpose. To this his feet, hands, andhead were strongly bound, in such manner asto leave him no room to move. In this atti-tude he experienced eight strong contortionsin his. limbs, viz. two on "the fleshy parts ofthe arm above the elbow, and two below,one on each thigh, and also on the legs.He "was besides obliged to swallow sevenpints of water, slowly dropped into his mouthon a piece of silk or ribbon which, by thepressure of the water, glided down his throat,so as toproduce all the horrid sensations of aperson who is drowning. «< At other times his

note of the Order of Process, is the following: " He shallset down in what manner they ordered-the culprit to bestripped naked, how they put irons on his legs, as well asthe weight or weights; and the same shall also specify inwhat manner he was raised up, how many times, and thelength of time he was suspended at each."• Orden de Pro cesar, fol 29.-Suarez de Paz, Praxis,

tom. i. cap. v. part iii.-The statement to be drawn HP,.according to a marginal note of wid Order of Process, is asfollows: " He &hallset down in what manner they ordered

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face was covered with a thin piece of linen,through which the water ran into his mouthand nostrils, and prevented him from breath-ing. Of such a form did the Inquisition ofValladolid make use, in 1528, towards Licen-tiate Juan Salas, physician, of that city. *For the torture by fire the prisoner was

placed with his legs naked in the stocks, thesoles of his feet were then well-greased withlard, and a blazing chafing-dish applied tothem, by the heat of which they became per-fectly fried. When his complaints of the painwere loudest a board was placed between hisfeet and the fire, and he was again com-manded to confess; but this was taken awayif he persisted in his obstinacy. This speciesof torture was deemed the most cruel of all ;hut this, as well as the others, were indis-

his arms to be bound, the number of turns given to therope, how they ordered him to be extended on the horse,and to have his legs, head, and arms bound, and in whatmanner this was done; how they commanded and appliedthe screws, how these were tightened, and whether againstthe leg, thigh, arms, &c. He shall further write downwhat was said on each of these occasions; and howthe piece of silk was put into his throat, how many.jars of water were poured down, and what each onecontained."

-¥- Llorente, Anales de la Inquisicion, cap. xvi. n.119.

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tinctly applied to persons of both sexes, atthe will of the judges, according to the cir-cumstances of the crime and the strength ofthe delinquent." . (Vide Plate VI.)The torture by fire,' however, does not

appear to have been much in use except inItaly, and this when the culprit was lame,or through any other impediment preventedfrom being suspended by the pulley. In thelatter countries also other lesser tortures wereused with persons unable to withstand thosealready described. Such were that of thedice, of the canes, and of the rods. Forthe first, the prisoner was extended on theground, and two pieces of iron shaped likea die, but concave on one side, were placedon the heel of his right foot, then bound faston with a rope, which was pulled tight witha screw. That of the canes was performedby a hard piece being put between each

4: Massini, Prattica della Santa Inquisizione, part vi.The statement to be written down, according to thisinquisitor, is as follows: " Qui reus sic suppositu~ (tor-mento hujusmodi) nudaiis pedilms illisque lardo porcinoinunctis, et in cippis juxta ignem calidum retentis, quumJtetissit per spatium -; in dicto tormento tacitus, ccepit posteaalta 'VOCe'VOciferandodicere" Oi me !"&jc.,-et quum videreturmagnum dOWretn semire, D.D. mandavcrunt apponi taint.lam, qc."

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finger, bound, and then screwed as above.That of the rods was inflicted on boys whohad passed their ninth year, but had notyet reached the age of puberty, by bindingthem to a post, and then flogging them withrods."The duration of the torture, by a bull of

Paul III., could not exceed an hour; and ifin the Inquisition of Italy it was .not usualfor it to last so long, in that of Spain, whichhas always boasted of surpassing all others inzeal for the faith, it was prolonged to an hour'and a quarter.t The sufferer, through the in.tensity of pain, was sometimes left senseless,for which case a physician was always inattendance to inform the court whether theparoxysm was real or feigned; and accordingto his opinion the torture was continued orsuspended.t When the vic tim remained firm

* Massini, Prattica della Santa Inquisizione, part vi.t Orden de Procesar, fol. 28, note MS. "In the Inqui-

sltion the torture is generally administered in the morning.Letter of the Supreme Council, of23d Sept. 1671, to thetribunal of Llerena, in the case of Ann Lopez. It is usualfor it to last an hour and a half."t The statement or report made on this occasion, ac-

cording to Massini, Prattica della S. Inquisiziene, part vi.is as follows: "Qui reus sic depositus, et super sede ligneaaccommodatus, quum licet pluries interrogotus, commotus,

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in his denial, and overcame the pangs in.flicted on him,-or when, after confessingunder them, he refused to ratify his confes-sion within twenty-four hours afterwards,-he has beenforced to undergo as far as threetortures with only one day's interval between'each. "" Thus, whilst his imagination was stillfilled with the dreadful idea of his past suffer-ings, which the Compilation of InstructionsItself calls agony, his limbs stiff and sore, andhis strength debilitated, he was called uponto give fresh proofs of his constancy, andagain endure the horrid. spectacle, as well as, the repetition of excruciating pangs; tendingto rend his whole frame to pieces.tThe persons charged to inflict these cruel

operations were generally.the servants of the

et quassatus responsum non daret, nee in animum rediret,. immo semimortui imaginempra: seferret, D.D. mandaoeruntin €jus.fteietn aquamfrigidam guttatim inspergi, 'Vel€jus

.frontem, et tempora, et nares, et guttur acetorosaceomade-fieri, 'Vel nares ipsius sulphure, aut petiis lineis accensissldfumigari," ~c.* Massini, Prattica della S. Inquisizione, part. Yi.t Compilacion de Instrucciones, n. 49. By them it is

forbidden to suggest any answer to the culprits, and onlyto command them to speak the truth, "because undersuch an agony," these are the precise words, "they sayany thing they are reminded of,"

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gaoler, as may be seen from the regulationsof theInquisition of Portugal, as well as theexecutioner and public cryer." However asthis institution was formerly under the chargeof toe Dominicans, and of late years also inItaly, it is probable that the lay-brotherswere selected to inflict the torture; parti-cularly as the Inquisition was usually con-tiguous to their convents, with which theycommunicated by a secret door and passage.I am the more induced to believe this cir-cumstance, owing to the great secrecywith which the inquisitors carried everything on, and because by services of thisnature the lay-brothers, far from being dis-honoured, considered they were doing actsacceptable to God. At least this must havebeen the case with regard, to those culpritswho were ecclesiastics; since Pefia, on the'authority of Simancas, says that they areto be tortured by persons of their ownprofession, and that it was only whenthose of the latter description could notbe found willing and capable of doing itthat seculars were to be called in.f In the

* Regimento do Santo Officio de Portugal, lib. ii.tit. xiv, n.~.t Peiia, Ad Director. part iii. com. xc, These are his

VOL. I. s

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258 INQUISITION UNMASKED. CCHAP. IV.vocabulary of these canonists what is itthey could have understood by ecclesias-tical meekness?When neither persuasions, threats, nor arti-

fices were sufficient to force the culprit, trulyor falsely, to confess his delinquency, theinquisitors thus recurred to the torture, mix-ing even this deception with severity; for,besides threatening the prisoner to make hispangs last for an indefinite period of time,in order to inspire him with greater terror,they made him believe, after he had bornethem for the usual and fixed period, thatthey, only suspended their continuation be-cause it was late, or for some other similarreason; they protesting at the same timethat they did not deem him sufficiently tor-tured." By this pro~est they avoided giving

. words: "Clerici non debent. torque,.{ a tartare laieo, ~lisi'firte deriei non possint inveniri, qui id facere vetint, autseiant."* The statement or report which the secretary is to

draw up at the conclusion of the torture, according to theOrder of Process, fol. 25, is under the following form:" And then the inquisitors and diocesan" bishop agreedthat, in consequence of its being late, as well as for otherreasons, they suspended for the present the said torture,under 11protest that they had not sufficiently;ortured theculprit, and that, if he did not reveal the truth, they

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a second sentence when they returned toinflict the torture afresh, since they consi-dered it as a continuation of the, precedingone; by which means they were able totorment the victim as often as they thoughtproper, without formally coming' to thesecond ~orture. So indecent and iniquitous.did this conduct of the Inquisition appearto Martin del Rio that, notwithstanding his.great prejudices in favour of the institution,he reproves it in the strongest manner byobserving, that it seemed to him " to berather the work of cunning than of truth,and rather the invention of cruelty than of jus.tice." "It is indecorous," he adds," to refinecruelty by such tricks. Of what avail is it togive the name of' continuation to what inreality is a reiteration? And what a mostterrible thing is it not, to prolong a torturefor several days? Let similar deceptions beno longer seen in judges who call themselvespious." * Finally, the Supreme Council was

reserved to themselves the right of continuing it whenit should seem proper to them ;-and it was thus or-dered," &c.• Martin Delrio, Disquisition. Magicar. lib. v. sect. ix,

" Yidetttr mihi," he says, e' callidior quam serior, (thisprotest) et cnulelior quam eequior, Nee enim deed," he

S 2

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at last moved by the Gries of humanity, anaprohibited a repetition of the torture unlessa fresh consultation or sentence of the courtpreceded."Thus, whilst the unfortunate victim, melted,

in tears at the sight of the horrors by whichhe is surrounded, bewails his miserable fate,-or, phrenzied with the force of flu)', in vaincalls all nature to his aid, and invokes thename of its author; whilst his passions arealternately irritated and then depressed intoa desponding calm,-at one time protestinghis innocence and next calling down impre-cations on his tormentors' heads ; in short,whilst his body is shaken by the most violentconvulsions, and his soul racked, first by thedread of the sentence that awaits his con-fession, and then by the protracted intensityof the pain he has still to endure if he per.sists in his denial,-his inexorable judges,unmoved by such a scene, with the coldest

adds, " hl/:jus1Ilodi»erborum captiunculis saoitiam intendere.Quid prodest cocare continuaiionem, quod reoera est iteTatio~Quum durum etiam est per continuatos dies qU(l!stionemezercerel Absint a piisjudicibus hujusmodi commenta."* Orden de Procesar, foI.28. note MS.-The Letter

of the Council to which this note refers is of the 26~hOctober, 1633.

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.cruelty mix their orders with his cries andJamentations j at one time addressing them-selves to him to exhort him to reveal, andnext to their officers to remind them of theirduty. In the mean time, with the same-serenity, the secretary pens down every sigh,groan, and execration, which the force of the.torment obliges the wretched and frantic vic-.tim to utter." This minute statement of everything the person tortured said or did usuallybegan from the very moment the tribunalwas formed in the subterraneous vault, andthe preparations were ready. Thus in the pro-ceedings against Salas, .above quoted, thereport says that whilst enduring the torture.he repeated the creed of St. Athanasius,(therein ignorantly called a psalm) and that.he continued to give thanks to God and tothe Virgin.The legislators who originally authorized

this mode of trial at least 'had the equity topronounce all inferences of guilt as thereby

'" Orden de Processar, fol. 29.-Massini, Prattica dellaSanta Inquisizione, part vi, " E procureranno," he says, .~'i giudici che il notaro scriva non solamente tutte lereposte del reo, moa anco tutti i ragionamenti e moti chefara e tutte le parole clt'egli proferira ne' tormenti, anzieutti-i suspiri, tutte Ie grida, tatti i lamenti e Ie lagrimeche mandera.'

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wiped away, and dismissed the sufferer whopersevered throughout in his denial; but theInquisition condemned him to perpetual im-prisonment; and when this was out of use,in consequence of the number of personspenanced, it sent him to the galleys for fouror six years.'*' Consequently the unfortunateculprit, perhaps wholly innocent, often en-tirely disabled by the writhings of his musclesand the dislocation of his bones, caused bythe shocks of the pulley,-crippled by thecompression of his breast and other accidentsof the rack, or maimed by the contraction ofhis nerves through the operation of fire,-was after all this obliged to endure. theinfamy of being mixed and ~onfounded withthe vilest wretches.The Inquisition has uniformly adopted the

vices of all other tribunals, and even' addedto them; but in the torture it has astonish-ingly surpassed them in rigour and cruelty.In the first place it originally invented new,modes of inflicting it, respecting which, on

,.. Compilacion de Instrucciones, n. 5}. Mention isthere made of this extraordinary punishment; the SupremeCouncil designated the one I have just. pointed out by aresolution of 29th March, 1608.-0rden de Pro cesar,fo!' 30, note MS.

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several complaints bei~g made, a prohibitoryarticle was framed under a project of reform,as we shall hereafter have occasion to notice.In the second, not content with obliging theculprit to confess his crime and reveal hisaccomplices, it also forced him to manifesthis very intention; so that, when he had<confessed every thing that could enter intothe cognizance of a court, he was againsubjected to the pangs. of the torture, tillhe had declared himself to be as bad beforemen as his judges supposed he was before-God. »I: But there was another practice stillmore inhuman. Whenever the culprit, froman impulse of repentance, at once confessedhis intention and revealed his accomplices,the torture was nevertheless inflicted on him., Orden de Processar, fo1. 27, d Torture is to be

applied upon him, whether it is for things he bas done orsaid, or on account of his intention, in case he shoulddeny it, 'Orfor secreting accomplices.v-e-Massini also, inhis Prattica della Santa Inquisizione, part vi. .. Si el reoa sua istanza depostodella torture con.ftsserailfatto, dooraanco successiuamenteinterrogarsi sopra l'intenzione, e ne-gando essola mala credulita si esorti a confessor la oerita]e persistendo si minacci che di nuovo sera alzato in tortura;e perscverandopure nella negativa, in ogni modo si faccilJdi n!IOVO alsare, e nella torture s'interroghi sopra l'inten-zione, et il tutto si eseguira," ~c.-Regimento do S. OfficioI1e Portugal, lib. ii, tit. vii. n, 1.

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in case any of the latter denied being such,in order to see whether he persisted in hisdeclaration; nor was his ready confessionand repentance of any avail, since he wasequally put to the torture after confession,the same as if he had persisted in his 'denial. 'itIn this particular the Inquisition, with regardto the .citizen, has imitated the conduct ofthe old Roman magistrates towards slaves;who gave no credit to their testimony injudicial cases unless their declarations weremade under the anguish of the torture, con-ceiving that in no other manner they couldspeak the truth; a conduct so horrid, and atthe same time so heinous, that the most san-guinary of the Emperors dared not to adoptit, not even those who were most opposedto the rights and liberties of the people.It will not be improper to observe, that

this tribunal, as it rather sought criminalsthan crimes, lost no opportunity. of impli-cating the accuser and witnesses in the samecause, even so far' as to interrogate themunder the torture, when they did not declareenough, or were caught in any contradiction.tIf this circumstance, as well as that of the

'" Massini, Prattioa della Santa Inquisizione, pal't ~i.t Ibid. part x, ' '

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Jnquisition searching out the particulars of. the lives and habits of all of them, had only'been known to the people, most assuredlythere would not have been so many denun-ciators. This would have been a mostexcellent lenitive to appease the qualms ofconscience of many devotees; who, seeingthe dangers that awaited them, would herehave found an outlet to their scruples anddoubts which the strongest arguments couldnot have produced; and they would thenhave learnt to conciliate the authority of thelaw with charity towards their neighbour andsafety to themselves. But these, as well asother points which, if they had only beenknown, would have prevented many andgreat acts of injustice, the Inquisition tookgood care to 'keep perfectly secret, whilstat the same time it celebrated its excom-munications with the ringing of bells.Besides the _evidence, by writings, by

witnesses, and by the free or constrainedconfession of the culprit, on all which thefiscal-proctor founds his accusations; in for-mer times another species of proof was like-wise wade use of, to which the name ofCompurgatiou was given. This consisted incompelling the prisoner to justify his conduct

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and clear the suspicions against him, byobtaining the testimony of persons of res-pectability and probity; who, in greater orlesser number, affirmed under oath that theybelieved him to be a true Catholic, and, forthat reason, free from the suspicions of heresyimputed to him. It suffices to know that inthis tribunal another species of trial waspractised, for us to fear that it was also anew source of injustice. Such, in fact, theprocess of Compurgation was; for anyonewas subjected to it against whose belief thesmallest rumour had been circulated, evenwhen this had arisen opt of the worst ofcbaracters, and proved to have been dissemi-nated by his enemies." But .this was not theworst. "When a person thus defamed wasunable to find suitable testimony in hisfavour, possibly in consequence of the dan-gers accompanying such a proceeding in theInquisition, he was condemned as ~ contu-macious heretic. To this doctrine, althoughtaken from the Directory of the inquisitors,its commentator Pefia was by no meansreconciled]. because he considered it too ar-bitrary and cruel. Eymeric, however, foundsit on certain decretals, but whether correctly• Eymeric, Director. Inquisitor. part-ii. qUldt.lvii.5

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or not I am unprepared to say; nor IS Itnecessary to ascertain the point, since, formy object, it is sufficient to know, thatwhenever the canon-law fails in its harshnessagainst heretics, or against catholics accusedof being such, in those cases, the Inquisi-tion makes up the deficiency by its owninterpretations. ""

DEFENCE OF THE CULPRIT.

If the excess with which a tribunal urgesthe evidence adduced against a culprit ar-gues a want of interest in his defence, itcannot be denied that the means of vin-dication granted by the Inquisition wereextremely small. Besides this circumstancebeing notorious therein, as well as that ofhiding from him the witnesses, there wereothers highly deserving of notice, whichpowerfully tended to confirm the same truth.Snch was that of selecting an attorney forthe prisoner who was not possessed of hisconfidence, with whom he was not allowedto communicate unless before witnesses, aswell as before a notary, who was to certify

• Eymeric, Director. Inquisitor. part iii. D. 1~5.-Peiia,com. xxxviii,

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all the particulars of his conferences. Suchwas that of the prisoner's attorney not beingpermitted to consult with any person respect-'mg doubts that might occur to him, or totake a copy or memorandum of the proceed-ings, or even to speak of them out of thecourt. I Such, in short, was that of with-holding from the prisoner a copy of theproceedings and of his defence; by whichhe was denied the consolation of knowing,before his sentence was carried into effect,whether the exceptions and arguments pro-duced on his behalf had been. duly statedand considered, or whether any thing sub-stantial had been omitted." Above all, the

• CompiIaeion de Instrucciones, n, 35. "No oppor-tunity shall at any time be given for the prisoner to com-municate with his advocate or any other person, unless itis in presence of the inquisitors and the notary, whomay certify to what passed."-n. 36. "The advocates arenot to retain any copy of the statement of accusation, fileof proceedings, nor of the exceptions made against thewitnesses; on the contrary, they are bound to return alito the inquisitors."-Orden de Procesar, fel. 26. "It wasreported to him, that the defence he had solicited, andwhich it was possible and proper to make, had beenreceived; and for this reason, if he was desirous to con-clude, he could do it, and that if he wished any thingfurther he was to say it." Added in the margin: '" Itis not propel' to read the defence to him, nor to giv

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injustice of the Inquisition has been glaringand unpardonable in three cardinal points,which constitute the defence of the accused;such are the recusation of the judges, theappeal, and the intervention of the civilpower. Let us 'briefly examine each ofthese points in a separate manner.

Recusation !if the Judges.-Whellever theculprit has substantial reasons to apprehend.that any or all of his judges are liable to bebiassed by any hatred or resentment againsthim, the laws grant him the faculty of recur-ring to a superior court, in order to.claim thenomination of others of whose probity nofears can be entertained. It is indeed truethat this practice exists in the Inquisition,but it is enforced with the greatest difficultyand only in very extraordinary cases, becausethe inquisitors conceive they have a right tobe considered so upright and prudent asscarcely to admit of being recused." With-

him an official copy of the same, although he mayrequire it."* Paramo, De Ordine Judiciar. S. Offie. lib. iii. QU:Ellt.

i.,. n. 55. "Tamen h(E1)(motives of complaint) non proce-dunt, nee habent locum regulariter in inquisitoribus fidei,qUllm h~ velut suspecti recusari non possint; is enim (in-quisitor) gravissimus, aquissimus, probmissimus, et p71lden-tissimus eligi pr(EStl'lllitur."

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out entering into the reasons these judgesmay have to boast of being better men thanthose of other tribunals, it is undeniablethat the culprit would gain little by recusingthem, since the summary judgment previouslysubstantiated by them and by virtue of whichhe had been arrested is, if we may so call it,the prototype of, or what gives the tone to,the final sentence.

Appeal.-If in any tribunal powerfulreasons. can be found for granting to theculprit, condemned in the first instance, anappeal to a superior court, it is most un ..doubtedly in the Inquisition. The illegalitywhich in this species of trial. abounds onevery side calls aloud for many judges to ill-terfere in the ruin of the unfortunate, undera hope that humanity may effect in themhat justice had not performed in those whoorginally traced out this institution. Never-theless the canon-law is explicitly opposed toan appeal, nor is any other known in thistribunal, unless relating to the sentence oftorture, and even in this a palpable contra-diction is discovered; '*' since if sufficientreasons have been found for the appeal in the

* De Heeret, cap. ut Inquisition. in vi.-Eymeric, Di-rector. Inquisitor. part iii. Qurest. cuii.

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irreparable injury resulting from the torture,why is the prisoner denied the same remedywith respect to the conclusion of his cause,when the evil that threatens him is so muchthe greater? It ought not to be said that itis the Supreme Council which properly con-demns or absolves by confirming or amendingthe sentence of the provincial courts, becausethis is very far from being an appeal. To seewhether they have or have not followed theregular forms of this unmeaning process, andwhether the same have been scrupulou ly ob-served, that is, the governing rules thereof withall their vices, is the usual occupation of theSupreme Council; but carefully to examinethe qualities of the witnesses, to sift out theproceedings of the whole cause, to ascertainwhether any exceptions alleged by the pri-soner have had all their due weight; in short,to find out whether all his pleas and argu-ments have been justly considered is not thebusiness of the Supreme Council, nor can theculprit expect it. The reason they allegefor the refusal of an appeal respecting thefinal sentence is not more satisfactory thanthat whereby they object to the recusation ofthe judges, purporting that it ought only tobe granted for the defence of innocence and

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2'72 INQUISITION UNMMlKED. [CHAP. rv.not of guilt, as if it were an established pointthat in the Inquisition the culprit was unableto meet with any grievance, and that he ne-cessarily must have trespassed." To fill upthe measure of iniquity in this particularnothing was wanting but to grant to the fiscal.proctor that same appeal which was refusedto the culprit for his own defence, in orderto make his oppression the more cpmplete;and in fact this was granted by the regula-tions of the Portuguese Inquisition. t

Appell~tory Remonstrance to the CivilPO'tver.-I here principally allude to the ap-

• " Fuit enim/' says Paramo, De Ord. Judiciar.lib. iii,Qurest.iv. n. 58. "appellationis remedium institutum ad preesi~dium innoceutiee, non ad difensionem iniquitatis; quod utiqueohtinet infavorem.fidei, et in odium haireticorum ne judiciumprotrahatur, et quia quee sententia maturo et pensato preece.denti judicio ftrtur, non debet per iniquas calumniantium.oersuiias retractari."t Regimento do Santo Oficio de Portugal, lib. ii. tit.

xxi, n. t. The words are as follow: "Das sentencas queos inquisidores darem nos processos que se despachaii namesa do S. Officio, au sejaf definitivas ou interlocutorias,podera 0 promotor appellar para 0 conselho geral allegandopor escrito as razoens com que pretende mostrar por parteda justice que lhe he feito aggravo; e isto havera lugarIlao s6 nss sentences dadas em processos que nao ouveremde bir ao conselho, mas tambem naquelles que per bern.eate Regimento III devem de hir,"

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pellatory complaint and remonstrance to thesuperior, which belongs to every culprit, onaccount of grievances experienced in pro-ceedings instituted against him. In likemanner as every citizen makes a just sacrificeof part of his liberty, as ordained by the laws,so in return has he a right to expect fromthem a ready and infallible protection. Andwho more deserving of this than a prisoner,perhaps innocent, yet exposed to all thedangers of a criminal prosecution? In asituation so critical, government owes him110t only the aid to which by justice he isentitled, -but also the shelter which oompas-sion would moreover inspire. This is theorigin of appellatory remonstrances to thesuperior magistrate, more especially to re-strain ecclesiastical power; and this generaland obvious check in society thence becomesone of the strongest links of civil allegiance, <Iand of that moral cbligation we attach to it.By this means also the forsaken or injuredculprit avails himself of the power of thesocial body against the encroachments of thesubaltern magistrate, who profaning the sa-cred character with which he has been in-vested, plots the perdition of the unfortunate,and tramples on his rights without shame orYOLo I. T

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remorse. This check on arbitrary power inall cases of judicial process therefore consti-tutes the chief anchor that secures the safetyand tranquillity of society, without whichthe citizen would be continually exposedto dangers and inquietude, and experience•none of the advantages of social intercourse.Since then this right is so sacred andimportant, can it be supposed that it hasbeen respected by the Inquisition? Hasthe person therein aggrieved any means oflaying his wrongs at the foot of the throne?No! the bereft subject has nothing leftwithin his reach but heroic resignation anddespair."

*" Covarrubias, Maximas sobre recursos de fuerza, tit.xxxii, "I command," says the king in a royal order ofMarch 10, 1553, speaking to the magistrates, "thathenceforward, in no matter or-matters, cause or causes,civil or criminal, of whatsoever kind or condition they maybe, and which may be agitated before the inquisitors orjudges of property, neither you nor any of you interfere inthe way of appeal from grievances or by remonstrance; andthat on no account whatever you take cognizance of theacts or grant writs against the inquisitors or judges of pro-perty; since ifany person or persons, town or corporations,should feel themselves aggrieved they can have recourse_to the judges of our Council of the Supreme and GeneralInquisition, "

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FINAL SENT~CE.

I give this term to the sentence in whichthe inquisitorial process ends, and not that ofdefinitive, as is usual in other tribunals, be- \. cause in this it is not so.* However theculprit may clear himselffr6m imputed guilt,it is sufficient for his name to have soundedwithin those fatal walls for his cause to remainopen for ever, since it only terminates by hiscomplete condemnation, or that of his ac-cusers if the calumny has been such as not toadmit of an evasion.t It is the custom ofthis tribunal never to absolve anyone in asimple manner against whom proceedingshave been once instituted, but only at most todeclare him absolved of the immediate chargepreferred, by suspending the sentence andreserving to itself the right of continuing theprocess whenever fresh proofs may be broughtforward. This method of acting in the In-quisition would be less odious if it did notimpose a penalty on the culprit on account ofmere suspicions: but constant in the practiceof showing him the least possible favour, it.does not terminate the process, in order to be

to Orden de Pro cesar, fol. 42.t Compilacion de Instruccienes, 11. 54.

T2 ,.

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the more ready to continue it when anotheropportunity offers, and at the same time con-demns the culprit as if in fact his trial hadregularly closed. Hence has arisen thatdiversity of abjurations to which the arraignedis held when he is reconciled to the Church,and which, in the' terms of the Inquisition,are called the abjurations de levi, de oehementi,and de formali. To one of the two first ofthese forms everyone indicted for heresy isobliged to submit, according to the degree ofsuspicion attached to his case, and the latteris imposed on all those who by the proceed-ings instituted appear to have sinned againstthe faith. I ought here to premise that repconciliation is granted to the culprit under aconditional form, which is, ," that he hasbeen converted from purity of heart and notthrough a feigned faith, and that he has con-fessed the truth, and hidden nothing respectinghimself or any other person, alive or dead-"If there were no other proof of the little meritto be attached to the conquests made by thisinstitution for the Church, is not the distrustmanifested in this single particular sufficientto convince us of their inefficacy.Besides the stigma of infamy incurred, the

* Orden de Procesar, fol. SS.

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culprit accused of heresy, whether this resultsfrom the proceedings instituted or is onlyfounded on suspicion, is always punished ac-cording to the gravity of his crime by a fineor loss of his property, by Bogging, hardlabour> or solitary confinement, which for.merly was perpetual, and these punishmentshave even extended to death inflicted by fire,in which the civil magistrate interferes as theperson charged with the execution. Whatrigid censures ought not to be passed on mostof these punishments! In them how muchhas the Inquisition deviated from the spiritof Christianity! How flagrantly has it nottrampled on the rights of society and ofman! The infamy of the culprit transmittedto his innocent children, confiscation, trans-forming a judicial process of the most delicatenature into a lucrative speculation-imprison-ment for life, by which the death of the citizenis prolonged to an indefinite period of time,are all ideas which excite sentiments of in.dignation in the contemplative mind. Whatcontradiction do we not at once discoverbetween this terrific power which the priestsof the most amiable of religions have bor-rowed, or rather mendicated, from princes,and the native character with which its

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founder originally adorned it. But as myobject is conciseness, I shall direct my parti-cular attention to! the sentence of death,_

Iwhich the inquisitors comprehend under thetitle of "delivery over, to the civil magis-tracy." This takes place with the formalheretic persisting in his error, to which classis also reduced the diminuto, that is, he whodoes not confess all they believe he ought toconfess; with the penitent, but relapsedheretic; with the heretic convicted but re-fusing to confess, that is, when from theproceedings anyone is proved to have falleninto heresy but refuses to conform to thesentence pronounced against him, ratherprotesting that he has ever believed and isready to confess all the articles of'faith j withthe absent, .condemned of rebellion; andlastly with the deceased heretic, whether hedied before or after the process was institutedagainst him. .I ought here to observe that the pardon of

life, which the tribunal once grants to theheretic, undergoes .exceptions in many cases,such as when he denied the Trinity, the In-carnation of the Word, the Divinity of JesusChrist, or the Purity of the Virgin Mary, orwhen he celebrated mas or heard sacramental

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confession, not being a priest; that he is notonly considered as a relapse who before ab-jured de formali, but also he who abjured deoehementi ; in short that it rests on the plea-sure of the inquisitors to grant or deny thispardon. '" The bishop of the diocese alsoassists at this sentence, thus exercising hissecond and last act of jurisdiction, and theform is as follows.

SENTENCE OF THE DEJ.IVERY OVER TO THE

CIVIL MAGISTRACY.

" Christi nomine inoocato. We resolve.afterdue examination made of the proceedings andmerits of the present case, that the said fiscal.proctor has fully and du1y proved his accusa-tion, in the form and manner he was bound

* Massini Prattica della S. Inquisizione, part x, av-vert. xliii, Compilacion de Instrucciones, n. 41. On thelatter point the instructions of the Inquisition of Seville forthe year 1484, § 12, prescribe that the iniquisitors oughtonce to receive the repentant heretic to penance, "ex-cepting, if after examining the form of his confession, andduly weighing other circumstances depending on theirwill, it should appear to them that his conversion and -re-conciliation are feigned and not real, and they do notconceive any good hope of his return to the Church, forin such case they are to declare him to be an impenitentheretic, and deliver him over to the secular magistrate,"

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SO to do. Wherefore;we decree and ordainthat his object has been fully established, inconsequence of which we ought and dodelare that the said N. has been, and is anapostate heretic, a defaulter and abettor ofheretics, (when he is a relapse the words are, a feigned, deceptions abettor, and impeni-tent relapse,') and that he has thereby falleninto and incurred the sentence of grievousexcommunication, to which he is liable, aswell as of the confiscation and loss of all hisproperty, the same which we order to be ap-plied and hereby do apply to the Exchequerof His Majesty, and in his name to theReceiver thereof, from the day and time hebegan to commit the said crimes of heresy,the 'declaration of which we reserve to our-selves;' and that we ought to deliver overand hereby do deliver over the person of thesaid N. to justice and to the civil magistrate,especially to N. mayor of this city, or to hismarshal in said office, whom we affectionatelybeseech and enjoin, as in the best form ofright we are able, to deal tenderly and com-passionately with him. And we furtherdeclare the sons and daughters of the said N.and his grandchildren in the male line to beunfit and incapable, and we hereby disable...

I

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them from holding or obtaining any dignities,benefices, or offices, as well ecclesiastical as<secular, or any public or honourable employ-ments; and also from using or carryingabout their persons any gold, silver, pearls,precious stones, coral, silk, camlet, or finecloth; from riding on horseback, wearingarms, or using or possessing any of those otherthings which by common right the lawsand regulations of these kingdoms, as well asthe instructions and forms of the Holy Office,are prohibited to all such disabled persons.And by this our definitive sentence we ac-cordingly judge and decide, and in and bythese presents order, the same to be exe-cuted."" Here follow the date and sig-natures.In the above form we have the protest or

intercession which the Inquisition and itsadvocates seek to bring forward as a proofof its mildness, and which, in the first part ofthis essay I asserted was a mere ceremony,promisi:lg to prove the same in another partof my work; this shall be at the end of thepresent division of my subject, when I haveestablished the necessary premises in order

4< Orden de Procesar, fol. 31.

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to convey a complete idea of the hypocrisy. of this practice, greater even than its futilityand ridiculousness. As it is now time to-speak of the punishment of death, which the"culprit undergoes when condemned by thistribunal to be delivered up to the secularpower; I shall not consider it so much initself as in the atrocity bywhich it is accom-panied. Rome, whose warlike inhabitants,from genius as well as constitution, beheldthe blood of their fellow-creatures flowwith the greatest insensibility-Rome, whoseladies, no less hard of heart than lascivious ofmind, seated in the amphitheatre required ofthe gladiators already pierced with mortal,wounds that they should" still fall to theground in a graceful posture-Rome, inshort, familiar with all kinds of capital punish-ments, knew no one greater than the flames,since this more than any other, by instantlyreducing the members into their last ele-ments, also saddens the spirit, and fills theimagination with the keenest horror. Such isit represented by Tertullian, as the sad specta- 'tor of such heart-rending scenes, after he hadcompared it with decapitation, crucifixion,and the condemnation to be devoured by

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wild beasts. '* The Inquisition neverthelesshas ever preferred this to aU other modes ofcapital. punishment inflicted by the forms oflaw. Thus while the Gospel passing throughages and nations like a benign dew hasspread sweetness over their laws and customs,this fatal tribunal, advancing with equal stepsand by the favour of princes, in its turn andas it were by reprisal, has committed thesame cruelties as the enemies of religion,favoured as they also were by kingly pro-tection; and in the vengeful fires in whichso many martyrs triumphed, it has lighted upthose torches with which it has sacrificed somany victims to superstition.The conduct of the Inquisition towards the

convicted but not confessed culprit is oneof the points most worthy of observation.In this particular it may be affirmed that itcompels the miserable persons who faUunderits power to drink of the bitter cup to thevery, dregs, by clashing in the most contra-dictory and scandalous manner with theprinciples of the Catholic religion which it soimproperly seeks to defend. Against the

* Tertullian, Ad Martyras, lib. vii. cap. iv. D.l.-Time-hit .forsitan caro gZadium gravem, et crucem excelsam, eirabie1lf'bestiarum, et SlI1nmam ignium pcenam;"

4

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culprit in the above-mentioned case it appliesthe same penalty as if he denied all thedogmas of the faith, and without any otherreason than that of his holding the sentenceas unqualified, as if this was not often thecase not only in this tribunal, but also inothers in which the mode of proceeding isincomparably more regular. Of no avail isit to the unfortunate victim to protest hisfirm belief, and solemnly profess, each of thearticles of faith; it suffices to argue that theInquisition has been surprised by the craft ofa calumniator, or in any other manner todeny having deserved its sentence of con-demnation, for the tribunal to pronounce hima heretic, and punish him as if he was anapostate to his religion. On this score alsoTrajan was more moderate towards culpritsaccused of Christianity, since he pronouncedthe accusation which existed against themas null, whenever they were ready to sacrificeto the idols.·But to come to the point at once, the In-

quisition ordains the same species of capitalpunishment against him who does not vene-rate the infallibility of its sentences, as againstthe man who denies that the Church is

* Plio. lib. x. epist. xcviii,

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infallible in her dogmatical decisions. Inconformity to these ideas, the culprit whoseeks not to be wanting to the truth byconfessing crimes he has not committed, inthis tribunal is not only delivered over to theflames, but also deprived of spiritual succourby sacramental confession being refused him,which in those fearful moments the Churcheven allows to the most hardened highway-man. It only permits the prisoner to have aconfessor for the purposes of absolution,when in contravention to his own safety andthe welfare of his own family, he commits afalsehood, by approving as merited the sen-tence of condemnation pronounced againsthim; that is, it merely grants him absolutionin the right of penance, at a time when noconfessor can in fact absolve him. Can anyother more-evident and convincing proofbegiven of the opposition of this tribunal to thetrue principles of religion? I must either bedeluded, and read in the books of the Inqui-tion what they do not really contain, ot Imust naturally conclude that the evidence ofthis demonstration is sufficient to convincethe most obdurate.Unfortunately this doctrine is but too

pointed and manifest in all the works which

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serve as a code or commentary to the judicialproceedings of this institution. The Beter-rensian and Narbonensian synods, assembledduring the greatest effervescence of inquisi-torial zeal; the instructions of the tribunalof Toledo and also of Seville; a declarationof the Congregation of La Rota, as well asevery other work relating to the institutionand published by inquisitors themselves, to-gether with, its history amidst the multitudeof sacrifices of this kind it presents, tend all toprove that this has been the exact practiceuniformly observed in this particular.s Somepersons have attributed it to policy on thepart of the Inquisition, in order always tohave the credit either of being cempassio ate,by alleviating the punishment of him whoconfesses, or of being just, by severelypunishing him who refuses to confess. Others,however, have thought that it has rather beenwith a view to enjoy the confiscated pro-perty more securely from public censure, bythe guilty in some measure authorizing theconfiscation, 'in the act of acknowledgingthemselves such. For my own part, withoutentirely disregarding these two imputations,I attribute this inconsistency to the contra-.. Vide Pefia Ad Director. Inquisitor. part iii. n. 21I. .

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riety of principles by which it is governed,being at one time a tribunal of internal andnext of external jurisdiction, as well also as a•mixture of ecclesiastical and civil elements.The fact is that the popes, by dictating lawsfor its government, and the iniquisitors, bycommenting on and putting them into exe-cution, have at length got into an endlessmaze of perplexity; and indeed this was tobe expected from the windings and turnings,as well as the tricks, so remarkable in thejudicial proceedings of this court.But if the aggravated outrages committed

by this tribunal against the living, through itvicious method of judicial process, cannotfail to revolt the feelings of every sensibleman, how much must he not be shocked atits conduct towards the dead? With regardto the first, it may in some measure be saidthat they are allowed to establish their de-fence, at least by their pleas being partly ifnot entirely heard; but to institute a crimi-nal suit against one already deceased, byforming a rigorous accusation against him,and this not on facts accompanied by perma-nent vestiges, but on words carried away bythe winds nearly as soon as they were articu-)ated, or perhaps on thoughts containing no

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other harm than the malevolent interpreta-tion attached to them; to expose his bonesto the light of the sun as an object of derisionand horror, after the earth, the commonmother of all mortals, had received him intoher. bosom, without anyone being found inhis defence, unless some 'solitary relation oradvocate only slightly acquainted with hisrights, is certainly to disregard the mostobvious impressions of the heart, and to spurnat the most commendable laws of humanity.Samuel bitterly reprehended Saul for disturb-ing the quiet he enjoyed in the region ofshades, when he consulted him by means ofa prophetess respecting the issue of a battlein which he was engaged; what then wouldhave not been his complaint, if his bones hadbeen dug up to be made an object of con-tempt i" The peaceful envoys who, after amost bloody action, were sent to JEneas bythe king of Latium, soliciting permission tobury their dead, alleged no other reason insupport of their demand than the immunitywhich the living ought to grant to the dead.

" Nullum cum victis certamen, et eethere cassis.'VIRG. lEN. l.xi. v.I02.

• Reges, lib. i,cap. xxviii. v.I5. Dixit autem Samue-lad Saul; Quare inquietasti me ut suscitarer'"

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If therefore he, who has :already paid tonature this last and most arduous tribute,merited such pity and respect from thosenations which considered it impious to re-fuse him burial, would they have approvedof his being disinterred for the detestablepurpose of reeking vengeance on his earthlyremains?It may perhaps be retorted that we are

here to understand persons guilty of hightreason, with whom every pious considerationceases. Granted that this is the case, and how-ever absurd it may appear, let us suppose thatthe punishment executed again t the delin-quent, who has neither feet on which to standin his own defence, nor tongue to use in hisown justification, is an emanation of the fun-damental compacts of society, yet will it beproper for the ministers of religion to be thedepositaries of a jurisprudence so terrible,which with its iron rod reaches beyondthe bounds separating time from eternity?Ulysses, grown old amidst the din of arms,lays down the fierceness of his profession andintercedes with .Agamemnon, chief of theGrecian army at the siege of Troy, for permis-sion to bury Ajax, guilty of high treason, and. _his personal enemy: it sufficed to behold himVOL. I. V

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in the arms of death for the hoary warrior tostep forward to fulfil this office of benefi-cence and generosity with his own hands.The tender affections of that venerable sol.dier at such an interesting moment couldalone be worthily expressed by Sophoclesin his own majestic strains, of whose beautyand grandeur I do not wish to deprive myreader.

Ulys.

.4ga»t.Ulys.Agam.U~ys.Agam.Uiys.Agam.Ulys.

• • • • • • •• 7~' ~,d'p.. 76,J'• ..-po; !:tEm,M~ 7J1;;~ ;t;r"lT"O' :J' ""~JI'Y~"~; !3;¥),'i'i.M~J" ~ to'',;" ... P'~d'"p'(iJ~""".."' ..'"

To..~,J.p'un" ';;"71 71' J':,,~,",""n".~~ T.... T' ·oJ\,IT ... ;; TO;;;' i.1r'Pfl'''Xo1Il fp'o:;>JVy",_" lfl'{rr.", J' ~,...' ~, fl'IO"EI' " .. ),~,.Ou 'Y4e S"'~>Tl ",,,l vrpo"'I.h{3;;'''{ IT, xp~ ;M~ xiUe' '.ATPEt~ "'pd',n, To,; P'~ ""'Ao~.'Hfl'~ ..~.J,,),.h~T~' S' ~P';P'1''fl""'l;'A'Jp:'.~/"~, ;/" "EJlJI'1O"" rr(i(m "};1t.O~.

'A''''''"~~ /'" T~' ",,~. !:t.. 9f ..... i¥r ;"VyAl')lf, _i 'Y"~ ""T~~i,!:t"J" "~"/,,"'l.

·SOPH. 'A{,,~fhel.lT'T''j'. v. 1355, &c,

abyss. Then, by the Gods I beg, permit him notTo be cast out unpitied, unintomb'd-Nor is it Ajax but the Gods you violate,And trample on their laws. Howe'er we hateThe brave when living, none offend the dead.

Aga11l. Dost thou defend him then, Ulysses?U"tyu. Yes;

I hated, whilst 'twas generous to hate •..4gam. Hast thou not cause to tread on, to insult him~

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Ulyss. Oh king, forbear this triumph! 'Tis not well.Agam. Art thou so fond then of a foe when dead?Ulyss. Friendship and enmity by turns we prove.Agam. Thou counsell'st then I should permit his burial?lJl!lss. Yes; I remember I myself must die.

If Ulysses could not bear to see burialdenied to the body of Ajax, how much lesswould he have suffered it to be taken out ofits last resting place, and converted into anobject of scorn and public derision? Thesemost humane sentiments are applauded, asif inspired by wisdom, in the cboru ofthe ancient dramas, in which the voice ofreason or the general opinion were alwaysexpressed.

Char, ·OCl'TlS rr' ·OJ\i .... E. fl'~>hu "1,1./11, rroqJ~'<;1>"'11:1 .,.OIO.T.' .',"-11:, fl'{;pos ~"T' ",fe.

Char, Whoe'er, Ulysses, says thou art 'not wiseOnly discovers that he is not so,

Let those who find nothing in the Inqui-sition derogatory to the religion of a Godcrucified for the love of men deny, if theydare, that the ideas here expressed as pre-cepts to the Athenian people are not moreanalogous to this same religion than thoseinculcated to catholic nations by the practice

u2

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of this tribunal. Let them declare, whetherthe feeling and elegant Sophocles, writingneal' five-hundred years before the preachingof the Gospel, and notwithstanding he. wasa heathen, does not prove that he was ingreater accord with its meekness than thepriests of that same Gospel, conductingthemselves as they do in the manner abovedescribed in the Inquisition.Soon after the establishment of the tri-

bunal at Seville the practice was introducedof suspending the causes of the deceased,'as well as those of the living, till fresh proofsappeared, whenever those already adducedwere not sufficient to condemn them; andin the mean time the children 0' the partieswere not allowed to marry or form establish-ments, in consequence of their propertybeing within the grasp of the law." Thedisabilities imposed on the children andgrandchildren of everyone condemned, orsubjected to public penance, extend, to holyorders, and to the employments and officesof judges, justices of the peace, governorsof castles and prisons, bailiffs, aldermen,

This is deduced from the fourth section of theInstructions of the Inquisition of Avila for the yearU~8, in which this is prohibited.

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jurists, inspectors, sewers, public weighers,notaries, lawyers, attornies, secretaries, ac-comptants, chancellors, treasurers, physicians,surgeons, bleeders, apothecaries, brokers, andeven traders. '*'

AUTOS DE FE.

An auto de fe, ptoperly speaking, is thefile of proceedings on which the inquisitorspronounce sentence against persons triedand convicted; but as it has been usualfor this to be done with great parade andpompous solemnity, it is now generally un-derstood to signify the solemn act or formunder which the same is pronounced. Ofthese there are two kinds, viz. particular andgeneral. The particular one, which is alsocalled AutiUo, or little auto, is either cele-brated in a church, indistinctly in pre-sence of the people, or in the sessions.hallof the court, with the doors closed and with-out the attendance of any other persons thanthose invited, generally the dependents ofthe Inquisition, or other select persons. Thegeneral an to has usually been celebrated in

* Instructions pf the Inquisition of Valladolid, donethere Oct. 7, 1488, n, 11.

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294 INQUISITION UNMASKED. LCHAP. IV.some large and capacious church, or in theprincipal square of the city. The first ofthese autos takes place when the culprits arefew, and the second, consequently, when theyare numerous. In the general auto care istaken that it shall include persons convictedof different crimes, so as to render the spec-tacle more varied; and, for this purpose, theyare detained in the prisons though their trialsare ended. Great care is also taken thatamong those condemned to death there besome relapsed persons, or others whom re-pentance cannot save from the flames; for,if all could be pardoned by abjuring theirerrors, the court would run the risk of havingthe exhibition spoiled at the best part. Greatcare is also taken that no prisoner makes hisappearance maimed or bruised by the tor-ture; for which reason that of the pulleyis inflicted on no one unless fifteen dayscan intervene before the auto de fe is totake place; and, in that case, the rack ispreferred. '*

-It Regimento do Santo Officio de Portugal. lib. ii.tit. xiv, n.B, "Sendo necessario dar trato esperto nOIquinze dins antes do auto. por nao hirem os prezosa elle mostrando os sinais do tormento Iho darao netpotro."

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In one or the other of these autos theculprits come forth; and when they are secu-lars they are dressed in the usual manner,though modestly, but when they are clergy-men they are habited in their cassoc with.out a girdle. Friars are dressed in the samemanner as the clergymen, and the nuns inplain clothes; and all have their heads un-covered when they are held to abjure deIrevi." When they are pronounced guiltyof higher crimes they also wear in i nias,partly emblematic of penance, but at thsame time tending to bring ridicule uponthem. These are the sanbenlto, the coroza,the rope round the neck, and the yellow waxcandle, not Iighted, held in the hand, butwhich is lighted after the ceremony of recon-ciliation has been performed. The sanbenitois a penitential garment or tunic of yellowlinen or cloth reaching down to the knees,and on it is painted the picture of the personwho wears it, burning in flames, with severalfigures of dragons and devils in the act offanning them. This is what is worn by theindividual who is to be executed as an im-penitent; but when he is a reconciled relapsehe bears the same flames without the figures.~ Regimento do Santo Officio, lib. iii. tit. ii. D. 5 and 6.

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The term sanbenito is taken from the Frenchone of sac benit:" Those who only do penance,instead of either, wear a cross of an obliqueform, or in the shape. of that of St. Andrew,made out of red cloth, when they are con-victed of formal heresy; but there is only onearm to the cross if the suspicions have onlybeen pronounced vehemently strong and notfully established.r In Portugal, when one ofthe impenitents is converted before beingbrought out to the auto de fe, the sanbenitoor penitential garment is then painted withthe flames downwards, there called fogoreuolto, as a siga that the wearer has freedhimself from their voracity.This garment was afterwards. placed in

the parish-church of the person who hadborne it to the place of execution, or wornit in the way of penance, in order that tohim it might serve as an eternal opprobrium,and a trophy to the Inquisition.t However

....Fleury, Institution au Droit Ecclesiastic. chap. x.t Llorente, Anales de la lnquisicion, cap. xi. n. 9.+ Cornpilacion de Instrucciones, n. 81. "It is clear

and manifest that all the sanbenitos of condemned per-sons, dead or alive, present or absent, are placed in thechurches of the towns where they have resided and beenparishioners at the time of their arrest, death, or flight;and the same is also done with those of the reconciled

4<

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in latter times the hanging up of the san.benitos was dispensed with, and only a boardwith all the particulars stuck up; but, inconsequence of several disturbances takingplace among persons whose family nameswere thus exposed, the Inquisitor General,Don Felipe Bertran, gave orders that theyshould be every where removed. They'-were accordingly taken down in some places;but, as many still remain suspended, it isclear that the order was not properly obeyed.Among them how many culprit have bad theirnames thus exposed though de erving of ourveneration for their virtues! I here particularlyallude to the convicted who have not con-fessed; most of whom must have been mar-tyrs to the truth; for it is not easy that ~

who have fulfilled their penances and laid them aside,although they may have only worn them during the timethey were on the platform whilst their sentences were readto them, all which is to be inviolably observed. And theinquisitors are further enjoined to see the said sanbenitoshung up and renewed, particularly in the districts theymay visit, in order that the remembrance of heretics andtheir descendants may alwaysbe preserved; and on the samethe time of the condemnation of each is to be inserted,~pecifying whether their crimes appertained to Jews orMoors, or the new heresies of Martin Luther and Iliafollowers."

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man who is bad, and convicted and con-demned as such, should wish to die on ascaffold when" he is able to save his life byconfessing the charge preferred against him.Let those banners of infamy be at once tornaway from the sight of the people, sincethey dishonour the temples whose walls theycover more than the condemned personswhose names they bear.The coroz~ is a pasteboard cap, three feet

high and ending in a point. On it are like-wise painted crosses, flames, and devils;which are varied according to circumstances.In Languedoc, when the Inquisition wasfounded, the sanbenito and coroza formedone single piece, which was a tunic with acowl or hood." In America it has been cus-tomary to add a long twisted tail to thecorozas or caps worn by dogmatizers or byteachers of the law of Moses, in order todenote the crookedness or sophisms of theirdoctrines. t The persons also condemned todeath, instead of a candle, carry a woodencross painted green. Blasphemers are alwaysbrought out with a gag on their mouths;

• Llorente, An les e In Inquisicion, cap. xi. n.B.t Fray Juan de Torquemad, Monarquia Indi a,

lib. xix, cap. xxix.fj

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and in general a quantity of these arti-cles are kept in reserve, in case any ofthe other prisoners should become out-rageous, and insult the tribunal, or perhapsattempt to reveal what is wished to be keptsilent. (Vide Plate VII.)With regard to the forms of a private

auto, nothing particular occurs that is notto be found in the general one. In one ofthese autos the Inquisition of Coimbra, in'the year 1667, brought out the celebratedJesuit Antonio Vieira, after he had endured.an imprisonment of two years and threemonths. "As his doctrines," say the histo-rian who wrote his life, " touched on newinterpretations of the Scriptures, as well asopinions different from the sense of orne ofthe Holy Fathers, and also certain points ofthe faith; he greatly alarmed the most up-right ministers of the tribunal. At this time(that is in 1665, when he was arrested) manypropositions of his had alre dy been laidbefore the Pope without the author's know--ledge, and examined by two qualificatorswho had interpreted them in their own way•.These same propositions had been extractedfrom a letter Vieira had written from theMaranon (in Spanish America) to the con-

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fessor of the Queen Mother, and they wereafterwards condemned in Rome; but, besidesthese, secret information was also laid of seve-ral others, and he was consequently arrestedby the Holy Office."-The charges preferredagainst him could not have amounted to anygreat heresies; since the culprit was broughtout without any candle in his hand, nor washe compelled to abjure even de leoi ; never-theless, the reading of the proceedings lastedmore than two hours. * It may be proper toremark, that the bad taste which theareigned among preachers caused them toadopt the fashion of wishing to shine as acutemen, by risking propositions to all appear-ance heretical, and proving them by athousand subtilties. Vieira, whe, as hisermons prove, was not exempt from thiscontagion, was not however the most taintedwith it, since he criticises and reproves itin his companions ; but as in the pulpit, thesame as in his writings, he bore away the .palm of merit, his rivals resorted to thismeans in order to supplant him, thus verify-ing the truth of the old proverb, Quien es tttenemigo? El de tu oficio.-Two of a tradecan never agree.ilt Andres de Barros, Vida do P. Antonio Vieyra, § clxix,

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In like manner, in the year 1778, DonPablo OIavide, Mayor of Seville and Super-intendant of the Colony of Carolina, es-tablished by Charles III. in La Si~n'aMorena, was brought out, after two yearsimprisonment, in a private auto performedin the Inquisition of Madrid. Having ut-tered I know not what propositions contrary .to the faith, or at least as such they werereputed, a secret information was lodgedagainst him by a German capuchin, who hadcome as chaplain to the German colonists.It is uncertain whether the friar was impell dto this act by virtue of his ministry, or inorder to gain the good-will of certain ownersofflocks who were opposed to the new settle.ment, in consequence of their deriving moreadvantage from this uncultivated tract beingleft for pasture. It is most presumable thatthe latter was the motive rather than the first,for the good friar was certainly given tointrigue, as was afterwards proved by certaincommotions he stirred up in Carolina, forwhich reason he was banished the kingdom.About two hundred persons attended the auto'ofOlavide, who presented himself in his ownproper dress, wearing the cross of Santiago,of which order he was a member. Among

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other charges preferred against him by thetribunal, he was accused of having said thatPeter Lombard' and the other scholasticswho followed him had filled theology withsubtilties ; of having treated those statutes ofthe Carthusians as absurd and inhuman whichpermitted the members of that order to eatall kinds of fish even the most rich and ex-pensive, but forbade them when sick fromeating meat and broth, however great theirillness; of condemning the number of bellscontained in some churches, and the mannerof ringing them, as opposed to the police ofnations; finally, of having made exertions,whilst his trial was pending, in order toascertain the state of its progress. The punish.ment was reduced to the confiscation of his,property and his being banished from Madridand the royal residences, as well as fromLima his native country, and also fromSeville. He was further declared incapableof obtaining any public employments, andbesides condemned for eight years to theseclusion of a convent; his sentence notbeing rendered more rigorous in consequenceof the court of Rome having interceded in hisfavour.A sentence li e this, in which the judges

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included among the list of heresies (sincesuch was the accusation against Olavide)propositions of the nature just described,must certainly rather have inspired disdainthan compunction in so literary a cha-racter. Thus did it happen that on the firstopportunity he broke his arrest and passedover to France. During his residence therethe revolution burst forth, and he had toshare in its ravages, being thrown into prisonunder the confusion of Robespierre; this,added to the inconveniences of an advancedage and a sickly habit, made him desirous ofreturning to Spain. In order to attain this, hesought to repair his reputation, and conse-quently wrote a work entitled, "Et Evan-gelio en triunfo, 6 Historic de un Fil6sof(Jdesenganado." (The Gospel in Triumph; orthe History of the Philosopher undeceived.)Permission was granted. him to return, oncondition of his appearing before the inquisi-tor-general on his arrival, which in fact hedid, in order to receive the penance the in-quisitor might think proper to impose uponhim: the latter, however, was satisfied withhis docility and his labours in defence ofreligion. OIavide passed the remainder of hislife in Baeza, spending, in favour of all kind.

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of needy persons, particularly poor widows,the greatest part of the pension assigned himby the king.The general auto de fe, considering the

great pomp with which it is celebrated, mayin some measure be styled a splendid andaugust exhibition suited to inspire the com-mon people with a most respectful admirationof the tribunal. In order to know thatit unites two of the grandest ideas that everoccupied the human mind, it suffices to saythat it is intended as an imitation of theRoman triumph and an anticipated represen-,tation of the last judgment. To be convincedof the truth of this observation, if we had notthe testimony of the Inquisition itself, whichhas always made this a particular boast, theceremonies adopted for. the purpose wouldnot allow US to doubt the fact. That pompis well known with which the generals andemperors of ancient Rome celebrated theirvictories by entering what was called thetriumphal gate, and going up to the Capitolfor the purpose of giving thanks to the Divi-nity. Mter the conqueror had harangued.the people and soldiers, distributing amongthem presents and part of the spoils, the'procession moved onwards, accompanied

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by the sounds of martial music; next fol-lowed jhe bulls which were to be sacrificed,ornamented with ribbons and garlands offlowers, or with gilded horns; behind 'Uiemcame the trophies gained from the enelny~and the effigies of the cities and nations c~n.quered, -each one with its name written. in

, Jil-rlarge characters; then followed the capl;l~ekings and captains loaded with chains, tht;il'heads shorn as a mark of slavery ~ and accom-panied by the officers of the army and musi-cians of all instruments, when the wholeprocession was clos d by a buffoon, whohumbled the conquered with his jests andexalted the conqueror. Finally, the ll;lttermade his appearance crowned with laurel andbearing in his right hand a branch of the same,an ivory sceptre in his left, and seated onan ivory car ornamented with gold and drawnsometimes by white horses, and at o'th~rsby elephants, tigers, or lions; the car ~asfollowed by the senate and the troops, and inthis form the procession arrived at the templewhere the sacrifice was solemnized; thewhole feast then ended in a magnificent ban.quet which the hero of the triumph gave tothose who had accompanied him.These are as near as possible the forms andVOL. I. X

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ceremonies of a general auto, as will be seenby its description; and consequently the sen-sation caused on the minds of the people was'equally strong, since the formidable appear-~nce of the judgment therein represerited,and the tragic death of those who have beensentenced, amply make up for the greater'brilliancy and magnificence of the 'triumph.The writers belonging to the Inquisition callthis a horrid spectacle, and capable of strikingterror and dismay into the minds of everyone. It is not therefore to be wondered at that

. I

the inquisiters hold the people in a state ofinfatuation and terror, by causing themselvesto be more dreaded than the civil authorityitself, ,notwithstanding the latter' commu-nicated to them so enormous a power."Unfortunately the tragedies of this kindwere too frequently repeated from the latterend of the 15th to that of the 17th centuryfor us not to be possessed of exact accountsof them; and these, instead of offering to theeyes of posterity so many victories of the

* Paramo, De Ordin. Judiciar. S. Offic. lib. iii. qumst.i....n, 86, makes use of the following words: c. eerie fidurijudicii imaginem riferunt (the autos of the faith) prtEserlimin ditionwus Hispaniarum ubi horrernJum, ac 'renwnd"mspectaculum'fd hoc pQratur."

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Inquisition, as it had foolishly dreamt, rathermake it the object or abhorrence to -futureages.,Among all the autos de fe we have on

record, no one is so memorable as that whichwas celebrated in Madrid, in the year 1680.in, the presence of Charles II., his spouse,~nd mother: a ceremony certainly worthy ofbeing compared with the triumph of PaulusEmilius, the most striking that was everknown. At that time foreign papers mademention of it, in order to give some idea ofthe barbarity of our ancestors, This autohas always been selected by travellers aswell as historians Wh9 have had occasion totreat of the Spanish Inquisition, as the mostrare specimen that can be held up tocuriosity; and a painting of it by FranciscoRizzi is still preserved in the palace of theBuen Retiro, and serves as a monument of, shame to those kings who made so bad a useof their power. This painting is perfectly con-formable to..the description given of the auto.by Jose del Olmo, an eye-witness, familiarand also bailiff of the supreme court of In qui-sitio;1;'and who consequently must have hadno SIDall share in the execution ,of the whole .•III Relaeion Historica del Auto general dela Fe que se ce-

x2

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- On the Inquisition coat of arms which theauthor places as a frontispiece to his work, inthe back ground he adds two trumpets cross-ing each other, and then inserts this motto,formed out of the 4th and 7th verses ofpsalms xlv. and ciii. "Sonuerunt et turbatasunt gentes j a 'Vocetonitrui tui formidabunt;"This is another argument tending to provethe. spirit of terror by which this tribunal isactuated, a defect which its dependants, fromthe judges down to the meanest officers, not-withstanding their protests of meekness andmercy have been unable to hide. If possiblesomething still more remarkable is to benoticed in -the coat of arms affixed to thedescription of the auto of the faith whichoccurred in Cordova, Dec. 5, 1745. On it isrepresented a pair of shackles placed horizon-tally on the body of the cross, forminganother by the long irons being placed trans-versely, a sword. to the right, and a palm as

Jebr6 en Madrid este auo de 1680, can asistencia deJ Rey.N. S. Carlos II. de Ja Reyna N. Sra, y de la reyna madre.

._ Siendo Inquisidor General el Excelentisimo _Senor DonDiego Sarmiento de Valladares, dedicada a la S. C.M. delBey N. S. Por Jose del Olmo, aIcaide y familiar del S.Oficio, ayuda de la Furriela de S. M. Ymaestro maJor delBuen Retiro y Villa de Madrid.

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the symbol of triumph, instead of the olive,to the left. From the description of theabove auto, by Olmo, I shall therefore -pro.:ceed to extract the sketch I am about topresent to my readers, referring at the sametime to some particulars of other autoswhich ,may be deemed most worthy of notice.Several trials being ended'in the Inquisi-

tion of Toledo, and among them' some ofgreat importance, the Inquisitor GeneralDon Diego Sarmiento de Valladares, Bi hopof Placencia, and late Member of the ouncilof Government during the minority of theKing, judged that this would be an excellentopportunity of securing to himself the good-will of his master, by affording him the en-tertainment of an auto de fe on a largescale. Charles II., who possessed few of therequisites for a monarch, and had besidesbeen educated in superstitious credulity,gladly accepted the offer, and approved ofthe ceremony being performed at Madrid, inorder that it might be attended with all pos-.sible pomp and parade. The Inquisitor Ge-neral, together with the Supreme Council ofthe Inquisition, made the necessary arrange-meuts and communicated his Majesty's orders-not only to the tribunal of Toledo hut also to

6

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those of 'Madrid and 'other parts of the king-dom, commanding them to accelerate all' thecauses pending therein, in order that thenumber of criminals might be the greater.Sunday, 30th of June, aday 011 which theChurch celebrates the commemoration of' St:Paul, was fixed upon, as Olmo says, '"~inorder that an that day this great triumph ofthe Catholic faith might also be celebrated,"?as if St. Paul could have triumphed over his.enemies by bringing them forward in publicautos de fe, And as the multitude of spec-tators likewise contributes to the display andparade of so grand an exhibition, it wassolemnly proclaimed by the public crier amonth before the time, that is, on the soeh ofMay, the day of St, Ferdinand, on which alsothe Ascen ion was kept. In this mannerthe people were invited to attend, and, as astronger inducement, the indulgences grantedby the popes en these occasions were alsoannounced. t The following is the form ofthe public notification then used." Be it known to all the inhabitants and

dwellers in this city of Madrid, the court ofhis Majesty present and residing therein, thatthe Holy Office of the Inquisition and king-

* OJmo, n, 7. + Ibid. n, 25.

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named various committee, compo crl of per-sons belonging to the Supreme ouncil ndother tribunals, in order that they mightmake the necessary arrangements for so greata solemnity.Let us pay particular attention to this cus-

tom of performing these autos on Sundays,a circumstance which alone would argue thegreat contrariety of ideas so remarkable inthis tribunal. Among all nations the day des-tined to return thanks to the Sovereign Makerof all things, as a remembrance of his omnipo-tence, is held as a day of rejoicing, on whichit behoves us to abstain from every thing thatmay tend to disturb it, and indeed all servileoccupations ought to be avoided. It is on thisaccount that all kinds of work are suspended,

.. Olwo, n.l09.

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and .for much greater reason ought the exe-cution of public punishments to be withheld.Thus the the Hebrews, at the same time thatthey were forbidden to practise all manuallabour, were ordered to remove the deadbodies :q'qfIl the church porches before thesabbath commenced; a~d r even among usthe civil courts.never proceed to give sen-tence in any cases of trial, and much less to~xecute capital punishments on days conse-crated by religion., .The Inquisition alone isan exception to this general rule: by orderof this arrogant tribunal the civil magistrate,putting on that obduracy to.which on similardays he had been a stranger, imbues hishands' in human blood, and profanes thesolern,n period of religious -joy. It may per-haps be answered that these executions areperformed in the service and-. behalf ofreligion; if so, bloody plt ishments are theofferings. the Inquisition -makes in honourof a meek and .divine system of faith andworship. I I

Orders wer.e consequently issued for alarge stage or platform to be erected in theprincipal quare, and in the-mean time twohundred and fifty artisans were enlisted intothe service of the Inquisition, under the title

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of soldiers of the faith,. for the purpose ofguarding and securing the criminals. Theypractised the exercise of their arms, as wellas the parts they were to act in this glorioustriumph. Eighty-five persons also solicited. and obtained the place of familiars to theHoly Office, among whom were grandeesand the highest' titles, of Castile, togetherwith other noblemen who, on account of thenotoriety of their rank and the shortness ofthe time, received a dispensation from theInquisitor General exemptin th m fromgoing through the requisite proof! f thepurity of their lineage.On the approach of the appointed day the

inhabitants of the neighbouring cities andtowns thronged to assi t at this auto of thefaith; and numbers of commissaries, fami-liars, and other persons employed by the- Holy Office likewis e ocked up to town,bringing with them, the various prisoners.On the 28th of June a preparatory ceremonyof the auto was performed by way of re-hearsal, in which the soldiers of the faithparaded in good order; marching out by the

I gate of Alcala, where they took up a quantityof fagots purposely prepared, and carriedthem through the streets in a kind of proces-

..

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sion, each bearing one as far as the outsideof the gate of Fuencarral, the spot which hadbeen marked out as the burning-place. Theypassed by. the palace, and the king takingfrom the hands of the Captain an ornamented. fagot expressly arranged, shewed it to thequeen; and ordered it in his name to be castfirst into the flames, thus imitating the ex..ample of St. Ferdinand, who, on a similaroccasion, carried the wood on his ownshoulders.On the following afternoon the procession

of the two crosses was performed: that is,of the green cross, as the insignia of theInquisition, which was placed on the stagecovered with a black' transparent veil; andalso of the white cross, which WM depositedon a raised pedestal above the burning ..place. Thus did this triumph commence,which we may truly call saero-profane, onaccount of its mixture of religious and civilceremonies, and its being divided into twoparts, in which the religion of Jesus Christand the Inquisition mutually triumphed.The procession of the crosses came out ofthe church of the college of Dona Mariade Aragon, and proceeded to the principalsquare: the white cross came first, carried

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by the two congregations of St. Peter theMartyr belonging to Toledo and Madrid;and the green one followed, borne by theDuke de Medina Celi and the Dominicans,accompanied by the other religious communi.ties and a multitude of persons belonging tothe tribunal with lighted candles in their hands.The musicians of the royal chapel sung thepsalm of the Miserere. The soldiers of thefaith also formed part of the procession, firingsalutes on their arrival at determined place.The green cross being placed on the altar,the Dominicans remained watching it and atmidnight sang matins, which being endedthese were followed by masses performedwithout any interruption till six in the morn ..ing ] and, as before noticed, the united con-gregations of St. Peter the Martyr, havingplaced the white cross on a pedestal on thenorth side of the burning-place, a guard ofthe soldiers of the faith remained to takecare of it. So far may properly be called thetriumph of religion.As soon as the procession was over and

night had come on, the prisoners, who tillthen were scattered about in the houses ofthe familiars, on account of their numbers, aswell as to avoid their communicating with

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each other, were all collected into the secretprisons of the Supreme Tribunal of the cityof Madrid. The respective sentences werenotified to those condemned for execution,in order that they lYtight prepare for death;and in 'case any of the persons convicted ofcontumacy might wish to be converted, thecourt remained sitting the whole night togive them hearing, and in fact two womenwere converted. The notification of thesentence was couched in the following words:,', Brother, your cause has been see!1 by andsubmitted to very learned persons, men ofgreat letters and science, and your crimeshave been found to be of so grievous andblack a nature that for the purposes ofpunishment and example, it has been deter-mined and ordained that to-morrow you shalldie. Prepare and make ready for death, anathat you may do this in' a fit maimer, two'clergymen remain here to attend you."·At length arrived the day announced by

the Inquisition and so impatiently expectedby the common people, who are the morepleased with bloody spectacles because {)ftheir imaginations being less susceptible ofdelicate impressions. At three in the morn-

.. Olmo, n. 29.

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ing the clothes and sanbenitos in which theywere to appear were delivered out to theculprits, and their breakfasts were alsohanded to them. At. seven the processionbegan to move in the following order. Thesoldiers of the faith came first and cleared theway; next followed the cross of the parish ofSt. Martin covered with black, and accompa.nied by twelve priests clothed in surplices anda clergyman with a pluvial cope; then camethe prisoners to the number of' one hundredand twenty, 72 of whom were women, and 48men; some came forth in effi"y and the rc-mainder in person. First in the order ofprocession were the effigies of tho e con-demned persons who had died or made theirescape, and amounting in all to thirty-four;their names were inscribed in large letter onthe breast of their effigies, and those who hadbeen condemned to be burned;' besides thecoroza or cap on their heads, had flamesrepresented on their dress; and some boreboxes in their hands, containing the bones oftheir corresponding originals. In the autoof the faith celebrated at Goa in the year1(j76, the effigies were carried upright andfixed on long poles, and the boxes' containing

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the bones were borne behind each." Theabove were followed by eleven sentenced todo penance, having unc;ergone an abjurationde laoi, and among them the impostors andpolygamists wore the coroza, and some ofthem ropes on their necks containing. asmany knots as they had been condemned toreceive hundreds of lashes. Next came ,5+

who had been reconciled, the' most guiltywearing a sanbenito with only one branch,and carrying in their hands, as did also theabove, a yellow candle unlighted. Lastlycame 21 prisoners condemned to death, each,with his coroza and sanbenito correspondingto the nature of his crime, and the most ofthem with gags on their mouths: they wereaccompanied by numerous familiars of the,Inquisition in the character of patrons, andwere besides each attended by two friars,who comforted the penitent and exhortedthe obdurate. The whole of this part of theprocession was closed by the high bailiff ofToledo and his attendants. The descriptiondoes not say what the latter bore in theirhands, but in the Auto celebrated in Mexico,in the year 1659, they carried a small wooden

• Relation de l'Inquisition de Goa, ehap, xxxii.

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cross." Behind the ~ffigy of each culpritwere also conveyed boxes containing theirbooks, when any had been seized with them,for the purpose of also being cast into theflames, t The courts of the Inquisition fol-lowed immediately after, preceded by thesecretaries of those of Toledo and Madrid,with a great number of commissaries andfamiliars; among whom walked the twostewards of the congregations of St. PeterMartyr, carrying the sentences of the crirni-nals inclosed in two precious ca kets, So farthe procession on foot.Next, on horseback, paraded the sheriffi

and other ministers of the city, together withthe chief bailiffs of the Madrid Inquisition.Then came a long string of familiars, onhorses richly and variously caparisoned,wearing the habit of the Inquisition overtheir own dress, the proper insignia ontheir breasts, and staffs raised in their hands.In succession followed a great number ofecclesiastical ministers; such as notaries,commissaries, and quaJificators, all bearingthe same insignia, and mounted on mules

* Rodrigo Ruiz de Zepeda, Relacion del Auto de laFe celebrado en Mexico, a 19 de Nov. de 1659.t Regimento do Santo Officio, lib. ii, tit. xxii. n, 9.

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with black trappings. Behind them wentthe corporation of Madrid, preceded by the-mayor and followed by the fiscal-proctor ofthe tribunal of Toledo, who carried thestandard of the fai!h of red damask with thearms of the Inquisition and of the king, ac-companied by the proctor of the RoyalCouncil and the oldest groom of the house-hold. Next came the inquisitors of thetribunals of Toledo and Madrid, paired oft'with the king's grooms, and afterwards theSupreme Council of the Inquisition accom-panied by the Royal Council and Board ofCastile, Lastly came the Inquisitor General,placed on the right hand of the president ofthe council, an office at that time filled bythe bishop of Avila. The Inquisitor Generalwas dressed in a camail and mantelet, andseated on a superb bay horse with purplesaddle and housings, ornamented with rib.bons and fringe of the same colour, andattended by twelve servants in livery. Hewas accompanied by an escort of fifty hal-berdiers dressed in black satin with silvergalloons and lace, white and black feathersin their 'hats, and commanded by the Marquisde Pobar as protector of the Inquisition ofToledo; who, making up for that rich show

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and parade which was unfit for the situationof the Inquisitor General, was mounted ona grey horse, wearing a saddle of massivesilver with white and green furniture con':formable to ·his livery. He was clothed in asuit of black silk embroidered in silver, withdiamond buttons.. cockade, and insignia, andattended by eighteen livery servants. Thewhole of the procession was closed with thestate sedan-chair and coach belonging tothe Inquisitor General, together with othercoaches in which were his chaplain andpages. "This triumphant procession," ays'Olmo, " was performed with wonderful. silence; and though all the houses, squares,and streets, were crowded by an immenseconcourse of people drawn together from amotive of pious curiosity, scarcely one voicewas heard louder than another:"· yidePlate VIII.The stage had been erected on the side of

the large square, facing the east, being onehundred and ninety feet in length, one hun.dred in breadth, and thirteen in height,forming a parallelogram with a surface ofnineteen thousand square feet. The ascentto the stage was i two spacious flights of

• Olmo, n. 154-YOLo r. Y

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step~pIaced in front at the two extremities;On the two sides, and facing each other,were constructed two flights of sests; of alength equal to the width of- the stage,-theupper ones being nearly on a level with thesecond .story of the houses of the square.The royal family occupied the centre angleof the theatre, and saw the whole cere-mony from a balcony of one of the principalhouses; and the attendants belonging to thepalace, together with the ambassadors offoreign powers, were seated in the con-tiguous ones.. On the flight of seats situatedto the right of the king the constitutedauthorities took their places; viz. the eorpo-ration of Madrid with several grandees andtitled characters; the councils; and, on thehighest part, the Inquisitor General on aone. The raised seats on the left were

appropriated .to the prisoners, who occupiedthe highest in proportion as their crimesere mest grievous. In Mexico this part ol

the stage was usually semi-circular, so as to'form a more showy appearance, and risingin the form of a cnpola or half-moon." On

• This .appears from the account given of the auto of1596, by Fray Juan de Torquemada, in his MonarquiaIndiana, lib. xix,cap. nix.- The same Wall also practised-

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cf1:AP.rv.] INQ.UIsiTlON U MAg,El). ~

the plane of the stage, -a small distance fromthe centre, near the seats occupied by tho tri-bunal and facing that of the king, an altar hadbeen constructed with a pulpit on the Gospelside, leaving room for two inclosed areaswhich were formed by balustrades placedone before the other. In that nearest hismajesty the royal guard was posted; and iflthe furthest one, ranging a ide tl e alt r,were seated the families of the Inquisito ;and those who could not find room therwere accommodated on other bench 8 pI dunder the breast-work, which ran fromstair-case to the other, and crowned the wholefront of the theatre.In the open space, ranging in the centre,

a raised platform was constructed, and on ittwo bars, latticed round in the form of tri-bunes, where the prisoners remained standingwhilst the recorders seated at two desks readtheir sentences to them. The whole wascovered with a large awning to break theforce of the SUD, thus forming in the squarea theatre sufficiently large for the conve-nience of such an immense concourse ofpeople; who, in addition to the stage, occu-

in the auto celebrated in 164-9. Vidi Diario de Mhicoof -6th April, 1807.

y2

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5240 INQUISITION UNMASKED. [CHAP. IV.

pied all the balconies of the four fronts of thebuildings, as well as the remaining part ofthe square. Such was the exterior form ofthe theatre, which was besides adorned withrich carpets and hangings of crimson damask.Vide Plate IX.In the cavities or hollow parts under the

raised seats several apartments were fitted ups prisons, and courts in which the culpritsmight be heard; and also as rooms intendedfor the use of the preacher and officiatingpriest, in case any thing might happen tohim during so long a ceremony. Places werelikewise prepared as offices and refectory;where refreshments were provided for theinquisitors, as well as the other guests whomight wish to partake of them .. " This grand piece of machinery," say~our historian, "was finished on Friday the~8th of June, having only been commencedon the preceding 2sd." " It appeared,"adds he, " that God moved the hearts of theworkmen, so as to overcome the greatdifficulties which occurred in the execution;a circumstance strongly indicated by sixteenmaster-builders, with their workmen, tools,and materials, coming in unsolicited to offeriheir services .to the overseer of the works;

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-----------~~-- -

:!;~I/l.(/, 0kU'J rk ,/; ~Y';:/?I'I/;{//~l/~cV~:/1 /l~,//'/m.l'yt;:I'/;Ir.111( . /NN ~//tmNt/~/l /y' .%'/J/ ~

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CHAP. IV.] INQUISITION UNMASKED. 325

and all persevered with such fervent zeal andconstancy that, without reserving to them-selves the customary hours for rest, andtaking only the necessary time for food, theyreturned to their labour with such joy anddelight that, explaining the cause of theirardour, they exclaimed in the following man-ner: ' Long live the faith of Jesus Christ;all shall be ready at the time prescribed; and,if timber should be wanting, we would gladlytake our houses to pieces for a purpose soholy as this.' ".. The activity and zeal thusevinced by the people will appear still moreastonishi~g if we reflect, that at no formerperiod had the apathy of the nation beengreater, or the decline of the Spanish empiremore rapid.On the arrival of the procession at the thea-

tre _the prisoners ascended by the staircasenearest their destined seatsj but, before occu-pying them, they were all paraded round thestage, in order that their Majesties, who werealready seated in their balcony, might havethe satisfaction of viewing them near. Thetribunals and persons invited then proceededto take their respective seats, and the Inqui-sitor General ascended his throne. Before the

l\l Olmo, n, 33 & 34.

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�26 IN'QutSI1JON UNMASKED. [CHAP. rv,

eommencemene of the mass his excellency,clothed in his pontifical robes,. approachedthe balcony of his Majesty, and ascendingtb it by six steps from the level of the sage,tendered to him the oath usually takenby kings on such occasions, Its form isas -follows s" Your Majesty swears and promises. on

your royal faith and word that, as a trueCatholiC' king chosen by the hand of God, youwill with all your power defend the Catholicfaith which our hoIy mother the apostolicChurch of Rome holds and believes, as wellas the preservation and inorease thereof; andwiJl persecute, and command to be perse-cuted, an heretics and apostates opposed tothe same; and that you will give, and com-mand to be given, to the Holy Office of theInquisition, and also to' the ministers thereof, .an aid and protection, in order that heretics,disturbers of' our Christian religion, may be.smzed and punished conformably to the lawsand holy canons, without any omission onthe part of your majesty or exception infavour of any person of whatsoever qualitye may be," &c.Let it be here observed, that the Inqui-

• Olmo, n, 169.5

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- CUAP< IV.] INQUISITlf>N UNMASKED. $27

sitien requires of the ing that he affordto its- ministers all aid and protection .. inorder th t heretics may be seized and p.nished, not only in conformity to- he canons-but also agreeably to civil law. Nothingmore is said of the ceremony hich, accom-panied the oath on this occasion. In theauto celebrated in Valladolid on the 8th 0October, 1559, at which Philip II. waspresent, the Inquisitor Genee , an 0 c athat time held by Don Fernando de aldes,rising up, demanded of the king t continubestowing his aid on the tribunal in thwords : c Domine a4ju'Otl nOI," (Lord, con-tinue to help us) when the King, also in astanding posture, grasped his word andunsheathed part. of it, thus testifying hisreadiness at all times to aid the tribunal;a pledge which, unfortunately for humanityand without auy advantage to religion, hemore than faithfully fulfilled-·Mass being commenced and the Gospel

ended, the oldest secretary of the tribunalof Toledo read from the pulpit the form ofthe oath taken by the mayor of the city 01

Madrid, as well as by all the people. In

* Qiego de Colmenares, Historia de S govia, cap. Hi; iii.

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328 INQUISITION UNMASKED. [CHAP. IV.

other autos it has likewise been customaryto read to the people, translated into Spanish,the bull Si deprotegendis, issued by Pius V.against those who obstruct the free use ofthe Inquisition or interfere with its mini-sters. A sermon was then preached in thegerundian* style by a Dominican friar, quali-ficator of the Supreme Council of the Inqui-sition and preacher to the king. The textwas taken from the favourite verse of theInquisition, " Eaurge, Domine, judica cau-sam tuam;" In the exordium the preachercompares this tribunal, because of judgingits culprits in secret and condemning themin p blic, to that of God in his particularas well as universal judgment. He: theninculcated the obligation imposed on kingsto defend the faith; and, without establishingany particular point, after lamenting andcomplaining of the alienation of mind towhich human reason is exposed, he pro-ceeded to refute, with trivial arguments, the

.. Father Isla wrote a work to ridicule pompous andaffected preaching, by exhibiting the lite and studies ofone of these bombastic pulpit-orators, whom he callsFatBer Gerund, and hence the above term is taken.Barretti translated the first volume of this work intoEngliih.- TK.

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doctrines of the Jews, heretics, and Maho-me tans ; for of these three classes were theprisoners on the stage. In his epilogue hefelicitated the Spanish monarchy on thepurity of its, belief, and promising to itabundant prosperity, he ended by the fol-lowing apostrophe to the tribunal of theInquisition:" And thou, oh! most Iholy Tribunal of

the Faith, for boundless ages may'st thou bepreserved, so as to keep us firm and pure inthe same faith, and promote the puni hmentof the enemies of God. Of thee can saywhat the Holy Spirit said of the hurch ;" Pulchra es, amica mea, sicut tabernaculaCedar, et sicut pelles Salomonis," (Thou artfair, my love, as the tents of Kedar, as thesightly skins of Solomon.)" But what parallels, similies, or com-

parisons are these? What praise, or whatheightened contrast, can that be which com-pares a delicate female, an unequalled beauty,to the tents of Kedar and the spotted skinsof Solomon? Saint Jerome discovered themystery, and says, that the people of Kedarbeing fond of the chase therein took greatdelight; and, for this purpose, had alwaystheir tents pitched in the field; on which,

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gSO DlQUISITION UNMASKED. [CHAP. IV.

in order to prove the valour of their ,arms..they spread the skins of the animals killed inthe chase, and hung up the heads of the wild:beasts they had slain. And the said peopleof Kedar were so proud and boastful of thesetheir trophies that they prized them as theirgreatest ornaments; this was the greatestbeauty of their tents, to this the Holy Spiritcompares the beauty of the Church, and thisis also to-day the glory of the holy Tribunal£ the Faith 'of Toledo: Sicut tabernacula

Cedar; sicut pelles Salomonis. To have killedthese horrid wild-beasts and enemies of Godwhom we now behold on this theatre, someby taking life from their errors, reconcilingthem to our holy faith, and inspiring themwith contrition for their faults; others bycondemning them through their obduracy tothe flames, (here the orator openly and with-out any disguise confesses that the Inquisitioncondemns to the flames) where, losing theircorporeal lives, their obstinate souls will im-mediately go to burn in hell; by this meansGod will be avenged of his greatest enemies,dread will follow these examples, the HolyTribunal will remain triumphant, and weourselves more strongly confirmed and rootedin the faith; which, accompanied by grace

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and good works,' will b~ the surest pledgeof glory," &c.*The above extract will be sufficient to

convey an idea of the rantings 'of this extra-vagant piece, and at the same time to mani-fest the spirit of the tribunal in the words ofits own orator. In it may chiefly be seen theostentatious language adopted and the dis-dain with which the culprits are treated. Thetribunal was well aware' that no one 0 them,even of those who were without gags on theimouths, "ould have dared to make a.nw r ;01" at least that he would soon ha c b nsilenced had he ventured so far, uchstring of incoherences, nevertheless, deserveda refutation similar to the one drawn up foranother sermon preached by the archbishopof Cranganor at the auto of the faith cele-bra ed at Lisbon, in the year 1705, whenseveral Jews were brought forth, This re·futation was composed by a Jewish writerfrom a place where he was no longer exposed-to danger. In it, after inserting the sermonin its original Portuguese, and remarking thepetulant tone in which it is written, hedemonstrates the groundless charge allegedagainst them of having adulterated the

* OImo, D. IS'1.

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,3S~ IN~UISITION UNMASKED. [CHAP. IV&

Scriptures, the little knowledge of Hebrewliterature usually possessed by those Chris-tians who, from their state and character ~ought not to be ignorant of it; and the un-fair manner in which they distort variouspassages of the said Scriptures, as well asvarious sentences of the Rabbins, and thenadds: " I appeal to the learned and un-prejudiced men living in countries whereinit is not necessary to circumscribe one'sideas to a set of ignorant inquisitors, andask whether such language is not more befit-ting to a theatre than a pulpit? They call usblind because we refuse to submit our reasonto an ill-founded allegory; yet what oughtthose people to be called who take part of achapter or verse without noticing the otherpart which exhibits the genuine sense? Doesthe preacher conceive that he can thus pro-duce" conviction in the mind of any Jew?far from it, he fortifies him in his beliefBut instead of our acting as the Inquisitiondoes, which prohibits all works tending toattack the Catholic religion, we reprint thosewritten against ours; and we explain themto our children, in order that they may beatisfied of the truth of our reasons andthe fallacy of the others, and see to what

7

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a, number of artifices they are obliged torecur." •As soon as the sermon was ended they

proceeded to the reading of the trials andsentences, beginning with those which badthe greatest weight of guilt, viz. the personiwho had been condemned to die. The sen-tences were read at full length; but theparts of the accusations containing least in-terest were suppressed. This part of theceremony, during which one man and awoman were converted, was not concludedtill four in the afternoon; when those con-demned to death were delivered over to thecivil magistrates; and, whilst the latter pro-ceeded on to the place of execution andmet their final end, the reading of the pro·ceedings continued, as well as the abjurationsof those who had been reconciled. Thedescription of the Mexico auto of the faithexhibits in a practical case the ceremonyby which deceased ecclesiastics are degraded,

... Respuesta al Sermon predicado por el Arzobispo deCranganor en el Auto de Fe celebrado en Lisboa en 6 deSetiembrede 1705, por el Autor de las Noticias rec6ndit3$de Is Inquisicion. The place where the work was pub.Iished is not mentioned, but it appears to ban been inLondon.

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SS4 iNQUISITION UNMASKED. ICHAP. IV.and is in the following words : '" 'Vhatmoved most pity and compassion was theunhappy case of the priest Don Jose Brufionde Vertiz, (guilty of various heresies, hehaving died in the prison in a state of im...penitence) whose effigy, the sentence beingread, was stripped of its clerical robes by the.oldest curate of the cathedral, Don Jacintode la Serna, and afterwards clothed in a seen-Jar dress. He then cast it to the ground andkicked it, as one deprived of so holy a tate.The ministers of civil justice then placed onthe effigy all the insignias of one condemned,in order to deliver it over, together with thecorresponding bones, to the flames.The mass, though not sung, lasted till

half past nine at night, and with it endedthe grand .exhibition of the large square;when those who had been absol ed returnedto the prisons-of the Inquisition. I conceiveit to be understood that the stage was illumi-nated whenever night came .on before thetribunal had ended the procession of thegreen cross, or whilst the mass of the autoof the faith was performing. In Mexico thecross arriving just at the approach of .night,the latter, according to the description, waconverted into the most clear day, through

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the number of torches and other lightsblazing in such- abundance that the theatrepresented the appearance of .a starry heaven,The patient constancy with which Charles II.assisted at the above celebration of the autois really astonishing; for, though the cere-mony was so extremely long, he never quittedthe balcony once, not even to partake of anyrefreshment; nay the time appeared to himso short that, when all was over, he askedif any thing remained to be performed, andwhether he should return.With regard to the preparation m de by

the inquisitors for refreshments, the b vauthor adds, " that as the auto de fe was tolast the whole day, and was e tpected to beextremely laborious and fatiguing to thministera of this holy tribunal, in consequenceof its length, it was arranged, in case anyoneassisting at the <ceremony should require nou-rishment or refreshment during such a numberof hours and the oppressive heat of the sun,that commissaries should be named to pro-vide food and drink for the officers andministers of the holy office who had comefrom afar, as well as for the congregations ofMadrid and Toledo, and the other personemployed on that day in the ceremony.

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g36 INQ.UISITION UNMASKED. [CHAP. IV.

This was done with such care and prudencethat not only sufficient refreshment was pro-vided for the ministers, but also for everyone else. The treasurers of the Inquisition,and proportionably the ministers of the con-gregation of St. Peter, contributed liberallytowards so considerable an expense.Ys Thebanquet given by the Viceroy at the autoof Mexico, in the year 1659, was not lesssplendid and costly.The prisoners personally condemned to

death amounted to nineteen; thirteen menand six women, principally of the Jewishpersuasion. They were conducted to thegate of Fuencarral mounted on mules withpacksaddles, preceded by thirty-two effigies,two being left behind belonging to recon-ciled persons who had died in prison. Ofthose personally condemned for execution,eleven were irnpenitents; viz. eight obdu-rates, and three convicted but refusing toconfess; of whom five were converted onthe road, so that six were burnt alive inaddition to thirteen who had been previouslyhung.The burning place was sixty feet square

and seven high; and consequently sufficiently• Olmo, n, 18.

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capacious .when twenty stakes with theircorresponding rings had been fixed thereon,conformably to the orders given by the in-quisitors to the civil magistrates for adequatejustice to be done. Some were previouslystrangled, and the others at once throwninto the fire, " without its being necessary,"as Olmo observes, " to excite horror or recurto violence by making use of any other moreimproper and bloody process." hi i, ifI 'understand right, that it was not n c . aryfor the officers to cast them into the flam •Nevertheless the executioners, imp JI d bytheir indiscreet zeal for the faith, attemptedto exceed their orders with regard to some ofthe malefactors; but the latter denied themthis satisfaction by throwing themselves oftheir own accord into the flames. Our histo-rian, adverting to this incident, and wellaware how much the nquisition, or at leastreligion, must have been foiled by such anoccurrence, thus expresses himself: "Unwarypersons may perhaps be staggered at some ofthe prisoners throwing themselves into the fire,as if true valour was the same as a foolish bru-tality and culpable disregard of life, followedby eternal condemnation." * More objections

* Olmo, n, ]91.VOL. J. Z

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S38 INQUISITION UNMAS!tED. [CHAP. t •

Mise on this subject than would easily be dis-covered at first sight; but of this we shallspeak in another place. (Vide Plate X.)The ministers then cast the bodies of thos

who had been hung into the fire, together'with the effigies and bones of the deceased,adding more fuel till all was converted into-ashes; which was about nine in the mosning ..It may be most necessary to advert, that thedeath of the prisoners was officially witnessedby one of the secretaries of the tribunal, inorder to certify to their execution." Twodays afterwards six of those who had beencondemned to do penance were flagged.Among them was one woman; and anotherwas held up to public shame.Such was the form and solemnity of this

auto de fe, the largest and most splendidever known, if we consider the CODC rrenceof circumstances which attended it; such asthe great number of prisoners and the varietyof their punishments, as well as its' havingbeen presided over by three tribunals of theInquisition; Ollj: of which was the SupremeCouncil, togethe ith the Inquisitor Generalsand attended by all the king's court andrandees. Such, in short, has been the

. Olmo D.U7.

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method observed by this tribunal ill theexercise of its judicature ~ and it only re ..mains for me to add, as I have alreadynoticed, that the prisoners not conducted tothe stake have an oath imposed upon them,and are placed under excommunication andother arbitrary restrictions to observe aneternal silence respecting every thing thathas happened, or that they may have seen orheard during their imprisonment." 1 oughtalso to add, that the houses wherein dogma.tisers have held their meetings are pulleddown to the ground. t This was done in

*' Compilacion de Instrucclones, n. 58.--Orden de Pro-cesar, fol. 37.t Constitutiones Innocenti IV. centra hrereticos, in-

serted by Eymeric in bis Directory, towards the end.-A tribunal so monstrous as the Inquisition. bas alwaysbeen could not escape the penetration of the immortalauthor of Don Quixote, nor was it possible for him toabstain from employing some of his labours in order tohold it up to ridicule. Thus do we find him impugningthis establishment, not in a slight and hasty manner, butat considerable leagth and in his usual tone; and though Iam not aware of anyone baving before pointed out thiscoincidence, I hope there is no one who, comparing thedescription given by him with the one just sketched, willfail to be convinced of the truth of my observation. A~beyond doubt this was the most interesting, though at thearne time t'he most dangerous point of all those which

22

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340 INQUISITION UNMASKED. [CHAP. IV.

Valladolid with the dwelling of AgustinCazalla, a canon of Salamanca and preacher

form the objects of his criticism, he was induced to reserveit for the last part of his labours, where it might serve, ifwe may be allowed the expression, as a species of finish;since, by placing it there, the favourable reception the firstpart of his work had received from the public might dimi-nish the danger to which he would otherwise be exposed.Cervantes (part ii. chap.lxii.) referring to the enchantedhead in possessionof Don Antonio Moreno of Barcelona,at that time Don Quixote's host, commences by pointingout the ignorance of the Inquisitors, whom he' expresslynames, and describes as being possessed of the same cre-dulity as the commonpeople themselves, though apparentlyindicating the reverse, since it became necessary for DonAntonio to explain the secret of the whole machinery, inorder to prevent the consequences of an information beingIodged against him. The text is thus: .. It was divulgedallover the city that Don Antonio kept an enchanted headin his house, which answered to everyone who interro-gated it, and fearing least it should come to the ears of thewatchful centinels of our faith, on explaining the wholemystery to the gentlemen of the Inquisition, they orderedhim to break it in pieces and not suffer it to be 'used anymore, for fear the ignorant vulgar should be scandalized."After this pointed remark, our author proceeds to con-

sider the tribunal of the Inquisition in itself, commencingby its exterior parade, ~uch as the unexpected and silentarrest of the CUlpritsrepresented in that of Don Quixoteand Sancho by the servants of' the Duke; also the auto defe under the allegory of the feigned funeral of Altisidora,one of his damsels, and which was celebrated in the court-

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!-O Charles V., who was burnt for being aLutheran; and also in Coimbra with the house

yard of the Duke's house; this being an adventure thatmay be considered as the most curious and important ofany contained in his history, in consequence of the abusestherein criticised being at the same time the greatest.This arrest is thus described in chap. lxviii.r "At thedecline of afternoon they (Don Quixote and hill Squire)discovered as many as ten men on hor eback and four orfive on foot, advancing towards th m. Don (~uixote'sheart was struck with surpri e, and ancho" with fear,for the party' coming up bore lance and rg ,nnd pro-ceeded onwards in very warlike array, * • 'lllhorsemen came up, and couching their I, nee , withoutspeaking a single word surrounded Den uixote and pre-sented their arms to his back and breast, threatening tokill him. One oftbose on foot, putting his finger on hismouth as a signal for him to be silent, seized hold onRozinante's bridle, and drew him out of the road, theothers on, foot driving Sancho and Dapple before them;when all keeping ~ marvellous silence followed the stepsof the conductor of Don Quixote, who several times had amind to ask whither they were carrying him, or what theywanted; but no sooner did he begin to move his lips thanthey threatened to close them with their weapons, and thesame also befel Sancho."He then proceeds to display the very same idea that the

lnquisition practically manifests in the manner of effectingits arrests, which is, to treat all prisoners as it wouldmonsters of iniquity whose crimes were completelyproved. "The night closed," he says, "they mendedtheir pace, and the prisoners' fears increased the more

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$4-2 ~QUISITION UNMASKED. .[ CHAP. IV.

of Antonio Homem, canon of the cathedral-church and professor of the canon-law in the

when they heard their keepers from time to time callout to them: Get on, ye Troglodytes] hold your peace,Barbarians; endure, ye Anthropophagi; complain not, yeScythians , open not your eyes, ye murdering -Poly:phemuses, ye butcberly lions; and other suchnames aithese, with which they tormented the ears of the miserablemaster and man. Sancho went along saying to himself,I do not like these names at all, this is winnowing our cornby a bad wind indeed; all our ills come upon us together,like kicks to a cur; and would to God what this unfor-tunate adventure threatens' may end in no worse fare!Don Quixote went along wrllpt up in astonishment, unableto conjecture, however he reasoned with himself, whatcould be the meaning of all these names, from which hewas only able to conclude, that no good was to be ex-pected, but much harm to be feared."-He in factexpresses how dreadful this tribunal is for him who fallsinto its hands, notwithstanding the epithets of Holy, andthe other vain. and outward forms it seeks to affect. Hethen -says, .. Near an hour after night-fall they arrived ata castle, which Don Quixote soon knew was ~he Duke's,where he had so lately been. God help me, says he, assoon as he recognised the place, what can be the meaningof this ? Most assuredly in this house, all is courtesy andgood Uiage; but to the vanquished, good is turned intoevil, and bad into worse."He then passes on to describe the auto de fe, (cJlap.

Ixix.) first pourtraying the entry of the prisoners withtheir escort into the main iquare. "The horsemenalighted, ~d aided by those On foot, taking Sancho BOll

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university of that city, who was burnton account of practising Jewish rites; and

Don Quixote bodily and forcibly up, they carried them-into the court-yard, round which were burning nearly 'aD

hundred torches placed in stands, and more than fivebundred lights 'about the galleries of the court, insomuch,that in spite of the night which had rather a dark appear-

\ance, the want of day was hardly felt." He then proceedsto describe the order and appearanoe of the square, thedistribution of seats for those who attended the auto, de-lineating before all, and as a principal object, the altar ofthe green cross, in the following word : "In the middl(If the court was raised a tomb about two yard above thRfOUnd,covered all over with a large oanopy of bl cvelvet, round which, on its teps, were burning tape ofwhite wax in more than an hundred silver candlesticks ,'and on the top of the tomb was seen the corpse of 80beautiful a damsel, that her beauty made death itself ap-pear beautiful, &c." He then describes the place whichthe tribunal occupied, with all the appendages of royalty,together with the magistrates in attendance. It On oneI side of the 'COW't was placed a theatre, with two chairs, onwhich were seated two per8011ages, (whom, as we shallafterwards find, were the two judges or the infernal re-gions, Mi;os and Rhadamanthus) who by the crowns theyhad on their heads and sceptres in their hands, ga'Ve signsof being kings, either real or feigned. ••• Two greatpersonages, with a numerous attendance, next ascendedthe theatre, whom Don Quixote presently knew to be theDuke and Duchess, bis late hosts, and they took their.eats in two richly ornamented chairs, near to those whoJaad the appearance of kings."

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:344 INQUISITION UNMASKED. [CHAP. IY.

near both inscriptions were affixed, whichstill subsist.

He likewise depicts the raised seats occupied by tIleculprits, the dress in which the inquisitors bring themforth; as well as the harshness with which they are treatedwhen they do not conduct themselves with due submission.~" On the (opposite) side of the theatre, to which theascent was by steps, stood two other chairs, on whichthose who brought in the prisoners placed Don Quixoteand Sancho. All this was done with profound silence,and the prisoners were given to understand that they werein like manner to hold their tongues. '* * 'J\l; At this- juncture an officer crossed the stage, and coming up toSancho, threw over him a garment of black buckram,painted all over with flames of fire, and taking off his cap,placed on his head a caroza or tall pasteboard mitre, afterthe fashion of those worn by persons condemned to dopenance by the Holy Office, bidding him in his ear not tounsew his lips, for if he did they wo~ld clap a gag in hismouth, or kill him." The criticism that next follows isconverted into open satire, levelled at the cruel sportwhich, added to terror, the Inquisition excites in thepeople, by presenting to them the hapless culprits inludicrous dresses covered with puerile hieroglyphics,whilst they are led to the place of execution or condemnedto a painful state of suffering.-" Sancho viewed himselffrom top to toe, he saw himself blazing in flames, but asthey did not burn him he did not care a farthing. Hetook off his mitre, saw it painted all over with devils; heput it on again saying within himself, It's well enough yet,for those neither burn me, nor these carry me away. DOllQuixote also surveyed himself allover, WlQ though fe~ haA .

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It is bigh time for us to examine thevalue attached to the protest, deprecation,

suspended his senses, he could Dot help smiling at seeingSancho's figure." In order to complete the picture helikewise alludes to the mass and sermon.-" And now,seemingly from under the tomb, issued a low and pleasingsound of flutes, which Dot being interrupted by any humanvoice, for Silence herself kept silence there, the musicsounded both soft and amorous. Then on a sudden, andnear the cushion of the seemingly dead body, appeared abeautiful youth, clothed in a Reman habit, who, to thesound of a harp played by himself, in a mo t sw ct ndclear voice sung the two following stanzas." .So far Cervantes has considered the Inqui ition according

to its outward appearances: in what follows he contemplateits object, and censures the great contrariety so remark-able in the means it employs to attain its ends. This defectis the most gl!\ring in the torments administered, since bythese it wrests confession from the culprits, under abelief that the faith would thus revive in them. He pro-ceeds in the e terms: "One of the suppesed kings thenexclaimed, Oh Rhadamanthus! who with me judgest inthe dark caverns of Pluto, since thou know est all that isdetermined in the inscrutable destinies of fate about thisdamsel returning to life, speak, and declare it instantly,that the happiness we expect from her revival may Dot bedelayed. Scarcely had Minos, judge and companion.of Rhadamanthus, spoken these words, when Rhada-man thus rising up, said: Come on ye officers of thishousehold, high and low, great and small, repair here one~fter another and fillip Sancho's face with four-and-twenty~wi~ches, and his arms and sides with twelve pinches ami

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or whatever else it may be called.. which theinquisitors make on Idelivering the prisoners

"!ix pricks of a pin, for in the performance of tbis cere-mony eensists the restoration (Jf Altisi ora. On hearingthis Sancho Panza broke silence and said : I vow to GodI will no more let my face be filliped, or my flesh handled,than I'll turn Turk. Body of me! what has handling myface to do with the resurrection of this. damsel! ... *Altisidora dies of some disorder God leased to send her,and she is now to be .brought to life again by giving mefour-and-twenty twitches, by turning my body into a pin.cushion, and pinching my arms black and blue." Aftet-this he points out the despotic tone with which the inqui-.sitors check those who reproach them for their falsity ofopinions, or the inconsistencies of-their mode of judiciall>rocess.-" Thou shalt die then, cried Rhadamanthus, ina loud voice; relent, tiger; humble thyself, thou -proud"Nimrod; endure and be silent, for no impOSSibilitiesaredemaaded of thee, and do not meddle thyself in examiningtoe difficulties of this business. Thou jihalt be twitched,thou shalt see thyself pricked, and thou halt groan underthy pinches._ Come on then, I say, officers, comply withmy commands; if not, on the faith of an honest man, youshall see what you wer~ born to."Cervantes afterwards laughs at the fatuity of the judges

themselves, and others of their class, who, when the cul-prit, in despair and worn out with sufferings, in order torid himself of their importunities and ill-treatment con.fesses bimself guilty, rejoice among each other the sameas jf they had really obtained his conversion. These arebis words: " What he (Sancho) could not bear wall theJlrickin, of the pillJ, and 10 up he ltarted from hi»- teat,

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over to the civil magistracy for execution.I 11m not ignorant that, after the discipline

peevish with being jaded, and seizing hold of a lightedtorch that was near him, he laid about his executioners,'Saying, Avaunt, ye infernal ministers, for I am not made.of brass to be insensible to such extraordinary torments.Upon this Altisidora, who could not help being tired withlying so long on her back, turned over on her side, whichthe by-standers perceiving, almost all with one voice cried1)ut-Altisidora is alive! Altisidora live. ! c." He thenspeaks of the lashes to which those were u unJly con-f1emnedwho escaped from thc flamesby m ana of forconfesaion.-" As 800n as Don Quixote tlw Alti'idoratil' he went and knelt down before Sancho, allyingto him:Now is the time, dear son of my bowels rather than m,squire, to give thyself some of those Iashe to which thoustandest pledged, in order to procure the disenchantmentof Dulcinea. This, I repeat, is the time, now that thyvirtue is seasoned and efficacious enough to Operate thegood expected from thee. To which Sancho answered :This seems to me to be reel upon reel, and not honeyupon fritters. It would be well enough that aftertwitches, pinches, and pin-prickings, lashes were also tofollow. You have nothing more to do than to take a largestone, tie it ronnd my neck, and at once fling me into awell. &c." Following up the lame strain, our authornext turns his attention to the imaginary triumphs of theInquisition, and in a tone of ridicule he observes: "Bythis time Altisidora had seated herself upright on thetomb, and at the same instant the trumpets sounded, ac·companied by flutes, and the voice» of all cried aloud,long live Altisidora I long live Altisidorll! &c." He

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of the church had declined, custom retainedcertain formalities by which, if its ancient

f

then concludes by alluding to the sanbenitos or penitentialgarments, with which, like so many spoils, the Inquisitionhas decorated the temples. "The Duke ordered it to betaken offhim (the penitential mitre from Sancho), his capto be returned, and that they should put on him his owndoublet, instead of the garment of flames. Sancho. re-quested ,the Duke to allow him to keep the mitre andfrock, as he was desirous of carrying them home to hisown country, in token and memory of so unheard of anadventure."It is therefore no longer dubious that in the above part

of his work Cervantes writes a complete, and not verydisguised, satire on the proceedings of the Inquisition. Itis not possible for his intention to have been any other,when, in spite of the terror its name inspires, he thencederives the idea of a farce, (for this fable deserves no bettera name) the leading parts of which are performed by twoas ridiculous personages, as the most playful ima inationcould possibly invent. But our incomparable writer is noteven content with these jeers; he stilI carries them on asfar as bis waggishness could venture. Thus does he makeSancbo (chap. lxxiii.), after rigging out his ass with thesanhenito and corosa, or the penitential garments he hadhoarded up from the Duke's, enter into his native villagequite proud, and bearing as it were in triumph what theInquisition calls its trophies.-" They (Don Quixote andSancho) proceeded on their way, and at the entrance ofthe village, on a little lawn, they met the curate and bache-lor Carrasco, reciting their prayers. Now be it knownthat Sancho Panza had thrown over Dapple and over his

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rigour is not maintained, appearances are at. least saved. But on this account it would

bundle of arms, instead of a sumpter-cloth, the buckramtunic painted with flames of fire, which he had worn at theDuke's castle the night of Altisidora's revival. He like-wise fixed the mitre on Dapple's head; insomuch thatnever was an ass S9 well metamorphosed and adornedbefore. They were soon recognised both by the curate andbachelor, who met them with open arms. Don Quixotealighted and embraced them closely; and the boys, whoare like lynxes and never behind-hand, spied the as 'smitre, and flocked to view him, saying to one another,Come, boys, and you shall see Sancho Panza's n finerthan Mingo, and Don Quixote'll beast lean r now thanever." I do not see what more could be aid or desired.If, notwithstanding all this, anyone should deny thatCervantes ~teIlded to criticise the Inquisition, it wouldalso be necessary for him to deny that the "History ofDon Quixote" contains any burlesque whatever; in whichcase, contrary to the great and merited reputation it hasacquired, this work would be equally as devoid of meaningas those of chivalry therein satirized. It is consequentlyundeniable that he impugns the Inquisition, by thus drawingits picture, as he flatters himself, (in chap.lxx.) "with allits paraphernalia, so well and so like life, that there isbut little difference between that and the truth." It isbesides clear, that he takes particular pains to representthe inquisitors, amidst their studied gravity and parade,as ignorant and despicable as the culprits could wish, byintroducing for this purpose Cid Hamete Benengeli,. 'whom he considers as the first historian of Don Quixote,and who affirms, "that in his opinion, the mockers were:Ii mad the mocked."

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not be the less absurd to pretend that thissupplies the place of the efficacious inter-cession of the ancient bishops in favour ofcondemned persons; or that the want oflenity is atoned by a sterile or rather irriso-rious deprecation like that of the inquisitors ...Besides being ridiculous, it is also' fruitless;since, being directed' to a magistrate who hasno power to deviate from the law by a tri-bunal awing and threatening him if he doesnot comply therewith, it is, properly speak-

To what has been already said we have only toadd one short ohseevation, which strongly confirms all wehave. here established. This is, that Cervantes Wlli po••Ilibly induced to satirise the tribunal of the Inquisition,owing to the vanity of a dull eompetitor he had in Avel.laneda to wham he pointedly alludes in his prologue ..(put ii.) and boastingly tells us was a minister of the Holy'Office;- undoubtedly for no other purpose than by ay ofIt jibe. For this reason our author, who in other parts athis work appears peevish with the Inquisition, at the con..elusion covers it with. ridicule, either by treating theestablishment with contempt, er causing Alti!idora, trom:the funeral monument on which she was laid, to beholdthe devil in the: infernal regions pla.ying at tennis with'the said minister's book, Thus do we find Cervantes'taking lease of his own work by proclaiming his victoryoyer the Inquisition, as one of the greatest abuses liehad attelllpted to criticise; and over its minister abovenamed, 88 the most enrious and fastidlo s of all hilrenemies.

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ing, a wicked mockery of the culprit and aninsult to suffering humanity. We may evenadd more. The inquisitors cannot sincerelyintercede for a convict. without acting COD-

trary to the canons, which under the penalty'of excommunication, as well as of all othercensures within their reach, urge that hereticsshould be soon and unavoidably punished.'Innocent IV. in the short space of threeyears, from 1252 Q 1255, issued si bunscommanding the inquisitors to watch overthe exact observance of the edict of FrederickII: which imposes capital punishment onheretics, inserting it entire in one of hi

I own decrees, in order that no one mightplead ignorance as an excuse. And, as if thecruel intolerance of the Roman see was notufficiently known by such repeated regula-tions, the same was afterwards inculcated •under similar penalties by Alexander IV. ia12~8., Clement IV. in 1268, and InnocentVIII. in 1486.*Besides this, let the form under which the

convicts are delivered over to the civil ma-gistrate be what it may, it is the intention ofthe Inquisition to command that they should

* "Litterlr .Apostolicee pro Offici~ S. Inquisitionis,wplaced at the end of the Directory of Eymeric.

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be executed without delay, as mar be seennot only from the oath it exacts of kings.amidst the solemnities of an auto de fe,. butalso by that tendered to the magistrates ofevery city and town where the tribunal isinstituted. It is as follows: " We swearand bind ourselves that, when~ver we shallbe commanded by you the said inquisitors,or any of you, to execute any sentence orsentences against the persons of the said(heretics and their believers, receivers, andabettors) without any delay we will do andcomply with the same in the way and mannerprescribed by the sacred canons, and thelaws which treat on this subject." ..It ought not however to be supposed that

this exaction of an oath is reduced to a sim-pIe mandate; it besides implies the threat ofa penalty equal to what is suffered b thosewho impede the free exercise of the tribunal.This may be seen by the following regulationcontained in the ordinances of the PortugueseInquisition: ".If any person, of whatsoeverrank or pre-eminence he may be, shouldmake any statute, decree, or constitution,obstructing the jurisdiction of the HolyOffice the inquisitors shall oblige him, by

* Orden de Pro cesar, fol, 7f.4

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means of ecclesiastical censures, to revokethe same; which if he should refuse to do,they shall proceed against him as an impederof the ministry of this tribunal, and condemnhim to the penalties imposed by the apos.tolical briefs. They shall, in like manner,proceed against such ministers of justiceas refuse to execute the sentences of thosecondemned by the Holy Office,in conformityto the brief of Leo X."" On the other hand,the inquisitors, as we have already sh wn,send one of their secretaries to accompanythe convicts to the burning-place, in orderto promote the execution of the sentence bymeans-of their presence. What then can bethe meaning of this deprecation used by the

r * Regimento do Santo Officio do anno 1640, lib. iii. tit.xxi, n, 5 e 6. "Eazendo aIguma pessoa de qualquer estadoe preeminencia que seja estatuto, decreto ou constituic;aoque impida a jurisdicc;ao do Santo Officio, os inquisidoresa obrigarao com censuras a que os revoque, e nao 0querendo fazer, se procedera contra ella como contraimpediente do ministerio do Santo Officio, e s.llracon-denada nail penas impostas oeste cazo pelos brevesapostolicos. E bem assi se procedera contra os mioistrosde justic;a que nao quizerem dar a execucad as sentencasdos condenados pelo Santo Officiosegun a forma do brevede Leaii X."

VQL. I. 2A

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854 INQUISITION UNMASKED. [CHAP. IV.

inquisitors? What can be its object, unlessit is to cover this relaxation from ancientdiscipline" as well as this theological deception,with an hypocritical and mean disguise? Isthis in reality any. thing else than to turnthe meekness of the Gospel into a farcicalvirtue? Let the friends of the Inquisitionexplain what hypocrisy is, if this does notdeserve the name.It was natural to expect that so absurd

a practice would not remain unnoticed, orfail to become an object of reproach againstthe Catholic church on the part of the Pro-testants, ever ready to stickle at her defects.Hence therefore do they derive an argumentwhich, our own celebrated writer Alphonsode Castro, archbishop-elect of Santiago andone of the fathers of the Council of Trent,upholding the penalt of clivery over tothe civil magis rate as just, endeavours torefute. "The L~therans pretend," says he," that the bishops and inquisitors, oy deliver-ing up culprits to the civil magistrate, actlike the priests of the Jews, who" being thereal cause of the death of our' Saviour,answered Pilate, when urging them to judgehim according to their own law, that this didnot allow them to -kill anyone." This is

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in substance the objection which the above-author pretends to satisfy in the followingwords: "Blinded by a spirit of oppositionand malignity, the Protestants are deceivedin this as well as -in other points. The Phari-sees and priests of the Synagogue killedChrist by their tongues when they were un-able to do it with their hands, bringing uponhim death in a thousand forms. The ecclesi-astical judges however proceed in a verydifferent manner; for, after condemnin theheretic, they declare him no Ion er ubj ctto their jurisdiction, since by his crime hehad separated from the Church, and becomesubject to the lay power alone. Besides,when they deliver him over to the seculararm they do not demand that his life betaken away, nor affirm that he is guilty ofdeath; so t a, if the magistrate were torefuse to take his life away, they do not on.this account oblige, or in any manner solicit,him to do it; but, on the contrary, theybeseech him not to punish the victim withthe penalty of blood. And, as this is most.certain and notorious to the whole Christianworld, it is astonishing that the assuranceand unbridled calumny of the Lutheransshould reach to such a pitch as to compare

2 A2

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956 INQUISITION UNl\fASKED. '[CHAP. IV.

Catholic priests to those of the Jews, whenthe difference between them could not possi..bly be greater." '*'No one, however prejudiced he may be -

in favour of the Inquisition, will be satisfiedwith this answer, or consider the difficultyas overcome; since, besides the inaccuracywith which this author explains himself, andthe little knowledge he manifest respectingthe usages of the tribunal, .it is evident thathe never once took into consideration thedecrees of the popes already quoted. Notthat I here wish to confirm the comparisonabove made between the protest of the Inqui-sitors and the criminal conduct of the priestswho promoted the death of Christ in thetribunal of Pilate: I am fully aware thatsuch a proposition constitutes on of thearticles of John HUjS eon emned by theCouncil of Constance; with whose decisionI am the more ready to accord, inasmuch as-I have already asserted that in the Inquisitionall the judges have not been indistinctly bad.Nevertheless I must candidly insist that theargumentative reasons with which I provedthe frivolity and hypocrisy of the deprecation• Alfonso de Castro, De justa luereticorum punit. lib. ii,

p,p. xiii,

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above alluded to are still the same, and retaintheir whole force and vigour."

• The xiv, article of John Huss contains these words:n Doctores ponentes, quod aliqui« per censuram emendandus;si corrigi 1l0luerit,judieio saculari est tradendus, pro certosequuntur in hoc Pontifices, Scribas, et Pharisaros, quiChristum nolentem eis obedire in omnibus, dicentes :Nobis non licet interficere quemquam, ipsum saiculari Judiciotradiderunt, eo quod tales SUllt homicida: graIJiores quamPilat us." Sess. xv. There an be DO doubt that thisproposition, in the terms in hich it is conceived, con-tains an error. If Alphon 0 de Castro, notwith t ndinghis great science and hi tr ating th ubje t in m t rlymanner as well as at full length, was so un uec ful inconciliating the delivery up of the culprit made by thinquisitors with the meekness of the gospel, will theirmodern apologists be able to do it better? The Journalof Santiago, called El Sensato, of 5th Dec. 1811, speakingon this subject, makes use of the following words: "Thepseudo-politicians usc their utmost exertions, in order toattain their baneful ends. They give the title of tragi.comic to the e' act by which the inquisitors deliverover the culprit to the sec rm,--3.Ddi!LWhichtheyprotest they do not seek or demand his life, but ask thatall possible indulgence may be used with him. Thisprotest or deprecation, although it is not sufficientlyeffica.-eious to absolve him from the penalty of death, at leastsuffices to manifest the most pious intention of the Church,which has always refused to hold any influence in mattersof blood. But the object of modern innovators is to de-ceive the common people by invectives and calumnies,for the purpose of introducing novelties, and abolishini

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, In conformity to this truth, which, III myopinion, is placed beyond all doubt, before

useful and pious establishments." Who it is that seeks todeceive the multitude, or who rather labours to enlightenthem, will readily be acknowledged by everyone sensibleof the difference between merely talking and presentingirrefragable proofs for the examination of truth, whichmust be deemed the only way of judging right. Theauthor- of. the Impartial Report respecting th~ tribunal ofthe Inquisition, (Dicuimen.Imparcial.acerca del Tribunal dela Inquisicion ) assures us on his word that the pro,testalluded to is sincere, and that to suspect the contrarywould, in his opinion, be rashness. So great is the confi-dence with which this assertion is made, as well as the.impartiality of which its author boasts, that it would beimpossible to disbelieve him, if we were not furnished withstrong demonstrations founded on facts so positive, andauthorities so entirely conclusive, that they can neither bedenied nor questioned,The author of the Vindication of the Inquisition is not

more successful in his explanations than the two receding •.. It is a gross and calumnious err r " ays e," to sup-'pose that the t ibunal - t executor of the terriblepunishment of death and burning inflicted on heretics:it has never decreed or caused it to be executed. It wasindeed aware that it irremissibly sent them to endure thosetremendous punishments, but what hili it done in thisparticular more than all ecclesiastical tribunals have andought to do towards those who by the canons are to becast down, degraded, and delivered over to the seculararm? " That such a surrendry up of the culprit alsoexists ill other ecclesiastical tribunals would argue n8

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J terminate the present chapter, I wish thereader to observe three particular points.First,- That with regard to the protest madeby the inquisitors, on delivering up the cul-prit to be cast into the flames, their partisanshave hitherto made no answer, nor is it intheir power to adduce any thing in justifi-cation of the fact; consequently, as it isno other than a play of words, the atro-cious idea such e ecution involves ought to

more than that this disorder has not be n 80 r icul] r totl~e Inquisition as to prevent it being qu l1y e t end dto them. In the beginning it would have be n v 1"yen yto avoid all this, and it is 0 even yet. If civil jurisdi tionhad never been granted to the clergy, which in fact oughtto have been the case, 11 no necessity of their arresting.anyone would then have existed, so also would they havebeen spared the sad alternative of delivering over victimsto the civil magistrate for execution, and not placed in theawkwar edicament of seriously or ridiculously inter-ceding for them. e-supposing this concession,there is still a great disparity between one and theothercase. The Inquisition, as I have just testified, positivelycommands that the culprit shall be executed, and themarshal to whom they are delivered up will take good careto obey its orders, for he is well awarethat otherwise, besidesbeing excommunicated, he will himself be immediatelyarrested and punished for his default, as an abettor ofheretics; which certainly does not occur in any otherecclesiastical tribunal whatever.

~

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fall on those pontiffs, as principal agents,who ordained, and next on the inquisitors,as secondary ones, who have executed it.Secondly,-That when it is attempted tocombat a prejudice so deeply rooted in thepeople as is that which favours the Inqui-sition, he who heartily wishes to understandthe subject ought never to trust to any authorinterested in the duration of the establish...ment, .however great his -influence, or thereputation for. science and virtue he mayenjoy; on the 'contrary, it would be properfor him to ascertain the point himself, byfathoming the. whole matter, and even exa-mining the grounds of the above opinion"Thirdly,-That those who seek palliatives,in order to conceal the ulcers of the Church,far from rendering her any service, ratherdo her a serious injury, for it is only b dis-covering and applyin em e necessaryremedies that they can be healed.I conceive that I have now sufficiently

proved that the Inquisition, in its relationsas a tribunal, as well as in the laws by whichit is governed, tramples to the ground therights of the citizen, by violating in substanceand in manner the common rules and prin-ciples of justice. A code suggested and

'1

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framed by fanaticism and error-a want oflearning almost general among the indivi,duals of whom it is composed, accompaniedby an omnigenous faculty ef committingirregularities-together with the tyrannicaloppression with which the innocent man itherein treated when merely indicted forheresy, are all deducible from the premisesestablished, and co ' incontrovertiblearguments to prove the truth of my assertion,Busied rather in forming unhappy Ictimthan in extirpating crime, thi in titn ionhas spared no pain, howev l' C ntrary toreason and even to religion, a long a itwas able to flatter its pride and feed itferocity. Secret accusation and calumnyencouraged without any regard to friendshipor domestic piety; the name of the SupremeBeing inv 'th the 'greatest rashnessin order to wring from t e prlt a con-fession which must I?ecessarily carry himto the scaffold; mean cavils, perfidious incite.ments, and even gross falsehood, employedfor the same purpose and with the same.' 't have all entered into the com-IDlqm y,- ...plicated system of the Inquisition, .andconstituted its chief essence and delight,

. . ured with double boltsImpervious pnsons, sec Jo

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and secluded from all commu nication; re-fined and overwhelming torments authorised,and even administered, with unheard-of cru-elty, by judges who call themselves theministers of "the God of peace; citizens,who had already paid the debt of nature,insulted in their memory, and their moulder-ing remnants of mortality dug out to publicscorn; whole generations condemned tomendicity and infamy, even before they hadcommenced their existence; blazing pilesof fagots, enkindled by the breath of. im-placable vengeance hidden under the paradeof charity ;-Such have been the componentparts which have formed the plan, and suchthe deeds, of this formidable and bloodytribunal. And can that government be calledjust or beneficent which suffers th Inqui-sition to rankle in its boso

END OF VOL. I.

c. Baldwin, Printer.!:.w Bridge-itrcet, London.