him with his back against a thick board, at each extremity whereof was a pulley, through which there run a rope attached to the ends of the chain at the wrists.

If the abovementioned modes of torturing force a confession from the prisoner, he is remanded to his horrid dungeon, and left a prey to the melancholy of his situation, to the anguish arising from what he has suffered, and to the dreadful ideas of future barbarities. If he still refuses to confess, he is, in the same manner, re{manded to his dungeon, but a stratagem is used to draw from him what the torture fails to do. A companion is allowed to attend him, under the pretence of waiting upon, and comforting his mind till his wounds are healed: this person, who is always selected for his cunning, insinuates

The executioners then stretching the end of this rope, by means of a roller placed at a distance behind him, pressed or bruised his stomach in proportion as the ends of the chain were drawn tighter. They tortured him in this manner to such a degree, that his wrists, as well as his shoulders, were quite dislocated. They were, however, soon set by the surgeons; but the barbarians, not yet satisfied with this series of cruelty, made him immediately undergo the like torture a second time; } himself into the good graces of the prisoner, which he sustained (though if possible attended with keener pains) with equal constancy and resolution.

laments the anguish he feels, sympathizes with him, and taking an advantage of the hasty expressions forced from him by pain, After this he was again remanded to his does all he can to dive into his secrets. dungeon, attended by the surgeon to dress Sometimes this companion pretends to his bruises and adjust the parts dislocated; be a prisoner like himself, and imprisoned and here he continued till their auto-da-for similar charges. This is to draw the fé, or jail delivery, when he was happily unhappy person into a mutual confidence, discharged. and persuade him in unbosoming his grief, to betray his private thoughts.

From the beforementioned relation, it may easily be judged what dreadful agony These snares frequently succeed, as they the sufferer must have labored under, at are the more alluring by being glossed over being so frequently put to the torture. with the appearance of friendship, symMost of his limbs were disjointed; and sopathy, pity, and every tender passion. In much was he bruised and exhausted as to fine, if the prisoner can not be found guilty, be unable, for some weeks, to lift his hand he is either tortured, or harassed to death, to his mouth; and his body became greatly though a few have sometimes had the good swelled from the inflammation caused by fortune to be discharged, but not without such frequent dislocations. After his dis- having, first of all, suffered the most dreadcharge he felt the effects of this cruelty for {ful cruelties. If he is found guilty, all his the remainder of his life, being frequently effects are confiscated, and he is condemnseized with thrilling and excruciating pains, ed to be whipped, imprisoned for life, sent to which he had never been subject, till after { to the galleys, or put to death. These he had the misfortune to fall under the merciless and bloody lords of the inquisition. Females who fall into the hands of the inquisitors, have not the least favor shown them on account of the softness of their sex, but are tortured with as much severity as the male prisoners, with the additional mortification of having the most shocking indecencies added to the most savage bar{ barities.

sentences are put in execution at an autoda-fé, or jail delivery, which is not held annually, or at any stated periods, but sometimes once in two, three, or even four years.

After having mentioned the barbarities with which the persons of prisoners are treated by the inquisitors, we shall proceed to recount the severity of their proceedings against books.

From what has been said, it is evident, that the inquisitors check the progress of learning, impede the increase of arts, nip genius in the bud, destroy the national taste, and continue the cloud of ignorance over the minds of the people.

As soon as a book is published, it is care-} fully read by some of the familiars belonging to the inquisition. These wretched critics are too ignorant to have taste, too bigoted to search for truth, and too malicious to relish beauties. They scrutinize, not for the merits, but for the defects of an A catalogue of condemned books is anauthor, and pursue the slips of his pennually published under the three different with unremitting diligence. Hence they heads of censures, already mentioned, and read with prejudice, judge with partiality, being printed on a very large sheet of paper, pursue errors with avidity, and strain that is hung up in the most public and conspicuwhich is innocent into an offensive mean-ous places. After which, people are obliged ing. to destroy all such books as come under the

They misunderstand, misapply, confound, { first censure, and to keep none belonging and pervert the sense; and when they have to the other two censures, unless the exgratified the malignity of their disposition, ceptionable passages have been expunged, charge their blunders upon the author, that and the corrections made, as in either case a prosecution may be founded upon their disobedience would be of the most fatal false conceptions, and designed misinter-consequence; for the possessing or reading pretations.

The most trivial charge causes the censure of a book; but it is to be observed, that the censure is of a three-fold nature, viz.:

1. When the book is wholly condemned. 2. When the book is partly condemned, that is, when certain passages are pointed out as exceptionable, and ordered to be expunged.

3. When the book is deemed incorrect; the meaning of which is, that a few words or expressions displease the inquisitions. These, therefore, are ordered to be altered, and such alterations go under the name of corrections.

the proscribed books are deemed very atrocious crimes.

The publisher of such books is usually ruined in his circumstances, and sometimes obliged to pass the remainder of his life in the inquisition.

"Strictures on books, when prejudice indites,
Or ignorance judges of what genius writes;
When blinded zeal and rage on learning lower,
And bigot dulness fills the seat of power-
Well may pure truth for her hard lot repine,
And on her hand her pensive head incline;
Well may fair science mourn the galling chain,
Candor bewail, and innocence complain.
Who curb the press with rigid bigot laws,
Are foes professed to pure religion's cause;
And with the iron band of power would bind
The free-born soul, and chain the human mind;
Crush generous sentiments before expressed,
And fetter each emotion of the breast."

THE INQUISITIONS OF SPAIN AND PORTUGAL.

RANCIS ROMANES, a into a protestant church, he was struck native of Spain, being of a with the truths which he heard, and beginmercantile turn of mind, ning to perceive the errors of popery, he was employed by the mer-determined to search further into the matter. chants of Antwerp, to Reading the sacred Scriptures attentively, transact some business for and perusing the writings of some protesthem at Breme. He had been educated in tant divines, he plainly perceived how the Romish persuasion, but going one day erroneous the principles were he had for

P

merly embraced; and renounced the im- { positions of popery for the doctrines of the reformed church, in which religion appeared in all its genuine purity.

At St. Lucar in Spain resided a carver named Rochus, whose principal business was to make images of saints and other popish idols. Becoming, however, conDetermining to give over worldly thoughts, vinced of the errors of the Romish persuaand think of his eternal salvation, he studied {sion, he embraced the protestant faith, left religious truths more than trade, and pur-off carving images, and for subsistence folchased books rather than merchandise, con- {lowed the business of a seal engraver only. vinced that the riches of the body are tri-He had, however, retained one image of fling to those of the soul. the Virgin Mary for a sign; when an inHe now resigned his agency to the mer-quisitor passing by, asked if he would sell chants of Antwerp, giving them an account it; Rochus mentioned a price; the inquisiat the same time of his conversion; and tor objected to it, and offered half the then resolving, if possible, to convert his money: Rochus replied: "I would rather parents, he went to Spain for that purpose. break it to pieces than take such a trifle." But the Antwerp merchants writing to the -"Break it to pieces!" said the inquisitor, inquisitors, he was seized upon, imprisoned {"break it to pieces if you dare!" for some time, and then condemned to be burnt as a heretic.

He was led to the place of execution in a garment painted over with devils, and had a paper mitre put upon his head, by way of derision. As he passed by a wooden cross, one of the priests bade him kueel to it; this he absolutely refused to do, saying, "It is not for Christians to wor-{ ship wood."

Being placed upon a pile of wood the fire quickly reached him, when he lifted up his head suddenly; the priests thinking he meant to recant, ordered him to be taken down. Finding, however, that they were mistaken, and that he still retained his constancy, he was placed again upon the pile where, as long as he had life and voice remaining, he repeated the following selected verses of the seventh psalm :

"O Lord, my God, since I have placed My trust alone in thee,

From all my persecutors' rage,

Do thou deliver me.

"To save me from my threatening foe,
Lord, interpose thy power,
Lest. like a savage lion, he

My helpless soul dévour.

"Arise, and let thine anger, Lord,
In my defence engage,

Exalt thyself above my foes,
And their insulting rage.

"Awake, awake in my behalf,

Thy judgment to dispense,
Which thon hast righteously ordained,
For injured innocence.'

Rochus being provoked at this expression, immediately snatched up a chisel, and cut off the nose of the image. This was sufficient; the inquisitor went away in a rage, and soon after sent to have him apprehended. In vain did he plead that what he defaced was his own property, and that if it was not proper to do as he would with his own goods, it was not proper for the inquisitor to bargain for the image. in the way of trade. Nothing, however, availed him; his fate was decided he was condemned to be burnt; and the sentence was executed accordingly.

Doctor Cacalla, his brother Francis, and his sister Blanch, were burnt at Vallodolid, for having spoken against the inquisitors. Doctor Cacalla, who was very old, when at the place of execution, repeated the

words of Solomon, which have been thus beautifully translated :—

"Behold where age's wretched victim lies,

See his head tre inbling, and his half-closed eyes;
Frequent for breath his panting bosom heaves,
To broken sleep his reminant sense he gives,
And only by his pains, awaking, finds he lives.
Loosed by devouring time, the silver cord
Dissevered lies, unhonored from the board;
The crystal urn, when broken, is thrown by,
And apter utensils their place supply:

These things and I must share one common lot-
Die, and be lost; corrupt, and be forgot;
While still another, and another race,
Shall now supply, and now give up the place.
From earth all came, to earth must all return;

Frail as the cord, and brittle as the urn."

At Seville, a gentlewoman with her two

daughters, and her neice, were apprehend- The poor frantic wretch, just as they ed on account of their professing the prot- were about to begin his punishment, sudestant religion. They were all put to the denly sprung from the back of the ass, torture; and when that was over, one of the broke the cords that bound him, snatched inquisitors sent for the youngest daughter, a sword from one of the guards, and danpretended to sympathize with her, and pitygerously wounded an officer of the inquisi her sufferings; then binding himself with tion. Being overpowered by multitudes, a solemn oath not to betray her, he said: he was prevented from doing further mis"If you will disclose all to me, I promise chief, seized, bound more securely to the you I'll procure the discharge of your ass, and punished according to his sentence. mother, sister, cousin, and yourself." But so inexorable were the inquisitors, that Made confident by his oath, and entrapped for the rash effects of his madness, an adby his promises, she revealed the whole {ditional four years was added to his slavery of the tenets they professed; when the in the galleys. perjured wretch, instead of acting as he A maid-servant to another jailer belonghad sworn, immediately ordered her to being to the inquisition was accused of huput to the rack, saying: "Now you have manity, and detected in bidding the prisonrevealed so much, I will make you revealers keep up their spirits. For these heinous more." Refusing, however, to say any-crimes, as they were called, she was pubthing further, they were all ordered to be licly whipped, banished her native place burnt, which sentence was executed at the for ten years, and, what is worse, had her next auto-da-fé. forehead branded by means of red hot irons, The keeper of the castle of Triano, be-with these words: "A favorer and aider of longing to the inquisitors of Seville, happen- heretics." ed to be of a disposition more mild and humane than is usual with persons in his situation. He gave all the indulgence he could to the prisoners, and showed them every favor in his power with as much secresy as possible. At length, however, the inquisitors became acquainted with his kindness, and determined to punish him severely for it, that other jailers might be deterred from showing the least traces of that compassion which ought to glow in the breast of every human being. With this view they superseded, threw him into a dismal dungeon, and used him with such dreadful barbarity that he lost his senses.

John Pontic, a Spaniard by birth, a gentleman by education, and protestant by persuasion, was, principally on account of his great estate, apprehended by the inquisitors, when the following charges were exhibited against him :

1. That he had said he abhorred the idolatry of worshipping the host;

2. That he shunned going to mass;

3. That he asserted the merits of Jesus Christ alone was a full justification for a Christian ;

4. That he declared there was no purgatory; and

5. That he affirmed the pope's absolution not to be of any value.

On these charges his effects were confiscated to the use of the inquisitors, and his body was burnt to ashes to gratify their

His deplorable situation, however, procured him no favor, for frantic as he was, they brought him from prison at an auto-da-fe to the usual place of punishment with a rambenito (or garment worn by criminals) { revenge. on, and a rope about his neck. His sentence was then read, and ran thus: that be should be placed upon an ass, led through the city, receive two hundred stripes, and then be condemned six years to the galleys.

John Gonsalvo was originally a priest, but having embraced the reformed religion, he was now seized by the inquisitors, as were his mother, brother, and two sisters. Being condemned, they were led to execu

tion, where they sung part of the CVIth and declared to the inquisitors, that he

psalm, viz. :

"O render thanks to God above,
The fountain of eternal love;
Whose mercy firm, through ages past
Has stood, and shall for ever last.

"Who can his mighty deeds express,
Not only vast, but numberless;
What mortal eloquence can raise,
His tribute of immortal praise.

"Happy are they, and only they,

Who from thy judgments never stray;
Who know what's right-not only so,
But always practise what they know."

solemnly renounced his intended recantation. Sentence of death was therefore passed upon him, and he was burnt at the same time as Ferdinando.

Juliano, a Spanish Roman catholic, on travelling into Germany, became a convert to the protestant religion.

Being zealous for the faith he had embraced, Juliano undertook a very arduous task, which was to convey from Germany into his own country, a great number of bibles concealed in casks, and packed up like Rhenish wine. This important commission he succeeded in so far as to distribute the books. A pretended protestant, however, who had purchased one of the {bibles, betrayed him, and laid an account of the whole affair before the inquisition.

At the place of execution they were ordered to say the creed, which they immediately complied with, but coming to these words: "The holy catholic church," they were commanded to add the monosyllables of Rome, which absolutely refusing, one of the inquisitors said: "Put an Juliano was immediately seized upon, end to their lives directly;" when the exe- and strict inquiry being made for the recutioners obeyed, and strangled them im-spective purchasers of these bibles, eight mediately. hundred persons were apprehended upon Four protestant women, being seized the occasion. They were all indiscrimiupon at Seville, were tortured, and in pro-nately tortured, and then most of them were cess of time ordered for execution. On sentenced to various punishments. Juliano the way thither they began to sing psalms; was burnt, twenty were roasted upon spits, but the officers of the inquisition, thinking several imprisoned for life, some were that the words of the psalms reflected on publicly whipped, many sent to the galleys, themselves, put gags into all their mouths, and a few discharged. to make them silent. They were then burnt, and the houses where they resided were ordered to be razed to the ground.

John Leon, a protestant tailor of Spain, travelled to Germany, and thence to Geneva, where, hearing that a great number of Ferdinando, a protestant schoolmaster, English protestants were returning to their was apprehended by order of the inquisi-native country, he, and some more Spantion, for instructing his pupils in the principles of protestantism; and, after being severely tortured, was burnt.

A monk, who had abjured the errors of popery, was imprisoned at the same time as the above Ferdinando; but through the fear of death, and to procure mercy, he said he was willing to embrace his former communion. Ferdinando, hearing of this, got an opportunity to speak to him, reproached him with his weakness, and threatened him with eternal perdition. The monk, sensible of his crime, returned to, { promised to continue in the protestant faith,

iards, determined to go with them. The Spanish inquisitors being apprized of their intentions, sent a number of familiars so expeditiously in pursuit of them, that they overtook them at a seaport in Zealand, one of the United Provinces (which was then ; under the jurisdiction of Spain) just before they had embarked. Having thus succeeded in their commission, the poor prisoners were heavily fettered, handcuffed, gagged, and had their heads and necks covered with a kind of iron net-work. In this miserable condition they were conveyed to Spain, thrown into a dismal dungeon, al